After it's built no upgrades for the forseeable future, if ever. Really this is all just to play SW:TOR, and watch anime/browse gaf on.
"I need a New PC!" 2012 Thread. 22nm+28nm, Tri-Gate, and reading the OP. [Part 1]
- Thread starter Hazaro
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After it's built no upgrades for the forseeable future, if ever. Really this is all just to play SW:TOR, and watch anime/browse gaf on.
Get the 2500K and overclock to 4.4-4.5GHz. Should be good for a few years. Later, if you need a better video card, they are much more easy to change out compare to CPU/MB upgrade.
Random question -
I have a 1TB Samsung Spinpoint which I think might be dying on me, as it took 5 installs of Windows before I could finally boot in, so I'm wanting to get an SSD. The Crucial m4 seems to be the one to go with, but what I'm wondering is - is it a good idea to clone the HDD to the SSD, or should I really just be starting fresh with a new install?
I have a 1TB Samsung Spinpoint which I think might be dying on me, as it took 5 installs of Windows before I could finally boot in, so I'm wanting to get an SSD. The Crucial m4 seems to be the one to go with, but what I'm wondering is - is it a good idea to clone the HDD to the SSD, or should I really just be starting fresh with a new install?
Looking to buy a new PC for mostly WoW, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and various indie/Source games. I am not planning on running anything that pushes the envelope (BF3, Crysis, Witcher), but I would like to play stuff like WoW and SWTOR on high settings with good framerates.
Budget is $500-600. Any decent suggestions? I was looking into a laptop, but it seems like there's nothing to great at that price range.
Budget is $500-600. Any decent suggestions? I was looking into a laptop, but it seems like there's nothing to great at that price range.
Kindred spirits you and I. Though I'm a few hundred dollars above your budget. I'm curious to see what others would/will recommend here.
brain_stew
Member
Yeah, don't buy a laptop.
You're going to want to fill us in on a few more details. Where are you based? Are you happy to build yourself? Do you need a new copy of Windows within that budget?
littleworm
Member
So, I unplugged everything and I am using the POST beeps to try to figure out the problem. I got one long and two short beeps, which the manual states is a memory issue. So I try different figurations with the memory and now I am getting no beeps at all. Any ideas of what is going on I'm really at a loss here.
1) No warranty
2) I'm a computer engineering mayor, I have worked with electrical components and circuit boards, I've never quite soldered anything, but I am willing to learn or try just for this. Any tips?
Also any tips on where to get the caps or a good cheap solder?
Also a friend mentioned it might be the back light not the capacitors. How would I got about knowing the difference or changing the back light?
PS: Am I really going to have to pay money so that I can get a service manual/schematics to fix my own monitor,really? What gives? Are there no decent places to get a repair guide or guide to know how to open the unit? This is really frustrating.
I'm in the USA, and you may exclude Windows 7 from the budget.
I do not want to build my own system. I wouldn't mind buying something cheap and expandable, then dropping in my own videocard or something.
Isn't there a website though that will let you pick your components and then they assemble everything for you for an extra fee?
You can even use disassembled cardboard boxes as a surface to build on. People do build on carpets, while wearing sweaters, and such. I prefer to not temp fate. Take your time, remain calm, ground yourself with the case/PSU, and go step by step.
I've only personally cloned HDD to HDD, but HDD to SSD is supposed to be fine. Between Windows, and certain clone software, any possible alignment issues should be taken care of.
You've tried each stick of RAM, one at a time, in the primary slot? Have any spare modules around to try with? Friend/family near-by to borrow one compatible stick from? To be further certain, you could use a different display, and/or try the motherboard's video out, if your board has that option.
Search online for links and videos relating to your specific display. Unless it's very obscure, you should find enough relevant material to help you out. If you have cap problems, it's easy to spot.
Have you read the OP?
There are builds you can use as a guideline (tweak where needed), along with links to sites that will construct it for you.
littleworm
Member
·feist·;33786349 said:
The issue seems to be resolved, they key failure seems to have been a faulty PCI-E cable going to the GPU, swapping one of the cables seem to do the job. As to the memory issue I am apparently shitty at placing ram into the motherboard.
Hey guys, do you think this PSU could handle a GTX 550?
The GTX 550 requires a min wattage of 400, but I'm not well adept in the amperage part of it. The GTX 550 requires 24.
http://support.gateway.com/s/POWER/6506042R/6506042Rsp2.shtml
The GTX 550 requires a min wattage of 400, but I'm not well adept in the amperage part of it. The GTX 550 requires 24.
http://support.gateway.com/s/POWER/6506042R/6506042Rsp2.shtml
Hate to have to post in here but I am completely lost and seemingly have bricked my system for the moment. First time trying to install an aftermarket CPU cooler into my pc. Everything seemed to go fine. The only possible issue I encountered was when I removed the old stock AMD cooler it came out with the CPU as well which wasn't intended. I've checked the pins on the CPU and they seem to be fine. When I initially tried to boot the system back up the new CPU fan would spin for about a second then stop and half try to spin up again but stop each time. If I plug the CPU fan into the SYSFan port it will spin up and run just fine but not on CPU Fan port. My GPU and 120mm fan spin up just fine and my hard drive is running. I do not get a post beep though and get no display on my monitor. My plan is to go check the CPU pins right now then remount it but other than that I am clueless as to what could of gone wrong. I've also had to move my ram to different slots since the heatsink won't allow for enough clearance to go into the first slot it was in before. Any ideas as to what else could be going on? Did I bust my CPU? I also may have fucked up putting on too much thermal paste but I don't know how that could cause this issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Is your sound ok with mobo? If no buy a Xonar.
Should be fine. Two 12V Rails.
Possible to post pictures? Was the computer off (or unplugged) for a while before you took it off?
Try putting the CPU and HS back on with 1 stick of RAM in the primary RAM slot (check your mobo). If the CPU_FAN doesn't spin it, plug the HS fan connector into SYS_FAN and a case fan on the CPU_FAN header. Sometimes mobos won't post if there isn't something on that.
PC was completely unplugged for several minutes before+during when I did the install. I attempted what you suggested and got the same results. Plugged my old HS fan into the CPU_FAN port and the coolermaster into the SYS_FAN port with one stick in the primary slot (I noticed it actually could clear the notch under the new HS). I can post pictures but they will be with my cell-phone so probably need a good idea of what details would help. Is this most likely to be my CPU? I would assume nothing would spin up if it was the Mobo.
yellow submarine
Member
Shoving an i7 2600k into a mini itx box is a bad idea, right? Or is it workable in terms of cooling etc.
yellow submarine
Member
I still need to decide which case. I went to Frys to look at micro ATX cases today, and they were almost as big as medium ATX cases. The mini ITX cases looked like the kind of thing I wanted (essentially, build my own appleTV). If you have recommendations, I'd love them.
Looking at the OP, I don't think there's anyone I the US that will assemble a system based on the parts I buy. I think it was NCIS that used to do it, but I don't think so anymore. The other sites with deep customizability options seem to be aimed above my price point.·feist·;33786349 said:
I remember when I was shopping for my last PC, TigerDirect had a relatively cheap Crysis PC that they were marketing for like $500. Is there a more modern equivalent of something like that?
Check the RAM is firmly seated and in the correct slots. Check mobo manual for error/beep codes.
Hmm.
'The only possible issue I encountered was when I removed the old stock AMD cooler it came out with the CPU as well which wasn't intended.'
Was the CPU latch down and secured? If you tried to turn it on with any pin damage or paste in there you could have certainly shorted something on your mobo or cpu.
A mobo that lights up or provides power to some pins does not necessarily work.
Unfortunately your options are mostly limited to things like iBUYpower. NCIX.CA still does the assembly, but it can take time and has to cross the border.
You could also order parts and have them assembled locally at a PC shop, or have someone assemble and ship it for you.
Charmicarmicat
Banned
I would like to build a small PC for emulation, that I could hook up to my TV, can anyone recommend some good budget parts? I don't really want to play anything above the PSX era, however if I can do something cheap that can maybe run PS2 games that would be ok. I would be outputting to 1080p or 720p on my TV. I think the most important detail is that I would like to use a small form factor case so it would fit in my unit under the TV. Any general recommendations would be great, thanks!
Alright. I just finished upgrading and re-installing Windows, Steam, games etc again.
I went from an E8400 to a 2500k on a Asus Gene-Z board w/ 1GB 460 GTX. Looks snazzy. I haven't put a better cooler on it yet, using the stock Intel one for the moment, so I don't think I should be overclocking (?) but is there anything I should be doing to make sure I'm getting the best performance besides updating all the drivers/software?
I went from an E8400 to a 2500k on a Asus Gene-Z board w/ 1GB 460 GTX. Looks snazzy. I haven't put a better cooler on it yet, using the stock Intel one for the moment, so I don't think I should be overclocking (?) but is there anything I should be doing to make sure I'm getting the best performance besides updating all the drivers/software?
You can compare scores in the Benching Thread listed in the OP.
Rabid Wolverine
Member
If your case has good cooling you should be able to do 4ghz ok on standard cooling. Thats what im doing on mine.
Slayer-33
Liverpool-2
More power consumption, noticing pixels/jaggies and possible ghosting? Oh and probably more stress on the eyes? lol
I use a Sony KDL32EX400, and I'd never go back to a TN monitor.
Pixels/jaggies? Sure they're more noticeable, but IQ is great with anti-aliasing. Less stress on the eyes, especially when reading web pages. You need to move your eyes around, sure...no problem with that. There is certainly more ghosting than a TN panel, but that will be true of any non-TN display. It's the price you pay for significant improvements in image quality.
And anyways, size trumps all. Gaming on a 32" display is so much more immerse than a tiny little monitor.
BTW, the blacks are phenomenal on the Sony. About equal to my Panasonic plasma.
My setup:
Big Baybee
Member
What kind of desk is that?
Cheap desk I picked up at Walmart for $99 about 5 years ago. I think they still sell it. Incredibly practical desk, for the money. It also came with an arch, but I took that off in favor of using a big screen.
It's obviously not in great shape anymore (I'm pretty hard on it), but hey, still works great!Here it is (different color):
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Orion-L-Shaped-Desk-with-Hutch-Multiple-Finishes/12456480
BoobPhysics101
Banned
Nah. Maybe more jaggies. My HDTV has no ghosting, period. Very low response time. It's S-IPS too. Got it for $440.
PC gaming on an HDTV rules.
Cheap desk I picked up at Walmart for $99 about 5 years ago. I think they still sell it. Incredibly practical desk, for the money. It also came with an arch, but I took that off in favor of using a big screen.
Here it is (different color):
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Orion-L-Shaped-Desk-with-Hutch-Multiple-Finishes/12456480
Hey, I really like that. I think I need to get one for my new place. Thanks!
Just a heads up, if you use the arch, only a 20-21 inch monitor would fit inside the arch area. Otherwise, you'll have to have the monitor in front of the arch (that's what I did with my previous 22"). Or you could just not use the arch, like myself.
Finding a practical L desk is tough...this remains one of the only decent cheap options I've seen.
Finding a practical L desk is tough...this remains one of the only decent cheap options I've seen.
hey, I need an opinion, I am thinking about getting some DDR3 RAM, and I saw that A-Data is dirt cheap, are those any good?
http://www.pixmania.com/dk/dk/8314856/art/a-data/pc-hukommelsen-premier-4.html
http://www.pixmania.com/dk/dk/8417241/art/a-data/pc-hukommelse-supreme-4-g.html
http://www.pixmania.com/dk/dk/7138720/art/a-data/pc-hukommelse-4-gb-ddr3-1.html#pix-review
?
http://www.pixmania.com/dk/dk/8314856/art/a-data/pc-hukommelsen-premier-4.html
http://www.pixmania.com/dk/dk/8417241/art/a-data/pc-hukommelse-supreme-4-g.html
http://www.pixmania.com/dk/dk/7138720/art/a-data/pc-hukommelse-4-gb-ddr3-1.html#pix-review
?
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
A-Data is fine. I think they have a lifetime warranty, at least here in the US. Looks like they might not based on "2 års garanti," but I don't know if that's from A-Data or the site you're ordering from.
GTX 560 1GB ≥ GTX 460 1GB > GTX 550 1GB
That's the non-Ti GTX 560, and non-SE GTX 460. "≥" because the former is effectively a tweaked, and factory overclocked version of the latter. Between the two you mentioned, they regularly go for around the same price, so GTX 460 1GB all day. Get one of the better factory custom non-SE cards.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
The two cards are more or less equal and the 550Ti (well, 460 768MB version I think, 1GB is a little better) has lower power consumption. As for why it's recommended now, probably has to do with pricing.
And I find it hard to recommend a $150 460 over a $90-$100 550 Ti. The difference isn't that big is it?
I've seen 768MBs, SEs, and non-SEs all fall within that same ~$90-110 price range. Normally, the 460 and 550 are within ~$5-15 of each other. The 550 wins in some cases, due to its overclocked nature, but the 460 still beats it overall. That's before you even overclock the GTX 460 to around, or beyond, GTX 560 non-Ti performance.
If the GTX 550 deal isn't for one of those lower quality, stripped down versions of the overall 550 options, then, sure.
If the GTX 550 deal isn't for one of those lower quality, stripped down versions of the overall 550 options, then, sure.
Big Baybee
Member
Cheap desk I picked up at Walmart for $99 about 5 years ago. I think they still sell it. Incredibly practical desk, for the money. It also came with an arch, but I took that off in favor of using a big screen.
Here it is (different color):
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Orion-L-Shaped-Desk-with-Hutch-Multiple-Finishes/12456480
Looks nice. I was looking into getting a Galant from Ikea.
Look on craigslist or the equivalent in your area; I found a $500 IKEA galant desk for $50 two weeks ago.
There's always the Jerker and Fredrik desks too that you can probably find for under $100
It was locked in but came out fairly easily with the HS. I wasn't wrenching on it or anything. Basically I'm looking at replacing my cpu or mobo but don't know which is the culprit?
I ran into someone on Craigslist looking to sell their rig for $600. He says it was built for him about 12-18 months ago, and he's looking to get rid of it and travel. The only supposed downside is that the power button doesn't work (must be turned on manually at the PSU).
Here are the specs:
Intel® Core™ i7 860 Processor, stock 2.8ghz but it believe it's overclocked 3+ ghz.
8gb DDR3-1600 memory
Asetek liquid cooling
ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB graphics card.
ASUS P7P55D LE Motherboard with Intel P55 Chipset that supports crossfire.
500gb hard drive (I'm not a big space guy)
700w PSU/SLI ready
Windows 7 home premium installed (unless you wanted the drive formatted)
NZXT Tempest EVO case
Should I jump on this? How good of a deal is it?
If so, what's the best way to confirm that everything he says is in the computer....is actually in the computer?
Here are the specs:
Intel® Core™ i7 860 Processor, stock 2.8ghz but it believe it's overclocked 3+ ghz.
8gb DDR3-1600 memory
Asetek liquid cooling
ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB graphics card.
ASUS P7P55D LE Motherboard with Intel P55 Chipset that supports crossfire.
500gb hard drive (I'm not a big space guy)
700w PSU/SLI ready
Windows 7 home premium installed (unless you wanted the drive formatted)
NZXT Tempest EVO case
Should I jump on this? How good of a deal is it?
If so, what's the best way to confirm that everything he says is in the computer....is actually in the computer?
BoobPhysics101
Banned
That's a horrific deal. I built my rig that's over 2x as powerful as that one for under $500. Huge ripoff. It's hard to recommend buying a PC on Craigslist, the prices are so inflated. I would pay maybe $250 for that rig at most.
How is it that bad of a deal? Looking at just the specs I was given, if I were to build a something to exactly the same specs I would be spending at least $100 on the mobo, $120 on the videocard, $290 on the CPU, $100 on the case. That's already over $600 before the cost of RAM, hard drive, Windows license, optical drive and power supply.
If you've got a build that's twice as powerful for $100 less then please let me know what it is. I've said that I refuse to build my own PC, but I'm not above having someone else do it.
If you've got a build that's twice as powerful for $100 less then please let me know what it is. I've said that I refuse to build my own PC, but I'm not above having someone else do it.
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