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AusGAF 2.0 - Twice the price, a year late but still moving forward

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R

Rezbit

Member
Hey guys, what's a good website to order PC parts from? Also, what's the best graphics card that's going for sub-$200, anything that can play new games a bit? My brother is building his first PC and wants to "play games". He doesn't expect it to kick ass. And I don't know anything about computers.

Thank you for your help AusGAF.
 
F

Fredescu

Member
Which state are you in? http://www.pccasegear.com is nice, but I think the shipping costs a bit if you're not in Vic.

Best card for under $200 is probably the GTX460 768MB, but going up to $220ish will get you a 5850 or a GTX460 1GB (don't get the SE version) which is a decent step up in power for the money.
 
R

Rezbit

Member
Fredescu said:
Which state are you in? http://www.pccasegear.com is nice, but I think the shipping costs a bit if you're not in Vic.

Best card for under $200 is probably the GTX460 768MB, but going up to $220ish will get you a 5850 or a GTX460 1GB (don't get the SE version) which is a decent step up in power for the money.
Click to expand...

I'm in Tassie. We've got this store, which is as far as I know the best specialty PC store going around, but again I'm not too sure how competitive their prices are (being Tasmanian and all!). I figured I might be able to get something cheaper online? http://www.principalcomputers.com.au/index.php?&loc=1
Just a quick check of a "GTS450" graphics card shows the Tassie website charging 30 bucks more :\

Thanks for the graphics card info, I used to follow it back in High school, but now I am pretty clueless. So that would play games like Black Ops, and would it be future-proof enough to play Skyrim and Diablo 3?
 
J

jambo

Member
It'll definitely play CoDBlops and Diablo 3 and should hopefully play Skyrim, as long as the new engine is a good one.
 
F

Fredescu

Member
Kritz got some stuff shipped from PCCG to Tassie, maybe he can tell you what shipping was like. Looking at the prices on that website it will probably work out cheaper to go with PCCG, and they're not even the cheapest around, they just have the nicest website.

GTX460 768MB
PCCG: $159
Principal: $250

GTX460 1GB
PCCG: $219
Principal: $320

5850
PCCG: $219
Principal: $286 (not in stock)

Yeah, I can't imagine shipping costing that much. And yeah those cards will run Blops, ESV, D3, and whatever else.
 
A

Agyar

Member
Fredescu said:
Which state are you in? http://www.pccasegear.com is nice, but I think the shipping costs a bit if you're not in Vic.

Best card for under $200 is probably the GTX460 768MB, but going up to $220ish will get you a 5850 or a GTX460 1GB (don't get the SE version) which is a decent step up in power for the money.
Click to expand...

I got an eVGA GTX460 768MB factory overclocked card when I put my PC together and it has performed well
for Civilization 5, the only PC game I have been playing
.

Gazunta said:
How much should I expect to pay for a 1TB internal hard drive for my PC? And what brands should I avoid?
Click to expand...

Maybe 60-70? It depends if you want it for applications/OS or just storage, as you can get larger volume "green" drives for the same price as the 7200rpm drives. The green drives seem to have lower power consumption etc but they're 5400 rpm and from anecdotal evidence, can take a while to spin up by comparison.

For reference, I put a 1TB Samsung Spinpoint and a 1.5TB Western Digital Green in my PC.
 
E

evlcookie

but ever so delicious
Gazunta said:
How much should I expect to pay for a 1TB internal hard drive for my PC? And what brands should I avoid?
Click to expand...

Which hard drive brand is really based on personal experience. I haven't had issues with samsungs so i stick with them, My mate on the other hand doesn't like them so he sticks with WDs.

Go with whatever is in your budget. I picked up a 2TB samsung for $105 from pcg. 1TB drives are probably around $70 or so as well.
 
R

r1chard

Member
Gazunta said:
How much should I expect to pay for a 1TB internal hard drive for my PC? And what brands should I avoid?
Click to expand...
I'd recommend looking up reviews. The manufacturers change their designs fairly often, so the drives can change in speed, power use, noise, reliability, etc.

I just picked up a couple of the 2TB green WDs (for $106 each) - they're for a NAS in the study so I want them to be nice and quiet and low-power (since they NAS is always on). Previously when I was building my HTPC I went with some Samsung model of the moment that was particularly low-noise.
 
F

Fredescu

Member
Gazunta said:
How much should I expect to pay for a 1TB internal hard drive for my PC? And what brands should I avoid?
Click to expand...
On top of what cookie said, consider what you're using it for too. The "green" drives are slower and cheaper and quieter and good for storage and watching movies from etc. If you're going to be doing a bit more heavy duty IO, like using it as an OS drive, or a gaming drive, or doing encoding maybe, then you should consider a 7200rpm drive. In Samsung you have the Spinpoint for 7200rpm, and the EcoGreen for the slower one. In Western Digital its Caviar Green for the slow, and Caviar Black for the fast.
 
B

Bernbaum

Member
codswallop said:
Ok whiskey/scotch drinkers: Whiskey Stones... WTF?
Click to expand...
Chilling scotch does more to mute its flavour than diluting it with water. A lot of purists will still add some water- helps spread the liquor across the palate.

I like the clinkle-clinkle noise the ice-cubes make.
 
R

r1chard

Member
Oh, I should mention: they might change their designs, but keep the labels. The WD Green label applies to both the 1TB and 2TB disks I have, but the controllers changed significantly between the two.
 
C

codswallop

Member
Bernbaum said:
Chilling scotch does more to mute its flavour than diluting it with water. A lot of purists will still add some water- helps spread the liquor across the palate.

I like the clinkle-clinkle noise the ice-cubes make.
Click to expand...
I know about chilling scotch to take off the edge but was wondering out loud at using rocks to cool it down.
 
R

Rezbit

Member
C

Cohsae

Member
Bernbaum said:
I like the clinkle-clinkle noise the ice-cubes make.
Click to expand...
One of my favourite noises in the world.
And now that I'm on holidays and have some Wild Turkey American Honey I expect to be hearing that sound often.
 
F

Fredescu

Member
Rezbit said:
I just went for around about the cheapest option, so is there anything that must be changed? The ram may be suspect I feel, cheap ram could be a no-no? Is there anything I've forgotten?
Click to expand...
$7 more on the PSU will get you a modular unit with a bit more juice: http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_535&products_id=12597. It will probably be fine, but if it were my build I'd spend a whole lot more on the PSU and get a Corsair or Seasonic like so: http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_354&products_id=12918 or http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_972&products_id=13567 . Certainly not a requirement though.

Yeah, I would spend a little more on the RAM. Those Ripjaws modules are pretty popular in the GAF thread for whatever reason. http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=186_538_913&products_id=13105

Also add a CPU cooler so you can overclock. Something like this: http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=207_23_845&products_id=12544 and some thermal compound: http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=207_163&products_id=2173

Edit: oops, just noticed your motherboard. I'd get one based on a P55 chipset rather than the cut down H55. I don't remember why anymore, but the P55 is better. That RAM that I recommended says it works with P55 but not H55. Something like this: http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=138_711_897&products_id=13485. There are some slightly cheaper but not with USB 3 support.
 
B

Bernbaum

Member
Mildly on-topic: I think the ever-pervasive binge-drinking culture in Australia is pretty bloody bad. A lot of people are brought up thinking it's the norm and there is little appreciation for alcoholic drinks on a 'quality-enjoyment' level and people of all ages still gauge how much fun they've had on a night out by how wasted they got. Sure, other countries have this problem, but I've seen the exact same behaviour exhibited all the way from naive teenagers to professional near-retirement adults. Because I'm old
27
and have a Zimmer frame and consume Werther's Originals in my Volvo, I'll have maybe two or three drinks tops and that'll do me. When it's midnight and everyone is shabby as fuck and you're the most sober, it's pretty messy business and enough to put you off drinking like that.

It's christmas party season. Y'all know what I mean.
 
B

Bernbaum

Member
Well, I like that the occasional AusGAF alcohol discussion here is positive- people like different scotches and appreciate quality. It's also christmas party season and I'm reminded why I don't like being out amongst a big bunch of boozers.

On NeoGAF's OT, we get a bad rap for being racist. I think the booze problem is worse, poorly understood outside the country and unduly accepted as part of our 'larrikin' caricature.
 
V

viciouskillersquirrel

Member
Three Christmas parties this week for me. Yeah, watching people get sloppy isn't really that fun a time. Last year, I watched a 45 year old office manager tongue-assault a random backpacker who'd wandered into the venue and looked like he hadn't shaved or showered in weeks.
 
V

VOOK

We don't know why he keeps buying PAL, either.
Bernbaum said:
Mildly on-topic: I think the ever-pervasive binge-drinking culture in Australia is pretty bloody bad. A lot of people are brought up thinking it's the norm and there is little appreciation for alcoholic drinks on a 'quality-enjoyment' level and people of all ages still gauge how much fun they've had on a night out by how wasted they got. Sure, other countries have this problem, but I've seen the exact same behaviour exhibited all the way from naive teenagers to professional near-retirement adults. Because I'm old
27
and have a Zimmer frame and consume Werther's Originals in my Volvo, I'll have maybe two or three drinks tops and that'll do me. When it's midnight and everyone is shabby as fuck and you're the most sober, it's pretty messy business and enough to put you off drinking like that.

It's christmas party season. Y'all know what I mean.
Click to expand...

+1
 
R

Rezbit

Member
Fredescu said:
Helpful stuff
Click to expand...

Thanks again, mate. That ram and MB looks like it could be the go.

Bernbaum, I definitely agree that binge-drinking is a massive issue in Australia. However I was just in the UK, and I can say that the English, Welsh, Scots and Irish can put the booze back with them best of them. Over there though it's like a continuous thing - pints at lunch every day, pints after work every day, pints on the weekend watching the football. But the incidence of young people going "let's get fucked up" seems lower over there than here. Lots of people I met there presumed I was some godly drinker because I was Australian :lol

I've also moved away from the cheap local dirty beer, mainly because it's no longer cheap, and moved on to some nicer beers. A nice Matilda Bay Fat Yak, or Little Creatures, or James Squires Amber Ale...mmm.
 
R

r1chard

Member
Nice thoughts there Bernbaum.

I loves me a good beer. Thanks, Octoberfest, for showing me the light!

Actually, that reminds me. When I was at Octoberfest (back in 2000 with my future wife) we heard about the "Australian tent". The whole 'fest has these humungous tents, one per beer maker. Probably a dozen or more. The Aussie tent, where all the Aussie backpackers went, was the only one that had a visible security presence outside - big fuck-off guys with leather gloves on. And the stories we heard from people who'd been inside about girls getting assaulted and the regular punch-ons. Needless to say we went to a different tent and had a fucking awesome time drinking our first litre steins and rocking to the oompah bands playing vaguely recognisable pop songs and making merry with people we shared a vocabulary of about 10 words with :) And afterwards heading back to the backpacker camp with a bunch of vomiting Aussies. Yeah, there's some Aussie pride right there.

Edit:
holy crap, I'm not a junior any more :)

Edit 2: one of these days I'm going to get into whiskey. I'm waiting for my friends who are a little older to make the jump first so they can figure the whole scene out first. I've tasted some whiskey in the past and wasn't impressed - but I know it was cheap stuff (<$100 bottles)
 
C

Choc

Banned
the night where in new zealand (no RSA in NZ) i had no idea how i got back to my hotel room and woke up in my clothes was the day i swore to be careful when i go out drinking ;)

i didnt drink for 3 months, it put me off so much

did not help i had the worst hangover in history and an international flight the next day with turbulance so bad the FA's had to sit down
 
K

Kritz

Banned
ANOTHER PROBLEM SOLVED BY KRITZ: PROBLEM SOLVER

Also I just dismantled an entire itlab! That was really hard! And threw out like 54 19" CRT monitors! That was really heavy!

Also yeah PCCG are friggin fantastic - cheap and they ship to TAS really fast. Like no more than 2 days on express shipping. TasPC are total ripoffs by comparison. I only buy from them whenever I'm too lazy to wait and don't need a specific brand or product (mostly with 1TB HDDs. Easy to go in and pick up a sata cable and HDD for like $80)

Hour left in the day. Work's all done. Bleh.

Edit: I will drink whatever people give me.
I am part of the problem.
 
C

Cohsae

Member
Yeah a day/night of awful drunkenness bout a month or so ago has me keeping myself on a much shorter leash drinking-wise. There wasn't anything funny about it, the shit I was saying was just foul.
 
L

legend166

Member
Bernbaum said:
Mildly on-topic: I think the ever-pervasive binge-drinking culture in Australia is pretty bloody bad. A lot of people are brought up thinking it's the norm and there is little appreciation for alcoholic drinks on a 'quality-enjoyment' level and people of all ages still gauge how much fun they've had on a night out by how wasted they got. Sure, other countries have this problem, but I've seen the exact same behaviour exhibited all the way from naive teenagers to professional near-retirement adults. Because I'm old
27
and have a Zimmer frame and consume Werther's Originals in my Volvo, I'll have maybe two or three drinks tops and that'll do me. When it's midnight and everyone is shabby as fuck and you're the most sober, it's pretty messy business and enough to put you off drinking like that.

It's christmas party season. Y'all know what I mean.
Click to expand...


I concur.
 
C

codswallop

Member
I think binge drinking is a thing a lot of people grow out of anyway. I sure as hell did. I never really went out to "get drunk" but I did certainly drink to make going out more fun.

Occasionally I'll drink too much but I've just set myself a 3-4 drink limit in one session which I abide by most of the time. I've found that's saved me much embarrassment at things like work parties.
 
R

rass

Member
I was a big binge drinker from 16 until about 21, I couldn't take the long nights and shocking hangovers anymore and backed it off since then. I barely drink at all now, usually drive/ride out.
 
E

evlcookie

but ever so delicious
I've only ever been drunk once, i'm not even sure if i was actually drunk or just really tipsy, maybe somewhere in the middle. I found it oddly fascinating. I constantly analysed what was going on, how everything seemed to slow down, All the walls i had created to protect myself from everything possible were somehow remove, Asking the somewhat ugly chick who gave us a lift to the place for a kiss. It was so strange and yet awesome at the same time.

I don't drink and if i do it's like 1 bottle of smirn black, since i like vodka or at least vodka with something mixed in. It also makes me piss like a fountain so having to take a ~1hr train ride home at 1 in the morning isn't appealing at all. :D

But i'm sure we all know someone who still goes out and gets drunk only to claim it won't happen again! Yet they do it all again next weekend.
 
R

Rezbit

Member
I'm "mid-twenties" and still drink probably more than I should, but I have definitely toned it down. I don't drink as much when I go out (and hardly go out to be honest) but still get quite drunk. I much prefer to have afternoon beers actually, a couple of nice, top quality beers either in the sunshine or watching the cricket or footy with mates...can't beat it.

That reminds me, I'm out of beer and need to go buy a carton :lol
 
C

codswallop

Member
evlcookie said:
IAll the walls i had created to protect myself from everything possible were somehow remove, Asking the somewhat ugly chick who gave us a lift to the place for a kiss. It was so strange and yet awesome at the same time.
Click to expand...
Alcohol definitely lowers any inhibitions you might have, allowing you to do some great and not so great things. Little wonder it's called Dutch Courage.

The biggest thing I hate is having blackouts. Particularly when others are with you and can tell you what stupid thing you did. This is probably the main reason I drink less. That and generally being more of a stupid idiot than normal.
 
J

jambo

Member
Man I love Pokemon :lol

xBPOJ.png
 
C

Clipper

Member
evlcookie said:
I've only ever been drunk once, i'm not even sure if i was actually drunk or just really tipsy, maybe somewhere in the middle. I found it oddly fascinating. I constantly analysed what was going on, how everything seemed to slow down, All the walls i had created to protect myself from everything possible were somehow remove, Asking the somewhat ugly chick who gave us a lift to the place for a kiss. It was so strange and yet awesome at the same time.
Click to expand...
Hey, you sound like me. I've been really tipsy a few times, but I'm pretty sure I've never been properly drunk and I've definitely never experienced a hangover. I'm happy to stay that way too. The worst times have been exactly as you describe, with the analysing of how un-you you tend to be acting and everything.

I do have a wider taste in the alcohol, though. I can barely stand lagers, but I love a good ale. Sounds like Rezbit and I have a little in common too, as I really love Little Creatures and James Squire. Never tried Matilda Bay Fat Yak, but now I'm going to have to give that a try too.

Oh, and speaking of beer, it seems there's not much interest in a SydGAF meet up before Christmas :(. If anyone else is interested, let us know, but I guess we'll just do something next year instead.
 
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