Felix Lighter
Member
LeoStenbuck said:
Definitely not high, 20C is like room temperature. I'm sure that's your idle temps and they are great. What are you using to get those readings? Also, the most important reading will be your load temps.
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Definitely not high, 20C is like room temperature. I'm sure that's your idle temps and they are great. What are you using to get those readings? Also, the most important reading will be your load temps.
zerodayPopbot
Member
Thanks for the reply.
I got them from the BIOS. It was around 20c when I started up, I checked again after playing SCII for a few hours and it was around 25c.
I got them from the BIOS. It was around 20c when I started up, I checked again after playing SCII for a few hours and it was around 25c.
Minsc
Gold Member
LeoStenbuck said:
I'd say so. My idle temp for a stock i7 920 with a high end cooler is ~32C is this summer heat. Ambient temps play a huge factor. Even in the winter, it was the upper 20s though. Safe operating temperature is 80C or less for 24/7 operation on the i7, I'd check your load temps before worrying over idle ones.
If you want to check temps for load, use RealTemp, and run the Prime95 test built in to it that puts all your cores to 100%. Your load temps are not 25C, they're going to be 40C+, probably 50C+.
zerodayPopbot
Member
Minsc said:
I'll do that. Thanks.
BrassMonkey1010
Member
DualShadow said:
BenQ's are great, they are just not popular in the states.
Felix Lighter
Member
I would suggest using CoreTemp or RealTemp. I'm sure the Bios readings are accurate but you want to be able to monitor temps from Windows. By the time you restart and go into your Bios your temps would have pretty much returned to idle temps. I'm sure everything is fine with your setup, but I, personally, always have RealTemp running just to keep tabs on everything.
Shadowman16
Member
Hazaro said:
Awesome, thanks for the info
Felix Lighter
Member
I have a question about possibly getting a dedicated PhysX for my PC. I have this motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131641. It has 3 PCI Express 2.0 slots and supports 3 Way SLI. My question is, if I do decide to buy a dedicated PhysX graphics card, would I still be able to set up 2 5850s in Crossfire? Right now I'm just curious. I have no intention of buying a second 5850 anytime soon and I'm still not decided if I want to invest in a dedicated PhysX card.
I'm going with the July PC build posted here, and I watched the 40 minute video on how to build a computer as well as read the "how to build a computer" link posted.
What are all of these benchmark programs that are linked in the OP and are they necessary to have the computer up and running, or are they more for fine-tuning and checking how things are running? are any of the programs essential to get the computer working well? I should hopefully be ordering the parts later this week
excited!
What are all of these benchmark programs that are linked in the OP and are they necessary to have the computer up and running, or are they more for fine-tuning and checking how things are running? are any of the programs essential to get the computer working well? I should hopefully be ordering the parts later this week
excited!Salaadin said:
I'm in no position to provide any sort of benchmarks, but I can tell you that SCII, ME2 and Crysis all load quite quickly for me on my SSD. However, this is a brand new PC so it's a combination of the overall boost in performance gained from new parts. I'll let you know in a couple of years when the next generation of SSD's are out
Hazaro said:
Yeah I figured there was a problem with it. Would the build you just linked me to run faster? Also I feel like the package deal is a decent deal, because it comes with a nice monitor and the protection of best buy warranty.
Either way, at a 1300 dollar budget, is this just about the best computer I can get (the one you linked)
1stStrike said:I'm in no position to provide any sort of benchmarks, but I can tell you that SCII, ME2 and Crysis all load quite quickly for me on my SSD. However, this is a brand new PC so it's a combination of the overall boost in performance gained from new parts. I'll let you know in a couple of years when the next generation of SSD's are out
Thats good to hear.
I got mine mainly for FFXIV and its been good for the beta. A friend says it loads quicker so thats a plus. I have nothing to compare it too though
Ive been thinking about getting a dedicated MMO SSD so I can actually install some other programs on my OS drive like virus scanners and other startup programs.
Owensboro said:
You can upgrade, it will just be with older parts. Do a Bios update and you can pick up a Core2Quad or a newer Core2Duo. You could grab a 4gb RAM kit or even an SSD. You do have upgrade options.
The problem is outside of grabbing an SSD or a new graphic card you are looking at older tech. It will still perform well but will not last as long as some of the newer stuff you can buy.
Also, whatever you do now will be your last upgrade for your current hardware. You are limited by your old motherboard and socket. Which unfortunately is how it goes with Intel. LGA775 is a dead platform. So although you can do an upgrade now, you can't build a new PC with the parts you buy over the course of 3-5 years.
AMD allows some backwards compatibility. So when bulldozer comes out it will work with their current tech. Intel on the other hand already has plans to completely kill their two current sockets. Leaving everyone who bought an I5 or current I7 a bit fucked in the long term. Amazing performance from their products, just expect to do a major upgrade when you feel the need to.
Blackface said:
Ahh, well in that case... my computer can still actually PLAY Starcraft 2 at medium settings, so I guess I'll just stick with it as is. That's a way better option then just buying a whole new computer now. I guess the old "build a new comptuer" train will be coming along in the next few years. Perhaps I will just make Diablo 3 my "Upgrade time" game!
And thanks for the in-depth response. That explains a lot then I ever could have found out on my own.
When I do finally decide to build a new rig, I'm totally hitting this thread up again. Everyone is so damn helpful and straight to the point!
Brainstorming here, would you see any issues setting up something like this:
-64GB Crucial C300 SSD: OS drive + startup programs
-64GB Crucial C300 SSD: Strictly FFXIV drive
-WD Caviar Black 640GB: Games, movies, photos, misc programs
-Samsung F3 1TB: Backups of the above
I initially got the SSD for my OS + FFXIV but I didnt realize the benefit of having one until I got one. I now want to install a lot on there but I dont want to sap up all of the space. In the long run, Ill be spending more money (I couldve got 128GB for 270 bucks) but it is what it is.
-64GB Crucial C300 SSD: OS drive + startup programs
-64GB Crucial C300 SSD: Strictly FFXIV drive
-WD Caviar Black 640GB: Games, movies, photos, misc programs
-Samsung F3 1TB: Backups of the above
I initially got the SSD for my OS + FFXIV but I didnt realize the benefit of having one until I got one. I now want to install a lot on there but I dont want to sap up all of the space. In the long run, Ill be spending more money (I couldve got 128GB for 270 bucks) but it is what it is.
Hawk269
Member
I need a major favor from someone who has Starcraft 2 and the Nvidia 460.
I am in the process of waiting for the parts to build my rig. I am planning to hook it up to my Sony SXRD Rear Projection 60" TV that has a native rez of 1080p.
Right now I am using my laptop with a 8800GTS to play the game on my big screen, but I had to crop the rez at 720p to something like 1240x690 in order for the desktop to display without cutoff. In Starcraft, I had to edit the variable.txt file and entered the same rez in teh width and heigth lines. Booting up the game, it displays perfectly without any cutoff.
When I try to do the same at 1080p with a desktop rez of 1960x1012 or something close and I change the variable.txt file like i did with the 720p, no matter what I do it is cut off.
My main reason for building the rig is to play at 1080p. I know the game does not read the available rez of my gfx card, so when I did the trick above, the rez field in teh game is blank, but as mentioned it is perfect at 720p..but the same trick does not work at 1080p or near that.
So what i need to know or have someone do, is change your desktop rez to some oddball thing like 1960x1012, load Starcraft 2 and see if teh game picks up that rez in the drop down menu. If it does, then I should be good...if not I am screwed!
Thanks to anyone willing to try this out...it seriously could mean me sending everything back because the whole purpose was to play at 1080p on my big screen. Again, really appreciate anyone willing to test this for me. It all comes down to the game recognizing a custom rez.
I am in the process of waiting for the parts to build my rig. I am planning to hook it up to my Sony SXRD Rear Projection 60" TV that has a native rez of 1080p.
Right now I am using my laptop with a 8800GTS to play the game on my big screen, but I had to crop the rez at 720p to something like 1240x690 in order for the desktop to display without cutoff. In Starcraft, I had to edit the variable.txt file and entered the same rez in teh width and heigth lines. Booting up the game, it displays perfectly without any cutoff.
When I try to do the same at 1080p with a desktop rez of 1960x1012 or something close and I change the variable.txt file like i did with the 720p, no matter what I do it is cut off.
My main reason for building the rig is to play at 1080p. I know the game does not read the available rez of my gfx card, so when I did the trick above, the rez field in teh game is blank, but as mentioned it is perfect at 720p..but the same trick does not work at 1080p or near that.
So what i need to know or have someone do, is change your desktop rez to some oddball thing like 1960x1012, load Starcraft 2 and see if teh game picks up that rez in the drop down menu. If it does, then I should be good...if not I am screwed!
Thanks to anyone willing to try this out...it seriously could mean me sending everything back because the whole purpose was to play at 1080p on my big screen. Again, really appreciate anyone willing to test this for me. It all comes down to the game recognizing a custom rez.
Few questions for ya brain_stew, I was rethinking my system, would downgrading from 480 in SLI to 470s be a gigantic difference? It's about a $300 difference. Also, which 470 would you recommend? I see a lot of hype about this Galaxy.
I am also looking to upgrade to a bigger monitor. I was looking to move to a 30" screen size. Do you have any recommendations there as well? Are there any 120hz screens at that size?
I am also looking to upgrade to a bigger monitor. I was looking to move to a 30" screen size. Do you have any recommendations there as well? Are there any 120hz screens at that size?
Interfectum
Gold Member
I built my PC about a year ago.... here are the main specs, are there any upgrades I should be making to keep up with the times?
This sucker eats up and spits out anything I send at it. I'm trying to keep it that way. :lol
This sucker eats up and spits out anything I send at it. I'm trying to keep it that way. :lol
brain_stew
Member
Interfectum said:
You just answered your own question. Upgrade when you feel dissatisfied with performance, not before. There's no cheap upgrades you could do at this moment anyway. Maybe pick up a Hyper 212+ and make use of that BE's unlocked multi and see what OC you can get?
You could add a dedicated PhysX card (GT 240) if you're hyped for Mafia 2 guess.
Salaadin said:
Put those two 64 GB drives into raid 1 and you'll see some amazing performance. Otherwise, you can just do two 64 GB drives.
Corky said:
Your mobo needs to support sata 3, your BIOS needs to be new enough to recognize them and you're best off running Windows 7 as it already has the drivers for SSD's. There are some tweaks you should do to your OS to optimize it for SSD's as well.
brain_stew
Member
Shambles said:
This is some seriously good advice here. Heed these words of wisdom guys.
Interfectum
Gold Member
brain_stew said:
Cool, thanks for the advice. I might add the GT 240 into the mix.
brain_stew
Member
Shadowman16 said:
That setup is like tailor made for Mafia 2. You could get away with spending a lot less ofcourse but if you've got the cash to spend its not as if you'd be buying any overpriced components and you're definitely getting your money's worth. Whatever you decide to buy, if Mafia 2 is a major motivation then be sure to add that $60 GT 240 so that you have a dedicated PhysX card.
You'll make most of us jealous though! :lol
Dragona Akehi
Retired
So I was posting some stuff in the HTPC thread that showed up. I've been thinking of building an HTPC sometime in September to meet both my media needs (stupid PS3 and blurays) along with a decent gaming rig. A friend and myself were browsing and came up with these setups; two each for Intel and AMD based systems.
Intel
Keep in mind we forgot that i3s were only dual core, so these should really be i5s, which are quad-core. I just didn't feel like taking another pic.
AMD
Any suggestions aside from the obvious i3 -> i5? Any preferences between video cards and whatnot? I might also slap another 2TB system in there too.
Intel
Keep in mind we forgot that i3s were only dual core, so these should really be i5s, which are quad-core. I just didn't feel like taking another pic.
AMD
Any suggestions aside from the obvious i3 -> i5? Any preferences between video cards and whatnot? I might also slap another 2TB system in there too.
brain_stew
Member
The 5670 is a much better card than the GT 240.
Its a good fit for a HTPC because of its low power draw. I mean its not a monster or anything and its performance/price isn't outstanding but for what you're looking to achieve its probably a good fit.
The X4 635 is a fine CPU for the price, I think it'll comfortably achieve what you set out to do. There's a combo available with a 600w modular OCZ PSU. Modular PSUs make all kinds of sense for a HTPC and it'll actually work out cheaper than getting the current PSU you have specced. Its a pretty efficient unit as well, so go for it.
Edit: Here it is, means the PSU only costs you $30 after rebate and you don't have lots of extra cables flooding your case either:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.468992
Does that case have space for a dual height GPU? The 5770's idle power consumption (which is what really matters) is actually super low and not that much different from the cards you currently have specced. It'll only use more power when it needs it (i.e. when you'r playing games) and it'll provide as much as a 2x boost in performance, its worth considering imo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102873&cm_re=5770-_-14-102-873-_-Product
Only $135 after rebate and its super short which is very handy for a HTPC.
Its a good fit for a HTPC because of its low power draw. I mean its not a monster or anything and its performance/price isn't outstanding but for what you're looking to achieve its probably a good fit.
The X4 635 is a fine CPU for the price, I think it'll comfortably achieve what you set out to do. There's a combo available with a 600w modular OCZ PSU. Modular PSUs make all kinds of sense for a HTPC and it'll actually work out cheaper than getting the current PSU you have specced. Its a pretty efficient unit as well, so go for it.
Edit: Here it is, means the PSU only costs you $30 after rebate and you don't have lots of extra cables flooding your case either:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.468992
Does that case have space for a dual height GPU? The 5770's idle power consumption (which is what really matters) is actually super low and not that much different from the cards you currently have specced. It'll only use more power when it needs it (i.e. when you'r playing games) and it'll provide as much as a 2x boost in performance, its worth considering imo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102873&cm_re=5770-_-14-102-873-_-Product
Only $135 after rebate and its super short which is very handy for a HTPC.
Well, I like AMD build better except PSU (Corsair is more than fine but I'd up it to 500-550 W, HTPCs are expensive and it'd be shame if it went up in smoke).
edit: you should also think about some UPS if you don't have one. Power surges can be nasty.
edit: you should also think about some UPS if you don't have one. Power surges can be nasty.
1stStrike said:
Thanks. I just might consider that.
If Im already set to AHCI and then I set to RAID, am I going to have to reinstall Windows again?
1stStrike said:
My mobo only supports up to 3GB/s. SSDs are fast on it but not as fast. It kinda makes me regret getting the GA-P55-UD4P when Gigabyte released a revision that supports SATA 3 a few months later.
Dragona Akehi
Retired
brain_stew said:
Appreciate the suggestions. Why we specced with the 512 card was because I'll be only using up to 1080p resolution anyway, but if you think it's worth the boost, then I'll go for the 5770 instead. No idea if it'll fit in the case, I'll ask my friend.
Unfortunately I'm not in the US, so even though we were speccing out via NewEgg (it's rather convenient), I can't actually order from them and take advantage of those linked deals. :/
brain_stew
Member
Dragona Akehi said:
That's fair enough and yeah, its definitely worth the boost, its less the 1GB RAM more the 2x increase in functional units (twice the SPs, twice the ROPs etc) that makes the real difference. There's quite a few 5770 designs out there and some are super tiny so I'm sure you can find one that fits.
brain_stew
Member
Corky said:
Hard to say, its not a bad deal at all (especially for someone outside the US) and you can rest in the knowledge that you won't have to upgrade your CPU for a long, long time. Having said that, in the here and now it won't make all that much difference so it really depends on where your priorities lie.
TouchMyBox
Member
Corky said:
If you're being CPU-limited in what you're doing then yes, it's a fantastic purchase. A nicely overclocked x3 should still be relevant though.
brain_stew said:
I understand that I might not see a huge difference today, but my priorities are to futureproof my pc the best way I can without having to buy ; new ram/motherboard.
touchmybox said:
Yeap I'm pretty sure that I'm cpu-limited. Might OC the x6 if I buy it, my mate got his from 2.8 to like 3.5 ( or whas it 3.6 ghz ) without touching the vcore and using a modest cooler.
Stormtrooper30
Member
Just order a cooler master 212+ from Performance-PC to compliment my order from Newegg (that comes in today. SO HYPED). Anyone had any experience with Performance-PC? I originally had it ordered from Amazon, but it will take 2 months to ship out from there so I had to change it.
Interfectum
Gold Member
brain_stew said:
Should I go for one with 512MB of RAM since it's only handling the physx?
PNY VCGGT2405G5XEB GeForce GT 240 512MB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133306&cm_re=GT_240-_-14-133-306-_-Product
After reading this well-reasoned comparison of DX11 GPUs, I decided to go with the GTX 470. Will I see a significant difference between this 470 with core clock at 625MHz and this one with core clock at 656MHz? (FYI I am not comfortable OCing myself - I'm a noob).
Or does anyone recommend a better 470 version?
Or does anyone recommend a better 470 version?
brain_stew
Member
d0g_bear said:
I couldn't fathom how anything that is "well reasoned" would bring you to the conclusion to buy a GTX 470. There's just no place for it, really. The GTX 460 can get mighty close (especially with its massive OC potential) and isn't super power hungry/hot. The 5870 is much better buy if a GTX 460 isn't fast enough for you and if you want a real leap then there's the GTX 480 available.
brain_stew
Member
Interfectum said:
Amount and speed of memory won't matter if its a PhysX card. A DDR3 GT 240 would be fine, even. Just get whatever's available for cheap.
That card looks perfect.
shigsy said:Coolio, let us know how it goes either way.
Tested different cables and ports without luck. Unplugged DVD and esata connector. Didn't do anything.Hazaro said:
Didn't do much testing today. I tried another HDD, HD103UJ (the one I have problems with is the newer HD103SJ), in the computer and it worked fine.
The HDD works in my brother's computer, though, so I gave it to him. I'm just gonna order a new HDD and blame this issue on misaligned stars during the production of the HDD and PSU leading to incompatibility issues.
brain_stew
Member
Corky said:
If that's your aim then I can't think of a more cost efficient way to do just that. So, go for it. Its a pretty good clocker as well.
brain_stew said:
I'm not an expert at this by any means, but it seems to me like that techreport article (conclusions here) concludes that the stock 470 has almost identical performance to the 5870 and costs less:
although of course it doesn't go into issues like noise, temp, and power consumption.