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"I need a new PC!" 2010 Edition

Guys I need to change my cpu, my current one is an athlon X2 3800+. I will be using it mostly for rendering/editing video, I have been looking at the intel i7 860, any good mobo to go along with it? Also, is amd a good alternative? I want something with the same processing power of 860 or better.
 
I just upgraded my graphics card to a Sapphire HD 5850 and boy does this sucker overclock like mad!! Wow..

This is what im getting in the pic below and its VERY stable and VERY reasonable temps for idle (38c) and load (56c max) when i give it a good hardcore beating for a few hours playing crysis at a time.. never went above 56-57c.

Im getting around 60fps in Crysis in dx10 with AA x2 and AF x16 and all settings extra high in Crysis. It does dip to around 50fps once in a great while but over all its pretty steady in the high 50s/lower 60s. Im aware Crysis is more gpu dependent then cpu dependent but regardless.. im sure my Intel Quad Core QX9650 @ 4.6ghz helps a bit with the stable frames.

EDIT: Forgot to mention.. its amazing how much a good quality case helps with air flow though.. i just picked up a Antec Three Hundred case.. i had the card in my old case at first.. a smaller case and not nearly as much air flow.. my antec three hundred has three 120mm fans and 3 other case fans as well and i adjust the air flow of the fans to sweep out the hot air towards the back end of the case.. on my old case..the card was around 7c hotter all around.. 7c's cooler because of a case upgrade is quite satisfying to me. 60 bucks at the egg http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

moemoe.jpg
 
Doytch said:
Duh fu? That's an insane OC... Quick Googles last night saw core clocks around 800. Mine just came in the mail yesterday and I didn't bother OCing it yet, but saw the CCC limits you at 775 for the core clock. What did you use to unlock it? (New to ATI cards...)
Click to expand...
You gotta use AMD GPU Clock Tool and MSIAfterburner. This AMD tools unlocks the ability to OC further..so what you gotta do is go into CCC and turn on ATI Overdrive, click apply but just leave clocks at default there..then fire up the AMD GPU Clock Tool..set the core and mem to what you want to OC too.. then close it out and open MSI Afterburner.. reset those same clocks in there that you had just set in AMD GPU CLock Tools.. and also then set the fan speed and any voltage bumps.

Here is a shot of the MSI Afterburner on my pc

msi.jpg
 
One last thing i forgot to mention.. go into Program Files and go into MSI Afterburner install directory and open up the MSIAfterburner.cfg

Change this EnableUnofficialOverclocking = 0

To this EnableUnofficialOverclocking = 1

This should give you the ability to not have to use AMD Overclock Tools now..well its kinda weird..it works for some brands and others it wont... also in MSI Afterburner...if you want to keep your overclock on reboot or startup.. just go into options and checkmark to startup with windows...im sure you know all that stuff.
 
I'm planning on getting a new rig. I can spend around 600€, maybe a little more. But I'm at a loss about what should I get. I don't need keys+mouse, OS or screen. What setup do you recomend me?

Thanks in advance.
 
AgentWhiskersX said:
Is it worth it to get a standalone soundcard like the Creative X-Fi "Fata1ity" series?
Click to expand...
I disagree with Smash88 above. Sure, I care about audio more than most people out there, but if you're a gamer or you just appreciate music, whether it be through speakers or headphones, it can make a big difference. It depends on how much you care about audio, and how much money you have. But if you're looking for actual performance in terms of making games and your computer run faster, then don't bother.

I would stay away from Creative in terms of soundcards though. They've since given up the grip on the corner of the market. The Auzentech X-FI Forte uses the same chip found in Creative cards, but without the worthless bloatware and they make their OWN (see: better) drivers. Better components too, so better sound. It's OOS at NewEgg right now though.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829156010
 
Darkatomz said:
I disagree with Smash88 above. Sure, I care about audio more than most people out there, but if you're a gamer or you just appreciate music, whether it be through speakers or headphones, it can make a big difference. It depends on how much you care about audio, and how much money you have. But if you're looking for actual performance in terms of making games and your computer run faster, then don't bother.

I would stay away from Creative in terms of soundcards though. They've since given up the grip on the corner of the market. The Auzentech X-FI Forte uses the same chip found in Creative cards, but without the worthless bloatware and they make their OWN (see: better) drivers. Better components too, so better sound. It's OOS at NewEgg right now though.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829156010
Click to expand...
How's this one?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829271003
 
Mr.Potato Head said:
I just upgraded my graphics card to a Sapphire HD 5850 and boy does this sucker overclock like mad!! Wow..

This is what im getting in the pic below and its VERY stable and VERY reasonable temps for idle (38c) and load (56c max) when i give it a good hardcore beating for a few hours playing crysis at a time.. never went above 56-57c.

Im getting around 60fps in Crysis in dx10 with AA x2 and AF x16 and all settings extra high in Crysis. It does dip to around 50fps once in a great while but over all its pretty steady in the high 50s/lower 60s. Im aware Crysis is more gpu dependent then cpu dependent but regardless.. im sure my Intel Quad Core QX9650 @ 4.6ghz helps a bit with the stable frames.

EDIT: Forgot to mention.. its amazing how much a good quality case helps with air flow though.. i just picked up a Antec Three Hundred case.. i had the card in my old case at first.. a smaller case and not nearly as much air flow.. my antec three hundred has three 120mm fans and 3 other case fans as well and i adjust the air flow of the fans to sweep out the hot air towards the back end of the case.. on my old case..the card was around 7c hotter all around.. 7c's cooler because of a case upgrade is quite satisfying to me. 60 bucks at the egg http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

moemoe.jpg
Click to expand...

That is absolutely ridiculous.

Only good overclocker I've ever owned was my old 6800 vanilla that got 35% from overclocks. Too bad it wasn't that great of a card to begin with.

You struck gold.
 
AgentWhiskersX said:
How's this one?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829271003
Click to expand...
No. At that price range, the Asus Xonar ST is your best bet for a little more. Headphone amp with swappable opamps, and a (much) better card overall.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132014

What usage would a soundcard get you? Gaming/movies/music? Speakers/headphones? Etc etc. If this money is going to be invested in audio in general, there may be other upgrades worth getting to first if you're willing to spend.
 
Darkatomz said:
No. At that price range, the Asus Xonar ST is your best bet for a little more. Headphone amp with swappable opamps, and a (much) better card overall.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132014

What usage would a soundcard get you? Gaming/movies/music? Speakers/headphones? Etc etc. If this money is going to be invested in audio in general, there may be other upgrades worth getting to first if you're willing to spend.
Click to expand...
It's generally for gaming but I wouldn't mind playing music as well.
 
Darkatomz said:
No. At that price range, the Asus Xonar ST is your best bet for a little more. Headphone amp with swappable opamps, and a (much) better card overall.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132014

What usage would a soundcard get you? Gaming/movies/music? Speakers/headphones? Etc etc. If this money is going to be invested in audio in general, there may be other upgrades worth getting to first if you're willing to spend.
Click to expand...

That Asus looks awesome. Swappable OPamps is an awesome feature.

I've got a ton of TI opamps that might see some good use if ever I were to get that.
 
On second thought, I feel as though I'm overindulging. Is the motherboard audio adequate enough for a 2.1 setup or do I really need that extra horsepower?
 
AgentWhiskersX said:
On second thought, I feel as though I'm overindulging. Is the motherboard audio adequate enough for a 2.1 setup or do I really need that extra horsepower?
Click to expand...

Integrated audio has come a long way. For games there isn't going to be a whole of of difference. If you haven't been spoiled in the past by great audio equipment then you should be fine as far as music is concerned.
 
readleeb said:
Integrated audio has come a long way. For games there isn't going to be a whole of of difference. If you haven't been spoiled in the past by great audio equipment then you should be fine as far as music is concerned.
Click to expand...
Perfect, thanks.
 
AgentWhiskersX said:
On second thought, I feel as though I'm overindulging. Is the motherboard audio adequate enough for a 2.1 setup or do I really need that extra horsepower?
Click to expand...

You are overindulging. Audiophiles will notice the difference, you will not.

Hell, I'm a bit of an audiophile and personally think Creative's cards sound like ass, so I live with my onboard solution. I may check out that Asus in the future though.

Was reading a review on that ASUS Xonar and found it funny:

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/asus_xonar_essence_stx_review/page7.asp

They complain about a poor frequency response over 20Khz? :lol
Also, they're using Logitech Z-5500 and earbuds for subjective testing. :lol :lol :lol

First off, no one can even hear those frequencies. Second, their equipment can't even come close to producing them in the first place.
 
readleeb said:
From the reviews that I've read on soundcards that one is supposed to be one of the best for movies and music. For games there are better options because that card only supports EAX up to 2.0 (5.0 is the latest I think).
Click to expand...

I'm using a D2 in my current build and I've been more than happy with it. I'd certainly recomend any of the Asus cards.

xonar_d2_1s.jpg
 
readleeb said:
Integrated audio has come a long way. For games there isn't going to be a whole of of difference. If you haven't been spoiled in the past by great audio equipment then you should be fine as far as music is concerned.
Click to expand...

Pretty much, I've got a pair of $600 powered speakers and I can hardly tell the difference between my fancy sound card on those and integrated. There is a slight difference but I wouldn't say it's worth spending the money on. Only reason I have fancy sound cards is to hook my machine up to a home theatre system. (aside from my m-audio card i have for recording music)
 
Maybe I never had my onboard audio set up correctly on my last two builds but I always got lots of background noises when using it (much more noticeable in my headphones). That was one of the biggest reasons for me to abandon onboard sound, I don't think I'll ever go back.
 
TouchMyBox said:
Pretty much, I've got a pair of $600 powered speakers and I can hardly tell the difference between my fancy sound card on those and integrated. There is a slight difference but I wouldn't say it's worth spending the money on. Only reason I have fancy sound cards is to hook my machine up to a home theatre system. (aside from my m-audio card i have for recording music)
Click to expand...

I'm assuming there are some soundcards that should be way ahead of Creative and onboard. When listening with my Ultrasone HFI-580, it's clear that both are terrible. My iPhone sounds better. I'm pretty sure it's a case of awful amplifiers being used.
 
Alright guys one more thing before I go to bed.

20100126-n9ui33mcbikgdaeq7cry229e62.jpg




1) Do I need to change any of these or does this sound like a sweet setup to you? (Keyboard/Mouse/DVD/HDD i'm getting from somewhere else)

2) Will that case (http://bit.ly/87D58a) overheat with all the stuff I'm cramming into it or will it do just fine?
 
TheExodu5 said:
You are overindulging. Audiophiles will notice the difference, you will not.

Hell, I'm a bit of an audiophile and personally think Creative's cards sound like ass, so I live with my onboard solution. I may check out that Asus in the future though.

Was reading a review on that ASUS Xonar and found it funny:

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/asus_xonar_essence_stx_review/page7.asp

They complain about a poor frequency response over 20Khz? :lol
Also, they're using Logitech Z-5500 and earbuds for subjective testing. :lol :lol :lol

First off, no one can even hear those frequencies. Second, their equipment can't even come close to producing them in the first place.
Click to expand...
I would say that even non-audiophiles (most anyways) would notice a difference. But for the price, it's just that most people wouldn't care enough.
 
AgentWhiskersX said:
Alright guys one more thing before I go to bed.

1) Do I need to change any of these or does this sound like a sweet setup to you? (Keyboard/Mouse/DVD/HDD i'm getting from somewhere else)

2) Will that case (http://bit.ly/87D58a) overheat with all the stuff I'm cramming into it or will it do just fine?
Click to expand...
1) Is that "surge protector" some freebie? If not, I'd suggest getting a battery backup instead.

2) I'm assuming that case is fine because newegg has an i7 DIY kit with it.
 
Baker said:
1) Is that "surge protector" some freebie? If not, I'd suggest getting a battery backup instead.

2) I'm assuming that case is fine because newegg has an i7 DIY kit with it.
Click to expand...
I don't live in the US which makes getting my hands on a surge protector like that isn't easy so I don't have much of a choice. Is the battery backup necessary? I apologize for my lack of knowledge on this subject but could you please explain why I need it?
 
Darkatomz said:
I would say that even non-audiophiles (most anyways) would notice a difference. But for the price, it's just that most people wouldn't care enough.
Click to expand...

For me it's more of an issue with downgrading. I'd advise people that if they're going to dish out a lot on a quality sound system then they should be prepared to dish out the same whenever they need a new audio solution. You might not notice the difference on an upgrade, but if you've gotten accustomed to something good and you have to downgrade then it's very noticeable. That's been my experience anyways.


AgentWhiskersX said:
I don't live in the US which makes getting my hands on a surge protector like that isn't easy so I don't have much of a choice. Is the battery backup necessary? I apologize for my lack of knowledge on this subject but could you please explain why I need it?
Click to expand...

He means something like this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842101343

Basically what it's good for is if your power goes out you have some time to stop whatever you're doing and shut down your computer properly.
 
Baker said:
1) Is that "surge protector" some freebie? If not, I'd suggest getting a battery backup instead.

2) I'm assuming that case is fine because newegg has an i7 DIY kit with it.
Click to expand...

Just to throw it out there for anyone, if you are looking into battery backups, the CyberPower 1500AVR is slick as hell, and reviewed extremely well, I'd fully recommend it.
 
Hey everyone, I kind of want to upgrade my PC as it's about 2 years old now. I currently use the following:
Intel Q6600 (Core 2 Quad, 2,4 GHz)
2 GB DDR-2 RAM
GeForce 8800 GT
Some 500 GB hard drive by Seagate

I've set my limit at about 400€, maybe a little more. Would it pay off to change the motherboard and get a new CPU? I've planned to get more RAM (probably an extra 2 or 4 GB) and change my graphics card but I've no idea which one. Any recommendations?
 
Ordered everything today, will probably be building this weekend! Woooo!

Went ahead with the 655, cheaper RAM and HD you guys suggested, saved $25 getting the SATA optical and webcam on Amazon, and went with the Sapphire 5850 since XFX was sold out. I'm hyped!
 
close to the edge said:
Hey everyone, I kind of want to upgrade my PC as it's about 2 years old now. I currently use the following:
Intel Q6600 (Core 2 Quad, 2,4 GHz)
2 GB DDR-2 RAM
GeForce 8800 GT
Some 500 GB hard drive by Seagate

I've set my limit at about 400€, maybe a little more. Would it pay off to change the motherboard and get a new CPU? I've planned to get more RAM (probably an extra 2 or 4 GB) and change my graphics card but I've no idea which one. Any recommendations?
Click to expand...
Grab a cheap cooler to overclock your CPU.
Get a Radeon 5850.
Grab 4GB of DDR2 RAM
 
close to the edge said:
Hey everyone, I kind of want to upgrade my PC as it's about 2 years old now. I currently use the following:
Intel Q6600 (Core 2 Quad, 2,4 GHz)
2 GB DDR-2 RAM
GeForce 8800 GT
Some 500 GB hard drive by Seagate

I've set my limit at about 400€, maybe a little more. Would it pay off to change the motherboard and get a new CPU? I've planned to get more RAM (probably an extra 2 or 4 GB) and change my graphics card but I've no idea which one. Any recommendations?
Click to expand...
What resolution are you running at? Any particular games/apps that you want more performance from specifically?
 
Thanks for the quick answers. I'm using 1680x1050. Apart from games I'm pretty happy with performance (except for Adobe Lightroom and general OS performance but this will improve with additional RAM). I'm not really thinking of any games in particular but some of my recent purchases on Steam (GTA IV, Mirror's Edge) don't really run very well, especially GTA IV (although that's probably the horrible PC port)
 
close to the edge said:
Thanks for the quick answers. I'm using 1680x1050. Apart from games I'm pretty happy with performance (except for Adobe Lightroom and general OS performance but this will improve with additional RAM). I'm not really thinking of any games in particular but some of my recent purchases on Steam (GTA IV, Mirror's Edge) don't really run very well, especially GTA IV (although that's probably the horrible PC port)
Click to expand...
GTAIV isn't a horrible PC port. You're just trying to run it at too high a setting for your computer. Turn the settings down to console levels.

http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/43354/Grand-Theft-Auto-IV-PC-Graphics-Settings-Detailed
 
brain_stew said:
If you can muster up an extra £60 you can have it all now, without compromising anything really.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/177044
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/188602
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/166995
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/165438
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/146252
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/145450

The Samsung F3s are faster than the WD drives, cheaper too.
Click to expand...

So yeah, I am going to go for this. I'll be skipping on the HDD though, to save money - I'll just use my current 160gb for now, and then update to the samsung or even an SSD when I've saved up a bit.

Cheers for the help
 
close to the edge said:
Thanks for the quick answers. I'm using 1680x1050. Apart from games I'm pretty happy with performance (except for Adobe Lightroom and general OS performance but this will improve with additional RAM). I'm not really thinking of any games in particular but some of my recent purchases on Steam (GTA IV, Mirror's Edge) don't really run very well, especially GTA IV (although that's probably the horrible PC port)
Click to expand...
Well you've already got the quad core, but if you're running at stock speeds, it'll suffer in performance.

I'll second Firestorm's suggestion of buying a CPU cooler and OC'ing the crap out of that thing. GTA IV has sluggish performance for just about anyone if you try and max out the detail sliders. I think the console equivalent is much less than what is available on PC.

Check here for some suggested settings:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=344018

8800GT is a little long in the tooth, but still gives pretty damn good performance given its age. If you don't mind leaving AA between 0x to 2x and lowering graphics options just a touch below max, you should be fine for now to have it powering games at 1680x1050. Depends on how much you wanna push the visuals.

4 GB DDR2 RAM will do you well and is a suggested upgrade for loading, and to smoothern out the experience, but only if you plan on staying with that setup for a while. Otherwise, might as well just save up for a new build with DDR3.
 
close to the edge said:
Hey everyone, I kind of want to upgrade my PC as it's about 2 years old now. I currently use the following:
Intel Q6600 (Core 2 Quad, 2,4 GHz)
2 GB DDR-2 RAM
GeForce 8800 GT
Some 500 GB hard drive by Seagate

I've set my limit at about 400€, maybe a little more. Would it pay off to change the motherboard and get a new CPU? I've planned to get more RAM (probably an extra 2 or 4 GB) and change my graphics card but I've no idea which one. Any recommendations?
Click to expand...

Your CPU is fine, you just need to unleash it by OCing it a little, at 3ghz it can mix it up with the best of them. I just upgraded to a Q6600 this week ffs! :lol

I'd get:

A CPU cooler
2GB RAM
5850

Should come in right on budget and absolutely deliver the best performance for the money.
 
Ok, I noticed that the recommended RAM for the 1k US build isn't supported on the quick specs (speed), for the Gigabyte mobo.

Memory Standard DDR3 2200/1333/1066/800
Click to expand...

Is this just a Newegg oversight, and the DD3 1600 will work fine?



Also, for any interested parties, I pulled the trigger on the 60GB Vertex. Impressive. Removed LOTRO stuttering entirely, simply having the game and nothing else on the drive.
 
richisawesome said:
So yeah, I am going to go for this. I'll be skipping on the HDD though, to save money - I'll just use my current 160gb for now, and then update to the samsung or even an SSD when I've saved up a bit.

Cheers for the help
Click to expand...

You'll have a beast of a rig after those upgrades, enjoy.

Make sure you do get around to upgrading the HDD though, its the number one bottleneck of a modern system, and by using an older drive you'll only make that more clear than ever. Its worth sacrificing in the mean time to afford an awesome rig like that though.
 
AgentWhiskersX said:
Alright guys one more thing before I go to bed.

http://img.skitch.com/20100126-n9ui33mcbikgdaeq7cry229e62.jpg



1) Do I need to change any of these or does this sound like a sweet setup to you? (Keyboard/Mouse/DVD/HDD i'm getting from somewhere else)

2) Will that case (http://bit.ly/87D58a) overheat with all the stuff I'm cramming into it or will it do just fine?
Click to expand...


2) you are not "cramming" the case , you got one proccessor , one graphics card and so on , a regular computer , yeah it wont overheat.

and the build looks decent aswell.

a regular i7 system clocked to 3,8 ghz with a single 5870 eats around 300-320 watts , and with 2 5870's it eats around 450 , so that psu will have you covered even if you decide to dump some more into the case later.
 
Ettenra said:
Ok, I noticed that the recommended RAM for the 1k US build isn't supported on the quick specs (speed), for the Gigabyte mobo.



Is this just a Newegg oversight, and the DD3 1600 will work fine?



Also, for any interested parties, I pulled the trigger on the 60GB Vertex. Impressive. Removed LOTRO stuttering entirely, simply having the game and nothing else on the drive.
Click to expand...

It'll work fine, if for some reason it doesn't support that speed it'll just run at the slower speed instead, no big loss.
 
brain_stew said:
You'll have a beast of a rig after those upgrades, enjoy.

Make sure you do get around to upgrading the HDD though, its the number one bottleneck of a modern system, and by using an older drive you'll only make that more clear than ever. Its worth sacrificing in the mean time to afford an awesome rig like that though.
Click to expand...

Yeah, should be great

One of my mates offered to build it for me - the same guy who fried his last computer, because he screwed his mobo right to the case without risers

Obviously, I'm going to put it together myself.
 
Mr.Potato Head said:
I just upgraded my graphics card to a Sapphire HD 5850 and boy does this sucker overclock like mad!! Wow..

This is what im getting in the pic below and its VERY stable and VERY reasonable temps for idle (38c) and load (56c max) when i give it a good hardcore beating for a few hours playing crysis at a time.. never went above 56-57c.

Im getting around 60fps in Crysis in dx10 with AA x2 and AF x16 and all settings extra high in Crysis. It does dip to around 50fps once in a great while but over all its pretty steady in the high 50s/lower 60s. Im aware Crysis is more gpu dependent then cpu dependent but regardless.. im sure my Intel Quad Core QX9650 @ 4.6ghz helps a bit with the stable frames.

EDIT: Forgot to mention.. its amazing how much a good quality case helps with air flow though.. i just picked up a Antec Three Hundred case.. i had the card in my old case at first.. a smaller case and not nearly as much air flow.. my antec three hundred has three 120mm fans and 3 other case fans as well and i adjust the air flow of the fans to sweep out the hot air towards the back end of the case.. on my old case..the card was around 7c hotter all around.. 7c's cooler because of a case upgrade is quite satisfying to me. 60 bucks at the egg http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

moemoe.jpg
Click to expand...

What the shit! That is insane.

You have that thing running faster than my 5870 which is at stock (850mhz clock, 1200mhz memory) and it sounds like yours runs cooler! Mine runs around 38 - 40c idle and goes into the mid-60s with a heavy load. I haven't tried overclocking it at all, but damn if I am not jealous of you. The only difference between the 5850 and 5870 is clock speed, right?

Also, what resolution are you playing Crysis in?
 
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