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[I NEED SCISSORS]

Well I could get £50 off by selling my current Phenom X2 550, so it would only be about £75 for the upgrade. I know those hexa-core AM3 processors are coming this year, but I suspect they will be seriously expensive. i5 equivalent performance sounds pretty decent too.

 

[Odious Tea]

$1200

actually forget the an AMD motherboard. The performance of the i5/i7 is much faster than the Phenom's (and I'm the type that wants to get the best I can).

Is that including a monitor? If it's not you can have a relatively high-end system. Otherwise, knock $250 off that, so you can treat yourself to a decent monitor.

Have you decided between the i5 or the i7? If you already have a build rolling around in your head, post it here and we'll tweak it for you.

 

[Fitz]

As far as gaming goes, the 955/965 will in many cases perform quite similarly to a high end i7. It's other types of processing such as video/audio transcoding where an i7 will really pull away it terms of performance.

 

[Struct09]

Justification was felt when I encoded a video on my newly built i7 machine the other day.

 

[pestul]

Justification was felt when I encoded a video on my newly built i7 machine the other day.

What do you recommend for video encoding for your i7? Program and settings. I've tried a few but been slightly disappointed. I think its because they weren't using the full potential of the cpu. Also, do you guys recommend using encoding software that would take advantage of my Radeon 5850 as well?

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

As far as gaming goes, the 955/965 will in many cases perform quite similarly to a high end i7. It's other types of processing such as video/audio transcoding where an i7 will really pull away it terms of performance.

I am interested in these things too, but the price of entry for a new mobo and a more expensive CPU may be too much to justify an Intel.

 

[HokieJoe]

It's the best consumer chip you can get while still keeping a sane grip on price. It's replacement the 930 is incoming but might not overclock as well as the 920 D0 stepping. The next popular chip is the i5 750, and then down to the Phenom II (955 mainly). There are chips that fill the gaps between but these are the major ones of note.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[BuddhaRockstar]

I have basically an identical system, same CPU, same GPU. Are there games you are running into that aren't performing well enough? I can still play any game out there that I've tried at 1080p with solid 30fps with most settings at high. With the prices of GPUs inflated so much, I just can't imagine it being worth it atm.

Then again, we might be very different types of consumers. I am more then okay being a little behind the cutting edge, you might not be, and that's completely okay. You'll certainly see an appreciable boost with the 5850, I doubt you'll get much from the processor upgrade except in a few games like GTA4 and Saints Row 2. Again, imho neither would be worth the money. If I really had the cash burning a hole in my pocket, I'd probably forgo the CPU and just go all out for the GPU, like maybe a 5970 (or a 5870). Or wait for new nvidia cards.

You could also OC the e8400 if you really wanted a CPU boost. With a hyper 212 ultra ($30 cooler), you could probably get it close to 4ghz no problem.

Always been a little weary to OC, (this is the first computer I've ever build) but that does sound like the best option. And no, games for the most part are still running fine, but it's definitely starting to show its limitations with the new stuff, although you're right, it's probably best to wait.

 

[Odious Tea]

Always been a little weary to OC, (this is the first computer I've ever build) but that does sound like the best option. And no, games for the most part are still running fine, but it's definitely starting to show its limitations with the new stuff, although you're right, it's probably best to wait.

Why? It's essentially free performance. Just read up on what you're doing so that you don't overvolt something or anything like that. I've never not overclocked a CPU/GPU? Day one of having my i5, I pushed it to 4ghz with a Hyper 212+ and my 5770 is currently sitting at 960/1320 (It runs at 850/1200, for reference).

 

[Boonoo]

Now, is it normal to have a core temperature spread of 6-8 degrees? I'm coming from a P4 3ghz, so this is my first multi-core CPU.

Right now my temperatures at idle are: 36, 37, 37, 32

Under full load with Prime95: 73, 72, 72, 66

I just wanted to make sure I didn't mess up the thermal paste when I was installing the heatsink.

It can happen. I have a q6600 that I've clocked up to 3.6, and I have a spread of about 5-7c between 0,1 and 2,3. This spread has persisted across any number of modifications, including lapping the cpu. One set of cores just runs a little hotter.

That's not to say that you didn't mess up the thermal paste, or that your cpu or heatsink is uneven, just that it seems some level of variance is beyond repair, and in my experience nothing to worry too much about.
(it is a pain, though, if cores 0 and 1 were 5c cooler I'd be happy)

 

[Konosuke]

I'm planning to buy a new graphics card. Since Nvidia is going to launch GTX 470 soon should i wait to see if prices drop on other cards? Needless to say this is a big upgrade. My current card is a GeForce 6200 TC :lol

 

[Slo]

Any idea when we'll see some actual Fermi benchmarks?

 

[Odious Tea]

Closer to 3/26, I would assume.

 

[SolidsnackooFoxhound]

I don't know if it has been posted yet but apparently the new Nvidia drivers are causing the fan to stop running and in the process damaging the cards. Nvidia has since then taken the drives down from their website.

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

I think i'm going to pull the trigger on the Phenom X4 955 BE for £80. Read some benchmarks, seems pretty powerful for gaming. Supposedly overclocks very well too.

I think choosing to buy a dual-core was maybe a mistake, now that so many games are quad dependant (GTAIV, Battlefield, Dirt 2 etc). I saw a chart of what the AM3 upgrade path until 2011 will look like, and I noticed that this year marks AMD's big switch to DDR3 dependant CPUs. This means that waiting for future CPU releases is a bit pointless for me. I really do not want to upgrade my mobo and RAM to support them - my AM3 mobo and trusty DDR2 will do just fine.

So in terms of my upgrade path, i'm going to just stick with the 4890 / 955 BE / current mobo / 4GB DDR2 combo until late 2011.

 

[diztrukted]

Just want to chime in and say: SSD is totally worth it. I love my new Intel X-25M 80GB drive.

I just bought one of these myself, do you think it's worth installing the OS on this rather than your traditional hdd?

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

I just bought one of these myself, do you think it's worth installing the OS on this rather than your traditional hdd?

I've read it can slash over 10 seconds off a SATA HDD boot time, and make the overall system faster. So yes!

 

[hellclerk]

alright, I've been searching everywhere, but is there any option in the new ATI drivers to scale the aspect ratio of various games? Like if I was running something in a 4:3 aspect it won't stretch on my screen? I KNOW they used to be in there, but I can't seem to find them in the current set...

 

[brain_stew]

Well I could get £50 off by selling my current Phenom X2 550, so it would only be about £75 for the upgrade. I know those hexa-core AM3 processors are coming this year, but I suspect they will be seriously expensive. i5 equivalent performance sounds pretty decent too.

I'm actually anticipating them being pretty reasonably priced, AMD don't sell any overpriced consumer CPUs these days. The Phenom x2 550 is still a pretty decent CPU I'd hold off (or at least try and unlock one of its cores).

 

[brain_stew]

alright, I've been searching everywhere, but is there any option in the new ATI drivers to scale the aspect ratio of various games? Like if I was running something in a 4:3 aspect it won't stretch on my screen? I KNOW they used to be in there, but I can't seem to find them in the current set...

They use to have that option like 5 years ago (listed as "maintain aspect ratio") so its bound to be there somewhere, no idea where it is now since I'm not running any ATI hardware these days.

The 955 compares well enough with the i5, especially with its ease of overclocking, but it isn't going to hold up against an i7. If you've already got an AM3 board, though, the 955 seems like far and away the better option unless you really want to spend an extra $350-600 on an i7 and board (going off of Newegg combo prices). You'd be better served OC'ing the 955 and grabbing a new GPU and SSD for the same price if you wanted to spend that much.

Honestly, it really doesn't. There's a definite significant performance gap there and on the OCing front the i5 actually has a lot more headroom. If you've got the cash, then Intel is the way to go, AMD are great for those on a budget but at the high end they just can't compete.

 

[hellclerk]

They use to have that option like 5 years ago (listed as "maintain aspect ratio") so its bound to be there somewhere, no idea where it is now since I'm not running any ATI hardware these days.

They had it up through last year with the previous catalyst control. I don't know what happened with the 5000 series drivers...

 

[Cosmonaut X]

Right, finally pulled the trigger late last night on my new build. Components and shipping for the whole system came in at £1,271, but that was with upgrading to a 620W modular PSU and picking up a BenQ E2220HD display so I'm not too disappointed.

Dunno if anyone's interested, but when it arrives I'll see if I can take some pics and document my first self-build in yonks - dreading it and excited about it at the same time!

EDIT:

For reference, this is what I went for:

• i7 860
• GA-P55A-UD4
• ATI 5850
• Corsair HX 620W PSU
• G.Skill Ripjaw DDR3 4GB
• Samsung F3 1TB HDD
• Samsung S223L DVD+/-RW
• Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
• Antec P183 case
• BenQ E2220HD
• Scythe Gentle Typhoon 120mm fans (x2)

...plus, cannibalised from my Dimension:

• DVD and CD-RW drives
• WD Caviar 500GB HDD
• Logitech wireless KB/M

 

[Milpool]

They had it up through last year with the previous catalyst control. I don't know what happened with the 5000 series drivers...

In CCC go to the 'desktops & displays' section and the monitors connected should be listed at the bottom, click on the little black triangle on the monitor and go on 'configure', GPU scaling options should be there. They're somtimes bugged and grayed out, if they are change your desktop resolution so something lower than native and you should be able to select any of the options, then you can change back to native res.

 

[Drinking Hatorade]

Hey guys, i'm a bit new to this but i'm interested in building my own computer. I don't need a high-end rig, more like mid-end to play games with 3d vision on medium to high settings.

I'm not sure exactly what I should do since i'm mostly interested in the 3d vision aspect. Should I start building now or wait a few months? How long do you think 3d vision will be supported in the future? Would I be better off waiting for the ps3 to start supporting 3d then spend the cash on a 3d-ready television?

Anyway, let me know how these specs look to you guys. Any suggestions would be great:

Cooler Master Elite 330
Ultra LSP750 750-Watt Power Supply
XFX nForce 750i SLI Extreme Edition Motherboard w/ XFX GeForce GTS 250 Video Card Bundle
Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 (powerful enough to support two gts 250's down the road?)
OCZ SLI-Ready Dual Channel 4096MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory (2x2048MB)


edit: changed a few things around, added links.

 

[Swag]

Hey Guys wonder if I could get some help with a problem I'm having with my computer ( Again )

So I recently RMA'd my GPU because it wasn't working, I got it back today but it seems my computer is having another issue. Whenever I turn it on it'll randomly completely shut down, as in lose power not do the windows shut down.

Sometimes it won't even make it past the Bios screen, most times though it'll lose power right around when I log in.

Anyone know what this could be? Should I start shopping for another PSU? I don't have the option of putting in another PSU, on a college campus and there are really only a handful of tech savy people and they don't live on campus.

Edit : I have this PSU Coolermaster PSU

 

[Fitz]

Hey Guys wonder if I could get some help with a problem I'm having with my computer ( Again )

So I recently RMA'd my GPU because it wasn't working, I got it back today but it seems my computer is having another issue. Whenever I turn it on it'll randomly completely shut down, as in lose power not do the windows shut down.

Sometimes it won't even make it past the Bios screen, most times though it'll lose power right around when I log in.

Anyone know what this could be? Should I start shopping for another PSU? I don't have the option of putting in another PSU, on a college campus and there are really only a handful of tech savy people and they don't live on campus.

Edit : I have this PSU Coolermaster PSU

Could well be that your PSU is borked I guess, you'd need to try another PSU or yours in another system to test I guess, although if you don't have the option of putting in another PSU, then I'm not sure what you expect to achieve? Swapping out PSU's isn't a very difficult task, even for someone who's never done it before.

 

[Swag]

Could well be that your PSU is borked I guess, you'd need to try another PSU or yours in another system to test I guess, although if you don't have the option of putting in another PSU, then I'm not sure what you expect to achieve? Swapping out PSU's isn't a very difficult task, even for someone who's never done it before.

Well it's not so much that I can't swap out a PSU, just that the chance of someone having a PSU that I could use is pretty slim. I think the number of desktop students is less than 8.

It's ok though I'm just going to RMA it, they promised me the turn around time is 2-7 days which I can live with, compared to the 3-5 weeks for my GPU.

 

[diztrukted]

I've read it can slash over 10 seconds off a SATA HDD boot time, and make the overall system faster. So yes!

HOLY SH*T, ten seconds, that's awesome. Another question about SSD's PC-GAF, I purchased the OEM version....what exactly is the difference between the OEM and the Retail version?

I know the OEM version is for system builders and comes with just the SSD but now I'm wondering what am I missing from the OEM version that was in the retail version. If it's just the manual then screw it, I don't need it, i hope.

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

HOLY SH*T, ten seconds, that's awesome. Another question about SSD's PC-GAF, I purchased the OEM version....what exactly is the difference between the OEM and the Retail version?

I know the OEM version is for system builders and comes with just the SSD but now I'm wondering what am I missing from the OEM version that was in the retail version. If it's just the manual then screw it, I don't need it, i hope.

http://hothardware.com/Articles/Windows-7-Disk-Performance-Analyzed/?page=5

 

[ag-my001]

Depending on the company some retail SSD boxes come with an adapter to make it fit into the traditional 3.5" HDD slot in your case. Some do, some don't, but if you get the OEM then you at least know that it won't.

For the overall system speed with a SSD, I think the Windows 7 splash screen is actually slowing my boot down, and my loading times for LotR:O were cut down from ~2 mins to 15 seconds (character screen to full game world load).

 

[Boonoo]

Hey Guys wonder if I could get some help with a problem I'm having with my computer ( Again )

So I recently RMA'd my GPU because it wasn't working, I got it back today but it seems my computer is having another issue. Whenever I turn it on it'll randomly completely shut down, as in lose power not do the windows shut down.

Sometimes it won't even make it past the Bios screen, most times though it'll lose power right around when I log in.

Anyone know what this could be? Should I start shopping for another PSU? I don't have the option of putting in another PSU, on a college campus and there are really only a handful of tech savy people and they don't live on campus.

Edit : I have this PSU Coolermaster PSU

This sounds a lot like what was happening to me when I forgot to screw my heat sink on properly--it was maybe half a cm away from the cpu. It would boot up, overheat in a couple of seconds then shut off.
Before you mess around with your psu be sure you check that out.

 

[Jim Stark]

So if I'm planning on picking up a GTX 480 is the i7 860 a better choice than the Phenom 965 if I'm not going to OC? I've heard that nVidia cards don't run very well on AMD hardware, but I don't want to give up 3D Vision, if the Fermi is too expensive I would just get a GTX 295.

 

[Rich!]

Got my new graphics card in today.

Straight away did the crysis test. And I'm happy. :lol

 

[RocketDarkness]

Hey guys, i'm a bit new to this but i'm interested in building my own computer. I don't need a high-end rig, more like mid-end to play games with 3d vision on medium to high settings.

I'm not sure exactly what I should do since i'm mostly interested in the 3d vision aspect. Should I start building now or wait a few months? How long do you think 3d vision will be supported in the future? Would I be better off waiting for the ps3 to start supporting 3d then spend the cash on a 3d-ready television?

Anyway, let me know how these specs look to you guys. Any suggestions would be great:

Cooler Master Elite 330
Ultra LSP750 750-Watt Power Supply
XFX nForce 750i SLI Extreme Edition Motherboard w/ XFX GeForce GTS 250 Video Card Bundle
Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 (powerful enough to support two gts 250's down the road?)
OCZ SLI-Ready Dual Channel 4096MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory (2x2048MB)


edit: changed a few things around, added links.

Unfortunately, from what I've heard, 3D Vision can be sort of intensive, especially for some of the newer games coming out with it. I was interested in well, but decided to hold off due to not wanting to spend a ton of money.

 

[Minsc]

Hey guys, i'm a bit new to this but i'm interested in building my own computer. I don't need a high-end rig, more like mid-end to play games with 3d vision on medium to high settings.

I'm not sure exactly what I should do since i'm mostly interested in the 3d vision aspect. Should I start building now or wait a few months? How long do you think 3d vision will be supported in the future? Would I be better off waiting for the ps3 to start supporting 3d then spend the cash on a 3d-ready television?

Anyway, let me know how these specs look to you guys. Any suggestions would be great:

Cooler Master Elite 330
Ultra LSP750 750-Watt Power Supply
XFX nForce 750i SLI Extreme Edition Motherboard w/ XFX GeForce GTS 250 Video Card Bundle
Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 (powerful enough to support two gts 250's down the road?)
OCZ SLI-Ready Dual Channel 4096MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory (2x2048MB)


edit: changed a few things around, added links.

That's a bit of a contradiction imo. Benchmarks are hard to come by, but a GTS 250 is worse than a GTX 260, which won't always do what you're after. You'll be disappointed with 3D performance if you only have a GTS 250. I'm disappointed reading 3D performance from a GTX 275... Fermi should bring it up to really nice performance though.

You'll need a 120hz monitor for 3D Vision too, and I wouldn't just buy the cheapest one you can find either.

 

[Violater]

Got my new graphics card in today.

Straight away did the crysis test. And I'm happy. :lol

Which card did you get?

 

[Odious Tea]

Now that I've come into some money, I think I'll return my 5770 for a 5850.

 

[Drinking Hatorade]

That's a bit of a contradiction imo. Benchmarks are hard to come by, but a GTS 250 is worse than a GTX 260, which won't always do what you're after. You'll be disappointed with 3D performance if you only have a GTS 250. I'm disappointed reading 3D performance from a GTX 275... Fermi should bring it up to really nice performance though.

You'll need a 120hz monitor for 3D Vision too, and I wouldn't just buy the cheapest one you can find either.

Yeah i'm aware of this. I currently want to focus on spending the proper funds on the computer hardware before purchasing the monitor and 3D vision.

Although I can understand most people would be disappointed with the GTS 250 performance, I have never gamed on a PC and do not feel a GTX 275 is necessary. I am really only looking for a good 3D experience and not so concerned with adding all the other effects in addition. Do you think for my purposes one GTX 260 would be sufficient with a second GTX 260 added later this year?

Also, If I go with two GTX 260's would an Intel Core i3 540 or Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300 do the trick?

 

[Rich!]

Which card did you get?

XFX Radeon 5770.

I know someone on this thread has been having problems with his 5770, but I found mine for a cheap price, and couldn't resist. It's under warranty for a good long while too.

 

[Odious Tea]

XFX Radeon 5770.

I know someone on this thread has been having problems with his 5770, but I found mine for a cheap price, and couldn't resist. It's under warranty for a good long while too.

It's an amazingly great card for the price.

 

[Minsc]

Yeah i'm aware of this. I currently want to focus on spending the proper funds on the computer hardware before purchasing the monitor and 3D vision.

Although I can understand most people would be disappointed with the GTS 250 performance, I have never gamed on a PC and do not feel a GTX 275 is necessary. I am really only looking for a good 3D experience and not so concerned with adding all the other effects in addition. Do you think for my purposes one GTX 260 would be sufficient with a second GTX 260 added later this year?

Also, If I go with two GTX 260's which processor would you guys recommend?

I would suggest considering just buying the cheapest GPU you can get by on now, and purchasing a newer Fermi-grade GPU when you're ready to buy your monitor. That would potentially get you a lot more for your money.

I would definitely hold off on the idea of purchasing a GTX 260 then another down the road as well, Fermi is out in about 3 weeks from now! You could seriously regret buying any hardware for 3DVision to have just a month or two before it is outdated.

Keep in mind 3DVision lowers your framerate by around 30-40% on average. Sometimes less, sometimes more.

 

[Dead Prince]

what are some great but cheap DDR2 Ram out there? I need like 8GB total. I have 4 slots on my MB.

 

[otake]

Got my new graphics card in today.

Straight away did the crysis test. And I'm happy. :lol

Details please? what gpu, how big of an improvement?

 

[Odious Tea]

what are some great but cheap DDR2 Ram out there? I need like 8GB total. I have 4 slots on my MB.

2x these?

 

[Drinking Hatorade]

I would suggest considering just buying the cheapest GPU you can get by on now, and purchasing a newer Fermi-grade GPU when you're ready to buy your monitor. That would potentially get you a lot more for your money.

I would definitely hold off on the idea of purchasing a GTX 260 then another down the road as well, Fermi is out in about 3 weeks from now! You could seriously regret buying any hardware for 3DVision to have just a month or two before it is outdated.

Keep in mind 3DVision lowers your framerate by around 30-40% on average. Sometimes less, sometimes more.

Honestly, I doubt I would get a Fermi since I assume it's more than what i'm looking for. Will the release of Fermi have any affect on the price of the current Geforce cards? If people are expecting price drops on hardware anytime soon I will wait.

I really don't need the highest end GPU and am not worried about it being a bit outdated. I'm fine with a few graphically intensive games running at 30. I'm really just looking for a rig that will run 3D vision well for a while

 

[Dead Prince]

2x these?

thanks. i'll have to check later when i get home. i think there are certain rams I can use. i don't remember what it was exactly.

 

[Boonoo]

what are some great but cheap DDR2 Ram out there? I need like 8GB total. I have 4 slots on my MB.

What speed are you looking for? I like to shoot for a 1:1 ratio with my fsb.

 

[Minsc]

Honestly, I doubt I would get a Fermi since I assume it's more than what i'm looking for. Will the release of Fermi have any affect on the price of the current Geforce cards? If people are expecting price drops on hardware anytime soon I will wait.

I actually never realized there wasn't more to Fermi than just the 470 and 480 cards... are there no replacements for lower end GPUs?

In that case, the best you could hope for is the inflated prices to come down a bit. The GTX 260 was actually like $50 less a year ago... so maybe you have the right idea after all. Here's a review showing benchmarks of SLI performance with 3DVision.

It seems with a SLI setup you can cancel out the 3D Vision hit, and basically get the full single card framerates. If you find a great deal on a 260 GTX now, and pair it up with another down the road, you'll be in pretty good shape... baring any sort of SLI issues.

Edit: You should also be aware you have to use 3D Vision with v-sync enabled, tearing is a no-no in 3D gaming. So you don't get 29 fps when you hit 29fps, you get 20 fps, since it's got to sync to your monitors refresh rate.

 

[Dead Prince]

What speed are you looking for? I like to shoot for a 1:1 ratio with my fsb.

I'll give you the finish when i'm at home. using work computer so I don't know what my FSB is.

Also. I've noticed that my Graphics has dedicated memory and uses shared memory whenever it wants. does putting in 8GB of ram help much?

 

[Drinking Hatorade]

I actually never realized there wasn't more to Fermi than just the 470 and 480 cards... are there no replacements for lower end GPUs?

In that case, the best you could hope for is the inflated prices to come down a bit. The GTX 260 was actually like $50 less a year ago... so maybe you have the right idea after all. Here's a review showing benchmarks of SLI performance with 3DVision.

It seems with a SLI setup you can cancel out the 3D Vision hit, and basically get the full single card framerates. If you find a great deal on a 260 GTX now, and pair it up with another down the road, you'll be in pretty good shape... baring any sort of SLI issues.

Edit: You should also be aware you have to use 3D Vision with v-sync enabled, tearing is a no-no in 3D gaming. So you don't get 29 fps when you hit 29fps, you get 20 fps, since it's got to sync to your monitors refresh rate.

I'm sorry, I really don't know anything about Fermi but I will research it real quick since I don't understand what you mean in the bolded.

I appreciate the responses and suggestions.