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"I need a new PC!" 2010 Edition
- Thread starter Spy
- Start date
brain_stew
Member
Jim Stark said:
Depends on your budget. If performance are what you're after then Intel are the way to go. At the budget to midrange end of the market AMD have some really great offerings.
brain_stew said:
Well his budget is $500-700, assuming USD, he will probably have to go AMD in order to get a complete system. P55 setups are fairly cheap but nothing beats $220 for a CPU/Motherboard combo from AMD. I'm making a similar system right now:
Phenom II 955
GIGABYTE GA-MA785G-UD3H motherboard
Sapphire 5770 until I can drop the $300~ on 5850, currently using an 8800GT so that has to go
Mine's going to be slightly over that budget, but I need a new monitor, not sure of his situation. I'm also going to use 1066 DDR2 at 5 CAS I have sitting here because the benchmarks I have seen between DDR3 and DDR2 really aren't strong enough for gaming to warrant the extra $150 investment. Please correct me if I'm wrong, brain_stew, maybe I'm looking at bogus charts.
anonymousAversa
Member
Hey guys!
So, I'm finally going to get around to building a new pc. I'm going to be doing gaming, but I also want to upgrade so I can work on 3D stuff at home.
So I'm trying not to get over $600 on this, and I've sort of started out a build. I already have a case, dvd rom, and 600w PSU.
Western Digital Caviar Green 500GB HDD
ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO AM3 AMD 785G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
A-DATA Gaming Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition
XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB
So any changes I should make? I've been out of the loop on PC parts for a while now, so I'm only making somewhat educated guesses.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks!
So, I'm finally going to get around to building a new pc. I'm going to be doing gaming, but I also want to upgrade so I can work on 3D stuff at home.
So I'm trying not to get over $600 on this, and I've sort of started out a build. I already have a case, dvd rom, and 600w PSU.
Western Digital Caviar Green 500GB HDD
ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO AM3 AMD 785G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
A-DATA Gaming Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition
XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB
So any changes I should make? I've been out of the loop on PC parts for a while now, so I'm only making somewhat educated guesses.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks!
Here's one for all of you. I'm looking for a bluetooth mouse I can use with multiple computers without having to manually change computers settings. Ideally it would be a product that would have a physical switch on the mouse itself to allow me to switch between the pairings without having to access either computer.
For instance while I'm sitting across the room I want to be using my mouse with my laptop on my desk, and switch it to the media PC across the room to change what is playing without having to get up and pair it with the media PC.
Has anyone seen something like this?
For instance while I'm sitting across the room I want to be using my mouse with my laptop on my desk, and switch it to the media PC across the room to change what is playing without having to get up and pair it with the media PC.
Has anyone seen something like this?
anonymousAversa
Member
Shambles said:
I feel like you're going to spend a lot of time looking for something that will probably be overly expensive and complicated for what you need.
Mice are so cheap now, even 2.4 ghz wireless mice. Either get a couple cheap wireless mice or one wired, one wireless, whatever you want. I just feel like trying to share one mouse is too complicated. Just use two.
Also, if you have an iphone (they might have it on android too) there are applications which allow you to use your phone's screen as a touchpad. I use this with two different computers at my house over a wifi network. I can switch computers without getting off the couch too, and the program i use is free (remotePad), so this might be a good solution for you too.
yankeehater
Member
So I am totally new to PC gaming and I have a question and I am hoping that this is the right place to ask it. I just finished rereading the Halo novels and I really want to play through the games again before Reach comes out. I have heard that the PC versions of Halo CE, and Halo 2 look way better then the XBOX versions. My wife just got a new laptop and I was wondering if I could run Halo CE and/or Halo 2 on it. Her laptop has an HDMI port, so I could connect it to my TV, which would be perfect. I dont want to buy either game thoughif I cant run them.
Here laptop is a Gateway NV78, running Windows 7 64bit. It has a 2.20 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, with 4 gigs of RAM. I dont know how to check the video card specs though. If anyone knows If I could run these games that would be great, also can I use a wired 360 controller to play them? Thanks for the help.
Here laptop is a Gateway NV78, running Windows 7 64bit. It has a 2.20 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, with 4 gigs of RAM. I dont know how to check the video card specs though. If anyone knows If I could run these games that would be great, also can I use a wired 360 controller to play them? Thanks for the help.
oh god how did i get here im not good with computers D:
Hai PCGAF, I'm trying to build a new PC up in Canadialand. Mr. Firestorm seems to be AWOL and I don't want to pester him on here or RFD, so I figured I'd ask if anyone else could help me.
I'll be buying from Memory Express because they seem like p cool bros (and they're local!).
My first stab had me trying to fit an full-ATX mobo in a microATX case so that probably tells you how technically inclined I am :lol
HOWEVER, here is what I have so far... comments?
Hai PCGAF, I'm trying to build a new PC up in Canadialand. Mr. Firestorm seems to be AWOL and I don't want to pester him on here or RFD, so I figured I'd ask if anyone else could help me.
I'll be buying from Memory Express because they seem like p cool bros (and they're local!).
My first stab had me trying to fit an full-ATX mobo in a microATX case so that probably tells you how technically inclined I am :lol
HOWEVER, here is what I have so far... comments?
brain_stew
Member
yankeehater said:
Download GPU-Z to find out what GPU your system has.
discopantsman
Member
discopantsman said:
Anyone?
Let me boil it down to one question - should I choose one monitor over another solely on the basis of whether it offers 1:1 pixel mapping?
MoFuzz
Member
Does Samsung still have those shitty panel lotteries going on? Quite a discrepancy in picture quality between some of their displays.discopantsman said:
Will you play older games? The 1:1 Pixel mapping might be handy in the sense that older or sprite based titles might be tied to lower resolutions. Of course, depending on the native rez, it might look tiny on your screen though.
At the very least if the display has a choice between 4:3 and 16:9 ratios, you should be fine. Nothing worse than a stretched out image IMO.
discopantsman
Member
Yeah, I have a bunch of older games I'm going to work my way through. A lot of them are on the Infinity engine however... would the BGTutu mod make the 1:1 pixel mapping redundant?
D
Deleted member 1235
Unconfirmed Member
Javaman said:
it has to be a media centre PC. So only 1080p movies, from blueray disc or mkv files, doesn't matter which (I guess source doesn't matter)
Basically it has to run the fanciest media formats there are and load up a nice media front end for a few years to come (hopefully) as its for a flatshare lounge I'm looking for cheap, but I can't abide skippy framerates in films AT ALL.
thanks for the input! (you also brainstew as always)
hauton said:
Memory Express is awesome. They'll price match any Canadian online retailer and won't factor in shipping. You can cut your prices down a bunch by doing this. I don't know a lot about MB's but I don't know if I'd pick one up with integrated video when you have a dedicated card, paying for features you're not using etc...
Since I installed my Radeon 5770 my PC hasn't worked properly. From browsing online I get the impression that my mobo doesn't work with it (even though it is supposed to be compatible).
Anyway, what would be a good motherboard and CPU to go along with that video card? I'm purely thinking along the lines of "best value". I want to take it into a shop and tell them what components to use and get them to make it work. I'm through installing this shit myself.
Thanks
Anyway, what would be a good motherboard and CPU to go along with that video card? I'm purely thinking along the lines of "best value". I want to take it into a shop and tell them what components to use and get them to make it work. I'm through installing this shit myself.
Thanks
anonymousAversa
Member
Decado said:
Wait what? If it has a PCI express x16 slot and enough power connectors for the board, you should be good... check to make sure you have updated drivers.
I've spent a LONG time trying to get everything working and it won't. Others have had similar issues. Technically everything should work...but this being a computer, it doesn't.anonymousAversa said:
Anyway, suggestions welcomed on a new motherboard and CPU (may as well overhaul this bugger more time).
brain_stew
Member
catfish said:
Like I say the integrated 4200 supports full DXVA just fine and it'll run a high bitrate 1080p videofile without any help from the CPU just fine (and I'm pretty sure the video acceleration chip is the same across all 4xxx series GPU, it'd be no "faster" on a 4890). You've just got to use software that supports hardware acceleration to make use of it, as you would with any GPU. Even then, the Athlon ii X2 can handle BD playback itself just fine, though obviously its better if its sitting idle for heat, noise and power consumption reasons. There's no need for a better GPU if you don't plan to any modern games.
Ok PC GAF, I haven't built a PC since 2004 when Doom 3 came out. I figure rocking the same rig for 6 years ought to be long enough. I'm interested in building a new PC mainly for Starcraft 2 and I've found a couple things I need some opinions on.
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-G41M-ES2L
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Yorkfield 2.66GHz
Also, which GPU do you guys think would be optimal? I've got a 23inch 1080p monitor I'll be playing on.
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-G41M-ES2L
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Yorkfield 2.66GHz
Also, which GPU do you guys think would be optimal? I've got a 23inch 1080p monitor I'll be playing on.
brain_stew
Member
ChRoNiTe said:
Stay the hell away from socket 775. With that sort of budget a AM3 DDR3 motherboard and A Phenom ii X4 955 would be a decent option. If you can't afford that a Athlon ii X4 630 is worth considering.
You'll want at least a 1GB 5770 for the GPU.
brain_stew said:
Wow looks like that AMD Phenom II is a hell of a value, Newegg has it for $165. What do you think about this motherboard: MSI 770-G45 AM3 AMD 770 ATX?
Thanks for the advice.
ok, i have my pc up and running, had a few hitches but it seems to be mostly smooth now.
cpu: core i3 - 530
mobo: asrock h55m pro
ram: 4gb 1333 ddr3 (2gb x 2) kingston valuram
ssd: ocz vertex 30 GB
video card: radeon 5770 vapor x
case: antec sonata 3 quiet case w/ earthwatts 500W PSU
and yeah, the ssd is blazing fast. it almost caught me by surprise as i really didnt pay attention to how fast programs were loading as i was still setting up software. but then i sat and timed some apps, and i was shocked at how fast it is.
all in all, good enough for my purposes, w/ priority being quietness and cool running.
very quiet case, you're paying too much for the ram it seems. and also, you can downgrade to a mobo w/o a graphics card, since you are installing a better off the shelf card. its the same one i bought, its quiet, but i havent got around to putting it through its paces yet, so i dont know how it performs.
cpu: core i3 - 530
mobo: asrock h55m pro
ram: 4gb 1333 ddr3 (2gb x 2) kingston valuram
ssd: ocz vertex 30 GB
video card: radeon 5770 vapor x
case: antec sonata 3 quiet case w/ earthwatts 500W PSU
and yeah, the ssd is blazing fast. it almost caught me by surprise as i really didnt pay attention to how fast programs were loading as i was still setting up software. but then i sat and timed some apps, and i was shocked at how fast it is.
all in all, good enough for my purposes, w/ priority being quietness and cool running.
hauton said:
very quiet case, you're paying too much for the ram it seems. and also, you can downgrade to a mobo w/o a graphics card, since you are installing a better off the shelf card. its the same one i bought, its quiet, but i havent got around to putting it through its paces yet, so i dont know how it performs.
catfish said:
Yeah, it should be able to do that flawlessly. IIRC there are some optimazations for 2d video with that board/4200 but I can't remember what. One negative though is that the ATI onboard doesn't play nicely with the Nvidia I installed. This though is more an issue with Dell locking down the MB where I can't even disable the onboard video. You shouldn't have any issues with name brand boards that don't have most of the controls disabled in the BIOS. (or if you later decide to upgrade with an ATI instead of an Nvidia card)
hauton said:
Don't you need an OS?
MoFuzz
Member
Case + PSU - The Sonata III can be had for $109 here.hauton said:
GPU - Radeon 5770 is $180 here.
RAM - Seems a bit expensive, I doubt you'd notice the real world performance difference between that and something like this.
Mobo - Don't know if Crossfire is important to you, but if you're sticking to a single GPU, why not try this one, it still has USB 3.0, while your 5770 already has the HDMI covered.
TouchMyBox
Member
Sebulon3k said:
My 5870 has coil whine in a handful of games. Crysis and Stalker to name the only two I've noticed it in. For this reason, I wouldn't upgrade my graphics card because of it's coil whine because there's a good chance you'll just end up with more coil whine.
I've heard of people finding out where the coil whine is on their cards and then spraying silicone to mute the noise. I don't know if it works or if it's even safe, but it might be worth researching.
Thanks a lot for all the advice everyone! 
I'm going to sit down and rethink my build bit-by-bit to make sure I'm getting what I want.
Things I should really consider:
AMD vs Intel
I'm really thinking of hopping over to the i5 750... it can be had for pretty cheap and I heard it's a significant leap up on the current AMD offerings... or maybe a 1156 Xeon
NCIX vs Memory Express
Both do PM, but Memex has a lot smaller selection meaning my options are limited
I could PM NCIX $280 for a 5850. Not so much with Memex.
But I have to pay for NCIX shipping, which is like $40
Also, Memex offers a Product Replacement thingy - for approx. $80/130/180 I can get 2/3/4 years of hassle-free in-store replacement with a brand new, NOT refurb component if anything goes wrong... any opinions on if something like that is worth it?
Crossfire
Um... yeah. No clue. I heard it wasn't worth it but that was a long time ago and it seems like ATI/Nvidia have gotten their act together in terms of this stuff. Seems like a pretty solid in terms of a cheap upgrade down the line?
RAM
Yeah I'm probably just going to stick with the cheapo RAM tbh... I'm guessing that the $150 ones can run at slightly faster latencies, and possible OC higher depending on the mobo? If I can get like 1600MHz or whatever off the cheapo ones I think that's more than enough.
I guess there's also a lot of secondary things that come out of these decisions. IE if I'm thinking Crossfire, or perhaps a 5850, I should probably look at at 650W+ PSU (is 650 even ENOUGH?). But that's enough to bash my head over for now.
Once again, thanks so much! I might throw together a revised build if I get the chance to bug you guys again.
I'm going to sit down and rethink my build bit-by-bit to make sure I'm getting what I want.
Things I should really consider:
AMD vs Intel
I'm really thinking of hopping over to the i5 750... it can be had for pretty cheap and I heard it's a significant leap up on the current AMD offerings... or maybe a 1156 Xeon
NCIX vs Memory Express
Both do PM, but Memex has a lot smaller selection meaning my options are limited
I could PM NCIX $280 for a 5850. Not so much with Memex.
But I have to pay for NCIX shipping, which is like $40
Also, Memex offers a Product Replacement thingy - for approx. $80/130/180 I can get 2/3/4 years of hassle-free in-store replacement with a brand new, NOT refurb component if anything goes wrong... any opinions on if something like that is worth it?
Crossfire
Um... yeah. No clue. I heard it wasn't worth it but that was a long time ago and it seems like ATI/Nvidia have gotten their act together in terms of this stuff. Seems like a pretty solid in terms of a cheap upgrade down the line?
RAM
Yeah I'm probably just going to stick with the cheapo RAM tbh... I'm guessing that the $150 ones can run at slightly faster latencies, and possible OC higher depending on the mobo? If I can get like 1600MHz or whatever off the cheapo ones I think that's more than enough.
I guess there's also a lot of secondary things that come out of these decisions. IE if I'm thinking Crossfire, or perhaps a 5850, I should probably look at at 650W+ PSU (is 650 even ENOUGH?). But that's enough to bash my head over for now.
Once again, thanks so much! I might throw together a revised build if I get the chance to bug you guys again.
Baloonatic
Member
I guess these aren't exactly PC components so sorry if this is the wrong thread. I asked in a few others but didn't get a response.
I'm looking for a new TV for use with my PC. I'm not really sure if I should be going for plasma or LCD. I'm looking at around 37 inches as I think 42 might be a bit too big for my room. Any problems I should be aware of when it comes to connecting computers to televisions?
I also need a new keyboard and mouse. Will I be ok going for wireless if I'm going to be doing a lot of gaming? Any suggestions?
Would appreciate any help.
I'm looking for a new TV for use with my PC. I'm not really sure if I should be going for plasma or LCD. I'm looking at around 37 inches as I think 42 might be a bit too big for my room. Any problems I should be aware of when it comes to connecting computers to televisions?
I also need a new keyboard and mouse. Will I be ok going for wireless if I'm going to be doing a lot of gaming? Any suggestions?
Would appreciate any help.
DanDeschain
Member
Stupid question time. My new Asus monitor has shitty built in speakers. What speakers should I buy or what's the best way to hook up my desktop speakers so I have better sound when playing PS360?
what monitor do you have, BTW? i have a viewsonic and the DVI output of either the mobo or the vid. card wouldn't work with it, the monitor would get no signal. Now i am using a vga cable, but some research shows that many viewsonic monitors tend to have this issue.Colkate said:
which brings me to my next point, what's are some good quality flat panels these days? i hear the dell IPS monitors are really good? what are some of my options at 24"+?
also, if i wanted to overclock my i3-530, are there any fanless coolers i should be looking at?
and is the sapphire 5770 vapor x over cloackable w/ stock cooler?
I have the same card, by my current Gigabyte mobo doesn't work with it so I'm going to do an upgrade (may as well use those components!). I assume the mobo you listed works well with the Sapphire.Jim Stark said:
What's the difference between a Phenom II 995 and 555? The clock speed seems the same (big price difference, though).
Any recommendations on a good wireless mouse? The Razer Mamba looks fantastic and offers wireless and wired modes, which appeal to me, but it's quite pricey. What about keyboards to go with it? I'm tired of sticking to wired devices in the home theater area.
ChoklitReign
Member
What is the cheapest CPU that you can recommend for gaming purposes? Is anything under $70 acceptable?
TouchMyBox
Member
ChoklitReign said:
If you're spending less than $90 on a CPU, the athlon II x3 435 is the only thing you should be looking at.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103724&Tpk=athlon%20II%20x3%20435
DanDeschain
Member
MoFuzz said:
Thank you, good sir!
brain_stew
Member
TouchMyBox said:
I'd agree with this but really, its quad core or bust for gaming as far as I'm concerned these days. When a fast quad can be had for ~$100 (X4 630) there's no real reason to stick with a dual core chip.
Minsc
Gold Member
Q8D3vil said:
Well, now that you humored me, I'll link you to my PC Guide of choice, perhaps someone will chime in with other advice, but Tech Report generally gets a lot of love around here for their guides being well made.
Here is their March one, there's at least one configuration (utility player) sporting a i5, it's probably not a bad starting place.
