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"I need a new PC!" 2010 Edition
- Thread starter Spy
- Start date
PC GAF, I have finalized my build and I'm just about ready to pull the trigger on this. Could someone knowledgeable please glance over the following for any snags? Also, if you see any items that might have a better option, let me know. These are a hybrid of choices between Tech Report's March 2010 Econobox build and suggestions brain_stew gave on the previous page (thanks brain_stew!).
Antec Sonata III 500 Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power $89.99
Western Digital 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb $74.99
GIGABYTE GA-770TA-UD3 AM3 AMD 770 $84.99
XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB $159.99
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1600 $104.99
AMD Athlon II X4 630 $99.99
Total Cost = $614.94
Shipping = $0
I'm a little unsure on the video card choice, so if it doesn't seem right, please point me in the right direction. Other than that, I think this will definitely meet my needs of mild PC gaming (Blizzard, Valve, Steam Deals on games from 3 years ago) at 1680x1050. Also, I'm going to grab Windows 7 Pro 64x with an educational discount for ~$75.
Thanks GAF! You make this whole process MUCH, MUCH easier!
Antec Sonata III 500 Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power $89.99
Western Digital 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb $74.99
GIGABYTE GA-770TA-UD3 AM3 AMD 770 $84.99
XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB $159.99
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1600 $104.99
AMD Athlon II X4 630 $99.99
Total Cost = $614.94
Shipping = $0
I'm a little unsure on the video card choice, so if it doesn't seem right, please point me in the right direction. Other than that, I think this will definitely meet my needs of mild PC gaming (Blizzard, Valve, Steam Deals on games from 3 years ago) at 1680x1050. Also, I'm going to grab Windows 7 Pro 64x with an educational discount for ~$75.
Thanks GAF! You make this whole process MUCH, MUCH easier!
Mr_Brit said:
Well, if you already have a motherboard that may be compatible, go Google and try it. The worst thing that could happen is you need to load the BIOS fail safe.
If you don't, you may be able to pick up a compatible MOBO for around $90-100. And then you will spend a good amount of time taking everything out, replacing everything (and maybe buying new thermal compound since you're OCing and may want a fresh application), and calling up Microsoft to re-verify your copy of Windows.
PatzCU said:
The card is fine. Good deal on the price. You're missing a DVD drive though. Everything else looks okay.
Also, if you intend to overclock the CPU (And you may need to if you want to get the full 1600MHz out of that RAM), you might want to spend an extra $30 on some higher quality thermal compound and a better CPU fan. You don't need them, but the CPU will run a bit cooler. It's up to you.
Decado said:
What specifically are you aiming for? Faster boot times, better desktop performance, and less clutter? If your computer seems slow, it is most likely due to excessive amounts of garbage programs running in the background.
To clean up programs quick and dirty (as opposed to commenting out startup items via regedit), in the run window (Windows Button + R) type msconfig and head to the startup tab. Uncheck everything you don't want. This will prevent those programs from loading on boot. After restarting, a window will tell you that you've made changes. Just tell it not to nag you again and it won't. However, a word of warning: only disable programs that you know won't have an impact on your computer's functionality. Also, virus infested computers may occasionally break (and require more time and effort to fix) when you disable items.
You also should occasionally defrag your computer. I recommend Auslogics Disk Defrag (Freeware)
Finally, you can adjust Windows Visual Effects from Control Panel -> All items -> System -> Advanced System Settings -> Advanced -> Performance. The more effects you disable, the less memory and CPU power Windows will eat up.
Alexander said:
I'm buying a completely new PC and I know what I'm going to get bar CPU and motherboard. I want to get a quad core quite cheaply which will also overclock nicely to at least 3.5Ghz, I was looking at the Athlon 620 but read that you can unlock the fourth core of a 550 quite easily which I'm guessing would be a better CPU and easier to overclock thanks to that unlocked multiplier.
If I buy the 550 X2 and an AMD motherboard will I definetely be able to unlock the fourth core? If not, what are my chances. Also can you recommend a good AMD motherboard?
P.S: I'm from the UK.
Thanks.
Unlocking the forth core is never a guarantee. But the gamble could save you $60-70 on your rig.
Why not just get a Phenom II 955? They're not much more than the unlockable triple cores. I think spending the extra dough beats the gamble. I gambled and lost on a build I did for a friend and felt like a jackass, but he didn't really care after he saw a game running.
Why not just get a Phenom II 955? They're not much more than the unlockable triple cores. I think spending the extra dough beats the gamble. I gambled and lost on a build I did for a friend and felt like a jackass, but he didn't really care after he saw a game running.
kamspy said:
The phenom II 955 is £50 more so I'd rather not spend that if I can avoid it. I'm thinking of taking the risk and if I can't unlock it I'll just return it. Do you know whether if the newer the cpu, the more likely it is to be unlockable?
If I can't unlock it I might just get a Athlon II X4 620, if I overclocked this cpu and a 955 to 3.8GHz would the 955 have a significant advantage?
brain_stew
Member
Alexander said:
Get this HDD instead, 50% extra space and faster to boot:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145304&cm_re=1tb-_-22-145-304-_-Product
jehanzeb_khan
Neo Member
Alexander said:
Thank you for the replies. I did try those softwares. The vcore voltage generally was around 1.399-1.4. My cpu temperature after playing an hour of bad company 2 was around 60 for all cores. While my graphics card temperature was around 55-60. But as soon as I enable quad sli my graphics card over heat. Plus I reloaded the default settings in bios so it's fairly stable now but unfortunately i am not enjoying the speed
Inkwell said:
I did try memtest but it said my windows operating system won't allow it to test more than 2000 mb i guess. So i opened 4 instances of memtest but my computer just hanged
sorry to bother you guys so much but please if you could help me out
Did you try MemTest 86+? You make a bootable disc with that one. I'm not sure if it's quite as good as the other one, but I would give it a shot. Other than that, you may have to test all of your memory by only using a little bit of it at a time like I said earlier. It might be painfully slow but it definitely works.jehanzeb_khan said:I did try memtest but it said my windows operating system won't allow it to test more than 2000 mb i guess. So i opened 4 instances of memtest but my computer just hanged
sorry to bother you guys so much but please if you could help me out
I always thought that memtest86+ was pretty much regarded as the best. Its all I use and it seems to do what its supposed to.
You should test one stick at a time though. That way, if there is an issue, you know which stick is at fault. If errors appear with both sticks in, youre going to have to re-test one at a time anyways to find the bad stick so might as well just start off like that.
You should test one stick at a time though. That way, if there is an issue, you know which stick is at fault. If errors appear with both sticks in, youre going to have to re-test one at a time anyways to find the bad stick so might as well just start off like that.
NorrenRadd
Member
I bought the AMD 630 + MSI mATX motherboard from Frys combo last week for $110 After rebate.
This week's Fry's combo is i5 750 + Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3 for $210 after rebate.
How big of performance jump is this if I plan to overclock my 630 but NOT overclock the i5?
Worth the $100?
Alternatively, they also have a Phenom II x4 925 and Biostar TA790GX A3 for $130 after rebate. Same question, how big of upgrade is this?
This week's Fry's combo is i5 750 + Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3 for $210 after rebate.
How big of performance jump is this if I plan to overclock my 630 but NOT overclock the i5?
Worth the $100?
Alternatively, they also have a Phenom II x4 925 and Biostar TA790GX A3 for $130 after rebate. Same question, how big of upgrade is this?
brain_stew
Member
NorrenRadd said:
Why exactly would you place that stipulation? If you can clock the Athlon you can clock the i5. You're basically getting a high end P55 motherboard for free with that i5-750, if you've got the cash for it then go right ahead, its an incredible deal.
NorrenRadd
Member
brain_stew said:
I am afraid of the burnout people experienced on the 1156 boards, especially when overclocking.
Minsc
Gold Member
Slo said:
That mainly depends on your temperatures at load I'd guess, and luck of the draw.
This warmer weather is causing my idle temperatures to rise a bit too! Not by anything significant enough to cause me to take action, but my low-mid 30s idling temps are now approaching 40 pretty often, thanks to about a 30F increase in outdoor temperature over the last couple weeks.
Odious Tea
Member
I'm not sure of the issue you're speaking of, but I have an ASRock P55 Extreme and after booting into Windows once to make sure everything was kosher I pretty much took it straight to 4GHz. Used a preset, then tweaked it to perfection. Idles at 37C and sits comfortably at 70C on continuous 100% load. Just make sure you get a decent HSF. I picked the Hyper 212+ because it's unbelievably cheap and does its job exceptionally well.NorrenRadd said:
So PC GAF:
What is the cheapest place to get a Phenom X2 550 BE CPU in the UK from which also has a good returns policy incase I can't unlock it? Hopefully I can unlock all four cores!
If not I think I'll just get an Athlon X4 620. How much difference would there be between an unlocked quad core 550 and a 620 at the same clock speed?
What is the cheapest place to get a Phenom X2 550 BE CPU in the UK from which also has a good returns policy incase I can't unlock it? Hopefully I can unlock all four cores!
If not I think I'll just get an Athlon X4 620. How much difference would there be between an unlocked quad core 550 and a 620 at the same clock speed?
NorrenRadd
Member
Odious Tea said:
Thanks for the input. Going to get a Hyper 212 when I pick up my i5 combo today.
NorrenRadd said:
When I overclocked an i5, I found it to be very friendly, especially with the voltages. I could push it to 4GHz easily. But in the name of keeping everything nice and cool, I left it at 3.4GHz (200Mhz X 17 @ 1.112V). With the power saving features that lower voltage and clock speed while idle, it sat at ~20C desktop and after a few hours of Prime 95 it evened out at around 56-60C at 100% load. If the processor ever seems inadequate, one can simply up the multiplier to 20x and the voltage to the 1.25-1.35V ranges. I really do recommend an i5 as a great "bang for your buck" mid-high end CPU.
Would a 500W power supply be able to support the following?
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit
ASRock X58 Extreme LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i7-930 2.8GHz LGA 1366 Quad-Core cpu
nvidia 8800GT
1tb hdd @ 7200rpms
And would it also be possible to o/c the processor with that psu?
I don't mind upgrading the psu at this point; I'm just curious.
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit
ASRock X58 Extreme LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i7-930 2.8GHz LGA 1366 Quad-Core cpu
nvidia 8800GT
1tb hdd @ 7200rpms
And would it also be possible to o/c the processor with that psu?
I don't mind upgrading the psu at this point; I'm just curious.
Orangepeel
Member
So I made the post:
And later zealous gave me this info:
So yeah I'm thinking the notebook he posted at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152159 seems pretty decent? I'm extremely unfamiliar with laptop hardware in general so I don't really know whats considered good or whatever.
Bonus points, I've been hearing about bing cash back, how do I know exactly what laptops, if any I suppose, may have that option tied to them?
*Summary & Budget* I really don't want to spend more then like $700 if that's possible, It'll be for home use and starcraft 2 mainly, other games that run are just a plus. Looking for high settings with a steady frame rate
Customary any help is greatly, greatly, appreciated!
Orangepeel said:Question over here, is anyone playing the beta, or watching replays, or playing computers, whatever - on a laptop and with maybe around high settings or so? I'd like to know what kind of specs you've got if you are, and maybe where one might be able to procure a notebook of similar specs for sub car payment prices
And later zealous gave me this info:
ZealousD said:
So yeah
I'm thinking the notebook he posted at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152159 seems pretty decent? I'm extremely unfamiliar with laptop hardware in general so I don't really know whats considered good or whatever.Bonus points, I've been hearing about bing cash back, how do I know exactly what laptops, if any I suppose, may have that option tied to them?
*Summary & Budget* I really don't want to spend more then like $700 if that's possible, It'll be for home use and starcraft 2 mainly, other games that run are just a plus. Looking for high settings with a steady frame rate
Customary any help is greatly, greatly, appreciated!
Minsc said:
What's a decent temp for a Q9550 to run at underload? I'm using RealTemp and Intel Burn to test, and at default clock (2.83) it'll get as high as 65 under load. I previously had a Intel E2180 OC'd from 2.0 to 3.0 ghz and the highest it'd get was about 59 C according to a different monitoring program. I didn't go higher because of memory instability.
I'm going to start by going to to about 3.0 ghz, and see if I'm still stable. What temps should I be afraid of?
This is my CPU fan if it matters: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...0013&cm_re=Rosewill_z3-_-35-200-013-_-Product
Alexander said:
brain_stew said:
Thanks for the suggestions! Forgot to mention I'm going to salvage my DVD drive from the old desktop. I just ordered Windows 7 Pro 64 with my old student email address for $65. Placing the Newegg order tonight! My friends kept telling me that going with a pre-built PC was cheaper these days consider the OS cost, but building your own desktop still saves $200-$300. Can't wait, this was far easier than I expected it to be (so far).
ChoklitReign
Member
I have a technical question unrelated to a new PC. I bought a new monitor (an LQ 2061TQ) and I have it connected to a laptop via VGA cable. I notice there are wavy lines, sort of like static on a TV set, in the background and it is especially prevalent during games and other fullscreen applications. Is this related to the refresh rate? I can't seem to change it or find what refresh rate is recommended for the monitor. Any ideas?
BravoSuperStar
Member
So I went ahead and ordered the NEC EA231WMI-BK monitor.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824002524
Been watching it since Minsc and the links he provided were overwhelmingly positive. $320 total with shipping. Think thats a pretty good deal, it's a $60 discount at the moment. I was close to ordering it at $350 w/ $9.99 shipping. Glad I waited.
This will be my first non-TN pc monitor flat screen.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824002524
Been watching it since Minsc and the links he provided were overwhelmingly positive. $320 total with shipping. Think thats a pretty good deal, it's a $60 discount at the moment. I was close to ordering it at $350 w/ $9.99 shipping. Glad I waited.
This will be my first non-TN pc monitor flat screen.
evil solrac v3.0
Member
NorrenRadd said:
that was for extreme overclocks (4Ghz and more)
OK I lied, I haven't pulled the trigger yet. I'm taking one last pass through video cards. Given that I'm looking at just 5770's, what would be the difference between these two cards warranting a $20 price premium on the XFX over the MSi?
MSI R5770-PM2D1G-OC Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card $149.99 (After Rebate)
XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card $169.99
Are all the different manufacturer's 5770's more or less the same?
MSI R5770-PM2D1G-OC Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card $149.99 (After Rebate)
XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card $169.99
Are all the different manufacturer's 5770's more or less the same?
undu
Member
I got a white one on thurday.BravoSuperStar said:
My opinion may not be worth anything because I had a crappy monitor before, but I thinks it's a great monitor. I'm not seeing neither any ghosting nor some problems with backlight uniformity. (at least it's not as exaggerated as I've seen in some photos)
All in all it's a HUGE step up from any other screen I have at home, I'm specially loving the matte finish and its contrast
BravoSuperStar
Member
undu said:I got a white one on thurday.
My opinion may not be worth anything because I had a crappy monitor before, but I thinks it's a great monitor. I'm not seeing neither any ghosting nor some problems with backlight uniformity. (at least it's not as exaggerated as I've seen in some photos)
All in all it's a HUGE step up from any other screen I have at home, I'm specially loving the matte finish and its contrast
Great to hear. Especially no ghosting. How are the viewing angles? Thats a major reason I'm upgrading.
TouchMyBox
Member
PatzCU said:
Same shit, but XFX has double lifetime warranty.
Minsc
Gold Member
Decado said:
DiRT 2, DoW 2 (if you own it), STALKER CoP, RE5, DMC4, and SFIV as well as Lost Planet all have benchmark tools in the game or free benchmarking capabilities.
The roughest of those titles above are by far STALKER CoP and DoW 2, followed by DiRT 2, then a distant everything else.
Slo said:
I haven't really any idea, sorry, hopefully google or someone else does! I just know you want to keep a Core i7 CPU below 80C, ideally low-mid 70s at load.
I've been thinking about making a PC of my own. I have never made one so, looking at all my options is a bit overwhelming. I've turn to looking at other's rigs for guidance; and I've been looking over the rig Brain stew posted. I think that rig suits my needs, only costing a little bit more than what I was planning to spend:
Only changing the the case to a Rosewill TU-155 II 500 to save some cash.
I've done a few upgrades to my current computer, ram and a new video card, but I am not all that tech savvy. I am wondering how a rig would run things like Crysis on high, Dragon Age, or newer stuff like Metro 2033. Just with my limited knowledge, I think it should run Crysis and DA fine, Metro should be pushing it. But what I think and reality often disagree, and reality always wins.
Just looking for some feedback, and tips for a first time builder.
brain_stew said:
Only changing the the case to a Rosewill TU-155 II 500 to save some cash.
I've done a few upgrades to my current computer, ram and a new video card, but I am not all that tech savvy. I am wondering how a rig would run things like Crysis on high, Dragon Age, or newer stuff like Metro 2033. Just with my limited knowledge, I think it should run Crysis and DA fine, Metro should be pushing it. But what I think and reality often disagree, and reality always wins.
Just looking for some feedback, and tips for a first time builder.
Minsc
Gold Member
Decado said:
I believe it does, but with 4xAA at 1920x1200, at max settings, it brings a i7 920 + 5870 down to the 30s in the benchmark. The actual game I've never seen my framerate drop below 60, but I don't play multiplayer.
Edit: Actually, CoH uses the Essence Engine, and DoW2 uses the Essence Engine 2, so I guess they're a bit different.
Did I just screw up?
I went out today and got my i5-750 and Gigabyte P55 UD3 mb.
I also picked up a Coolmax 600w psu.
I got everything setup, but noticed that the mb needed an 8 pin 12v adaptor and my psu only had a 4 pin one
Am I screwed? or will the 4 pin work?
The mb - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...cm_re=Gigabyte_p55_ud3-_-13-128-412-_-Product
the psu - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...079&cm_re=Coolmax_600w-_-17-159-079-_-Product
I went out today and got my i5-750 and Gigabyte P55 UD3 mb.
I also picked up a Coolmax 600w psu.
I got everything setup, but noticed that the mb needed an 8 pin 12v adaptor and my psu only had a 4 pin one
Am I screwed? or will the 4 pin work?
The mb - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...cm_re=Gigabyte_p55_ud3-_-13-128-412-_-Product
the psu - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...079&cm_re=Coolmax_600w-_-17-159-079-_-Product
BravoSuperStar
Member
Maddness said:
It should work ok with 4 pins, but you can also get an adapter.