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[MidgarBlowedUp]

Well, I can't help myself. Looks like I'm going to do a full upgrade.

Just too many good deals and info floating around in this thread.

Antec 300 case for $50 Thanks -Fiest-

My case is pretty shitty so I'm really hoping that this upgrade will keep my temps cooler overall. I hope I see lower CPU temps for more overclocking headroom but, I can't have too much wishful thinking.

Vapor-X 5770 for $140

Currently, I have a 4770 slightly OC'd but, the 5770 does appear to be more powerful and easily overclocked, looks like it's a little more powerful than a 4890 but with DX11 support. I know the 5770's scale amazingly so my next upgrade may just be a new motherboard.

I'll need a cheap one that supports crossfire, 6-8GB of DDR2 800Mhz ram, and an Athlon II X4 620 processor.

 

[Hazaro]

I orderd a 1TB Caviar green 64mb cache HDD. How much difference is there in performance for games and other stuff compared to the faster HDD?

Games will load a bit faster and big file transfers / installs should probably go quicker. That's about it. Depending on how old your OS is that might be a bit faster too.

I'm sick and tired of my current PC's problems that I'm just gonna get a new i5-750 build.

These are the parts I'm getting.
Corsair XMS3 4 GB PC3-12800 1600Mhz
ASUS P7P55 LX
And of course an i5-750. I'm carrying over my Corsair TX650W, case, and three HDs from my current build. Any better recommendations for similar prices?

Seems fine.

So I've been thinking about replacing my old awesome samsung 700nf crt.

Is the option of fixed pixel (setting the res lower than native spec without blurring out the image. Tradeoff is picture doesn't fill the whole display) is standard on all LCD monitors?
Quite the opposite

I'm thinking about 1080p panels with HDMI. Is it worth it or should I just get lower res with DVI input? (thinking about putting my PS3 & 360 on the monitor too for more up close experience)

I wouldn't suggest lower than 1080p personally unless you were really trying to save money.
If you already have your systems hooked up to a HDTV I'd leave them there as most TV picture/color quality is better than Monitor (at least in my experience).

Rate this build guys, thinking of upgrading to it from my aging but still fast but having trouble with games at native res (1440x900) E4300/4670 his radeon/250GB WD HD/2GB DDR2/Win XP home( :lol )/19" WS Acer LCD


Oh and yes gaming would be the primary use for this, hence the i3 and the planned OC. Really fast DC cpu.


I wonder what my experience would be like with BFBC2 and TFC2 with this thing ..

Upgrade to a i5-750. At $70 extra it is something you should do with more and more games using quad cores.

Swap in this GPU (Better warranty, $20 cheaper): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150447

You could also swap in this PSU (if you wanted): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371007
Save you about $35, 500w is more than enough.

Hi guys, well been putting this off for about 6 months now but its officially time to get a new rig...

Ok so I have a list of recommended parts from my IT repair guy, they are as followed:

Case (Coolermaster Sileo) - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/167439

Mother Board (Gigabyte) - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/189288

CPU (Intel i5 750) - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/172755

Memory (Corsair 4GB 1600MHz) - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/173122

Graphics Card (Point of View GTX260) - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/200911

Hard Drive (Samsung EcoGreen 1TB) - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/164282

Optical Drive (LiteOn) - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/176026

For example the Coolermaster CM690 looks great - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/191197

For the Graphics cards I am totally lost, so many different versions out there I feel like im drowning. However going by a general popularity vote the Radeon HD 5850 seems preferable.

I may upgrade the hard drive to this, seems exactly the same just larger and only costs a small amount more - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/166989

However the motherboard is a mystery, I don't even know if it would still be compatible with the CM690 case, id be taking a gamble.

I need a computer that can handle a lot of heavy video editing tasks as well as being totally acceptable for gaming on, just for stuff like TF2 on max and such.

Well for the case I'm sure he mentioned it because it has a PSU with it. Seems fine, but if you want to go a bit cheaper there is this option. http://www.ebuyer.com/product/185180

Either HDD is fine

5770 will be more than adequate if stuff like TF2 is all you need. Unfortunately the next step up costs and extra $150 (5850/GTX 470). Do not get the GTX 260. It is outdated (Well I run one anyway...) and is far too expensive for its performance.

The only downsides to H55 is lack of decent crossfire/SLi and slightly less features, but that is why the boards are cheap.

Well, I can't help myself. Looks like I'm going to do a full upgrade.

I'll need a cheap one that supports crossfire, 6-8GB of DDR2 800Mhz ram, and an Athlon II X4 620 processor.

If you want an AM3 mobo with DDR2 slots your choices get pretty limited.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131608

There is one of them, but you will notice no xFire. I'm not a big fan of dual GPU and by the time you need to upgrade there will be a better single card solution.
Are you upgrading the mobo just for xFire? Or along with buying a X4 620?

If you want overclocking a better cooler will be much much much better.

 

[Fireflu]

Please excuse my ignorance but would a 5770, for example this one - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/189741
Still be compatible with that motherboard in my initial list, if its not could you suggest one that is. Thanks for replying btw

 

[Hazaro]

Please excuse my ignorance but would a 5770, for example this one - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/189741
Still be compatible with that motherboard in my initial list, if its not could you suggest one that is. Thanks for replying btw

You are fine with that.
Just saying that if you added another 5770 it would be slightly bandwidth limited and you'd need a 3rd party or longer xFire cable.

It's usually better to just upgrade and sell your old card.

 

[Lkr]

i know this isn't a thread for selling stuff, but could someone tell me how much they think I should list this as:
iMac G5 first gen
1.8GHz PPC G5 Processor
1.5GB DDR ram
160GB hard drive
OS X Leopard 10.5.8

 

[Hazaro]

i know this isn't a thread for selling stuff, but could someone tell me how much they think I should list this as:
iMac G5 first gen
1.8GHz PPC G5 Processor
1.5GB DDR ram
160GB hard drive
OS X Leopard 10.5.8

I sold my dads old G5 last year for $380? Might have been $360.
1.8Ghz, 2GB DDR, 80GB HDD, 17", lots of software, etc.

Probably around the $300-$350 range. Mention what software you have. Mine was in very nice condition.

 

[Lkr]

I sold my dads old G5 last year for $380? Might have been $360.
1.8Ghz, 2GB DDR, 80GB HDD, 17", lots of software, etc.

Probably around the $300-$350 range. Mention what software you have. Mine was in very nice condition.

I don't know where any of my old Mac software is anymore and I plan on wiping the hard drive

I think I might have Office 04 SOMEWHERE, but thats about it. iLife isn't even installed right now and I only have iLife 05

 

[Hazaro]

I don't know where any of my old Mac software is anymore and I plan on wiping the hard drive

I think I might have Office 04 SOMEWHERE, but thats about it. iLife isn't even installed right now and I only have iLife 05

Might lower the value a bit. Just start around there and see if anyone bites and work your way down.

 

[MidgarBlowedUp]

If you want an AM3 mobo with DDR2 slots your choices get pretty limited.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131608

There is one of them, but you will notice no xFire. I'm not a big fan of dual GPU and by the time you need to upgrade there will be a better single card solution.
Are you upgrading the mobo just for xFire? Or along with buying a X4 620?

If you want overclocking a better cooler will be much much much better.

I already have the X4 620, I was just considering a way to upgrade it on the cheap but, I don't think anything is out there for $100.

I was considering upgrading my entire system but, keeping the upgrade under $300.

The reason I went with a case upgrade...
I have a great cooler, it's my case that sucks ass. It's some elcrapo no-name garbage with pretty much the only ventilation being a small hole in one side of the system. Plus, I keep it in my PC desk which has a glass door that encloses the PC inside it with not much room for airflow. (The door comes off though)

Also, the USB ports on the front are at the bottom of the case and I'd prefer them to be closer to the top. I have a highspeed 16GB USB stick I use to transfer large files worth of stuff from home to school everyday. I already have 6 ports in use on the back of the PC and my monitor has a 4 port hub built into it and it's full too. I need a direct link, not a hub, when I connect my USB stick or I get slow transfer rates.

My main concern is playing Final Fantasy Online which my system runs the benchmark pretty well at 720p but, IMO it's unplayable at 1920x1200 even though the benchmark claims it's fine at 1080p. So I'm just hoping the 5770 will be enough of an upgrade to get the game to at least have a 3000 - 35000 score for 720p and with a little luck playable at 1920x1200.

I figure with a much better case and better airflow I'll be able to at-least have a cooler and more stable system when overclocking.

I'm just concerned that my x4 620 @ 3.25Ghz might not be enough to push the 5770 to make a difference from my 4770.

 

[Apath]

So a couple days back I posted about a build. I just noticed that the PSU I ordered (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371007) is more or less the same exact thing I already have in my Antec case. The issue is that my old build would turn on (lights on mobo, fans running, etc) but nothing on the screen and no beeps. Someone told me this meant my PSU was borked.

Do I replace the current one with the same thing or cancel the PSU order on NewEgg? I can provide more info if peoples needs it.

EDIT: And is 500w enough? i7-930, Saphire 5770, 6gb ram. I kinda want to use my old 8800gt as a physx card as well.

 

[The_Joint]

I know very little about current CPUs, GPUs, performance specs, etc. My challenge is that I'd like to be able to play "The Witcher" which has system requirements of:

Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or Athlon 64 +2800 (Intel Pentium 4 3.0 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 +3000 recommended). Athlon XP series, such as the Athlon XP +2400, is not supported
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or ATI Radeon 9800 or better (NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX or ATI Radeon X1950 XT or better recommended)

Below is a summary of what my system has now (from the control panel). I think the GPU I have is O.K. (is that right?). I went to Newegg to look for a suitable graphics cards because I thought that that would be the most likely place I needed some more power. After looking at all the graphic cards at Newegg I was overwhelmed by the choices and had little idea what the differentiation between the hundreds of cards was, or even the 10-20 cards that all sported the same chipset number but had varying amounts of RAM and bus speeds and whatever other bells and whistles. So bottom line:

What card, based on what I have in my system now, offers the most bang for the buck and will be suitable for playing The Witcher? Help! Appreciate it if you could post a link to the specific card.

Bonus question: What is the onboard Intel G45/43 chipset equivalent to (eg, ATI 4650)?

 

[Minsc]

I know very little about current CPUs, GPUs, performance specs, etc. My challenge is that I'd like to be able to play "The Witcher" which has system requirements of:

Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or Athlon 64 +2800 (Intel Pentium 4 3.0 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 +3000 recommended). Athlon XP series, such as the Athlon XP +2400, is not supported
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or ATI Radeon 9800 or better (NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX or ATI Radeon X1950 XT or better recommended)

Below is a summary of what my system has now (from the control panel). I think the GPU I have is O.K. (is that right?). I went to Newegg to look for a suitable graphics cards because I thought that that would be the most likely place I needed some more power. After looking at all the graphic cards at Newegg I was overwhelmed by the choices and had little idea what the differentiation between the hundreds of cards was, or even the 10-20 cards that all sported the same chipset number but had varying amounts of RAM and bus speeds and whatever other bells and whistles. So bottom line:

What card, based on what I have in my system now, offers the most bang for the buck and will be suitable for playing The Witcher? Help! Appreciate it if you could post a link to the specific card.

Bonus question: What is the onboard Intel G45/43 chipset equivalent to (eg, ATI 4650)?

[]http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr355/the_joint_64/system.jpg[/IMG]

Your best chance is an nVidia card running a very specific set of drivers. Someone posted in the Witcher thread which drivers worked for them, all other nVidia drivers on any card and any ATi card with any drivers just needs sheer force ($250+ GPU). Even then you don't get to enjoy a perfect 60fps maxed game from start to finish, but 30 fps isn't horrible.

CPU is also important for The Witcher, yours should be fine, but not perfect. 3-4GHz would be ideal, but 2.5 will be ok.

Bang for the buck GPU is probably something like a GTS 250 for around $100-120, because you'd have access to the older set nVidia drivers that are said to make a huge difference. A GTX 260/275 would be better, but perhaps at double the price. Even better would be a GTX 465/470, but at more like triple the price. ATi you'd be looking at the 4870, 4890, 5770 or 5850 most likely. If you want to know more about the cards just look up benchmarks on gaming review sites like legit reviews, tech report, pcgh, anandtech, or many other ones.

All those cards should run the sequel with medium settings, however there's a bit more speed in the 470 and 5850 and beyond, and those cards will do better and get to use some/all of the higher settings.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Is there any big hardware releases coming soon? I'm thinking of building a rig later this summer and thinking about i7 930 and a 5850. Is there anything that will trump them in the foreseeable future? The rest I'll decide on when I actually buy and what's on sale since those are more generic components.

Edit: And all of a sudden my overclock stopped working... I've been at 3.4Ghz for months and now it just shows it at 2.66 which is stock for my E6750... The fuck just happened?

 

[spazzfish]

Is there any big hardware releases coming soon? I'm thinking of building a rig later this summer and thinking about i7 930 and a 5850. Is there anything that will trump them in the foreseeable future? The rest I'll decide on when I actually buy and what's on sale since those are more generic components.

I think an ATI refresh is rumoured around Autumn. I wouldn't expect a massive performance increase, but you'll get the current range at a cheaper price i'd imagine.

 

[The_Joint]

Your best chance is an nVidia card running a very specific set of drivers....

CPU is also important for The Witcher, yours should be fine, but not perfect. 3-4GHz would be ideal, but 2.5 will be ok.

Bang for the buck GPU is probably something like a GTS 250 for around $100-120...

Thanks for the advice and also thanks to your little friend Boo. I should have clarified that I'm not worried about running the game at MAX everything 24xAA*. I'll find out next week if a GTS 250 card will do the trick running the game at medium (or low) settings at a minimum 30 fps. I'll be happy enough with that. Anything better would just be gravy. I'll also check out The Witcher thread to see if there are drivers that the game/card can benefit from.

* - My favorite PC game since DOOM and WC/Privateer is VTES: Bloodlines, followed by Peggle. Yeah, those don't require much graphics horsepower. On my last computer, some e-machine bought in 2004, I had no problems playing Bloodlines on low and enjoying it with no complaints about the graphics.

 

[Kadey]

Going to build a new rig next year. Probably around the time the new GPUs come out.

When my PC starts stuttering, mainly when I play any sort of media. Is that a RAM thing?

 

[UrbanRats]

I FINALLY maage to order the final pieces (monitor included) so it's a matter of days now and i'l have my new PC.. i'm so happy

for the monitor, i've opted for the Dell u2410, i heard is great and i needed a neat monitor to use on photoshop.

 

[Hop]

Alright gang. I'm planning to build a new desktop when I get my next paycheck. I'm trying to keep it around $400-$450 (since I'm gonna need to throw $50 at a new laptop battery, apparently). Here's how it looks so far:

Case w/ 485W Power supply ($52)
Motherboard (ASUS M4A785-M) ($70)
Processor (AMD Phenom II 3.2 GHz dual-core) ($100)
Graphics (Radeon HD 4650) ($67)
Memory (2GB PQI) ($41)
Hard Drive (Seagate 500GB) ($55)
CD Drive ($24)
Net card ($20)

I have two gigs of memory I can probably steal from my existing tower so I can skimp on that, but I would like to add to it. Same with the hard drive, I can probably keep the old one (which is 250GB but slow, and 6 years old so I'm wary of it) but I'd rather improve it.

Right now, the shipped total is $458. So two questions, what am I overpaying for and what am I missing/not needing? I'm suspecting I don't need the net card, and the MOBO has ATI Radeon HD4200 integrated but I don't know if the dedicated card is enough of an improvement.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Alright gang. I'm planning to build a new desktop when I get my next paycheck. I'm trying to keep it around $400-$450 (since I'm gonna need to throw $50 at a new laptop battery, apparently). Here's how it looks so far:

Case w/ 485W Power supply ($52)
Motherboard (ASUS M4A785-M) ($70)
Processor (AMD Phenom II 3.2 GHz dual-core) ($100)
Graphics (Radeon HD 4650) ($67)
Memory (2GB PQI) ($41)
Hard Drive (Seagate 500GB) ($55)
CD Drive ($24)
Net card ($20)

I have two gigs of memory I can probably steal from my existing tower so I can skimp on that, but I would like to add to it. Same with the hard drive, I can probably keep the old one (which is 250GB but slow, and 6 years old so I'm wary of it) but I'd rather improve it.

Right now, the shipped total is $458. So two questions, what am I overpaying for and what am I missing/not needing? I'm suspecting I don't need the net card, and the MOBO has ATI Radeon HD4200 integrated but I don't know if the dedicated card is enough of an improvement.

Dual core is dead, is there some reason you're not getting a quad core? Do you play games on your pc?

 

[BrassMonkey1010]

Alright gang. I'm planning to build a new desktop when I get my next paycheck. I'm trying to keep it around $400-$450 (since I'm gonna need to throw $50 at a new laptop battery, apparently). Here's how it looks so far:

Case w/ 485W Power supply ($52)
Motherboard (ASUS M4A785-M) ($70)
Processor (AMD Phenom II 3.2 GHz dual-core) ($100)
Graphics (Radeon HD 4650) ($67)
Memory (2GB PQI) ($41)
Hard Drive (Seagate 500GB) ($55)
CD Drive ($24)
Net card ($20)

I have two gigs of memory I can probably steal from my existing tower so I can skimp on that, but I would like to add to it. Same with the hard drive, I can probably keep the old one (which is 250GB but slow, and 6 years old so I'm wary of it) but I'd rather improve it.

Right now, the shipped total is $458. So two questions, what am I overpaying for and what am I missing/not needing? I'm suspecting I don't need the net card, and the MOBO has ATI Radeon HD4200 integrated but I don't know if the dedicated card is enough of an improvement.

Save up a bit more. With $150-200 dollers added to that budget you can buy something a lot better, and that will be able to keep up in the future. Dual Core is dead,

 

[·feist·]

Antec 300 case for $50 Thanks -Fiest-

Remember, if you ever have the urge to increase cooling even more or customize your case in anyway, the 300 has one of the biggest mod followings of any case. Here's just one link as an example:

http://www.overclock.net/case-mods-general-discussion/464576-ideas-antec-300-mods.html

You could also spray paint/powder coat it like this user's build:

 

[Slayer-33]

Dual core is dead, is there some reason you're not getting a quad core? Do you play games on your pc?

Dual core is actually better in some cases for gaming, most games still only make use of the dual cores, + you save some money on elec and have higher than normal clock speeds via OC'ing. Also that proc unlocks to quadcore if you are lucky. So for $100 you get a quadcore in some cases.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Dual core is actually better in some cases for gaming, most games still only make use of the dual cores, + you save some money on elec and have higher than normal clock speeds via OC'ing. Also that proc unlocks to quadcore if you are lucky. So for $100 you get a quadcore in some cases.

Except you don't. There are a good amount of games now that show considerable performance increases with quad and going ahead it will become even more regular. Quad cores are dirty cheap and you can still overclock, it doesn't save much at all in electric on them so your argument doesn't even make sense. The like 50 cents a month you save in electric isn't a reason to not get a quad core. There are pretty much no cases that dual core is better than quad core anymore.

 

[Shalashaska161]

Alright GAF I have a question about Solid State Drives. At this point in time, is there any point in buying a larger SSD? I was thinking about getting the 40GB Intel one, mostly just to run Windows off of, but my buddy is telling me I should spring for a larger drive. Is he just trying to waste my money?

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Alright GAF I have a question about Solid State Drives. At this point in time, is there any point in buying a larger SSD? I was thinking about getting the 40GB Intel one, mostly just to run Windows off of, but my buddy is telling me I should spring for a larger drive. Is he just trying to waste my money?

It's up to you. It doesn't speed stuff up like media or games or anything so it really doesn't help you in that regard. If 40GB is enough for you to do your regular programs and OS then you really don't need bigger and can get a regular hard drive for all of your media.

 

[Shalashaska161]

It's up to you. It doesn't speed stuff up like media or games or anything so it really doesn't help you in that regard. If 40GB is enough for you to do your regular programs and OS then you really don't need bigger and can get a regular hard drive for all of your media.

Ya that's what I thought. I remember someone telling me once that SSD's are great for things like Windows that are made up of a million little files, but when the file sizes start to increase they are not really quicker than a normal drive. Anyways thanks for the help.

 

[rdaubner]

I know very little about current CPUs, GPUs, performance specs, etc. My challenge is that I'd like to be able to play "The Witcher" which has system requirements of:

Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or Athlon 64 +2800 (Intel Pentium 4 3.0 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 +3000 recommended). Athlon XP series, such as the Athlon XP +2400, is not supported
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or ATI Radeon 9800 or better (NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX or ATI Radeon X1950 XT or better recommended)

Below is a summary of what my system has now (from the control panel). I think the GPU I have is O.K. (is that right?). I went to Newegg to look for a suitable graphics cards because I thought that that would be the most likely place I needed some more power. After looking at all the graphic cards at Newegg I was overwhelmed by the choices and had little idea what the differentiation between the hundreds of cards was, or even the 10-20 cards that all sported the same chipset number but had varying amounts of RAM and bus speeds and whatever other bells and whistles. So bottom line:

What card, based on what I have in my system now, offers the most bang for the buck and will be suitable for playing The Witcher? Help! Appreciate it if you could post a link to the specific card.

Bonus question: What is the onboard Intel G45/43 chipset equivalent to (eg, ATI 4650)?

Is that an Asus built desktop pc, cm5570?
I have the q8200 version of that pc and the power supply didnt have a 6-Pin PCI-E Connector.

 

[Hazaro]

I already have the X4 620, I was just considering a way to upgrade it on the cheap but, I don't think anything is out there for $100.

I'm just concerned that my x4 620 @ 3.25Ghz might not be enough to push the 5770 to make a difference from my 4770.

I wouldn't worry about that.

Do I replace the current one with the same thing or cancel the PSU order on NewEgg? I can provide more info if peoples needs it.

EDIT: And is 500w enough? i7-930, Saphire 5770, 6gb ram. I kinda want to use my old 8800gt as a physx card as well.

How similar? The wattage and name might be close, but the actual specs (mainly the amps on the 12V) can be wildly different.
You'll want at least 38A on the 12V (the 500w antec is 22+22A). Wattage wise a 500w should be fine for that setup. Amp wise you should be ok.

You can assemble your rig and use the old PSU to power it, then if that doesn't work you can use your new PSU you ordered.

Edit: And all of a sudden my overclock stopped working... I've been at 3.4Ghz for months and now it just shows it at 2.66 which is stock for my E6750... The fuck just happened?

That can occasionally happen, a little BIOS glitch, or perhaps starting up it was unstable and reverted back to stock for whatever reason. Also sometimes a hard reset / shutdown can cause that.
Might want to retest your OC stability. My OC has been running at least a year now which has surprised me.

When my PC starts stuttering, mainly when I play any sort of media. Is that a RAM thing?

Didn't you just upgrade? :lol
I'd guess it's more a HDD issue. I had occasional stutter when my old HDD was giving out on me. It also would take an abnormally long time to open media files and occasionally my music would pause mid playthrough.
I'd first check your codecs / player though. If you try using MPC,VLC,MPlayer, etc and it happens on all of them it could be a hardware issue.

Dual core is actually better in some cases for gaming, most games still only make use of the dual cores, + you save some money on elec and have higher than normal clock speeds via OC'ing. Also that proc unlocks to quadcore if you are lucky. So for $100 you get a quadcore in some cases.

A year ago this was arguable (E8400 vs Q6600) but now I really don't think you can say to get a dual over a quad. The prices are ridiculously low and overclocking nets you the same speed. Intel offers turbo boost and AMD quads are so low in price you can't say no.
$100 for a 2.9Ghz Quad Core

Alright GAF I have a question about Solid State Drives. At this point in time, is there any point in buying a larger SSD? I was thinking about getting the 40GB Intel one, mostly just to run Windows off of, but my buddy is telling me I should spring for a larger drive. Is he just trying to waste my money?

You'd really only need it for your OS and maybe a select program or 2 you use constantly (media, music, browser, etc.)
However Intel's 80GB V version should hit the market place within a few months at near or the same price point as the 40GB version is now.

Here is Anandtech's June round up of the budget SSD's if you haven't read it already.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3756/2010-value-ssd-100-roundup-kingston-and-ocz-take-on-intel

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

I wouldn't worry about that.

How similar? The wattage and name might be close, but the actual specs (mainly the amps on the 12V) can be wildly different.
You'll want at least 38A on the 12V (the 500w antec is 22+22A). Wattage wise a 500w should be fine for that setup. Amp wise you should be ok.

You can assemble your rig and use the old PSU to power it, then if that doesn't work you can use your new PSU you ordered.

That can occasionally happen, a little BIOS glitch, or perhaps starting up it was unstable and reverted back to stock for whatever reason. Also sometimes a hard reset / shutdown can cause that.
Might want to retest your OC stability. My OC has been running at least a year now which has surprised me.

Didn't you just upgrade? :lol
I'd guess it's more a HDD issue. I had occasional stutter when my old HDD was giving out on me. It also would take an abnormally long time to open media files and occasionally my music would pause mid playthrough.
I'd first check your codecs / player though. If you try using MPC,VLC,MPlayer, etc and it happens on all of them it could be a hardware issue.

A year ago this was arguable (E8400 vs Q6600) but now I really don't think you can say to get a dual over a quad. The prices are ridiculously low and overclocking nets you the same speed. Intel offers turbo boost and AMD quads are so low in price you can't say no.
$100 for a 2.9Ghz Quad Core

You'd really only need it for your OS and maybe a select program or 2 you use constantly (media, music, browser, etc.)
However Intel's 80GB V version should hit the market place within a few months at near or the same price point as the 40GB version is now.

Here is Anandtech's June round up of the budget SSD's if you haven't read it already.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3756/2010-value-ssd-100-roundup-kingston-and-ocz-take-on-intel

Did lose power a couple times a week ago, it could have happened then... Are the values changed in the bios most likely or ?

 

[Hazaro]

Did lose power a couple times a week ago, it could have happened then... Are the values changed in the bios most likely or ?

The BIOS is most likely reset to default, although it might have only reset your CPU clockspeed.

If you have one of those fancy motherboards you can save your overclocking file and just load that up instead of manually resetting everything.

 

[Lkr]

gaf is there any reason to upgrade from a quad core to six core at this time? ~$180 for 6 cores is tempting, but i just got my quad core back in december. i am kinda uneasy on upgrading my graphics card so soon as it is

 

[Wallach]

gaf is there any reason to upgrade from a quad core to six core at this time? ~$180 for 6 cores is tempting, but i just got my quad core back in december. i am kinda uneasy on upgrading my graphics card so soon as it is

I don't think so, no. Not quite yet.

 

[evlcookie]

gaf is there any reason to upgrade from a quad core to six core at this time? ~$180 for 6 cores is tempting, but i just got my quad core back in december. i am kinda uneasy on upgrading my graphics card so soon as it is

Nope, stick with the quad.

 

[MidgarBlowedUp]

Remember, if you ever have the urge to increase cooling even more or customize your case in anyway, the 300 has one of the biggest mod followings of any case. Here's just one link as an example:

http://www.overclock.net/case-mods-general-discussion/464576-ideas-antec-300-mods.html

You could also spray paint/powder coat it like this user's build:

Hmm, I am learning Maya so I could easily get the dimensions and then make a 3D version of the case then apply whatever mods on it virtually then, do it fo' realz.

 

[CSampson]

Hey GAF, looking to get into PC gaming. Got a shitty laptop now that overheats. I HDMI out from it all the time and was looking into a shuttle or some small case and just have it permanently hooked up to my plasma. Was looking for something that will be able to play D3 (whatever the specs end up, I think there's a good approx of what it will take based on sc2), 700-800 budget, and I'm Canadian. Gonna dig through the thread tomorrow when I'm not dead tired and see if there is one already! Thanks.

 

[Slayer-33]

Rate my purchase guys, just fired on this one. -edit ya went with AMD for the price of the 6 cores since I don't want to do any upgrading besides the GPU for the next 2-3 years I know the i3/5/7s own in the benchmarks but I don't really care about the difference that much, it's not as if this baby is any slouch in terms of real power for what I will use it for, the application usage of the 6 cores will just be gravy. I'll be more than content to play my BF2BC and TFC 2, SC2, Diablo 3 on this sys.

I will replace that GFX card eventually (as I see the next price drop on the big boys) it's just temp.

(it'll arrive in a day it seems too ) I'll be back later.

 

[Calm Killer]

Order this last week. Should be arriving today. I have an ATI 5850 Black Edition and all the other needs to fill out the rest. My question is what do I need to do cooling wise. Do I need additional fans? Should I go water cooled? Any help would be appreciated.

ASUS P6X58D Premium Motherboard - LGA 1366, Intel X58, SATA, SLI Ready, CrossFireX Ready, Triple Channel DDR3 support, RAID, Hyperthreading, USB 3.0, SATA 6Gb/s

Intel Core i7-930 Bloomfield 2.8GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor

Corsair Core i7 Dominator 6GB PC12800 DDR3 RAM - Tri Channel, 1600MHz, 6144MB (3 x 2048MB), DHX

Ultra X4 850-Watt Modular Power Supply - 135mm Fan, ATX, Lifetime Warranty, 80+ Silver, NVIDIA SLI & ATI Crossfire Certifications.

Corsair CC800DW Obsidian 800D Full Tower Case - Steel, ATX, 4x 120mm Fan Ports, 3x 140mm Fans



I was looking around and found this but know nothing about liquid cooling. Is it any good or should I go with a Cool Master fan or something else?

Corsair CWCH50-1 Hydro H50 CPU Liquid Cooler - 120mm Fan, Copper Cold Plate, Aluminum Radiator, LGA775, LGA1366, LGA1156, AM2/AM3

 

[K.Jack]

gaf is there any reason to upgrade from a quad core to six core at this time? ~$180 for 6 cores is tempting, but i just got my quad core back in december. i am kinda uneasy on upgrading my graphics card so soon as it is

No way. Just overclock.

 

[The Chef]

Well I'm finally ready to buy a work/gaming laptop but I've come to a tough choice again.

My budget is around $1200

HP ENVY 14 - Just recently came out:

Display: 14.5"
Graphics Card: 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650
CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-430M Dual Core processor (2.26GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)
RAM: 4GB DDR3

$1124

Or

Dell XPS 16

Display: Edge-to-Edge HD+ Widescreen 15.6"
Graphics Card: ATI Mobility RADEON® HD 4670 – 1GB
CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-520M 2.40GHz
RAM: 4GB DDR3

$1049

I'll be using it for Photoshop and gaming as well.
I cant make up my mind. The HP is slick as hell - very MacBook Pro. But the XPS does have a larger screen and is cheaper...but then again the HP has a better Graphics card. HELP!

 

[poppabk]

Well I'm finally ready to buy a work/gaming laptop but I've come to a tough choice again.

My budget is around $1200

HP ENVY 14 - Just recently came out:



$1124

Or

Dell XPS 16



$1049

I'll be using it for Photoshop and gaming as well.
I cant make up my mind. The HP is slick as hell - very MacBook Pro. But the XPS does have a larger screen and is cheaper...but then again the HP has a better Graphics card. HELP!

The envy only has a res of 1600 x 900 - might be ok for games, but for photoshop you probably want the best res you can get.

 

[The Chef]

The envy only has a res of 1600 x 900 - might be ok for games, but for photoshop you probably want the best res you can get.

Thats a good point. For $75 more you can get the Dell with a 1920 monitor.

An inch difference between the monitors is kinda big too.

 

[MidgarBlowedUp]

Thats a good point. For $75 more you can get the Dell with a 1920 monitor.

An inch difference between the monitors is kinda big too.

Yep, I use a 24" CRT and 1920x1200@85hz is a good sweet spot for mine.
I can do 2304x1440 but the text is microscopic.

 

[The Chef]

So between those two models which is better for gaming?

 

[Hazaro]

Order this last week. Should be arriving today. I have an ATI 5850 Black Edition and all the other needs to fill out the rest. My question is what do I need to do cooling wise. Do I need additional fans? Should I go water cooled? Any help would be appreciated.

I was looking around and found this but know nothing about liquid cooling. Is it any good or should I go with a Cool Master fan or something else?

Corsair CWCH50-1 Hydro H50 CPU Liquid Cooler - 120mm Fan, Copper Cold Plate, Aluminum Radiator, LGA775, LGA1366, LGA1156, AM2/AM3

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4434989&CatId=493

That CM fan would be fine. You might to rig up an additional 1 or 2 fans but your case is pretty good already.

Well I'm finally ready to buy a work/gaming laptop but I've come to a tough choice again.

I'll be using it for Photoshop and gaming as well.
I cant make up my mind. The HP is slick as hell - very MacBook Pro. But the XPS does have a larger screen and is cheaper...but then again the HP has a better Graphics card. HELP!

Not really a big laptop guy so spec wise they are pretty close. The 5650 is slightly faster, but draws much less power, how is the battery life between the two? Does that extra screen res and real estate mean that much to you?

I think it's down to your personal choice now.

 

[Xamdou]

Well I'm finally ready to buy a work/gaming laptop but I've come to a tough choice again.

My budget is around $1200

HP ENVY 14 - Just recently came out:



$1124

Or

Dell XPS 16



$1049

I'll be using it for Photoshop and gaming as well.
I cant make up my mind. The HP is slick as hell - very MacBook Pro. But the XPS does have a larger screen and is cheaper...but then again the HP has a better Graphics card. HELP!

I recommend the MSI E7405 Gaming laptop, bought this specifically for SC2!

• Intel® Core™ i5-430M Processor
• Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64bit
• 17" TFT-LCD Widescreen Display
• ATI Radeon™ HD5870 3D graphics card (with GDDR5 1GB VRAM)
• 5 SRS Premium Sound™-certified high-fidelity speakers
• HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) Output
• Built-in 2.0 Mega Pixel Webcam
• 802.11 a/g/n Wireless LAN with Bluetooth

Specs/pics can be found here: http://www.msimobile.com/level3_productpage.aspx?cid=6&id=220

You can get it at Amazon.com tax free, free shipping, and includes the MSI 3 year limited warranty plus 1 year accidental coverage for $1,179.99: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003OAEMVQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I bought it at Amazon for 1,099.99 back when it was first released but now the prices went back up again.

 

[eznark]

Hey guys, just fried my 8800 GT. Looking for an equivalent card that will tide me over for a few months until I decide to do a complete rebuild. I would like to think that replacing a 3 year old card won't cost me more than $50-100?

Any suggestions??

 

[The Chef]

Not really a big laptop guy so spec wise they are pretty close. The 5650 is slightly faster, but draws much less power, how is the battery life between the two? Does that extra screen res and real estate mean that much to you?

I think it's down to your personal choice now.

As long as there isnt a huge difference between the two Video Cards I think I may go for the Dell then. The extra screen real estate and a hundred bucks cheaper sounds good to me.

 

[Salaadin]

When I first built my PC last year, I bought an ATI 5850 and had issues almost right away with the grey screen errors that some websites reported on a few months ago. I spent several months troubleshooting and reading other forums for help and hoping that ATI would say something about it. They never did so I exchanged it for a new one thanks to Amazon even though it was well past the exchange period. This new card has been fine.

However, Im noticing an on and off trend for the past few months involving ATIs drivers. Im pretty much afraid to install the new ones right away because Im always seeing people with issues. The recent 10.6 drivers are no exception so Im still using 10.5 until these people with issues get theirs sorted out and I can feel a little safer installing them Its kinda annoying.

Basically, my experience with ATI so far as been less than hot. When its time to upgrade this PC (wont be for a while, Im just thinking way ahead here), do you guys think my experiences with Nvidia would be better? Im always hearing about how much better their drivers are, how certain games are built for their hardware, certain games just simply run much better on Nvidia. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Lkr]

When I first built my PC last year, I bought an ATI 5850 and had issues almost right away with the grey screen errors that some websites reported on a few months ago. I spent several months troubleshooting and reading other forums for help and hoping that ATI would say something about it. They never did so I exchanged it for a new one thanks to Amazon even though it was well past the exchange period. This new card has been fine.

However, Im noticing an on and off trend for the past few months involving ATIs drivers. Im pretty much afraid to install the new ones right away because Im always seeing people with issues. The recent 10.6 drivers are no exception so Im still using 10.5 until these people with issues get theirs sorted out and I can feel a little safer installing them Its kinda annoying.

Basically, my experience with ATI so far as been less than hot. When its time to upgrade this PC (wont be for a while, Im just thinking way ahead here), do you guys think my experiences with Nvidia would be better? Im always hearing about how much better their drivers are, how certain games are built for their hardware, certain games just simply run much better on Nvidia. Any thoughts on this?

you're paying more for nvidia and the GSoD has only effected the 5xxx series cards. Nvidia also has heat and energy consumption issues, so I'd stay with ATI for a while. I'm looking to jump to ATI because the GTX 470 is more expensive than the 5850

 

[Dandy]

I want to build a PC for about £600 just for playing games. What are the best components I can get for that amount and what kind of performance would I get from it?

Thanks.