Support NeoGAF

[Felix Lighter]

I own those headphones. I use them for Xbox 360 and PS3 gaming and Blu-ray watching late at night when kids are asleep.

I have no complaints on sound quality and they are comfortable for extended sessions.

Thanks for the help on my questions, BTW.

They're fantastic.

Thanks for help. I'll just go ahead and order them now.

 

[Durante]

Ok I'm going to pull the trigger on these headphones by the end of the day unless someone gives me a reason not to or can recommend a better pair for around the same price or cheaper. I researched it quite a bit and they seem to be great.

SENNHEISER HD555

They are $130 at Newegg and they come with a $20 giftcard. Thanks in advanced for any suggestions.

I've actually tried both and greatly prefer the Audio Technica ATH-AD700. The main reason is the large soundstage, which is particularly great for gaming. In my opinion there are just 2 reasons to go with the Sennheiser over these: (1) you prefer a really strong bass or (2) you have a small head.

Also, it seems like the ATH-AD700 got significantly cheaper since I bought mine, back then they were priced similarly to the HD555.

Edit:
Seems like I took too much time writing this :lol

 

[Corky]

this is what I'm talking about :

What are the odds that those 10k+ errors are anything else than a faulty GPU?

Sorry to be in such a rush, but would love a conclusive answer to this within 20hours or so because by then I've had to have sent the package to the store. And if it turns out to be errors by something else than the gpu they're gonna charge me like 60$

thanks again

 

[Felix Lighter]

I've actually tried both and greatly prefer the Audio Technica ATH-AD700. The main reason is the large soundstage, which is particularly great for gaming. In my opinion there are just 2 reasons to go with the Sennheiser over these: (1) you prefer a really strong bass or (2) you have a small head.

Also, it seems like the ATH-AD700 got significantly cheaper since I bought mine, back then they were priced similarly to the HD555.

Edit:
Seems like I took too much time writing this :lol

It wasn't too late, I haven't placed the order yet. I was looking for promo codes.

Hmmmm... I'd consider my head average sized.

I'm still leaning towards the Sennheiser but I'll hold out a bit longer for more advice and look into your suggestion. Thanks.

Edit: Ha you've complicated things a bit. Now I'm leaning toward the Audio Technica head phones.

 

[anonymousAversa]

Just found this online - more details of sandy bridge - thought it might be interesting to some here:

 

[Dennis]

I wish Intel would hurry up and release an 8-core Extreme Edition Sandy Bridge CPU.

Not so long ago, it seemed to me GPU was king and I could settle for a so-so CPU. Those days are gone. Both for games and professionally, I want some more CPU-power fast.

 

[Sanjay]

I wish Intel would hurry up and release an 8-core Extreme Edition Sandy Bridge CPU.

Not so long ago, it seemed to me GPU was king and I could settle for a so-so CPU. Those days are gone. Both for games and professionally, I want some more CPU-power fast.

What do you have now? but what I really want is better software and games that utilize your CPU to its maximum because thats really the main problem now days.

 

[Felix Lighter]

After further research and comparing the HD555 directly to the ATH-AD700, I've decided to go with the ATH-AD700. Both seem to be excellent headphones but the ATH-AD700 has the price advantage and, from what I've been reading, like Durante said, they are better suited for gaming. Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm too anxious to wait any longer.

 

[corn_fest]

So I was looking at the Amazon page for those headphones even though I'm not really looking to upgrade right now, and saw this in the "frequently bought together" section- I've been going without a mic for a while because I didn't want to switch from my headphones to a headset, and this seems like exactly what I'm looking for. Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[vertopci]

So I was looking at the Amazon page for those headphones even though I'm not really looking to upgrade right now, and saw this in the "frequently bought together" section- I've been going without a mic for a while because I didn't want to switch from my headphones to a headset, and this seems like exactly what I'm looking for. Anyone have any experience with this?

Good mic. Me and a few other guys I game with have that same mic along with the ATH-AD700s.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Good, because I ordered that mic at the same when I ordered the headphones.

 

[Salaadin]

Good mic. Me and a few other guys I game with have that same mic along with the ATH-AD700s.

Does it have a mute button? I cant find anything on the specs pages that says it does.

 

[SoulClap]

After lurking in the PC screenshots thread I decided to get a gaming rig. I have a budget of about $800. I've never put together a PC either so I'm getting help from a friend. I ordered all these parts from Canada Computers. Do you guys think I made out ok?

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (125W) Quad Core Socket AM3, 3.4GHz, 8Mb Cache, 1800MHz HT, 45nm (HDZ965FBGMBOX) - $174.99

Asus M4A785TD-M EVO Socket AM3 AMD 785G Chipset + ATI SB710 ATI Radeon HD 4200 Graphics (HDMI) DDR3 1800(O.C.)/1600(O.C.)/1333/1066Mhz 1x PCI-Express x16 2.0 5x SATA 3Gb/s 8-Ch HD Audio GigaLAN IEEE1394 12x USB2.0 Micro ATX 1 - $87.99

Sapphire Vapor-X ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon HD 5770 Chipset Dual Display Dual DVI/HDMI/Display Port PCI-Express 2.0 Graphics Card - $179.99

Corsair XMS3 Classic 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz CL9 DIMM, Optimized for Core i7 Extreme Edition (TR3X6G1333! C9) - $144.99

OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W Power Supply (OCZ700MXSP) - $89.99

 

[Felix Lighter]

SoulClap, I guess if it was me buying the machine, I'd make 3 significant changes.

• CPU, I'd either drop down to a X4 955 to save a few dollars or go up to a X6 1055T for the additional cores
• I'd go for 4 GB of RAM instead of 6
• Use the RAM savings to pick up a 1GB GTX 460 instead of the 5770

 

[anonymousAversa]

with an i7 930 or 920 and a 1gb 460, can you max out Crysis at 1080p?

I'm considering a 460 but want to know how it will handle Crysis, specifically completely maxed out (ultra/8x AA, etc) in 1920x1080.

Let's assume I have an i7 920 or 930 and 6gb ram. I've been searching online for this but wanted to ask here and see if anyone has personal experience with a similar config.

So, what say you 460 owners, can it slice through Crysis at 1080p?


edit: found this which is telling me a definitive "no" since with 4x AA it's just above 20fps

 

[Dennis]

What do you have now? but what I really want is better software and games that utilize your CPU to its maximum because thats really the main problem now days.

I have a quad. I am considering getting the new 990 EE 6-core that is comming out soon but what I really want is an 8-core. I know that right now more than 4 cores is basically useless for gaming but I run a lot of other programs that can utilize many more cores.

A new Sandy Bridge CPU will of course also simply be faster all round.

 

[Corky]

Alright alright, one last time for good measure I promise I promise!

thousands of errors in OCCT gpu-test every time I run it = conclusive proof that something is up with my GPU`?

 

[Jin34]

This is supposed to be all the Sandy Brdige CPUs (there will be 2 new sockets).

K=unlocked multiplier
S=low power
T=ultra low power I guess
M=mobile

You will note there are no 6 core processors, which is why I have a hard time believing these are all the cpus, perhaps they are missing the higher end socket ones.

This is their SSD roadmap:

 

[Aurarian]

Hey PC GAF. After putting together a build for my friend, I've decided that I'll be upgrading my machine in the next couple of months. I want to futureproof as much as possible. Right now I'm thinking I'll be having at most 700-800 budget. Can someone here build me something according to the budget? Thanks to whoever does!

 

[kinggroin]

with an i7 930 or 920 and a 1gb 460, can you max out Crysis at 1080p?

I'm considering a 460 but want to know how it will handle Crysis, specifically completely maxed out (ultra/8x AA, etc) in 1920x1080.

Let's assume I have an i7 920 or 930 and 6gb ram. I've been searching online for this but wanted to ask here and see if anyone has personal experience with a similar config.

So, what say you 460 owners, can it slice through Crysis at 1080p?


edit: found this which is telling me a definitive "no" since with 4x AA it's just above 20fps

Throw a second 460 at it if you want 8xAA 1080p gaming. Should net you considerably better performance.

My 5970 and Phenom II X4 give me 45fps in Crysis max settings with 4xAA.

 

[Borman]

Alright, so Im thinking of building a new PC to be ready for FFXIV and other games, seeing as though Apple doesn't seem like they'll be kind enough to grace my 2006 Mac Pro with an upgrade for graphics.

What seems to be the general trends nowadays?
Im thinking an i7 of some sort, preferably something overclockable well with a nice air cooler. Which model should I be looking at for both?
Motherboard wise, Id like something SLI capable, with a decent audio chipset built-in, and decent driver support, which is something that I had issues with in a previous build. Id wager ASUS or something similar, but I know too little at this point
Graphics, Id like to keep it at 500-600 for an SLI setup, again, best bang for the buck?
Power supplies? Any brands to avoid, had a few go on me in the past as well.
And anything else to watch out for now?

Thanks gaf.

 

[L0st Id3ntity]

Alright, this what I'm planning to get:


Mobo: Gigabyte Intel Core ATX Motherboard GA-X58A-UD7

CPU:Intel Core i7 Processor i7-930

GPU: Zotac AMP GeForce GTX 480

Memory: G.Skill NQ Series F3-12800CL9T-6G​BNQ Tri-Channel

PSU: Cooler Master Silent Pro M850 Series Modular 850W

Hard Drive: Western Digital 2 TB Caviar Green SATA Intellipower 64 MB

SSD: Intel 40 GB X25-V

Case: Cooler Master HAF 932

Cooler: Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50

Network Card: D-Link DWA-556 Xtreme N PCI Express



As I said before this will be my very first time building a pc, any compatibility issues with my setup? Do I need something else/better? GPU cooler? Don't assume I know what I'm doing.

Plus a noobish question but it's giving me headaches: I live in a 240v country, the case and PSU will be coming from the U.S, what are my options?

Also I'll have to use a socket converter due to the different shape of U.S sockets, so I can't use a wall socket directly for hooking up the rig, problem?


Please help, I'm sick of being a console peasant.

 

[brain_stew]

Well, this looks nice and is $100 cheaper
http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=GA-585GBOC&title=GIGABYTE-ATI-Radeon-HD5850-OC-1GB-DDR5-2DVI-HDMI-DisplayPort-PCI-Express-Video-Card

Still, if you want raw power go with the 5870 just know it's loooong

Both are a bad buy, the GTX 470 is cheaper than both and is easily a match for a 5870.

 

[brain_stew]

Alright, this what I'm planning to get:


Mobo: Gigabyte Intel Core ATX Motherboard GA-X58A-UD7

CPU:Intel Core i7 Processor i7-930

GPU: Zotac AMP GeForce GTX 480

Memory: G.Skill NQ Series F3-12800CL9T-6G​BNQ Tri-Channel

PSU: Cooler Master Silent Pro M850 Series Modular 850W

Hard Drive: Western Digital 2 TB Caviar Green SATA Intellipower 64 MB

SSD: Intel 40 GB X25-V

Case: Cooler Master HAF 932

Cooler: Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50

Network Card: D-Link DWA-556 Xtreme N PCI Express



As I said before this will be my very first time building a pc, any compatibility issues with my setup? Do I need something else/better? GPU cooler? Don't assume I know what I'm doing.

Plus a noobish question but it's giving me headaches: I live in a 240v country, the case and PSU will be coming from the U.S, what are my options?

Also I'll have to use a socket converter due to the different shape of U.S sockets, so I can't use a wall socket directly for hooking up the rig, problem?


Please help, I'm sick of being a console peasant.

That HDD is no good. You'll be installing all your games on it and its only useful as a media drive.

Imo, if you can't afford the 80GB Intel drive just pass on the SSD for now, 40GB is just a little too tight for comfort imo.

The PSU should accept worldwide voltages but check the manufacturers website anyway. The plug isn't an issue just need a standard 3 pin kettle plug, you'll already have some around the house more than likely.

 

[Smokey]

Alright, this what I'm planning to get:


Mobo: Gigabyte Intel Core ATX Motherboard GA-X58A-UD7

CPU:Intel Core i7 Processor i7-930

GPU: Zotac AMP GeForce GTX 480

Memory: G.Skill NQ Series F3-12800CL9T-6G​BNQ Tri-Channel

PSU: Cooler Master Silent Pro M850 Series Modular 850W

Hard Drive: Western Digital 2 TB Caviar Green SATA Intellipower 64 MB

SSD: Intel 40 GB X25-V

Case: Cooler Master HAF 932

Cooler: Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50

Network Card: D-Link DWA-556 Xtreme N PCI Express



As I said before this will be my very first time building a pc, any compatibility issues with my setup? Do I need something else/better? GPU cooler? Don't assume I know what I'm doing.

Plus a noobish question but it's giving me headaches: I live in a 240v country, the case and PSU will be coming from the U.S, what are my options?

Also I'll have to use a socket converter due to the different shape of U.S sockets, so I can't use a wall socket directly for hooking up the rig, problem?


Please help, I'm sick of being a console peasant.

Your setup looks great. You got the best 480 on the market, a nice CPU cooler, a SSD etc. I'm not sure about that HDD but I'm sure someone will chime in on what to replace it with.

That HDD is no good. You'll be installing all your games on it and its only useful as a media drive.

Imo, if you can't afford the 80GB Intel drive just pass on the SSD for now, 40GB is just a little too tight for comfort imo.

The PSU should accept worldwide voltages but check the manufacturers website anyway. The plug isn't an issue just need a standard 3 pin kettle plug, you'll already have some around the house more than likely.

Curious, how is the 40GB a bad buy especially if it's just used to boot Windows 7? Does W7 take up that much space (serious question I still use XP on my machine at home :lol )?

 

[brain_stew]

Alright, so Im thinking of building a new PC

to be ready for FFXIV and other games, seeing as though Apple doesn't seem like they'll be kind enough to grace my 2006 Mac Pro with an upgrade for graphics.

What seems to be the general trends nowadays?
Im thinking an i7 of some sort, preferably something overclockable well with a nice air cooler. Which model should I be looking at for both?
Motherboard wise, Id like something SLI capable, with a decent audio chipset built-in, and decent driver support, which is something that I had issues with in a previous build. Id wager ASUS or something similar, but I know too little at this point
Graphics, Id like to keep it at 500-600 for an SLI setup, again, best bang for the buck?
Power supplies? Any brands to avoid, had a few go on me in the past as well.
And anything else to watch out for now?

Thanks gaf.

SLI GTX 470s is the best GPU setup you can fit in that budget.

You'll probably want to pair them with an i7-930 and 6GB DDR3.

There's dozens of decent X58 boards that support SLI, aim to spend about ~$200 on something from ASUS/Gigabyte/MSI.

You'll want a pretty hefty PSU for this lot. Something that's at least 800w and from a decent brand, probably a Corsair unit.

 

[brain_stew]

Curious, how is the 40GB a bad buy especially if it's just used to boot Windows 7? Does W7 take up that much space (serious question I still use XP on my machine at home :lol )?

Yes, a Windows 7 install can easily eat 30GB+ and once you dedicte some space to a swap drive, system restore and start adding programs like Office and Adobe CS, well that size HDD can be eaten up in no time at all. It requires careful management and most won't want the hassle.

That 40GB drive is also a lot slower than then 80GB X25-M as well.

 

[1-D_FTW]

Your setup looks great. You got the best 480 on the market, a nice CPU cooler, a SSD etc. I'm not sure about that HDD but I'm sure someone will chime in on what to replace it with.



Curious, how is the 40GB a bad buy especially if it's just used to boot Windows 7? Does W7 take up that much space (serious question I still use XP on my machine at home :lol )?

If you're worried about boot times, why not just put your computer to sleep instead of shutting down. Measured my system with Kill-a-watt and it uses 2 watts while idling from shutdown and 3 watts in sleep.

Another benefit besides "booting" almost immediately from sleep, it uses like half the RAM when I reawaken. Booting windows allocates an extra 300MB. Use sleep whenever possible.

 

[MikeE21286]

That HDD is no good. You'll be installing all your games on it and its only useful as a media drive.

.

Awesome. I jsut bought this hard drive for just this purpose today. $91 at Amazon

 

[brain_stew]

Hey PC GAF. After putting together a build for my friend, I've decided that I'll be upgrading my machine in the next couple of months. I want to futureproof as much as possible. Right now I'm thinking I'll be having at most 700-800 budget. Can someone here build me something according to the budget? Thanks to whoever does!

With that budget/those concerns, you'll want an AM3 build and probably a 1055T. If you just switch out the X4 635 for the X6 in the standard $630 GAF build then you'll be off to a decent start. You can probably afford to switch to a nicer case, some G Skill RAM and maybe even a better AM3 motherboard while you're on.

 

[brain_stew]

Awesome. I jsut bought this hard drive for just this purpose today. $91 at Amazon

I've got a 5400RPM media drive myself and they're great for that purpose, just don't go installing games on them.

 

[Smokey]

If you're worried about boot times, why not just put your computer to sleep instead of shutting down. Measured my system with Kill-a-watt and it uses 2 watts while idling from shutdown and 3 watts in sleep.

Another benefit besides "booting" almost immediately from sleep, it uses like half the RAM when I reawaken. Booting windows allocates an extra 300MB. Use sleep whenever possible.

Well by boot I meant W7 and the assorted MS products that benefit from having a SSD. I didn't know that W7 took up that much space since I haven't used it.

ANOTHER REASON WHY I NEED TO GET A NEW PC!

 

[brain_stew]

Throw a second 460 at it if you want 8xAA 1080p gaming. Should net you considerably better performance.

My 5970 and Phenom II X4 give me 45fps in Crysis max settings with 4xAA.

Lack of VRAM would be a concern of mine once you start pushing IQ like that in Crysis.

Paying the extra $100 for an SLI 470 setup would be worth it for the 280MB bigger framebuffer alone imo, the much better performance is just another sweetener (that will help an awful lot in Crysis).

 

[brain_stew]

Well by boot I meant W7 and the assorted MS products that benefit from having a SSD. I didn't know that W7 took up that much space since I haven't used it.

ANOTHER REASON WHY I NEED TO GET A NEW PC!

It can be done, but its going to be tight and probably impossible with Windows 8/9 etc. Might as well wait until you can get an 80GB (or 64GB at a push) SSD instead, especially since those sizes are faster anyway.

 

[Terproerg]

i posted a page or two ago asking if anyone knows a problem i seem to be having. I am running crossfire 5770+5750 right now. But as it stands i am not getting a performance increase from it. Does anyone know why this would be? My cpu is a x2 555 be at 3.9ghz

 

[Borman]

SLI GTX 470s is the best GPU setup you can fit in that budget.

You'll probably want to pair them with an i7-930 and 6GB DDR3.

There's dozens of decent X58 boards that support SLI, aim to spend about ~$200 on something from ASUS/Gigabyte/MSI.

You'll want a pretty hefty PSU for this lot. Something that's at least 800w and from a decent brand, probably a Corsair unit.

Any specific air cooler that wont sound like a rocket ship? I dont need it to be whisper quiet obviously, just some nice potential overclocking. Thanks for your help, pricing out a system now.

 

[brain_stew]

So.......do you guys recommend two gtx 460's or one 480?

One 480 without question. Fewer headaches, no reliance on driver updates, quieter (if you get the Zotac AMP), no micro stutter, 50% bigger framebuffer, its an easy chpice imo.

 

[brain_stew]

Any specific air cooler that wont sound like a rocket ship? I dont need it to be whisper quiet obviously, just some nice potential overclocking. Thanks for your help, pricing out a system now.

The Coolermaster Hyper 212+ is great for the price.

There's the Corsair H50 if you want decent and easy to install watercooling on the cheap.

 

[NinjaFridge]

The Coolermaster Hyper 212+ is great for the price.

There's the Corsair H50 if you want decent and easy to install watercooling on the cheap.

H70 should be out soon

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Hey Brain Stew, are the 470 GPUs any good for overclocking or do they get too hot quickly? I know the 460 are supposed to be nice to overclock so I was curious how the other fermi chips are in that category.

 

[brain_stew]

H70 should be out soon

Good point.

 

[Salaadin]

I overlocked my Sapphire 5850 using MSI afterburner this weekend. Got Core Clock to 760MHz and Mem Clock to 1125MHz. Everything is stable here. If I push it any further, OCCT gives me errors.
I see an option for Shader clock though, which I am curious about. What is this? Is it worth bothering with?

 

[Mailman 007]

Hi, PC noob here.
I have about $850 to spend and I need a PC to run FFXIV.
Can I get a PC good enough for XIV for $850, and if so are there any recommendations?

 

[rocK`]

What do you guys recommend for a HTPC build?

 

[Borman]

Alright, 850w corsair powerful enough for the time being? Or should I just push it up? Thanks brain_stew

 

[brain_stew]

Alright, 850w corsair powerful enough for the time being? Or should I just push it up? Thanks brain_stew

More than fine.

 

[Borman]

Awesome, now on to the case. Pricing out pretty much how I expected it to anyway.

 

[MidgarBlowedUp]

That's a lower end card than the 5870... Of course it's cheaper.

Yeah, but a 5850 OC'd will get within 5% or less of a stock 5870

 

[kinggroin]

Lack of VRAM would be a concern of mine once you start pushing IQ like that in Crysis.

Paying the extra $100 for an SLI 470 setup would be worth it for the 280MB bigger framebuffer alone imo, the much better performance is just another sweetener (that will help an awful lot in Crysis).

You're right. Read his post as him already owning a 460. Dual 470's would definitely be the way to go if he can swing the extra cash.

 

[MysticX]

I´ve got a Cooler Master V8 on my X4 965BE and it´s GR8! Was able to oc to 3.8GHz using AMD Overdrive. Just need to get my hands on some extra Corsair XMS-2 sticks to run parallel mode (am now using 2x2GB XMS2 and 2x1GB Kingston).

Should I be able to use my 5770 for video and 8600GTS for PhysX (running on GA-790X-ud3P)?