-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
"I need a new PC!" 2010 Edition
- Thread starter Spy
- Start date
Hawk269
Member
MidgarBlowedUp said:
I have the same processor as you do. What is a safe temp to run it at. I did some testing and it did a Windows crash...so I think I overdid it a bit...evertyhing is fine and been playing games for a while with no issues, but would like to pick up the rating a bit beyond the stock 3.4.
A minor issue here, but an annoying one. If I leave a disc in my DVD drive, it will constantly spin at low RPM. The light doesn't flash, but it will just keep spinning very slowly until I open the drive and take the disc out. I don't recall any of my old PCs doing this (or perhaps they did and I just couldn't hear it?).
I'm using Windows 7, btw.
Thanks
I'm using Windows 7, btw.
Thanks
BigBlackGamer
Member
5870 back in case. everything works good. might try some overclocking later tonight.
brain_stew
Member
Hawk269 said:
EVGA's GTX 460 design has been having heat issues, they've released a model based on stock cooling now but it doesn't offer their lifetime warranty and runs hotter/louder than Gigabyte's model anyway.
Go with the Gigabyte.
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
Hey guys does anyone have any quick recommendations for a cheaply built pc that can run SC2 on high settings?
http://www.dinopc.com/shop/pc/pcs-gaming.asp?idcategory=94
Is the £759 PC on here a good deal? I'm thinking of losing the OS to save 60 quid and I'll install my own but aside from that, how does it look?
Is the £759 PC on here a good deal? I'm thinking of losing the OS to save 60 quid and I'll install my own but aside from that, how does it look?
brain_stew
Member
Moobabe said:
Do you already have a copy of Windows 7 that is valid for another PC, like?
You'll need to upgrade the PSU to the OCZ unit, Dino PC ship their PC's with shitty PSUs by default.
You won't need the 8GB of RAM unless you have a specific use for it, though for only an extra ~£40 its not a bad deal.
Corky said:
Thanks.
Some google searcing shows that Im not the only one with issues at that part. Some others have them at the exact same scene. They suggest running it in dx9 mode which is also something I remember having to do when I first beat the game thanks to a Win7 glitch or something like that. Probably something similar here.
brain_stew
Member
TheEastonator said:
Well they've basically replaced the old card, so yeah, I'd say so. The Gigabyte is the card to get, though honestly with GTX 470s so cheap, they're a much better buy now.
Well, I can't afford a 470, but I swapped out my EVGA with this Gigabyte. Seems like a solid card.
EDIT: On second thought, this MSI also looks pretty great.
EDIT: On second thought, this MSI also looks pretty great.
You guys are probably not going to believe this, but here goes.
I have been having major issues with visual artifacts in games/games freezing with my newly built rig. Initially, I thought GPU was the cause, as the artifacts I was experiencing pointed to faulty VRAM. But I also had some errors pop up testing my RAM.
As I said yesterday, I picked up some DDR3 1333 Corsair RAM to replace my 1600 G.Skill RAM to see if that would make a difference. Well, I ran memtest86+ for 10 hours and ran HCI memtest overnight. No errors at all. So, for some reason, the memory controller on my X4 635 CPU did not like that G.Skill RAM (both sticks of that kit gave errors, so I'm sure imcompatibility/BIOS settings were the issue)
So the RAM issue is resolved. Even though it should have been no problem to run 1600 RAM at 1333, my AMD CPU was very finicky about it. I'm sure with tweaking of voltages or timings I could have gotten it stable, but I'd rather not deal with it.
But that isn't the part that I refer to when I said you weren't going to believe this. After testing the RAM to my satisfaction, I have started running tests on my GTX 460 again. Guess what? The artifacts are gone!
What appeared to be the sure symptoms of a busted GPU or VRAM have dissappeared now that my DRAM is running stable. (See post #13470 of this thread to see the artifacts I was getting) I know this is counterintuitive, but it is true. I have been running OCCT GPU for 30 minutes now and not one error. Before, errors and artifacts would appear immediately. I will let it run for the full hour and try Furmark and ATI Tool to confirm. But I think the RMA on my Gigabyte GTX 460 might not be necessary.
In short, problems with your RAM can cause symptoms that might initially be attributed to the GPU!
I have been having major issues with visual artifacts in games/games freezing with my newly built rig. Initially, I thought GPU was the cause, as the artifacts I was experiencing pointed to faulty VRAM. But I also had some errors pop up testing my RAM.
As I said yesterday, I picked up some DDR3 1333 Corsair RAM to replace my 1600 G.Skill RAM to see if that would make a difference. Well, I ran memtest86+ for 10 hours and ran HCI memtest overnight. No errors at all. So, for some reason, the memory controller on my X4 635 CPU did not like that G.Skill RAM (both sticks of that kit gave errors, so I'm sure imcompatibility/BIOS settings were the issue)
So the RAM issue is resolved. Even though it should have been no problem to run 1600 RAM at 1333, my AMD CPU was very finicky about it. I'm sure with tweaking of voltages or timings I could have gotten it stable, but I'd rather not deal with it.
But that isn't the part that I refer to when I said you weren't going to believe this. After testing the RAM to my satisfaction, I have started running tests on my GTX 460 again. Guess what? The artifacts are gone!
What appeared to be the sure symptoms of a busted GPU or VRAM have dissappeared now that my DRAM is running stable. (See post #13470 of this thread to see the artifacts I was getting) I know this is counterintuitive, but it is true. I have been running OCCT GPU for 30 minutes now and not one error. Before, errors and artifacts would appear immediately. I will let it run for the full hour and try Furmark and ATI Tool to confirm. But I think the RMA on my Gigabyte GTX 460 might not be necessary.
In short, problems with your RAM can cause symptoms that might initially be attributed to the GPU!
Hawk269
Member
TheEastonator said:
Yes, get the 1gb version. I still stand behind the Evga, mine has not had any heat issues and the support from EVGA has been really great. But definatelly go with the 1gb. The current 460's which are external exhaust and are Super Clocked from the MFR. is the one I have and as far as noise, I don't notice it at all. I also have an Antec Case, with 2 120m front fans, 1 side 120m fan and 2 exhause fans (1 Rear/1 Top) and even stress testing the GPU for an hour, I did not hear an increase in noise level from the minute of the start of the tests to the end of the tests.
brain_stew
Member
TheEastonator said:
I wouldn't recommend the 768MB card to anyone.
TheEastonator said:
Are you planning on buying Mafia 2 at all? If you are then the GTX 470 isn't any more expensive than the 460, fyi:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121372&cm_re=gtx_470-_-14-121-372-_-Product
brain_stew
Member
Bizarely enough the GTX 465 has become an interesting product now. $200 with a copy of Mafia 2 is fantastic value for a card that performs the same as a $230 1GB GTX 460. Obviously you'll have to put up with a hotter, louder and more power hungry card but its upto you if that's a big deal or not. If you want the most performance for your dollar at the $200 mark, it can't be beat.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121383&cm_re=465_gtx-_-14-121-383-_-Product
This was a $280 card a couple of months ago, now its $200 with a brand new $50 game.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121383&cm_re=465_gtx-_-14-121-383-_-Product
This was a $280 card a couple of months ago, now its $200 with a brand new $50 game.
brain_stew
Member
Jin34 said:
The 5850 is still $280! :lol
Who the hell is buying those things?
Least the 5870 can be had for $350 now, though its not as if that's good value in the face of sub $300 470s.
brain_stew said:
I'm short on reasons as to why since AMD can always win the price war, Evergreen is cheaper to make than Fermi. Maybe the 6000 series is coming sooner than we think, I don't know.
Hey have you heard anything about the build quality of the F3 HDDs going down. I saw the 1TB for $55 but there is a sudden spike in the user reviews complaining about either DOA drives or ones that got damaged within 1-2months and some mentions of them being made in China now. Probably some bullshit and I bet they were always made in China just making sure.
brain_stew said:
Use this combo and you get Just Cause 2 as well!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.456548
Hawk269
Member
Ok...well it looks like another Console gamer has been converted. A friend of mine that has been playing Mafia 2 on his PS3 came over to check out the PC version and about an hour of playing the same chapters that he played on his PS3 version, he promptly told me to build him a kick ass rig, that would play the game on his big screen TV like mine. He wants future proffing, so he wants a 2nd 480 and a 460 for Physx.
I put the below together on newegg, without the gpu's...and even though I am a noob, my only concern is the motherboard. He wants an intel and he chose the 980x...he wants SLI obvious, the motherboard is the biggest question/concern I have. He does not want to go over $3000.00.
Antec Twelve Hundred Black Computer Case With Side Panel Window
Item #:N82E16811129043
Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Edition 3.33GHz LGA 1366 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor
Item #:N82E16819115223
ASUS P6T6 WS Revolution with NF200 3xPCIe true x16 ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #:N82E16813131358
Corsair Professional Series AX1200 1200W Power Supply
Item #:N82E16817139014
I put the below together on newegg, without the gpu's...and even though I am a noob, my only concern is the motherboard. He wants an intel and he chose the 980x...he wants SLI obvious, the motherboard is the biggest question/concern I have. He does not want to go over $3000.00.
Antec Twelve Hundred Black Computer Case With Side Panel Window
Item #:N82E16811129043
Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Edition 3.33GHz LGA 1366 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor
Item #:N82E16819115223
ASUS P6T6 WS Revolution with NF200 3xPCIe true x16 ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #:N82E16813131358
Corsair Professional Series AX1200 1200W Power Supply
Item #:N82E16817139014
brain_stew
Member
The 980x is insanely overpriced? What on earth does he need 12 threads for?
Get the $300 i7 950 it'll perform identically in games.
No one needs a 1200w PSU. Maybe if you were running Tri SLI 480s and a 4ghz i7 but he's not. ~800w will be enough even if he adds a second 480.
The 768MB 460 is fine for a PhysX card, you don't need the extra memory and ROPs for PhysX.
Get 3X2GB DDR3 for RAM but don't be for super fast low latency RAM as it makes no difference at all. Just make sure it has a heatsink and is DDR3 1333 speed or better from a reliable brand.
Make sure his motherboard has Sata6 and USB3.0 support.
Since he's saving a stack of cash on the PSU and CPU now, invest in a SSD, the 128GB Crucial C300 would be my pick.
Get the $300 i7 950 it'll perform identically in games.
No one needs a 1200w PSU. Maybe if you were running Tri SLI 480s and a 4ghz i7 but he's not. ~800w will be enough even if he adds a second 480.
The 768MB 460 is fine for a PhysX card, you don't need the extra memory and ROPs for PhysX.
Get 3X2GB DDR3 for RAM but don't be for super fast low latency RAM as it makes no difference at all. Just make sure it has a heatsink and is DDR3 1333 speed or better from a reliable brand.
Make sure his motherboard has Sata6 and USB3.0 support.
Since he's saving a stack of cash on the PSU and CPU now, invest in a SSD, the 128GB Crucial C300 would be my pick.
brain_stew
Member
Omiee said:
Yes its called Intel Speed step. You can disable it in the BIOS if you want but its pointless unless you're overclocking or its giving you issues. It'll help reduce your idle power usage.
http://i.imgur.com/A55hA.jpgHawk269 said:
Get an SSD (128GB C300)
Get a nice 850W PSU (Corsair)
2x GTX 480
i7 930
ASUS P6X58D-E
8GB DDR3
Speedstepping / C1EOmiee said:
It's saving power when you aren't using it.
brain_stew
Member
Hazaro said:
The 950 drops to less than $300 tomorrow!
8GB DDR3 isn't going to make use of triple channel memory and for a $2000+ rig you really should be. Better off with 6GB than 8GB.
Hawk269
Member
brain_stew said:
Brain-
Thanks...I think he threw out the $3,000 because he saw on a forum (I told him to do some reading) and they were posting a bunch of benchmark scores and all the top guys had 980extreme's and dual 480's.
So...I think it was "computer score envy". I will recommend the other processor. As far as a Mother board, what do you suggest. He wants Intel, he wants dual-480's and a 460 for Physx.
So a 800w PSU would be enough to run 2 480's and a 460?
Thanks again.
brain_stew
Member
He wants SLI 480s and a 460!?
Seems a little excessive, no?
All this just for 1080p!?
This is the PSU I'd use:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...9011&cm_re=corsair_psu-_-17-139-011-_-Product
He's going to want a decent CPU cooler as well, this thing should really be OCed to 4ghz if he's going to be running such a ridiculous array of GPUs.
I'm a bit worried if an SLI solution is smart for someone new to PC gaming, I'd start him off with just a single GTX 480 personally, 1080p is a pretty low resolution in the grand scheme of things and child's play for a GTX 480. SLI is just going to introduce all manner of problems/headaches/issues that he may not want to deal with and hoenstly doesn't have to. He can always add the $200 GTX 460 for PhysX if Mafia 2 is the main reason he's buying this thing.
Remember, this is someone that is use to console gaming. Sub HD, zero AA and an unstable 30fps as standard. Even a rig with a 4850 is going to feel like a revelation to him. No need to spend money that isn't going to result in any tangible benefits. He can always upgrade later on.
Seems a little excessive, no?
All this just for 1080p!?
This is the PSU I'd use:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...9011&cm_re=corsair_psu-_-17-139-011-_-Product
He's going to want a decent CPU cooler as well, this thing should really be OCed to 4ghz if he's going to be running such a ridiculous array of GPUs.
I'm a bit worried if an SLI solution is smart for someone new to PC gaming, I'd start him off with just a single GTX 480 personally, 1080p is a pretty low resolution in the grand scheme of things and child's play for a GTX 480. SLI is just going to introduce all manner of problems/headaches/issues that he may not want to deal with and hoenstly doesn't have to. He can always add the $200 GTX 460 for PhysX if Mafia 2 is the main reason he's buying this thing.
Remember, this is someone that is use to console gaming. Sub HD, zero AA and an unstable 30fps as standard. Even a rig with a 4850 is going to feel like a revelation to him. No need to spend money that isn't going to result in any tangible benefits. He can always upgrade later on.
brain_stew said:
ok because i was worried it clocked back because it got over heated or stuff.
cuz im used to amd.
but man the 470 is giving me good performance in games, cant wait for my second one to come in and give me that extra boost.
btw my 470 gets 93 degrees celcios when load is that normal..?
brain_stew
Member
Omiee said:
Yup.
Hawk269
Member
brain_stew said:
Brain- I think the reason he thinks he needs a 2nd 480 is because in the benchmark on my rig, which is a 480 w/460 for physx I average about 58fps, this is with using D3DOverider to force V-Sync and tripple buffering. I have a AMD Phenom 2 965, so I think if I had an I7-960 or 970, I would be hitting better numbers.
I have him convinced "almost" that he would be better off with a single 480 w/460 or lower for Physx. He just wants to be able to maintain 60fps solid or better and I think that is why he was going with a dual. I told him and sent him my post of me testing dual 460's and all that stuff and I settled on a single 480. So, I guess I just need to know from you or someone else, how much better would a i7960 or so be over my AMD 965 to ensure 60FPS at 1080p on every game out there?
And what about the motherboard...I am pretty good at getting the other stuff, but the Motherboard is what is getting me to2nd guess myself.
Thanks!
brain_stew
Member
Hawk269 said:
:lol
You physically can't hit better numbers than that. Triple buffering caps your framerate at 60fps so all that benchmark means is that you're basically not dropping any frames at all. Your TV can only display 60fps!!!
You're getting perfect performance there ffs!
By all means get him the Intel processor, it'll help smooth out any occasional kink in a few games but the extra 2 cores of the 980x and 970 won't make any difference at all as no game can saturate the 8 hardware threads of the 950.
So go with:
GTX 480
GTX 460 768MB (PhysX)
I7 950
6GB DDR3
The ASUS motherboard Hazaro recommended
Corsair HX 850w
As you ahve demonstrated this will
durrbrain_stew said:The 950 drops to less than $300 tomorrow!
8GB DDR3 isn't going to make use of triple channel memory and for a $2000+ rig you really should be. Better off with 6GB than 8GB.
I never suggest i7 so I defaulted to 4/8GB in my head.
Wasn't sure when the 950 dropped so I said 930.
brain_stew
Member
Hazaro said:
August 30th officially.
Oh and Hawk, don't buy the i7-950 at anything more than ~$300!
Its currently listed at $600 on Newegg but its getting its price cut in half at the beginning of next week, so wait until then before you order it otherwise you'll be out of $300 for nothing!
Hawk269
Member
brain_stew said:
Ok..so this is what I got, but will wait for the price drop on the processor before he buys anything...on the CPU is the stock fan/heatsink fine? He nor I know anything about overclocking and he basically wants to be able to plug it in and play and not mess with a bunch of settings.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115211
Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811129043
ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound
Item #: N82E16835186020
ASUS P6X58D-E LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813131641
Intel Core i7-950 Bloomfield 3.06GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor BX80601950
Item #: N82E16819115211
I still need to add the memory, psu etc...but these are the main components I want to be 100% solid on.
brain_stew
Member
HSF is fine if he's not OCing.
This is the memory I'd get:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...0231304&cm_re=6gb_ddr3-_-20-231-304-_-Product
This GTX 480:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121373&cm_re=gtx_480-_-14-121-373-_-Product
$440 after rebate, $390 when you consider it comes with a copy of Mafia 2 which he was going to buy anyway.
I assume he'll want to get a 360 controller as well. Be sure to get it in the pack with the wireless adapter if he's using his PC with a HDTV. Essential purchase really.
This is the memory I'd get:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...0231304&cm_re=6gb_ddr3-_-20-231-304-_-Product
This GTX 480:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121373&cm_re=gtx_480-_-14-121-373-_-Product
$440 after rebate, $390 when you consider it comes with a copy of Mafia 2 which he was going to buy anyway.
I assume he'll want to get a 360 controller as well. Be sure to get it in the pack with the wireless adapter if he's using his PC with a HDTV. Essential purchase really.
2 Desktop CPUs Compared
http://products.amd.com/en-us/DesktopCPUSideBySide.aspx?id=641&id=652
AMD Phenom II X6 1055T 95W CPU review
http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=26122
Final thoughts and rating
AMD's Phenom II X6 1055T 95W CPU is a chip that shows just how much the Austin outfit has squeezed out of its ageing K10 architecture. Imbued with six processing cores for genuine multi-tasking and running at up-to 3.3GHz under favourable conditions, AMD's manufacturing prowess enables it to release the processor with a sub-100W power rating.
Sweetening the deal, the 1055T 95W arrives with a £150 retail price tag, thereby putting pressure on the lower rungs of Intel's Core i7 line-up, and the versatility of the supporting AM3 platform means that buying into AMD's six-core goodness isn't exorbitantly expensive. Heck, it overclocks well and, naturally, is power-frugal for a high-end CPU.
But AMD knows that a widespread release of this chip wouldn't be conducive for sales of incumbent Phenom II X6 chips that ship with a 125W rating. This is why, according to AMD. it won't be available outside of Japan in full-retail form. Rather, to purchase it in the UK, one would need to have it supplied as part of a bundle or pre-plumbed in a turnkey system.
Balancing pure performance, power-draw, and price in an enviable manner, the 1055T 95W becomes our favourite 'high-end' CPU, and we urge AMD to make it more widely available in the channel.
The Good
Great balance of performance, power-draw and price
Best £150 CPU around
The Bad
Limited availability
Yeah..
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/AMD-...-AM3-28GHz-9MB-Total-Cache-HT-2000MHz-95W-OEM
http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Comp...ion)+2.80GHz+Processor+-+OEM+?productId=40787
http://products.amd.com/en-us/DesktopCPUSideBySide.aspx?id=641&id=652
AMD Phenom II X6 1055T 95W CPU review
http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=26122
Final thoughts and rating
AMD's Phenom II X6 1055T 95W CPU is a chip that shows just how much the Austin outfit has squeezed out of its ageing K10 architecture. Imbued with six processing cores for genuine multi-tasking and running at up-to 3.3GHz under favourable conditions, AMD's manufacturing prowess enables it to release the processor with a sub-100W power rating.
Sweetening the deal, the 1055T 95W arrives with a £150 retail price tag, thereby putting pressure on the lower rungs of Intel's Core i7 line-up, and the versatility of the supporting AM3 platform means that buying into AMD's six-core goodness isn't exorbitantly expensive. Heck, it overclocks well and, naturally, is power-frugal for a high-end CPU.
But AMD knows that a widespread release of this chip wouldn't be conducive for sales of incumbent Phenom II X6 chips that ship with a 125W rating. This is why, according to AMD. it won't be available outside of Japan in full-retail form. Rather, to purchase it in the UK, one would need to have it supplied as part of a bundle or pre-plumbed in a turnkey system.
Balancing pure performance, power-draw, and price in an enviable manner, the 1055T 95W becomes our favourite 'high-end' CPU, and we urge AMD to make it more widely available in the channel.
The Good
Great balance of performance, power-draw and price
Best £150 CPU around
The Bad
Limited availability
Yeah..
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/AMD-...-AM3-28GHz-9MB-Total-Cache-HT-2000MHz-95W-OEM
http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Comp...ion)+2.80GHz+Processor+-+OEM+?productId=40787
Hawk269
Member
brain_stew said:
Thanks again...is that memory good to go with that Mobo that I selected? And sorry for sounding noobish, I thought you should buy memory in sticks of 2? And I think he wants 8gigs of Ram, but then again, I think it is just a number for him.
And the GPU, yeah he knows about the promo for the game and that is what he really wants so we already selected that GPU for his system.
As far as a 360 controller, we already have that in the books. So it looks llike we are good to go.
Oh..if he did want to overclock, what heatsink/fan would he get.
And now being a little jelous, how is his rig going to be better than mine that has the AMD Phenom 965? Not that I am going to upgrade my CPU/Motherboard, but just curious.
MidgarBlowedUp
Member
Hawk269 said:
62c is the max these chips can hit without failing, but you never want to go that high. I'd say mid 50's are OK, but ideally you want high 40's to low 50's just to be on the safe side. They can hit 4Ghz but some chips have a sort of black hole effect around 3.8. Safest voltage they can run at is 1.55, as stated by AMD, so don't go higher than that. I'm under 1.53 and running at 3.8 just fine except for heat issues, so I have got to get a better cooler and try to knock 10c off the temps, so I can at least run at 3.8, then maybe I'll try for 4.0 which is doubtful but not out of the question. Still, 3.8Ghz Phenom x4 coupled with 960/1360 CF5770's is a pretty sweet setup, 4Ghz with everything nice and cool is just going to be awesome.
I went with the Hyper 212+ cooler by the way, I've heard it does fit in my Antec 300 case and provides outstanding cooling and good noise levels. I've just heard it's a bitch to install.
I also picked up two medium speed Yate Loon 80mm fans (27CFM each) to go inside the case where the drive bays are to get more cooling on my cf5770's as they are just a tad too hot for my liking too.
I need expert speculation guys. Here is my situation:
I'm building a gaming pc from scratch early/mid next year because thats the earliest i'll be able to afford the entire system. The plan is to get either Sandy Bridge or Bulldozer with a mid (eg 460) or lower high (eg 470) tier of GPU. While I cannot build the system now, I can buy the GPU during anytime between now and up to the date I build my pc. So the question I have: Knowing my circumstance, what is my best shot at getting a high tier performance for a great (300USD and less) price? Are the price decreases we are seeing now the best or will the 6XXX and 5xx cards bring down prices further? By mid-2011 will my money be better spent on the 6xxx and 5xx cards in terms of performance (even though they will be more expensive that last gen models)? Can I expect the 570 to be 300USD this time next year or is that a fools dream?
I'm building a gaming pc from scratch early/mid next year because thats the earliest i'll be able to afford the entire system. The plan is to get either Sandy Bridge or Bulldozer with a mid (eg 460) or lower high (eg 470) tier of GPU. While I cannot build the system now, I can buy the GPU during anytime between now and up to the date I build my pc. So the question I have: Knowing my circumstance, what is my best shot at getting a high tier performance for a great (300USD and less) price? Are the price decreases we are seeing now the best or will the 6XXX and 5xx cards bring down prices further? By mid-2011 will my money be better spent on the 6xxx and 5xx cards in terms of performance (even though they will be more expensive that last gen models)? Can I expect the 570 to be 300USD this time next year or is that a fools dream?
what is a better cooler the venomous or the noctua
http://tweakers.net/pricewatch/252114/thermalright-venomous-x.html
http://tweakers.net/pricewatch/247735/noctua-nh-d14.html
http://tweakers.net/pricewatch/252114/thermalright-venomous-x.html
http://tweakers.net/pricewatch/247735/noctua-nh-d14.html