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"I need a new PC!" 2010 Edition

brain_stew said:
Seems a decent deal (although I'm not a fan of overclockers.co.uk since they're owned by a BNP supporting racist/homphobic/xenophobic asshole) and they usually dick you over on delivery.
Really? That's a bit crazy like who is he/she? What other sites do you recommend? I know of ebuyer scan and dabs.
 
I've been considering an MSI GX640-260US as my new laptop (current one has integrated gfx and struggles to play CS:S at medium/low) but EVERY benchmark I find only has Crysis/BFBC2/etc

Does anybody know how the 5850 will run with Empire:Total War and Napoleon: Total war? I have a Xbox360 for playing FPS but I want this comp to be able to play RTS's for a few years.
 
ChryZ said:
p1010863.jpg
MomoPufflet said:
Do these panels work with any fan or does it have to be a certain type? Seems like this would be pretty handy for noise control.
Yes, it's just a standard fan controller.
They're generally compatible with any standard 3- or 4-pin fan. As long as the fan's power doesn't exceed the controller's power per channel capabilities (normally only an issue when people try to run multiple fans off of each channel), you're fine.

You can get internal and external ones of different sizes.

http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=11&name=Controller-Panels

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...ix=fan+con&ih=1_5_1_0_0_0_0_0_1_1.41_99&fsc=3

http://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.phtml?Ntt=fan+controller&N=0&submit.x=0&submit.y=0
 
LukeT said:
Really? That's a bit crazy like who is he/she? What other sites do you recommend? I know of ebuyer scan and dabs.
Ebuyer, Scan and Aria are the only retailers worth checking, others do sometimes have good deals but 99% of the time one of these guys will be the cheapest for the things you want.
 
brain_stew said:
Seems a decent deal (although I'm not a fan of overclockers.co.uk since they're owned by a BNP supporting racist/homphobic/xenophobic asshole) and they usually dick you over on delivery.

Woah what :lol Ive pretty much bought exclusively from them for years, never knew this ! Delivery was always fast too. Gonna have to look into the owner now :)

Edit - Although i did once mistake the Overclockers logo for the BNP one....
 
LukeT said:
Really? That's a bit crazy like who is he/she? What other sites do you recommend? I know of ebuyer scan and dabs.

Just type overclockers.co.uk BNP into google and you'll see some of the posts on the store's forum from the owner and that he was on that BNP members list that leaked. Still, if its the best deal around its your choice.

Ebuyer.com and novatech.co.uk are your best options imo, I can't fault either, you'll get free delivery from both, a few others are listed in the op as well.
 
brain_stew said:
Just type overclockers.co.uk BNP into google and you'll see some of the posts on the store's forum from the owner and that he was on that BNP members list that leaked. Still, if its the best deal around its your choice.

Ebuyer.com and novatech.co.uk are your best options imo, I can't fault either, you'll get free delivery from both, a few others are listed in the op as well.

Ebuyer only does free delivery to mainland UK, which is Britain basically.
 
brain_stew said:
Just type overclockers.co.uk BNP into google and you'll see some of the posts on the store's forum from the owner and that he was on that BNP members list that leaked. Still, if its the best deal around its your choice.

Ebuyer.com and novatech.co.uk are your best options imo, I can't fault either, you'll get free delivery from both, a few others are listed in the op as well.
Yeah I'll take a look at novatech. Now that I know that it's put me off that bundle a bit, is it that good of a deal?
 
For the most part this thread is about actual PC hardware, but I've been curious about getting some new peripherals. I've been looking at getting a new mouse, mouse pad, and either a new headset or a headphone/mic combo. Are these things worth discussing here, or should there be a gaming focused thread on peripherals?
 
brain_stew said:
Don't pay $255 for a GTX 460. You can almost get a 470 for that much.

What's the 8400GS for? Its too slow for PhysX, fyi.

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/asus_engtx460_top/

this is the 460 model i bought. it should perform at the same level as a 470, and much more efficiently on top of that.

though if anyone advises against it, i'll consider buying another card. especially if you can forward me a link to a good deal :winkwink


and i though the 8400gs would be fast enough for physx :( i'll be sending that back
 
mescalineeyes said:
Just a quick question, i didn't know where else to ask: will my gtx460 send audio signal to the tv as well or just video via HDMI?

My on board sound is disabled, so is my on board sound card too and my GTX 460 is connected to my amp via a hdmi to dvi cable and I get Dolby digital 5.1 :O
 
·feist· said:


Just off the top of my head, their high end laptops (the market I have any knowledge in right now) seem to be slightly to drastically overpriced, depending on the brand. They don't offer any customization and I've never really heard their name before. Not a lot of help, but that's all I can say.
 
keeblerdrow said:
Just off the top of my head, their high end laptops (the market I have any knowledge in right now) seem to be slightly to drastically overpriced, depending on the brand. They don't offer any customization and I've never really heard their name before. Not a lot of help, but that's all I can say.
Thanks for the response.

They're about the only seemingly "legit" retailer that still stocks a motherboard that I'd like to buy. It's out everywhere else, and I really need it to get me through the next year or so, until I likely upgrade to an Intel socket 2011/AMD Bulldozer 6- or 8-core build.

What to do, what to do...
 
MDSLKTR said:
Do you recommend an gtx 465 over a 460 1gb? I'm creating my build right now. So excited!

If you don't mind a slightly hotter/noisier/power hungry card, absolutely. You get the same performance for less money and a couple of awesome free games.
 
teepo said:
http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/asus_engtx460_top/

this is the 460 model i bought. it should perform at the same level as a 470, and much more efficiently on top of that.

though if anyone advises against it, i'll consider buying another card. especially if you can forward me a link to a good deal :winkwink


and i though the 8400gs would be fast enough for physx :( i'll be sending that back

I know it was the TOP edition but it clearly isn't on par with a stock GTX 470 nevermind an OCed GTX 470 (which would be fairer comparison).

You can get a GTX 470 for an extra $20 and it comes with a copy of Mafia 2.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121372&cm_re=gtx_470-_-14-121-372-_-Product

Or if you don't want Mafia 2 this 470 is actually cheaper once you cash in the rebate because of the 10% coupon code (making it $270 + $20 MIR):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125320&cm_re=gtx_470-_-14-125-320-_-Product


You're overlooking the extra 280MB of VRAM as well. That's going to seriously help the longevity of the card.
 
I'm pulling my hair out trying to figure out why my computer won't start. Its just the power supply and mobo and it won't start. So, narrowing it down it could be 1 of 4 problems: either the PSU is bad, the mbo is bad, the processor is bad, or something is causing it to not be grounded.

Ideas for diagnosing? Tips? I'm feeling like such an idiot :(
 
Hazaro said:
Google Q6600 pad mod :)

A 1920x1080 monitor is fine with a 5770. Won't run everything on max, but with good settings for 60fps.

I have an E4500 2.2GHz preassembled, what do I have to do to overclock? I really cannot undertand what the pad mod is
 
Rufus said:
I know it sounds stupid, but did you check all the connections? Does your PSU have an on/off switch?
Only connections are the cpu fan, 8 pin mobo and 24 pin mobo onnector. Tried the power switch plugged in both ways and the screwdriver short method.

Didn't see a switch for wattage or w/e for th psu, just the on/off switch. Psu is the 650w Corsair off Hazaro's build guide.
 
I've never owned a decent gaming pc, but with all the great titles coming out I figure it's a good time to pick one up. I've been thinking of buying this desktop I saw at futureshop. It's price is 1199$ cdn, which is within my price range. I don't want a high end machine but something reasonably priced, that can play new releases on high settings (specifically Starcraft 2)

HP Elite Intel Core i7-860 Computer (HPE-372F)

specs:

Processor Type Intel Core i7-860
Processor Speed 2.80 GHz
Processor Cores 4
RAM 8 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM (Expandable to 16 GB)
Hard Drive Capacity 1 TB
Hard Drive Speed (Revolutions Per Minut 7200 rpm
Optical Drives SuperMulti DVD Burner With LightScribe
Graphics ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB
Pre-loaded Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit


So do you guys think it's a decent machine? Will I be able to play Starcraft 2 with high/ultra settings?
 
Sanjay said:
This is totally safe and it works, blew my mind and was scary as hell trying it, just waiting for the shock of my life.
I'll try it when I get home. Will suck if either the processor or mobo is bad. I'm hoping there's something super obvious I'm missing so it'll save me money and time waiting on shipping... :C
 
So I think ultimately the most cost effective thing for me to do would be to repurpose my existing case, HDD, motherboard, and hopefully RAM

Current motherboards is socket AM3

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131595

Right now I have 6 GB of DDR2 800 RAM. Can I keep that, or do I need faster memory?

If I can keep that, that just leaves the power supply, CPU, and GPU. I could even stay with Vista64 if I really wanted to save money I suppose. Do I need to worry about the case not fitting the PSU? The case is mini-ATX.

Say my budget is $450-$500 for the PSU, CPU, GPU, and whatever additional cooling I might need for a smaller case. Can I get good performance from that? Seems like the card du jour is the 460, which seems to go for $200. But as far as PSU and AMD CPU, I have no idea.
 
Unicorn said:
I'll try it when I get home. Will suck if either the processor or mobo is bad. I'm hoping there's something super obvious I'm missing so it'll save me money and time waiting on shipping... :C

Is the build already in the tower? A buddy of mine had a PC for years where he would have to spam the power button to get the damn thing to turn on. When he upgraded and took it all apart, there it was, some stupid little screw in the tower touching the back of his mobo causing it to ground out when he would try to turn it on.
 
Uncledick said:
I've never owned a decent gaming pc, but with all the great titles coming out I figure it's a good time to pick one up. I've been thinking of buying this desktop I saw at futureshop. It's price is 1199$ cdn, which is within my price range. I don't want a high end machine but something reasonably priced, that can play new releases on high settings (specifically Starcraft 2)

http://i.imgur.com/A55hA.jpg
i5 for SC II

put it together on NCIX.com and add the 'build it' option for $50 (It's a item on the site iirc).
squicken said:
Say my budget is $450-$500 for the PSU, CPU, GPU, and whatever additional cooling I might need for a smaller case. Can I get good performance from that? Seems like the card du jour is the 460, which seems to go for $200. But as far as PSU and AMD CPU, I have no idea.
GTX 460 1GB
AMD x4 635 / x4 955 / x6 1055T
Corsair 550W or similar 80+ certified PSU
Yazus said:
I have an E4500 2.2GHz preassembled, what do I have to do to overclock? I really cannot undertand what the pad mod is
Take a defogging kit and create a bridge between these 2 contacts. It rasies your FSB from 200 to 266, thus overclocking your CPU from 2.2 -> 2.9Ghz.
It should work on most chips. If not, simply clean it off.
2jakges.jpg
 
Orellio said:
Is the build already in the tower? A buddy of mine had a PC for years where he would have to spam the power button to get the damn thing to turn on. When he upgraded and took it all apart, there it was, some stupid little screw in the tower touching the back of his mobo causing it to ground out when he would try to turn it on.
In the case is just the psu and the mobo with the fan attached. I've got some standoff under each screwhole of the mobo. You do bring up something I haven't thought of yet though _ I have an aftermarket fan and it has a backplate on the underside of the mobo... maybe the screws from that might be touching the case and messing with the grounds....?
 
Uncledick said:
I've never owned a decent gaming pc, but with all the great titles coming out I figure it's a good time to pick one up. I've been thinking of buying this desktop I saw at futureshop. It's price is 1199$ cdn, which is within my price range. I don't want a high end machine but something reasonably priced, that can play new releases on high settings (specifically Starcraft 2)

Don't go the FutureShop route. If you really want a decent PC, follow Hazaro's advice and go the NCIX route and add in the option to have them build it for you.

Never, never, never, buy a prebuilt system. The warranty coverage is usually only for one year and includes every part in the PC. By building the system yourself, each component comes with its own warranty period.
 
Hazaro said:


Up until now I would have said you were the go to guy on PC stuff, but I can't say that with you justifying cleaning processors with Bacon. Bacon may be good for many things, but not for processor cleaning.
 
Spike said:
Don't go the FutureShop route. If you really want a decent PC, follow Hazaro's advice and go the NCIX route and add in the option to have them build it for you.

Never, never, never, buy a prebuilt system. The warranty coverage is usually only for one year and includes every part in the PC. By building the system yourself, each component comes with its own warranty period.

Yeah, this would be my choice, its a great option.
 
brain_stew said:
Yeah, this would be my choice, its a great option.
I'm not really in the position to build a computer right now either so prebuilt was an option of mine. I guess NCIX is what I'm looking at. Anyone have any good recommendations for a Quad (either AMD or Intel) rig around $700 on NCIX? I'm also US, is that an issue?
 
Foxtastical said:
I'm not really in the position to build a computer right now either so prebuilt was an option of mine. I guess NCIX is what I'm looking at. Anyone have any good recommendations for a Quad (either AMD or Intel) rig around $700 on NCIX? I'm also US, is that an issue?
Similar to something like this. Grab a mobo with USB 3.0 / SATA 6Gbps if possible. Should be in your budget.

20fdsno.jpg
 
Foxtastical said:
That's pretty awesome, thanks a bunch. Still thinking about my exact set up, but that looks pretty good.
Only real changes are the AMD/mobo combo (870 w/ USB/SATA)
PSU probably get a Corsair for the same price
RAM probably get Corsair for similar price as well
 
Hazaro said:
Only real changes are the AMD/mobo combo (870 w/ USB/SATA)
PSU probably get a Corsair for the same price
RAM probably get Corsair for similar price as well
Christ, this website refuses to work with me. I can't find any AMD CPUs for some reason on the US site. Have I just gone retarded?
 
Was going to order parts to build a new PC this week but news of the 6000 series from AMD kind of put cold water on my plans. Anyone know when they will be released?

Gaming will be my main interest on this PC, i dont convert videos and photoshop at the same time, etc. I was thinking of going with AM3 platform for future proof, X4 965 BE or X6 ?

Also for the AM3 platform, i saw a lot of g-skill ripjaws with AMD builds but i saw somewhere that it was a bad combo due to timings, couldnt reach 1600. Fixed? or other recommendations for best memory on AM3?
 
Foxtastical said:
Christ, this website refuses to work with me. I can't find any AMD CPUs for some reason on the US site. Have I just gone retarded?
All AMD CPUs on NCIXUS are part of bundle deals with motherboards usually. Go to the bundles section and you'll see them there.
 
Buggy Loop said:
Was going to order parts to build a new PC this week but news of the 6000 series from AMD kind of put cold water on my plans. Anyone know when they will be released?

Gaming will be my main interest on this PC, i dont convert videos and photoshop at the same time, etc. I was thinking of going with AM3 platform for future proof, X4 965 BE or X6 ?

Also for the AM3 platform, i saw a lot of g-skill ripjaws with AMD builds but i saw somewhere that it was a bad combo due to timings, couldnt reach 1600. Fixed? or other recommendations for best memory on AM3?
If you're referring to a Bulldozer upgrade down the line, AM3 won't future proof you as they'll be moving on to the upcoming AM3+ platform. The 6000 series cards should begin rolling out later this year.
 
·feist· said:
If you're referring to a Bulldozer upgrade down the line, AM3 won't future proof you as they'll be moving on to the upcoming AM3+ platform. The 6000 series cards should begin rolling out later this year.

What? I thought for sure that AM3 would be BD ready?
 
Buggy Loop said:
What? I thought for sure that AM3 would be BD ready?
News has been iffy.
Waiting on a fully confirmable source. Of course if it is not compatible then they'd delay that news as long as they could...

I guess I should edit my basic build aswell.
 
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