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"I need a new PC!" 2010 Edition

donkey show said:
Alrighty, it's been awhile since I rocked a PC (all macbook atm), but I pretty much fell into $700 extra and would love to build a semi-capable PC that can run Dolphin at 1920x1080 and of course the usual PC gaming suspects at decent settings, on top of light video editing, and maybe even hackintosh. I have a spare case that can rock a Micro-ATX. Also, intel or AMD?

Help GAF!
Click to expand...

You'll need to go with Intel if Dolphin is a priority.
 
Foxtastical said:
Thanks again for the help guys, I appreciate it.

One last question, though. Is getting the X4 II 955 really worth getting over the X4 II 635? Is the jump anything meaningful?

I mean, especially considering I might have to upgrade my motherboard/PSU in a year or two.
Click to expand...
oh this socket change business.

the way i see it, all this means is that you'll be using your motherboard for as long as youre satisfied with your cpu.

for me, im still satisfied with a T5800 1.8ghz dual core in my laptop for everything except for gaming.

the i5 760 is a very solid gaming cpu, so i think ill be satisfied for 3-5 years at leeast. therefore ill go the decent cpu & decent mobo route.

if you're more about speed for all things, and/or top end gaming with maximum frames, id say buy something cheap now and wait for sandy bridge/bulldozer where you can splurge. preferably hold off on the computer all together if possible

edit: speaking of mobos, does anyone know if the high pitch squeal noise with the p7p55d-e pro is resolved?
 
Foxtastical said:
Thanks again for the help guys, I appreciate it.

One last question, though. Is getting the X4 II 955 really worth getting over the X4 II 635? Is the jump anything meaningful?

I mean, especially considering I might have to upgrade my motherboard/PSU in a year or two.
Click to expand...

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/88?vs=122

Seems like a 20-25% bump in performance for the X4 II 955 in gaming. Up to you to decide whether that's worth the extra $50.


-COOLIO- said:
if you're more about speed for all things, and/or top end gaming with maximum frames, id say buy something cheap now and wait for sandy bridge/bulldozer where you can splurge. preferably hold off on the computer all together if possible
Click to expand...

I echo these sentiments.
 
donkey show said:
Sounds good. I'm assuming an i5 system would be best right? Wonder what I can get with $700.
Click to expand...

If you can squeeze an i5-750 into your budget then that'd be ideal. Do stuff like getting a $200 GTX 465 over a $230 GTX 460 and making use of combos to squeeze the most out of your budget.
 
Felix Lighter said:
The lower resolution may not necessarily be a bad thing for gaming. You're going to want to play at native resolution and you might find with some games at higher settings that 1920x1080 is too much for the laptop. Since you're not really going to have a lot of upgrade options with a laptop, the lower resolution may help increase it's life as a quality gaming machine.

As for other applications, web browsing and what not, the more screen realestate the better, of course.
Click to expand...

huh, i never even thought of that...awesome, thanks man.
per the other guy talking about dolphin as a priority, at 1920x1080...vs 1600x900, am i understanding these #'s right? the former would be equal to 1080p, the latter, 900p, then? i thought PS2 and dolphin emus were going for 720, guess a full 1080 is the goal - again though, when hooked up to my TV it shouldn't make a difference, yeah? on an HDTV display, i imagine an ATI 5870 shouldn't have problems putting out that res.
 
I hate to just throw this in here without having contributed, but this is a time sensitive issue (my laptop just died in the middle of a huge project) and I'd like some comments/concerns on this build I just threw together before I pull the trigger.

I'm trying not to break the bank, but I'd still like to be able to run current releases. It's been a while since I did this, did I overlook anything major?

21dmnn8.jpg
 
Combo's are your friend! :D

My brother has tasked me with building him a decent rig for roughly $800. For a little bit more you get a monstrous upgrade at video card with Just Cause 2 included free and a better mobo/cpu/case but a slight downgrade in PSU I'll admit (though not bad by any means and more than enough juice for your rig).

4946343087_098fc36be8_b.jpg


821+12 shipping = $833 total

Edit- Actually take out the vid card combo I posted for the GTX 465 combo here and then you'll be really rollin'.
 
stryker1138 said:
I hate to just throw this in here without having contributed, but this is a time sensitive issue (my laptop just died in the middle of a huge project) and I'd like some comments/concerns on this build I just threw together before I pull the trigger.

I'm trying not to break the bank, but I'd still like to be able to run current releases. It's been a while since I did this, did I overlook anything major?

21dmnn8.jpg
Click to expand...

The 965 Phenom has always been horribly priced. The 955 is a much better buy, its basically the same chip.

$130 for a 4850 is ridiculous, that's an $80 card.

AS Rock are a budget brand, you're probably better off with something else, chipset is fine.

You don't need a 750w PSU. ~500W+ will be fine.

Get a 1TB Samsung F3 for the HDD.
 
brain_stew said:
The 965 Phenom has always been horribly priced. The 955 is a much better buy, its basically the same chip.

$130 for a 4850 is ridiculous, that's an $80 card.

AS Rock are a budget brand, you're probably better off with something else, chipset is fine.

You don't need a 750w PSU. ~500W+ will be fine.

Get a 1TB Samsung F3 for the HDD.
Click to expand...

Use this coupon code to take $15 off of the 1TB Samsung F3:

EMCYWPZ27
 
Wth is going on at Newegg? I bought the 965 for less $ in December!

Oh wait, I remember now. To get the best deal, I got my cpu/mobo/ps from TigerDirect. I got my ram/fans/drives from Newegg. I walked into BestBuy to get my Antec 900 (it was cheaper than paying the shipping).
 
So with a few tweaks I have

Antec Nine Hundred Case
Antec EA650 PSU
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB hard drive
Asus P7P55 LX mobo
Intel i5-750 Quad Core @ 2.66 GHz
G.SKILL Ripjaw Series 4GB (2x2) DDR3 1600
GeForce GTX 465 1 GB (Fermi)
Just Cause 2
Mafia 2
Asus 24x DVD Burner Black SATA

Total = $839.20 after shipping
 
Outdoor Miner said:
So with a few tweaks I have

Antec Nine Hundred Case
Antec EA650 PSU
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB hard drive
Asus P7P55 LX mobo
Intel i5-750 Quad Core @ 2.66 GHz
G.SKILL Ripjaw Series 4GB (2x2) DDR3 1600
GeForce GTX 465 1 GB (Fermi)
Just Cause 2
Mafia 2
Asus 24x DVD Burner Black SATA

Total = $839.20 after shipping
Click to expand...

Looking good.
 
Outdoor Miner said:
So with a few tweaks I have

Antec Nine Hundred Case
Antec EA650 PSU
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB hard drive
Asus P7P55 LX mobo
Intel i5-750 Quad Core @ 2.66 GHz
G.SKILL Ripjaw Series 4GB (2x2) DDR3 1600
GeForce GTX 465 1 GB (Fermi)
Just Cause 2
Mafia 2
Asus 24x DVD Burner Black SATA

Total = $839.20 after shipping
Click to expand...
what made you choose that motherboard?

im curious because most non-sli folk around here seem to be going for the ga-p55a-ud3
 
brain_stew said:
The 965 Phenom has always been horribly priced. The 955 is a much better buy, its basically the same chip.

$130 for a 4850 is ridiculous, that's an $80 card.

AS Rock are a budget brand, you're probably better off with something else, chipset is fine.

You don't need a 750w PSU. ~500W+ will be fine.

Get a 1TB Samsung F3 for the HDD.
Click to expand...

Greatly appreciate the comments. With all the advice I've gotten here and elsewhere, it looks like this updated build is the one I'm going to go with (though ordered from Amazon to take advantage of Prime 2-day shipping)

9avj1z.jpg
 
Gaf!

I'm building my first PC tomorrow. Can someone educate me on this whole grounding / static electricity thing? I dont' have a wristband, what's the best way to ensure I don't mess up my components?

If I build it on my kitchen table will I be OK?
 
Ermac said:
Gaf!

I'm building my first PC tomorrow. Can someone educate me on this whole grounding / static electricity thing? I dont' have a wristband, what's the best way to ensure I don't mess up my components?

If I build it on my kitchen table will I be OK?
Click to expand...

I did it on my kitchen table with no problems. I would just get everything laid out ready but still in static packaging and then touch the case, heat vent, fridge, anything metal really. I know it is an issue but I have never had a problem with static.


I am quoting this for a new page.. I have googled this a few times but I must be missing how to search this specific situation. Thanks for any help.
Ecto311 said:
Quick question.. made long

I had BSOD in windows 7 64bit once I updated my bios firmware. I figured out it was something to do with the ram. I have since used 2 identical stick sets in 2 different tests and both sets come out fine with the windows 7 memory diagnostic test. Now if I run them together it gives me problems and errors with the test.

The 2 sets are

2 G.Skill 1gig PC2-6400 5-5-5-15 1.8v - 2.0v
2 Corsair 1gig XMS2-6400 5-5-5-12 1.90v

Should I be putting the voltage in manually? Also there are 2 slots black, and 2 slots white. Being a moron do I put in the pairs next to each other or in similar colored slots?

I also have two Corsair XMS2-6400 5-5-5-18 1.90v would that be better suited to play nice with the other corsair or does brand really matter?
Click to expand...
 
Alright, I need help. My brand new rig has been working perfectly for three weeks now. I've been playing KOTOR II for nostalgia's sake and have played for multiple hours. I tried to load it up today, but it flashed a black screen and exited out. I message popped up and said that my "Display Driver has stopped responding and has recovered." This happens multiple times and my display freaks out for a few minutes before returning to normal.

I've already uninstalled and reinstalled the latest drivers for my GTX 460. I'm running Windows 7 on an i5 750.

Edit: forgot to mention that OCCT GPU test caused it to fail as well.
 
stryker1138 said:
Greatly appreciate the comments. With all the advice I've gotten here and elsewhere, it looks like this updated build is the one I'm going to go with (though ordered from Amazon to take advantage of Prime 2-day shipping
Click to expand...
You should really use combos and find a way to cut back on shipping prices. For example, that case is very overpriced when including shipping. You should be able to get the price under $700.
 
Stormtrooper30 said:
Alright, I need help. My brand new rig has been working perfectly for three weeks now. I've been playing KOTOR II for nostalgia's sake and have played for multiple hours. I tried to load it up today, but it flashed a black screen and exited out. I message popped up and said that my "Display Driver has stopped responding and has recovered." This happens multiple times and my display freaks out for a few minutes before returning to normal.

I've already uninstalled and reinstalled the latest drivers for my GTX 460. I'm running Windows 7 on an i5 750.

Edit: forgot to mention that OCCT GPU test caused it to fail as well.
Click to expand...

Might be RMA time then.
 
stryker1138 said:
Greatly appreciate the comments. With all the advice I've gotten here and elsewhere, it looks like this updated build is the one I'm going to go with (though ordered from Amazon to take advantage of Prime 2-day shipping)

http://i54.tinypic.com/9avj1z.jpg
Click to expand...
I'd recommend changing out your case and cooler for better choices.
For the same $30 that you'll be paying for that 92mm HSF, you can get a 120mm CM Hyper 212+ from Amazon with free shipping

51czGKRyQZL._SL500_SS75_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002G1YPH0/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Unless you're really set on that particular case, you can get two better options for less money. Not everyone will agree, but buying a standard north-south orientation ATX case with a top-mounted PSU (that isn't cordoned off, leaving the PSU to draw hot air from the other components in your PC) isn't the best option when you can get an equal or better case for the same price.

Antec Three Hundred - $50
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GQMHBI/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Cooler Master RC-600-KKN1-GP Gladiator 600 - $55
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002FB65CE/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Something like either of the above would be better choices. Keep in mind that the case you've chosen also has a $20 shipping fee (against free shipping for the above).
 
is it a bad time to buy and build a computer now? ATI is releasing their 6xxx series in a few months and so is Intel with their sandy bridge.
 
Ermac said:
Gaf!

I'm building my first PC tomorrow. Can someone educate me on this whole grounding / static electricity thing? I dont' have a wristband, what's the best way to ensure I don't mess up my components?

If I build it on my kitchen table will I be OK?
Click to expand...
No joke, I actually built my last gaming rig in my kitchen in nothing but my boxers to eliminate the possibility of conducting any static electricity at all. :lol
 
does anyone think that a Phenom II X6 will be justified at all by any games coming out within the next 8 months? i have an AM2+ motherboard that takes AM3 chips now with a bios update. my 4gb DDR2 is fine at the moment and i can wait until 6000 series is announced before replacing my 4870.

only game i've heard of that will be using "up to 8 cores" is crysis 2.

aside from games, would it benefit me that much over my existing X4 if i tend to multitask like mad? (ie: photoshop, chrome, music playing, downloads in the background, steam doing stuff, etc.)
 
brain_stew said:
If you can squeeze an i5-750 into your budget then that'd be ideal. Do stuff like getting a $200 GTX 465 over a $230 GTX 460 and making use of combos to squeeze the most out of your budget.
Click to expand...

hey brain_stew (or others!): how would an i7-720QM hold for dolphin use? the emu thread confused me, cause i know dolphin wont make full use of a quad core, but since the one i'm looking at runs 1333MHz and gets up to 2.8 via turbo boost, i thought i'd be covered, but one guy in that thread said forcing a dual core up to 2.4 somehow gave him worse results. does that strike you as anecdotal, or should i be covered with these specs? i dont know what else to look for in relation to PS2/wii emulation, i figured that processor, 6GB DDR3 and an ATI 5870 would run the titles i wanted smoothly, but i definitely wanna know if that's not the case, kinda making a priority of that now.
 
Ermac said:
I'm building my first PC tomorrow. Can someone educate me on this whole grounding / static electricity thing? I dont' have a wristband, what's the best way to ensure I don't mess up my components?
Click to expand...

A bigger fuss is made out of this than necessary. If you can work on a surface that isn't carpet then go ahead, I've messed around on my rug and put my mobo on pieces of plastic without having had anything happen.

To ground yourself touch the inside of your case which I'd imagine is metal.
 
So I picked up a GTX 460 768MB on the cheap.
I've been having the upgrade bug, but I don't need it. Not sure if I should sell it off or not.
Bah.

stryker1138 said:
Greatly appreciate the comments. With all the advice I've gotten here and elsewhere, it looks like this updated build is the one I'm going to go with (though ordered from Amazon to take advantage of Prime 2-day shipping)
Click to expand...
Maybe a CM 310/312/330 vs the CM Centurion 5.
Just a personal preference, both cases are fine. Had the CM 5 myself.
Commanche Raisin Toast said:
does anyone think that a Phenom II X6 will be justified at all by any games coming out within the next 8 months?

aside from games, would it benefit me that much over my existing X4 if i tend to multitask like mad? (ie: photoshop, chrome, music playing, downloads in the background, steam doing stuff, etc.)
Click to expand...
No and no.
 
Why hello there it's me again with my doomsday planning.

If my RMA goes tits-up and the store tells me that my motherboard is fine... I'm gonna buy another one.

here's what I want :

am3 socket & sli-support.

Here's what I've found : newegg asus M4N98TD EVO

and here's what I need to know :

will this motherboard support ddr2 1066mhz? ( Money is tight so I'm not going to be able to buy ddr3 for a while )
 
Hazaro said:
No.

Few boards support AM3 and DDR2, let alone SLi.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll just have to wait for the results from the store. If they tell me that neither the psu or the mobo is broken then the only way to solve this shitty problem is an overhaul..

I'll keep "simple/single" stuff like case, hdd, dvd, gpu , cpu, and toss out the ram/motherboard.

After I've done one last hurrah and try to flash the motherboard to the latest bios version. Who knows, maybe that'll stop but the crashes. Though I'm getting ahead of myself, first and foremost I need to hear from the store.

*plays the waiting game*

edit : Also I'm not really in the "know" with regards to the parts-industri, but what does the future hold for amdsocket motherboards and sli? Why is it soo difficult to find amdsockets with slisupport?
 
Commanche Raisin Toast said:
does anyone think that a Phenom II X6 will be justified at all by any games coming out within the next 8 months? i have an AM2+ motherboard that takes AM3 chips now with a bios update. my 4gb DDR2 is fine at the moment and i can wait until 6000 series is announced before replacing my 4870.

only game i've heard of that will be using "up to 8 cores" is crysis 2.

aside from games, would it benefit me that much over my existing X4 if i tend to multitask like mad? (ie: photoshop, chrome, music playing, downloads in the background, steam doing stuff, etc.)
Click to expand...

Save your money for a full upgrade when bulldozer comes along (new mobo, new ram, new processor.) Until then there is no reason to upgrade from your X4.
 
I think my GTX 460 has bit the dust, after less than 2 weeks. It started with the fan randomly spinning up to full for a spit second, then came random crashes just while browsing, and now it freezes at the Windows 7 welcome screen. I can log in fine using safe mode, or if I remove the drivers. I did a fresh install of 7 with just chipset drivers and as soon as the display driver is installed it hangs at login so I'm pretty sure it's a faulty card.

If I can get a refund rather than a replacement I might wait and see what's around the corner since I'm not playing anything right now.
 
Corky said:
Thanks, I'll just have to wait for the results from the store. If they tell me that neither the psu or the mobo is broken then the only way to solve this shitty problem is an overhaul..

I'll keep "simple/single" stuff like case, hdd, dvd, gpu , cpu, and toss out the ram/motherboard.

After I've done one last hurrah and try to flash the motherboard to the latest bios version. Who knows, maybe that'll stop but the crashes. Though I'm getting ahead of myself, first and foremost I need to hear from the store.

*plays the waiting game*

edit : Also I'm not really in the "know" with regards to the parts-industri, but what does the future hold for amdsocket motherboards and sli? Why is it soo difficult to find amdsockets with slisupport?
Click to expand...
I meant AM3+DDR2+SLi. AMD+SLi is easy now.
But to your AMD question, previously nVidia boards were the only ones 'certified' to run SLi.
 
Hazaro said:
I meant AM3+DDR2+SLi. AMD+SLi is easy now.
But to your AMD question, previously nVidia boards were the only ones 'certified' to run SLi.
Click to expand...

Oh I see, this means I shouldn't have a hard time finding a bulldozer+sli board in the future right?
 
NCIX's express RMA, worth it?

Just bought this from the site

http://www.ncix.com/products/index....XA-GD70&manufacture=Bundle Deals&promoid=1053

65$ rebate, even though both parts cost more than neweggs, its still 40ish $ cheaper.

Hazaro said:
I meant AM3+DDR2+SLi. AMD+SLi is easy now.
But to your AMD question, previously nVidia boards were the only ones 'certified' to run SLi.
Click to expand...

How is it easy now? sli hack?



Also, any canadian places have 460, 470 or 465 with bundled games ala just cause 2 or mafia 2 like i read in previous pages? any links?
 
Does anyone have the Lian-Li B25F chassis? It's the one with the Blue LED Ring. I think it's really pretty: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112248

it says it supports Graphics cards up to 290mm but I don't know if thats if you remove the hard drive cage or not... the problem is that it has a hard drive cage for 8 drives, but if you remove the cage, you have no room for hard drive, so it's like, - you dont have anywhere to put a hard drive cage, if you want a big graphivs card!

is it possible to buy hard drive cages that will work in most systems? I just need room for 2 or 3 HDDs...


I really like the feedback the case has gotten. Great reviews, people talk about good airflow, and I love, love the way it looks. I also found a nice 2,5'' fan controller that I think will look sexy(a touch screen fan controller!). I don't want to OC my system, but I would like to keep the components very cool! I wonder if I should buy some high quality fans!? People recommend Noctura, but then again, if I am not going to OC will it be needed?



I also think I found the Mouse I want. The RAT 7 is the nicest and most awesome looking gaming mouse I have ever seen. I heard the software is stupid, but I hope I will cope with it, because it looks fucking genius. I cant believe that MadCatz of all fucking horrible companies managed to bring this to market, even if they just bought Saitek, or whatever; http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826102062&Tpk=rat 7

Epic looking fucking mouse. Jesus christ. This is the most bad ass looking input device I have seen since... forever. God dammit, I just want to buy one and carry it around my neck or strap it with gaffa tape to my face, so everyone can bask in its awesome.
I've had a Razer Mamba, and I think it's been okay, but I am getting tired of their designs TBH. I've had enough of their styles of logos, and their software. I want them to reinvent themselves now, because a lot of their products look and feel to much the same!



What I still need: I need to find and try a mechanical keyboard. I must have been looking under a rock, for I have never heard about these before until a few days ago, but from what I have read they are supposed to improve your speed of typing, and should feel really good. I want one with backlighting, so I can type in the dark, but not to big physically. I don't need a gaming set up with unneeded keys.

I had a razer kyeboard that had media buttons on the left side of the keyboard, which fucked up my typing a lot. And I never used them.
The Apple aluminium keyboard I have now is pretty fantastic, and it's overall dimensions are even smaller than a 13'' inch notebook, which means it takes up very little desktop space. The keyboard has also been living on 3 AA batteries for what feels like 2 months of intensive use.
It just needs backlighting, but it's a very very nice keyboard. Very beautiful, and fits into any desk, thanks to no stupid logos or some shirt strapped over it. Other manufacs should take a hint.
People dont want your stupid ass logos, and many people dont take pride in displaying them. the product should speak for itself, look nice. When you buy a nice piece of furniture you dont like to have the manufacturer slapped all over it. Like if you went to Ikea to buy a shelf, and it said "IKEA IKEA IKEA" five fucking places. It's stupid.

so yeah... The filco ones look cool. I see lots of people who replace the WASD buttons with a different color for gaming 1337 ness! Nice! But I still want one with backlighting! The search continues...
 
My brother asked me to help him pick out some parts for a new gaming rig. Couldn't talk him out of simply getting a new video card and overclocking. He's got optical and HDDs. Here's what I came up with:

For CPU/Mobo I have a Microcenter near and was going to pick him up:
i5 760 - $179
H55-G43 LGA 1156 H55 ATX -$89 After Rebate

Parts88e.jpg
 
Milpool said:
I think my GTX 460 has bit the dust, after less than 2 weeks. It started with the fan randomly spinning up to full for a spit second, then came random crashes just while browsing, and now it freezes at the Windows 7 welcome screen. I can log in fine using safe mode, or if I remove the drivers. I did a fresh install of 7 with just chipset drivers and as soon as the display driver is installed it hangs at login so I'm pretty sure it's a faulty card.

If I can get a refund rather than a replacement I might wait and see what's around the corner since I'm not playing anything right now.
Click to expand...

Before you come to any conclusions, check your RAM. Run memtest86+ or HCI memtest and see if it returns any errors.
 
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