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"I need a new PC!" 2010 Edition

my computer just got smoked by lightning (yes it was on a nice backup battery/surge)

I got about $1,000 to spend

I am keeping my old hard drives and my old cd drives. And possibly my power supply



Will my 550w power supply be enough? If not I'll get the 750w version of the one I have.

I need people to pick me out the following

Great graphics card (i have a 4850 which has worked wonders for me but probably need an upgrade)
Case
Memory-DDR3
Heatsink


This is the mobo/processor I plan on getting. Feel free to change if you see fit. Trying to stay at 1000.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128405&Tpk=p55m-ud2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115214
 
brain_stew said:
A GT 220 isn't really fast a PhysX card, a GT 240 is the bare minimum imo.
Click to expand...

Ah thanks. I was thinking of getting one in the meantime and later using it as a PhysX card but I'll just get the cheapest thing I can find that will let me use my PC for now. Wait to see what the 6000 series offers. Even with all the sweet Fermi deals the only viable one is the 460 since the other ones turn your case into furnaces and thats a no go when your ambient temps are 90F (32C) and up.
 
hey there yukons...any fine mobile laptops available in Boston for rougly 700$? HD playback and games would be nice.

I dunno where exactly to look for that kind of money, though I believe that AMD is the cheapest for the buck. Does AMD still have heat problems on laptops as the old Turions have for example?

stealth: is this one good for the buck? http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+Pavilion+Laptop+/+AMD+Phenom%26%23153%3B+II+Processor+/+17.3%22+Display+/+4GB+Memory+/+500GB+Hard+Drive+-+Brushed+Aluminum/9979217.p?id=1218204944141&skuId=9979217
 
Received my monitor, case and HDD today, the pieces are coming slowly together. Sucks that monday is holiday in canada, i guess i'll have it complete by next weekend.
 
Are there any gpu temperature monitoring programs similar to core temp that will keep track of highs and lows while I run it in the background or is gpu-z my best option with its "save log" button?
 
dorkimoe said:
I need people to pick me out the following

Great graphics card (i have a 4850 which has worked wonders for me but probably need an upgrade)
Case
Memory-DDR3
Heatsink


This is the mobo/processor I plan on getting. Feel free to change if you see fit. Trying to stay at 1000.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128405&Tpk=p55m-ud2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115214
Click to expand...

This combo for $379 has the non-micro atx version of that mobo with USB 3.0, a great case (CM 690 II), and the i5-760 which almost matches the i7-860 in benches despite the $80 price difference.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.500724
 
Outdoor Miner said:
This combo for $379 has the non-micro atx version of that mobo with USB 3.0, a great case (CM 690 II), and the i5-760 which almost matches the i7-860 in benches despite the $80 price difference.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.500724
Click to expand...

ahh thats the board i was looking for thank you. I may stick with the i7 and that board. Insurance is paying for this so $80 oh well (well im gonna price them both out and see what happens). Got some DDR3 ram selected.

and ironically enough that case was picked out for me by someone else, so that case is the keeper.

Only thing i need now is a heatsink and graphics card. Whats the hot card now? (that is under 300)

how is this card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125333
 
As an update to my post about the Sapphire Vapor X 5870.

Few hours of playing FFXIV beta I had to open up the case to visually make sure the fan wasn't just broken, it was that quiet.

sidenote: Any problems the ATI cards were having with FFXIV in the past seem to have been worked out. It's running fine for me.
 
bqQ4x.jpg


only thing i want to change is the graphics card

i want ati but the 5870 is to much, is the 5850 decent?
 
Still looking to build a pc. I was looking at NCIX.ca and found this. Is this deal worth it or is that just to much ram? I was thinking of getting this with the following.

MSI GeForce GTX 460 Fermi Cyclone OC 725MHZ 1024MB GDDR5
Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB
 
Salaadin said:
Are there any gpu temperature monitoring programs similar to core temp that will keep track of highs and lows while I run it in the background or is gpu-z my best option with its "save log" button?
Click to expand...

While it doesn't keep an actual log MSI Afterburner will keep track of your maximum and minimum temperatures for as long as its open along with your clock and fan speeds.
 
I'm getting really damn close to building a PC for between 500 and 600 dollars but I have one component left. Since I'm a student I can get Windows 7 Professional Upgrade for $30. But where the hell am I gonna get a copy of XP or Vista 64-bit? I have a disc of Windows XP but I'm not sure if I can install it in 64-bit mode. Can I use that?
 
Hey guys just got my rig.

Is there a good program that monitor everything? Fan speed? Temp of different things?

I looked at the MSI Afterburner and seems for gpu's only?

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.
 
ChoklitReign said:
I'm getting really damn close to building a PC for between 500 and 600 dollars but I have one component left. Since I'm a student I can get Windows 7 Professional Upgrade for $30. But where the hell am I gonna get a copy of XP or Vista 64-bit? I have a disc of Windows XP but I'm not sure if I can install it in 64-bit mode. Can I use that?
Click to expand...
Hey Choklit, you can do clean installs with Win7 upgrade media. I pre-ordered win7 home premium, back when it was dirt cheap and did a clean install with that.
When it asks you for the key during installation, just skip that part and authenticate windows after completing first run setup.

EDIT: Upgrade versions have both 32-bit and 64-bit versions included. Unless you buy the OEM kits.
 
Is it a smart idea to run my CPU Fan on SmartGuard through SpeedFan? I just can't stand the noise when all I'm doing is idling, but it worries me to see the fan dropping down to 600RPM. It'll jump up to 1100 (average) on load and doesn't let the CPU get any higher than 50C through the torture test provided by Prime95, but should the Fan ever dip below the speed stated on the box (in this case 800-2200RPM).
 
Okay, so I was trying desperately to not buy an i7 for about one year now. But the sale on the i7 950 for 259.99 at Frys today finally broke me. I bought the i7 950, an MSI Big Bang X-Power, and 6GB of Corsair XMS3 1600 DDR3 cas7. Also, bought a second Thermalright 120 Extreme and some scythe s-flex 1200 rpm fans to replace the stock case fans I've been using since I built the below comp in late 07 (some things like the gpu and ssd were added later of course). I don't really plan to overclock the new cpu, so hopefully it's worth the money to upgrade. I think this will be a good stop-gap for me until LGA 2011 is out and reasonably mature. It was under 900 and I usually budget 2.5k for computer upgrades so I hope I don't regret it, lol. I really wanted a 5870, but I think I will wait for the next round of GPUs before upgrading that. I promised myself I would skip a GPU cycle if I bought top of the line last time. It pains me that I can't build it until Tuesday. Ordered everything but the cpu online :(.

Old PC:
Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 9x333 (3GHZ) @ stock voltage
ASUS Maximus Formula LGA 775
4GB Corsair XMS2 1066 DDR2 cas5
X-25M 80GB SSD
640GB/32MB Western Digital HDD
EVGA GTX 280
Auzentech Bravura w/ aftermarket amps
Antec Signature 850W PSU
Silverstone TJ-10S Case
3007WFP-HC + i1 LT (no pixel issues, it was a miracle!)
Audio Engine A5s + S8
Sennheiser HD-595s
 
It was chilly in my room, so for shits and giggles I checked my temps.

CPU was 20 C at idle, 29 under load. :lol I should keep my window open all winter.
 
kbzhuv.jpg


Almost everything I need, soon I will have a PC for the first time in a while. No GTX 460 makes me sad. But I will get it next week! I guess I actually can start putting everything together though.
 
I'm still looking for a CPU heatsink. Mugen 2 is sold out everywhere. There's a post a few pages back where someone told me that the heatsink/fan that comes bundled with my i5 should be enough if don't do any OC - which I won't, at least not right now. Any more opinions in regard to that?
 
Midas said:
I'm still looking for a CPU heatsink. Mugen 2 is sold out everywhere. There's a post a few pages back where someone told me that the heatsink/fan that comes bundled with my i5 should be enough if don't do any OC - which I won't, at least not right now. Any more opinions in regard to that?
Click to expand...
Why would Intel bundle CPUs with HSFs that can't cool the CPU in question?
 
abq said:
Why would Intel bundle CPUs with HSFs that can't cool the CPU in question?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I said the same thing. :)

But, as always, there's a but... I mean, will it cool it enough during intense and long periods of usage and such. Of course they test it, but people always have different opinions.
 
Midas said:
Yeah, I said the same thing. :)

But, as always, there's a but... I mean, will it cool it enough during intense and long periods of usage and such. Of course they test it, but people always have different opinions.
Click to expand...


:P

No opinions, no buts. Just some common sense, friend.

There are hundreds of thousands of PCs being sold that have i5 stock HSFs. Don't you think, maaaaybe we'd have heard of a few cases where folks PCs are blowing up after a certain time being on (under load)?

C'mon man.


You'll be fine.
 
Unless your PC will be standing next to a furnace or something you should be fine with the stock cooling Intel provides. If you want to OC sometime later you could of course invest in a decent heatsink already, but it's not a must now. Noise might be a reason to look for an alternative already, but I don't know how loud the stock fan gets and how important that is to you.
 
Rufus said:
It's very likely that your graphics card will be much louder. :lol
Click to expand...

Just crossed my mind. :lol

I have three HDD's. Is it wise to have some distance between them? I'm thinking about heat and vibrations and such. Two regular and one SSD should be stated.
 
Any advice on good PC speakers, not too costly? I would aim at around 100$

doesnt have to be 5.1, in fact i dont think i'll be able to have 5.1 in the room for now, i have seinheiser HD555 for headphones, i would like something that packs a punch, be it 2.0 or 2.1
 
Question...How often should I clean the dust out of my pc? and..what should I use to clean it out?

My case is the Antec 300, so it has a lot of opening for dust to get in.
 
Buggy Loop said:
Any advice on good PC speakers, not too costly? I would aim at around 100$

doesnt have to be 5.1, in fact i dont think i'll be able to have 5.1 in the room for now, i have seinheiser HD555 for headphones, i would like something that packs a punch, be it 2.0 or 2.1
Click to expand...

These things are amazing for the price (might be too cheap for you)
I am shocked how good they sound for $30, and you can crank them up pretty load.

Although, if I had the extra cash I would buy these for $130.
 
Buggy Loop said:
Any advice on good PC speakers, not too costly? I would aim at around 100$

doesnt have to be 5.1, in fact i dont think i'll be able to have 5.1 in the room for now, i have seinheiser HD555 for headphones, i would like something that packs a punch, be it 2.0 or 2.1
Click to expand...
You're in a lot of luck.
http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2214768

They're a favorite among a lot of music fans, regular price if $150 and they haven't been this low in a long time. Ignore the above post (no offense man).


BrassMonkey1010 said:
Question...How often should I clean the dust out of my pc? and..what should I use to clean it out?

My case is the Antec 300, so it has a lot of opening for dust to get in.
Click to expand...
Compressed air. But I thought the Antec 300, 900, and 1200 had dust filters?
 
So, I've begun and the questions will come.

The stock fan looks like this, except it seems like there's some copper on it, but that gray thing - thermal paste? I shouldn't add any more than that?

24mwbko.jpg
 
Midas said:
So, I've begun and the questions will come.

The stock fan looks like this, except it seems like there's some copper on it, but that gray thing - thermal paste? I shouldn't add any more than that?

24mwbko.jpg
Click to expand...


Yes, that's the stock thermal paste and is enough for normal use. If you're thinking of OCing you'd want to get a better cooler anyways. but if not that will work fine. The Intel stock coolers are actually pretty good.
 
MysticX said:
hey there yukons...any fine mobile laptops available in Boston for rougly 700$? HD playback and games would be nice.

I dunno where exactly to look for that kind of money, though I believe that AMD is the cheapest for the buck. Does AMD still have heat problems on laptops as the old Turions have for example?

stealth: is this one good for the buck? http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+Pavilion+Laptop+/+AMD+Phenom%26%23153%3B+II+Processor+/+17.3%22+Display+/+4GB+Memory+/+500GB+Hard+Drive+-+Brushed+Aluminum/9979217.p?id=1218204944141&skuId=9979217
Click to expand...
Any reason you can't buy online?

Newegg has much better machines, for the same price.
 
Darkatomz said:
You're in a lot of luck.
http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2214768

They're a favorite among a lot of music fans, regular price if $150 and they haven't been this low in a long time. Ignore the above post (no offense man).
Click to expand...

I have the AV40s, and I like em a lot.



Alright, so my brother's looking to jump in the pc gaming wagon. He's going to be playing primarily on a 720p HDTV

So far he has:

Antec 300
Samsung F3 1gb
5770 (he's buying mine for 100)

and here's what we're looking at ordering


152mebs.jpg


with a Coolmaster Hyper 212 from amazon.

Any glaring mistakes? I'm most hesitant about the Motherboard as I'm not quite up to date on all the usb3/sata3 stuff.
 
Midas said:
Just crossed my mind. :lol

I have three HDD's. Is it wise to have some distance between them? I'm thinking about heat and vibrations and such. Two regular and one SSD should be stated.
Click to expand...

Most cases will provide sufficient spacing between HDDs, are they 7200rpm drives? Since you already have an SSD for an OS drive (i presume) 5400rpm drives would be ideal if you're worried about noise. In my main rig, I've got a corsair h50 to keep my CPU silent, I've got a low end amd770 which is a chipset with a fairly low TDP, I've got a arctic cooling accelero xtreme 5870 to keep my videocard silent, and then for hard drives i've got an SSD for an OS drive, and then two WD green drives for media and games so I don't have to hear any HDD noises (which is by far the most annoying sound in a computer as far as i'm concerned). All of this is hooked up to a corsair TX750W which is almost silent. With my computer on the floor and blocked off by the side of my wooden desk, I can never hear my computer even when playing graphically intense games. :)

Boonoo said:
Any glaring mistakes? I'm most hesitant about the Motherboard as I'm not quite up to date on all the usb3/sata3 stuff.
Click to expand...

Yeah, everything looks pretty solid. That power supply does look a little expensive though, as I can usually get a TX750W for that price, not that he'd need any more power, but hey.
 
Nos_G said:
Hey Choklit, you can do clean installs with Win7 upgrade media. I pre-ordered win7 home premium, back when it was dirt cheap and did a clean install with that.
When it asks you for the key during installation, just skip that part and authenticate windows after completing first run setup.

EDIT: Upgrade versions have both 32-bit and 64-bit versions included. Unless you buy the OEM kits.
Click to expand...
That's good to know but I'll be downloading it from Microsoft's site; it's not a disc. Do you know what file type it is and if I can boot it from a USB drive?
 
K.Jack said:
Any reason you can't buy online?

Newegg has much better machines, for the same price.
Click to expand...

this is for my cousin as his girlfriends parents are going to Boston, so it has to be a physical store :(, I know it sucks.
 
DrForester said:
As an update to my post about the Sapphire Vapor X 5870.

Few hours of playing FFXIV beta I had to open up the case to visually make sure the fan wasn't just broken, it was that quiet.

sidenote: Any problems the ATI cards were having with FFXIV in the past seem to have been worked out. It's running fine for me.
Click to expand...
I do not notice any real difference from phase 3 because the frame rate still chugs in town.
 
ChoklitReign said:
That's good to know but I'll be downloading it from Microsoft's site; it's not a disc. Do you know what file type it is and if I can boot it from a USB drive?
Click to expand...

Thats fine. I did the exact same thing and installed it fresh on the desktop i built late last year.
Theres a way to extract the files and burn them to a disc..
You'll have to search for it, i don't remember where i found out how.
 
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