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"I need a new PC!" 2010 Edition

evil solrac v3.0 said:
don't know if this has been posted but...
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A couple of times yeah, and I think the latest rumour is the Barts cards will be named 6850/6870 instead of 6750/6770. Someone should make a 6xxx pre launch rumours thread. I think we find out stuff next week anyway.

rocK` said:
ASUS P7H55D-M EVO LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard <-- REPLACE THIS
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Why don't you just search Newegg for 1156 Micro ATX boards and pick one you like? I'm sure there are heaps.
 
NarcissisticJay said:
They are all worse than even the most basic wired KB&M.

You must play mostly single player..

Edit: Yep, lol
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i play mostly starcraft online with the kb and m, a 360 pad for everything else

so pc gaming to you must be online fps' only?

im guessing the dude wants a wireless k and m, suggesting that he switch to wired because he'll be slightly gimped online in fps' probably isnt going to change his mind.
 
Fredescu said:
More through bad luck than bad judgment I'd say. This one has similar features to yours, but nothings to say you won't have bad luck with it too: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128429
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Sure, but there are a few things that just were off, I'm not sure if you're aware of the MEMOK function, but essentially -- it forced me to open my case every time it felt the RAM was 'recently installed' to correct timings/voltage. Pain in the ass.
 
It's not dodgy RAM causing it to think that? BIOS up to date etc? I'm guessing if you've got an RMA for the board once you've gone through most of the troubleshooting.
 
rocK` said:
Sure, but there are a few things that just were off, I'm not sure if you're aware of the MEMOK function, but essentially -- it forced me to open my case every time it felt the RAM was 'recently installed' to correct timings/voltage. Pain in the ass.
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Have you run any tests on your system yet?

I'd suggest updating your motherboard BIOS and manually setting RAM voltage and timing if you haven't for starters.
 
Hazaro said:
Have you run any tests on your system yet?

I'd suggest updating your motherboard BIOS and manually setting RAM voltage and timing if you haven't for starters.
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I'd love to enter BIOS. I can't even POST, it keeps mem cycling on a compatible and working (tested on another machine) RAM.

Either way, I'm done with that ish, looking into a replacement. That Gigabyte mobo got some harsh reviews..
 
So let's say I'm going to forgo building my own rig due to being way too busy and a complete newb at the process. I figure that leaves me with 2 options.

1. Order all the parts I want and then have a nearby PC shop build it for me.
2. Order a prebuilt.

As for the prebuilt, I've been looking around and have seen the Gateway FX6803-25 pop up quite a bit. I'm not quite sure how I feel about the case, but it has gotten largely positive feedback.

I know I want something with a core i5/7 and a rock solid graphics card, with 64bit Win 7 and a hefty amount of Ram (lets say 8 gigs) but other than that, I don't see many computers that meet that perfect combo of price, specs, and case design - as well as strong feedback. The Gateway seems to be about the best fit I've seen so far.

So is there any prebuilt currently on the market that GAF particularly recommends or would option 1 be my best bet?

Also, My current Dell XPS did me proud for the past 3 years until the HDD pooped out on me last week, so I'm looking to avoid that problem this time around. I'm thinking an SSD for the boot device and then a big sata for all the data storage. Has anyone else tried this method or is that not really doable?
 
That table indicates that the 6770 is a little bit slower than the 5870. That sounds about right, the x7xx of a new Radeon generation is generally just below equivalent to the x8xx of the last one.
 
I got 460 at the end, figured out not bad for the future plus CUDA is big plus... but I am severly limited by E5200 and 3.3Ghz... I didnt think it would be THAT limiting.

So now what to get? I dont want to spend too much money... maybe X4? This is afterall intended as HTPC, so I want mobo with some fan regulation, and that gets expensive in Intel world.
 
rocK` said:
I'd love to enter BIOS. I can't even POST, it keeps mem cycling on a compatible and working (tested on another machine) RAM.

Either way, I'm done with that ish, looking into a replacement. That Gigabyte mobo got some harsh reviews..
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Does resetting the BIOS help? Should be in the manual. Also try booting with 1 stick / different slots if you haven't.
Kodiak said:
About 65 bucks.
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Bah, you have an hour to spend. That's less time than it'll take to drive and carry everything and go back to the PC place.

Just give it a shot putting it together :p
spwolf said:
I got 460 at the end, figured out not bad for the future plus CUDA is big plus... but I am severly limited by E5200 and 3.3Ghz... I didnt think it would be THAT limiting.

So now what to get? I dont want to spend too much money... maybe X4? This is afterall intended as HTPC, so I want mobo with some fan regulation, and that gets expensive in Intel world.
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What is limiting? Otherwise cheapo upgrade option is the x4 635 + OC, next is 955 + OC, then i5 + OC.

What are you playing that needs the extra CPU juice?
 
Heck, it only takes 15 minutes to build the damn thing unless you're mounting a custom cooler. It's the OS install that takes the real time.
 
Had a scare with my PC.

Did some cable management, and upon trying to boot up "NTLDR NOT FOUND PRESS CTRL ALT DEL TO RESTART". A quick google later and apparently it was with my boot order?

I was positive I hooked everything up to the same ports, in regards to drives, but I guess not.

Upon cleaning my self up, and changing my pants :lol I changed the boot order from nothing then my C drive to... my C drive.

I'm 110% positive everything was back in the same spots though.


Also: I have 2 of these fans http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?product_id=2916

And depending on which fan header they're plugged into they're either quiet or LOUD. Also, one fan header short on hooking them all up.

Would something like this be a good idea, or some other fan management system be better, or do the same job cheaper? http://www.nzxt.com/new/products/fan_control/sentry_lxe

My PC is running REALLY cool, and I imagine having the fans run a little quieter wouldn't do much harm. CPU sits at 45-50 under full load from Prime95.
 
Danthrax said:
Alright, thank you.
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Parts selection for users is something very open and in most cases someone can change every part with something else that is decent and their build will be just fine for what they want.

I'm very keen on not speaking in absolutes, but getting a dual core intel vs a quad right now is one of them.
The reason is because the speed/price differential does not outweigh the fact that is has twice the cores and multi threading is actually taking place finally. A lot of users 2 years ago were deciding between the E8400 / Q6600 and surprisingly enough the quad back then is still holding up since it has those extra cores (average OC of 3.2 vs 3.8).
WEGGLES said:
Also: I have 2 of these fans http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?product_id=2916

And depending on which fan header they're plugged into they're either quiet or LOUD. Also, one fan header short on hooking them all up.

Would something like this be a good idea, or some other fan management system be better, or do the same job cheaper? http://www.nzxt.com/new/products/fan_control/sentry_lxe

My PC is running REALLY cool, and I imagine having the fans run a little quieter wouldn't do much harm. CPU sits at 45-50 under full load from Prime95.
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Sounds weird. They are only attached to a 3 pin connector?
Your motherboard might also be controlling certain 3 pins, you can check in your BIOS options or try using Speedfan to control them.

If you think that they are loud at that CFM and dBa you might want some real low speed fancy fluid bearing fans or something. $60 fan controller seems like a waste to me.
 
Hazaro said:
OC is cake. There's like 20 guide out there for i5. No one has pointed me in a direction to a solid one yet though, most from major sites are from product launch and I haven't seen a good forum guide yet.

I bet XtremeHardware has a good one up though. That said you can expect 3.8-4.0Ghz usually. 4.2 as well, above that you need a great chip or some nice cooling.
You'd probably settle for whatever clocks you can get a a decent voltage, that is largely up to what chip you ahve.
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wow, good to know - that's more speed than i was expecting. you think its worth it, ordering 4GB of corsair dominator RAM vs "corsair or major brand"? $34 difference, i read on overclockers a few dudes recommended that brand/type specifically, not sure if its a big factor or not.
 
Hazaro said:
Sounds weird. They are only attached to a 3 pin connector?
Your motherboard might also be controlling certain 3 pins, you can check in your BIOS options or try using Speedfan to control them.

If you think that they are loud at that CFM and dBa you might want some real low speed fancy fluid bearing fans or something. $60 fan controller seems like a waste to me.
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If it's hooked up to PWRFAN it's hair dryer loud.But SYSFAN3 is more "annoying during quiet parts in songs and games" loud. (Sysfan3 is 4 pin, pwr fan is 3 pin)

How do you use SpeedFan to control them? I hit automatic fan speed, but toggling that does noting.

The fans seem to just drone constantly, regardless of if the system is under load or idle.
 
Hazaro said:
What are you playing that needs the extra CPU juice?
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F1 at 720p is jerky, I have to put it to mid and even some settings on low to be "smooth" 20fps... even PES is jerky... I get 13000 in 3DMark06 with ocd 460.
 
Anyone here familiar with RAID 0? I ordered another 1TB Samsung F3 since it was on sale and I'm debating taking it & my current drive and putting them in RAID 0... but I'm a total newbie to raid :|
 
IrishNinja said:
wow, good to know - that's more speed than i was expecting. you think its worth it, ordering 4GB of corsair dominator RAM vs "corsair or major brand"? $34 difference, i read on overclockers a few dudes recommended that brand/type specifically, not sure if its a big factor or not.
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Not worth it. RAM is RAM.
Some 1333 Corsair XMS3 sticks are on newegg for $70 which is a really nice deal. FSB speed is at 133-160MHz in most cases so RAM speed is not as important, but rather speed/timings. Very negligible either way.
WEGGLES said:
If it's hooked up to PWRFAN it's hair dryer loud.But SYSFAN3 is more "annoying during quiet parts in songs and games" loud. (Sysfan3 is 4 pin, pwr fan is 3 pin)

How do you use SpeedFan to control them? I hit automatic fan speed, but toggling that does noting.

The fans seem to just drone constantly, regardless of if the system is under load or idle.
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Speedfan should let you control each fan?

You might want to buy a fan controller if it does annoy you, but keep in mind that some fans will hum when they run slower. The only thing I can think of is that your spare 4/8 pin power connector is not plugged in, but you'd likely be having other problems if that was unplugged.
spwolf said:
F1 at 720p is jerky, I have to put it to mid and even some settings on low to be "smooth" 20fps... even PES is jerky... I get 13000 in 3DMark06 with ocd 460.
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Hmm, can't think right now but that doesn't seem right. The game performance I mean.
Mairu said:
Anyone here familiar with RAID 0? I ordered another 1TB Samsung F3 since it was on sale and I'm debating taking it & my current drive and putting them in RAID 0... but I'm a total newbie to raid :|
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I don't think RAID 0 has a place on the desktop unless it is with SSD's.

Just buy a cheap SSD if you want the speed.
 
Is the 768MB version of the 460GTX worth it for $~60 less than the 1GB? I know there has been a lot of debate and Brain Stew around here seemed pretty vehemently against the 768MB version but really... at least 20% cheaper (more often 30%) is a lot.

It was on sale this week (sold out now but I imagine it will be on sale again) for $150 and I almost bit. My 8800GT needs an upgrade but I don't want to pay $200+ for the 1GB version...

Also, should I keep the 8800 when I upgrade? Can I use it SLi or anything like that? My mobo+processor are gonna get a bump around X-Mas so I might get an SLi enabled board if that's the case.
 
sikkinixx said:
Is the 768MB version of the 460GTX worth it for $~60 less than the 1GB? I know there has been a lot of debate and Brain Stew around here seemed pretty vehemently against the 768MB version but really... at least 20% cheaper (more often 30%) is a lot.

It was on sale this week (sold out now but I imagine it will be on sale again) for $150 and I almost bit. My 8800GT needs an upgrade but I don't want to pay $200+ for the 1GB version...

Also, should I keep the 8800 when I upgrade? Can I use it SLi or anything like that? My mobo+processor are gonna get a bump around X-Mas so I might get an SLi enabled board if that's the case.
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For $140 the 768MB version is a fantastic upgrade and value.
The 1GB has seen some sales, but with a $60 price difference on sale I say that the 768MB version is justifiable. When it was $200 vs $230 the 1GB was the no brainer. Now it is different.

You can't SLi a 8800 + 460, but you can keep the 8800 as a physX card if you want. It'll eat power and heat your system so I'd personally sell it for $50 or so.
 
Hazaro said:
For $140 the 768MB version is a fantastic upgrade and value.
The 1GB has seen some sales, but with a $60 price difference on sale I say that the 768MB version is justifiable. When it was $200 vs $230 the 1GB was the no brainer. Now it is different.

You can't SLi a 8800 + 460, but you can keep the 8800 as a physX card if you want. It'll eat power and heat your system so I'd personally sell it for $50 or so.
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Groovy, thanks duder. I'll keep that in mind while I'm looking.

Maybe I'll keep the 8800 for another PC :lol Once I replace that along with the CPU/Mobo, I don't need a hell of a lot to slap together something.
 
So when exactly do you need a CPU cooler?

Like if I planned to buy a Phenom II X4 965 and didn't really plan on overclocking it, would I need a cooler? Or does it depend on the case and heat inside it?
 
Posting from my new rig, which I just finished putting together a few minutes ago. Woohoo!

Anyway, a couple of questions:

-Is there any negative to having my SATA I DVD drive and my SATA II hard drive hooked up to my SATA 6.0 G/s ports? I don't have anything that currently takes advantage of it (at least I assume I don't), so it's not like they are potentially blocking anything else.

-Upon startup I've been getting a "CPU fan error" despite the fact that the fan on my 3rd party CPU cooler is running. I have that fan hooked up to a different power port than the one my motherboard defines as the CPU fan power connection (which is empty) because the other connection area is more convenient. Is it safe to assume this is what is causing the error and nothing is wrong with my CPU fan? If I can simply disable the warning in BIOS, would it be safe to proceed as is?
 
BigAT said:
Posting from my new rig, which I just finished putting together a few minutes ago. Woohoo!

Anyway, a couple of questions:

-Is there any negative to having my SATA I DVD drive and my SATA II hard drive hooked up to my SATA 6.0 G/s ports? I don't have anything that currently takes advantage of it (at least I assume I don't), so it's not like they are potentially blocking anything else.

-Upon startup I've been getting a "CPU fan error" despite the fact that the fan on my 3rd party CPU cooler is running. I have that fan hooked up to a different power port than the one my motherboard defines as the CPU fan power connection (which is empty) because the other connection area is more convenient. Is it safe to assume this is what is causing the error and nothing is wrong with my CPU fan? If I can simply disable the warning in BIOS, would it be safe to proceed as is?
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Just plug it into the actual cpu fan port on the mobo, thats why you recieve that message. I'm sure it would be fine either way just figured to get rid of that error, your cpu fan is fine
 
ZZMitch said:
You could try NCIXUS, they will build your PC for 50$ and do stuff like install the OS etc...

I am having mine built by them right now.
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their prices may not be as good as newegg/microcenter at times
 
Grimm Fandango said:
So when exactly do you need a CPU cooler?

Like if I planned to buy a Phenom II X4 965 and didn't really plan on overclocking it, would I need a cooler? Or does it depend on the case and heat inside it?
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For most people in normal cases you don't need an aftermarket cooler.

Also everyone should overclock, so your point is invalid. It's a free speed boost!
Buy a 955 instead, save some $.
BigAT said:
Posting from my new rig, which I just finished putting together a few minutes ago. Woohoo!

Anyway, a couple of questions:

-Is there any negative to having my SATA I DVD drive and my SATA II hard drive hooked up to my SATA 6.0 G/s ports? I don't have anything that currently takes advantage of it (at least I assume I don't), so it's not like they are potentially blocking anything else.

-Upon startup I've been getting a "CPU fan error" despite the fact that the fan on my 3rd party CPU cooler is running. I have that fan hooked up to a different power port than the one my motherboard defines as the CPU fan power connection (which is empty) because the other connection area is more convenient. Is it safe to assume this is what is causing the error and nothing is wrong with my CPU fan? If I can simply disable the warning in BIOS, would it be safe to proceed as is?
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1) Pics!
2) New SATA ports are just faster. So no worry
3) I'd plug it into the CPU_FAN. If it reaches at least. I don't think anything would be an issue if you just have it in a PWR_FAN, but it just seems like one of those things you should do. Some mobos by default will have a variable fan speed for CPU so underload it will turn up CPU fan speed, or for example if it got way too hot for some reason and it needed to thottle the speed it would crank the fan up as well.

A PWR_FAN should run at 100% anyway, so if the sounds doesn't bother you it should be ok (if you can disable it).
ZZMitch said:
Yeah that is probably true. When I bought mine there was a sale going on so I got some good deals.
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Some people can dodge taxes though!
 
Hazaro said:
Speedfan should let you control each fan?

You might want to buy a fan controller if it does annoy you, but keep in mind that some fans will hum when they run slower. The only thing I can think of is that your spare 4/8 pin power connector is not plugged in, but you'd likely be having other problems if that was unplugged.
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Where do you go to control the fans though? :lol I can't seem to find it.

And the 4/8 pin connector your referring to is the one in the upper left near the Inputs/outputs? if so I've got those hooked up fine.
 
Hey everyone, I'm about to pull the trigger on my monitor. I've decided I want to stick to a 24" display. I don't watch movies on my PC, so 16:9 aspect ratio means little to me, and I prefer the 16:10 aspect ratio for document work. Pretty much all of the 27" monitors are 16:9, I have to move up to a 30" monitor to find something that's 16:10 and I feel that's just going to be too big for my desk and my workspace.

I was considering the Dell U2410 and the HP ZR24W. I'm going to go with the HP ZR24W after reading up on it. There just seems to be a great deal of variation in the U2410 and a rather high risk of panel non-uniformity (with Dell not accepting displays back for exchanges due to this issue anymore since they say it's "within spec"), as well as the problems introduced by its wide-gamut panel.
Since photography is one of my major uses I think the strictly sRGB colorspace gamut of the ZR24W will serve me better since the printer I use has all sRGB equipment, and I work with my photos in sRGB.

I think I'd like to buy through Amazon. I can find it cheaper elsewhere, but am unsure about the reputation and/or customer service of some of those places (MacMall mainly, I know they used to be good, as I've ordered from them before, but did some searching and they seem to have gone downhill). Anyway, if I buy the monitor through Amazon can I still return it to HP if there are problems? I just can't find Amazon listed as a reseller on the HP site anywhere - it would be odd if Amazon would be an issue though. I'm assuming it would just be like any other warranty claim through the manufacturer.
 
so i've been getting concerned about my graphics card getting too hot but i cant figure out what is wrong with it

until now i didnt even have any case fans, which might sound stupid but the cpu was running nice and cool anyway and the gpu seemed alright too.

recently though its been freezing with patterns on the screen (only twice so far though) when playing games and the gpu fan gets super loud

it idles at 47C, and i tested it with furmark and it was getting up to about 74C and staying there.

i added a case fan and another PAIR of fans to put below the gpu, and that seems to have made very little difference, it will max out at 71 or 72 rather than 74, but the fan on the card is still super loud and it goes up to about 80% speed.

i tried taking the card apart to check if it was full of dust and all it looks clean.

the only thing left i can think of is to re apply the thermal paste (i'm guessing i shouldnt have taken it apart because that messes with the paste but i wanted to see what was up with it)

i dunno maybe that kind of temperature is normal but reading around a lot of people say theirs goes up to 60C at full load and the fan only gets up to 50%, so even if it is ok i'd kind of like to get the fan speed down...

i have a feeling it wasnt like this before because the fan is super loud and i would of noticed, but i havent played games on it for a while.
 
So whats the smallest case I could fit a 460/5850 in with either a i5 or amd quad/hex proc?

Trying to build the smallest/yet powerful pc for gaming on my TV.
 
Finally got my 760 back from Intel. Been very nice catching up on games.

Be this a lesson to you people; CAREFUL where you put your standoffs. They'll fuck shit up.
 
Atomski said:
Alright I am looking to upgrade my pc but its been a good while and am clueless about what to get.

I am trying to get the biggest bang for my buck. Does this seem decent for the price?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133344

Otherwise if anyone has seen any deals that would be awesome.
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I think you'd need to post what you currently have to make that judgement. Depending on your CPU you may not get much out of a 465.
 
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