Support NeoGAF

[Sanjay]

I see, thanks for the reply. So try to keep voltages as low as possible and maintain a stable system. I'll try to post my current voltage list here and see what you guys think.
Also, my corsair 850HX PSU definitely is dead(rma'd). Tried reconnecting it again and no go; lucky I have a 650TX backup for now.

Try this method, best way to see if it works or not
http://forum.corsair.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63991

 

[RedSwirl]

I don't know if I've already posted my issue in this version of the thread, but are these threads okay for asking about partial upgrades too?

I'm trying to figure out when I should try to upgrade my 2007 desktop so I can ride it out for maybe another 18 months.

My current system is as follows:
Store-Bought Dell XPS 420
Core 2 Quad 2.4GHz
3GB RAM
GeForce 8800GT (512MB RAM)
1440 x 900 screen
Widows Vista 32bit

I'm trying to upgrade the monitor to 1920 x 1200 (or 1080 if I have to settle for that) as well as the GPU. The most intense games I plan to run are Crysis 2 and The Witcher 2. What do you guys think I should upgrade to and when?

Would the GTX 460 do the job? I saw one of those at Best Buy for $299 with 1GB of VRAM. How important is a gig of VRAM versus 512 or 768MB?

If I upgrade the GPU, will I have to worry about it being a different physical size and not fitting in my current casing? Will I have to worry about increased heat generation or power consumption?

Finally, should I go ahead and go through with the upgrade this fall or wait until next spring when we know the system requirements of the aforementioned games? How much could prices conceivably go down by March?

 

[Kaako]

Try this method, best way to see if it works or not
http://forum.corsair.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63991

Thanks. Tried that earlier today and no luck. Already RMA'd and another one is on the way. I hope the new one runs like it should.

 

[crisdecuba]

Hey guys - quick HDD question. It's been hard to find a clear answer online.

Is there any disadvantage or advantage to having large (1TB) drives where you don't use a lot of it? For example, is there any difference between having a 250GB boot drive vs. a 1TB boot drive? Or in a RAID0 array, is there a difference with having two 500GB hard drives vs. two 1TB hard drives? I read that drives start to slow down as it fills up.

 

[BigBlackGamer]

I was getting crashes in flash with the 10.10 catalyst drivers. back to 10.9

 

[Lasthope106]

I don't know if I've already posted my issue in this version of the thread, but are these threads okay for asking about partial upgrades too?

I'm trying to figure out when I should try to upgrade my 2007 desktop so I can ride it out for maybe another 18 months.

My current system is as follows:
Store-Bought Dell XPS 420
Core 2 Quad 2.4GHz
3GB RAM
GeForce 8800GT (512MB RAM)
1440 x 900 screen
Widows Vista 32bit

I'm trying to upgrade the monitor to 1920 x 1200 (or 1080 if I have to settle for that) as well as the GPU. The most intense games I plan to run are Crysis 2 and The Witcher 2. What do you guys think I should upgrade to and when?

I find myself in the same predicament. Your rig's specs are very close to mine and as great as the 8800GT was, it's already starting to show its age. There are quite a few games where I can't have everything maxed out at 1440x900 resolution.

Would the GTX 460 do the job? I saw one of those at Best Buy for $299 with 1GB of VRAM. How important is a gig of VRAM versus 512 or 768MB?

The ATI 6850 just came out a few days ago and it's a better value than a stock 460. If you like nvidia, get the overclocked version of the 460. Also, you can get the 1 gig card for about $200 at newegg.com, so forget about buying anything at Best Buy.

Finally, should I go ahead and go through with the upgrade this fall or wait until next spring when we know the system requirements of the aforementioned games? How much could prices conceivably go down by March?

I'm thinking about waiting till The Witcher 2 is released to upgrade. When the game comes out, I expect it to be the most demanding pc game in terms of graphics. If the current generation of cards are able to run the game well, then we will get the benefit of upgrading at a lower cost next year.

 

[IrishNinja]

The ATI 6850 just came out a few days ago and it's a better value than a stock 460. If you like nvidia, get the overclocked version of the 460. Also, you can get the 1 gig card for about $200 at newegg.com, so forget about buying anything at Best Buy.

guess that answers that...so uh, when you say value, is that performance (graphics) or power as well? trying to minimize heat for a SFF case.
also: congrats Milpool!

 

[Aeana]

Got my PC parts in and put it together. Everything seems to be working fine, ran memtest and such with no issues. I haven't done much with it just yet besides run the FF14 benchmark, which ran pretty well - I got a 3497 apparently. Currently downloading stuff on Steam to try out. Thanks again for the help, everyone.

 

[dragonlife]

So, reading this thread, reviews on newegg and such, I've gotten a little better at understanding computer parts. Nothing too intimate, mind you, but I went to Fry's yesterday and I felt like a kid in a candy store :lol I was thinking, "OMG, I understand some of these things and what they do! I can't wait to learn more...and have a job to buy this stuff!"

Anyway, I felt like making a build for myself after realizing Hazaro's help was lost on me (prices were raised, combos were lost, items were out of stock, etc) 'cause I'm one of the people that didn't plan on getting anything for a few months. Sorry about that I've saved your pics for reference and all that, though, and I actually feel like I learned from you so that counts for something, right?

Main point: Are these parts compatible with each other? (It's a budget rig)

I was so heartbroken when I decided to add everything to the cart just to see how much it'd be in total...only to find out that it was over $70 alone in taxes and shipping I decided that, in order to save money, I'd just use my current desktop's DVD burner and buy the case and PSU at Fry's or Amazon, which brings me to my next point:

Is this case good for all these parts? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XIST2S/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Also, what would be the ideal PSU to get, watts-wise? This is really the only thing I have no idea about.

 

[Hazaro]

I don't know if I've already posted my issue in this version of the thread, but are these threads okay for asking about partial upgrades too?

I'm trying to figure out when I should try to upgrade my 2007 desktop so I can ride it out for maybe another 18 months.

My current system is as follows:
Store-Bought Dell XPS 420
Core 2 Quad 2.4GHz
3GB RAM
GeForce 8800GT (512MB RAM)
1440 x 900 screen
Widows Vista 32bit

I'm trying to upgrade the monitor to 1920 x 1200 (or 1080 if I have to settle for that) as well as the GPU. The most intense games I plan to run are Crysis 2 and The Witcher 2. What do you guys think I should upgrade to and when?

Would the GTX 460 do the job? I saw one of those at Best Buy for $299 with 1GB of VRAM. How important is a gig of VRAM versus 512 or 768MB?

If I upgrade the GPU, will I have to worry about it being a different physical size and not fitting in my current casing? Will I have to worry about increased heat generation or power consumption?

Finally, should I go ahead and go through with the upgrade this fall or wait until next spring when we know the system requirements of the aforementioned games? How much could prices conceivably go down by March?

Don't know what your included Dell PSU is, but I'd check that before making a purchase decision. I'm going to guess you have a Q6600 so if possible you can try padmodding it to 3.0Ghz.

As for GPU a 6850 would be what you are looking for (unless it doesn't fit, then get a GTX 460). Also Gamestop has GTX 460's for $230 (Although internet price is more like $200).

Hey guys - quick HDD question. It's been hard to find a clear answer online.

Is there any disadvantage or advantage to having large (1TB) drives where you don't use a lot of it? For example, is there any difference between having a 250GB boot drive vs. a 1TB boot drive? Or in a RAID0 array, is there a difference with having two 500GB hard drives vs. two 1TB hard drives? I read that drives start to slow down as it fills up.

1TB drives use 2x500GB platters. More data in same space = faster.
Current 500GB and 1TB drives are very close in speed since they use the same platter.
Drives 'slow' because data that was written on the outside is read faster than data on the inside of the physical disc.

The ATI 6850 just came out a few days ago and it's a better value than a stock 460. If you like nvidia, get the overclocked version of the 460. Also, you can get the 1 gig card for about $200 at newegg.com, so forget about buying anything at Best Buy.

You mean to buy a 1GB 460 and overclock it yourself right?
Otherwise the 6850 is the card to get unless you are on a slightly tighter budget, then a GTX 460 768MB is a fantastic choice as well. It's also the smaller card so it might be a better choice for an mATX build or something.

guess that answers that...so uh, when you say value, is that performance (graphics) or power as well? trying to minimize heat for a SFF case.
also: congrats Milpool!

All aspects.

Got my PC parts in and put it together. Everything seems to be working fine, ran memtest and such with no issues. I haven't done much with it just yet besides run the FF14 benchmark, which ran pretty well - I got a 3497 apparently. Currently downloading stuff on Steam to try out. Thanks again for the help, everyone.

Pix

So, reading this thread, reviews on newegg and such, I've gotten a little better at understanding computer parts. Nothing too intimate, mind you, but I went to Fry's yesterday and I felt like a kid in a candy store :lol I was thinking, "OMG, I understand some of these things and what they do! I can't wait to learn more...and have a job to buy this stuff!"

Anyway, I felt like making a build for myself after realizing Hazaro's help was lost on me (prices were raised, combos were lost, items were out of stock, etc) 'cause I'm one of the people that didn't plan on getting anything for a few months. Sorry about that I've saved your pics for reference and all that, though, and I actually feel like I learned from you so that counts for something, right?

Main point: Are these parts compatible with each other? (It's a budget rig)

I was so heartbroken when I decided to add everything to the cart just to see how much it'd be in total...only to find out that it was over $70 alone in taxes and shipping I decided that, in order to save money, I'd just use my current desktop's DVD burner and buy the case and PSU at Fry's or Amazon, which brings me to my next point:

Is this case good for all these parts? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XIST2S/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Also, what would be the ideal PSU to get, watts-wise? This is really the only thing I have no idea about.

If you get tax, go ahead and buy what parts you can from Amazon instead.
Those parts are compatible, but the 5770 is dead now. The GTX 460 768MB is $10-$20 more and offers much much better performance.

For PSU a 400/450W Corsair will be just fine.

 

[dragonlife]

Thanks for the help, Hazaro.

 

[Broadbandito]

This is my current build windows 7 ultimate 64 bit

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

MASSCOOL 8WA741 92mm Ball CPU Cooler

HIS H487FN1GP Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK

CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Yorkfield 2.66GHz 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor BX80580Q8400[/QUOTE]


Newegg has good preferred card no interest deals going on right now and I am thinking about getting the Intel Core i7-860.

I'm trying to pick out a motherboard to go along with it. I would like 4 DDR3 slots, 2 PCI Express X16 slots. I might buy another of the same card of mine at somepoint and crossfire. Possibly an hdmi port?

Trying to keep the mobo from $100-$200

Can someone make some recommendations? I would obviously get a seperate heatsink for the cpu and i really wouldnt know what else I would need if i did end up setting up the crossfire.

edit: after seeing the recent feedback on the card it makes me scared to buy another one now.

 

[Ryoma-Echizen]

guess that answers that...so uh, when you say value, is that performance (graphics) or power as well? trying to minimize heat for a SFF case.
also: congrats Milpool!

HD6850 >= GTX460 1GB
127w vs 160w


Broadbandito
Make yourself a future proof rig:

AMD Phenom II X4 955 3.2Ghz $139 (update later to a X6)
Asus M4A89GTD PRO USB3 $135 (awesome mobo)
G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3 1600 CL7 $95
2x Sapphire HD6850 1GB CF $350 (perform like hell, 3.5x you current gpu, less power consumption in CF than a 470 with way more performance)

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/3602/his_radeon_hd_6850_1gb_video_card_in_crossfire/index5.html
http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-6850-6870-crossfirex-review/15
http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-6850-6870-crossfirex-review/4 (consumption)

 

[Omiee]

man those 6870 look mighty good, 200 euro and they use less power and are quiter than my current 470.
im thinking of selling my 470 and getting 3 6870's and not upgrade my systeme for like 2 or 3 years.
or should i just get a second 470..? i can sell my 470 for 200 euro

 

[Broadbandito]

HD6850 >= GTX460 1GB
127w vs 160w


Broadbandito
Make yourself a future proof rig:

AMD Phenom II X4 955 3.2Ghz $139 (update later to a X6)
Asus M4A89GTD PRO USB3 $135 (awesome mobo)
G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3 1600 CL7 $95
2x Sapphire HD6850 1GB CF $350 (perform like hell, 3.5x you current gpu, less power consumption in CF than a 470 with way more performance)

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/3602/his_radeon_hd_6850_1gb_video_card_in_crossfire/index5.html
http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-6850-6870-crossfirex-review/15
http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-6850-6870-crossfirex-review/4 (consumption)

hmmmmmm. Seems pretty sexy. Too bad the 6850s are outta stock right now

 

[TheFatOne]

Ok GAF I'm helping my bro build a new PC. I am just using TR's back to school guide except for the GPU. This is the build

AMD Athlon II X4 640 Propus 3.0GHz
ASUS M4A87TD EVO AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply
Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333

I am giving him my GTX260. The only problem is that I think the case might be too small or a very tight fit. Is the case too small, and will the power supply power everything? His budget is about $500

 

[rollingstart]

Three to four questions about hard drives

1) How can I accurately tell if my hard drive is close to failing? I'm pretty sure there is something wrong with it. Occasionally my computer freezes and the hard drive light stays solid. The odd thing is that audio will still play, mouse will still work, it's just that everything else is frozen. If it freezes in chrome, it shows the message "writing to cache" as nothing happens. Firefox just outright freezes and says (not responding) at the top. Other general programs freeze, like Media Player Classic or games. I narrowed it down to either the ram or hard drive and I'm thinking it might be the hard drive.

2) What is a good reliable hard drive? Currently I use a Seagate 1gig (st31000528as) and have been using it for a little under a year. If the hard drive is the problem, it may not be so reliable after all.

3) Is there an easy way to basically clone one hard drive to another? The entire process of starting windows 7 and installing all my games from scratch is painfully annoying.

4) and on that, is there a guide that shows how to install all my games on a second hard drive?

thanks

 

[Chris R]

Any pricecuts to worry about in the next month+? Brother will be building a new rig and will need everything but a graphics card (5770 right now, plenty for what he does). Should be able to get something good for ~500 without a graphics card (i5/AMD equiv, 4gb+, 500gb, decent mobo (XF support would be good, but nothing extreme). Basically the $600 rig minus a graphics card should do him good.

 

[Cipherr]

man those 6870 look mighty good, 200 euro and they use less power and are quiter than my current 470.
im thinking of selling my 470 and getting 3 6870's and not upgrade my systeme for like 2 or 3 years.
or should i just get a second 470..? i can sell my 470 for 200 euro

I would double check something if your planning on doing 3 6870's. Im not a multi GPU kind of guy but I believe that Ive read somewhere that like 2 is the cap for the 6870s and that you cant run 3 of them. I could be wrong though.

Any pricecuts to worry about in the next month+?

If your in the US, we are headed dead straight for Black Friday, Christmas and the overall height of the years shopping season, no matter what you do, there's a MASSIVE chance for price drops, bundles, special deals and the like from now through the new year. You'll just have to decide whether you want to buy or wait and make peace with it :lol Nothing you can do to stop the sales, there are bound to be some.

This is my current build windows 7 ultimate 64 bit

Cant believe you guys buy that. Last I checked it was a hefty premium for Ultimate over Home Premium. Id much rather throw the extra money into my rig than the OS like that.

 

[Hazaro]

Updated for Q4 2010 (Pre-Sandy Bride / AM3+)

1)Basic Desktop Questions
Budget: Price Range + Country
Main Use: Light Gaming, Gaming, Video editing, 3D work, general usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback)
Monitor Resolution: What resolution will you be looking to play your games at? Are you going to upgrade later?
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Self Explanatory

2)General Guide on what to buy
$500-$600 Budget build: http://imgur.com/gdc1C.png
1k build: To be updated

3)15 minute video how-to
http://vimeo.com/5685229
40 minute how-to
http://www.tested.com/news/video-how-to-build-the-best-1500-gaming-pc-step-by-step/152/

4)Prospective laptop buyers please fill this out and ask their forum as well.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/wha...ould-i-buy-form-must-read-before-posting.html
GAF notebook / laptop thread: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=386622

 

[syoaran]

Need some help here guys, will appreciate any advice.

I'm in a bit of a dilemma. I currently do a lot of video recording on my core2dueo 3ghz, 3870x2 main PC. I do a lot of gaming on it and it desperately needs an upgrade to keep up with new tech and the base minimum of 30fps I need when recording. I'm also leaving the country for a while next year, so taking this with me might not be a guarantee

At the same time, I do all my editing on the industry standard of Final Cut Pro on the mac, which my laptop is on the way out on.

What I need is a balanced upgrade to get the most out of upgrading my PC, while giving me as much budget as I can for the overpriced macbook pro I'll need to purchase.

What I came up with on the PC front was rather over budget:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-344-IN
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-237-AS
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-235-GI
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-008-PA

But thought that it would provide me with the best bang for my buck for the next two years. (already got HD/Soundcard/case/monitor).

Thanks

 

[Hazaro]

This is my current build windows 7 ultimate 64 bit

HIS H487FN1GP Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Yorkfield 2.66GHz 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor BX80580Q8400

I'd simply overclock and upgrade the GPU to a 6850 if you are looking for an upgrade. you have a solid system right now.

Three to four questions about hard drives

1) How can I accurately tell if my hard drive is close to failing? I'm pretty sure there is something wrong with it. Occasionally my computer freezes and the hard drive light stays solid. The odd thing is that audio will still play, mouse will still work, it's just that everything else is frozen. If it freezes in chrome, it shows the message "writing to cache" as nothing happens. Firefox just outright freezes and says (not responding) at the top. Other general programs freeze, like Media Player Classic or games. I narrowed it down to either the ram or hard drive and I'm thinking it might be the hard drive.

2) What is a good reliable hard drive? Currently I use a Seagate 1gig (st31000528as) and have been using it for a little under a year. If the hard drive is the problem, it may not be so reliable after all.

3) Is there an easy way to basically clone one hard drive to another? The entire process of starting windows 7 and installing all my games from scratch is painfully annoying.

4) and on that, is there a guide that shows how to install all my games on a second hard drive?

1) SMART + HDD diagnostics. Your HDD vendor should have an application you can download an run to check your HDD.
2) Samsung F3's are pretty solid. WD Black 1TB is also good.
3) I think Win7 has a built in clone program? Otherwise other software can do it for you. Easy as clicking 3 buttons. It is called cloning.
4) Change the installation directory?

Any pricecuts to worry about in the next month+? Brother will be building a new rig and will need everything but a graphics card (5770 right now, plenty for what he does). Should be able to get something good for ~500 without a graphics card (i5/AMD equiv, 4gb+, 500gb, decent mobo (XF support would be good, but nothing extreme). Basically the $600 rig minus a graphics card should do him good.

You can afford an i5 before GPU, rest of parts look at what I just posted.

I'm in a bit of a dilemma. I currently do a lot of video recording on my core2dueo 3ghz, 3870x2 main PC. I do a lot of gaming on it and it desperately needs an upgrade to keep up with new tech and the base minimum of 30fps I need when recording. I'm also leaving the country for a while next year, so taking this with me might not be a guarantee

What I came up with on the PC front was rather over budget:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-344-IN
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-237-AS
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-235-GI
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-008-PA

But thought that it would provide me with the best bang for my buck for the next two years. (already got HD/Soundcard/case/monitor).

i5-760 + 6850 for performance and value. Slap in 8GB of DDR3 and something like a UD4 or an ASUS EVO if you are looking at xFire. You should also look at some new hard drives to keep up with data recording. Samsung F3 1TB and WD Black 1/1.5TB.
If you need more oomph, the 950 and a 6870 aren't a bad choice, but you aren't getting as much for your money (of course).

 

[IrishNinja]

Hazaro - just wanted to say thanks for your help, and also for updating with that build, looked like the last one made a lotta people happy. looking forward to seeing what your 1k looks like, since my SG07 is just about that range & im curious how much more you can get out of a regular sized desktop for that amount.

 

[Hazaro]

Anything above $800/$850 just tacks on better sub components. The core will be the same.
Diminishing value above mid/high end.

Probably i5 750 + 6850 for $850, and xfire 6850 for 1k.
Not really sure right now.

 

[123rl]

I'm still looking for a new PC and I'm pricing up a few options. I want to buy everything from one retailer and I found Dino PC (I'm in the UK). What do you think of this bundle for £540? I have pretty much nothing to salvage from this PC so I need everything. I want it for games (medium use) and photo editing/processing.


Windows 7 Home Premium
AMD Athlon II X4 640 AM3 (4x3Ghz)
ASUS M4N68T-M
8GB DDR3 RAM @ 1333MHz
1TB HDD
GeForce GTS450 1GB
400w Corsair CX4000w PSU

Plus all the usual gubbins like cases, cables, DVD writer etc. It was a pre-built system and I upgraded the PSU, RAM, and GPU. Basically for an extra £115 I've gone from a GTS250 to the 450, from 4GB RAM to 8GB, and a no-brand PSU to a Corsair one. It seems like a good system to me. The only things I'm unsure about are the GPU and the processor. I've always had Intel so I don't know how this AMD CPU performs or if it's good value. The GPU is brand new but is it good? Keep in mind I'm upgrading from a system that is almost 4 years old and I'm using a GeForce 8500 with an Intel Core 2 Duo @ 1.8GHz

 

[rollingstart]

1) SMART + HDD diagnostics. Your HDD vendor should have an application you can download an run to check your HDD.
2) Samsung F3's are pretty solid. WD Black 1TB is also good.
3) I think Win7 has a built in clone program? Otherwise other software can do it for you. Easy as clicking 3 buttons. It is called cloning.
4) Change the installation directory?

1) I have run those but they don't show any problems. Does that means the problem could just be with the ram? the main reason I thought it was the hard drive was because the hard drive light would become solid for the duration of the freeze.

2&3) thanks for the suggestions.

4) so, does it work similar to an external hard drive then? no installing any windows software on it or anything, right?

 

[Cosmic Schwung]

Cant believe you guys buy that. Last I checked it was a hefty premium for Ultimate over Home Premium. Id much rather throw the extra money into my rig than the OS like that.

I'd assume that in most cases they get it through university or the like. Ultimate is the only version offered at the one I work at and it's only £20.

 

[reggieandTFE]

Anyone have any idea what could be causing these light glitches in SC2? It's incredibly annoying when all the SCVs are flashing these long crazy light artifacts. I've tried turning all shader effects off and it made the flashes less noticeable, but they were still there.

Here's an example:

I have a HP Envy 14
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-560M Dual Core Processor (2.66 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics [HDMI] - For Dual Core Processors
4GB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm)
500GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

 

[Broadbandito]

Cant believe you guys buy that. Last I checked it was a hefty premium for Ultimate over Home Premium. Id much rather throw the extra money into my rig than the OS like that.

I used my student discount. $85 I paid.

I'd simply overclock and upgrade the GPU to a 6850 if you are looking for an upgrade. you have a solid system right now.

I have it OC'd to 3.0.

Let's just say that I would like to start playing at 1900x1200 with good framerates. What is your recommendation then?

 

[Shambles]

Anyone have any idea what could be causing these light glitches in SC2? It's incredibly annoying when all the SCVs are flashing these long crazy light artifacts. I've tried turning all shader effects off and it made the flashes less noticeable, but they were still there.

Here's an example:

http://imgur.com/VFq8El.jpg

I have a HP Envy 14
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-560M Dual Core Processor (2.66 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics [HDMI] - For Dual Core Processors
4GB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm)
500GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

I don't know what's causing it but I get weird artifacts running SC2 on my laptop as well. Even on the lowest settings I get what looks like polygons on objects that don't stop where they should and there ends up being flashes of lines that extend as far as my FOV goes. I haven't seen any graphical errors in any other game I've tested on my laptop so I'm hoping it's a software thing instead of a hardware problem. On my desktop it runs fine though so I have no idea what could be doing it. Maybe i'll make a screenshot later in the day and we can both figure it out. Re-installing didn't help me. Using an i3 with a 5730.

 

[RedSwirl]

HD6850 >= GTX460 1GB
127w vs 160w

I went to GPU Review and did a comparison:

One thing I'm noticing is that the 460 has a leg up on the 6850 in terms of textures and the 6850 does no vertex operations. How much does that actually matter?

Also, I've decided to hold off my upgrade until February since I don't plan to buy anymore PC games until then. Plus there's a chance I'll have cheaper options by then.

 

[Cipherr]

I'd assume that in most cases they get it through university or the like. Ultimate is the only version offered at the one I work at and it's only £20.

I used my student discount. $85 I paid.

Wow, completely sweet. Must be nice :lol Are those boxed versions complete with everything that comes with the retail version also? Even if it wasn't that's still amazing pricing.

 

[·feist·]

I used my student discount. $85 I paid.



I have it OC'd to 3.0.

Let's just say that I would like to start playing at 1900x1200 with good framerates. What is your recommendation then?

You could try bumping your clock to 3.2-3.4, but a GPU upgrade would be your best bet at the moment. Take a look at the new 6850/6870 cards (reference, as well as custom) and also keep your eyes open for any Nvdia sales or price drops. The upcoming single and dual-chip 69xx GPUs will definitely be worth a look, but you'd have to decide if that level of price/performance works for you.

You have a solid quad-core and quality ram, trying to build a "future proof" system at the present (as someone suggested) is not only a bad idea, it isn't even possible. A somewhat pricey i7 860 or Phenom II build right now seems like a poor use of money considering you already have a C2Q, and Intel and AMD's new generation of CPUs will be launching over the next 2-8 months or so.

 

[Broadbandito]

You could try bumping your clock to 3.2-3.4, but a GPU upgrade would be your best bet at the moment. Take a look at the new 6850/6870 cards (reference, as well as custom) and also keep your eyes open for any Nvdia sales or price drops. The upcoming single and dual-chip 69xx GPUs will definitely be worth a look, but you'd have to decide if that level of price/performance works for you.

You have a solid quad-core and quality ram, trying to build a "future proof" system at the present (as someone suggested) is not only a bad idea, it isn't even possible. A somewhat pricey i7 860 or Phenom II build right now seems like a poor use of money considering you already have a C2Q, and Intel and AMD's new generation of CPUs will be launching over the next 2-8 months or so.

ok. Well I want to spend 250-300 on a card. At this moment, what would be the best recommended card to get?

 

[Ryoma-Echizen]

Ok GAF I'm helping my bro build a new PC. I am just using TR's back to school guide except for the GPU. This is the build

AMD Athlon II X4 640 Propus 3.0GHz
ASUS M4A87TD EVO AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply
Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333

I am giving him my GTX260. The only problem is that I think the case might be too small or a very tight fit. Is the case too small, and will the power supply power everything? His budget is about $500

Better go the Coolermaster Elite 370 and a OCZ ModX stream 500/600w. The case offers a lot of space for a really good price and the PSU should be far superior to the one in the Sonata.

123rl
AMD HD5770 is on the same price as 450 but with less power consumption and more performance.

Hazaro
I would change that case to the Elite 370. Can even hold a gpu with the lenght of the 5970.

 

[Attackthebase]

Hello! My friend is building a PC. I told him I would ask PC-Gaf for some assistance for the best quality/value. His price range is $1500-$2000. Could anyone help?

 

[123rl]

Better go the Coolermaster Elite 370 and a OCZ ModX stream 500/600w. The case offers a lot of space for a really good price and the PSU should be far superior to the one in the Sonata.

123rl
AMD HD5770 is on the same price as 450 but with less power consumption and more performance.

Thanks. So the 5770 is a better card? It's only about £12 more expensive than the GTS450 on a few of the bundles I tried. It's a no-brainer then.

Next question: would I get better performance from a quad core CPU (at about 3Ghz) or a dual core CPU (AMD Black) at a higher clock speed (3.3GHz)? Both are the same price

NEW! AMD Phenom II X2 560 Black Edition
Interface Socket AM3
Bus Speed 4000MT/s
Core Frequency 2 x 3.30GHz
Process Technology 45nm
L1 Cache 2 x 512KB
L2 Cache 6MB
Special Features Advanced Bit Manipulation
AMD64 technology
AMD-V (virtualization) technology
Enhanced Virus Protection
Cool n Quiet 3.0
CoolCore Technology
Dual Dynamic Power Management

AMD Athlon II X4 640 AM3

Interface Socket AM3
Bus Speed 4000MT/s
Core Frequency 4 x 3.00GHz
Process Technology 45nm
L1 Cache 4 x 128KB
L2 Cache 2MB
Special Features Cool n Quiet 3.0
CoolCore Technology
Dual Dynamic Power Management
HyperTransport 3

 

[Broadbandito]

I have a friend who is a COD MLG pro for xbox 360. He wants to build a new machine that runs a blackmagic intensity pro with no problems. He asked if I could post what hes looking at buying and see what you guys think.

didn't realize the images had the mobo and gpux2 twice.

 

[·feist·]

ok. Well I want to spend 250-300 on a card. At this moment, what would be the best recommended card to get?

Single card at stock speeds? 6870. If you're running anything geared for CUDA and/or find any of the deals going around (~$200), the GTX470 is a nice option. If you plan on overclocking, you can take a look at the 6850 (or GTX460 1GB if it is low enough) and save some money.

Haven't followed projections much, but the 6950 should come in somewhere near the top end of your price range.

 

[Broadbandito]

Single card at stock speeds? 6870. If you're running anything geared for CUDA and/or find any of the deals going around (~$200), the GTX470 is a nice option. If you plan on overclocking, you can take a look at the 6850 (or GTX460 1GB if it is low enough) and save some money.

Haven't followed projections much, but the 6950 should come in somewhere near the top end of your price range.

When is the 6950 releasing? Also, the 470 is about 20 dollars more than the 6870. So you would go with a 6870 over a 470? If its not long of a wait for the 6950, how much an improvement is it supposed to be over the 470 and 6870.

 

[Mr Sandman]

Thanks. So the 5770 is a better card? It's only about £12 more expensive than the GTS450 on a few of the bundles I tried. It's a no-brainer then.

Next question: would I get better performance from a quad core CPU (at about 3Ghz) or a dual core CPU (AMD Black) at a higher clock speed (3.3GHz)? Both are the same price

Spend the extra dough (not that much) for a Phenom II X4. It's worth it.

 

[Shambles]

When is the 6950 releasing? Also, the 470 is about 20 dollars more than the 6870. So you would go with a 6870 over a 470? If its not long of a wait for the 6950, how much an improvement is it supposed to be over the 470 and 6870.

If you're looking towards the 300$ and are open to multi card setups I think SLI gtx 460 768MB cards are the ones to beat. Newegg even had a combo sale for dual 1GB models for 320$ but I don't seem to see it anymore. Or you could wait to see what's around the corner after Christmas is you want to see what else is coming.

Edit: Can't find a single review that is comparing the 5870 to SLI 460 (768). Personally i'd rather go with a single card solution now even if its slower with the possibility to crossfire down the road rather than do a multi-card setup right from the get go. But if you don't care then you don't care.

 

[Broadbandito]

If you're looking towards the 300$ and are open to multi card setups I think SLI gtx 460 768MB cards are the ones to beat. Newegg even had a combo sale for dual 1GB models for 320$ but I don't seem to see it anymore. Or you could wait to see what's around the corner after Christmas is you want to see what else is coming.

Edit: Can't find a single review that is comparing the 5870 to SLI 460 (768). Personally i'd rather go with a single card solution now even if its slower with the possibility to crossfire down the road rather than do a multi-card setup right from the get go. But if you don't care then you don't care.

if i did a multi card set up i would need a new mobo

 

[Wraith RazieL]

Hey GAF. I haven't built a PC myself in 10 years and I don't want to buy a PC knowing I can make a better one cheaper. I'm jumping back in to PC gaming (still have steam games that i need to play and looking forward to upcoming sales) and ready to do some true PC gaming once again.
Please check out my current build and give your impressions (good or bad). If I am missing anything, please let me know. This PC will be primarily used for gaming among all the normal computing stuff. Also, I know PCI 3.0, new chipsets and all that stuff will come out later next year but that will be expensive and I believe what I'm building now will last me for years. Thanks!

PS. These are all off NewEgg where I will be purchasing parts.

COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Black RC-932-KWN3 Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case with Side window
$139.99

LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS-324-98
$21.99

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
$89.99

PowerColor AX6870 1GBD5-M2DH Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
$239.99

ASUS Sabertooth X58 LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
$199.99

Patriot Viper II Sector 7 Edition 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model PV736G1600ELK
$25.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$129.99

CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$149.99

Intel Core i7-950 Bloomfield 3.06GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor BX80601950
$294.99

CORSAIR Hydro H70 CWCH70 120mm High Performance CPU Cooler
$109.99

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Full
$176.99

Comes out to a little over $1500US. Again, thanks for any help!!

 

[pestul]

Can't be too critical of that build. Nice and well rounded actually.

 

[·feist·]

When is the 6950 releasing? Also, the 470 is about 20 dollars more than the 6870. So you would go with a 6870 over a 470? If its not long of a wait for the 6950, how much an improvement is it supposed to be over the 470 and 6870.

Unless there is/was a change of plans, the 69xx should start rolling out in a few weeks.

For a mid-sized gaming/productivity/general use build I'd most likely go with a GTX470 over a 6870 because it meets or exceeds a 5870 in some areas and can be had for ~$220-230 ($200 was a typo). The advantage that the 6870 has over the GTX470 is that it's close in performance while having the edge in standard pricing, heat and consumption.

Most of the supposedly legit 6970 specs/benches/rumors point towards it being a "GTX480 killer." Tessellation is said to have been a priority along with overall improved performance. You should be able to get a good idea of the 6950's price and figures soon enough.

 

[Broadbandito]

Unless there is/was a change of plans, the 69xx should start rolling out in a few weeks.

For a mid-sized gaming/productivity/general use build I'd most likely go with a GTX470 over a 6870 because it meets or exceeds a 5870 in some areas and can be had for ~$220-230 ($200 was a typo). The advantage that the 6870 has over the GTX470 is that it's close in performance while having the edge in standard pricing, heat and consumption.

Most of the supposedly legit 6970 specs/benches/rumors point towards it being a "GTX480 killer." Tessellation is said to have been a priority along with overall improved performance. You should be able to get a good idea of the 6950's price and figures soon enough.

well I am going to wait then. I appreciate the info. If I am not hyped on the 6970 later im sure ill be able to get a better deal on the other cards anyways. If the 6970 starts at 300 I will be there probably day 1

 

[·feist·]

The ~$300 card would be the 6950.

 

[Shambles]

For gaming at 19x12 I think you'd be more than happy with a 6850. Usually once you go over 200$ you start to get significant diminishing returns on how much you are spending vs the increase in performance. I wouldn't even mind going 19x12 on a weaker card like the 5770.

 

[IrishNinja]

Spend the extra dough (not that much) for a Phenom II X4. It's worth it.

yeah, if there's one thing ive learned every few pages on this thread, its that the gap between duo and quad core is so small, there's no logical reason to go with the former at all.