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[vazel]

Via slickdeals, the 2TB 5400 RPM Samsung Spinpoint F4 is $59.99 after using coupon code EMCZYNW48. Bare drive only.

GO GO GO GO

Fuuuuuuuu-

Is it normal for these high density drives to be 5400RPM? I'm guessing due to the density there won't be much of a performance hit?

Edit: Wow if this benchmark I found is legit the average read speed is twice as fast than my current 320GB WD drives except the seek time on the Samsung is higher by 3ms.

 

[opticalmace]

Fuuuuuuuu-

Is it normal for these high density drives to be 5400RPM? I'm guessing due to the density there won't be much of a performance hit?

At this price, yes it's normal, and yes there will be a performance hit. Think of these as storage/backup drives (if I'm not mistaken).

You can get normally quick 7200rpm 2TB drives.. but you're going to pay a lot more for it.

 

[Government-man]

Okay Gaf, I'm looking to upgrade my PC in the graphics department for the first time in ~three-four years. I currently have two 8800gt xxx alpha dog edition (who came up with that name? smh).

Specs:

Core clock: 670 MHz
Dual Link DVI Supporting digital output up to 2560x1600
Memory Clock 975 MHz (1950 MHz data rate)
Chipset GeForce 8800 GT
Memory 512 MB
Bus Type PCI-E
Memory Type DDR3
Memory Bus 256-bit

--------------------------------------------------------------

What is the best card currently available in price range 2000-5000 kr(~350-750 USD)?
Will that card offer a significant upgrade or should I stand by my current cards? I'm just getting tired of the ridiculous cooling and insane fan noise, SLI-driver crap + not being able to play new games at max settings.

 

[Corky]

What is the best card currently available in price range 2000-5000 kr(~350-750 USD)?
Will that card offer a significant upgrade or should I stand by my current cards? I'm just getting tired of the ridiculous cooling and insane fan noise, SLI-driver crap + not being able to play new games at max settings.

wow, that's a pretty broad price-range xD, I'm guessing either a gtx 480 or an ati 5970 are the "best" cards that you can buy at the moment.

 

[coopolon]

Via Slickdeals

Asus 460 768 mb for $115 after $20 MIR and free shipping. Limit is two, so you could even SLI for $230. Jesus. You'll even get two copies of HAWX which you might be able to sell to recoup $20.

Note: It involves using a coupon you can only actually use if you subscribe to Newegg deals with the account you're buying the cards with. For this reason, if you haven't already, you should subscribe to Newegg deal mail with a junk email account or something just so you can use the coupon codes.

 

[Government-man]

wow, that's a pretty broad price-range xD, I'm guessing either a gtx 480 or an ati 5970 are the "best" cards that you can buy at the moment.

Via Slickdeals

Asus 460 768 mb for $115 after $20 MIR and free shipping. Limit is two, so you could even SLI for $230. Jesus. You'll even get two copies of HAWX which you might be able to sell to recoup $20.

Note: It involves using a coupon you can only actually use if you subscribe to Newegg deals with the account you're buying the cards with.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'd rather not use SLI again though, but maybe that is the best way to get maximum value. I just don't want to deal with driver issues.

 

[coopolon]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'd rather not use SLI again though, but maybe that is the best way to get maximum value. I just don't want to deal with driver issues.

Sorry, I wasn't recommending that deal to you. If you're willing to spend 750 and don't want to do SLI, a 460 768 MB is not for you, you can afford better. I was just posting it general because I think it's a pretty insane deal for people who are really counting their pennies.

 

[n0n44m]

Okay Gaf, I'm looking to upgrade my PC in the graphics department for the first time in ~three-four years. I currently have two 8800gt xxx alpha dog edition (who came up with that name? smh).

--------------------------------------------------------------

What is the best card currently available in price range 2000-5000 kr(~350-750 USD)?
Will that card offer a significant upgrade or should I stand by my current cards? I'm just getting tired of the ridiculous cooling and insane fan noise, SLI-driver crap + not being able to play new games at max settings.

best non-sli/crossfire at the moment is the Geforce GTX480 ... Radeon 5970 is even faster but is crossfire on a single card

GTX480 does have high fan noise, especially if you want to keep the temps down like me (I was concerned about its effect on the cards lifespan). I just installed an Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme Plus aftermarket cooler on mine, and it's really quiet and cool now but the installation can be tricky and you void the warranty ... you can also get some models (Zotac AMP! etc) with comparable factory-installed cooling, but you'll pay quite a premium for such models (the cooler takes up 3 slots as well compared to the 2 on a regular card, and the heat output is still quite high so your case needs good airflow)

Nvidia is coming up with a GTX580 in a month or so which should take over the performance crown, but even though it uses less power I assume it will still be rather loud in default config

ATI/AMD's new top-class cards which show up around the same time will be even faster, but it is currently hard to say if they will be single or dual chips cards, and how loud or power hungry those tops cards will be...

---

bottom line: I advice you to wait a month or so until ATI/AMD and Nvidia have officially announced/released their new high-end cards, and then choose the best single-chip single-card solution, preferably from a manufacturer with better-and-quieter-than-stock cooling

 

[Government-man]

best non-sli/crossfire at the moment is the Geforce GTX480 ... Radeon 5970 is even faster but is crossfire on a single card

GTX480 does have high fan noise, especially if you want to keep the temps down like me (I was concerned about its effect on the cards lifespan). I just installed an Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme Plus aftermarket cooler on mine, and it's really quiet and cool now but the installation can be tricky and you void the warranty ... you can also get some models (Zotac AMP! etc) with comparable factory-installed cooling, but you'll pay quite a premium for such models (the cooler takes up 3 slots as well compared to the 2 on a regular card, and the heat output is still quite high so your case needs good airflow)

Nvidia is coming up with a GTX580 in a month or so which should take over the performance crown, but even though it uses less power I assume it will still be rather loud in default config

ATI/AMD's new top-class cards which show up around the same time will be even faster, but it is currently hard to say if they will be single or dual chips cards, and how loud or power hungry those tops cards will be...

---

bottom line: I advice you to wait a month or so until ATI/AMD and Nvidia have officially announced/released their new high-end cards, and then choose the best single-chip single-card solution, preferably from a manufacturer with better-and-quieter-than-stock cooling

Okay, thanks. I'll probably do that. But about the 5790 and other dual chips cards, is it recognized by the computer as two cards or do they operate as one? Is the performance consistent regardless of whether the game is optimized for two cores? Cause if it is then I don't see a problem.

 

[n0n44m]

Okay, thanks. I'll probably do that. But about the 5790 and other dual chips cards, is it recognized by the computer as two cards or do they operate as one? Is the performance consistent regardless of whether the game is optimized for two cores? Cause if it is then I don't see a problem.

I haven't used any, I've chosen the 480 for single chip single card power

but from what I've read there have been issues with the for example both the 5970 and crossfire setups needing driver patches to enable the full potential for certain games

so as far as I know, they're seen as two separate graphic chips and thus treated as a crossfire (or SLI) setup

Nvidia might come out with a dual chip card as well early next year (when they've managed to lower the power usage of their chips)

 

[dragonlife]

Via Slickdeals

That's great. It's the card I'm planning on buying for my build in a few months.

How wise would it be to bite on this now? I'm definitely someone who's counting their pennies, as you say. That said, I'm not too sure when I'll finally get the money together but hopefully before winter '11 ends. Will it be okay if I keep it properly stored until then? I guess the only risk would be a DOA card and I wouldn't know, right?

I'm really loving that price... My current total for my build is $579. This would bring it down to $529 and that's a big help :lol

 

[Servizio]

Any thoughts on an SSD for gaming? Something between 100$-200$, about 64GBs?

Maybe an article or two and some bench marks?

I'm basically browsing tomshardware and amazon reviews. I'll hit up newegg reviews next, but eh. Figured I'd ask about any stand outs or brands to specifically avoid.

 

[luiztfc]

Don't worry some sticks are just shorter in height, mine are both short and smaller like the one above

Thanks!


Another question (sorry guys).

I have one wd 1TB hd SATA. Now, I bought another one and want to do a fresh install of windows on it (already did in fact). However, is it possible to hook the older hd and copy all the data? Or will I have to format it? Keep in mind that they are both sata.

Thanks!

 

[Government-man]

Thanks!


Another question (sorry guys).

I have one wd 1TB hd SATA. Now, I bought another one and want to do a fresh install of windows on it (already did in fact). However, is it possible to hook the older hd and copy all the data? Or will I have to format it? Keep in mind that they are both sata.

Thanks!

If you mean plugging in the old disk into you computer, which I assume is booting from your new disk, and copy the data onto the new one, then yes that will work.

 

[deim0s]

Any recommendations for a bang for the buck mobo for these two processors?

i5 - 760
i7 - 870

Availability of a specific model of the mobo might be hard around here, so it's much cheaper for me to look around locally.

I'm leaning more with the i5 (100 bucks cheaper than the i7), but I'm not going to overclock any of the components for the long haul (2years or more). Would these hold up with that timeframe?

[edit] Weird, I saw an i7-950 around the same price of the 870, would that be better, aside from the clock speed?

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

Would you rather have two U2711 or one U3011?

Both in terms of pricing, productivity, value and cost in gaming performance per pixel!?

 

[GiJoccin]

So, I'm not sure this is the right thread for this, buttt... my sister is looking for a nice, stable laptop. what companies make quality laptops now? She's looking for something to surf the net, watch tv shows on, and maybe do some photo and video editing on, no gaming requirements. Any ideas where I should look?

 

[luiztfc]

If you mean plugging in the old disk into you computer, which I assume is booting from your new disk, and copy the data onto the new one, then yes that will work.

Thanks!

 

[Pachinko]

Is it just me or have 5870's not gone down in price AT ALL in the last 12 months, I just checked to see what it would cost me for a second one (for crossfire) and I'd swear it's actually more expensive then when I got the first one in april.

What gives ?

 

[TheExodu5]

Would you rather have two U2711 or one U3011?

Both in terms of pricing, productivity, value and cost in gaming performance per pixel!?

IMO, if you don't need the massive resolution from those screens, I'd actually recommend a good 32" HDTV. Find something with a decent IPS panel and low input lag (certain LG and Panasonic models are good, I believe), and you'll have a great monitor for $500.

 

[Cipherr]

Any recommendations for a bang for the buck mobo for these two processors?

i5 - 760
i7 - 870

Availability of a specific model of the mobo might be hard around here, so it's much cheaper for me to look around locally.

I'm leaning more with the i5 (100 bucks cheaper than the i7), but I'm not going to overclock any of the components for the long haul (2years or more). Would these hold up with that time frame?

[edit] Weird, I saw an i7-950 around the same price of the 870, would that be better, aside from the clock speed?

Yeah it is. However I think that the 870 is on a different chipset than the 1366 socket i7-950. So you would need a different motherboard, keep that in mind as the socket 1366 mobos may be more expensive than the LGA1156 motherboards. But if you can stretch it, I would. I would first check to see if you live near a Microcenter. I bought my I7 there because they sell all Intel processors much cheaper than anywhere else (and this is INCLUDING the fact that youd have to pay taxes).

Intel Core i7-950 3.06GHz Boxed Processor $229.00


That's retail and boxed, not refurbished or anything sketchy like that. I could barely believe it even after I had it in my car. Use the store locator on their website, if your within range of one, go for a drive.

That's great. It's the card I'm planning on buying for my build in a few months.

How wise would it be to bite on this now? I'm definitely someone who's counting their pennies, as you say. That said, I'm not too sure when I'll finally get the money together but hopefully before winter '11 ends. Will it be okay if I keep it properly stored until then? I guess the only risk would be a DOA card and I wouldn't know, right?

I'm really loving that price... My current total for my build is $579. This would bring it down to $529 and that's a big help :lol

I would not buy anything until you have all of the money ready. Not even a mid or lower range card. There is no telling what the release of the 580, the 6900 series the 6990 series and following restructuring of the card.....errr....hierarchy will do to prices. You could very well, for the same amount of money, get a card on the next tier up just a few months from now. Id recommend waiting until you have all the money ready.

 

[Hazaro]

That said, I'm not too sure when I'll finally get the money together but hopefully before winter '11 ends.

Don't even look at builds then. Everything will be completely different in a year.

Any thoughts on an SSD for gaming? Something between 100$-200$, about 64GBs?

Maybe an article or two and some bench marks?

I'm basically browsing tomshardware and amazon reviews. I'll hit up newegg reviews next, but eh. Figured I'd ask about any stand outs or brands to specifically avoid.

Gaming? No. For an MMO you can get benefits, but you'll want a 128GB (OS + MMO takes up a ton of space).

Okay, thanks. I'll probably do that. But about the 5790 and other dual chips cards, is it recognized by the computer as two cards or do they operate as one? Is the performance consistent regardless of whether the game is optimized for two cores? Cause if it is then I don't see a problem.

Dual GPU cards act like dual GPU's. It's SLi/xFire just on one card.
That said, scaling has been increasing very well (80-90%, even 100% in some cases). Still has the inherent problems, but it works a bit better now.

Yeah it is. However I think that the 870 is on a different chipset than the 1366 socket i7-950. So you would need a different motherboard, keep that in mind as the socket 1366 mobos may be cheaper than the LGA1156 motherboards. But if you can stretch it, I would. I would first check to see if you live near a Microcenter. I bought my I7 there because they sell all Intel processors much cheaper than anywhere else (and this is INCLUDING the fact that youd have to pay taxes).

Intel Core i7-950 3.06GHz Boxed Processor $229.00

MicroCenter has some great deals. If you are not looking to OC then get that chip and a 1366 board with SATA 6gbps/ USB3 ($230).

 

[TheFatOne]

Hey GAF what would cause a the pin part of a fan wire to melt? My buddy says that his 4pin connector melted when he turned his pc on.

 

[darthbob]

Is it just me or have 5870's not gone down in price AT ALL in the last 12 months, I just checked to see what it would cost me for a second one (for crossfire) and I'd swear it's actually more expensive then when I got the first one in april.

What gives ?

Popularity. They still sell well at that price.

Doesn't matter much though, the HD6870 is basically a slightly less powerful 5870 for a lot cheaper.

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

Any gaming mouse recommendations? I preferably need something that has extra buttons, has smooth on-screen pointer movement with no stutter, and is under £25.

 

[ZZMitch]

Any gaming mouse recommendations? I preferably need something that has extra buttons, has smooth on-screen pointer movement with no stutter, and is under £25.

By extra buttons do you mean two side buttons or more...?

 

[Ryoma-Echizen]

Is it just me or have 5870's not gone down in price AT ALL in the last 12 months, I just checked to see what it would cost me for a second one (for crossfire) and I'd swear it's actually more expensive then when I got the first one in april.

What gives ?

Sell your 5870 and go for the HD6970. Or just hold until HD7000 in 2011.

 

[Hazaro]

Hey GAF what would cause a the pin part of a fan wire to melt? My buddy says that his 4pin connector melted when he turned his pc on.

Short somewhere most probably. Mobo fan connectors can go wonkers and fry things as well.

Any gaming mouse recommendations? I preferably need something that has extra buttons, has smooth on-screen pointer movement with no stutter, and is under £25.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=411657

MX518/G9 (possible)/G500
eBay for the cheaper prices. Those mice usually go on sale every so often.

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

By extra buttons do you mean two side buttons or more...?

Yes. They are pretty much essential imo for melee attack and switching to the noobtube in COD. Also as hotkeys in StarCraft II.

Checking out that thread now

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

IMO, if you don't need the massive resolution from those screens, I'd actually recommend a good 32" HDTV. Find something with a decent IPS panel and low input lag (certain LG and Panasonic models are good, I believe), and you'll have a great monitor for $500.

I do need the resolution mate, but I am afraid that it will hamper by... performance. Obviously Crysis and GTA4 are going to run worse in 2560x1440. The golden rule is always to run in native?

I dont know of 470 SLI will be able to handle games at that rez!? It might not be enough!





Also... Anyone know any sites for building a good HTPC? I need it for my downloading, my web browsing on sites-that-might-have-virusses and all my music playing(100 GB+)... So I need something solid, with decent HDDs, and speedy CPU so it will run smooth, but still little heat. I was thinking about a fast Core 2 Duo CPU, a 430 GPU, 4 gigs of ram and perhaps 4-5 TB of storage!
I want one of those Lian-Li Q8 cases.. purty

The cheapest build I could find came at around 500 USD. I dont know if thats a lot for such a build:

ASUS GEFORCE GT 430 1GB PCI-E VGA/DVI/HDMI

ASUS P5P41T LE G41 775 ATX

CORSAIR 4GB DDR3 XMS3 INTEL I5/I7 PC10600

CORSAIR CX 430W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V PSU

INTEL CORE 2 DUO E7500 2.93GHZ 3MB 1066MHZ

LIAN LI PC-Q08B BLACK ALU MINI-ITX NO PSU

Samsung Super-WriteMaster SH-S223Q - DVD±RW

SEAGATE MOMENTUS XT HYBRID 2,5# 500GB 7200RPM

2x WESTERN DIGITAL SCORPIO BLUE 1TB SATA/300

 

[AceBandage]

Ok, I have a couple of questions here.

I'm using an older laptop, mostly because for a few years I was traveling a lot. It runs WoW and Source, but it's just not cutting it anymore, especially since I want to start getting into more PC gaming (I have Steam games I can't even run =/).
So, I was wonder, with a $600-700 budget, would it be better to wait for early next year's new models or get sales now?

Also, does anyone have any info on Newegg's Preferred Program? Is it reliable/any good?

 

[Mikhal]

Also... Anyone know any sites for building a good HTPC? I need it for my downloading, my web browsing on sites-that-might-have-virusses and all my music playing(100 GB+)... So I need something solid, with decent HDDs, and speedy CPU so it will run smooth, but still little heat. I was thinking about a fast Core 2 Duo CPU, a 430 GPU, 4 gigs of ram and perhaps 4-5 TB of storage!
I want one of those Lian-Li Q8 cases.. purty

You have a mini-ITX case paired with an ATX mobo. Won't fit.

 

[Servizio]

Bit of an awkward question: If I cold find someone willing and able, what would a pair of Win7 licenses via their Student discount run me?

 

[BlueScrote]

My current graphics card is starting to die (strange artifacts, driver failure etc), so I am looking for something that is in the current 'mid range' to swap it out with.

My current Card is an 8800GTS, powered by a 550 watt power supply. I have a 650 watt supply also, but I'd prefer not to have to swap that in just yet for a new card.

I'm looking at something like this, but I was wondering what the up to date recommendations are since I obviously haven't bought a graphics card in a while.

 

[Cipherr]

My current graphics card is starting to die (strange artifacts, driver failure etc), so I am looking for something that is in the current 'mid range' to swap it out with.

My current Card is an 8800GTS, powered by a 550 watt power supply. I have a 650 watt supply also, but I'd prefer not to have to swap that in just yet for a new card.

I'm looking at something like this, but I was wondering what the up to date recommendations are since I obviously haven't bought a graphics card in a while.

Thats a good choice, card has a low power draw and should be fine on your 550w assuming its a quality power supply. I think the GTX460 by Nvidia is also in that same performance/price range and it overclocks well.

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

You have a mini-ITX case paired with an ATX mobo. Won't fit.

I thought it would also fit a normal ATX?

 

[Rufus]

I thought it would also fit a normal ATX?

You thought wrong. Cute case though.

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

Ordered an MX518 since basically everyone recommends one. :lol

 

[coopolon]

Ordered an MX518 since basically everyone recommends one. :lol

The other day a bunch of my friends and I got together to play some PC games. Every single one of us had an MX518 and we'd never talked about it before, it was pretty funny. Awesome mouse, hell, I bought another one for my work computer.

 

[BlueScrote]

Thats a good choice, card has a low power draw and should be fine on your 550w assuming its a quality power supply. I think the GTX460 by Nvidia is also in that same performance/price range and it overclocks well.

Looking at the 460s, they seem pretty nice as well, and It looks like others in this thread have had good experience with them. Is there anything I should know looking between the different card manufacturers (EVGA vs MSI vs No name)

 

[Arucardo]

Ordered an MX518 since basically everyone recommends one. :lol

I've bought three of them now, when I build the next pc I'll probably buy a fourth one :lol .

 

[Frankfurter]

I do need the resolution mate, but I am afraid that it will hamper by... performance. Obviously Crysis and GTA4 are going to run worse in 2560x1440. The golden rule is always to run in native?

I dont know of 470 SLI will be able to handle games at that rez!? It might not be enough!





Also... Anyone know any sites for building a good HTPC? I need it for my downloading, my web browsing on sites-that-might-have-virusses and all my music playing(100 GB+)... So I need something solid, with decent HDDs, and speedy CPU so it will run smooth, but still little heat. I was thinking about a fast Core 2 Duo CPU, a 430 GPU, 4 gigs of ram and perhaps 4-5 TB of storage!
I want one of those Lian-Li Q8 cases.. purty

The cheapest build I could find came at around 500 USD. I dont know if thats a lot for such a build:

ASUS GEFORCE GT 430 1GB PCI-E VGA/DVI/HDMI

ASUS P5P41T LE G41 775 ATX

CORSAIR 4GB DDR3 XMS3 INTEL I5/I7 PC10600

CORSAIR CX 430W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V PSU

INTEL CORE 2 DUO E7500 2.93GHZ 3MB 1066MHZ

LIAN LI PC-Q08B BLACK ALU MINI-ITX NO PSU

Samsung Super-WriteMaster SH-S223Q - DVD±RW

SEAGATE MOMENTUS XT HYBRID 2,5# 500GB 7200RPM

2x WESTERN DIGITAL SCORPIO BLUE 1TB SATA/300

Just a few suggestions from me:

The HD5450 should be a good bit cheaper than the GT430 (dunno how prices are in the US, but in Germany, 5450 is ~30€ cheaper than GT430). It's also the worse GPU, but you apparently don't need that power anyway + there is lots of cheap passively cooled versions of it.
If you want a SSD get a SSD, but not that Seagate Hybrid thingy. A 64 or 80GB SSD actually isn't much more expensive, but it'll give you superior performance, for example Crucials Real SSD C300 64GB, Corsairs Force SSD with 60GB or OCZ's Vertex 2 Extended with 60GB (the last one is atleast in Germany is the cheapest out of the three, with 80€/113$ pre sales tax; and it's a really good SSD).

Is this the case you are looking at: http://geizhals.at/deutschland/a519851.html
If so, it has room for tons of 3.5" HDDs, so there is no need to get 2.5" HDDs that are expensive and slow. You can for example get Samsungs F4 series (5400rpm) with 2TB, which is like 80$ at newegg.
The case also can't handle ATX boards, but only mini ITX boards.

Unless you plan to get a much better GPU later down the road, the PSU is a bit on the upper side. 300W would be sufficient (~65W CPU, ~30W GPU + chipset and stuff, i.e. this system should be well below 200W under 100% load).

Depending on what you plan to do with the system you might also wanna think about going AMD. A small and relatively cheap Athlon X3 or X4 (X4 640 should be like 100 Dollars in the US) imo is the better option in that price range.

 

[corpserot]

Hey, how does my budget build look? First PC I'll be building in a long time since I got into macs.

 

[Mr Nightman]

Hey, how does my budget build look? First PC I'll be building in a long time since I got into macs.

Looks great to me, any gaffers have more insight?

 

[ChoklitReign]

Hey, how does my budget build look? First PC I'll be building in a long time since I got into macs.

You can trim your budget and get better parts.
1. Get a better case. The price + shipping for that one makes it a terrible value.
2. Don't you want a 7200RPM HDD?
3. I'm not a fanboy, but you should get the R6870 for $10 more or the R6850 for $50 less.

 

[Cipherr]

Hey, how does my budget build look? First PC I'll be building in a long time since I got into macs.

*Pic*

Your going to go with a 5400 for a primary drive? I don't think that's a good idea really. Id go for a Spinpoint F3 1TB as it will be much much faster unless you are bringing over an older faster drive for your OS drive.


Edit: Err, forgot to remove choklit from my ignore list after all the raging like 30 pages back :lol :lol :lol he has covered everything I was thinking.

 

[IrishNinja]

think this got brought up a few posts back, but that 2TB @ 5400RPM was a pretty good deal, and wanting that capacity at 7200 could potentially cost a lot more. i guess the ideal would be a SSD for OS/program files/etc and that for storage, but is the tradeoff on access speed really that bad using it as a primary?

Vigilant Walrus - if that Lian Li case doesn't work for you (i know it's not as pretty for HTPC purposes) ive had better luck looking at parts to fit the SG07.

 

[Mikhal]

Vigilant Walrus - if that Lian Li case doesn't work for you (i know it's not as pretty for HTPC purposes) ive had better luck looking at parts to fit the SG07.

The SG07 is also a solid choice for a mini-ITX build but the mobo he picked won't fit on that either. He'll need to figure out whether he wants to go through with a mini-ITX build and swap out his mobo (which will probably make it cost more), or go for a larger case for all his stuff.

Frankfurter offered some very good component suggestions for his build, also.

 

[AceBandage]

I made this up kind of quick. It's been a while since I've gotten a computer from scratch (been on a laptop for years), so any recommendations, criticism, mocking is welcome. I was hoping to get it at $600-700 but the OS shot me over it.
My main goal is just to play most RTS and WoW at good FPS and settings.
Anyway, berate away.

 

[Cipherr]

I made this up kind of quick. It's been a while since I've gotten a computer from scratch (been on a laptop for years), so any recommendations, criticism, mocking is welcome. I was hoping to get it at $600-700 but the OS shot me over it.
My main goal is just to play most RTS and WoW at good FPS and settings.
Anyway, berate away.

Have a look at this case, the HAF912. There is a video review built right in on the Newegg page, and it will cost the same as the rosewill case you are considering because your case has 4.99 shipping, and the shipping on the HAF 912 is free.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233&Tpk=haf 912

think this got brought up a few posts back, but that 2TB @ 5400RPM was a pretty good deal, and wanting that capacity at 7200 could potentially cost a lot more. i guess the ideal would be a SSD for OS/program files/etc and that for storage, but is the tradeoff on access speed really that bad using it as a primary?

Vigilant Walrus - if that Lian Li case doesn't work for you (i know it's not as pretty for HTPC purposes) ive had better luck looking at parts to fit the SG07.

It will make a difference. Honestly, how fast do you expect to fill the drive? If you think 1TB can last you until you have another 60 bucks to pick up an additional 1TB 7200 or even a 2TB 5400 later on, then get the faster 1TB drive now and add another later. Adding a drive is so remarkably easy. I wouldn't ever use a 5400 for a primary drive, not for gaming, not for anything. Those 5400 rpms are just data drives only.