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"I need a new PC!" 2010 Edition
- Thread starter Spy
- Start date
Puncture said:
Pulls out about a foot. So I'm maybe 2.5 feet away from the screen. It was big at first, but just like having a big TV, you get used to it. And once you get used to it, you can't go back. The immersion factor has been raised quite a bit with this setup, akin to playing my console games on a projector.
You had the SC version on your list so I pointed you that way.caliblue15 said:
And for future people...
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
I should be doing hw
Member
Can someone quote me on the best SSD to buy for a PC for OS and app installation? I've filled up my 1Tb HDD, un-partitioned, and its like I'm back in the 90's here it's horribly slow.
It's in need of an OS reinstall anyway so I figured I might use this time to consider fitting in an SSD drive too. Kicking myself for not partitioning the OS in the first place though, the thought of reinstalling everything is frightening.
Not sure what size I should get, in my head I have 300Gb but that might still be a lot of money these days. So is it worth getting one now or waiting until next year if there is going to be some dramatic price drop or something like that. It's pretty urgent though, not sure how long I can wait.
It's in need of an OS reinstall anyway so I figured I might use this time to consider fitting in an SSD drive too. Kicking myself for not partitioning the OS in the first place though, the thought of reinstalling everything is frightening.
Not sure what size I should get, in my head I have 300Gb but that might still be a lot of money these days. So is it worth getting one now or waiting until next year if there is going to be some dramatic price drop or something like that. It's pretty urgent though, not sure how long I can wait.
I should be doing hw said:
If I was buying an SSD today, I'd get:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&cm_re=crucial_realssd-_-20-148-348-_-Product
If you really want closer to 300GB, then:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&cm_re=crucial_realssd-_-20-148-349-_-Product
Pretty high price to pay though.
Hazaro said:
Cool, so I upgraded the list to this:
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533
OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227550
Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified ...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371015
Intel Core i5-760 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80605I5760
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115067
EVGA 01G-P3-1370-TR GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130570
ASUS P7P55D-E LX LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131634
Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066
Rosewill RCR-IC001 40-in-1 USB 2.0 3.5" Internal Card Reader w/ USB port / Extra silver face plate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820223103
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231193
LITE-ON DVD Writer - Bulk - Black SATA Model iHAS224-06 LightScribe Support - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106333
Total: $1000
Had to take away the Blu-ray writer to make it work under $1000, guess I'll just add that later when I get some money.
Anything I could go to a diff maker without losing quality and make it cheaper?
SilverLunar
Member
Is a 64GB SDD enough to launch WoW and Photoshop?
According to the SysReqs:SilverLunar said:
Photoshop takes 1GB + extra for during setup
Vanilla WoW takes 6GB
Burning Crusade takes 6GB
Wrath takes 15GB
Cataclysm takes 25GB (!!!).
Granted, I don't know if the Wrath and Cataclysm requirements include the other content, but if not, that all adds up to 53GB. If it does and everything only takes up 26GB, I'd say install your OS on the SSD too.
IMACOMPUTA
Member
Hazaro said:
Cool, thanks a lot.
SilverLunar
Member
That's what i am concerned about too, I heard that Cata replaces the content of the whole game and you dont need the past expansions at all if you get Cata.Rctdaemon said:
So i am going with the best scenario and guess it is just 25GB with Cataclysm
MidgarBlowedUp
Member
caliblue15 said:
While that is a fantastic drive I would at least take a look at the Lite-On iHAS524-T98A with the Label-Tag feature. New Egg has them for $33.55 after shipping. (It is a real MTK chipset and not a shitty NEC like many of the iHAS424 drives)
Label-Tag allows you to write labels on the disk itself and requires no special media unlike light scribe. However, it does take up a few hundred megabytes of space on the disk as it writes the labels on the underside instead of the top. The drive is also extremely quiet, actually the quietest drive I've had as I don't even hear it running. The drive also has Smart Erase even though it isn't listed on the loading tray.
Totally up to you though, I figure you have done your research I just thought I'd make a suggestion, if you really want light scribe then by all means get the iHAS224 it's one awesome drive.
You could always hold off until the iHAS624 comes out as it will offer LS, SE, and LT.
SilverLunar
Member
Oh no then it will add up?? :/Mzo said:
Ugh these things are expensive, i can't just upgrade to a 158GB one :[
Edit: wait. Actually u have to get the vannila and BC license to install WoLK.
In this regard it is said that Cataclysm doesn't require the past expansions for it to work, because the whole game world will be replaced.
arts&crafts
Member
I know nothing about crossfire or whatever but I have a 5770 and this is on sale http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=5599121&sku=P450-5772. Now my 5770 is a different brand, is that an issue when using both?
SilverLunar said:
Yeah it is.
I have an 80GB SSD, and I've got WoW on there...that takes about 20GB. Only problem I've run into: when patching, it likes to extract a ton of files to your C drives temporarily, so I've run out of space doing that.
If you do get an SSD, you can do some Symbolic Link magic to move folders like the Temp folder off your C drive to a HDD.
Oh also though, the 64GB SSD is about half the speed of the 128GB SSD. Still really fast, but if you were thinking of getting a 128GB, just thought I'd let you know.
arts&crafts said:
No issue that I know of but that seems like a somewhat high price for a 5770, considering it's performance.
arts&crafts
Member
TheExodu5 said:
I see, thanks for the help. Perhaps I shall wait for boxing day. I don't really have to many issues on high settings as it is.
caliblue15 said:
Not difficult, just stressful. Was my first build also, and I must have spent 6 or 7 minutes hesitating to lock it into place. It really does apply a lot of pressure to the chip when you clamp the clip down, but it is intended.
I was just super nervous though, wanting to make sure I didn't bend or snap a pin. After that the most difficult part is recovering screws you accidently drop into the case during your build. So annoying.
Edit: If you got a corsair power supply, it will be by far the most elegantly packaged item of the lot. Its pretty impressive how much care they take with their power supplies packaging.
I finished building my new rig yesterday. I've been using some programs linked in the OP to check temperatures, overclocking, etc.
Question: Is there a program where It displays the temperatures while in game? Kinda like fraps, where you can see the FPS all the time, but with temperatures.
Question: Is there a program where It displays the temperatures while in game? Kinda like fraps, where you can see the FPS all the time, but with temperatures.
What I do is turn on charts in SpeedFan for the different temps, then leave it running while in game for a few minutes, then check when I exit game.Dizzy-4U said:
Or if you want to see what sort of temps you will get in game run something like Prime95 to see what load temperatures.
If you want to test the absolute worst case scenario, and I mean absolute worst case scenario, run:
Prime 95
Furmark
Both of them at the same time will stress both your CPU and GPU to 100%, a level they'll never reach in game. I do it whenever I set up a system. Then you're assured everything is stable.
Prime 95
Furmark
Both of them at the same time will stress both your CPU and GPU to 100%, a level they'll never reach in game. I do it whenever I set up a system. Then you're assured everything is stable.
I plan to build a new pc for gaming but haven't done so in years (my last one was an Athlon64 3200+). I'm completely out of touch with the current hardware, so i've got a few questions.
My Budget: ~1000 (~$1360)
Location: Germany (I'd rather buy my hardware from regional sellers for warranty reasons)
Main Use: Gaming, Microsoft Visual Studio, Photoshop
Monitor: 1080p TV, though i still need a good solution to combine mouse&keyboard with my comfy couch
Games that have to run perfectly fine: Black Ops, Bad Company 2, Batman AA, Mirrors Edge, Crysis, Battlefield 3 and a couple more
I want it to at least hold me over until the next console generation arrives.
I'd also like to be able to see all the PhysX shenanigans (Batman, Mirrors Edge) in full effect, is that possible with a single, reasonably priced graphics card?
Everybody in here seems to only recommend getting an i7 over an i5 if you really need it, but where does it make a difference? Is capturing videos using Fraps very cpu intensive and thus making an i7 the better choice for that?
When would be the best time to buy new Hardware: Now, after christmas or sometime next year?
Is it possible to build a silent pc with a 64GB SSD (for Win7 & some programs) within my budget? I definately don't want to upgrade it for quite some time.
My Budget: ~1000 (~$1360)
Location: Germany (I'd rather buy my hardware from regional sellers for warranty reasons)
Main Use: Gaming, Microsoft Visual Studio, Photoshop
Monitor: 1080p TV, though i still need a good solution to combine mouse&keyboard with my comfy couch
Games that have to run perfectly fine: Black Ops, Bad Company 2, Batman AA, Mirrors Edge, Crysis, Battlefield 3 and a couple more
I want it to at least hold me over until the next console generation arrives.
I'd also like to be able to see all the PhysX shenanigans (Batman, Mirrors Edge) in full effect, is that possible with a single, reasonably priced graphics card?
Everybody in here seems to only recommend getting an i7 over an i5 if you really need it, but where does it make a difference? Is capturing videos using Fraps very cpu intensive and thus making an i7 the better choice for that?
When would be the best time to buy new Hardware: Now, after christmas or sometime next year?
Is it possible to build a silent pc with a 64GB SSD (for Win7 & some programs) within my budget? I definately don't want to upgrade it for quite some time.
Thinking of grabbing an SSD, this one any good? http://overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-047-OC
TheExodu5 said:
speaking of this vertex 2 ssd :
If I'm eyeing one of these, what do I have to have "set-up" per se, before I try to buy / install an SSD? I.e any prerequisites?
If I'm on a regular old ass 7200rpm HDD with an install of windows 7 on. What's the best way to go about formating and installing w7 on the SSD?
edit : well I buckled under the pressure and ordered the 60gb version, but I still have no idea what I've gotten myself into xD
I believe eVGA Precision has an overlay. MSI Afterburner probably does as well.Dizzy-4U said:
Early next year with the introduction of Sandy Bridge and AM3+ chips if you are spending that much. Probably around April... if you can hold out that long..nimrod said:
I just built my cousin a decent/cheap PC. I kinda want to build a new one for me now so...
I am leaning for AMD CPUs. The price is unbeatable and performance is not bad at all. Not comparable to Intel's top ones but I think bang for buck AMD has Intel beat. What's the best CPU/MOBO combo I can get for around $300? (add about $75 for 4GB of DDR3). I'll be using my HD 4870 as the GPU meanwhile and use the 750W PSU i got so I am saving those. Already have a DVD burner and a 1TB HD ready. All I need is the best CPU/Mobo combo for around that price point. Tips =D!
I am leaning for AMD CPUs. The price is unbeatable and performance is not bad at all. Not comparable to Intel's top ones but I think bang for buck AMD has Intel beat. What's the best CPU/MOBO combo I can get for around $300? (add about $75 for 4GB of DDR3). I'll be using my HD 4870 as the GPU meanwhile and use the 750W PSU i got so I am saving those. Already have a DVD burner and a 1TB HD ready. All I need is the best CPU/Mobo combo for around that price point. Tips =D!
AceBandage
Banned
Relix said:
I love my GIGABYTE 880GA. You could easily get a Phenom II Quad Core Black with it for less than $300.
Baron Aloha
A Shining Example
I picked up the i7-950 from Micro Center today for only $199! (in-store only)
I couldn't pass it up at that price.
The rest of my components should be arriving in the mail this week. I'll let you all know how it goes.
I couldn't pass it up at that price.
The rest of my components should be arriving in the mail this week. I'll let you all know how it goes.
Relix said:
If you're spending $300, might as well go Intel. AMD is worth it for low budget offerings (~$100 CPU + $100 mobo). Once you get up to $200 CPUs, you might as well go Intel, unless you need six-core.
If you do want to go AMD, there are generally 2 choices:
Phenom X4 955 ($154)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...m_re=amd_phenom_x4_955-_-19-103-808-_-Product
Athlon X4 640 ($100)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...03871&cm_re=athlon_640-_-19-103-871-_-Product
zaidr said:So I have a unique dilemma here:
Should I get a Q8400 or QX6850. Price = Same.
If the price was the same, which processor would you get? Any one have a definitive answer?
Can anyone help me please? I'm still unsure.
I know its lower temps/power with the newer chip, but I have a hefty 700w PSU, and only one vid card (5870). Would the unlocked multiplier + double L2 cache (4 -> 8 mb) make a significant difference in today's games? Has the C2Q architecture changed enough that Q8400 should still be able to offer comparable speeds at lower clocks?
Thanks!
Corky said:
Nothing much. It all depends on what you want to do with the drive. You can prolong the drive by a fucking mile if you move your user folder off the ssd and onto a secondary hard drive. I do this since i'm on the original vertex and for some reason mine goes through a ton of write cycles with temp/user folder on the drive. Your drive has the sandforce controller (from memory) so you should be fine with keeping everything on it. Try and keep 10-20% free space on it for write swaps as well. Windows will auto format it correctly so don't worry about that.
After you install and update windows you can run the ssd tweak utility to turn off a few services Here . There are some more advanced tweaks but i doubt you would need them. You can use ocz smartmon or ssd life to monitor the life of the drive, how many write cycles its done and so on.
evlcookie said:
cheers mate
Since you omitted any info on formating and reinstalling windows I guess I'll just do it like I would do it using any other HDD.
That is :
1) format my current HDD, removing my current install of windows 7
2) install windows 7 on SSD
3) profit?
edit :
also, do I have to go into bios and enable/disable anything? Also, I feel like this is really stupid question but whatevs xD , I'm assuming I'm going to plug the SSD into the sata3 port on my mobo?
Relix said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115067&cm_re=i5_760-_-19-115-067-_-Product
As with most modern CPUs, you're going to want to overclock. The i5 760 can easily go to 3.6-4.0GHz, with a cheap $30 cooler.
If you plan on running emulators (Dolphin, PCSX2), going Intel is the only real choice. Otherwise, the Phenom 955 is still plenty fast though.
Corky said:
You don't even need to format your current HDD, if you wanted to make sure you don't lose any important data (save games, etc...). Of course, there's nothing wrong with formatting it either.
Once you install Windows to your new SSD and set it as the boot drive, your PC won't even recognize that Windows is installed to your other HDD. You can then copy over files and delete files to make space as you see fit. I'd probably just create a "backup" folder on your HDD and stick everything in there, for good measure.
You want to go into your BIOS and set the new drive to AHCI, I believe. Can't remember the acronym precisely.