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"I need a new PC!" 2010 Edition
- Thread starter Spy
- Start date
Metalic Sand
who is Emo-Beas?
So im looking to buy a $100 range PC case to upgrade my $40 case POS.
Whats the best buy atm? Also i see this on sale
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196
Seems to fit my needs well but is there one you would say is better in the same range? Im really trying to stick at $100 or lower.
Whats the best buy atm? Also i see this on sale
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196
Seems to fit my needs well but is there one you would say is better in the same range? Im really trying to stick at $100 or lower.
Ok, I am looking to get a New PC. The thing is, I haven't really kept up with the PC industry for the last 4 years, and even then I wasn't so up to date, so I am lost.
So, I have a number of questions and such.
1) Lets start "Simple". I have a $600 budget, what right now would be a good PC if my main concern was to run an Emulators like Dolphin and PCSX2?
2) What am I looking for in a video card? All the features mean nothing to me.
3) Same for the CPU.
4) Any post with a summery of known black Friday deals?
So, I have a number of questions and such.
1) Lets start "Simple". I have a $600 budget, what right now would be a good PC if my main concern was to run an Emulators like Dolphin and PCSX2?
2) What am I looking for in a video card? All the features mean nothing to me.
3) Same for the CPU.
4) Any post with a summery of known black Friday deals?
Drkirby said:
If you have an old case, power supply, monitor, keyboard/mouse that you can harvest you can do more with your money. For Dolphin it only makes use of two cores so you'll want raw clock speed. This means that you'll definitely want to overclock your CPU as effectively as possible.
Hazaro said:
I sure wish that whoever makes the OP in these PC threads would at least stay active enough in them to update them, we still have a January build in the OP, pretty pathetic. The above really should be in the OP.
Metalic Sand said:
I would recommend the HAF 922, if you don't mind its style, as it offers insane airflow. The Scout does have one big advantage though over the HAF 922. That is, if you plan on LANing, the Scout is designed to be very easy to transport to LANs (notice the handles). The HAF 922 is quite a bit deeper, so is definitely more difficult to transport. Also, the scout does have a black interior, which might count for something as well (I'm a big fan of black interiors).
The Scout is not a bad case by any means. Also worth considering is the CM 690, or Antec 900 (though I'm not a fan of its internal design).
MikeE21286
Member
Lkr said:
There's been deals on the GTX460 for the past couple weeks. If none have enticed you to buy one I don't know if they are going to get any lower (either version that is...)
Drkirby said:
With that kind of budget, if you don't have any salvageable components from another PC, you're probably looking at an AMD system. Someone who is more knowledgeable about AMD overclocking can hopefully chip in. I'm just wondering just how big of a difference there is in between a Phenom and an i5 760 when overclocked.
It might be worth waiting for the new socket and see what happens. Maybe save up a tiny bit more for the build if the new Sandy Bridges are that much faster. Emulation is a little tricky since if you don't have enough speed, you'll be playing at less than full speed. My 3.0GHz quad-core, for example, is only enough to run DKCR at about 75-80% speed. If the new CPUs are ~20% faster per clock and easily overclockable to 4+ GHz, you might stand to gain quite a bit of emulation performance for a marginal amount more.
Have a Monitor and Keyboard/Mouse, but no Case or Power Supply. Also have a copy of Windows 7 from my School.Shambles said:
When should more info on those Sandy Bridge CPUs become available, or when do they come out?
Edit: Ok, reading a bit more, it would be out at the beginning of next year. Any price points put out yet so I have an idea how much it would be?
Sandy Bridge should be making its official debut the first week of January. Sales are expected to start right about then or shortly after. AMD's new Bulldozer architecture is supposed to finally launch around Q3 or so of next year.
Intel has said prices will be similar to the current range of Core i3/i5/i7, but the pricing structure for the new unlocked K-series chips is likely to factor in differently to the overall lineup than it does now.
Intel has said prices will be similar to the current range of Core i3/i5/i7, but the pricing structure for the new unlocked K-series chips is likely to factor in differently to the overall lineup than it does now.
If no one else has mentioned doing so, I'd be up for making the 2011 PC thread OP. It can be updated with any recommended builds, FAQ, etc.Shambles said:
Oh, I wasn't trying to imply that the 922 had bad airflow or anything, only that the great stock cooling can still be improved. My point about cool air escaping still stands, though I may have overstated it. Certainly didn't mean to make it sound like the components wouldn't be properly cooled. Only that temps can be lowered even further. It's not in anyway mandatory, just nice if you like to tool around to get the best out of your PC.TheExodu5 said:
IrishNinja
Member
waiting on my rig to arrive, and of course shopping on monoprice for cables, just want to check with you guys that i get the right one...at home, i'm gonna plug it in via a DVI to HDMI cable (gonna have to sort a way to get digital sound; my receiver is old/doesnt have HDMI or even spare digital opticals ;_
, but at work, the monitor is a DVI-D Dual link (based on this), though i notice my work PC plugs in via a DVI-D single link. are these interchangeable? i was gonna grab this cable but was slightly unsure, based on this info for my GPU:
good to know im getting a VGA adapter for the option of an older setup in another room, too.
also:
1) how large of a partition do you guys use for windows 7?
2) first day with a new rig: i know to run prime95 for most of the day with speedfan, what else do you do to break it in/ensure its stability? thanks as usual for your help here, guys.
, but at work, the monitor is a DVI-D Dual link (based on this), though i notice my work PC plugs in via a DVI-D single link. are these interchangeable? i was gonna grab this cable but was slightly unsure, based on this info for my GPU:good to know im getting a VGA adapter for the option of an older setup in another room, too.
also:
1) how large of a partition do you guys use for windows 7?
2) first day with a new rig: i know to run prime95 for most of the day with speedfan, what else do you do to break it in/ensure its stability? thanks as usual for your help here, guys.
Yeah, you know what, I don't think I want to plop down the money for the Sandy Beach Stuff. I'll take the much cheaper AMD option thank you.
So, I guess I'll see what goes on sale in the next few days before plopping my cash down. Oh, I still need some advice on a Video Card though.
So, I guess I'll see what goes on sale in the next few days before plopping my cash down. Oh, I still need some advice on a Video Card though.
IrishNinja said:waiting on my rig to arrive, and of course shopping on monoprice for cables, just want to check with you guys that i get the right one...at home, i'm gonna plug it in via a DVI to HDMI cable (gonna have to sort a way to get digital sound; my receiver is old/doesnt have HDMI or even spare digital opticals ;_
good to know im getting a VGA adapter for the option of an older setup in another room, too.
also:
1) how large of a partition do you guys use for windows 7?
2) first day with a new rig: i know to run prime95 for most of the day with speedfan, what else do you do to break it in/ensure its stability? thanks as usual for your help here, guys.
You only have to use dual link DVI when running a 30 inch monitor with a resolution around 2560x1600. Single link DVI has enough bandwidth to push your monitor unless it is that large. That monoprice cable will work, personally I'd go with the 28AWG instead as it's cheaper, will probably cost less to ship and thinner cables are less of a pain in the ass to manage when trying to keep everything tidy. I've never had a problem the integrety of my 28AWG's.
What other OS are you running? I think Windows7 needs at least 7ish GB just to install. If it's just windows you're running I'd consider just having the whole drive as a single partition. If you're trying to short-stroke the OS partition I'd play it on the safe side and give it 20GB.
Also i'm not sure what you're intentions are with prime95. You only need to stress test a machine if you are overclocking it and want to make sure it's stable. If you're just leaving it stock it doesn't need a 'burn in period'. If you want to check component integrity you can run memtest for the RAM and see if any SMART errors are showing up on the HDD.
Drkirby said:
Depends on your price point. Right now i'd probably say the GTS250 around 70$, the 4870 1GB around 90$, the GTX 460 768 around 140$ (Some areas are having sales on it for as low as 115$ after MIR, hell of a deal), and around 200$ is a giant clusterfuck of different variations of GTX 460 1GBs and 6850s. The 460's look to overclock better, they run F@H better, the 6850 is a faster card at stock, produces less heat/noise but lately it's price has been inflated over the 460. Really at 200$ it's whatever features you like better: eyefinity, physx etc... The resolution of your screen is a good indicator of what kind of money you should be spending on a GPU. You can go above 200$ but I don't see the point unless you have some crazy displays setup.
·feist· said:
Sure, I'd support any of the prominent members in this thread. Having an up to date OP would be useful for a lot of people coming in here looking for help and having a few builds at different price points should be more than enough for most people as we could keep the OP more up to date than even the TR and PCPer builds. It would also allow us to link in the OP to any guides we wish to create within the thread. If someone wanted to create a guide for overclocking AM3 chips they could create it directly in the thread with a link to their post in the OP.
IrishNinja
Member
Shambles said:
yeah, that cable looks like it'll do just fine...i'd read the difference between single and dual link, just wanted to verify they could be used interchangeably as my card brings a single-layer, but the monitor is dual (again, looking at it now, its running on a single layer cord, so i guess that answers that).
just gonna be win7, ive learned to make such a partition just so if things get screwy, i can format only that one and reinstall my OS without losing 1TB+ of random junk on the other. since it'll be windows + program files, im thinking closer to 100GB?
it's a SFF PC, i guess even though the company i'm buying it from promises a host of diagnostics, id wanted to ensure the temps were ok even under load, before OCing it myself. i think ive read memtest around here before, gonna run that one as well...thanks Shambles!
FormallyMegadrive
Member
teiresias said:
I have had this exact problem with my GTX460 Gigabyte. Is it the overclocked version as well? I sent my card to my suppliers and they had no problems with it so I have sent my mobo, ram and cpu back along with it and I'm hoping they figure it out. If it's not too much hassle can you please keep me or the thread up to date with your issue? I'd be happy to PM you my resolution (if there is one).
brain_stew
Member
HBP said:Heres the deal I used to be a big PC gamer and into all the hardware news.
But, I haven't paid attention for a few years, I am thinking of selling my iMac and building a PC for programming, media, and some gaming (have a macbook pro & ipad anyway)
I don't really want to go any higher in price, just wondering if this looks decent, or if I could make some changes. Cheaper would be even better.
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Total $652.87
785G is an older chipset, it'll probabl do but I wouldn't recommend it, try and get a 870 board or something.
Stay the hell away fro dual core processors, seriously, avoid them like the plague, they're just not adequate these days. An X4 640 is only $100 so get that.
Try and get a GTX 460 768MB, yo should be able to find one around that price now. Its worth an extra ~$20 or so.
sorry if i'm in the wrong thread but my friend bought this gtx 480
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500166&cm_re=gtx_480-_-14-500-166-_-Product
can he use the hdmi to transfer 7.1 lcpm or dolby digital or dts to his sound system ?!
if so, do i need to connect internal wires for the audio or anything like that ?!
thanks
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500166&cm_re=gtx_480-_-14-500-166-_-Product
can he use the hdmi to transfer 7.1 lcpm or dolby digital or dts to his sound system ?!
if so, do i need to connect internal wires for the audio or anything like that ?!
thanks
Lostconfused
Member
Well I upped the voltage to 1.30625V. One of the cores kept crashing at 1.3V. So now its running at 3.8GHz and the temps are still 70 Celcius or lower. Haven't run prime95 for a full 24 hour cycle but its been stable for close to 8.TheExodu5 said:
Is there any sort of issues with mixing RAM of diffrent speeds? Like if I were to get something like DDR3 1333 now and later get anther stick like a DDR3 1600, would their be any issue? Would the new stick get slowed down by the old one, would it work right, ect.
well it wouldn't be right if atleast SOMETHING didnt go to fucking hell as soon as I try to do ANYTHING with my pc....
well I installed my SSD and upgraded my firmware and followed this guide ( http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/f...ks-Utilities-*&p=442158&viewfull=1#post442158 ) to tweak the drive and now that I want to enable TRIM or to check if TRIM is enabled... I fucking can't!
" DERP YOU'RE NOT THE ADMINISTRATOR DUUUUUDE "
*checks account status/type*
* account type = administrator *
So since TRIM seems vital for an SSD, how the hell do I enable it ? Because running cmd.exe and typing " fsutil behavior set disabledeletenotify 0 " gives me that silly admin-cockblock...-
bloody hell....
well I installed my SSD and upgraded my firmware and followed this guide ( http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/f...ks-Utilities-*&p=442158&viewfull=1#post442158 ) to tweak the drive and now that I want to enable TRIM or to check if TRIM is enabled... I fucking can't!
" DERP YOU'RE NOT THE ADMINISTRATOR DUUUUUDE "
*checks account status/type*
* account type = administrator *
So since TRIM seems vital for an SSD, how the hell do I enable it ? Because running cmd.exe and typing " fsutil behavior set disabledeletenotify 0 " gives me that silly admin-cockblock...-
bloody hell....
Hi guys. I think i have a slight problem. I received my power supply shipped from newegg yesterday, opened the box to check it out and see this:
Bottom row, 5th pin on the 24-pin connector seems to be missing.
I dont have the rest of my PC parts yet to test if it will still work but this can't be good. Should I just RMA it to get it back in time with the rest of the computer parts? (about next week or so)
Btw thank you Hazaro for approving my setup. I'd also would've gotten the 128GB SSD but I'll only install the OS on the 64GB and wait a few months for better prices
Bottom row, 5th pin on the 24-pin connector seems to be missing.
I dont have the rest of my PC parts yet to test if it will still work but this can't be good. Should I just RMA it to get it back in time with the rest of the computer parts? (about next week or so)
Btw thank you Hazaro for approving my setup. I'd also would've gotten the 128GB SSD but I'll only install the OS on the 64GB and wait a few months for better prices
On the HAF 922 with the grill on the side, what's to stop dust from coming in? From the looks of it even putting a fan in there won't stop backflow around the edges.
You can breathe, that's normal. In case you're wondering it used to be the position of the -5V line. -5V was dropped from the ATX spec a while ago and only very old motherboards use it.
Arsenic said:
You can breathe, that's normal. In case you're wondering it used to be the position of the -5V line. -5V was dropped from the ATX spec a while ago and only very old motherboards use it.
Metalic Sand said:
As others has mentioned I'd go HaF 922. I just switched to this case the other day from an old crappy case, after I upgraded to a quad core (was having heat issues) couldn't be happier. The only issue I had, was the side panels didn't go on as smoothly as my old case. It is a wider case than normal ones. This case makes me want to go out and pick up a modular psu sooner than I had planned to though heh. Hard to hide all those damn wires.
Spent a couple of hours setting it up, I think I'm gonna have to get a new heatsink, mine sounds not balanced.
Pic shows a 120mm fan on bottom, a 140mm can go there, also a 200m can go on the side panel or 2 120mm's.
What are the symptoms of bad voltage configuration for the CPU? I'm running my I7 950 at 4.01ghz at 1.25v ( and I can lower it even more)
It works perfectly and stable, or so it seems. The problem is that I've seen many configurations online and the voltage is higher in most of the cases. From 1.3v to 1.4v to achieve similar speeds.
So, when you don't have enough voltage, does the pc hangs? Or is it more like the cpu doesn't have enough juice and it doesn't work properly (CPU-Z shows it's ok though).
It works perfectly and stable, or so it seems. The problem is that I've seen many configurations online and the voltage is higher in most of the cases. From 1.3v to 1.4v to achieve similar speeds.
So, when you don't have enough voltage, does the pc hangs? Or is it more like the cpu doesn't have enough juice and it doesn't work properly (CPU-Z shows it's ok though).
Dizzy-4U said:
Anything from seeing errors in Prime95 calculations to software freezing/crashing to entire system crashing. You want your voltage as low as possible as it helps to greatly reduce heat and fan noise as things run cooler. There are alternatives programs but I usually just make sure prime95 runs a torture test for a few hours without errors before I feel confident in an overclock. Some people run it for a lot longer but as your real life usage will never be as severe as torture testing a few hours is more than enough to test for stability.
sharkmuncher
Member
1)Basic Desktop Questions
Budget: <$500 (Maybe)
Main Use: general usage, iTunes, Skype, Google video chat, email, netflix, Picasa
Monitor Resolution: 1680x1050
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: None
I am looking to build a new computer for my parents. They do what you would expect general computer use for most people's parents to be. Lots of web surfing, some Office-type stuff, google chat/skype, sync iPod using iTunes and Picasa. What type of specs should I be looking at for something like this. I tend to go way overboard on a PC like this as I put in it what I would want and not what they need :lol . What price range should I be shooting for, what type of specs and is it even worth building this or will I be able to get something cheaper through Dell or something. They have a decent monitor, webcam, accessories so this is just the box. Thanks!
Budget: <$500 (Maybe)
Main Use: general usage, iTunes, Skype, Google video chat, email, netflix, Picasa
Monitor Resolution: 1680x1050
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: None
I am looking to build a new computer for my parents. They do what you would expect general computer use for most people's parents to be. Lots of web surfing, some Office-type stuff, google chat/skype, sync iPod using iTunes and Picasa. What type of specs should I be looking at for something like this. I tend to go way overboard on a PC like this as I put in it what I would want and not what they need :lol . What price range should I be shooting for, what type of specs and is it even worth building this or will I be able to get something cheaper through Dell or something. They have a decent monitor, webcam, accessories so this is just the box. Thanks!
Lostconfused
Member
Yeah you should probably consider running it for at least a few hours. In my case my overclock was returning errors 36 minutes or more into the test.Dizzy-4U said:
evlcookie said:
thanks man, I already fixed it, but still why the hell am I even administrator if every now and then I'm getting errors that I can't run a certain things because that I for some reason ain't the admin...
but whatevs, just as you said, it was on by default.
ATTO benchmark gave me a read/write speed of ~279mbs, very close to the proposed maximum of 285 so I'm happy ^^
sharkmuncher said:
Something like this combo seems pretty ideal. The only thing that might not work for you is if USB3 is important for your parents. Right now it probably isn't but down the road it will be very useful when transferring large amounts of pictures/videos from cameras onto the computer. Alternatively if USB3 ever does matter you can always throw in a cheap PCIE adapter.
brain_stew said:
With 3GB of memory, only a dual core, and a form factor that you will never be able to upgrade or use for parts in future builds? Hardly worth it. Even assuming he even needs a HDD and OS as it's an upgrade and it's possible he doesn't, it's still no cheaper but much worse. Once in a very blue moon I see a pre-built machine that might be worth it, but it's a very rare moon indeed. Not to mention a pre-built 1 year warranty on the absolute lowest grade Dell components is a lot worse than the 3+ year warranty you have on the higher quality components of a pre-built machine. I've fought with enough Dell machines, do yourself a favour and build it yourself.
brain_stew
Member
sharkmuncher said:
Not worth putting together a custom rig with those needs tbh. I'd recommend something like the Dell Zino HD:
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...=en&s=dhs&cs=19&model_id=inspiron-zino-hd-410
They'll appreciate the free OS, small size, warranty and low power draw. The AMD integrated graphics are more than sufficient, and so long as you've got a dual core processor and 2GB of RAM, they'll have absolutely zero issues with performance.
The base $400 model is perfect. You're not going to get as nice a machine as that once you factor in the $100 for W7 HP.
sharkmuncher
Member
brain_stew said:
I guess I forgot to mention I have a Windows 7 family pack w/ 2 licences left so I am good as far as the OS goes. That Dell doesn't seem like a bad deal, and the warranty might be nice, hmmm...
Before you buy a modular PSU, buy some zip ties! There are little hooks on the bak of the motherboard tray that allow you to tie the cables down. Since there is so much room on the back of the 922, you should have no problem making it look super clean.Carm said:As others has mentioned I'd go HaF 922. I just switched to this case the other day from an old crappy case, after I upgraded to a quad core (was having heat issues) couldn't be happier. The only issue I had, was the side panels didn't go on as smoothly as my old case. It is a wider case than normal ones. This case makes me want to go out and pick up a modular psu sooner than I had planned to though heh. Hard to hide all those damn wires.
Spent a couple of hours setting it up, I think I'm gonna have to get a new heatsink, mine sounds not balanced.
Pic shows a 120mm fan on bottom, a 140mm can go there, also a 200m can go on the side panel or 2 120mm's.
sharkmuncher
Member
Le-mo said:
Tech Report just did a write up on the new Asus Xonar cards vs an integrated sound system and they seemed to think quite highly of them. I might be picking up the Xonar DG, for $30, I don't see how one could go wrong.
Pimpbaa
Slop Inspector
Le-mo said:
Sound card is only really necessary if you are still doing analog (or plugging headphones directly into your computer) since integrated sound usually has horrible DACs. But as for digital, it's completely unnecessary. And yeah sound is integrated in video cards these days. I am using the sound off my geforce 460 which is connected to my HDTV using HDMI.