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"I need a new PC!" 2010 Edition

ltse1 said:
Good point, I opted to shell out $30 more for a 256-bit GPU.

Also good point, Newegg had the 760 at $5 more. Checked benchmarks anyway and it's more than a $5 jump in performance :D

I checked GTX460s on Newegg but couldn't find a cheap one, link?
Click to expand...
If you're going to be doing modeling and video editing, you may want to squeeze that extra amount back into the budget for the original 2x4GB memory kit you had.


Zaraki_Kenpachi said:
Is a 470 still a good investment? They have one for $200 after MIR at newegg.
Click to expand...
This one?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ction-_-N82E16814121372-_-na-_-na&PID=3891137

Yes, though it may depending on what you're upgrading from. Either that or the $200 6870 deal that was up. A 470 still has to contend with heat and consumption in comparison to the 6870.

The GTX 560, or "570 SE" should be faster than both, but I'd be surprised to see it launch at the 460's initial MSRP. $240-260 seems likely, with room for a scaled-down version or two, like the 460 768MB, or 460 SE.


Iadien said:
Where at?
Click to expand...
Most recently, Tiger Direct has had the 460 768MB for $90-95 depending on what additional deals you have may been able to stack. Not sure if that deal is still going. Prior to that, the same 768MB 460, was going for ~$115 from a few different brands.
 
Arsenic said:
Quoting myself:

I've changed out the power supply and used mine for a build not too long ago and now the problem persists, which i think is weird. Good news that its not the power supply but bad news that it can be the motherboard.

My question is, when i disconnect everything internally and power on the PSU, shouldnt it still work, like the fans spin and such?

EDIT: Also should note that the SB-power LED is ON, but nothing else is working. could this be a problem with the case, or maybe my MoBo is short-circuiting
Click to expand...
Although your motherboard may be an OEM from Asus, ECS, etc., companies like Sony and Gateway often have slightly different changes to what you would find on a standard aftermarket from the same OEM manufacturer. Sounds like you may have an issue with your front panel connectors. Double-check them, particularly the +/- for power and such. You may need to split one or more of them in order to plug into the proper pin (search online for a PDF manual for your OEM board with diagrams). Two other possibilities are that your ram was jostled loose a bit during the transfer (re-seat them just to be certain), or that something inside the case may be coming into contact with the motherboard. I'd take a look at that, as well as going through all the power leads again.
 
My brother would like to know what is the best GPU for rendering and Maya?

Would any of the ATI 6000 Series be sufficient enough for his needs?
 
Thank you Amazon and overnight shipping. Just put this together after my computer died 2 days ago. Wish, I could have waited for the new Sandy bridge, but need a computer quick. :D

Intel Core i7 950 3.06GHz $295
Cooler Master 212 Plus $26
XFX Radeon 6970 HD 2 GB $380
Asus Sabertooth $200
Patriot Viper II Sector 7 Edition DDR3 6 GB 2000MHz $120
Samsung DVD Burner 22X $18
Western Digital 2 TB $90

Total: $1129

Now, I gotta try some graphic intensive games.
 
Hey, I'm looking for a decent monitor. My budget is $150-200, which I know isn't gonna get me anything too crazy. As long as it's solid, I'm fine, I don't need anything flashy.

anyways, I might be limited to BestBuy since I have giftcards, here is their list.

Thanks, and I love you.
 
Merry Christmas GAF! :D

Anyway, I have been having some issues with my PC. I have been having random shutdowns. Pretty much my computer screen will freeze, if any sound is playing it will sort of repeat that same sound over and over and eventually my video card/motherboard will shut off (I can hear the click) and and computer will shut down and restart.

Now I am pretty sure this is a result of my resent overclock of my Gigabyte GTX 460 1G, which I clocked up to 850/1700 and 2000 in MSI Afterburner. I think this because these shut downs seem like a pretty new thing and I don't recall them happening before the overclock.

I am not sure if it is an overheating issue, because I tested my overclock for 10 minutes using Kombuster and the highest temp seen was 72C which seems pretty normal. I don't know if it is a dust issue either, seeing as my PC is only a few months old.

For now I have put my video card back to default settings (snce I only really need it overclocked for Just Cause 2 and Metro).

Here are my specs-
ASUS P7P55D-E LGA1156 P55 DDR3 2PCI-E16 3PCI-E1 2PCI CrossFireX USB3.0 SATA 6GB Motherboard

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 460 Fermi 715MHZ 1GB GDDR5 2XDVI Mini-HDMI PCI-E DX11 Video Card

Corsair TX650W 650W ATX 12V 52A 24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 120MM Fan

G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL Ripjaws PC3-12800 4GB 2X2GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24

Intel Core i5 760 Quad Core Processor Lynnfield LGA1156 2.8GHZ 8MB Cache Retail Box

Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus Direct Touch 4 Heatpipe Heatsink AM2 AM3 LGA1366 LGA775 LGA1156 120MM

Maybe need to upgrade my power supply or cooler?

Any input would be helpful! :D

EDIT - It might actually be tied to Microsoft Security Essentials...
 
The Big Rig said:
Its not from Bestbuy, but I can vouch for how awesome it is. Right now its $160 before rebate, $140 after.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236059
Click to expand...

Thanks for the rec.

Unfortunately, that deal seems to end before I'll have the funds for it buy maybe I'll just use my Best Buy gift cards for my wired controller, KBM and Windows 7 and I'll save the Monitor for when I get my big money in January.

I'm getting closer. :D
 
TheExodu5 said:
Wait a few weeks for Sandy bridge to be released. With that kind of money, you'll no doubt be going with a high end SLI setup.
Click to expand...


T-Matt said:
With that kind of money to spend you'll want to wait a little bit for Intel's sandy bridge processors to come out. I'd suggest a nice 32 inch 1080p tv as your monitor.
Click to expand...



good point, thanks for the info! do we know much about the sandy bridge processors yet?


@Matt - thanks that is a nice size for a monitor
1
 
snack said:
Hey guys which of these mouses is the best?

G500
Alienware Tactx Mouse
Microsoft Sidewinder X5
Click to expand...

I have the G700 (which is the wireless version of the G500 that has a wired mode as well...) and I really like it a lot
 
Happened to have an older Xeon server drop into my lap today.

Specs:

Dual-CPU 2.8GHz Nocona Xeon processors w/ 1MB L2
1x2GB DDR2 (PC3200)

Video card wise, it's rocking an older 6800GS and a 7300GT.

The board is a super micro board that has PCI-E v1.0 so it has the full bandwidth, but I'm trying to figure out what card is right for the system.

Upgrades i'm doing:
New PSU (Seasonic 520W Modular)
couple of SATA drives for OS and storage (nothing more than 500GB a piece)
2GB more of DDR2 (board can handle 16GB but not worth it)

And lastly, the video card.

I'm a little puzzled as what I should pick up. Any suggestions?
 
Guys, my laptop is in the process of dying so I'm thinking of getting a new computer. However, I don't really need it right away. Should I still buy one anyway and take advantage of the Boxing Day sales? Or will computer hardware sales come and go all the time?
 
Gaf, I need a new... monitor. I used to have a nice 22" flatscreen Viewsonic CRT running at 2048 x 1536 back in the day, when that $600 beast broke I went with the much more unflattering 17" Dell CRT I got for free from my (at the time) high school. I've been running this for a good 5 years now, right? I do have a soft spot for CRTs but I'm thinking of getting a nice LED-backlit LCD to replace it. Specifically, I'm looking at the Samsung PS2370. What are your thoughts and what other suggestions do you have?
 
Have some money to spend so I was thinking of doing an upgrade. Have a couple of questions since I am still kinda clueless.
I will upgrade from a 5770 to a 6970, do I need to upgrade anything else to prevent a bottleneck? My mobo is a P55M UD2 and my CPU is a i5 750.
Also, is 8 gigs of ram overkill or is there a significant increase in performance when going from 4 to 8?
 
Kerrinck said:
Have some money to spend so I was thinking of doing an upgrade. Have a couple of questions since I am still kinda clueless.
I will upgrade from a 5770 to a 6970, do I need to upgrade anything else to prevent a bottleneck? My mobo is a P55M UD2 and my CPU is a i5 750.
Also, is 8 gigs of ram overkill or is there a significant increase in performance when going from 4 to 8?
Click to expand...
1) Clock your i5 if you haven't anyway
2) Yes. Zero.

I wonder if I should work on the 2011 thread when I get up.
 
grap3fruitman said:
Gaf, I need a new... monitor. I used to have a nice 22" flatscreen Viewsonic CRT running at 2048 x 1536 back in the day, when that $600 beast broke I went with the much more unflattering 17" Dell CRT I got for free from my (at the time) high school. I've been running this for a good 5 years now, right? I do have a soft spot for CRTs but I'm thinking of getting a nice LED-backlit LCD to replace it. Specifically, I'm looking at the Samsung PS2370. What are your thoughts and what other suggestions do you have?
Click to expand...

I really think you're paying too much there for a 23'. Check newegg for monitors and though I like Samsung, cheaper brands like Asus and such are fine. Its fairly commoditized when it comes to monitors, just research brand names to make sure there are no glaring issues. And I doubt you'll do anything other than flat screen. CRT's are pretty hard to find that you'd probably pay a premium to get one. Not worth it in the slightest.
 
So, guys, I have myself a completely new, shiny Core i7 870 but alas with no motherboard. The 870 is a LGA1156 socket and as far as I know, you can get a decent motherboard from around the $100 (AUS) mark, perhaps more. Anyone here familiar on mobos that are fully compatible with a 870 and if so, the pricing and details. Thanks in advanced.
 
Hey guys, I bought an Radeon HD 5670 and all the games look improved except for Black Ops and Fallout, which look even worst than my older card, which was nvidia, any help with that?
 
While you can get an H55 motherboard I'd suggest you get a P55 based one instead.
Gigabyte UD3 and the Asus P55(D) are nice entry boards, but will be more around $120-$150 AUD (not sure on conversion and imports)
 
Finally :)

SJiWq.png


Last one was an prebuilt P4 system from 2003/4 or something, it served me well, but newer games were pretty much unplayable by now. Welcome me, PC GAF!
 
snack said:
Hey guys which of these mouses is the best?

G500
Alienware Tactx Mouse
Microsoft Sidewinder X5
Click to expand...
Depends on a lot of things such as your sensitivity and grip style. Go with the G500 is you use palm, and Alienware Tactx if you use claw/fingertip (I'm pretty sure this is just a rebranded G9x).
 
Haven't heard of that brand, reviews / specs seem sparse. I'd buy a cheap 80+ certified power supply instead (and try to get one that has 2xPCI-E connectors).
 
Hazaro said:
While you can get an H55 motherboard I'd suggest you get a P55 based one instead.
Gigabyte UD3 and the Asus P55(D) are nice entry boards, but will be more around $120-$150 AUD (not sure on conversion and imports)
Click to expand...

You wouldn't suggest a Intel retail, would you?
 
ltse1 said:
Is this a good deal??? I use video editing software and 3D modeling software as a hobby, so I thought I'd go with 8 GB of RAM instead of 4 GB since it was only $50 more. What kind of jump in performance can I expect (minimal, or vastly improved?)

e0qzvk.jpg
Click to expand...

Video Editing? More ram.
 
So Im buying my brother a new PC (Dell XPS 7100) from the dell outlet and it needs a video card. Just wondering whats the best vid card I could put in there?

Its specs are


AMD Athlon II X4 630 (2.8GHz, 2MB)
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
1 TB SATA II Hard Drive (7200RPM)
6 GB DDR3 ECC SDRAM 1333MHz (4 DIMMs)
16X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer write capability
Dell 1525 Wireless-N PCIe Card

Its $500 so I reckon thats a decent deal. He justs needs a video card now.
 
I'd like to possibly make the thread for 2011, unless someone else is working on it.

This time around, I'd like to try keeping the builds updated though.

So, what price points should we use for the builds?
 
TheExodu5 said:
I'd like to possibly make the thread for 2011, unless someone else is working on it.

This time around, I'd like to try keeping the builds updated though.

So, what price points should we use for the builds?
Click to expand...

$600, $1000, $1500?

(i.e., PC-GAF Intro, Veteran Box, and the Master Case)
 
JoeBoy101 said:
$600, $1000, $1500?

(i.e., PC-GAF Intro, Veteran Box, and the Master Case)
Click to expand...

Yeah I was leaning towards that. All of the setups will be single card solutions. The option will of course be to add a second top of the line card to the $1500 case.

Anyways, I'm gone for the day, but any ideas/advice are welcome.

Question: should I give the buyer choice? For example, should I offer different case choices or different video card choices for an equivalent price? Or should I keep it simple?
 
Do you guys think we'll get any benchmarks or reviews of Sandy Bridge before Jan. 5th? I am anxious to see how the performance numbers and the capabilities of the built-in graphics.
 
TheExodu5 said:
Yeah I was leaning towards that. All of the setups will be single card solutions. The option will of course be to add a second top of the line card to the $1500 case.

Anyways, I'm gone for the day, but any ideas/advice are welcome.

Question: should I give the buyer choice? For example, should I offer different case choices or different video card choices for an equivalent price? Or should I keep it simple?
Click to expand...

I'd say go with a nvidia and ATI option for each, given people's religious leanings. Cases tend to be very personal, but one thing that might be very handy for each item is a list of reliable manufacturers. For example, EVGA for video, Lian Li or Coolermaster for cases, Asus for mobos, etc.
 
So...I'm stupid and I bought my father a mobo for his computer w/ no on board video. Thought I could get away with that for a little while for him. So I found this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130533

and

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130395

Any input on either of these.

Also I don't see any power supply connector on these, do they just run off the mobo power?

edit: The PSU also didn't come w/ a cord (wtf?) so I need to get one of those, will any do?

Dammit I really messed up :lol
 
Could someone please help me here? I want to upgrade my current system but I don't know where to start.

Intel Core 2 Duo CPU E6750 @ 2.66GHz
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 512
2x Kingston 1024 MBytes PC2-5300 (333 MHz)
Realtek HD Audio
Windows XP (32 bit)

And these are the infos cpu-z gave me about the chipset
Northbridge Intel P35/G33/G31 rev. A2
Southbridge Intel 82801IB (ICH9) rev. 02
Graphic Interface PCI-Express
PCI-E Link Width x16
PCI-E Max Link Width x16
Memory Type DDR2
Memory Size 2048 MBytes
Channels Dual (Symmetric)
Memory Frequency 333.3 MHz (1:1)
CAS# 5.0
RAS# to CAS# 5
RAS# Precharge 5
Cycle Time (tRAS) 15
Command Rate 2T
 
grap3fruitman said:
Gaf, I need a new... monitor. I used to have a nice 22" flatscreen Viewsonic CRT running at 2048 x 1536 back in the day, when that $600 beast broke I went with the much more unflattering 17" Dell CRT I got for free from my (at the time) high school. I've been running this for a good 5 years now, right? I do have a soft spot for CRTs but I'm thinking of getting a nice LED-backlit LCD to replace it. Specifically, I'm looking at the Samsung PS2370. What are your thoughts and what other suggestions do you have?
Click to expand...

I have the PX2370, It was a little pricey but It was sort of an emergency purchase, my 6 year old Sony FW900 CRT decided to die unexpectedly and I was without a monitor, my quick fix choices were limited to in-town stores.

It has very accurate color and is bright and crisp, I like the MagicLux feature which is basically a light sensor with 3 sensitivity adjustments (the backlight brightness is auto adjusted depending on room lighting) so during the day the monitor is nice and bright and at night the brightness is reduced to prevent blowing your eyeballs out.

Coming from a CRT I was a little disappointed with the black levels in darker scenes of movies or games (mainly when playing in a dark room) but thats probably going to be the case with most LCDs especially if you're used to a CRT.

One of the main Cons that might be associated with this particular model is the amount of backlight bleed, its pretty noticeable when looking at a solid black screen in the corners but it hasn't been an issue during normal viewing.

Also as with all TN based monitors the viewing angles are pretty restricted but hasnt been a big deal for me. on the plus side TN monitors are fast, this monitor has 2ms response time so motion is pretty smooth (still not CRT smooth tho) and the Input Lag compared to a CRT was tested to be only @ 3ms according to DigitalVersus's review which is excellent if you do a lot of gaming.

Also being an LED backlight monitor the power consumption and heat output is crazy low, The CRT could warm up my room but the PX2370 barely puts out any heat period even if you touch the screen after it being on all day.

There are so many choices / models available you should probably do some research but just thought I'd share my thoughts with this model.
 
Sorry for sounding kind of noobish but what would be the benefits of running a home server?

The only thing I can think of is using one as a file server, but would that be slower than just having the data on my local drive?

I was thinking about building an HTPC. The thing is I can't stand all of the work involved ripping my whole collection and naming every single movie and show correctly so that XBMC recognizes it. I wish shows and movies just kept a standard set of meta data to identify themselves :lol

Would it be better to just FTP files into the HTPC's local hard drives or to use a file server?
 
I want the best deal on a 700w power supply. I found this one for 80. Any cheaper options. I don't feel like spending lots on this. I am upgrading to a Phenom II x4 and radeon 6970 so do I really need that much or is a 600w PSU only needed?
 
Merry christams GAF!! got myself 2 GTX 580 and a corsair 1200 watt PSU

proble though. I bought a lamptron fan controller fc5 v2 30watts per channel. got a splitter to hook up to fans each to them, but the fans are not coming on. i tried the fans with a molex cable instead and they work fine. help, is the controller DOA?
 
Clueless when it comes to hardware, here are my specs from the PC I built from brain_stew's guide from a while back:

[Motherboard (MSI 770 AM3 DDR3)]: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/165438 (£49.66)
[CPU (Athlon ii X3 435 2.9ghz)]: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/176043 (65.67)
[RAM (Corsair 4GB DDR3 1333mhz)]: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/166463 (£80.79)
[GPU (XFX HD 4870 512MB)]:http://www.ebuyer.com/product/169206 (£91.20)
[DVD (22X Sony DVDRW)]: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/170014 (£15.89)
[Case/PSU (Coolermaster Elite 330 and Coolermaster eXtreme Power Plus 460w PSU)]: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/135101 (£54.99)
[HDD (Samsung F3 500GB)]: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/146252 (£42.54)
Click to expand...

Now possibly looking to upgrade in very early preparation for new Crysis. I know we don't know yet how it'll run but I'm probably only looking to run it at a Medium sort of level.

Any ideas how much that would set me back? And if not, how much would I probably be having to pay till I'm getting a significant leap from upgrading rather than just a minor upgrade?
 
Hey, just got a desktop to replace my Laptop, and after playing half life 2 for the first time
holy shit so good
I've decided to get more into PC gaming. Looking to spend about £70 (about $110) on a graphics card, what should I go for? What I'm running now for reference-

Windows 7 64 bit
AMD Athlon II X2 Processor - 2.8 GHz
4GB RAM DDR3
ATI Radeon 3000
 
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