*Visit out friends at Laptop-GAF
Banner by: MedIC86
This OP is a work in progress.
Needs:
- Radeon Pro / nHancer / that other nVidia program / FPS capping
- Banner or Text for builds and Questions/HowTo section
- Monitors / Sound Card / Headphones / Mic /Mice : section for second post? Not sure.
- If you have something to add or critique, PM me
6/1/2011: AMD Bulldozer (AM3+) CPU's delayed 2-3 months or more
5/31/2011: Updated the ~$1000 Build:Intel 2500K, 4GB DDR3, 2TB HDD, GTX570, $60-$80 case, Corsair 750W, MSI P67A-GD65 motherboard, DVD Burner. < Click for wishlist
5/28/2011: Best overall i5/i7 2500K/2600K overclocking guide (clunk.org)
5/27/2011: Updated the $600-$700 build:AMD x4 955BE, 4GB DDR3, 500GB or 1TB HDD, GTX560 Ti 1GB, $40-$60 case, Corsair CX430W, MSI 870-G45 motherboard, DVD Burner. < Click for wishlist
5/26/2011: Possible AM3+ (Bulldozer) chip delays? Hopefully will know more at E3.
4/26/2011: Added Tech Report Spring 2011 Buying Guide - Updated once a season, I generally agree with everything on these lists.
4/25/2011: AMD | Bulldozer, Fusion, AM3+, FM1, and What's To Come
4/20/2011: Possible Intel Desktop Processor: Enthusiast Roadmap (Sandy Bridge-E & Ivy Bridge)
H67/P67/Z68 motherboard differences
4/6/2011: Anandtech reviews the Vertex 3 120GB. Check it out! Good info here.
3/26/2011: Stop asking about the P8P67 differences!! Here is a chart for you!
3/22/2011: C400 demo's flagship SSD. Still no <$300 numbers from anyone in SSD market.
3/2/2011: Revised chipset motherboards (B3) are starting to hit retailers.
2/25/2011: New Corsair TX V2 PSU's hitting the market
Expected Intel revised motherboards due mid March.
2/5/2011: Intel Sandy Bridge Recalls and halt of sale due to faulty SATA ports (5-15% failure over 3 years on SATA 3gbps)
- Because of this almost all sale of Intel 1155 motherboards will halt for about a month. As such substitute an i5-760 + a $130 Socket 1156 motherboard, or wait it out for the new revisions.
1/5/2011:
Top Sandy Bridge Reviews: [H]OCP, Anandtech, The Tech Report
Some good P67 board reviews: **TechReport four board round up, Asus P8P67 and P8P67 Pro (Legit Reviews), [H]OCP MSI P67A-GD65
New SSDs incoming: (Feb = Crucial C400), SF-2000 later, Intel G3 sooner?, SF-2000 OCZ Prelim Testing
If you want help with a build fill this out AND try making one of your own from the resources in the OP
Basic Desktop Questions:
Your Current Specs: CPU / RAM (DDR2/DDR3) / Motherboard / GPU
Budget: Price Range + Country
Main Use: Light Gaming, Gaming, Emulation (PS2/Wii), Video Editing, 3D work, general usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback)
Monitor Resolution: What resolution will you be playing your games at? Are you going to upgrade later?
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Self Explanatory
Are reusing any parts?: List make and model (e.g. Corsair 520HX 520W)
When will you build?: When do you want your computer, do you need it in a week, can you wait a month or two?
Will you be overclocking?: Yes, No, Maybe (This means yes)
Video How-to: 15 minute video how-to / 40 Minute how-to / Tested March 15th $1,500 build (100 minutes, but entertaining)
Prospective laptop buyers please fill this out and ask their forum as well.
What laptop should i buy?
Laptop-GAF
General guides: FALCON GUIDE This is a general UPDATED guide and nothing is the end all perfect guide at any time. Lite version
Tech Report Spring 2011 Buying Guide - Updated once a season, I generally agree with everything on these lists.
PRE-BUILT GAF:
The Builds: $600/$700, ~$1,000, $1,500!? Remember a lot of parts are good and combos do pop up on newegg.com so take advantage of them.
(Click on the links for a wishlist)
The Damn Capable Build $600/$700
The Get A Lot More Build ~$1000
The Spend a Lot More Build: $1,500+ - Add GPU, PSU, SSD to above build. Post in thread with specifics using the template.
The Damn Capable Build: $600/$700 - AMD x4 955BE, 4GB DDR3, 500GB or 1TB HDD, GTX560 Ti 1GB, $40-$60 case, Corsair CX430W, MSI 870-G45 motherboard, DVD Burner. < Click for wishlist
The Get a Lot More Build: $900/$1000 Intel 2500K, 4GB DDR3, 2TB HDD, GTX570, $60-$80 case, Corsair 750W, MSI P67A-GD65 motherboard, DVD Burner. < Click for wishlist
Choosing a case: Picking a case reflects what you are looking for, and your personal tastes. Note that some cases might not be able to fit taller rifle coolers (Like the CM 212 Plus will not fit in a CM 330 or 360) or longer video cards (Like a GTX 295). Additionally some of the LED fans in cases can have off switches.
Thank your friendly neighborhood feist and TheExodu5.
$40-60
$70-$100
$120-$200
$40 - Cooler Master 310/33x/341 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,
$80 - Cooler Master CM 690 II Advanced ,,,,,,,
$160 - Corsair 600T
$40 - NZXT Beta Evo ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
$90 - Cooler Master HAF 922 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
$160 - SilverStone RV02
$60 - BitFenix Shinobi ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
$100 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K62 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
$200 - Cooler Master HAF X
$60 - Cooler Master HAF 912 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
$100 - Antec 902/900 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
$ N/A - Various Lian Li
Newegg (Parts)
Amazon (Parts)
Chief Value (Parts)
Micro Center (Parts)
NCIXUS (Parts, Assembly)
Performance-PCs (Parts)
Tiger Direct (Parts, Bing Cashback)
Mwave (Parts)
AVADirect (Custom Built)
Falcon Northwest (Custom Built)
MAINGEAR (Custom Built)
NCIX (Parts, Assembly, Price Match)
Canada Computers (Parts)
DirectCanada (Parts)
Memory Express (Parts, Assembly, Price Match)
Newegg (Parts)
Tiger Direct (Parts)
PriceBat (Price Comparison)
PriceCanada (Price Comparison)
Shopbot (Price Comparison)
Novatech (Parts)
Aria PC (Parts)
Ebuyer (Parts, Custom Built)
Microdirect (Parts)
Misco (Parts)
Scan (Parts)
Dino PC (Custom Built)
YoYoTech (Custom Built)
PC Case Gear (Parts)
MSY (Parts)
Scorpion Technology (Parts)
Umart (Parts)
staticICE (Product Finder)
AnandTech
The Tech Report
Guru3D
HardOCP
Hardware Canucks
Overclockers
Tom's Hardware
X-bit labs
+Jonnyguru - LEGIT PSU reviews
+Silent PC Review - Silent Computing
CPU-Z gathers information on your CPU, FSB, VCORE voltage and memory timings.
GPU-Z gathers information on your video card and GPU.
Real Temp / Core Temp allows you to monitor the temperature of your CPU core(s).
HWMonitor allows you to monitor fan speed, temperature, voltage, etc.
Piriform Speccy overall computer hardware monitoring
RivaTuner allows you to manage GPU overclocking, fan speed and monitor many things.
EVGA Precision allows you to overclock your NVIDIA GPU.
FURMark allows you to stress test your video card.
Fraps allows you to record real time video, take screen captures and display your FPS.
Memtest86+ allows you to run a full memory scan to deal with the blue screen of death and system errors.
MemtestG80 allows you to test for soft errors in GPU memory for NVIDIA CUDA-enabled GPUs.
nHancer allows you to optimize the display, improve the performance and fully utilize your NVIDIA graphics card.
OCCT / Prime95 allows you to stress test your CPU and GPU. allows you to stress test the stability of your computer.
2008 Thread
2009 Thread
2010 Thread
The 2011 high-res PC screenshot thread!
Triple buffering: "Why we love it"
PC games blog list
Intro to dual cards: SLI & Crossfire
Banner by: MedIC86
This OP is a work in progress.
Needs:
- Radeon Pro / nHancer / that other nVidia program / FPS capping
- Banner or Text for builds and Questions/HowTo section
- Monitors / Sound Card / Headphones / Mic /Mice : section for second post? Not sure.
- If you have something to add or critique, PM me
6/1/2011: AMD Bulldozer (AM3+) CPU's delayed 2-3 months or more
5/31/2011: Updated the ~$1000 Build:Intel 2500K, 4GB DDR3, 2TB HDD, GTX570, $60-$80 case, Corsair 750W, MSI P67A-GD65 motherboard, DVD Burner. < Click for wishlist
5/28/2011: Best overall i5/i7 2500K/2600K overclocking guide (clunk.org)
5/27/2011: Updated the $600-$700 build:AMD x4 955BE, 4GB DDR3, 500GB or 1TB HDD, GTX560 Ti 1GB, $40-$60 case, Corsair CX430W, MSI 870-G45 motherboard, DVD Burner. < Click for wishlist
5/26/2011: Possible AM3+ (Bulldozer) chip delays? Hopefully will know more at E3.
4/26/2011: Added Tech Report Spring 2011 Buying Guide - Updated once a season, I generally agree with everything on these lists.
4/25/2011: AMD | Bulldozer, Fusion, AM3+, FM1, and What's To Come
4/20/2011: Possible Intel Desktop Processor: Enthusiast Roadmap (Sandy Bridge-E & Ivy Bridge)
H67/P67/Z68 motherboard differences
4/6/2011: Anandtech reviews the Vertex 3 120GB. Check it out! Good info here.
3/26/2011: Stop asking about the P8P67 differences!! Here is a chart for you!
3/22/2011: C400 demo's flagship SSD. Still no <$300 numbers from anyone in SSD market.
3/2/2011: Revised chipset motherboards (B3) are starting to hit retailers.
2/25/2011: New Corsair TX V2 PSU's hitting the market
Expected Intel revised motherboards due mid March.
2/5/2011: Intel Sandy Bridge Recalls and halt of sale due to faulty SATA ports (5-15% failure over 3 years on SATA 3gbps)
- Because of this almost all sale of Intel 1155 motherboards will halt for about a month. As such substitute an i5-760 + a $130 Socket 1156 motherboard, or wait it out for the new revisions.
1/5/2011:
Top Sandy Bridge Reviews: [H]OCP, Anandtech, The Tech Report
Some good P67 board reviews: **TechReport four board round up, Asus P8P67 and P8P67 Pro (Legit Reviews), [H]OCP MSI P67A-GD65
New SSDs incoming: (Feb = Crucial C400), SF-2000 later, Intel G3 sooner?, SF-2000 OCZ Prelim Testing
If you want help with a build fill this out AND try making one of your own from the resources in the OP
Basic Desktop Questions:
Your Current Specs: CPU / RAM (DDR2/DDR3) / Motherboard / GPU
Budget: Price Range + Country
Main Use: Light Gaming, Gaming, Emulation (PS2/Wii), Video Editing, 3D work, general usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback)
Monitor Resolution: What resolution will you be playing your games at? Are you going to upgrade later?
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Self Explanatory
Are reusing any parts?: List make and model (e.g. Corsair 520HX 520W)
When will you build?: When do you want your computer, do you need it in a week, can you wait a month or two?
Will you be overclocking?: Yes, No, Maybe (This means yes)
Video How-to: 15 minute video how-to / 40 Minute how-to / Tested March 15th $1,500 build (100 minutes, but entertaining)
Prospective laptop buyers please fill this out and ask their forum as well.
What laptop should i buy?
Laptop-GAF
General guides: FALCON GUIDE This is a general UPDATED guide and nothing is the end all perfect guide at any time. Lite version
Tech Report Spring 2011 Buying Guide - Updated once a season, I generally agree with everything on these lists.
PRE-BUILT GAF:
The Builds: $600/$700, ~$1,000, $1,500!? Remember a lot of parts are good and combos do pop up on newegg.com so take advantage of them.
(Click on the links for a wishlist)
The Damn Capable Build $600/$700
The Get A Lot More Build ~$1000
The Spend a Lot More Build: $1,500+ - Add GPU, PSU, SSD to above build. Post in thread with specifics using the template.
The Damn Capable Build: $600/$700 - AMD x4 955BE, 4GB DDR3, 500GB or 1TB HDD, GTX560 Ti 1GB, $40-$60 case, Corsair CX430W, MSI 870-G45 motherboard, DVD Burner. < Click for wishlist
The Get a Lot More Build: $900/$1000 Intel 2500K, 4GB DDR3, 2TB HDD, GTX570, $60-$80 case, Corsair 750W, MSI P67A-GD65 motherboard, DVD Burner. < Click for wishlist
Choosing a case: Picking a case reflects what you are looking for, and your personal tastes. Note that some cases might not be able to fit taller rifle coolers (Like the CM 212 Plus will not fit in a CM 330 or 360) or longer video cards (Like a GTX 295). Additionally some of the LED fans in cases can have off switches.
Thank your friendly neighborhood feist and TheExodu5.
$40-60
[QUIET OPTIONS]
$60 - Antec Sonata Proto ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
$100 - Fractal Design Define R3 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
$160 - Antec P183
Newegg (Parts)
Amazon (Parts)
Chief Value (Parts)
Micro Center (Parts)
NCIXUS (Parts, Assembly)
Performance-PCs (Parts)
Tiger Direct (Parts, Bing Cashback)
Mwave (Parts)
AVADirect (Custom Built)
Falcon Northwest (Custom Built)
MAINGEAR (Custom Built)
NCIX (Parts, Assembly, Price Match)
Canada Computers (Parts)
DirectCanada (Parts)
Memory Express (Parts, Assembly, Price Match)
Newegg (Parts)
Tiger Direct (Parts)
PriceBat (Price Comparison)
PriceCanada (Price Comparison)
Shopbot (Price Comparison)
Novatech (Parts)
Aria PC (Parts)
Ebuyer (Parts, Custom Built)
Microdirect (Parts)
Misco (Parts)
Scan (Parts)
Dino PC (Custom Built)
YoYoTech (Custom Built)
PC Case Gear (Parts)
MSY (Parts)
Scorpion Technology (Parts)
Umart (Parts)
staticICE (Product Finder)
AnandTech
The Tech Report
Guru3D
HardOCP
Hardware Canucks
Overclockers
Tom's Hardware
X-bit labs
+Jonnyguru - LEGIT PSU reviews
+Silent PC Review - Silent Computing
CPU-Z gathers information on your CPU, FSB, VCORE voltage and memory timings.
GPU-Z gathers information on your video card and GPU.
Real Temp / Core Temp allows you to monitor the temperature of your CPU core(s).
HWMonitor allows you to monitor fan speed, temperature, voltage, etc.
Piriform Speccy overall computer hardware monitoring
RivaTuner allows you to manage GPU overclocking, fan speed and monitor many things.
EVGA Precision allows you to overclock your NVIDIA GPU.
FURMark allows you to stress test your video card.
Fraps allows you to record real time video, take screen captures and display your FPS.
Memtest86+ allows you to run a full memory scan to deal with the blue screen of death and system errors.
MemtestG80 allows you to test for soft errors in GPU memory for NVIDIA CUDA-enabled GPUs.
nHancer allows you to optimize the display, improve the performance and fully utilize your NVIDIA graphics card.
OCCT / Prime95 allows you to stress test your CPU and GPU. allows you to stress test the stability of your computer.
2008 Thread
2009 Thread
2010 Thread
The 2011 high-res PC screenshot thread!
Triple buffering: "Why we love it"
PC games blog list
Intro to dual cards: SLI & Crossfire