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[Naked Snake]

Can anyone shed some light on this?

This drive isn't the greatest boot drive due to the somewhat lackluster seek times, but it's perfect for a data drive. It's also the perfect choice for an "all around" drive for budget builds and/or low power builds, since partitioning correctly will make seek performance a little better on your boot partition.

How do I "partition correctly" to improve seektime on boot parition? It's a 500GB drive and will be running Windows 7 (64bit).

 

[Hazaro]

So I have my i7 920 Bloomfield overclocked to 3.6 GHz and running stable. When I first turn on my computer my temperatures are about 35-42 on idle. If I'm doing something not very intensive like, watching SC2 Day9 Dailies in fullscreen mode (adobe flash player) the temperatures are running 44-50 degrees. When I play games/run Prime95 it's at like 55-65 degrees.

I feel like it's running fine on max load but maybe running a little hot when idling/not doing very much. Are those temps normal for the level of overclock I have? (stock it runs 2.66 GHz). Also I have a Coolermaster V6 GT cooler on the cpu and an Antec Nine Hundred Two: Second Generation case.

Absolutely.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

How do I "partition correctly"? I have two 500GB drives and will be running Windows 7 (64bit). How large should I make the boot parition to optimize performance? Is it better to install applications on the boot parition or different one?

Screw messing with partitions. Don't bother, only get headaches later.
What you would do is make a partition so it uses the outside (fastest) and reserve that for OS / installs.

 

[Naked Snake]

Screw messing with partitions. Don't bother, only get headaches later.
What you would do is make a partition so it uses the outside (fastest) and reserve that for OS / installs.

Yeah in my experience I always underestimate the size of boot parition and years later end up struggling to free up space for the pagefile. But I thought I would have a lot more "leeway" now with a larger drive.

So parititions are always created on the outside of the disk platter first?

 

[herod]

I make a partition on big drives now because you can take an image for backups. Imaging a 1TB partition is retarded.

 

[AsylumBlue]

I've been researching some components to upgrade my current PC but at this point, I might as well build a completely new rig. I need some input/suggestions. I'll mainly be using it for gaming and watching movies/surfing. I already have a monitor and speakers so I don't need new ones.

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500k
MOBO: ASRock P67 Extreme4
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8gb (2x 4gb) DDR3 1600 @ 1.5v
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB
HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
PSU: Corsair AX750 750W
Case: Cooler Master HAF 932 ATX Full Tower

Possibly: Noctua NH-U12P SE2 120mm SSO CPU Cooler


I don't want to spend more than $1,000 on my new rig, preferably around $800-$900. I know that with my current components, I'm looking at a $1,000+ system so if I can get cheaper components that will suffice, feel free to add your input. :]

 

[Nabs]

If you're trying to cut costs, you can start by dropping to 4gb of ram and maybe a 650W PSU. That could save you about $120 or more.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Arctic Cooling ______.

I've done several searches but cannot find one compatible with a 6950. I just want to make sure it fits since lots of the reviews or user comments say that some can be a chore to put on properly and sometimes slip because it may not be the best fit for their card. I will keep searching unless it's right under my nose.

I see some that actually say 6950/6970 on their website. Now to find the best price.

Damn, 250 watts. Is that at idle temps or load? I have a 600w PSU with CPU and GPU overclocking already. I want to make sure my setup can handle that before committing.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

I guess I should follow up and ask if the GPU power usage now includes the fan? I assume stock fans are included in the power usage articles right? So putting one of these is in simply replacing the older one but with a little more overhead in power usage? I have to work soon so I need to ask these questions now before I pull the trigger.

It says the max cooling capacity is 250w. Is that like something you would get with the stock fans? I assume this one takes a little more than stock but I just want to make sure it's not the power usage I'm getting now PLUS an additional 250w.

 

[Aruarian Reflection]

My GTX 460 should be coming in tomorrow. Should I uninstall my current Nvidia drivers before swapping videocards? Anything else I should be concerned about?

 

[LiquidMetal14]

My GTX 460 should be coming in tomorrow. Should I uninstall my current Nvidia drivers before swapping videocards? Anything else I should be concerned about?

If you want to play it say then sure. The GPU will be recognized (if good, of course) and you can use the forceware/NDIVIA drivers you are currently using. I would uninstall just to play it safe as your GPU will work but the confusion in inserting different HW is not worth the hassle. Uninstall to be safe. Or anyone else with some different advice can chip in as well.

 

[Wazzim]

I guess I should follow up and ask if the GPU power usage now includes the fan? I assume stock fans are included in the power usage articles right? So putting one of these is in simply replacing the older one but with a little more overhead in power usage? I have to work soon so I need to ask these questions now before I pull the trigger.

It says the max cooling capacity is 250w. Is that like something you would get with the stock fans? I assume this one takes a little more than stock but I just want to make sure it's not the power usage I'm getting now PLUS an additional 250w.

Fans use like, what, 5 watt. I don't think it'll be CPU+250w of fans.

 

[Krauser Kat]

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500k
MOBO: ASRock P67 Extreme4
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8gb (2x 4gb) DDR3 1600 @ 1.5v
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB
HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
PSU: Corsair AX750 750W
Case: Cooler Master HAF 932 ATX Full Tower

Possibly: Noctua NH-U12P SE2 120mm SSO CPU Cooler

You can get a cheaper mobo too, along with going to 650w Power supply. The extra 30 bucks for the additional 4 gigs of ram is totally worth it. Squeeze an ssd if you can or budget for it later when 6gbs are more relevant later this year.

 

[Erebus]

My GTX 460 should be coming in tomorrow. Should I uninstall my current Nvidia drivers before swapping videocards? Anything else I should be concerned about?

Uninstall all the nVidia software and then boot into safe mode and run Driver Sweeper. Shut down your PC and swap the videocards.

 

[n0n44m]

I've done several searches but cannot find one compatible with a 6950. I just want to make sure it fits since lots of the reviews or user comments say that some can be a chore to put on properly and sometimes slip because it may not be the best fit for their card. I will keep searching unless it's right under my nose.

I see some that actually say 6950/6970 on their website. Now to find the best price.

Damn, 250 watts. Is that at idle temps or load? I have a 600w PSU with CPU and GPU overclocking already. I want to make sure my setup can handle that before committing.

here's one on my GTX480


+ great cooling performance, very silent as well, PWM adjustable through Afterburner as its plugged into the GTX480's original fan header (don't know if this also works for AMD cards), installation of the heatsink was very straightforward

- makes the card even longer lol, you have to use the thermal "glue" to attach the other heatsinks for memory and power regulators (they can be removed later on by heating them up but some cleaning will be needed)

if you're not afraid of tampering with expensive components then I can definitely recommend these coolers =] the Zalman coolers seem decent as well but have less cooling performance, the Thermalright ones cool even better but are crazy large and don't have the PWM controllable fans


and no the fans on these coolers won't have any impact on your power usage

edit: so just don't forget to order the VR001 heatsink set else you won't be able to install it

 

[Indeed]

Alright PC GAF, after my PS3 died im getting back into PC-gaming.
I built a PC a couple years ago and im looking to upgrade it, but sadly im a console peasant and need some advice.

My current specs:

CPU: Q6600
Its not overclocked so its sitting at 2.4ghz. I bought it because i wanted to futureproof, but how important are quadcores right now? Im guessing that investing in a faster dual core doesnt make any sense. Also, how viable is the Q6600 for overclocking?Heat shouldnt be an issue because on top sits a:

CPU Heatsink: Scythe Mugen 2
Probably overkill for a normal clocked CPU. So im keeping it incase Ill decide to overclock.

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA P35
Should be alright (?)

Graphics Card: XFX 8800GT
Ok i definitly have to upgrade that. Im looking at the Radeon HD 5850. I dont really want to spend more than 200€ on a graphics card. Plus I only play at 1650*1050 and i dont (really) care about 8*AA / 16*AF. As long as its 60+fps and close to maxed out on the other specs im more than happy to leave AA and AF at 0. Im probably going to get hate for this but my noobish eyes dont really detect the difference.
Also Id like to switch to ATI because the whole 8800gt starcraft 2 debacle pissed me off ;D

RAM: 4gb
Probably leave it at that for now.

Case: Thermaltake Armor VA8000
I need a smaller case. I dont really have the space for this huge and heavy thing anymore so I will definitly upgrade that.

HDD: 2 500gb
Got that covered, I dont need a SSD right now.

PS: Dont know :S Some sub500Watts Enermax thingy
Yeah ill upgrade that too.

Rest like screen, mouse, keyboard, windows, drives etc is covered.

So this is what I definitly need:

New Graphics Card --> HD 5850 would be prefered.
New Case --> No idea
New Power Supply --> No idea

Id be happy to spend around 300€ but not more than 350€.

Please not that I live in Germany and dont have access to all your awesome newegg etc deals =)

Thanks in advane PC GAF!

 

[mclaren777]

Case: Cooler Master HAF 932 ATX Full Tower

I don't want to spend more than $1,000 on my new rig, preferably around $800-$900. I know that with my current components, I'm looking at a $1,000+ system so if I can get cheaper components that will suffice, feel free to add your input. :]

Buy HAF 912 instead --> save $60

 

[Ecrofirt]

Here's the situation:

I just got my PC hooked up. Before I go ahead and install Windows, I want to make sure I've got everything set up.

I have this motherboard - http://www.msi.com/product/mb/H67MS-E43.html#/?div=Overview

I don't plan to overclock.

The motherboard DOES support RAID, and I plan to use it. However, at the moment, I only have one HDD.

Is there anything special I should be looking for in the BIOS? I did notice that my SATA mode was set to IDE, and I'm pretty positive I should set it to either AHCI or RAID.

 

[Curufinwe]

Uninstall all the nVidia software and then boot into safe mode and run Driver Sweeper. Shut down your PC and swap the videocards.

Just don't uninstall any NVidia Chipset drivers if you have an Nvidia motherboard.

 

[Knch]

I did notice that my SATA mode was set to IDE, and I'm pretty positive I should set it to either AHCI or RAID.

For one harddrive it should be set to AHCI (required for NCQ, which should give you better performance.) No need to set it to RAID when you only have one hard disk...

 

[Baconmonk]

So GAF, finally got around to building a new gaming PC (with a little help from this thread). But before I spend all day troubleshooting I need a tad bit of advice.

My setup is:

AMD Athlon II X4 645 3.1GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor

ASUS M4A88T-V EVO/USB3 ATX AMD Motherboard

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory

SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6950 100312SR Video Card

I also have a 480 watt thermaltake power supply from my old rig, a 10k rpm raptor hard drive, and an Antec 902 case (6950 physically did not fit in my old rig lol).

Everything seems to be running fine, but when I run any graphically intensive games (Crysis, Bad Company 2) for about 15-20 minutes, my screen goes black and eventually my comp resets. My first thought was a heat issue (my cpu temp was around 119F with a stock heatsink), but I'm also thinking my power supply may be a bit underpowered (most of what I saw online said I should get a 500 watt min)?

 

[MisterNoisy]

So GAF, finally got around to building a new gaming PC (with a little help from this thread). But before I spend all day troubleshooting I need a tad bit of advice.

My setup is:

AMD Athlon II X4 645 3.1GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor

ASUS M4A88T-V EVO/USB3 ATX AMD Motherboard

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory

SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6950 100312SR Video Card

I also have a 480 watt thermaltake power supply from my old rig, a 10k rpm raptor hard drive, and an Antec 902 case (6950 physically did not fit in my old rig lol).

Everything seems to be running fine, but when I run any graphically intensive games (Crysis, Bad Company 2) for about 15-20 minutes, my screen goes black and eventually my comp resets. My first thought was a heat issue (my cpu temp was around 119F with a stock heatsink), but I'm also thinking my power supply may be a bit underpowered (most of what I saw online said I should get a 500 watt min)?

Assuming this is the 480W Thermaltake PSU you're referring to, your 6950 likely pulls pretty much the entirety of your PSU's 12V rail output under load, if not more. Definitely look into a beefier PSU.

 

[Baconmonk]

Assuming this is the 480W Thermaltake PSU you're referring to, your 6950 likely pulls pretty much the entirety of your PSU's 12V rail output under load, if not more. Definitely look into a beefier PSU.

Thanks, I had a feeling this was the problem. I'll go see what my local shop has, and try to get a 600W at least.

 

[OneEightZero]

Trying again for the new page. ^_^

I need advice on a new monitor. I'm wanting to spend around $150-200. What would you folks suggest?

 

[Johnny2Bags]

Has anyone run crossfire in ATI tray tools? or is the CCC suite / profiles just the better option?

 

[Shambles]

Assuming this is the 480W Thermaltake PSU you're referring to, your 6950 likely pulls pretty much the entirety of your PSU's 12V rail output under load, if not more. Definitely look into a beefier PSU.

18A on the 12V? Jesus that's not even close to being a true 480W PSU. 650W would be overkill but keep in mind that just because the box says it can run a certain wattage doesn't mean it can. You can find 650W units that can't handle as much load as some 450W units. If you want to find some real PSU reviews from people who know what they are doing visit http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/.

 

[n0n44m]

18A on the 12V? Jesus that's not even close to being a true 480W PSU.

it was a semi-decent PSU in the 20-pin ATX plug era in which it was made, considering most CPUs and GPUs back then mainly used 5V ... hell the first reviews on the Newegg page are from May 2003

but yeah PSUs have come a long way since then (still wouldn't choose Thermaltake though hehe)

 

[Ecrofirt]

For one harddrive it should be set to AHCI (required for NCQ, which should give you better performance.) No need to set it to RAID when you only have one hard disk...

Now, I plan on getting the second HD at some point soon.

Is Windows going to freak out if I change the mode from AHCI to RAID after Windows is already installed? I know is BSODs if you go from IDE to AHCI mode.

 

[iam220]

Is it worth upgrading a e7300 to a qx6850 3.0mhz for $200? Or is it better to spend around $400-500 on getting new ram, mobo and a 2500k cpu? How does a qx6850 hold up now a days if I overclock it on air?

 

[antonz]

Is it worth upgrading a e7300 to a qx6850 3.0mhz for $200? Or is it better to spend around $400-500 on getting new ram, mobo and a 2500k cpu? How does a qx6850 hold up now a days if I overclock it on air?

This chart I think can give you a pretty good look at CPUs and where they rank performance wise and what you would consider good step ups etc.

 

[Ecto311]

2x2gig ddr3 or 1x4gig ddr3 ram better if the system is going to be at 4 gig for a while and only upgraded to 8 later - maybe never if upgraded entirely?

 

[Darklord]

I have a 260GT at the moment but I want to upgrade to DX11. Is it worth doing it now or is there new ones coming soon? I want a GeForce card and a high end single GPU(so no SLi $900 things).

 

[Shambles]

it was a semi-decent PSU in the 20-pin ATX plug era in which it was made, considering most CPUs and GPUs back then mainly used 5V ... hell the first reviews on the Newegg page are from May 2003

but yeah PSUs have come a long way since then (still wouldn't choose Thermaltake though hehe)

Judging by this 2008 PurePower 430W unit their standards haven't been too high. Fails after pulling 355W, has poor efficiency and terrible line noise. Amperage on the 12/5/3V are quite similar to that newegg model listed.

Also this 500W Purepower from 2010 fails after drawing 375W. I didn't realize that Thermaltake was such a terrible PSU brand, even cheap chinese knockoffs are likely to be more reliable than these.

I assume you mean a GeForce GTX 260 ? Everybody on GAF seems to agree that the GTX 560 Ti is the current bang for bucks. Too bad that yours doesn't support Direct 11, it's pretty good, even by today's standards.

The GTX 560 and 6950 2GB trade blows depending on what prices are week to week. The 6950 is usually the better deal since you can unlock them into a 6970. It's true that either are very good choices though and you won't be wrong to pick one over another depending on what you want.

 

[Kenka]

I have a 260GT at the moment but I want to upgrade to DX11. Is it worth doing it now or is there new ones coming soon? I want a GeForce card and a high end single GPU(so no SLi $900 things).

I assume you mean a GeForce GTX 260 ? Everybody on GAF seems to agree that the GTX 560 Ti is the current bang for bucks. Too bad that yours doesn't support Direct 11, it's pretty good, even by today's standards.

 

[Darklord]

I assume you mean a GeForce GTX 260 ? Everybody on GAF seems to agree that the GTX 560 Ti is the current bang for bucks. Too bad that yours doesn't support Direct 11, it's pretty good, even by today's standards.

Yeah, I mean GTX 260. And yeah, it is still a good card but I'd really like to move up to DX11 sometime. Especially for games like Crysis 2 and BF3.

 

[Naked Snake]

2x2gig ddr3 or 1x4gig ddr3 ram better if the system is going to be at 4 gig for a while and only upgraded to 8 later - maybe never if upgraded entirely?

Depends on your motherboard I think, if it has dual channel DIMM slots then having two sticks should be faster, I think. I was reading my motherboard's manual yesterday and I came across that, didn't know anything about it before and I could be wrong.

 

[nyong]

Changing your CPU would presumably force you to changing both the RAM and your motherboard. I guess it's not the kind of expenditure you want to allow yourself.

Ok, I've determined that my motherboard is an ASUS P5N-E SLI. Meaning I can upgrade to a Core2Quad without switching MBs. How substantial an upgrade will this be from my current processor? Twice as fast?

The only games I plan to play in the coming couple of years are Rift and the Star Wars MMO. I can currently run Rift at 15-30 FPS, regardless of visual settings (low, high, whatever), meaning I'm almost certainly bottlenecking at the CPU. Also: My roomate has a faster Core2 than me and a much slower videocard (8600GT x2) and gets a higher framerate.

In order to justify the upgrade to Core2Quad I'm going to need a fairly hefty leap in power, otherwise I'll hold out for a new MB, faster RAM, and a new CPU down the road. My current MB is SLI-ready too, so I can throw in an extra 5770 later if I need to boost my GPU for Star Wars.

It's worth mentioning that I can't overclock without getting random resets, so it's quite possible I have issues with some of my existing RAM or something. I bought this computer a few years back from Velocity Micro (Student Edition) as overclock ready and it's consistently crashed when overclocked. I sent it in twice: both times it failed to stabilize...so I decided to run it at baseline speeds.

Again, current setup is:

CPU: Core2Duo 2.13
RAM: 4G DDR2
GPU: 5770

So Core2Quad without changing anything else out--yay or nay?

 

[Kenka]

Ok, I've determined that my motherboard is an ASUS P5N-E SLI. Meaning I can upgrade to a Core2Quad without switching MBs. How substantial an upgrade will this be from my current processor? Twice as fast?

The only games I plan to play in the coming couple of years are Rift and the Star Wars MMO. I can currently run Rift at 15-30 FPS, regardless of visual settings (low, high, whatever), meaning I'm almost certainly bottlenecking at the CPU. Also: My roomate has a faster Core2 than me and a much slower videocard (8600GT x2) and gets a higher framerate.

In order to justify the upgrade to Core2Quad I'm going to need a fairly hefty leap in power, otherwise I'll hold out for a new MB, faster RAM, and a new CPU down the road. My current MB is SLI-ready too, so I can throw in an extra 5770 later if I need to boost my GPU for Star Wars.


Again, current setup is:

CPU: Core2Duo 2.13
RAM: 4G DDR2
GPU: 5770

So Core2Quad without changing anything else out--yay or nay?

If you go for the Core2 Quad Q9500, you will run a CPU that is all in all 3x faster. I haven't checked if it is compatible with the P5N-E SLI but if you say so, then ok.

The 5770 may prove to be a bit short for Battlefield 3 depending on what seetings you choose and what resolution you are comfortable with. I'd suggest you remain it unchanged but be aware that you may not run the game at the highest settings.


edit : I wouldn't advise you to run two GPU on your computer. Mayn GAFfers and internet users in general complain about stuttering. I am nowhere advanced enough to give you further advices sorry.

 

[Salaadin]

I have my PC set to sleep after 30 mins of inactivity.
I have Comodo Backup set to wake it up and start a backup every week.

Does anyone know if my PC will still sleep even if Comodo Backup is actively backing up files? I dont want it waking the PC up to start a backup and then having the PC go back to sleep 30 mins after and interrupt it or something.

 

[DrBaalzamon]

Whats the best way to go about cloning a HD and its contents over to a new drive? I had an old 160gig drive with all my games and OS on it and would like to move everything over in one move to my new samsung drive. Thanks!

 

[Javaman]

Just a little heads up, if you try to install a new 460GTX and can't get a signal to your monitor double check the 2 power cables going to the card. I just installed mine a couple of hours ago (going from a 9800gt) and it was an absolute bitch to get working.

1. No signals on boot up.
2. tried reseating the card and the power cables, still nothing.
3. put my original card back in and had no signal to the monitor + a loud constant beep.
4. switched the power splitter several times with the same results as number 3.
5. tried the other video card power cable on my computer and it worked fine.
5. Decided to tap off of the same power as the one going to my hard drive instead of the power lead with no other items on it and it booted up just fine.
6. used that lead instead of my original one with the new card and now it's booting just fine.

End findings was that the 9800gt gives an audible alarm when the cable power isn't working but the 460 gtx doesn't do that. One of the cables coming from my power supply is dead.

 

[Kenka]

Just a little heads up, if you try to install a new 460GTX and can't get a signal to your monitor double check the 2 power cables going to the card. I just installed mine a couple of hours ago (going from a 9800gt) and it was an absolute bitch to get working.

1. No signals on boot up.
2. tried reseating the card and the power cables, still nothing.
3. put my original card back in and had no signal to the monitor + a loud constant beep.
4. switched the power splitter several times with the same results as number 3.
5. tried the other video card power cable on my computer and it worked fine.
5. Decided to tap off of the same power as the one going to my hard drive instead of the power lead with no other items on it and it booted up just fine.
6. used that lead instead of my original one with the new card and now it's booting just fine.

End findings was that the 9800gt gives an audible alarm when the cable power isn't working but the 460 gtx doesn't do that. One of the cables coming from my power supply is dead.

Thanks for the warning, I am kinda considering the exact same upgrade. Hope I don't go through such bullshit.

 

[Deadstar]

I have a 260GT at the moment but I want to upgrade to DX11. Is it worth doing it now or is there new ones coming soon? I want a GeForce card and a high end single GPU(so no SLi $900 things).

I recently got a GTX 570 and I have to say it screams. I still have some issues playing at the highest settings with 16 times aa or 16q but I have a dual core cpu that is very old. Once I upgrade that I should be good to go.

 

[D4Danger]

does anyone own a Corsair CX 500W power supply? are they any good?

I've narrowed my search down to this or this so I just wanted to know if anyone had anything to say about the Corsair before I go buy it.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Repost from other page.

Hey guys I am getting random blue splotches in metro 2033. It basically is a white dot with a blue outline and happens randomly. Are these overheating artifacts or DX11 glitches? My GTX460 is below 70C at full load.

Could this be my i5 overheating?

 

[knitoe]

Trying again for the new page. ^_^

I need advice on a new monitor. I'm wanting to spend around $150-200. What would you folks suggest?

How about this cPVA: $170 shipped

http://www.newegg.com/product/produ...6824001463&AID=10521304&PID=3891137&SID=194r0

 

[MisterNoisy]

does anyone own a Corsair CX 500W power supply? are they any good?

I've narrowed my search down to this or this so I just wanted to know if anyone had anything to say about the Corsair before I go buy it.

Between those two, I'd imagine the Corsair is the easy choice, if only because of the single-rail design. Here's a review of one of the other units in this CWT-built line, if it helps. To be honest, I'd budget just a bit more and get this unit, though admittedly, it's a lot easier to spend other people's money.

 

[D4Danger]

Between those two, I'd imagine the Corsair is the easy choice, if only because of the single-rail design. Here's a review of one of the other units in this CWT-built line, if it helps. To be honest, I'd budget just a bit more and get this unit, though admittedly, it's a lot easier to spend other people's money.

I would if I could. Thanks for the help.

 

[Hazaro]

does anyone own a Corsair CX 500W power supply? are they any good?

I've narrowed my search down to this or this so I just wanted to know if anyone had anything to say about the Corsair before I go buy it.

Novatech has really shitty PSU choices. I'd get the Corsair just because the 450W only has 1x 6 pin on it.

Between those two, I'd imagine the Corsair is the easy choice, if only because of the single-rail design. Here's a review of one of the other units in this CWT-built line, if it helps. To be honest, I'd budget just a bit more and get this unit, though admittedly, it's a lot easier to spend other people's money.

I'd also go for the 650W if you can stretch. The CX series is overrated (Watts) and basically outsourced on worse designs. The CX400 was good, but the newer 430/500/600 are not as good as before.

Repost from other page.

Your CPU would just throttle speed or BSoD on you. Highly likely its your GPU or drivers. Give memtest a run and check to make sure CPU temps are under 70C load.
Reinstall drivers and use driver sweeper/cleaner. You can try running FURmark and see if you get artifacts.

 

[MisterNoisy]

I'd also go for the 650W if you can stretch. The CX series is overrated (Watts) and basically outsourced on worse designs. The CX400 was good, but the newer 430/500/600 are not as good as before.

To be fair, they're both outsourced builds - the HX line and up are just outsourced to Seasonic instead of CWT.

That said, I don't think that the CX-series is bad, per se. They're just not 'enthusiast-class' power supplies and not up to the expectations that the Corsair name has generally stood for. I'd imagine that that CX500 would be fine for a machine with modest power demands, and the HS review seemed to indicate that for a lower-end unit, you could do a lot worse than the CX430 they reviewed. If I had to buy a PSU to replace the one in say, my father's Dell, I'd look long and hard at the CX units.

 

[Curufinwe]

Just a little heads up, if you try to install a new 460GTX and can't get a signal to your monitor double check the 2 power cables going to the card. I just installed mine a couple of hours ago (going from a 9800gt) and it was an absolute bitch to get working.

1. No signals on boot up.
2. tried reseating the card and the power cables, still nothing.
3. put my original card back in and had no signal to the monitor + a loud constant beep.
4. switched the power splitter several times with the same results as number 3.
5. tried the other video card power cable on my computer and it worked fine.
5. Decided to tap off of the same power as the one going to my hard drive instead of the power lead with no other items on it and it booted up just fine.
6. used that lead instead of my original one with the new card and now it's booting just fine.

End findings was that the 9800gt gives an audible alarm when the cable power isn't working but the 460 gtx doesn't do that. One of the cables coming from my power supply is dead.

That sucks. I just installed a GTX 460 last night and thankfully it worked first time.

I was a little worried that the 6-pin power cable that had been sitting unused for the past three and a half years while I was running an 8800 GTS would be dead.