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[MisterAnderson]

Well, Fractal Design kept to their promised US distribution schedule and have officially begun selling their wares through Newegg.com today.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...=BESTMATCH&Description=fractal+design&x=0&y=0

At the moment, only the Define R3s are up. Black Pearl and Titanium Grey are $110, while Arctic White is $120. All three go for $17 shipping.

They initially had placeholder pages for both Define XLs, but the temporary Titanium listing is the only one up right now:

Fractal Design Define XL, Titanium Grey
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352006

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they'll show up officially on Amazon, or other major US retailers, even though Amazon sells Fractal cases on its other global sites. So that means no free shipping or any major competition to keep Newegg honest with their pricing.



They seem to have been caught off guard somehow and are desperately trying to recover.

I love the look of those cases, but the airflow looks to be non-existent?

 

[Aeris130]

This seems to be the hw thread.

I'll be switching to a wireless connection soon, and I've been thinking about getting an external usb dongle. Will it affect my gaming latency/stability compared installing a network card with wireless support, or is there no difference?

 

[Teknopathetic]

"I love the look of those cases, but the airflow looks to be non-existent?"


If you look around the sides of the front panel you'll see a grill-type paneling. Similar to the P180 cases, that's where it pulls air in. Even so, these cases are more for "quiet" than for maximum cooling.

 

[-viper-]

I love the look of those cases, but the airflow looks to be non-existent?

you can install loads of fans.

1 120mm back, 2 120mm top, 2 120mm front, 1 120mm bottom

or something like that

 

[·feist·]

For better air/water cooling, they have the Arc series.

Fractal Design Arc - Mid Tower
http://www.fractal-design.com/?view=product&category=2&prod=57

Fractal Design Arc Mini
http://www.fractal-design.com/?view=product&category=2&prod=59

With the growing number of over-styled cases on the market, it's nice to have a few more cleaner looking, inexpensive options.

 

[MisterAnderson]

With those added 120mm fans up top it doesn't leave much room for a conventional aftermarket cpu cooler unfortunately. But looks to be a great case for water cooling.

 

[Teknopathetic]

"With those added 120mm fans up top it doesn't leave much room for a conventional aftermarket cpu cooler unfortunately. But looks to be a great case for water cooling."


??

Those fans at the top are attached to a radiator for water cooling. With a conventional air cooler, that won't be there.

 

[MisterAnderson]

"With those added 120mm fans up top it doesn't leave much room for a conventional aftermarket cpu cooler unfortunately. But looks to be a great case for water cooling."


??

Those fans at the top are attached to a radiator for water cooling. With a conventional air cooler, that won't be there.

Ahh, nevermind. I'm a nub when it comes to watercooling so didn't make the connection that that was part of the setup.

 

[hermit7]

So I am looking at getting a new laptop, and had some questions about mobile graphics cards.

Which is better, the GT540M from Nvidia, or the Radeon 5650?

Also should I wait for HP to refresh their Envy line when they add Sandy Bridge, or spring for a Dell that has a Sandy Bridge already?

 

[K.Jack]

So I am looking at getting a new laptop, and had some questions about mobile graphics cards.

Which is better, the GT540M from Nvidia, or the Radeon 5650?

Also should I wait for HP to refresh their Envy line when they add Sandy Bridge, or spring for a Dell that has a Sandy Bridge already?

It's a wash, really. 128-bit GDDR3 cards all have the same ceiling.

Stay tuned to this thread, for the latest mobile gaming news.

 

[fin]

Hello PC GAF, I'm a hardcore console gamer so thanks for your patience and pardon my ignorance in advance

I've been dabbling in PC gaming since Unreal Tournament (c/w 56k modem!) I've built two PCs before, I just finished building my latest around 6 months ago.

The combination of hooking up my PC to a 55inch TV via my AVR and the latest Battlefield 3 trailer, I've decided to do more than dabble. I've put in around 150 hours of BC 2 on 360 and just got Battlefield 2 on Steam.

So last week I installed Crysis, which I got at launch to play on my older PC which I built in about 2006. It ran like shit on that PC so I thought "FINALLY a new PC now I can see Crysis for realz!"...and I'm not too happy with the results I got. So I was like, ok well lets try Halo 2. Even Halo 2, a Xbox game from 2004, can't run at maximum everything on my rig.

The other PC games I got are Left for Dead, Sins of a Solar Empire, Starcraft 2, and Company of Heroes.

Anyways I ran some of the software in the OP, CPU-Z and GPU-Z. These are the results:

Basically I'd like to know what my bottleneck is. I went to CAN I RUN IT.com and it said that my CPU is the bottleneck. I don't really understand because it's a dualcore @ 2.93GHZ each, is that slow?

Another concern I have is that my CPU is a socket 775, if I upgrade that I need a new motherboard too correct?

Or perhaps I have a hardware defect? Are these readings normal for the hardware? Is there some switch somewhere to enable something that isn't running?

I'm confused about my CPU because it's saying my core speed is 1.6gHz and a multiplier of 6. In my device manager it's says I have two CPUs at 2.93gHz.

Anyways... if you guys have any advice that would be great. I'm going to upgrade in the fall regardless. Battlefield 3 is going to be sweet.

Oh and punkbuster keeps kicking me out of BF2 servers what's up with that?

 

[Dynamic3]

Any last minute suggestions? I'm pairing the following with an MSI P67A-GD55, an Intel 2500K, a Cooler Master 690IIA, and a Cooler Master 212+.

My only concern is that I will need a 750w PSU (as opposed to the 650w below) in the event I wish to SLI my 560s in the future. Am I rightfully concerned?

I also really want a Vertex 3, but I can't wait until the end of April.

 

[BrettWeir]

Just a warning/heads up.

PowerColor has just released their PCS++ 6950. On their site, and in several reviews, they state that it comes with a switch that will unlock all of the shaders and OC it to 880 mhz. I was a sucker and fell for this false advertisement. The retail version does NOT unlock any shaders, nor is it possible to unlock/flash the shaders the regular way. Stick with a reference that can unlock and pay $40 less.

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=141262

 

[JudgeN]

My CPU is running at 2.80. Im looking at probably around $200-250 at most for a GPU. I got the 5750 because it seemed like a good bang for the buck.

Overclock on your processor will give it more life but I agree with the other guy post a GTX560 is the way to go for GPU upgrade.

 

[DurielBlack]

Stuff

I've been out of the scene but that processor is your bottleneck I think. Also Intel has some tech that downclocks your CPU when its not under load to conserve power and produce less heat, theres a way to shut it off but I forget, so thats probably why CPU-Z is showing it that slow. It shouldn't actually affect gaming since it will ramp up to speed when needed. At least thats how my Q6600 was.

Looking at a lot of benchmarks lately as I am getting ready to build a new PC, it seems clear that GHZ isn't the end-all in CPU performance anymore.

My Q6600 and 8800 GTX in 2007 couldn't run Crysis on max settings with a playable framerate, although I didn't have to tone it down much to get it to a respectable level. It looks like your running a newer card on an older mobo/CPU.

 

[Revenant]

So PC GAF,

before I'm gonna start putting together a build for the 2011 onslaught of PC gaming greatness, i'm looking to upgrade my monitor and speakers. Right now I'm more concerned with my speaker situation, in that i have none.

so what would be a good way to go about buying speakers for a computer.

I don't have a sound card, so is it worth spending much anyway? is a 5.1 computer gaming setup worth it( say some of the sub $100 dollar models) despite the lack of audio card, or is 2.1 more than adequate?

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

So PC GAF,

before I'm gonna start putting together a build for the 2011 onslaught of PC gaming greatness, i'm looking to upgrade my monitor and speakers. Right now I'm more concerned with my speaker situation, in that i have none.

so what would be a good way to go about buying speakers for a computer.

I don't have a sound card, so is it worth spending much anyway? is a 5.1 computer gaming setup worth it( say some of the sub $100 dollar models) despite the lack of audio card, or is 2.1 more than adequate?

I'd go for a pair of polk audio speakers myself but it depends on your budget and what you want.

 

[Raistlin]

I was hoping to get some general (or specific ) recommendations for fan control. I have a Cooler Master HAF X case (front, side, rear, and top fans ... with option to put in a second top fan), as well as a 4 fan controller. The motherboard has pins labelled CPU, front, rear, and an aux.

So the question is, who should control what between the fan controller and the motherboard?

I have a decent CPU cooler on order, so I assume I should have that connected to the controller? What about the GPU (eventually 2)? Or do they control themselves?

Lastly, where should the thermometer sensors go? I would assume as close to the associated fan as possible, but I can't imagine you'll get accurate readings for the CPU or GPU if you control them?


Any advice is welcome. Thanks!

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Posting this here as I will likely get a more competent response but at what time can we expect to see a card that can run the new stuff like Unreal4 level tech? I want a gauge as I will be upgrading at least my GPU at about this time next year.

 

[RedSwirl]

Okay guys. I am going to try to cram these two things into a stock Dell XPS 420 case.

Will it work? Good deal?

What kind of performance increase would I get on top of the following?
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz
8800GT 512MB
3GB RAM
1440 x 900 screen

What would this do for DirectX 11 titles like Crysis 2, The Witcher 2, and Battlefield 3?

 

[LiquidMetal14]

I was hoping to get some general (or specific ) recommendations for fan control. I have a Cooler Master HAF X case (front, side, rear, and top fans ... with option to put in a second top fan), as well as a 4 fan controller. The motherboard has pins labelled CPU, front, rear, and an aux.

So the question is, who should control what between the fan controller and the motherboard?

I have a decent CPU cooler on order, so I assume I should have that connected to the controller? What about the GPU (eventually 2)? Or does those control themselves?

Lastly, where should the thermometer sensors go? I would assume as close to the associated fan as possible, but I can't imagine you'll get accurate readins for the CPU or GPU if you control them?


Any advice is welcome. Thanks!

For the CPU, I have the COOLER MASTER in the OP. For the GPU, I bought the Arctic Accelero XTREME Plus that Hazaro brought to my attention. Interestingly enough, I've shaved off about exactly what the quoted temp was in the advertising of said product. I was in the high 90's (96-98) with the stock fan under load. Fan was like a jet engine. I've peaked at about 63C with the Accelero. And that is after flashing the bios on my 6950 and over clocking it to the max.

I should also note that the Accelero is REALLY QUIET compares to the stock fan. At 85% the stock was incredible loud. I tested the Accelero and at 100 percent, it sounded like the stock fan at 30% speed. Crazy quiet.

What card do you have?

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Okay guys. I am going to try to cram these two things into a stock Dell XPS 420 case.

Will it work? Good deal?

What kind of performance increase would I get on top of the following?
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz
8800GT 512MB
3GB RAM
1440 x 900 screen

What would this do for DirectX 11 titles like Crysis 2, The Witcher 2, and Battlefield 3?

we don't know about Battlefield yet, but yes to the others.

 

[Curufinwe]

A HD 5570 is not a very powerful card, fin. Maybe an upgrade is in order.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-recommendation-upgrade,2803-7.html

 

[Red]

Hello PC GAF, I'm a hardcore console gamer so thanks for your patience and pardon my ignorance in advance

Your 5570 is pretty terrible for gaming. Look at GTX460 or better.

Here is a fantastic $250 card.

Bit more.

And the king.

 

[teh_pwn]

Okay guys. I am going to try to cram these two things into a stock Dell XPS 420 case.



Will it work? Good deal?

What kind of performance increase would I get on top of the following?
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz
8800GT 512MB
3GB RAM
1440 x 900 screen

What would this do for DirectX 11 titles like Crysis 2, The Witcher 2, and Battlefield 3?

My speculation:

Crysis2:
Yes, smoothly

Witcher2:
Yes, medium-high settings 30-50 fps I'm guessing

Battlefield3:
15 fps at the settings needed to match the screen caps we're seeing.



My P67 order went through. MSI P67A-GD55.

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

Is the 6850 worth $10 more than the 460 1GB SLI?

 

[RedSwirl]

My speculation:

Crysis2:
Yes, smoothly

Witcher2:
Yes, medium-high settings 30-50 fps I'm guessing

Battlefield3:
15 fps at the settings needed to match the screen caps we're seeing.

What about games I currently own like ArmA II, Crysis, and Bad Company 2? How much of an upgrade is this over the 8800?

 

[teh_pwn]

Is the 6850 worth $10 more than the 460 1GB SLI?

A single 6850 compared to 2 460s? No. The SLI would run way faster.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU11/188
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

 

[teh_pwn]

What about games I currently own like ArmA II, Crysis, and Bad Company 2?

It's relative to the settings.

Try finding the closest match in these benches:
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU11/189

I'm guessing Crysis Warhead would run at 40-50 fps at high settings, low res.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

What about games I currently own like ArmA II, Crysis, and Bad Company 2?

Read this and see if it's worth it.

I think you get good performance with that card. Obviously not the best but budgets are budgets.

 

[Zzoram]

What about games I currently own like ArmA II, Crysis, and Bad Company 2?

They should be smooth. The HD6850 is roughly +70% the frame rate of an 8800GT in games.

 

[RedSwirl]

It's relative to the settings.

Try finding the closest match in these benches:
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU11/189

I'm guessing Crysis Warhead would run at 40-50 fps at high settings, low res.

Really? I actually already get around 45 on the 8800 with most settings on high at 1440 x 900.

 

[teh_pwn]

Really? I actually already get around 45 on the 8800 with most settings on high at 1440 x 900.

I don't think high is Enthusiast with AA.

 

[RedSwirl]

Read this and see if it's worth it.

I think you get good performance with that card. Obviously not the best but budgets are budgets.

Yeah I read that. According to that I could maybe even get 60 if I keep the AA off.

 

[Raistlin]

For the CPU, I have the COOLER MASTER in the OP. For the GPU, I bought the Arctic Accelero XTREME Plus that Hazaro brought to my attention. Interestingly enough, I've shaved off about exactly what the quoted temp was in the advertising of said product. I was in the high 90's (96-98) with the stock fan under load. Fan was like a jet engine. I've peaked at about 63C with the Accelero. And that is after flashing the bios on my 6950 and over clocking it to the max.

I should also note that the Accelero is REALLY QUIET compares to the stock fan. At 85% the stock was incredible loud. I tested the Accelero and at 100 percent, it sounded like the stock fan at 30% speed. Crazy quiet.

What card do you have?

For the CPU, I bought the Thermalright Silver Arrow. My GPU (eventually 2) is a Powercolor PCS++ 6950. The one that is already flashed to be OC'd and open the 6970's shaders. It has custom cooling (dual fans with heat pipes).


I guess where I'm confused is not what to use for cooling, but what to control the cooling. Are you using the motherboard or a fan controller?

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

A single 6850 compared to 2 460s? No. The SLI would run way faster.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU11/188
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

Basically this vs this.

Single.

 

[RedSwirl]

I don't think high is Enthusiast with AA.

I said high, not max. If I could get 30fps at Max on Crysis I'd be satisfied.

 

[JWong]

Soo... benchmarks are in.

$330 (CAD) for CPU
$171 for mobo
$200 for vid card
$100 for 6gig ram

With the good value on GTX460 and i7 2600k, can get a powerful PC for under a thousand.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/...core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/20

 

[teh_pwn]

Basically this vs this.

Single.

Well, it depends because they're so similar in performance. If you plan on leaving the option for CF/SLI, I would go 6850 because it uses less power. Supposedly nvidia drivers are better for old games, so nvidia if that's more important. Then also consider the specific manufacturer - noise, reliability, etc.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

For the CPU, I bought the Thermalright Silver Arrow. My GPU (eventually 2) is a Powercolor PCS++ 6950. The one that is already flashed to be OC'd and open the 6970's shaders. It has custom cooling (dual fans with heat pipes).


I guess where I'm confused is not what to use for cooling, but what to control the cooling. Are you using the motherboard or a fan controller?

The CPU has dual fans with a splitter to enable MB control. Push/pull config. The GPU is likely like yours and plugged right into the GPU itself as the stock fan was. This is the way it is with the GIGABYTE 6950 2GB. I use MSI Afterburner and create fan profiles for the GPU. My CPU, I have it under the auto setup in the bios. I also have a motherboard app that came with my BIOSTAR that lets me make a profile but temps have never been an issue with the COOLER MASTER.

 

[Zzoram]

When do the next batch of gpus hit, winter 2011?

 

[RedSwirl]

Okay guys. I am going to try to cram these two things into a stock Dell XPS 420 case.

Will it work? Good deal?

What kind of performance increase would I get on top of the following?
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz
8800GT 512MB
3GB RAM
1440 x 900 screen

What would this do for DirectX 11 titles like Crysis 2, The Witcher 2, and Battlefield 3?

So, good deal for the rest of 2011?

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

Well, it depends because they're so similar in performance. If you plan on leaving the option for CF/SLI, I would go 6850 because it uses less power. Supposedly nvidia drivers are better for old games, so nvidia if that's more important. Then also consider the specific manufacturer - noise, reliability, etc.

Essentially I want:

- The card to last me two years
- Not be too noisy
- Not as power hungry
- Can overclock better


Also define "old games". Like 3 or 4 years old our last generation old?

 

[Raistlin]

The CPU has dual fans with a splitter to enable MB control. Push/pull config. The GPU is likely like yours and plugged right into the GPU itself as the stock fan was. This is the way it is with the GIGABYTE 6950 2GB. I use MSI Afterburner and create fan profiles for the GPU. My CPU, I have it under the auto setup in the bios. I also have a motherboard app that came with my BIOSTAR that lets me make a profile but temps have never been an issue with the COOLER MASTER.

So just to confirm (pretend I'm a PC builder n00b ... 'cause I am ).

* I should connect the CPU cooler's fans to the MoBo. Does this mean it will always be at one speed, or does the BIOS control it at variable rates?

* The GPU will have it's own controller, and it should be something I can config via software (assuming PowerColor has something akin to Afterburner)?

 

[Red]

So, good deal for the rest of 2011?

Should be fine for 1440x900 gaming.

Wait -- how do you only have 3GB RAM?

What if I end up with a 1080p screen? Wait for my next system?

You'll still be good as long as you are comfortable dialing back settings in recent games.

 

[RedSwirl]

Should be fine for 1440x900 gaming.

What if I end up with a 1080p screen? Wait for my next system?

 

[RedSwirl]

Should be fine for 1440x900 gaming.

Wait -- how do you only have 3GB RAM?

This is a 2007 system (hence the 8800 I'm replacing). I haven't encountered a single app yet that's asked for more than maybe 2GB of RAM.

 

[TheExodu5]

What if I end up with a 1080p screen? Wait for my next system?

6850 is great for a 1080p screen. Your CPU will also be fine for most games.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

So just to confirm (pretend I'm a PC builder n00b ... 'cause I am ).

* I should connect the CPU cooler's fans to the MoBo. Does this mean it will always be at one speed, or does the BIOS control it at variable rates?

* The GPU will have it's own controller, and it should be something I can config via software (assuming PowerColor has something akin to Afterburner)?

It does and there are several programs like Speedfan that can control fans. For the GPU, there are plenty of fan control apps, the ones you listed should work fine. Afterburner works just fine for me so I don't change what isn't broken. As long as the GPU cooler is plugged into that little pin connector like the stock fan, it will be controlled in the same manner. Connect the CPU connector right to the motherboard for proper fan control. You should mess with auto or manual settings to see what temps you max at. Then you can gauge the best solution for your everyday needs.

 

[Red]

This is a 2007 system (hence the 8800 I'm replacing). I haven't encountered a single app yet that's asked for more than maybe 2GB of RAM.

Yes, but how do you have 3GB? Do you have 2 1.5GB RAM sticks or something? It's a weird number.

The 6850 is an okay card, and is good value at the price point. If you get two you'll be able to blow through just about anything.