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[wandering goat]

I asked this question a while ago, but again, since I'm considering buying the Dell U2311H IPS monitor, can anyone who has it confirm that it has gamma controls / is calibrated at the right gamma level (2.2)? If you have one, you can check gamma levels here. Besides just more accurate colour, half the reason I'm getting it is to get rid of TN's horrible vertical colour shifting and the other half to have gamma good without the need for software adjustment (as when I'm watching blu-rays, for which software ignores desktop gamma settings). I'd like to know it will do well for the above for sure before I pull the trigger.

 

[Nekofrog]

Here's my biggest complaint about PC gaming:

I'm early into Dragon Age and playing on a 50 inch TV from about 6 feet away. At 1080p, the text size and UI doesn't scale, so everything is freaking-ass tiny and impossible to read.

Why isn't there an option to increase the font size or keep the UI at a sane level of visibility? I'm forced to put it at 720p, sacrificing a lot of the beauty, just to read text.

 

[Ecto311]

Got a corsair ssd 32 gig nova - only thing on it is world of warcraft. Is there anything specific I should be doing for maintenance of the drive or is it cool? I just moved over the folder and it has been really fast claims my wife, shes very happy with the speeds especially for a $40 ssd.

It's on an asus sandy bridge B3 Pro board with an i5-2500k and 4 gig of ram - so any advice to getting the most out of it or is it fine the way it is?

thanks again

 

[MikeE21286]

Here's my biggest complaint about PC gaming:

I'm early into Dragon Age and playing on a 50 inch TV from about 6 feet away. At 1080p, the text size and UI doesn't scale, so everything is freaking-ass tiny and impossible to read.

Why isn't there an option to increase the font size or keep the UI at a sane level of visibility? I'm forced to put it at 720p, sacrificing a lot of the beauty, just to read text.

Yeah, hopefully Steam fixes this somehow with "big picture mode'

 

[Revenant]

Quick question here.

I plan on building in a few months, around summer, and I plan on building for BF3, ESV etc.

I figured what I would do is get most of the comp

for instance, the CPU (sandybridge) and the rest of the parts, but hold off until closerto the launch of those games for the GPU.

As far as I know, other than AMD's bulldozer mid year there won't be any new CPU's coming out so would it be safe to purchase all those parts, and make do with a filler GPU I have until I buy a new one a month out or so from BF3?

 

[MikeE21286]

Quick question here.

I plan on building in a few months, around summer, and I plan on building for BF3, ESV etc.

I figured what I would do is get most of the comp

for instance, the CPU (sandybridge) and the rest of the parts, but hold off until closerto the launch of those games for the GPU.

As far as I know, other than AMD's bulldozer mid year there won't be any new CPU's coming out so would it be safe to purchase all those parts, and make do with a filler GPU I have until I buy a new one a month out or so from BF3?

I see no reason to buy anything (especially tech related) if you're going to wait to use it.

That is unless you get a deal which you think will not be replicated between the time you find the deal and the time you intend to use the item.

 

[Revenant]

I see no reason to buy anything (especially tech related) if you're going to wait to use it.

That is unless you get a deal which you think will not be replicated between the time you find the deal and the time you intend to use the item.

technically I would use it, in the sense i'd set everything up, and play some other pc games I've been meaning to play, granted they'd be a lot less taxing hardware wise.

 

[MikeE21286]

technically I would use it, in the sense i'd set everything up, and play some other pc games I've been meaning to play, granted they'd be a lot less taxing hardware wise.

gotcha....well in that case I would probably do it if you were going to buy the same parts in the end anyways.

 

[shinobi602]

Anyone know why AGP cards are still being made? >__>

 

[AceBandage]

Ok, I need some help.
I'm trying to play Overlord 2, and I get this...

I'm running a 6850, all the drivers are up to date.
I've messed with the config settings but it has no effect.
Any ideas?

 

[Trojita]

Ok, I need some help.
I'm trying to play Overlord 2, and I get this...

http://www.abload.de/img/overlord22011-03-0500-prcc.png

I'm running a 6850, all the drivers are up to date.
I've messed with the config settings but it has no effect.
Any ideas?

Did you try to update your drivers yet?
Did you set everything back to default?
Did you check to see if this happens in other games?

 

[AceBandage]

Did you try to update your drivers yet?
Did you set everything back to default?
Did you check to see if this happens in other games?

Yes yes and yes.
Only happens in this game.
I've re-updated the drivers to the newest one out.
I tried turning off everything in the config settings for the game and I still get the same effect.

 

[Trojita]

Yes yes and yes.
Only happens in this game.
I've re-updated the drivers to the newest one out.
I tried turning off everything in the config settings for the game and I still get the same effect.

That sucks.

Did you try reinstalling the game?

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

If I'm looking to overclock a i5 2500k to the 4.5 - 5 ghz range, what would be a good HSF to go for?

 

[Funky Papa]

God, the wait for my Sandy Bridge mobo is killing me.

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

So is the Rev B mobos that are the ones that don't have the SATA II 6gb/s port problem?

Anyone know which UK retailers other than Aria have these?

 

[knitoe]

So is the Rev B mobos that are the ones that don't have the SATA II 6gb/s port problem?

Anyone know which UK retailers other than Aria have these?

It's Ver 3 that has the new fixed chipset. And, the problems are with the 3GB/s ports and not the 6GB/s.

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

It's Ver 3 that has the new fixed chipset. And, the problems are with the 3GB/s ports and not the 6GB/s.

Ah, thank you.

 

[mxgt]

So I'm building myself a new computer, my current one was bought pre-built so this one I'm going to have a go myself. How does this spec look?

Will I need any extra case fans or should that be fine? any suggestions? thanks.

 

[iNvid02]

So I'm building myself a new computer, my current one was bought pre-built so this one I'm going to have a go myself. How does this spec look?

Will I need any extra case fans or should that be fine? any suggestions? thanks.

scrap the 500gb hard drive, its overpriced. if you go on ebay you can get a 1TB one for same price. or you could swap it for a 64gb ssd, crucial c300 is £85 on amazon. but it would push you just over 1000

 

[ZombieFred]

Got a quick question for you savy pc folkes. I've got everything all installed on my motherboard (GIGABYTE GA-P67A-UD3P) but the current issues I am having is that it's only powering on for a brief second. I've reconnected everything twice now on the motherboard and it still does the same. Could this be related something to the motherboard? Just want to see if people had similar problems so I can narrow down what the issue is. Thanks in advance.

 

[Dilli666]

Specs looking good. You may want to add an SSD for a nice OS boost. The included fans of the CM690 should be fine if you don't mind the noise.
I don't know the Corsair A60 though. I think you can get better value for the money at Prolimatech, Scythe, Noctua or Alpenfoehn (if available).

@ ZombieFred
Have you checked the pins on your CPU socket?

 

[ZombieFred]

@ ZombieFred
Have you checked the pins on your CPU socket?

Aye they're all and is tight with reasonable amount of pressure, but they come out easy on two pins and needed to put them back in and rotate them again (sandybridge 1155, using 1156 cooler) and it's fine. Unless it's knackered them up even the pins are gone right through on the other side of the motherboard?

As a note, I fucked up on my original CPU fan socket pins because of not paying attention (thinking it was similar to my previous CPU. I'm glad I did make an error because you learn from it) but I was more careful this time around but did have some issues getting it in again. But again, pins are in and there's a reasonable amount of pressure on how tight it is to the motherboard, unless at the time two of them come out and I had to turn the pins again when I pushed them though, has broken something inside?

When the brief power is on, the CPU fan doesn't spin among with the fans on the tower (as a sign the power is fine on the motherboard) so would it be the CPU still?

 

[Dilli666]

Oh, I didn't mean the sockets for the CPU cooler. Take a look if those tiny pins under the actual CPU are correct. Maybe one or two are bent.

Hopefully not like this

 

[mxgt]

Specs looking good. You may want to add an SSD for a nice OS boost. The included fans of the CM690 should be fine if you don't mind the noise.
I don't know the Corsair A60 though. I think you can get better value for the money at Prolimatech, Scythe, Noctua or Alpenfoehn (if available).

Thanks for the advice, I switched the A70 for a Noctua NH-D14 and it comes out around the same price.

 

[ZombieFred]

Oh, I didn't mean the sockets for the CPU cooler. Take a look if those tiny pins under the actual CPU are correct. Maybe one or two are bent.

Hopefully not like this

Pins are fine, no issue there. But three pins on my CPU fan were able to be removed from hand with a little effot moving the pins, if that's related.

Here's some photos I have just captured via my Windows Phone to get a better picture.
Thanks for the help, by the way. I apreciated this. It's damn annoying when this is my second rig and it's once again a CPU issue (at least the last one hopefully!). At least you learn from this :lol:

CPU fan

Motherboard CPU Image

CPU Image 2

CPU

CPU motherboard

 

[knitoe]

Got a quick question for you savy pc folkes. I've got everything all installed on my motherboard (GIGABYTE GA-P67A-UD3P) but the current issues I am having is that it's only powering on for a brief second. I've reconnected everything twice now on the motherboard and it still does the same. Could this be related something to the motherboard? Just want to see if people had similar problems so I can narrow down what the issue is. Thanks in advance.

You connected both power cables to the MB? If yes, could be bad MB, bad PSU or grounding issue with case. Have you tried a different PSU? To check off grounding issue, take MB out of the case, run with just MB + CPU + 1 stick of ram and see if you can get CPU fan to spin.

 

[ZombieFred]

You connected both power cables to the MB? If yes, could be bad MB, bad PSU or grounding issue with case. Have you tried a different PSU? To check off grounding issue, take MB out of the case, run with just MB + CPU + 1 stick of ram and see if you can get CPU fan to spin.

I have a feeling it's either with the CPU or an grounding issue. How common could the latter be for something like this?

 

[cartman414]

Quick question here.

I plan on building in a few months, around summer, and I plan on building for BF3, ESV etc.

I figured what I would do is get most of the comp

for instance, the CPU (sandybridge) and the rest of the parts, but hold off until closerto the launch of those games for the GPU.

As far as I know, other than AMD's bulldozer mid year there won't be any new CPU's coming out so would it be safe to purchase all those parts, and make do with a filler GPU I have until I buy a new one a month out or so from BF3?

The Z68 mobo, which has both the IGP utility of the H67 and the overclocking and SLI/Crossfire of the P67, plus SSD caching, will drop in about a few months or so. Closer to the end of the year, we'll get the high-end Sandy Bridge E.

 

[mkenyon]

I guess you're just not a real PC gamer unless you spend 200$ on something that you'll only open up twice a year Anything above 60$ for a case is a waste in my books.

Hey man, my main gaming rig is in a Coolermaster Scout that I paid $59.99 for. I love the thing. Also, I open my case a lot, but I'm a builder/enthusiast in addition to being a PC Gamer, so I understand my needs are a bit different. When you also go up to that $200 price range, you start to get cases that can do things $60 cases cant. Namely space/mounts for watercooling. Something quite a few people don't know about aluminum cases is that the entire thing works as a heat sink because of aluminum's ability to capture heat. Lastly, there is some e/real-life-peen thing going on, I won't deny that. It's nice to be in a room of 550 gamers at a big LAN and have your rig stick out.

plastic doesn't mean crap you know, and I'd disagree on the amount of it as it is. to disregard is bad advice, they are a very solid choice, as far as aesthetics, that's really personal choice isn't? I mean, it's getting down into the one nerd making fun of another type of talk. and you didn't even consider price into the equation.

1. I do understand that, but plastic isn't as sturdy of a material as steel or aluminum. Or more precisely, the plastic that Antec uses in their cases in abundance isn't as sturdy. I'm probably harder on my cases than the average gamer though.
2. My complaints were poor tooling, bad materials, non-intelligent cable routing, and insufficient lifespan. I'm not sure how aesthetics made it into my argument. But, I actually do like Antec's aesthetics for the most part (outside of the DF series). I try to keep something so subjective out of my arguments generally though.
3. My last sentence, when I summed up my thoughts about it was:

They're not utter crap, but more accurately, I think they just never compare to similarly priced cases.

Also, it is personal choice, but I was trying to give some objective criticism for faults that I see with Antec's design. If you like them and they've fit your needs, that's awesome, and I hope it continues to do so in all sincerity.

So I'm building myself a new computer, my current one was bought pre-built so this one I'm going to have a go myself. How does this spec look?

Will I need any extra case fans or should that be fine? any suggestions? thanks.

Looks like a rocking build. You'll eventually want to upgrade your HDD setup to an SSD and possibly a RAID for your games drive. It's really the only bottleneck in that system.

 

[mclaren777]

Uh oh. It had been sitting idle for 30 minutes while I was watching TV. I glanced up to see the final seconds of a BSOD and it restarted on its own. Now this is all I get even though all drives still show up in the BIOS.

Thoughts?

 

[AceBandage]

That sucks.

Did you try reinstalling the game?

Tried.
Same problem.
This is so lame and makes no sense...

 

[n0n44m]

Uh oh. It had been sitting idle for 30 minutes while I was watching TV. I glanced up to see the final seconds of a BSOD and it restarted on its own. Now this is all I get even though all drives still show up in the BIOS.

Thoughts?

last time I saw that was about 11 years ago when some virus killed the PCs boot record

but nowadays it sounds like disk corruption or something :/

you have a Samsung SSD right?

Spoiler

think it just died to be honest :|

I assume you don't get a chance to do the "press F8 before Windows boot" thing ? You can either try safe mode or repair mode if that would work

else you can try using the Windows disk for a repair function or something

your best bet however would be to take out the drive and connect it to another PC, then check it would some tools/utilities

edit: just to be sure, nothing is overclocked and the FSB is set to the default 100 mhz right?

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

I really don't understand this RAID thing at all. Can anyone explain it to me or link me to a decent article that explains it?

 

[n0n44m]

I really don't understand this RAID thing at all. Can anyone explain it to me or link me to a decent article that explains it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID

or even simpler

RAID 0 = two(or more) identical disks for twice the (sequential) read/write speed, available space will be equal to total space on the two disk [one disk dies you lose ALL the data] -> higher speed

RAID 1 = two(or more) identical disks both reading/writing the same data, so same speed and available space as a single disk [one disk dies, the other still works so you won't lose the data] -> data safety

other RAID's -> advanced users only

 

[iNvid02]

pictures are best for stuff like this, these are the two main ones you'll
probably want or come across.

 

[Somnid]

Alright I just bought an Asus P8 P67Pro Mobo and a 2600K.

Now what to do with the GPU. What should I do for say $500? I was thinking 2x 6870s, I thought these came in 2GB flavors but maybe I'm mistaken? Anyway this modern GPU numbering confuses the hell out of me, any help is appreciated.

 

[Corky]

Alright I just bought an Asus P8 P67Pro Mobo and a 2600K.

Now what to do with the GPU. What should I do for say $500? I was thinking 2x 6870s, I thought these came in 2GB flavors but maybe I'm mistaken? Anyway this modern GPU numbering confuses the hell out of me, any help is appreciated.

Not sure about the prices overseas but if you're looking to spend upto 500$ you should get :

a) a gtx 580
or
b) a 6970 + save some cash

virtually nothing else to consider I guess.

 

[PantherLotus]

While looking for a new CPU, I discovered that my Dell S2309w only has DVI-D and VGA connections, but most new computers only have HDMI/VGA slots.

Solutions?

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

pictures are best for stuff like this, these are the two main ones you'll
probably want or come across.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID

or even simpler

RAID 0 = two(or more) identical disks for twice the (sequential) read/write speed, available space will be equal to total space on the two disk [one disk dies you lose ALL the data] -> higher speed

RAID 1 = two(or more) identical disks both reading/writing the same data, so same speed and available space as a single disk [one disk dies, the other still works so you won't lose the data] -> data safety

other RAID's -> advanced users only

Thank you guys, appreciated.

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

Where are you people getting these Asus boards from?

 

[MacAttack]

While looking for a new CPU, I discovered that my Dell S2309w only has DVI-D and VGA connections, but most new computers only have HDMI/VGA slots.

Solutions?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...1060&cm_re=dvi_to_hdmi-_-82-021-060-_-Product

 

[Somnid]

Not sure about the prices overseas but if you're looking to spend upto 500$ you should get :

a) a gtx 580
or
b) a 6970 + save some cash

virtually nothing else to consider I guess.

Maybe I was thinking 2x6970s which would be more expensive. Hmmm...I'll have to think about this. I'm trying to at least attempt 2560x1600, maybe I could grab one now and one later. Crossfire doesn't need symmetric GPUs does it?

I'm also wondering what kind of PSU I'd need should I attempt this. I'm not sure my current 700W would be enough...

Where are you people getting these Asus boards from?

Microcenter in Denver, CO.

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

Microcenter in Denver, CO.

Damn it Newegg hurry!

See there's this on Amazon, but I don't know how reliable that is. I mean in terms of ship speed and the accuracy of the product listing.

 

[MacAttack]

P8H67-M is the micro atx version of the asus board which will have significantly less features than the standard atx boards.

Take a look at the Asus website to compare the features and see if the micro atx board has what you need.

I think the most popular Asus board is probably the p8p67 pro

 

[LaserBuddha]

Maybe I was thinking 2x6970s which would be more expensive. Hmmm...I'll have to think about this. I'm trying to at least attempt 2560x1600, maybe I could grab one now and one later. Crossfire doesn't need symmetric GPUs does it?

I'm also wondering what kind of PSU I'd need should I attempt this. I'm not sure my current 700W would be enough...



Microcenter in Denver, CO.

You can get 6950's and flash them into 6970's. I don't know if it has the same overclocking potential as an actual 6970 or not, but even if it doesnt, you're looking at almost $100 less in cost per card.

I'm by far not the most knowledgeable on these things, but I'd think a 700w psu could handle it just fine.

 

[SuperLurker]

Newegg has 1155 boards in stock but it seems like they are saving them for RMAs. I just got this email from them:

Great news! In early February, we sent you an e-mail notifying you of a design issue with the Intel Sandy Bridge compatible motherboard model you recently purchased from our site. We are pleased to announce we expect to receive a new batch of replacement motherboards soon and, based on your purchase date, you are eligible to request your replacement at this time for the specific order and item information provided below.

Sales order number:
Item number available for replacement at this time: 13-131-682
Item description: MB ASUS P8P67 PRO LGA1155 R

To guarantee your replacement, please reply to this email within the next 7 business days. We currently have a very limited supply of replacements and unless we hear from you within that time frame, we will release unclaimed units to the next in line.

At Newegg, we are committed to making this process easy and convenient for you. Please note the options below and reply to this e-mail with your selection in the subject line:

A. Regular RMA
Regular RMAs are shipped once we receive your original unit. Once we receive your e-mail, we will create an RMA and send you a free return shipping label. Once we receive the original item from you, Newegg will ship the replacement to the original shipping address.

B. Advanced RMA
Advanced RMAs allow us to ship the replacement to you promptly and gives you 30 days to return the original unit. Once we receive your e-mail, a Customer Service Representative will contact you within 2 to 3 business days to process your RMA. Advanced RMAs require a Credit Card authorization: in the event we do not receive the defective replacement within 30 days from the date the replacement is shipped, the credit card you provide on the phone will be charged in the amount of the product retail price. Please include the best phone number to reach you at in your email but do NOT include your credit card information.

C. Not Interested
If you are not interested in a replacement, or have initiated a replacement with the manufacturer, you can either reply with "C" or "Not Interested" in the subject line, or simply disregard this email.

If you do decide to return your product, please send back the original retail box (if available) and all accessories originally included. Your replacement is a brand new item and is equipped with new accessories. All replacements will be mailed to the original shipping address unless otherwise specified in your e-mail.

We appreciate your patience in this matter and thank you for your patronage!

Sincerely,
Newegg.com

I think I'll do this instead of going through ASUS since ASUS want me to fax my CC info to them.

 

[mikki]

Here's my biggest complaint about PC gaming:

I'm early into Dragon Age and playing on a 50 inch TV from about 6 feet away. At 1080p, the text size and UI doesn't scale, so everything is freaking-ass tiny and impossible to read.

Why isn't there an option to increase the font size or keep the UI at a sane level of visibility? I'm forced to put it at 720p, sacrificing a lot of the beauty, just to read text.

http://www.dragonagenexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=73

 

[Hazaro]

That's mATX and a third party seller. I'd wait.

 

[mclaren777]

I assume you don't get a chance to do the "press F8 before Windows boot" thing ? You can either try safe mode or repair mode if that would work

else you can try using the Windows disk for a repair function or something

your best bet however would be to take out the drive and connect it to another PC, then check it would some tools/utilities

edit: just to be sure, nothing is overclocked and the FSB is set to the default 100 mhz right?

Everything is stock/default and my SSD is connected to a SATA 3.0 port.

I can F8 to select boot source but putting in the Windows disc didn't immediately give a repair option.