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[Zabojnik]

If you have the budget, I'd be tempted to get a 2GB 6970. Slight bump up from the 6950 and so it'll perform better and last you longer before you need to upgrade again.

I thought you could unlock the 6950 to 6970 specs pretty easily? That's one of the reasons I was thinking of getting the 6950 in the first place. How safe is it, really? EDIT: Nevermind, seems to be risky enough. Cards dying all over ...

I can also get the GTX 570 for a decent price. The PhysX thing seems like a nice bonus ... On the other hand, the HD 6970 would cost me about the same. How do hell do I decide between these two? )

 

[cackhyena]

The core thing. I don't get it. If I get the Core i5 2500k Processor, is that what the cores are about? I'm dumb.

Anyone?

 

[winnarps]

Anyone?

This might explain things a little better: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-core_processor.

Basically Intel produces multi-core processors now. In the past, processors were single core, then double core, and now quad core and more.

The 2500k is a quad core processor.

 

[cackhyena]

Ah, I see. Thanks, man.

 

[knitoe]

So I'm looking at a couple of Dell monitors on this page:

http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/compare.aspx/22lcd?c=sg&cs=sgdhs1&l=en&s=dhs

More specifically, looking at the ST2320L and the U2311H. Both are 23" but one is a LED display with a TN panel and the other is a LCD display with a IPS panel. I've heard good things about the IPS panel but does it matter if it is LCD and not LED? Also, both have the same native resolution of 1920 x 1080 but the ST2320L says it's "Full HD" whereas there's no such indication on the U2311H. I presume the "Full HD" is just marketing bs and both are truly "Full HD" since they have the same resolution?

Get the IPS panel monitor. And, yes, "Full HD" is marketing.

 

[mrklaw]

best backup/drive cloning app for PC? equivalent of superduper or CCC? My PC is pretty much only for gaming so I figure I might as well clone the drive rather than just backup the steam folder.

 

[koji]

best backup/drive cloning app for PC? equivalent of superduper or CCC? My PC is pretty much only for gaming so I figure I might as well clone the drive rather than just backup the steam folder.

The Win7 backup manager is pretty solid, if you're on a Win7 systems ffcourse.

 

[mkenyon]

I thought you could unlock the 6950 to 6970 specs pretty easily? That's one of the reasons I was thinking of getting the 6950 in the first place. How safe is it, really? EDIT: Nevermind, seems to be risky enough. Cards dying all over ...

I can also get the GTX 570 for a decent price. The PhysX thing seems like a nice bonus ... On the other hand, the HD 6970 would cost me about the same. How do hell do I decide between these two? )

Remember, on the internet, it's always the loudest voices that are heard. Could be thousands of people who have flashed and are having good experiences and don't post constantly on the net because it went well. I've done it for three friends, no problems as of yet. For it to work properly you also need to get the 2GB 6950.

As per the 570 vs 6970, it really is a toss up, IMO.

Also, <3 your flag. It's my dream to move there, but the wife isn't keen on it as of yet. I want to spend my years eating some Kremsnita in Bled so bad. Most awesome country I've been to.

@Chronite

Nice build man, good job on the cable management. Giving me the itch to upgrade my main gaming rig out of the Coolermaster Scout.

 

[Outdoor Miner]

Just looked at the specs for the GTX 460 and I have to admit it doesn't seem that much better than my current card. Currently I've got a Geforce 9600 GSO and OC'd the core clock to 600 and the shader to about 1200? can't remember exactly. I could probably get a faster shader speed to match one of those cards but because it's a oc, would that make a difference? Should I start looking at the $200+ cards to see a real boost?

So far I haven't had any problems with the games that I've been playing but then again, I haven't played anything that recent. I played the demo for Retribution and put the settings max at 1920x1080 and things were smooth but I know if I tried a monster like Cysis my machine my start crying. Any other games I should try that aren't as extreme as Crysis?

I would never tell someone to upgrade their card if they are happy with the current performance. I mean that is the point of this whole thing, to be happy, right?

I would like to point out however that a GTX 460 is a significant upgrade. It runs circles around a 9600 GSO.

 

[Curufinwe]

Consider the 560 Ti which is $50 more if you want a bigger performance boost.

 

[mkenyon]

Get the IPS panel monitor. And, yes, "Full HD" is marketing.

I'll be the first to admit I have almost zero knowledge of displays, whether that be TV or monitor. However, the response time on those displays really stick out to me. I definitely notice a difference for games between a 5ms and 2ms monitor, and that IPS is 8ms. That gives me some serious pause.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

I thought you could unlock the 6950 to 6970 specs pretty easily? That's one of the reasons I was thinking of getting the 6950 in the first place. How safe is it, really? EDIT: Nevermind, seems to be risky enough. Cards dying all over ...

I can also get the GTX 570 for a decent price. The PhysX thing seems like a nice bonus ... On the other hand, the HD 6970 would cost me about the same. How do hell do I decide between these two? )

Never you worry, I would use your own manufacturer 6970 bios when doing it though. I have the GIGABYTE 2GB 6950 and used the GIGABYTE 6970 file to flash mine. And I'm pushing mine to the max that it will let me at 950/1450mhz.

 

[DeadRockstar]

I'll be the first to admit I have almost zero knowledge of displays, whether that be TV or monitor. However, the response time on those displays really stick out to me. I definitely notice a difference for games between a 5ms and 2ms monitor, and that IPS is 8ms. That gives me some serious pause.

Sure an IPS is never going to have a response time that matches the fastest TNs, but the U2311 has very little input lag and much better image quality. For me personally the trade off is worth it and I use IPS monitors, but that's something people need to decide for themselves.


Edit: What's the current opinion on drivers and features for ATi Vs. Nvidia? I've got a 5870 and I'm thinking about getting a GTX 580 before Witcher 2 hits unless there's any reason not to go Nvidia.

 

[mkenyon]

Sure an IPS is never going to have a response time that matches the fastest TNs, but the U2311 has very little input lag and much better image quality. For me personally the trade off is worth it and I use IPS monitors, but that's something people need to decide for themselves.


Edit: What's the current opinion on drivers and features for ATi Vs. Nvidia? I've got a 5870 and I'm thinking about getting a GTX 580 before Witcher 2 hits unless there's any reason not to go Nvidia.

Making me want to check out these IPS monitors to get a good view for myself. Any place that carries them where I could take a peek?

I will say there's no real reason to upgrade out of a 5870 yet. The gains are pretty minimal unless cash is just burning a hole in your wallet. If that's the case, by all means.

As a guy who is more or less an AMD/ATI fanboy, even I know that Nvidia's drivers are still better. The 5xx series of cards is pretty incredible too, they run super cool, super quiet, and is probably the best reference design for a heatsink ever. If i were in the market for a new card, I'd probably go Nvidia right now despite the better priceerformance of the 6950. Although, ASUS's Direct CU (meaning direct copper contact) still gets slightly better numbers.

 

[Primethius]

My friend has a budget of $1000 for building a gaming computer. This is the list he sent me:

ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
$18.99

COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX
$54.99

HITACHI Deskstar 7K3000 HDS723020BLA642 (0f12115) 2TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" $119.99

ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$118.99

SAPPHIRE 100312SR Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$276.99

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power ...
$109.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
$99.99

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOX
$159.99

I just wanted to make sure that this is all compatible. His monitor's native res is 1680x1050. He wants to get the best he can for $1000 so suggestions/improvements are welcome.

 

[black_vegeta]

Is this ASUS P8H67-M LE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel H67 Motherboard capale of overclocking?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...cm_re=1155_motherboard-_-13-131-712-_-Product

 

[Corky]

Is this ASUS P8H67-M LE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel H67 Motherboard capale of overclocking?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...cm_re=1155_motherboard-_-13-131-712-_-Product

I think you can "barely" overclock with the H boards, if you want to overclock you'd want the P series

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Edit: What's the current opinion on drivers and features for ATi Vs. Nvidia? I've got a 5870 and I'm thinking about getting a GTX 580 before Witcher 2 hits unless there's any reason not to go Nvidia.

Other than cost and the fact that they get hot, it's a winner. A good OC and proper cooling on a 6970 will go great for you though. I'm thinking about any card for my next upgrade. Will be around a year from now so I'm not really concerned with current cards right now.

 

[black_vegeta]

I think you can "barely" overclock with the H boards, if you want to overclock you'd want the P series

Ahhh, yes. I remember that being mentioned before. Thanks Corky!

So I should be looking for the "P67" series then.

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

I've never really considered extra cooling for a GPU. How necessary are they?

(P.S. I'm considering getting a 6950 2GB and flashing it etc.)

 

[mkenyon]

My friend has a budget of $1000 for building a gaming computer. This is the list he sent me:

ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
$18.99

COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX
$54.99

HITACHI Deskstar 7K3000 HDS723020BLA642 (0f12115) 2TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" $119.99

ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$118.99

SAPPHIRE 100312SR Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$276.99

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power ...
$109.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
$99.99

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOX
$159.99

I just wanted to make sure that this is all compatible. His monitor's native res is 1680x1050. He wants to get the best he can for $1000 so suggestions/improvements are welcome.

If he wants to keep the same components, I'd really suggest upgrading the mobo to a 880/890 chipset. Otherwise, he could save the scrilla and upgrade to an AM3+ motherboard in a few months or so.

 

[Outdoor Miner]

My friend has a budget of $1000 for building a gaming computer. This is the list he sent me:

ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
$18.99

COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX
$54.99

HITACHI Deskstar 7K3000 HDS723020BLA642 (0f12115) 2TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" $119.99

ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$118.99

SAPPHIRE 100312SR Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$276.99

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power ...
$109.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
$99.99

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOX
$159.99

I just wanted to make sure that this is all compatible. His monitor's native res is 1680x1050. He wants to get the best he can for $1000 so suggestions/improvements are welcome.

I'm assuming you are using Newegg? If so, some of those items can be combo'd, like cpu/mobo for example. Save your friend a couple bucks that way.

Also, I have that case and I'm not a big fan of it. At that price range there are better options now than when I built mine. Take a look at the Cooler Master HAF 912 ($59 w/ free shipping).

 

[Drkirby]

Anyone else have a TV Tuner card in their computer? I find it a nice alternative to areas where there isn't enough space for a TV, or a good use for a duel monitor set up (Just have the spare monitor playing TV when idle), I just wish the card I got was able to pick up over the air channels.

 

[Zabojnik]

Never you worry, I would use your own manufacturer 6970 bios when doing it though. I have the GIGABYTE 2GB 6950 and used the GIGABYTE 6970 file to flash mine. And I'm pushing mine to the max that it will let me at 950/1450mhz.

Remember, on the internet, it's always the loudest voices that are heard. Could be thousands of people who have flashed and are having good experiences and don't post constantly on the net because it went well. I've done it for three friends, no problems as of yet. For it to work properly you also need to get the 2GB 6950.

As per the 570 vs 6970, it really is a toss up, IMO.

Eh, I think I'll be getting the GTX 570. I found a nice deal that includes the Corsair TX-750W power supply and I can trade in my 8800GTX as well. Getting the 6950 would be somewhat cheaper, but whatever. I guess I'm a little nVidia biased.

Thanks for the advice, I love this thread.

 

[mkenyon]

Anyone else have a TV Tuner card in their computer? I find it a nice alternative to areas where there isn't enough space for a TV, or a good use for a duel monitor set up (Just have the spare monitor playing TV when idle), I just wish the card I got was able to pick up over the air channels.

This is what you want for an HTPC. Going to buy one for my HTPC for sure.

 

[TouchMyBox]

So I'm looking at a couple of Dell monitors on this page:

http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/compare.aspx/22lcd?c=sg&cs=sgdhs1&l=en&s=dhs

More specifically, looking at the ST2320L and the U2311H. Both are 23" but one is a LED display with a TN panel and the other is a LCD display with a IPS panel. I've heard good things about the IPS panel but does it matter if it is LCD and not LED? Also, both have the same native resolution of 1920 x 1080 but the ST2320L says it's "Full HD" whereas there's no such indication on the U2311H. I presume the "Full HD" is just marketing bs and both are truly "Full HD" since they have the same resolution?

There is no such thing as an "LED" monitor. It's all marketing shenanigans. There is LED backlighting and CCFL back lighting. All consumer computer monitors on the market are LCD displays. As for LED vs CCFL, good old CCFL offers better image quality, but is hotter, fatter, and uses more power. Also, always choose IPS over TN unless you're in professional gaming leagues.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Eh, I think I'll be getting the GTX 570. I found a nice deal that includes the Corsair TX-750W power supply and I can trade in my 8800GTX as well. Getting the 6950 would be somewhat cheaper, but whatever. I guess I'm a little nVidia biased.

Thanks for the advice, I love this thread.

You made a good choice, have no regrets.

I've never really considered extra cooling for a GPU. How necessary are they?

(P.S. I'm considering getting a 6950 2GB and flashing it etc.)

The Artic Accelero XTREME Plus for my 2GB card has brought my temps down from the mid 90's on stock to temps that rarely even see 60. Only with a game like Crysis do I ever even hit that mark. This is with a flashed card and max OC settings. And not loud at all. I think I've spammed my findings enough but it was money well spent.

 

[Corky]

Guys I need spiritual guidance.

Guess I'll get the formalities out of the way :

Basic Desktop Questions
Your Current Specs: i5-760@3.8 / 4gb ddr3 / ga-p55-ud4 / ga gtx 460 SLI OC (selling this pc as soon as one of my 460 replacements arrives )
Budget: 2200$
Main Use: Gaming
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: everything
Are reusing any parts?: No
When will you build?: Within the coming 5 months.
Will you be overclocking? Definitely


So here's the thing, we all know that late Q3-Q4 is going to be absolutely bonkers when it comes to gaming. Now I have nothing against waiting for the next build but is there any point to it? People are saying that there's not going to be any new stuff out there until a looong time.

Will there be anything new out come august-september 2011? ( I know it's not easy to answer but still... )

 

[verbum]

So last night I get all of my new parts in and install everything.

Except I misplaced my Windows 7 Professional DVD. I have the product key still, but after some searching on interwebs, I can't seem to find out how to download the ISO again and burn to a DVD.

Any way to download it from MS?

Google was my friend, apparently he doesn't like you. : 0

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/11/10/windows-7-iso-x86-and-x64-official-direct-download-links-ultimate-professional-and-home-premium/

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

You made a good choice, have no regrets.


The Artic Accelero XTREME Plus for my 2GB card has brought my temps down from the mid 90's on stock to temps that rarely even see 60. Only with a game like Crysis do I ever even hit that mark. This is with a flashed card and max OC settings. And not loud at all. I think I've spammed my findings enough but it was money well spent.

Thank you very much, I'll consider one.

 

[winnarps]

Google was my friend, apparently he doesn't like you. : 0

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/11/10/windows-7-iso-x86-and-x64-official-direct-download-links-ultimate-professional-and-home-premium/

Whoa, thanks man!

 

[verbum]

A 128 GB SSD Kingston for $140 after rebate. Notebook or desktop.

Kingston 128GB SSDNow V Series SATA II 2.5" Solid State Drive - SNV425-S2/128GB

BETTER HURRY!!!!!


http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=214308841

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Thank you very much, I'll consider one.

Here is the Fan, if you live in the US, the cheapest by far.

The optional but absolutely mandatory heat sink kit - VR001.

If you have any questions about installation or the site itself, ask away. They were good to deal with and fast.

 

[mkenyon]

Guys I need spiritual guidance.

Guess I'll get the formalities out of the way :

Basic Desktop Questions
Your Current Specs: i5-760@3.8 / 4gb ddr3 / ga-p55-ud4 / ga gtx 460 SLI OC (selling this pc as soon as one of my 460 replacements arrives )
Budget: 2200$
Main Use: Gaming
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: everything
Are reusing any parts?: No
When will you build?: Within the coming 5 months.
Will you be overclocking? Definitely


So here's the thing, we all know that late Q3-Q4 is going to be absolutely bonkers when it comes to gaming. Now I have nothing against waiting for the next build but is there any point to it? People are saying that there's not going to be any new stuff out there until a looong time.

Will there be anything new out come august-september 2011? ( I know it's not easy to answer but still... )

I think you're wanting to upgrade for the sake of upgrading. If you want a bit more proc strength, just upgrade to an 1156 i7. If you want to upgrade just to upgrade, you get my seal of approval! Although, you still might want to wait for Bulldozer which now has a release date for June.

 

[Corky]

I think you're wanting to upgrade for the sake of upgrading. If you want a bit more proc strength, just upgrade to an 1156 i7. If you want to upgrade just to upgrade, you get my seal of approval! Although, you still might want to wait for Bulldozer which now has a release date for June.

See what I'm fearing is that ( even though I fully understand this is a part of being a pcenthusiast ) if I go for an i7 SB + 6990 build, 1-2 months later the new 28 nm stuff is out and it'll be a huge generational leap.

I mean if we're talking about a gtx 480 -> gtx 580 in terms of "leap" then where do I sign up for a new build? If we're talking about a card that's gonna be 2x-3x as powerful than the 6990 then I might aswell wait :[

 

[LiquidMetal14]

I would suggest putting the SB build together but don't spent tons of bank on a GPU just yet. I mean, if you want to run BF3 and all that, go for the 6970 or 580. These new dual GPU's coming out now are not worth the cost yet. Don't spend the money just for the sake of doing so

Put your CPU/MB/RAM/etc together and get a good PSU ( at least 7-800w to future proof yourself) and then just upgrade your GPU as needed.

I got everything in place to set myself up for an easy upgrade path. I want an SSD and a better PSU at some point before getting the next big GPU early next year. Just don't think about it too much and feel inadequate for not having the absolute top of the line.

 

[Corky]

I would suggest putting the SB build together but don't spent tons of bank on a GPU just yet. I mean, if you want to run BF3 and all that, go for the 6970 or 580. These new dual GPU's coming out now are not worth the cost yet. Don't spend the money just for the sake of doing so

Put your CPU/MB/RAM/etc together and get a good PSU ( at least 7-800w to future proof yourself) and then just upgrade your GPU as needed.

I got everything in place to set myself up for an easy upgrade path. I want an SSD and a better PSU at some point before getting the next big GPU early next year. Just don't think about it too much and feel inadequate for not having the absolute top of the line.

Well the thing about the GPU is that I currently have a two 460s, which perform pretty much identical to one gtx 580 ( excluding multigpu shenanigans ). Which means the only worthwhile upgrade for me right now is another set of two gpus.

On the other hand I don't even need a pc at this given time because there's no games out there that I want to play. So I might aswell sell of my current pc and make good bank seeing as the parts are all still pretty much only a couple of months old.

Also I'm never the " gotta get the top of the line stuff " guy, mainly because I don't have the money to burn on stupid things like that and because I don't see the real benefit.

However, a 6990 would be somewhat futureproof.

 

[verbum]

However, a 6990 would be somewhat futureproof.

You know you could take a nice vacation at the beach for a few days for what it costs. :0

 

[LiquidMetal14]

You know you could take a nice vacation at the beach for a few days for what it costs. :0

True!

 

[Outdoor Miner]

Also I'm never the " gotta get the top of the line stuff " guy, mainly because I don't have the money to burn on stupid things like that and because I don't see the real benefit.

Really? 'Cause everything in your last few posts contradicts that.

 

[Corky]

You know you could take a nice vacation at the beach for a few days for what it costs. :0

that is true

Oh well, it's all good in the end because I'm in no rush to build. Let's play, the god-forsaken, waiting game.

 

[Corky]

Really? 'Cause everything in your last few posts contradicts that.

I can understand how I might've come across like that, mind you the PC I'm sitting on atm is my first gamingpc in almost 10 years or so.

I actually sold all my tv,hometheatre setups, consoles, etc because I felt I had no need for them. I guess I'm just abit frustrated over the fact that one of my GPUs blew, maybe deep inside I feel like if I switch out all the parts it'll make me less mad :I.

 

[TheExodu5]

You have SLI GTX 460? Just wait man. Way it out and go with a single high end GPU next time around. Wait for the 8 core Intel CPUs. You're not going to see a massive leap save for a few games.

 

[Psychotext]

Sooo... as this is basically the official SSD thread, I have a question.

Is there any way of moving my existing Windows 7 install on my laptop over to my SSD without having to rebuild the thing (and still ensuring that it's set up properly). I bought a G2 X25-M when they were first released for a not insignificant sum of money and it's been sat doing nothing for all that time because it's going to be too much work to completely rebuild my laptop.

Any suggestions?

 

[Corky]

You have SLI GTX 460? Just wait man. Way it out and go with a single high end GPU next time around. Wait for the 8 core Intel CPUs. You're not going to see a massive leap save for a few games.

What do you recommend on the gpu-front? Wait for the 680s etc?

 

[comrade]

Just ordered a HAF X from Newegg. Upgrading from an Antec 300. Should be nice with real cable management.

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

The 460 GTX SLI is still a fantastic CPU capable of high performance in any game not named Metro 2033.

Even in the future it should perform competently in games like Battlefield 3 and great in games like The Witcher 2.

 

[mkenyon]

Sooo... as this is basically the official SSD thread, I have a question.

Is there any way of moving my existing Windows 7 install on my laptop over to my SSD without having to rebuild the thing (and still ensuring that it's set up properly). I bought a G2 X25-M when they were first released for a not insignificant sum of money and it's been sat doing nothing for all that time because it's going to be too much work to completely rebuild my laptop.

Any suggestions?

Nope. However, I think you're building it up in your head as to how much effort it will be. Back up all of your media/transferable stuff to an external HDD, download all the newest drivers for your laptop and put them on the same external drive or a flash drive. Doing a fresh install won't take you any more than a single night if you have those other two things in place.

See what I'm fearing is that ( even though I fully understand this is a part of being a pcenthusiast ) if I go for an i7 SB + 6990 build, 1-2 months later the new 28 nm stuff is out and it'll be a huge generational leap.

I mean if we're talking about a gtx 480 -> gtx 580 in terms of "leap" then where do I sign up for a new build? If we're talking about a card that's gonna be 2x-3x as powerful than the 6990 then I might aswell wait :[

Okay, here's the deal. Just because a new proc and videocard might give you a 20% (thats optimistic) bump in performance doesn't really mean much, because the performance you're currently getting is more than sufficient. So, if you went from 60 to 70 FPS in a game like crysis, would it really matter?

If you're afraid of bottlenecking your system with the i5, just get an 1156 i7. I'd stake my reputation on that proc being just fine for the next 1.5-2 years.

 

[verbum]

Sooo... as this is basically the official SSD thread, I have a question.

Is there any way of moving my existing Windows 7 install on my laptop over to my SSD without having to rebuild the thing (and still ensuring that it's set up properly). I bought a G2 X25-M when they were first released for a not insignificant sum of money and it's been sat doing nothing for all that time because it's going to be too much work to completely rebuild my laptop.

Any suggestions?

You may have problems if the system partition C) is larger than the SSD. I would save everything (data) to a USB, DVD, etc first. Then try one of these programs as described here, Clonzilla or PartImage, and both will work on Windows installation. You make a live CD and boot it up and then make an image to be saved on a USB key, DVD, or a different partition.

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/free_imaging_software.html

 

[MysticX]

Fractal cases are so fucking hot.

QFT, I have R3 and I freaking love it.