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[knitoe]

guys, I need help picking out a cpu/motherboard. I am deciding whether to get the Intel 2600, 2600K or AMD 1100T. I have no plans to overclock my cpu, mostly because I don't know how and I don't think its necessary...but my view on that may change in the future.
As for the motherboard, if i get an intel cpu, should I get a p67 or h67 chipset? I definitely plan on getting a video card, either a 6950 or 560ti, but the p67 looks pricey

Micro center has the 2600/2600K for $250/$270 so it's really tempting to spend a little more and get that over the 1100T, but I don't know if its worth the extra cost. I am looking to spend around 800 to 900 dollars on this pc and I am in no rush to finish building it...I originally planned on building it in May/June.

Do you plan to do heavy transcoding/editing (need for hyperthreading) or is it mostly for gaming? First, get a 2600/2600K. The later, save money by going a 2500/2500K.

Do you plan to overclock or not? If you overclock, get the K version and a P67 MB. If not, get th non K version and a H67 MB.

 

[Corky]

I put up an ad for my pc and I've gotten a few bites already. Did you think my price is bad/fair/good/great?

i5 760 & hyper 212+
Gigabyte p55-ud4
4gb corsair xms3 1600mhz
1 Gigabyte gtx 460 1gb
Corsair TX650W psu
OCZ vertex 2 E 60 gb SSD
WD 500gb caviar blue HDD
Cooler master mystique case
Logitech g5 lasermouse
Razer tarantula keyboard

for 1100$

( remember, where I live an 6990 retails for 900$, so things are about 50% more expensive here than in the states )

 

[chessnut]

Do you plan to do heavy transcoding/editing (need for hyperthreading) or is it mostly for gaming? First, get a 2600/2600K. The later, save money by going a 2500/2500K.

Do you plan to overclock or not? If you overclock, get the K version and a P67 MB. If not, get th non K version and a H67 MB.

it's for gaming. what are the differences between the 2500k and 2600k? also, should i wait for the z68 motherboard or get a p67?

 

[knitoe]

it's for gaming. what are the differences between the 2500k and 2600k? also, should i wait for the z68 motherboard or get a p67?

2600K has Hyperthreading (4 virtual core) while 2500K does not.

Z68 allows you to use a discrete video card and can still use the GPU (video encoding acceleration Quick Sync). Since you don't seem to need the GPU, save money by getting P67 instead.

 

[mkenyon]

it's for gaming. what are the differences between the 2500k and 2600k? also, should i wait for the z68 motherboard or get a p67?

Not much, almost 0 gains as far as gaming performance goes. Nah, go ahead and get the p67. 2500k will be a workhorse for a long while.

I doubt it will be better core for core. It's still essentially the same architecture as their hexacores, is it not? Thing is, they don't need to be better core for core. Even if they're 30-40% slower per core, they'll still dominate the 8 thread benchmarks. That's all they need to do to stay viable for the time being. When intel brings out their 8 core offerings, I doubt they'll be nearly as affordable as Bulldozer.

That's a ton of assumptions based on not much of anything other than past experience. Not saying the opposite by any means either. Also, its the first real chip/architecture refresh since Athlon 64, so it is completely different than deneb. We'll just have to wait, no sense in trying to guess. If it does turn out to be even better than sandybridge core:core, it wouldn't be the first time AMD came back after a long absence with a huge bang that blew away intel.

 

[Deadstar]

Anybody know where I can find the illusive ASUS P8P67 Pro board? Nobody is stocked except Amazon who is selling it for $220 which I think is $40 above MSRP. I need this more than ever.

 

[iNvid02]

Anybody know where I can find the illusive ASUS P8P67 Pro board? Nobody is stocked except Amazon who is selling it for $220 which I think is $40 above MSRP. I need this more than ever.

$205 on ebay

 

[Deadstar]

Hmm, the frustrating thing is it's hard to tell which of these are the revision 3 versions of the boards. Thanks for the link.

 

[black_vegeta]

Hmm, the frustrating thing is it's hard to tell which of these are the revision 3 versions of the boards. Thanks for the link.

Be patient my friend.

Online retailers will soon get some in stock.

 

[Deadstar]

Be patient my friend.

Online retailers will soon get some in stock.

The thing that drives me mad is that I ordered the cpu chip early so I have it sit here and stare at this beautiful piece of hardware. Maybe I can buy myself some ram in the meantime.

Anyone know if the P8P67 Asus boards can take a minimum of 4 gigs of ram? I don't think I'm ready to move to 64 bit yet.

 

[black_vegeta]

The thing that drives me mad is that I ordered the cpu chip early so I have it sit here and stare at this beautiful piece of hardware. Maybe I can buy myself some ram in the meantime.

Anyone know if the P8P67 Asus boards can take a minimum of 4 gigs of ram? I don't think I'm ready to move to 64 bit yet.

Yes, they can.

 

[Jinaar]

Memory Express, located here in the winter wonderland called Canada, have 1155 boards now and the 2500K processors.
New PC tonight. I was sitting on the fence, trying to justify getting it, but then I went to the http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=414251 thread and jizzed myself just a tad.

Our time is at hand, nirvana and angelic orgies to follow.

 

[black_vegeta]

Memory Express have 1155 boards now and the 2500K processors.
New PC tonight. I was sitting on the fence, trying to justify getting it, but then I went to the http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=414251 thread and jizzed myself just a tad.

You forgot to mention that retailer is located in Canada.

 

[iNvid02]

Hmm, the frustrating thing is it's hard to tell which of these are the revision 3 versions of the boards. Thanks for the link.

if it has B3 or R3 anywhere its one of the new ones, that ebay one is the new one

 

[YuriLowell]

So what is the best video card right now for 275-300 bucks? GTX 570 or 6950 2GB?

I can run crossfire on this motherboard, but not SLI.

Also will that 8 core work on AM2+ boards?

 

[mkenyon]

So what is the best video card right now for 275-300 bucks? GTX 570 or 6950 2GB?

I can run crossfire on this motherboard, but not SLI.

Also will that 8 core work on AM2+ boards?

6950 2GB flashed with 6970 BIOS. Otherwise, 560GTX and stock 6950 2GB are both great.

No, it won't work on AM3 boards either, its socket AM3+. AM3 procs will work on AM3+ mobos though.

 

[TouchMyBox]

You forgot to mention that retailer is located in Canada.

A Canadian retailer is the best type of retailer.

Spoiler

If your name is TouchMyBox

 

[The Elite]

How is the GeForce 460 for 3D gaming? What type of computer monitor would I need and how is the support for 3D gaming on PC?

Thanks in advance.

 

[BrettWeir]

PowerColor stepped up with great customer service. PCS++ 6950 running in my machine with OC and unlocked shaders at the flip of a switch. All for $289.

 

[TouchMyBox]

How is the GeForce 460 for 3D gaming? What type of computer monitor would I need and how is the support for 3D gaming on PC?

Thanks in advance.

You need a 120Hz monitor or a supported 3DTV. I suggest the ASUS monitor w/ 3D Vision glasses bundle as that's significantly cheaper than buying the two separate. There are some nice 27 inch (still 1080p) monitors coming from ASUS and Acer though those are more expensive (and have integrated ir emitters :O). A GTX 460 probably won't satisfy your 3D gaming needs, as I have a GTX 580 and it doesn't run games in 3D super excellently, though that said the only game I've seen that has been properly optimized for 3D performance is Crysis 2. While Crysis 2, BC2, Metro 2033, L4D2 and CoD all run nicely for me, games like Just Cause 2 are borderline unplayable unless I turn down the graphics significantly. Support is pretty good, as most games I've tried have worked, the support for non-3D certified games are surprisingly decent barring the odd thing not rendering at the correct depth, or requiring disabling of a few graphical effects (dof, film grain, etc.) I'd recommend it, but a GTX 460 probably won't give you stellar results (I'm a frame-rate whore, so YMMV)

 

[Deadstar]

I'm going to Fry's tonight to see if they have any new P67 motherboards. I'll let you guys know if I find any.

 

[Fixed1979]

So with the little bit of info on the 590 we received so far I'm fairly confident that owners of the 295 will have a viable replacement option within the next couple weeks. Time to start saving!

 

[mkenyon]

How is the GeForce 460 for 3D gaming? What type of computer monitor would I need and how is the support for 3D gaming on PC?

Thanks in advance.

Way too weak for 3D gaming.

 

[bee]

While Crysis 2, BC2, Metro 2033, L4D2 and CoD all run nicely for me, games like Just Cause 2 are borderline unplayable unless I turn down the graphics significantly. Support is pretty good, as most games I've tried have worked, the support for non-3D certified games are surprisingly decent barring the odd thing not rendering at the correct depth, or requiring disabling of a few graphical effects (dof, film grain, etc.) I'd recommend it, but a GTX 460 probably won't give you stellar results (I'm a frame-rate whore, so YMMV)

try running just cause 2 with all settings maxed except shadows on medium, no framerate problems for me with 560 sli the shadows medium gets rid of the slowdowns in areas with heavy grass and looks pretty much identical to high

a 460 most definitely isn't enough for 3D gaming i'm afraid, well you could get away with playing older or less demanding games like left4dead but anything more intense will just destroy it, the end of life 480's are fantastic cards for 3D for the money imo

 

[Aruarian Reflection]

Tested.com is building a $1,500 gaming PC live at 6:30 eastern time. Should be informative for new PC builders as well as a little entertaining

http://www.tested.com/chat/

 

[Azwethinkweiz]

PowerColor stepped up with great customer service. PCS++ 6950 running in my machine with OC and unlocked shaders at the flip of a switch. All for $289.

Is this ever going to be available in the US?

 

[mkenyon]

Tested.com is building a $1,500 gaming PC live at 6:30 eastern time. Should be informative for new PC builders as well as a little entertaining

http://www.tested.com/chat/

Thanks for the notice, love Smith and Chan. Will listen in the background @ work

 

[IGotBillySoSpooked]

Is there a separate thread for people who aren't tech-savvy enough to build their own PCs? I'm looking to buy a new PC, but I haven't bought one in a looooong time, so I'm unsure of exactly what I should be looking for as far as brands, videocards, and processors.

1. Which brands are good? I was looking at Dell Inspiron 580.
2. Which processors are best for general use? Will an i3 be sufficent or should I pay an extra $70 for an i5? I'd like my PC to last around 5 years.
3. Is a separate video card required for viewing HD streaming video (from YouTube and the like)? I don't really play PC games, so I'll be using the machine for day-to-day tasks (Word, web, etc).
4. Anything else I should be on the lookout for? Tips?


Here is this thing, too:

Basic Desktop Questions
Your Current Specs: Old Dimension 8100 (512mb RAM/old Pentium/crappy vid card)
Budget: ~$700 or below (preferably around $500, but would go over if needed)
Main Use: General usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback)
Monitor Resolution: I'll probably keep my current monitor (LCD @ 1268x1024, I believe)
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: BTTF Telltale games
Are reusing any parts?: No
When will you build?: Next few weeks
Will you be overclocking?: No

 

[Omiee]

im getting sick of comparing all these cars together, wether to go for the 6950 or the 570.
so i think im just going to order the 6990

 

[Kenka]

Tested.com is building a $1,500 gaming PC live at 6:30 eastern time. Should be informative for new PC builders as well as a little entertaining

http://www.tested.com/chat/

Eastern time ? That means ?

Would such a (cheap) build be ok for The Witcher 2 and Skyrim ? I don't care much about the rest :

I'll upgrade when the games will really push the tech.

im getting sick of comparing all these cars together, wether to go for the 6950 or the 570.
so i think im just going to order the 6990

Well, my advice is that you just don't give a damn shit. The jump in GPU performance is said to be absolutely monstruous in the fortcoming two years and given the fact that no games pushes the hardware as of late, just go the cheap way, which would be a decent upgrade anyway, and play Battlefield 3, CoD and so on. Then, in two years, go the entry route in both CPU and GPU zones and you're set for years to come, gaming-wise.

 

[Aruarian Reflection]

Eastern time ? That means ?

Meaning it's going to be live in a couple minutes assuming they're on time.

 

[mkenyon]

Eastern time ? That means ?

Would such a (cheap) build be ok for The Witcher 2 and Skyrim ? I don't care much about the rest :


I'll upgrade when the games will really push the tech.

I'm not so sure on the i3 + 6850. Would it really be that much harder to save up another $200? That'd put you in 6950 + 2500 territory.

 

[sk3tch]

Anybody know where I can find the illusive ASUS P8P67 Pro board? Nobody is stocked except Amazon who is selling it for $220 which I think is $40 above MSRP. I need this more than ever.

$150- shipped from Amazon.com.

http://www.amazon.com/P8P67-M-PRO-REV-3-0-Motherboard/dp/B004QF0VEK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300228128&sr=8-1

 

[Corky]

1) Any reason to go with a 6990 over two 6970s?

2) Also, how is this whole driver situation with radeon gpus?
The way people make it sound is as if it's an ordeal to deal with the catalyst drivers.

3) How is this crossfire support? With regards to profiles and such, how do they work? Are they individual files that are released or what?

4) Are crossfirebridges included in the gpu boxes? Or have they be bought separately?

 

[TheExodu5]

$150- shipped from Amazon.com.

http://www.amazon.com/P8P67-M-PRO-REV-3-0-Motherboard/dp/B004QF0VEK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300228128&sr=8-1

That's the micro-ATX board.

1) Any reason to go with a 6990 over two 6970s?

No.

 

[Omiee]

thank you kenka i went the single card way and will upgrade or go to CF.
i went with the ASUS 6950

Was thinking about 50 extra for the 570 but i dont think its worth it.
Havent ordered it yet but i think im almost dead set on the 6950
other option was the gainward 570 because someone said its faster than a 580 when you overclock it.

 

[Kenka]

I'm not so sure on the i3 + 6850. Would it really be that much harder to save up another $200? That'd put you in 6950 + 2500 territory.

I understand but my mobo doesn't dip into the Turbo Boost sauce, so there anything higher than the i3 would be waste.

I just hope that the CPU doesn't bottleneck the 6850 hard. But it doesn't seem to be the case. If the RAM is good and the mobo and GPU are compatible, then I think I am set until 2013-early 2014. Then, I'll upgrade to an entry Ivy bridge build. I think that buying top hardware is no more required for hardcore gaming at 1080p.

thank you kenka i went the single card way and will upgrade or go to CF.
i went with the ASUS 6950

Well done, and you're welcome.

 

[Omiee]

what 570 is better thought, the one they are showing at justintv, because it has the same cooler as the 6950.
or the gainward 570

 

[Mr Nightman]

I understand but my mobo doesn't dip into the Turbo Boost sauce, so there anything higher than the i3 would be waste.

I just hope that the CPU doesn't bottleneck the 6850 hard. But it doesn't seem to be the case. If the RAM is good and the mobo and GPU are compatible, then I think I am set until 2013-early 2014. Then, I'll upgrade to an entry Ivy bridge build. I think that buying top hardware is no more required for hardcore gaming at 1080p.

well currently, that i3 will definitely be a bottleneck, you really would be better off saving up for an i5 quad. Gaming at 1080p does require a bit more power now, and with newer games benefiting from triple and quad core cpus, you would really be better saving a bit more

 

[Wrekt]

Tested.com is building a $1,500 gaming PC live at 6:30 eastern time. Should be informative for new PC builders as well as a little entertaining

http://www.tested.com/chat/

You mean they aren't an Apple fansite?

 

[DeadRockstar]

2) Also, how is this whole driver situation with radeon gpus?
The way people make it sound is as if it's an ordeal to deal with the catalyst drivers.

4) Are crossfirebridges included in the gpu boxes? Or have they be bought separately?

The Catalyst drivers that I've used since the 5870 release have been fine. No problems that I can remember and only boosts in performance. The 6XXX series is seeing those same new-GPU boosts right now as well.

Every radeon card comes with a bridge as far as I know. My 5870 did.

 

[Kenka]

well currently, that i3 will definitely be a bottleneck, you really would be better off saving up for an i5 quad. Gaming at 1080p does require a bit more power now, and with newer games benefiting from triple and quad core cpus, you would really be better saving a bit more

My case is a bit special as I am solely interested in two games... and that's it. Games on PC that would require higher specs to run good @ 1080p will probably not be that many in the fortcoming future. I'd rather skip the current hotness, concentrate to gaming right now and upgrade later to a more beefy build when games that are more appealing to me will start to blossom on Steam.

What should last in my tentative build is the screen and the case. Those are really important.

 

[Aruarian Reflection]

Oh hell yeah, Will and Norm are using the Fractal Design R3. Their PC build is nearly exactly the same as my upcoming one.

 

[MikeE21286]

Oh hell yeah, Will and Norm are using the Fractal Design R3. Their PC build is nearly exactly the same as my upcoming one.

yeah, nice case. Wasn't available in US when I built my system

 

[Kenka]

Oh hell yeah, Will and Norm are using the Fractal Design R3. Their PC build is nearly exactly the same as my upcoming one.

That case is giving me a

Spoiler

______

yeah, you guessed right : a boner.

 

[Corky]

The Catalyst drivers that I've used since the 5870 release have been fine. No problems that I can remember and only boosts in performance. The 6XXX series is seeing those same new-GPU boosts right now as well.

Every radeon card comes with a bridge as far as I know. My 5870 did.

oh nice, thank you

 

[Commanche Raisin Toast]

so i need some clarity here:

-sandy bridge can process graphical instructions and help your gpu?
-these new AMD FX chips do NOT have any ability to process graphical instructions?
-the fewer-cored bulldozer AMD chips with the built-in radeon 6000's CAN process graphical instructions and help your GPU? but are only for laptops for now?

i'm seeing little reason to go for the 8 cores if the above is true because hardly anything, even games, are using more than 2 cores of CPU's right now. i'd be better off with a 3.2 BE and overclock it and wait. (maybe a 6 core for the better architecture) i don't have intel-tier money at the moment, and my rig right now is pretty competant despite the old CPU and still being on DDR2.

Phenom II X4 920 2.8
4gb DDR2-1066
HD 6850 OC (overclocked out of the box + manual extra overclock)
1080p native resolution monitor, so i only run my games at this res (if at all possible)

so still sticking with my plan to get:
X6 3.2 BE and overclock
new mobo with 16x/16x
8gb DDR3
a second HD 6850 OC for crossfire

 

[mkenyon]

I understand but my mobo doesn't dip into the Turbo Boost sauce, so there anything higher than the i3 would be waste.

I don't think you understand what Turbo Boost is. Basically, when a program requires a single thread/core, it overclocks a SINGLE core to improve performance in that program. No new games will be like that, most games coming out right *now* are optimized for however many cores you have. So what I'm saying here, is that turbo boost is overrated.

 

[chessnut]

which p67 motherboard do you guys recommend? I'm looking at these: Biostar TP67XE, Gigabyte UD4 or Asus P8P67 Pro
i may or may not OC so i want to leave that option open...and i dont want to spend more than $150

 

[Kenka]

I don't think you understand what Turbo Boost is. Basically, when a program requires a single thread/core, it overclocks a SINGLE core to improve performance in that program. No new games will be like that, most games coming out right *now* are optimized for however many cores you have. So what I'm saying here, is that turbo boost is overrated.

So you promoted a 2500 whatever model in order to get a higher number of cores. Right. Then, we'll see if the games I want to play (or the majority of them in the next two years) will be heavily CPU dependant and if they will actually be implmented with multi-core design in mind (that means, more than 2). If it's the case, then I'd be ready to fold the proposal and go for a 2500 model.

However, this i3 supports multi-threading, allowing the user to rely on 4 cores just like with a i5. I agree there is a difference in raw power but then, the number of cores is less of an issue. Right ?