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[scogoth]

I went balls out on that build. The only way to spend more than that without just wasting money would be going 2x GTX 580, which would up your price by an additional $300. Although they're faster, I opted to go with the 6970 instead since the VRAM on the GTX 580 could be a hindrance at a very high resolution.

With 2x 580s you need a LOT of pixels to be worried about the vram, like maybe 3 2560x1600 screens...

And your holding back on the balls out build. Need to get a Revodrive or 2 in there, 32GB of ram, triple SLI/Crossfire, maybe the Thermaltake level 10. Dream big right!

Honestly spending 3000+ on a gaming is almost wasteful. All the top of the line parts draw a premium way above their performance boost and x68 is due out in the fall if you really want to splurge.

Exodu5's build there will play anything on the market today and any coming out in the next year with ease.

 

[Shambles]

Hello All,

Need some serious advice, Been out of the game for a while.

Take a look at my build, any improvements or suggestions to get a better bang for my buck, or something that I should upgrade now. All suggestions greatly welcomed, haven't followed new comp trends for a while now, my last comp was amd 1900 like 5 years ago, still using it to this day. Not sure on the motherboard, but Asus is generally good quality or it when i was last researching specs and such. Not sure what the trends are, or what has changed.

Would like this comp to be as future proof as possible (I know that's impossible but would like to last me 3-4 years with minimal upgrading other than adding another graphic card or more ram)...

So on to the stuff:

Or gettting a good fan? if so what fan should I get.

Got questions on the Motherboard, Graphic card (But like I said just want to get a decent/good graphic card, and upgrade later down the road. unless there is deal to be had now). Also not sure on the casing, looks ugly?

The GTS 450 is a pretty weak card for gaming. If you drop down to a 2500K instead of the 2600K you'll get 95% of the performance for 2/3 the price. Put all that money into the GPU instead and then down the road take that GPU and SLI/CrossfireX. No sense buying a mediocore GPU now that you'll end up completely replacing in a year or two and end up throwing it in a box to rust. Decent choices increasing in power would put you at the GTX 460 1GB (Not the special edition), 6950 2GB or GTX 560 Ti. I wouldn't bother with water cooling unless you want to put a lot of effort and time into your build. For most people it isn't worth it when a 20$ Hyper 212+ air cooler will do a fine job of keeping your CPU cool and quiet. The 750W PSU will be able to handle dual GPUs of that calibre down the road. I don't know if I'd invest in a 40GB SSD. Smaller SSDs have much worse performance and the price/performance drops so quickly I'd personally rather wait a bit, spend a bit more and get a 120GB Sata3 SSD that beats the snot out of the old 40GB models. I'm sure someone has a better choice for the case at that price range. Perhaps the Fractal R3 or the CM Advanced that is in that price range, i'm not sure but it's also a looks thing. Cable routing and build quality only mean so much if you don't like the looks nearly so much.

I am waiting to build until the fall. We'll see the Ivy Bridge chips, AMDs new chips will be out by summer, and we'll see new GPUs from AMD and nVidia on the new smaller process. It's not a bad time to build now though.

 

[Cyrus365]

I'd go with at least a GTX460 1gb, that GTS 450 is going to have issues with most newer games.

Thanks noted...what about the power supply is that enough if i want to SLI?

 

[TheExodu5]

With 2x 580s you need a LOT of pixels to be worried about the vram, like maybe 3 2560x1600 screens...

And your holding back on the balls out build. Need to get a Revodrive or 2 in there, 32GB of ram, triple SLI/Crossfire, maybe the Thermaltake level 1. Dream big right!

Honestly spending 3000+ on a gaming is almost wasteful. All the top of the line parts draw a premium way above their performance boost and x68 is due out in the fall if you really want to splurge.

Exodu5's build there will play anything on the market today and any coming out in the next year with ease.

I'm holding back $2000 for his displays. D:

 

[Weenerz]

Thanks noted...what about the power supply is that enough if i want to SLI?

Should be fine for two 460s. But if you overclock that CPU, you may run into some issues.

 

[Mejilan]

2 monitors seems overkill. Just get a nice 30" IPS. Colors are better with IPS, but if you're into hardcore "twitch" gaming, will result in more ghosting than a TN. The colors on TN screens are not nearly as nice, though.

Edit: Also, if you're waiting for D3 to really dive into this thing, I'd just wait. Graphics cards will come a long way in ~6-7 months and chip prices will be down.

Given you mention D3, you should be good with IPS.

Thanks for clarifying. I'm pretty deadset on the dual monitors though. I've got them in the office, and they're killer. Being able to field emails on one and presentations on the other, or better yet, have multiple projects open across the two screens, dragging and dropping elements from one to the other, without alt-tabbing again and again, is just flat-out amazing.

It'll be great for the office and (eventually) school work.
I can't see getting one huge screen for just gaming when I can make out well with two smaller, but still quality screens that could serve all of my purposes.

 

[Mejilan]

With 2x 580s you need a LOT of pixels to be worried about the vram, like maybe 3 2560x1600 screens...

And your holding back on the balls out build. Need to get a Revodrive or 2 in there, 32GB of ram, triple SLI/Crossfire, maybe the Thermaltake level 10. Dream big right!

Honestly spending 3000+ on a gaming is almost wasteful. All the top of the line parts draw a premium way above their performance boost and x68 is due out in the fall if you really want to splurge.

Exodu5's build there will play anything on the market today and any coming out in the next year with ease.

Do you suggest holding off until bugfixed Sandy Bridge and the X68 hit?
I'm not exactly in a huge rush.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

I know there are a lot of q6600 fans on GAF Only problem is they are like rocking horse shit it seems, a new one is incredibly expensive (£150, could be had for £100 not even 6 months ago) and I would probably be better off getting an AM3 mobo and a 1055 or even a 955?

Yeah, it would be a waste of money to buy into LGA775 these days, it's 2 generations old now. If you're looking for something in the $200 range which is where the Phenom II X6 1055T lives, then you should really consider a Core i5-2500K for like $225, it annihilates the 1055T for $180 on every benchmark at stock and then you OC the 2500K to 4.5ghz and you're literally around 50-75% greater performance than the 1055T. AMD is simply not in the same performance galaxy as Intel right now, especially after a good OC, and they won't be until (maybe) when Bulldozer arrives this summer. Buying into Sandy Bridge instead of Phenom II gives you more headroom for the future and a computer that will last you a lot longer before you need to upgrade again.

As for my trusty Q6600, it is now the heart and soul of my recently-built media center PC. Kentsfield will never die, it will just be used for other things. I'm using Core i7-950 (Bloomfield) in my main gaming box these days.

 

[Chris R]

Do you suggest holding off until bugfixed Sandy Bridge and the X68 hit?
I'm not exactly in a huge rush.

If you don't need to build now, wait. Ivy Bridge isn't that far away, and by then we will be in the next generation of GPUs too. This is my plan (though I'm going to be going with a budget Ivy Bridge build, still should be a shitload of power for what I do).

 

[Hazaro]

Eh, that depends, I contacted Amazon (UK) when I bought one of the Samsung 2TB F4's and they replied with this:

Well that is good, but I'm sure there's an abundance of overstock. The one I ordered had the older firmware.

Yep i figured out the problem.

RAM will only work on that second blue slot. Remember I had to further push the RAM in the first blue slot as it was loose.

Now whenever any stick of RAM isn't in that second blue slot, that previous problem occurs.

Is this a BIOS issue or motherboard issue?

And before anyone asks, yes I installed the drivers via motherboard disc.

Did you run memtest? I'm wondering if one of your slots may be damaged.
Test each stick in the slot to rule out variables.

Thank you all! My budgetary benchmark, as it were, is 6 years old.
Back then, a top of the line gaming rig could conceivably run into $3000.
I think.

My budget is what it is mostly by accident.
A happy accident, though.

Edit - Checking out that techreport March 2011 system guide.
Perhaps it would make sense to wait for Sandy Bridge to really hit?
Whatever that is?

That guide is outdated (If you are looking at the Core i7 9__).

Exodus put together basically what I would recommend.
I'd spend a bit extra on the motherboard to make sure you have 3x PCI-E lanes so you can add in a good $90 soundcard with an amp.
Maybe sub in a Corsair Nova 3 instead of the Vertex for an SSD.
Pick up some Scythe Kama low speed fans for good airflow.

A core gaming rig of a 2500K + a single 570/6950 will only run $1,000 as you see in the OP. If you add another GPU that runs it up to ~$1,400.
Everything beyond that is less impactful to performance (besides SSD).

Just finished my new rig:

Performance is beastly but I've been running into a few issues. First, I wanted to play Crysis with my newly found power but it crashes pretty hard on the intro level and requires a hard reboot which scream hardware/driver problems. I'm not getting this in other games though. Also, my CPU temps seem a bit high at 50C. This could just be me not tightening the heatsink enough as the bracket was perched precariously above some capacitors and I was paranoid the screw would sink into one. Kinda don't want another heatsink as this one is only 3 months old, got in the twilight days of my last PC. But fuck it if this is what it comes to.

50C load is fine. idle is probably not, but the thermal sensors can be a bit wonky.

Your problem might just have been an iffy Windows installation, but first check your memory with memtest 86+ (burn to a CD and run for 15+ minutes).

Then give driver cleaner / sweeper (on guru3d) a run and reinstall your drivers.

2 monitors seems overkill. Just get a nice 30" IPS. Colors are better with IPS, but if you're into hardcore "twitch" gaming, will result in more ghosting than a TN. The colors on TN screens are not nearly as nice, though.

Edit: Also, if you're waiting for D3 to really dive into this thing, I'd just wait. Graphics cards will come a long way in ~6-7 months and chip prices will be down.

Given you mention D3, you should be good with IPS.

Someone obviously doesn't use dual monitors

I don't think I could even use a 30" IPS since I want windows segmented and I'd be 'forced' to run games at a stupid high resolution.

Hello All,

Need some serious advice, Been out of the game for a while.

Take a look at my build, any improvements or suggestions to get a better bang for my buck, or something that I should upgrade now. All suggestions greatly welcomed, haven't followed new comp trends for a while now, my last comp was amd 1900 like 5 years ago, still using it to this day. Not sure on the motherboard, but Asus is generally good quality or it when i was last researching specs and such. Not sure what the trends are, or what has changed.

Would like this comp to be as future proof as possible (I know that's impossible but would like to last me 3-4 years with minimal upgrading other than adding another graphic card or more ram)...

So on to the stuff:

Budget: $1200-1300 Pre Tax CDN


Main use: Gaming, some light photoshop, general usage (Word/Excel/PowerPoint, Web, 1080p playback).

Specific Games: SC II, Diablo III, and Skyrim, anything else I'd probably get on Consoles.

When will you build: There is no rush, I can still hold onto my AMD 1900+ for the time being, but it's starting to really show it's age when I have trouble watching youtube videos in HD (looks like a slideshow), don't game on it at all anymore. I'd build this computer in about a months time depending on local sales, and such, unless there something big coming this fall? If so what is it, and should I wait?

Will you be overclocking?: Yes

So onto the build:

Intel Core i7 2600K Quad Core Unlocked Hyperthreading Processor LGA1155 3.4GHZ Sandy Bridge 8MB: $309.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=57960&promoid=1280

ASUS P8P67 LE ATX LGA1155 P67 2PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 3PCI IDE USB3.0 Sandy Bridge B3 Motherboard: $139.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=59319&promoid=1280

G.SKILL Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 Memory : $85.50
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=57953&promoid=1280

EVGA GeForce GTS 450 Superclocked Fermi 882MHZ 1024MB GDDR5 Dual DVI Mini-HDMI PCI-E DX11 Video Card : $129.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=55460&promoid=1280

OCZ FATAL1TY Series 750W ATX 24PIN SLI Ready Modular Cables 135mm Red Fan 80+ Bronze Power Supply: $79.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=53331&promoid=1280

Antec Dark Fleet DF-85 Full Tower Gaming Case ATX 12 Drive Bay No PS Top USB3.0 USB Audio: $124.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=54030&promoid=1280

Intel X25-V 40GB 2.5IN SATA2 SSD Solid State Disk Flash Drive Retail Box : $79.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=48984&promoid=1280

Western Digital WD20EARS Caviar Green 2TB SATA2 3Gbps 64MB Cache 3.5IN Hard Drive OEM : $79.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=49591&promoid=1280

Samsung SH-S222A/BEBE 22X Dual Layer DVD Writer Black IDE OEM $18.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=39427&promoid=1280

PC Assembly and Testing With 1 Year Limited NCIX System Warranty (PRE-CONFIG WIN. OS If Purchased): $50.00
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=7842

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64BIT DVD OEM: $99.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=45271&promoid=1280

Total:$1197.41 before taxes, with 45 MIR available as well.

Not sure about the Win 7, so that can be lowered by 100. As I mayget it cheaper through school, for 70 bucks rather than 100 bucks.

Also part of the package this was offered, not sure on if it's a waste:

Coolit Systems Eco CPU Water Cooling System AUTO-REGULATED & Maintenance Free LGA1366/1156/1155/AM3: $49.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=50327

Or gettting a good fan? if so what fan should I get.

Got questions on the Motherboard, Graphic card (But like I said just want to get a decent/good graphic card, and upgrade later down the road. unless there is deal to be had now). Also not sure on the casing, looks ugly?

Swap in some RAM that is in stock: http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=57950&vpn=F3-10666CL9D-8GBXL&manufacture=G.Skill
I would NOT get a CoolIT cooler. They aren't very good. Just get a CM 212+ or a Mugen 2.
Get a GTX 460 1GB or 6850. A 450 is a bad card for gaming.

Do you suggest holding off until bugfixed Sandy Bridge and the X68 hit?
I'm not exactly in a huge rush.

The fix is out (The B3 motherboards). Right now all that is left to waiting is:
+ AMD Bulldozer in June/July
+ New GPU's later this year after nVidia and AMD stop trying to churn out a $8000 GPU that doesn't set fire to everything
+ Intel Ivy Bridge late this year, or even next

+ Z68 boards for 1155 (Sandy Bridge) that allow video out via CPU. Not a big deal for most.

The thing is, you can build an extremely capable PC now, or wait 8 months and get a 6/8 core on a new socket with an absurd amount of RAM. I don't see any major impactful performance gains coming from either Bulldozer or Ivy Bridge that would cause you to regret your purchase.

Overclocking will get your CPU to a nice 4.2Ghz+ (conservative).

Basically if you'd like to enjoy some PC gaming and don't want to wait, it is certainly not a bad choice to jump in now. It'll last you a good long time.

 

[scogoth]

Thanks for clarifying. I'm pretty deadset on the dual monitors though. I've got them in the office, and they're killer. Being able to field emails on one and presentations on the other, or better yet, have multiple projects open across the two screens, dragging and dropping elements from one to the other, without alt-tabbing again and again, is just flat-out amazing.

It'll be great for the office and (eventually) school work.
I can't see getting one huge screen for just gaming when I can make out well with two smaller, but still quality screens that could serve all of my purposes.

If your getting 2 smaller screen they'll most likely be 1920x1080 making your build that much cheaper. A single 580/6970 will be fine for any game at 1080p while still offering dual screen usage out of games. Unless your planning on gaming on multiple monitors or a 2560x1600 screen its really hard to build a machine over $2000. Since it sounds like the screens are the important part of you build find what screen you plan on using and GAF can suggest a build list that'll support whatever resolution you end up getting.

Do you suggest holding off until bugfixed Sandy Bridge and the X68 hit?
I'm not exactly in a huge rush.

If you want state of the art wait for x68. If you want a machine now there are fixed sandy bridge motherboards out now.

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

Well that is good, but I'm sure there's an abundance of overstock. The one I ordered had the older firmware.

Did you run memtest? I'm wondering if one of your slots may be damaged.
Test each stick in the slot to rule out variables.

I did. Only the 3rd slot works.

 

[Hazaro]

I did. Only the 3rd slot works.

RMA time, woo

 

[Mejilan]

You could get 2x 1080p 27" TN monitors for around $600
You could get 2x 1600p 27" IPS monitors for around $2000.

Yikes. Does the quality jump actually justify the $1400 price differential?

 

[Weenerz]

What brand/model numbers for these 27" TN monitors?

 

[Mejilan]

Thanks again, all. I'll continue to monitor this thread.
You've given me much to mull over.
If nothing else, I'll take a few weeks to better educate myself.
I might wait for the new generation of GPUs, but I do not think I'll put this off until 2012 for the newer CPUs.

 

[scogoth]

Yikes. Does the quality jump actually justify the $1400 price differential?

If your life is colours then yes. Its usually for graphic artists and the like.

 

[Shambles]

Yikes. Does the quality jump actually justify the $1400 price differential?

You can get 2x30" 1600P monitors for around 2200 as well. If I had the money those Dell Ultrasharps would be the one's I'd get. *drool*

 

[Fredescu]

Yikes. Does the quality jump actually justify the $1400 price differential?

If you're looking at 27" monitors, I'd say yes. TN panels have poor viewing angles, and with a screen that large you're going to have noticeable differences between colours at the top and colours at the bottom. Dual 27" Dell Ultrasharps (IPS) would "only" be $1500 though, not $2000: http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/monitor_24_30_deals?c=au&cs=audhs1&l=en&s=dhs

If you can go down to 23" it's much cheaper: http://configure.ap.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=t14u2311hwau&c=au&l=en&s=dhs&cs=audhs1

 

[TheExodu5]

Yikes. Does the quality jump actually justify the $1400 price differential?

If viewing angles and inaccurate colors really bother you. They also have a higher resolution (2560*1600). This is a double edged sword however, since games are also much harder to run at this resolution.

You could also go for 2x 24" IPS panels for $1000. It depends how much size matters to you. 24" IPS monitors are 1920*1200.

How much desk real estate you have is also another factor.

If you're looking at 27" monitors, I'd say yes. TN panels have poor viewing angles, and with a screen that large you're going to have noticeable differences between colours at the top and colours at the bottom. Dual 27" Dell Ultrasharps (IPS) would "only" be $1500 though, not $2000: http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/monitor_24_30_deals?c=au&cs=audhs1&l=en&s=dhs

If you can go down to 23" it's much cheaper: http://configure.ap.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=t14u2311hwau&c=au&l=en&s=dhs&cs=audhs1

If he's going IPS, he should go for the 24" with his budget. The 24" IPS monitors are significantly better than the 23" IPS monitors at Dell, apparently.

 

[Shambles]

Hrm I can't find the U3010. I guess it was just going out of stock while it was sitting around 1100$ Hell who am I kidding. I can't even afford the U2410 which is my ideal monitor that I might eventually get. I have nothing but contempt for my high-gloss 24" problematic pain in the ass HP display. It's just so damn hard to find a 1920x1200 display now. And it's hard to drop 500$ on the U2410 when the 23" 1920x1080 ultrasharp is literally half the price.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Honestly for computer monitors (near-field) usage, I think 24" remains the sweet spot. You go a lot bigger than that and you're basically staring at a small TV, how far away from your monitor do you want to sit?

 

[Mejilan]

Yeah, I might drop to 24" IPS monitors.
Colors and angles definitely matter, angles especially with two monitors.
I don't like being restricted to a very specific sweet spot.

Years ago Dell was known to put out really good monitors. I guess that continues today?
I've read Ultrasharp recommendations more than once today.

I've got a decent desk, but there's an overhang-style shelf I'll probably need to saw off to make room for two (or even one) 24" displays. I think my current LCD is a 4:3 19" display, and it leaves little wiggle room under that overhang. I'll be close to the monitors, regardless. Say, within a foot and a half, at most.

I sit a few more feet away from my plasma HDTV, so again, I think 2x 24" IPS screens might be the way to go.

 

[TheExodu5]

Honestly for computer monitors (near-field) usage, I think 24" remains the sweet spot. You go a lot bigger than that and you're basically staring at a small TV, how far away from your monitor do you want to sit?

I sit 2' away from my 32" HDTV. It's the cheap man's big monitor.

Yeah, I might drop to 24" IPS monitors.
Colors and angles definitely matter, angles especially with two monitors.
I don't like being restricted to a very specific sweet spot.

Years ago Dell was known to put out really good monitors. I guess that continues today?
I've read Ultrasharp recommendations more than once today.

I've got a decent desk, but there's an overhang-style shelf I'll probably need to saw off to make room for two (or even one) 24" displays. I think my current LCD is a 4:3 19" display, and it leaves little wiggle room under that overhang. I'll be close to the monitors, regardless. Say, within a foot and a half, at most.

That makes things easy then! The 24" monitors will make it much easier to run games as well, since the resolution is a lot lower. You'll get about 78% better performance on the 24" monitors, just to give you an idea.

The 24" Dell monitors are definitely the way to go. They are the recommended IPS monitors at that size.

 

[Fredescu]

If he's going IPS, he should go for the 24" with his budget. The 24" IPS monitors are significantly better than the 23" IPS monitors at Dell, apparently.

I've used both and they are, but panel wise they were pretty much the same. The 24" has a tonne of inputs and a better OSD. I own a 24" but it's so close in price to the 27". The 23" is a really good price for a 1080 IPS if budget is an issue.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

I sit 2' away from my 32" HDTV. It's the cheap man's big monitor.

Damn man, that must fill your entire visual field from edge to edge at that size and distance.

 

[TheExodu5]

Damn man, that must fill your entire visual field from edge to edge at that size and distance.

It's a perfect size for me. Once you get used to it, you don't go back.

I've used both and they are, but panel wise they were pretty much the same. The 24" has a tonne of inputs and a better OSD. I own a 24" but it's so close in price to the 27". The 23" is a really good price for a 1080 IPS if budget is an issue.

I'd have to find the numbers again, but I remember seeing that the 23" actually had about half the static contrast ratio of the 24". Also, the 27" is double the price of the 24", so they're not really that close in price.

 

[Mejilan]

The 24" Dell monitors are definitely the way to go. They are the recommended IPS monitors at that size.

I imagine that this won't change substantially within the next 4-6 months?
Can you please recommend specific Dell model #s?
I'm not familiar with their current line up, and I'd like to zone in on exactly the recommended ones.

Thank you again. Truly.

 

[Fredescu]

Also, the 27" is double the price of the 24", so they're not really that close in price.

Oops, I was still on the Australian store. It's only $150 more to go up from 24" to 27" here. http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/monitor_24_30_deals?c=au&cs=audhs1&l=en&s=dhs

 

[TheExodu5]

I imagine that this won't change substantially within the next 4-6 months?
Can you please recommend specific Dell model #s?
I'm not familiar with their current line up, and I'd like to zone in on exactly the recommended ones.

Thank you again. Truly.

Dell U2410
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-8277

I'm assuming there might soon be a U2411, since there is already a U2711 and U3011.

If you want to go cheaper, you can also go with the 23" models. I said I thought they had a lower contrast ratio, but I can't find any confirmation on that. The only info I've found so far is that the 24" is more expensive because of a slightly faster response, a 12-bit video processor (less banding), a 16:10 resolution (1920*1200 as opposed to 1080p), and more input options.

Here's the 23" model:

Dell U2311H
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-9270

Oops, I was still on the Australian store. It's only $150 more to go up from 24" to 27" here. http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/monitor_24_30_deals?c=au&cs=audhs1&l=en&s=dhs

Wow, that's cheap.

 

[JaseC]

Oops, I was still on the Australian store. It's only $150 more to go up from 24" to 27" here. http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/monitor_24_30_deals?c=au&cs=audhs1&l=en&s=dhs

Fuck you, Dell AU.

 

[Fredescu]

Fuck you, Dell AU.

Actually our 27" is much cheaper than the US one. Our 24" is more expensive.

 

[JaseC]

Actually our 27" is much cheaper than the US one. Our 24" is more expensive.

Oh, haha. Serves me right for not looking into it.

As you were, Dell AU.

 

[Schlep]

All my parts are coming in tomorrow. Little bit nervous, never built a PC from scratch. Have been watching a bunch of videos though.

http://www.tested.com/how-to-build-a-future-proof-1500-pc/47-319/

That's the best video I've seen on building a PC. Laid back and explains everything in detail.

 

[EatChildren]

Booted up my system for the first time, and the bios is reporting my i5 2500K with a CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ as having an idle temp of 43c.

What the fuck? Is this not far too hot considering what I'm using?

 

[surly]

Dell U2410
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-8277

I was looking at buying one of those, but I live in the UK and the price makes me wish I didn't.

Dell US price = $499
Dell UK price = $1,003 (including VAT)

 

[Absinthe]

http://www.tested.com/how-to-build-a-future-proof-1500-pc/47-319/

That's the best video I've seen on building a PC. Laid back and explains everything in detail.

From the looks of this thread Fractal is getting some sales from that video. LOL

 

[·feist·]

From the looks of this thread Fractal is getting some sales from that video. LOL

Have you seen the OP? Previous years' PC threads?

Booted up my system for the first time, and the bios is reporting my i5 2500K with a CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ as having an idle temp of 43c.

What the fuck?

Are your ambient temps high? Airflow issue?
It's a good possibility that you may need to re-seat the HSF. Some people find the 212+ tricky to mount, which can also lead to issues with the TIM needing to be reapplied.

 

[sk3tch]

Um, so I unlocked the shaders on my MSI R6950 2GB and while running Furmark (it has been over 5 minutes) the temp has risen to 90.5 C(!) - although now it has plauteaued (seemingly) as it has not gone up in a couple of minutes - fan speed is at 40% (~2425 RPM) - is this "OK" to proceed to game on? I heard of some folks saying they were getting 61 C temps under load. Annnd...after 9 minutes it hit 91 C. Seems to be stable there again. I closed it after 10 minutes (Furmark) - no artifacts, etc. - looked great.

FYI, here's what I used to flash:
http://www.overclock.net/ati/923129-hd-6950-810-1250-mhz-shader.html

Here's my "before" GPU-Z: http://i56.tinypic.com/2m5j78j.gif

Here's my "after" GPU-Z: http://i55.tinypic.com/2lb0x6w.gif

My voltage is still at 1.100V.

Booted up my system for the first time, and the bios is reporting my i5 2500K with a CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ as having an idle temp of 43c.

What the fuck? Is this not far too hot considering what I'm using?

I just built mine tonight, too...same proc/cooler. Mine were around 37 C - but when I boot into Win7 (after install, of course) and use HWMonitor it reports high 20s C. I am not sure which is right. I used a pea-sized dab of Arctic MX-4 and spread it super thin with a business card. I believe I mounted the cooler correctly.

 

[EatChildren]

Are your ambient temps high? Airflow issue?
It's a good possibility that you may need to re-seat the HSF. Some people find the 212+ tricky to mount, which can also lead to issues with the TIM needing to be reapplied.

MBO is reported at ~30C. I haven't installed Windows or anything yet, so it's all coming from a first boot into the BIOS.

The 212+ was a cunt to install, but I thought I did fine. I didn't move around much and I got it locked in pretty quickly without too much fuss. It was just a bit fiddly.

I really, really hope I dont have to undo everything, because if I have to re-apply the thermal paste I'll have to give the CPU and heat sink a clean yeah?

Uuuugh. I might just get someone else to do it as I really cant be arsed.

 

[Hazaro]

Booted up my system for the first time, and the bios is reporting my i5 2500K with a CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ as having an idle temp of 43c.

What the fuck? Is this not far too hot considering what I'm using?

Let it sit a bit. Also the new i5/i7's have cheaper thermal probes that don't really care if your temps are under 60C. Only look at the load temps.

Um, so I unlocked the shaders on my MSI R6950 2GB and while running Furmark (it has been over 5 minutes) the temp has risen to 90.5 C(!) - although now it has plauteaued (seemingly) as it has not gone up in a couple of minutes - fan speed is at 40% (~2425 RPM) - is this "OK" to proceed to game on? I heard of some folks saying they were getting 61 C temps under load. Annnd...after 9 minutes it hit 91 C. Seems to be stable there again. I closed it after 10 minutes (Furmark) - no artifacts, etc. - looked great.

My voltage is still at 1.100V.

I just built mine tonight, too...same proc/cooler. Mine were around 37 C - but when I boot into Win7 (after install, of course) and use HWMonitor it reports high 20s C. I am not sure which is right. I used a pea-sized dab of Arctic MX-4 and spread it super thin with a business card. I believe I mounted the cooler correctly.

91C is fine. I'd raise the fan profile to 50 or 55% personally though.

 

[sk3tch]

91C is fine. I'd raise the fan profile to 50 or 55% personally though.

Thanks - next question is where do I do that? I see in CCC where I can put in the speed of the fan manually, but that's a constant speed...

EDIT: and what a beast this new PC is...I am running Furmark, surfing GAF, downloading BFBC2 in Steam, downloading Rift via their client...and things are relatively smooth.

 

[Hazaro]

I believe MSI Afterburner will do just that.

 

[reptilescorpio]

not sure. I had a look at some side by side comparisons and couldn't work out the difference. I just bought the standard P8P67, still has the extra SATA ports, built in bluetooth etc. I'd save the money personally

Thanks for the info guys, only concern now is the motherboard. For some reason the M ones are a fair bit cheaper than the full size boards? I'm probably going to go SLI in the future but will also be picking up the Xonar DG, along with 1 SSD, 1 HDD, 1 DVD.

ASUS M PRO - $189 - Cheapest by a long way but doesn't have enough SATA ports?

ASUS PRO - $249 - Extra $60 and not sure of the benefit?

ASUS EVO - $279 - So many different models...

Thanks for the help so far, some of this stuff is really confusing to me. Looking forward to picking out an SSD too

 

[Elixist]

Kind of OT, but if some peeps here would like to buy into an entry level rig, Nvidia is runnin a special with Cyberpower and V3 for these pretty cool $599 US Dollla comps

http://www.v3gamingpc.com/buy/salvo_h61.html

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/cart/showcart.aspx?ref=upd

They have i3 sandy dual cores and 550 ti graphics, this setup will (Nvidia claims) do Crysis 2 at 1080p Advanced settings around 39 fps. Pretty sweet deal for a prebuilt , leagues better than most shit youll find for the same price. The cyber power one even comes with keyboard and pretty cool lookin mouse. Worth lookin into methinks for entry level peeps who would just like some pc game lovins and dont want to fuck around with buildin their own.

 

[Absinthe]

Have you seen the OP? Previous years' PC threads?

Yea, maybe it's just the last couple pages, seems the R3 is on everybody's build list.

Don't blame em though, it's a good case.

 

[Hazaro]

Thanks for the info guys, only concern now is the motherboard. For some reason the M ones are a fair bit cheaper than the full size boards? I'm probably going to go SLI in the future but will also be picking up the Xonar DG, along with 1 SSD, 1 HDD, 1 DVD.

M = mATX
Smaller, usually missing a lane or two, some other features.

 

[MWS Natural]

It's a perfect size for me. Once you get used to it, you don't go back.

http://www.thejayzone.com/pics/pc/tv.jpg[img]
I'd have to find the numbers again, but I remember seeing that the 23" actually had about half the static contrast ratio of the 24". Also, the 27" is double the price of the 24", so they're not really that close in price. :P[/QUOTE]
Pfffft! That's not a Monitor! [B]THIS IS A MONITOR![/B] *In Crocodile Dundee voice*
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/UB1nml.jpg

Actually I sold it a long time ago, using a 23 inch Samsung now

 

[reptilescorpio]

M = mATX
Smaller, usually missing a lane or two, some other features.

So the P8P67 PRO should cater to all my needs? (slight CPU OC, SLI, Sound Card, 2 hard drives)

 

[Kraut]

From the looks of this thread Fractal is getting some sales from that video. LOL

They've been available in Canada since last August or so, and since they've become available in the states I see them in stock far less frequently. Hopefully I can actually get one without resorting to ordering out of country or paying crazy markup.