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[IonicSnake]

Alright just became a little poorer.

Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 B3 P67 S-1155 ATX
CPU: INTEL CORE I5 2500K
RAM: CORSAIR 4GB DDR3 XMS3 INTEL I5/I7 PC12800 1600MHZ CL9
CPU cooler: ARCTIC COOLING FREEZER 7 PRO REV.2

Hopefully this setup will last a few years.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

I went from E6750 to 2500K this week, I knew I had dualcore bottlenecking my whole system but the difference is just stupendous. I'm using Radeon 5770 which I knew wasn't performing as it's best with dualcore. And for that reason I decided to not yet upgrade GPU and good thing I didn't. I had BC2 going from medium settings 20-35fps to maxed settings 50-60 (max)fps.

Best well spent money I have done in years. Now I'm looking into getting better monitor and finally that SSD.

I experienced the exact same thing (upgraded my CPU, kept my GPU the same) and my increase, due entirely to my i5 2500k was amazing

It's really quite incredible. I see so many people here and on other forums that say most games won't benefit from anything beyond a really fast dual core and that upgrading from Core2 to i5/i7 isn't worth. Well, with Sandy Bridge at least, they are dead wrong. You get absolutely massive increases in performance just from upgrading the processor.

 

[Wag]

HCP-1200 1200W PS hard at work

That's some insane stuff right there. The Antec HCP-1200 is well worth the $270 if you're going to do tri-sli/tri-crossfire...

 

[bigace33]

So how hard is it to install a power source and a video card? Even though I took a hardware class at the local community college (dude just passed everyone without any hands on hardware and very little teaching) I have very little idea how to do this stuff.

 

[TheExodu5]

HCP-1200 1200W PS hard at work

That's some insane stuff right there. The Antec HCP-1200 is well worth the $270 if you're going to do tri-sli/tri-crossfire...

Not really. There are far better power supplies for the money, including the Corsair AX1200.

$270 for a non modular power supply that doesn't intake air from the bottom of the case is pretty bad, if you ask me.

 

[blanky]

So how hard is it to install a power source and a video card? Even though I took a hardware class at the local community college (dude just passed everyone without any hands on hardware and very little teaching) I have very little idea how to do this stuff.

Watch these videos at Tested.com they help a lot.

http://www.tested.com/news/video-how-to-build-the-best-1500-gaming-pc-step-by-step/152/

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

 

[Quicksilver4648]

So how hard is it to install a power source and a video card? Even though I took a hardware class at the local community college (dude just passed everyone without any hands on hardware and very little teaching) I have very little idea how to do this stuff.

Of all the components to install I would say the PSU and GPU are the easiest.
Here is an excellent video tutorial:
Go to 48:50 for information on how to install a PSU
Go to 55:00 for information on how to install a GPU

 

[Fixed2BeBroken]

What does that mean though?

Is the Deluxe version of the board with the extra 80-100 bucks over the other version?

I have decided on getting a C300 but, if I get the cheaper Mobo (non deluxe version) I might be able to swing for a 256 as opposssed to a 120 c300 ssd.

 

[MacAttack]

For anyone using an MSI motherboard (mine is a P67A-GD53, full specs here) - be careful with the automatic overclocking. I figured I would do it on a lark (I am not an expert OC'er, but I've been doing this since the Celeron 300A days so I kinda know what's up) - I kept having pretty high CPU temps (~40C idle, up to 90C Prime95) - culprit was the automatic OC on the mobo set the CPU voltage to 1.3450v! A bit of overkill, IMO, for an OC from 3.3 GHz to 4.2 GHz. I set it back down to 1.3300v and I am going to stress it a bit and see if I can keep going down. So far so good and temps stay under 85C in Prime95 use.

EDIT: also just noticed that it had my DRAM voltage at 1.6533v! I've set that back down to 1.5000v (stock voltage, as it's just running at it's rated 1600 speed).

As far as CPU voltage goes, I'm down to 1.2900v and dropping. Testing via IntelBurnTest as I go.

Those temps seem higher than normal for a hyper 212+ cooler even using OC Genie. I have a similar setup (GD55) and was around 70C w/ that voltage. Ive since manually OC'd with a 1.27v and 4.5 Ghz and am around 60C w/ prime running. I know some other people around here have reported being in the 60C range with this setup and I think if your going above 80C thats not ideal.

 

[IonicSnake]

Does the 1155 require new chassis or will it fit into one that can have a 775 motherboard? Don't want to have to buy a new chassi as well. The one I have is the NZXT Hush.

 

[Wag]

Not really. There are far better power supplies for the money, including the Corsair AX1200.

$270 for a non modular power supply that doesn't intake air from the bottom of the case is pretty bad, if you ask me.

I suggest you read the reviews around the net, the HCP-1200 is considered better than the AX1200.

 

[MisterNoisy]

Does the 1155 require new chassis or will it fit into one that can have a 775 motherboard? Don't want to have to buy a new chassi as well. The one I have is the NZXT Hush.

ATX/mATX dimensions are the same regardless of socket.

 

[mkenyon]

Does the 1155 require new chassis or will it fit into one that can have a 775 motherboard? Don't want to have to buy a new chassi as well. The one I have is the NZXT Hush.

ATX is the type/size of the "standard" motherboard. Micro ATX is the smaller version which looks like a square. E-ATX is bigger, and requires a full tower. Those are the three ATX motherboard sizes, and are the same across all AMD/intel desktop sockets.

What does that mean though?

Is the Deluxe version of the board with the extra 80-100 bucks over the other version?

I have decided on getting a C300 but, if I get the cheaper Mobo (non deluxe version) I might be able to swing for a 256 as opposssed to a 120 c300 ssd.

Get the PRO if you're planning on using those PCI-E slots, get the standard if you're not.

 

[IonicSnake]

ATX is the type/size of the "standard" motherboard. Micro ATX is the smaller version which looks like a square. E-ATX is bigger, and requires a full tower. Those are the three ATX motherboard sizes, and are the same across all AMD/intel desktop sockets.

ATX/mATX dimensions are the same regardless of socket.

Ok, thanks!

 

[Niblet]

Hey guys, I need to buy a new HDD for my iMac and I'm thinking about buying this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136514 Here is my line of reasoning: I need a HDD now until I retire my iMac and build my gaming PC at year end. When I build my gaming machine I'm going with an SSD for boot and am planning on reusing the HDD I buy now for a storage drive. I don't expect the above drive to be optimal for a boot drive on my iMac, but I'm certainly willing to use a slower drive for now so I don't have to buy a large storage drive later.

What ya'll think? Any alternatives? Any better deals I missed?

 

[Kyaw]

I have a Phenom II X4 940 @ 3.6ghz with a push only TRUE cooler.

Will i get a noticeable performance boost with i5 2500k on games like Shogun 2, Crysis 2, BC2 etc? Or should i wait and see what AMD Bulldozer offers?

Anyone?
I have a 480GTX fyi. Is the CPU the bottleneck?

 

[evanft]

I'm going to be building a PC in the very near future. Here's what I'm looking at:

CPU i5 2500k
GPU ASUS ENGTX570 GTX 570
RAM 4 GB of whatever
Mobo MSI P67A-C43 (B3)
PSU Antec TruePower New TP-650 650W
HDD Probably Samsung 1tb
Case Lian Li K58
CPU Cooler Note sure. I want the Noctua DH 14, but I don't want to pay $90 for it.

Any thoughts?

 

[Fixed2BeBroken]

Get the PRO if you're planning on using those PCI-E slots, get the standard if you're not.

does anyone know why the deluxe is so much more than the pro though? and why it is so much more highly rated than the pro? I see like medicore reviews on the pro but then near perfect ratings for the deluxe.

makes me question whether or I not I should get a different board.

 

[Bebpo]

I have a GTX260 and I'm looking to upgrade to another single card GPU. Would like something that at least doubles the performance, if not triples. I can run Crysis on high (not very high), Crysis 2 on "gamer", and Metro 2033 on low at 1080p@30fps with no AA currently. I'd like to be able to run all those on their highest settings at 30fps with no AA, or maybe middle settings @60fps with 2x AA. Oh and it'd be cool if I could finally make GTA4 playable without the jaggies stabbing my eyes and low framerate killing me.

I normally look for <$250 cards, but I might be willing to spend up to $400ish this time. Is there anything out now or coming in the near future that is what I'm looking for?

 

[K.Jack]

The best you get for $400 is the 6970. Check some benchmarks for the % of improvement vs the GTX 260.

Though it's best to just buy a 6950, then unlock the extra shaders.

 

[Horns]

With the Witcher 2 specs being released it appears I really need to upgrade my current graphics cards (two crossed over). However, I was hoping someone could help clarify some pci express x16 and pci express x16 2.0 compatibility questions.

Current build (links to Newegg parts):
Mobo: ASUS M2R32-MVP
Processor: AMD Phenom X4 9650 Agena 2.3GHz
Current Graphics Cards: 2 Radeon HD 2600XT 512 MB crossed over
Windows 7 64 bit, Rosewill 500W PS, 4gig of Ram, monster sized case and two HDDs.

My problem is the mobo is PCI Express x16 and not 2.0. I looked it up and and some posters help me confirm that the 2.0 is compatible with my current mobo. However, it appears that the 2.0 cards will not be able to perform at peak performance because of the bandwidth limitations in 1.0.

What I was unsure of is how the limitations of the 2.0 in 1.0 mobos are? Will buying a low end 2.0 graphics perform the same as a high end 2.0 graphics card because of the limitations of my mobo/chip set/bios? Take this example, SAPPHIRE 100283-3L Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 for $140 vs. HIS H467QR1GH Radeon HD 4670 1GB 128-bit DDR3 for $70. Will the extra money for a higher quality card really make a difference in a PCI Express x16 1.0?

 

[Kyaw]

I have a GTX260 and I'm looking to upgrade to another single card GPU. Would like something that at least doubles the performance, if not triples. I can run Crysis on high (not very high), Crysis 2 on "gamer", and Metro 2033 on low at 1080p@30fps with no AA currently. I'd like to be able to run all those on their highest settings at 30fps with no AA, or maybe middle settings @60fps with 2x AA. Oh and it'd be cool if I could finally make GTA4 playable without the jaggies stabbing my eyes and low framerate killing me.

I normally look for <$250 cards, but I might be willing to spend up to $400ish this time. Is there anything out now or coming in the near future that is what I'm looking for?

The 6950 unlocked to 6970 should be a very good contender for now and its not even $400.

Or get TWO 5870s and crossfire! Should be better than 580GTX and cheaper.

 

[knitoe]

does anyone know why the deluxe is so much more than the pro though? and why it is so much more highly rated than the pro? I see like medicore reviews on the pro but then near perfect ratings for the deluxe.

makes me question whether or I not I should get a different board.

The major thing is the power design 16+2 vs 12+2 which is better and more stable for overclocking.

 

[Johnny2Bags]

With the Witcher 2 specs being released it appears I really need to upgrade my current graphics cards (two crossed over). However, I was hoping someone could help clarify some pci express x16 and pci express x16 2.0 compatibility questions.

Current build (links to Newegg parts):
Mobo: ASUS M2R32-MVP
Processor: AMD Phenom X4 9650 Agena 2.3GHz
Current Graphics Cards: 2 Radeon HD 2600XT 512 MB crossed over
Windows 7 64 bit, Rosewill 500W PS, 4gig of Ram, monster sized case and two HDDs.

My problem is the mobo is PCI Express x16 and not 2.0. I looked it up and and some posters help me confirm that the 2.0 is compatible with my current mobo. However, it appears that the 2.0 cards will not be able to perform at peak performance because of the bandwidth limitations in 1.0.

What I was unsure of is how the limitations of the 2.0 in 1.0 mobos are? Will buying a low end 2.0 graphics perform the same as a high end 2.0 graphics card because of the limitations of my mobo/chip set/bios? Take this example, SAPPHIRE 100283-3L Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 for $140 vs. HIS H467QR1GH Radeon HD 4670 1GB 128-bit DDR3 for $70. Will the extra money for a higher quality card really make a difference in a PCI Express x16 1.0?

I would without a doubt get a New MOBO with PCI E 2.0

 

[Bebpo]

The 6950 unlocked to 6970 should be a very good contender for now and its not even $400.

Or get TWO 5870s and crossfire! Should be better than 580GTX and cheaper.

I don't have any room for crossfire and I like keeping everything stock. Not one for overclocking or unlocking or anything.

I looked at the benchmarks for the 570, 580, 6950, 6970 and it seems like you either go for the 570/6950 for $350 or the 580/6970 for a $500 for an extra 10fps.

Hmmm, in general I prefer Nvidia cards because I use component tv-out daily since my pc is a HTPC and I'm used to how their cards handle it. Thinking about maybe the 570? Or maybe I should wait until the 580 drops to $400 and pick that one up hmm...

 

[Horns]

I would without a doubt get a New MOBO with PCI E 2.0

Yeah, that seems to be what the consensus is from the people I asked also. I am trying to be a cheapo and just get a card to squeeze max performance with as much of my original components as possible. I def need a new card either way, but a new mobo means I'll likely need a new power supply as well. 500W might not cut it any more.

Another question: I see people hawking used older PC parts for ridiculous costs when they are no longer available. Selling my older Radeon 2600 Xts for even half the cost as some are on Ebay and Amazon would help offset costs. Do people pay these insane prices for older stuff just because they can't be acquired any other way?

 

[Killer]

Guys i really need your help in selecting a motherboard. Here's my build so far:

Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K
Ram:Corsair Vengeance 8 GB ( 2 x 4 GB ) DDR3 1600 MHz
HDD: Crucial RealSSD C300 64GB for the OS. any thoughts about another HDD for storage?
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 570 Superclocked 1280 MB GDDR5.

These what i am ordering and the other stuff(power supply,case,etc) will be buying it locally.
waiting for your replys .

 

[IonicSnake]

Guys i really need your help in selecting a motherboard. Here's my build so far:

Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K
Ram:Corsair Vengeance 8 GB ( 2 x 4 GB ) DDR3 1600 MHz
HDD: Crucial RealSSD C300 64GB for the OS. any thoughts about another HDD for storage?
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 570 Superclocked 1280 MB GDDR5.

These what i am ordering and the other stuff(power supply,case,etc) will be buying it locally.
waiting for your replys .

Motherboards really gives me a headache, I went with the Asus P8P67 B3 which have been getting a some awards if you check it on their website http://uk.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=Qx3PdnZI9Pq9BcIU&templete=2

I hear some people have had problems though so now I'm paranoid.

 

[Omiee]

So an update on my problems with my crossfire setup, i did a clean install of windows 7 and that did nothing.
i also tried several other things like test the cards in each slot apart and change power supply with one of a friend. When googling i found out that my board has a chip that has to enable crossfire, normally it does that automatically but something is wrong with it so im fucked.
so im selling it.

So i need your help again guys, what are the best board for 1155

this is what i found so far:

Asus P8P67 PRO
http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=HMMvTCuBcZLfu2YL&templete=2

MSI P67A-GD65 (B3) what does the B3 stand for?
http://eu.msi.com/product/mb/P67A-GD65--B3-.html

P8P67 DELUXE
http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=FpufhQASBFHNvccl&templete=2

Asrock Fatal1ty P67 Professional (3.0)
http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=Fatal1ty P67 Professional

Asrock P67 EXTREME6
http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.nl.asp?Model=P67 Extreme6

 

[astroturfing]

hey guys, a really ignorant new PC buyer here (again), looking for some advice..

i'm looking to buy a somewhat beastly of a computer so i can run Witcher 2, Crysis (maybe not entirely maxed but i want to get close), Skyrim, Battlefield 3 etc.. and this is what i'm being offered by a friend of my dad's who works at a PC store:

INTEL CORE I7-860 2,8G LGA1156
DDR3 4GB RAM
ATI Radeon HD5770 1GB

also i asked to have above average fans/cooling, so that it won't be too noisy.

so which of these is the weak link? i'm probably going to ask for more RAM at least (or is 4GB enough?).

edit: ohh and i definitely want to play the original Mass Effect maxed, and since it's many years old i assume that above setup should do it?

 

[CrankyJay]

hey guys, a really ignorant new PC buyer here (again), looking for some advice..

i'm looking to buy a somewhat beastly of a computer so i can run Witcher 2, Crysis (maybe not entirely maxed but i want to get close), Skyrim, Battlefield 3 etc.. and this is what i'm being offered by a friend of my dad's who works at a PC store:

INTEL CORE I7-860 2,8G LGA1156
DDR3 4GB RAM
ATI Radeon HD5770 1GB

also i asked to have above average fans/cooling, so that it won't be too noisy.

so which of these is the weak link? i'm probably going to ask for more RAM at least (or is 4GB enough?).

How much do they want? 4GB should be enough. The processor may be the weak link here.

 

[astroturfing]

How much do they want? 4GB should be enough. The processor may be the weak link here.

i'm not sure yet about the price but it's going to be quite high i think.. would be cheaper of course to build a PC myself but you know...

ok the processor, what should replace that one in your opinion? a newer model in the same series..? (if such exists lol)

 

[CrankyJay]

i'm not sure yet about the price but it's going to be quite high i think.. would be cheaper of course to build a PC myself but you know...

ok the processor, what should replace that one in your opinion? a newer model in the same series..? (if such exists lol)

Just doing a quick google on the i7-860, it's like $270+.

You can get the current gen i5-2500k and overclock it to be way faster for $50 less, but then you'd need a new motherboard LGA 1155.

 

[sk3tch]

Those temps seem higher than normal for a hyper 212+ cooler even using OC Genie. I have a similar setup (GD55) and was around 70C w/ that voltage. Ive since manually OC'd with a 1.27v and 4.5 Ghz and am around 60C w/ prime running. I know some other people around here have reported being in the 60C range with this setup and I think if your going above 80C thats not ideal.

Yeah, right now I'm manually OC'd to 4.2 GHz (1.29V CPU and 1.55V memory) and with Prime95 running I'm in the high 70s. I think I did a pretty good job with the thermal paste (used Arctic Cooling MX-4) and installation. About the only thing that may be the culprit is I put a pea-sized dab of thermal paste at the center of the CPU and spread it with a business card, versus putting a line down the middle (which I've since read is optimal) - but I spent a lot of time ensuring it was evenly distributed and such.

Temps have definitely dropped since solidifying at 4.2 GHz from 1.3450v to 1.2900v. Under load it was at least 10C higher, previously. I am not sure if I should try to get the voltage lower now or try to OC further now.

 

[astroturfing]

Just doing a quick google on the i7-860, it's like $270+.

You can get the current gen i5-2500k and overclock it to be way faster for $50 less, but then you'd need a new motherboard LGA 1155.

i'm not going to overclock anything lol. like i said i'm not good with PCs.

but hmm i'm reading some review of the GPU i'm being offered, and it's from 2009... isn't that kind of old by now? if i'm planning to play Battlefield 3 with high settings, will a GPU from 2009 really do it?

god all these things are so confusing for my little brain.

 

[TheExodu5]

I suggest you read the reviews around the net, the HCP-1200 is considered better than the AX1200.

The HCP-1200 is considered to be very slightly better than the AX1200 electrically...but it loses out a lot on features, and has a 5 year warranty vs a 7 year warranty.

 

[MacAttack]

Someone here posted this thermal paste application guide for reference when I did my build.

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.p...sk=view&id=170&Itemid=38&limit=1&limitstart=5

If you decide to reapply the paste, skip the sanding part and try filling in the crevices between the pipes. I tried a pea size drop before going with the lines recommended in the guide, pea size didnt seem to cover enough area IMO.

Maybe someone else can chime in and tell you if this would be worth it for you to pull the rig apart or just roll with what you've got. Im certainly no expert.

 

[CrankyJay]

i'm not going to overclock anything lol. like i said i'm not good with PCs.

but hmm i'm reading some review of the GPU i'm being offered, and it's from 2009... isn't that kind of old by now? if i'm planning to play Battlefield 3 with high settings, will a GPU from 2009 really do it?

god all these things are so confusing for my little brain.

You can get the i5-2500 (minus the k) so you don't have to overclock it. It's about $200. That process I believe is 3.3ghz while the 860 is 2.8ghz.

Ask your friend's dad about it. Get a price on the rig and we'll let you know how much if at all you're getting ripped off.

 

[Killer]

Motherboards really gives me a headache, I went with the Asus P8P67 B3 which have been getting a some awards if you check it on their website http://uk.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=Qx3PdnZI9Pq9BcIU&templete=2

I hear some people have had problems though so now I'm paranoid.

Don't worry only the first batch of motherboards had some defects. the revision should work perfectly .

 

[iNvid02]

dont rely on the manufacturer's own website for anything other than specifications/support.
the rest is all marketing and awards from the few places which gave it a good score.

read reviews, lots of em from reputable places and you wont go far wrong

that being said i can vouch for the p8p67, i have the pro version and its been solid

 

[[Nintex]]

I'm in the market for a new monitor. This Samsung 205bw has served me well for over 3 years now. The 1680x1050 resolution does have limits and it's time to upgrade. It's been a while since I last checked on monitors and I noticed that almost everything is 1920x1080 instead of 1920x1200 now. I've also been reading up on tech and as far as colours go the IPS panels seem like a great choice.

I'll use the monitor for gaming(HD5850 will finally have to flex its muscles) and some design work. Response time used to be an issue with PVA and IPS panels but that seems to have been resolved. I'm willing to spend 200-250 euro which gives me quite a few options. The size 22", 23" or perhaps even 24" but those tend to be more expensive(especially the IPS's).

These are a couple of panels I found:
Dell U2311H(230 euro) - seems very popular these days
Asus ML239H(230 euro) - just released, seems ok as far as the specs go but it looks cheap in a bad way
LG IPS236v/IPS236p(189 euro) - strange new release from LG. It's an IPS screen with a bargain price. The 'v' edition looks rather ugly the 'p' edition is quite classy and has screen that can be turned to.. I think it's called portrait mode. The difference is that the shitty looking 'v' edition has a HDMI port and the 'p' edition does not. Strange screen this because user reviews are all over the place and the experts haven't gotten their hands on it yet.

So PC GAF, what are you rocking and what do you recommend?

 

[Shambles]

Holy shit. Holy. Shit.

This Sandy Bridge i5 2500k is fast as hell. I was using a Core 2 Quad 6600 @ 3.4ghz, and the i5 2500k @ stock 3.3ghz just blows it away. It's in a totally different league.

Everything is just so much faster and more responsive. The only game I've tried was Rift, but with the same settings as before, I'm getting 60 - 70fps in areas where I used to get 20 - 30fps. My video card is the same (Radeon HD 6870 1GB), so my frame rate boost is entirely due to my processor.

Amazing! I'm glad I decided to put this rig together today.

Stop tempting me! (Q6600 @ 3.5 and a 512MB 4870 :S)

 

[IonicSnake]

dont rely on the manufacturer's own website for anything other than specifications/support.
the rest is all marketing and awards from the few places which gave it a good score.

read reviews, lots of em from reputable places and you wont go far wrong

that being said i can vouch for the p8p67, i have the pro version and its been solid

That's good to hear.

 

[Zimbardo]

I'm in the market for a new monitor. This Samsung 205bw has served me well for over 3 years now. The 1680x1050 resolution does have limits and it's time to upgrade. It's been a while since I last checked on monitors and I noticed that almost everything is 1920x1080 instead of 1920x1200 now. I've also been reading up on tech and as far as colours go the IPS panels seem like a great choice.

I'll use the monitor for gaming(HD5850 will finally have to flex its muscles) and some design work. Response time used to be an issue with PVA and IPS panels but that seems to have been resolved. I'm willing to spend 200-250 euro which gives me quite a few options. The size 22", 23" or perhaps even 24" but those tend to be more expensive(especially the IPS's).

These are a couple of panels I found:
Dell U2311H(230 euro) - seems very popular these days
Asus ML239H(230 euro) - just released, seems ok as far as the specs go but it looks cheap in a bad way
LG IPS236v/IPS236p(189 euro) - strange new release from LG. It's an IPS screen with a bargain price. The 'v' edition looks rather ugly the 'p' edition is quite classy and has screen that can be turned to.. I think it's called portrait mode. The difference is that the shitty looking 'v' edition has a HDMI port and the 'p' edition does not. Strange screen this because user reviews are all over the place and the experts haven't gotten their hands on it yet.

So PC GAF, what are you rocking and what do you recommend?

i'm currently using the Asus vw246h ...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&cm_re=asus_monitor_24-_-24-236-049-_-Product

i bought it for $197. has good picture quality and a fast response time. the stand is nothing tremendous and the buttons on the front feel a little cheap, but aside from that, i'm quite happy with it. good bang for the buck.

 

[Raistlin]

Has anyone heard word on a timeframe for Intel to re-release their sandybridge MoBo's? Most of the 3rd party ones are already getting stock - so the fixed SATA controller is already in full production - but Intel themselves haven't restocked shit for their own product.

I'd like to finish off my computer, but obviously there's no point in me installing my CPU cooler and finalizing wiring if I'm just going to yank it all out. The wait is killing me.

 

[scogoth]

Hey guys, I need to buy a new HDD for my iMac and I'm thinking about buying this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136514 Here is my line of reasoning: I need a HDD now until I retire my iMac and build my gaming PC at year end. When I build my gaming machine I'm going with an SSD for boot and am planning on reusing the HDD I buy now for a storage drive. I don't expect the above drive to be optimal for a boot drive on my iMac, but I'm certainly willing to use a slower drive for now so I don't have to buy a large storage drive later.

What ya'll think? Any alternatives? Any better deals I missed?

I would suggest you just put that drive in an enclosure and use it as an external for your iMac. iMacs are not the easiest thing to take apart and upgrade and if its going into your PC anyways better to just leave the iMac as is.

i'm not going to overclock anything lol. like i said i'm not good with PCs.

but hmm i'm reading some review of the GPU i'm being offered, and it's from 2009... isn't that kind of old by now? if i'm planning to play Battlefield 3 with high settings, will a GPU from 2009 really do it?

god all these things are so confusing for my little brain.

No you will not be able to run BF3 on a 2009 gpu on high settings. DICE has been running all the demo videos so far on a single GTX580. Unless you SLI/Crossfire a couple older cards don't expect to run BF3 at high on anything less then a GTX560 or 6950.

 

[Kyaw]

I don't have any room for crossfire and I like keeping everything stock. Not one for overclocking or unlocking or anything.

I looked at the benchmarks for the 570, 580, 6950, 6970 and it seems like you either go for the 570/6950 for $350 or the 580/6970 for a $500 for an extra 10fps.

Hmmm, in general I prefer Nvidia cards because I use component tv-out daily since my pc is a HTPC and I'm used to how their cards handle it. Thinking about maybe the 570? Or maybe I should wait until the 580 drops to $400 and pick that one up hmm...

Man, you should really unlock the 6950 to 6970. Its very simple.

Here's how.

Pretty much the best bang for buck at this moment.

 

[sk3tch]

Someone here posted this thermal paste application guide for reference when I did my build.

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.p...sk=view&id=170&Itemid=38&limit=1&limitstart=5

If you decide to reapply the paste, skip the sanding part and try filling in the crevices between the pipes. I tried a pea size drop before going with the lines recommended in the guide, pea size didnt seem to cover enough area IMO.

Maybe someone else can chime in and tell you if this would be worth it for you to pull the rig apart or just roll with what you've got. Im certainly no expert.

Hm. I applied to the CPU and not the cooler. Perhaps I should re-do it - apply to the cooler versus the CPU itself?

I won't be sandpapering anything...just rubbing alcohol.

 

[Hazaro]

Has anyone heard word on a timeframe for Intel to re-release their sandybridge MoBo's? Most of the 3rd party ones are already getting stock - so the fixed SATA controller is already in full production - but Intel themselves haven't restocked shit for their own product.

I'd like to finish off my computer, but obviously there's no point in me installing my CPU cooler and finalizing wiring if I'm just going to yank it all out. The wait is killing me.

Intel Intel boards? No idea. Why an intel vs a 3rd party?

Hm. I applied to the CPU and not the cooler. Perhaps I should re-do it - apply to the cooler versus the CPU itself?

I won't be sandpapering anything...just rubbing alcohol.

Leave it, it's fine.

 

[scogoth]

Hm. I applied to the CPU and not the cooler. Perhaps I should re-do it - apply to the cooler versus the CPU itself?

I won't be sandpapering anything...just rubbing alcohol.

You should apply to the CPU not the cooler. And that article is deceiving, you do not need to get the most coverage to get the most effective cooling. The thermal paste should cover the part of the CPU cap where the cores are. See this for good application instructions for the appropriate CPU.