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[eznark]

Thanks guys. Probably going to the with the "Pro" version of the P8P67, a 1000w PSU (I don't like switching them out and it's a cheap step up from 850-1000 and a GTX 570. Also going to bump up the case to the 650D (pending impressions). I'm not planning on ordering for another three weeks or so but I want something to work from. Thanks for the advice! I'm not looking to skimp but I want spend money wisely.

Quicksilver, I figure I may as well go 570 because when I do want to SLI (later this year) the card will be closer to $250. In the meantime I want nothing to complain about.

 

[Mr Nightman]

Don't see too many posts about this, but PC-GAF, care to recommend me a decent pair of speakers for my computer? Finally got a fairly decent rig set up, and I'm stuck with the crappy $10 speakers that came with the system.

Also, what's a decent overclock for my 6850? Haven't done an overclock before, but it seems relatively easy.

I have the previous generation of these bad boys, they rock man

 

[oneironautz]

Looks great, but make sure you have Windows and I would get an aftermarket heatsink/fan too. The Coolermaster 212+ is recommended here.

Edit: I should say I haven't looked into SSDs yet so I can't comment on that. I'm also not familiar monitors, as I intend to use my 24" LG MVA for the next 5 years.

Good call; I'll go ahead and get the aftermarket heatsink from microcenter since its cheaper than on newegg. And I got a copy of windows through school a while back so that's covered. Thanks for your help!

 

[Omiee]

PCGAF what are the best fans to have in your case who have the best airflow and are silent as well.
Would love to use them on my cpu cooler as well.

 

[shouamabane]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352002

My PC will be in my bedroom, so I want it to be quiet. Are after market fans worth buying over the ones that come with this case?

edit: Omiee read my mind.

 

[mkenyon]

One $500 card will hold you for awhile anything more is completely insane. The reason another one down the line is because the GTX580 will not be good enough by itself for new games in 2 years; SLI with another 580 is an easy way to nearly double your frame rate with very little hassle.

Hunh? What charts are you looking at?

I'm not a whore for framerate, but I would hope that for the first year or so I will be able to get close to 60 fps with this build on most games.

Why not buy a $500 card now and another $500 card in a year or two? I mean, I have room to spare in my budget so I don't see the need to skimp on the GPU.

You should not run SLI.

Case - Cooler Master Storm Sniper $149.99 (totally up in the air, just about the price I'd like)
MoBo - Asus P8P67 $239 (this is always where I struggle the most, I have no idea what to look for in a good motherboard)
CPU - Intel Core i5-2500k - $224.99 (talked me into it)
GPU - EVGA GTX 580 - $499.99
Memory - G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8 GB DDR3 1600 - $99.99 (top rated on newegg, I'm easy)
SSD - OCZ Vertex 2 100GB SSD - $199 (I had money to burn and my OS will live here)
PSU - Corsair HX Series 650W $119 (No idea why, but if it's good enough for Will Smith it is good enough for me
OS - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit $99.99
Fan - Cooler Master Hyper 212+ - $35
Mouse - R.A.T. 7 (just because) $75

Total damage = $1743 (pre tax and shipping...which I am not counting in my budget. Also not counting the new monitor my three month old will be getting me for fathers day)

Suggestions, tips, hints tweaks? Especially on the motherboard? Would it make more sense to get the Asus Rampage III and take $100 out of somewhere else? Is the SSD worth it if I am going to store Steam account and all games on a standard HD (I have a 2 TB in my system now).

-Drop the 580 to a 6950 2GB and flash it to a 6970, or get a 570 if you really want to splurge. Upgrade it later on.
-Get a mechanical keyboard, such as the Razer Blackwidow.
-The level of sensitivity adjustments on the Steelseries Xai is unequaled. Best mouse there is, and I've tried a LOT of them, including the RAT.
-Grab a smaller SSD if you're not going to be running games on there. I've regretted my purchase of a 90gig for my gaming rig because of the following suggestion.
-Get two 1TB Cav Blacks or Spinpoint F3s and run them in RAID0 (not nearly as scary as it sounds, very easy to do) for your games drive. This is what you want for two reasons. One, you can have every single game you own installed and ready to rock. Two, the load times from a RAID0 setup are sweet, and will improve your gaming experience.
-Don't get the Pro version of the P8P67 because you should not run crossfire or SLI.
-With the money saved after my suggestions, buy a crapton of games.

 

[eznark]

I'm planning on dropping to the 570. I'm going to do the pro just in case I decide to SLI in the future. The price difference is not that big and I'm saving on the GPU. It's never really about what "should" you do, is it? If I want to play around with SLI I will. That's what tinkering is all about!

I don't know enough about raid0 to plan a build around it. However, is there any real benefit to the SSD if I'm not putting games on it? It's just no practical to have my Steam folder and an OS on the same SSD with prices the way they are.

 

[TheExodu5]

I agree with mkenyon. SLI is there if you want extreme performance. If you're thinking of getting a $500 card now, then instead of buying a second card a year or two down the road, you'll probably be better off just selling your old card and getting a new top of the line card.

I'm not regretting my SLI purchase anymore. I mean, I'm getting absolutely ridiculous performance where it counts. It's awesome never having to make any sacrifices to reach 60fps in pretty much any game (except for Metro 2033). But still, for those who are looking to spend less than $700 in video hardware, go single card. If you plan on going SLI, do it now...not 2 years down the road when the cons outweigh the pros.

 

[mkenyon]

I'm planning on dropping to the 570. I'm going to do the pro just in case I decide to SLI in the future. The price difference is not that big and I'm saving on the GPU. It's never really about what "should" you do, is it? If I want to play around with SLI I will. That's what tinkering is all about!

I don't know enough about raid0 to plan a build around it. However, is there any real benefit to the SSD if I'm not putting games on it? It's just no practical to have my Steam folder and an OS on the same SSD with prices the way they are.

A RAID0 array will be easier to do than SLI, guaranteed. If you want to tinker, its an easy way to help teach you about advanced motherboard abilities. You put in two identical drives, follow your motherboard manual on how to enable it, and that's it. It basically takes two drives and writes sequential data to either drive as if it were a single drive. Yes, there is a huge benefit to an SSD. The entire OS from web browsing to booting windows is a lot snappier. After installing one in my gaming rig, I've since upgraded my HTPC, netbook, laptop, and my current scratch build project with one. My work rig feels like a pile of crap now, despite a raptor drive in there.

 

[scogoth]

Hunh? What charts are you looking at?

You should not run SLI.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4012/nvidias-geforce-gtx-580-the-sli-update/2

I consider 80-100% performance increase nearly doubling framerate. You should SLI as a viable upgrade path 2 years down the road.

Where you see less are already 60+ fps and in 2 years it will make a difference in games

 

[Hazaro]

Cool...thanks for the advice. So, while I'm re-seating do you think I should re-apply the paste? Just put isopropyl rubbing alcohol on a rag and remove?

Here's how I seated the CPU cooler...perhaps the orientation is wrong?


(click to enlarge)

Good. BB to Pea sized blob in center of CPU. Apply even pressure downward, then secure it.

Basic Desktop Questions
Budget: $800 USA
Main Use: Gaming, general usage
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
List SPECIFIC games: No specifics, just want to be able to handle most games
Are reusing any parts?: Nope
When will you build?: Next 4-6 weeks
Will you be overclocking?: eventually

this will be my first full pc build. i have started a putting together parts on newegg and amazon and have come up with the following.

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB
Gigabyte Socket 890GX
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition
Corsair Vengeance 8 GB ( 2 x 4 GB ) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800)
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750
MSI N460GTX Twin Frozr II

comes to $710 on amazon without case and $839 on newegg without case - $90 in rebates. any suggestions would be helpful.

$600 Build in OP + 2500K + P8P67 with that MSI 460.

I'd also grab this PSU. It should be more than enough to power two GPUs in the future, great, reliable brand, and it's modular so you can reduce cord clutter.

If he goes for the PRO and a 570 sure. That won't handle clocked 580's though

 

[aznpxdd]

I have the previous generation of these bad boys, they rock man

No, please no. PC speakers suck.

 

[Wallach]

I don't recommend applying TIM directly to CPU when using a direct heatpipe cooler like the 212+.

For these types of coolers I recommend this method.

 

[scogoth]

No, please no. PC speakers suck.

Compared to a home theatre? Not every one has a home theatre setup or can hook up there PCs to it just for sound.

 

[sk3tch]

Good. BB to Pea sized blob in center of CPU. Apply even pressure downward, then secure it.

Just re-seated it (it was a tad loose) and re-applied thermal grease (Arctic Cooling MX-4)...now with the same OC as before my temps are in the 90s C during Prime95!

I don't recommend applying TIM directly to CPU when using a direct heatpipe cooler like the 212+.

I am going to try this. It's easy enough, at least.

Next step is taking the mobo out and re-installing this thing. Some of the screws on the backplate "turn" when I tighten in the 212+ so perhaps that is causing an issue. Sigh.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Compared to a home theatre? Not every one has a home theatre setup or can hook up there PCs to it just for sound.

If you aren't dreaming of one day connecting a PC to your monster home theater so you can have ridiculous sound from your PC(s), then you are dreaming wrong.

 

[MacAttack]

Just re-seated it (it was a tad loose) and re-applied thermal grease (Arctic Cooling MX-4)...now with the same OC as before my temps are in the 90s C during Prime95!



I am going to try this. It's easy enough, at least.

Next step is taking the mobo out and re-installing this thing. Some of the screws on the backplate "turn" when I tighten in the 212+ so perhaps that is causing an issue. Sigh.

I would tighten up the screws on the backplate until they cant turn. also make sure to get the spring screws nice and tight. It was very nerve racking for me to do this part and I had to do it a couple times to make sure I got it right. If you think they might be too loose then they probably are.

If you havent watched this video yet, it may help:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l2h0nYGAdk&feature=player_embedded

I would follow one of the two guides posted and not do the pea sized thermal paste as that seems not to be working for you. Also make sure to fill in the channels between the pipes before applying the paste.

 

[scogoth]

If you aren't dreaming of one day connecting a PC to your monster home theater so you can have ridiculous sound from your PC(s), then you are dreaming wrong.

Lol. Dream big or go out of your home theater I guess.

 

[comrade]

Just re-seated it (it was a tad loose) and re-applied thermal grease (Arctic Cooling MX-4)...now with the same OC as before my temps are in the 90s C during Prime95!



I am going to try this. It's easy enough, at least.

Next step is taking the mobo out and re-installing this thing. Some of the screws on the backplate "turn" when I tighten in the 212+ so perhaps that is causing an issue. Sigh.

You cleaned up the old paste when you re-applied right? When I installed my DH-14 I used the pea method. Rotated the heatsink directly on top of the cpu to spread it around like the instructions said. At 4.5ghz I don't really go over 60c.

 

[Zimbardo]

i've seen a lot of people hate on SLI, and while i can agree with some of the typical complaints, i feel the pros can outweigh the cons.

i have 2 gtx460 msi hawk talon attacks 1gig running in sli. 1 hawk talon is supposed to benchmark higher than a stock gtx470 just to give you an idea of single card performance. i picked up the cards for $200 each (and got a few free games with them ...ie, metro 2033, just cause 2, hawx 2) and can get some pretty sweet performance for the dollar. some really good bang for the buck. when used in SLI, i get better performance than a single GTX580 for less money.

$400 vs $500.

that's not bad, in my opinion. and when there's a game that doesn't use SLI properly (Need for Speed Hot Pursuit), i can just disable SLI via the drivers setup and run it perfect with one card.

i like how it gives me options. i can also dedicate 1 card to PhysX if i wanted to ...or get some absurd anti aliasing going on.

SLI is pretty nice, imo.

 

[MacAttack]

You cleaned up the old paste when you re-applied right? When I installed my DH-14 I used the pea method. Rotated the heatsink directly on top of the cpu to spread it around like the instructions said. At 4.5ghz I don't really go over 60c.

Noctua NH-D14 Heatsink Base:
http://benchmarkreviews.com/images/...10/Noctua_NH-D14_CPU-Cooler_Heatsink_Base.jpg

Cooler Master 212+ Heatsink Base:
http://benchmarkreviews.com/images/...oler_Master_Hyper_212_Plus_Heat-Pipe_Base.jpg

I think the channels between the pipes can mess up the distribution of the paste and thats why its recommended to use the line method.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

If you aren't dreaming of one day connecting a PC to your monster home theater so you can have ridiculous sound from your PC(s), then you are dreaming wrong.

No opportunity. Living at home for the next year while going to school locally, computer in my room = no htpc for me

Thanks Mr Nightman, just need something simple that is better than what I have now for the occasional movie and some gaming.

 

[Hawk269]

Thanks guys. I guess if I cut down to a 560GTX I may as well pony up for the Deluxe (or Pro I guess) motherboard to make it easier to SLI in the future. Shit, that might bring the build down to like $1500. Maybe I'll go with the Corsair 650D case then. Love the way that thing looks.

Eznark, again, do you care at all about putting a game into your PC and being able to move every slider to max, run in 1080p and get close to or constant 60fps? Reason I am asking you this is I currently am running a 580 OC to 900Mhz and depending on the game, I don't see constant 60FPS with every slider set to max.

An example is this. I am playing Crysis 2 right now, maximum settings, 1080p and I am getting on average about 56fps depending on where I am at in the game. Now 56fps avg is really good and we are talking 4fps away from always being at 60, which alot of times i am at 60. However, Cysis 2 is a DX9 game right now, when the release the DX11 patch, I am lucky if I get 40 or so.

I know some here will say that it is overkill to do SLI x2 580's if you are only running 1080p, but I have other DX11 games that a single 580 cannot get to 60fps, Metro 2033 in dx11 does not come close to hitting 60, no chance in hell even overclocked like I have.

All I am saying here is that if you want to be able to max all current games with close to or at a solid 60fps, you will need something beefier that a 560. Now 2x560 would kick serious ass, but it sounds like you have the finances to go bigger. So why not go 580 now, save up for a second 580 if you are not hitting what you want?

And yes a 1000w PSU would be enough even for 2x580 and overclocking. The only reason I mentioned the 1200 PSU was you never know if you want to go 3xSLI 580's or 2xSLI 580's and a Physx card or who knows perhaps 2 590's in the future that will give you Quad SLI, but if you can afford that well more power to you buddy. lol

 

[TheExodu5]

i've seen a lot of people hate on SLI, and while i can agree with some of the typical complaints, i feel the pros can outweigh the cons.

i have 2 gtx460 msi hawk talon attacks 1gig running in sli. 1 hawk talon is supposed to benchmark higher than a stock gtx470 just to give you an idea of single card performance. i picked up the cards for $200 each (and got a few free games with them ...ie, metro 2033, just cause 2, hawx 2) and can get some pretty sweet performance for the dollar. some really good bang for the buck. when used in SLI, i get better performance than a single GTX580 for less money.

$400 vs $500.

that's not bad, in my opinion. and when there's a game that doesn't use SLI properly (Need for Speed Hot Pursuit), i can just disable SLI via the drivers setup and run it perfect with one card.

i like how it gives me options. i can also dedicate 1 card to PhysX if i wanted to ...or get some absurd anti aliasing going on.

SLI is pretty nice, imo.

Not to knock your gear, but if I were buying brand new today, I would never choose 2x GTX 460 over a single GTX 580, even if it's $100 less. Sure, it's great performance for the money, but the issues are not worth the $100 savings.

I know some here will say that it is overkill to do SLI x2 580's if you are only running 1080p, but I have other DX11 games that a single 580 cannot get to 60fps, Metro 2033 in dx11 does not come close to hitting 60, no chance in hell even overclocked like I have.

If he wants to be more sensible, he can go GTX 570. If he thinks he's likely to go SLI, it's a good fit. With my SLI GTX 570 rig, there are only a few games where I haven't managed 60fps constant with sliders maxed: Metro 2033, Crysis, and Rift. Metro 2033 runs at around 25-60fps...it varies wildly depending on the scene. Crysis is 60fps most of the time, but there are a few places where the framerate drops to 30-40. Rift runs at maybe 40fps completely maxed...turning down a setting or two gives me a constant 60fps (with supersampling). Going up to a GTX 580 would not make a substantial difference in these cases...at least not to the tune of over $300.

Of course, I've said it before, but sometimes I do wish I would have gotten a single GTX 580, as SLI has caused issues. Textures/shadows flicker in some games (WoW occasionally, Crysis 2 water), and some games are just broken (Shogun 2 with hardware shadows), while others don't support SLI. Microstuttering is apparent in some games, and makes 40-50fps feel closer to 25-30 (I definitely experience this in Rift).

Of course, as you say, sometimes you just want those few extra frames, and SLI just pushes it over the edge. Crysis 2 runs phenomenally, and I have only dropped below 60fps once during the whole game (some indoor part dropped my framerate to 55 for a few seconds). Assassin's Creed 2 has not even dipped below 60fps a single time. It's really nice to have all that extra horsepower. If the game properly supports SLI, and you can manage 60fps vsynced, then things go extremely well.

Of course, I'll probably go back to a single card setup in a generation or two of graphics hardware. Performance should be good enough on a single card by then to reduce the benefit of SLI (at least at my resolution of 1080p).

 

[sk3tch]

I would tighten up the screws on the backplate until they cant turn. also make sure to get the spring screws nice and tight. It was very nerve racking for me to do this part and I had to do it a couple times to make sure I got it right. If you think they might be too loose then they probably are.

If you havent watched this video yet, it may help:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l2h0nYGAdk&feature=player_embedded

I would follow one of the two guides posted and not do the pea sized thermal paste as that seems not to be working for you. Also make sure to fill in the channels between the pipes before applying the paste.

Yeah, I decided to just rip out my mobo and re-install the 212+. I tightened everything down...1-2 turns past tight. Still - the heatsink shifts a bit if you push it. It stays otherwise.

I applied Arctic Cooling MX-4 in lines (one for each heat pipe) on the 212+ and NOT the CPU this time. Spread until very thin...enough to see it's there but not enough to have it look grey or splotchy.

Temps, same OC as before, under Prime95 are still high 80s C. This is WORSE than before I started messing with it and I am way more confident that I have done everything right now. Heh. Maybe it just needs to burn in for a bit. I have heard the thermal paste improves over time. Just disappointing that my temps are this high for a i5 2500k OC to 4.2 GHz at 1.2800v CPU and 1.5070 memory.

You cleaned up the old paste when you re-applied right? When I installed my DH-14 I used the pea method. Rotated the heatsink directly on top of the cpu to spread it around like the instructions said. At 4.5ghz I don't really go over 60c.

Yup, each time - used a cotton swab thingee that my GF uses for makeup removal, put a bit of isopropyl rubbing alcohol on it, and swabbed both the CPU and heatsink contacts on the 212+ until there is no visible thermal paste.

Noctua NH-D14 Heatsink Base:
http://benchmarkreviews.com/images/...10/Noctua_NH-D14_CPU-Cooler_Heatsink_Base.jpg

Cooler Master 212+ Heatsink Base:
http://benchmarkreviews.com/images/...oler_Master_Hyper_212_Plus_Heat-Pipe_Base.jpg

I think the channels between the pipes can mess up the distribution of the paste and thats why its recommended to use the line method.

Done and done. Slight improvement from last time but not much. I just hit low 90s C. Heh.

EDIT: Going to try moving the fan from the 212+ to the other side of the heatsink. Currently it sits up about 1 CM higher than it should thanks to my stupid G.Skill Ripjaws l337 fins. They were $75 for DDR3 1600 2x4GB so I can't complain too much (otherwise I would've bought the Snipers).

P.S. thanks for all the help/comments guys. Nice to at least vent or whatever while I'm trying to figure this B.S. out!

 

[MacAttack]

Im out of ideas man.

Keep in mind that most people with your setup are averaging around 60C under load. I dont think you can chalk it up to a break in period.

Im asking this to everyone here because I dont know the answer: Could he be spreading it too thin?

Id ask you to remove the heatsink and take a picture of the thermal paste that is left on the cpu and the heatsink but dammit I already had you pull it apart once and it didnt help.

EDIT: Going to try moving the fan from the 212+ to the other side of the heatsink. Currently it sits up about 1 CM higher than it should thanks to my stupid G.Skill Ripjaws l337 fins. They were $75 for DDR3 1600 2x4GB so I can't complain too much (otherwise I would've bought the Snipers).

You wont get any better results with the fan on the opposite side pulling. But you could move the RAM to slots 2 + 4. which should give you the clearance to put the fan back in the normal position. ( I have my ram in slots 2+4 and have no problems despite the manual suggesting slots 1+3 be used.)

 

[Misanthropy]

If the Hyper 212 plus has paste pre-applied to it do I really need to place a small rice sized dot on the cpu as well?

 

[MacAttack]

How did you get a 212+ with the paste already applied? Mine shipped with a tube of TIM that I had to apply.

 

[Zimbardo]

Not to knock your gear, but if I were buying brand new today, I would never choose 2x GTX 460 over a single GTX 580, even if it's $100 less. Sure, it's great performance for the money, but the issues are not worth the $100 savings.

well, i did buy them around early november of last year ...but still, i don't see them as being that much worse than your setup of 2 gtx570's ...while still being cheaper.

i played through Crysis 2 at what seemed like a constant 60fps (using vsync and d3doverrider). was smooth as silk ...but i did notice the water flickering in some spots during night scenes. i would imagine that'll get fixed in the next driver update.

i remember getting 1390 for a score in the Heaven benchmark, which i remember being pretty good against other hardware, etc. ...and 1 hawk talon is supposed to bench higher than a stock gtx470 ...so while its obviously not as good as a gtx570 setup, its probably still not that far off.

so i don't really see much of an issue considering they were $200 each.

i still view them as good bang for the buck. i could never see paying like $700 to SLI higher end cards. to me that's a little overboard for what i'm using (1080p).

 

[Hazaro]

Yeah, I decided to just rip out my mobo and re-install the 212+. I tightened everything down...1-2 turns past tight. Still - the heatsink shifts a bit if you push it. It stays otherwise.

I applied Arctic Cooling MX-4 in lines (one for each heat pipe) on the 212+ and NOT the CPU this time. Spread until very thin...enough to see it's there but not enough to have it look grey or splotchy.

Temps, same OC as before, under Prime95 are still high 80s C. This is WORSE than before I started messing with it

EDIT: Going to try moving the fan from the 212+ to the other side of the heatsink. Currently it sits up about 1 CM higher than it should thanks to my stupid G.Skill Ripjaws l337 fins. They were $75 for DDR3 1600 2x4GB so I can't complain too much (otherwise I would've bought the Snipers).

P.S. thanks for all the help/comments guys. Nice to at least vent or whatever while I'm trying to figure this B.S. out!

You should let the paste sit overnight and check after. It shouldn't reduce temps by a lot, but you never know.
Use realtemp/coretemp as well, or make sure that hwmonitor is updated.

If you want to give it one last try, take the mobo out and install the HS outside the case so you can see that everything has clicked into place. I'm wondering if you didn't put enough force on it.

If the Hyper 212 plus has paste pre-applied to it do I really need to place a small rice sized dot on the cpu as well?

If its pre applied, leave it.

 

[TheExodu5]

No doubt the performance is there...I just don't want people to get the idea that going two low end cards is better than a single high end card. When it works perfectly, the two cards will certainly outperform...but it doesn't always work perfectly. And even when it does work perfectly, if you're not maintaining 60fps, then microstutter can start to become an issue.

Also, 2x GTX 570 is 50% faster than 2x GTX 460...though that's to be expected given the fact that 2x GTX 570 is nearly double the cost.

I think the real value in SLI is attaining performance that you simply can't get with a single high end card. I'm basically saying "I'll accept the SLI issues, simply because I'm getting performance that's otherwise impossible to get".

 

[Misanthropy]

How did you get a 212+ with the paste already applied? Mine shipped with a tube of TIM that I had to apply.

Oh it's not, sorry for leading the question. I meant generally for all heatsinks if they had the paste on it already then I didn't know if I should add more or just lead it. Yea, for the hyper 212+ you have to do it yourself.

 

[sk3tch]

Im asking this to everyone here because I dont know the answer: Could he be spreading it too thin?

Id ask you to remove the heatsink and take a picture of the thermal paste that is left on the cpu and the heatsink but dammit I already had you pull it apart once and it didnt help.

That's all I can think of. I actually tried to take a couple pics but my flash messed things up. I spread 4 lines of paste with a business card. Tried to get it as even as possible and then used the business card to remove the excess paste where it was all gray - leaving the 212+ with a "cloudy" appearance due to the paste being thinly applied.

Tomorrow I will try putting more paste down, I guess.

You wont get any better results with the fan on the opposite side pulling. But you could move the RAM to slots 2 + 4. which should give you the clearance to put the fan back in the normal position. ( I have my ram in slots 2+4 and have no problems despite the manual suggesting slots 1+3 be used.)

Cool...was wondering about that. I'll move the memory tomorrow and get everything back to the way it was fan-wise. I'm not seeing any improvement with the new placement.

 

[scogoth]

Yeah, I decided to just rip out my mobo ... Nice to at least vent or whatever while I'm trying to figure this B.S. out!

I helped Spl1nter with installing his Hyper 212 on a Phenom II 965. Straight out of the box, one pea sized drop (I used my noctua nt-h1 paste) on the cpu after cleaning both surfaces. Temps were 50~ at stock and a quick n dirty oc by bumping up the multiplier to 3.8 temps were still only 60~.

1)The Hyper 212 turns about 1 degree or 2 when screwed down. Try twisting it a little the left and back to help spread the thermal paste out.

2)Try running stock frequencies get those temps. If those are stable then increase little by little to see how the temps ramp up. 90C is really a lot higher then it should be =(

3)If you do end up removing your heatsink again take some pictures so we can see if the thermal paste is spreading properly.

EDIT:

That's all I can think of. I actually tried to take a couple pics but my flash messed things up. I spread 4 lines of paste with a business card. Tried to get it as even as possible and then used the business card to remove the excess paste where it was all gray - leaving the 212+ with a "cloudy" appearance due to the paste being thinly applied.

Tomorrow I will try putting more paste down, I guess.

Is that all your are putting? Scraping it all off just preps the surface of the cooler, its meant to fill the cracks on the cooler so the thermal paste you apply after spreads better. You still need to apply a thin line or small dab before securing the cooler down.

 

[sk3tch]

You should let the paste sit overnight and check after. It shouldn't reduce temps by a lot, but you never know.
Use realtemp/coretemp as well, or make sure that hwmonitor is updated.

If you want to give it one last try, take the mobo out and install the HS outside the case so you can see that everything has clicked into place. I'm wondering if you didn't put enough force on it.

If its pre applied, leave it.

Yeah, definitely going to let it sit overnight since I'm dead tired and defeated...for now.

I grabbed those programs and they read the same as hwmonitor so that's not it.

I actually did take the motherboard out and installed the 212+ all over again, essentially. I re-tighted the backplate screws and tightened the screws on the top of the mobo (offsets/risers) as well. Installed the 212+ on the CPU with no other components on the mobo. Made sure it was in and tight. There's still a slight shift but only if you push on it with a bit of force. If you just tap/etc. it stays put. It's tightened down good. It appears all there is is that hole and a notch to keep it in place (the heatsink on top of the CPU).

EDIT:

2)Try running stock frequencies get those temps. If those are stable then increase little by little to see how the temps ramp up. 90C is really a lot higher then it should be =(

Well, this is probably bad news - at stock, getting mid to high 60s C when running Prime95. Not sure if that's normal under load with no OC on a i5 2500k or not...

Is that all your are putting? Scraping it all off just preps the surface of the cooler, its meant to fill the cracks on the cooler so the thermal paste you apply after spreads better. You still need to apply a thin line or small dab before securing the cooler down.

Well, I don't "scrape it all off" I just make sure it's thin. I'll apply to the CPU as well...perhaps what we're down to is I am too stingy with the paste. I'll take pics tomorrow prior to removing/re-applying more paste.

 

[Whopper]

Ok Gaf... First time building a gaming rig. Decided to go all out. Want to play all new games at 1080p/60fps for a while. Specs copy/paste:

CPU:Intel Core i7-2600K 3.40 GHz 8M Intel Smart Cache LGA1155 (will likely overclock)

MOTHERBOARD: GA-P67A-UD3-B3 Intel P67 Chipset DDR3 ATX Mainboard w/ 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB3.0, 2x SATA-III RAID, 2 Gen2 PCIe, 3 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI

GPU: Radeon HD 6990 4GB GDDR5 16X PCIe

MEMORY:16GB (4GBx4) DDR3/1333MHz Dual Channel Memory

HDD:64 GB Kingston 2.5 inch SATA Gaming MLC Solid State Disk

HDD2:1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (1TB x 2 (2 TB Capacity) Raid 0

FAN:XtremeGear Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan (Enhanced Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA) (Dual Enermax Enlobal Silent High Performance 120MM Fans (Push-Pull)

CASE:Apevia X-Dreamer 3 Mid-Tower Gaming Case w/ Side-Panel Window & Temperature Display


Thoughts?

 

[TheExodu5]

Ok Gaf... First time building a gaming rig. Decided to go all out. Want to play all new games at 1080p/60fps for a while. Specs copy/paste:

CPU:Intel Core i7-2600K 3.40 GHz 8M Intel Smart Cache LGA1155 (will likely overclock)

MOTHERBOARD: GA-P67A-UD3-B3 Intel P67 Chipset DDR3 ATX Mainboard w/ 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB3.0, 2x SATA-III RAID, 2 Gen2 PCIe, 3 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI

GPU: Radeon HD 6990 4GB GDDR5 16X PCIe

MEMORY:16GB (4GBx4) DDR3/1333MHz Dual Channel Memory

HDD:64 GB Kingston 2.5 inch SATA Gaming MLC Solid State Disk

HDD2:1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (1TB x 2 (2 TB Capacity) Raid 0

FAN:XtremeGear Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan (Enhanced Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA) (Dual Enermax Enlobal Silent High Performance 120MM Fans (Push-Pull)

CASE:Apevia X-Dreamer 3 Mid-Tower Gaming Case w/ Side-Panel Window & Temperature Display


Thoughts?

Go down to a 2500K. Change the SSD to an Intel 510, Vertex 2, or upcoming Vertex 3. The 6990 isn't a very good video card, tbh...it's terribly loud. You're better off going with a dual-GPU setup...either dual 6950/6970, or GTX 570 for that price. Same performance, with much lower temps and noise levels. Change the motherboard to a UD4 or P8P67 Pro, just so you have the option of doing SLI if you want to in the future. Tone down the memory to 8GB...which is already overkill. Get a good air cooler instead of a mediocre liquid cooling system. That case doesn't seem very good...I'd go with something like a HAF 922, CM 690, or a Lancool. There are other nice cases you can get for around $100. For that kind of power draw, you'll probably want a 850W PSU.

edit: actually, maybe that liquid cooling system is decent...but still, with a 120mm rad, performance won't likely be that much better than air, and water is more difficult to maintain.

edit2: I guess this is CyberPowerPC? You could do better building something custom. If you don't want to put it together yourself, you can order from a shop like NCIXUS and have them build it for you. There are probably other online retailers that would build it as well...maybe someone in the US can chime in.

 

[scogoth]

Well, this is probably bad news - at stock, getting mid to high 60s C when running Prime95. Not sure if that's normal under load with no OC on a i5 2500k or not...

Well, I don't "scrape it all off" I just make sure it's thin. I'll apply to the CPU as well...perhaps what we're down to is I am too stingy with the paste. I'll take pics tomorrow prior to removing/re-applying more paste.

Thinning a layer of paste may be overcomplicating the process. The whole idea behind the thin line/pea method is you want to centre the paste on the location that will touch the area above the cpu cores and the pressure of the cooler will spread the paste out for you. Take a look at this video to see how paste spread with different methods. The video is on older hardware and cheesy but its still relevant. Don't get so hung up on the heat pipe direct cooler, the paste will spread in a very similar way.

Here's a picture of an intel quad core processor and how you want the paste to spread.

1st pic, how to apply the thermal paste using the line method
2nd pic, what the cpu looks like under the metal cap
3rd pic, preferred spread of the thermal paste once the cooler is placed on the cpu

 

[Revenant]

so is getting 5.1 computer speakers that bad as opposed to 2.1? I'm in college so I don't exactly have the cash to throw around for a home theater set up like someone suggestd above.

 

[Prodigal]

I've been getting frequent BSOD's lately with my i2500k/Gigabyte P67A-UD3 build so I ran memtest and got a bunch of errors. Would updating my bios or changing my voltage potentially fix the issue or should I just get new ram?

 

[knitoe]

With the 212+, I did the thin spread thermal paste technique on the CPU. Since 212+ has grooves, the other techniques, pea, line and etc., don't really work correctly.

2600K: 4.5GHz@1.27V with 67C Max in Prime95

 

[Cday]

Thoughts?

Liquid cooling is dumb. Blue LEDs and built in PSUs suck. 16gb ram is way overkill for gaming. Also like Exod5 said get a 2500k instead. Fractal Designs r3 and Antec P183 are good cases. Throw in a 650 watt Corsair PSU.

Maybe a little harsh but those are my thoughts.

 

[knitoe]

I've been getting frequent BSOD's lately with my i2500k/Gigabyte P67A-UD3 build so I ran memtest and got a bunch of errors. Would updating my bios or changing my voltage potentially fix the issue or should I just get new ram?

With ram giving you errors, I would not do any updating with it. Would be bad if error happens during bios update. Did you manually set the ram speed, voltage and timing in your bios?

 

[Hazaro]

I've been getting frequent BSOD's lately with my i2500k/Gigabyte P67A-UD3 build so I ran memtest and got a bunch of errors. Would updating my bios or changing my voltage potentially fix the issue or should I just get new ram?

Probably not, but you can try. Probably not the best idea though.
RMA time!

 

[Prodigal]

With ram giving you errors, I would not do any updating with it. Would be bad if error happens during bios update. Did you manually set the ram speed, voltage and timing in your bios?

No, guess I'll try that right now. Thanks

 

[·feist·]

Updated the cases. Re-uploaded the deleted images, removed the Antec 300 and updated prices.



$40-60

$70-$100

$120-$200

$40 - Cooler Master 310/33x/341 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,

$80 - Cooler Master CM 690 II Advanced ,,,,,,,

$140 - Corsair 600T​

$40 - NZXT Beta Evo ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

$90 - Cooler Master HAF 922 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

$160 - SilverStone RV02​

$60 - BitFenix Shinobi ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

$100 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K62 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

$180 - Cooler Master HAF X​

$60 - Cooler Master HAF 912 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

$100 - Antec 902 v3 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

$ N/A - Various Lian Li​

[QUIET OPTIONS]

$60 - Antec Sonata Proto ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

$100 - Fractal Design Define R3 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

$150 - Antec P183 v3​

 

[Hazaro]

Why ditch the 300?

 

[OG_Original Gamer]

Was wondering if some one could help me with memory timing and whether or not I should and could lower them?

Specs
Phenom II X4 955 Deneb 4.0Ghz(O.C)
Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3 mobo
550w Antec Power Plus PSU
Kingston Hyper X DDR3 1600Mhz 9-9-9-27 160ns 1.65v
Radeon 6950 flashed to 6970 bios 900Mhz(O.C)

Concerned about stability also, get some artifacts occasionally, more like a flicker similar to no v-sync.

 

[·feist·]

Why ditch the 300?

Relatively overpriced at $60. Even with the last updates it received, it's outdated and out-spec'd by cases like the HAF 912. The Shinobi is like a properly updated 300: filtered intake for the PSU, 8 HDD rack with SSD option, cable management cut-outs, painted interior, two 120mm/140mm roof fan option with better water-cooling support, and additional USB ports (still 2.0, though it is a budget case). The general look is similar, dimensions are almost exactly the same, and as great as the 300's airflow is, the BF just about matches it with improved flexibility.

I've used the 300, still have one of my systems in one, and still recommend it. Pricing really shouldn't be over $50 at best, though (too often $10-15 above that).

Was wondering if some one could help me with memory timing and whether or not I should and could lower them?

Specs
Phenom II X4 955 Deneb 4.0Ghz(O.C)
Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3 mobo
550w Antec Power Plus PSU
Kingston Hyper X DDR3 1600Mhz 9-9-9-27 160ns 1.65v
Radeon 6950 flashed to 6970 bios 900Mhz(O.C)

Concerned about stability also, get some artifacts occasionally, more like a flicker similar to no v-sync.

I wouldn't bother, really. For one, it can often lead to more instability, until you get it right. Depending on your ram, you may also need to lower the speed to get anything noticeably tighter. You can try it out as a learning exercise, but you aren't going to see a great deal of difference in most real world uses.

 

[mr stroke]

any suggestions on Soundcards?

I can't decide which is better-no souncard, Asus, or Creative?
reviews for the Asus and Creatives are all over the place(great sound but shitty drivers)



Xfi Titanium HD(newest Win7 version)

or


Asus Xonar

Just looking for something that will enable 5.1 headphone use and hopefully provide better sound quality, or will there be no audible difference?(using studio monitors for speakers)