Support NeoGAF

[scogoth]

So I've got a 2600K with stock cooling. What's the most idiot proof and stable way for me to overclock a bit? I'm not trying to go extreme, more for something in the 3.6-4.0 Ghz range.

Go into the BIOS, turn the CPU Multiplier up to 40. Grab a drink. Relax.

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

This is slightly off-topic, but I didn't know where else to post this, so bear with me:

I'm trying to install an old copy of Blade Runner for the PC, but I keep getting the following error message:

"The program or feature "\??\E:\SETUP\SETUP.EXE" cannot start or run due to incompatibility with 64-bit versions of Windows. Please contact the software vendor to ask if a 64-bit Windows compatible version is available."

Any workarounds for something like this? It didn't cross my mind that the game would have compatibility issues with modern systems.

I tried setting the compatability mode of the setup.exe file to an older version of Windows, but that didn't seem to do anything.

Any other options?

 

[ShdwDrake]

Ok so I got a 6870 1G because my old 4870 would go out and my computer would just crash them reset itself. Iff I alt+tab'd out fast enough it would say "AMD Display Driver has stopped working and has recovered."

I tried every solution I could find but no dice. For some people the only solution was to get an nVidia card but it was said that I should still get an AMD card for various reasons and it was just my card... the 6870 is now doing the same thing. Any ideas on how to fix it?

 

[knitoe]

Ok so I got a 6870 1G because my old 4870 would go out and my computer would just crash them reset itself. Iff I alt+tab'd out fast enough it would say "AMD Display Driver has stopped working and has recovered."

I tried every solution I could find but no dice. For some people the only solution was to get an nVidia card but it was said that I should still get an AMD card for various reasons and it was just my card... the 6870 is now doing the same thing. Any ideas on how to fix it?

I get that error if I overclock the video cards to far, probably requires an increase in voltage. It could be a similar situation in that the video is not getting enough power when it ramps up. What PSU? Have you tried another one?

 

[ShdwDrake]

I get that error if I overclock the video cards to far, probably requires an increase in voltage. It could be a similar situation in that the video is not getting enough power when it ramps up. What PSU? Have you tried another one?

Yup tired that.

 

[Stantron]

$109 Case: Fractal Design Define R3 Black ATX Mid Tower Silent PC Computer Case
$183 PS: CORSAIR Professional Series AX850 850W
$180 MB: ASUS P8P67 PRO (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel
$315 CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core
$90 Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler
$108 RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
$500 GPU: Asus GTX580 DCII/2DIS/1536MD5 GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 Video Card
$308 SSD: Intel 320 Series 2.5" 160GB SATA II MLC (SSD) - OEM
$65 HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal
$110 Drive: LG Black Super Multi SATA WH12LS30 LightScribe BluRay Burner - OEM
$55 Sound: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio 7.1 Channels PCIe Sound Card - OEM
$100 OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM

Order placed. $2,275 total after tax/ship. Oh man, can't wait to put this thing together. I'll take pics.

Time to put this bad boy together.

 

[black_vegeta]

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z148/Calibretto9/Rigparts.jpg
Time to put this bad boy together.

Godlike parts. Pics afterwards yo. Have fun and good luck!

 

[Hazaro]

I want an SSD GAF. Help.
Do I got with the 128GB C300 on sale at a fantastic price and deal with some of its quirks?
Or go for an Intel 320 120GB for 'reliability'.
Or save a bit more and spring for the insane speed of the Vertex 3 with all this hubub about 25nm and CEO going on?

Would I be better off going for a 2x2GB memory kit instead of the single 4gb card? I figured it would be better to get a single if I'm interested in upgrading to 8 or even 16gb in the future. Also, if I wanted to eventually get another 5850 and run Crossfire, would that power supply be enough?

2x2GB, otherwise you have half the bandwidth.

 

[Whopper]

Ok GAF... Ive never been a PC gamer but I'd like to play BF3, Skyrim and a few others I've missed. What are your thoughts on this system:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227342&cm_re=Ibuypower-_-83-227-342-_-Product

How does the i7 960 compare to the 2500k?
Would i be able to flash the 6950 to a 6970?
Would I be able to add another 6950 later on if I needed to?

Thanks!

 

[cartman414]

Fun and informative looking at the builds and stuff here.

A reminder for the interested: Z68 drops in just a few weeks. Course at this point I'm personally a bit more intrigued in what may come with Ivy Bridge come next year, and out of curiosity, how SB-E will pan out.

Pretty sure that SB will still have more CPU variants added at every tier, unless they deem it unnecessary, what with the apparent socket intercompatibility between SB and IB. I just realized that the final Core 2, the Quad Q9500, came out last January, months after the Lynnfield CPUs made their debut.

Ok GAF... Ive never been a PC gamer but I'd like to play BF3, Skyrim and a few others I've missed. What are your thoughts on this system:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227342&cm_re=Ibuypower-_-83-227-342-_-Product

How does the i7 960 compare to the 2500k?
Would i be able to flash the 6950 to a 6970?
Would I be able to add another 6950 later on if I needed to?

Thanks!

I would recommend the 2500k. Lower power consumption, less expensive, and better single-core/non-multithreaded performance. Only disadvantage with SB vs. X58 is that you would have to spring for a more expensive board if you wanted 2x16, but that's something you don't really need if you're gaming on a single monitor.

 

[TheExodu5]

@Whopper: Build your own, or have one of the sites or a local PC shop build it for you.

 

[Kraut]

Anyone in Canada ever order from newegg.com? NCIX has barely had R3s in-stock over the past month, and I'm beginning to consider ordering from the US if the shipping costs aren't too unreasonable. Any input?

 

[Stantron]

Ok, first bump in the road. I'm installing the NH-D14 cooler and it allows me to place the sink in "Orientation A" (horizontal airflow) or "Orientation B" (vertical airflow). This is going into the fractal R3 case without any additional fans installed. Any tips on which I should choose?

 

[scogoth]

Ok, first bump in the road. I'm installing the NH-D14 cooler and it allows me to place the sink in "Orientation A" (horizontal airflow) or "Orientation B" (vertical airflow). This is going into the fractal R3 case without any additional fans installed. Any tips on which I should choose?

Is the majority or your airflow front to back or bottom to top airflow. That will determine which way to orientate it. Heat rises so some people like to have bottom to top airflow if the case allows it but most cases run air flow front to back.

I want an SSD GAF. Help.
Do I got with the 128GB C300 on sale at a fantastic price and deal with some of its quirks?
Or go for an Intel 320 120GB for 'reliability'.
Or save a bit more and spring for the insane speed of the Vertex 3 with all this hubub about 25nm and CEO going on?


2x2GB, otherwise you have half the bandwidth.

lol

Investor relations aside you know you still want the vertex 3, its like GLaDOS says, speedy thing goes in, speedy things come out.

 

[Hazaro]

lol

Investor relations aside you know you still want the vertex 3, its like GLaDOS says, speedy thing goes in, speedy things come out.

Yeah but do I really need or can tell between 300 and 500 MB/s read :/

 

[Stantron]

Is the majority or your airflow front to back or bottom to top airflow. That will determine which way to orientate it. Heat rises so some people like to have bottom to top airflow if the case allows it but most cases run air flow front to back.

There's a fan in the front and back (option to install additional in front). There's a closed mesh on top (able to make open) and an open mesh on bottom for airflow, with room for an additional fan instal on the bottom. Since I want to keep the mesh closed for noise reduction, and I don't have an additional fan installed on bottom, and because the top may be close to my desk, I'll go with the horizontal airflow orientation. I'll also have the option of installing another front fan in the future with no haggle. Thanks.

 

[Whopper]

Ok, what do you all think of this:


Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price
1 ASUS P8P67 PRO (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813131703
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $189.99
1 COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7
Item #: N82E16835103065
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $34.99
1 SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822152185
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$15.00  Instant
$69.99
$54.99
1 Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
Item #: N82E16835100007
Return Policy: Consumable Item Refund Only Return Policy $9.98
1 OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #: N82E16820227550
Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy -$40.00  Instant
$15.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$159.99
$119.99
1 Pioneer Black Blu-ray Burner SATA BDR-206DBKS
Item #: N82E16827129066
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $113.99
1 COUGAR CMX 1000 COUGAR-1000CMX 1000W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
Item #: N82E16817553004
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$30.00  Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$229.99
$199.99
1 Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders
Item #: N82E16832116754
Return Policy: Software Standard Return Policy -$5.00  Instant
$99.99
$94.99
1 EVGA 015-P3-1580-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Item #: N82E16814130587
Return Policy: VGA Replacement Only Return Policy -$15.00  Instant
$30.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$504.99
$489.99
1 Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
Item #: N82E16819115072
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy $224.99
1 Fractal Design Define R3 Black ATX Mid Tower Silent PC Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811352002
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $109.99
1 G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 12GB (3 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9T-12GBRL
Item #: N82E16820231358
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy $154.99

Total: $1798.87

Thoughts?

 

[TheExodu5]

Yeah but do I really need or can tell between 300 and 500 MB/s read :/

No.

Anyways I'm in the market for a new PC headset. I'm not sure what I want yet...

I have a pair of Sennheiser PC350, but I stepped on them a while back and they keep breaking every few weeks (I keep supergluing them).

I'm unsure whether I want to go PC350 again, or check out the PC360. I could also consider the Beyerdynamic MX 300. It's a shame high quality headset selection is so limited. I want a headset, as opposed to heaphones, since I'm on Ventrilo several hours each day. I need a high quality noise canceling mic.

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

1. If it's three feet away, why don't you just go wired? So much better.

It's being used on another computer that isn't mine.

Also I make it higher or lower bandwidth?

 

[TheExodu5]

Ok, first bump in the road. I'm installing the NH-D14 cooler and it allows me to place the sink in "Orientation A" (horizontal airflow) or "Orientation B" (vertical airflow). This is going into the fractal R3 case without any additional fans installed. Any tips on which I should choose?

I just do front to back because it looks nicer. The difference is minimal, really.

With an R3 you have a rear exhaust and a top exhaust. Or is it just the option to put a top fan? If there's only a rear exhaust, then do front to back no doubt.

 

[blanky]

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z148/Calibretto9/Rigparts.jpg[IMG]
Time to put this bad boy together.[/QUOTE]

I'm basically going your way, except for a 2500k and probably a larger SSD either 510 or 320 dont know for sure yet. Hope yours comes out great!

 

[scogoth]

Yeah but do I really need or can tell between 300 and 500 MB/s read :/

No not really unless your copying to another drive with 500MB/s write.

No.

Anyways I'm in the market for a new PC headset. I'm not sure what I want yet...

I have a pair of Sennheiser PC350, but I stepped on them a while back and they keep breaking every few weeks (I keep supergluing them).

I'm unsure whether I want to go PC350 again, or check out the PC360. I could also consider the Beyerdynamic MX 300. It's a shame high quality headset selection is so limited. I want a headset, as opposed to heaphones, since I'm on Ventrilo several hours each day. I need a high quality noise canceling mic.

I have the same problem. I had a AKG 240 with a sennhesier boom mic from a PC 131 which worked tremendously well until the AKG cable started to get flaky and eventually the left ear stopped. I now have the Astro A30 cause they were on a 50% discount but they are terrible and the mic transmit crackly audio intermittently. I want a new headset but haven't find a set that I'm really in love with.

 

[Hawk269]

Time to put this bad boy together.

Have fun man. Damn, I still wish I took pics as my parts arrived and did the nice "parts pics" before assembling. Oh well!

Anyways man have fun putting that baby together. Take your time and enjoy yourself. Alot of folks here willing to help if you need it.

 

[Stantron]

With an R3 you have a rear exhaust and a top exhaust. Or is it just the option to put a top fan? If there's only a rear exhaust, then do front to back no doubt.

For R3, the vertical option is to instal an additional bottom fan near a bottom mesh, and remove a cover on top which allows airflow through the top mesh. The rear exhaust is already open so I'll go that route. Maybe instal a second front fan in the future.

I'm basically going your way, except for a 2500k and probably a larger SSD either 510 or 320 dont know for sure yet. Hope yours comes out great!

*high five*

Have fun man. Damn, I still wish I took pics as my parts arrived and did the nice "parts pics" before assembling. Oh well!

Anyways man have fun putting that baby together. Take your time and enjoy yourself. Alot of folks here willing to help if you need it.

Thanks, dude. Yeah, I'm definitely gonna take my time. I'm gonna be busy with other things this weekend so I may not even get that far, but I'm in no rush. This being my first build from scratch, I've got my fingers crossed everything goes well.

 

[TheExodu5]

I have the same problem. I had a AKG 240 with a sennhesier boom mic from a PC 131 which worked tremendously well until the AKG cable started to get flaky and eventually the left ear stopped. I now have the Astro A30 cause they were on a 50% discount but they are terrible and the mic transmit crackly audio intermittently. I want a new headset but haven't find a set that I'm really in love with.

I've decided that I'll be going with the Sennheiser PC360.

I would have used the AKG K701 for gaming. When I had them, they sounded absolutely incredible with BFBC2. The headband just wasn't quite comfortable enough. And now, I've decided I really don't want to go with the standalone mic option, so I'm limiting myself to headsets.

 

[Hawk269]

Ok, what do you all think of this:


Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price
1 ASUS P8P67 PRO (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813131703
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $189.99
1 COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7
Item #: N82E16835103065
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $34.99
1 SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822152185
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$15.00  Instant
$69.99
$54.99
1 Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
Item #: N82E16835100007
Return Policy: Consumable Item Refund Only Return Policy $9.98
1 OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #: N82E16820227550
Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy -$40.00  Instant
$15.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$159.99
$119.99
1 Pioneer Black Blu-ray Burner SATA BDR-206DBKS
Item #: N82E16827129066
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $113.99
1 COUGAR CMX 1000 COUGAR-1000CMX 1000W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
Item #: N82E16817553004
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$30.00  Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$229.99
$199.99
1 Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders
Item #: N82E16832116754
Return Policy: Software Standard Return Policy -$5.00  Instant
$99.99
$94.99
1 EVGA 015-P3-1580-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Item #: N82E16814130587
Return Policy: VGA Replacement Only Return Policy -$15.00  Instant
$30.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$504.99
$489.99
1 Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
Item #: N82E16819115072
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy $224.99
1 Fractal Design Define R3 Black ATX Mid Tower Silent PC Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811352002
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $109.99
1 G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 12GB (3 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9T-12GBRL
Item #: N82E16820231358
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy $154.99

Total: $1798.87

Thoughts?

Nice set up man. Do you really need 12gb of Ram? Might save a bit going with 8gb instead. Make sure you register your EVGA 580 within 30 days of buying it. For one the lifetime warranty, 2nd the step up program and 3rd the expidited phone support. They have great service.

 

[scogoth]

I've decided that I'll be going with the Sennheiser PC360.

I would have used the AKG K701 for gaming. When I had them, they sounded absolutely incredible with BFBC2. The headband just wasn't quite comfortable enough. And now, I've decided I really don't want to go with the standalone mic option, so I'm limiting myself to headsets.

Yeah it wasn't a stand alone mic, took the boom mic off the sennheiser headset and the duct taped to the side of the AKGs =.=;;

Are the PC360 comfortable for hours of wear? Thats my biggest concern after mic quality.

 

[momolicious]

CM 690 2 case is really nice... but, does it have enough room in the back for cable management? It looks kinda slim, is it spacey enough?

 

[Hawk269]

That was going to be one of my tests, connecting straight into the TV via HDMI. But the problem has gone away. I just ran teh EVGA stress test for 30 min, followed by 4 complete runs of Unigine followed by a few laps of Need for Speed Shift 2 and no issues. I shutdown and waited a few minutes and restarted and still no issues.

Now, as I was running the stress tests, I did reach around the back of the receiver to ensure that the hdmi cables were secure and I moved around, I hit something that made the screen go black and then back on like it was doing last night. I ensured they were all plugged in and it never happened again. I am going to assume, one of the HDMI cbales were either pinched or slightly loose.

I called EVGA to see what else I could test and they said that other than some stress tests that woudl show issues, they could not think of anything else since the issue disappeared. He did think that since the computer was used alot that perhaps heat, but the comp. was off for 4 hours or so to watch some NBA games. Upon hearing that, EVGA said that if the stress tests past, play some games run some other thing that would stress the GPU and if it still did not act up, it just could of all been the reciever and possibly a loose connection or something with the cable went a litle loose.

At this point, I am thinking the issue is resolved. Unless someone else has any other input or test I can peform.

Problem was resolved. It seems like someting was a little loose on my receiver end and or the hdmi cable is getting a little wonky. It worked fine all night last night and most of the day, but I was downloading some games and was swapping between inputs on the receiver from the PC to te Cable Box after a few times the blinking started again, checked wires to ensure they are snug and also powered off the receiver and then back on and the problem was gone.

Just to avoid the issue, I am going to get an optical audio cable running from the PC to the Receiver and use HDMI direct to the TV. Reason I dont go direct now is when the PC goes straight to the tv and I use HDMI for audio, the PC only see's the 2 speakers of the TV and does not see that the optical than runs from the TV to the Receiver for 5.1. PS3 does the same thing, when it is connected straight to the TV it only sees the 2 TV speakers. Odd thing is that my 360 and Cable box work fine direct to the TV, both devices output 5.1 no issues.

But everything tested and there is no issues on the PC end, so no GPU, MB or anything else. Thank the PC Gods! lol

 

[TheExodu5]

Yeah it wasn't a stand alone mic, it was duct taped to the side =.=;;

Are the PC360 comfortable for hours of wear? Thats my biggest concern wafter mic quality.

I have the PC350 and they're extremely comfortable. The PC360 seem to be an improvement in that regard with a cool open design and velour pads instead of the hot synthetic material in the PC350.

 

[Sarcasm]

Okay I got my laptop. Now I have the HD it came with and my SSD. I noticed intel has cloning or w/e software to download @ site. How can I clone the main drive?

The SSD has a mounting bracket for 3.5" for desktop. Do I take the original..plug it in..copy to my desktop..plug SSD in and copy that cloned image onto the SSD?

 

[Cday]

Ok, what do you all think of this:

1 Pioneer Black Blu-ray Burner SATA BDR-206DBKS
Item #: N82E16827129066
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $113.99

Do you really need a blu ray burner? Why not just get a regular ass dvd drive for $20. Blu ray drives on computers aren't a good buy in most cases.

1 COUGAR CMX 1000 COUGAR-1000CMX 1000W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
$199.99

1000 watts is too much. If you're willing to spend $200 on a power supply get this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151103
or this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010

If you don't plan on doing SLI you can even go down to the 650w versions and save more money.

1 G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 12GB (3 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9T-12GBRL
Item #: N82E16820231358
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy $154.99

Thoughts?

8gb ddr3 1333 ram is plenty.

 

[Red Blaster]

The 2500k build would be
ASUS P8P67 (regular not deluxe, pro, evo or LE)
GTX560
2500K
~550-600 Watt PSU
Cooler Master Hyper 212+
1TB Samsung F3 Spinpoint
4GB Corsair/G.Skill 1333 RAM (8GB if its in your budget)
SSD (if its in your budget)

Don't get a H67 mobo with a 2500K. If you want to go cheaper buy a non K series cpu and H67 mobo.




80GB Intel 320. Its $160 on newegg right now but worth the extra $10.

Thanks for the input, so would this build work?

-SAMSUNG CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223C
-Antec Sonata Proto Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
-SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
-MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0
-CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible
-G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9D-4GBNT
-ASUS P8P67-M (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
-Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
-COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm

Comes out to a cool $909

 

[Whopper]

Nice set up man. Do you really need 12gb of Ram? Might save a bit going with 8gb instead. Make sure you register your EVGA 580 within 30 days of buying it. For one the lifetime warranty, 2nd the step up program and 3rd the expidited phone support. They have great service.

Thanks man... As far as the ram goes I figure it's only a little more $ so go for the upgrade now rather than later. A few more questions:
How difficult will this be to put together? I've never done this before. What tools will I need?
Also, will this setup be able to run most new games at 1080p 60fps/max settings?
Finally, if I decide to add another 580 down the line, is it relatively easy to do?

Thanks again!

 

[scogoth]

Thanks for the input, so would this build work?

-SAMSUNG CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223C
-Antec Sonata Proto Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
-SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
-MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0
-CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible
-G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9D-4GBNT
-ASUS P8P67-M (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
-Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
-COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm

Comes out to a cool $909

Looks good. The motherboard is microATX so you're giving up a PCIe slot but its not a big deal, there are still 2 left.

 

[Hawk269]

Thanks man... As far as the ram goes I figure it's only a little more $ so go for the upgrade now rather than later. A few more questions:
How difficult will this be to put together? I've never done this before. What tools will I need?
Also, will this setup be able to run most new games at 1080p 60fps/max settings?
Finally, if I decide to add another 580 down the line, is it relatively easy to do?

Thanks again!

Yeah, you are going to tear up games with that set up. Go to the 1st page of this thread and there is a 1 hour video of a group putting a PC togehter. They use the prettty much many of the parts you have and it is a good thing to watch if you never built one. As far as tools, a philips screwdriver and I think that is it.

As far as games goes, I cant think of anything that you cant really max out. I mean there are some like Metro 2033 in DX11 mode with all features on, you will get around 32-35 or so FPS (going by memory), but for the most part that combination will tear games up. And that is with everything at stock speed. You can easily OC the processor to 4.5 with no issues. The GPU, I had my 580 at 900mhz on the core with a slight voltage adjustment (it is really easy to do). Stock speed is 772mhz on that card, so a 900mhz OC with little effort is a huge jump.

Enjoy building man, watch that video, they use I think the same case, mother board etc. They use a stock cooler and you have the Nactua I think, so that will require a little extra work. A little tip: Add the cooler and the ram before installing the MB to the case, it makes it a bit easier to get this done ooutside the case.

 

[Whopper]

Do you really need a blu ray burner? Why not just get a regular ass dvd drive for $20. Blu ray drives on computers aren't a good buy in most cases.



1000 watts is too much. If you're willing to spend $200 on a power supply get this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151103
or this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010

If you don't plan on doing SLI you can even go down to the 650w versions and save more money.



8gb ddr3 1333 ram is plenty.

Eventually I'd like to SLI the gpu. If 1000w is too much, how much will I need to overclock my CPU and add another GTX 580? I picked that PSU because there is a combo deal with the 580; bringing the price down to $150. Thanks for your help.

 

[Cday]

Eventually I'd like to SLI the gpu. If 1000w is too much, how much will I need to overclock my CPU and add another GTX 580? I picked that PSU because there is a combo deal with the 580; bringing the price down to $150. Thanks for your help.

I still think the ones I posted earlier would be fine even though we're talking about 580s. Keep in mind depending on how far down the road you decide to SLI it might be a better option to just get a new card instead. As it is I think 2 580s for 1080p gaming is aggressively unnecessary.

This is a solid PSU for SLI and even less than $150.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...9009&cm_re=corsair_850-_-17-139-009-_-Product

Corsair makes good PSUs and the last place you want a mediocre part is with the power supply. Who knows about that Cougar business.

You asked earlier about building it. Make sure to read the manuals. It's not as horrible as it sounds especially considering they're pretty straightforward and most of the bulk of them is duplicate information in different languages. Also if it doesn't power on after you first build it don't panic as it's usually something dumb that's easily corrected.

 

[AkIRA_22]

Time to put this bad boy together.

VERY nice mate, even the PSU for possible SLi in the future. Have fun... man I love putting PC's together I wish I could do such a nice rig today.

 

[Stantron]

Alright, I've got some questions. I wanna make sure I do this correctly.

The two fans of the NH-D14 cooler are both connected to a splitter cable, which combines the connections into a single 3pin female. I assume this connects to the "CPU_FAN" pins on the motherboard, right?. It's keyed to fit correctly (gnd to gnd) but has a fourth pin (cpu fan pwm) which is not connected. Is this right?

My front and back case fans are both connected to 3pins ("PWR_FAN1" and "CHA_FAN2"). There's a forth fan connector on the motherboard that is 4pin ("CHA_FAN1"), which I'm leaving alone.

"HD AUDIO" cable from the case: Should I instal on motherboard or sound card?

EATXPWR cable: It's normal that one of the pins (-5 Volts) is missing from the cable socket, correct?

USB2.0: The motherboard came with a small blue adapter connector (10-1 pin) that should connect to the USB cable from the case, but it heavily resists when I try to push it in. What's up with that? Also, do I connect it to the USB1314, USB1112 or the USB910 socket on the motherboard?

 

[pseudocaesar]

Whats the deal with RAM latency? I can get 8gb DDR3 with 8-8-8-24 for AU $129, or 8gb DDR3 with 9-9-9-27 for AU $119. Whats the difference, and is it worth the ten bucks?

 

[Mistake]

edit: nvm

 

[Hawk269]

Alright, I've got some questions. I wanna make sure I do this correctly.

The two fans of the NH-D14 cooler are both connected to a splitter cable, which combines the connections into a single 3pin female. I assume this connects to the "CPU_FAN" pins on the motherboard, right?. It's keyed to fit correctly (gnd to gnd) but has a fourth pin (cpu fan pwm) which is not connected. Is this right?

My front and back case fans are both connected to 3pins ("PWR_FAN1" and "CHA_FAN2"). There's a forth fan connector on the motherboard that is 4pin ("CHA_FAN1"), which I'm leaving alone.

"HD AUDIO" cable from the case: Should I instal on motherboard or sound card?

EATXPWR cable: It's normal that one of the pins (-5 Volts) is missing from the cable socket, correct?

USB2.0: The motherboard came with a small blue adapter connector (10-1 pin) that should connect to the USB cable from the case, but it heavily resists when I try to push it in. What's up with that? Also, do I connect it to the USB1314, USB1112 or the USB910 socket on the motherboard?

1) Yes you are right about the 2 fans on your cooler. They connect to the CPU Fan.
2) That HD Audio is for you to use a headset that plugs from a port on the case, usually the front. I beleive this should be connected to the corresponding port on the mother board.
3) Not sure about the EATXPWR...sorry
4) Not sure about the USB question...dont want to give you incorrect info.

Both EATXPWR and USB stuff should be in the motherboard manual.

 

[Conceptor]

CM 690 2 case is really nice... but, does it have enough room in the back for cable management? It looks kinda slim, is it spacey enough?

Do you mean the 690 II Advanced? I've got one and I was able to manage the cables to my Corsair TX750 really well with it.. Was a little tight towards the end so I had to space things out but keep in mind my PSU isn't modular and it's got a ton of cables I didn't even use lol. It's an awesome case though so don't let me deter you :T

 

[knitoe]

This is a solid PSU for SLI and even less than $150.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...9009&cm_re=corsair_850-_-17-139-009-_-Product

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-580-sli-review/14
Measured power consumption

System in IDLE = 237W
System Wattage with GPUs in FULL Stress = 719W
Difference (GPU load) = 482W
Add average IDLE wattage ~ 20W x2
Subjective obtained GPU power consumption = ~ 522 Watts

That Corsair PSU you recommend is rated 850W (80% plus efficiency). Even if it's 85%, that's only 722W. You sure don't want to run a PSU near max long term, in this case 3W above. Not to mention, a PSU will somewhat degrade overtime. If he wants to run SLI GTX 580, it would be best to go 1000W-1200W.

 

[dragonlife]

If I want to purchase a 1TB HDD, what should I be looking for?

I was thinking this or this (though the shipping stories in the reviews scare me). Any better options for around the same price?

 

[Moppet13]

If I want to purchase a 1TB HDD, what should I be looking for?

I was thinking this or this (though the shipping stories in the reviews scare me). Any better options for around the same price?

I assume thats the 1tb Caviar Black? Pretty good harddrives. I usually order my parts from Newegg, but that's 20 dollars cheaper than neweggs.

 

[Hazaro]

Anyone want to join me on the journey to SSD land? Only $210.
Intel 320 (120GB) : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167050

I just want an SSD that works and offers good read so I went with the Intel in the end.

If I want to purchase a 1TB HDD, what should I be looking for?

I was thinking this or this (though the shipping stories in the reviews scare me). Any better options for around the same price?

You want the F3 1TB. Black is good, but F3 is better.

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

The massive improvement of load times in games is worth the SSD alone.

If you do any media work at all such as rendering, music producing, or animation a SSD is a must.

 

[Stantron]

Thanks for the reply, Hawk269.

I think I have everything installed correctly so far. I'm still unsure about a bunch of things that I have questions for. Unfortunately, that will have to wait until late Sunday when I have some more time to get back in to this. Here's what things look like so far...

Have a nice weekend, everyone.