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[poppabk]

Hey guys I got a new laptop:

Intel Core i5 2410M

Nvidia Geforce GT 540M

6GB DDR3 System Memory

Can it run games? I'm not sure what happens next. So I can sign up for steam, download a game, and it will just run automatically?

Yes it can run games:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-540M.41715.0.html
Just buy a game on steam, set to med/high and go for it. Make sure it gets plenty of ventilation, a lappad with fan if possible.

 

[apana]

So I don't have to tinker around with this nvidia control panel on the laptop? I can just leave everything at the settings it came with?

 

[wandering goat]

Whelp, I've made and will be making some changes to my PC set-up. So far, I upgraded my CPU cooler to the Noctua D14. Running the two fans at about 700/800 rpm (I assume the P12 fan is about 100 rpm higher, as I'm measuring the slower P14 at 700), it is cooler than my Hyper 212+ with a Noctua P12 at full 1380 or so RPM, so nice stuff there. Temps are still higher than I would like at load, so I'm considering removing the foam that I've blocked the top exhaust out with, and possibly putting a fan in there.

But first, I'm planning on upgrading my GPU to an Asus DirectCU II GTX580, which will be (mostly) exhausting air toward the back as opposed to my completely open after-market cooler with 120mm fan right now, so we'll see how that goes. I think the 580 should last me a while for sure, no? Not really willing to deal with SLI at the moment, but I'm hoping it will keep me at a fine level of graphical goodness for a few years.

I'll give some impressions once everything's in place. I'm especially curious as to just how quiet the 3-slot solution is. I'm preparing for it to be louder than my current set-up for sure, but I should be able to provide a pretty good view as to its actual noise level, as people tend to call things silent when they're really not. I don't foresee it being a big problem noise-wise though in my P183.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

So I don't have to tinker around with this nvidia control panel on the laptop? I can just leave everything at the settings it came with?

I'd suggest at least installing the latest drivers. NVIDIA has a new auto-updater that will prompt you when a new beta or official driver release it out.

 

[TheExodu5]

Whelp, I've made and will be making some changes to my PC set-up. So far, I upgraded my CPU cooler to the Noctua D14. Running the two fans at about 700/800 rpm (I assume the P12 fan is about 100 rpm higher, as I'm measuring the slower P14 at 700), it is cooler than my Hyper 212+ with a Noctua P12 at full 1380 or so RPM, so nice stuff there. Temps are still higher than I would like at load, so I'm considering removing the foam that I've blocked the top exhaust out with, and possibly putting a fan in there.

But first, I'm planning on upgrading my GPU to an Asus DirectCU II GTX580, which will be (mostly) exhausting air toward the back as opposed to my completely open after-market cooler with 120mm fan right now, so we'll see how that goes. I think the 580 should last me a while for sure, no? Not really willing to deal with SLI at the moment, but I'm hoping it will keep me at a fine level of graphical goodness for a few years.

I'll give some impressions once everything's in place. I'm especially curious as to just how quiet the 3-slot solution is. I'm preparing for it to be louder than my current set-up for sure, but I should be able to provide a pretty good view as to its actual noise level, as people tend to call things silent when they're really not. I don't foresee it being a big problem noise-wise though in my P183.

How high are your CPU temps? There's not much reason to lower temps just for the sake of it, to be honest.

The GTX 580 will certainly be a little louder than your current card, but yeah it exhausts about 50% of the hot air out the back (while much of it still goes in the case), so ambient temps should go down, overall.

 

[wandering goat]

How high are your CPU temps? There's not much reason to lower temps just for the sake of it, to be honest.

The GTX 580 will certainly be a little louder than your current card, but yeah it exhausts about 50% of the hot air out the back (while much of it still goes in the case), so ambient temps should go down, overall.

Given some time with Prime95, they can still get to around 80 or so, all the more so if I don't increase the heatsink fans' RPMs. I think the 212+ would actually have gone higher had I let it too. I probably won't really ever get near that high while just gaming, but I am wondering exactly how much closing the top exhaust makes a difference as I do get the feeling that the temps don't stabilize as fast as they should, implying some hot air may not be leaving the case too efficiently, a problem I didn't have with the HAF 922. If the lower ambient temps from a more closed off card doesn't do the trick, it's not much of a problem for me to cut some of the foam from the top off and find out anyway.

Not in a big hurry to do that though as dust build up is almost none existent right now, and the noise level is very nice. It's more that I like things to be set-up as perfectly as they can be, and would rather keep fan RPM low to achieve adequate cooling, particularly in the summer where ambient temps should be higher than what I've had so far. As a side note, I did do a motherboard driver update when problem solving issues with installing my graphics card, and I think the temps reported post update have been higher, so it's kind of hard for me to say how much hotter this case / set-up is versus my old HAF922, and my CPU's always run pretty hot, especially considering its relatively low voltage (4 GHz i5 760 at 1.24 volts).

 

[Naked Snake]

So I went and bought the second monitor.

Running a dual setup of 1920x1200 high-end IPS monitors is going to be so sweet after years on a 1440x900 TN laptop display

 

[Kyaw]

Buy another for triple screen gaming.

 

[L0st Id3ntity]

I'm letting you know people Circuit City has the Zotac GTX 480 for 320$ with free shipping: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003N18TEC/?tag=neogaf0e-20

wtf

...So I grabbed me one. :lol

Yesterday I was just randomly checking prices, I already own a zotac 480 from about a year ago (got it for 520$), so at that price another one should be a nice upgrade for supersampling shit.

 

[ZBR]

I hope this is the right thread to post this in considering it involves speakers for my computer.

So I was wondering if I could somehow connect a pair of these speakers

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290204

to this subwoofer?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290034

and then from that subwoofer to this sound card?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132014

if I could I would like to connect a center speaker also to the subwoofer. any help would be much appreciated.

 

[ithorien]

Ok guys, I need some help with achieving 5.1 dolby digital on my system. Short story:

My PC is hooked up to my 55" Sony TV. For some reason, via HDMI the PC only reconizes 2 speakers (there are 2 physical speakers on the TV), but I have an Optical Cable going from the TV to the Receiver. My 360 and Cable box are direct connect to the TV via HDMI, but they do output to 5.1. My PS3 and PC do not for some odd reason.

So, my motherboard has a Optical Out and for the life of me, I cannot get it to output to 5.1. All I can get in the desktop or in a game is 2.0 sound. I have the latest drivers and all, but it is a no go. Even thought I found a way to test DTS and DD in the menu, there is no setting or way I can figure out to get 5.1 output.

Would it be better to go with a dedicated sound card instead? Any recommnedation on one that is not too expensive. Main reason is right now the PC is routed through the receiver and then the receiver to the TV. I would rather go direct to the TV instead of going though a passthrough on the receiver. With the passthrough I do get 5.1 though.

Back about a million pages there's a pretty thorough explanation that onboard optical/coax does not put out 5.1 sound, it's just a limitation of the chip. Buy an Asus Xonar card for $30, problem solved.

Either way you should be taking the audio from the PC directly to the receiver, not through your television.

I hope this is the right thread to post this in considering it involves speakers for my computer.

So I was wondering if I could somehow connect a pair of these speakers

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290204

to this subwoofer?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290034

and then from that subwoofer to this sound card?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132014

if I could I would like to connect a center speaker also to the subwoofer. any help would be much appreciated.

The idea is good, but it unfortunately won't work. The speaker level inputs on the sub aren't for speakers. They're also called high level inputs, and those are there if your receiver doesn't have an out for the sub in the form of RCA/coax, and you have to use speaker wiring.

You'll have to get an amp/receiver.

 

[ZBR]

The idea is good, but it unfortunately won't work. The speaker level inputs on the sub aren't for speakers. They're also called high level inputs, and those are there if your receiver doesn't have an out for the sub in the form of RCA/coax, and you have to use speaker wiring.

You'll have to get an amp/receiver.

I guess my idea at trying to cheat the system didn't quite work out then /-:

if I were to get this system...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121120&Tpk=Logitech Z-5500

would I be able to plug in the Polk audio speakers mentioned in my previous post?

would you recommend a nice sound card as well please? audio has never been my stronh suit in the electronic world.

 

[ithorien]

I guess my idea at trying to cheat the system didn't quite work out then /-:

if I were to get this system...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121120&Tpk=Logitech Z-5500

would I be able to plug in the Polk audio speakers mentioned in my previous post?

would you recommend a nice sound card as well please? audio has never been my stronh suit in the electronic world.

The sub on the logitech system works as a hub to the speakers, so on paper there should be no issue at all swapping in the polks in place of two of those speakers. From the pics it looks like it's all just analog speaker inputs.

In terms of sound card, a lot of people here like the $30 Asus Xonar, it does 5.1 well and is really cheap. Looks like you should be able to run optical from the Xonar to the logitech controller as well.

 

[ZBR]

The sub on the logitech system works as a hub to the speakers, so on paper there should be no issue at all swapping in the polks in place of two of those speakers. From the pics it looks like it's all just analog speaker inputs.

In terms of sound card, a lot of people here like the $30 Asus Xonar, it does 5.1 well and is really cheap. Looks like you should be able to run optical from the Xonar to the logitech controller as well.

Thank you! Your help was greatly appreciated!

 

[drkOne]

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 480 SUPER OC for £250 shipped. Good deal?
I could get a Asus 6950 2GB for the same price and flash it. Not sure which one would be a better purchase right now though.
Opinions?

 

[Kyaw]

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 480 SUPER OC for £250 shipped. Good deal?
I could get a Asus 6950 2GB for the same price and flash it. Not sure which one would be a better purchase right now though.
Opinions?

Its a good deal but those SOC cards are not stable with the advertised clock speeds. I've seen lots of complaints on OCUK forums. Get the 6950 and flash it to 6970 or wait for Gigabyte 480 SE cards prices to fall. I got the SE version for £202 from OCUK about a month ago.
They should go down as the stock amount decrease.

If you have plans for watercooling, get the normal Asus card. If you are feeling adventurous, get the SOC and see if its stable or not. If the card you get is not stable, just RMA it.

 

[ZZMitch]

I am about to click purchase for this video card - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127562

MSI R6950 Twin Frozr II OC Radeon HD 6950 2GB

What say you, GAF? Good deal? It is right on the edge of my price range.

 

[Kyaw]

I am about to click purchase for this video card - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127562

MSI R6950 Twin Frozr II OC Radeon HD 6950 2GB

What say you, GAF? Good deal? It is right on the edge of my price range.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127555

Get this and flash to 6970. Follow this easy guide.

 

[ZZMitch]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127555

Get this and flash to 6970. Follow this easy guide.

Ok, thanks for the link! Do you know how the heat and noise levels are for this card though? It was one of the things I liked about the card I linked.

 

[Kyaw]

Heat and noise is going to be a bit worse than the custom cooler card. But if you are looking at upgrading the cooler or going watercooling, the reference card has better compatibility.

Guys, shall i splash £380 on watercooling my Phenom II X4 940 and 480 for better overclocking?
The main reason i wanted to go watercooling is for the gtx480 since its so hot and i want to squeeze all the power its capable of. £380 includes a new case, gpu/cpu block, mosfet heatsinks, tubing, 2x240mm radiators, 4 Scythe GT fans, pump/res combo and fittings.

 

[ZZMitch]

Heat and noise is going to be a bit worse than the custom cooler card. But if you are looking at upgrading the cooler or going watercooling, the reference card is more compatible.

Alright, well thanks for the info, that card is a bit cheaper as well... I will do a bit more research!

 

[catapult37]

Agh!! I'm going crazy. I have disabled every power management feature that I know about, and according to CPU-Z my multiplier still drops down a few seconds after bootup, under no load and low temps.

I've got a 2500K, and this Gigabyte P67. I followed OC directions from bit-tech that are specific to this board.

I have...
- disabled C1E
- disabed EIST
- disabled CPU Thermal monitor
- set Windows to High Performance, and set the CPU min/max to 100%/100%.

I've got a hyper 212 and temps are in the mid 20s when this happens. I don't even have to do anything.

I have enabled Real-time Ratio Changes in the OS. This disables some Turbo-related options and sets them all to auto (Intel Turbo Boost Tech, "Turbo Ratio" for each core, and Turbo Power Limit and Core Current Limit -- see this image for details). Maybe something in those settings needs to be disabled? Not sure why bit-tech would not mention that.

I boot up, CPU-Z shows my 45x multiplier, then it goes to 37, 34, and sits there. Suggestions?

 

[Shambles]

Agh!! I'm going crazy. I have disabled every power management feature that I know about, and according to CPU-Z my multiplier still drops down a few seconds after bootup, under no load and low temps.

I've got a 2500K, and this Gigabyte P67. I followed OC directions from bit-tech that are specific to this board.

I have...
- disabled C1E
- disabed EIST
- disabled CPU Thermal monitor
- set Windows to High Performance, and set the CPU min/max to 100%/100%.

I've got a hyper 212 and temps are in the mid 20s when this happens. I don't even have to do anything.

I have enabled Real-time Ratio Changes in the OS. This disables some Turbo-related options and sets them all to auto (Intel Turbo Boost Tech, "Turbo Ratio" for each core, and Turbo Power Limit and Core Current Limit -- see this image for details). Maybe something in those settings needs to be disabled? Not sure why bit-tech would not mention that.

I boot up, CPU-Z shows my 45x multiplier, then it goes to 37, 34, and sits there. Suggestions?

Why would you want it running hotter than it needs to be?

 

[TheExodu5]

Agh!! I'm going crazy. I have disabled every power management feature that I know about, and according to CPU-Z my multiplier still drops down a few seconds after bootup, under no load and low temps.

I've got a 2500K, and this Gigabyte P67. I followed OC directions from bit-tech that are specific to this board.

I have...
- disabled C1E
- disabed EIST
- disabled CPU Thermal monitor
- set Windows to High Performance, and set the CPU min/max to 100%/100%.

I've got a hyper 212 and temps are in the mid 20s when this happens. I don't even have to do anything.

I have enabled Real-time Ratio Changes in the OS. This disables some Turbo-related options and sets them all to auto (Intel Turbo Boost Tech, "Turbo Ratio" for each core, and Turbo Power Limit and Core Current Limit -- see this image for details). Maybe something in those settings needs to be disabled? Not sure why bit-tech would not mention that.

I boot up, CPU-Z shows my 45x multiplier, then it goes to 37, 34, and sits there. Suggestions?

Sounds like you overclocked using Turbo mode. Disable turbo and just set the base multiplier to 45x.

Given some time with Prime95, they can still get to around 80 or so, all the more so if I don't increase the heatsink fans' RPMs. I think the 212+ would actually have gone higher had I let it too. I probably won't really ever get near that high while just gaming, but I am wondering exactly how much closing the top exhaust makes a difference as I do get the feeling that the temps don't stabilize as fast as they should, implying some hot air may not be leaving the case too efficiently, a problem I didn't have with the HAF 922. If the lower ambient temps from a more closed off card doesn't do the trick, it's not much of a problem for me to cut some of the foam from the top off and find out anyway.

Not in a big hurry to do that though as dust build up is almost none existent right now, and the noise level is very nice. It's more that I like things to be set-up as perfectly as they can be, and would rather keep fan RPM low to achieve adequate cooling, particularly in the summer where ambient temps should be higher than what I've had so far. As a side note, I did do a motherboard driver update when problem solving issues with installing my graphics card, and I think the temps reported post update have been higher, so it's kind of hard for me to say how much hotter this case / set-up is versus my old HAF922, and my CPU's always run pretty hot, especially considering its relatively low voltage (4 GHz i5 760 at 1.24 volts).

Yeah, well there's only so much that can be done. The P183 is a hot case...it's the price you pay for trying to keep it quiet.

Out of curiosity, how do you feel about the noise levels vs the HAF 922? Assuming you kept the 922 case fan speeds fairly low.

 

[catapult37]

Why would you want it running hotter than it needs to be?

That's not the point. I was trying to run prime95 and it didn't clock back up -- unless maybe I am not doing that right. Hrm, let me just try some things....

 

[catapult37]

Sounds like you overclocked using Turbo mode. Disable turbo and just set the base multiplier to 45x.

I didn't, at least as far as I understand. Settings are identical to those shown in the images here: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2011/01/07/how-to-overclock-the-intel-core-i5-2500k/4

 

[Shambles]

That's not the point. I was trying to run prime95 and it didn't clock back up -- unless maybe I am not doing that right. Hrm, let me just try some things....

I realize it's not what you're trying to do, but some people are still under the impression that CPU throttling reduces performance and is something that should be disabled for enthusiasts trying to squeeze more juice out of their chips when in reality there is no up-side to disabling these power/heat saving features. That being said if it's not ramping up under load there is a problem. *points to exodus's post*

If you reset the BIOS settings to default does the multiplier ramp up like it should?

 

[catapult37]

I realize it's not what you're trying to do, but some people are still under the impression that CPU throttling reduces performance and is something that should be disabled for enthusiasts trying to squeeze more juice out of their chips when in reality there is no up-side to disabling these power/heat saving features. That being said if it's not ramping up under load there is a problem. *points to exodus's post*

If you reset the BIOS settings to default does the multiplier ramp up like it should?

Edit: Wait, no, it's not just me. Even while prime is running the cpu 100%, the multiplier as shown in CPU-Z drops from the current 42x down to 34x. Is this a sign of an unstable overclock or am I just missing something?

 

[vexvegaz]

looks like i found my 2600k's ceiling, at least a ceiling with a vcore and temp im semi comfortable with.

this is in no way a 24/7 OC and my reach for 5ghz will have to wait..

 

[knitoe]

looks like i found my 2600k's ceiling, at least a ceiling with a vcore and temp im semi comfortable with.

this is in no way a 24/7 OC and my reach for 5ghz will have to wait..

Yikes. CPU 1.47V. I wouldn't even do 1.35V on 24/7 overclock.

 

[Shambles]

Edit: Wait, no, it's not just me. Even while prime is running the cpu 100%, the multiplier as shown in CPU-Z drops from the current 42x down to 34x. Is this a sign of an unstable overclock or am I just missing something?

The only time the multiplier should drop under load is if the thermal throttles kick in. It doesn't make sense to me either if your temps are fine and it looks like you've disabled the thermal controls. It could be a hardware problem, I'm also wondering if you tone back the overclock/overvoltage if behavior returns to normal of these problems occur even under stock BIOS settings.

 

[vexvegaz]

Yikes. CPU 1.47V. I wouldn't even do 1.35V on 24/7 overclock.

yah. way too high for me too but i had to try it at least once.

relatively speaking, i think i got unlucky with a mediocre chip. but 4.5ghz on 1.28 - 1.3 vcore for 24/7 is good enough for now.

 

[Zeliard]

yah. way too high for me too but i had to try it at least once.

relatively speaking, i think i got unlucky with a mediocre chip. but 4.5ghz on 1.28 - 1.3 vcore for 24/7 is good enough for now.

Experiment with the offset voltage to try and get that core voltage down if you're looking to really try 4.8. Also, make sure you have a decent CPU cooler, though I assume you took care of that already.

 

[JaseC]

looks like i found my 2600k's ceiling, at least a ceiling with a vcore and temp im semi comfortable with.

this is in no way a 24/7 OC and my reach for 5ghz will have to wait..

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j213/vexvegaz/4800.png

That image would be informative if it were at all legible.

Edit: Well, it's legible, but barely.

 

[vexvegaz]

Experiment with the offset voltage to try and get that core voltage down if you're looking to really try 4.8. Also, make sure you have a decent CPU cooler, though I assume you took care of that already.

yea. tried pretty much every trick in the book to get it to stabalize to as low of a vcore as possible but to no avail. as far as cooling goes, the chip n 570 is WC'ed but i would need a better rad or maybe ever add nother 120*2 rad to make any significant difference.

 

[catapult37]

The only time the multiplier should drop under load is if the thermal throttles kick in. It doesn't make sense to me either if your temps are fine and it looks like you've disabled the thermal controls. It could be a hardware problem, I'm also wondering if you tone back the overclock/overvoltage if behavior returns to normal of these problems occur even under stock BIOS settings.

Well, at stock settings the multiplier starts at 34x and stays there during prime95 tests. When overclocked, it would start high and drop back down to 34x, but never lower. Still seems like some power conserving feature I missed, doesn't it?

 

[wandering goat]

Out of curiosity, how do you feel about the noise levels vs the HAF 922? Assuming you kept the 922 case fan speeds fairly low.

It's hard to say since the Noctua fans I bought probably make the most difference, but it's definitely a good deal quieter than HAF922 with stock fans that were slowed down. The open nature of the 922 lets the noise of all of the components inside come right out without obstruction, so things like the CPU cooler and GPU are definitely quieter in the P183 (the loudest part of my system is my front fan). For example, my D14 at 700/800 rpm makes about as much, or a bit less, noise than my front fan at 600 rpm does. The best way I can describe the noise is that my system is almost inaudible, mostly you just hear a very low level of air movement and only really when you're listening for it, especially at night with virtually no other ambient noise.

Once I have the new GPU, I can compare the case to my dad's computer, which now uses my old 922 with lowered fan speeds and let you know how it sounds (subjectively) in comparison. I'm guessing that the HAF X may be a bit quieter due to its bigger fans, but it does have the additional side fan.

 

[Shambles]

Well, at stock settings the multiplier starts at 34x and stays there during prime95 tests. When overclocked, it would start high and drop back down to 34x, but never lower. Still seems like some power conserving feature I missed, doesn't it?

I'm wondering if the problem occurs less frequently or severely the lower the overclock. If it's reducing multiplier under load it seems more like a thermal control than a power conservation control. Try keeping your BCLK at 1000 instead of 1005 for now. I see somoone has reported their OC process here that is a lot more simple than what was done on that other guide. I'd suggest trying that.

 

[Naked Snake]

My computer keeps turning on by itself when it's in Hibernation. I disabled every potentially suspect setting in the BIOS and also disconnected the LAN cable, and it's still doing it.

 

[K.Jack]

Tomorrow will be my first day with an AMD GPU. Are there any go-to programs I should know about using?

 

[Hawk269]

Back about a million pages there's a pretty thorough explanation that onboard optical/coax does not put out 5.1 sound, it's just a limitation of the chip. Buy an Asus Xonar card for $30, problem solved.

Either way you should be taking the audio from the PC directly to the receiver, not through your television.




The idea is good, but it unfortunately won't work. The speaker level inputs on the sub aren't for speakers. They're also called high level inputs, and those are there if your receiver doesn't have an out for the sub in the form of RCA/coax, and you have to use speaker wiring.

You'll have to get an amp/receiver.

Thanks man. I will order that sound card you suggested. I really want to have HDMI direct to the TV, but also get 5.1, so if this is the way it will work, then I will go this route. This way audio is straight from the PC to the Receiver and Video is direct to the TV from the PC.

Thanks again!

 

[Rufus]

Tomorrow will be my first day with an AMD GPU. Are there any go-to programs I should know about using?

http://www.radeonpro.info/

Performance profiles, can force Triple Buffering, Vsync, and AA, takes screenshots, fps display, etc. Quite useful.

 

[Corky]

Had my pc for maybe two weeks now here's some quick thoughts.

Corsair xms3 : I'm surprised at the stability of these sticks, I've been able to run them between 1.5v and 1.65 and different speeds. Happy to see they work flawlessly regardless of running them at rated settings or not.

2600k : my chip happened to be an average OCer, luck of the draw as someone said. But even with that I managed to get a 4.6ghz OC with 1.36v.

Asus p67 deluxe mb : I do thoroughly enjoy the UEFI instead of the old bios interface. I wish the x8/x8 pci-e slots were abit further apart. Also I have the once on a fullmoon doubleboot issue, but luckily Hawk put my fears to rest by pointing out this was a known issue.

Case corsair 600T : wonderful case, love cases like these that allows for easy cablemanagement and easy to open sidepanels. Lots of room for the airflow and included fans are rather good. One big problem, the case is basically perforated at the top, and I don't think they even tried to keep the soundlevels low.

noctua dh14 : This is wierd, I'm not sure if this is because of my case ( most likely it is ) but I almost couldnt hear my old 212+ in my previous pc but this one is rather loud.

560 ti sli : same old same old, running SLI has always minor quips, but that's why you save money ; gotta do some dirty work yourself. Other than that I love the performance per dollar of the 560 sli setup. If I could buy again with a higher budget I'd def go for 2gb since even if you only play at 1080p, when you introduce things like supersampling - more vram is always welcome.

microsoft sidewinder keyboard ; not much to say, I like it for its price.

logitech mx518 mouse : this was one of the downgrades, I actually owned a G5 but for some reason accidentally bought the nonlaser, optic mx518. It feels less "robust" as the G5, feels plasticy.

 

[ZZMitch]

http://www.radeonpro.info/

Performance profiles, can force Triple Buffering, Vsync, and AA, takes screenshots, fps display, etc. Quite useful.

I will be switching to an AMD card for the first time as well... I can still use D3Doverrider for triple buffering and vsync etc right? That program has been great and I would like to keep using it if it is just as good...

Also, the only thing I need to do when switching from an nvidia card to an amd card is to remove the nvidia drivers with driver sweeper while in safe mode and then install the latest amd drivers right?

I am kind of new to building and have never switched video cards before so I just want to make sure I am not missing anything!

 

[Gvaz]

I need a gigabit cable router/gateway/modem thing, it doesn't have to have wireless. I'd prefer something other than motorola for this.

What are my options?

It doesn't have to be an all in one, it just has to be able to be used like a sort of modem for cable and be gigabit

 

[wandering goat]

noctua dh14 : This is wierd, I'm not sure if this is because of my case ( most likely it is ) but I almost couldnt hear my old 212+ in my previous pc but this one is rather loud.

If you're talking about the noise at idle, then it should be louder, as the 212+ can lower its RPM down to 600. Unless you have a fan controller, you could try to see if you can control the Noctua fans through the motherboard with voltage controls (I think Asus usually doesn't allow you to control 3-pins in the CPU fan slot, but it should allow voltage control through the chassis fan slots). You can use SpeedFan to lower the RPM to a level you like, as I believe Asus' chassis fan controls through Fan Xpert are limited and have a minimum level of 60% speed (which translates to about 900/800 RPM at minimum for the two Noctuas). Alternatively, you can just use the ULNAs and have the fans run at a constant 900 rpm, which should probably still provide all the cooling you need, but at a lower sound level.

 

[Emily Chu]

I have a AMD 955 PHII X4 (should be enough for Battlefield 3 right) ?
4GB RAM
8800GT
650W PSU

what GPU should I buy to run Battlefield 3 in Nov ? or can I buy one now for 150$ ?

GTX 460?

would a 560-660 GTX be out by then @ 150$ ?

 

[nara]

I'm getting ready for my build.. as much as i want a pure matte black theme (gigabyte ud4), i'm getting mixed reviews against asus p67 pro..

so far what i got
msi 6950 2gb x2 (not pure black like xfx 6950 2gb 695x...but not unlockable)
ax850
g700, k800

 

[Advance_Alarm]

Buying this tomorrow afternoon. First time building a PC, I've watched all 3 videos in the OP and another that uses the same motherboard (here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUY0tP5jYIo) that I'm using. Can anyone look over this and see if I am missing something important or tell any tips to make my first build a success?

Current Spec: Gateway M6827
Core 2 Duo @ 2.0Ghz
3GB RAM
Integrated Graphics

Must be able to play: Counter-Strike:Source, Day of Defeat Source, Rome/Medieval/Empire/Napoleon Total War, Battlefield 3

Buying tomorrow:

MOBO and CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 955 Black Edition, ASUS M4A87TD EVO AM3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.628393
GPU: GIGABYTE Radeon HD 6850 1GB w/ free Shogun 2: Total War http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.620433
Power Supply: Seasonic 520w http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094
DVD Drive: Lite-On DVD Burner http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289
HDD: Samsung F3 500GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181
RAM: 4GB GSkill Ripjaws http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277
Wireless Adapter: TP-Link Wireless USB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833704045
Case: Centurion 5 II Black

 

[Unknown Soldier]

My computer keeps turning on by itself when it's in Hibernation. I disabled every potentially suspect setting in the BIOS and also disconnected the LAN cable, and it's still doing it.

Windows Control Panel -> Power Options -> Change plan settings -> Change advaned power options -> Sleep -> Allow Wake Timers set to Disabled.