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[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Found the problem - As soon as I turned off MS Security Essentials Live Scan thingie, everything went smooth again. Damnit MS

Live scan is a bitch on old machines no matter what company makes the Antivirus. Your shit be old son.

OK what's SB?

Sandy Bridge, the new Intel chips coming out in a week or two.

Exactly, live scan on a relatively recent machine shouldn't cause any problems at all.

Ya, my first response was really? I'm surprised it did that but edited when I remembered his specs.

 

[Mr_Brit]

Live scan is a bitch on old machines no matter what company makes the Antivirus. Your shit be old son.

Exactly, live scan on a relatively recent machine shouldn't cause any problems at all.

 

[FromTheFuture]

Hey guys, I've run into some extra money and I've been thinking about upgrading my rig. I currently have:

Phenom II X3 @ 3.4 GHz
Radeon HD4870 512MB
4GB DDR2-1066 RAM
GIGABYTE GA-MA770-UD3 AM2+/AM2

I was wondering if there is anything worth upgrading / what the bottleneck in my rig is / what I should upgrade to?I wouldn't really mind upgrading all of it if there are some good deals or some new hardware I should really get. Actually I'm not too sure how my rig stacks up; it seems like new hardware is being released constantly. Any help would be very appreciated, thanks!

 

[Mr_Brit]

Hey guys, I've run into some extra money and I've been thinking about upgrading my rig. I currently have:

Phenom II X3 @ 3.4 GHz
Radeon HD4870 512MB
4GB DDR2-1066 RAM
GIGABYTE GA-MA770-UD3 AM2+/AM2

I was wondering if there is anything worth upgrading / what the bottleneck in my rig is / what I should upgrade to?I wouldn't really mind upgrading all of it if there are some good deals or some new hardware I should really get. Actually I'm not too sure how my rig stacks up; it seems like new hardware is being released constantly. Any help would be very appreciated, thanks!

Only bottleneck for 99% of games is going to the GPU. If you can, unlock and OC that CPU to a quadcore. GPU wise I'd either get a 6950 and unlock that to a 6970 or wait for the GTX 560 coming in January which should be the new bang for buck champion GPU.

 

[B33]

Eh, 500W from a good brand should be perfectly serviceable. Maybe bump it to 550W or 600W depending on if you think you'll upgrade to a more power hungry PSU eventually or plug lots of shit into your usb or something.

This has always been good to give you a rough ballpark. Most important thing is to buy a good brand.

Thank you kindly.

What would be a "good brand"? Corsair?

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Hey guys, I've run into some extra money and I've been thinking about upgrading my rig. I currently have:

Phenom II X3 @ 3.4 GHz
Radeon HD4870 512MB
4GB DDR2-1066 RAM
GIGABYTE GA-MA770-UD3 AM2+/AM2

I was wondering if there is anything worth upgrading / what the bottleneck in my rig is / what I should upgrade to?I wouldn't really mind upgrading all of it if there are some good deals or some new hardware I should really get. Actually I'm not too sure how my rig stacks up; it seems like new hardware is being released constantly. Any help would be very appreciated, thanks!

Probably gain the most by upgrading your GPU but it's not bad depending on your standards. You might be limited upgrading processor wise since I can't find if your older board supports the new 140W processors. Is there any reason you want to upgrade or you just have extra cash?

Thank you kindly.

What would be a "good brand"? Corsair?

Corsair, Antec, and Seasonic are like the top 3 brands. Also, if it's not much more get one that is at least an "80 Plus" certified, they're better PSUs.

 

[Hazaro]

Thank you kindly.

What would be a "good brand"? Corsair?

Seasonic, TX and HX Corsair, the builder series isn't that good, Antec. Most 80+ certified PSUs.

 

[AppleMIX]

Planning on upgrading my CPU soon. Any suggestions?

 

[Mr_Brit]

Planning on upgrading my CPU soon. Any suggestions?

Sandy Bridge, i5 2500K.

 

[Hazaro]

Planning on upgrading my CPU soon. Any suggestions?

I'd ride that pad mod out as long as you can imo. Only upgrade if you feel like you need to.
Otherwise 2500K

 

[Korranator]

Sandy Bridge, the new Intel chips coming out in a week or two.

ahhhh.

Thanks, good to know.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

http://oi53.tinypic.com/2holmo1.jpg

Planning on upgrading my CPU soon. Any suggestions?[/QUOTE]

Any reason to? That was a pretty nice chip that still isn't a slouch. You'd have to get a new board and such if you want to upgrade so maybe ride it out unless you really want to upgrade

 

[Deleted member 10571]

Live scan is a bitch on old machines no matter what company makes the Antivirus. Your shit be old son.

Its a brand new Win7, Phenom X4, 4Gig, HD6850 Damnit! This doesn't make ANY sense at all!

 

[FromTheFuture]

Only bottleneck for 99% of games is going to the GPU. If you can, unlock and OC that CPU to a quadcore. GPU wise I'd either get a 6950 and unlock that to a 6970 or wait for the GTX 560 coming in January which should be the new bang for buck champion GPU.

How would I go about unlocking the 4th core? I read things about it when I first purchased the CPU, but I remember reading something about a certain version of the X3 not being unlockable. I assumed that mine was that one, so I never looked any further into that whole thing.

Probably gain the most by upgrading your GPU but it's not bad depending on your standards. You might be limited upgrading processor wise since I can't find if your older board supports the new 140W processors. Is there any reason you want to upgrade or you just have extra cash?.

Well, I ran into some extra cash, but I never liked my GPU much either. I got it as a recommendation from the 2010 PC thread. It's from PowerColor; I don't even know if the brand even matters, but it's kind of off putting. It's a tad loud when games start going as well, it even had some fan issues when I first got it. Also, with - what it seems like - so many new hardware releases, I assumed I could do a bit better. I mostly want a increase in frame rate stability across my games as well.

I mean, if it turns out it's not worth upgrading yet, I won't. No use in wasting money.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Its a brand new Win7, Phenom X4, 4Gig, HD6850 Damnit! This doesn't make ANY sense at all!

O, I only raed teh beginning somehow and didn't catch you upgraded... That's weird as hell, I've never had a problem with it. Is it all the way up to date?

How would I go about unlocking the 4th core? I read things about it when I first purchased the CPU, but I remember reading something about a certain version of the X3 not being unlockable. I assumed that mine was that one, so I never looked any further into that whole thing.


Well, I ran into some extra cash, but I never liked my GPU much either. I got it as a recommendation from the 2010 PC thread. It's from PowerColor; I don't even know if the brand even matters, but it's kind of off putting. It's a tad loud when games start going as well, it even had some fan issues when I first got it. Also, with - what it seems like - so many new hardware releases, I assumed I could do a bit better. I mostly want a increase in frame rate stability across my games as well.

I mean, if it turns out it's not worth upgrading yet, I won't. No use in wasting money.

Some are, some aren't it depends on when the chip was made but it doesn't hurt anything. Try to unlock, if it isn't stable then you can't and just turn it back to a tri-core processor. Well, no GPU is exactly quite especially under heavy load... But if you want better FPS you should get a nice boost from upgrading your GPU. What resolution do you game at?

All Phenom IIs can unlock, they're all the same chip. Check if your motherboard has ACC, if it does then you can unlock to an X4 but check if it's stable first.

All can unlock but not all are stable which is what I think he's getting at. If it's old enough it was the ones that were quads with a defective core, it was only when they became popular and they didn't have enough defective chips that they simply locked out a core to have supply keep up with demand.

 

[Mr_Brit]

How would I go about unlocking the 4th core? I read things about it when I first purchased the CPU, but I remember reading something about a certain version of the X3 not being unlockable. I assumed that mine was that one, so I never looked any further into that whole thing.


Well, I ran into some extra cash, but I never liked my GPU much either. I got it as a recommendation from the 2010 PC thread. It's from PowerColor; I don't even know if the brand even matters, but it's kind of off putting. It's a tad loud when games start going as well, it even had some fan issues when I first got it. Also, with - what it seems like - so many new hardware releases, I assumed I could do a bit better. I mostly want a increase in frame rate stability across my games as well.

I mean, if it turns out it's not worth upgrading yet, I won't. No use in wasting money.

All Phenom IIs can unlock, they're all the same chip. To unlock turn ACC on and firmware to hybrid mode in your BIOS and reboot. Use OCCT and prime 95 in windows to check for stability.

 

[Deleted member 10571]

O, I only raed teh beginning somehow and didn't catch you upgraded... That's weird as hell, I've never had a problem with it. Is it all the way up to date?

Afaik yes, Windows is up to date, Catalyst too. I haven't figured out how to update the GA-870A-UD3 mainboard yet (if that's even reasonable), and so far I got no other stuff installed except for Steam and a Xbox pad. Like I said, brand new machine.

 

[SilverLunar]

wow $500 for a i5 SB on ebay, argh!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Brand-new-Intel...dge-/320634030213?pt=CPUs&hash=item4aa7470885

 

[Hazaro]

wow $500 for a i5 SB on ebay, argh!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Brand-new-Intel...dge-/320634030213?pt=CPUs&hash=item4aa7470885

That's because it is not out yet and only leaked stores / people are selling them.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Afaik yes, Windows is up to date, Catalyst too. I haven't figured out how to update the GA-870A-UD3 mainboard yet (if that's even reasonable), and so far I got no other stuff installed except for Steam and a Xbox pad. Like I said, brand new machine.

That's really weird, is MSE up to date also? It should be doing that as even my shitty tablet doesn't stutter with MSE. Maybe a driver or something issue is causing problems?

 

[FromTheFuture]

Some are, some aren't it depends on when the chip was made but it doesn't hurt anything. Try to unlock, if it isn't stable then you can't and just turn it back to a tri-core processor. Well, no GPU is exactly quite especially under heavy load... But if you want better FPS you should get a nice boost from upgrading your GPU. What resolution do you game at?.

Ah, I forgot to mention that I play at 1920x1080.

The most important thing to me is ensuring that my FPS doesn't dip all over the place. Otherwise, I love the look and feel of 60 FPS. I'm absolutely by no means a graphics whore or anything. I can live with what I have even if my settings aren't really maxed out, but it's nice to enjoy games with a stable, high FPS. I also play quite a few games competitively, so for example, I might be playing a shooter and poor aliasing or crappy shadows can kind of mess with my head. I'd rather just avoid that, but turning up some of my settings drops my FPS lower than I would like.

All Phenom IIs can unlock, they're all the same chip. To unlock turn ACC on and firmware to hybrid mode in your BIOS and reboot. Use OCCT and prime 95 in windows to check for stability.

Alright thanks, I'll give it a try.

 

[Ikuu]

Not sure if I should upgrade my Q6600 to one of the SB models, all I'm playing these days is SC2 and BC2, so not sure if I should bother. However I do want something new :lol

 

[·feist·]

Go away for a bit and you guys spring a new thread on me.

So much for that OP I was working on...

The OP of PC threads always gets banned so I decided not to post on 01-01-2011 :lol

Well, it's been nice knowing you, Hazaro. Shame, you had helped so many of the users in these threads.

I just want to champion the mother of all PSUs, the Antec High Current Pro 1200.

http://hardocp.com/images/articles/1286330964dpp74JQIER_2_1_l.jpg

After reading this [H] review I fell in love with it and ordered one. If you are going to do some serious SLI/CF buils, you need a PSU that can handle it, and this PSU is currently rated as the best. I still haven't got it, but I will post my impressions once I install it in my case.

Fantastic PSU, but until SeaSonic potentially takes that crown with their new 1000w+ units, Corsair's new Flextronics-made 1200w model is the one to beat. Silverstone has been sourcing high quality OEMs for some of their latest Striders as well.

In a few cases, you have such evenly matched performance that things come down to basic preference, really.

XFX HD-687A-ZNFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
$249.99 -$10.00 Instant -$20.00 Mail In Rebate $219.99

COOLER MASTER RC-692-KKN3 CM690 II Basic Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Case
$79.99 -$10.00 Instant $69.99

SeaSonic X650 Gold 650W ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
$179.99 -$45.00 Instant $134.99

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
$69.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
$52.99

Subtotal: $547.95
Intel i5-2500k + $216
LGA 1155 mobo + $150

That's my $900 build entering the new year. Add an OCZ 60GB SSD and it'll still be under $1000.

Budget: $700-$800 (USA)
Main Use: Gaming and general use.
Monitor Resolution: 1280x1024 (HP monitor recycled from a previous build). Will upgrade to a monitor with HDMI in the future.
Specific Games I'd Like to Play: Mass Effect Series, Portal 1 and 2, Left 4 Dead 1 and 2, Team Fortress 2, Half-Life 2, Various Telltale titles, Crysis.

COOLER MASTER RC-692-KKN3 CM690 II Basic Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $69.99

ASUS M4N98TD EVO AM3 NVIDIA nForce 980a SLI ATX AMD Motherboard $139.99

EVGA 768-P3-1360-TR GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 768MB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card $169.99

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOX $159.99

Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $64.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL $52.99

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM $99.99

Total: $754.93

As far as a power supply goes, what would provide a suitable amount of power for this rig as it currently stands?
Would it be beneficial to purchase a SSD rather than the Hard Drive tentatively chosen?
Overall thoughts?

I'd highly recommend the 690 II Advanced over the above options.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00336EM0W/?tag=neogaf0e-20

When you consider Newegg charges $70 for the Basic, plus $10 shipping, whereas, Amazon lists the Advance at $80 with free shipping, it's an easy choice.

While some of the CM 690 II Advance's direct competitors beat it in one or more areas, you will not find a better all-around case for the money. You would need a deal/price drop and something that can match its feature set.

Planning on upgrading my CPU soon. Any suggestions?

Will this not clock any higher on your current motherboard? SB will already provide a healthy boost in performance, but unless you feel absolutely compelled to upgrade right now, I'd wait another year or so (if you can be patient). In that time you'll see what Bulldozer 1 is capable of, and Ivy Bridge is slated for Q4 2011, or early Q1 2012 at the latest. It's going to take a feat of engineering for AMD to match Ivy's performance/watt (which btw will be a massive improvement over your current CPU and a great upgrade). By this time next year you'll also come across some Sandy deals if you decide to go that route.

Not sure if I should upgrade my Q6600 to one of the SB models, all I'm playing these days is SC2 and BC2, so not sure if I should bother. However I do want something new :lol

SC2 and other CPU-bound titles see a very healthy boost in performance over gen 1 Core i.

 

[Deleted member 10571]

That's really weird, is MSE up to date also? It should be doing that as even my shitty tablet doesn't stutter with MSE. Maybe a driver or something issue is causing problems?

MSE is up to date, and I didn't notice stuttering or anything in any other application or game so far - it's just freaking Bit.Trip

Also, I have absolutely no idea how to find the faulty driver (if that is actually the reason). I'll try HD Audio tomorrow, it's getting late over here. Sometimes PC gaming is just stupid

Anyone else with Bit.Trip Beat AND MSE who can/cannot confirm this situation? Any other ideas I actually can test?

 

[Wallach]

690 II Advanced is a bad ass case that was probably the only other one I'd seriously consider over the Antec 300 for my next build. I may go with that this time just to see how I like it down the road.

Edit - In fact I think I might just order one right now! Fuck it!

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

If anyone wants to donate their Q6600 to me if they want to upgrade I won't complain.

 

[Ionic]

The link to RadeonPro should be in the utilities section.

 

[Ikuu]

I'd highly recommend the 690 II Advanced over the above options.


SC2 and other CPU-bound titles see a very healthy boost in performance over gen 1 Core i.

Recently upgraded to a 690 II Advanced and it's pretty awesome would recommend it. I play SC2 on all low (apart from textures) so I wouldn't notice much of a difference.

 

[Pctx]

For those interested. Newegg and others will probably be getting these puppies in 2nd or 3rd week of Jan. depending on when Intel has shipped them.

 

[Hazaro]

Go away for a bit and you guys spring a new thread on me.

So much for that OP I was working on...


Well, it's been nice knowing you, Hazaro. Shame, you had helped so many of the users in these threads.

:[

You can PM me something and I'll stick it in.

 

[Chiggs]

Planning on upgrading my CPU soon. Any suggestions?

Wait until later this year to do so? Lower Sandy Bridge pricing, AMD Bulldozer, and mature motherboards.

Your Q6600 is fine.

Not sure if I should upgrade my Q6600 to one of the SB models, all I'm playing these days is SC2 and BC2, so not sure if I should bother. However I do want something new :lol

Don't.

 

[Pctx]

Guys bitching about not making the thread and/or it not being yours... contribute to it and make it better. Haz will include things where it fits in with the thread. Collaboration is bigger and better than simply running a megathread/official thread.

BTW, Haz if you need anything just let me know.

 

[vocab]

So I'm gonna ask again. Can anyone recommend a decent OC guide for an I5-750? I just want to achieve something small like 3.2-3.4.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

So I'm gonna ask again. Can anyone recommend a decent OC guide for an I5-750? I just want to achieve something small like 3.2-3.4.

What guide? You overclock the same with all processors.


So what's the difference between 2600 and 2600K?

 

[Hazaro]

Guys bitching about not making the thread and/or it not being yours... contribute to it and make it better. Haz will include things where it fits in with the thread. Collaboration is bigger and better than simply running a megathread/official thread.

BTW, Haz if you need anything just let me know.

...What? feist is simply using loving sarcasm. He's been very helpful.

 

[Shambles]

Yeah, nothing but love in here for everyone.

I'm seriously looking at the 690 but considering I won't build a new machine for myself likely until the end of 2011 I probably won't risk the case market progressing to where I might get something better for the same amount of money. Worst case scenario things stay relatively the same. It's probably not a good sign if i'm already looking at parts for a build 12 months down the road :lol

What guide? You overclock the same with all processors.


So what's the difference between 2600 and 2600K?

Only the K models let you overclock on the new SB chips. It's pretty lame but my outrage will depend on the price/performance that SB delivers.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Yeah, nothing but love in here for everyone.

I'm seriously looking at the 690 but considering I won't build a new machine for myself likely until the end of 2011 I probably won't risk the case market progressing to where I might get something better for the same amount of money. Worst case scenario things stay relatively the same. It's probably not a good sign if i'm already looking at parts for a build 12 months down the road :lol



Only the K models let you overclock on the new SB chips. It's pretty lame but my outrage will depend on the price/performance that SB delivers.

$20 to overclock ain't bad.

 

[FromTheFuture]

Not to keep asking or anything, but does anyone have any recommendations on my upgrading situation?

Again:

Phenom II X3 @ 3.4 GHz
Radeon HD4870 512MB
4GB DDR2-1066 RAM
GIGABYTE GA-MA770-UD3 AM2+/AM2

Resolution: 1920x1080

Mainly looking to whether I should upgrade and what I should upgrade to in terms of GPU/RAM.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Just bought this PSU

I am looking into a Phenom x4 and a Radeon 6970. Hope that 600w is enough.

 

[Pctx]

Not to keep asking or anything, but does anyone have any recommendations on my upgrading situation?

Again:

Mainly looking to whether I should upgrade and what I should upgrade to in terms of GPU/RAM.

You probably would benefit from bumping up to a 1GB or higher card given the resolution. RAM wise, are you hitting the ceiling of it?

 

[godhandiscen]

Fantastic PSU, but until SeaSonic potentially takes that crown with their new 1000w+ units, Corsair's new Flextronics-made 1200w model is the one to beat. Silverstone has been sourcing high quality OEMs for some of their latest Striders as well.

In a few cases, you have such evenly matched performance that things come down to basic preference, really.

I agree that it comes down to preference, but the Corsair AX1200 being better is flat out wrong.

Prior to today's launch of the Antec High Current Pro 1200W (HCP-1200), the Corsair AX1200 ruled the roost as the best 1200W unit on the market. After taking in to account the excellent build quality, the outstanding voltage regulation, outstanding efficiency, and outstanding DC Output Quality results we begin to see a pattern where the HCP-1200 edges out the AX1200 on just about every front.

The Antec HCP 1200 is more quiet, smaller and reponds better to variable amounts of power used during a session.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Not to keep asking or anything, but does anyone have any recommendations on my upgrading situation?

Again:

Mainly looking to whether I should upgrade and what I should upgrade to in terms of GPU/RAM.

Your GPU if you want to improve performance, there's no reason to upgrade the rest.

 

[Snakeyes]

I've been thinking of building my first PC during the coming year. Let's call this project "Big Sexy".

"Big" because of its performance.

"Sexy" because of its looks.

It's basically supposed to be a high-performance rig that will comfortably run any game that coming out during the next 7 years (barring another technological juggernaut like Crysis) at mid to high settings, with a sleek exterior and low noise levels. It should also be able to connect to an HDTV for comfy couch gaming. Since I'm a complete newbie at this, I need a lot of pointers. I don't mind spending a lot if said spending is justified.

- First, the case. A minimalistic design like this would be ideal. I'm not into cases that look like a Gundam. The above example may look good, but does it give enough space to all the components? Will a smaller case have a negative impact on the temperature of the system?

- Speaking of temperature, are liquid cooling systems worth it? They're supposedly very quiet and that's exactly what I'm looking for.

- Will 8 GB of RAM be enough or should I suck it up and go for 16?

- What are the faster non-SSD hard drives?

- I know nothing about motherboards but want to go for one of the best options.

- Last but not least, the processor and graphic card. I'm completely unaware of the current trends. Is there a "next-gen" technology coming out later in the year? I'll probably go for an Intel processor because it's what I always had don't know the pros and cons of nVidia and ATI. I don't mind waiting until late in the year to buy those parts if the good stuff will be available later.

- What brand makes quality keyboards and mice that don't look like they're part of an X-Wing cockpit?


Thanks in advance.

 

[Hazaro]

I've been thinking of building my first PC during the coming year. Let's call this project "Big Sexy".

Basic Desktop Questions
Your Current Specs: CPU / RAM (DDR2/DDR3) / Motherboard / GPU
Budget: Price Range + Country
Main Use: Light Gaming, Gaming, Emulation (PS2/Wii), Video Editing, 3D work, general usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback)
Monitor Resolution: What resolution will you be playing your games at? Are you going to upgrade later?
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Self Explanatory
Are reusing any parts?: List make and model (e.g. Corsair 520HX 520W)
When will you build?: When do you want your computer, do you need it in a week, can you wait a month or two?
Will you be overclocking?: Yes, No, Maybe(This means yes)
The above example may look good, but does it give enough space to all the components? Yes
Will a smaller case have a negative impact on the temperature of the system? Yes
- Speaking of temperature, are liquid cooling systems worth it? They're supposedly very quiet and that's exactly what I'm looking for. Starting out I would not suggest a 120.3 system with dual GPUs
- Will 8 GB of RAM be enough or should I suck it up and go for 16? 8GB is plenty
- What are the faster non-SSD hard drives? Samsung F3 1TB
- I know nothing about motherboards but want to go for one of the best options. New chips in a week, but Q3 2011 bring us the 6/8 core chips. AMD will have AM3+ in Q2, but most are guessing it's more a value deal than Intel's quad channel DDR3 8 core/16 thread monster.
- Last but not least, the processor and graphic card. I'm completely unaware of the current trends. Is there a "next-gen" technology coming out later in the year? I'll probably go for an Intel processor because it's what I always had don't know the pros and cons of nVidia and ATI. I don't mind waiting until late in the year to buy those parts if the good stuff will be available later. See above New GPU's are about every 6 months, so there should be new stuff around Q3.
- What brand makes quality keyboards and mice that don't look like they're part of an X-Wing cockpit? Logitech

 

[FromTheFuture]

You probably would benefit from bumping up to a 1GB or higher card given the resolution. RAM wise, are you hitting the ceiling of it?

What do you mean by hitting the ceiling of it? I haven't maxed out my motherboard's slots if that's what you mean. I have 2x2GB sticks, there are 2 more slots. I was wondering if 4GB is still the best spot to keep it, or if I should bump it to 6 or 8. Or get new sticks altogether.

Your GPU if you want to improve performance, there's no reason to upgrade the rest.

Yeah, I was just wondering what would be a good choice that balances price/performance increase. I have been out of the PC hardware game for quite a bit.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

I've been thinking of building my first PC during the coming year. Let's call this project "Big Sexy".

"Big" because of its performance.

"Sexy" because of its looks.

It's basically supposed to be a high-performance rig that will comfortably run any game that coming out during the next 7 years (barring another technological juggernaut like Crysis) at mid to high settings, with a sleek exterior and low noise levels. It should also be able to connect to an HDTV for comfy couch gaming. Since I'm a complete newbie at this, I need a lot of pointers. I don't mind spending a lot if said spending is justified.

- First, the case. A minimalistic design like this would be ideal. I'm not into cases that look like a Gundam. The above example may look good, but does it give enough space to all the components? Will a smaller case have a negative impact on the temperature of the system?

- Speaking of temperature, are liquid cooling systems worth it? They're supposedly very quiet and that's exactly what I'm looking for.

- Will 8 GB of RAM be enough or should I suck it up and go for 16?

- What are the faster non-SSD hard drives?

- I know nothing about motherboards but want to go for one of the best options.

- Last but not least, the processor and graphic card. I'm completely unaware of the current trends. Is there a "next-gen" technology coming out later in the year? I'll probably go for an Intel processor because it's what I always had don't know the pros and cons of nVidia and ATI. I don't mind waiting until late in the year to buy those parts if the good stuff will be available later.

- What brand makes quality keyboards and mice that don't look like they're part of an X-Wing cockpit?


Thanks in advance.

You don't need 8GB of ram let alone 16GB.

 

[Smokey]

Feels nice and cozy in here

2010 thread was awesome and I look forward to finally joining PC-GAF in 2011

Oh and Hazaro could you add a section in OP for 3d gaming and what's required.

 

[Snakeyes]

Basic Desktop Questions
Budget: preferably 0 - $2000 but I'm willing to go higher if need be. I'm in Canada.
Main Use: Light Gaming, Gaming, Emulation (PS2/Wii), 3D work, general usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback)
Monitor Resolution: What resolution will you be playing your games at? Are you going to upgrade later?
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: The Witcher II maxed out, Skyrim maxed out, Crysis maxed out.
Are reusing any parts?: No
When will you build?: I can easily wait until late 2011.
Will you be overclocking?: No

Sorry for the other post.

 

[toastyToast]

I'm planning on doing a CPU, mobo and RAM upgrade to replace my aging socket 775 with a my tired Q6600 around March. My hope is that I can snag an i7 2600K a board and RAM for $500 or so with a ceiling of $600.

I have a couple of questions; are the socket 1155 boards dual or triple channel? Also, will I need a new CPU cooler? I'm thinking mine can't fit and I plan on pushing past the illustrious 5GHz mark. Just thinking of 5GHz is making me salivate.

 

[Pctx]

What do you mean by hitting the ceiling of it? I haven't maxed out my motherboard's slots if that's what you mean. I have 2x2GB sticks, there are 2 more slots. I was wondering if 4GB is still the best spot to keep it, or if I should bump it to 6 or 8. Or get new sticks altogether.


Yeah, I was just wondering what would be a good choice that balances price/performance increase. I have been out of the PC hardware game for quite a bit.

What I mean is are you maxing out the usage of the RAM? If you're not, then I wouldn't bother getting any more RAM. If you are, then I would look at getting matching pairs to the ones you already have and bump up to 8GB of RAM. One point though is that when you increase the RAM, you also can get into problems with your OC. Something to be mindful of. The biggest point though is that the you'll get the biggest boost from a new video card. Hope that helps.