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[Hazaro]

Thanks for that... ugh, this is weird, BIOS reads 40C but software reads 30C. (CPU)

Edit: FUUUU... new page.

Temp sensors aren't the best.
Go by windows usually

 

[Snapshot King]

I'd wait on the CPU upgrade. See what Bulldozer brings, if anything it will lower the older AMD CPUs.

Thanks! That's what I figured but I appreciate the confirmation. I imagine until then my PC'll be crazy CPU limited? Or is that less of a problem than I think it is nowadays?

 

[Mr.Fresh]

I'm getting a Laptop for graduation in June & I'm fairly lost at computer specs and knowing what everything does. So can anyone here help me find something decent with a ~$500 budget? I want something that can run modern games at least on low settings.

 

[tafer]

Temp sensors aren't the best.
Go by windows usually

Thanks again!

Ugh... it seems that playing Blu-Rays on PC is "inconvenient".

 

[black_vegeta]

Thanks again!

Ugh... it seems that playing Blu-Rays on PC is "inconvenient".

I myself am starting to think I should just get a DVD drive instead of a Blu-Ray drive. I don't see myself watching movies on the PC monitor. Any plus sides to having a BD rather than a DVD drive?

 

[wandering goat]

Thanks again!

Ugh... it seems that playing Blu-Rays on PC is "inconvenient".

It seems the inconvenient thing about them really is the software. I have an OEM version of PowerDVD that came with my Blu-Ray drive, and while it plays most movies, it can't do some (like Avatar for example). And the software video quality is just crap, the gamma is completely off, making things way brighter than they should be (and desktop gamma doesn't apply to it thanks to the overlay they use, nothing I've ever tried can override it). Even with a pretty nice default monitor gamma thanks to my IPS monitor, it still somehow manages to fuck it up.

Anyway, the software I mostly use with Blu-Rays is Media Player Classic (but like everything I know that's not PowerDVD, it requires a program like AnyDVD to remove the protection.) It plays most everything great and with good gamma. The only movie I've had problems with is Inception, which seems to have its video files split into like a hundred different files in random order, instead of the one that most Blu-Rays have.

As for watching Blu-Rays, I like doing it on the computer, quite happy with my monitor (Dell U2311H).

 

[Velion]

I myself am starting to think I should just get a DVD drive instead of a Blu-Ray drive. I don't see myself watching movies on the PC monitor. Any plus sides to having a BD rather than a DVD drive?

Would say backups but nowadays you could get a 500gb+ external hdd for pretty cheap.

 

[Baller. PhD]

Here she is boys.

Define R3
P8P67 Pro
i7-2600k w/ NH-D14
Corsair AX850
Vertex 3 240GB
2x Spinpoint F3 Raid 0
8GB G.Skill 1600
GTX570 DirectCU II
Xonar DG
LG BD-ROM/DVDRW
extra Noctua case fans

CPU idling at 31C at stock speed. Fuck me. OC imminent.

AND THE LORD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD

 

[Hazaro]

Here she is boys.

Define R3
P8P67 Pro
i7-2600k w/ NH-D14
Corsair AX850
Vertex 3 240GB
2x Spinpoint F3 Raid 0
8GB G.Skill 1600
GTX570 DirectCU II
Xonar DG
LG BD-ROM/DVDRW
extra Noctua case fans

CPU idling at 31C at stock speed. Fuck me. OC imminent.

AND THE LORD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD

Very solid.

Did you have to replace the front D14 fan with a 120mm because the stock HS one hit the RipJaws?

 

[Snapshot King]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but maybe some of you guys are better at finding this stuff out. Looking to upgrade to a 6870 now from this topic, but I've got a 4850 in there and it barely fits lengthwise. I'm having trouble finding exact dimensions of these cards. Last thing I want to to buy the damn thing and not be able to fit it in my case.

 

[Baller. PhD]

Very solid.

Did you have to replace the front D14 fan with a 120mm because the stock HS one hit the RipJaws?

Nah, it comes with one of each (for that reason, I assume).

 

[Hazaro]

Nah, it comes with one of each (for that reason, I assume).

And those are these or these?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314
vs
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

Maybe this is a dumb question, but maybe some of you guys are better at finding this stuff out. Looking to upgrade to a 6870 now from this topic, but I've got a 4850 in there and it barely fits lengthwise. I'm having trouble finding exact dimensions of these cards. Last thing I want to to buy the damn thing and not be able to fit it in my case.

Often times it easiest to simply google the card + your case model if you can't wonder if it will really fit.

 

[Snapshot King]

And those are these or these?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314
vs
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428



Often times it easiest to simply google the card + your case model if you can't wonder if it will really fit.

Kay thanks. Apparently it barely fits and will block that 3.5 drive, which is empty anyway, so that's fine.

Edit: Again, dumb question. My mobos a PCI-E 2.0, and the cards PCI-E 2.1. Will that work? Or am I out of luck?

Edit 2: Okay, found out that's fine, but huh, looks the 6870 has two sets of screws required. Does it come with those? How would I find out if they did?

 

[Trojita]

Well I got the pc running, I'll talk about that ordeal when I'm not typing on my cell phone. I'm having problems though where windows 7 after the reboot during the install crashed and rebooted. It did similar things after updating windows 7 later. It brings up the recovery menu. After installing creative x-fi drivers and restarting the computer it blue screened. I tried installing windows again but the same things happen.

Edit: also the usb devices seem to be reacting really slowly, I'm in windows in 20 seconds and the mice and keyboard turn on minutes later. Drives have that problem too. I'm wondering if perhaps my power supply isn't big enough or I didn't plug something in.

 

[Roarer]

AND THE LORD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD

Looking good!

I have the same Mobo and case, where did you plug in the power for the extra fans?

 

[·feist·]

Here's one of the first reviews of the Fractal Design Arc and Arc Mini.

It's a nearly 25min video:

Fractal Design Arc och Arc Mini
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl9hMeoHZdw

Good stuff. Makes me look forward to the Define Mini, and eventual Define R4, that much more (and the Core 3000 and Core 1000, to a lesser extent).

Fractal Design Arc
http://www.fractal-design.com/?view=product&category=2&prod=57

Fractal Design Arc Mini
http://www.fractal-design.com/?view=product&category=2&prod=59

 

[clav]

Latest beta drivers from late March.

I think at this point it's obvious something is pretty messed up on my PC and i'm tired of posting about it here, but I don't really have the option of just chopping out parts and replacing them to see if it helps, so what are some suggestions so I can figure this out?

There were a new set of Nvidia drivers released in April.

Update to those.

 

[Dina]

Here she is boys.

AND THE LORD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD

I'm looking at the same case, do you have 2 front intake fans (in addition to the bottom one)? And do you have a side fan? Or top outtake fan? How is the noise? I want mine to be very quiet while still be reasonable cool. I'm looking at the R3 with 2 front intakes, one rear outtake fan and one top outtake fan (all Scythe Slip Stream L 800s). Maybe I'll drop one if it becomes too noisy. Plz share your thought

Oh and how much trouble did you have with cable routing and the closed space at the back of the motherboard tray. How much of an issue is it?

 

[clav]

For a SATA II board:

Crucial C300, OCZ Vertex II, or OCZ Vertex III?

My understanding is the early SF controllers had issues, but I suppose by now the latest firmware updates have solved a lot of these problems. Is that fair to say?

 

[Smash88]

A 460 or a 560/6950 is a nice upgrade.

CPU-wise the Intel 2500K is the choice right now, but Bulldozer is coming in about 6 weeks, so there might be some competition.

But his Motherboard cannot support the new cpu's....

Upgrade your CPU to a quad core is the first move I would do, Q9550 is probably the best CPU for your LGA775 mobo, then after that as soon as you can I would get a GPU, GTX460/GTX560, or an ATI equivalent.

 

[clav]

But his Motherboard cannot support the new cpu's....

Upgrade your CPU to a quad core is the first move I would do, Q9550 is probably the best CPU for your LGA775 mobo, then after that as soon as you can I would get a GPU, GTX460/GTX560, or an ATI equivalent.

I wouldn't do that at all. The LGA 775 chips are way overpriced.

Just stick with what you have and when you have enough money, upgrade yourself to an Ivy Bridge CPU + Board setup.

 

[ithorien]

There is something called "ASCR" for them. Can you turn that off?

You have to change your profile to be able to turn ASCR off. ASCR is the reason your monitor goes to sleep whenever you display something really dark on screen, and it's the most annoying thing in the world.

 

[Alucrid]

Two questions.

What's the best laptop alternative to a macbook touch pad? I hate most laptops where you have two buttons at the bottom. Are there any where you can tap/click?

Also, what's the best monitor for blu-rays? I have a 23" acer right now and the glare I get is awful, especially when trying to watch movies during the day.

 

[TheExodu5]

Pretty much all laptop pads allow you to tap click. I hate it.

 

[riceandbeans]

How do you guys keep your wires so well-kept and hidden? Mine are a mess right now and I'm not sure how I'm gonna hide them all.

 

[Alucrid]

Pretty much all laptop pads allow you to tap click. I hate it.

What would be the closest to a mac touch pad? I mean, that's pretty much the only thing that I enjoy about my macbook.

How do you guys keep your wires so well-kept and hidden? Mine are a mess right now and I'm not sure how I'm gonna hide them all.

Some cases have it so you can run the wires through the back. Makes it look much cleaner.

 

[Wag]

Here she is boys.

Define R3
P8P67 Pro
i7-2600k w/ NH-D14
Corsair AX850
Vertex 3 240GB
2x Spinpoint F3 Raid 0
8GB G.Skill 1600
GTX570 DirectCU II
Xonar DG
LG BD-ROM/DVDRW
extra Noctua case fans

CPU idling at 31C at stock speed. Fuck me. OC imminent.

AND THE LORD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD

Bahaha! Think your heatsync is big enough?

I just built my setup, which is a i7-2600k w/Hyper 212+ heatsync w/push-pull fan config and it's idling at 32C @ 4.6GHz. That's on top of the fact I have a loaded HAF-X case w/3 6950 in tri-crossfire config. The Hyper 212+ is an amazing heatsync/fan considering it cost <$30.

 

[wandering goat]

Also, what's the best monitor for blu-rays? I have a 23" acer right now and the glare I get is awful, especially when trying to watch movies during the day.

For Blu-Rays, I'd make sure to get an IPS monitor for the best colour and viewing angles (I hated how the top of my previous TN monitor was very different from the bottom - screwed up a lot of colours too, especially black and white). I have the Dell U2311H, which is fairly inexpensive, very often going on sale for around $240, and is said to be one of the better IPS monitors for gaming. I can't say how the glare is compared to your monitor though.

 

[Alucrid]

For Blu-Rays, I'd make sure to get an IPS monitor for the best colour and viewing angles (I hated how the top of my previous TN monitor was very different from the bottom - screwed up a lot of colours too, especially black and white). I have the Dell U2311H, which is fairly inexpensive, very often going on sale for around $240, and is said to be one of the better IPS monitors for gaming. I can't say how the glare is compared to your monitor though.

Mine is pretty bad. It's an overcast day right now, and my background isn't that dark and I can still see myself. :\

But thanks for the recommendation, I'll go ahead and do some research on IPS monitors.

 

[black_vegeta]

Here she is boys.

Define R3
P8P67 Pro
i7-2600k w/ NH-D14
Corsair AX850
Vertex 3 240GB
2x Spinpoint F3 Raid 0
8GB G.Skill 1600
GTX570 DirectCU II
Xonar DG
LG BD-ROM/DVDRW
extra Noctua case fans

CPU idling at 31C at stock speed. Fuck me. OC imminent.

http://i.imgur.com/tZhuK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ezxoG.jpg
AND THE LORD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD

Looking very nice baller. Do you extension cord at the back of your case??

 

[Corky]

The only way to get your cpu to throttle down when idle is using an offset voltage while overclocking, correct?

I thought that I don't really need my cpu to run 4.6 @ 1.36 so I'd rather bump it down to say 4.4 and get lower voltages/temps, I tried it out just now :

+0.07v offset , 4.6ghz = 1.36v during prime
+0.06v offset, 4.5 ghz = still 1.36v during prime.

How to go about lowering it?

 

[clav]

For a SATA II board:

Crucial C300, OCZ Vertex II, or OCZ Vertex III?

My understanding is the early SF controllers had issues, but I suppose by now the latest firmware updates have solved a lot of these problems. Is that fair to say?

Anyone?

Not planning to upgrade to SATA III as my friend would require a new board as his graphics cards block the expansion slots.

 

[scogoth]

Anyone?

Not planning to upgrade to SATA III as my friend would require a new board as his graphics cards block the expansion slots.

Vertex II, no point buying a SATAIII drive for SATAII. Its about the same performance for all of those on SATAII

 

[Coldsnap]

What's the process of swapping from my GTX 460 to GTX 560? Sorry I'm sorta an idiot with computer.

Plug DVI cable into motherboard -
Uninstall all nvidia drivers I have (Can I do that from control Panel?) -
Unplug 460, Plug in 560 -
Re-install all drivers from Nvidias website (I have no DVD drive on computer)-

 

[clav]

Vertex II, no point buying a SATAIII drive for SATAII. Its about the same performance for all of those on SATAII

Would a SATA III drive be worth it if the person wants to hang on to the drive post the system's life as in keep it for his next build?

What's the process of swapping from my GTX 460 to GTX 560? Sorry I'm sorta an idiot with computer.

Plug DVI cable into motherboard -
Uninstall all nvidia drivers I have (Can I do that from control Panel?) -
Unplug 460, Plug in 560 -
Re-install all drivers from Nvidias website (I have no DVD drive on computer)-

Uninstall graphics drivers from add/remove.

Unplug 460. Plug 560.

Launch the Nvidia driver installation. Go to advanced -> check the box "Clean Install."

 

[Alucrid]

Ok. So I think I know what netbook I'm going for. A few PC related questions though...

Intel Core i3-2310M Processor (2.1GHz, 3MB L3, 1333MHz FSB)
Intel Core i5-2410M Processor (2.3GHz, 3MB L3, 1333MHz FSB)

How large is the difference?

Also, how worth it is it to upgrade from 2 to 4 GBs of ram for a netbook?

Model in question is the lenovo X220 / X220i

 

[clav]

Ok. So I think I know what netbook I'm going for. A few PC related questions though...

Intel Core i3-2310M Processor (2.1GHz, 3MB L3, 1333MHz FSB)
Intel Core i5-2410M Processor (2.3GHz, 3MB L3, 1333MHz FSB)

How large is the difference?

Not a lot. How much is the upgrade between the two?

Also, how worth it is it to upgrade from 2 to 4 GBs of ram for a netbook?

Model in question is the lenovo X220 / X220i

Depends on what you do. Most people can function fine with 2GB. 4GB would be the maximum RAM I would put in it.

If the 4GB upgrade is $40, then I would do it. Otherwise, install it yourself.

 

[Alucrid]

Not a lot. How much is the upgrade between the two?



Depends on what you do. Most people can function fine with 2GB. 4GB would be the maximum RAM I would put in it.

If the 4GB upgrade is $40, then I would do it. Otherwise, install it yourself.

$100 between the two models. I think the difference is CPU and OS (premium to pro) for that amount. There's more CPU upgrade options (i5 2.5, i5 2.6, i7 2.7 for 55, 105 and 245) but I'm not sure if they're worth it for most web browsing. Memory upgrade is $80, so I guess I should just buy another stick and do it myself. Although can I just buy another 2 or do I need to get a 4? Also, what the hell is a "premium HD" display as opposed to a "HD" display?

 

[Baller. PhD]

And those are these or these?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314
vs
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

Numero dos. The cool looking ones.

I have the same Mobo and case, where did you plug in the power for the extra fans?

I plugged in the case's included I/O port fan controller. You can see it on the back under the sound card. I can't really tell if the dial works or not, but I don't care since I want the fans at 100% anyway. It serves its purpose as free fan power.

I'm looking at the same case, do you have 2 front intake fans (in addition to the bottom one)? And do you have a side fan? Or top outtake fan? How is the noise? I want mine to be very quiet while still be reasonable cool. I'm looking at the R3 with 2 front intakes, one rear outtake fan and one top outtake fan (all Scythe Slip Stream L 800s). Maybe I'll drop one if it becomes too noisy. Plz share your thought

Oh and how much trouble did you have with cable routing and the closed space at the back of the motherboard tray. How much of an issue is it?

I have two front intakes, which is all you can fit unless you're talking about installing something into the bottom optical drive bay. I'm not using any top or side fans because I didn't want to remove the sound foam (I'm using positive case pressure with only one exhaust in the back). The sound is good. Amazing actually, even with all the fans turned up. I've got the case sitting at face level about two feet away and I can't hear it over the sound of my ceiling fan.

As for the cable routing, it's tight in the back. This was my first time attempting proper cable management and I was more concerned with airflow, so I waited until the very end to try and squish everything together in the back (I think you can tell). Don't do that! It wasn't that bad, but I did have to lay the case on it's 'front' and put all my weight onto the side plate to get it to slide in. Worth it IMO.

Looking very nice baller. Do you extension cord at the back of your case??

Nah, I think you're seeing the fan controller cable. The only included AX850 cable that fit had like 3 connections. I was scared to cut 'em so I just zip-tied them in the back. God I love zip ties.

 

[clav]

$100 between the two models. I think the difference is CPU and OS (premium to pro) for that amount. There's more CPU upgrade options (i5 2.5, i5 2.6, i7 2.7 for 55, 105 and 245) but I'm not sure if they're worth it for most web browsing. Memory upgrade is $80, so I guess I should just buy another stick and do it myself. Although can I just buy another 2 or do I need to get a 4? Also, what the hell is a "premium HD" display as opposed to a "HD" display?

The CPU on a laptop is usually something you don't upgrade ever (unless you're someone who likes to buy old chips 5-6 years later at low prices.) Usually, it's hard to disassemble as they make it very user unfriendly to access it, so think about if it's worth paying more now for some extra juice.

The memory upgrade I would do that myself. Up to you though if you're comfortable doing so.

The Premium HD display = IPS = better color reproduction and viewing angles over the standard cheap TN display. If you've used TN panels your entire life, then it won't really matter. This is important for people like photoshop artists. Basically, if you've seen the iPad display and want that on your computer, then this is the upgrade.

 

[black_vegeta]

Nah, I think you're seeing the fan controller cable. The only included AX850 cable that fit had like 3 connections. I was scared to cut 'em so I just zip-tied them in the back. God I love zip ties.

Cool, thanks.

 

[scogoth]

Would a SATA III drive be worth it if the person wants to hang on to the drive post the system's life as in keep it for his next build?

Probably not unless the C300 costs the same as the vertexII. By the time he upgrades to a new system ssds will be cheaper and larger.

 

[Baller. PhD]

Also the Asus one-button overclock thing is awesome. I figured I'd give it a whirl just to test it out and it OC'd my system to 4.4GHz. A night of Prime95 later and I maxed out at 64C in a fairly warm room. I'll take it! LOL, easiest overclock ever. I literally just clicked a button.

 

[clav]

Probably not unless the C300 costs the same as the vertexII. By the time he upgrades to a new system ssds will be cheaper and larger.

Let me ask you this.

My friend owns a X58 motherboard (LGA 1366 processor) that does not have SATA III ports nor USB 3.0 ports.

He wanted to upgrade his same setup to a newer motherboard with those two features for $300. By upgrading the motherboard, he can take advantage of SATA III SSDs. He wants the SSD for faster response for booting up as POST takes 15-20 seconds and Windows 7 takes about 40-45 seconds to boot.

Is that really worth it?

I told him no that he'd be better off saving that kind of money for a newer build although he did blow $1000 on the processor alone at the time.

At least a SATA II SSD drive would be worthwhile, correct? I thought the C300 was good in terms of value/performance.

On a side note, is the LGA 1366 a dead end socket?

Also, I didn't advise him to build this rig as he built it with another friend at the time. After working with his setup, I don't understand why you would build a rig using an uncommon processor with no intentions of overclocking it.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Let me ask you this.

My friend owns a X58 motherboard (LGA 1366 processor) that does not have SATA III ports nor USB 3.0 ports.

He wanted to upgrade his same setup to a newer motherboard with those two features for $300. By upgrading the motherboard, he can take advantage of SATA III SSDs. He wants the SSD for faster response for booting up as POST takes 15-20 seconds and Windows 7 takes about 40-45 seconds to boot.

Is that really worth it?

I told him no that he'd be better off saving that kind of money for a newer build although he did blow $1000 on the processor alone at the time. Was I right?

On a side note, is the LGA 1366 a dead end socket?

Also, I didn't advise him to build this rig as he built it with another friend at the time. After working with his setup, I don't understand why you would build a rig using an uncommon processor with no intentions of overclocking it.

When did he buy the original motherboard? I have an ASUS LGA 1366 motherboard with both USB3 and SATA III and it cost just over $200 about a year ago. $300 + the price of a SSD seems excessive because he could go with a SATA II SSD and still get a huge improvement on his Windows 7 boot time. I'm guessing the $1000 CPU is an i7 980?

 

[clav]

When did he buy the original motherboard? I have an ASUS LGA 1366 motherboard with both USB3 and SATA III and it cost just over $200 about a year ago. $300 + the price of a SSD seems excessive because he could go with a SATA II SSD and still get a huge improvement on his Windows 7 boot time. I'm guessing the $1000 CPU is an i7 980?

He bought the motherboard 3-4 years ago.

I forgot what the exact CPU was. I think it's that one if I remember what CPU-Z said.

Yeah, I don't think it's a good idea to buy another motherboard with a dead end socket and a SSD.

Might as well just go with the SSD and a PCI USB 3.0 expansion card, which is what I told him. Since one of his cards was blocking a crucial PCI-E 1x port, I suggested him to buy a PCI regular USB 3.0 slot card for $55. Yes, it's twice the price, but he wants to keep his setup.

The question is now is it worth the extra $ to get a C300 or should he stick with a Vertex II? Or should he just get an Intel drive?

 

[Felix Lighter]

He bought the motherboard 3-4 years ago.

Ah ok. Then it's more likely an i7 965.

 

[clav]

Ah ok. Then it's more likely an i7 965.

That could be it. The CPU had a ridiculous multiplier like 24. He told me he didn't want to overclock it, and I gave him a WTF stare.

Maybe there's something I don't know about the LGA 1366 line, but what is so special about it on stock? Would he had been better off at the time to buy the LGA 1156 socket?

In a better prospective, how do these LGA 1366 processors compare to the current Sandybridge ones?

I feel like it was totally not worth what he paid for it.

 

[Stantron]

Nice pics, Baller. I'm curious what your CPU temps are at idle and stock frequency, since I've got the same Define R3, P8P67 Pro, i7-2600k w/ NH-D14 rig. Unfortunately for some reason, my temps are in the high 38-41C range at idle.

I just built my setup, which is a i7-2600k w/Hyper 212+ heatsync w/push-pull fan config and it's idling at 32C @ 4.6GHz. That's on top of the fact I have a loaded HAF-X case w/3 6950 in tri-crossfire config. The Hyper 212+ is an amazing heatsync/fan considering it cost <$30.

This confuses the hell out of me. I've got the same CPU, with better NH-D14 sink running stock freq, and yet there are people are getting much better temps while over clocking. If I ask newegg, would they be willing to exchange the CPU because of this? Or am I just unlucky with a hotter than normal running part?

 

[Felix Lighter]

That could be it. The CPU had a ridiculous multiplier like 24. He told me he didn't want to overclock it, and I gave him a WTF stare.

Yeah buying one of those ridiculous Intel Extreme Edition CPUs and not overclocking is such a huge waste.