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[undu]

I haven't bought it all yet, but I'm expecting it'll cost between 1000 and 1100 euros.

 203 CPU  Intel core i5-2500K
~150 Mobo Asus P8P67M-PRO
  77 RAM  Exceleram VX 2x2GB DDR3-1600 6-8-6-24
~220 GPU  GTX560
  84 PSU  Seasonic M12II-620
 119 Case Lian Li V-354
  74 Blu  Samsung SH-B123L
  88 HDD  Western Digital WD1002FAEX
  26 Shipping costs
1041 Total (€)

I'm waiting until I finish exams to finish the build, it'd be dangerous to finish it before that.

That' way I also can see if the gtx 560 is worth it. (I'm going for a 460 otherwise)

 

[JoeBoy101]

"8 gigs of mem is overdoing it. Otherwise, looks pretty good."


Not if there's interest in video and image editing.

I figured if he did that though, he'd want more than just a 460 GTX.

Not when I just bought 8GB ddr3 1333 for $69.

Nice. Same cost for 4GB of my DDR3 1600. Who'd ya buy from, if I might ask in a totally unrelated maneuver to get ideas for other online retailers to hunt for a specific CPU from come about a day from now?

 

[Hylian7]

I'm in a bit of a dilemma here. I've got a Core 2 Duo E7400 right now overclocked to 3.33GHz. It's serving me well, but obviously I think I'm a bit stuck in the past with a dual core CPU. My options seem to pretty much go Core 2 Quad for now on this same motherboard, or just save up and eventually get a new motherboard and CPU. Is it worth it to get the Core 2 Quad, knowing I'm going to replace it in the soon-ish future?

Can someone give me a reccomendation here?

 

[Teknopathetic]

"I figured if he did that though, he'd want more than just a 460 GTX."

He said he does image editing and was interested in video editing. I would also say that a GTX 460 is still a super capable GPU.

 

[Yeef]

Any decent internal Blu-ray drives in the sub $90 range? I don't really need one, but I'm building a new machine once I get my return and I figure I might as well get one. All of the ones I'm finding have middling to bad reviews though.

 

[TouchMyBox]

Nice. Same cost for 4GB of my DDR3 1600. Who'd ya buy from, if I might ask in a totally unrelated maneuver to get ideas for other online retailers to hunt for a specific CPU from come about a day from now?

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=57950&vpn=F3-10666CL9D-8GBXL&manufacture=G.Skill&promoid=1276

Quite a fantastic deal.

 

[SuperÑ]

Would you change anything? Tell me now, please

 

[Shambles]

Would you change anything? Tell me now, please

Save yourself some cash and get a 6950 instead and unlock it to a 6970. Also you could save some money by going with a lower watt PSU. 750W is overkill for a single GPU system. Not sure what HDD pricing is like across the ponds but generally looking at Samsungs F3 and newer F4 drives are usually a better choice.

 

[desu]

Would have recommended a smaller PSU as well (if you want to save some money and dont plan on going CrossFire).

Btw do you want to overclock? Will you run a stock cpu cooler or no better after market cooler needed?

 

[SuperÑ]

Ok, i chose the same PSU but 575W for 20€ less, and thte HD6950. I also changed the HDD (will throw in a new SSD when they come out).

So... 876€ shipping to the Canary Islands incluided

PS: Is it safe/easy to unlock the VGA?

 

[desu]

Ok, i chose the same PSU but 575W for 20€ less, and thte HD6950. I also changed the HDD (will throw in a new SSD when they come out).

So... 876€ shipping to the Canary Islands incluided

PS: Is it safe/easy to unlock the VGA?

Success rate is like 98/99%? The cards have dual bios so you can but the new bios on a new bios slot and if it doesnt work you can easily switch back to the original bios.

 

[SuperÑ]

I did it Now i have no money in the bank Will post pics when the beast arrives.

 

[dave is ok]

Just bought half of a computer

Case: Antec 300
Processor: i5 760
Mobo: ASUS P7P55D-E
Hard drive: Whatever that one on sale at Amazon was

Any suggestions for PSU?

 

[·feist·]

Don't know if any of these qualify or are worthy for the news section, but I think they're good to know for those of you looking to upgrade, making plans, or just generally interested.


MSI had their AMD AM3+ 990FX Big Bang Conqueror motherboard with SB950 at CES. No Bulldozer 1 engineering samples to be found...

Video of the Big Bang Conqueror AM3+
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHwVSW64sn8

CES 2011: Sneak peek of the MSI AMD 990FX Motherboard
http://pcper.com/comments.php?nid=9584

GF114 GTX 560
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9010033443

Out soon
http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/7860/97934966.jpg
http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/1480/96195457.jpg
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/7895/t23epzxlraxxxxxxxx63965.jpg
http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/3355/t2ilfzxjjaxxxxxxxx63965.jpg

Real world photos of the Corsair 650D and white Corsair 600T (in case you missed the announcement).

1200x800 res phots
http://www.sweclockers.com/nyhet/13301-corsair-slapper-obsidian-650d-hogtalare-pa-ces-2011

Corsair intros new cases, dips into speakers
http://techreport.com/discussions.x/20202

On the Intel side of things, there were leaked photos of an mATX Z68 board for LGA 1155 Sandy Bridge, as well as some LGA 2011 shots. No looks at the CPU or PCB for LGA 2011 this time, but there are some shots of the new dual clamp mechanism being used on the socket. It's made by Lotes. People supposedly already have LGA 2011 boards on hand, which isn't that shocking when you consider LGA 1155 went out ~9 or so months before launch. Oh, and Intel finally confirmed that there will be 22nm CPUs with iGPUs. Probably as a mid-cycle refresh, unlike 1156.

 

[·feist·]

alright, feist: ive taken your words to heart, especially since the problem has only worsened (system can now shutoff after only like a half hour of playing something light, like planescape). friend came back around & we opened the case to get a better look at what might be the problem:

http://i55.tinypic.com/dqkgvt.jpg

problem should be kinda obvious, i guess - the custom water cooler has its radiator right above everything, and taking out the AP181 fan and using the piss-poor one it offers clearly is making a pressure cooker of my poor SFF case. and no, for whatever reason, tragically cyberpower did not send me the stock cooler.

after a bit of reading, ive decided to go with an air option and - as you said - try to utilize one that allows the use of this well-rated 180mm fan. i'm between the shuriken and the geminII S, leaning towards the latter due to it (possibly) being carried by a local store, gonna find out later today. both get mentioned in recent reviews for my case on newegg:

the first one is pretty close to my build (i5-760, but with ATI 6870, etc), the latter has my exact mobo, and OCd the crap out of everything so it's pretty telling, too, given his temps..fuck, i thought this case was awful for cooling based just on my setup, but everyone else is clearly getting far better #'s. :lol

so yeah, unless you or anyone else have ideas/suggestions, im looking to hit a local store for the geminII s + some thermal paste i have and fit the AP181 fan back in, consider selling the liquid cooling kit later on on ebay & call it a day. for now, we've got temps a bit better by leaving the case open & hanging the exhaust out the side, but i still got a shutdown today....i looked up why i was getting "CMOS checksum error defaults loaded" after a shutodwn that wont let me startup for a few minutes, and yeah, it looks heat-related from here, hoping this fixes everything. anyway, thanks again for your suggestions, might've saved me some $/trouble with the other cooler.

*edit - quick comparison - temps with case closed
temps with case open, radiator outside, and playing crysis (taken the next day in a slightly cooler environment, granted)

ok, so no one local stocks heatsinks, apparently. i need to put in an order tonight with newegg to get this resolved soon, not sure which to go with for best performance & still allow use of the AP181 fan it came with:

1) Scythe Shuriken 100mm, one review of my case on newegg had a guy who OCd his i7, RAM & GPU and still never got over 65 degrees on load (with fan on high)

2) Cooler Master GeminII S - again, newegg review of case had this used, i want to say ive seen other forum users with the same setup recommended.

-feist- said either should work, they're both about $40, just wondering if anyone could recommend one over the other? gotta pull the trigger by tonight, please help!

Get into the habit of clearing your CMOS if need be. This will help with overclocking since some boards handle failures and various shutdowns differently.

If your PC resorts to one of its safeguards and shuts itself off due to heat, do not try to immediately boot up again, or clear it to enable you to boot back up again.

Have you looked at a lot of reviews?

http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=59858

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/cm_geminiis/
http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/cm_geminiis/4.htm

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article976-page1.html
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article976-page10.html

You can also search for:
scythe shuriken cooler master geminii s
sg07 scythe shuriken
sg07 cooler master geminii s

I was just mentioning a few options, there are others out there as well. Going by that photo, it looks like you may have an Asetek system (OEM for Corsair's H50 & H70, but not the new H60). Should be decent, but it clearly isn't pushing enough air out of the side of the case, just leaving it to hang over the motherboard.

This may seem like an odd suggestion, but if you like to tinker with PCs, you may be able to salvage the present cooler... despite the heat problems. Unlike the previous SG enclosures your case is decidedly set up for positive pressure; the AP181 acting as the singular intake blows air across your board, and pushes heat out through the side vents without an active exhaust. now, if you had one or two 120mm fans that you can get your hands on, you could try attaching one/both to the radiator in push/pull blowing out the top of the case. This will reverse your airflow, pull pulling cool air in through the side vents passively, while also helping to draw heat from the internals out through the top of the case along with dispensed CPU heat.

Not as nutty as it may sound. So long as you don't use shitty 120mm fans (assuming you even have any to spare, or can get one from your friend) you'll see a drop in temps.

Otherwise, go ahead and buy a replacement cooler as soon as you can.

 

[TheExodu5]

Phew, build is finished. I really, really, really hope I can change the CPU backplate without taking out the motherboard. The screwholes are just on the edge of the cutout. Few mediocre pics incoming soon.

 

[InertiaXr]

As I am finishing my build before sandy bridge tomorrow, I had a few questions for a first time builder.

First off, is there any reason to NOT get this case?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119068
It looks much better to me visually than any other sub $100 case on the OP, as I'm not really into all the flashy stuff that other cases seem to have.

Also, if I'm planning on getting a 2500k, GTX 460 or 470? I don't want my GPU to be the weak point in my entire setup as I am mostly just looking to use this for games, but I also don't want to go overboard if it's not needed.

The rest of my build is pretty basic:

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W PSU
EVGA GTX 470
G.SKILL 4GB Ripjaws RAM
Spinpoint F3 1TB
212+
MX-4 Thermal Compound
i5 2500k
P67 mobo
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 or COOLER MASTER RC-690 II

...Thats everything I need right? :lol

 

[TheExodu5]

Alright, so preliminary pics. Keep in mind I'm missing my aftermarket CPU cooler, and second GTX 570 (hence the extra PCI-E 6 pins sticking out at the bottom cable management cutout). The biggest eyesores are the 8 pin extension (I guess I'll buy a black one), and the fan cables (going into the fan controller at the front). All in all though, I'm pretty happy with the build.

And here's the mess of cables in the back:

 

[toastyToast]

Nice build Exodu5, looks surprisingly clean thanks to the cable management grommets. Dual 570s are gonna be beast.

Start benching that shit.

 

[·feist·]

As I am finishing my build before sandy bridge tomorrow, I had a few questions for a first time builder.

First off, is there any reason to NOT get this case?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119068
It looks much better to me visually than any other sub $100 case on the OP, as I'm not really into all the flashy stuff that other cases seem to have.

Also, if I'm planning on getting a 2500k, GTX 460 or 470? I don't want my GPU to be the weak point in my entire setup as I am mostly just looking to use this for games, but I also don't want to go overboard if it's not needed.

The rest of my build is pretty basic:

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W PSU
EVGA GTX 470
G.SKILL 4GB Ripjaws RAM
Spinpoint F3 1TB
212+
MX-4 Thermal Compound
i5 2500k
P67 mobo
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 or COOLER MASTER RC-690 II

...Thats everything I need right? :lol

The GTX 560 will be will be here within the next 3 weeks or so. GTX 470-like power levels with less noise, consumption and power draw. Standard 1GB model should come in around $250, give or take. Also, you should be able to find a 6870 for $230 or less.

The Antec 300 is subtle, well made, has better air flow, and costs less.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...129042&cm_re=antec_300-_-11-129-042-_-Product
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0283272

Just bought half of a computer

Case: Antec 300
Processor: i5 760
Mobo: ASUS P7P55D-E
Hard drive: Whatever that one on sale at Amazon was

Any suggestions for PSU?

The rest of your compoents? Start at 500w and possibly work your way up based on your particular GPU, and if you plan on running a lot of fans, additional HDDs, etc. You want at least 80 Plus/80+ rating, if not higher.

I'm in a bit of a dilemma here. I've got a Core 2 Duo E7400 right now overclocked to 3.33GHz. It's serving me well, but obviously I think I'm a bit stuck in the past with a dual core CPU. My options seem to pretty much go Core 2 Quad for now on this same motherboard, or just save up and eventually get a new motherboard and CPU. Is it worth it to get the Core 2 Quad, knowing I'm going to replace it in the soon-ish future?

Can someone give me a reccomendation here?

Most likely, no. Soon-ish sounds like less than a year.
Don't upgrade based solely on core count. If your current build doesn't seem to be hindering you in any major way, stick with it until you can do a new build.

 

[AkIRA_22]

Corsair intros new cases, dips into speakers
http://techreport.com/discussions.x/20202

On the Intel side of things, there were leaked photos of an mATX Z68 board for LGA 1155 Sandy Bridge, as well as some LGA 2011 shots. No looks at the CPU or PCB for LGA 2011 this time, but there are some shots of the new dual clamp mechanism being used on the socket. It's made by Lotes. People supposedly already have LGA 2011 boards on hand, which isn't that shocking when you consider LGA 1155 went out ~9 or so months before launch. Oh, and Intel finally confirmed that there will be 22nm CPUs with iGPUs. Probably as a mid-cycle refresh, unlike 1156.

Just what the 600T needed, a more expensive white LE model, the article is right it does look like a Storm Trooper. That 650D

Answers all my gripes with the 800D, poor air performance, and too big. This midi might actually be case perfection... MAYBE!

I think it's basically confirmed that 1155 will be the standard socket for a while to come. and with 2011 being so massive I can't see that being replaced too quickly. The 22nm Ivy Bridge chips will be 1155, and they will add DX11 and a decent performance boost as they will again use even less power, which means over clocks will rise again!

 

[longdi]

ok, so no one local stocks heatsinks, apparently. i need to put in an order tonight with newegg to get this resolved soon, not sure which to go with for best performance & still allow use of the AP181 fan it came with:

1) Scythe Shuriken 100mm, one review of my case on newegg had a guy who OCd his i7, RAM & GPU and still never got over 65 degrees on load (with fan on high)

2) Cooler Master GeminII S - again, newegg review of case had this used, i want to say ive seen other forum users with the same setup recommended.

-feist- said either should work, they're both about $40, just wondering if anyone could recommend one over the other? gotta pull the trigger by tonight, please help!

U can search for scythe zipang and noctua c12p and see if they fits. to be honest i just ditch the sg07 and buy a bigger casing.

i once also tried the sff route and as cool that a ps3 size box can do so much, i found it more practical and in true diy spirit to use a large case. Somethingl lian li v1020, a05, pc8fib, pc7nwx will look as nice, and provides more solution to cooling and upgrades

 

[Kalnos]

As I am finishing my build before sandy bridge tomorrow, I had a few questions for a first time builder.

First off, is there any reason to NOT get this case?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119068
It looks much better to me visually than any other sub $100 case on the OP, as I'm not really into all the flashy stuff that other cases seem to have.

Also, if I'm planning on getting a 2500k, GTX 460 or 470? I don't want my GPU to be the weak point in my entire setup as I am mostly just looking to use this for games, but I also don't want to go overboard if it's not needed.

The rest of my build is pretty basic:

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W PSU
EVGA GTX 470
G.SKILL 4GB Ripjaws RAM
Spinpoint F3 1TB
212+
MX-4 Thermal Compound
i5 2500k
P67 mobo
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 or COOLER MASTER RC-690 II

...Thats everything I need right? :lol

Don't see a DVD drive unless you don't need it or are using an older one/external, and where's the SSD?! .

I've had a GTX460 and it's been sufficient for all of my needs with gaming. I would personally go with a GTX 460 and last it out as long as you possible can unless you have a good deal on a 470.

As far as case selection goes, I personally wouldn't cheap out on that component because of cable management. I don't know if you really care about cable management, but trying to work in a jungle of cables is really annoying and it's so convenient to use a case that lets you route behind the mobo tray. Though, if you're going for a no-window case maybe you just don't care about that. :lol Airflow is also an incentive to manage cables better than throwing them anywhere.

I have an Antec 900, and while it's easy case to work with the cable management was a nightmare until I drilled holes:

Might be upgrading to the Corsair 650 soon though!

 

[InertiaXr]

Thanks feist and Kalnos, I added a DVD drive I had forgotten about and decided to go with GTX 460. Currently I have no computer past a 2.1 GHz dual core laptop with integrated graphics so I honestly don't really have the time or want to wait another few weeks for 570 to come out. I think a 470 will be more than enough, as I have never had anything past a 9600M in a laptop and have been more than happy playing 'gorgeous' games like Dirt 2 at bare minimum settings 1280x800 so I think a 460 will more than suffice for me. :lol

Edit: Spent the last 30 minutes or so looking at nearly all the cases in the OP and can't decide on anything, all of em seem to have a few people on newegg or elsewhere have something negative to say about them that I would like to avoid. All I'm looking for is good build quality and keeps my stuff cool. I don't care all that much about cable management unless it will interfer with my components working, or flashy LEDs or any of that shit. I don't really care what it looks like as long as it works well.

 

[·feist·]

Cooler Master 690 II Advanced Video Review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGvBjEmXJnI

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.

If the stock appearance isn't subtle enough for your tastes, you could remove the chrome strips for an even cleaner look:

(not my case or pics)

I think it's basically confirmed that 1155 will be the standard socket for a while to come. and with 2011 being so massive I can't see that being replaced too quickly. The 22nm Ivy Bridge chips will be 1155, and they will add DX11 and a decent performance boost as they will again use even less power, which means over clocks will rise again!

Stock performance as well, with TDP obviously benefiting from the reduction. We've known that the switch would also include on-die graphics, but I believe this is the first that Intel has mentioned it publicly.

 

[I should be doing hw]

What's that thing underneath the disk drive on that case?

 

[Teknopathetic]

"What's that thing underneath the disk drive on that case?"

Fan controller.

 

[JoeBoy101]

Newegg and Tiger Direct has the Sandy Bridge Mobos and Chips. GO GO GO!

 

[WEGGLES]

What's that thing underneath the disk drive on that case?

Fan controller.

 

[Confusatron]

Sandy Bridge hit New Egg. I just pulled the trigger on my order.

 

[JoeBoy101]

Sandy Bridge hit New Egg. I just pulled the trigger on my order.

Remember guys, 'K' for overclocKing.

 

[Velion]

Just pulled the trigger on my order on newegg

i7 2600k $329
G.skill Ripjaws 4GB DDR3 1600 $49
Asus P8P67 Pro $189
CM 212 Plus $29
Cheap Rosewill 120mm (repair older psu fan) $5

Already have GTX460, HDD, HAF 922, Corsair tx650w.

 

[Spiderjericho]

Just ordered a rig to help in studying for a network certification from New Egg:

Processor: Core i7-2600K
Motherboard: Gigabyte H67A-UD3H
Case: NORCO RPC-470 Black 4U Rackmount Server Case
Power Supply: Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
Videocard: NA (onboard video)
Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)
Hard Drive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB

Total was $800+ after California taxes ($62). I don't care about gaming right now and have a network attached storage plus OS licenses. It's mainly being used to study for the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert lab exam (thanks to Suffah). Maybe I'll throw some of the parts in a desktop afterward with a decent Nvidia card.

 

[AkIRA_22]

What actually is the difference between the H67 and P67? I have tries looking online but there isn't too much info on the things that separate them. Is it similar to the 55 mobo's where the 'P' needs a GPU?

 

[Spiderjericho]

The H's have integrated graphics. P requires a dedicated.

I was close to getting the P, but I only needed a video out not a work horse like the 570 or 6870/6970.

 

[naldo]

What actually is the difference between the H67 and P67? I have tries looking online but there isn't too much info on the things that separate them. Is it similar to the 55 mobo's where the 'P' needs a GPU?

H67 = CAN use the on-chip GPU, CANNOT change CPU multiplier (overclock)

P67 = CANNOT use the on-chip GPU, CAN change CPU multiplier (overclock)

 

[AkIRA_22]

H67 = CAN use the on-chip GPU, CANNOT change CPU multiplier (overclock)

P67 = CANNOT use the on-chip GPU, CAN change CPU multiplier (overclock)

Thanks man, I was half the way there.

 

[Hazaro]

Bought a 2500K and P8P67 Pro from Tiger Direct. Estimated arrival of Friday :[
Also ordered a 1156 bolt thru for my TRUE 120.

My 8GB of DDR3 plus Scythe Kama fans should be here Monday. Already have my 2TB drive, TRUE 120, Corsair(Seasonic) 520W, GTX 295, and ICD7 paste ready.

fffffffffffffffffff

 

[subversus]

I want to buy an additional HDD. I need 1 terrabyte HDD but I heard they're unreliable. Is it true?

 

[teacupcopter]

OK so sometime next week or this week I am buying my new machine, just depending on if I can get a better price ordering online or going to a local place who has really good prices but are just fucking lazy updating if they have anything in stock.
Quick description- obviously want to use this for gaming. Lots of games, ranging from RTS to FPS to multiplayer stuff, I just want it to look really nice. Not bothering with 3d. I also really really want to emulate my PS2 and my Wii on it.

Case- Was thinking the Sonata 3 which comes with a 500W Earthwatts Power Supply included- for 153, it seems nice looking, does what I want and I've heard it's very quiet which is a big plus to me.

The other option would by the P183p or something but that is 155 and doesn't come with a PSU at all.

Obviously my choice is also affect by if a 500W power supply is good enough or not. I've heard conflicting things but maybe someone can give some advice after they've read the rest

CPU- i5 2500 at 229
a no brainer obviously, although I can't find on any australia websites the talked about 2500k- what is the difference to someone who is not going to overclock at all?

Motherboard- I'm pretty lost here. Obviously need a 1155 pin one, this one looked like it'd do the trick.

Graphics card- This is where I'm planning to splurge a bit but... I dunno. I've always been behind the curve on graphics cards. Obviously I could go a 6870 but I really kinda want something like the 6950 which is 339 dollars. Is it really that stupid a decision to make? Will I see much of an improvement at all over the 6870? Especially in emulation?

HD- the Hitachi Deskstar 2TB for 139. Is the cheaper price really that bad, hitachi aren't total no names right?

SSD- The Patriot Inferno 60GB Sandforce strictly for windows and a few other things obviously. It's 145.

RAM- 8GB -G.Skill Ripjaw 2x4GB DDR3 for 135

optical- Something like this, samsung DVD RW for 29

Windows Home Premium 64 bit OEM

I think that's it in terms of just the basics. I have a monitor, it's 1080p so that's fine. I have speakers, that's also fine. So all that comes to 1423 aussie dollars (so roughly the same US at the moment, added cost for being in upside down land)

Anything I can lose? Gain? In particular the graphics, with that system (that CPU/8GB of ram) will I see benefits from getting the 6950 or is the 6870 going to give me fairly similar results?

ALSO

I'm going to get a keyboard and mouse-

Mouse was thinking either Razer deathadder for 59 or the g500 for 85 or the mx518 for 39

Price isn't the biggest issue there i just want a nice mouse, I don't mind paying extra but the g500 is probably my limit

Keyboard I was probably thinking the Arctosa for 49, can't really see many beating that price with a keyboard I like.

Anyway any advice/critiques? Thanks

EDIT: a big one is the PSU, will 500W be enough... I am really unsure of this so any advice

 

[Mr_Brit]

OK so sometime next week or this week I am buying my new machine, just depending on if I can get a better price ordering online or going to a local place who has really good prices but are just fucking lazy updating if they have anything in stock.
Quick description- obviously want to use this for gaming. Lots of games, ranging from RTS to FPS to multiplayer stuff, I just want it to look really nice. Not bothering with 3d. I also really really want to emulate my PS2 and my Wii on it.

Case- Was thinking the Sonata 3 which comes with a 500W Earthwatts Power Supply included- for 153, it seems nice looking, does what I want and I've heard it's very quiet which is a big plus to me.

The other option would by the P183p or something but that is 155 and doesn't come with a PSU at all.

Obviously my choice is also affect by if a 500W power supply is good enough or not. I've heard conflicting things but maybe someone can give some advice after they've read the rest

CPU- i5 2500 at 229
a no brainer obviously, although I can't find on any australia websites the talked about 2500k- what is the difference to someone who is not going to overclock at all?

Motherboard- I'm pretty lost here. Obviously need a 1155 pin one, this one looked like it'd do the trick.

Graphics card- This is where I'm planning to splurge a bit but... I dunno. I've always been behind the curve on graphics cards. Obviously I could go a 6870 but I really kinda want something like the 6950 which is 339 dollars. Is it really that stupid a decision to make? Will I see much of an improvement at all over the 6870? Especially in emulation?

HD- the Hitachi Deskstar 2TB for 139. Is the cheaper price really that bad, hitachi aren't total no names right?

SSD- The Patriot Inferno 60GB Sandforce strictly for windows and a few other things obviously. It's 145.

RAM- 8GB -G.Skill Ripjaw 2x4GB DDR3 for 135

optical- Something like this, samsung DVD RW for 29

Windows Home Premium 64 bit OEM

I think that's it in terms of just the basics. I have a monitor, it's 1080p so that's fine. I have speakers, that's also fine. So all that comes to 1423 aussie dollars (so roughly the same US at the moment, added cost for being in upside down land)

Anything I can lose? Gain? In particular the graphics, with that system (that CPU/8GB of ram) will I see benefits from getting the 6950 or is the 6870 going to give me fairly similar results?

ALSO

I'm going to get a keyboard and mouse-

Mouse was thinking either Razer deathadder for 59 or the g500 for 85 or the mx518 for 39

Price isn't the biggest issue there i just want a nice mouse, I don't mind paying extra but the g500 is probably my limit

Keyboard I was probably thinking the Arctosa for 49, can't really see many beating that price with a keyboard I like.

Anyway any advice/critiques? Thanks

EDIT: a big one is the PSU, will 500W be enough... I am really unsure of this so any advice

Well since you want to emulate you'll have to OC as at stock settings that CPU will limit you for some games. This means that you'll need to pick up a 2500K,P67 board and an aftermarket heatsink. GPU wise you should pick up the 6950 instead, it will further unlock to a 6970 and will be massively faster than a 6870 for not much more.

 

[Hazaro]

I want to bau an additional HDD. I need 1 terrabyte HDD but I heard they're unreliable. Is it true?

False.

Get a Samsung F4 2TB from newegg. It's $80. A 1TB F3 is $70.
A 1 TB WD Black is $80-90.

OK so sometime next week or this week I am buying my new machine, just depending on if I can get a better price ordering online or going to a local place who has really good prices but are just fucking lazy updating if they have anything in stock.
Quick description- obviously want to use this for gaming. Lots of games, ranging from RTS to FPS to multiplayer stuff, I just want it to look really nice. Not bothering with 3d. I also really really want to emulate my PS2 and my Wii on it.

2500K
Any P67 motherboard (ASUS/GigaByte/MSI preferred)
GTX 460 / HD 6850 (6850 probably better buy in AUS)
See above. Get a Samsung F3/4 or a WD Black
128GB SSD if you can afford it, you can wait a few months for new SSD's as well. A 60 or 80GB just for pure OS and some progs is fine. I'd look at the Kingston and OCZ drives.
2x4GB G.Skill is good. Only need 1333Mhz.
500W is fine.

 

[Shambles]

H67 = CAN use the on-chip GPU, CANNOT change CPU multiplier (overclock)

P67 = CANNOT use the on-chip GPU, CAN change CPU multiplier (overclock)

You can use the integrated GPU on either the K part or the non-K part. Only you can only make use of quick sync if you have a monitor plugged into to the motherboard that you are using. So basically you can overclock with the P67 board and it has the better integrated graphics on it, but chances are if you're overclocking you're using a dedicated GPU anyways which makes the HD3000 useless and you're SOL if trying to use quick sync.

Oh, and the K parts don't support the same virtualization support that the non-K parts do. It's really fucked up right now.

 

[Fredescu]

So basically you can overclock with the P67 board and it has the better integrated graphics on it

The P67 boards don't support integrated graphics at all, right?

 

[Shambles]

The P67 boards don't support integrated graphics at all, right?

Every SNB chip has an on-die GPU on it. They work on any board. However the mainstream non-K parts have the worse HD2000 in them while the enthusiest K parts have the better HD3000 GPU on die which is backwards to what it should be as overclockers buying K parts will almost always be running a discrete GPU. (Someone correct me if i'm wrong)

Edit: I think the confusion stems from the issues with quick sync. I'm fairly sure i've seen reviews on a P67 board running monitors off both the discrete and integrated GPU in order to enable quick sync. Now whether the integrated monitor was actually displaying something or if there just needed to be something plugged into the motherboard video slot in order to get quick sync to work i'm not 100%

 

[Fredescu]

Every SNB chip has an on-die GPU on it. They work on any board.

Pretty sure they don't work on P67 boards. At least they're not intended to: http://ark.intel.com/chipset.aspx?familyID=52768

"Integrated Graphics: No"

 

[Shambles]

Pretty sure they don't work on P67 boards. At least they're not intended to: http://ark.intel.com/chipset.aspx?familyID=52768

"Integrated Graphics: No"

That seems more straight from the mouth than the sources I've been reading. That just blows my mind. Hopefully board manufacturers can find a way around this somehow, there is absolutely no reason for this whatsoever and frankly I'm quite surprised that the press has given Intel a pass on all this BS. I look forward to seeing real retail chips and boards in consumers hands and actually figuring out what works and what doesn't. Needless to say that while i'm impressed with the current reviews this sort of garbage makes me only want to sit on my Q6600 and wait to see something more sane either from AMD this year or the next iteraton of SNB.

I don't know what's going on with quick sync since those reports can't even be possible if there aren't any mothboard video outs. I'm just going to sit down and shut up now.

 

[Tarin02543]

The P67 boards don't support integrated graphics at all, right?

Only H67 boards have the integrated circuits to be able to use your IGP.

 

[subversus]

False.

Get a Samsung F4 2TB from newegg. It's $80. A 1TB F3 is $70.
.

Thanks. I'll take F3, because it's 7200 rpm.

 

[snack]

Hey fellow Canadians! Newegg.ca now has the Intel SandyBridge CPUs in stock.