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[Izayoi]

All Cherry switches are different, except for the fact that all of them actuate about halfway down the key travel (~2mm). Blues are fairly light (50g actuation) but they have a very sharp tactile point at actuation, and click like a high-pitched retractable pen. I find that makes double-tapping and especially spamming a single key (depending on what game you're playing) really annoying, especially since the release point of the Blues is actually higher than where the actuation point is, so the key needs to come up around another 1mm higher than the actuation before you can fire the switch again. Very loud keyboard in general.

Red and Black switches are linear. That means there is no tactile point anywhere in the keystroke. The key starts at a low force and simply increases as the key is pressed further. Very smooth, but you obviously do not have a tactile indication of when the switch triggered like you do with the Blues except to see on the screen that it did so. The only difference between Red and Black switches is the force of the spring; Reds are very light switches (45g to actuation) and Blacks are fairly heavy (65g). Quiet aside from the noise of the keys bottoming out when typing.

Brown switches are kind of like Red switches that have a small hump built into the stem. They're very light (also 45g), but like the Blue you get a tactile response around the actuation point. However it's very different than the Blue switch (which has an extra mechanism built over the stem to create the click noise) and kind of just feels like the key has spot of lightly gritty friction about halfway down the key stroke. Pretty subtle and many people claim that they don't really notice it when they are typing quickly (or very hard).

The only other switch really available right now is the MX Clear, which I think only Deck uses in their full-size keyboard. They're essentially a mix of Black and Brown design; heavier springs (60-70g) but with the hump that causes a tactile feeling similar to Brown. It's a bit more pronounced on the Clear stem than it is on the Brown stem. I don't think this switch is going to be seen much outside of Deck and older Cherry brands, as they are not popular switches.

Hm... so are Blacks really okay for typing? I'm hearing conflicting reports on that. I type a lot (programming) and game a lot as well. I'm interested in the Deck Legend, but if Blacks aren't great for typing then I'm no sure what to do.

Thanks for all of the information.

 

[clav]

Hm... so are Blacks really okay for typing? I'm hearing conflicting reports on that. I type a lot (programming) and game a lot as well. I'm interested in the Deck Legend, but if Blacks aren't great for typing then I'm no sure what to do.

Thanks for all of the information.

Blacks are terrible for typing. Tried it out at Fry's the other day, and it was horrible. I was so glad I did not get a Cherry Black keyboard.

Blues are the best for typing. I debated between this and the brown. In the end, I'm very happy what I got. An excellent typing experience.

Browns are the best for gaming although Blacks are better for FPS/RTS for some people.

 

[Izayoi]

Blacks are terrible for typing.

Well that sucks. Are Clears really that bad, then? They sound decent enough for typing, but if they're bad for gaming then I don't want to get those either.

This is all making me want to just stick with a shitty rubber pad keyboard and replace it every four years when it dies. :|

---

Yay, 4 hours Blend in Prime95 complete with no errors or warnings. Was looping 3DMark11 at the same time, so it looks like my final stable clocks are:

i7 @ 4.5GHz w/ 1.31v core.
GTX 580 @ 987MHz core, 4.2GHz memory w/ 1.1v core.

Not too shabby.

 

[sh4mike]

I'm on an i5-2500K and GTX570. Two 1TB F3 spinpoints mirrored for my only drive.

I sometimes have to click icons multiple times to get them to run (e.g. click the "favorites star," no response, have to click again). This wasn't an issue when I first set-up the PC in February, although I've put a lot of programs on since.

Are these laggy inputs the result of CPU underperformance, or could it be the HDD mirror? I've never done an HDD mirror on my main drive and was worried it may hurt performance.

I haven't OCed my i5-2500K at all. If that's a potential cause, then I'll investigate how to do some light OCing.

I'm not doing a lot in the background and figured the CPU and GPU could handle Windows 7 64-bit w/ IE. I mostly just browse the internet at night with this PC, and the multiple clicks to open programs and multiple clicks in IE to get a response irritates me.

(Heh, the first "submit reply" click didn't register. Figures.)

 

[TheExodu5]

I'm using the Logitech Illuminated scissor switch keyboard. Love it.

I'm on an i5-2500K and GTX570. Two 1TB F3 spinpoints mirrored for my only drive.

I sometimes have to click icons multiple times to get them to run (e.g. click the "favorites star," no response, have to click again). This wasn't an issue when I first set-up the PC in February, although I've put a lot of programs on since.

Are these laggy inputs the result of CPU underperformance, or could it be the HDD mirror? I've never done an HDD mirror on my main drive and was worried it may hurt performance.

I haven't OCed my i5-2500K at all. If that's a potential cause, then I'll investigate how to do some light OCing.

I'm not doing a lot in the background and figured the CPU and GPU could handle Windows 7 64-bit w/ IE. I mostly just browse the internet at night with this PC, and the multiple clicks to open programs and multiple clicks in IE to get a response irritates me.

(Heh, the first "submit reply" click didn't register. Figures.)

Probably due to the mirror. Maybe one HDD is going to sleep?

 

[Ajemsuhgao]

He was referring to the GTX 560, which can be had for ~$200, and is 30% faster.

edit: stock GTX 560 /w 10 year warranty for $190:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130660

Nicer Asus model for $200:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121446

Wait, I don't see how they're any faster than that card I linked?

For the Asus 560:

GPU
    GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi)
Core Clock
    850MHz
Shader Clock
    1700MHz
Stream Processors
    336 Processor Cores

For the 460 I bought:

GPU
    GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi)
Core Clock
    850 MHz (v.s 720 MHz reference)
Shader Clock
    1700 Mhz (v.s 1440 MHz reference)
Stream Processors
    336 Processor Cores

I don't know crap about video cards, so just reading numbers..they seem like they're the same to me...

 

[TheExodu5]

Wait, I don't see how they're any faster than that card I linked?

For the Asus 560:

GPU
    GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi)
Core Clock
    850MHz
Shader Clock
    1700MHz
Stream Processors
    336 Processor Cores

For the 460 I bought:

GPU
    GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi)
Core Clock
    850 MHz (v.s 720 MHz reference)
Shader Clock
    1700 Mhz (v.s 1440 MHz reference)
Stream Processors
    336 Processor Cores

I don't know crap about video cards, so just reading numbers..they seem like they're the same to me...

Numbers don't say it all.

Here's a benchmark comparison, though the GTX 460 here is running at the reference speed of 675MHz, and the GTX 560 is running at 823MHz.

Mind you the GTX 560 can be overclocked to 950MHz+.

The GTX 460 you got is pretty heavily overclocked out of the box though...won't be too far off, unless you were to manually overclock the GTX 560.

 

[sh4mike]

Probably due to the mirror. Maybe one HDD is going to sleep?

Any suggestions on testing I can perform to better identify the cause before wiping out my HDDs? That's a lot of work for a novice like myself (had professionals set everything up). Perhaps a no-sleep Windows option for both HDDs?

 

[TheExodu5]

Any suggestions on testing I can perform to better identify the cause before wiping out my HDDs? That's a lot of work for a novice like myself (had professionals set everything up). Perhaps a no-sleep Windows option for both HDDs?

Search for the power management features in the control panel. Should be around there somewhere.

 

[IchigoSharingan]

Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 PRO

CPU: Intel i7-2600k

GPU: GTX580 (1536MB) ASUS 3 slot

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series (8GB)

PSU: Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold Series 1200W

Case: COOLER MASTER HAF X

CPU Fan: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus

Optical: SONY Black 12X BD-R Blu-ray Burner

HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F4 (2TB)

SSD: Intel 510 120GB

Sound: Xonar DG ($30)

Ok, so I think this is my final build. Could somebody look over it and call out any obvious errors I may have missed? (parts not working together).

Plan to order in an hour or two once I get some finals thoughts, if any.

unless ur going SLI and overclocking the 580's i don't know if you need the 1200W. By noting 3 slot are you going tri SLI?

 

[Zimbardo]

gtx460 can be overclocked pretty high ...its up around 560 ti territory with a high overclock anyway.

some even get 1000mhz on the core.

 

[TheExodu5]

Yeah I'd stick in a Corsair AX850 in there instead...will still leave room for SLI as well.

 

[clav]

I thought the GTX 560 is spec by spec the same as the GTX 460.


The GTX 560 Ti version has 48 more processor cores than the regular GTX 560.

Supposedly the 560 can overclock better than the 460.

 

[TheExodu5]

I thought the GTX 560 is spec by spec the same as the GTX 460.


The GTX 560 Ti version has 48 more processor cores than the regular GTX 560.

Supposedly the 560 can overclock better than the 460.

Oh shit...that's my bad. Didn't realize there was a 560 and 560 Ti.

Yeah my bad...the card I linked then would be same thing as the GTX 460.

In that case:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...30634&cm_re=gtx_560_ti-_-14-130-634-_-Product

$191 after $30 MIR.

 

[Wallach]

Well that sucks. Are Clears really that bad, then? They sound decent enough for typing, but if they're bad for gaming then I don't want to get those either.

This is all making me want to just stick with a shitty rubber pad keyboard and replace it every four years when it dies.

Blacks aren't bad for typing at all. It really depends on your own fingers, really. Blacks are just stronger than other keys (though really not that much harder than a Blue). I certainly find them easier to type on than rubber dome boards.

Still, it's a legit position to buy cheap keyboards and replace them more. My only beef with that is that they feel crappy to use from the start. I think that's a bum deal for the two components of your computer than you're probably going to use more than any other part.

 

[clav]

GAF, I need your comments regarding the build for my friend:

Case: Antec Three Hundred

Corsair Enthusiast Series 650-Watt 80 Plus Bronze Certified Power Supply compatible with Intel Core i3, i5, i7 and AMD platforms 650TX v2

• Is this power supply powerful enough? I've never worked with a build more than 450 Watts.

ASUS P8P67 Standard Edition - ATX size

• Should I purchase the Pro/Deluxe version instead? I know the LE version should not be purchased as it is a poor overclocking board.
• Yes, I did read the chart. I want confirmation that my assessment is correct.

Intel i5 2500K

Cooler Master 212 Plus 120mm CPU Cooler

• Will this heatsink fit in an Antec 300 case?
• Do I need to purchase a third party fan?
• I already have thermal paste (MX-4)

Kingston HyperX 8GB (4GB x2) PC3 12800 (1600 MHz) DDR3 RAM

eVGA GTX 560 Regular

• This is what is bothering me. Is it worth it to put a 570 instead? If I were to put a 570 instead, is there something I can cut out to keep it to $1000?

TP-Link TL-WN851N 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Adapter

• Works great for Linux.

2x Western Digital Green 2TB Hard Drives

• Is Blue/Black worth it? I feel with mechanical hard drives, the more money spent should be towards on SSDs.

Thanks for your time.


---------------------------------------------------

What are your opinions about the Cooler Master Elite cases? I sense my friend wants a case with a see-through window as when he was checking my Ultra Microfly case, he liked how you can view the insides without opening it up.

This case in particular: Cooler Master Elite Window RC 430

It's cheaper than the Antec and tool-less.

I suppose I can slash the price more by using 500 GB hard drives?

Also, he wants a blu-ray burner. Anyone know if Blu-ray will stick around as a good storage for backup medium? I still feel it's more worthwhile to purchase additional hard drives to backup things although blu-ray media does last nearly indefinitely.

 

[Hazaro]

GAF, I need your comments regarding the build for my friend

Fine. I'd get a CX430w instead to save money.
560 is fine
212 will fit
I'd get Samsung F4 2TB if you can, not a big deal.

 

[chaosblade]

GAF, I need your comments regarding the build for my friend:

Case: Antec Three Hundred

Corsair Enthusiast Series 650-Watt 80 Plus Bronze Certified Power Supply compatible with Intel Core i3, i5, i7 and AMD platforms 650TX v2

• Is this power supply powerful enough? I've never worked with a build more than 450 Watts.

ASUS P8P67 Standard Edition - ATX size

• Should I purchase the Pro/Deluxe version instead? I know the LE version should not be purchased as it is a poor overclocking board.

Intel i5 2500K

Cooler Master 212 Plus 120mm CPU Cooler

• Will this heatsink fit in an Antec 300 case?
• Do I need to purchase a third party fan?
• I already have thermal paste (MX-4)

Kingston HyperX 8GB (4GB x2) PC3 12800 (1600 MHz) DDR3 RAM

eVGA GTX 560 Regular

• This is what is bothering me. Is it worth it to put a 570 instead? If I were to put a 570 instead, is there something I can cut out to keep it to $1000?

TP-Link TL-WN851N 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Adapter

• Works great for Linux.

2x Western Digital Green 2TB Hard Drives

• Is Blue/Black worth it? I feel with mechanical hard drives, the more money spent should be towards on SSDs.

Thanks for your time.

You can get a better case for the price. I am using an Antec 300, and it's probably the most overrated case ever. Look into this one, it has more space and better airflow, as well as features like tray cutouts for cable routing that the 300 lacks.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233&Tpk=haf 912

Can't recommend the 560, as mentioned above it's an overclocked 460 which you can get cheaper. Get a 560 Ti, unless you can fit a 570 in the budget.

I wouldn't get the green HDDs as primary drives either. If you want to go big, go with the Samsung F4. And is there a reason he needs two?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152245

And yes, that PSU will do fine in any single GPU setup.

I'd also recommend trying to get products from Newegg with combos instead of Amazon, because you can save some money that way to put toward better components (namely the GPU). PC components are the one thing I usually don't go to Amazon first for (except the 212+, it's cheaper there).

Edit: Well, some of the above is thrown out based on your edit.

 

[clav]

Fine. I'd get a CX430w instead to save money.
560 is fine
212 will fit
I'd get Samsung F4 2TB if you can, not a big deal.

I thought the 560 requires at least a 500 watt power supply though?

28-31 Amps over the 12V rail.

You can get a better case for the price. I am using an Antec 300, and it's probably the most overrated case ever. Look into this one, it has more space and better airflow, as well as features like tray cutouts for cable routing that the 300 lacks.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233&Tpk=haf 912

Can't recommend the 560, as mentioned above it's an overclocked 460. Get a 560 Ti, unless you can fit a 570 in the budget.

I wouldn't get the green HDDs as primary drives either. If you want to go big, go with the Samsung F4. And is there a reason he needs two?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152245

And yes, that PSU will do fine in any single GPU setup.

I'd also recommend trying to get products from Newegg with combos instead of Amazon, because you can save some money that way to put toward better components (namely the GPU). PC components are the one thing I usually don't go to Amazon first for (except the 212+, it's cheaper there).

Thanks for the case suggestion. I'll take a look at it. Mm... plastic. How does that hold up? I remember my friend having a plastic Thermaltake case, and that thing just broke like a cheap toy.

California Newegg customers pay tax. Makes a huge difference although we practically get next day shipping on anything.

That's what I was thinking with the 560. I think I'll cut the size of the 2 hard drives to leave that money for the 560 Ti.

He doesn't want to deal with partitioning with two OSes, and in some sense, they serve as a backup solution in case one drive fails, he has another drive to operate in the other environment.

 

[chaosblade]

All right thanks.



Thanks for the case suggestion. I'll take a look at it. Mm... plastic. How does that hold up? I remember my friend having a plastic Thermaltake case, and that thing just broke like a cheap toy.

California Newegg customers pay tax. Makes a huge difference although we practically get next day shipping on anything.

That's what I was thinking with the 560. I think I'll cut the size of the 2 hard drives.

He doesn't want to deal with partitioning with two OSes, and in some sense, it's a backup solution in case one drive fails, he has another drive to operate.

Tax, yeah, that would make a pretty big difference.

You can get a couple of 1TB F3 drives or 500GB F4 drives if he really wants two drives, that would save a little money.

And I think the case just has plastic on the front bezel, the actual case is steel. Antec 300 has a plastic bezel as well.

 

[clav]

Tax, yeah, that would make a pretty big difference.

You can get a couple of 1TB F3 drives or 500GB F4 drives if he really wants two drives, that would save a little money.

And I think the case just has plastic on the front bezel, the actual case is steel. Antec 300 has a plastic bezel as well.

Hm. All right. I'll definitely choose the cooler master you suggested over the Antec now.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147023

Thoughts on this case? It doesn't have the cable management, but certainly an attractive price ($40 after tax).

 

[Forkball]

So I just finished building my new computer, hit the power switch and... nothing! The only thing I've noticed is the mobo's power light turning on, but nothing else moves. I tried switching the power wires to make sure I didn't mix them up, but it still doesn't help.

 

[clav]

So I just finished building my new computer, hit the power switch and... nothing! The only thing I've noticed is the mobo's power light turning on, but nothing else moves. I tried switching the power wires to make sure I didn't mix them up, but it still doesn't help.

Did you forget the 4pin power connector next to the CPU?

 

[chaosblade]

So I just finished building my new computer, hit the power switch and... nothing! The only thing I've noticed is the mobo's power light turning on, but nothing else moves. I tried switching the power wires to make sure I didn't mix them up, but it still doesn't help.

Check the mentioned 4 pin power connector. It would be nice if you had a speaker to connect to the motherboard to get some error codes. A lot of boards don't include those though.

Hm. All right. I'll definitely choose the cooler master you suggested over the Antec now.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147023

Thoughts on this case? It doesn't have the cable management, but certainly an attractive price ($40 after tax).

Well, you kind of get what you pay for. I wouldn't buy a Rosewill case, but it probably won't fall apart on him (be careful with those tool-less bays though) or anything. It's pretty bare bones, and the steel is probably pretty thin.

 

[mr2xxx]

Any place to get a updated Win. 7 Pro 64 iso? . I tried to update my older version and it didn't work out.

 

[Varna]

I think I want to upgrade to 8GB of Ram. Would that offer me any benefit from 4GB? I notice the highest I've ever gone is 80% usage.

EDIT: Plan to get 2 4GB sticks.

 

[Forkball]

Yes the four pin one connect to the CPU is plugged in. Honestly I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I followed every single instruction. Hours of work... D:

 

[clav]

Yes the four pin one connect to the CPU is plugged in. Honestly I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I followed every single instruction. Hours of work... D:

That's why you test the motherboard, CPU, RAM before you put it in the case. /trollface

Are you sure you wired the power switch connector to the power switch pins on the motherboard?

You may want to try bridging the two power pins on your motherboard to power it on manually.

 

[Salaadin]

Are there any tests I can run to check for impending HDD failure other than the typical SMART checkers out there?
I uses Comodo for weekly HDD backups so if one of my drives are going, its not a HUGE deal but its still a situation that Id like to avoid.

 

[Izayoi]

Yes the four pin one connect to the CPU is plugged in. Honestly I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I followed every single instruction. Hours of work... D:

Does your motherboard have a status display? Does it make any warning beeps? Are there LEDs located by your different components that can be used to troubleshoot?

If your motherboard lights up at least it means that you're receiving power, so it isn't your power supply. Double check your fan connectors. Make sure your processor is seated correctly, and that your DIMMs are as well.

If doing all of the above does not fix the problem, the most likely scenario is that your motherboard is DoA. If you know someone who has the same socket as your CPU, ask (very nicely) if they would mind testing your processor for you. Actually, ask if you can test your RAM and your CPU at the same time. If it works, your motherboard is shot and you'll need to RMA it. If not, put their RAM back in and see if it still starts. That should tell you what you need to replace.

 

[Anony]

i need to upgrade soon, my oc'd 3.15ghz e6600 is really lagging behind my new 6870, cant even play bc2 on high

someone correct me if i'm wrong, the z68 chipset's ssd caching is completely useless to someone who has a ssd (i have ocz agility 2) that has the os and all the programs on the ssd
i dont see any advantage to the z68 other than the x57 multiplier (unless u use the integrated graphics)

god, the wait for bulldozer is horrible, i'm hoping intel responds with a price cut when it comes, or i'll probably jump ships if bulldozer gives the same performance

 

[dgenx]

I was thinkin if I can get a really better perfomance OCing my i5

its a i5 760@2.80ghz , does it worth it to overclock it ? also which program is good for doing it?

 

[ColonelColon]

I need to replace my tin can of a case, and the Antec 300 seems to be the most popular low budget case. Are there any other cases which cost $60 or less that best the Antec 300 in features, build quality, and cooling? A lot of the cases I've seen so far have looked really garish and ugly imo, and I'd like to avoid panel windows if possible.

 

[TheExodu5]

I need to replace my tin can of a case, and the Antec 300 seems to be the most popular low budget case. Are there any other cases which cost $60 or less that best the Antec 300 in features, build quality, and cooling? A lot of the cases I've seen so far have looked really garish and ugly imo, and I'd like to avoid panel windows if possible.

HAF 912, or if you want a more muted look, spend a bit more and get the CM 690 II Advanced.

 

[Wallach]

HAF 912, or if you want a more muted look, spend a bit more and get the CM 690 II Advanced.

I'd second that. Pretty much as soon as you get out of the 300's price range I would look elsewhere instead of Antec. I'm using a CM 690 II Adv. and I really love it.

Edit - Heck, the 300 is the same price as the 912 now? I'd take the 912 over the 300 if that is the case.

 

[TheExodu5]

Edit - Heck, the 300 is the same price as the 912 now? I'd take the 912 over the 300 if that is the case.

Yup. The 300 is quite overpriced for what it is, atm.

Honestly, Antec is so far behind at this point, I wouldn't really consider any of their cases. They really need to update their designs. They had a great niche going with the P180 series, but even that design is a good 4 years old now, and is outclassed in everything but build quality by the Fractal Define R3.

The 300 is a nice little case when it can be had for $30-40, but the 912 really outclasses it at the $60 price point.

 

[TrounceX]

Hey GAF I'm getting a strange message whenever I try to hook up a 360 controller to my PC. It basically says the device is malfunctioning and using too much power. I've tried a couple different controllers now and unplugged all other USB devices but that didn't seem to help.

Oh and I should mention that yesterday it was working perfectly fine. Just today, randomly, my PC decides to hate xbox controllers.

Any idea what is going on?

 

[The Teachinator]

What is the best wireless mouse and keyboard I can get?

I'll be gaming from my couch a good 10 ft from the machine. I'll have a clear line of sight. I'd like a mouse that has sone weight with really smooth on screen motion.

 

[TheExodu5]

What is the best wireless mouse and keyboard I can get?

I'll be gaming from my couch a good 10 ft from the machine. I'll have a clear line of sight. I'd like a mouse that has sone weight with really smooth on screen motion.

The best wireless mouse is the Razer Mamba...but it's quite pricey.

 

[scy]

I need to replace my tin can of a case, and the Antec 300 seems to be the most popular low budget case. Are there any other cases which cost $60 or less that best the Antec 300 in features, build quality, and cooling? A lot of the cases I've seen so far have looked really garish and ugly imo, and I'd like to avoid panel windows if possible.

BitFenix Shinobi is also $60 ($70 for the windowed version which gets an extra fan slot). I actually just went from an Antec 300 to this case and love it, sans that it's maybe 1cm too short for my 6950 to not touch the hard drive bay area (49cm deep, for the curious). Still, 9 bays is far more than I need so it's a minor complaint.

 

[nilbog21]

GTX 480 for 229$ at FRYS. SHOULD I BITE ON THIS? RYUSEUI WHERE U R

 

[ColonelColon]

BitFenix Shinobi is also $60 ($70 for the windowed version which gets an extra fan slot). I actually just went from an Antec 300 to this case and love it, sans that it's maybe 1cm too short for my 6950 to not touch the hard drive bay area (49cm deep, for the curious). Still, 9 bays is far more than I need so it's a minor complaint.

Hm, the Shinobi case looks nice, but it seems to only include one fan. How many fans are you using in that case?

 

[Wallach]

GTX 480 for 229$ at FRYS. SHOULD I BITE ON THIS? RYUSEUI WHERE U R

It's a hot and power hungry card, but stable and if you have the proper case airflow that is a great deal IMO. That card is still quite a baller. I'd put it around a 570 at stock and you aren't ever getting a 570 for that price.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

The best wireless mouse is the Razer Mamba...but it's quite pricey.

cyborg RAT 9 has it beat. my mamba lasted maybe 3 months? and there are a lot of similar stories.

 

[nilbog21]

It's a hot and power hungry card, but stable and if you have the proper case airflow that is a great deal IMO. That card is still quite a baller. I'd put it around a 570 at stock and you aren't ever getting a 570 for that price.

Hm yeah i'm looking at the reviews on newegg and it runs REALLY hot. I dont want to have to pay 60$ for a new heatsink.

I was thinking, on the other hand, getting a hd6950 2gb for 250$ and ocing it to hd6970. thoughts?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...27555&cm_re=hd6950_2gb-_-14-127-555-_-Product

 

[Wallach]

Hm yeah i'm looking at the reviews on newegg and it runs REALLY hot. I dont want to have to pay 60$ for a new heatsink.

I was thinking, on the other hand, getting a hd6950 2gb for 250$ and ocing it to hd6970. thoughts?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...27555&cm_re=hd6950_2gb-_-14-127-555-_-Product

That card unlocked to a 6970 would also be a good choice. Just make sure you know what you're getting into and do the flashing process correctly. I don't know if that design still has the dual BIOS switch (if it's a reference design it should, I can't really tell from that link). I'd probably take that route over the 480, but definitely keep an eye on those open box deals on Newegg too right up until you actually go to make the purchase. There's nothing great available right now but that changes often.

 

[nilbog21]

thx for sharing ur thoughts wallach, i really don't know what i'm getting into though, oc'ing that card.. the 25$ rebate on that msi card ends on the 31st ;[[

edit: also i bought this monitor for 160$ shipped from hp.com. i fucking hate hp but it seems like nice deal. stellar reviews on newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824176198

 

[Wallach]

thx for sharing ur thoughts wallach, i really don't know what i'm getting into though, oc'ing that card.. the 25$ rebate on that msi card ends on the 31st ;[[

edit: also i bought this monitor for 160$ shipped from hp.com. i fucking hate hp but it seems like nice deal. stellar reviews on newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824176198

Well keep in mind that most people talk about flashing the BIOS of that card to unlock it, not OC it. You see, the 2GB 6950 basically IS a 6970 with shaders locked out via the BIOS that controls the hardware. If you flash a 6970 BIOS onto the card, it essentially becomes a 6970 because the BIOS will allow the card to use the full shaders. This isn't necessarily guaranteed because the manufacturer is not going to QC the card with a 6970 bios, so if there are hardware problems there in the locked shaders, that's your business.

Now, this process isn't that risky on a 6950 because there's a switch that allows you to switch between two BIOS, and one of them is un-flashable so it will always be "safe" if you mess up the other BIOS flash. However, on other 6950s without the dual BIOS if you mess up the BIOS flashing, the card bricks. Donezo in onezo, you know? And the manufacturer is going to tell you to go screw if you bother trying to RMA it.

Assuming that is a reference card with the dual BIOS switch, it's a safe bet though and what would functionally be a 6970 at that price is obviously a steal. That's why the discontinued the reference 6950s - they were tanking the actual 6970 market! Get one if you can would be my advice. If it's not a reference card with the dual BIOS though, flash with care.

 

[dgenx]

Ok so I got an i5 760 at 2.8 , I wanted to oc it read a lot of tutorials just to find out that my motherboard dhc55t or soethig just let me increase the clock , so I did it to 3.5 , now when I play witcher 2 I get temps of 77 tops,and 40in windows , my questionis should I go up to 3.8 or so given that I cant control the voltage it might bw risky, or just stay in 3.5,

Still motherboard

 

[nilbog21]

Well keep in mind that most people talk about flashing the BIOS of that card to unlock it, not OC it. You see, the 2GB 6950 basically IS a 6970 with shaders locked out via the BIOS that controls the hardware. If you flash a 6970 BIOS onto the card, it essentially becomes a 6970 because the BIOS will allow the card to use the full shaders. This isn't necessarily guaranteed because the manufacturer is not going to QC the card with a 6970 bios, so if there are hardware problems there in the locked shaders, that's your business.

Now, this process isn't that risky on a 6950 because there's a switch that allows you to switch between two BIOS, and one of them is un-flashable so it will always be "safe" if you mess up the other BIOS flash. However, on other 6950s without the dual BIOS if you mess up the BIOS flashing, the card bricks. Donezo in onezo, you know? And the manufacturer is going to tell you to go screw if you bother trying to RMA it.

Assuming that is a reference card with the dual BIOS switch, it's a safe bet though and what would functionally be a 6970 at that price is obviously a steal. That's why the discontinued the reference 6950s - they were tanking the actual 6970 market! Get one if you can would be my advice. If it's not a reference card with the dual BIOS though, flash with care.

Cool, do you know where I can find if it has dual bios switch? I'm searching but i can't find anything.. ppl seem to be saying random/contradicting things..