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[Slayer-33]

Yes.

Two 5870s in an Antec 300

Damn what a clusterfuck my man, I'll show you mine in a sec :lol

Spoiler

mine looks like a clusterfuck but every cable has lots of space all around it for airflow, not the neatest thing but :lol

Don't laugh at my stock cooler :lol

Peaks at 43c at 100%

Blocked off the side panel fan out

Ghetto :lol

What kind of temps do you see with your HSF?

 

[MikeE21286]

I guess I might be missing something (probably obvious) but I'm wondering why so many are recommending the gtx570 over the radeon6950? In all the reviews I have seen the 6950 is on par with the 570 at 1920x1080 and also has the (possible) ability to unlock to a 6970. It can also be had for anywhere from $50-$70 cheaper than the 570...?

 

[JoeBoy101]

I guess I might be missing something (probably obvious) but I'm wondering why so many are recommending the gtx570 over the radeon6950? In all the reviews I have seen the 6950 is on par with the 570 at 1920x1080 and also has the (possible) ability to unlock to a 6970. It can also be had for anywhere from $50-$70 cheaper than the 570...?

For myself, I like Nvidia product better, especially for the drivers. But that's a personal bias on my part.

 

[iNvid02]

I guess I might be missing something (probably obvious) but I'm wondering why so many are recommending the gtx570 over the radeon6950? In all the reviews I have seen the 6950 is on par with the 570 at 1920x1080 and also has the (possible) ability to unlock to a 6970. It can also be had for anywhere from $50-$70 cheaper than the 570...?

the gtx 570 is quieter, and i think it uses less power than the 6970

 

[xero273]

I have a GIGABYTE case that I bought second hand. It's way better than the case I have now. Is there a way to tell if it supports both? I noticed there are cases which support both. And the screw placement on the case itself seems like it has a few extra holes.

You have a model number or something? I looked on newegg at gigabyte cases and all of the ones I saw support both atx and micro atx boards.

 

[Ryu1999]

the gtx 570 is quieter, and i think it uses less power than the 6970

Nope

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4061/amds-radeon-hd-6970-radeon-hd-6950/24

I'm more of an Nvidia guy myself, but facts are facts.

 

[·feist·]

Slayer-33,

That Antec 300 build isn't mine. Just a random photo that I found to help him get an idea of GPU spacing.

ah, right - i got a thing of CoolerMaster Thermal Fusion 400 Extreme Performance with the rig, is that adaquate or should i go pick up something else specifically before it arrives? i think newegg says it should be weds or so, fingers crossed!

case is off at the moment, so ill see what i can do - the extra $ i paid for "professional wiring" seems to just've been them coiling/tying off, still a noob at this - from the pic, can you point to about where you're referring with teh PSU's exhaust? you're talking the cables on the bottom-right hand side, then? i guess i could tape them off above it, about where the optical disc drive is up top, if nothing else.

I've never used that TIM before, but I believe it's supposed to be at least on par with Arctic Silver 5, which is a good baseline. That CM Fusion is non-curing, so that's always a plus.

The PSU exhaust is the large grill that makes up the left side of this picture:

As it stands, you're blocking it with SATA data and power cables, 24-pin power, and front panel connectors. Just get a pack of zip ties and try to re-route as many of those cables around areas like that. The goal is to use as many zip ties as needed to not only wrangle up the cables and makes them look nice, but to also avoid blocking as many intakes, exhausts, and paths to air as possible.

 

[blackMamba1187]

Any reason to get this RAM:

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) 9-9-9-24-2N

instead of this RAM (w/$15 off)?

G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) 9-9-9-24

$15 off promo ends today

 

[ph33nix]

Sorry if it's been answered already but this thread is huge and I'm a PC n00b---If I go with the "Get A Lot More Build" posted in the OP, what case would you guys recommend? I'm basically looking for the cheapest quality option I can get, I don't need anything particularly fancy, but I want it to be good too. I don't plan on getting dual GPUs or SSD or whatever, anything like that.

Thanks.

 

[Wthermans]

Basic Desktop Questions
Your Current Specs:
CPU: E6750 - stock speed
Mobo: Asus P5K Deluxe
GPU: EVGA 260GTX Core 216
RAM: 2GB Corsair XMS DDR2 800
HDD 1: 150GB WD Raptor 10k RPM
HDD 2: 400GB Seagate Barracuda 7200 RPM
PSU: 600W OCZ GameXStream
Case: Antec P180B
OS: Windows Vista 32Bit
Sound Card: X-Fi Xtreme Gamer
DVD Burner: Samsung SH-S182D 18x DVD-R
HSF: Tuniq Tower 120

Budget: $1500 - United States
Main Use: Heavy Gaming, Possible Emulation
Monitor Resolution: 1680x1050 possible upgrade to 1920x1080 at a later time
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Diablo 3 Max, BF3 Max, All current games Max
Are reusing any parts?: Only reusing my speakers, monitor (Samsung 226BW), keyboard/mouse
When will you build?: I'd like to have the parts ordered by the end of January
Will you be overclocking?: Possibly, once this build is stable at stock speeds, I want to learn to overclock on my current rig and then transfer that knowledge to an OC on this machine.

Here's the "dream build" I pieced together last night on the fly. It's missing a good HSF (must be easy to install with one person) and an optical drive and is breaking my budget by a few hundred bucks. https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1Y-Izy4XfXNk2aC-QPhugluHLHvaZ7eS_y4eMrHtUCVU

CPU: Intel 2600k http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070
Mobo: Asus P67 PRO http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131682
GPU: EVGA 570 GTX Superclocked http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130595
RAM: 8GB G.SKILL Ripjaw DDR3 1333 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231311
SSD: 120GB OCZ RevoDrive http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227578
HDD: 2TB Samsung Spinpoint F4 5400 RPM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152245
PSU: 750W Corsair Pro Series AX750 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139016
Case: Antec P193B http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129062
Windows: Windows 7 Professional OEM 64Bit http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116758

Now my questions/concerns/wants:

I would like to get an SSD (RevoDrive in the current build). I know there is new tech coming in a couple months, but I've already waited on SB and need to get this built relatively soon so keeping that drive is a high on my list of wants. My primary concern with the PCI SSDs is the heat from the video card. How will the proximity of the SSD & the GPU impact performance & overall life? Speaking of overall life, are there any specific steps I should take to prolong the life of the drive? I hear about random writes lowering the life of drives and since I will be putting some games on there (some of which have quick saves that are constantly being utilized) would I be better off skipping an SSD until they correct the shortened life problem?

I've heard of the flashing requirement for the Spinpoint F4, but I'm not too knowledgeable about what actually needs to be done to flash it. Is it as simple as running an .exe? The links I've seen about it say that you have to do the flash through DOS. Exactly what are the steps involved in the update? If it's too technical, I'm going to just skip the F4 and would need an alternative with at least 1TB of space.

Case Alternatives: I love my P180 & liked the idea of having a side fan for more cooling, but I'm open to alternatives that give me the same airflow and and functionality of the Antec P series

HSF: Any suggestions for this or should I look at this if I decide to overclock?

Mobo: What are the differences between the P67 Pro and Deluxe? Key wants in Mobo: USB3.0, SATA 6, at least 2 PCI-E slots for SLI if I ever decide to go that route

Video Card: I know the 6950 is a heck of a deal right now (especially with the unlocking), but PhysX is too important for me to pass up. I've held off on playing Arkham Asylum because I wanted to wait on a rebuilt when I could play on Max with PhysX enabled. Driver issues with ATi have also turned me off of them (last ATi card I had was the 9800xt).

RAM: I haven't heard much about G.SKILL before and my last two builds have been Corsair XMS based. I saw them featured in many recommended builds, but does anyone have anything specific to say about the RAM I selected for this build? Any alternatives you would recommend? Should I go with DDR3 1600 instead of 1333?

PSU: Same thing as the RAM, used the OCZ PSU in the last build and it's been great, I've heard great things about Corsair's new PSUs, but want to know if the one I selected is a good buy or if there is a better alternative. Requirements: Must be modular

I think that's all my questions and concerns, if I think of anything else, I'll be sure to add that. Any help in answering this and giving some recommendations on other parts would be most appreciated.

 

[jiien]

Sorry if it's been answered already but this thread is huge and I'm a PC n00b---If I go with the "Get A Lot More Build" posted in the OP, what case would you guys recommend? I'm basically looking for the cheapest quality option I can get, I don't need anything particularly fancy, but I want it to be good too. I don't plan on getting dual GPUs or SSD or whatever, anything like that.

Thanks.

I think the Antec 300 is a nice, solid choice for a case. However, all of the cases in the OP are good choices, as it really comes down to personal preference. You want to get something you don't mind looking at. If you're not doing anything fancy, all of them will pretty much fit what you want.

 

[MisterAnderson]

Sounds like your memory is not up to snuff.

If I got the RAM last year is there any way I can send it back to Corsair to get a replacement? I just never realized that my BIOS never had my RAM set to the speed that was being advertised until now.

On Newegg the Warranty says "Lifetime Limited." What does that mean exactly?

 

[·feist·]

Any reason to get this RAM:

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) 9-9-9-24-2N

instead of this RAM (w/$15 off)?

G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) 9-9-9-24

$15 off promo ends today

The first one has a better heat spreader. If you won't be overclocking your ram, and don't suffer from poor airflow, pick up the second one. You'll also have the benefit of less clearance issues.

Sorry if it's been answered already but this thread is huge and I'm a PC n00b---If I go with the "Get A Lot More Build" posted in the OP, what case would you guys recommend? I'm basically looking for the cheapest quality option I can get, I don't need anything particularly fancy, but I want it to be good too. I don't plan on getting dual GPUs or SSD or whatever, anything like that.

Thanks.

Any of the ~$100 case options would work, but you can also step down. Take a look at video walk-throughs and reviews.

 

[funkmastergeneral]

Wow, replacing a hard drive was incredibly easy. I thought for sure I was going to break the thing.

 

[Slayer-33]

Wow, replacing a hard drive was incredibly easy. I thought for sure I was going to break the thing.

easiest thing to do imo :lol besides putting in a dvd burner or a gpu in

 

[Diablohead]

You guys would CRY if you ever saw the inside of my old pc which ran from like 2002 to 2009, it had 3 HDD's in it but only one worked, more wires then you would find in your house, 5 to 6 fans all LED lit, half of them would rotate between colours, PC case has transparent windows on the side AND top... and it was due it's 6 month dust out. Oh and the front had lots of glowing blue neon dials, fan toggle switches, floppy drive, cd rom, dvd rom... lol.

Needless to say it weighed a brick and a half and one time at uni I was preparing to head home for christmas and the elevators were out of order, I was on the 9th floor.

 

[-viper-]

I'm looking for a 1TB hard drive for my new PC which is reliable, fast, and most importantly, QUIET.

In my old PC I had a 400GB Seagate and it drove me insane - the clicking was so damn loud.

 

[mclaren777]

SSD Wars: Patriot Inferno -vs- G.SKILL Phoenix

I don't think I'm willing to wait for the Micron C400 (scheduled to release in February) so that leaves me with two strong SSD contenders. Both are SandForce drives and they both cost about $130. The winner will be my boot drive on a 2600K+P8P67 machine and it will be paired with a Spinpoint F3.

Which do you think I should go with?

Patriot Inferno 60GB

G.SKILL Phoenix 60GB

And here's the best review I could find. It compares the 60GB Phoenix against the 100GB Inferno. It's not exactly apples-to-apples but conclusions can still be drawn regarding overall performance.

 

[-viper-]

Damn the SSDs sound impressive. But just checked the prices and fuck, they're expensive. I hope the prices drop by 50% by 2012

 

[DrBaalzamon]

I've got a few questions that hopefully PC gaf can help me with. I recently got a great deal on a Phenom ii X2 3.3ghz which I unlocked to a quadcore and OC'd to 3.6 and it is stable as a rock. It was a great value and am glad I went with that route. How can I tell if its really running at its reported speed? The reason I ask is that in the bios ( Where you set the clock speed etc ) it says 3.598ghz etc and in CPU-Z it also says that but in the dxdiag app and in the windows 'scoring' window it only says 3.3ghz. Just want to make sure its really running that speed.

My other question is about my videocard. I have an ATI 4770 512meg card thats been running great but I'd like to upgrade. At around 150$ whats my best option? I like this card because its very quiet, would a GTX 460 be similarly quiet or what ATI alternative is about the same speed and price/quietness? Thanks all!

PS - I currently game at 1440x900 but will be upgrading to a 1920x1080ish monitor fairly soon.

 

[coopolon]

I've got a few questions that hopefully PC gaf can help me with. I recently got a great deal on a Phenom ii X2 3.3ghz which I unlocked to a quadcore and OC'd to 3.6 and it is stable as a rock. It was a great value and am glad I went with that route. How can I tell if its really running at its reported speed? The reason I ask is that in the bios ( Where you set the clock speed etc ) it says 3.598ghz etc and in CPU-Z it also says that but in the dxdiag app and in the windows 'scoring' window it only says 3.3ghz. Just want to make sure its really running that speed.

My other question is about my videocard. I have an ATI 4770 512meg card thats been running great but I'd like to upgrade. At around 150$ whats my best option? I like this card because its very quiet, would a GTX 460 be similarly quiet or what ATI alternative is about the same speed and price/quietness? Thanks all!

PS - I currently game at 1440x900 but will be upgrading to a 1920x1080ish monitor fairly soon.

In that price range I believe you're looking at 460 from nVidia (which you could find for a little less than $150 if you're willing to go the 768Mb route, which most people don't recommend) or 6850 for a little bit more from AMD (here is one for $165 after rebate.)

Tom's Hardware does a regular review of best GPUs at various price points, will probably be useful for you.

 

[blackMamba1187]

Will I be able to "hot swap" my HDDs [WD Black 1 TB & WD Blue 650GB] when I'm changing the mobo, cpu and ram? The OS is on the 1TB drive w/ the other drive for media and such. I don't want to do a re-format and am not sure If my OEM Win7 is going to like being installed on a "new" system.

Upgrade is to an i5 2500k system from an e8500 build.

 

[Slayer-33]

A 120GB SSD for apps/certain games OS is perfect we need MORE space lower price!

So what would be the best thing to do to move my shit from an F3 1TB HDD to an SSD? Backup my windows 7 and restore it on the SSD? lol..

 

[Jin34]

Cheaper 1GB Radeon 6950/6970 coming soon.

 

[iNvid02]

A 120GB SSD for apps/certain games OS is perfect we need MORE space lower price!

So what would be the best thing to do to move my shit from an F3 1TB HDD to an SSD? Backup my windows 7 and restore it on the SSD? lol..

intel have a ssd refresh in february which will probably give 2x as much value.

e.g a 120gb intel ssd costs $230 currently, in feburary you might be able to get 2x as much space for same price

 

[SuperÑ]

Cheaper 1GB Radeon 6950/6970 coming soon.

No, thanks.

 

[Ecrofirt]

I'm planning to build a home file/backup server.

Here's how I plan to use the server:
* As central file repository that hosts file shares of our important documents and whatnot
* As a location we will backup our PCs to
* As a file downloader for large files that I don't want to download directly to my laptop
* As a media ripper for DVDs/blu-rays/CDs
* As a media streamer for the various files it is hosting

I envision setting it up with a bunch of file shares and letting the various devices in my house use it as needed. Laptops for picture/document storage, PS3/360 for media playback, etc. I'll obviously need a few terabytes of space, so I'll have to figure out how to handle that.

Also, I've never built a PC before, so I've got some questions:
1) I do NOT plan to use this for gaming. Not modern gaming, anyhow. At the most, this would emulate old games, and that's a VERY FAR STRETCH. As such, the onboard video/HDMI output most motherboards offer should be enough, right?
2) Should I go with an i3/i5? I'm trying to build this without incurring too much cost, but I also want it to be fast for media ripping and whatnot. i7 is out of the question for sure, I know that much. I just don't want to get something that's going to be a bottleneck in the near future, which is why I'm considering i3/i5 as opposed to Core 2 Duo and whatnot.
3) Based on what I want to do with this box, should I get a motherboard that supports RAID, or would letting Windows handle the RAID setup be enough?

does anyone have any CPU/motherboard/memory recommendations? I was thinking of getting something along the following lines:
* i3/i5 (though I don't know which)
* A motherboard that supports USB 3.0, and possibly RAID. MicroATX should be enough, right?
* Since these motherboards usually use triple-channel memory, I' imagine I need to get something like 6GB(3x2GB) of RAM


Can anyone chime in with what they think?

 

[MikeE21286]

Sitting at a GTX460 currently....looking to upgrade possibly since I'm gonna retire my q6600 and get an i5 2500K.

Possible routes are:
MSI Radeon 6950 - $284
MSI GTX570 - $330
Would sell my gtx460 ifI were to get either of these

OR (darkhorse)
SLI GTX 460 - $170 (might possibly influence my mobo decision, and increase costs by $40, since I was gonna go with the non-PRO ASUSP8P67 but it doesn't have SLI)


Any thoughts are appreciated

 

[vocab]

Cheaper 1GB Radeon 6950/6970 coming soon.

I fail to see the point of these. What marginal difference from the current 6900 series? How much cheaper compared to 6800 series? I guess this is just another step time gain market share. ATI needs to step up their driver game though. Enough of this preview driver shit.

 

[Snuggles]

It's about time for me to track down all the parts I'll need to build my first PC.

Is it going to be possible for me to include the Sandy Bridge in my build while still sticking to my budget of $600~. I'm so ignorant.

Or more specifically, what part in the OP's 'perfectly capable' build would I replace it with the Sandy Bridge?

 

[x3sphere]

I fail to see the point of these. What marginal difference will these be over the 6800 series?

Huh? Performance will be the same as a 2GB 6900, assuming clocks are the same. VRAM only matters as long as you have just enough. These could potentially be a really good buy if they are priced like $30-40 under their 2GB equivalents. Although then, that puts the 6870 in a weird spot.. who would buy it when you can get a 1GB 6950 for ~$260-270? Unless AMD plans on raising prices of the current 2GB cards.

I think 1GB is plenty for 1920x1200, you only need more that that at higher resolutions like 2560x1600 or for Eyefinity.

 

[dani_dc]

So I went ahead and ended up ordering

CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K
Motherboard: Asus P8P67 PRO
RAM: Gskill DDR3 PC12800 Ripjaws 4GB
PSU: Antec TruePower New 650w
HDD: Samsung 1TB SATA II
Case: Coolermaster CM690 II Advanced Black

For a bit under 700 euros.
Forgot to add the DVD-RW, well I'll just get it when I go pick the order at the store.
The GPU I'll just use my 8500GT for the next two or so weeks and then pick up a 6950 or possibly a 560 depending if it's out and price/perfomance.

I think I'll get the heatsink fan and replace the stock for it a bit later.

Going to be my first time building up a PC, really excited, can't wait

Cheaper 1GB Radeon 6950/6970 coming soon.

I could see them just upping the price of the current 6950/6970 instead :lol

 

[vocab]

So I went ahead and ended up ordering

CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K
Motherboard: Asus P8P67 PRO
RAM: Gskill DDR3 PC12800 Ripjaws 4GB
PSU: Antec TruePower New 650w
HDD: Samsung 1TB SATA II
Case: Coolermaster CM690 II Advanced Black

For a bit under 700 euros.
Forgot to add the DVD-RW, well I'll just get it when I go pick the order at the store.
The GPU I'll just use my 8500GT for the next two or so weeks and then pick up a 6950 or possibly a 560 depending if it's out and price/perfomance.

Two weeks with a 8500GT? I bet you won't even last two days. I had to use my 6800 GT for an RMA, and it was the worst two weeks ever.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

two questions :

1. is it worth for me to switch from an overclocked i5-750@ 3.7 to a sandy bridge 2500 or 2600

2. I read that to fully overclock I need a "K" series chip, how will I know I have the K series?

 

[Solo]

Because there is a "K" at the end of it. Not a smarmy remark, just the answer.

 

[JoeBoy101]

It's about time for me to track down all the parts I'll need to build my first PC.

Is it going to be possible for me to include the Sandy Bridge in my build while still sticking to my budget of $600~. I'm so ignorant.

Or more specifically, what part in the OP's 'perfectly capable' build would I replace it with the Sandy Bridge?

From a couple pages back by Hazaro:

And if you were REALLY concerned about price, I'd argue you can trim the graphics card to a GTX 460/470, take the PSU down 100 Watts, and remove the Hyper 212, as the SB chips are running much cooler, even when OC'ed.

But really, that build is awesome as is.

 

[Slayer-33]

two questions :

1. is it worth for me to switch from an overclocked i5-750@ 3.7 to a sandy bridge 2500 or 2600

2. I read that to fully overclock I need a "K" series chip, how will I know I have the K series?

hell no.

 

[MisterAnderson]

From what it looked like, by setting XMP to on it seemingly adjusted the voltage timings, etc. to what it was supposed to be. Then when I went to save and exit the BIOS it gave me a warning saying the overvoltage settings would make the life of my cpu, memory, etc. could be shortened with the settings I have changed. I figured it was just referring to the fact that the BIOS might just be giving an innocent overclocking warning but maybe it changed something else? The voltage seemed correct (1.65 I think) so I'm not sure how setting it manually will make it different from just turning on XMP but I'll try it.

Edit: I tried doing it manually and it also made my computer freak out... I'm not sure if I'm just doing something wrong or maybe my memory has just been defective all this time (as far as getting them to run at 1600mhz goes, otherwise it's been fine at 1033). I need to go to sleep though hopefully I'll get some answers tomorrow.

Just quoting from the other page so that this next question has context. Is it possible that I need to update my BIOS/motherboard or something? It definitely could be that my RAM just is funky/defective and won't run at 1600, but I am going to find that out in a few days when my next set of 6GB RAM comes in from Newegg, if switching it out and I have the same problem though, should I try updating my BIOS or something like that?

 

[Snuggles]

And if you were REALLY concerned about price, I'd argue you can trim the graphics card to a GTX 460/470, take the PSU down 100 Watts, and remove the Hyper 212, as the SB chips are running much cooler, even when OC'ed.

But really, that build is awesome as is.

Thanks.
That's a couple hundo over what I'm hoping to spend, but fuck it, I know it'll be so worth it in the long run. I might have to cap it at $900, hopefully I can pull that off without too much compromising.

 

[Toby]

two questions :

1. is it worth for me to switch from an overclocked i5-750@ 3.7 to a sandy bridge 2500 or 2600

2. I read that to fully overclock I need a "K" series chip, how will I know I have the K series?

2. There is a K at the end of the model number Ex. 2600k

 

[LiquidMetal14]

You have a model number or something? I looked on newegg at gigabyte cases and all of the ones I saw support both atx and micro atx boards.

Sorry, I couldn't find anything. I will take a pic in an hour or so and report back.

 

[dave is ok]

What is this about flashing firmware? I think I bought that hard drive the other day

 

[Owzers]

I remember people complaining about the new intel sandy bridge motherboards, is it better to wait for other ones to come out or is the P8P67 good? And what makes the Pro version better than the regular version?

*noob question, i have a hard time discerning between things based on tech info*

 

[Hazaro]

https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1Y-Izy4XfXNk2aC-QPhugluHLHvaZ7eS_y4eMrHtUCVU

Now my questions/concerns/wants:

I would like to get an SSD (RevoDrive in the current build). Myself I'd just get a SATA 128GB drive. A PCI-E RAID SSD is outside of my comfort level right now, and with with no TRIM (even if the controller is very hefty) I'm leery. If you still want it go for it now as its performance is undeniable.

I've heard of the flashing requirement for the Spinpoint F4, but I'm not too knowledgeable about what actually needs to be done to flash it. Is it as simple as running an .exe? The links I've seen about it say that you have to do the flash through DOS. Just grab a Samsung F3 1TB

HSF: Any suggestions for this or should I look at this if I decide to overclock?Cooler Master 212 + is the best for your dollar. Get a Scythe fan if you want some more quiet.

Mobo: What are the differences between the P67 Pro and Deluxe? Key wants in Mobo: USB3.0, SATA 6, at least 2 PCI-E slots for SLI if I ever decide to go that route 2 ethernet ports and some extra phase power. I'd just get the PRO.

Video Card: I know the 6950 is a heck of a deal right now (especially with the unlocking), but PhysX is too important for me to pass up. Get a 570 then

RAM: I haven't heard much about G.SKILL before and my last two builds have been Corsair XMS based. I saw them featured in many recommended builds, but does anyone have anything specific to say about the RAM I selected for this build? Any alternatives you would recommend? Should I go with DDR3 1600 instead of 1333? G.Skill is very good and they support eSports so they get my dollar. 1333 is fine.

PSU: Same thing as the RAM, used the OCZ PSU in the last build and it's been great, I've heard great things about Corsair's new PSUs, but want to know if the one I selected is a good buy or if there is a better alternative. Requirements: Must be modular Get a Seasonic 750 or 850W then. Built like tanks, insane efficiency, and modular. The Corsair AX850 is good too.

If I got the RAM last year is there any way I can send it back to Corsair to get a replacement? I just never realized that my BIOS never had my RAM set to the speed that was being advertised until now.

On Newegg the Warranty says "Lifetime Limited." What does that mean exactly?

Just give them a call and they will have you a new pair quick enough. 1600 are all overclocked sticks.

I'm looking for a 1TB hard drive for my new PC which is reliable, fast, and most importantly, QUIET.

In my old PC I had a 400GB Seagate and it drove me insane - the clicking was so damn loud.

Samsung F3 1TB

SSD Wars: Patriot Inferno -vs- G.SKILL Phoenix

Just looking at those I'd get the Phoenix. What about the 64GB c300?

Will I be able to "hot swap" my HDDs [WD Black 1 TB & WD Blue 650GB] when I'm changing the mobo, cpu and ram? The OS is on the 1TB drive w/ the other drive for media and such. I don't want to do a re-format and am not sure If my OEM Win7 is going to like being installed on a "new" system.

Upgrade is to an i5 2500k system from an e8500 build.

You can try, but I'd really really recommend a fresh install.
I'm still on a 3 year old XP 32-bit installation since I absolutely hate reinstalling, but it's about time I did.

Sitting at a GTX460 currently....looking to upgrade possibly since I'm gonna retire my q6600 and get an i5 2500K.

Possible routes are:
MSI Radeon 6950 - $284
MSI GTX570 - $330
Would sell my gtx460 ifI were to get either of these

OR (darkhorse)
SLI GTX 460 - $170 (might possibly influence my mobo decision, and increase costs by $40, since I was gonna go with the non-PRO ASUSP8P67 but it doesn't have SLI)

I'd wait until we see the GTX 560. Do you really ahve a need to upgrade from your 460?

two questions :

1. is it worth for me to switch from an overclocked i5-750@ 3.7 to a sandy bridge 2500 or 2600

2. I read that to fully overclock I need a "K" series chip, how will I know I have the K series?

Nope.
You buy the 2500K model instead of a 2500.

I'm planning to build a home file/backup server.

Here's how I plan to use the server:
* As central file repository that hosts file shares of our important documents and whatnot
* As a location we will backup our PCs to
* As a file downloader for large files that I don't want to download directly to my laptop
* As a media ripper for DVDs/blu-rays/CDs
* As a media streamer for the various files it is hosting

I envision setting it up with a bunch of file shares and letting the various devices in my house use it as needed. Laptops for picture/document storage, PS3/360 for media playback, etc. I'll obviously need a few terabytes of space, so I'll have to figure out how to handle that.

does anyone have any CPU/motherboard/memory recommendations? I was thinking of getting something along the following lines:
* i3/i5 (though I don't know which)
* A motherboard that supports USB 3.0, and possibly RAID. MicroATX should be enough, right?

Can anyone chime in with what they think?

A 2500 (not K) and a H67 motherboard. I'm no expert, but the integrated GPU on that, plus a cheap H67 should be a good starting point (They just released yesterday).

 

[Hazaro]

Thanks.
That's a couple hundo over what I'm hoping to spend, but fuck it, I know it'll be so worth it in the long run. I might have to cap it at $900, hopefully I can pull that off without too much compromising.

You can easily cut back the motherboard to a non-PRO or a GB UD3.
PSU down like list says (Seasonic 520W)
I mean I already wrote them on there :lol

What is this about flashing firmware? I think I bought that hard drive the other day

You need to make a bootable media and patch it. Sucks. As a drive it is REALLY good though, espcially for its cost.
http://www.samsung.com/global/business/hdd/faqView.do?b2b_bbs_msg_id=386

If someone finds a good free bootable CD/DVD maker let me know. I tried Cheetah burner.

I remember people complaining about the new intel sandy bridge motherboards, is it better to wait for other ones to come out or is the P8P67 good? And what makes the Pro version better than the regular version?

*noob question, i have a hard time discerning between things based on tech info*

There's a link in the news section of the OP with a review of them.

 

[mclaren777]

SSD Wars: Patriot Inferno -vs- G.SKILL Phoenix

I don't think I'm willing to wait for the Micron C400 (scheduled to release in February) so that leaves me with two strong SSD contenders. Both are SandForce drives and they both cost about $130. The winner will be my boot drive on a 2600K+P8P67 machine and it will be paired with a Spinpoint F3.

Which do you think I should go with?

Patriot Inferno 60GB

G.SKILL Phoenix 60GB

And here's the best review I could find. It compares the 60GB Phoenix against the 100GB Inferno. It's not exactly apples-to-apples but conclusions can still be drawn regarding overall performance.

A new challenger has entered the ring!

OCZ Agility 2 for $99

And in response to Hazaro, the C300 has much lower write speeds than other comparable drives.

 

[TheExodu5]

A new challenger has entered the ring!

OCZ Agility 2 for $99

And in response to Hazaro, the C300 has much lower write speeds than other comparable drives.

Apparently the write speeds issue was a firmware bug regarding garbage collection, according to a poster on here.

 

[Shadowhaxor]

two questions :

1. is it worth for me to switch from an overclocked i5-750@ 3.7 to a sandy bridge 2500 or 2600

Same position as me and the answer is no. There isn't a enough to justify a jump from the i5 to the SB at the moment. Put that cash towards more memory, a new GPU or a SSD

 

[mclaren777]

Truth be told, I'm far more interested in reliability than performance because I want this SSD to last me four years.

Is it true that Intel still makes the most reliable SSDs?

 

[Joe Molotov]

Why doesn't anyone make internal slot-loading DVD burners? They're almost impossible to find.