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[Sniper McBlaze]

It happens. Some people seem to be very unlucky. I haven't gotten a faulty component yet.

Are you sure you're not just missing the motherboard's sound drivers? And how come the SSD isn't working?

Nah, I've tried pretty much all drivers out there. Clearing BIOS, updating motherboard BIOS, raindance... you name it. Do you have some thing that usually works?

If I use HDMI for sound it works though, but that's probably because it's from the graphics card.

No clue why the SSD isn't working... It isn't even showing up in BIOS. My guess is that the PSU killed it.

 

[mkenyon]

1. Are you running in AHCI mode?
2. Using a legit copy of windows? (I ask this because there quite a few copies out there that has problems with detecting AHCI SSDs, I mean, so I've heard).
3. Have you updated your SSD's firmware?

 

[mkenyon]

hello again :0

So i went over to ncix.com to build a pc, but i am getting really confused. There is so many versions of each component that my head is about to explode. I am VERY new to pc building and components.

so can anyone help me out here? If anyone has 5 minutes to custom build a pc for me I would really appreciate it.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=26129222&postcount=7170

Not sure how that translates to Canadian. If you're under the budget, get better RAM. That would mean something that says DDR3 1600 CAS8 or CAS7. Also for you, I'd most definitely suggest the Fractal Define R3 for a case instead of a coolermaster. If you're feeling really crazy, drop a big chunk on a really nice Lian Li.

**edit** Just checked the prices, you could upgraydde to a 2GB 6950 or a GTX 570 if you wanted. On top of that, switch out the Spinpoint F3 for 2x500gb Western Digital Caviar Blacks for a RAID 0, and an SSD for your operating system. Also the RAM you want is the Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 2x2GB kit. That'll put ya just over 1500.

 

[Sniper McBlaze]

1. Are you running in AHCI mode?
2. Using a legit copy of windows? (I ask this because there quite a few copies out there that has problems with detecting AHCI SSDs, I mean, so I've heard).
3. Have you updated your SSD's firmware?

1. I've tried both AHCI and IDE.

2. Yes, it's legit. A Windows 7 64-bit Home Edition.

3. No. I can't since the computer can't recoqnize the harddrive.

 

[mkenyon]

1. I've tried both AHCI and IDE.

2. Yes, it's legit. A Windows 7 64-bit Home Edition.

3. No. I can't since the computer can't recoqnize the harddrive.

Do you not have another computer to try it out on?

 

[Sniper McBlaze]

Do you not have another computer to try it out on?

Unfortunately no. Gonna try it at a friend's house in a few days.

It worked before my PSU broke though.

 

[mkenyon]

HardOCP reviews 2GB 6950 vs 1GB 6950 vs 560Ti

In summary: If you aren't running at a higher resolution than ~1080P, and aren't planning on flashing the 6950, buy the 560. If you are running at high res, get the 2GB 6950.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

anyone else setup sli recently? i just got another 570 but there is no sli option in nvidia control panel. both cards are being recognized in device manager but no enable sli, only choose physX.

this is what i've already done
- update drivers / roll back drivers
- switch pci slots for cards
- attatch sli bridge both ways
- updated the bios
- dont have realtek lan so no issue there

is there an option under "set SLI and PhysX configuration" that says maximize 3D performance?

 

[knitoe]

Unfortunately no. Gonna try it at a friend's house in a few days.

It worked before my PSU broke though.

If the bios doesn't see the drive, no way Windows will see it. Does your other drives work on the same port? If yes, the SSD is probably dead. If no, a different drive port.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

HardOCP reviews 2GB 6950 vs 1GB 6950 vs 560Ti

In summary: If you aren't running at a higher resolution than ~1080P, and aren't planning on flashing the 6950, buy the 560. If you are running at high res, get the 2GB 6950.

That 6950 2GB is a better card overall with more memory. The cost of the 560ti is nice. A 6950 2GB is only 50 dollars more and can be flash into a 6970 as well so one must account for that.

 

[Outdoor Miner]

HardOCP reviews 2GB 6950 vs 1GB 6950 vs 560Ti

In summary: If you aren't running at a higher resolution than ~1080P, and aren't planning on flashing the 6950, buy the 560. If you are running at high res, get the 2GB 6950.

Not sure that was the conclusion. They say the 6950 2GB is the best value of them all if you play at high resolutions. For lower resolutions they recommend the 6950 1GB as it is about equal to the 560 but is cheaper (for now) and has better performance in shader heavy games.

 

[antonz]

They really dont address the fact that 1GB is not very future proofed memory wise. even in 1080P if you start turning up all the effects possible etc you suddenly start needing more than 1GB in video ram in many newer games.

If you are doing a system upgrade now and expect to use the same card for a few years into the future 2GB is the way to go even with the 560 Ti, If you go that route the Palit 2GB model is practically the best way to go

 

[Xal-Shoota]

Alright guys, so as someone who doesn't know enough about the current happenings in hardware, Im hoping you guys can help solve this puzzle for me!

Here is an outline of what I want/need:
Current Parts Owned: 23" 1080p Monitor, Wireless Keyboard, Mouse
Budget: About 1000$ US, Less is better. Plan to upgrade later
Main Use: Maya (Heavy 3D Rendering), Adobe CS4/5 <---(the priority!),
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Play games like The Witcher 2, Max Out Starcraft 2, be able to handle future games. But Maya/Adobe performance is more important to me, as much as I love my PC graphics!
When will you build?: APRIL 2011
Will you be overclocking?: No, (unless it doesnt degrade my system's lifespan? Which I assume it does)

Here is what I think I've gathered so far.
Processor : Sandy Bridge i7-2600
Has Hyperthreading, which apparently helps alot for my line of work. I'm alright with shelling out for this, as its going to be a compenent that I wont be upgrading or replacing most likely.

Motherboard: halp!
I need to pick a motherboard that works with the above processor, but allows for the following:
-Should probably get USB 3.0 ports for future-proofing sake. Id imagine 4 or more should be fine?
-Want 2 Graphics cards slots (getting 1 card now, 1 later for SLI)
-Plan on having 1 SSD for the OS, and 1 Large regular hard drive.
- My dream for RAM is to eventually reach 16-24 gb ideally, but for now 8-12 is alright. Should I get a pair of RAM, or triplets? Not sure how dual/triple channeling works, or if its ok to just get 1 8gb stick and add on from there. So Ill need however many slots required for that kind of upgradability.
- 1 just-enough-to-work DVD burner
- 1 sound card
-Bluetooth card
-Firewire 800 ports

Its pretty early, as alot can change in 2 months, but if you guys could help me figure out which mobo to plan around, that would be a huge help. I think from my research the i7-2600 is my best bet as im not overlocking, but please prove me wrong if you can!

 

[Ecto311]

Quick question:

Can I run 3 displays on a gtx460? It has 2 dvi and one mini HDMI out on the back. If not is it possible to run 2 displays such as 2 monitors and a tv then swap between the 3 as needed? 2 monitors then out one of them to a tv?

Quick question 2:
Does mini HDMI have sound - hooking it to my tv would get sound out without other connections - hopefully?

 

[MisterAnderson]

Is it possible to have a stable 4 GHz overclock with an i7 920 with the power saver mode enabled? Everywhere I read when overclocking they say you should turn off all those power saving features so that everything is consistent and therefore more stable, but it would be REALLY awesome to idle at low clock speed and then only climb up to your overclock when running apps that require it.

 

[knitoe]

Is it possible to have a stable 4 GHz overclock with an i7 920 with the power saver mode enabled? Everywhere I read when overclocking they say you should turn off all those power saving features so that everything is consistent and therefore more stable, but it would be REALLY awesome to idle at low clock speed and then only climb up to your overclock when running apps that require it.

I would find the correct setting for the stable overclock. Enable power savings, and if needed, slightingly re-adjust the setting(s) to make it stable again.

 

[Hazaro]

"Updated" the OP builds. Swapped V2 of the 750W in. Thats it.

They really dont address the fact that 1GB is not very future proofed memory wise. even in 1080P if you start turning up all the effects possible etc you suddenly start needing more than 1GB in video ram in many newer games.

If you are doing a system upgrade now and expect to use the same card for a few years into the future 2GB is the way to go even with the 560 Ti, If you go that route the Palit 2GB model is practically the best way to go

I'd agree if you are keeping the card and not planning an upgrade 2GB is not bad for the small price increase.

I'd think most would upgrade with the (hopeful) big leap later on for GPUs.

Alright guys, so as someone who doesn't know enough about the current happenings in hardware, Im hoping you guys can help solve this puzzle for me!

Here is an outline of what I want/need:
Current Parts Owned: 23" 1080p Monitor, Wireless Keyboard, Mouse
Budget: About 1000$ US, Less is better. Plan to upgrade later
Main Use: Maya (Heavy 3D Rendering), Adobe CS4/5 <---(the priority!),
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Play games like The Witcher 2, Max Out Starcraft 2, be able to handle future games. But Maya/Adobe performance is more important to me, as much as I love my PC graphics!
When will you build?: APRIL 2011
Will you be overclocking?: No, (unless it doesnt degrade my system's lifespan? Which I assume it does)

- My dream for RAM is to eventually reach 16-24 gb ideally, but for now 8-12 is alright. Should I get a pair of RAM, or triplets? Not sure how dual/triple channeling works, or if its ok to just get 1 8gb stick and add on from there. So Ill need however many slots required for that kind of upgradability.
- 1 just-enough-to-work DVD burner
- 1 sound card
-Bluetooth card
-Firewire 800 ports

Thanks for making it easy. Base is still the $900/$1000 build in the OP.

I'd go for a 2600K on the revised motherboards (ASUS P8P67 Pro). Overclocking is not a detriment at all, just stick on stop voltage and you'll net some extra speed.
2x4GB G.Skill 1600MHz, add more if you need it.
Sound on cheap is ASUS Xonar DG (Don't know what features you need)
To fit budget for GPU a GTX 460 or 6850 will fit nicely.
PSU in the OP actually needs to be updated as the V2 Corsairs are out and looking like they are made by Seasonic!!! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021

Quick question:

Can I run 3 displays on a gtx460? It has 2 dvi and one mini HDMI out on the back. If not is it possible to run 2 displays such as 2 monitors and a tv then swap between the 3 as needed? 2 monitors then out one of them to a tv?

Quick question 2:
Does mini HDMI have sound - hooking it to my tv would get sound out without other connections - hopefully?

Not 3 to my knowledge. You should be able to swap the second monitor in control panel... I'd think.

Mini HDMI is full HDMI. Just a smaller port tmk.

Is it possible to have a stable 4 GHz overclock with an i7 920 with the power saver mode enabled? Everywhere I read when overclocking they say you should turn off all those power saving features so that everything is consistent and therefore more stable, but it would be REALLY awesome to idle at low clock speed and then only climb up to your overclock when running apps that require it.

Stretching it. Most OC's that high don't play nice with power saving.

 

[MacAttack]

My motherboard and SSD got delayed until Monday by UPS due to "EMERGENCY CONDITIONS BEYOND UPS' CONTROL" a.k.a. 5" of snow, fuck me.

I spent the time playing MW2 on the 360. I feel so dirty. Must join master gaming race.

 

[mrklaw]

"Updated" the OP builds. Swapped V2 of the 750W in. Thats it.
I'd agree if you are keeping the card and not planning an upgrade 2GB is not bad for the small price increase.

I'd think most would upgrade with the (hopeful) big leap later on for GPUs.

What big updates are we expecting that would make you want to ditch a 6950 or 560? And that would be better than just picking up a second card and SLI/crossfire it?

 

[Hazaro]

What big updates are we expecting that would make you want to ditch a 6940 or 560? And that would be better than just picking up a second card and SLI/crossfire it?

I generally avoid 2 gpu solutions. I haven't had any glaring issues so far myself though.

Don't really expect anything to upset a 6950/560 soon.
Hopefully new GPUs this year aren't refreshes :[

 

[nib95]

Fuck I ordered a 6950 (which will arrive today) but after seeing this video I'm thinking I should have gone for a GTX 570 instead! Never even know what CUDA was capable of but WOW, if it can really do real time playback of my 5D MKII footage in Premiere Pro, I'm on to a winner....

http://tv.adobe.com/watch/davtechta...new-adobe-mercury-playback-engine-technology/

Does ATI not have any such hardware acceleration for Photoshop or Premiere Pro/Final Cut Pro?

 

[mrklaw]

Fuck I ordered a 6950 (which will arrive today) but after seeing this video I'm thinking I should have gone for a GTX 570 instead! Never even know what CUDA was capable of but WOW, if it can really do real time playback of my 5D MKII footage in Premiere Pro, I'm on to a winner....

http://tv.adobe.com/watch/davtechta...new-adobe-mercury-playback-engine-technology/

Does ATI not have any such hardware acceleration for Photoshop or Premiere Pro/Final Cut Pro?

I thought ATI did? Alternatively you could look at a sandy bridge H67 with the IGPU which has decode support (but again, don't know if that is supported in premiere)

 

[Q8D3vil]

my friend want to make an i7 pc ( i don't know whether he should go with 950 or the new sandy bridge)
what do you guys recommend ?
thanks

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Fuck I ordered a 6950 (which will arrive today) but after seeing this video I'm thinking I should have gone for a GTX 570 instead! Never even know what CUDA was capable of but WOW, if it can really do real time playback of my 5D MKII footage in Premiere Pro, I'm on to a winner....

http://tv.adobe.com/watch/davtechta...new-adobe-mercury-playback-engine-technology/

Does ATI not have any such hardware acceleration for Photoshop or Premiere Pro/Final Cut Pro?

yea, CUDA is a big deal for those who need access to it.

I went 6950 because it was only $250 and will last longer in the gaming world than most of its competitors because of the 2GB's of ram.

 

[nib95]

Ok, so I went ahead and ordered the eVGA GTX 570 SuperClocked despite the fact that I have my 6950 right beside me still sealed and waiting to be modded . At the end of the day I do use Premiere Pro from time to time, and if it speeds up my work flow compared to Final Cut pro on my Macbook pro, I'm content.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

my friend want to make an i7 pc ( i don't know whether he should go with 950 or the new sandy bridge)
what do you guys recommend ?
thanks

sandy bridge on price alone.

 

[Wazzim]

I thought ATI did? Alternatively you could look at a sandy bridge H67 with the IGPU which has decode support (but again, don't know if that is supported in premiere)

ATI has APP, which is similar I think.

 

[fizzelopeguss]

seems i can get a 6950 2gb for around £200.

You guys with ATi cards, how is their AA support these days? is RadeonPRO in the same league as nvinspector?

My 8800gt just isn't cutting it anymoe.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Fuck I ordered a 6950 (which will arrive today) but after seeing this video I'm thinking I should have gone for a GTX 570 instead! Never even know what CUDA was capable of but WOW, if it can really do real time playback of my 5D MKII footage in Premiere Pro, I'm on to a winner....

http://tv.adobe.com/watch/davtechta...new-adobe-mercury-playback-engine-technology/

Does ATI not have any such hardware acceleration for Photoshop or Premiere Pro/Final Cut Pro?

The Adobe CS5 hardware acceleration features use CUDA, which is exclusive to Nvidia.

 

[nib95]

The Adobe CS5 hardware acceleration features use CUDA, which is exclusive to Nvidia.

Yea. When I saw that Premiere Pro CS5 vid using CUDA, and it's realtime HD footage viewing (no waiting for rendering or anything like that) I was blown away. I have a 5850 in my system now, and the other day I did a quick edit for a TV ad, and the difference based on that video, just alarming.

 

[BuddhaRockstar]

Okay, about to by a 5770 and need quick advice from someone who knows hardware well-

While all 5770's seem to have the same specs, there seem to be two different designs-

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...770&bop=And&SrchInDesc=xfx&Page=1&PageSize=20

(the top 2 results)

What's the difference between these? Are they just different coolers, and if so, which one is better? Also for anyone whose bought a 5770, which manufacturer do you recommend?

 

[Splash Wave]

soMy dad is looking to buy my mom a laptop for her birthday. He was thinking about getting her a netbook, but I think she'll want a bigger screen. She doesn't need much more than a netbook, though. It's only to be used around the house to browse the internet and whatnot. The price needs to be around $500 and the laptop doesn't need much more functionality than a netbook, just a screen that isn't tiny and low-res (so probably around 13 inches).

 

[The Elite]

After a month it sounds like NCIX is finally ready to ship my Sandy Bridge rig. They assembly team contacted me and let me know that they prefer to ship the video card separate due to the weight (they apparently damage during shipping) which I was fine with. I would like to have this before Dragon Age 2.

 

[TheExodu5]

Okay, about to by a 5770 and need quick advice from someone who knows hardware well-

While all 5770's seem to have the same specs, there seem to be two different designs-

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...770&bop=And&SrchInDesc=xfx&Page=1&PageSize=20

(the top 2 results)

What's the difference between these? Are they just different coolers, and if so, which one is better? Also for anyone whose bought a 5770, which manufacturer do you recommend?

Different cooler. I'd take a guess and say the smaller cooler is better, since it appears to have heatpipes.

If you're spending $110 on a card though, you should be looking at a GTX 460 768MB.

This one looks interesting:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...58&cm_re=gtx_460_768mb-_-14-162-058-_-Product

 

[mkenyon]

soMy dad is looking to buy my mom a laptop for her birthday. He was thinking about getting her a netbook, but I think she'll want a bigger screen. She doesn't need much more than a netbook, though. It's only to be used around the house to browse the internet and whatnot. The price needs to be around $500 and the laptop doesn't need much more functionality than a netbook, just a screen that isn't tiny and low-res (so probably around 13 inches).

I've done this *exact* shopping intensely for the past week and a half. Best out there right now would be this recertified UL80J. Been looking for an upgrade to my 1005HA ASUS netbook, and I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger. To be honest, there just isn't very much out there in the price range and size. The other option would be to wait for the AMD Fusion E-350 1215b eee pc. Will be 12.1". Should be out by the end of March.

 

[Naked Snake]

After a month it sounds like NCIX is finally ready to ship my Sandy Bridge rig. They assembly team contacted me and let me know that they prefer to ship the video card separate due to the weight (they apparently damage during shipping) which I was fine with. I would like to have this before Dragon Age 2.

Good news. That seems like a faster turnout that many people were expecting.

 

[BuddhaRockstar]

Different cooler. I'd take a guess and say the smaller cooler is better, since it appears to have heatpipes.

If you're spending $110 on a card though, you should be looking at a GTX 460 768MB.

This one looks interesting:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...58&cm_re=gtx_460_768mb-_-14-162-058-_-Product

I might have to go with that 460 instead... but I gotta say the brand looks a little sketchy, does anyone have any experience with galaxy and their MIRs?

 

[wandering goat]

Is it possible to have a stable 4 GHz overclock with an i7 920 with the power saver mode enabled? Everywhere I read when overclocking they say you should turn off all those power saving features so that everything is consistent and therefore more stable, but it would be REALLY awesome to idle at low clock speed and then only climb up to your overclock when running apps that require it.

Try it out and see for yourself. Probably you won't have any problems at load, but keep it on for a week or more and see if you get any instability / bluescreens. I have my i5 760 at 4 GHz and enabled C1E. The voltage is still constant, but the lower multipliers at idle use up less energy and, the reason that I did it, lower temps significantly at idle so I can use bare minimum fan speeds when I'm not gaming.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Is it possible to have a stable 4 GHz overclock with an i7 920 with the power saver mode enabled? Everywhere I read when overclocking they say you should turn off all those power saving features so that everything is consistent and therefore more stable, but it would be REALLY awesome to idle at low clock speed and then only climb up to your overclock when running apps that require it.

I have an i7 930, which is pretty much the same chip and I have it overclocked at 3.9Ghz with all power options enabled.

 

[Cardigan]

PC GAF: I want to build myself a computer for a graduation present / I need a new one for grad school in the fall. I already built a computer a few years back, but during college I've only used a laptop so I'm a little rusty on my desktop knowledge. I'm trying to build a good gaming PC for ~$800. Here is an example build that I put together on Newegg for $815.

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz
GPU: MSI N460GTX CYCLONE 1GD5/OC GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit
MB: MSI 870A-G54
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA
PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W
+ a ZALMAN CPU heatsink and an Antec Three Hundred case.
Don't need a CD drive as I already have a spare and I don't need an OS because I get Windows for free through the Academic Alliance.
I'm semi-interested in overclocking, but it's not necessary.
I'm probably going to wait a few months to build this (sometime in May), but I figured the answers to these questions wouldn't change too much between now and then.

Now for my questions.
- Can I expect good performance at high settings from modern and upcoming games with this hardware? BFBC2, Crysis, Witcher 2, Fallout NV, for instance.
- Is a 650 watt PSU overkill? I'd probably try to get an additional card for SLI later when the price drops.
- I chose to go with AMD because of the cheaper price, and I also read that you only need an i7 if you're doing some heavy mathematical number crunching. Is this true? Will the Phenom give good results if gaming is going to be the most intensive thing I do?

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[nib95]

Ok, so my copy of Vista is corrupt on my old 320GB HDD. I don't really care so much as I had bought a spare 500GB WD Black to put out a fresh version of Windows 7 on to anyway, but just never got around to it.

But here's my dilema. Should I just use the 500GB drive as another storage drive? I currently have 2x1TB 7200rpm drives as my main storage. And buy an SSD for the main drive? Am I going to be seeing much benefits?

I am using the Asus P6T Deluxe mobo with a i7 920 at 3.9ghz and a GTX 570 SSC. From what I can gather, this mobo doesn't have Sata 6GB/s, only 3G/s. So which SSD would you guys recommend? I have my eyes on the Crucial 256GB C300 which goes for around £340.

What do you guys think?

 

[jda1977]

Think i will upgrade my gfx card while i wait on the sb boards. A few questions though. Looks like a 2gb 6950 is a good card, I am upgrading from a 5770. Is there a concern in power supply draw between what a 5770 uses vs. the 6950. My antec 450 watt does fine but not sure on the demands of the newer card. Sorry learning and will be building my first pc once the new stock comes into stock for SB. One last question, of the choices of 2gb 6950s on amazon, is there a particular brand/manufacturer that is better than the others. I bought Asus based on reccomendation from my in town builder for all my cards but thats not an option on amazon. Thanks!

 

[Cipherr]

Got to love living near a microcenter.

I still get a lot of stuff from newegg, but the MC deals are still worth a look every now and then. This will do nicely for another data drive.

 

[pestul]

Is it possible to have a stable 4 GHz overclock with an i7 920 with the power saver mode enabled? Everywhere I read when overclocking they say you should turn off all those power saving features so that everything is consistent and therefore more stable, but it would be REALLY awesome to idle at low clock speed and then only climb up to your overclock when running apps that require it.

Yep. Works with my i7 920 D0 Stepping. I have her at 4.05GHz and she runs idling at 2.5 or so GHz. Not a hitch and its been on those settings for well over a year now. I have problems with S3 sleep state in Windows 7, but there are a lot of factors involved there (Videocard, Windows 7, ASUS Motherboard etc.). I don't think it's solely related to my overclock. Give it a go, can't hurt to try. Test the stability with the features off and then see if it works.

 

[LaserBuddha]

Think i will upgrade my gfx card while i wait on the sb boards. A few questions though. Looks like a 2gb 6950 is a good card, I am upgrading from a 5770. Is there a concern in power supply draw between what a 5770 uses vs. the 6950. My antec 450 watt does fine but not sure on the demands of the newer card. Sorry learning and will be building my first pc once the new stock comes into stock for SB. One last question, of the choices of 2gb 6950s on amazon, is there a particular brand/manufacturer that is better than the others. I bought Asus based on reccomendation from my in town builder for all my cards but thats not an option on amazon. Thanks!

I am currently waiting for my 6950 to arrive and am doing the same upgrade (5770-6950). I have a 470w psu. The 5770, 6950, and 6970 all list the same 500w power requirement, so most likely you will be ok (and could even try flashing it into a 6970).

Those power requirements factor in the power needed for whatever cpu, hdd, etc you have, so there is room for error. What you definitely need is the 2 75w 6-pin PCI Express power connectors. If you're not sure what those are, take a look at the single 6-pin connector going into your 5770. There should be a second, unused connector coming off the end of that one if you've got it.

I ordered the Sapphire one as it was the cheapest and had good reviews. Sapphire was also recommended to me in this thread when I was shopping.

 

[Outdoor Miner]

PC GAF: I want to build myself a computer for a graduation present / I need a new one for grad school in the fall. I already built a computer a few years back, but during college I've only used a laptop so I'm a little rusty on my desktop knowledge. I'm trying to build a good gaming PC for ~$800. Here is an example build that I put together on Newegg for $815.

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz
GPU: MSI N460GTX CYCLONE 1GD5/OC GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit
MB: MSI 870A-G54
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA
PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W
+ a ZALMAN CPU heatsink and an Antec Three Hundred case.
Don't need a CD drive as I already have a spare and I don't need an OS because I get Windows for free through the Academic Alliance.
I'm semi-interested in overclocking, but it's not necessary.
I'm probably going to wait a few months to build this (sometime in May), but I figured the answers to these questions wouldn't change too much between now and then.

Now for my questions.
- Can I expect good performance at high settings from modern and upcoming games with this hardware? BFBC2, Crysis, Witcher 2, Fallout NV, for instance.
- Is a 650 watt PSU overkill? I'd probably try to get an additional card for SLI later when the price drops.
- I chose to go with AMD because of the cheaper price, and I also read that you only need an i7 if you're doing some heavy mathematical number crunching. Is this true? Will the Phenom give good results if gaming is going to be the most intensive thing I do?

Thanks in advance for the help!

I am building a system for a friend with the same budget and from Newegg. I have

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 970 Black Edition @ 3.5 GHz
MOBO:MSI 890FX-GD65 AM3 mobo
CASE:Antec 300 or Cooler Master HAF 912 (preference, both great quality and same price)
PSU: Corsair 650HX BRONZE Modular Power Supply
MEM: Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333 RAM
HDD: Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
GPU: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6950 1GB 256-bit
CPU FAN: Zalman 9500A-LED 92mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler

2 combo deals= CPU+Mobo is one and the PSU+MEM is the other.
For $874 shipped, and with $75 in mail-in rebates bringing it down to roughly $800.

 

[nib95]

I am building a system for a friend with the same budget and from Newegg. I have

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 970 Black Edition @ 3.5 GHz
MOBO:MSI 890FX-GD65 AM3 mobo
CASE:Antec 300 or Cooler Master HAF 912 (preference, both great quality and same price)
PSU: Corsair 650HX BRONZE Modular Power Supply
MEM: Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333 RAM
HDD: Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
GPU: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6950 1GB 256-bit
CPU FAN: Zalman 9500A-LED 92mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler

2 combo deals= CPU+Mobo is one and the PSU+MEM is the other.
For $874 shipped, and with $75 in mail-in rebates bringing it down to roughly $800.

Pay the extra and get the 6950 2GB instead. That way you can flash the BIOS to the 6970.

 

[LaserBuddha]

Yeah saving a few bucks for 1gb less memory is not a good deal.

 

[Proxy]

Okay, about to by a 5770 and need quick advice from someone who knows hardware well-

While all 5770's seem to have the same specs, there seem to be two different designs-

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...770&bop=And&SrchInDesc=xfx&Page=1&PageSize=20

(the top 2 results)

What's the difference between these? Are they just different coolers, and if so, which one is better? Also for anyone whose bought a 5770, which manufacturer do you recommend?

Ryan Smith over at Anandtech looked at the difference between the Rev 1 cooler and the Rev 2 cooler on the 5770's

Frankly, based on this data we have a hard time justifying the Phoenix over the Rev 2 cooler. The Rev 2 makes for a smaller board, a slightly cooler GPU, and a significantly quieter video card. Thusly the only advantage the Phoenix cooler has is that it completely exhausts all hot air, which in the case of our well ventilated Thermaltake case isn’t doing it any favors. Unless this card is placed in a case with extremely poor airflow, we can’t think of a situation where the Phoenix cooler is superior.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3596

 

[Hazaro]

PC GAF: I want to build myself a computer for a graduation present / I need a new one for grad school in the fall. I already built a computer a few years back, but during college I've only used a laptop so I'm a little rusty on my desktop knowledge. I'm trying to build a good gaming PC for ~$800. Here is an example build that I put together on Newegg for $815.

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz
GPU: MSI N460GTX CYCLONE 1GD5/OC GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit
MB: MSI 870A-G54
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA
PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W
+ a ZALMAN CPU heatsink and an Antec Three Hundred case.
Don't need a CD drive as I already have a spare and I don't need an OS because I get Windows for free through the Academic Alliance.
I'm semi-interested in overclocking, but it's not necessary.
I'm probably going to wait a few months to build this (sometime in May), but I figured the answers to these questions wouldn't change too much between now and then.

Now for my questions.
- Can I expect good performance at high settings from modern and upcoming games with this hardware? BFBC2, Crysis, Witcher 2, Fallout NV, for instance.
- Is a 650 watt PSU overkill? I'd probably try to get an additional card for SLI later when the price drops.
- I chose to go with AMD because of the cheaper price, and I also read that you only need an i7 if you're doing some heavy mathematical number crunching. Is this true? Will the Phenom give good results if gaming is going to be the most intensive thing I do?

Thanks in advance for the help!

955 and clock it to save some $
Get a 212+ instead. The 9500 is a terrible cooler unless you want it for looks (I had one).
Get 4GB of RAM instead. No need for 8 when gaming.
Samsung F3 1TB for drive
Drop PSU to 520W
Use saved money to get a 6950/GTX560