"I need a New PC!" 2011 Thread of reading the OP. Seriously. [Part 2]

Status
Not open for further replies.
catabarez said:
Thanks for the help! Now to decide if I wanna wait or not lol
Yeah, like you could get the i3 system in the OP, but with 1080p and the games you listed you might be a little disappointed. A 460/6850 will handle 95% of the games out there maxed out at that res, but the ones you chose you most certainly won't. Although a 560ti or 6950 can't either. If you had a 1600x900 or 1680x1050 display it would be quite different.

With it being an entirely new system, that means Windows 7, Hard drive, DVD drive, which cuts in.

What are your expectations?
 
somesayyea said:
What does pc-gaf think of this build:

ECS P67H2-A3 REV3.0 ATX P67 LGA1155 2XPCIE-E16 PCI-E 2PCI Sandy Bridge B3 Motherboard
http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=61165

Intel Core i5 2500 Quad Core Processor LGA1155 3.3GHZ Sandy Bridge 6MB
http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=57963

Gigabyte Radeon HD 6950 870MHZ 1GB 5GHZ GDDR5 2XDVI HDMI Display Port PCI-E DIRECTX11 Video Card
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=62087&vpn=GV-R695OC-1GD&manufacture=Gigabyte

Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB SATA3 6GB/S 7200RPM 32MB Cache 3.5IN Dual Proc Hard Drive OEM
http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=57432

Mushkin Enhanced Silverline Stiletto 4GB 2X2GB PC3-10666 DDR3-1333 9-9-9-24 Dual Channel Memory Kit
http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=55546

Antec High Current Gamer 520W 40A 24PIN ATX12V V2.3 Active PFC 80 Plus Bronze Power Supply 135mm Fan
http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=56787&promoid=1337

LG GH22NS70 Super Multi 22X SATA DVD Writer Black OEM
http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=60731

Fractal Design Define R3 SE White ATX Mid Tower Silent Computer Case 2X5.25 8X3.5INT No PS Front USB
http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=53540

My budget is around $1000 CDN. Main use is gaming and general use (Word, Photoshop, web, etc.). Intended resolution is 1920x1080 (I intended on hooking it up to my hdtv). I won't be overclocking and I intend on building in the next couple of weeks.

So, does anyone see any compatibility issues? Will I be able to run modern games at 1080p with this rig? Any words of advice?

Everything is fine except I would personally get a slightly larger PSU for safety's sake (the 6950 needs 500w so 530w is cutting it a bit close). I would go for a 600W but make sure you stick with a solid brand like the one you chose.
 
Horsemama1956 said:
Yeah, like you could get the i3 system in the OP, but with 1080p and the games you listed you might be a little disappointed. A 460/6850 will handle 95% of the games out there maxed out at that res, but the ones you chose you most certainly won't. Although a 560ti or 6950 can't either. If you had a 1600x900 or 1680x1050 display it would be quite different.

With it being an entirely new system, that means Windows 7, Hard drive, DVD drive, which cuts in.

What are your expectations?

What would I need to get to be able to run those games on high? Or pretty close to high?
 
Tallshortman said:
Everything is fine except I would personally get a slightly larger PSU for safety's sake (the 6950 needs 500w so 530w is cutting it a bit close). I would go for a 600W but make sure you stick with a solid brand like the one you chose.

Ah, okay. I was wondering about the PSU and whether it had enough juice. Will look for a 600W PSU. Thanks for the advice.
 
Tallshortman said:
Everything is fine except I would personally get a slightly larger PSU for safety's sake (the 6950 needs 500w so 530w is cutting it a bit close). I would go for a 600W but make sure you stick with a solid brand like the one you chose.
TDP of a 6950 is about 190W full load. He's cool. Also, get the 2500K, not the 2500. You will want to overclock whether you know it or not.
 
catabarez said:
What would I need to get to be able to run those games on high? Or pretty close to high?
BF3 is unknown right now. The Witcher 2 has had some patches to improve performance, so High might be doable at 30 fps on a 460/6850, but not Ultra. Add about 10-15% overall performance at stock for each step up on the GPU ladder, though sometimes less(6850 -> 6870).

I would checkout the official Witcher 2 thread and see what people are getting, as I haven't pick the game up yet.

Any other games you're interested in? Checking out youtube with specific processors and GPUs can get you gameplay videos which will show you how games will look and run(roughly).

I had a 1080p monitor, but sold it for a CRT which I have since shelved in favour of a cheap Acer 1600x900 LCD for the summer(heat) I just didn't want to spend a lot just to play games anymore. With my system:

i3 540@4.4, 4GB of 1600Mhz DDR3, GTX 460 overclocked to 900/1800/2000 I don't have problems with much of anything. BC2 runs at 70-100 at that res with everything on high and 8xCSAA, HBAO off. Starcraft 2 Gets me 100+ with everything on High or Ultra and no AA(1on1 ladder).

I bought Crysis 2, but don't like it so haven't tried out DX11, but that would struggle on anything but higher end GPUs. Without DX11, Crysis 2 ran fine on a mix of Advanced and Extreme. Console ports for the most part will be 60fps with Intel.

With 1080p you'll have to either sacrifice settings or performance in some games when on a budget. Overall though, for $700(which is what I paid for my system a while ago). I don't have any complaints.
 
Horsemama1956 said:
Any other games you're interested in? Checking out youtube with specific processors and GPUs can get you gameplay videos which will show you how games will look and run(roughly).

i3 540@4.4, 4GB of 1600Mhz DDR3, GTX 460 overclocked to 900/1800/2000 I don't have problems with much of anything. BC2 runs at 70-100 at that res with everything on high and 8xCSAA, HBAO off.

Along these lines: Are there are sites or resources that have recommended settings for games based on your card or is it just trial and error to see what works best for you?
 
TommyT said:
Along these lines: Are there are sites or resources that have recommended settings for games based on your card or is it just trial and error to see what works best for you?
Don't think of it as having to tweak your settings to get the framerate you want, think of it as the ability to perfect your game experience. :P

(yeah, you have to do it on your own)
 
TommyT said:
Along these lines: Are there are sites or resources that have recommended settings for games based on your card or is it just trial and error to see what works best for you?
Tweakguide or something like that. I'll grab a link later
 
hows this build? and i didnt include a gpu since i already have a gtx 460 1gb
besides these parts i still need to get windows 7 and a keyboard

Amazon
Antec BP550:64.99



Microcenter Combo(313.90) and theres $15 rebate on the mobo
Intel Core i5 2500K LGA 1155 Boxed Processor
GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 LGA 1155 Z68 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.phtml?sku_list=200121+525667

Newegg total:225.72(with tax+shipping)
z4pTW.jpg


also off amazon i may add a $20 logitech desktop mic, $30 360 wired controller and $97 HD555s
 
Just had my computer randomly restart during a session of GTA4. Chalking it up to software error for now but I'm a bit paranoid, if it does this across multiple games would it likely mean the CPU's overheating?
 
I just got two new SSD. One I ordered online new (OCZ Agility 3) and one that was a RMA replacement (OCZ Vertex 2).

When I boot up to Biox, my Asus P8687 detects the Agility 3, but it doesn't detect the Vertex 2. I've tried disabling the Marvell controller but it still doesn't detect. Anybody know how to fix this?
 
somesayyea said:
Wait, so the 520W PSU is sufficient?

The 6950 takes ~200w under full load. That leaves ~320w for the rest of your system. The i5 2500k is 120w under heavy load. It will definitely work, however it leaves little wiggle room for upgrades and like I said, I prefer slightly overdoing the PSU for future upgrades and peace of mind knowing there's little chance of too much stress on the PSU.
 
Red Blaster said:
Just had my computer randomly restart during a session of GTA4. Chalking it up to software error for now but I'm a bit paranoid, if it does this across multiple games would it likely mean the CPU's overheating?
Run HWMonitor or Realtemp while playing. Is your proc OC'd? If so, might mean an unstable OC as I know GTA4 is really proc hungry.


Bebpo said:
Just double-checking, is the 580 still the best single slot card if you're not overclocking or modding?
If you don't want to mess with Crossfire or SLI (if you're not an experienced tweaker, you don't), then yes. Otherwise its the 590 or 6990.


Flying_Phoenix said:
I just got two new SSD. One I ordered online new (OCZ Agility 3) and one that was a RMA replacement (OCZ Vertex 2).

When I boot up to Biox, my Asus P8687 detects the Agility 3, but it doesn't detect the Vertex 2. I've tried disabling the Marvell controller but it still doesn't detect. Anybody know how to fix this?
Make sure the SATA controller it's plugged into is set to AHCI. Double check the cables into the drive (data/power).
 
Tallshortman said:
The 6950 takes ~200w under full load. That leaves ~320w for the rest of your system. The i5 2500k is 120w under heavy load. It will definitely work, however it leaves little wiggle room for upgrades and like I said, I prefer slightly overdoing the PSU for future upgrades and peace of mind knowing there's little chance of too much stress on the PSU.

Okay, thanks for the clarification.
 
For further clarification, the only time you'll be running your CPU and GPU at full load is during bench marks or stress test. There's no game out there that will run GPU and CPU at full load. You'll be drawing closer to 160 with the GPU in games.
 
Okay, thanks guys. So, what I'm hearing is that the 520W PSU will work fine, but if I want some more wiggle room to, for example, upgrade my GPU or CPU in the future I might want to consider going with a higher wattage CPU.
 
somesayyea said:
Okay, thanks guys. So, what I'm hearing is that the 520W PSU will work fine, but if I want some more wiggle room to, for example, upgrade my GPU or CPU in the future I might want to consider going with a higher wattage CPU.
If you're trying to cut costs, stick with what you have. If you're feeling like splurging, grab something like a Seasonic X650, Corsair HX/AX650, or XFX Core 650. Even if you upgrade your CPU in the future, chances are it won't be a higher wattage proc.
 
somesayyea said:
Okay, thanks guys. So, what I'm hearing is that the 520W PSU will work fine, but if I want some more wiggle room to, for example, upgrade my GPU or CPU in the future I might want to consider going with a higher wattage CPU.

I decided to play it safe and got myself an 850W modular Corsair PSU, only £79 in a Scan.co.uk sale a few weeks ago. Keep an eye out for PSU deals... I wouldn't feel safe with 520W.
 
mkenyon said:
Run HWMonitor or Realtemp while playing. Is your proc OC'd? If so, might mean an unstable OC as I know GTA4 is really proc hungry..

No OC as it's an i7 2600. I screwed around for about 20 minutes in GTA4 with HWMonitor and my temps topped out to around 64 degrees, seems okay. OTOH, gave Crysis 2 DX11 a spin for about 45 minutes and topped out in the low-mid 70s. Cause for concern? Stock intel heatsink here.
 
Red Blaster said:
No OC as it's an i7 2600. I screwed around for about 20 minutes in GTA4 with HWMonitor and my temps topped out to around 64 degrees, seems okay. OTOH, gave Crysis 2 DX11 a spin for about 45 minutes and topped out in the low-mid 70s. Cause for concern? Stock intel heatsink here.
Nah, that's fine. Might be GPU related or most likely just some sort of bug. GTA4 isn't exactly the most stable game.
 
Flying_Phoenix said:
Nothing. Nothing has changed after I've done that.
Have you tried booting into windows to see if it's there under disk management? Do you only have a total of 2 drives for your system? If you have more, are they seen in BIOS?

Also, change which SATA port you are plugging it into. Switch it with the other one. See if anything happens.
 
mkenyon said:
Have you tried booting into windows to see if it's there under disk management? Do you only have a total of 2 drives for your system? If you have more, are they seen in BIOS?

Also, change which SATA port you are plugging it into. Switch it with the other one. See if anything happens.

Windows isn't installed on either hard-drives, but when trying to install Windows it only detects the Agility.

I've gated what SATA port its plugged into.
 
Browsing cases on Newegg and I'm wondering what the technical definition of the feature where you can route cables behind the motherboard?
 
Epix said:
Browsing cases on Newegg and I'm wondering what the technical definition of the feature where you can route cables behind the motherboard?
I'm not sure there is one, but maybe somebody will prove me wrong. It's usually just described as holes in the backplate, or the description/features will mention that the case "offers great cable management." That's not always accurate though, since I'm pretty sure that's in the description of the Antec 300 which doesn't have that feature.

You could probably just look for cases you like and ask on here about them if you have any questions about that, or get some suggestions here for cases with good cable management options and pick whichever you like best. I can't really suggest much, cases aren't my strong point. The CM 690II Advanced and HAF cases are nice in their price points. If you're looking for something more expensive than that the feature in question is all but guaranteed to be there regardless.
 
Click on the pictures of the cases, look for lots of holes on the motherboard tray. User reviews will also generally give a good indication to how well they route cables, that seems to be one of the points everyone hits on. There isn't a category for it yet though.
 
Wow! Thanks OCZ! I sent you my broken drive and you give me....ANOTHER BROKEN DRIVE!

Just went through the RMA process again. Hope they give me a refund.

What SSD should I get instead of OCZ's defective shit?
 
Spookie said:
If you want fast Intel, if you want cheap Crucial.
Hunh? Intel hasn't topped the charts in awhile. I'd actually suggest going with Corsair. Better QA and customer service than OCZ, same awesome controllers.
 
Case: Fractal Design Define R3
PSU: Coolermaster GX750W
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD4-B3
CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K
CPU Cooler: Coolermaster Hyper 212
RAM: 8GB (2x4GB) Corsair DDR3 XMS3, PC3-10600 (1333)
GPU: MSI GTX 580 Twin FrozR II/OC
Hard Drive 1: 120GB OCZ Agility 3 SSD, 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s, SandForce 2281
Hard Drive 2: 2TB Seagate ST2000DL003 Barracuda Green, SATA 6Gb/s, 5900rpm, 64MB Cache, 12ms, NCQ
DVD Drive: Sony AD-7263S-0B
KB/M: Microsoft Business Hardware Pack - Black Wired Keyboard with Black Wired Optical Mouse
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit

It all arrives on Friday. I'm like a 5 year old on Christmas Eve. EXCITE! :D
 
mkenyon said:
Hunh? Intel hasn't topped the charts in awhile. I'd actually suggest going with Corsair. Better QA and customer service than OCZ, same awesome controllers.

The problem with Cosair is that their read and write speeds are much slower than OCZ's.
 
You've got to compare apples:apples though. Corsair Force GT/Series 3 use the same controllers as the Vertex 3. When you do compare those properly, I'm not seeing much of a difference at all.

In addition, you need to take advertised speeds with a grain of salt. You should be looking at neutral review sites to get a solid idea of the real world speeds.

The $20-30 increase is where you get the QA and customer support of Corsair. Worth every penny IMO.

*edit* You could also look at Patriot's drives. Great customer support there, and the drives are right along with the Vertex 3's performance.
 
Flying_Phoenix said:
Wow! Thanks OCZ! I sent you my broken drive and you give me....ANOTHER BROKEN DRIVE!

Just went through the RMA process again. Hope they give me a refund.

What SSD should I get instead of OCZ's defective shit?

Yeah I'm miffed with my Vertex 2. Honestly, everything by them except their RAM and CPU Coolers seem to have the worst reliability issues. Their flashdrives... my god.
 
DigiMish said:
Great, recent article about recent SSDs on the market:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sf-2200-sandforce-ssd,2987.html

What a worthless article as far as the benchmarks go. Could they not even bother to pick up an Intel 320 or 510 series 120GB drive for this or am I reading this wrong?

Edit: I am reading this wrong. It's a sandforce article. Still, if they're going to bother to do this why not include other controllers to compare it to. Especially since they're putting non-sandforce non-120gb drives in all the benchmarks
 
mkenyon said:
Hunh? Intel hasn't topped the charts in awhile. I'd actually suggest going with Corsair. Better QA and customer service than OCZ, same awesome controllers.

After all the problems he's had with OCZ I don't think he'll want another drive with that ropey controller. Or have they stopped recalling their drives now?
 
He's having problems with the Vertex 2, that's a different controller. Also, yes, the recall is over. The new ones shipping are solid.
 
mkenyon said:
He's having problems with the Vertex 2, that's a different controller. Also, yes, the recall is over. The new ones shipping are solid.

EDIT - Nevermind.

Man is this true? My agility 3 is only 40% faster than a Raptor Drive for sequential writes?

Going by this, than posted writes and reads on Newegg are pure horseshit.
 
Hey guys would you be able to help me get surround sound going on my PC?

I have this motherboard -
ASUS P7P55D-E LGA1156 P55 DDR3 2PCI-E16 3PCI-E1 2PCI CrossFireX USB3.0 SATA 6GB Motherboard

I have the TurtleBeach x41 7.1 surround sound headphones.

I don't know what other info you guys need, I am kind of ignorant to sound stuff! All I know is that I am not getting surround sound, only 2.1!
 
ZZMitch said:
Hey guys would you be able to help me get surround sound going on my PC?

I have this motherboard -
ASUS P7P55D-E LGA1156 P55 DDR3 2PCI-E16 3PCI-E1 2PCI CrossFireX USB3.0 SATA 6GB Motherboard

I have the TurtleBeach x41 7.1 surround sound headphones.

I don't know what other info you guys need, I am kind of ignorant to sound stuff! All I know is that I am not getting surround sound, only 2.1!
Look in your sound options in the control panel, or in any software that may have come with your headphones.
Flying_Phoenix said:
EDIT - Nevermind.

Man is this true? My agility 3 is only 40% faster than a Raptor Drive for sequential writes?

Going by this, than posted writes and reads on Newegg are pure horseshit.
Sequential has always been the less strong part of SSDs compared to mechanical drives. They excel more at random reads/writes. Also, yes, notice the speeds listed on newegg say "up to". They're also posted by the manufacturer, and who knows what kind of benchmarks they used.

This is actually why I stick by my trusty RAID 0 for games.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom