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[Hazaro]

Not impressed by my Intel 320 at all. Boot times aren't much faster(maybe 15-20 sec?) games load tad faster and I am the first one in multi games, but I really thought it would be insane fast and its not. Its faster than my normal HDD but not enough to warrant the extra $230 I spent on it. I would advise anyone to wait until Intel's next round of SSD's if their thinking about jumping. Not worth the extra money I spent so far.

I sort of feel the same way. It is a nice thing to have for sure (Bootup and loads are pretty nice), but I'm not sure if I'm totally sold on it yet. Once the tech starts taking more advantage of it (Z68 boards + 40GB drives) I think it will mature better. You could always get a 510 if you want fast fast.

Haha, it's actually not those kind of games I'm worried about. I am one of those simulator / milsim players and those kind of games are usually a big, fat hammer to the face when it comes to performance, so you usually need to throw everything at these games to have them run somewhat respectably.

ArmA 2 I've got running somewhat good at this point and with ArmA 3 around the corner with DX11, I know it'll kick my rig's ass. Flight simulators also seem to eat high-end PCs alive.

So that's my goal basically but with ArmA 3 not out till 2012, I'll hold onto my money and wait for the Ivy Bridge. =)

You have a pretty solid rig. Your gains aren't going to be that great for the cost if you swap over now, but a 2500K on 1155 should be the same socket as for IVy, but you never know.

With Tri-Gate there should be some interesting increases.

 

[Wallach]

I sort of feel the same way. It is a nice thing to have for sure (Bootup and loads are pretty nice), but I'm not sure if I'm totally sold on it yet. Once the tech starts taking more advantage of it (Z68 boards + 40GB drives) I think it will mature better. You could always get a 510 if you want fast fast.

Pretty much how I feel as well. I'm just waiting for the value of it to level out, which I think might be another year or so at least.

 

[kurtrussell]

Please help, PCGaf!

I'm getting random driver crashes on 2 x 450 GTS SLId. It mostly seems to happen under load, but it's pretty unpredictable - the only way I can virtually guarantee a driver crash is by forcing the cards to work HARD using Cuda.

I am using this power supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...7151099&cm_re=seasonic-_-17-151-099-_-Product

I know it's only a 460W, but apparently the internals are the same as seasonic's 750W PSUs ie - it's massively overspecced. It also comes with sli connectors which would indicate that seasonic expect SLI usage with this PSU.

Apart from that, I am using a low power 45W athlon and an SSD drive. Combine this with the (relatively) low wattage 450 GTS cards ( I believe they are both under 100 watts at load), I am inclined to think that the PSU may not be the cause of my driver crashes.

Anybody have any opinions on this, and is there any way I can check the PSU without opening up the case and prodding it with a multimeter?

THANKS

Edit: It has one 12V rail at 38 A - is this significant?

Edit2: Antec Power Supply Calulator seems to indicate I would need a 432W PSU at 100% load.....

System Type: Single Processor
Motherboard: High End - Desktop
CPU: AMD Athlon II X3 400e 2200 MHz Rana
CPU Utilization (TDP): 90% TDP
RAM: 4 Sticks DDR3 SDRAM
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
Video Type: SLI
Regular SATA: 1 HDD
DRAM SSD: 1 Drive
Blu-Ray Internal Drive: 1 Drive
PCI-e x1: 1 Card
USB: 4 Devices
Front Bay Card Reader: Yes
Fans
High Perf.: 3 Fans 120mm;
Keyboard and mouse: Yes
System Load: 100 %

Recommended Minimum
PSU Wattage: 432 Watts

 

[ElyrionX]

Ok, I bought a WD Blue 1TB 5400 RPM for my secondary storage drive but now that I realize that I am going to install all my games on it (instead of on my SSD), I think I should have gone for the WD Black 1TB 7200 RPM instead. Would it make that much of a difference for gaming in this case?

 

[toastyToast]

Anyone have experience with the Razer Black Widow Expert keyboard (non-backlit one)?

Managed to narrow down my choice to that. Thinking about grabbing one tomorrow.

 

[ithorien]

Please help, PCGaf!

I'm getting random driver crashes on 2 x 450 GTS SLId. It mostly seems to happen under load, but it's pretty unpredictable - the only way I can virtually guarantee a driver crash is by forcing the cards to work HARD using Cuda.

I am using this power supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...7151099&cm_re=seasonic-_-17-151-099-_-Product

I know it's only a 460W, but apparently the internals are the same as seasonic's 750W PSUs ie - it's massively overspecced. It also comes with sli connectors which would indicate that seasonic expect SLI usage with this PSU.

Apart from that, I am using a low power 45W athlon and an SSD drive. Combine this with the (relatively) low wattage 450 GTS cards ( I believe they are both under 100 watts at load), I am inclined to think that the PSU may not be the cause of my driver crashes.

Anybody have any opinions on this, and is there any way I can check the PSU without opening up the case and prodding it with a multimeter?

THANKS

Edit: It has one 12V rail at 38 A - is this significant?

Edit2: Antec Power Supply Calulator seems to indicate I would need a 432W PSU at 100% load.....

System Type: Single Processor
Motherboard: High End - Desktop
CPU: AMD Athlon II X3 400e 2200 MHz Rana
CPU Utilization (TDP): 90% TDP
RAM: 4 Sticks DDR3 SDRAM
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
Video Type: SLI
Regular SATA: 1 HDD
DRAM SSD: 1 Drive
Blu-Ray Internal Drive: 1 Drive
PCI-e x1: 1 Card
USB: 4 Devices
Front Bay Card Reader: Yes
Fans
High Perf.: 3 Fans 120mm;
Keyboard and mouse: Yes
System Load: 100 %

Recommended Minimum
PSU Wattage: 432 Watts

I'm not too good with the electricity part of the formula, but from what I remember you'd want 432 watts to be 80% max of what you have, suggesting a 540 Watt PSU minimum.

Secondly, that PSU is NOT SLI/CF rated. Yes there are two PCI-e leads, but that's usually just for a single card that requires it.

Also from what I remember, the Amp rating on the 5V is also very very low and you have a good amount of devices.

 

[Ultrabum]

Anyone have experience with the Razer Black Widow Expert keyboard (non-backlit one)?

Managed to narrow down my choice to that. Thinking about grabbing one tomorrow.

I have the same cherry blue switches, they are very very loud. My roomate can hear me play Starcraft through the wall >.>

I'll never go back to rubber dome though.

 

[Vitani]

Speakers.

I'm looking to buy some new ones, what should I looks out for? What should I avoid? Who makes the best ones? I don't want to spend a fortune (~£15), but I want to get a decent sound from my games ...

Thankie )

 

[toastyToast]

I have the same cherry blue switches, they are very very loud.

Louder than a mouse click? Noise wouldn't be too much of an issue tbh, next room is a few doors down.

I've done some reading and is it the brown switches that don't have the bottom out click? Was checking out the Das Keyboard Ultimate S Silent (something like that) but I'm stretching the budget as is.

The other option was the Logitech G510.

 

[scogoth]

Anyone have experience with the Razer Black Widow Expert keyboard (non-backlit one)?

Managed to narrow down my choice to that. Thinking about grabbing one tomorrow.

I have one and love it. Few cons though, the headphones and USB port are on the right side so if your right handed it interferes with the mouse, its not PS/2 compatible so if your an elitist and need to advertise more then 6KRO then look elsewhere and lastly the cable is pretty thick, not a deal breaker but still a slight annoyance. The pros are amazing tactile feedback, auditory feedback, programmable/recordable macros, great weight for the key presses and built like a tank. Toms just did a roundup of mechanical keyboards which sums up a lot of the differences but keyboards are very personal, have to kind of try them to see if you like it.

 

[Marco1]

Anyone have experience with the Razer Black Widow Expert keyboard (non-backlit one)?

Managed to narrow down my choice to that. Thinking about grabbing one tomorrow.

I have the black widow ultimate and could never go back to any other keyboard ever again.
Absolutely wonderful.

 

[TheExodu5]

Not impressed by my Intel 320 at all. Boot times aren't much faster(maybe 15-20 sec?) games load tad faster and I am the first one in multi games, but I really thought it would be insane fast and its not. Its faster than my normal HDD but not enough to warrant the extra $230 I spent on it. I would advise anyone to wait until Intel's next round of SSD's if their thinking about jumping. Not worth the extra money I spent so far.

When talking boot times, keep in mind that everything prior to the Windows loading screen cannot be improved by an SSD...that part of boot is what we call the POST screen, and it's completely motherboard dependent.

Also, when installing a new SSD, make sure that your BIOS sets the SATA ports to use AHCI instead of IDE, and make sure you're doing a fresh Windows install onto the drive.

I sort of feel the same way. It is a nice thing to have for sure (Bootup and loads are pretty nice), but I'm not sure if I'm totally sold on it yet. Once the tech starts taking more advantage of it (Z68 boards + 40GB drives) I think it will mature better. You could always get a 510 if you want fast fast.

I'm sad that some of you aren't terribly impressed with SSDs. Boot times should certainly be faster...but it's more than that. Go back to an HDD, and notice how it can often take 30-60 seconds after you get into Windows until you can actually use the system at all (outside of a fresh Windows install). Also, you'll notice that with an SSD, your system will stay just as responsive as it was after a fresh Windows installation.

Game load times are improved, but it's nothing overly dramatic. HDD loading is pretty good as it is.

A few games really benefit, however. World of Warcraft is the best example I can think of. If you go into Stormwind or Ogrimmar with an HDD, it can often take 10-15 seconds for all player characters to appear. With an SSD, it's literally instant.

Some apps greatly benefit from an SSD as well. Browsing is certainly much faster, for one. Steam and iTunes are also far more responsive on an SSD. Steam is annoyingly sluggish off an HDD, IMO.

I think you guys would be surprised at how sluggish your system will feel when going back to an HDD.

I put my old Intel 80GB SSD into a 5 year old laptop, and it's incredibly quick and snappy now. It boots up within 30 seconds, and everything is usable instantly upon boot up. I honestly could never go back to using an HDD in any of my systems. I never want to go back to:

Boot in 1 minute
Click on Firefox
*brrrrrrrrrrrrrr* *brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr*
Wait for 10 seconds while it loads
*brrrrrrrrrrrrr*
Use it in an unresponsive fashion while Windows is loading other startup programs for 20 seconds
*brrrrrrrrrrrrr*
Open Steam window
*brrrrrrrrrrrr*

Using an SSD is like driving a sports car instead of a bus. Sure, both will get you to your end destination in roughly the same time, but one is a far more enjoyable ride.

 

[scy]

Anyone have experience with the Razer Black Widow Expert keyboard (non-backlit one)?

Managed to narrow down my choice to that. Thinking about grabbing one tomorrow.

I've had mine for about two weeks now and my roommate can't hear me on the other side of the wall when I'm furiously mashing out GAF posts. I haven't done much gaming with it yet, really, but it's a pleasure to type on and that's what I got it for mostly. Kind of makes the rubber dome I have to use at work bland and stiff in comparison, really.

It is rather loud but I wouldn't say it's that ridiculous. Honestly, it sounds a lot like my work keyboard except with a resounding clickity-clack as opposed to the dull thuds of a rubber dome. For me, both of them are highly audible and yet neither really interrupt me when typing on them; yes, I can hear it but it's not really to the point of being a distraction from what I'm doing.

Edit: As for SSDs, it's remarkably apparent at the effect it has when I can hear my other HDDs whirring away (or even a slight stall when accessing them, hurray 5+ year old drives) and the SSD is chugging along giving no care at all to the world. It's subtle but makes the noises and pauses of my mechanical drives stand out so much more.

 

[Ultrabum]

Louder than a mouse click? Noise wouldn't be too much of an issue tbh, next room is a few doors down.

I've done some reading and is it the brown switches that don't have the bottom out click? Was checking out the Das Keyboard Ultimate S Silent (something like that) but I'm stretching the budget as is.

The other option was the Logitech G510.

Much louder thAn a mouse click.

Don't get me wrong, I love mine.... But it is loud.

 

[Cuisino]

pc gaf, I'd be interested what you guys think about the below linked PC...

http://www.beckpc.ch/game/product_info.php/info/p1562_Beck-PC-GH6-ac.html

I know it's in German, but the specs should be undrstandable...of course I could configure certain details like RAM etc...


Thx!

 

[chaosblade]

What would you be using that PC for? Might not need the 2600k, and you might be able to downgrade the 580 if price is an issue.

Don't know anything about that PSU, or the price for components and stuff over there.

 

[Cuisino]

gaming and almost nothing else. I want a powerhouse. I'm fed up playing with
6 year old consoles, I want to play Witcher 2 and Skyrim with highest details in every aspect. No compromises.

price is actually not a huge issue and actually the price is pretty good...it just seems a bit high for you guys cause the Swiss Franc is so strong at the moment.

 

[TheExodu5]

pc gaf, I'd be interested what you guys think about the below linked PC...

http://www.beckpc.ch/game/product_info.php/info/p1562_Beck-PC-GH6-ac.html

I know it's in German, but the specs should be undrstandable...of course I could configure certain details like RAM etc...


Thx!

I think it's a little unbalanced, but not too bad. For that kind of budget, though, I'd kind of expect an SSD in the build.

You could certainly do much worse. At least the build is using proper off the shelf PC components. It would make a very capable gaming rig.

 

[chaosblade]

I'd drop down to a 2500k if it's just for gaming, the 2600k isn't really going to benefit you there. Maybe get a Caviar Black HDD and the 2x4GB RAM kit.

Like I said, I don't know about the PSU. The 850W Corsair is slightly cheaper, I'd probably go with that instead. Maybe the Couger PSU is fine though.

 

[mkenyon]

Anyone have experience with the Razer Black Widow Expert keyboard (non-backlit one)?

Managed to narrow down my choice to that. Thinking about grabbing one tomorrow.

I have 3. One on each of my gaming rigs at home, one at work. I loves them.

 

[RumblingRosco]

Made a small mistake when building my PC recently; bought a mobo that doesn't have onboard Bluetooth and didn't think about it being an issue at the time. Now, I want to connect my Wii Remote to my PC and am looking for a Bluetooth adapter. Any suggestions? Should I go with a USB or internal solution?

Any suggestions on brand or what I should be looking for in general?

 

[Hazaro]

Please help, PCGaf!

I'm getting random driver crashes on 2 x 450 GTS SLId. It mostly seems to happen under load, but it's pretty unpredictable - the only way I can virtually guarantee a driver crash is by forcing the cards to work HARD using Cuda.

I am using this power supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...7151099&cm_re=seasonic-_-17-151-099-_-Product

Hmm. Although that is a beastly PSU I think CUDA is simply working the cards too hard. If you look at games vs FURMark it adds like 30% to GPU draw.

Try massively downclocking each card and see if you still get it.

Ok, I bought a WD Blue 1TB 5400 RPM for my secondary storage drive but now that I realize that I am going to install all my games on it (instead of on my SSD), I think I should have gone for the WD Black 1TB 7200 RPM instead. Would it make that much of a difference for gaming in this case?

Load times might be a few seconds faster, but that's about it. Not a big deal.

Secondly, that PSU is NOT SLI/CF rated. Yes there are two PCI-e leads, but that's usually just for a single card that requires it.

It's a Seasonic 80 Plus Gold modular unit. I think it will be ok. That cert is only there to sell overpriced and underspecc'd PSU's to gamers and iBUYPower.

I'm sad that some of you aren't terribly impressed with SSDs. Boot times should certainly be faster...but it's more than that. Go back to an HDD, and notice how it can often take 30-60 seconds after you get into Windows until you can actually use the system at all (outside of a fresh Windows install). Also, you'll notice that with an SSD, your system will stay just as responsive as it was after a fresh Windows installation.

Game load times are improved, but it's nothing overly dramatic. HDD loading is pretty good as it is.

A few games really benefit, however. World of Warcraft is the best example I can think of. If you go into Stormwind or Ogrimmar with an HDD, it can often take 10-15 seconds for all player characters to appear. With an SSD, it's literally instant.

Some apps greatly benefit from an SSD as well. Browsing is certainly much faster, for one. Steam and iTunes are also far more responsive on an SSD. Steam is annoyingly sluggish off an HDD, IMO.

I think you guys would be surprised at how sluggish your system will feel when going back to an HDD.

I put my old Intel 80GB SSD into a 5 year old laptop, and it's incredibly quick and snappy now. It boots up within 30 seconds, and everything is usable instantly upon boot up. I honestly could never go back to using an HDD in any of my systems. I never want to go back to:
Using an SSD is like driving a sports car instead of a bus. Sure, both will get you to your end destination in roughly the same time, but one is a far more enjoyable ride.

Don't get me wrong, I can clearly see all the benefits of using one. Instant startup is the one I most like, along with StarCraft II launching in 3 seconds.

Made a small mistake when building my PC recently; bought a mobo that doesn't have onboard Bluetooth and didn't think about it being an issue at the time. Now, I want to connect my Wii Remote to my PC and am looking for a Bluetooth adapter. Any suggestions? Should I go with a USB or internal solution?

Any suggestions on brand or what I should be looking for in general?

I'd just get a $14 / $20 USB dongle / adapter on Amazon. IOGear or Medialink from the looks of it. If you are super cheap you can buy one from DealExtreme for like $2 and wait 14-30 days.

 

[ithorien]

It's a Seasonic 80 Plus Gold modular unit. I think it will be ok. That cert is only there to sell overpriced and underspecc'd PSU's to gamers and iBUYPower.

I stand corrected if you say otherwise, but isn't the wattage and amperage a bit low?

 

[Darkman M]

So ill be building in the next few weeks. I notice the motherboard I bought Gigabyte Z68XUD4 has intel smart response, so should i use this feature or just ignore it? SSD is an 64GB Crucial m4 sataIII.

 

[Syphon Filter]

Ok guys so my parts are on the way finally. This is my first time building a pc. What drivers do i get? I heard to get them online instead of the disk. Is it just drivers for the mobo and gpu? Also will the mobo drivers all install in one or is it separate?

 

[Hazaro]

I stand corrected if you say otherwise, but isn't the wattage and amperage a bit low?

No no I purely meant the cert rating.
It's quite possible CUDA is drawing a ton more power (maybe as much as FURMark does) and putting it close to tilt (see my response to his post).

As per the PSU it is about the best line on the consumer market so it shouldn't be a quality issue (Note it can deliver almost full power over the 12V rail) and it runs at 91% efficient (Usually meaning much much higher quality components). Add in the fact it is fanless and overspecced you can see drawing 500W from it.
Not something you should be doing constantly, but it shows the capability of the unit.

So ill be building in the next few weeks. I notice the motherboard I bought Gigabyte Z68XUD4 has intel smart response, so should i use this feature or just ignore it? SSD is an 64GB Crucial m4 sataIII.

With a 64GB SSD I'd just run it as a normal boot drive.

Ok guys so my parts are on the way finally. This is my first time building a pc. What drivers do i get? I heard to get them online instead of the disk. Is it just drivers for the mobo and gpu? Also will the mobo drivers all install in one or is it separate?

GPU:Online
Moboisc (Most have a 1 click installer)

That's basically it. Win 7 should auto grab and detect everything else.

I need your help PC-GAF,

How would these do with a i5 2500k? Good? Bad?

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc...&PID=749547&SID=forums&nm_mc=AFC-C8junctionCA

Great deal, go for it.

 

[snack]

I need your help PC-GAF,

How would these do with a i5 2500k? Good? Bad?

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc...&PID=749547&SID=forums&nm_mc=AFC-C8junctionCA

 

[mkenyon]

I need your help PC-GAF,

How would these do with a i5 2500k? Good? Bad?

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc...&PID=749547&SID=forums&nm_mc=AFC-C8junctionCA

Just fine. Check your motherboard manual to ensure compatibility, but I'd bet $ those are in there.

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

Anything new in Case technology? I find the selection limited with nice aesthetic cases with 8 expansion slots

 

[snack]

Sweet. Thanks Hazaro, and mkenyon!

 

[·feist·]

Anything new in Case technology? I find the selection limited with nice aesthetic cases with 8 expansion slots

Lots of new stuff coming. Haven't really posted any yet, but most are coming soon. Figure between Q3 and Q4, with a few slowly rolling out now. A large number of the above $50 range are switching to 7+1, or 8 inline slots.

 

[Yoritomo]

Anything new in Case technology? I find the selection limited with nice aesthetic cases with 8 expansion slots

The Corsair cases are awesome and have 8 expansion slots.

 

[Deleted member 22576]

So my father has an oldish Dell desktop.
It has a Pentium4 @2.8ghz and intel integrated graphics. It has 512m of ram, so I'm going to take the obvious step and upgrade that. Here is my question though: would be it be worth it for him to buy/install Windows7?

I could kind of see it going both ways. It's not the worst processor imaginable, but it is dated as fuck AND there is integrated graphics. I'm gonna put 4gigs of memory in it so there will be that, but would Win7 run ok on this build or should he just stick to XP until he gets a new computer?

 

[mkenyon]

Anything new in Case technology? I find the selection limited with nice aesthetic cases with 8 expansion slots

Such as this?

Go to newegg, click computer cases, select power search and select 8 expansion slots. Sort by high price.

 

[JAD0109]

Afternoon, gentlemen. Quite tired from a long night at work but I figured I'd post this before going to sleep.

Since BF3 is coming up soon and I've developed an interest in making gaming videos, I decided it's time to build myself a new computer.

Your Current Specs: Intel Core i7 860 @ 2.80GHz, 8gb RAM
Budget: $1500 US
Main Use: Gaming (heavy singleplayer AND multiplayer), Video Editing (simple fraps recording edits with Vegas), General Usage (of course)
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080, might upgrade in a few months, doubt it
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: World of Warcraft, Starcraft II, Battlefield 3, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Are reusing any parts?: No
When will you build?: I'd like to order the parts by the end of this month
Will you be overclocking?: Yes if you guys say I have the proper parts to keep it cool enough

~~~

Obviously I decided to go with the $1000 build and edit it just a bit. I swapped out the 4gb RAM for 8gb since these cards are on sale atm. I added Windows 7 Home Premium OEM (I assume that's what I need to install Windows...), a Xonar DG sound card (I assume I need one of these, especially for when I pick up the decently sexy Logitech Z506 5.1 set), and chose the COOLER MASTER CM 690 II Nvidia Edition case. Oh yeah, and I threw in a tube of AC5 thermal compound just to make sure I can keep temps as low as possible (as I said, I do want to overclock if I can keep things cool enough).

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=17914166

I must note that I'm a first time builder, so if I seem to be missing something glaringly obvious, please point it out. I may pick up a SSD later on, but for now I'm trying to figure out exactly what good one would do me.

Personally I'm quite satisfied with the look of this build, especially since it's a massive upgrade over what I have now (cheap Dell prebuilt, mistake last year). Since I kept essentially all of the parts listed in the OP's build, my only concern is if everything will work with the case I chose (and if it'll provide the necessary cooling).

Questions:

1) Is this case compatible?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119242

2) Do I need a bigger power supply?

3) Do I need any additional cooling parts (such as a different cooler, an additional cooler, etc)?

And the most important question...

4) Does this list include EVERYTHING (sans monitor/keyboard/mouse) that I will need to build a complete system? If not, what did I forget?

I'd like to get this figured out and ordered as soon as possible. I'm very confident I'll be able to put it together without issue, so all I need is for you guys to give me the green light on it or tell me where I went wrong.

Thanks for reading/helping out.

 

[mkenyon]

Your wish list doesn't show up. That's a link to your own cookie, so others can't view it.

 

[ithorien]

So my father has an oldish Dell desktop.
It has a Pentium4 @2.8ghz and intel integrated graphics. It has 512m of ram, so I'm going to take the obvious step and upgrade that. Here is my question though: would be it be worth it for him to buy/install Windows7?

I could kind of see it going both ways. It's not the worst processor imaginable, but it is dated as fuck AND there is integrated graphics. I'm gonna put 4gigs of memory in it so there will be that, but would Win7 run ok on this build or should he just stick to XP until he gets a new computer?

While the minimum requirements could be met just by purchasing 512mb more ram, I think buying anything, especially 4GB of DDR would be a waste. 512 would run you about $20, while 4GB would be about $120 (~$30/GB). Old ram is really expensive and I honestly would just save it towards a new PC.

 

[JAD0109]

Your wish list doesn't show up. That's a link to your own cookie, so others can't view it.

Fixed it. Thanks.

 

[thiscoldblack]

PCGAF, which of the following z68 mobo do you think is better?

- Asus P8Z68-V Pro
- ASRock Z68 Extreme4
- Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD4-B3
- Any other recommendation

Btw, any real difference between the Asus P8Z68-V and P8Z68-V Pro besides the 2 additional 6.0GB/s Sata ports with Marvell controllers?

Thanks in advance.

 

[mkenyon]

1) Is this case compatible?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119242

2) Do I need a bigger power supply?

3) Do I need any additional cooling parts (such as a different cooler, an additional cooler, etc)?

And the most important question...

4) Does this list include EVERYTHING (sans monitor/keyboard/mouse) that I will need to build a complete system? If not, what did I forget?

I'd like to get this figured out and ordered as soon as possible. I'm very confident I'll be able to put it together without issue, so all I need is for you guys to give me the green light on it or tell me where I went wrong.

Thanks for reading/helping out.

1. Yes. Case sizes for consumers are either e(xtended)ATX, ATX, m(icro)ATX, or ITX. That corresponds with the motherboard shape/size. Otherwise, the only thing you have to worry about is clearance issues with GPUs and CPU heatsinks. The 690 I had barely fit my 5870, so the 570 should fit.

2. No, you could even go smaller. 650W should do you fine with plenty of overhead to keep PSU temps down.

3. Nope.

4. Your only HDD listed is a 5400RPM eco-drive. That'll be the bottleneck for everything. You might want to look at a NAS (network attached storage) or a SATA controller to run a RAID array if you're planning on doing a lot of video stuff. You'll also want at least a 7200RPM HDD for your operating system and main programs.

 

[ithorien]

That's a link to your own cookie

I wish I had a cookie right about meow.

 

[scogoth]

Afternoon, gentlemen. Quite tired from a long night at work but I figured I'd post this before going to sleep.

...

Questions:

1) Is this case compatible?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119242

2) Do I need a bigger power supply?

3) Do I need any additional cooling parts (such as a different cooler, an additional cooler, etc)?

And the most important question...

4) Does this list include EVERYTHING (sans monitor/keyboard/mouse) that I will need to build a complete system? If not, what did I forget?

I'd like to get this figured out and ordered as soon as possible. I'm very confident I'll be able to put it together without issue, so all I need is for you guys to give me the green light on it or tell me where I went wrong.

Thanks for reading/helping out.

Case is compatible but if you want to record games investing in a 2600k may be worth it for hyperthreading. Also a better hdd (WD Black, Spinpoint f3 or SSD) or a second hard drive to record to.

For a baseline. I can record BC2 on a 4.0ghz i7-930 with a vertex 2 ssd and GTX470 SLI with 8x MSAA and high settings at 30fps 1080p dropping to 15fps intermittently.

*whew* thats a run on sentence.

 

[RS4-]

PCGAF, which of the following z68 mobo do you think is better?

- Asus P8Z68-V Pro
- ASRock Z68 Extreme4
- Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD4-B3
- Any other recommendation

Btw, any real difference between the Asus P8Z68-V and P8Z68-V Pro besides the 2 additional 6.0GB/s Sata ports with Marvell controllers?

Thanks in advance.

The Asus and ASrock. I think most if not all the Asus z68 boards are either Pro or Deluxe.

Posting from my phone, but the Asrock might be better suited for you depending on your needs in terms of hardware. I believe the extreme4 lacks 2 less Sata ports and no Bluetooth. But it's still cheaper.

 

[JAD0109]

1. Yes.

Sweet. <3 Nvidia.

2. No, you could even go smaller. 650W should do you fine with plenty of overhead to keep PSU temps down.

Awesome.

3. Nope.

Surprised about this, but very awesome.

4. Your only HDD listed is a 5400RPM eco-drive. That'll be the bottleneck for everything. You might want to look at a NAS (network attached storage) or a SATA controller to run a RAID array if you're planning on doing a lot of video stuff. You'll also want at least a 7200RPM HDD for your operating system and main programs.

Alrighty, is this one suitable?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&cm_re=wd_caviar_black-_-22-136-793-_-Product

The video thing isn't really a big deal (it's mostly for WoW/older games anyway, so not as graphic intensive). I'd definitely like to get a second internal HDD soon after this though.

 

[mkenyon]

Yeah, that's a great HDD.

 

[fastford58]

Ok GAF, I am teh confused.

I dusted off my PC and finally connected it to the nets and all for steam (that is how disappointing the console showing at E3 was for me. The PC is ~2 years old

SPECS now:

i7 940
Asus Rage II MB
6gb DDR3 (I think)
BFG OC GTX285
1000W corsair supply


I feel the machine is still serviceable but maybe could use a new GPU...the confusing thing is that my GPU is still going on Ebay for as much as some of the newer cards are...I can get a 550ti for ~$135 and there are some cards that are the same as mine on the bay for like $145.

Outside of DX 11, is it worth bumping the card up at this point? Witcher 2/BF3 are most likely what I'll be playing for the next while.

Thanks!

 

[mkenyon]

550Ti isn't a real graphics card. It's one that they sell at Best Buy to make people shell out money for a sub-par entry grade item.

GTX285 is a great card, but you'd see some improvements with a 560Ti, 570, 6950, or 6970. Any one of those would get you set for a good while. Your CPU is still balls fast.

 

[mug]

Outside of DX 11, is it worth bumping the card up at this point? Witcher 2/BF3 are most likely what I'll be playing for the next while.

Thanks!

That card should run both games just fine. The newer cards are equipped with faster memory and also run cooler/use less power.

 

[JAD0109]

Yeah, that's a great HDD.

So if I swap out the HDD, then my system is complete? I don't need to add anything else (aside from a SSD which will come later) or change anything else?

 

[Revenant]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+25...40&skuId=1861285&st=25 inch monitor&cp=1&lp=2

I was thinking of purchasing this monitor. It's just straight LCD but would LED even be worth it?