Support NeoGAF

[Clydefrog]

I may be running into a problem before I have even starting putting my build together. I ordered my case on August 3, thinking it would ship within two weeks max. Amazon said it had it in stock. I also ordered most of my other major components (CPU, mobo, PSU) at the same time; these all arrived quickly from various retailers. However, my case hasn’t arrived. Amazon now shows it out-of-stock and won’t be available to ship until August 31.

I am likely going to miss that 30-day return window when I build thanks to my case being late. So if something needs to be RMA, am I screwed?

Also, SIDE QUESTION! Is it worth it to upgrade to Windows 7? I have a copy of Vista Ultimate lying around. Vista isn’t all that bad, is it?

 

[chaosblade]

Remember, he's doing that with an additional ~$100 worth of fans (not including unused extras). In performance mode, a stock H100 isn't nearly as quiet as a Silver Arrow. That replacement/better fan outlay is in addition to the $40-50 more that the H100 costs over a SA and NH-D14, though that may be inconsequential to you.

If you have any scrapyards within a reasonable distance from you, they'll normally take them. Since they're aluminum, you may even get a small amount of money out of it. Otherwise, stores like Radioshack often take them off your hands (normally whole systems), and will help you recycle them.

Noise isn't really an issue, I doubt it's louder than my AC unit.

I plan on buying extra case fans anyway when I upgrade, but yeah, it's probably not going to be worth it in the end for the cooler alone after replacing all those fans. Looking at almost 3x more in that regard, and the Silver Arrow will provide some good temps regardless.

And thanks for the tips. If I still have my packaging for the Tuniq Tower I'll see about bending that corner back and just selling it off for $25 or something, but I'm pretty sure I don't.

And speaking of fans, I asked about some before but have most of it figured out. Just need to know more about 200mm fans. Looks like there aren't very many of them, and several are designed for specific cases. Planning on getting a Corsair Carbide 500r, but don't know which to get for it.

OH MAN NEOGAF........ WOW.


I don't know if any of you guys remeber my post... but I had an issue where my computer would not boot at all......... I swapped MOBOs and PSU's and ... I was losing my hair...

Turns out my Ram was not compable with the MOBO... So its up and running LOL

Yeah, that will do it. For whatever reason I assumed you had already posted your specs before you bought everything so incompatibility never even came to mind when we were troubleshooting.

 

[Gunmonkey36]

I am looking to buy a gtx 580 to replace my gtx 260 in order to play BF3 nearly maxed out at 1920X1080 as close to 60 fps as possible.

I don't plan to OC the card.

Noise really won't be an issue. My Lian Li case keeps everything pretty quiet, and I generally game with headphones on.

With these factors in mind is there any point to not buying the cheapest gtx 580 available? (assuming its a well known brand ie evga, asus, etc)

 

[DrFunk]

Nearly complete. It's nice to get back into PC Gaming.

 

[imoTEP12]

Nearly complete. It's nice to get back into PC Gaming.

Glad to hear you are back with the master race.

 

[mkenyon]

I know this is the hardware thread, but I just got to thinking about the games I'm excited for soon, and what I'd be upgrading my rig for. The next 12 months might compare to '99 as the best gaming year ever.

Dota 2, Kingdoms of Amalur, Deus Ex, Rage, BF3, Skyrim, Torchlight 2, CS: GO, Tribes: Ascend, Firefall, Diablo 3, Red Orchestra 2, Jagged Alliance, and tons of indie games and rad other games I'm not even remembering.

Seriously, there has *never* been a better time to be a PC Gamer.

 

[Chinner]

update on 580 green artifacts for NOBODY WHO FUCKING CARES FUCK YOU NEOGAF:

went on the MSI forums and asked. the moderator thought it could have been my PSU (although neogaf gave it the oaky when i asked NEOGAAAF). anyway, because my MSI is factory overclocked, he said to underclock it back to reference clocks. I played through two levels of crysis where my comp had crashed like 7-10 times, and i got through with no problems.

i need to play/test further, but it's looking promising. this seems to suggest and fall into the other opinions i found on the 'net that the 580s voltage requirements vary. or my psu is not very good.

 

[tehbible]

I know this is the hardware thread, but I just got to thinking about the games I'm excited for soon, and what I'd be upgrading my rig for. The next 12 months might compare to '99 as the best gaming year ever.

Dota 2, Kingdoms of Amalur, Deus Ex, Rage, BF3, Skyrim, Torchlight 2, CS: GO, Tribes: Ascend, Firefall, Diablo 3, Red Orchestra 2, Jagged Alliance, and tons of indie games and rad other games I'm not even remembering.

Seriously, there has *never* been a better time to be a PC Gamer.

yup.

never before has the PC platform been more invigorating

on a side note, Steve Jobs keeps talking about the 'Post-PC era'

i find that the complete opposite

the surge of social networking (facebook, myspace, G+) and rapid pace of the smartphone industry is making the world a lot MORE PC.

 

[scogoth]

I know this is the hardware thread, but I just got to thinking about the games I'm excited for soon, and what I'd be upgrading my rig for. The next 12 months might compare to '99 as the best gaming year ever.

Dota 2, Kingdoms of Amalur, Deus Ex, Rage, BF3, Skyrim, Torchlight 2, CS: GO, Tribes: Ascend, Firefall, Diablo 3, Red Orchestra 2, Jagged Alliance, and tons of indie games and rad other games I'm not even remembering.

Seriously, there has *never* been a better time to be a PC Gamer.

What upgrades you been doing?

 

[knitoe]

update on 580 green artifacts for NOBODY WHO FUCKING CARES FUCK YOU NEOGAF:

went on the MSI forums and asked. the moderator thought it could have been my PSU (although neogaf gave it the oaky when i asked NEOGAAAF). anyway, because my MSI is factory overclocked, he said to underclock it back to reference clocks. I played through two levels of crysis where my comp had crashed like 7-10 times, and i got through with no problems.

i need to play/test further, but it's looking promising. this seems to suggest and fall into the other opinions i found on the 'net that the 580s voltage requirements vary. or my psu is not very good.

I always recommended a higher PSU, max 60% load, compare most people here. But, I am thinking it's more of a sign it's a bad overclocked card here. Personally, I would RMA the card.

 

[Salsa]

Motherboard swapped, noticing much less of the high pitched noise with this crappy thermaltake PSU, my Antec one is still at RMA but im feeling good about it. Think i made a wise choice, there was definetly something wrong with the previous mobo.

 

[Chinner]

I always recommended a higher PSU, max 60% load, compare most people here. But, I am thinking it's more of a sign it's a bad overclocked card here. Personally, I would RMA the card.

it appears to be a voltage thing, i may end up rmaing it up but if its just a case of turning up the volts in afterburner then hey. also gaf told me 600w was fine. fukking neogaf out to get me.

 

[opticalmace]

Those temps don't seem unusual to me.

Thats normal

Okay, thanks. My last setup was a bit cooler so I was a little surprised but good to know.

 

[Smokey]

Rejoining the PC crowd after a few years of console-only gaming. Was originally planning on an air-cooled system in a Corsair 600T case, but Akira_22's pictures inspired me to switch things up at the last minute.

- Fractal Design Arc Midi Case
- Corsair AX850 Power Supply
- Asus P8Z68-V Motherboard
- Intel Core i5 2500k Processor
- 16GB RAM, G.Skill Ripjaw (1600)
- Corsair H100 Liquid CPU Cooler
- EVGA Geforce GTX 590 Classified
- Crucial 128GB M4 SSD
- 4x Samsung EcoGreen F4 2TB Hard Drives
- Asus DVDRW
- 7x Gentle Typhoon AP-15 Case Fans
- Slim Keyboard & G500 Gaming Mouse
- Arctic MX-4 Thermal Compound

- Dell UltraSharp U3011 30" Monitor (2560x1600) [Not Pictured]
- CyberPower 1500VA 900W UPS (Pure Sine Wave) [Not Pictured]
- Assorted Audio/Video/Networking Cables [Not Pictured]


The build itself was very straightforward. The only faulty component was a 25ft. displayport cable that would cause flickering and loss of video signal on the monitor. This was replaced with a 25ft. dual-link dvi cable, which worked flawlessly and was 1/4 the price. Thus went my first and last use of displayport technology. The long cable length was necessary since the computer & monitor are in different rooms (no use for space heaters in south florida).

I've patiently avoided a lot of high-profile games in anticipation for a build that could do them justice. I'm extremely excited to finally play through the Crysis, Assassin's Creed, and Witcher series. At the very least they will make the wait for BF3 much more bearable.

Excellent build. I love seeing other high end setups. I would love to upgrade frommy H70 to a H100. Saw one at Microcenter and thought about it, but I think it would be tough to implement in my FT02 case.

Be sure not to OC that 590 too much. I've read of some people getting up to 700mhz, but just be careful doing it.

 

[mkenyon]

What upgrades you been doing?

Going to be doing a new rig. I'll only bring over the SSD, and I might keep the PSU and GPUs (x-fire 5870s), at least until the 7XXX series comes around. As long as the benches support my suspicions, going to go bulldozer and GPU both watercooled in a Lian Li X900. If benches suck on bulldozer, I'll be holding off for Socket 2011.

Not sure what I'm going to do with 3 extremely capable gaming rigs at my house. Perma-LANparty?

 

[Salsa]

Alright i need help with another issue regarding noises as well:


I get a very high pitched Mobo whine every time i connect my 360 controller wireless reciever. The whine ONLY occurs when i plug the reciever and while its plugged in and turned on. Goes away after disconeccting it.

This issue happened with two different mobos and two different PSUs, so i gather there must be something else wrong.. any ideas?

 

[Mr Nightman]

Alright i need help with another issue regarding noises as well:


I get a very high pitched Mobo whine every time i connect my 360 controller wireless reciever. The whine ONLY occurs when i plug the reciever and while its plugged in and turned on. Goes away after disconeccting it.

This issue happened with two different mobos and two different PSUs, so i gather there must be something else wrong.. any ideas?

is the wiring in your home up to date? With all the noise issues perhaps the problem is at the wall plug itself

 

[Salsa]

is the wiring in your home up to date? With all the noise issues perhaps the problem is at the wall plug itself

checked that, wiring is fine, this particular problem was also easily reproduced in a PC store i took the whole PC to. I just plug the adapter and the high pitched whine starts. Same thing in any of the USB ports: front, back, usb 2.0 or 3.0..

 

[LordCanti]

checked that, wiring is fine, this particular problem was also easily reproduced in a PC store i took the whole PC to. I just plug the adapter and the high pitched whine starts. Same thing in any of the USB ports: front, back, usb 2.0 or 3.0..

This problem has persisted across replacement mobo's, hasn't it? Have you replaced the PSU as well at this point?


On an unrelated note:

I'm thinking about getting a joystick for BF3. Does anyone have one of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16879337003 If so, could you comment on whether or not you think it is a good one to buy? (I haven't purchased a standalone joystick since... X-Wing vs Tie Fighter.)

 

[Diprosalic]

hey pc gaf. i just remembered not exchanging my launch date sandy bridge MoBo. how fucked am i?

 

[cresto]

Gaf, I am woefully inept at deciphering what to get and what will actually last me a good 3-4 years...

My dinosaur of a laptop bricked on me and now I am out a computer. With this new "opportunity" I am in the market for a PC. I don't need a laptop now that I am done with college. For the past four years, I am have been rocking the console gaming, but I think its time to get back into the true gaming scene with BF3 coming out soon.

I am attempting to find a gaming PC for around $700-800 if at all possible with a quad core and minimum of 4 gigs of ram. I think a intel i5 processor would be acceptable but beyond that i am lost...

I've never built my own and would be utterly lost if i tried that. But I guess I could give it a shot? Here is a link I thought might turn out fairly well. Only thing I would change would be the processor. What do you think? http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/how_build_kick-ass_gaming_rig_under_700

Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Or some ideas for a prebuilt system that would sustain me for about 4 years (maybe with a graphics card update after two years).

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

[Coldsnap]

Rejoining the PC crowd after a few years of console-only gaming. Was originally planning on an air-cooled system in a Corsair 600T case, but Akira_22's pictures inspired me to switch things up at the last minute.

- Fractal Design Arc Midi Case
- Corsair AX850 Power Supply
- Asus P8Z68-V Motherboard
- Intel Core i5 2500k Processor
- 16GB RAM, G.Skill Ripjaw (1600)
- Corsair H100 Liquid CPU Cooler
- EVGA Geforce GTX 590 Classified
- Crucial 128GB M4 SSD
- 4x Samsung EcoGreen F4 2TB Hard Drives
- Asus DVDRW
- 7x Gentle Typhoon AP-15 Case Fans
- Slim Keyboard & G500 Gaming Mouse
- Arctic MX-4 Thermal Compound

- Dell UltraSharp U3011 30" Monitor (2560x1600) [Not Pictured]
- CyberPower 1500VA 900W UPS (Pure Sine Wave) [Not Pictured]
- Assorted Audio/Video/Networking Cables [Not Pictured]


The build itself was very straightforward. The only faulty component was a 25ft. displayport cable that would cause flickering and loss of video signal on the monitor. This was replaced with a 25ft. dual-link dvi cable, which worked flawlessly and was 1/4 the price. Thus went my first and last use of displayport technology. The long cable length was necessary since the computer & monitor are in different rooms (no use for space heaters in south florida).

I've patiently avoided a lot of high-profile games in anticipation for a build that could do them justice. I'm extremely excited to finally play through the Crysis, Assassin's Creed, and Witcher series. At the very least they will make the wait for BF3 much more bearable.

How silent are those gentle typhons / your setup?

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Posted yet?

http://communities.intel.com/thread/24205

Intel releases firmware update to correct SSD error.

 

[Vormund]

Going mad. My toolbar/taskbar has something invisible that creates a gap and ruins my shitty OCD...

Can someone explain/fix this?

Right click on the taskbar > untick lock the taskbar

See if anything can be moved around.

 

[Smokey]

Posted yet?

http://communities.intel.com/thread/24205

Intel releases firmware update to correct SSD error.

Sweet.

 

[LordCanti]

Gaf, I am woefully inept at deciphering what to get and what will actually last me a good 3-4 years...

My dinosaur of a laptop bricked on me and now I am out a computer. With this new "opportunity" I am in the market for a PC. I don't need a laptop now that I am done with college. For the past four years, I am have been rocking the console gaming, but I think its time to get back into the true gaming scene with BF3 coming out soon.

I am attempting to find a gaming PC for around $700-800 if at all possible with a quad core and minimum of 4 gigs of ram. I think a intel i5 processor would be acceptable but beyond that i am lost...

I've never built my own and would be utterly lost if i tried that. But I guess I could give it a shot? Here is a link I thought might turn out fairly well. Only thing I would change would be the processor. What do you think? http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/how_build_kick-ass_gaming_rig_under_700

Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Or some ideas for a prebuilt system that would sustain me for about 4 years (maybe with a graphics card update after two years).

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!!!!

What resolution are you looking to play in? Do you need all the sliders to max, or can you live with some of them being a little bit lower? Are you in the US?

 

[·feist·]

hey pc gaf. i just remembered not exchanging my launch date sandy bridge MoBo. how fucked am i?

Just contact the motherboard vendor, or retailer, for an exchange. You're entitled to one. Going with the vendor may be faster and/or easier.

I am looking to buy a gtx 580 to replace my gtx 260 in order to play BF3 nearly maxed out at 1920X1080 as close to 60 fps as possible.

I don't plan to OC the card.

Noise really won't be an issue. My Lian Li case keeps everything pretty quiet, and I generally game with headphones on.

With these factors in mind is there any point to not buying the cheapest gtx 580 available? (assuming its a well known brand ie evga, asus, etc)

Not really.

Noise isn't really an issue, I doubt it's louder than my AC unit.

I plan on buying extra case fans anyway when I upgrade, but yeah, it's probably not going to be worth it in the end for the cooler alone after replacing all those fans. Looking at almost 3x more in that regard, and the Silver Arrow will provide some good temps regardless.

And thanks for the tips. If I still have my packaging for the Tuniq Tower I'll see about bending that corner back and just selling it off for $25 or something, but I'm pretty sure I don't.

And speaking of fans, I asked about some before but have most of it figured out. Just need to know more about 200mm fans. Looks like there aren't very many of them, and several are designed for specific cases. Planning on getting a Corsair Carbide 500r, but don't know which to get for it.

AC year-round?

If the side fan in the 500R is the same as the intake on the 600T SE and 650D, you may or may not want to replace it with something else. Keep in mind, the 500R has a better stock cooling config than either of those two, so a replacement likely won't make as big of a difference as it would with the others.

The Cooler Master MegaFlow (700rpm, or 1100rpm) bolts right up, and comes with, or without, LEDS:

http://www.coolermaster.com/category.php?category_id=3510

The "230mm" version found in the HAF 932, Sniper, etc. also comes with or w/o lights:

http://www.sundialmicro.com/cooler_master_ultra-huge-fan_r4svs07ak-230mm_2130_1766.html
http://cmstore.coolermaster-usa.com/product_info.php?products_id=121

200mm vs 230mm:
http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/6744/cimg0585o.jpg

I'm a big fan of the SilverStone AP181. They're loud on high, and you'd have to make them fit on a case like that, but it's a good option.

http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=258&area=en

Yate Loon used to sell 200mm and 230mm fans, though I'm not sure if they still have them readily available (non-industrial types). NZXT and BitFenix also have slow, medium, and high speed models. The NZXTs are not a direct bolt on. Not sure about the BF.

 

[·feist·]

Quoting both of these:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=30175414&postcount=9346
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=30194179&postcount=9423

8/13 Update on "Bad Context 13x Error" for Intel SSD 320 Series

Intel 320 SSD Bug Fixed

The new firmware update is in final validation testing and is targeted for release on Intel® Communities within the next two weeks. Intel takes firmware updates and issues of reliability very seriously and is taking extra steps to support a smooth release. We appreciate your patience.

Firmware update now available - Addresses Bad Context 13x Error

Posted yet?

http://communities.intel.com/thread/24205

Intel releases firmware update to correct SSD error.

 

[opticalmace]

So there's no way to update the firmware in Linux? (for the intel 320 ^^)
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18363

Kinda sucks... I don't have Windows on here. What do?

 

[Salsa]

This problem has persisted across replacement mobo's, hasn't it? Have you replaced the PSU as well at this point?

yup, this specific one about the 360 wireless reciever persisted across 2 mobos (same model, but the original and the new replacement) and 2 PSUs (one thermaltake, the other Antec) so im clueless..

 

[LordCanti]

yup, this specific one about the 360 wireless reciever persisted across 2 mobos (same model, but the original and the new replacement) and 2 PSUs (one thermaltake, the other Antec) so im clueless..

It's been a while since I've heard anything about it, but I speficially remember hearing about how the 360 receiver drew a TON of USB power.

I found this engadget article that suggests trying a powered USB hub. http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/24/widespread-issues-with-xbox-360-wireless-receiver-for-windows/

 

[Smokey]

Updated my Intel 320 to new firmware. Feel relieved.

 

[LordCanti]

Updated my Intel 320 to new firmware. Feel relieved.

You've officially jumped on the grenade. Don't panic, just slowly get up, and hope it doesn't splode on you.

 

[Smokey]

You've officially jumped on the grenade. Don't panic, just slowly get up, and hope it doesn't splode on you.

Speaking of SSD's, mine has slowed down considerably as far as boot time. I've got 29GB left out of 148, that couldn't be the cause could it?

 

[LordCanti]

Speaking of SSD's, mine has slowed down considerably as far as boot time. I've got 29GB left out of 148, that couldn't be the cause could it?

I've heard of people having trouble with nearly full SSD's slowing down, but I'd think that 30GB was plenty for TRIM to properly operate, and move data around.

Have you made any other changes to how Windows 7 boots? A lot of programs that load on startup, for instance?

 

[black_vegeta]

damn that was fast, updating now!

 

[Smokey]

I've heard of people having trouble with nearly full SSD's slowing down, but I'd think that 30GB was plenty for TRIM to properly operate, and move data around.

Have you made any other changes to how Windows 7 boots? A lot of programs that load on startup, for instance?

I knew about the full SSD deal, but I thought the amount I had left over would be plenty. I haven't really added any new applications for start-up either. Wouldn't be surprised if that fucking Xonar sound card driver fucked something up. Shit was ravaging my PC.

 

[LordCanti]

I knew about the full SSD deal, but I thought the amount I had left over would be plenty. I haven't really added any new applications for start-up either. Wouldn't be surprised if that fucking Xonar sound card driver fucked something up. Shit was ravaging my PC.

It may have left a ton of crap that starts with Windows. Go to MSCONFIG (in the start menu search bar), and then "start up" and see if there is anything ASUS related in there.

(Be careful if you have an ASUS mobo)

 

[black_vegeta]

hhmmm, so the update is in an iso extension?

Any other way to update without burning it to a cd?

 

[LordCanti]

hhmmm, so the update is in an iso extension?

Any other way to update without burning it to a cd?

Mount it with daemon tools, or a similar program. Or, you could try unzipping the ISO, and installing it that way.

(CD is recommended for pain free installation)

 

[Smokey]

hhmmm, so the update is in an iso extension?

Any other way to update without burning it to a cd?

I'd just do it the way they recommend -- burn it to a disk.

 

[black_vegeta]

Alright, will do

 

[RS4-]

Yeah updated as well. Found it a little weird that on Windows 7 I had to do another restart when I logged in.

I've only used 40GBs so far, I think 30 of which is all Win7. 10 is just for editing software from Sony and Adobe.

Haven't bothered to install any games on it. Until Deus Ex HR and BF3 come out.

 

[LordCanti]

Yeah updated as well. Found it a little weird that on Windows 7 I had to do another restart when I logged in.

I've only used 40GBs so far, I think 30 of which is all Win7. 10 is just for editing software from Sony and Adobe.

Haven't bothered to install any games on it. Until Deus Ex HR and BF3 come out.

30 for Win 7? How big is your page file? O_O If not that, you shouldn't keep system restore points on that drive anyway.

My Windows 7 install is like 15GB.

 

[black_vegeta]

Just updated the firmware, everything seems to be A-OK

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

Alright guys, I've been having an issue with my PC lately. I think it's my graphics card, but I'm not positive. Basically, whenever I play a game with a lot going onscreen, I can hear the fan in my computer start spinning very loudly. The side of my case is very, very warm to the touch. Team Fortress 2 is a big violator of this; oftentimes during intense moments the game will lock up, my screen will go green, and my PC will freeze. I'm forced to reboot at this point. Bad Company 2 is another game that would lock up every single time during cutscenes. Crysis, The Witcher 2, and Left 4 Dead 2 cause my system to lock up in similar fashion. Here's my PC:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 5600+ @ 2.9 GHz
ATI HD Radeon 4670 1GB
4GB DDR2 667 RAM

And now SpeedFan results while in an online game of Bad Company 2:

Temp1: 50C
Tempt2: 39C
Temp3: 66C
Core: 63C

Idling:

Temp1: 50C
Tempt2: 39C
Temp3: 51C
Core: 47C

So what do you guys think? Isn't Temp3 my video card? If I remember correctly, a few months back it would hover around 30C when idling, and I never experienced a problem then. But now I see it's at least 20 degrees warmer. But then again I'm not positive that Temp3 is my video card, so all that could be moot. Drivers are all up to date, by the way.

Please help!

 

[cresto]

What resolution are you looking to play in? Do you need all the sliders to max, or can you live with some of them being a little bit lower? Are you in the US?

Resolution: Basically 720 is fine by me, I'm not picky. Im used to 1440x900.

I'd like for them to be maxed out on current games just because if I skimp then I'll be suffering on games in the future.

I'm in the US. Cali to be more precise.

 

[wandering goat]

So what do you guys think? Isn't Temp3 my video card? If I remember correctly, a few months back it would hover around 30C when idling, and I never experienced a problem then. But now I see it's at least 20 degrees warmer. But then again I'm not positive that Temp3 is my video card, so all that could be moot. Drivers are all up to date, by the way.

Please help!

Try using a different program first to test out temps, such as CoreTemp / RealTemp for CPU, MSI Afterburner for the video card, or CPUID Hardware Monitor for everything. It should have things labeled more clearly than SpeedFan, which by default can also give out incorrect info depending on the motherboard. It's pretty rare, I've found, for SpeedFan to be able to read the GPU temp, so likely it's not even on there.

If it's the CPU temps that are higher than before for no discernible reason, you may have to remove it, clean the paste off, re-apply. and re-seat the heatsink. GPU you can probably do the same if you're willing, or see if it's under warranty.

 

[LordCanti]

Resolution: Basically 720 is fine by me, I'm not picky. Im used to 1440x900.

I'd like for them to be maxed out on current games just because if I skimp then I'll be suffering on games in the future.

I'm in the US. Cali to be more precise.

Does the $700-$800 budget include a monitor, and an OS?

If it does, the $600 build in the OP is right up your alley. Add maybe $130 for a monitor, and $100 for an OEM copy of Windows 7, and we're right against the $800 mark.

If it doesn't, we've got a few more options.

 

[Eiji]

deleted