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[Mr Nightman]

I have mine (they were brand new) connected to my x-fi xtrememusic but they sound okay to me.

Then again I tend to have higher standards and have some HD555s to compare them to.

I really want to get a nice Xonar card with optical out but I'm not sure what is a good one to get.

My dad's prolly gonna give me his HDAV 1.3 or w/e and I can hook it up to a technics SA-DX930 reciever (I'd have some other devices hooked up into it) or a cheap Okonyo or w/e he would let me borrow. The technics is "technically" mine.

Yea, I guess I'm just not too picky, if it sounds good, I'm happy, and I do like them

 

[RS4-]

I was wondering if the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus was compatible with my ASUS P8P67 motherboard, I just got it in the mail today but on the side of the heatsink box, it says it's compatible with Intel Socket LGA775/1156/1366 on it's specifications, but my motherboard is an LGA 1155

Should I worry? Is it not compatible!?!?

Like black_vegeta said, it's fine.

I've heard of some people not having it fit on the p8p67 for whatever reason though

 

[vilmer_]

Woo! Thanks

Also, I can't believe how massive the Hyper 212 is, $40 well spent.

It's such a fantastic cooler

 

[Gvaz]

One thing to consider as well is the volume dock, it's kind of cramped for RCA inputs so if your headset or mic is too big, it wont fit in the jack.

Which is my problem with my nice headphones.

Also you might need a headphone amp if you have some decent headphones and plug it in there because I don't know how well the quality will come from that.

They're decent if you're just listening to music and movies at a good quality but I think the thing I don't like is they aren't as clear as my headphones. Then again these are midrange-low (to me) end headphones and thats logitech 5.1 speakers with tiny satellites.

 

[Hazaro]

Hey guys I'm having a bit of trouble with overclocking my 2500k if that's even possible, mostly with the voltages. I'm using an Asus P867 pro and for some reason I can manually set it to a 1.35 vcore which I've heard is pretty acceptable, but then whenever I run a test (in this case intel burn test) my volts go to like 1.48 or even more! I'm only at 4.5 Ghz...what the heck?


I'm still new to this so sorry if this is a stupid post.

That's the vdroop kicking in very aggressively.

I suggest you look at the clunk.org guide and decide to manually set a voltage or change your offset voltage settings.

What's the cheapest decent z68 mobo at the moment? I don't have the money to go bananas like I hoped so no 650D

Things I'm looking for are crossfire/sli support (only 2 cards necessary) and a PCI slot for my sound card.

Have enough money for

CPU: i5 2500K $AU219
Mobo: Some mobo around $AU150ish I hope
RAM:Corsair Vengeance CMZ4GX3M1A1600C9 4GB $AU59

Max $AU450

Will the single stick of RAM be a problem with overclocking? I was thinking about slapping in another one when I get some more money.

Z68 I don't know, but I think the ASRock in the OP is about the same price in AUS.

Took the plunge and order parts to upgrade my PC. I only needed a new video card, but since my HP had a shitty case and PS, I upgraded those as well.

Pre Upgrade Machine (HP Pavilion Elite e9180f):
Core i7 920
9GB DDR3-1066
NVidia GTS 250
460W PS

I bought:
Antec 300 + 2 extra 120mm Antec fans
OCZ 600W modular PS
MSI GTX 560 Ti Twin Frozr II (almost went for a 570, but I didn't think the extra almost $100 was worth it)

So swapped everything into the new case. Sooo much more space in there, airflow is way better. The insides of the case were the biggest disappointment, cramped, no cable management whatsoever, single 80mm chassis fan and really poor airflow.

Really happy with the airflow and temperatures I'm seeing post-upgrade. The system actually runs a good bit cooler with the better case. I only installed one of the extra 120mm fans at the front of the case. I think I'll just keep the second as a spare. Highest CPU temp I've seen so far is 73C, idles in the low 40s. With the old case it idled a good 10C higher. During benchmarking the GTX 560 maxed out at 60C, really happy about that. Glad I chose this card for extra cooling.

I did some before/after benchmarks. I'm pretty happy with how things went right now.

DiRT3 - 1920x1080 Medium preset 4xMSAA
        Avg       Min
Before   47.62    40.19
After   111.25    86.33

3DMark Vantage - Free edition defaults
Before   7554
After   18304

Metro 2033 - 1920x1080 Max settings
        Avg       Min       Max
Before   7.67     2.64      45.12
After   25.67     6.34      63.67

Batman AA - 1920x1080 Max settings
        Avg       Min       Max
Before  21         8        31
After   70        43        96

Nice!

Is it retarded to undervolt on my overclock? I'm at like 1.27V 4.5GHz and was able to do 3 hours of Prime without BSOD and play Rift, Witcher, and SCII all the time without any issues, but y'all are saying it takes 1.3, 1.35V to reach it.

Of course not. That's perfectly fine. If that is stable that is an amazing chip.

 

[·feist·]

Woo! Thanks

Also, I can't believe how massive the Hyper 212 is, $40 well spent.

Newegg?

MSRP is $29.99

Last year, after noticing how well the 212+ was selling, Newegg increased the price to ~$55, and kept it at that for weeks, while numerous retailers had it for $30 or less.

There were no supply issues.

 

[Mr Nightman]

One thing to consider as well is the volume dock, it's kind of cramped for RCA inputs so if your headset or mic is too big, it wont fit in the jack.

Which is my problem with my nice headphones.

Also you might need a headphone amp if you have some decent headphones and plug it in there because I don't know how well the quality will come from that.

They're decent if you're just listening to music and movies at a good quality but I think the thing I don't like is they aren't as clear as my headphones. Then again these are midrange-low (to me) end headphones and thats logitech 5.1 speakers with tiny satellites.

Yea if I had some nicer headphones, I would factor those options in. But I am just using a cheap pair of logitech stereo headphones with mic from walmart, for only 20 bucks, lol. Only use it for voice communication

 

[squicken]

I think I remember reading somewhere here that it's not a good idea to fill all 4 DIMMs with RAM? What are the consequences of using all 4? I guess I'd rather not just toss out 2 x 2GB if I don't have to.

 

[Liberty4all]

How does this look?

HASSIS COLOR Matte Stealth Black Chassis with 525W Multi-GPU Approved Power Supply
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ i5-2300 (6MB Cache) Overclocked Turbo Boost to 3.3GHz
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
MONITOR ST2320L 23-inch Full HD Widescreen Monitor ed
MEMORY 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
HARD DRIVE 1TB SATA 3Gb/s (7,200RPM) 32MB Cache
GRAPHICS CARD Single 1.5GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTS 450
OPTICAL DRIVE Single Drive: 24X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability
WIRELESS CARD 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 EDR USB Combo Adapter
SOUND CARD Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio

High-Performance Liquid Cooling

Total: 1400

I'm still looking at pre built computers .... this system I realize costs more than if I built it myself ... I'm just wondering though if this will "do the job" in terms of gaming

These were the other video card options:

Single 1.5GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTS 450 [Included in Price]
1GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6870 [add $100.00 or $2.00/month1]
2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6950 [add $200.00 or $5.00/month1]
Dual Video Cards

Dual 1GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6870 [add $400.00 or $11.00/month1]
Dual 1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 460 - SLI Enabled [add $400.00 or $11.00/month1]
Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6950 [add $600.00 or $16.00/month1]

Really don't want to spend more if I don't have to

 

[Gvaz]

Yea if I had some nicer headphones, I would factor those options in. But I am just using a cheap pair of logitech stereo headphones with mic from walmart, for only 20 bucks, lol. Only use it for voice communication

If those are the ones I'm thinking of, they're the same ones I have and they fucking hurt from wearing them for long periods of time. I used to use them for raiding in WoW and they were fine for voice chat but the pads. Oh god my ears hurt just remembering it.

 

[dgenx]

Im gonna upgrade from aGTX 460 to a GTX 560, I wanted to know if the 560 is overclockable as the 460? also am I gonna notice a major update?

 

[·feist·]

How does this look?

HASSIS COLOR Matte Stealth Black Chassis with 525W Multi-GPU Approved Power Supply
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ i5-2300 (6MB Cache) Overclocked Turbo Boost to 3.3GHz
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
MONITOR ST2320L 23-inch Full HD Widescreen Monitor ed
MEMORY 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
HARD DRIVE 1TB SATA 3Gb/s (7,200RPM) 32MB Cache
GRAPHICS CARD Single 1.5GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTS 450
OPTICAL DRIVE Single Drive: 24X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability
WIRELESS CARD 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 EDR USB Combo Adapter
SOUND CARD Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio

High-Performance Liquid Cooling

Total: 1400

I'm still looking at pre built computers .... this system I realize costs more than if I built it myself ... I'm just wondering though if this will "do the job" in terms of gaming

These were the other video card options:

Single 1.5GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTS 450 [Included in Price]
1GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6870 [add $100.00 or $2.00/month1]
2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6950 [add $200.00 or $5.00/month1]
Dual Video Cards

Dual 1GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6870 [add $400.00 or $11.00/month1]
Dual 1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 460 - SLI Enabled [add $400.00 or $11.00/month1]
Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6950 [add $600.00 or $16.00/month1]

Really don't want to spend more if I don't have to

Laughable. Yes, I know that price includes a display.

You can do better. There are sites in the OP that will assemble and test a PC for you. Pick your own parts. You'll be far better off.

 

[Mr Nightman]

If those are the ones I'm thinking of, they're the same ones I have and they fucking hurt from wearing them for long periods of time. I used to use them for raiding in WoW and they were fine for voice chat but the pads. Oh god my ears hurt just remembering it.

these are them, they are cheap, and are comfortable on my small ears lol

 

[Gvaz]

these are them, they are cheap, and are comfortable on my small ears lol
http://www.theofficedealer.com/mm5/graphics/product_images/400/seo/Logitech-981-000009-ClearChat-Stereo-Headset.jpg[/MG][/QUOTE]
Okay those are different than the ones I have.

[IMG]http://www.farcomputer.com/attachments/images/headsets/ccstereo.jpg

These ones are awful D:

 

[Movement]

Alright, here's what I think is my final build. Any comments?
https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=16531225

Which case do you all recommend? I want a sleek looking, black case that isn't a PIA to put parts into.

 

[Wallach]

Okay those are different than the ones I have.

http://www.farcomputer.com/attachments/images/headsets/ccstereo.jpg

These ones are awful D:

I had these things too, and you're right they're miserable as fuck. The pads might as well be wood with pleather covering.

 

[Liberty4all]

Laughable. Yes, I know that price includes a display.

You can do better. There are sites in the OP that will assemble and test a PC for you. Pick your own parts. You'll be far better off.

Ok that's what I thought ... knew the motherboard, GPU and lack of sound card was a bad thing. The Ram was ok though right

Starting to get an idea of what parts I need to see even in prebuilts. This thread is very helpful.

Just to be clear I'm on the right track, based on what I've read in the OP and based on a 1000 - 1300 dollar budget (including display) I should be looking for:

a. A minimum of 4gig ram
b. An I5 minimum with 2500K
c. A GPU such as ATI 6870 or Nividia GTX 460

 

[RS4-]

these are them, they are cheap, and are comfortable on my small ears lol
http://www.theofficedealer.com/mm5/...itech-981-000009-ClearChat-Stereo-Headset.jpg

Lol my brother has the same pair and he has nothing but hate for them. I'm trying to figure out what headset to pick up for him though. Maybe the Corsair HS1A or one of those bullshit Logitech ones, like the G930 or G35

Alright, here's what I think is my final build. Any comments?
https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=16531225

Which case do you all recommend? I want a sleek looking, black case that isn't a PIA to put parts into.

Fix your wishlist link, it isn't a public one

 

[Scuba Steve]

Newegg?

MSRP is $29.99

Last year, after noticing how well the 212+ was selling, Newegg increased the price to ~$55, and kept it at that for weeks, while numerous retailers had it for $30 or less.

There were no supply issues.

I've been had

Now it's on Newegg for $49.99, rats

 

[·feist·]

Alright, here's what I think is my final build. Any comments?
https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=16531225

Which case do you all recommend? I want a sleek looking, black case that isn't a PIA to put parts into.

That link is only meant for you.

There are some case options in the OP. You may be interested in something like the Fractal Design Define R3, or Cm 690 II (front lights can be turned off).

Im gonna upgrade from aGTX 460 to a GTX 560, I wanted to know if the 560 is overclockable as the 460? also am I gonna notice a major update?

If that's a non-SE 1GB 460, I wouldn't bother. Try overclocking it if you haven't already. For a worthwhile upgrade, you need to look at a 570/580, or, better, wait for the GTX 600s to get a nice performance/price upgrade from your current GPU.

Ok that's what I thought ... knew the motherboard, GPU and lack of sound card was a bad thing. The Ram was ok though right

Starting to get an idea of what parts I need to see even in prebuilts. This thread is very helpful.

Hard to say, but Dell/Gateway-type rebuilts normally use the cheapest components they can, within reason. You pay a lot, for limited spec.

I've been had

Now it's on Newegg for $49.99, rats

The bigger Newegg gets, the more they pull this type of stunt.

 

[Sax Russel]

OK, I'm going to be building a new PC pretty soon. Things of note include an i5 2500k that I plan to oc to 4GHz with a CoolerMaster Hyper 212 fan, 8GB of ram, and a GTX 570. I have a Corsair tx650w PSU that I plan to use as well. My main question lies with the motherboard. I honestly have no idea what to go with. I'm basically 100% sure I don't plan to SLI in the future, and was thinking of this ASRock P67 PRO3. I don't mind paying more for a different one, but I also don't want to pay for a bunch of features/slots I don't plan to use, and this one seems like it's decently OC friendly (at least to get a 2500k to 4) and should play well with the RAM I plan on getting. Any thoughts?

Stealth edit: Also I know the 212 is huge, and am not sure if it will fit well in this mobo >_>

 

[black_vegeta]

I've been had

Now it's on Newegg for $49.99, rats

Wow, they raised the price. Probably because of its great success.

 

[Syphon Filter]

Just built my pc but the gpu is not detected.anyone know why?

 

[AwesomeSauce]

Hyper 212's are 24.99 at Fry's right now for anyone fortunate to have a Fry's nearby. I need to go pick one up as the stock am3 cooler gets pretty loud after long sessions.

 

[Shambles]

Jesus 50$ for the Hyper 212 is a joke, don't support that crap. MSRP is 30$ and even then it has often been available for 20$. I scored one for 10$ after MIR on NCIX.

 

[Liberty4all]

How about this one at 999

Mercenary MC-2400S - Intel Core i5-2400S Quad-Core Socket LGA1155 with Cooler Master V6GT CPU Cooler / Asus P8P67 (Rev. 3.0) Socket 1155 Intel P67 Chipset / Corsair XMS3 Classic 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz / 1TB 7200RPM SATA2 / ASUS DRW-24B1ST Black SATA 24X DVD-Writer / nVidia Geforce GTX560 1GB GDDR5 PCIE / Cooler Master HAF 912 Mid Tower ATX Case / Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 700W Power Supply

Or this one at 1499

Mercenary MC-2500K - Intel Core i5-2500K Quad-Core Socket LGA1155 with Cooler Master V6GT CPU Cooler / Asus SABERTOOTH P67 (Rev. 3.0) Socket 1155 / Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz / OCZ (OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G) Vertex 2 SATA II 2.5" 60GB Solid State Drive + 2x 1TB 7200RPM SATA2 in RAID 0 / ASUS DRW-24B1ST Black SATA 24X DVD-Writer / AMD Radeon 6950 2GB GDDR5 PCIE / Cooler Master HAF 922 Mid Tower ATX Case / Cooler Master Silent Pro M850 Modular 850W PSU /

 

[barnone]

For new page.. The xfx 550W psu will pose an issue for my gtx570 and 2500k won't it? Should I should try it or just return it and get the 650W model? I read this is actually the minimum recommended wattage : /

 

[black_vegeta]

Jesus 50$ for the Hyper 212 is a joke, don't support that crap. MSRP is 30$ and even then it has often been available for 20$. I scored one for 10$ after MIR on NCIX.

It's $33.28 on Amazon.

 

[InertiaXr]

It's $33.28 on Amazon.

$29.99 at Microcenter, if you live near one.

 

[Zeliard]

Ugh @ the silly Hyper 212 price increase. You barely even have to look to find a much lower price - Amazon has it for $33.

Edit: beaten!

 

[ColonialRaptor]

So I've decided to upgrade, but I don't know which path to go.

I'm definitely going crossfire 6950's with the intention of unlocking them to 6970's down the track when I upgrade my PSU (and before BF3 comes out) so I want to have their full bandwidth running before that time because I'm imagining that BF3 is going to be a bandwidth heavy game.

So, the choice for now is whether to go the older i7-950 and X58 with the onboard PCIe 16+16 controller or the newer Z68 and i5-2500K (or 2600K) with a gigabyte on a board with an NF200 South Bridge controller which also has 16+16 (but that's kind of faked bandwidth and apparently doesn't give as good performance as the X58 boards).

I'm inclined to go towards the X58 with the i7-950 simply because it doesn't have the extra rubbish getting in the way, it's the enthusiast stuff, it's a robust and long running well known setup, and there is no GPU on the CPU to get in the way (I know if it's not being used it doesn't matter but still) and that setup is cheaper overall.

Suggestions? Ideas? What would you do?

 

[·feist·]

How about this one at 999

Mercenary MC-2400S - Intel Core i5-2400S Quad-Core Socket LGA1155 with Cooler Master V6GT CPU Cooler / Asus P8P67 (Rev. 3.0) Socket 1155 Intel P67 Chipset / Corsair XMS3 Classic 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz / 1TB 7200RPM SATA2 / ASUS DRW-24B1ST Black SATA 24X DVD-Writer / nVidia Geforce GTX560 1GB GDDR5 PCIE / Cooler Master HAF 912 Mid Tower ATX Case / Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 700W Power Supply

Or this one at 1499

Mercenary MC-2500K - Intel Core i5-2500K Quad-Core Socket LGA1155 with Cooler Master V6GT CPU Cooler / Asus SABERTOOTH P67 (Rev. 3.0) Socket 1155 / Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz / OCZ (OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G) Vertex 2 SATA II 2.5" 60GB Solid State Drive + 2x 1TB 7200RPM SATA2 in RAID 0 / ASUS DRW-24B1ST Black SATA 24X DVD-Writer / AMD Radeon 6950 2GB GDDR5 PCIE / Cooler Master HAF 922 Mid Tower ATX Case / Cooler Master Silent Pro M850 Modular 850W PSU /

Door #2

The 2400S is really meant for people who want a lower power CPU. It uses less power, but costs more than a standard CPU.

Second build is more in the ballpark. I'd look at other options for SSD, PSU, and ram. You can save money in those areas if you want to. Can also save money on a motherboard, but don't go too far down. Cooler wise, the V6GT is loud at full bore, I'd either save money on something like a 212+ (with an additional fan), or opt for something like a Thermalright Ven X for about the price of the V6GT.

So I've decided to upgrade, but I don't know which path to go.

I'm definitely going crossfire 6950's with the intention of unlocking them to 6970's down the track when I upgrade my PSU (and before BF3 comes out) so I want to have their full bandwidth running before that time because I'm imagining that BF3 is going to be a bandwidth heavy game.

So, the choice for now is whether to go the older i7-950 and X58 with the onboard PCIe 16+16 controller or the newer Z68 and i5-2500K (or 2600K) with a gigabyte on a board with an NF200 South Bridge controller which also has 16+16 (but that's kind of faked bandwidth and apparently doesn't give as good performance as the X58 boards).

I'm inclined to go towards the X58 with the i7-950 simply because it doesn't have the extra rubbish getting in the way, it's the enthusiast stuff, it's a robust and long running well known setup, and there is no GPU on the CPU to get in the way (I know if it's not being used it doesn't matter but still) and that setup is cheaper overall.

Suggestions? Ideas? What would you do?

NF200 adds latency. X58 parts are outmoded, and not as capable as 1155 parts, overall. Either get a 2500K/2600K and a solid P67/Z68 to run in x8/x8, or wait until Q3/Q4 for LGA 2011. You should be able to get the quad core for ~$320-350, along with all the PCIe bandwidth you need.

 

[Liberty4all]

This one is from NCIX ... the base model was here and I added upgrades based on the advice in this thread. It seems cheaper than the previous build I posted:


Motherboard:

Intel H67 (B3) Express mATX

* Processor(CPU):

Intel Core i7 2600K Quad Core Sandy Bridge

* Graphic:

Nvidia Geforce GTX 460 1024MB


* Audio

Realtek ALC887 8-Channel High Definition Audio Codec
- Support Multi-Streaming
*Use the chassis with HD audio module in front panel to support 8-Channel audio output

* I/O Ports:

1 x DVI
1 x D-Sub
1 x HDMI
1 x PS/2 Mouse
1 x LAN(RJ45) port(s)
2 x USB 3.0/2.0
4 x USB 2.0/1.1
3 x Audio Jacks

* Computer Case:

Black ATX Tower Case

* Case Cooling Fan:

92MM Cooling Fan 1400RPM 25CFM 28DB

* Power Supply:

Seasonic S12II 620W EPS12V 20/24PIN

* Optical Drive:

22X SATA DVD Writer Black

* Memory:

4GB(2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333

* Hard Drives:

500GB SATA2 7200RPM 3.5IN

* Keyboard & Mouse:

Keyboard and Mouse Combo USB – Black

* Flash Card Reader :

Flash Card Reader 3.5IN Internal

* Operating SystemPre-Installed)

Windows 7 Home Premium OEM 64bit

* Samsung 24" Widescreen LED LCD With HDMI

Total Cost: 1145

There is an option to upgrade the motherboard as well for 99 dollars to: ASUS P8P Pro ATX P67 LGA1155 DDR3 bringing the total cost to 1245.

Is that important the difference between H67 and P67? I don't plan to overclock (as I have no idea how to do it safely haha)

 

[ColonialRaptor]

NF200 adds latency. X58 parts are outmoded, and not as capable as 1155 parts, overall. Either get a 2500K/2600K and a solid P67/Z68 to run in x8/x8, or wait until Q3/Q4 for LGA 2011. You should be able to get the quad core for ~$320-350, along with all the PCIe bandwidth you need.

I'd probably not wait.

So you think the 2500K or the 2600K is a better option?

I don't know why but I just can't seem to bring myself to choose them. At this point in time, I may be able to raise $500 AUD to spend on components from the current crop of stuff that I've got and with this, I will be able to upgrade to the new system completely without spending any money at all (that's kind of exciting I think).

There is also the benefit of the 6x RAM slots and the idea of having 24GB of RAM tickles me PINK. I'd have just 16GB to start off with, but going up to 24 at some point makes me drool.

If by change I am able to sell my current components and some things that I've got lying around that I want to get rid of (including my life size Link statue) and raise the $500 or so that it's going to cost me to put the X58 build together then that's definitely what I'm going to do right now. Then again later on when the 2011 Z78 chipset is released I will consider upgrading again... I was planning on spending my own money at that time, so I'll have newer components at that time to sell again then and also contribute perhaps up to 1.5k of my own money.

At that time I wanted to get a 6 core hyper threaded processor and 2x 580s, but I was hoping that Nvidia had brought out the next cards by then so I could get 2x 680s to put with it.

I think I just decided for myself!

Is the 2011 chipset likely to use DDR3 again?

 

[·feist·]

I think I just decided for myself!

Is the 2011 chipset likely to use DDR3 again?

OK.
LGA 2011 is initially quad-channel DDR3 with higher supported speeds.

There is an option to upgrade the motherboard as well for 99 dollars to: ASUS P8P Pro ATX P67 LGA1155 DDR3

Is that important?

Very. An H67 is not a good fit for a 2600K. Also, you can save by going with a 2500K, unless you need hyper-threading.

* Computer Case:

Black ATX Tower Case

* Case Cooling Fan:

92MM Cooling Fan 1400RPM 25CFM 28DB

That case is a big no. It's the same cheap base that Xigmatek, Rosewill and others use for some of their budget models.

Why don't you try using the OP build as a guideline, and tweak from there? Throw some parts together, post here, people will help you tweak further if need be. When ready, add everything to your cart and check the option to have NCIX build it for you. Done.

 

[Liberty4all]

I'll do that Feist. Thank you for your advice. This thread has been VERY helpful for getting me up to speed with what's happening in PC land.

My last desktop was a P4 1.6 with a Radeon 9550 card in it and 500 sd ram. I'm abit behind the times =P

 

[toastyToast]

Looking at the Gigabyte UD3R. Newegg users are complaining that the bundled software is shite which has me concerned.

I'm willing to up to $200 on the mobo if I have to. Love that all black Gigabyte, but if I can't get Quicksync working I might as well go with a P67.

 

[ColonialRaptor]

OK.
LGA 2011 is initially quad-channel DDR3 with higher supported speeds.

So it will support 8 sticks??? That is awesome... so 32 GB capability right? MAN!

Edit - but I'm being stupid right, I have an i7-860 @ 3.5Ghz on a P55A with 8+8 at the moment, the gains of going to a i7-950 with 16+16 and getting that up to perhaps 4.0Ghz (which I've heard is hard) is not worth it right?

Derk... I'm just going to stay with what I've got now.

Looking at the Gigabyte UD3R. Newegg users are complaining that the bundled software is shite which has me concerned.

I'm willing to up to $200 on the mobo if I have to. Love that all black Gigabyte, but if I can't get Quicksync working I might as well go with a P67.

U an aussie also?

Who cares about bundled software?

 

[JAD0109]

Dammit. The GPU I want just became OSS on Newegg, and it's $80+ more on the other places I've checked. Anyone have any idea where else I can get this?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127579

 

[n0n44m]

Dammit. The GPU I want just became OSS on Newegg, and it's $80+ more on the other places I've checked. Anyone have any idea where else I can get this?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127579

why the Lightning edition?

great card under water or with ln2 poured over it, but for normal gaming I'm pretty sure a regular GTX580 reference card + aftermarket heatsink will be more quiet and overclock to about the same speeds

edit: They also have some Galaxy that has what seems to be an Accelero Xtreme Plus installed for 490 excluding mir)

 

[TheExodu5]

why the Lightning edition?

great card under water or with ln2 poured over it, but for normal gaming I'm pretty sure a regular GTX580 reference card + aftermarket heatsink will be more quiet and overclock to about the same speeds

edit: They also have some Galaxy that has what seems to be an Accelero Xtreme Plus installed for 490 excluding mir)

Well an aftermarket heatsink costs around $80...

The Galaxy or Asus DirectCU ii should be good bets, though they're triple slot.

I should probably recommend that Galaxy more. I guess it's just because people are used to the Asus name, so it's easier to recommend. I guess the Asus card looks sexier.

Looking at the Gigabyte UD3R. Newegg users are complaining that the bundled software is shite which has me concerned.

I'm willing to up to $200 on the mobo if I have to. Love that all black Gigabyte, but if I can't get Quicksync working I might as well go with a P67.

Meh. IMO bundled software isn't a big deal with a motherboard. Aside from that first overclock, you'll likely never touch it again.

But still. I don't see anything wrong with that bundled software. I got that board and it's kind of nice. It allows you to access all BIOS settings from within Windows. That makes for some very easy overclocking.

I'm not sure about that board itself, but I know certain Z68 boards don't come with the Intel GPU support.

edit: I think you might need to look at the UD3H

Combining the advantages of the Intel P67 and H67 platforms in one complete package, the GIGABYTE Z68 series offer the best of both worlds; system tuning and overclocking features as the built-in visual features combined with 2nd generation Intel Core processors. Support for...

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=138_711_1183&products_id=17549

I can't really say what the difference is in between the R/H/P, though. H seems to provide onboard video. Not sure what this means with regards to QuickSync.

 

[n0n44m]

Well an aftermarket heatsink costs around $80...

The Galaxy or Asus DirectCU ii should be good bets, though they're triple slot.

I should probably recommend that Galaxy more. I guess it's just because people are used to the Asus name, so it's easier to recommend. I guess the Asus card looks sexier.

but most aftermarket heatsinks are better anyway (the accelero and thermalright at least)

heard quite a few complaints about the the DirectCU being louder than expected, and saw a French dude comparing his MSI Twin Frozr II to an Accelero and the latter was not only more quiet but cooled much better as well

I know the Lightning has a Twin Frozr III (3) , but it is still more aimed at benchmarkers and less at gamers ;P

 

[toastyToast]

Isn't Quicksync the thing that lets you use the integrated GPU for video transcoding? That's the only thing I want the z68 board for since I convert a lot of my dvds/blurays for my iPod/PSP etc.

 

[JAD0109]

How's this as a replacement for the MSI Lightning?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121429

I looked at the Galaxy, but some of the reviews made me wary of it. I'd prefer to go with the Asus if you guys think it's good enough.

Also, will it fit with the case I chose?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197

One last thing, I probably will be doing livestreaming/recording/video converting of WoW, BF3, SC2, and a few other games. In that case, is the 2600k worth it? At the very least, will getting the 2600k over the 2500k HURT me in any way if I'm NOT doing those things?

 

[mkenyon]

For new page.. The xfx 550W psu will pose an issue for my gtx570 and 2500k won't it? Should I should try it or just return it and get the 650W model? I read this is actually the minimum recommended wattage : /

Is this the fatality edition? If so, the cables are way too short to do Amy proper build. They were barely long enough on my it'd test bench. 550w will do you fine, it's the cable situation that you need to worry about.

 

[n0n44m]

How's this as a replacement for the MSI Lightning?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121429

I looked at the Galaxy, but some of the reviews made me wary of it. I'd prefer to go with the Asus if you guys think it's good enough.

I personally like the cooler on the Galaxy better but the Asus has a custom PCB as well just like the Lightning, so overclock performance should be pretty good.
(and looking at the Galaxy reviews, if the underpaid underaged Chinese factory workers don't attach the heatsink properly you'll still have bad cooling lol)

Case should be fine (unless the DirectCU PCB is way longer than the reference pcb?) and a 2600K is never worse than a 2500K in real world applications

 

[RS4-]

Goddamn triple slot GPUs

 

[TheExodu5]

but most aftermarket heatsinks are better anyway (the accelero and thermalright at least)

heard quite a few complaints about the the DirectCU being louder than expected, and saw a French dude comparing his MSI Twin Frozr II to an Accelero and the latter was not only more quiet but cooled much better as well

I know the Lightning has a Twin Frozr III (3) , but it is still more aimed at benchmarkers and less at gamers ;P

I just installed the GTX 570 DirectCu II in a friend's build and it's great.

People comparing them might not be doing temperature or noise matching. When comparing fans, you need to match either the fan noise, or the temps. My old MSI GTX 275 Twin Frozr had a fan profile that would keep the card around 85C. That resulted in a nice and quiet card. The Asus maxes out closer to 70C (with a much more power hungry card, mind you), so it is indeed a bit louder. But if you were to alter the fan profile, I'm sure it would match or beat the MSI. There's no reason a 4 heatpipe 2x 100mm fan cooler shouldn't beat the smaller Twin Frozr.

IMO, the stock fan profile of the Asus is a little too loud for my tastes, and I'd lower the fan speeds until the card reached about 85C under full load. As long as your case has good airflow, it's going to be very quiet. If your case has poor airflow, these aftermarkets are not going to perform well at all, since they dump about 50% of the hot air into the case.

Goddamn triple slot GPUs

Something needs to cool these massive 300W beasts.

 

[Presco]

Hey all, looking to upgrade my cpu and gpu sometime soon and was looking for some opinions on AM3 CPUs. Had to replace my motherboard around Christmas and it is AM2, 2+ and 3 ready.

Is the AMD Phenom II X6 1100T about as good as it gets for an AM3? I'm not really up on what's happening in terms of new tech but will there be any newer / better AM3 CPUs made?

As for my videocard, I currently have a 260 GTX and while I've been generally happy with performance in recent games, it seems an upgrade is needed to run things like The Witcher 2 how I want them to run.

No real timeframe or budget but I'd be happy if the upgrade was between $400-$500. Are there some new videocards around the corner which will drop the price of current high end cards? Any and all advice is welcome. Thanks!

 

[toastyToast]

edit: I think you might need to look at the UD3H

Read up a review from Tweaktown, the H has the integrated graphics and thrugh Lucid Virtu I can get Quicksync going. R was the one without the IGP which is what I was looking before.

U an aussie also?

Strewth, brother. Melburnian

Once I find a buyer for my Q6600 it's upgrade time

Shame I can't afford a new case. It was such pain working in my Antec 900 when I was replacing a few things last year. My HD 5850 isn't one of the ones with the PCI power connectors on the side so they elongate the card to something like 12". Had to remove my HDDs and put them in the bottom bay. Then there's the CPU Heatsink... Think I'll just wait until I replace my case until I put a non-stock one in.

Next upgrade after this is a new case (650D!) along with an SSD a heatsink and a bigger monitor.

On an unrelated note, the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate I bought on Tuesday is proving more awesome than I initially imagined. Got some macros working (never had them before) and I'm doing all kinds of ghost shit. Def gonna fuck around with my sister when she comes around with self writing death threats and whatnot.