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

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C

Corky

Nine out of ten orphans can't tell the difference.
40 C tops on a 2600k @ 4.5 after a couple of hours of late game Civ 5, good/bad?
 
S

Skirn

Member
I'm thinking of ordering Corsair's HS1 USB headset as they seem to get high praises for the comfort. How good are these compared to integrated sound card's sound quality in games? As I understand it, the headset doesn't use the integrated sound card at all.

My motherboard has an ALC 892 7.1 integrated sound card.
 
R

RS4-

Member
Skirn said:
I'm thinking of ordering Corsair's HS1 USB headset as they seem to get high praises for the comfort. How good are these compared to integrated sound card's sound quality in games? As I understand it, the headset doesn't use the integrated sound card at all.

My motherboard has an ALC 892 7.1 integrated sound card.
Click to expand...

Have you checked out the HS1A? It's USB but that might work out better for you.
 
J

j2theizzay

Member
Now that I have my awesome gaming computer built, I'm curious if it's worth it to buy a battery backup (UPS) or just a really good surge protector?
Since most of us are getting 750W PSU and up, is it needed to get a higher end model UPS if I just want something that will last long enough to for me to shutdown the computer?
 
I

ithorien

Member
TheExodu5 said:
I just installed the GTX 570 DirectCu II in a friend's build and it's great.

Something needs to cool these massive 300W beasts. :)
Click to expand...

Every time I play something heavier and my GPU shows 84 degrees, I cry and wish I went with the Asus.
 
N

n0n44m

Member
ithorien said:
Every time I play something heavier and my GPU shows 84 degrees, I cry and wish I went with the Asus.
Click to expand...

I was playing Crysis 2 last night ... my (notorious) GTX480 maxed out at 45 degrees at 910 mhz core with 1.21v (bios mod)

watercooling <3

Corky said:
40 C tops on a 2600k @ 4.5 after a couple of hours of late game Civ 5, good/bad?
Click to expand...

sounds really good ...do you really expect anyone to say BAD ? :p

is it still winter in Sweden and have you got the windows opened?
 
G

Gvaz

Banned
What is a cheap Midtower ATX case that has enough room for long graphics cards and four or so hard drives. Maybe 1 or 2 minimum 5.25 drive bays? Something with good airflow with ability to fit in some water cooling blocks in the future?

What's a good 120mm fan that doesn't sound like a vacuum cleaner? I have a way to limit the fan speeds built into my current case which makes it nicer, but I don't know if I'd have that option in the new one.

Something under $80 preferably? All the cases in the OP are either out of stock or deactivated.
 
B

barnone

Member
mkenyon said:
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.
Click to expand...
It's the core edition, below is the link. Some online say it might not work well but others say it'll be fine.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Power+Supplies-_-XFX-_-17207013
 
I

ithorien

Member
n0n44m said:
I was playing Crysis 2 last night ... my (notorious) GTX480 maxed out at 45 degrees at 910 mhz core with 1.21v (bios mod)

watercooling <3
Click to expand...

Oh diaf ; ;

Happy with the build though. I could definitely tweak some things but I'm way too lazy.
 
C

Corky

Nine out of ten orphans can't tell the difference.
n0n44m said:
sounds really good ...do you really expect anyone to say BAD ? :p

is it still winter in Sweden and have you got the windows opened?
Click to expand...


Haha well I've never monitored cpu temp during gaming so I had nothing to gauge it with. Well it is "summer" here, which implies rain and 10 C weather. I only open the windows when I want that 6ghz cooling boost to my cpu.

It's cold here :(
 
C

Corky

Nine out of ten orphans can't tell the difference.
Sanjay said:
Proper water cooled? that's crazy for load, would be more fitting for idle temps.
Click to expand...

Actually no only air, noctua. Now I'm starting to doubt myself. Let me recheck.
 
S

Syphon Filter

Member
Just built my PC and everything is fine. I noticed when i turn on my pc during the start up[bios and system info] the resolution is not filling up my screen. When i actually load up windows 7 it is fine though. Is this normal?
 
S

Smokey

Member
Azwethinkweiz said:
He's running Civ5, not Prime95. Your CPU doesn't max out when playing games. Seems fine.
Click to expand...
Umm..getting those temps with an overclock to 4.5ghz at load (on air) is crazy. Alot of CPUs idle at that temp.
 
C

Corky

Nine out of ten orphans can't tell the difference.
Smokey said:
Uhh air cooled?

If so lies :p
Click to expand...

Yeap I read my temps incorrectly, 40 C on the coolest core, 49 on the highest.

Smokey said:
Umm..getting those temps with an overclock to 4.5ghz at load (on air) is crazy. Alot of CPUs idle at that temp.
Click to expand...

Well it is pretty cool in my room, my idle temps are 23-25 C.
 
S

Shambles

Member
I doubled checked my invoice. I didn't get a Hyper 212+ for 10$, I paid 20$ for it. Looking at NCIX and Memory Express they still list it for $30. I don't like how newegg artificially inflates prices on things. They got their noses pretty dirty last year doing the same thing with SSDs.

n0n44m said:
yes more than enough although the CM212 can be found cheaper elsewhere as noted before in this thread

you also might want a fan controller for slowing the fans down when not gaming
Click to expand...

With my vast experience having used a single 212 I've found the fan noise to be very good and BIOS controls to keep the cooling/noise ratio very good. I'd recommend only spending the money on a fan controller after trying it out and knowing that noise is an issue for sure.
 
Y

Yoritomo

Member
The MSI lightning cards have additional power connectors. In the case of the 580 it has dual 8 pin instead of 6 pin and 8 pin.

You can overclock the living hell out of them on air. It has to be noted that you need to be able to power them since they have non standard power connectors compared to other 580s. Their 480 lightning had 2 8 pins and a 6 pin.

I'd make a reasonable assumption that you can reliably clock the MSI lightning cards higher than any other cards on the market while using the stock cooler. Test of the cards bear this out.
 
N

n0n44m

Member
Shambles said:
With my vast experience having used a single 212 I've found the fan noise to be very good and BIOS controls to keep the cooling/noise ratio very good. I'd recommend only spending the money on a fan controller after trying it out and knowing that noise is an issue for sure.
Click to expand...

I meant a controller for the casefans,

cpu fan always should be motherboard controlled these days ;)
 
S

Smokey

Member
Corky said:
Yeap I read my temps incorrectly, 40 C on the coolest core, 49 on the highest.



Well it is pretty cool in my room, my idle temps are 23-25 C.
Click to expand...
When I said lies I meant it in a playful way not like "CORKY YOURE A LIAR"

Just to clarify :p
 
C

Corky

Nine out of ten orphans can't tell the difference.
Smokey said:
When I said lies I meant it in a playful way not like "CORKY YOURE A LIAR"

Just to clarify :p
Click to expand...

:) that was implicit, hence the lack of my CSI photos of the room/case/screengrabs and logs from coretemp/witness testimonies looking into the camera screaming LOOK THEY'RE LOW!!!!!!!!

(L)

<3
/fondle
 
S

Shambles

Member
n0n44m said:
I meant a controller for the casefans,

cpu fan always should be motherboard controlled these days ;)
Click to expand...

Ahh gotcha. That's probably something I should pick up. I ended up disconnecting several of my case fans to cut down on noise. I have a Tuniq Tower 120 which has it's own fan controller on the back which end sup being a total pain in the ass, last time I get a CPU cooler like that. Then again even with the fan on the 120 going at full blast I barely feel any air flow, it's probably time I just replace the fan in it but my temps are still looking alright for the time being.

Syphon Filter said:
what are the recommended firefox add-ons?
Click to expand...

I use noscript, adblock plus, better privacy, cookie monster, download statusbar and i've downloaded mafiaafire redirector to check it out and because I like to stick it to 'the man'
 
N

n0n44m

Member
-PSU on top (below is all the rage these days)
-no room for cable management

but the case is actually pretty decent for the money, I've always used these class of Cooler Master cases when building simple PCs for family/friends

for a total budget build it will do fine, especially with an extra 120 mm fan in front

just don't stuff a SLI setup in there ;) if you've got more money, there are much better and more luxurious cases out there but this one covers all necessities
 
G

Gvaz

Banned
Saren is Bad said:
Don't want to be a wiener, but I would not skimp on the case. The damn thing will last ages and the more expensive the best wiring, hubs, etc it will have. That said, that case isn't very good heh.
Click to expand...
I paid for a steel/plastic full tower in 2005 and that shit is fucking heavy. I'm sick and tired of it.

Sure it's durable and all that, but I don't really care. I just want something with better airflow and lighter. I also don't have much to spend on it.

n0n44m said:
-PSU on top (below is all the rage these days)
-no room for cable management

but the case is actually pretty decent for the money, I've always used these class of Cooler Master cases when building simple PCs for family/friends

for a total budget build it will do fine, especially with an extra 120 mm fan in front

just don't stuff a SLI setup in there ;) if you've got more money, there are much better and more luxurious cases out there but this one covers all necessities
Click to expand...


Nah, I just have like uhm 3 hard drives (will probably put another inside), an HD4890 (might get a 6850 in a year or so), and a zalman cooler (the 120mm copper one that pushes the air down)

Also I don't like the PSU on the bottom, hair and various shit collects in the bottom of the case I find.
 
C

Corky

Nine out of ten orphans can't tell the difference.
Syphon Filter said:
When i turn my pc on it says no hdd detected but when i check my device manger it does detect the hdd. Should i just ignore that?
Click to expand...

That could be that it's referring to another port, which might be enabled but currently not in use. Check your bios and turn off all ports/controlers that you're not using and it'll shave of like a huuuge chunk of your boottime :)
 
I

ithorien

Member
Syphon Filter said:
When i turn my pc on it says no hdd detected but when i check my device manger it does detect the hdd. Should i just ignore that?
Click to expand...

You sure it's not just plugged into a third party controller? When your BIOS shows devices connected, it shows the primary ports.

A couple seconds later it'll show the other controller's boot. Perhaps this HDD is on this other controller?
 
C

ChoklitReign

Member
Basic Desktop Questions:
Your Current Specs: I've been using a netbook this year, but my last gaming PC is a 3-year-old Dell XPS M1530 laptop (2.0 GHz C2D, 8600MGT, 3GB RAM)
Budget: US$600 + $30 for Windows 7
Main Use: Gaming & General use
Monitor Resolution: 1600x900, will upgrade to 1080 when I can afford it
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: BF3, Skyrim, Deus Ex 3
Are reusing any parts?: No
When will you build?: August
Will you be overclocking?: No

Current wish list: https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=10569589

Questions:
1. Should I buy a 212 cooler for a factory-clocked Core i3? How good is its standard cooler? Do I need to buy thermal paste?
2. Should I buy a sound card? I have computer surround sound speakers and AD700 headphones. Is it a fair upgrade from Realtek sound?
3. Is there anything interesting in August that I should wait for besides Bulldozer?
 
C

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
ChoklitReign said:
Basic Desktop Questions:
Your Current Specs: I've been using a netbook this year, but my last gaming PC is a 3-year-old Dell XPS M1530 laptop (2.0 GHz C2D, 8600MGT, 3GB RAM)
Budget: US$600 + $30 for Windows 7
Main Use: Gaming & General use
Monitor Resolution: 1600x900, will upgrade to 1080 when I can afford it
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: BF3, Skyrim, Deus Ex 3
Are reusing any parts?: No
When will you build?: August
Will you be overclocking?: No

Current wish list: https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=10569589

Questions:
1. Should I buy a 212 cooler for a factory-clocked Core i3? How good is its standard cooler? Do I need to buy thermal paste?
2. Should I buy a sound card? I have computer surround sound speakers and AD700 headphones. Is it a fair upgrade from Realtek sound?
3. Is there anything interesting in August that I should wait for besides Bulldozer?
Click to expand...
Looks pretty solid. I don't think that GPU is going to run those games at high settings at 1080p, should do alright with some settings or resolution sacrifices. If possible I'd get a different brand though.

And you don't need an aftermarket cooler. Might be quieter and it will cool better, but the stock cooler is sufficient for stock speeds. And it has TIM pre-applied.

I don't think a sound card is necessary, but if you're a crazy audiophile you might feel differently. I don't know what my onboard chip is offhand but I'm running it through my receiver + Senn 555s and it sounds fine.

Bulldozer is probably it by August. New GPUs will probably be closer to the end of the year (or maybe even early next year).
 
C

ChoklitReign

Member
Then it's good enough. The GPU is just temporary cuz it's the cheapest 6850 now. I can push my budget to $180. Are there any 6870s or 560s at that price before a rebate?
 
C

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
ChoklitReign said:
Then it's good enough. The GPU is just temporary cuz it's the cheapest 6850 now. I can push my budget to $180. Are there any 6870s or 560s at that price before a rebate?
Click to expand...
Not that I can find. You would have some options for another $10, but you're already pushing it. It's good enough for a temp GPU if you're thinking of upgrading once the new ones come out later this year/early next year or something. I'm not one to recommend buying and reselling that quickly, but I'm sure you have your reasons.
 
N

nextgeneration

Member
I need some help. Hoping someone can help me here. I have no idea how it happened, but the bios on my motherboard got reset and everything is at default settings (auto). I'm using an Asus P6T motherboard. So, I'm trying to configure my ram settings in bios to match my Kingston HyperX Ram Triple Channel 1600 mhz modules. Timings are 8-8-8-20. In the bios, these are the settings that I have changed:

Dram frequency - 1600 mhz
Uclk frequency - 3200 mhz
Dram timing control - 8-8-8-20

All my other settings on the motherboard are at auto. Now, after I make those changes and save, Window 7 won't boot anymore. I've managed to get Windows to boot a couple of times but shortly after that, I get the blue screen of death. Also, when I do get it to boot into Windows, the pc only recognizes 8 gigs of ram instead of the 12 that I have installed in the system. I've done memtest and the RAM checks out fine. Do I need to increase the voltage to my RAM? Is that possibly the problem here? I took a look at the RAM modules inside my pc and see that it's rated at 1.7 - 1.9 volts. Do I need to set the RAM voltage in the bios to at least 1.7? That seems awfully high, no?

To fix this problem, I just set everything back to auto in the BIOS and everything is fine again. But when I set it to auto, when I look at cpuz, my memory is rated at around 500 mhz. Anyone know what's going on here?
 
S

SilverLunar

Member
Hi guys, i know this might be a pretty stupid question, but if some of you have an XFX card i need your help.

i tried registering my HD 6950 videocard on the XFX site but it says my personal activation code has been entered incorrectly, i tried entering it in many ways, (xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx lower case and upper case) also (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx upper and lower case) and neither of these worked.

so, um, help? I cant update my drivers otherwise... (My driver is 8.850.0.0)
 
C

Chinese Electric Batman

Banned
http://hw-lab.com/specs-for-amd-radeon-hd-7990-disclosed.html

R5EWp.png
 
M

Mr Nightman

Banned
RS4- said:
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
Click to expand...
haha, like i said they are not the best, but just needed a cheap set for voice communication while gaming. Plus why game with headphones when I have this badass system in front of me haha
 
P

piratepwnsninja

Member
So I'm hoping that someone in here could explain to why the following happens. I think I have an idea, but it's probably wrong...

In March I bought a GalaxyTech GTX580. It worked fine for about a month and a half, then it started artifacting like crazy. Called them up, got an RMA. New card worked fine for a month, then started doing the same thing. Got another replacement. Yesterday that replacement started doing the same thing.

Now, after that many, one would think that it could be something in my system. However, I have a new power supply, I've added a beefy UPS to handle any power spikes or outages, etc. I've been doing system builds for 14 years and had never had to RMA a product until now, so even I was starting to think it wasn't so much the card but something in my system doing it.

I did some searching and found that it was happening to people that have other brands of cards, but the same chipset. All operate their PC the same as I do, which is turned on 24/7. Their solution? A cold boot. Cold booting is something I rarely do anymore, so all those times it never occurred to me to try it. I was certain it wouldn't work, but lo and behold, it fixed it. Derp on my part for not trying that before. My cycle was reboot, uninstall drivers, reboot into safe mode, install new drivers, DAMNIT DOESN'T WORK, and throw in my old 4890.

The actual common thing here is that every time it has happened was after Windows did one of it's automatic updates and I woke up to the login screen. Now, one theory on this issue is that the card doesn't get reinitialized from low power usage mode correctly, which is why a cold boot is the only way to fix it. I'm kind of wondering if the win7 login screen goes into a low power mode after a set amount of time, which would explain why this has happened after updates are automatically installed.
 
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