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[Kyaw]

Wow. That's incredible.

I said 'WHAT' when i saw the power consumption.

So going to save up for a high end 7xxx.

 

[cwmartin]

Okay I swear this is the last time I post a build for feedback . I'm happy with this build and just want to make sure there aren't any glaring issues.


Optical: ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204)
$20.99
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi Black High Performance PC Computer Case w/ USB 3.0 and 3 x Fractal High Performance 140mm fans (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352007)
$99.99
Hard Drive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185)
$59.99
Wireless: TP-LINK TL-WN781ND PCI Express Wireless Adapter (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833704059)
$19.99
Video Card: ASUS ENGTX560 TI DCII/2DI/1GD5 GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video ... (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121424)
$249.99
PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power ... (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020)
$84.99
RAM: G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231417)
$48.99
MOBO: GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD4-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128494)
$159.99
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072)
$219.99
Fans: Antec TRUEQUIET 140 140mm Case Fan (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835209051)
$29.98
Heatsink: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel ... (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065)
$27.99

Subtotal: $1,022.88


there's a nearly identical Gigabyte Mobo that has onboard video adapters. Is that a better option in case something happens to my GPU?

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

Okay, new idea. I'm really considering that "Damn Capable Build" in the OP.

Like I said, I have a Corsair 400w PSU and I have that exact HDD. That's $90 in savings right there, bringing the total down to $426. All I would need is a non-flashy case and I'd be good to go, right?

Again, would a build like that max out The Witcher 2, Crysis 2, and Battlefield 3 at 1680x1050? And why is a 460 preferred over the 6850? I'm also kind of worried about that motherboard. A lot of poor reviews.

And maybe something like this for a case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147153

All together, with the case, the build would run me $475. I'm only worried about the GPU brand and type (isn't a 6850 better than a 460?) and the motherboard. I would be willing to replace those two brands with better ones (if there are any) as long as the total stays between $450-$500. Also, I need to make sure my 400w PSU can handle everything (I'm sure it can if the 430w is recommended).

Thoughts?

Decided on an alternate build:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=12461949

$10 more expensive. Hoping my 400w will be enough to run it.

What do you guys think? Which is better for maxing out games at 1680x1050 now and in the future?

 

[ChiefKief]

So I'm having kind of a dilemma..

So what I have is:
CPU: AMD X6 1100T BE
Mobo: Crosshair V
Gpu: GTX 580 x2 (SLI)

Now my concern is that on the unigine heaven benchmark I get a 55 average FPS with EVERYTHING to max (x8/x16) and extreme tesselation at 1920x1080

But when I run the concrete jungle just cause 2 benchmark with everything on very high and 32x CSAA and 16x AS and I get an average of 34 FPS through the benchmark..

I googled this and saw older rigs running tests from like a year ago or within a couple of months ago with cards like the 280 or 460 and they are getting like 50+ FPS on the same benchmark (concrete jungle) with older hardware..

I've attributed this to the 280.26 nvidia drivers, but I would really like some kind of second opinion on what could be going on?

SLI is activated without a doubt, and I'm starting to think that just cause 2 just hates AMD CPUs

Ugh, I hate spamming and clogging up threads with my useless bullshit, but I really don't want this post to get lost in the netherworld of old posts..

I really would like any insight on this, so a shameful bump asking for some shameless help.

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

Is there a benchmark that can test how much my CPU can overclock?

 

[mxgt]

Is there a benchmark that can test how much my CPU can overclock?

Prime95 is good for stressing the CPU and testing stability.

 

[Gritesh]

Gaf help me out. I have started to enjoy the pc gaming experience more and more. I've always been a pc gamer but I find that more and more of my gaming purchases are on the pc.

My question is I am running a single monitor set up right now and I'm trying to decide If I want dual monitors. I would like to run my desktop on monitor 2 while my games run fullscreen on monitor one. Is this possible? I am thinking it would be nice to have my itunes and web browser and Skype and stuff viewable while playing my games. Also is it possible to have it set up where alt tabbing doesn't minize the game but just switches kb/m control over to the second monitor?

 

[Yoritomo]

Is there a benchmark that can test how much my CPU can overclock?

IntelBurnTest.

It'll find problems faster than prime95.

 

[mkenyon]

Did my second sandybridge build for a buddy over the weekend. Got his 2500K to 4.6ghz stable at 1.31V, pretty solid chip there. Seeing those kinds of results is pushing me closer and closer to a Gene-Z + 2500K. Must... wait... for.. bulldozer details.

Also, a friend bought an ASUS 580 Matrix, and must have gotten a bad sample. Was running ~98C in furmark at the "stock" overclock. It couldn't take any sort of voltage increase without failing due to hitting 100C and shutting off. Anyone else with one of these have temp issues? Going to return it, and I tried pushing him towards the EVGA factory waterblock model or the MSI Lightning Extreme.

 

[TheExodu5]

Ugh, I hate spamming and clogging up threads with my useless bullshit, but I really don't want this post to get lost in the netherworld of old posts..

I really would like any insight on this, so a shameful bump asking for some shameless help.

Try turning off SLI and see how it runs. It's possible the game doesn't run well with SLI (I have an SLI GTX 570 setup...but I can't recall whether I used SLI for JC2 or not).

Also, are you sure other people's benchmarks have "Water Physics" or whatever checked? I recall it had a huge performance impact (~%50), so I turned it off.

 

[RukusProvider]

Are the OCZ SSD's still unreliable?

Newegg has the 120GB Vertex 3 for $179.

 

[ChiefKief]

Try turning off SLI and see how it runs. It's possible the game doesn't run well with SLI (I have an SLI GTX 570 setup...but I can't recall whether I used SLI for JC2 or not).

Also, are you sure other people's benchmarks have "Water Physics" or whatever checked? I recall it had a huge performance impact (~%50), so I turned it off.

I just turned off SLI and ended up getting around the same fps (35 FPS on Concrete Jungle)

Fake Edit: Ok and I just also tried it with the GPU Water off, but back in SLI mode and I jumped up to 46 fps, but it still doesn't feel right..

Should I be getting higher? My 1100T is OC'ed to 4.1 ghz btw.

 

[Giriath_89]

I just turned off SLI and ended up getting around the same fps (35 FPS on Concrete Jungle)

Fake Edit: Ok and I just also tried it with the GPU Water off, but back in SLI mode and I jumped up to 46 fps, but it still doesn't feel right..

Should I be getting higher? My 1100T is OC'ed to 4.1 ghz btw.

How does PhysX work in that game? It's usually a fps drain, right? Are you using it?

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

IntelBurnTest.

It'll find problems faster than prime95.

Does it automatically overclock or do I have to overclock in BIOS?

 

[ChiefKief]

How does PhysX work in that game? It's usually a fps drain, right? Are you using it?

No idea how the physx is in jc2, but I can tell you that just cause 2 hates SLI even though it's "sli ready"

And that "GPU water" option should be renamed "Drop FPS"

Lol 34 FPS in SLI
Lol 36 FPS no SLI

Wtf?

 

[TheExodu5]

No idea how the physx is in jc2, but I can tell you that just cause 2 hates SLI even though it's "sli ready"

And that "GPU water" option should be renamed "Drop FPS"

Lol 34 FPS in SLI
Lol 36 FPS no SLI

Wtf?

I recall SLI wonkiness with the game. It's possible you will need to search for compatibility bits for NVidia Inspector to make SLI work for the game. NVidia Inspector is a must for any SLI user. Get used to these kinds of issues.

 

[ChiefKief]

I recall SLI wonkiness with the game. It's possible you will need to search for compatibility bits for NVidia Inspector to make SLI work for the game. NVidia Inspector is a must for any SLI user. Get used to these kinds of issues.

Thanks for tip! <3
Off to download

 

[Corky]

No idea how the physx is in jc2, but I can tell you that just cause 2 hates SLI even though it's "sli ready"

And that "GPU water" option should be renamed "Drop FPS"

Lol 34 FPS in SLI
Lol 36 FPS no SLI

Wtf?

Jc2 worked flawlessly for me on both 460s and 560 tis without tweaking in inspector, the 280.xx drivers are garbage, go back ( even though it's obviously not a guarantee that it'll fix things )

 

[TheExodu5]

Thanks for tip! <3
Off to download

No problem. Basically, if you find SLI doesn't work with a game, here are your options:

1) See if another (usually newer) driver has the SLI profile for the game.
2) Google for the compatibility bits you need to set for the title.

Jc2 worked flawlessly for me on both 460s and 560 tis without tweaking in inspector, the 280.xx drivers are garbage, go back ( even though it's obviously not a guarantee that it'll fix things )

It could be the 280.xx drivers...I recall early NVidia drivers running JC2 really poorly (<60fps on a GTX 580) on the drivers that were out at the time of release, and new drivers fixed that right up. His reports of ~45fps sounds like the drivers have possibly made it perform even worse.

 

[Corky]

It could be the 280.xx drivers...I recall early NVidia drivers running JC2 really poorly (<60fps on a GTX 580) on the drivers that were out at the time of release, and new drivers fixed that right up. His reports of ~45fps sounds like the drivers have possibly made it perform even worse.

Well I don't know exactly under which circumstance our friend Chief King is getting the fps he is getting, benchmarks or ingame, or even which settings he's using but reading some benches and watching some clips on youtube it seems that a gtx 580 lands around 40-50 ( depending on AA ) on the concrete jungle bench.

Doesn't explain his non-existant sli performance though, but still all settings max, 1080p and the conrecte jungle benchmark with a 580 and you'll land around 40. Though that bench is not indicative of gameplay IIRC.

 

[Krauser Kat]

woot. 4890 your time will soon come. 7870 looks like a sweet spot to me depending on price. Should be just a bit faster than a 6970.

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

Well I tested it on "Maximum" and got this:

Should I test it with my system overclocked just in case or is that not necessary?

Wow. That's incredible.

THANK GOD! Companies are finally starting to focus on power consumption.

 

[Gritesh]

Can anyone answer my questions about a dual monitor set up I posted them on this page but no one has replied yet.

 

[syko de4d]

Are these HD 7000 Speccs real or fake?

 

[Rufus]

woot. 4890 your time will soon come. 7870 looks like a sweet spot to me depending on price. Should be just a bit faster than a 6970.

Yup, thinking the same. I don't like to spend more than 150€ on any single component though. We'll see how that pans out for me.

 

[mkenyon]

Gaf help me out. I have started to enjoy the pc gaming experience more and more. I've always been a pc gamer but I find that more and more of my gaming purchases are on the pc.

My question is I am running a single monitor set up right now and I'm trying to decide If I want dual monitors. I would like to run my desktop on monitor 2 while my games run fullscreen on monitor one. Is this possible? I am thinking it would be nice to have my itunes and web browser and Skype and stuff viewable while playing my games. Also is it possible to have it set up where alt tabbing doesn't minize the game but just switches kb/m control over to the second monitor?

That's how it'll run normally, so yes, you can do this. As far as alt-tabbing not minimizing the game, I dont think so. You can always run them in window mode though.

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

URGENT

About to pull the trigger on the following PC:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=13535494

After combos, discounts, and shipping, the total price in my cart is: $482.78, which includes a free copy of Deus Ex: Human Revolution and a $30 MIR.

I already have a 500GB Western Digital HDD and a 400w Corsair PSU, which I believe is enough to power everything.

I will be gaming at 1680x1050 res, and am hoping to play games like Witcher 2 and Battlefield 3 at reasonable frames on high, if not max, settings.

Also, I'm on a budget... don't want to spend no more than $500. How's it look, folks? Is everything compatible?

 

[Gritesh]

Thanks mkenyon. Guess ill pull the trigger and grab monitor #2 then. I hope its worth it!

 

[TheExodu5]

URGENT

About to pull the trigger on the following PC:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=13535494

After combos, discounts, and shipping, the total price in my cart is: $482.78, which includes a free copy of Deus Ex: Human Revolution and a $30 MIR.

I already have a 500GB Western Digital HDD and a 400w Corsair PSU, which I believe is enough to power everything.

I will be gaming at 1680x1050 res, and am hoping to play games like Witcher 2 and Battlefield 3 at reasonable frames on high, if not max, settings.

Also, I'm on a budget... don't want to spend no more than $500. How's it look, folks? Is everything compatible?

Looks good to me.

 

[AndyMoogle]

URGENT

About to pull the trigger on the following PC:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=13535494

After combos, discounts, and shipping, the total price in my cart is: $482.78, which includes a free copy of Deus Ex: Human Revolution and a $30 MIR.

I already have a 500GB Western Digital HDD and a 400w Corsair PSU, which I believe is enough to power everything.

I will be gaming at 1680x1050 res, and am hoping to play games like Witcher 2 and Battlefield 3 at reasonable frames on high, if not max, settings.

Also, I'm on a budget... don't want to spend no more than $500. How's it look, folks? Is everything compatible?

You'll definitely not play on max settings in BF3 with a dual core CPU. You'll probably not even be able to play on high. Unless you enjoy sub-30 fps.

I'm pretty sure that The Witcher 2 greatly benefits from a quad core as well.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Do you guys have any recommendations regarding a good wifi card (300 or 450 mbps) that is simply/out of the box/nofuckinghassle compatible with 64bit windows 7?

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

You'll definitely not play on max settings in BF3 with a dual core CPU. You'll probably not even be able to play on high. Unless you enjoy sub-30 fps.

Um... isn't the i3 faster than AMD's top quad core CPUs? People have reported great frames with the i3 in Battlefield 3 alpha.

 

[AndyMoogle]

Um... isn't the i3 faster than AMD's top quad core CPUs? People have reported great frames with the i3 in Battlefield 3 alpha.

The alpha was only running on medium iirc, with only 32 players. Also, they didn't have full destruction on either. It's the physics that will be the most demanding for the CPU. The game will definitely run better on a quad core CPU.

EDIT: It's not a bad CPU, it's just that a dual core isn't very future proof.

 

[PigSpeakers]

Edit: nevermind.

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

The alpha was only running on medium iirc. Also, they didn't have full destruction on either. It's the physics that will be the most demanding for the CPU. The game will definitely run better on a quad core CPU.

EDIT: It's not a bad CPU, it's just that a dual core isn't very future proof.

Yeah, but neither is the AMD line for me at the moment (who knows how Bulldozer will turn out?).

I figure I can start with an i3 and upgrade in a few months. But I really need to upgrade NOW.

 

[AndyMoogle]

Yeah, but neither is the AMD line for me at the moment (who knows how Bulldozer will turn out?).

I figure I can start with an i3 and upgrade in a few months. But I really need to upgrade NOW.

If you're going to upgrade again later, I suggest you hold out until Ivy Bridge is out next year. It will use socket 1155 just like the Sandy Bridge CPUs.

 

[Niblet]

Anyone?

Looking at the specs on the site, it seems like your typical TN-LCD panel with LED backlighting. I suggest checking customer reviews if you cant find any tech site reviews. My take is that it is a quality monitor for what it is (24" TN-panel w/ LED backlight)

 

[Saren is Bad]

hey guise, been dealing with an issue

basically, i've had 580 sli for a while. this weekend a monitor i wanted went on sale so i got 2 for a dual screen setup. i plugged 1 into 1 of the 580s and the 2nd monitor into the 2nd 580. basically, my idle temps for GPU1 (1st monitor) went up by about 10 degrees.

now here is the odd thing, it seems that which ever display is the "main" display (has the desktop, bottom bar, etc.) is the card that is cooler, while the extending display (in this case on GPU2) is the hotter card.

makes no sense, and according to nVidia if i plug each monitor into a separate card i shouldn't have any temp discrepancies because each card should be able to go into power saving.

any thoughts?

 

[Corky]

makes no sense, and according to nVidia if i plug each monitor into a separate card i shouldn't have any temp discrepancies because each card should be able to go into power saving.

any thoughts?

I think they mean that it technically wont result in temp discrepancies, but in reality one of the cards will always be hotter than the other because of the nature of SLI and the airflow and whatnot.

 

[Saren is Bad]

I think they mean that it technically wont result in temp discrepancies, but in reality one of the cards will always be hotter than the other because of the nature of SLI and the airflow and whatnot.

so basically, comes with the territory?

 

[Niblet]

Is there any functional differences between any of the $20 burners I can get on newegg? Almost all of them have the same Read/Write speeds. Any reason to get the ASUS burner over something like a Lite-On, Samsung or Sony?

 

[pillarofdawn]

Okay I swear this is the last time I post a build for feedback . I'm happy with this build and just want to make sure there aren't any glaring issues.


Optical: ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204)
$20.99
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi Black High Performance PC Computer Case w/ USB 3.0 and 3 x Fractal High Performance 140mm fans (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352007)
$99.99
Hard Drive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185)
$59.99
Wireless: TP-LINK TL-WN781ND PCI Express Wireless Adapter (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833704059)
$19.99
Video Card: ASUS ENGTX560 TI DCII/2DI/1GD5 GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video ... (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121424)
$249.99
PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power ... (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020)
$84.99
RAM: G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231417)
$48.99
MOBO: GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD4-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128494)
$159.99
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072)
$219.99
Fans: Antec TRUEQUIET 140 140mm Case Fan (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835209051)
$29.98
Heatsink: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel ... (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065)
$27.99

Subtotal: $1,022.88


there's a nearly identical Gigabyte Mobo that has onboard video adapters. Is that a better option in case something happens to my GPU?

Dude i'd spring for 30 more dollars and get the Radeon HD 6950 2GB. You can flash this card to make it a 6970, which is miles better than the 560. It'll be the best 30 extra dollars you'll spend.

 

[knitoe]

Is there any functional differences between any of the $20 burners I can get on newegg? Almost all of them have the same Read/Write speeds. Any reason to get the ASUS burner over something like a Lite-On, Samsung or Sony?

No. DVD burners have pretty much hit a performance wall for a few years now. Other than name brand and maybe slightly better performance, just go with the one you like.

 

[Corky]

so basically, comes with the territory?

Temp differences between gpus while running SLI? Yes.

 

[Hazaro]

Me waiting for next gen cards confirmed. That power consumption is amazing, I hope Nividia follows suit.

I said 'WHAT' when i saw the power consumption.

So going to save up for a high end 7xxx.

They should follow suit. I'd expect nVidia to be a bit more aggressive on speeds and it will use more power, but it still should be very good. Mainly just because they are launching second.

The quirks of my current PC grow ever more bothersome the closer the arrival of my future one gets. Mainly the one quirk where the HDD stops to think about something for 30 seconds every now and then. This started happening after I defragged it. So that's good, right?

Backup your files!

I'm planning on getting a 2500K, but what are the chances of Intel lowering the prices once Bulldozer is released? Though at this point I might as well wait another two weeks and see what happens.

Bulldozer is supposed to be around the levels of Sandy Bridge, right?

Slim to none unless AMD is offering something that can steal sales. Which seems low at this point in time imo.

Okay, new idea. I'm really considering that "Damn Capable Build" in the OP.

Like I said, I have a Corsair 400w PSU and I have that exact HDD. That's $90 in savings right there, bringing the total down to $426. All I would need is a non-flashy case and I'd be good to go, right?

Again, would a build like that max out The Witcher 2, Crysis 2, and Battlefield 3 at 1680x1050? And why is a 460 preferred over the 6850? I'm also kind of worried about that motherboard. A lot of poor reviews.

And maybe something like this for a case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147153

All together, with the case, the build would run me $475. I'm only worried about the GPU brand and type (isn't a 6850 better than a 460?) and the motherboard. I would be willing to replace those two brands with better ones (if there are any) as long as the total stays between $450-$500. Also, I need to make sure my 400w PSU can handle everything (I'm sure it can if the 430w is recommended).

Thoughts?

6850 is about the same as a 460 which is why they are the same price and together. The 460 has been on sale at a lower price usually and until recently the GTX 460 768MB version could be found at very low prices after rebate.

The motherboard has poor reviews? I don't think so. Even something as widely bought as the rev 3.0 ASUS P8P67 has 3 eggs and a ton of 1 star ratings. It's just the nature of motherboard buys. Lots of stuff to go wrong, or people who build their computer wrong, or some other error.

Other parts are fine. The CX400 is a better PSU than the current 430w iirc.

Anyone have any trouble with a new build using the Asrock P67 Extreme4?

It's unfortunate but very possible to get 2 DoA. If you don't feel like giving them another shot the MSI boards in that range are good as well. I think Biostar has a good $130 model as well. Next step up would be to the P8P67 PRO.

IntelBurnTest.

It'll find problems faster than prime95.

Yeah, but it's not realistic at all. Seriously this program adds like 10C on top of others.

Does it automatically overclock or do I have to overclock in BIOS?

Look up an overclocking guide. It's important to have some idea of what is going on.
Some recent 1155 motherboards have auto overclocking buttons or utilities which work DECENTLY well, but you still need to manually check them and some of them give too much juice, or are unstable, or boost the BLCK past 100.0Mhz.
"Should I test it with my system overclocked just in case or is that not necessary?"
Overclocking introduces more instability so you need to run it after you overclock.

If you're going to upgrade again later, I suggest you hold out until Ivy Bridge is out next year. It will use socket 1155 just like the Sandy Bridge CPUs.

Mmmhmm. Partly why the Intel is in there, a supposed upgrade path to some nicer chips.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

so I started OCing my 2500K.

at first I just chose the XMP profile and didn't adjust voltages and achieved 4.5 Ghz.

so next, I tried manual without the XMP profile and went to 4.6 Ghz and 1.25v but got blue screened. it seemed that I could only overclock while on the XMP profile. what should I do? should I increase to 1.35v to get to 4.6?? temps only got to 58c max so I think I'm good there right?

 

[Niblet]

No. DVD burners have pretty much hit a performance wall for a few years now. Other than name brand and maybe slightly better performance, just go with the one you like.

Thanks.

 

[knitoe]

so I started OCing my 2500K.

at first I just chose the XMP profile and didn't adjust voltages and achieved 4.5 Ghz.

so next, I tried manual without the XMP profile and went to 4.6 Ghz and 1.25v but got blue screened. it seemed that I could only overclock while on the XMP profile. what should I do? should I increase to 1.35v to get to 4.6?? temps only got to 58c max so I think I'm good there right?

XMP is for setting the memory speed/timing. To overclock the CPU, you had to adjust other settings. Thus, you shouldn't need to keep changing memory settings, XMP or manually, once the speed and timing are correct.

Yes, you probably need more voltage for 4.6GHz. Did you Prime95 to make sure 4.5@1.25V is stable?

 

[mkenyon]

so I started OCing my 2500K.

at first I just chose the XMP profile and didn't adjust voltages and achieved 4.5 Ghz.

so next, I tried manual without the XMP profile and went to 4.6 Ghz and 1.25v but got blue screened. it seemed that I could only overclock while on the XMP profile. what should I do? should I increase to 1.35v to get to 4.6?? temps only got to 58c max so I think I'm good there right?

Yep, increase the voltage. If it's stable, slowly reduce the voltage until it becomes unstable. Then put it back to the last stable voltage. Blickow.

 

[Saren is Bad]

Temp differences between gpus while running SLI? Yes.

no, no i understand that. i've been running sli on 1 monitor for a while, and actually had both idle at around 38-39. this just occurred when i attached a 2nd monitor onto the 2nd card.

by your statement i didn't know if you were talking about a scenario with sli and dual monitors , where i have the difference