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[chaosblade]

Antec Nine Hundred II V3 Gamer Case $129
Intel Core™ i5-2500K Processor, 3.30GHz w/ 6MB Cache $229
Gigabyte GA-H61M-USB3-B3 w/ DDR3 1333, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, PCI-E $84
Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB DDR3 1600MHz CL9 Quad Channel Kit (4 x 4GB), Cerulean Blue $109
Seagate 2TB Barracuda Green SATA III w/ 64MB Cache $189
LG Super-Multi 22x DVD Writer, SATA, OEM, Black $21
eVGA GeForce GTX 570 SuperClocked 1280MB GDDR5 PCI-E w/ Dual DVI, HDMI $369
Antec EarthWatts EA 650W Power Supply Green $84

Final cost $1282

That wouldn't be my first choice of case in that price range (or second, or third...), but I guess since you're not actually building it will probably be fine.

And H61/2500k combo wasn't a very good buy, if you don't have any intention of OCing you could have gone with a 2500 and it would have been fine. But you paid extra for a overclockable CPU (2500k) but bought a budget board that can't overclock it.

Another problem with that motherboard is that it only has two RAM slots. You paid for 4 sticks, so I don't know how they are going to work that out. Ship you the extra two sticks separately? They shouldn't have even offered it as an option if your board doesn't support it. 16GB is also totally overkill, 8GB is more than enough to last until you'd be ready to build again (at which point DDR4 will be around).

Not sure about the quad channel thing either, might be fine, but your CPU only supports up to dual channel mode. Not sure if different RAM supports different channel configs (so you may not even have dual channel support, meaning slow RAM) or if it's just advertising.

Nope to all of those. I spinned it myself while the PC was off and it makes that noise when it spins.

Sounds like it's just a bad fan, probably the bearings. Similar issue with my GPU fan, it's ridiculously noisy. Might end up upgrading it earlier than planned because of that.

 

[BioHazard]

You could go more contemporary for much less. LGA1366 is defunct. Sandy Bridge has better quads, and can be upgraded thru Ivy Bridge.




Why the H61 mobo with all of that? Why not a P67 or a Z68?

Recommend Intel 320 SSD for reliability and a better quality PSU.

Old i7 and a 570 is a joke. PSU is probably lower quality too.
I'd watch an assembly video. You can get better quality and faster hardware for $300 less.

Is it tapping a wire? Screwed in tightly? Is the fan moving up and down from suction?

Ok can you guys help me pick out some parts from Newegg if I were to build it myself? I may give it a shot! Also if you know any good DIY sites or vidoes/tutorials, let me know.

- I think I'm going to go with the i5
- Definitely want the GTX 570
- 8GB RAM
- Need help with mobo, power supply, heatsink, and case

 

[chaosblade]

Ok can you guys help me pick out some parts from Newegg if I were to build it myself? I may give it a shot! Also if you know any good DIY sites or vidoes/tutorials, let me know.

- I think I'm going to go with the i5
- Definitely want the GTX 570
- 8GB RAM
- Need help with mobo, power supply, heatsink, and case

P8P67 Rev 3.1 - Looks like the best value you can get in a motherboard right now, and seems to have fixed the issues with the Rev 3.0 one.
Seasonic X650 Gold - Great PSU, make sure to get it before that code expires.

Other two really just depend on what you want to spend. There are some good coolers in the $20-$30 range like the 212+ and A70 (after rebate). Can do better with more expensive coolers but something like that is good enough for most people.

As for the case, lots of pretty good ones in the $100 range. 400r, 690 II Advanced, HAF 922, the Fractal Design cases, among others. Could get something better though and stay under $1500 pretty easily though. Check out the options listed in the OP.

 

[TheExodu5]

Hey guys, my main PC recently just pretty much died on me, was about 4 years old though, so I guess I was in need of a new system anyway. Anyways, first things first, I'm sorta an idiot when it comes to alot of this stuff, dont really have much knowledge or insight regarding PC parts. Thus, though I know its better to make your own PC's, I just dont really have the time or confidence, I'd rather just pay for the peace of mind knowing it'll be done correctly and without any hassles.

Anyways, I put together the following system, though to be perfectly honest, all I was really somewhat sure upon was the video card and processor, as those were recommended to me. Also, I wanted a large hard drive to store alot of files and movies on, though it obviously hurts with the price increases. Everything else was sorta whatever, I sorta just picked any random Motherboard piece and also some random power supply. I honestly dont even know if those two are valid with the system, or if it Requires more power. Also, when I'm building a system, do I need to buy a soundcard?

Everything look okay? Any changes you would make? Unfortunate thing is that everything has to be from that site, as they are putting it all together. My final bill was around $1300. Though its Canadian, so the prices may appear a bit higher. I'm getting it from a place called Memory Express in Canada. As I said, I'm pretty much open to any suggestions, my price range is around what it currently is, though if something seems unnecessary or too low, I'm willing to make changes.

This pc's main use will just be essentially gaming/watching movies/internet etc. No video editing/photoshop or anything of that nature. The obvious type games like Starcraft 2, Dota2, Skyrim, Diabo 3 etc. I'm not super concerned about ultra graphics or anything, but I just want it to be stable and running at a good FPS, at 1920x1080.

Antec Nine Hundred II V3 Gamer Case $129
Intel Core™ i5-2500K Processor, 3.30GHz w/ 6MB Cache $229
Gigabyte GA-H61M-USB3-B3 w/ DDR3 1333, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, PCI-E $84
Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB DDR3 1600MHz CL9 Quad Channel Kit (4 x 4GB), Cerulean Blue $109
Seagate 2TB Barracuda Green SATA III w/ 64MB Cache $189
LG Super-Multi 22x DVD Writer, SATA, OEM, Black $21
eVGA GeForce GTX 570 SuperClocked 1280MB GDDR5 PCI-E w/ Dual DVI, HDMI $369
Antec EarthWatts EA 650W Power Supply Green $84

Final cost $1282

http://www.memoryexpress.com/SystemConfig/Default.aspx Used that to build the custom system

Thanks in advance

Don't use a Green drive as the OS drive. Get a 1TB 7200RPM drive instead. Add more storage space later when it comes down in price. The Seagate 1TB 7200.12 should be fine. I recommend against Green drives because they have aggressive "head-parking" which can sometimes kill the drive after heavy OS usage, and may affect the responsiveness of your system.

Bring the RAM down to 8GB. 16GB is overkill.

Up the motherboard to a Z68 or P67 board to allow for overclocking. I'll recommend the Asus P8P67-M at $125.

Add a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus cooler to your CPU to make it run quieter, cooler, and allow for safe overclocking. Well worth the $30.

Not the best case choice, especially not at that price. Get the Corsair Carbide 400R case for $99. It's a much better case, and cheaper. It has better cooling, much better cable management, better HDD trays, will allow you to access the back of your CPU in case you need to access the third-party cooler...it's really better in just about every way. Antec cases are outdated and overpriced.

With the changes I propose you'll be spending a bit less for a better balanced system, and you'll have the ability to overclock that 3.3GHz 2500K to 4.4GHz and up, which is well worth it.

edit: I would have recommended you up the power supply to the Corsair TX650, but they're overcharging for it ($125 when it should be $99). However, you could get the Corsair TX650-M, which is fairly priced at $110. It's a better power supply than the Antec, has longer cables, it's modular (so you don't need all the cables plugged in), and has a longer warranty. I'd say that's easily worth the $25. The Earthwatts is actually a good PSU though, so if you want to stick with it you can.

 

[RoninChaos]

Get low profile RAM or RAM without heatsinks.
Is your HS blocking, or the fan blocking?

Post model of HS.

I'd get the P8P67 combo.

The ram isn't like those types with huge heat sinks sticking out of it. It's pretty normal size.

And my HS is blocking the slot. It's this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029

So it's sticking out right over the last ram slot.

I'd like to OC the processor, but I've wondered if 2 or 300mhz would make a huge difference. I'm running my cpu at 3.2 ghz currently.

 

[mkenyon]

Antec Nine Hundred II V3 Gamer Case $129
Intel Core™ i5-2500K Processor, 3.30GHz w/ 6MB Cache $229
Gigabyte GA-H61M-USB3-B3 w/ DDR3 1333, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, PCI-E $84
Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB DDR3 1600MHz CL9 Quad Channel Kit (4 x 4GB), Cerulean Blue $109
Seagate 2TB Barracuda Green SATA III w/ 64MB Cache $189
LG Super-Multi 22x DVD Writer, SATA, OEM, Black $21
eVGA GeForce GTX 570 SuperClocked 1280MB GDDR5 PCI-E w/ Dual DVI, HDMI $369
Antec EarthWatts EA 650W Power Supply Green $84

1.Different case - check out the Arc Midi, Corsiar 500/400R, or CM 690II Advanced.

2. Different motherboard - you want a P67 or Z68 with that processor.

3. Cut the ram down to 8, 2x4 GB.

4. Bad HDD for OS. Crappy time for buying HDDs considering the cost too. You want a 7200RPM drive, or even the Spinpoint F4 if you want more space.

5. Dont bother with a "superclocked" edition, you can do the same thing yourself with a stock reference card. Alternatively, check out the Twin Frozr II or ASUS DCuII edition of the card for a better/quieter cooler.

6. For $16 more dollars, you can get the Seasonic X650 on newegg right now. I just ordered two myself, hands down the best PSU out there.

Alright, so I have a GTX 480 right now and I love the performance. Problem is that it's loud as a jet engine and it gets real hot. Any suggestions on what to do? Are any of the newer cards comparable in power but more quiet? Any suggestions on what to do would be great. I've also been looking into dampening kits a little bit. Thanks a bunch.

As said on the previous page, Accelero Extreme aftermarket cooler or Zalman ZF3000. I'll vouch for the Zalman, I had one on my 5870. Can run the fans at 30% at load and keep the temps way down, while maintaining silence.

----------------------------------------
Also, we may have a new king of the priceerformance air cooler.

HardOCP Thermalright TRUE Spirit review

Better performance than an H80 on low settings for $30.

 

[vaelic]

starting to freak out a bit... I ordered new PC parts, minus a P/S as I have been using the Coolmax CUG-700B 700 Watt Power Supply for 3 years now, with ZERO issues.

Guy or two on HARDOCP state it blows PCs up and I should not use it. It's been working just fine and gets good reviews on all sites.

should I worry? I'd rather not spend the cash on a new P/S when I have one that has been working fine...

 

[mkenyon]

starting to freak out a bit... I ordered new PC parts, minus a P/S as I have been using the Coolmax CUG-700B 700 Watt Power Supply for 3 years now, with ZERO issues.

Guy or two on HARDOCP state it blows PCs up and I should not use it. It's been working just fine and gets good reviews on all sites.

should I worry? I'd rather not spend the cash on a new P/S when I have one that has been working fine...

I'd take the opinion of the many positive reviews over one guy's anecdotal experience. Up to you though, the Seasonic X650 is on sale for $100 right now, and is an incredible piece of tech.

 

[vaelic]

I'd take the opinion of the many positive reviews over one guy's anecdotal experience. Up to you though, the Seasonic X650 is on sale for $100 right now, and is an incredible piece of tech.

yea, just tight on cash now with the upgrade I just did

he points this thread out in particular: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=68

 

[mkenyon]

Yikes. Always a chance of a PSU blowing up though. From the review:

I would consider taking a hard look at Seasonic's offerings before considering this particular power supply, and even the true competition in the FSP Epsilons and OCZ GameXStreams are better options to consider

However, since you've had no problems with yours in years, I'd imagine the issue is quality control, and you got a good one. I'm a stickler for nothing but the best in my own systems though, so it's your call. I'd bet you'll be fine though.

Ok can you guys help me pick out some parts from Newegg if I were to build it myself? I may give it a shot! Also if you know any good DIY sites or vidoes/tutorials, let me know.

- I think I'm going to go with the i5
- Definitely want the GTX 570
- 8GB RAM
- Need help with mobo, power supply, heatsink, and case

Not trying to be rude, but everything you want to know is in the OP.

 

[TheExodu5]

1.Different case - check out the Arc Midi, Corsiar 500/400R, or CM 690II Advanced.

2. Different motherboard - you want a P67 or Z68 with that processor.

3. Cut the ram down to 8, 2x4 GB.

4. Bad HDD for OS. Crappy time for buying HDDs considering the cost too. You want a 7200RPM drive, or even the Spinpoint F4 if you want more space.

5. Dont bother with a "superclocked" edition, you can do the same thing yourself with a stock reference card. Alternatively, check out the Twin Frozr II or ASUS DCuII edition of the card for a better/quieter cooler.

6. For $16 more dollars, you can get the Seasonic X650 on newegg right now. I just ordered two myself, hands down the best PSU out there.

While our recommendations are generally in-line, I recommended the parts I did because he's having it pre-assembeled by MemoryCenter and needs to use parts that are available in the builder. The Asus DCuII is OOS, and there's no GTX 570 Twin Frozr on there. 650TX-M is the best PSU I could find around that price point on there...it's not as good as the X650, but still a nice PSU.

 

[mkenyon]

Thanks for the clarification, must have skimmed past that during my morning ritual.

 

[Mulligan]

Installing drivers from disc for my Asrock Extreme 4 Gen 3 mobo i'm taken to a boot screen. The screen says:

Driver version, mobo model.
Select source:
1. Generate RAID/AHCI driver diskette for Intel Z68 Chipset.
2. Generate ACHI driver diskette for Marvell SATA 3.0.
3. Exit.
I tried pressing 1 but got 'No supported drive found: Floppy 1.44MB and USB drive!' and told to reboot, then i am get the same again.

What is this?

 

[mkenyon]

It creates a driver to support RAID/AHCI for older operating systems so you can install it on a RAID or AHCI drive for operating systems that don't have those drivers built in, like Win XP.

*edit*
I'd actually suggest only installing the chipset drivers, let Win 7 take care of the rest. If something then isn't working properly, grab the newest drivers from ASRock's website to fix.

My first boot process goes like this.
1. Boot up - install chipset drivers.
2. Run windows update - restart.
3. Go into device manager, see if there are any unknown devices listed (other than GPU).
4. Go back into BIOS to make sure those aren't disabled by a setting.
5. If that doesn't fix it, go back into windows and download newest drivers from the manufacturer's website.
6. Install GPU drivers.

 

[vaelic]

Yikes. Always a chance of a PSU blowing up though. From the review:



However, since you've had no problems with yours in years, I'd imagine the issue is quality control, and you got a good one. I'm a stickler for nothing but the best in my own systems though, so it's your call. I'd bet you'll be fine though.

.

thats what I am thinking/hoping. now I jinxed it! Thanks man.

 

[vaelic]

Yikes. Always a chance of a PSU blowing up though. From the review:



However, since you've had no problems with yours in years, I'd imagine the issue is quality control, and you got a good one. I'm a stickler for nothing but the best in my own systems though, so it's your call. I'd bet you'll be fine though.

.

someone else posted about the PSU

Im just now learning this myself, the PSU is often the most overlooked part in the whole build. You cant just assume that because you've got a XXX watt PSU that's its pushing out that much juice. As you upgrade with newer parts its going to put more and more stress on the PSU untill it eventually go's dead. When that happens you'll be LUCKY if you only lose the PSU and half the components in your build (video cards, cpu), worst case is it catches fire and something really jacked up happens.


All in all its just way worth it to get a good solid PSU.

EDIT: Just looked a little closer. Im using a COOLMAX 750B right now, upgrading ASAP, I've done a few reviews and trust me you want to get rid of that thing. Mine's been PERFECT for about a year now, but judging by the numerous reviews i've read. Were running on borrowed time.

 

[grkazan12]

Hey guys a while back tried to get a i5 2500k up to 4.5 GHz and the results were less than stellar. I got many different opinions on what to do to get it to stay stable, but still had problems at 4.5. I want to start again by overclocking it to 4.0 GHz and I was wondering what the best guide to overclocking an i5 2500k on a Asus P8P67 Pro is.

 

[mkenyon]

Hey guys a while back tried to get a i5 2500k up to 4.5 GHz and the results were less than stellar. I got many different opinions on what to do to get it to stay stable, but still had problems at 4.5. I want to start again by overclocking it to 4.0 GHz and I was wondering what the best guide to overclocking an i5 2500k on a Asus P8P67 Pro is.

In the OP.

 

[vaelic]

so I am going to head to my local frys to pick up a new P/S I guess, based on the remarks of my current one.

I want to spend under $100. Out of the list provided at the link, could someone recommend a decent one?

http://www.frys.com/search?to=24&ca...&pType=pDisplay&resultpage=1&start=25&rows=25

It will be powering

750GB HD
Radeon 5850
I5-2500K (will o/c)
8GB RAM
x-fi sound card

The p/s's in the OP are not available locally at FRY's which is why I am asking for help

Thanks!

 

[demolitio]

I hate to ask this since it's kind of sad I can't do it myself, but does anyone know a good place to take my PC to do the upgrades I bought for me? I have a new motherboard and CPU with my old liquid cooling still which wouldn't be too big of a deal for me to do two years ago, but I have tremors in my hands that makes it hard for me to do small, precise things and I'm afraid I'll break something, especially since my hand gives out and I drop a lot of things so PC parts kind of scare me that I'll slip and screw something up.

Microcenter wanted $70 and I'm not sure what Best Buy wanted but I hate to think about paying that much so does anyone know what BB charges?. I tried to find smaller repair businesses with no luck so I was hoping someone looking for old PC parts could do them for a discount or something. I don't know if any other major chain does it as well.

I'm just happy I have an i5 2500k and decent motherboard and RAM to install.

 

[vaelic]

was thinking of this p/s to pick up locally

http://www.frys.com/product/6708445?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

 

[mkenyon]

I hate to ask this since it's kind of sad I can't do it myself, but does anyone know a good place to take my PC to do the upgrades I bought for me? I have a new motherboard and CPU with my old liquid cooling still which wouldn't be too big of a deal for me to do two years ago, but I have tremors in my hands that makes it hard for me to do small, precise things and I'm afraid I'll break something, especially since my hand gives out and I drop a lot of things so PC parts kind of scare me that I'll slip and screw something up.

Microcenter wanted $70 and I'm not sure what Best Buy wanted but I hate to think about paying that much so does anyone know what BB charges?. I tried to find smaller repair businesses with no luck so I was hoping someone looking for old PC parts could do them for a discount or something. I don't know if any other major chain does it as well.

I'm just happy I have an i5 2500k and decent motherboard and RAM to install.

I really would suggest skipping Best Buy. $70 for what you're looking to do is pretty reasonable, especially considering is more or less doing most of the build. You could do a craigslist ad if you're up for that, but you risk getting someone that really doesnt know what they're doing.

so I am going to head to my local frys to pick up a new P/S I guess, based on the remarks of my current one.

I want to spend under $100. Out of the list provided at the link, could someone recommend a decent one?

Corsair GS or TX series will suffice, TX is a bit higher quality iirc.

was thinking of this p/s to pick up locally

http://www.frys.com/product/6708445?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

That'll be just fine. I have a distaste for Antec, but their PSU's are still fairly good quality.

You'll only need 550W or so for your setup, will draw less than that thanks to 5850 being really efficient.

 

[demolitio]

I really would suggest skipping Best Buy. $70 for what you're looking to do is pretty reasonable, especially considering is more or less doing most of the build. You could do a craigslist ad if you're up for that, but you risk getting someone that really doesnt know what they're doing.

Corsair GS or TX series will suffice, TX is a bit higher quality iirc.

Alright, thanks. Both BB and MC have pissed me off the in the past as I kept having bad mobo problems that they never picked up and just sent it back to me with nothing really done. That was a mistake but now that I got a new motherboard thanks to the old actually really being bad, I can forget all of that...lol

I agree though so I think I'll go there instead as it's a lot easier to trust them putting parts in than doing a full diagnostic check again. I just hate paying for something I'd normally do myself. I did think of posting on Craigslist but the same thoughts came to my mind where I figured I'd get someone who really has no idea what to do but wanted the money.

 

[Hazaro]

Also, we may have a new king of the priceerformance air cooler.

HardOCP Thermalright TRUE Spirit review

Better performance than an H80 on low settings for $30.

Fantastic. Screw heatsinks over $40.

 

[·feist·]

Ok thanks. I saw those in the OP. What makes the case past its prime? Just wondering what to look for. As for my setup I do not plan to raid my disks. I plan on SLI'ing the 570's down the road and I am looking to overclock the CPU and GPU and want to make sure I will have the room needed and the airflow required to perform all that stuff.

It has inefficient usage of space, limited cable management capability (even in V3 guise), limited air- and water-cooling flexibility, lacks a dedicated PSU air intake even though it's a bottom mount, and other things. There are plenty of similarly priced, more modern cases that would be better suited to your needs. Besides what's in the OP, I could run off a long list of other options.

Also, we may have a new king of the priceerformance air cooler.

HardOCP Thermalright TRUE Spirit review

http://www.hardocp.com/images/articles/1318688012DJgLQ7OrNV_2_1.jpg

Better performance than an H80 on low settings for $30.

After months of prodding and whatnot, I'd still have to say, space/component permitting, it's Thermalright HR-02 Macho > Thermalright True Spirit 140 > Thermalright True Spirit 120, with these making up the rest of the budget cooling hierarchy. Somehow the Hyper 212+ became the de facto recommendation from a lot of people, even though it never was the priceerformance budget champ. Constant discounts do help it, though.

I don't know where HardOCP is coming from, but the True Spirit 120 is noisier than the True Spirit 140.

I hate to ask this since it's kind of sad I can't do it myself, but does anyone know a good place to take my PC to do the upgrades I bought for me? I have a new motherboard and CPU with my old liquid cooling still which wouldn't be too big of a deal for me to do two years ago, but I have tremors in my hands that makes it hard for me to do small, precise things and I'm afraid I'll break something, especially since my hand gives out and I drop a lot of things so PC parts kind of scare me that I'll slip and screw something up.

Microcenter wanted $70 and I'm not sure what Best Buy wanted but I hate to think about paying that much so does anyone know what BB charges?. I tried to find smaller repair businesses with no luck so I was hoping someone looking for old PC parts could do them for a discount or something. I don't know if any other major chain does it as well.

I'm just happy I have an i5 2500k and decent motherboard and RAM to install.

Do you not have any competent friends/family that can assist you? They don't even have to be tech types, just buy them a beer, or something. You could pick up a static strap and/or gloves if you're concerned.

was thinking of this p/s to pick up locally

http://www.frys.com/product/6708445?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Don't know how soon you need a PSU, but does it have to be local? The $100 SeaSonic X650 deal that vermadas posted would be my pick.

 

[C.Dark.DN]

Can anyone reccomend a Sata 3.0 Gb/s hard drive?

Looks like I have a 160GB 1.5 Gb/s connected to my A8N Sli Deluxe.

Built this forever ago.

 

[chaosblade]

Can anyone reccomend a Sata 3 Gb/s hard drive?

Looks like I have a 1.5 Gb/s connected to my A8N Sli Deluxe.

Built this forever ago.

I'm not even sure the fastest HDDs can hit 1.5Gb/s. If they do, they won't be much over that. Still, if it's that old it might be time for an upgrade anyway, but it's not a good time to buy one unless you really need it due to the flooding and shortage.

Samsung F3 1TB or F4 2TB are generally the most recommended drives though.

 

[C.Dark.DN]

I'm not even sure the fastest HDDs can hit 1.5Gb/s. If they do, they won't be much over that. Still, if it's that old it might be time for an upgrade anyway, but it's not a good time to buy one unless you really need it due to the flooding and shortage.

Samsung F3 1TB or F4 2TB are generally the most recommended drives though.

Oh,I forgot to mention my hard drive is dying. A lot of clicking, 644 relocated sectors and counting every day.

I'm not sure if I need a bios update for 3.0 GB/s.

Might be better to stick with 1.5 GB/s if it's cheaper and not a large performance upgrade.

 

[C.Dark.DN]

Does my motherboard not work with Windows 7?
http://support.asus.com/download.as...luxe&p=1&s=21&os=17&hashedid=e1h9yUaMZAsTwIEN
I see no drivers for it.

 

[chaosblade]

Probably not supported, the board is from 2004 after all. And you shouldn't need a driver update for SATA, it's backward compatible as far as I know so even if you use a SATA II drive on a SATA I port, it will work fine.

Edit: It does look like some controllers have compatibility issues, but most should be compatible.

 

[Antiochus]

It may seem so very very far away....

The newest (literally this time) generation of AMD cards early next year.

http://semiaccurate.com/2011/11/17/more-bits-on-hd7000northern-islandsgcn-leak/

It looks like AMD (NYSE:AMD) is planning on launching desktop HD7000 GPUs in January, and SemiAccurate just got a few more bits about them. There isn’t much new, January launch for Tahiti XT, followed by Tahiti Pro a month later, then Pitcairn XT in March, Pro in April.

The cards themselves are known as GNC (Graphics Core Next), Southern Islands, or HD7000, depending on who you talk to. All of them are made on TSMC’s 28nm process, and are cousins to the laptop lines we told you about earlier. Pricing is tentatively set for around $500 for the top Tahiti part, $400 for the Pro, $300 for Pitcairn XT, $200 for the Pro, all subject to much change and our minor but patented SPMOODT(TM)(R)(C)(P) (Source Protecting Minor Obfuscation Of Data Technology).

The new tidbit? 384-bit memory bus, that means 3GB cards. Whoopee, you can now bump the AA setting 1x more on your six 30″ 4Mp panels for Eyefinity gaming. It can’t come soon enough. Things are about to get even more silly.S|A

Simply from the price of the top shelf part we can conclude Nvidia's 28nM release is no where near Q2 2012.

 

[BioHazard]

Ok thanks for the input before guys, I have done some more research, what are people's thoughts on this setup:

Intel Core i5 2500k
Gigabyte Ultra GA-Z68X Motherboard
8Gb Corsair Vengence Memory
EVGA GTX570 797 Mhz
Cooler Master HAF922 ATX Case
Antec 900w High Current Gamer PSU
500Gb Seagate Sata Drive
LG DVD/CD 24x Burner
Windows 7

 

[chaosblade]

Ok thanks for the input before guys, I have done some more research, what are people's thoughts on this setup:

Intel Core i5 2500k
Gigabyte Ultra GA-Z68X Motherboard
8Gb Corsair Vengence Memory
EVGA GTX570 797 Mhz
Cooler Master HAF922 ATX Case
Antec 900w High Current Gamer PSU
500Gb Seagate Sata Drive
LG DVD/CD 24x Burner
Windows 7

SLI? Otherwise I'd go with the Seasonic 650W mkenyon and I posted above. 900W is overkill for a single GPU PC, plus the Seasonic is a better built PSU.

Looks good otherwise. Some people had problems with Gigabyte boards but I used one and didn't have an issue.

 

[BioHazard]

SLI? Otherwise I'd go with the Seasonic 650W mkenyon and I posted above. 900W is overkill for a single GPU PC, plus the Seasonic is a better built PSU.

Looks good otherwise. Some people had problems with Gigabyte boards but I used one and didn't have an issue.

Nope just one card, hmm a guy that is helping me insists that you need around 800W for a GTX 570 setup so that's why I've selected that one.

 

[Cheech]

SLI? Otherwise I'd go with the Seasonic 650W mkenyon and I posted above. 900W is overkill for a single GPU PC, plus the Seasonic is a better built PSU.

Looks good otherwise. Some people had problems with Gigabyte boards but I used one and didn't have an issue.

FWIW, Seasonic actually makes Antec's higher end power supplies. Depending on sales and such, the Antec may actually be cheaper. The telltale is that Seasonic uses this curious black netting around their cables that nobody else uses. That said, googling the model number will turn up the true manufacturer of any power supply.

 

[snoopen]

Omg.,, can't believe I'm such a noob, didn't realize sli needs re-enabling after upgrading drivers. Have been playing bf3 with 1x570 and wondering why it's only ~40-50 maxed at 1200p.

 

[·feist·]

Fantastic. Screw heatsinks over $40.

Hey, Hazaro, I know you mentioned holding off on the HR-02 Macho until it went on sale at more retailers, so I've been meaning to post this.

For anyone in North America looking into buying Thermalright's HR-02 Macho, True Spirit 120/140, or any other Thermalright value products:

From: "Support" <support@thermalright.com>
Cc: support2@thermalright.com

Hi,

Nan’s is a semi-Thermalright shop and the only place to purchase the value line of our products, the purpose of which is to keep the retail; price as low as possible. Our High-End coolers are carried by our normal authorized dealers.


TR Support,


Bob

FrozenCPU did have the Macho in their system a while back, but it was removed.

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...r_Sockets_775_1155_1156_1366_AM2_AM2_AM3.html

So, Thermalright via Nan's Gaming Gear is the only official source for the three:

http://www.thermalright.com/where_to_buy/

http://nansgaminggear.webs.com/

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Nan's+Gaming+Gear&x=0&y=0
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aag/main?i...sin=B00629G1PG&seller=A3D1M5ET5Z3YT6&isPopup=

On the plus side, any of the coolers can be purchased through Amazon. On the down side, shipping on Amazon, or Nan's site is ~$10, or so. That puts both the Macho and True Spirit 140 back into a $50 tie with Cooler Master's Hyper 612 S/612 PWM (minus shipping charges for the 612) for budget cooling king, partially negating the price advantage the TRs have.

Specs & compatibility:
Macho http://www.thermalright.com/products/?act=data&id=178&cat_id=27
TS 120 http://www.thermalright.com/products/index.php?act=data&cat_id=27&id=180
TS 140 http://www.thermalright.com/products/?act=data&id=182&cat_id=27,11,35,36,39,38,34

 

[mkenyon]

Nope just one card, hmm a guy that is helping me insists that you need around 800W for a GTX 570 setup so that's why I've selected that one.

He's flat wrong. Running SLI 560Ti's, and a 2500K with 1.45V (lots of watts) on a Seasonic X750 with lots of room to spare. I dont even think the fan turns on in that thing. Or maybe I just can't hear it over my 560's.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2010/12/07/nvidia-geforce-gtx-570-1-3gb-review/9

There's a link with total power consumption for the entire computer.

 

[Azzurri]

Would anyone happen to be using an Apple Cinema Display monitor that could help me out? For the love of god I can't adjust the brightness. I know there's a special way to do it since I'm not using a MAC but a PC. I've DL'ed the apple control panel exe, but I always get a error when trying to run it. I know there's a trick to get it to work on the PC, but I don't know how to do it.

 

[mkenyon]

Would anyone happen to be using an Apple Cinema Display monitor that could help me out? For the love of god I can't adjust the brightness. I know there's a special way to do it since I'm not using a MAC but a PC. I've DL'ed the apple control panel exe, but I always get a error when trying to run it. I know there's a trick to get it to work on the PC, but I don't know how to do it.

Per my buddy who had one:

http://www.facingblend.com/blog/?p=925

 

[Azzurri]

Per my buddy who had one:

http://www.facingblend.com/blog/?p=925

That's where I dl'ed but I still get that error.

 

[mkenyon]

Certain you downloaded the correct bit version? You have 64 bit or 32 bit windows?

 

[Wedge7]

Damn, just checked this thread again this morning, thanks so much for your help, that was exactly the type of help I needed. Honestly had no clue about the MOBO or that the RAM was unneccessary, good to know.

Thanks again to Chaosblade, mkenyon and TheExodu5, so appreciated.

So, with most of the changes that TheExodu5 advised, does this now look good to go, no real points of concern?

Corsair Carbide Series 400R Mid Tower, Black $99
Asus P8P67-M Rev 3.0 w/ Dual DDR3 1600, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, 1394, Quad CrossFireX $125
Intel Core™ i5-2500K Processor, 3.30GHz w/ 6MB Cache $229
Seagate 1TB Barracuda 7200.12 SATA III w/ 32MB Cache $159
eVGA GeForce GTX 570 HD SuperClocked 1280MB GDDR5 PCI-E w/ Dual DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort $359
Corsair Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 Power Supply $125
Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 1600MHz CL9 Dual Channel Kit (2 x 4GB), Cerulean Blue $55
Asus DRW-24B1ST 24x DVD-RW Drive, SATA, Black, OEM $20

Final cost $1233.

Overall about $50 cheaper than before, which is a bonus. If everything is good, I'll probably put the order in tommorow morning.

Thanks again for your help guys, felt like I learned alot.

 

[Azzurri]

Certain you downloaded the correct bit version? You have 64 bit or 32 bit windows?

Yea, There's some trick I need to do, but I don't know how.

 

[TheExodu5]

Damn, just checked this thread again this morning, thanks so much for your help, that was exactly the type of help I needed. Honestly had no clue about the MOBO or that the RAM was unneccessary, good to know.

Thanks again to Chaosblade, mkenyon and TheExodu5, so appreciated.

So, with most of the changes that TheExodu5 advised, does this now look good to go, no real points of concern?

Corsair Carbide Series 400R Mid Tower, Black $99
Asus P8P67-M Rev 3.0 w/ Dual DDR3 1600, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, 1394, Quad CrossFireX $125
Intel Core™ i5-2500K Processor, 3.30GHz w/ 6MB Cache $229
Seagate 1TB Barracuda 7200.12 SATA III w/ 32MB Cache $159
eVGA GeForce GTX 570 HD SuperClocked 1280MB GDDR5 PCI-E w/ Dual DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort $359
Corsair Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 Power Supply $125
Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 1600MHz CL9 Dual Channel Kit (2 x 4GB), Cerulean Blue $55
Asus DRW-24B1ST 24x DVD-RW Drive, SATA, Black, OEM $20

Final cost $1233.

Overall about $50 cheaper than before, which is a bonus. If everything is good, I'll probably put the order in tommorow morning.

Thanks again for your help guys, felt like I learned alot.

Change the TX650 V2 to the TX650M. It's the same PSU, but modular, and $15 cheaper. Normally the TX650 V2 should cost around $100...why it's more expensive than the TX650M, I do not know.

Everything else looks great.

edit: Hold on...just found out that board is gimped for OC'ing...let me look up a proper alternative

 

[·feist·]

Damn, just checked this thread again this morning, thanks so much for your help, that was exactly the type of help I needed. Honestly had no clue about the MOBO or that the RAM was unneccessary, good to know.

Thanks again to Chaosblade, mkenyon and TheExodu5, so appreciated.

So, with most of the changes that TheExodu5 advised, does this now look good to go, no real points of concern?

Corsair Carbide Series 400R Mid Tower, Black $99
Asus P8P67-M Rev 3.0 w/ Dual DDR3 1600, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, 1394, Quad CrossFireX $125
Intel Core™ i5-2500K Processor, 3.30GHz w/ 6MB Cache $229
Seagate 1TB Barracuda 7200.12 SATA III w/ 32MB Cache $159
eVGA GeForce GTX 570 HD SuperClocked 1280MB GDDR5 PCI-E w/ Dual DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort $359
Corsair Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 Power Supply $125
Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 1600MHz CL9 Dual Channel Kit (2 x 4GB), Cerulean Blue $55
Asus DRW-24B1ST 24x DVD-RW Drive, SATA, Black, OEM $20

Final cost $1233.

Overall about $50 cheaper than before, which is a bonus. If everything is good, I'll probably put the order in tommorow morning.

Thanks again for your help guys, felt like I learned alot.

Try the $100 SeaSonic X650 deal that vermadas posted. $25 less and it's a better unit. That 570 HD is overpriced at your selected retailer. MSRP is less than that. There are about five different 570 HD iterations, so if you do stick with that, buy it elsewhere, and make sure to get the version with an unlimited warranty (IIRC, 2 out of the 5 versions of the 570 HD are unlimited - you can tell by the model number).

 

[BoobPhysics101]

Change the TX650 V2 to the TX650M. It's the same PSU, but modular, and $15 cheaper. Normally the TX650 V2 should cost around $100...why it's more expensive than the TX650M, I do not know.

Everything else looks great.

edit: Hold on...just found out that board is gimped for OC'ing...let me look up a proper alternative

I'm using an Asus P8PZ68-V, it's only $120 and OC's really well. Hit 4.5 Ghz with only 0.01v added.

 

[TheExodu5]

Try the $100 SeaSonic X650 deal that vermadas posted. $25 less and it's a better unit. That 570 HD is overpriced at your selected retailer. MSRP is less than that. There are about five different 570 HD iterations, so if you do stick with that, buy it elsewhere, and make sure to get the version with an unlimited warranty (IIRC, that's 2 out of the 5 versions of the 570 HD).

He's ordering from MemoryExpress in Canada who will assemble it for him, so he's restricted to the components here:

http://www.memoryexpress.com/SystemConfig/Default.aspx

Anyways, for the motherboard, I'm just going to recommend the tried and tested Asus P8P67 Rev. 3.1, unless someone can suggest a better alternative available at MemoryExpress. I realize it's a bit more, but hopefully you're fine with that since you'll still be under budget.

 

[·feist·]

*womp, womp

 

[mkenyon]

The fact that they don't have the Gene-Z is a crime against humanity. Got damn I love that board. *edit* In fact, we should put that as the standard board on the "excellent" build in the OP.