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[Brainboy]

Thinking about doing some upgrading on my two-and-a-half year old PC, or perhaps replacing it by the end of the year.

Current specs:
Motherboard: Asus P5Q Pro
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
RAM: 2x1GB DDR2-800
Graphics card: Nvidia GTX260 896MB
Power supply: 430W

A couple of questions:

1. Upgrading the RAM. Is it worth spending a bit more to replace the DDR2-800 with 4GB of DDR2-1066 (e.g. this), or should I just put another 2GB of DDR2-800 in there? (In fact I may even be able to get another 4GB for not much more, but I think that's probably overkill.)

2. Is anything else even worth upgrading? I would think the only one worth doing in terms of gain-per-effort is probably the graphics card, but would I just be throttled by the relatively old CPU?

 

[XiaNaphryz]

As I'm looking around pondering new build components, the Corsair H60 caught my eye. For a simple watercooling solution, it seems pretty good (at least if you swap out the stock fan for something better). Any thoughts?

 

[nara]

i use the h60. i never go higher than 70C running i5 2500k at 4.5ghz 1.3v

 

[XiaNaphryz]

i use the h60. i never go higher than 70C running i5 2500k at 4.5ghz 1.3v

Good to hear. I'll likely be getting an i7 2600k when I finally get my build together.

 

[clav]

Thinking about doing some upgrading on my two-and-a-half year old PC, or perhaps replacing it by the end of the year.

Current specs:
Motherboard: Asus P5Q Pro
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
RAM: 2x1GB DDR2-800
Graphics card: Nvidia GTX260 896MB
Power supply: 430W

A couple of questions:

1. Upgrading the RAM. Is it worth spending a bit more to replace the DDR2-800 with 4GB of DDR2-1066 (e.g. this), or should I just put another 2GB of DDR2-800 in there? (In fact I may even be able to get another 4GB for not much more, but I think that's probably overkill.)

2. Is anything else even worth upgrading? I would think the only one worth doing in terms of gain-per-effort is probably the graphics card, but would I just be throttled by the relatively old CPU?

1. I have 7GB in mine.

Just stick with 2GB DDR2. DDR3 has beastly speeds and costs cheaper. If you don't plan to upgrade for another year or so, DDR4 is around the corner.

2. Eh, maybe the graphics card, but your CPU will be holding you back. Plus the CPUs for that socket are ridiculously overpriced.

 

[Smokey]

http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.aspx?m=1103387

Yikes at power, two 8 pins and a 6 pin

Wow

I predict $600 for this.

 

[jarosh]

could really use some input

holy shit! i never had anything like this before... i cannot get the atx power cable into the mobo. fuck. it goes halfway in but there is no forcing it any further down. wtf.

is it just me or do these pins look kinda crooked?

this is how it looked from the beginning.

borked cable?

help!

hmmm. that said, the pins on the other end of the cable look just like that, not exactly perfectly centered or straight and they fit into the psu just fine...

also, it's been too long i guess: am i meant to hook both the ssd and the hdd to the same sata cable on the psu or do they require power from two separate cables?

 

[Dina]

Quick question. A friend who wants a pc that the shop builds asked me for help. Budget around 1000 euro's, system is still missing a monitor. Have I made any obvious boo-boo's?

 

[·feist·]

Ah, yes, specifically I was looking for quiet cases, but I suppose that comes with being good

I've ordered my build, and while I'm excited as its my first pc, I'm also fucking scared as its my first pc.

i5-2500
ASRock H67M
4GB Corsair XMS3 (2x2GB) 1600MHz
Western Digital Caviar 1TB
Asus 1GB GeForce GTX 560TI
OCZ 600W
Samsung SH-S223C drive
Antec Three Hundred Midi Case

and a LG W2361V monitor.

(bit worried about the power supply, but I don't plan on overclocking so I think hope it will be ok)

Can't wait to finally play witcher, total war games, civ V, stalker and others!

Some OCZ PSUs are very poor quality. Test yours when it arrives. If it's out of spec, you may want to return it.

Be sure to run the both 300 exhaust fans on low or medium, if you want it to be silent. High is way too loud. Get ready for a lot of dust inside your case.

I have an EVGA GeForce GTX 480 SuperClocked+ card I bought last September. While there are no problems it runs incredibly hot under load. Anywhere from 91 - 98 Celsius, I think I should replace my 120mm case fans in the front, what should I get for my computer to lower temperatures but be quiet?

I put together the following setup last September as well:

i7 980X on stock cooler
ABS Majesty 1100W PSU
G.SKILL Trident 6GB x2
GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD7
ABS Canyon 595
Kingston SSDNow V Series Gen II 128GB x2
Blu-ray burner x2

Also, if I want to overclock my 980x more what should I get? I had it stable at 3.77GHz which I hear is nothing for the i7 9xx series CPUs.

Are you concerned with possibly voiding your GPU warranty?

That's a mild OC. 4-4.2GHz is about average... roughly. 4.4 or higher would take a great chip and/or high volts. Intel's 3- and 4-pipe 92mm HSFs are pretty decent, but you'll need better if you're looking to go higher and maintain good temps. Take a look at the Thermalright Silver Arrow and Noctua NH-D14. You won't find better performing silent coolers for the price. The Prolimatech Genesis is up there as well, though you'll need to add two fans. Beyond that, you have to go with water cooling.

holy shit! i never had anything like this before... i cannot get the atx power cable into the mobo. fuck. it goes halfway in but there is no forcing it any further down. wtf.

is it just me or do these pins look kinda crooked?

http://i.imgur.com/e132h.jpg

this is how it looked from the beginning.

borked cable?

help!

Though the pic make the connector edges look rough, that's about normal. Make sure you have the 4-pin portion aligned correctly when you hook it up, as that's usually the issue that some people have.

hmmm. that said, the pins on the other end of the cable look just like that, not exactly perfectly centered or straight and they fit into the psu just fine...

also, it's been too long i guess: am i meant to hook both the ssd and the hdd to the same sata cable on the psu or do they require power from two separate cables?

You can run both drives off one SATA power cable.

I would like to get som last suggestions on the new rig I'm close to buying. What I'm most interested in is if the components are all good, but mostly if I should get anonther GFX-card instead of a 6950.

Here's the link: http://www.inet.se/kundvagn/visa/593696/2011-07-05 (it's in swedish, but I hope you can see the different components).

Seems you'll be overclocking so you really shouldn't go with a lower end board like that. Try something in the range of MSI's GD53/GD55 (or better), as well as equivalent options from Asus, Gigabyte, etc. For the GPU, 2GB reference or custom 6950s can be had for roughly the same, or slightly more than the 1GB price.

As I'm looking around pondering new build components, the Corsair H60 caught my eye. For a simple watercooling solution, it seems pretty good (at least if you swap out the stock fan for something better). Any thoughts?

http://i.imgur.com/9hCLx.jpg

Have you seen Antec's Kuhler H2O 620?

Outperforms the H60, costs less and has a longer warranty (though Corsair is supposed to be extending their coverage to match the length of Antec's).

Similarly priced air coolers will outperform both, at lower noise levels.

 

[scy]

So, my mouse (Mionix NAOS 5000) is having a wonderful issue with it double-clicking occasionally on single-clicks. Anybody familiar with that happening before and, if so, any sort of fix? Just wondering if there's something easy to do to get it up and running before I just send it back and buy a new one. :/

 

[Azure Phoenix]

I've narrowed down the PC specs a bit further, but for the last 4 parts I am absolutely clueless and really need some suggestions. I've managed to bluff my way through up until now but the rest is way over my head.

Currently it is:
Intel Core i5 2500K 3.3GHz Socket 1155 6MB Cache
Samsung SN-T083C 8x DVD±RW DL & RAM SATA Slimline Optical Drive
Samsung HD103SJ Spinpoint F3 1TB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 32MB Cache
G-Skill 8GBXL Ripjaws X DDR3 PC12800 1600MHz 8GB Kit
Silverstone FT03 Micro-ATX Tower Case

The parts I still need to choose are a PSU, Micro-ATX motherboard, graphics card and a cooler for the CPU. I've still got roughly £400 of the budget left for those parts.

 

[Spookie]

Similarly priced air coolers will outperform both, at lower noise levels.

Yep. I had a H50 once. Fucking hated it, under stress it was louder than the GPU. Rather pay £20 less and get a silent air cooler.

 

[AwesomeSauce]

So, my mouse (Mionix NAOS 5000) is having a wonderful issue with it double-clicking occasionally on single-clicks. Anybody familiar with that happening before and, if so, any sort of fix? Just wondering if there's something easy to do to get it up and running before I just send it back and buy a new one. :/

Download the configuator software from the Naos site.

It will let you customize literally everything on the mouse. Im pretty sure there is a setting you can tweak to fix your problem.

 

[jarosh]

Though the pic make the connector edges look rough, that's about normal. Make sure you have the 4-pin portion aligned correctly when you hook it up, as that's usually the issue that some people have.

definitely not that. i can get it in halfway and then it won't go in any further. i tried googling some more. didn't really know what to look for, but it seems like people with similar issues eventually resolve it by messing with the pins, so...

You can run both drives off one SATA power cable.

thanks!

 

[scy]

Download the configuator software from the Naos site.

It will let you customize literally everything on the mouse. Im pretty sure there is a setting you can tweak to fix your problem.

Yeah, I tried that already. It's not an issue with the double-click speed (unless there's another option here I'm missing); it's set to fast on both that and through Windows as well. I've tried countless permutations of settings and it is always there with the mouse and gone if I switch to a different one.

I can do a deliberate single-click and it'll, for example, go back 2-3+ times when I hit back on the browser. I can occasionally single-click fine but it's rather sporadic. Been testing it just single-clicking over and over on things on my desktop and it's about 50% of the time it will open the file. Again, that is with slow, deliberate, single-clicks to make sure I'm not pushing it down twice.

Of course, if that's an actual ... "feature" of the mouse, then I'll just cut my losses and pick up a different one entirely. Right now, it's basically interrupting a lot of general computer use stuff. Mionix support hasn't really responded yet so I'm just left wondering whether or not to replace it now.

 

[TheNamelessOne]

Seems you'll be overclocking so you really shouldn't go with a lower end board like that. Try something in the range of MSI's GD53/GD55 (or better), as well as equivalent options from Asus, Gigabyte, etc. For the GPU, 2GB reference or custom 6950s can be had for roughly the same, or slightly more than the 1GB price.

I really don't have very much overclocking in mind. In any case, why would I need a better MB for that? Isn't P67 what I need to OC the 2500k anyway?

From what I can tell there isn't very much difference between the 6950 1GB and 2GB editions either. At least here in Sweden there is about a 25% price difference between them - does it really warrant that big price increase?

Anyone else have any opinions? http://www.inet.se/kundvagn/visa/593696/2011-07-05

 

[Eiji]

I was planning to build a socket 1155 based system in Jan 2011 but due to the recalls back then I decided to wait it out. Now I've decided to skip socket 1155 and go for the socket 2011 setup early next year, Sandy Bridge E or Ivy Bridge.

My 775 system will do till then :]

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Have you seen Antec's Kuhler H2O 620?

Outperforms the H60, costs less and has a longer warranty (though Corsair is supposed to be extending their coverage to match the length of Antec's).

Similarly priced air coolers will outperform both, at lower noise levels.

I was also looking at the Thermalright Venomous X. Anything else you'd suggest?

 

[AwesomeSauce]

Yeah, I tried that already. It's not an issue with the double-click speed (unless there's another option here I'm missing); it's set to fast on both that and through Windows as well. I've tried countless permutations of settings and it is always there with the mouse and gone if I switch to a different one.

I can do a deliberate single-click and it'll, for example, go back 2-3+ times when I hit back on the browser. I can occasionally single-click fine but it's rather sporadic. Been testing it just single-clicking over and over on things on my desktop and it's about 50% of the time it will open the file. Again, that is with slow, deliberate, single-clicks to make sure I'm not pushing it down twice.

Of course, if that's an actual ... "feature" of the mouse, then I'll just cut my losses and pick up a different one entirely. Right now, it's basically interrupting a lot of general computer use stuff. Mionix support hasn't really responded yet so I'm just left wondering whether or not to replace it now.

I'm sure you already upgraded it to the latest firmware right?

Try resetting the double click speeds to default or slow it down in both windows and the configurator.

Wouldn't speeding up double click cause your singe click to respond to fast?

Sorry if I am grasping at straws lol.

 

[teebs33]

I have a 5770 1GB card at the moment. I was playing some of the new games I picked up during the steam sales and was noticing with most of the settings maxxed I get a fair bit of slow down. It's not all the time but if there's a lot of effects it looks like I drop sub 20FPS. Games that I saw this in were Just Cause 2, and Fallout New Vegas.

I have an I5 2500k Unlocked Processor, 4 GB of ram and a Asus P8 motherboard (forget the model name of the top of my head.)

Would it be worth making the upgrade on my video card or should I just lower some of the settings in the game?

 

[Futurevoid]

Edit: In fact, have people been happy with their GTX 580's in general? Any games you can't max out properly?

Just adding to the chorus of GTX 580 owners. There isn't a game that I've yet thrown at it that it won't handle at 1080p, max settings at high framerates. I'm really glad I spent the extra cash as I was originally going to go cheaper with a 560ti.

As I'm looking around pondering new build components, the Corsair H60 caught my eye. For a simple watercooling solution, it seems pretty good (at least if you swap out the stock fan for something better). Any thoughts?

I bought my H60 for $40 (on sale) and I'm pleased with it. I'm a complete overlocking newb but I've got my i5 2500k running at 4.4ghz, 1.3v and I don't exceed 65c at load on any core.

My current system is much more silent than the previous one I built but I can't compare it to other air cooling solutions out there that may be better though. I bow to more knowledgeable folks on that front.

 

[AwesomeSauce]

I have a 5770 1GB card at the moment. I was playing some of the new games I picked up during the steam sales and was noticing with most of the settings maxxed I get a fair bit of slow down. It's not all the time but if there's a lot of effects it looks like I drop sub 20FPS. Games that I saw this in were Just Cause 2, and Fallout New Vegas.

I have an I5 2500k Unlocked Processor, 4 GB of ram and a Asus P8 motherboard (forget the model name of the top of my head.)

Would it be worth making the upgrade on my video card or should I just lower some of the settings in the game?

Download the performance fix for Fallout New Vegas. Sorry can't post a link at the moment since Im on my phone.

 

[Prophet Steve]

Yeah, I tried that already. It's not an issue with the double-click speed (unless there's another option here I'm missing); it's set to fast on both that and through Windows as well. I've tried countless permutations of settings and it is always there with the mouse and gone if I switch to a different one.

I can do a deliberate single-click and it'll, for example, go back 2-3+ times when I hit back on the browser. I can occasionally single-click fine but it's rather sporadic. Been testing it just single-clicking over and over on things on my desktop and it's about 50% of the time it will open the file. Again, that is with slow, deliberate, single-clicks to make sure I'm not pushing it down twice.

Of course, if that's an actual ... "feature" of the mouse, then I'll just cut my losses and pick up a different one entirely. Right now, it's basically interrupting a lot of general computer use stuff. Mionix support hasn't really responded yet so I'm just left wondering whether or not to replace it now.

I believe it happens a lot, mine also have the same problems and I have heard it a few times before on GAF. Although usually that happens only after a while, don't know how long you've got yours.

 

[scy]

I'm sure you already upgraded it to the latest firmware right?

Try resetting the double click speeds to default or slow it down in both windows and the configurator.

Wouldn't speeding up double click cause your singe click to respond to fast?

Sorry if I am grasping at straws lol.

lol, nah. Those were basically the first things I went through as it was all I could think of as well. And Slow on the double-click settings means more time in between clicks so it still registers as a double-click; when set to fastest, it should only trigger when you double-click really fast. At the slowest, you got like a half-second or so window where two single-clicks still trigger a double-click response.

I believe it happens a lot, mine also have the same problems and I have heard it a few times before on GAF. Although usually that happens only after a while, don't know how long you've got yours.

That is ... a bit disheartening, to be honest. I've had it all of one week and I wasn't in home to use it for most of that time. Ugh. It's such a comfortable mouse too...

Think I'll just return it, try another new one and, if that fails, just contemplate modding a different mouse with the NAOS shell. Oh well.

 

[·feist·]

definitely not that. i can get it in halfway and then it won't go in any further. i tried googling some more. didn't really know what to look for, but it seems like people with similar issues eventually resolve it by messing with the pins, so...

thanks!

NP. Haven't come across anything quite like that. If you had any spare mod cables, I'd tell you to try a 24-pin to see if the problem lies with your new cable, or the connector.

edit: jarosh, see if any of the pins are bent, or a bit warped. If they are, and you aren't comfortable trying to correct that, you may need to do an exchange or RMA.

I really don't have very much overclocking in mind. In any case, why would I need a better MB for that? Isn't P67 what I need to OC the 2500k anyway?

From what I can tell there isn't very much difference between the 6950 1GB and 2GB editions either. At least here in Sweden there is about a 25% price difference between them - does it really warrant that big price increase?

Anyone else have any opinions? http://www.inet.se/kundvagn/visa/593696/2011-07-05

Correct. A better board design would play into your stability and durability. If you don't plan on running a big clock 24/7 (high stress, 4GHz+, without power save features), then it should be fine, as long as there aren't any site or user reviews with glaring issues.

People are already running into VRAM limits with certain titles, due to settings and mods. That will only increase with time. That 25% includes VAT? The difference in 6950s isn't that high in some regions. If you won't be going above 900/1050/1080 res, and don't need super high/max settings on everything, then it won't be a big deal to you.

I have a 5770 1GB card at the moment. I was playing some of the new games I picked up during the steam sales and was noticing with most of the settings maxxed I get a fair bit of slow down. It's not all the time but if there's a lot of effects it looks like I drop sub 20FPS. Games that I saw this in were Just Cause 2, and Fallout New Vegas.

I have an I5 2500k Unlocked Processor, 4 GB of ram and a Asus P8 motherboard (forget the model name of the top of my head.)

Would it be worth making the upgrade on my video card or should I just lower some of the settings in the game?

I'd lower the settings for now, and hold out another 6-7 months before upgrading to the upcoming gen of cards. Should be more than worth your wait.

I was also looking at the Thermalright Venomous X. Anything else you'd suggest?

That and the Prolimatech Megahalems are high on the list in that range. The Megahalems generally wins out on cooling, especially with slow, quiet fans. The Ven X has the edge in pricing, the inclusion of a fan, and can match, or slightly beat the Mega on big clocks with two high speed fans.

Corsair's A70 was selling for $40 for some time, though it looks like the price has gone back up. $40 for an H60 is a nice deal, if you can find similar. Something like a Cooler Master V6 GT, or Thermaltake Frio may be worth a look to you, as well.

 

[teebs33]

Download the performance fix for Fallout New Vegas. Sorry can't post a link at the moment since Im on my phone.

I'll take a look for it when I get home!

 

[XiaNaphryz]

That and the Prolimatech Megahalems are high on the list in that range. The Megahalems generally wins out on cooling, especially with slow, quiet fans.

Hmmm...I may end up going this route. Since it doesn't actually come with any fans, and recommendations? Or would any 120 mm fans do?

 

[DodgerSan]

Any UKers have any experience with Dino PC?

 

[DrForester]

As I'm looking around pondering new build components, the Corsair H60 caught my eye. For a simple watercooling solution, it seems pretty good (at least if you swap out the stock fan for something better). Any thoughts?

I wanted one of these (well, the H50) but the case I got has a side fan that didn't give clearance to the heat sink, and I decided the case was more important (and liked the rear fan being an exhaust fan rather than an intake). My funny-looking round zalman works amazingly though, so it's all good. But I've heard nothing but good things about the corsairs.

 

[Laurentius]

So tell me, is this a good plan to follow when purchasing a new PC? I'm thinking that the two most important considerations are the CPU and the GPU. I'm thinking I'll narrow down what I want to go with in regards to those two, and then buy other parts in relation to what's most compatible or whatever, with the GPU and CPU. I'm willing to wait awhile as well, so I'm thinking I'll come up with a general plan of what I want, and then watch for things to go on sale over the next month or so.

Also, is there really much of a benefit to going with 8GB or RAM? The most intensive things I'll be doing is gaming, and I would assume that much RAM would mostly benefit heavy multitaskers the most. I can always buy another 4GB down the road, I guess, if I decide I want it.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

So tell me, is this a good plan to follow when purchasing a new PC? I'm thinking that the two most important considerations are the CPU and the GPU.

Assuming you're building a PC, motherboard and CPU are most important I feel. After you build your rig, video cards are easier to return/replace. Motherboards are much, much more of a hassle. Motherboard chipsets will also define your CPU and GPU upgrade path (GPU in terms of how well you can go up to a dual option or more, whether you go dual 16x or 8x, etc).

 

[Laurentius]

Assuming you're building a PC, motherboard and CPU are most important I feel. After you build your rig, video cards are easier to return/replace. Motherboards are much, much more of a hassle. Motherboard chipsets will also define your CPU and GPU upgrade path (GPU in terms of how well you can go up to a dual option or more, whether you go dual 16x or 8x, etc).

Yeah, sorry, I meant building a new PC. I'll have to take that into consideration, that does make sense. Thanks!

 

[Wallach]

i don't live in NA but i can order from newegg or amazon ( and maybe elitekeyboards but i didn't try).
black widow is available in my country for a good price 90$. in case i want to buy another keyboard i have to buy it online and the shipping will depend on the weight of the keyboard :/
i would love daskeyboard though.

At the very least, the Black Widow might be a decent first foray into mechanical keyboards. If you find you don't like them for whatever reason, you won't be out so much money. If you do, you can always consider buying another one later.

Since you're not in NA, but you can order from Newegg my other suggestion would be to consider waiting until September or whenever Rosewill gets the next refresh of the RK-9000 boards out. They are higher quality boards, without all the stupid macro key stuff, and they should be $99 (and will come in more switch varieties than just MX Blue as well this time).

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

Yep. I had a H50 once. Fucking hated it, under stress it was louder than the GPU. Rather pay £20 less and get a silent air cooler.

what fans were you using? mine is really quiet with two enermax.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

Gentlemen, I'm looking at getting a MSI GTX 580 Twin Frozr II/OC. Anyone have one of these? Experiences? Good?

Edit: In fact, have people been happy with their GTX 580's in general? Any games you can't max out properly?

meant to respond to this earlier. oh extremely happy with my GTX 580, specially now that I have in SLI and plan on going to 2560x1600. heck, I might even consider selling these and getting 3gb versions. not sure yet.

 

[Smokey]

meant to respond to this earlier. oh extremely happy with my GTX 580, specially now that I have in SLI and plan on going to 2560x1600. heck, I might even consider selling these and getting 3gb versions. not sure yet.

That's what I'm thinking of doing. Waiting to see when the MSI Lightning Xtreme Edition 3GB cards get back in. By most accounts that is the best 580 card out. Also one of the more expensive though.

 

[·feist·]

Hmmm...I may end up going this route. Since it doesn't actually come with any fans, and recommendations? Or would any 120 mm fans do?

Inexpensive 120s with good airflow: Yate Loon, Nexus, Scythe Kama Flow II, Thermalright X-Silent, Enermax T.B. Silence

Good, but pricier 120s: Gentle Typhoon (14/15, or lower rpm), Noiseblocker M12-S1/M12-S2, or M12-PS/M12-P (later pair are PWM), Noctua

The lower priced options may be a better idea, along with finding the best deal on a Mega that you can. Otherwise, the total cost can easily creep into Silver Arrow/NH-D14/Genesis territory. So, as low as you can on the Mega, or possibly consider the dual towers if you aren't against their size. If you don't mind the price, and want to stay on the smaller side, combining a Mega and one of the higher end fans generally gives the best performance/noise/longevity.


By the way, there are two new Megas coming, if it matters to you. Megahalems Revision C and Megahalems Black Series. Rev C has a different mount, AMD support out of the box, slightly different cooler base, and a more matte-like finish, against the Rev B's polished look. Had some comparison pics of the two, but they're not at hand right now.

The Megahalems Black Series is like a mix of the old Mega Shadow and the standard silver Megahalems. Here it is with a Rev B:

http://www.caseking.de/shop/catalog...lack-Series-Megahalems-CPU-Cooler::16891.html

 

[Tashi]

Well first of all make sure you don't put the motherboard in the case before you attach the 212, because you need to screw a plate onto the back of the motherboard. This was the first irritating part as the screws are quite tricky to fit through the board and then the holes on the plate, but it's a simple enough job. The real tricky stuff comes with keeping the heat sink in line with the CPU as you insert and screw in the retention plate thing that straps the whole gizmo in place. You may want a pair of extra hands for this bit, it really helped for us.

It's not super hard, it's just the only part(besides the motherboard) that really required some fiddling rather than simply plugging in in some shape or form. This was my first PC build too though, so don't fear.

Yea I've been looking at some videos of how to build and even some (shitty) ones about that specific CPU fan. It's just so massive and I feel like I'm going to be afraid to break it. Also, the thermal paste is new to me. So it goes, add the ram, cpu and cpu fan to the mother board before you install the motherboard into the case. That shouldn't be too hard to remember.

Yea I'll probably have people around to give me a hand with that stuff. I actually had a thought of someone in my family walking over and picking up something up and breaking it with static electricity :lol I have to be careful.

Thanks!

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Inexpensive 120s with good airflow: Yate Loon, Nexus, Scythe Kama Flow II, Thermalright X-Silent, Enermax T.B. Silence

Good, but pricier 120s: Gentle Typhoon (14/15, or lower rpm), Noiseblocker M12-S1/M12-S2, or M12-PS/M12-P (later pair are PWM), Noctua

The lower priced options may be a better idea, along with finding the best deal on a Mega that you can. Otherwise, the total cost can easily creep into Silver Arrow/NH-D14/Genesis territory. So, as low as you can on the Mega, or possibly consider the dual towers if you aren't against their size. If you don't mind the price, and want to stay on the smaller side, combining a Mega and one of the higher end fans generally gives the best performance/noise/longevity.


By the way, there are two new Megas coming, if it matters to you. Megahalems Revision C and Megahalems Black Series. Rev C has a different mount, AMD support out of the box, slightly different cooler base, and a more matte-like finish, against the Rev B's polished look. Had some comparison pics of the two, but they're not at hand right now.

The Megahalems Black Series is like a mix of the old Mega Shadow and the standard silver Megahalems. Here it is with a Rev B:

http://www.caseking.de/shop/catalog...lack-Series-Megahalems-CPU-Cooler::16891.html

Hmmm...so you're saying if I go with a Rev B I should either go with 2 low-end fans or 1 good fan?

 

[Tashi]

Aside from a student email, what are cheap ways to get Windows 7? I don't know if I'll get my college email from my new school in time :/

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

That's what I'm thinking of doing. Waiting to see when the MSI Lightning Xtreme Edition 3GB cards get back in. By most accounts that is the best 580 card out. Also one of the more expensive though.

yes those are supposed to be the best. but I thought they were out already? did newegg run out? in any event if you sell your current card on E-bay I see them usually going from any from 300 to about 400 US dollars. so it wouldn't hurt the wallet too much to "upgrade"

 

[fin]

So I figured it was time to priced out some PC parts. I'm getting pretty restless, I'm playing a bunch of PC games recently and cant wait to upgrade.

Looking for some advice...

Your Current Specs: Intel 775LGA E6500 Dual Core @ 2.93ghz, ATI HD 5570 1024MB, 4gb DDR3 @ 533mhz
Budget: ~$2000, Canadian
Main Use: Gaming, Emulation (PS2/Wii), Video Editing, 3D work, general usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback)
Monitor Resolution: 1080p, May upgrade to a higher resolution later.
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: I want to be able to max out any of the DX11 games coming out. Currently I'm playing Starcraft 2, Source games (TF2 L4D, Portal etc.), Civ5, Battlefield 2, just got Frozen Synapse
Are reusing any parts?: No, I'm gonna get a smaller case and make a HTPC for the parents.
When will you build?: I want to get Battlefield 3, so before October. But I'm pretty flexible. If I have to wait a few months after release to get better gear I will.
Will you be overclocking?: Maybe (This means yes)

So here are some builds that I through together:
1366 Build 1
Intel i7 960 1366 Quad Core (HT) 310.19
Corsair Dominator GT 8GB PC16000 158.4
ATX LGA1366 DDR3 Asus rampage II Formula 329.46
AMD6970 or GTX570 365
1000W Silent Pro Gold 211.46
Antec LanBoy Air Yellow 162.8
DVD RW 22.77
1TB Seagate SATA3 32MB 62.85
Total 1622.93

1366 Build 2
Intel i7 960 1366 Quad Core (HT) 310.19
Corsair Dominator GT 8GB PC16000 158.4
ATX LGA1366 DDR3 Asus rampage II Formula 329.46
GTX580 522
1000W Silent Pro Gold 211.46
E-ATX CoolerMaster HAF X 189.78
DVD RW 22.77
HardDrive 1TB WD SATA3 32MB 67.27
Total 1811.33

1155 Build 1
Intel i7 2600 1155 Quad Core (HT) 319.16
Patriot 12GB PC12800 PX7312G1600LLK 159
ATX 1155 DDR3 Asus P8Z68 Deluxe 282
AMD6970 or GTX570 365
1000W Silent Pro 171.75
Antec LanBoy Air Yellow 162.8
DVD RW 22.77
1TB Seagate SATA3 32MB 62.85
Total 1545.33

1155 Build 2
Intel i7 2600k 1155 Quad Core (HT) 339
Patriot 12GB PC12800 PX7312G1600LLK 159
EATX 1155 DDR3 Asus Maximus IV Extreme R3 388.22
AMD6970 or GTX570 365
1000W Silent Pro Gold 211.46
E-ATX CoolerMaster HAF X 189.78
DVD RW 22.77
1TB Seagate SATA3 32MB 62.85
Total 1738.08

1155 Build 3
Intel i7 2600k 1155 Quad Core (HT) 339
Patriot 12GB PC12800 PX7312G1600LLK 159
EATX 1155 DDR3 Asus Maximus IV Extreme R3 388.22
GTX580 522
1000W Silent Pro Gold 211.46
E-ATX CoolerMaster HAF X 189.78
DVD RW 22.77
HardDrive 1TB WD SATA3 32MB 67.27
Total 1899.5

Got some questions:
1) RAM - Go for the 12GB kit at 1600mhz or 8GB kit at 2400mhz? They're both around $160
2)Sockets - 1155 or 1366, 1366 is more future proof? Or do I go AMD? AMDs 2011 line-up isn't out yet?
3) Video - AMD6970 and gtx570 are pretty much the same price. What's best for performance and the least trouble for drivers and compatibility? Or do i go up to the 580, 590, 6990?

 

[toastyToast]

what fans were you using? mine is really quiet with two enermax.

To get it performing well it costs an extra $20-$30 and if you have a 2 fans hooked up the thing really isn't that small any more.

I was keen on getting one at first but then I realize that I didn't want any additional noise and lose my rear case fan for pulling out air so I went with the Thermalright Silver Arrow for about $25 less.

I have to add that the installation was surprisingly simple.

 

[·feist·]

To get it performing well it costs an extra $20-$30 and if you have a 2 fans hooked up the thing really isn't that small any more.

So many people seem to overlook that. Yes, it's still smaller than high end air, but things add up.

Hmmm...so you're saying if I go with a Rev B I should either go with 2 low-end fans or 1 good fan?

Only one fan of either type, unless it's a big OC. Running stock or a mild OC, the extra noise of a second fan may not be worth the 1-2c lower temps.

 

[Gouda Jouji]

How does this look guys? Prices are in NZD, adds up to a little over 1200 which is perfect pricing for me. Hoping to order soon.

My current PC, built in mid 2007:

GPU: 8800 GTS 320mb
RAM: 2GB DDR2
CPU: Core2Duo E6850 @ 3.00ghz
PSU: 450w

My main monitor is a Samsung 22" @ 1680x1050, and i'll be gaming on it for PC ass PC games that are good with keyboard/mouse. I also have my 26" Bravia hooked up as a secondary monitor, it's native resolution is 1360x768. I plan to use it for playing console ports (or any game thats better with a controller, really) and Dolphin/PCSX2.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

So many people seem to overlook that. Yes, it's still smaller than high end air, but things add up.


Only one fan of either type, unless it's a big OC. Running stock or a mild OC, the extra noise of a second fan may not be worth the 1-2c lower temps.

well mine is very quiet, as quiet as anything and keeps things real cold. but don't overlook the fact that an H60 is real easy to install and it really helps with clearance space when buying RAM. that's something not to be overlooked.

 

[scogoth]

Ugh, so tempted to do this

God no. Do it in blue.

So turns out Commander Keen is no match for a i7-930

 

[MatthewB92]

So gaf this is what my PC will be.

What could I change, add, ect. I don't know if I'm forgetting something or anything.
So any help to make it better without adding to the price would be nice.

 

[RS4-]

1155 Build 1
Intel i7 2600 1155 Quad Core (HT) 319.16
Patriot 12GB PC12800 PX7312G1600LLK 159
ATX 1155 DDR3 Asus P8Z68 Deluxe 282
AMD6970 or GTX570 365
1000W Silent Pro 171.75
Antec LanBoy Air Yellow 162.8
DVD RW 22.77
1TB Seagate SATA3 32MB 62.85
Total 1545.33

1155 Build 2
Intel i7 2600k 1155 Quad Core (HT) 339
Patriot 12GB PC12800 PX7312G1600LLK 159
EATX 1155 DDR3 Asus Maximus IV Extreme R3 388.22
AMD6970 or GTX570 365
1000W Silent Pro Gold 211.46
E-ATX CoolerMaster HAF X 189.78
DVD RW 22.77
1TB Seagate SATA3 32MB 62.85
Total 1738.08

1155 Build 3
Intel i7 2600k 1155 Quad Core (HT) 339
Patriot 12GB PC12800 PX7312G1600LLK 159
EATX 1155 DDR3 Asus Maximus IV Extreme R3 388.22
GTX580 522
1000W Silent Pro Gold 211.46
E-ATX CoolerMaster HAF X 189.78
DVD RW 22.77
HardDrive 1TB WD SATA3 32MB 67.27
Total 1899.5

Got some questions:
1) RAM - Go for the 12GB kit at 1600mhz or 8GB kit at 2400mhz? They're both around $160
2)Sockets - 1155 or 1366, 1366 is more future proof? Or do I go AMD? AMDs 2011 line-up isn't out yet?
3) Video - AMD6970 and gtx570 are pretty much the same price. What's best for performance and the least trouble for drivers and compatibility? Or do i go up to the 580, 590, 6990?

You can get 16GB for around the same price of what you're paying for the high speed 12GB set; especially since they've been on sale quite frequently at various Canadian sites. The ram speed won't really help you. If you catch any random sale you could easily get 4x4 for maybe as low as $160

I wouldn't really go for a 580 at this point. It's much easier to buy a GPU that is a step or two below the very top and upgrade every few years. Any particular reason why you'd want the Maximus IV motherboard? The money you can save from not getting that particular mobo and a 580 means you can spend the money on a SSD and another HDD for storage. You can also put it towards a BR burner if you'd like or just save it for whatever else that comes along like another monitor or other accessories.

 

[knitoe]

1) RAM - Go for the 12GB kit at 1600mhz or 8GB kit at 2400mhz? They're both around $160

Go 1155 socket since it's faster clock for clock faster. And, since it's dual channel, go 4, 8, or 16GB total ram. Memory speeds only seem to make a very slight difference on 1155. Sweet spot is 1600mhz.

2)Sockets - 1155 or 1366, 1366 is more future proof? Or do I go AMD? AMDs 2011 line-up isn't out yet?

1155 is newer. I would go with Asus 1155 Z68 pro or deluxe. 1366 is being replace soon. AMD's Bulldozer has been delayed and is suppose to be release sometime in the Fall. No benchmarks yet which makes you wonder. If I had to bet, doubtful it will be as fast as 1155 clock for clock.

3) Video - AMD6970 and gtx570 are pretty much the same price. What's best for performance and the least trouble for drivers and compatibility? Or do i go up to the 580, 590, 6990?

With 6970 or 570, it's a coin flip. What do you like more? Nvidia or AMD, Physx or eyefinity and so on. The best performance with the least trouble is GTX580. With 590 and 6990, you have to deal with SLI and CF issues.

And, definitely, get a SSD. Makes a huge difference in general overall performance.