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[Saren is Bad]

Finished building my new PC today. What's the expected temps of a standard clock i5-2500K with a noctua dh-14 on it, I was seeing it around 30-35 but I expected it to be waaaay lower than that.

To be honest, idle temps mean jack titties.

 

[Tallshortman]

i5 instead of an i7?

Nice tips on the RAM. I had no idea it was that cheap (its been a long while since I specced out a new machine. Like before Doom 3 released).

On the audio front I only ask because I'm looking to output both audio and video via HDMI to my TV. My current PC video card can't do that without jumping through flaming hoops so I was hoping to get that taken care of from the get-go. I'd also like 5.1 output if at all possible, but I'm not sure how to guarantee this - and whether it requires a dedicated sound card or some kind of tweaking of the motherboard (crossover cabling).

On the monitor front I don't remember the exact resolution of my monitor at home, but I'm pretty sure its a 23 inch, 1920 x ???. And the HDTV is a 60 inch Bravia with 1080p native.

Thanks again for your advice, it definitely helps.

Current video cards output sound via HDMI and your motherboard should have an integrated sound card that can output 5.1. If you're not happy with the quality of the on board solution you can always jump for a cheap sound card, they're pretty well priced now. If you want absolutely no hassle and real quality 5.1 you may be better off getting a card honestly. I've heard people have some trouble fidgeting around with on board solutions to get 5.1 working.

From your previous post I had read it as you looking to buy a monitor but since you've clarified that you use a 1080p monitor and TV you're all set on that end.

Finally, I recommend the i5 simply because i7's are a bit overkill for games and are a good chunk more expensive. They are great for heavy multithreading applications like if you job includes working a lot with video and media but for gaming the i5 2600k is very good since they don't really require what the i7 excels at over the i5.

 

[Hazaro]

Conclusion

Here is a pretty in depth guide on how to unlock your card.

http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/overclocking/vidcard/159

If it is one of the new dual BIOS design cards the manufacturer may have their own instructions or software so check with them first.

Remember, the safest and recommended way to unlock your card is a 2GB reference or 2GB dual BIOS design card. The process is no that complicated if you get a compatible card. If you just want to overclock the 1GB is probably the better choice for you since it is also significantly cheaper on the site you're shopping on.

I know this is a bit long winded but hopefully this properly informs you before you make your choice.

I think people are now unlocking the shaders on their 6950's with their own BIOS vs flashing a 6970 BIOS.

Well, it's started. Ordered my first part for my build today:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231417

Will probably be ordering over the next few weeks. Haven't set in stone all the parts I'm looking for, and trying to shop around for good deals. That 8GB of RAM was on sale for $52, so I really couldn't resist (also because it comes with a USB drive, which I've been needing).

No turning back now.

Fantastic deal to grab these. The sniper set is my personal favorite looking set and they have the low profile heatsinks AND they support eSports.

Would anyone recommed any of these motherboards to be paired with an i5 2500k?

http://promotions.newegg.com/Intel/...romotions.newegg.com/Intel/073111/980x130.jpg

MSI
ASUS if you want to spend more money and know you need it.

Long Post Warning:
I've been trying to research GPUs hardcore, I will be buying at least one next week (If my PC isn't a pile of rubble from the PSU accident). I stumbled across a forum post with something about Phenom IIs bottlenecking most of the newer cards, especially in crossfire. I think they said it was something to do with the CPU/NB and that you could solve it by overclocking that or something. Anyways, I have the 925 at 3.6 ghz stable and haven't touched the CPU/NB because I don't want to break anything (Ironic, because I blew up my psu...).

Would this heavily bottleneck say, a 6950/6970 or two 6870s? If so, would overclocking the CPU/NB help to alleviate? And if that's a yes, any tips?

I realize I'm probably going to get bottlenecking on my current processor with most any card I put in, and I know for a fact I'll be moving up to Dozer when they drop, so, it's not a big deal if I can't do anything about it. I think I've come close to settling on the 6950, a reference if I can find one on Amazon (I have 80 bucks store credit!), would it be better to go with a single 6870 for now then crossfire in a few weeks? I'm at 1680 x 1050, occasionally at 1920 x 1080 when I hook up to the TV.

Thanks for any help, I know I'm needy when it comes to this thread. Eventually I hope I can help out as much as you guys have helped me.

Don't fret about it. A lot of bottlenecking is just for medium resolutions. If you are getting 80 FPS instead of 100FPS that may very well be true in SOME titles. HOWEVER, because of the use of the second card that 80FPS is irrelevant because you are forcing 8xAA and Very High settings and getting 70FPS.
The CPU bottleneck doesn't matter.

That is a rather poor example, but you basically don't have to worry about a CPU bottleneck in games unless it is an RTS.

 

[squicken]

So I'm trying to figure out my cooling setup. I don't overclock my CPU or GPU. I've got a couple 6950s I'll be installing next week when my new PSU gets in.

My case is a HAF922. Currently, there's a 120mm fan on top and in back for exhaust, and a 200mm fan in front for intake.

My mobo has 2 slots between the GPUs, so they won't be right on top of one another, but I still worry about keeping that top GPU cool. I've read so much about negative and positive pressure and turbulence I have no idea anymore if adding a side panel fan is a good idea or bad one.

Anyone with a similar setup? How do you take care of all that heat coming off the GPUs? Also, since I'm AMD, most heatsinks have to be oriented so air goes from down to up. Seems to me that drawing all that hot air off the GPUs and running it through the CPUs heatsink might not be the best idea? Thoughts on that? Corsair A50 is dirt cheat and would otherwise be a good replacement for the noisy stock cooler

btw I mentioned earlier that MSI didn't include a CrossfireX adapter in the box. I was an idiot. It was just nestled away a little in the foam.

 

[Laurentius]

Fantastic deal to grab these. The sniper set is my personal favorite looking set and they have the low profile heatsinks AND they support eSports.

Awesome, glad to hear some confirmation that I made a good choice. It was basically an impulse buy at that price, but the reviews were great and they had everything I needed. Plus, the 4GB of ram I was looking at previously were about $35-$40 I believe. Only ten or fifteen bucks or so for twice the RAM, and a USB stick thrown in.

MSI
ASUS if you want to spend more money and know you need it.

Thanks, I definitely don't want to spend that much, so the ASUS is out. The MSI looks pretty good, from what I can tell. Any downside to it being a Micro ATX?

Not sure if the $25 off is really worth it or not, though, if it's going to constrain me to four motherboard choices. I know I'm getting an i5 2500k, but I still need to do some more research on motherboards. It's probably the one area I'm most worried about, since I know how much it can affect your build, and I know so little about them. =/

 

[squicken]

Long Post Warning:
I've been trying to research GPUs hardcore, I will be buying at least one next week (If my PC isn't a pile of rubble from the PSU accident). I stumbled across a forum post with something about Phenom IIs bottlenecking most of the newer cards, especially in crossfire. I think they said it was something to do with the CPU/NB and that you could solve it by overclocking that or something. Anyways, I have the 925 at 3.6 ghz stable and haven't touched the CPU/NB because I don't want to break anything (Ironic, because I blew up my psu...).

Would this heavily bottleneck say, a 6950/6970 or two 6870s? If so, would overclocking the CPU/NB help to alleviate? And if that's a yes, any tips?

I realize I'm probably going to get bottlenecking on my current processor with most any card I put in, and I know for a fact I'll be moving up to Dozer when they drop, so, it's not a big deal if I can't do anything about it. I think I've come close to settling on the 6950, a reference if I can find one on Amazon (I have 80 bucks store credit!), would it be better to go with a single 6870 for now then crossfire in a few weeks? I'm at 1680 x 1050, occasionally at 1920 x 1080 when I hook up to the TV.

Thanks for any help, I know I'm needy when it comes to this thread. Eventually I hope I can help out as much as you guys have helped me.

Stock 6950s are like magic pixie unicorns at this point. Look in a different direction.

 

[Cptkrush]

Stock 6950s are like magic pixie unicorns at this point. Look in a different direction.

It's not a big deal if i an find a reference or not, IIRC there are people working on getting the newer cards going, and there's a dual bios sapphire card I've been eyeing just in case they figure it out.

 

[scogoth]

Decided I had enough of small 1st gen ssds and said fuck it. Bought 2x 240GB Vertex 3s. Everything seems more instant now that I can actually fit all my games on it.

 

[squicken]

It's not a big deal if i an find a reference or not, IIRC there are people working on getting the newer cards going, and there's a dual bios sapphire card I've been eyeing just in case they figure it out.

I was weighing all the choices you listed there. If the community can unlock other cards, that'd be great.

edit: wow at 2xV3. I toyed with RAIDing a couple of 128 M4s, but just couldn't feel a difference. But not having to worry about capacity would be pretty awesome. Can't wait for sub- $1/GB SSD.

 

[mkenyon]

Stupid Hyper 212. Thing sprang out while uninstalling it to replace it with a Venemous X. Bent like 15 pins on my 970. On top of that, I just lent out my secondary gaming rig to my buddy. Now, the question stands - do I order Sabertooth 1155 board and a 2500k, leaving me without games until sometime next week, or just grab a 970/975/980 from my LCS tomorrow? Damnit, this is a conundrum.

 

[scogoth]

Stupid Hyper 212. Thing sprang out while uninstalling it to replace it with a Venemous X. Bent like 15 pins on my 970. On top of that, I just lent out my secondary gaming rig to my buddy. Now, the question stands - do I order Sabertooth 1155 board and a 2500k, leaving me without games until sometime next week, or just grab a 970/975/980 from my LCS tomorrow? Damnit, this is a conundrum.

2500K you know you wanna

 

[Cptkrush]

2500K you know you wanna

Yep, I'd do the same thing if i were in his position.

 

[mkenyon]

Some pictures for your enjoyment. All taken from PDXLAN last weekend. ~550 members of the Master Race.

From corner to corner:

My favorite system there. This is at Sapphire's booth.

One of Sapphire's eyefinity displays. Played some Q3 on this, was amazing.

This inspired me to get modding on my 600T. Absolutely gorgeous.

At Gigabyte's booth. G1 Mobo is damn sexy.

Wonder Woman Mod. Case was really well executed for such a ostentatious theme.

Tron Lightcycle Mod

So much RAM. I don't even.....

 

[knitoe]

I don't believe wireless xbox controllers work on the PC since they use a proprietary signal.

I am using one on my PC. You just need to get the USB receiver. And, since Microsoft no longer makes them, you will have to buy cheap knockoffs, but from what it seems, they do work.

 

[RS4-]

Ugh, hook up my new monitor via HDMI on my 6950 and it instantly crashes/bsod. On restart, it'll crash again during the Windows loading screen.

Hrm.

Disabling the HDMI sound in the control panel for the GPU didn't help.

edit - nm, apparently there was an issue with the 11.6 drivers; going to update to 11.6b since it apparently fixes the bsod issue. Hopefully that works

 

[Gvaz]

Wireless 360 controllers are the best.

 

[Kadey]

You guys think a 60GB SSD is enough just for needed programs? I already have like 3TB combined amount of drives and another 2 coming for my new build but I need some input if it will help out with things.

And good news. Newegg has the fractal cases back in stock. Got one.

For my cooler I think I'm going with the Freezer Pro 13 LE or whatever.

Also I'm about to get the P67 Pro. I'll only overclock my 2600k to 4.0ghz so if I don't need the added features or whatever and I can get something for cheaper, any recommendations would be helpful.

The whole build probably won't be together for a little while as I'm checking out stuff all the time to see if I want this or that. Things can change.

 

[Broadbandito]

I tried playing UT3 and Just Cause 2 today. Both made my pc crash. I opened up my pc and took the video card out. holy shit was that thing hot. took it out, sprayed air at it. The fan literally is like diagonal and the fan gets caught on the metal around it. Is this thing caput?

its a HIS H487FN1GP Radeon HD 4870 1GB btw. the fan has 3 screws underneath. should i try to take it off?

 

[Hazaro]

Thanks, I definitely don't want to spend that much, so the ASUS is out. The MSI looks pretty good, from what I can tell. Any downside to it being a Micro ATX?

No PCI slots.

For same price(?) you can get the ASRock in the OP so its not a big deal.

You guys think a 60GB SSD is enough just for needed programs? I already have like 3TB combined amount of drives and another 2 coming for my new build but I need some input if it will help out with things.

And good news. Newegg has the fractal cases back in stock. Got one.

For my cooler I think I'm going with the Freezer Pro 13 LE or whatever.

Also I'm about to get the P67 Pro. I'll only overclock my 2600k to 4.0ghz so if I don't need the added features or whatever and I can get something for cheaper, any recommendations would be helpful.

The whole build probably won't be together for a little while as I'm checking out stuff all the time to see if I want this or that. Things can change.

60GB can be enough if you keep the big games to just 1 main one. You do want from free space on the drive at all times.

Pro is probably overkill, the ASRock Extreme 4 is a good board and is in the OP.

I tried playing UT3 and Just Cause 2 today. Both made my pc crash. I opened up my pc and took the video card out. holy shit was that thing hot. took it out, sprayed air at it. The fan literally is like diagonal and the fan gets caught on the metal around it. Is this thing caput?

its a HIS H487FN1GP Radeon HD 4870 1GB btw. the fan has 3 screws underneath. should i try to take it off?

A good cleaning should be fine unless the fan is actually hitting something.

 

[TimeKillr]

Okay so quick questions guys -

I'm looking to upgrade my PC. The thing is I only need to change my mobo/cpu/ram - I already have everything else (I have a GTX470, for example).

I'm sitting on a Core2Duo E8400 with 4 gigs of ram.

I was looking at boards and such, and I'm not sure if I should go with a P67 or a X58 solution.

Basically, P67 seems to be attractive for many things (2600K CPU comes to mind) but the X58 is a bit cheaper and I could easily get a i7 960.

My other dilemma is I absolutely need an optical out port on my motherboard. Sadly, this eliminates all the evga boards (I have no clue why they never include that, sigh) so I'll probably get an Asus board (though I'm unsure if those are still good or not).

I'm looking to get a good amount of ram (was probably going to go 12gb on a X58) so if you have ram suggestions I'd also take them (manufacturer, etc).

Thanks

 

[Hazaro]

P67 no question at all. No point in considering an older and dead socket.
G.Skill for RAM
ASRock Extreme 4 or 6

 

[Broadbandito]

No PCI slots.

For same price(?) you can get the ASRock in the OP so its not a big deal.

60GB can be enough if you keep the big games to just 1 main one. You do want from free space on the drive at all times.

Pro is probably overkill, the ASRock Extreme 4 is a good board and is in the OP.

A good cleaning should be fine unless the fan is actually hitting something.

it is. Ill spin the fan with my finger and it scrapes the metal siding.

when I spin the fan looking at the bottom the fan will be lifted like normal then when turned the fan is almost sitting on the bottom and thats when it is hitting things

 

[Hazaro]

it is. Ill spin the fan with my finger and it scrapes the metal siding.

I'd just sand some of the fan.

If you feel like spending money you can buy an aftermarket cooler.

 

[Laurentius]

Some pictures for your enjoyment. All taken from PDXLAN last weekend. ~550 members of the Master Race.

Wow, awesome stuff! Thanks for sharing. Got any more pics?

 

[Quicksilver4648]

And, since Microsoft no longer makes them, you will have to buy cheap knockoffs, but from what it seems, they do work.

I was at Best Buy the other day and I discovered something. Microsoft doesn't officially sell that USB peripheral adapters by themselves anymore, but you can buy a new controller that comes with the adapter in the box. I just searched for them on their website but apparently they don't list them online.

 

[Broadbandito]

I'd just sand some of the fan.

If you feel like spending money you can buy an aftermarket cooler.

Well, I was kind of thinking of upgrading the card soon. Might as well start thinking about that now. my system is still pretty decent

RAIDMAX SMILODON Case
GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Yorkfield 2.66GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor
MASSCOOL 8WA741 92mm Ball CPU Cooler
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (primary)
SAMSUNG EcoGreen F4 HD204UI 2TB SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (secondary)


I'd be willing to fork out like 250+ on a new card. Could you make some recommendations?

 

[Kadey]

This will be my build unless stuff changes.

G.Skill Sniper 16GB PC10666 Ram
Cosair PRo series HX650 Modular PSU
Samsung F4 2TB drive
Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 LE CPU Cooler
2x Samsung SATA CD/DVD Burner 22XDVD
OCZ Agility 2 SSD
Bytecc HD 3.5 Enclosure
Logisys cathode light kit
2x Asus VE228h LED Monitors
Asrock P67 Extreme 4 motherboard
Fractal R3 White case
Intel I7- 2600k
Windows 7 Home premium

I already have some of this stuff. And things that aren't on there like speakers, GPU, keyboard and mice, I already have.

It will only cost me $1600 including taxes and shipping factored in, etc.

I looked a comparable system and in many cases not as good, at Dell and it would cost me over $2800 for something similar.

 

[LordCanti]

I am using one on my PC. You just need to get the USB receiver. And, since Microsoft no longer makes them, you will have to buy cheap knockoffs, but from what it seems, they do work.

I went through this a month ago. People swore up and down that they just don't make the USB receiver anymore. Then I found this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QRKWKQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Basically they've stopped selling the receiver individually, but they'll gladly sell you one bundled with a controller you probably don't need.

Better to spend the extra $20 than to get a knockoff though.

 

[darthbob]

Some pictures for your enjoyment. All taken from PDXLAN last weekend. ~550 members of the Master Race.

Are you going to 18.5?

I am.

Spoiler

Last PDXLAN I went to was 6.

 

[mkenyon]

Probably not. Have a ton of stuff going on then. Probably 19 though.

 

[RS4-]

Need to upgrade speakers and buy a DAS keyboard or something.

 

[Tallshortman]

Well, I was kind of thinking of upgrading the card soon. Might as well start thinking about that now. my system is still pretty decent

RAIDMAX SMILODON Case
GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Yorkfield 2.66GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor
MASSCOOL 8WA741 92mm Ball CPU Cooler
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (primary)
SAMSUNG EcoGreen F4 HD204UI 2TB SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (secondary)


I'd be willing to fork out like 250+ on a new card. Could you make some recommendations?

6950 for $240-$260 or GTX 570 for $320ish.

 

[larvi]

So much RAM. I don't even.....

Is that one of these motherboards?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188070

 

[Xplatformer]

I plan on updating my rig once again at the end of the year , by getting a new motherboard along with a new processor . I don't plan on playing any modern games on ultra settings , except maybe for Metro 2033 (bought long time ago , still haven't played it) .

Thing is , I just don't want to buy a cheap card now , and have to upgrade again when I get my new processor .


IIRC , my current build is :
E8400
4GB RAM
HD 4850
gigabyte p35 ds4
Antec sonata III 500W

Hmmm....similar to my setup...

E8400 oc'd
4GB RAM
Sapphire 4870
Asus P5W DH Deluxe MB
Win 7 Enterprise


I've got a lot of thinking to do tomorrow. Bonus check arrives and I've got to decide whether or not I'm going to buy a Sapphire 6850 to replace my 4870 or not.

The monitor I use right now has a 1680x1050 native resolution, and the only thing I'll replace it with, in the foreseable future, will be a 32" 720p television set (which I'm replacing for Xmas).

So there are two native resolutions I will game with over the next 2 years on my PC. 1680x1050 OR 720p.

I'm pretty sure that not even Witcher 2 nor Battlefield 3 will tax 1680 or 720p with a 6850....and I don't think there will be a PC only game released over the next 2 years that will make me go...hmm...wish I had bought a more powerful and louder graphic card.

Depending on what resolution you game at, I'd consider the 6850 as a viable low cost option if you're planning to upgrade. It may even save you a lot of $$$ in the long run.

Low cost, low power draw, silent, low heat.... 6850.


Once the next generation consoles arrive in two years THEN you may want to consider a more powerful card and upgrade the other components in your system.

 

[Broadbandito]

6950 for $240-$260 or GTX 570 for $320ish.

can I use the 6950 in my mobo? I'm not really knowledgeable with pci express 2.1 vs 2.0. If the 6950 will work with my mobo I am looking at HIS IceQ X Turbo H695QNT2G2M Radeon HD 6950 2GB

 

[Tallshortman]

can I use the 6950 in my mobo? I'm not really knowledgeable with pci express 2.1 vs 2.0. If the 6950 will work with my mobo I am looking at HIS IceQ X Turbo H695QNT2G2M Radeon HD 6950 2GB

It's backwards compatible so you're fine with the PCIe 1.0 you have.

 

[Broadbandito]

It's backwards compatible so you're fine with the PCIe 1.0 you have.

Word. Think im gonna pull the trigger on it tomorrow.

 

[Smokey]

Need to upgrade speakers and buy a DAS keyboard or something.

What monitor is that again? IPS?

 

[RumblingRosco]

What monitor is that again? IPS?

Better yet, what wallpaper is that.

 

[TommyT]

First test run after everything was assembled. Old rig in the background. This was the aftermath of the boxes/packaging/work space from where I was building it.

Ignore the foot... :lol
Still not quite 100%. The CPU fan cable was kind of wonky and was resting on an area I wasn't too happy with, will be fine for now until I get a new heatsink+fan.

Prime95 testing gave me low 70's.

 

[Hazaro]

I'd be willing to fork out like 250+ on a new card. Could you make some recommendations?

PowerColor 6950 2GB. Got some nice fans on it. Think it's $260.
Also has a BIOS switch

This will be my build unless stuff changes.

G.Skill Sniper 16GB PC10666 Ram
Cosair PRo series HX650 Modular PSU
Samsung F4 2TB drive
Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 LE CPU Cooler
2x Samsung SATA CD/DVD Burner 22XDVD
OCZ Agility 2 SSD
Bytecc HD 3.5 Enclosure
Logisys cathode light kit
2x Asus VE228h LED Monitors
Asrock P67 Extreme 4 motherboard
Fractal R3 White case
Intel I7- 2600k
Windows 7 Home premium

I already have some of this stuff. And things that aren't on there like speakers, GPU, keyboard and mice, I already have.

It will only cost me $1600 including taxes and shipping factored in, etc.

I looked a comparable system and in many cases not as good, at Dell and it would cost me over $2800 for something similar.

Only thing I'd say is to bump to a HX 750 (if you want modular) or another 750W unit.
650W cuts it close on a lot of dual card setups.

First test run after everything was assembled. Old rig in the background. This was the aftermath of the boxes/packaging/work space from where I was building it.

Prime95 testing gave me low 70's.

Looks good!

 

[Mr Solo Dolo]

Silverstone Sugo SG05BB-450
Intel i5 2500 Sandy Bridge (or go for the 2500K for a few quid more then upgrade your motherboard down the line)
8GB Corsair XMS3 1600MHz (might as well buy the faster stuff, it's all the same price virtually and will future proof you a bit)
GeForce GTX 560 Titanium (whatever model you can find, I got an open box deal for £150 from ebay so keep an eye out)
Gigabyte GA-H67N-USB3-B3 motherboard (this will give you good performance while you wait for the Z68 mITX motherboards due later in the year or even next year assuming you go for the i5 2500K)

That lot takes you to £580 inc. VAT and delivery and that's just a quick look on Scan who aren't the cheapest, you can probably shave some off.

That just leaves storage: an SSD system/games drive and say 2TB standard drive with set you back say £100 and £50 respectively and then add an optical laptop drive for under £20 and you should be set!

This is basically the rig I have just built for myself although I went with a 500GB Momentus XT hybrid drive instead of the SSD system drive and I got the i5 2500K since it was only a few quid more than the standard version and I will be upgrading the motherboard once a Z68 mITX version is available. I get great performance from everything at 1080p with only really Metro 2033 and Crysis 2 DX11 dishing out a good beating when everything is maxed with antialiasing etc so I would wager more than enough to play BF3 at high settings adequately. It is also very quiet which is handy since it is my HTPC, media storage and gaming PC all in one box in my living room, I'm very happy with it.

FWIW you will pay a premium for such a small rig and make a few compromises, if you can get away with a Micro ATX form factor instead of mITX you can get more performance for your money at the expense of a bigger case of course. Hope some of this helps!

Thanks will have a look into those!

I would probably get away with a Micro ATX case, really i just need to keep the weight down as it will be going on a shelving unit.

Was that case you suggested easy to access and place the parts in, im guessing the PSU is stable enough?

I've got until October to make my mind up on which parts to get.

 

[Detox]

Thanks for all the help yesterday, I reseated the fan and now Prime 95 gives me around 60 degrees celsius. Not sure if that will keep increasing I kept it on for 2 mins but so far it has been much better than yesterdays 95 degrees. I had it like that (fan not properly installed) for a few months will there be any long term damage?

 

[sinxtanx]

It finally arrived! And believe it or not, I do not have a camera to document the occasion

i5 2500K
GTX 560Ti
8GB RAM
Cooler Master something something
and a bunch of other stuff

Just want to thank the people in this thread for helping me. Thanks!

Previously: Firefox takes one minute to start
Now: Firefox takes one second to start

I couldn't have been happier!

 

[Laurentius]

What's the easiest way to transfer data from one hard drive to another? Is it as simple as plugging it into a separate SATA port? Something tells me there must be more to it, since how would the mobo know which one to boot from?

 

[knitoe]

What's the easiest way to transfer data from one hard drive to another? Is it as simple as plugging it into a separate SATA port? Something tells me there must be more to it, since how would the mobo know which one to boot from?

Plug it in and select it as your boot drive in the bios.

 

[Appleman]

What's the easiest way to transfer data from one hard drive to another? Is it as simple as plugging it into a separate SATA port? Something tells me there must be more to it, since how would the mobo know which one to boot from?

Plug them both in and set the boot drive to whichever you like in the BIOS (or hold F8 on boot and select it)

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

Got my first SSD today, a Kingston 96GB V+100.

Not the fastest but for that price it was too hard to resist. It's so small! Can't wait to get W7 and a few games installed to see how much quicker it is than my shitty 5400rpm.

 

[Broadbandito]

PowerColor 6950 2GB. Got some nice fans on it. Think it's $260.
Also has a BIOS switch

Only thing I'd say is to bump to a HX 750 (if you want modular) or another 750W unit.
650W cuts it close on a lot of dual card setups.

Looks good!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161372
vs
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131393

Im kind of leaning towards the HIS. $10 cheaper and free dirt 3. Would the piwercolor be worth it over the HIS?

 

[Horsemama1956]

First test run after everything was assembled. Old rig in the background. This was the aftermath of the boxes/packaging/work space from where I was building it.




Ignore the foot... :lol
Still not quite 100%. The CPU fan cable was kind of wonky and was resting on an area I wasn't too happy with, will be fine for now until I get a new heatsink+fan.




Prime95 testing gave me low 70's.

There is a spot on the stock cooler that lets you wrap the wire around it(like it is when you open the CPU package) so you only have what you need to connect it to the header. You should be able to wrap it around counter clockwise and then have enough to plug it in.