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

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Inferno313 said:
So, I'm looking at pulling the trigger on the ~$1000 build soon enough. Does anyone have anything they'd change about that build now or is it good as is?
Click to expand...

Unless you have a microcenter nearby (and can take advantage of the $180 2500k + $40 off a compatible mobo deal), there isn't a whole lot I would change. You can save some money by going with a lesser PSU if you plan to never SLI (650w from the same brand, for instance).

Make sure you really need the 570 as well (the 560 ti is pretty capable at $100 less).
 
Ok I have found my first annoyance with PC gaming.

Switching the audio output for my headphones then to my speakers.

Is there a widget or a quickway to switch between audio coming out of my optical out and then to my speakers without resorting to a hotkey.

Something like a desktop widget ?
 
gibon3z said:
Ok I have found my first annoyance with PC gaming.

Switching the audio output for my headphones then to my speakers.

Is there a widget or a quickway to switch between audio coming out of my optical out and then to my speakers without resorting to a hotkey.

Something like a desktop widget ?
Click to expand...

You'll need to give a little more info on your setup here. You're using toslink for what exactly? And your headphones have what type of input jack connection? Most people's headphones/headsets can connect to the front panel headphone and mic jacks and the PC will recognize that without issue and automatically disable the rear panel connection. When unplugged, the speakers are then active.
 
Looks like my SSD crapped out, I got the Corsair brand. I had the Intel SMART response running. Got a blue screen of death, on boot it says NTLDR is missing. So I boot from the regular hard drive and all is good. Load-up the Intel software and it says the 60gig volume is unavailable....

It lasted about a month, good thing I had it built at a local shop. Going to take it in tomorrow and see what's up. Running without a SSD is soooo slow!
 
So quick question, I hope I get an answer here..

Alright I run crysis 2 perfectly fine, everything at ultra with sli gtx560ti's, and the high res texture pack and dx11 patch as well..

My problem has been that trying to connect my second gfx card to my 50 inch plasma Phillips tv results in my resolution having to be changed from 1900x1020 to a lower one (somethingX768? I can't quite remember right now) because the overscanning makes my windows toolbar to be cut off..

Now when I run crysis 2 it starts up as a black screen, and I can hear the game audio, but no visuals just a black screen.. And when I hit alt+enter it minimizes itself into windowed mode and now it runs perfectly like this..

Why can't I get this game to run fullscreen on my HDTV? And why won't my tv have a correct aspect ratio when I maximize the resolution in the settings without having an overscan?

My tv only does 1080i max, and has a max resolution of 1366x768 I think according to the tv specs, so I'm not sure if that would make a difference..
 
Question about how to best utilize an SSD - is it better to:

1) Use the SSD as the main HD and install my OS on it

OR

2) Use the SSD as a secondary to install Steam and my games onto it?

My main interest (and time spent) on the PC is gaming, so while quick boot-ups and all round fast operations in Win 7 would be cool, it's not as important as the effects on gaming.

As an alternative, would a 160GB (Intel 320 series) be enough to install both Win 7 and Steam (and several games) on it? Is it true that I also need to save around 15-20GB of space on the SSD free for optimal performance? Is this just space I leave free or is it actually necessary to partition the drive?

Thanks in advance!
 
ChiefKief said:
So quick question, I hope I get an answer here..

Alright I run crysis 2 perfectly fine, everything at ultra with sli gtx560ti's, and the high res texture pack and dx11 patch as well..

My problem has been that trying to connect my second gfx card to my 50 inch plasma Phillips tv results in my resolution having to be changed from 1900x1020 to a lower one (somethingX768? I can't quite remember right now) because the overscanning makes my windows toolbar to be cut off..

Now when I run crysis 2 it starts up as a black screen, and I can hear the game audio, but no visuals just a black screen.. And when I hit alt+enter it minimizes itself into windowed mode and now it runs perfectly like this..

Why can't I get this game to run fullscreen on my HDTV? And why won't my tv have a correct aspect ratio when I maximize the resolution in the settings without having an overscan?

My tv only does 1080i max, and has a max resolution of 1366x768 I think according to the tv specs, so I'm not sure if that would make a difference..
Click to expand...

You answered your own question. Your TV only supports 1366x768. Go into the Nvidia control panel, and set the resolution to 1366x768. Go into Crysis 2's settings, and set it to 1366x768. If that doesn't work, you need to find a "just scan" mode in your TV's settings, that will display the image produced by the video card, without stretching it in any way (in other words, one pixel coming from the video card, will translate to one pixel on the TV).

pirateben said:
Question about how to best utilize an SSD - is it better to:

1) Use the SSD as the main HD and install my OS on it

OR

2) Use the SSD as a secondary to install Steam and my games onto it?

My main interest (and time spent) on the PC is gaming, so while quick boot-ups and all round fast operations in Win 7 would be cool, it's not as important as the effects on gaming.

As an alternative, would a 160GB (Intel 320 series) be enough to install both Win 7 and Steam (and several games) on it? Is it true that I also need to save around 15-20GB of space on the SSD free for optimal performance? Is this just space I leave free or is it actually necessary to partition the drive?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

1 and 2. You can install the OS on it, and use it for steam games. No loss in performance will be seen, though you shouldn't fill the SSD to the brim (just like you wouldn't fill an HDD).

Yes 160gb should be enough for the OS and a bunch of games (most games are no bigger than 4-5gb. Some go up to 10, so you can imagine that you might fit ten or so games comfortably).

The drive will have pre-allocated space for garbage collection. You shouldn't need to save a huge chunk of space.
 
LordCanti said:
You answered your own question. Your TV only supports 1366x768. Go into the Nvidia control panel, and set the resolution to 1366x768. Go into Crysis 2's settings, and set it to 1366x768. If that doesn't work, you need to find a "just scan" mode in your TV's settings, that will display the image produced by the video card, without stretching it in any way (in other words, one pixel coming from the video card, will translate to one pixel on the TV).



1 and 2. You can install the OS on it, and use it for steam games. No loss in performance will be seen, though you shouldn't fill the SSD to the brim (just like you wouldn't fill an HDD).

Yes 160gb should be enough for the OS and a bunch of games (most games are no bigger than 4-5gb. Some go up to 10, so you can imagine that you might fit ten or so games comfortably).

The drive will have pre-allocated space for garbage collection. You shouldn't need to save a huge chunk of space.
Click to expand...
Even when both the tv and the game are at the Mac tv resolution, overscanning still happens, and the game still only works in windowed after I start it up..

I'm not exactly sure that my tv has that "just scan" option, but if you could tell me how to do it through the nvidia control panel, you'd be a sweetheart <3 nohomo
 
ChiefKief said:
Even when both the tv and the game are at the Mac tv resolution, overscanning still happens, and the game still only works in windowed after I start it up..

I'm not exactly sure that my tv has that "just scan" option, but if you could tell me how to do it through the nvidia control panel, you'd be a sweetheart <3 nohomo
Click to expand...

gmuec.png


Set that to "no scaling" and make sure your resolution is correct under "change resolution" on the left sidebar (1366xwhateveryousaid)

If it still doesn't work, the problem is likely on your TV's end. You'd have to check your manual to find the equivalent of a "just scan" mode.
 
Just ordered the rest of the parts for my pc build in 15 years, here is my rig:

2600k
MSI twin frozer 580
Asus P8Z68 pro motherboard
8 mb Gskill ripjaw 2x4
CM HAF 932
CM Silent pro 1000w
CM 212
1tb hdd
 
Jtrizzy said:
Just ordered the rest of the parts for my pc build in 15 years, here is my rig:

2600k
MSI twin frozer 580
Asus P8Z68 pro motherboard
8 mb Gskill ripjaw 2x4
CM HAF 932
CM Silent pro 1000w
CM 212
1tb hdd
Click to expand...

It looks almost too good. Don't you wanna get more modest parts for the CPU, GPU and the power supply unit in order to lower the price ? We might get more powerful GPUs down the road this year that could compete with the GTX 580 for a lower price and with better power efficiency. I think that getting a 560Ti in order to play flawlessly the next wave of games and then upgrade in December or February will make more sense economically.


By the way, which SSD would be the better one between the OCZ SSD Vertex 2 Extended Cap. 120GB, SATA-II and the Corsair Force3 120GB, SATA-3 ? There is a 20$ difference between both.
 
LordCanti said:
Unless you have a microcenter nearby (and can take advantage of the $180 2500k + $40 off a compatible mobo deal).
Click to expand...
Is that in-store or also online at Micro Center? I don't see the latter online, at least, they're all AMD deals and there is only three of them.

To anyone: is this a steal at $75? And a bit less with the 10 percent discount? I might pull the trigger on it tomorrow.

also:

Karmum said:
Making my purchases both Tuesday and Wednesday, and this is what I'm at right now.

CPU: i5 2500k ($189.99)
DVD: LG SuperMulti Drive ($19.96)
GPU: GTX 460 (169.99) - Actually cheaper overall (after factoring in shipping and tax) at Micro Center over Newegg.
PSU: XIGMATEK NRP-PC702 700W ($74.95)
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaw Series 8GB ($49.99)
Motherboard: Haven't locked one in yet.
HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB ($59.96)

Total: (with a motherboard I have factored in at the moment): $728.91. Also includes shipping and tax between MC, Newegg and Amazon.

With my computer case it's still under $800, which is what I want. Just need to decide on that motherboard.
Click to expand...
 
Finally overclocked my new system. I did a conservative but stable OC.

i5 2500k
MSI P67A-G65 board
8gigs Corsair Vengeance DDR1600
PNY GTX 460
Hyper 212+

The CPU I have at 4.2Ghz with a 1.25vcore and turbo boost off. Temps maxed at 60C Prime95 over ~3 hours.

The GPU I have at 800mhz with MSI afterburner. Temps maxed at 74C w/ 50% fan in Witcher 2 after ~3 hours of playing. I'll probably tweak the fan profile to keep it under 70C.

For benching I took a walk around Floatsam in Witcher 2 with default high, vsync off. I took the same path each time and the time spent was approximately the same. Not super scientific but a pretty good comparison.

CPU/GPU

Stock 3.3Ghz turbo/ stock 675mhz (not sure why the 0 min)
Min Max Avg
0 48 35.945

4.0Ghz / Stock 675mhz
Min Max Avg
31 51 38.684

4.2Ghz / Stock 675Mhz
Min Max Avg
32 51 37.605

4.2Ghz / 725Mhz
Min Max Avg
33 53 40.033

4.2Ghz / 751Mhz
Min Max Avg
34 54 40.637

4.2Ghz / 802Mhz
Min Max Avg
35 53 42.334

And for reference, with the stock i5 and a superclocked GTX 260 I had min 20, max 29. Pretty big improvements from overclocking.

What a chip though. Doing a 900mhz overclock like it's nothing. I'm not even stressing the system. I didn't get a single bad overclock.
 
God frigging damnit, garbage drivers.

Anybody know how to fix the nvidia 59 hz bug? edit : solution



Also is it easy to rollback 280.xx drivers to 270.xx?
 
Corky said:
Also is it easy to rollback 280.xx drivers to 270.xx?
Click to expand...

sure, all you need is a dwarf, a virgin pornstar and 50 grams of unobtainium ....

or you just go to add/remove programs, uninstall all Nvidia drivers, reboot and reinstall the 270.xx

hell you might even just be able to install them directly from 270.xx installer
 
Quick question. Does AHCI provide that much of a benefit for standard SATA hard drives?

I installed windows with it in IDE mode and am trying to decide if it's worth it to try to switch it to AHCI mode either through the registry trick or re-installing windows.

It seems a big bother though and if there isn't much in the way of real world performance benefits I'm not going to bother.

Registry trick I'm referring to:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/61869-ahci-enable-windows-7-vista.html

There's also this Microsoft Support article. Shows the same fix:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976
 
n0n44m said:
sure, all you need is a dwarf, a virgin pornstar and 50 grams of unobtainium ....

or you just go to add/remove programs, uninstall all Nvidia drivers, reboot and reinstall the 270.xx

hell you might even just be able to install them directly from 270.xx installer
Click to expand...

;D that was actually what I was referring to with my question. And I just tried it with the installer and it worked perfectly.
 
Does anyones graphics card make a whiny noise when its under load? A quick google says it might be normal. Only happens under load and I dont think its the fan cos the rpm is the same under load and with general pc usage. I'm RMA'ing it but wanted opinions. Its an asus gtx 580 direct cu ii. Or could it be the PSU (brand new antec 650w)?

(edit - with vsync on it doesnt happen, testing with minecraft)...
(edit edit - apparently its called 'coil whine' and most people say its the gpu, some say psu)

Really undecided if this is a fault.

Help!
 
Tonner Cyn said:
Any major differences between these two mobos?

GigaByte GA-Z68-D3-B3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128501&Tpk=GigaByte GA-Z68A-D3-B3

GigaByte GA-Z68A-D3H-B3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128502&Tpk=GigaByte GA-Z68A-D3H-B3

The first is about $20 less on the build I am looking at but I heard the second is a better board.
Click to expand...

The first one doesn't support integrated graphics effectively making it a P67 board. No Virtu as there is no iGPU support and the first is out of stock.


Tonner Cyn said:
If I am getting a 560 Ti, I don't really plan on switching. Do I need it?
Click to expand...

If you don't need it get a P67 board.
 
scogoth said:
The first one doesn't support integrated graphics effectively making it a P67 board. No Virtu as there is no iGPU support and the first is out of stock.
Click to expand...

Stock isn't so much an issue as I am buying my system from an online retailer. These are the two options I am looking at.
 
Hey there everyone! Totally cross-posting this from the Dolphin thread since I soon realized that this would belong here instead haha. Soo.. I kind of burned through my old laptop around the beginning of summer (A Dell XPS M1330) and saved up a good wad of cash to invest on a desktop.

I've never actually put a desktop together but my main goal is to build something that can handle running Dolphin pretty well as a Wii replacement of sorts. Or rather, I'm kind of settling on getting a system that can handle running Dolphin pretty swell ... and then go replay my PS2 RPGs via PCSX2.

I've scoured a couple youtube videos and am looking at several builds other people are running and ran to Newegg to shop for prices. I'm thinking of settling on this build but.. again, kinda going in blind since I've really never done this before. Here's what I got so far:

http://imgur.com/dNQb9

I'd like to atleast cap my spending at $1000, but I'm inching towards that already without settling on a case haha, any help?
 
scogoth said:
The first one doesn't support integrated graphics effectively making it a P67 board.
Click to expand...
Wait, so that board doesn't support SSD caching? I'm guessing it doesn't support quicksync if there's no integrated graphics.
 
So almost built my computer, would need some opinions about watercooling and PSU.
I was thinking of Corsair AX 750W (gonna be my 10 year plan on PSU) any opinions about this? Read some stuff online, and it seems it's quite good. So any opinions about this psu from PC-GAF?

As for watercooling, was considering Antec Kuhler 620 or 920. Which one would be more preferable?
 
Kenka said:
It looks almost too good. Don't you wanna get more modest parts for the CPU, GPU and the power supply unit in order to lower the price ? We might get more powerful GPUs down the road this year that could compete with the GTX 580 for a lower price and with better power efficiency. I think that getting a 560Ti in order to play flawlessly the next wave of games and then upgrade in December or February will make more sense economically.


By the way, which SSD would be the better one between the OCZ SSD Vertex 2 Extended Cap. 120GB, SATA-II and the Corsair Force3 120GB, SATA-3 ? There is a 20$ difference between both.
Click to expand...
I could have saved some money, yes. The build came out to $1,700, but that includes Windows, a wireless pci card, and a gaming mouse. My case just shipped seperately, hoping the other parts ship today as well and I can start building by Thursday.
 
Yaska said:
So almost built my computer, would need some opinions about watercooling and PSU.
I was thinking of Corsair AX 750W (gonna be my 10 year plan on PSU) any opinions about this? Read some stuff online, and it seems it's quite good. So any opinions about this psu from PC-GAF?

As for watercooling, was considering Antec Kuhler 620 or 920. Which one would be more preferable?
Click to expand...
920 is better since it has a bigger rad and includes a second fan for push/pull. I wouldn't spend that much on it though, it's not going to be significantly better than a good air cooler (assuming it's as good in the first place).

With those self-contained water coolers, either go small (H60 or Kuhler 620 will be about as good as air coolers of similar prices if you install it right), go huge (H100, 240mm rad w/ push/pull if you case has room), or go home (air cooling). Anything in between isn't really worth it from what I've seen.
 
The OP is godly in this thread, but my basic question:

Would that $600ish PC be capable of playing Skyrim on decent settings?
What of Fallout 3, NV, GTA games, and most "normal" releases from the last 3-ish years?

My desktop mobo died... and thinking of just buying a new PC.
 
Inferno313 said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130621

This 570 is $30 cheaper than the one in the OP. Is there much of a difference?
Click to expand...

One in the op has a custom cooler. It's quieter, and it runs cooler. As for performance, no, there really isn't a difference.


The Albatross said:
The OP is godly in this thread, but my basic question:

Would that $600ish PC be capable of playing Skyrim on decent settings?
What of Fallout 3, NV, GTA games, and most "normal" releases from the last 3-ish years?

My desktop mobo died... and thinking of just buying a new PC.
Click to expand...

It should do reasonably well. You'll never be able to turn all of the sliders to maximum at 1080p, but you should be able to dial in a great framerate, with still excellent visuals.
 
LordCanti said:
One in the op has a custom cooler. It's quieter, and it runs cooler. As for performance, no, there really isn't a difference.




It should do reasonably well. You'll never be able to turn all of the sliders to maximum at 1080p, but you should be able to dial in a great framerate, with still excellent visuals.
Click to expand...

Sweeet man. Thanks for the help.
 
I'm amazed at what the Sandy Bridge CPUs can do. I've never OCd a processor before, but it's so ridiculously noob friendly on these chips. I was *this* close to just saving the $10 and getting the plain 2500, figuring I'd never bother with an OC.

3 months ago I was scared to open my case beyond cleaning it out, and now I'm swapping motherboards and coolers and overclocking lol This thread's been a great help.
 
Here is that white edge/outline bug I was talking about that I suddenly have in dead space 2 and the witcher 2 :

deadspace22011-08-1522uk59.png


Anyone seen this before? Worth mentioning this only happens when I try to force supersampling and/or sparse grid supersampling.
 
I'm looking to build a pc next month and this thread has helped so much. I do have a question about monitors though. What sort of monitor am I looking for? I'm looking at monitor s that are 24-27 inch and under $400. Anyone suggestions? Thanks again! Its unreal how helpful people are in this topic.
 
Can anyone recommend a good SSD drive? Never had an SSD before so I have no clue what to look for.
I have an older system with SATA 3Gbps (no 6 :( ). Motherboard is the Gigabyte EX58-UD5. I only really intended to put win7 on it so it doesn't need to be massive.

Thanks.
 
Glassboy said:
I'm looking to build a pc next month and this thread has helped so much. I do have a question about monitors though. What sort of monitor am I looking for? I'm looking at monitor s that are 24-27 inch and under $400. Anyone suggestions? Thanks again! Its unreal how helpful people are in this topic.
Click to expand...
I know a few people that have this monitor and they say they love it. This ASUS is 24" (the minimum you listed) and only $200. But really, you should ask yourself what monitor you're looking for. Could always just specify on Newegg, if you haven't already.

This sucks, I'm going back and forth between motherboards, from MSI to ASUS and back. Glad I'm starting to order the parts tomorrow, so once that's ordered, there will be no stopping it.
 
BLU-82 said:
Can anyone recommend a good SSD drive? Never had an SSD before so I have no clue what to look for.
I have an older system with SATA 3Gbps (no 6 :( ). Motherboard is the Gigabyte EX58-UD5. I only really intended to put win7 on it so it doesn't need to be massive.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

If you get SATA 3.0 drive, the only real choice is an Intel 320. The thing is, it's not much cheaper than the 6.0 drives. If you plan on upgrading your motherboard in the next couple years, night as well get a 6.0 drive.

I'd recommend a Crucial M4. More reliable than Sandforce, good random 4k reads, and much cheaper than Intel. Just make sure you get a larger capacity drive ( > 64 ). Big performance hit on smaller sized drives. So:

If SATA 3.0 drive: Intel 320 80GB for $170

If SATA 6.0 drive: Crucial M4 120GB for $220
 
mm04 said:
You'll need to give a little more info on your setup here. You're using toslink for what exactly? And your headphones have what type of input jack connection? Most people's headphones/headsets can connect to the front panel headphone and mic jacks and the PC will recognize that without issue and automatically disable the rear panel connection. When unplugged, the speakers are then active.
Click to expand...

Toslink to my astro mix amp that is connected to my headset.

Then the monitor is connected via hdmi. Also what is a better connection for the monitor dvi or hdmi ?
 
gibon3z said:
Toslink to my astro mix amp that is connected to my headset.

Then the monitor is connected via hdmi. Also what is a better connection for the monitor dvi or hdmi ?
Click to expand...

Either or. HDMI will carry audio, DVI will not. No difference in visual quality.
 
garath said:
Finally overclocked my new system. I did a conservative but stable OC.

i5 2500k
MSI P67A-G65 board
8gigs Corsair Vengeance DDR1600
PNY GTX 460
Hyper 212+

The CPU I have at 4.2Ghz with a 1.25vcore and turbo boost off. Temps maxed at 60C Prime95 over ~3 hours.

The GPU I have at 800mhz with MSI afterburner. Temps maxed at 74C w/ 50% fan in Witcher 2 after ~3 hours of playing. I'll probably tweak the fan profile to keep it under 70C.

For benching I took a walk around Floatsam in Witcher 2 with default high, vsync off. I took the same path each time and the time spent was approximately the same. Not super scientific but a pretty good comparison.
.
Click to expand...

Wow, you've got nearly the exact same build as the one I'm putting together this week. My mobo is alsk an MSI, but a slightly different model, but exact same gpu, cpu, and cpu cooler. Also have 8gb of RAM, but a different brand.

Makes me excited, looks like your build is running very well. How stable is your 460 overclock? Would you consider going higher with the overclock? I'm considering tryi g to get mine to 850mhz, but I'll need to make sure it's well cooled, because it sounds like it runs pretty hot.
 
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