darkblade77
Member
chaosblade said:
Whoops! I meant this one:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001EZMEZO/?tag=neogaf0e-20
500 or 600; noticed they have a decent rebate going.
"I need a New PC!" 2011 Thread of reading the OP. Seriously. [Part 2]
- Thread starter Hazaro
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Whoops! I meant this one:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001EZMEZO/?tag=neogaf0e-20
500 or 600; noticed they have a decent rebate going.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
Don't know how reliable those are but I think I've seen a few people on here get those.darkblade77 said:
Two rails is better than three for load balancing and they offer bit more power for the combined rails (38.5 and 42 each). Looks like a better choice as long as it's reliable.
Chinner said:
I like my arctics.
http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/cooling/case-fans/394/arctic-f-pro-pwm.html?c=2183
drakesfortune
Directions: Pull String For Uninformed Rant
chaosblade said:
Windows update won't run in safe mode. Is there a way to install the updates without using windows update? That's probably a dumb question, but...
A question about this netbook: http://www.netbooklive.com/asus-eee-pc-1215b-review-8726/
It comes with 4GB of RAM but runs Windows 7 32-bit. Does that mean that some of the RAM is actually unused? The review says that part of it is actually shared with the graphics chip, which makes sense I suppose, but still, am I not wasting some of my RAM if I stick to a 32-bit OS?
Assuming the answer is "yes", does the 64-bit version require more hardware resources? Also, can I do a fresh install of an OS via a USB DVD-drive, or do I need an internal drive?
I'm basically debating whether to buy Windows 7 64-bit (this thing is not cheap) or not because otherwise I'm stuck with XP/7 32-bit on all my computers. One more thing: which edition should I buy? I'm not gonna do heavy use of all of Windows's functions, but I don't want a version that might at some point keep from performing an important modification in the future (whatever that might be).
Ultimate noobish question: what are the benefits/drawbacks of 64-bit over 32-bit (apart from maximum usable RAM)?
It comes with 4GB of RAM but runs Windows 7 32-bit. Does that mean that some of the RAM is actually unused? The review says that part of it is actually shared with the graphics chip, which makes sense I suppose, but still, am I not wasting some of my RAM if I stick to a 32-bit OS?
Assuming the answer is "yes", does the 64-bit version require more hardware resources? Also, can I do a fresh install of an OS via a USB DVD-drive, or do I need an internal drive?
I'm basically debating whether to buy Windows 7 64-bit (this thing is not cheap) or not because otherwise I'm stuck with XP/7 32-bit on all my computers. One more thing: which edition should I buy? I'm not gonna do heavy use of all of Windows's functions, but I don't want a version that might at some point keep from performing an important modification in the future (whatever that might be).
Ultimate noobish question: what are the benefits/drawbacks of 64-bit over 32-bit (apart from maximum usable RAM)?
n0n44m said:I used this one before going HDMI
edit : looking around most other manufacturers only offer DD Live/DTS Connect on their more expensive cardsCreative apparently offers the DD Live as some sort of paid driver upgrade for some cards, haven't tested it though
Thanks.
Think I'm going to go with this sound card, unless someone can give me a reason not to:
http://www.asus.com/Multimedia/Audio_Cards/Xonar_DX/
Ok, my turn to build a gaming rig!
This is my current plan:
Motherboard:
ASUS P8Z68-V PRO Z68 S-1155 ATX
GFX card:
ASUS RADEON HD6950 2GB DCII GDDR5
CPU cooler:
COOLIT ECO ALC LIQUID
RAM:
CORSAIR 8GB DDR3 XMS3 VENGEANCE
PSU:
CORSAIR AX 750W PROFESSIONAL SERIES MODULAR or
CORSAIR TX 650W V2 ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V PSU
SSD:
CORSAIR FORCE SERIES 3 2.5" 60GB SSD
Harddisk:
SAMSUNG SPINPOINT F3 1TB SATA/300 7200RPM
Tower:
FRACTAL DESIGN MIDITOWER DEFINE R3 BLACK
CPU:
INTEL CORE I5 2500K 3.30GHZ 6MB S-1155
DVD stuff:
SAMSUNG DVD±R/RW/RAM DL 22X IDE
I'm not sure about what PSU I should get, as the 650W is half price of the 750W. I want to run games like BF3 and Skyrim and good settings, and think of installing only the OS on the SSD, while the rest go on the TB harddisk. Also, any bad stuff here that should be changed with something better, or just a case of overkill compared to other components?
This is my current plan:
Motherboard:
ASUS P8Z68-V PRO Z68 S-1155 ATX
GFX card:
ASUS RADEON HD6950 2GB DCII GDDR5
CPU cooler:
COOLIT ECO ALC LIQUID
RAM:
CORSAIR 8GB DDR3 XMS3 VENGEANCE
PSU:
CORSAIR AX 750W PROFESSIONAL SERIES MODULAR or
CORSAIR TX 650W V2 ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V PSU
SSD:
CORSAIR FORCE SERIES 3 2.5" 60GB SSD
Harddisk:
SAMSUNG SPINPOINT F3 1TB SATA/300 7200RPM
Tower:
FRACTAL DESIGN MIDITOWER DEFINE R3 BLACK
CPU:
INTEL CORE I5 2500K 3.30GHZ 6MB S-1155
DVD stuff:
SAMSUNG DVD±R/RW/RAM DL 22X IDE
I'm not sure about what PSU I should get, as the 650W is half price of the 750W. I want to run games like BF3 and Skyrim and good settings, and think of installing only the OS on the SSD, while the rest go on the TB harddisk. Also, any bad stuff here that should be changed with something better, or just a case of overkill compared to other components?
Even a cheap sound card makes a difference. I bought the Asus Xonar thingy. Noticed my sound is much more vibrant and natural than without. I'm still using the same speakers from my old build.
http://i.imgur.com/REzi4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/REzi4.jpg
Mr Nightman
Banned
I have 32 bit with 4 gbs of ram, heres my usageKilrogg said:
You do get most of it but still having all of it usable would be nice. As for reinstalling, any external dvd drive should work, don't think it really matters. You can even create a windows install usb flash drive as well. 64 bit allows 64 bit cpu's run code and programs faster and more efficiently(correct me if im wrong guys lol). But honestly, if you are stuck with 32 bit, you'll still be fine
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
Kilrogg said:
64-bit files are a little bigger, and sometimes requirements will be a little higher (I think they are for Windows, not sure about other software). Software that takes advantage of 64-bit will be faster, file compression is one example where there are noticeable benefits. Most applications won't see much difference in the end though.
Most of the differences aren't going to be apparent to the user though, but the 64-bit architecture is a lot cleaner than x86 32 bit and by transitioning to 64-bit, you are helping move the development side forward. Windows 8 really shouldn't be publicly available in 32-bit form, but Microsoft probably won't feel confident enough to only release the 64-bit OS yet.
And Home Premium is fine, there aren't many benefits of getting Professional, unlike XP. The biggest is "XP mode," but that's intended for businesses running old and poorly written software that isn't compatible with Win7 even using it's compatibility settings.
For a netbook, I'd say you're fine with 32 bit since you're going to want all the available resources you can get, and that little difference spent on the 64 bit OS could make a difference.
Not sure I'd go with that cooler, you could get an air cooler for a similar price and it would probably perform better.Hellcrow said:
That one is very similar to my H50, and from my experience the H50 in push/pull + Athlon II x3 @ 3.5GHz ran hotter than my Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme + Phenom II 955 @ 3.5GHz.
And the 650W PSU is fine. The other one is from a higher end product line and is modular, which is the reason for the price difference.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
What are your options? Looks like front, side panel, and maybe bottom?Chinner said:
One bottom intake fan will help the most with the GPU, looks like you have a spot for one of those. That should push the air straight up to the GPU.
Then either front or side intake, probably a toss up. Front fan will kind of throw the air at the GPU and CPU, while the side fan position will blow the air over the top of the GPU and by the CPU.
Mr Nightman said:
Thanks.
chaosblade said:
Thanks a lot. There's another netbook I'm interested in that has a 1.6GHz dual core AMD E-350 processor with 7 Home Premium 64 bits, a Radeon 6310, a 7200rpm HDD and 2GB of DDR3 RAM that I can easily swap for 8gigs of ram for 50 (just because I can, RAM is so cheap). Do you still think this computer would be slow enough that a 32-bit version of Windows would allow for a significant gain in performance, or am I good to go with 64-bit + 8gigs?
About WiFi: is there any point in choosing an a/b/g/n module over a b/g/n module? The former only costs 13 more, but if there's really no use for WiFi a I don't want to waste any money.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
Unless you know you need the old a standard, you're fine with b/g/n. I don't know of anything that still uses a, it's legacy by this point.Kilrogg said:
And I think I'd trust whatever the manufacturer puts on the system. If they put a 64-bit OS on it, they are probably confident you won't see any issues.
chaosblade said:
Thank you again. This Lenovo X121e netbook is so close to being my dream netbook: matte screen, trackpoint (sweaty palms on a touchpad is a no-no), 64-bit and a 7200rpm HDD (and everything is swappable).
The 2 drawbacks are no USB 3.0 and a power brick that's bigger and less elegant than ASUS powerbricks. If it had those it'd have all I can realistically want on a netbook. I can get over those if it means I get a good HDD, a matte screen and can use all the RAM I want.
dangerbyrnes
Member
does anyone here have an opinion on CyberPower for buying a computer? i just don't think i can build my own computer (handicapped). i saw someone else on here said they were buying from them. i just want to know if they are trustworthy enough before buying a computer from them.
Think I'm caught in an upgrade spiral...
As I wrote earlier I have just upgraded to W7 64 Home Premium and a new gfx-card, Gigabyte Nvidia GTX460 1 gb.
I see that RAM is quite cheap. Will I gain anything by upgrading my 4gb to 8?
I have a Intel Core2Duo E 7500 2.93GHZ processor on a Asus P5Q Pro motherboard with 2x2 gb of Kingston ValueRam DDR 2 PC6400 CL5.
If I buy more memory, should I get the same brand, or is there something better?
As I wrote earlier I have just upgraded to W7 64 Home Premium and a new gfx-card, Gigabyte Nvidia GTX460 1 gb.
I see that RAM is quite cheap. Will I gain anything by upgrading my 4gb to 8?
I have a Intel Core2Duo E 7500 2.93GHZ processor on a Asus P5Q Pro motherboard with 2x2 gb of Kingston ValueRam DDR 2 PC6400 CL5.
If I buy more memory, should I get the same brand, or is there something better?
drhankmccoyphd
Member
I'm getting ready to install my new SSD. I've enabled AHCI on my mobo, it just appears that my SSD is connected to the same slave channel as my 500gb mechanical drive. Does this matter or should I move the SSD over to another port/channel?
Mr Nightman
Banned
I built my own as well(have muscular dystrophy), but walked my dad through the steps I couldn't do, and it worked great. Was both our first times toodangerbyrnes said:
Have you considered ncix.com? You pick out the components and pay them 50 bucks to assemble before shipping to you. They are based in canada, not sure if they ship to the us, anyone care to confirm this?
dangerbyrnes
Member
Mr Nightman said:I built my own as well(have muscular dystrophy), but walked my dad through the steps I couldn't do, and it worked great. Was both our first times too
Have you considered ncix.com? You pick out the components and pay them 50 bucks to assemble before shipping to you. They are based in canada, not sure if they ship to the us, anyone care to confirm this?
huh, i have the same thing (duchenne's to be exact).
anyway, that site seems to do the same thing as CyberPower, but after quickly putting in what im looking to get ncix looks more expensive (yes i did account for currency difference).
also thanks for replying.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
dangerbyrnes said:
NCIX is a better option than CyberPower. Particularly because they are cheaper, but I've also heard about some bad experiences with CyberPower.Mr Nightman said:I built my own as well(have muscular dystrophy), but walked my dad through the steps I couldn't do, and it worked great. Was both our first times too
Have you considered ncix.com? You pick out the components and pay them 50 bucks to assemble before shipping to you. They are based in canada, not sure if they ship to the us, anyone care to confirm this?
Edit: Odd that NCIX would cost more, I've always seen CP builds that had 100-$200 in markup.
NCIX does have a US branch, but last I heard they offered pretty limited options for components. They might have expanded some since though.
Mr Nightman
Banned
crazy I have duchennes as well, not a problem, always nice to have different options, but if cybers cheaper may as well go with them, not sure how they are, should be just fine thoughdangerbyrnes said:
dangerbyrnes
Member
chaosblade said:
yeah, i tried there us site. it's either down or doesn't exist anymore =/
does the Canadian branch ship to the U.S?
EDIT: just went through it again, pretty much the same price. major difference though: the cyber power build has a gtx 590, the ncix build has a gtx 580. (gtx 590 isn't even an option on ncix)
ncix: $1618 CAD
cyber power: $1635 CAD (converted)
(yes, my price range has changed considerably)
Rookje
Member
Sooo I bought a mobo from Newegg, installed it and it didn't boot. I had a suspicion the mobo was bad, so I bought the same one from Frys. It booted.
I returned the mobo to Newegg and they said the CPU pins were bent and couldn't be repaired, so they're sending it back to me.
What are my options now?
I returned the mobo to Newegg and they said the CPU pins were bent and couldn't be repaired, so they're sending it back to me.
What are my options now?
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
Obviously you return the Newegg mobo to Frys ;DRookje said:
But seriously, don't do that. Send it back to the manufacturer and they should repair it or send you another one as long as it's under warranty. Then you can hopefully return one of them.
Chinner said:
Chinner said:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=29820214#post29820214·feist· said:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=29820295#post29820295
Memory won't be a cost-effective upgrade for you, particularly with DDR2 being pricier than DDR3. Your CPU is holding you back far more than your RAM.Benedict said:
Since you have a good OC'ing motherboard, try getting up to 3.8-4.2GHz.
I've yet to come across a recent Thermaltake case that wasn't bettered by other brands at its price level. YMMV. The Level 10 GT has to be one of their best. Even then, at $250-280 worth of plastic and steel, there are numerous cases that match, or beat it, while costing less.darkblade77 said:
Assuming the build quality holds up, and the handle can sufficiently support a reasonable amount of weight, the Vulcan looks like it should be near the top of your list. Most decent bags, and carryalls should have some type of securing strap. Did you search for "lan bags?"
pedr0theli0n
Neo Member
saw this over at slickdeals and I'm pretty tempted
Coolermaster HAF 912 case with 500W PSU for $45 (after 2 $10 rebates)
The rebates dont exactly excite me, but it does seem like a pretty decent deal... I'm just not sure I'm ready to pull the trigger. In general I hear its better to wait and get all the components of your build at the same time. Is that what you guys would recommend, or has anyone here had luck buying a lot of their parts individually when they're on sale?
Also while I'm hear, another question I had was in regard to wi-fi... How do you get this? What I mean is what component of the computer typically would have this? My guess is either the mobo, or that you have to get some additional card for it. If that's the case I'm surprised by how many builds I see that don't have it included. Are a lot of you guys still using ethernet cables?
Coolermaster HAF 912 case with 500W PSU for $45 (after 2 $10 rebates)
The rebates dont exactly excite me, but it does seem like a pretty decent deal... I'm just not sure I'm ready to pull the trigger. In general I hear its better to wait and get all the components of your build at the same time. Is that what you guys would recommend, or has anyone here had luck buying a lot of their parts individually when they're on sale?
Also while I'm hear, another question I had was in regard to wi-fi... How do you get this? What I mean is what component of the computer typically would have this? My guess is either the mobo, or that you have to get some additional card for it. If that's the case I'm surprised by how many builds I see that don't have it included. Are a lot of you guys still using ethernet cables?
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
PSU is kind of weak. 30A on two rails, and it's not very efficient (higher electricity bill). Really cheap though, could run most single card systems. Only has one PCIe cable though.pedr0theli0n said:
It depends, I helped a friend (schmattakopf on this forum) pick out his parts and he got them over a period of a couple months, ended up with what would have been a $1000 build or so for under $800, IIRC.
There are issues. If you don't know what's coming up, you could buy a part on sale, but then a little while later new hardware comes out and the price drops. So you could have either gotten something better or possibly paid less by waiting. You also have to factor returns in. Lot of places (like Newegg) have a 30 day policy, and if you build your PC over a few months and have an issue when putting it together, you might be SOL if something doesn't work.
Some high end motherboards have it, but yeah, usually you buy a card. Most people building PCs for gaming will still use ethernet because it's more reliable.
So yeah...I think I'm fucked.
It started to thunder/lightning pretty bad near me so I was getting ready to shut down the computer when all of a sudden both the computer and monitor shut off. Now my monitor won't even turn on (no lights nothing) and my computer turns on for five seconds, then turns off, turns on for three seconds, turns off, then turns on and off and on and off repeatedly. Anyone have any clue what I might need to look at to fix this? Am I completely boned?
I would like to think it has something to do with my rooms power atm though. When I put my phone in there to charge and test out the power it would flicker between charging and not charging, so I thought there might not be enough power for these two things to run. The refrigerator in the other room still isn't on yet either. Yet my speakers, dac, ps3 and tv (though the latter two are on different outlets) still work. I tried my PC on the other outlets and the same result, which, sadly, leads me to think there's something wrong with the PC.
It started to thunder/lightning pretty bad near me so I was getting ready to shut down the computer when all of a sudden both the computer and monitor shut off. Now my monitor won't even turn on (no lights nothing) and my computer turns on for five seconds, then turns off, turns on for three seconds, turns off, then turns on and off and on and off repeatedly. Anyone have any clue what I might need to look at to fix this? Am I completely boned?
I would like to think it has something to do with my rooms power atm though. When I put my phone in there to charge and test out the power it would flicker between charging and not charging, so I thought there might not be enough power for these two things to run. The refrigerator in the other room still isn't on yet either. Yet my speakers, dac, ps3 and tv (though the latter two are on different outlets) still work. I tried my PC on the other outlets and the same result, which, sadly, leads me to think there's something wrong with the PC.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
Try moving it somewhere else and see if you get the same results. Did you have it plugged into a surge protector or UPS? If so you should be able to get reimbursed if they fried.Alucrid said:
If you have a quality PSU, it should take the blow if you get a power surge without damaging your other components. So assuming something is messed up, you might only have to replace that.
Edit: Yeah, looks like your power isn't stable. I'd say unplug anything that could be damaged (PCs, TVs, consoles, etc) and wait until things settle down.
childplease
Banned
So not happy with my Gpu right now.
Idles at 47-52 c. Under load its at 78c.
Will probably need to RMA hopefully the process is not long.
Idles at 47-52 c. Under load its at 78c.
Will probably need to RMA hopefully the process is not long.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
What GPU do you have? If it's a high end one those aren't bad temps.gibon3z said:
childplease
Banned
chaosblade said:
MSI twin forzr II 6950.
dangerbyrnes
Member
Alucrid said:
oh shit... that doesn't sound good at all. you don't keep your computer on a surge protector?
i had a flat panel TV just shut off, never to turn back on again due to a power surge. (i swear by surge protectors now) if you are lucky it might have just fried your power supply on the computer. your monitor might be dead too.
EDIT: oh, ok. you should probably check your circuit breaker to see if one of the boxes have overloaded. the pc not working in the other outlet is probably not good.
TurbulentTurtle
Member
Noob question, but from following a few PSU calculators online, I figured that a 400W PSU is good enough if I go for a GTX 560 Ti. What if I go for the MSI Twin Frozr II version, will I need to get something with a little more power, or can I just assume it drains the same amount of power as any other regular 560 Ti?
darkblade77
Member
·feist· said:
Okay, good to know.
Searching for "lan bags" got me a lot of hybrid carrying harnesses; I wasn't expecting that at first, so I kept glazing over them looking for something more akin to a duffel bag. I guess I had some misgivings about the partial exposure versus them being fully encased in some sort of lined bag, but they definitely beat/forego the need for a case handle if they're as secure as implied.
wandering goat
Member
gibon3z said:
If you're RMAing it for a replacement instead of a different model, I wouldn't say for sure that you'll get better temps. Usually if there's something wrong with the way the heatsink's attached, you'd be getting worse temperatures, and probably crashes. If the 78C is on a high-end game, that's not really that bad. Most likely, it could be cooler with a higher fan speed, but the auto profile isn't ramping it up higher because it's geared more for quietness and 78C isn't a problem for a GPU to handle.
If you are concerned about the temps though, before you give it back, try using MSI Afterburner and setting a custom fan curve. You can make the fan RPM ramp up sooner and thus cool the card more, though it'll be noisier.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
That sounds about right then. A reference 6950 will hit almost 90C during an OCCT or Furmark test. As mentioned above, you can play with the fan speeds in Afterburner and set that to your liking, but it's probably going to be louder.gibon3z said:
How is this build? Compatibility-checks?
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=12312169
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=12312169
MrBelmontvedere
Member
kinn said:
my personal experience with surround sound has been to ignore ("go to blazes") all the proprietary standards. that's after setting up an "approved" or whatever 7.1 channel system. ultimately decided on a good 4.1 setup. that's two sets of two speakers (front/rear) and a subwoofer.
spatial constraints factored in heavily here and might not apply to you personally, but in my experience the additional channels are a waste without a much larger volume of space to fill with sound. I'd say you need at least ~3 feet of space between your front and center channels for them to even begin to add something to the experience.
all IMO
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
Get some faster RAM. RAM speed generally doesn't mean much, but 1066 is as slow as it gets for DDR3. At least get 1333, that will rarely bottleneck you. 1600 never should outside of a few benchmark programs. 1333 RAM should be like $2 more or something.mlarine said:
Case isn't very good for the price, doesn't really offer any modern features and airflow on newer cases will probably be a step above that one. Check out the cases in the OP, particularly the HAF 912 and Shinobi since those seem to be where your price range is.
Looks fine other than that.
dangerbyrnes said:
I do. Good new everyone, THEY LIVE. I think it had something to the buildings power, not my own devices. Like, five minutes ago the monitor popped on, tried out my computer and it was golden, except that it was trying to boot from a floppy, so a quick bios change and bam. I'm back. Thank god...
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