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

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Yeah GPU's are very different from CPU's when it comes to load temps. Radeons especially can get pretty hot, but they're built to endure (the cards have ridiculous max. load temperatures).

What fan% are you using when playing games?
 
mkenyon said:
Do you have a fan in that side panel? If not, you could add one, and make sure it's blowing on the GPU rather than exhausting.
nope, i will adjust right now. my fan are blowing air in from the front and bottom and exhaust out the rear and top.
 
fuzzyreactor said:
nope, i will adjust right now. my fan are blowing air in from the front and bottom and exhaust out the rear and top.
No no, I mean from the side panel. Keep the rest they way they are.

Cooler_Master_CM_690_Case_Quarter_Left_Side.jpg
 
I have a dilema. I need to decide between a i5-2500 and i5-2500k. The iGP is non-issue since I'm not going to use it.
The CPU is going to be used mainly for gaming. I'm pairing it with a heavily overclocked Nvidia 460 1gig.

Here is where it gets painfull in my decision making. There is currently a deal on Newegg that basically put the 2500 at 25$ cheaper then its big brother 2500k.
If I go with the 2500, I'll just use the included HSF and won't OC at all.
If I go with the 2500k, I'll have to buy an HSF for about 30$ more. Making the jump from 2500 to 2500k effectively 55$.

My question is, for a CPU that is around 200$, is it worth 55$ more for an increase of ~1Ghz gaming wise ? I don't want to pay 25% more for an increase of 1-2 FPS in day to day gaming.
 
Mareg said:
I have a dilema. I need to decide between a i5-2500 and i5-2500k. The iGP is non-issue since I'm not going to use it.
The CPU is going to be used mainly for gaming. I'm pairing it with a heavily overclocked Nvidia 460 1gig.

Here is where it gets painfull in my decision making. There is currently a deal on Newegg that basically put the 2500 at 25$ cheaper then its big brother 2500k.
If I go with the 2500, I'll just use the included HSF and won't OC at all.
If I go with the 2500k, I'll have to buy an HSF for about 30$ more. Making the jump from 2500 to 2500k effectively 55$.

My question is, for a CPU that is around 200$, is it worth 55$ more for an increase of ~1Ghz gaming wise ? I don't want to pay 25% more for an increase of 1-2 FPS in day to day gaming.

I say it's worth it if you're going to do PS2 and Wii emulation. Otherwise, the CPU is still very fast. The gap is even a little bigger, since you can drop down to an H67 motherboard if you go with the 2500.

Of course, a nicely overclocked 2500K could have a much longer lifespan. It really depends on how much CPU games are going to be demanding in the future. Currently, a stock clock Sandy Bridge is enough for anything. Two years down the road, you might wish you would have gotten the 2500K, or maybe you might just want to upgrade to a new CPU at that point.

Let's examine the current scenario for yesterday's build: the difference in between a 2.4GHz Q6600 and 3.4GHz Q6600 is pretty huge when it comes to playing modern games...but then again, it's reached the point where worthwhile upgrades from the Q6600 can be had for ~$350 (H67 + 2500 + DDR3 RAM).

It's your call.
 
Drazgul said:
Do take into account the better resale value of the 2500k, too.

Usually, I just give my old systems to the wife's family members. They tend to keep their system open 24/7 with limited air flow space so I usually undo every overclocking that was done prior to delivery.

My actually needing to buy new parts is exactly because my wife's mother system just died out on her. This gives me the opportunity to roll out my actual setup and upgrade without the wife raging :P
 
squicken said:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31541-windows-7-usb-dvd-download-tool.html

Once you get a hold of DVD drive, do yourself a favor and make a USB key with Win7 on it. So much faster, and all modern motherboards support it. Once Ivy Bridge gets here and we have native USB3 support, it will take like 3 minutes to install Windows.

Well, I just installed Win 7 from a USB stick to an SSD. It took 10 minutes from me pushing the power button to me being on the desktop. Holy shit.

Now I'm copying some files around and my god does this fly. Just doing the usual dreaded scramble to re-bookmark but it's all working lovely and it's so goddamn quick. Graphics driver reboot time!
 
mkenyon said:
That XMS3 is 1.65V RAM I believe. You want 1.5V RAM. Case is outdated and outclassed by a ton. If you want silent and understated, go with the Fractal. For a soundcard, grab a Xonar DG/DX/Whatever else you want, only if you're putting out to headphones. If you put out to a speaker system, reciever, or a headphone amp, it's a waste.
Swapped RAM for Corsair Vengeance™ DDR3 1600MHz 8GB CL9.

The Fractal R3 is less than I thought it'd be, and within budget.
If you don't mind, what makes it better? The P182 has been good and I'm not sure what could be improved upon to any significant enough degree to splurge on a new case.

I'm actually not sure I needed this soundcard to begin with. But I'll be dragging it along.
 
VibratingDonkey said:
Swapped RAM for Corsair Vengeance™ DDR3 1600MHz 8GB CL9.

The Fractal R3 is less than I thought it'd be, and within budget.
If you don't mind, what makes it better? The P182 has been good and I'm not sure what could be improved upon to any significant enough degree to splurge on a new case.

I'm actually not sure I needed this soundcard to begin with. But I'll be dragging it along.
Oh, I'm sorry, I must have not read your post correctly. If you already have them, don't worry too much about upgrading. But, the Fractal has amazing cable management which helps with keeping your case clean looking, free of dust, and lowers temps. The built in fan controller is also really nice. Overall build quality is a lot higher than Antec as well. That's not much of a concern if you're not moving around your case for LANs or constantly fiddling with the internals.
 
Quick question neogaf. In HWMonitor it shows my temps for each core (2500k) eg core #0 #1 #2 and #3 but the next column has a temp for 'Package'. Is this just an average? Doesnt seem so because the current, min and max temp value for 'package' is always the same as the hottest core...
 
So guys, I want to take advantage of Newegg's $29.99 deal on this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371031&Tpk=Antec%20NEO%20ECO%20620C%20620W

Is it a reliable/high quality PSU? In addition, here is the build I'll be pulling the trigger on this week, I've asked a few questions related to it (PC building newbie here):
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.95 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Biostar TZ68A+ ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Signature 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 6950 1GB Video Card ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 500W ATX12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($21.98 @ Newegg)


I won't run into any issues with compatibility by opting for the 620w PSU, correct?
 
Guerrillas in the Mist said:
Where are you getting your stuff from? I couldn't find the 2500k for anything less than £163, and the cheapest 570 I could find was £20 or so more than that.

Those prices are ex-vat. I'm using novatech.


Chinner said:
i should have said this, but the reason i'm actually telling him is because i have the exact same PSU and i thought i'd share my experience.

I have the r3 case, so i'll need an extension?
 
Final check before I pull the trigger. Let me know your thoughts:

CPU: i5 2500k (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072)
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128498&Tpk=GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3)
RAM: 2x4gb Corsair Vengeance (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233144)
GPU: Evga 560 ti superclocked (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130610)
PSU: Corsair TX650 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020)
HDD: Samsung f3 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185)
Cooling: Corsair H60 Water Cooler (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181015)
Case: Corsair 600T White (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139005)

Plus a DVD Burner. Also Windows + apps will be on a SSD I already have. Steam will go on the f3 due to size.
 
mkenyon said:
Oh, I'm sorry, I must have not read your post correctly. If you already have them, don't worry too much about upgrading. But, the Fractal has amazing cable management which helps with keeping your case clean looking, free of dust, and lowers temps. The built in fan controller is also really nice. Overall build quality is a lot higher than Antec as well. That's not much of a concern if you're not moving around your case for LANs or constantly fiddling with the internals.
Yeah, you have to tilt your head to read that darn italic text. :P

I'll keep the Fractal R3 in mind. Thanks for taking the time.
 
mkenyon said:
If you put out to a speaker system, reciever, or a headphone amp, it's a waste.

Can you elaborate? Only if it's an encoded type of sound and bitstreamed to the receiver/amp, it won't matter. For everything else, the quality of the sound card and its components should have an impact AFAIK.
 
sn1pes said:
Oh this is fantastic! I can keep my top 5-10 games on SSD with this.

Also, no one wants to give thumbs up or down on my build above?
Looks good. Love that case, posted mine a page or two back.

*edit* Could spring for the Corsair H80 or H100 as well, they're much better performers than the H60. H100 plugs right into the top of the 600T, pretty sweet setup.
 
cartman414 said:
I thought he was just talking about the install, not the boot.
He's saying make an SSD the bootable storage device to install windows FROM onto a second SSD that is the OS drive. Also, there's a deal on a 32GB SSD on newegg right now that I just bought because of the suggestion. I'm a bad man.
 
I'd say the "copying files" part of the installation is pretty much the only thing that really seems limited by the speed of the medium you are installing Windows from, and even that only takes about 3 minutes with a USB drive :p
 
mkenyon said:
Looks good. Love that case, posted mine a page or two back.

*edit* Could spring for the Corsair H80 or H100 as well, they're much better performers than the H60. H100 plugs right into the top of the 600T, pretty sweet setup.

Hmmm yea I did see that the 600T holds that baby right up top (the h100).

Newegg and Amazon are both out of stock, dang.
 
mkenyon said:
He's saying make an SSD the bootable storage device to install windows FROM onto a second SSD that is the OS drive. Also, there's a deal on a 32GB SSD on newegg right now that I just bought because of the suggestion. I'm a bad man.

Really, huh? Is that faster than a USB thumb drive?

ETA: Yeah, it probably is. Pretty sure the stats to prove it are out there.
 
ACE 1991 said:
So guys, I want to take advantage of Newegg's $29.99 deal on this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371031&Tpk=Antec%20NEO%20ECO%20620C%20620W

Is it a reliable/high quality PSU? In addition, here is the build I'll be pulling the trigger on this week, I've asked a few questions related to it (PC building newbie here):
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.95 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Biostar TZ68A+ ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Signature 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 6950 1GB Video Card ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 500W ATX12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($21.98 @ Newegg)


I won't run into any issues with compatibility by opting for the 620w PSU, correct?

any input? The sales end soon, I believe...
 
ACE 1991 said:
So guys, I want to take advantage of Newegg's $29.99 deal on this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371031&Tpk=Antec%20NEO%20ECO%20620C%20620W

Is it a reliable/high quality PSU? In addition, here is the build I'll be pulling the trigger on this week, I've asked a few questions related to it (PC building newbie here):
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.95 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Biostar TZ68A+ ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Signature 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 6950 1GB Video Card ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 500W ATX12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($21.98 @ Newegg)


I won't run into any issues with compatibility by opting for the 620w PSU, correct?
Looks fine. I'd suggest a 2GB card since they are only $10-$15 more.
The Neo Eco's are built well and if they don't have any noise or problems when you first set it up it should be fine.
sn1pes said:
Final check before I pull the trigger. Let me know your thoughts:

CPU: i5 2500k (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072)
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128498&Tpk=GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3)
RAM: 2x4gb Corsair Vengeance (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233144)
GPU: Evga 560 ti superclocked (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130610)
PSU: Corsair TX650 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020)
HDD: Samsung f3 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185)
Cooling: Corsair H60 Water Cooler (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181015)
Case: Corsair 600T White (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139005)

Plus a DVD Burner. Also Windows + apps will be on a SSD I already have. Steam will go on the f3 due to size.
Also looks fine. I'd get a 750W to allow dual cards, but if you have no interest whatsoever in ever running two the 650W is fine.
 
n0n44m said:
don't remember they had compression fittings back then :p those certainly help .... mine hasn't leaked yet anyway and no reason to assume it will =]

also there's the Corsair H100 which is an all-in-one system if you're just looking to get the CPU cooled, although I'd replace the fans on those.

(wouldn't even recommend a custom watercooling system if you're not doing the graphics card personally, as that gives the most heat and noise whereas a decent air heatsink can easily cool a 2600K).

Yeah I still remember just going to a hardware store and measuring out my tubing and using these plastic ties to tighten the tubes to the reservoir, pump and whatnot. I fit all of that in the case too, so I was constantly worrying about leakage without me knowing it until it was too late.

So the only part that's worth watercooling is the GPU? I want as quiet a setup as possible without compromising on the performance of the components.

Also, your computer is amazing. I think it can probably time travel.
 
ChiefKief said:
I wanted to show off this benchmark.. Pretty proud of this..

GG.jpg

I have a 1090T. A friend is borrowing it at the moment.. He gave me his X4 850 to use in the mean time. Heres the benchmark on it using 2 6950s in crossfire;

6080932659_ec3f68d55b_b.jpg


I'd like to compare my 1090T at 4GHz to see how the 580 compares to two 6950s.
 
Hey, ACE, are you still close to that Microcenter or did you end up leaving already?

__

Built my first PC last night with some (a lot) of help from another GAFfer. I'm so glad everything ended up working out on the second try. First time I hit the power button it ended up getting stuck and shut off. I just popped the front panel out, pushed the button back into place, and now it works great.

The DVD drive probably ended up being the hardest thing to put in. I ended up snapping my thumbnail off while trying to slide it in.

I still need to get a GPU and a better cooler for overclocking though.
 
Piling inconvenience on top of misery, my monitor finally kicked it a couple days ago. No more helping it limp along. Unfortunately, this is also a time when my wallet is extremely tight. But I also do not want to get a bad monitor on purpose. If I'm buying something, it'll at least serve my needs and last me. I've sold some games I own and I think I can manage to get $300 together for a new one.

I also need this thing to probably double as a HDTV for my 360/PS3. I'm well aware of the color gamut differences and I'm prepared to just put up with it. I don't have the luxury of getting a TV and an IPS monitor so I'm getting a two-fer.

GAF, I am practically in love with this piece of machinery right here:

Samsung P2770HD

I've used it before and it is practically everything I could want for the situation I'm in. Except that it is right now out of my limited price range. And no, the price range can't go up any time soon. I'm very firm on $300 after taxes and shipping and everything.

So what I need from you all: Can you help me find this monitor for less? Or can you help steer me to some other product that is just as nice that's within my price range?
 
keeblerdrow said:
Piling inconvenience on top of misery, my monitor finally kicked it a couple days ago. No more helping it limp along. Unfortunately, this is also a time when my wallet is extremely tight. But I also do not want to get a bad monitor on purpose. If I'm buying something, it'll at least serve my needs and last me. I've sold some games I own and I think I can manage to get $300 together for a new one.

I also need this thing to probably double as a HDTV for my 360/PS3. I'm well aware of the color gamut differences and I'm prepared to just put up with it. I don't have the luxury of getting a TV and an IPS monitor so I'm getting a two-fer.

GAF, I am practically in love with this piece of machinery right here:

Samsung P2770HD

I've used it before and it is practically everything I could want for the situation I'm in. Except that it is right now out of my limited price range. And no, the price range can't go up any time soon. I'm very firm on $300 after taxes and shipping and everything.

So what I need from you all: Can you help me find this monitor for less? Or can you help steer me to some other product that is just as nice that's within my price range?
You could avoid the shipping by picking it up at Costco or something for the same price. The $319 part probably isn't going to budge, but... have you considered selling your plasma?

Other than that, I too await budget-GAF's input. My olde CRT can't last forever.
 
keeblerdrow said:
Piling inconvenience on top of misery, my monitor finally kicked it a couple days ago. No more helping it limp along. Unfortunately, this is also a time when my wallet is extremely tight. But I also do not want to get a bad monitor on purpose. If I'm buying something, it'll at least serve my needs and last me. I've sold some games I own and I think I can manage to get $300 together for a new one.

I also need this thing to probably double as a HDTV for my 360/PS3. I'm well aware of the color gamut differences and I'm prepared to just put up with it. I don't have the luxury of getting a TV and an IPS monitor so I'm getting a two-fer.

GAF, I am practically in love with this piece of machinery right here:

Samsung P2770HD

I've used it before and it is practically everything I could want for the situation I'm in. Except that it is right now out of my limited price range. And no, the price range can't go up any time soon. I'm very firm on $300 after taxes and shipping and everything.

So what I need from you all: Can you help me find this monitor for less? Or can you help steer me to some other product that is just as nice that's within my price range?

Any reason you need it to be a HDTV rather than just a monitor? With a TV, you're paying for the tuners, etc. If you don't have cable, or if you only use set top boxes (basically, if you don't hook up a cable straight to your tv or use an antenna) you can just get a 27" monitor. If you want one with speakers, they have those, too.

Here's newegg's list of 27" monitors sorted from lowest price.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...20&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=20
 
Have you considered the 22/23 inch version of that monitor?

Or you might be able to find a Samsung T260HD for cheap, which is the older version of that monitor.
 
Deus Ex Machina said:
I have a 1090T. A friend is borrowing it at the moment.. He gave me his X4 850 to use in the mean time. Heres the benchmark on it using 2 6950s in crossfire;

6080932659_ec3f68d55b_b.jpg


I'd like to compare my 1090T at 4GHz to see how the 580 compares to two 6950s.

Mine is SLI 580's btw, but get it back! I'm down to see man
 
Okay... I know max wattage generally is misleading when it comes to PSU performance, but I just read a few minutes ago on another MB that this PSU

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151063

could handle a GTX 400-series card and an i5 2xxx CPU as long as there wasn't overclocking involved. Is this really true?

I almost considered looking at theIn Win BK-series cases as a result of reading that(their PSUs match that form factor). They're the smallest I've ever seen as far as mATX cases go, and the pictures seem to indicate they have clearance outside of requiring a short heatsink. But the lack of any real fans(or room for them) in the case itself was a bit too scary.

I understand that the Maximus IV Gene-Z has a sound card built in that's a shade above your average integrated audio. Is it good enough to forgo thinking about a discrete sound card?

Also, since I seem to only be asking question after question in this thread, I'd like to contribute a little by posting this case size chart from Techreaction.net. Very informative bundle of info on case dimensions and whether they will fit components like cpu heat sinks, graphics cards, etc. It doesn't seem to be complete, but it does still see updates and has a lot of popular cases inside already.
 
Alright, after reading the Deus Ex HR performance, I thought I'd need to finally update my comp. Ideally I'd like to just upgrade what I need to be good for a while, just not sure what it would be. So here goes:

Your Current Specs: Intel Core 2 duo E8500 @ 3.16 GHz / 4 GB RAM (not sure which type..) / Asus P5QE / ATI Radeon HD4850

Budget: whatever's necessary to have a good gaming comp that 's not necessarily the latest and greatest.

Main Use: Gaming mainly, have laptop for work.

Monitor Resolution: Have a 1680 X 1050 monitor for now, don't think I'm gonna change any time soon.

List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: latest stuff, deus ex HR, the witcher 2 and the games coming out this fall (Rage, Skyrim...).

Are reusing any parts?: If possible Corsair VX550W, Cooler master case, hdd and dvd rw.

When will you build?: whenever is a good time for an upgrade in the near future (as in not before a massive update)

Will you be overclocking?: No
 
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