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

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LordCanti said:
I would think that HDMI can do it (HDMI has a lot of bandwidth) but I can't be sure. Only one way to find out.

DVI definitely doesn't have audio though. It seems like the monitor will output via the green port on the back when HDMI audio is coming in, but I can't be sure without the monitor in front of me.
Click to expand...

my geforce GT210 in htpc did audio over DVI when utilizing a DVI->HDMI cable to my receiver ... not sure if my GTX480 does as well, but technically it's not strange since DVI has the same pins as HDMI

question will be if his Dell monitor decodes the audio from HDMI into 2 channel stereo :)

edit: incoming DVI on monitor won't have sound ofcourse :)
 
n0n44m said:
my geforce GT210 in htpc did audio over DVI when utilizing a DVI->HDMI cable to my receiver ... not sure if my GTX480 does as well, but technically it's not strange since DVI has the same pins as HDMI

question will be if his Dell monitor decodes the audio from HDMI into 2 channel stereo :)

edit: incoming DVI on monitor won't have sound ofcourse :)
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if it does. That is the one potential holdup, but since the headphone jack is there, I'd hope it would.

Using a DVI to HDMI cable with a video card, there would be audio (on cards that support it). Nothing outputting DVI (without the adapter) is going to send audio though (if that makes sense) because DVI ports generally don't accept audio.

Now my brain hurts, and I'm not sure if I've stated that coherently, but you guys know what I mean.

demigod said:
Zotac is cheaper 772 clock and 1544 shader 3gb. Asus is 816 clock and 1632 shader 1.5gb
1920x1080
Click to expand...

The 3gb model is cheaper? No reason not to go for it, because it's a more expensive card usually. As long as it has a decent warranty, and a decent rating on Newegg, go for it. You can OC it to Asus specs later easily.

How much cheaper are we talking? There is something to be said for the thermal and noise level of the Asus cards over the Zotac for sure. If it's a huge difference though, I see no reason not to go with the Zotac (other than Zotac not being the more well known brand).
 
demigod said:
Need a quick response plz, asus 1.5gb faster clock or zotac 3gb? For max settings and mmos
Click to expand...

multimonitor (dual or triple 1080p+) 3gb

single 2560*1440 monitor ... 3gb if you want lots of AA but that might need SLI for good framerates anyway

1080p or lower monitor 1.5gb
 
Boo for bottom of the page. Would like to bite on this today if it's worth it:

So I went with 4GB of this when I did the build... Looking to up it to 8GB. I see there is this going on right now as a shell shocker deal. I've heard them mentioned before, but don't remember the general consensus
Click to expand...
 
TommyT said:
Boo for bottom of the page. Would like to bite on this today if it's worth it:
Click to expand...

Second link shows sold out. Was a pretty good deal though. 8gb is so cheap (we see $40 or so all the time) that there really isn't a reason to spend $10 less and get 4gb.
 
About $25 cheaper, is the asus really quiet? My 295 gets loud and it doesnt stop unless i reboot, dont want that if thats what zotac is like
 
I know its a google search away, but I need some guidance. I havent stressed my GPUs yet until I tried the GTA4 ENB mod. Holy shit I thought my video cards were going to melt. Ive been afraid to open the game at all.

I really wanna do watercooling for the CPU and GPU, but all the talk of reservoirs and tubes etc makes me dizzy. Can anyone kindly generate a Newegg shopping list for me?

I guess the CPU is simple enough, Corsair Hydro series? Its the GPUs that I dont know about.

Anyways, fully expecting the "search google yourself you lazy bastard" reply, but if anyone DOES help, thanks!


EDIT: Go wild on the budget. Not too wild, but good quality is fine. My case is a Coolmaster Storm Sniper by the way.

EDIT 2: 2 GTX 580s for the GPU
 
demigod said:
About $25 cheaper, is the asus really quiet? My 295 gets loud and it doesnt stop unless i reboot, dont want that if thats what zotac is like
Click to expand...

Is the ASUS one of the triple slot models? If so, yeah, it is much quieter than the average 580. The standard coolers on the 580's are pretty loud. Not unbearably so like some past models, but still annoying as hell in my opinion.

If you'll never go over a single monitor, $25 isn't that much to pay for improved noise and heat levels.


JayDub said:
I know its a google search away, but I need some guidance. I havent stressed my GPUs yet until I tried the GTA4 ENB mod. Holy shit I thought my video cards were going to melt. Ive been afraid to open the game at all.

I really wanna do watercooling for the CPU and GPU, but all the talk of reservoirs and tubes etc makes me dizzy. Can anyone kindly generate a Newegg shopping list for me?

I guess the CPU is simple enough, Corsair Hydro series? Its the GPUs that I dont know about.

Anyways, fully expecting the "search google yourself you lazy bastard" reply, but if anyone DOES help, thanks!


EDIT: Go wild on the budget. Not too wild, but good quality is fine. My case is a Coolmaster Storm Sniper by the way.

EDIT 2: 2 GTX 580s for the GPU
Click to expand...


ENB mod does something to Nvidia cards to make them extremely hot. I forget what, but it's only an issue with that one game.

As for newegg shopping lists, the op has builds like that for you.

What specs does your current rig have?
 
Two questions:

1) Will a 850W PSU be enough for 580 sli?

2) Got a Asus P8Z68-V Pro - Intel Motherboard, 2500k and Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus for cooling. To what specs can I OC it? (I only use it for gaming, so will be on for around 6-8 hours a week)
 
LordCanti said:
Second link shows sold out. Was a pretty good deal though. 8gb is so cheap (we see $40 or so all the time) that there really isn't a reason to spend $10 less and get 4gb.
Click to expand...
BAH guess I should have just ordered :(
 
JayDub said:
I know its a google search away, but I need some guidance. I havent stressed my GPUs yet until I tried the GTA4 ENB mod. Holy shit I thought my video cards were going to melt. Ive been afraid to open the game at all.

I really wanna do watercooling for the CPU and GPU, but all the talk of reservoirs and tubes etc makes me dizzy. Can anyone kindly generate a Newegg shopping list for me?

I guess the CPU is simple enough, Corsair Hydro series? Its the GPUs that I dont know about.

Anyways, fully expecting the "search google yourself you lazy bastard" reply, but if anyone DOES help, thanks!


EDIT: Go wild on the budget. Not too wild, but good quality is fine. My case is a Coolmaster Storm Sniper by the way.

EDIT 2: 2 GTX 580s for the GPU
Click to expand...

a google search and a month worth of reading :)

don't do it if you get dizzy from reservoirs and tubes.

Just buy a Corsair H100 for the CPU (some other fans maybe as the stock ones can be noisy) and 2 Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme Plus IIs for the 580s. Yes water cools much better, but the Accelero's work fine and are much easier to install/maintain. And they're cheaper ;)

do make sure you have good airflow in the case though. If stock cooling "makes it melt" it might indicate a fundamental lack of airflow :)
 
Twinduct said:
Two questions:

1) Will a 850W PSU be enough for 580 sli?

2) Got a Asus P8Z68-V Pro - Intel Motherboard, 2500k and Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus for cooling. To what specs can I OC it? (I only use it for gaming, so will be on for around 6-8 hours a week)
Click to expand...

1. What brand/model number? It really does depend.


2. 4.5 or so.

Branson said:
So people were suggesting in the bf3 specs thread to wait on upgrading till next year when new gpus and ivy bridge comes out. I was planning on getting a 2600k i7 and 580gtx for my new computer I was going to build. Should I wait?
Click to expand...

What are your current specs? CPU aside (a 2500k or 2600k is more than enough for BF3), GPU's will always decrease in price as the generation goes on. What you have now will determine whether or not upgrading now is a good idea.
 
So people were suggesting in the bf3 specs thread to wait on upgrading till next year when new gpus and ivy bridge comes out. I was planning on getting a 2600k i7 and 580gtx for my new computer I was going to build. Should I wait? I'm running a quadcore 2.4 ghz and 9800gt right now :/. I know it's not great but until recently I haven't really had much trouble with games running fine for me.
 
LordCanti said:
That PSU will do two 580's just fine. As for the OC...yep :D
Click to expand...

Nice! Will upgrade in nov. (Just need a new PSU + second 580). No point in doing the OC atm. Went from a Q6600 + 4Gb DDR2 to the 2500k + 8Gb DDR3. I did not expect THIS kind of boost in performance! I honestly though my CPU was still sufficient!

(I couldn't OC the Q6600 due to my shitty MB at the time)
 
n0n44m said:
a google search and a month worth of reading :)

don't do it if you get dizzy from reservoirs and tubes.

Just buy a Corsair H100 for the CPU (some other fans maybe as the stock ones can be noisy) and 2 Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme Plus IIs for the 580s. Yes water cools much better, but the Accelero's work fine and are much easier to install/maintain. And they're cheaper ;)

do make sure you have good airflow in the case though. If stock cooling "makes it melt" it might indicate a fundamental lack of airflow :)
Click to expand...

Oh man I saw pictures of your PC. It was beautiful. But no all-in-one-set ups for water cooling, huh? :( Commit or don't even try. /le sigh
 
JayDub said:
Oh man I saw pictures of your PC. It was beautiful. But no all-in-one-set ups for water cooling, huh? :( Commit or don't even try. /le sigh
Click to expand...

well not for GPUs anyway. (well there are but they are terrible)

Corsair H100 is the only all in 1 I would consider for CPU, else you're better off with a CM212/Mugen2or3/NoctuaDH14

there are some beginner kits for do it yourself watercooling by EK and XSPC, and if you're willing to install those yourself it shouldn't be that hard to add two GPU blocks to them.

but then you would need more radiator space probably, maybe a better pump, and before you know it you're reading and comparing anyway so you just might as well select all components yourself then ;)

I had a Mugen 2 / Accelero setup before and that is more than adequate in terms of cooling and silence. All the rest is just hobby :)
 
Twinduct said:
Nice! Will upgrade in nov. (Just need a new PSU + second 580). No point in doing the OC atm. Went from a Q6600 + 4Gb DDR2 to the 2500k + 8Gb DDR3. I did not expect THIS kind of boost in performance! I honestly though my CPU was still sufficient!

(I couldn't OC the Q6600 due to my shitty MB at the time)
Click to expand...
Crap I have the same thing current and you're making me doubt its capabilities =( :lol

Can someone explain to me the socket system? Not sure what I have.
 
I wouldn't mind updating my video card since it has been a few years and Skyrim is approaching, but I don't want to spend too much.

Current setup:
Q6600
8800 GT
4 gb ram

Would I see a noticeable difference with one of the cheaper geforce 500 series, less than a 100 preferably, or would my cpu be bottle necking any new video card?
 
Twinduct said:
1. http://www.takealot.com/electronics/corsair-tx850w-power-supply-850w,4250160 Corsair TX850W

2. geez that's like 1,2 GHz higher than stock
Click to expand...
LordCanti said:
That PSU will do two 580's just fine. As for the OC...yep :D
Click to expand...
Personally I wouldn't like to run dual 580's on a TX850.
While it can deliver a lot of power on the 12V, his current model is probably about 1 or 2 years old and it will be operating near max capacity (Under stressed load of course).
The TX isn't built as solid as the HX or AX and the price obviously reflects that. It's much better than average, but once you add in CPU overclocking (50W), and GPU overclocking (with voltage changes). You are getting scarily close to power output on it, and that's no good for you or the PSU imo.

If you have coin to drop on dual 580's, get a new PSU and sell your old one imo. It's not too expensive an upgrade.

If you intend to keep them running on your TX850W:
Don't run FURMark or another GPU loading program and Don't increase GPU voltage when overclocking

Remember, I'm the conservative person here :p
callmedave said:
I wouldn't mind updating my video card since it has been a few years and Skyrim is approaching, but I don't want to spend too much.

Current setup:
Q6600
8800 GT
4 gb ram

Would I see a noticeable difference with one of the cheaper geforce 500 series, less than a 100 preferably, or would my cpu be bottle necking any new video card?
Click to expand...
If you can find a GTX 460 (non SE) that is the best value for you, and you would see a nice bump. If you have not already done so, overclock your CPU to 3.0 or 3.2Ghz. It will help a great deal.
 
Hazaro said:
Personally I wouldn't like to run dual 580's on a TX850.
While it can deliver a lot of power on the 12V, his current model is probably about 1 or 2 years old and it will be operating near max capacity (Under stressed load of course).
The TX isn't built as solid as the HX or AX and the price obviously reflects that. It's much better than average, but once you add in CPU overclocking (50W), and GPU overclocking (with voltage changes). You are getting scarily close to power output on it, and that's no good for you or the PSU imo.

If you have coin to drop on dual 580's, get a new PSU and sell your old one imo. It's not too expensive an upgrade.

If you intend to keep them running on your TX850W:
Don't run FURMark or another GPU loading program and Don't increase GPU voltage when overclocking

Remember, I'm the conservative person here :p
Click to expand...

And God bless you for it, lol.

I googled to make sure others were actually running SLI 580 setups on that PSU in the wild, but I guess it would be cutting it closer if the PSU has aged. I'd risk it, but I know that type of risk might not be for everyone.
 
Sorry, to noob up the thread, but I'm in the market for a new computer. Originally I was looking at getting a Laptop (and I still might), my main concern was space, giving that I live in a dorm. However I want to look at all my options, my budget is in the 1500-1700 dollar region. I plan to use it for gaming, I don't expect to play BF3 at 60fps at Ultra settings, but do you think I could get High settings at 30 in this price range? Also worth noting I have no experience building a PC either.
 
Well I went with the 3gb Zotac, I figured I could live with the sound while gaming and also the Z68 board helps out by reverting to onboard while idle.


I'm having major problems trying to raid 0. Could I get a little hand here? The OS is on the SSD, i'm trying to raid 0 2 seagate 3TBs. In Bios i switched it to raid format and everytime it loads into windows 7 with SSD as boot, it crashes me and reboots. Any fix to this?
 
littleworm said:
Sorry, to noob up the thread, but I'm in the market for a new computer. Originally I was looking at getting a Laptop (and I still might), my main concern was space, giving that I live in a dorm. However I want to look at all my options, my budget is in the 1500-1700 dollar region. I plan to use it for gaming, I don't expect to play BF3 at 60fps at Ultra settings, but do you think I could get High settings at 30 in this price range? Also worth noting I have no experience building a PC either.
Click to expand...

Get a micro ATX board and a mid-tower case, and it should easily fit underneath your bed or something. With that budget, you could easily build a rig to get 30fps in BF3 on high. Check the OP for pre-made builds (just substitute a Micro-ATX board into the $1000 build, and you should be well on your way).

A laptop isn't a bad choice though, if you plan to use it in classes. I don't know what I'd do without mine.

Edit: I wrote mid-tower, when I meant micro-tower. A tower that only accepts micro-atx basically (some mid-towers are small enough that they only take micro-ATX, but you get the idea).
 
littleworm said:
Sorry, to noob up the thread, but I'm in the market for a new computer. Originally I was looking at getting a Laptop (and I still might), my main concern was space, giving that I live in a dorm. However I want to look at all my options, my budget is in the 1500-1700 dollar region. I plan to use it for gaming, I don't expect to play BF3 at 60fps at Ultra settings, but do you think I could get High settings at 30 in this price range? Also worth noting I have no experience building a PC either.
Click to expand...

Buy a cheap net-top for classes and library work, then put the balance towards a good desktop. Probably best to post the dimensions of the area where you want to put the PC in your room
 
LordCanti said:
1. What brand/model number? It really does depend.


2. 4.5 or so.



What are your current specs? CPU aside (a 2500k or 2600k is more than enough for BF3), GPU's will always decrease in price as the generation goes on. What you have now will determine whether or not upgrading now is a good idea.
Click to expand...

I edited my post. Its an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 @2.5 GHZ and a 9800GT.
 
I should of noted that I do have a laptop, for class work, so that's not a issue. As far as dimensions, I don't really know yet given I will have to move stuff around, the desk however they give us at school is complete shit for a PC, so I might look into getting a small desk to put in my room.
 
Branson said:
I edited my post. Its an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 @2.5 GHZ and a 9800GT.
Click to expand...

An upgrade to a 2500k and a GTX 580 would be enormous. If you can wait, by all means, but even going to a GTX 560 ti from a 9800GT would be a huge jump.
 
h3ro said:
I'd like to upgrade the ram in my old desktop, could you guys help me with what type of ram I require?

I have a Pentium D 2.8ghz processor running on Windows 7 32bit currently with 2GB of ram.

I'd like to move it up to 4GB of ram, but I'm not sure if I need DDR3 or DDR2 ram. Also, should I go for a single 4GB stick or 2 2GB sticks? (I currently have two 1GB sticks on the motherboard)

I'd appreciate any help. :)
Click to expand...

Anyone?
 
What does everyone do to their old graphics card when they upgrade? Do you sell it on ebay, return it to the retailer or something else entirely?

I'm looking upgrade my graphics cards, but don't know how to get some cash for them to go towards a new graphics card.
 
h3ro said:
Anyone?
Click to expand...

2x2gb. Chances are you've got DDR2, but check the label on the memory that is in the computer right now (or else download a program like CPU-Z and go to the memory tab)


RibbedHero said:
What does everyone do to their old graphics card when they upgrade? Do you sell it on ebay, return it to the retailer or something else entirely?

I'm looking upgrade my graphics cards, but don't know how to get some cash for them to go towards a new graphics card.
Click to expand...

Some sell them on forums or on ebay. Generally speaking, I just throw mine in a zip lock bag. I've got a 4850 and a 7900 GS floating around. I could get a couple bucks for the 4850, but it's not worth the effort.


TheExodu5 said:
I wouldn't put a cent into a Pentium D machine. You're really not going to see much improvement going up to 4GB of RAM.
Click to expand...

He'd see improvement if he goes over 2gb of RAM usage often (I hover around 6gb usage with Chrome open ;_;)
 
I wouldn't put a cent into a Pentium D machine. You're really not going to see much improvement going up to 4GB of RAM.

Modern CPUs are maybe what, 5-10x faster than the Pentium D? It's a very outdated piece of tech.

edit: yep

bench.png
 
Now that my laptop's kicked the bucket and I have a new bank account, I can order a new PC this week.

Basic Desktop Questions:
Your Current Specs: Well now that my laptop doesn't work, I'm using a fucking first-gen netbook. But my laptop had a 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo, 3 GB of RAM, 8600M GT graphics card, and installed Windows 7 32-bit
Budget: US - $550
Main Use: Gaming, general use, DVD/CD ripping & burning
Monitor Resolution: 21.5" 1080p
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Deus Ex: HR, Skyrim, Stalker: COP, JC2, DA:O, GTA IV
Are reusing any parts?: Nothing part of the computer
When will you build?: Very soon, no more than 2 weeks
Will you be overclocking?: Yes


Newegg
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=10569589

Micro Center
AMD Phenom II X4 965 + Gigabyte AM3+ mATX = $120
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler = $24
Tax = ~$8

Windows 7 Student Update Edition: $30

1. I want to use the free AMD motherboard deal on Micro Center because it's the only deal I can afford. Is the AM3+ motherboard fine for Bulldozer and overclocking?
2. I've heard horror stories how AMD cards don't work with OpenGL games and I want to play Riddick and IL-2 Sturmikov. Otherwise I will consider a GTX 460. Can I get 60 FPS in these games with a 6850 and newest drivers?
3. Which PSU is better: the Silverstone 520W in my wish list or this Antec 650W?
 
Sethos said:
I can recommend the latest nVidia Beta drivers, they really seem to stabilize the voltage which means straight-as-arrow lines and there's about 50mb less memory usage on average idle.

2EKHq.png


You can see the dip, that's where I installed the drivers, before was the old WHQL drivers and then it just stays steady and still does.
Click to expand...

Got a link to these drivers ?

I don't want to accidentally install the wrong ones .
 
Quick question. I just got an Asus DX soundcard. It needs to draw power from the PSU, but I don't have the necessary cable for that. What exactly is the cable I need to buy (a link would be most appreciated)? Here is a pic of the card:



The power connects at the top right. It is pretty small so something like a 4-pin molex doesn't fit
 
Niblet said:
Quick question. I just got an Asus DX soundcard. It needs to draw power from the PSU, but I don't have the necessary cable for that. What exactly is the cable I need to buy (a link would be most appreciated)? Here is a pic of the card:



The power connects at the top right. It is pretty small so something like a 4-pin molex doesn't fit
Click to expand...

Didn't the card come with a molex adapter? Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but that looks a bit like a floppy power connector.
 
Niblet said:
Quick question. I just got an Asus DX soundcard. It needs to draw power from the PSU, but I don't have the necessary cable for that. What exactly is the cable I need to buy (a link would be most appreciated)? Here is a pic of the card:

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

The power connects at the top right. It is pretty small so something like a 4-pin molex doesn't fit
Click to expand...
4-pin floppy power connector.
floppy-power.jpg


Most PSUs have at least one. If yours doesn't, just get a floppy power to molex adapter.
ASUS_XONAR-09.jpg
 
LordCanti said:
2x2gb. Chances are you've got DDR2, but check the label on the memory that is in the computer right now (or else download a program like CPU-Z and go to the memory tab)

He'd see improvement if he goes over 2gb of RAM usage often (I hover around 6gb usage with Chrome open ;_;)
Click to expand...
TheExodu5 said:
I wouldn't put a cent into a Pentium D machine. You're really not going to see much improvement going up to 4GB of RAM.

Modern CPUs are maybe what, 5-10x faster than the Pentium D? It's a very outdated piece of tech.

edit: yep

bench.png
Click to expand...

Yikes. Maybe I should hold off until I'm able to get a new desktop then. Thanks for the input, guys.
 
Niblet said:
Quick question. I just got an Asus DX soundcard. It needs to draw power from the PSU, but I don't have the necessary cable for that. What exactly is the cable I need to buy (a link would be most appreciated)? Here is a pic of the card:



The power connects at the top right. It is pretty small so something like a 4-pin molex doesn't fit
Click to expand...

never heard of a sound card needing to connect to a power supply.

what's the deal with that?


edit: i'm using a Creative X-Fi xtrememusic from about 5 years ago still, so i guess i'm a little behind the times with soundcards.
 
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