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

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Wolf Akela said:
Assuming they're from the same "i" generation of Intel processors, they are compatible.
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Are i5 and i7 from the same generation? I'm trying to install an i5 2500 into an EVGA 131-GT-E767-TR motherboard.
 
ratcliffja said:
Are i5 and i7 from the same generation? I'm trying to install an i5 2500 into an EVGA 131-GT-E767-TR motherboard.
Click to expand...

that's not going to work :(

it's a socket 1366 motherboard, the i5 2500 is a socket 1155 processor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGA_1366

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGA_1155

so the motherboard needs a 1st generation i7 socket 1366 cpu, whereas the cpu needs a H67/P67/Z68 socket 1155 motherboard

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Core -> 2500 is a Sandy Bridge (2nd generation) i5 processor, whereas any socket 1366 cpu is a 1st generation Core i7 cpu
 
Can anybody recommend me a good 1680x1050 monitor that's at least 22"? I'm absolutely sick of the problems with the one I have right now and would like to just buy a new one already, but monitors are probably the computer part I know the least about. I don't care about 3D or anything like that; it just needs to look decently good.
 
Going back and forth on a 570 or a 560 Ti.

570 seems to only increase performance/framerates by, say, 15%? Anyone have any insight on this? 15% doesn't seem terribly worth $100+ to me :\
 
Mit- said:
Going back and forth on a 570 or a 560 Ti.

570 seems to only increase performance/framerates by, say, 15%? Anyone have any insight on this? 15% doesn't seem terribly worth $100+ to me :\
Click to expand...

If you're looking at it just from a price/performance standpoint the 560 Ti definitely wins. It's the better deal of those two so it's up to you if you think 7-10 more frames is worth the extra money.
 
Mit- said:
Going back and forth on a 570 or a 560 Ti.

570 seems to only increase performance/framerates by, say, 15%? Anyone have any insight on this? 15% doesn't seem terribly worth $100+ to me :\
Click to expand...

The stock 570 provides a ~20% increase in performance over the stock 560ti. It's ~30% more expensive so it isn't the best price to performance ratio. It would only be worth it if you wanted to take advantage of that 20% improvement.

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/...compare,2673.html?prod[4834]=on&prod[4833]=on

Personally I usually stick to the best price to performance card but the 570 is close enough to that magical 1:1 improvement that I would be tempted.

edit: That chart says GTX 560 and not the 560Ti, but I'm fairly certain it really is the Ti benchmarks. That's what I clicked on, checked it twice.
 
I am about to pull the trigger on this GAF:

KQY4L.png


Any thoughts?

I am going to reuse my graphics card and SSD.
 
My plan was do put those 2 1 tb drives in a raid1 and keep basically my steam folder on it.

Wont a 5900 RPM drive be a pretty big dip in performance?
 
Any chance of affordable Intel 6-cores with Ivy Bridge you think? Been eyeing a CPU upgrade as my E8500 can't even play some console ports without massive stutter, but don't want to repeat my mistake by getting "just" a quad now.

Also, SSDs: in general, would you recommend either Intel or Corsair over the other? I've looked at a few disks and Corsair list a much higher write rate than Intel disks at the same price. Stability would be the #1 priority of course though.
 
tjohn86 said:
My plan was do put those 2 1 tb drives in a raid1 and keep basically my steam folder on it.

Wont a 5900 RPM drive be a pretty big dip in performance?
Click to expand...
Oh derp I'm retarded. I didn't even see you had two and I didn't notice those were 5900. My bad.
 
Firebrand said:
Any chance of affordable Intel 6-cores with Ivy Bridge you think? Been eyeing a CPU upgrade as my E8500 can't even play some console ports without massive stutter, but don't want to repeat my mistake by getting "just" a quad now.

Also, SSDs: in general, would you recommend either Intel or Corsair over the other? I've looked at a few disks and Corsair list a much higher write rate than Intel disks at the same price. Stability would be the #1 priority of course though.
Click to expand...
Six core Ivy Bridge is plausible, but affordability is probably out of the question due to AMD dropping the ball. It probably would have been $250-$300 for six cores, but now I'd guess $300+ for sure. That's just a guess though, they may not see a need for a six-core CPU on their mainstream platform since they already have a performance advantage with four in most cases.

And unless Intel changes it's plans, 1155 motherboards will be compatible with Ivy Bridge so you have at least some sort of upgrade path. A minor feature cost (PCIe 3.0, native USB 3.0 ports) but it's not a big deal at all.

And the Crucial M4 SSD is also recommended, that's what people here seem to go for. Can't really recommend anything specific myself, I do have a 128GB M4 I got on sale a while back and will finally start using soon though :D
 
Caved a bought a GTX 580 Lightning. I've always been value conscious when it came to video cards but I said fuck it and splurged. Now I await the UPS man like he stole something from me.
 
So, I've been meaning to build myself a computer for a while now, but I've been putting it off for at least a year now. I have a feeling that I'll never get around to it. I guess the thought of actually building my own for the first time seems kind of daunting.

So...
I see this thing.

Intel i5 660 (dual core) CPU
-Intel Extreme DP55KG Motherboard
-Windows 7 64-bit (real, no pirate BS)
-Nvidia 550ti video card (supports dual-monitors)
-thermaltake 775w PSU
-8 GB RAM (2 4GB sticks)
-550GB Hard Drive (clean)
-optical drive for CD/DVD
-ethernet card
Click to expand...

A used computer, true, but it seems like a pretty good deal for $350. With a 775W PSU, I can easily replace some of the more outdated parts.

Any advice? Should I bite? I wanted a top-of-the-line gaming desktop, but I'd settle for a good one for now.
 
chaosblade said:
Six core Ivy Bridge is plausible, but affordability is probably out of the question due to AMD dropping the ball. It probably would have been $250-$300 for six cores, but now I'd guess $300+ for sure. That's just a guess though, they may not see a need for a six-core CPU on their mainstream platform since they already have a performance advantage with four in most cases.

And unless Intel changes it's plans, 1155 motherboards will be compatible with Ivy Bridge so you have at least some sort of upgrade path. A minor feature cost (PCIe 3.0, native USB 3.0 ports) but it's not a big deal at all.

And the Crucial M4 SSD is also recommended, that's what people here seem to go for. Can't really recommend anything specific myself, I do have a 128GB M4 I got on sale a while back and will finally start using soon though :D
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I see, thanks. Will look into the M4.
 
I'm trying to put together my machine, taking the usual safety precautions (earthing myself by touching the case before touching electronics etc). Even so, I swear I just heard a quiet crackle when I was screwing the motherboard in... I hope it was just my imagination :(
I bought my motherboard and processor from Scan, getting the ScanSure installation insurance, so even if I have already broken something I can get it replaced for free.
 
Flying_Phoenix said:
Is there a way I can built my own laptop from scratch?

Similar to how I do so with Newegg and a desktop?
Click to expand...

Not really. You can try and buy laptop parts but I don't know who would sell them.
 
PC parts arrived today!

Abo8qxWCEAAIivG.jpg:large


I put it all together, and it seems to work, but my Win 7 install disc hasn't been playing nice. I don't know if it's a hardware/driver issue, or if the disc I burned (I bought it with student discount from The Ultimate Steal, which gives you a key and an ISO) is corrupted.

It seems to get past the disc install bit now, reboots and shows "Completing installation", but last time it rebooted and corrupted it. Hoping it fares better this time.

Either way, just want to thank the fine folk of this thread for helping me decide on the GTX 560Ti for now. Hopefully I'll be gaming on it by this time tomorrow!

Edit: Nope, failed at the "Completing installation" stage again. Looks like something is wrong. *sigh*
 
Omikaru said:
PC parts arrived today!

I put it all together, and it seems to work, but my Win 7 install disc hasn't been playing nice. I don't know if it's a hardware/driver issue, or if the disc I burned (I bought it with student discount from The Ultimate Steal, which gives you a key and an ISO) is corrupted.

It seems to get past the disc install bit now, reboots and shows "Completing installation", but last time it rebooted and corrupted it. Hoping it fares better this time.

Either way, just want to thank the fine folk of this thread for helping me decide on the GTX 560Ti for now. Hopefully I'll be gaming on it by this time tomorrow!

Edit: Nope, failed at the "Completing installation" stage again. Looks like something is wrong. *sigh*
Click to expand...
Download and try another iso (google). Use your student key. If that still fails, could be hardware problem, start testing with the memory and HDD.
 
Omikaru said:
PC parts arrived today!

Abo8qxWCEAAIivG.jpg:large


I put it all together, and it seems to work, but my Win 7 install disc hasn't been playing nice. I don't know if it's a hardware/driver issue, or if the disc I burned (I bought it with student discount from The Ultimate Steal, which gives you a key and an ISO) is corrupted.

It seems to get past the disc install bit now, reboots and shows "Completing installation", but last time it rebooted and corrupted it. Hoping it fares better this time.

Either way, just want to thank the fine folk of this thread for helping me decide on the GTX 560Ti for now. Hopefully I'll be gaming on it by this time tomorrow!

Edit: Nope, failed at the "Completing installation" stage again. Looks like something is wrong. *sigh*
Click to expand...
Isn't that version an upgrade version? You might need a previous version of Windows installed...

Also, you have almost the exact same parts as me :P

UPDATE: Seems like the 'static shock' didn't break anything - it was probably between me and the case, not me and the motherboard. The incomplete system (I forgot to get a screwdriver to assemble it) works fine; just got a successful boot to the BIOS screen (don't have an OS to boot yet).
 
My logitech speakers, which I've had for about 6 months, are all of a sudden making a weird popping noise. I've checked all cabling etc. Does this mean the speakers have blown or something? They've always been fine up until now.
 
Wichu said:
Isn't that version an upgrade version? You might need a previous version of Windows installed...

Also, you have almost the exact same parts as me :P

UPDATE: Seems like the 'static shock' didn't break anything - it was probably between me and the case, not me and the motherboard. The incomplete system (I forgot to get a screwdriver to assemble it) works fine; just got a successful boot to the BIOS screen (don't have an OS to boot yet).
Click to expand...
You're right, it was an upgrade (and it was trying to install a 90 day trial). A friend who bought the same version of the OS troubleshooted it for me, and I did an upgrade from Vista. Works flawlessly now. Never worked out what the BSOD problem was during the old install, but it seems to have sorted itself out now so I'm not too fussed. Biggest case of user error I've ever had, actually. I'm a relatively experienced system builder, so I'm surprised I fell down that pit...

I think when I buy Windows 8, I'll get it fresh so I don't have to go through all this upgrade BS again.

Just installing updates on this thing now.

Edit: I should add to the point above about not being too fussed, I did run diagnostics on my machine with some of my dad's boot discs (he's a computer/network/IT technician -- not sure on his exact job title, but he has a robust set of toys), and all the hardware seems to be running as it should.
 
I'm planning to get into pc gaming early next year but I have no experience building a pc. Are there any dependable sites for getting one built?
 
elrechazao said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131781&Tpk=p8z68-v lx
Can I get an opinion on this mobo? I can get it at microcenter along with a 2600k for their 80 bucks off deal. I don't plan to SLI at any point. Also I assume this supports an SSD?
Click to expand...

Here's a post over at [H] where someone goes over the differences between that and the more expensive PRO version:

http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1037754286&postcount=6

It looks like a solid board to me if you plan to stick to a single GPU setup.
 
Gonna be slapping mine together tonight.
I've got a Win 7 Professional upgrade license.

I have to install with no key, then install on top of that (doing a quick format), right?
Or can I just install with no key then enter the key once I'm in Windows?
 
Mudkips said:
Gonna be slapping mine together tonight.
I've got a Win 7 Professional upgrade license.

I have to install with no key, then install on top of that (doing a quick format), right?
Or can I just install with no key then enter the key once I'm in Windows?
Click to expand...

there's a registry trick

do a google search on "windows 7 upgrade registry" ... winsupersite is down at the moment ?
 
Well after that stupid screw-up I mentioned before, I've updated my new PC to this:

Intel Core i7-950 Processor 3.06GHz 8 MB Cache Socket LGA1366
Corsair 6 GB PC3-12800 1600MHz 240-Pin DDR3 Core i7 Triple Channel Memory Kit CMX6GX3M3A1600C9
GAMMA Classic Series ATX Mid Tower Interior Steel Chassis (Black)
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler, RR-B10-212P-G1
Crucial 64 GB m4 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s CT064M4SSD2
Creative Labs SB0570L4 Sound Blaster Audigy SE Sound Card
Antec BP550 Plus 550W ATX12V V2.2 Modular Power Supply
EVGA 131-GT-E767-TR LGA1366/ Intel X58/ DDR3/ CrossFireX & 2-Way/3-Way SLI/ SATA3&USB3.0/ A&GbE/ ATX Motherboard
EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Superclocked 1024 MB GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 2DVI/Mini-HDMI SLI Ready Graphics Card, 01G-P3-1463-KR

Thoughts? I'm going to use my 1TB HDD and DVD drive from my old computer for now.
 
Mudkips said:
Gonna be slapping mine together tonight.
I've got a Win 7 Professional upgrade license.

I have to install with no key, then install on top of that (doing a quick format), right?
Or can I just install with no key then enter the key once I'm in Windows?
Click to expand...
I guess you could do the registry trick mentioned above, but if you got the time then do what I did and do a double install.

Install as you normally would for a fresh install. Don't try to register or input your key anywhere. Then install again but this time choose the upgrade option. Then register with your key and you should be all set.
 
Well I figured I'd share a couple pics of my first build completed. It was actually a pretty fun project. I tried my best to route and tie up the cables as best as I could. Still could use a little clean up I guess.
IMG_0091.jpg

IMG_0094.jpg

Finally got my drives set up, drivers and updates installed, ready to go. I was looking through the OP at all the test programs, I'm not really sure where to start though. What would you suggest and what should I look for when I run them?
 
So helping a friend do an "upgrade" of sorts to his older rig (technically it's mine but I sold it to him for almost nothing).

He currently has a

Phenom II X3 @ 3.6GHz (I gave him the mobo and CPU)
Gigabyte 870A UD-3
and a 4850.

He wants to upgrade and not sure on what route he should take.

He has $350 to spend, I personally told him to get a i5-2500k and mobo and then just buy a new GPU when he has the money for it.

But I think he's about to pull the trigger on a Phenom II X6 1055T and a 560Ti. I personally think the latter isn't the best move since the 4870 is still adequate and getting a X6 is more of a sideways move. But he has good taste in the 560Ti.

Opinions?
 
Angelus Errare said:
So helping a friend do an "upgrade" of sorts to his older rig (technically it's mine but I sold it to him for almost nothing).

He currently has a

Phenom II X3 @ 3.6GHz (I gave him the mobo and CPU)
Gigabyte 870A UD-3
and a 4850.

He wants to upgrade and not sure on what route he should take.

He has $350 to spend, I personally told him to get a i5-2500k and mobo and then just buy a new GPU when he has the money for it.

But I think he's about to pull the trigger on a Phenom II X6 1055T and a 560Ti. I personally think the latter isn't the best move since the 4870 is still adequate and getting a X6 is more of a sideways move. But he has good taste in the 560Ti.

Opinions?
Click to expand...

Right now it sounds like the biggest bottleneck in his system is the GPU by far. So I'd vote for the minor CPU bump and the 560Ti.
 
Wallach said:
Here's a post over at [H] where someone goes over the differences between that and the more expensive PRO version:

http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1037754286&postcount=6

It looks like a solid board to me if you plan to stick to a single GPU setup.
Click to expand...
Out of this information it looks like the LE has horrible sound issues going by the Newegg reviews but has access to front USB3.0 unlike the LX which is stuck with rear ports.

I will be using Logitech G930's for sound wirelessly so I am wondering if anyone with the Asus P8Z68-V LE could tell me how the sound quality is for them?
 
fdr7u9.jpg


ohhh yeaa!!! figures the UPS man was stupid late today. You guys think my HX850 could power 2 of these in SLI without any issues? I'm running a slightly overclocked i7 930 to 3.8 ghz
 
BigBlackGamer said:
fdr7u9.jpg


ohhh yeaa!!! figures the UPS was stupid late today. You guys think my HX850 could power 2 of these in SLI without any issues? I'm running a slightly overclocked i7 930 to 3.8 ghz
Click to expand...
Technically yes, but you are pushing it, especially if you are clocking high.
Don't run any GPU stress tests.
 
now that i built my mini monster computer my friend wants one too, any recommendations for a $700 build or just go with the OP $600 spec? thanks to all in advance ( i love you guys)
 
Karmum said:
Anyway I'm having a blank moment right now and the cable that came with my GTX 460 was for my monitor and the name of that cable is? I want to say DVI to VGA but I'm not 100 percent and I'm not going to order something I don't know for sure. I'll hit myself later if it's that and I forgot what it was called.
Click to expand...
I know it's a dumb question but I need an answer. I assume I can buy this stupid cable at RadioShack or something, I'd rather have it in my hands tomorrow instead of ordering it on Monoprice or something.
 
zulfate said:
now that i built my mini monster computer my friend wants one too, any recommendations for a $700 build or just go with the OP $600 spec? thanks to all in advance ( i love you guys)
Click to expand...
what case you use? any pics inside and out?
 
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