It doesn't already have a top exhaust but a place is there for a 200mm. Just the two 120mm fans on front and back came with the case.
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"I need a New PC!" 2012 Thread. 22nm+28nm, Tri-Gate, and reading the OP. [Part 1]
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It doesn't already have a top exhaust but a place is there for a 200mm. Just the two 120mm fans on front and back came with the case.
canadian crowe
Member
Sorry if this post is redundant, but I'm looking at building the budget pc from the OP. I've been a console gamer, and I'm more than happy with XBOX 360 graphics. My only real requirement for a PC is that I'll be able to run games smoothly 3-4 years from now (on the lowest settings).
I'm sure I'll upgrade eventually, so when I do will I need to replace all the components of the PC?
Will I be able to run games decently for the next couple of years?
I'm sure I'll upgrade eventually, so when I do will I need to replace all the components of the PC?
Will I be able to run games decently for the next couple of years?
The Antec DF series is super outdated. Waaaaay overpriced compared to build quality and features. The Switch 810, while nice, is very much intended for watercooling. It's a great case if you are planning on lots of HDDs, XL-ATX/E-ATX mobo, and that sort of thing. You still can't beat either the CM-690II Advanced or the Fractal Arc Midi for the money if you aren't looking to spend a ton.
Most of the ones I've seen are around $20 so probably in that range.
Assuming you're just using the 1 on front and one in back, if you put a 200mm exhaust fan on top, that'll give the case negative airflow. The entire front of the case is a mesh. With negative airflow, air is going to be sucking in even without fans. Unless you're noticing odd temps, I wouldn't worry about it at all. Not having a side fan could affect GPU temps, but monitoring will quickly tell you how big an issue it is. If they're fine, don't worry about it.
I currently haver a CM 690 II Advanced and I really love it. It is, however, mid tower and I'm looking to buy a full tower case at this point. But I agree, the money I spent on the 690 II Advanced was very well spent.
That case actually looks really nice and isn't overly expensive. I also noticed that it has a white variant, which is awesome as I'd prefer a white case over a black one, so I might go with that. Let me know what you think of yours when you get it, it might push me over the edge to get that as opposed to some other cases I've seen since my post. Would there be any other recommendations anyone could make in terms of the components? I'm not too sure about CMs track record with power supplies, so I'm a bit iffy on that end.
I appreciate all suggestions and comments I've gotten so far btw, thanks a bunch guys!
Rickenslacker
Banned
I tried out the benchmarking stuff in MSI's Afterburner, which is based on Furmark. Everything checked out. I also tried Furmark, Uningine Heaven, and EVGA OC Scanner. That last one in particular pushed my card to the highest temp at 64 degrees, and I ran it for 2 hours, it also has a built in artifact scanner. Came out squeaky clean.
I also tried underclocking the card to reference settings since it's OC'd out of the box. While that reduced the intensity of the artifacting, it was still present.
So, I dunno what to do. Even if I go through RMAing it (I don't have a GPU to coast on, so this PC will effectively be dead weight for that time) I fear that they'll benchmark test it like I did and send it back to me unchanged thinking it's fine.
If I read that correctly, the hardware is RALink, which I consider bottom of the barrel.
If you need dual-band (i.e. 5 GHz band), then go for it as I haven't seen many desktop pci cards that are dual-band. There are many dual-band cards for USB wifi plug-ins and mini PCI-e (full height and half height) for laptops. From what I've read, 5 GHz is very short-range, so depending on your environment, it could be good or bad. If you live in a condo, town home, or apartment complex, then it's good. If you live in a single family home, then I would not bother with dual-band.
I think you asked your wireless question a few pages ago, and I responded with TP-Link and check your insides if I remember correctly.
I love my CM 690 II Adv. - but the one problem it has is it can't handle cards larger than 11.9"...which means you are SOL with bigger cards like the MSI Lightning GTX 580. I went with the NZXT Switch 810 because I will have like 15" of space LOL...
Will do. Send me a PM and when I get it setup I will reply.
BoobPhysics101
Banned
I recommend putting another fan in front and then either 2x 120mm on top or one 200mm as exhaust. If you can get one of those newegg specials on fans, I'd recommend upgrading the fans too if you're doing big OC's. I spent $25 ($5/ea) and bought 5 Scythe Kaze 1800 rpm fans and they made a big difference in noise (very quiet at lowest setting) while providing far more airflow. But if you're not OCing, stock fans are fine.
What are people's opinions on changing fans in a PSU? I've got a Cooler Master GX750 that I got from a friend for free. The reason he got rid of it is that it is really loud.
I was thinking - this can't possibly be too loud for me, I'm sure it will be fine. But you know what, it's pretty dang loud. I was wondering if I could get away with swapping the 120mm fan out with a quieter one. I'm comfortable with the work involved, resoldering and shrinkwrap and such. Opinions?
I was thinking - this can't possibly be too loud for me, I'm sure it will be fine. But you know what, it's pretty dang loud. I was wondering if I could get away with swapping the 120mm fan out with a quieter one. I'm comfortable with the work involved, resoldering and shrinkwrap and such. Opinions?
mattiewheels
And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
I've been checking tigerdirect for 6950s to drop below $200 (I have store credit), but lately the inventory dropped off like crazy. And still $250+. Does this mean good or bad things for that card?
It means AMD doesn't care and you'll buy a 7850.
It should go down to at least $220 though.
Yeah, that's the most expensive Atheros card that's offered from TP-Link.
I see a couple complaints although those are definitely router-related, not the card.
Own a number of TP-Link cards, and I have yet to have a problem. I've used Broadcom cards, RALink cards, Intel cards, and Atheros cards. I use a single-antenna wireless N TP-Link card on one desktop and a double-antenna TP-Link card on another setup.
What router do you have?
Side note: A lot of people who judge their cards through how many bars are doing it wrong. You have to judge it from network performance testing and what the router configuration status pages say about the signal.
Netgear WGT624v4
I checked the official page for it and didn't see any real data for performance with different devices.
Just finished making a build (i2500k) and after OCing to 4Ghz it's running really hot...at least hotter than it should (high 50s C). I've got and aftermarket cooler (Coolermaster Hyper N520 but I'm thinking more maybe needed. Currently i've got one case fan and obviously that's not enough. I've got enough space for at least 4 more fans but I feel like that'll be overkill. So I guess my question is, how many fans do you guys typically use?
Case here
Case here
Hero_of_the_Day
Member
Random question for anyone with Crysis 1. Just bought it for 10 bucks on Origin and am amazed at how fucking terrible it runs. 560 ti sli, 2500k @ 4.3, 8 gigs ram. At 1080p maxed out I'm only getting like 40 FPS. Can't really find any becnhmarks with 560's and the first Crysis, but I expected more. This game really hasn't aged well, nothing special looking any more to me.
Is that idle or under load? I assume idle? I have my 2500k @ 4.3GHz and I idle at about 40-43 degrees. Intake I have one big ass and two little fans on the side, out take is one big one on the top and a medium sized one on the back. I have the exact same fan you mentioned and this case.
Is that idle or under load? I assume idle? I have my 2500k @ 4.3GHz and I idle at about 40-43 degrees. Intake I have one big ass and two little fans on the side, out take is one big one on the top and a medium sized one on the back. I have the exact same fan you mentioned and this case.
Only available with custom firmware although I wouldn't do custom firmware on an old Atheros router (i.e. AR2xxx series) as I find the builds only suitable for client-bridges, not routing. The new dd-wrt builds for old Atheros routers are unusable via wifi.
The TP-Link you linked from Amazon should work great since you'll be pairing Atheros hardware together.
Yes, that's idle. Just turn it on this morning and it's at 46C (RealTemp). Going to pickup two more fans today and see what that does. I have a feeling that the air isn't moving.
Crysis was always about the mods. Not only did they make the game look better, but it also allowed it to run better. But it's been too long for me to remember what I used. And things have probably changed. Best to look through the Crysis thread (or post) to see what the latest recommendations are for it.
Bubble Metropolis
Member
I built my first computer using this thread about a month ago and it's gone wonderfully well aside from one minor problem:
I bought an SSD and an HHD, using the SSD to boot and the HDD mostly for Steam at the moment. This works fine when I'm at the computer; I've installed plenty of games and never had a problem. However, on the two occasions that I've left my computer on overnight or while I'm at work to install a game on Steam, I'll come back to be greeted by the boot screen stuck in a 'LOADING OPERATING SYSTEM...' loop.
After freaking out the first time this happened, I discovered that the boot sequence of the drives had somehow switched around on its own. This happened again last night and it was the same exact problem.
Does anyone have an idea as to why this is happening? I'm not sure why installing a program while idle should go any differently than installing something while I'm physically at the computerwhich has never caused anything unusual to occur.
I bought an SSD and an HHD, using the SSD to boot and the HDD mostly for Steam at the moment. This works fine when I'm at the computer; I've installed plenty of games and never had a problem. However, on the two occasions that I've left my computer on overnight or while I'm at work to install a game on Steam, I'll come back to be greeted by the boot screen stuck in a 'LOADING OPERATING SYSTEM...' loop.
After freaking out the first time this happened, I discovered that the boot sequence of the drives had somehow switched around on its own. This happened again last night and it was the same exact problem.
Does anyone have an idea as to why this is happening? I'm not sure why installing a program while idle should go any differently than installing something while I'm physically at the computerwhich has never caused anything unusual to occur.
How's the power in your area? I have noticed the same thing with my computer but it's usually when there is a surge or brown out. The comp shuts down the boot order is reset but no other settings were reset. It down happen very often so I never really investigated more.
If that's the case I'd try swapping which drive is plugged into which SATA port so that if it doesn't reset the boot order it still defaults to the order you desire.
Hey guys quick question, and I'm pretty sure I know the answer but wanted to see if there's other options.
Anyway my gf's mom wants to run a hdmi cable from here pc to the tv for netflix. She has a cheapo emachine that has no hdmi port and Intel graphics. I'm thinking a hd 6450 will do this just fine to get her the port and speed up rendering. I'm trying to keep it as cheap as I can. Any other card I should be looking at? She only plays fb games so gaming is not a issue.
Anyway my gf's mom wants to run a hdmi cable from here pc to the tv for netflix. She has a cheapo emachine that has no hdmi port and Intel graphics. I'm thinking a hd 6450 will do this just fine to get her the port and speed up rendering. I'm trying to keep it as cheap as I can. Any other card I should be looking at? She only plays fb games so gaming is not a issue.
MicroCenter has this deal where you can get a 2550K for 150.
How does the 2550K compare to the 2500K?
I looked at some reviews and its kinda mixed. Some say 2550Ks are actually bad 2500K that intel clocked higher. Also 2550Ks have no integrated graphics so a lot of MOBOs don't work for it.
Also how is the 2500K graphics? Can you play stuff like D3 and SC2 in decent settings? (PS3 like graphics at 1600 by 800)
How does the 2550K compare to the 2500K?
I looked at some reviews and its kinda mixed. Some say 2550Ks are actually bad 2500K that intel clocked higher. Also 2550Ks have no integrated graphics so a lot of MOBOs don't work for it.
Also how is the 2500K graphics? Can you play stuff like D3 and SC2 in decent settings? (PS3 like graphics at 1600 by 800)
Question about the FT-02 case. Since the motherboard is rotated 90 degrees pushing the hot air towards the top...for your CPU fan you'd pretty much have to set it as an exhaust? Otherwise if it's an intake it would be fighting against the warm air that's pushing out the case from the 3 180mm fans..?
This might be a bit premature to ask since I don't really plan to do this for a while, but I do have a few questions about eventually setting up an HTPC. I'm not sure yet if I want to build or just start out with a pre-built gaming rig and upgrade from there for a few years.
Current Specs: Intel Quad Core Q6600 2.4GHz / 3GB RAM (DDR2) / Dell XPS 420 Motherboard / AMD HD6850 1GB
Budget: Under $1500 / USA
Main Use: Gaming (5), 1080p Video Playback (5), Web Video Streaming (5), Emulation (4)
Monitor Resolution: a 1080p TVScreen
Most Demanding Games: The Witcher 2 (without ubersampling), Metro 2033, Crysis 2 DX11, Possibly games coming out for future consoles
When: Sometime in 2012, ideally by the end of summer, but possibly fall
Overclocking: No
My main questions are:
1) How hard/expensive is it to operate a mouse and keyboard on a couch?
2) How hard is it to operate Windows 7 sitting 10ft away from a TV screen?
3) How long can we expect to wait for Windows 8's Metro interface and Steam's Big Picture mode?
4)How good is the Alienware X51? How well does it take to upgrades? The insides of that thing look pretty tight, and I'm already having heat issues after upgrading the GPU of my current system.
5) How are future consoles gonna stack up to 2012 PCs really? I don't wanna get a PC now, and then have to upgrade already when the Xbox 720 and PS4 come out with Samaritan graphics or whatever.
I'll probably refer back to this post in a few months, but it can't hurt figuring some things out early.
Current Specs: Intel Quad Core Q6600 2.4GHz / 3GB RAM (DDR2) / Dell XPS 420 Motherboard / AMD HD6850 1GB
Budget: Under $1500 / USA
Main Use: Gaming (5), 1080p Video Playback (5), Web Video Streaming (5), Emulation (4)
Monitor Resolution: a 1080p TVScreen
Most Demanding Games: The Witcher 2 (without ubersampling), Metro 2033, Crysis 2 DX11, Possibly games coming out for future consoles
When: Sometime in 2012, ideally by the end of summer, but possibly fall
Overclocking: No
My main questions are:
1) How hard/expensive is it to operate a mouse and keyboard on a couch?
2) How hard is it to operate Windows 7 sitting 10ft away from a TV screen?
3) How long can we expect to wait for Windows 8's Metro interface and Steam's Big Picture mode?
4)How good is the Alienware X51? How well does it take to upgrades? The insides of that thing look pretty tight, and I'm already having heat issues after upgrading the GPU of my current system.
5) How are future consoles gonna stack up to 2012 PCs really? I don't wanna get a PC now, and then have to upgrade already when the Xbox 720 and PS4 come out with Samaritan graphics or whatever.
I'll probably refer back to this post in a few months, but it can't hurt figuring some things out early.
That should be fine, just make sure the processor and memory are up-to-the-job too (we don't know anything about the machine other than it's a crap eMachines).
Rand0m TAG
Member
quick question,
do solid state drives show significant improvements of a regular hard drive,
in other words, is it worth the investment? i currently have a 2tb harddrive, but was thinking of getting a 128gb ssd to boot windows off of.
do solid state drives show significant improvements of a regular hard drive,
in other words, is it worth the investment? i currently have a 2tb harddrive, but was thinking of getting a 128gb ssd to boot windows off of.
Celcius
°Temp. member
Yup, I used to own one and I can't think of any situation where you'd want the cpu fan as an intake.
Going from an HDD to an SSD for Windows/Programs is very much night and day. I had to briefly reinstall Windows to an HDD not long ago and the load times were torture after having used an SSD for approximately a year. I could never go back, frankly.
Edit: Grammar. :/
Rand0m TAG
Member
can you recommend me a good brand? or are they all the same?
Best that someone more informed field those questions. Unfortunately, I haven't kept up with the state of SSDs, and there had been some growing pains as the technology left infancy.
No, since a SSD never returns money. :|
It'll definitely make your computer experience snappier.
The two recommended on this board are the Crucial M4 and Samsung 830 drives.
Some people on here have taken a gamble on SandForce drives like the OCZ drives (i.e. Agility 3, Vertex 3) and Corsair Force drives. Other veterans are currently using Intel 320 and 510 drives with only a small handful experiencing problems.
I'm thinking of retiring my mechanical drive to a server for a SSD, but I still can't justify the price.
The Crucial M4 128GB was $150 on Amazon today.
This being the case (pun intended), the Switch is a great choice. I've almost bought it myself despite owning a 600T. But as previously noted in this thread, I have a case buying problem.
These reviews are absolutely fantastic and go over everything you could possibly think about with the case. Very very lengthy, but well worth the watch:
Switch 810
Shinobi XL
CM Storm Trooper
Also check out the 600T/650D. While technically mid-towers, they're huge.
I personally like the Shinobi XL due to the simplicity of design. There's a lot of moving plastic bits on the Switch. While really interesting and mostly functional, I'd worry about the longevity of some of them. The top cover for example, moves back and forth between allowing ventilation and being closed off. I don't even know why they would do that as you would always want to leave it open.
As per power supplies, if you want the absolute best, Seasonic and Corsair AX (rebranded seasonic X series) is the way to go.
I can't live without them now. Office computer, netbook, htpc, both gaming rigs all have them. SSDs and 120hz LCD monitors are probably the two most significant improvements for my computer experience over the past few years.
@Claviertekky Investment doesn't only mean returning money. I replaced all the office computer HDDs with SSDs as an investment. They substantially increase productivity. In this instance, he means will the money spent have a good return on enjoyment and productivity.
*edit*
Samsung 830, Crucial M4, Corsair Force GT are the only three I'd buy.
Rand0m TAG
Member
would a 120gb ssd be enough? im planning on just booting windows off of it and installing everything else on my hd
(i know it is enough just seems very little compared to 2tb)
(i know it is enough just seems very little compared to 2tb)
If you plan on just installing Windows and some programs on it, even, a 60GB SSD is enough. For games and media, you would need a larger.
I don't know why people use that word as a synonym for cost or purchase. You use that word when you talk about stocks or items that return money (e.g. real estate).
Just seems like it's pulled from a thesaurus to sound professional, but whatever.
knitoe is right.
Rand0m TAG
Member
i just couldnt think of a better word lol.
Sorry that you are target of this. I've just been seeing that word thrown around at deal sites, and it just bothers me.
I suppose the way investment can be used as the value of purchasing of the SSD is worth more than the value of money just sitting there.
Hm.
Check the back of your board, but with a P67 chipset, I would say no.
Z68 chipset brought that feature.
Rand0m TAG
Member
i dont think p67 has any.
GoingGreen
Banned
The 7850s should be out today right?
Bucket-o-roadkill
Member
Gaf, is Xigmatek Asgard Pro Chassis a decent case? Yay or nay?
Yes. You can either set it as exhaust, in the 120 fan slot at the top of the case, or as intake right above the AP181s (or in place of a removed AP181).
This can be very problematic, if you don't properly select a suitable replacement fan. One that will spin up at similar minimum voltage/RPM as the stock fan, for instance (among other considerations). That's often a bigger issue than the workmanship involved.
My only issue with NZXTs at the upper end of their price range, is that while they tend to offer nice features, the company would do well to improve build quality, and material choices.
I can understand why you'd be interested in the Cosmos II, but most users are well served with large enclosures in the sub-$250 bracket; particularly ~$120-180. $350+ gets you into mainstream, and boutique choices, that may have features you'll never use, or need. Have you tried the OP selections? First, something like the Antec P280, or Corsair 600T could work for you. They're listed as mids, but are effectively full-towers. Stay away from Corsair 650D. Overpriced since launch, and unless you are in love with its looks, you can find same/better space, features, quality elsewhere for similar price or less. 600T only $140-150, $160 tops. Don't pay $180 for the SE, or any other variation. Antec P280 is spacious, has 9 PCI slots, and is very good value at $112 + free shipping.
For mainstream full towers in the $120-180 range, or slightly above that, BitFenix Shinobi XL @ $150, and Fractal Design Define XL @$150. Define has good noise characteristics, though it doesn't air/watercool that well in stock, unmodified form, if you are going very high end with the build (multi GPUs + big OCs).
Less subdued options include: Cooler Master HAF X @ $180, Cooler Master Storm Trooper @ $180 (CM has it for ~$150-160 in some as part of a limited time, anniversary sale price)*, Xigmatek Elysium/Enermax Fulmo GT/Rosewill Blackhawk Ultra all at ~$180-210. Keep in mind, the lights on all of these can be turned off. I've posted various comments, impressions, and videos on most of these that you can search (could only link a few at the moment), or check out for you self through videos, and written reviews.
If these are too gamer-y, or you'd like additional subdued choices, let me know.
*CM Storm Trooper also available in white, with slight variations, aka Cooler Master CM Storm Stryker
Check OP for better, same priced options, or similar, lower priced options. Alternatively, add ~$20 for considerably better cases.
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