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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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Karmum

Banned
Is there a better silent case option that is around the price range of (either a bit more or less) than the Fractal R3? Antec Three Hundred sucks (in terms of quietness), simple as that. Probably throw in a few more 120mm fans whenever I get a new case, 4-pack on Amazon for like $12.
 

ccbfan

Member
With the 460 GTX sale.

I think I'm about to get my first piece of my D3 playing machine.

Some questions though.

Can this card play do PS2 and Wii emulation in 1080P and can this card handle Skyrim in OK settings.


Ops my bad i meant the 460 GTX
 
If you don't mean GTX 460 sale, yes and yes. Emu is more reliant on a fast CPU.


Is there a better silent case option that is around the price range of (either a bit more or less) than the Fractal R3? Antec Three Hundred sucks (in terms of quietness), simple as that. Probably throw in a few more 120mm fans whenever I get a new case, 4-pack on Amazon for like $12.
·feist·;36186042 said:
If you're in the US:

- Antec P280 ~ $112 + free shipping

- Fractal Design Define R3 ~ $114 + free shipping

Corsair 550D MSRP is $160, street generally ~$150. If you are ok with rebates, Newegg has it for $140, then $120 AR. Price differences removed, it beats out the R3, and is a toss up with the P280 @ $112.
Those two, and the Nexus Prominent R.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006560I78/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.nexustek.nl/nexus_prominentR_premium_silent_pc_case.htm


But do those other suggestions have white options...

Seriously though, thanks for the other recommendations. Much appreciated.
Nope. None of the three. 550D and P280 would have to be two-tone. Corsair says they currently have no intention of doing so.

White NZXT H2.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XIB8RY/?tag=neogaf0e-20

41k9ftYdy-L._SL500_AA300_.jpg
51pqAUHNVuL._AA300_.jpg
 

Karmum

Banned
·feist·;36298288 said:
But do those other suggestions have white options...

Seriously though, thanks for the other recommendations. Much appreciated.

Edit - Yeah I've seen that one. I'm a cheap bastard, so I dunno if I will go too much over $100, like to save my money at 18. Still appreciate the suggestions. Decisions decisions.
 

Mr Swine

Banned
I've asked in this thread before when Ivy Bridcooks coming out, they said at the end of april. What I would like to know how is how much of a performance boost my rig would get from upgrading from this:

Phenom II x4 955 3.2Ghz
4GB DDRII ram
GeForce GTX 580 1.5GB

To:

Intel Ivy Bridge 3550k
8GB DDRIII ram
GeForce GTX 580 1.5GB

I know that Ivy Bridge is around 5-15% faster than the equivalent Sandy Bridge at the same speed. So from my old "ancient" Phenom II to a Ivy Bridge would be big no?
 

mug

Member
I've asked in this thread before when Ivy Bridcooks coming out, they said at the end of april. What I would like to know how is how much of a performance boost my rig would get from upgrading from this:

Phenom II x4 955 3.2Ghz
4GB DDRII ram
GeForce GTX 580 1.5GB

To:

Intel Ivy Bridge 3550k
8GB DDRIII ram
GeForce GTX 580 1.5GB

I know that Ivy Bridge is around 5-15% faster than the equivalent Sandy Bridge at the same speed. So from my old "ancient" Phenom II to a Ivy Bridge would be big no?

In regards to what, gaming? The 955 to SB is a pretty noticeable change if you're gaming at high res, I'd say about 15 more FPS.
 
So, I basically know nothing about PC specs and tech. However, I want to build a gaming PC, that it relatively maintenance free. I will be happy with 360/PS3 graphics, as long as I'll be able to play games on their lowest settings 3 years from now (I'm open to limited upgrades, but don't want to do a complete overhaul).

Is this a decent enough build, that won't be totally obsolete in a couple years?

Case: Cooler Master RC-430-KWN1 Elite 430

Power supply: Cooler Master Elite Series Power Supply - 460 Watts, ATX


Video Card
: XFX HD-685X-ZCFC Radeon HD 6850 Video Card - 1GB, GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.1 (x16), 2x DVI, 2x Mini DisplayPort, 1x HDMI, DirectX 11, Dual-Slot, Eyefinity, CrossFireX Ready

Ram: Corsair XMS3 CMX4GX3M1A1600C9 4GB PC12800 DDR3 RAM - Dual Channel, 1600MHz, 4096MB

Motherboard:
BIOSTAR H61MLV Intel 6 Series Motherboard - Micro ATX, Socket H2 (LGA1155), Intel H61 Express, 1333MHz DDR3, SATA II (3Gb/s), Intel HD Graphics, 6-CH Audio, Fast Ethernet LAN, USB 2.0

CPU: Intel Pentium G860 BX80623G860 Processor - Dual Core, 3MB L3 Smart Cache, 512KB L2 Cache, 3.0 GHz, Socket H2 (LGA1155), 65W, Fan Retail

Total cost (with rebates): $400 CAD.

That seems like a really good deal, is there anything I'm going to regret with this build?
 

Lanbeast

Member
·feist·;36294345 said:
Correct, though you'll still have a considerable boost. If you look at Hazaro's original comment, he seems to be saying it based on yours first remark about your GPU needing to be "tagged out." A capable $90 GPU sounds like it would help you in that regard, and, as he mentioned, can be later sold off for very little loss. You can also keep it as a back up GPU, when you do get to a ground up build in your 7-15 month window. Never hurts to have spare components around.

BTW, IIRC your CPU does ~3.4GHz. You should consider OC'ing it, unless it's on some non-OC OEM board.

Thanks for the help! I think I'm gonna go for it. I'll look into OC'ing but I'm not sure how good my cooling is.

Finally found my old box. This is my motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131361
My case is an older Raidmax Smilodon.

Anyway, thanks again for the help, Feist (and Hazaro)!
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
So, I basically know nothing about PC specs and tech. However, I want to build a gaming PC, that it relatively maintenance free. I will be happy with 360/PS3 graphics, as long as I'll be able to play games on their lowest settings 3 years from now (I'm open to limited upgrades, but don't want to do a complete overhaul).

Is this a decent enough build, that won't be totally obsolete in a couple years?


Video Card
: XFX HD-685X-ZCFC Radeon HD 6850 Video Card - 1GB, GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.1 (x16), 2x DVI, 2x Mini DisplayPort, 1x HDMI, DirectX 11, Dual-Slot, Eyefinity, CrossFireX Ready

CPU: Intel Pentium G860 BX80623G860 Processor - Dual Core, 3MB L3 Smart Cache, 512KB L2 Cache, 3.0 GHz, Socket H2 (LGA1155), 65W, Fan Retail

Total cost (with rebates): $400 CAD.

That seems like a really good deal, is there anything I'm going to regret with this build?
6870 for a tiny bit more
CPU to an i3 2100

Big upgrades for not so much $. Well worth it.
 

Geezer

Broken water pistol loaded with piss
What is the most powerful video card that is reasonable to pair with an i3 2100/2120? I was going to go all out and get a 2500k/GTX 680 but money considerations have gotten in the way. I'm thinking of a budget build, mainly for Diablo III, Civ 5, Skyrim, Witcher 1/2, and probably some console ports like Saints Row 3 and the Arkham titles. I don't want a situation where the CPU is holding back the GPU, I'll be playing at 1680X1050 and will want to stay above 40fps in most titles.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
I'd say it depends on the title and resolution you are playing at.
A 680 I think is a bit much. A $350 card or less could be an alright pairing I think.
 

zulfate

Member
i was looking at the Suggested Accessories section and there are no mentions of any desk chairs for long pc gaming. anyone got suggestions?
 

Geezer

Broken water pistol loaded with piss
I'd say it depends on the title and resolution you are playing at.
A 680 I think is a bit much. A $350 card or less could be an alright pairing I think.
I'll probably wait for AMD to sort out their pricing and get hold of a 7850 or 7870, would the i3 not bottleneck those cards? When I look at reviews, sites seem to always run benchmarks using an i5 or i7 so it is tough to estimate i3 performance.
 
·feist·;36296373 said:
You lose the larger CPU cutout, and cable grommets, but there's a simple solution to that, if it's a big deal to you.

old 690 ii:
Teu4o.jpg



$55 case + $10 grommets + $17 USB 3.0 full case top panel (again, only if you need it) = ~$82. Or, roughly $0-20 less than a factory USB 3.0 revised 690 II (depending on where you buy it), and you "save" the $15 CM charges for the GPU bracket accessory kit that USB 3.0 owners would need to buy.

Thanks again for all the info, damn that case looks sexy. You say $10 grommets, where did you buy those? Are they even worth it, seems like the only point is if the edges of the holes are so sharp they might fray the wires.

I don't know if that's your pic, but if it is, what lighting do you have in there? CCFL?

CM apparently has a few different versions of the 690II (not counting the upcoming USB3.0 ones) but it's confusing trying to figure out what the differences are:
RC-692-KKN2 (what NewEgg has)
RC-692-KKN3 (no GPU bracket?)
RC-692B-KKN5 (has grommets and bigger CPU hole but no USB3.0?)
 

DarkFlow

Banned
6870 for a tiny bit more
CPU to an i3 2100

Big upgrades for not so much $. Well worth it.

This. The 6870 has a bit more horsepower and should last you a bit longer then the 6850. Also the i3-2100 would also be better for the extra threads is can do over the G860.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
I'll probably wait for AMD to sort out their pricing and get hold of a 7850 or 7870, would the i3 not bottleneck those cards? When I look at reviews, sites seem to always run benchmarks using an i5 or i7 so it is tough to estimate i3 performance.
An i3 will do good enough FPS (over 60) which is all you really need.
Quads can help out boosting FPS higher, or making min frames better, but only games that use 4 cores (GTA IV and BF3 to a degree) for example will really benefit.

i5/i7 is what people normally buy and the benches need to be shown over a long period of time so it doesn't make much sense to run benches for 2 years on a dual core, even if it has hyper threading.
 

Geezer

Broken water pistol loaded with piss
An i3 will do good enough FPS (over 60) which is all you really need.
Quads can help out boosting FPS higher, or making min frames better, but only games that use 4 cores (GTA IV and BF3 to a degree) for example will really benefit.

i5/i7 is what people normally buy and the benches need to be shown over a long period of time so it doesn't make much sense to run benches for 2 years on a dual core, even if it has hyper threading.

Fair enough, a low end i5 sounds like a better idea for futureproofing, I guess in future most games will make use of 4 cores. The difference is about £50 and I would be looking to use the PC for 2-3 years.

I'll be looking to keep the build as cheap as possible, is there any drawback to using Windows 8 preview for gaming until I can afford to shell out for Windows 7?
 

GraveHorizon

poop meter feature creep
Now I'm looking at an i5-2400/RadeonHD6870 setup. Total: $984.15. Jesus Christ, that's 80% of my current bank account balance. The price of quality, I guess. I could just bump the CPU up to an i5-2500K for an extra $15, but would that be overkill given the rest of the system? Just compared the i3-2100 and i5-2500K to the i5-2400, and the improvement over the i3-2100 is greater than the gain from the i5-2500K, so forget that.

Here's my current list of parts:

CPU: Intel Core i5-2400 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Intel DP67BAB3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($115.98 @ eCost)
Memory: Mushkin Silverline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($35.99 @ NCIX US)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($80.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 1GB Video Card ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Merc Alpha ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Antec 550W ATX12V Power Supply ($55.24 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG WH12LS39 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($79.99 @ Mwave)
Monitor: Asus VS228H-P 21.5" Monitor ($126.00 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $984.15

Once I pull the trigger on this build, it'll be a matter of time before I'm playing Half-Life in style. I should probably get my taxes done before making any major financial decisions, though...
 

Ledsen

Member
Now I'm looking at an i5-2400/RadeonHD6870 setup. Total: $984.15. Jesus Christ, that's 80% of my current bank account balance. The price of quality, I guess. I could just bump the CPU up to an i5-2500K for an extra $15, but would that be overkill given the rest of the system? Just compared the i3-2100 and i5-2500K to the i5-2400, and the improvement over the i3-2100 is greater than the gain from the i5-2500K, so forget that.

Here's my current list of parts:

CPU: Intel Core i5-2400 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Intel DP67BAB3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($115.98 @ eCost)
Memory: Mushkin Silverline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($35.99 @ NCIX US)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($80.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 1GB Video Card ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Merc Alpha ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Antec 550W ATX12V Power Supply ($55.24 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG WH12LS39 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($79.99 @ Mwave)
Monitor: Asus VS228H-P 21.5" Monitor ($126.00 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $984.15

Once I pull the trigger on this build, it'll be a matter of time before I'm playing Half-Life in style. I should probably get my taxes done before making any major financial decisions, though...

Do you really need an optical drive? Personally, I don't even have one. Or, maybe you could get one later. You can install Windows from a USB stick and how many physical games do you actually have? Is there any way you could get a cheaper Win 7 license (if you're a student or have friends that are, etc)? Those two things could bring down the price a fair bit.
 

Garou

Member
Fair enough, a low end i5 sounds like a better idea for futureproofing, I guess in future most games will make use of 4 cores. The difference is about £50 and I would be looking to use the PC for 2-3 years.

I'll be looking to keep the build as cheap as possible, is there any drawback to using Windows 8 preview for gaming until I can afford to shell out for Windows 7?

You are already futureproof through the mainboard, I say get the i3 now and at the end of the year you can go for a used Sandy Bridge i5/i7 or Ivy Bridge, whatever your budget can do then.
 

1-D_FTW

Member
Do you really need an optical drive? Personally, I don't even have one. Or, maybe you could get one later. You can install Windows from a USB stick and how many physical games do you actually have? Is there any way you could get a cheaper Win 7 license (if you're a student or have friends that are, etc)? Those two things could bring down the price a fair bit.

The bigger problem with buying a Blu-ray player is they don't seem to come with any software for movie playback.

When I realized I needed to buy a new SATA DVD to install a couple things, I considered going the Blu-ray route. But they pretty much sucked without buying expensive software. So I just went with the 10 dollar DVD drive and called it a day.
 

scogoth

Member
The bigger problem with buying a Blu-ray player is they don't seem to come with any software for movie playback.

When I realized I needed to buy a new SATA DVD to install a couple things, I considered going the Blu-ray route. But they pretty much sucked without buying expensive software. So I just went with the 10 dollar DVD drive and called it a day.

Lg's bluray drives come with PowerDVD 12
 

scogoth

Member
Is that a full version or a bs oem version in which they remove some functionality? I got that once with my DVD drive and it ticked me off they did something like that.

As far as I can tell full version, it's plays bluray and has all there fairly useless post processing effects. It even works its 3d output so I assume it's not a gimped version.
 

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'm having a hard time differentiating here since I was set on a 6950 but ATI kinda dropped it fast...out of the three, which would suit me best for 1080p, and have the edge on the other cards knowing I'll never try to overclock it:

6950
7850
560ti 448 core
 

clav

Member
My laptop is currently running on these DDR2 sticks. Am I correct in assuming that means I wouldn't be able to swap them out with DDR3?
Yes you are correct. DDR1/2/3 are not interchangeable.

I'm having a hard time differentiating here since I was set on a 6950 but ATI kinda dropped it fast...out of the three, which would suit me best for 1080p, and have the edge on the other cards knowing I'll never try to overclock it:

6950
7850
560ti 448 core

560 Ti 448.
 

cilonen

Member
The bigger problem with buying a Blu-ray player is they don't seem to come with any software for movie playback.

When I realized I needed to buy a new SATA DVD to install a couple things, I considered going the Blu-ray route. But they pretty much sucked without buying expensive software. So I just went with the 10 dollar DVD drive and called it a day.

My OEM Lite-On from Scan (UK) came with Power DVD 10, not the newest but it works for BD playback. I didn't notice it in the product description either, ony when Scan emailed me the shipping breakdown ( <3 Scan for that, seeing *exactly* what is coming in the package rocks) did I notice the copy of Power DVD 10.

On a related note it seems there is no easy way of getting the 7970 to recognise the Asus VG278H (an Nvidia 3D Vision 2 monitor) as stereoscopic 3D capable. It's a secondary concern as I wanted a)120Hz and b) a matte screen (otherwise the Sammy would have been mine!) but I had hoped to get stereoscopic 3D working through it at least for BD playback.

I knew Nvidia card -> non Nvidia monitor was a tricky proposition, but it seems AMD card -> Nvidia certified monitor is just as problematic. Funny as I'd hoped the monitor was 'just a peripheral' and the card would recognise it was capable of a stereoscopic 3d signal.

TL;DR: if you're really hung up on stereoscopic 3D, go with one system (AMD HD3D/ tri def or Nvidia 3D Vision).
 

Draft

Member
anyone? well what kind of chairs are you guys using?
Chairs are like this: spend very little and get something cheap at Office Depot or spend $500+ and get a baller chair from Steelcase, Herman Miller or Humanscale.

Keep this in mind: how much would you spend on a bed, or a sofa? And how much time do you spend sitting in a desk chair versus the sofa? Spend accordingly.
 
Built my computer during the summer, everything is fine except the microphone jack doesn't work. As in, the computer doesn't recognize mics when I plug them in .

Any ideas as to what the problem could be here?
 

1-D_FTW

Member
What is the most powerful video card that is reasonable to pair with an i3 2100/2120? I was going to go all out and get a 2500k/GTX 680 but money considerations have gotten in the way. I'm thinking of a budget build, mainly for Diablo III, Civ 5, Skyrim, Witcher 1/2, and probably some console ports like Saints Row 3 and the Arkham titles. I don't want a situation where the CPU is holding back the GPU, I'll be playing at 1680X1050 and will want to stay above 40fps in most titles.

Well it definitely needs to be a lot higher than an overclocked GTX 460. The i3 2120 is significantly better in gaming than my old overclocked quad Q9400 @ 3.4 ghz. I've yet to have the CPU bottleneck anything at 1080P. The issue is always my GTX 460 being redlined at 99 percent utilization (while the CPU is often around 50 percent utilization. I've even redlined the GTX while as low as 30 percent utilization with the 2120).
 

zulfate

Member
Chairs are like this: spend very little and get something cheap at Office Depot or spend $500+ and get a baller chair from Steelcase, Herman Miller or Humanscale.

Keep this in mind: how much would you spend on a bed, or a sofa? And how much time do you spend sitting in a desk chair versus the sofa? Spend accordingly.

thanks alot for the feedback, i looked at them and i was in shock! is this what most PC gaf has lol?
 
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