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[scogoth]

You have to get into racing games to truly appreciate the benefit of surround. 3d gimmick for games but nice for animated bluray, and now that I think about it it's good for racing games too.

 

[sk3tch]

You have to get into racing games to truly appreciate the benefit of surround. 3d gimmick for games but nice for animated bluray, and now that I think about it it's good for racing games too.

Oh yes, don't let me sway you away from that stuff. Racing, mech games, flight sims...anything with cockpits and insane realism will just rip. But for online multiplayer - nah. Single player FPS and such is cool to have your friends see...but otherwise it really doesn't do much since you focus on the center monitor and all the rest is just kind of scenery (although if you have a buddy watching he can help spot, heh).

That's why I was saying tank gunning is super fun with triple mon. I've been doing that a lot in BF3.

I'm just too much of a tweaker to be able to get into much beyond online multiplayer FPS. So it doesn't work well for me.

 

[Hazaro]

You have to get into racing games to truly appreciate the benefit of surround. 3d gimmick for games but nice for animated bluray, and now that I think about it it's good for racing games too.

Oh for sure people who do sim stuff and the like it's useful.

But for regular users I'd think 120Hz would be the first thing to get over 3D/triple setup.

 

[Smokey]

I have to agree.
3D is a gimmick for me until huge giant widespread adoption, and even then it has large costs (time and $) to work in until some middleware does it cheap.
Triple monitor still has Bezel and calibration issues, not to mention space.

120Hz is the one thing I can see being focused on, but I'm... not sure I want to get one. I won't be able to look back and everything will be awful.

It's a gimmick on consoles where the resolution is half and so is the fps. On PC though it's completely different. Being able to run the games at 60fps and 1080p improves the experience x10. Naturally it's better in some genres than others, but I feel for certain titles it takes them to the next level. Although I don't use it all the time the experience on PC and consoles is night and day to me.

Seriously...for competitive multiplayer any gimmick such as NV Surround/3D is BS. Get a great 1080p monitor and roll (and stay sub-24"). All of my monitors are insane quality (performance-wise) for the competitive gaming scene. But the 120hz is the creme de la creme. Love that thing. Wish it'd go down in price. Still around $340.

Yeah I wouldn't use Surround in any competitive way. What don't you like about it?

Oh for sure people who do sim stuff and the like it's useful.

But for regular users I'd think 120Hz would be the first thing to get over 3D/triple setup.

Agreed.

 

[sk3tch]

It's a gimmick on consoles where the resolution is half and so is the fps. On PC though it's completely different. Being able to run the games at 60fps and 1080p improves the experience x10. Naturally it's better in some genre's than others, but I feel for certain titles it takes them to the next level. Although I don't use it all the time the experience on PC and consoles is night and day to me.



Yeah I wouldn't use Surround in any competitive way. What don't you like about it?

That's cool you like 3D on PC. I tried it with Nvidia (though just on a single 580) and I was not super impressed. It *was* cool...but I never really fired it up much after the first night or so of tweaking with it. It was fun to play Crysis 2, for example (single player).

I like NV Surround OK - it is neat...slick looking...fun to show off...impressive looking. But it just isn't good for the type of games that I play. So I end up on one monitor most of the time. LOVE triple mon for anything other than gaming though. Productivity-wise it rocks.

BTW - they really, really, really fixed NV Surround with the 680s. It is much better now. You used to have the taskbar across all three windows - now it's on your primary only. And you used to maximize windows and it would BLOW UP to 5760x1080 all across all monitors...now it just maximizes for the individual screen. Much more sensible for day to day usage. Maybe it's fixed with the new drivers and 580s/etc. but I noticed right away when I went from the 570 SLI to 680 Tri-SLI that they tweaked NV Surround for productivity.

 

[Hawk269]

Oh, another lifetime coverage vendor then? About time.
Is it only on the higher end cards? Info?

Also you are ridiculous thinking about upgrading. I'll be sitting here with my 6950 and GTX280 waiting for 660/670 unless 3GB 580's hit like $330.

Not sure if it is all cards. It depends on the mfr. code. I know that the 680's are 3 years, but I know my 580's are lifetime.

And yes, I am a bit crazy for upgrading. The 580's are great cards, but I figured with the selling price they are going for (the 580's), I can pretty much get around $400-$450 for them...my cards have the high flow brackets and backplates installed on them as well. So, with the selling price of lets say $400 each, I am kicking in about $100 for each of the 680's, which is not too bad of an upgrade for a 30% performance increase at stock speed, quieter and less power usage.

 

[Hawk269]

Sweet, we should talk then

Planning to do that as well. Might as well make use of the 3GB of VRAM I have on my 580s. I could continue to use the Asus but I'm anal about stuff being consistent. I've wanted to do the triple monitor setup since I built mine last year, but getting closer to achieving it and checking off that box. I'm not aware of anybody here that has a triple 120hz setup. I know sk3tch has the most ballin PC on the site, but I think he is still using regular monitors for his Surround setup. Could be wrong though.



lol you crack me up. in a good way!

Spoiler

mmmmmm potential triple SLI 580 3GB goodness

lol Smokey...you are almost as bad as I am..suprised you have not decided to jump yet...lol

 

[CaptainZombie]

I currently have a GTS 250 and looking to upgrade the card, would a 550 TI or Radeon 6770 be good enough for moderate gaming? In the next month or so I will also be upgrading my CPU ( C2D 2.93 Ghz) and RAM (3 GB DDR2) to most likely an i3 2100 and 8 GB of DDR3.

Primarily I want to try and run The Witcher 2, ME2, ME3 and don't need these maxed out to the moon in detail. I'd like to have these run at 1920 x 1080 if possible.

I also have a PS3 where I do most of my gaming on.

Any recommendations or thoughts?

 

[Hazaro]

New banner get. Credit to Rosti. Wasn't sure if we were going to keep exchanging so I'll put this one up in the mean time.

Not sure if it is all cards. It depends on the mfr. code. I know that the 680's are 3 years, but I know my 580's are lifetime.

And yes, I am a bit crazy for upgrading. The 580's are great cards, but I figured with the selling price they are going for (the 580's), I can pretty much get around $400-$450 for them...my cards have the high flow brackets and backplates installed on them as well. So, with the selling price of lets say $400 each, I am kicking in about $100 for each of the 680's, which is not too bad of an upgrade for a 30% performance increase at stock speed, quieter and less power usage.

Yeah it's not a bad upgrade at all.
Just... if you needed it or not

It's a gimmick on consoles where the resolution is half and so is the fps. On PC though it's completely different. Being able to run the games at 60fps and 1080p improves the experience x10. Naturally it's better in some genres than others, but I feel for certain titles it takes them to the next level. Although I don't use it all the time the experience on PC and consoles is night and day to me.

Gimmick is harsh. I guess it's better to say that I don't feel like it adds much for me.
Maybe once everyone is using 3D we won't be able to go back.
I tried out the NV setup when it launched at a friends house.

I currently have a GTS 250 and looking to upgrade the card, would a 550 TI or Radeon 6770 be good enough for moderate gaming? In the next month or so I will also be upgrading my CPU ( C2D 2.93 Ghz) and RAM (3 GB DDR2) to most likely an i3 2100 and 8 GB of DDR3.

Primarily I want to try and run The Witcher 2, ME2, ME3 and don't need these maxed out to the moon in detail. I'd like to have these run at 1920 x 1080 if possible.

I also have a PS3 where I do most of my gaming on.

Any recommendations or thoughts?

Worth it. Best value right now is a 6870.

If that's too much, this GTX 460 on sale is an even better value, but slower.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127646

 

[Hawk269]

I currently have a GTS 250 and looking to upgrade the card, would a 550 TI or Radeon 6770 be good enough for moderate gaming? In the next month or so I will also be upgrading my CPU ( C2D 2.93 Ghz) and RAM (3 GB DDR2) to most likely an i3 2100 and 8 GB of DDR3.

Primarily I want to try and run The Witcher 2, ME2, ME3 and don't need these maxed out to the moon in detail. I'd like to have these run at 1920 x 1080 if possible.

I also have a PS3 where I do most of my gaming on.

Any recommendations or thoughts?

Well, once you play those games you mention on the PC at true 1080p and near or at 60 fps, with some nice AA enabled, you wont go back to your PS3. Prior to PC gaming, I was a console gamer, mainly 360. Right now, my 360 is more for some light gaming and using netflix and the other apps and that is about it. Gaming for me has primarily moved to PC with the exception of some console exclusives.

Playing the demo of ME3 on PS3, PC and 360 and yeah, you wont turn back to consoles after you game on the PC.

 

[Smokey]

lol Smokey...you are almost as bad as I am..suprised you have not decided to jump yet...lol

Trust me I'm trying hard not to. I know it makes zero sense for me to upgrade from my current setup so that's one reason I'm holding firm even though the 680 sounds like a very nice card. There's also dat Big Kepler that I feel is just sitting in the background. We know it exists just a matter of when it will hit. Then there's also the fact that I could get 2 of the BenQ monitors for the price of SLI 680s.

Despite saying all of that I read about the 680 everyday and keep telling myself the above to stop from jumping in.

 

[CaptainZombie]

Worth it. Best value right now is a 6870.

If that's too much, this GTX 460 on sale is an even better value, but slower.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127646

Well, once you play those games you mention on the PC at true 1080p and near or at 60 fps, with some nice AA enabled, you wont go back to your PS3. Prior to PC gaming, I was a console gamer, mainly 360. Right now, my 360 is more for some light gaming and using netflix and the other apps and that is about it. Gaming for me has primarily moved to PC with the exception of some console exclusives.

Playing the demo of ME3 on PS3, PC and 360 and yeah, you wont turn back to consoles after you game on the PC.

Right now I'm kind of stuck going to Best Buy since I have a bunch of gift cards and reward zone certs I'd rather use there making the graphics card upgrade very cheap.

 

[Hawk269]

Trust me I'm trying hard not to. I know it makes zero sense for me to upgrade from my current setup so that's one reason I'm holding firm even though the 680 sounds like a very nice card. There's also dat Big Kepler that I feel is just sitting in the background. We know it exists just a matter of when it will hit. Then there's also the fact that I could get 2 of the BenQ monitors for the price of SLI 680s.

Despite saying all of that I read about the 680 everyday and keep telling myself the above to stop from jumping in.

Well when you consider how much you can sell your lightnings for, you would pretty much need to kick in 100-150 per 680, which is not bad considering the power increase of the 680's at stock versus the 580. Then there is the OC capabilities which some are getting about 20% more with easy/achievable OC with really not much of an increase in voltage and heat.

Guru3d did a good SLI review and they also posted a Overclocking guide for the 680's as well.

Yeah, I was also thinking the big kepler card that may or may not come out this year..but unless that monster can be more powerfull that SLI 580's then at minimum I would want to of those and they are the true high end card, I figure the price tag is going to be really up there.

 

[Hawk269]

Right now I'm kind of stuck going to Best Buy since I have a bunch of gift cards and reward zone certs I'd rather use there making the graphics card upgrade very cheap.

They have the 560ti at best buy, so if you are stuck going with them, that is a nice card to get. A bit more pricey than the 460, but also very good card that will net you some really good IQ with some good AA and pretty consistent 60fps depending on your other components.

 

[Hazaro]

Right now I'm kind of stuck going to Best Buy since I have a bunch of gift cards and reward zone certs I'd rather use there making the graphics card upgrade very cheap.

eBay or https://www.plasticjungle.com/sell-gift-cards

 

[mkenyon]

I was able to snag 2 680's today and will be selling my eVGA 580 3GB Classifieds GPU's. If anyone here has any interest, PM. Also, just as an FYI...eVGA's new Warranty program starts soon and the 580's will be covered as they will be covering the card by itself versus tied to the owner of the card...so in short, if you buy the card you are covered with the lifetime warranty.

Am interested depending on price.

If you're serious we can certainly talk it out as the time approaches

Yeah, am serious. Want a 120hz for secondary gaming rig, but can't bring myself to plop the $400 when it's used by wifey a few times a week and a buddy once a month. Assuming your asking price will be lower

 

[Slavik81]

Easy

I wouldn't oversell it. I've assembled 5-6 PCs (and reassembled 2 laptops) and I still get nervous mounting my CPU. You can screw things up. I accidentally ripped a connector off my motherboard once when I had a hard time removing a cable. Fortunately, it was not an important one.

You also have no tech support if something goes wrong. For example, if you get bad RAM it's up to you to diagnose and RMA it. My last build had a bad stick of RAM, which caused intermittent crashes. Memtest figured that out for me.

I don't mean to scare anyone with those sorts of things, but that's just how things are. If you build it yourself, you're going to have to be comfortable solving computer problems with nothing but the internet as your guide.

I think most people who are considering the option probably are technically minded enough that they could do it. Those who aren't able to build one likely wouldn't even entertain the thought of building it themselves in the first place. But your first time putting together a PC probably involves about 4 hours of constant learning, careful problem-solving and worrying about breaking something.

It's worth doing, but it's not going to be a cakewalk.

 

[Hazaro]

And on the other hand everything only fits in one way and you have the entire internet at your disposal.

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

I wouldn't oversell it. I've assembled 5-6 PCs (and reassembled 2 laptops) and I still get nervous mounting my CPU. You can screw things up. I accidentally ripped a connector off my motherboard once when I had a hard time removing a cable. Fortunately, it was not an important one.

You also have no tech support if something goes wrong. For example, if you get bad RAM it's up to you to diagnose and RMA it. My last build had a bad stick of RAM, which caused intermittent crashes. Memtest figured that out for me.

I don't mean to scare anyone with those sorts of things, but that's just how things are. If you build it yourself, you're going to have to be comfortable solving computer problems with nothing but the internet as your guide.

I think most people who are considering the option probably are technically minded enough that they could do it. Those who aren't able to build one likely wouldn't even entertain the thought of building it themselves in the first place. But your first time putting together a PC probably involves about 4 hours of constant learning, careful problem-solving and worrying about breaking something.

It's worth doing, but it's not going to be a cakewalk.

I agree with this. Building isn't necessarily *difficult*, but it is time-consuming your first time, a bit worrisome, and can prove frustrating if you get a DOA part and don't immediately diagnose the problem as such.

I, too, don't mean to scare anyone off. I agree, just about anyone considering it can probably do it. If you have a little patience, it's an awesome experience and will make you enjoy your computer, and your games by extension, significantly more. It's totally worth it!! And you have oodles of information at your disposal. But I disagree with those that say it's a "cakewalk." Buying a computer from a B&M store with a good return policy is a cakewalk. Thing is, that'll be an inferior tower that you'll never love as much.

 

[GraveHorizon]

Just pulled the trigger on all the parts I want. The total cost was a bit more than pcpartpicker.com estimated, due to having to purchase a few components at different outlets, but I'm overall satisfied with the amount. Managed to come in under $1,100 like a was hoping it would. Here's the build I chose, with the amounts I actually ended up paying for each item:

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($121.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($41.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($97.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 1GB Video Card ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Merc Alpha ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.98 @ OutletPC)
Power Supply: Antec 550W ATX12V Power Supply ($55.24 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG WH12LS39 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($81.95 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Asus VS228H-P 21.5" Monitor ($139.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)

Shipping Total: $18.00
Final Total: $1,057.10

How hard is it to build one from scratch, when you have zero experience?

This guide is pretty thorough on the assembly, at least it seems that way to me. Made me much more confident about building it myself.
Newegg TV: How To Build a Computer - Part 2 - The Build

 

[Acquiescence]

To anyone in the UK - which is the best site when it comes to deals and shopping for desktop PCs. I'm just a total noob when it comes to PCs and I'm in desperate need of a new one right now. Thanks in advance.

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

To anyone in the UK - which is the best site when it comes to deals and shopping for desktop PCs. I'm just a total noob when it comes to PCs and I'm in desperate need of a new one right now. Thanks in advance.

I used dabs.com for all of my stuff. I tried to shop around, but with my parts I only would have saved a couple of quid.

edit: You're asking about complete PCs, not just parts? In that case, I'm not really sure.

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

How hard is it to build one from scratch, when you have zero experience?

A couple of rules/things to remember:

1) Don't panic, do everything slowly and think what you do through. I took 4 or so hours (including breaks) to build mine, but I didn't rush to build it and damage something. Just because the pros do the whole thing in 20 minutes in how-to videos, doesn't mean you need to.

2) The toughest part (for me) was putting the CPU in place. It does feel like you're using too much pressure when you're pushing down on the lever to lock it in place. I did find the RAM needed a bit of a "shuggle" to get it into place as well.

If I could build a PC, anyone could. The only real snag I had, other than choosing a poor case (should have listened to GAF), was my CPU heatsink's fan failed to run initially. I panicked like crazy, thinking it was broken, before discovering that one of the wires from the heatsink was still partially wrapped around the heatsink, which caused it not to run.

 

[Dibbz]

To anyone in the UK - which is the best site when it comes to deals and shopping for desktop PCs. I'm just a total noob when it comes to PCs and I'm in desperate need of a new one right now. Thanks in advance.

The ones I use are Ebuyer, Amazon and Overclockers. Although the last case I bought from overclockers was broken and I had to get a refund on it. That being said I just ordered a 560 ti from them and it should be arriving today. Fingers crossed it is fine.

 

[Acquiescence]

I used dabs.com for all of my stuff. I tried to shop around, but with my parts I only would have saved a couple of quid.

edit: You're asking about complete PCs, not just parts? In that case, I'm not really sure.

Yeah I'm talking about a complete PC, or more specifically a PC, monitor & speakers bundle. I've no interest in building my own "rig." I suppose I should add that I just want something that's ideal for general usage and maybe, although it's a very low priority, some light gaming (point 'n' click adventure games), but nothing else.

With that in mind, how much should I expect to pay in today's market (remember, UK here)? 'Cos really, it's been a good many years since my last PC purchase, so I'm out of the loop. I mean, this thing I'm using now is friggin' ancient! And if anyone knows of any great deals I should leap on right now that fit my criteria then that would be fantastic. Thanks once again.

 

[Dibbz]

Oh sweet lord. Just installed my 560ti 448 and it works like a dream. UDK is smooth as god damn butter. Arma 2 is installed, gonna give that a whirl.

Tried my best with the cable management but those hard drive bays that point into the case suck

 

[Isaccard]

Looks good.

 

[Dibbz]

Thanks.

After playing a little bit of Arma 2 I started to get some audio stuttering. Turned my comp off and the 560ti was super hot. Just downloaded GPU-Z and it says the idle temps are around 50 degrees. Seems rather high considering my mobo and i5 2500k both sit at low 30's idle.

I installed the EVGA Precision app that came with the card and manually set the fan speed to 60%, default was auto and kept the fan speed at 40% when idle.

Is there anything I can do to help reduce the temps on the card? Should I get another case fan? Will it help much? I've only got one in there at the moment.

 

[scogoth]

Thanks.

After playing a little bit of Arma 2 I started to get some audio stuttering. Turned my comp off and the 560ti was super hot. Just downloaded GPU-Z and it says the idle temps are around 50 degrees. Seems rather high considering my mobo and i5 2500k both sit at low 30's idle.

I installed the EVGA Precision app that came with the card and manually set the fan speed to 60%, default was auto and kept the fan speed at 40% when idle.

Is there anything I can do to help reduce the temps on the card? Should I get another case fan? Will it help much? I've only got one in there at the moment.

50s fine. GPUs run hot

 

[1-D_FTW]

Thanks.

After playing a little bit of Arma 2 I started to get some audio stuttering. Turned my comp off and the 560ti was super hot. Just downloaded GPU-Z and it says the idle temps are around 50 degrees. Seems rather high considering my mobo and i5 2500k both sit at low 30's idle.

I installed the EVGA Precision app that came with the card and manually set the fan speed to 60%, default was auto and kept the fan speed at 40% when idle.

Is there anything I can do to help reduce the temps on the card? Should I get another case fan? Will it help much? I've only got one in there at the moment.

Is it idling down? If you have more than one active monitor, it won't hibernate into a low voltage state when idle.

Also, if you use a web browser like firefox and keep GPU acceleration checked (which is pointless IMO since modern CPUs handle it without sweating), it'll constantly knock your GPU out of idle voltage whenever you load a page (and raise temps as a result).

 

[we.are.the.armada]

I'm an idiot that doesn't know anything about PCs - all that I do know is that I want something that makes no fan noise so is it possible to buy a PC that has liquid cooled CPU and GPU and uh, power source too? (I don't know if that needs cooled) Thanks guys!

EDIT: I mean as in pre-assembled by a trusted company.

 

[Varna]

What are my options for extra cooling on dual EVGA 580GTXs?
(specifically, these ones http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130590)

Don't know if the fans have just gotten louder and less effective over time... but temps and noise are starting to bother me. Would something like the ARCTIC COOLING Accelero TWIN TURBO be helpful in this case? I don't think I'm ready to step up to water cooling just yet...

Also curious how much more space these take up... right now I do have a whole empty slot between my cards.

 

[base shagohod]

Just pulled the trigger on all the parts I want. The total cost was a bit more than pcpartpicker.com estimated, due to having to purchase a few components at different outlets, but I'm overall satisfied with the amount. Managed to come in under $1,100 like a was hoping it would. Here's the build I chose, with the amounts I actually ended up paying for each item:

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($121.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($41.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($97.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 1GB Video Card ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Merc Alpha ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.98 @ OutletPC)
Power Supply: Antec 550W ATX12V Power Supply ($55.24 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG WH12LS39 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($81.95 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Asus VS228H-P 21.5" Monitor ($139.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)

Shipping Total: $18.00
Final Total: $1,057.10

Funny, I'm actually building pretty much the same system, after researching for the past week or so..

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500k 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99)
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.86)
Memory: Mushkin Silverline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($42.99)
Hard Drive: Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($84.95)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 1GB Video Card ($134.99)
Power Supply: OCZ 600W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($43.99)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($45.98)
Total: $702.74

I'm replacing a pc that just crashed two weeks ago.. I think the motherboard short circuited or something. It's a 3 year old HP mini tower that I got for a birthday present, so I'm not too bummed about it. I have a couple external HDDs and an external optical drive so I'm saving some money there.

Let us know how your setup turns out!
I'll be posting in here in the coming weeks with random questions probably, since this is my first time building a pc. Looking forward to it!

 

[quaere]

So i hooked up my girlfriends studio monitors to my computer through RCA to 1/8" on my motherboard, there's a terrible grounding noise / buzz. What's my options to remove this? She also has a USB audio interface machine thing that could work.

You need a ground loop isolator. Should be around $10.

 

[n0n44m]

I'm an idiot that doesn't know anything about PCs - all that I do know is that I want something that makes no fan noise so is it possible to buy a PC that has liquid cooled CPU and GPU and uh, power source too? (I don't know if that needs cooled) Thanks guys!

EDIT: I mean as in pre-assembled by a trusted company.

if you have a whole lot of money to burn .... sure! Plenty of small companies who build gaming PCs could help you with that. But that's not really a smart way to spend your money IMHO

I built my current rig for that purpose, and while it works great I'm still going to build a new one with even more noise isolation in the next couple of months becuase mechanical HDDs (and the waterpump) are the noisiest things in my current system ...

But in your case I'd just go for (much simpler and cheaper) air cooling: a decent aftermarket heatsink for the CPU should be quiet enough, and a regular Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge 4 core system doesn't generate that much heat so you can get away with some quiet low rpm case fans as well. Pick a good quality PSU and it will be totally quiet as well.

The only issue you have is the GPU ... some non-reference coolers are a lot better than the reference coolers already, but the only ones I've found to be truly quiet are the Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme Plus (II) ones ... they are aftermarket so installing them = voiding warranty (usually), and for SLI usage they still require a decent amount of airflow which makes less noise isolation and higher rpm casefans almost inevitable. (and your motherboard needs to have the PCI-e slots at triple height distance from each other, because they are pretty damn large)

all that together will still cool more than enough to allow some light overclocking, and the noise will be much less than most "standard" PCs

What are my options for extra cooling on dual EVGA 580GTXs?
(specifically, these ones http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130590)

Don't know if the fans have just gotten louder and less effective over time... but temps and noise are starting to bother me. Would something like the ARCTIC COOLING Accelero TWIN TURBO be helpful in this case? I don't think I'm ready to step up to water cooling just yet...

Also curious how much more space these take up... right now I do have a whole empty slot between my cards.

see above you can also try to improve your airflow, and replace the current thermal paste with some quality stuff like MX-4. EVGA is one of the few manufacturers that allows aftermarket heatsinks AFAIK (as long as you put the originals back correctly when you send them in for RMA)

 

[mkenyon]

I'm an idiot that doesn't know anything about PCs - all that I do know is that I want something that makes no fan noise so is it possible to buy a PC that has liquid cooled CPU and GPU and uh, power source too? (I don't know if that needs cooled) Thanks guys!

EDIT: I mean as in pre-assembled by a trusted company.

Nope. If you're not trying to squeeze out every bit of performance, and are okay with spending a bit more on high quality fans, good PSU, fan controller, and case designed around silence, you can get basically a silent PC.

Liquid cooling is simply aggregating moving fans to ones mounted on a radiator, instead of throughout the case.

 

[Wolf Akela]

Funny, I'm actually building pretty much the same system, after researching for the past week or so..

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99)
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.86)
Memory: Mushkin Silverline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($42.99)
Hard Drive: Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($84.95)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 1GB Video Card ($134.99)
Power Supply: OCZ 600W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($43.99)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($45.98)
Total: $702.74

I'm replacing a pc that just crashed two weeks ago.. I think the motherboard short circuited or something. It's a 3 year old HP mini tower that I got for a birthday present, so I'm not too bummed about it. I have a couple external HDDs and an external optical drive so I'm saving some money there.

Let us know how your setup turns out!
I'll be posting in here in the coming weeks with random questions probably, since this is my first time building a pc. Looking forward to it!

Not enough research. Z68 + non-overclockable processor = ????

 

[base shagohod]

Not enough research. Z68 + non-overclockable processor = ????

My mistake, didn't update that processor to the i5-2500K.

 

[Varna]

see above you can also try to improve your airflow, and replace the current thermal paste with some quality stuff like MX-4. EVGA is one of the few manufacturers that allows aftermarket heatsinks AFAIK (as long as you put the originals back correctly when you send them in for RMA)

That's the cooler I was strongly leaning towards. But after watching a few install videos I don't think I could fit it in my case and keep my current configuration.

I'm using the Corsair Carbide Series 500R case and ASUS P8Z68-V PRO MB and going with that cooler pretty much means I won't be able to use my soundcard and the cards with be right on top of each other. My cooling is that bad right now. Just pretty noisy. At 60% fan speed my card keeps fairly cool (under 70c most of the time, but sometimes above 80 in really intensive stuff). Are there any other more low profile aftermarket coolers?

 

[·feist·]

Not enough research. Z68 + non-overclockable processor = ????

My mistake, didn't update that processor to the i5-2500K.

I'd be more concerned with the nondescript "OCZ 600W PSU" for $43. More than likely a low grade FSP, which should be avoided.

No matter how small the budget is, getting a decent PSU, however relative to overall build cost you're comfortable with, is paramount. Check the OP for some decent recommendations.

That's the cooler I was strongly leaning towards. But after watching a few install videos I don't think I could fit it in my case and keep my current configuration.

I'm using the Corsair Carbide Series 500R case and ASUS P8Z68-V PRO MB and going with that cooler pretty much means I won't be able to use my soundcard and the cards with be right on top of each other. My cooling is that bad right now. Just pretty noisy. At 60% fan speed my card keeps fairly cool (under 70c). Are there any other more low profile aftermarket coolers?

You may want to begin with cleaning your GPUs, and adding about 1-3 good, but inexpensive fans to the case; try placing between the bottom intake, and GPU side of the HDD cage. Populate each fan opening, or however many you need to get the best/most efficient results.

 

[LuffyZoro]

460? 560Ti? What's your definition of 'cheap'?

Not much more than $100.

 

[base shagohod]

I'd be more concerned with the nondescript "OCZ 600W PSU" for $43. More than likely a low grade FSP, which should be avoided.

No matter how small the budget is, getting a decent PSU, however relative to overall build cost you're comfortable with, is paramount. Check the OP for some decent recommendations.

Will do, thanks!

 

[mkenyon]

That's the cooler I was strongly leaning towards. But after watching a few install videos I don't think I could fit it in my case and keep my current configuration.

I'm using the Corsair Carbide Series 500R case and ASUS P8Z68-V PRO MB and going with that cooler pretty much means I won't be able to use my soundcard and the cards with be right on top of each other. My cooling is that bad right now. Just pretty noisy. At 60% fan speed my card keeps fairly cool (under 70c most of the time, but sometimes above 80 in really intensive stuff). Are there any other more low profile aftermarket coolers?

The soundcard can go in the top slot. Not sure what the issue is.

Not much more than $100.

460's can be found for $100 fairly often. Just don't get an SE.

 

[Varna]

You may want to begin with cleaning your GPUs, and adding about 1-3 good, but inexpensive fans to the case; try placing between the bottom intake, and GPU side of the HDD cage. Populate each fan opening, or however many you need to get the best/most efficient results.

I've already added all the possible fans. Getting my Metro Vacuum ED500 today so there won't be any dust anywhere by the end of the day.

The soundcard can go in the top slot. Not sure what the issue is.

Funny. I didn't even notice this slot. Thanks. The cards will be on top of each other now. Won't this cause problems of it's own?

 

[Cheeto]

Is there an outlook for CPU releases for this year anywhere? I may be doing a new build soon and I'm wondering if there's anything to wait for.

 

[mkenyon]

Nope. Soundcard doesnt need room. Since it'll be on the opposite side of the video card, it won't interfere with anything. It's actually the main reason why I switched from a Gene-Z to a Sabertooth P67 on my main rig. Wanted SLI + Soundcard.

Is there an outlook for CPU releases for this year anywhere? I may be doing a new build soon and I'm wondering if there's anything to wait for.

Check links about ivy bridge in the OP.

 

[Coldsnap]

My d-link router is making a sorta loud buzzing noise.

 

[Varna]

Nope. Soundcard doesnt need room. Since it'll be on the opposite side of the video card, it won't interfere with anything. It's actually the main reason why I switched from a Gene-Z to a Sabertooth P67 on my main rig. Wanted SLI + Soundcard.

I meant both gpus directly above each with no space. When I was first building this machine a few people said it wAs a really good idea to have some room between them.

 

[mkenyon]

There are two slots between each of the PCI-E x16/8 expansion slots. The Accelero is 2 1/2 slots, so there will certainly be room between them. A lot of that heat will be dumped into your case, but as long as there is decent airflow, they should still remain fairly quiet.

 

[Flame Lord]

I'm planning on buying this keyboard and mouse. Any opinions?