Support NeoGAF

[Yoritomo]

Tried uninstalling Trend Micro but you cannot uninstall things in Safe Mode. She also tried using ccleaner to uninstall and it still didn't let her. Any suggestions?

http://esupport.trendmicro.com/solution/en-us/1037161.aspx or http://esupport.trendmicro.com/solution/en-us/1056455.aspx

That's my first guess. I've never used their software so I don't know. I know AVG has caused this exact issue you're having for me in the past.

 

[zkylon]

With my new specs, I feel as my PCs louder than ever. I asked a few friends and they don't think it's so bad, but I'd like to make it run a bit quieter, if possible. Any tips?
Take into account two things, though:
a) I want to spend as little money as possible (i.e. I'm not gonna buy a new case or PSU)
b) I don't want to do anything that requires constant maintenance like cooling paste or stuff like that, because I'm gonna forget about it or do it wrong. Better to avoid that altogether.

Thanks!

 

[1-D_FTW]

This is what she's getting from HWMonitor in Safe Mode:

Does this temp look okay?

In Process Explorer, she found that msmpeng.exe and svchost.exe were using most of the CPU memory prior to crashing.

(this is the frozen screen)

What does this information tell us?

Yeah. I can't really help with that. I was thinking HWMonitor would show a high CPU/GPU temp or Process Explorer would be showing 99 percent for some odd process. Not a whole lot to go on.

Do you recommend Process Explorer?

It's good for trying to diagnose some rogue application that's giving you issues in the background.

OR

For monitoring your CPU/GPU utilization and seeing where a bottleneck is in a game. This way if you're consistently under 60fps, at least you can tell if you're CPU or GPU bottlenecked if you're looking to do a cheap upgrade.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

Whoops...see below...

 

[Ashsturm]

Thinking of ordering my first SSD, Intel have a cashback offer so I can get an 80gb 320 series for £75 which should be more than enough for my system drive but I notice the OP mentioned the 8mb bug. Is there any reason to think the firmware update Intel issued won't correct it?

 

[AnnHog]

Ok, I am thinking of building my first ever gaming pc. I have been doing research for the past few weeks and I came up with this:

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($22.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.95 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($127.27 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($84.95 @ Adorama)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 460 SE 1GB Video Card ($117.55 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master CM690 II Advanced ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($24.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $852.52

I can get windows 7 from my college. I already have a monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc. Does this look good? Is there anything I am forgetting?

 

[froliq]

Ok, I am thinking of building my first ever gaming pc. I have been doing research for the past few weeks and I came up with this:

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($22.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.95 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($127.27 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($84.95 @ Adorama)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 460 SE 1GB Video Card ($117.55 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master CM690 II Advanced ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($24.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $852.52

I can get windows 7 from my college. I already have a monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc. Does this look good? Is there anything I am forgetting?

If it's just for gaming and this being the budget you want to spend, then I'd drop the SSD and get a better GPU.

 

[BoobPhysics101]

If it's just for gaming and this being the budget you want to spend, then I'd drop the SSD and get a better GPU.

Agreed. That GPU is garbage.

 

[Mr Swine]

Thinking of ordering my first SSD, Intel have a cashback offer so I can get an 80gb 320 series for £75 which should be more than enough for my system drive but I notice the OP mentioned the 8mb bug. Is there any reason to think the firmware update Intel issued won't correct it?

This is by far the biggest problem with SSD. Unlike a HDD it is not known if a firmware update corrects anything or even makes the drive worse. It can go months before anyone gets a BSOD because of a bug :/

 

[divisionbyzorro]

Whoops - I'm reposting because I realized that I screwed up and posted a private link instead of a public link to the NewEgg wishlist. Apologies.

Okay, so I put together my first pass at a budget build. NewEgg Link: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=14149629

I'm looking for a machine that will let me play some modern games, but I'm no real graphics whore; it won't bother me if I have to run at low settings (I've been playing TF2 with an integrated graphics card on the laptop I bought for my wife for the past year - I'm not picky!).

I did a sort of pick-and-choose between some options on the lists in the OP and the TechReport March 2012 budget guide. The case size was deliberate; we're going to be moving to Perth soon and the smaller size of the mid-tower is attractive considering that we'll probably be sacrificing on living space a little bit. That being said, consider me mostly green: I know everything on that list says "MicroATX," but that's the extent of my knowledge as far as whether or not it will all fit in that form factor. So if I've done something stupid, let me know!

I'm also not averse to upping the wattage on the power supply, but I didn't want to increase it just for the sake of it. I clearly have no intention of overclocking - does that give me enough headroom, or should I spring for more power?

I have a monitor already, and a keyboard that I love, but I'm looking for suggestions on mice.

Thanks in advance!

 

[clav]

Thinking of ordering my first SSD, Intel have a cashback offer so I can get an 80gb 320 series for £75 which should be more than enough for my system drive but I notice the OP mentioned the 8mb bug. Is there any reason to think the firmware update Intel issued won't correct it?

http://communities.intel.com/message/151609

 

[1-D_FTW]

Agreed. That GPU is garbage.

It can probably play 80 percent of the games out there at 1080P@60fps, so garbage is a little harsh. But, yeah, if you're spending that much, go with something more powerful and up-to-date.

 

[AnnHog]

It can probably play 80 percent of the games out there at 1080P@60fps, so garbage is a little harsh. But, yeah, if you're spending that much, go with something more powerful and up-to-date.

The GPU I got is the $90 460 that Hazaro posted about on page 104. My monitor only goes up to 1680 x 1050 so I think this card would be fine for that. I plan on eventually upgrading my monitor later in the year and I would get a better card to go with it then.

 

[BoobPhysics101]

It can probably play 80 percent of the games out there at 1080P@60fps, so garbage is a little harsh. But, yeah, if you're spending that much, go with something more powerful and up-to-date.

Doesn't it cost about the same as a regular GTX 460 768MB/1GB yet is slower? It's a dirt cheap GPU not really worthy of being in a rig like that. A 6850 or GTX 460 1 GB would be a much better alternative. Or a used GTX 570. I've been seeing those go for $160-200 all day.

 

[1-D_FTW]

Doesn't it cost about the same as a regular GTX 460 768MB/1GB yet is slower? It's a dirt cheap GPU not really worthy of being in a rig like that. A 6850 or GTX 460 1 GB would be a much better alternative. Or a used GTX 570. I've been seeing those go for $160-200 all day.

Fuck. Didn't pay attention to the SE part. No, you're right. Since the dawn of time, SE next to a video card means Shit Edition and is to be avoided like the plague.

The GPU I got is the $90 460 that Hazaro posted about on page 104. My monitor only goes up to 1680 x 1050 so I think this card would be fine for that. I plan on eventually upgrading my monitor later in the year and I would get a better card to go with it then.

Yeah, the standard 460 you bought isn't a terrible budget card. There are plenty of games it'll struggle with, but it's probably not an exaggeration to say the other 80 percent of games will run cranked at 1080P/60fps no problem.

 

[BoobPhysics101]

Fuck. Didn't pay attention to the SE part. No, you're right. Since the dawn of time, SE next to a video card means Shit Edition and is to be avoided like the plague.



Yeah, the standard 460 you bought isn't a terrible budget card. There are plenty of games it'll struggle with, but it's probably not an exaggeration to say the other 80 percent of games will run cranked at 1080P/60fps no problem.

I was thinking the EXACT same thing. Nvidia's infamous Shit Edition cards. I remember I had a GeForce 4 MX, which was the predecessor to the Shit Edition. What was sad was that my friend gave me a GeForce 2 GTS that outperformed the 4 MX.

 

[Smokey]

The good days.

<3 Geforce3 was a beast back in the day

 

[~Kinggi~]

The good days.

<3 Geforce3 was a beast back in the day

it had SHADERS and shit!

 

[UrbanRats]

Well shit, i was writing a long ass post, but Gaf crashed.
Anyway, to make it short:

doing a build and need to stay relatively low (EDIT: Well, let's say- no bells and whistles, but still a good gaming pc) on the price.
What i have in mind:

MoBo: asus p8z68-v lx
CPU: i5 2500k
VGA: ati5850 (just because i already have one of these, unused)
RAM: g.skill ripjaw 8gb(2x4) 1333mhz
HDD: samsung spinpoint f3 1tb (will add another one once the prices go down again)
PSU: Corsair 650w (modular would be nice, how low can i go with these specs?)
Drive: LG something something for optical drive (don't care as long as it works)
CASE: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX
OS: win7 home 64bit


Optional CPU cooler (Hyper 212), do i need this? In the summer it gets to around 34c(94f) here, so i wouldn't know.
I currently have doubts on the Case, the PSU and the RAM, i think they are the 3 parts where i could go lowering a bit, without losing much of value, on the other hand i don't want something that'll give the finger in a year.
--

On another note, i need a wireless keyboard/mouse for myself, to play on the couch with non-gamepad games, anything decent but cheaper you guys have in mind?

 

[Zapages]

Hey guys,

I need help. We received a front panel that did not come with ribbon wires to connect to the motherboard. I am trying to find a ribbon wire for the 27pin (center top). Also a ribbon wire that would connect to the 16 pins.

 

[Shambles]

Well shit, i was writing a long ass post, but Gaf crashed.
Anyway, to make it short:

doing a build and need to stay relatively low (EDIT: Well, let's say- no bells and whistles, but still a good gaming pc) on the price.
What i have in mind:

MoBo: asus p8z68-v lx
CPU: i5 2500k
VGA: ati5850 (just because i already have one of these, unused)
RAM: g.skill ripjaw 8gb(2x4) 1333mhz
HDD: samsung spinpoint f3 1tb (will add another one once the prices go down again)
PSU: Corsair 650w (modular would be nice, how low can i go with these specs?)
Drive: LG something something for optical drive (don't care as long as it works)
CASE: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX
OS: win7 home 64bit


Optional CPU cooler (Hyper 212), do i need this? In the summer it gets to around 34c(94f) here, so i wouldn't know.
I currently have doubts on the Case, the PSU and the RAM, i think they are the 3 parts where i could go lowering a bit, without losing much of value, on the other hand i don't want something that'll give the finger in a year.
--

On another note, i need a wireless keyboard/mouse for myself, to play on the couch with non-gamepad games, anything decent but cheaper you guys have in mind?

I feel your pain, I spend 3-4 hours last night doing taxes to have TurboTax crash on me and lose all my data.

Definitely grab the 212+. I put one on my mothers computer even just because it brought the system noise down so much as well as it probably helps the longevity of the CPU as well. For $20-30 bucks it's easily worth the massive improvement in noise and cooling over stock fans.

I agree that spending substantial money on a case is a waste, check out the OP for good cases at every price point. For the $60-70 range I've even seen the Corsair 400R go that low while on sale. As far as optical just go to newegg and get the highest rated one, they're pretty much the same unless you need one that you can hack firmware on it to get around region restrictions.

 

[NoRéN]

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 is on sale for $23 at amazon.

 

[Fixed1979]

Figured I'd just ask here...need to grab a new usb flash drive. Using it strictly to play videos from on either PS3 or 360. Does the read speed actually make any difference for this usage?

 

[cmonmanreally]

so i was just gifted this setup, it was a refurb deal off woot:

Operating System
MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit SP1
CPU
AMD Athlon II X4 650
Propus 45nm Technology
RAM
8.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 666MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard
FOXCONN 2AB1 (CPU 1)
Graphics
Sceptre X22HG] (1680x1050@60Hz)
NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM) (XFX Pine Group)
Hard Drives
977GB Seagate ST310005 24AS SATA Disk Device (SATA)
Optical Drives
hp DVD-RAM GH80N SATA CdRom Device
Audio
Realtek High Definition Audio

i want to upgrade it so that it can handle diablo 3. what do you guys think? i'm thinking i'll wait for a hd6870 to go on sale and possibly a new case?

 

[BlisterBrown]

I think I might become one with the master race tomorrow, but I wanted to run this build by Gaf first for some input. I'll be using it for some pretty heavy gaming, so I'm trying to maximize my performance while playing on a 1080p monitor. I do plan on overclocking. Budget is around $1200 including the monitor. If I could shave it down a little so I can afford a copy of Windows 7 that'd be great . Any suggestions?

CPU/Motherboard: Intel Core i5-2550K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor & Biostar TZ68K+ LGA 1155 Intel Z68 $320
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory $40
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive $75
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 680 2GB Video Card $500
Case: Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $55
Power Supply: OCZ 550W ATX12V $35
Monitor: ASUS VH236H 23 Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor $160
CPU Fan: Cooler Master Hyper 212 $23
Optical Drive: LITE ON DVD Burner $17

Total: $1246

 

[LAMBO]

Installed windows 7 with 2 hard drives plugged in 2 days ago and all of a sudden my system wouldn't boot today. Turns out you should never install windows 7 with more than one HD plugged in because windows mess up the boot files.

Wound up installing windows on to the 2nd hd in the system and used a program called easybcd to repair the boot files on the first hd and now i'm back in business and now i have a 2nd emergency windows install on the other drive which may be useful some day.

 

[AwesomeSauce]

so i was just gifted this setup, it was a refurb deal off woot:

Operating System
MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit SP1
CPU
AMD Athlon II X4 650
Propus 45nm Technology
RAM
8.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 666MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard
FOXCONN 2AB1 (CPU 1)
Graphics
Sceptre X22HG] (1680x1050@60Hz)
NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM) (XFX Pine Group)
Hard Drives
977GB Seagate ST310005 24AS SATA Disk Device (SATA)
Optical Drives
hp DVD-RAM GH80N SATA CdRom Device
Audio
Realtek High Definition Audio

i want to upgrade it so that it can handle diablo 3. what do you guys think? i'm thinking i'll wait for a hd6870 to go on sale and possibly a new case?

Throw in a decent PSU around 430 to 500watts and a GPU along the lines of say a 6870 and you should be set.

That is still a very capable system. And even better since it was a gift.

 

[chaosblade]

Think I got a bad refurb with this router (E1200). Can't set it up, it's not being detected over ethernet. At first I thought it was because I was doing it through a switch, but directly connecting with the laptop didn't make any difference. Not detected.

Figured I'd just ask here...need to grab a new usb flash drive. Using it strictly to play videos from on either PS3 or 360. Does the read speed actually make any difference for this usage?

Shouldn't matter. I don't recall any models of the PS3 or 360 even having USB3.

 

[cmonmanreally]

Throw in a decent PSU around 430 to 500watts and a GPU along the lines of say a 6870 and you should be set.

That is still a very capable system. And even better since it was a gift.

thanks for the great news!

 

[UrbanRats]

I feel your pain, I spend 3-4 hours last night doing taxes to have TurboTax crash on me and lose all my data.

Definitely grab the 212+. I put one on my mothers computer even just because it brought the system noise down so much as well as it probably helps the longevity of the CPU as well. For $20-30 bucks it's easily worth the massive improvement in noise and cooling over stock fans.

I agree that spending substantial money on a case is a waste, check out the OP for good cases at every price point. For the $60-70 range I've even seen the Corsair 400R go that low while on sale. As far as optical just go to newegg and get the highest rated one, they're pretty much the same unless you need one that you can hack firmware on it to get around region restrictions.

Thanks man.
I'll definitely factor in the cooler then, about the wireless keyboard/mouse? Any idea?
I am pretty much clueless, the only thing i know is that so far i've had great experiences with Logitech and awful ones with Trust (so much for the name).
But the price range is so wide, i really don't know when i going for overkill and when instead i'm going for something cheap. :\

 

[clav]

Think I got a bad refurb with this router (E1200). Can't set it up, it's not being detected over ethernet. At first I thought it was because I was doing it through a switch, but directly connecting with the laptop didn't make any difference. Not detected.

That sucks.

I don't remember anyone here recommending the E1200 though.

 

[Varna]

Just ordered two Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme Plus II GPU coolers... installing them in my EVGA 580GTXs SC.

Anyone have any experience installing these? Stripping my cards down to the bare board is making me a bit nervous...

 

[Aselith]

Edit: Meh I don't think I was right. Bad advice on my part.

 

[GraveHorizon]

I think I might become one with the master race tomorrow, but I wanted to run this build by Gaf first for some input. I'll be using it for some pretty heavy gaming, so I'm trying to maximize my performance while playing on a 1080p monitor. I do plan on overclocking. Budget is around $1200 including the monitor. If I could shave it down a little so I can afford a copy of Windows 7 that'd be great . Any suggestions?

CPU/Motherboard: Intel Core i5-2550K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor & Biostar TZ68K+ LGA 1155 Intel Z68 $320
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory $40
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive $75
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 680 2GB Video Card $500
Case: Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $55
Power Supply: OCZ 550W ATX12V $35
Monitor: ASUS VH236H 23 Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor $160
CPU Fan: Cooler Master Hyper 212 $23
Optical Drive: LITE ON DVD Burner $17

Total: $1246

The only immediate thing I can see to trim is that video card. Are you willing to downgrade it, or do you absolutely need to play at 5 million fps?

And is "master race" acceptable in 2012 now?

EDIT: I have about $130 left in my account after splurging on my build, and I'm considering using it to get an SSD. Would it be worth it just to be able to install on an SSD? What exactly would I be doing with the normal hard drive?

 

[Hazaro]

Figured I'd just ask here...need to grab a new usb flash drive. Using it strictly to play videos from on either PS3 or 360. Does the read speed actually make any difference for this usage?

I want to say it does. As long as you don't buy a super cheap one you should be alright. Read reviews to get stated speeds.
Really not positive on this though. I'd think any recent non super budget would be fine.

so i was just gifted this setup, it was a refurb deal off woot:

Operating System
MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit SP1
CPU
AMD Athlon II X4 650
Propus 45nm Technology
RAM
8.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 666MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard
FOXCONN 2AB1 (CPU 1)
Graphics
Sceptre X22HG] (1680x1050@60Hz)
NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM) (XFX Pine Group)
i want to upgrade it so that it can handle diablo 3. what do you guys think? i'm thinking i'll wait for a hd6870 to go on sale and possibly a new case?

Holy shit a 7900GS? Where they hell did they get that from?
I'd drop in a 6870 for best value probably a new power supply.

I wanted to run this build by Gaf first for some input. I'll be using it for some pretty heavy gaming, so I'm trying to maximize my performance while playing on a 1080p monitor. I do plan on overclocking. Budget is around $1200 including the monitor. If I could shave it down a little so I can afford a copy of Windows 7 that'd be great . Any suggestions?

CPU/Motherboard: Intel Core i5-2550K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor & Biostar TZ68K+ LGA 1155 Intel Z68 $320
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory $40
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive $75
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 680 2GB Video Card $500
Case: Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $55
Power Supply: OCZ 550W ATX12V $35
Monitor: ASUS VH236H 23 Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor $160
CPU Fan: Cooler Master Hyper 212 $23
Optical Drive: LITE ON DVD Burner $17

Total: $1246

Drop the 680 and pickup a 670 in about a month for $100 less. Spend an extra $30 on a better PSU. Almost squeezes in Windows.
If you can't do that... not really much else to cut. If it makes you feel better GTX 680's are mostly out of stock everywhere.

The only immediate thing I can see to trim is that video card. Are you willing to downgrade it, or do you absolutely need to play at 5 million fps?

And is "master race" acceptable in 2012 now?

EDIT: I have about $130 left in my account after splurging on my build, and I'm considering using it to get an SSD. Would it be worth it just to be able to install on an SSD? What exactly would I be doing with the normal hard drive?

It's not, just removed from the banner.

Normal HDD for large data storage. (Media, most games). SSD for programs and select few games.

Just stick it out with the HDD. SSD prices will only go down so you can jump on board later.

 

[n0n44m]

Just ordered two Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme Plus II GPU coolers... installing them in my EVGA 580GTXs SC.

Anyone have any experience installing these? Stripping my cards down to the bare board is making me a bit nervous...

yeah I've installed the Plus I on my GTX 480 ... just follow the first part of this vid

check that you have the correct screwdriver, the most 580s use special Torx screws

just wiggle it around slowly once you have removed all screws, it'll pop off eventually. Be careful because the fan-cable still needs to be removed then.

Clean up the chips (I always use acetone) and package your old cooler(s) in a plastic bag. Be careful not to tear the original thermal pads.

ow and I don't want to alarm you too much, but check your GPU core first. It should look like this and NOT like this. The second are from some later batch Evga sold without heatspreaders, which makes it incompatible with all default waterblocks out there. I can't find anything on the Arctic Cooling site, but I assume the Accelero will not be compatible with that "naked" version either ...

 

[Kelegacy]

These are the specs I'm looking at right now at a PC I've found, though brand names of motherboard, etc are not known until I open the case (and I can't since I haven't bought it). However, I'm expecting cheap-o or generic parts since it's a custom type of build by a retailer.

Intel Core i5 2500K (3.3G/6M)
dual channel 12GB DDR3-1333MHz
2 AMD ATI HD6850 1GB (CrossFire) 2GB of dedicated GAMING MEMORY
Optical Drive: 24X DL DVD+/-RW Drive
PSU: 800W Power Supply
Hard Drive: 2TB SATA 3
Window 7 Home Premium
12 in 1 Card Reader
CPU Liquid Cooling

This is for about $1000.

Does this sound like a decent deal? I tried to build it on a custom PC site to compare and it came out to be more expensive if I ordered a custom built one than to buy this prebuilt PC.

A monitor is not included, and I'm looking at a 27" HP LED in addition to this price, though the glossy screen may irritate me (it's a windowed room and I have a glossy screened HDTV in there that makes me close the curtains during the day to game properly).

Yes, building my own would be more rewarding and save me a bit of money perhaps, but I'm still very leery of doing it. Upgrading, I'm fine with it and I've done it a million times so I COULD build one probably, but I don't want to chance it. It's a hard sell with the wife and all those expensive parts, and I'd rather have the opportunity of taking it back if there is a problem initially or dealing with a retail place that has a good policy and customer service.

I'm wondering at the "deal" aspect of this build, and the crossfire cards make me nervous about potential overheating.

 

[Wolf Akela]

That's actually very good for something that you didn't build yourself. Doubt you'll get charged over an extra $200 for that.

 

[Hazaro]

Not a bad deal. Have to deal with dual cards though.
Any chance you can get models for the Mobo and PSU?

6850's run decently low power I wouldn't worry about overheating.

 

[GraveHorizon]

Normal HDD for large data storage. (Media, most games). SSD for programs and select few games.

Just stick it out with the HDD. SSD prices will only go down so you can jump on board later.

If I really wanted to get an SSD right now, so I wouldn't have to deal with reinstalling the OS on it later, would the Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 64GB be a decent deal at this time? Or would a Sandisk Ultra 120GB be a better choice? The extra speed would be nice, and I'd rather get any system configuration out of the way during the initial setup.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

I'm still looking for some feedback on this budget build I'm looking at getting over the next couple of weeks: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=14149629

MB: ASUS P8H61-M LE/CSM
CPU: Intel Core i3-2120 3.3GHz
GPU: HIS H685FN1GD Radeon HD 6850 1GB
Memory: Crucial 2x 4GB
HDD: Recertified Western Digital WD10EADS 1TB
Sound: Xonar DG
PSU: Diablotek PHD Series PHD380M 380W Micro ATX
Case: Rosewill R102-P-BK 120mm Fan MicroATX (Mid-Tower)
​

I'm specficially curious about the PSU. I imagine I'm going to be told to get more power? I'm not looking to do anything particularly hardcore; I just want to be able to play some games on something more powerful than my wife's laptop.

Also, any suggestions on mice?

 

[Hazaro]

If I really wanted to get an SSD right now, so I wouldn't have to deal with reinstalling the OS on it later, would the Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 64GB be a decent deal at this time? Or would a Sandisk Ultra 120GB be a better choice? The extra speed would be nice, and I'd rather get any system configuration out of the way during the initial setup.

Personally I would only buy a non-Sandforce drive, so I'd choose the M4 or Samsung 830 like the OP lists.
Sandisk seems to have stayed around that $/GB for a while no.

I'm still looking for some feedback on this budget build I'm looking at getting over the next couple of weeks: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=14149629

MB: ASUS P8H61-M LE/CSM
CPU: Intel Core i3-2120 3.3GHz
GPU: HIS H685FN1GD Radeon HD 6850 1GB
Memory: Crucial 2x 4GB
HDD: Recertified Western Digital WD10EADS 1TB
Sound: Xonar DG
PSU: Diablotek PHD Series PHD380M 380W Micro ATX
Case: Rosewill R102-P-BK 120mm Fan MicroATX (Mid-Tower)
​

I'm specficially curious about the PSU. I imagine I'm going to be told to get more power? I'm not looking to do anything particularly hardcore; I just want to be able to play some games on something more powerful than my wife's laptop.

Also, any suggestions on mice?

380w is fine as long as it can deliver at least 330W on the 12V. That can't. It's 230W. That PSU and an Antec EA380 are both rated at 380W, but the Antec puts out nearly 50% more power on what matters.
Check, but it seems like that case can fit an ATX PSU just fine?
VP450, NeoEco 400W or the two PSUs in the OP are what to buy.

Mice G400/G500 a popular choice.

 

[Wolf Akela]

Yeah, just avoid Diablotek altogether.

 

[Data West]

So, I guess this kind of goes against the purpose of this thread, but I'm not really sure where else to ask.

Where's the best place to buy a prebuilt PC? I'm trying to get something to hook up to my tv and play games on while I do most of my work on my laptop. I don't really want to build my own without an expert around locally, which I don't have, but I'm pretty sure I'm going with PC next gen just for being the only platform that seems to focus on single player anymore... And sales, of course.

 

[TheApatheticOne]

Kinda of a random video card question. I put a EVGA Geforce GTX 550 ti in my PC this weekend, installed the latest drivers for the card straight from Nvidia's website, and by all accounts, its been great. Played Bioshock, Witcher, Trine, nothing too taxing, but everything ran smoothly. The other day, while checking my email, my screen turned pink for about 3 seconds, and a bubble popped up saying that the video driver had failed and restored.

Im ignorant when it comes it comes to this, but is this a flukey thing, or something I should be worried about? Its only done it one time as far as Ive witnessed, but Ive never seen that before, ever.

 

[Wolf Akela]

Kinda of a random video card question. I put a EVGA Geforce GTX 550 ti in my PC this weekend, installed the latest drivers for the card straight from Nvidia's website, and by all accounts, its been great. Played Bioshock, Witcher, Trine, nothing too taxing, but everything ran smoothly. The other day, while checking my email, my screen turned pink for about 3 seconds, and a bubble popped up saying that the video driver had failed and restored.

Something that unfortunately happens... kinda random. I've had this several times with my old Palit 9600GT... a lot of times with Intel HD3000 and never ever had it on my Sapphire HD5850.

 

[Varna]

ow and I don't want to alarm you too much, but check your GPU core first. It should look like this and NOT like this. The second are from some later batch Evga sold without heatspreaders, which makes it incompatible with all default waterblocks out there. I can't find anything on the Arctic Cooling site, but I assume the Accelero will not be compatible with that "naked" version either ...

Jesus... I am pretty scared now.

Anyone know how to check if they have the IHS without taking them apart?

 

[mkenyon]

So, I guess this kind of goes against the purpose of this thread, but I'm not really sure where else to ask.

Where's the best place to buy a prebuilt PC? I'm trying to get something to hook up to my tv and play games on while I do most of my work on my laptop. I don't really want to build my own without an expert around locally, which I don't have, but I'm pretty sure I'm going with PC next gen just for being the only platform that seems to focus on single player anymore... And sales, of course.

Sure you do, us!

If there's any chance you are Pac NW, I offer my services for free to GAF. Otherwise you can use this thread, and the numerous tutorials. I'm not joking when I say the Slave I lego set was more time consuming and difficult than any computer build I've done in the last 7 years. Once you get over the fear hurdle, it's seriously a breeze. Plus, you'll get so much more for your money, and get *exactly* what you want.

 

[·feist·]

I'm still looking for some feedback on this budget build I'm looking at getting over the next couple of weeks: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=14149629

MB: ASUS P8H61-M LE/CSM
CPU: Intel Core i3-2120 3.3GHz
GPU: HIS H685FN1GD Radeon HD 6850 1GB
Memory: Crucial 2x 4GB
HDD: Recertified Western Digital WD10EADS 1TB
Sound: Xonar DG
PSU: Diablotek PHD Series PHD380M 380W Micro ATX
Case: Rosewill R102-P-BK 120mm Fan MicroATX (Mid-Tower)
​

I'm specficially curious about the PSU. I imagine I'm going to be told to get more power? I'm not looking to do anything particularly hardcore; I just want to be able to play some games on something more powerful than my wife's laptop.

Also, any suggestions on mice?

With shipping that case comes to $35. I'd suggest changing it to something like one of these:

$40 - BitFenix Merc
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0382963
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005JRICNG/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006VK6836/?tag=neogaf0e-20

$40 - NZXT Source 210
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005869A7K/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146075

Both are much better than that Rosewill, and while they're ATX, they're not much larger than that Rosewill, either. Inexpensive doesn't have to equal cheap.

If you're intent on the case being mATX, look at the $40 Fractal Design Core 1000. Also better than that Rosewill.

Yeah, just avoid Diablotek altogether.

You should be more specific. For PSUs? Absolutely.

Diablotek's Evo is not only better than the case he currently has, it's better than most enclosures in the $35-40 range it normally sells at. For whatever reason, it seems the OEM recently increased the price on all cases built on that platform.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

If you're intent on the case being mATX, look at the $40 Fractal Design Core 1000. Also better than that Rosewill.

I'll confess to my complete ignorance here; since my motherboard says "MicroATX," am I not obligated to buy a MicroATX case as well? Or am I being a complete noob and there is some compatibility between the two?