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[06nbarnhill]

CF 6850s would run circles around any version of GTX 560, that is if the CF profile is actually good.

I'd rather not deal with CF/SLI to be honest.

So dual 6850's it is (assuming I understood your post....not much of a techie)

 

[Coins]

CPU: Intel Core i5-2400 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($117.24 @ Mwave)
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($122.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Blu 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($23.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($118.50 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB Video Card ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Core 3000 ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 650W ATX12V Power Supply ($52.46 @ NCIX US)
Total: $720.02

How does this build look? Im looking to play SWTOR primarily.

My current PC is a Pentium D, 2GB RAM, and a GeForce 8600GT.

Oh, another question. I did the student download for Windows 7 and upgraded it to premium so I have a valid license. If I build a new PC, can I just use my license again?

 

[MC RaZaR]

So dual 6850's it is (assuming I understood your post....not much of a techie)

I think he/she is saying eventhough peformance wise, CrossFireX HD 6850s is superior to a GTX 560, driver issues with CrossFireX and finding working Catalyst Application Profiles can cause an inconvienance that just might not be worth the performance increase.

 

[06nbarnhill]

I think he/she is saying eventhough peformance wise, CrossFireX HD 6850s is superior to a GTX 560, driver issues with CrossFireX and finding working Catalyst Application Profiles can cause an inconvienance that just might not be worth the performance increase.

0.o

Bleh.

If I am getting them in a prebuilt system should they be fine? I am not a techie at all.....so all this talk of drivers is something I won't be able to deal with.

 

[MC RaZaR]

0.o

Bleh.

If I am getting them in a prebuilt system should they be fine? I am not a techie at all.....so all this talk of drivers is something I won't be able to deal with.

Well, the issues still exist even if its a prebuilt system. When playing games, if you notice there aren't any performance issues or system instability, then you're fine. Otherwise, you might have to download various driver versions from AMD's site to get rid of the issues. You might also have to download the CAPs to resolve the issues.

 

[Previous]

Uh... the 2500k is $160 at Microcenter.

In store only.

 

[MC RaZaR]

How does this build look? Im looking to play SWTOR primarily.

My current PC is a Pentium D, 2GB RAM, and a GeForce 8600GT.

Oh, another question. I did the student download for Windows 7 and upgraded it to premium so I have a valid license. If I build a new PC, can I just use my license again?

If you can, get the i5 2500K. It's a better value, if it is within your budget. The license should work I believe. I can't confirm it though.

 

[06nbarnhill]

Well, the issues still exist even if its a prebuilt system. When playing games, if you notice there aren't any performance issues or system instability, then you're fine. Otherwise, you might have to download various driver versions from AMD's site to get rid of the issues. You might also have to download the CAPs to resolve the issues.

I'll just get it then come back here when it doesn't work.....found a great deal on a PC with that card and I don't wanna get a worse PC simply because it night have issues with drivers.

 

[Bragarb07]

Hi guys! I have a couple of questions I hope someone will answer. This is my current setup:

i5 750 - CM 212+
Gigabyte P55 UD4P
Sentey HD 5450
WD 750gb caviar black
2x2gb gskill ripjaws 1600
Vantec 550W
CoolerMaster 690

I figured it's time for an upgrade, I want to run all current games at max with excellent fps. Is there a way of doing this and keep the CPU+board? If yes, what graphics card would you recommend? If not, I would want the new build to last a year or two, without throwing away a lot of money by buying overpriced parts which will sell at 20% their value in a couple of years. The ideal would be to buy parts in the best price/performance range, having into account I want a video card to run all the games at max 1080p with the most possible fps (being real, I don't want 200 fps which I don't even see).

I have a month buy the parts so I can wait for deals, maybe buy some used parts.

this is what I thought:
i7 2700k (selling at $280 BNIB in a forum)
Asus P8Z68 board (~$130 Newegg)
2x4 GB Gskill Ripjaws 1600 (I have a sealed pair)
ASUS MATRIX GTX580 ($530 Newegg or maybe $400 used)
keep the 750GB WD 7200
keep the case
xonar DG

a 64~80GB SSD (which one do you recommend?)
a new PSU at least 850W (which one do you recommend?)

is the board good? should I go for the deluxe? (twice the price)
is the build too much for what I want? what about the 580?
Also, is PhysX worth the 580? I could wait for the 7970 unless Physx was really something valuable

Thanks in advance!!

edit: are these good SSD's?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227725
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227759

what about this PSU?
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0358411

 

[ClovingWestbrook]

I'm ready to buy a Mobo and was hopin you folks could recommend one.

I'm looking to spend $125 or so.
I5 2500k
8 gigs ram
Will buy either 560 ti or 570
PSU 750

 

[jwhit28]

So where does Crossfire 5770's or Crossfire 6770+5770 put performance? At least near GTX 570/6970?

I looked at all the usual sites but the 5770 reviews don't share many in game benchmarks with today's cards for a good comparison.

 

[archnemesis]

My monitor is broken and I'm considering picking up a 23/24" Dell Ultrasharp to replace it with. How annoying is the bleeding and the anti-glare coating? Is there a better alternative in the same price range?

 

[LegoArmo]

What would be the most cost/performance effective upgrade for my PC? I feel like it's starting to show it's age a little. I think my CPU is still doing fine, it's a Q6600 at 3.2GHz, but like a lot of people who built their system around that time I only have 4GB of DDR2 and an overclocked GTS 8800 (640MB).

I've been trying to play Grand Theft Auto IV and I had heard it's poorly optimised but it's not running too smooth for me and it won't let me set the textures above medium. I suppose it needs a lot of video memory.

I was looking at this: GTX 560 Ti

Or maybe this: HD 6950

But would a RAM upgrade make more sense, or does that really matter for gaming?

 

[Hazaro]

So I got this great Xmas present. My Samsung 3D monitor turns on and goes black in 2 seconds everytime. I checked online and figured out that it must be some bad capacitors.

The questions is:

a)Is it a cheap repair? Is it worth it?

b)Better that I try to repair it myself ? Where would I get such components, specifically?

or

c)should I just go out and buy a new one?Cheap alternatives?

I was and am really in love with this 120hz monitor, it is great. Suggestions?

1) warranty?
2) Replce caps is easy if you know how to solder and disassemble your monitor

So my computer is pretty much dead now, and I work from home so I need to order and build a comp as soon as possible.

Could anyone take a stab at helping me out real quick?
I'm having a hard time figuring out the OP's choices keeping in my price range, and getting parts that will work together.

Basic Desktop Questions:
Your Current Specs: Computer is dead, need a brand new everything basically!
Budget: $500-$700 USA
Main Use:Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop, 3D work (Maya), Video Editing, SWTOR's Maximum Graphics (?)
Monitor Resolution: Anything above 800 x 600
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Emulation, SWTOR
Are reusing any parts?: None
When will you build?: Immediately
Will you be overclocking?: No

I'll make some sort of design/8-bit/avatar for whoever helps me out!
Please PM me.
Thanks!

Take the standard build.
+
Intel 2600K (+180) Even if you don't OC the resale value goes way up.

Bonus upgrades:
Mobo to a $110 board. Better built.
PSU to a 550W. Better built.

Just quoting myself for a bit but the motherboard Asrock H61iCAFE wouldn't be a problem for the 79xx series right? I don't really need a really expensive one but just an efficient one for my gaming needs. No need for any Overclocking

Should be fine.

Just curious. Is there any advantage to having dual video cards?

For example....are 2x AMD Radeon HD 6850 1GB better than one NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560? Benchmarks say the NVIDIA is better but it doesn't take into account dual cards.

There is a bit in the OP. If two are working right it is faster but often uses more power and makes more heat/noise and has issues like release date drivers and microstuttering.

How does this build look? Im looking to play SWTOR primarily.

My current PC is a Pentium D, 2GB RAM, and a GeForce 8600GT.

Oh, another question. I did the student download for Windows 7 and upgraded it to premium so I have a valid license. If I build a new PC, can I just use my license again?

Good.
I don't know.

I'll just get it then come back here when it doesn't work.....found a great deal on a PC with that card and I don't wanna get a worse PC simply because it night have issues with drivers.

Just keep your drivers up to date. xFire usually doesn't negative scale so there's not too much to worry about.

I'm ready to buy a Mobo and was hopin you folks could recommend one.

I'm looking to spend $125 or so.
I5 2500k
8 gigs ram
Will buy either 560 ti or 570
PSU 750

OP. 4 options. Check second post for your needs.

So where does Crossfire 5770's or Crossfire 6770+5770 put performance? At least near GTX 570/6970?

I looked at all the usual sites but the 5770 reviews don't share many in game benchmarks with today's cards for a good comparison.

Check OP under Anandtech Bench.

Hi guys! I have a couple of questions I hope someone will answer. This is my current setup:

i5 750 - CM 212+
Gigabyte P55 UD4P
Sentey HD 5450
WD 750gb caviar black
2x2gb gskill ripjaws 1600
Vantec 550W
CoolerMaster 690

I figured it's time for an upgrade, I want to run all current games at max with excellent fps. Is there a way of doing this and keep the CPU+board? If yes, what graphics card would you recommend?

Thanks in advance!!

edit: are these good SSD's?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227725
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227759

what about this PSU?
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0358411

i5 750 is fine. The current procs aren't much faster. Just upgrade your GPU based on whatever your budget is. Check OP for pricing/performance. Everything slots into it's pricepoint. AMD 7970/7950 should be launching in 2 weeks. Link in OP.

Only SSD recs I do now are M4 and Intel. PSU is ok.

What would be the most cost/performance effective upgrade for my PC? I feel like it's starting to show it's age a little. I think my CPU is still doing fine, it's a Q6600 at 3.2GHz, but like a lot of people who built their system around that time I only have 4GB of DDR2 and an overclocked GTS 8800 (640MB).

I've been trying to play Grand Theft Auto IV and I had heard it's poorly optimised but it's not running too smooth for me and it won't let me set the textures above medium. I suppose it needs a lot of video memory.

I was looking at this: GTX 560 Ti

But would a RAM upgrade make more sense, or does that really matter for gaming?

RAM doesn't do jack for gaming. 560Ti is a nice upgrade.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

putting together a new build using a ASUS P67 motherboard. I have 2 SSD, a Crucial 64gb sata 3 and a OCZ agility 3 240gb (for steam only). the OCZ is recognized in device manager but its not showing up in windows, it also show up in the BIOS (or whatever it's called now) any advice?

 

[LegoArmo]

RAM doesn't do jack for gaming. 560Ti is a nice upgrade.

Thanks mate, I went for this 448 core version in the end after doing some Googling.

 

[Black_Stride]

<50C max temps during a stress test at 5GHz? Do you live in Antarctica or have a magic CPU?

I guess i just lucked out, one of my friends (practically identical PC) cant even get his computer to boot at 5GHz, i can go all the way to 5.2 on air before the PC really becomes unstable.

Once the Ivybridge CPUs come out, im gonna be jumping of the 2600K equivalent and hopefully ill be as lucky with that as i have been with the 2500K 5.0 GHz club.

 

[senahorse]

Nm

 

[EatChildren]

Avoid LED if you can. You'll get better colors and black levels out of most non-LED monitors.

Don't pay attention to contrast and dynamic contrast numbers. They're usually bullshit. If you can find independent static contrast ratings out there, that's all I would trust.

You might want to look in to IPS panels for better colors and viewing angles, though at the cost of slightly slower response rate (minimal ghosting). Otherwise, if you're sticking with a cheap TN panel, I hate to say it, but they're pretty much all the same. I like the Asus 24" monitors. Cheap, no frills, and the colors and black levels are pretty good out of the box.

If you want to consider something bigger (32"), you can also look in to using a 32" HDTV as a PC monitor, which is what I do

Well, that sucks. Damn. I'm really sensitive to the blurring on my current LCD, or all LCDs I guess. I really, really there was a nice, clean and responsive blurless monitor that wasn't fucking box.

This brings me to my second question; a second GTX 570, is it worth it? I've looked up some benchmarks and most games, especially modern stuff seems to benefit pretty well from SLI cards. But someone told me that the dual VRAM wont actually add together for double the available VRAM, and instead effectively still only use the memory on one card.

What's the go yo. Maybe a second GTX 570 and a monitor boost for over 1080p would be a worthwhile investment for eye candy.

 

[·feist·]

Well, that sucks. Damn. I'm really sensitive to the blurring on my current LCD, or all LCDs I guess. I really, really there was a nice, clean and responsive blurless monitor that wasn't fucking box.

This brings me to my second question; a second GTX 570, is it worth it? I've looked up some benchmarks and most games, especially modern stuff seems to benefit pretty well from SLI cards. But someone told me that the dual VRAM wont actually add together for double the available VRAM, and instead effectively still only use the memory on one card.

What's the go yo. Maybe a second GTX 570 and a monitor boost for over 1080p would be a worthwhile investment for eye candy.

With multiple cards in SLI/Crossfire, your effective memory remains the same as data is maintained across each card, instead of having a cumulative increase in VRAM. So, no matter how many additional 570s you add, you still are working with ~1.25GB. Unless you're very unhappy with your current performance, you may want to hold off as the next gen of AMD/Nvidia cards will flesh out across the next ~1-3 months. Considerably higher performance jump than the one from GTX 400/HD 5000 to GTX 500/HD 6000.

If you haven't run multiple cards before, this bit from the OP may answer some questions:

Intro to dual cards: SLI & Crossfire
In my opinion I'd only suggest dual cards from a performance a high end perspective. If you are willing to plunk down $600+ for GPU alone you go two cards.

 

[TheExodu5]

Well, that sucks. Damn. I'm really sensitive to the blurring on my current LCD, or all LCDs I guess. I really, really there was a nice, clean and responsive blurless monitor that wasn't fucking box.

This brings me to my second question; a second GTX 570, is it worth it? I've looked up some benchmarks and most games, especially modern stuff seems to benefit pretty well from SLI cards. But someone told me that the dual VRAM wont actually add together for double the available VRAM, and instead effectively still only use the memory on one card.

What's the go yo. Maybe a second GTX 570 and a monitor boost for over 1080p would be a worthwhile investment for eye candy.

The Asus VW246H is incredibly fast and has pretty much no ghosting. It's rated at 2ms (though rating doesn't mean everything) and is LCD monitor with the least ghosting I've personally auditioned to date.

As for a second GTX 570...it will give you performance you couldn't get otherwise, but you have to deal with some issues: added power consumption, added noise, added heat. Those are the obvious issues. Then, you have possible microstuttering, games that don't properly support SLI, SLI-related glitches (flashing water in Crysis 2).

For me, even though the performance was really nice, it was sometimes more hassle than it was worth. I sold one of my GTX 570. I kind of miss the performance in a handful of games, but it's a relief not to have to troubleshoot SLI related issues anymore.

---

That being said, regarding the monitor issue...I used to be very picky about ghosting and response times, but after I moved to a 32" TV, I stopped caring. The color fidelity, black levels, and size of the display more than make up for the increased ghosting and relatively minimal input lag. You might feel the same way moving to a bigger or higher resolution monitor.

If you do go with a resolution higher like 1440p or 1600p, then SLI almost becomes a necessity. Bad time to upgrade, though, seeing as how new cards are just around the corner.

 

[Negaiido]

The Asus VW246H is incredibly fast and has pretty much no ghosting. It's rated at 2ms (though rating doesn't mean everything) and is LCD monitor with the least ghosting I've personally auditioned to date.

I can't find the Asus VW246H in stores anymore(in Dutchland)
The Netherlands only has the Asus VW247H. The differences I can see are the screensize and the response time which is 5 ms on the VW247H. Anything else I should know?

 

[Juice]

Last time I owned a gaming PC was 2001 — does Windows (7) still suck in that you pretty much need to keep your game installs on a separate partition from Windows itself to avoid the machine becoming a slow piece of shit over time?

 

[TheExodu5]

Last time I owned a gaming PC was 2001 — does Windows (7) still suck in that you pretty much need to keep your game installs on a separate partition from Windows itself to avoid the machine becoming a slow piece of shit over time?

That's an HDD limitation, and not a Windows limitation. Installing games on a different drive/partition to avoid fragmenting.

The machine also becomes slow over time because you get more and more background processes running as you install crap on your PC. You can keep it running quickly if you manage these startup processes, but that can be a pain.

The best solution is to get a solid state drive (SSD). Your PC will stay quick and responsive with an SSD. Of course, since SSDs are small, you'll still have to install games on a different drive.

 

[traveler]

So I made a build in the last thread based on the loads of useful info in the OP but I only ended up buying a few pieces (the ones that were on sale during BF) at the time. Since it's another big sale day and I never really got any feedback on my last build, I thought I'd bump my post and run a few questions by you guys. (As well as just put it out there for general feedback)

Think I'm finally ready to pull the trigger on a new machine and now seems like a good day to do it. I've never built a computer before or even upgraded an existing one, so I'm a total newbie to the process.

Basic Desktop Questions:
Your Current Specs: I currently own a 4 year old Dell desktop with an Intel E6000 line dual core, (can't remember the exact model number, but it's 3.2 ghz) a Nvidia 8800GTX, and 4 gb of RAM. The graphics card regularly idles at 90 degrees Celsius under no load at all which makes actual gaming is unplayable, so I'm looking to replace the computer. (I'm going for a new computer as I wanted a better cpu and more ram, and it's a Dell computer, so I was unsure as to whether their parts would be incompatible with others.)

Budget: US. $1000 is the top end of what I'm looking to spend right now.

Main Use: Light Gaming, Gaming, Emulation (PS2/Wii), Video Editing, 3D work, general usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback): Gaming is the main use. 1080p would be preferable but not necessary

Monitor Resolution: What resolution will you be playing your games at? Are you going to upgrade later? 1080p or 720p

List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: I want to be able to run WoW and Diablo 3 maxed if possible. (I know Blizz games don't scale as well at high specs as they do with low, so this is optional) I have the PS3 version of Skyrim, but I'd like to run it on PC much better. Witcher 2 and BF3 are the two games I've held off playing specifically for this upgrade. I also want to be able to run GW2 well when that hits.

Are reusing any parts?: List make and model (e.g. Corsair 520HX 520W): If I knew how, I'd love to use the Blu ray player out of my Dell if possible.

When will you build?: When do you want your computer, do you need it in a week, can you wait a month or two? I would like to take advantage of the sales going on today if the parts on sale would be a good match for the budget of rig I'm looking to get. I don't need the computer itself any time soon, though.

Will you be overclocking?: Not planning on it at the moment, but as I become more familiar with computer tuning and building, I could see myself doing it. Easy or good to OC doesn't need to be a high priority for the parts, though


Currently considering:

CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K LGA 1155: $150
Mobo: ASUS P8Z68-V PRO LGA 1155 Intel Z68: $180
RAM: G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBSR: $41
GPU: Undecided. Leaning towards the 570. ($350) There don't seem to be any good sales for GPUs right now.
Internal Storage: Intel 320 Series SSDSA2CW160G3K5 2.5" 160GB: $155
Power Supply: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W: $70 Ended up getting the Seasonic 750 instead do to better reviews and a huge discount on BF)
Case: No idea what to go with here. Seem to be quite a few on sale. Not sure what size case I'll need for the build I'm going for here. The HAF 912: $60 looks fine to me though.
Optical Drive: Would prefer to use my old one from the Dell, but I'm not sure if that would work. Otherwise: iHOS104-08: $65
Heatsink: Cooler Master 212: $15
Sound Card: Asus Xonar DG: $15

Total Price: ~1100

A bit overbudget, but if I can get a better deal on a graphics card (or decide to go with a standard hd instead of a ssd) I can bring it down a bit. So what do you think? Should everything here work together? Will this build handle everything I mentioned above?

I have the SSD, CPU, and PSU, but I'm missing everything else. Specifically, I'm wondering if:

1) This will perform like a great albeit not top end build
2) Everything will work together
3) the 560 Ti 448 is a better bang for buck card than the 570 I'm currently planning on getting
4) I should wait on the new Radeon cards
5) there are any sales today I should take advantage of and immediately jump on (I saw a couple of deals on the aforementioned 560 Ti but I'm still not sure if it's better for me to go with it and if those deals are even decent savings in the first place)

I also have yet to decide on a case. I have no idea what would fit this build comfortably size wise, so I'm all ears when it comes to them. (I see that the Carbide series 400r is on sale- is that a good case/deal?)

The OP has helped a ton already to a newbie like me, but I appreciate any further help you guys can provide. Thanks!

 

[Lucius86]

Thinking of going larger with my monitor, but I don't know whether to jump from 22" to 24", or to 27" (and if 27", is the pixel density too crap for 1080P resolution?).

Anyone have opinions on their recent monitor purchases they would not mind sharing?

 

[Juice]

That's an HDD limitation, and not a Windows limitation. Installing games on a different drive/partition to avoid fragmenting.

The machine also becomes slow over time because you get more and more background processes running as you install crap on your PC. You can keep it running quickly if you manage these startup processes, but that can be a pain.

The best solution is to get a solid state drive (SSD). Your PC will stay quick and responsive with an SSD. Of course, since SSDs are small, you'll still have to install games on a different drive.

In the good ol' days more installations == slowness just because of inefficiencies in how the Windows Registry worked. Since you didn't mention that I figure that's not as much an issue anymore.

Creating a separate partition would prevent fragmentation on the system disk, at least.

 

[jcutner]

So my desktop that I built a year or two ago, which never worked properly is finally crapping out on me.

It's decently spec'd which is the annoying part.

It's an i5-760, gigabyte p55-ud3 (i think?) mobo
4gb g.skill, gtx460

anyways - ever since I got it, it would never boot into windows when the FSB/multiplier was set to the default of 133x21, it would get to the waving windows flag and just stop dead/hang

if it set the FSB to 160x18, it would boot in fine, and of course the TurboBoost stuff would work. so I was fine with that, odd but it worked.

now, when I could still boot into windows as of a few days ago, this machine would crawl like nothing else. explorer would freeze and crash, simple things would take 5 minutes to respond. I mainly use the desktop for gaming only, so there was nothing crucial on there. I wiped it, and reinstalled windows. Exact same things started happening.

As of yesterday however, it won't boot in, it just stays at the waving windows flag (the flag doesn't freeze, just keeps waving). Tried both FSBs, tried a windows repair (which failed).

So, my idea is - I'll get a new motherboard (also, when I first got the machine, I tried a different GPU, and different ram to make sure - same issues) - problem is, it seems like you cannot find a LGA 1156 motherboard anywhere (at least not locally in Canada)

Seems like the only thing to do is start fresh, with a i5-2500k and a LGA 1155 mobo
But, not only is this expensive, it seems insane as the 2500k doesn't seem like a big improvement over the i5-760 at all.

So, I'm out of ideas. Only thing left is to order a 1156 board online and hope for the best.

Any ideas on this weird one?

 

[Negaiido]

Since Asus VW246H is not being sold anymore should I go for the Asus VW247H or the Dell Ultrasharp U2412M?

 

[TheExodu5]

Since Asus VW246H is not being sold anymore should I go for the Asus VW247H or the Dell Ultrasharp U2412M?

Very different monitors. The Asus is a TN panel, and the Dell is an IPS panel. With an IPS panel, you'll get better colors and viewing angles, but at the cost of minimal ghosting.

 

[Negaiido]

Very different monitors. The Asus is a TN panel, and the Dell is an IPS panel. With an IPS panel, you'll get better colors and viewing angles, but at the cost of minimal ghosting.

Oh shit I meant the Dell Ultrasharp U2312HM but then you still have the same differences. Would it be an annoyance if you had a 23" instead of a 24"? Sorry for these questions, I've never had a bigger then 15 inch screen... :X

 

[Spike Spiegel]

New PC is up and running fine (so far!), installing softwares and updates right now. Any suggestions on a free Photoshop alternative? I was running some old photo-manip programs with my previous PC that aren't Windows 7 compatible, and I need something to replace them but don't want to spring for a new version of Photoshop just yet.

GIMP works with Windows 7 right? I've never tried that one.

EDIT: Might post some pics of the new PC later.

 

[AwesomeSauce]

So my desktop that I built a year or two ago, which never worked properly is finally crapping out on me.

It's decently spec'd which is the annoying part.

It's an i5-760, gigabyte p55-ud3 (i think?) mobo
4gb g.skill, gtx460

anyways - ever since I got it, it would never boot into windows when the FSB/multiplier was set to the default of 133x21, it would get to the waving windows flag and just stop dead/hang

if it set the FSB to 160x18, it would boot in fine, and of course the TurboBoost stuff would work. so I was fine with that, odd but it worked.

now, when I could still boot into windows as of a few days ago, this machine would crawl like nothing else. explorer would freeze and crash, simple things would take 5 minutes to respond. I mainly use the desktop for gaming only, so there was nothing crucial on there. I wiped it, and reinstalled windows. Exact same things started happening.

As of yesterday however, it won't boot in, it just stays at the waving windows flag (the flag doesn't freeze, just keeps waving). Tried both FSBs, tried a windows repair (which failed).

So, my idea is - I'll get a new motherboard (also, when I first got the machine, I tried a different GPU, and different ram to make sure - same issues) - problem is, it seems like you cannot find a LGA 1156 motherboard anywhere (at least not locally in Canada)

Seems like the only thing to do is start fresh, with a i5-2500k and a LGA 1155 mobo
But, not only is this expensive, it seems insane as the 2500k doesn't seem like a big improvement over the i5-760 at all.

So, I'm out of ideas. Only thing left is to order a 1156 board online and hope for the best.

Any ideas on this weird one?

Might be a shot in the dark, but have you tried updating the motherboard's bios?

 

[brotkasten]

Do we have any Ivy Bridge benchmarks yet? I know it's a bit early, but maybe something got leaked?

 

[TheExodu5]

Oh shit I meant the Dell Ultrasharp U2312HM but then you still have the same differences. Would it be an annoyance if you had a 23" instead of a 24"? Sorry for these questions, I've never had a bigger then 15 inch screen... :X

23" and 24" isn't that big of a difference. If you're coming from a 15" LCD monitor, go with the Dell. The response time will probably be better than what you had and the colors should blow you away (hopefully). If you're coming from a 15" CRT, then you might be sensitive to ghosting, and then I'd probably suggesting going with the Asus.

That's the best I can do as far as suggestions go. Monitors are a personal thing, and I can't unanimously say that one is better than the other.

Personally, I'd go for the Dell, but if someone is looking for the utmost in responsiveness and is into heavy competitive gaming, I can certainly understand wanting to go with the Asus instead.

That being said, I have not personally seen that Dell monitor.

 

[Jibbed]

My friend was telling me today that Crucial are scaling down the production of the M4 series SSD's to make way for the new line. Long story short, M4 prices seem to be going up (here in Europe anyway) and it's becoming harder to get hold of one.

Thought this might be important considering a lot of your recommended builds include these.

Sorry I can't include a source, but from the brief conversation we had, I remember him mentioning Scan UK saying something.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

putting together a new build using a ASUS P67 motherboard. I have 2 SSD, a Crucial 64gb sata 3 and a OCZ agility 3 240gb (for steam only). the OCZ is recognized in device manager but its not showing up in windows, it also show up in the BIOS (or whatever it's called now) any advice?

just quoting myself again, another issue I have is that the options I have for booting are only windows boot manager.

 

[ClovingWestbrook]

Just picked up the MSI P67A-GD55. Hopefully it'll work as planned =D Now I just need the GPU. Any ideas of the 570 will be going down in price soon?

 

[PGamer]

Okay, I've got a kind of different request here if anyone can help. I want to talk about wireless routers. What exactly should I be looking for when buying one? Wireless N is the best correct? And you can get ones that still do wired connections as well? The prices for these things range from like $30 to in the hundreds and I don't really know what the differences are and what exactly I should be looking for.

 

[jcutner]

Might be a shot in the dark, but have you tried updating the motherboard's bios?

Yea I have done that as well, it's on the latest firmware F11

 

[Hazaro]

So I made a build in the last thread based on the loads of useful info in the OP but I only ended up buying a few pieces (the ones that were on sale during BF) at the time. Since it's another big sale day and I never really got any feedback on my last build, I thought I'd bump my post and run a few questions by you guys. (As well as just put it out there for general feedback)



I have the SSD, CPU, and PSU, but I'm missing everything else. Specifically, I'm wondering if:

1) This will perform like a great albeit not top end build
2) Everything will work together
3) the 560 Ti 448 is a better bang for buck card than the 570 I'm currently planning on getting
4) I should wait on the new Radeon cards
5) there are any sales today I should take advantage of and immediately jump on (I saw a couple of deals on the aforementioned 560 Ti but I'm still not sure if it's better for me to go with it and if those deals are even decent savings in the first place)

I also have yet to decide on a case. I have no idea what would fit this build comfortably size wise, so I'm all ears when it comes to them. (I see that the Carbide series 400r is on sale- is that a good case/deal?)

The OP has helped a ton already to a newbie like me, but I appreciate any further help you guys can provide. Thanks!

1) It'll work fantastic
2) Yes
3) Yes
4) Yes, it's 2 weeks
5) I dunno. Case is nice.

So my desktop that I built a year or two ago, which never worked properly is finally crapping out on me.

It's decently spec'd which is the annoying part.

It's an i5-760, gigabyte p55-ud3 (i think?) mobo
4gb g.skill, gtx460

anyways - ever since I got it, it would never boot into windows when the FSB/multiplier was set to the default of 133x21, it would get to the waving windows flag and just stop dead/hang

if it set the FSB to 160x18, it would boot in fine, and of course the TurboBoost stuff would work. so I was fine with that, odd but it worked.

now, when I could still boot into windows as of a few days ago, this machine would crawl like nothing else. explorer would freeze and crash, simple things would take 5 minutes to respond. I mainly use the desktop for gaming only, so there was nothing crucial on there. I wiped it, and reinstalled windows. Exact same things started happening.

As of yesterday however, it won't boot in, it just stays at the waving windows flag (the flag doesn't freeze, just keeps waving). Tried both FSBs, tried a windows repair (which failed).

So, my idea is - I'll get a new motherboard (also, when I first got the machine, I tried a different GPU, and different ram to make sure - same issues) - problem is, it seems like you cannot find a LGA 1156 motherboard anywhere (at least not locally in Canada)

Seems like the only thing to do is start fresh, with a i5-2500k and a LGA 1155 mobo
But, not only is this expensive, it seems insane as the 2500k doesn't seem like a big improvement over the i5-760 at all.

So, I'm out of ideas. Only thing left is to order a 1156 board online and hope for the best.

Any ideas on this weird one?

Run memtest 86+ overnight.
Does your computer crash immediately on Prime95/OCCT?
Throw more voltage at CPU/NB/PLL see if it stays more stable.

Do we have any Ivy Bridge benchmarks yet? I know it's a bit early, but maybe something got leaked?

Nope. Looking at 10-20% boost per clock cycle. Lowered power. Maybe great OC potential.

My friend was telling me today that Crucial are scaling down the production of the M4 series SSD's to make way for the new line. Long story short, M4 prices seem to be going up (here in Europe anyway) and it's becoming harder to get hold of one.

Thought this might be important considering a lot of your recommended builds include these.

Sorry I can't include a source, but from the brief conversation we had, I remember him mentioning Scan UK saying something.

Thanks, stuff like this should be PM'd so I don't miss it. I'll try to keep an eye on M4 pricing.

Just picked up the MSI P67A-GD55. Hopefully it'll work as planned =D Now I just need the GPU. Any ideas of the 570 will be going down in price soon?

Maybe if the 7950 poses a big threat. The 560Ti 448 is already a much better buy for the money.

Okay, I've got a kind of different request here if anyone can help. I want to talk about wireless routers. What exactly should I be looking for when buying one? Wireless N is the best correct? And you can get ones that still do wired connections as well? The prices for these things range from like $30 to in the hundreds and I don't really know what the differences are and what exactly I should be looking for.

Anything with good internet reviews and you can put Tomato/DD-WRT on.

 

[traveler]

Thanks for the response, hazaro. One last question- you say that both the 560 Ti and the upcoming cards are better buys- if my budget is $200 to $300, which is the best bang-for-buck: this 560GTX deal or one of the upcoming cards?

 

[cartman414]

How does this build look? Im looking to play SWTOR primarily.

My current PC is a Pentium D, 2GB RAM, and a GeForce 8600GT.

Oh, another question. I did the student download for Windows 7 and upgraded it to premium so I have a valid license. If I build a new PC, can I just use my license again?

Since you're getting a 2400, why the Z68 board?

 

[Negaiido]

23" and 24" isn't that big of a difference. If you're coming from a 15" LCD monitor, go with the Dell. The response time will probably be better than what you had and the colors should blow you away (hopefully). If you're coming from a 15" CRT, then you might be sensitive to ghosting, and then I'd probably suggesting going with the Asus.

That's the best I can do as far as suggestions go. Monitors are a personal thing, and I can't unanimously say that one is better than the other.

Personally, I'd go for the Dell, but if someone is looking for the utmost in responsiveness and is into heavy competitive gaming, I can certainly understand wanting to go with the Asus instead.

That being said, I have not personally seen that Dell monitor.

Cheers Seems that I've made the right decision

 

[Hazaro]

Thanks for the response, hazaro. One last question- you say that both the 560 Ti and the upcoming cards are better buys- if my budget is $200 to $300, which is the best bang-for-buck: this 560GTX deal or one of the upcoming cards?

That 448 is a nice deal and a good card. Think that should at least hold it's own in FPS/$.
The 7950 will probably price in the $350 range for a standard card, another $10-$20 for a better heatsink.

 

[ag-my001]

How does this build look? Im looking to play SWTOR primarily.

My current PC is a Pentium D, 2GB RAM, and a GeForce 8600GT.

Oh, another question. I did the student download for Windows 7 and upgraded it to premium so I have a valid license. If I build a new PC, can I just use my license again?

I had the same Student Upgrade for Win7 64-bit Ultimate. When I reinstalled stuff following the purchase of a SSD, it gave me some hangups about being an upgrade and not a retail version or something. Eventually I found the option to do a full install, then when it gave my license code problems, I had to call in and tell the automated system that I only had one PC using that license. The number was instantly accepted and there have been no problems since.

 

[littleworm]

Don't know if this is the best place to ask this, but I'm having a little but of trouble.

So i got everything plugged in, and I turn it on, the fans spin up, LED's on the motherboard light up, and the sik drive work, but by monitor doesn't seem to detect my computer. I have tried HDMI, VGA, and DMI give me a no signal detected on my monitor, and I'm not sure what to do.

Ideas ?

 

[barnone]

Is there a simple way to find out what model of mobo a PC is using (maybe the CPU gives a hint?)? Trying to figure out what to upgrade on my brother's PC. Here are his specs:

CPU Type 2x Intel Pentium III Xeon, 2666 MHz
Video Adapter GeForce 9800 GT x 2 SLI
RAM 4GB, pretty sure it's DDR2

He is only playing SWTOR. He wants an SSD for the long load times, any upgrade advice is appreciated.

 

[sikkinixx]

So I bought this board, an Asus Gene-Z mATX to go with my fancy new 2500k.

I also picked up this RAM(in blue instead of black to go with the board, d'oh).

Will it be okay clearance wise? I'm worried about when I put a better cooler for the CPU the extra height of the ram will cause issues... Is the Corsair stuff good? Should I move to lower profile stuff?

Also, is liquid cooling worth it? This guys is on sale and I was wondering if it's worth getting or just sticking with a traditional cooler. Might be better when I get a smaller case?

 

[Pocks]

Just a quick reminder to everyone..

Don't forget to complete your mail in rebates. It really sucks.