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[Stumpokapow]

My 2008-vintage PC is starting to run a little hot. I'm getting 57 idle (was previously getting 50 or so), and under load of video encoding with all processor cores maxed I'm getting out of control overheating. I have the system set to shut off above 75. I'm going to open up the case and clear off any dust in the processor fan or heat sinks. Rear / PSU fans look clean.

But it occurs to me that I'm using a stock heatsink anyway and I have no idea if NCIX's thermal paste application four years ago was any good, so I'm probably going to buy an aftermarket heatsink.

Processor is AMD Phenom II X3. Embarrassingly enough I don't remember if it's an AM2+ socket or an AM3 socket because it's been a few years since I've opened the case to do anything besides upgrade the hard drive.

The one I'm looking at is the Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo Direct Touch 4:
http://www.ncix.com/products/?mode=productreviewread&product_id=64385

My main objectives are:
- Keep cool and stay quiet -- reviews mention it's quiet. I hope to be able to set the fans lower speed than the default, but if that's not possible that's OK
- Fit in my case -- reviews mention it's fairly small and it looks fairly small
- Not break the bank.

I don't care about visuals, I don't need any kind of LED, and I'm comfortable spreading my own thermal paste. Apparently this item comes with its own thermal paste, which is fine by me.

Anyone see anything crazy about my plan? Any other purchase suggestions?

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Hey guys I got a question. Right now I have a video card somewhere in the ATI 4800 series and my power supply is a Corsair VX450W. What's the best video card I can get for the cheapest price that won't cause me to need a new PSU?

I built this computer long ago and really don't want to upgrade but I feel like I'll probably have to. If other info is important just tell me which.

 

[chaosblade]

My 2008-vintage PC is starting to run a little hot. I'm getting 57 idle (was previously getting 50 or so), and under load of video encoding with all processor cores maxed I'm getting out of control overheating. I have the system set to shut off above 75. I'm going to open up the case and clear off any dust in the processor fan or heat sinks. Rear / PSU fans look clean.

But it occurs to me that I'm using a stock heatsink anyway and I have no idea if NCIX's thermal paste application four years ago was any good, so I'm probably going to buy an aftermarket heatsink.

Processor is AMD Phenom II X3. Embarrassingly enough I don't remember if it's an AM2+ socket or an AM3 socket because it's been a few years since I've opened the case to do anything besides upgrade the hard drive.

The one I'm looking at is the Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo Direct Touch 4:
http://www.ncix.com/products/?mode=productreviewread&product_id=64385

My main objectives are:
- Keep cool and stay quiet -- reviews mention it's quiet. I hope to be able to set the fans lower speed than the default, but if that's not possible that's OK
- Fit in my case -- reviews mention it's fairly small and it looks fairly small
- Not break the bank.

I don't care about visuals, I don't need any kind of LED, and I'm comfortable spreading my own thermal paste. Apparently this item comes with its own thermal paste, which is fine by me.

Anyone see anything crazy about my plan? Any other purchase suggestions?

AM2/AM2+/AM3 all use the same mounting brackets. Think even the older 939 socket does too. So it should fit on there.

And apparently the fan is PWM, so you should be able to control it from within Windows.

So yeah, I don't see any reason not to go for that one, 212+ is the tried and true GAF recommended cooler and I think that's the latest version of it.

Hey guys I got a question. Right now I have a video card somewhere in the ATI 4800 series and my power supply is a Corsair VX450W. What's the best video card I can get for the cheapest price that won't cause me to need a new PSU?

I built this computer long ago and really don't want to upgrade but I feel like I'll probably have to. If other info is important just tell me which.

What Madridy said, 7850 should have power consumption in the same ballpark as those cards as well as be a substantial upgrade.

 

[Madridy]

Hey guys I got a question. Right now I have a video card somewhere in the ATI 4800 series and my power supply is a Corsair VX450W. What's the best video card I can get for the cheapest price that won't cause me to need a new PSU?

I built this computer long ago and really don't want to upgrade but I feel like I'll probably have to. If other info is important just tell me which.

Probably the HD 7850, depending on your other components and whether your CPU is overclocked.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Probably the HD 7850, depending on your other components and whether your CPU is overclocked.

I still have a Q9550 cpu, with a big ass cooler on it whose name I'm forgetting. Get around 35-40 average temps. Only time there is any notable load is when I game I guess, I don't do much intensive shit.

It's not overclocked. Also that's the best one for the cheapest price? Maybe my wording was bad. I should of said one that has a good bang for buck. I don't literally mean one of the best GPUs, that has the lowest price. I just mean one that has a really low price but can still hang. You know? Like my 4800 series is still doing things with pretty decent settings today, and it was pretty cheap back then.

Maybe I've been out of the game for too many years but 240 bucks doesn't strike me as cheap

 

[riceandbeans]

Probably the HD 7850, depending on your other components and whether your CPU is overclocked.

His current PSU won't cut it. AMD's site recommends a 500W PSU, so it'd be better to have a 600W or better. A 6770 would be the better match for his PSU.

Didn't see the CPU before. That's still pretty good. Still, with your current PSU, you won't see huge gains with a 6770. If you're on a budget, upgrade to a 600W or better PSU and grab a 6850-7850 GPU and you will see some nice improvements.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

So basically I can't get anything notable without upgrading other things. Ahh the slippery slope. Sucks.

 

[chaosblade]

His current PSU won't cut it. AMD's site recommends a 500W PSU, so it'd be better to have a 600W or better. A 6770 would be the better match for his PSU.

Didn't see the CPU before. That's still pretty good. Still, with your current PSU, you won't see huge gains with a 6770. If you're on a budget, upgrade to a 600W or better PSU and grab a 6850-7850 GPU and you will see some nice improvements.

It's usually the other way around, with requirements being on the high side to compensate for all the crappy PSUs out there.

The 7850 only uses around 20W more under load than the 4850 does if the information I found is correct. If he has a 4870, the 7850 would actually use less power. The Corsair VX450W isn't a great PSU but I'd imagine it should be able to run it.

 

[JaseC]

It surprised me just how overstated PSU requirements are. I'm currently using a Corsair HX-520 and it runs my new i7 2600K @ 4.6GHz/2x 4GB DDR3-1600/1.28GB GTX 570 system just fine -- even when stress-tested. Initially, I was worried that I wouldn't have enough headroom to overclock the CPU, since nvidia recommends a minimum of 550W for the 570, and my PSU, while only 30W below that, is about 3 years old.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

I honestly never understood those PSU requirements but I assume they just label them as so to be on the absolute safe side.

 

[Madridy]

His current PSU won't cut it. AMD's site recommends a 500W PSU, so it'd be better to have a 600W or better. A 6770 would be the better match for his PSU.

Didn't see the CPU before. That's still pretty good. Still, with your current PSU, you won't see huge gains with a 6770. If you're on a budget, upgrade to a 600W or better PSU and grab a 6850-7850 GPU and you will see some nice improvements.

GPU manufacturers generally overshoot the recommended Wattage. Keep in mind that the 7850 is a really power efficient card under load.

See Anandtech's bench:
GPU Load Power Consumption

Also in the OP the 'Enhanced - Best value' build is recommending the 6870/7850 with a 450W PSU.

So basically I can't get anything notable without upgrading other things. Ahh the slippery slope. Sucks.

What is your current GPU btw?

The 6850 is cheap, ~$150 and is good.

6870 is probably the best bang for your buck at ~$170.

Both should be fine with a 450W PSU.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Everywhere I look it just says 4800 series and I can't remember but I'm like 80% sure it's this:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131162

It was there for a cheap price when I bought it, and it honestly ran everything and still does with surprisingly decent/good settings. I'm looking for the equivalent of that, but in todays standards, if that even exists. GREAT performance for low price. I think I paid 100 for it, give or take 10 bucks.

NCIX has the 6850 for 119.99 now (after MIR).......

 

[riceandbeans]

GPU manufacturers generally overshoot the recommended Wattage. Keep in mind that the 7850 is a really power efficient card under load.

I always figured it was the other way around. Good to know. I kinda figured that too since the 6 and 7 series are very power efficient and his PSU was already running a power hungry 4800 card, but the recommended specs said otherwise.

 

[r4z4]

To anyone in the market for a PSU think about avoiding the OCZ-ZT 750W.

The PSU fan spins up very loudly sometimes and then refuses to throttle back down. Checked out the OCZ forums and there are a number of other customers complaining about the same problem.

Now have to RMA mine and will have to wait till I receive a replacement before I can game again

I bought one as it was on sale and checked out well with JonnyGuru.com (9 out of 10) and Hardware Secrets (Golden award).

 

[RedSwirl]

Is there a thread were we can actually talk about the experience of playing PC games on a comfy couch? I did that for the first time a few days ago after discovering the HDMI port on the back of my graphics card, and damn.

 

[Rufus]

Anyone see anything crazy about my plan? Any other purchase suggestions?

I picked up a X4 965 for about 100€ and sold my X3 720 for 45€. Look into that, a fourth core is very noticeable in some games. Battlefield 3 benefited immediately, and I now run mostly medium settings in multiplayer, even with my old 4890.
I have a fairly cheap heat sink, too. Cost me about 25€ and keeps me idling at 37°C. It's pretty damned quiet, as well. So long as the cooler has heat pipes and can fit at least a 92mm fan it's going to be an improvement over the stock solution. Leagues better than the stock solution, which is noticeable at idle and as loud as a jet engine under load.

 

[1-D_FTW]

Everywhere I look it just says 4800 series and I can't remember but I'm like 80% sure it's this:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131162

It was there for a cheap price when I bought it, and it honestly ran everything and still does with surprisingly decent/good settings. I'm looking for the equivalent of that, but in todays standards, if that even exists. GREAT performance for low price. I think I paid 100 for it, give or take 10 bucks.

NCIX has the 6850 for 119.99 now (after MIR).......

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/539?vs=542

Compusa has the GTX 460 for 89.99 after MIR:

http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1781467&CatId=3669

If you're looking for a recent killer card in that price range, that segment has stagnated and died.

 

[MrBig]

Is there a thread were we can actually talk about the experience of playing PC games on a comfy couch? I did that for the first time a few days ago after discovering the HDMI port on the back of my graphics card, and damn.

Yeah, it's great if you only have an average monitor and huge tv. I think this is the closest thread to that description that already exists.

I only have a 32" tv and am getting a 27" monitor so I won't have to sit on my terrible couch anymore

 

[timnich]

So I've gotten sick of playing Diablo 3 in 720p with lag on my Macbook Pro, and have decided to do something about it. I have Dell desktop that I've been looking at possibly upgrading, but I really have no idea whatsoever at where to start with this so I'm asking for help.

I want to upgrade my Dell Vostro 200 to be able to play Diablo 3 in 1080p on high. Right now its not even capable of running it on the lowest settings. It has a core2 duo 2.2GH processor, 512 ram and some kind of integrated Intel graphics card. I've tried researching what I can upgrade and it seems like I'm limited to what I can use, as the motherboard does not support much. One thing I saw recommended was to upgrade the processor to an E5700 3ghz CPU, as the motherboard supports it and it is reasonably priced. As for the ram and graphics card, I am completely lost as to what I can use.

All in all I am looking to spend ~$400 to upgrade. If I can do it for cheaper, that would be amazing. I would really appreciate any kind of advice, for example if my budget is not reasonable enough or if I am better off just buying a new computer.

 

[MrBig]

So I've gotten sick of playing Diablo 3 in 720p with lag on my Macbook Pro, and have decided to do something about it. I have Dell desktop that I've been looking at possibly upgrading, but I really have no idea whatsoever at where to start with this so I'm asking for help.

I want to upgrade my Dell Vostro 200 to be able to play Diablo 3 in 1080p on high. Right now its not even capable of running it on the lowest settings. It has a core2 duo 2.2GH processor, 512 ram and some kind of integrated Intel graphics card. I've tried researching what I can upgrade and it seems like I'm limited to what I can use, as the motherboard does not support much. One thing I saw recommended was to upgrade the processor to an E5700 3ghz CPU, as the motherboard supports it and it is reasonably priced. As for the ram and graphics card, I am completely lost as to what I can use.

All in all I am looking to spend ~$400 to upgrade. If I can do it for cheaper, that would be amazing. I would really appreciate any kind of advice, for example if my budget is not reasonable enough or if I am better off just buying a new computer.

If you could stretch to around $500 you can build a whole new system and it would perform a whole lot better than any possible upgrade you can do to the current system.

If you want to keep the current system it would probably do you to upgrade the ram and gpu, and maybe HDD, which would be around $200.

 

[EternalGamer]

So I've gotten sick of playing Diablo 3 in 720p with lag on my Macbook Pro, and have decided to do something about it. I have Dell desktop that I've been looking at possibly upgrading, but I really have no idea whatsoever at where to start with this so I'm asking for help.

I want to upgrade my Dell Vostro 200 to be able to play Diablo 3 in 1080p on high. Right now its not even capable of running it on the lowest settings. It has a core2 duo 2.2GH processor, 512 ram and some kind of integrated Intel graphics card. I've tried researching what I can upgrade and it seems like I'm limited to what I can use, as the motherboard does not support much. One thing I saw recommended was to upgrade the processor to an E5700 3ghz CPU, as the motherboard supports it and it is reasonably priced. As for the ram and graphics card, I am completely lost as to what I can use.

All in all I am looking to spend ~$400 to upgrade. If I can do it for cheaper, that would be amazing. I would really appreciate any kind of advice, for example if my budget is not reasonable enough or if I am better off just buying a new computer.

Diablo 3 isn't really all that demanding. I think if you grabbed a decent videocard and threw in some more RAM, and a power supply you'd probably be ok. The really good thing about these upgrades is that they could also be transferred to a better PC later if you decided to do a full build like others are suggesting.

1. The Graphics Card ($145-$170):

I would highly recommend at Radeon 6870. It's a great card at a great price ($170). If you want to squeeze your budget, it's younger brother, a Radeon 6850 is also a decent option and would run Diablo fine ($145), but the 6870 is better bang for the buck. It would be my suggestion.

2. The RAM ($30 - $55)

You need to find out whether your motherboard supports DDR2 or DDR3. I would say 4GB should be plenty to run D3 at very nice settings. If your motherboard only supports DDR2, I wouldn't put more than that in it. If it supports DDR3, you may want to go ahead and pick up 8GB since it would also still be a good investment for a potential future machine. Either way you are talking under $50.

Edit: Your PC uses DDR2, apparently. Thus, I would not spend a lot on a large amount of nice quality RAM since it will not carry over in the future. You can find 4GB of cheap DDR2 for around $30 on Newegg. This $55 Crucial 4GB is probably the most you want to throw away on this old PC..

Personally, since DDR2 isn't useful in the future and your PC is already pretty old, I'd probably just go with the cheap $30 RAM if it were me because you'll just be throwing it out in the future.

3. The Power Supply ($37-$55)

Depending on your voltage in your case, you may also need a good powersupply but those are pretty cheap as well. This Antec 450 would work fine for $38. If you wanted to go nicer, this Antec 550W would work as well. Both would also work fine in a new PC down the line. You'd just have a bit more headroom with the later.




So those three items you are looking between $212 - $280 depending on what you need and how high quality you want to go. The great thing about these two of these upgrades (videocard and power supply) is that they would also be good parts to use toward a fuller upgrade down the line. All you'd need is a new motherboard and processor when it came around to that (and maybe RAM depending on what kind you need now). And again, you can use the power supply and videocard again in future build when and if you decide to do one. You can also recycle your current case, mouse, keyboard, screen etc. So all you'd really need down the line is a motherboard and processor and RAM.

Whatever you do, do NOT upgrade to that new processor. That's a total waste of money.

 

[kaskade]

Ok I'm doing my graphics card research and I'm leaning towards a 6870. It seems (and this thread says) it's great especially for the money. So is there a difference in buying an AMD vs Nvidia card or is it basically just brand preference? Also is it worth it to upgrade to the 7850? for the 100ish bucks?

 

[Ty4on]

Underdog build with many F's and X's.
Processor: AMD 8150-FX Black w/ Noctua NH-D14

Nice to see someone daring to go for the FX8150. It's not that awful if all cores are used and performance is somewhat hindered by Win7 not loving the architecture. Win8 performance is slightly better and if you can't wait just use Ubuntu

I'd really love AMD parts in my upcoming system, but there are no 990 mATX motherboards and the 7850 blower doesn't seem to be sold by anyone...

 

[EternalGamer]

Ok I'm doing my graphics card research and I'm leaning towards a 6870. It seems (and this thread says) it's great especially for the money. So is there a difference in buying an AMD vs Nvidia card or is it basically just brand preference? Also is it worth it to upgrade to the 7850? for the 100ish bucks?

I have one PC with Nvida and 1 with Radeon.

The only real downside to Radeon is that when new games come out, they are sometimes a little slow to send out driver updates to optimize performance. However, they are definitely the better bang for the buck.

Thus I recommend the Radeon 6870. It's a good card at a reasonable price. It will easily handle anything on the market today but it isn't crazy overboard. The higher tiered cards are for enthusiast that like to compare benchmarks and/or need to max out everything in every game.

 

[EternalGamer]

I always figured it was the other way around. Good to know. I kinda figured that too since the 6 and 7 series are very power efficient and his PSU was already running a power hungry 4800 card, but the recommended specs said otherwise.

I can personally verify that a 6870 runs fine on a 450W power supply. I've had this set up for years.

 

[Mr_Elysia]

Nice to see someone daring to go for the FX8150. It's not that awful if all cores are used and performance is somewhat hindered by Win7 not loving the architecture. Win8 performance is slightly better and if you can't wait just use Ubuntu

I'd really love AMD parts in my upcoming system, but there are no 990 mATX motherboards and the 7850 blower doesn't seem to be sold by anyone...

I knew I should have stuck with XP! And yeah my whole system is way too big, I love the Obsidian look anyways, but not something remotely transportable with any ease. Wanted to go with a 650D with no sidewindow but none available at the time. My previous computer was a small form factor and so east to transport. I'm going to miss that.

 

[Hazaro]

When to restart my computer. It's not even posting right now. Not even spinning fans.

I swapped the memory Tried running 1 stick in multiple slots Plug and replugged every power connector. Clear the cmos multiple times. Down to motherboard and power supply. Asus p8p67 pro or seasonic x750 :/

 

[jwhit28]

When to restart my computer. It's not even posting right now. Not even spinning fans.

I swapped the memory Tried running 1 stick in multiple slots Plug and replugged every power connector. Clear the cmos multiple times. Down to motherboard and power supply. Asus p8p67 pro or seasonic x750 :/

Wow that sounds like the reason I started messing with computers. I woke up and there was obviously a power surge due to all the flashing clocks in the house, I went to turn on the computer and nothing, I brought a crappy fire hazard PSU and traced all the wires. Its weird it comes down to those 2 usually ultra reliable parts.

 

[Hazaro]

I would not call a motherboard ultra reliable, but I'm a bit surprised this is sort of out of the blue.

* Swapped The power supply with the vp 450 still no post. Gonna swap the graphics and see if that helps, if not it's not time for an RMA

 

[Infinite Justice]

I would not call a motherboard ultra reliable, but I'm a bit surprised this is sort of out of the blue.

* Swapped The power supply with the vp 450 still no post. Gonna swap the graphics and see if that helps, if not it's not time for an RMA

What motherboard is this?

What happened?

 

[AwesomeSauce]

I would not call a motherboard ultra reliable, but I'm a bit surprised this is sort of out of the blue.

* Swapped The power supply with the vp 450 still no post. Gonna swap the graphics and see if that helps, if not it's not time for an RMA

Try unplugging the CPU power and then turning on the PC. If it powers up, it shouldn't POST or anything, just fans spinning. If that happens, most likely motherboard went bad and not PSU.

 

[Hazaro]

Try unplugging the CPU power and then turning on the PC. If it powers up, it shouldn't POST or anything, just fans spinning. If that happens, most likely motherboard went bad and not PSU.

That's an awesome trick to know thank you very much. I already swapped the power supply Memory ,graphics card ,graphics card slot ,Memory slots and sticks of memory. But just having the fans run feels nice.

I'm pretty sure if I swap in another be 67 bored I will be okay on my installs correct?

 

[scottnak]

So... looks like my brother is in the market for a new PC.
He picked out this line up, was wondering what you guys thought:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8Zy8

Any suggestions would be muchly appreciated!

 

[MrBig]

So... looks like my brother is in the market for a new PC.
He picked out this line up, was wondering what you guys thought:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8Zy8

Any suggestions would be muchly appreciated!

What is he going to be using it for? No matter what you can drop the 680 to a 670 and not really lose in in-game performance with an OC, or even a stock Asus TOP. If he's just gaming he can save another $150 and drop the 2600k to a 2500k and the ram to 8gb- there is no need for any more than that.

 

[scottnak]

What is he going to be using it for? No matter what you can drop the 680 to a 670 and not really lose in in-game performance with an OC, or even a stock Asus TOP. If he's just gaming he can save another $150 and drop the 2600k to a 2500k and the ram to 8gb- there is no need for any more than that.

Yup... it's mainly gaming. Here's some extra info he dropped on me:

Budget: 1400+ish
Main Use: Gaming , lots of gaming
Monitor Resolution: Not sure...
Games must be able to play: Battlefield 3 , Diablo III , Skyrim, Total war series (in ultra) and not slow down when having thousands of soldiers on battlefield. any of the upcoming PC games.

Reuse any parts: Most likely only optical drives
Current Specs:

Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_gdr.120401-1505)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: ECS-USASystem Model: GeForce6100PM-M2
BIOS: )Phoenix - Award WorkstationBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: AMD Phenom(tm) 8450 Triple-Core Processor (3 CPUs), ~2.1GHz
Memory: 4096MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 4094MB RAM

 

[MrBig]

Yeah, he can play any game on ultra at ~60fps at 2560x1440 (~90+ at 1920x1080) with his list and the changes I recommended. That probably puts him somewhere around $1250. He can use the extra in the budget to get a better monitor or case or an SSD.

 

[clav]

When to restart my computer. It's not even posting right now. Not even spinning fans.

I swapped the memory Tried running 1 stick in multiple slots Plug and replugged every power connector. Clear the cmos multiple times. Down to motherboard and power supply. Asus p8p67 pro or seasonic x750 :/

Sounds like your board is dead.

 

[scottnak]

Yeah, he can play any game on ultra at ~60fps at 2560x1440 (~90+ at 1920x1080) with his list and the changes I recommended. That probably puts him somewhere around $1250. He can use the extra in the budget to get a better monitor or case or an SSD.

Excellent! Thanks muchly for the suggestions. Is there any case or monitor in particular that you might suggest?

 

[Shambles]

Getting awfully tired of waiting for a decent GTX 670 to show up in stock without the retailer gouging. If i can't find one available soon I might end up just jumping in with a 7870 as they're pricing is now as good as the 670 as far as price/performance goes. Come on nvidia, get your crap in gear.

 

[MrBig]

Excellent! Thanks muchly for the suggestions. Is there any case or monitor in particular that you might suggest?

He could get something in the ~$100 range like a Fractal R3 or a Silverstone.

If he's willing to pay for it I completely recommend this monitor.

Getting awfully tired of waiting for a decent GTX 670 to show up in stock without the retailer gouging. If i can't find one available soon I might end up just jumping in with a 7870 as they're pricing is now as good as the 670 as far as price/performance goes. Come on nvidia, get your crap in gear.

I would wait till Monday and see if Newegg continues the 11am est refresh of the Asus cards.

 

[kaskade]

I have one PC with Nvida and 1 with Radeon.

The only real downside to Radeon is that when new games come out, they are sometimes a little slow to send out driver updates to optimize performance. However, they are definitely the better bang for the buck.

Thus I recommend the Radeon 6870. It's a good card at a reasonable price. It will easily handle anything on the market today but it isn't crazy overboard. The higher tiered cards are for enthusiast that like to compare benchmarks and/or need to max out everything in every game.

Very cool. So I'll probably stick with that. Since this will be my first gaming PC I'll probably be going through some older stuff in the beginning anyway.

I feel like I want to buy 8 HDDs just cause they fit in the case.

 

[Hazaro]

If I go from P67 to Z77 on a Win 7 install, should everything (my installs) be ok?

Sounds like your board is dead.

That's what all signs point to.

I've hooked up my reserve machine (The $500 one in the OP using Win 8) in the meantime. Lucky I decided to have this around to do some testing. My computer is everything and mobo dying out of the blue sucks terribly.

That feel when getting down to 18/20 on your trouble shoot list.

 

[clav]

If I go from P67 to Z77 on a Win 7 install, should everything (my installs) be ok?

That's what all signs point to.

I've hooked up my reserve machine (The $500 one in the OP using Win 8) in the meantime. Lucky I decided to have this around to do some testing. My computer is everything and mobo dying out of the blue sucks terribly.

That feel when getting down to 18/20 on your trouble shoot list.

Windows may ask you to reauthenticate your key.

 

[EternalGamer]

Very cool. So I'll probably stick with that. Since this will be my first gaming PC I'll probably be going through some older stuff in the beginning anyway.

I feel like I want to buy 8 HDDs just cause they fit in the case.

Buy one TB hardrive then put about $150 in your Steam Wallet for the upcoming Summer sale. Trust me. That will get you like half the games ever released on PC.

 

[ProXimity]

So my new PC build is all prepped and stuff. I've been doing some gaming but I thought of two things:

What is a list of things I should configure/do after booting for the first time?

Also, I've been experiencing issues where my games recommend pretty poor settings, even though my card should be able to handle it no problem. I was playing Red Orchestra 2, TF2, L4D2, and CS:S all maxed out without any issues whatsoever. For each of those games, it gave me some weird recommended settings. I have a GTX 670, i7-3930K, and ASRock X79 Extreme6/GB mobo. Should I be experiencing this issue or did I miss some setup procedure?

 

[Hazaro]

Windows may ask you to reauthenticate your key.

But as far as changing of chipsets goes, Win 7 is a lot nicer on this regard?

I remember asking about going from P965 to P55 and I was told reinstall was the best option for my XP install.

So my new PC build is all prepped and stuff. I've been doing some gaming but I thought of two things:

What is a list of things I should configure/do after booting for the first time?

Also, I've been experiencing issues where my games recommend pretty poor settings, even though my card should be able to handle it no problem. I was playing Red Orchestra 2, TF2, L4D2, and CS:S all maxed out without any issues whatsoever. For each of those games, it gave me some weird recommended settings. I have a GTX 670, i7-3930K, and ASRock X79 Extreme6/GB mobo. Should I be experiencing this issue or did I miss some setup procedure?

670 is very new and not on the recognized hardware list for game settings.

Just run ninite, install your stuff. Find some nice OC settings.

 

[JetBlackPanda]

well my build is almost done! I just moved my computer desk to a better location in the house but now its out of wired range. I will need to get a wireless pci card or a usb wireless adapter.

I really dont want to get a USB one.. they suck right?? my problem is i need it by tuesday.

 

[Firehead]

Looking for a new case for my PC, looking at newegg, I noticed the Cooler Master CM690 II was on sale. Anyone have any experience with it? How is it? Would there be anything better for that price?

 

[ProXimity]

I have the Microsoft wireless desktop 2000 bundle (mouse + keyboard). I want to keep using my old wireless logitech mouse, but the MS mouse and keyboard use the same USB receiver. If I plug in the receiver to use the keyboard, the mouse automatically works. If I try to plug in the other mouse's receiver, it doesn't respond and says it's an unrecognizable device. If I take out the MS receiver, the Logitech mouse works.

I want to set it up so I can use the MS keyboard and the Logitech mouse, but I can't figure it out.

"Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)" for whichever receiver I plug in second.

 

[Shambles]

Looking for a new case for my PC, looking at newegg, I noticed the Cooler Master CM690 II was on sale. Anyone have any experience with it? How is it? Would there be anything better for that price?

I bought the USB 3 version that includes the updated USB headers on the front as well as grommets for the motherboard cutouts inside. I've been very happy with the case. It has a nice simple look to it, the built in hard drive enclosure "thing" on the type I've come to like a lot and I found it quite easy to build in. The only two issues I have with it is that I found the pegs on the HDD trays to be quite a tight fit. I had to squeeze them into the corresponding holes for the pegs on the HDD quite forcefully in order for the tray to fit into the HDD bay. Also while there is space behind the motherboard for routing cables you will have to careful about how you lay them out in order to get the back panel of the case on. My 24-pin cable barely fit back there for me. Other cases in that range include the Corsair 400/500R and the Bitfenix Raider. I haven't seen the raider in person but I've done a couple builds with the 400/500R. They are also great cases to work in and the back panel on the case gives you an extra inch-inch and a half to fit cables back there. I found the HDD inidicator light to be obnoxiously bright but I would have been just as happy with the 400/500R as the 690 II Advanced. Both were miles ahead of the Antec 300 I had in my old system. I'd take the 400R over the 690 II Advanced (Non USB3) version, but you won't find it on sale for the $60 that case is selling for now. At least not around where I live. If that sale doesn't include the $10 off in the price and you can get the 690 for $50 bucks then it will destroy any other case in that price bracket.

Edit: The arc midi also looked pretty good but again, I haven't seen it in person.