"I need a New PC!" 2012 Thread. 22nm+28nm, Tri-Gate, and reading the OP. [Part 1]
- Thread starter Hazaro
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why did I just hear of this app now. That is awesome.
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.
Steam sales are one of the reasons I want to have a PC. I always see people getting like 20 games for 8 bucks. I was thinking about playing through Hitman Blood Money and it's like 10 bucks on there. Also my TV will be right near it so I can play some stuff right on there.
your first few months or year with steam sales and daily deals are awesome.
Yeah, the price is before the $10 discount. So it would be $49.99. Definitely think I'll just go with that and get some extra RAM with the savings. Thanks. ^^
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
I'm just sayin'. When I booted up Crysis 2 on my 1080p Bravia, plugged up my Xbox controller, and sat back on the couch, it felt like I was finally looking at J Allard's "HD era" promise from back in 2005.
I H8 Memes
Member
Most games will suggest settings far below what your PC can handle
Here are some GAF thread for must have software. Also, at ninite.com you can get almost all of the software you want in one go.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=460440
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=459129
I agreed to help my cousin look for a laptop for school, but it appears I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Trying to find anything that stands out above the rest on the typical sites (Newegg, Amazon, PCMag...) is proving to be quite difficult. Perhaps someone could offer some advice?
She's looking for something...
- in about the $500-700 range
- ~15" screen
- 6 or 8 GB RAM
- reasonably fast... I'm thinking something with an i5 processor is probably the best bet for her price range
- graphics are not a concern. Discrete graphics won't be necessary (and I assume are rarely found in that price range anyway)
Anyway, I would appreciate any advice I can get here, even if it's just a link to a better resource for comparing.
She's looking for something...
- in about the $500-700 range
- ~15" screen
- 6 or 8 GB RAM
- reasonably fast... I'm thinking something with an i5 processor is probably the best bet for her price range
- graphics are not a concern. Discrete graphics won't be necessary (and I assume are rarely found in that price range anyway)
Anyway, I would appreciate any advice I can get here, even if it's just a link to a better resource for comparing.
EternalGamer
Banned
Obviously, she isn't looking for a hardcore gaming device and she probably isn't using any really demanding programs, so honestly the three most important specs are battery life, weight, and price.
You can surf, word process, social network, watch videos, music, etc. with on anything on the market, no problem. It used to be that networks would chug a bit on HD video content, but I don't think that is true any more. So don't sweat the specs. That only really matters for gamers and professionals who use resource intensive programs.
Personally, for portable stuff like web surfing, writing papers, video, music, etc, I prefer an IPad, a nice stand and a Bluetooth keyboard. I quit using my netbook completely when I got one.
I agree. The one thing she's been saying though is that she wants something faster than her brother's laptop, which is a midrange i3 iirc, even though I'm sure all she'll be doing is web/video/office type stuff. Perhaps I should be looking for something with a faster HDD.
I H8 Memes
Member
There is a link for the laptop thread in the OP.
But I also asked this same question recently for a laptop for my gf's mother and this is what was recommended to me.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215257
Edit: Obviously not going to be faster than an i5. But for the price it looks like it's a pretty nice laptop. And going by the reviews it can even handle light to mid range gaming.
Whoops, totally missed the laptop thread. Sorry about that.
I think maybe I'll look at the Aspire series closer. They seem to be reviewed pretty decently several places.
faceless007
Member
I just built my new IB system in that a few weeks ago, it's a fantastic case. Everything feels solid and well-constructed, it feels very roomy to work in, great airflow, lots of spots for more fans (I put a 140mm on the bottom), easy cable routing, and just cool to look at. I doubt you'd find a better case for $50.
Just a couple minor niggles to expect if you get it: as mentioned, the pegs that hold HDDs are hard to push in all the way and will likely make installing the HDDs a little tough. The thumbscrews it comes with are little on the small side, you might still need a screwdriver (but you should have one when building anyway). While there's room to route cables in the back, thick cables like ATX power will be tight so you want to be careful not to overlap too many.
Also, despite what the pics on Newegg's site show, the case I got was the newer revision with rubber grommets and the larger motherboard cutout. Nice surprise.
One more thing, you can buy a replacement top panel from Cooler Master's site that has USB3.0 ports instead of eSATA if you want, which I did. But the panel they sent me had a mismatched connector for the wire that plugs into the front fan's LED. I jury-rigged a replacement, and it's just for the light, not the fan itself, so it's not a big deal if you can live without it. I don't know if it's just a fluke in the one I got or if they're all like that, but something to keep in mind.
I'm no expert, but both PCIE and USB seem to be hit and miss. I bought a random $50 PCIE one from BB for my old desktop a long time ago and it would constantly drop connection. I got a $20 USB one with excellent user reviews on newegg for the desktop I just built. I get 4-5 bars (router is one floor down, opposite end of the house) and no drops yet. I only noticed some slowing issues when dling a bunch of games at once, but I guess that's kind of a given with a wireless connection if you try to dl 5+ games and play D3 at the same time lol.
I guess my point is: look at user reviews and buy based off that.
Edit: I could be wrong though. Is there anything inherent to a PCIE card that makes it objectively better than a USB one?
I want this monitor so much but no one stocks them in Europe
Should I chance getting one of the Korean models from eBay?Hmm.. Interesting. Seems a bit too far out of his budget though... heh.
My brother added some extra thoughts:
Any comments on to what he was thinking?
Again, thanks again for taking time to help out.
JetBlackPanda
Member
Thanks for your input! After doing some reading and review checking I found that a ton of people really like the netgear wireless adapter. It basically acts like a bridge and wires into your pc via the ethernet port. It's only 45 bucks and it seems to work better then USB for most people.
Here it is:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KPBRRW/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I am going to give it a shot and let you guys know.
These devices are basically either the mini pci-e cards or USB sticks powered with an external power brick that consumes just as much power as a USB port does.
I have a few of a similar design, and it's OK. These devices may have trouble forwarding ports, but for most people, I don't think they will notice as they probably won't use them for intensive purposes.
I prefer TP-Link internal computer cards, but I could just be biased. I like how Atheros drivers are well supported in Linux as most (if not all) TP-Link's products are Atheros chip based.
BackwardsSuggestions
Member
I have a front panel microphone and headphone jack, but I can't for the life of me figure out what cable is for them. Does anyone know what the cable for them would look like and where abouts it would fit on an Asus P8Z68-V LX.
Cheers.
Cheers.
AC '97 or HD audio, will say it on the end of the cable on the header. Read manual for spot to put them.
I want this monitor so much but no one stocks them in Europe
Yeah, going with one of the eBay sellers is fine. You actually get a better warranty (at least for the first month) with them because you are dealing with a person that has to keep up his reputation and make his customers directly happy. Green-Sum and DCSamsungMall will refund your dead pixels (usually you have a small chance of getting 1-4 dead), or will pay for return shipping on DOA units. I want and recommend this model because it is sold locally and it has the extra inputs and a scalar for playing xbox and watching tv and such.
550 is more than he needs, he should be more concerned about the quality of the PSU. This one's very good in that wattage range, and it is fully modular.
e: the F3 has officially been branded as being a Samsung drive now.
Also, wtf are they doing with my 670? I know it's a holiday weekend, but even Christmas orders don't get handled this badly.
Would have totally went for that had it been available when I bought my HAF 912. For 79.99 Dollars (69 Euros), that's one sexy case. And if you're just building a normal PC like I always go for, plenty of room for everything.
http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/news/show/54,bitfenix-unleashes-prodigy/
I've just installed an Asus GTX 670 DirectCU II TOP graphics card, but when I try and run the Heaven benchmark, it always crashes when it gets to the 8th or 9th test with this error message: -
Does anyone know what could be causing that? Thanks.
pretty sure that's the error I get when my overclock isn't stable and the Nvidia drivers reset themselves
have you tried other load tests? are they stable?
also download MSI Afterburner / EVGA Precision X and lower the clocks, see if that stabilizes ... (if that is the case, you should RMA because it should be stable at stock speeds obviously)
I know that feel. Ruined my entire weekend plans, but hey 24 more hours!Yeah, going with one of the eBay sellers is fine. You actually get a better warranty (at least for the first month) with them because you are dealing with a person that has to keep up his reputation and make his customers directly happy. Green-Sum and DCSamsungMall will refund your dead pixels (usually you have a small chance of getting 1-4 dead), or will pay for return shipping on DOA units. I want and recommend this model because it is sold locally and it has the extra inputs and a scalar for playing xbox and watching tv and such.
550 is more than he needs, he should be more concerned about the quality of the PSU. This one's very good in that wattage range, and it is fully modular.
e: the F3 has officially been branded as being a Samsung drive now.
Also, wtf are they doing with my 670? I know it's a holiday weekend, but even Christmas orders don't get handled this badly.
Would have totally went for that had it been available when I bought my HAF 912. For 79.99 Dollars (69 Euros), that's one sexy case. And if you're just building a normal PC like I always go for, plenty of room for everything.
http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/news/show/54,bitfenix-unleashes-prodigy/
Plenty of room except the design, similar to the PC Q08 i use, doesnt seem to provide enough space for a full size graphics card, say GTX670, SSD + HDD and modular PSU. The drive cages all have to be removed should you go that root leaving you no place to mount the HDD. In my case the drive cage is in but squeezes the cables on the PSU a bit
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
So hey. Um.
My personal computer is doing something that it did at the very start of my journey of creating it (way back in December). It boots up, goes for about a few seconds, and then shuts off. It keeps doing this every second or so. I've looked and no wires are loose. I've been concerned ever since the internet kept going in and out, and the monitor kept choosing when it wanted to actually work or not.
Now, I could send it in to Best Buy to get it checked out, but since it is a custom rig, they might tell me I'm SOL, and if it has been showing signs of degrading over months, that it is my fault in the first place.
I'm running a Gigabyte Z mobo with an Intel i5-2500k chip. 800w power supply. Help me, GAF Kenobi, you're my only hope.
My personal computer is doing something that it did at the very start of my journey of creating it (way back in December). It boots up, goes for about a few seconds, and then shuts off. It keeps doing this every second or so. I've looked and no wires are loose. I've been concerned ever since the internet kept going in and out, and the monitor kept choosing when it wanted to actually work or not.
Now, I could send it in to Best Buy to get it checked out, but since it is a custom rig, they might tell me I'm SOL, and if it has been showing signs of degrading over months, that it is my fault in the first place.
I'm running a Gigabyte Z mobo with an Intel i5-2500k chip. 800w power supply. Help me, GAF Kenobi, you're my only hope.
Thanks man. I tried that earlier on and the card was stable, so I've returned it for a replacement as it's unstable at stock settings.
I'm not having the best of luck today. My brand new GTX 670 has had to go back and the retailer won't have any in stock for several weeks. While I was trying to plug a DVI cable into the back of my monitor I managed to somehow scratch the screen quite badly (in a corner thankfully). I had a mouse pad thing that attached to the arm of my office chair that I imported from the US - I moved the chair to put the vacuum cleaner over the carpet and the mouse pad hit a chest of drawers and broke. And the main 180mm fan in the front of my case has developed a fault and is making a weird ticking noise, so that's gonna have to be replaced too. lol. Oh well.
TheThunder
Member
Just changed my memory frequency from 1333 to 1600 in the BIOS
Just wanna make sure if everything looks normal ?
Just wanna make sure if everything looks normal ?
Top 3 HDD cages are removable.
State your motherboard model. TMK the Gigabyte boot loop was fixed on Z77 boards.
Also where are you in LA?
Yup
Alright, so I built my first PC this weekend and it seems like everything is running smoothly, wont be able to install the OS till tomorrow though. Is there any specific order you should install all the drivers? I know Windows 7 goes first, but I'm not sure what to install after. For reference, the driver disk I have are for the motherboard, Nvidia graphics card(I'll probably just install the latest drivers from the site instead of the disk), and something called "Super Multi Drive Install Disk" that came with my optical drive.
BackwardsSuggestions
Member
Not sure if this is the right thread for this and sorry if it's not, but any recommendations on cool free stuff to test a somewhat powerful gaming PC I'm building? (2x gtx680 in SLI, i7 3770, 16GB ram) Like demos for games with amazing visuals or random tech demos. I don't wanna buy new games before the steam sale and nothing on my library seems "benchmarky".
Right, I think I finished my build. Anyone care to take a quick look at it and see if I should change anything? Followed the advice previously given to me in this thread & guides/best buy things so I guess it looks solid. I am not sure about the RAM/PSU though. So many options :<
I don't mind paying a bit more if it means things would be more stable/faster.
GPU is missing cause I ordered it with a coupon at another shop. (Asus GTX670) DVD drive will be from my old pc.
Apologies for the picture so items are not clickable.
I don't mind paying a bit more if it means things would be more stable/faster.
GPU is missing cause I ordered it with a coupon at another shop. (Asus GTX670) DVD drive will be from my old pc.
Apologies for the picture so items are not clickable.
-Pyromaniac-
Member
hmm, that sucks to hear. Thanks for the reply.
shungokusatsu
Member
DRAM Frequency x 2 = 1600 so I think you're good to go.
Aside from quality issues (seems a lot of people are reporting power supply issues), just know that it's not supported by Nvidia's 3D Play. So if you want to do 3D, it'll have to be through a third party solution (like how AMD does it).
It also only does 3d through HDMI. Which means you're limited to 720P@60fps 3D or 1080P@24fps 3D.
Also, it doesn't accept 120hz input. So there's no 120hz 1080P 2D mode.
As Haz pointed out, the top bit of the HDD cage is removable. There is enough room for a GTX690 with two HDD bays below. You can mount an SSD anywhere with some double sided tape.
PSU is a bit too much if you're not planning on SLI. I'd suggest going for a modular 650. I also like the Samsung 830 a *lot* more than the Intel 520. Finally, I don't see a CPU cooler in there.Right, I think I finished my build. Anyone care to take a quick look at it and see if I should change anything? Followed the advice previously given to me in this thread & guides/best buy things so I guess it looks solid. I am not sure about the RAM/PSU though. So many options :<
I don't mind paying a bit more if it means things would be more stable/faster.
GPU is missing cause I ordered it with a coupon at another shop. (Asus GTX670) DVD drive will be from my old pc.
Apologies for the picture so items are not clickable.
PS3 3D =/= PC 3D. You need 120hz, and it doesn't have any inputs capable of it. Thought the same thing when I was at the store looking at it yesterday. No dual link DVP or DP made me sad.
When will TV's finally support DP? Is a 32" TV @ 120hz too much to ask for?
The Hermit
Member
just bought a eVGA GTX 670!
Its arriving this week, a great upgrade from my GTX 260.
Changed my core 2 duo to an i5 too so I have huge expectation on the overall performance.
Hope everything works fine, I never spent so much money to build a PC before...
Its arriving this week, a great upgrade from my GTX 260.
Changed my core 2 duo to an i5 too so I have huge expectation on the overall performance.
Hope everything works fine, I never spent so much money to build a PC before...
Thanks. Replaced those parts and that saved me a few euros. I assume the CM Hyper 212s would be fine or is that total overkill? Costs around the same as the cash I saved out on. It looks like a total pain to install though but hey, I won't be doing that myself so that's not my problem!
Hyper 212s are the easiest heatsink I've ever installed. It's a pain to figure out what to do, but once you get past the convoluted directions, it's simply a matter of screwing the heatsink onto your motherboard (which makes it such an easy install in the end).
The Hermit
Member
about MB... how is the Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z/Gen3?
Awesome, went through two myself, and a third for a teammate. Had a stable 5.0Ghz overclock on one, never tried for those heights on the others but both were rock solid at 4.5Ghz.
Can I get some opinions on this build, whether or not it can run bf3 at ultra (64 players)/ max out other games? Future proof? Overall pc performance? (multitasking)
10GB DDR3-1600MHz
2nd Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3930K six-core processor
3.2GHz, Shared 12MB Cache
3GB AMD Radeon HD 7950 [Dual Bracket, DVI, HDMI, 2x mini-DP]
600W Power supply
2TB hard drive 7200 rpm SATA hard drive
Still working on a cooler.
Thanks for anyone who can share their opinion, I am completely new to pc gaming, want to know if I'm at least stepping off in the right direction with this build.
10GB DDR3-1600MHz
2nd Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3930K six-core processor
3.2GHz, Shared 12MB Cache
3GB AMD Radeon HD 7950 [Dual Bracket, DVI, HDMI, 2x mini-DP]
600W Power supply
2TB hard drive 7200 rpm SATA hard drive
Still working on a cooler.
Thanks for anyone who can share their opinion, I am completely new to pc gaming, want to know if I'm at least stepping off in the right direction with this build.
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