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[zephervack]

So a couple of weeks back I had to send out my Sandy bridge CPU and MOBO for RMA as I think I broke them O/C to 5GHz on Air with a Thermaltake ULTRA 120.

Anyway, because I use my computer for work I couldnt wait for the RMA and bought a new CPU and Mobo.

My question is, given the choice, which of this 2 would you guys keep:

Sandy Bridge 2600k i7 with a Asus P8p67 Pro
Ivy Bridge i5 3570k with a MSI Z77GD55

My worry with the IB, is the Overclock, with Dolphin the only way I could get a stable 30fps with Zelda Skyward Sword was to Overclock the 2600k to 5GHz and I know I cant hit that with the 3570k.

I havent been able to test the 3570k with dolphin yet but which one would you guys keep?

 

[TheExodu5]

For more extreme overclocks (~5GHz+), I think Sandy Bridge is the better buy. You could get an Ivy Bridge CPU that runs about that fast...at 4.5-4.6GHz, but there's an equally good chance you end up with one that hits a wall at 4.3-4.3GHz.

 

[1-D_FTW]

Personally I think the 7850 or 7870 is a better deal for GPU's under $400. The 7870 will be faster, but the main thing is personally I wouldn't buy a card with less than 2GB RAM. But I'm kind of OCD about certain things. I realize AMD doesn't exist apparently here, but still.

The CPU (2500k) is the one everybody buys.

For cases, Corsair 400R or Arc Midi are good, but run ~$100. Case looks are kind of very subjective imo, some people love the looks on ones that I hate. I love the way Corsair cases look personally.

Not sure what the point of the "ultra low voltage" is on your RAM. Samsung is always quality though. Why not just get some normal RAM on newegg, $50 should do you.

CPU cooler is only needed if you plan to overclock which you said you do.

I'm too lazy/unknowledgable off the top of my head for the rest of your questions LOL. Google will help you out. In general terms go with a name brand motherboard, Gigabyte, MSI, Asus, Asrock, etc. And you want I believe Z77 chipset, theres a couple of 77 chipsets google the differences.

Dont really need a sound card these days onboard is good.

Dont need soldering equipment (LOL) or paste really unless you're doing the aftermarket cooler thing in which case it should include some, though some of the aces here may have better recommendations.

DVD drive is a good idea imo, and for $18 bucks no reason not too.

Probably some of the builds in the OP could help you, all the info should be there.

I couldn't disagree more. This thread, IMO, is all about AMD GPUs and the 7850. I think to a degree that's not really healthy. And by that I mean people just let it slide that Nvidia has the far superior driver support and just ignore this when recommending AMD without any counters.

 

[MrBig]

I have an i5 3570k, and it was literally change a few BIOS numbers, test with Prime95. If it worked, increase the numbers a bit and test again. Keep doing it until you're happy with the temps and speed.

Mine is now OCed to 4.4GHz with load temps of around 75-80 degrees C, which I'm very happy with

That's pretty high for 4.4, what's your cooler and vcore? Most people are getting a max of <70c at around 4.5ghz, 1.2vcore.

I couldn't disagree more. This thread, IMO, is all about AMD GPUs and the 7850. I think to a degree that's not really healthy. And by that I mean people just let it slide that Nvidia has the far superior driver support and just ignore this when recommending AMD without any counters.

It's kind of hard to recommend nvidia for the midrange when the 78*0 beats a 570. AMD has nvidia beat at nearly everything sub $400, above that they get destroyed. They need to hurry up with the 660.

e: case out for delivery, but UPS doesn't come around here until 6pm
I'm not going to be able to sleep unless I get this done. My first build since a ~2001 build I did with my dad with an Athlon 2400 :lol
I planned to do a build myself in 2008 but scrapped it and went with a laptop. Now with tablets I'd say the optimum is getting a tablet + desktop me, at least for the moment.

 

[TheLegendOfMart]

Well, I can't really think of any games that are going to push the graphical envelope much further in the near future, so I wouldn't upgrade myself. However, more performance is always nice. The GTX 570 will give about 30-40% increase overall against the HD 5850, whether you think that is worth 175£ is up to you. Personally, I would wait for the GTX 660Ti to be launched some time in the summer. A rough guess based on previous generation launches would put it around the same performance (or just a bit faster) than the GTX 570 for a bit cheaper.

Thanks for the advice, I've been waiting for the 660 since the 680 came out retail and there still seems to be no sign of it other than "June", I am worried that its going to cost over £200 though.

I might just hold on another month and then make a decision.

 

[Eiolon]

So, what's the driver situation for graphics cards nowadays? I've been rather frustrated with drivers on my Mobility 5850 so far, is Nvidia or AMD pushing the better drivers right now?

In my experience, nVidia has always had the best drivers, which is why I will always buy its cards, even if I am paying more for lesser performance. AMD currently has the best price/performance ratio but that's worthless if the card functions like crap from bad drivers.

 

[Dance Inferno]

Yes, it's quite easy. The basic premise of it is to increase the turbo multiplier and voltage, and then run a stability test. It's not a hard thing to do but it can be time consuming. iirc SB chips can't be adjusted in software, so you'd have to do it in the bios, boot to windows, and then run a test, then go back to the bios; I might be wrong though.

Here's one guide for OCing on SB, look around that site and others for more.

Cool cool, so would you suggest getting the 2500K or some other CPU if I plan to OC? Will the power supply I'm looking at (Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V) do the trick? Should I also consider getting a better cooling system (Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler)?

Also do people still OC video cards, or is that no longer a thing? I remember it was huge back in the day when I still gamed on a PC.

 

[Yoshiya]

Imported some 30nm Samsung Green RAM through eBay for my ITX build. It was no more expensive than buying standard stuff domestically, I'll be very interested to if it lives up to the forum hype.

 

[MrBig]

Cool cool, so would you suggest getting the 2500K or some other CPU if I plan to OC? Will the power supply I'm looking at (Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V) do the trick? Should I also consider getting a better cooling system (Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler)?

Also do people still OC video cards, or is that no longer a thing? I remember it was huge back in the day when I still gamed on a PC.

2500k is good, if you can find a 3570k for <$230 go for that though. If you have a microcenter near you you can get a 3570k for $190 and $50 off a Z77 mobo. PSU is more than enough. You will need a better heatsink, yes, and the 212 is very good.

You can probably get 5-10 more FPS from OCing your GPU over reference clocks if you can reach the >1250mhz range, but the 600 series is voltage locked so there won't much of an increase beyond that.

 

[Dance Inferno]

2500k is good, if you can find a 3570k for <$230 go for that though. If you have a microcenter near you you can get a 3570k for $190 and $50 off a Z77 mobo. PSU is more than enough. You will need a better heatsink, yes, and the 212 is very good.

You can probably get 5-10 more FPS from OCing your GPU over reference clocks if you can reach the >1250mhz range, but the 600 series is voltage locked so there won't much of an increase beyond that.

Thanks for the help dude! Not sure if there is a Microcenter near NYC but I'll definitely check.

 

[Smokey]

Also do people still OC video cards, or is that no longer a thing? I remember it was huge back in the day when I still gamed on a PC.

Yep. Some cards ship already OC'd.

 

[klownboots]

Ok PC GAF I am lost...

I recently purchased a GTX550 TI and new case with a new PSU. Long story short I got everything in the new case, booted up and was ready to install the new drivers. When I do this it says "unable to detect an Nvidia graphics card". Of course I get picture and everything so it knows I have a card, but not the card I bought...

In my "devices" menu there is a "!" next to PCI-to-PCI bridge stating that my configuration does not allow this to work properly recommends I update the bios. Simple enough, so I go to the manufactures website, download the latest bios (I am 1 version behind). I through it on a fully formatted (FAT32) flash drive, restart and enter Qflash.

This is where it gets weird. I see the bios file in the USB drive, I select it and it states "bios check failed". Of course I am thinking I got the wrong file, so I check it again and again, I have the right one for the right revision of my board. I go back and now it says "invalid bios image". So, it appears it passes the check but is now a bad file.

I began to think it was my USB flash drive because every once in a while when I try to go into Qflash the usb drive just does not show up. Qflash itself freezes up quite a bit and it takes multiple restarts just to get to the point to see the USB drive. I have tried the drive in every available USB port I have (both rear and front) and I get sporadic results (sometimes it shows up, sometimes it does not, sometimes it gives the invalid message and others the check error).

After this I tried a second drive (reformatted to FAT32, quick format though...) and now Qflash won't recognize that USB drive at all.

My motherboard is gigabyte m68m-s2p rev 1.0

I have a few theories: My USB ports and/or USB drives are crap or I am being given the wrong bios file from the manufacturer or my board is turning to junk (I am basing that one on the fact that Qflash is wonky as hell, but maybe that is to be expected).

Any ideas on what to try next?

Oh, also when I download the file from Gigabyte it comes as an .exe. Upon clicking the file it unpacks 3 things (a .bat, the bios file and something called flashispi). I have tried a few things: I have put all 3 files on a flash drive. This is when (if it recognizes the USB drive) the "bios id check error". After going back out and back into Qflash it changes to "invalid bios image". When I boot Windows and check the drive the .bat file seems to be gone (but when I copy it back to the drive it asks to replace it, so I am assuming a hidden file of some sort). I have tried also just putting the bios file on the drive but that seems to immediately give me the "invalid bios image" message so clearly it needs all 3. The only thing I have not done yet is just put the .exe on there and see if that shows up, but I assume that would not do anything.

So, long story short, I am at a complete loss here. I know my board is not the best but other than this issue it works fine and I would rather not upgrade it simply because I cant install a tiny update lol.

 

[kaskade]

2500k is good, if you can find a 3570k for <$230 go for that though. If you have a microcenter near you you can get a 3570k for $190 and $50 off a Z77 mobo. PSU is more than enough. You will need a better heatsink, yes, and the 212 is very good.

You can probably get 5-10 more FPS from OCing your GPU over reference clocks if you can reach the >1250mhz range, but the 600 series is voltage locked so there won't much of an increase beyond that.

How long is this deal going for? I can probably get to one next week on my way to NYC. That price + the mobo discount is crazy.

 

[JetBlackPanda]

I just built my pc today and im getting the same error. I burned 2 dvd and tried booting from usb and still the same.

If its doing the exact same thing then I would guess its a Windows 8 issue. Do what I did and download an ISO of windows 7 (if you don't already have one) boot and install with that. When it asks for a product key choose skip. Once its running 7 just pop in your DVD of Win8 and install that.

worked for me.

I am typing on that machine right now and its running great!!

 

[Dance Inferno]

Thanks for the help dude! Not sure if there is a Microcenter near NYC but I'll definitely check.

Doesn't look like I can get to the Microcenters near NYC very easily without a car, and doing it via train would probably kill any discounts I would get over Newegg/Amazon, so I guess I'm SOL there. Those are some damn good discounts though.

 

[professor_t]

Thanks for the advice, I've been waiting for the 660 since the 680 came out retail and there still seems to be no sign of it other than "June", I am worried that its going to cost over £200 though.

I might just hold on another month and then make a decision.

If you wait, will you be able to save up more money? If so, I definitely would wait until you can afford a proper upgrade.

I went from a 5850 to a GTX 670 and I'm extremely pleased with the improvement.

The only drawback in all of this is that there aren't a ton of games where I can truly appreciate the step forward. Sure, games like Just Cause 2 look a little better with the 670 and run like gangbusters, but it's not like the 5850 was a slouch for these mid-to-upper range titles.

It's with Battlefield 3 and Crysis 2 that I'm truly seeing a substantive, meaningful improvement. I'm hoping the same can be said of Max Payne 3 (if they ever release the damn thing).

 

[LordAlu]

Ok PC GAF I am lost...

I recently purchased a GTX550 TI and new case with a new PSU. Long story short I got everything in the new case, booted up and was ready to install the new drivers. When I do this it says "unable to detect an Nvidia graphics card". Of course I get picture and everything so it knows I have a card, but not the card I bought...

In my "devices" menu there is a "!" next to PCI-to-PCI bridge stating that my configuration does not allow this to work properly recommends I update the bios. Simple enough, so I go to the manufactures website, download the latest bios (I am 1 version behind). I through it on a fully formatted (FAT32) flash drive, restart and enter Qflash.

This is where it gets weird. I see the bios file in the USB drive, I select it and it states "bios check failed". Of course I am thinking I got the wrong file, so I check it again and again, I have the right one for the right revision of my board. I go back and now it says "invalid bios image". So, it appears it passes the check but is now a bad file.

I began to think it was my USB flash drive because every once in a while when I try to go into Qflash the usb drive just does not show up. Qflash itself freezes up quite a bit and it takes multiple restarts just to get to the point to see the USB drive. I have tried the drive in every available USB port I have (both rear and front) and I get sporadic results (sometimes it shows up, sometimes it does not, sometimes it gives the invalid message and others the check error).

After this I tried a second drive (reformatted to FAT32, quick format though...) and now Qflash won't recognize that USB drive at all.

My motherboard is gigabyte m68m-s2p rev 1.0

I have a few theories: My USB ports and/or USB drives are crap or I am being given the wrong bios file from the manufacturer or my board is turning to junk (I am basing that one on the fact that Qflash is wonky as hell, but maybe that is to be expected).

Any ideas on what to try next?

Oh, also when I download the file from Gigabyte it comes as an .exe. Upon clicking the file it unpacks 3 things (a .bat, the bios file and something called flashispi). I have tried a few things: I have put all 3 files on a flash drive. This is when (if it recognizes the USB drive) the "bios id check error". After going back out and back into Qflash it changes to "invalid bios image". When I boot Windows and check the drive the .bat file seems to be gone (but when I copy it back to the drive it asks to replace it, so I am assuming a hidden file of some sort). I have tried also just putting the bios file on the drive but that seems to immediately give me the "invalid bios image" message so clearly it needs all 3. The only thing I have not done yet is just put the .exe on there and see if that shows up, but I assume that would not do anything.

So, long story short, I am at a complete loss here. I know my board is not the best but other than this issue it works fine and I would rather not upgrade it simply because I cant install a tiny update lol.

I don't know how good the Gigabyte software is, but on my Asus motherboard I update using the Windows client with no problems at all. You could try using the Gigabyte Windows client, @BIOS instead of QFlash?

 

[gutterboy44]

This is going to be my post honeymoon build in mid July. Hopefully some things will drop a little in price or I can get a few items between now in then on sale. I haven't built a rig for myself in probably 7 years. I have built two friends gaming PC's in the last year to keep my skills up to date. Going to run the two Greens in RAID 1 and keep all my media and majority of software on that. Win 7, CS5 and whatever game I am currently playing will sit on the SSD. Considering upgrading to a 256GB Samsung just so I can be extra lazy.

Edit: Woah, just looked up MicroCenter prices, and I just recently brought my car back into the city from upstate. Nice! Will be a really weird feeling buying a bunch of PC parts at a store and not having it be a UPS package orgy.

 

[Dirtdog07]

Hey guys, I am playing around with my build and have a question. I got my 2500k up to 4.4 at 1.27 volts and ordered a second GTX 680 to SLI. Did I make a mistake on doing the SLI? Don't have a definitive answer on "is the 2500k enough CPU to SLI?" Thanks

 

[Shambles]

Question for those who have managed to snag an Asus GTX 670. Do you notice any coil whine on your units? I have the gigabyte and when loading Skyrim with a modified ini that doesn't cap the framerate I get noticeable whine during menus or loading saves where the framerate soars anywhere from 300-1000 fps. I'm going to run my machine through WEI tonight to see if that triggers it as it seems that is usually a pretty good indicator. I might try exchanging my gigabyte for another one to see if they all have this issue. Unfortunately there aren't any Asus models around. I don't notice any whine during normal gameplay or in Metro 2033 and Crysis 2 that I also had a brief chance to test. If I'm going to spend this much on a GPU it damn well better be flawless.

 

[K' Dash]

This is going to be my post honeymoon build in mid July. Hopefully some things will drop a little in price or I can get a few items between now in then on sale. I haven't built a rig for myself in probably 7 years. I have built two friends gaming PC's in the last year to keep my skills up to date. Going to run the two Greens in RAID 1 and keep all my media and majority of software on that. Win 7, CS5 and whatever game I am currently playing will sit on the SSD. Considering upgrading to a 256GB Samsung just so I can be extra lazy.

Edit: Woah, just looked up MicroCenter prices, and I just recently brought my car back into the city from upstate. Nice! Will be a really weird feeling buying a bunch of PC parts at a store and not having it be a UPS package orgy.

You want to change those Gren HDDs for Black ones, I don't know about that 560 PSU, if you want to SLI in the future I think you'll need a bit more juice, also, is that machine for gaming? cause that's a lot of RAM you'll probably never use, apart from that, it's a beast

 

[Smokey]

Hey guys, I am playing around with my build and have a question. I got my 2500k up to 4.4 at 1.27 volts and ordered a second GTX 680 to SLI. Did I make a mistake on doing the SLI? Don't have a definitive answer on "is the 2500k enough CPU to SLI?" Thanks

What type of monitor do you have? If it's either:

-120hz or 3D
-1440p or 1600p
-triple monitor setup

then no.

otherwise you probably spent money for results that you will most likely not be able to take advantage of. and your 2500k is enough for SLI...of course the higher the OC the better

 

[mkenyon]

So what case is that? Not too fond of the big white carbon, looks out of place..just my opinion.

600T SE. It'll look more in place once I get all the white plastic bezels and side panels on. It's a temporary stop gap until the BitFenix Shinobi XL White is out anyway.

So, what's the driver situation for graphics cards nowadays? I've been rather frustrated with drivers on my Mobility 5850 so far, is Nvidia or AMD pushing the better drivers right now?

I'm fairly certain people who are frustrated with AMD drivers are really just frustrated with the installers. Having one of each in either of my gaming rigs over the past two years, the only one I've had issues with was the Nvidia stuff. You just need to be thorough when updating drivers.

Hello everyone. I am a virgin at this, and need a little help.

First off, I have nothing, and am buying my first build. Never done it before, and want to take the plunge. I have friends that have built theirs and are willing to help me assemble everything.

I am looking at the OP at the "Enhanced" column.

I need help with a motherboard and a case that can fit everything I am looking for and can keep everything cool. (I am also wanting something that looks pretty awesome with some LEDs inside).
Looking to purchase tonight, if possible - so I am going by today's pricing.


I want to play games like Skyrim, Battlefield 3, Diablo 3, Etc. on High settings with very good frame rate.

I have a Sony 3D Display Monitor, and an ACER 23" 1920x1080p 5ms LCD I am planing on using for gaming. This PC is going to be nearly exclusive to gaming, but I will be doing normal internet/schoolwork on it (Word, Excell).
Would like to learn how to overclock and will be doing that a bit.

So Far I have picked:

Graphics Card - GTX560Ti 448 Core - $289.99 (Do I need this expensive of a card to play High on Skyrim/BF3?, will it save me money in the long run for not having to upgrade? Is there something better for a bit more?)

Processor - Intel Core i5-2500K Processor $215.37 (Is this a good fit with the GC I picked?)

Memmory (RAM)- Samsung Extreme Low Voltage 30NM SODIMM MV-3T4G3D - $48.81 (I just picked this on a whim, I have no idea what I will need for my mobo. Suggestions please!)

SSD for OS - SAMSUNG 830 Series 2.5-Inch 64GB SATA MZ-7PC064B/WW - $86.63
WD for storage - WD Caviar Blue 500GB AAKX - $74.99

I also have these added, and don't know if I need them?
DVD Drive - Asus 24xDVD-RW - $17.99
CPU Cooler - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler - 26.98

Will I need a sound card with the Mobo? or is that only if I want high-end sound?

So, I need a motherboard that can fit everything and a case that looks awesome.

Finally - am I going to need anything else to build this PC? I have Windows 7. Will I need any paste or soldering equipment? Thanks so much for this thread and any help! Looking forward to your feedback!


Edit - I need a CPU, would you go modular? I guess the guys above me would. Case + MOBO + CPU suggestions please!

You need 240 pin RAM. The same samsung RAM in 240 pin is what you want. Onboard sound is fine. Pick a motherboard from the OP, same with case. Looks are subjective. I like the Shinobi and Arc Midi the most in that price range.

I couldn't disagree more. This thread, IMO, is all about AMD GPUs and the 7850. I think to a degree that's not really healthy. And by that I mean people just let it slide that Nvidia has the far superior driver support and just ignore this when recommending AMD without any counters.

FUD. How is this all about AMD GPUs? Just so happens that in the reasonable price ranges, they have killer parts. Nvidia has crap in the 110-170 range that competes with the 6870. You don't need to make up counters just because people are recommending AMD cards in the low end price range.

In my experience, nVidia has always had the best drivers, which is why I will always buy its cards, even if I am paying more for lesser performance. AMD currently has the best price/performance ratio but that's worthless if the card functions like crap from bad drivers.

In my experience, this is something that people feel like they need to say because it's how it was 6 years ago, and the talking points just stick around. NVIDIA has better installers, but drivers are right on par, with AMD having less catastrophic failures. When was the last time an AMD card bricked because of drivers?

Hey guys, I am playing around with my build and have a question. I got my 2500k up to 4.4 at 1.27 volts and ordered a second GTX 680 to SLI. Did I make a mistake on doing the SLI? Don't have a definitive answer on "is the 2500k enough CPU to SLI?" Thanks

It's plenty. Are you asking if your SLI was worth it? Totally subjective, and only you can answer that. Coming from a guy who played around with his 690 for a week, it's fucking amazing and worth every cent.

 

[EternalGamer]

FUD. How is this all about AMD GPUs? Just so happens that in the reasonable price ranges, they have killer parts. Nvidia has crap in the 110-170 range that competes with the 6870. You don't need to make up counters just because people are recommending AMD cards in the low end price range.

In my experience, this is something that people feel like they need to say because it's how it was 6 years ago, and the talking points just stick around. NVIDIA has better installers, but drivers are right on par, with AMD having less catastrophic failures. When was the last time an AMD card bricked because of drivers?

It's plenty. Are you asking if your SLI was worth it? Totally subjective, and only you can answer that. Coming from a guy who played around with his 690 for a week, it's fucking amazing and worth every cent.

I agree. In the "average" price range of builds, the Radeon 6870 is the best buy. Most hardware guides from professional sites seem to agree with this conclusion as well. At the top end, enthusiast level, no question, Nvidia has the market. But they offer less bang for your buck in general.

The driver issues can be a bit of a pain if you buy every new game the day it comes out. But it certainly isn't anything game breaking. It just means that occasionally you may have to be a bit patient for optimization. And really, this even only occurs largely at the level of Crossfire support. The complaints about AMD drivers are certainly overblown. Very rarely are games unplayable on release drivers. Usually it is just a matter of it taking a week or so before things are optimal. And they have even been getting a lot better on that front.


AMD for best deal on graphics solution for the mid range. Intel for CPU.

 

[mkenyon]

I agree. In the "average" price range of builds, the Radeon 6870 is the best buy. Most hardware guides from professional sites seem to agree with this conclusion as well. At the top end, enthusiast level, no question, Nvidia has the market. But they offer less bang for your buck in general.

The driver issues can be a bit of a pain if you buy every new game the day it comes out. But it certainly isn't anything game breaking. It just means that occasionally you may have to be a bit patient for optimization. And really, this even only occurs largely at the level of Crossfire support. The complaints about AMD drivers are certainly overblown. Very rarely are games unplayable on release drivers. Usually it is just a matter of it taking a week or so before things are optimal. And they have even been getting a lot better on that front.

AMD for best deal on graphics solution for the mid range. Intel for CPU.

The crossfire support issue is a thing of the past. The reason complaints weren't coming from the NVIDIA camp was because people could create custom SLI profiles. You can do the same with catalyst now.

Both sides have their issues with day 1 drivers anyway. Remember Rage? NVIDIA guys were throwing a tissy fit because of that debacle. One of the most prolific graphical games of the last year was unplayable on NVIDIA rigs for a week plus.

Can we please move beyond this kind of fanboy crap? (not at you EG, I mean in general)

 

[Ace 8095]

My Asus 670 was just delivered to my house. So excited to finish my first gaming build tonight.

 

[1-D_FTW]

FUD. How is this all about AMD GPUs? Just so happens that in the reasonable price ranges, they have killer parts. Nvidia has crap in the 110-170 range that competes with the 6870. You don't need to make up counters just because people are recommending AMD cards in the low end price range.

Read what I was responding to again. I'm not saying it isn't the part to recommend in the 250 dollar range, just that it's FUD on the part of the guy I quoted. "AMD GPUs don't exist to posters on GAF?" HTF is that not FUD? This thread is constantly recommending the 7850. To sit there and say there's some agenda against AMD is absurd and untrue.

And I'm not sticking solely to this thread. I'm talking PC gaf threads in general. AMD cards are constantly recommended. There is most certainly no agenda against them (even if I personally do feel their drivers are inferior... a claim, I might add, I haven't stated in a good year or two. I do keep my mouth shut about it, even though I do feel strongly that it is true).

 

[alternade]

Got windows installed finally. Everything is running smooth so far. Just need to update all the drivers and install diablo.

Any benchmarks or tests I should run just to be sure?

 

[MrBig]

Got windows installed finally. Everything is running smooth so far. Just need to update all the drivers and install diablo.

Any benchmarks or tests I should run just to be sure?

Just run windows experience index after you set everything up, you don't need to do any bench/tests really until you OC.
Take a look through this as well.

 

[mkenyon]

That's the issue, isn't it? When people say something they *feel* is true rather than having any sort of empirical or even anecdotal evidence. Helping out here is about giving clear advice devoid of any internal preferences or agenda. Except for my Samsung RAM agenda. It will be in the OP one day, damn it.

I could see how someone who's been lurking this thread for the past few weeks thinks AMD barely exists around here. Between the 680, then 690, then 670 hype, we look like NVIDIA fanboys. Heck, the Kepler thread is huuuuuuge and filled with praise. The AMD 79xx thread was comparatively small with constant trolling.

 

[Shambles]

As an enthusiast site we tend to talk more about high end parts, even in the PC building thread where a large number of people looking for help aren't looking to drop $300 on a GPU. If AMD hadn't launched the 7900 series with such poor pricing/value they'd be talked about a lot more than they are. As it stands the 7970 and 7950 are both still poor offerings except for a very niche crowd needing the extra memory for multi-monitor setups. The 7800 series is priced better, at least until the GTX 660 comes out, and the 7870 dropping in price down to $320-ish makes it fit a lot better relative to the 670 and the 7850.

People who will only consider a single company, whether it's a GPU, CPU, or motherboard manufacturer, are generally ignored as they clearly don't have much perspective in a hobby/industry that moves at the speed of light. It's not fun to be burned by a product but every company has black marks in its history.

 

[K' Dash]

That's the issue, isn't it? When people say something they *feel* is true rather than having any sort of empirical or even anecdotal evidence. Helping out here is about giving clear advice devoid of any internal preferences or agenda. Except for my Samsung RAM agenda. It will be in the OP one day, damn it.

I could see how someone who's been lurking this thread for the past few weeks thinks AMD barely exists around here. Between the 680, then 690, then 670 hype, we look like NVIDIA fanboys. Heck, the Kepler thread is huuuuuuge and filled with praise. The AMD 79xx thread was comparatively small with constant trolling.

As someone who have read this thread form page 1 until now in the last month, I can say that lately there's nothing but Nvidia in the las few pages, someone looking for info here would think that the 670 is the only video card on the market now, lol.

I recomended Haz to include the Samsung RAM in the OT when he refreshed it with the 670, but he said it's been out of stock for a long time, I could've discused that, but meh...

 

[mkenyon]

Yeah, he's right. One day though.

I wouldn't be surprised if Corsair/Patriot/Crucial/Someone ended up using that RAM. The issue is that it's too small for their RAM that is seemingly made out of heatsink material (looking at you Vengeance).

 

[Horsemama1956]

As someone who have read this thread form page 1 until now in the last month, I can say that lately there's nothing but Nvidia in the las few pages, someone looking for info here would think that the 670 is the only video card on the market now, lol.

I recomended Haz to include the Samsung RAM in the OT when he refreshed it with the 670, but he said it's been out of stock for a long time, I could've discused that, but meh...

That's how it is when there is only one thread for this kind of thing though. Same thing happened with the 2500k when it came out. Even if someone said their limit was 150, the 2500k was the answer.

Personally I find the stuttering and odd GPU usage issues of Fermi/Keplar and probably anything else nVidia makes based on this architecture to be too annoying to get over.

 

[Zeth]

The slower Asus 670 has been in stock for a couple days now at newegg. Is there anything good about it, or would the Gigabyte/EVGA etc be preferable unless it's the faster one?

 

[NoRéN]

Hey everyone. Finally about to buy the motherboard for my budget build.
I'm looking to get the ASUS P8H61-M LE/CSM listed in the OP.

However, when I looked it up two matches came up. There's this one with the exact name as the OP:
ASUS P8H61-M LE/CSM (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel H61 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
and then there's this one:
ASUS P8H61-I (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard

So, the first one is the one listed in the OP and I feel inclined to get that one. However, the second one seems smaller, has less stuff on it, but has USB 3.0 while the other one doesn't.

Worth the extra $10? Will the lack of slots be a problem or will it not matter? What about the size.

 

[JetBlackPanda]

Got windows installed finally. Everything is running smooth so far. Just need to update all the drivers and install diablo.

Any benchmarks or tests I should run just to be sure?

Awesome! did you have to install windows 7 first???

I installed Diablo on my 6870 build last night and it runs like a dream!

 

[klownboots]

I don't know how good the Gigabyte software is, but on my Asus motherboard I update using the Windows client with no problems at all. You could try using the Gigabyte Windows client, @BIOS instead of QFlash?

Thank you, that worked perfectly (installed the bios update in about 5 seconds). Put in my new graphics card and I am up and running!

 

[K' Dash]

Hey everyone. Finally about to buy the motherboard for my budget build.
I'm looking to get the ASUS P8H61-M LE/CSM listed in the OP.

However, when I looked it up two matches came up. There's this one with the exact name as the OP:
ASUS P8H61-M LE/CSM (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel H61 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
and then there's this one:
ASUS P8H61-I (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard

So, the first one is the one listed in the OP and I feel inclined to get that one. However, the second one seems smaller, has less stuff on it, but has USB 3.0 while the other one doesn't.

Worth the extra $10? Will the lack of slots be a problem or will it not matter? What about the size.

What CPU are you buying?

 

[mkenyon]

Hey everyone. Finally about to buy the motherboard for my budget build.
I'm looking to get the ASUS P8H61-M LE/CSM listed in the OP.

However, when I looked it up two matches came up. There's this one with the exact name as the OP:
ASUS P8H61-M LE/CSM (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel H61 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
and then there's this one:
ASUS P8H61-I (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard

So, the first one is the one listed in the OP and I feel inclined to get that one. However, the second one seems smaller, has less stuff on it, but has USB 3.0 while the other one doesn't.

Worth the extra $10? Will the lack of slots be a problem or will it not matter? What about the size.

It's just form factor. The latter can fit into really small cases designed for it (ITX). It will limit you in CPU coolers you can use, but that is only of interest as far as noise levels go, as you can't overclock on an H61.

Additionally, you only have one expansion slot to put things in, so you get a videocard and nothing else. Not really a big deal if you are fine with onboard sound and/or have a headphone amp.

 

[NoRéN]

What CPU are you buying?

Intel i3. Maybe...maybe the i5. But most likely the i3.

It's just form factor. The latter can fit into really small cases designed for it (ITX). It will limit you in CPU coolers you can use, but that is only of interest as far as noise levels go, as you can't overclock on an H61.

Additionally, you only have one expansion slot to put things in, so you get a videocard and nothing else. Not really a big deal if you are fine with onboard sound and/or have a headphone amp.

Ohh, ok. I did notice the one gpu slot. It does seem like the former would be more comfortable to work with due to the size. When i looked at the latter, I wondered if that would be a problem for the Hyper 212 cpu cooler.

 

[DeVeAn]

Okay bought a 256GB Samsung 830 SSD. So if I add the drive and install windows on it will it conflict with my old HDD that had windows on it?

 

[alternade]

Awesome! did you have to install windows 7 first???

I installed Diablo on my 6870 build last night and it runs like a dream!

Yes! After wasting money buying blank dvd thinking my usb stick was borked i finally got Win 7 on it. I dont think im going to install windows 8 and going to buy a copy of windows 7.

lol the first thing I did too was install Diablo! Took me 10 minutes to install, so crazy, my laptop took 12 hours! Running on a 3570K and 6850 and smooth like butter.

The only thing I didnt do was partition the windows install. Is it too late to do that?

 

[FoxMcCloudDS]

Anyone have an idea if this is a good power supply?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171038

It's a COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power Plus RS-550-PCAR

I ordered it already, but wondering if it will be good inside my case with my mobo;

Cooler Master RC-692-KKN2

ASRock Z77 Pro4

Are there better options for me? Using GTX 570 graphics card as well, planning 16gb ram eventually.

Also is this CPU cooler compatible with my i5 2500k? If not, can you please link me a good one?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002G1YPH0/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Need to know ASAP as ordering these before the weekend ends in 30 minutes!

Thanks!

 

[MisterNoisy]

Anyone have an idea if this is a good power supply?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171038

It's a COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power Plus RS-550-PCAR

I ordered it already, but wondering if it will be good inside my case with my mobo;

Cooler Master RC-692-KKN2

ASRock Z77 Pro4

Are there better options for me? Using GTX 570 graphics card as well, planning 16gb ram eventually.

Also is this CPU cooler compatible with my i5 2500k? If not, can you please link me a good one?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002G1YPH0/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Need to know ASAP as ordering these before the weekend ends in 30 minutes!

Thanks!

The CM unit will fit, but I prefer the Antec NeoECO PSUs at that price range: 520W / 620W

The Hyper 212 EVO is compatible with pretty much every CPU socket in current use.

 

[Costcosaurus]

I'm in the market for a new video card, and I would like one of the latest ones.

My budget is around $200-$300.

 

[FoxMcCloudDS]

The CM unit will fit, but I prefer the Antec NeoECO PSUs at that price range: 520W / 620W

The Hyper 212 EVO is compatible with pretty much every CPU socket in current use.

Thanks for your quick reply. I think I will just stick with the one I ordered then. If I have issues I may go buy a modular one.

I am so excited to build my PC this weekend. I will post up some photos when it's complete.

Thanks!

 

[FoxMcCloudDS]

I'm in the market for a new video card, and I would like one of the latest ones.

My budget is around $200-$300.

That was my budget too, and after a ton of thinking, comparing, and deciding what I wanted I went with the GTX 570. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EHZD5W/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Very good performance from the reviews and about $140 cheaper than a 2gb card like:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130782

From what I see it seems like you need to spend upwards of $400 for a 670, or $500 for a 680. Really though, I think you would max all settings on pretty much any game with a 570 and have decent FR.

 

[widgetraf]

What the general consensus on Seagate drives? How much of a difference are they from Samsung HDDs?

 

[Madridy]

I'm in the market for a new video card, and I would like one of the latest ones.

My budget is around $200-$300.

Nvidia's 660 is coming (soon?) and it should be in that price range.

If you can't wait, I think 560Ti 448 cores, 570, or AMD's 7850 is your best bet.