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"I need a New PC!" 2012 Thread. 22nm+28nm, Tri-Gate, and reading the OP. [Part 1]

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Arken2121

Member
Quick question guys, I just built a new pc(not completely finished, gonna do a custom cpu, loop) with a 3930k and Quad-SLI 680's and for some reason i'm getting less than 120fps on games such as Skyrim with maximum settings and even D3 i'm at about 180-190. Is this normal?
 

mkenyon

Banned
(lots of good stuff)

They're not Lian Li aluminum cases, but they're not priced like them either. It also helps that their customer service is really good.
False dichotomy!

But yeah, it's totally subjective. I just know that if I were to buy one, even something like the Switch 810, my wife would roll her eyes at it and more or less ask me to hide it away. That's like the litmus test for me.
 
Alright, so I posted in this thread throughout the past week or so, trying to do some research on building a good gaming PC/hackintosh. I went to a reputable hackintosh forum and they say that my build will be 100% compatible with Mountain Lion. Here are the specs:

CPU Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z77-DS3H ATX LGA1155
Memory CORSAIR 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model CMV16GX3M2A1333C9
Hard Drive Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB 3.5" 5400RPM
Video Card ASUS GeForce GTX 680 1006MHZ 2GB 6.0GBPS GDDR5 2xDVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Video Card
Power Supply Cougar 560W ATX12V
Optical Drive Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer

now, there are a few things that I am wondering:

- How does this look as a powerhouse gaming PC? Will I be able to run the most demanding games for at least a few years? Keep in mind that I want this to run MacOSX as well...

- Does anyone have any case suggestions? I'm assuming all of the parts that I have listed will fit in an ATX case (I hope..). I would love something that is simple and clean looking, so if anyone can help me find one that would be great!

- any other suggestions? I have all of the items in a shopping cart online with various retailers and I thought I would give GAF one more shot at suggestions before I take the shot..
 

MisterNoisy

Member
False dichotomy!

But yeah, it's totally subjective. I just know that if I were to buy one, even something like the Switch 810, my wife would roll her eyes at it and more or less ask me to hide it away. That's like the litmus test for me.

It's funny - back when I was younger, I wanted very 'serious' looking cases and cared about fan noise and all that, but as I got older I found myself wanting goofy/flashy looking cases and not caring about what my fans sound like as long as everything runs cool. I'm not putting 38mm Deltas in yet, but you never know.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Alright, so I posted in this thread throughout the past week or so, trying to do some research on building a good gaming PC/hackintosh. I went to a reputable hackintosh forum and they say that my build will be 100% compatible with Mountain Lion. Here are the specs:

CPU Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z77-DS3H ATX LGA1155
Memory CORSAIR 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model CMV16GX3M2A1333C9
Hard Drive Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB 3.5" 5400RPM
Video Card ASUS GeForce GTX 680 1006MHZ 2GB 6.0GBPS GDDR5 2xDVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Video Card
Power Supply Cougar 560W ATX12V
Optical Drive Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer

now, there are a few things that I am wondering:

- How does this look as a powerhouse gaming PC? Will I be able to run the most demanding games for at least a few years? Keep in mind that I want this to run MacOSX as well...

- Does anyone have any case suggestions? I'm assuming all of the parts that I have listed will fit in an ATX case (I hope..). I would love something that is simple and clean looking, so if anyone can help me find one that would be great!

- any other suggestions? I have all of the items in a shopping cart online with various retailers and I thought I would give GAF one more shot at suggestions before I take the shot..
Too much RAM, get a better PSU. One of the 650s listed in the OP. Cav Greens are really bad HDDs, and you certainly won't want it as your OS drive.
 

MisterNoisy

Member
Alright, so I posted in this thread throughout the past week or so, trying to do some research on building a good gaming PC/hackintosh. I went to a reputable hackintosh forum and they say that my build will be 100% compatible with Mountain Lion. Here are the specs:

CPU Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z77-DS3H ATX LGA1155
Memory CORSAIR 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model CMV16GX3M2A1333C9
Hard Drive Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB 3.5" 5400RPM
Video Card ASUS GeForce GTX 680 1006MHZ 2GB 6.0GBPS GDDR5 2xDVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Video Card
Power Supply Cougar 560W ATX12V
Optical Drive Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer

now, there are a few things that I am wondering:

- How does this look as a powerhouse gaming PC? Will I be able to run the most demanding games for at least a few years? Keep in mind that I want this to run MacOSX as well...

- Does anyone have any case suggestions? I'm assuming all of the parts that I have listed will fit in an ATX case (I hope..). I would love something that is simple and clean looking, so if anyone can help me find one that would be great!

- any other suggestions? I have all of the items in a shopping cart online with various retailers and I thought I would give GAF one more shot at suggestions before I take the shot..

If it were me, I'd buy the ASUS or Gigabyte 670 and OC it, and use the savings to buy a good 650W+ modular PSU (Corsair AX/NZXT HALE90/Seasonic Gold), but I tend to buy way too much PSU out of habit. At the very least, sub out for the 650W+ XFX Core/Corsair TX units. MKenyon is dead on about the RAM, but RAM is cheap enough now to not care about going bonkers. :)

As for the case, I'd go bananas and get the white or gunmetal NZXT Switch 810 to put it all in.

I don't see an SSD. No reason to not go SSD if you're going to drop $500 on a video card. 120GB units are going for under $100 now.
 
Too much RAM, get a better PSU. One of the 650s listed in the OP. Cav Greens are really bad HDDs, and you certainly won't want it as your OS drive.

thanks for the input! do you have any recommendation for a hard drive?

and what do you think of this case?
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352007

edit: okay, here's a revised list:

CPU Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core $238.99
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing $34.98
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z77-DS3H ATX LGA1155 $119.99
Memory Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 $51.99
Video Card EVGA GeForce GTX 680 2GB $539.99
Power Supply Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V $109.99
Optical Drive Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer $79.99

what do you guys think now?
 

mkenyon

Banned
He loves that case, as does everyone ;)

Get an 128GB Crucial M4 or Samsung 830 and pair it with a 1TB mechanical drive of your choosing (I prefer Cav Blacks, since Seagate owns Samsung's HGDD unit now and their warranty sucks balls).
+1 to this.

Arc Midi + 690II are King of (midtower) Cases.

*edit*

O god yes. XSPC surprised the crap out of me with this one. Looks like I'm skipping the EK block.

GTX690-2.jpg
 
He loves that case, as does everyone ;)

Get an 128GB Crucial M4 or Samsung 830 and pair it with a 1TB mechanical drive of your choosing (I prefer Cav Blacks, since Seagate owns Samsung's HGDD unit now and their warranty sucks balls).

It's been a while since I've had a top tier computer...

what am I using the SSD as? Do I run the OS off of it and then use the mechanical drive as my data storage? what's the ideal way of using a SSD?
 

knitoe

Member
It's been a while since I've had a top tier computer...

what am I using the SSD as? Do I run the OS off of it and then use the mechanical drive as my data storage? what's the ideal way of using a SSD?

On the SSD, OS and most daily use programs/games. Obviously, the more space you have on the SSD the more programs/games you can put on it, but you should leave about 10-15% free space so it can do it's garbage collection routine. Everything else, goes on the HDD.
 
sounds good...i'll look into one. Thanks for the advice guys!

edit: shit, hopefully last time I'll bug you guys for now haha. anyone have any monitor recommendations? I'm looking for something that is 22" or 23" and full 1080p. hopefully nothing too expensive too.
 

Hawk269

Member
+1 to this.

Arc Midi + 690II are King of (midtower) Cases.

*edit*

O god yes. XSPC surprised the crap out of me with this one. Looks like I'm skipping the EK block.

GTX690-2.jpg

Wow..that looks pretty craptacular...I thought EK made really good looking blocks???
 

Hawk269

Member
My rig is finally 100% complete. Here are some pics of the final setup. I recently switched out the fans for the Rads to more quieter fans that are also less RPM since I did not need such high RPM fans.

DSC03497.jpg

DSC03498.jpg

DSC03484.jpg

DSC03488.jpg

DSC03485.jpg

DSC03494.jpg

DSC03489.jpg
 
I have an OCZ Technology ZS Series 750W 80+ Bronze Power Supply and the manual is totally useless it tells you nothing at all about the power supply.

I definitely had the pc on for an hour with no crashes though.

Anyone know anything about these power supplys does the fan only spin when it needs to? I have checked the website and couldn't find anything to help me out there.

thanks in advance
 

r4z4

Member
Anyone know anything about these power supplys does the fan only spin when it needs to? I have checked the website and couldn't find anything to help me out there.

thanks in advance

Might be worth posting on their forums, that is where I found information I was looking for when my OCZ ZT 750 had the opposite behaviour. The fan used to spin at 100% all the time.
 

metalshade

Member
Hi to all the PC GAF regulars.
I have been a lurker in this thread for a very long time, and I like everything I see, and the willingness to help/impart advice.
I have been a console gamer since last gen, but looking at the way Microsoft and Sony are going, it seems next gen is not going to do it for me, so I would like to come to where the games are really at (and steam sales are such a draw!)
This is going to be a big change to me, I have NO idea how to construct a rig, nor how to do any of the software tweaking/installing required to actually make any of it run.
I have to save up for a while before I can even attempt a build (or before the wife will let me,) so I was thinking I should swot up on the basics.
I wouldn't be looking at a rig that can do things like 120 fps or massive video editing, just something that can run games at a respectable standard for a few years to come.
Is there some recommended reading/videos for an absolute beginner?
Thanks guys.
 

daviyoung

Banned
For your first build go for a barebones kit (motherboard, case, cpu and power supply) since they're the toughest and messiest to put together. The rest is pretty much plug and play these days so long as you know what components are supported by your motherboard, and these'll be stated in the manual. Your budget will define how powerful your PC is.

Always read the manual, and youtube search tutorials for all hardware you receive. It's fine really, but it all depends just how new you are to this. OP has a few good places to start.
 

Footos22

Member
Hi,

Thinking of getting rid of my consoles and just going for a full on desktop pc.
in the OP the enhanced version best suits my budget.

Is this good enough for pretty much everything and how upgradable is it?
I've made a few pc's for the family so ill be fine putting it all together.

Cheers
 

conman

Member
Like a few others popping up out of the woodwork lately, I'm also planning on building a gaming PC soon (Sept/Oct). I've assembled gaming PCs in the past, but things have changed quite a bit since my last build.

Anyhow, I've got a specific question:

If I want a relatively future-proof PC, what components would be the most important to shell out the most for, and be useful the longest? Processor? Motherboard? For example, would it be a waste to get an i7 if I only start out with a mid-range GPU? I think I can reuse some components from my old HTPC (case, 550W power supply, disc drives), or is there anything I need to worry about there?
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Hi to all the PC GAF regulars.
I have been a lurker in this thread for a very long time, and I like everything I see, and the willingness to help/impart advice.
I have been a console gamer since last gen, but looking at the way Microsoft and Sony are going, it seems next gen is not going to do it for me, so I would like to come to where the games are really at (and steam sales are such a draw!)
This is going to be a big change to me, I have NO idea how to construct a rig, nor how to do any of the software tweaking/installing required to actually make any of it run.
I have to save up for a while before I can even attempt a build (or before the wife will let me,) so I was thinking I should swot up on the basics.
I wouldn't be looking at a rig that can do things like 120 fps or massive video editing, just something that can run games at a respectable standard for a few years to come.
Is there some recommended reading/videos for an absolute beginner?
Thanks guys.
There are videos in the OP of different lengths, accents, and humors.
Respectable is a open to interpretation, but the enhanced build is a very solid machine.
For your first build go for a barebones kit (motherboard, case, cpu and power supply) since they're the toughest and messiest to put together. The rest is pretty much plug and play these days so long as you know what components are supported by your motherboard, and these'll be stated in the manual. Your budget will define how powerful your PC is.
Considering that most computers skimp on the mobo, power supply, and case I'd disagree.
None of those are hard to put together, heck not much in a PC is at all.
Hi,

Thinking of getting rid of my consoles and just going for a full on desktop pc.
in the OP the enhanced version best suits my budget.

Is this good enough for pretty much everything and how upgradable is it?
I've made a few pc's for the family so ill be fine putting it all together.

Cheers
It's good and it is the most upgradable. Well, as far as Intel will allow it (Which is none in the CPU department). Still the best route to go. New process means a new socket.
Like a few others popping up out of the woodwork lately, I'm also planning on building a gaming PC soon (Sept/Oct). I've assembled gaming PCs in the past, but things have changed quite a bit since my last build.

Anyhow, I've got a specific question:

If I want a relatively future-proof PC, what components would be the most important to shell out the most for, and be useful the longest? Processor? Motherboard? For example, would it be a waste to get an i7 if I only start out with a mid-range GPU? I think I can reuse some components from my old HTPC (case, 550W power supply, disc drives), or is there anything I need to worry about there?
Fill out the OP thing.
 

metalshade

Member
For your first build go for a barebones kit (motherboard, case, cpu and power supply) since they're the toughest and messiest to put together. The rest is pretty much plug and play these days so long as you know what components are supported by your motherboard, and these'll be stated in the manual. Your budget will define how powerful your PC is.

Always read the manual, and youtube search tutorials for all hardware you receive. It's fine really, but it all depends just how new you are to this. OP has a few good places to start.

So I should basically make something that can boot up, and then I should sort out video cards and all the extras once I have got the base computer all sorted.
That makes sense.
I would still have to have figured out the entire hardware list before I start though, I wouldn't want to build myself into a corner with a very limited upgrade path.

Edit: Also totally missed the videos in the OP, looks like Hazaro included a good few hours worth of guides and stuff. You the man OP!
Got my weekend sorted!
So much to learn. Very excited.
 

daviyoung

Banned
Considering that most computers skimp on the mobo, power supply, and case I'd disagree.
None of those are hard to put together, heck not much in a PC is at all.

Depends on the location and company I guess. Novatech do some great starter kits where the motherboard, CPU and PSU are all fitted into the case already. Good quality products too, but you're paying a bit extra for the privilege.
 

krzy123

Member
I thought this seemed like a pretty good price. I can't say anything for the quality of them, since the professionals in here would know better:

Newegg.com
OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-180G 2.5" 180GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$139.99 after rebates

OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$79.99 after rebates

also at newegg you can snag the 240GB Vertex 3 for $175 (after $20 rebate/ 15% promo code), promo code is still active, just checked.

See here:

http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/756...internal-solid-state-drive-ssd-vtx325sat3240g
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Depends on the location and company I guess. Novatech do some great starter kits where the motherboard, CPU and PSU are all fitted into the case already. Good quality products too, but you're paying a bit extra for the privilege.
Iirc their PSUs are similar to the OCZ modules which are decent enough.
Problem with bundles is you are almost always getting a 'better value' part. AKA something that is older or they can't sell or is not super great, but has a bigger number or is faster/etc.
I thought this seemed like a pretty good price. I can't say anything for the quality of them, since the professionals in here would know better:

Newegg.com
OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-180G 2.5" 180GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$139.99 after rebates

OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$79.99 after rebates
Would not buy if they were $0.50 a GB. OCZ has long had a history of poorer reliability and it's going to take a good amount of work to change that. For people who want the speed and know that it is not as reliable, go for it.
I view the SSD as super solid storage that's quick, others view it as a performance upgrade and keep daily backups so it doesn't matter if the SSD kicks the bucket.

I love OCZ's innovation, but their products are just not solid enough for me to buy or recommend to most.
 

Smokey

Member
Speaking of monitors...Maybe I missed your post, but did you ever post what you thought was better? 120fps or 1600p?

I have them both hooked up side by side. Been going back and forth on gameplay sessions. The 120hz monitor is definitely smoother and it is noticeable. That's not up for debate. I do quite a bit better in BF3 when playing on it.

Going by what I know from us talking for a while now, you seem to be more of a graphics person (Witcher 2 @ Uber @ 60fps obsession ;p) and I think you would be more impressed with a 1440p/1600p monitor. I could be wrong, just going by my feeling.
 

MrBig

Member
I haven't seen 120hz at anything but Best Buy floor models, and a single game of Halo PC when I overclocked my laptop's screen a few weeks ago. Far more impressed by the immersion of 27" and the DPI of 1440p.
 

ink4n3

Member
So after shopping around for a laptop for my girlfriend, I got hit with the upgrade bug for myself. I've been running a mid range PC that I built about 5 or 6 years ago so I haven't been keeping up on the demanding PC gaming scene. I'm hoping to change that with a new build. After reading the OP and the last few pages, here's what I've got picked out:

CPU - Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H ATX LGA1155
Memory - G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600
HDD - Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM
SSD - Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" SSD
GPU - EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB
Case - Cooler Master HAF 922 ATX Mid Tower
PSU - Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V
Monitor - Asus VS247H-P 23.6"

I'm probably just going to take the DVD drive that I'm currently using and put that in the new build. I realize they are cheap but I never really use it.

I bumped up the mother board a bit because I wanted an Optical Audio Out to run to an old receiver that I hooked up in my office.

I don't really have plans to Overclock but may end up picking up another monitor down the road.

Anyone see any issues with this?
 

Smokey

Member
I haven't seen 120hz at anything but Best Buy floor models, and a single game of Halo PC when I overclocked my laptop's screen a few weeks ago. Far more impressed by the immersion of 27" and the DPI of 1440p.

I definitely feel the difference in size when playing on the 120hz monitor. Feels very small to me now. I actually feel like my 690 is overkill when I play at 1080p. That's because it is in reality but I actually can tell the card doesn't have to do much at the resolution.

120hz is really good though. I just have a hard time going back to a 23'' display.
 

MrBig

Member
I definitely feel the difference in size when playing on the 120hz monitor. Feels very small to me now. I actually feel like my 690 is overkill when I play at 1080p. That's because it is in reality but I actually can tell the card doesn't have to do much at the resolution.

120hz is really good though. I just have a hard time going back to a 23'' display.

Yeah, it was great. I'd put money into more pixels before a faster refresh rate still though. My next primary monitor will hopefully be an OLED a few years from now, hopefully they bring with them better choices.

The people getting 2B Catleaps and overclocking to 120hz got it good, but I'm too scared of harming my $400 investment to even attempt it.
 

nilbog21

Banned
Hey guys, quick questions

Theres a Saphire 6950 2gb on sale for 190$ on newegg. 1) can you flash its bios to 6970? 2) I see a lot of people talking about waiting for a price drop on a 7850, is that worth it?

Also, is the 2500k still the best CPU on the market? in terms of bang for your buck
 

abunai

Member
Hey guys, quick questions

Theres a Saphire 6950 2gb on sale for 190$ on newegg. 1) can you flash its bios to 6970? 2) I see a lot of people talking about waiting for a price drop on a 7850, is that worth it?

Also, is the 2500k still the best CPU on the market? in terms of bang for your buck

Yeah you can flash the card to a 6970 usually. The 7850 is basically the same performance give or take a few percent in a couple of games, but it uses less power and overclocks better. Depending on the price I'd look at a 7850.

As for the CPU, 2500k or 3570k yeah. I found a 3570k for cheaper than 2500k so that was especially worth it. There's a slight performance boost from sandy to ivy bridge but nothing particularly noticeable. Sandy bridge can clock higher in terms of GHz, but comparing clock speed between generation is silly. 3570k can still overclock to ~4.5 at good temperatures, and it will be roughly the same performance as a 2500k at 4.6GHz. Whichever CPU you find cheapest would be the best.
 

MisterNoisy

Member
My rig is finally 100% complete. Here are some pics of the final setup. I recently switched out the fans for the Rads to more quieter fans that are also less RPM since I did not need such high RPM fans.
(pics snipped)

Holy crap, that thing's a beast. Very nice!
 
Anyone have any experience with Windows Home Server 2011?

I'm slowly building a file server (full on raid card 6 RE4s in a raid 6, and 2 Barracudas in a Raid 1) and I'm just trying to decide on OS.

My plan is to use the raid 6 for storing my girlfriend and I's animation files, photos she takes, our music, and movie files. Basically make it so we don't need storage drives on the PCs we work on. The raid 1 will be part of a back up plan, so the important stuff like also animation files, email, tax forms, that kind of stuff.

Basically can anyone with any experience with it say if WHS 2011 would be worth it, or should I just stick with Windows 7.

I've been trying to find info on what WHS2011 could bring to the table for me, and it seems like a lot of what I would need it for could be accomplished with just mapping the raids as network drives and using Cobian Backup. Any thoughts? am I looking at things too simplistically? Figure there has to be some one on here with some WHS and home file server experience to give me some input.
 
Going for a Radeon 6870 to finish my build next month. Which of these two cards would generate less heat?

XFX Double D - Two fans on the card instead of typical one on most versions of this card.
HIS IceQ - Do their claims about the IceQ special features hold up, namely up to 15 C cooler and less noise?
 
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