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[kharma45]

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?

1) I think the latest cards you can't anymore.

2) I'd go for the 7850 over it, faster at stock, uses less power and is a great overclocking card with a small voltage tweak, I've my MSI one up from 860MHz at stock to 1200MHz, can't rate it highly enough.

 

[KoruptData]

Ok, replaced my 6850 to a 7850 on Wednesday and have had no problems until this morning. Woke up, played swtor and a match of bf3 and then got off and got ready for work. Right before i walked out the door i went to put the pc to sleep and noticed an error message on the screen. It said the display driver has stopped working but has recovered. I played all day wednesday and all last night with no problems but it just happened this morning. My system is:

I7 2600
Corsair 500w psu
8 gb ram
His iceq 7850 2 gb

 

[Kilrogg]

So I'm toying with the idea of finally buying a desktop PC (haven't bought one in 10 years or so) but I was wondering if we're on the verge of a new technological paradigm which would dramatically increase hardware performance and/or decrease prices/sizes/power consumption/heat/noise, say, 2-3 years from now? Basically, is now a good time to buy one or should I wait for <insert tech> if I'm willing to be patient?

 

[J0dy77]

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

I came here to post about this deal, this is an amazing bargain. My final price after using a 10% coupon code they sent me was $192 plus the rebate. Keep in mind this also comes with a coupon for Dirt 3 and Battlefield 3 full game unlocks. Planned on purchasing BF3 as well. Huge savings for me for a beast card. Definitely the best price to performance with all of the cards available right now.

Thank you to all of the contributors in this thread and especially Hazaro for the great OP. Here's what I ended up with for my final build and couldn't be happier with the performance:

Intel Core i3 2120 - $120
Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 2GB - $182 with BF3 and Dirt 3
Asus P8H61 - $70
OCZ 120GB SSD - $90

Cheapest upgrade I've ever done and amazing performance. All of my previous builds I went around the 1k mark, I'll don't think I'll ever do that again.

 

[Edvardelis]

Theres a Saphire 6950 2gb on sale for 190$ on newegg. 1) can you flash its bios to 6970?

Not likely.

You really could only pull that off with the original reference designs since AMD disabled it quickly.

Also some motherboards (like my ASUS P8Z77-V Pro) don't like the fact that the card is flashed and will refuse to boot so even though my XFX 6950 2GB is unlocked I can't use it.

 

[specialguy]

Only thing I'd worry about with 6950 is, crysis 2 benchmarks on Ultra (tesselation) for example I noticed it falls way behind the new AMD cards. I think in one I saw it was getting like 32 FPS vs 7850's 57.

Seems to do ok/similar to 7850 on other tesselated/modern games like BF3 and Batman AC though.

For the vast majority of people who dont have OCD it doesn't matter, but for me I might be tempted to go the extra 50 on a more futureproof 7850.

Great deal though with BF3, I'm thinking about it...

It says it's an OC model, but the core clock isnt listed anywhere on newegg. WTF?

 

[terrdactycalsrock]

I got my pc in, today and Im having problems hooking it up. I've always just used an ,HDMI cord to plug my ,laptop up to my tv but thats not working ,with m,y new desktop pc. Is there anything, Im missing?

 

[mkenyon]

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

Hah, I was saying that I love it. Its XSPC, and the outside lights up like the Raystorm.

Also, fuck yeah at your build. So beefy. I don't think I could ever go for one of those, but I'm glad that you did. Looks like it's suiting your needs perfectly.

Holy shit! Why the fan overkill?

They're on radiators. 3x360mm radiators.

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.

Don't write it off until you see it. Using my crossover still feels like stop motion in comparison.

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

1) Nope, no way anymore.
2) No.
3) Yes, if you overclock past 4.5ghz, no if you do not.

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.

I know this isn't hugely helpful, as it's not direct from the source. But, out of my buds who do not have Linux file servers, they all run WHS2011 and love it. There's a lot of really neat automated and remote stuff you can do with it if you download a lot from .nzb websites. I use a Linux server myself.

Ok, replaced my 6850 to a 7850 on Wednesday and have had no problems until this morning. Woke up, played swtor and a match of bf3 and then got off and got ready for work. Right before i walked out the door i went to put the pc to sleep and noticed an error message on the screen. It said the display driver has stopped working but has recovered. I played all day wednesday and all last night with no problems but it just happened this morning.

It happens. Did you totally remove all of your previous drivers first?

General plan of attack: Uninstall previous drivers -> turn off computer and remove video card -> turn on and run CCleaner/Driver Sweeper to get rid of old stuff -> turn off and install new card -> turn on and install new drivers.

So I'm toying with the idea of finally buying a desktop PC (haven't bought one in 10 years or so) but I was wondering if we're on the verge of a new technological paradigm which would dramatically increase hardware performance and/or decrease prices/sizes/power consumption/heat/noise, say, 2-3 years from now? Basically, is now a good time to buy one or should I wait for <insert tech> if I'm willing to be patient?

Any attempt to answer this would be entirely speculation. Probably not, but maybe? It's a pretty safe time to buy right now. There's a lot of overhead everywhere in systems.

 

[cilonen]

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.

As Cantaloup said; the Will Smith Tested videos are awesome - the Gerstmann one and Will's 40 minute gaming PC build. They really helped me - they're linked in the OP.

 

[Lovely Salsa]

How do I know if I OCed my cpu?

I ran Auto OC on the Asus program, it said that It OCed to 4,3 GHZ

But on cpuz and 3dmark it shows that my cpu is at 1,6 ghz??

 

[mkenyon]

How do I know if I OCed my cpu?

I ran Auto OC on the Asus program, it said that It OCed to 4,3 GHZ

But on cpuz and 3dmark it shows that my cpu is at 1,6 ghz??

It's dynamic and based on load, idle = low clock.

You should also do the OC yourself, guide in the OP. You literally mess with two values.

As Cantaloup said; the Will Smith Tested videos are awesome - the Gerstmann one and Will's 40 minute gaming PC build. They really helped me - they're linked in the OP.

While those are entertaining, the TTL/OC3D one is by far the most informative. Goes over awesome tips like cable management and positive pressure/fan placement.

SEASONIC X750 FOR $119 PROMO CODE EMCNDJE26

 

[Le-mo]

What happens if you go to the BIOS and set it to only load from CD (i.e. remove all other boot options like the hard drive and so on)? Does it even try to spin up the CD?

I just tried that and I hear it spins, but it still won't run it. The CD runs fine on my computer.

 

[Kilrogg]

Any attempt to answer this would be entirely speculation. Probably not, but maybe? It's a pretty safe time to buy right now. There's a lot of overhead everywhere in systems.

Thank you.

 

[ccbfan]

Whats a good quality for price 2 TB HD for a storage drive.

I already have a 128 GB Samsung 830 for my OS and important apps drive.

I also have a 1 TB 7200 rpm drive for games and apps nothing important enough to be on my SSD drive.

Now I need a drive to hold all my media/pics/whatever. I have a lot of media on DVDs that I need to transfer over.

The most important aspect to me reliability and then price.

Theres a Seagate Barracuda Green for - $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148681

as well as a

Samsung ECOGREEN F4 for $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...512-Index-_-InternalHardDrives-_-22152245-L0D

I know both are made by Seagate and I've heard not so great things about them. Are WD drives anymore reliable?

 

[KoruptData]

It happens. Did you totally remove all of your previous drivers first?

General plan of attack: Uninstall previous drivers -> turn off computer and remove video card -> turn on and run CCleaner/Driver Sweeper to get rid of old stuff -> turn off and install new card -> turn on and install new drivers.

So you are saying it happens, dont worry unless it happens frequently then do what you said?

 

[mkenyon]

So you are saying it happens, dont worry unless it happens frequently then do what you said?

Sometimes, that comes up randomly, maybe due to driver error maybe due to something else. If you want to troubleshoot it, start with that process. If it continues, it's probably nothing to worry about. After certain driver updates, I've received that every now and then over the years, most recently when I had my 560Tis.

 

[MrBig]

Don't write it off until you see it. Using my crossover still feels like stop motion in comparison.

It's a nice luxury, but so is 60fps the vast majority of gamers.

 

[KoruptData]

Sometimes, that comes up randomly, maybe due to driver error maybe due to something else. If you want to troubleshoot it, start with that process. If it continues, it's probably nothing to worry about. After certain driver updates, I've received that every now and then over the years, most recently when I had my 560Tis.

Cool, thanks for your help.

 

[Lovely Salsa]

Is 9500 on 3dmark 11 a good score with cpu at 4,3 ghz and a gtx680?

 

[gokieks]

Whats a good quality for price 2 TB HD for a storage drive.

I already have a 128 GB Samsung 830 for my OS and important apps drive.

I also have a 1 TB 7200 rpm drive for games and apps nothing important enough to be on my SSD drive.

Now I need a drive to hold all my media/pics/whatever. I have a lot of media on DVDs that I need to transfer over.

The most important aspect to me reliability and then price.

Theres a Seagate Barracuda Green for - $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148681

as well as a

Samsung ECOGREEN F4 for $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...512-Index-_-InternalHardDrives-_-22152245-L0D

I know both are made by Seagate and I've heard not so great things about them. Are WD drives anymore reliable?

Those two are the same drive. A lot of people will swear by one brand or another, but honestly, with very few exceptions in specific models, there's no real difference in reliability. There is a difference in warranties between various drives (Seagates only have a 1 year warranty now), but if your drive fails in a year and a half, the data is going to be gone whether you get a free replacement drive or not. As the data is what's valuable to most people, you should always have backups or redundancy (or ideally, both) for the data you really care about.

 

[Hazaro]

Is 9500 on 3dmark 11 a good score with cpu at 4,3 ghz and a gtx680?

Sounds correct for a stock 680.
Check the Benchmarking Thread in the OP.

 

[Stop It]

Guys, why didn't you tell me before that SSDs were awesome? Wait you did? fuck.

It's good to see that prices have started to dive because I think SSDs will sell like hotcakes now. I finally pulled the trigger on a Samsung 830 256GB SSD which I paid around £145 inc next day delivery on Wednesday. Aside from failing at Norton Ghost once, all is setup now.

My god, does Windows boot fast now, while I have to keep Steam on my storage drive, Origin has managed to find a way to be on this SSD, so I tested BF3 load times just now and fook me are they so much quicker. I feel like my PC now actually feels like a fast PC in everything it does, just in time for BT Infinity in July.

 

[Lovely Salsa]

Sounds correct for a stock 680.
Check the Benchmarking Thread in the OP.

its not stock, its at 1086

 

[Hawk269]

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.

lmao...yeah, that is me. Beleive it or not, even a 690 cant do rock solid 60fps in Witcher 2 ubersampling, hell even 2 690's did not do it. Depending on what is being displayed, the FPS would go to 37 at times...lol.

 

[Emperor Bohe]

Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z77-DS3H ATX LGA1155

does anyone know if this motherboard has good onboard sound? or should I get a soundcard too? I make music in Ableton Live...but it can't be too demanding (I currently work with a decent sony vaio)

 

[ArecxP]

My new CPU cooler and gtx 670 ftw is sitting at home waiting for me. Can't wait to dig into them.

 

[Emperor Bohe]

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..

updated potential build:

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 SuperClocked GeForce GTX 680 2GB Video Card
Power Supply Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V $109.99
Optical Drive Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer $79.99
Hard Drive SSD Crucial M4 128GB SSD (for MacOS/Mountain Lion)
Hard Drive Mechanical SAMSUNG EcoGreen F4 HD204UI 2TB SATA HDD (for Windows 7)
Wireless adapter TP-LINK TL-WDN4800 PCI Express x1 Wireless N Dual Band Adapter
Case http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352007
Monitor http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236052


do you guys think I should ditch the gtx680 and just run with a 670? what are the pros and cons of each? I'll be running everything in 1920 x 1080

edit: and which manufacturer should I go with? and overclocked?

edit 2: i'm thinking of this 670 rather than the 680 I listed....what do you guys think?
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130787

 

[knitoe]

Guys, why didn't you tell me before that SSDs were awesome? Wait you did? fuck.

It's good to see that prices have started to dive because I think SSDs will sell like hotcakes now. I finally pulled the trigger on a Samsung 830 256GB SSD which I paid around £145 inc next day delivery on Wednesday. Aside from failing at Norton Ghost once, all is setup now.

My god, does Windows boot fast now, while I have to keep Steam on my storage drive, Origin has managed to find a way to be on this SSD, so I tested BF3 load times just now and fook me are they so much quicker. I feel like my PC now actually feels like a fast PC in everything it does, just in time for BT Infinity in July.

Every new build should include a SSD, even if you could only afford a 60GB version. Having just the OS on SSD will make the computer much more responsive and feel faster. The almost zero seek times will do that.

 

[TheFallen]

Hey guys, it's been a couple years since I built my computer with a friend's help. Looking to update it a little bit. As it stands, it runs most titles smoothly except some of the less optimized ones like Batman: Arkham City. Also have issues maxing Witcher 2 and BF3. I know Guild Wars 2 is still unoptimized, but I definitely want to have a very smooth experience at launch for it. Any suggestions? Was thinking about updating the video card, but not sure what's good on the market and not $1,000+.

CPU: Intel Core i7 930 @ 2.8 Ghz
Memory: Corsair Dominator 12GB (6 x 2GB) DDR3-1600
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470

 

[LowTecky]

Hey Gaf, need some help here.

I recently built a computer using the this thread as my main source of inspiration (learned a lot!). Everything has been running incredibly smoothly for a few weeks now, until today after work I noticed that my mouse (G400) was not being recognized by my PC. Switching USB ports fixed it, but only temporarily. I naturally restarted a few times to see if that would help, and now my computer won't even go past the initial motherboard logo. I have a BIOSTAR TZ77XE3, and the LED code being displayed is "99". Haven't even been able to find out what this error code corresponds to, it's not listed in the manual. Any ideas?

 

[Lulubop]

Seasonic 750x gold,

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151087

Enough for SLI 680 and overclocking?

 

[larvi]

Hey Gaf, need some help here.

I recently built a computer using the this thread as my main source of inspiration (learned a lot!). Everything has been running incredibly smoothly for a few weeks now, until today after work I noticed that my mouse (G400) was not being recognized by my PC. Switching USB ports fixed it, but only temporarily. I naturally restarted a few times to see if that would help, and now my computer won't even go past the initial motherboard logo. I have a BIOSTAR TZ77XE3, and the LED code being displayed is "99". Haven't even been able to find out what this error code corresponds to, it's not listed in the manual. Any ideas?

Have you tried booting without the mouse plugged in? I've had usb devices short out and draw too much power which has prevented the computer from posting properly.

 

[knitoe]

Seasonic 750x gold,

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151087

Enough for SLI 680 and overclocking?

Should be doable, but if you are running $1000 a video card(s) setup, I would go at least 1000W. For $25 more, you can go with this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171049

 

[CRS]

I posted this in the Headphone thread but thought I'd get some input here too.

Didn't like what my PC's on-board sound was offering so I decided to jump the gun on a sound card, specifically ASUS' Xonar STX. Since I'm getting an upgrade, I'd thought it be time to upgrade my headphones. Currently I have a pair of Sennheiser HD 280s that I've had for 5 or so years and a new-ish pair of Sony MDR-EX600s.

There will be plenty of gaming, movies/tv shows, but most of my listening will be music. Listen to a variety of stuff but hip-hop will be the main focus. Since this will be an important investment and something that will never leave the PC, I can spend a little more, somewhere in the $300 range.

Side-note, is that specific sound card overkill? Should I get something else and use that money for the pair of cans instead?

 

[LowTecky]

Have you tried booting without the mouse plugged in? I've had usb devices short out and draw too much power which has prevented the computer from posting properly.

Can't believe I didn't try that. Thanks a million. Amazon's no-questions-asked return policy is pretty sweet. Think I'll go with a different mouse this time, maybe one that lasts more than a week.

 

[Hazaro]

Should be doable, but if you are running $1000 a video card(s) setup, I would go at least 1000W. For $25 more, you can go with this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171049

As said here and in the OP, if you get $1000 of GPU, get at least a 1000W good PSU.
Valuewise the GOLD version of the CM 1000W Silent Pro is the one to get imo.

updated potential build:

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 SuperClocked GeForce GTX 680 2GB Video Card
Power Supply Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V $109.99
Optical Drive Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer $79.99
Hard Drive SSD Crucial M4 128GB SSD (for MacOS/Mountain Lion)
Hard Drive Mechanical SAMSUNG EcoGreen F4 HD204UI 2TB SATA HDD (for Windows 7)
Wireless adapter TP-LINK TL-WDN4800 PCI Express x1 Wireless N Dual Band Adapter
Case http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352007
Monitor http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236052


do you guys think I should ditch the gtx680 and just run with a 670? what are the pros and cons of each? I'll be running everything in 1920 x 1080

edit: and which manufacturer should I go with? and overclocked?

edit 2: i'm thinking of this 670 rather than the 680 I listed....what do you guys think?
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130787

670 more than enough.

Hey guys, it's been a couple years since I built my computer with a friend's help. Looking to update it a little bit. As it stands, it runs most titles smoothly except some of the less optimized ones like Batman: Arkham City. Also have issues maxing Witcher 2 and BF3. I know Guild Wars 2 is still unoptimized, but I definitely want to have a very smooth experience at launch for it. Any suggestions? Was thinking about updating the video card, but not sure what's good on the market and not $1,000+.

CPU: Intel Core i7 930 @ 2.8 Ghz
Memory: Corsair Dominator 12GB (6 x 2GB) DDR3-1600
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470

Overclock your CPU and drop in a 670.

I posted this in the Headphone thread but thought I'd get some input here too.

I'd actually try the onboard with your new headphones first. It's surprisingly good, but if you are an audio person you might notice. The $30 DG is supposed to be extremely close to the higher end models, and the onboard audio that I get to my AD-ATH700's is damn good for me not being an audio person.

 

[Costcosaurus]

What PSU are you talking about when you say '5 years ago'?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341001

 

[Hazaro]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341001

Should still be fine for that.
Pretty low power draw.

 

[LordAlu]

Whoa! The BenQ XL2410T has dropped to a much more palatable £199.99 at CCL Computers. Dat 120Hz.

 

[FeedMeAStrayCat]

Just want to make sure I got a decent deal on this. I wasn't planning on buying a motherboard yet, as I'm slowly putting together my build. However I stumbled across this on amazon, and was matching it up with what the OP had. I got the "Gigabyte Intel Z77 LGA1155 AMD CrossFireX W/HDMI,DVI Dual UEFI BIOS ATX Motherboard GA-Z77-D3H" for $60ish new from a highly rated amazon third party seller. All other listings were practically double for this model, so that's what peaked my curiosity.

 

[RS4-]

Whoa! The BenQ XL2410T has dropped to a much more palatable £199.99 at CCL Computers. Dat 120Hz.

Ugh, I found a place that is willing to sell one to me for about $225 locally. Which is almost half the price of one of those Crossover monitors from ebay.

Not that I can use the 3d since I've got an AMD card lol.

 

[gogojira]

I'm in the process of ordering parts for a PC very comparable to Emperor Bohe, but for my case I was considering going with the BitFenix Prodigy. I was worried about size issues but a video review over at Overclocked seemed to fit a 680 in fine.

I like it because it's affordable and personally I think it looks slick. Any reason to avoid it? Ultimately it's still just a case so it's not like it means that much to me.

 

[harrytang]

just installed a 2600k this week with cooler master 212 evo. seems to idle around the 34C mark, except for one core that fluctuates between 4-6C below the other three. wondering if i have a problem with my thermal paste or install of cooler master. not ready to rip the whole thing apart if i dont have too. any thought helpful.

 

[Kilrogg]

Looking to buy a completely new desktop PC in the "best value" category from Hazaro's guide. Here are my requirements:

• Budget: 800€, France
• Main Use: Gaming (4), possibly emulation (Wii) (2), very light video editing (3), general usage (4)
• Monitor Resolution: 1080p, already got a monitor
• List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Diablo 3 and less demanding stuff
• When will you build?: over the summer, no hurry
• Will you be overclocking?: None whatsoever, don't care
• Other: a 128GB SSD for the OS/games and a sober silent case with good dust management would be nice too; trying to future-proof it if possible

What's the doctor's opinion?

 

[Hazaro]

just installed a 2600k this week with cooler master 212 evo. seems to idle around the 34C mark, except for one core that fluctuates between 4-6C below the other three. wondering if i have a problem with my thermal paste or install of cooler master. not ready to rip the whole thing apart if i dont have too. any thought helpful.

Intel cheaped out on the idle sensors, and that also can be normal.
If you have ONE core off by like 5C under load, it's probably something under the IHS and you can't do anything about it.

Looking to buy a completely new desktop PC in the "best value" category from Hazaro's guide. Here are my requirements:

• Budget: 800&#8364;, France
• Main Use: Gaming (4), possibly emulation (Wii) (2), very light video editing (3), general usage (4)
• Monitor Resolution: 1080p, already got a monitor
• List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Diablo 3 and less demanding stuff
• When will you build?: over the summer, no hurry
• Will you be overclocking?: None whatsoever, don't care
• Other: a 128GB SSD for the OS/games and a sober silent case with good dust management would be nice too; trying to future-proof it if possible

What's the doctor's opinion?

Enhanced does a great job all around. Really truly is the best value.
Being in France you'll likely have to make substitutions on the motherboard and power supply to higher end parts though.

It'll demolish D3 and most other titles at 1080p and hopefully leave enough room for an SSD in your budget.

Take a look at what parts you have available where you are and what is missing from the list. Then camp out for deals if you aren't building now. No real replacement parts should be out by summer, so nothing to look forward to.

 

[patrickthehedgehog]

Just got my computer running last night! Does anyone know the best way to get a wireless xbox controller (with play and charge kit) working as a standard USB xbox controller? Doesn't exactly seem to be plug and play

 

[clav]

Just got my computer running last night! Does anyone know the best way to get a wireless xbox controller (with play and charge kit) working as a standard USB xbox controller? Doesn't exactly seem to be plug and play

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HZFCT2/?tag=neogaf0e-20

If you want more control (e.g. edit button mappings), then buy the wired X360 controller.

 

[Hazaro]

And you can buy a wired OEM controller for $23 anyway last I checked.

 

[Fou-Lu]

Just got my computer running last night! Does anyone know the best way to get a wireless xbox controller (with play and charge kit) working as a standard USB xbox controller? Doesn't exactly seem to be plug and play

Since no one told you, you cannot make a wireless 360 controller work as a USB controller with a play and charge kit. (When you plug the USB into the PC or the 360 it's only connecting the battery and charging it, the controller itself is still connecting wirelessly, and since it doesn't use bluetooth, you'll either need one of those dongles clavier mention above, or just grab a wired controller)

 

[patrickthehedgehog]

Since no one told you, you cannot make a wireless 360 controller work as a USB controller with a play and charge kit. (When you plug the USB into the PC or the 360 it's only connecting the battery and charging it, the controller itself is still connecting wirelessly, and since it doesn't use bluetooth, you'll either need one of those dongles clavier mention above, or just grab a wired controller)

Thanks for the info! I'll be picking up a wired pad soon.