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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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Jex

Member
Switch mobo to an ASrock Pro4-M for OC support and so that you won't have to flash the bios to support the 3570k. PSU to an Antec 550 to save a few bucks and it has modular cables. Get the samsung RAM if possible. And I'm sure you can find a better case than that cheap glossy plastic thing. Don't get an optical drive unless you actually need one and can't take one out of an old tower. It'd also be helpful to list prices and the store you're ordering from to see what is available.

Thanks, I am compiling a price list for each part at the moment.

I'll take BD drive out of my old tower.

What do you mean by the 'Samsung RAM'?

I suck at choosing cases, mainly because I'm never sure if I'm going to get one that's the wrong size. I assume that most of them are a standard size so that wouldn't end up being an issue?
That Digital Foundry article is a bit out of date now as most of the prices have risen.

I did this quick build at £529.86 delivered which sources parts from both Amazon and eBuyer.

Intel Core i5 2500K from Amazon for £164.98. Works out at £10 cheaper than a 3570K.

[and so forth]
Thanks for the help. I take it that the difference between the 2500K and the 3570K must be negligible then?

Also, I just noticed that I haven't factored in any cooling. Whoops!
 
·feist·;41501068 said:

Well, thanks. I really want to believe it, but there are some reviews in Amazon saying that the STBE500100 is only 5400rpm (although there is one also saying that the STCD500100 is 7200rpm), and in Best buy, the STBE500100 appears as 5400rpm. I don't think I would risk it with the older STBE500100, but I am in the edge of pulling the trigger on the newer model, however, I still can't find anything about its rpms.
 

Lonestar

I joined for Erin Brockovich discussion
Oooh, was close to hitting "Complete Purchase"

I changed up the sellers, had 2 orders from NewEgg and Amazon. Started on that NCIX site, but it going through Canada and needing a daytime phone number in case things went wrong, kind of irked me.

It's as bad as buying a car :lol
 

MrBig

Member
Thanks, I am compiling a price list for each part at the moment.

I'll take BD drive out of my old tower.

I suck at choosing cases, mainly because I'm never sure if I'm going to get one that's the wrong size. I assume that most of them are a standard size so that wouldn't end up being an issue?

Thanks for the help. I take it that the difference between the 2500K and the 3570K must be negligible then?

Also, I just noticed that I haven't factored in any cooling. Whoops!

The sizes you had were correct, a mATX mobo and a mATX case, which are just a bit smaller than the standard ATX. Going to ATX gives you much more options though.
IB is a die shrink and optimization of the SB architecture, so there's not a huge difference between the 2500k and 3570k, but at $10 difference go for the 3570k, as there are performance gains. Cooling will depend on the case, but the Hyper 212+ is the price/perf cooler.

e: this RAM
 

kharma45

Member
I'll take BD drive out of my old tower.

What do you mean by the 'Samsung RAM'?

I suck at choosing cases, mainly because I'm never sure if I'm going to get one that's the wrong size. I assume that most of them are a standard size so that wouldn't end up being an issue?

Thanks for the help. I take it that the difference between the 2500K and the 3570K must be negligible then?

Also, I just noticed that I haven't factored in any cooling. Whoops!

If you're taking out the BR drive then that's another £13 saved. He means Samsung branded RAM I presume.

Cases vary in size, that Casecom one I linked is a mid-tower so should be big enough for most people.

Between the 2500K and 3570K there isn't much difference really, I just went with the 2500K as it's cheaper. As for CPU cooling the CPU will come with a basic fan, if you want to OC you'll need a different one.
 

Dipswitch

Member
Why not a 3770k?

I'm gonna use this machine for 4 years at least - I typically buy close to top of the line from a processor perspective to squeeze as much life out of the rig as possible. I'm also gambling that multi-threading is going to become even more prevalent in all applications over the next few years and that the hyper threading functionality will yield some dividends performance-wise. In the meantime, it'll yield some dividends immediately with some of the basic media work I do and I should see a mild bump in game performance due to the larger cache and higher frequency.

Due to that decision and my decision to grab a new UPS and SSD, this upgrade cycle overall has been, ahem, somewhat more costly than normal. Fortunately, I was able to order a few bits and bobs from Amazon using a few hundred dollars in gift cards I had squirreled away, so that took some of the sting out of it.
 

Evlar

Banned
Ok, so I currently have an older Lian Li mid-tower case very similar to this one: Lian Li PC-7b

I had considered swapping it out with this case when I build my new PC: NZXT H2 Black Silent ATX Mid Tower Chassis

Reasons for swapping it out would be the extra fan, the lower noise profile (my current case is bare aluminum with a transparent side panel, it sounds like a jet engine in takeoff with the fans turned up) and the newer hardware, i.e. the USB 3.0 port on the front.

Think that's worth $100? Any way to retrofit these old cases for newer USB connections if I keep the Lian Li?
 

kharma45

Member
I'm gonna use this machine for 4 years at least - I typically buy close to top of the line from a processor perspective to squeeze as much life out of the rig as possible. I'm also gambling that multi-threading is going to become even more prevalent in all applications over the next few years and that the hyper threading functionality will yield some dividends performance-wise. In the meantime, it'll yield some dividends immediately with some of the basic media work I do and I should see a mild bump in game performance due to the larger cache and higher frequency.

Due to that decision and my decision to grab a new UPS and SSD, this upgrade cycle overall has been, ahem, somewhat more costly than normal. Fortunately, I was able to order a few bits and bobs from Amazon using a few hundred dollars in gift cards I had squirreled away, so that took some of the sting out of it.

If that's the case then make sure it's the K model so you can overclock, that's what the poster you quoted was asking about, why you'd not chosen a K model.
 

Dipswitch

Member
If that's the case then make sure it's the K model so you can overclock, that's what the poster you quoted was asking about, why you'd not chosen a K model.

Ah - misread that into thinking it was a question about an i5 vs an i7 purchase. Dur.

Turns out I did get the 3770K though. I'll confess to being ignorant as to why the 3770K is more overclockable than the 3770, so maybe this is a good opportunity for someone to educate me :)
 

ExMachina

Unconfirmed Member
K means the processor's core clock multiplier is fully unlocked.

Therefore, just as before the only way to overclock Ivy Bridge processors is by changing the clock frequency multipliers. They have a total of three multipliers:

- Primary multiplier setting the frequency of the computational cores. It is fully unlocked in all K-series processors. All other processor models allow increasing it by four increments above the nominal.

- Graphics core frequency multiplier, which allows speeding up processor graphics core in 50 MHz increments. This multiplier is unlocked in all CPUs.

- Multiplier for the memory frequency. Ivy Bridge processors allow adjusting it in 200 MHz as well as 266 MHz increments, which allows using a vast variety of DDR3 modes.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core-i7-3770k-i5-3570k_9.html
 

kharma45

Member
Ah - misread that into thinking it was a question about an i5 vs an i7 purchase. Dur.

Turns out I did get the 3770K though. I'll confess to being ignorant as to why the 3770K is more overclockable than the 3770, so maybe this is a good opportunity for someone to educate me :)

I'll just quote Anandtech rather than me saying something wrong.

In short: The clock multiplier on the 'K' processors is fully unlocked, allowing for very high overclocks (up to 5 GHz and above). On the 'non-K' versions, you may only change the turbo-mode multiplier which will allow for slightly higher clock rates when less than all 4 cores are active.
 

Dipswitch

Member
K means the processor's core clock multiplier is fully unlocked.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core-i7-3770k-i5-3570k_9.html

I'll just quote Anandtech rather than me saying something wrong.

In short: The clock multiplier on the 'K' processors is fully unlocked, allowing for very high overclocks (up to 5 GHz and above). On the 'non-K' versions, you may only change the turbo-mode multiplier which will allow for slightly higher clock rates when less than all 4 cores are active.

Cheers for that. Good to know the extra few bucks I paid will yield some additional dividends.
 

Bragarb07

Neo Member
Hi guys, I'm desperate for help. Today arrived a new MSI GTX 560ti Hawk, along with a second drive (500gb wd black) and 2x4gb corsair vengeance ram.
So this is my setup:

Intel i5 750
Gigabyte P55 UD4P
2x4 GB Corsair Vengeance 1600
MSI GTX 560ti HAWK
Vantec ION2 600W
WD Black 750GB (for windows and media, working very poorly)
WD Black 500GB (for games)

I installed Batman Arkham Asylum and Witcher 2 in the new drive, and I had Diablo 3 on the old drive. I could play D3 at max (only tried for about 5-10 mins), but when I try to play Batman or Witcher the pc resets the second I get control of the character. (settings where high). I tried changing res of Batman to 1366x768 and I could play for about 2 or 3 minutes, then it shut down. The video card has a red light, I don't know if that's normal.
The fans are working properly, and Everest shows regular temperatures for all components.
Could the card be flawd? Or the psu not able to handle it? (in terms of wattage it shouldn't be the case, because previously I had a 4890 and it worked perfectly). Maybe its the Amperage? (PSU shows 22A in the 12V line), I don't have a clue.

Any help will be much appreciated
Thank you very much!!
 

Fjordson

Member
This might make me sound like an idiot, but is it bad if the case I'm eyeing doesn't have USB 3.0?

My motherboard on the other hand has four 3.0 ports (ASUS P8Z77-V LK). Is that okay? Or does the case have to have 3.0 also?
 

Celcius

°Temp. member
Any chance of Asus releasing a DCII version of the GTX 690?
What about a 4gb version of the DCII GTX 680?
Is it known if msi plans to make a lightning extreme version of the 680?
 

legacyzero

Banned
Is there enough of a performance difference between the 670 and 680 to justify spending the extra $100?

Also, the Asrock Z77. Is that a reliable MOBO? I'm reading alot of DOA complaints online, even the guy that's going to be building my rig is pressuring me to not get it. Is there a more reliable MOBO for around that price and function that PC GAF would recommend?
 

Fjordson

Member
Also, the Asrock Z77. Is that a reliable MOBO? I'm reading alot of DOA complaints online, even the guy that's going to be building my rig is pressuring me to not get it. Is there a more reliable MOBO for around that price and function that PC GAF would recommend?
Which one were you looking at?
 

Fjordson

Member
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

This is only about $15 dollars more, but after asking around I've heard nothing but good things about it. Comes recommended in the OP and my brother, who's helping me with the PC build and works in IT support, has had one for a while in his rig and he said it's worked flawlessly.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131837

I'm by no means an expert, so there might be a difference in features that doesn't work you, but they look pretty similar.
 

Fou-Lu

Member
Is it possible to come in under $1000 for a full build while sporting a 7970 and a 3570K? And obviously not using incredibly cheap parts that will die on you.
 
I posted this in the XBMC thread but it seems dead now, so lemme try here:

what is the cheapest possible build HTPC I can get for XBMC? I've been running XBMC on my original Xbox but I think it's time for an upgrade (my original xbox is starting to act up...)

I don't need something fancy. as long as it can play movies in HD and can run emulators of really old 90's games (NES/Genesis/SNES...MAME and PS1 would be nice too) then I'm good. any recommendations?

edit: I want something around the price range of an AppleTV. Should I just wait until someone jailbreaks the AppleTV 3? If so, what features will I miss out on from going HTPC? I would prefer to have a blu-ray drive..
 

Lonestar

I joined for Erin Brockovich discussion
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Antec Kuhler H2O 620 Liquid CPU Cooler ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Biostar TZ77XE3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($67.98 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($216.97 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($50.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec 620W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
-$13.50 on the PSU from a promo code, but $6 shipping from Newegg on everything.
-$40 on 2 mail in rebates
Total: $865.18


Final tally, no going back now, just hit confirm purchase.

Now, just a countdown till:
VmzTw.gif
 

mkenyon

Banned
Any chance of Asus releasing a DCII version of the GTX 690?
What about a 4gb version of the DCII GTX 680?
Is it known if msi plans to make a lightning extreme version of the 680?
Nope, but there will be the next best (maybe better) thing, the ASUS Mars III.
 
I posted this in the XBMC thread but it seems dead now, so lemme try here:

what is the cheapest possible build HTPC I can get for XBMC? I've been running XBMC on my original Xbox but I think it's time for an upgrade (my original xbox is starting to act up...)

I don't need something fancy. as long as it can play movies in HD and can run emulators of really old 90's games (NES/Genesis/SNES...MAME and PS1 would be nice too) then I'm good. any recommendations?

edit: I want something around the price range of an AppleTV. Should I just wait until someone jailbreaks the AppleTV 3? If so, what features will I miss out on from going HTPC? I would prefer to have a blu-ray drive..

edit 2: HDMI output is needed, as well as composite output (sometimes I'll be using it on the CRT when the HDTV is in use..)

edit 3: I fucked up, meant to edit not quote lol..
 

Lonestar

I joined for Erin Brockovich discussion
Is this a good brand for the card? Isn't the 7850 slightly better than the 660Ti? Might jump on this one instead if someone can straighten me out here.

shit if I know.

Fastest countdown to IveMadeAHugeMistake.gif ever


I wanted a 2 GB, from one of the newer generations. Combo of that and price, is what I went for.
 

Miker

Member
No, the 7950 is the card that competes with the 660 Ti, and with its overclocking headroom, is arguably the better performance/price card -- that's what I hear.

And I just bought a 7850 recently, check my old posts for my thoughts (spoiler: it OCs like a beast and I love it).
 

Lonestar

I joined for Erin Brockovich discussion
No, the 7950 is the card that competes with the 660 Ti, and with its overclocking headroom, is arguably the better performance/price card -- that's what I hear.

And I just bought a 7850 recently, check my old posts for my thoughts (spoiler: it OCs like a beast and I love it).

Yeah, reading, sounds like the 7850 is around the GTX 570, maybe a little less, but looks to be $80 cheaper.
 

Vostro

Member
Are there any recommendations for an external hard drives or does it really matter which to pick? My current choice would be a 1TB WD Passport.
 

LiquidMetal14

hide your water-based mammals
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Antec Kuhler H2O 620 Liquid CPU Cooler ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Biostar TZ77XE3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($67.98 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($216.97 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($50.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec 620W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
-$13.50 on the PSU from a promo code, but $6 shipping from Newegg on everything.
-$40 on 2 mail in rebates
Total: $865.18


Final tally, no going back now, just hit confirm purchase.

Now, just a countdown till:
VmzTw.gif

You went lighter than me overall pally :p

There is no regrets once you get all the gangster like PC games looking stunning with that nice rig.
 

Lonestar

I joined for Erin Brockovich discussion
You went lighter than me overall pally :p

There is no regrets once you get all the gangster like PC games looking stunning with that nice rig.

Well, notice I didn't list anything for Monitor, HDD, or Optical Drives. That'd put me over $1000!


All this coming from an LX6810 Gateway computer. Something Like a Intel Dual Core, 8 GB of DDR2 Ram and a GT250 card. Dying, just Dying.
 

cackhyena

Member
No, the 7950 is the card that competes with the 660 Ti, and with its overclocking headroom, is arguably the better performance/price card -- that's what I hear.

And I just bought a 7850 recently, check my old posts for my thoughts (spoiler: it OCs like a beast and I love it).

Well, I don't know if I'd mess with overclocking. My question was more about that particular card he's looking at. There's a few by Sapphire and Asus that are higher, and I know those and trust them. I'm almost wondering if it would just be better to spend a little bit more on the 7950. 30 bucks more than the 660Ti ( the card I was set on ) and looks to be much better overall.
 

mkenyon

Banned
I posted this in the XBMC thread but it seems dead now, so lemme try here:

what is the cheapest possible build HTPC I can get for XBMC? I've been running XBMC on my original Xbox but I think it's time for an upgrade (my original xbox is starting to act up...)

I don't need something fancy. as long as it can play movies in HD and can run emulators of really old 90's games (NES/Genesis/SNES...MAME and PS1 would be nice too) then I'm good. any recommendations?

edit: I want something around the price range of an AppleTV. Should I just wait until someone jailbreaks the AppleTV 3? If so, what features will I miss out on from going HTPC? I would prefer to have a blu-ray drive..
Get this, an ITX case with a PSU of at least 50W, a bluray drive, and an OS drive. Total is about $300.
 
Ok so I just moved back to University. In a brand new building. I have a relatively new gaming PC with a 700w power supply. It should be fine since I had the same PC on the same campus last semester (different building) and never had any problems.

Now however, I have been on campus for 4 days and blown the breakers 4 times. I also have some other stuff hooked up but I tried disconnecting everything else and just my PC alone would blow it. I am hoping that they will fix it eventually but until the.....is there any reasonable way to reduce my PC's peak power usage? Or is there really no reasonable reason why I shouldn't be fine and I should just bitch more to the housing office?

To follow up on this. Is there any way my PC's power consumption to spike dramatically and unexpectedly? Getting really, really sick of not having power. Blew twice again today.

Getting ready to start raising hell with the housing office.
 

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
Question, for when I get my new PC,

Games that use DX 11... Is there just an optional DX11 driver/application I need to install, or is it just on a game per game basis. I know that not all games use it, but does the game itself install the feature?
 

MrBig

Member
Question, for when I get my new PC,

Games that use DX 11... Is there just an optional DX11 driver/application I need to install, or is it just on a game per game basis. I know that not all games use it, but does the game itself install the feature?

Games install whatever library they need, whether it be a specific DX9, 10, or 11 release, or a modified version.
 
Just started up my BIOS for the first time (took awhile to show up, too). I have one side of the case left open for now. My CPU temp is 50 C and mainboard system temp is 36 C. Is this typical in the beginning? Did I not apply enough thermal paste? Blame ambient temp? (~25.5 C). All fans up and running.

motherboard: MSI Z77A-G43
CPU: i5-3570K 3.4
GPU: HD 3950
RAM: 16GB 1600
PSU: Seasonic 650W
 

Jex

Member
Right, I've gone through and sourced all my components. The sellers website is linked to the price. Please point out if I have selected some dodgy item or bad variation for any of these parts:

From the top:

Country: UK
Budget £600
Primary Use: Gaming
Overclock: Yes
Current Monitor: 1920X1200
Time Frame: Any

CPU - Ivy Bridge Quad Core i5-3570K: £175.99

Graphics Card - Sapphire HD 6870: £127.89

Motherboard - Asus P8Z77-V LX Motherboard: £87.74

RAM - Crucial Ballistix 2x 4GB RAM: £34

Hard Drive: 1TB Samsung F3: £57.95

Power Supply - Corsair CX600 V2: £53.43

Cooling - Hyper 212 CPU Cooler: £26.99

Case - Casecom 6788 All Black Case: £32.99

Total: £596.71

Once again, thanks for all the help.
 

Enlil

Member
After 2 weeks and paying a extra of 180 euro of repair cost I got my pc.
When i want to boot up the system using windows xp i get an error saying to shut down the pc and perform a Chkdsk /f.

I can't manage to do this, i searched the internet on how to do it. a tutorial saying press f8 on boot up but nothing happens.

does this means my HDD is destroyed?

I am sarting to get crazy, never going to buy a pc from the internet.
 

abunai

Member
Right, I've gone through and sourced all my components. The sellers website is linked to the price. Please point out if I have selected some dodgy item or bad variation for any of these parts:

From the top:

Country: UK
Budget £600
Primary Use: Gaming
Overclock: Yes
Current Monitor: 1920X1200
Time Frame: Any

CPU - Ivy Bridge Quad Core i5-3570K: £175.99

Graphics Card - Sapphire HD 6870: £127.89

Motherboard - Asus P8Z77-V LX Motherboard: £87.74

RAM - Crucial Ballistix 2x 4GB RAM: £34

Hard Drive: 1TB Samsung F3: £57.95

Power Supply - Corsair CX600 V2: £53.43

Cooling - Hyper 212 CPU Cooler: £26.99

Case - Casecom 6788 All Black Case: £32.99

Total: £596.71

Once again, thanks for all the help.

Everything looks good apart from the case. Take it from my personal experience, never skimp on the case. Parts might not fight, airflow will be awful, there'll be no room for cable management and they will let dust in like nothing else. Spring for something slightly more expensive now, and it'll save you money in the long run. I have a HAF 912 which is brilliant for the money, but NZXT do a good case in the Source 210/210 elite. My brother bought that case for an extreme budget system, and it's the worst thing I've ever dealt with. Cheap tacky plastic and it bends and wobbles very easily.


After 2 weeks and paying a extra of 180 euro of repair cost I got my pc.
When i want to boot up the system using windows xp i get an error saying to shut down the pc and perform a Chkdsk /f.

I can't manage to do this, i searched the internet on how to do it. a tutorial saying press f8 on boot up but nothing happens.

does this means my HDD is destroyed?

I am sarting to get crazy, never going to buy a pc from the internet.

If you can't boot into repair mode, then in windows go to your C:\ Drive, right click > properties > Press the tools tab > run Error checking (tick both checkboxes). Chkdsk /f is the same thing, just without windows loaded. It'll take a while to do, don't interrupt it while it's checking.
 
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