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[T-Matt]

I've a Logitech M510 and have been very happy with it, it's nothing overly fancy but it feels good and is accurate.

That comes in a combo with the wireless wave combo so that is tempting..

The G700 is my favorite mouse of all time. And I've owned quite a few different makes and brands. I'm also kind of a latency whore and IMO it's more responsive than a wireless 360 pad. So it's very responsive. Never thought I'd switch to a wireless mouse after some earlier experiments, but the thing is quick.

Has awesome drivers (not something you usually associate with Logitech). Only thing is, the one Eneloop rechargable battery it comes with doesn't last the longest. But as long as you have 4 spares lying around and a 4 battery charger, the thing is absolutely perfect (price aside... but I got in on sale at amazon for 49.99).

G700 was definitely one I was thinking about. I'm cool with having multiple eneloops around. Thanks for your insight. If I see a deal I might jump on it but the current price is a little high even though I'd use it a lot.

 

[Baller. PhD]

GAF~!

I hate giant, full-tower, radiator-havin, LED-flashin, Optimus Prime-looking gaming PC's. They're stupid and I hate them.

I built a gaming PC in the 2011 thread then sold it for a 15" MacBook Pro. It was an awesome decision. I game on that bitch in boot camp. It's great, but I want to slim down to a MacBook Air (or better yet, the rumored 13" Retina MBP) so I need a new machine to play PC games on since integrated graphics are for paupers.

BUT

I want that shit to be small. Like X51 small, but with better parts and for half the price. I know I won't be able to get that small, but I want to do the best I can. This machine will be plugged in to my TV and will do nothing but play games. Seriously. My MacBook will be my primary machine and I have other devices to watch blu-rays and stream video. This PC is strictly a games box. I don't need an optical drive and single SSD will be sufficient. I'll be using the 256GB Samsung 830 from my MBP. It will be jacked directly in to Ethernet. I actually have the P8P67 Pro from my old rig, but there's no way to build a small machine around that, right? I really should sell that thing. :lol

What case should I be looking at? I don't want it to be a small tower since it will be sitting next to my PS360 and a tower would look dumb. I know I won't be able to get it down to the level of the consoles, but hopefully I can get close? I'd like to use a "landscape" style case bur my Google-fu is failing me. Every HTPC case I research has no reviewers making mention of a gaming-grade GPU. WTF!! Surely people are doing this shit!

Any advice would be great. Especially links to anyone else who's done a build like this -- preferably with pics!

Thanks!

 

[Cannon Goose]

G700 was definitely one I was thinking about. I'm cool with having multiple eneloops around. Thanks for your insight. If I see a deal I might jump on it but the current price is a little high even though I'd use it a lot.

I've used a G700 for a few months now and it's been pretty great across the board. What I like most about it is that it plugs in to charge via USB and turns into a wired mouse. So when I'm at my desk it's plugged in and if I want to game on the couch I just unplug it and move it over there. The option for notched scrolling and smooth scrolling is great as well.

 

[MrBig]

Every HTPC case I research has no reviewers making mention of a gaming-grade GPU. WTF!! Surely people are doing this shit!

You're looking for ITX cases, so no the P8P67 wouldn't be useful. Fractal Node, Bitfenix Prodigy, or a Silverstone are good candidates.

 

[Ashhong]

Crucial SSD's are Amazon's Gold Box Deal of the Day. (128GB = $79.99, 256GB = $164.99, 512GB = $349.99)

Incredible deals. And unfortunately, I'm flat broke until Friday.

WHAT NOOOOO I was just looking for a 128gb for 80$ but I don't see this anymore. Is it sold out?

 

[MagicWithEarvin]

Who here uses the EVGA Precision X? How are you liking it? I'm not trying to mess with the voltage stuff - just the basic power target, GPU and MEM clock offset features. I'll up the fan curve if I need to.

I just really haven't figured out how much is "too much" for my 660 ti and my 500W TR2.

 

[Infinite Justice]

560Ti and 7850.

There's an ASUS 560Ti 448 for $220 AR which is not bad.
Also a lot of 7870's for $240 AR.

Hopefully the 660 stirs something up soon.

yea i hope so too

WHAT NOOOOO I was just looking for a 128gb for 80$ but I don't see this anymore. Is it sold out?

Looks like Amazon's stock is sold out so its off the gold box promotion.

Its still available from other sellers but not at that price

 

[paskowitz]

American Express is having a 30% off sale on everything in their reward points store. I have roughly 116k points. I am debating getting a PC from their selection. Given the discount I can spend roughly the equivalent of $800. Considering I already have a monitor (1920x1080), keyboard, mouse and speakers all I need is the desktop. I am willing to spend $100-200 extra if need be, but not much more than that essentially making $1000 or 200k points (before 30% off) my limit.

In terms of gaming the follow brands are offered: Alienware, Cyberpower, CyberpowerPC, Cybertron, Dell, HP and IBuyPower. Which one of these offers the best value for money? If one of these makes a stand out PC for ~$1k, what model? If you have access to the shopAmex store and can see what they offer, what would you recommend in my price range?

I do not think I will be able to get all the parts I would need to make my own PC from their reward program.

As far as what matters to me. I would like to be able to run pCARS and eventually Assetto Corsa at as close to max settings as possible (light AA) @60fps. BF3 would be the only shooter and for that I would only want it to run better than console (which should not be too hard). The ability to upgrade components at a latter date is also very important to me (I would like to go triple screen (3x 720p projectors) in the future and this will require some additional grunt). Things like hard drive space and speed are less important.

Many thanks.

 

[scogoth]

GAF~!

I hate giant, full-tower, radiator-havin, LED-flashin, Optimus Prime-looking gaming PC's. They're stupid and I hate them.

I built a gaming PC in the 2011 thread then sold it for a 15" MacBook Pro. It was an awesome decision. I game on that bitch in boot camp. It's great, but I want to slim down to a MacBook Air (or better yet, the rumored 13" Retina MBP) so I need a new machine to play PC games on since integrated graphics are for paupers.

BUT

I want that shit to be small. Like X51 small, but with better parts and for half the price. I know I won't be able to get that small, but I want to do the best I can. This machine will be plugged in to my TV and will do nothing but play games. Seriously. My MacBook will be my primary machine and I have other devices to watch blu-rays and stream video. This PC is strictly a games box. I don't need an optical drive and single SSD will be sufficient. I'll be using the 256GB Samsung 830 from my MBP. It will be jacked directly in to Ethernet. I actually have the P8P67 Pro from my old rig, but there's no way to build a small machine around that, right? I really should sell that thing. :lol

What case should I be looking at? I don't want it to be a small tower since it will be sitting next to my PS360 and a tower would look dumb. I know I won't be able to get it down to the level of the consoles, but hopefully I can get close? I'd like to use a "landscape" style case bur my Google-fu is failing me. Every HTPC case I research has no reviewers making mention of a gaming-grade GPU. WTF!! Surely people are doing this shit!

Any advice would be great. Especially links to anyone else who's done a build like this -- preferably with pics!

Thanks!

Silverstone SG-05-450 with a 660Ti or reference/small cooler 670 and the ASUS P8Z77-I DELUXE. GO!

 

[legacyzero]

It's ALIIIIVE

 

[Fou-Lu]

It's ALIIIIVE

You lucky bastard, good job! I still have a pile of parts that cannot make a complete whole. ;_;

 

[Infinite Justice]

It's ALIIIIVE

Pics or it didn't happen

 

[Recon]

Question: My PC is getting old(Bought in 08, Q6600,4GB max ram, old video card because my 560 Ti died) and I am having constant problems with various things. Should I wait until Black Friday to start building another? Are the deals good enough? Or would it not save a noticeable amount and I would be relatively safe on building now?

 

[Hazaro]

So I updated the OP again. Mainly for the HDD selection which is totally and completely fucked.
Hooray for a duopoly and price fixing!

The only decent 2TB drive was the Samsung and now that's gone. At least the 1TB WD Blue seems sorta ok? Hopefully it turns out alright and the 2TB WD Reds get back in stock.

American Express is having a 30% off sale on everything in their reward points store. I have roughly 116k points. I am debating getting a PC from their selection. Given the discount I can spend roughly the equivalent of $800. Considering I already have a monitor (1920x1080), keyboard, mouse and speakers all I need is the desktop. I am willing to spend $100-200 extra if need be, but not much more than that essentially making $1000 or 200k points (before 30% off) my limit.

In terms of gaming the follow brands are offered: Alienware, Cyberpower, CyberpowerPC, Cybertron, Dell, HP and IBuyPower. Which one of these offers the best value for money? If one of these makes a stand out PC for ~$1k, what model? If you have access to the shopAmex store and can see what they offer, what would you recommend in my price range?

I do not think I will be able to get all the parts I would need to make my own PC from their reward program.

As far as what matters to me. I would like to be able to run pCARS and eventually Assetto Corsa at as close to max settings as possible (light AA) @60fps. BF3 would be the only shooter and for that I would only want it to run better than console (which should not be too hard). The ability to upgrade components at a latter date is also very important to me (I would like to go triple screen (3x 720p projectors) in the future and this will require some additional grunt). Things like hard drive space and speed are less important.

Many thanks.

I did a quick run though of your prebuilt options. It's all horrible. Since you can't customize them no premade computer ever ships with a good GPU. It's a bunch of $700 parts with a $80 GPU and they charge you $1000.

You can nab a Z77 mobo for $130, a case of your choosing, a 660Ti for 300 or 7950 for 330, and a bunch of other core components. Then spend your $200 on a 3570K and you should be set.

It's ALIIIIVE

yay

Question: My PC is getting old(Bought in 08, Q6600,4GB max ram, old video card because my 560 Ti died) and I am having constant problems with various things. Should I wait until Black Friday to start building another? Are the deals good enough? Or would it not save a noticeable amount and I would be relatively safe on building now?

Now is fine. Depending on your budget you might want to wait a week or two to price responses to the GTX 660.

 

[MagicWithEarvin]

Extreme AA was the option that was killing me in games. Set it to medium in Sleeping Dogs and Trine 2 - much better now. Turned off AA completely in SC2 and now I'm getting 120-ish FPS. Out of the 3 games, Sleeping Dogs really pushes my temps up to 75c. SC2 and Trine 2 only over just about 58c with everything else maxed out other than AA.

Also, something really bad is happening to my new PC! This is what happened when I tried to run a benchmark in Heaven and it crashed on me.

Please don't tell me my GPU isn't going bad on me already...

 

[Hazaro]

Extreme AA was the option that was killing me in games. Set it to medium in Sleeping Dogs and Trine 2 - much better now. Turned off AA completely in SC2 and now I'm getting 120-ish FPS. Out of the 3 games, Sleeping Dogs really pushes my temps up to 75c. SC2 and Trine 2 only over just about 58c with everything else maxed out other than AA.

Also, something really bad is happening to my new PC! This is what happened when I tried to run a benchmark in Heaven and it crashed on me.

Please don't tell me my GPU isn't going bad on me already...

Hmm your voltage and 2D clock looks standard. What core clock and boost do you get up to?
iirc the 6xx series likes to throttle boost past 70C so maybe you had a funny transition back to lower clocks when you hit that limit?

 

[MagicWithEarvin]

Here's what happened: I didn't have the latest Nvidia 306.02 drivers before that crashed happened. Heaven was just unstable too for some reason. And I think I tried to set Tessellation to extreme before running Heaven - stupid mistake probably.

For my MEM and GPU clock I get them both to like +200MHz and my lower target to 123%. Very dumb of me.

Ok, so I tried Heaven again with default settings and it worked fine and got my benchmarks. Heaven crashed right after, or something since my latest Nvidia drivers picked up a display issue and notified me that it recovered from it. *shrugs*

 

[jsrv]

How much louder are the current WD blacks compared to the current blues and greens? I might just get their black models because of the 5 year warranty (compared to 2 year warranties of blues and greens).

 

[Hazaro]

How much louder are the current WD blacks compared to the current blues and greens? I might just get their black models because of the 5 year warranty (compared to 2 year warranties of blues and greens).

Much much louder. It's the most reliable to get right now except for the mainly new RED which is OOS and massively inflated in price right now.

So about 3x as loud as other 7200rpm drives, 5x Blues, and 10x WD Greens. I think.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1181-page6.html (Scroll down)

 

[gutterboy44]

Newegg 48hr sale $289 for the Dell Ultrasharp U2412M. Very tempting, I need a second monitor to compliment my primary BenQ 120hz. Any feedback on that Dell, seems like a great deal?

 

[legacyzero]

DAMN YOU SLEEP MODE!

 

[Spazo]

Guys I need your help.

I'm trying to find a White HDMI cable of at least 20FT to connect my PC to my HDTV (1080p / 120hz)

From what I understand, I need an High Speed HDMI cable to be able to have 1080p. Standard speed are 720p / 1080i. Is this right ? Do you think the standard speed can do 1080p ?

I'm having trouble finding a 20FT white high speed cable. On monoprice, the maximum is 15ft and didnt find any on ebay

 

[Baller. PhD]

Silverstone SG-05-450 with a 660Ti or reference/small cooler 670 and the ASUS P8Z77-I DELUXE. GO!

That thing looks like it'd be really loud. With all the mesh you can see right through it! The Fractal Node 605 looks like it might do what I want, but I can't find anyone on the Internet that's put a real GPU inside one. I don't really want to be the trailblazer here...

 

[scogoth]

That thing looks like it'd be really loud. With all the mesh you can see right through it! The Fractal Node 605 looks like it might do what I want, but I can't find anyone on the Internet that's put a real GPU inside one. I don't really want to be the trailblazer here...

Well i built a gaming machine in the sg-08 and its remarkable quiet with the right parts. Yes the case is very open but that also means lots of fresh air so the fans dont need to spin up that fast. I used a MSI 560Ti Twin Frozr and a Scythe Shuriken heatsink. It does make some noise while gaming but its not a wind tunnel more like a quiet hum.

 

[Scuba Steve]

Newegg 48hr sale $289 for the Dell Ultrasharp U2412M. Very tempting, I need a second monitor to compliment my primary BenQ 120hz. Any feedback on that Dell, seems like a great deal?

Amazon shows that for $269
link

 

[Sarcasm]

Trying to extended internet at home. SUpposedly all the outlets work according to the company but we can, next step would be bridge? Is there a router than can wirelessly bridge to LAN and wifi?

Main Router : AirPort Extreme to Said router wirelessly to create a bridge. That second router should be able to share it LAN & wifi..


such a thing?

 

[gutterboy44]

Amazon shows that for $269
link

Weird, shows as $299 for me.

 

[Ledsen]

What performance and features do you need that aren't provided by the four listed? It's not like some e-sata or firewire port will become faster.


Nope! People joke about it, but different mice can have a dramatic effect on play, especially in competitive games. If you don't have small hands, go get the Sensei Raw. What mouse works is generally chalked up as subjective, but the Sensei truly is objectively better than every mouse out there.

Looks very uncomfortable. Then again, the only mouse I've ever seen that can be described as "ergonomic" is this one, which I use at work:

 

[Rur0ni]

Shitty I missed the Amazon deal. Guess I'll wait in protest for a decent deal on NewEgg.. there are always SSDs on sale.

 

[abunai]

Guys I need your help.

I'm trying to find a White HDMI cable of at least 20FT to connect my PC to my HDTV (1080p / 120hz)

From what I understand, I need an High Speed HDMI cable to be able to have 1080p. Standard speed are 720p / 1080i. Is this right ? Do you think the standard speed can do 1080p ?

I'm having trouble finding a 20FT white high speed cable. On monoprice, the maximum is 15ft and didnt find any on ebay

You do need high speed HDMI for 1080p yes. I'm not american so I don't know any good places for cables over there but a quick google found this? link. Seems to be what you're looking for!

e: whoops, missed the 120Hz tv part. Yeah, what 1-D_FTW said!

 

[Spazo]

You do need high speed HDMI for 1080p yes. I'm not american so I don't know any good places for cables over there but a quick google found this? link. Seems to be what you're looking for!

Thank you !! The link to amazon is what I'm looking for. Now need to know if they ship to canada. thx again

 

[1-D_FTW]

Guys I need your help.

I'm trying to find a White HDMI cable of at least 20FT to connect my PC to my HDTV (1080p / 120hz)

From what I understand, I need an High Speed HDMI cable to be able to have 1080p. Standard speed are 720p / 1080i. Is this right ? Do you think the standard speed can do 1080p ?

I'm having trouble finding a 20FT white high speed cable. On monoprice, the maximum is 15ft and didnt find any on ebay

You do need high speed HDMI for 1080p yes. I'm not american so I don't know any good places for cables over there but a quick google found this? link. Seems to be what you're looking for!

Just be aware that it's going to show up as 60hz in your control panel. Because that's what 120hz tvs are. They're 60hz inputs that then use processing (LAG!), to interpolate and make up an additional 60fps that their algorithm envisions they would look like.

 

[Spazo]

Just be aware that it's going to show up as 60hz in your control panel. Because that's what 120hz tvs are. They're 60hz inputs that then use processing (LAG!), to interpolate and make up an additional 60fps that their algorithm envisions they would look like.

Thx for the advise

On my TV (Samsung) I can put it in PC mode that will remove some input lag. I can also use a DVI cable, for the PC input, but I dont want to run another cable for the sound


Amazon doesnt ship to canada. So my only choice is to get 2 x 10FT cable + HDMI female to female coupler. $33.44 inc shipping from monoprice ! Not bad

 

[mrklaw]

Silverstone SG-05-450 with a 660Ti or reference/small cooler 670 and the ASUS P8Z77-I DELUXE. GO!

or a lascala series. http://www.silverstonetek.com/product_case.php?tno=5&area=en I had an LC-17 but that might be a bit big for you

 

[cackhyena]

You do need high speed HDMI for 1080p yes. I'm not american so I don't know any good places for cables over there but a quick google found this? link. Seems to be what you're looking for!

e: whoops, missed the 120Hz tv part. Yeah, what 1-D_FTW said!

I can't remember ever buying an HDMI cable from somewhere like Monoprice where it wasn't "high speed" as the only option. I thought they all were like that.

 

[1-D_FTW]

I can't remember ever buying an HDMI cable from somewhere like Monoprice where it wasn't "high speed" as the only option. I thought they all were like that.

I thought they were too, but I'm no expert on it so I'll avoid making any statements.

I did notice recently, however, that monoprice sells "RedMere" cables that allow full bandwidth up to 65 feet now. Long distance always was an issue and that's pretty cool.

 

[abunai]

I can't remember ever buying an HDMI cable from somewhere like Monoprice where it wasn't "high speed" as the only option. I thought they all were like that.

I certainly haven't seen "standard" HDMI cables since 2005, but it's not exactly something that I look for.

 

[1-D_FTW]

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10240&cs_id=1024001&p_id=3990&seq=1&format=2

Ah. I see. Monoprice tends to be high performance under 15 feet and standard above. For longer runs, you need "RedMere" to get high performance. Except for the above link. That's the one high performance, non RedMere, cable they have at 25 feet.

Edit: You only need 20 feet? They have that too:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10240&cs_id=1024001&p_id=3989&seq=1&format=2

 

[Spazo]

I certainly haven't seen "standard" HDMI cables since 2005, but it's not exactly something that I look for.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240

You can see on the monoprice hdmi cable site that half of the list are standard speed :/

 

[Spazo]

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10240&cs_id=1024001&p_id=3990&seq=1&format=2

Ah. I see. Monoprice tends to be high performance under 15 feet and standard above. For longer runs, you need "RedMere" to get high performance. Except for the above link. That's the one high performance, non RedMere, cable they have at 25 feet.

You are right. Thats why I'm having big trouble finding one 20ft+ in white

So I will go for this:

2 x 10ft 24AWG CL2 High Speed HDMI® Cable w/ Net Jacket - White
1 x HDMI® Coupler (Female to Female)

 

[abunai]

Yamakasi Catleap Q270 "2B Extreme Overclock Edition" are now available. 1440p 120Hz.

 

[mkenyon]

Yamakasi Catleap Q270 "2B Extreme Overclock Edition" are now available. 1440p 120Hz.

The wife will be giving me a very nasty look soon here.

"Don't you already have TWO 120hz monitors?"

"But sweetie, this is an IPS at 1440P!"

"Fine, but I'm getting another horse then."

Fuck.

That thing looks like it'd be really loud. With all the mesh you can see right through it! The Fractal Node 605 looks like it might do what I want, but I can't find anyone on the Internet that's put a real GPU inside one. I don't really want to be the trailblazer here...

Getting a PC to run quiet is more about component and fan choices than anything else. You just need to get the right GPU with the right case fan replacements. How do you feel about the Prodigy?

It's basically a 12"x12" cube.

Otherwise I'd suggest going with one of these:

The latter of the two essentially forces you into buying a louder GPU.

FWIW, if I had a better air cooled card on my Prodigy, the sound level would be almost equal to my Fractal R4 due to the use of the Corsair SP/AF Quiet Edition fans. The things are dead silent. Plus, no HDDs.

*edit*

There's also the Coolermaster Elite 120

 

[MMBosstones86]

replaced some of my fan screws with the rubber mounts that came with them

Spoiler

after figuring out how the hell they work...

Spoiler

and wow did it quiet things down. Placebo or not, seems like it made a TON of difference.

Only did it on 2/4 of my fans, but very impressed.

 

[Cindres]

Cooling question, would a fan on the top of the case be better than at the back? I figure it will as it's not blowing air at the wall 4 inches behind it l.

 

[mkenyon]

Two new cases out. First up we have the BitFenix Ghost. This is basically a competitor with the Define and Silencio cases. The whole thing is coated in this finish that gives it a really resilient and metallic look to it. It has a slight one up on the R4 by being lighter and having better liquid cooling options. The top front compartment is a SATA hot swap bay (awesome if you're using this as a storage center) and the rear compartment holds a 240mm radiator.

I don't know if I could straight away recommend it over the Define R4. I'll have to get my hands on one. If there is an edge to either of the cases it'll be extremely slight. $100, so right around the same price as well.

Then on the high end of the spectrum there is the CaseLabs Merlin SM8. This is CaseLabs foray into cases that aren't bigger than Rhode Island. It's a tad smaller than the 800D, so still pretty big. Can hold enough watercooling equipment for tri-680s/7970s plus CPU. Fully aluminum, and thick aluminum too. These things are built like tanks. Not really my cup of tea, but for those looking at a really high end case, this and the Little Devil PC-V7 are pretty much impossible to beat. Starts at $375

 

[abunai]

The wife will be giving me a very nasty look soon here.

"Don't you already have TWO 120hz monitors?"

"But sweetie, this is an IPS at 1440P!"

"Fine, but I'm getting another horse then."

Fuck.

Haha, you're nuts man.

 

[IMACOMPUTA]

So to my disgust and horror, after upgrading my motherboard my 6950 no longer fits in my Storm Scout. The positioning is slightly different somehow and its right up next to my HDD/Optical bay.

I guess the solution is to get a new case? Any other recommendations?

Anyone know of a mid tower case comparable to the storm scout that will fit a long card?

 

[mkenyon]

Haha, you're nuts man.

P'much. I host LANs a few times a year for my buddies around the country, so having extra stuff is always a good thing.

Was pretty ridiculous this last weekend, I wish I took a picture of the main area. 6 BenQ XL2420Ts with Sennheiser PC-350s hanging on the back of each one as well as a Steelseries Sensei. Was almost comical.

So to my disgust and horror, after upgrading my motherboard my 6950 no longer fits in my Storm Scout. The positioning is slightly different somehow and its right up next to my HDD/Optical bay.

I guess the solution is to get a new case? Any other recommendations?

Anyone know of a mid tower case comparable to the storm scout that will fit a long card?

Just take a dremel to the HDD cage where it needs to fit, or put it in one of the lower PCI-E slots.

Otherwise, the Scout II will be out at the end of this month. There's no 'small case with handle' unless you go to mATX or ITX. If you just want a light, compact case, you could look at the NXZT Source 210 Elite, Corsair 300R, and BitFenix Shinobi.

 

[Ty4on]

Finally! Hope more smaller cases do this as well, I only know of a much smaller Lian Li with the HDDs on the side (and the FT03, but it's mATX). Most people don't need more than 2-3 drives so why not give the GPU and CPU fresh air instead of the one mechanical drive?

 

[Pratfall]

Hey mkenyon, saw you have a sweet prodigy build and I had a quick question for you. My case arrived yesterday and I am looking for a power supply. Ideally it would be something in the 550W range, (want it to run a 3750K with some overclock space and a GTX580) and nice and quiet. I know the prodigy has a smaller than average power supply bay. Any suggestions? Thanks ahead of time for any advice.