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[momolicious]

ok, i need help, max budget $500 want the best media computer for the buck. Most importantly be able to play 1080p HD movies on a big screen tv run programs for school and play some games. Thanks

 

[Relix]

My PC is dying so fuck it I am building another one. I should wait for the new Ivy Bridges right?

 

[Hazaro]

ok, i need help, max budget $500 want the best media computer for the buck. Most importantly be able to play 1080p HD movies on a big screen tv run programs for school and play some games. Thanks

Standard build. Can you reuse an HDD to bring the price down?
If no: Use the cheaper processor. Spending less than $110 (a 550Ti or 6850) is not recommended unless you buy used.

My PC is dying so fuck it I am building another one. I should wait for the new Ivy Bridges right?

If your PC is still in the process of dying waiting would be good.
Intel will release updated SB (aka IB) which will be a slight benefit, maybe 10-15% and lower power usage.

But AMD and nVidia are going to be releasing their NEW architecture NEW process GPUs which is a big deal.

 

[GoingGreen]

But AMD and nVidia are going to be releasing their NEW architecture NEW process GPUs which is a big deal.

How soon?

 

[onken]

Is there really any advantage of going over 8 gig of RAM if I'm just going to be gaming, watch movies etc?

 

[knitoe]

Is there really any advantage of going over 8 gig of RAM if I'm just going to be gaming, watch movies etc?

No. I only went to 16GB because it was cheap.

 

[OriginofHysteria]

'Note that some cases might not be able to fit taller rifle coolers (Like the CM 212 Plus, or more commonly a ThermalRight Silver Arrow) or longer video cards (Like a 6950 or GTX 580).'
What case is it?

It's a Powerspec Tx-606. It came with the build I purchased, but I'm looking at getting the Cooler Master Storm Scout in a couple weeks anyway so it'll just be sitting in my room until then lol.

 

[Hazaro]

How soon?

I think it is April for Intel/nVidia but that is speculation.

AMD just released it's 7970 card, 7950 will follow, then probably more 7xxx series trickle down in the next 3-8 weeks.

 

[runnin_blue]

Ok, so it's been many years since I had a new gaming rig and I've finally decided to bite the bullet.

I would really appreciate any opinions on this deal I've seen advertised.

My main concerns are, will it play all current games maxed out and at a playable framerate and will it last me 2-3years.

System specs are:

Intel Core i7-2600k Quad Core-3.4GHz
Overclocked to 4.2GHz
Intel Z68 chipset
16GB DDR3 1600MHz
Blu-Ray combo drive
60GB SATA3 SSD (550/490 MB/s)
1TB SATA3 7200RPM HDD
CoolerMaster HAF X 942
Corsair H60 CPU water cooler
2 x GTX580 1536MB in SLI

$2720 (Australian dollars)


Please excuse my newbness, thanks again for any help.

 

[ConstructMe]

Ok, so it's been many years since I had a new gaming rig and I've finally decided to bite the bullet.

I would really appreciate any opinions on this deal I've seen advertised.

My main concerns are, will it play all current games maxed out and at a playable framerate and will it last me 2-3years.

System specs are:

Intel Core i7-2600k Quad Core-3.4GHz
Overclocked to 4.2GHz
Intel Z68 chipset
16GB DDR3 1600MHz
Blu-Ray combo drive
60GB SATA3 SSD (550/490 MB/s)
1TB SATA3 7200RPM HDD
CoolerMaster HAF X 942
Corsair H60 CPU water cooler
2 x GTX580 1536MB in SLI

$2720 (Australian dollars)


Please excuse my newbness, thanks again for any help.

Thats probably about 300 more than you would pay if you brought those parts seperately and assembled it yourself.

 

[Hazaro]

Bad time to buy enthusiast GPUs unless you go 7970's. 580's are really bad value.
You can get a much better PC for ~2k(USD 1:1 conversion) if you build it yourself and you probably don't need dual $550 cards.

Fill out the sheet in the OP.

 

[runnin_blue]

Thats probably about 300 more than you would pay if you brought those parts seperately and assembled it yourself.

I'm happy to pay the extra $300 to have it put together properly. I've been too long out of the loop to contemplate building it myself lol.

Do you think this rig will play new games maxed out (or close to it) in a couple of years?

Bad time to buy enthusiast GPUs unless you go 7970's. 580's are really bad value.
You can get a much better PC for ~2k(USD 1:1 conversion) if you build it yourself and you probably don't need dual $550 cards.

Fill out the sheet in the OP.

Could you please elaborate a bit on why they are bad value?

 

[RomanticHeroX]

If I can put together a PC myself, literally anyone can. Fun fact: I once stapled my thumbs together, and yet I still managed to put a machine together with no problems. You can't be any worse than that.

 

[OriginofHysteria]

If I can put together a PC myself, literally anyone can. Fun fact: I once stapled my thumbs together, and yet I still managed to put a machine together with no problems. You can't be any worse than that.

Plugging in the components is no big deal, it's just setting up the layout and figuring out how you want your wiring. That's the pain in the ass.

 

[green_focus]

Very nice build man. Yeah, that rig of yours would pretty much destroy any game currently out. The only game I know of that you cant max out is Witcher 2 in Ubersampling mode at 1080p/60fps. Almost everything else you should be able to move every slider in options to max and still be at 60fps.

One thing I have learned though, if you try a game and you cannot completely 100% max it out, dont fret too much...it is usually a driver issue or the game itself. For example, Star Wars The Old Republic has known performance issues and I have a similar rig as you and I get FPS drops in that game. As a new PC gamer, we at times look at our rig and think something is wrong or I need more power, but more and more I have learned that it is the game itself and how it was coded, or needing patching or driver updates.

The best thing to do is if you run into a game that you cant max out, just ask here and usually others will respond telling you they have similar performance, this should ease your mind on it. If you get responses like "for me it runs perfect" then that is when you look into stuff to see if there are tweaks you can make. Like you, I built my rig to be able to take any game and crank every possible option to max and sustaing 60fps at 1080p...and for the most part I can and so will you.

Witcher 2? Challenge accepted. =p

 

[mhayze]

If I can put together a PC myself, literally anyone can. Fun fact: I once stapled my thumbs together, and yet I still managed to put a machine together with no problems. You can't be any worse than that.

You put a PC together with your thumbs stapled together? That is truly amazing!

 

[·feist·]

Posting this here for anyone who may be interested.

"OFFERS GOOD 01/27/12 - 01/29/12"
http://www.microcenter.com/specials/email/CPlanding_0127.html

If the motherboard is over $120, it's said they simply give you $120 off the board of your choice.

No idea if this deal stacks with their $40 off FX CPU coupon offer, but it does make for more interesting choices than Micro Center's normal $40 off motherboard bundle deal.

 

[scogoth]

Posting this here for anyone who may be interested.

"OFFERS GOOD 01/27/12 - 01/29/12"
http://www.microcenter.com/specials/email/CPlanding_0127.html


If the motherboard is over $120, it's said they simply give you $120 off the board of your choice.

No idea if this deal stacks with their $40 off FX CPU coupon offer, but it does make for more interesting choices than Micro Center's normal $40 off motherboard bundle deal.

They're getting desperate to sell bulldozer aren't they.

 

[·feist·]

It's a special 2-day sale. This is the same store that previously sold 2600Ks on limited special for about $230, or ~$100 under MSRP.
$100 plays $120. IIRC, Fry's price matched that $100 off.

 

[ConstructMe]

I'm happy to pay the extra $300 to have it put together properly. I've been too long out of the loop to contemplate building it myself lol.

Do you think this rig will play new games maxed out (or close to it) in a couple of years?




Could you please elaborate a bit on why they are bad value?

Come on man, i went from no knowledge to building pcs in like two weeks. Yes that will still be up to speed for at least two years, what Haz means by bad value is that the 7970 and kepler are about to and are out so its not worth 580s atm.

 

[kitch9]

Ok, so it's been many years since I had a new gaming rig and I've finally decided to bite the bullet.

I would really appreciate any opinions on this deal I've seen advertised.

My main concerns are, will it play all current games maxed out and at a playable framerate and will it last me 2-3years.

System specs are:

Intel Core i7-2600k Quad Core-3.4GHz
Overclocked to 4.2GHz
Intel Z68 chipset
16GB DDR3 1600MHz
Blu-Ray combo drive
60GB SATA3 SSD (550/490 MB/s)
1TB SATA3 7200RPM HDD
CoolerMaster HAF X 942
Corsair H60 CPU water cooler
2 x GTX580 1536MB in SLI

$2720 (Australian dollars)


Please excuse my newbness, thanks again for any help.

You sure you can't build the pc yourself?

If not, I'd be looking a graphics cards with more VRAM than that for my next purchase.

 

[Hazaro]

I'm happy to pay the extra $300 to have it put together properly. I've been too long out of the loop to contemplate building it myself lol.

Do you think this rig will play new games maxed out (or close to it) in a couple of years?




Could you please elaborate a bit on why they are bad value?

7970's are cheaper, have double the RAM, and are about 20%+ faster.
The 580 3GB is the only alternative.

 

[Brad Grenz]

Bad time to buy enthusiast GPUs unless you go 7970's. 580's are really bad value.
You can get a much better PC for ~2k(USD 1:1 conversion) if you build it yourself and you probably don't need dual $550 cards.

Fill out the sheet in the OP.

Good time to take advantage of compulsive upgraders. I was trying to wait for the 78X0 cards to be announced before upgrading my old 4850, but found a 2GB 6950 with a 6970 shader unlock bios already installed for about $200 on eBay. It's sooo nice.

 

[Lingitiz]

Could you guys help me out a bit with a possible budget build? I've been looking at the OP and working around it. Any help on cutting costs would be nice. I'm trying the keep the build under $500 including the OS. Mostly looking to play Valve games primarily and BF3/The Witcher 2 at medium 720p settings, not really looking to max out most games. I am strapped for cash at the moment so again, trying to make a capable PC that will probably be upgraded in the following year. Here's what I got so far. Thanks for any advice.

AMD Athlon II X3 450 3.2GHz
Foxconn A88GMV AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Radeon HD 6770 1GB
Corsair XMS3 4 GB 1333MHz
Western Digital 250 GB
NZXT ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Cooler Master Elite 460W
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit (Full) System Builder DVD 1 Pack

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Is anyone from San Francisco here?

I live in Brazil and in March I'll go to GDC. My ideia is to go at a store and buy the parts. Does anyone know any place good? It would be better if it is close to the Moscone Convention Center and there is a place to buy games close too!

Not sure about local shops in SF itself, but most people just hit Fry's Electronics in the Bay Area. Nearest one though is a good drive away (either Palo Alto down in the peninsula or in Concord over in the East Bay). They have both PC parts and games. And everything else, really.

 

[runnin_blue]

You sure you can't build the pc yourself?

If not, I'd be looking a graphics cards with more VRAM than that for my next purchase.

At the risk of sounding like a douche, I simply don't have the time to watch countless how-to Youtube videos and research all the ins and outs of building a pc.

Nor do I have the patience to go through all that only to switch on my new pc and realise it doesn't work because I overlooked something.

I'd rather pay a pro to build it and let them iron out all the kinks. Not so hard to understand, surely?

 

[Hazaro]

Good time to take advantage of compulsive upgraders. I was trying to wait for the 78X0 cards to be announced before upgrading my old 4850, but found a 2GB 6950 with a 6970 shader unlock bios already installed for about $200 on eBay. It's sooo nice.

People still buy computer parts off eBay? Even with the Seller changes...
But yes, used cards have always been great value.

Could you guys help me out a bit with a possible budget build? I've been looking at the OP and working around it. Any help on cutting costs would be nice. I'm trying the keep the build under $500 including the OS. Mostly looking to play Valve games primarily and BF3/The Witcher 2 at medium 720p settings, not really looking to max out most games. I am strapped for cash at the moment so again, trying to make a capable PC that will probably be upgraded in the following year. Here's what I got so far. Thanks for any advice.

AMD Athlon II X3 450 3.2GHz
Foxconn A88GMV AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Radeon HD 6770 1GB
Corsair XMS3 4 GB 1333MHz
Western Digital 250 GB
NZXT ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Cooler Master Elite 460W
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit (Full) System Builder DVD 1 Pack

Make sure you get a 2x2GB kit of RAM, not a single 4GB stick.
I'd go for a 500GB HDD minimum if possible.
If possible to stretch to a 6850/70 you'll get a lot more value out of it.

 

[mug]

Could you guys help me out a bit with a possible budget build? I've been looking at the OP and working around it. Any help on cutting costs would be nice. I'm trying the keep the build under $500 including the OS. Mostly looking to play Valve games primarily and BF3/The Witcher 2 at medium 720p settings, not really looking to max out most games. I am strapped for cash at the moment so again, trying to make a capable PC that will probably be upgraded in the following year. Here's what I got so far. Thanks for any advice.

AMD Athlon II X3 450 3.2GHz
Foxconn A88GMV AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Radeon HD 6770 1GB
Corsair XMS3 4 GB 1333MHz
Western Digital 250 GB
NZXT ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Cooler Master Elite 460W
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit (Full) System Builder DVD 1 Pack

I'd recommend going the intel route with an inexpensive G850 and an inexpensive H67 board. You'll have more room for upgrade later on. Oh and get 2x2GB instead of just one.

 

[Lingitiz]

Thanks for the advice. Btw, is there anyway I could save money on Windows 7? Its so damn expensive.

 

[cilonen]

Thanks for the advice. Btw, is there anyway I could save money on Windows 7? Its so damn expensive.

Make sure you pick up the OEM system builder version, it's just a slimline dvd case in a cardboard slip case.

Other than that there's not a lot to do but pay up. Amazon had some amazing pre-order deals when Win 7 was announced, it'll be worth looking to see if they do the same for Win 8 but that's probably a year or more away.

 

[Jibbed]

I'm currently running 4.8GHz (100x48) with an i7-2600k, and the voltage is currently set to auto. Several guides recommend a manual 1.35v setting for this clock, should I manually set this or leave it on auto in bios? Under load the voltage seems to reach 1.45v.. is this ok?

Sorry, I'm a bit of a newcomer to overclocking.

 

[AEREC]

Is there a graphics card diagnostic tool out there?

I suspect my card is having some issues (GTX 460 1GB) as every few months I start to get a an error:

Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered.

Along with graphical corruption in games that appear to look like an overheating GPU (red white dots...white boxes in a grid pattern, etc...), however my temp on the card never goes above 50 in any game Ive played (according to EVGA Precision).

Usually I can install new driver or reinstall the same drivers over again and it clears the issue up for another month or two only to come back again.

Im just trying to figure out if this is a hardware issue or a driver issue since the above error message is a pretty common one if you google it.

 

[Celcius]

I was looking at the samsung F3's and I see that the prices are still crazy. Think they'll ever go back to normal, or just be replaced by ssd's?

 

[chaosblade]

I was looking at the samsung F3's and I see that the prices are still crazy. Think they'll ever go back to normal, or just be replaced by ssd's?

Prices might not start stabilizing until the second half of the year or so based on what I've heard. I don't think HDDs will be replaced in the near future anyway, SSDs just don't offer the necessary data density for a reasonable price and won't for years to come.

 

[Hazaro]

I'd recommend going the intel route with an inexpensive G850 and an inexpensive H67 board. You'll have more room for upgrade later on. Oh and get 2x2GB instead of just one.

Yeah a G850 and an intel board would leave room for upgrading, but on the other hand he can get an overclockable quad for $78 which is why I didn't comment on it. I think BF3 likes 4 cores. Probably should go read up on it.

I'm currently running 4.8GHz (100x48) with an i7-2600k, and the voltage is currently set to auto. Several guides recommend a manual 1.35v setting for this clock, should I manually set this or leave it on auto in bios? Under load the voltage seems to reach 1.45v.. is this ok?

Sorry, I'm a bit of a newcomer to overclocking.

1.35V would be my personal MAX voltage. So I'd lower it and manually set it up using offset.

Is there a graphics card diagnostic tool out there?

I suspect my card is having some issues (GTX 460 1GB) as every few months I start to get a an error:

Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered.

Along with graphical corruption in games that appear to look like an overheating GPU (red white dots...white boxes in a grid pattern, etc...), however my temp on the card never goes above 50 in any game Ive played (according to EVGA Precision).

Usually I can install new driver or reinstall the same drivers over again and it clears the issue up for another month or two only to come back again.

Im just trying to figure out if this is a hardware issue or a driver issue since the above error message is a pretty common one if you google it.

OCCT has a GPU test, you can also try FURMark. Sounds like a dying GPU to me though.

 

[AEREC]

OCCT has a GPU test, you can also try FURMark. Sounds like a dying GPU to me though.

I was kinda afraid of that. Card is not even a year old...when will 580's be dropping in price?

 

[Iadien]

Is there a graphics card diagnostic tool out there?

I suspect my card is having some issues (GTX 460 1GB) as every few months I start to get a an error:

Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered.

That error can be a result of MANY different things. I've had the error for years, and have tried at least 30+ tweak settings to try to solve it, nothing ever has. I have also tried new RAM (even though I tested my original ram without any errors), 3 different GPUs, and still get the error, so my guess is that it is my motherboard. I'm upgrading my CPU, mobo, ram, etc in a few weeks, if I see that error after upgrading I may have to kill someone. =p

 

[Hazaro]

If I see display driver has stopped working I:
Blame Valve
Blame nVidia
Go back to my older drivers

But really it can be a ton of things.

 

[Iadien]

If I see display driver has stopped working I:
Blame Valve
Blame nVidia
Go back to my older drivers

But really it can be a ton of things.

It's most likely the reason. But, I even changed to an ATI card, and received the ATI equivalent of the nvlddmkm error.

 

[AEREC]

That error can be a result of MANY different things. I've had the error for years, and have tried at least 30+ tweak settings to try to solve it, nothing ever has. I have also tried new RAM (even though I tested my original ram without any errors), 3 different GPUs, and still get the error, so my guess is that it is my motherboard. I'm upgrading my CPU, mobo, ram, etc in a few weeks, if I see that error after upgrading I may have to kill someone. =p

Do you ever get graphical corruption with that error or does the monitor just blink and then displays the error message?

 

[Iadien]

Do you ever get graphical corruption with that error or does the monitor just blink and then displays the error message?

Both, also blue screens every now and then, but mostly just the blinking with the error message.

From what I've read over the years, check the GPU first, if that isn't it, then check your RAM settings (properly timed, correct voltage, etc), if that doesn't help try different RAM slots or new RAM.

 

[Quadratic]

I need some help deciding on a new monitor. I'm leaning towards getting a Dell. Right now dell.ca is having a sale on a 23 inch IPS one. http://accessories.dell.com/sna/pro...l.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=dhs&cs=cadhs1&sku=320-2807

$199 CDN. It doesn't have a HDMI port which isn't the end of the world. Just wondering if anyone on GAF has this monitor and can share some impressions of it.

My uses are pretty much mainly web surfing, productivity stuff and some light gaming (MMO's RPG's RTS's) I don't really play FPS's anymore so the 8ms response time won't bother me much.

 

[chaosblade]

I need some help deciding on a new monitor. I'm leaning towards getting a Dell. Right now dell.ca is having a sale on a 23 inch IPS one. http://accessories.dell.com/sna/pro...l.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=dhs&cs=cadhs1&sku=320-2807

$199 CDN. It doesn't have a HDMI port which isn't the end of the world. Just wondering if anyone on GAF has this monitor and can share some impressions of it.

My uses are pretty much mainly web surfing, productivity stuff and some light gaming (MMO's RPG's RTS's) I don't really play FPS's anymore so the 8ms response time won't bother me much.

Can't speak for that exact monitor, but I have a U2211H and it's excellent. I'd definitely recommend a Dell IPS monitor.

I use it as my primary monitor even though it's a bit smaller than my ASUS, but it just blows that TN panel out of the water.

 

[Hazaro]

Dell IPS is good.

 

[ColonelT]

Hi all. Would appreciate an opinion on a desktop build. Here are the details:

Your Current Specs: Starting from scratch. Been using laptops exclusively for 7 years and I'm ready to get back to a desktop.
Budget: ~$1000 US
Main Use: Gaming, general usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback), podcast recording and editing.
Monitor Resolution: Already have a Samsung SyncMaster P2450, running at 1080P. No plans to upgrade this.
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: StarCraft II, SWTOR, WoW, Star Trek Online, Civ V, Mass Effect 1/2/3, Skyrim, eventually Diablo III
Are reusing any parts?: No, starting from scratch.
When will you build?: Would like to order parts by February 6th.
Will you be overclocking?: Highly Unlikely

As described above, I'm starting completely from scratch. I already have the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and Win 7 64-bit. I can raise my budget by a couple hundred bucks if you think there's a compelling reason to do so. My initial thought was to build Hazard's "Excellent" $986 build. Given what I described above, should I deviate from that build? Should I pull anything from the "Enthuiast" or "Extravagant" columns? I'm not a hardcore techie by any stretch of the imagination and I don't really have any interest in becoming one. I just want to play my games and have them run like sexy beasts. Any input is appreciated!

 

[chaosblade]

Hi all. Would appreciate an opinion on a desktop build. Here are the details:

Your Current Specs: Starting from scratch. Been using laptops exclusively for 7 years and I'm ready to get back to a desktop.
Budget: ~$1000 US
Main Use: Gaming, general usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback), podcast recording and editing.
Monitor Resolution: Already have a Samsung SyncMaster P2450, running at 1080P. No plans to upgrade this.
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: StarCraft II, SWTOR, WoW, Star Trek Online, Civ V, Mass Effect 1/2/3, Skyrim, eventually Diablo III
Are reusing any parts?: No, starting from scratch.
When will you build?: Would like to order parts by February 6th.
Will you be overclocking?: Highly Unlikely

As described above, I'm starting completely from scratch. I already have the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and Win 7 64-bit. I can raise my budget by a couple hundred bucks if you think there's a compelling reason to do so. My initial thought was to build Hazard's "Excellent" $986 build. Given what I described above, should I deviate from that build? Should I pull anything from the "Enthuiast" or "Extravagant" columns? I'm not a hardcore techie by any stretch of the imagination and I don't really have any interest in becoming one. I just want to play my games and have them run like sexy beasts. Any input is appreciated!

I'd say go with the Excellent build, and if you're positive you don't want to OC you could drop to a 2500 and H67 motherboard and spend the savings on the GPU or a SSD.

Otherwise you could just go right with the Excellent build and keep the OC-ready parts, OCing a 2500k is ridiculously simple and can be provide a pretty nice boost given how far it can go.

 

[Jibbed]

1.35V would be my personal MAX voltage. So I'd lower it and manually set it up using offset.

Ok thanks, I've tried a few offset values but I can't really get my head around it. What would you recommend?

Currently at +0.045, idles between 0.9-1.1v, gaming/prime95 etc between 1.35-1.45v.

 

[mclaren777]

A friend of mine is bringing his broken computer over later today to see if I can fix it.

Where should I begin?

Won't boot at all. No start up screen, no hardware detection, nothing. Just the noise of power coming on, but no noises like its processing anything. Had noticed about 2 days before it crashed that the tower fan wasn't working. Blue screen of death once, then it was dead.

 

[chaosblade]

A friend of mine is bringing his broken computer over later today to see if I can fix it.

Where should I begin?

"Tower fan?" Like the one on his CPU cooler? Could have ended up overheating but that seems really unlikely due to all the failsafes that would cause it to shut down before damaging itself.

Could also be the motherboard. Possibly the PSU, which you can test with a paperclip or something.

Motherboard and CPU will be harder to test since you'll basically need another CPU/motherboard to do it.

 

[Feel the Swift]

Hey guys, i'm in the market for a new PSU since my OCZ one crapped out on me and started making a crackling noises and hardly turns on. I'd prefer to try a different brand this time. I need something in the 550W-600W range. Also, I have a $25 BestBuy gift card and I've been searching around on there.