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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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demigod

demigod

Member
Kerrinck said:
Sorry, should have been more specific.
When I went to sleep yesterday, my main hdd had 321 gigs free. I left it on like always and this morning it gave me a message saying that I had no space left, it was completely empty. Only thing I left downloading yesterday was deus ex on steam, which only requires around 9 gigs.
Deleted around 20 gigs just to test the hdd but a few minutes later I went to check and it was completely empty again.
Already ran an anti virus and tried to defrag it but still no solution.
Click to expand...

You probably have spyware on your comp.
 
G

Guri

Member
Wolf Akela said:
AMD cards are generally slightly better in terms of price/performance ratio. If you're in the market for top end single cards, 79xx are pretty much better in every way compared to 580. Up to you if PhysX and Stereo 3D matters.


Motherboard... go take your pick that isn't Biostar. People usually go with Asus, AsRock and Gigabyte here.

RAM... get the cheapest compatible one from the brand you trust (like GSkill). Brand only matters just for the RMA.
Click to expand...

The thing is: My last upgrade was in 2007, and since then I was pretty much off the PC market in terms of brands and performances. Just this year I went back to looking how things go. And I'll do this new upgrade in March, when I'll have the opportunity to go to San Francisco (here in Brazil, PC hardware is way too expensive). So, I don't know which is better between, let's say, Asus/AsRock/Gigabyte.

Could you, or anyone else, plsease direct me to a specific model of GPU, motherboard and RAM (including how many GB)? I already saw the first post with the specs doc, but, as I said before, since I was "off the market", it would be better to know from you. The main focus is still to run The Witcher 2 (and similar games) with everything maxed out (except Ubersampling, if there is no way) at 60 fps.
 
B

BMX Bandit

Member
Hey duders looking for some advice.
Current machine is an i5 2500k/8gb ram/460 1gb/120 ssd.
I game at 1080p and I'm thinking of upgrading my vid card. What would you guys suggest at that resolution and around 250$ price range(300$ max I guess)? Nvidia/Amd doesn't matter just looking to try and improve performance. Thanks for any advice you can share.
 
W

Wolf Akela

Member
Is WPA (TKIP) not secure? I use a long password. I noticed that my connection was too slow to even stream. Checked the MAC clients and there were like four MAC addresses even though only have three devices (not all were connected).

Blocked those unknown MAC addresses but I'm still worried about MAC spoofing.
 
D

drexplora

Member
BMX Bandit said:
Hey duders looking for some advice.
Current machine is an i5 2500k/8gb ram/460 1gb/120 ssd.
I game at 1080p and I'm thinking of upgrading my vid card. What would you guys suggest at that resolution and around 250$ price range(300$ max I guess)? Nvidia/Amd doesn't matter just looking to try and improve performance. Thanks for any advice you can share.
Click to expand...

i went from a 460gtx 1gb to a 570gtx 1.3gb

im able to run bf3 at 1600x1200 everything high no deffered AA only post at an almost solid 60fps.

Pretty solid increase in power.

rest of my system:
i7 870 stock
asus sabertooth mobo
8gb ddr3 1333
reg 500gb 7200 HD

I went with an EVGA SC model one of the AR ones with the lifetime warranty.
Max temps under full load for gpu= 70c to low 70's
 
A

AwesomeSauce

MagsMoonshine
BMX Bandit said:
Hey duders looking for some advice.
Current machine is an i5 2500k/8gb ram/460 1gb/120 ssd.
I game at 1080p and I'm thinking of upgrading my vid card. What would you guys suggest at that resolution and around 250$ price range(300$ max I guess)? Nvidia/Amd doesn't matter just looking to try and improve performance. Thanks for any advice you can share.
Click to expand...

Personally, I find the gtx 460 still a pretty decent card.

Have you overclocked your 2500k?
 
B

BMX Bandit

Member
Thanks for the replies. No OC yet/only on stock hsf(is there a decent range for the default intel hsf you can OC to?)
460 is still pretty decent but was kinda feeling the upgrade itch(it is left over from my last machine.)
 
B

Badabing

Time ta STEP IT UP
Sweet thread. Here's my gaming rig. Put it together a long while ago, most of the parts being open-box or refurb:

EVGA P55 SLI (open box, $100)
Intel i5 760 on water @ 4.2GHz
8GB DDR3 2000MHz
2 x Nvidia GTX 470s on water @ 800MHz each (both were NewEgg open box items for $207.00 EACH like 2 years ago.. amazing deal)
1000W PSU (Got it refurbed for $50... thing has been running strong for 2 years)

I just want to say that I haven't encountered a game I couldn't run. Yet. I play BF3 at the absolute max settings on 1900x1200 with 4xAA and I run 60FPS on 64 player servers. I was going to upgrade to the new set of Intel CPUs coming out in March, but... this time, I don't have any use for it. Just going to revamp my liquid cooling setup, I want to swap my tubes out for Feser's white tubing. I'll post pics one day.

All I know is... this is the best time to be a PC gamer. Been gaming on the PC for 15 years and I've never had more fun with the amount of customizable options, accessories, performance, and straight up amazing graphics.
 
I

Isaccard

Member
BMX Bandit said:
Thanks for the replies. No OC yet/only on stock hsf(is there a decent range for the default intel hsf you can OC to?)
460 is still pretty decent but was kinda feeling the upgrade itch(it is left over from my last machine.)
Click to expand...

I've read you can OC up to 4.3 on stock easily.
 
A

Arucardo

Member
Isaccard said:
I've read you can OC up to 4.3 on stock easily.
Click to expand...

Yeah, even the tiny stock/boxed fan handles a 4ghz OC just fine, under full load temps are around 70. I've been thinking about an after market cooler, but there's no real reason for me to get one yet. I'll just get a decent case fan for my side vent, probably a 200mm or a 230mm fan. Gotta measure how much room I have between the case wall and the GTX 580 before I buy one.
 
D

D-Pad

Member
Hazaro said:
560Ti core 448 at minimum or HD6950 2GB. I'd get the Seasonic I posted on sale 620W (not modular) for $60.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot! I'm all set to purchase the case and now that power supply while it's still on sale. Any suggestions on what I should buy right away what to save for last? It probably doesn't really matter, huh? Just grab things if/when they go on sale, etc.
 
E

eddiepfund

Neo Member
Hey gaffers,

I have an upgrade question. I currently have a 2.8 ghz Core 2 Duo, ASUS p5q motherboard, 4 gigs of ram (sorry don't remember speed) and a nvidia 9800gt. I think im gaming at 1680x1050.

I am thinking about upgrading my 9800gt to play Tribes Ascend on higher graphics settings. I am currently playing on medium settings with no shadows and about 40-60fps.

I have a budget of about 120. Would I notice a difference with a new card? Will it be bottlenecked by my processor?

Thanks!
 
H

HotHamWater

Member
A friend of mine is after a high spec laptop for 3D rendering, but obviously his options are fairly limited to stuff like Alienware and Dell.

It's not going to be used for gaming or the like, but it needs to be capable in the CPU and RAM department, preferably with a decent sized HDD as well. Does anyone have any recommendations? He's leaning towards just buying a high specced Dell at the minute.
 
B

Beer Monkey

Member
Arucardo said:
Yeah, even the tiny stock/boxed fan handles a 4ghz OC just fine, under full load temps are around 70. I've been thinking about an after market cooler, but there's no real reason for me to get one yet. I'll just get a decent case fan for my side vent, probably a 200mm or a 230mm fan. Gotta measure how much room I have between the case wall and the GTX 580 before I buy one.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing the stock fan at 4ghz is way louder than aftermarket coolers at 4ghz? Or no?
 
N

NH Apache

Banned
HotHamWater said:
A friend of mine is after a high spec laptop for 3D rendering, but obviously his options are fairly limited to stuff like Alienware and Dell.

It's not going to be used for gaming or the like, but it needs to be capable in the CPU and RAM department, preferably with a decent sized HDD as well. Does anyone have any recommendations? He's leaning towards just buying a high specced Dell at the minute.
Click to expand...
You might have better luck here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=386622
 
B

BoobPhysics101

Banned
Khorino said:
The thing is: My last upgrade was in 2007, and since then I was pretty much off the PC market in terms of brands and performances. Just this year I went back to looking how things go. And I'll do this new upgrade in March, when I'll have the opportunity to go to San Francisco (here in Brazil, PC hardware is way too expensive). So, I don't know which is better between, let's say, Asus/AsRock/Gigabyte.

Could you, or anyone else, plsease direct me to a specific model of GPU, motherboard and RAM (including how many GB)? I already saw the first post with the specs doc, but, as I said before, since I was "off the market", it would be better to know from you. The main focus is still to run The Witcher 2 (and similar games) with everything maxed out (except Ubersampling, if there is no way) at 60 fps.
Click to expand...

Asus DirectCU Radeon 7950 or Sapphire/Powercolor 7950
Asus P8Z68-V Pro (or LX)motherboard
Corsair Vengeance 2x4 GB DDR3 1600 1.5V OR 1.35V RAM
Intel 2500k CPU
There you go.
 
D

derFeef

Member
New case looks classy, old case looks dusty ;). Detailed pics when I assemble the new parts this weekend.

97516596.jpg
 
H

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
D-Pad said:
Thanks a lot! I'm all set to purchase the case and now that power supply while it's still on sale. Any suggestions on what I should buy right away what to save for last? It probably doesn't really matter, huh? Just grab things if/when they go on sale, etc.
Click to expand...
Just grab sale items as you go. Check out SlickDeals and sort by hardware, read up review on what comes up.
eddiepfund said:
Hey gaffers,

I have an upgrade question. I currently have a 2.8 ghz Core 2 Duo, ASUS p5q motherboard, 4 gigs of ram (sorry don't remember speed) and a nvidia 9800gt. I think im gaming at 1680x1050.

I am thinking about upgrading my 9800gt to play Tribes Ascend on higher graphics settings. I am currently playing on medium settings with no shadows and about 40-60fps.

I have a budget of about 120. Would I notice a difference with a new card? Will it be bottlenecked by my processor?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
GTX 460 or 6850 (6870)
You'll notice a difference, but your CPU will likely not be able to get you the full potential of the card. Overclock your C2D to 3.2+ if possible as well.
 
Z

Zzoram

Member
I need a wireless network card for my PC because all my USB ports seem to be on the fritz and can't keep a steady connection with my USB wifi adapter. I know it's the ports and not the adapter because my USB drives transfer rates will frequently drop to 0 for 10+ seconds at a time. That mirrors my wifi cutting out randomly for similar periods of time.

What are some of the best and cheapest wifi N network cards out that support 64 Bit Windows Vista and 7? I notices many are PCI-e now instead of PCI, are the new ones equally good or do they have issues?

I don't have the money for a new PC and I can put up with crappy USB transfer times but the Internet cut outs make it impossible for me to play online games.
 
H

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Zzoram said:
I need a wireless network card for my PC because all my USB ports seem to be on the fritz and can't keep a steady connection with my USB wifi adapter. I know it's the ports and not the adapter because my USB drives transfer rates will frequently drop to 0 for 10+ seconds at a time. That mirrors my wifi cutting out randomly for similar periods of time.

What are some of the best and cheapest wifi N network cards out that support 64 Bit Windows Vista and 7? I notices many are PCI-e now instead of PCI, are the new ones equally good or do they have issues?

I don't have the money for a new PC and I can put up with crappy USB transfer times but the Internet cut outs make it impossible for me to play online games.
Click to expand...
I've heard people recommend this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833704045

and I've used these at work briefly:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YD7UBQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20

edit* read it wrong.
No idea on PCI/PCI-E let me know.
 
G

Gaaraz

Member
DJ Lushious said:
AMD GPUs are excellent in their noise and power consumption levels. However, and not knowing your exact Dell model number, you might also be facing a power supply upgrade to go alongside that GPU. Just food for thought. Other than that, you're definitely looking at a bigger card than the 5750, if you want a good workhorse.
Click to expand...
Many thanks, shame as my case is quite cramped... that's part of the problem really, I have a really good PC now with great specs, and a 600W Corsair PSU, but the case and motherboard really let it down :( If a new graphics card is going to be bigger I think I'll just wait and purchase a whole new PC.
 
A

artist

Banned
eddiepfund said:
Hey gaffers,

I have an upgrade question. I currently have a 2.8 ghz Core 2 Duo, ASUS p5q motherboard, 4 gigs of ram (sorry don't remember speed) and a nvidia 9800gt. I think im gaming at 1680x1050.

I am thinking about upgrading my 9800gt to play Tribes Ascend on higher graphics settings. I am currently playing on medium settings with no shadows and about 40-60fps.

I have a budget of about 120. Would I notice a difference with a new card? Will it be bottlenecked by my processor?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I would recommend a whole system upgrade, if you game regularly.

If not then get this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127646
 
R

RedSwirl

Junior Member
I've just started to get a light buzzing noise from my tower that comes in and out. All I can confirm is that it isn't the fan - having the fan blow at different levels doesn't affect the noise at all. Is there any other part that could do this?

My case is a Dell XPS 420.
 
M

mkenyon

Banned
What about internal fan? Open up the case and try stopping the fans with finger when you hear the noise.

Possible parts with fans: PSU, GPU, CPU, HDD Bay.
 
R

RomanticHeroX

Member
Okay, question of pure laziness: It seems stock cooling isn't going to be enough for what I want to do, so I'm looking at putting in an aftermarket cooler. Is it feasible to put one in without taking the motherboard out? My case does have a panel giving access to the back of the motherboard. If at all possible, I'd really like to avoid having to take everything apart.
 
R

RedSwirl

Junior Member
mkenyon said:
What about internal fan? Open up the case and try stopping the fans with finger when you hear the noise.

Possible parts with fans: PSU, GPU, CPU, HDD Bay.
Click to expand...

Rebooted a few minutes ago and the noise seems to be gone. I'll see what happens after playing a game (which I had turned off right before it started). Maybe something went wrong in changing fan speeds? Or is the main fan the only that speeds up under load?
 
K

Kerrinck

Member
Finally fixed the empty hdd issue.
Strangely enough, there was a new file called LocalRoutingEngine inside a motorola folder in the program files, with the size of 431 gigs. Have no idea why it was there and why it got so big so suddenly but hopefully this won't happen again.
Thank you all for the help.
 
C

clav

Member
Hazaro said:
Hmmmm. Can you remove the top cover of GPU and point a fan at it?
Click to expand...

I think I want to remove the acrylic plastic panels and add mesh grills used for air duct venting in buildings. I can also just drill holes on those same panels.

There may be enough room on the panel closest to the graphics card to fit a 120mm fan in there. I'll just need to cut the wires to hardwire the 3pin to a 4pin (essentially 2pin). Alternatively, I can split a fan header from the motherboard.

I might as well change out the thermal paste on the graphics card as well as I have some AC MX-4 thermal paste sitting around.
 
H

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
RomanticHeroX said:
Okay, question of pure laziness: It seems stock cooling isn't going to be enough for what I want to do, so I'm looking at putting in an aftermarket cooler. Is it feasible to put one in without taking the motherboard out? My case does have a panel giving access to the back of the motherboard. If at all possible, I'd really like to avoid having to take everything apart.
Click to expand...
If you can see the back mounting holes (4 of em) near the CPU from the back you can mount a new cooler no prob.
 
N

NH Apache

Banned
NH Apache said:
Just got all my components in. Going to build tomorrow. Can't wait!

HUGE PIC http://i.imgur.com/fuD2Z.jpg
Click to expand...

So, just a small update.

Built all 4 today, took about 5 hours. One exception.

So, the exception.

I needed dvd-rw drives so I purchased these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

Which turns out is OEM, so does not include anything else; read: no SATA cables. I also purchased only OEM drives as well, 2 per computer. So the only SATA cables I had came with the motherboard, 2 per pc.

Long story short, I was 4 SATA cables shy of having complete builds. I wanted instant gratification, so I rolled a couple of blocks down to the local Best Buy (Radioshack doesn't even carry them anymore). 20 freaking dollars for one cable. 80 bucks overall. "Associate" agreed with me that they were crazy overpriced. So I said fuck that, went back to the office where I was doing the build and ordered from monoprice for $4, shipped. Got damn. Fuck BB.

So the two complete builds I got up to bios and will install OS on tomorrow. The other 2 will have to wait till Monday.

Anyways, great experience so far. My last build was 7 years ago, and a lot has changed. But many, many thanks to Hazaro and the fantastic OP. Having all that information centralized is unbelievable helpful!


Wolf Akela said:
I didn't know Monster sold SATA cables.
Click to expand...

Platinum-laced Diamond Gucci Cable™.
 
1

1-D_FTW

Member
Type in SEASONIC15 at checkout and get 15 percent off certain Seasonic PSUs:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151093

Seasonic M12II Modular 520 Watt 80 Plus PSU = 64 dollars.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151099

Seasonic SS-460FL Modular/Fanless/Gold Certified 460 power supply is 78 dollars (after 15 Mail In Rebate).

Myself, I just purchased the 520 M12. Been worried my power supply is about to flake out and this is a nice price for a high quality supply that's modular. At 50 percent load, it's 86 percent efficiency (versus 91 percent on the SS-460FL).
 
Manp

Manp

Member
derFeef said:
New one is the CM 690 II, yep. The old one is Chieftech 910 I think. It served me well and is almost 7 years old.

edit: yes! chieftech dragon. Feist knows his stuff.
Click to expand...

i had the same case (chieftech dragon) for my P4 northwood. good case back in the day but i can't imagine using it with modern hardware.

:)
 
F

FourDoor

Member
Sweet! Almost all of my components have arrived and I can start putting together my rig this weekend. Only thing missing now is the power supply and that so called GTX 680 whenever it comes out! LOL
 
D

derFeef

Member
Parts have arrived.

ASRock P67 Extreme6
Noctua NH-U12P SE2
G.Skill DIMM 8 GB DDR3-1600 Kit
Intel i5-2500K
Crucial RealSSD M4 2,5" SSD 128 GB
(plus the Coolermaster 690 Advanced II)

Weekend full of fun :)
 
demigod

demigod

Member
$160 for Crucial 128GB SSD at Tiger Direct.


Anyone know how good AMD's HD3D is? Is it comparable to watching a movie or worse? Could I use the VG278h's display and 3d glasses without needing Nvidia's 3D Vision software?
 
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