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[·feist·]

Intel 520 Series SSD
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=34879771&postcount=3131

Just a few of the reviews which didn't break the NDA:

Intel's 520 Series solid-state drive
http://techreport.com/articles.x/22415

Intel SSD 520 Series 240GB Review
http://www.techspot.com/review/495-intel-ssd-520-series/

Intel SSD 520 Review: Cherryville Brings Reliability to SandForce
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5508/intel-ssd-520-review-cherryville-brings-reliability-to-sandforce

Intel 520 240GB SSD Review (Round One) – Intel Releases Amazing SATA 3 SandForce Driven SSD
http://thessdreview.com/our-reviews...-intel-releases-amazing-sandforce-driven-ssd/

Intel SSD 520 Review: Taking Back The High-End With SandForce
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-520-sandforce-review-benchmark,3124.html

Intel 520 Series SSD Full Review - SandForce on Steroids?
http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Storage/Intel-520-Series-SSD-Full-Review-SandForce-Steroids

 

[clav]

Might as well go with the Samsung 830 over the Intel 520 because of price.

Reliability still remains a question to be a selling factor for Intel SSDs although I may be prematurely judging the factor from Intel 320s.

 

[Isaccard]

Is the Execellent build capable of PCSX2 (PS2) emulation?

 

[RomanticHeroX]

Is the Execellent build capable of PCSX2 (PS2) emulation?

Yup, well capable of handling it.

 

[·feist·]

Is the Execellent build capable of PCSX2 (PS2) emulation?

Very.

Might as well go with the Samsung 830 over the Intel 520 because of price.

Reliability still remains a question to be a selling factor for Intel SSDs although I may be prematurely judging the factor from Intel 320s.

Near the top of my list for a while now. I know why Haz didn't initially recommend the 830, but apart from a tiny few, I couldn't figure out why so many here had ignored it for months now. Just about everyone has had a hiccup, Samsung quickly addressed theirs.

 

[smr00]

Alright GAF i am in f'n crisis mode.

I need a PC, haven't had a gaming PC since about 2006 and know absolutely nothing about them or how to build them, but i do know someone who will build it for me if i get the parts so i can spend up to $900 (this has to include everything, i have 0 computer parts) i have a mouse and a keyboard and i have a $200 BB gift card i am using towards a monitor so here we go

I play Starcraft 2, i want to play the Old Republic MMO (hopefully on high settings) and i want to play Diablo 3 and Guild Wars 2, so for $900 (the less i spend the better) can i build a PC that can run these on high settings? if someone can help me pick out the parts shoot me a PM or list the parts if you have time and thanks in advance.

 

[Saren is Bad]

Alright GAF i am in f'n crisis mode.

I need a PC, haven't had a gaming PC since about 2006 and know absolutely nothing about them or how to build them, but i do know someone who will build it for me if i get the parts so i can spend up to $900 (this has to include everything, i have 0 computer parts) i have a mouse and a keyboard and i have a $200 BB gift card i am using towards a monitor so here we go

I play Starcraft 2, i want to play the Old Republic MMO (hopefully on high settings) and i want to play Diablo 3 and Guild Wars 2, so for $900 (the less i spend the better) can i build a PC that can run these on high settings? if someone can help me pick out the parts shoot me a PM or list the parts if you have time and thanks in advance.

Fill out the OP survey and look at the OP premade lists.

But to answer you're immediate question, it should be easy to build a computer for sub-1000 that plays TOR, D3, and GW2 on high, etc.

 

[Iadien]

Just ordered a few new pieces. I have a 260 GTX that is still good enough, waiting for the new Nvidia lineup before purchasing a video card, or a good sale on a 560 ti 448 core.

i5-2500K
ASUS P8z68-V LE (hoping this doesn't have any problems, I have had several issues with ASUS in the past...)
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
Corsair 8 GB Vengeance Blue Low Profile 1600mhz

 

[Psychotext]

Anywhere I can look at which are the best monitors available at the moment? One of mine has developed a backlight flicker which only really settles down an hour or so after turning on.

Probably going to be getting another couple at around 22" I guess. I'd prefer 16:10 but I know they're virtually all 16:9 now unfortunately.

That dying monitor I mentioned just died...

Anyone point me in the right direction?

 

[burgerdog]

Is it worth waiting for ivy bridge at this point? I really want to build a new pc, but I am not sure if I should just go ahead an buy an i5 or wait for Ivy.

 

[Hazaro]

That dying monitor I mentioned just died...

Anyone point me in the right direction?

Any 22-24" LCD or LED monitor with good ratings. All of them are pretty much equivalent TN panels in my eyes, I just buy what larger brand is on sale and on what inputs I need.

I'm not going to get into the whole TN/E-IPS/IPS input lag deal. If you need a cheap monitor get some cheap TN.

If you are looking for a better monitor then IPS are still the way to go, E-IPS are starting to come up, but I can't really guide you well.
All I know is that Dell IPS are still good. Monitors not really my thing, I check up on them maybe once every 3 years when I'm buying.

Is it worth waiting for ivy bridge at this point? I really want to build a new pc, but I am not sure if I should just go ahead an buy an i5 or wait for Ivy.

It shouldn't be that big a deal for most. Maybe a 15% boost is what I think we are looking at per same clock. It'll use less power, but overall for most end users it shouldn't matter a ton.

 

[T-Matt]

So when I'm typing in a form(like google search) a lot of times I have to click back into it because the cursor isn't there anymore, or another example netflix not staying fullscreen. any ideas what causes this?

This ending up being caused by the power saving mode on my usb wifi dongle. Turned that off and have had no problem since.

 

[burgerdog]

It shouldn't be that big a deal for most. Maybe a 15% boost is what I think we are looking at per same clock. It'll use less power, but overall for most end users it shouldn't matter a ton.

Oh wow, in that case I'm going to upgrade now. Thanks.

 

[Omiee]

pc gaf how is this hdd?

http://www.mycom.nl/Product/Seagate...ers&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=tweakersclick

i want to get it because its 7200 RPM and is only 5 euro more than the samsung 5300rpm hdd.


also whats the best site to calibrate your monitor? i recently got 2 u2312hm's

 

[Pirabear]

Originally planning on upgrading this year, but with next gen consoles most likely releasing next year, would it be smarter for me to just to wait until then to upgrade? I’m going to have to do it within 1-1.5 years no matter what, but for 2012 the main games I’m looking forward to all have relatively low system requirements (PSO2, Guild Wars 2, and Diablo 3).

 

[Wizman23]

Whoops, I didn't notice the lack of a K. Better watch out for that.

edit: literally every other combo I see is upwards of $400+ with a 2500K. How can I get a combo for less than $361?

edit 2: how about this with this?

Do you have a Microcenter around you by chance? I built my PC last week and bought my parts on 1/27 and they had some GREAT combo deals. I got an i5 2500K for 179.99 and the Asus P8Z68-V LX for 69.99. Without buying the processor the Motherboard by itself was 129.99 I believe.

 

[Hazaro]

Oh wow, in that case I'm going to upgrade now. Thanks.

It's a slight revision, not a jump or architecture change.

pc gaf how is this hdd?

http://www.mycom.nl/Product/Seagate...ers&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=tweakersclick

i want to get it because its 7200 RPM and is only 5 euro more than the samsung 5300rpm hdd.

also whats the best site to calibrate your monitor? i recently got 2 u2312hm's

Speed increase should be noticeable, but not super important. For an HDD I would personally still get the 5400 RPM Samsung 2TB. It's just as fast as 500GB and 640GB 7200RPM drives.

 

[TheBear]

Hey guys just need some help with upgrading my DDR2 ram, as I am hearing conflicting things. I want to upgrade my ram 4GB to 8GB, by adding two more 2GB sticks. I currently have 4GB of Gskill DDR2 1066mhz RAM (it looks like this: http://www.cmart.co.nz/shop_images/nzoczone/nzoczone27749.gif). Do I need to buy the exact same ram to upgrade or can I use different brands or types? I can't seem to find this ram for sale anywhere. I've also heard that certain CPU's won't accept 4 sticks of ram. Will my 955 Phenom have an issue with this?
I posted something similar on other forum and the replies ranged from using any ram available right through to replacing mobo, cpu and ram, which I really don't want to do :|
Cheers!

 

[BoobPhysics101]

Remarks like that are why members have taken issue with some of your posts, and pointed them out in the past. It isn't a matter of simply "being blunt" when you're insulting someone, particularly without provocation.

Not everyone here has the same level of tech knowledge, or experience. Sometimes, people may misinterpret information. All are reasons why these threads have been here for years now.

Also, when commenting on a person's comprehension skills in such a way, it's normally good to try and avoid having errors in your post.

I write some of my posts from a cell phone without my contact lenses in, so typos may occur. Point still stands.

And you know what, sometimes I read asinine shit like 'the 2100 is the best deal' that is just thrown out there despite the evidence to the contrary and it's just annoying, especially when I volunteer my time to help people and provide accurate information. When people post hit & run misinformation like that suggests the 2100 is a better deal (when for a majority of people, it's truly not), it makes me shake my head and perhaps I get cheeky.

 

[larvi]

I write some of my posts from a cell phone without my contact lenses in, so typos may occur. Point still stands.

And you know what, sometimes I read asinine shit like 'the 2100 is the best deal' that is just thrown out there despite the evidence to the contrary and it's just annoying, especially when I volunteer my time to help people and provide accurate information. When people post hit & run misinformation like that suggests the 2100 is a better deal (when for a majority of people, it's truly not), it makes me shake my head and perhaps I get cheeky.

For the non-overclocker looking at it from a price/performance ratio the 2100 is a better deal. While I have no qualms about overclocking my rig, if I'm building a system for a relative/friend I'm going to leave it stock. And the last system I built for someone else I used a core I3 2120 as it was a better deal than the I5 2500K for that system. Here is a chart with top50 price/performance of CPUs based on their passmark rating and current price, the 2500K doesn't even make the top 50:
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_value_alltime.html#
Granted quite a few of those CPUs are outdated architecture and I wouldn't build a new system around them, but the core I3 really is the sweet spot right now for building a budget gaming rig currently in my opinion.

 

[clav]

I write some of my posts from a cell phone without my contact lenses in, so typos may occur. Point still stands.

And you know what, sometimes I read asinine shit like 'the 2100 is the best deal' that is just thrown out there despite the evidence to the contrary and it's just annoying, especially when I volunteer my time to help people and provide accurate information. When people post hit & run misinformation like that suggests the 2100 is a better deal (when for a majority of people, it's truly not), it makes me shake my head and perhaps I get cheeky.

Are you insinuating if you don't have the Intel 2500K, your computer will suck?

The 2500K costs $100 more than the 2100 does. Plus to take advantage of the 2500K, one has to buy a more expensive motherboard for overclocking capabilities, so overall, one has to spend significant resources for a better computer.

Not to mention people experience overclocking headaches. The inexperience builders are left in the cold in this forum when something goes wrong because other people didn't have those same issues.

Hey guys just need some help with upgrading my DDR2 ram, as I am hearing conflicting things. I want to upgrade my ram 4GB to 8GB, by adding two more 2GB sticks. I currently have 4GB of Gskill DDR2 1066mhz RAM (it looks like this: http://www.cmart.co.nz/shop_images/nzoczone/nzoczone27749.gif). Do I need to buy the exact same ram to upgrade or can I use different brands or types? I can't seem to find this ram for sale anywhere. I've also heard that certain CPU's won't accept 4 sticks of ram. Will my 955 Phenom have an issue with this?
I posted something similar on other forum and the replies ranged from using any ram available right through to replacing mobo, cpu and ram, which I really don't want to do :|
Cheers!

If you overclock, I would advise to stick with the same DDR2 RAM.

Tell us the exact model of RAM you have because voltages on the DDR2 RAM line can vary from 1.8 to 2.2 Volts. Having a different voltage RAM can cause BSODs as the DDR2 motherboards are very picky. Pull out that stick of RAM and read the label.

At least with DDR3, there are only two voltages to worry about (i.e. 1.5 V and 1.65 V).

 

[Shambles]

I write some of my posts from a cell phone without my contact lenses in, so typos may occur. Point still stands.

And you know what, sometimes I read asinine shit like 'the 2100 is the best deal' that is just thrown out there despite the evidence to the contrary and it's just annoying, especially when I volunteer my time to help people and provide accurate information. When people post hit & run misinformation like that suggests the 2100 is a better deal (when for a majority of people, it's truly not), it makes me shake my head and perhaps I get cheeky.

You over-estimate the value of your contributions when you give out wrong information. If you want to try to make the argument that most people are better off taking 100$ out of their budget (basically 100$ out of their GPU) to put it towards a 2500k than you are going to look crazy indeed. I'm not sure what world you live in that "the majority of people" are spending $1300 on a computer. You'll find out that more people in here are looking to spend $600 than $1300 for an upgrade.

 

[BoobPhysics101]

You over-estimate the value of your contributions when you give out wrong information. If you want to try to make the argument that most people are better off taking 100$ out of their budget (basically 100$ out of their GPU) to put it towards a 2500k than you are going to look crazy indeed. I'm not sure what world you live in that "the majority of people" are spending $1300 on a computer. You'll find out that more people in here are looking to spend $600 than $1300 for an upgrade.

You don't have to spend $1300 on a computer. Also, I think it's better to spend the extra $100 on a CPU that is a QUAD CORE that clocks to 4.5 Ghz easily than on a DUAL CORE which has 30-50% less performance stock for stock... and two less cores.

I do believe that sometimes it's better to spend a little bit more and get an extra 2 years of future proofing. Dual core is not the way, and quite a few high profile games in 2011 have seen reductions of 30-50% in performance when run on a dual-core processor. I don't think that's worth saving $100 for, and totally negates the 'that's $100 you could've spent on a GPU!' argument.

 

[Hazaro]

At $5-600 now an i3 2100 + a cheap mobo + a good GPU sets you up for 60fps in a ton of titles that don't demand quads. An upgrade to an Ivy Quad down the line is what I have in mind.

Yes it would be best to spend $800 to get an OC board and an OC CPU, but getting a damn good PC for $600 now is totally viable and fine as well.

 

[clav]

You don't have to spend $1300 on a computer. Also, I think it's better to spend the extra $100 on a CPU that is a QUAD CORE that clocks to 4.5 Ghz easily than on a DUAL CORE which has 30-50% less performance stock for stock... and two less cores.

I do believe that sometimes it's better to spend a little bit more and get an extra 2 years of future proofing. Dual core is not the way, and quite a few high profile games in 2011 have seen reductions of 30-50% in performance when run on a dual-core processor. I don't think that's worth saving $100 for, and totally negates the 'that's $100 you could've spent on a GPU!' argument.

Wow man. If this is the attitude that is prevalent in PC GAF, I can see why console GAF hates PC GAF.

It's not just the extra $100. A person with a 2500K setup is required to purchase a motherboard with easy overclocking capabilities, so a setup like that will end up easily costing at least $200 extra.

I've had my dual core (E2180 OC'ed to 3 GHz) setup that I spent a total of $400 for the past four years, and the only thing I feel is missing in my setup is a SSD. Sure, I would like a better CPU, but for what I paid for my setup, I am not going to complain.

Making a statement to say the i3-2100 is not worth the money is just pure ignorance.

 

[Sethos]

Wow man. If this is the attitude that is prevalent in PC GAF, I can see why console GAF hates PC GAF.

Yeah, let's not start generalizing now.

 

[clav]

Yeah, let's not start generalizing now.

Way to miss the point.

Just seems that way in other threads outside of this one that if a setup is not exactly x,y,z (or passive aggressive "if it's not like my setup"), it sucks.

 

[Sethos]

Way to miss the point.

No.

 

[BoobPhysics101]

At $5-600 now an i3 2100 + a cheap mobo + a good GPU sets you up for 60fps in a ton of titles that don't demand quads. An upgrade to an Ivy Quad down the line is what I have in mind.

Yes it would be best to spend $800 to get an OC board and an OC CPU, but getting a damn good PC for $600 now is totally viable and fine as well.

I see your point, but as I IM'd you before, I think cutting out on the CPU actually costs you more money in the long run.

Wow man. If this is the attitude that is prevalent in PC GAF, I can see why console GAF hates PC GAF.

It's not just the extra $100. A person with a 2500K setup is required to purchase a motherboard with easy overclocking capabilities, so a setup like that will end up easily costing $200 extra.

I've had my dual core (E2180 OC'ed to 3 GHz) setup that I spent $400 for the past four years, and the only thing I feel is missing in my setup is a SSD. Sure, I would like a better CPU, but for what I paid for my setup, I am not going to complain.

You mean being logical? You're right, console GAF does hate having to think things out, they like things laid out plainly for them.

And it's worth the $200 extra. Here's why: we are nearing a new generation in console hardware. This means over the next 4 years, games are going to become more multithreaded than ever. This also means a 2100 is going to become long in the tooth very, very quickly. And it also means a 2500k will shine brighter especially if OC'd. So maybe you spend $200 more... but if you want a decent quad-core with room to grow, you're going to have to throw out the 2100 + H61 motherboard anyways to make room for a Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge/something Bridge + Z68/other OC'able mobo in the future.

Also, it's not worth spending over $100 on a budget build GPU at this point in time because the 28nm generation has just begun and this month we'll have mid-range 28nm 7xxx series and in 2-3 months we'll have 28nm Kepler mid-range parts. Spending $200+ on a 40nm GPU doesn't make a whole lot of sense right now. It's much better to allocate your money towards a futureproof CPU like the 2500k that'll last a solid 3 years than a disposable 2100 + H61 which you'll want to throw out in 1 year to make room for a decent quad-core.

Dual-core isn't the way in my book, 2012-2013 will be the years where multi-threading becomes far more prevalent and a dual-core will most likely become a major limitation on maximum performance.

 

[Hazaro]

A 2500K absolutely is the best value if you have the money.

But for people who:
1) Just want to play Diablo 3 and WoW and some whatever else Source game an i3 2100 is 100% solid
2) Barely scrape $500 or $600 together
3) Don't really care about PC optimizing and just want something decent, or won't overclock

That's all it is. Just understanding under what circumstances the 2100 is the correct buy for someone over a 2500K.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

besides, if someone plays a lot of PC ports, a 2100 will still good enough for whatever the consoles throw out there if we are going by the rumors.

 

[clav]

You mean being logical? You're right, console GAF does hate having to think things out, they like things laid out plainly for them.

And it's worth the $200 extra. Here's why: we are nearing a new generation in console hardware. This means over the next 4 years, games are going to become more multithreaded than ever. This also means a 2100 is going to become long in the tooth very, very quickly. And it also means a 2500k will shine brighter especially if OC'd. So maybe you spend $200 more... but if you want a decent quad-core with room to grow, you're going to have to throw out the 2100 + H61 motherboard anyways to make room for a Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge/something Bridge + Z68/other OC'able mobo in the future.

Also, it's not worth spending over $100 on a budget build GPU at this point in time because the 28nm generation has just begun and this month we'll have mid-range 28nm 7xxx series and in 2-3 months we'll have 28nm Kepler mid-range parts. Spending $200+ on a 40nm GPU doesn't make a whole lot of sense right now. It's much better to allocate your money towards a futureproof CPU like the 2500k that'll last a solid 3 years than a disposable 2100 + H61 which you'll want to throw out in 1 year to make room for a decent quad-core.

Dual-core isn't the way in my book, 2012-2013 will be the years where multi-threading becomes far more prevalent and a dual-core will most likely become a major limitation on maximum performance.

Developers would be extremely asinine if their games don't work on dual-core machines. That's setting up a bar to limit a customer base, which is not a sound business decision. A game has to be viable to a multitude of setups to sell well.

As for a graphics card, a person on a i3-2100 setup doesn't need to spend $200. Deal are slowly dropping like the AMD HD6850 ($120 AR recently) would be plenty for a person tight on money and wants to do some casual gaming with decent graphic settings.

Sure, the i3-2100 won't be for you, but to say that setup is not worth it to anyone is a callous statement.

 

[TheBear]

If you overclock, I would advise to stick with the same DDR2 RAM.

Tell us the exact model of RAM you have because voltages on the DDR2 RAM line can vary from 1.8 to 2.2 Volts. Having a different voltage RAM can cause BSODs as the DDR2 motherboards are very picky. Pull out that stick of RAM and read the label.

At least with DDR3, there are only two voltages to worry about (i.e. 1.5 V and 1.65 V).

This is the ram here: http://gskill.com/products.php?index=170

Wasn't really planning to overclock so it's not an issue. I'm doing this upgrade primarily to fix stuttering in BF3 so if you know of any other ways to fix it I'm all ears

 

[1-D_FTW]

Developers would be extremely asinine if their games don't work on dual-core machines. That's setting up a bar to limit a customer base, which is not a sound business decision. A game has to be viable to a multitude of setups to sell well.

As for a graphics card, a person on a i3-2100 setup doesn't need to spend $200. Deal are slowly dropping like the AMD HD6850 ($120 AR recently) would be plenty for a person tight on money and wants to do some casual gaming with decent graphic settings.

Sure, the i3-2100 won't be for you, but to say that setup is not worth it to anyone is a callous statement.

Well then there's asinine developers out there. I ditched my dual core 1.5 years ago and upgraded to a Q9400. In hindsight is was a major mistake not going Q6600 when I purchased it.

Boob Physics short attitude aside, you're no better. And I'll give him a pass, because it's seems like everyone who care takes this thread eventually goes mad from people getting pissy with them.

If that's all the money you have, go for it. But don't make it out like it's a great plan. Sure you can ditch the CPU/motherboard in a couple years, but unless you're ditching the whole thing, you'll be upgrading then to what you could be getting now. Plus once you replace your motherboard your OEM Windows 7 is technically invalidated. You'll either need to buy a new license, or call MS and use social engineering to get it reset.

EDIT: Yes, I'm aware the 2100 is 4 threads, so it's not Core2 bad. But there's still plenty of games where I've seen 4 cores all over 80 percent utilization at 3.4Ghz.

 

[Hazaro]

This is the ram here: http://gskill.com/products.php?index=170

Wasn't really planning to overclock so it's not an issue. I'm doing this upgrade primarily to fix stuttering in BF3 so if you know of any other ways to fix it I'm all ears

That seems odd to me, where did you read that more RAM would fix your issue?

If you are on an AMD card try running it in windowed mode.

 

[clav]

Boob Physics short attitude aside, you're no better. And I'll give him a pass, because it's seems like everyone who care takes this thread eventually goes mad from people getting pissy with them.

I'd like to hear more about this. Why do you say that?

This is the ram here: http://gskill.com/products.php?index=170

Wasn't really planning to overclock so it's not an issue. I'm doing this upgrade primarily to fix stuttering in BF3 so if you know of any other ways to fix it I'm all ears

How much RAM do you have installed now? What does task manager say about RAM usage when BF3 runs?

Could be a graphics card issue. What do you use?

 

[Anustart]

Been waiting on account approval for a while now, since I built my new PC back in October of last year, but at least I can finally thank Hazaro for making such fine OP's! Thanks a ton, helped me pick my parts in my first build, and I'm quite happy with the outcome.

 

[TheBear]

GTX 560Ti. When I ran Battlelog through Firefox it chugged like a bitch, I now run it through Chrome and it is much better although the problem still exists and is much more prominent in large maps. It can still chug pretty bad though.

Also, I have a G15 and when I'm monitoring the CPU and RAM they are both up around the 90% mark ingame.

 

[Smokey]

Some tension growing up in here!!

 

[clav]

GTX 560Ti. When I ran Battlelog through Firefox it chugged like a bitch, I now run it through Chrome and it is much better although the problem still exists and is much more prominent in large maps. It can still chug pretty bad though.

Also, I have a G15 and when I'm monitoring the CPU and RAM they are both up around the 90% mark ingame.

Adding more RAM may solve the problem, but it's not a guarantee. The game is a 32-bit process, so it theoretically cannot use more than 4GB of RAM.

Technically, a system needs 2GB of RAM to be completely stable since Windows Vista came out. Yes, 512 MB is good enough (or even 96 MB if you want to push it that far) for Windows 7, but for complete stability 2GB is the standard. Add 4GB for BF3 to use and that would push the stability at 6GB.

As for your RAM, let's see what your options are.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231166
Your model: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231246

This would match the spec given that the model you gave me is the right one.

Does the game continue to stutter if you lower graphic settings?

 

[Hazaro]

GTX 560Ti. When I ran Battlelog through Firefox it chugged like a bitch, I now run it through Chrome and it is much better although the problem still exists and is much more prominent in large maps. It can still chug pretty bad though.

Also, I have a G15 and when I'm monitoring the CPU and RAM they are both up around the 90% mark ingame.

Try lowering AA and see if that helps.

 

[TheBear]

As for your RAM, let's see what your options are.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231166

This would match the spec given that the model you gave me is the right one.

I found that RAM on newegg before, but the picture doesn't match the RAM in my system. My RAM looks like this:

Would it just be the same thing without the heatsinks?

Try lowering AA and see if that helps.

I currently run BF3 at 4xAA on High at 1920x1080. I'll drop the settings when it starts to chug again, but I've noticed sometimes that the stuttering starts to get worse over time.

Also, my rig sounds like it's about to fucking take off when playing BF3. So noisy.

 

[clav]

I found that RAM on newegg before, but the picture doesn't match the RAM in my system. My RAM looks like this:
http://gskill.com/images/images_products/PIBD2-3.jpg

Would it just be the same thing without the heatsinks?

I updated my post as I appeared to found your original ones.

By spec they are the same unless G-Skill QC is weird.

The one I initially suggested has different heatsinks but should technically work.

If I were you, I would stick with the model that I initially have as from my own experience, motherboards are very picky with DDR2 RAM.

Side note: DDR2 RAM is freaking expensive.

Also, my rig sounds like it's about to fucking take off when playing BF3. So noisy.

May be time to remove dust in your computer.

How adequate is the air flow?

 

[scogoth]

Some tension growing up in here!!

Boobphysics is the most irrational lump of fat I've ever known. He has massive swings and his attitude bounces up and down. Its almost like we need some fastening device to keep him tied down. If you ask me he's been altered with silicon, like part cyborg, and its made him very inflated and hard. He's not the soft small guy he used to be.

But I wouldn't want anyone else beside me on the battlefield

Spoiler

3

 

[scitek]

Juuuust double-checking, but would this motherboard allow me to OC a 2500k? I'm not familiar with ASRock.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271

 

[Hazaro]

Yes

 

[Wario64]

When do you guys think HDD prices will die down? I think I'm gonna downgrade to a 500 GB from 1 TB purchase because of the pricing...I don't really need the space right now but once prices stabilize, then I'll grab the 1 or 2 TB.


Also, my current computer is so crap that my HDDs are IDE. I don't think the motherboard that I have in my cart has IDE connection (ASUS P8H61-M). Are IDE to SATA converters reliable? I just need to transfer some data over from my old HDD.

 

[Shambles]

They are milking this for all it's worth, dont' expect things to settle down anytime soon. Seagate was barely even affected by the flooding yet they jacked the shit out of their prices still. The flood is done with, we're now in the period where they are just using it as an excuse to inflate prices artificially. This is what happens when two companies control hard drive production for the entire world. Capitalism FTL

 

[Hazaro]

When do you guys think HDD prices will die down? I think I'm gonna downgrade to a 500 GB from 1 TB purchase because of the pricing...I don't really need the space right now but once prices stabilize, then I'll grab the 1 or 2 TB.


Also, my current computer is so crap that my HDDs are IDE. I don't think the motherboard that I have in my cart has IDE connection (ASUS P8H61-M). Are IDE to SATA converters reliable? I just need to transfer some data over from my old HDD.

Spend some $ on an external USB HDD enclosure than can do IDE or SATA.
I know Startech has one, but it's $33

 

[clav]

When do you guys think HDD prices will die down? I think I'm gonna downgrade to a 500 GB from 1 TB purchase because of the pricing...I don't really need the space right now but once prices stabilize, then I'll grab the 1 or 2 TB.

Western Digital says September 2012.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/321...sses-q2-2012-results-earnings-call-transcript

From a WD standpoint, we expect our own recovery to mirror the trajectory of the industry that I just outlined, with a return to pre-flood capacity levels in the quarter ending September and with our customers' inventory pipeline replenished in the first half of calendar 2013.

That probably means prices will return to where they once were starting in 2013.