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[Aruarian Reflection]

Weird question since I'm moving... Have any of you guys tried to bring a desktop computer with you on a plane? What's the best way to do it? I still have my original PC case box with the foam padding, so I was hoping I could just put my PC back in the box and check it in as luggage (since I'm guessing it's too big to carry-on). I don't have any aftermarket heat sinks so there's nothing towering in the case that might flex the motherboard. I'll hand-carry my hard drive.

 

[ParityBit]

OK now I am questioning my computer upgrade. I am coming from the crappy old core 2 duo, and was planing (I own a z77 mobo) on going IB. Do I move on the same path, or go for IB-E? In which case I would have to send back my mobo to Amazon and get a new one. Plus get a chip I can use until IB-E.

Ugh

 

[th3dude]

My OC'd Q6600/Geforce 8800 GTS G92 is beginning to show its age in games. Diablo 3 at medium and Witcher 2 both run a bit slow and not so pretty, so I think it's time for a new PC. Also, I need to get in on trying my WII games on Dolphin

I've compiled this together. Anything I should change to make it a better value?



ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
$18.99

COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower
$59.99

Samsung by Seagate Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ/ST500DM005 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
$79.99

MSI N560GTX-Ti 448 Twin Frozr III PE/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti - 448 Cores (Fermi)
$299.99

CORSAIR Professional Series HX650 (CMPSU-650HX) 650W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V 2.91
$129.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
$46.99

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel
$121.99

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core
$219.99

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM
$99.99

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1
$29.99

Subtotal: $1,107.90

Not bad at all, except for $300 you can get a GTX 570, even a superclocked one.

 

[woo and indeed hoo]

Totally off topic, but science isn't subjective. Pet peeve of mine to use those kinds of words with empiricism.

Yeah, game by game basis for sure.

I never said that it was.

As Ledsen said however, this is OT so I'm done in this thread. If you wish to respond please do so via PM.

 

[Hazaro]

Hey guys, it's time to part with my 6950 2GB, anyone want to buy for $200 shipped? Did not unlock for me.
I've benched it at 1002Mhz from 800 stock, it's a nice card and very quiet.

OK now I am questioning my computer upgrade. I am coming from the crappy old core 2 duo, and was planing (I own a z77 mobo) on going IB. Do I move on the same path, or go for IB-E? In which case I would have to send back my mobo to Amazon and get a new one. Plus get a chip I can use until IB-E.

Do you need to spend another $400 for small performance gains? If not get SB or IB and OC it to 4.4Ghz.

My OC'd Q6600/Geforce 8800 GTS G92 is beginning to show its age in games. Diablo 3 at medium and Witcher 2 both run a bit slow and not so pretty, so I think it's time for a new PC. Also, I need to get in on trying my WII games on Dolphin

I've compiled this together. Anything I should change to make it a better value?

MSI N560GTX-Ti 448 Twin Frozr III PE/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti - 448 Cores (Fermi)
$299.99

That's really expensive for a 560Ti. I like the Frozr, but you can get a 570 at that price:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130621

 

[ParityBit]

Do you need to spend another $400 for small performance gains? If not get SB or IB and OC it to 4.4Ghz.

Actually, no. I would rather get a second gtx 680 I think! (at some point)

 

[brotkasten]

Alright, I'm about to get:

Intel Core i5 2500K 4x 3.30GHz So.1155 BOX
Asus Maximus V Gene Intel Z77 So.1155 Dual Channel DDR3 mATX Retail
8GB Kingston HyperX Blu DDR3-1600 DIMM CL9 Dual Kit

But I'm not sure about the RAM though. Any opinions? Do I really want to get a 2x 4 GB kit at this point?

RAM, guys.

Anyone?

 

[Hazaro]

RAM, guys.

Anyone?

Any 1.5V DDR3 kit 2x4GB is fine.

 

[TouchMyBox]

RAM, guys.

Anyone?

Unless you're doing some crazy productivity work, you're never going to see an advantage of having more than 8GB in your system probably until the next batch of consoles are released.

But then again, RAM is freaking cheap so there's no reason not to want to future-proof yourself a little bit. (unless you want lower timings, I guess)

 

[Trey]

Did a little revision, (newegg) prices of previous build based on enhanced:

ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner ($18.99)

NZXT Source 210 Elite Black Steel with painted interior ATX Mid Tower Computer Case w/ Black Front Trim ($49.99)

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive ($109.99)

XFX Double D HD-687A-ZDFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 xHDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card ($189.99/$30 rebate)

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS ($64.99)

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile Desktop Memory Model CML8GX3M2A1600C9 ($54.99)

ASUS P8Z68-V LX LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS Item ($119.99)

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor ($219.99)

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler ($29.99)

Thoughs and/or suggestions?

 

[mkenyon]

I'm thinking of going to QuakeCon this year, and though I've been before, I've never brought a computer. How exactly does one transport an ATX case and LCD monitor easily without damaging them in transport?

Most people drive. Basically all you need to do is put your case in a nice secured position, such as between the back seat on the floor and the front seat. Remove the video card as well, put it in an anti-static bag. With the monitor, just keep it panel up and find a way to tie it down.

OK now I am questioning my computer upgrade. I am coming from the crappy old core 2 duo, and was planing (I own a z77 mobo) on going IB. Do I move on the same path, or go for IB-E? In which case I would have to send back my mobo to Amazon and get a new one. Plus get a chip I can use until IB-E.

Ugh

Waste unless you want 3+ videocards, be a benchmark king, or do a lot of multimedia.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

That's really expensive for a 560Ti. I like the Frozr, but you can get a 570 at that price:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130621

That's a good idea. Although, the most graphic intensive games I plan to play are Guild Wars 2 and Diablo 3 at 1080P. Would it be wiser to save money and go with something like this: Geforce 560ti.

 

[mkenyon]

That's a good idea. Although, the most graphic intensive games I plan to play are Guild Wars 2 and Diablo 3 at 1080P. Would it be wiser to save money and go with something like this: Geforce 560ti.

That's not a Ti, and it's a pretty poor performer, especially for the price. If you want something in that range, go for the 6870.

 

[Hazaro]

That's a good idea. Although, the most graphic intensive games I plan to play are Guild Wars 2 and Diablo 3 at 1080P. Would it be wiser to save money and go with something like this: Geforce 560ti.

Like mkenyon said that's not a Ti and a bad value. Best $200 value is my 6950

 

[mkenyon]

Actually, yeah. Someone should jump on that. I would if I didn't know it was tainted by a low 3DMark run.

 

[popsicle_sundays]

I got this mobo: ASRock P67 EXTREME4 GEN3 for my i5 2500k however I decided to go ahead and just SLI my GTX 570 SC and bought another one; my question is, will this CORSAIR Professional Series HX850 be enough?

 

[mkenyon]

Thank you PC Gods. My case is now in stock:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112367

I'll let you guys know how it is in 2 days.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Is a 550W PSU fine for a single Geforce 570 or should I go higher?

 

[mkenyon]

550W is fine.

I got this mobo: ASRock P67 EXTREME4 GEN3 for my i5 2500k however I decided to go ahead and just SLI my GTX 570 SC and bought another one; my question is, will this CORSAIR Professional Series HX850 be enough?

Yep.

 

[Hazaro]

Actually, yeah. Someone should jump on that. I would if I didn't know it was tainted by a low 3DMark run.

I'm sorry my 2500K at 4.7Ghz and how stupid 3D11 is with RAM speed is 'low'.

I got this mobo: ASRock P67 EXTREME4 GEN3 for my i5 2500k however I decided to go ahead and just SLI my GTX 570 SC and bought another one; my question is, will this CORSAIR Professional Series HX850 be enough?

Yup

 

[Refreshment.01]

Release is indeed anti climatic but give them some time to refine the 22nm, work out any kinks and I'm sure it'll fly. Probably won't get really impressive until IB-E though.

Sethos, are we expecting a more refined ivy bridge down the line or you are talking about the "tock" next year? I mean the proper switch to a different architecture.

 

[Sethos]

Sethos, are we expecting a more refined ivy bridge down the line or you are talking about the "tock" next year? I mean the proper switch to a different architecture.

Well, there's the obvious revisions of the current processors that might yield improved performance and temperature results but I was talking about the tock, Haswell for them to really harness the power of new 22nm process.

 

[ParityBit]

Well, there's the obvious revisions of the current processors that might yield improved performance and temperature results but I was talking about the tock, Haswell for them to really harness the power of new 22nm process.

What socket is that? Will we be needing new mobos at that point?

 

[Sethos]

What socket is that? Will we be needing new mobos at that point?

There'll be yet another new socket, LGA 1150. However I'm not sure where LGA 2011 fits in, that'll accommodate IB-E but beyond that I don't know. Will probably also be replaced.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Does anyone have experience with the Antec 1100 case? I built my parents a PC using the Antec 300 a year ago and it was a nice case to use, so I am thinking of jumping from the HAF 912 to that.

 

[mkenyon]

Does anyone have experience with the Antec 1100 case? I built my parents a PC using the Antec 300 a year ago and it was a nice case to use, so I am thinking of jumping from the HAF 912 to that.

It's a well reviewed case. Others in the same ballpark: Fractal Arc Midi, Coolermaster 690II Advanced, NZXT Phantom 410, Corsair 400R.

I have a pretty strong dislike of Antec, but I will say they did make a lot of modern improvements with this one. It's a pretty good case.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

It's a well reviewed case. Others in the same ballpark: Fractal Arc Midi, Coolermaster 690II Advanced, NZXT Phantom 410, Corsair 400R.

I have a pretty strong dislike of Antec, but I will say they did make a lot of modern improvements with this one. It's a pretty good case.

I really like the Fractal you mentioned. It's a tough choice now.

 

[Lion Heart]

How's the Benq 24" RL2450HT monitor? I see it at Amazon.com for 299 but at a Canadian site its 229, I'm really tempted but dont see any reviews whatsorever.

Basically I want a monitor that has good image quality, really vibrant and what not. My current monitor I play SC2 on high 1400x900 and it looks worse than my friends samsung 1080p monitor on lower settings. Like way worse.

 

[IcyRhythms]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130687

can this card run most of today's games @1080p 60FPS medium-high settings?

 

[Hazaro]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130687

can this card run most of today's games @1080p 60FPS medium-high settings?

Paired with a nice Intel CPU, yes.
You can also save some money by going for the 1.28GB version.

Or buying my 6950 for $200

 

[RedSwirl]

I don't know if this is the place to talk about wireless cards for desktops, but the one I recently got has been getting poor signal strength. I don't think it's a router-side problem because the adapter get's crap reception from all the networks around, and literally every other device I own get's strong reception from the same router, even when located in the same spot.

 

[Gav47]

Any point going from 470 SLi to a 7970 performance wise?I can get a 4 month old one for €360. Or should I just wait for the price drop to take effect over here.

Considering where I'm at in my computer knowledge, I would be interested in knowing what some of your "rookie mistakes" were when it came to computers and buying them, upgrading them, handling them, etc.

Didn't unplug my OS drive when I installed Windows on my new SSD so the MBR was still on the old drive. When I formatted the old drive the SSD couldn't boot.

 

[Trey]

Considering where I'm at in my computer knowledge, I would be interested in knowing what some of your "rookie mistakes" were when it came to computers and buying them, upgrading them, handling them, etc.

 

[IcyRhythms]

Paired with a nice Intel CPU, yes.
You can also save some money by going for the 1.28GB version.

Or buying my 6950 for $200

So the extra RAM in that one wouldn't help much?

 

[out0v0rder]

I just want to say that Newegg will call is the shit.

I ordered around $850 worth of parts this morning at 11:00 AM. They had everything ready 45 mins later. I now have a shitload of boxes sitting in my living room ready to be put together.

 

[Chris R]

Any preference between the Intel 520 and the Samsung 830? Or is it really a matter of preference? Performance looks to be pretty close, and so is the price. Only thing I could see right away is that Intel 520 has a 180GB model (right about how much space I use on my current drive now).

 

[mkenyon]

Any preference between the Intel 520 and the Samsung 830? Or is it really a matter of preference? Performance looks to be pretty close, and so is the price. Only thing I could see right away is that Intel 520 has a 180GB model (right about how much space I use on my current drive now).

830's been more reliable so far.

 

[Spirit of Jazz]

Finally got all the parts to my build and put it together, getting to BIOs took 5 hours longer than I planned it to and I haven't got a copy of windows yet. The build took 9 hours or so, partially due to me being a coward/having no technical no how (putting screws in plastic fans make it seem like your destroying them, rubber screws always feel like they're about to scrap, and anything that requires any force was a huge issue for me).

Ultimately I think things went okay. My cable management isn't great due to the XFX Pro coming with so many leads (meaning I had to shove a load in the bottom), the DVI port on my HD7500 isn't working (though the HD is so I'm praying it's the driver issue), and the heatsink instillation was a huge botch due to my hand shaking so much meaning I knocked my one blob into two and I lifted the heatsink up to realign it thinking it was yet to make contact with the paste when it had... Anyway without anything to remove the paste I had to go ahead with the botch job. I'm thinking the Noctua D14 might have not been the best choice for a beginner with no confidence, still I feel like I could confidently remove it and replace it whilst it's still in the case now if need be.

On the plus side my front USB ports work, I got to the boot screen (which was my goal) and the fan lights look real pretty. I really enjoyed the experience despite getting a little frustrated at points. Just hope all goes well when I finally get windows and install my drivers.

I have one question though, was it a terrible idea to plug most of my fans into the pins on my mobo?

 

[scogoth]

Ok someone asked for cases for 4x GTX680s. Seeing as there are a lot of crazy 680 builds going on here's a list of cases that should fit 4x GPUs. (FYI these are CAD prices, deal with it. It will be cheaper in the states for some unknown reason)

Bitfenix Shinobi XL $139.99

Cheap and good build quality. Standard case with lots of room.

Bitfenix Colossus $139.99/$129.99(windowed)

Cheap and has the coolguy lighting. Comes with 2x 200mm fans and great build quality.

Cooler Master HAF X $179.99

NZXT Switch 810 $189.99

Looks sexy. Support for a fair amount of internal rads. Sketchs favourite, nuff said.

Cooler Master Cosmos II $349.99

Big, massive, lots of features. A look only its mother could love.

Little Devil PC-V8 $599.95

Silverstone TJ11 $599.99

Amzing case for water cooling. Separate compartment below for rad, PSU, pump, etc.

Various Lian Li
All aluminum and usually monolithic looking. Cases can be hard to get depending on where you live. Lots of options but lian li's usually mean some non standard configuration. Here are some examples.

PC-Z70 $329.99

PC-90 $199.99

 

[Sethos]

The Cosmos II is sexy as hell.

 

[brotkasten]

Why is it that most cases that aren't Lian Li look so cheap, game-y or ridiculous?

 

[mkenyon]

Why is it that most cases that aren't Lian Li look so cheap, game-y or ridiculous?

I'd say Lian Li and Silverstone, but yeah. My sentiments pretty much.

Few to add to that:

HAF X
Little Devil PC-V8
Caselabs M8/M10
Caselabs STH10

 

[scogoth]

I'd say Lian Li and Silverstone, but yeah. My sentiments pretty much.

Few to add to that:

HAF X
Little Devil PC-V8
Caselabs M8/M10
Caselabs STH10

Caselabs is its own beast so I excluded that. Added the others.

 

[Chris R]

830's been more reliable so far.

Cool, decided to splurge and just get the 256gb version. Can't wait for it to show up.

 

[Sethos]

Hmm, what kind of brand in fans should I look for, for minimal noise / highest CFM? Seeing as how the Cosmos II only comes with a single 120mm exhaust at the top as standard, I'd like to fit at least one more. It'll take 3 120mm, 2 140mm or one 200mm - Anything you guys can recommend? Thinking about a CM Megaflow in red to go with the rest of the red look.

 

[scogoth]

Hmm, what kind of brand in fans should I look for, for minimal noise / highest CFM? Seeing as how the Cosmos II only comes with a single 120mm exhaust at the top as standard, I'd like to fit at least one more. It'll take 3 120mm, 2 140mm or one 200mm - Anything you guys can recommend? Thinking about a CM Megaflow in red to go with the rest of the red look.

Bitfenix for 200mm. I like noctua for smaller fans but mkenyon likes the spectre pros of all sizes.

 

[Narpas Sword0]

I'd like a well built laptop that will do nothing intensive other than run Starcraft 2. How cheap could I do this, and what model would it be?

 

[scogoth]

I'd like a well built laptop that will do nothing intensive other than run Starcraft 2. How cheap could I do this, and what model would it be?

First line of OP

 

[Narpas Sword0]

First line of OP

Even though that post is a year old?

 

[scogoth]

Even though that post is a year old?

Last page, people posted today. Ask them over there.