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[Decado]

*sigh* I'm a bit slow today.

Is it possible to replace the cooller master heatsink fan with a spectre pro fan (but leaving the heatsink in place)?

Heatsink: Cooler Master GeminII S524 CPU Heatsink LGA1366 LGA1156 LGA1155 AM3 AM2+ 120mm 800-1800RPM

Fan: Bitfenix Spectre Pro BFF-SPRO-12025KK-RP All Black

 

[ithorien]

*sigh* I'm a bit slow today.

Is it possible to replace the cooller master heatsink fan with a spectre pro fan (but leaving the heatsink in place)?

Heatsink: Cooler Master GeminII S524 CPU Heatsink LGA1366 LGA1156 LGA1155 AM3 AM2+ 120mm 800-1800RPM

Fan: Bitfenix Spectre Pro BFF-SPRO-12025KK-RP All Black

It looks like it's held by regular phillips screws, I don't see why not. You'd have to get confirmation from either CM or someone that has it. That's why I love my 212+, fan goes on with clips.

 

[cametall]

I've got the Model S Ultimate Silent Keyboard...they're overrated, IMO. Not bad, not insanely great, either. I like my CM QuickFire better - or even my Razer BlackWidow Ultimate.

To each their own I guess.

I tried a Razer mechanical keyboard and it felt cheap to me. It convinced me to spend the money on a DAS.

My DAS also feels better than the Leopold I'm typing on now. But I took a total shot in the dark when buying the Leopold.

 

[Decado]

It looks like it's held by regular phillips screws, I don't see why not. You'd have to get confirmation from either CM or someone that has it. That's why I love my 212+, fan goes on with clips.

I'm assuming this is what mkenyon was referring to. I passed the instructions along to NCIX and have ordered everything. *fingers crossed*

 

[MrBig]

To each their own I guess.

I tried a Razer mechanical keyboard and it felt cheap to me. It convinced me to spend the money on a DAS.

Switches are standardized, the differences are in the shell, key plastic, and extra features. K60 has the best design imo, with the keys not being lowered into the body. Makes it look great and it's extremely easy to clean. I would never recommend anyone to buy one though, as there is a firmware error that causes keys to indefinitely repeat and Corsair has failed to do anything about it after promising a fix for months. I wish there was some other board with this design.

 

[cametall]

Switches are standardized, the differences are in the shell, key plastic, and extra features. K60 has the best design imo, with the keys not being lowered into the body. Makes it look great and it's extremely easy to clean. I would never recommend anyone to buy one though, as there is a firmware error that causes keys to indefinitely repeat and Corsair has failed to do anything about it after promising a fix for months. I wish there was some other board with this design.

I took a serious look at the Corsairs before buying my DAS and the user reviews kept referencing the firmware issues, that was months ago.

Shame it's still around (the firmware issue). I think every Corsair product I've purchased except my fans (cross my fingers) have failed or had issues. But damn their warranty keeps me coming back...

 

[mkenyon]

No DAS keyboards under accessories? Blasphemy, madness!

No Tenkeyless Das models. Filco is the same quality without the bulk. Das was just in the game early so people flock to them on name alone. We focus on the best hardware for the money in this thread.

welp, ran into a bit of trouble and apparently I wont have the funds I was thinking to spend on an upgrade, at least not for a month or so.

So, decision to make: 1080p 120hz monitor (over the 1360x768 26 inch im using now) or GTX 670 FTW

pretty much set on the card now. Getting the monitor first would mean that my 560ti would perform worse on some of the games im interested in playing these days (Dishonored, Borderlands 2, etc) because of the better res.

At the same time it'll sure feel silly to be playing on a 720p-ish resolution with that card, lol. Here's hoping the monitor doesnt go out of stock (they have one left D before I get the rest of my upgrade money.

If you buy the card now, and the monitor later, it will be the same monitor. If you buy the monitor now and a card later, it might be a better card for the same money. This monitor should last you 5+ years. The card will last 2.

Good to know. Do you have a business or have just built some PCs for Gaffers by request?

No, just offering my services to save a fellow gaffer from getting shafted by one of those companies.

I'm assuming this is what mkenyon was referring to. I passed the instructions along to NCIX and have ordered everything. *fingers crossed*

Yep, exactly! If they don't do it, it's a total piece of cake for you to as well. Probably one of the easiest things to do in building.

*edited typos. I love my note, but it doesn't work as well as my cherry reds.

 

[AwakenedCloud]

I bought 8 Gigs of DD3 1600 the other day and a couple of friends they said that mixing it with my current 4 Gigs of DD3 1333 would actually make things slower. Is that true?

 

[Q1ller]

****** I have a question for PC gamers who use a big screen TV as their monitor. --->

Is the text in most games actually readable at 1080P when viewed on a big screen from a normal TV viewing distance? I am considering getting a nice gaming PC for my son (and me), but I don't want him straining/damaging his eyes trying to read microscopic in-game text. Thanks!

 

[Gvaz]

DAS owns. I don't need tenkeyless.

 

[Jzero]

I bought 8 Gigs of DD3 1600 the other day and a couple of friends they said that mixing it with my current 4 Gigs of DD3 1333 would actually make things slower. Is that true?

I think it will run at the speed of the slower ram.

 

[beje]

I bought 8 Gigs of DD3 1600 the other day and a couple of friends they said that mixing it with my current 4 Gigs of DD3 1333 would actually make things slower. Is that true?

Not slower, but everything will work at the speed of the weakest link (the 1333 sticks)

Edit: beaten twice

 

[AwakenedCloud]

maybe they meant the 1600 ram would run slower. The ram will just clock down to 1333 speeds, wont slow it down

Ok. From my understanding, the speed boost isn't very significant. Would it be best to go with 8 gigs at 1600 MHz or 12 at 1300 MHZ?

 

[mkenyon]

DAS owns. I don't need tenkeyless.

People who haven't used one always say this

 

[Salsa]

If you buy the card now, and the monitor later, it will be the same monitor. If you buy the monitor now and a card later, it might be a better card for the same money. This monitor should last you 5+ years. The card will last 2.

I get that, but either way I should be able to get both with like a month apart from each other, im not talking longer than that, so it's more about the fact that I wanna play games this month and im worried about being screwed with the new releases @ 1080p on my 560ti after being used to maxing out games at 720p and such. Buying the card first assures me that I can sit back and max everything without a worry

 

[sk3tch]

Switches are standardized, the differences are in the shell, key plastic, and extra features. K60 has the best design imo, with the keys not being lowered into the body. Makes it look great and it's extremely easy to clean. I would never recommend anyone to buy one though, as there is a firmware error that causes keys to indefinitely repeat and Corsair has failed to do anything about it after promising a fix for months. I wish there was some other board with this design.

That's funny, I have a K60 too...loved it initially but now I relegated it to my office (which I visit like once every two months, heh). At home I think I like the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate the most. I like my Das only because it doesn't have keys that are labeled. Looks cool all black and shit.

I'll have to give this tenkeyless malarkey a try. The new Razer Ultimate has it, I think. I have too many keyboards now, though heh.

 

[Gvaz]

People who haven't used one always say this

No i mean like literally, I don't need 10keyless. I never have key clashes :\

 

[Thraktor]

****** I have a question for PC gamers who use a big screen TV as their monitor. --->

Is the text in most games actually readable at 1080P when viewed on a big screen from a normal TV viewing distance? I am considering getting a nice gaming PC for my son (and me), but I don't want him straining/damaging his eyes trying to read microscopic in-game text. Thanks!

Shouldn't be a problem. Keep in mind that most games are designed to be played on TVs (as consoles are usually the primary market) so the font sizes should be well suited for TV gaming (and on a big screen all the more so).

 

[Decado]

Yep, exactly! If they don't do it, it's a total piece of cake for you to as well. Probably one of the easiest things to do in building.

*edited typos. I love my note, but it doesn't work as well as my cherry reds.

Cool. Thank you for all your help and everyone else on this thread who was so patient. I've ordered it...now all I have to do is wait and hope NCIX doesn't screw up the build.


Looking ahead...how do you guys handle comfy couch gaming for games like Diablo or RTS titles (hell, even FPS)? I have a friend who uses a program called xpadder and never uses a mouse/keyboard. Are there better solutions? One of the reasons I moved away from PC over the past several years is because I didn't want to be stuck at a desk for longer than necessary. Looking for some good solutions.

 

[Hazaro]

No DAS keyboards under accessories? Blasphemy, madness!

I like my DAS because it's simple, but you can get more for your money.
Might have it up there as an aesthetic option?

Cool. Thank you for all your help and everyone else on this thread who was so patient. I've ordered it...now all I have to do is wait and hope NCIX doesn't screw up the build.


Looking ahead...how do you guys handle comfy couch gaming for games like Diablo or RTS titles (hell, even FPS)? I have a friend who uses a program called xpadder and never uses a mouse/keyboard. Are there better solutions? One of the reasons I moved away from PC over the past several years is because I didn't want to be stuck at a desk for longer than necessary. Looking for some good solutions.

Most big title games on PC have native 360 pad support built in. Just plug in a controller and off you go. A lot of smaller games support pad by default as well.

Xpadder works and there are some other utilities like MotionJoy for PS3 controllers.

 

[Decado]

I like my DAS because it's simple, but you can get more for your money.
Might have it up there as an aesthetic option?

Most big title games on PC have native 360 pad support built in. Just plug in a controller and off you go. A lot of smaller games support pad by default as well.

Xpadder works and there are some other utilities like MotionJoy for PS3 controllers.

Yeah, I plan to grab a xbox wireless sensor since I have several wireless xbox controllers already.

I'm thinking more for Diablo style games, RTS games, RPGs etc. I want to use a kb/mouse as little as possible or find a convenient way to use them on the couch.

 

[The Lamonster]

Cross-posted from the tech support thread:

I think my video card just crapped out. It froze the same way again (while playing WoW): everything became pixelated sort of like the pics I posted above. I force shutdown'd and waited a while, air dusted the inside and booted again.

Right now it's frozen at the boot in safe mode screen. I selected to boot in normal mode and that's when it froze.

Does this all point to needing a new video card? I mean, I could order a new one tomorrow but would be super bummed if it doesn't change anything. Halp!

Assuming those guys think it's a video card problem, what would you guys suggest replacing it with? I think last time I asked, someone said a GeForce 560ti or something like that. Agree? This is my PSU (I think):

And here are my other specs:

Thanks in advance. I am bummed.

 

[cametall]

I like my DAS because it's simple, but you can get more for your money.
Might have it up there as an aesthetic option?

The Sexy Option.

 

[mkenyon]

The Sexy Option.

Sorry, that goes to the KBT Race and KBT Pure limited, with their aluminum chassis.

Then there's always the Ducky Year of the Dragon Edition.

Cross-posted from the tech support thread:

Assuming those guys think it's a video card problem, what would you guys suggest replacing it with? I think last time I asked, someone said a GeForce 560ti or something like that. Agree? This is my PSU (I think):

And here are my other specs:

Thanks in advance. I am bummed.

That doesn't supply enough amps on the 12V rail for most modern videocards. Not a lot you can do at this point unless you find something under that requirement. Maybe one of the new really low power draw cards like the GT640 or 7770?

This is what I mean by getting skimped on in the PSU and motherboard area for prebuilts. They get OEM parts that can handle what is in it, not possible future upgrades.

No i mean like literally, I don't need 10keyless. I never have key clashes :\

Even if you don't hit it, positioning your arms closer together allows for much better precision and control.

 

[The Lamonster]

That doesn't supply enough amps on the 12V rail for most modern videocards. Not a lot you can do at this point unless you find something under that requirement. Maybe one of the new really low power draw cards like the GT640 or 7770?

This is what I mean by getting skimped on in the PSU and motherboard area for prebuilts. They get OEM parts that can handle what is in it, not possible future upgrades.

Apparently the GT640 draws 65W, how much can my system handle? I don't see it on the sticker...or at least can't comprehend all the info on it.

Oh and assuming my rig can handle it, which brand should I get? There is MSI, EVGA, ZOTAC, PNY and Galaxy.

 

[RibbedHero]

Apparently the GT640 draws 65W, how much can my system handle? I don't see it on the sticker...or at least can't comprehend all the info on it.

Oh and assuming my rig can handle it, which brand should I get? There is MSI, EVGA, ZOTAC, PNY and Galaxy.

Your PSU can supply 425W, but as mkenyon states, it's less the wattage but the stability/capacity of the 12V rail.

Edit:

To clarify, you have an 18A 12V rail. At 75% efficiency that means total max draw is 162W which is unsuitable for mid to high-end cards. Someone feel free to correct me, as I'm basing this off high school physics which was a few years ago.

 

[mkenyon]

Yeah, you'll want to look at amperage requirements, rather than wattage.

Your PSU can supply 425W, but as mkenyon states, it's less the wattage but the stability/capacity of the 12V rail.

Edit:

To clarify, you have an 18A 12V rail. At 75% efficiency that means total max draw is 162W which is unsuitable for mid to high-end cards. Someone feel free to correct me, as I'm basing this off high school physics which was a few years ago.

If this math is correct (I have no way of knowing) you'll also want to factor in the TDP of the processor, which is 105W. It won't be drawing that in most/any games, but even ballparking it at 70W with a max draw of 85W puts you in the danger zone.

 

[RibbedHero]

Yeah, you'll want to look at amperage requirements, rather than wattage.

If this math is correct (I have no way of knowing) you'll also want to factor in the TDP of the processor, which is 105W. It won't be drawing that in most/any games, but even ballparking it at 70W with a max draw of 85W puts you in the danger zone.

The math was the wattage calculation for a single 12V rail... and it looks like he's got multiple?

W = A*V*efficiency

W=18*12*0.75
W=162

He should have enough wattage, but it's the amperage that doesn't seem high enough, especially if his CPU also uses a 12V rail.

 

[The Lamonster]

Is there any card on the market (Amazon preferably) someone can say for sure will run on my system? Seems like there has to be one out there.

After some googling I read that Dell underrated their PSUs, is that helpful? Also someone said the HD 6850 is compatible with a system like mine but I'd prefer Nvidia over AMD.

Also, I'm in the bios now. Is there anything I can check to confirm that it is my video card that is preventing me from booting?

 

[BIGWORM]

Is there a good upgrade from the GTX550 TI that's ~$250?

 

[Smash88]

Welp, it looks like I'm waiting for the Haswell chips to drop before I upgrade from my Q6600/4GB DDR2/GTX470.

I was considering buying a brand new comp later this year. With a 3770K, 12GB, GTX670. But seeing as the new microarchitecture and the GTX7xx series is coming in about 6-7 months. I will wait. Not to mention that Intel botched the overclocking capabilities with the Ivy Bridge series and there are no significant gains in any way over a chip that's over a year old. That and the fact that this will give me more time to save up, which probably means I'll skip buying any games on steam D:

So far it's looking like 4770K (or equivalent), 12-16GB DDR3, GTX770 is in the pipeline. Can't wait!

 

[RibbedHero]

Is there any card on the market (Amazon preferably) someone can say for sure will run on my system? Seems like there has to be one out there.

After some googling I read that Dell underrated their PSUs, is that helpful? Also someone said the HD 6850 is compatible with a system like mine but I'd prefer Nvidia over AMD.

Also, I'm in the bios now. Is there anything I can check to confirm that it is my video card that is preventing me from booting?

Did a little research. Essentially you have a split rail system that can draw 18A per 12V rail, but with split rail systems each 12V rail is incapable of drawing the entire 18A. Let's say that 12A can be directed through any one 12V rail, meaning 144W on that rail at 100% efficiency. at 75% efficiency that means a max draw on the rail of 108W. This is a conservative estimate, you may be able to draw a lot more than that from the rail. The 6850 needs roughly 125W. Even then, I wouldn't want to put graphics card on that quality of PSU, as Dell is supposedly known for crappy PSUs.

Additionally, MSI recommends a 25A rail for a 6850, though AMD and the other vendors make no such stipulation. It'd be best for you to look for a graphics card that has a smaller footprint than a 6850. Alas I don't know my low-wattage graphics cards at all.

 

[Hazaro]

The math was the wattage calculation for a single 12V rail... and it looks like he's got multiple?

W = A*V*efficiency

W=18*12*0.75
W=162

He should have enough wattage, but it's the amperage that doesn't seem high enough, especially if his CPU also uses a 12V rail.

Efficiency is from the wall to DC. So the power delivered (by that math) would be 12V*18A=216W in theory. This never is true.

Also the rails (Which are usually completely arbitrary) mean jack shit since the rated power on the PSU tells you it's 410W from the PSU 12V which is pretty impressive. Probably max vs continuous, but still not bad at all.

Is there any card on the market (Amazon preferably) someone can say for sure will run on my system? Seems like there has to be one out there.

After some googling I read that Dell underrated their PSUs, is that helpful? Also someone said the HD 6850 is compatible with a system like mine but I'd prefer Nvidia over AMD.

Also, I'm in the bios now. Is there anything I can check to confirm that it is my video card that is preventing me from booting?

Should support a 6870 fine. If you really want nVidia you could look at a 560 or 650, but they are far worse value than a 6860/6870/or 7850. If you are feeling conservative you can look at a 7770.

Swap in a new card if you got one. Does your Dell have onboard video out? They usually do have a VGA out on the mobo, might be covered and disabled in the BIOS as PEG

Is there a good upgrade from the GTX550 TI that's ~$250?

7950 will do the best for you money. 7870 or 7850 if you don't want to spend that much. 660Ti if you want nVidia but the 7950 is the better value.

Welp, it looks like I'm waiting for the Haswell chips to drop before I upgrade from my Q6600/4GB DDR2/GTX470.

I was considering buying a brand new comp later this year. With a 3770K, 12GB, GTX670. But seeing as the new microarchitecture and the GTX7xx series is coming in about 6-7 months. I will wait. Not to mention that Intel botched the overclocking capabilities with the Ivy Bridge series and there are no significant gains in any way over a chip that's over a year old. That and the fact that this will give me more time to save up, which probably means I'll skip buying any games on steam D:

So far it's looking like 4770K (or equivalent), 12-16GB DDR3, GTX770 is in the pipeline. Can't wait!

 

[Hazaro]

Did a little research. Essentially you have a split rail system that can draw 18A per 12V rail, but with split rail systems each 12V rail is incapable of drawing the entire 18A. Let's say that 12A can be directed through any one 12V rail, meaning 144W on that rail at 100% efficiency. at 75% efficiency that means a max draw on the rail of 108W. This is a conservative estimate, you may be able to draw a lot more than that from the rail. The 6850 needs roughly 125W. Even then, I wouldn't want to put graphics card on that quality of PSU, as Dell is supposedly known for crappy PSUs.

Additionally, MSI recommends a 25A rail for a 6850, though AMD and the other vendors make no such stipulation. It'd be best for you to look for a graphics card that has a smaller footprint than a 6850. Alas I don't know my low-wattage graphics cards at all.

See above. Most split rails PSUs are single rail.
Rated draw from 12V is what matters.

Further reading: http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3990/

Recommendations for draw on 12V have to accommodate for bad PSUs, 6 HDDs, fans, mobos, and GPU. They just cover their asses.

 

[BIGWORM]

Efficiency is from the wall to DC. So the power delivered (by that math) would be 12V*18A=216W in theory. This never is true.

Also the rails (Which are usually completely arbitrary) mean jack shit since the rated power on the PSU tells you it's 410W from the PSU 12V which is pretty impressive. Probably max vs continuous, but still not bad at all.

Should support a 6870 fine. If you really want nVidia you could look at a 560 or 650, but they are far worse value than a 6860/6870/or 7850. If you are feeling conservative you can look at a 7770.

Swap in a new card if you got one. Does your Dell have onboard video out? They usually do have a VGA out on the mobo, might be covered and disabled in the BIOS as PEG

7950 will do the best for you money. 7870 or 7850 if you don't want to spend that much. 660Ti if you want nVidia but the 7950 is the better value.

I'm seriously considering dropping my bias and getting an AMD card. Definitely get the most bang for your buck with those...

 

[Smash88]

I feel like you want to say something to my quote but you were speechless.

 

[The Lamonster]

Should support a 6870 fine. If you really want nVidia you could look at a 560 or 650, but they are far worse value than a 6860/6870/or 7850. If you are feeling conservative you can look at a 7770.

Swap in a new card if you got one. Does your Dell have onboard video out? They usually do have a VGA out on the mobo, might be covered and disabled in the BIOS as PEG

I'll trust you about AMD then. So is the 7850 about as good as I can get with my crap PSU? Assuming bigger numbers = better.

Also, I can now get into safe mode. Anything I can check to confirm the video card has been the cause of the recent crashes?

Oh and no mobo VGA.

 

[Hazaro]

I feel like you want to say something to my quote but you were speechless.

Oops! Yeah I agree for the most part, but the 780 will launch first and who knows how long they'll milk the 770 release.

It was like 4-6 weeks for the 680 to 670 launch?

I'll trust you about AMD then. So is the 7850 about as good as I can get with my crap PSU? Assuming bigger numbers = better.

Also, I can now get into safe mode. Anything I can check to confirm the video card has been the cause of the recent crashes?

Oh and no mobo VGA.

The 7850 draws about the same or less power, so yeah.

Hmm. Might want to try a Driver Sweeper in safemode? Really a stretch though.

 

[Gvaz]

Even if you don't hit it, positioning your arms closer together allows for much better precision and control.

What?

The keys on this keyboard is spaced out fine. I have no problems with it and it's the most comfortable board I have.

If my arms were any closer they'd be in the middle of my chest.

 

[mkenyon]

Nono, the positioning on your mouse and keyboard.

When you use a tenkey, your right hand is way the f out there using the mouse. Tenkeyless brings it closer in providing a more natural position which leads to better ergonomics and more accuracy with the mouse.

 

[ghibli99]

I just installed a Corsair Force GS SATA 3 240GB SSD in my aging rig, and even after just a couple hours of use, I have to say that this is one of the best upgrades anyone can do. The speed difference between a traditional HDD and this is insane!

 

[Rufus]

Tenkeyless brings it closer in providing a more natural position which leads to better ergonomics and more accuracy with the mouse.

Or you could just slant the keyboard so your wrists are closer together and, more importantly, straight.

That said, I have a thing for small keyboards myself. I have a Happy Hacking Lite 2 that I adore. Its so tiny. I got it for 10€ because it's the Japanese layout with Kana all over it. I don't use it any more because I couldn't get used to some of the key placements, but I refuse to get rid of it.

 

[NotMyUsername]

The other day I upgraded from my old 8800 GT to a 550 Ti (and slightly considering returning it and going for something a bit higher). The main reason I went with the 550 though was low price and reviews online showed that it worked with a 400W PSU. I have a pre-built Asus that has a 400W power supply. The last couple days I've noticed the PSU fan can be super loud at times. Strangely it seems to be loudest when idling and then can quiet down when I play games. I had it idle for an hour and it didn't quiet down until I played about five minutes of World of Warcraft and then seemed to get quieter.

So, what gives? I'm rather prepared to go out tomorrow to grab something a bit meatier for the PSU (and possibly upgrade the card again in the process). But is that even a needed solution? Is there maybe something else going on?

I'm pretty hardware dumb. I'm confident I can change parts inside but I don't get all the tech details so Googling can get rough and too tech-heavy. I did use canned air to blow out all the dust and I also put my old video card back in and it was just as loud. I swapped back to the new card and currently it's fairly quiet again but I'm not sure what's going to set it off. I could get a list of specs if needed but this is more of a general troubleshooting type of question. Based on the replies to the poster above I believe it could be a PSU issue tied to the new card.

Also, probably normal but I looked through the back of the PSU grill and there's a good bit of white gunky looking stuff. Looks sort of like marshmallow cream but probably in a more solid state, heh. If that's not normal than perhaps that's the root of the problem?

Oh, and last thing and likely more of interest to people here. If I want to go a step higher than the 550 Ti that I paid around $120 what would be a step up from there without getting too expensive. Let's say I'd be willing to step closer to $200.

 

[J2d]

I think it's finally time for me to get my first gaming pc, a place nearby puts some packages together and I have been eyeing this one. I'd be grateful if anyone could take a quick look and let me now if I should change something in their build, weak spots that I could maybe invest a little more but get worthwhile results from.

Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl
OCZ 750W ZS series Power Supply
Intel® Core i7-3930K 3.20GHz 12MB, socket 2011
Intel® BXRTS2011AC Heat Sink socket 2011/1366/1155/1156
Corsair Vengeance 16GB, 1600MHz, 2x8GB Low Profile
Asus P9X79 PRO S-2011 X79 ATX 4xPCI-E 3-WaySLI+CrossfireX
MSI GeForce GTX 680 OC 2GB GDDR5 (1058Mhz), 2 x DVI, HDMI
Intel® SSD 330 120GB 2,5# 9,5mm Reseller

I just copied almost everything from their site so I'm sorry if it looks messy, I'm in europe btw if that makes any difference.

 

[The Lamonster]

The 7850 draws about the same or less power, so yeah.

Hmm. Might want to try a Driver Sweeper in safemode? Really a stretch though.

If there's no real way for me to tell if my recent crashes during WoW sessions have been due to my 8800GT video card crashing from overheating, I guess buying a new card is the only real thing to try.

I'm going to go ahead and order a 7850 - it's pricey but if you guys think my PSU can handle it, I will give it a shot, except now I'm nervous because of all the debate on whether or not I can handle it. (my PSU specs in post #527)

There are several brand choices when I search for the 7850 on Amazon though - MSI, VisionTek, XFX, ASUS, Gigabyte, PowerColor, Sapphire...totally lost here. Any recommendations?

 

[Gareth Bale]

Anyone here know how to install a blu ray drive into an r3 case? Either in being an idiot again or the screws holes don't line up with that of the case.

 

[Dark Octave]

Anyone here know how to install a blu ray drive into an r3 case? Either in being an idiot again or the screws holes don't line up with that of the case.

It's upside down.

Spoiler

No I really don't know. Why would they make something that doesn't fit universal? Take it back or good luck.

 

[Gareth Bale]

It's upside down.

Hahahahaha

No this time it isn't.

Wait...

yeah it isn't.

 

[RibbedHero]

Anyone here know how to install a blu ray drive into an r3 case? Either in being an idiot again or the screws holes don't line up with that of the case.

Bluray drives fit perfectly into my Fractal Arc Midi, which has an almost identical interior, so don't see why they aren't fitting. Is the drive a standard 5.25" drive?

 

[Gareth Bale]

Bluray drives fit perfectly into my Fractal Arc Midi, which has an almost identical interior, so don't see why they aren't fitting. Is the drive a standard 5.25" drive?

Yeah. I got it to fit now. It has to be in the bottom the two slots for some (probably good and simple) reason