LED just refers to the backlight. Latency and response time depends on the LCD panel.
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"I need a New PC!" 2012 Thread. Ivy, SSDs, and reading the OP. [Part 2]
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archnemesis
Member
Apparently, there are almost no Samsung memory sticks in Sweden. One place is selling a 8GB kit. That's a bit strange since we usually get all the popular components. We might be a tiny country located at the edge of most maps, but we're pretty tech savvy.
How about a XFX ProSeries Core Edition 750W PSU instead? (it's cheaper than the 650W model)
ok, thanks
If it's these ones then swap to it if there isn't much of a price difference.
Yeah the XFX is good, it's a rebadged Seasonic inside so should be reliable.
ASUS #1, Gigabyte #2.
I'm really glad it's working well for you (sincerely), but I'll go over a number of problems I've encountered. I generally keep two systems. One gets an AMD GPU, the other NVIDIA. My main workstation/gaming machine has gone (in recent history) 2x5870 -> 2x560Ti -> 7970 -> 690 -> 3x670 4GB -> 2x670 4GB. SLI issues I've encountered in that timeframe which I can think of off the top of my head:
APB, then APB Reloaded (essentially had to run with one disabled)
Tribes: Ascend (had to force a ton of different options to get decent performance, but still lots of frame latency)
BF3 (where do I start. . . )
Skyrim (the bugs are endless and still plague the game)
HoN (nothing to make it work)
BLOPS (a week+ to get a patch working)
MW3 (same)
BLOPSII (same again)
GW2 (horrible SLI scaling for a long while, despite official SLI profiles, to the point that a single 680 was outperforming my 690)
RAGE (to be fair, it was all NVIDIA cards)
Dota 2 (all sorts of bugs despite profiles)
This is of course on top of general issues of microstutter, which we now know as inconsistent frame latency. I'm lucky enough to not really be sensitive to that. I'm just generally after the lowest possible frame times for low latency input, as I focus on competitive gaming.
There are all sorts of workarounds to get things running consistently and as they should be. There's a lot of people out there that just don't even understand that the performance they are getting in a game is not where it should be for the hardware that they have. In these instances, it's easy to write it off as "I haven't seen any problems", because the problem isn't looked for or noticed. However, if you are paying $450 to buy video card(s) I think that full $450 ought to be working as intended at all times. To settle for half of that is unacceptable.
Since we're here to help people make smart decisions with their money in regards to purchasing PC parts, this kind of issue makes it easy to reject for a general buying guide.
Because of this, most users should generally just buy the best single card that they can afford. I do think there are instances where buying two lower priced cards is totally justified, but it's more of a niche for the people who understand what they are getting into and have the ability to troubleshoot things going wrong. Even then, I wouldn't ever do it again after my experience with two 560Ti's. Ultimately, I think the goal of SLI should be to achieve rendering power that would otherwise be impossible with a single card.
NoRéN;46674514 said:
I tried a few more updates and had no problems, then I tried a .NET Framework update and got a new BSOD message: SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION.
I pulled out my second stick of RAM to see if I run into more trouble. If I do I will swap sticks and see if there is any difference.
The problem is that I haven't found something to trigger this BSOD consistently. The updates appear to be installing despite the BSOD because Windows Update doesn't show them even when I force an updated check.
Edti: Just BSOD with the solo memory stick when applying .Net Frameowkr 4.0 update. Gonna swap.
mere_immortal
Member
Gigabyte seems to run cooler from what I've read.
How much of a difference in sound are we talking?
Yeah some of their prices, especially CPU wise, seem to be fantastic.
Hawk269
Member
Post your list of parts so we can see what you are building and provide feedback. What is your budget btw?
sorijealut
Member
I saved a bunch for my CPU+MOBO combo. Same day in-store pickup as well.
Really? I haven't noticed any SLI problems. I just started to do my MP benchmarking so maybe that will shed some light on it.
Not much of one at all. I'd recommend either equally.
I stopped playing BF3 maybe... 3ish weeks after launch, when my team realized that there was no way it was going to be esports. The issues ranged from insane GPU load to where it sounded like my system was a jet (and these were TwinFrzr II cards), hard stuttering, and tons of CTD's.
Yikes, I just got a "Clock interval was not received on a secondary processor" BSOD when rebooting after running an update. This can't be good.
Oh that may have a lot to do with it. The whole game was broken even 3 weeks after launch. Actually it wasn't till B2K expansion that they finally got everything playable. Even then it took another 2 months to get it to what I would consider release quality.
Xdrive05
Member
I ran a little test to verify the impracticality of using over 1.5GB vram on a 2GB 660 TI. Using Serous Sam 3, I cranked all settings and maxed out the supersampling (4x) which pushed me over 1500mb usage at 1772mb.
FPS: 23.8
Then I ran the same test again, this time dropping the 4x supersampling down to 2x, which put me in the safe zone of vram usage at 1464mb.
FPS: 41
I don't see how going from 4x supersampling down to 2x should account for literally double the FPS, so it seems to back up the notion that there is a practical limit of 1.5GB on these 2GB 660 TI cards. Over 1.5GB and you're no longer using the full bandwidth, and the performance dives instantly.
I'm not an IQ person, so I don't think this will be a problem until 1080p games at max settings, minimal AA, start requiring more than 1.5GB, which I suspect won't happen until next year in lockstep with the new consoles. I guess we'll see.
Hawk269
Member
I have not had time to install my upgrade, but my current rig is set up to what you are looking for. I have a Samsung 830 256gb SSD and 2 1 TB HDD's and it all works amazingly well. Depending on what the source is for most of your games and for most of us it is Steam, use a program called Steam Mover. This programs allows you to move games from the SSD to the HDD and back if needed.
I currently download all my games to the SSD, then move them to the HDD when I need too. I have over 500GB of Steam Games currently and I have the OS, Utilities, Benchmarking Tools and the games I am currently playing on the SSD and the other games are on the HDD. When I beat a game or stop playing it, I move the game to the HDD with Steam Mover.
I do have Rift, Star Wars The Old Republic on the SSD as well as a bunch of games and still have about 50gb left on the SSD and the rest of my games on the HDD. While a 128gb will do just fine as well, I would suggest going 256gb just to have that extra space.
Gonna try that, yeah.
yeah it is, but i cant really keep it on me anymore. anyone else have any ideas on how much i can get for it?
I really hate not having a microcenter close by.
Beaten. Googling that error message led me to that page.
LiquidMetal14
hide your water-based mammals
Again I decided to upgrade my case, because the last one ( 600T ) was like the Cosmos II, really susceptible to vibrations from fans and HDDs. Picked up a Haf X after many recommendations despite not liking the design and I'm impressed - Quiet and good cooling.
Also wanted to try out the H100i instead of the H100, because I was still suffering from the infamous rattle when it got bumped despite using the voltage mod. I like it, with the Haf X I can also get 4 fans on ( 4 x Noctua ) and the temps are great.
My only problem is the extra cables on this one, plus the USB cable - Screws up the clean look
Interesting, outside of the ROG board, you're looking like what I will have (minus SLI for now).
ASUS's auto-updater is pretty derpy. I updated the BIOS manually and have been able to install several Windows Updates, including the .NET Framework 4.0 update that caused a BSOD previously, as well as reboot multiple times without any more BSODs yet. I read on the BIOS update notes that there were several revisions of stability updates (I was on 1101 and latest was like 1604) and it might have been the case that the version shipped with the mobo didn't even fully support the i5 3750k specifically despite being an out-of-the-box supported chipset.
I am going to put my other stick of RAM back in and see how this goes. Maybe install a game or something a little more heavyweight and see if there are any problems.
Nice link, thanks!
Also the EVGA card so people understand the difference - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=nTeSjrhxKi0
I have weird issues in BF3 SLI where my usage will just drop to 60% or so and of course the frames just go with it and it's awful. The only way to somewhat fix this is to ALT-TAB out and then back into the game.
When I disable SLI and use a single card this never happens. And I've tried multiple driver sets.
electricpirate
Member
I was glossing over some of the Reddit /buildapc/ posts. I'm sure glad you guys aren't part of some stupid hivemind of sheep. I'm not perfect, but holy shit some of those comments and builds make me weep.
New Thread coming soon
Just curious, what is the issue over there? It seems like most of the advice is pretty similar to the advice here, and the builds seem to follow the same general contours.
Felix Lighter
Member
I just broke my Audio Technica ATH-AD700s. I took them off a little too aggressively I guess. Is this the place to ask for headphone recommendations or is there a better thread? I looking to spend in the $100 range.
Felix Lighter
Member
OH thanks. I feel dumb, for a number of reasons.
drhankmccoyphd
Member
Can anyone recommend a good, cheap backlit USB keyboard? Doesn't have to be fancy and have programmable buttons although that would be nice. Not looking for mechanical keys unless it's highly recommended. Mostly I just need something with illuminated keys so I can see what I'm hitting when gaming in the dark. Looking to spend around $30 or so.
Playing Borderlands 2 with real life friends over xbox live(the game looks damn ugly on the 360 though). Still useful for many consoles exclusives. Playing Radiant Historia on my 3DS as well(don't use it on the go). I prefer playing on the PC though. I like taking short breaks and browsing.
Sounds like it's going into power saving mode. Maybe google a way to turn that off. I'm not familiar with Nvidia cards.
Koroviev
Member
Oh, I was really just referring to the home consoles. My 3DS and my Vita have received significantly more attention than my PS3. While there are some excellent exclusives (re: Ico), I have a hard time willing myself to turn on my console when I'm sitting in front of my PC (I have them arranged on the same desk; no couch + TV since I don't watch TV at all). Sitting right in front of a 720p resolution with no AA makes it very apparent that one is playing at 720p.
Dark Souls is the best game I've played all decade, and I quit Demon Souls an hour in two days ago because of the console limitations. Gaming PCs have spoiled me.
I'll get through that game at some point, but you're right in that its harder to go back to a console knowing what you can get on a PC.
They're great for when friends come over for NBA Jam, random fighting game, or whatever else sort of thing like that.
I play my Vita while benches are running.
I have my PC and 360 hooked up to the same monitor(because my TV has terrible screen lag). It is indeed pretty terrible for most games(like Borderlands 2). Still recently Metal Gear Solid HD collection, Gears 3 and Halo 4 all looked good.
lol. Sony should market the Vita to PC enthusiasts. Play the Vita while you are running benchmarks!
Koroviev
Member
I have MGS HD on the Vita
and still haven't played it
My monitor is a TV...works fine for me, just wish it was a tad smaller.
And I was going to say the same thing. I mean, we are talking about a company that has marketed its console as a woman with two pairs of breasts. Arguing that the Vita is best played while doing something else isn't much of a stretch at all.
CharpyImpact
Member
Hi All,
I took a look at the OP, but I still don't necessarily know what I should be doing with regards to a keyboard and mouse. All I know is, I am done with wireless. Mine eats batteries and has horrible performance degradation as the battery dies.
So what is currently the best value keyboard and mouse? Is it even worth looking into mechanical keyboards? Also, should I be looking into gaming mousepad, or is a mousepad a mousepad?
I know part of this was talked about in the thread, but I can't find it now.
Thanks.
I took a look at the OP, but I still don't necessarily know what I should be doing with regards to a keyboard and mouse. All I know is, I am done with wireless. Mine eats batteries and has horrible performance degradation as the battery dies.
So what is currently the best value keyboard and mouse? Is it even worth looking into mechanical keyboards? Also, should I be looking into gaming mousepad, or is a mousepad a mousepad?
I know part of this was talked about in the thread, but I can't find it now.
Thanks.
There's an option in the NVCP (Power Management mode). I have it set to Prefer Maximum performance. My CPU is also at 4.6ghz and as I mentioned it doesn't happen when I disable SLI. GPUs are at stock clocks too...832mhz.
I can't play Demons Souls or Vanquish (or other similar awesome Japanese games) on my PC, thus PS3 will always get love. My BR drive is crapping out very slowly though
memecomplex
Member
Did that ever happen with your old 690?
I recommend the Logetch MX line. I have a MX performance (which is wireless with a charge cable) but they have wired versions that are frankly just as good. I kind of agree that wireless mice/keyboards seem a bit silly because you aren't going to go tramps around your house with them anyway.
Take a look at the Logitech MX G300. Reasonable price, lots of programmable buttons. I have come to love the comfy contours of these Logitech mice. The MX500 is also good with a few less programable buttons.
As for the mechanical keyboards that really just has to do with how much you love the clicky clicky. I personally think they are pretty overrated since you are paying a huge premium for that tactile sensation. I prefer a slim one that leaves me desk space and is fairly clicky, but that's just personal preference.
I can't remember for sure. I know I used to have some GPU usage issues when I played at 2560x1600, but when I played at 1920x1080 it was fine and held at 98-99% usage. Although maybe that could've been because of the 2GB VRAM...but then again BF3's VRAM usage varies depending on how much you have available...
*shrug*
My PS3 has turned into a Netflix only machine, mainly as it's in the living room with the big screen.
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