yn-neko hates a cat
Banned
Anyone even interested in the AMD Suplex?
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
"I need a New PC!" 2012 Thread. Ivy, SSDs, and reading the OP. [Part 2]
- Thread starter Hazaro
- Start date
- Status
Hero_of_the_Day
Member
Couldn't unlock my Sapphire Dirt3 6950. Boo.
He got the Sapphire 100312-3L. Hopefully they'll be here by the end of the week and we'll get to fuck with them over the weekend. I really know nothing about it, so we'll see how it goes.
EDIT: Doing some reading, it sounds like it comes with a bios switch and the 6970 bios already on it. Some people had it work perfectly, just hit the switch. Others said nothing they did would get it to go to the 6970. We'll see.
Amazon Review said:
yn-neko hates a cat
Banned
MagicWithEarvin
Member
Is the Western Digital WD Green WD20EARX 2TB 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive a good deal at $90?
At Newegg.
At Newegg.
On phone at the moment, but I'll comment on this after dinner (around 6:30 PST). Lots of ideas to throw at you since its a themed build.
S23A700D or S23A950D if you want a pretty stand and both Dual Link DVI AND Displayport options.
Epic. Needs a Ducky Shine II now
So guys...lol don't kill me for what I have to ask you. I know this is a pc thread so don't take my reply as a transgression.
I want a PC, not for gaming. I wanted to make a pc with the following:
- Low maintenance (Yes I utterly hate having to clean out my current pc)
- Small form factor
- Low Heat (my current pc heats my room which I find very annoying)
- Low Noise
- Powerful Enough
Apple announced their new mac-mini today, and I think that's exactly what I'm looking for. I'm not really an apple enthusiast, I didn't even knew what a mac-mini was until I saw it today on their event. I believe that the $599 Mac-mini is pretty much the pc that I wanted to make (except for the lack of a SSD drive).
My questions are:
1. Can I still make something comparable for cheaper?
2. Will I be able to run Linux and Windows? Efficiently?
3. Will I have problem with 64 bits Linux/Windows?
3. Is it powerful enough to last 5 years at least?
4. Is there any other hidden-fee that I'm not considering?
The first question is kind of tricky, I know I'm probably able to make something cheaper but: by how much? and would it beat the size of that thing? That's where I'm doubtful. So this is it enlighten me please, If I get this ill probably take it the 6 months plan to pay it, I want to be sure I'm not making a mistake. If I can't run Linux (at least) I would drop it. I won't take OSX and I careless about windows. I want it to last 5 years (minimum), excluding the possible upgrades I can do to the ram, do you guys think perhaps it's dual-core would become outdated too soon? (application/programs wise).
I want a PC, not for gaming. I wanted to make a pc with the following:
- Low maintenance (Yes I utterly hate having to clean out my current pc)
- Small form factor
- Low Heat (my current pc heats my room which I find very annoying)
- Low Noise
- Powerful Enough
Apple announced their new mac-mini today, and I think that's exactly what I'm looking for. I'm not really an apple enthusiast, I didn't even knew what a mac-mini was until I saw it today on their event. I believe that the $599 Mac-mini is pretty much the pc that I wanted to make (except for the lack of a SSD drive).
My questions are:
1. Can I still make something comparable for cheaper?
2. Will I be able to run Linux and Windows? Efficiently?
3. Will I have problem with 64 bits Linux/Windows?
3. Is it powerful enough to last 5 years at least?
4. Is there any other hidden-fee that I'm not considering?
The first question is kind of tricky, I know I'm probably able to make something cheaper but: by how much? and would it beat the size of that thing? That's where I'm doubtful. So this is it enlighten me please, If I get this ill probably take it the 6 months plan to pay it, I want to be sure I'm not making a mistake. If I can't run Linux (at least) I would drop it. I won't take OSX and I careless about windows. I want it to last 5 years (minimum), excluding the possible upgrades I can do to the ram, do you guys think perhaps it's dual-core would become outdated too soon? (application/programs wise).
You're not going to be able to make anything quite as small as a Mac Mini, as it's essentially a laptop as far as internal components go, with Apple's R&D squeezing it in, to boot. If the size and form factor is that important to you, then get a Mac Mini, swap the HDD out for a SSD (I think it used to be the case that you could actually get two 7mm SSDs in there with a bit of work, but worth waiting for a teardown to see if that's still true), and install Windows and/or Linux on there.
That said, you could make yourself an ITX build for less, and still get a PC that's pretty damn small. Have a look at some ITX cases like the Lian Li PC-Q12 or the Antec ISK 100 which you could base an i3 or i5 build around.
It's possible but not likely. Try removing the Radeon and running the computer by plugging in the monitor to the onboard VGA port.
Have you looked at the fanless Streacoms (FC5 and FC8)? They're a little expensive and require an external PSU, but you can put any CPU which has a TDP of less than 65W (Laptop CPUs have TDPs from 17 in ultrabooks to 45 in big laptops) with the fanless cooler integrated into the chassis. With one or two SSDs they would make no noise what so ever.
Any help? I ask because I don't know how a mobo limits the max supported RAM. Would I need to use 4 sticks of 4GB or is using 2x8GB fine? I'd prefer the later for expandability moving forward, but I'm not sure if it'll be a problem.
ToyMachine228
Member
OK, so when I remove the 4-pin from the ATX12V slot, the fans and everything start to spin then everything stops. When I plug it in, nothing happens at all when I try to power on.
It NEEDS to be plugged in for it to work. Have you tried powering the computer without the videocard?
At a guess, it should be fine, as the "limit" on older motherboards is often based on 4GB sticks being the highest capacity available at the time (i.e. the laptop I'm writing this on officially can only support 2x4GB, but I've currently got 2x8GB in and working fine). That said, it's impossible to know for sure unless you can find someone who's tried it with that particular motherboard (or at least chipset). Best stay on the safe side and get 4x4GB.
ToyMachine228
Member
And LGA1156 is EOL and only supports CPUs that are older (and worse) than Ivy/Sandy Bridge.
You are not going to be overclocking with the 3820, it has a locked multi.
Not true!
3820s overclock the good old fashioned way through BCLK. Mine is currently running at 4.95 GHz. The multiplier goes to a max of 43, so even if you don't want to mess with BCLK you can set it to 4.3GHz and forget it like the lazy sandy bridge way.
I'm waiting on AMD FM2 ITX motherboards. That way, you'll have decent graphics performance without needing a videocard. Sounds right up your alley as well. I'd expect them to be out in a few weeks. Take a gander at Lian Li, Silverstone, Abee, and Origen ITX cases. They come fairly small, and the built in PSU's (200W+) should be able to handle an A10 processor no problem.
If you don't mind going slightly larger, you can take a look at the SFF Guide from the OP. The 'Budget' boards listed there will suit what you are after no problem. You can even drop the graphics card altogether or get a low profile one if you want to drop the price more.
Benefits of X79/3820 over Z77/3770K would be that there are IvyBridge-E processors coming out Q3 of 2013 that should be pretty awesome, and will work as drop-in upgrades. You also get quad-channel memory, which is beneficial in multimedia work. The other benefit is that the processors are no-nonsense processors. There's no GPU on die, and less of a concern for power savings. This means ultimately a processor that can clock quite a bit higher than the 3770K. It takes quite a bit more work to get it there, I think I spent almost a whole day nailing down my 3820 overclock.
The benefits of Z77/3770K over X79 is guaranteed PCI-E 3.0 support, which means no video card bottlenecking down the line. That's not really an issue right now, but it might become so two generations away when you want to upgrade. That alone pretty much makes it the no-brainer. There are some X79 motherboards that unlock to PCI-E 3.0, but it's basically a crapshoot, and you need to flash your motheboard in order for it to work.
If you really want to stick with a theme on the build, I'd suggest looking at the Corsair AX750 for a powersupply (you did say you were thinking about multiple cards down the line), as you can buy uni-sleeved cables that complete that look. On top of all of that, it's a rebadged Seasonic X750, which outside of Seasonic's platinum line, is the most reliable and well built powersupply you can buy.
In my build here, you can see that the white power cords are what I'm talking about - http://i.imgur.com/rfBnC.jpg. They come in white, black, red, and blue.
The 600T is a bust, IMO. Sure, it will get the job done and look pretty, but it has a number of faults that make me place it lower than a number of $80-100 cases out there. If you want a white case, check out the Fractal Define R4, CM Storm Stryker, BitFenix Shinobi XL, NZXT Switch 810, and the CM 690II Black and White Edition (only available through the CoolerMaster store, last I checked). They're killer cases. Even the 500R is a better case than the 600T. I could go by each feature that I dislike on the 600T (have had two of them), but ultimately they all add up to it being too noisy and having a really bad airflow design. If you don't mind black, check out the Fractal Arc Midi and Lian Li PC-7HX.
If you want it to run cool and quiet, you'll also want to look at some aftermarket fans. The Corsair SP (for radiators/heatsinks) and AF (case fans) are spectacular, and come with little colored rings that you can change out to perfectly fit your build. You will most definitely at least want to change out the stock fans on the H100 with these. My most favorite air cooled build I've seen has them in it.
For graphics cards, there's almost zero reason to buy EVGA cards this generation unless you plan on putting waterblocks on them. They are hot and noisy, more than twice as loud (10dB) as the Gigabyte and ASUS cards. Since you want red and black, the ASUS DCII 670 or Matrix 7970 would be a great pick.
The nice motherboards like the ASUS Maximus/Rampage, Gigabyte G1/UP7/UD7, and ASRock OC Edition (EVGA and MSI omitted on purpose here) are made for folks who will really want to push their hardware to the limits. If you don't plan on tinkering/benching, there's really no point in going with one outside of looks, which I can understand. With Z77 the only board out there that actually does have the capability to push processors well beyond their capabilities (without LN2/phase change) is the Gigabyte UP7. Everything else is eye candy. With this in mind, I'd suggest looking at the Gigabyte UP4, ASRock Extreme 6, ASRock Professional, and the EVGA Z77 FTW.
Also, get the 1866 memory. There's almost no benefit to the 2133, and it costs quite a bit more.
If you want to take a risk with X79, then we can talk further about that if you'd like.
Thanks for the advice. Switched the GPU to the 7950 and also added a WD Caviar Blue 1TB to my current build. Also I have two more questions.
1. Would it be ideal to switch motherboards? (I haven't even bought parts yet, just shopping around). Currently I am looking at a Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 as my motherboard. Suggestions are welcome.
2. If the majority of my parts are cheaper at NCIX US than any other retailer, should I purchase the parts from there?
On an other topic, does anyone have any suggestions on how to improve my CPU cooling?
I have an i5 2500K running at 4.4Ghz in a Lian LI A70 case cooler by a CM HYPER 212 +.
The problem I am having is that heat seems to get trapped in the top of my case, heating it up and making the area under my desk really hot.
I have an i5 2500K running at 4.4Ghz in a Lian LI A70 case cooler by a CM HYPER 212 +.
The problem I am having is that heat seems to get trapped in the top of my case, heating it up and making the area under my desk really hot.
Thanks for the guide, I'll think on that.
This is my new PC btw - it'S a big difference to everything I had before, hard to believe its much more powerful than my last with it beeing so much smaller and quieter.
My new room is still dusty as hell, I hope the fans don't clutter up so fast.
Mind posting your parts list? Would love something like that instead of my behemoth Fractal R3...
Sure:
Storage: 1 x SSD 128GB Samsung 830 Basic Series 2.5" / 1 x Samsung HD154UI 1.5 TB 3.5"
Video Card: 1 x Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 OC
CPU: Intel Core-i5 2400 @3.1 Ghz
Memory: 2x 4GB DDR3-1600 G.SKill
Motherboard: ASRock H67M-ITX/HT
Case: SilverStone Sugo SG06 USB 3.0 black
Power Supply: 300W SFX12V (came with the case)
I got the CPU and Mainboard from a friend, who wanted to upgrade to Ivy Bridge. The case is one of the few SFF cases (I could find available and had a good price) that don't have a front grid.
If you want a very quiet solution without any hassle I'd recommend the ASUS GTX660-DC2O-2GD5 though. I can't get my Gigabyte below 40% Fan Speed without loosing the warranty.
All in all, I paid 580 EUR for everything.
That's an insane price for that build! Like I said, mine is in a huge case and the only thing that's better is my proc (2500k @4.5 GHz). My GPU is a 560Ti. It cost around 7600 SEK (~900€
and I built it in december. Damn how time (and performance/€ flies!edit: although I guess yours would've been like 8-900€ if you had paid retail for the CPU/mobo.
That's an insane price for that build! Like I said, mine is in a huge case and the only thing that's better is my proc (2500k @4.5 GHz). My GPU is a 560Ti. It cost around 7600 SEK (~900€
edit: although I guess yours would've been like 8-900€ if you had paid retail for the CPU/mobo.
Mobo would've been about 100-130 EUR, CPU 150-170 EUR I guess - paid 200 for them, so that was a more than ok deal.
I reused the Memory and the 3.5" Samsung from my old tower, so I guess I would've paid at least 200 more, if I bought everything new.
I built my last PC two years ago with a GTX 460, an Athlon II x4, same amount of memory and no SSD and it cost me at least 100 EUR more. Now's a good time to build PCs
LabouredSubterfuge
Member
So I bought one of these bad boys:
OCZ Revodrive 3 120GB PCIe SSD
It's fucking quick when you're up and running in Windows.
However, due to it being PCIe, there is a driver load process on startup that makes the boot process approximately 10 seconds slower overall compared to my old SSD. Totally worth it for the performance gain though.
OCZ Revodrive 3 120GB PCIe SSD
It's fucking quick when you're up and running in Windows.
However, due to it being PCIe, there is a driver load process on startup that makes the boot process approximately 10 seconds slower overall compared to my old SSD. Totally worth it for the performance gain though.
diztrukted
Member
I'm waiting on AMD FM2 ITX motherboards. That way, you'll have decent graphics performance without needing a videocard. Sounds right up your alley as well. I'd expect them to be out in a few weeks. Take a gander at Lian Li, Silverstone, Abee, and Origen ITX cases. They come fairly small, and the built in PSU's (200W+) should be able to handle an A10 processor no problem.
If you don't mind going slightly larger, you can take a look at the SFF Guide from the OP. The 'Budget' boards listed there will suit what you are after no problem. You can even drop the graphics card altogether or get a low profile one if you want to drop the price more.
Benefits of X79/3820 over Z77/3770K would be that there are IvyBridge-E processors coming out Q3 of 2013 that should be pretty awesome, and will work as drop-in upgrades. You also get quad-channel memory, which is beneficial in multimedia work. The other benefit is that the processors are no-nonsense processors. There's no GPU on die, and less of a concern for power savings. This means ultimately a processor that can clock quite a bit higher than the 3770K. It takes quite a bit more work to get it there, I think I spent almost a whole day nailing down my 3820 overclock.
The benefits of Z77/3770K over X79 is guaranteed PCI-E 3.0 support, which means no video card bottlenecking down the line. That's not really an issue right now, but it might become so two generations away when you want to upgrade. That alone pretty much makes it the no-brainer. There are some X79 motherboards that unlock to PCI-E 3.0, but it's basically a crapshoot, and you need to flash your motheboard in order for it to work.
If you really want to stick with a theme on the build, I'd suggest looking at the Corsair AX750 for a powersupply (you did say you were thinking about multiple cards down the line), as you can buy uni-sleeved cables that complete that look. On top of all of that, it's a rebadged Seasonic X750, which outside of Seasonic's platinum line, is the most reliable and well built powersupply you can buy.
In my build here, you can see that the white power cords are what I'm talking about - http://i.imgur.com/rfBnC.jpg. They come in white, black, red, and blue.
The 600T is a bust, IMO. Sure, it will get the job done and look pretty, but it has a number of faults that make me place it lower than a number of $80-100 cases out there. If you want a white case, check out the Fractal Define R4, CM Storm Stryker, BitFenix Shinobi XL, NZXT Switch 810, and the CM 690II Black and White Edition (only available through the CoolerMaster store, last I checked). They're killer cases. Even the 500R is a better case than the 600T. I could go by each feature that I dislike on the 600T (have had two of them), but ultimately they all add up to it being too noisy and having a really bad airflow design. If you don't mind black, check out the Fractal Arc Midi and Lian Li PC-7HX.
If you want it to run cool and quiet, you'll also want to look at some aftermarket fans. The Corsair SP (for radiators/heatsinks) and AF (case fans) are spectacular, and come with little colored rings that you can change out to perfectly fit your build. You will most definitely at least want to change out the stock fans on the H100 with these. My most favorite air cooled build I've seen has them in it.
For graphics cards, there's almost zero reason to buy EVGA cards this generation unless you plan on putting waterblocks on them. They are hot and noisy, more than twice as loud (10dB) as the Gigabyte and ASUS cards. Since you want red and black, the ASUS DCII 670 or Matrix 7970 would be a great pick.
The nice motherboards like the ASUS Maximus/Rampage, Gigabyte G1/UP7/UD7, and ASRock OC Edition (EVGA and MSI omitted on purpose here) are made for folks who will really want to push their hardware to the limits. If you don't plan on tinkering/benching, there's really no point in going with one outside of looks, which I can understand. With Z77 the only board out there that actually does have the capability to push processors well beyond their capabilities (without LN2/phase change) is the Gigabyte UP7. Everything else is eye candy. With this in mind, I'd suggest looking at the Gigabyte UP4, ASRock Extreme 6, ASRock Professional, and the EVGA Z77 FTW.
Also, get the 1866 memory. There's almost no benefit to the 2133, and it costs quite a bit more.
If you want to take a risk with X79, then we can talk further about that if you'd like.
wow. thank you!
I'm going to give this a good read and modify my build. Will update soon! I have tons of questions too but I'm at work, so it will have to wait :-(
Does it make a consistent beeping noise? Also, is the videocard still plugged in?
Are you sure it is not Corsair SP for case fans and AF for radiators/heatsinks ?
LiquidMetal14
hide your water-based mammals
I love winter if not for 1 reason - my GPU idle temps go down about 3-5C. OC'd 6970 sitting at 36-38C with air cooling
diztrukted
Member
what heat sink fan is that in your previous post (the response to my build), I thought about water-cooling but I'm deciding against it now.
I looked at the fractal defin r4 and it got some pretty bad reviews on newegg. I will check out the cases in a minute. Whats your opinion on the corsair 800D case?
Whoah, bad reviews of the R4? Looks like full eggs on each one to me... I love the crap out of mine too.
The heatsink is a Prolimatech Megahalems Back in Black Edition.
800D is really long in the tooth, and designed around watercooling (like full on, not the all in one units) despite having less capability than a lot of new cases built for watercooling. Supposed to be a replacement out for it in the next 6 months or so.
The heatsink is a Prolimatech Megahalems Back in Black Edition.
800D is really long in the tooth, and designed around watercooling (like full on, not the all in one units) despite having less capability than a lot of new cases built for watercooling. Supposed to be a replacement out for it in the next 6 months or so.
diztrukted
Member
Sorry it was the arc midi, i meant to say
R3 is amazing, can't imagine R4 is any worse.
So I bought one of these bad boys:
OCZ Revodrive 3 120GB PCIe SSD
It's fucking quick when you're up and running in Windows.
However, due to it being PCIe, there is a driver load process on startup that makes the boot process approximately 10 seconds slower overall compared to my old SSD. Totally worth it for the performance gain though.
Do you do massive SQL queries or host a web server with thousands of users on you computer? Cause that is a waste of money in any single user workload. If fact it can be slower than a regular SSD in low queue depth tasks.
Can PC-GAF tell me if this build is okay? It's my first time building a desktop, so suggestions/criticisms are welcome.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/lhK4
P.S. I wasn't sure about the monitor or keyboard, so if someone has a better suggestion than what I have picked out, it would be much appreciated.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/lhK4
P.S. I wasn't sure about the monitor or keyboard, so if someone has a better suggestion than what I have picked out, it would be much appreciated.
That looks great, but as a personal preference I'd put the sound board out unless you have a good sound equipment and replace the 4x4GB RAM with just 2x4GB unless you're going to do heavy multimedia work. I have no idea about monitors so somebody else would have to help you. And about the keyboard, as long as it "works" it's a very personal preference.
I might have missed an earlier post of yours but do you really need 16GB of RAM?
Alright, thanks guys!
The RAM is a bit of an overkill, I admit, but I wasn't exactly sure how much I would need. At least my build is a little cheaper now.
Best RAM to swap to would be this stuff http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147096
Should save you a decent bit of money. Do you really need a sound card either?
Changing that RAM and using the on-board audio could be money towards an SSD.
- Status