Support NeoGAF

[beje]

Am I in the right place? I need a new PC, I don't know anything and don't really want to learn. I thought I would just go to a local computer shop but I was insisted to come here.
I guess I want a middle of the road PC that can do some gaming and any moderate graphical upgrades from PS360 will be adequate.

Your Current Specs: Don't know but I recently put in extra rams so now I have 2.5 gigs.
Budget: $800, Canada
Main Use: Light Gaming?
General Usage: Web, word processing, skype, streaming to PS3 and I would like to be able to play video at 1080p. I also have a 5.1 sound system that I would like to keep using. Would also like to be able to burn CDs.
Monitor Resolution: I don't know. I currently have an HP 2159m and it seems ok.
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: I'm so far removed from PC gaming that I don't even know. In general, I'd like to play at 60fps and medium settings I guess.
Looking to reuse any parts?: Mouse, monitor, router, printer, speaker system, external hard drives and that extra RAM I put in.
When will you build?: I can wait a month or two.
Will you be overclocking?: I prefer the 24hr display.

I guess that the "Enhanced" build in the OP is all you're looking for. About the RAM, we'd need more info but if you're talking about that little RAM I guess it's most likely DDR2 or even plain DDR so it wouldn't be compatible with a modern board. Besides, mix-matching RAM is usually not a good idea, and RAM nowadays is inexpensive.

If you're pretty pretty sure you're not overclocking right now go with the i3 3220 from the "Standard" build or get an i5 3450 (i3 = dual core, i5 = quad core) but get a Z77 mobo so you can upgrade later down the line maybe in 2-3 years and give new life to your PC. The final build would be more or less:

CPU: i3/i5
Mobo: your favorite Z77 board. Asrock Z77 Pro4 is a solid choice.
RAM: 8GB from the recommended in the OP
GPU: AMD HD 7850 2GB. My personal recommendation is a Sapphire, as their refrigeration is really good and silent in these cards
HDD: WD Blue as stated in the OP
PSU: Antec VP450 450W
Case: the one you like the most. Make sure it can fit an ATX-sized mobo
DVD: as stated in the OP
Sound Card: Xonar DG or Xonar DGX (only difference is the later using PCI-Express instead of PCI). This component is not mandatory but I guess you'll appreciate it if you're going to use a fancy 5.1 system.

There's no need for an aftermarket cooler if you're not overcloking so you can leave that for later. If there's some spare money after this, you can maybe check an SSD in addition to the HDD being the Samsung 830 or the Crucial M4 the best bang for your buck at 128GB.

 

[Sullichin]

Stupid question incoming -
I have 2 SATA 6Gbps ports, occupied by my SSD and HDD. If I wanted to add another SSD or HDD in the future, I'd have to buy a PCI SATA card right?

 

[derder]

Stupid question incoming -
I have 2 SATA 6Gbps ports, occupied by my SSD and HDD. If I wanted to add another SSD or HDD in the future, I'd have to buy a PCI SATA card right?

Do you have 3Gbps ports? HDDs don't benefit from 6Gbps.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Do you have 3Gbps ports? HDDs don't benefit from 6Gbps.

Yup, I'd move the HDD to an available 3Gb/s port if you have one. Then get another SSD for the 6Gbp/s.

But not sure on your original question. I imagine adding a SATA card via PCIe wouldn't be much of an issue.

 

[Sullichin]

Do you have 3Gbps ports? HDDs don't benefit from 6Gbps.

Yup, I'd move the HDD to an available 3Gb/s port if you have one. Then get another SSD for the 6Gbp/s.

But not sure on your original question. I imagine adding a SATA card via PCIe wouldn't be much of an issue.

Yeah I have 3Gbps ports, didn't realize only SSDs benefit from 6Gbps. Thanks

 

[RumblingRosco]

I have some questions about a small form factor build. My girlfriend's laptop recently pooped out, which she used heavily in college... but since graduating, she doesn't have a need for a laptop, but would really enjoy having a desktop at home for the following purposes:

• General web browsing
• Watching Netflix/abc.com/nbc.com/YouTube
• Microsoft Office products
• Pandora
• iTunes
• and, perhaps some casual and very rare use of Photoshop, though she may use my beefy desktop for those times

The main thing she wants though is to have it be a smaller case; so, I'm thinking of basing the build off of the SFF in the OP, but downgrade the video card to save some money, but I'd still like it to be able to run 720p video without issue, so I'll have to be careful with the video card adjustments.

Anyway, I'm wondering if GAF has any general advice based on her usage above? Should I cut something out or add something else? I don't plan to build this for ~1 month from now, so should I be on the look out for some significant changes in the SFF scene anytime soon? We can hold out a bit if there's something awesome coming up.

 

[beje]

I have some questions about a small form factor build. My girlfriend's laptop recently pooped out, which she used heavily in college... but since graduating, she doesn't have a need for a laptop, but would really enjoy having a desktop at home for the following purposes:

• General web browsing
• Watching Netflix/abc.com/nbc.com/YouTube
• Microsoft Office products
• Pandora
• iTunes
• and, perhaps some casual and very rare use of Photoshop, though she may use my beefy desktop for those times

The main thing she wants though is to have it be a smaller case; so, I'm thinking of basing the build off of the SFF in the OP, but downgrade the video card to save some money, but I'd still like it to be able to run 720p video without issue, so I'll have to be careful with the video card adjustments.

Anyway, I'm wondering if GAF has any general advice based on her usage above? Should I cut something out or add something else? I don't plan to build this for ~1 month from now, so should I be on the look out for some significant changes in the SFF scene anytime soon? We can hold out a bit if there's something awesome coming up.

If she doesn't plan on gaming, just follow the SFF build guide. An i3, 4GB RAM and an HD 7750 (no need for extra power from the PSU) will be more than enough. If the most she'll be doing is 720p video, you can cheapen out the GPU even more or just go with the integrated graphics.

 

[kharma45]

I have some questions about a small form factor build. My girlfriend's laptop recently pooped out, which she used heavily in college... but since graduating, she doesn't have a need for a laptop, but would really enjoy having a desktop at home for the following purposes:

• General web browsing
• Watching Netflix/abc.com/nbc.com/YouTube
• Microsoft Office products
• Pandora
• iTunes
• and, perhaps some casual and very rare use of Photoshop, though she may use my beefy desktop for those times

The main thing she wants though is to have it be a smaller case; so, I'm thinking of basing the build off of the SFF in the OP, but downgrade the video card to save some money, but I'd still like it to be able to run 720p video without issue, so I'll have to be careful with the video card adjustments.

Anyway, I'm wondering if GAF has any general advice based on her usage above? Should I cut something out or add something else? I don't plan to build this for ~1 month from now, so should I be on the look out for some significant changes in the SFF scene anytime soon? We can hold out a bit if there's something awesome coming up.

If she doesn't plan on gaming, just follow the SFF build guide. An i3, 4GB RAM and an HD 7750 (no need for extra power from the PSU) will be more than enough. If the most she'll be doing is 720p video, you can cheapen out the GPU even more or just go with the integrated graphics.

For that stuff I'd say HD4000 graphics would do the job fine in the i3 3225, or actually what could be a good option is an AMD APU like the A10-5800K.

 

[RS4-]

So close to buying the Bitfenix Prodigy but I don't need a new PC or go through the trouble of selling my current parts and picking up new ones.

Will wait for new Silverstone case or another, better version of the Prodigy.

 

[beje]

So close to buying the Bitfenix Prodigy but I don't need a new PC or go through the trouble of selling my current parts and picking up new ones.

Will wait for new Silverstone case or another, better version of the Prodigy.

I feel the same. I didn't think about it but if I got a Pro4M board (micro-ATX) instead of a Pro3 (ATX) at the same price and replaced the wifi and sound cards with PCI-E versions I could have gone SFF. Anyway, my planned NZXT Phantom 410 case looks awesome too.

 

[AndyD]

So here's the basic layout now that all is done:
3570K with the 212 cooler.
8GB Ram
Samsung 830 SSD
Sapphire 7950

Holy crap guys, this card and PC is a beast. I don't think I have ever had a PC that runs so smoothly and quietly and relatively cheap.

I started up Borderlands 2 with everything maxed out and its silky smooth and quiet as a mouse. Its mind boggling, I really was speechless for a bit.

Thank you all for the advice and guides. Now to play a bit and see how the temperatures are.

 

[kharma45]

So here's the basic layout now that all is done:
3570K with the 212 cooler.
8GB Ram
Samsung 830 SSD
Sapphire 7950

Holy crap guys, this card and PC is a beast. I don't think I have ever had a PC that runs so smoothly and quietly and relatively cheap.

I started up Borderlands 2 with everything maxed out and its silky smooth and quiet as a mouse. Its mind boggling, I really was speechless for a bit.

Thank you all for the advice and guides. Now to play a bit and see how the temperatures are.

And don't forget there is more potential to come if and when you decide to overclock your CPU and GPU.

 

[Shambles]

I feel the same. I didn't think about it but if I got a Pro4M board (micro-ATX) instead of a Pro3 (ATX) at the same price and replaced the wifi and sound cards with PCI-E versions I could have gone SFF. Anyway, my planned NZXT Phantom 410 case looks awesome too.

Funny everyone is talking about SFF, that's what I came in to post about. Replacing the wifes case, looking for it to be small and good looking. She has her opinions but I wanted to ask people who have handled these cases personally. Originally I was looking at the prodigy but it's so damn big for an mITX case. Also there has been a lot of QC issues with the case which makes me weary.

My shortlist includes:
Bitfenix Prodigy
Silverstone Sugo SG05
Silverstone TJ08-E

The SG05 is quite a bit smaller than the others which is a pro and a con. I worry about the small PSU in it being noisy having a smaller fan. I was originally going to go buy the Prodigy and TJ08 and let the wife decide but I'm tempted by the SG05 being half the size. I'd rather not haul home 3 cases and have to return two though. The SG08 looks a lot nicer and it seems like that extra couple inches makes dealing with the innards a lot easier but it's simply too expensive, even with the included PSU. Any thoughts?

 

[cobragt4001]

Hey guys I need advice about a PSU. I have a 630w psu running a i5-3570k at 4.6ghz with H60 liquid cooling and a gigabyte gtx 670 oc'd to 1215mhz. I'm gonna have another 670 which will be oc'd to 1215mhz so I need to know if I would be ok with a 750w psu or would 850w be better. I might also in the future buy a gtx 650 just for nvidia's physx but me getting another card after the second 670 isn't concrete yet.

 

[mkenyon]

One other thing, I'm not looking into ATI cards at all, not interested in ATI cards anymore.

That's fine because they don't make ATi cards anymore.

I feel the same. I didn't think about it but if I got a Pro4M board (micro-ATX) instead of a Pro3 (ATX) at the same price and replaced the wifi and sound cards with PCI-E versions I could have gone SFF. Anyway, my planned NZXT Phantom 410 case looks awesome too.

Keep your eye out on the HAF XB if you are cool with that kind of aesthetic.

Funny everyone is talking about SFF, that's what I came in to post about. Replacing the wifes case, looking for it to be small and good looking. She has her opinions but I wanted to ask people who have handled these cases personally. Originally I was looking at the prodigy but it's so damn big for an mITX case. Also there has been a lot of QC issues with the case which makes me weary.

My shortlist includes:
Bitfenix Prodigy
Silverstone Sugo SG05
Silverstone TJ08-E

The SG05 is quite a bit smaller than the others which is a pro and a con. I worry about the small PSU in it being noisy having a smaller fan. I was originally going to go buy the Prodigy and TJ08 and let the wife decide but I'm tempted by the SG05 being half the size. I'd rather not haul home 3 cases and have to return two though. The SG08 looks a lot nicer and it seems like that extra couple inches makes dealing with the innards a lot easier but it's simply too expensive, even with the included PSU. Any thoughts?

Sounds like the FT03 mini would be a good fit too. I like the SG08 a lot as well. Hard to beat the functionality of the Prodigy though.

Hey guys I need advice about a PSU. I have a 630w psu running a i5-3570k at 4.6ghz with H60 liquid cooling and a gigabyte gtx 670 oc'd to 1215mhz. I'm gonna have another 670 which will be oc'd to 1215mhz so I need to know if I would be ok with a 750w psu or would 850w be better. I might also in the future buy a gtx 650 just for nvidia's physx but me getting another card after the second 670 isn't concrete yet.

630W PSU is fine for two 670s and a 3570.

 

[AndyD]

And don't forget there is more potential to come if and when you decide to overclock your CPU and GPU.

Indeed.

Here's my temperatures, I think they are well within normal limits.

Idle:
CPU 0 - 30
CPU 1 - 23
CPU 2 - 34
CPU 3 - 29
GPU - 34
Motherboard - 33

During Borderlands 2:
CPU 0 - 53
CPU 1 - 51
CPU 2 - 56
CPU 3 - 54
GPU - 61
Motherboard - 41

Not too shabby. Fans stayed silent throughout. I think I have a winner.

 

[Leonsito]

Hi guys, I have a problem with my new HDD, it's a WD20EARX, a 2TB Caviar Green.

Quick recap: I bought a 128GB M4 and the 2TB WD, I have an old ASUS P5B Deluxe mobo, I plugged the M4 and the WD, my idea is to use the M4 for Win7 and software, and the 2TB for data, splitted in two equal partitions.

I install Win7, everything goes fine, when I'm on Windows i go to the disk administrator and create the partitions, and here is where the problems start; the new partitions appear in the computer, but there isn't report of the space, just the drive letter, I click in one of them, Win7 says that it has to format it, I agree, it starts to give format and suddenly a drive access error and both partitions dissapear, I reboot and I can see that the bios sees the HDD (drives are in AHCI mode, I tried in IDE and they appear too) but in Windows I don't see any partitions, and when I go to the disk administrator I can't see my drives, it locks up, if I unplug the 2TB I can see the other M4 and optical drives well, I don't know if the HDD is faulty, it's the second one I try and the same happened with the first, except that the first didn't even appear in the BIOS.

Any idea? Is my mobo at fault for being a bit older? I know it's SATA300, and I'm not going to get the full benefit from the SSD, but the M4 works great, it's the other one that doesn't work

Anyone please? Did I really got two faulty HDDs ?

 

[Katoki]

Should I replace my PSU if I'm only drawing 20% of it on load and under 10% while on the internet? (~70 watts browsing internet & ~135 gaming) Or would I be okay running it as is knowing that I'll probably kill it somehow sooner due to never being in that sweet spot?

Shame that shipping will probably cost more than the power supply itself with how low powered things have gotten.

Edit: More info -

i5-2500k (To be OC'd later)
Z77E-ITX Board
GTX 670 @ +45 core
Seasonic x750 gold rated

I think I could get away with a 300 watt power supply even after OC, honestly speaking. I am using a m-itx build to begin with so there's no room for more stuff.

 

[IISANDERII]

I guess that the "Enhanced" build in the OP is all you're looking for. About the RAM, we'd need more info but if you're talking about that little RAM I guess it's most likely DDR2 or even plain DDR so it wouldn't be compatible with a modern board. Besides, mix-matching RAM is usually not a good idea, and RAM nowadays is inexpensive.

If you're pretty pretty sure you're not overclocking right now go with the i3 3220 from the "Standard" build or get an i5 3450 (i3 = dual core, i5 = quad core) but get a Z77 mobo so you can upgrade later down the line maybe in 2-3 years and give new life to your PC. The final build would be more or less:

CPU: i3/i5
Mobo: your favorite Z77 board. Asrock Z77 Pro4 is a solid choice.
RAM: 8GB from the recommended in the OP
GPU: AMD HD 7850 2GB. My personal recommendation is a Sapphire, as their refrigeration is really good and silent in these cards
HDD: WD Blue as stated in the OP
PSU: Antec VP450 450W
Case: the one you like the most. Make sure it can fit an ATX-sized mobo
DVD: as stated in the OP
Sound Card: Xonar DG or Xonar DGX (only difference is the later using PCI-Express instead of PCI). This component is not mandatory but I guess you'll appreciate it if you're going to use a fancy 5.1 system.

There's no need for an aftermarket cooler if you're not overcloking so you can leave that for later. If there's some spare money after this, you can maybe check an SSD in addition to the HDD being the Samsung 830 or the Crucial M4 the best bang for your buck at 128GB.

Thank you for the help.

 

[Infinite Justice]

what are some of the recommended monitors that won't break the bank ($300 or less).

anyone

 

[Jzero]

anyone

There's a lot dude, it just depends how picky you are.

These are the ones i'm going to buy for using as dual monitors.

 

[Hazaro]

anyone

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005902YKK/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Apart from that pick something decent and recent from Newegg. I don't keep up with monitors because I only shop for them once every 4 years.

 

[Shambles]

anyone

Order one of those korean 27" IPS panels that are selling on ebay for about $300. Easily the best bang for your buck.

 

[sestrugen]

what do you guys think about this PC?

Case: Thermaltake Commander Case
PSU: Thermaltake TR2 600watts
Mobo: Intel DH67GDB3
CPU: Core i5 3470 3.2
RAM: 8GB Kingston
HD: Samsung 830 128GB SSD
Optical: Samsung DVDRW
VGA: EVGA GTX 650 1GB SC
OS: Windows 7 HP 64bit

I am planning to get this locally (not in the US) around USD $1000, what kind of performance could I expect from this computer?, my monitor is a 23" Samsung LCD 1080p.

I am going back to school next year so it will be used primarily for programming purposes, MS Office, web browsing and whatever game I can get it to run, looking forward specifically for Sim City 5, Black Ops 2 and maybe Civ 5.

 

[DarthWoo]

I was reading in some places that as far as C2D CPUs go, some people swear by a thin vertical line of thermal paste now, rather than the traditional dot in the center. Apparently it's better this way since the actually processor itself is oriented in that direction. Can anyone vouch for this?

 

[Hazaro]

I was reading in some places that as far as C2D CPUs go, some people swear by a thin vertical line of thermal paste now, rather than the traditional dot in the center. Apparently it's better this way since the actually processor itself is oriented in that direction. Can anyone vouch for this?

Shit don't matter

 

[Exuro]

I was reading in some places that as far as C2D CPUs go, some people swear by a thin vertical line of thermal paste now, rather than the traditional dot in the center. Apparently it's better this way since the actually processor itself is oriented in that direction. Can anyone vouch for this?

I've done both on my nehalem cpu and it gave me back the same temps.

 

[Salsa]

RMA got back to me

basically they offered this:

- pay a difference of $20, get a new EVGA gtx 680 right now now

- pay a difference of $20, get an ASUS DCII 670 whenever they arrive

keep in mind that what I sent was an EVGA 670 FTW


been over a month now so im tired of waiting.. but at the same time I got tht awful coil whine with the EVGA 670 and ASUS seems to be a bit more reliable at avoiding that. Keep in mind that you dont get to exchange cards just for coil whine here, they wont accept it, so if I get a super loud ass card I just gotta live with it, hence why I was looking at ASUS.

The 680 being straight up a more powerful card makes me wonder what I should do tho.. but is the difference that noticeable?

thoughts?

 

[Hazaro]

Reference 680s aren't too bad noise wise.

Given your current situation and geography I'd probably take the 680. Though I do love my silent 670. Performance wise you probably won't be able to tell much, but it does up your resale value!

 

[kharma45]

what do you guys think about this PC?

Case: Thermaltake Commander Case
PSU: Thermaltake TR2 600watts
Mobo: Intel DH67GDB3
CPU: Core i5 3470 3.2
RAM: 8GB Kingston
HD: Samsung 830 128GB SSD
Optical: Samsung DVDRW
VGA: EVGA GTX 650 1GB SC
OS: Windows 7 HP 64bit

I am planning to get this locally (not in the US) around USD $1000, what kind of performance could I expect from this computer?, my monitor is a 23" Samsung LCD 1080p.

I am going back to school next year so it will be used primarily for programming purposes, MS Office, web browsing and whatever game I can get it to run, looking forward specifically for Sim City 5, Black Ops 2 and maybe Civ 5.

Don't get a 650, the 7770 is better for around the same money and even then I'd say save a bit more and get a 7850.

PSU I don't know much about (doesn't seem to review all that well), I'd go for something like an Antec, Corsair, Seasonic or an XFX Core Edition (it's just a rebranded Seasonic). The XFX Core Edition PRO550W should be around the same price as that one you're looking at.

Also that motherboard seems expensive for what you're getting too, almost Z77 prices which would be a better buy as would an upgrade then to a 3570K which would give you a longer use out of the machine as it'll overclock.

Just some things to mull over.

 

[Ty4on]

Sounds like the FT03 mini would be a good fit too. I like the SG08 a lot as well. Hard to beat the functionality of the Prodigy though.

What's your experience with the 450W gold rated sfx PSU for it? Heard some had a loud fan while others had a quiet fan, kinda hoping that was just some bad first batch.

 

[Plasmid]

For a price range of $0-800, which rig could possibly play skyrim or most games nowadays? Is it possible?

 

[Salsa]

Reference 680s aren't too bad noise wise.

Given your current situation and geography I'd probably take the 680. Though I do love my silent 670. Performance wise you probably won't be able to tell much, but it does up your resale value!

im gonna wait till monday and ask if the guy can tell me when the ASUS would be arriving. I already waited a bunch so if it's say.. 2 weeks or more, then yeah fuck that, i'll probably grab the 680

then cry some more about the whine

 

[Jharp]

Hey guys, I'd really appreciate some feedback on two build lists. One is just under $1100, and the other is over $1300. I'm sure most of you will tell me the cheaper is just as good/not much worse and that I should go with it, but I can't help but feel like a bigger power supply is a safer route, and a full tower case over a mid tower case will be good for temperatures and airflow. Is that irrational? And is the extra sense of security I feel going for the i7 completely unfounded? Links:

$1071: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=20790465
$1336: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=20790545

 

[DarkLegion]

Hey guys. I've been using pretty crappy and outdated computers that were handed down to me by my brother all my life. I decided to finally build myself something a bit modern. I got about a 500$ budget and here's what I got so far. Tell me what you think!

Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz
ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX
AMD 4GB DDR3-1600
WD Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM
Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 1GB
Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply

and the case: NZXT Source 210

It should all come out to be about $488 after rebates. I got 2 hard drives and a DVD drive that'll I'll have to get IDE to SATA converters for. I dont plan to overclock at all so I'll just stick to stock fan for the CPU.

 

[triplestation]

I WANT TO SPEND $2-250 on a Graphics Card/PSU.

Here are my current specs.

Processor AMD Phenom II X4 820(2.8GHz) Processor Main Features 64 bit Quad-Core Processor Cache Per Processor 4 x 512KB L2 Cache
Memory 6GB DDR3
Hard Drive 640GB SATA 7200RPM
Optical Drive 1 16X DVD±R/RW SuperMulti Drive
Graphics ATI Radeon HD 5450 with 512MB of dedicated DDR3 VRAM, supporting Unified Video Decoder (UVD), OpenEXR High Dynamic-Range (HDR) technology, Shader Model 5.0, Microsoft DirectX 11, OpenGL 3.2, OpenCL 1.0
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Motherboard Chipset AMD 880G
CPU CPU Type Phenom II X4
Graphics GPU/VPU Type ATI Radeon HD 5450 Graphics Interface PCI Express 2.0 x16
Memory Memory Capacity 6GB DDR3 Form Factor DIMM 240-pin
Memory Spec 2GB x 2 & 1GB x 2 Memory Slot (Total) 4 Memory Slot (Available) 0
Hard Drive HDD Capacity 640GB

 

[Plasmid]

If i was to get a rig, how often are they in need of an update hardware wise? Can someone with little computer knowledge (in coding, overclocking etc) use them with relative ease? I'm wanting a computer that can play skyrim, battlefield, GTA, most recent gen games on high settings but don't want to have to update it and buy a bunch of upgrades very often.

 

[JustProgress]

Got my Fractal R4. Lot bigger than I was expecting. Still can hear some fannage...probably my videocards or CPU cooler. Overall, though, much quieter. However, my HDD is humming like crazy.

 

[DreadPirateRoberts]

I WANT TO SPEND $2-250 on a Graphics Card/PSU.

Here are my current specs.

Processor AMD Phenom II X4 820(2.8GHz) Processor Main Features 64 bit Quad-Core Processor Cache Per Processor 4 x 512KB L2 Cache
Memory 6GB DDR3
Hard Drive 640GB SATA 7200RPM
Optical Drive 1 16X DVD±R/RW SuperMulti Drive
Graphics ATI Radeon HD 5450 with 512MB of dedicated DDR3 VRAM, supporting Unified Video Decoder (UVD), OpenEXR High Dynamic-Range (HDR) technology, Shader Model 5.0, Microsoft DirectX 11, OpenGL 3.2, OpenCL 1.0
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Motherboard Chipset AMD 880G
CPU CPU Type Phenom II X4
Graphics GPU/VPU Type ATI Radeon HD 5450 Graphics Interface PCI Express 2.0 x16
Memory Memory Capacity 6GB DDR3 Form Factor DIMM 240-pin
Memory Spec 2GB x 2 & 1GB x 2 Memory Slot (Total) 4 Memory Slot (Available) 0
Hard Drive HDD Capacity 640GB

I'd go with
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171031
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202004

 

[Hazaro]

I WANT TO SPEND $2-250 on a Graphics Card/PSU.

Here are my current specs.

Processor AMD Phenom II X4 820(2.8GHz) Processor Main Features 64 bit Quad-Core Processor Cache Per Processor 4 x 512KB L2 Cache
Memory 6GB DDR3
Hard Drive 640GB SATA 7200RPM
Optical Drive 1 16X DVD±R/RW SuperMulti Drive
Graphics ATI Radeon HD 5450 with 512MB of dedicated DDR3 VRAM, supporting Unified Video Decoder (UVD), OpenEXR High Dynamic-Range (HDR) technology, Shader Model 5.0, Microsoft DirectX 11, OpenGL 3.2, OpenCL 1.0
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Motherboard Chipset AMD 880G
CPU CPU Type Phenom II X4
Graphics GPU/VPU Type ATI Radeon HD 5450 Graphics Interface PCI Express 2.0 x16
Memory Memory Capacity 6GB DDR3 Form Factor DIMM 240-pin
Memory Spec 2GB x 2 & 1GB x 2 Memory Slot (Total) 4 Memory Slot (Available) 0
Hard Drive HDD Capacity 640GB

Looks like a prebuilt, what power supply do you have? Will probably need to swap it out. 7850 / 7870 for GPU.

Hey guys. I've been using pretty crappy and outdated computers that were handed down to me by my brother all my life. I decided to finally build myself something a bit modern. I got about a 500$ budget and here's what I got so far. Tell me what you think!

Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz
ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX
AMD 4GB DDR3-1600
WD Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM
Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 1GB
Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply

and the case: NZXT Source 210

It should all come out to be about $488 after rebates. I got 2 hard drives and a DVD drive that'll I'll have to get IDE to SATA converters for. I dont plan to overclock at all so I'll just stick to stock fan for the CPU.

VP450 instead. 7850 if you can fit in budget. Giant difference.
Used 6950 and used i3 2100 would really help your costs.

Hey guys, I'd really appreciate some feedback on two build lists. One is just under $1100, and the other is over $1300. I'm sure most of you will tell me the cheaper is just as good/not much worse and that I should go with it, but I can't help but feel like a bigger power supply is a safer route, and a full tower case over a mid tower case will be good for temperatures and airflow. Is that irrational? And is the extra sense of security I feel going for the i7 completely unfounded? Links:

$1071: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=20790465
$1336: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=20790545

Take the your 1k build and sub in mine
Also yes both builds gaming performance will be extremely similar.

On why I pick my parts:
830 > Agility. Period.
The CX series is overrated and not that good. HIVE has DOA issues, but are good supplies. BP550 is a solid reliable workhorse.
WD Blue is new and cheap. Green drives can be ok, but if you want one, get the 2TB of it and wdidle to turn off headparking.
GB670 best 670! Love mine.
Might as well get a new Z77 board for that price. Pick one from my Excellent sheet.
Not sure if a CM212+ / EVO will fit in that Rosewill case, but it's the best cooler for the money.
Low Profile RAM as listed helps with heatsink compatability. Heatsinks on RAM are security measures and don't matter.

For a price range of $0-800, which rig could possibly play skyrim or most games nowadays? Is it possible?

Yup! The $750 build above (with the BP550 power supply) will handle it and you can get Win 8 for like $15-50.

If i was to get a rig, how often are they in need of an update hardware wise? Can someone with little computer knowledge (in coding, overclocking etc) use them with relative ease? I'm wanting a computer that can play skyrim, battlefield, GTA, most recent gen games on high settings but don't want to have to update it and buy a bunch of upgrades very often.

A rig like that on current trends I'd say you only need to swap the Graphics on for the next 3 years minimum. You just pull it out of the slot and stick the new one in.

 

[Plasmid]

Yup! The $750 build above (with the BP550 power supply) will handle it and you can get Win 8 for like $15-50.

A rig like that on current trends I'd say you only need to swap the Graphics on for the next 3 years minimum. You just pull it out of the slot and stick the new one in.

So the $750 build is good enough for this gen games? I've got a huge steam backlog i wanna take care of this winter.

Also what about black friday deals? Should i wait around?

 

[Ceebs]

So my Asus DC2 670 I got back in July died. Just up and cut out video in the middle of a movie and will not work even after letting it cool down in case it was overheating.

How big of a pain in the ass is this going to be to replace?

 

[Plasmid]

I found this build on Reddit and i was wanting a second opinion. I'm wanting to play games on high settings THIS GEN (Skyrim, Battlefield, etc).

 

[xJavonta]

I found this build on Reddit and i was wanting a second opinion. I'm wanting to play games on high settings THIS GEN (Skyrim, Battlefield, etc).

Pretty good build, but why did they bother adding a keyboard and not a mouse? lol

e: as far as games this gen on high, it should handle it. You may have to turn down the AA to 2x in Skyrim but overall it'll be totally fine.

 

[JayDub]

So the only way to get Windows 7 is through a third party retailer?

 

[Ledsen]

For a price range of $0-800, which rig could possibly play skyrim or most games nowadays? Is it possible?

It's more than possible, $800 is way more than you need for a console port like Skyrim.

If i was to get a rig, how often are they in need of an update hardware wise? Can someone with little computer knowledge (in coding, overclocking etc) use them with relative ease? I'm wanting a computer that can play skyrim, battlefield, GTA, most recent gen games on high settings but don't want to have to update it and buy a bunch of upgrades very often.

Coding? That's like asking if you have to be a jeweler to be able to wear jewelry You have nothing to worry about. You don't need to oveclock if you don't want to (although it's about as hard as setting the timer on your microwave if you do it the easiest way). How long a computer lasts depends on a lot of things: what you buy (low-mid-high-end), which games you're going to play (already released games or future 720/PS4 games) and how picky you are (do you need 60 fps at all times, high settings on everything etc). If you want to play Battlefield 3 on High settings I would probably recommend the enhanced ($754) build, because that game is very demanding. You could play it no problem on the $574 standard build and it would still look and run much better than on console if you want to save some money, but Enhanced is going to last you longer. It will destroy current gen game, max settings everything, tons of AA and 60 fps at all times. From what your expectations seem to be, your mind will be blown.

Pretty good build, but why did they bother adding a keyboard and not a mouse? lol

e: as far as games this gen on high, it should handle it. You may have to turn down the AA to 2x in Skyrim but overall it'll be totally fine.

I run Skyrim at 8x AA on my 560Ti, max settings everything (Shadows High though) and it's an almost constant 60 fps. I have a 2500k @ 4.5 GHz though so I don't know if that helps me.

 

[beje]

Keep your eye out on the HAF XB if you are cool with that kind of aesthetic.

What's up with that case? Most I've been able to find is this pic:

And almost no place is selling it, the most I could find was a Swiss shop where I got that pic. In newegg, it says the item "has been deactivated" and it's not even in the official Cooler Master websites (neither USA nor Spain) so I'm mildly intrigued.

 

[Plasmid]

What's a good monitor that's less than ~$150? I'm guessing i won't be using my TV for my monitor usage haha

e:

After looking around EVERYWHERE i think im going to go with GAF's $754 build. having a build built for me gives me no reference in the case i come into trouble. For the $754 build should windows 7 home premium 64 bit be used?

Also what else will i need? A wireless card? D:

 

[beje]

What's a good monitor that's less than ~$150? I'm guessing i won't be using my TV for my monitor usage haha

e:

After looking around EVERYWHERE i think im going to go with GAF's $754 build. having a build built for me gives me no reference in the case i come into trouble. For the $754 build should windows 7 home premium 64 bit be used?

Also what else will i need? A wireless card? D:

Depends on your needs but if you're not sure, yeah, Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit is all you need.

32 bit OS should only be used for pre-Dual Core old-ass CPUs, some modern Atom-like CPUs which don't support 64 bit instructions or compatibility with some old/weird hardware (like my old Canon scanner from '98 that still works like a champ, but not in x64 Windows, have to use Ubuntu for it) because first of all, 32 bits limits your RAM to just 3.5GB doesn't matter how much you have installed.

For the wifi card, just check if a PCI-Express x1 slot (those really really short ones) is free in your mobo (this is, not hidden directly under the GPU) and go with your favorite model. If not, just get a PCI one, no difference in function but the PCI-E one might be a little bit more futureproof. If unsure, just get a USB dongle and call it a day.

 

[Hazaro]

What's a good monitor that's less than ~$150? I'm guessing i won't be using my TV for my monitor usage haha

e:

After looking around EVERYWHERE i think im going to go with GAF's $754 build. having a build built for me gives me no reference in the case i come into trouble. For the $754 build should windows 7 home premium 64 bit be used?

Also what else will i need? A wireless card? D:

The above reddit build is fine, but I like mine overall as a complete package better.
Swap in a BP550 power supply. If you want to cut cost and you won't overclock, get the i5 3450 CPU.
I use this for wireless: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RCKDEC/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Pick whatever size monitor you want from this list: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...2&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=RATING&PageSize=20
64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 8 64-bit should be used.