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"I need a New PC!" 2012 Thread. Ivy, SSDs, and reading the OP. [Part 2]

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Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Just know the WD Black is loud.
Samsung 840/830>Crucial M4>Corsair Force 3/GT>everything else for an SSD. The 840 is on sale for $80 today on Newegg.
840 seems to need some extra time on the wild. The 840 Pro should be good, but costs more.
 
There is no benefit to windows 8 for gaming plus losing the start menu makes it needlessly diffiult to use a mouse and keyboard for launching. I clean installed, asus audio drivers didnt work, mumble has issues, nvidia surround has issues, benchmarking is slower and it goes on. Why bother making your desktop experience worse and have possible issues? Stick with win 7

dont have any of these issues and my games are running pretty great so far. For now win 8 isn't bad although the new start button takes some time to get used to
 

mkenyon

Banned
See, that's the problem when recommending an OS. The only thing people have to go on is totally anecdotal unless you work at Microsoft and have access to a large set of data. Bugs aren't widespread, they're specific issues with specific settings/hardware that others might not encounter.

The truth, even though it's no fun to say, is that we can't know for sure yet. When talking about something that is as important to a computing experience as an operating system, the only safe bet you have is to go with the known stable platform.
 
So, dual proc boards are dual Xeon workstation boards. You're looking at socket 1366 or 2011. You will also need a case that can hold the giant boards, as they are an entirely different form factor.

You can go 1366 and score a good deal on some used 1366 Xeon procs and grab an EVGA SR-2, or go 2011 with the ASUS Z9PE-D8. You can't overclock 2011 Xeon processors at all, but they'll still outpace the 1366 procs.


Buy the FM2 board from NCIXUS.

Yes, you should get two sticks of RAM.

Samsung 840/830>Crucial M4>Corsair Force 3/GT>everything else for an SSD. The 840 is on sale for $80 today on Newegg,

You can do a clean install of Win 8 from an upgrade, iirc.

NCIX US has it on backorder. I found a seller on eBay that is reputable with a 30-day return policy selling them for $96 shipped which seems like a decent price without being so decent that it's sketchy, so I may go through him/her.

What's the benefits of 2 sticks? Dual-channel stuff?

I'll look into SSDs more and double-check that Win 8 thing. Any idea if the rig I'm setting up will be reasonable on temperatures? I can only imagine that between the lack of a dedicated GPU and being able to remove some cables thanks to a modular power supply it shouldn't be too heat-intensive? I've got my zip ties all ready to work on the cable management as well.
 
There is no benefit to windows 8 for gaming plus losing the start menu makes it needlessly diffiult to use a mouse and keyboard for launching. I clean installed, asus audio drivers didnt work, mumble has issues, nvidia surround has issues, benchmarking is slower and it goes on. Why bother making your desktop experience worse and have possible issues? Stick with win 7

Start menu is there still. Just different.

For fast access... Winkey + q. Type in whatever program/game. Enter... Otherwise gaming performance is virtually the same or at least no worse than any other OS transition and the actual OS is much more optimized and less resource intensive other older Windows versions.
 
I don't know which GPU to buy :(

7970 vs 7950!! Educate me gaf!! My 5850 burned out back in June 2012 and I haven't really gamed a lot since then. I should be studying but I need some stress relief
 

mkenyon

Banned
I have been using Windows 8 at work and on my main gaming rig at home since the RTM, the only piece of software I am having trouble with is the old vsphere client.
My post above:
See, that's the problem when recommending an OS. The only thing people have to go on is totally anecdotal unless you work at Microsoft and have access to a large set of data. Bugs aren't widespread, they're specific issues with specific settings/hardware that others might not encounter.

The truth, even though it's no fun to say, is that we can't know for sure yet. When talking about something that is as important to a computing experience as an operating system, the only safe bet you have is to go with the known stable platform.
I don't know which GPU to buy :(

7970 vs 7950!! Educate me gaf!! My 5850 burned out back in June 2012 and I haven't really gamed a lot since then. I should be studying but I need some stress relief
They're both good buys, get whatever one works with your budget better.
 
See, that's the problem when recommending an OS. The only thing people have to go on is totally anecdotal unless you work at Microsoft and have access to a large set of data. Bugs aren't widespread, they're specific issues with specific settings/hardware that others might not encounter.

The truth, even though it's no fun to say, is that we can't know for sure yet. When talking about something that is as important to a computing experience as an operating system, the only safe bet you have is to go with the known stable platform.

I agree with this post (since even my response was basically anecdotal).



NoRéN;44302888 said:
What's the best option to buy Windows 7? I don't think it's listed anymore on Microsoft Store.

Amazon and NewEgg are 2 options.
 

mkenyon

Banned
660ti or 670! Down with AMD!

1920_3_2xAA.png


1920_5_8xAA.png


2560_3_2xAA.png


2560_5_8xAA.png


Those are a taste of things to come when games start using more VRAM in the coming year or so.
 
NoRéN;44303993 said:
I was hoping for a place that had the download version if possible. Guess I'm out of luck.

IIRC there was somewhere you can download the official isos (which have a 30 day trial period) and you would activate it with your legit product key but it sounds kinda shady due to the implication which this site is not really fond of. Someone here might remember it though
 

zulfate

Member
hola pc-gaf i have a problem :(

i built my friend a new pc like 6 months ago thanks to everyone here for helping me, but he said he was playing skyrim and went out for a smoke for about 10 minutes came back and the screen was dead. now his pc will turn on for 5-8 minutes and then the screen goes blank with no signal but the pc is still on he told me that he even pushes down the power button for 5-10 seconds and it wont even turn off, he has to flip the switch from the power supply. i think it might be his video card giving out on him but i am not a hardcore tech guy so i really dont know what it can be but i do feel bad since i built it. he has a evga 560 ti 448 core video card. he also mentioned that the monitor does work since he plugged in his ps3 into it. thanks alot guys i really appreciate it!
 

NoRéN

Member

mkenyon

Banned
Only way to figure out something like that is lots of troubleshooting. Eliminate one trouble area at a time with a different part until it starts working again.
NoRéN;44304750 said:
Thanks everyone.

That link isn't working for me.
It doesn't take you to a webpage, it just starts downloading an ISO file.
 
Can anyone answer this question: do all dual link DVI-D cables support up to 2540x1600 resolution? I see many on ebay that say max res is 1200p.
 
Just know the WD Black is loud.

I suppose this might sound strange nowadays, but I love a loud hard drive. It's been that way ever since my Quantum Fireball 18.2GB 7200 RPM drive that was not only very loud when accessing, but sounded like a jet taking off when it spun up during booting. I miss that sound, lol.

There is a WD Black 2TB sitting on my desk here waiting to go into a new build, so I hope it's decently loud.

Whilst typing this, I'm sitting here listening to my trusty 74GB Raptor grind away. :)
 

NoRéN

Member
Only way to figure out something like that is lots of troubleshooting. Eliminate one trouble area at a time with a different part until it starts working again.

It doesn't take you to a webpage, it just starts downloading an ISO file.

lol.

stupid me. Thanks.
 

zulfate

Member
Only way to figure out something like that is lots of troubleshooting. Eliminate one trouble area at a time with a different part until it starts working again.

is this for me if so that sucks as i cant get to him and he doesnt know anything lol. thanks mkenyon you are always helpful.
 
Hi there, I was hoping you guys could help me out with finding laptops for both my mum and my sister. My parents are divorcing so we're starting off with pretty much nothing. I think you all can understand that we're a little low on money so that's a pretty huge factor to keep in mind. The budget is something I came up with and is just a mere guideline.

My mother wants a small laptop she can do her online banking on, the occasional surfing on the internet and watching youtube videos. Nothing too big and expensive. We already have an iPad so there's no real need to get something portable, so battery life is no big factor. She just wants to create a small working environment where she can take care of stuff. Budget ~€300

My sister wants to play games though. She's an avid Sims fan so the laptop has to be at least capable of playing The Sims 3 and probably the future instalments in the years to come. She's not picky on graphics and image quality so she won't be needing an expensive gaming laptop, just something that can run The Sims 3 on medium. I told her that she can get more performance out of a desktop pc but she's determined to get a laptop. I know how this will play out and the laptop will pretty much be stationary with the battery hooked up to it 24/7, but she's my little sister so there's no way I'll be able to convince her otherwise. Build in webcam and mic are also a requirement. Budget ~€500
 

raven777

Member
Just curious, does Newegg has sale for new GPUs during Black Friday? I am thinking of 660ti but wondering if I should wait until blackfriday to get it.
 
Just bought a Gigabyte 670 for 340€ with free Assassins Creed 3 and Borderlands 2. Upgrading from a 560 Ti.

Good decision? Mistake?

This thread has been giving some good praise for the 670 (and that Gigabyte version of it also) plus with those free games i think you did well imo (though i'm not so privy on euro pricing).
 

chixdiggit

Member
Put together a new PC using two hard drives from an old build. I had these drives previously set up in Raid 0. I noticed that in the old build during start up that one of the drives would give me an error but once it booted Windows everything worked fine.

Now with the new build I can see both drives plus my new SSD when I'm in the Bios but once I start windows the drive is no where to be found. Can I assume it's dead? Anything to do to test it?
 

mkenyon

Banned
is this for me if so that sucks as i cant get to him and he doesnt know anything lol. thanks mkenyon you are always helpful.
Yeah, sorry :(
Hi there, I was hoping you guys could help me out with finding laptops for both my mum and my sister. My parents are divorcing so we're starting off with pretty much nothing. I think you all can understand that we're a little low on money so that's a pretty huge factor to keep in mind. The budget is something I came up with and is just a mere guideline.
Not a lot of folks here know much about laptops. Check out the Laptop Thread.
Put together a new PC using two hard drives from an old build. I had these drives previously set up in Raid 0. I noticed that in the old build during start up that one of the drives would give me an error but once it booted Windows everything worked fine.

Now with the new build I can see both drives plus my new SSD when I'm in the Bios but once I start windows the drive is no where to be found. Can I assume it's dead? Anything to do to test it?
Was it hardware or software RAID0?

Have you added the drive through disk management? It won't just show up unless you add it as a volume in Windows.
Stop with the Windows 8 hate. Seriously, stop it. There is NOTHING wrong with it.
I don't see Windows 8 hate anywhere. Don't transfer prior arguments you've had on the net into this thread please. I like to imagine we're all very rational people.
 

tafer

Member
Welp, time to ask the experts for some advice about multiple "issues" I currently have with some builds:

1. SSDs for laptops:
I'm looking for the best overall SSD for a couple of laptops: a MacBookPro (Core i7 SandyBridge) and a Toshiba Satelite Pro (Core i5 SandyBridge).
At this point it seems that the Samsung 830 (256GB) is the best choice, but I want to hear opinions.
Keep in mind that both machines are going to be used for software development and that this upgrade isn't a necessity. If someone thinks that this upgrade is pointless, please let me know! (I'm kinda new with SSDs on laptops)

2. Budget build for my brother:
My brother is currently looking for a PC and I wanted to help him giving him my current GPU and memory while I upgrade my current PC, this is the build I have so far:
- Intel Core i3-3220 Dual-Core Processor 3.3 Ghz 3 MB Cache LGA 1155
- AS Rock LGA1155 Intel Z77 CrossFireX SATA3 USB3.0 A GbE ATX Motherboard Z77 PRO4
- Western Digital Caviar Blue 500 GB SATA III 7200 RPM 16 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive
- Antec BP550 Plus 550W ATX12V V2.3 Modular Power Supply (For some reason is cheaper than a regular one)
- GTX570 (My current GPU)
- 8GB RAM (1600MHz, my current RAM)

3. Upgrading my PC:
My current PC:
- Intel Core i7 2600k
- ASUS P8P67 LGA 1155
- GTX570 (I'm giving this to my brother)
- Corsair Enthusiast Series TX 750 Watt
- 8GB RAM 1600MHz (I'm also giving this to my brother)
- 120 GB Intel 320 SSD.
- 640 GB WD HDD for general storage.

This machine is used for games, software development and virtualization.

Considering that I'm upgrading only the memory and the GPU, this is what I think is the best I can get for the moment:
- GIGABYTE GV-N670OC-2GD GeForce GTX 670 Windforce OC 2048MB GDDR5 256-bit PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Graphics Card
- Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4x4GB) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory (CML16GX3M4A1600C9)

All suggestions or comments are welcome!

Any advice?

Ugh... new page.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Any advice?

Ugh... new page.
Yeah, Samsung 830 (probably 840/840 Pro too, I'd feel safe in buying one at least) and Crucial M4 are the go-to SSDs for reliability.

Your brother's upgrade looks good, but unless you are planning on eventually going with an unlocked processor on his build (like your 2600K as a hand-me-down), then go with an H77 motherboard to save some money. Throw it in a BitFenix Outlaw, Merc Alpha, Rosewill Challenger, or Diablotek Evo.

There's no point in upgrading to 16GB of RAM really. If you're dead set on it, get the Samsung 30nm RAM as it can clock to 2000/2133 no problem. It's also super low profile which is great.

The Gigabyte 670 Windforce is a silent beast. Definitely the way to go.

*edit*

Just stopped by my local computer shop and they had the ASRock FM2 ITX boards in stock. I couldn't resist. Now I just need to finalize a case and buy an A10. Can't wait to run some overclocked benches on it with the Samsung 30nm RAM. I'm hoping for good things. Comfy couch gaming in a tiny form factor could be pretty rad.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Oh I have been. Game is sooooo good. It's like that same high you get playing Geometry Wars 2 but with even better music and more strategy. So freaking good.
 

Anustart

Member
Is there a successor to Sandy/Ivy bridge anywhere on the horizon? I'm going to be building another PC next year... Google told me Haswell, but that seems like a mobile chip solution?
 

mkenyon

Banned
Oh, that stuff is already purchased. We're good. Just waiting on confirmation from EK.
Is there a successor to Sandy/Ivy bridge anywhere on the horizon? I'm going to be building another PC next year... Google told me Haswell, but that seems like a mobile chip solution?
Haswell is indeed it. It's looking like modest performance gains, but huge power savings. There's speculation going off of a few one liners from intel that it might be a great processor for overclocking, but we won't know until test samples are out. Looking like March-June 2013 for release.
 

JayDub

Member
Any advice?

Ugh... new page.

Your PC is a beast. Would you considering selling it as is if you change your mind about parting the GPU and memory to your bro? Actually, would anyone consider selling your PC? Just PM me with your specs and price. I'd like a decently high end PC (Ivy or Sandy..I can do without SB-E).
 
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