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[kharma45]

Well it'd be nice to stay at around $100, but I could go higher. I've always skimped out on power supplies. Maybe I should get a nice one now..

I'm going straight in with an over-budget option, $140 after rebate gets you this Seasonic X 850w which is one of the very best on the market

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151102

Modular, very quiet, very high quality, 80 Plus gold and it can pull over 1000 watts when stressed, you'll really not go wrong if you can afford it.

Fake edit - You can get this 750w XFX Gold PSU which is just the Seasonic I posted above rebranded, would be my choice and it's a bit closer to your budget too at $120

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207029

Basically flawless according to this review http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/arti...ition-Full-Modular-Power-Supply-Review/1695/1 and can pull 950w under full load. Would definitely be my choice.

 

[Smokey]

Moved from the 500r back to the original OG that started it all for me..the FT02:

I love this case! But working in it... You can tell it's an older case. Everything requires a screw driver. The backplate opening doesn't line up with the motherboard. Luckily I already had the back plate installed from my H100, so when it came time to put in the H80i, I already had that taken care of.

For those that haven't seen this case before there are 3 180mm fans at the bottom and the motherboard is at a 90 degree angle. A single 120mm exhaust is up top which is where the H80i is set up in push/pull config.

Another thing...cable management*:

Got a lot of work to do here obviously. My PC has grown a lot from when I originally had this case (a single Asus DCII 580) to what you see in the pic. I have the PCIe cables to the two Titans, fan cables coming from the H80i pump, a USB connector as well that allows me to use Corsair Link 2 to control the fans. The back of the case isn't even on yet as I need to tie things down. It even looks like I have a non-modular PSU. I just wanted to get it up and running last night as I spent more time getting it moved over then I intended, but need to finish this because right now it's terrible.

What it looks like at night:

I tried to get the Corsair logo to match the green color of the cards as much as possible ha. It's a lot closer to it in person that what it looks like in this pic. Also need to download the EVGA LED controller for the cards.

Night and day craftsmanship between this and the 500r. Really solid feel to it. Very little if any plastic pieces. Very industrial design. Foam sound dampening padding in the case. I love it and wish Silverstone would come out with an updated model..

*

Spoiler

Don't judge me I know it sucks right now. I'm going to fix it lol

!

 

[Dave_6]

Cool!

 

[PairOfFilthySocks]

I'm guessing DDR2 is wildly outdated now? That's what's in my old desktop, I was considering taking some out and putting it in a new one.

 

[kennah]

I'm guessing DDR2 is wildly outdated now? That's what's in my old desktop, I was considering taking some out and putting it in a new one.

Wildly outdated. You need new ram in a new computer.

 

[2San]

anyone else mad enough to use a HDTV as a monitor ? 43in 1080p LG, screen looks fantastic with HDMI. Had to lower the sharpness and other bits but looks as good as any LCD ive owned before just hugely bigger LOL.

Screen lag would kill me(I even play console games on my monitor).

I'm guessing DDR2 is wildly outdated now? That's what's in my old desktop, I was considering taking some out and putting it in a new one.

Wildly outdated. You need new ram in a new computer.

Honestly at this point a RAM upgrade is pointless. You need to go for a new pc at this point(you can salvage some parts though).

 

[Koroviev]

Is Mass Effect 3 worth $20? I need high-res aliens in space. I blame the bullshot thread.

 

[outunderthestars]

I just received an awesome discount from Dell, and want to buy a basic alienware x51 for my girlfriend. Windows 7 and 8 are both the same price. Is there any negative impact, in relation to gaming, to go with W8 instead of W7?

 

[mastershake]

wall-o-text

I love how the titans light up like that. Makes the inside of my case look so ugly

 

[Zeth]

Anyone with a single 680 or lesser single card do 120hz/1440P? I'm tempted to make it my next upgrade, but I kind of want to wait for 7xx series and/or SLI. Maybe I'm becoming an IQ whore, but I feel like I won't get my desired performance at higher res.

I guess I can always wait and see what the next round of panels is like.

 

[Koroviev]

Anyone with a single 680 or lesser single card do 120hz/1440P? I'm tempted to make it my next upgrade, but I kind of want to wait for 7xx series and/or SLI. Maybe I'm becoming an IQ whore, but I feel like I won't get my desired performance at higher res.

I guess I can always wait and see what the next round of panels is like.

I have a 7950 and a 120Hz panel and I can easily get around 120 fps in DmC, but I haven't really experimented with other games.

 

[S1kkZ]

i finally have some money and want to get into pc gaming ( i am just sick of the sub30 fps that most console games have, like tomb raider as a current example).

i want to hook the pc up to my full-hd tv. if i can play most games in 1080p (or even 720p) with max settings and rock solid 30 fps (60 would be nice), i would be more than happy.

would the "enhanced - best value" pc from the op good enough for this (i5, gtx 670..)? my budget is limited for now but with a new job coming up, i should be able to upgrade the pc by the end of 2013 or 2014.

 

[Koroviev]

i finally have some money and want to get into pc gaming ( i am just sick of the sub30 fps that most console games have, like tomb raider as a current example).

i want to hook the pc up to my full-hd tv. if i can play most games in 1080p (or even 720p) with max settings and rock solid 30 fps (60 would be nice), i would be more than happy.

would the "enhanced - best value" pc from the op good enough for this (i5, gtx 670..)? my budget is limited for now but with a new job coming up, i should be able to upgrade the pc by the end of 2013 or 2014.

Think bigger. You will easily pull 60fps with a 670 and a 3570k.

 

[Smokey]

Anyone with a single 680 or lesser single card do 120hz/1440P? I'm tempted to make it my next upgrade, but I kind of want to wait for 7xx series and/or SLI. Maybe I'm becoming an IQ whore, but I feel like I won't get my desired performance at higher res.

I guess I can always wait and see what the next round of panels is like.

For 120hz and 1440p+ if you want to maintain 120fps/60fps and close to high settings SLI is the only way to make that happen. In less you play games with simpler visuals then the usual, modern games.

i finally have some money and want to get into pc gaming ( i am just sick of the sub30 fps that most console games have, like tomb raider as a current example).

i want to hook the pc up to my full-hd tv. if i can play most games in 1080p (or even 720p) with max settings and rock solid 30 fps (60 would be nice), i would be more than happy.

would the "enhanced - best value" pc from the op good enough for this (i5, gtx 670..)? my budget is limited for now but with a new job coming up, i should be able to upgrade the pc by the end of 2013 or 2014.

You should consider yourself more than happy then because a 670 at 1080p is great. Especially coming from a console your mind will be blown.

 

[S1kkZ]

thanks guys. ok, time to build a pc in the upcoming weeks...

 

[Sandfox]

Am I the only one who thinks its unfair that people who buy the 78xx cards get Tomb Raider while the people who buy 79xx cards get Crysis? On that note I'm close to being able to buy my 7950 and I was wondering which one I should get?

 

[Koroviev]

Am I the only one who thinks its unfair that people who buy the 78xx cards get Tomb Raider while the people who buy 79xx cards get Crysis? On that note I'm close to being able to buy my 7950 and I was wondering which one I should get?

I think it makes sense. Crysis 3 is the more demanding game, resource-wise.

On that note, I would never pick a video card based on the free games that might come with it. If I'm spending $300+ on a video card, then I should be able to afford $30 for a game.

 

[Sandfox]

I think it makes sense. Crysis 3 is the more demanding game, resource-wise.

I understand that but I'd rather have Tomb Raider lol

 

[kennah]

Buy two and Crossfire and you get all the games.

 

[Gremmie4]

I asked this earlier but I think it got lost in the thread.

Has anyone ordered any used components from the Amazon warehouse? I'm thinking of buying a video card but I was looking to see if anyone has had any bad experiences with Amazon's used products.

 

[Koroviev]

I asked this earlier but I think it got lost in the thread.

Has anyone ordered any used components from the Amazon warehouse? I'm thinking of buying a video card but I was looking to see if anyone has had any bad experiences with Amazon's used products.

I would avoid used components unless you're buying from someone on GAF.

 

[mkenyon]

I just received an awesome discount from Dell, and want to buy a basic alienware x51 for my girlfriend. Windows 7 and 8 are both the same price. Is there any negative impact, in relation to gaming, to go with W8 instead of W7?

Some games don't work. There were some issues that have since been sorted out. I still prefer 7 as it feels like the ultimate in design for a workstation operating system.

 

[ss_lemonade]

Is a used HIS 7970 for $275 a good deal? Someone nearby is selling one for that price but I've never used a HIS product and I don't know if this one will OC well.

 

[Pandemic]

Gahhh, I'm so indecisive with choosing a PC build.. :/

 

[Koroviev]

Gahhh, I'm so indecisive with choosing a PC build.. :/

You really can't go wrong with a combination of the high-end parts listed in the OP. Hunt for some deals and be happy.

 

[Kipp]

Gahhh, I'm so indecisive with choosing a PC build.. :/

I feel ya. I'm already a very indecisive person, but when there are ~10 separate pieces that need to be decided, all of which are fairly expensive and all of which are quite complex... Goodness.

Rationally, I know what Koroviev says is true, but still.

 

[Pandemic]

You really can't go wrong with a combination of the high-end parts listed in the OP. Hunt for some deals and be happy.

True, I've just been tossing up between a few builds that other people have built for me.

Mainly been staring at this build,

Once I get home I'll probably combine all the recommendations together of what people have said and see what the GAF community says on it.

I feel ya. I'm already a very indecisive person, but when there are ~10 separate pieces that need to be decided, all of which are fairly expensive and all of which are quite complex... Goodness.

Rationally, I know what Koroviev says is true, but still.

Exactly, so much to choose from, especially when it's your hard earned cash that's at stake.

 

[mr stroke]

I asked this earlier but I think it got lost in the thread.

Has anyone ordered any used components from the Amazon warehouse? I'm thinking of buying a video card but I was looking to see if anyone has had any bad experiences with Amazon's used products.

Ordered a bunch of stuff from Amazon warehouse never had a problem. If its a "like new" its generally still in the original packaging. Plus Amazon will always cover you if its DOA.

 

[Gremmie4]

I would avoid used components unless you're buying from someone on GAF.

I usually do avoid used products since if I'm spending $300-$400 on something I'm more comfortable with a warranty. I didn't even think to check on GAF for a used card though. I'll have to follow that thread to see if any 7970’s pop up.

Ordered a bunch of stuff from Amazon warehouse never had a problem. If its a "like new" its generally still in the original packaging. Plus Amazon will always cover you if its DOA.

That's great to hear. It would be great if the cards I am looking at were like new but they are listed as very good. I'm guessing the like new ones are cards people didn't even put in their systems. Have you had any experience with stuff that was listed in the very good category?

 

[asdad123]

Any recommendations in for a case with the best noise dampening? I saw the Define R4 mentioned, but I want to see if theres any other good ones. ATX/mATX doesnt matter.

Will be putting in a GTX570 and a 3570k with a h60 cooler.

 

[lolmoose]

I usually do avoid used products since if I'm spending $300-$400 on something I'm more comfortable with a warranty. I didn't even think to check on GAF for a used card though. I'll have to follow that thread to see if any 7970’s pop up.



That's great to hear. It would be great if the cards I am looking at were like new but they are listed as very good. I'm guessing the like new ones are cards people didn't even put in their systems. Have you had any experience with stuff that was listed in the very good category?

I ordered a sound card from Amazon Warehouse and it works perfectly . came in original box and everything.

 

[Koroviev]

Any recommendations in for a case with the best noise dampening? I saw the Define R4 mentioned, but I want to see if theres any other good ones. ATX/mATX doesnt matter.

Will be putting in a GTX570 and a 3570k with a h60 cooler.

The Define R4 is more or less the reigning king of sub-$200 cases.

 

[Smokey]

Got the FT02 cleaned up as best I could. I've missed this case! Looks great and besides it being a little rough when it comes to installing/tidying up I'm happy I went back to it. Three huge 180mm fans and as quiet as can be on the low setting. Did some bench marking with the Titans and they were throwing a huge amount of heat outside of the case, which is great. Nearly two years after buying this case I finally have the appropriate GPU cooling system to take advantage of it.

I bought mine in April of 2011 for $239. Quick glance at Amazon shows that it's only $10 cheaper two years later? Dunno if that speaks more to the case or what but that's interesting to note. Shame it doesn't look like Silverstone has any plans to release a follow up.

Also the H80i is putting in work and looks great. The included fans that come with are doing a great job of keeping things cool. Corsair Link 2 is also a godsend. Being able to control everything through software rater than having to always open the case is a much welcomed addition.

 

[IMACOMPUTA]

I'm going straight in with an over-budget option, $140 after rebate gets you this Seasonic X 850w which is one of the very best on the market

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151102

Modular, very quiet, very high quality, 80 Plus gold and it can pull over 1000 watts when stressed, you'll really not go wrong if you can afford it.

Fake edit - You can get this 750w XFX Gold PSU which is just the Seasonic I posted above rebranded, would be my choice and it's a bit closer to your budget too at $120

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207029

Basically flawless according to this review http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/arti...ition-Full-Modular-Power-Supply-Review/1695/1 and can pull 950w under full load. Would definitely be my choice.

Sweet, man. Thanks for the recommendation.
So with a higher powered psu should I have better luck overclocking my 6950s?
Haven't really been able to push them too far without problems.

 

[mr stroke]

I usually do avoid used products since if I'm spending $300-$400 on something I'm more comfortable with a warranty. I didn't even think to check on GAF for a used card though. I'll have to follow that thread to see if any 7970’s pop up.



That's great to hear. It would be great if the cards I am looking at were like new but they are listed as very good. I'm guessing the like new ones are cards people didn't even put in their systems. Have you had any experience with stuff that was listed in the very good category?

yes and never had a problem. The "very good" might not with original packaging though.

 

[mr stroke]

Can anyone recommend a Mini Mobo and Case for a HTPC?

Deciding weather to buy an Alienware X51 or build my own HTPC but am not familiar with HTPC cases or Mobos. Need something that would fit a GTX670+i7 3770

 

[Scalemail Ted]

GeForce TITAN (No, really. Compute is godlike.) If you are picking a GTX680 4GB vendor, then tmk the ASUS, MSI, GB are all ok. MSI tweaked some of their 660Ti/670 voltages though, so if you don't want to support that go ASUS/GB. (ASUS looks a lot nicer imo).
Cooling solution... Honestly on a rig like that, buy what you think looks nicest and doesn't suck. Corsair makes a neat looking package with their AIO water stuff and AF fans with color rings. H80i / H100i depending where you want the exhaust. Larger area gives you more wiggle room with quieter fans.
"Cooler Master Silent Pro Hybrid 1050 W" - I have to say you should get something more recent as the cables on this don't look great. Seasonic X or Corsair AX series. (As a bonus you can get colored sleeved PSU cables in Black, White, Red, or Blue) http://www.corsair.com/en/professio...ndividually-sleeved-modular-cables-white.html

When I see that much money dropped it should be a bit more special imo.

Thanks for the insight! Placed my final orders today, can't wait till everything arrives

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Just got my 7970 today! This thing is a beast compared to my 5870... although that card was no slouch, either.

Played a bit of Crysis 3 (free code came with the card) and it looks incredible. I think I'm going to go back and play Crysis 2 first, since I dropped it after realizing I couldn't play with everything up and with tessellation enabled on my 5870.

 

[DSN2K]

OH MY, just played my first game of BF3 on Ultra 1080p 60+ fps! didn't think my 7850 would play it so well, I'm impressed.

 

[Littlegator]

Hey GAF, I'm trying to build my parents a new PC for under $400. My dad makes a local TV show, and wants to use Adobe Premier to storyboard his show at home (no rendering, just moving clips around and playing it in real time). Can I get a decent build for under $400 that can do this, or is it an unreasonable request?

I'll be giving them a <1 year old 500GB HDD and they already have a mouse, kb, optical drive, and monitor, so I don't need those in the build.

 

[AkIRA_22]

Hey guys. It's a rainy Sydney weekend and I've decided to fool around with the over clock on my 3930k. I want to make it more efficient at 4.6GHz it's seems OK at Vcore 1.37 idle and 1.42 at load, it OCCT tests at about 70 degrees on the hottest core. Now these are a little higher than I'd like, particularly the Vcore. Do I need to worry about a 1.42 Vcore at 100% load?

I have had it at 4.8 and 5.0GHz but at very high Vcore (5.0 was at 1.5V!) so the chip is good. Here are the other parameters. Any help would be appreciated. I've got an Asrock Fatal1ty Professional Motherboard.

 

[mkenyon]

Hey guys. It's a rainy Sydney weekend and I've decided to fool around with the over clock on my 3930k. At 4.6GHz it's seems OK at Vcore 1.37 idle and 1.42 at load, it OCCT tests at about 70 degrees on the hottest core. Now these are a little higher than I'd like, particularly the Vcore. Do I need to worry about a 1.42 Vcore at 100% load?

I have had it at 4.8 and 5.0GHz but at very high Vcore (5.0 was at 1.5V!) so the chip is good. Here are the other parameters. Any help would be appreciated. I've got an Asrock Fatal1ty Professional Motherboard.

I wouldn't worry at all about those temps on OCCT. OCCT = stability testing, not temp testing. Do some Small FFT or even Blend if you want to get a better idea of temps.

 

[AkIRA_22]

I wouldn't worry at all about those temps on OCCT. OCCT = stability testing, not temp testing. Do some Small FFT or even Blend if you want to get a better idea of temps.

Just running a Prime95 FFT test, temps range from 68-78 depending on the core (core#0 is particularly high). It's showing 1.44 Vcore, is that with in the expected zone for a 4.6GHz OC?

 

[Hazaro]

Hey GAF, I'm trying to build my parents a new PC for under $400. My dad makes a local TV show, and wants to use Adobe Premier to storyboard his show at home (no rendering, just moving clips around and playing it in real time). Can I get a decent build for under $400 that can do this, or is it an unreasonable request?

I'll be giving them a <1 year old 500GB HDD and they already have a mouse, kb, optical drive, and monitor, so I don't need those in the build.

Anything in the Dell Outlet/Refurb store with an i5 / i7 / FX 81xx that fits in your budget. I'm not sure how much GPU will impact usage.

Real dirty you can take the budget build, swap in a used GTX460 for like $50, change mobo to AMD and put in an FX 8120 for the sameish price. Then you need Win 7 though.

OH MY, just played my first game of BF3 on Ultra 1080p 60+ fps! didn't think my 7850 would play it so well, I'm impressed.

7850 is no slouch.

 

[Littlegator]

Any help trimming this build to $400?

NZXT Source 210 - $40
GTX 550 Ti 1GB - $130
ThermalTake TR2 430W PSU - $40
G.SKILL 8GB 240pin DDR3 1333 - $45
ASRock B75M-DGS LGA 1155 - $53
i5-3470 $200

Total: $508

EDIT:

Anything in the Dell Outlet/Refurb store with an i5 / i7 / FX 81xx that fits in your budget. I'm not sure how much GPU will impact usage.

Real dirty you can take the budget build, swap in a used GTX460 for like $50, change mobo to AMD and put in an FX 8120 for the sameish price. Then you need Win 7 though.

7850 is no slouch.

Dangit, my timing is horrible. I'll look at your advice and see what I can figure out. Thanks. And I've got an extra MSDN W7 license.

 

[Koroviev]

Any help trimming this build to $400?

NZXT Source 210 - $40
GTX 550 Ti 1GB - $130
ThermalTake TR2 430W PSU - $40
G.SKILL 8GB 240pin DDR3 1333 - $45
ASRock B75M-DGS LGA 1155 - $53
i5-3470 $200

Total: $508

EDIT:


Dangit, my timing is horrible. I'll look at your advice and see what I can figure out. Thanks. And I've got an extra MSDN W7 license.

I have a new 650ti that I'd be willing to sell for a bit less than that if you're interested.

And I understand that you're on a tight budget, but I wouldn't spend $200 on an i5 that you can't overclock. I would either go for an i3 or spend an extra $20 for the 3570K.

Edit: oh, I see that the build is not for you. Offer still stands on the 650ti.

 

[Littlegator]

I have a new 650ti that I'd be willing to sell for a bit less than that if you're interested.

And I understand that you're on a tight budget, but I wouldn't spend $200 on an i5 that you can't overclock. I would either go for an i3 or spend an extra $20 for the 3570K.

I mean this build is for my parents. They're really never going to need to overclock. It's just a daily machine that my dad wants to do some light video editing on. If I can find a GTX 460 for $50 like Hazaro said, I'd be golden.

 

[kennah]

I'm so sad that I couldn't snatch up the 570 that was listed in the GAF B/S/T thread for $75. It was gone in 15 minutes. I was first to PM, but didn't have the cash. (Would be perfect for the Hackintosh I want to put together with my Q6600)

 

[mkenyon]

Just running a Prime95 FFT test, temps range from 68-78 depending on the core (core#0 is particularly high). It's showing 1.44 Vcore, is that with in the expected zone for a 4.6GHz OC?

Do you have auto voltage on?

 

[Pandemic]

Not sure if this build is any good, I tried pulling everyone's recommendations together and put them into one build, not even sure if the parts are compatible.. PC will be mainly for gaming.