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[CreepingFear]

I have a crap CPU, so im going to buy a new one, which one should I get?

i5 3.4 or i7 3.5? there seems to be 100€ difference bwtween the two.

i7 if you are going to do more than just gaming such as video editing or Virtual Machines, the i5 is all you need for gaming now, but that could change with more next generation titles using multi threaded hyper threading.

Personally, I'd hold out for a few months until Haswell is released if you can.

 

[kharma45]

Pretty much what CreepingFear said, not much more to add.

 

[Templar Wizard]

yep, gaming only. 249€ isnt so bad for a good performance jump, im currently on a e6750

 

[kennah]

yep, gaming only. 249€ isnt so bad for a good performance jump, im currently on a e6750

Ehn, wait for Haswell. What kind of video card do you have right now?

 

[t-ramp]

yep, gaming only. 249€ isnt so bad for a good performance jump, im currently on a e6750

Well, you'll need a new motherboard as well. And maybe RAM.

 

[Damian.]

Intel Core i5 3570K 3.4 GHz LGA1155

Intel Core i7 3770K 3.5 GHz LGA1155

I would choose the i7 now as more and more games will start to take advantage of it. I get a 10-15fps difference with HT turned on in Crysis 3.

 

[turbosnail]

I hate to pester, but this is something I need advice for, badly. The "CRC" error I keep getting was what I believed to be physical hard drive failure, so after getting a new hard drive the error is still persisting. Multiple people on google searches are saying that RAM might be the issue, if i add 4 more gigs and that doesn't solve the issue, what can it possibly be?

 

[Templar Wizard]

I have a GTX 660ti, a rocket in a Lada

 

[XShagrath]

I'm probably getting a 7950 really soon for my birthday. What' s a good model to ask for? The Gigabyte one is a little long for my case, so I was thinking of one of the Sapphire models. However, it looks like almost all of those are out of stock (at least at newegg).

What other manufacturers or websites should I look at?

I'll also be running two monitors. Does it matter if one is HDMI and one is DVI? Or do I need to look at a card that has two of the same port type?

 

[ColonelSkills]

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/PNkv

Decided to wait for my tax return before picking up a new system to replace my rapidly aging machine.

Thoughts on this? I realize there's a LOT there that's away from the optimal bang-for-your-buck ratio that's in the OP, but there's a little splurging going on in a few components. (The case is a big one, I like that aesthetic because I have awful taste in things.)

 

[kharma45]

I'm probably getting a 7950 really soon for my birthday. What' s a good model to ask for? The Gigabyte one is a little long for my case, so I was thinking of one of the Sapphire models. However, it looks like almost all of those are out of stock (at least at newegg).

What other manufacturers or websites should I look at?

I'll also be running two monitors. Does it matter if one is HDMI and one is DVI? Or do I need to look at a card that has two of the same port type?

There are very few bad ones. I'd try to avoid the reference models and anything XFX.

All depends on what your budget is. Probably your best choice http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/PNkv

Decided to wait for my tax return before picking up a new system to replace my rapidly aging machine.

Thoughts on this? I realize there's a LOT there that's away from the optimal bang-for-your-buck ratio that's in the OP, but there's a little splurging going on in a few components. (The case is a big one, I like that aesthetic because I have awful taste in things.)

I'd look to the 4GB 670 maybe as an alternative to that 2GB 680. Change your PSU to this, it's the 750w one of the one you've picked with an XFX badge on it

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

You might already know but Haswell is less than two months away if you want the latest and greatest from Intel.

 

[Coldsnap]

How the hell do you guys game on Windows 8 without D3DOverrider? Old games that dont force V-sync like Metro 2033 has TERRIBLE screen tearing, gives me a headache while playing.

 

[A.Romero]

I'm probably getting a 7950 really soon for my birthday. What' s a good model to ask for? The Gigabyte one is a little long for my case, so I was thinking of one of the Sapphire models. However, it looks like almost all of those are out of stock (at least at newegg).

What other manufacturers or websites should I look at?

I'll also be running two monitors. Does it matter if one is HDMI and one is DVI? Or do I need to look at a card that has two of the same port type?

I got the xfx double d a few months back and it has worked flawlessly so far. It is up there with the big cards though. I actually had to upgrade the case for it to fit...

 

[ColonelSkills]

I'd look to the 4GB 670 maybe as an alternative to that 2GB 680. Change your PSU to this, it's the 750w one of the one you've picked with an XFX badge on it

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

You might already know but Haswell is less than two months away if you want the latest and greatest from Intel.

Yeah, I'm aware of Haswell's impending release. I'm not certain of how attractive the pricing will be at launch, though, and I'm looking on building this in short order to replace what I've got.

The major CPU throttle in my system will likely be streaming instead of the games I'm playing, but I imagine the 3770K will handle this fine. The CPU throttle might be somewhat pronounced if I start doing stuff like Dolphin, which I hear can be pretty taxing at times. (My current system runs it terribly, not even worth giving it a go. )

That said, I have thought about the change for the card with the larger VRAM. I realize it'd help with going for super sampling, if I started down that route, but I'm the sort of person who'd take frames over that anyway. Then again, the minute difference between the 670 and 680 in terms of raw clock speed would be hardly noticeable, I suppose.

 

[AndyBNV]

Haswell IDF news thread: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=538455

 

[mkenyon]

Yeah, I'm aware of Haswell's impending release. I'm not certain of how attractive the pricing will be at launch, though, and I'm looking on building this in short order to replace what I've got.

The major CPU throttle in my system will likely be streaming instead of the games I'm playing, but I imagine the 3770K will handle this fine. The CPU throttle might be somewhat pronounced if I start doing stuff like Dolphin, which I hear can be pretty taxing at times. (My current system runs it terribly, not even worth giving it a go. )

That said, I have thought about the change for the card with the larger VRAM. I realize it'd help with going for super sampling, if I started down that route, but I'm the sort of person who'd take frames over that anyway. Then again, the minute difference between the 670 and 680 in terms of raw clock speed would be hardly noticeable, I suppose.

1) Haswell will release at the same price point the current 3570K and 3770K are at.

2) Get a capture card for streaming.

3) 670s and 680s haven't been shown to improve performance very definitively with more VRAM. I think it's better to go for a $300-400 price point and upgrade when the next big VRAM/memory bandwidth cards release. Or just go with a 7950/7970.

 

[Cannon Goose]

How the hell do you guys game on Windows 8 without D3DOverrider? Old games that dont force V-sync like Metro 2033 has TERRIBLE screen tearing, gives me a headache while playing.

This is the sole reason I went back to Windows 7.

 

[Coldsnap]

This is the sole reason I went back to Windows 7.

I think I might too. What's the process of downgrading to Windows 7?

 

[abunai]

Does anyone (mkenyon perhaps?) know if there are any major discrepancies/equivalent of chip lottery with monitor panels? I just did the "lightboost" hack for my Samsung S23700D'S, and people claim visual artifacts on any response time setting above "normal", and added input lag.
I get zero visual artifacts on the fastest setting and don't experience any added input lag. I've been playing competitive FPS since ~2000, so i'm extremely sensitive to both. If there is any difference, it's beyond negligible. Just curious if I'm going insane or have anomalous monitors..

 

[Felix Lighter]

How the hell do you guys game on Windows 8 without D3DOverrider? Old games that dont force V-sync like Metro 2033 has TERRIBLE screen tearing, gives me a headache while playing.

What GPU do you have?

 

[Coldsnap]

What GPU do you have?

GTX 540 MSI Twin FROZR II

 

[Cardigan]

My friend wants to get a gaming PC to play some SC2 and Sim City. I know he will want to play other games as well so I want to get him a decent video card. I was thinking about getting him this PC:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883155582
And replacing the 7570 with a 7850. The grand total for that would be about $780. I checked the Dell forums and a 7850 will work/fit in the case.

I also priced out a DIY build with similar specs:

Intel Core i5-3350P Ivy Bridge 3.1GHz
ASRock Z77 Pro3 LGA 1155 Intel Z77
SAPPHIRE 100355L Radeon HD 7850 2GB
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB
Antec VP-450 450W ATX
COOLER MASTER HAF 912
LG 24X DVD Burner
Logitech MK120 Black USB Wired Slim Desktop Mouse/Keyboard
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM

Total: $870

Would I be a fool to get him the prebuilt Dell? I know that DIY building is generally cheaper than prebuilt so I'm questioning whether or not I'm missing something and why the prebuilt is about $100 cheaper than DIY.

 

[Felix Lighter]

GTX 540 MSI Twin FROZR II

Oh ok. Nevermind. I was just going to suggest trying RadeonPro to force Triple buffered vsync on the off chance that you had an AMD GPU.

 

[Poker360]

My friend wants to get a gaming PC to play some SC2 and Sim City. I know he will want to play other games as well so I want to get him a decent video card. I was thinking about getting him this PC:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883155582
And replacing the 7570 with a 7850. The grand total for that would be about $780. I checked the Dell forums and a 7850 will work/fit in the case.

I also priced out a DIY build with similar specs:

Intel Core i5-3350P Ivy Bridge 3.1GHz
ASRock Z77 Pro3 LGA 1155 Intel Z77
SAPPHIRE 100355L Radeon HD 7850 2GB
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB
Antec VP-450 450W ATX
COOLER MASTER HAF 912
LG 24X DVD Burner
Logitech MK120 Black USB Wired Slim Desktop Mouse/Keyboard
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM

Total: $870

Would I be a fool to get him the prebuilt Dell? I know that DIY building is generally cheaper than prebuilt so I'm questioning whether or not I'm missing something and why the prebuilt is about $100 cheaper than DIY.

Better off building one.

AMD recommends minimum 500W power supply with a 7850 i thought, though.
If price is a concern, go AMD. I build my friend a computer for about $750 - $800 with a 7850.

 

[kharma45]

Better off building one.

AMD recommends minimum 500W power supply with a 7850 i thought, though.

Recommended wattages mean nothing. Depending on your system you could easily run one on a good 350-400w PSU.

 

[Cardigan]

Better off building one.

Care to elaborate on why?

 

[kharma45]

You'll get better quality components and a warranty for each individual one if you build a machine rather than buy off the shelf.

 

[Poker360]

You'll get better quality components and a warranty for each individual one if you build a machine rather than buy off the shelf.

This.

 

[Shambles]

You'll also be able to re-use components in future builds rather than being forced to throw the Dell away wholesale thanks to the usual OEM proprietary shenanigans.

 

[theSlacker]

Your wish has been granted.

There should be a new Arc Mini and Define Mini soon as well.

Too bad that there aren't any leaked pics going around. Of the 350d I mean. Can't really trust them to do an amazing design since the only case of theirs I really like is the 550d. Looks aren't everything of course so waiting for details and pics of the inside of it. Do wounder why they decided to make it a matx case.

On second thought I really don't, since they don't seem to have any others yet. Still think I would go with a TJ08B-E if I wanted matx though.

 

[Whiteshirt]

Buying off the shelf isn't terrible for certain applications like a parentputer (tablets are better now) since warranty is through one source. The general idea is that the more powerful the system is, the better off it is to go for a DIY system.

In such a case, you can get a DIY desktop with a chassis you want, free Tomb Raider and Bioshock Infinite (you can sell these if you don't want them), a slightly faster processor, and a half decent PSU for around $800. You're overspending on that DIY desktop since there's no point getting a Z77 motherboard. As others have mentioned, you can reuse parts when you upgrade while with the Dell, its probably SOL.

 

[Cannon Goose]

I think I might too. What's the process of downgrading to Windows 7?

I did an upgrade over my old Windows 7 install to Windows 8, and the only way back from that was to just do a fresh reinstall of Windows 7.

Edit: However, if you have an AMD GPU you might have some luck with Radeon Pro's triple buffering http://www.radeonpro.info

 

[nbthedude]

New Egg is having a case sale right now.

I made a wish list of what I saw as the best deal for my buddy to check out since the case is the last thing he needs for his build. I tried to keep the prices reasonable and give him some choices ranging from $35-$99 but without putting anything on there that seems to be total junk.



https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=17129014

Anybody have any particular experience/fondness for any of these cases? Any potential problems with his build that I'm not forseeing with any of them?


His build is as follows:

i5 3570k
Sapphire 7950 Boost
Seasonic MII 650W Power Supply
Asrock Extreme 4
8GB DDR3
WD Blue 1TB Haddrive

 

[kharma45]

That link for the wishlist doesn't work, at least not for me.

 

[asdad123]

So I figured this might be a better place to post this than the BST forum..

I have a 850w PC Cooling Silencer MKIII .

Paid $180 plus tax for it last month.

I was planning on Crossfiring 7950s, but plans changed and Im going to stick with just one.

Anyone interested in trading a modular PSU that can handle my 7950 and 3570k plus some cash for this PSU? I would prefer the other PSU to be white to match my case, but its not required. Id also be willing to just sell it outright if someone wants it for $150. Original receipt is included for warranty if needed (7 years).

If this post shouldn't be in this thread, just let me know and Ill delete it.

 

[nbthedude]

That link for the wishlist doesn't work, at least not for me.

I think I fixed it. Let me know since I'm not sure because I'm logged in on newegg.

I put some notes on additional coupon deals/reasons I added them to the list for him but feel free to offer any advice about stuff I should add or take away.

 

[kharma45]

It keeps asking me to sign in as a customer. Print screen of it would do.

 

[ColonelSkills]

1) Haswell will release at the same price point the current 3570K and 3770K are at.

2) Get a capture card for streaming.

3) 670s and 680s haven't been shown to improve performance very definitively with more VRAM. I think it's better to go for a $300-400 price point and upgrade when the next big VRAM/memory bandwidth cards release. Or just go with a 7950/7970.

1) For some reason I figured the price would be more expensive. Based on what I know about Haswell (admittedly, only what could be considered cursory info), I'm not sure I'm willing to wait. The increase in performance will be there, but then again, this cycle of "wait for the next tick/tock" can repeat ad infinitum. I've already fallen victim to it a bit, so I think I'm just going to put my foot down in that regard.

2) Yeah, another consideration. Blackmagic Intensity still the go-to on this?

3) Also what I've heard, unless you're doing special things like filling Skyrim to the brink with all sorts of custom textures and mods. I can't imagine I'd notice in any capacity UNLESS I start fucking around with that; but I can't picture myself doing so. (Then again, if I had the hardware capable of it, I'd be more inclined to. So there's that.) In any case, I want to proof myself against having to get a 700 series card right away unless they blow me away whenever they end up dropping. (I'm agreeing with those who think it's a bit of a further ways away yet.) Both options are within budget, so I guess I gotta noodle on it a bit.

 

[nbthedude]

It keeps asking me to sign in as a customer. Print screen of it would do.

Ok. I put it on "public wishlist" but apparently that isn't working.

Here is the print screen but it doesn't include the coupon discounts/comments I added:

1
LIAN LI PC-7HX Black
Model #C-7HX
$79.99 (after discounts and coupon codes)


COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black
Model #:RC-912-KKN1
$59.99


COOLER MASTER Storm Enforcer SGC-1000-KWN1 Black
Model #:SGC-1000-KWN1
$79.99


COOLER MASTER HAF XB RC-902XB-KKN1 Black Steel
Model #:RC-902XB-KKN1
$89.99 (after mail in rebate)


Thermaltake V3 Black Edition VL80001W2Z
Model #:VL80001W2Z
$35 (after discounts)


Thermaltake Commander MS-I Epic Edition Black / Red
Model #:VN400A1W2N-B
$59.99


Thermaltake Chaser A31 VP300A1W2N Black Steel Computer Case
Model #:VP300A1W2N
$59.99

Corsair Carbide Series 300R Black Steel / Plastic
Model #:CC-9011014-WW
$79.99
1
NZXT Phantom 410 CA-PH410-R1 Red Steel / Plastic
Model #:CA-PH410-R1
$99.99


Rosewill REDBONE U3 Black SECC Steel
Model #:REDBONE U3
$44.99

Sentey Black Box Series BX1-4237 v2.2
Model #:BX1-4237 V2.2
$38

Sentey Extreme Division GS-6050 II Halcon Black
Model #:GS-6050 II Halcon
$46

Fractal Design Core 3000 FD-CA-CORE-3000-USB3-BL
Model #:FD-CA-CORE-3000-USB3
$69

 

[ZetaEpyon]

I hate to pester, but this is something I need advice for, badly. The "CRC" error I keep getting was what I believed to be physical hard drive failure, so after getting a new hard drive the error is still persisting. Multiple people on google searches are saying that RAM might be the issue, if i add 4 more gigs and that doesn't solve the issue, what can it possibly be?

Try a different SATA cable if you have one. A flaky cable can cause all sorts of weird issues. If that's the issue, then hey, cheap fix!

 

[turbosnail]

Try a different SATA cable if you have one. A flaky cable can cause all sorts of weird issues. If that's the issue, then hey, cheap fix!

The thing that connects the hard drive? I got a new one of those too :/

I think I should add that I only have 4 gigs of ram, which is a small amount for my computer. Can the lack of ram really be the cause of this? Or "bad" ram?

 

[kharma45]

Ok. I put it on "public wishlist" but apparently that isn't working.

Here is the print screen but it doesn't include the coupon discounts/comments I added:

Considered the R4?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...=-1&isNodeId=1&Description=fractal+r4&x=0&y=0

 

[heyf00L]

My hard drive is dying. It's a 500 GB and nearly full, so > 500 would be nice.

I've heard good things about hybrid drives, but I can only find them for laptops.

Do I have to buy a SSD and HDD separately?

 

[Bleeether]

Is anyone here Tech Savy with Adobe flash, I'm having the strangest experience with it. I've never had an issue like this before.

Basically, when i maximize a video in youtube the screen gets this foggy greyish tint over it. In skype, im testing my webcam and the video screen also has this foggy tint to it.

I tried using google chrome, and the youtube player doesn't grey out. SO strange.

I've uninstalled flash and reinstalled, that didn't fix it. I'm not at all sure it's even a flash problem.

Any ideas or where i can get help with this?

Edit: I figured out the problem. It was related to the color adjustments in Nvdia control Panel...

 

[Hazaro]

Thanks.

I've made some changes, based on feedback, and this is where I am now:

$1,500 and a Pro3 board? At least get an Extreme4, ~$150 ASUS board, or an MSI MPOWER.
Swap the TX750 to something nice and modular. XFX, Seasonic (M or X series), Corsair (HX or AX series). CM modular fine too.

*HX650 is priced not terribly, I'd get that.
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_354&products_id=21240

I hate to pester, but this is something I need advice for, badly. The "CRC" error I keep getting was what I believed to be physical hard drive failure, so after getting a new hard drive the error is still persisting. Multiple people on google searches are saying that RAM might be the issue, if i add 4 more gigs and that doesn't solve the issue, what can it possibly be?

Burn and run a Memtest 86+ for 15 minutes. If you get any errors you'll need to replace your RAM.

 

[nbthedude]

Considered the R4?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...=-1&isNodeId=1&Description=fractal+r4&x=0&y=0

Cleaned up the list a bit.

I think the R4 is a bit above what he probably wants to spend and it's not currently on sale. I haven't asked him what his top budget for a case is, but I doubt he wants to spend more than $100 and even then it would probably have to be pretty awesome case. I figure around $50-$70 is probably his sweet spot that's why most of the cases I selected are in that range.

 

[Shalashaska161]

I have a friend looking for a new PC monitor right now. I think he wants something 27", but he's worried about input lag so I think he's been scared off from anything IPS. So any recommendations for a solid 27" TN panel for $350 and under? 120fps or higher than 1080p resolutions are cool too.

 

[nbthedude]

My friend wants to get a gaming PC to play some SC2 and Sim City. I know he will want to play other games as well so I want to get him a decent video card. I was thinking about getting him this PC:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883155582
And replacing the 7570 with a 7850. The grand total for that would be about $780. I checked the Dell forums and a 7850 will work/fit in the case.

I also priced out a DIY build with similar specs:

Intel Core i5-3350P Ivy Bridge 3.1GHz
ASRock Z77 Pro3 LGA 1155 Intel Z77
SAPPHIRE 100355L Radeon HD 7850 2GB
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB
Antec VP-450 450W ATX
COOLER MASTER HAF 912
LG 24X DVD Burner
Logitech MK120 Black USB Wired Slim Desktop Mouse/Keyboard
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM

Total: $870

Would I be a fool to get him the prebuilt Dell? I know that DIY building is generally cheaper than prebuilt so I'm questioning whether or not I'm missing something and why the prebuilt is about $100 cheaper than DIY.

Well, for one, that Dell is out of stock and referbished. But it also woudln't leave you much room for future expansion or overclocking due to the processor, motheroboard, and power supply.

You could definitely go with a much cheaper motherboard than a Z77 if you aren't putting in a "K" based processor and therefore are not overclocking. But I just helped my friend put together a very similar build and with a little shoppoing around we got it done for under $750 with a i5 3570k and a 7950.

 

[kharma45]

nm.

 

[brentech]

Thanks.

I've made some changes, based on feedback, and this is where I am now:

Seems like a solid build bud. As Haz mentioned, I'd look into the ASRock Extreme4 motherboard.
Don't know exactly what your prices are like there in Aus, but I'd think you could get the same quality RAM for 20 bucks less to make up the difference on the board.

I just got the Fractal R4 myself. And while I'll stick with the 140mm fans that it came with until they sputter out, any extra fans purchased I'd go with 120mm version. They're just more effective (smaller, but push more air).
I have (2) 120mm CoolerMasters on the top of my R4, but would be nice to match with the Fractal silent 120mm's eventually (the ones I have push 4CFM more, but are also rated 4dBA louder than Fractal's own 120mm).

Regardless, a good build that should last you quite a while.