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[mkenyon]

GAF, what say you.

Option 1) LD PC-V7 - very little modification

Option 2) Heavily modified Apple G5, would include a fill strip and powdercoat, would even require some welding.

Option 3) Modified MagicCube AIO - probably a fresh powdercoat, different grills.

Option 4) Modified Lian Li PC-V750 - would modify this quite a bit, probably again a powdercoat.

 

[Koroviev]

GAF, what say you.

Option 1) LD PC-V7 - very little modification



Option 2) Heavily modified Apple G5, would include a fill strip and powdercoat, would even require some welding.



Option 3) Modified MagicCube AIO - probably a fresh powdercoat, different grills.



Option 4) Modified Lian Li PC-V750 - would modify this quite a bit, probably again a powdercoat.

I like Option 1.

 

[kennah]

I say the Lian Li 750 or the G5. And take the handles off the G5

 

[mkenyon]

I say the Lian Li 750 or the G5. And take the handles off the G5

Literally impossible. The handles and the back panel are the same piece of aluminum.

 

[Koroviev]

Yep, looks like I'm doing either a refresh or a fresh install when I get home. Windows 8 and motherboard swaps don't gel.

 

[kennah]

Literally impossible. The handles and the back panel are the same piece of aluminum.

That just sounds like the words of a quitter to me.

 

[angelfly]

The G5 gets my vote. I've always thought that case was sexy.

 

[Irobot82]

Option 3.

 

[Koroviev]

Going to delid an old Intel processor at work. For science.

 

[Dave_6]

G5 cause it looks like a full ATX Prodigy.

 

[mkenyon]

Going to delid an old Intel processor at work. For science.

Get the Cool Laboratory Pro?

G5 cause it looks like a full ATX Prodigy.

Yeah, always been drawn to both for that reason.

 

[kennah]

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Clearance/Item/9a8c5a63-2c49-4dee-9180-0362353fcce3

Samsung 2233RZ Open Box for $130.

Good deal? Says 'dead pixel in top right'

 

[AkuMifune]

I just can't believe how positive the reviews for the Antec BP550 Plus are. If I only need 500 watts is there any reason to spend $30 more on an Antec High Current Gamer PSU or even $60 more on a Corsair HX series as I'm so tempted to do?

 

[mkenyon]

Nope. With the Seasonic ones, you get absolute rock solid capability though.

 

[kennah]

If you want modular or suspect you'll ever do SLI then go for it.

EDIT: Also this just popped up for less than I ended up paying for the 670 (after shipping and duty)

XFX 7970 for $320. Missing box and display port adapter.

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Clearance/Item/03932aa0-4129-4f28-855b-11d4a43f15e7

 

[killertofu]

I would pursue the modular option, but that seems a bit expensive. I just bought the HX650W from Frys a few weeks ago and I think it was less than $100.

Thanks for the Frys tip, about 20 dollars cheaper than Amazon.

 

[Iacobellis]

GAF, what say you.

Option 1) LD PC-V7 - very little modification

Or

Option 2) Heavily modified Apple G5, would include a fill strip and powdercoat, would even require some welding.

 

[Arsenic]

So I have a new 256gb SSD arriving tomorrow which is set to replace my current 64gb SSD. A couple of questions..

1) this ssd (samsung 840 non-pro) comes with software that migrates data from an old drive to this new one. Is it possible to do this with an OS already installed on the old drive?

2) should i ever bother with replacing the old drive? Are there any advantages (besides convenience) to just using the new drive in addition to my old one?

I also have a 1tb hdd i use for normal storage.

Thanks!

Still looking for advice guys! Anything will be appreciated.

 

[killertofu]

http://www.frys.com/product/7545226?site=sa:adpages

A 660TI with 3GB of RAM? Everyone said the 2GB would only get 1.5 GB of RAM... would this be a bad purchase still?

 

[kennah]

Yep. Still has the 192 bit memory. Hilarious

 

[angelfly]

Still looking for advice guys! Anything will be appreciated.

1) Yes, the software will work with an OS already installed
2) Whether or not it's worth it is up to you. If you're happy with the 64GB drive as a boot drive then keep and use the 840 for games or something.

 

[Momentary]

GAF, what say you.

Option 1) LD PC-V7 - very little modification



Option 2) Heavily modified Apple G5, would include a fill strip and powdercoat, would even require some welding.



Option 3) Modified MagicCube AIO - probably a fresh powdercoat, different grills.



Option 4) Modified Lian Li PC-V750 - would modify this quite a bit, probably again a powdercoat.

I like the PC-V7 and the PC-V750. I would go with option 1 since I wouldn't have to do too much wok on anything. The thought of having to modify of case intimidates me.

 

[Touch]

I'm getting pretty excited. 3570k/Z77 Extreme4 should be here Tuesday along with other components. Have yet to order a graphics card because I really don't know what to order. I don't really play any graphic heavy games (WoW, CS, LoL, DoTA, TM) So not sure if I should spend a lot of money on a card or just get something simple.

 

[SaintR]

If you want modular or suspect you'll ever do SLI then go for it.

EDIT: Also this just popped up for less than I ended up paying for the 670 (after shipping and duty)

XFX 7970 for $320. Missing box and display port adapter.

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Clearance/Item/03932aa0-4129-4f28-855b-11d4a43f15e7

I would buy that right now if i lived in Winnipeg..... . i guess I shouldnt complain since we have microcenter here but that's a good deal.

 

[kennah]

Yeah I'm a little tempted but want to rock team green for a bit. Eyeing up the dead pixel 120hz monitor they have for $130. Will check it out when I grab my motherboard

 

[Koroviev]

I'm getting pretty excited. 3570k/Z77 Extreme4 should be here Tuesday along with other components. Have yet to order a graphics card because I really don't know what to order. I don't really play any graphic heavy games (WoW, CS, LoL, DoTA, TM) So not sure if I should spend a lot of money on a card or just get something simple.

2GB 7850 would probably serve you well.

 

[Momentary]

Anyone know where I can get my hands on Samsung's RAM? Been looking for over a week now and can't find any place that's stocked other than over priced crap by resellers.

Also, does anyone have a guide to setting up LEDs in a case. I'm wanting to purchase white LEDs that just illuminate my case enough to show off the inside. I'm not looking to do anything loud or crazy. Just subtle.

 

[iavi]

Installing the Corsair H80i in the Corsair 550d, ironically enough, was hell. The rubber grommets meant for the rear exhaust are fantastic for dampening sound, but prevented the installation screws from extending all the way through the pull fan, into the radiator. I had to push HARD to get it to stay in place long enough for me to screw it in. Felt like I was bending the frame at moments.

Anyway, Water loop is installed, 3570k's been OC'd to 4.3ghz and Prime95 stress tests are running this moment. Real Temp has the highest temp so far at 67c on the third core, and the test has been running for 10 minutes.

With those temps, I think I may have hit the wall on this chip on the first go. I really wanted 4.4~4.5, but Ivy doesn't play nice.

 

[Koroviev]

Installing the Corsair H80i in the Corsair 550d, ironically enough, was hell. The rubber grommets meant for the rear exhaust are fantastic for dampening sound, but prevented the installation screws from extending all the way through the pull fan, into the radiator. I had to push HARD to get it to stay in place long enough for me to screw it in. Felt like I was bending the frame at moments.

Anyway, Water loop is installed, 3570k's been OC'd to 4.3ghz and Prime95 stress tests are running this moment. Real Temp has the highest temp so far at 67c on the third core, and the test has been running for 10 minutes.

With those temps, I think I may have hit the wall on this chip on the first go. I really wanted 4.4~4.5, but Ivy doesn't play nice.

I'm not having a good time with the H60 right now

I finally got everything up and running following a clean install of Windows 8 (and realizing a total rookie mistake...not having both monitors turned on when you have two monitors hooked up OTL) and then the H60 pump started making this obnoxious grinding sound. Turning the case on its side resolved the issue, but it's obviously not a permanent fix, so I tried adjusting some BIOS settings...and the pump just stopped working altogether. Manually shut down before the CPU could overheat.

So, then I started examining how I have the unit connected to the motherboard. On the H77 it was obvious in such a way that I didn't really even think about it, but now I'm a tad confused. The three-pin connector for the pump needs constant power, but it can't be set to PWM...then there's the four-pin connector for the fan, which I have hooked up to the CPU header. Current idle temps suck (~65C), but I think it has to do with how hot it was running earlier and the fact that the H60 only has a single 120mm rad. CPU idle temp was ~30C when the pump was making the grinding sound (which it had never done with the old motherboard). Fwiw, the new motherboard is a Gigabyte Z77X UP4 TH being used in conjunction with a 3770K.

Suggestions welcome! I'm tired

On the plus side, this 120Hz monitor is awesome. I have my old 60Hz monitor set up as the secondary display, but the difference is really night-and-day. I certainly wouldn't mind having a second 120Hz panel, but I'll see how I get a long with these two for a bit. Don't think I'll be buying any other 60Hz panels, IPS be damned (for now, anyway).

 

[Akai__]

so I am looking to upgrade from my gtx 460 possibly soon. I have been looking at these two 660 ti's

card 1

and

card 2

just wondering if its worth it for 3gb vs 2? I game at 1080p, any advice?

If you play games, which are (heavily) modded you should grab the 3GB version.

If not, I would go with the 2GB version.

 

[Koroviev]

If you play games, which are (heavily) modded you should grab the 3GB version.

If not, I would go with the 2GB version.

660ti can only utilize 1.5GB of VRAM due to it having a 192-bit bus. That applies to the 2GB model. Not sure about the 3GB version.

 

[Whooter]

660ti can only utilize 1.5GB of VRAM due to it having a 192-bit bus. That applies to the 2GB model. Not sure about the 3GB version.

3GB has the same 192-bit bus. It's a waste.

 

[Koroviev]

Done with the cooler for tonight, er, this morning. I'll bother myself with reinstalling the whole thing after I get some sleep.

Edit: Got curious and pulled the heatsink off just now. It was making great contact with the CPU. I'm really at a loss for what's up here and hope it's not something that will require RMA <:T

 

[Hazaro]

660ti can only utilize 1.5GB of VRAM due to it having a 192-bit bus. That applies to the 2GB model. Not sure about the 3GB version.

Can only utilize 1.5GB at full bandwidth iirc

3GB has the same 192-bit bus. It's a waste.

I wouldn't say it's a waste, depends on the pricing of GTX 670's.
It'll still be able to effectively utilize 2.25GB at full under best case scenario. End of the day it's about frames per dollar.

Regardless the better value is towards the 7950 for performance/$.

*The 3GB models seem to only be $20 more, not a bad deal at all for a non reference board.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125450

 

[Sandfox]

I'm trying to decide what type of ram to pick up from Microcenter tomorrow and 16 GB of Samsung ram would cost me $120...

I'll probably just end up going for another brand and save $20-30 I guess.

 

[Koroviev]

I'm trying to decide what type of ram to pick up from Microcenter tomorrow and 16 GB of Samsung ram would cost me $120...

I'll probably just end up going for another brand and save $20-30 I guess.

Why 16GB?

 

[Hazaro]

I'm trying to decide what type of ram to pick up from Microcenter tomorrow and 16 GB of Samsung ram would cost me $120...

I'll probably just end up going for another brand and save $20-30 I guess.

It's a nicety, but RAM is really only to make an average of like 1% difference.
If you buy Kingston you support eSports in NA at least. Everyone of note gives lifetime warranty and pretty sure nearly all of them have hassle free RMA.

Samsung ram only good if you are benching or want nice low profile black sticks. The Crucial tiny RAM should be similar.

so even though it says 3gb, it doesn't actually have that usable? any way to put it in layman's terms? lol

GTX660Ti is 4 oreo halves, but you can only layer 3 sides to touch and bathe your tongue in sugary goodness. The last half sits on top of the piece in your mouth and gets... soggy? Trying to save this analogy at 5am.

 

[AwesomeSauce]

Corsair Carbide 500r for $31.50 plus shipping. Refurbished though.

http://www.corsair.com/us/outlet-st...seriestm-500r-mid-tower-case-refurbished.html

coupon code is: washington

 

[Hazaro]

thanks lol, so is it even worth it for only 30 more? if not at all, I'll go 2gb

7950 is a better buy. If you want nVidia at $300 I'd get the Gigabyte one I linked above.

Depending on how long you keep it and what resolution and games/mods you are using it's debatable if you'll run into the 1.5GB vRAM main cap on a 2GB, but it's nice to not worry about it.

 

[GHG]

Yep. Still has the 192 bit memory. Hilarious

3GB has the same 192-bit bus. It's a waste.

so even though the 660ti says 3gb, it doesn't actually have that usable? any way to put it in layman's terms? lol

GTX660Ti is 4 oreo halves, but you can only layer 3 sides to touch and bathe your tounge in sugary goodness. The last half sits on top of the piece in your mouth and you can get to it... only after eating all the other pieces. It's there but isn't great.

My god so much incorrect information regarding the 660/ 660 Ti regarding the capability for memory usage.

The 2GB versions are crippled, not the 3GB versions. With the 2gb versions they have modified the architecture to fit an extra .5GB of ram for mostly marketing purposes. A natural configuration for the 192 bit bus would be 1.5GB but what they have done is add an extra .5 GB onto the card using a single bit memory controller. Its literally like taping some VRAM on with duct-tape. This creates a situation whereby if the card is forced to use more than 1.5GB of vram the performance tanks because when using that single bit controller the bandwidth is reduced to 48 GB/s from the usual rate of 144 GB/s.

With the 3GB versions, the configuration is more natural as all they have done is double the size of the memory using the original architecture as it was intended, no sticky tape needed, all 3GB can be accessed at 144 GB/s.

Basically they should have sold these cards with either 1.5 GB or 3 GB of VRam, but because they didn't want the cards to seem inferior to the AMD mid range cards they bumped the memory up on the 1.5 GB versions to 2GB in a way that is pointless to the end-user.

TL;DR Version: If you have decided on the 660 or 660 Ti as your next card, DO NOT buy the 2GB version, get a similarly priced 3GB version, your games will thank you for it. In any case, if you are going for a single card configuration, a 7950 would probably be a better buy (they are similarly priced here in the UK).

 

[Hazaro]

My god so much incorrect information regarding the 660/ 660 Ti regarding the capability for memory usage.

The 2GB versions are crippled, not the 3GB versions. With the 2gb versions they have modified the architecture to fit an extra .5GB of ram for mostly marketing purposes. A natural configuration for the 192 bit bus would be 1.5GB but what they have done is add an extra .5 GB onto the card using a single bit memory controller. Its literally like taping some VRAM on with duct-tape. This creates a situation whereby if the card is forced to use more than 1.5GB of vram the performance tanks because when using that single bit controller the bandwidth is reduced to 48 GB/s from the usual rate of 144 GB/s.

With the 3GB versions, the configuration is more natural as all they have done is double the size of the memory using the original architecture as it was intended, no sticky tape needed, all 3GB can be accessed at 144 GB/s.

TL;DR Version: If you have decided on the 660 or 660 Ti as your next card, DO NOT buy the 2GB version, get a similarly priced 3GB version, your games will thank you for it. In any case, if you are going for a single card configuration, a 7950 would probably be a better buy (they are similarly priced here in the UK).

I wasn't positive from the wording of the Anandtech article, it's just the last 0.5GB going at slower speeds right? (Obviously horrible, but want to know)

That makes much more sense than what I was extrapolating this late. (i.e Why would they use 3Gb chips on 8 sockets and then cut some). Also explains why the 660Ti 3GB has 6 chips on the back of it. Thanks.

so the 7950, being an nvidia user can I expect the amd issues I always seem to hear about or are naysayers just very vocal about it? never had one, just making sure lol. And what about physx on amd, is such a thing even possible?

AMD drivers have come along way since old perceptions.

You can run PhysX on some titles either with hacks, or using CPU PhysX (Usually limited). Don't count on it. It's not that great anyway imo and the physics can run at different update rates compared to FPS sometimes. As an nVidia owner I wouldn't miss it.

 

[kennah]

My god so much incorrect information regarding the 660/ 660 Ti regarding the capability for memory usage.

The 2GB versions are crippled, not the 3GB versions. With the 2gb versions they have modified the architecture to fit an extra .5GB of ram for mostly marketing purposes. A natural configuration for the 192 bit bus would be 1.5GB but what they have done is add an extra .5 GB onto the card using a single bit memory controller. Its literally like taping some VRAM on with duct-tape. This creates a situation whereby if the card is forced to use more than 1.5GB of vram the performance tanks because when using that single bit controller the bandwidth is reduced to 48 GB/s from the usual rate of 144 GB/s.

With the 3GB versions, the configuration is more natural as all they have done is double the size of the memory using the original architecture as it was intended, no sticky tape needed, all 3GB can be accessed at 144 GB/s.

Basically they should have sold these cards with either 1.5 GB or 3 GB of VRam, but because they didn't want the cards to seem inferior to the AMD mid range cards they bumped the memory up on the 1.5 GB versions to 2GB in a way that is pointless to the end-user.

TL;DR Version: If you have decided on the 660 or 660 Ti as your next card, DO NOT buy the 2GB version, get a similarly priced 3GB version, your games will thank you for it. In any case, if you are going for a single card configuration, a 7950 would probably be a better buy (they are similarly priced here in the UK).

Hey thanks for clearing that up! Good to have the full story.

 

[GHG]

I wasn't positive from the wording of the Anandtech article, it's just the last 0.5GB going at slower speeds right? (Obviously horrible, but want to know)

That makes much more sense than what I was extrapolating this late. (i.e Why would they use 3Gb chips on 8 sockets and then cut some). Also explains why the 660Ti 3GB has 6 chips on the back of it. Thanks.

AMD drivers have come along way since old perceptions.

You can run PhysX on some titles either with hacks, or using CPU PhysX (Usually limited). Don't count on it. It's not that great anyway imo and the physics can run at different update rates compared to FPS sometimes. As an nVidia owner I wouldn't miss it.

If the GPU is forced into a situation where it is using the extra .5 GB of memory then essentially it creates a bottleneck where the overall bandwidth for each frame rendered would be reduced to the lowest common denominator (48 GB/s).

It wouldn't be feasible to have a scenario where memory assess is much quicker for certain textures (example) whilst slower for others without it having a detrimental impact on the overall performance unless devs code for this kind of scenario (which they don't of course because of the sheer variety of PC configurations out there).

 

[GHG]

which 7950 would you guys recomend then? which has the best cooler/ is factory oc'd/ has the best warrant etc?

Warranty would depend on what country you are in. Ideally, if something goes wrong you don't want to be having to ship your card abroad as turnaround time can take forever.

Gigabyte and ASUS ones are generally well regarded AKAIK.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

All I can say is pass on HIS cards.

I had to RMA a card and the turn-around was as about 45 days.

:-|

 

[TheD]

All I can say is pass on HIS cards.

I had to RMA a card and the turn-around was as about 45 days.

:-|

Once had to RMA a HIS card that had the "grey screen of death" problem, fuckers said nothing was wrong with it!

 

[JayDub]

All I can say is pass on HIS cards.

I had to RMA a card and the turn-around was as about 45 days.

:-|

Chiming in with a bad experience as well. Mines took 4 months. And only after constant emails/calls. Multiple reminders. And this was all with a polite and downright understanding tone. It was only the last call that I started to act like an "asshole" customer before I got any results.

Who knows if I would've ever gotten the RMA if I didn't complain.

 

[kn0wsk1lls]

i ended up going with a pre built pc from ibuypower(i know-_-). i was too lazy to put it together. ran me 950$ im going to buy an ssd separately. whats a good ssd brand to get? thinking about getting a 256gb one. also gonna probably sell all the free games it comes with except tomb raider. if interested send me a pm.

Case (NZXT Guardian 921 RB Gaming Case - Red))
Processor (Intel® Core™ i5-3570K Processor (4x 3.40GHz/6MB L3 Cache) - Intel Core i5-3570K))
Motherboard (Gigabyte GA-Z77-HD3 -- 4x USB 3.0))
Memory (8 GB [4 GB X2] DDR3-1600 Memory Module - G.Skill Ripjaws X))
Video Card (AMD Radeon HD 7870 - 2GB - Single Card))
Case Lighting (Meteor Light w/ 8 Speed settings - Red))
Power Supply (500 Watt - Standard))
Processor Cooling (Corsair Hydro Series H60 Liquid CPU Cooling System - Standard 120mm Fan))
Primary Hard Drive (2 TB HARD DRIVE -- 64M Cache, 7200rpm, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive))
Optical Drive (24X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black))
Sound Card (3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard))
Network Card (Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100)))
Meter Display (NZXT Sentry 2 Touch Screen Fan Controller & Temperature Display))
Free Stuff ([FREE Game Download] - Tomb Raider + Bioshock Infinite - Free with purchase of any AMD Radeon HD 7800 Series Graphics Card))
Free Stuff ([FREE Game Download] - DiRT Showdown - Free with purchase of AMD Processor / Radeon video card))
Free Stuff ([FREE Game Download] - Far Cry3 + 20% OFF code for Medal of Honor Warfighter - Free with purchase of AMD Radeon HD 7770 or above))
Free Stuff ([FREE Game Download] - Sleeping Dogs - Free with purchase of AMD Radeon HD 7870 or above))
Internal Expansion ([6-Port] NZXT Internal USB Expansion System + Bluetooth & Wireless N Modules))
1 x Free Headset ([FREE] EagleTech Arion Foldable Bluetooth 3.0 Headset - Black/Red))

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Corsair Carbide 500r for $31.50 plus shipping. Refurbished though.

http://www.corsair.com/us/outlet-st...seriestm-500r-mid-tower-case-refurbished.html

coupon code is: washington

DAMN, I might have bit in a heartbeat. Love that case. Currently housing my x79 build.

I have a question, core 1 on my CPU is a little hotter than the rest. I'm getting the urge to clean it out and reseat the h100i. I've downclocked my CPU to 4.6 and temps are more than acceptable but with a peak of 68c on an Intel Burn Test but the other cores are about 3-7C cooler.

which 7950 would you guys recomend then? which has the best cooler/ is factory oc'd/ has the best warrant etc? Personally liking the xfx double d with the lifetime warranty

MSI Lightning cards are the best.

 

[Momentary]

Anyone know where I can get my hands on Samsung's RAM? Been looking for over a week now and can't find any place that's stocked other than over priced crap by resellers.

Also, does anyone have a guide to setting up LEDs in a case. I'm wanting to purchase white LEDs that just illuminate my case enough to show off the inside. I'm not looking to do anything loud or crazy. Just subtle.

Still wondering if anyone has any advice on this. Just wondering what the resident experts have before I start using Google.

Also has anyone here ever bought a refurbished monitor from Tigerdirect? I wanted to get a specific one there and it's like 60% off the regular price. Figured that would be a good deal unless what they consider refurbished is actually garbage.