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[ArynCrinn]

I decided to go with the Sea Sonic X-650 v2. It there a better model for that kind of money?
I mean you can get better and better but it's bordering the limit I want to spend on a PSU.

For me the question came down to how much power do I expect to pull off this thing in the future. So if your current PSU is doing fine and anything you might upgrade won't extend the limits of the PSU, no need to spend any money.

If however you'll be putting in parts that will stress it too much I'd say upgrade to the very next level. Antec is also a solution, they make excellent PSU and are generally more affordable. I got the X-Series 1050watt (coming from a 1000watt Antec) because I plan to Tri-SLI my Titan setup at some point and I'll need that extra juice.

But it's really just a question of get what you might need to future proof.

 

[Hazaro]

For me the question came down to how much power do I expect to pull off this thing in the future. So if your current PSU is doing fine and anything you might upgrade won't extend the limits of the PSU, no need to spend any money.

If however you'll be putting in parts that will stress it too much I'd say upgrade to the very next level. Antec is also a solution, they make excellent PSU and are generally more affordable.

Currently the VP450 (and the BP550 when it isn't $70) are the one's I'd suggest for good value.

The EA's are much older and don't come with power cords (ease of setup for new people, here) and aren't priced competitively anymore. The HCG line has too high a DOA rate for my liking.

Above that and I'd lean towards the Seasonic G/M12II series, then what you see in the OP. on high end.

 

[Roland1979]

For me the question came down to how much power do I expect to pull off this thing in the future. So if your current PSU is doing fine and anything you might upgrade won't extend the limits of the PSU, no need to spend any money.

If however you'll be putting in parts that will stress it too much I'd say upgrade to the very next level. Antec is also a solution, they make excellent PSU and are generally more affordable.

I'll recalculate, I used a online "calculator" (estimator?). It included questions like SLI/Crossfire, overclocking, RAM, DVD readers/burners, HDD's, SSD's, fans, low/mid/high-end GPU, etc. I was clearly below 650 and probably 550 too (nearing 500 from what I recall) but with overclocking and the small price difference I don't want to take any risks (also a bit future proofing). But like I said, i will do it "test"again and later a final time on paper when the list is final. And if you say I'm throwing away money I'll reconsider.

 

[Sblargh]

Noob question:
To use a 5.1 headset (I'm thinking this one) do I need a 5.1 soundcard?

 

[Roland1979]

Noob question:
To use a 5.1 headset (I'm thinking this one) do I need a 5.1 soundcard?

From everything I read about it you are FAR better of with a good 2.0 headset and use virtual surround. Google it, "headphones virtual surround vs 2.0".
If you're going 2.0 for that kinda money you can go with a SteelSeries Siberia V2.

 

[Sblargh]

From everything I read about it you are FAR better of with a good 2.0 headset and use virtual surround. Google it, headphone virtual surround vs 2.0.
If you're going 2.0 for that kinda money you can go with a SteelSeries Siberia V2.

Oh, really? This is very good information. Thanks, brother.

But the, for the virtual sorround, I'll need a soundcard, right? (otherwise... why even bother with soundcards?)

 

[ArynCrinn]

I'll recalculate, I used a online "calculator" (estimator?). It included questions like SLI/Crossfire, overclocking, RAM, DVD readers/burners, HDD's, SSD's, fans, low/mid/high-end GPU, etc. I was clearly below 650 and probably 550 too (nearing 500 from what I recall) but with overclocking and the small price difference I don't want to take any risks (also a bit future proofing). But like I said, i will do it "test"again and later a final time on paper when the list is final. And if you say I'm throwing away money I'll reconsider.

Honestly as long as you're not throwing extremely power hungry GPU's in there along with an already OCed system. You should be fine.

 

[Mad Max]

Now all that's left is finding a decent vise.

 

[Roland1979]

Oh, really? This is very good information. Thanks, brother.

But the, for the virtual sorround, I'll need a soundcard, right? (otherwise... why even bother with soundcards?)

Yes. I have chosen the Creative Sounblaster Z after I saw this clip. The Z series is newer and supposedly better then the X-FI. Supposedly Xonar is a bit better for music and Creative with games.

 

[ArynCrinn]

From everything I read about it you are FAR better of with a good 2.0 headset and use virtual surround. Google it, "headphones virtual surround vs 2.0".
If you're going 2.0 for that kinda money you can go with a SteelSeries Siberia V2.

I ended up caving and bought the Astro A50 headset a while ago, never looked back. Don't even use my 7.1 system anymore (it's kind of old now). But yeah, a vote for the Astro A50 from me! Even though the A30's with mixamp look cooler, I wouldn't mind buying just a regular A30 for normal iPod use.

 

[Roland1979]

I ended up caving and bought the Astro A50 headset a while ago, never looked back. Don't even use my 7.1 system anymore (it's kind of old now). But yeah, a vote for the Astro A50 from me! Even though the A30's with mixamp look cooler, I wouldn't mind buying just a regular A30 for normal iPod use.

I have the Sennheiser PC 360 on my list. But I will only be able to us it on PC, you can use the Astro on consoles as well, that's a big plus.

 

[koji kabuto]

I'm really torn apart between 3770k build and 4770k build, The 4770k is not a lot better but still has the latest technology, But then the temperature issue with the 4770k made me worry a lot.
I'm so confused i even considered AMD FX 8350 build to use it for a year or so until Intel next release.

 

[Addnan]

I'm really torn apart between 3770k build and 4770k build, The 4770k is not a lot better but still has the latest technology, But then the temperature issue with the 4770k made me worry a lot.
I'm so confused i even considered AMD FX 8350 build to use it for a year or so until Intel next release.

The only reason I would go for 4770K over 3770K is if you do a lot of emulation. Seems to be a significant performance boost for Haswell over Ivy in that department.

 

[AndyBNV]

On a off note to anyone building a new PC, ALWAYS USE Shin-Etsu thermal paste, best paste there is hands down. No burn in time either. Link here. Only 6 bucks too.

We switched to a Shin Etsu compound for our 700 series and TITAN cards. Dropped temps massively.

On another note, I know some people were miffed that 780s were all reference, so this should please them: http://hexus.net/tech/reviews/graphics/57437-palit-geforce-gtx-780-super-jetstream/

Review: Palit GeForce GTX 780 Super JetStream

The fastest single-GPU card we've tested.

 

[Roland1979]

Just got parcel service at the door, 2x 4GB Crucial Ballistix Tactical 1600Mhz CL8 and a Hyper 412S (S, not the Slim version) CPU cooler. Yay.

 

[bodyboarder]

Many here regretted skimping on not getting a bigger ssd? Am thinking I could get by with a 120gb, though after checking bf3 size (35ish gb). I'm now thinking 250gb just to be safe.

 

[PoweredBySoy]

Yes. I have chosen the Creative Sounblaster Z after I saw this clip. The Z series is newer and supposedly better then the X-FI. Supposedly Xonar is a bit better for music and Creative with games.

I just put in a SB Z and it's really nice. Excellent positioning in games. I'm coming from an HT Omega Claro Halo - and I wouldn't say it's quite as good as that - but it's still a great sound card for gaming (the HT Omega was much better for music).

Agree with the previous point - 5.1 headphones are junk. Get a nice pair of headphones and a decent sound card for virtual surround.

 

[PoweredBySoy]

Many here regretted skimping on not getting a bigger ssd? Am thinking I could get by with a 120gb, though after checking bf3 size (35ish gb). I'm now thinking 250gb just to be safe.

I lived with a 120GB and BF3 for many months. It suuuuuuuuuuuuucked. Had to constantly shuffle games in and out.

 

[Zaph]

Many here regretted skimping on not getting a bigger ssd? Am thinking I could get by with a 120gb, though after checking bf3 size (35ish gb). I'm now thinking 250gb just to be safe.

Don't do it to yourself. I went from a Crucial M4 128GB to a Samsung 840 Pro 256GB because it became too frustrating. Maybe I'm wrong, but people don't always play games in a linear order, so constantly using Steam Mover becomes a hassle.

The money you'll spend on the 120GB you'll regret more than the extra money you spend on the 256GB .

 

[Sid]

Uh I think I've accidentally switched the PWR LED and HDD LED jumpers,the PC boots fine but this won't cause a problem would it? I currently have no screw driver available to open the case....

 

[Shadowhaxor]

Many here regretted skimping on not getting a bigger ssd? Am thinking I could get by with a 120gb, though after checking bf3 size (35ish gb). I'm now thinking 250gb just to be safe.

Nope. Pretty sure many people and elsewhere use their SSD as an OS drive, since the OS is the main concern when it comes to reads & writes. Never really bothered with an SSD as a gaming drive since I'd want at least 512GB and hell if I'm paying $300-$500 for a SSD that *small* for that price.

Though if you got the money then HELL YES, do it!

Uh I think I've accidentally switched the PWR LED and HDD LED jumpers,the PC boots fine but this won't cause a problem would it? I currently have no screw driver available to open the case....

No, it won't cause any issues but you won't get to see those blinking leds on HDD activity. Nothing more.

 

[Sid]

Nope. Pretty sure many people and elsewhere use their SSD as an OS drive, since the OS is the main concern when it comes to reads & writes. Never really bothered with an SSD as a gaming drive since I'd want at least 512GB and hell if I'm paying $300-$500 for a SSD that *small* for that price.

Though if you got the money then HELL YES, do it!



No, it won't cause any issues but you won't get to see those blinking leds on HDD activity. Nothing more.

Thx

 

[goodfella]

Quick question, is it ok to have two mouse drivers installed at the same time?

Just bought a Sensei RAW, (thanks to the suggestion in the OP!), and I'm wondering if I need to uninstall the Microsoft intellimouse driver/software I have on my current mouse.

 

[koji kabuto]

The only reason I would go for 4770K over 3770K is if you do a lot of emulation. Seems to be a significant performance boost for Haswell over Ivy in that department.

I thought at least the upgraded motherboards worth it, Especially that the Z87 motherboards has the same prices as the z77 (ASUS Sabertooth z77 and z87) while the Z87 natively supports 1600Mhz RAM the Z77 still need overclocking for that.Also the Z87 support more SATA 6.0 GB ports.

 

[Roland1979]

Quick question, is it ok to have two mouse drivers installed at the same time?

Just bought a Sensei RAW, (thanks to the suggestion in the OP!), and I'm wondering if I need to uninstall the Microsoft intellimouse driver/software I have on my current mouse.

You should be ok. When there's a conflict try to solve it, if you fail do remove it (you can always re-install it).

 

[goodfella]

You should be ok. When there's a conflict try to solve it, if you fail do remove it (you can always re-install it).

Ok thanks!

 

[Roland1979]

Ok thanks!

And tell me how the rubber coating on the RAW is, assuming you didn't chose gloss over grip (did you?). I always wandered. Love the braided cords they use. Got a SS mouse pad yet? Always had and will have the SS Qck Heavy. With a laser mouse you might be better of with a more plastic surface like the SS 9HD.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

Are you going to OC at all? Haswell doesn't like OC'ing, and I doubt the stock cooler could cope. And if you're not going to bother you could probably buy a non-K chip or an Ivy/Sandy Bridge to save money (that would require changing the motherboard obviously).
Are you going to actually write Blu-Ray discs?
Are you doing video or photo editing? 8GB RAM is more than enough for gaming.
Do you need 4TB of space? You could get a far superior Western Digital Caviar Black with less space for a similar amount of money.

Not going to OC, so I might shift to non-K. I'm unlikely to write bd discs, but I'd like to retain the capability just in case. The RAM, HDD size etc is strictly unnecessary and I'm aware, but more ram and more space is never a bad thing if you can afford it. I've got the 256SSD for OS / select games, so the 4TB of space is there for archiving things. I've hit a wall on my 1TB drive currently and I'd like the 4TB drive to last a couple of years.

I've got the money for it, so although the expected gains are small, I'm ok with it.

 

[goodfella]

And tell me how the rubber coating on the RAW is, assuming you didn't chose gloss over grip (did you?). I always wandered. Love the braided cords they use. Got a SS mouse pad yet? Always had and will have the SS Qck Heavy. With a laser mouse you might be better of with a more plastic surface like the SS 9HD.

Actually, when researching the mouse, lots of people said that the glossy coating had a better grip. Obviously I can't compare, but the rubber coating isn't hugely grippy tbh.

I chose it more for aesthetic reasons, and the grip is enough for me.

I am having a bit of trouble getting used to the higher sensitivity of the Sensei over the intellimouse, haven't tried any gaming with it yet though, just desktop use.

Yeah, I have the Qck SS cloth pad, seems pretty standard. I think I'm going to have to give mine a wash.

 

[Spazo]

hey guys, I can have a good price on a nvidia GTX 770 to replace my GTX 570

my current setup is:

Asus P8P67 Pro Rev3.1
Intel Core i5-2500k
Asus GTX570 DCII
G.Skill Sniper Series DDR3 8GB

Will my CPU bottleneck the GTX 770 ? Should I do the move ?

thanks

 

[Shadowhaxor]

hey guys, I can have a good price on a nvidia GTX 770 to replace my GTX 570

my current setup is:

Asus P8P67 Pro Rev3.1
Intel Core i5-2500k
Asus GTX570 DCII
G.Skill Sniper Series DDR3 8GB

Will my CPU bottleneck the GTX 770 ? Should I do the move ?

thanks

Nope, don't imagine it will as that CPU is still a decent CPU for gaming.

 

[Spazo]

Nope, don't imagine it will as that CPU is still a decent CPU for gaming.

will I get any performance issue because my motherboard is only PCI express 2.0 while the GTX 770 is 3.0 ?

 

[kennah]

will I get any performance issue because my motherboard is only PCI express 2.0 while the GTX 770 is 3.0 ?

None. It's only a problem for the 690 and some Titan instances.

 

[Spazo]

None. It's only a problem for the 690 and some Titan instances.

Ok thanks !

 

[Professor Chaos]

Hi guys.

I'll hope you'll forgive me for asking some pretty basic questions here.

I'm looking for a mid-range PC. I don't really have any confidence in my abilities to build one myself, so I've been looking at off the shelf models. I have a few questions, if you don't mind:

- Are there any companies you would recommend for off the shelf purchases? Or any I should stay clear of?

- Considering I won't be doing any gaming at all on this machine, is this graphics card overkill? AMD Radeon HD 7570 1GB GDDR5

 

[Akuun]

Hi guys.

I'll hope you'll forgive me for asking some pretty basic questions here.

I'm looking for a mid-range PC. I don't really have any confidence in my abilities to build one myself, so I've been looking at off the shelf models. I have a few questions, if you don't mind:

- Are there any companies you would recommend for off the shelf purchases? Or any I should stay clear of?

- Considering I won't be doing any gaming at all on this machine, is this graphics card overkill? AMD Radeon HD 7570 1GB GDDR5

Depending on where you're from, you could buy a set of parts and pay the store to assemble the computer for you. The assembly will cost a bit extra, but it might still be cheaper than buying an off-the-shelf computer. For example, I know Canada Computers offers assembling services but I don't know how much they charge, or whether other stores do it too.

And to answer your question, a dedicated graphics card is not needed unless you're using it specifically to run extra monitors. If you're not doing any gaming (or 3d modeling etc) at all, the integrated graphics in your CPU is enough for day-to-day computing.

 

[kennah]

Hi guys.

I'll hope you'll forgive me for asking some pretty basic questions here.

I'm looking for a mid-range PC. I don't really have any confidence in my abilities to build one myself, so I've been looking at off the shelf models. I have a few questions, if you don't mind:

- Are there any companies you would recommend for off the shelf purchases? Or any I should stay clear of?

- Considering I won't be doing any gaming at all on this machine, is this graphics card overkill? AMD Radeon HD 7570 1GB GDDR5

Get an Intel NUC.

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/motherboards/desktop-motherboards/nuc.html

Pick one up for a couple hundred pounds, slap in ram and ssd (totally easy), install windows and bam, nice tiny computer that is great for basic tasks.

 

[Osiris]

I hate my lack of patience, every time I track my orders they are still stuck in the "Processing" stage, not yet dispatched...

I want my new toys!

Edit: Scratch that, Case and Fans now "Dispatched" - yay! Now send the rest!

 

[kennah]

I hate my lack of patience, every time I track my orders they are still stuck in the "Processing" stage, not yet dispatched...

I want my new toys!

Edit: Scratch that, Case and Fans now "Dispatched" - yay! Now send the rest!

My case has entered that international territory of not trackable, so it could be worse Who knows when it will arrive!

 

[Osiris]

My case has entered that international territory of not trackable, so it could be worse Who knows when it will arrive!

Oh man, that "untrackable" hole of radio silence, painful!

I've watched packages land at East Midlands Airport expecting the deilvery next day (It's 20 miles from me) only to watch in horror as the next entry on the tracking has the parcel departing East Mids for Amsterdam or some other daft destination. NooOooO, come back!

 

[Quake1028]

I just recently bought a GTX 660 for $199.99. I can step up through EVGA for the price difference of $50 to the GTX 760. Either card is only a stopgap until next spring. Worth the extra $50 or no?

 

[ShadyLurker]

Hi all, my aunt is looking to buy a new desktop. I offered to build her one fairly cheap but she said she would just like to buy a complete one so I wasn't going to argue.

She asked me which of these two to buy:

http://www.staples.ca/en/Acer-Deskt...AM-1TB-HDD-AXC600/product_990167_2-CA_1_20001

or

http://www.staples.ca/en/Acer-Deskt...-HDD-AM3420-ES348/product_100234_2-CA_1_20001

She does the usual aunt things like facebook, youtube, email etc, but doesn't really need anything too hot. The most taxing thing she may use it for is streaming movies on Netflix.

So which do you guys think? Or is their a better (cheaper) alternative I should tell her about?

 

[scogoth]

Hi all, my aunt is looking to buy a new desktop. I offered to build her one fairly cheap but she said she would just like to buy a complete one so I wasn't going to argue.

She asked me which of these two to buy:

http://www.staples.ca/en/Acer-Deskt...AM-1TB-HDD-AXC600/product_990167_2-CA_1_20001

or

http://www.staples.ca/en/Acer-Deskt...-HDD-AM3420-ES348/product_100234_2-CA_1_20001

She does the usual aunt things like facebook, youtube, email etc, but doesn't really need anything too hot. The most taxing thing she may use it for is streaming movies on Netflix.

So which do you guys think? Or is their a better (cheaper) alternative I should tell her about?

The problem with almost all budget PCs from a store is the PSU. The AMD one had one review with PSU issues and I'm sure the other one isn't any better. You could buy one and swap out the PSU but that will add some cost.

 

[kennah]

I just recently bought a GTX 660 for $199.99. I can step up through EVGA for the price difference of $50 to the GTX 760. Either card is only a stopgap until next spring. Worth the extra $50 or no?

I say go for it. There is a decent speed difference between the two.

Hi all, my aunt is looking to buy a new desktop. I offered to build her one fairly cheap but she said she would just like to buy a complete one so I wasn't going to argue.

She asked me which of these two to buy:

http://www.staples.ca/en/Acer-Deskt...AM-1TB-HDD-AXC600/product_990167_2-CA_1_20001

or

http://www.staples.ca/en/Acer-Deskt...-HDD-AM3420-ES348/product_100234_2-CA_1_20001

She does the usual aunt things like facebook, youtube, email etc, but doesn't really need anything too hot. The most taxing thing she may use it for is streaming movies on Netflix.

So which do you guys think? Or is their a better (cheaper) alternative I should tell her about?

Both are shitty. I'd go for the intel since it's cheaper. Really for the use she'd be doing the difference between the two wouldn't be worth $100. (AMD one has USB3 where the Intel one doesn't and has 2gig more ram (which wouldn''t be used anyway) and 1tb more hard drive (which probably wouldn't be used) Go for the Intel. Don't expect to game on it when you visit

EDIT: The Intel one is also much smaller. Do that.

 

[longdi]

Yes. I have chosen the Creative Sounblaster Z after I saw this clip. The Z series is newer and supposedly better then the X-FI. Supposedly Xonar is a bit better for music and Creative with games.

lol i think the realtek sounds best, if a bit flat.

Xonar Dolby headphone is ok if you are standing still, but once he moves, the place becomes an echo chamber.

SB CMSS-3D sounds like he is in some wind tunnel or a hit by a gale of wind.

But yes, if you can, a soundcard will make listening to audio much better. I can refer you to watch out for Creative Titanium HD deals going around. Amazon just had it for $109. Its analog is top of the range and it comes with DTS/DDL encoding, it does not also require you to plug in a power cable.

 

[mkenyon]

lol i think the realtek sounds best, if a bit flat.

Xonar Dolby headphone is ok if you are standing still, but once he moves, the place becomes an echo chamber.

SB CMSS-3D sounds like he is in some wind tunnel or a hit by a gale of wind.

But yes, if you can, a soundcard will make listening to audio much better. I can refer you to watch out for Creative Titanium HD deals going around. Amazon just had it for $109. Its analog is top of the range and it comes with DTS/DDL encoding, it does not also require you to plug in a power cable.

Judging audio based on a youtube clip isn't a good idea.

Dolby Headphone and SB 3D surround options are both really popular. The SB-Z and Titanium are so similar that the price difference just isn't worth it unless you have audiophile cans.

 

[Diablos]

Sounds like AMD just being a bit cautious. From a quick Google apparently the max 24/7 temp for the FX-6300 is 70C. For the 8-core FX processors it's 61C.

I see. Can you link me to where it says 70C for the 6300?

Yeah, as much as I'm impressed by the 8 core FX offerings I didn't buy one largely in part because they generate way too much heat.

Frankly I'm impressed with this 6300 given I paid only $120 for it.

 

[PoweredBySoy]

She does the usual aunt things like facebook, youtube, email etc, but doesn't really need anything too hot. The most taxing thing she may use it for is streaming movies on Netflix.

So which do you guys think? Or is their a better (cheaper) alternative I should tell her about?

That's what tablets are for.

 

[mkenyon]

That's what tablets are for.

Pretty much.

Nexus 7. Done deal.

 

[ShadyLurker]

That's what tablets are for.

I suggested that, but she specifically mentioned she would be using it to stream Netflix to her TV and also wanted it for work. She does a lot of typing I guess.