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[Roland1979]

I have the Corsair 350D case with the Corsair H60 Cooler and right now I have it setup so that it is blowing air into the case through the radiator in a push/pull configuration because corsair recommends doing it that way and then I have another fan on top that exhausts air out of the case. I was just wondering if this was the best way to do it or would it be better reversing the fans? I suppose it would probably make an insignificant difference either way if i had to guess. here is a crude diagram of how its setup:

Not sure, hope someone more experienced can confirm it but from what i understood this would be better, flow from one direction to another, from one side of the bottom to the top opposite:

 

[Roland1979]

Get a full tower. Make sure it has at least front and rear fans. Something with great airflow to keep components cool. Amount of drive bays is really an opinion. I prefer more so I can plop more drives when needed. Plenty of room for a big GPU, a big PSU.

I have an NZXT Phantom full tower case.

Why full? Isn't a case like the Fractal Define R4 a mid-tower?

 

[No Love]

Selling my OC'd GTX 670 SLI setup for a single GTX 780 which I'll OC to 1.2+ Ghz. What say you, GAF?

 

[Addnan]

Selling my OC'd GTX 670 SLI setup for a single GTX 780 which I'll OC to 1.2+ Ghz. What say you, GAF?

I think its crazy, but I can see the want/need for a single card setup.

 

[Ryoku]

Why full? Isn't a case like the Fractal Define R4 a mid-tower?

Erm... I guess you can go mid-tower assuming it's a quality case. I'm a bit biased because I went from a shitty retail case to a full-tower.
Also, does that case have enough room for a 11.25in GPU? Just trying to make sure so he can have more options when upgrading components.
EDIT: It has enough room for a monster GPU.

 

[MogCakes]

Take a look at what is in the OP. Most don't need anything big, a mid tower is more than enough. Just need something that will keep things cool enough, quiet and fit everything inside. The OP has the best for each price range.


Full tower is overkill for most people with just a single card, no water etc.

I did browse the OP, but wanted to know what parameters there were for deciding on a case, aside from price anyway. Thanks for the info!

Get a full tower. Make sure it has at least front and rear fans. Something with great airflow to keep components cool. Amount of drive bays is really an opinion. I prefer more so I can plop more drives when needed. Plenty of room for a big GPU, a big PSU. As for a side fan, eh. You can get one if you want to try it out, but from my experience, it doesn't really help with cooling, as it disrupts proper airflow. I have a 140mm intake in the front, a 140mm exhaust in the rear, two 200mm on the top, the one closer to the front is intake while the one toward the back is exhaust. Imagine a U-shape airflow from the top. Oh yeah, make sure there is room for a decent CPU heatsink/fan.

I have an NZXT Phantom full tower case, in case you wanted to know.

Wouldn't more exhaust fans be a boon to the cooling though? It's aiding the CPU fan in pushing the air directly away from the CPU and out of the case, or so I'd think from looking at the side vents.

The Phantom is a beast! Looks really impressive. I don't think I need something super visually appealing though, I just want a case that prioritizes cooling and has maximum room for expansion.

 

[Roland1979]

I intend to build a PC sometime in the future and have no idea what constitutes a quality case. Can someone enlighten me in layman's terms?

For temperatures you probably want the NZXT’s Phantom 410 and for silence you might want the Fractal Design’s Define R4.
So the question is are you going to do a heavy overclock or a midl one tops and go for silence? The choice is yours.

 

[Ryoku]

I did browse the OP, but wanted to know what parameters there were for deciding on a case, aside from price anyway. Thanks for the info!



Wouldn't more exhaust fans be a boon to the cooling though? It's aiding the CPU fan in pushing the air directly away from the CPU and out of the case, or so I'd think from looking at the side vents.

The Phantom is a beast! Looks really impressive. I don't think I need something super visually appealing though, I just want a case that prioritizes cooling and has maximum room for expansion.

Well normally you'd want equal intake/exhaust amount to maintain proper airlfow. I don't remember exactly, but I think it was said somewhere that maintaining positive (or negative, I don't remember) pressure inside the case is beneficial. I don't know if it's true or not, though.

 

[Roland1979]

Erm... I guess you can go mid-tower assuming it's a quality case. I'm a bit biased because I went from a shitty retail case to a full-tower.
Also, does that case have enough room for a 11.25in GPU? Just trying to make sure so he can have more options when upgrading components.
EDIT: It has enough room for a monster GPU.

Haven't received it yet but should have ample room. But you're right, quality first and then it's just choice. There are probably a lot more good cases. I looked it up at Tom's Hardware, and the NZXT you recommended is one of their recommendations as well.

 

[MogCakes]

For temperatures you probably want the NZXT’s Phantom 410 and fro silence you might want the ractal Design’s Define R4.
So the question is are you going to do a heavy overclock or a midl one tops and go for silence? The choice is yours.

I don't intend to overclock, but I don't think silence would be much of a priority for me unless PCs can get jet engine loud.

 

[MadraptorMan]

Didn't there used to be a "I want a new laptop" thread? Are laptops just really not a good gaming option at this time?

I'm spending the summer back in the US after 2 years living in Japan, and I was hoping to buy a beastly laptop to bring back with me in the meantime...but if its really not a good idea I'll just build a new desktop sometime in the future instead.

 

[Roland1979]

Well normally you'd want equal intake/exhaust amount to maintain proper airlfow. I don't remember exactly, but I think it was said somewhere that maintaining positive (or negative, I don't remember) pressure inside the case is beneficial. I don't know if it's true or not, though.

A lot of opinions differ about what is best, from what I remember negative causes over pressure (?) which should keep dust out, while positive makes sure always enough air comes in and can give slightly better temperatures (?). Probably very personal.

 

[MogCakes]

Well normally you'd want equal intake/exhaust amount to maintain proper airlfow. I don't remember exactly, but I think it was said somewhere that maintaining positive (or negative, I don't remember) pressure inside the case is beneficial. I don't know if it's true or not, though.

I think I understand the logic of that. Basically air flow is only efficient if both the exhaust and intake rate are about equal. So if I wanted to put in a bunch of side fans I'd want to make sure the front intake fan could pull enough air to match the exhaust. Am I getting that right?

 

[NinjaCatfish]

My favourite case is the Silverstone Fortress FT-02. I've had mine for about a year, and it's got the absolute best cooling/airflow I've seen in a case.

3 180mm intake fans, and a 120mm exhaust. Tbh, the exhaust isn't even really needed when that much air is being pushed from the intake. Bonus is that the air has an unobstructed path from from the fans to the components that need cooling, no hard drive cages in the way.

It's effing huge though, so keep that in mind.

 

[MogCakes]

My favourite case is the Silverstone Fortress FT-02. I've had mine for about a year, and it's got the absolute best cooling/airflow I've seen in a case.

3 180mm intake fans, and a 120mm exhaust. Tbh, the exhaust isn't even really needed when that much air is being pushed from the intake. Bonus is that the air has an unobstructed path from from the fans to the components that need cooling, no hard drive cages in the way.

It's effing huge though, so keep that in mind.

Where do the intake fans go on the Silverstone? I don't see a front fan like other cases. Space is no issue for me, so the bigger the better if it means better air flow.

 

[Roland1979]

A lot of opinions differ about what is best, from what I remember negative causes over pressure (?) which should keep dust out, while positive makes sure always enough air comes in and can give slightly better temperatures (?). Probably very personal.

I think I understand the logic of that. Basically air flow is only efficient if both the exhaust and intake rate are about equal. So if I wanted to put in a bunch of side fans I'd want to make sure the front intake fan could pull enough air to match the exhaust. Am I getting that right?

There can be difference, just make sure the difference isn't to big. if you go with a bit of negative pressure you always have a dust free case, positive and you always guaranteed to have enough air in. You have to calculate how much is going in and out.

 

[Ryoku]

Where do the intake fans go on the Silverstone? I don't see a front fan like other cases. Space is no issue for me, so the bigger the better if it means better air flow.

That case is a bit different. It's "on its side" compared to other cases. So it's main airflow is from bottom to up.

 

[Roland1979]

I think I understand the logic of that. Basically air flow is only efficient if both the exhaust and intake rate are about equal. So if I wanted to put in a bunch of side fans I'd want to make sure the front intake fan could pull enough air to match the exhaust. Am I getting that right?

Don't believe me, look it up and read yourself in, to really understand it. A few forum comments on it probably won't be enough to make a sound decicion on it. But most experienced builders go with negative pressure so... Unless you are going to really overclock you don't need that Fortress FT02 case, it's really expensive, adding up that it's huge... Way overkill.

 

[MogCakes]

That case is a bit different. It's "on its side" compared to other cases. So it's main airflow is from bottom to up.

Oh, that explains it. lol

There can be difference, just make sure the difference isn't to big. if you go with a bit of negative pressure you always have a dust free case, positive and you always guaranteed to have enough air in. You have to calculate how much is going in and out.

I see. Thanks mate. I don't mind dusting it off so I'll probably go for positive. EDIT: or not.

Don't believe me, look it up and read yourself in, to really understand it. A few forum comments on it probably won't be enough to make a sound decicion on it. But most experienced builders go with negative pressure so... Unless you are going to really overclock you don't need that Fortress FT02 case, it's really expensive, adding up that it's huge... Way overkill.

Yar, I'll do a lot of research on this before I actually decide on parts later this year. So negative flow is the preferred standard? Dust does become a concern for heat over time I suppose.

 

[kingtuck12]

Just finished my new PC... then realized I forgot a monitor.

 

[NinjaCatfish]

Where do the intake fans go on the Silverstone? I don't see a front fan like other cases. Space is no issue for me, so the bigger the better if it means better air flow.

They're on the bottom of the case. The case uses a rotated motherboard setup so the I/O is on top of the case, and airflow goes from bottom to top.

 

[MogCakes]

They're on the bottom of the case. The case uses a rotated motherboard setup so the I/O is on top of the case, and airflow goes from bottom to top.

OH. No wonder. I was a bit confused looking at that layout at first.

 

[EatChildren]

Firstly, tanks to all those who replied to my query about 120hz monitors many pages ago. As a result, I'm strongly considering getting one.

Monitor prices in Australia are pretty disgusting. It's fucking annoying. Availability is worse.

I've been looking at prices/quality, and I'm thinking of grabbing the BenQ XL2420T, product page here. Goes for about $400 here. The 144hz variation is ~$30+ more.

Anybody have experience with either of this monitors, and can offer some opinions? Or if I should look for an alternative?

 

[j0hnny_385]

Seagate ST1000DM003 or Western Digital WD10EZEX for a 2nd drive next to an SSD in a PC?
SATA-III enabled MBO. It will be used for misc. storage, photo handling, etc. but not for media streaming.

 

[Roland1979]

If you're going to overclock is it best to turn off any turbo modes, or is it easier to have it on and start from there. I also thought turbo mode will only use the full speed when it is asked for it, in other words when under heavy load. If you overclock will it be on full speed all the time or will it use less energy and run at lower speeds when it's not under stress?

Anyone knows?

 

[JordanN]

Is it better to just leave a computer on all day versus turning it off?

 

[kharma45]

Is it better to just leave a computer on all day versus turning it off?

unless you're using it turn it off or at least put or to sleep. Waste of electric and money otherwise.

 

[TheD]

Seagate ST1000DM003 or Western Digital WD10EZEX for a 2nd drive next to an SSD in a PC?
SATA-III enabled MBO. It will be used for misc. storage, photo handling, etc. but not for media streaming.

Well, I know for a fact you will have to deal with fucking "advanced power management" AKA "APM" with the Seagate drive (loud noises from the drive and a shorter life..... thanks arseholes!).
Not sure about the WD.

 

[JordanN]

unless you're using it turn it off or at least put or to sleep. Waste of electric and money otherwise.

Thanks.

 

[Roland1979]

unless you're using it turn it off or at least put or to sleep. Waste of electric and money otherwise.

I always put it in sleep mode, saves most energy, but doesn't cool it off too much.
Depending on usage if you turn it on and off many times a day it will (somewhat) shorten the lifespan because of shrinkage and expansion. Then again electricity cost money as well so I always put it in sleep, best of both worlds, plus no boot up time wasted.

 

[memecomplex]

I have the Corsair 350D case with the Corsair H60 Cooler and right now I have it setup so that it is blowing air into the case through the radiator in a push/pull configuration because corsair recommends doing it that way and then I have another fan on top that exhausts air out of the case. I was just wondering if this was the best way to do it or would it be better reversing the fans? I suppose it would probably make an insignificant difference either way if i had to guess. here is a crude diagram of how its setup:

For best performance, intake fresh air from outside to the H60. And the shortest most direct route of fresh air to your GPU. Experiment with flow to get the best results.

Not sure, hope someone more experienced can confirm it but from what i understood this would be better, flow from one direction to another, from one side of the bottom to the top opposite:

This will create negative pressure and is inefficient.

 

[Roland1979]

This will create negative pressure and is inefficient.

Can you alter it to show how you think it should be (the picture)?
And i don't want dust, so a little positive or negative whatever i don't mind, as long as it's not too inefficient.

 

[SiRatul]

[/QUOTE]

This setup is not possible since the psu intakes air through the fan and exhausts it out of the back. Unless you remove the fan and mount it flipped. But that wouldn't be a good idea since the airflow wouldn't be ideal.
Most common way of fan mounting which gives good results is intake in the front and bottom and exhaust in the top and rear.

 

[memecomplex]

Can you alter it to show how you think it should be (the picture)?
And i don't want dust, so a little positive or negative whatever i don't mind, as long as it's not too inefficient.

I would go with this:

Or if you are using an air cooler, reverse the top fan as intake and the back as exhaust. Shortest, most direct route of fresh air to components is best. Flow be damned.

 

[Roland1979]

This setup is not possible since the psu intakes air through the fan and exhausts it out of the back. Unless you remove the fan and mount it flipped. But that wouldn't be a good idea since the airflow wouldn't be ideal.
Most common way of fan mounting which gives good results is intake in the front and bottom and exhaust in the top and rear.

Could this work?

 

[memecomplex]

Could this work?

Yes, but not efficient, fresh air takes too far/long to reach CPU cooler.

 

[Roland1979]

Yes, but not efficient, fresh air takes too far/long to reach CPU cooler.

And what if the PSU would go out at the back? Could you describe how you would do it?

 

[memecomplex]

And what if the PSU would go out at the back? Could you describe how you would do it?

Same, PSU not a huge factor compared to GPU or CPU, just make sure it's not starved for air (which it won't given the layout) and you're good to go.

 

[asdad123]

I figure this would be the place to ask.

I got my laptop and the msata ssd/quad core. Made sure the laptop worked before attempting to install and everything seemed good.

Took about 45 minutes to install everything, but when I turned on the computer it asked for a HDD password or master password. I had no idea what that meant. I tried the password I made for login, but it didn't work. So then I took the msata ssd out, and the computer booted up fine.

I checked the bios, and there's no passwords set up. I contacted the seller of the SSD and they said that they didn't put a password on it, but I'm figuring there has to be one on it since once I took it out, everything was fine. Any ideas? I'm going to try putting the SSD in again this afternoon, but if the same thing pops up, I'm going to have to ask the seller for a refund.

The laptop is an Asus G46VW and it is a Mushkin Atlas 240gb msata SSD.

 

[AndyBNV]

Firstly, tanks to all those who replied to my query about 120hz monitors many pages ago. As a result, I'm strongly considering getting one.

Monitor prices in Australia are pretty disgusting. It's fucking annoying. Availability is worse.

I've been looking at prices/quality, and I'm thinking of grabbing the BenQ XL2420T, product page here. Goes for about $400 here. The 144hz variation is ~$30+ more.

Anybody have experience with either of this monitors, and can offer some opinions? Or if I should look for an alternative?

The XL2420T has been the gold standard for some time, especially with the LightBoost trick. However, BenQ has something new and supposedly better coming out this month, so you may want to hold off:

BenQ America Corp., an internationally renowned provider of digital lifestyle innovations, today announced that as the official gaming sponsor of Major League Gaming (MLG), it will be unveiling its new ZeroFlicker™ Technology at the 2013 MLG Spring Championship held in Anaheim, Calif., June 28-30. Designed with gamers in mind, the new technology is engineered to eliminate traditional LED flicker issues in monitors, supporting eSports enthusiasts in longer gaming sessions by providing more comfort during competitive play.

First available on BenQ's new XL2420TE monitor — available to the public in July before being gradually incorporated into all BenQ gaming monitors — ZeroFlicker Technology provides a new direct lighting system that enables gamers to practice during longer periods thanks to improved LED comfort. As a result, eSports athletes and amateur gamers alike are able to experience fast, flicker-free gaming on devices that are built specifically for the requirements of today's competitive gaming situations where speed, comfort, and control are paramount to success.

"We know from our relationship with pro gamers that achieving greatness means dedicating hundreds of hours to practice time," said Bob Wudeck, Associate Vice President, Strategy and Business Development for BenQ America Corp. "With this commitment to gamers in mind, we developed our new ZeroFlicker Technology, which aims at providing eSport athletes with the ability to participate in longer gaming sessions without compromising comfort. We look forward to seeing today's top players put our technology to the test at this year's MLG Spring Championship and are extremely proud to be unveiling this exciting new innovation at such a premier event."

At the MLG Spring Championship, gamers will compete for more than $100,000 in prizes by playing Call of Duty®: Black Ops II, League of Legends®, and StarCraft® II: Heart of the Swarm™. Thousands of spectators will take part in the event at the Anaheim Convention Center while thousands more will watch online at http://store.majorleaguegaming.com, where spectator, VIP, and HD online passes can be purchased for the thrilling three-day tournament event. Top eSport athletes will compete using BenQ's RL2450HT and RL2455HM gaming monitors, while the company also introduces its all new XL2420TE monitor.

Designed by legendary gamers to meet the specific requirements of competitive gaming, the new XL2420TE brings an ultra-fast 144Hz refresh rate to speed up frames-per-second and blazing-quick 1ms GTG response time for faster pixel rates, synchronizing action without any latency to give players complete control over their gaming experience. With the introduction of BenQ's new ZeroFlicker Technology to help extend playing time and give gamers more edge, the monitor also combines a 12 million:1 dynamic contrast ratio, true black color, and a unique de-flickering backlight circuit controller for a zero-flicker view. Even after lengthy gaming sessions, the XL2420TE enables a more comfortable, alert, and focused experience for serious eSports enthusiasts.

To give players a competitive edge, the XL2420TE also features BenQ's Black eQualizer, which enables total gaming visibility by allowing gamers to adjust brightness without over-exposing white levels — revealing critical combat details with improved visibility in darkened areas. To accommodate individual viewing preferences, the Display Mode allows gamers to switch between nine monitor screen sizes, including 17-inch (4:3), 19-inch (4:3), 19-inch widescreen (16:10), 21.5-inch widescreen (16:9), 22-inch widescreen (16:10), 23-inch widescreen (16:9), 23.6-inch widescreen (16:9), 24-inch widescreen (16:9), and 27-inch widescreen (16:9), while Smart Scaling enables players to adjust the screen on-the-fly to virtually any custom size without impacting controller sensitivity.

For even more control without compromising playing speed, gamers can customize and save display setting presets directly onto the monitor's S Switch. This allows players to switch swiftly between customized display settings for gaming as well as entertainment using the stylish controller's scroll button, facilitating fast navigation and adjustment of the device's OSD settings.

 

[Roland1979]

The XL2420T has been the gold standard for some time, especially with the LightBoost trick. However, BenQ has something new and supposedly better coming out this month, so you may want to hold off:

The BenQ XL2411T is cheaper and is 144Hz, almost 0 input lag and response time. If it's better, i don't know but it's cheaper over here. Also has light boost.

BenQ XL2411T (£215) vs BenQ XL2420T (£280) – What’s the difference

 

[EatChildren]

The XL2420T has been the gold standard for some time, especially with the LightBoost trick. However, BenQ has something new and supposedly better coming out this month, so you may want to hold off:

No rush, very happy to hold off, if just to see what they've got cooking. Thanks!

The BenQ XL2411T is cheaper and is 144Hz, almost 0 input lag and response time. If it's better, i don't know but it's cheaper over here. Also has light boost.

XL2411T was the 144hz variant I was referring to in my post, on average $30 more expensive.

 

[Roland1979]

No rush, very happy to hold off, if just to see what they've got cooking. Thanks!



XL2411T was the 144hz variant I was referring to in my post, on average $30 more expensive.

I see. I guess it depends on a few other things as well, like are you going to want to use 3D and get those NVIDIA 3D goggles? DO you think you can get 100/120 fps in games often?
Both would probably give you want you want. $30 is $30 but also imagine how many years that difference will be fact. You might figure safe up some more (not saying you have to) and/or spend a little more for something you are going to use a long time. I suggest just do some reading, reviews etc, think about it and you'll probably come to some conclusion
Enjoy that 120(+?)Hz monitor.

 

[Roland1979]

BenQ has something new and supposedly better coming out this month, so you may want to hold off:

Oh wow, guess i'll have to wait as well. Hope it doesn't disappoint and will improve the colors (the gaming part is a big check). So many reviews mention the bad colors, especially from the factory settings.

 

[metareferential]

I need a new cpu, my old i5 is slowing my Titan down; I wanted to wait for the first round of "next-gen" games, but the urge is growing xD

Should I go Haswell or not? I'll change the case too, going liquid cooled.

 

[AndyBNV]

I need a new cpu, my old i5 is slowing my Titan down; I wanted to wait for the first round of "next-gen" games, but the urge is growing xD

Should I go Haswell or not? I'll change the case too, going liquid cooled.

My OC'd i7-2600K is faster than Haswell, and cooler. As you already have a Sandy Bridge or Z77 motherboard you may as well just get a faster Sandy or Ivy Bridge chip and OC it.

 

[Durante]

I think this is worth a heads-up.

There's a new type of Korean 27" IPS (well PLS, which is like Samsung's version of eIPS, whatever) monitor model available: the QNIX QX2710

What makes it remarkable is that almost all of them run at 100 Hz, and many have been successfully used at 120 Hz. The last time this happened was with the Yamakasi Catleap, and it only lasted for a limited production run (the PCB was changed). Now, those command a premium.

The QX2710 is currently around 300 USD on ebay, and if history repeats itself that price will rise and/or the 120 Hz capability will be lost. So if you are interested I suggest acting earlier rather than later.

 

[Dries]

Don't know where to ask so I'll try here. I think I'm experiencing artifacts, but I'm not sure, so let me describe the situation. I have connected my Desktop PC to my Full HD TV using a HDMI cable so I can do the lazy couch thing and enjoy my PC graphics. Unfortunately, this distance is about 10/15 metres, so I'm using a 15 metre HDMI cable. When gaming, I see vague horizontal lines appear when I move the camera. The lines don't really stand out, but it's hard to unsee them. Do note that I have bought the cheapest HDMI cable there is to find in the 15m length range....

So the question is: are these indeed artifacts? And would buying a better HDMI cable fix my problem? There is another one that I'm interested in which has a lot of interference disabling functions, so..

 

[Horse Detective]

Is steel series the go to brand for mouse pads?

 

[j0hnny_385]

Just bought Samsung 840 Pro 256GB & WD10EZEX replacing the two of the weakest links in my PC (Seagate SATA-II HDDs).