Baby three on the way. I'm lucky I still have a computer![]()
Congrats

Baby three on the way. I'm lucky I still have a computer![]()
I game more when we have a newborn. Get to stay up soothing a baby with a controller in my hands.CongratsJust had my second. I've gotten a total of 2 hours of game time in the last month and a half lol. But it's worth it.
I'll post my question again on the new page: I've acquired a second hand SSD on which i want to install my OS.
What is the best way to go about formatting it?
Any help would be appreciated.
It doesn't fit: http://pcpartpicker.com/forums/topic/36238-phantom-240-and-hyper-212-evoSo I'm thinking of picking up the NZXT Phantom 240, except it seems there's not enough clearance by 1 or 2mm to fit the 212 EVO... Suggestions for other decent coolers that will fit and not break the bank? Or am I out of luck?
Also congrats on the good news, kennah!
So I'm thinking of picking up the NZXT Phantom 240, except it seems there's not enough clearance by 1 or 2mm to fit the 212 EVO... Suggestions for other decent coolers that will fit and not break the bank? Or am I out of luck?
Also congrats on the good news, kennah!
Anyone use the 'ASRock HDD Saver Technology' regularly?
I'm in the market for a new mobo and this feature sounds good for someone like me who has four internal physical drives and would benefit from having three of them turned off most of the time!
Depends on the quality of the copper in your walls, but most likely Powerline adapters will be more reliable.If I can't have my PC in the same room as my modem and router am I better off using a wireless card or powerline adapters?
If I can't have my PC in the same room as my modem and router am I better off using a wireless card or powerline adapters?
Powerline adapters can achieve nearly lossless speeds if the wiring in your place is good.If I can't have my PC in the same room as my modem and router am I better off using a wireless card or powerline adapters?
You can do it straight from the installation. Make sure it's the only drive plugged in, load the DVD/USB drive, Install > Advanced > Format > New > Install Windows.
- Your Current Specs: Crappy Laptop, but my last desktop was Intel e5200, 4GB DDR2, ATI 4650 512MB
- Budget: $600 (Will upgrade later, just want something to start with. I understand this is a very difficult price.)
- Main Use: Gaming [5], Emulation (PS2/Wii) [4], Video Editing, General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback) [4].
- Monitor Resolution: 1080p, will switch between my Asus monitor in the home office and Panasonic p50G25 in the living room
- List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Would like to get 1080p 60fps, but I understand not being able to maintain that with my budget. I want to be able to play current gen ports, indies, and emulate PS2 games.
- Looking to reuse any parts?: Nope
- When will you build?: In the fall.
- Will you be overclocking?: Maybe
I'm partial to Corsair Ram, Seasonic PSUs, Intel processors, and Asus motherboards. But again, I'll compromise for the budget. Don't have a video card preference, although I hear the new nVidia stuff is coming.
I will be using a controller for almost everything (PS4).
I don't include peripherals/OS in the budget.
Ah, thought you meant like your wife was going into labor today. Or something.Lol. I'm sure I mentioned the baby here before. We are seven months along so it is old news now. That's why I have to finally finish my watercooling in September
Windows automatically turns off idle HDD's after a configurable period of time. Default of 20 minutes.
Get an Asus board.
I need a new PC but this thread (OP) confuses me as I'm such a novice![]()
Give some information:
What PC parts do you own and could re-use?
What kind of performance are you looking for, and what resolution would you like to play at?
What is your budget?
Do you need a new mouse/keyboard/monitor, and do you need a new Windows license? If so, are these included in the above budget?
Not sure why I forgot about Windows' idle disk settings :\ thanks.
This is what I've got so far (CPU/RAM not bought yet) http://pcpartpicker.com/p/h9whvK - lots of Z97 motherboards to choose from :\ leaning towards the Pro4 at £75, but I do like the debug LEDs and onboard power/reset buttons on the Extreme4... ~£100.
- Your Current Specs: Crappy Laptop, but my last desktop was Intel e5200, 4GB DDR2, ATI 4650 512MB
- Budget: $600 (Will upgrade later, just want something to start with. I understand this is a very difficult price.)
- Main Use: Gaming [5], Emulation (PS2/Wii) [4], Video Editing, General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback) [4].
- Monitor Resolution: 1080p, will switch between my Asus monitor in the home office and Panasonic p50G25 in the living room
- List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Would like to get 1080p 60fps, but I understand not being able to maintain that with my budget. I want to be able to play current gen ports, indies, and emulate PS2 games.
- Looking to reuse any parts?: Nope
- When will you build?: In the fall.
- Will you be overclocking?: Maybe
I'm partial to Corsair Ram, Seasonic PSUs, Intel processors, and Asus motherboards. But again, I'll compromise for the budget. Don't have a video card preference, although I hear the new nVidia stuff is coming.
I will be using a controller for almost everything (PS4).
I don't include peripherals/OS in the budget.
The only time you should ever crossfire/SLI is to achieve performance that is otherwise impossible with a single card. Dual 270x is a baaaaad way to go.Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme 4
Processor: Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge Quad-Core 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo)
Hard Drive: SanDisk 256gb SSD
RAM: Kingston HyperX 8GB 240-Pin DDR3
GPU: XFX R9 270x DD 2gb
Case: ZALMAN ZM-Z9 U3 Black Steel Mid Tower w/ temp display
PSU: 550w
Okay so finally finishing my rig. If I wanted to go the SLI route and get another r9 down the road how powerful do I need to go on my PSU? Thanks.
Any other advice, critiques welcome. This is my first build.
i kind of regret buying a nonmodular psu because it was cheap
my cables are a mess.
i kind of regret buying a nonmodular psu because it was cheap
my cables are a mess.
A) Nothing worth keeping, I want everything bigger and better (PC isn't that great, can't even play Sim City)
B) Just want to play Sim City on high settings (maybe even ultra, but think I'm punching above my weight)
C) £300 - £400?
Think I'd need a new Windows license but everything else is fine.
I built my PC about a month ago based on recommendations here and overall it's been working well. However for some reason whenever I turn off my monitor and leave the PC running for a little while the OS typically becomes unresponsive when I start using it again. Should I just reinstall and hope everything works better? Reinstall some drivers maybe?
Also having an issue with my H80i being too loud for my liking whenever I play a game or am streaming video. I downloaded CorsairLINK but I can't seem to adjust the fan speed. Is the program useless without that kit that is available online? Or could I have incorrectly wired the cooler/fan somehow? Is there another program I should be using to adjust the speed (SpeedFan?)?
i kind of regret buying a nonmodular psu because it was cheap
my cables are a mess.
Per the top, overclocked systems typically don't play well with power saving states (called C states). So you either want to disable those C states in BIOS, or mess with the windows power saving options to never hibernate/sleep.I built my PC about a month ago based on recommendations here and overall it's been working well. However for some reason whenever I turn off my monitor and leave the PC running for a little while the OS typically becomes unresponsive when I start using it again. Should I just reinstall and hope everything works better? Reinstall some drivers maybe?
Also having an issue with my H80i being too loud for my liking whenever I play a game or am streaming video. I downloaded CorsairLINK but I can't seem to adjust the fan speed. Is the program useless without that kit that is available online? Or could I have incorrectly wired the cooler/fan somehow? Is there another program I should be using to adjust the speed (SpeedFan?)?
Yep. There's fully modular PSUs where each cable you use has a header on the PSU you plug into.Wait, different PSU's have different cable management?
Wait, different PSU's have different cable management?
*awesome build*
Enjoy playing games with blazingly high frame rates. And get a 120Hz monitor to take advantage of itBought an Open Box Asus 290X from newegg for $400. Here's hoping it holds up, any tips?![]()
1. Plenty reliable. This ASUS Z97-M Plus would be more or less the next tier of motherboard, but would bring up the price by $26.
2. Eventually, yes. For a huge insanely large majority of last gen and even current release, high IPC is the most important factor in gaming performance. But, that dual core aspect will begin to take its toll on performance.
And no problem!
Good PSUWould this psu be better? It's the same price (after coupon code/MIR), but it's semi-modular. They seem almost identical.
That's the one I meant to add in PCPartPicker! So yesWould this psu be better? It's the same price (after coupon code/MIR), but it's semi-modular. They seem almost identical.
That's disappointing :\ thanks very much for posting the numbers - I'll have a 4690K under an H60 hydro cooler, so OC is going to be quite important here.Find out if they are using a Digital VRM (like Asus DigiVRM). See ive been through 2 AsRock boards, and they sucked for overclocking. Heres my results
i7 3960x
Asus P9X79 Deluxe - 1.40v 4.7Ghz
Asus Rampage Gene IV - 1.39v 4.8Ghz
ASrock Extreme 4 X79 - 1.40v 4.5Ghz (Analogue VRM)
i7 4960x
Asus Rampage Gene IV - 4.4Ghz 1.30v
ASrock Extreme4-M - 4.2Ghz barely stable 1.40v. Incredibly flaky.
Now i know why the more expensive boads really are more expensive. AFAIK only the Fatality series use Digital VRM micro controllers and they should perform like the Asus boards. But all the Asus boards are using digital VRM technology now. Plus the Asus software is the best out of the bunch, even if its still pretty bad overall.
Maybe go for the Asus Z97M-Plus or similar.
That's the one I meant to add in PCPartPicker! So yes![]()
Enjoy playing games with blazingly high frame rates. And get a 120Hz monitor to take advantage of it![]()
I have a 144hz monitor!![]()
Enjoy. I just picked up a used 290x to replace my dead 290, and its a beast of a card.