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[Hazaro]

Well I went out last night and purchased all of the parts... or so I thought. When I got home I noticed the 640GB Western Digital hard drive that I asked for at the register was not in my bags. Upon checking my receipt I discovered that the clerk didn't even ring it up! Oh well, it was my fault for not checking that everything was there before leaving the store. I'll have to go back later tonight and pick up the hard drive.

This is what I ended up getting:

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P [LGA775/Intel P45/ATX] - Nice
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 E0 - Nice
Memory: 4GB (2GB x 2) DDR2 800 RAM from some generic brand called "UMAX". - Run memtest later just in case, always good to do.
Video Card: Radeon HD 4870 512MB (750Mhz clock speed, 3.6Ghz RAM clock speed) - Nice
Optical Drive: Some crazy cheap LG drive that can write Blu-Ray / DVD / CD and read Blu-Ray/ HD-DVD / DVD / CD. -How cheap? :lol
Case: A reasonably priced case from a maker called "AQTIS". It came with a 500W PSU. - Can you read the "RU"/"UL" number from it? The PSU that is
Operating System: Windows Vista Ultimate 64 Bit DSP

I have always been using budget power supplies and haven't really had too many problems. What is the benefit to getting a brandname PSU (Corsair, EarthWatts, Antec, etc...) over a generic one?

See Post

I noticed a few things that cause me some concern. First was that my CPU's clock speed was listed at 2.88Ghz even though I am using an E8500 that should have 3.16Ghz. -Check if the multiplier is at 8.5, 9, or 9.5

38C is fine

I screwed up on attaching the heatsink the first time so I took it off once and reattached it. One of the bolts still didn't give me the "clicking" sound, but it seems firmly attached. -No! Make sure all 4 are FIRMLY seated and have been pushed all the way in. It could pop out eventually, which is not good. You should have the motherboard out of the case to make this 10 times easier.

Long Version: http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1036

Short Version: More reliable, reputable wattage ratings, better conversion efficiency (saves you money on electricity), degradation overtime can cause voltages to dip below operational level, killing your PSU and possibly other parts of your computer, a good PSU can even sack itself in the possibility of a surge or outage while protecting the rest of your system.

General rule of thumb about PSU's, the heavier it is, the higher the probability it's a good one.

Worst case scenario of course, but when not spending another $50 or so on the thing that powers your entire system it seems a bit silly to skimp on it.
*Oh and as long as your CPU is under 60C it's all good.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Long Version: http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1036

Short Version: More reliable, reputable wattage ratings, better conversion efficiency (saves you money on electricity), degradation overtime can cause voltages to dip below operational level, killing your PSU and possibly other parts of your computer, a good PSU can even sack itself in the possibility of a surge or outage while protecting the rest of your system.

General rule of thumb about PSU's, the heavier it is, the higher the probability it's a good one.

Worst case scenario of course, but when not spending another $50 or so on the thing that powers your entire system it seems a bit silly to skimp on it.
*Oh and as long as your CPU is under 60C it's all good.

Thanks for that link. I didn't know squat about PSUs and that really helped. I'll make sure I pick up a good PSU tonight along with the hard drive. After reading that article, it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of the hardware problems and system freezes I have experienced in the past are due to a crappy PSU. I'll make sure I don't skimp on them anymore!

Hopefully my CPU won't jump 20C+ when I start running games, but I'll find out tonight. The 38-40C idle temperature just had me a bit worried. Thanks again for the help!

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Thanks for that link. I didn't know squat about PSUs and that really helped. I'll make sure I pick up a good PSU tonight along with the hard drive. After reading that article, it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of the hardware problems and system freezes I have experienced in the past are due to a crappy PSU. I'll make sure I don't skimp on them anymore!

Hopefully my CPU won't jump 20C+ when I start running games, but I'll find out tonight. The 38-40C idle temperature just had me a bit worried. Thanks again for the help!

unless you buy a case from a respectable brand name PSU maker never use the stock PSU for a primary gaming rig.

I'd save it for a secondary data server or HTPC.

Go with reliable brands like Antec, Enermax, Seasonic, and such

 

[Hazaro]

Thanks for that link. I didn't know squat about PSUs and that really helped. I'll make sure I pick up a good PSU tonight along with the hard drive. After reading that article, it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of the hardware problems and system freezes I have experienced in the past are due to a crappy PSU. I'll make sure I don't skimp on them anymore!

Hopefully my CPU won't jump 20C+ when I start running games, but I'll find out tonight. The 38-40C idle temperature just had me a bit worried. Thanks again for the help!

If possible try to search his reviews on that site to the ones you can buy. It's a PSU bible.
Alternatively you might have a good one on your hands if you can check the RU/UL nubmer on it. > http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDArticles&op=Story&ndar_id=24

Search -> Reviews : http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=Search

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Quote Responses

I didn't realize you responded to the individual items in my post inside of the quote.

The LG drive was on some kind of clearance special for 12,000 Yen so around $100. It seemed like a bargain to me especially since the other internal Blu-Ray drives were usually quite a bit more expensive and either didn't support HD-DVD reading or didn't support Blu-Ray writing. The write speed is 6x for Blu-Ray as well which is nice, even though I probably won't do any Blu-Ray burning anytime soon.

What is a good program that you recommend for performing memtests? I have never actually done one before. Also, what should I look for when running the test?

I'll check on the "RU" / "UL" number when I get home, but I am pretty sure the thing is crap. The case itself only costed $80 and the PSU came with it, so I doubt it is even comparable to the standalone PSUs that cost around $100.

I'll check on the multiplier in the BIOS as well. The BIOS screen seems to have a ton of features and information that I have never seen on other BIOSs. Do you know what multiplier the E8500 should be at for stock speeds?

I'll also remove my motherboard and check on the 4 bolts to make sure they are pushed all the way in. I don't want to have to worry about blowing my processor down the road.

Thanks again for the help!

 

[Deleted member 17706]

unless you buy a case from a respectable brand name PSU maker never use the stock PSU for a primary gaming rig.

I'd save it for a secondary data server or HTPC.

Go with reliable brands like Antec, Enermax, Seasonic, and such

Thanks for the reply! I'll make sure to look for a good brand when I go buy a PSU tonight.

 

[Hazaro]

The LG drive was on some kind of clearance special for 12,000 Yen so around $100. - Yea it's about $160 here, good stuff

What is a good program that you recommend for performing memtests? I have never actually done one before. Also, what should I look for when running the test? - Memtest86+, big red letters that say error.

I am pretty sure the thing is crap. The case itself only costed $80 and the PSU came with it, so I doubt it is even comparable to the standalone PSUs that cost around $100. - Antec PSU's basically come with free cases

I'll check on the multiplier in the BIOS as well. The BIOS screen seems to have a ton of features and information that I have never seen on other BIOSs. Do you know what multiplier the E8500 should be at for stock speeds?
- Oh yeah, lots and lots of options. Multiplier should be the highest it can go, 9.5, you might have to enable half steppings.

You can undervolt or set the E8500 to a set voltage to have the temps reduced as well if reseating the HS doesn't help.
-Seasonic and CWT both make the Corsair PSU's. Recent Antec's are good. Most recent OCZ's are good. Enermax's are solid. PC&P too. Zalman and ThermalTake too.

List of ones to avoid: http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=458204

*Last thing, you only need a decent 500w from those brands. Not even 500w under load even, but they start there besides the Antec EarthWatts
Oh and post pictures.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

You can undervolt or set the E8500 to a set voltage to have the temps reduced as well if reseating the HS doesn't help.
-Seasonic and CWT both make the Corsair PSU's. Recent Antec's are good. Most recent OCZ's are good. Enermax's are solid. PC&P too. Zalman and ThermalTake too.

List of ones to avoid: http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=458204

*Last thing, you only need a decent 500w from those brands. Not even 500w under load even, but they start there besides the Antec EarthWatts
Oh and post pictures.

Thanks again. Have you ever heard of Owltech? It seems like they are the same as Seasonic, but I'm not quite sure.

Also is there any downside to having too much wattage other than requiring more electricity? It seems like it might be more expensive for me to get a 500W or 550W from Antec / Owltech / Zalman than it would to get a 600W due to sales, etc...

 

[Hazaro]

Thanks again. Have you ever heard of Owltech? It seems like they are the same as Seasonic, but I'm not quite sure.

Also is there any downside to having too much wattage other than requiring more electricity? It seems like it might be more expensive for me to get a 500W or 550W from Antec / Owltech / Zalman than it would to get a 600W due to sales, etc...

Wattage states max possible. It only draws as much as your computer uses. Almost all those good brands will be 80%+ (80% efficiency changing AC to DC power).

http://www.80plus.org/manu/psu/psu_reports/SP54 3_OWLTECH_OWL-PSGCM500_500W_Report.pdf

Well it's 80+ Certified and has Seasonic on it :lol

What can you gleam from this? (Post 464)
http://www.23ch.info/test/read.cgi/jisaku/1223788475/

 

[ithorien]

Hazaro, since you sound like someone who definitely knows his way around the PC world, aside from memtest, are there any other good utils to use to check a PC for any other faults? (cpu, hdd, etc)

I've used the ultimate boot cd a while back, but haven't messed around with PCs in quite some time now, so not sure what to use to check the system from every aspect.

 

[Hazaro]

Hazaro, since you sound like someone who definitely knows his way around the PC world, aside from memtest, are there any other good utils to use to check a PC for any other faults? (cpu, hdd, etc)

I've used the ultimate boot cd a while back, but haven't messed around with PCs in quite some time now, so not sure what to use to check the system from every aspect.

CPU: ORTHOS, Prime 95 (Alternative happy fun kill your CPU program: Core Damage)
GPU: GPUCaps viewer (FUR benchmark)
HDD: Your vendor should have a disk checking utility

Monitoring: CPU-Z, GPU-Z, Realtemp/CoreTemp

*I found a list because I'm lazy. :lol

http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/intel-burn-test-27994/#post262787

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Wattage states max possible. It only draws as much as your computer uses. Almost all those good brands will be 80%+ (80% efficiency changing AC to DC power).

http://www.80plus.org/manu/psu/psu_reports/SP54 3_OWLTECH_OWL-PSGCM500_500W_Report.pdf

Well it's 80+ Certified and has Seasonic on it :lol

What can you gleam from this? (Post 464)
http://www.23ch.info/test/read.cgi/jisaku/1223788475/

It looks like Owltech is fine then...

Unfortunately I can't access the second link you posted from work.

 

[Hazaro]

It looks like Owltech is fine then...

Unfortunately I can't access the second link you posted from work.

462 ：Socket774：2008/11/07(&#37329 01:08:42 ID:gNKSBJ+l
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000X2677A/?tag=neogaf0e-20

米尼のコルセア750W(CMPSU-750TX)の価格が上がってる(98.99→127.49)。

463 ：Socket774：2008/11/07(&#37329 01:14:51 ID:W8ewEj+n
向こうはドル安でｶﾜｲｿ!

464 ：Socket774：2008/11/07(&#37329 01:47:59 ID:Sv6VsOpG
>>5
OWLTECHとSeasonicってどう違うんですか？
OWLTECHが参拝なのに紫蘇が良質…よくわからないw

465 ：Socket774：2008/11/07(&#37329 02:35:31 ID:HKiodEqV
>>464
オールテックが、生産者を表記しないで自社ブランドとして売ってる電源が
『　静が如く　』　 OWL-PSGCM500/600/700
http://www.owltech.co.jp/products/power/power_0.html
で、

オウルテックが、生産者、Seasonicを前面に押し出して自社を日本国内代理店としてとして売ってる電源が
http://www.owltech.co.jp/products/power/power_1.html

紫蘇電源ってわけ。ちなみに、ｵｰﾙﾃｯｸの静かがなんちゃらは紫蘇製ではない。

紛らわしいから分けてんの。価格比較サイトではOWLTECH製みたいな事になっちゃってるけど

466 ：Socket774：2008/11/07(&#37329 02:48:27 ID:Sv6VsOpG
>>465
なるほど、そういうことだったんですか。
分かりやすい解説ありがとうございました。

467 ：Socket774：2008/11/07(&#37329 13:05:28 ID:amiJv3uj
紫蘇電源の話題はすまんけどスレ違いだからこっちでやってね
http://pc11.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/jisaku/1217506859/

468 ：Socket774：2008/11/07(&#37329 13:28:36 ID:URd++9tR
超花1000W届いた。送料入れて\23,660だった。
今のところEnermax ELT500AWTと同じように問題なく動いていて音も静かだしいい感じ

レポ終了

469 ：Socket774：2008/11/07(&#37329 13:30:07 ID:jsISYawu
超花は初代に手を出した時のトラウマが(´Ａ&#65344

470 ：Socket774：2008/11/07(&#37329 13:33:02 ID:URd++9tR
>>469
トラブルに巻き込まれるかは結局運なので、そういうのは気にしないことにしてる。

471 ：Socket774：2008/11/07(&#37329 13:43:10 ID:GSGUt+fQ
>>468
うちも超花使ってるが、負荷が掛かった時
5vラインの電圧が不安定になって
徐々に落ち込んでくる

472 ：Socket774：2008/11/07(&#37329 13:52:58 ID:URd++9tR
毎度毎度必死にアンチ活動するやつがいるのはおいといて

写真うｐしてみた。
http://ranobe.com/up/src/up317112.jpg

I've eaten up the thread anyway.

 

[ithorien]

CPU: ORTHOS, Prime 95 (Alternative happy fun kill your CPU program: Core Damage)
GPU: GPUCaps viewer (FUR benchmark)
HDD: Your vendor should have a disk checking utility

Monitoring: CPU-Z, GPU-Z, Realtemp/CoreTemp

*I found a list because I'm lazy. :lol

http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/intel-burn-test-27994/#post262787

Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 17706]

I've eaten up the thread anyway.

One of the guys just explains in that thread that Owltech has one line of products that they make and another line of products where they act as a distributor for Seasonic products.

 

[godhandiscen]

CPU: ORTHOS, Prime 95 (Alternative happy fun kill your CPU program: Core Damage)
GPU: GPUCaps viewer (FUR benchmark)
HDD: Your vendor should have a disk checking utility

Monitoring: CPU-Z, GPU-Z, Realtemp/CoreTemp

*I found a list because I'm lazy. :lol

http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/intel-burn-test-27994/#post262787

GPUCaps is an OpenGL tester. It doesn't really help with DirectX performance afaik. I would use 3DMark Vantage to test a card under DX10.

 

[zoku88]

GPUCaps is an OpenGL tester. It doesn't really help with DirectX performance afaik. I would use 3DMark Vantage to test a card under DX10.

I think it was to test stability, not performance.

 

[ithorien]

I think it was to test stability, not performance.

Yea I was looking for stability.

On a bit different note, my wife needs a totally new computer but considering we just got married, can't get too crazy. Would you guys still build a $500 PC for WoW (pretty much all she needs it for) or just buy a premade from somewhere?

She's got an older Dell Inspiron E1505 laptop that just can't handle WoW anymore.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Yea I was looking for stability.

On a bit different note, my wife needs a totally new computer but considering we just got married, can't get too crazy. Would you guys still build a $500 PC for WoW (pretty much all she needs it for) or just buy a premade from somewhere?

She's got an older Dell Inspiron E1505 laptop that just can't handle WoW anymore.

You could easily build a decent computer for under $500 if you don't need a monitor and OS. You could probably pick up a cheaper motherboard / low-end Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM and a 8800GT or something for around $300-400. After that it is just a matter of finding a case and a PSU and a keyboard / mouse. A setup like that would be more than enough for WoW.

 

[ithorien]

You could easily build a decent computer for under $500 if you don't need a monitor and OS. You could probably pick up a cheaper motherboard / low-end Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM and a 8800GT or something for around $300-400. After that it is just a matter of finding a case and a PSU and a keyboard / mouse. A setup like that would be more than enough for WoW.

Cool, thanks. I'll have to do some secret shopping when she's not looking

 

[Pachael]

LTTP but the Nvidia 9400Ms would find themselves into the next generation of laptops, potentially giving netbooks at least some gaming (and HD) capability. It's LTTP as Apple has announced that they'd come on the next Macbooks some months ago:

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3478

 

[Hazaro]

LTTP but the Nvidia 9400Ms would find themselves into the next generation of laptops, potentially giving netbooks at least some gaming (and HD) capability. It's LTTP as Apple has announced that they'd come on the next Macbooks some months ago:

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3478

More like HD capacity and some gaming. New GPU's are super magical at processing HD video, but gaming still takes lots of oomph.

That Ion thing is pretty nifty though.

 

[Pachael]

More like HD capacity and some gaming. New GPU's are super magical at processing HD video, but gaming still takes lots of oomph.

That Ion thing is pretty nifty though.

It could also form the backbone of a great low powered HTPC, as Nvidia themselves state that it has CUDA, so presumably Badaboom would work great on it:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_9400m_g_us.html

 

[godhandiscen]

Ok, so I have a buddy with a budget of $1400, and wants me to build a PC for him. I have some ideas of my own, but do you guys have any recommendations? The only constraint is that the case needs to be a small midtower due to the size of his desk, so I am not sure if a decent cooler would fit in there.
I am going Core i7 for this build. Is there anything I should know?


Hmmm, I really don't know which mobo to pick. Any suggestions?

I cannot find any decent cooler for the Core i7 socket. How do people OC this processors?


Here is the built:

Case:
Antec P182 Gun Metal Black
Mobo:
BIOSTAR TpowerX58 LGA 1366 Intel X58
CPU:
Intel Core i7 920
GPU:
Radeon HD 4870 1GB
RAM:
CORSAIR XMS3 3GB (3 x 1GB) DDR3 1333
PSU:
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W

Done. My friend ordered everything for tomorrow. His gf allowed him to spend money on the rig and he is only staying on town until friday, so he needs it working by then. All the parts were ordered with 1 day shipping. I will be building it tomorrow or friday and post my experiences.

 

[godhandiscen]

Bump? I just want some advice before I put it together on Friday.

 

[zoku88]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134718

Not the same MHz, but it has one more GB of RAM and it's pretty much the same price. There are marginal gains going from dual channel to triple channel anyway (latency increases a little bit when you do, too.)

 

[godhandiscen]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134718

Not the same MHz, but it has one more GB of RAM and it's pretty much the same price. There are marginal gains going from dual channel to triple channel anyway (latency increases a little bit when you do, too.)

My friend insisted on using XP 32, so I opted for 3GB since he wouldnt really take advantage of the 4GB with that OS.

 

[zoku88]

My friend insisted on using XP 32, so I opted for 3GB since he wouldnt really take advantage of the 4GB with that OS.

Oh... that's silly :-/

 

[Chris R]

Oh... that's silly :-/

Indeed it is. You would figure with that i7 a vista64bit build would be the best way to go.

 

[ithorien]

You could easily build a decent computer for under $500 if you don't need a monitor and OS. You could probably pick up a cheaper motherboard / low-end Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM and a 8800GT or something for around $300-400. After that it is just a matter of finding a case and a PSU and a keyboard / mouse. A setup like that would be more than enough for WoW.

So I overshot my budget a bit.. $576 total without the needed monitor and mouse/keyboard. But what do you think of these components? And before someone says "wtffloppy", for 8 bucks I feel safe

-COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $50
-GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $115
-Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $75
-EVGA 512-P3-N956-TR GeForce 9500 GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail $80
-G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-2GBPK - Retail $34
-Intel Core 2 Duo E7300 Wolfdale 2.66GHz LGA 775 Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E7300 - Retail $120
-Sony NEC Optiarc 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model AD-7220S - OEM $25
-SONY Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive Windows 98SE/ ME/ 2000/ XP - OEM $8
-Acer X223Wbd Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail $170
-IOGEAR GKM551R Black USB 2.4GHz Wireless Slim Long Range Media Center Desktop - Retail $70
-CORSAIR CMPSU-450VX 450W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail $70

Any suggestions on what to change maybe so the price goes down a bit? I have Vista 64bit for this PC already, so no need on OS.

 

[Hazaro]

Get 4GB of RAM for $10 more

Grab this video card instead, do yourself a favor.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130424
eVGA rebates are quick and easy.

If you want to save some money get this case+PSU instead.
For $75 you get an ok case + an 380w EarthWatts (Saves you $55)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129031

 

[Visualante]

God hand, you got yourself a great case there. I felt a bit idiotic spending so much on a case but it has really served me well.

I opened it up the other day for the first time since February, there was no dust inside the actual case. Just a bit around the grooves of the side panel. Well worth it for that alone, let alone how quiet the supplied fans are. Get a good sound card though. I've noticed that the on board jack picks up electro magnetic interference from the hard drive or something. Little ticks and whirring noises every so often- super annoying.

Have fun fitting in the PSU in that case also, nothing's impossible but it's a real bitch. I got a Corsair also and it went in. One more thing, do you REALLY need to overclock your i7?

 

[zoku88]

I don't think there's a point of getting a floppy drive anymore.

 

[ithorien]

Get 4GB of RAM for $10 more

Grab this video card instead, do yourself a favor.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130424
eVGA rebates are quick and easy.

If you want to save some money get this case+PSU instead.
For $75 you get an ok case + an 380w EarthWatts (Saves you $55)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129031

Thanks for the suggestions, any brand of ram you particularly like? I always stuck with Corsair XMS, but those aren't usually cheap.

 

[ithorien]

I don't think there's a point of getting a floppy drive anymore.

Oh, if only MS thought the way you do, I'd be a happy camper.

I do minor tech support at work, and I can't tell you how many times I swore about not having a floppy in a PC. Just recently someone wanted a downgrade to XP from Vista on a PC that didn't have a floppy, and the RAID controller drivers weren't on the XP install CD. Man, what fun that was. Thank god for N-Lite.

 

[Hazaro]

One more thing, do you REALLY need to overclock your i7?

It's not his. But of course.

There's not many solutions, and all are not cheap. There's the ThermalRight 1366 or whatever it is.

Thanks for the suggestions, any brand of ram you particularly like? I always stuck with Corsair XMS, but those aren't usually cheap.

I like G.Skill. It's cheap, reliable, and has a lifetime warranty.
I bought a set of used 1000 sticks from someone and found one of them was erroring a bit, so I called them up, guy didn't sound like he knew what he was doing :lol
I just put down the serial and had no reciept, got new sticks back in 6 days. (3 days my shipping, 1 day turn around, 2 days back to me)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122 (New Heatspreader
If you want to Overclock: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231145

 

[godhandiscen]

Oh... that's silly :-/

I know, I know. However, he can still add another 3 GB later if he ever decides to upgrade.

God hand, you got yourself a great case there. I felt a bit idiotic spending so much on a case but it has really served me well.

I opened it up the other day for the first time since February, there was no dust inside the actual case. Just a bit around the grooves of the side panel. Well worth it for that alone, let alone how quiet the supplied fans are. Get a good sound card though. I've noticed that the on board jack picks up electro magnetic interference from the hard drive or something. Little ticks and whirring noises every so often- super annoying.

Have fun fitting in the PSU in that case also, nothing's impossible but it's a real bitch. I got a Corsair also and it went in. One more thing, do you REALLY need to overclock your i7?

There are soo many freaking constraints with this built. That case was one of the few that would fit on his desk. I just found out he is going to lie to his gf and tell her his computer broke during the break, and I have to help him with that... wtf did I get into.

Not OC'ing anymore, so the stock cooler will do.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

I went with an Antec Earthwatts 650W power supply. It cost me around $80, but I'm sure it's worth it.

I finally go everything set up and working properly. Thanks for warning me about the heatsink not being in properly Hazaro. After taking out the motherboard and checking the back of it, one of the pins hadn't gone all the way. After I fixed that and checked on the PC Health Status in my BIOS the CPU temperature was down to 24C.

I am just getting stuff installed right now, so I haven't had a chance to try any games, but damn Vista Ultimate 64 bit is smooth and 1920x1200 via HDMI looks really nice

I am going to go out and buy / rent some Blu-Ray movies tomorrow.

 

[ithorien]

I like G.Skill. It's cheap, reliable, and has a lifetime warranty.
I bought a set of used 1000 sticks from someone and found one of them was erroring a bit, so I called them up, guy didn't sound like he knew what he was doing :lol
I just put down the serial and had no reciept, got new sticks back in 6 days. (3 days my shipping, 1 day turn around, 2 days back to me)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122 (New Heatspreader
If you want to Overclock: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231145

Cool, I don't mind going with G.Skill at all, I know they're reliable, and your story helps. I had to RMA Patriot memory once... ended up getting same spec memory, but for a laptop.

Total noob question though- you mention the 800/1000 speed memory, any advantage of just going with 1066 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231226 since it's the motherboard spec?

A little out of the loop on what you can/can't put in the mobo anymore...

 

[Hazaro]

Total noob question though- you mention the 800/1000 speed memory, any advantage of just going with 1066 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231226 since it's the motherboard spec?

A little out of the loop on what you can/can't put in the mobo anymore...

All DDR2 will work in your motherboard. There's no advantage unless you want to overclock. The tiny tiny advantage offered by lower timings/higher speed is invisible for everyone unless you are running benchmarks.
*I find that G.Skill's red heatspreaders are the best looking though :lol
I you want to spend the extra $7 to stare at them for a solid minute it's worth it

 

[Spayro]

I have a question! woo.
I currently have a 8600GTS, and it's shit. I know that.
I want to upgrade to a HD4870, and I'm planning on playing Fallout 3, GTA 4 and Crysis.
Is it worth it? how much better will the performance be? and how long will it be until i'll need to get a new card?
(considering my 8600 wasn't all that good back when I got it, too. bah.)

any other recommendations in that price range?

 

[brain_stew]

I have a question! woo.
I currently have a 8600GTS, and it's shit. I know that.
I want to upgrade to a HD4870, and I'm planning on playing Fallout 3, GTA 4 and Crysis.
Is it worth it? how much better will the performance be? and how long will it be until i'll need to get a new card?
(considering my 8600 wasn't all that good back when I got it, too. bah.)

any other recommendations in that price range?

An order of magnitude better. What's your gaming resolution though, if its 1680x1050 or lower its very difficult to justify the significantly increased cost over the bargain-tastic 4850.

 

[Spayro]

An order of magnitude better. What's your gaming resolution though, if its 1680x1050 or lower its very difficult to justify the significantly increased cost over the bargain-tastic 4850.

I run on 1680x1050. but I don't know if I want to be really cheap like with the 8600 :lol
Maybe just a bit less cheap. will the 4850 last over a year?

 

[brain_stew]

I run on 1680x1050. but I don't know if I want to be really cheap like with the 8600 :lol
Maybe just a bit less cheap. will the 4850 last over a year?

Of course. It runs Crysis smoothly with very high/high settings at 1680x1050 and there's nothing on the horizon remotely as advanced as that. Put it this way, you're paying a 50%+ price premium for a 20% increase in performance that isn't even really noticeable today. If something doesn't run well on a 4850 then a 4870 isn't likely to fair much better, and by the time its upgrade time a 20% performance bump will be nothing.

At higher resolutions then by all means, pump in the extra cash, because that's when the extra memory bandwidth of GDDR5 starts to make a difference.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

I run on 1680x1050. but I don't know if I want to be really cheap like with the 8600 :lol
Maybe just a bit less cheap. will the 4850 last over a year?

The 4870 1GB will probably last you 12-16 months vs. the 4850 which would last you 6-12 months.

Based on the improvements that ATI has been coming out with their drivers lately, the 4870 1GB is a more solid choice at this point if you're looking to keep the card for a while.


BTW--- A little off topic... do we have someone to get going on a 2009 PC thread--- IE Title, organization, places to get utilities and such?

If not, since I'm still unemployed, I'd be willing to help out create it or help whoever is going to be doing the main post.

 

[Cheeto]

The 4870 1GB will probably last you 12-16 months vs. the 4850 which would last you 6-12 months.

I think you're grossly underestimating those lifespans.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

I think you're grossly underestimating those lifespans.

Well I'm basing my estimates on what people are going to upgrade here in the coming year. With the GTX295 coming out, GTX200 and GTX300 hitting Q1/Q2 and the HD5xxx series hitting sometime next year as well, we're going to be seeing the GPU market double in performance (roughly) from where things have been.

For me, I'm looking at upgrading my GPU once every 12-16 months to have the latest and greatest card for the games on the PC.

Right now we have a market segment of :
Nvidia Owners: 8600GT/8800GT/GTS/GTX/9800X2/9600GT/9800GT/GTX 260/280 all chomping on the bit for what the next card is going to be.
ATI owners : HD3xxx series/HD4xxx series owners waiting to see what ATI will do next.

My view of PC gaming is keeping up with the Jones' but I do understand there will be those people that buy a 4870 and keep it for 3 years.

 

[ithorien]

All DDR2 will work in your motherboard. There's no advantage unless you want to overclock. The tiny tiny advantage offered by lower timings/higher speed is invisible for everyone unless you are running benchmarks.
*I find that G.Skill's red heatspreaders are the best looking though :lol
I you want to spend the extra $7 to stare at them for a solid minute it's worth it

Awesome, thanks

I run on 1680x1050. but I don't know if I want to be really cheap like with the 8600 :lol
Maybe just a bit less cheap. will the 4850 last over a year?

Best.
avatar.
ever.

 

[Armitage]

I'm in Canadia, $1000 max budget. Already have a monitor and speakers, and mouse.

I want to play Fallout 3, Supreme Commander/FA, and Crysis. Going to be running on a 19" 720p lcd tv.

WHAT SHOULD I BUY GAF?

 

[zoku88]

What res does the monitor display?