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[IronicallyTwisted]

Gonna upgrade my PC this week, and so far I've decided on these two components:

Gigabyte GA-X48-DQ6 motherboard
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 (2.6 GHz, 12 MB cache)

What kind of memory (DDR2, up to PC9600) would you dudes recommend? Shouldn't be too expensive (I need 4 GB) but it shouldn't be some cheap crap either.

In the memory world the "cheap crap" is actually what you should be buying. If you take the absolute worst memory you can buy, and then the shit that costs like $300 dollars a stick, theres around a 10% performance difference. But don't get a shitty brand, get either Geil, Corsair, GSkill, OCZ or Kingston. Whichever is cheapest

Anyway for that setup i.e massive ownage i'd get 4x1gb sticks of DDRII, 1066 clocked memory (PC8500), Non ECC with generic timings, i.e. 5.5.5.15. Don't buy DDRIII because the timings are too slow and its too expensive. If you can get PC9600 with the same specs go for it, but not if its significantly more expensive. Ram really doesn't make much of a difference.

4 1gb sticks performs better than 2 2gb sticks.

 

[IronicallyTwisted]

yeah, I have a Q6600 OC'd to 3.0 right now. I ran a stress test for about 30 minutes last night after getting the new heat sink on, and while temps rose there were no stability issues, so...

Is yours the G0 revision or the original Q6600? Because i'm at 3.7 and I hit around 45 at full load, 30-35 on idle.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

My computer is up and running. The only problem is I went to install video drivers (the 174.74) and it says "the nividia setup program could not locate any drivers that are compatible with your current hardware."

Any advice?

Edit: Installed the 174.74 beta and that worked, but when rebooting vista told me it wasn't digitally signed so it won't work.

Foiled...

 

[eznark]

Is yours the G0 revision or the original Q6600? Because i'm at 3.7 and I hit around 45 at full load, 30-35 on idle.

Yep, GO revision. What are the rest of your specs?

 

[VictimOfGrief]

My computer is up and running. The only problem is I went to install video drivers (the 174.74) and it says "the nividia setup program could not locate any drivers that are compatible with your current hardware."

Any advice?

Edit: Installed the 174.74 beta and that worked, but when rebooting vista told me it wasn't digitally signed so it won't work.

Foiled...

You running 64-bit Vista?

I'm running the 174.74 drivers and I just downloaded them straight from Nvidia's site.

Junk thing about 64-bit OS is the drivers all have to be digitally signed. :/

 

[eznark]

My computer is up and running. The only problem is I went to install video drivers (the 174.74) and it says "the nividia setup program could not locate any drivers that are compatible with your current hardware."

Any advice?

Edit: Installed the 174.74 beta and that worked, but when rebooting vista told me it wasn't digitally signed so it won't work.

Foiled...

sorry dude, XP here, Vista didn't seem to offer enough benefits for me. I figured I'd be dealing with hardware issues for a bit and didn't want to also learn a new OS in the process.

 

[IronicallyTwisted]

Yep, GO revision. What are the rest of your specs?

I'm using pretty high end stuff. I've got an Asus PK5-E WIFI motherboard and a Tuniq - Tower 120 cooler.

Cooler:

Case: 3D Aurora 570

As for the bios settings I can't remember them for the life of me. I did some very minor voltage changes.

 

[eznark]

I'm using pretty high end stuff. I've got an Asus PK5-E WIFI motherboard and a Tuniq - Tower 120 cooler.

Cooler:

Case: 3D Aurora 570

As for the bios settings I can't remember them for the life of me. I did some very minor voltage changes.

Yeah, I'm more middle of the road with my stuff, and went rather low end with the Freezer 7 Pro cooler. I'm pretty confident I'll be able to get to 3.4, although right now it seems unnecessary.

I finally got around to actually testing my FPS on Crysis and I am getting 30 in open areas, 40 in enclosed. I opened a bunch of other crap just to bog down the computer a bit and lower the frame rate, and even when it fell to 20 I wouldn't really have noticed without the tracker in the corner.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

You running 64-bit Vista?

I'm running the 174.74 drivers and I just downloaded them straight from Nvidia's site.

Junk thing about 64-bit OS is the drivers all have to be digitally signed. :/

Yeah, but I got it working. And I believe there's a workaround for that digitally signed problem. There's a way to boot your pc with the option of allowing digitally unsigned drivers, but you have to do it each boot.

I got 174.74 drivers from driverheaven that work fine.


My Pc is running stable and vista hasn't given me any problems besides that little video card driver stump.

What's a good temperature program to monitor the cpu? Right now I have the side off until I unclutter the wires, and it is blowing coldddd air onto me.


P.S. I am loving vista 64 so far.

And my steam name is novaxaru if anyone wants to add me. I will be buying orange box off steam today.

 

[IronicallyTwisted]

Yeah, I'm more middle of the road with my stuff, and went rather low end with the Freezer 7 Pro cooler. I'm pretty confident I'll be able to get to 3.4, although right now it seems unnecessary.

I finally got around to actually testing my FPS on Crysis and I am getting 30 in open areas, 40 in enclosed. I opened a bunch of other crap just to bog down the computer a bit and lower the frame rate, and even when it fell to 20 I wouldn't really have noticed without the tracker in the corner.

3.4 is still a mighty impressive overclock, thats a whole ghz from stock ratings. Its an amazing CPU, really. As for Crysis, i stopped playing that when the savegame glitch hit me and it look 15 minutes to load a single save.

Yeah, but I got it working. And I believe there's a workaround for that digitally signed problem. There's a way to boot your pc with the option of allowing digitally unsigned drivers, but you have to do it each boot.

I got 174.74 drivers from driverheaven that work fine.

Sorry, what seems to be your problem? Which Nvidia drivers are you using for what graphics card?

 

[eznark]

3.4 is still a mighty impressive overclock, thats a whole ghz from stock ratings. Its an amazing CPU, really. As for Crysis, i stopped playing that when the savegame glitch hit me and it look 15 minutes to load a single save.

Yeah, this is my first build and I got it for $199 and am so impressed with the Q6600. Everything I've read says it's resilient and really OC friendly, which is good since I am bound to f something up at some point. Haven't heard about the save glitch, I'm about 3/4 through and loving Crysis.

P.S. I am loving vista 64 so far.

And my steam name is novaxaru if anyone wants to add me. I will be buying orange box off steam today.

Yeah, considering how easy the whole hardware part has been I'm regretting not getting Vista 64 a little bit.

eznark on steam, add me, I need another n00b to play TF2 with, since I basically just run around like a chucklehead and try to best my record for staying alive with the various classes.

 

[bee]

to disable driver signing checks on vista 64, paste this into a command prompt

bcdedit /set loadoptions DDISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS

you can temporarily disable it by pressing f8 at boot, but if you install some non signed drivers then you will have to do this at every boot for the drivers to load which is why permanently disabling it is the better method, well for me anyway

 

[VictimOfGrief]

to disable driver signing checks on vista 64, paste this into a command prompt

bcdedit /set loadoptions DDISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS

you can temporarily disable it by pressing f8 at boot, but if you install some non signed drivers then you will have to do this at every boot for the drivers to load which is why permanently disabling it is the better method, well for me anyway

Okay so I'll bite. What does that do to the reliability of the OS if you disable it permanently? Basically you could get a BSOD and it would be driver related due to incompatibility?

 

[mambadragon]

Yeah, I'm more middle of the road with my stuff, and went rather low end with the Freezer 7 Pro cooler. I'm pretty confident I'll be able to get to 3.4, although right now it seems unnecessary.

I finally got around to actually testing my FPS on Crysis and I am getting 30 in open areas, 40 in enclosed. I opened a bunch of other crap just to bog down the computer a bit and lower the frame rate, and even when it fell to 20 I wouldn't really have noticed without the tracker in the corner.

Know that increasing your processor speed probably won't change your FPS at all. I can change my Q6600 from 3 GHz to 3.6GHz (with an 8800GT) and get no performance difference in Crysis.

 

[IronicallyTwisted]

Know that increasing your processor speed probably won't change your FPS at all. I can change my Q6600 from 3 GHz to 3.6GHz (with an 8800GT) and get no performance difference in Crysis.

As wierd as it sounds the CPU actually becomes the bottleneck when you are running on super high settings (in Crysis).

 

[eznark]

Know that increasing your processor speed probably won't change your FPS at all. I can change my Q6600 from 3 GHz to 3.6GHz (with an 8800GT) and get no performance difference in Crysis.

Oh, i was just using that as a sort of example to show my happiness with my current set up.

What kind of temps are you getting at 3.7? I have the same set up (Q6600 and 8800GT)

 

[VictimOfGrief]

eznark and Hyde, added you both. Add me : hudson01187 aka VictimofGrief

 

[eznark]

eznark and Hyde, added you both. Add me : hudson01187 aka VictimofGrief

will do after work

 

[zoku88]

Okay so I'll bite. What does that do to the reliability of the OS if you disable it permanently? Basically you could get a BSOD and it would be driver related due to incompatibility?

I don't think so. I mean, I guess it increases the chances of you installing a driver that messes up your system, but otherwise, meh...

 

[mambadragon]

Oh, i was just using that as a sort of example to show my happiness with my current set up.

What kind of temps are you getting at 3.7? I have the same set up (Q6600 and 8800GT)

I'm running at 3.4 GHz now, and I get to about 55-60C under very heavy load (prime95 + ati tool). With 3.6 I was getting up to 70 which I didn't like. I have the Scythe Ninja Plus HSF and a smaller case (Antec Solo). I also only use a low speed 120mm fan on the Ninja. I'm sure it would be cooler if I got a bigger case, but I didn't want a tall ugly case and I hate the whole pimped out blue LED look.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

I am now using 174.74 with my 8800GTS 512MB G92 card. I just got it setup and couldn't find a driver that wanted to install, but it's up and running fine now.

 

[Epix]

I am now using 174.74 with my 8800GTS 512MB G92 card. I just got it setup and couldn't find a driver that wanted to install, but it's up and running fine now.

Shouldn't you be running 169.25?

 

[datruth29]

Hey Guys!

My first time building a computer, and I was hoping to get some input from you fine people

Wish List

My major concerns are my CPU (E8400 vs. Q6600), and my power supply (do I need more? From what I understand, the power supply on my list has a good reputation for stability and such. I checked out some power calculators, and it seems that the advertised wattage is good enough, but I just want to make sure.) However, any other recommendations are fine as well.

By the way, I will be using this for mostly gaming, but I don't care if it's not running on the highest settings. Just something to run CoH or Stalker and such on decent settings without having to catch a fit. As far as overclocking, I'm probably going to try my hand somewhat in it, but I'm probably never going to go over the deep end, so it's not that much of an issue.

Anyway, thanks in advanced guys!

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Hey Guys!

My first time building a computer, and I was hoping to get some input from you fine people

Wish List

My major concerns are my CPU (E8400 vs. Q6600), and my power supply (do I need more? From what I understand, the power supply on my list has a good reputation for stability and such. I checked out some power calculators, and it seems that the advertised wattage is good enough, but I just want to make sure.) However, any other recommendations are fine as well.

By the way, I will be using this for mostly gaming, but I don't care if it's not running on the highest settings. Just something to run CoH or Stalker and such on decent settings without having to catch a fit. As far as overclocking, I'm probably going to try my hand somewhat in it, but I'm probably never going to go over the deep end, so it's not that much of an issue.

Anyway, thanks in advanced guys!

Dat ~ Not a bad build. I would step up to at least a 450-500W PSU just to have the extra overhead.

Case - Good
Mobo - Awesome. Same one I have.
GPU - Good. Again, may want to consider a little more power PSU depending on CPU chosen.
CPU - So that was my dilemma for the longest time. I finally went with the Q6600 and I'm glad I did from what I've read. Once the 2nd gen Yorkfield's come out in the next 12-18 months or so, I'll probably upgrade CPU's but for now, everything on my Q6600 flies!
Memory - Good. I've got the same memory.
Burner - Good.
HDD - Good.

Overall--- Great build and again, you make tweak your decision to go Quad-Core vs. Wolfdale. Just make sure the PSU can handle the extra power. Never want to sell yourself short on that.

 

[mambadragon]

Hey Guys!

My first time building a computer, and I was hoping to get some input from you fine people

Wish List

My major concerns are my CPU (E8400 vs. Q6600), and my power supply (do I need more? From what I understand, the power supply on my list has a good reputation for stability and such. I checked out some power calculators, and it seems that the advertised wattage is good enough, but I just want to make sure.) However, any other recommendations are fine as well.

By the way, I will be using this for mostly gaming, but I don't care if it's not running on the highest settings. Just something to run CoH or Stalker and such on decent settings without having to catch a fit. As far as overclocking, I'm probably going to try my hand somewhat in it, but I'm probably never going to go over the deep end, so it's not that much of an issue.

Anyway, thanks in advanced guys!

You know I'm really not sure about the power supply. It'll probably run fine, and people do get ridiculous with these 750W PSUs, but I don't know if 380W gets close to the instability threshhold if overclocking. EVGA says you need a 400W supply for the 8800GT though that might overstate it. I can say I have nearly the exact same setup with an Earthwatts 500W and have no stability problems.

Also, with the 32-bit version of Vista, you'll only use 3GB of your RAM. If you upgrade to 64-bit you'll use all 4, but there are some compatibility issues when going from 32 to 64 bit.

 

[Epix]

Hey Guys!

My first time building a computer, and I was hoping to get some input from you fine people

Wish List

My major concerns are my CPU (E8400 vs. Q6600), and my power supply (do I need more? From what I understand, the power supply on my list has a good reputation for stability and such. I checked out some power calculators, and it seems that the advertised wattage is good enough, but I just want to make sure.) However, any other recommendations are fine as well.

By the way, I will be using this for mostly gaming, but I don't care if it's not running on the highest settings. Just something to run CoH or Stalker and such on decent settings without having to catch a fit. As far as overclocking, I'm probably going to try my hand somewhat in it, but I'm probably never going to go over the deep end, so it's not that much of an issue.

Anyway, thanks in advanced guys!

IMO, go with the Q600. More headroom for overclocking down the road. Similarly, you may want to get the next higher level power supply (400-450W), to allow it to grow with you should you want to overclock or upgrade video cards ect.

 

[rabhw]

I'd pick from one of these two, depending on your budget.


CORSAIR 450VX
CORSAIR 550VX

 

[IronicallyTwisted]

Hey Guys!

My first time building a computer, and I was hoping to get some input from you fine people

Wish List

My major concerns are my CPU (E8400 vs. Q6600), and my power supply (do I need more? From what I understand, the power supply on my list has a good reputation for stability and such. I checked out some power calculators, and it seems that the advertised wattage is good enough, but I just want to make sure.) However, any other recommendations are fine as well.

By the way, I will be using this for mostly gaming, but I don't care if it's not running on the highest settings. Just something to run CoH or Stalker and such on decent settings without having to catch a fit. As far as overclocking, I'm probably going to try my hand somewhat in it, but I'm probably never going to go over the deep end, so it's not that much of an issue.

Anyway, thanks in advanced guys!

Get a 430-450 watt PSU to be safe.

Don't get an IDE DVD drive, get it in SATA.

4x1gb sticks of ram will perform better than 2x2gb sticks of ram (not by much, but its there)

You need the 64 bit version of windows to use all 4 gigs of ram. Otherwise get 2x1gb sticks and 2x512mb sticks. All the same brand and performance.

As for the CPU, if you are prepared to overclock I would go with the Q6600, if not, get the E8400.

 

[eznark]

I'm running at 3.4 GHz now, and I get to about 55-60C under very heavy load (prime95 + ati tool). With 3.6 I was getting up to 70 which I didn't like. I have the Scythe Ninja Plus HSF and a smaller case (Antec Solo). I also only use a low speed 120mm fan on the Ninja. I'm sure it would be cooler if I got a bigger case, but I didn't want a tall ugly case and I hate the whole pimped out blue LED look.

I have a mid case also, and I think (based on past temps) that I would be getting the same speeds. What's your personal threshold, are you comfortable running at 60C?

 

[mambadragon]

I have a mid case also, and I think (based on past temps) that I would be getting the same speeds. What's your personal threshold, are you comfortable running at 60C?

The highest I've ever seen after closing Crysis was 55, which I'm fine with. I idle at 35. You should be fine loading at 60, the max is rated at 70 I believe.

 

[eznark]

The highest I've ever seen after closing Crysis was 55, which I'm fine with. I idle at 35. You should be fine loading at 60, the max is rated at 70 I believe.

You're getting higher on Crysis than prime95?

 

[godhandiscen]

4 1gb sticks performs better than 2 2gb sticks.

What about 4 X 2GB sticks? will that perform better than 4 X 1GB sticks? I am serious with my question, some things don't really make sense to me anymore so I better ask around.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

What about 4 X 2GB sticks? will that perform better than 4 X 1GB sticks? I am serious with my question, some things don't really make sense to me anymore so I better ask around.

I think it's easier to control the voltages and the timings per 1GB stick than it is per 2GB stick. Could be wrong but that's my assumption.

 

[godhandiscen]

I'd pick from one of these two, depending on your budget.


CORSAIR 450VX
CORSAIR 550VX

I would say get a 750 and don't worry about a new PSU even with your next upgrade.

I think it's easier to control the voltages and the timings per 1GB stick than it is per 2GB stick. Could be wrong but that's my assumption.

I already have 4 more gigs on the mail, so I guess cannot do anything about it.

 

[rabhw]

I would say get a 750 and don't worry about a new PSU even with your next upgrade.

I already have 4 more gigs on the mail, so I guess cannot do anything about it.

Well considering his wish list contained a 59 dollar 350W PSU, I operated under the assumption he had a tight budget, but also wanted something reliable -- thus my choices. On the other hand, for the same price you could probably find EL-EXTREM-2000W for 80 bucks, but when it explodes under load, that will be a bad thing.

 

[SRG01]

I would say get a 750 and don't worry about a new PSU even with your next upgrade.

I already have 4 more gigs on the mail, so I guess cannot do anything about it.

Unless he was doing SLI as his next upgrade, why would he have to worry about power?

 

[godhandiscen]

I have this power supply, and with a 3 year warranty, I couldn't be happier.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

Only bad thing is the tha connections are not modular.

 

[rabhw]

I have this power supply, and with a 3 year warranty, I couldn't be happier.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

Only bad thing is the tha connections are not modular.

Yeah, and that's a 180 dollar PSU, just a little bit more expensive than the 59 dollar one he had on his wish list...???

 

[FFChris]

Has anyone in the UK bought a new Laptop recently?

I need a decent one for under £400, just to do bits of coding work on. The problem I find with laptops, is everyones seems to constantly overheat after a year or two of use. Does anyone know of a reliable brand?

 

[godhandiscen]

Yeah, and that's a 180 dollar PSU, just a little bit more expensive than the 59 dollar one he had on his wish list...???

Sorry, I didn't see that.

 

[datruth29]

Thanks for the input guys! Much appreciated. I think I'm gonna go with the Q6600 now that I have done some more research and heard your opinions. As well as the upgrade with the SPU.

The reason why I got 2x2GB RAM is more so to do with potential upgrade then performance. I've been thinking a lot about going the 64-bit route. I'm still a little to scared to jump in the pool, as I have heard problems with compatibility issues and such. But I definitely will continue to look at it over the course of time, as the benefits are amazing.

So I went with the 2x2GB to give my self room to add 2 more sticks for a 8GB setup when I do make that jump. I figured if I went with the 4 sticks, I would have to purchase additional RAM to get the full 8GB setup. But then again, I'm completely open minded in this regard, and would love to hear more opinions around this topic. There might be a flaw in my logic or something I don't know about in regards to RAM and such, so more knowledge the better!

 

[SleazyC]

Here are a couple deals going on right now:

Intel Core 2 Duo Q6600 - $179.99 @ Fry's. (Still on sale. Probably one of the better prices I have seen online.)
Samsung Spinpoint F1 750GB - $112.99 @ ZipZoomFly (Varying reports on the reliability of the drive but for $112 it's a pretty good deal. Can also pick one up from eWiz for $108)
Corsair DOMINATOR DDR2-1066 4GB (2x2GB) - $129.90 after $40 MIR @ ZipZoomFly (Seems to be a decent overclocker)
PNY 9600GT - $116.99 after $40 MIR @ Amazon (Good price for a good performing budget card. Can also grab it at ZZF for $109 after rebate but it is currently out of stock)
Gigabyte 8800GT (G92) OC - $164.99 after $40 MIR @ ClubIT (Seems like a good price for a G92 card)

 

[eznark]

Thanks for the input guys! Much appreciated. I think I'm gonna go with the Q6600 now that I have done some more research and heard your opinions. As well as the upgrade with the SPU.

The reason why I got 2x2GB RAM is more so to do with potential upgrade then performance. I've been thinking a lot about going the 64-bit route. I'm still a little to scared to jump in the pool, as I have heard problems with compatibility issues and such. But I definitely will continue to look at it over the course of time, as the benefits are amazing.

So I went with the 2x2GB to give my self room to add 2 more sticks for a 8GB setup when I do make that jump. I figured if I went with the 4 sticks, I would have to purchase additional RAM to get the full 8GB setup. But then again, I'm completely open minded in this regard, and would love to hear more opinions around this topic. There might be a flaw in my logic or something I don't know about in regards to RAM and such, so more knowledge the better!

That is exactly what I did, in terms of memory and CPU.

 

[Ravenn17]

Don't get an IDE DVD drive, get it in SATA.

Why? What's the difference?

 

[Cheeto]

Why? What's the difference?

Doesn't matter, get either.

 

[TheGreatDave]

Guys, what should I be expecting from a 8600GT card? Is it qualified to go to 1680x1050 on Team Fortress 2? I don't mind turning down detail, but I need the FPS to always be above 30, preferably 45. I'm downloading from Steam now but my Windows Experience Index is 5.3 for graphics, and I'm not sure if that's actually a good thing or not.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Comp USA re-opened here in Jacksonville and they're having a big sale. Tomorrow morning they have a 500gb Maxtor SATA drive for 30 bucks, regular $100.00. I'm tempted to get it and throw it in just due to the price. I already have a 500 gig, but another couldn't hurt for storage.

 

[Cheeto]

Guys, what should I be expecting from a 8600GT card? Is it qualified to go to 1680x1050 on Team Fortress 2? I don't mind turning down detail, but I need the FPS to always be above 30, preferably 45. I'm downloading from Steam now but my Windows Experience Index is 5.3 for graphics, and I'm not sure if that's actually a good thing or not.

8600GT handles Source games pretty well. You should be fine. If anything dial back AA+AF and you should have great framerates.

 

[eznark]

Comp USA re-opened here in Jacksonville and they're having a big sale. Tomorrow morning they have a 500gb Maxtor SATA drive for 30 bucks, regular $100.00. I'm tempted to get it and throw it in just due to the price. I already have a 500 gig, but another couldn't hurt for storage.

I did the same, got a 750 gig seagate SATA for $45, which I thought complimented my 500 gig nicely. (Actually useful, however, since I have 500+ dvd's that I would like to rip someday)

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Shouldn't you be running 169.25?

Why 169.25?