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[MWS Natural]

Finally sold my 37inch Westinghouse and was about to pull the trigger on LG W2353V until I seen the 27inch version which looks pretty nice. But it's sold out everywhere!!

Looks like I am going to have to buy the 30inch HDMI cable and run it to my Kuro for PC usage for a while...

 

[Labombadog]

I'm gonna upgrade in 2011. But I wonder if Larabee will change my mind.....?

We shall see at E3 I guess.

 

[Minsc]

Anyone tried out WD's 2TB drives? They just dropped $50 on Newegg and if they go to $200 I'd be sorely tempted. I could definitely use more storage.

I have the 2 TB mirror edition, works great. Running it in RAID1 at home, though I have one at my work running in RAID0 and it works great as well. I don't really use them for anything too speed critical though, but for a big drive to throw things in, it's great, especially in RAID1, since you know your data is very safe.

 

[brain_stew]

Newegg has the Phenom X3 8450 for $59 and I'm thinking of replacing my Athlon X2 5400+ with it. How dumb would that be? I know the clockspeed is lower (2.1GHz vs 2.8 GHz) but it should easily overclock to at least 2.6GHz or so and has a 3rd core + L3 cache. How bad could it be?

And would my X2 5400+'s stock cooler be enough for the Phenom X3?

Pretty dumb, there's a reason the original Phenom line is selling for close to nothing and that's because it was a failed product line. Step up to an X3 720 or don't bother.

 

[dasupremeone]

if I want to upgrade to a gtx 260/275/285 from a 9800 gt, do I need to also upgrade my 500 watt power supply?

 

[brain_stew]

if I want to upgrade to a gtx 260/275/285 from a 9800 gt, do I need to also upgrade my 500 watt power supply?

A "500 watt PSU" should be fine, but as people will stress time and again the advertised wattage feature means as much as a manufacturer want it to, in other words its worthless. Check the side of your PSU and let us know what it says it can deliver on its 12V rails (it'll be a figure in amps and you may have more than one 12V rail, so list all of them, and any combined figure) or link us to a spec. sheet and we'll be able to let you know.

I'd seriously consider looking at the 4890 as well, its a much better buy than a 275 or 285, neither of which I would seriously consider, the good old GAF favourite the GTX 260 is still a fine choice if you want to save some cash though.

 

[TouchMyBox]

I'd seriously consider looking at the 4890 as well, its a much better buy than a 275 or 285, neither of which I would seriously consider, the good old GAF favourite the GTX 260 is still a fine choice if you want to save some cash though.

Could you please elaborate on this? Doesn't the GTX 285 outperform every other GPU in pretty much everything (with a few exceptions), or do you just not feel that the increased performance does not justify the large increase in price?

 

[brain_stew]

Could you please elaborate on this? Doesn't the GTX 285 outperform every other GPU in pretty much everything (with a few exceptions), or do you just not feel that the increased performance does not justify the large increase in price?

It outperforms it by a small margin, yeah, but considering the very healthy OC headroom of the 4890, the gap is even smaller and not something you'd likely notice in actual gameplay, anyway. Considering the step up in price is so significant (a 4890 can be had for as little as $200 after rebate now, but every GTX 285 is $320 or above, that's a 60% increase in price) its just impossible to recommend for anyone that values their hard earned cash in any way.

We're talking a 5-10% bump in performance for a 60% increase in cost here, I just don't understand how to justify that, in all honesty. It only actually starts to make sense at 2560x1600 resolution where the gap does start to open up as the the 4890 tends to struggle at that resolution, but then, I doubt many GAFers are uusing such a resolutiona nd if they are, they're probably better off looking at SLI GTX 260s (which can be had for the same price as a GTX 285) anyway.

Have a look at Anadtech's review for example:

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3539&p=18

The GTX 285 only ever tends to win by a couple of frames at 1920x1200 and below and the 4890 even trounces it in a few tests as well. The fact these thing are clocking up to 1ghz really shows the value they have, its a card purposefully sold at conservative stock clocks so that there's room for factory OCed models. Its a card that was targetted and engineered for 900mhz core clocks, but ATI released it at 850mhz because the performance was so good and that left more space for OEMs to offer OCed versions of the card.

The 4830, 4770, GTX 260 (216) and 4890 are the best bang for buck cards around right now if you ask me, all offer excellent performacne for their price levels.

 

[TouchMyBox]

hmm, you're definitely tempting me. Now all I need to do is decide whether my 8800GT is good enough, or if I can wait for ATI's DX11 chips.

 

[brain_stew]

hmm, you're definitely tempting me. Now all I need to do is decide whether my 8800GT is good enough, or if I can wait for ATI's DX11 chips.

Resolution? 1080p or above and itching for an upgrade? I say go for it, anything lower and I wouldn't bother.

DX11 isn't going to be relevant for a very long time and its highly improbable that the first batch of DX11 cards are going to match that sort of bang for buck straight out or hit a $200 price at launch either. I don't see the fact that DX11 cards are looming as any sort of reason to put off a GPU upgrade with pricing the way it is, compared to this time last year, you're now getting between a 50-100% increase in performance for about a 50% reduction in price. Price collapses like that don't happen very often.

 

[TouchMyBox]

Resolution? 1080p or above and itching for an upgrade? I say go for it, anything lower and I wouldn't bother.

DX11 isn't going to be relevant for a very long time and its highly improbable that the first batch of DX11 cards are going to match that sort of bang for buck straight out or hit a $200 price at launch either. I don't see the fact that DX11 cards are looming as any sort of reason to put off a GPU upgrade with pricing the way it is, compared to this time last year, you're now getting between a 50-100% increase in performance for about a 50% reduction in price. Price collapses like that don't happen very often.

1680x1050.

If DX11 has a shitty launch, at least prices of DX10/10.1 cards would be lower. My 8800 is a good little boy, but definitely starting to putt around at times. Considering how many amazing looking games should be hitting PC this holiday season is making me consider retiring the poor fellow (and I just spent $50 on an all copper HSF for the poor little guy, as the stock fan was as loud of a thousand xbox 360s)

 

[dasupremeone]

A "500 watt PSU" should be fine, but as people will stress time and again the advertised wattage feature means as much as a manufacturer want it to, in other words its worthless. Check the side of your PSU and let us know what it says it can deliver on its 12V rails (it'll be a figure in amps and you may have more than one 12V rail, so list all of them, and any combined figure) or link us to a spec. sheet and we'll be able to let you know.

I'd seriously consider looking at the 4890 as well, its a much better buy than a 275 or 285, neither of which I would seriously consider, the good old GAF favourite the GTX 260 is still a fine choice if you want to save some cash though.

here are the specs
AC INPUT

115V/230V - 60/50Hz
DC OUTPUT

+3.3V

+5V

+12V

+12V

-12V

-5V

+5VSB
500W

Max
Combined
Watts

20A

32A

28A

-

0.6A

-

2A

 

[Gully State]

I have 4GB and 16MB cache HDD, it's just some loading stuff or textures I think it only happened a few times in my 35 hours of play.

Demo is not a good benchmark, surprising you found it that way though.

I just ran through the Crysis demo again after not touching it for 6 months. You're right, it's surprisingly playable at sub 30 FPS. Too bad the framerate gets into the tens for me at my monitor's native resolution.

 

[BigJonsson]

What happened to the X3 720? Its not listed on newegg.ca today =/

 

[tahrikmili]

Pretty dumb, there's a reason the original Phenom line is selling for close to nothing and that's because it was a failed product line. Step up to an X3 720 or don't bother.

Thanks. I decided to invest the money in 2x2GB RAM so I can get rid of the 4 stick configuration I have now, and an aftermarket cooler so that I can squeeze a couple more hundred MHz out of my current CPU. I can't overvolt with the stock cooler.. Getting 3.2GHz from this X2 will probably be enough for me.

 

[Boonoo]

So my brother is building an i7 rig to take off to college.

He wants to make sure he has a proper monitor for the work he'll be doing (architecture/design type things, so proper color is important).

Right now we're looking at the HP LP2475w and the HP LP2275w depending on just how much he wants to spend.

If he goes with the 2475w he'd probably also pick up a 4890, but if he gets the 2275w would that still be worth it for a 1680x1050 screen? I have a 4870 512mb that I wouldn't mind selling him (so that I could upgrade) if he wouldn't need more than that for the smaller resolution.

edit: also, he has a second screen from his current rig, so getting the biggest monitor isn't the most important productivity wise.

 

[brain_stew]

here are the specs
AC INPUT

115V/230V - 60/50Hz
DC OUTPUT

+3.3V

+5V

+12V

+12V

-12V

-5V

+5VSB
500W

Max
Combined
Watts

20A

32A

28A

-

0.6A

-

2A

Could you make your figures a bit clearer as to which ampage figure relates to which voltage rail? The fact that the PSU has two 12V rails at the very least indicates to me that you're going to be fine.

1680x1050.

If DX11 has a shitty launch, at least prices of DX10/10.1 cards would be lower. My 8800 is a good little boy, but definitely starting to putt around at times. Considering how many amazing looking games should be hitting PC this holiday season is making me consider retiring the poor fellow (and I just spent $50 on an all copper HSF for the poor little guy, as the stock fan was as loud of a thousand xbox 360s)

I'd wait in your position then, the 8800GT is still a trooper. Though, I know what it can be like once you get the itch from the upgrade bug, damn near impossible to resist. I give in every time, no matter what my head or wallet tells me! :lol

Thanks. I decided to invest the money in 2x2GB RAM so I can get rid of the 4 stick configuration I have now, and an aftermarket cooler so that I can squeeze a couple more hundred MHz out of my current CPU. I can't overvolt with the stock cooler.. Getting 3.2GHz from this X2 will probably be enough for me.

Sounds like a smart move to move, should keep you going for a little while longer, at which point quad cores will be both much more affordable and more relevant to gaming. Sometimes I wish I went the X2 route, whilst the CPUs are undoubtedly slower, they can get by in current games once OCed and the upgrade option on an AM2+ motherboard are much better than those on socket 775. Then again, basing your purchase mostly around future performance and upgrades never seems to work out as it should, the technology field changes far too fast to second guess it.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

I built this computer in May and it still runs fast enough to do everything I want, but I've decided to finally overclock it a bit. I have 4 gigs of A-data DDR2 800 Mhz ram, a Geforce 8800 GTS 512, a GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 motherboard, and a Q6600 V0 pentium. I am using a tuniq tower for cooling.

What is the best and safest way to push the pentium to 3ghz or so?

This is all in the home of a LIAN LI PC-A05B case.

 

[TheRagnCajun]

So my brother is building an i7 rig to take off to college.

He wants to make sure he has a proper monitor for the work he'll be doing (architecture/design type things, so proper color is important).

Right now we're looking at the HP LP2475w and the HP LP2275w depending on just how much he wants to spend.

If he goes with the 2475w he'd probably also pick up a 4890, but if he gets the 2275w would that still be worth it for a 1680x1050 screen? I have a 4870 512mb that I wouldn't mind selling him (so that I could upgrade) if he wouldn't need more than that for the smaller resolution.

edit: also, he has a second screen from his current rig, so getting the biggest monitor isn't the most important productivity wise.

Is it strictly a workstation computer or a gaming computer too? He shouldn't be sinking the money into a HD 4890 for CAD purposes, get a workstation videocard like a firegl if its really intensive stuff. If its this is a lower budget machine or if hes mainly doing 2d architect design he can do fine with your 4870. If hes gaming on it too and he wants to sink the money, a HD 4890 is a good way to go. You already know how the 4870 performs so...

 

[Septimus]

Hey guys, what are the benefits of getting SSD and using it for your operating system drive?

 

[Minsc]

Hey guys, what are the benefits of getting SSD and using it for your operating system drive?

So long as you get a Vertex or X-25, a great jump in speed and better reliability. If you are on a laptop, you can also add longer battery life to that short list. Also, if you have a SFF or poor cooling, they run cooler than a mechanical drive.

They're described as about the most modernizing thing you can do to the feel of your OS, since, say, upgrading from XP to Vista. Makes everything super snappy.

 

[MoxManiac]

So long as you get a Vertex or X-25, a great jump in speed and better reliability. If you are on a laptop, you can also add longer battery life to that short list. Also, if you have a SFF or poor cooling, they run cooler than a mechanical drive.

They're described as about the most modernizing thing you can do to the feel of your OS, since, say, upgrading from XP to Vista. Makes everything super snappy.

How's reliability in terms of the number of rewrites? They are basically giant flash drives, right?

 

[D4Danger]

This is all in the home of a LIAN LI PC-A05B case.

how do you fined this case? I was looking at this since it seems to be a really quite small case that can fit a full size ATX board. I've heard that because of the design a small pocket of hot air builds at the top.

Have you had any problems with over-heating or anything like that?

 

[lowlylowlycook]

Hey guys, what are the benefits of getting SSD and using it for your operating system drive?

You might want to read this

 

[Boonoo]

Is it strictly a workstation computer or a gaming computer too? He shouldn't be sinking the money into a HD 4890 for CAD purposes, get a workstation videocard like a firegl if its really intensive stuff. If its this is a lower budget machine or if hes mainly doing 2d architect design he can do fine with your 4870. If hes gaming on it too and he wants to sink the money, a HD 4890 is a good way to go. You already know how the 4870 performs so...

Yeah, it's for gaming as well. Ha I should know how the 4870 performs shouldn't I. I never thought to test things out at 1680x1050. I'll have to mess around with that some.

 

[Crazymoogle]

How's reliability in terms of the number of rewrites? They are basically giant flash drives, right?

Sure, but with a lot more behind the scenes stuff to keep the drive alive longer. The more reputable products have a significant amount of unlisted "backup" space specifically to handle failing cells.

I'm currently using a 120GB Vertex drive as my OS Drive (Windows 7 RC), with a WD AAKS hard drive as a media drive. Major benefits:

1. Boot time is cut, I'd say by about 1/3rd. On a reasonably fast machine it's not terribly noticeable...until you realize that the moment the desktop appears, it's done. There's no waiting for apps to kick in, it's just all ready to go. Takes some getting used to.

2. App load times cut noticeably. Stuff like Photoshop, L4D, etc all loads clearly faster, but the other side of it is that there's just no effect on performance. It doesn't feel like my PC is grinding to a halt to load an app; I can usually alt-tab while something is going on. Using the steam browser while L4D is loading, for example, is easy. This also applies to system tasks, too - stuff like a system virus scan is silent and unobtrusive.

3. Well, as mentioned, dead silent. And the drive is basically the size of an iPhone.

Now, if you're using one on a desktop, the tech is still pretty fresh, so there are some disclaimers:

-Can't really recommend using it with XP (Win7 is the only way to really install an OS without worrying about alignment, though with Vista it can be done)
-I wouldn't be hitting it up with a lot of transfers or benchmark it without doing a format after. The Anandtech and PCper articles go into detail, but basically you will lose performance if you start bashing the entire drive with writes (and don't have access to a TRIM program). Regular use, on the other hand, is completely fine.
-You only want to go with a indilinx, samsung, or intel chipset part. Avoid jmicron parts like the plague. You get what you pay for, basically.
-There are various small system tweaks that help out, like moving browser cache to the hard drive and disabling indexing. W7 is smart enough to disable defrag.

 

[Otheradam]

if I want to upgrade to a gtx 260/275/285 from a 9800 gt, do I need to also upgrade my 500 watt power supply?

I just upgraded my GT7900 to a GTX 260 a week ago and I have a 500w power supply. It runs fine, just make sure you have enough combined wattage in the two 12v rails you need to power the card.

 

[dasupremeone]

Could you make your figures a bit clearer as to which ampage figure relates to which voltage rail? The fact that the PSU has two 12V rails at the very least indicates to me that you're going to be fine.

I have ultrals500

Wattage: 500-Watt

Special Features: Manual 130v & 220v Switching

Fan: 120 mm

+3.3V: 20 A

+5V: 32 A

+12V 1: 28 A

-12V: 0.6 A

+5VSB: 2 A

20+4-Pin Connector: 1

4-Pin/8-Pin EPS Connector: 1

6-Pin PCI-Express Connector: 1

4-Pin Floppy Connector: 1

4-Pin Peripheral Connector: 6

SATA Power Connector: 2

 

[Minsc]

How's reliability in terms of the number of rewrites? They are basically giant flash drives, right?

I don't think it's really possible any more for a normal person or even a more professional user to use a SSD to death. I think if you moved an absurd amount of data every single day, it still ends up taking decades to grind one down to the point it doesn't work.

And even then you can still read the data, it's just the writing that fails. So you'd always be able to pull your data off it.

 

[brain_stew]

I have ultrals500

Wattage: 500-Watt

Special Features: Manual 130v & 220v Switching

Fan: 120 mm

+3.3V: 20 A

+5V: 32 A

+12V 1: 28 A

-12V: 0.6 A

+5VSB: 2 A

20+4-Pin Connector: 1

4-Pin/8-Pin EPS Connector: 1

6-Pin PCI-Express Connector: 1

4-Pin Floppy Connector: 1

4-Pin Peripheral Connector: 6

SATA Power Connector: 2

That should be fine. So long as the rest of your rig isn't insane.

 

[dasupremeone]

That should be fine. So long as the rest of your rig isn't insane.

awesome thanks. my rig is modest, e7300, 250 hd, dvd burner,

 

[brain_stew]

awesome thanks. my rig is modest, e7300, 250 hd, dvd burner,

Yeah, shouldn't be a problem then.

 

[TheExodu5]

Alright, now I need help myself, in getting a Power Supply.

I won a Cooler Master CP690 (also known as RC690 I believe) case a few months ago at a LAN. I'm upgrading from my Antec Sonata II, so I figure I'll put in a new PSU to replace my 450W Smart Power.

I'm currently running an E6600, 8800GT, a DVD drive, CD drive, and soon to be 4 hard drives (getting a WD 1TB Caviar Black this weekend). As I may be planning on getting a high-end video card next-generation, I figure it's time I upgrade.

Anyways, I was thinking maybe 600W-700W. Sound good? Also, I was considering getting something with modular cables, as I'm getting annoyed with the terrible cable clutter in my case. A PSU with high efficiency, good cooling, and low noise is obviously a plus. I don't know if I'd ever move up to SLI/Crossfire, but a PSU with enough connectors for this is also a plus (lowest priority on this).

Is there any PSU you guys would recommend? The Enermax Modu82+ 625W looked attractive, but it is pricey at around $150 here in Canada.

edit: looks like I can get a OCZ ModXStream 700W for like $105. I think that's my most tempting option at this point. I'm sure the Enermax is a better PSU, but I don't know if I can justify $50 extra.

 

[Chris R]

Looking to get a new widescreen monitor in the 19"-23" range, but don't know what to look for exactly. Anyone got some pointers in what to look for or what exact model to get or to look for?

 

[lowlylowlycook]

Alright, now I need help myself, in getting a Power Supply.

I won a Cooler Master CP690 (also known as RC690 I believe) case a few months ago at a LAN. I'm upgrading from my Antec Sonata II, so I figure I'll put in a new PSU to replace my 450W Smart Power.

I'm currently running an E6600, 8800GT, a DVD drive, CD drive, and soon to be 4 hard drives (getting a WD 1TB Caviar Black this weekend). As I may be planning on getting a high-end video card next-generation, I figure it's time I upgrade.

Anyways, I was thinking maybe 600W-700W. Sound good? Also, I was considering getting something with modular cables, as I'm getting annoyed with the terrible cable clutter in my case. A PSU with high efficiency, good cooling, and low noise is obviously a plus. I don't know if I'd ever move up to SLI/Crossfire, but a PSU with enough connectors for this is also a plus (lowest priority on this).

Is there any PSU you guys would recommend? The Enermax Modu82+ 625W looked attractive, but it is pricey at around $150 here in Canada.

edit: looks like I can get a OCZ ModXStream 700W for like $105. I think that's my most tempting option at this point. I'm sure the Enermax is a better PSU, but I don't know if I can justify $50 extra.

I don't know about shipping to Canada but I think this deal that I saw on slickdeals is pretty good. It should handle anything reasonable.

 

[Calidor]

Looking to get a new widescreen monitor in the 19"-23" range, but don't know what to look for exactly. Anyone got some pointers in what to look for or what exact model to get or to look for?

This.

And also, is a 24" monitor "too big"? I don't do any kind of coding or design on my computer. It would be mostly for gaming, surfing and media..

 

[Chris R]

This.

And also, is a 24" monitor "too big"? I don't do any kind of coding or design on my computer. It would be mostly for gaming, surfing and media..

I thought the range was 19-23, but if 24 is also a popular size, then I could consider it too ( I do code quite a bit so I guess the extra space would be nice).

 

[brain_stew]

Alright, now I need help myself, in getting a Power Supply.

I won a Cooler Master CP690 (also known as RC690 I believe) case a few months ago at a LAN. I'm upgrading from my Antec Sonata II, so I figure I'll put in a new PSU to replace my 450W Smart Power.

I'm currently running an E6600, 8800GT, a DVD drive, CD drive, and soon to be 4 hard drives (getting a WD 1TB Caviar Black this weekend). As I may be planning on getting a high-end video card next-generation, I figure it's time I upgrade.

Anyways, I was thinking maybe 600W-700W. Sound good? Also, I was considering getting something with modular cables, as I'm getting annoyed with the terrible cable clutter in my case. A PSU with high efficiency, good cooling, and low noise is obviously a plus. I don't know if I'd ever move up to SLI/Crossfire, but a PSU with enough connectors for this is also a plus (lowest priority on this).

Is there any PSU you guys would recommend? The Enermax Modu82+ 625W looked attractive, but it is pricey at around $150 here in Canada.

edit: looks like I can get a OCZ ModXStream 700W for like $105. I think that's my most tempting option at this point. I'm sure the Enermax is a better PSU, but I don't know if I can justify $50 extra.

The Corsair HX620W fits the bill and is very highly regarded.

That OCZ PSU does look like a cracking deal though, it can deliver over 500w on its 12V rails with over 80% efficiency, so it'll handle pretty much any dual GPU setup you can muster.

 

[brain_stew]

Looking to get a new widescreen monitor in the 19"-23" range, but don't know what to look for exactly. Anyone got some pointers in what to look for or what exact model to get or to look for?

23" 1080p monitors are the sweet spot atm if you ask me, excellent combination of resolution, price and flexability. Love mine. A card to power games at that resolution isn't too pricey nowadays either with a GTX 260 coping just fine.

 

[Kinitari]

So I need to replace my burned out Mobo for my Dell XPS - only to find out that the $220 mobo that was available on the site a few days ago, is gone, and now I have to special order it for $550 before tax, shipping, and other fees. So I was like fsk that, and decided to just replace it myself.

Well now I need to get a new case, PSU, mobo and heatsink for my CPU. I have all that covered I think, but I also want to grab some ram and a new video card (running off of 2 256mb 7900gs's, and they're starting to feel their years). Tell me what you guys think, and if I should get better before I take the plunge - remember I'm Canadian.

Heatsink

Case/PSU

Memory - ugh its off sale now

Mobo

Graphics card

Edit: Also, I am not rich, I am on a budget, I don't want to spend anymore than 450 bucks for everything.

 

[Chris R]

23" 1080p monitors are the sweet spot atm if you ask me, excellent combination of resolution, price and flexability. Love mine. A card to power games at that resolution isn't too pricey nowadays either with a GTX 260 coping just fine.

So 23" 1080p, but no real help in what models to look for or what specs I need to take into consideration. I know there are like two different kinds of LCD types or something?

 

[BigJonsson]

What happened to the X3 720? Its not listed on newegg.ca today =/

Anyone?

Its 30 dollars more expensive at NCIX =/

 

[MWS Natural]

I just pulled the trigger on a 4890 after about 2 months of looking for a card that had the right combination of power/value/features. At $199 after rebate and OC'ing I think it's a helluva deal. Unfortunately I currently don't have a PC monitor since I sold it last night so I moved my PC next to my entertainment system and hooked it up to the Kuro. I wanted to buy the LG 27inch but it is out of stock everywhere. I was extremely close to pulling the trigger on the 23inch LG for $200 but coming from a 37inch I think anything smaller than 27 would be too much of a drop off.

Thanks to many in this thread who helped me find what I was looking for

 

[Minsc]

So 23" 1080p, but no real help in what models to look for or what specs I need to take into consideration. I know there are like two different kinds of LCD types or something?

OP

I have a 24" btw, whoever was asking about size, and it's not too big for everyday gaming and surfing imo. Runs at 1920x1200, so you'll need a decent cpu/card to game at the native resolution, that's the only real draw back.

 

[brain_stew]

So 23" 1080p, but no real help in what models to look for or what specs I need to take into consideration. I know there are like two different kinds of LCD types or something?

I'll only give advice with which I'm confident in giving, its silly me talking too much into a subject which I don't have enough knowledge over to givean informed enough opinion. I'm really happy with my Fujitsu monitor but since it isn't sold in the US, there's not much point in recommending it all that often.

I will say that manufacturer listed specs. are all but useless as they can pretty much manipulate the figures as much as they want, as such it'd be silly of me to recommend specific models if I don't have any experience with them. Sometimes giving less help is more help than giving lots of bad help.

I think i could also note that the general standard of desktop LCDs has come leaps and bounds in recent years, so long as you feed them with a native resolution (or something like a 720p feed oftenstill works well on 1080p monitors) then you'll likely be happy with the results whatever you plump for unless you're using it for professional purposes.

I just pulled the trigger on a 4890 after about 2 months of looking for a card that had the right combination of power/value/features. At $199 after rebate and OC'ing I think it's a helluva deal. Unfortunately I currently don't have a PC monitor since I sold it last night so I moved my PC next to my entertainment system and hooked it up to the Kuro. I wanted to buy the LG 27inch but it is out of stock everywhere. I was extremely close to pulling the trigger on the 23inch LG for $200 but coming from a 37inch I think anything smaller than 27 would be too much of a drop off.

Thanks to many in this thread who helped me find what I was looking for

That card is such ridiculous value, I think you made the right choice in the end. It'll blitz through games at 1080p. I can't imagine how incredible they'll look on your Kuro!! Be sure to try out Mirror's Edge and Crysis, then wait for your jaw to hit the floor.

 

[Minsc]

Playing any modern isometric games (RTS, TBS, etc) on LCD screens at a non-native resolution should be a crime, looks like shit compared to native resolution... so if you're a fan of those genres, make sure you can run at the resolution your monitor uses.

 

[MWS Natural]

That card is such ridiculous value, I think you made the right choice in the end. It'll blitz through games at 1080p. I can't imagine how incredible they'll look on your Kuro!! Be sure to try out Mirror's Edge and Crysis, then wait for your jaw to hit the floor.

I literally spent an entire week at work looking up every 4770/4870/4890 review and price. But once I saw how high the 4890 could be OC'd while still keeping the same temps as a 4870 I was sold. Crysis will definitely be the first game I buy as soon as my card gets here; I signed up for Steam last night. Damn, in a few days I will join the ranks of the PC gamers union for the first time after being a console gamer my entire life lol.

So 23" 1080p, but no real help in what models to look for or what specs I need to take into consideration. I know there are like two different kinds of LCD types or something?

Good specs, price and reviews. I was going to pull the trigger on one this morning but decided I would wait for the 27inch version.

 

[brain_stew]

So I need to replace my burned out Mobo for my Dell XPS - only to find out that the $220 mobo that was available on the site a few days ago, is gone, and now I have to special order it for $550 before tax, shipping, and other fees. So I was like fsk that, and decided to just replace it myself.

Well now I need to get a new case, PSU, mobo and heatsink for my CPU. I have all that covered I think, but I also want to grab some ram and a new video card (running off of 2 256mb 7900gs's, and they're starting to feel their years). Tell me what you guys think, and if I should get better before I take the plunge - remember I'm Canadian.

Heatsink

Case/PSU

Memory - ugh its off sale now

Mobo

Graphics card

Edit: Also, I am not rich, I am on a budget, I don't want to spend anymore than 450 bucks for everything.

What CPU?

Stay the fuck away from Nvidia motherboards if you alue your sanity, go with a P45-UD3P
from Gigabyte. Intel's chipsets are so much better than Nvidia's.

That CPU cooler looks shitty, get this for $20, much better.

That case looks fugly (personal opnion I know) and its PSU is going to be useless, will probably explode on you, might only take itself out if you're lucky, might not. Either way stay the heck away.

That memory's fine, use OCZ memory, myself.

The 9800GT is simply a bad buy these days. A 4830, 4770, 4850, or GTX 260 (216) are all better buys depending on budget. Any reason why you must use Tiger Direct, their prices on videocards and general selection is pretty damn shitty.

 

[Hazaro]

So I need to replace my burned out Mobo for my Dell XPS - only to find out that the $220 mobo that was available on the site a few days ago, is gone, and now I have to special order it for $550 before tax, shipping, and other fees. So I was like fsk that, and decided to just replace it myself.

Well now I need to get a new case, PSU, mobo and heatsink for my CPU. I have all that covered I think, but I also want to grab some ram and a new video card (running off of 2 256mb 7900gs's, and they're starting to feel their years). Tell me what you guys think, and if I should get better before I take the plunge - remember I'm Canadian.

$145 HD4850 (if you want to do rebate)
$110 Gigabyte motherboard (mATX ver is $60)
$52 4GB of G.Skill or Corsair
$23 Rosewill CPU cooler
$120 Antec Case+PSU, wouldn't trust my comp to some offbrand one

 

[brain_stew]

I literally spent an entire week at work looking up every 4770/4870/4890 review and price. But once I saw how high the 4890 could be OC'd while still keeping the same temps as a 4870 I was sold. Crysis will definitely be the first game I buy as soon as my card gets here; I signed up for Steam last night. Damn, in a few days I will join the ranks of the PC gamers union for the first time after being a console gamer my entire life lol.

Once you get used to playing games at 1080p/60fps with 4xAA its damn hard to go back, you have been warned!

I assume you're going to be buying the Orange Box, right? Its pretty much a prerequisite purchase before you're allowed to join the PC gaming ranks.

Oh and let us know if you manage to get that thing running at anywhere close to 1ghz, if you do, we're talking about going completely off the bang for buck scale, so much power!!

Heh, to think that less than 12 months ago Nvidia seemed confident in launching a card that performs lower across the board, and with less headroom at $650!, and at the time that didn't seem too unreasonable, I mean it was in line with the current pricing structure. Skip forward 12 months and, yeah, its fair to say that the launch of the 4800 series stirred thing up a bit. That you can get more for less than a third of the price is rather nice, if you ask me.