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[Proc]

Quick question guys, I came into some graduation gift money, so I'm looking to beef up my pc a little.

Current specs:

intel quad 6600 (2.4 ghz cores)
8800 gts otc
4gig corsair ram (not sure on exact specs at the moment)
vista 64 ultimate
dell 24" 1900x1200 monitor


I'm thinking of putting the money to a new gpu. Is upgrading to the gtx280 the best mid-range card out there now? I want something below $400 that will give me some noticeable improvements at my monitor's native res. Would it be worth upgrading my 8800gts otc with my current cpu or will there be too much of a bottleneck? Also, are any of you delaying your next gpu purchase for dx11?

 

[brain_stew]

Quick question guys, I came into some graduation gift money, so I'm looking to beef up my pc a little.

Current specs:

intel quad 6600 (2.4 ghz cores)
8800 gts otc
4gig corsair ram (not sure on exact specs at the moment)
vista 64 ultimate
dell 24" 1900x1200 monitor


I'm thinking of putting the money to a new gpu. Is upgrading to the gtx280 the best mid-range card out there now? I want something below $400 that will give me some noticeable improvements at my monitor's native res. Would it be worth upgrading my 8800gts otc with my current cpu or will there be too much of a bottleneck? Also, are any of you delaying your next gpu purchase for dx11?

You really ought to overclock that quad, if you only want to go to 3ghz then pick up this, if you fancy pushing it further then ask for some othr recommendations on a custom cooler.

A GTX 280 is a horrible buy. At that resolution a 4890 should give you a very nice boost whilst leaving half of your budget spare incase DX11 really do deliver at the lower pricepoints (I'm unsure if they will at launch).

SLI GTX 260s is a decent option as well, though that'd definitely require some CPU OCing to be worth your time.

Edit:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102831


A 4890 for $200 plus an extra $15 rebate!? You could have two of them and still stay under budget, crazy value, forget about the SLI GTX 260s idea.

 

[MWS Natural]

Well I did but I keep failing it. It seems to think that 81C is unacceptable. We just have a difference in opinions.

Then it's not stable. Using Prime 95 I could OC my Phenom II to 3.8ghz but only stable at 3.4 in OCCT:lol Same thing with my GPU, 965mhz was "stable" under other programs but running OCCT I seen there were errors generated so now it's down to 900mhz rock solid. I went through a few different programs and OCCT is the only one I trust my components are 100% stable under.

 

[MiniBossman]

Went ahead with the EP45-UD3P as the replacement mobo. Bonus New Egg has a $20 MIR.

Thanks for the recommendation Brain Stew

 

[Kintaro]

So, thinking towards the future and onwards, is this Core i7 stuff here to stay or will some new hotness pop in and take over?

Some games next year have me truly hyped to build a completely new system so I'll be started a new piggy bank to save money to splurge on one when the time comes. To be honest, though, any excuse to build something completely new is good with me

 

[vandalvideo]

So, thinking towards the future and onwards, is this Core i7 stuff here to stay or will some new hotness pop in and take over?

Some games next year have me truly hyped to build a completely new system so I'll be started a new piggy bank to save money to splurge on one when the time comes. To be honest, though, any excuse to build something completely new is good with me

Some new hotness will be around really soon if you believe Moore's Law. I'm personally not upgrading for another three years.

 

[Crazymoogle]

So, thinking towards the future and onwards, is this Core i7 stuff here to stay or will some new hotness pop in and take over?

Core i7 as an architecture will still be top of the chart for a year. Intel's next move is actually bringing the consumer-version (i5) and laptop versions to the marketplace. But it's very likely to see six-core and higher bin parts next year. (Neither of which rules out the i7 920 as the best i7 buy, though...two more cores and really expensive bins won't help any normal buyer.)

The roadmap backs this up:

Nehalem (Core i7) -> Westmere (Core i7 @ 32nm) -> Sandy Bridge (New architecture)

It's possible Sandy Bridge hits late 2010 but it sounds like Intel wants to extent Core i7's life a bit and give time for Sandy Bridge since it has some lofty goals (on-die GPU, 2-8 cores, 4GHz, AVX instructions).

Certainly can't hurt to wait, though. i5 parts could be comparable in performance, and there's a new pin-out so you'd need a new (presumably cheaper) motherboard to support it. It's a bit hazy as to how long term LGA 1366 is.

 

[Proc]

A GTX 280 is a horrible buy. At that resolution a 4890 should give you a very nice boost whilst leaving half of your budget spare incase DX11 really do deliver at the lower pricepoints (I'm unsure if they will at launch).

SLI GTX 260s is a decent option as well, though that'd definitely require some CPU OCing to be worth your time.

Edit:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102831


A 4890 for $200 plus an extra $15 rebate!? You could have two of them and still stay under budget, crazy value, forget about the SLI GTX 260s idea.

I'm not as fortunate to cash in on that 4890 deal since I live in Canada.

However, I can get a gtx280 for $267 and have a $20 rebate on top of that:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130492

Or I could save $20 and go with your recommendation:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102831

In this situation, do you think I should go with the gtx280?

 

[Kccitystar]

Well, my old build from 2003 decided to die today, so I'm trying to find a decent build under 600 bucks...and here goes:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=15543947

Any opinions would gladly be taken as I'm just working things out here. I prefer MicroATX just for the space-saving factor and coming from a PC that had an Athlon XP chip, ANYTHING is fast for me right now :lol

 

[Metalic Sand]

No point in wasting money on Vista when windows 7 is coming. You could better use that towards a better GPU.

 

[brain_stew]

I'm not as fortunate to cash in on that 4890 deal since I live in Canada.

However, I can get a gtx280 for $267 and have a $20 rebate on top of that:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130492

Or I could save $20 and go with your recommendation:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102831

In this situation, do you think I should go with the gtx280?

The 4890 is generally on par really, I'd take that personally, and save your cash. I doubt you're going to notice the difference. However, it'd be the free copy of WaW and the lifetime warranty (+step up) that'd swing me round, so come to think of it that's probably the best deal.

 

[brain_stew]

Well, my old build from 2003 decided to die today, so I'm trying to find a decent build under 600 bucks...and here goes:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=15543947

Any opinions would gladly be taken as I'm just working things out here. I prefer MicroATX just for the space-saving factor and coming from a PC that had an Athlon XP chip, ANYTHING is fast for me right now :lol

The GPU is utter shit to be frank about it. No need in the copy of Vista, ditch that for the free RC of W7 and then upgrade in 9 months to the full deal, helps you space out the cost.

With that $100 saved, get this CPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103681&Tpk=x2 250

and this GPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131125

And bump up your HDD to this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319

Those are some pretty huge upgrades, right there.

There's no PSU in that build? Have you got a decent one already or something?

I'd try and budget for a better motherboard if I were you as well, Nvidia chipsets are pretty shitty tbh. Still, all of this should be doable for under $600 still (even if you need a PSU) and the upgrades are enormous compared to your previous attempt.

 

[dalyr95]

Putting together my machine tonight:

Intel i7 920 overclocked to 4GHz
OCZ Gold 6GB DDR3 PC3-12800C8 1600MHz DDR3
2 x Samsung F1 Spinmaster 1TB drives
Gigabyte EX58-UD5 Intel X58 Motherboard
XFX Radeon 4870 x2

Cannot wait!

 

[markot]

Whats a good idle temp for my I7 >.<?

Its like 40c when doing nothing. If I OC, whats the kind of thing I should be looking for, and what is the max/danger zone?

 

[Sysgen]

Never built a PC before. It's going in my living room so it needs to be as quiet as possible. Would like feedback on these components. I'm not looking to build a budget PC.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835108109&Tpk=swiftech h20-220 $245
Swiftech H20-220 Apex Ultima Extreme Duty CPU liquid cooling kit - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202 $280
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131386&Tpk=P6T SE $195 AR
ASUS P6T SE LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130478 $245 AR
EVGA 896-P3-1171-AR GeForce GTX 275 Superclocked Edition 896MB 448-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227365 $80 AR or
OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

2 (RAID0) X http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320 $140
Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006 $109 AR
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119138 $170 AR
COOLER MASTER COSMOS 1000 RC-1000-KSN1-GP Black/ Silver Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail

 

[Lime]

Does anyone how one is able to order a single module of 2 GB RAM, instead of the "kits only" I have been seeing.

Any help is much appreciated.

 

[Crazymoogle]

Does anyone how one is able to order a single module of 2 GB RAM, instead of the "kits only" I have been seeing.

Any help is much appreciated.

Pretty easy, just depends where you are and where you are ordering from. You're looking for "1x2GB" in whatever particular flavor of memory you need, eg:

1x2GB DDR3
1x2GB DDR2
1x2GB DDR2 SODIMM (laptops)
1x2GB DDR3 SODIMM (newer laptops)

etc.

Obviously will be far easier to find on OEM shops like Newegg/ZZF/NCIX and so on.

 

[Hazaro]

Never built a PC before. It's going in my living room so it needs to be as quiet as possible. Would like feedback on these components. I'm not looking to build a budget PC.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835108109&Tpk=swiftech h20-220 $245
Swiftech H20-220 Apex Ultima Extreme Duty CPU liquid cooling kit - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130478 $245 AR
EVGA 896-P3-1171-AR GeForce GTX 275 Superclocked Edition 896MB 448-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

2 (RAID0) X http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320 $140
Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119138 $170 AR
COOLER MASTER COSMOS 1000 RC-1000-KSN1-GP Black/ Silver Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail

Unless you are astounded by the case I would question if you need that. The case itself is enormous: 24.8'' x 10.5'' x 23.6'' and also weighs a TON, not to mention the cost.
I'd go for a CM 690 unless you think it is ugly
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137

Swap HDD's for these (Faster + more space): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319

I wouldn't go for liquid cooling so I'd grab this instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608007
Noctua fans are works of art so I think you will like them noise wise.

You might also want to replace the stock fans or add some low/med speed Yate Loons: http://www.petrastechshop.com/12yalod1cafa.html

As for graphics, the GTX 260 and 4890 are the best values at the moment. Check some reviews of games you are playing at your resolution and see what you want to spend

*http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150329
GTX 260, Cod5, FarCry2, Double Lifetime transferrable warranty. $155 AR :lol

 

[MWS Natural]

HOLY SHIT @ CRYSIS 1080p + Ultra High Mod...looks..so.....real. I want to get further in the game just to take more pics. Going to drop some cash on a nice 2.1 setup next month I need high quality sound to go along with the amazing PQ.

 

[Hazaro]

HOLY SHIT @ CRYSIS 1080p + Ultra High Mod...looks..so.....real. I want to get further in the game just to take more pics. Going to drop some cash on a nice 2.1 setup next month I need high quality sound to go along with the amazing PQ.

I don't see pictures.

 

[bigswords]

So, thinking towards the future and onwards, is this Core i7 stuff here to stay or will some new hotness pop in and take over?

Some games next year have me truly hyped to build a completely new system so I'll be started a new piggy bank to save money to splurge on one when the time comes. To be honest, though, any excuse to build something completely new is good with me

If you have the cash yes, get a i7920 to save money and it is one the more awesome overclocker. Hit 4 ghz with stock air cooling easily.

Well that is if you want to overclock if not, stick to duo2core or quad for the time being, no rush.

 

[Kccitystar]

The GPU is utter shit to be frank about it. No need in the copy of Vista, ditch that for the free RC of W7 and then upgrade in 9 months to the full deal, helps you space out the cost.

With that $100 saved, get this CPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103681&Tpk=x2 250

and this GPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131125

And bump up your HDD to this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319

Those are some pretty huge upgrades, right there.

There's no PSU in that build? Have you got a decent one already or something?

I'd try and budget for a better motherboard if I were you as well, Nvidia chipsets are pretty shitty tbh. Still, all of this should be doable for under $600 still (even if you need a PSU) and the upgrades are enormous compared to your previous attempt.

I have a 450W PSU that I plan on using from the old PC, but if that is not enough I can always get a new one. I don't know exactly which one I should get should that be the case, however.

The PC I wish to build is not a monster powerhouse for games but I do a little of everything on it, like editing videos, audio, the occasional game here and there. I just don't want it to chug along like my old PC :lol

 

[Hazaro]

I have a 450W PSU that I plan on using from the old PC, but if that is not enough I can always get a new one. I don't know exactly which one I should get should that be the case, however.

The PC I wish to build is not a monster powerhouse for games but I do a little of everything on it, like editing videos, audio, the occasional game here and there. I just don't want it to chug along like my old PC :lol

Your PSU will need to be 12V based, you can tell by looking up the model number or Amps on the 12V rail on the side of your PSU. Probably something like 26A would be nice ,but you will probably need a new one.

Corsair 400w is a nice choice, this rig will play pretty much every game on high at 60fps, but that just comes with the package

W7 + the new HDD will make it fly.

 

[Kccitystar]

Your PSU will need to be 12V based, you can tell by looking up the model number or Amps on the 12V rail on the side of your PSU. Probably something like 26A would be nice ,but you will probably need a new one.

Corsair 400w is a nice choice, this rig will play pretty much every game on high at 60fps, but that just comes with the package

W7 + the new HDD will make it fly.

How about this power supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817812002

I want a modular one as I'd like to keep the cord clutter to a minimum. I'm working with a MicroATX board here.

 

[Lime]

Pretty easy, just depends where you are and where you are ordering from. You're looking for "1x2GB" in whatever particular flavor of memory you need, eg:

1x2GB DDR3
1x2GB DDR2
1x2GB DDR2 SODIMM (laptops)
1x2GB DDR3 SODIMM (newer laptops)

etc.

Obviously will be far easier to find on OEM shops like Newegg/ZZF/NCIX and so on.

Yeah, I've tried searching for 1x2, especially on newegg/zzf and NCIX, but to no avail. But all I see is kits, kits, kits and more kits. There's not a single module anywhere.

The module of ram I'm specifically looking for is 2GB OCZ PC3-10666 CL7.

 

[MisterAnderson]

Okay so just got my PC up and running... just having an issue getting my 5.1 audio working. I have 5.1 creative speakers from my previous PC and was excited to find out that the gigabyte motherboard that I got (EP45-UD3P) had on-board 5.1/7.1. After installing the motherboard drivers I'm having a hard time finding where to configure my speaker settings (not familiar with Windows 7, which is what I'm running).

The only audio setup I can find is under control panel/hardware and sound/manage audio devices.

Under the "Speakers" tab nowhere can I find a way to select a speaker setup. In XP I recall a drop down tab that had a number of speaker settings (2 speaker, headphones, 5.1, etc.) but the only drop down tab I can find is this:

If anyone can help me through this it would be very appreciated as I'm almost 100% set up and this seems to be the last hurdle for me to overcome. What am I doing wrong?

 

[yanhero]

Right click the "Speakers" from your first pic, then the very first option is "Configure Speakers", click that.

 

[MisterAnderson]

Right click the "Speakers" from your first pic, then the very first option is "Configure Speakers", click that.

Ahhh, thank you so much! I probably would have never figured that out.

 

[Waikis]

AMD is planning price reductions for the RV790 models within the introduction of the RV870. So the graphics cards of the HD 4800 series will be available at a lower price then. The price cuts are said to start next month already. The Radeon HD 4890 will then be available for 199 US dollar, the Radeon HD 4870 will cost 149 USD and the price of the Radeon HD 4850 will go below 99 USD.
In the meantime AMD is intensely working on the successor RV870 which is said to support DirectX 11 and will probably be launched as Radeon HD 5870/5850. At the Computex 2009 AMD presented a 40 nm wafer which probably had RV870 chips.

http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-plans-price-cut-for-hd-4800-series-in-q3/7173.html?doc=7173

 

[MisterAnderson]

Another quick question: As I understand it Direct X 10 is only available with Vista... with the Windows 7 candidate is it possible to get it? I can only find a mirror to download Direct X 9c.

Edit:

AMD is planning price reductions for the RV790 models within the introduction of the RV870. So the graphics cards of the HD 4800 series will be available at a lower price then. The price cuts are said to start next month already. The Radeon HD 4890 will then be available for 199 US dollar, the Radeon HD 4870 will cost 149 USD and the price of the Radeon HD 4850 will go below 99 USD.
In the meantime AMD is intensely working on the successor RV870 which is said to support DirectX 11 and will probably be launched as Radeon HD 5870/5850. At the Computex 2009 AMD presented a 40 nm wafer which probably had RV870 chips.

Damn... well I have 30 days to return the 4870 I just bought a few days ago (on sale from 199 to 179) maybe I'll take it back in a couple of weeks and pick up the 4890.

 

[rocK`]

How is this card compared to the 'latest and greatest':

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130434

 

[K.Jack]

How is this card compared to the 'latest and greatest':

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130434

The $199 4890 is a much better buy imo. Actually, it's 179.99 after MIR.

 

[brain_stew]

*http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150329
GTX 260, Cod5, FarCry2, Double Lifetime transferrable warranty. $155 AR :lol

Holy crap!

That's an awesome deal. GPUs are stupidly cheap these days.

Another quick question: As I understand it Direct X 10 is only available with Vista... with the Windows 7 candidate is it possible to get it? I can only find a mirror to download Direct X 9c.

Edit:



Damn... well I have 30 days to return the 4870 I just bought a few days ago (on sale from 199 to 179) maybe I'll take it back in a couple of weeks and pick up the 4890.

DirectX 10.1 and DirectX 9c should be part of the standard Windows 7 installation. Just follow this link if you want Microsoft to auto update DirectX though I ssume you'll probably be fully upto date already.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...38-DB71-4C1B-BC6A-9B6652CD92A3&displaylang=en

Oh, and yes, I know it doesn't mention DirectX 10 specifically, but yes, this is the correct download. Regardless, I'm pretty damn sure you'll have DX10.1 installed anyway so its a non issue.

Ahhh, thank you so much! I probably would have never figured that out.

You should also have a Realtek HD audio setup in your control panel. Double check both are set to 5.1.

 

[rocK`]

The $199 4890 is a much better buy imo. Actually, it's 179.99 after MIR.

So...as I am sure other people have their share...I am completely against Radeon/ATI, I'm not going to argue it, you can consider it ignorant/naive/etc. I've had 2 in the past and have had nothing but driver errors/problems. Since then, I've been an nvidia fanboy and will continue to support nvidia.

I also prefer WD over any other HD out there.

 

[brain_stew]

So...as I am sure other people have their share...I am completely against Radeon/ATI, I'm not going to argue it, you can consider it ignorant/naive/etc. I've had 2 in the past and have had nothing but driver errors/problems. Since then, I've been an nvidia fanboy and will continue to support nvidia.

I also prefer WD over any other HD out there.

Either way, its the wrong card for you. Pick up the XFX that me and Hazarro linked. Better warranty (double lifetime), cheaper and an extra free game to keep or sell.

 

[rocK`]

I assume it is also a better card??

 

[brain_stew]

I assume it is also a better card??

No its exactly the same, likely even came out the same factory.

 

[K.Jack]

So...as I am sure other people have their share...I am completely against Radeon/ATI, I'm not going to argue it, you can consider it ignorant/naive/etc. I've had 2 in the past and have had nothing but driver errors/problems. Since then, I've been an nvidia fanboy and will continue to support nvidia.

Eh, I'd be a hypocrite if I pretended as it I don't prefer Nvidia myself. Especially as a mobile gamer, where ATi doesn't even release drivers for the Mobility Radeon series. Still, I'm considering replacing my GTX 260M (G92b 9800 GT) with a Mobility Radeon 4850 or 4870, if I can see 15-25% improvement. Now that I'm in the network with the Catalyst modders, I might give them a shot.

 

[bigmit3737]

Do sound cards make a huge difference?

At the moment I have a ep45-ud3p motherboard and was going to use the onboard audio.

Also for a small room do good speakers make a difference (I can't play anything too loud)...I don't know much about 5.1, 7.1 and other numbers associated with speaker systems.

 

[Macattk15]

I CANNOT get my q6600 to not blue screen me upon startup when OC'ing anywhere above 2.7Ghz.

This isn't a temp issue because the Tuniq Tower is keeping things quite low.

I have a 680i SLI MB, 4GB of 1066 RAM (not OC'ed at all), 2 8800gt's SLI'ed. I cannot for the life of me get my computer to be happy. 750W PS.

I'm kinda new to OC'ing honestly ... but it seems pretty easy keeping temperatures and voltages in check.

I just don't know what to do. I can't change the multiplier to anything higher than 9 for the CPU ... so I've been adjusting the FSB. But like I said if I go anywhere over 2.7Ghz I get crazy BSDs each saying different things but most often some kind of IRQL NOT LESS THAN or whatever error.

Anyone have any ideas on how I can get more out of this system?

 

[brain_stew]

Do sound cards make a huge difference?

At the moment I have a ep45-ud3p motherboard and was going to use the onboard audio.

Also for a small room do good speakers make a difference (I can't play anything too loud)...I don't know much about 5.1, 7.1 and other numbers associated with speaker systems.

Yes, if you value audio quality then a nice sound card and speaker setup is always going to make a difference. If you're a gamer then you're going to need an X-fi based sound card in order to get proper multi channel audio support out of many of your games.

 

[TheExodu5]

Just ordered myself a GTX 275.

I'm in Canada...the cheapest I can find an HD4890 is around $250, and this GTX 275 is basically $20 more, so I went for it.

http://ncix.com/products/?sku=37424&vpn=N275GTX-Twin Frozr OC&manufacture=MSI/MicroStar

Also, NCIX seemed like a far better place than NewEgg for Canadian orders. $15 Express Shipping (compared to $15 for regular parcel mail from NewEgg). Faster shipping and more secure too. On top of that, they offer insurance on the package for a measly $4, so it does give some peace of mind. Lastly, no PST if you're outside of BC.

The MSI card was really attractive, since it's one of the only GTX 275 out there with a non-reference cooler. Seems like it's a half decent cooler too. Should be a lot quieter, and a lot cooler than a stock HD4890 or GTX 275.

Here's another pic that shows off the nice RAMsinks and heat pipes. They're alluminium instead of copper, but we can't win em all can we. Seeing as how there's no (affordable) 3rd party coolers out there yet, this seems like a solid choice.

 

[brain_stew]

I CANNOT get my q6600 to not blue screen me upon startup when OC'ing anywhere above 2.7Ghz.

This isn't a temp issue because the Tuniq Tower is keeping things quite low.

I have a 680i SLI MB, 4GB of 1066 RAM (not OC'ed at all), 2 8800gt's SLI'ed. I cannot for the life of me get my computer to be happy.

I'm kinda new to OC'ing honestly ... but it seems pretty easy keeping temperatures and voltages in check.

I just don't know what to do. I can't change the multiplier to anything higher than 9 for the CPU ... so I've been adjusting the FSB. But like I said if I go anywhere over 2.7Ghz I get crazy BSDs each saying different things but most often some kind of IRQL NOT LESS THAN or whatever error.

Anyone have any ideas on how I can get more out of this system?

The 680i (and Nvidia chipsets in general) are utter trash when it comes to OCing (and general stability come to that), so that's more than likely your biggest bottleneck.

Make sure your RAM is using very loose timings and the lowest possible multiplier you can select. Bump up the MCH, FSB and memory voltage by one notch and lock your PCIe frequency to 100mhz. Also, disable "EIST" and "C1E" or any other settings that downclock your CPU automatically as these can mess with stability quite a lot whilst having very little impact on power usage.

What voltage are you pumping through the chip? A Q6600 should be good upto 1.5v.

 

[bigmit3737]

Yes, if you value audio quality then a nice sound card and speaker setup is always going to make a difference. If you're a gamer then you're going to need an X-fi based sound card in order to get proper multi channel audio support out of many of your games.

Hey Brain Stew do you have recommendations (best bang for the buck) for a sound card?

Would $50 suffice? Or would spending a little more be a lot better?

 

[TheExodu5]

If you're sticking to 2.1, then go onboard, or get a better 3rd party sound card. Avoid Creative cards (Soundblaster, X-Fi) if you don't need them for 5.1+ gaming. Creative cards are good for EAX, and EAX alone. Sound-wise, they're no improvement over most onboard solutions out there. In fact, I find my Audigy 2 is worse than my Asus P5B-E onboard.

The only big change you'll see with a cheap soundcard vs. onboard audio is that it will let you output much higher volumes (higher gain AMP). If you're lacking power, than that might be a legitimate reason to upgrade. Otherwise, I think the higher gain amp is partially what really degrades the sound quality out of the Creative cards.

 

[dionysus]

Hey Brain Stew do you have recommendations (best bang for the buck) for a sound card?

Would $50 suffice? Or would spending a little more be a lot better?

I am assuming you have some decent speakers or are planning on getting them. Regular computer speakers like logitech 2.1s or the like don't really justify a sound card in my opinion.

 

[TheExodu5]

I am assuming you have some decent speakers or are planning on getting them. Regular computer speakers like logitech 2.1s or the like don't really justify a sound card in my opinion.

Yep, agreed.

My Ultrasone HFI-580 headphones do justify a good soundcard, but trust me when I say it that a Creative card is NOT what you want for good sound quality. I'm not joking when I say my iPhone blows it out of the water when it comes to SQ. Also, note that I have a Moon Eclipse CD Player and Bryston BP-26 preamp setup in the basement as a high-end audiophile reference.

Be happy you can save the money. Only upgrade to an X-Fi if you plan on having a 5.1 setup and want to exploit EAX features in games.

 

[brain_stew]

Yep, agreed.

My Ultrasone HFI-580 headphones do justify a good soundcard, but trust me when I say it that a Creative card is NOT what you want for good sound quality. I'm not joking when I say my iPhone blows it out of the water when it comes to SQ. Also, note that I have a Moon Eclipse CD Player and Bryston BP-26 preamp setup in the basement as a high-end audiophile reference.

Be happy you can save the money. Only upgrade to an X-Fi if you plan on having a 5.1 setup and want to exploit EAX features in games.

Well headphones is one area where I'd have to recommend a Creative card if you're a gamer actually. The better 3D gaming suppor plus CMSS-3D headphone work a treat, getting true positional sound out of a pair of headphones is pretty damn nice if you ask me.

If you're an audiophile, then yes, there's better options, but simply getting your sound away from the interference caused by the high frequency motherbaord components can work wonders. So any soundcard is "usually" an upgrade if you value audio quality.

With regular 2.1 speakers, then yes, sticking with onboard is fine. It all depends what you want out of a card, feature and usage wise, really.

Oh, and when I was stating "X-Fi based" previously I didn't specificallt mean a Creative card, Auzentech (sp?) produce some audiofile grade cards but retain the gaming features due to the X-FI chipset they have, so they're the best of both worlds. OFcourse, they have a price to match.

 

[MisterAnderson]

DirectX 10.1 and DirectX 9c should be part of the standard Windows 7 installation. Just follow this link if you want Microsoft to auto update DirectX though I ssume you'll probably be fully upto date already.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...38-DB71-4C1B-BC6A-9B6652CD92A3&displaylang=en

Oh, and yes, I know it doesn't mention DirectX 10 specifically, but yes, this is the correct download. Regardless, I'm pretty damn sure you'll have DX10.1 installed anyway so its a non issue.

You should also have a Realtek HD audio setup in your control panel. Double check both are set to 5.1.

I clicked that link to double check, but it's never loading for whatever reason. Maybe the server is busy right now.

Also, regarding setting Realtek HD to 5.1, I can't find that option. Is that under the "Speakers" tab or "Realtek Digital Output" tab? What I ended up doing after yanhero informed me of the "configure speakers" option after right clicking "speakers" was I chose 7.1, disabling the side speakers. For whatever reason the 5.1 setup on there didn't have rear speakers and instead had the side speakers.

Edit: Also, probably a stupid question but can't find a way to "safely remove" an external harddrive I connected to my windows 7 PC. I even tried the Mac way of right clicking it thinking maybe they changed it to "eject" since I can't see any safely remove hardware options on the bottom right of the tool bar like it is in XP.

 

[ElyrionX]

Ok, two questions:

1. Are the current i7 mobos out there backwards compatible with the Quad Core Extreme processors? Will these same mobos be compatible with the upcoming i5?

2. I need to run four monitors out of this rig. What video cards do I need? I assume dual-DVI video cards are fairly common this day? So I can just use two DVI splitters on one video card to get four monitor outputs?