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[Ninja Face]

I was trying to build a PC for a friend of mine using that $500 guide in the other thread but this guy is so broke and when I spoke with him he said all he really wants to be able to play is the Old Republic. So I'm thinking of just telling him to get one of those barebones kits off of TigerDirect and maybe he can throw a decent video card in it later on.

 

[Ryn]

Hey, I'm looking to build a new pc (surprise?) and if anyone could check this over and see if it's okay/compatible with everything, or recommend any changes to make it a bit cheaper/better. Thanks in advance.

Processor And Motherboard Combo
AMD Phenom II X4 940
Gigabyte Mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.211637
$220

Video
XFX 1GB Radeon HD 4870
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150394
$150

NZXT Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146055
$50 ($40 after rebate)

Rosewill 550W PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182030
$60

Two SATA DVD Burners
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151171
$52

HD1, 500 gig WD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320
$70

HD2, 250 gig WD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136055
$40

RAM, 4gb Kingston
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134582
$50


Total: $692

 

[ChoklitReign]

Stay the fuck away from Rosewill PSUs; they're only trustworthy with cases. Get a Seasonic or Corsair. Also, you're overpaying for those HDDs. Single 1TB HDDs can be gotten for under a hundred.

 

[MWS Natural]

Hey, I'm looking to build a new pc (surprise?) and if anyone could check this over and see if it's okay/compatible with everything, or recommend any changes to make it a bit cheaper/better. Thanks in advance.

Processor And Motherboard Combo
AMD Phenom II X4 940
Gigabyte Mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.211637
$220

Video
XFX 1GB Radeon HD 4870
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150394
$150

NZXT Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146055
$50 ($40 after rebate)

Rosewill 550W PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182030
$60

Two SATA DVD Burners
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151171
$52

HD1, 500 gig WD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320
$70

HD2, 250 gig WD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136055
$40

RAM, 4gb Kingston
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134582
$50


Total: $692

Scratch the two HDD and get one cheap TB and one DVD burner.

 

[brain_stew]

Hey, I'm looking to build a new pc (surprise?) and if anyone could check this over and see if it's okay/compatible with everything, or recommend any changes to make it a bit cheaper/better. Thanks in advance.

Processor And Motherboard Combo
AMD Phenom II X4 940
Gigabyte Mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.211637
$220

Video
XFX 1GB Radeon HD 4870
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150394
$150

NZXT Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146055
$50 ($40 after rebate)

Rosewill 550W PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182030
$60

Two SATA DVD Burners
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151171
$52

HD1, 500 gig WD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320
$70

HD2, 250 gig WD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136055
$40

RAM, 4gb Kingston
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134582
$50


Total: $692

PSU is shitty.

Get a single Samsung 1TB F1 instead, much faster, more space and roughly the same price.

Why do you need two DVD burners?

 

[godhandiscen]

Oh no, the 10k was just the total futuremark score. I'm actually not sure--where are these separate CPU and GPU scores listed? Or are those just the average total 3dMark scores for each type?

I went ahead and reset the BIOS to defaults--I have no idea why they would UNDERclock this thing (and the temps are still fine now)--but that did the trick at least w/r/t CPU speed. So basically I stockclock'd the fuck out of this bitch. Pulled up my total 3dmark scores as follows:
3DMark Score 19669
SM 2.0 Score 7330
SM 3.0 Score 10114
CPU Score 5059

It isn't bad. I can't remember my 06 score (I also have a GTX295) but it wasn't that great iirc. Stay away from synthetic benches, just play your games. Also, the GTX295 runs super hot. Don't get alarmed if you reach temps around the 90 degrees. Download EVGA precision tool. That will allow you to monitor your card. Leave the fan in auto, it will determine the speed to hit a stable temp. BTW, depending on which GTX295 version you got (there are 3 versions, and I am not talking OC versions) temps will be different, but they are all ok.

 

[Ryn]

PSU is shitty.

Get a single Samsung 1TB F1 instead, much faster, more space and roughly the same price.

Why do you need two DVD burners?

I'm actually building it for my dad, he wants 2. Why? I honestly don't know. So scratch the psu, and get a terrabyte instead of 2 hds. Sounds good, anything else need sprucing up or that it?

 

[AstroLad]

It isn't bad. I can't remember my 06 score (I also have a GTX295) but it wasn't that great iirc. Stay away from synthetic benches, just play your games. Also, the GTX295 runs super hot. Don't get alarmed if you reach temps around the 90 degrees. Download EVGA precision tool. That will allow you to monitor your card. Leave the fan in auto, it will determine the speed to hit a stable temp. BTW, depending on which GTX295 version you got (there are 3 versions, and I am not talking OC versions) temps will be different, but they are all ok.

Thanks for the recommendation, was looking for exactly that kind of program actually. Temps are actually pretty cool here at stock--43&50.

Anyone try clocking the 295 for fun? I'm at 669/1442/1224 and still running around 40-45 degrees.

 

[Helmholtz]

OC to ~3ghz and bump yourself upto 4/6GB of RAM. Job done.

Alrighty then, thanks
I was planning on doing this but the confirmation you guys have given me is very much appreciated.

 

[TheHeretic]

Alrighty then, thanks
I was planning on doing this but the confirmation you guys have given me is very much appreciated.

Read this:

http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=625

Overclocking core 2 duos is very easy.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

I'm actually building it for my dad, he wants 2. Why? I honestly don't know. So scratch the psu, and get a terrabyte instead of 2 hds. Sounds good, anything else need sprucing up or that it?

wow your dad must be a gamer because those are some nice parts.

 

[Diablohead]

So it's been about 3 months since I recieved my new pc and I could not be more happy, until now.

Last night while playing sega rally revo I suddenly noticed a mild burning smell, 10 seconds later a huge POP! and the pc turns itself off. I leave it without power for 10 minutes and try to turn it back on but it's not reacting to anything, not even a led light so I think the PSU has blown. I don't think it's the GPU or CPU as there was zero performance issues or artifacts and the machine just turned off without any hickups or slow down.

I contacted dinopc.com about it but being a sunday I not had a reply yet, may have to phone them on monday. Sucks but at least the machine has croaked now instead of at christmas time.

 

[MWS Natural]

Sapphire Vapor-X 2 GB 4890 available now from ewiz and newegg. The extra GB would mostly benefit those gaming at 2560x1600 but some games like GTA IV can use the extra RAM.

 

[dtrack]

So it's been about 3 months since I recieved my new pc and I could not be more happy, until now.

Last night while playing sega rally revo I suddenly noticed a mild burning smell, 10 seconds later a huge POP! and the pc turns itself off. I leave it without power for 10 minutes and try to turn it back on but it's not reacting to anything, not even a led light so I think the PSU has blown. I don't think it's the GPU or CPU as there was zero performance issues or artifacts and the machine just turned off without any hickups or slow down.

I contacted dinopc.com about it but being a sunday I not had a reply yet, may have to phone them on monday. Sucks but at least the machine has croaked now instead of at christmas time.

Yeah that sounds like the PSU, same thing happened with me. Had to replace it with a new one :lol

 

[kswiston]

A few days ago I added a Radeon 4870 to my rig (thanks to everyone for the suggestions!) and now that I have some free time, I have been tinkering with my software settings to make sure everything is up to speed.

However, after installing and running CPU-Z I noticed something that seemed odd:

I have 4GB of G.Skill PC2-6400 installed. As you can see, the frequency listed for my RAM fluctuates a little below 400 mhz, instead of the 800 mhz I was expecting. While I have built many computers in the past (at least 10), I am pretty green when it comes to optimizing hardware after installing it, so maybe I missed something or don't quite understand what I am reading in that number. Should DDR2 800Mhz be reading as ~400Mhz DRAM frequency?

Here are my MB stats for reference:

 

[SniperWolf]

A few days ago I added a Radeon 4870 to my rig (thanks to everyone for the suggestions!) and now that I have some free time, I have been tinkering with my software settings to make sure everything is up to speed.

However, after installing and running CPU-Z I noticed something that seemed odd:

I have 4GB of G.Skill PC2-6400 installed. As you can see, the frequency listed for my RAM fluctuates a little below 400 mhz, instead of the 800 mhz I was expecting. While I have built many computers in the past (at least 10), I am pretty green when it comes to optimizing hardware after installing it, so maybe I missed something or don't quite understand what I am reading in that number. Should DDR2 800Mhz be reading as ~400Mhz DRAM frequency?

Here are my MB stats for reference:

post your bios template

 

[zoku88]

Should DDR2 800Mhz be reading as ~400Mhz DRAM frequency?

Unless I'm mistaken, yes, it should.

 

[TheExodu5]

I'm actually building it for my dad, he wants 2. Why? I honestly don't know. So scratch the psu, and get a terrabyte instead of 2 hds. Sounds good, anything else need sprucing up or that it?

I'd find a way to make the jump from the HD 4870 to the HD 4890. Big increase in performance for so little.

Is there any reason two burners are needed?

Thanks for the recommendation, was looking for exactly that kind of program actually. Temps are actually pretty cool here at stock--43&50.

Anyone try clocking the 295 for fun? I'm at 669/1442/1224 and still running around 40-45 degrees.

Is this under full load? Temps can go up drastically under load. If that is somehow under load, keep clocking it up until the card starts artifacting or locking up, since it'll be running more than cool enough to take it...then, just scale back until it's fine.

 

[SniperWolf]

Unless I'm mistaken, yes, it should.

yes you r it should be at least 300

edit : typo

 

[TheHeretic]

I have 4GB of G.Skill PC2-6400 installed. As you can see, the frequency listed for my RAM fluctuates a little below 400 mhz, instead of the 800 mhz I was expecting. While I have built many computers in the past (at least 10), I am pretty green when it comes to optimizing hardware after installing it, so maybe I missed something or don't quite understand what I am reading in that number. Should DDR2 800Mhz be reading as ~400Mhz DRAM frequency?

DDR2 memory runs at half its listed speed because DDR stand for Double Data Rate. Its effective speed is double its actual speed, to put it simply. Your RAM should be running at 400, if it were running at actual 800 that would be 1600 effective and would be an absolutely insane overclock.

Long story short, its normal.

Edit: People stating otherwise don't know anything.

 

[TheHeretic]

Hey, I'm looking to build a new pc (surprise?) and if anyone could check this over and see if it's okay/compatible with everything, or recommend any changes to make it a bit cheaper/better. Thanks in advance.

Processor And Motherboard Combo
AMD Phenom II X4 940
Gigabyte Mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.211637
$220

Video
XFX 1GB Radeon HD 4870
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150394
$150

NZXT Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146055
$50 ($40 after rebate)

Rosewill 550W PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182030
$60

Two SATA DVD Burners
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151171
$52

HD1, 500 gig WD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320
$70

HD2, 250 gig WD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136055
$40

RAM, 4gb Kingston
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134582
$50


Total: $692

Does your dad play games on his PC? If not the graphics card is overkill, as is the CPU to be honest unless he does video encoding or something hardcore..

But assuming that he does, swap out the PSU for a Corsair/Seasonic around 500Watts and just stick with one hard drive of whatever size he wants. You can also get faster RAM for cheaper. Here are some parts i'd recommend:

G.Skill 8500: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231166 Same price as 6400, but cheaper! Why not.

WD 1TB Caviar Black: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284&Tpk=western digital 1tb caviar black Good performance, insane capacity. And cheap!

Now if he doesn't play games your focus should be reliability and silence. I'd go for a lesser CPU, lesser GPU, but a better case.

Cheaper Gigabyte motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128376

AMD 550: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103680 Fast dual core, more than enough for everyday needs.

Antec Solo Quiet PC Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129018&Tpk=antec solo Very quiet, reasonable price

XFX 4850: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150337

With the second list of parts his PC will be dead quiet, which non-gamers very much appreciate. If he is a gamer go with what you had above, maybe squeezing in a 4890 if you can for better performance.

 

[TheExodu5]

So it's been about 3 months since I recieved my new pc and I could not be more happy, until now.

Last night while playing sega rally revo I suddenly noticed a mild burning smell, 10 seconds later a huge POP! and the pc turns itself off. I leave it without power for 10 minutes and try to turn it back on but it's not reacting to anything, not even a led light so I think the PSU has blown. I don't think it's the GPU or CPU as there was zero performance issues or artifacts and the machine just turned off without any hickups or slow down.

I contacted dinopc.com about it but being a sunday I not had a reply yet, may have to phone them on monday. Sucks but at least the machine has croaked now instead of at christmas time.

What PSU is in there?

 

[kswiston]

DDR2 memory runs at half its listed speed because DDR stand for Double Data Rate. Its effective speed is double its actual speed, to put it simply. Your RAM should be running at 400, if it were running at actual 800 that would be 1600 effective and would be an absolutely insane overclock.

Long story short, its normal.

Edit: People stating otherwise don't know anything.

Thanks a lot. As I said, I know how to install hardware, but know next to nothing about optimizing it for gaming. While I am at it, here are my bios settings for my RAM. Should anything be tweaked or should I just leave it as is?


DRAM Config

DDRII Timing Items - auto
cas# latency - 5t
RAS to CAS R/W Delay - 5t
row precharge time - 5t
min ras active time - 15t
1t/2t command timing - auto
twtr command delay - 3t
trfc0 for dimm1 - 127ns
trfc2 for dimm2 - 127ns
write recovery time - 6t
precharge time - 3t
row cycle time - 25t
ras to ras delay - 3t

 

[TheExodu5]

Seasonic 500W Silent Series: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151034 Its not modular (meaning the cables come as they are) but its cheap considering the quality. Its also very quiet, always a plus.

You may want to avoid that one. Seems like 20% of the NewEgg reviews are complaining about a high pitched squeal from the fan.

Maybe go for this instead:

Corsair 550VX - 550W ($99 - $20 MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004&Tpk=corsair 550

Anyways, generally, there are 3 brands that are above the rest when it comes to PSUs. Seasonic, Corsair (made by Seasonic), and Enermax. They're usually the most efficient and quietest out of the PSUs. There are a few exceptions, like that 500W Seasonic above that seems to not be quiet. Some other brands have released good PSUs as well, like the current Antec TruePowers.

Anyways, it usually doesn't pay off to go with a cheaper PSU. In a year or two, you'll usually end up making the difference in power consumption if you use your computer a lot (10+ hours a day) like me.

 

[MWS Natural]

Hankering for an SSD that's as big as your traditional HDD? So is Intel, or so we hear. In fact, we've been hearing whispers that a capacious 320GB solid state drive was in the works since January, and now those whispers have been upgraded to library-like voices. According to the generally reliable Golum, Intel's so-called Postville SSD family is well on its way to reality, and with them should come much needed price drops. The new series should top out at 320GB, with an 80GB and 160GB version falling underneath. Word on the street has it that both of the smaller two will be around $100 cheaper than the same-sized X25-M drives, though there's been no leaks on the 320GB model's MSRP. Still, Intel has a golden opportunity here if it'll just get these things to market -- a cheap(er) SSD with a brand name like Intel could blow the solid state market wide open.

Benchmarks:

 

[TheHeretic]

You may want to avoid that one. Seems like 20% of the NewEgg reviews are complaining about a high pitched squeal from the fan.

Maybe go for this instead:

Corsair 550VX - 550W ($99 - $20 MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004&Tpk=corsair 550

Anyways, generally, there are 3 brands that are above the rest when it comes to PSUs. Seasonic, Corsair (made by Seasonic), and Enermax. They're usually the most efficient and quietest out of the PSUs. There are a few exceptions, like that 500W Seasonic above that seems to not be quiet. Some other brands have released good PSUs as well, like the current Antec TruePowers.

Anyways, it usually doesn't pay off to go with a cheaper PSU. In a year or two, you'll usually end up making the difference in power consumption if you use your computer a lot (10+ hours a day) like me.

How very ironic for a Silent PSU! Yeah thats another great PSU, i'd go with that if what I listed has a problem.

Nice catch BTW

 

[Diablohead]

What PSU is in there?

Going by my invoice, 500W Eagle is all it says. I don't want to crack the case open as it's still new and they should be able to replace it for free, if they get cheeky and ask for postae to send it back to them I may as well buy my own replacement, but I will wait and see, no reply yet being the weekend.

I have to use my parents and younger brothers pc right now, not very good for games at all and it's old and slow but I can still visit gaf

 

[AstroLad]

It isn't bad. I can't remember my 06 score (I also have a GTX295) but it wasn't that great iirc. Stay away from synthetic benches, just play your games. Also, the GTX295 runs super hot. Don't get alarmed if you reach temps around the 90 degrees. Download EVGA precision tool. That will allow you to monitor your card. Leave the fan in auto, it will determine the speed to hit a stable temp. BTW, depending on which GTX295 version you got (there are 3 versions, and I am not talking OC versions) temps will be different, but they are all ok.

Quick question about the Auto setting--does Precision need to be open in order for it to control the fan automatically? How does it work basically? Does it try to keep temps below 70 or something? Also normal for the fan to stay on in sleep mode? I might not have noticed it before because you can't hear it at 40, but I definitely heard it in sleep mode at 70 (which is why I'd like to switch to Auto if it works).

I did bump up the settings just a touch--running at about 50 idle, got up to about 65-70 playing Crysis yesterday (but this was with the fan at about 65 I believe).

 

[bogg]

Can anyone recommend a good, cheap cooler for a e7400 cpu? I'm not planning to push the cpu too hard, maybe oc it to around 3.2,I just don't like the stock cooler. I got a e6400 @ 2.4 on the stock cooler and in the summer the idle temp is around 45-48 :/

 

[Pctx]

Quick question about the Auto setting--does Precision need to be open in order for it to control the fan automatically? How does it work basically? Does it try to keep temps below 70 or something? Also normal for the fan to stay on in sleep mode? I might not have noticed it before because you can't hear it at 40, but I definitely heard it in sleep mode at 70 (which is why I'd like to switch to Auto if it works).

I did bump up the settings just a touch--running at about 50 idle, got up to about 65-70 playing Crysis yesterday (but this was with the fan at about 65 I believe).

Astro ~ generally the auto setting is the best for the eVGA cards concerning the fan speed. Precession doesn't need to be open in order for the fan control to work on manual setting. I sometimes turn mine up to 50% fan speed and that keeps temps below 80C while gaming which is fine for the cards.

Can anyone recommend a good, cheap cooler for a e7400 cpu? I'm not planning to push the cpu too hard, maybe oc it to around 3.2,I just don't like the stock cooler. I got a e6400 @ 2.4 on the stock cooler and in the summer the idle temp is around 45-48 :/

Bogg ~ Check this out: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233012

I've used this one on several 775 builds in the past 6 months and everyone seems to love it. Easy to put on and keeps things cool. The other one you can look at is the 92mm Zalmann which uses a back bracket so you'd have to remove your mother board but it's a very easy installation.

 

[AstroLad]

Astro ~ generally the auto setting is the best for the eVGA cards concerning the fan speed. Precession doesn't need to be open in order for the fan control to work on manual setting. I sometimes turn mine up to 50% fan speed and that keeps temps below 80C while gaming which is fine for the cards.

Thanks--does Precision need to be open in order for the Auto setting to work though? Not really a huge deal, just curious if I need to keep the program open/load at startup.

 

[AstroLad]

Gonna drop some quick reviews of the components I picked up with my new "rig" after a few days of use.

Sidewinder X6 Keyboard: Really love this thing. Totally subjective thing, but the feel of the keys is just great. You know when you get a new kb and you know you like it b/c you're making fewer mistakes than you ever did? That's what this is to me. The keys have a nice hearty and distinctive feel to them. The backlighting is very nice and adjustable. The volume controls and shortcuts are quite convenient as well. Haven't played too much with the macros and other "gaming" features, but it worked great on Crysis yesterday.

Sidewinder X8 Mouse: A pretty great choice if you've wanted but been holding off on a wireless mouse. I'm migrating from a G5 so I had pretty high standards going on. Took me about a day to get used too but it has a very good feel. Even though it's bigger than the G5 once you get accustomed it feels quite light and nimble. Also I've been running on battery for two days without any problems. The play-and-charge cable is also really small and unobtrusive when you do need to use it.

Syncmaster 2233rz Monitor: Don't have the 3d glasses, but my quick conclusion on this is that it's the best gaming LCD I've ever used--games look absolutely great and 120hz just can't be hyped enough. Means a lot more than most monitors (including this one) that brag about contrast ratios and response times and the like. On the flip side, I have not found settings for general use that I'm happy with yet. The defaults are insanely bright and I just am not comfortable with any of the color settings yet. So judgment pending on that side of it. Oh also the default settings are 100 brightness and 90 contrast. Monitor manufacturers seriously have to stop with that shit.

Gigaworks T40 II Speakers: Had low expectations for these, but they've really surpassed them. I didn't want a sub because I like to keep my desk area uncluttered (same reason I went with wireless mouse) but the bass on them is really quite good. Caveat: I'm hardly an audiophile--I don't talk about "mids" and the like, but I do know what sounds "good" "bad" or "weird" to me, and these sound really good. In Crysis on Gaming presets the explosions were really loud and deep (so much so I had to crank down the volume). Like "where is the sub?" deep. In music I had some trouble switching the presets so I had to download custom drivers because I think it was a vista 64 issue. Did that, switched to music, and am quite happy with that now. Any audiophile will, at a minimum, go with a sub, but I quite like these as a slim non-sub option.

 

[Firestorm]

Ok. I'm ripping my hair out trying to decide between these two:

Antec Sonata III - $118.88
or
Antec Three Hundred + OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W (500W is $8 cheaper) - $122.97 after MIR

I would love for my system to be as quiet as possible. I would also like it to be as cool as possible. I think the first option gives a quieter system, but the second might be cooler. It's for a GTX 275, Q9550, 2 HDDs. From what I can find, it's had to mount the optional fan on the Sonata III due to the length of the GTX cards (10.5").

Anyone have experience with the Antec 300s? How quiet are they? Should I buy some extra fans (they come with 2, Sonata III comes with 1)?

How useful are modular power supplies?

 

[brain_stew]

So it's been about 3 months since I recieved my new pc and I could not be more happy, until now.

Last night while playing sega rally revo I suddenly noticed a mild burning smell, 10 seconds later a huge POP! and the pc turns itself off. I leave it without power for 10 minutes and try to turn it back on but it's not reacting to anything, not even a led light so I think the PSU has blown. I don't think it's the GPU or CPU as there was zero performance issues or artifacts and the machine just turned off without any hickups or slow down.

I contacted dinopc.com about it but being a sunday I not had a reply yet, may have to phone them on monday. Sucks but at least the machine has croaked now instead of at christmas time.

What PSU is it? You really need to be buying a PSU with overvoltage and overcurrent protection, too much of damaging your other components otherwise.

 

[Joel Was Right]

Can anyone find me the best workstation possible in the UK? I need something fast enough to encode HD videos - it's meant to be a multimedia computer as opposed to gaming. My budget would be around £500. I need a beast for that price

 

[brain_stew]

Sapphire Vapor-X 2 GB 4890 available now from ewiz and newegg. The extra GB would mostly benefit those gaming at 2560x1600 but some games like GTA IV can use the extra RAM.

I really don't think it would. Increasing the resolution doesn't use that much RAM. Even at 1080p with decent IQ and FP16 HDR and triple buffering, you're still using less than 90MB on your framebuffer. Sure, that'll make a difference with a 512MB card but with a 1GB card, your framebuffer size really isn't going to be a deciding factor.

Since most of people don't even bother with triple buffering, you can wipe off 50% from that figure straight away, and FP16 HDR still isn't commonplace either, so the figure is again reduced in many cases. Point is, 2GB really is a waste, heck I doubt these cards even have the bandwidth to effectively use all of that, more than 1GB,s sure, but the whole 2GB? No, not at all

 

[godhandiscen]

Thanks for the recommendation, was looking for exactly that kind of program actually. Temps are actually pretty cool here at stock--43&50.

Anyone try clocking the 295 for fun? I'm at 669/1442/1224 and still running around 40-45 degrees.

Wow, 669 for the shader clock is a tad bit extreme. Since it is an EVGA card, it doesn't matter if it burns due to the lifetime warranty, but you might start seeing artifacts. I run mine at 620. I have done 680 once to compete with the guys at the EVGA forums, but the increase in FPS is minimal, and my temps were killing my card.

Quick question about the Auto setting--does Precision need to be open in order for it to control the fan automatically? How does it work basically? Does it try to keep temps below 70 or something? Also normal for the fan to stay on in sleep mode? I might not have noticed it before because you can't hear it at 40, but I definitely heard it in sleep mode at 70 (which is why I'd like to switch to Auto if it works).

I did bump up the settings just a touch--running at about 50 idle, got up to about 65-70 playing Crysis yesterday (but this was with the fan at about 65 I believe).

No, the settings are applied at startup, but the program isn't exactly running. Precision talks to the card bios. Just set it to AUTO and stop worrying. The noise will kick in during long gaming sessions and by that time you won't care. If you set it to anything past 50 by default, it will always stay at that temp, and even when it is idle and you are not doing much, the fan noise will still bother you.

Also, what 295 version do you have, the "sandwich" (2 cards slapped together) or the newer one which has two GPU's on a single waffer? The technical specs are the same, but the second version allowed EVGA to make them faster and reduce costs, and maybe decrease temps.

Gonna drop some quick reviews of the components I picked up with my new "rig" after a few days of use.

Sidewinder X6 Keyboard: Really love this thing. Totally subjective thing, but the feel of the keys is just great. You know when you get a new kb and you know you like it b/c you're making fewer mistakes than you ever did? That's what this is to me. The keys have a nice hearty and distinctive feel to them. The backlighting is very nice and adjustable. The volume controls and shortcuts are quite convenient as well. Haven't played too much with the macros and other "gaming" features, but it worked great on Crysis yesterday.

Sidewinder X8 Mouse: A pretty great choice if you've wanted but been holding off on a wireless mouse. I'm migrating from a G5 so I had pretty high standards going on. Took me about a day to get used too but it has a very good feel. Even though it's bigger than the G5 once you get accustomed it feels quite light and nimble. Also I've been running on battery for two days without any problems. The play-and-charge cable is also really small and unobtrusive when you do need to use it.

lol we also have the same mouse and keyboard too. I have realized that the volume controls work about 95% of the time. Every now and then, they won't be responsive, but still, I love ability to control the volume through my keyboard.


Ohh also, register your EVGA card, and get CryoStasis for free. It works for cards purchased after March, I got mine in February so I don't qualify. The game isn't good, but it is a graphical showpiece.

 

[AstroLad]

669 is core, shader is 1442 (think that was just a typo above). but is there really anything i need to worry about wear-wise other than temps? Definitely agree on performance though--the first bump gave me a huge boost and the subsequent ones were nominal.

Not sure about the version, just says 1.7.1.

 

[godhandiscen]

669 is core, shader is 1442 (think that was just a typo above). but is there really anything i need to worry about wear-wise other than temps? Definitely agree on performance though--the first bump gave me a huge boost and the subsequent ones were nominal.

Not sure about the version, just says 1.7.1.

669 for core is a lot, thats what I meant, but maybe your card can handle it. Nvida has gotten better at making the waffers and so they get better OC'ing potential. Also, to see which is the version of your card you would need to open the case and see how it looks. Also, temps are the only thing that could eventually kill your card, but you shouldn't worry unless you start seeing artifacts or your games fail due to a driver error.

 

[Eaten By A Grue]

Stupid question, but DDR2 800 means 800 MHz correct?

The only reason I ask was that I just ordered RAM for a new motherboard, the motherboard instructions say "Support for DDR2 1333(O.C.)/1066 (Note 3)/800 MHz memory modules". I was looking at this chart, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDR2_SDRAM and saw the I/O bus clock is 400 MHz for DDR2 800. I'm guessing that the bus clock doubles since it is DDR2?

Also the memory I purchased says it is 2.1V and the mobo says it supports 1.8V, I'm guessing this is going to be a problem? Shit I did not pay attention to that.

 

[Vorador]

Stupid question, but DDR2 800 means 800 MHz correct?

The only reason I ask was that I just ordered RAM for a new motherboard, the motherboard instructions say "Support for DDR2 1333(O.C.)/1066 (Note 3)/800 MHz memory modules". I was looking at this chart, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDR2_SDRAM and saw the I/O bus clock is 400 MHz for DDR2 800. I'm guessing that the bus clock doubles since it is DDR2?

Also the memory I purchased says it is 2.1V and the mobo says it supports 1.8V, I'm guessing this is going to be a problem? Shit I did not pay attention to that.

In reality the ram clocks at around 400 mhz, but the data ratio is doubled due to 4 memory operations per clock so its equivalent to 800 mhz, hence the commercial name. The memory at 2.1v must be the maximum voltage the modules support, since the operational voltage is 1.8v from the JEDEC standard.

 

[Diablohead]

What PSU is it? You really need to be buying a PSU with overvoltage and overcurrent protection, too much of damaging your other components otherwise.

Fully understood but I guess I would have a pay more of my own money to replace it, since it get's a years cover by UK law they may as well take it back, check and fix it then send it back with fresh cover.

 

[Eaten By A Grue]

In reality the ram clocks at around 400 mhz, but the data ratio is doubled due to 4 memory operations per clock so its equivalent to 800 mhz, hence the commercial name. The memory at 2.1v must be the maximum voltage the modules support, since the operational voltage is 1.8v from the JEDEC standard.

So you are saying that even though NewEgg says the RAM is 2.1V, it can operate on a mobo that only supports 1.8V?

Here is the RAM I purchased:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227267

Here is the mobo I purchased:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128376
Offical website with manual: http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Spec.aspx?ProductID=3097

Edit:
Screw it, I am going with this RAM at1.8V, I do not want to chance it: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134582

 

[AstroLad]

Is speedfan the way to go for customizing fan speeds? I have a V8 and a stock one on my GPU. Just getting annoyed with it staying on regular speed when it's in sleep mode (even though the Cosmos does a good job of keeping it quiet).

Edit:
Here's what I OC'd my 295 to in case anyone is thinking of doing the same. Confirmed with a guy on some SWeet OC forum that this was also the range in which he found performance was maximized. Temps are also super reasonable, and you can wring another 5-10 FPS out of Crysis on max: 675/1476/2484 (mem clock, actually listed at 1242 in the CP).

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

So you are saying that even though NewEgg says the RAM is 2.1V, it can operate on a mobo that only supports 1.8V?

Here is the RAM I purchased:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227267

Here is the mobo I purchased:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128376
Offical website with manual: http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Spec.aspx?ProductID=3097

Edit:
Screw it, I am going with this RAM at1.8V, I do not want to chance it: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134582

there shouldnt be a problem with the voltage, no need for the other RAM.

 

[TheExodu5]

Ok. I'm ripping my hair out trying to decide between these two:

Antec Sonata III - $118.88
or
Antec Three Hundred + OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W (500W is $8 cheaper) - $122.97 after MIR

I would love for my system to be as quiet as possible. I would also like it to be as cool as possible. I think the first option gives a quieter system, but the second might be cooler. It's for a GTX 275, Q9550, 2 HDDs. From what I can find, it's had to mount the optional fan on the Sonata III due to the length of the GTX cards (10.5").

Anyone have experience with the Antec 300s? How quiet are they? Should I buy some extra fans (they come with 2, Sonata III comes with 1)?

How useful are modular power supplies?

I've owned a Sonata II. They're nice cases, but they're quite small, and therefore are a little low on cooling options, and it could even be tough fitting a GTX 275 in there. I'd probably recommend the Antec 300, though I haven't personally tried it. I'm currently running a CM 690 that I won at a LAN earlier this year.

The most important thing for running cool is to get good airflow with 120mm fans in your case. The better the airflow, the lower your CPU/GPU fans need to run.

Also, with that OCZ, you'll be getting a modular PSU, which is nice. They're not top of the line PSUs, but I'd say they're probably just as good as the EarthWatts PSUs in the Antec.


@Astrolad: use RivaTuner for fan speeds.

 

[Jamesfrom818]

I am currently debating between:

ASUS G51VX-A1 $1589

Display
15.6" WUXGA FHD (1920x1080) Glossy

Video Card:
1024MB DDR3 nVIDIA GTX260M

Processor:
Intel® Core 2 Quad Q9000 2.0GHz 1066MHz FSB 6MB L2 Cache

Memory:
4GB DDR2 800MHz (Up to 8GB)

Hard Drive:
Dual 320GB (640GB) 7200RPM Hard Drives

and

MSI GT729 $1308

Display
17" WSXGA+ (1680x1050) Glossy

Video Card:
1024MB DDR3 ATI HD4850

Processor:
Intel® Core 2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz 1066MHz FSB 3MB L2 Cache

Memory:
4GB DDR3 1066MHz

Hard Drive:
320GB 7200RPM



There's also this other one but I'll only consider it if my I have to lower my budget.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9366615&type=product&id=1218092150740

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

Just ordered my new motherboard from newegg.

 

[Azure J]

There's also this other one but I'll only consider it if my I have to lower my budget.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9366615&type=product&id=1218092150740

dat_ass.jpg

Man, that aesthetic is just amazing. I might just hop on this one if ATi/nVidia's GDDR5 cards don't hit the laptop market soon enough.

 

[MoFuzz]

I've owned a Sonata II. They're nice cases, but they're quite small, and therefore are a little low on cooling options, and it could even be tough fitting a GTX 275 in there. I'd probably recommend the Antec 300, though I haven't personally tried it. I'm currently running a CM 690 that I won at a LAN earlier this year.

Having seen the Sonata's and the Antec 300 up close, I think it'll be tough to fit that video card in either of them. They both considered mini-tower's, so I think it be worth it to look at a mid size case for a better fit for the GTX 275. I've got the same card, and that thing is beastly in size.