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[evil solrac v3.0]

ok, does anyone know whats a code 41 in the 780i motherboard?

 

[Yazus]

Does anyone know if exist a Gaming Case that its only 40cm tall? (15.7") Because my desk is very small... I'd love to get a Nine Hundred Two but its 43cm and my desk is 41... shit

 

[Ysiadmihi]

Just got my Phenom II X4 940 and having a couple issues with it.

My motherboard is a Gigabyte M57SLI-S4 rev 2, which according to random posts around the web is compatible with the CPU even though the official site says it is not. I'm fairly certain it works, because I forgot to update my BIOS when I first popped it in and I got as far as the Vista loading screen before it restarted.

Since I updated, the CPU gets to "Verifying DMI pool data" and just sits there. If I swap my old CPU back in it works fine. I tried putting in a bootable DVD just in case it happened to be an HDD issue, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[wouwie]

I'm trying to build a new pc (my pc just broke down) so i'd really like some help as a newbie. The amount of pc hardware out there makes it very difficult to come up with a config, let alone a good config for a reasonable price.

I'm looking for a reasonably priced good allround system. I might do a bit of gaming but not to much (i have a ps3 that covers most of my gaming needs). I'd like to be able to run the new Telltale monkey island game and maybe a couple of fps games. I don't intend to run them at maximum resolution. I have a 19 inch monitor which i plan to upgrade to a bigger one someday in the future.

By browsing around, i decided to go for the following config:
- western digital 640Gb 32Mb Sata II
- Antec Threehundred case
- Corsair HX520 power supply
- Intel Core duo E8400
- Ati Radeon 4850 512Mb
- Asus P5Q Pro DDR2
- Patriot dual channel DDR2 4Gb 1066MHz

Currently, i'm at 700 euros.

I'd really like to receive some feedback on this config. The amount of choices in cpu, motherboards, ram and graphics cards makes it feel like a jungle

 

[rohlfinator]

Does anyone know if exist a Gaming Case that its only 40cm tall? (15.7") Because my desk is very small... I'd love to get a Nine Hundred Two but its 43cm and my desk is 41... shit

You might want to consider small form factor cases or Micro-ATX towers. Most ATX mini towers are in the 18" range or higher. (Also, isn't the Nine Hundred bigger than that? I thought it was taller than the Three Hundred, which is 18")

I'd really like to receive some feedback on this config. The amount of choices in cpu, motherboards, ram and graphics cards makes it feel like a jungle

Looks solid to me. Good brands, and all the parts should be compatible.

I'm not sure how prices are in Europe, but AMD may give you more value for that price. The E8400 is still a great gaming processor, though.

 

[TheExodu5]

I'm trying to build a new pc (my pc just broke down) so i'd really like some help as a newbie. The amount of pc hardware out there makes it very difficult to come up with a config, let alone a good config for a reasonable price.

I'm looking for a reasonably priced good allround system. I might do a bit of gaming but not to much (i have a ps3 that covers most of my gaming needs). I'd like to be able to run the new Telltale monkey island game and maybe a couple of fps games. I don't intend to run them at maximum resolution. I have a 19 inch monitor which i plan to upgrade to a bigger one someday in the future.

By browsing around, i decided to go for the following config:
- western digital 640Gb 32Mb Sata II
- Antec Threehundred case
- Corsair HX520 power supply
- Intel Core duo E8400
- Ati Radeon 4850 512Mb
- Asus P5Q Pro DDR2
- Patriot dual channel DDR2 4Gb 1066MHz

Currently, i'm at 700 euros.

I'd really like to receive some feedback on this config. The amount of choices in cpu, motherboards, ram and graphics cards makes it feel like a jungle

Check out brain_stew's recommendation thread. I don't have to much time to check at work, but you'll want to go with an AMD system in that price range.

Also, with a videocard like a 4850, you'll have zero trouble playing games at your monitor's native resolution with better performance than the PS3.

 

[wouwie]

Check out brain_stew's recommendation thread. I don't have to much time to check at work, but you'll want to go with an AMD system in that price range.

Also, with a videocard like a 4850, you'll have zero trouble playing games at your monitor's native resolution with better performance than the PS3.

It seems that the Asus P5Q pro ddr 2 + Core duo E8400 equals the Biostar 970GX + Amd phenom X4 Quad Qore 940 in price. Is the latter combination more powerful? And if yes, can i opt for the same ram + gfx card.

Is Biostar a reliable mobo manufacturer. My current mobo (gigabyte) broke down so i'm a more careful in that regard. Any Asus alternative for the biostar mobo?

 

[wouwie]

How about this one:
- Corsair SU-520HX - ATX,520W,24P - 1x ATX 12V
- Asus EAH4850/HTDI Glaciator ATI Radeon HD4850 512 MB 256 Bit PCIe 2.0 x16 TV-Out, 2x DVI
- Antec Three Hundred EU ATX MidTower 2xUSB 6x5,25
- Western Digital Caviar BLACK WD6401AALS 640GB - 8,7ms/32MB/7200RPM - S-ATAII - harddisk
- DDR2 PC8500 2x2GB-KIT 4GB 1066MHz 2,1V Corsair XMS2
- AMD PHENOM II X4 QUAD CORE 940 BLACK EDITION Socket AM2+ - 3,0GHz - 125W - 2048K L2 Cache / 6144K L3 cache - Boxed with cooler
- Asus M4A78-E 790GX 5.200 MT/s onboard, 2x PCIe 2.0 x16, Crossfire Socket AM2+ Sound, HDMI, DVI, G-LAN, FW, RAID, eSATA

Total: 770 euro (please note: prices in euro land seem a lot higher than in the us)

 

[Firestorm]

Check out the UK build. Are prices in Europe similar across countries?
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=16434365&postcount=387

 

[IceMarker]

Does the case take a standard ATX PSU?

Your CPU isn't exactly ideal. If a game uses 3 or more threads, performance will be great, if it doesn't it could prove a bottleneck.

You might want to just add something like the 9800GT green edition:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133279

It'd mean no replacing the PSU and wouldn't become CPU bottlenecked, pretty nice to be able to get up and running games for $90 and minimal fuss.

The GTX series of cards are huge, you really need to check if they'll fit in your case.

Yes, I checked HP's website and it's a standard ATX 300W PSU. EVGA's website states that the GTX260 requires 500W minimum. I don't have alot of things hooked up to my comp so I think I'm only using around 240W of the 300W I have now.

9800GT Green Edition seems appealing for price, but I'm wondering if I can run F.E.A.R. 2 on that with full res and quality with 4xAA. Tom's Hardware Benchmarks say in the 50-60 FPS range.

My CPU seems to be handling all the games well. I ran Street Fighter IV at medium to high settings and while my FPS was in the 10-20 range my 4 Cores were only being used up to 28%... or so PC Wizard 2009 says.
(While I was looking at that I also noticed my CPU was only running at 45C on load. My GPU at around 70C on load.)


I put GTX 260 and a 500W PSU on my Bday list. Hopefully it's worth it.

 

[TheExodu5]

The Phenom 940 is definitely more powerful than the E8400. The main reason I'd go for it is not necessarily the power increase, but the fact that the motherboard uses a new socket which should be more future proof in case you want to upgrade your CPU in the future. The socket 775 which the E8400 runs on is a dead-end these days.

For the record, I'm running an E6600, so I have no investment in AMD.

 

[Dynamic3]

I posted this in the $500 build thread and figured I could get some insight here as well.

I think I have finally figured out what I want to do. Right now, all I have is a MBP (15", Leopard, 1.5GB RAM, 80GB HD, 2.0GHz Core Duo). My ideology is that I can sell the MBP, and use the funds to build a desktop for windows gaming and which I will hackintosh for daily use, and get a netbook which I will also hackintosh for travel. I would like to try and value my MBP, but also keep in mind that I won't be restricted to this budget, rather I will use it as a starting point.

From what I have been told, if I am going to hackintosh the desktop (I would like to be able to dual boot as I will be using Windows for gaming and OSX for daily use) that I should go with an Intel CPU as AMD/OSX compatibility isn't ideal. Is this true? I also would prefer to use an Nvidia GPU (I have had my eye on the GTX 270) as Physx (in particular its use in Mirror's Edge) is one of the main reasons I have become interested in PC gaming.

So I was wondering if you guys would mind helping me build a desktop with OSX compatible parts that can also run with the PCs in this thread GPU-wise. All I have picked out so far is the monitor (Dell SX2210 [1080p] - $189), keyboard (Apple wired w/ numpad - $29), and netbook (HP Mini 110 - $330 + RAM [can I hackintosh the Mi edition or do I need to start with the XP version?]). Have mouse/pad and speakers.

Thanks a lot, I appreciate it.

 

[Firestorm]

Dynamic3, I posted a build in the other thread you can check out. Three biggest choices you'll make are Motherboard, Processor, and GPU. Everything else is fine. You'll have to go Intel/nVidia for Processor/GPU.

 

[Dynamic3]

Dynamic3, I posted a build in the other thread you can check out. Three biggest choices you'll make are Motherboard, Processor, and GPU. Everything else is fine. You'll have to go Intel/nVidia for Processor/GPU.

Do I have to go with specific Intel/nVidia parts (for instance a GTX 280 Mac edition GPU) or can it they any as long as they are Intel/nVidia?

In terms of dual-booting, can I install W7 then OSX, and be able to select the OS at startup; or must I install OSX first then W7 using boot camp?

Thanks.

 

[Firestorm]

Do I have to go with specific Intel/nVidia parts (for instance a GTX 280 Mac edition GPU) or can it they any as long as they are Intel/nVidia?

In terms of dual-booting, can I install W7 then OSX, and be able to select the OS at startup; or must I install OSX first then W7 using boot camp?

Thanks.

You won't be using Boot Camp as that requires you to be running actual Mac hardware or something.

As far as processors go, it depends on motherboards. You'll want to stick with a Core 2 processor for certain motherboards and others will be newer ones that are for i7. I'm using a Core 2 Quad in my build (Q9550). Video cards are a little more finicky. The GTX 2xx series should work, but it seems less simple than the 9800 GTX. I'll have to try it out first. The support for them was added only recently. You don't need a GTX 285 Mac Edition.

I'm doing it on two hard drives so I don't think it matters really.

The interface for dualbooting using the guides I've looked at are kinda ugly. Text based using motherboard I believe. Chameleon 2.0 makes it much nicer, but I'm going to have to figure out how to do it after following the guides. If I get this done, I plan to make a topic on it for other people who wanna run gaming hackintoshes.

 

[kamspy]

CCC 9.7 is some good shit.

New UI is kinda a step backwards, but I got some noticeable frame rate bumps in any game I wasn't already running full out.

COJ2 was already running full out and now it looks like a whole new game. Almost like it wasn't rendering something correctly before that affected the whole look of the game. It ran light before but now it's running like a Source game (almost).


Athlon X2 6000+ 3ghz
ati 4770 @ 900/1000
4GB 800mhz
Vista 32

 

[Nemo]

So my PC won't turn on anymore. I accidently bumped into it and it suddenly was off. I tried everything I could but the on/off button does nothing anymore. What tests can I perform here to know the cause? I already checked the PSU which is working fine. Could the motherboard be fried? A little bump like that shouldn't really do anything should it, I kicked my PC many times before that :/

Things I did before this happened:
- Install Windows 7 on another partition, it's dual boot now
- Added 2 more GB of ram (same brand and type)
- Recently opened up my PC to clean everything and switched the HDDs to a better place

I'm tempted to believe something happened when I opened the PC up but that wouldn't explain why the PC started up fine before the kick.

 

[Crazymoogle]

I'm tempted to believe something happened when I opened the PC up but that wouldn't explain why the PC started up fine before the kick.

Sounds like a cable is loose? How do you know that the PSU is working fine?

 

[Angry Grimace]

So my PC won't turn on anymore. I accidently bumped into it and it suddenly was off. I tried everything I could but the on/off button does nothing anymore. What tests can I perform here to know the cause? I already checked the PSU which is working fine. Could the motherboard be fried? A little bump like that shouldn't really do anything should it, I kicked my PC many times before that :/

Things I did before this happened:
- Install Windows 7 on another partition, it's dual boot now
- Added 2 more GB of ram (same brand and type)
- Recently opened up my PC to clean everything and switched the HDDs to a better place

I'm tempted to believe something happened when I opened the PC up but that wouldn't explain why the PC started up fine before the kick.

I once had that problem and it turned out that I had been way too gentle (first PC build :lol) when plugging everything in and the main Motherboard 24 pin and 4 pin power cables were only barely in the sockets; enough to boot up, but they eventually just randomly came loose from getting bumped by my legs enough time. I re-set them in firmly and it booted just fine.

A completely fried motherboard doesn't seem too likely.

 

[Nemo]

Thanks, I checked the cables and they all seemed fine. I really hope it turn out to be something small and overlooked but just in case I'll fully check everything tomorrow and try it on with the bare minimum components.

Sounds like a cable is loose? How do you know that the PSU is working fine?

I connected it to another PC and it worked fine with that one.

My mouse light isn't on anymore btw. Normally it would always stay on even if the PC was turned off since this was part of the motherboard. edit scratch that it still is

 

[Dynamic3]

You won't be using Boot Camp as that requires you to be running actual Mac hardware or something.

As far as processors go, it depends on motherboards. You'll want to stick with a Core 2 processor for certain motherboards and others will be newer ones that are for i7. I'm using a Core 2 Quad in my build (Q9550). Video cards are a little more finicky. The GTX 2xx series should work, but it seems less simple than the 9800 GTX. I'll have to try it out first. The support for them was added only recently. You don't need a GTX 285 Mac Edition.

I'm doing it on two hard drives so I don't think it matters really.

The interface for dualbooting using the guides I've looked at are kinda ugly. Text based using motherboard I believe. Chameleon 2.0 makes it much nicer, but I'm going to have to figure out how to do it after following the guides. If I get this done, I plan to make a topic on it for other people who wanna run gaming hackintoshes.

Awesome, thanks for the info. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for your guide.

Is it going to be possible for me to prepare for DX11 with my build where all I will have to do is swap the GPU, or will DX11 require a new CPU and MB as well?

 

[jett]

Someone recommend me a LCD monitor that displays nice colors and doesn't look like ass. $150~ range. Thanks. I don't really mind what size or resolution it is, I just want something that won't have me regretting replacing the current CRT monitor I have...

 

[Dynamic3]

Thoughts on this build (keeping in mind that I want to dual-boot OSX)?

CPU: Intel Q9550 Quad 2.83GHz $219.99

MB: Gigabyte 775 $59.99

GPU: EVGA GTX 275 896MB $239.99 - $20 MIR = $219.99

RAM: OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 800 $45.99 - $10 MIR = $35.99

Case: Antec Three Hundred $59.99

PSU: Sunbeam 580W $19.99

HD: WD Black 500GB $69.99

CD: LG 22x $24.99

Total = $740.88 - $30 MIR = $710.88

 

[Nooreo]

Someone recommend me a LCD monitor that displays nice colors and doesn't look like ass. $150~ range. Thanks. I don't really mind what size or resolution it is, I just want something that won't have me regretting replacing the current CRT monitor I have...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009145

hooked up my PS3 to it also

now i game in HD with out having to buy a HDTV

 

[Firestorm]

Someone recommend me a LCD monitor that displays nice colors and doesn't look like ass. $150~ range. Thanks. I don't really mind what size or resolution it is, I just want something that won't have me regretting replacing the current CRT monitor I have...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...r=BESTMATCH&Description=21.5"+Samsung&x=0&y=0

1920x1080 screens. Good for hooking up your consoles if you're doing that. I don't think you'll be able to find any LCD that performs like a CRT at $150 though.

Thoughts on this build (keeping in mind that I want to dual-boot OSX)?

CPU: Intel Q9550 Quad 2.83GHz $219.99
MB: Gigabyte 775 $59.99
GPU: EVGA GTX 275 896MB $239.99 - $20 MIR = $219.99
RAM: OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 800 $45.99 - $10 MIR = $35.99
Case: Antec Three Hundred $59.99
PSU: Sunbeam 580W $19.99
HD: WD Black 500GB $69.99
CD: LG 22x $24.99

Total = $740.88 - $30 MIR = $710.88

I dunno about the PSU. $19.99 from a company I've never heard of and only 42% 5/5 isn't promising. The brand isn't the issue with motherboards, it's the EXACT motherboard model. That's also a micro ATX board while your case is ATX. This is the one I plan to use and seems to have the best guides for:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358

It has a nice combo deal with a power supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.214780

$209.99 - $20 MIR - $30 MIR = $159.99 for both.

Also, I think the 640GB and higher drives are faster so you might want to pay the extra $10 for it.

The guides I liked are:
http://leopardsoup.pbworks.com/
http://auzigog.com/2008/12/23/hackintosh-20/

I probably won't be getting mine until another week at least =( NCIX's sale this week blows so I might as well wait for next. The rebates for this month all seem to have the 31st as the last day so I have another chance I guess.

I made a public wishlist on NewEgg although I won't be ordering from there: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=14415748
I'll probably get some extra fans and stuff for future overclocking too + additional HDD.

Anyone who follows computer hardware prices know if manufacturers usually just start another rebate period every month?

 

[UT66]

Someone recommend me a LCD monitor that displays nice colors and doesn't look like ass. $150~ range. Thanks. I don't really mind what size or resolution it is, I just want something that won't have me regretting replacing the current CRT monitor I have...

good luck with that. my advice, e-ips panel. avoid tn panels. my 22 lcd (tn 2ms) blur + crappiest viewing angles, the lg 32 lcd ( 8ms) also blur (but no imput lag > s-ips)
btw i love my 2 CRTs ( 19") lcd cant touch this

 

[MWS Natural]

Does anyone know if exist a Gaming Case that its only 40cm tall? (15.7") Because my desk is very small... I'd love to get a Nine Hundred Two but its 43cm and my desk is 41... shit

I use a Lanbox LIte which is SFF case (pictured right) because I can sit it on top of my desk instead of underneath it; not sure if this fits your needs or not.

 

[AstroLad]

Noticed the weirdest thing today. Pidgin was cranking my GPU core clock to 600 for no reason I could discern. Oh well, Trillian for me.

 

[Ryn]

So I got my components and started putting them together today. I've got a Phenom 2, a Radeon 4870 1gig, 4 gigs of ram, and a 520w Corsair PSU.

When I try to power it up, the 4870 has three flashing red lights and zero video output. The flashing red lights match up with the flashing on the front of my case's HDD activity light.

Is my PSU not good enough? I'm about to test the thing with my boyfriend's 512 meg 4850.

Specific parts:

Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103680

Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128378

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

Corsair 520W PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139001

RAM, 4gb G.skill
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231189

 

[Dynamic3]

I dunno about the PSU. $19.99 from a company I've never heard of and only 42% 5/5 isn't promising. The brand isn't the issue with motherboards, it's the EXACT motherboard model. That's also a micro ATX board while your case is ATX. This is the one I plan to use and seems to have the best guides for:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358

It has a nice combo deal with a power supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.214780

$209.99 - $20 MIR - $30 MIR = $159.99 for both.

Also, I think the 640GB and higher drives are faster so you might want to pay the extra $10 for it.

Thanks again, does this look better:

CPU: Intel Q9550 Quad 2.83GHz $219.99
MB/PSU: Gigabyte 775/OCZ 750W $209.98 - $30 MIR - $20 MIR = $159.98
GPU: EVGA GTX 275 896MB $239.99 - $20 MIR = $219.99
RAM: OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 800 $45.99 - $10 MIR = $35.99
Case: Antec Three Hundred $59.99
HD: WD Black 640GB $74.99
CD: Samsung 22x $26.99

Total = $877.92 - $80 MIR = $797.92

With the netbook + RAM, keyboard, and monitor I am looking at 1366.89. What is the best way to value my MacBook Pro aside from watching eBay?

Edit: updated to reflect CD drive from below.

 

[Firestorm]

Thanks again, does this look better:

CPU: Intel Q9550 Quad 2.83GHz $219.99
MB/PSU: Gigabyte 775/OCZ 750W $209.98 - $30 MIR - $20 MIR = $159.98
GPU: EVGA GTX 275 896MB $239.99 - $20 MIR = $219.99
RAM: OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 800 $45.99 - $10 MIR = $35.99
Case: Antec Three Hundred $59.99
HD: WD Black 640GB $75.99
CD: LG 22x $24.99
Total = $876.92 - $80 MIR = $796.92

Just noticed your DVD Drive is IDE. You need it to be SATA. Also remember to connect everything to the orange/yellow. The purple SATA connectors on the motherboard aren't recognized by OSX.

DVD Burner: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151187

You'll need to do some research to get the video card working. The rest should be following the guides.

 

[Dynamic3]

Just noticed your DVD Drive is IDE. You need it to be SATA. Also remember to connect everything to the orange/yellow. The purple SATA connectors on the motherboard aren't recognized by OSX.

DVD Burner: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151187

You'll need to do some research to get the video card working. The rest should be following the guides.

Gotcha, what GPU are you using?

After I complete the hackintosh setup, how do I select which OS I want, do I need to keep the OSX disc in the drive when booting or will there just be a selection screen? Also, are shared folders possible (W7 to/from OSX that is)?

 

[Firestorm]

I plan to get a GTX 275 and hope for the best =P
http://www.insanelymac.com has great resources

I'm sure the 275 will be easily installable sometime in the future.

 

[RadioHeadAche]

Do you have any other features (battery life, size, screen resolution, etc) you'd like to have? That would help narrow it down a bit. Any laptop you buy today in that price range will be 64-bit, and I think you'd be fine with any non-Intel GPU for Halo:CE.

I'd recommend browsing around a bit at the Notebook Review forums and look at the recommendations for someone who posted a similar request. The folks there have a pretty good idea of what's on the market right now.

Battery life isn't a huge concern because I will usually be around an outlet while using it, but around three hours sounds decent. Probably something with a screen size of 13"-15". I don't plan to play many games on it, but I would like to use it for watching dvds and listening to music files.

 

[Eaten By A Grue]

DVD Burner: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151187

Stupid question, but to hook this thing up can you use two separate cables, a SATA power cable (I guess that is what it is called) coming from the PSU and a SATA data cable that goes directly in the motherboard? Or should I buy one of those combo power/SATA cables?

Edit: This is what I am doing:

Am I safe doing that or should I buy one of these cables?

 

[letsbereasonable]

The first picture is what you should be doing. You should have a smaller SATA cable going from the drive to your motherboard and another SATA power cable that attaches to your drive from the power supply.

The white plug is for powering IDE drives, but you can convert them to power SATA drives with an adapter if you have too many sata devices and not enough sata power plugs from the power supply.

 

[Eaten By A Grue]

The first picture is what you should be doing. You should have a smaller SATA cable going from the drive to your motherboard and another SATA power cable that attaches to your drive from the power supply.

That is what I was thinking, thanks. It was just was a little awkward getting the two cables to sit nicely with each other.

 

[wouwie]

How about this one:
- Corsair SU-520HX - ATX,520W,24P - 1x ATX 12V
- Asus EAH4850/HTDI Glaciator ATI Radeon HD4850 512 MB 256 Bit PCIe 2.0 x16 TV-Out, 2x DVI
- Antec Three Hundred EU ATX MidTower 2xUSB 6x5,25
- Western Digital Caviar BLACK WD6401AALS 640GB - 8,7ms/32MB/7200RPM - S-ATAII - harddisk
- DDR2 PC8500 2x2GB-KIT 4GB 1066MHz 2,1V Corsair XMS2
- AMD PHENOM II X4 QUAD CORE 940 BLACK EDITION Socket AM2+ - 3,0GHz - 125W - 2048K L2 Cache / 6144K L3 cache - Boxed with cooler
- Asus M4A78-E 790GX 5.200 MT/s onboard, 2x PCIe 2.0 x16, Crossfire Socket AM2+ Sound, HDMI, DVI, G-LAN, FW, RAID, eSATA

Total: 770 euro (please note: prices in euro land seem a lot higher than in the us)

One last question: for a config like this (or similar), what power supply would i need? The combination of the antec three hundred case + corsair 520HX is rather costly. Do i need the 520W power supply? I might include another harddisk (my old one) and certainly one dvd rw drive, but other than that, i don't plan any additional hardware.

It's just that you can get an Aopen case with 300W power supply (QF50 for example) for a very good price.

 

[dionysus]

If you play on being a system builder for a good amount of time, a quality power supply is well worth the investment. It is one of those things you can use for 10 years.

 

[Yazus]

I use a Lanbox LIte which is SFF case (pictured right) because I can sit it on top of my desk instead of underneath it; not sure if this fits your needs or not.

So If I want a 41cm tall case max I HAVE to go micro/mini atx.

PS: The lanbox is so fucking cool, but I really dont want to go micro atx. The only cubic/small case that support full tower components is the Antec Skeleton which I dont want to buy because its too open...

 

[rohlfinator]

So If I want a 41cm tall case max I HAVE to go micro/mini atx.

PS: The lanbox is so fucking cool, but I really dont want to go micro atx. The only cubic/small case that support full tower components is the Antec Skeleton which I dont want to buy because its too open...

Have you looked at the Cooler Master Elite 360? Says it's only 14.2in (36cm) tall and supports ATX motherboards. It looks like it'd be a really tight fit, and you'd have to pay close attention to the size of your components (video card especially), but it should work.

 

[Pyke Presco]

Just wanted to give a shout out and a thank you to brain_stew, Hazaro, Evil Solrac v3.0, TheExodu5 and the other frequent posters in this thread. I've been lurking for well over a year and a half now(finally approved) and you guys have helped me build one hell of a rig. This is what I'm sitting at currently:

ASUS M3A78 mobo
AMD Athlon 64x2 6000+ clocked to 3.4 on stock cooler.
EVGA GTX 260
4 gigs DDR2 800mhz
some 700W psu (rocketfish? a gift, so whatever)
WD 500GB hard drive (salvaged from an old PC)

Gotta say, this machine is pretty slick. Not currently looking to upgrade or anything, just thought I would thank you guys for the recommendations and the hard work you put in to make everybody get a better pc for their money.

 

[Yazus]

Have you looked at the Cooler Master Elite 360? Says it's only 14.2in (36cm) tall and supports ATX motherboards. It looks like it'd be a really tight fit, and you'd have to pay close attention to the size of your components (video card especially), but it should work.

Will it fit a Sapphire 4870 1GB/Artic Cooling Freezer Xtreme Rev2? I'm also going to mount the maximum ammount of fans that the case can take because I dont want to have cooling problems

 

[Diablohead]

Recieved my new PSU today and installed it before I even got dressed this morning Works a treat and it's great to be back on my new pc again, I was also missing having sound, something my old pc does not have any more.

I also decided to move my pc from under the desk to on top of the desk, slightly paranoid that my psu will blow again while playing a game so I thought having it not under the desk may help with air flow, which it did have a lot of under the desk, i'm not that silly

 

[rohlfinator]

Will it fit a Sapphire 4870 1GB/Artic Cooling Freezer Xtreme Rev2? I'm also going to mount the maximum ammount of fans that the case can take because I dont want to have cooling problems

I have no idea, but my guess would be no. One of the customer reviewers mentioned that his 4870 wouldn't fit, so you'll probably need to go with something shorter like a 4770, 4850, or GTS250. It sounds like a modular PSU would also be a good idea since you'd want to get rid of as many unnecessary cords as possible.

I'd take a read through the customer reviews... they should give you a pretty good idea of what type of components work with the case. You'll have to pay extra close attention to the sizes of the video card, power supply, and CPU cooler to make sure they all fit.

 

[Yazus]

I have no idea, but my guess would be no. One of the customer reviewers mentioned that his 4870 wouldn't fit, so you'll probably need to go with something shorter like a 4770, 4850, or GTS250. It sounds like a modular PSU would also be a good idea since you'd want to get rid of as many unnecessary cords as possible.

I'd take a read through the customer reviews... they should give you a pretty good idea of what type of components work with the case. You'll have to pay extra close attention to the sizes of the video card, power supply, and CPU cooler to make sure they all fit.

Well I have a 4850 so no problem... guess that when I'll want to upgrade to a 4890 then I'm going for a new case... I have a 19" so a 4850 should be fine for a while anyways.

I'm going to ask about the CPU cooler and for the fans whats a good price/quality ratio and low dba 80mm/120mm fans?

 

[rohlfinator]

Well I have a 4850 so no problem... guess that when I'll want to upgrade to a 4890 then I'm going for a new case... I have a 19" so a 4850 should be fine for a while anyways.

It's also very possible that one of the next generation of cards will have the 4890's performance (or better) in the 4850's size, so by the time you're ready to upgrade, that might be an option. You'll never be able to use the biggest and baddest card in that case, though -- that's just one of the tradeoffs you'll have to make with a smaller case.

 

[brain_stew]

Thoughts on this build (keeping in mind that I want to dual-boot OSX)?

CPU: Intel Q9550 Quad 2.83GHz $219.99

MB: Gigabyte 775 $59.99

GPU: EVGA GTX 275 896MB $239.99 - $20 MIR = $219.99

RAM: OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 800 $45.99 - $10 MIR = $35.99

Case: Antec Three Hundred $59.99

PSU: Sunbeam 580W $19.99

HD: WD Black 500GB $69.99

CD: LG 22x $24.99

Total = $740.88 - $30 MIR = $710.88

I'd be wanting a proper full ATX motherboard if I'm investing that much. Have a look at this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358

or this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128371

Obviously check at a Hackintosh forum to see how compatability with those particular boards is in OSX.

 

[scorcho]

I'd be wanting a proper full ATX motherboard if I'm investing that much. Have a look at this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358

Obviously check at a Hackintosh forum to see how compatability with those particular boards is in OSX.

The above works perfectly with OSX86.

 

[TheExodu5]

One last question: for a config like this (or similar), what power supply would i need? The combination of the antec three hundred case + corsair 520HX is rather costly. Do i need the 520W power supply? I might include another harddisk (my old one) and certainly one dvd rw drive, but other than that, i don't plan any additional hardware.

It's just that you can get an Aopen case with 300W power supply (QF50 for example) for a very good price.

You do not want to go with a 300W, and a cheap 300W at that. A decent 520W is close to the minimum I'd recommend for a CPU ever planning on running a high end video card.

If you really need to cut costs, then skimp on the CPU a bit.