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Official "I need a new PC!!" 2009 Edition
- Thread starter VictimOfGrief
- Start date
bee
Member
dionysus said:I am
seems nvidia disabled physx in win7 when it detects an ati card installed, whether its a bug or not isn't clear but with drivers 186 and above it gets disabled. so it'll work for now using 185 and below drivers but if its intentional expect newer revisions of physx to require 190+ drivers and hence make it unworkable for ati users
seems there could be a workaround though, read through this, im too lazy sorry
http://www.ngohq.com/graphic-cards/16223-nvidia-disables-physx-when-ati-card-is-present.html
Ah ok, that would explain it. Thanks.rohlfinator said:
Hm, I didn't do it actually. Paid NCIX (I guess our equivalent to Newegg) to do it for me. I assume they did it right because they should be experts at this by now. I'm fine as long as I can overclock in the future without it blowing up on me. And yeah, I wanted it quiet. I have all my fans on low and it still feels a little louder than I want at times =PTheHeretic said:
brain_stew
Member
bee said:
Its intentional and applies to Vista as well. I don't think it actually ever worked in XP either from what I recall.
Meus Renaissance
Member
Thoughts on this
Came under £400, which was my budget.
Came under £400, which was my budget.
brain_stew
Member
Meus Renaissance said:
Can't say I'd recommend it at all. Processor a little too slow, which can't be rectified through OCing. Graphics card is bottom barrel crap. Minitower means upgrades are basically out of the question.
If you're going to stick to prebuilt and under £400, then you could always pick up something like this:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/168998/show_product_reviews
And add a 4670:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/150861
At least then you'd be able to play any PC game, you have standard parts for easy upgrading and you can even go ahead and OC that processor if you want.
Heck, this has your OS, a great GPU and a quad processor for just a smidgen over your budget:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/167290
TheHeretic
Banned
Meus Renaissance said:
You can do better for that budget.
Meus Renaissance
Member
The only option I chose Dell is because its a trusted brand here in this house. A few years ago I spent $1800 on a machine but never used it for more than general Office applications and a bit of PhotoShop and video editing. I could do better for my money, so I see, but I plan to give this desktop to my sister in a year or so when I leave - and for them its important to be able to call in a technician to fix a fault. Zoostorm doesn't do that to my knowledge, Dell offer that under a warranty plan hence the reason I chose it.
I have this thing for gadgets but sadly I'm one of those people that doesn't really need most of the stuff they buy. I'm trying to change that. I only need a basic workstation.
So if anyone can do some configuration on the Dell Europe site, for something around 400, I'd appreciate that.
I have this thing for gadgets but sadly I'm one of those people that doesn't really need most of the stuff they buy. I'm trying to change that. I only need a basic workstation.
So if anyone can do some configuration on the Dell Europe site, for something around 400, I'd appreciate that.
Thinking about going with this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150394
XFX Radeon HD 4870 1GB over the 4890. Currently using a 2900 512MB.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150394
XFX Radeon HD 4870 1GB over the 4890. Currently using a 2900 512MB.
Teknoman said:
Stock, it would be; overclocked the 4890 really pulls away. The 4890 also has lower temps underload and idle, compared to the 4870.
Huge difference? Not really.
Worth the extra money? Yes.
Beowulf28 said:
Mass Effect 2 is coming out in 2010. I suggest you wait a bit longer for the ATI 5k series (which is reported maybe September - basically soon). Nvidia's new line is most likely early next year.
So safest bet is ATI's new line, whenever that comes out. Or just waiting for them to release their new line will lower the prices for the 4k series. Also, I would need your full computer specs, and the specs of Mass Effect 2 to be able to tell you how it would run. Anything I would tell you now would be either a lie or a pure guess.
Ryoma-Echizen
Member
Get a 4770 instead. Almost same performance, more overclock, lower temps, less power consumption.
Or a 4870 512MB, they're also "cheap".
Or a 4870 512MB, they're also "cheap".
TheHeretic
Banned
Teknoman said:
Its pretty close. The 4890 will at most give you a 10% gain, but its a better overclocker and runs better overall. If you can get a 4870 on the cheap go for it, but if the price difference is marginal get a 4890 instead.
So I was catching up on anandtech to see if any new big news is out, which it isn't.
And I caught one of brainstew's posts on anandtech in the triple buffering article! :lol
I'll be sure to I enable triple buffering and vsync in the few games I'm playing now and and see if it makes a difference (Using D3D Override)
And I caught one of brainstew's posts on anandtech in the triple buffering article! :lol
I'll be sure to I enable triple buffering and vsync in the few games I'm playing now and and see if it makes a difference
(Using D3D Override)
brain_stew
Member
Teknoman said:
About 20-30% behind, and with less OCing headroom. Its not a major leap really.
Smash88 said:
That's pretty shitty advice tbh. We're not going to see a sub $100 DX11 card in September, so any new release isn't relevant to him really. A 4850 will manage Mass Effect 2 just fine, and is pretty much the best bang for buck card around atm.
Yoboman said:
23" 1080p is the sweet spot in terms of getting the most for your money and its versatility imo. If you're happy with a TN panel then you can get a very nice 23" 1080p monitor for less than $200.
brain_stew
Member
Hazaro said:So I was catching up on anandtech to see if any new big news is out, which it isn't.
And I caught one of brainstew's posts on anandtech in the triple buffering article! :lol
I'll be sure to I enable triple buffering and vsync in the few games I'm playing now and and see if it makes a difference
If your game is fluctuating between 60fps and 30fps you should notice a huge difference in performance compared to standard v-sync. If you're playing Crysis you need to enable it in the config file and run in DX9 mode to use it, D3DOVerrider will probably make it crash but make sure you do use it. It went from making CCC Level 5 @ 1080p unplayable to perfectly smooth for me.
I'm quite an enthusiastic supporter of triple buffering, tearing is simply never acceptable to me, often making games unplayable, so when I found out a simple program could get rid of the performance drop associated with vsync, it was like a revelation. :lol I felt dumbfounded that so few knew about the benefits, which is why I made that thread here.
brain_stew
Member
Yoboman said:
Honestly most monitors around that pricerange tend to use the same (or very similar) panels, so there's not much to choose. I'd look for a monitor with a nice selection of inputs, I know ASUS has quite a nice selection, something like this would be what I'd be looking at:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236052
VGA, HDMI, DVI, excellent customer reviews, really nice size, and quite an attractive design. Can't go wrong really.
Metalic Sand
who is Emo-Beas?
Think i found out my CPU temp problem :lol
It was my xbox 360 sitting next to it! I usually dont have both on but i have been lately. its really the only thing i can think of lol.
It was my xbox 360 sitting next to it! I usually dont have both on but i have been lately. its really the only thing i can think of lol.
cyberheater
PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 Xbone PS4 PS4
Metalic Sand said:
Yep. That would do it. I have my PS3 next to my 360 and if I forget to switch off the PS3, my 360 red rings with overtemp in about 30mins. Easily done really.
TouchMyBox
Member
Alrighty, I've got a problem here.
I've hooked up my 1080p samsung TV as a second monitor to my computer, now it's all fine and dandy playing games like Mirror's Edge and Crysis at 1080p, however some games like Trine and Prince of Persia decide that when I say I want 1920x1080, I really want 1080i. This results in the display running at 30Hz which is unacceptable. Is there a way for me (I have nvidia cards) to disable the 1080i/30Hz option in the nvidia control panel or within windows (7) itself?
I've hooked up my 1080p samsung TV as a second monitor to my computer, now it's all fine and dandy playing games like Mirror's Edge and Crysis at 1080p, however some games like Trine and Prince of Persia decide that when I say I want 1920x1080, I really want 1080i. This results in the display running at 30Hz which is unacceptable. Is there a way for me (I have nvidia cards) to disable the 1080i/30Hz option in the nvidia control panel or within windows (7) itself?
Inflammable Slinky
Member
Looking to get a new laptop. My current one cant even play HL2, so I'd really like to get one with a little muscle this time.
Looking at these ASUS with a GTX 260M: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220576
and
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220577
I'd like to maintain parity with my desktop that can play L4D maxed, Crysis at low 20s on medium-high, The Witcher almost maxed. All these are at 1024x786 rez.
It'd be nice to not spend more than 1500, so does anyone know better models than those ASUS? Perchance any prettier notebooks?
Looking at these ASUS with a GTX 260M: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220576
and
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220577
I'd like to maintain parity with my desktop that can play L4D maxed, Crysis at low 20s on medium-high, The Witcher almost maxed. All these are at 1024x786 rez.
It'd be nice to not spend more than 1500, so does anyone know better models than those ASUS? Perchance any prettier notebooks?
brain_stew
Member
Inflammable Slinky said:
You'll get much better performance than that out of those laptops, as the GTX 260M is basically a desktop 9800GT. However, the native resolution of those machines is a huge problem, and their GPU isn't really cut out for 1080p gaming imo (nor is a 15.6" screen either tbf). If you could get the same machine with a 1680x1050 resolution or lower you'd be laughing. The more expensive machine doesn't warant the extra $200 imo.
woodsey1982
Member
Ok, so I'm currently putting together a HTPC for my living room to store all my movies / TV Shows / Music etc on. I'm thinking of this rig - any advice?
Case - MATX Media Centre Case
Processor - Dual Core 2.5Ghz
Motherboard - Gigabyte GForce 9400 with on board 7.1 audio and HDMI out
Hard Drive - 3.5" SATA Seagate 1.5TB ( 7200rpm ) - possibly 2 of these depending on how quick the first one fills!
PSU - 300W Seasonic Active PFC Micro ATX PC Power Supply
Ram - 4GB of DDR2 800Mhz ( 2x2GB )
Cpu Cooler - Scythe Mini Ninja
Optical Drive - LG Blu Ray / HD-DVD Combo
Fans ( optional ) - 2x60mm Silent Fans for the rear of the unit, depending on how loud the stock fans are.
Due to the fact I've a 5 week old baby in the house, I'll be buying bits of this monthly to build, so by the time I'm ready for an OS I'll probably go for Windows 7 and I'll be using XBMC for my collection, which I can then control from my ipod touch.
The only part of this I've purchased so far is the case, so I'm open to any advice on other parts for my build!
Case - MATX Media Centre Case
Processor - Dual Core 2.5Ghz
Motherboard - Gigabyte GForce 9400 with on board 7.1 audio and HDMI out
Hard Drive - 3.5" SATA Seagate 1.5TB ( 7200rpm ) - possibly 2 of these depending on how quick the first one fills!
PSU - 300W Seasonic Active PFC Micro ATX PC Power Supply
Ram - 4GB of DDR2 800Mhz ( 2x2GB )
Cpu Cooler - Scythe Mini Ninja
Optical Drive - LG Blu Ray / HD-DVD Combo
Fans ( optional ) - 2x60mm Silent Fans for the rear of the unit, depending on how loud the stock fans are.
Due to the fact I've a 5 week old baby in the house, I'll be buying bits of this monthly to build, so by the time I'm ready for an OS I'll probably go for Windows 7 and I'll be using XBMC for my collection, which I can then control from my ipod touch.
The only part of this I've purchased so far is the case, so I'm open to any advice on other parts for my build!
brain_stew
Member
equap said:
One 4890 (or one GTX 275).
AFR is pretty much a broken technology.
brain_stew
Member
woodsey1982 said:
I'd seriously give Zotac's mini-ITX based 775 boards a serious look. You'll be able to use a much smaller case that way and still not really compromise on parts either:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/160843#
Persoanlly I think NAS is a better solution for a media centre, Just get a super small and quiet box with space for one fast HDD (ideally an SSD), and then build a cheap NAS box that you can store out of the way, if you ever want to add some serious storage space.
woodsey1982
Member
brain_stew said:
Thanks for the advice on the Mboard Brain Stew I'll have a look into it.
brain_stew
Member
equap said:
Alternate frame rendering, its the technique that both SLI and crossfire use to get their "amazing" scaling. Basically it sacrifices actual real world smooth gameplay for high average framerates that look nice in benchmarks but the actual reality is a very different picture because of the "microstutter" they introduce.
See the two GPUs take it in turns to render a frame but unlike a normal single GPU setup where the time between two frames is constant, the gap is basically random in a multi GPU setup. More often than not you'll have two damn near identical frames rendered and shown one after another, then a (comparatively) long wait for another two. The result is an awful stuttery mess.
Just search google for "AFR microstutter" and you'll find plenty of complaints about the subject. Basically, neither Nvidia or ATI want to use a different approach to scaling as it would mean lower average framerates in benchmarks, which means lower sales. I'll never consider a multi GPU setup until AFR (or at the very least its broken current implementation) is ancient history.
Not only that but you're at the mercy of driver teams, so often you'll be waiting weeks or months before you can even get your second card to do anything at all in a new release and tripple buffering won't work either. So that means you'll be sacrificing as much as 50% performance in games if you can't stand tearing.
brain_stew
Member
woodsey1982 said:
They're great little boards tbh. Absolutely tiny yet they'll even take a full Intel quad and a PCIe graphics card and they have built in Wifi and HDMI to boot, its a damn nice solution if you ask me.
I'd recommend a read of these two articles as well, Tech Report made a damn nice little PC using one of those boards:
http://69.65.116.162/discussions.x/17120
and
http://techreport.com/articles.x/17102/10
brain_stew
Member
Septimus said:
Could you link to a specification for that PSU?
I'd recommend a GTX 275 but that PSU is making me hesitant.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
Can someone tell me what's the best gpu in the $100-200 range and what's the best processor below $150?
Sorry I put a typo there, it's a FEEL-III 500 ATX.. Googling it only finds specs in a diff language (they live in Finland). Here's a google translated page.
brain_stew
Member
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku! said:
Ehm its pointless specifying "processer" its al going to depend what socket you're on.
In terms of GPU either a GTX 275 OR a ATI HD 4890 is what you want.
Septimus said:
Yeah, that should be fine.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
Oh yeah, forgot to specify. I meant AMD processor.
Gully State
Member
I need a little troubleshooting help. After last night's update to TF2 (the most recent small update after the classless update), I suddenly can't get a decent framerate on TF2 nor L4D. By that I mean I went from a solid 60FPS at 1600x1200 everything on max (16x AAF, 8x MSAA) to barely 20 FPS on the same settings. The funny thing is that this doesn't happen to any other game I have installed (Mass Effect, Mirror's Edge and Fallout 3). I've tried re installing drivers/scanning for viruses/spyware/reinstalling TF2/ Checked my GPU/CPU temps ( all normal)/system restore to a week ago . I'm honestly not sure what the problem is. At first I thought it was the patch but I had played TF2 just fine on Friday. The only real solution I see is to reformat but I really don't want to do that.
Chiggs
Gold Member
I feel the need to tell you all about the incredible deal I got last Friday. I was on NewEgg looking at videocards because I wanted something a little beefier for my current rig. To my surprise, I saw that they had a very limited supply of openbox/refurb 4870x2's. The brand was Sapphire and the price was $263.99.
Suffice it say, it arrived at my house a couple of days ago, and it has been flawless. Jesus, what a deal. I think I'll be waiting until this time next year to take the plunge into DX11, because the 4870x2 is still something of a monster in terms of performance, and I doubt the initial DX11 games (specifically, their features) will be all that compelling.
Suffice it say, it arrived at my house a couple of days ago, and it has been flawless. Jesus, what a deal. I think I'll be waiting until this time next year to take the plunge into DX11, because the 4870x2 is still something of a monster in terms of performance, and I doubt the initial DX11 games (specifically, their features) will be all that compelling.
Hi, here is my problem.
I have a E4500 2.2Ghz... old shit processor, and I have a HD4850. But there is the problem, a 360W TOTAL SHIT PSU. So, when I play and the card start consuming a lot of W the PC goes to safemode and turns off.
So, can I change the PSU on a prebuilt PC to a 450W and finally use my damn 4850 without problems?
Thanks. I dont wanna spend money for a new PC that I wont use anyways.
I also might consider getting a Phenom II x2 as a new processor, but unfortunately I should change the mobo which is a micro atx so I should get everything from scratch and I dont want to
I have a E4500 2.2Ghz... old shit processor, and I have a HD4850. But there is the problem, a 360W TOTAL SHIT PSU. So, when I play and the card start consuming a lot of W the PC goes to safemode and turns off.
So, can I change the PSU on a prebuilt PC to a 450W and finally use my damn 4850 without problems?
Thanks. I dont wanna spend money for a new PC that I wont use anyways.
I also might consider getting a Phenom II x2 as a new processor, but unfortunately I should change the mobo which is a micro atx so I should get everything from scratch and I dont want to
Inflammable Slinky
Member
brain_stew said:
Thanks! I actually just got back from Best Buy, and they had a similar model with these specs:
ASUS G71GX-RX05
# Intel® Core2 Duo mobile processor P8700
Features 2 processing cores, 1066MHz system bus, 3MB L2 cache and 2.53GHz processor speed per core.
# Two high-performance processing cores
To run multiple demanding applications simultaneously without hesitation.
# 6GB DDR2 memory
For multitasking power.
# Multiformat DVD±RW/CD-RW drive with double-layer support
Records up to 8.5GB of data or 4 hours of video using compatible DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL media.
# 17.1" WXGA LED-backlit widescreen display
With a 1440 x 900 resolution brings your movies and games to life.
# 500GB SATA hard drive (5400 rpm)
Provides plenty of storage space and fast read/write times.
# NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M graphics processor
With up to 1GB GDDR3 graphics memory for lush images. Supports DSP and Dolby home theater audio with 4 Altec Lansing speakers. 1 HDMI output.
# See the benefits of an NVIDIA graphics processor in your laptop.
# Built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam
Makes it easy to send video mail to family and friends.
# Facial recognition security
Uses the built-in webcam and software to help keep your laptop safe.
# 8-in-1 media reader
Supports Secure Digital, miniSD, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, xD-Picture Card, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick PRO Duo for easy transfer of your digital photos.
# 1 IEEE 1394 FireWire interface with 4 high-speed USB 2.0 ports
For fast digital video, audio and data transfer.
# Integrated Asus wireless networking (802.11b/g/n)
For Internet connections without wires.
# Built-in 10/100 Mbps Ethernet LAN with RJ-45 connector
Ensures easy Internet connectivity.
# Weighs 8.8 lbs. and measures 2.4" thin
For portable power.
# Fair battery life
Of up to 1 hour and 55 minutes.
# Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition 64-bit operating system
With Service Pack 1 (SP1) preinstalled for a stable operating platform.
# Software package included
With Power 4 Gear Extreme, Adobe Acrobat Reader 8, Nero 8 Essentials and more.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9366615&type=product&id=1218092150740
The guy at the store told me I could get it for 1200 there, so this seems like a good deal.
Thanks for the advice brain, you seem to be really helpful in this thread.
brain_stew
Member
Firestorm said:
Its the best type of antialiasing for polygonal edges, yes. However I always find 4xmsaa deals with polygonal edges just fine, at the very least 16xcsaa (not q) is enough. Its transparent textures that are the big offender after that imo, you'd be much better off enabling 4xmsaa + transparency supersampling (through your drivers) than 16xq imo, the performance hit likely will be quite similar.
16xq is just a waste imo, you're simply throwing resources at a problem that's already solved when other glaring issues (like alpha based aliasing and shader aliasing) remain untreated.
Heck, download nhancer, and experiment with some combined supersampling + multisampling, if you've got power to spare with 16xq. Maybe 4xmsaa (w/ transparency multisampling) and 2x1 supersampling would be worth a look.
Either way, I'd recommend enforcing transparency multisampling acrross all games as a minumum, the performance hit is near non existant but the iq bump is damn nice.
Inflammable Slinky said:
You're better off with this ASUS model from Best Buy:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9366651&type=product&id=1218092150636
same specs as the one from newegg, but it's native res is 1366x768. With the GTX260M you'll be able to run every game at that res (720p) basically and get really good results.
The 260M really isn't cut out for 1080p.
EDIT: nvm I see you already went to BB. I'd get the 15'' I linked to or the 17'' model. I think the 17'' model is a couple hundred more bucks.