-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Official "I need a new PC!!" 2009 Edition
- Thread starter VictimOfGrief
- Start date
Minsc
Gold Member
Anastacio said:
You know the beginning to Fallout? War. War never changes. Computers are the complete opposite.
When Fermi comes out around Q1 2010 (or Q2/3, heh) things are likely to be a lot different for people building new machines.
If nothing else the prices will certainly change. Wait until you're much closer and you'll get more pertinent advice.
That "Big Bang" motherboard should be due out soon, but until it's proven to deliver as promised (much like the Fermi), it's hardly the be-all end-all technology.
This is the MSI Big Bang Moterboard? (Trinergy)
http://www.tweak.dk/nyheder2.php?id...elt_frigivet_deres_Big_Bang_Trinergy_bundkort
I see it doesn't have USB 3.0. =/
http://www.tweak.dk/nyheder2.php?id...elt_frigivet_deres_Big_Bang_Trinergy_bundkort
I see it doesn't have USB 3.0. =/
brain_stew
Member
ianswoody said:
Terrible components throughout. Avoid.
You do know I just put together a new $550 config right? It shits all over that "deal" from an almighty height. Of course there's no W7 included in that config but a lot of people have access to that for very cheap.
Edit: Damn, it doesn't even come with a 64 bit copy of W7, so even that part is poorly chosen.
ianswoody said:
A Phenom I and a 4350? Those are some weak old parts. For 500$ you can do a lot better, or cheaper. If you're looking for a home theatre PC there are a bunch of HTPC threads floating around the intarwebs from others looking for the same as you. Plus it's always better/cheaper to put a PC together yourself rather than buy an OEM machine.
Minsc
Gold Member
Anastacio said:
Oh, thanks. I was thinking "Big Bang" was some sort of nickname for that new motherboard technology coming out to let you mix and match any 3D cards. Looks like a nice motherboard, on the fly overclocking sounds like a great feature to me.
I personally see little reason to care about USB 3.0, it really offers me nothing I need.
brain_stew
Member
Minsc said:
Well it is the first motherboard to include that technolog.
Edit: Though not the version linked, as that's the nforce version, which is the one to avoid imo.
Minsc
Gold Member
brain_stew said:Well it is the first motherboard to include that technology.
But not that particular one he linked too:
Sounds like the Big Bang Trinergy doesn't support it, and the Fuzion will? I'm confused :lol
Edit: Ah, see your edit. Makes sense now, and you're right, nForce mobo's should be avoided, so I take that back (but on-the-fly overclocking is still nice).
brain_stew
Member
NIN90 said:Huh, I just updated my BIOS (maybe I fucked it up cause it said that I already have the latest BIOS version) but it still says "AMD processor unknown" .
But does it really matter? Everything works fine so far.
What does CPU-Z say? Everything check out? Try running 3DMark06 and see if your CPU score matches up to where it should be.
Try that BIOS update again, double check you downloaded the latest version.
Minsc said:
Yeah, see my edit, I forgot they were releasing two versions. The Fuzion is the one to look out for.
Dead Prince
Banned
that metal piece right there?
BTW. i noticed the fan on top of the heatsink is real dusty (see image). i cleaned it off. and then i noticed the thermal paste on the heatsink is dry and sort of non existent . am i suppose to re-paste it?
brain_stew
Member
DMPrince said:
that metal piece right there?
BTW. i noticed the fan on top of the heatsink is real dusty (see image). i cleaned it off. and then i noticed the thermal paste on the heatsink is dry and sort of non existent . am i suppose to re-paste it?
That big cooler master fan and the heatsink underneath it. Yes, periodically re seating and reapplying the thermal paste isn't a bad idea if you're having thermal problems. Buying a beefier custom HS/F combo is always the best way to reduce noise of course. A bigger fan + a more efficient heatsink means that it can deliver better cooling with the fan running at a lower RPM.
brain_stew
Member
NIN90 said:
Did you do a clean install when you made your upgrade? That might be what's confusing Windows. The fact that CPU-Z picks it up, makes me believe it should be fine but it'd bug the hell out of me and I know I'd just reinstall Windows to be sure.
Dead Prince
Banned
How do i know which heatsink and fan to buy?brain_stew said:
brain_stew
Member
NIN90 said:
Well you don't have to but its recommended.
DMPrince said:
Well what socket (AM2/775/etc?) is your motherboard? Tell me that and I'll recommend you one.
Combichristoffersen
Combovers don't work when there is no hair
NIN90 said:
Ouch, I have a 780G mobo too, and I'm waiting for a Phenom II X4 940 BE, hope it'll work with my mobo (I have the latest BIOS update, so it should work.. er.. I hope)
And yeah, like the guy above me said, it could be just that Windows is a bit fuzzy with registering the new CPU. You could try looking at the AMD website for the Phenom II drivers or something?
Can you link to the one recommended?brain_stew said:Well it is the first motherboard to include that technolog.
Edit: Though not the version linked, as that's the nforce version, which is the one to avoid imo.
edit: ah, the Fuzion. thanks. i'm new to the scene of building PCs.
brain_stew
Member
Anastacio said:
Well we don't know if its recommended yet, depends on how well Hydra's technology works.
Dead Prince
Banned
brain_stew said:
how would i find that out? is it written near the heatsink?
EDIT: i found out that i have this motherboard. Intel (Schroeder Town) G33 Motherboard
brain_stew
Member
DMPrince said:
Heh I presumed you'd know already.
Download PC Wizard:
http://www.cpuid.com/pcwizard.php
Combichristoffersen
Combovers don't work when there is no hair
DMPrince said:
No. Download cpu-z, run it and under the CPU tab there should be a line called Package. Look at that line, and post what it says (as an example, on my PC it tells me that my CPU socket is AM2+).
Dead Prince
Banned
brain_stew said:
Socket 775 LGA.
brain_stew
Member
DMPrince said:
I'd get this, so long as it'll fit in your case (it should):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004
Dead Prince
Banned
brain_stew said:
Thanks. Ordered. It should be here tomorrow. but i'll be at work. Hope you or someone will be here if i need help :lol.
Combichristoffersen
Combovers don't work when there is no hair
NIN90 said:Ok, now everytime when I play a graphical intense game the PC shuts off and the fan goes into harrier mode. What to do? I fear that I'll kill my CPU.
How many watts is your PSU?
Dead Prince
Banned
okay. i have to say. cleaning out that inch thick of dust inside the fan totally made my PC way more quiet. running Dragon Age and i don't hear my pc getting loud :lol.
oh well. i'll still swap out the fan and heatsink and repace the PSU when it comes tomorrow.
oh well. i'll still swap out the fan and heatsink and repace the PSU when it comes tomorrow.
When running CCC's Autotune (to overclock your video card), is it supposed to go to a Rainbow-ish screen with AMD in the corner? I don't remember it doing this before, but it always happens now, and I don't believe its auto-tuning it. I've left it on for a long time and it just stays on that screen.
Should I just be adjusting the values on my own, anyway?
Should I just be adjusting the values on my own, anyway?
BothBarsOn
Member
I'm in the market for a new laptop and have been looking at the Dell Studio XPS 16 with the 2.53 GHz P8700 and 1GB HD 4670. Any idea how would that fare gaming-wise? I have a PS3, so I'm not going to splash out a Sager or Alienware or similar - decent gaming performance on the go would be a nice bonus, that's all. I've looked at YouTube videos and so on and it seems pretty good, but I am *profoundly* ignorant about PCs.
Anyone care to chip in? 'Twould be much appreciated.
Anyone care to chip in? 'Twould be much appreciated.
I have Rivatuner but haven't played much with it yet... is there an auto-tune feature there, too?Hawkian said:
Bonus question:
Is it advisable to get an aftermarket cooler if I'm not going crazy with the OCing? CPU temp should be under 60C, right? My new parts have just come in, haven't installed them yet since I'm out of town... just want to know if I should order a cooler before I put it all together.
I was recommended this cooler for this CPU
Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-GP 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long life sleeve CPU Cooler
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor
I'm looking at getting one of the following two monitors:
LG W2343T-PF 23IN 1920X1080 - $209
Samsung 2343BWX 23IN 2048X1152 - $209
Both are 23" 16:9 monitors, and both are the same price. Only difference is resolution (and brand, obviously). I don't know much about monitors - is either brand supposed to be better than the other? Also, should I worry about the Samsung having a non-standard resolution?
Edit: Nice, just checked NCIX and it looks like both monitors are on sale - Samsung for $196, and the LG for $190.
LG W2343T-PF 23IN 1920X1080 - $209
Samsung 2343BWX 23IN 2048X1152 - $209
Both are 23" 16:9 monitors, and both are the same price. Only difference is resolution (and brand, obviously). I don't know much about monitors - is either brand supposed to be better than the other? Also, should I worry about the Samsung having a non-standard resolution?
Edit: Nice, just checked NCIX and it looks like both monitors are on sale - Samsung for $196, and the LG for $190.
brain_stew
Member
Chairhome said:
I'd get this, cheaper and better:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004&Tpk=120mm sunbeam
brain_stew
Member
BothBarsOn said:
This will give you double the framerates for the same money:
http://www.sagernotebook.com/product_customed.php?pid=160092&action=customize
Worth considering, there's always the netbook + desktop route as well, which will get you an awful lot more for your money and may be a better fit, depends on your needs.
Personally I'd go asking here for pointers as to which machine to buy as well:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/forumdisplay.php?f=16
Edit: This is a heck of a good deal, much cheaper than that Dell but a load faster as well:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+...1218124204092&skuId=9556072&st=asus&cp=1&lp=4
I live in Newfoundland and all my parts are coming from BC. Well, I ordered one from Newegg.ca and it shipped from Los Angeles. :SFirestorm said:Really? I always thought shipping from NCIX was fast. Then again I always use ISPU. Yay BC
I guess I'll have everything by the 9th (over 2 weeks since orders placed).
Thanks. Will that work on an AM3? or does it matter, since the board supports AM3/AM2/AM2+?brain_stew said:
I'm a little wary because of that reviews saying that its very large...
If I do it, should I buy some thermal paste or just use what it comes with?
EDIT: Never mind, looks like it will work. I'm wondering though if it will fit in my case...
brain_stew
Member
Chairhome said:
AM2 and AM3 are physically identical.
I'm embarrassed to post my current specs, but it was originally intended just for media purposes. Thought it might be fun to do some gaming on it though.
Currently:
AMD Athlon II x2 250 (3.0Ghz)
2Gb (2 x 1Gb) 800Mhz DDR2 RAM
ATI HD4550
Would it be possible to turn this into a reasonably decent gaming machine for less than $100? Say with just a simple GPU upgrade (to something like an HD4850)? Or is that just a waste of money at this point for this system?
Been a loooong time since I've been a PC gamer. Got too expensive, but thought I might give it a shot if I could add it on as a cheap extra feature to my living room media PC.
Suggestions?
Currently:
AMD Athlon II x2 250 (3.0Ghz)
2Gb (2 x 1Gb) 800Mhz DDR2 RAM
ATI HD4550
Would it be possible to turn this into a reasonably decent gaming machine for less than $100? Say with just a simple GPU upgrade (to something like an HD4850)? Or is that just a waste of money at this point for this system?
Been a loooong time since I've been a PC gamer. Got too expensive, but thought I might give it a shot if I could add it on as a cheap extra feature to my living room media PC.
Suggestions?
conman said:
You're thinking along the right lines. The Althon II chips aren't bad at all but you would notice a large jump going up to a 4850 or if you have a weak power supply a 4770 (nearly the same performance but less power consumption). If you don't have an OEM machine you could also overclock that puppy and squeeze a little more performance out of it.
Kev-loc said:
No, at least as far as they advertise.
"Compatibility Socket 754 / 939 / 940 / AM2 / LGA775"
My friend is looking at getting a new video card. I'm finding it hard to pick between:
$180 for XFX GTX 260 with "free" Batman Arkham Asylum (Steam Version)
$174 for XFX Radeon 5770
$155 for XFX Radeon 4870
I know the 4870 used to have a $20 rebate on top which makes it a tough buy, but that still makes the 5770 seem overpriced as you're trading performance and money for DirectX11... The GTX 260 seems decent when you put the value of Batman at $20.
$180 for XFX GTX 260 with "free" Batman Arkham Asylum (Steam Version)
$174 for XFX Radeon 5770
$155 for XFX Radeon 4870
I know the 4870 used to have a $20 rebate on top which makes it a tough buy, but that still makes the 5770 seem overpriced as you're trading performance and money for DirectX11... The GTX 260 seems decent when you put the value of Batman at $20.
Cool. Thanks. I think I'm okay on power. My power supply is a 550W BFG.Shambles said:
Sorry, I'm a bit out of the loop and don't know what "OEM" means, but I'm guessing you're asking if I bought this as a pre-assembled ("branded") machine. I built the machine myself, so I should be able to overclock it no problem. I've just never messed with that stuff and can already imagine the painful hours spent eking out those extra performance numbers...
Yay, I think I broke my motherboard by fucking up the BIOS flash.
My PC won't boot and one of the fans (I think it's the PSU fan, it's definitely not the CPU fan) is spinning like mad unless I cut the power off. And there's a red light inside the case.
Is there anything else I can do except buying a new motherboard?
My PC won't boot and one of the fans (I think it's the PSU fan, it's definitely not the CPU fan) is spinning like mad unless I cut the power off. And there's a red light inside the case.
Is there anything else I can do except buying a new motherboard?
Open Source
Banned
NIN90 said:Yay, I think I broke my motherboard by fucking up the BIOS flash.
My PC won't boot and one of the fans (I think it's the PSU fan, it's definitely not the CPU fan) is spinning like mad unless I cut the power off. And there's a red light inside the case.
Is there anything else I can do except buying a new motherboard?
You might want to try clearing CMOS first.
BothBarsOn
Member
Thanks for the advice, Brain_Stew!