Support NeoGAF

[MWS Natural]

Is anyone building a Micro ATX gaming rig? I'm curious in how they hold up. I honestly would love to slim down the footprint of my PC. I really see people talking about them often though.

Mine has been great, the temps are around 5-8 degrees higher than a comparable PC but I haven't had any problems at all.

PII x3 720 BE OC'd to 3.0mhz
4GB DDR2 RAM
Toxic 4890 OC'd
1TB WD Black

 

[MotherFan]

I posted this in the tech support thread, but seeing as how most of the Tech Savy GAF post here and not in the TechSupport thread I figured I'd get an answer here.

I'm having major problems with my HIS 4890 Turbo it crashes near constantly (Every 10-30 minutes) whenever I'm playing a game that stresses it (Modern Warfare 2, Borderlands, Shattered Horizons for example). These games usually put my activity up to 60~100%, and my temperatures to 60~70 degrees with the fan speeds at 70~75% forced. Following the crash one of two things will happen, either

A: My screen will flash black and then return to what was happening prior to the crash
B: I will get these screens Screen 1 Screen 2, the color of the screen will vary depending on what was being displayed last in the game. In this case it was blood splatter from Modern Warfare 2

I decided to check Action Center in W7 to see if it was a driver issue and got this Driver Failures, it says there are solutions but they just tell me to go and update the driver, I'm already running the latest drivers 8.661.0.0 from 9/23/2009. I've cleared and reinstalled the drivers twice now, to no avail.

I did some searching on the AMD forums and found that this can be caused by a cheap Power Supply / Heat, I am currently using this Power Supply, it seems decent so I can't see that being a problem. I checked the connections in my case and everything is connected properly with no loose connections. Honestly I have no idea where the issue is. However I do run a dual monitor setup (Not extended mode, full screen game on one monitor desktop on other. Through ultramon) This problem happened previously although not as frequently before I started running two monitors.

My PC specs are:

1 TB HD
4 GB Ram
Intel Core i5 750
Gigabyte P55 Motherboard

Please Help, I can't finish the MW2 campaign and Multi player isn't a possibility :lol

I just got my 5770 on tuesday and am having the exact same problem. I have more of the lockups which require a restart and the screens look the same as yours. I tried all the drivers and tested the ram and I can't seem to get it to fix. Furmark dies after 45-90 seconds, while crisis or Mass Effect makes it about 5 min. Oblivion seemed to be able to run for at least 20 min though. Once I put my old card back in though everything works.

I did make sure to uninstall drivers before using the new ones, along with using driver sweeper 2 times in safe mode. I am thinking it is just a bad card, but I am really hoping it is not something else.

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...cm_re=ocz_power_supply-_-17-341-016-_-Product
CPU: Phenom II x2 550 BE @ 3.1 ghz
MotherBoard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131398

 

[brain_stew]

I posted this in the tech support thread, but seeing as how most of the Tech Savy GAF post here and not in the TechSupport thread I figured I'd get an answer here.

I'm having major problems with my HIS 4890 Turbo it crashes near constantly (Every 10-30 minutes) whenever I'm playing a game that stresses it (Modern Warfare 2, Borderlands, Shattered Horizons for example). These games usually put my activity up to 60~100%, and my temperatures to 60~70 degrees with the fan speeds at 70~75% forced. Following the crash one of two things will happen, either

A: My screen will flash black and then return to what was happening prior to the crash
B: I will get these screens Screen 1 Screen 2, the color of the screen will vary depending on what was being displayed last in the game. In this case it was blood splatter from Modern Warfare 2

I decided to check Action Center in W7 to see if it was a driver issue and got this Driver Failures, it says there are solutions but they just tell me to go and update the driver, I'm already running the latest drivers 8.661.0.0 from 9/23/2009. I've cleared and reinstalled the drivers twice now, to no avail.

I did some searching on the AMD forums and found that this can be caused by a cheap Power Supply / Heat, I am currently using this Power Supply, it seems decent so I can't see that being a problem. I checked the connections in my case and everything is connected properly with no loose connections. Honestly I have no idea where the issue is. However I do run a dual monitor setup (Not extended mode, full screen game on one monitor desktop on other. Through ultramon) This problem happened previously although not as frequently before I started running two monitors.

My PC specs are:

1 TB HD
4 GB Ram
Intel Core i5 750
Gigabyte P55 Motherboard

Please Help, I can't finish the MW2 campaign and Multi player isn't a possibility :lol

Sounds like it can't handle the factory OC. Get it replaced.

 

[Angry Grimace]

I want to reinstall Windows Vista x64 Home Premium on my GF's laptop. It's an HP laptop that basically came from the factory loaded up the ass with stupid crap she doesn't need or use, but makes it slow as a snail.

I've done this on my old Compaq with XP, but not on Vista. Can anyone tell me or point me to a step by step guide to getting this reinstalled, formatted and working as new (including driver issues)? I have my OEM copy of Vista x64 that I used for my own computer, but I don't think her computer came with basically any kind of disc (I'll have to check it out).

I've done it before, but it was a long time ago, so talk to me like a n00b :lol

 

[SundaySounds]

What do you guys think about this machine?

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0320943

I've got a GTX 260 that I'm going to put in it if I end up getting it, and I know I'd have to upgrade the power supply(It's only a 300W). but I looked it up online and the machine got a lot of mixed reviews. What do you guys think?

 

[MotherFan]

What do you guys think about this machine?

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0320943

I've got a GTX 260 that I'm going to put in it if I end up getting it, and I know I'd have to upgrade the power supply(It's only a 300W). but I looked it up online and the machine got a lot of mixed reviews. What do you guys think?

For $400 you can do alot better, especially since your are already replacing that PSU and GPU.

 

[Toby]

I want to reinstall Windows Vista x64 Home Premium on my GF's laptop. It's an HP laptop that basically came from the factory loaded up the ass with stupid crap she doesn't need or use, but makes it slow as a snail.

I've done this on my old Compaq with XP, but not on Vista. Can anyone tell me or point me to a step by step guide to getting this reinstalled, formatted and working as new (including driver issues)? I have my OEM copy of Vista x64 that I used for my own computer, but I don't think her computer came with basically any kind of disc (I'll have to check it out).

I've done it before, but it was a long time ago, so talk to me like a n00b :lol

If it didn't come with any disc, it should have a separate partition on the hard drive for the restore. You have to hit like f9 or f11 on boot up to boot into the recovery mode, I'll go see if I can find which it is.
Edit: read here

 

[brain_stew]

What do you guys think about this machine?

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0320943

I've got a GTX 260 that I'm going to put in it if I end up getting it, and I know I'd have to upgrade the power supply(It's only a 300W). but I looked it up online and the machine got a lot of mixed reviews. What do you guys think?

Processor is terrible for gaming, and generally, the advice is that if you've got to go upgrading a store bought PC as soon as you bought it then you've chosen the wrong machine. Spec up something off NCIX, with a Athlon ii X3, AM3 mobo, DDR3 RAM and get them to assemble it for you, this should give you incredible upgrade options through 2011, not stick you in the unfortunate position where you have to buy a whole new PC when it comes upgrade time.

Upgrading the PSU in store bought PCs isn't always as straight forward as it should be. Plus, a 90 day warranty is asking for trouble.

 

[SapientWolf]

Is GAF still only recommending intel SSDs? I really wish a 120 GB SSD didn't cost $500.

I would only recommend SSD's that support Windows 7's TRIM feature, which includes Intel. Otherwise you're going to see a decrease in performance over time.

 

[Vinci]

Is this good, bad, horrible? Should I be ashamed? I've no clue what I'm doing, but the deal seems good to the layman's eyes.

Sorry to quote myself, but I really need to know. My wife and I are thinking of taking the plunge on something sooner rather than later, with that combo deal going on.

 

[brain_stew]

Sorry to quote myself, but I really need to know. My wife and I are thinking of taking the plunge on something sooner rather than later, with that combo deal going on.

If you're going with a full/mid size case don't restrict youself to an mATX motherboard, it just makes upgrades more of a bitch.

You want a faster system drive. Go for a Samsung F3, or failing that, a WD Caviar Black.

Switch out the PSU to something from a more mainstream brand. If you want to save some pennies OCZ's ModXstream is a crazy good bargain right now, if you want the best, go with Corsair, if you want a good compromise Antec's case/PSU bundles are great.

GPU is good but you might want to consider a 5770. you'll trade ~20% of your performance for a few dollars back, a lower power draw at load and a monumentally lower idle power draw and full DX11 compatibility. If you have the extra cash and don't mind waiting around the 5850 is definitely worth the extra money as well.

8GB RAM is a little unnecessary, only buy it if you're heavy into Photoshop, 3D modelling, that sort of thing. For games, you'd get a load more milage by putting that cash into upgrading to a 5850.

Personally I'd probably change every item bar the CPU and possibly the monitors (unless there's a specific reason you need two, a single ~ $200 23" 1080p monitor might be a better use of funds.

 

[Vinci]

If you're going with a full/mid size case don't restrict youself to an mATX motherboard, it just makes upgrades more of a bitch.

You want a faster system drive. Go for a Samsung F3, or failing that, a WD Caviar Black.

Switch out the PSU to something from a more mainstream brand. If you want to save some pennies OCZ's ModXstream is a crazy good bargain right now, if you want the best, go with Corsair, if you want a good compromise Antec's case/PSU bundles are great.

GPU is good but you might want to consider a 5770. you'll trade ~20% of your performance for a few dollars back, a lower power draw at load and a monumentally lower idle power draw and full DX11 compatibility. If you have the extra cash and don't mind waiting around the 5850 is definitely worth the extra money as well.

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it.

8GB RAM is a little unnecessary, only buy it if you're heavy into Photoshop, 3D modelling, that sort of thing. For games, you'd get a load more milage by putting that cash into upgrading to a 5850.

This is going to be my family system, with primarily my wife and I sharing it. She uses Photoshop and CAD and a bunch of other stuff I know nothing about as an urban planner. That's the reason I included the extra RAM.

Personally I'd probably change every item bar the CPU and possibly the monitors (unless there's a specific reason you need two, a single ~ $200 23" 1080p monitor might be a better use of funds.

My wife uses two monitors at work and is spoiled by them, so she'd like the same at home. Beyond that, playing EVE with two monitors for two separate accounts is sort of the norm.

 

[BloodySinner]

Mine has been great, the temps are around 5-8 degrees higher than a comparable PC but I haven't had any problems at all.

PII x3 720 BE OC'd to 3.0mhz
4GB DDR2 RAM
Toxic 4890 OC'd
1TB WD Black

I love your case. It looks pretty good.

 

[SundaySounds]

For $400 you can do alot better, especially since your are already replacing that PSU and GPU.

Any suggestions?

 

[Firestorm]

What's your budget Vinci?

 

[Gamer @ Heart]

I really didnt want to start a new thread for a single gaming PC question, so i hope you guys dont mind if i ask it here.

I recently set Aion to run in compatibility mode for XP SP3 after i upgraded to windows 7 and now i am unable to change the priority and affinity settings because i dont have "permission". This happens despite running it as administrator.

I dont know shit about computer gaming and would seriously love the help. I was told setting it priority to high will make the game run better and it makes me mad that i no longer have that option.

Any other tips i could get to increase performance would be lovely.

 

[SundaySounds]

Okay, Here's what I already have that I'd be using for my new setup.

22" LCD Monitor
Nvidia GTX 260 core 216 SC
1Tb external HDD, so a big internal HDD isn't important.

I'm looking to get a pc that has a quad core and at least 4Gb of ram, DDR3. Where would be a good place to get that? If I can get a pc with no graphics card in it at all that would be awesome, cuz it would probably save me some money.

I was checking out NCIX, but they seem really expensive.

Also, Already have my own copy of Windows 7, so I don't need an OS.

 

[Firestorm]

I really didnt want to start a new thread for a single gaming PC question, so i hope you guys dont mind if i ask it here.

I recently set Aion to run in compatibility mode for XP SP3 after i upgraded to windows 7 and now i am unable to change the priority and affinity settings because i dont have "permission". This happens despite running it as administrator.

I dont know shit about computer gaming and would seriously love the help. I was told setting it priority to high will make the game run better and it makes me mad that i no longer have that option.

Any other tips i could get to increase performance would be lovely.

Start -> Control Panel -> Users -> User Account Settings -> Turn the slider all the way down and try not to do something stupid that would install a virus or spyware.

 

[Shambles]

Any suggestions?

Here is your new best friend.

 

[brain_stew]

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it.



This is going to be my family system, with primarily my wife and I sharing it. She uses Photoshop and CAD and a bunch of other stuff I know nothing about as an urban planner. That's the reason I included the extra RAM.



My wife uses two monitors at work and is spoiled by them, so she'd like the same at home. Beyond that, playing EVE with two monitors for two separate accounts is sort of the norm.

Fair enough, then they're the right options for you, often they're not necessary so its always best to mention it. Make sure you get a 64 bit OS.

 

[brain_stew]

Any suggestions?

Have a look a t the $550 GAF build and ditch the GPU = Instant $400 rig.

If you don't want to put it together then pay NCIX $50 to do it for you.

 

[AstroLad]

i gotta problem i know if any thread can solve it's this one: every game i play the lip syncing is off. i don't know if this is just a symptom of some larger audio sync problem (probably) but like in dragon age for example it's just so distractingly off. using a xfi sound card.

 

[Vinci]

Fair enough, then they're the right options for you, often they're not necessary so its always best to mention it. Make sure you get a 64 bit OS.

I was given Windows 7 Pro Edition 64 bit as an anniversary gift.

Once again, thank you very much for the suggestions. I'm very weak when it comes to hardware.

 

[pestul]

Bah, can't crack 4GHz with my D0 stepping 920 without serious voltage/temp. Could be the BIOS on my ASUS P6T SE.. but who knows, it's a pretty recent one. I have her stabilized at 3.88GHZ, which is faster than the the fastest desktop processor you can purchase.. so I shouldn't complain. Now I just have to figure out what I'm going to do with this beast.

 

[Red]

Been waiting a month and I still can't find a 5870 in stock anywhere that isn't charging an exorbitant amount. And now newegg says they're no longer available? What is going on??

Was really hoping for a 5870 Vapor-X, but now I think I may just settle for a 5850. At least that way I'd be able to put something together before the end of the year :lol

 

[Kintaro]

Mine has been great, the temps are around 5-8 degrees higher than a comparable PC but I haven't had any problems at all.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/cknight03/Picture067.jpg

PII x3 720 BE OC'd to 3.0mhz
4GB DDR2 RAM
Toxic 4890 OC'd
1TB WD Black

That is really slick. Thanks for posting that. Thanks to Minsc as well.

 

[Khalid-S]

I am currently building a gaming pc. my budget is around 1500 dollars.

Intel Core i7-920 = $288
Intel P55 Micro ATX = $109
Radeon HD 5870 = $389
OCZ Obsidian 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 = $83
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM = $94
COOLER MASTER Centurion. SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 460W Power Supply = $84

Total is around 1050 right now. I can go up to 1500 dollars.. any better parts available for good prices? I'm thinking about a better case but I don't know which one to buy.

And Core i7 920 or 950?

Thanks in advance.

Guys I am ready to buy this.. anything that I should replace or add? I can go up to 1500-1700 dollars..

Thanks.

 

[Gully State]

I've got a question....I'm rocking a 4850 right now and am wondering if I should buy a brand new monitor or upgrade my video card... The monitor I'm currently using is a 21 inch 1600x1200 Samsung. I'm leaning more towards getting a 23-24'' 1080p 2ms monitor for around $200 since other than Crysis, my 4850 has been more than capable with anything I throw at it...

 

[brain_stew]

Guys I am ready to buy this.. anything that I should replace or add? I can go up to 1500-1700 dollars..

Thanks.

Well I hope you don't considering you've got incompatible parts.

 

[rossonero]

Dell seems to have a nice looking 1920x1080 monitor on sale:
http://accessories.dell.com/sna/pro...l.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=dhs&cs=cadhs1&sku=320-7339

Some reviews that I found on a Swedish site of the SP2309W:

Techtree.com India: 4.5/5

+ Great build and style, Connectivity options, USB ports, Overall performance

- Availability

CNET.com: 4/5

+ All-around great performance; high 2,048x1,152-pixel resolution; intuitive, customizable, and unique onscreen display; integrated 2-megapixel Webcam; 360 degree rotation; screen height adjustment; multiple USB ports.

- Backlight bleeding on bottom edge.

Bottom line: With its low price, great performance, and many features, the Dell SP2309W is a sound buy for a 23-inch monitor.

 

[Zaptruder]

Guys I am ready to buy this.. anything that I should replace or add? I can go up to 1500-1700 dollars..

Thanks.

Drop the P55 motherboard, you need a X58 type (1366 socket).

Alternatively exchange the CPU for a i5 720. If it's just a gaming PC (i.e. you're not doing film editing or 3D rendering), then the i5 is the better choice.

Get a solid state Hard disk drive. 128GB OCZ Vertex. Use it as your install drive.

If you're going to change the mobo, then you need to get another stick of ram as well.

Infact, I'd go for either 8GB (wiht the P55) or 12GB (with the X58), not just 4.

Also get a Prolimatech Mega Shadow CPU cooler and a couple 120mm fans and OC that i5 720.

 

[LouieGeetoo]

Okay, so ever since I dropped a printer on my semi-gaming laptop (long story), I've been without any computer to decently play games on. I've been thinking about upgrading the family computer this Christmas so that I can enjoy some gaming on it while I'm home (which'll include next summer too). I mostly will just be using it for Source games (TF2, L4D), which I know aren't very demanding. Basically I just want to add a video card and possibly some RAM.

I built this machine almost two years ago now as a basic web browsing, word processing computer. Here are the basic specs:
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ Windsor 2.4GHz
MB: GIGABYTE GA-MA69GM-S2H AM2 AMD 690G HDMI Micro ATX
RAM: G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)

Basically, my questions are thus: What is the best value video card I can buy (less than $100) that won't be bottle-necked by the CPU? And would it be worth it to bring the RAM up to 4GB?

As far as video cards, I've been looking at this and this, but again, I'm not sure if they'll be bottle-necked. Could I go even cheaper?

 

[Funky Papa]

This is depressing. Is there such thing as a good gaming monitor with decent blacks? I'm trying to find a decent 23-24" display to finish my build, and picking between TN and other options is driving me nuts.

I think I'm going to settle for a random TN Samsung with less than 5 ms and get done with it.

Edit:

And would it be worth it to bring the RAM up to 4GB?

I don't think so.

 

[SundaySounds]

Have a look a t the $550 GAF build and ditch the GPU = Instant $400 rig.

If you don't want to put it together then pay NCIX $50 to do it for you.

Where is it?

Also, what is a good Gaming CPU that I could get for around 100 USD?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103706
This is what I'm looking at right now, is this alright for gaming?

 

[Minsc]

Some reviews that I found on a Swedish site of the SP2309W:

Techtree.com India: 4.5/5

+ Great build and style, Connectivity options, USB ports, Overall performance

- Availability

CNET.com: 4/5

+ All-around great performance; high 2,048x1,152-pixel resolution; intuitive, customizable, and unique onscreen display; integrated 2-megapixel Webcam; 360 degree rotation; screen height adjustment; multiple USB ports.

- Backlight bleeding on bottom edge.

Bottom line: With its low price, great performance, and many features, the Dell SP2309W is a sound buy for a 23-inch monitor.

Getting an LCD monitor that doesn't have a native res of 1920x1200, 1920x1080, or 1600x1050 sounds like you're just looking for trouble in playing games at your native resolution.

 

[SundaySounds]

Okay, so this is what I've got so far:

AMD Athlon II X4 620
GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3P AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard
Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600)
Seagate Barracuda LP ST3500412AS 500GB 5900 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive
RAIDMAX SMILODON Extreme Black ATX-612WEBP


What do you guys think? I'm definitely open to suggestions. Oh, and I've already got a gtx 260 that I'm putting in there.

The whole things costs 412 USD including shipping. I'd like to keep it around that price if I can.

 

[MWS Natural]

I love your case. It looks pretty good.

Thanks, the sleek black matches my Samsung monitor and Altec speakers. That pic is old.

 

[Binabik15]

Last question from me, then I´ll order:


For the PSU I wanted a OCZ Stealthxstream 500w, but that has been out of stock with this shop since september. So I thought about getting a BE Quiet! Pure Power 530 Watt / BQT L7 instead.

Yay or "order the OCZ from another store" nay?

Thanks in advance and for all the other help so far

 

[ElectricThunder]

Still having a rough time of it. For example, considering the $550ish US PC build in the budget thread, what will I NOT be able to manage considering my interests/plans? I don't really care about 1900x resolutions in any game(I'm one of those stability/framerate trumps resolution kinda people) and I've resigned myself to thinking 4GB DDR3 RAM is plenty(Mainly due to being under the horribly incorrect notion that RAM capped out at 8GB on a 64bit situation :lol ). I should also mention that I think my friend is up for overclocking things if I am, with my only reservation being a loss in stability/lifespan/temp worries. So?...

While more chimings are considered(please), here's a mouse and kb. For the mouse, I just want something that'll work well and proper, likewise for the kb but I'd also like the keys to glow a bit for late night/too lazy to turn on the lights situations. Do any come to mind better or roughly comparable to these 2....yet cheaper? Don't really want a wireless KB...don't trust them.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823239006 KB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104178 Mouse

 

[Funky Papa]

I have that mouse. Very comfortable, although Logitech's software sucks (not that this is something new). I tried other mice, but I couldn't find a good one with the same number of buttons/similar design for less.

 

[Max]

Just ordered a new pc with fstorms' $1000 build with the 4890, added on a new 22in monitor, mouse, keyboard, mw2, and windows 7. I'm set.

 

[Minsc]

So here's a few unexciting pics of my Qv2E... it may not look it, but it's got a lot of style in person. The Aerocool panel flips up over the blank bay in the middle, and you have a nice LCD screen with fan control.

The system uses around 115W at idle according to my PSU, my monitor actually uses almost as much (75W or so), so that's pretty impressive.

The computer is absolutely silent. You can barely hear it running with your ear up next to it, even when I'm playing Dragon Age. I have the fans at around 1000 RPM, and can probably drop them even lower, the system gets to around 50C at full load under prime95. I'll probably give overclocking a try down the road, right now I'm still breaking it in.

 

[JB1981]

so what does one have to spend the run the most cutting edge PC games at max settings?

 

[Gully State]

I asked this a couple of posts back but I didn't get a response. Hopefully I can get some advice.

Anyways, I'm currently running a E8400 +4850 on a 1600x1200 monitor I bought awhile back..Anyways, lately I've felt the urge to upgrade my monitor to 1080p as they've become relatively cheap. Problem is that the 4850 benchmarks at 1080p aren't very impressive as the card isn't built for 1080p gaming. To further compound the issue, I honestly don't have a problem with my 4850 at its current resolution as it plays everything I throw at it with the exception of Crysis well. So I'd like your opinion...would I be better off getting a monitor at the $200 pricepoint now or should I upgrade my video card first (ie- let's say a 4890 @ $199- saw that price at Bestbuy today or maybe investing in another 4850 and running it in Crossfire)?

 

[rohlfinator]

So here's a few unexciting pics of my Qv2E...

Is that a 5870 in there?

I asked this a couple of posts back but I didn't get a response. Hopefully I can get some advice.

Anyways, I'm currently running a E8400 +4850 on a 1600x1200 monitor I bought awhile back..Anyways, lately I've felt the urge to upgrade my monitor to 1080p as they've become relatively cheap. Problem is that the 4850 benchmarks at 1080p aren't very impressive as the card isn't built for 1080p gaming. To further compound the issue, I honestly don't have a problem with my 4850 at its current resolution as it plays everything I throw at it with the exception of Crysis well. So I'd like your opinion...would I be better off getting a monitor at the $200 pricepoint now or should I upgrade my video card first (ie- let's say a 4890 @ $199- saw that price at Bestbuy today or maybe investing in another 4850 and running it in Crossfire)?

If you can only do one right now, personally I'd go with the monitor. The higher resolution will help with non-gaming stuff, and you'll still be able to game on it just fine if you lower your settings a bit (or worst case, run at a lower resolution and upscale).

Since you're happy with the 4850's performance right now, upgrading the video card would have little benefit until you got a new monitor, at which point you'll be able to get a better card for your money.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

when are the 58xx series going to be widely available?

 

[123rl]

What's the difference in power/price between the 5770 and 5850?

 

[Minsc]

Is that a 5870 in there?

Yup! I was taking the first thing I found, 5850 or 5870, and the 5870 came up on Newegg for a few moments.

when are the 58xx series going to be widely available?

According to what irfan posted earlier, they're probably not going to be widely available until Q1 2010. They're producing them, and rolling them out to places to sell, but in small batches:

# TSMC is steadily rolling out production of 5800 series GPUs albeit at a slower rate than AMD wishes. There are daily production runs of 5800 series GPUs.

# AMD’s Add-in-Board (AIBs) partners are currently shipping thousands of 5800 series video cards per week on a worldwide basis.

# The number of 5800 series video cards that have been shipped into the channel already is in the very "high tens of thousands."

# While currently there are thousands of video cards shipped on a weekly basis, we will likely see this weekly number reach into the "tens of thousands" come late November or early December. This hinges on whether or not AIBs keep air freighting video cards. The likelihood of air shipments to continue is very high, but AMD does not directly control this.

# Should air freighting continue we are still not going to see "mass widespread availability" by years end, but certainly supply will continue.

# Most of these 5800 video cards are moving into e-tail and retail sales while the great minority are going into OEM sales.

# Expect "well into the hundreds of thousands" of 5800 video cards to be shipped into the channel by year’s end.

# Expect no issues with 5700 stocks.

What's the difference in power/price between the 5770 and 5850?

A 5770 should run around $150-175, and a 5850 should run around $250-300.

Powerwise, the 5850 actually idles at about 10W lower, and at load it uses about 35W more than the 5770.

 

[123rl]

Thanks. Would there be much difference in performance between a 5770 and a 5850? Am I going to miss out on much by getting a 5770 or should I only consider a 5850/5870?

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Hey Minsc how much did you wind up spending on your rig? Was it that much more to make it quiet?