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[NorrenRadd]

I'd probably lean towards no, depends if faster SATA and USB 3.0 are a big deal to you of course, the implementation of USB 3.0 seems a little less than ideal though, like you say, so I'd probably be hesitant. To me, personally, ensuring I get a board without a Foxconn socket would be my number one priority, supplementary features would take a back role.


8GB of that memory should work just fine, its the best value RAM available atm, G.Skill have a great return policy as well.

Several in the thread have posted that the P55A have the LOTES socket, but the pictures on Newegg show the metal clip to be LOTES while the actual connection for the chip is still Foxconn.

Does that fix the issue? Otherwise, I'm not really sure which P55 motherboards do NOT have the Foxconn problem.

 

[Meier]

Just looking for someone to tell me I can pull the trigger on that and feel like I won't regret it... anyone?

 

[brain_stew]

Several in the thread have posted that the P55A have the LOTES socket, but the pictures on Newegg show the metal clip to be LOTES while the actual connection for the chip is still Foxconn.

Does that fix the issue? Otherwise, I'm not really sure which P55 motherboards do NOT have the Foxconn problem.

Honestly, I've got no idea, sorry.

 

[Meier]

Honestly, I've got no idea, sorry.

Alright, if I go the route of building it myself... is there any reason why your custom build has no additional fan or heatsink listed?

I recently purchased this in the past year or so: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118003. Would it be easy to remove the old one off my existing desktop and swap it over? I had it installed by a 3rd party previously because it looked pretty daunting.

 

[brain_stew]

Alright, if I go the route of building it myself... is there any reason why your custom build has no additional fan or heatsink listed?

Purely a cost issue, I couldn't afford to add one whilst staying within budget. Its highly recommended though, this HSF specifically:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004&Tpk=sunbeam 120mm

 

[birdchili]

Several in the thread have posted that the P55A have the LOTES socket, but the pictures on Newegg show the metal clip to be LOTES while the actual connection for the chip is still Foxconn.

Does that fix the issue? Otherwise, I'm not really sure which P55 motherboards do NOT have the Foxconn problem.

I'll check my p55a board tonight. I was sure I had read on gigabytes site that they had changed for the a-line, but I haven't checked mine yet. I'm going to be pretty annoyed if it's Foxconn

edit: ah crap... looks like they just changed the bracket http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=239344

edit: lousy internet rumour mill.

 

[Bebpo]

It's not the response time of the Asus, it's to 0 input delay. Tested and now used as Evo's official displays.

I'm not a huge fan of the colours though.

What issue does it have with the colors? What monitor would you recommend in the <$200 price range?

 

[Bebpo]

I just saw the Dell monitor at Dell's BF sale for $144 (probably plus tax/shipping)

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-7438

A little smaller 21.5", but I wonder if it has better colors/greyscale. It's so hard finding reviews for monitors because there are so many monitors most don't get reviewed >_<

 

[Firestorm]

What issue does it have with the colors? What monitor would you recommend in the <$200 price range?

I found it overly bright at default. I've turned it down a bit. I'm not sure if it's accurate or not, others love it. I think I'm just paranoid.

 

[Bebpo]

I found it overly bright at default. I've turned it down a bit. I'm not sure if it's accurate or not, others love it. I think I'm just paranoid.

Hmmm...can you rotate it vertically for shmups? I was checking out the Dell monitors and saw the S2309W ($220) can do that and realized I'd actually use that quite a bit for emu & X360 shmups using vert. mode.

 

[Ninja Face]

Not looking to build a new PC yet but would like to upgrade slightly so I can play Dragon Age, L4D2, Borderlands smoothly.

Here's what I got:

600w Rosewill PSU
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ @ 2100 MHz
3GB DDR2 RAM
GeForce 8600 GT
Win 7

I'm hoping I could just upgrade the vid card for cheap and make it to late spring before I build an entirely new PC. Would 1-2GB more ram be worth it? I'm not looking to spend too much as I'd like to build a new PC in late spring. Was thinking about grabbing this card

So after some research, overclocking, and testing I have my CPU running at 2.5 ghz stable. WoW, Borderlands, and L4D2 seem to run smooth. Also it looks like my GPU is DDR3. Right now I'm looking to upgrade to faster ram (mine is 667 mhz) and possibly the GPU if i can get a decent upgrade for under $100.

Thinking about getting this ram.

Not sure on a vid card though.

Also is it okay to keep my slower ram in there if I were to upgrade two slots with faster ram?

Been a while since i built anything.

 

[brain_stew]

So after some research, overclocking, and testing I have my CPU running at 2.5 ghz stable. WoW, Borderlands, and L4D2 seem to run smooth. Also it looks like my GPU is DDR3. Right now I'm looking to upgrade to faster ram (mine is 667 mhz) and possibly the GPU if i can get a decent upgrade for under $100.

Thinking about getting this ram.

Not sure on a vid card though.

Also is it okay to keep my slower ram in there if I were to upgrade two slots with faster ram?

Been a while since i built anything.

Faster RAM isn't going to make any difference, really. I'd leave the RAM as it is, if you do a full scale upgrade later on you'll probably be going with DDR3 so any new RAM bought now will be useless. 3GB is still a decent amount, no game will use more than 2GB anyway.

A 4770 would be a decent upgrade. You should have a pretty capable rig after that now you've OCed your CPU.

 

[Ninja Face]

Faster RAM isn't going to make any difference, really. I'd leave the RAM as it is, if you do a full scale upgrade later on you'll probably be going with DDR3 so any new RAM bought now will be useless. 3GB is still a decent amount, no game will use more than 2GB anyway.

A 4770 would be a decent upgrade. You should have a pretty capable rig after that now you've OCed your CPU.

Alright thanks a lot dude

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

for black friday, should i go with the antec 900 or the HAF 922? which one has better cooling capabilities? also, whats a good PSU that will be able to handle 2 GTX 260 or one 5870, a 2 hard drives i5 750?

 

[Firestorm]

Hmmm...can you rotate it vertically for shmups? I was checking out the Dell monitors and saw the S2309W ($220) can do that and realized I'd actually use that quite a bit for emu & X360 shmups using vert. mode.

no it can't

 

[evlcookie]

Mousepad suggestion time.

I have a razer mantis speed pad, which is great and all. However it's now starting to get warm on the wrist/palm section of my hand. This along with the fun summer time in australia can lead to a hot hand which is bloody irritating.

So i'm thinking i need a new pad which doesn't keep heat or something like that :lol . Any suggestions?

 

[Bebpo]

Ended up going with the ASUS VH236H monitor off Amazon since no tax + no recycling fee = made it $30 less to buy anything that amazon actually had in-stock vs. other sites. Plus there's a $20 rebate, so it was $168.

I guess my dream of having a pivoting monitor for shmup play will be put off a few more years. Pivot monitors were just too damn expensive and even the pivot monitor arm/stands for 23"+ monitors are $$$. /shrug.

The Asus still should be a huge improvement from my 10 year old 17" NEC. I was checking the stats on my current monitor and it's response time is 28ms :lol Looking forward to playing Left 4 Dead 2 and Dragon Age with it!

 

[K.Jack]

Hmm, knew the i5/i7 was an overshoot.

How is Asus? I've only bought MoBo's from them, so I can't really say much about it.

The GPU runs warm, but it's a solid machine. You can ask Himuro, as he owns one.

I know a lot of people who own them, and they're satisfied.

I have one of these, and it's far superior build-wise, but is also more expensive. If you can go a ~$100 higher, take the M860TU.

 

[Kosma]

Would a 5770 work on a 400 watt PSU? Supposedly it 450 watt only but its peak usage is only above 200 watts and not that much more then my 3850 uses.

 

[Dash]

Can you guys help me choose a mobo? I'm looking for a P55 between $100 to $200, but between all the Gigabyte models listed at newegg here http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc...ATCH&Description=Gigabyte+motherboard&x=0&y=0, it's hard to know which model to go with. Plus there's the complication of the Foxxcon socket, in which I'm hearing a lot of conflicting reports about. I'm leaning towards the P55 UDP-4 as it seems best for cross-fire/SLI, but then there's the P55a and its USB 3.0/SATA 6, which I don't even know if I need or not. Any advice would be appreciated.

Also what do you guys think about this case: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021 ? Perhaps it's a bit overpriced? I'm not really sure what to look for in a new case, but it has really positive reviews.

 

[Kosma]

Thats one of the most popular cases there is, dont think there is anything wrong with it.

 

[brain_stew]

A "400w" PSU could mean anything, what's it specified to deliver consistantly on its 12V rail, as that's what really matters. Should say on the side of the PSU.

 

[Meier]

Well I decided to just buy the components because the repair service from cyberpowerpc sounds so absurdly shitty and the price on ibuypower is a little more than I'd like to spend. Here is what I ended up buying...

1 Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811129042

1 GIGABYTE GA-MA790GPT-UD3H AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813128398

1 SAPPHIRE 100283L Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814102858

1 COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power Plus RS-500-PCAR-A3 500W ATX12V V2.3 Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817171031

1 AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor Model HDZ720WFGIBOX - Retail
Item #: N82E16819103649

1 OCZ Obsidian 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model OCZ3OB1600LV4GK - Retail
Item #: N82E16820227495

1 COOLER MASTER R4-L2S-122B-GP 120mm 4 BLUE LED LED Case Fan - Retail
Item #: N82E16835103022

1 Rosewill RTK-045 45 Piece Premium Computer Tool Kit - Retail
Item #: N82E16899261003

Total price after MIRs will be just over $500. I will re-use my existing 500 GB HDD and DVD burner as well as try and re-use my existing heat-sink (might be interesting getting it off...hope it can come off!) The OCZ RAM actually has pretty average reviews (3-egg if you will) but I am trusting brain_stew on this one.

 

[brain_stew]

Looks a good build, great bang for buck. I use OCZ RAM myself, never had an issue, they're a decent brand.

 

[Meier]

Looks a good build, great bang for buck. I use OCZ RAM myself, never had an issue, they're a decent brand.

I used Corsair when I upgraded my last system but DDR3 is a heckuva lot of money so if this stuff works well and I can get it for about $64 or whatever, then so be it.

 

[Kosma]

Nice build.

I know brain, Ill check it when I wake up.

 

[Loxley]

Hey guys, I have a pretty simple request. I'm looking for a middle-of-the-road Windows-enabled laptop that is good for running Adobe Suite, and some light gaming (things like Torchlight, Team Fortress 2 or WoW; basically games that aren't too hard on the GPU).

If possible, something less than $1000 Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Zaptruder]

Goddammit @ the Gigabyte P55-A news/information... I *just* bought a PC using the P55-A on the basis that it was safely overclockable.

 

[Dash]

Goddammit @ the Gigabyte P55-A news/information... I *just* bought a PC using the P55-A on the basis that it was safely overclockable.

It's not just Gigabyte, I think it's all of them aside from EVGA. Also, supposedly the problem has been recently fixed, perhaps you could let us know if your own model is using foxxcon?

 

[Shambles]

Would a 5770 work on a 400 watt PSU? Supposedly it 450 watt only but its peak usage is only above 200 watts and not that much more then my 3850 uses.

Those are graphs of total system usage and unless they are from the same review with the same specs on the machine they are not comparable. You'd have to compare your system to their test system (CPU, amount of ram, amount of drives, overclocking). Either way it's pretty close so chances are you'll need something beefier. It also depends on what quality of PSU you have, 400W to a no name PSU is not the same as a Corsair 400W PSU. Might as well try it and see what happens. If your system starts shutting off when it's under load it's time for a larger PSU.

 

[Zaptruder]

It's not just Gigabyte, I think it's all of them aside from EVGA. Also, supposedly the problem has been recently fixed, perhaps you could let us know if your own model is using foxxcon?

Well, I don't have it yet... but it looks extremely likely as though it is still a foxconn socket.


But how extreme do you have to OC the thing before burning sockets become a danger?


Hopefully I'll be able to hit the 4GHz mark without too much hassle...

I've got a megahelm cooler with a couple of 70CFM fans attached... so it's one of the best aircooling solutions available right now AFAIK as well...

edit: Just reading that thread with the original foxconn burn... those guys were pushing 1.7v on their vcore... running 5GHz with a 750.

I think I should be fine...

 

[sublime085]

OK, I know people ask this stuff all the time but I was wondering if some of you guys could give me a little insight on a potential pc upgrade. I have a gateway dx4200-09 desktop that I want to make a little more gaming capable by adding in a new power supply and graphics card.

Well, after shopping around a bit and I think I've settled on this PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341016
any good? I like that it's modular, but is this a good brand and everything?

Also, I would love a few recommendations on video cards in the roughly $150 range. Something that can play Dragon Age maxed out ideally. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[birdchili]

It's not just Gigabyte, I think it's all of them aside from EVGA. Also, supposedly the problem has been recently fixed, perhaps you could let us know if your own model is using foxxcon?

my ga-p55a-ud3 has a lotes bracket and a foxconn underneath. grnmhrmmm...

edit: foxconn revision perhaps...

 

[Shiroi-San]

I finally got my rig all sorted out (been building and upgrading since June). It's just a shame that the Radeon 5970 drivers are a mess right now. My next major upgrade will probably be a SSD sometime in the fall of next year when they get the current issues all sorted out and the prices go down.

System

• Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
• LIAN LI PC-7B plus II Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower
• LIAN LI EX-23NA Internal HD rack mount kit (so the Radeon 5970 would fit)
• Antec TruePower New TP-750 Blue 750W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.3
• Asus P6T Deluxe V2 (Intel X58)
• Intel Core i7 920 (waiting to get a better heatsink and fan to OC)
• SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5970 (Hemlock) 2GB 512 (256 x 2)-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16
• 12GB (6x 2GB) OCZ Gold DDR3 1600 (OC) Triple Channel
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion Series
• LG Black Super Multi Blu-ray Disc Burner & HD DVD-ROM Drive w/ LightScribe Support
• Western Digital Raptor 150 GB 10,000 RPM HD
• 2x 1TB Western Digital 7,200 RPM drives for storage

Displays, Speakers, and Input Devices

• Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP 24-inch WideScreen Flat Panel Monitor
• Hanns·G HH-191DPB Black 19" 5ms LCD Monitor w/ HDCP Support
• Logitech G19 Gaming Keyboard with LCD screen
• Logitech G5 Laser Mouse
• Logitech Z-5450 5.1 speakers
• Microsoft LifeCam Cinema 720p USB Webcam

 

[K.Jack]

Hey guys, I have a pretty simple request. I'm looking for a middle-of-the-road Windows-enabled laptop that is good for running Adobe Suite, and some light gaming (things like Torchlight, Team Fortress 2 or WoW; basically games that aren't too hard on the GPU).

If possible, something less than $1000 Thanks in advance for any help.

How's this look?

 

[SapientWolf]

My motherboard isn't lining up right with my rear io panel (BIOSTAR T5 XE CFX-SLI and Antec 902)

;_;

Did I do something wrong?

 

[Dash]

Well, I don't have it yet... but it looks extremely likely as though it is still a foxconn socket.


But how extreme do you have to OC the thing before burning sockets become a danger?


Hopefully I'll be able to hit the 4GHz mark without too much hassle...

I've got a megahelm cooler with a couple of 70CFM fans attached... so it's one of the best aircooling solutions available right now AFAIK as well...

edit: Just reading that thread with the original foxconn burn... those guys were pushing 1.7v on their vcore... running 5GHz with a 750.

Like you said, you really have to go to extremes for it to become an issue. I don't think you can even reach the speeds necessary to cause harm without some liquid cooling solution.

edit: foxconn revision perhaps...

What do you mean?

 

[Hazaro]

My motherboard isn't lining up right with my rear io panel (BIOSTAR T5 XE CFX-SLI and Antec 902)

;_;

Did I do something wrong?

You did use those 6 brass hexagonal screws under the motherboard right? (standoffs)

 

[birdchili]

What do you mean?

i hesitate to even guess what's really going on here... i've read a ridiculous amount about this by a bunch of forum folk, so lots of salt is probably in order. at least one place suggests that this is a revised version of the original socket design. i don't know. i don't think the real causes of the original problem are entirely understood (and i've also read suggestions that the bracket itself may have been an issue). shrug.

 

[SuperAwesome]

about the picture with the antec 9xx and that motherboard...mine did the same thing but less extreme, just enough for wires to connect properly. the screws are really wonky, so yeah

Try unscrewing the standoffs near the panel, then rescrew them as you apply force to the mobo near the IO panel.

 

[SapientWolf]

You did use those 6 brass hexagonal screws under the motherboard right? (standoffs)

Yep. Otherwise I would have fried the mobo. In fact, the motherboard would probably have fit the panel better without the stands.

 

[Fredescu]

What are the good bang for buck laptop gaming GPUs at the moment?

 

[brain_stew]

What are the good bang for buck laptop gaming GPUs at the moment?

Its probably better specifying a specific machine rather than individual GPU, all depends on what machine the end up in as to whether they're a good deal or not.

The ASUS machines that pack a GTX 260M (basically a desktop 9800GT) are a decent deal.

 

[Fredescu]

Its probably better specifying a specific machine rather than individual GPU, all depends on what machine the end up in as to whether they're a good deal or not.

It basically comes down to the CPU/GPU combo and max res right? I can judge the CPU easily enough, I just have no idea about current laptop GPUs.

 

[brain_stew]

It basically comes down to the CPU/GPU combo and max res right? I can judge the CPU easily enough, I just have no idea about current laptop GPUs.

Well what's your budget, desired screen size, potential usages etc.

K. Jack will probably chime in later on, here's the laptop expert around these parts, I just pick up off his recommendations. :lol

Be aware, with a laptop you're probably always going to be GPU bound, so the CPU model isn't all that essential, an extra few hundred mhz shouldn't be a deal breaker if it means a slower GPU, imo at least.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

Sorry for the stupid question, but..
I noticed my CPU core speed was fluctuating in CPU-Z (from 3 GHz to 800 MHz) when running the balanced power management plan in Vista, so I changed it to high performance, which kept the CPU speed more or less stable @ 3 GHz in CPU-Z, but also caused the CPU to heat up to a higher °C. When running the balanced power management plan in Win 7, the CPU temp is relatively low, but the CPU core speed is still at 800 MHz according to CPU-Z. If I leave the balanced power management plan running (so as to keep the CPU temp as low as possible), I would still get full effect of the 3 GHz quad cores when running a game?

 

[Fredescu]

Well what's your budget, desired screen size, potential usages etc.

Not specific yet, not fussed, just a secondary machine that can hopefully play a few current games at low settings. I have a beefy gaming PC, so I wouldn't be relying on a laptop as a primary. I was just asking about GPUs as a launching point for my own research. I'm in Australia, so specific models/deals won't help as much as chipset info.

 

[brain_stew]

Not specific yet, not fussed, just a secondary machine that can hopefully play a few current games at low settings. I have a beefy gaming PC, so I wouldn't be relying on a laptop as a primary. I was just asking about GPUs as a launching point for my own research. I'm in Australia, so specific models/deals won't help as much as chipset info.

Ah cool, so is portability a big factor then? For decent gaming performance I'd aim for something with a DDR3 4650 if possible, a GT 220M/9600m GT (again DDR3) would be another alternative though definitely slower. If you just want something on the cheap that'll run older titles and Source games or similar then something with an integrated ATI mobility 4200 may satisfy your needs, don't expect miracles though.

Edit: Have a look here to see roughly what individual models are capable of:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Computer-Games-on-Laptop-Graphic-Cards.13849.0.html

As a tip, always check what type of graphics memory they use, it can make a big difference to your performance.

 

[Fredescu]

Ah cool, so is portability a big factor then?

Not at all. Some portability is obviously required, but bulky is fine. It's not an everyday commuter situation.

Thanks for the info. That link is great.

 

[pseudocaesar]

When I upgrade to Win 7 can I back up my game saves and then copy them to the new install? (Im running XP atm). Otherwise I will have to finish The Witcher now and not bother playing any games until I get Win 7.