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Official "I need a new PC!!" 2009 Edition

R

Red

Member
Are Sony Optiarc drives generally considered as being one of the faster DVD drives out there? I'm using an LG GGW-H20L and while it's certainly feature rich, it reads DVDs pretty slowly. I'm considering adding a quicker DVD reader/writer for cheap.
 
H

HappyBivouac

Member
Wallach said:
One thing the P55 chipset mobos has taught me is that mATX is not an issue anymore from a performance standpoint. I picked up a Gigabyte P55M-UD2 and it really is an excellent board that has all the OC features and build quality I generally expect out of their full ATX boards. Really it's more about space and how much you need to expand into. I personally run my gaming rigs very lean so it is of no concern to me, I probably won't even use any of the other PCI-E slots on the board aside from my video card.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's pretty much how I see it as well. Thanks.
 
E

erpg

GAF parliamentarian
So, for the price, how decent would this be?

Purchasing these items:

Motherboard: ASUS M4A77TD ATX AM3 DDR3 AMD770 SB710 PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 3PCI IDE 6SATA Sound GBLAN Motherboard
Case: Antec Three Hundred Mini Tower Gaming Case 300 ATX 3X5.25 6X3.5INT No PS Front USB & Audio
CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 250 Dual Core Processor Socket AM3 3.0GHZ 2MB Cache 60W Retail Box
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64BIT DVD OEM
RAM: Patriot Signature 2GB 1X2GB DDR3-1333 CL9 Memory Module
NCIX cost: $491.66 w/tax+shipping

Monitor: LG 16:9 20" W2053TQ-PF
FutureShop cost: $149.99

And I'll be transfering a Sapphire HD 5750 and OCZ GameXStream 700W PSU from my current Frankenstein HP (which I'm going to try to sell on kijiji with the monitor for 400-450, to make up for some of the costs. It's an old AMD 64 5200+ model, but I'm including an 8600GT, Windows 7 upgrade, and FutureShop warranty until 2012, so I hope it'll sell). I wasn't planning on buying a new PC, but the HP has compatibility problems with the new graphics card, so it has to go. I'm really looking to spend as little as possible after the sale is done, so this, coming to 200 after the sale, makes me feel better.

If only I weren't a poor university student, I'd beef this up a little, get a quad-core Athlon, but that's a good 60 bucks more!
 
G

Gerald Preston

Neo Member
Need some advice. Pretty sure my mobo is dying so would it be worth it to upgrade to a Phenom X3/X4 from an e8500 or should I just buy a replacement mobo?
 
F

Firestorm

Member
HappyBivouac said:
Question for PC GAF:

I'm looking to do a fairly decent upgrade of my PC in preparation of FFXIV's release next year, and hopefully do it on the cheap, say under $400. I'm okay with running things at middle settings for now and stretched resolutions are fine. (1920x1080 monitor) With what's in my system right now I'm definitely looking at a new motherboard, CPU, memory and GPU. I've got a Thermaltake 430W power supply that I'd rather not have to replace.

I don't know a whole lot about building PCs but I've messed around a little bit. Here's what I'm looking at getting right now:

Motherboard & CPU bundle: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.308581
-ASUS M4A785-M AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
-AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor

GPU & Memory bundle: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.300049
-ASUS ENGT240/DI/1GD3/A GeForce GT 240 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
-CORSAIR XMS3 DHX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TW3X4G1600C9DHX

$397 shipped on newegg


My biggest concerns are :

a) is there something I'm not aware of that I'll be missing out on by going micro ATX? They're cheaper and I kind of want to in the future turn this into a middle-end mini gaming PC that I can easily transport.

b) Is the GT 240 really going to get me where I want to be? I know it's not going to push max settings but how does it hold up if I'll just wanna be able to play games at average settings for the next year or two? I'm sure it'll be a significant upgrade over the 7600 GS I've got right now.
Click to expand...
You're using a DDR2 board but getting DDR3 RAM. Won't work.

CPU + GPU: Phenom II X4 940 + Radeon HD 5750 - $273.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.300845

RAM: G.SKILL DDR3 2x2GB - $89.99 after coupon code on page
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231193

Motherboard: MSI GF615M-P33 - $54.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130243
That's all I can find that's microATX, cheap, from a brand that I don't think will blow up, and DDR3.

Total: $418.96

You could downgrade to this to save some cash on CPU + GPU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.300899

Or downgrade the 5750 to a 4770.
 
F

Firestorm

Member
Lyphen said:
So, for the price, how decent would this be?

Purchasing these items:

Motherboard: ASUS M4A77TD ATX AM3 DDR3 AMD770 SB710 PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 3PCI IDE 6SATA Sound GBLAN Motherboard
Case: Antec Three Hundred Mini Tower Gaming Case 300 ATX 3X5.25 6X3.5INT No PS Front USB & Audio
CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 250 Dual Core Processor Socket AM3 3.0GHZ 2MB Cache 60W Retail Box
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64BIT DVD OEM
RAM: Patriot Signature 2GB 1X2GB DDR3-1333 CL9 Memory Module
NCIX cost: $491.66 w/tax+shipping

Monitor: LG 16:9 20" W2053TQ-PF
FutureShop cost: $149.99

And I'll be transfering a Sapphire HD 5750 and OCZ GameXStream 700W PSU from my current Frankenstein HP (which I'm going to try to sell on kijiji with the monitor for 400-450, to make up for some of the costs. It's an old AMD 64 5200+ model, but I'm including an 8600GT, Windows 7 upgrade, and FutureShop warranty until 2012, so I hope it'll sell). I wasn't planning on buying a new PC, but the HP has compatibility problems with the new graphics card, so it has to go. I'm really looking to spend as little as possible after the sale is done, so this, coming to 200 after the sale, makes me feel better.

If only I weren't a poor university student, I'd beef this up a little, get a quad-core Athlon, but that's a good 60 bucks more!
Click to expand...
Why are you buying Windows from NCIX as a student? What's your school + major? I'll look at the rest once you answer that!
 
F

Firestorm

Member
Lyphen said:
Psychology. http://msdnaa.carleton.ca/

I mean, I could try bumming it off of people, but I'm not too sure how well that would work.
Click to expand...
Check your PMs. Also remember it's just a class you have to be taking (like an elective) in the department.

You're missing an HDD and DVD Drive in that build by the way. Do you have those too?

If so:
Antec Three Hundred Mini Tower ATX Case - $58.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=29812

Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3P Motherboard - $89.88
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?affiliateid=4352418&sku=40118

G.SKILL DDR3 PC3-10666 4GB Dual Channel Kit - After Price Match it's $96.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?affiliateid=4352418&sku=42743
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231275

Phenom II X4 940 - $159.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?affiliateid=4352418&sku=35467&promoid=1030

Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB - After Price Mach it's $69.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=34286&promoid=1006
http://www.peonline.ca/main.php/en/product/35622

Liteon IHAS124 24X DVD Writer SATA Black OEM - after Price Match it's $25.48
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=45244&vpn=IHAS124-04
http://www.bedirect.ca/english/index.php?NoCategory=112413&SProdNb=0146-0041

$501.21 + $8 shipping + 5% tax = $534.27 not including Windows.
 
H

Heidalloon

Member
Can someone help me with a build? I plan on having NCIX assemble it for me and my budget is around $1500 USD. I only plan and using it for gaming and I'd like to be able to play the majority of new games on max settings.
 
K

kmfdmpig

Member
Heidalloon said:
Can someone help me with a build? I plan on having NCIX assemble it for me and my budget is around $1500 USD. I only plan and using it for gaming and I'd like to be able to play the majority of new games on max settings.
Click to expand...

If you go Intel (you certainly don't need to) you'll likely either want to go for a Core i5 750, a Core i7 860 or a Core i7 920. There are some (mostly theoretical) advantages to going for the 920 as it uses a different socket which has some higher end features.

If you're just focused on gaming, however, than a Core i5 750 should suit you. For a videocard look at the 5850, 5870.

4GB or Ram or more should be good. A decent motherboard would make sense as any of the processors will overclock pretty easily.

An SSD drive will do wonders for booting Windows faster and opening apps, but for a gaming build it's not really needed.
 
S

SapientWolf

Trucker Sexologist
kmfdmpig said:
If you go Intel (you certainly don't need to) you'll likely either want to go for a Core i5 750, a Core i7 860 or a Core i7 920. There are some (mostly theoretical) advantages to going for the 920 as it uses a different socket which has some higher end features.

If you're just focused on gaming, however, than a Core i5 750 should suit you. For a videocard look at the 5850, 5870.

4GB or Ram or more should be good. A decent motherboard would make sense as any of the processors will overclock pretty easily.

An SSD drive will do wonders for booting Windows faster and opening apps, but for a gaming build it's not really needed.
Click to expand...
The i5 750 is great for multitasking as well. I accidentally left Prime 95 running in full burn mode because I didn't notice any slowdown.
 
F

Firestorm

Member
pestul said:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=36050&vpn=ST3500418AS&manufacture=Seagate&promoid=1065

The 7200.12 Seagate drives are proven reliable and quite fast (7200.11 scares are over with improved firmware). You might want to try this. I'm running the WD Black 640 and this drive and they are very similar in speed. The WD has a faster access and burst, whereas the Seagate is faster in Read/Write speed.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'll go with that. The Samsung F3 seems to be in Toronto which needs to be shipped to Vancouver for assembly and then back out... don't think the computer will get to where it needs to be by Christmas at that rate.

I'll just hope the failure 2.5" Seagate I got for my laptop was just a freak occurrence.

Edit: Alright ordered. Also, I'm assuming the Corsair 400W PSU is enough for a 5770 + i5 750.
 
M

MWS Natural

Member
Wallach said:
I have one of their solid aluminum cases. I like it alright, has very good thermal, but is not the most convenient of cases. The sides are a little unwieldy compared to my Antec 300. Personally I still like the 300 as one of the best all-around cases given the price (unless you are going to run more than air for cooling).
Click to expand...


Thanks, I'm still deciding if I want to swap over to a new case or not.
 
D

Dash

Junior Member
How long does NCIX normally take to respond to changes in one's order? I ended up adding that seagate HD to my order, but it took away my reduced shipping and also wouldn't display the sale price, so I need them to change the order for me manually. I hope it doesn't delay my shipping, as I really want my new computer before Christmas. Does anyone have any experience with this?
 
F

Firestorm

Member
Dash said:
How long does NCIX normally take to respond to changes in one's order? I ended up adding that seagate HD to my order, but it took away my reduced shipping and also wouldn't display the sale price, so I need them to change the order for me manually. I hope it doesn't delay my shipping, as I really want my new computer before Christmas. Does anyone have any experience with this?
Click to expand...
Did you add the right one?
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=36050&vpn=ST3500418AS&manufacture=Seagate&promoid=1065

You should go use their live chat function tomorrow. They were able to fix things up for me pretty quickly last time.
 
D

Dash

Junior Member
Firestorm said:
Did you add the right one?
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=36050&vpn=ST3500418AS&manufacture=Seagate&promoid=1065

You should go use their live chat function tomorrow. They were able to fix things up for me pretty quickly last time.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's the one. It took away my reduced shipping and won't display the sale price. I originally placed the order on the 12th, and had three items price matched accepted. I'm wondering if it would be better to cancel the order and redo it, but then I have to wait again on the price-match. Do you think it would be faster to do that, or have them fix my current order? It says that the 14th is the last day to put in an order and get it by Christmas (although not sure if that INCLUDES the 14th).
 
F

Firestorm

Member
Dash said:
Yes, that's the one. It took away my reduced shipping and won't display the sale price. I originally placed the order on the 12th, and had three items price matched accepted. I'm wondering if it would be better to cancel the order and redo it, but then I have to wait again on the price-match. Do you think it would be faster to do that, or have them fix my current order? It says that the 14th is the last day to put in an order and get it by Christmas (although not sure if that INCLUDES the 14th).
Click to expand...
I'd go into a live chat tomorrow and have them fix it. That'll be fastest. The promo shipping doesn't include out of stock items but that item is in stock so not sure what the issue is.

Every single item on my order is a price match aside from the 5770 =/ Although I noticed I messed up the Corsair 400CX and tried to price match the after rebate price. It'll probably get rejected but let's see! I think the 500W OCZ ModXStream might have been a better bet though. I might try to switch to that before they build it.

Anyone have thoughts between the Corsair 400W 400CX and the OCZ 500W ModXStream?
 
N

nilbog21

Banned
CPU+GPU: Phenom II x2 550 + Gigabyte 4670 - $163.99 - $10 MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.300852

Motherboard: Gigabyte MA770T-UD3P - $79.99 - $10 MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16813128392

Power Supply: OCZ ModXStream - $59.99 - $20 MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341016

RAM: G.SKILL Rijaws Series 2x2GB - $89.99 after coupon code on page
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231193

Case: Antec 300 - $54.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
 
N

nilbog21

Banned
she has two shitty 17" dell monitors

I already have a smallish case laying around, do you think that motherboard/vid card will fit or does it demand one of those newer large cases?

What about the ram, are those 2 sticks really worth 90$? Could I get something a little worse than those for like 40$? lol ;{

And is it me, but couldnt i get a better deal on a video card? that one deosnt look that good :0
 
S

SundaySounds

Banned
Heidalloon said:
Can someone help me with a build? I plan on having NCIX assemble it for me and my budget is around $1500 USD. I only plan and using it for gaming and I'd like to be able to play the majority of new games on max settings.
Click to expand...

$1500? goddam. are you looking for an AMD or Intel build?
 
B

brain_stew

Member
Heidalloon said:
Can someone help me with a build? I plan on having NCIX assemble it for me and my budget is around $1500 USD. I only plan and using it for gaming and I'd like to be able to play the majority of new games on max settings.
Click to expand...

An Oced (~3.8ghz) i7 920 + 6GB DDR3 + 5870, would be the way I'd go. If you don't want to OC, then just get an i5 750. Throw in an SSD if you've got the cash spare.
 
D

Diablohead

Member
Has the price of the average SSD dropped in the UK at all this year? thinking about grabbing something average like 32mb mostly for fast application booting (windows can stay on the 7200rpm drive) and aion which stutters like mad when loading players :lol but most place still want to ask for £100+

I hope next spring will have some price drops.
 
F

Firestorm

Member
nilbog21 said:
she has two shitty 17" dell monitors

I already have a smallish case laying around, do you think that motherboard/vid card will fit or does it demand one of those newer large cases?

What about the ram, are those 2 sticks really worth 90$? Could I get something a little worse than those for like 40$? lol ;{

And is it me, but couldnt i get a better deal on a video card? that one deosnt look that good :0
Click to expand...
For your budget, that's as good a video card as you'd be able to get I believe. I'm not too sure with US stores so if there's somewhere other than Newegg with better prices, definitely look there.

If the case is an ATX case, then yes the motherboard and video card would fit.

And yeah, $90 seems to be as cheap as it gets for 4GB of RAM now... You could try 2GB I guess.
 
D

dionysus

Yaldog
Diablohead said:
Has the price of the average SSD dropped in the UK at all this year? thinking about grabbing something average like 32mb mostly for fast application booting (windows can stay on the 7200rpm drive) and aion which stutters like mad when loading players :lol but most place still want to ask for £100+

I hope next spring will have some price drops.
Click to expand...

I just put an OS on a SSD and I have become a true believer. 15s boot times completely changed my computer behavior and I fully expect it to pay for itself in lower energy bills. I now can turn off my computer any time I am not using it. I used to leave it on all day and only turn it off at night.
 
N

nilbog21

Banned
Firestorm said:
For your budget, that's as good a video card as you'd be able to get I believe. I'm not too sure with US stores so if there's somewhere other than Newegg with better prices, definitely look there.

If the case is an ATX case, then yes the motherboard and video card would fit.

And yeah, $90 seems to be as cheap as it gets for 4GB of RAM now... You could try 2GB I guess.
Click to expand...

What exactly is an ATX case? will it be written anywhere on the case?

thanks for all the help btw firestorm, u've been a great help :]
 
V

Vallarfax

Formerly 'GMUNYIFan'
so I've been out of the technical loop for the past few years and I'm looking to build my new computer. Is there any difference between say using

AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor Model HDZ940XCGIBOX - Retail

over

Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750 - Retail

Are they comparable? Is one better than the other? I've been using an AMD dual core in my current computer and I haven't had any issues with it. I used a pentium 4 before that and I had all kinds of problems with it. Any help would be appreciated.
 
E

ElectricThunder

Member
Looking like the trigger will finally be pulled on my much anticipated/REALLY DAMN NERVOUS PC order via Newegg come likely this Fri/Sat. There's no mystery to me at this point for some stuff:

1. Not messing with a sound card.
2. 4GB DDR3 RAM...probably those G.SKILL ones that always get linked to.
3. Win 7 64, version with the XP virtual dealie but not the top end one with BitLocker and whatever.
4. Either an i5-750 or an AMD X4/X3 something....will depend on what I can figure out cost/performance/period wise in terms of the graphics card and dual monitor.
5. Nothing elaborate most likely on kb, mouse, speakers..wired though for sure on the first 2.
6. ATI something for GPU, probably a question of which of the more recent ones are actually in stock/make sense/run cool.

Main thing I'm utterly lost on due to such a vast array is the question of monitor(s).

I've never ran this PC, any PC, at a resolution higher than 1024x768 except one time it was necessary to turn it one tick higher in order for a full screen video to display properly on Newgrounds. With a dual monitor setup, Could I manage it to where one screen is perhaps "modern" at the proper HD res of 1900somthingxwhatever, as the screen for modern gaming and video watching, and have the other be a lesser monitor meant for notes and such along multasking lines with programming and game development? Or is it the case where I'd almost certainly want to just 2 competent monitors of the same make?

For my own personal use, I can't see wanting to turn my resolution up per se from whatever the stock setting would be for modern gaming/video watching unless it improved the performance of the game or made video playback less choppy than some stuff is in recent times...but I can reckon such would be needed/useful on the dev side in terms of visual fidelity since I'd strongly reckon I'm in the minority on this front.

I have no idea what monitor(s) to get period, but I do know I want them to be on the cheaper side of things as there's a big difference between doubling say 200 and 400 versus the cost of the other general components as I understand the gist of them. Budget wise is still as I've mentioned before---closer to 1000 the better so I can use the remainder for dev related software purchases. I'll be sitting right in front of the things, planning to either shift my head/eyes left or right depending to look at the second one for notes and such.

When all is said and done, I just want something that'll flat out work well without costing a ton and allow me to catch up/stay current on gaming, likely at nowhere near the max resolutions, for a good while---on top of having enough helpful bits like the dual monitors to give me what edges I can get dev/learning wise. There's too many damned monitors though---nowhere near as clear cut and evolved as the likes of GPU choices and such.

Help! :lol
 
B

brain_stew

Member
GMUNYIFan said:
so I've been out of the technical loop for the past few years and I'm looking to build my new computer. Is there any difference between say using

AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor Model HDZ940XCGIBOX - Retail

over

Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750 - Retail

Are they comparable? Is one better than the other? I've been using an AMD dual core in my current computer and I haven't had any issues with it. I used a pentium 4 before that and I had all kinds of problems with it. Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

The second processor is much faster.
 
D

Dash

Junior Member
brain_stew said:
An Oced (~3.8ghz) i7 920 + 6GB DDR3 + 5870, would be the way I'd go. If you don't want to OC, then just get an i5 750. Throw in an SSD if you've got the cash spare.
Click to expand...

Well an i5 750 is just as good for overclocking, assuming you buy the right motherboard.

Firestorm said:
I'd go into a live chat tomorrow and have them fix it. That'll be fastest. The promo shipping doesn't include out of stock items but that item is in stock so not sure what the issue is.
Click to expand...

I ended up just making a new order so I wouldn't have to obsess about it today. They price-matched it first thing in the morning too! I hope you're as lucky with your order.
 
F

Firestorm

Member
nilbog21 said:
What exactly is an ATX case? will it be written anywhere on the case?

thanks for all the help btw firestorm, u've been a great help :]
Click to expand...
It wouldn't. Do you have the model number? You can Google it.

ElectricThunder said:
Looking like the trigger will finally be pulled on my much anticipated/REALLY DAMN NERVOUS PC order via Newegg come likely this Fri/Sat. There's no mystery to me at this point for some stuff:

1. Not messing with a sound card.
2. 4GB DDR3 RAM...probably those G.SKILL ones that always get linked to.
3. Win 7 64, version with the XP virtual dealie but not the top end one with BitLocker and whatever.
4. Either an i5-750 or an AMD X4/X3 something....will depend on what I can figure out cost/performance/period wise in terms of the graphics card and dual monitor.
5. Nothing elaborate most likely on kb, mouse, speakers..wired though for sure on the first 2.
6. ATI something for GPU, probably a question of which of the more recent ones are actually in stock/make sense/run cool.

Main thing I'm utterly lost on due to such a vast array is the question of monitor(s).

I've never ran this PC, any PC, at a resolution higher than 1024x768 except one time it was necessary to turn it one tick higher in order for a full screen video to display properly on Newgrounds. With a dual monitor setup, Could I manage it to where one screen is perhaps "modern" at the proper HD res of 1900somthingxwhatever, as the screen for modern gaming and video watching, and have the other be a lesser monitor meant for notes and such along multasking lines with programming and game development? Or is it the case where I'd almost certainly want to just 2 competent monitors of the same make?

For my own personal use, I can't see wanting to turn my resolution up per se from whatever the stock setting would be for modern gaming/video watching unless it improved the performance of the game or made video playback less choppy than some stuff is in recent times...but I can reckon such would be needed/useful on the dev side in terms of visual fidelity since I'd strongly reckon I'm in the minority on this front.

I have no idea what monitor(s) to get period, but I do know I want them to be on the cheaper side of things as there's a big difference between doubling say 200 and 400 versus the cost of the other general components as I understand the gist of them. Budget wise is still as I've mentioned before---closer to 1000 the better so I can use the remainder for dev related software purchases. I'll be sitting right in front of the things, planning to either shift my head/eyes left or right depending to look at the second one for notes and such.

When all is said and done, I just want something that'll flat out work well without costing a ton and allow me to catch up/stay current on gaming, likely at nowhere near the max resolutions, for a good while---on top of having enough helpful bits like the dual monitors to give me what edges I can get dev/learning wise. There's too many damned monitors though---nowhere near as clear cut and evolved as the likes of GPU choices and such.

Help! :lol
Click to expand...
If you can, buy a key for Windows 7 online instead of buying an OEM disc. People are selling their MSDN and MSDNAA keys all over the place for $10 - $20.

Dash said:
I ended up just making a new order so I wouldn't have to obsess about it today. They price-matched it first thing in the morning too! I hope you're as lucky with your order.
Click to expand...
Yeah they accepted my PM for the after rebate price =O Don't think I'm gonna worry about modxstream vs this. $43 for a corsair psu seems good =P
 
B

brain_stew

Member
Dash said:
Well an i5 750 is just as good for overclocking, assuming you buy the right motherboard.
Click to expand...

That's a pretty big assumption though, do we actually have a list of "100% A-OK" motherboards yet? I personally wouldn't buy a socket 1156 motherboard without an assurance the Foxconn issue is totally fixed, as OCing is a huge reason why I prefer a custom build, and there's no way I'd OC anything with one of the faulty sockets.

With a $1500 budget you can avoid the issue altogether, that's why I made the suggestion.
 
Minsc

Minsc

Gold Member
dionysus said:
I just put an OS on a SSD and I have become a true believer. 15s boot times completely changed my computer behavior and I fully expect it to pay for itself in lower energy bills. I now can turn off my computer any time I am not using it. I used to leave it on all day and only turn it off at night.
Click to expand...

Why not just use sleep mode? I love my SSD too, but sleep is instantaneous for me, the computers up and running before the monitor flashes on.
 
S

Spl1nter

Member
Ordered my new computer from NCIX. Came to around 900 CAD all said and done. A few dollars over the $700 build because of some accessories I wanted. Added a 22 inch monitor for 150. Alot of money but will be so worth it. Never had a computer before that could max out games or even close to it. The 5770 better be amazing for the money it cost. Been gaming on a laptop for so long, pretty excited to put it together.
 
D

Dash

Junior Member
brain_stew said:
That's a pretty big assumption though, do we actually have a list of "100% A-OK" motherboards yet? I personally wouldn't buy a socket 1156 motherboard without an assurance the Foxconn issue is totally fixed, as OCing is a huge reason why I prefer a custom build, and there's no way I'd OC anything with one of the faulty sockets.

With a $1500 budget you can avoid the issue altogether, that's why I made the suggestion.
Click to expand...

True, if I had a $1500 budget I'd probably go with the 920. However, given my limited funds, and after hours spent pouring through forum threads on the foxconn socket issue, I'm 99% convinced that EVGA's line of 1156 motherboards are not affected by the issue and are safe to overclock without restriction.
 
V

Vallarfax

Formerly 'GMUNYIFan'
So this is a machine I just put together looking over newegg while I'm at work. The difference in price between the core i5 and core i7 are pretty close and I was wondering whether it would be better for me to purchase the i7 for a more future-proof computer, or if there weren't any real benefits to buying the i7. Also the video card is only 128-bit, should I invest some more into a 256-bit video card? I'm looking to keep this build under $1000USD if possible. Here is what I currently have:

Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750 - Retail

ASRock P55 Extreme LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

MSI R5750-PM2D1G Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - Retail

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ - Retail

Western Digital Caviar Green WD15EADS 1.5TB SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Total cost: $690.95 USD

I already have a case, DVDRW drives, and 500W rosewill power supply. Would 500W be sufficient for this machine? Thoughts?
 
M

Metroidvania

People called Romanes they go the house?
My plan for my first custom PC began between my friend and I back in October, but I didn't have the capital at the time. Now, getting closer to Christmas, I've realized any parts I could get as Christmas gifts instead would be helpful, but I should probably let relatives know soonish. :p

Now, I know some things have changed since October, and was wondering what the more tech knowledgeable would improve upon this list while keeping in the 600-700ish dollar range.

NZXT Beta Series CS-NT-BETA-B Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $40.00

GIGABYTE GA-MA785GMT-UD2H AM3 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $90.00

ASUS EAH5770/2DIS/1GD5 Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video ... - Retail9 ~$160.00

My friend mentioned that this appears to be discontinued, but he thinks ASUS changed the product ID# so Newegg has to make a new entry. We'll see shortly, I suppose.

CORSAIR CMPSU-450VX 450W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail $65.00

Out of stock. ETA: 12/15/2009.

AMD Athlon II X3 435 Rana 2.9GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Processor Model ADX435WFGIBOX - Retail $120.00

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9D-4GBNT - Retail $90.00

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD753LJ 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive -Bare Drive
 $70.00

Current total: $635.00 plus random shipping.

Are there any upgrades/essentials anyone would suggest while keeping in the 700ish range?

Any help is appreciated.
 
P

pestul

Member
nilbog21 said:
ok i will. also, do you think that rig could run on an old 400W PSU i have laying around? :O
Click to expand...
Probably work, but you may need adapters for things like SATA devices and PCI-E videocards. Come to think of it, I'm not even sure my Antec Truepower 430 (older) had enough cables for just my motherboard power.. dunno. I knew it couldn't power my 5850 due to connectors (could have substituted).
 
F

Firestorm

Member
Firestorm said:
Check your PMs. Also remember it's just a class you have to be taking (like an elective) in the department.

You're missing an HDD and DVD Drive in that build by the way. Do you have those too?

If so:
Antec Three Hundred Mini Tower ATX Case - $58.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=29812

Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3P Motherboard - $89.88
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?affiliateid=4352418&sku=40118

G.SKILL DDR3 PC3-10666 4GB Dual Channel Kit - After Price Match it's $96.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?affiliateid=4352418&sku=42743
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231275

Phenom II X4 940 - $159.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?affiliateid=4352418&sku=35467&promoid=1030

Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB - After Price Mach it's $69.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=34286&promoid=1006
http://www.peonline.ca/main.php/en/product/35622

Liteon IHAS124 24X DVD Writer SATA Black OEM - after Price Match it's $25.48
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=45244&vpn=IHAS124-04
http://www.bedirect.ca/english/index.php?NoCategory=112413&SProdNb=0146-0041

$501.21 + $8 shipping + 5% tax = $534.27 not including Windows.
Click to expand...
!! I just found out that AM2/AM2+ processors aren't compatible with AM3 boards even though AM3 processors are compatible with AM2/AM2+ boards. You'll need to get this processor and not the one listed above:

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=44947&vpn=HDX925WFGIBOX&manufacture=AMD
 
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