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[Zyzyxxz]

What do you guys think of this one?

I'm not a big PC gamer but would like to play games that requires some level of high-end graphics, as well as a multimedia center (able to watch TV, plays PS3 on it, etc), and is at least 5-year proof in terms of performance and spec.

Thanks.

you're not gonna play that many games on it as a 9600M isn't very strong, good for laptops but shitty for desktops.

I mean you can buy a pre-built one from Dell and then buy a nice LCD HDTV yourself and have a better computer and a bigger monitor that can still be used for TV.

Anyway I'm worried about the electricity usage of my computer and I'm trying to calculate the additional costs to my bill for my next computer built.

I'm estimating I'll be using around 200W (overestimating) idle and probably 450-500W on high load.

Assuming I'm idling most of the time since I only game two or three hours a day but leave it on for 12 hours a day at least. GAF, check my math.

The rate for electricity is ~$0.14/ kilowatt hour (=1000W?). Does that mean since my supposedly 200W idle is 1/5th of the rate then I'd be spending about $0.028/hr running my machine?

 

[Hazaro]

Anyway I'm worried about the electricity usage of my computer and I'm trying to calculate the additional costs to my bill for my next computer built.

I'm estimating I'll be using around 200W (overestimating) idle and probably 450-500W on high load.

Assuming I'm idling most of the time since I only game two or three hours a day but leave it on for 12 hours a day at least. GAF, check my math.

The rate for electricity is ~$0.14/ kilowatt hour (=1000W?). Does that mean since my supposedly 200W idle is 1/5th of the rate then I'd be spending about $0.028/hr running my machine?

More like 120w idle and 400w load tops.

 

[Hazaro]

What do you guys think of this one?

I'm not a big PC gamer but would like to play games that requires some level of high-end graphics, as well as a multimedia center (able to watch TV, plays PS3 on it, etc), and is at least 5-year proof in terms of performance and spec.

Thanks.

I typed out a long response and lost it because I changed tabs, sigh.

I'd go with a DELL, something like this: http://i44.tinypic.com/2yo5z69.jpg

However there's no PCI-E slot for the Tuner Card, and other crap like that.
You would want a person who you could feedback to.

This is about what I would go with: (It's a grab list to show the kind of specs, did it quick)

Heck, I'd almost even build it for you, but the issue is that in case something went wrong you'd need to take it to a PC repair place or something. My rig is still going strong after 2 years though .

p.s. Victim, read those wiki articles on top

 

[Zyzyxxz]

More like 120w idle and 400w load tops.

well I'm overestimating right now.

I have no idea what videocard I will end up getting and how many hard drives I plan to run in it.

All I know is that I'm probably getting a E8400 for the cpu and I already bought a Seasonic 700W PSU.

Can't decide whether to get a 4870 now or wait for GTX 280 prices to start dropping.

 

[Hazaro]

well I'm overestimating right now.

I have no idea what videocard I will end up getting and how many hard drives I plan to run in it.

All I know is that I'm probably getting a E8400 for the cpu and I already bought a Seasonic 700W PSU.

Can't decide whether to get a 4870 now or wait for GTX 280 prices to start dropping.

HDD = 12 watts
GPU = DO NOT MISTAKE THIS AS BUYING A PSU AT THESE WATTAGES.

 

[Shadow780]

you're not gonna play that many games on it as a 9600M isn't very strong, good for laptops but shitty for desktops.

I mean you can buy a pre-built one from Dell and then buy a nice LCD HDTV yourself and have a better computer and a bigger monitor that can still be used for TV.

I see, thanks for the response. The thing is that I already have a Sony 52XBR, so HDTV is not needed, and because I love iMac so I'd like to go with a good all-in-one PC.

I typed out a long response and lost it because I changed tabs, sigh.

I'd go with a DELL, something like this: http://i44.tinypic.com/2yo5z69.jpg

Yeah thanks but I prefer no case, are Dell's all-in-one PCs any good though?

 

[Hazaro]

Yeah thanks but I prefer no case, are Dell's all-in-one PCs any good though?

No All-in-One will last you 5 years and offer the features you want.
Unless you get some custom case work done. (Some people have done stuff like this)
Even then it will still be bulky.

The GPU's we are talking about are 2"x10.5"x4" and weigh over a pound. You'd have 2 of them.

 

[Shadow780]

Yeah thanks for the advices, I'll get back to research then...

 

[Zyzyxxz]

HDD = 12 watts
GPU = DO NOT MISTAKE THIS AS BUYING A PSU AT THESE WATTAGES.

I already bought a 700W so that should be sufficient but thanks for the charts but these conflict with the ones I've been looking at.

I was reading up GTX 280 reviews and for this one website it had the load for Crysis Warhead at 330+ watts. Why so much variations?

 

[Luigison]

Tablet laptop, I'm assuming?

Lenovo: Mid-High price, lightweight, best keyboard, good-great battery life
Dell: High-Very High price, very light/thin, lots of tech
HP: Cheap-Mid Price, still quite functional
Fujitsu: Pricey, but they have a few different models, usually including a slate
Sony: Absurdly small, slow, expensive
Toshiba: Mid range pricing, always focusing on performance over weight/battery

Personally, Dell might be the way to go on a sky-high budget, but I love my Lenovo for the keyboard and overall functionality in a slimbook. HP is easily the way to go if you are budgeting around a thousand or less, and I see some of them offer low-end ATi if you want to play games anyway. The vast majority of tablets use integrated graphics chipsets only. Places like TabletPCReview are actually worth a look to get a grasp of the various models.

If you want to really go low-tech, netbooks should eventually start seeing touchscreens, but how useful they are really remains to be seen.

Thanks!

 

[Clever Pun]

I have a real problem... The problem is I can not decide what case to get.

It is standing between Antec Three Hundred and Antec P182.

Most importantly is the sound level and secondly the cooling. I am going to buy new more quiet fans for the case I end up with. But my question is how much difference there is in the noise level between the two cases? Is it worth to pay 120% more for the P182?

And since I am going to buy a bigger heatsink for the CPU will things like the Noctua heatsink fit in the Antec Three Hundred? Cooling is of some importance as I am going to clock the CPU. So here again, is it worth the extra money for the difference in airflow the P182 gives you?

Thanks beforehand for your input on this.

Just to follow up on, I know you've heard from a P182 user, so I thought I would give you my 300 experience from my build yesterday.

Setup:
Q6600 stock cooler
2 120mm 29dbA fans for front intake
Sapphire HD 4830
WD 640GB drive
PC Power & Cooling 500W PSU (silent series)

On the whole, I'm very happy with the case and build. Even with 4 fans, it's quieter than the single fan and psu in my old dell. That isn't to say I can't hear the fans at all, but it's not distracting and with music or game noise I don't think I would even notice it. I'm also very pleased with how well it cools (under ~40% load, the CPU temp never got over 50C).

I also like how all the edges are rounded, so I didn't have to worry about cutting myself while digging around inside. The case was spacious, plenty of room for everything, and the cable management is easy. Also, I actually think it looks nicer in person than it did on newegg.

Overall, very nice case, stays cool with extra fans, and is quiet enough for me. I would say that if you bought nicer extra fans (with variable speeds or lower dbA) you wouldn't worry about noise at all with it. I've never used the p182, but for the price I paid for the 300 ($40 at a local MicroCenter) you'd have to really want a completely quiet case to spend the extra on the p182. Then again, maybe I'm just not as concerned about the noise level? Hope that helps!

 

[samven582]

What do guys think of my built? I already got a gtx 280 that i got for $200.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz 12MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor - $282.99
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 - $119.00
G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) - $49.00
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb - $74.00
Samsung SH-222F 22X DVD±R SATA DVD Burner - $23.99

Noctua NH-U12P 120mm SSO CPU Cooler - $59.00
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX - $159.99

total - $878.30 with shipping

 

[VictimOfGrief]

I typed out a long response and lost it because I changed tabs, sigh.

I'd go with a DELL, something like this: http://i44.tinypic.com/2yo5z69.jpg

However there's no PCI-E slot for the Tuner Card, and other crap like that.
You would want a person who you could feedback to.

This is about what I would go with: (It's a grab list to show the kind of specs, did it quick)
[IMGpic[/IMG]

Heck, I'd almost even build it for you, but the issue is that in case something went wrong you'd need to take it to a PC repair place or something. My rig is still going strong after 2 years though .

p.s. Victim, read those wiki articles on top

Looked, didn't see anything.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

What do guys think of my built? I already got a gtx 280 that i got for $200.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz 12MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor - $282.99
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 - $119.00
G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) - $49.00
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb - $74.00
Samsung SH-222F 22X DVD±R SATA DVD Burner - $23.99

Noctua NH-U12P 120mm SSO CPU Cooler - $59.00
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX - $159.99

total - $878.30 with shipping

Did you get the GTX 280 thru buy.com's price error? Just curious.

As for your build everything seems good but if you have a Fry's near you can you buy a Seasonic M12, 700W PSU for $70 minus a $30 rebate.

 

[samven582]

Did you get the GTX 280 thru buy.com's price error? Just curious.

As for your build everything seems good but if you have a Fry's near you can you buy a Seasonic M12, 700W PSU for $70 minus a $30 rebate.

yes I did get my GTX 280 thru buy.com's price error

 

[Chairhome]

Okay, this is going to be a very noobish question, please treat me delicately.
Last year, when the 8800gt came out, I was very interested in purchasing one because it was highly acclaimed and had a very low price.

I'm still interested in purchasing one now, especially seeing as I'm on a budget, and I feel it would be a decent upgrade from my 8600gt that I'm using now. However, looking for it on newegg and similar sites, the 8800gt looks like its not being sold anymore. Are they so inferior now that they're not being sold/made? And if so, what would be an appropriate purchase for around $120 or so?

 

[Zyzyxxz]

yes I did get my GTX 280 thru buy.com's price error

you lucky bastard you!

 

[brain_stew]

Okay, this is going to be a very noobish question, please treat me delicately.
Last year, when the 8800gt came out, I was very interested in purchasing one because it was highly acclaimed and had a very low price.

I'm still interested in purchasing one now, especially seeing as I'm on a budget, and I feel it would be a decent upgrade from my 8600gt that I'm using now. However, looking for it on newegg and similar sites, the 8800gt looks like its not being sold anymore. Are they so inferior now that they're not being sold/made? And if so, what would be an appropriate purchase for around $120 or so?

Nvidia renamed it to the 9800GT. Same exact card except some of them are starting to using a smaller process node now.

However in your price range the ATI 4830 is the best bang for your buck at under $100 you're getting some really, really impressive performance generally better than a 8800GT. If you can up your budget by $10/20 though you can afford a 4850 which is an even better card, and is enough to pump out most games @ 1080p60hz or so I'm finding anyway.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Should I be going with a Phenom II 920 or E8400, both perform about the same in games but the Phenom is slightly more expensive.

 

[avaya]

Should I be going with a Phenom II 920 or E8400, both perform about the same in games but the Phenom is slightly more expensive.

Games will become increasingly multi-threaded. The choice is easy unless you plan to upgrade your CPU every 2 years.

 

[Numbers]

I'm having problems with my new 4850 when trying to have a dual monitor set up.

I found this: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1336696 and I think I'm willing to flash my GPU's bios but not through windows.

Can anyone link me to a program that I can boot from that will flash my 4850's bios?

 

[K.Jack]

I'm having problems with my new 4850 when trying to have a dual monitor set up.

I found this: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1336696 and I think I'm willing to flash my GPU's bios but not through windows.

Can anyone link me to a program that I can boot from that will flash my 4850's bios?

I have bootfiles for a usb stick, which will get you to the C prompt. Will that work for you?

I don't have an ATi flashing utility though.

 

[Chairhome]

Nvidia renamed it to the 9800GT. Same exact card except some of them are starting to using a smaller process node now.

However in your price range the ATI 4830 is the best bang for your buck at under $100 you're getting some really, really impressive performance generally better than a 8800GT. If you can up your budget by $10/20 though you can afford a 4850 which is an even better card, and is enough to pump out most games @ 1080p60hz or so I'm finding anyway.

Oh, okay, that makes much more sense now. Thank you for the clarification.

I'll look into the 4830 or 4850, I was just tending to stay on the NVIDIA side of things. I appreciate it!

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Ok I think I've decided on the final build for my new computer:

Seasonic M12, 700W --- $40 after rebate
Intel E8400, 3.0ghz --- $165
Asus P5Q Pro P45 --- $115 after rebate
Crucial Ballistix 4gb --- $20 after rebate
ATi 4870 --- ~$200 after rebate (haven't decided brand)
WD 640 gig AAKS --- $75

Any comments?

 

[Hazaro]

I already bought a 700W so that should be sufficient but thanks for the charts but these conflict with the ones I've been looking at.

I was reading up GTX 280 reviews and for this one website it had the load for Crysis Warhead at 330+ watts. Why so much variations?

System set-up. More RAM, bigger overclock, different stock speeds (Manf. GPU), extra fans or HDD. What is more important is how the wattages are relevant to each other.
I've talked with the guy who runs the site and he really knows his stuff.

Looked, didn't see anything.

Those articles are awesome :[

I found this: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1336696 and I think I'm willing to flash my GPU's bios but not through windows.

Can anyone link me to a program that I can boot from that will flash my 4850's bios?

Going to bed, but check xtremesystems under the mods section. Should be something there. nbitor or something like that. (For ATi)

Crucial Ballistix 4gb --- $20 after rebate
Any comments?

Ballistix are not great anymore, get a set of 4GB from corsair with a rebate, or just buy G.Skill.
Also if possible get a PowerColor ATi card.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Ballistix are not great anymore, get a set of 4GB from corsair with a rebate, or just buy G.Skill.
Also if possible get a PowerColor ATi card.

What's specifically wrong with the ballistix if I may ask?

Also I've heard Powercolor has crappy warranty support. I'm kinda leaning toward a Asus brand though.

 

[Leonsito]

I've been thinking in buying a new case, currently I have this one:

http://www.bytesizedreviews.com/arnie/quiet/chieftec.jpg

Entire steel, two 8cm fan in the front and two more in the back, so it's heavy and lousy, but I like the space and the way the HDD are fitted.

I've been thinking in buying a new one, but I can't decide within this ones:

Antec Twelve Hundred
Lian-Li PC-7FWB

Anyone have one of this or a better recommendation?

Also, I noticed that in both cases the PSU goes in the bottom, but my PSU has a 12cm fan in the bottom too, it's the PSU put upside-down in the new cases or what?

Thanks for the help

 

[Rimshot]

Ok I think I've decided on the final build for my new computer:

Seasonic M12, 700W --- $40 after rebate
Intel E8400, 3.0ghz --- $165
Asus P5Q Pro P45 --- $115 after rebate
Crucial Ballistix 4gb --- $20 after rebate
ATi 4870 --- ~$200 after rebate (haven't decided brand)
WD 640 gig AAKS --- $75

Any comments?

I would just make a simple change. WD 640GB AALS as I've recommended earlier in this thread. It has 32MB cache instead of 16MB. And is the disk with the lowest noise output in mine and many others experience.

Haven't tried AAKS though, might be it's as quiet

 

[Minsc]

Ballistix are not great anymore, get a set of 4GB from corsair with a rebate, or just buy G.Skill.

Do you have any kind of link showing the differences between RAM in terms of gaming? All the information I could find pointed towards it being highly irrelevant. If you have something show otherwise, please share!

 

[Rimshot]

Do you have any kind of link showing the differences between RAM in terms of gaming? All the information I could find pointed towards it being highly irrelevant. If you have something show otherwise, please share!

I think what he is talking about is not the performance in games but the reliability of the RAM, how many errors it makes, if they ship bad batches today etc. And how much freeway you have when clocking the RAM.

But then again I do not know him so I don't know what he really meant. One can only guess.

 

[sun-drop]

i wanna do a dirt cheep upgrade from a athlonxp system than 'just' is able to run 720p video, if i use VLC.

so not a gaming rig, something that'll play 1080p media, will run windows 7 just fine, and encode my psp vids quicker than i am.

so not too demanding. was looking around NZD$450ish (US$230) for mainboard,cpu,ram,and graphics card. total


so far i have locked down in my mind:

Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 (which is cheep and overclock freindly)
2 GB DDR2 ram
ATI Radeon HD 3450


and i was looking at the P35 based Asustek P5K-SE motherboard .... is that a good option? i'm not fussed about raid, i like the eSATA onboard. or is there something in the same price range that offers better futureproofing? is the P35 chipset the way to go for what i want?

 

[Threi]

This is what i have right now:

Core 2 Duo E4300
1GB DDR400 (DDR1)
160GB SATAII
ASRock 775I65G
ATI x700Pro (AGP)



Im thinking of doing a dirt cheap upgrade just to get my components out of the "obsolete formats" (look at the bolded in my specs)

I am straying far away from the "gaming rig" route, so I just want something that can run Win7 smoothly. I plan on keeping the CPU and HDD for now.

this is just a minor performance upgrade from what i have, and my budget is about $200-$250 for a Mobo, VC, and Ram (2GB, 4GB if i have money left over).

Im searching the usual sites right now but any suggestions?

*edit* one note: I am right now satisfied with the performance of my rig, I would just like a minor performance upgrade with non-obsolete components.

 

[samven582]

Ok I think I've decided on the final build for my new computer:

Seasonic M12, 700W --- $40 after rebate
Intel E8400, 3.0ghz --- $165
Asus P5Q Pro P45 --- $115 after rebate
Crucial Ballistix 4gb --- $20 after rebate
ATi 4870 --- ~$200 after rebate (haven't decided brand)
WD 640 gig AAKS --- $75

Any comments?

I recommend Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3L and save some money unless you want the go crossfire?

 

[Tideas]

I recommend Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3L and save some money unless you want the go crossfire?

Is this the $100 mobo that everyone and their mom recommends?

Btw, anybody know when we can expect the next price drop in GPU? like, when Nvidia is gonna announce their 55nm 260?

 

[Cheeto]

This is what i have right now:

Core 2 Duo E4300
1GB DDR400 (DDR1)
160GB SATAII
ASRock 775I65G
ATI x700Pro (AGP)
Im thinking of doing a dirt cheap upgrade just to get my components out of the "obsolete formats" (look at the bolded in my specs)

I am straying far away from the "gaming rig" route, so I just want something that can run Win7 smoothly. I plan on keeping the CPU and HDD for now.

this is just a minor performance upgrade from what i have, and my budget is about $200-$250 for a Mobo, VC, and Ram (2GB, 4GB if i have money left over).

Im searching the usual sites right now but any suggestions?

*edit* one note: I am right now satisfied with the performance of my rig, I would just like a minor performance upgrade with non-obsolete components.

GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G31-$52.99

G.SKILL 2GB -$31

SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4850 512MB $144.99

Couple more dollars and you can get 4gb of RAM, if you want. Even though you said you were straying away from the gaming rig route, these parts would put you back into it and within your budget.

 

[samven582]

Is this the $100 mobo that everyone and their mom recommends?

Btw, anybody know when we can expect the next price drop in GPU? like, when Nvidia is gonna announce their 55nm 260?

they already have released 55nm 260 (aka core216)

and yes this is the board everyone and their mom recommends :lol

 

[fatigues_gasolini]

What would be a good step up from a 8800gt?

 

[Maaseru]

SO I bought so new parts and this is the first time I build a pc.

I have a problem. I plugged everything in like it's supposed to, but the pc doesnt boot up. No fans turn or neither the heatsink. I don't think it's a MB problem cause the standby and dimm lights turn on and it's not the PS cuase it gives power to the cases LED. So I have narrowed it down to the CPU.

Am I right? What tips CAn you give me to totaly confirm this? (I don't have acces to any other MB so I can test the CPu or viceversa)

 

[brain_stew]

GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G31-$52.99

G.SKILL 2GB -$31

SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4850 512MB $144.99

Couple more dollars and you can get 4gb of RAM, if you want. Even though you said you were straying away from the gaming rig route, these parts would put you back into it and within your budget.

As gaming isn't a priority I'd go with a 4830 for $90 instead, and as 4GB RAM is dirt cheap, might as well spend the extra $10. That'll leave enough for a much better motherboard (P43-DS3L is an ideal choice) and aftermarket cooler so that he can OC that chip to 3ghz and have top of the line performance for pennies. Follow these links:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102803

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128347

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835200036

$230 all in, and once you've OCed your CPU (astonishingly easy on that Gigabyte motherboard, anyone that can put together a PC is capable of doing it) you'll actually be able to max out Crysis at 720p/30hz.

That'd be money very well spent.

SO I bought so new parts and this is the first time I build a pc.

I have a problem. I plugged everything in like it's supposed to, but the pc doesnt boot up. No fans turn or neither the heatsink. I don't think it's a MB problem cause the standby and dimm lights turn on and it's not the PS cuase it gives power to the cases LED. So I have narrowed it down to the CPU.

Am I right? What tips CAn you give me to totaly confirm this? (I don't have acces to any other MB so I can test the CPu or viceversa)

You plugged in the 4 pin CPU power connector to the motherboard?

What would be a good step up from a 8800gt?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161247

Quite a nice upgrade for $215. Anything above this and you're letting bang for buck go out the window. You might actually be better of waiting a little while as new GPUs should be just around the corner and that 8800GT is still no slouch.

 

[Ysiadmihi]

SO I bought so new parts and this is the first time I build a pc.

I have a problem. I plugged everything in like it's supposed to, but the pc doesnt boot up. No fans turn or neither the heatsink. I don't think it's a MB problem cause the standby and dimm lights turn on and it's not the PS cuase it gives power to the cases LED. So I have narrowed it down to the CPU.

Am I right? What tips CAn you give me to totaly confirm this? (I don't have acces to any other MB so I can test the CPu or viceversa)

Are you sure your mounted your motherboard properly, as in no part of it is shorting against the case?

 

[kodt]

What would be a good step up from a 8800gt?

ATI 4870, Nvidia GTX 260

The 1GB 4870 and Core 216 version of the 260 are even better in each case.

 

[Tideas]

they already have released 55nm 260 (aka core216)

and yes this is the board everyone and their mom recommends :lol

so when can we expect the next price drop for GPUs?

And what's the diff between that mobo and these

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128359

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358 (besides the extra PCI 2.0)

 

[Threi]

As gaming isn't a priority I'd go with a 4830 for $90 instead, and as 4GB RAM is dirt cheap, might as well spend the extra $10. That'll leave enough for a much better motherboard (P43-DS3L is an ideal choice) and aftermarket cooler so that he can OC that chip to 3ghz and have top of the line performance for pennies. Follow these links:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102803

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128347

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835200036

$230 all in, and once you've OCed your CPU (astonishingly easy on that Gigabyte motherboard, anyone that can put together a PC is capable of doing it) you'll actually be able to max out Crysis at 720p/30hz.

That'd be money very well spent.

this is perfect thanks

 

[brain_stew]

this is perfect thanks

Happy to help, crazy what you can get for your money these days. If you want to penny pinch even more Newegg have an open box P43-DS3L if you're quick:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128347R

Would mean you're barely paying $200. Ridiculous really, my brother's got that motherboard and I can't fault it, makes overclocking a cakewalk.

 

[CAVE343]

you're not gonna play that many games on it as a 9600M isn't very strong, good for laptops but shitty for desktops.

I mean you can buy a pre-built one from Dell and then buy a nice LCD HDTV yourself and have a better computer and a bigger monitor that can still be used for TV.

Anyway I'm worried about the electricity usage of my computer and I'm trying to calculate the additional costs to my bill for my next computer built.

I'm estimating I'll be using around 200W (overestimating) idle and probably 450-500W on high load.

Assuming I'm idling most of the time since I only game two or three hours a day but leave it on for 12 hours a day at least. GAF, check my math.

The rate for electricity is ~$0.14/ kilowatt hour (=1000W?). Does that mean since my supposedly 200W idle is 1/5th of the rate then I'd be spending about $0.028/hr running my machine?

I have a 4870X2 + E8400 and 1 HDD and my energy bill has gone through the roof since I have this setup. Well not really, but the bill is much higher now.

They need to make these high end card more power sufficient, hope the next line will be

 

[Threi]

Happy to help, crazy what you can get for your money these days. If you want to penny pinch even more Newegg have an open box P43-DS3L if you're quick:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128347R

Would mean you're barely paying $200. Ridiculous really, my brother's got that motherboard and I can't fault it, makes overclocking a cakewalk.

yeah the curveball in that plan is:

 

[VictimOfGrief]

What would be a good step up from a 8800gt?

If you can wait a while longer, the GT212 cards (40nm) are coming oh so close.

However if not, the 260/285/295 are compelling choices.

That of course depends mostly on your PSU and if it can handle those higher end cards.

What's nice is the 285 is driving Nvidia card prices down like a mother f'er. I'd say by February, we'll see discounts and rebates for Core 216(260's) below $200 bucks, 280's below $230, 285's below $325 after rebates.

The 295 is most likely going to be sticking around $400-475 mark for a while.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

I have a 4870X2 + E8400 and 1 HDD and my energy bill has gone through the roof since I have this setup. Well not really, but the bill is much higher now.

They need to make these high end card more power sufficient, hope the next line will be

one of the compelling reasons for the newer 295 card vs. the 4870x2. That said though, with that system spec, do you leave your system on 24/7?

 

[Tideas]

If you can wait a while longer, the GT212 cards (40nm) are coming oh so close.

However if not, the 260/285/295 are compelling choices.

That of course depends mostly on your PSU and if it can handle those higher end cards.

What's nice is the 285 is driving Nvidia card prices down like a mother f'er. I'd say by February, we'll see discounts and rebates for Core 216(260's) below $200 bucks, 280's below $230, 285's below $325 after rebates.

The 295 is most likely going to be sticking around $400-475 mark for a while.

when is the 40nm coming?

 

[Zyzyxxz]

I recommend Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3L and save some money unless you want the go crossfire?

yeah I wanted to go Crossfire but I'm still open to changes.

The thing is the Nvidia cards use less power at idle but the 280 is out of my price range and I'm not sure if I wanna get a 260 over a 4870.

I might just pop in my old ATi X1800XT temporarily while I wait for a deal though.