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[Hazaro]

Yeah I know, but I won't be OC'ing all the time (not during summer for example, my room gets too hot and I am mostly at the beach anyway). That is also why I got the Rampage II. I OC on the go manually by just pressing a stick, and it OC's through Bios. Also, I have the processor at 3.3 GHz stable on the stock cooler. I am still thinking about which cooler I will get. I was strongly thinking about getting the same cooler as Victim since it is still the higuest ranked air cooling solution in [H], but I might go the watercooling route, and just OC all the time. Also air cooling solutions will fuck screw up once I get the fans for the dominator, and OC my memory to 1800.


edit: Ohh and my 4870x2 started overheating, so I am using my spare right now. I will post some benches later, but I can link to a couple pics of some numbers I got before I had to RMA my card.

That's another $250 for another stock 0.33Ghz, when the 920 OC's to 3.3 just as easily.
I don't understand.

Water is not suited for the abuse my computer takes and I worry if something goes wrong (even with the auto shutoff systems and everything). I like a solid chuck of metal on my processor.

RAM fans will hardly do anything, if that's what you are talking about...

 

[avaya]

Is it a 1080p plasma? Honestly that's not the most taxing of resolutions, heck Crysis is the only thing that gives my lowly 4850 trouble at 1080p. If you've got the cash then by all means go ahead, but be aware that a ~$200 1GB 4870 is all you need as nothing as remotely taxing as Crysis is on the horizon for several years. Fact is, you're paying a huge premium here for a boost that you might not even notice in game.

Oh, and if its only a 768p panel then you'd have to be CRAZY to go with a GTX 295.

I disagree with this if you care about maxxing out the settings.

If you want to play Crysis@ very high with a high framerate and superb image quality a 4870x2, GTX 295 or an SLi setup is the minimum you need to have.

Even at 768p, a 4870x2 or GTX 295 will provide a superior framerate and great IQ.

 

[Clevinger]

i have a quick question:

is a 450 watt power supply enough for

4870 1gb
E8400 3.0 dual core
1 harddrive
1 dvd player/burner
a motherboard
a soundcard

?

thanks a bunch

quoting for the new page

thanks

 

[Hazaro]

Have the Intel price cuts made their way to retail yet? What models will/did they affect?

I'm considering upgrading my E6600 CPU, as it's the weakest component in my machine.

My motherboard is an nForce 680i--I'm wondering if it makes sense to buy another CPU that's compatible with that board, or if I might as well look a little further out and just upgrade my motherboard as well so I'm not limiting myself.

If you can overclock your E6600 I wouldn't worry about it.
I had mine a 3.2Ghz for quite a while, and I don't think the hassle I went through to upgrade to a E7200 @ 3.8 was worth it honestly.

I'd wait until i7 drops in price quite a bit.

I'm personally going to try and hold out until Sandy Bridge myself. If quad stuff picks up I'll get a good Q6600 chip and run it at 3.6Ghz.

450w PSU

Yes, but should be a good brand.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

quoting for the new page

thanks

better get a good brand with a good efficiency like Zalman, Enermax, Seasonic, etc.

 

[Clevinger]

it's a cooler master

that any good?

 

[Hazaro]

it's a cooler master

that any good?

Fine.

 

[avaya]

I'm personally going to try and hold out until Sandy Bridge myself.

See you there! 22nm, the bulk CMOS going away party.

 

[godhandiscen]

That's another $250 for another stock 0.33Ghz, when the 920 OC's to 3.3 just as easily.
I don't understand.

Water is not suited for the abuse my computer takes and I worry if something goes wrong (even with the auto shutoff systems and everything). I like a solid chuck of metal on my processor.

RAM fans will hardly do anything, if that's what you are talking about...

I am planning to OC my processor to about 3.8GHz when I have a decent cooler. Do you think the 120 is the best one out there, or should I wait for more coolers to be released?

 

[Hazaro]

I am planning to OC my processor to about 3.8GHz when I have a decent cooler. Do you think the 120 is the best one out there, or should I wait for more coolers to be released?

The 920 will get you there just as good. The 940 has longer legs into the 5Ghz territory because of the multi, but that's on chilled water, DI, LN2, etc.

120 is still the king

Even compared to these 2.

Engineering at work.

 

[godhandiscen]

The 920 will get you there just as good. The 940 has longer legs into the 5Ghz territory because of the multi, but that's on chilled water, DI, LN2, etc.

120 is still the king

Even compared to these 2.

Engineering at work.

WTF are those?

He said "watch this link. The GTX260 is a little bit better/faster"
?? ;-/

That is just a benchmarking program. Synthetic benchmarks hold no value. For example, check this benchmark for FallOut 3 on which the 4870 1GB wins. As I told you, the 4870 1GB and the GTX260 core 216 are tied all across the board. Each one taking a victory by 1 or 2 fps in one game or another. And your friend doesn't know shit, and he most likely went overboard to find a benchmark graph that would prove him right, which means he most likely is a fanboy. Do not trust him. Just buy whichever card is cheaper between those two. And if you are going for the GTX260 make sure its a core 216 since there are still some old ones left around.
http://hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTU4Nyw2LCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==

 

[Keen]

I disagree with this if you care about maxxing out the settings.

If you want to play Crysis@ very high with a high framerate and superb image quality a 4870x2, GTX 295 or an SLi setup is the minimum you need to have.

Even at 768p, a 4870x2 or GTX 295 will provide a superior framerate and great IQ.

It's a 1080p Pio...

And yeah, I do want Crysis @ very high. Saw CoD:WaW at a friends house on his Pio maxxed out and it was amazing.

 

[AFreak]

I had a Desktop since 2003, which died on me today. The HDD crapped(luckily I had most things backed up...cept 13 gigs of music .

Anywho, I decided to screw it and I'll just either A) Make a new PC or B) Buy a laptop.

I'd much rather have a laptop than a new desktop right now. So, the question is...For 500 bucks(maybe even up to 550) what is the best laptop that amount of money can buy? Also, for 550 what kind of desktop could I slap together(never put one together on my own. Had a friend help with the last one) How hard is it nowadays? I'm getting a business degree, and think a laptop is a better substitute for how much on the move I will be. Can a 550 laptop play newer games?

Well. This is in a horrible format and not well spelled out, but cut me some slack I'm using my PS3s web browser.

Anyway. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Hazaro]

I had most things backed up...cept 13 gigs of music .
Recoverable

I'd much rather have a laptop than a new desktop right now. So, the question is...For 500 bucks(maybe even up to 550) what is the best laptop that amount of money can buy? Also, for 550 what kind of desktop could I slap together(never put one together on my own. Had a friend help with the last one) How hard is it nowadays? I'm getting a business degree, and think a laptop is a better substitute for how much on the move I will be. Can a 550 laptop play newer games?

$500 laptop you'd have to get a good Dell deal, and you'd might be able to get one that can play games on medium-ish.
$500 desktop will be able to play newer games if you get a 5300, 8800GT, and some nice cheap parts.

 

[AFreak]

$500 laptop you'd have to get a good Dell deal, and you'd might be able to get one that can play games on medium-ish.
$500 desktop will be able to play newer games if you get a 5300, 8800GT, and some nice cheap parts.

Cool. I'll look around the Dell site and see what I can come up with. Also, how would I go about recovering my information?

 

[Hazaro]

Cool. I'll look around the Dell site and see what I can come up with. Also, how would I go about recovering my information?

Hook the HDD up to another computer and run a recovery program. Or pay ~$75 and take it to a PC shop.

As for deals, check this out for now. Won't find a better deal right now.
http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=283940&t=1145155&highlight=laptop

**It's a scratch & dent laptop, but it sports a 7900GS, which is a fantastic laptop card.
http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnline...line/en/InventorySearch?c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh
>17"
>501-1000
>256MB

Should be the top one.
Take 20% off the price and you get $624. Occasionally you'll find 8600M deals for around $600, but I haven't seen any recently. 7900 is still a better card.

 

[brain_stew]

Have the Intel price cuts made their way to retail yet? What models will/did they affect?

I'm considering upgrading my E6600 CPU, as it's the weakest component in my machine.

My motherboard is an nForce 680i--I'm wondering if it makes sense to buy another CPU that's compatible with that board, or if I might as well look a little further out and just upgrade my motherboard as well so I'm not limiting myself.

Just OC it would be my advice. No game will tax an E6600 pushed past 3ghz. Its a very simple process.

 

[godhandiscen]

Some pics I took (before I sent my 4870x2 for RMA):

This is the auto upgrade CPU feature of the Rampage II Extreme. It works in bios, but during windows an icon shows up telling you to which configuration your processor is set to.

Some mild OC in my videocard.

I love this shot with the 8 threads. Vista is hungry.

My dual monitor configuration with dual DreamScenes.

The only benchmark that matters imo (I don't know if I had OC'd here, but I was happy with these results one way or another).

So far nothing my old Phenom processor @ 2.9GHz couldn't do. Ok, I used to get 50fps in the trackmania benchmark, and that was good. As Hazaro points out, I wish I had those $200 extra, I could afford a better Valentine's present for my gf for example.

 

[AFreak]

Hook the HDD up to another computer and run a recovery program. Or pay ~$75 and take it to a PC shop.

As for deals, check this out for now. Won't find a better deal right now.
http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=283940&t=1145155&highlight=laptop

**It's a scratch & dent laptop, but it sports a 7900GS, which is a fantastic laptop card.
http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnline...line/en/InventorySearch?c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh
>17"
>501-1000
>256MB

Should be the top one.
Take 20% off the price and you get $624. Occasionally you'll find 8600M deals for around $600, but I haven't seen any recently. 7900 is still a better card.

Thanks a lot. I'm waking up early tomorrow and I'll shop around for a good PC.

 

[vpance]

Quad core CPU question.

Should I go for the Q6600 ($220) or Q9400 ($280)? I'm planning to O/C. Which one is likely to hit higher clocks?

 

[Labombadog]

Quad core CPU question.

Should I go for the Q6600 ($220) or Q9400 ($280)? I'm planning to O/C. Which one is likely to hit higher clocks?

Q6600 is the best bang for buck when it comes to QUAD CPU's. I would go for that!

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Link here : http://pc.ign.com/articles/946/946441p1.html

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Reading right now.

Link here : http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/evga-geforce-gtx295.html

 

[AFreak]

* Inspiron 1525 Laptop: Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 (2.0GHz/667Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
* Genuine Windows Vista Business

System Price : $589.00

Operating System
Genuine Windows Vista BusinessMemory
3 GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz (2 DIMMs)Hard Disk Drive
250 GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)Video
Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100Modem
56K DataFax ModemWeb Camera
Integrated 2.0 Mega Pixel Web CameraNetwork Interface Card
Dell Wireless 1505 Draft 802.11n Mini CardSoftware Upgrade
Microsoft Works 9.0Base
Inspiron 1525 Laptop: Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 (2.0GHz/667Mhz FSB/2MB cache)Hardware Upgrade
6 Cell Primary BatteryCertified Refurbished
Certified RefurbishedLaptop Screen
15.4 WXGA Laptop Screen Display with TrueLifeMedia Bay
8X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer write capabilityBluetooth Wireless
Bluetooth Wireless Card 355System Color
Midnight Blue


"How is this system?"

 

[Unknown Soldier]

For what? It's generally not wise to buy a laptop for gaming.

 

[zoku88]

"How is this system?"

As long as you're doing anything related to 3D stuff, it's a pretty decent midrange laptop (besides the gfx chip)

 

[AFreak]

As logn as you're doing anythign related to 3D tuff, it's a pretty decent midrange laptop (besides the gfx chip)

So, if I upgraded the graphics card would I be able to play some new games at Mid-range? I'm mostly wanting something that should be able to play DC Universe/Champions Online. Other than that, it's just to burn shit, browse internet, watch movies, and look at porn. Also. can this thing hook up to my HDTV? I can't tell if it has HDMI or not?.

 

[LordK]

So, if I upgraded the graphics card would I be able to play some new games at Mid-range? I'm mostly wanting something that should be able to play DC Universe/Champions Online. Other than that, it's just to burn shit, browse internet, watch movies, and look at porn. Also. can this thing hook up to my HDTV? I can't tell if it has HDMI or not?.

Highly likely it has at least VGA. Does your HDTV take a signal via VGA? If not, I'm pretty sure there are vga->hdmi adapters... hell, I think I have one.

 

[zoku88]

So, if I upgraded the graphics card would I be able to play some new games at Mid-range? I'm mostly wanting something that should be able to play DC Universe/Champions Online. Other than that, it's just to burn shit, browse internet, watch movies, and look at porn. Also. can this thing hook up to my HDTV? I can't tell if it has HDMI or not?.

If it has HDMI, it should be listed on the specifications page for the laptop. I would guess, thought, that it probably has DVI and VGA and not HDMI, which seems common for consumer notebooks. You can buy a converter or wtv. I don't think it could carry audio over, though.

But yea, if you found a notebook with a suitable gfx card, you should be able to play those games.

 

[AFreak]

If it has HDMI, it should be listed on the specifications page for the laptop. I would guess, thought, that it probably has DVI and VGA and not HDMI, which seems common for consumer notebooks. You can buy a converter or wtv. I don't think it could carry audio over, though.

But yea, if you found a notebook with a suitable gfx card, you should be able to play those games.

Ok. So I should find one with the same kind of specs but better gfx card? Or will I be able to upgrade this one? Just trying to get the best I can with as low as I've got.

 

[brain_stew]

Quad core CPU question.

Should I go for the Q6600 ($220) or Q9400 ($280)? I'm planning to O/C. Which one is likely to hit higher clocks?

The multiplier on the Q9400 is too low to reach the better OCs. Q6600 is still the quad core OC king.

Ok. So I should find one with the same kind of specs but better gfx card? Or will I be able to upgrade this one? Just trying to get the best I can with as low as I've got.

No way for you to upgrade the graphics on a Dell laptop and its unlikely you'll find a decent graphics solution in your price range really. That's the compromose you have to make if you want a laptop over a desktop.

At your budget this is about the best you can do:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834147926

Its quite nice for the price, nice and portable with its 14" screen, 4GB RAM for Vista x64 and the integrated ATI graphics are a huge stepup from Intel's rubbish though you shouldn't be expecting miracles. Most modern games will run but don't expect anything more than 30 fps at low setting and resolution at best. If you stick to less demanding games or games more than a couple of years old you should be fine. Oh, and that laptop has HDMI out like you asked, its quite a nice fit for your needs I reckon and a good deal.

 

[AFreak]

Does seem like a good laptop. How is HP quaity nowadays? I know don't want to have anything to do with compaq.

 

[_Angelus_]

Totally new to buying PC stuff,but I have done some research and have narrowed down a card for an video card upgrade,an ATI 4870 with 1 GIG of ram onboard.

I'm going to need a 500 watt power supply though,and I really don't know which brands are good and bad. Can someone tutor me here,which are good to go with maybe,at an affordable price? Maybe even give me a link to where I can get one at a good price?



Thanks.

 

[brain_stew]

Totally new to buying PC stuff,but I have done some research and have narrowed down a card for an video card upgrade,an ATI 4870 with 1 GIG of ram onboard.

I'm going to need a 500 watt power supply though,and I really don't know which brands are good and bad. Can someone tutor me here,which are good to go with maybe,at an affordable price? Maybe even give me a link to where I can get one at a good price?



Thanks.

The wattage figure is all but worthless. What matters is the sustained power on the 12V rail, believe it or not its very unlikely your rig will ever use more than 300 watts of power even when gaming. Investing in a quality power supply is usually a safe bet any wil go way overboard in this area due to the crazy amount of FUD spread about the power needs of a modern PC. For a low cost option this is great:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139008

Its only $38 after rebate, don't worry that it is "only" 400w, it has an excellent 30a 12v rail which is more than enough for a 4870.

If you want something that'll handle pretty much any possible future upgrade and don't mind dealing with rebates then this looks like an excellent deal:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817702008

At the more expensive side of things ($80 after rebate) this is an excellent PSU for the price:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

 

[zoku88]

Does seem like a good laptop. How is HP quaity nowadays? I know don't want to have anything to do with compaq.

Frankly, I would never buy a HP, but I've heard they've gotten better in recent years and have actually put out some decent laptops. Wouldn't really know, though.

 

[Chris R]

I love this shot with the 8 threads. Vista is hungry.

Oh God, all over my face

I can't wait to eventually upgrade to an i7

 

[KimiNewt]

You talking about the front panel itself or the actual panels on the front panel?

The actual panels on the front panel.

Edit: Nevermind, managed.

 

[Spooka]

The wattage figure is all but worthless. What matters is the sustained power on the 12V rail, believe it or not its very unlikely your rig will ever use more than 300 watts of power even when gaming. Investing in a quality power supply is usually a safe bet any wil go way overboard in this area due to the crazy amount of FUD spread about the power needs of a modern PC.

I was just coming in here to ask about 12v rails. If my 500w power supply is listed as "+12v1@15A, +12v2@16A" would that be enough to power something like a 9800 gtx+? Do you add the 15a and 16a together for total amps?

 

[Keen]

Is it possible to upgrade the memory on my laptop from 2 gigs to 4 gigs, even though the stated/official max amount of RAM is 2 gigs?

It's a sony vaio SZ61 with Vista 32bits

Thanks

 

[lowrider007]

Is it possible to upgrade the memory on my laptop from 2 gigs to 4 gigs, even though the stated/official max amount of RAM is 2 gigs?

It's a sony vaio SZ61 with Vista 32bits

Thanks

No I doubt this very much, apparently though the SZ71's can up to 4 GB DDR2-667 SDRAM.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Quad core CPU question.

Should I go for the Q6600 ($220) or Q9400 ($280)? I'm planning to O/C. Which one is likely to hit higher clocks?

Q9400 is dropping in price to $213 soon so I wouldn't buy yet.

Right now you can get the Q6600 for $190 on Newegg, no idea if it will drop anymore but who knows for sure.

 

[Keen]

No I doubt this very much, apparently though the SZ71's can up to 4 GB DDR2-667 SDRAM.

Damnit! Why would they limit it in that way, is it the hardware's fault or windows or what?

 

[Guts & Puck]

I've never been a PC guy but with the release date of DoWII creeping up, I'm going to take the plunge and get me a PC to play games on. Currently I'm looking at the following setup :

Intel® Core™ i7 Processor 920 (2,66 GHz, 8 MB cache, 4,8 GT/sec.)
4.096 MB 1.067 MHz Tri Channel DDR3 (4 x 1.024)
512 MB ATI® Radeon™ 4850 grafische kaart

What do you guys think ?

 

[Tideas]

anybody know when the next iteration of the x58 mobo gona come? found an i920 for just $230, but these mobos are still too expensive.

When can we see a sub $150 mobo?

 

[Clever Pun]

Q9400 is dropping in price to $213 soon so I wouldn't buy yet.

Right now you can get the Q6600 for $190 on Newegg, no idea if it will drop anymore but who knows for sure.

The Q6600 is actually 159.99 at MicroCenter, if you have one nearby. This is how I got mine last week.

 

[kodt]

I was considering building a new PC or upgrading my current PC but I found a deal I couldn't pass up. Sure no overclocking possibilities but that doesn't bother me. Now I can keep my old PC intact and have an extra XP machine if I need it.

Dell Studio XPS:
Core i7 920
6GB DDR3
Radeon 4850 512mb
750GB Seagate HDD
DVD Burner
Vista Home Premium 64bit Edition
Mouse/Keyboard

$850

Loaded up Crysis:Warhead 1680x1050, all settings on Gamer and it runs great. I'll do some benchmarks and try higher settings later on.

It's a 360w PSU but Dell PSU's are not bad, I have an extra Antec Earthwatts 380 sitting around as well. This machine does not use any proprietary Dell power connectors so I can upgrade the PSU / vid card in the future without any problem.

 

[Keen]

Slight revision:

Proc:Intel Core™ i7 920 Quad Processor
Mobo:Asus P6T Deluxe V2, X58, Socket-1366
Memory:Corsair TWIN3X 1600MHz DDR3, 6GB
PSU:Corsair Powersupply 620W, 120mm Fan
gfx:Gainward GeForce GTX 295 1792MB PhysX (or eVGA. But they only have the gainward in stock. Is it worth it to wait?)
hdd:Samsung SpinPoint F1 1TB SATA2 32MB 7200RPM



Do I need to be worried about the PSU? I know wattage isn't everything but the store I'm looking at has a recommendation of a minimum 680W PSU with 6pin and 8pin power connector.

 

[Irulan]

Slight revision:

Proc:Intel Core™ i7 920 Quad Processor
Mobo:Asus P6T Deluxe V2, X58, Socket-1366
Memory:Corsair TWIN3X 1600MHz DDR3, 6GB
PSU:Corsair Powersupply 620W, 120mm Fan
gfx:Gainward GeForce GTX 295 1792MB PhysX (or eVGA. But they only have the gainward in stock. Is it worth it to wait?)
hdd:Samsung SpinPoint F1 1TB SATA2 32MB 7200RPM



Do I need to be worried about the PSU? I know wattage isn't everything but the store I'm looking at has a recommendation of a minimum 680W PSU with 6pin and 8pin power connector.

Use this: http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp

 

[Archie]

I was considering building a new PC or upgrading my current PC but I found a deal I couldn't pass up. Sure no overclocking possibilities but that doesn't bother me. Now I can keep my old PC intact and have an extra XP machine if I need it.

Dell Studio XPS:
Core i7 920
6GB DDR3
Radeon 4850 512mb
750GB Seagate HDD
DVD Burner
Vista Home Premium 64bit Edition
Mouse/Keyboard

$850

Loaded up Crysis:Warhead 1680x1050, all settings on Gamer and it runs great. I'll do some benchmarks and try higher settings later on.

It's a 360w PSU but Dell PSU's are not bad, I have an extra Antec Earthwatts 380 sitting around as well. This machine does not use any proprietary Dell power connectors so I can upgrade the PSU / vid card in the future without any problem.

How'd you get that system for $850? The Studio XPS I saw at their website was $1800.

 

[iDoubleSpy]

My System:

AMD X2 6000+ 3.00GHz (Processor)
XFX 750a (Motherboard)
Geforce 9600 GT 1GB (Graphics Card)
4GB Mushkin (Memory)
Ultra 500W (Power Supply)

When I go into my BIOS, the system temperature is at 112c (225f) and the cpu temperature is at 45c (80f)

It is because I am using a 500W PSU? I wan't this think these high temperatures are whats causing me noticeable performance drop when I play games.

To give you an example, when I first build my rig, I would get 120-140 FPS in Team Fortress 2. Now, I get around 40-70 FPS in Team Fortress 2 on the same server, with the same settings.

Please Help