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[Nemo]

Pull the board out and test it outside the case to rule out a short somewhere.

Did that, and same thing with the blue light but goes off right after a second. Also, the fan connected to the PSU also starts spinning for that second. Might something be wrong with the PSU here?

Edit - Okay, tried an old PSU, fans are all spinning and PC seems to start normally. I'm guessing I should just return the PSU. DOA?

 

[CAW]

For the OP list: another great Canadian online PC store: http://directcanada.com/

I buy all my parts from there as they're even cheaper than NCIX and their service is just as good. Have had no issues with this site and I've bought my video card (8800GT) from them, RAM, a bunch of accessories, etc. I recommend, for my fellow Canucks looking for deals.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Anything tn-film is going to be considered lower quality. But unless you want to spend a lot more money your stuck with that panel type.

What do you mean, tn-film?

 

[FoxSpirit]

Orthos isn't the best stability test, really. OCCT and Intel Burn Test will tax it much more. I'd imagine the reason for those high temps is down to the auto voltage setting. Crank that down manually and you should be alright.

Since its a 65nm Core 2, you want to use RealTemp for temps.

The thing is, RealTemp will me give a 15°C lower readout than TaT or OOCT, so according to it the short complete loaddrop at the 4:30 mark would happen at ~47°C.

If it's not overheating protection, what could it be?? Something OOCT does on purpose??

 

[brain_stew]

The thing is, RealTemp will me give a 15°C lower readout than TaT or OOCT, so according to it the short complete loaddrop at the 4:30 mark would happen at ~47°C.

If it's not overheating protection, what could it be?? Something OOCT does on purpose??

Yes, OCCT will cut off once its own temp. sensors reaches its threshold, your BIOS wouldn't be throttling your CPU until well past that temperature, and even if it did, OCCT would continue running, just at a slower speed. I guess, running Orthos (with small FFTs) and using RealTemp to measure temps. is your ebst option but again, get that voltage sorted out. What, is CPU-Z reporting your V core as?

 

[Gully State]

wow...check out the price on the 4870 HD 1GB at newegg today...

Source

Newegg also has the 1GB version for $225 - $25 Rebate - $15 Code EMCABCHBH = $185 with free shipping. [Discuss]
Lowest price on Price Grabber for a similar product is $272.

$185 is ridiculous for a card that is pretty much better than the GTX260 and can compete with the GTX280 on certain games.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

That's silly if it actually sacrifices performance, like, in the case of using 3GB instead of 4GB.

Zoku,

2x2GB in dual channel has LESS performance than 1x3GB running in Tri-Channel mode.

Not withstanding that no game or app needs anything over 2GB right now.

Again--- Tri-channel DDR3 > Dual Channel DDR3 just on principle of bandwidth.

I did a shit load of research on which one would be the better route to go and Tri-Channel with the i7's is the way to go.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

For the OP list: another great Canadian online PC store: http://directcanada.com/

I buy all my parts from there as they're even cheaper than NCIX and their service is just as good. Have had no issues with this site and I've bought my video card (8800GT) from them, RAM, a bunch of accessories, etc. I recommend, for my fellow Canucks looking for deals.

+ Added.

 

[YuriLowell]

I pulled the trigger on the 940 and got it for around 210 dollars aftercash back.

What is a reasonable overclock to expect out of it?
I will have a nice zalman cooler on the thing.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

I pulled the trigger on the 940 and got it for around 210 dollars aftercash back.

What is a reasonable overclock to expect out of it?
I will have a nice zalman cooler on the thing.

Core i7 940?

I've got my 920 @ 3.8GHz now and been running it for what... 7-8 days 24/7 with no issues.

 

[Hazaro]

I pulled the trigger on the 940 and got it for around 210 dollars aftercash back.

What is a reasonable overclock to expect out of it?
I will have a nice zalman cooler on the thing.

3.8-ish
same as the 920

 

[FoxSpirit]

Yes, OCCT will cut off once its own temp. sensors reaches its threshold, your BIOS wouldn't be throttling your CPU until well past that temperature, and even if it did, OCCT would continue running, just at a slower speed. I guess, running Orthos (with small FFTs) and using RealTemp to measure temps. is your ebst option but again, get that voltage sorted out. What, is CPU-Z reporting your V core as?

Okay, CPU max temp after 2 hours was 50°C (constant wavering 47-50). Okay, actually it was after 15 minutes, then I went out and tilted a window to let some fresh air in, which pulled the whole thing down to 45-46.

I'll have to retest in July, when my apartment get's kinda hot but I think I'll hardly get over 55°C even when my room ambient becomes 27°C(~80°F) for a few days. It's a Zalman CPNS9700 running at 1800RPM with AC Ceramic paste, should keep it down even in those conditions.

Vcore is reported as 1.295 under load (I set it to 1.31 in bios).

Seems pretty good, if you don't object, I'll leave it at that

 

[godhandiscen]

Core i7 940?

I've got my 920 @ 3.8GHz now and been running it for what... 7-8 days 24/7 with no issues.

3.8-ish
same as the 920

I think I have a decent chance of achieving 4.0GHz (yeah. $250 more for 200mhz wooo =[ ). However, will that decrease the life of my processor? Why does overclocking kills your processor in the long run? If it lasts 1 year I am happy though.

 

[bitq]

wow...check out the price on the 4870 HD 1GB at newegg today...

Source



$185 is ridiculous for a card that is pretty much better than the GTX260 and can compete with the GTX280 on certain games.

WOOO THANK YOU! I cancelled my order for the 4870 512 model just in time and now I can use that code to get the extra $10 off. What a deal, geez... $150 is an unbelievable price for that card.

 

[rc213]

WOOO THANK YOU! I cancelled my order for the 4870 512 model just in time and now I can use that code to get the extra $10 off. What a deal, geez... $150 is an unbelievable price for that card.

$150 how?

 

[YuriLowell]

hahah I should have said Phenom 2 940.
Damn confusing names!

I got one on the newegg for around 205 dollars.

 

[godhandiscen]

hahah I should have said Phenom 2 940.
Damn confusing names!

I got one on the newegg for around 205 dollars.

NOICE!

The 940 is a god awesome processor.

 

[YuriLowell]

NOICE!

The 940 is a god awesome processor.

So whats a reasonable overclock to expect?
3.6?

 

[Gully State]

$150 how?

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showpost.php?p=16684539&postcount=2

I posted this on my previous response...

 

[godhandiscen]

So whats a reasonable overclock to expect?
3.6?

depending on your mobo, up to 4.2GHz on air. At worst 3.4GHz.

 

[Slavik81]

What do you mean, tn-film?

That's the type of LCD it is. Twistable Nematic.

That's fine, though. TN-monitors are pretty standard for gaming. Other types of LCDs have more accurate colour and such, but unless you're developing a magazine, you'll do fine on TN.

 

[bitq]

$150 how?

The 512 model is 150 after rebate and promo code.

 

[Yazus]

Guys it's possible to overclock a premade PC with a Intel G31 Motherboard E4500 Core2 Duo from 2.6Ghz to 3.1 Ghz?

 

[madmook]

Guys it's possible to overclock a premade PC with a Intel G31 Motherboard E4500 Core2 Duo from 2.6Ghz to 3.1 Ghz?

Most premade brands don't allow overclocking on their mobos. My Gateway doesn't.

 

[eznark]

I just had to do a fresh install on my PC. Q6600 with a Gigabyte EP35C-DS3R motherboard. I had it overclocked to 3.0 using a guide someone here had linked me to last year. I can't find that guide and my efforts so far at doing it myself have resulted in OCCT stopping about 15 minutes in because of heat issues.

If anyone knows which guide I am talking about that would be great, I can't find it or anything as comparably in-depth after numerous google searches.

Thanks.

 

[Marcos_RB01]

Peeps, I'm building my first mega rig... Just want some advice on if its good enough or if I need MOAR!

Mother Board - Msi K9A2 Platinum - http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=proddesc&prod_no=1332

CPU - AMD Phenom II X4 940 3.0Ghz - http://wheretobuy.amd.com/prodinfo/1196803.html?price_tab

GPU - Ati Radeon HD4870 1Gb DDR5 - Sapphire - http://www.sapphiretech.com/us/products/products_overview.php?gpid=250&grp=3

RAM - Corsair Dominator 1066Mhz Ram - 8Gbs Worth - http://www.corsair.com/_datasheets/TWIN2X4096-8500C5D.pdf

Maxtor 500Gb hard Drive - X2

PC Power and Cooling 750Watt Silencer - http://www.pcpower.com/power-supply/silencer-750-quad-black.html

Samsung 20" LCD Panel - Input DVi, HDMI etc. - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019HDAP0/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Logitech Z5500 - http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakers_audio/home_pc_speakers/devices/224&cl=us,en

Case - Lian Li PC-A71A - I LOVE THIS CASE!!! - http://www.xsreviews.co.uk/reviews/cases/lian-li-pc-a71/2 - Same thing but chrome/silver

So Crysis, Crysis Warhead, Orange Box, Left 4 Dead... High/Mega Maximum... or do I need to crossfire or get a HD 4870X2?

GAF collective, did I do good?

Thanks in advance for the advice guys....

 

[avaya]

My Corsair PSU has developed a very annoying clicking sound like the fan is brushing up against something. It's much louder than everything else in the case and I have a GTX295!

Probably need to get it RMA'ed seems like a very common issue

 

[Cheeto]

My Corsair PSU has developed a very annoying clicking sound like the fan is brushing up against something. It's much louder than everything else in the case and I have a GTX295!

Probably need to get it RMA'ed seems like a very common issue

Mine squeeked a little bit...so I injected some oil in it...cleared it right up.

 

[FacelessSamurai]

I'd like to build myself a new rig. I am mostly playing world of Warcraft but would like to get to play other games like Bioshock as well as some of the newer stuff without too many problems on my 30 inch screen.

I'd have a budget of around 1500$ canadian to put on it. I know how to build the thing so I can get everything separately on newegg.ca for example. But for the last few years I've been buying mostly Macs so I'm kinda out of the loop on the pc side of things. I know that the intel processors are better than the amd ones, but would it make a big difference considering that the amd quad cores are a lot cheaper?

Also, I was looking at getting a SLI or crossfire setup. I play on my Mac Pro right now, and while it is an amazing machine for encoding, I'm hearing stuff form other people I play with that they get better performance than me with cheaper computers (payed close to 5000$ for mine). Since I know Macs have never been good gaming machines, I thought building a nice pc rig would fill in the gaming spot.

Anyone could give me a hint as to what I should look at and would be the best bang for my buck? I'd kinda like to be able to run wow at a steady 60 frames per second in raids. I know that my connection is good enough (50 megabits) so I'll be mostly dependant on my pc for stability and I'm tired of frames dropping to 15-20 fps.

I also play some age of conan if anyone is also playing and has a good idea of a gaming rig that can play that game well. Like I said, I only have a 1500$ canadian budget (including shipping) so if anyone is really good with that kinda stuff and be kind enough to list me what I'll need I'd really appreciate it! If not I'd like a few pointers and I'm also open to overclocking if it is safe to do it. Thanks!

 

[bee]

Peeps, I'm building my first mega rig... Just want some advice on if its good enough or if I need MOAR!

Mother Board - Msi K9A2 Platinum - http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=proddesc&prod_no=1332

CPU - AMD Phenom II X4 940 3.0Ghz - http://wheretobuy.amd.com/prodinfo/1196803.html?price_tab

GPU - Ati Radeon HD4870 1Gb DDR5 - Sapphire - http://www.sapphiretech.com/us/products/products_overview.php?gpid=250&grp=3

RAM - Corsair Dominator 1066Mhz Ram - 8Gbs Worth - http://www.corsair.com/_datasheets/TWIN2X4096-8500C5D.pdf

Maxtor 500Gb hard Drive - X2

PC Power and Cooling 750Watt Silencer - http://www.pcpower.com/power-supply/silencer-750-quad-black.html

Samsung 20" LCD Panel - Input DVi, HDMI etc. - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019HDAP0/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Logitech Z5500 - http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakers_audio/home_pc_speakers/devices/224&cl=us,en

Case - Lian Li PC-A71A - I LOVE THIS CASE!!! - http://www.xsreviews.co.uk/reviews/cases/lian-li-pc-a71/2 - Same thing but chrome/silver

So Crysis, Crysis Warhead, Orange Box, Left 4 Dead... High/Mega Maximum... or do I need to crossfire or get a HD 4870X2?

GAF collective, did I do good?

Thanks in advance for the advice guys....

i have that case and psu both are superb

only two things i would say is, 20 inch monitor is too small imo and i personally would never buy an msi mobo

 

[Marcos_RB01]

Lolz. Why not an Msi mobo?

Also 20" is all I could afford.... after spending 250+ USD on the damn case to ship to my country lol.

 

[brain_stew]

Peeps, I'm building my first mega rig... Just want some advice on if its good enough or if I need MOAR!

Mother Board - Msi K9A2 Platinum - http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=proddesc&prod_no=1332

CPU - AMD Phenom II X4 940 3.0Ghz - http://wheretobuy.amd.com/prodinfo/1196803.html?price_tab

GPU - Ati Radeon HD4870 1Gb DDR5 - Sapphire - http://www.sapphiretech.com/us/products/products_overview.php?gpid=250&grp=3

RAM - Corsair Dominator 1066Mhz Ram - 8Gbs Worth - http://www.corsair.com/_datasheets/TWIN2X4096-8500C5D.pdf

Maxtor 500Gb hard Drive - X2

PC Power and Cooling 750Watt Silencer - http://www.pcpower.com/power-supply/silencer-750-quad-black.html

Samsung 20" LCD Panel - Input DVi, HDMI etc. - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019HDAP0/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Logitech Z5500 - http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakers_audio/home_pc_speakers/devices/224&cl=us,en

Case - Lian Li PC-A71A - I LOVE THIS CASE!!! - http://www.xsreviews.co.uk/reviews/cases/lian-li-pc-a71/2 - Same thing but chrome/silver

So Crysis, Crysis Warhead, Orange Box, Left 4 Dead... High/Mega Maximum... or do I need to crossfire or get a HD 4870X2?

GAF collective, did I do good?

Thanks in advance for the advice guys....

Since you're building from scratch you might as well go Core i7. Oh,a nd yes MSI are terrible, buy a Gigabyte or ASUS board, avoid the rest.

 

[Pachael]

I'm actually running a 3.5ghz E5200 + 4850 rig myself and couldn't be happier.

I've jumped onto the E5200 + 4850 bandwagon - so far couldn't be happier, and I haven't yet overclocked it! Right now it's at 2.5Ghz and I'll slowly ramp it up when everything's stable.

(Past budget bang for buck rig 18 months ago = E2160 @ 3Ghz + X1950 Pro)

 

[Marcos_RB01]

Since you're building from scratch you might as well go Core i7. Oh,a nd yes MSI are terrible, buy a Gigabyte or ASUS board, avoid the rest.

I keep hearing MSi is terrible, but nobody will say why... Why Gaf? Why?

Also Core i7 is really out of my range...

Is my rig Crysis Warhead max able??

 

[zer0das]

Man, that 4830 deal is mighty tempting. I think I'll have to pass though... the 7600GT will last another 2-3 years, I hope. :lol

 

[godhandiscen]

I keep hearing MSi is terrible, but nobody will say why... Why Gaf? Why?

Also Core i7 is really out of my range...

Is my rig Crysis Warhead max able??

Maybe, if you are planning to max it at 720p, in which case, you might have a chance. Forget about V-sync and AA. I am talking from experience with a 4870x2 and a Core i7 OC'd to 3.3GHz. That rig was still was only able to pull GAMER settings @ 1600x1050 on Crysis Warhead at a decent framerate. Also, forget about Crysis on max. It is dumb to pursue such a goal unless you are willing to go SLI or CrossFire. MSI motherboards overclock badly, are incompatible with many ram brand models, and generally malfunction after a year. I have had a MSI board give up on me after a year and a half, and a friend's mobo died after 6 months. We both were overclocking back then, so I would say, forget about overclocking on an MSI mobo.

edit: Also, about your mobo.

Chipset

• AMD® 790FX and SB600 Chipset

That mobo chipset is the worst buy you can do at the moment. The Phenom II only overclocks well with the SB700 chipset, and these mobos cost a tad bit more. AMD's PR is fucking ace at hiding a lot of shit. Again, I am talking from experience. I have had two ASUS mobo's, once with the SB600 and one with the SB700. I tested on a Phenom 9850BE. The SB700 allowed me to get 3.0GHz stable. The SB600 only 2.7GHz.

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

Alright boys!

As it looks to be a long while before I can justify buying an Xbox 360 and since I'm moving and the old PC is about to give up the ghost, I'm thinking of jumping the gun and getting a PC to play Bioshock. At the same time, I don't want to spend too much.

Here are Bioshock's recommended specs:

Processor: Core 2 Duo
Ram: 2GB
Graphics: NVidia GeForce 8600 or better
Sound: Soundblaster X-Fi

Could one of you PC gurus suggest a mobo/CPU combo that'll run this comfortably and efficiently (no "overspecced" mobos), but that won't break my wallet? I'm hoping to just cram as much RAM on that mobo as I can get away with, so RAM recommendations would also be appreciated.

 

[Hunter D]

Alright boys!

As it looks to be a long while before I can justify buying an Xbox 360 and since I'm moving and the old PC is about to give up the ghost, I'm thinking of jumping the gun and getting a PC to play Bioshock. At the same time, I don't want to spend too much.

Here are Bioshock's recommended specs:

Processor: Core 2 Duo
Ram: 2GB
Graphics: NVidia GeForce 8600 or better
Sound: Soundblaster X-Fi

Could one of you PC gurus suggest a mobo/CPU combo that'll run this comfortably and efficiently (no "overspecced" mobos), but that won't break my wallet? I'm hoping to just cram as much RAM on that mobo as I can get away with, so RAM recommendations would also be appreciated.

That set up won't look better than the 360 version.

 

[Ysiadmihi]

Alright boys!

As it looks to be a long while before I can justify buying an Xbox 360 and since I'm moving and the old PC is about to give up the ghost, I'm thinking of jumping the gun and getting a PC to play Bioshock. At the same time, I don't want to spend too much.

Here are Bioshock's recommended specs:

Processor: Core 2 Duo
Ram: 2GB
Graphics: NVidia GeForce 8600 or better
Sound: Soundblaster X-Fi

Could one of you PC gurus suggest a mobo/CPU combo that'll run this comfortably and efficiently (no "overspecced" mobos), but that won't break my wallet? I'm hoping to just cram as much RAM on that mobo as I can get away with, so RAM recommendations would also be appreciated.

Make sure you get something better than an 8600GT. It's a piece of crap for most games, Bioshock included.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

I keep hearing MSi is terrible, but nobody will say why... Why Gaf? Why?

Also Core i7 is really out of my range...

Is my rig Crysis Warhead max able??

shitty warranty support from what I hear.

Asustek and Gigabyte work pretty well, albeit a little slow on Gigabyte's side at least its there.

 

[Wired]

At the same time, I don't want to spend too much.

A reasonable standpoint but I think you'd have better luck if you at least gave a rough estimate on what you would be willing to spend. Though I hope you have a stronger will than me (when I got my computer I went over my budget with about $300... damn it all)

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

That set up won't look better than the 360 version.

Which is why I'm coming to you guys for your recommendations. I put in the recommended specs because that's the baseline.

Make sure you get something better than an 8600GT. It's a piece of crap for most games, Bioshock included.

So what would you recommend?

 

[godhandiscen]

Alright boys!

As it looks to be a long while before I can justify buying an Xbox 360 and since I'm moving and the old PC is about to give up the ghost, I'm thinking of jumping the gun and getting a PC to play Bioshock. At the same time, I don't want to spend too much.

Here are Bioshock's recommended specs:

Processor: Core 2 Duo
Ram: 2GB
Graphics: NVidia GeForce 8600 or better
Sound: Soundblaster X-Fi

Could one of you PC gurus suggest a mobo/CPU combo that'll run this comfortably and efficiently (no "overspecced" mobos), but that won't break my wallet? I'm hoping to just cram as much RAM on that mobo as I can get away with, so RAM recommendations would also be appreciated.

Are you in US? What is your budget? If you are just upgrading, which parts do you already have?

 

[Ysiadmihi]

So what would you recommend?

At least an 8800GT (or 9800GT, same card really) with 512MB. I'm not sure of the ATI equivalents but I hear a 4830 performs about the same (sometimes better) than a 9800GT. What resolution will you be playing at?

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

A reasonable standpoint but I think you'd have better luck if you at least gave a rough estimate on what you would be willing to spend. Though I hope you have a stronger will than me (when I got my computer I went over my budget with about $300... damn it all)

I'm in Australia, so retail prices won't be anywhere near the same as what they are in the US, nor (I suspect) will I have access to the latest hardware.

Here's a store that sells cheap hardware in my area:

http://www.umart.com.au/pro/build_computer1.phtml?bid=2

I can get this for $2000:

Intel CORE 2 Q6600/2.4Ghz/2x4MB/1066FSB/LGA775
Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3 P45+ICH10R DDR2 1200 1600MHz PCI-E 2.0 SATAII GLA
Kingston DDR2 4(2x2G)PC6400 800Mhz - KVR800D2N5K2/4G
Western Digital 1TB SATAII HDD Green Power
MSI GF9800GT 512M OC GDDR3 2xDual Link DVI PCI-E 2.0
Asus VW222U 22 WIDE 2MS DVI/VGA Tilt Speakers HDCP Vista Premium
LG DVD22X+- DUAL LAYER DVD Rewriter with Software(GH22NP20) Black
Logitech X-530 5.1 Speakers System
Antec Nine Hundred Tower Gaming Case with side window Black(No PSU)
Antec NeoPower 650W ATX Ver2.2 & EPS12V
Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard
Razer Diamondback 3G Frost Blue Infrared Precision Gaming
One years warranty

But that's hardware only. I'll be wanting the OS and Office as well, so it'll end up being less beefy than this.

I can get a Dell XPS430 for ~$1700, for reference. Assume I have no spare parts. One or both of my HDDs is about to fail. I can save the DVD drive and network cards (do modern mobos have PCI slots?) but that's it.

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

At least an 8800GT (or 9800GT, same card really) with 512MB. I'm not sure of the ATI equivalents but I hear a 4830 performs about the same (sometimes better) than a 9800GT. What resolution will you be playing at?

1280x720 is my best guess. That's what my last PC was doing.

 

[Ysiadmihi]

1280x720 is my best guess. That's what my last PC was doing.

9800GT or 4830 should be fine then. I have a 9800GT that plays games just fine at 1280x1024.

I will say, though, that I am sorely disappointed I didn't spend a few extra bucks when I play at higher res on my TV.

 

[bardia]

1280x720 is my best guess. That's what my last PC was doing.

I have a Radeon HD 4830 (overclocked) and play all my games on 1680x1050 (except crysis) at max settings perfectly fine. Rest of my rig: E8400 @ 3.7, 4GB 800mhz ram.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

1280x720 is my best guess. That's what my last PC was doing.

that system you have comes with a 22" so the gaming resolution would best be set at 1680x1050.

A 9800gt should still handle that fine though for most games besie Cryssi where you would need tweaks.

 

[avaya]

Mine squeeked a little bit...so I injected some oil in it...cleared it right up.

What is yours? I have a 1000W, I've had the noise after the 2nd day it arrived.