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[ZealousD]

Thanks for the excellent suggestion Hazaro. I'll definitely look into getting either of those.

WTH is Lucifer?

It's a stress test program that comes with Ultimate Boot CD. If my laptop fails the stress test, it essentially goes to hell. The devil himself will claim my computer and pull it down into the fiery abyss. So that's why I'm backing up my data.

 

[M.Bluth]

My Dell has a Nvidia 8400M gpu, could that be the problem?

Yes. Your GPU is fucked, these chips have a similar problem to the 360's gpu.

 

[fatigues_gasolini]

24 Samsung SSD's in raid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96dWOEa4Djs

 

[ahoyhoy]

Hey guys suddenly laptop started acting weird.

When I start it up the computer the black screen now turns green and the colors are all fucked up.

My Dell has a Nvidia 8400M gpu, could that be the problem?

Yeah, you need to call up Dell and have it replaced. I've have two friends that had their XPS's crap out due to the GPU. Dell should replace it for free if it's been under a year (though it's still worth calling them up over)

 

[CurlySaysX]

Hey ya'll.
I overclocked my Pentium E8400 cpu from 3.0Ghz to 3.6Ghz by increasing the fsb to 400, the voltages are on 1.20V and achieving 1:1 with my ram.
Will overclocking drastically reduce the life of my cpu or motherboard? The performance gains are so very minimal that i'd rather have reliability over 1 or 2fps in a few games, and only a 700point gain in 3Dmark06.
Temps running IntelBurn 5 times maxed out at 60C btw, which is good I think.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

w00t--- 9800GT is getting stepped up today!!! 285 here I come!

 

[xenorevlis]

Well, I finally got my new computer from IBUYPOWER.COM last week (it even has an IBUY like, 3D logo stuck on it). The thing is a beast, even with the down/upgrades I had to make to remedy the delay caused by shortages from their suppliers (damn economy!).

So it still cost me $1800 including the ibuy build that gives me a 3 year warranty, along with the items I purchased separately. The only dent in IBUY's excellent service thus far was a very minor issue where the DVD-R/W was not connected internally. This may have come loose during shipping, so it's all gravy.

Here we go (haven't experimented with OC'ing yet):

Intel Core i7 920 w/ gigantic copper fan
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 1GB
12Gb 1066MHz Kingston
2.3 TB (300+1000+1000)
Asus P6T Deluxe w/ 7.1 audio
Coolermaster Gamer HAF32 case
LG DVD+/-R/W
Linksys Rangeplus PCI
Wacom Bamboo
Logitech G15 Keyboard

Razer DeathAdder (not new)
BenQ G2400 24" widescreen LCD (not new)

Will edit in photos soon. Need to charge battery

 

[Crazymoogle]

Well, I finally got my new computer from IBUYPOWER.COM last week (it even has an IBUY like, 3D logo stuck on it). The thing is a beast, even with the down/upgrades I had to make to remedy the delay caused by shortages from their suppliers (damn economy!).

I've seen the HAF in action, it's a beast. Welcome to the 285 club.

Can't stand those wacom tablets though. I think my tablet laptop has ruined my ability to use non-display tablets. -_-

 

[zoku88]

That was what actually happened with a 17" Dell my brother picked up in summer '08. It had a defective GeForce 9600m that worked perfectly until it eventually died. They replaced the graphics card, but when we got it back, there were weird colour-banding and offset pixel issues. After that, they replaced the display (which didn't fix anything). On the third go, they replaced the motherboard, which solved the problem.

It is sometimes necessary, though they try not to.

Well, motherboards affect everything, so your case wasn't really what I was arguing against.

For example, my motherboard is probably the cause of my memory errors (having replaced both sticks of RAM already.) But I wouldn't say that if the RAM stops working, you'd have to replace the whole motherboard.

 

[Fireblend]

So what's the main difference between the regular Asus P6T and the Asus P6T deluxe?

 

[fatigues_gasolini]

Well, I finally got my new computer from IBUYPOWER.COM last week (it even has an IBUY like, 3D logo stuck on it). The thing is a beast, even with the down/upgrades I had to make to remedy the delay caused by shortages from their suppliers (damn economy!).

So it still cost me $1800 including the ibuy build that gives me a 3 year warranty, along with the items I purchased separately. The only dent in IBUY's excellent service thus far was a very minor issue where the DVD-R/W was not connected internally. This may have come loose during shipping, so it's all gravy.

Here we go (haven't experimented with OC'ing yet):

Intel Core i7 920 w/ gigantic copper fan
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 1GB
12Gb 1066MHz Kingston
2.3 TB (300+1000+1000)
Asus P6T Deluxe w/ 7.1 audio
Coolermaster Gamer HAF32 case
LG DVD+/-R/W
Linksys Rangeplus PCI
Wacom Bamboo
Logitech G15 Keyboard

Razer DeathAdder (not new)
BenQ G2400 24" widescreen LCD (not new)

Will edit in photos soon. Need to charge battery

What are you going to be using this for?
Also, is that ddr3 or ddr2 memory?

 

[Mamesj]

well, if someone wants a solid, cheap rig, I'm getting rid of mine:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=15050988&postcount=10590

quick run down:
--8800GTS 512mb
--E6750 core 2 duo
--2gb DDR2 800 ram

also, if this seems like a bad price, let me know. Judging from ebay listings + what I consider the convenience cost of having it all together in one, it seemed pretty fair.

 

[Crazymoogle]

What are you going to be using this for?
Also, is that ddr3 or ddr2 memory?

He's running DDR3, which is the only type supported by X58.

 

[fatigues_gasolini]

He's running DDR3, which is the only type supported by X58.

Thanks. It just seems like overkill on the ram.

 

[fatigues_gasolini]

I have a question. My current install of vista is on a ide drive, and I want reinstall it onto a new sata drive. Will I have any problems with activation if I reinstall it onto the new drive?

 

[Hazaro]

I have a question. My current install of vista is on a ide drive, and I want reinstall it onto a new sata drive. Will I have any problems with activation if I reinstall it onto the new drive?

Just clone it to the new drive.
Easy peasy.

If you do want to start fresh, then I don't know.

*GTS 250 now on sale at newegg for $130.

Nvidia alternative to the 4850

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130468

ATi already did a price drop right?

 

[Kite]

I'm looking to buy a custom built gaming computer (please don't give me a build-it-yourself post) and I'd like to hear people's opinions on which companies are reliable and give the best bang for your buck. I've heard Alienware is overpriced, same with Dell's XPS, a friend of mine is pushing me towards Velocity Micro, and I've heard mixed opinions of ibuypower and cyberpower.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Just clone it to the new drive.
Easy peasy.

If you do want to start fresh, then I don't know.

*GTS 250 now on sale at newegg for $130.

Nvidia alternative to the 4850

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130468

ATi already did a price drop right?

isn't this just a 9800 which is a 8800?

Eitherway I'd probably wait for ATi's 40nm instead which will come out at these prices and offering cooler running cards.

 

[CiSTM]

What does GAF think, is it worth to upgrade GTX 285 1024MB to GTX 295 1792MB ? Or should i just wait for next GTX line up ?

 

[Shinz Kicker]

What does GAF think, is it worth to upgrade GTX 285 1024MB to GTX 295 1792MB ? Or should i just wait for next GTX line up ?

what resolution do you play at and what game (other than crysis) use that much power, the 285 destroys everything else but crysis. If i were you i would wait. for dx 11 cards sometime in the later half of the year.

 

[Smokey]

I'm getting really interested in trying to build a PC.

Everytime I start to right down the parts I want I always get stuck on the motherboards. There is soo many and I don't know what I should be looking for. I know if I go the i7 route I'd need a MB that supported DDR3. Phenom II works with the AM2 boards right?

Could somebody suggest a good board for a i7 and a good board for a Phenom II?

I'd appreciate it.

I'm looking to buy a custom built gaming computer (please don't give me a build-it-yourself post) and I'd like to hear people's opinions on which companies are reliable and give the best bang for your buck. I've heard Alienware is overpriced, same with Dell's XPS, a friend of mine is pushing me towards Velocity Micro, and I've heard mixed opinions of ibuypower and cyberpower.

I'd be interested in this as well.

 

[Azure J]

What's your opinion on the soon to be released ASUS W90VP-A1? I keep hearing from the internet and my own go to tech guys that it's pretty damn nice, but the more avid and knowledgeable speakers are chastising the model due to the Core 2 Quad being a Q9000. Since the next best upgrade for the processor is the Q9100 for $941 more (Starting price being around $2,400 at Xoticpc), I really want to know if it's worth it to get it with the Q9000, do the upgrade (in which case, I'll be getting the laptop MUCH later due to my wallet :lol), or (sigh) wait longer.

I'll primarily be using this laptop for heavy gaming (I have a massive PC backlog to get back to), Photoshop & other art applications, and just a general desktop replacement with a good longevity.

I was pretty much leaning towards the last option in the hopes that ASUS would get two 4870s in there with GDDR5 in the near future or that a future smaller model (17" and hopefully lighter than 11lbs, :lol) model from them or another company would be made using one 4870 with GDDR5. That alone would be great, but if more enhancements are due on the W90 and I can still get it for ~2,500 which could possibly be the case, then I'd be a happy camper. So then, what are your thoughts on the matter?

 

[VictimOfGrief]

What does GAF think, is it worth to upgrade GTX 285 1024MB to GTX 295 1792MB ? Or should i just wait for next GTX line up ?

If you can SLi, buy another 285 and go for it.

Difference between the 285 and 295 are minimal to most people upgrading depending on what resolution they're playing at. If you're already playing @ 1920x1200 or in that ballpark and you're looking for some extra, juice, you'll see a marginal improve around 5-12 FPS in some games... but otherwise it's not worth the cost to upgrade.


I was going to go the Quad-SLi route with the 295's but after reading about sandwich design, heating and actual numbers, 285's in SLi best the 295 by 10-15% across the board of which to me.... is a better deal.

Something to think about.

 

[Crazymoogle]

I'm getting really interested in trying to build a PC.

Everytime I start to right down the parts I want I always get stuck on the motherboards. There is soo many and I don't know what I should be looking for. I know if I go the i7 route I'd need a MB that supported DDR3. Phenom II works with the AM2 boards right?

Could somebody suggest a good board for a i7 and a good board for a Phenom II?

Core i7 = requires an X58 motherboard. All X58 boards use DDR3. The memory controller is in the CPU, so you don't have a choice.
Phenom 2 = requires AM2+ or AM3, though there may be some AM2 board supporting it. DDR2 or DDR3 depending on the motherboard, since the CPU can take either.

If I was buying an X58 board, I'd go with the EVGA X58. If I really wanted to cut costs and go with only a single PCIe slot, I'd take a look at the stripped down ASUS or Gigabyte products. But I'm pretty much a believer in the EVGA lineup right now.

AM2/AM3...not so sure on that one. Maybe somebody else can chime in.

 

[brain_stew]

What's your opinion on the soon to be released ASUS W90VP-A1? I keep hearing from the internet and my own go to tech guys that it's pretty damn nice, but the more avid and knowledgeable speakers are chastising the model due to the Core 2 Quad being a Q9000. Since the next best upgrade for the processor is the Q9100 for $941 more (Starting price being around $2,400 at Xoticpc), I really want to know if it's worth it to get it with the Q9000, do the upgrade (in which case, I'll be getting the laptop MUCH later due to my wallet :lol), or (sigh) wait longer.

I'll primarily be using this laptop for heavy gaming (I have a massive PC backlog to get back to), Photoshop & other art applications, and just a general desktop replacement with a good longevity.

I was pretty much leaning towards the last option in the hopes that ASUS would get two 4870s in there with GDDR5 in the near future or that a future smaller model (17" and hopefully lighter than 11lbs, :lol) model from them or another company would be made using one 4870 with GDDR5. That alone would be great, but if more enhancements are due on the W90 and I can still get it for ~2,500 which could possibly be the case, then I'd be a happy camper. So then, what are your thoughts on the matter?

That CPU is going to bottleneck those cards like crazy.

Is there any aprticular reason you MUST get a huge behometh of a desktop replacement? Never thought of getting a gaming desktop and a netbook instead?

 

[Smokey]

Core i7 = requires an X58 motherboard. All X58 boards use DDR3. The memory controller is in the CPU, so you don't have a choice.
Phenom 2 = requires AM2+ or AM3, though there may be some AM2 board supporting it. DDR2 or DDR3 depending on the motherboard, since the CPU can take either.

If I was buying an X58 board, I'd go with the EVGA X58. If I really wanted to cut costs and go with only a single PCIe slot, I'd take a look at the stripped down ASUS or Gigabyte products. But I'm pretty much a believer in the EVGA lineup right now.

AM2/AM3...not so sure on that one. Maybe somebody else can chime in.

If I build it I want it to last a good amount of time, so I'm not too concerned on cutting out something like a pcie slot.

I'm also looking at video cards right now. Right now I'm looking at the 4850x2 2GB or 4870 1GB. 4870 x 2 is a little too much $$ for me.

 

[Vyer]

So

I'm looking to start building my first new PC in about four years. trying to catch back up. Currently looking at processors.

Trying to keep a budget in mind, so I'm not going with the i7s just yet. So these are the processors I'm currently looking at on newegg:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz
Intel Core 2 Duo 38500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0Ghz

Any suggestions/Recommendations? other options? Should I look into AMD chips? (Last system I built was AMD, thinking about going Intel this time).

Any help would be appreciated, GAF. (if you want to throw in some MB suggestions that's fine too. )

 

[MWS Natural]

So

I'm looking to start building my first new PC in about four years. trying to catch back up. Currently looking at processors.

Trying to keep a budget in mind, so I'm not going with the i7s just yet. So these are the processors I'm currently looking at on newegg:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz
Intel Core 2 Duo 38500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0Ghz

Any suggestions/Recommendations? other options? Should I look into AMD chips? (Last system I built was AMD, thinking about going Intel this time).

Any help would be appreciated, GAF. (if you want to throw in some MB suggestions that's fine too. )

From my reasearch if you are budget minded you really can't beat the Phenom II chips. The motherboard and memory options make it so much cheaper than the Intel alternative.

 

[brain_stew]

Yeah, the Phenom ii x3 720 is ridiculous value atm, and by gaoing this route you won't be stuck with a dead end platform with no upgrade path. OCs like a dream as well.

 

[Azure J]

That CPU is going to bottleneck those cards like crazy.

Is there any aprticular reason you MUST get a huge behometh of a desktop replacement? Never thought of getting a gaming desktop and a netbook instead?

I don't need a behemoth honestly, it just seems like the features I want/would like most always come in the absolute largest laptops out there. :lol

As for the desktop/notebook situation, I'm a pretty mobile guy and would much rather have a portable all-in-one solution, even if it might be a bit heavier or bigger than usual. Honestly speaking though, if something was around that had these specs:

17" 1920x1080 LCD Monitor
Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 or T9800/Core 2 Quad Q9000/Q9100 (Higher clock vs 4 cores... What should I put the emphasis on? I know about the optimization for four cores issues already though, so I guess an informed opinion/bias would be a good swing in either direction for me.)
4GB+ DDR2-800MHz or DDR3-1066Mhz
320GB HDD x2 7200RPM
ATi Mobility Radeon HD4860/4870 GDDR5 @ 512MB - 1GB
Between 7 - 10 lbs (Weight really isn't a problem for me though, but I'd prefer it to be in the middle. :lol)

Then my sweet spot would be met. Also, sorry if these questions or uncertainties are slightly "newbie". This is my first real enthusiast purchase and I'd like to make it worth my while.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

I'm looking to buy a custom built gaming computer (please don't give me a build-it-yourself post) and I'd like to hear people's opinions on which companies are reliable and give the best bang for your buck. I've heard Alienware is overpriced, same with Dell's XPS, a friend of mine is pushing me towards Velocity Micro, and I've heard mixed opinions of ibuypower and cyberpower.

my current machine is from cyberpower. they did a great job and the machine is silky smooth and haven't had not even close to any hiccups. NONE.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

If you can SLi, buy another 285 and go for it.

Difference between the 285 and 295 are minimal to most people upgrading depending on what resolution they're playing at. If you're already playing @ 1920x1200 or in that ballpark and you're looking for some extra, juice, you'll see a marginal improve around 5-12 FPS in some games... but otherwise it's not worth the cost to upgrade.


I was going to go the Quad-SLi route with the 295's but after reading about sandwich design, heating and actual numbers, 285's in SLi best the 295 by 10-15% across the board of which to me.... is a better deal.

Something to think about.

and what if I want to replace my curent SLI build of 9600 GT 1GB? 285 or 295? bear in mind this is in a mid tower case too.

 

[brain_stew]

my current machine is from cyberpower. they did a great and the machine is silky smooth and havent not even close to any hiccups. NONE.

I've seen quite a few respected tech sites such as Anandtech recommend these so I'll second this recommendation. Their prices are second to none.

 

[scorcho]

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz
Intel Core 2 Duo 38500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0Ghz

Any suggestions/Recommendations? other options? Should I look into AMD chips? (Last system I built was AMD, thinking about going Intel this time).

The Q6600 is an overclocking beast and have been able to achieve 3.6ghz overclock on air. I have mine on 3.0ghz and am awaiting a better CPU cooler before I throttle it higher.

As for the mobo - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358

Greatest motherboard I've ever used and overclocks like a champ. Pair this up with 1066mhz DDR2 and you're good for quite a few years.

 

[brain_stew]

The Q6600 is an overclocking beast and have been able to achieve 3.6ghz overclock on air. I have mine on 3.0ghz and am awaiting a better CPU cooler before I throttle it higher.

As for the mobo - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358

Greatest motherboard I've ever used and overclocks like a champ. Pair this up with 1066mhz DDR2 and you're good for quite a few years.

That's not been true for new batches for a long time now. Its EOL as well so sourcing one at a decent price may be an issue, they also consume a fair amount of power. Oh, and socket 775 is a dead end platform. Considering all that and the fact that the X3 is faster at stock with more overclocking headroom, I'd say the loss of one core is well worth it imo, heck you might even get lucky and be able to unlock a 4th core anyway. $50 saving to be had on the CPU as well.

 

[scorcho]

From what I remember the 1st gen Phenom (which I'm assuming the X3 still is) guzzled more power than all. Otherwise, you have a point about the LGA775. I just built my PC in November, and at least in my case have never recycled a mobo with a faster processor.

 

[brain_stew]

From what I remember the 1st gen Phenom (which I'm assuming the X3 still is) guzzled more power than all. Otherwise, you have a point about the LGA775. I just built my PC in November, and at least in my case have never recycled a mobo with a faster processor.

Nope the 720 is a full Phenom ii core with all 6MB of L3 cache and the power efficiencey benefits of the move to 45nm, just with one of the 4 cores disabled. At just over $150 for a CPU with a fully unlocked multiplier and decent core clock of 2.8ghz, its really quite a deal, especially if you get lucky and are able to unlock the 4th core. For anyone not willing to spend the cash on a full core i7, its pretty much the best way to go atm imo. Really great bang for buck and a platform with plenty of future upgrade options.

 

[scorcho]

Well I sit corrected then. Continue on!

 

[MWS Natural]

Do you guys think GPU's are going to keep getting bigger? I am on the virge of purchasing a Qmicra SFF case which is pretty expensive so I won't to have it for a LONG time but it won't be able to hold anything over 10.5'' really.

 

[Smokey]

CASE: ($40 Mail-in Rebate) Apevia X-SniperG Mid-Tower 420W Case (Black Color)

Neon Light Upgrade: 12in COLD CATHODE NEON LIGHT (BLUE COLOR)

Extra Case Fan Upgrade: Extra Case Cooling Fan (1 x Fan)

POWER SUPPLY Upgrade: 680 Watts Power Supplies (Hush Power Supply SLI/CrossFire Ready)

CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-940 2.93 GHz 8M L3 Cache LGA1366

COOLING FAN : Thermaltake V1 Gaming CPU Cooling Fan (Excellent Overclocking + Silent Proof + Smart CPU & System Thermal Monitor)

MOTHERBOARD: (3-Way SLI Support) Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX

MEMORY: 6GB (2GBx3) DDR3/1600MHz Triple Channel Memory Module

VIDEO CARD: ATI Radeon HD 4870 x2 2GB


Hard Drive (1TB (1TBx1) SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)

Optical Drive: (Special Price) LG 20X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER

SOUND: Creative Labs SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio 24-BIT PCI Sound Card

SPEAKERS: Logitech (BLACK) G51 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System

NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100 NETWORK CARD

KEYBOARD: Logitech Deluxe 250 USB Keyboard (Black Color)

MOUSE: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse

Wireless 802.11B/G Network Card: PCI Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps Network Interface Card

Cable Wiring: Professional Wiring for All WIRINGs Inside The System Chasis with High Performance Thermal Compound on CPU

TOTAL: $2,099

opinions>>?

This is basically the setup I want. I wanted to see how much it would be to have it prebuilt, and I was gonna go and see how much it would be if I did it on my own.

 

[Crazymoogle]

opinions>>?

1. If you have a board capable of OCing at all, the 940 is not worth it. You'd have to do the calculations here to be sure, but at least in custom user built configs, the 940 is a lot more money for barely any performance gain. With reputable memory, a decent board (like the P6T) and a decent fan, 3.2GHz or so seems to be the standard air overclock on any decent i7 920.

2. Case/PSU are fine, P6T is a decent board, you've picked the right amount of memory, though I can't tell the brand.

3. The 4850x2 is a good value card; in fact, I think Tom's Hardware still believes it to be the best value for the money (with the downside being noise). But considering the rest of the rig I'd still rather have either a 4870x2 or a GTX285. What sort of screen res / monitor size are you aiming for?

4. Any idea on the HD brand?

5. Optical drives like that cost what, $20 US? And I can't say I'm excited about the sound either, though mainly because I can't tell if that's the one that does CPU offloading or not. (But really, unless you are picky, you should be throwing that money towards your video card.)

6. Assuming you really want/need a wireless card for some reason.

EDIT: Well, the X2 definitely makes more sense, but again, what's your monitor/screen res?

 

[Smokey]

1. If you have a board capable of OCing at all, the 940 is not worth it. You'd have to do the calculations here to be sure, but at least in custom user built configs, the 940 is a lot more money for barely any performance gain. With reputable memory, a decent board (like the P6T) and a decent fan, 3.2GHz or so seems to be the standard air overclock on any decent i7 920.

2. Case/PSU are fine, P6T is a decent board, you've picked the right amount of memory, though I can't tell the brand.

3. The 4850x2 is a good value card; in fact, I think Tom's Hardware still believes it to be the best value for the money (with the downside being noise). But considering the rest of the rig I'd still rather have either a 4870x2 or a GTX285. What sort of screen res / monitor size are you aiming for?

4. Any idea on the HD brand?

5. Optical drives like that cost what, $20 US? And I can't say I'm excited about the sound either, though mainly because I can't tell if that's the one that does CPU offloading or not. (But really, unless you are picky, you should be throwing that money towards your video card.)

6. Assuming you really want/need a wireless card for some reason.

EDIT: Well, the X2 definitely makes more sense, but again, what's your monitor/screen res?

I thought about the overclocking, but I don't know too much about it to be honest. I actually had 2 separate 4850's because they didn't have an option for a 4850 x 2 which is what I really want. They have it at newegg for $289. Upon further inspection for some reason one video card was more than another in this build ($125 and $215 respectively) so I just took them both out and replaced it w/ the 4870 x 2. I probably (actually I know) won't need that much video card power, but when I get a new PC I hardly ever upgrade anything besides memory (just how I am) so I kind of wanted to put parts in there that would extend the life of the system.

There is no brand listed for the HD it just says standard 1TB.

On the sound card, I could bypass that and just run it straight from the MOBO for 5.1?

I really put this together just to get some idea on how much something like this would cost. I'd say one area that I worry about is motherboards. I just don't know too much about them, which ones are good etc.

 

[brain_stew]

A core i7 920 at stock will still totally blaze through anything you throw at it. OCing really is much easier and safer than it seems, so personally I'd go with the 920 with a view to OC down the road if you ever feel the need for any extra horsepower. The 940 is just too much of a stepup in price for the extra performance you're getting (which is wiped out completely once OCing is brought into the equation).

 

[botkiller]

I'm getting tired of my Centurion case. I'm torn between wanting a smaller, portable machine (Thermaltake VF1000BWS) and something non-gaudy and sleek (Antec P182).

Does anyone have any advice or thoughts on those?

 

[MWS Natural]

I'm getting tired of my Centurion case. I'm torn between wanting a smaller, portable machine (Thermaltake VF1000BWS) and something non-gaudy and sleek (Antec P182).

Does anyone have any advice or thoughts on those?

I prefer the look of the Thermaltake Lanbox Lite but I read on their forums there will be a new version coming out in Q3 of this year.

 

[Smokey]

I made some changes to the PC I posted a few posts up:

Case: Apevia X Jupiter Full Tower w/ temp display + fan control
Extra case fans: two extra fans
Powersupply: CyperpowerPC XF8005 800W
CPU: Intel i7 920
Cooling: Asetek Liquid CPU Cooling System
Motherboard: ASUS P6T Intel X58
RAM: 6GB Corsair Dominator PC3 10666
Video Card: Radeon 4870 1GB
Hard Drive: 1TB (500x2) 7200RPM Raid 0
Optical Drive: LG Blu-ray/HD-DVD reader + DVD writer
Speakers: Logitech 2.0 speakers
OS: Vista Premium 64-bit

and professional wiring

I got the extra fans (which were only a few bucks extra) because I wanted to OC the 920 to 3.0ghz like you guys stated and I haven't done it in a while, so the more options for cool air the better.This system came in at $1,502 (before shipping + tax), which is around the area I didn't want to go over. I think this system would last a good 3-4 years?

This one better than the previous system?

 

[Crazymoogle]

I thought about the overclocking, but I don't know too much about it to be honest.

Well, it's not very difficult - probably just need to read up on a few guides online, as I'm sure the safe overclock to ~3ish GHz is a hell of a lot easier than the tweak-heavy 3.6GHz+ stuff people are doing. EVGA even offers a "dummy overclock" function that is literally an on/off switch in the BIOS of their X58 board!

I know it might sound a bit out there, but you owe it to yourself to google up some results, because the i7 940 retail is what, $250-300 USD more than the 920? That's double the price for something you would be better off pointing towards other parts of your system.

I probably (actually I know) won't need that much video card power, but when I get a new PC I hardly ever upgrade anything besides memory (just how I am) so I kind of wanted to put parts in there that would extend the life of the system.

That's fair. The thing comes down to value again, though. If you are running a 22" monitor, for example, the X2 isn't really going to help you. You'd be better off with a single 4870, or better yet, a GTX285. At 24" you have more of an argument. At 30", it's almost mandatory.

There is no brand listed for the HD it just says standard 1TB.

Now is either the best time or the worst time to buy a hard drive, depending on what you want. Seagates have been going through a crazy failure rate due to some BIOS issues that have been mopped up recently. WD seems to be the most reliable, but also the most expensive. And an SSD is probably a better option than any dual-video card you can buy, but unless you buy a specific model and are prepared to run Windows 7, it's probably not for you.

On the sound card, I could bypass that and just run it straight from the MOBO for 5.1?

If the motherboard supports it, probably. Though it's not a bad idea to have a sound card if you are indeed running a 5.1 setup. You'd have to look more into what sort of options the P6T standard offers.

Case: Apevia X Jupiter Full Tower w/ temp display + fan control
Extra case fans: two extra fans
Powersupply: CyperpowerPC XF8005 800W
CPU: Intel i7 920
Cooling: Asetek Liquid CPU Cooling System
Motherboard: ASUS P6T Intel X58
RAM: 6GB Corsair Dominator PC3 10666
Video Card: Radeon 4870 1GB
Hard Drive: 1TB (500x2) 7200RPM Raid 0
Optical Drive: LG Blu-ray/HD-DVD reader + DVD writer
Speakers: Logitech 2.0 speakers
OS: Vista Premium 64-bit

and professional wiring

I got the extra fans (which were only a few bucks extra) because I wanted to OC the 920 to 3.0ghz like you guys stated and I haven't done it in a while, so the more options for cool air the better.This system came in at $1,502 (before shipping + tax), which is around the area I didn't want to go over. I think this system would last a good 3-4 years?

This one better than the previous system?

I have no idea if extra case fans are going to help what I'm guessing will be a mild overclock. Couldn't hurt, but you'll probably want to tinker with it later to see if you mind the noise. I also can't speak about liquid cooling, but the dominator ram is nice (depends on the actual RAM specs though, I guess) and Vista 64 is definitely the way to go (though strongly consider Windows 7 a year from now.) The blu-ray reader is an unnecessary expense unless you don't have a PS3. RAID 0 is interesting; definitely faster in some respects, although obviously data fragile.

No idea what that PSU is, either. It's a more reasonably spec'd system though.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

CASE: ($40 Mail-in Rebate) Apevia X-SniperG Mid-Tower 420W Case (Black Color)

Neon Light Upgrade: 12in COLD CATHODE NEON LIGHT (BLUE COLOR)

Extra Case Fan Upgrade: Extra Case Cooling Fan (1 x Fan)

POWER SUPPLY Upgrade: 680 Watts Power Supplies (Hush Power Supply SLI/CrossFire Ready)

CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-940 2.93 GHz 8M L3 Cache LGA1366

COOLING FAN : Thermaltake V1 Gaming CPU Cooling Fan (Excellent Overclocking + Silent Proof + Smart CPU & System Thermal Monitor)

MOTHERBOARD: (3-Way SLI Support) Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX

MEMORY: 6GB (2GBx3) DDR3/1600MHz Triple Channel Memory Module

VIDEO CARD: ATI Radeon HD 4870 x2 2GB


Hard Drive (1TB (1TBx1) SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)

Optical Drive: (Special Price) LG 20X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER

SOUND: Creative Labs SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio 24-BIT PCI Sound Card

SPEAKERS: Logitech (BLACK) G51 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System

NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100 NETWORK CARD

KEYBOARD: Logitech Deluxe 250 USB Keyboard (Black Color)

MOUSE: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse

Wireless 802.11B/G Network Card: PCI Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps Network Interface Card

Cable Wiring: Professional Wiring for All WIRINGs Inside The System Chasis with High Performance Thermal Compound on CPU

TOTAL: $2,099

opinions>>?

This is basically the setup I want. I wanted to see how much it would be to have it prebuilt, and I was gonna go and see how much it would be if I did it on my own.

what's the name of this special? they usually have a funky name like gamer dragon ro something like that...

 

[xenorevlis]

What are you going to be using this for?

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

I made some changes to the PC I posted a few posts up:

Case: Apevia X Jupiter Full Tower w/ temp display + fan control
Extra case fans: two extra fans
Powersupply: CyperpowerPC XF8005 800W
CPU: Intel i7 920
Cooling: Asetek Liquid CPU Cooling System
Motherboard: ASUS P6T Intel X58
RAM: 6GB Corsair Dominator PC3 10666
Video Card: Radeon 4870 1GB
Hard Drive: 1TB (500x2) 7200RPM Raid 0
Optical Drive: LG Blu-ray/HD-DVD reader + DVD writer
Speakers: Logitech 2.0 speakers
OS: Vista Premium 64-bit

and professional wiring

I got the extra fans (which were only a few bucks extra) because I wanted to OC the 920 to 3.0ghz like you guys stated and I haven't done it in a while, so the more options for cool air the better.This system came in at $1,502 (before shipping + tax), which is around the area I didn't want to go over. I think this system would last a good 3-4 years?

This one better than the previous system?

they usually give you free water cooling.....