Building a computer? Need advice/suggestions? Come here!

[Warsaw]

The Core 2 Duo E8000 Series are a nice bunch of overclockers and I hear Games even today only use 2 cores anyway. 2 cores is enough to last me for the next four years.

That's not entirely true. >2 core usage is becoming increasingly common in more and more games, so you'll want a quad if you hope to get through the next four years with minimal hassle. If I'm not mistaken, L4D can take advantage of more than one core, and so can GTA IV, Supreme Commander, Prototype, and I'm sure there are more. Trust me, getting a quad is the way to go. Core 2 Quad, Phenom II X4, Core i7, or Core i5 (when it releases in a couple months with W7).

[Bhamid]

All those games use quad cores btw

[AAA]

Well, I might not have much of a choice... My computer Burned out today. Literally, My 4770 is toast and so is my mobo. All due to the Power supply. I'm done, I'm gonna get something by corsair.

The only problem I have with X58 is that I hear that shit bottle necks with the i7 and 1600 DDR3. Is this entirely true?.... Because, I have a friend with DDR2 800, an E6600 OC @ 3.2, and a GTS 250. He's able to run Crysis on 1920x1080+AA x4 on 40FPS, I saw it with my own eyes. So I'm in a state of "Fuck the What?" because Crysis runs about the same on an X58 setup with a 285.

[InnerGoat]

Then get a setup like your friend has if you honestly believe it runs the same as an i7 / GTX285 rig.

[Warsaw]

Well, I might not have much of a choice... My computer Burned out today. Literally, My 4770 is toast and so is my mobo. All due to the Power supply. I'm done, I'm gonna get something by corsair.

The only problem I have with X58 is that I hear that shit bottle necks with the i7 and 1600 DDR3. Is this entirely true?.... Because, I have a friend with DDR2 800, an E6600 OC @ 3.2, and a GTS 250. He's able to run Crysis on 1920x1080+AA x4 on 40FPS, I saw it with my own eyes. So I'm in a state of "Fuck the What?" because Crysis runs about the same on an X58 setup with a 285.

That's because Crysis is a GPU-limited game (like almost every other game). :downs:

Also, your friend likely wasn't running it on Very High. Most people run it on High, or Medium-High settings.

i7 is much faster at workstation tasks than any other processor architecture out there. That "bottleneck" problem is more likely the CAS latencies jumping up very high once you hit 1600MHz and above, though you can find 1600MHz DDR3 with a relatively low CAS (for DDR3) of 6. So it doesn't bottleneck, so to speak, it just becomes a problem of the increased speed of RAM becoming less and less able to overcome its own increasing latency.

Your best bet right now is an i7 920 with 6GB of DDR3 RAM (take advantage of the uber bandwidth of Triple Channel), along with either two GTX295s in SLI or get a cheap card to hold you over until ATi releases the 5870X2. If money is no obstacle and you want it to last 4 years, get the best of the best.

[Varmint260]

Hey, guys! I have more n00b questions for ya's!

So, my mother has this almost brand-spankin' new Acer Aspire that's quite a bit nicer than my current one (AM2+ instead of just AM2, more RAM slots, 64-bit OS). I was thinkin' of trading with her since all she does is email and browse the internet, and my current setup is more'n enough power. But, I wanted to swap a few components and install in the newer one a graphics card I got on sale. Not sure if my power supply can handle it, so this's what I'm looking at.

Acer Aspire M1202
Phenom X3 8550 (2.2GHz)
I want to swap in my 4GB of OCZ Gold PC2-6400
I plan on installing this new BFG Tech GeForce GTS 250 1GB OC Edition
I want to swap in my 550W Optimax Titan power supply.
640GB SATA hard drive
I'll be installing my 160GB WD drive with all my documents.

Now, my problem is that the requirements on the box of the GTS 250 say a 475W power supply with at least 26A on the 12V rail is recommended with a Core 2 Duo E6750. My Optimax Titan 550W says 24A on the 12V rail. With the setup I've detailed above, will this PSU cut it or shall I head out and get something better?

[k4is3rxkh40s]

Computer specs here (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00503717&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=1152517).
+Radeon HD 4850, 300w PSU, 3 gb ram instead of 1, extra 200GB hard drive.

CPU and PSU both suck and it's getting pretty evident in my gaming(fallout 3, GTA 4, Prototype, Crysis, etc). I might be able to get a hold of my friend's extra 400w PSU, but if there's a cheap and reliable one, I'll get it instead. I'm more looking for a CPU upgrade, but I really have no clue what to look for, moreso than when I was looking for a graphics card. I have about ~$100-130 to work with right now, or should I wait a couple months to save up for anything new/price drops on older models/etc?

[Reaper Man]

This is not entirely relevant, but I don't think it's worth making a new thread just for this.

I'm gunna be getting a new laptop for university, but I'm on a budget. The two computers I'm looking at are as follows

Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 ~$7000HKD (~$900USD)


Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 2.0 GHz, 2 MB, 800 MHz
4GB DDR3 1066MHz
500GB 5400rpm Serial ATA
15.6" 16:9 WLED HD 1366x768
nVidia GeForce GT 130M 512MB

or

Dell Studio 15 ~$7000HKD (~$900USD)

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P7350 2.0GHz / 1066MHz FSB / 3MB (I may pay a ~$100USD extra to get 2.40GHz, the Lenovo's processor can't be upgraded)
15.6” 720p WLED 1366x768 Display with TrueLife
4GB (2X2GB) DDR2 SDRAM
512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570
500GB SATA Hard Drive

I don't really know much about current hardware, as I haven't kept up to date in years. I need a laptop primarily for photo editing and Photoshop, I work with pretty high resolution images, and do batch processing fairly often, so the things I do are fairly processor intensive. Both these laptops have their pros and cons, so I'm looking for a more knowledgeable opinion.

The screen resolution on both irritates me, but I can't find anything similarly priced with a higher resolution screen. Those two laptops pretty much fit right to the limits of my budget. If anybody else has any recommendations, I'd appreciate it. I'd rather avoid HP though, as I have bad experiences with my current HP laptop.

I am a sucker for the looks of the Dell, it also has a backlit keyboard and a slot loading drive. I'll probably pay the little extra to get the Intel 5300 Wireless-N card instead of the 5100, as I've heard it's much more reliable. I'd much prefer the Studio XPS 16, but it's price is far beyond what I can afford. The screen resolution though... :saddowns:

E: My parents said they're willing to pay the $7000HKD (~$900USD) I might pay the extra several thousand or so to get a better laptop. Augh, I don't know :gonk: HELP ME

2nd E: Augh, I just checked the Dell USA site, with student discounts for SCAD, and they have so many more different customization options for the Studio laptops. I'm so confused >__>

[InnerGoat]

Out of those two, the Dell. You should really try for something with a usable resolution though!!

e: the studio 15 can be configured with a 15.6" 1920x1080 widescreen for 75 more dollars over stock, lol.

e2: and it falls at $904 with the 1080p display, 95Wh battery, better video, and wifi

[Reaper Man]

Out of those two, the Dell. You should really try for something with a usable resolution though!!

e: the studio 15 can be configured with a 15.6" 1920x1080 widescreen for 75 more dollars over stock, lol.

e2: and it falls at $904 with the 1080p display, 95Wh battery, better video, and wifi
Yeah, after looking at the dell USA website, I noticed that there's more upgrade options, namely the 1080p display. PLUS I can get SCAD student discount.

[Timo]

My brother is thinking about getting a second HD4850 512mb for his computer - will he see a large enough FPS increase to warrant forking out the cash? His specs are similar to mine (same amount of ram/same cpu)

[Rook]

My brother is thinking about getting a second HD4850 512mb for his computer - will he see a large enough FPS increase to warrant forking out the cash? His specs are similar to mine (same amount of ram/same cpu)

I may be crazy talking but see if he can get a Phenom II down the line, I believe they have quite a bit more cache than the Athlons. As for crossfire, never done it and don't know.

[Warsaw]

This is not entirely relevant, but I don't think it's worth making a new thread just for this.

I'm gunna be getting a new laptop for university, but I'm on a budget. The two computers I'm looking at are as follows

Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 ~$7000HKD (~$900USD)


Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 2.0 GHz, 2 MB, 800 MHz
4GB DDR3 1066MHz
500GB 5400rpm Serial ATA
15.6" 16:9 WLED HD 1366x768
nVidia GeForce GT 130M 512MB

or

Dell Studio 15 ~$7000HKD (~$900USD)

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P7350 2.0GHz / 1066MHz FSB / 3MB (I may pay a ~$100USD extra to get 2.40GHz, the Lenovo's processor can't be upgraded)
15.6” 720p WLED 1366x768 Display with TrueLife
4GB (2X2GB) DDR2 SDRAM
512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570
500GB SATA Hard Drive

I don't really know much about current hardware, as I haven't kept up to date in years. I need a laptop primarily for photo editing and Photoshop, I work with pretty high resolution images, and do batch processing fairly often, so the things I do are fairly processor intensive. Both these laptops have their pros and cons, so I'm looking for a more knowledgeable opinion.

The screen resolution on both irritates me, but I can't find anything similarly priced with a higher resolution screen. Those two laptops pretty much fit right to the limits of my budget. If anybody else has any recommendations, I'd appreciate it. I'd rather avoid HP though, as I have bad experiences with my current HP laptop.

I am a sucker for the looks of the Dell, it also has a backlit keyboard and a slot loading drive. I'll probably pay the little extra to get the Intel 5300 Wireless-N card instead of the 5100, as I've heard it's much more reliable. I'd much prefer the Studio XPS 16, but it's price is far beyond what I can afford. The screen resolution though... :saddowns:

E: My parents said they're willing to pay the $7000HKD (~$900USD) I might pay the extra several thousand or so to get a better laptop. Augh, I don't know :gonk: HELP ME

2nd E: Augh, I just checked the Dell USA site, with student discounts for SCAD, and they have so many more different customization options for the Studio laptops. I'm so confused >__>

What's your budget? I ask because you'll definitely want a discreet graphics solution with the work you do. Lenovo makes a good laptop, but they very rarely put a discrete solution in; it's usually that Intel HD4500 crap. I know the IdeaPad Y450 (and Y650) can come with an nVidia GT105m (some sources say that you can get it with a GT130M in Asia, don't know how accurate that is), but other than that, most of them suck.

As for Dell, I'd definitely keep looking into their Studio (XPS or otherwise) line, they seem to have done good with that one.

E: Timo, a second 4850 will create very noticeable gains in frames. Crossfire scales better than SLI, so it's worth it.

[343guiltymc]

These laptop GPU names are really confusing me........Is the GT130M similar performance to the 9600M?

[Warsaw]

It's a rebadged 9600M GT.

GT120M = 9500M GT
GT130M = 9600M GT
GTX 260M is pretty much an overclocked 9800M GTX.
GTX 280M is pretty much an underclocked desktop 8800GTS.

Yeah, nVidia pulled that asshat renaming scheme again, misleading consumers into thinking that the new high-end mobile cards had something in common with the GT200 architecture. They don't, they are just G92 cores again. ATi, on the other hand, has mobile cards that are identical to the desktop ones in architecture, just with lower clocks (and in the case of the Mobility HD4870, it has GDDR3 instead of GDDR5, putting it roughly closer in performance with a desktop HD4850).

[343guiltymc]

So did Nvidia ever fix their mobile GPU overheating issue?

[Varmint260]

Yo! Guess my post got a little buried. Bottom line, my question:

Can a 550W Optimax TITAN power supply running 24A on the 12V rail supply a computer with a Phenom X3 2.2GHz and a GeForce GTS 250 1GB?

[Reaper Man]

Yeah, I think I'm going Dell. I found a great deal on the dell website,

Dell Studio 15
1080p display
500gig hdd
512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570
4gigs of ram
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9600 (2.8GHz/1066Mhz FSB/6MB cache)
Intel 5300 Ultimate-N Half Mini Card (3x3) with MyWiFi
Backlit keyboard
3 Year warranty

With student discount etc
$1288 (worth $1800-something, weird though because yesterday I could've sworn it was $1228..hmm)

[InnerGoat]

Yo! Guess my post got a little buried. Bottom line, my question:

Can a 550W Optimax TITAN power supply running 24A on the 12V rail supply a computer with a Phenom X3 2.2GHz and a GeForce GTS 250 1GB?

Yeah it will be fine until that PSU dies and takes everything with it down the road :-3

[Rook]

everything in my computer runs on the 500w PSU that came with the case am I cool yet

[k4is3rxkh40s]

New better/faster socket 939 single-core CPUs are too much now to be worth buying a them, so I've decided I'll just upgrade completely now. (Found a 2.6Ghz (http://www.pcplanetsystems.com/abc/product_details.php?category_id=70&item_id=1122) from google for almost as much as an i7 :<)

I'm thinking I might go with this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.230052) combo, trying to keep similarly to this (http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/build_a_500_pc_play_crysis_40fps?page=0%2C0). Would it be enough to run games like Crysis/GTA 4/Saint's Row 2 well, and is it compatible with my current hard drives/optical drives/etc? Would be running at 1280 x 1024 full screen or 800x600 windowed, and I don't know what exact type, but my current mobo says it supports 2 SATA drives. Of course I still need RAM, new case, a new PSU, and probably CD/DVD drives as my current dvd drive is dead, and my cd drive is following suit.

Also, stupid question but I'm probably going to need to buy Windows/burn Ubuntu/etc after I upgrade everything with the HP locking stuff and all, correct? This computer never came with an XP install disk, just a separate partition for recovery and the like.

Current motherboard specs : here (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00378480&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=1152517)

[Warsaw]

Won't run it max, but it should run it fine. Hard to go wrong with that combo.

[Bhamid]

When you say almost as much as an i7, well...:haw:

[Warsaw]

Of course an FX is going to be mad expensive, they've been mad expensive since they were released. You can find dual core socket 939 chips for $120 if you go onto Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/AMD-Athlon-64-Dual-Core-Processor-ADA4200BVBOX/dp/B0009RKLRG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1249668171&sr=8-1).

[Timo]

So he's going to get another HD4850 but he needs a new motherboard. Will this: http://www.pp.co.nz/products.php?pp_id=AA12516 do the trick? Or is there a better alternative?

e:I wouldn't be surprised if he wants to upgrade in the future - If he got a DDR3/AM3 motherboard, would he still be able to use his AMD2 processor and DDR2 ram until he upgrades again?

[Warsaw]

No. Only the AM2+ Phenom IIs have controllers for both DDR2 and DDR3. If he gets AM3, ha has to go DDR3 and he will need an AM3 CPU because AM3 has two less pins than AM2+ (I think it was two).

[k4is3rxkh40s]

Last question for a while, I promise

Would one notice much of a difference between a ~2.9Ghz and ~3.0Ghz dual core? If so, would it worth an $11 dollar difference?

[343guiltymc]

I already have a Logitech G5, is it worth getting the new G500?

[Darkness]

Last question for a while, I promise

Would one notice much of a difference between a ~2.9Ghz and ~3.0Ghz dual core? If so, would it worth an $11 dollar difference?

Do they have the same cache and are from the same manufacturer? If so then the 100mhz is not a big difference. You can buy the cheaper one and overclock it past the 3.0Ghz and save 11 bucks.

I also want to add to this thread by quoting a friend on how x86 and x64 relates to graphic cards

I've had to post this too many times so i thought i'd get it out in the correct forum here.


Under a 32 bit operating system (XP, vista 32) you have 4GB of address space available. Address space is different to the amount of memory in your PC.

The reason a 32 bit system can only use 3GB (or 3.25GB, or whatever number you get) of system ram is because it doesnt have enough address space left. Video cards are the most important part of a PC that uses address space.

If you had 4GB of system ram and a 1GB video card under a 32 bit operating system, each individual program could only use 3GB of that system ram (due to the video card using 1GB of address space) However there is something else most people are NOT aware of.
Under DirectX 9.0C (and lower) video card ram must be duplicated into system ram. That means if you're running on the highest settings with your new shiny 1GB video card - that 1GB of video memory must be duplicated leaving you with only 2GB left for your game.

You just went from 4GB to 2GB, only considering a single 1GB video card. Things only get worse in SLI and crossfire.

Under 64 bit you wouldnt have lost that initial 1GB of ram to the address space, so you'd have 3GB of usable ram, with 1GB used in DX9.0C games. All of a sudden those modern games which border on 1.5-2GB of ram usage are playable, without your system running like a dog.

Side note: It should be noted that DX10/10.1 do not duplicated video memory into system ram. DX10 actually helps to alleviate this issue, if your system is powerful enough to run games in DX10.

Side note 2: There is more than just video card ram that affects this. System page file uses address space, as do various parts related to the BIOS (RAID cards, sound cards with onboard ram, etc) - this is why with a 512MB video card your 32 bit OS may report 3.25GB of ram - 256MB was taken away for everything else

Example configs:
32 bit
4GB system ram
1GB video card
3GB system ram usable, 2GB left in games once video card ram is duplicated.

2GB system ram
1GB video card
1GB system ram usable, The last 1GB would fight with the video card ram here. If you dont lower texture settings, resolution, and AA you'll get pretty nasty stuttering as you run out of ram.

4GB system ram
2x1GB video cards (SLI/crossfire)
2GB system ram usable, 2GB left in games once video card ram is duplicated.
(SLI and crossfire only use one video cards ram. Because of how it works both cards ram is in the address space, but only one cards ram is duplicated)

64 bit
4GB system ram
1GB video card
4GB system ram usable, 3GB left in games once video card ram is duplicated.

2GB system ram
1GB video card
1GB system ram usable, The last 1GB would fight with the video card ram. This kind of PC is the one where people claim vista x64 has no real advantage, or slower due to 64 bit using slightly more ram than 32 bit in windows itself.

4GB system ram
2x1GB video cards (SLI/crossfire)
4GB system ram usable, 3GB left in games once video card ram is duplicated.
(SLI and crossfire only use one video cards ram. Because of how it works both cards ram is in the address space, but only one cards ram is duplicated)


Update:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940105

This link from microsoft has some good info, and fills a gap i'd missed.
You do not need to download the file mentioned, as this is already included in vista SP1 (and you should be on SP2 by now!)


This shows another side to this - 32 bit applications can only have 2GB total for the entire application, regardless of the amount of available ram and system-wide address space. so even if you have 4GB of ram and 3.5GB showing as available, if you've got a 1GB video card in a 32 bit OS you're in for a world of hurt.



Edit: W1zzard has queried the ram duplication, so i managed to find some more links - thanks to Xenos especially.


http://www.tomshardware.com/news/windows-graphics-ram-desktop-memory,7644.html

This article is talking about how the aero desktop was moved from DX9 (WDDM1.0) to DX10 (WDD1.1) and they directly mention how the old (DX9) system required a copy of video ram in system ram.

Taken from Here (http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=91260)

[Warsaw]

One thing on the 32-bit memory limit: it's not 32-bit, it's specifically Windows, contrary to what everyone says. You can use more than 4GB of RAM using Linux (or even Windows Server).

[legionaire45]

I already have a Logitech G5, is it worth getting the new G500?
I would say no, assuming you like your G5. While the sensor on the G500 has over twice as much resolution as the G5, 2000DPI is still really good. If you have the money to burn, sure, go ahead. But I'd put that money towards something more worthwhile like a ram, CPU or video card upgrade down the road.

[Darkness]

I would say no, assuming you like your G5. While the sensor on the G500 has over twice as much resolution as the G5, 2000DPI is still really good. If you have the money to burn, sure, go ahead. But I'd put that money towards something more worthwhile like a ram, CPU or video card upgrade down the road.
Yeah with the higher DPI you won't really use it much because it'll just be too sensitive anyways. I only use 1000dpi on my G9. Also Legionaire what do you think of uprising?

[Warsaw]

O rly?

I use 1600dpi on my Razer Plasma. For modelling and texturing work, it is too sensitive, but for gameplay, it's fine. It's user preference really.

[Darkness]

I'm just saying most people don't go over 2000 dpi because it just gets way to sensitive

[TomClancy]

I'm looking for advice one a home media server build. I've got all the parts, but if I can get cheaper parts that can still play 1080p without stutter, then I'll take it.

Build:
Motherboard ASUS P5KPL-CM (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0294693) $50.00
RAM Corsair Value Memory 1GB (2x) (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0239618) $16.00
Processor Intel Dual-Core E5300 (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0304778) $70.00
Hard Drive Seagate 500GB (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0235781) $60.00
Sound Card SoundBlaster Audigy SE (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0310207) $30.00
Video Card ATI HD 4350 512mb 256bit (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0303307) $45.00
Power Supply Coolmax 600 Watt Powersupply (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0292257) $30.00 (And I know the PSU is over kill, but it's one of the cheapest they had that is over 350watts)
Totals at $301.

[Warsaw]

I'm looking for advice one a home media server build. I've got all the parts, but if I can get cheaper parts that can still play 1080p without stutter, then I'll take it.

Build:
Motherboard ASUS P5KPL-CM (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0294693) $50.00
RAM Corsair Value Memory 1GB (2x) (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0239618) $16.00
Processor Intel Dual-Core E5300 (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0304778) $70.00
Hard Drive Seagate 500GB (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0235781) $60.00
Sound Card SoundBlaster Audigy SE (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0310207) $30.00
Video Card ATI HD 4350 512mb 256bit (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0303307) $45.00
Power Supply Coolmax 600 Watt Powersupply (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0292257) $30.00 (And I know the PSU is over kill, but it's one of the cheapest they had that is over 350watts)
Totals at $301.

Try these on for size:
AMD Athlon II X2 245 2.8GHz Socket AM3 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103687)
1GB Crucial 240-pin DDR3 1066 RAM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148147)
GIGABYTE GA-M785GMT-UD2H AM3 mATX Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128397)

Motherboard has an integrated ATi Radeon HD4200, which can do 1080p fine. As such, you don't need that extra card. So, final price with these items replacing their respective counterparts in your list and sans that HD4350 is $293. Not huge, but Athlon IIs are Phenom II processors (so they are K10-based, not K8), so they are at the same performance level as Core 2s, and since this one has higher clocks, it is faster for your dollar. Also, DDR3 benefit. I would've put another gig in there, but that would have made it a little bit more expensive than your setup by ~$20.

[TomClancy]

That's all good, but it's on newegg. (I have no qualms with Newegg, but if possible, I'd like to get this all at Microcenter.) I'll probably go and see if they have these parts in store, since their site has very few products that the store carries.

[Warsaw]

I'm not familiar with Microcenter myself, I just went straight to where I knew all the parts I had in mind were. XD

[TomClancy]

And that's completely understandable. :)
Microcenter is like a NewEgg in store form, heh.

[Darkness]

Wait for the new e6500 to come out before you make the box The unlocked multiplier can do wonders for your HTPC The ES reached 5 GHZ (http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=634202)

[TomClancy]

That's more money. I'm on a $300 budget. (Unless it costs <$70.)

[Warsaw]

And that's completely understandable. :)
Microcenter is like a NewEgg in store form, heh.

There's actually one about 40 minutes from where I live, I've just never been there since I have a Golden Tech Computers nearby, which is kind of like the Salvation Army of computer stores.

Also, 5GHz is overkill Darkness. For an HTPC, even a P4 CPU would be fine. GPUs are less flexible though, because 1080p playback is a fairly recent development.

[TomClancy]

I thought Media Player Classic Home Cinema added a GPU acceleration for newer GPU's? I'm not sure if VLC player has that either.

[Darkness]

That's more money. I'm on a $300 budget. (Unless it costs <$70.)
its suppose to retail at $89 alot of bang for the buck!

[Warsaw]

I thought Media Player Classic Home Cinema added a GPU acceleration for newer GPU's? I'm not sure if VLC player has that either.

Well that's what I'm saying. GPUs are less flexible because you need the newer ones to get good playback. Older ones don't have it (and by older I mean anything pre-GeForce 7 really as far as nVidia is concerned...ATi has been in the game for a long time).

[TomClancy]

its suppose to retail at $89 alot of bang for the buck!

But I don't need that much power. It's a media center. I'm watching movies, not gaming.

@Warsaw, Yeah, for nVidia I knew it was pre-7 series, but those are still old cards. so it's pretty flexible I would think.

Thanks for all the advice everyone!

[Darkness]

Well then I recoomend the e6300 for $84 or the since you get stuff that is disabled on the e5200. And if you don't need stuff such as VT then go with the e5200 for $65

[TomClancy]

I have the e5300 in my list for $70, not sure if the e5200 is available at Microcenter, haven't been in a while. And like I said earlier, I need my products from there, not online retailers. (Microcenter's site doesn't help either, they don't have a fraction of the products listed that they have in the store.)

[Darkness]

They do at my Microcenter. You just check online and choose your store then show the amount in stock. Anyways since you're using microcenter how about an AMD build? Their IGP solutions are great and combined with a cheaper CPU they make great budget builds.

EDIT:NVM microcenter doesnt seem to have any am2+ processors left..

[TomClancy]

Oh I see it now, haha. Thanks, and sorry about that. I feel like an idiot now. I can only find 3 AMD Processors though. A triple-core and two single-cores. Would a 2.7GHz single-core be enough?

[Darkness]

Well if you're running XP and you strictly want a web/HTPC Machine the Semprons are worth it because they beat out Intel's Atoms

[TomClancy]

I'm actually going to run XBMC on Ubuntu. Much lighter than XP, and a bit easier to work with.

I've actually managed to get the build down to $206. Dropped the GPU (for now, I may add it back in, not sure.) The soundcard isn't needed, the motherboard I listed has built in 7.1 surround, and you showed me the e5200, which is $20 less then the e5300 and virtually the same thing, just 100MHz slower.

e:
I may be able to get it down to $161 if this guy on Craigeslist responds to my email. (He has a similar motherboard and same processor I need.)

[Warsaw]

Damn, cheap HTPC for sure. I'd use that extra headroom to bump specs, but then again if all you are really going to use it for is audio and video playback, there's no need. You can instead use it to bump up your current rig (which has almost the same specs mine did when I built it...only mine is AMD...and no SCSI supremacy).

[TomClancy]

Haha, yeah! Unfortunately, the guy decline on my offer of $30 for CPU and $35 for motherboard. (Same ones I needed, too.) So back up to $196.

Oh nice. Yeah, I could seriously use an upgrade. I got an i7 build I'm going to purchase eventually. Probably going to wait for either the GT3XX's to come out or the next iteration of Intel processors so the price of the i7 goes down yet again. (Though, I can get an i7 920 for $199 at Microcenter, and that's dirt cheap.)

[Warsaw]

Good plan, waiting on the GPUs. By this holiday season we should see ATi's DX11 offerings, assuming they stick to their timeframe this time.

[343guiltymc]

Good plan, waiting on the GPUs. By this holiday season we should see ATi's DX11 offerings, assuming they stick to their timeframe this time.
The Geforce 300 series are suppose to have been put ahead of schedule to Q4, but they will be limited in stock when released. As for ATi, they are in no hurry beyond HD 4000, given how they going to release the Radeon 4750 and 4860 in less than two weeks.

[Darkness]

I actually recommend you get the sempron 140 if you can find it. It's been unlocked to 2 cores (http://www.vmodtech.com/main/article/sempron-140-unlock-two-cores/)

[Warsaw]

The Geforce 300 series are suppose to have been put ahead of schedule to Q4, but they will be limited in stock when released. As for ATi, they are in no hurry beyond HD 4000, given how they going to release the Radeon 4750 and 4860 in less than two weeks.

Actually, AMD has started production of DX11 silicon, and already has working examples. At CES they were the only ones with working DX11 silicon. So, they will be the first out of the gate with the HD5870, though for sure you can expect that the GTX380 will be out before the HD5870 X2 model.

[TomClancy]

I actually recommend you get the sempron 140 if you can find it. It's been unlocked to 2 cores (http://www.vmodtech.com/main/article/sempron-140-unlock-two-cores/)

I read somewhere they used the "ASRock M3A790GXH/128" motherboard. Do I need that exact one or just an AM2/AM2+ board?

[Darkness]

You need a board that has the SB710 or SB750 south bridge. By enabling ACC you may be able to unlock the cores. I recommend an MSI board since they said that they will not patch the bug, So you can unlock the cores.

[TomClancy]

Alright, thanks. I may get it, but only if it ends up being cheaper, heh.

[Darkness]

Well the Sempron is only $40 and once they unlocked the second core they overclocked it to 3.7 GHZ

[TomClancy]

Yeah, but I don't know if Microcenter carries the Sempron 140 or the corresponding motherboard I can use to unlock it. ;)

It is definitely very intriguing. The next time I go I'll look and see if they have it. If they do, I'm all over it!
e: They have an AM3 motherboard with the SB750 South Bridge, but it's $90. (Not expensive, but $40 more then my current, and if I can get a similar build for cheaper I'll go for that. So far Intel is winning.) :)

[Darkness]

I'm actually thinking the amd would be worth it though. Their IGPs are just soo much better than Intel's

[TomClancy]

Well I'm an Intel guy, and I'll trust what I know. :)
If the AMD was cheaper I'd get it, but it's not. Thanks for the suggestions and such though!

[Warsaw]

Irony, Intel is cheaper...that doesn't happen very often! XD

Online, AMD will pretty much always be cheaper. I guess the ol' brick and mortar stores are trying to dupe unsuspecting customers with the "new AM3!" tags...

[Darkness]

Intel has higher performing CPUs than AMD but AMD is cheaper. Also Intel's IGP and really bad that their newest ones kinda fail at farcry. AMD's IGP doesn't

[Warsaw]

Intel only wins on the high-end segment. Award for best price to performance ratio goes to AMD. Phenom IIs and Athlon IIs are around the price level of the Core 2 series (usually cheaper) and offer the same performance. The only two markets where Intel really wins are the Mobile markets (AMD hasn't put out anything new in years) and the i7's targeted audience.

[Darkness]

Thats kinda true. At the low end segments the atom and celeron is killed by the Sempron. The the dual core celerons and pentium duals are beat by Athlons. But when it comes to mobile. Intel's centrino offers better battery life while AMD will always have the better IGP

[Warsaw]

Atom does not compete against the Sempron. The Atom competes against the VIA Nano and the AMD Neo (which comes in dual and single core variants), both of which are better processors. Centrino is not a processor, but a platform. Centrino is the setup that contains three Intel parts, usually CPU, chipset, and network card. The current Centrino setup is called Montevina, and before that it was Santa Rosa, and before that I think it was Nanda. Yes, it is more efficient than whatever AMD has going on, but remember that AMD hasn't changed their platform in something like 3 years.

Also, nVidia makes a mean IGP in the 9400, so it can easily compete with AMD in that department.

You're only halfway there. Do some more reading.

[Darkness]

I know centrino is an all in one platform. But the laptops usually come with an Intel IGP which sucks vs AMD's IGP. And Yeah i know about Nvidia's ION for Atom and I know that Nvidia's IGP on laptops are weak compared to their desktop equivalents plus Nvidia had that huge problem with failing gpus on laptops which is why I don't trust them. And I'm just saying for the price of an atom platform you can make a Sempron platform that beats the atom.

[Warsaw]

But Sempron is desktop where Atom is [usually] netbook. Two different markets dude. And anybody who buys a nettop is uninformed.

[Darkness]

Don't forget Htpc/web machines they're mostly atoms. And the Sempron is in that market

[Warsaw]

IIRC, most HTPCs are either one of those low-voltage Athlon X2s or Core 2 based. I don't know where you're getting your info. Atom-based web machines just came into being last year, and are THE web-based machine. Everything else up until that point was really just an underpowered computer, intended for more than just using the web (with the exception of the original Celeron-powered Eee).

[Darkness]

Alot of guys I know over at techpowerup are using Atom and Nvidia Ion in their HTPCs My uncle uses Ion for his HTPC and web machine. Others use the dual core Ions with the GMA950 to watch HD content. Also the new eee can playback HD on its atom. And the New atoms are actually capable of playing HD content

[Warsaw]

Ion is the platform putting the 9400M into an integrated chipset. The 9400 by itself is not Ion. There is no "dual core Ion," because the 9400M is not dual core.

I'm well aware of what the new stuff can do, and it has nothing to do with the Atom. It's just the software has been changed to take advantage of graphics hardware (including Intel IGPs), so the fact that Atom can't do certain things can be bypassed. Basically, Atom's inadequacy got the developers (namely Adobe's) off of their collective asses. The new Atoms aren't even out yet. No, the Z series is not new.

You're mixing stuff up man. You are going to end up confusing somebody. Do more research.

[Darkness]

you know what I meant by dual-core Ions I was trying to say The dual core atom on the ion platform aka the 9400 because you can't buy an atom processors they're integrated into their boards. I know the 9400 is an IGP and theres no such things as a dual core igp. And you think I'm that stupid? The Z series is the first atom out there. Now they're at the N,200,300 series

[NullZero]

What is the new asus eee that can playback HD content without stuttering?

[Darkness]

The eee 1000HV is a netbook capable of doing HD content and the eee b204 and b206 they're not netbooks but Htpc machines

[Warsaw]

you know what I meant by dual-core Ions I was trying to say The dual core atom on the ion platform aka the 9400 because you can't buy an atom processors they're integrated into their boards. I know the 9400 is an IGP and theres no such things as a dual core igp. And you think I'm that stupid? The Z series is the first atom out there. Now they're at the N,200,300 series

I don't think you're stupid, I think you are mixing stuff up too much whether you intended to or not. The N-series atoms have been around for over a year now, so even those are not new, and they are still as anemic as their Z-series counterparts.

As for using an Eee for HD playback, it isn't worth it because the output connections are terrible (at least that's what I read in the reviews). You'd be better off waiting for Mobinova's Tegra-based netbook, which is both more powerful and made specifically for such a purpose.

[Darkness]

Just clearing things up. Anyways I just prefer the eee because they have higher cell batteries and lower power consumption so they can last up to 10 hours.

[PlasbianX]

Need a laptop for under $400 as good as I can possibly get for being that cheap. Halp plz.:mech:

[Warsaw]

:mech3:

Incredibly terrible budget.

How far over-budget can you go?

I would suggest looking at Lenovo computers. Usually fantastic keyboards, and save for graphics, they are pretty good and usually cheap. You're just going to have to accept that your graphical capabilities will be shit with that budget. You're on a netbook budget...and pretty much all of those have identical or otherwise similar specs.

That being said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834146580

[PlasbianX]

:mech3:

Incredibly terrible budget.

How far over-budget can you go?

I would suggest looking at Lenovo computers. Usually fantastic keyboards, and save for graphics, they are pretty good and usually cheap. You're just going to have to accept that your graphical capabilities will be shit with that budget. You're on a netbook budget...and pretty much all of those have identical or otherwise similar specs.

That being said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834146580

Really don't want to go too far over budget. Its pretty much only going to be used for college work. Doesnt need to be a beast. I just want a good as I can possibly get for my budget.

[Warsaw]

Well, check out Best Buy, they have some $400 laptops. They are all going to be about even, I just like Lenovo because they are sturdy computers and are comfortable to type on, which is about all you can ask for in that price range.

[Cortexian]

I need a new laptop since mine ate it... I need a backlit keyboard and at least 2.5Ghz (dual core minimum), 4GB memory, 500GB storage capacity, and a 15" (approx) form factor. A dedicated graphics card would be preferred but it's not required, budget is $2,500.00 CAD so I think I might as well go with an Alienware m15x amirite? I've researched around a bit and I'd love to get an Alienware laptop anyways, but I'm just making sure that there's no other good options out there.

I'm not getting an Apple product.

[Warsaw]

There's also the ASUS G51VX. It has a backlit keyboard, is configurable with a wide range of CPUs surpassing your minimum, can hold 6GB of RAM, has dual hard drives, is 15", has a GTX260M, and is cheaper than the Alienware. Only advantage to the Alienware is that it has changeable colour lighting schemes.

http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-g51vxa1-order-p-2595.html

NewEgg also has some pre-configured options, but you get a better deal if you configure one yourself from XOTIC, PC TORQUE, or some other company along those lines. They all have the same prices, pretty much. And yes, they do ship to Canada.

That's about it that meet your requirements. The only other backlit notebooks are either bigger (Dell Studio XPS 16, OCZ Whitebook 17") than your desired screen size, smaller than your desired screen size (Dell Studio XPS 13), or are made by Apple.

Fake E: There's also the Dell Studio 15...that is backlit, but the graphics capabilities of the Alienware or ASUS are undoubtedly better.

[343guiltymc]

What about the MSI GT729? From some benchmarks I've seen the 4850M is slightly better than the GTX 260M.

[Warsaw]

He wants a backlit keyboard, and the MSI doesn't have that. If it weren't for the backlit requirement, there are a ton of other options to consider as well.

I wouldn't recommend the M15x because it's running last generations hardware. the 9800M GT is not as powerful as the GTX260M, which is the current generations price point equivalent. That, and you can't put a quad in it (not through Dell anyways, and the BIOS likely won't support it either). Those two reasons make the ASUS a much better computer.

[343guiltymc]

Wait, Alienware is actually worth getting now?

[Bhamid]

Wait, Alienware is actually worth getting now?

Nope! :D

[Warsaw]

Wait, Alienware is actually worth getting now?

Not really. The only machine I can say is somewhat worth getting is the M17x, and only if you get it with most of the bells and whistles (getting it with a single GTX260M is a waste of money...you need two GTX280Ms to make it worthwhile). However, there's also the Clevo M980NU (SagerNP9850) which has the same hardware internally, and costs about $300 less all said and done. Only downsides are no backlit keyboard, plastic as opposed to aluminum chassis, and it has 1n 18.4" 16:9 screen (not a con for some).

[Cortexian]

The Asus G51VX comes out to be $400~ more than the Alienware when configured to the specifications that I would want (as close to my m15x configuration as possible)... Since I'm a sucker for bells and whistles I guess I'm going with the Alienware since it's cheaper, surprisingly...

In a real-world comparison of games, how many more FPS would you actually gain using a GTX 260M over a 9800M GT? Tests could be based in Crysis since I'm familiar with how it runs on different hardware. I know the 9800M GT is slightly faster than the 8800M GTX by 1-2 FPS, would the GTX 260M get any more than 5-10 FPS difference? If not than it's not worth it imo. There's always the possibility that I could upgrade to a GTX 260M as well, knowing how Alienware likes to flaunt their ability to swap out laptop graphics cards.

[Warsaw]

The GTX260M would probably get you a good 10-15 more fps in Crysis than the 9800M GT. The GTX260M is essentially a smaller, overclocked 9800M GTX.

Also, while you could upgrade, you'll just end up making up the difference in price between the two systems if not more, since there isn't exactly a huge market or supply of MXM laptop GPUs floating around, especially high-end ones. On top of that, you don't know how well the Alienware will cool it or power it.

The specs on the Asus are better, but the Alienware has a prettier case. It's up to you which way you want to go. Personally, I'd take specs first. All those lights on the Alienware just serve to draw more power and generate more heat.

[Cortexian]

The GTX260M would probably get you a good 10-15 more fps in Crysis than the 9800M GT. The GTX260M is essentially a smaller, overclocked 9800M GTX.

Also, while you could upgrade, you'll just end up making up the difference in price between the two systems if not more, since there isn't exactly a huge market or supply of MXM laptop GPUs floating around, especially high-end ones. On top of that, you don't know how well the Alienware will cool it or power it.

The specs on the Asus are better, but the Alienware has a prettier case. It's up to you which way you want to go. Personally, I'd take specs first. All those lights on the Alienware just serve to draw more power and generate more heat.

GTX 280M installed in an Alienware M15x:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=384642&highlight=M15x

Seems simple enough, though as you stated the temps are obviously quite a bit higher.

Aftermarket GTX 280M:
http://mivasecure.abac.com/rjtech/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=R&Product_Code=VGA-280M-M570TU&Category_Code=

Aftermarket GTX 260M:
http://mivasecure.abac.com/rjtech/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=R&Product_Code=VGA-260M-M860ETU&Category_Code=

All you really have to do is install the HSF from your existing graphics card onto the new one, and use the recommended "copper mod" (sheet of thin copper between the CPU thermal paste and the HSF thermal paste) to increase the cooling capability of your old HSF. I see what you mean when it comes to pricing though, the two cards I linked were at least $400 each, therefore making up the price difference.

Still, I want this to be portable, as in something I can take with me wherever I go without hassle or the requirement of a power outlet. The Alienware has a 2 hour~ battery life when in "Stealth Mode", and you can further increase that by disabling the 9800M GT and using the integrated Intel GMA POS.

[Warsaw]

The ASUS also gets ~2 hours. I'm not sure, but it might have an integrated 9400M.

Seems like you really want the backlight on the Alienware though. :p Just go with that.

[Cortexian]

It's so shiny! :pcgaming:

[AAA]

Be a man and go with the V10! You need to work on your cable management for more than a few minutes though, it's not bad but it's not good either!

I'm just going to remove the fan controllers all together. Leave me a LOT more room.

(From another thread, but should just be placed here, considering the inevitability that I was going to lead onto this question at some point in time)

What's the V10 going to do for me that the V8 won't?

I'm only going to try overclocking a X3 720 BE in about a month or 2 and I was wondering:

1) Should I unlock that 4th core and knotch it up to 3.6GHz or maybe even 4GHz?
2) Should I leave it at 3 cores and knotch it up to 3.6GHz or maybe even 4GHz?

Also, Would this RAM do the trick for the overclocking I'm looking to achieve?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148212

I plan on helping this process go a lot smoother with the Coolmaster V8. Yes or no?

[Bhamid]

Unlocking the 4th core might screw it up, but you can always reset it in the BIOS.

[Terin]

I figured this would be the best place for a quick RAM questions.

How bad would it be if the timing of a second stick of RAM was different than the first? I'm getting a new stick today, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to find another 2GB 800MHz 240-pin DDR2 with 5-5-5-12 timing.

Also, would there be any downsides in regards to speed if I had 4GB of RAM with a 32-bit OS installed, besides the fact that it cuts off how much I have available?

[NullZero]

iirc, your motherboard bios will automatically set all your RAM timings to the same timings, and the chain is only as strong as the weakest link

therefore if you have a stick with 5-5-5-12, and another stick in with 4-4-4-12, it will set both at 5-5-5-12

There shouldn't be any loss of speed because you have a 32-bit OS installed, although, you probably know already that not all of the 4GB RAM will be used (reserved for shared RAM etc.)

[Varmint260]

I have 4GB of RAM installed on Vista Home Premium 32-bit, and besides that I only have about 3.2GB available, I have no complaints on the performance.

[NullZero]

I have 3070 MB (under 3GB?) usable, though I have 6GB RAM installed (for when W7 64-bit comes out)

[Cortexian]

What's the V10 going to do for me that the V8 won't?
Badassery.

It's a word, I made it just now.

BUT LOOK AT IT!

http://www.pccasegear.com/UserFiles/cmv10b.jpg

[Kalub]

Actually, I've been using that word for some time. I'll see you in court, in all truthiness.


e: holy fuck that thing is a monster!

[Xetsuei]

Badassery.

It's a word, I made it just now.

BUT LOOK AT IT!



Good lord that thing is fucking huge.

I want one.

[Terin]

Badassery.

It's a word, I made it just now.

BUT LOOK AT IT!HUGE AIRFLOW FOR MANLY MEN

I'm fine with my little $200 computer that I scrapped together. Aren't I cool? Right guys?

Right?

:(

[AAA]

V10 is still out of the question for me, it's twice the price of V8 and all I want is 3.6GHz or 4GHz. V10 is utterly rediculous and unnecessary for my situation.

[Cortexian]

What would you all suggest for a hard drive configuration when Windows 7 comes out? I'm planning on getting some kind of RAID 0 going for increased performance, but I also want some RAID 1 data protection... I have the space for a maximum of eight 3.5 inch hard drives at the moment.

My current setup:
1 x ST3500630AS 500GB 7200 RPM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148136) w/Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit & Programs. (Direct MoBO connection)
1 x ST3500630AS 500GB 7200 RPM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148136) w/Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit & Programs. (Direct MoBO connection)
2 x WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284) - RAID 1 mirroring, storing all my media, documents, web files, downloads, etc... (Connected to PCI RAID card (http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX22159%28ME%29.aspx))

I was thinking of adding two WD3000HLFS 300GB 10000 RPM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136322)'s in RAID 0 to the mix when Windows 7 is officially released. One will be just for the Operating System, the other will serve for all my Program Files. I'll move the two ST3500630AS 500GB 7200 RPM's into a RAID 1 mirror and store all my files except video on them. The two WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM's will remain in RAID 1 and store all my video media.

Does that sound like a decent plan to improve performance while maintaining and increasing storage space?

[Xetsuei]

Does that sound like a decent plan to improve performance while maintaining and increasing storage space?

Not sure how you could do it better, so yes.

[InnerGoat]

No interest in Intel's 80GB SSD? Unless you can't fit you OS install on two of them, :-3

[Cortexian]

No interest in Intel's 80GB SSD? Unless you can't fit you OS install on two of them, :-3
If I were to go with SSD's I would need 256GB or 512GB models, but imo all SSD's are still WAY to pricey. I won't be investing in them until they at least come down to VelociRaptor price:storage ratios.

[Xetsuei]

Everything has been updated.

Have fun.

[Cortexian]

LMAO, 144GB's of RAM on the Ultimate workstation.

I'll know what to buy if I ever need to render an entire CGI intensive feature film on one machine! Also, why not this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119122) instead of the nVidia edition? No one likes nVidia edition cases if they're building and ATI system!

[Xetsuei]

Because it costs nearly the same as the Antec Twelve Hundred :tinfoil:

[Cortexian]

Because it costs nearly the same as the Antec Twelve Hundred :tinfoil:
NVIDIA Edition: $219.99
Stock Edition: $179.0 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112174)

[Xetsuei]

I meant the regular Stacker costs nearly as much as the 1200, not the NV edition.

[Cortexian]

I meant the regular Stacker costs nearly as much as the 1200, not the NV edition.
Why not save the money? Just because it's the ultimate end doesn't mean that you need to go out and buy the most expensive case you can find... If that's the case:
LIAN LI PC-P80R Red - $599.99 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112174)

[Xetsuei]

k

[Cortexian]

Lian Li supremacy.

[=sw=warlord]

Lian Li supremacy.
Custom case supremacy.:realsmug:

[Cortexian]

Custom case supremacy.:realsmug:
I agree!

[MetKiller Joe]

Well, this is awesome.

My computer has been shutting off... a lot lately.

I have checked under CPUID, CoreTemp, and SpeedFan. All my cores are running at ~90 C idle. I hope my temp sensor is off...

FML.

[Xetsuei]

Well, this is awesome.

My computer has been shutting off... a lot lately.

I have checked under CPUID, CoreTemp, and SpeedFan. All my cores are running at ~90 C idle. I hope my temp sensor is off...

FML.

This thread really isn't for that, but I'll help you anyway.

Make sure there is good contact between the cooler and the CPU, and that there is enough thermal paste. Also make sure there is no dust in your cooler. And last of all, make sure that all of your fans in the computer are actually working, and that the computer is in an area where it gets good ventilation and there is good airflow in the case. If none of that works, I'd recommend taking it to your local PC repair place (NOT Best Buy or any other big commercial retailer, the local shops will always be better when diagnosing problems).

[bleach]

Is the first page going to be updated with Intel's newly released Lynnfield platforms?
I could imagine the Core i5 750 in place of the Phenom II X4 955. I also hear ATI HD5800 series coming up.

[TheGhost]

How does this sound?

Intel Core i7-975 processor Extreme Edition (BX80601975)
Intel Desktop Board DX58S0 (BOXDX58SO)
Intel SSD 160 GB (SSDSA2MH80G2C1)
Western Digital RE3 WD1002FBYS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5"
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
EVGA 896-P3-1171-AR GeForce GTX 275 Superclocked Edition 896MB
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V
LIAN LI PC-A05NB Black Aluminum ATX Mini Tower Computer Case

My price: ~$1800 (~$2700 NewEgg)

[Cojafoji]

How does this sound?

Intel Core i7-975 processor Extreme Edition (BX80601975)
Intel Desktop Board DX58S0 (BOXDX58SO)
Intel SSD 160 GB (SSDSA2MH80G2C1)
Western Digital RE3 WD1002FBYS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5"
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
EVGA 896-P3-1171-AR GeForce GTX 275 Superclocked Edition 896MB
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V
LIAN LI PC-A05NB Black Aluminum ATX Mini Tower Computer Case

My price: ~$1800 (~$2700 NewEgg)
looks sexy. how'd you get that kind of a discount you lucky dog?

[Warsaw]

Depends on what you are doing. The i7 975 is really extreme (no pun intended), as the 920 can easily be clocked up to match the stock performance of the 975, and then some, all at a fraction of the cost. You could really save a lot of money by doing that. Also, that GPU would bottleneck your CPU, but I digress, it is still a good GPU for just about everything.

[TheGhost]

Would only save a couple hundred from downgrading the CPU to the 920. Plus I've heard that if you can afford them they are really nice. I get the Intel Extreme 975, the Intel motherboard, and the Intel 160 GB SSD all for around $950. Was wondering more about the non-Intel parts.

As for the GPU my concern was mostly the size of the higher end GPUs since I don't know if it would fit into that case. I'm trying to build a smaller system. My last desktop was a 60 pound steel full tower.

[bleach]

Are you going to wait for DirectX 11 graphic cards from both companies (Nvidia and ATI)? GeForce 300 and Radeon HD5000 series look promising.

[Cojafoji]

yeah, the high end cards barely fit into a mid size case ghost. don't see how you'd be able to stuff one into a mini atx. unless the board you have has a pci 2.0 slot near the bottom where there is no hard drive carriage.

[TheGhost]

Are you going to wait for DirectX 11 graphic cards from both companies (Nvidia and ATI)? GeForce 300 and Radeon HD5000 series look promising.

When do those come out?

[InnerGoat]

AMDs new cards are a few weeks away it seems

[Rook]

When do those come out?

and it'll be a much better investment than that ole nvidia stuff. :-3

[343guiltymc]

When do those come out?
October from ATI, though these dates are likely to change without notice.

[bleach]

October is when ATI HD5800 series becomes a real availability although the HD5850/70 are released September 22nd, same day as Windows 7. As for Nvidia's offerings, the enthusiast end will come very late Q4 this year and mainstream might just come next year within the first half hopefully. Invest in Directx 11, it is worth it.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

I plan to get a second 4870, instead of a 5870, couldn't I just use WARP to enable dx11?

[TheGhost]

Gay. If I'm planning on waiting for that I might as well wait for Westmere (32 nm version of the Core i7) also Q4 09.

(Still not positive I'm building this, but if I am I'm making sure to plan ahead)

[bleach]

Yeah, I would wait for the new Intel processors on 32 nm just to compare the characteristics between those and of 45 nm. I doubt there will be any discounts on the Gulftown 32 nm Hexa-core (Core i9) from Intel the first month it is out. The only upcoming Core i7 I've heard of is Core i7 960 (Bloomfield, I think) 45 nm but let's hope there is a Core i7 Westmere (as well as Core i5 7xx =P). I'm not sure if WARP allows DirectX11 on a DX10(/10.1) GPU; if I had the money, I would consider replacing a HD4870 with a HD5870 instead of CF HD4870 because I heard /rumor that the HD5870 beats HD4870 X2 and Nvidia GeForce GTX 295.

[TheGhost]

Yeah, Core i9 should be Q1 2010. Should be available for employee discount just after OEMs get them.

I think the next major output of CPUs will be early next year, which still seems a while off.

[Cortexian]

If the prototype GTX 300 series cards they had at Fragapalooza powering the NVIDIA booth computers were any indication then you should get 'em.

[bleach]

Between the time frame from within a few weeks to the first quarter of '10, building new PCs should be graphically interesting. Although the RV870 XT and Pro (HD5870 and 5850 respectively) do seem to pull it off performance wise (price is too high for those who are financially deprived), I want to wait for the GT300 and compare GPU benchmarks/reviews. There were prototype GTX300s at the Fragapalooza??

[Cortexian]

There were prototype GTX300s at the Fragapalooza??
The NVIDIA booth computers were all outfitted with graphics cards that had temporary looking cooling units, and there was no insignia or labeling what-so-ever except for an "NVIDIA Eye" logo on the sides. The device manager had some obscure identification that I forgot, and the drivers were a custom (internal) build number. When we asked the NVIDIA/BFG rep what they were he told us he wasn't able to tell us since they were "prototypes that haven't been officially announced".

We were also told not to photograph them, so... I assumed they were prototype GTX 300 series cards.

[InnerGoat]

They might have been the new (new) rebranded 8800GTs

[Cortexian]

They might have been the new (new) rebranded 8800GTs
The cooling units were slightly bigger than the ones on the GTX 200 series cards though. :raise:

[TheGhost]

Well I mean another thing I was thinking was just building with a mid card (~$100-150) and then upgrading early next year if I want.

[Rook]

Well I mean another thing I was thinking was just building with a mid card (~$100-150) and then upgrading early next year if I want.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150337

[TheGhost]

Was thinking http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130339 but yeah, something like this or that

[Xetsuei]

$139.99 VisionTek Radeon HD4870 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129113)

Faster and better image quality than the 9800GTX+.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

4870 <3 I love it so much, i'm getting a second one for my bday ^_^

[king_nothing_]

Ugh, this sucks. I want a CPU upgrade, but...getting a quad core to stick in my current system seems dumb with the i7s being out, but if I go with i7 I'd probably end up spending like ~$900, and that's even without getting a new video card. Ugh.


rock || me || hard place

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

If anything, I'd get the q6600 if you rnot going for the i7's it pwns

[InnerGoat]

you could always go for i5 or i7 on the new s1156

[Warsaw]

You don't want Socket 1156 Core i7s. Why? No triple channel, and that is where a healthy portion of the i7's punch lies. If you are going i7, stick with the 1366 models, because you are spending the i7 premium anyways, might as well get it all.

[TheGhost]

I may be building a home server instead....

[Cojafoji]

I may be building a home server instead....
mythtv mythtv mythtv mythtv mythtv mythtv

[Futzy]

Didn't want to start a new thread but I plan to buy this tonight - http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9467178&type=product&id=1218109897952
Is good?

[Warsaw]

It's an external hard drive...in my experience they are all pretty much alike, and all have small if noticeable failure rates. I don't know if it is a 5400rpm of 7200rpm though. Regardless, USB 2.0 will choke data, so I hope you aren't banking on it being fast.

[Horns]

Didn't want to start a new thread but I plan to buy this tonight - http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9467178&type=product&id=1218109897952
Is good?

WD Externals have a 3 year warranty. Seagates have a 5 year warranty. You tell me which one you think is better.

[Cojafoji]

WD Externals have a 3 year warranty. Seagates have a 5 year warranty. You tell me which one you think is better.
WD.

[Con]

I may be building a home server instead....
I too am looking into this.
needin advice

[AAA]

What's the most reliable Performance RAM to overclock the Phenom II X3 720 to 3.4GHz-3.7GHz on a MA790X-UD4P ????

I'm not sure :ohdear: halp.

[Horns]

WD.
And why is that? (I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just wondering why you think so.)

[Warsaw]

Looking at reviews, the Seagates have a higher failure rate, are slower, and are not as universally compatible as WDs. That being said, their cases are definitely snazzier, though if you want flashy, go with iOmega.

[Cojafoji]

And why is that? (I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just wondering why you think so.)
personal product history.


I too am looking into this.
needin advice
MYTHFUCKINGTV

[Con]

MYTHFUCKINGTV
no

[InnerGoat]

5870 is here (in that timezone lol)


http://www.tomshw.it/graphic.php?guide=20090923&page=radeon-hd-5870-rv870-cypress-ati-amd-directx11-02

[343guiltymc]

It's on Newegg now, but now the 5850.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

I'm waiting to see the finalised specs of the 5850.

[InnerGoat]

5850 is coming at a later point closer to windows 7 launch

[Ganon]

http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/14-161-301-01.jpg

A shitty sword? really? those things will cut your fucking arms off

[InnerGoat]

you should see the one with anime on it

[Rook]

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2009/09/23/ait-radeon-hd-5870-1gb-review/1


and will take up a nominal two PCI expansion slots on your motherboard.


How..... I bought the mobo with one pci-e 2.0 x16 slot. :|


and (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010380048%20106793261&name=Radeon%20HD%205000%20series)

[Jelly]

How..... I bought the mobo with one pci-e 2.0 x16 slot. :|
It means that it takes up the space of two cards on top of each other, while not requiring two PCI-E slots.

[Cortexian]

It takes up two expansion slots and not PCI-E slots, just like 90% of other top end cards.

[king_nothing_]

Mulling over something like this in my head...

Core i7 920 - $230 on eBay** (see below)

ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131365) - $280

Prolimatech Megahalems heatsink (http://www.google.com/products?q=prolimatech+megahalems&hl=en&aq=f) + fan - $75

CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145224) - $210

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006) - $110

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021) - $100

Total: $1005


**: I don't normally buy computer parts on eBay, but I would want to get a specific i7 920 batch number to ensure I get one which is a good overclocker. With a 920 from a good batch and that beast heatsink I'd be able to get it to at least 4.0GHz.

Any comments? I would stick with my 8800GTS until more DX11 cards come out.

[Bhamid]

Sounds good, try getting an Antec 902 instead so that you get better cooling.

[InnerGoat]

That case is fine for cooling :raise:

Good luck with your quest for 4GHz King~

[Bhamid]

Coolings fine, but the 902 is better, but its $24 more...

[Cortexian]

Everyone and their dog has an Antec 900/902, get something slightly more original. That's why I got the Cooler Master CM 690, just as good as the Antec 900, but looks a lot better in my opinion. Get a full tower or something. Not as many people using the HAF's (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160) yet.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

Personally, I have the NZXT Nemesis, it's a great case, I love it, and it was free!

[Cortexian]

Yea, NZXT makes some neat cases. I personally like the Tempest (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146047), if you want a mid-tower.

[TheGhost]

Ok guys, what's a small good card that will play back 1080p latest codecs and handle some non-intensive gaming? It would be for a server / HTPC so it would be great if it didn't take a lot of power, generate a lot of heat, or make a ton of noise either. Price doesn't matter.

[InnerGoat]

AMD's HD4650 make good HTPC cards

Do you need a low profile card?

[TheGhost]

Well I'm thinking this case:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129041

(Check side view)

So, you'll see that the hard drive cage extends to the bottom so the card can't be very long. It says you can take it out to accommodate larger cards, but I need that hard drive cage in there.

I was considering not putting a discrete card in but that seems like a bad idea.

[king_nothing_]

Everyone and their dog has an Antec 900/902, get something slightly more original.
I couldn't care less about case originality or aesthetics. I just want something that performs well.

[InnerGoat]

oh you have lots of room. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102854 would fit in there fine

[TheGhost]

So are we back to ATI again?

[Dwood]

ATi's been kicking butt. Not only that, but Nvidia has gone into PhysX/etc with their cards, so an Nv card wouldn't be helpful to your cause Ghost.

[TheGhost]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102822 y/n

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

Core clock is lower than the 4670, but it has a higher mem clock and more stream processors

[Cojafoji]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102822 y/n
if you do some shopping, you can get a better 4850 for the same price.


edit:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121272R

I know it's open box, but meh. That's the same model I own, and it works great.

[Dwood]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102822 y/n

I would say yes. Just be warned, there's a limit of 99 of those per customer.

@ Coji, it's a 4830...

e: nvm Coji, you're right. :\/ Idk why but I got my ATi naming conventions all messed up.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

if you do some shopping, you can get a better 4850 for the same price.


edit:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121272R

I know it's open box, but meh. That's the same model I own, and it works great.

DONT GET THAT
The HD4870 version of it has the fan die, and is a fucking pain to deal with.
and it idles (atleast on the 4870 version) at about 75*c
D:

[Cojafoji]

DONT GET THAT
The HD4870 version of it has the fan die, and is a fucking pain to deal with.
and it idles (atleast on the 4870 version) at about 75*c
D:
been raping mine with a hammer playing on high and it's fine.

and it's idling at 45.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

Like I said for the 4870 version, also, how long have you had the card?

[InnerGoat]

Pyong your card was probably faulty lmao

[Cojafoji]

Like I said for the 4870 version, also, how long have you had the card?
around three months. got it in july, been abusing it with games like burnout paradise, sup com, far cry, crysis. it's fine so far.

[TheGhost]

Ok so it's a little awkward, but I'm feeling good about this. It's intended to be a media server / file server / HTPC / general desktop whatever:

Antec Mini P180 Black Steel MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129041)
SAPPHIRE 100265HDMI Radeon HD 4830 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102822)
CORSAIR CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010)
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMD4GX3M2A1600C8 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145265)
Intel Core i7-860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I7860 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115214)
Intel BOXDP55SB LGA 1156 Intel P55 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121386)

Subtotal: $943.94

I have some hard drives. Will probably build a RAID 5 array inside after setup.


Any input?

[Dwood]

Ok so it's a little awkward, but I'm feeling good about this. It's intended to be a media server / file server / HTPC / general desktop whatever:

Antec Mini P180 Black Steel MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129041)
SAPPHIRE 100265HDMI Radeon HD 4830 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102822)
CORSAIR CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010)
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMD4GX3M2A1600C8 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145265)
Intel Core i7-860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I7860 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115214)
Intel BOXDP55SB LGA 1156 Intel P55 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121386)


Subtotal: $943.94

I have some hard drives. Will probably build a RAID 5 array inside after setup.


Any input?

Are you sure that is the proc you'll want? I don't think that a File/HTPC server needs so much power. Other than that I can't really fault you.
(Just to note:

If you went with the ddr2 (albeit outdated) you could set up a cheaper 64 bit system with 8+ gb of RAM.
)

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

Pyong your card was probably faulty lmao

I read the reviews for it later, and alot of people had them die on them.

[TheGhost]

Well I had the Core i5 on there but then there was a bundle discount with the mobo which made up a lot of the difference. And both were 90W so I figured why not. Like I said, it's a bit awkward. I'm still looking for a high performance machine. Don't forget some of those cycles will be stolen for RAID.

[Cortexian]

You need that DOMINATOR memory for a HTPC/general usage desktop? You could probably get cheaper stuff and get 8GB's for the same price, or just get 4GB's and lower the total.

[TheGhost]

I want everything to be as fast as possible. Esp with file transfers and streaming and whatnot. My goal is over 70 MB/s transfer read and write, as it will have at least 4 TB of storage (I've seen builds over 100 MB/s, but I don't think my hard drives will get it there, maybe, we'll see how the RAID does). My current device gives me something around 10 MB/s if I'm lucky and is incredibly finicky.

[king_nothing_]

Why don't you get an HTPC case?

EDIT: Or is it not strictly going to be an HTPC?

[TheGhost]

No definitely not strictly HTPC. Also I need at least 5 HDD slots, which is pretty much impossible to find without a tower.

[Terin]

Would I be able to get by using a HD 4850 with a 420w PSU temporarily?

[Cojafoji]

Would I be able to get by using a HD 4850 with a 420w PSU temporarily?
Most likely. 4850 draws about 250w max.

[DrunkenSamus]

Would I be able to run Half-life 2 on max settings with this desktop PC? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103222

[Warsaw]

At what resolution? At 1024x768, maybe (iffy when considering whether you include AA and AF in "max setings" and because I don't trust anything with a designation as low as "G100," even if it is a GeForce). Anything more, and you'll need something better. You could slap in a much better card for $60, or a really good one for $100.

[DrunkenSamus]

At what resolution? At 1024x768, maybe (iffy when considering whether you include AA and AF in "max setings" and because I don't trust anything with a designation as low as "G100," even if it is a GeForce). Anything more, and you'll need something better. You could slap in a much better card for $60, or a really good one for $100.

The G100 is the equivalent of a Geforce 9 card.

[Bhamid]

G100 is ~9400 gt

[InnerGoat]

It looks closer to the 8400GS actually

I guess it'll run HL2 at 640x480 with playable fps

[DrunkenSamus]

It looks closer to the 8400GS actually

I guess it'll run HL2 at 640x480 with playable fps

Lmao.
I'm sure it can be a bit higher then that.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_g_100_us.html

[InnerGoat]

You said max settings, and that usually includes AA and AF. Keeping the AA off, you could probably get 1280x1024 playable

Don't expect other games to work well though.

[Varmint260]

I ran HL2 on a Geforce Go 6150 with everything maxed (but no Anti-aliasing) and it ran very playably at 640x480. I'm sure the G100 can do better than that.

[Warsaw]

The G100 is the equivalent of a Geforce 9 card.

Well aware of that. It's a low GeForce 9 though, considering that the GT120 is the 9600GT. This one isn't even a GT, it's just a G.

Like I said, just spend the extra $60 and don't worry about it. If you're buying a new computer and can't squeeze the extra $60 in there, you should probably wait a little bit anyways.

[Bhamid]

GT 120 is a 9500 gt. 130 is the 9600 gt.

[Warsaw]

GT 120 is a 9500 gt. 130 is the 9600 gt.

Looking at Wiki, the 130 is a slower 9600GSO 512. Whatever way you look at it, the G100 is terrible. It's a slightly faster 9400GT; sure, you can play HL2, but you won't be playing it at 1680x1050 at maximum, and I'll give it props if it can push out 40 frames of HL2 at maximum settings and 1280x1024 resolution.

[NullZero]

My 7300 GT did a good job with Half-life 2 at 1280x1024 with all max :O

[Warsaw]

I've seen how a GeForce 7350 LE handles Half-Life 2. It isn't pretty. It stutters, jumps, and is otherwise inconsistent. It plays OK, but the laggy sections are too frequent to tolerate, in my opinion.

It's his call though. If he wants to try out the G100, no loss there if it turns out that he's satisfied with its performance.

[DrunkenSamus]

With that decent processor, I'm sure it can, and at 500 dollars? So worth it.

[Cojafoji]

my 7950 had problems with hl2. not to much, but i can imagine a 7350 trying that. doesn't sound too pretty.


as for 500 being worth it? hardly.

[InnerGoat]

Basically, find something with a better video card. :-3

[Cojafoji]

or build your own.

[Warsaw]

With that decent processor, I'm sure it can, and at 500 dollars? So worth it.

CPU doesn't mean diddly squat in Half-Life 2. I can get maximum settings smoothly using the Cinematic Mod (that means higher than normal resolution on textures and higher poly models) with my setup. So, that GPU will either be just fine or be just fine with stuttering.

[343guiltymc]

EP2 benefits for multicore CPUs, right?

[ramis92]

I have a question about my choice of graphics cards. My specs are
-AMD Athlon X2 (1.9Ghz dual core)
-1GB Memory (Planning to make it 2gb)
-ATI Radeon 3650 1GB
-350W Ultra Power Supply

Basically, I'd like to know which graphics card I should get to run on my power supply. Would something like a 9800GT or an HD 4850 be fine? What would my bottleneck be concerning the limits of my specs?

[Warsaw]

Your CPU is way too slow, you don't have enough RAM (and I have no idea what speed your RAM is), and while you probably can run the 4850 on that PSU, I would opt for something that grants me more overhead.

[ramis92]

I'm a mid-range gamer, and as long as I can run my stuff on a 1440x900 res, I'm perfectly fine. Any recommendations?

[Warsaw]

1440x900 at what graphical quality?

I'm assuming you have a socket AM2 board, so any AMD Socket AM2/AM2+ CPU that runs at 3+GHz will significantly increase performance (the best you can do is the Phenom II X4 940). As for RAM, I'm going to assume it's DDR2 800MHz, and you should have 4GB of that. Video card is fine for 1440x900, but if you want more eye candy, go with the HD4770 or better.

[Cortexian]

Processor lapping.

I know from experience that the best way to lap is to lap the processor AND the heat sink you've got attached to it. I've lapped the setup my dad is currently using (Core 2 Duo E6600 with some non-stock HSF that I forget) and I lapped both the processor and the HSF when I was using that setup.

My question is, will lapping JUST the HSF decrease your temperatures or is lapping the processor required as well? I found that I still have a few extra sheets from the packs of 600, 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit that I bought for the previous lap and I was thinking of doing my Thermalright Ultra 120. However I don't think I'll have enough to lap my Q6600 as well, and I'm being a cheap lazy bum that doesn't want to go buy more...

So just wondering?

I might have the extra material to do my processor as well, by the time I get around to it. I'm planning on scheduling a week where I do all the case mods I have planned, and than paint the case interior. It just donned on me that while I'm waiting for coats to dry I could do some lapping as well...

[InnerGoat]

Depends on the heatsink. You'll usually get a noticible improvement lapping the TRUE alone.

[Cortexian]

Folding rig question:

I've been looking into building a dedicated folding rig just in case I end up getting hired for one of the seasonal/part-time jobs I've applied for. I'm aiming for a GPU folding rig so I went with 4 EVGA GTX 295 Superclocked Edition GPU's and than build the rig around them with the cheapest decent parts I could find on New Egg, here's the complete PC (http://secure.newegg.ca/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=15577148).

I chose the case I did because of the apparent high airflow and 8 expansion ports requirement. I don't want to go caseless for the simple fact that it's an eyesore to us non-tech oriented folk, and a case makes everything self contained for easy relocation and such. I may also use this as a file server to replace my current one, so the case has lots of HDD storage potential.

I'm open for suggestions regarding the case in addition to any other components.

Note that this isn't a high priority for me right now, as at this point in time I wouldn't be able to afford it. This will ONLY happen if I get the jobs I've mentioned, and even than not for awhile while I build up funds.

[InnerGoat]

Looks fine other than the small PSU. A window AC unit for the room would be good too.

[Yoko]

Put in a new heatsink a couple weeks ago, and it's ridiculously large. There's about half an inch from the heatsink to my case door, lol...but that aside, I had to take out the fan on the door so the heatsink would fit. I notice overall system temps have gone down from better airflow, but is dust a problem? Like, would a make-shift screen or something be better than just an open hole with a few grills? It hasn't caused any problems so far, and I want to keep it that way.

[Cojafoji]

Put in a new heatsink a couple weeks ago, and it's ridiculously large. There's about half an inch from the heatsink to my case door, lol...but that aside, I had to take out the fan on the door so the heatsink would fit. I notice overall system temps have gone down from better airflow, but is dust a problem? Like, would a make-shift screen or something be better than just an open hole with a few grills? It hasn't caused any problems so far, and I want to keep it that way.
the screen would protect things inside from getting dusty, but eventually they'd get clogged, and then the computer wouldn't get any air at all. i'd go ahead and make some screens for the fans, but you have to remember to clean them!

[Cortexian]

After getting some suggestions from fellow folders, I changed up the setup a bit and shaved about $1,700 off the potential folding rig:
http://secure.newegg.ca/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=15577148


Put in a new heatsink a couple weeks ago, and it's ridiculously large. There's about half an inch from the heatsink to my case door, lol...but that aside, I had to take out the fan on the door so the heatsink would fit. I notice overall system temps have gone down from better airflow, but is dust a problem? Like, would a make-shift screen or something be better than just an open hole with a few grills? It hasn't caused any problems so far, and I want to keep it that way.
Do what I did when I first installed my TRUE, mount your side fan on the outside with a dust cover and fan grill:
http://freelancer.modacity.net/pics/computer/Augest-17-08_Bigass_Cooler02.JPG

http://freelancer.modacity.net/pics/computer/Augest-17-08_Bigass_Cooler03.JPG

http://freelancer.modacity.net/pics/computer/Augest-17-08_Bigass_Cooler04.JPG

[Aßyll]

Here's my first try at building a PC (mostly changed by free): newegg wishlist (http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=8119049)

I was aiming for something mostly cheap, but I want something that should do well for a while. I'm just starting early, and I'll try to get it for christmas.


Feel free to comment, or feel free to ignore. Mostly, I wonder what else I can downgrade to get it a bit cheaper.

[paladin]

Not bad. Good luck putting it together. I remember when I put my computer together for the first time. Its a lot of fun.

[Cortexian]

I referred him to the OP here and then made him a basic wishlist based on that with a few suggestions here and there. He's not into any intensive PC applications that require a beast of a machine, but he's got some head room for upgrading with that build.

[Cortexian]

Is it possible to break a RAID 1 array without loosing data on the drives? I currently have two WD Caviar Black 1TB's on RAID 1 for storage, but I need storage space over file protection at the moment...

[jcap]

No

Yes

[InnerGoat]

no

















i hope you lose all datas

[Cortexian]

Darn, well I guess I'll have to wait and buy another Caviar Black 1TB at Christmas... Then dump all my datas onto it and split the RAID so I can has 3TB's of storage. :haw:

[jcap]

oh shit I meant yes.

ugh,

[Cortexian]

Only one drive needs to retain the data, I guess I could test it fairly easily by plugging one of the raid disks into my dads PC... If all the data is there then I'm good to go, just format the other drive and I'm done...

[TheGhost]

1) Pull out one drive
2) Plug drive back in into different SATA port
3) Copy all data to loner drive
4) Clear RAID array
5) Re-configure new RAID array

[Cortexian]

Since they're RAID 1, shouldn't the data already be on the "loner drive"?

[InnerGoat]

The reason people run raid 1 is so both drive have the same data... so yes