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

[Horns]

So I'm thinking about building a media PC. Used for everything and anything from photo/video editing, gaming, and school work. I don't have an endless budget but I don't have a tiny one either. I would also like to get into over clocking somewhere down the road.

This is what I've been thinking so far.


Main chit
Case:CM 690II Advanced (http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Advance-Mid-Tower-RC-692-KKN2/dp/B00336EM0W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1263233834&sr=8-1)
CPU: Intel i7-920 (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0302727)
Mobo: ASUS P6X58D (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131614)
HDD:
Memory:
Heatsink:CM V8 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103055)
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139007)
Disk Drive:

Misc. Computer Chit


Accessories
Mouse: Razer Mamba (http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-mice/razer-mamba)
Keyboard:
Monitor:



List to be updated

[Cortexian]

That wasn't the case until after 2006. AMD used to always be better than Intel.
In case you hadn't noticed yet, it's 2010!

@Horns: Get a media center case if you're building a media center... CM 690 II is a mid-tower, and I wouldn't want such a huge case taking up a lot of space near my entertainment center unless I was able to build a cabinet that actually incorporated it into the design...

Actually, this gives me an idea for when we eventually upgrade our home theater with a media PC and 3D capable LCD...

[Timo]

In case you hadn't noticed, he was using past tense!

[Horns]

It's not gonna be a media center, it's gonna be a multi-purpose pc.

[Cojafoji]

it's a nice computer man, but i'd just build a budget computer for 500 bucks that'll coast you for a year or two, and then buy a new computer with some of the 8 & 12 core cpus that are being promised in the latter half of 2010, 11, and 12. Just saying that you can play every single game out there with no lag for basically 500 - 700 dollars.

[Amit]

I suggest a nice cheap HD 4770. It's small, fast, quiet, cool (with tweaks, of course), and it plays most games on high settings. I only bought the HD 5750 Vapor-X because I don't plan to buy another video card for at least 4 years.

[Horns]

Best 24" or bigger monitor for under $400 kgo.

[Ganon]

movies etc: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001338 (non- hdmi)
gaming: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236049
best of both worlds: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824005134

e: also that razer mamba is a complete waste of money, razer makes terribly overpriced mice, not to mention it's wireless. I highly recommend getting a g500 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104318&Tpk=g500)/g9 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104079)/g9x (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104261). keep in mind that you should also invest in a good mousepad if you are so bent on spending so much for a mouse. QPAD and Steelseries make the best pads. All others are awful (wax paper taped to your desk is better than all others)

[Cortexian]

The Razer Destructor mouse pad is great as well.

[Rook]

best of both worlds: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824005134


I'd preform gay sex or something along the lines for that thing, looks awesome.

[Bhamid]

I'd preform gay sex or something along the lines for that thing, looks awesome.

+1, also the Radeon 4770 isn't worth it, get something from the 5000 series (5670/5770 maybe)

[Dwood]

I'd preform gay sex or something along the lines for that thing, looks awesome.

You're kidding right? that thing looks atrocious. Not to mention it looks like it would fall over at the slightest sign of a draft.

[Rook]

You're kidding right? that thing looks atrocious. Not to mention it looks like it would fall over at the slightest sign of a draft.

Da specs not the actual design, although that is still okay.

[Dwood]

Da specs not the actual design, although that is still okay.

Design isnt acceptable at all... the borders are like an inch thick... ewww

[Varmint260]

Heck, my LCD monitor has borders that are almost an inch thick. The thing is, I don't spend hours staring at the borders!

Now, let me get this straight... an LED display is actually an LCD display with an LED backlight as opposed to fluorescent bulb backlights, except in the case of ones in stadiums where the screen is big enough for LEDs to be used as pixels?

[Amit]

+1, also the Radeon 4770 isn't worth it, get something from the 5000 series (5670/5770 maybe)

The HD 4770 is still worth it for the price. I wasn't aware that the HD 5670 was out. For the same price, you might as well get the HD 5670, but anything newer is absolutely unnecessary.

[Timo]

Since CoolerMaster has decided that New Zealand doesn't need the CM 690 II Adv. till mid March, and I want a new case, I'm thinking about this one: http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=9001 or http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=8556

These are the only two cases I can find within my price range that i'd like (NZ = expensive cases, tiny range). It seems that you need to spend more money to get cases that are simple. Either case would be an upgrade - my current case is worth about $60NZD. It has no ventilation and runs hotter than an oven. Anybody know anything shitty about these cases?

I was also planning on getting a new CPU cooler since the stock AMD one sounds like a vacuum cleaner under load. Planning on going with the one Freelancer linked somewhere: http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=9794 But since I have around 5 CM 12cm fans just lying around, i'm not sure if I want to get it without a fan and buy another set of fan clips and slap two fans I already have on it. Does anyone know how good the fan is that comes with it in terms of noise?

[Amit]

Since CoolerMaster has decided that New Zealand doesn't need the CM 690 II Adv. till mid March, and I want a new case, I'm thinking about this one: http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=9001 or http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=8556

These are the only two cases I can find within my price range that i'd like (NZ = expensive cases, tiny range). It seems that you need to spend more money to get cases that are simple. Either case would be an upgrade - my current case is worth about $60NZD. It has no ventilation and runs hotter than an oven. Anybody know anything shitty about these cases?

I was also planning on getting a new CPU cooler since the stock AMD one sounds like a vacuum cleaner under load. Planning on going with the one Freelancer linked somewhere: http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=9794 But since I have around 5 CM 12cm fans just lying around, i'm not sure if I want to get it without a fan and buy another set of fan clips and slap two fans I already have on it. Does anyone know how good the fan is that comes with it in terms of noise?

Holy fuck shit is expensive down there. How do you guys manage to live with such a ridiculous dollar?

[Timo]

The dollar isn't actually that bad, 1NZD is equiv. to around .73USD. Not bad for 4 million people. The prices are terribly inflated though, probably due to the high shipping cost of getting stuff all the way down here.

[Con]

hay guiz what should I be looking out for if I wanted to build this spring? I'm primarily looking for mobo, cpu, hard drives, cooling, case and PSU. The rest can just come out of this comp, and I'll fill this one with spare parts for use as a home server. I really need a new mobo because it supports up to ddr2, only 1gb per DIMM (hence the 3.12gb in my specs), the front USB controller was fried by my old PSU, and it can't support any quad cores. It also only has one PCIE slot. I'm looking for hardware that's ready for the future so I can focus further purchases on things like ram and graphics cards only.

[Timo]

Sorry for shitting up this thread, but my mum wants to build a video editing PC on the cheap.

I was thinking:
ATi HD4850 512mb
AMD Phenom II X4 965 (3.4Ghz) 6MB Cache
Generic 2x2GB DDR3 1333MHz
Corsair CMPSU-450VX 450W
MSI 760GM-E51 AMD 760G Socket AM3 microATX Motherboard
Generic Key+Mouse/DVD Drive/mATX case
1 WD 320GB HDD (for OS)
2 WD 808GB HDD (for vidyas)

for a shitty $1500NZD. I've read that Intel's core i5/i7's are really the way to go for video editing, but I figured a quad core amd proc. would be able to keep up, sort of. I am I kidding myself here, or do I really need to go core i5 at the least to get Adobe Premier to not shit itself?

[Cojafoji]

it cuts the time in half. if you really need the power, go for the intel. but that setup is still pretty sweet.

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/2009-desktop-cpu-charts-update-1/Adobe-Premiere-Pro-CS4,1404.html

[Rook]

Sorry for shitting up this thread, but my mum wants to build a video editing PC on the cheap.

I was thinking:
ATi HD4850 512mb
AMD Phenom II X4 965 (3.4Ghz) 6MB Cache
Generic 2x2GB DDR3 1333MHz
Corsair CMPSU-450VX 450W
MSI 760GM-E51 AMD 760G Socket AM3 microATX Motherboard
Generic Key+Mouse/DVD Drive/mATX case
1 WD 320GB HDD (for OS)
2 WD 808GB HDD (for vidyas)

for a shitty $1500NZD. I've read that Intel's core i5/i7's are really the way to go for video editing, but I figured a quad core amd proc. would be able to keep up, sort of. I am I kidding myself here, or do I really need to go core i5 at the least to get Adobe Premier to not shit itself?
If you can stretch for the i5 and edit your build around somehow it probably would be the way to go. I'd imagine $1082USD would be enough for that.

@Con what's your price range?

[Con]

I would expect to pay less than a new PC since parts will be reused, but I've got about $1000 to spend right now. I don't want to spend all that on a comp, so anything reasonable within that range. Just suggest some stuff and I'll take a look.

recap of things I need:
***future-ready parts, good for further purchases
-case
-PSU
-mobo
-cooling
-cpu
-hard drive(s)

already have:
-graphics card (see specs, also have an 8800gts I could use as a physX card right?)
-sound card
-4gb ram
-OS hard drive
-disk drive (semi-working)

anything else?

[sdavis117]

Try getting another GPU so you can SLI them. Would be cheaper then just upgrading the card.

What's wrong with the case you have right now?

[Cortexian]

SLI doesn't really benefit programs that use the GPU for rendering though, so a more powerful single card and a secondary card for PhysX could be better.

[Con]

Try getting another GPU so you can SLI them. Would be cheaper then just upgrading the card.

What's wrong with the case you have right now?
I want to keep this current comp as a home server once I've stripped it down to bare essentials. Besides, it's not very good for cooling/air flow or cable management.

[mech]

What's the best video card I can get from 100 - 200 dollars. And I also need a power supply.

Low res gaming 1280 x 720, 1280 x 1024


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150447

I stopped following PC's and their components about 3 years ago.

Here's what I got so far.

CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103706

MOBO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128395

HD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185

RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231144

GPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150447

CASE
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021

[InnerGoat]

That will do really well at those lower resolutions, I'd say go for it and enjoy :)

[Amit]

With that video card, I'd say get a bigger monitor or save yourself some cash and get an older card. Unless you're buying the card now and saving up for a new monitor. Also, if you do decide to buy that card, forget about it. Buy the Sapphire HD 5750 Vapor-X and overclock it to the same speeds as the regular HD 5770. It works great.

[Rook]

mech, why not go for an am3 only setup with ddr3 memory? ddr3 is similar price to ddr2.

mobo - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128392

ram - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231205

The mobo being $10 cheaper cancels out the ram being $10 more. I have that mobo and it runs stuff fine etc.

[Timo]

If you can stretch for the i5 and edit your build around somehow it probably would be the way to go. I'd imagine $1082USD would be enough for that.

@Con what's your price range?

If I can stretch to an i5/i7, would I be able to ditch the GPU? It won't be used to play any games - the GPU is only there so to assist in video editing.

[Ganon]

If I can stretch to an i5/i7, would I be able to ditch the GPU? It won't be used to play any games - the GPU is only there so to assist in video editing.

No

e: maybe that GPU in particular

[Timo]

Would a Intel Core i5-660 3.33Ghz 4MB Cache *Dual Core* 2000Mhz Socket LGA1156 CPU whoop that quad core then?

[Timo]

From reading a review on a similarly priced core i5, it's much better for video editing than any AMD proc (~20% faster).

Final spec:

CPU:
Intel Core i5-750 2.66Ghz - $337

HDD:
WD Blue 320GB HDD (OS Drive) - $93
WD Blue 750GB HDD (HD Vid/Backup Drive) x2 - $254

RAM:
Corsair Value Ram 2x2GB DDR3 1333MHz - $188

PSU:
Vantec ION2 500W PSU - $110

GPU:
nVidia GT220 512MB - $109

MOBO:
Intel DP55WB LGA1156 mATX mobo - $196

OTHER:
InWin EM-Series EM019 Mini-Tower - $132
Samsung 22x DVD Writer (SATA) x2 - $122
Logitech Key/Mouse combo - $38
Asus PCI Network adapter - $45

For a whopping grand total of $1624. Not too bad considering the POS I spent $2000 on a few years ago (7600gs, 1gb of 533mhz ram, etc) :|

I've gone for blue WD drives apposed to green because of the faster write speeds (ty jcap), which will speed up the video editing process a bit. WD Black hdds have a bit too much of a price jump for the increased performance. The pretty av. GPU is there by advice from the supplier i'm buying from, as an average GPU > Onboard. The case doesn't look too bad for the price either: http://www.in-win.us/products/pc_case/EM-Series/EM019.jpg

Going to be buying it tomorrow, is there anything vitally wrong with it?

[InnerGoat]

Can that case hold 3 hard drives?

[Amit]

Can that case hold 3 hard drives?

Question answered: http://www.in-win.us/products_pccase_series.php?cat_id=1&series_id=36&model_id=210

http://www.in-win.us/products/pc_case/EM-Series/em_back_open_b.jpg

Doesn't look like it. Well, I guess it can if you try fitting it into a 3.5" floppy bay. To be honest, I think Timo needs a bigger case, however if it will end up in a home theater at some point, this should do good.

[Timo]

I figured it'd fit into a 3.5" floppy drive space, considering it's advertised as 3 hidden and one exposed 3.5" bay. Worst comes to worst one drive can just sit in the floppy bay. I doubt she's going to move it around very much.

[Amit]

I figured it'd fit into a 3.5" floppy drive space, considering it's advertised as 3 hidden and one exposed 3.5" bay. Worst comes to worst one drive can just sit in the floppy bay.

Same thing I was thinking. My IDE drive is sitting in a 5.25" bay on my old computer lol. I haven't gone out to get the converter yet.

[Cortexian]

There's no difference between a 3.5" floppy drive bay and a 3.5" hard drive bay, so there should be no problem.

[flibitijibibo]

Building a machine for the first time, but this is actually for a friend. In fear of any Aggys:
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
Board: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131393
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115056
GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130514
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227199
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182022
HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136098
DVD Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106281
Speakers: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121034
Mouse: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826105026
Keyboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823131131
Monitor: http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Displays/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-7085

Adding up to about $900 (150 over my budget, but fuck it, it's in the name of TF2). If there's anything I did wrong up thar, just lemme know.

Other than that, is there anything else I should be buying? (i.e. thermal whoosit)

[Ganon]

cpu cooler
better mouse tbh
better psu
that monitor is overpriced/blows dicks
thermal compound is a must

[Cortexian]

cpu cooler - Only if you want to OC.
better mouse tbh - Depends on what your friend wants.
better psu - Get this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004).
that monitor is overpriced/blows dicks - Agreed.
thermal compound is a must - Again, only if you want to OC, CPU should come with some.
My opinions on that.

[Amit]

There's no difference between a 3.5" floppy drive bay and a 3.5" hard drive bay, so there should be no problem.

Not necessarily. My old computer's case has 4 3.5" Hard Drive bays and above that is two 3.5" floppy bays. The hard drives don't fit into the floppy spaces. Generally that's an issue with the case itself, which is why it isn't good to assume that they automatically will fit with any case.

[Cortexian]

Never run into that, you must of had a weird case design.

[Amit]

Never run into that, you must of had a weird case design.

HP does the same thing.

[Cortexian]

I've worked on three or four HP's and never had the issue...

[Amit]

I've worked on three or four HP's and never had the issue...

forget my last post, i thought you were talking about plague's case.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

I've got a chinese 1600dpi mouse I bought on ebay for like 10bucks, it fucking is awesome, want pics?

[Timo]

Ugh, the case arrived but didn't have that detachable hdd cage with it, so I can only fit two hdds at he moment. Where the fuck is it :|

[InnerGoat]

Next time buy Lian-li

[Ganon]

lian li four life

[Timo]

Turns out the detachable bay is an "optional accessory" and they're terribly sorry for the mistake on the website. argh. It can only hold one hdd with screws atm as well. :F

[Amit]

Turns out the detachable bay is an "optional accessory" and they're terribly sorry for the mistake on the website. argh. It can only hold one hdd with screws atm as well. :F

Holy snap, bro. I seriously feel for you. Only able to use one hard drive? That's just disgusting.

[Timo]

Yeah it's fucking shit. I emailed them asking about it and they offered an external enclosure at a discounted price. So I emailed back asking for a full refund including return postage so I can buy a case from elsewhere. It didn't have screwless bays or a screwless side either. :| The mATX case selection from their website it pretty crap too. :ugh:

[Inferno]

I'm on a budget of about 1000 bucks for just the computer. No monitors or speakers. And no, building a custom rig is not a option for me right now.
I've already decided on what processor and ram to get (i7 2.8ghz with 6gb tri channel ram) But I have no fucking clue what graphics card to get.

My current choices are:
http://codebrainshideout.net/inferno/images/graphics%20cardz.PNG

I've heard all the Geforce GTS 200 - 220 - 240 - 260 - 280 are shit so I'm wondering if I go for the ATI cards. I've always loved Geforce cards though so I don't know if I want to jump on the Radeon series.

That will work unless I end up with the HP. Personally I'm thinking the XPS 8100 will be my best bet.

With a Intel® Core™ i7-860 processor(8MB Cache, 2.80GHz) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 1024MB GDDR5 it comes out to about 1,100 dollars.

Need more feedbackzzzzzz.

[flibitijibibo]

Out of curiosity, what is the concern about building the machine yourself?

If you were that pressed to buy prebuilt, I guess the 5770 would be acceptable with DX11 and all.

Don't buy HP, for the love of Christ. I, to this day, have not personally witnessed any HP product that has lasted an entire year.

[Inferno]

Parents don't want me buying everything and putting it together myself.

They basically said it's too "risky". Even though I've rebuilt plenty of computers and consoles in my day.

Additionally I'm lazy and can't be bothered to do it myself.

:-3

[Cortexian]

I don't get people that would rather spend hundreds of dollars more because they're "lazy". It takes all of 45 minutes to build a computer if you know what you're doing... :raise:

[flibitijibibo]

Sorry to hijack Inferno's subthread, but he reminded me:

Building a machine for the first time, but this is actually for a friend. In fear of any Aggys:
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
Board: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131393
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115056
GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130514
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227199
PSU Updated: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003
HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136098
DVD Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106281
Speakers: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121034
Mouse: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826105026
Keyboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823131131
No monitor anymore. Turns out he already has one.
So it now adds up to $755, which is just barely over the budget (fuck it, I'll pay the $5). My only question left is the thermal compound. Ganon says it's necessary, Freelancer says it's only necessary for overclocking. I know for a fact that he can barely find the BIOS on his own, so overclocking wasn't even something I considered when searching for parts. Can I get any other opinions on it? +rep for anyone who can shed some light on it.

[Inferno]

Alright so I just read that dell under clocks there GPU's

Fuck them.

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/
Is cyberpower legit? I've heard mixed things about them.

And BTW Failancer. I can't build my own. My parents won't let me and they are paying for it so w/e.

Learn to read.

[Cortexian]

Like I said, unless I'm wrong I'm 99% sure all processors come with some thermal paste and it's usually already applied to the HSF unit.

[flibitijibibo]

Alright so I just read that dell under clocks there GPU's

Fuck them.

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/
Is cyberpower legit? I've heard mixed things about them.

And BTW Failancer. I can't build my own. My parents won't let me and they are paying for it so w/e.

Learn to read.
What? Where did you hear that?
#1: That'd take an unnecessary amount of effort on their part,
#2: Couldn't you bring it back to stock clocks on your own? It would take as little effort as it does to buy such a prebuilt machine anyway.

[Inferno]

What? Where did you hear that?
#1: That'd take an unnecessary amount of effort on their part,
#2: Couldn't you bring it back to stock clocks on your own? It would take as little effort as it does to buy such a prebuilt machine anyway.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/272714-15-dell-totally-underclocked
Here and a few other places on the dell forum.

Dell locks the BIOs anyways.

[Inferno]

CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-940 2.93 GHz 8M L3 Cache LGA1366 [+146]
HDD: Single Hard Drive (500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD [-35])
MOTHERBOARD: Asus P6T SE Intel X58 Chipset CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA
MEMORY: 6GB (2GBx3) DDR3/1600MHz Triple Channel Memory Module (Corsair or Major Brand)
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX260 CORE 216 896MB 16X PCI Express [+89] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)

For 1200 dollars on cyberpowerpc...
They seem legit and they have a decent rating. I'm still not sure if I trust them.

[Timo]

Sorry to hijack Inferno's subthread, but he reminded me:

So it now adds up to $755, which is just barely over the budget (fuck it, I'll pay the $5). My only question left is the thermal compound. Ganon says it's necessary, Freelancer says it's only necessary for overclocking. I know for a fact that he can barely find the BIOS on his own, so overclocking wasn't even something I considered when searching for parts. Can I get any other opinions on it? +rep for anyone who can shed some light on it.

The stock thermal paste they stick on it should be fine. The stock intel cooler I got with my mum's core i5 came with thermal paste on the bottom of the heatsink. All of the AMD processors i've bought have too. If it comes with a heatsink, it should come with thermal paste.

e: It'd be retarded if the thermal paste that's already applied to the heatsink wasn't good enough. After market paste will be better, but that doesn't mean that the stuff that'll come with it won't work.

[Inferno]

CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-940 2.93 GHz 8M L3 Cache LGA1366 [+146]
HDD: Single Hard Drive (500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD [-35])
MOTHERBOARD: Asus P6T SE Intel X58 Chipset CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA
MEMORY: 6GB (2GBx3) DDR3/1600MHz Triple Channel Memory Module (Corsair or Major Brand)
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX260 CORE 216 896MB 16X PCI Express [+89] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)

For 1200 dollars on cyberpowerpc...
They seem legit and they have a decent rating. I'm still not sure if I trust them.

They use refurbished parts. Fuck them as well.

I hate shopping for computers.

[flibitijibibo]

Show your parents this thread/that info.

You win.

[Inferno]

IDGI. They would probably get mad at me for cursing on the internet. Then they would say "buy the cheap one" and leave.

edit-

TBH I don't think it's possible to get a good computer for less than 1250 dollars.

[Warsaw]

That also describes Pegasus...whose deck I used to play, albeit with some seriously overpowered and downright nasty modifications.

Where did you read that CyberPower uses refurbished parts in their computers?

[Inferno]

Toms hardware. And apparently in there terms of service they put "new or mostly new parts" or something. Which basically means they use refurbished parts.

I've also read a ton of nasty reviews about them.

[AAA]

TBH I don't think it's possible to get a good computer for less than 1250 dollars.


Lets not start on this again. It's quite the opposite.

Trust Me.

[Timo]

It depends on your definition of good. imo you can build an amazing computer for 1250USD, even if you're buying with NZ's inflated prices.

[Amit]

Parents don't want me buying everything and putting it together myself.

They basically said it's too "risky". Even though I've rebuilt plenty of computers and consoles in my day.


Grow some balls and stand up to your parents' illogical decisions. They are uninformed. You make it your duty to show them legit websites that explain the advantages of building your own PC and the disadvantages of buying a pre-configured/customized PC from a website. You must present it to them with bias leaning towards user built PCs, but it's for the good cause. Something to really press upon them is that you building it will save them hundreds of dollars.

Christ man, you've already built other PCs and consoles, or so you say. If you have before, what reason do they have to doubt your ability?


Oh and who the fuck is seto kaiba?

Yu-Gi-Oh has no place on this website. Drop it there.

[hobojoe]

@ Infeno
If your looking to buy a gaming PC cheap, might I suggest going here:
http://www.digitalstormonline.com/

Configure in your budget ( Not sure how much you have I'm assuming
around $1,200.)
Very high quality service and a 3 year minimum parts/labor warranty.

And it's legit, new parts not refurbished.

[Rook]

If you're not gonna build (you should) use this site:

http://www.ibuypower.com/

[Inferno]

If you're not gonna build (you should) use this site:

http://www.ibuypower.com/

I heard a lot of shit about them having terrible service.

[Inferno]

@HoboJoe.

Lol those are more overpriced than dell. Seriously.

edit-


It depends on your definition of good. imo you can build an amazing computer for 1250USD, even if you're buying with NZ's inflated prices.

Crysis at maximum settings 2x AA and trilinear filtering at about 30fps.

Which what I really WANT is a I7 900 series at 3.0ghz with a Nvidia Geforce GTX 240 and 3 gigs tri channel ram.

But that adds up to about 1400 dollars.

[InnerGoat]

At what resolution?

[Inferno]

Ehhhhh like 1024 x 900something but preferably 1600x1200.

Also. I already run MW2 at max settings but I want to be able to record video in MW2 while running it at max settings (no AA) at around 60fps. I'm thinking of making a throwing knife video.

edit-

Oh and my biggest concern is being able to run PCSX2 at a decent framerate (PS2 Emulation).

edit 2-

Oh and of course I want to be able to work in UDK and UE3 more efficiently. I spend a lot of time waiting on things to load/process as it is.

[Inferno]

Ballistic Gaming PC Desktop 375796 (https://secure.ballisticgamingpc.com/cart/addprod.asp?product=568&wt=30&from=&fromcode=&randomid=) - $1,502.00 Configuration



Case: Cooler Master CM Storm Scout
Internal Lighting: Accent Lighting (Blue)
LED Fans: Standard Chassis Fans
Fan Controller: - None
Processor (CPU): Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz (Quad Core)
Motherboard: EVGA X58 Micro Edition SLI (Intel X58 Chipset)
System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1600MHz Mushkin Enhanced Silverline Performance Series
Power Supply: 750W Ballistic Approved (Silent and 80 Plus Certified)
Video Card(s): 1x ATI Radeon HD 5850 1GB
Hard Drive Storage Set 1: 1x (500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM)
Hard Drive Storage Set 2: - None
Dedicated Sound Card: Motherboard Audio
CD Optical Drive 1: DVDR/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 22x / CD-Writer 48x)
CD Optical Drive 2: - None
Internal Card Reader: - None
Wireless Connectivity: Motherboard Network Port(s)
CPU Overclocking: FREE: CPU Extreme Overclock Performance Boost Package 20% or More ($90 Value!)
Video Card(s) Overclocking: FREE: GPU Extreme Overclock Performance Boost Package ($40 Value!)
CPU Cooling:Cooler Master V8 (i7 Compatible ONLY)
Install Operating System: - None, I will be responsible for software support
Install Office Suite: - None
Include Game: - None
Display: - None
Gaming Keyboard: - None
Gaming Mouse: - None
Speakers: - None
Surge Protection: - None
External Storage: - None
3 Year Premimer Warranty: 3 Year Limited Warranty with Life-Time U.S. Based Support
Reliable Quality Product: Complete System Test (72-Hour: Processor, Memory, Video Card(s), Hard Drive, Power Supply Test)
Hassle-Free Return Policy: 30 Day Hassle-Free Money Back Guarantee
Shipping Abuse Protection 1: FREE: Internal Secure-Fit Foam (Prevents Loose Components From Shipping Abuse) ($19 Value!)
Shipping Abuse Protection 2: FREE: Safe Transit Box (Suspends PC in Mid-Air With Shipping Inpact Abosrbing Film) ($50 Value!)


I also talked to a person on the websites chat. They knew what the fuck I was talking about and seemed pretty legit.

[JackHolez]

If you're not gonna build (you should) use this site:

http://www.ibuypower.com/

i bought one of these and it turns out it was a rebranded e-machines... it sucks... do NOT recommend

[Warsaw]

Honestly, while I might buy a laptop from a boutique shop, I can't say that I'd ever buy a desktop from one. If I had to buy a pre-built, I'd go with a big name company because at least I know what I'm getting, even if it is shit.

[Amit]

Ballistic Gaming PC Desktop 375796 (https://secure.ballisticgamingpc.com/cart/addprod.asp?product=568&wt=30&from=&fromcode=&randomid=) - $1,502.00 Configuration



Case: Cooler Master CM Storm Scout
Internal Lighting: Accent Lighting (Blue)
LED Fans: Standard Chassis Fans
Fan Controller: - None
Processor (CPU): Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz (Quad Core)
Motherboard: EVGA X58 Micro Edition SLI (Intel X58 Chipset)
System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1600MHz Mushkin Enhanced Silverline Performance Series
Power Supply: 750W Ballistic Approved (Silent and 80 Plus Certified)
Video Card(s): 1x ATI Radeon HD 5850 1GB
Hard Drive Storage Set 1: 1x (500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM)
Hard Drive Storage Set 2: - None
Dedicated Sound Card: Motherboard Audio
CD Optical Drive 1: DVDR/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 22x / CD-Writer 48x)
CD Optical Drive 2: - None
Internal Card Reader: - None
Wireless Connectivity: Motherboard Network Port(s)
CPU Overclocking: FREE: CPU Extreme Overclock Performance Boost Package 20% or More ($90 Value!)
Video Card(s) Overclocking: FREE: GPU Extreme Overclock Performance Boost Package ($40 Value!)
CPU Cooling:Cooler Master V8 (i7 Compatible ONLY)
Install Operating System: - None, I will be responsible for software support
Install Office Suite: - None
Include Game: - None
Display: - None
Gaming Keyboard: - None
Gaming Mouse: - None
Speakers: - None
Surge Protection: - None
External Storage: - None
3 Year Premimer Warranty: 3 Year Limited Warranty with Life-Time U.S. Based Support
Reliable Quality Product: Complete System Test (72-Hour: Processor, Memory, Video Card(s), Hard Drive, Power Supply Test)
Hassle-Free Return Policy: 30 Day Hassle-Free Money Back Guarantee
Shipping Abuse Protection 1: FREE: Internal Secure-Fit Foam (Prevents Loose Components From Shipping Abuse) ($19 Value!)
Shipping Abuse Protection 2: FREE: Safe Transit Box (Suspends PC in Mid-Air With Shipping Inpact Abosrbing Film) ($50 Value!)


I also talked to a person on the websites chat. They knew what the fuck I was talking about and seemed pretty legit.

The price seems expensive for what you're getting. And it's the box alone with nothing else. The hard drive is seriously lacking. 500GB? With the amount of money you'd spend, you should at least have a 1TB drive.

[Inferno]

The price seems expensive for what you're getting. And it's the box alone with nothing else. The hard drive is seriously lacking. 500GB? With the amount of money you'd spend, you should at least have a 1TB drive.

Why the fuck would I need a terabyte? When I get it I will have the 500gb drive (which is already a shit ton of memory) and a 250gb backup drive. Also this is still cheaper than buying a dell or HP.

[Amit]

Why the fuck would I need a terabyte? When I get it I will have the 500gb drive (which is already a shit ton of memory) and a 250gb backup drive. Also this is still cheaper than buying a dell or HP.

Just saying, it fills up fast. Didn't know you had the 250GB drive either, PC profile specs are down. The last sentence surprises me, but I don't doubt it.

[Yoko]

I've filled up my 640 GB hard drive (actual 596 GB) pretty fast in 4 months, I'm down to 156 GB left. My girl cartoons only take up 140 GB , so that's still 300 GB filled from games and programs. Trust me, get a 1 TB hard drive. That's going to be my next investment actually, after an HD 5850.

[Ganon]

sounds like inferno is the kind of person who would make good use of a 1 tb external down the road

[Inferno]

>_>

I really don't need much space to work on.

[CrAsHOvErRide]

Me neither...I use roughly 150GB with all music, movies, pictures, programs even backups included >.>

[Inferno]

Yeah. Having less space forces you to organize better and be more efficient anyways. I like that.

[Bodzilla]

Got a new puter.

my old one got struck by lightning.
Yeah dont trust surge protectors, because they are useless pieces of shit!

2.8 I7 Quad core (it's the old chipset but who cares)
4 gb dual channel ram and a
new motherboard to make use of it. (just one of the p55 ones)
and 700 OCZ power supply.

Looking at getting a 5850 to replace my 8800GTX down the track but as it is i already play all my favourite games (tf2 l4d UT3) on max settings anyway so not looking at one now, plus i wanna see what nvidia do.
Being my second time around upgrading i've decided to pretty well stick to mid range shit, Upgrading and getting new mo boards with the intel chip for example sounds like a good idea, but when it costs about an extra 400 bucks for the new motherboard and more expensive processor it just aint worth it.
90% of the time when it comes to upgrades you'll do over hauls anyway.
so you'll get a new CPU thats bigger and more powerful but requires a new motherboard to run it, so while your doing that you may as well take advantage of the new tech increase's with ram.
and if ya do this say once every 2 years you'll have unmatching chipsets and sockets anyway.

Foudn that out with my quad.
didnt really need the quad but i got it on the illusion that if i wanted to upgrade later on i'd already have a computer mother board that supported it, 2 years later i7's are coming out with completely different sockets and we are looking at 6-8 cores very soon.

It's beign built and it's driving me fuckign crazy, been 3 weeks already since my computer died but theres always little problems that keep slowing us down.
The new Motherboard was dead on arrival which sucked massive dick but unless theres something major i should have it next weekened.

woop.

[flibitijibibo]

Any sound card on that machine? Or was that for a friend's? (Just curious, what with the guitar stuff and all)

[Bodzilla]

yeah but it's coming later.

it'll be an elite pro

[Rook]

Any sound card on that machine? Or was that for a friend's? (Just curious, what with the guitar stuff and all)

you're going to love this one: sound cards can suck my ballz

[Inferno]

you're going to love this one: sound cards can suck my ballz

Every rig I've ever owned.

Integrated sound.

In short. IAWTP.

[flibitijibibo]

He needed it for his guitar/bass/band. Elite Pro console, etc.

[Inferno]

So do any of you guys know anything about www.ballisticgamingpc.com ?

They seem legit to me and my parents say there going to order tomorrow.

[Cojafoji]

yes they're legit, and they have reasonably priced (20% - 25%) retail gaming computers. it'd be cheaper if you built it yourself, but your parents are psycho.

[Bhamid]

I was looking around and apparently ATI 5 series cards can do something with Dolby True HD or something through their HDMI, so does that make it a sound card or does it still use the integrated decoder?

[Amit]

I was looking around and apparently ATI 5 series cards can do something with Dolby True HD or something through their HDMI, so does that make it a sound card or does it still use the integrated decoder?

I'm not exactly sure, but I know it's not a sound card in itself. I use the integrated sound in my motherboard and I'm required to download a HDMI driver for the ATi card from the manufacturer of the sound device. So, my guess is that you still need a different sound device to output audio through HDMI.

[InnerGoat]

It's just a pass-through iirc.

[flibitijibibo]

It requires a separate sound device, it just has the ability to output that device's data using HDMI.

[Cortexian]

InnerGoat's right it's just a pass-through system. You connect an additional cable to your graphics card and then to the SPDIF out on your motherboard or sound card, then you just choose your SPDIF Interface as the primary output/playback device in the Sound menu.

One of my GTX 285's is setup to output audio through HDMI this way.

[Bhamid]

So exactly the same as the Nvidia system? I can't find anything about Nvidia pushing its Dolby stuff, unless it doesn't support that (yet)?

[Cortexian]

Not sure if it's exactly the same, but it should be very similar.

[flibitijibibo]

I can't imagine it being different in terms of the SPDIF connection. They might have just referred to the usual pass-through, but decorated it with things that audio cards will really be doing. As far as I know, whatever your sound card is capable of, the graphics card's pass-through will send it through HDMI.

In terms of DD TrueHD specifically, I think the Auzentech Home Theater is the only one that supports it. Of course, like Creative's newer cards with decoding, that will require PowerDVD...

[Bhamid]

Directly tied to the UVD engine is obviously also sound. AMD's Radeon series 3000, 4000 and 5000 cards can pass lossless sound directly through the HDMI connector. This has been upgraded as it's now possible to have 7.1 channel lossless sound 192kHz / 24-bit. The HDMI audio output follows HDMI standard 1.3a and now also supports Dolby True HD and DTS-HD audio. Obviously there is also support for standard PCM, AC-3 and DTS.

Thats what they say, still dunno if that requires a 7.1 capable sound card or not...

[Amit]

In order to send out a 7.1 signal you need a 7.1 capable sound card.

[ultama121]

Well I'm designing a pc for a friend and I wanted to know what you guys thought of it. Here are the specs.

Newegg.com - XCLIO Godspeed One Advanced Fully Black Finish 0.5 mm SECC / ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811103024)
Newegg.com - ASUS P5QPL-AM LGA 775 Intel G41 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131394)
Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Duo E7600 Wolfdale 3.06GHz 3MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Processors - Desktops (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115059)
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5S-1GBPK - Desktop Memory (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231143) (x4)
Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148395)
Newegg.com - POWERCOLOR AX5770 512MD5-H Radeon HD 5770 512MB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 CrossFireX Support Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131328)
Newegg.com - LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 24X DVD Writer - CD / DVD Burners (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106334)
Newegg.com - KINGWIN ABT-730MM 730W ATX 12V Ver.2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Power Supplies (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817121045)

[InnerGoat]

Drop that PSU and get something from Corsair or Seasonic


Also that board only accepts two dimms, get 2x2GB sticks. :ugh:

[ultama121]

FFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUU--

Didn't notice that. *sigh*

*goes to fix that*

E: Alright how's this sound? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161182 (x2)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151092

Do I have to raise the power?

[Warsaw]

I think you should go AMD instead of Intel unless you can bump up to an i7. LGA 775 is at the end of its life and LGA 1156 is an evolutionary dead end. AM3 would be a wiser investment and you can maintain that level of computing power without sacrificing more money. Hell, you might either A.) save or B.) be able to get a better CPU. Actually, scratch that. I KNOW you can get a better CPU for $145. Though, it'd be wise to spend another $15 and go with this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103674) anyways.

[InnerGoat]

...

Do I have to raise the power?
That rig will run fine on a high quality 380 watt psu so both of those will do just fine.

[ultama121]

Thanks Warsaw and Goat. ;)

Alright I've done some changes. What about now?

Newegg.com - XCLIO Godspeed One Advanced Fully Black Finish 0.5 mm SECC / ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811103024)
Newegg.com - BIOSTAR A785G3 AM3 AMD 785G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - AMD Motherboards (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138182)
Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor - Processors - Desktops (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103674)
Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148395)
Newegg.com - POWERCOLOR AX5770 512MD5-H Radeon HD 5770 512MB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 CrossFireX Support Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131328)
Newegg.com - LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 24X DVD Writer - CD / DVD Burners (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106334)
Newegg.com - SeaSonic SS-550HT 80plus 550W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Power Supplies
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151092)Newegg.com - Crucial 2GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model CT25664BA1339 - Desktop Memory (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148221) (x2)
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151092)

[ultama121]

.................
Newegg.com - Crucial 2GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model CT25664BA1339 - Desktop Memory (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148221) (x2)
.
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151092)

[bleach]

Hi, I need a lot of help and I'm going to ask a few questions regarding my new computer and I'm going to post the specifications as a reference (Sorry for the long post by the way):

Antec 300 Mid-Tower Case
Intel Core i5 750 2.66 GHz @ 2.66 GHz
Asus P7P55D Pro Socket 1156
OCZ Platinum 4 GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 PC3-10666 (CL 7-7-7-20)
Western Digital Caviar Green 750 GB 32 MB Cache SATA 3 HD
Gearhead Triple Format 24x DVD+/-R SATA Internal Drive (Model 24XDVDINT)
Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 600W PSU
ATI Radeon X300 128 MB DDR
Airlink 101 AWLH4130 PCI bus Wireless Network Adapter
Samsung SyncMaster 2494SW 24" Monitor (1920 x 1080 Native Resolution; 60 Hz Refresh)
Windows Vista Ultimate Service Pack 2 x64 (came from a clean install from Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 x86)

There is one quirk regarding the video card (besides the fact that it is old): I'm not sure if it is ATI Radeon X300, ATI Radeon X300 SE or some other variant of the ATI X300 GPU.

I have a few questions:

1) I need help finding 64-bit drivers for my wireless network adapter. First of all, it should be functioning because there is a LED light that blinks indicating that it is working and also it worked in Windows XP Professional x86. Second, I tried the driver alone and the driver and the utility together from the manufacturer's website but those didn't work. Then, I resorted to Google and several custom drivers and other utilities/suggestions, but it resulted in failure. So now I look to this forum for advice and help. (By the way, you may be wondering how I am posting, but I do have an old computer that is running on XP Home x86 (with the same model wireless network adapter) and an 8 GB flash drive for transferring downloaded drivers, utilities, programs, etc.)

2) The video card has issues with its drivers too. When I used Windows XP Professional x86, there were no drivers or utilities as my dad's old Catalyst CD didn't work and neither did the legacy drivers on ATI's site work for some reason and so the screen resolution was at most 1280 x 1024 rather than my native monitor resolution, which is 1920 x 1080. After I upgraded by clean install to Windows Vista Ultimate x64, I found out that the legacy driver worked and Windows recognized it so the resolution is back to 1920 x 1080. However, the video card (I believe) crashes when I: [1] Go into Catalyst Control Center and choose something like 3D, or Video, [2] Attempt to play the games that come with Vista (i.e. Minesweeper), or [3] Open Windows Media Player to full screen and I get a blue screen after that. It seems my hypothesis is that any video intensive programs is just bad in plain terms for a weird reason and yet in my dad's computer several years ago, I was able to play Halo PC. Does anyone have any ideas or solutions?

3) If your solution to the video card is an upgrade, I am actually waiting for a more complete selection of DX11 supporting graphics cards to select from. As you know, there is a lot of fervor and rumors over Nvidia's GF100 GPU and the series and also ATI's Evergreen series is a very large hit as they seemingly completed their series with the heavily "binned" HD5830 GPU. Now, judging from my computer components, what is the vicinity of graphics cards I should think about with regards to my power supply and power requirements? (If it is possible, can you list the video cards that are at the limit of power requirements pertaining to my system and that are currently out right now which I can run in my system? (please give 1 answer from Nvidia and ATI, disregarding my preference for DX11 as I can research the power requirements and since I only want a rough estimate, or you can give a numerical figure...) Is there any hope for getting an Nvidia GTX 470 or the model immediately below it (when it launches)? [I admit I tend to favor Nvidia over ATI.]

4) Fourth, should I look my new system's future (I am going to stick with it for another 3.5 years) starting with something like the Asus U3S6 (http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=lGYmelQ8mJvPtYTv&templete=2)? Can I consider future sound cards? Other expansion cards, hard drives, a Blu-Ray drive?

5) Lastly (for now), any suggestions if I were to change my wireless network adapter, what should I get? I'm looking for great support, reputation, happy customers/reviews, awesome drivers, overall high performance at a reasonable price (preferably $15-$50 at the super most) and also whichever is better (USB adapter vs. PCI adapter)? Right now I have a wireless network setup in my really cramped room and the router that Verizon service installed when we got FiOs is in my dad's office downstairs.

Thanks for looking at the problems I'm having with my new computer and for taking your time...

Sincerely,
Bleach

[Abdurahman]

I would recommend a slightly better motherboard for that cpu. One with two pci express slots would be good. how about this?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157176

or this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130250

closest to your budget.

If you can spend a bit more, get this.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130249

[Warsaw]

I agree with Abdurahman in his assessment. It adds upgrade potential later without forcing the user to spend an arm and a leg for a new motherboard AND a new graphics card. Also, USB3.0 is nice. So is SATA 3.0.

The rest of the setup is pretty solid. Though though for RAM, you want some of this janks (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231275). It's paired, it's around the same price point, it has the same speed, it has better latency, and it has heat spreaders. Also, G.SKILL RAM is awesome. I use it.

Fake E: I also recommend a Western Digital hard drive over Seagate. I swear by that brand, for it is awesome.

[Rook]

Christ ultama make it into a newegg wishlist so it'll auto update when you change stuff as well as be easier to look at.

[bleach]

Okay, so I think I've settled on ATI's Cypress GPUs, hopefully the XFX Radeon HD5870 (http://xfxforce.com/en-us/products/graphiccards/HD%205000series/5870.aspx) and at the very least a XFX Radeon HD5850 (http://xfxforce.com/en-us/products/graphiccards/HD%205000series/5850.aspx), as Nvidia's Fermi GTX 480/GTX 470 appears to be very power hungry and possibly be a disappointment in performance due to the expectations raised by its tardiness and new architecture. For sure, I know both the HD5870 and HD5850 can barely fit in the Antec 300 (http://www.overclock.net/ati/621228-solved-5870-antec-300-going-5850-a-2.html) and I'm somewhat sure my power supply (http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=5906) can handle those two cards, though extra verification would be exceptional.

Now I have another predicament that rears into view. I need a wireless network adapter preferably one that is internal. Right now, I have 2 Airlink 101 AWLH4130 (http://airlink101.com/products/awlh4130.php) cards in my old Dell Dimension 1100 and my most recent system. Though the card works in my old system running Windows XP Home x86 SP2, it doesn't work with Windows Vista x64 SP2. I guess I have narrowed that down to driver problems as the power light blinks for both PCs but doesn't work with the new PC. I have 2 options right now, feel free to suggest other cards also, but without further ado: D-Link DWA-556 Xtreme N PCI-E x1 Desktop Adapter (http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=549) or D-Link DWA-552 Xtreme N PCI Desktop Adapter (http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=531). What do you guys think taking into consideration the placements of my expansion slots on my Asus P7P55D Pro Motherboard (http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=j02KziJq95KbCQNm&templete=2) as I will be using the main dark blue PCI-E 2.0 x16 slot for my a new video card, which will be dual-slot, and in the future, I am thinking of a USB 3/SATA 6 card (http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=lGYmelQ8mJvPtYTv&templete=2), which I believe uses the black PCI-Express slot on my motherboard?

[Warsaw]

On the contrary, Fermi will probably be more powerful than the 5870, since that has historically been the trend. It will also be more expensive though, so...yeah.

[NullZero]

Possibly, but I heard it won't be using the same architecture as the HD5xxx (40nm)? If so, it will be less efficient. Hell, I think a 5850 uses less power than my 4850 for double the speed?

[Warsaw]

Clearly you should do more reading. Part of the reason that Fermi was delayed was because nVidia was having a hard time working out all the kinks in TSMC's 40nm process (they are not as experienced at moving to brand new processes as ATi). As for architecture, of course it won't. nVidia and ATi have always had differing architectures, even more so now. ATi prefers smaller, scalable cores whereas nVidia prefers to make a single monolithic core and scale it down for lower-level graphics points.

But yes, Fermi does indeed run hot and is very power hungry compared to ATi's offerings.

[Bhamid]

But yes, Fermi does indeed run hot and is very power hungry compared to ATi's offerings.
According to Charlie, who has a 'consistent opinion' of nvidia products.

[Warsaw]

He also has a bias. I get my information from more neutral sources like AnandTech.

[paladin]

So im given myself a certain allowance from my tax return and i think Im gonna buy this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131336), or possibly 2. Should I go for it?

[Warsaw]

Why not? The first review of Fermi has it performing almost exactly on par with the HD5870 give or take a couple of frames from either card depending on the game. The only place where it wins is when the game makes heavy use of tessellation, and at this point none of them do. Given that the GTX480 will enter the market at a $600 price point and that the 5870 will undoubtedly come down when it does, I'd definitely spring for the latter.

But wait for Fermi to come out so you can get in on those inevitable price drops.

[AAA]

I think the only reason people will want the 470 or 480 is due to the increase in graphics memory and their faith in Nvidia's reputation to be for enthusiasts.

Prices won't drop very much if at all, they never do.

Hope to see if Nvidia really changed their game up on the way they build their GPUs.

[Cortexian]

I'm just waiting for Nvidia Surround, I couldn't care less about the GTX 400 series... I just want the driver update that's coming with them!

[Warsaw]

I think the only reason people will want the 470 or 480 is due to the increase in graphics memory and their faith in Nvidia's reputation to be for enthusiasts.

Prices won't drop very much if at all, they never do.

Hope to see if Nvidia really changed their game up on the way they build their GPUs.

They haven't. The GTX480 still has a huge, expensive, hot monolithic core. The GTX470 is a GTX480 that didn't make the cut (nothing wrong with that).

[AAA]

They haven't.

Buzzkill. Thanks for that ther info. +rep

e: can't

[Warsaw]

I think nVidia has hit the critical point for getting performance out of big GPU cores. The ATi solution is much smaller, and yet it produces the same performance. So with ATi, you get a better price to performance ratio with less heat and more scalability. I honestly can't see any reason to go with nVidia right now unless:


You use Linux most of the time

You want 3D

You use CUDA for GPGPU functions


They are presently behind in the GPU race. They've finally brought the GTX480 to its imminent release, but they have done so right on the cusp of a refresh on the HD5000 line according to AMD's time table. When the HD6000 comes around, nVidia will still be arout six months behind at best, and a whole generation behind at worst. If they hadn't expanded into mobile components and GPGPU functions, they'd be in a bad way right about now.

[Bhamid]

You use Linux most of the time

You want 3D

You use CUDA for GPGPU functions



How bad/good are ATI's drivers for Linux atm? I heard they're improving, but to what level?

Also, How's stream going?

[Warsaw]

Not a clue. Last ATi card I used was the Radeon 7000, back when ATi was king of Linux drivers in the first place. As for Stream, well, CUDA has better results. They are equally fast, but CUDA provides the better picture.

[bleach]

Okay, if I want to watch a lot of movies, have great image quality, play games ranging from Halo to Crysis Warhead (and other future games), do a lot of productivity/web surfing, have great support/drivers/warranty (64-bit), should I go with XFX ATI HD5000 series (more specifically the 5800s)?

[Warsaw]

Yes. ATi will play Halo better than nVidia, and at the moment it's more powerful than anything nVidia has to offer as far as Crysis is concerned.

[bleach]

Thanks. Also, which ATI card has the best price/performance and also per watt ratio: HD5870, HD5850, HD5830, or HD5770?

[Warsaw]

Probably the 5850; it sips power and cranks frames.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

I have the 5850, hell of a card, and its more powerful than the GTX 285.

[bleach]

If I wanted to extend my desktop, is it possible (and/or practical) to hook up an ATI HD5800 series to 2 monitors: Samsung 2494SW (http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/office/monitors/premium/LS24KIZKFV/ZA/index.idx?pagetype=prd_detail) (1920 x 1080) plugged into Iogear GCS634U KVM switch (http://www.iogear.com/product/GCS634U/) (meaning monitor #1 will support 2 computers) and an Envision 1981 (http://208.109.129.152/products.asp?EPage=products&SMenu=h1981) at (1280 x 1024) plugged directly into the video card?

[Warsaw]

Easily done. You said you have a KVM switch, and that pretty much fixes any issue you might have had. The 5800 series is certainly powerful enough to drive both. Hell, even I can get away with driving two monitors.

[bleach]

Yeah I'm glad that I can use the KVM switch, which only has one port for display, to share the 24" with both PCs and still add the 19" exclusively for my new computer. Even if I had a KVM switch that could support 2 monitors, I don't think my ATI Radeon 9250 would be happy with it.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

The ati HD5850 supports up to three monitors.

[Warsaw]

Can't just connect the monitor to two computers without the KVM switch though, Pyong. If he did that, the desktop on both computers would be active even though he can only see one, which means he's clicking things at random on the other computer.

[PlasbianX]

Is it still possible to see people' s setups through their profile? I need serious help on what I should get (dont wanna spend more than 1000) towards a new pc

[CN3089]

http://techreport.com/articles.x/18510

[bleach]

Do I need to buy any extra accessories, cables, or adapters if I wanted to connect my old (ATI Radeon 9250) and new PC (assume it's an XFX HD5850) to the KVM switch with my Envision 19" LCD (only VGA) and connect my Samsung 24" LCD (DVI and VGA are present but I prefer DVI) to the new PC?
http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/4008/displayquestion.jpg (http://img534.imageshack.us/i/displayquestion.jpg/)
And if I were to do this, I can still set the Samsung 24" as the primary display and the Envision 19" as the secondary display on my new computer right?

[Warsaw]

Strangest diagram ever, but yeah, you can set primaries. Also, the HD5850 has DVI outputs, so you are covered there, too.

[flibitijibibo]

If you ever wanted to use both machines at once, you could also consider InputDirector (Google it). Basically, if you need the 5850 to run only one screen (for a game) but still need the second screen (IRC, browsing while waiting for respawn in L4D2), you can use ID to have it act as a second monitor without having to touch the KVM.

[PlasbianX]

~$950-$1050 (with MiRs) Mid Range (Updated as of 9/2/09)
$279.99 - CPU: Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202)
$173.99() - Motherboard: Gigabyte Intel X58 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128375)
$140.99 - Memory (RAM): Crucial Ballistix Tracer 3x2GB DDR3 1333 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148282)
$224.99() - Graphics: EVGA GeForce GTX 275 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130475)
$89.99() - Power Supply: Corsair CMPSU 650W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005)



Okay, if I went with something like this, how well would it run on something that needs:
* AMD Athlon 64 3000 or Intel CoreDuo 4000
* 1GB RAM
* Graphic Card GeForce 6600 or ATI Radeon X1550 256 MB
* Sound Card Sound Blaster Audigy
* DirectX 9
* 16x DVD or 32x CD-ROM
* 18 Gb free space on hard disk
* Broadband link with uplink 256kbps, downlink 1024kbps

Cause to be honest, I dont know jack shit about computers. But I do plan on building myself one. Also, is there a specific case I would have to buy to fit all of that? Or would I be able to scrap my old case. Really really wanna build a new pc this summer and don't wanna spend over 1,000 if I don't have to. Mind you, I did remove the hard drives and DVD burner from your list as I will just reuse what I already have.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

From how it looks, it would run very well.

[PlasbianX]

From how it looks, it would run very well.

What about a case?

This is what I currently have: http://tampatechs.com/images/products/SLK1650B.jpg

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

It looks like it would probably work.

[PlasbianX]

It looks like it would probably work.

Only problem im facing though is his prices are a lot higher now. So its going to be a little over budget :/

[Bhamid]

the proccessor got replaced by the 930, its the same price so you're getting an extra 140 MHz bump.

[Warsaw]

Why are you choosing the GTX275, exactly? Unless you intend to replace it sooner rather than later, you should probably opt for one of the DX11 cards.

[flibitijibibo]

Agreeing with Warsaw, wait for the GTX 400 series to either have DX11 or have DX10 for much cheaper.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

If you spend 80$ more, get the 5850, its a great card with dx11 and a gigantic bang for its buck!

[Warsaw]

I'm expecting both the GTX470 and GTX480 to be well out of Plas's budget. The former will probably run around $450 to $500 with the latter reaching as high as $600-$650.

[PlasbianX]

Why are you choosing the GTX275, exactly? Unless you intend to replace it sooner rather than later, you should probably opt for one of the DX11 cards.


Agreeing with Warsaw, wait for the GTX 400 series to either have DX11 or have DX10 for much cheaper.

Because I was going off the list on the front page. If you think theres a better processor or any other piece I can get from the list I made, please remake my build list and post it, and Ill +rep you for a long time. And for a DX11 card.. when are they coming out? Cause I might just start building this now in April.


EDIT: what about a Radeon HD 5850 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161302&cm_re=Radeon_HD_5850-_-14-161-302-_-Product

is that DX11

[Warsaw]

Yes, it is. Probably the best bang for your buck right now, too (go for the XFX or Sapphire models; XFX has lifetime warranty, and Sapphire is just a solid brand). The rest of your list is solid, though like was said the i7 920 has been replaced with the i7 930. That list on the front page is outdated, and since Xet never comes on anymore, there's no way to update it.

[PlasbianX]

$294.99 - CPU: Intel Core i7 930 2.8GHz (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115225&cm_re=Intel_Core_i7_930-_-19-115-225-_-Product)
$189.99 - Motherboard: Gigabyte Intel X58 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128375)
$189.99 - Memory (RAM): Crucial Ballistix Tracer 3x2GB DDR3 1333 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148282)
$329.99 - Graphics: HIS H585F1GDG Radeon HD 5850 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161302&cm_re=Radeon_HD_5850-_-14-161-302-_-Product)
$99.99 - Power Supply: Corsair CMPSU 650W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005)

Looking at a total of ~$1100 for my new PC setup (not including a new case , shipping/ handling, or devices).

Thats a little over budget.. but I am expecting $400 from verizon in the next few months and my 19th birthday is in April so that's money too.

[Warsaw]

Not bad for an i7 system, not bad at all. I still think you should go with XFX or Sapphire, but at least you aren't going with one of the more problematic brands (i.e. Power Color).

[PlasbianX]

Not bad for an i7 system, not bad at all. I still think you should go with XFX or Sapphire, but at least you aren't going with one of the more problematic brands (i.e. Power Color).

My problem with that is its more expensive. That will probably be the last piece I buy though and I'll just go off of how much I have left over.

[PlasbianX]

Another post! Found this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227365

Is that better than http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148282 ? Obviously 6 > 4 but again, don't know shit about PCs D:

[Warsaw]

The OCZ is faster but the Crucial has lower timings. I'd go with the OCZ, since they are both so slow on the timings that I don't think it'll make much of a difference at this point. Since the memory controller is on the CPU, you're already going about as fast as you can anyways.

[bravo22]

Back in the UAE I have a desktop computer with amd phenom x4 9500 and geforce 8800 GT. Canadian hardware is much cheaper than in abu dhabi so I want to buy something before I head home in about a month.

The 8800gt is xfx alpha dog edition and it has a very crappy fan whose speed cannot be changed by rivatuner, so it is extremely loud and irritating. I definitely want to change that.

The phenom is a bit of a bottleneck especially when I want to FRAPS my sessions.

Do you think a Radeon HD 5770 is a worthwhile upgrade? I don't want to spend over $200 CAD on the graphics considering I got the 8800GT for $120 USD when I was touring the US 2 years ago. I am also looking closely at this CPU: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103471 - how does it sound? Thanks.

[Warsaw]

Socket AM2, ja? Grab that Phenom II X4 940; it's a socket AM2 so it will fit, but it's not a Phenom I so you don't have to worry about that crippling patch. It's also dirt cheap right now, like every other AMD CPU (might have to flash your BIOS).

As for the HD5770, it will stomp all over that 8800GT without a second thought.

[bravo22]

all right thank you very much, I have placed my orders from newegg.ca. Can't wait to get home!

[PlasbianX]

Decided to revise what I wanted to get... this is the new PC:

Motherboard: ASUS P6T SE LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131386)
Video Card: BFG Tech BFGEGTX2951792E GeForce GTX 295 1792MB 896 (448 x 2)-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video ... - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143167)
Power Supply: Seventeam ST-850ZAF 850W ATX 12V V2.2 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817176002)
CPU: Intel Core i7-930 2.8GHz LGA 1366 Quad-Core Desktop Processor Model BX80601930 - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115225)
Memory: G.SKILL Trident 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Desktop Memory Model F3-16000CL9D-4GBTD - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231282)
Hard Drive: Western Digital VelociRaptor WD1500HLFS 150GB 10000 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136296)

Criticism? And someone recommend me a good case :X

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

If you are going for that much for the video card, spend some more and get the 5970
:P

[flibitijibibo]

Pyong is correct. May as well get DX11 with that money (aren't similar DX11 cards cheaper even?).

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

Yes the 5870 gets similar performance I believe and is cheaper.

[PlasbianX]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102883&cm_re=5870-_-14-102-883-_-Product


would that work with everything else then?

[Warsaw]

Since you were about to dro[ $500+ on a GTX295, why not just go all out in the first place and get the HD5970?

[PlasbianX]

Since you were about to dro[ $500+ on a GTX295, why not just go all out in the first place and get the HD5970?

Because that puts me WAY over budget.

[Warsaw]

:mech:

I'd also like to point out that the memory you have selected is dual channel...that is not exactly taking advantage of the i7's abilities.

[PlasbianX]

:mech:

I'd also like to point out that the memory you have selected is dual channel...that is not exactly taking advantage of the i7's abilities.

Pick something better than for me plz D:

[AAA]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150456 +25 core clock for the same price, double plus that manufacturer's lifetime warranty. Unless you can't wait for it to come back in stock, you should get the sapphire 5870.

As for Triple Channel RAM,...
this is recommended: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226117
or if money's tight, this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104122

A little extensive, but you're saving a hundred dollars off that 295 in your original post, would you have enough for that?

Also, I don't know what you're thinking of gaining with the VelociRaptor, but they hardly show enough gain in performance with their price/capacity ratio.

edit: Your motherboard shows RAM speed support as follows:

DDR3 2000(O.C.)*/1866(O.C.)*/1800(O.C.)*/1600(O.C.)/1333/1066

I might fail to understand here...
Doesn't that mean it supports RAM up to 1333MHz and you have to overclock the rest yourself to reach desired speeds??

[PlasbianX]

How about this?

Power supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817176002
Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128375
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226117
Graphics: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150456
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115225


not counting hdd.

[AAA]

You're gonna have a boat load of fun on that one.

[PlasbianX]

You're gonna have a boat load of fun on that one.

So its all compatible and a good build? :X

[AAA]

So its all compatible and a good build? :X

It's beautiful... *sniffle*...

Yes, it's compatible and it's an amazing build.

[Varmint260]

I'm suddenly curious, looking at PlasbianX's new build... I'm thinking getting some new components, so I'd like to know if you guys think my power supply could handle a Phenom II quad core (say, 125W processor), 4GB of DDR2 800 and... a 5770 or 5870. It's an OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W power supply with two 12v 25A rails (I think both the 6 and 8 pin PCIe power connectors run off the second 12V 25A rail and everything else that requires 12 volts runs off the first).

Would it run said components happily with no worries, or should I back off from the idea of a 5870 (above my budget anyhow) and just buy a 5770?

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

Get the 5850 if you are looking for a 5800 series card, and are on a lower budget, I have it, and its beautiful in game, gives about 60 fps in bc2 maxed out 4xaa 8xaf 1680x1050 all on high :)

[Warsaw]

I'm suddenly curious, looking at PlasbianX's new build... I'm thinking getting some new components, so I'd like to know if you guys think my power supply could handle a Phenom II quad core (say, 125W processor), 4GB of DDR2 800 and... a 5770 or 5870. It's an OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W power supply with two 12v 25A rails (I think both the 6 and 8 pin PCIe power connectors run off the second 12V 25A rail and everything else that requires 12 volts runs off the first).

Would it run said components happily with no worries, or should I back off from the idea of a 5870 (above my budget anyhow) and just buy a 5770?

700W is more than sufficient for that. You could probably get away with as little as 550W. I also happen to agree with Pyong: 5850 is a good compromise. The 5770 performs like a 4870 (which is not bad by any measure), but costs more.

[CN3089]

Just finished putting everything together and welp holy fuck it's loud now

[bleach]

Hi, should I bother upgrading my computer peripherals/accessories:
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/5724/003jfq.th.jpg (http://img222.imageshack.us/i/003jfq.jpg/)
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/2694/002lax.th.jpg (http://img8.imageshack.us/i/002lax.jpg/)
http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/8793/001pzm.th.jpg (http://img30.imageshack.us/i/001pzm.jpg/)

to something like the Logitech G500 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104318), the Logitech G9 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Logitech+-+G9+Laser+Gaming+Mouse/8472324.p?skuId=8472324&productCategoryId=abcat0513002&id=1185265538878), or Logitech LS11 (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakers_audio/home_pc_speakers/devices/4252&cl=za,en) or the Logitech LS21 (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakers_audio/home_pc_speakers/devices/4251&cl=za,en)?? Although my current components still work, I don't know whether to conserve money or not as I am out of money right now and I honestly don't know if any of these are a good deal taking in consideration the deadlines, rebates, other retails/e-tails...

[Timo]

Both of those speaker sets are below average, don't produce very nice sound at all (a couple of mates have a set). At the very least i'd go for something like the logitech X-230 set. They're pretty cheap and produce good sound unless you like it on full blast where you completely lose the midrange. But looking at your current speakers I guess anything'd be an improvement :x

[CN3089]

my psu fan stopped spinning


so I smacked it



It's working now



Kyon, expert computer repairman :realsmug:

[EX12693]

I did that once, except I smacked it and it broke the fan into 3 pieces. :ugh:

[Amit]

Can the System Specs in the first post be updated now? It's been just over 6 months and I think it's time for a refresh with a wave of new tech that has been released.

[InnerGoat]

you can make a new thread if you're willing to update it

[InnerGoat]

Fermi is almost out, restart steam

[Warsaw]

Review of Fermi Here (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-480,2585.html).

Too little, too late. It scales better than Cypress with DX11 and AA, if that's any consolation.

[343guiltymc]

Mainstream GTX 430, 440 and 450 to come in the summer. No price cuts in sight.

[InnerGoat]

fermi fucking owns, as expected


seriously you can cook eggs on the heatsink, warm the whole house, waste a lot of power running folding@home... the list goes on :)

e: you wouldn't want to hear this thing under load it's offensive how loud one is.

[Cortexian]

fermi fucking owns, as expected


seriously you can cook eggs on the heatsink, warm the whole house, waste a lot of power running folding@home... the list goes on :)

e: you wouldn't want to hear this thing under load it's offensive how loud one is.
Sounds like my dream card.

[bravo22]

Just received my Radeon HD 5770 and quad core Phenom II in the mail today, only 34 days before I can go home to install them!

[Amit]

you can make a new thread if you're willing to update it

I would just look up the newer tech and send a list out to Xet and a couple people to check it over. Why make a new thread? I only said I thought it should be updated.


Just received my Radeon HD 5770 and quad core Phenom II in the mail today, only 34 days before I can go home to install them!

God damn.

[Varmint260]

Just received my Radeon HD 5770 and quad core Phenom II in the mail today, only 34 days before I can go home to install them!

I hate you. I'd love to have those components. Then I pawn off my GTS 250 to a friend so he can actually run half the games him and I try to play online.

[Amit]

I hate you. I'd love to have those components. Then I pawn off my GTS 250 to a friend so he can actually run half the games him and I try to play online.

What's wrong with a GTS 250? Doesn't it have like the same performance as the 5770?

[Varmint260]

I've looked up a few benchmarks; what I gathered from them suggested the 5770 has performance more along the lines of a GTX 260 than the GTS 250. In any case, I'd still be getting DirectX11 and as I've noted I'd love to upgrade to that plus a Phenom II quad core. You do make a good point, though... the GTS 250 is still a pretty good GPU and I don't really need to spend the money at this point. Doesn't stop me from wanting newer stuff though, eh? ;)

[Warsaw]

GTS250 has similar performance to an HD4850. The HD5770 is closer to an HD4870. The HD5830 performs like an HD4890, and the HD5870 performs almost as well as an HD4870 X2...

[CN3089]

I would just look up the newer tech and send a list out to Xet and a couple people to check it over. Why make a new thread? I only said I thought it should be updated.

Here I will save you some trouble by copy/pasting the SH/SC System Building megathread hth!


The current Intel Price/Performance "Sweet Spot":
Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128405)
Intel i5 750 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115215)
G-Skill 2x2GB DDR3-1600 Kit (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231193)
Radeon 5770 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&Subcategory=48&Description=&Type=&N=2010380048&srchInDesc=&MinPrice=&MaxPrice=&OEMMark=1&OEMMark=0&PropertyCodeValue=679%3A50041)

OR

The current AMD Price/Performance "Sweet Spot":
Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3P (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128392)
Athlon II X3 435 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103724)
G-Skill 2x2GB DDR3-1333 Kit (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231180)
Radeon 5770 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&Subcategory=48&Description=&Type=&N=2010380048&srchInDesc=&MinPrice=&MaxPrice=&OEMMark=1&OEMMark=0&PropertyCodeValue=679%3A50041)


Quick Picks
Updated 3/16/2010

Here are a list of parts that are generally agreed-upon to be good, solid choices for anyone assembling a new machine.
THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE LIST, NOR IS IT MEANT TO BE.
Everyone's needs in a computer are different. This part should be a starting point in your research, not a definitive guide to what you should get. Changes, corrections, additions, and comments are always welcome.


Intel CPU


Intel i5 750 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115215) The current best price/performance ratio chip available.


AMD CPU


Athlon II X3 435 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103724) our current default recommendation for an AMD build
Athlon II X2 245 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103687) The best "low-end" chip for budget builds


Intel Motherboard
NOTE: Gigabyte P55 boards are picky about memory, check the RAM section below. There have also been some infrequent reports that the ATI 5XXX series do not work/play well with the Gigabyte boards. If you're concerned we recommend the MSI board.


MSI P55M-GD45 mATX ATX (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130246)
Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 mATX (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128405)
Gigabyte GA-P55M-USB3 ATX (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128425) Full size ATX with SATA 3Gbps and USB 3.0


AMD Motherboard


Asus M4A77TD (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131603)
Gigabyte GA-MA770T-USB3 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128431) Full size ATX with SATA 3Gbps and USB 3.0


Memory


4 Gigs of DDR3 1333 (with voltage of 1.65v or less) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&Subcategory=147&Description=&Type=&N=2010170147+1052129233+1052315794+1259929402&srchInDesc=&MinPrice=&MaxPrice=&OEMMark=1&OEMMark=0&Manufactory=2135&Manufactory=11776&Manufactory=1183&Manufactory=1666&Manufactory=1459&Manufactory=1550&Manufactory=8476&PropertyCodeValue=521%3A29233&PropertyCodeValue=523%3A15794&PropertyCodeValue=524%3A29248&PropertyCodeValue=524%3A35212&PropertyCodeValue=524%3A30325&PropertyCodeValue=2599%3A29232&PropertyCodeValue=2599%3A42331&PropertyCodeValue=2599%3A49219&PropertyCodeValue=2599%3A44350&PropertyCodeValue=2599%3A39241&PropertyCodeValue=2599%3A50193&PropertyCodeValue=2599%3A29464&PropertyCodeValue=2599%3A45657&PropertyCodeValue=2599%3A29402)
G Skill 4GB DDR3 1600 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231193) (Specifically known to work with the Gigabyte P55 boards)


Graphics

1680x1050 and below:
Radeon 4770 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&N=2010380048&OEMMark=1%2C0&PropertyCodeValue=679%3A47628&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=False&Order=PRICE) - A slightly less hot and less powerful 4850 that can easily overclock to 4850 levels.
Radeon 4850 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&Subcategory=48&Description=&Type=&N=2010380048&srchInDesc=&MinPrice=&MaxPrice=&OEMMark=1&OEMMark=0&PropertyCodeValue=679%3A40677)- Our typical recommendation at this resolution.
Radeon 5750 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&Subcategory=48&Description=&Type=&N=2010380048&srchInDesc=&MinPrice=&MaxPrice=&OEMMark=1&OEMMark=0&PropertyCodeValue=679%3A50042) - Slightly faster than the 4850 and less power-hungry/heat producing. Worthwhile at $150 if other choices aren't available.

1900x1200 and below
Radeon 5770 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&Subcategory=48&Description=&Type=&N=2010380048&srchInDesc=&MinPrice=&MaxPrice=&OEMMark=1&OEMMark=0&PropertyCodeValue=679%3A50041) - Our minimum recommendation for this resolution.
Radeon 5830 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&Description=5830&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&Order=PRICE) - Decent but overpriced compromise between the 5770/5850
Radeon 5850 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&Subcategory=48&Description=&Type=&N=2010380048&srchInDesc=&MinPrice=&MaxPrice=&OEMMark=1&OEMMark=0&PropertyCodeValue=679%3A49753) - The most powerful card worth buying without going into serious overkill territory.


Hard Drive

Samsung Spinpoint F3 500GB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181)
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185)
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136073)
Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533)


Solid State Drives


Intel X25M G2 80GB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167016) Gold standard of SSDs


Optical

DVD Burners (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&Subcategory=5&Description=&Type=&N=2010100005&srchInDesc=&MinPrice=&MaxPrice=&OEMMark=1&Manufactory=1336&Manufactory=1112&Manufactory=1167&Manufactory=1077&PropertyCodeValue=365%3A6653&PropertyCodeValue=384%3A6820)
Blu-ray DVD-ROMs (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&Subcategory=598&Description=&Type=&N=2010100598&srchInDesc=&MinPrice=&MaxPrice=&OEMMark=1&OEMMark=0&PropertyCodeValue=6992%3A43381&PropertyCodeValue=7003%3A43372)


Case

Antec P183 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129061&Tpk=p183) (Extremely quiet, a great case if noise is an issue)
Lian-Li PC-7B (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112099)
Lian Li Lancool (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16811112154)
CoolerMaster Centurion 5 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119047)
CoolerMaster Centurion 534 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119106)
CoolerMaster 690C (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137)
CoolerMaster Gladiator (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119206&Tpk=gladiator%20600)


Power Supplies

An appropriate wattage from this list (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&N=2010090058&Manufactory=9830%2C1697%2C1459&PropertyCodeValue=1314%3A28169%2C1314%3A14179%2C13 14%3A14178%2C1314%3A28170%2C1314%3A14177&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=False&Order=PRICE)



Aftermarket Cooling
LGA775/AM2/3 (Core 2 and AMD chips):


Xigmatek S1283 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003) make sure to purchase the Backplate (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019) as well if you have an Intel chipset
Xigmatek Dark Knight (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029) (Come with backplate)
Sunbeam Core Contact (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004)
Scythe SCBK1000 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185129) for small clearance cases


LGA1156 (i5/i7):

Cooler Master RR-B10-212P-GP (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065)


TV Tuners


Hauppague HVR-2250 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116037) PCIe dual tuner supporting NTSC/ATSC/ClearQAM
Hauppague HVR-950Q (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116034) USB tuner supporting NTSC/ATSC/ClearQAM


Operating Sytem
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM Edition (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116754&cm_re=win_7_home_premium_oem-_-32-116-754-_-Product)

HTPC Prebuilt


Dell Zino (http://www.dell.com/us/en/corp/desktops/inspiron-zino-hd/pd.aspx?refid=inspiron-zino-hd&s=corp)
Acer Revo (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103228&Tpk=acer%20revo) Note: Comes with XP Home, needs Win Vista/7 installed to support HD decoding


LCDs
In general, most LCDs will be fine for the average user, and price is the biggest driver. However, you can also check the 2nd post of the Anandtech LCD thread, which lists nearly every "picky bastard" choice in the 20-24+ range. (http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=39226)

[PlasbianX]

How about this?

Power supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817176002
Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128375
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226117
Graphics: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150456
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115225


not counting hdd.

Looking at my mobo again, ive decided I dont like the reviews on it. Can anyone recommend something better?

[Ganon]

Looking at my mobo again, ive decided I dont like the reviews on it. Can anyone recommend something better?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131365

[PlasbianX]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131365

Wouldnt I have to overclock it to get it to support my RAM though?

EDIT: Dont like the reviews on Asus Boards either.

[Ganon]

Wouldnt I have to overclock it to get it to support my RAM though?

No, but to make them run at full potential yes. If you aren't capable of overclocking, don't bother building a computer.


EDIT: Dont like the reviews on Asus Boards either.May satan rain hot acid down your throat and make you swallow a match.

edit: Dylan Mclovin: hey plasbian thanks for makin ohioans look dumber than 10 boxes of hair and freelancer ok

HAHAHAHAHA

[Warsaw]

Dude, all of the best i7 X58 boards are made by ASUS. It's either what you've got or ASUS...

[Amit]

I found this crazy newegg deal for $432: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.343621

The components seemed to be very well rated. I might go for that since I'm not really looking for an i5. Although, I'm not sure if the i3-530 will bottleneck my HD 5750, though. That is my main concern. I want something I can take with me to university and I'm certainly not carrying my main rig.

[Cortexian]

Dude, all of the best i7 X58 boards are made by ASUS. It's either what you've got or ASUS...
EVGA? I've had a better track record with them than ASUS.

[flibitijibibo]

Seconding the inclusion of EVGA in "good stuff" list.

A computer I built earlier this year was with an ASUS board, though. They're fine from what little experience I have with them. :shrug:

[Con]

Hi, should I bother upgrading my computer peripherals/accessories:
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/5724/003jfq.th.jpg (http://img222.imageshack.us/i/003jfq.jpg/)
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/2694/002lax.th.jpg (http://img8.imageshack.us/i/002lax.jpg/)


couldnt resist

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/9863/76555618.jpg

yes, buy new ones

[Warsaw]

Basing my statement purely on a "number of reviews to number of eggs" ratio. ASUS took all the top spots, had to scroll down to get to eVGA. But I digress, eVGA makes some good spec boards as well.

Personally, I like DFI. BIOS with many options would see a lot of use by me if I had one.

[PlasbianX]

New build:

Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131614
Graphics: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150456
Power Supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817176002
Processor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115225
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145224

I think this will all work together. Someone confirm this. Thoughts / criticism please.

[flibitijibibo]

couldnt resist

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/9863/76555618.jpg

yes, buy new ones
... that_picture_of_squidward_laughing_hysterically.jp g

Logitech X series is generally good. Z series is wonderful, especially the Z-5500. That set makes some professional monitors sound like shit.

Plas: Looks good to me. Card is sold out though.

[Warsaw]

Looks good to me. I'd rather have the 2GB Eyefinity HD5870, but the benches show that only nets you a few extra frames per second. 850W seems slightly low if you intend to add another HD5870 later. I like to have a large power safety net, even though PSUs are more efficient closer to their peak load. But then again, I don't pay the bills either.

Good RAM is good.

[mR_r0b0to]

well, not really building a computer but i'm moving to pharmacy school this coming fall and i am in need of a good laptop
budget is around 1200 dollars
it's got to be able to handle modern games (bf:bc2 and eve online mainly) on a decent resolution

i was looking at this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220700

[CN3089]

my old 6600gt could run eve-o at max settings bro

[Ganon]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834114796

[CN3089]

don't get a toshiba


e: go with asus, msi, sager or gateway


e2: unless you're getting a really sweet deal



e3: http://www.notebookcheck.net/ http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html


e4: http://www.xoticpc.com/

[Warsaw]

ASUS G73 is currently king of bang-for-buck gaming notebooks, followed by the ASUS G51. Absolute power goes to the Alienware M17x though; dual GTX285s or HD4870s (with GDDR5 this time, not not GDDR3 like the ASUS WP90 had). The Clevo M980 comes close, but the motherboard chipset introduces some performance loss.

Also, don't get Toshiba. They suck.

[mR_r0b0to]

G73 and the M17x are past the budget :<
i guess i'll be going with the G51
it's a little smaller than the G73 which i'm guessing is a little plus because i'll be hauling it around in my backpack
also no dx11 support on the G51 but i can live with that probably

[Warsaw]

There are also the MSI offerings to consider which are lower in price than the ASUS for comparable performance if you must have DX11. I think the ASUS notebooks are higher quality, though, and offer more features for the dollar.

[mR_r0b0to]

v0v
20 days to decide :D

[mR_r0b0to]

also, what would be the best way to avoid bloatware? if it were xp i'd just do a fresh install but it isn't and i don't have windows 7 on me :(
or does asus even come with bloatware

[InnerGoat]

Uninstall any trial software and bloatware :-3 It's at most 15 minutes to remove that crap when you first turn it on.

[flibitijibibo]

If you have your Win7 key, you may as well download it from somewhere (check the md5 first, lolbotnets) and just use your key.

Either way, Kyon is correct.

[Bhamid]

Use Revo Uninstaller, that will get rid of all the programs you don't want and the registry stuff they leave behind, then use CCleaner to get anything left behind.

[bravo22]

The Alienware M11x is a pretty good deal for gaming laptops (very portable too). My roommate bought one and it hasn't disappointed him, its specs are not the best but you can't complain when you're getting a GT335M card in an 11 inch package. The lack of a DVD drive may be a problem but nowadays you can buy games off Steam and if you want to install disc-based games you can share another computer's DVD drive over a LAN and then use a fixed EXE to bypass the need for a disc. Or just buy an external USB dvd drive.

If the alienware is too small, the ASUS G51 is one of the best deals and its 15.6" screen should be adequate. Also get a 9 cell battery if you plan on using the laptop away from a wall outlet on a regular basis, because a GTX 260M is a power hog. Other laptops like the Alienware M11x have the advantage of secondary integrated graphics that you can switch to to save battery/reduce heat when you aren't gaming.

[mR_r0b0to]

the asus g51 looks really good right now
does just uninstalling the crapware leave annoying (im ocd in keeping the hdd clean :3) in windows 7? im still using xp right now :D

[Cortexian]

Friend of mine has an older model G51 from a year ago or so, didn't come with much crapware to start with and uninstalling it was fairly easy.

[NuggetWarmer]

Since I don't have enough cash to finish my main computer, I wanted to update this old IBM NetVista PC. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find anything that'd work for it since it's so old.

You think there's anything that I could get, new or used, that'd work for it?

It has:
Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.00GHz
512mb of RAM
Intel(R) 82845G Graphics Controller (shitty shitty shit shit)
and an IBM Rev 1.2 mobo

Mainly I want to upgrade the memory and video card (or lack thereof), but if I can update anything else on this junker, that'd be great.

[Rook]

Personally I'd just save up some money for a newer budget rig. Not even worth upgrading...

[Amit]

On top of that, those motherboards are so old they don't have any graphics expansion capabilities.

[NuggetWarmer]

Personally I'd just save up some money for a newer budget rig. Not even worth upgrading...

I've already put $750 into a new build. I need $800 more to finish it, and nobody is hiring. I just want to get this thing so I can use 3ds Max.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

How good are Foxconn motherboards?
I was looking at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186170
The reviews seem good, and I don't think i'll need more than 6gb ram for a while, and by the time I would prices for a new motherboard would be lower, or there would be new tech.
But how are ASRock motherboards?
I saw http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157189, I'm looking for a crossfire mobo that is atx (not micro atx)
Any suggestions?

[InnerGoat]

Both fine boards... flip a coin over it or somethin

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

I think i'll pick the ASRock board, it has more features, and more ram support.

[Cortexian]

You shouldn't be worried about 12GB vs 24GB of memory... Anything over 12GB will most likely be wasted until future generation hardware and software make use of it. I would personally by the Foxconn over the ASRock, I've heard better things about Foxconn in most areas.

How about this?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188049

EVGA supremacy, I'm a huge fanboy. It also LOOKS the best, and we all know that looks are everything when it comes to computers (http://www.apple.com/mac/)!

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

It doesn't look like it has crossfire, and I plan to crossfire my 5850 with a second one eventually in the future, so I don't think that board is an option.

[mR_r0b0to]

so
i got the asus g51j
and im loving it
awesome screen, faaaaaaaaaaaast shit no lag :D

[Cortexian]

Looking at powerful laptops right now, need something that will do primarily video editing/rendering, Photoshop work, HD video playback, and gaming. I don't need Bluray, because I personally think that Bluray in laptops is pretty pointless. 15" screen please, 17" is to big and I'd feel like a dork pulling it out in class/work, 11" is to small for my shitty eye sight. Backlighted keyboard is a must and a large battery capacity would be nice.

Looking at an Alienware M15x, because I think it's the only thing that's got all the power I need plus a backlighted keyboard?

[Cojafoji]

Try this one. (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=laptops+for+video+editing+2010)

[Cortexian]

Did my Googleing already, but thanks.

I have run into a wall, I'm fairly set on the Alienware because the price is actually decent however... The Canadian Alienware website has a few less options than the American one, my main concern is the processor selection. On the U.S. website I was able to select the i7 620M (2 cores + HT), on the Canadian website I have to go from the i5 540M (2 cores + HT) to the i7 720QM (4 cores + HT)... They don't have the 620M which is what I was really hoping to get, so do you think the i5 540M will do what I need it to, or should I get the i7 720QM because of my Adobe Premiere/After Effects/Photoshop CS5 needs?

Here are the price and complete specs of the processors btw:
Intel Core i5-540M 2.53GHz (3.06Ghz Turbo Mode, 3M cache) [add $100]
Intel Core i7-720QM 1.6GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache) [add $200]

And the rest of the laptop:
Windows 7 Professional 64bit OS
15.6-inch WideFHD 1920x1080 (1080p) WLED Screen
6GB DDR3 at 1066MHz Memory
500GB SATAII 7,200RPM Hard Drive
1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M Graphics Card
Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
9-cell (85Watt) Lithium-Ion Battery

[Cojafoji]

Spend the extra money on the i7. Slower clocks but double the cores & cache. It'll be worth it when you're cranking out videos.

[Cortexian]

So Coja and I agreed that the i5 would actually be a better bet, since most video editing will be done on appropriate workstations or my home PC. The only video editing on the laptop will be for quick edits, ideas, and mock ups.

Any other opinions? Most likely going to order today :)

[mR_r0b0to]

get the asus g51 :v
although it is kind of big, it says 15.6" screen but if you include the bajeezus huge bezel it fits 17" slipcases snugly