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

[Cortexian]

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
http://www.modacity.net/forums/showthread.php?t=21456

Friend has a year or two year old G51, they're pretty nice but I really wanted some backlit keyboard going on!

[mR_r0b0to]

mine has a backlit keyboard o_0

[Cortexian]

Must be a new optional extra since he ordered his...

The Orion backpack I ordered to go with my laptop has shipped, and apparently "left Vancouver" so I'll expect it in 3-4 days. Laptop itself is still "In Production".

E: Oh and I should probably add what I wanted to really ask in this post. Lots of reviews and such state that Alienware recommends using the laptop without a "laptop cooler", however I often find myself working with the laptop on my lap or on a non-ideal surface (such as a bed/couch/padded chair arm). We all know this isn't great for laptops since if they're sitting on such a surface there's no where for the hot air and radiant heat from the bottom of the laptop to go, so I'm looking for a low-profile cooler (that's large enough to sit under the M15x at: Width: 370mm and Height: 260mm) that doesn't angle the laptop very much. Mainly just looking for something that I can throw into the backpack beside the laptop and take out when I need it between the laptop and the surface it's going to be on. I don't need to have my legs fried while quickly browsing something online haha!

I'm looking at this Zalman cooler:
http://www.zalman.co.kr/ENG/product/Product_Read.asp?idx=394

It's not quite big enough but it should work, however I'd like something that's slightly larger than the stated dimensions. I would prefer coolers that run off the laptop USB ports, and provide a replacement USB port(s) for the one being used.

[PlasbianX]

Hardcore QQing here. My girlfriend is an absolute money sink and saving money with her is like next to impossible.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=10666914

That's my current build for my rig I wanna build this summer. Can anyone see any changes that can be made to save me some money but still have a kickass rig?

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

I'd go with the 5850 instead, and the 920 instead.

[CN3089]

Why are you buying an 850W power supply there is no way you will need that much


The i7 and 1366 are overkill, go with a 1156 chip.

[Bhamid]

I'd go with the 5850 instead, and the 920 instead.
^^

[PlasbianX]

Link me what you guys are talking about. Remember, I am pretty damn dumb when it comes to selecting the parts D:

[Warsaw]

Dropping to an i7 920 will only save you $9, I don't know if that's worth it to you. If the 1156-pin socket weren't such a piece of crap I'd recommend dropping to that socket as well, but it's an evolutionary dead end with its dual-channel RAM limitation. It performs well enough for now, but I'd rather switch to AMD's socket AM3 than jump onto that bandwagon, even if the Core i5 outperforms the Phenom II X4.

[PlasbianX]

Had someone put this together and said it would be a good build:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=14744186

compared to my original build:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=10666914

Thoughts and criticism?

[Warsaw]

The i7 and the HD5870 completely trash their counterparts in the AMD build. I would say wait for the 3.2GHz Black Box Thuban, but unless you do a lot of rendering or something, the $310 Thuban is unjustifiable since the i7 grants you better performance in games and in audio/video encoding/decoding. The HD5870 is also a huge step up over the GTX260 Core 216. If you want to save money, go with the HD5850, 5770, or GTX470.

The flip side is that the AM3 socket can be upgraded with any new AMD processor for the foreseeable future, requiring only a BIOS update and the appropriate TDP tolerances. A good compromise would be to take that AMD system as is, but remove the GTX260 give it an HD5850 or HD5870. You save money and maintain more than adequate gaming performance. Remember, most games are GPU-bound, not CPU.

[AAA]

I would suggest Intel over AMD on this one...

[Warsaw]

Same, but only if he sticks with LGA 1366. Better to have a powerful core system and be able to upgrade graphics than have something anemic all-around.

[PlasbianX]

See? I fail at putting together systems D: someone get me a kickass yet cheap AMD build for +rep. Go go go D:

[Warsaw]

Click Here for List. (http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/TemporaryWishList.aspx?ChangeQty=0)

There were a shit ton of combo deals that could easily save you ~$100 when combined together. I went with the Phenom II X4 965 because A.) Thuban is nutty expensive for no gaming performance gain and B.) the X4 has awesome overclock potential with the 125W stepping. Granted, the Thuban black box also has awesome overclock potential, but it's still not going to be any better for games. For the GPU, the HD5850 and GTX470 were the same price, and the GTX470 performs better than the HD5850. You can always spend another $50-$70 to get the HD5870, which performs better than the GTX470. If you intend to do Crossfire, however, definitely go with the HD5850 so you can just drop another one in later. Also, the case you wanted for your i7 machine can be had in combo with the motherboard. Personally, I dig the red AMD-themed case myself.

[PlasbianX]

Click Here for List. (http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/TemporaryWishList.aspx?ChangeQty=0)

There were a shit ton of combo deals that could easily save you ~$100 when combined together. I went with the Phenom II X4 965 because A.) Thuban is nutty expensive for no gaming performance gain and B.) the X4 has awesome overclock potential with the 125W stepping. Granted, the Thuban black box also has awesome overclock potential, but it's still not going to be any better for games. For the GPU, the HD5850 and GTX470 were the same price, and the GTX470 performs better than the HD5850. You can always spend another $50-$70 to get the HD5870, which performs better than the GTX470. If you intend to do Crossfire, however, definitely go with the HD5850 so you can just drop another one in later. Also, the case you wanted for your i7 machine can be had in combo with the motherboard. Personally, I dig the red AMD-themed case myself.

You linked me to a temp wishlist.

[Warsaw]

Don't have my own NewEgg account, so...

Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128441)

CPU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727)

RAM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231303)

GPU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130550)

PSU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139009)

Total without combos: $968.96

[PlasbianX]

Don't have my own NewEgg account, so...

Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128441)

CPU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727)

RAM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231303)

GPU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130550)

PSU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139009)

Total without combos: $968.96

Does newegg factor in combos when you go to purchase? Or do I have to manually search for them

[Warsaw]

When you put the combos in your cart it will take them into account. Can't do it in a wishlist though. Don't put both the individual items and the combo into the cart, just the combo that contains the two items you want.

[PlasbianX]

When you put the combos in your cart it will take them into account. Can't do it in a wishlist though. Don't put both the individual items and the combo into the cart, just the combo that contains the two items you want.

But I have to find which items have a combo then right?

[Warsaw]

Technically, yes. To make it easier, all of the ones I listed have combos, most with each other to boot. I don't know how you want to arrange it, so play around with the combos until you are satisfied (or dissatisfied) with the prices.

[ramis92]

Alright, so I just came up on a 7900GT, which isn't the greatest today, but it would be a step up from my Radeon 3650. Thing is, I'm not sure if I'd be able to use it.

AMD Athlon X2 3800+
1GB Memory
325W Power Supply

Obviously I know that I'm stretching it, but please don't start suggesting new PSU's. I'd just like to know if my current one is fine or not.

[Bhamid]

Simple answer: no.

[ramis92]

Would underclocking the 7900GT make a difference?

[Bhamid]

It would, but only if you reduce the voltge as well. Because it was a high-end card, I don't know if even with the underclock the PSU would be able to handle it. Also, check if it would fit in your case, if you're looking at it online ;)

[bleach]

Should I buy the Logitech G500 mouse to replace a Logitech Optical mouse? Normally, I use the mouse to browse the web a lot (lots of scrolling), to play first person shooters (namely Crysis series, Halo series), multimedia (a must), and productivity (a ton of school work). Right now the Logitech G500 @ Newegg (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104318) is pretty cheap due to the memorial weekend sale (?) and take into account the Mail-in-Rebate, which is $20 (http://images10.newegg.com/uploadfilesfornewegg/rebate/SH/Logitech2MIRsMay28Jun0310lt12.pdf). The grand total it seems for me with tax and shipping and all is $59.53 and with the MIR it's $39.53.

Should I go for it or save up the money ($80 at the moment) for other stuff like some PC games I want?

[ThePlague]

Can anyone find a $50-70 gfx card that's PCI-Express and works pretty good? I want to put one in my desktop pc (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=compaq+presario+cq5300f&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=CGzdE4PYCTIf3EY3CNvmm1NwHAAAAqgQFT9BQc9E&fp=fce951b23b59aed1), because right now it's running integrated graphics.

e: how good is this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102843)? I looked at similar products of this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102838) since you can't buy it anymore.

[Cortexian]

It's decent, what do you plan to use it for?

[ThePlague]

Well, right now I can't play games on my desktop, and can barely edit videos using Adobe Premiere. I want to upgrade to something so I can at least play Halo 2 Vista, and not just use it for watching videos and music storage :\

[Cortexian]

Well, unless you get an Nvidia 240 series or better GPU you won't get any kind of increase in Adobe Premiere at all. I really doubt you'll be able to get a 240 series or better for under $100 anywhere. The GPU you picked out would play some recent games on medium-low settings and should play older games and play videos just fine.

You SHOULD be okay to play Halo 2 Vista.

[Amit]

String together $110 and buy this: HIS HD 4850 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161297). It will make you a happy man. No sense in throwing away that cash on something shitty at $80 when $20 more gets you crazy performance.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

Soon I will be building my friend a computer for personal use (gaming) and recording music for his band.
Does anyone have any good sounds devices to recommend, that will be able to record at high quality?

[Cojafoji]

String together $110 and buy this: HIS HD 4850 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161297). It will make you a happy man. No sense in throwing away that cash on something shitty at $80 when $20 more gets you crazy performance.
I can definitely vouch for this.

[Bhamid]

Just remember to get it before stock runs out :)

[bleach]

[Note: Please go through my entire post before replying because I might have some info already in there.]
So, I need a new, price-performance, watt-performance, durable graphics card to replace a temporary one that has been in my system. I'll probably purchase it within this month of June (when my report card comes in probably 2 weeks later). My budget range is around USD ~$320 after rebates but if it is necessary the absolute max is probably $350 after rebate/coupon. My usage includes gaming (Crysis series, Halo series --no anti-aliasing, maxed settings, 1920 x 1080 resolution), multimedia/entertainment (pictures, videos, movies, etc.), productivity (school stuff), and general stuff like surfing the internet.

My current specs:


Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64
Intel Core i5 750 2.66 GHz @ 2.66 GHz
Asus P7P55D Pro Motherboard
OCZ Platinum Low-Voltage D/C Kit 4 GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 PC3-10666 @ 7-7-7-20
Western Digital Caviar Green 750 GB WD7500AADS Hard Drive
ATI Radeon X300 SE 128 MB DDR 64-bit
Gearhead 24XDVDINTLS DVD Burner Drive
Cooler Master Extreme Power Plus 600 Watt (RS-600-PCAR-E3) [+12V1=18A, +12V2=18A]
Antec Three Hundred Mid-ATX Case
Samsung 2494SW 24" LCD Monitor (1920 x 1080 max supported resolution)

I don't care where I can buy the graphics card, as long as the retail/e-tail is trustworthy, reliable, has good support, and won't charge too much for shipping. (I don't know which is better though: Newegg or Tigerdirect in terms of online stores because Newegg charges me tax and certain products require shipping fee while Tigerdirect doesn't charge tax or shipping at the moment that is.) I need a graphics card that has sufficient drivers/support, an excellent warranty, can overclock to certain clock speeds that will have noticeable improvements but will not require voltage tweaking, can fit in an Antec 300 and be supported by my power supply unit, can last 3 years (but if I wanted, there is a very small chance that I might sell it and this is where any double lifetime warranties would be helpful), has good cooling/fan, is efficient, and won't have a major impact on my other components (such as creating enough heat to cause damage). I'm looking at XFX at the moment because their double lifetime warranty appeals to me and since I live in [southern] California, I suppose I'm eligible for their double lifetime warranty no matter where I buy the card, and no matter the model. However, I'm willing to look at Evga too because they're pretty good also.

GPUs in consideration:


XFX Radeon HD5850 HD-585X-ZNFC 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150494) - $303.09 taxed/shipped
XFX Radeon HD5850 HD-585X-ZAFC 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6078264&sku=P450-5856) - $309.99 shipped
Sapphire Radeon HD5830 100297L 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102878&cm_re=5830-_-14-102-878-_-Product) - $218.14 taxed/shipped and after mail-in-rebate
XFX Radeon HD5830 HD-583X-ZNFV 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6089224&CatId=3669) - $309.99 shipped
I would still like the reference cooler ATI Radeon HD5850 from either Sapphire or XFX if you could find it online.

Again, I can't have a graphics card that will obstruct anything in my case (can't be too long, since the Antec Three Hundred is probably a low-tier computer case) and must have good cooling [sound generated should be within an acceptable acoustic range]. The reason I didn't include the Evga GeForce GTX 465 is because it seems like it is competing more with the ATI HD5830 than it is with the ATI HD5850 in terms of performance, nor the Evga GeForce GTX 470 because my power supply most likely won't support it. As always, I'll be open to other suggestions even if it requires me putting out a bit of my own money (no more than $30-40) since the $300 (give or take + tax/shipping) is being paid by parents.

[Warsaw]

Eh, I think a 600W PSU can get by as long as you only have one GTX470. You have a Lynnfield CPU which helps with power consumption, so you might be able to squeeze it. The minimum spec PSU for the GTX470 is 550W anyways, so there you have it.

Of the ATi cards you listed, it's kind of a no-brainer for the HD5850.

[bleach]

Which cooler for the HD5850 is better? the 585X-ZNFC or 585X-ZAFC? (Reference cooler I guess was discontinued because the custom fans and whatnot is cheaper for XFX to make?).

[bleach]

Sorry for doublepost and bump but I have a question different from the one above (resolved). I'm thinking about selling my Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 600W RS-600-PCZR-E3 (http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=5906&category_id=30) (with box, item(s) that came with power supply which was basically a manual, and the power supply itself) and buying Corsair CMPSU-650TX non-modular power supply (http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-CMPSU-650TX-650-Watt-Certified-compatible/dp/B000X24ISU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1276705295&sr=1-1) for $69.99 (MIR = $20, tax exempt, free shipping), since I'm in a monetary drought. I bought the Cooler Master power supply at Fry's in January and it doesn't have any problems. But I want to upgrade my power supply to fit my needs and future proof it. What do you guys think?

[Cortexian]

+50 Watts isn't worth upgrading over, but Corsair makes better quality PSU's than CM from what I've read. Future-proofing a PSU is buying a good quality 1000+ wall PSU now, because if you treat it right it'll last you for 5+ years.

Unless the power connector standards change. Unlikely.

[bleach]

I just don't trust my current power supply to run 3-4 hard drives, 2-3 optical drives, and CPU/GPU overclocks in the future and I've also heard good reviews regarding Corsair's power supplies. I only need a power supply to last 3 years as when I graduate high school, I'm getting a notebook, as a gift. During those 3 years though, I need it to be very efficient and sturdy.

EDIT: Am I going to benefit more from the Corsair CMPSU-650TX than I am with the Cooler Master eXtreme Power+ 600?

[Warsaw]

Why the hell is it running more than one optical drive anyways? If it's Blu-Ray you want, just buy a Blu-Ray reader or burner (way more expensive for the burner) that can read and write all the other formats, too. Unless you're running SLI or Crossfire, that 600W should be fine. Hell, my stock Rosewill 420W PSU lasted me for 5 years running an overclocked CPU, GPU, three hard drives, and a single optical drive. My CPU is also a 130nm process, so it runs hot as hell and sucks power. You'll be better off saving the money for a good laptop.

[bleach]

What if I were to sell my power supply, how much should I sell it for (I was thinking ~$50, but I'm open to suggestions) and on what website and if applicable, what carrier (shipping) should I use?

[Terin]

Quick CPU question - I'm looking on Newegg, and it shows Core i7s that work on LGA1366 and LGA1156 sockets, which can also run i3 and i5s. How does that work?

[Dwood]

What if I were to sell my power supply, how much should I sell it for (I was thinking ~$50, but I'm open to suggestions) and on what website and if applicable, what carrier (shipping) should I use?

Used power supplies usually I think sell for about $25~. If someone can prove me wrong please do.

[king_nothing_]

Quick CPU question - I'm looking on Newegg, and it shows Core i7s that work on LGA1366 and LGA1156 sockets, which can also run i3 and i5s. How does that work?
i7 9xxs are LGA 1366. i7 8xxs, i5s, and i3s are LGA 1156. LGA 1366 supports triple-channel memory, while LGA 1156 only supports dual-channel. LGA 1366 is better for multi-GPU setups as well I think.

[InnerGoat]

It's only better because you get two full PCIe 16x slots not a 16x and a 4x electrical 16x :ohdear: :gonk: :ugh:

[Warsaw]

It's also better because of the higher memory bandwidth and because it has more powerful CPUs at its disposal. 1156 is about to die anyways, since Intel is releasing yet another new slot in the form of the LGA1155 for its upcoming Sandy Bridge chips.

[Cortexian]

So I'm planning this build, more of a theoretical project then a real one at the moment because I won't have the funds to purchase it until sometime next year. That said, I plan to do a "Dream Machine, top of the line" build next year so I priced out all the current stuff in hopes that the top of the line stuff next year will be similarly priced. This is what I have so far:

http://secure.newegg.ca/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=13247985

In short:
Corsair Obsidian 800D Case
Intel Core i7-980X
EVGA X58 Classified 3-way SLI
12GB 1600 Corsair XMS3 Memory
Two GTX 480 GPU's
160GB Intel X25-M SSD
Two 2TB Western Digital Caviar Black HDD's
Blu-ray burner
Corsair HX 1000 Watt PSU

Suggestions on this build would be welcome, but as I said I doubt any of these components will be the same this time next year.

That said, I'd like to water-cool the entire thing, I'm a noob to water-cooling. Basically the extent of my knowledge is the following; I know I need a pump, radiator, reservoir, water-blocks, and tubing but I have no idea what type of components I should buy. I'm fairly confident that I can assemble the loop myself with no problems, I just need help on picking out the right components, if possible from FrozenCPU.com since I've dealt with them before! I want to cool the CPU and GPU's for sure, possibly the motherboard bridges and such as well.

Here's what I would plan on getting for the above build (in loop order as well):
Pump (http://www.frozencpu.com/products/6660/ex-pmp-59/Innovatek_Eheim_HPPS_i_High_Power_12V_Water_Pump_5 01280.html?tl=g30c107s153#blank)
Radiator (http://www.frozencpu.com/products/5327/ex-rad-110/Black_Ice_GTX_Xtreme_480_Radiator_-_Black.html?tl=g30c95s570)
CPU Block (http://www.frozencpu.com/products/10234/ex-blc-712/Heatkiller_Rev_30_1366_CPU_Liquid_Cooling_Block_-_14015.html?tl=g30c325s839)
Motherboard Block (Optional) (http://www.frozencpu.com/products/9333/ex-blc-624/EK_EVGA_3x_SLI_X58_Classified_Full_Board_Cooling_B lock_Kit_-_Acetal_Nickel_EK-FB_EVGA_X58_CLASSIFIED_AcetalNickel.html)
GPU Block 1 (http://www.frozencpu.com/products/10942/ex-blc-747/EK_GeForce_480_GTX_VGA_Liquid_Cooling_Block_-_Nickel_EK-FC480_GTX-Nickel_Hot_Item.html?tl=g30c311s1173)
4 Slot SLI Fitting (http://www.frozencpu.com/products/10746/ex-tub-671/Bitspower_SLI_Crossfire_Crystal_Link_Tube_Set_-_4_Slot_Spacing_BP-CLTAC-S4.html?tl=g30c101s873)
GPU Block 2 (http://www.frozencpu.com/products/10942/ex-blc-747/EK_GeForce_480_GTX_VGA_Liquid_Cooling_Block_-_Nickel_EK-FC480_GTX-Nickel_Hot_Item.html?tl=g30c311s1173)
Reservoir (Color subject to change) (http://www.frozencpu.com/products/10278/ex-res-165/FrozenQ_PC_Mods_250mm_Liquid_Fusion_Reservoir_-_UV_Cathode_-_UV_Red_Helix.html?tl=g30c97s1110#blank)

Does that look about right? Suggestions/Comments/Questions? I have no idea what tubing size I should go for, I'll probably just end up going with the most common stuff to make it easier.

Fittings are another thing that bugs me, their entire purpose is to connect to your blocks/rad/res and connect it to the appropriately sized tubing right? From what I hear compression fittings are the most secure and safest to use so I'll probably go with them, is that the general consensus?

[RedBaron]

Dunno why I'm posting this since it's already been decided but I guess I can get some of your thoughts on this. I just ordered this on xoticpc.com and the total came out to about $1,530 plus shipping. The price is a little steep, and god knows I would build the same desktop for half the price if I wasn't going off to campus and all that spiel. This is 100% coming out of my own pay, and kiddies, let me say that it's a great feeling being able to buy yourself tech.

1x Sager NP8690 (Built on Clevo W860CU) Custom Gaming Laptop

- Display: 15.6” HD+ 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1600x900) Super Clear Glare Type Screen
- Dead Pixel Policy: Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-720QM, 1.60-2.80GHz, (45nm, 6MB L3 cache) - Special!
- Thermal Compound: - IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
- Graphics Video Card: ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD5870 1024MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
- External Graphics Card: No External Graphics Card
- External Monitor Video Adapter: No Video Adapter
- Ram: ~ 4,096MB DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) (Requires 64-Bit to utilize Full 4GB)
- Exterior Finish: Standard Finish
- Optical Drive: ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- Primary Hard Drive: ~ 320GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache) - Default
- External Hard Drive (Back Up): No Back Up Hard Drive
- Floppy Drive: No Floppy Drive
- Memory Card Reader: Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Bluetooth: Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Wireless Network: Built-in 802.11 Wireless A/B/G/N - Stock Wireless Card
- Wireless Network Accessories: No Network Accessory
- Camera: Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- TV Tuner: No TV Tuner
- Sound Card: Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Case: Basic Black Business Case - Included
- Battery: 11.1V Smart Li-Polymer battery pack 3800mAh, 42.18Wh
- Car Adapter: No Car Adapter
- Spare AC Adapter: None Standard*
- Port Replicator / Dock / Adapters: No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- Fingerprint Reader: Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- Mouse / Keyboard Accessories: No External Keyboard or Mouse
- Notebook Cooler: No Notebook Cooler
- Operating System: ~Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- Microsoft Office Software (Medialess): No Office Software
- Software Bundle (Not Installed): No Software Bundle
- Warranty: 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime -24/7 DOMESTIC Based- Toll Free Telephone Tech Support (Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)
Includes FREE Shipping Both Ways for Warranty Repairs
- Xotic Gear: No Xotic PC Gear

For what I'm getting in RAM and HD Space, the deal isn't as good as the ASUS G73jh-A2, which has 1 TB HD and 8GB RAM and goes for $1,550 when in stock. But I'm not going for that since it has like a 50% hardware failure rate.

[Cortexian]

Looks good, I would of grabbed an i7-620M instead of the 720QM if given the choice however.

[Varmint260]

Lately, I've been thinking about getting a dedicated sound card. This RealTek onboard chipset is okay, but I'd prefer something that's GREAT or AWESOME. So, I have a few questions.

1.) Is EAX in supported games as exciting as they'd like people to believe?
2.) Would having a dedicated sound card improve my framerate in games?
3.) Are PCI (not PCI Express x1) sound cards fairly decent? My motherboard has one free PCI slot and one free PCI Express x1 slot but the PCI Express slot is covered up because my graphics card is dual-slot wide.
4.) What brands of sound cards are worth it? I've found great reviews on Sound Blaster Audigy series and Omega Striker sound cards, but I really don't know much.

I'll be using 5.1 analog outs for my Logitech X-540 system with the sound card, if that matters.

And purely for my curiosity but unlikely to factor into the above:
5.) Can HDMI be used solely for audio out while VGA or DVI is used for the display?

Thanks for any help!

[RedBaron]

Looks good, I would of grabbed an i7-620M instead of the 720QM if given the choice however.
The price difference between the 620QM and 720QM was only $20, so I decided to go with the quad core and the 2MB bigger cache. I hope to play BC2 on ultra with this thing, or close to it. Benchmarks with the 720QM and HD 5870 show I can just about squeeze an average of 31 fps. Hopefully the diamond cooling compound I added will keep everything, well, cool.

[Cortexian]

The main difference is that the i7-620M (not QM) has faster cores (2.66GHz) instead of more slower cores on the i7-720QM (1.6GHz). Unless you're going to be using lots of multi-threaded applications the fewer, faster cores will offer better results.

I know BFBC2 uses quad cores, so you may see better performance with the i7-720QM though it will probably be very similar. All your other non-multi-threaded applications will perform worse with the i7-720QM as opposed to the i7-620M.

Both are great processors though, and in day-to-day computing I doubt you'll run into performance issues.

[RedBaron]

Other than BC2, I'll also be running Dawn of War 2 and probably some CAD and photoshop down the road. So you're probably right, I'll be fine for the next few years or so.

O, and Starcraft 2 will apparently support quad cores too.

[Cortexian]

It didn't when I was playing the Beta... :S

[=sw=warlord]

So it look's like I'm going to be needing a over haul of my PC soon as the motherboard I currently have is only running on two cylinders so to speak.

Been looking at a few motherboards for under £100 and found this Asrock which seems pretty decent.
Anyone have any past experience with the newer Asrock boards at all?
I want to update my pc a bit but I do not want to go with Asus as the past three boards have killed themselves on me and Asus RMA service is absolute diabolical, the last board I sent to them for repairs got lost for SEVEN months in the Czech republic...
I seem to remember Asrock being a pretty solid board, was the make of the first board I ever had which was AMD at the time as well.
I plan on slowly upgrading over time so I think this board would give me a good head start.
click here; (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/219204)

[Cortexian]

Newegg, is there really anything else? Unless you have a local store that has prices similar to Newegg like I do, no shipping = win.

[bleach]

I've found video cards on eBay I want but I'm not sure if I should buy it. First, a XFX Radeon HD 5850 HD-585A-ZNFC with lifetime warranty - $260 starting bid price/$320 buy now (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270598878285&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT) and the other, a XFX Radeon HD 5870 XXX HD-587A-ZND9 with lifetime warranty - $305+ bid (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170505721745&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT). Should I go for either of them or is buying off of eBay a waste?
(I'm looking for where I can buy new reference XFX Radeon HD 5850s but at the moment I can't find any as I have called several stores.)

Also, if I wanted to sell another computer component such as my power supply, where should I sell it? And if I sold it for $50, is it an appealing price?

[=sw=warlord]

Newegg, is there really anything else? Unless you have a local store that has prices similar to Newegg like I do, no shipping = win.

Last i heard Newegg doesn't ship to UK.

[bleach]

Okay guys, I'm in a predicament need to choose something that will last 3 years:
1. Buy a non-reference XFX Radeon HD 5850 HD-585X-ZAFC from Amazon for $294.99 shipped with double lifetime warranty
2. Buy a used XFX Radeon HD 5850 HD-585A-ZNFC reference model from eBay for more than $280 shipped with lifetime warranty (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270598878285&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT)
3. Buy a used XFX Radeon HD 5870 HD-587A-ZND9 XXX Overclocked Model from eBay for more than $350 shipped with lifetime warranty (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170505721745&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT)
4. Buy a used XFX Radeon HD 5870 HD-587A-ZND9 XXX Overclocked Model from eBay for more than $320 shipped probably without lifetime warranty
5. <Insert Custom Suggestions>

[Cortexian]

Choice 2 is superior.

[bleach]

Is there any implication that I overclock in order to obtain HD5870 performance (as I most likely have to keep this video card for the next 3 years)?

[=sw=warlord]

Is there any implication that I overclock in order to obtain HD5870 performance (as I most likely have to keep this video card for the next 3 years)?

Overclocked parts tend to have a shorter life span due to increased temperatures, there is a serious risk of severely damaging the card if you overclock the card too hard as well.

[Cortexian]

And that's what after-market cooling solutions are for. Keep your temperatures below or on par with what the stock cooling did, except do it at faster speeds.

[=sw=warlord]

And that's what after-market cooling solutions are for. Keep your temperatures below or on par with what the stock cooling did, except do it at faster speeds.

Which is why i said about temperatures in the first place, increased speed still decreases life span even if you add a after market cooler.

[Cortexian]

No... My CPU runs cooler overclocked than it did at stock speeds with the stock fan, sure it's running faster but it's also running cooler. Lifespan will hardly be effected, at least it never has been in the last 3 PC's I've gone though.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

How is the 8800gts EVGA superclocked for physx usage?

I'm getting one really cheap and was wondering what I should expect.

[Cortexian]

Should work fine, PhysX in general doesn't boost performance a whole lot from what I've seen on my PC.

[bleach]

Freelancer, I guess the fact that the HD5850 consumes much less power than the HD5870, has a shorter length, and has greater overclock-ability combine together to make it something I should shoot for! Also anyone have any suggestions as to bidding increments and when to bid in order to increase chance of winning an auction?

[Cortexian]

It's eBay right? Just enter the amount you're most willing to pay and it will auto bid for you until that amount is reached. Near the end of the auction you should start watching it, and "Buy It Now" if you really want it and there are still active bids.

[bleach]

I'm guessing that it's best that I enter the bid now; so what price do you think should be the logical and most rational amount I should pay for the video card? It is priced at $260 + $15 shipping as set by the first bidder.

[=sw=warlord]

No... My CPU runs cooler overclocked than it did at stock speeds with the stock fan, sure it's running faster but it's also running cooler. Lifespan will hardly be effected, at least it never has been in the last 3 PC's I've gone though.
You're forgetting the increased usage throughout the entire circuit not just the core and RAM.
Also there is no "defined" lifespan, hell my old AGP ATI 9600PRO is still running in my parent's pc, my point is the more you overclock the system the more strain you will pull on the entire system not just the SMD packages.

[bleach]

But the HD5850 $280 will still be a better choice than an HD5870 $350 if I need to keep it as long as possible or should I choose the HD5870 instead? I mean I know that overclocking has its risks and it's just that I don't know how much strain I will put on my system because if I get the HD5850, I will overclock to match the HD5870 and if I get the HD5870, I might not because it's quite powerful without the OC but if I do, I will overclock within safe limits of the default software (I think it's Overdrive). The video card has to last up to 3 years but I don't play video games "like there's no tomorrow" as a habit.
So you guys still think I should go for the HD5850 or should I switch?

[=sw=warlord]

I personally would go for the HD5850, if you don't play games like it's going out the style then you don't really need to spend the extra $70 for an 5870.
That's just my personal opinion though no doubt freelancer will tell you to get the 5870 because it's faster it all comes down to bang for your buck and how much you're willing to spend.

[bleach]

Cool, thanks. I am now going to bid the HD5850 then.

Edit: If my first bid is outbid, I can also manually bid right?

What's a safe bid value for the card? (It says I have to enter $265 or more then I add on $15 shipping for final price).

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

I originally bought my pre-overclocked 5850 for 340$

[bleach]

From what company did you buy? The video cards from Sapphire Tech and XFX (Black Edition) that are clocked around 765 MHz core/1125 MHz memory used to cost that much. If there was a reference XFX Radeon HD 5850, I would have bought it but the thing is that in the HD5800 segment, the market is flooded with non-reference cards, which uses lower quality components compared to reference ones.

Also, how long do you plan to keep that video card?

UPDATE: Right now, my bid is placed at $280 at the moment and I'm the winning bidder (I guess the guy placed his bid at $275-$279). If I do win, the $295 better be worth it.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

I bought from XFX.

[bleach]

I should have bought a Black Edition HD 5850 when they were $336 on Amazon (free shipping + no tax) but seeing as to how the HD 5850 overclocks, any reference one overclocked to 765/1125 should be the better buy compared to a pre-overclocked one which is priced anywhere from $20 to $40 more.
The Radeon HD 5850 can handle games maxed at 1920 x 1080 while trailing the HD 5870 anywhere from 15 to 20(?)% right?

[Cortexian]

You're forgetting the increased usage throughout the entire circuit not just the core and RAM.
Also there is no "defined" lifespan, hell my old AGP ATI 9600PRO is still running in my parent's pc, my point is the more you overclock the system the more strain you will pull on the entire system not just the SMD packages.
The power consumption of this CPU overclocked is on par with a stock Q9650, I really doubt anything is going to die faster than it should with my current setup.


no doubt freelancer will tell you to get the 5870 because it's faster it all comes down to bang for your buck and how much you're willing to spend.
I thought I already recommended the 5850 in this thread? I meant to point out that it was a good card and he should pick it up. The last part of this statement is true though.


The Radeon HD 5850 can handle games maxed at 1920 x 1080 while trailing the HD 5870 anywhere from 15 to 20(?)% right?
A Mobile HD 5850 runs games at 1920x1080 just fine according to all the laptop reviews I've read about the card, the desktop version will be even better.

[=sw=warlord]

I really doubt anything is going to die faster than it should with my current setup.



I had to write a entire 10 page report at college during my engineering studies as to risks and rewards for overclocking IC's and one of the results of my research while doing said thesis was that the higher you clock the hardware past it's standard limit the shorter the potential lifespan.
A lot of manufacturers know the limits of their hardware but clock the products lower to gain a medium between silicon life and part performance.
this is due to Electromigration,This is a quote taken from my one of my sources from the report I had to do:
When the processor is run at a speed that is higher than it is supposed to be run at, there is a chance that the internal components in the processor may break down over time. The internal features of a CPU are sized in the range of microns. It is possible that when the processor is stressed by running at too high a frequency, along with the extra heat that overclocking incurs, that the actual metal lines inside the processor may form shorts or opens and damage the processor over a period of time. How likely this is to happen, and how long it takes is really not known. The system may work fine for a while and then suddenly stop working.
I hope that clears thing's up for you.

[Cortexian]

Like I said, it's running cooler than stock. Not sure I see how that applies.

[=sw=warlord]

Like I said, it's running cooler than stock. Not sure I see how that applies.

Because heat is not the only issue here.
Read the quote carefully;
It is possible that when the processor is stressed by running at too high a frequency, that the actual metal lines inside the processor may form shorts or opens and damage the processor over a period of time.
Heat is not the only issue here, the frequency also has a measurable effect on the circuits inside the IC.
Look up electro-migration before coming back and saying you still can't see the connection, it's a process that's been known for decades and for someone who think's of themselves as a computer enthusiast it's pretty bad that you haven't clue about it beforehand.

Sources;
here (http://www.csl.mete.metu.edu.tr/Electromigration/emig.htm)
Here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromigration)
here (http://www.siliconfareast.com/emig.htm)
And here (http://www.theo-phys.uni-essen.de/tp/forsch/krug.html)
Please, educate yourself.

[Cortexian]

I don't worry about that kind of thing, no one should unless they're doing some crazy overclocks doubling the processor speed or higher.

[=sw=warlord]

I don't worry about that kind of thing, no one should unless they're doing some crazy overclocks doubling the processor speed or higher.
Why exactly do you think the manufacturers limit their products to a particular speed freelancer?
Do you honestly believe that the manufacturers of these products don't see electro-migration as a possible threat to the lifespan of their produce?
Honestly I'm starting to think you're simply being ignorant for the point of being ignorance.
the circuits are in the nanometre scale meaning there is less structure material to withstand the damage caused by the process, how is that not hard to comprehend?
Do you seriously need me to point you to a direct time-lapse video showing it in visual form?

[Cortexian]

I understand completely, what you're failing to understand is that you're over-examining the situation. People have been overclocking for years, with sufficient cooling the degradation on the components is negligible to the point where you don't have to worry about it. Sure the components are suffering from increased wear on their circuits due to electro-migration but I have personally never read of that being a problem in common overclocking situations.

As I said, no one should worry about it unless they're trying to break records using LN2 and overclocking from, for example, 2.4GHz to 6GHz.

[bleach]

What if the GPU was overclocked only while gaming and immediately after, you turn it back to default?

[FRain]

Holy crap, warlord, chill out.
It's not like some weird sorcery we're talking here about overclocking. Yes, overclocking to any extent can be dangerous. Yes, you are at risk when you overclock. No, you won't have much issue as long as you have the situation controlled. There are so many variables that change the particular situation like, how intensive is this particular CPU, how fast are you running it, how fast are you overclocking it, how many cores does it have, what are you using to cool it, and the list goes on and on, and its not as simple as, you clock it too high, and in 3 seconds its busted. As long as you're methodical in your ways and you KNOW what risk you're taking and what you're taking to control that risk, you should be fine.

[bleach]

If I overclock, it's not going to be used for benchmarks or anything like that and I'm no where near thinking about breaking records or pushing it. I was just thinking about doing a moderate overclock on my Intel Core i5 750 to 3.2 GHz 24/7 and on my possible HD 5850 only for gaming (nothing above 900 MHz Core/1300 MHz Memory for the GPU, just enough to match or beat a HD 5870).

[=sw=warlord]

Holy crap, warlord, chill out.I'm perfectly "chill".
It's not like some weird sorcery we're talking here about overclocking.Did I ever say it was sorcery? No? then don't put word's in my mouth.
Yes, overclocking to any extent can be dangerous. Yes, you are at risk when you overclock. No, you won't have much issue as long as you have the situation controlled.Electro-migration is not something you can "control", it's a simple bit of physics, the guy asked what the risks to overclocking were, I told him the risks as learned from my studies from college which is alot more intimate than what you might find on a random modding website.
Believe it or not, I'm actually a qualified engineer in electronics engineering, both analogue and micro,I had to study this exact subject at college so I see no reason why I shouldn't be allowed to give a educated bit of information on a valid subject.
Honestly, It boggles the mind when someone jump's on me when I give some insight on a subject some people may not realise, so may I suggest you take your own advice Frain and "chill out".

[Cortexian]

Just to clarify, I completely understand your point warlord. I'm just saying that it's not something that overclockers generally need to worry about unless they're literally at the extreme edge of overclocking.

[bleach]

I won the auction.
So if I keep this video card for 2-3 years, should I crossfire HD 5850s in the future if prices ever drop below $150? Just wondering, would a Corsair HX 650 suffice for multi-GPU systems? And if you think I should just use one video card, please tell me before I buy a Corsair TX 650.

[Cortexian]

The Corsair HX series would suit you better if you're unsure about going multi-gpu. The HX series is modular so you won't need the extra cables in your case if you're only running a single GPU.

[bleach]

When I get a new power supply, should I install it with the fan up but the lettering upside down or install it with the fan down but lettering right-side up?
I would choose fan up but I just want to know which is better.

[Cortexian]

If your case mounts the PSU at the top, fan-down. If it's a bottom mount PSU case, fan-down if your PC has ventilation holes. If no venilation holes on the bottom for the PSU, make some and maount it this way anyways.

[FireScythe]

I'm planning a new build at the moment, but I don't do it very often so i'm a bit out of the loop and looking for opinions. I'm looking to do an AMD/ATI build since CrossFire seems a more economical option than SLI.

Current build:
Motherboard - ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe
CPU - AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+
Memory - 4GB Generic DDR
Graphics - BFG GeForce 9600 GT OC
PSU - CoolerMaster Real Power M1000 (1kW)

Planned build:
Motherboard - MSI 890FXA-GD70 (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/221880) £165.15 (~$250)
CPU - AMD Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHz (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002TQYUAE/ref=asc_df_B002TQYUAE704457?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=7974&creativeASIN=B002TQYUAE) £128.50 (~$195)
Memory - 4GB Corsair TwinX XMS3 Classic (http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductID=1244526) £120.97 (~$183)
Graphics - PowerColor HD 5830 PCS Edition (http://www.aria.co.uk/SuperSpecials/Other+products/PowerColor+ATI+Radeon+HD+5830+OC+1024MB+GDDR5+PCI-Express+Graphics+Card+?productId=40294) £164.49 (~$248)
PSU CoolerMaster Real Power M1000 (1kW)

[InnerGoat]

GTX460 is out restart recommending nvidia cards http://www.anandtech.com/show/3809/nvidias-geforce-gtx-460-the-200-king

Competes with the 5830 and usually outdoes it at the same price

[343guiltymc]

Is the 1GB worth it over the 768 MB version?

[InnerGoat]

I'd go for the 1GB version unless you're running a small LCD and have no plans to upgrade it

[Inferno]

After reading that thing about circuit degradation I was wondering. What would the lifespan of my I7 920 be if it's clocked at 3.6ghz? Is that too much or is it fine? This computer runs pretty much 24/7 and I have a bigass fan in there. (I think it was a cooler master?)

[Cortexian]

Years upon years unless you got a shitty lemon processor. There's really no way to measure it, and so long as you have adequate cooling it's not something you should have to worry about. It will probably last years past the next computer you build.

[Inferno]

Alright. My current plan is to keep this one for the next 4 to 6 years and upgrade it about 3 years from now.

[Cortexian]

I built this computer in 2006, upgraded the CPU from an E6600 to a Q6600 around 2007. CPU has been at 3.0Ghz or 3.1Ghz since installed with no signs of failure.

The E6600 has been at 3.0Ghz since 2006, still running strong in my dads PC.

[InnerGoat]

Something else will burn up before the CPU does. Always. :-3

[Cortexian]

Yea, I've seen motherboards die due to overclocking before processors. It's usually pretty extreme overclocking though

[bleach]

I just found out that I could pick up aLogitech G500 for a grand total of $43.49 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Logitech+-+G500+Laser+Gaming+Mouse+-+Black/Silver/9423527.p?skuId=9423527&productCategoryId=abcat0513002&id=1218102970726) at my local Best Buy. Which is worse: my keyboard or my mouse? Should I buy that new mouse (if yes, I'll guess it's worth the money)? even though I only have $200 at hand, the fate of my other PC is unknown and hopefully the hardware isn't damaged
http://img59.imageshack.us/i/img3412y.jpg/http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/266/img3412y.th.jpg (http://img59.imageshack.us/i/img3412y.jpg/)
http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/8038/img3413pn.th.jpg (http://img716.imageshack.us/i/img3413pn.jpg/)
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/5447/img3414q.th.jpg (http://img210.imageshack.us/i/img3414q.jpg/)

Also, I was notified that HP is having a sale on printers. I don't think it's something I absolutely need or I will die but let's just say I've had bad luck with other printers... Anyways, if you don't think HP's budget printers are any good please let me know your suggestions.
HP Deskjet F4480 All-in-One Scanner/Copier/Printer - $59.99 (http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/printer/all-in-one/1/storefronts/CB745A%2523B1H)
HP Photosmart C4680 All-in-One Printer - $59.99 (http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/printer/all-in-one/1/storefronts/Q8418A%2523ABA)
HP Photosmart C4780 All-in-One Printer - $79.99 (http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/printer/all-in-one/1/storefronts/Q8380A%2523ABA)

[Cortexian]

I'd get the mouse, a keyboard is a keyboard unless you want backlighting or something spiffy.

[bleach]

I'll assume that the Logitech G500 is bang for the buck killer deal at $43.49 total and pick it up at my local Best-Buy later. Good decision? Picked it up for the amount said.

Well, this mouse better last 3 years or more because I am not going to be able to buy any other peripherals for that amount of time!


http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/9027/img3418a.jpg
Using my generic Dell mouse pad under the G500 at the moment because my wrist is sweating so much on the wooden surface.

[Cortexian]

My MX-518 still mostly works after having a Bawls spilled directly on it two years ago at Fragapalooza. The right-click is just hard to click and sometimes slow to rebound back up. I had it for a couple years previous to that so I'm sure that mouse will last you years if you treat it decently.

[ThePlague]

I want to upgrade my computer, and there's so many things I should do to it, but right now I only want to spend around 100 dollars.(just got some late graduation money, want to keep some though) I recently bought a graphics card, which seemed to help a lot, but i'm not sure on what to buy next. A power supply, new mobo, or a processor. I use it for gaming, and right now the processor seems kinda bad for that, since it came with it.

[Yoko]

I only want to spend around 100 dollars

I use it for gaming
Save up your money if you can, I'd say a good $300-$350 would be better for upgrading if the purpose is gaming. PSU should be last to upgrade unless the stock PSU is horrendously bad (e.g. 4-500W and up should be good).

[ThePlague]

Well, thing is it's a 250W. And the processor is a AMD sempron LE-1200. The graphics card said it needed at least 400W to run.

[InnerGoat]

Save your money.

[Aerowyn]

I'm going to buy a new video card. It needs to be able to handle my TF2 habits. And if it's possible, I'm fucking sick of ATI cards. The card I currently have is an ATI Radeon x800 Series card. It's a big pile of dog crap.

So any suggestions for cards that would be better, and relatively inexpensive, are greatly appreciated.

[Cortexian]

x800 is AGP isn't it? If so there's not really anything worth upgrading to until you get a motherboard with PCI-E.

[343guiltymc]

The best AGP cards available right now are the 3850 and the 4670.

[Cortexian]

Which aren't worth upgrading to IMO.

[InnerGoat]

just postin this because what the fuck 50 dollars for a 9800gt (8800gt(gts240(wtf))) http://www.newegg.com/Special/ShellShocker.aspx?cm_sp=ShellShocker-_-14-125-288-_-07192010


anyways,

[343guiltymc]

Which CPUs would best for gaming? Athlon II X3s or Phenom II X2s? I'm to go for a cheap 100 dollar CPU.

[Cortexian]

Intel CPU's.

[ThePlague]

I'm looking to buy a CPU for this thing still, and right now I have 130. I'm not looking to save it up, and i'm looking for something better than the POS I have right now. Now i'm not willing to spend all the 130, but anything around the 100's would be nice. I have the gfx card to play games, the processor is what's bringing my build down.

[Terin]

It seems like there's nothing I can do, but I got a second 2GB stick of RAM for my computer, and it only recognizes 3326MB of it. I'm running 64bit Windows 7, and my motherboard says it supports 4GB of RAM. Anything I can do with this without getting a new motherboard? Does 4GB max mean 3.3GB max?

[CrAsHOvErRide]

post CPU-z information here of Mobo, RAM and Windows.

[Terin]

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/4674/cpuzd.png
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/9130/windowsqu.png

[CN3089]

4096 Megabytes is four gigs brosef

[Terin]

"3.25GB usable"

I'm trying to figure out why this is.

[CN3089]

your chipset probably uses 32 bit memory addresses. my goondolences :(

[CrAsHOvErRide]

First of all, you will never be able to use all 4GB because Windows reserves space (I can use 3,86GB for instance). There are a lot of factors why this could be the case: Have you looked inside your Bios for a x64 option?

3.25GB is more than enough btw. No application will ever use that much RAM unless dedicated.

[Amit]

3.25GB is more than enough btw. No application will ever use that much RAM unless dedicated.

No single application, that is. You'll always want a couple hundred megabytes free...just in case.

[Timo]

Thinking about upgrading my gfx card and cpu to something a bit more intense. Currently running an HD4850 512mb and an AMD X2 6000+. Motherboard can handle AM3 processors, but not DDR3 ram (currently on 4GB of 800MHz DDR2). Mainly so I can play BC2 at a decent level, what would you guys recommend if i'm wanting to be pretty cheap with this upgrade?

e:Was looking at maybe a 5770 and an AMD X4 955, or would there be something else that would be better at a similar price?

[Warsaw]

^ That's going to be hard to beat. The GTX460 beats it by around 10 frames, but it also costs around $200. For $200 you can get an HD5830, which dominates the GTX460. This generation of graphics races is pretty much neck and neck, one barely outdoing the other. ATI takes the final crown though with the 5970 and the ASUS 5870 X2.

I'm presently looking at a combo deal on Newegg that gets one an ASUS motherboard with a 790FX chipset (that means Crossfire but no USB3.0 or SATA 6Gb/s), an AMD Phenom II X4 965, and a Sapphire HD5770 1GB all for $394.99. After rebate, it's $359.97. Am thinking of grabbing it and some G.Skill RAM to overhaul this six year old beast. Anybody have better suggestions?

[343guiltymc]

How does the 5830 "dominate" the gtx 460? Most benchmarks I've seen of the two card's are pretty close.

[Warsaw]

Benchmarks I saw had the $200 5830 beating the 768MB GTX460 pretty easily, whereas the more expensive 1GB GTX460 closed the gap.

[Inferno]

I'm in love with my HD5850. That's what I would recommend to anyone.

[CrAsHOvErRide]

I am in love with my Phenom II X4.

[Warsaw]

I just bought a Phenom II X4 965, Sapphire HD5770 1GB, 2x2GB of DDR3 1333 RAM, an Antec 300 case, Logitech Illuminated keyboard, and this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157198) motherboard. Also had to get a new DVD drive because motherboard lacks IDE cables.

Total price before rebates: $628.89

After rebates: $571.89

:realsmug:

[343guiltymc]

How much for that antec 300 case? It's kind of old now, you could have gotten a CM elite 430 or something.

[Warsaw]

I like the look of the Antec 300 though. It was $60 before rebate, and $50 after. Also a $7 off promo code, so that makes it $43. What I really wanted was the AMD Edition Cooler Master HAF 932, but I can't justify dropping $150 on a case. That right there would get me a second H5770 for Crossfire.

[Timo]

CM's Sileo 500 is easily the best case out there.

[Warsaw]

Maybe, but it also costs 110USD. The Antec 300 is actually one of the best cases, if not the best case, for the $50 price point.

[Timo]

Yeah, the Antec 300 is pretty awesome, a lot of my mates have one.

Does the 5770 show a decent performance boost over the 4850? Looking at some benchmarking stats they don't seem to differ hugely.

[Warsaw]

Six frames with Bad Company 2 maxed out with no AA or AF at 1920x1200. Not enough of a difference for you to upgrade. However, two 5770s in Crossfire also more potent than two 4850s by the same number of frames, so it takes the cake in my book with its added DX11 support. What kills the performance of the single 5770 is the 128-bit bus, otherwise it would be about on par with a 4870 or 4890.

[Timo]

I'm just pretty limited on money is all. Might just upgrade the CPU for now and wait for GPU prices to drop.

[Warsaw]

Probably the best thing to do. The only reason I upgraded was because Dawn of War is a slideshow with more than two AI.

[paladin]

CM's Sileo 500 is easily the best case out there.

Coolmaster HAF (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3340/3292208812_3be21bb35c.jpg) is the best.

[Amit]

Coolmaster HAF (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3340/3292208812_3be21bb35c.jpg) is the best.

While I don't think it's the best case, nor even the best looking case, for the price I love my 922.

[Inferno]

I love my CM Storm case.
http://images.overclock.co.uk/product_images/main/coolermaster_cm_storm_scout_01.jpg

Mines blue though.

[Varmint260]

Alright folks, I need a bit of advice/suggestions. I just inherited a 4-year-old notebook computer from my Dad. It's a Toshiba Satellite A110.

Intel Celeron M 1.46GHz single core
512mb DDR2 533MHz
60GB hard drive
Radeon XPress 200M w/ 128mb shared (I know, YUCK!)
DVD multi burner
Windows XP Home Edition.

I'd like to know if it would be worth it to upgrade the RAM in this sucker and whether laptop RAM is manufacturer specific. What I mean is, can I buy a random DIMM of 1GB DDR2 533MHz notebook RAM and will it most likely fit? Would it be worth it to use this sucker for light gaming (Deus Ex, Starcraft, HL1, that sort of thing, suggestions welcome!) or should I use it solely for running my messenger programs while I'm gaming or watching movies on the desktop?

[ThePlague]

It's not really worth upgrading the RAM on that. You could do light light gaming, but anything else would be terrible quality.

[CrAsHOvErRide]

Install Windows 2000 and play old games or install Linux.

[Warsaw]

Do NOT install Windows 2000. Windows XP has better support for old games than Windows 2000. I speak from experience, since all the computers in my house have Windows 2000 on them except mine, which has XP and 7.

[=sw=warlord]

Alright, so for the past two months I've been fucked over by Asus in pretty much every way possible.
Back in July my motherboard decided to kick the bucket and took my video card with it, Asus have proved again they have one of the worst customer support services going.
Paid for a RMA which they spent just over a month doing jack shit and have now cut my 3 year warranty off and refused to repair my motherboard.
What I need right now is a motherboard which is NOT Asus, supports a Core2Duo E6750, four RAM slots supporting at least 8GB DDR2@1066 and supports PCI-E x16.
This is the bare essentials for what I need right now and I've been out of the loop ever since my motherboard destroyed everything.
The max I can afford right now is £120 and this board needs to last at least a year.
I don't particularly care about which brand as long as it is Not Asus.
Any suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated.

[CrAsHOvErRide]

Do NOT install Windows 2000. Windows XP has better support for old games than Windows 2000. I speak from experience, since all the computers in my house have Windows 2000 on them except mine, which has XP and 7.
I am talking about really old games. They don't run on XP.

I know what I am talking about. I would install 2000 also for reversing etc.


Alright, so for the past two months I've been fucked over by Asus in pretty much every way possible.
Back in July my motherboard decided to kick the bucket and took my video card with it, Asus have proved again they have one of the worst customer support services going.
Paid for a RMA which they spent just over a month doing jack shit and have now cut my 3 year warranty off and refused to repair my motherboard.
What I need right now is a motherboard which is NOT Asus, supports a Core2Duo E6750, four RAM slots supporting at least 8GB DDR2@1066 and supports PCI-E x16.
This is the bare essentials for what I need right now and I've been out of the loop ever since my motherboard destroyed everything.
The max I can afford right now is £120 and this board needs to last at least a year.
I don't particularly care about which brand as long as it is Not Asus.
Any suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated.

ASUS has good quality boards. I would check your PSU or you just had really bad luck.

[=sw=warlord]

CrAsHOvErRide;everything in my set up has been changed, psu cpu, ram and graphics card, each have had the same result with Asus boards.
Two years ago I had a Asus board die on me after the north bridge chipset started to fail on me, two of the four slots would cause blue screen errors and at one point stopped the computer from booting at all.
I sent it of for an RMA which Asus promptly lost in the czech republic for 8 months straight, by the end of it they refused to reply to any of my emails asking where my board was.

This year another Asus board died the same way this time instead of doing what should have been a routine RMA they spent 4 weeks plastering the box and board with out of warranty stickers and cut the warranty down from 3 years to one year so my board was no longer covered, not only that but I had actually paid for the RMA through one of their licensed dealers and even then they refused to repair the board.
When the board first started failing i contacted Asus tech support to find out about an RMA and here's what they had to say.

Dear Valued Customer,

Thank you for contacting ASUS Customer Service.

My name is Jany and it's my pleasure to help you with your problem.

If you just connect one memory to the A1 slot or the B1 slot separately, could the PC POST well?
If so we highly recommend you run only in the functioning set up unless it becomes absolutely necessary for an RMA.

Welcome to refer Troubleshooting & FAQ for ASUS products in ASUS website:
Troubleshooting - http://support.asus.com/troubleshooting/troubleshooting.aspx?
SLanguage=en-us
FAQ - http://support.asus.com/faq/faq.aspx?SLanguage=en-us

If you continue to experience issues in the future, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best Regards,

Jany

ASUS Customer Service
They may make decent boards but their customer service is absolute shite.


E: just heard back from XFX about the video card, their offering a discount for a new card if i send the old one.
I'm thinking this would be a good card, http://www.xfxsupport.co.uk/upgrade/product.asp?prdcode=HD-485X-ZDFC

[CrAsHOvErRide]

Well I never used any customer service so idk. If you think you should change brand then you should go ahead.

I cannot recommend anything because I have only used ASUS and MSI in the past...and I always preferred ASUS. So I guess only options are Gigabyte or MSI.

[Warsaw]

I am talking about really old games. They don't run on XP.

I know what I am talking about. I would install 2000 also for reversing etc.


Define "really old games".

I'm talking about playing shit like Wing Commander, Battlezone I, etc. Hard to get older than Wing Commander without yanking in Doom...which can run on XP.

[CrAsHOvErRide]

I was obviously talking games that don't run on XP because otherwise I would have recommended it. If you have an old laptop you can do something extraordinary and not install a slowass XP on 512MB.

[Warsaw]

You're dodging the question. I don't know any games that refuse to run on XP, and my experience with Windows 2000 is that it slows the machine down with its incessant disk checking and then it has issues running games designed for Windows 98 and older where Windows XP runs them fine.

[CrAsHOvErRide]

Dodging the question? Have you never heard of XP patches for games or DosBox? FYI they have the purpose that games run on XP which previously did not.

Settlers 2 for instance. I prefer running it on the old Kernel rather than installing a slow OS (given the RAM obviously, nothing wrong with XP) with an Emulator.

Settlers, Anno, Worms just to name a few.

[ThePlague]

I just came up with a little wishlist for a future (needed) upgrade for my PC:
Mobo (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157210) x1
RAM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104072) x1
PSU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171046) x1
I have a few questions though: Will these parts be compatible with my gfx card, cpu, and case? Those are the only things that I don't want to change right now. And, are the parts I selected good, or are there better alternatives? For say, a little higher price, but it'll make a big, and better, difference.

[Warsaw]

Dodging the question? Have you never heard of XP patches for games or DosBox? FYI they have the purpose that games run on XP which previously did not.

Settlers 2 for instance. I prefer running it on the old Kernel rather than installing a slow OS (given the RAM obviously, nothing wrong with XP) with an Emulator.

Settlers, Anno, Worms just to name a few.

I've heard of and used DOS Box. It's much easier to run a DOS game in DOS Box than it is to run it in the original kernel when you have a newer machine (his shitty laptop qualifies as a newer machine in this case) because you can slow down the CPU cycles for the app and it will emulate your hardware (most notably video and audio) to look like DOS/Windows 95 era hardware. I can run Wing Commander I-IV fine in DOS Box using Windows 2000 or Windows XP on any machine, but don't even get me started on having to fight with the computer to get it running using the integrated DOS kernel...and this isn't even a recent computer, this is an old Athlon K6-2 450MHz running, you guessed it, Windows 2000.

As for XP patches to old games, nope, never heard of them. I've needed patches to run a game in Windows 2000 properly (see Battlezone II), but never for XP.

Aside from all that, Windows XP is basically an extension of Windows 2000 anyways.

@ThePlague: what are your current specs?

[ThePlague]

From my profile (XFire actually):

Manufacturer: Compaq-Presario
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5200+ (2 CPUs), ~2.7GHz
Memory: 2048MB RAM
Hard Drive: 202 GB
Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 4600 Series
Monitor:
Sound Card: Speakers (High Definition Audio Device)
Speakers/Headphones: Antec Speakers+sub
Keyboard: USB Root Hub
Mouse: USB Root Hub
Mouse Surface: Black
Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
Motherboard:
Computer Case: Compaq Presario CQ5300F

[Warsaw]

Yes, those new components will work with your CPU and GPU. A bit strange to be pairing an nForce board with an ATi graphics card, but it will still work just fine.

[ThePlague]

I know nothing about mobo's, but that one seemed to have really good reviews. Why is it strange?

[Warsaw]

You typically buy an nForce if you want to do SLI. Unlike Intel with its X58 platform, AMD has no chipset that is capable of supporting both Crossfire and SLI; it's an either or situation. The other reason is simply because one prefers nVidia's built-in motherboard graphics to AMD's. I'm just OCD about matching my parts, as I believe it promotes smoother meshing of components. It's all in my head though, don't mind me. :p

Go ahead and get the board, there's nothing wrong with it. I myself built my new AM3 rig with an ASRock, and it's a superb motherboard. Nice features, solid performance, and good layout. Also fantastic onboard audio, USB3.0, and SATA 3. :aaaaa:

[ThePlague]

What about my other parts I listed? My biggest concern is the PSU, because my machine right now is running a 250 watt. Will the 460 last long? And I picked a Coolermaster because I know their products are good, or so I heard :)

[Warsaw]

Well, if you hope to upgrade to a much more potent graphics card later (think HD5770 or GTX460 and up), I suggest having at least 550 watts. If you are just buying these pieces to tide you over for something better, then get that 460.

Actually, now that I think about it, what is your goal here? If you seek to keep the CPU and GPU as is right now, and swap motherboards to allow more expansion, why aren't you getting an AM2+/AM3 board?

[ThePlague]

That never occurred to me either. Haha. I'll start looking for one now.

The main reason I picked that in the first place is because I forgot that my new CPU can fit an amd2+.

e: Found this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135233&cm_re=am2%2b%2fam3-_-13-135-233-_-Product), seems to be a good one.

[Warsaw]

I'd actually rather go with this one (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138140) if I were buying. Always look at the eggs to number of reviews ratio. Also, it has better features and I recognise the Biostar brand.

[ThePlague]

Yeah, but it seems a little high for what I was looking for.

I have a question though, will the RAM I have currently work with the board I chose, plus the RAM I want to get? Or is it not good to mix different types of RAM?

[343guiltymc]

What about my other parts I listed? My biggest concern is the PSU, because my machine right now is running a 250 watt. Will the 460 last long? And I picked a Coolermaster because I know their products are good, or so I heard :)
Assuming you want to upgrade to something better down the road, I don't think the coolermaster is adequate. That PSU can only deliver 460W max, it is closer to 400W continuous. In general, low end power supplies deliver lower power than they are advertised with. With PSUs, you really do pay for what you get.

[ThePlague]

Alright, what do you think I should get?

[Warsaw]

Yeah, but it seems a little high for what I was looking for.

I have a question though, will the RAM I have currently work with the board I chose, plus the RAM I want to get? Or is it not good to mix different types of RAM?

Well, you aren't going to get effective dual channel unless you set their frequencies and timings equal to eachother. Other than that, DDR2 fits in DDR2, so you're golden. If you can, posting up the specifics of what is in your computer will help.

[ThePlague]

From my profile (XFire actually):

Manufacturer: Compaq-Presario
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5200+ (2 CPUs), ~2.7GHz
Memory: 2048MB RAM
Hard Drive: 320 GB
Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 4600 Series
Monitor:
Sound Card: Speakers (High Definition Audio Device)
Speakers/Headphones: Antec Speakers+sub
Keyboard: USB Root Hub
Mouse: USB Root Hub
Mouse Surface: Black
Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
Motherboard:
Computer Case: Compaq Presario CQ5300F


Is that good enough? If not, you can check my Modacity page.

[Warsaw]

I meant more specific than "2 gigs DDR2". Like, what speed is it: DDR2 800? DDR2 667? What?

[ThePlague]

It says on the site 8500.

[Warsaw]

*headdesk*

I mean what's already IN your PC. You want to have sticks of RAM that are the same speed, and ideally you would just replace the RAM you have with a dual channel kit to get best results.

[ThePlague]

Here's exactly what it says on the RAM:
2GB 2Rx8 PC2 - 6400U
666 - 12 - E1

And it's by Kingston

[Warsaw]

That is most definitely not DDR2 8500 RAM. That's 6400. Find some DDR2 6400 RAM to go with it, with a timing starting off 6-12 to match.

Fake E: Or just replace the whole set completely. That's the easier route.

[ThePlague]

That is most definitely not DDR2 8500 RAM. That's 6400. Find some DDR2 6400 RAM to go with it, with a timing starting off 6-12 to match.

Fake E: Or just replace the whole set completely. That's the easier route.
Should I just get 2GB, or go for 2 of the 2GB? I think 2'll be enough, but i'm no pro at this.

Btw, thanks for all your help so far. I'd +rep you but, yeah.

[Warsaw]

Well, what do you want to do with it? If you're running a 32-bit OS and playing older games like Halo and Source-based games, then 2GB is fine. If you plan on Crysis and its sequel, or Far Cry 2, or what have you, you want 2x2GB. If you get just 2GB, I suggest getting a 2x1GB kit, since that will double your memory throughput (two sticks operating has more bandwidth than one).

[ThePlague]

What 1 GB sticks do you recommend?

[Warsaw]

The ones with the best and most reviews, naturally! (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231098)

Aside from that, it has timings of 5, which is good for DDR2 though if you want you can push it to 4. You won't see much performance increase.

[EagerYoungSpaceCadet]

I'm trying to find a good GPU so I could play newer games and found that some most/all GPUs need PCI 2.0 which my mobo lacks, yes I know that 2.0 cards are compatible with 1.0 slots and vice versa, but how big the performance drop will be? And which GPU should I buy? Budget: 200$, PSU: 450W if anyone needs to know.

[Cortexian]

The performance drop is almost immeasurable in games unless you're using SLI/Crossfire, even when using SLI and Crossfire the difference between PCI 1.0 and 2.0 is only a few FPS in most games. I run two GTX 285 1GB's in SLI on a PCI 1.0 board and don't have issues.

[EagerYoungSpaceCadet]

Thx Freelancer and welcome back!

[343guiltymc]

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817815007&nm_mc=OTC-Pr1c3canadaCA&cm_mmc=OTC-Pr1c3canadaCA-_-Power+Supplies-_-XIGMATEK-_-17815007
Is xigmatek a good brand? I need a cheap PSU, but all of them seems to be crap.

[Rook]

Posted on a tech forum and didn't get any good feedback so I'll try here. Looking to overclock my AMD 550 processor (basically this except mines an older black edition model (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103847)). By reading how-to tuts overclocking with the BE it should be easy with messing with the multiplier. The main thing I'd like to ask here is if anyone knew of a good cooler for $60 or less that's compatible with AM3.

[Warsaw]

Any cooler that worked on AM2 or Socket 939 also works on AM3; they haven't changed the form factor, just the pin arrangement on the socket proper.

That said, I recommend one of those Zalman fans, the ones that sit perpendicular to the CPU.

Like this one. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118019)

Have one on an old 939 Athlon 64 X2 3800+, works wonderfully.

[Cortexian]

I personally recommend:
http://www.amazon.com/Thermalright-TRUE-Black-120-Cooler/dp/B001ARY2T2/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1286972885&sr=1-6
+
2 x http://www.amazon.com/Thermalright-Ultra120-Series-Fan-holder/dp/B001Q939M0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1286972885&sr=1-4
+
2 x 120mm fans of your choice. Want quite fans, get em. Want loud performance fans, get those instead.

If you look around you can probably find it all for under $60, you don't need to get the Black model but try and get the latest revision of which ever Ultra 120 you find. Don't look at the Venomous X cooler, the tightening bolts will crack your motherboard.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So I finally got around to formatting my two separate 500GB drives that used to dual-boot Windows 7 and Windows Vista. Now they're combined into a RAID-0 array for increased performance and only running Windows 7, as I hadn't logged into the Vista installation in over a year...

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/7378/raid0hdtune.gif

And that's the result, has sped up my load times for Windows/Programs/Games by a recognizable amount. I'm sure it's not as fast as an SSD but it does make a difference! Could some of you grab the free version of HD Tune (http://www.hdtune.com/download.html) and bench your drives? These numbers are kinda useless to me without something to compare to...

[NullZero]

I don't know if you're looking for SSD benches or fellow RAID benches. Just benched mine however:

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/8949/101013hdbench.jpg

Random downward spikes probably due to me having quite a few programs running whilst doing the bench =[

[InnerGoat]

lol

http://innergoat.modacity.net/computer/HDTune_Benchmark_WDC_AC36400L.png

http://innergoat.modacity.net/computer/HDTune_Benchmark_WDC_WD3000GLFS-01F8U0.png

http://innergoat.modacity.net/computer/intel%2080gb%20x25-m%20g2%20graph.jpg

[Cortexian]

I think my HD Tune isn't recording my speeds properly, as I can move a file from one of my storage RAID's to my OS RAID at about 90-100 MB/s according to Windows... WTF.

[Rook]

http://bacon.modacity.net/img/images/hdtunesamsung.jpg
http://bacon.modacity.net/img/images/hdtunewd.jpg

[InnerGoat]

Those new Samsungs are quite an improvement over the old series


http://innergoat.modacity.net/computer/HDTune_Benchmark_SAMSUNG_HD501LJ.png

[Warsaw]

It gives you positive increase in CPU usage? wat.

[Cortexian]

What's the reason for the downward ARC on non-RAID systems again? I remember reading something about that at one point. Burst or sustained speeds are more consistent on RAID or something, is that right?

[InnerGoat]

Spinning disk... outer edge moving faster relative to the heads

Also AMD 6800 series reviews should pop up on Friday. They're midrange cards to replace the 5770 and 5750 lol.

[Amit]

Spinning disk... outer edge moving faster relative to the heads

Also AMD 6800 series reviews should pop up on Friday. They're midrange cards to replace the 5770 and 5750 lol.

6800 series replacing 5700 series? That doesn't sound right. Isn't it supposed to be the 6800 replacing the 5800 and 6700 replacing the 5700?

[NullZero]

6900 replaces 5800
6800 replaces 5700

[Warsaw]

That doesn't sound right because on their own chart, they had the 6700 series performing on par with the 5800 series. Something doesn't add up here.

[InnerGoat]

e: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showpost.php?p=4595123&postcount=32

nda is up go go go

[Cortexian]

I just realized, AMD has now come full circle with Nvidia's old build numbers. When I first got into PC building the Nvidia 6800 and ATI X800 GPU's were king.

[Warsaw]

So, the new HD6870 is on par with an HD5850, and the 6850 is slightly better than a 5770. As far as I'm concerned, this is a naming fail for AMD. Now a shitload of people are going to be confused. Having said that, the cards are excellent for the segments they target; nVidia's GTX460 and 470 have some serious competition now.

[Futzy]

I'm buying two of these for my laptop: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136567
Any reason I shouldn't?

[Cortexian]

I'm buying two of these for my laptop: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136567
Any reason I shouldn't?
Because these have infinitely better performance:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148591

[Amit]

Because these have infinitely better performance:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148591

LOL, one of those costs more than both of the ones he wants combined.

Those WD drives are solid from looking at the specs. It's short on reviews so it seems to be a new item?

[Warsaw]

Because these have infinitely better performance:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148591

What most people don't realise is that often a quality 5400 rpm laptop drive is just as fast as the 7200 rpm drives.

[Cortexian]

Except that those Momentus XT drives are SSD-HDD hybrids.

[Amit]

Why anybody would pay for an SSD at the current prices is completely beyond me. It just doesn't make sense to spend that much money. It'll drop in price eventually. 7200RPM drives do fine and if you can't wait that long, you should go learn some patience.

[Futzy]

Ya, I need it now and have $100 to spare. I'd rather have an extra tb than a minimally faster drive.
I'll get an SSD when they're practical.
e: May go with this 7200 with 750gb http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148599
Is the SSD actually worth losing out on 500gb?

[Cortexian]

I'd never buy an SSD right now either, the price is way to high. You guys need to research that Momentus XT a bit more before posting about it again.

I've found that 7200rpm drives in laptops give a hugely noticeable difference in general operation performance, my old laptop had a 5400rpm drive in it and it would take forever to copy files and such. The 7200rpm in my M15x is on par with my desktop.

[Amit]

I'd never buy an SSD right now either, the price is way to high. You guys need to research that Momentus XT a bit more before posting about it again.

I've found that 7200rpm drives in laptops give a hugely noticeable difference in general operation performance, my old laptop had a 5400rpm drive in it and it would take forever to copy files and such. The 7200rpm in my M15x is on par with my desktop.

I wasn't talking about the Momentus XT at all, I'm just saying that SSDs in general are not worth it. Same goes for that SSD-HDD hybrid.

[Cortexian]

Same goes for that SSD-HDD hybrid.
That's where you're wrong however. :downs:

[Futzy]

That's where you're wrong however. :downs:
Talked to a friend and he convinced me to get the hybrid. Arrives monday.

[Amit]

That's where you're wrong however. :downs:

I was merely basing my view off of what many of the reviewers on Newegg were saying. Not enough of a performance boost to justify the price jump, especially when the drive is relatively small.

[Futzy]

I was merely basing my view off of what many of the reviewers on Newegg were saying. Not enough of a performance boost to justify the price jump, especially when the drive is relatively small.
Whatever the case is, I was running a 160gb 5400 rpm drive before. This is going to make a big difference to me.

Anyone know anything about this? http://www.bootcooler.com/

[Warsaw]

Except that those Momentus XT drives are SSD-HDD hybrids.

Doesn't mean shit when you don't even have enough SSD to install the OS.

[Cortexian]

They don't show up as separate drives Warsaw. The drive places files that are used most often onto the SSD portion of the drive, mostly OS files. The drive works way better than it sounds, I was skeptical until I actually saw a friend install one in his laptop. Way faster boots and general operation than his previous 7200rpm drive.

[Futzy]

They don't show up as separate drives Warsaw. The drive places files that are used most often onto the SSD portion of the drive, mostly OS files. The drive works way better than it sounds, I was skeptical until I actually saw a friend install one in his laptop. Way faster boots and general operation than his previous 7200rpm drive.
Yep, reading up on how it works, its pretty much what most people would do with an SSD for the OS and a HDD for everything else, but it does all that for you automatically, with out the extra couple hundred dollars.

[Warsaw]

I don't honestly see the hubbub about faster boot times. So you save 20 seconds of your life from looking at a boot screen, whoop dee doo, what else were you going to do with those 20 seconds? I personally use it to go grab a drink or something. What I would want an SSD for is to reduce the god-awful load times in games like Half-Life 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Bioshock, and Battlefield. A hybrid just can't do that because its SSD portion doesn't have enough space to. Honestly, you would get the same effect as installing to RAM, using an SSD.

[Futzy]

Considering it was almost 5 minutes before I could even use any applications before, this is a great improvement. I can start using it in under 60 seconds now.
What the hybrid is good at is for opening and maintaining programs. It stores commonly used files in the ssd automatically and loads them from there when you need them. My commonly used programs do not require more than the alloted 4gb, and so paying the insane prices for an 80gb ssd AND a new hdd is not worth it to me.

[Warsaw]

Well I guess I'm strange then, because my most used programs are Chrome, Steam (which is over 70GB), and then whatever game I've been whoring recently. Out of those, only Chrome would fit. For one application, it's not worth it.

So like I said, it's basically an extension of your RAM and not storage. Might as well spend more money on your RAM then.

[Cortexian]

You could have 128GB's of the fastest RAM in the world and you'd still get a performance increase using a hybrid or SSD, since things still need to load from your storage drive to your RAM.

[Warsaw]

Not if you do what I said and just install straight to RAM, which has been done before. The hybrid is only going to give me a performance increase on the things that I don't care to have an increase on. It is just simply too small of a solid state capacity for games.

[ThePlague]

Well, christmas is coming up soon, and to me that means blowing money that I get on something I probably shouldn't. I've asked this question before about upgrading my PC, but I changed a few things up and wanted to know if these are good deals or not.
Mobo first (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157186)
PSU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171046)
Moar RAM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104072) (currently at 1x 2Gb stick.)

Worth the $125.97 (w/out shipping)?

And this is my current specs:

ATI Radeon HD 4650 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102843)
AMD Anthlon 64 X2 5200 (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4690900&CatId=2328)
Everything else stock on a Compaq Presario CQ5300F (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&safe=off&noj=1&q=compaq+cq5300f&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=3503496397432149311&ei=fuP1TP39CIT0tgPhldHDCw&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CC8Q8wIwAg#)

[Rook]

Just a question, if you're upgrading of all things the mobo already and other stuff, why didn't you build a computer to begin with?

[InnerGoat]

More ram is always a good buy, but yeah whats wrong with the current motherboard? You planning on overclocking on that new cheapo board? :raise:

[ThePlague]

Kind of, yeah. Last time I asked you guys about my motherboard, you said that it was bogging down my computer. With those parts, it should make it faster, right?

And @Rook: by buying these i'm pretty much building the computer from scratch. I just don't have the money to do it all at once, so I do it one piece at a time. I started with the graphics card, and then bought that CPU. I'm keeping the case, because it has a lot of room to upgrade, and I like the power button setup.

That board should leave me some room if I want to continue upgrading the CPU (which I do, eventually), and it seems to be a great deal.

[annihilation]

It should be enough to get by so long as you don't plan on doing any major OC'ing.

Also, you should have bought the motherboard first.

[ThePlague]

Didn't really think of it at the time, I was more focused on getting rid of having to use the terrible integrated graphics.

How much of a framerate boost should I see with this? Right now i'm running Borderlands at 1024x768, with ~23 FPS, and my resolution for my monitor maxes out at 1280x1024.
e2:
Well, reddit says it would be better for me to get this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125339) and this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182044), instead of that stuff. What do you guys think?

[Warsaw]

You would be better off snagging a 5770 or 4850 for around the same price point. Yes, they really are that much better. I have a 5770, my monitor maxes at 1280x1024, and it plays everything beautifully. Borderlands at 60fps with 4x AA and 4x AF, hello (Borderlands hates ATi, BTW. So I could theoretically go higher, but certain spots will not be happy). S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat runs maxed.

Srs. Get the 5770.

[ThePlague]

I can't really spend $150 on a card, I need to get a new PSU too. Right now i'm running on a 250W, and I want to be able to spend 150 for a card and a PSU.

[Caboos001]

Alright, so it's about time that I get myself set with a new computer. Like most other students I don't have the big bucks to spend on something top of the line so I'm willing to settle for a nice mid range rig. Now, of cores, I want to save every bit of cash that I can so I'm opting to build it myself. Unfortunately, having never built my own PC before, I don't know where to start in terms of parts to buy and where to find the best deal. (I imagine Newegg though) So this is where I turn to you fine tech guys to help me overcome my ignorance of all things related to building my own PC; though from what I've read so far, it sounds like their is nothing to it.

My budget is $1,500, I would like to keep it below that if possible but it's not the end of the world if I go over a tad. Idealy I'll be using this computer purely for gaming and video editing. Would love to be able to stay ahead of the curve in the gaming area if I can, primarily looking to play things such as Black Ops, Bad Company 2/Battlefield 3 (once released), WoW, Guild Wars 2, (oh and dat awsum Crysis game yo:haw:) at respectable settings/speeds. Of cores upgradability is a must but I imagine a custom built rig isn't exactly that restricting.

Spec wise I'm shooting for:
A 500Gig hard drive
4 gigs of ram (unless you advise more)
An Intel i7 950 (if possible with budget)
And that's as far as my limited knowledge of computers goes, the rest I entrust to you guys. :v:

[Warsaw]

$1500 is a massive budget for a "budget" computer. I built an entirely new tower and manged to throw in a keyboard for $640. Just scrounge your old DVD drive and hard drives to save a nice chunk of change.

-AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE
-ASRock G870 motherboard with Crossfire support
-HD5770
-Antec 300 case


As for your current build, well, nothing short of an HD5870 or GeForce GTX480 would do justice. Also, if you are getting an i7 950, you want 6GB of RAM to take advantage of the triple channel that the motherboard WILL have. Oh, and X58 motherboards ain't cheap either.

[Rook]

I can't really spend $150 on a card, I need to get a new PSU too. Right now i'm running on a 250W, and I want to be able to spend 150 for a card and a PSU.


Referring to this again: http://bacon.modacity.net/img/images/perfrel.gif

It'd be near damn pointless to waste $99 bucks on a card that barley performs better than what you already have (according to your modacity specs) save up and spend $50-$100 more to get something that would actually make a significant difference.

[ThePlague]

Well, since barely anyone posts here anymore I decided to take it to reddit the other day, and someone gave me the best option i've heard. So i'm getting this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171031) and this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148164), because my graphics card is fine for now, and it should run better with more power. That comes total to a little over $80, which is way better than what I had.

[annihilation]

You should spring for a GTS 250. You could find some really nice deals if you search around.

[InnerGoat]

amd's 6900 are out

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/productlist.php?groupid=701&catid=56&subid=1752

[Warsaw]

It has less Stream Processors than the 5870. wut.

[InnerGoat]

Deal with it.


http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/38899-amd-radeon-hd-6970-hd-6950-review.html

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4061/amds-radeon-hd-6970-radeon-hd-6950

[Warsaw]

Already read it. Very interesting how they've changed since the last generation. For those of you who don't want to read, the short version is that AMD has squeezed extra power out of its Shader Processors and improved tesellation at the expense of performance some slightly older games. Good news is that for the newest games and the most presently demanding games, it is as fast as or faster than the GTX570, but for older games it can get trumped by the 5870 in some instances.

[PlasbianX]

Question time! No GF for plas = lots of spare money. HOWEVER, im in the process of getting a new car.. so I only have a little bit of a budget here to work with. So here's my question. How will 'Tier 3' work with current games out now? Am I gonna be able to run current games at medium to high settings? If i go with Tier 3, i can basically get it within the next week:

http://www.hardware-revolution.com/budget-gaming-pc-q4-2010/

Now, if it wont get me medium to high settings, im willing to wait a while till i get the extra money for tier 6:
http://www.hardware-revolution.com/mainstream-gaming-pc/

How will that do me? Will I be able to get max settings with that on current games? I dun know shit about PCs by simply looking at the parts like that ><

[Warsaw]

Tier 3 is actually pretty damn good, and should do fine (it's essentially what I have) though I'd slap a 6870, 5870, or 6970 in there as opposed to that GTX 460 they recommend. If you want nVidia, get a GTX 470, 480, or GTX 570.

[Timo]

How up to date are you guys with PSUs? My current Corsair VX550 is only able to power my setup running my motherboard with 20 pins, apposed to 24. Everything still runs fine even under load and at high ambient temps. I'm wanting to upgrade because the fan is becoming damn noisy, and I don't like the idea of running a power supply at its max output.

My current setup:
AMD X4 955
4GB DDR2
HD4850 512MB
3 HDDs
1 CD Drive
2 Case Fans

I'm thinking about upgrading to a 5000 or 6000 series card and eventually DDR3 ram this year, does anyone have any recommendation for a silent power supply?

I was thinking about the Corsair HX650: http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=11077
It provides an extra 10A on the +5 and +12V rails, which in my extremely uneducated opinion seems like a decent upgrade.

[InnerGoat]

Your current PSU is fine for any card you upgrade to, excluding the dual-gpu cards of course.

:raise:

[Warsaw]

He wants a quieter PSU, not just a more powerful one. I would give advice but I'm not really qualified since I have never built a PC for quiet operation. I always have all of my fans running at 100% except for the GPU.

[InnerGoat]

The one he has now is quiet. If he's still using the stock AMD heat sink thats making all the noise ~

[Timo]

Nope. I'm using a Noctua heatsink and fan for my CPU, i've unplugged my case fans and turned my GPU fan down to 20% (and turned it up to 100, but it makes a different kind of hum) to see if that stops the noise, but the sound still persists :\

[Warsaw]

The one he has now is quiet. If he's still using the stock AMD heat sink thats making all the noise ~


Used to be quiet. Isn't any more.

From what I can tell, the high end PSUs are all within the "quiet" realm...comes with the price tag. Hell, even my HEC 580W is quiet and it's running full blast.