The transition team has drafted a new document of Guiding Principles and New Rules for our community. These rules will go into effect on November 25. 2024.
What is your total budget?
-$2000 to $2500 maybe can go to $3000 if I have to.
• What has to be included in that budget? Just an upgrade, just the computer itself or a computer with monitor, mouse and keyboard? Do you have parts from your old computer that you can use?
-Just the computer. If you can recommend a monitor that would be great but dont include it in the budget.
• Is this computer just for gaming and casual computer use or do you have other computationally intensive tasks in mind?
-Just gaming.
• What resolution to you plan on gaming at? Mostly this should be the native resolution of your monitor.
-The highest my TV 1080p can provide, eventually i'll be getting a monitor though.
• Do you feel the need for cutting edge performance in the most demanding games (*cough* Metro 2033) or is good performance in most games and "good enough" performance in the most demanding games? Any particular games or upcoming games you care about?
-I want my games to be high res and smooth, it doesnt have to be the best of the best but I want to play today's games at a high graphic level. I am mostly aiming at BF3, Skyrim, Crysis 1, Witcher 2 and FO:NV. I guess "good enough" would suit me just fine.
• Are you biased towards either ATI/NVidia or Intel/AMD?
- It doesnt matter, whatever you folks can recommend is the best option.
• How long do you want this computer to last, i.e. do you want to pay extra to try and "future proof" your computer so it won't have to be upgraded or replaced quite as soon?
-I would be interested in future proofing my PC depending on the expense.
•How important is being able to upgrade your computer at a later time?
-Very important, probably above all else I want to be able to upgrade my PC anytime.
the only item that "feels" pricy to me is the video card, but if it doesn't feel expensive when you slot it, you probably bought to low =P
Oh god, I wish I could go back in time to a point where a $190 felt pricey to me. I am not being sarcastic in the least. My wallet hates how comfortable I am with spending 2-3 times that on video cards.
It's really pretty bad how easy it is for me to pull the trigger on way more than that for hardware these days.
I am locked in a struggle to resist getting a new PSU and a second 6950 right now.
A struggle I think I will lose.
Dont do it, we need to be strong! I need to be strong....
What is your total budget?
-$2000 to $2500 maybe can go to $3000 if I have to.
• What has to be included in that budget? Just an upgrade, just the computer itself or a computer with monitor, mouse and keyboard? Do you have parts from your old computer that you can use?
-Just the computer. If you can recommend a monitor that would be great but dont include it in the budget.
• Is this computer just for gaming and casual computer use or do you have other computationally intensive tasks in mind?
-Just gaming.
• What resolution to you plan on gaming at? Mostly this should be the native resolution of your monitor.
-The highest my TV 1080p can provide, eventually i'll be getting a monitor though.
• Do you feel the need for cutting edge performance in the most demanding games (*cough* Metro 2033) or is good performance in most games and "good enough" performance in the most demanding games? Any particular games or upcoming games you care about?
-I want my games to be high res and smooth, it doesnt have to be the best of the best but I want to play today's games at a high graphic level. I am mostly aiming at BF3, Skyrim, Crysis 1, Witcher 2 and FO:NV. I guess "good enough" would suit me just fine.
• Are you biased towards either ATI/NVidia or Intel/AMD?
- It doesnt matter, whatever you folks can recommend is the best option.
• How long do you want this computer to last, i.e. do you want to pay extra to try and "future proof" your computer so it won't have to be upgraded or replaced quite as soon?
-I would be interested in future proofing my PC depending on the expense.
•How important is being able to upgrade your computer at a later time?
-Very important, probably above all else I want to be able to upgrade my PC anytime.
Dropping in to note that before you pull the trigger on whatever ridiculous parts list everyone posts, you can build a computer for $1,500 that will run everything at max at 60 FPS for a few years and use that extra money to upgrade when you start to fall behind. Spending MAXIMUM DOLLARZ on a PC instead of building something like an overclocked i5 + GTX 570 with 8 gigs of RAM and an SSD is sort of silly. Consoles have been holding back games for a few years, which means dumping money into something like an i7 or two GTX 590s, while doable with your budget, is going to net you, like, another few months of relevance at the very end of your hardware's life cycle, whereas saving $500 right now means you can grab a new processor/mobo/GFX card/etc whenever anything starts to slow down (which, frankly, is probably not going to happen until the next console generation, although DX11 might make it happen, in which case you'll be doubly happy you saved the dough and are able to pop a new GFX card in...)
So, yes. It's great that you have a high ceiling, but the voice of reason asks that you think about the best way to spend that money in terms of getting maximum game performance rather than in terms of enriching hardware manufacturers as much as possible. An i7 is worth basically nothing compared to an i5 if your goal is "just gaming."
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
Optical Drive, OS, and CPU Heatsink of your choice. For air cooling, go Prolimatech Megahalems, Thermalright Venomous X, or Noctua D14. For closed-loop cooling, go Corsair H100.
Yeah, buy that thing. As for a monitor, it sort of depends how big you want to go. I'd say 22" is minimum, and if you want extra vertical resolution look for 1920x1200 rather than 1080. If you want SUPER DUPER QUALITY get an IPS panel, some people can tell the difference, some can tell but don't care, and some can't. It's nice to drop by your local computer store just to look at some stuff before buying anything. Generally I'd just go with any Acer, ASUS, Sony, or HP monitor is on sale on Newegg with good reviews.
With the budget he's tossing around going for a quality 24"+ IPS display and the build alecthar is suggesting would be a pretty decent investment.
My monitor is hands down the single most expensive component of my setup and it's easily worth it.
Hell, go 27" IPS. He has the budget, and it'll outlast the computer. The monitor is the one part of your computer you spend 100% of your time looking at, so it's worth a splurge.
Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
Although I appreciated the responses given to my earlier question I didn't quite get the answer I needed.
I have Q6600 2.4. Is it worth it to upgrade my current card (275 GTX) to a 560 or 6950, or will the processor be a bottleneck for a game like BF3? If so would OCing it (reasonably) take care of that?
0
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
Although I appreciated the responses given to my earlier question I didn't quite get the answer I needed.
I have Q6600 2.4. Is it worth it to upgrade my current card (275 GTX) to a 560 or 6950, or will the processor be a bottleneck for a game like BF3? If so would OCing it (reasonably) take care of that?
How good is your motherboard for overclocking?
If you have a pretty good mobo, get a water cooler for the CPU, overclock it to something like 3.5 GHz and slap a GTX570 in it.
Although I appreciated the responses given to my earlier question I didn't quite get the answer I needed.
I have Q6600 2.4. Is it worth it to upgrade my current card (275 GTX) to a 560 or 6950, or will the processor be a bottleneck for a game like BF3? If so would OCing it (reasonably) take care of that?
How good is your motherboard for overclocking?
If you have a pretty good mobo, get a water cooler for the CPU, overclock it to something like 3.5 GHz and slap a GTX570 in it.
Mobo is a gigabyte. OCing seems fairly straight forward on it. Just never upped it much since I just had a stock cooling.
Although I appreciated the responses given to my earlier question I didn't quite get the answer I needed.
I have Q6600 2.4. Is it worth it to upgrade my current card (275 GTX) to a 560 or 6950, or will the processor be a bottleneck for a game like BF3? If so would OCing it (reasonably) take care of that?
How good is your motherboard for overclocking?
If you have a pretty good mobo, get a water cooler for the CPU, overclock it to something like 3.5 GHz and slap a GTX570 in it.
Mobo is a gigabyte. OCing seems fairly straight forward on it. Just never upped it much since I just had a stock cooling.
Optical Drive, OS, and CPU Heatsink of your choice. For air cooling, go Prolimatech Megahalems, Thermalright Venomous X, or Noctua D14. For closed-loop cooling, go Corsair H100.
Thanks for the quick response! I can't believe it got so low in price, this is great news. I got some ignorant questions though, what is closed-loop cooling and air cooling?
@TychoCelchuuu - Yea I hear what you are saying and I agree. If I can run games just as smooth with cheaper stuff that's always a nice option. I think i'll go with a 24" monitor, is there any reason to have two monitors if this PC is just for games(not movies, net stuff etc...)?
Optical Drive, OS, and CPU Heatsink of your choice. For air cooling, go Prolimatech Megahalems, Thermalright Venomous X, or Noctua D14. For closed-loop cooling, go Corsair H100.
Thanks for the quick response! I can't believe it got so low in price, this is great news. I got some ignorant questions though, what is closed-loop cooling and air cooling?
@TychoCelchuuu - Yea I hear what you are saying and I agree. If I can run games just as smooth with cheaper stuff that's always a nice option. I think i'll go with a 24" monitor, is there any reason to have two monitors if this PC is just for games(not movies, net stuff etc...)?
Air cooling is like what normally comes with a CPU. A heatsink and a fan. You can get better air cooling than stock, of course. Bigger fans, better heatsinks, etc. Closed loop ('water') cooling has a heatsink with liquid in a closed loop attached to it and a radiator with a fan. Closed loop is fancier/more effective, but not needed unless you really want to overclock a lot (or just happen to need it to keep temperature down for whatever reason, but that shouldn't be the case).
Optical Drive, OS, and CPU Heatsink of your choice. For air cooling, go Prolimatech Megahalems, Thermalright Venomous X, or Noctua D14. For closed-loop cooling, go Corsair H100.
Thanks for the quick response! I can't believe it got so low in price, this is great news. I got some ignorant questions though, what is closed-loop cooling and air cooling?
@TychoCelchuuu - Yea I hear what you are saying and I agree. If I can run games just as smooth with cheaper stuff that's always a nice option. I think i'll go with a 24" monitor, is there any reason to have two monitors if this PC is just for games(not movies, net stuff etc...)?
Closed loop is an easy plug-and-play water cooling solution. I'm not a big fan, but some people really like them. Air cooling is the traditional slab of metal with a fan.
Also, I'd seriously consider getting two of those video cards for an SLI setup since you have the budget and you want to play at 1900x1200.
Although I appreciated the responses given to my earlier question I didn't quite get the answer I needed.
I have Q6600 2.4. Is it worth it to upgrade my current card (275 GTX) to a 560 or 6950, or will the processor be a bottleneck for a game like BF3? If so would OCing it (reasonably) take care of that?
How good is your motherboard for overclocking?
If you have a pretty good mobo, get a water cooler for the CPU, overclock it to something like 3.5 GHz and slap a GTX570 in it.
Mobo is a gigabyte. OCing seems fairly straight forward on it. Just never upped it much since I just had a stock cooling.
Optical Drive, OS, and CPU Heatsink of your choice. For air cooling, go Prolimatech Megahalems, Thermalright Venomous X, or Noctua D14. For closed-loop cooling, go Corsair H100.
Thanks for the quick response! I can't believe it got so low in price, this is great news. I got some ignorant questions though, what is closed-loop cooling and air cooling?
@TychoCelchuuu - Yea I hear what you are saying and I agree. If I can run games just as smooth with cheaper stuff that's always a nice option. I think i'll go with a 24" monitor, is there any reason to have two monitors if this PC is just for games(not movies, net stuff etc...)?
For gaming, it's not worth it to have more than one monitor. There are like, 4 games total that can use dual monitors in any setup other than "just expand my field of view," and for "just expand my field of view" plenty of games don't work with that, either, and even if they do you'll need three monitors unless you want a black line down the middle of your screen.
Yeah, if you have a second physical x16 slot that runs at x4, I don't think you'll notice any lowered performance vs. x8/x8 Crossfire.
I know this isn't something I've said in the past, recent benchmarks and research efforts by others that I've read have found that the performance detriment is often very minor, which has caused me to re-evaluate some of my recommendations. For those purchasing new builds, the x8/x8 boards in the OP/Blog are still the recommended boards if you want the possibility of running multiple GPUs. Good x8/x8 boards are common and there are very solid value boards, so I don't see any reason to change what I'm recommending to someone buying a new motherboard for a new system.
However, if you already have a motherboard with a x16/x4 PCI-E slot setup and you'd like to upgrade to a Crossfire setup, you should be comfortable doing so provided you're not talking about 6990s. Keep in mind that SLI is only found on boards with x8/x8 setups or better, so those wishing to use multiple nVidia GPUs might be stuck depending on their current board.
Is this something that's changed very recently. Because this PCIe scaling article on Tom's suggests otherwise.
Hello, PC Build thread! I'm a longtime computer user who knows nothing of the mystical workings of the guts of my computer. I've been trying to put something together for about a year now, but financial pressures blah blah blah. I've tried to do my research and I think this stuff all fits together and will create a kickass machine that'll keep me going at least till graduation. I play a lot of starcraft and I'm hoping to start streaming once I have a computer that doesn't stutter when there're more than 30 units on the screen I have a friend who's confident that everything is looking good but I figured I'd be foolish not to ask around so here goes!
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz
Motherboard: Gigabyte P67 UD4
Memory: CORSAIR 8GB (2 x 4GB)
Hard Drive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Optical Drive: ??? I can't seem to find anything about this, I'm pretty sure I'll just find something cheap with solid reviews if it's not important.
Graphics Card: GTX 560 Ti
Sound Card: Realtek ALC889 (8 Channel) (Integrated with the Motherboard)
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146067
PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212
The only thing I'm still looking at is monitors (I'm hoping to use two), but it looks like it isn't too dependent on anything else so I'll probably give it some time before making a decision. Everything comes out to about $800, and if it's money well-spent I'm super excited. If I'm being a dunce with any of these decisions, however, I'd appreciate any advice you guys can give!
I can't find anything wrong with that build. Those all look like solid choices to me. I've been wondering how nice that case actually it. It certainly looks futuristic-cool. Maybe a little bold for my taste, but neat looking regardless. You'll have to report back on it.
Oh, and yes. Go with the cheapest sub-$20 optical drive you can find in a bin at your local computer shop.
And just so you know, it may not be the best available option out there, but this mouse would look pretty sweet sitting next to that case.
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proyebatGARY WAS HEREASH IS A LOSERRegistered Userregular
@TheCanMan: that article listed the average drop in FPS to be 10%, but that effect sounds like the difference between someone's SLI/Crossfire setup getting nearly double the FPS, or actually doubling their FPS from a single card setup. Personally I wouldn't mind the difference.
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
Yeah, if you have a second physical x16 slot that runs at x4, I don't think you'll notice any lowered performance vs. x8/x8 Crossfire.
I know this isn't something I've said in the past, recent benchmarks and research efforts by others that I've read have found that the performance detriment is often very minor, which has caused me to re-evaluate some of my recommendations. For those purchasing new builds, the x8/x8 boards in the OP/Blog are still the recommended boards if you want the possibility of running multiple GPUs. Good x8/x8 boards are common and there are very solid value boards, so I don't see any reason to change what I'm recommending to someone buying a new motherboard for a new system.
However, if you already have a motherboard with a x16/x4 PCI-E slot setup and you'd like to upgrade to a Crossfire setup, you should be comfortable doing so provided you're not talking about 6990s. Keep in mind that SLI is only found on boards with x8/x8 setups or better, so those wishing to use multiple nVidia GPUs might be stuck depending on their current board.
Is this something that's changed very recently. Because this PCIe scaling article on Tom's suggests otherwise.
6850s vs. 6950s are a different situation. The fewer pixels the card pushes, the less a lack of available bandwidth will impact performance. And even with the 6950s, you mostly see some pretty impressive results compared to x8/x8. Only in F1 are the results really different, and that's likely a quirk of the way the game utilizes the GPUs.
I'm not saying x4 slots are ideal solutions, but people on the lookout for performance increases with budget friendly cards like the 6850 should keep it in mind, especially if it saves them from having to buy a new motherboard. But like I also said, it's not something I'm recommending for someone looking for a new motherboard for multi-GPUs.
I've also got some other reading and benches from different sources that I'll try to track down. My Google-fu is failing me on this one.
So the p8p67 pro revision 3.1 is cheaper than revision 3.0. Is there any reason why everyone likes 3.0? They look identical(ish)
It apparently uses a different USB 3.0 controller (some company Ive never heard of, but Im not really that familiar with these things, as opposed to NEC). I doubt itll be an issue. How much would you save?
Hi PA, I need a new computer but am a bit lacking when it comes to which hardware to use. I've pieced together
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition
Operating System: No Operating System - I will install my own
Motherboard: Gigabyte M68MT-S2P
Included
Memory: 4GB DDR3 1333mhz (2x 2GB)
Included
Hard Drives: NEW! 500GB S-ATAIII 6.0Gb/s
Included
Optical Drive: 22x DVD±RW DL S-ATA
Included
Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti 1GB
Included
Sound card: Onboard 7.1 Audio
Included
Case: Xigmatek Asgard
Included
PSU: 400W Xigmatek
Included
Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Warranty
Total: £348
this list which seems fine and is within my £400 budget, I just need to know if this system would have any notable shortcomings(I don't care about super-top-end gaming, but being able to play games released this year would be nice) or if there are any serious compatibility issues that would cause problems for me.
Hi PA, I need a new computer but am a bit lacking when it comes to which hardware to use. I've pieced together
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition
Operating System: No Operating System - I will install my own
Motherboard: Gigabyte M68MT-S2P
Included
Memory: 4GB DDR3 1333mhz (2x 2GB)
Included
Hard Drives: NEW! 500GB S-ATAIII 6.0Gb/s
Included
Optical Drive: 22x DVD±RW DL S-ATA
Included
Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti 1GB
Included
Sound card: Onboard 7.1 Audio
Included
Case: Xigmatek Asgard
Included
PSU: 400W Xigmatek
Included
Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Warranty
Total: £348
this list which seems fine and is within my £400 budget, I just need to know if this system would have any notable shortcomings(I don't care about super-top-end gaming, but being able to play games released this year would be nice) or if there are any serious compatibility issues that would cause problems for me.
Many thanks.
Anyone?
If you can put together an i3-2100 / Socket 1155 mobo for a similar price, you should do it. And without knowing more about that PSU (like the specific model) it's hard to give a recommendation on it.
Id go for the 3.1 then. I really doubt there will be much of a difference and, while I honestly dont know, $20 is $20.
I'm trying to wait. There are really no more game releases for pc until BF3 (that i want anyways). It is taking a lot more willpower than I thought to not buy parts lol. I actually ordered the the motherboard and cpu off of amazon (i can easily afford it), but 3 minutes later cancelled the shipment.
Id go for the 3.1 then. I really doubt there will be much of a difference and, while I honestly dont know, $20 is $20.
I'm trying to wait. There are really no more game releases for pc until BF3 (that i want anyways). It is taking a lot more willpower than I thought to not buy parts lol. I actually ordered the the motherboard and cpu off of amazon (i can easily afford it), but 3 minutes later cancelled the shipment.
Why must I like fancy computer builds
Oh yeah, if thats the case just wait it out. Play with legos or something. No wait, that can be incredibly expensive too. Procrasterbate. Thats free right?
Do cases generally come with no documentation what-so-ever? Took me about 10 minutes to figure out how to take the front off the HAF 912...
Anyways.
What the fuck am I doing?
The case came with these two things attached, and the don't come off from just twisting with my fingers . I assume they are supposed to be there?
It also came with a bunch more of those things, but they are slightly different, as hopefully these pictures convey.
Should I screw in the rest of these copper looking post-screw-thingys into the other holes for my micro-atx motherboard?
0
AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
Yeah, most cases come with little to no documentation. You'll want 6 of those motherboard standoffs, an they'll go in the holes that correspond with Micro-ATX motherboard mounting.
I'd install your processor, heatsink and RAM before placing the motherboard in. Also, make sure to pop the rear I/O Shield in.
minor incidentexpert in a dying field---Registered User, Transition Teamregular
edited September 2011
There should be a bunch of holes to screw them into. One set for mATX boards, and another set (making a larger perimeter) for regular ATX boards. Screw in the standoffs into the holes that match up with your board, then lay your board on top of them, and put screws through the holes in the board, into each of these standoffs. In your photo, there should be ones screwed into holes "A" and "D" in addition to the two already in place. Plus about 2 or 3 more further down.
They're there to elevate the board from the case.
minor incident on
Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
I assume CPU_FAN if for the hyper 212+ and the CHA_FAN1 and CHA_FAN2 are going to be used by the fans that came on the front and back of my case?
The cords labeled Power LED+, Power LED-, and HDD LED - If I don't plug them into anything that just means my computer wont try to keep me awake at night with its fucking annoying led lights, right? I think I can figure out when my computer is turned on without needing a light to tell me.
Also, the wires from the front case fan don't actually reach to the connector on the motherboard, so I guess I might pull it off and put it on
1) a 2nd fan on the hyper 212+
2) move it to the top of the case
3) move it to the side intake on the case.
Recommendations?
Edit: Or I could plug it into the connector on the MoBo labeled PWR_FAN?
Posts
-$2000 to $2500 maybe can go to $3000 if I have to.
• What has to be included in that budget? Just an upgrade, just the computer itself or a computer with monitor, mouse and keyboard? Do you have parts from your old computer that you can use?
-Just the computer. If you can recommend a monitor that would be great but dont include it in the budget.
• Is this computer just for gaming and casual computer use or do you have other computationally intensive tasks in mind?
-Just gaming.
• What resolution to you plan on gaming at? Mostly this should be the native resolution of your monitor.
-The highest my TV 1080p can provide, eventually i'll be getting a monitor though.
• Do you feel the need for cutting edge performance in the most demanding games (*cough* Metro 2033) or is good performance in most games and "good enough" performance in the most demanding games? Any particular games or upcoming games you care about?
-I want my games to be high res and smooth, it doesnt have to be the best of the best but I want to play today's games at a high graphic level. I am mostly aiming at BF3, Skyrim, Crysis 1, Witcher 2 and FO:NV. I guess "good enough" would suit me just fine.
• Are you biased towards either ATI/NVidia or Intel/AMD?
- It doesnt matter, whatever you folks can recommend is the best option.
• How long do you want this computer to last, i.e. do you want to pay extra to try and "future proof" your computer so it won't have to be upgraded or replaced quite as soon?
-I would be interested in future proofing my PC depending on the expense.
•How important is being able to upgrade your computer at a later time?
-Very important, probably above all else I want to be able to upgrade my PC anytime.
Side note: I would like to use http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225&cm_re=coolermaster_HAF-_-11-119-225-_-Product , unless recommended otherwise. Thanks a lot for reading this folks and this would be the first computer I will attempt to build.
650W PSU.
Battle.net
Dont do it, we need to be strong! I need to be strong....
So, yes. It's great that you have a high ceiling, but the voice of reason asks that you think about the best way to spend that money in terms of getting maximum game performance rather than in terms of enriching hardware manufacturers as much as possible. An i7 is worth basically nothing compared to an i5 if your goal is "just gaming."
SSD : Corsair Force GT 120GB
HDD : Samsung Spinpoint F3 1GB
Video Card: MSI 560 Ti Hawk
Memory: 8GB (2x4GB) Corsair DDR3
Case: Cooler Master HAF X
PSU: Kingwin Lazer Gold 700W
Total including shipping: $1320.55
Optical Drive, OS, and CPU Heatsink of your choice. For air cooling, go Prolimatech Megahalems, Thermalright Venomous X, or Noctua D14. For closed-loop cooling, go Corsair H100.
Battle.net
My monitor is hands down the single most expensive component of my setup and it's easily worth it.
Hell, go 27" IPS. He has the budget, and it'll outlast the computer. The monitor is the one part of your computer you spend 100% of your time looking at, so it's worth a splurge.
And it is so so so worth it if your budget stretches to it.
My 24" IPS has been tamed by my dual 6950s. The only reasonable next step is MORE INCHES, MORE PIXELS.
I have Q6600 2.4. Is it worth it to upgrade my current card (275 GTX) to a 560 or 6950, or will the processor be a bottleneck for a game like BF3? If so would OCing it (reasonably) take care of that?
How good is your motherboard for overclocking?
If you have a pretty good mobo, get a water cooler for the CPU, overclock it to something like 3.5 GHz and slap a GTX570 in it.
Mobo is a gigabyte. OCing seems fairly straight forward on it. Just never upped it much since I just had a stock cooling.
Would something like this do it, or would I need to spend more cash? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181010
I bought the H70 for that price, so Id say you could definitely do better at that price point. Heres the H60 for less.
Thanks for the quick response! I can't believe it got so low in price, this is great news. I got some ignorant questions though, what is closed-loop cooling and air cooling?
@TychoCelchuuu - Yea I hear what you are saying and I agree. If I can run games just as smooth with cheaper stuff that's always a nice option. I think i'll go with a 24" monitor, is there any reason to have two monitors if this PC is just for games(not movies, net stuff etc...)?
Air cooling is like what normally comes with a CPU. A heatsink and a fan. You can get better air cooling than stock, of course. Bigger fans, better heatsinks, etc. Closed loop ('water') cooling has a heatsink with liquid in a closed loop attached to it and a radiator with a fan. Closed loop is fancier/more effective, but not needed unless you really want to overclock a lot (or just happen to need it to keep temperature down for whatever reason, but that shouldn't be the case).
Closed loop is an easy plug-and-play water cooling solution. I'm not a big fan, but some people really like them. Air cooling is the traditional slab of metal with a fan.
Also, I'd seriously consider getting two of those video cards for an SLI setup since you have the budget and you want to play at 1900x1200.
Is this something that's changed very recently. Because this PCIe scaling article on Tom's suggests otherwise.
And just so you know, it may not be the best available option out there, but this mouse would look pretty sweet sitting next to that case.
6850s vs. 6950s are a different situation. The fewer pixels the card pushes, the less a lack of available bandwidth will impact performance. And even with the 6950s, you mostly see some pretty impressive results compared to x8/x8. Only in F1 are the results really different, and that's likely a quirk of the way the game utilizes the GPUs.
I'm not saying x4 slots are ideal solutions, but people on the lookout for performance increases with budget friendly cards like the 6850 should keep it in mind, especially if it saves them from having to buy a new motherboard. But like I also said, it's not something I'm recommending for someone looking for a new motherboard for multi-GPUs.
I've also got some other reading and benches from different sources that I'll try to track down. My Google-fu is failing me on this one.
Battle.net
It apparently uses a different USB 3.0 controller (some company Ive never heard of, but Im not really that familiar with these things, as opposed to NEC). I doubt itll be an issue. How much would you save?
Anyone?
If you can put together an i3-2100 / Socket 1155 mobo for a similar price, you should do it. And without knowing more about that PSU (like the specific model) it's hard to give a recommendation on it.
I'm trying to wait. There are really no more game releases for pc until BF3 (that i want anyways). It is taking a lot more willpower than I thought to not buy parts lol. I actually ordered the the motherboard and cpu off of amazon (i can easily afford it), but 3 minutes later cancelled the shipment.
Why must I like fancy computer builds
Oh yeah, if thats the case just wait it out. Play with legos or something. No wait, that can be incredibly expensive too. Procrasterbate. Thats free right?
Anyways.
What the fuck am I doing?
The case came with these two things attached, and the don't come off from just twisting with my fingers . I assume they are supposed to be there?
It also came with a bunch more of those things, but they are slightly different, as hopefully these pictures convey.
Should I screw in the rest of these copper looking post-screw-thingys into the other holes for my micro-atx motherboard?
I'd install your processor, heatsink and RAM before placing the motherboard in. Also, make sure to pop the rear I/O Shield in.
Battle.net
They're there to elevate the board from the case.
I assume CPU_FAN if for the hyper 212+ and the CHA_FAN1 and CHA_FAN2 are going to be used by the fans that came on the front and back of my case?
The cords labeled Power LED+, Power LED-, and HDD LED - If I don't plug them into anything that just means my computer wont try to keep me awake at night with its fucking annoying led lights, right? I think I can figure out when my computer is turned on without needing a light to tell me.
1) a 2nd fan on the hyper 212+
2) move it to the top of the case
3) move it to the side intake on the case.
Recommendations?
Edit: Or I could plug it into the connector on the MoBo labeled PWR_FAN?