So I'm finally finishing the build I put together last year, replacing my carryover super tiny hard drive with a 1TB beast and a 128GB SSD. And now I'm realizing, for being relatively tech adept...
I've never installed a secondary hard drive, or completely cloned one to a brand new drive. Oops. I'm at a loss. Is primary/slave an issue outside of BIOS, considering I'm using Sata? Is there a good way to just get my OS over to the SSD while keeping everything else on the larger drives? And should the fact that I'll likely be throwing Windows 8 on this thing in a month or so affect how I shift all my data about?
Lotta questions, sorry, but I am stunningly ignorant on this considering the number of fresh builds I've assembled. Thanks!
I dont think master/slave is even a thing (although boot order is, but thats set up in the bios and has no relation to how things are plugged in). Assuming youre using the SSD as a boot drive (if youre not, you should), its better to just install Windows on it as opposed to cloning your previous install onto it. You can go through regedit and make the changes necessary to get Windows to treat your SSD like an SSD, but Im not sure how you would go about (but Im sure you can find instructions via Google).
Id also recommend installing most of your games on the 1TB and using Steam Mover to move your games around (its called Steam Mover, but you can basically move anything; Ive used it to move Steam games and non-Steam games).
So, slickdeals apparently has some super-awesome listings for SSD's. I guess I should finally jump on this bandwagon.
How the hell do I know which ones are good or terrible? The only word I really know is "Sandforce" and I'm not sure if those are good or bad now. Moreover, my usual sites (Tomshardware and Anandtech) don't really seem to address my main concern: reliability. I'm not as worried about performance between SSD's, since they're all going to be a huge boost over my Sata2 magnetic drive.
You don't really know which ones are bad until they fail on you :P
My Crucial M4 is going strong. I hear good things about OCZ and Samsung too.
Just get one that's slightly (but not too much) cheaper than the others and that has enough space for you.
For reference I have a 128GB SSD for my Windows and non-game applications and it's only almost half full right now. I've had it since February I think.
From my understanding, the biggest factor to look for other than failure rates is speed with which they release firmware updates. With Sandforce this became especially important, because there were some major problems ironed out in the controller, and you wouldn't benefit from them until your manufacturer released a firmware update.
I dont think master/slave is even a thing (although boot order is, but thats set up in the bios and has no relation to how things are plugged in). Assuming youre using the SSD as a boot drive (if youre not, you should), its better to just install Windows on it as opposed to cloning your previous install onto it. You can go through regedit and make the changes necessary to get Windows to treat your SSD like an SSD, but Im not sure how you would go about (but Im sure you can find instructions via Google).
Id also recommend installing most of your games on the 1TB and using Steam Mover to move your games around (its called Steam Mover, but you can basically move anything; Ive used it to move Steam games and non-Steam games).
Wonderful, thanks. And it will be my boot drive, when it gets here either tomorrow or Friday. Excited to have the legroom and the speed after clomping along with a 5400 rpm 256 GB drive for about 4 years now.
So, if I just throw a fresh install of Windows on the SSD, it should still recognize my old HD as just another drive without a lot of finagling? I've typically just worn hard drives to the ground and tranferred the essentials via DVDs or externals/FireWire, so this will actually be the first time I've setup a second (maybe third!) internal storage drive.
Yeah, it should just detect 2 hard drives and boot from the SSD. You'll probably have to switch the boot order so it'll try to boot from the SSD before trying to boot from the mechanical though. You may get a screen asking you which version of Windows you want to boot because I assume the 1TB drive also has Windows on it. I know theres a way to get this to stop popping up, but I cant remember how to do it off the top of my head (you can change the boot order in Windows, Im pretty sure its in the same window where you can change how long you'll sit at the window asking you which version of Windows to boot).
If you want to be careful you could unplug the mechanical, install Windows on the SSD, let it boot and set up and stuff and then plug the mechanical back in. Sometimes I do that because Im afraid when I click the 120GB drive Im actually/accidentally clicking my 1TB drive because Im a worrier. I worry.
So, slickdeals apparently has some super-awesome listings for SSD's. I guess I should finally jump on this bandwagon.
How the hell do I know which ones are good or terrible? The only word I really know is "Sandforce" and I'm not sure if those are good or bad now. Moreover, my usual sites (Tomshardware and Anandtech) don't really seem to address my main concern: reliability. I'm not as worried about performance between SSD's, since they're all going to be a huge boost over my Sata2 magnetic drive.
I have a Corsair Force GT running my OS and 2 OCZ Agility 256GBs for games. They are all awesome. At this point I feel it's going to go the way of thumb drives, I mean flash memory is getting cheaper by the day. Just wish I could have a 512 for $200, still not going to bite at $350
So, slickdeals apparently has some super-awesome listings for SSD's. I guess I should finally jump on this bandwagon.
How the hell do I know which ones are good or terrible? The only word I really know is "Sandforce" and I'm not sure if those are good or bad now. Moreover, my usual sites (Tomshardware and Anandtech) don't really seem to address my main concern: reliability. I'm not as worried about performance between SSD's, since they're all going to be a huge boost over my Sata2 magnetic drive.
It's surprising you said anandtech, because my impression from their reviews is that they're heavily concerned about reliability - so much that the Intel & Samsung models are still the ones they seem to recommend despite OCZ's being typically faster (albeit based largely on the company's history and not on the reliability of the current generation, which hasn't been out long enough to really make a good judgement yet).
I've got a presumably dumb question. I just got an nvidia 680 card, and the slots for power on it are a standard 6 pin and an 8 pin slot. I don't have any 8 pin cords coming out of my psu, and I don't have a way to look inside without completely dismantling it. Is there some smart way to do this, or am I just in need of a new psu? Mine is pretty old as is.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
I've got a presumably dumb question. I just got an nvidia 680 card, and the slots for power on it are a standard 6 pin and an 8 pin slot. I don't have any 8 pin cords coming out of my psu, and I don't have a way to look inside without completely dismantling it. Is there some smart way to do this, or am I just in need of a new psu? Mine is pretty old as is.
Old PSU?
Get this, then. Plenty of power, decent warranty, and the right connectors for your needs.
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Monkey Ball WarriorA collection of mediocre hatsSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
edited August 2012
I have a fairly modern PSU (2008) that doesn't have an 8-pin, but it's a 380W so that's probably why.
The way I see it, any GPU that needs more than one 6-pin is overkill anyway.
Monkey Ball Warrior on
"I resent the entire notion of a body as an ante and then raise you a generalized dissatisfaction with physicality itself" -- Tycho
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minor incidentexpert in a dying fieldnjRegistered Userregular
The way I see it I'm future-proofing, not chasing a never ending spiral of upgrades. Every time I get a new part, something else causes a problem. It just kills me that I have three free six pin cables and none of them help me. Is there some way to rewire them into one 8 pin cable? Or I guess I'll be smart and grab a new psu.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
How many 6 pin cables? I was assuming that you only had like 1, so it was a low-power PSU anyway...
Oh, shows what I know about power stuff. It's a 650 watt supply, so it's theoretically powerful enough.
Is there any issue with getting a splitter for a molex connector if it's already been split a few times before? I don't want it to be like plugging ten power strips into each other.
Oh, shows what I know about power stuff. It's a 650 watt supply, so it's theoretically powerful enough.
Is there any issue with getting a splitter for a molex connector if it's already been split a few times before? I don't want it to be like plugging ten power strips into each other.
if your power supply has more than 1 12v rail than you would want to balance the load on it as best you could, but generally only really old designs have that.
but the 6pin to 8pin adapter would probably just be easier, seeing as you said you had a few unused 6pin connectors on the psu, and it's cheaper.
this ones in stock at newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812198018
or any local computer hardware type store should have them, if you don't want to wait for shipping
So, built my computer a month or more ago. I had bought at HD7770 on sale and tried to use it in my old comp only to find that my old system was woefully inadequate. Ended up keeping the HD7770, since I had already used it for a week or so, and kept it in my build (2500 quad core not overclocked, 8 gigs or ram, 600w PSU, new motherboard and hard drive (not ssd)).
Fast forward to buying Skyrim on the PC. While the 7770 has been pretty good at most things I've thrown at it (Just Cause 2, Total War Shogun, iRacing), the quality (or lack thereof) on Skyrim is bugging me. I'm currently on 1280x720 high and it's smooth but not silky. While I understand that Skyrim is harder on processors and video cards, I think my bottleneck here is the card.
So, my long-winded question is this: Is it worth watching for another 7770 to go on sale and hit $90 or so (saw it a couple weeks ago) to use in crossfire on there or should I simply start saving a bit to get a better single card? I seem to be keeping everything cool and I have dual 12v 25 amp rails (especially considering those cards don't use much juice).
My other option is overclocking the 2500 and seeing if that works. I am using the stock cooler and it's keeping it really cool (rarely above 52 or so) even under load.
Building a 2nd rig at home for work/education related experiments, and you guys were wonderfully helpful the last time around in selecting components. A more general question for those of you located near the much vaunted Fry's Electronics: I just moved back to the best coast after an extended stay in the swampy southeast, and I see that there is a Fry's near me (well, Renton, WA, which is just a small slog up the 5 if I dare it). Have any of you had luck shopping at Fry's to put together a rig or would you rec just sticking with the old standbys like newegg and waiting for/paying for shipping? It's been quite a few years since I've been to Fry's, and that was their south LA location, so I don't know how it compares.
So I've decided to build my own computer as opposed to waiting and saving as I figured buying a couple parts with each paycheck and then building it would be a more fun way and the best way to make sure I can get what I want out of it. I'm pretty much looking to build HTPC and a gaming rig. I would like to use dual monitors and be able to hook up to a 3D tv. As I've never built a computer before (or anything harder than an Ikea tv stand) I've been reading and watching how to build them the past couple of months, as well as ask my friend's dad. I'm pretty much looking for advice and tips for building, as well as your opinion on the parts I've picked out, and any discrepancies you may notice on if they clash. I live pretty close to a Microcenter and that's where I'll be getting the parts if it makes a difference.
Mobo - Asus P8Z77-V Pro
CPU - i53570k 3.4GHz
GPU - AMD Radeon HD 7850 2048MB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0x16
SSD - Intel330 series 2.5" 180GB SATA 6GB/s
HDD - Seagate Barracuda 2 TB
RAM - Corsair Vengeance 2x8GB DDR3-1600
PSU - Kingwin KX Series 1000 Watt Atx Modulator
Cooling - Thermaltake Water 2.0 Extreme closed loop
Sound Card - Creative labssound blaster Recon 3D fatal1ty
Optics - LG Blu-ray internal combo drive
And a NZXT Switch 810 Full Tower ATX Case to put it all in
Constructive criticism, advice and tips are welcome, thanks!
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proyebatGARY WAS HEREASH IS A LOSERRegistered Userregular
I see a couple areas you can cut back on, @tisanian. That PSU is overkill, where you can snake by with a ~500W unit. 8GB is the most you'll need to game for a while. Buy 2x4GB sticks now, and buy more 4GB sticks if you really really need it latter. Finally I am pretty sure you don't need to buy a sound card unless you have an expensive audio system.
Apparently MicroCenter is running that cheap i5/i7 deal with a cheap mobo thing so if youre looking for a 3770 or a 3570 nows the time to do it. The 3570 deal is $50 off a z77 mobo and $60 off the processor.
I didnt search very hard so maybe theres a proper thread for this, but does anyone have a recommendation on a good router? Im currently using a WRT54G from like 2003 and I think its dying. Itll drop connection every once in a while and I'll have to do the whole unplug-wait-plug in thing.
I guess its about time to upgrade to Wireless-N anyway.
Id like to spend under $100, and I'll probably want to stay with Linksys (when I get around to it the router will be plugged into a Linksys 16 port switch so I assume a Linksys-Linksys network will be easier to manage).
Hey everyone, back again after about 5 years since my last build. I'm looking to build a new PC with the intention of using it for gaming as well as running programs such as CAD and illustrator. I'd like to downgrade to a smaller case (I believe I have a ATX Mid or Full) due to space issues. I've never really used the extra 3 optical/2 floppy bays that came with this thing, so I don't see the point in owning a full/mid tower if I can have a fully capable PC in a smaller box.
I'm currently running an Intel Core 2 Duo 3.00 GHz, 4GB of Ram and a GeForce 9800 GT. I'm more interested in longevity, and I'll probably slowly build this thing over the next few months, but I'd just like to get some direction.
I used to have a couple of shuttle PCs that I was fairly happy with, its just been years since I've bought anything from them, so I'm not too sure on their build quality anymore.
Anyways, thanks for any information you can give me.
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
I didnt search very hard so maybe theres a proper thread for this, but does anyone have a recommendation on a good router? Im currently using a WRT54G from like 2003 and I think its dying. Itll drop connection every once in a while and I'll have to do the whole unplug-wait-plug in thing.
I guess its about time to upgrade to Wireless-N anyway.
Id like to spend under $100, and I'll probably want to stay with Linksys (when I get around to it the router will be plugged into a Linksys 16 port switch so I assume a Linksys-Linksys network will be easier to manage).
I mean, you have a router and an (I assume) un-managed switch. The only interface you'll be using is the router's, un-managed switches are entirely plug-n-play, so I wouldn't bother trying to stick to a single manufacturer.
As for actual recommendations: I have an ASUS RT-N16 that I really like. The default firmware isn't anything special (it's not bad either), but it'll run Tomato or DD-WRT like a champ.
Hey everyone, back again after about 5 years since my last build. I'm looking to build a new PC with the intention of using it for gaming as well as running programs such as CAD and illustrator. I'd like to downgrade to a smaller case (I believe I have a ATX Mid or Full) due to space issues. I've never really used the extra 3 optical/2 floppy bays that came with this thing, so I don't see the point in owning a full/mid tower if I can have a fully capable PC in a smaller box.
I'm currently running an Intel Core 2 Duo 3.00 GHz, 4GB of Ram and a GeForce 9800 GT. I'm more interested in longevity, and I'll probably slowly build this thing over the next few months, but I'd just like to get some direction.
I used to have a couple of shuttle PCs that I was fairly happy with, its just been years since I've bought anything from them, so I'm not too sure on their build quality anymore.
Anyways, thanks for any information you can give me.
Are you interested in overclocking? Is a standard consumer card sufficient for your usage with CAD, or do you need a workstation card? What's your budget?
The good news is that, these days, you can essentially build your own shuttle PC if that's the form factor you want. Silverstone makes multiple cases that are probably the smallest things you can cram a GPU into around. Bitfenix recently released the Prodigy, which looks a lot like a really small Mac Pro, in black or white.
The Prodigy is definitely pretty small, but I'm not sure if I'd really compare it to shuttle PCs. It's a bit wider than my mid tower cases, and maybe 3/4 the height/depth.
Are you interested in overclocking? Is a standard consumer card sufficient for your usage with CAD, or do you need a workstation card? What's your budget?
The good news is that, these days, you can essentially build your own shuttle PC if that's the form factor you want. Silverstone makes multiple cases that are probably the smallest things you can cram a GPU into around. Bitfenix recently released the Prodigy, which looks a lot like a really small Mac Pro, in black or white.
I really have no interest in overclocking, I would just like a PC primarily for gaming, but with the ability to use drafting/design software. I'd like to keep it under $1,000. The form factor isn't a set thing, I just don't want a full tower that takes up a lot of vital space (this huge black monolith really bums me out). This machine will not be a dedicated drafting computer, so a workstation card isn't needed.
I didnt search very hard so maybe theres a proper thread for this, but does anyone have a recommendation on a good router? Im currently using a WRT54G from like 2003 and I think its dying. Itll drop connection every once in a while and I'll have to do the whole unplug-wait-plug in thing.
I guess its about time to upgrade to Wireless-N anyway.
Id like to spend under $100, and I'll probably want to stay with Linksys (when I get around to it the router will be plugged into a Linksys 16 port switch so I assume a Linksys-Linksys network will be easier to manage).
I mean, you have a router and an (I assume) un-managed switch. The only interface you'll be using is the router's, un-managed switches are entirely plug-n-play, so I wouldn't bother trying to stick to a single manufacturer.
As for actual recommendations: I have an ASUS RT-N16 that I really like. The default firmware isn't anything special (it's not bad either), but it'll run Tomato or DD-WRT like a champ.
Good to know...Ive been putting of my networking project for about 4 years now...I sort of started, I have a couple of rooms wired up but only 4 things are actually plugged into the router at the moment so I havent actually used the switch at all. I should really get around to it.
I'll definitely take a closer look at that router, but seeing that it has 3 antennas Im already pretty sold. I mean, if 2 is good 3 is great right? Also digging the Tomato support, thats what Im running on my current router and while I definitely dont use all of its functionality, its definitely easier to use than Linksys's default software.
Hopefully I get some more traction with this post: Memory: Corsair XMS 8GB HDD: WD Caviar Black SSD Samsung 128GB
Video Card: Sapphire HD6870 CPU Core i3-2100
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G45 or GIGA GA-Z77-D3H PSU: Corsair TX750 Monitor: ASUS VE277H. Interested in the 27inch, but not sure the extra pixels will really be worth it for me.
I still need a cheap case; the cheaper the better. I am looking to run this with dual HD6870's, and the i3 is a leftover from current machine.
Dunno if this is the right place to ask, but my desktop's motherboard got mysteriously fried, and now I'm suddenly in the market for a new one. Can anyone recommend a good, trustworthy place to have a desktop custom built? I don't need Windows (still have my Vista discs from upgrading a few years back) and already have parts to salvage - I'm just looking for a tower that can be customized.
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
Hopefully I get some more traction with this post: Memory: Corsair XMS 8GB HDD: WD Caviar Black SSD Samsung 128GB
Video Card: Sapphire HD6870 CPU Core i3-2100
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G45 or GIGA GA-Z77-D3H PSU: Corsair TX750 Monitor: ASUS VE277H. Interested in the 27inch, but not sure the extra pixels will really be worth it for me.
I still need a cheap case; the cheaper the better. I am looking to run this with dual HD6870's, and the i3 is a leftover from current machine.
The NZXT Source 210 is really cheap ($40ish bucks, usually). The HAF 912 is usually around $60, free shipping most of the time.
I'd go with the Gigabyte board, but that's just me. Also, you don't need anywhere near that much power. If you haven't already bought the TX750, go with something in the 520-550W range, that's more than enough for a 6870.
Are you interested in overclocking? Is a standard consumer card sufficient for your usage with CAD, or do you need a workstation card? What's your budget?
The good news is that, these days, you can essentially build your own shuttle PC if that's the form factor you want. Silverstone makes multiple cases that are probably the smallest things you can cram a GPU into around. Bitfenix recently released the Prodigy, which looks a lot like a really small Mac Pro, in black or white.
I really have no interest in overclocking, I would just like a PC primarily for gaming, but with the ability to use drafting/design software. I'd like to keep it under $1,000. The form factor isn't a set thing, I just don't want a full tower that takes up a lot of vital space (this huge black monolith really bums me out). This machine will not be a dedicated drafting computer, so a workstation card isn't needed.
The Prodigy is definitely pretty small, but I'm not sure if I'd really compare it to shuttle PCs. It's a bit wider than my mid tower cases, and maybe 3/4 the height/depth.
Agreed, I probably wasn't clear enough. Silverstone's boxes I would consider Shuttle-alikes, the Prodigy is a more like a small Micro-ATX tower.
Posts
I've never installed a secondary hard drive, or completely cloned one to a brand new drive. Oops. I'm at a loss. Is primary/slave an issue outside of BIOS, considering I'm using Sata? Is there a good way to just get my OS over to the SSD while keeping everything else on the larger drives? And should the fact that I'll likely be throwing Windows 8 on this thing in a month or so affect how I shift all my data about?
Lotta questions, sorry, but I am stunningly ignorant on this considering the number of fresh builds I've assembled. Thanks!
Id also recommend installing most of your games on the 1TB and using Steam Mover to move your games around (its called Steam Mover, but you can basically move anything; Ive used it to move Steam games and non-Steam games).
How the hell do I know which ones are good or terrible? The only word I really know is "Sandforce" and I'm not sure if those are good or bad now. Moreover, my usual sites (Tomshardware and Anandtech) don't really seem to address my main concern: reliability. I'm not as worried about performance between SSD's, since they're all going to be a huge boost over my Sata2 magnetic drive.
My Crucial M4 is going strong. I hear good things about OCZ and Samsung too.
Just get one that's slightly (but not too much) cheaper than the others and that has enough space for you.
For reference I have a 128GB SSD for my Windows and non-game applications and it's only almost half full right now. I've had it since February I think.
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Wonderful, thanks. And it will be my boot drive, when it gets here either tomorrow or Friday. Excited to have the legroom and the speed after clomping along with a 5400 rpm 256 GB drive for about 4 years now.
So, if I just throw a fresh install of Windows on the SSD, it should still recognize my old HD as just another drive without a lot of finagling? I've typically just worn hard drives to the ground and tranferred the essentials via DVDs or externals/FireWire, so this will actually be the first time I've setup a second (maybe third!) internal storage drive.
If you want to be careful you could unplug the mechanical, install Windows on the SSD, let it boot and set up and stuff and then plug the mechanical back in. Sometimes I do that because Im afraid when I click the 120GB drive Im actually/accidentally clicking my 1TB drive because Im a worrier. I worry.
I have a Corsair Force GT running my OS and 2 OCZ Agility 256GBs for games. They are all awesome. At this point I feel it's going to go the way of thumb drives, I mean flash memory is getting cheaper by the day. Just wish I could have a 512 for $200, still not going to bite at $350
It's surprising you said anandtech, because my impression from their reviews is that they're heavily concerned about reliability - so much that the Intel & Samsung models are still the ones they seem to recommend despite OCZ's being typically faster (albeit based largely on the company's history and not on the reliability of the current generation, which hasn't been out long enough to really make a good judgement yet).
Old PSU?
Get this, then. Plenty of power, decent warranty, and the right connectors for your needs.
The way I see it, any GPU that needs more than one 6-pin is overkill anyway.
Heretic! Blasphemer!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812887002&Tpk=molex to 8pin
or a 6pin to 8pin:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812198016
Is there any issue with getting a splitter for a molex connector if it's already been split a few times before? I don't want it to be like plugging ten power strips into each other.
if your power supply has more than 1 12v rail than you would want to balance the load on it as best you could, but generally only really old designs have that.
but the 6pin to 8pin adapter would probably just be easier, seeing as you said you had a few unused 6pin connectors on the psu, and it's cheaper.
this ones in stock at newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812198018
or any local computer hardware type store should have them, if you don't want to wait for shipping
Fast forward to buying Skyrim on the PC. While the 7770 has been pretty good at most things I've thrown at it (Just Cause 2, Total War Shogun, iRacing), the quality (or lack thereof) on Skyrim is bugging me. I'm currently on 1280x720 high and it's smooth but not silky. While I understand that Skyrim is harder on processors and video cards, I think my bottleneck here is the card.
So, my long-winded question is this: Is it worth watching for another 7770 to go on sale and hit $90 or so (saw it a couple weeks ago) to use in crossfire on there or should I simply start saving a bit to get a better single card? I seem to be keeping everything cool and I have dual 12v 25 amp rails (especially considering those cards don't use much juice).
My other option is overclocking the 2500 and seeing if that works. I am using the stock cooler and it's keeping it really cool (rarely above 52 or so) even under load.
Mobo - Asus P8Z77-V Pro
CPU - i53570k 3.4GHz
GPU - AMD Radeon HD 7850 2048MB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0x16
SSD - Intel330 series 2.5" 180GB SATA 6GB/s
HDD - Seagate Barracuda 2 TB
RAM - Corsair Vengeance 2x8GB DDR3-1600
PSU - Kingwin KX Series 1000 Watt Atx Modulator
Cooling - Thermaltake Water 2.0 Extreme closed loop
Sound Card - Creative labssound blaster Recon 3D fatal1ty
Optics - LG Blu-ray internal combo drive
And a NZXT Switch 810 Full Tower ATX Case to put it all in
Constructive criticism, advice and tips are welcome, thanks!
Since youre buying from MicroCenter, I suggest waiting until they have one of their sweet deals on mobo/cpu combos as it can save you like $100.
My current rig uses 4 6-pin connectors. :rotate:
If you're not Quad-Crossfire-ing 7970s, (4x 6 pin & 4x 8 pin connectors) please GTFO kthxbai.
Edit: I need to learn to read. 16 GB is not 8 GB.
Edit 2: Newegg is running an extremely good deal on a 2x8GB set of Gskill ram that might be worth checking out.
Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231486&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL080912&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL080912-_-EMC-080912-Index-_-DesktopMemory-_-20231486-L014A
I guess its about time to upgrade to Wireless-N anyway.
Id like to spend under $100, and I'll probably want to stay with Linksys (when I get around to it the router will be plugged into a Linksys 16 port switch so I assume a Linksys-Linksys network will be easier to manage).
I'm currently running an Intel Core 2 Duo 3.00 GHz, 4GB of Ram and a GeForce 9800 GT. I'm more interested in longevity, and I'll probably slowly build this thing over the next few months, but I'd just like to get some direction.
I used to have a couple of shuttle PCs that I was fairly happy with, its just been years since I've bought anything from them, so I'm not too sure on their build quality anymore.
Anyways, thanks for any information you can give me.
I mean, you have a router and an (I assume) un-managed switch. The only interface you'll be using is the router's, un-managed switches are entirely plug-n-play, so I wouldn't bother trying to stick to a single manufacturer.
As for actual recommendations: I have an ASUS RT-N16 that I really like. The default firmware isn't anything special (it's not bad either), but it'll run Tomato or DD-WRT like a champ.
Battle.net
Are you interested in overclocking? Is a standard consumer card sufficient for your usage with CAD, or do you need a workstation card? What's your budget?
The good news is that, these days, you can essentially build your own shuttle PC if that's the form factor you want. Silverstone makes multiple cases that are probably the smallest things you can cram a GPU into around. Bitfenix recently released the Prodigy, which looks a lot like a really small Mac Pro, in black or white.
Battle.net
I really have no interest in overclocking, I would just like a PC primarily for gaming, but with the ability to use drafting/design software. I'd like to keep it under $1,000. The form factor isn't a set thing, I just don't want a full tower that takes up a lot of vital space (this huge black monolith really bums me out). This machine will not be a dedicated drafting computer, so a workstation card isn't needed.
Good to know...Ive been putting of my networking project for about 4 years now...I sort of started, I have a couple of rooms wired up but only 4 things are actually plugged into the router at the moment so I havent actually used the switch at all. I should really get around to it.
I'll definitely take a closer look at that router, but seeing that it has 3 antennas Im already pretty sold. I mean, if 2 is good 3 is great right? Also digging the Tomato support, thats what Im running on my current router and while I definitely dont use all of its functionality, its definitely easier to use than Linksys's default software.
Memory: Corsair XMS 8GB
HDD: WD Caviar Black
SSD Samsung 128GB
Video Card: Sapphire HD6870
CPU Core i3-2100
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G45 or GIGA GA-Z77-D3H
PSU: Corsair TX750
Monitor: ASUS VE277H. Interested in the 27inch, but not sure the extra pixels will really be worth it for me.
I still need a cheap case; the cheaper the better. I am looking to run this with dual HD6870's, and the i3 is a leftover from current machine.
The NZXT Source 210 is really cheap ($40ish bucks, usually). The HAF 912 is usually around $60, free shipping most of the time.
I'd go with the Gigabyte board, but that's just me. Also, you don't need anywhere near that much power. If you haven't already bought the TX750, go with something in the 520-550W range, that's more than enough for a 6870.
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What resolution do you game at?
Agreed, I probably wasn't clear enough. Silverstone's boxes I would consider Shuttle-alikes, the Prodigy is a more like a small Micro-ATX tower.
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