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[Steam Box / Big Picture Mode] Build & set up your own living room PC gaming console!

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Posts

  • CuvisTheConquerorCuvisTheConqueror They always say "yee haw" but they never ask "haw yee?" Registered User regular
    edited April 2013
    Just got an old Wiimote working on my Steambox. It's nice having a "mouse" I can use easily from the couch, for those apps that don't cooperate with gamepads. My keyboard has a built in trackpad, but it doesn't seem to work well in games, and besides, I've never been big on trackpads.
    So it seems Nvidia may be releasing their newest card this May: http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Nvidia-GeForce-GTX-700-Kepler,22204.html

    Since we were discussing earlier about solely upgrading my GPU, would this be the one to look into? Would the performance/benefits exceed the cards mentioned earlier, and would it still be compatible with my older specs?

    I agree with Foomy -- it's worth waiting for the new cards. They should spur a price drop on the older ones -- if not nVidia's, then AMD's as they try to stay competitive.

    CuvisTheConqueror on
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  • QuantuxQuantux Registered User regular
    Not sure if I'm looking at the right stuff, but the prices for the Geforce 670 are around the $350-$400 range. Yikes.

    Before I get ahead of myself, what are the immediate advantages I would see for upgrading the GPU but leaving all of my other specs as is? Will I get an FPS boost? Adding more heavy-duty settings like supersampled AA without frame decrease? Stuff like that?

    I just want to have a good understanding of what I would gain/not gain if I pursue this method. I'm also wondering how much I could get selling my old GPU, in an attempt to cover some of the new one's costs.

    If you have another slot, just get a second 5770 or whatever you have. Should be less than $100 and it's definitely worth it. For example, I run Arkham City at 1080p with everything but AA maxed out (I barley notice aliasing at that resolution, so it's off on all my games). With 1 5770 it's a bit of a slide show, with 2 it's in the ~60 fps range. I actually had to turn on the fps limiter in Sleeping Dogs to keep it at 60. My CPU (Phenom II X4 @ 3Ghz) is probably similar in performance, though I do have 8GB RAM.

    PSN/Steam - Quantux

  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    Is there a way to determine if my MOBO has an extra slot for another 5770 other than physically opening it and look?

  • tsmvengytsmvengy Registered User regular
    Is there a way to determine if my MOBO has an extra slot for another 5770 other than physically opening it and look?

    You should check to make sure your motherboard can run two cards at full capacity if it does have two slots - what is your motherboard model?

    Also it may be more economical to buy a new card, where can you get a 5770 these days?

    steam_sig.png
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    6770s are Xfire-able with 5770s.

    Still, a single-card solution will be better in the long run. If you can sell your existing 5770 for $50, and put the $120 you would have spent on a second card towards a better single card, you'll run into less problems with Xfire compatibility and microstutter.

  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    6770s are Xfire-able with 5770s.

    Still, a single-card solution will be better in the long run. If you can sell your existing 5770 for $50, and put the $120 you would have spent on a second card towards a better single card, you'll run into less problems with Xfire compatibility and microstutter.

    That is something easily affordable that I could purchase now.

    Should I go for it, or is there any other reason to wait things out?

    I've been looking to commit to a couple of PC games that I've got current framerate issues with (Metro 1, Bioshock Infinite, and eventually Metro 2), so if this will let me crank up the settings a bit and get a smoother performance, it'll be worth it.

  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    If you can wait until the 700 series of nvidia cards drop, there should be price adjustment on the previous model cards. You would have a little while to save up some cash to put towards an even better card, too, compounding the benefits of just chilling for a bit. Perhaps you could stretch all the way to a 660 or a 7870, if you want to stay with AMD cards.

  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    When are those hitting again, May?

    I can wait, but I'm inquiring now as my birthday hits next week. Extra cash available and all, so just waiting for the right time to use it.

  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    That's the rumour, yep.

  • QuantuxQuantux Registered User regular
    tsmvengy wrote: »
    Is there a way to determine if my MOBO has an extra slot for another 5770 other than physically opening it and look?

    You should check to make sure your motherboard can run two cards at full capacity if it does have two slots - what is your motherboard model?

    Also it may be more economical to buy a new card, where can you get a 5770 these days?

    Check the MB maker website to see what your board supports, if you're not sure of the model, run CPU-Z and check the mainboard tab.

    But I would agree, in the long run a better single card (like that 650 in the link) would be better. I'm just saying if you want a quick fix, adding a second card from ebay for crossfire would probably be cheapest. Of course searching there now, they all seem way over priced (~$85 was the cheapest buy it now I saw), so I would say definitely suffer through and save up for a good card that you'll take with you to your next build.

    PSN/Steam - Quantux

  • CuvisTheConquerorCuvisTheConqueror They always say "yee haw" but they never ask "haw yee?" Registered User regular
    Quantux wrote: »
    tsmvengy wrote: »
    Is there a way to determine if my MOBO has an extra slot for another 5770 other than physically opening it and look?

    You should check to make sure your motherboard can run two cards at full capacity if it does have two slots - what is your motherboard model?

    Also it may be more economical to buy a new card, where can you get a 5770 these days?

    Check the MB maker website to see what your board supports, if you're not sure of the model, run CPU-Z and check the mainboard tab.

    But I would agree, in the long run a better single card (like that 650 in the link) would be better. I'm just saying if you want a quick fix, adding a second card from ebay for crossfire would probably be cheapest. Of course searching there now, they all seem way over priced (~$85 was the cheapest buy it now I saw), so I would say definitely suffer through and save up for a good card that you'll take with you to your next build.

    That always seems to be the problem with the "I'll add a SLI card later" plan. GPU prices don't depreciate nearly as fast as they used to, so you end up in a situation where it's better to just buy a new card and sell your old one.

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  • mtsmts Dr. Robot King Registered User regular
    Crossfiring a 5770/6770 won't really help on metro that much. Though it might just be the game, i cant go full high settings on mine

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  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    Apparently this will be launching this Thursday: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CUIVTCS?tag=hardfocom-20

    How long does it usually take for previous GPUs to fluctuate in price when a new one launches? I may be interested in nabbing this or an older, almost-as-good card depending on the price range.

  • CuvisTheConquerorCuvisTheConqueror They always say "yee haw" but they never ask "haw yee?" Registered User regular
    Apparently this will be launching this Thursday: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CUIVTCS?tag=hardfocom-20

    How long does it usually take for previous GPUs to fluctuate in price when a new one launches? I may be interested in nabbing this or an older, almost-as-good card depending on the price range.

    You'll probably see some movement in a month, but it's hard to say how long it'll take things to settle to the new normal.

    xderwsaxganu.png
  • pricerpricer Registered User regular
    Your most likely looking at a $40 drop on the 680, if it matches the 580 (http://goarticles.com/article/Nvidia-Geforce-GTX-500-Series-Price-Drops-Worth-It-Or-Save-For-Kepler/6306737/), based on UK prices that's around a 10% price shift. When you look at performance (http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/), that's a gain of about 2 passmark points per £ (I'm welsh, so I deal in GBP). The 780 seems to be priced around £500; at around 1000 passmark points below titan (card not on site yet, but seems to be consistent with other reviews), that puts it at about the same price/performance as a non-discounted 680. Basically, so long as your not eyeing up a Titan, the 780 or discounted 680 is a good purchase - the Titan would need a £270 discount, to be price competitive.

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  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    I wonder how useful this thread can be to handle small technical quirks that keep you from enjoying Big Picture Mode with certain games?

    Currently I am researching ways to fix the following:

    1. Bypass the launcher on Thomas Was Alone

    2. Bypass the launcher on LA Noire

    3. Turn off the mouse cursor on Batman: Arkham City

    4. Enable gamepad support for Dead Rising 2: Off the Record (it seems it will only work with a 360 controller. I've tried a few programs so it could read my Logitech controller as a 360 controller, but nothing's worked so far).

  • Big DookieBig Dookie Smells great! Houston, TXRegistered User regular
    Yeah, the Thomas Was Alone issue has really been bugging me since I started playing it a couple days ago. I'd love to hear a good solution.

    Steam | Twitch
    Oculus: TheBigDookie | XBL: Dook | NNID: BigDookie
  • CuvisTheConquerorCuvisTheConqueror They always say "yee haw" but they never ask "haw yee?" Registered User regular
    I got a couple of the "special edition" 360 game pads with the transforming D-pad for use on my Steam box... you guys know how terrible the D-pad is on the standard 360 pads? That's how good the D-pad on this thing is. It reminds me of the D-pad on the Logitech controllers, with how clicky it is, but somehow feels more solid.

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  • FoomyFoomy Registered User regular
    I got a couple of the "special edition" 360 game pads with the transforming D-pad for use on my Steam box... you guys know how terrible the D-pad is on the standard 360 pads? That's how good the D-pad on this thing is. It reminds me of the D-pad on the Logitech controllers, with how clicky it is, but somehow feels more solid.

    Those are some good controllers.

    What I'm really hoping for as what could be the best steambox controller is if the dualshock 4 gets better support. The trackpad on it is really high resolution and also clicks in, and can detect whether you click on the left/right side of it. So if it could work as a mouse and a controller at the same time, that would work great for the few games that have weird launchers or menus that you can't navigate with a controller.

    Steam Profile: FoomyFooms
  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    Foomy wrote: »
    I got a couple of the "special edition" 360 game pads with the transforming D-pad for use on my Steam box... you guys know how terrible the D-pad is on the standard 360 pads? That's how good the D-pad on this thing is. It reminds me of the D-pad on the Logitech controllers, with how clicky it is, but somehow feels more solid.

    Those are some good controllers.

    What I'm really hoping for as what could be the best steambox controller is if the dualshock 4 gets better support. The trackpad on it is really high resolution and also clicks in, and can detect whether you click on the left/right side of it. So if it could work as a mouse and a controller at the same time, that would work great for the few games that have weird launchers or menus that you can't navigate with a controller.

    That's a terrific idea.

    What I do is open up Hippo Remote on my iPhone in order to move the mouse cursor/launch games for those annoying BPM-unfriendly games.

    But having the mouse emulated on the PS4 trackpad would be easier and could also prove useful for certain other games as well. I'd buy an extra one just to make it my official PC controller.

  • CuvisTheConquerorCuvisTheConqueror They always say "yee haw" but they never ask "haw yee?" Registered User regular
    Foomy wrote: »
    I got a couple of the "special edition" 360 game pads with the transforming D-pad for use on my Steam box... you guys know how terrible the D-pad is on the standard 360 pads? That's how good the D-pad on this thing is. It reminds me of the D-pad on the Logitech controllers, with how clicky it is, but somehow feels more solid.

    Those are some good controllers.

    What I'm really hoping for as what could be the best steambox controller is if the dualshock 4 gets better support. The trackpad on it is really high resolution and also clicks in, and can detect whether you click on the left/right side of it. So if it could work as a mouse and a controller at the same time, that would work great for the few games that have weird launchers or menus that you can't navigate with a controller.

    That's a terrific idea.

    What I do is open up Hippo Remote on my iPhone in order to move the mouse cursor/launch games for those annoying BPM-unfriendly games.

    But having the mouse emulated on the PS4 trackpad would be easier and could also prove useful for certain other games as well. I'd buy an extra one just to make it my official PC controller.

    I was looking at this dealie, which would solve the mouse problem nicely with the airmouse functionality, but the big problem is that the gamepad portion is DirectInput, not XInput. While there are ways around this, it's not something I want to deal with all the freaking time. OTOH, if there end up being XInput drivers for the PS4 pad, that trackpad can indeed serve much the same purpose...

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  • emp123emp123 Registered User regular
    I use one of these with my HTPC, it has pretty decent range and is small enough that leaving it around doesnt make my tv area look silly. I got it for $30 after shipping and tax, but Ive seen its replacement going for $50+.

    I use a wired 360 controller as a gamepad though (with a PS3 controller for co op games).

  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    Goddamit Steam stop deleting my non-Steam shortcuts!

    Almost every two days it's been deleting my XBMC shortcut. Is there anyway to keep Steam from doing this?

  • IncindiumIncindium Registered User regular
    edited June 2013
    Goddamit Steam stop deleting my non-Steam shortcuts!

    Almost every two days it's been deleting my XBMC shortcut. Is there anyway to keep Steam from doing this?

    Don't shutdown your machine without manually closing Steam. Steam only loses non steam game shortcuts when it is abnormally terminated. If you exit manually it doesn't lose anything.

    Incindium on
    steam_sig.png
    Nintendo ID: Incindium
    PSN: IncindiumX
  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    Thanks, I'll do that from now on.

    Also, I thought this might be relevant for other PC on the TV folks: http://www.razerzone.com/surround

    It simulates surround sound on your stereo headphones. It actually works!

  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    Has there been any notable price drops on GPUs yet? I feel I need to upgrade soon as I'm getting a less-than-stellar performance in regards to framerate these days.

    If just getting a beefy new GPU will increase framerate performance while still maintaining high visuals, then I'm willing to upgrade sooner rather than later.

  • IncindiumIncindium Registered User regular
    The new Nvidia 760's for $250 are the new hotness. Probably the best bang for your buck currently.

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    Nintendo ID: Incindium
    PSN: IncindiumX
  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    This what you're talking about? http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-nvidia-geforce-gtx-760-review

    When I type "Nvidia 760" in Amazon I keep getting EVGA GPUs. Does Amaon not sell Nvidia cards?

    Regardless, I'm willing to make the purchase on your recommendation. I just want to know what kind of realistic performance boost I should expect for getting this card but keeping all my other specs.

  • FoomyFoomy Registered User regular
    edited June 2013
    This what you're talking about? http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-nvidia-geforce-gtx-760-review

    When I type "Nvidia 760" in Amazon I keep getting EVGA GPUs. Does Amaon not sell Nvidia cards?

    Regardless, I'm willing to make the purchase on your recommendation. I just want to know what kind of realistic performance boost I should expect for getting this card but keeping all my other specs.

    Nvidia is the chip maker, they designed the gtx 760, and EVGA is just one of many companies that make cards using that chip, They're also one of the best companies doing so and offer some very good quality and warranties on the cards.

    The 760 is basically just a slight redesign of last years gtx 670, with a slight boost in speed. But it's $250, while the 670 is $350, so it's a $100 price-drop.

    This one is a good card, the dual fan setup is a little quieter then slot coolers: http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Dual-Link-Graphics-02G-P4-2763-KR/dp/B00DHW4HS4/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1372620292&sr=8-9&keywords=gtx+760


    As to how much performance you'll gain is based on what you were running before and what the rest of your system specs are.

    Foomy on
    Steam Profile: FoomyFooms
  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    My specs, for reference:

    ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series (I believe it's a 5770 or 5775. Either or)

    Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1

    4096MB RAM

    Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz x2 ~3000MHz

    The common problem I have with PC games is framerate stuttering, where both the video as well as the audio stutters briefly. I always go with 1920x1080 to match my TV's resolution while also turning off AA (which is mostly unnecessary for games on a TV) and any other recommended values to increase performance.

    If I can have games looking as good as they currently do but also have a more stable framerate (especially 60 fps), then that's all I want for now. I'm not ready budget-wise to do a complete overhaul with the motherboard and CPU, unless there were huge price drops on those fronts as well.

  • FoomyFoomy Registered User regular
    Well your cpu is definitely holding you back a bit, but they're have been quite a few benchmarks showing that a good gpu can make a c2d era cpu work ok on modern games.

    And the 760 is about 3-4X more powerful then your 5770, so it would be a great upgrade, and be a good base for a new computer build when you can afford it.

    Steam Profile: FoomyFooms
  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    edited June 2013
    Sounds good to me. Amazon Prime has it out of stock, unfortunately, and I'd rather not pay the $9 for shipping.

    Fortunately, NewEgg has a free trial for 2-day free shipping, so I think I'll order the GPU there.

    Edit: And done.

    Professor Snugglesworth on
  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    GPU came in today, was able to install it without much hassle.

    mX5dTPy.jpg

    As you can see, it's quite cramped inside my tower. When I decide to do the next upgrade on my PC, I should probably invest in a bigger tower.

    De6zCp3.jpg

    So it turns out my old GPU was a 5770. I'm going to see if I can find the box for it before I put it up on eBay.

    Had to download several drivers, updates, and so on, so I haven't extensively tried a lot of games yet.

    But so far it looks like I can crank settings to maximum without affecting performance, though for some games I'm going to need to tinker to find a sweet spot that gives me 60 fps.

    Since I've come this far, what are the going rates for a good CPU and compatible motherboard? Are those two things all I need for a proper PC upgrade, or am I missing something else?

  • tsmvengytsmvengy Registered User regular
    Jeebus you have a lot of hard drives/optical drives.

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  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    tsmvengy wrote: »
    Jeebus you have a lot of hard drives/optical drives.

    Judging by the style of case it looks like it might be a computer from almost a decade ago.

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    The tower is probably five years or more at this point. The hard drives are the oldest components in there, some carry-overs from previous PC builds. Two 500GB drives, one 200GB and one 2TB.

    I'm thinking on replacing the 200GB for another 2TB. I'm kind of a PC hoarder and have trouble deleting most things I've downloaded. :?

    Sonic and All Stars Racing Transformed has an annoying problem with BPM in that you can't navigate the menus with a controller after exiting the game, unless you move your mouse. I believe it has something to do with the mouse cursor being present in the game.

    I'd still like a recommendation on a CPU/MOBO to compliment the GPU. Just curious what the current rates would cost me.

  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    It depends on your budget, really.

    Socket 1150 (Haswell) is the the good shit these days, ideally you want a quad-core and a nice mobo to suit, with 8 gigs of ram to replace your old DDR2. If you're strapped for cash you could go for a dual-core (which will still be a significant upgrade from your current processor), and a less full-featured motherboard.

  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    It really couldn't hurt to swap out a couple of your platter drives for a much bigger single unit and chuck an SSD primary drive in your system either.

  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    edited July 2013
    It depends on your budget, really.

    Socket 1150 (Haswell) is the the good shit these days, ideally you want a quad-core and a nice mobo to suit, with 8 gigs of ram to replace your old DDR2. If you're strapped for cash you could go for a dual-core (which will still be a significant upgrade from your current processor), and a less full-featured motherboard.

    What would be the total price for all that? I'm looking at Amazon now and apparently the mobo alone is $250?

    I'd be willing to make the investment now for the whole thing provided I had a Bill Me Later option for the complete purchase (most likely Newegg). I just need to have a list of the right parts and an estimated cost.

    Professor Snugglesworth on
  • exisexis Registered User regular
    edited July 2013
    Hey dudes. Just moved into a new apartment, and trying to set everything up in our sweet new living area. Here is the best diagram ever: http://i.imgur.com/ecLDXtu.png

    My PC actually needs an upgrade pretty badly, so I'll be fairly limited in the games I'm playing. In the mean-time the #1 purpose of this will be streaming video direct from my PC, with the secondary usage being gaming on the TV. The sticking point now is that my HD4850 doesn't have an HDMI port, so there's that to deal with. The options as I see them:

    1) Buy a VGA-HDMI converter and run HDMI from PC to TV (around 5m). Will either require an extension cable to relocate my PC speakers (similar to these), or an RCA extension (I guess?)
    2) New vidja card now, with HDMI out. Upgrade rest of my PC later. (Currently using a P5Q Pro and HX650, so I think I should be able to throw something like a 660 Ti in there without any trouble)
    3) Wait until later in the year, do a full PC upgrade and sort things out then. In the meantime, play games on my 360 like a filthy animal
    4) ???

    I'm shying away from option #1, seeing as VGA-HDMI converter's are pricier than I expected, for something I'll probably never need again. Ditto for an extension for my speakers. I'm thinking forking out for a new video card might be the best option. But I'd be interested to hear thoughts. This will be the first time I've made use of a TV for anything other than streaming stuff through Tversity, so I'm wary of running into any unforeseen issues.


    edit: Kinda unrelated, but does anyone have suggestions for methods of running cables along the ceiling, with minimal wall damage (we're renting). I need to get a CAT cable from one side of the room to the other. There's sort of a horizontal column jutting out which I can hide it behind, but I still need to figure out how to attach it externally.

    exis on
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