Hey Penny-Arcade, I need some fan placement advise. Currently I am using 2 120mm fans in my computer, one in the top back blowing out and one from the bottom of my case blowing in. I am going to be moving the one from the bottom of my case to the side of my case over my graphics card to keep that cooler and I might be adding two more fans. I am unable to put a fan in the front of my computer, so what should I do with these other two? Should I put one of them blowing into my computer from the top to cool down my CPU? Or should I have it blowing out?
Hot air rises, so top and rear fans should be set as exhaust fans.
Generally, you should have front/bottom/side fans as intakes and top/rear fans as exhaust.
This is the first time I'm building a computer, also the first time I've learned about any of these components.
HDD: Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB HD103SJ $69
RAM: G.Skill F3-10600CL9D-4GBNT 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 $49
Case: NZXT Tempest EVO Case $109
PSU: Seasonic S12II 620W Power Supply $129
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB $299
CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K $269
MOBO: ASUS P8P67 PRO Motherboard B3 $239
Total: $1163
Any tips would be fantastic. I'm happy to modify any of these choices for maybe something cheaper. For example if there's a cheaper case which is still good then I'd prefer that.
EDIT: Okay sorry, this totally isn't finished yet. Still, any advice would be fantastic!
My aim is to run battlefield 3 on high settings when it comes out later this year. I'm sure from there things like mathematica would work quite well too.
Also what's the deal with the operating system.. Will I need to fork out the 600 or so for Windows 7?
I can't see anything inherently wrong with the build. Looks like good parts choice to me. If you plan on overclocking your i5, you may wish to think about an aftermarket cooler. Something like the CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ is excellent bang/buck.
As for Windows 7, are you a student? They offer Win 7 Pro Upgrade for students with a .edu e-mail address for 67 bucks. Newegg also sells System Builder (OEM, essentially) versions of Win 7. You shouldn't have to shell out $600.
You honestly don't need a sound card. Most (if not all) motherboards these days have onboard sound that is more than adequate for every day/gaming use.
Monitors are a little trickier, because almost all of their advertised features are snakeoil marketing mumbo jumbo. Contrast ratio? Worthless. Even response times can be misleading. 2ms may be the monitor's gray to gray speed, instead of black to black. Generally you want to find a display that has the screen resolution you want, and then if you'd like an adjustable stand or not. I would go into a local big box retailer and look at actual displays before deciding.
Speakers, you're better off getting a decent 2.1 set, imo. Klipsch Pro Media 2.1s are considered good, and Logitech makes a good 2.1 set.
The following threads have some good recommendations in them:
Guys I'm 15 minutes from a Microcenter. What motherboard processor combo do I get then? I'll just skip getting it at newegg.
This is what I'd do with a $600-$700 budget:
Microcenter: $140 - Phenom II X4 840 CPU + MSI 880G MoBo [$20 MIR on MoBo] $60 - Spinpoint 1TB HDD $40 - Microcenter 4GB DDR3-1333 RAM
Newegg (everything below should be free s/h): $170 - Powercolor HD6850 1GB GPU [$20 MIR] (1080p monitor)
-or- $120 - Powercolor HD5770 1GB GPU [$20 MIR] (720p monitor) $155 - Cooler Master HAF 912 Case + Windows 7 Home Premium OS $60 - Antec Earthwatts 500W PSU $18 - Lite-ON DVD-RW drive
Subtotal: $593/$643 (pre-tax)
Zoelef on
0
Options
firewaterwordSatchitanandaPais Vasco to San FranciscoRegistered Userregular
edited March 2011
Hey folks. A few quick questions re: upgrades...
My current desktop has an E8500 3.16gz, 4gb ddr2, and an 8800GT. Bought the CPU about two years ago-ish, and the GPU about 3-ish. I came in awhile ago asking what the right move was, and learned that the best move would be to wait. So, uh, yeah, do I:
Just upgrade the GPU for now - something like a GTX460 or a 6870?
Grab a new mobo/CPU/memory while I'm at it?
My current PSU is an Antec 500W - would I need more juice for a new GPU?
Any help is appreciated. I'll likely pester you all with more questions down the line. Cheers.
Oh and for what it's worth, my primary goals are having the explosions in DoW2 look as explode-y as possible, and making all the other games look good too.
You guys are all awesome. And for the person wanting windows 7, i know this will sound very different to what you might be used to but try Craigslist man! I bought Windows 7 Ultimate sealed for $55 a couple of months ago. Be very careful and ask the sellers a lot of questions to make sure you're not buying pirated software.
An update on my motherboard order. The P8P67 Pro is still very difficult to get. So much so that the order I placed last Thursday is still pending.
You see, now the item is listed as "back ordered." And my order has stopped but there's no notice of inventory problems. I've received no email saying its back ordered. So I called, and after being put on hold for 15 minutes, I find that CMIX.com has a bizarre understanding of what "back ordered" means. You see, to them even if you've made commitments to provide the motherboard to other people, that doesn't count until they actually confirm they still want the motherboard.
So I can order it and they won't give me my motherboard until they're sure they haven't promised to someone else. Even though I have already put up money. And somehow this can't be done ahead of time. And somehow none of this can be done on the weekend.
And apparently Friday now counts as the weekend since they couldn't manage to process my order or figure this shit out that day. Or the 3+ hours left in the business day after I ordered it on Thursday.
But they assure me they'll let me know by the end of the business day whether they were lying when they claimed to have the motherboard in stock last Thursday. Because they can't be expected to actually figure out how many components they actually have uncommitted before offering them out.
In other words, avoid NCIX.com. It doesn't have its shit together.
battledrill, I'd go with the Mobo/Proc set linked there (definitely go with an ATX mobo, it'll still fit your budget and will reward you in the long run). With the 50 bucks you mentioned earlier and the 40 bucks you'll save over the previously mentioned Mobo/Proc combo, you could jump up to something like the 5870 or 6950 1GB. Get yourself some real horsepower in there.
I put this in my page 11 build, comes with a cable and all that, and is just $2 more. I figured that'd be cheaper than just getting the drive and having to buy a cord.
In other words, avoid NCIX.com. It doesn't have its shit together.
ya this isn't really true at all. I use NCIX every few months for all kinds of things and give them hundreds of dollars in business every year. They are amazing. (I also live in Vancouver and can just walk over to their store and pickup stuff)
The problem is that Asus has not sent out very many P8P67 replacements yet to anybody. they are crazy limited. I've gotten my replacement because I dealt straight with Asus but if you go into a store and want to just buy one new right now you most likely aren't going to. Intel really fucked up 3rd parties with this recall.
In other words, avoid NCIX.com. It doesn't have its shit together.
ya this isn't really true at all. I use NCIX every few months for all kinds of things and give them hundreds of dollars in business every year. They are amazing. (I also live in Vancouver and can just walk over to their store and pickup stuff)
The problem is that Asus has not sent out very many P8P67 replacements yet to anybody. they are crazy limited. I've gotten my replacement because I dealt straight with Asus but if you go into a store and want to just buy one new right now you most likely aren't going to. Intel really fucked up 3rd parties with this recall.
And that's fine. But they shouldn't claim that they have them if they don't. And when I call 5 days later, they should be able to figure out whether or not I've been allocated one or not. Its Asus's fault (arguably) that they don't have sufficient motherboards to meet the demand. Its their fault that they claimed to have enough motherboards to meet their orders (especially at a 20% markup over suggested retail).
Monitors are a little trickier, because almost all of their advertised features are snakeoil marketing mumbo jumbo. Contrast ratio? Worthless. Even response times can be misleading. 2ms may be the monitor's gray to gray speed, instead of black to black. Generally you want to find a display that has the screen resolution you want, and then if you'd like an adjustable stand or not. I would go into a local big box retailer and look at actual displays before deciding.
I'm actually looking for some suggestions as to a monitor purchase as well.
I currently have a pair of monitors that are a few years old, and have been pondering an upgrade of some sort for a while. The primary monitor is a 20" Samsung widescreen display, and the secondary is a 19" Samsung 4:3 display that is dying.
Now, if I keep with two monitors, getting a nicely sized 23-24"+ monitor and making the old primary my new secondary doesn't make much sense, as they'd fit side by side even more poorly than the current two do (which really isn't too bad).
So, I'm weighing between snagging 2 monitors at the same time, or going with one more expensive but larger one. I've even heard of people using LCD TVs for their monitor, and the idea of having a 30"+ monitor holds appeal.
Primary uses for the system are browsing and gaming. Big releases I can't wait for this year include Portal 2, Mass Effect 3 and (hopefully) Diablo 3 (or next year, whenever Blizzard gets around to it), so a little input would be appreciated.
Unless someone can make a highly convincing argument in favour of the single large monitor, I am kind of leaning towards a pair of 23's or so, maybe even just snagging one to start and seeing if I can't wean myself off paired monitors this year, which were mainly an adaptation to years of WoW'ing and having the game up on the main monitor and an info site, the forums, itunes or Youtube or something on the other.
Thoughts?
Forar on
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
[strike]Quick question. If a motherboard says it supports DDR2 800, will it also work with a slower speed, like DDR2 533?[/strike]
Nevermind, fixed my problem a different way.
Now, if I keep with two monitors, getting a nicely sized 23-24"+ monitor and making the old primary my new secondary doesn't make much sense, as they'd fit side by side even more poorly than the current two do (which really isn't too bad).
Mount your current one vertically (portrait-style), use it for web pages.
Now, if I keep with two monitors, getting a nicely sized 23-24"+ monitor and making the old primary my new secondary doesn't make much sense, as they'd fit side by side even more poorly than the current two do (which really isn't too bad).
Mount your current one vertically (portrait-style), use it for web pages.
Heh, the "stand" for it is very literally just that. I have it set to a height of my liking by putting a phonebook under it, don't believe there's any hardware in place to do that without buying or Macgyver'ing a mount on my own.
That said, I might give that one to my girlfriend anyway.
Forar on
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
0
Options
firewaterwordSatchitanandaPais Vasco to San FranciscoRegistered Userregular
edited March 2011
I've more or less decided to just upgrade my graphics card for now - figure I'll see what kind of improvement that gives me, then maybe get new mobo/cpu/ram/psu in a few months or something. So I guess a more direct question is what's a sensible upgrade? I'm looking at the following (all 1gb with tax/rebates and whatnot included):
I'm leaning towards getting the GTX460 for a few reasons, the primary one being that I can pick up another one when I get all new other stuff and SLI them. The price is also pretty good, it would be a huge update from my 8800GT, and I don't have too much concern about running it with my antec ew 500 PSU (whereas I don't know much about the ATI cards re: power). Also I'm kind of retarded and own stock in nvidia, but that doesn't really matter I guess.
Anyway, what do you guys think? I'm currently at 1680x1050, but I'd like to be able to go to 1920x1200 with ease, should I find a good deal on a new monitor or whatever. Would getting a 6950 on the PSU I have be way stupid? Also, does anyone have any experience doing the bios trick with the 6950? Thanks!
Hey PA, I just put in my new Radeon 4850. I a "two 4 pin to 1 6 pin" adaptor, but when I plug that into my card the computer won't turn on, but when I pull it out the computer turns on and the fan on the graphics card spins. I am going to check and see if the graphics card is actually running here. Any reason why my computer would not turn on? I have a 500w PSU which should be above what I need for an athlon ii x4 640 and a Radeon 4850, 1 cd drive and 1 hard drive, and 2 case fans.
Hey PA, I just put in my new Radeon 4850. I a "two 4 pin to 1 6 pin" adaptor, but when I plug that into my card the computer won't turn on, but when I pull it out the computer turns on and the fan on the graphics card spins. I am going to check and see if the graphics card is actually running here. Any reason why my computer would not turn on? I have a 500w PSU which should be above what I need for an athlon ii x4 640 and a Radeon 4850, 1 cd drive and 1 hard drive, and 2 case fans.
What is your specific PSU? Different brands make different amperage ratings for the +12V rails for the same wattage.
Obbz on
The story so far:
In the beginning the Universe was created.
This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.
Also if you need a reason to get a Corsair 600T this is it:
Thanks for posting that. Looks great. My reservations about spending more than $100 on a case are put to rest.
And in related news, what is the advantage of a nice PSU like the one you have, the Corsair AX750? That one runs over $130 US, yet people are linking to Corsair supplies here in the same wattage range for $70. Modular cables, for sure, but is noise reduced? Stable performance?
Hey PA, I just put in my new Radeon 4850. I a "two 4 pin to 1 6 pin" adaptor, but when I plug that into my card the computer won't turn on, but when I pull it out the computer turns on and the fan on the graphics card spins. I am going to check and see if the graphics card is actually running here. Any reason why my computer would not turn on? I have a 500w PSU which should be above what I need for an athlon ii x4 640 and a Radeon 4850, 1 cd drive and 1 hard drive, and 2 case fans.
What is your specific PSU? Different brands make different amperage ratings for the +12V rails for the same wattage.
It is coolermaster. I moved some cables and tried a different 4 pin connector and everything seems peachy now, and it does send out a connection signal. Now time to install the drivers and test out a few games.
So, I have several months to build a new computer, and I have no problem with it taking literally several months (I just want it ready for the release of The Old Republic). That being said, is there a specific time in the next few months that would be a really good time to purchase particular components? Like, any big new video card release dates or anything like that coming up?
Thanatos on
0
Options
CarbonFireSee youin the countryRegistered Userregular
So, I have several months to build a new computer, and I have no problem with it taking literally several months (I just want it ready for the release of The Old Republic). That being said, is there a specific time in the next few months that would be a really good time to purchase particular components? Like, any big new video card release dates or anything like that coming up?
Well the Intel Sandy Bridge Processors just came out, and that will likely be the benchmark for CPUs for a while. As for video cards, the top cards are unlikely to be surpassed even by the next iteration of the mid range lines, so it can really depend on how much you want to spend. That said, there will likely be a fall/winter refresh of the graphics card lines, so if you want to wait till then, you'll probably increase your eventual bang-for-buck ratio a little.
Most of the mid-high to high-end cards out right now should be able to crush SW:TOR, considering it's a game going for mass market appeal (read: crappy machines).
So, I have several months to build a new computer, and I have no problem with it taking literally several months (I just want it ready for the release of The Old Republic). That being said, is there a specific time in the next few months that would be a really good time to purchase particular components? Like, any big new video card release dates or anything like that coming up?
AMD is rumored to be releasing their Bulldozer chipset in June. Other than that, nothing new really.
Yeah, I'm looking for a solid bang-for-my-buck system.
i.e. I want to maximize my marginal gains; if I get a 10% improvement for a $20 investment, a 20% improvement for a $30 investment, a 40% improvement for a $50 investment, and a 50% improvement for a $100 investment, I'm probably going to spend the $50.
And if there's not going to be a huge change in that in the next few months, maybe I'll do it earlier rather than later.
Thanatos on
0
Options
HardtargetThere Are Four LightsVancouverRegistered Userregular
Also if you need a reason to get a Corsair 600T this is it:
Thanks for posting that. Looks great. My reservations about spending more than $100 on a case are put to rest.
And in related news, what is the advantage of a nice PSU like the one you have, the Corsair AX750? That one runs over $130 US, yet people are linking to Corsair supplies here in the same wattage range for $70. Modular cables, for sure, but is noise reduced? Stable performance?
heh it's totally necessary realistically.
It's modular, which costs more, and it's Gold 80 certified which costs more. Basically it's the fanciest PSU they make in a 750w version. You can spend more and get a 850w or 1000w as well. I really didn't need it but maybe one day I'll slap a second 6950 in the system and set up Crossfire and I dunno, it'll be real stable.
Corsair makes a Modular PSU that isn't Gold 80 certified that I'd highly recommend. Pricewise it's right in the the middle of the one I have and the base Corsair you were probably looking at. (Once you go modular you can never go back)
Hardtarget on
0
Options
HardtargetThere Are Four LightsVancouverRegistered Userregular
So, I have several months to build a new computer, and I have no problem with it taking literally several months (I just want it ready for the release of The Old Republic). That being said, is there a specific time in the next few months that would be a really good time to purchase particular components? Like, any big new video card release dates or anything like that coming up?
Right now is a good time since not only is Sandybridge out BUT Sandybridge motherboards have been fixed.
I'd probably wait a month before I buy though just so that there are actually fixed motherboards on the market, right now with the recall they are mostly going out to people who are having theirs swapped.
So, I have several months to build a new computer, and I have no problem with it taking literally several months (I just want it ready for the release of The Old Republic). That being said, is there a specific time in the next few months that would be a really good time to purchase particular components? Like, any big new video card release dates or anything like that coming up?
Right now is a good time since not only is Sandybridge out BUT Sandybridge motherboards have been fixed.
I'd probably wait a month before I buy though just so that there are actually fixed motherboards on the market, right now with the recall they are mostly going out to people who are having theirs swapped.
It's practically day-to-day right now for SB because demand far exceeds supply; any sub-$100 board sells out right away
I'm still 50/50 on jumping ship to SB, but then I see zero ITX boards and my wallet breathes a sigh of relief for now
Zoelef on
0
Options
HardtargetThere Are Four LightsVancouverRegistered Userregular
So, I have several months to build a new computer, and I have no problem with it taking literally several months (I just want it ready for the release of The Old Republic). That being said, is there a specific time in the next few months that would be a really good time to purchase particular components? Like, any big new video card release dates or anything like that coming up?
Right now is a good time since not only is Sandybridge out BUT Sandybridge motherboards have been fixed.
I'd probably wait a month before I buy though just so that there are actually fixed motherboards on the market, right now with the recall they are mostly going out to people who are having theirs swapped.
It's practically day-to-day right now for SB because demand far exceeds supply; any sub-$100 board sells out right away
I'm still 50/50 on jumping ship to SB, but then I see zero ITX boards and my walet breathes a sigh of relief for now
I have a Asus P8P67 Pro paired with a i7 2600k and it's super awesome. highly recommend SB
Got my TruePower 750 today. Nice PSU, mind you, but it was billed as a "hybrid modular" setup or some such, with the idea being that your basic must-have cords are hard-wired, while the rest can be added to the modular expansion ports.
Hey, makes sense. No need for a detachable 20/24-pin mobo connector, really. Cool. I get that.
Apparently, though, they consider "must-have" to include more cords than my old PSU had in total. No shit. Including an entire fucking cord of like four 4-pin Molex connectors. Really? The only reason I need one of those is for my fan controller.
My new GPU (560 Ti, overclocked) is pretty bitchin', though. I know it wasn't the absolute best value for the money at the moment, but it'll do. Figure now I just need to work my mobo/CPU upgrade in soon enough that I can still pick up a second card to SLI up.
mcdermott on
0
Options
firewaterwordSatchitanandaPais Vasco to San FranciscoRegistered Userregular
edited March 2011
Going with the GTX 460; I had the bright idea to check to see if the 6950 would fit in my sonata 3 and nope! No dice - case is too small!
I just want to say the Radeon 4850 is one fine card. I can not only put everything up to full settings at full resolution, but I am also doubling my FPS.
kleinfehn on
0
Options
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
I've more or less decided to just upgrade my graphics card for now - figure I'll see what kind of improvement that gives me, then maybe get new mobo/cpu/ram/psu in a few months or something. So I guess a more direct question is what's a sensible upgrade? I'm looking at the following (all 1gb with tax/rebates and whatnot included):
I'm leaning towards getting the GTX460 for a few reasons, the primary one being that I can pick up another one when I get all new other stuff and SLI them. The price is also pretty good, it would be a huge update from my 8800GT, and I don't have too much concern about running it with my antec ew 500 PSU (whereas I don't know much about the ATI cards re: power). Also I'm kind of retarded and own stock in nvidia, but that doesn't really matter I guess.
Anyway, what do you guys think? I'm currently at 1680x1050, but I'd like to be able to go to 1920x1200 with ease, should I find a good deal on a new monitor or whatever. Would getting a 6950 on the PSU I have be way stupid? Also, does anyone have any experience doing the bios trick with the 6950? Thanks!
460 SE are not worth it. Get a regular 460 1GB model like this.
1. Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB HD103SJ 69
2. Corsair CMX4GX3M2A1600C9 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 58
3. Antec Three Hundred Case 65
4. Thermaltake ToughPower XT 675W 155
5. EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB 299
6. Intel Core i5 2500 229
7. ASUS P8H67-M-PRO Motherboard B3 175
8. Pioneer DVR-219L DVDRW OEM 35
9. ASUS VE247H 23.6inch Widescreen LED Monitor 215
Total: $1211
I'm not sure about the monitor. I'd like to spend ~$200 for as good quality as I can get. Any ideas, or is the one I have now okay?
And would it be a serious error to change from the GTX580 down to the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 460 1GB Overclocked? Thanks, dudes!
Basing this 100% off of the PC Case Gear site...assuming you don't want to SLI at a later date, that in mind there are some costs you can cut:
$89 - Antec Neo ECO 620W 80-Plus PSU (Note: no included power cord)
Reasoning: Antec is a respectable PSU name brand and I chose the 620W model over the 520W because the 560Ti sucks up slightly more power than the 6870/6950.
$139 - Asus P8H67-M-LE Motherboard
Reasoning: If you're okay with two memory slots and no SLI capabilities, this is now functionally equivalent to the Pro version.
$56 - Corsair 4GB DDR3-1333 RAM, single stick
Reasoning: H67 doesn't accept memory speeds over 1333 and going for a single stick means we can expand with a second one at a later date. If you can live without heatsinks on the RAM (I can't because I'm neurotic that way) there are several choices at the $49 mark.
Total savings: $104
I'm building something very close to this but with ITX form factor and a massive SSD in the near future. Good luck!
Any one on the monitor I'm looking at? The ASUS VE247H 23.6inch Widescreen LED Monitor. I'll take any other recommendations for around $200. I trust the people on this board more than a few online reviews.
Any one on the monitor I'm looking at? The ASUS VE247H 23.6inch Widescreen LED Monitor. I'll take any other recommendations for around $200. I trust the people on this board more than a few online reviews.
I actually think I have this monitor. Or at least a similar model. It's excellent. It tends to tint a bit on the blue side, but using Windows 7's monitor calibration tool, you can easily correct this.
My online store of choice (NCIX) finally has the LGA1155 motherboards back in stock. As such, I have made some slight revisions to my desired build, and now am looking at the following:
460 SE are not worth it. Get a regular 460 1GB model like this.
Hm, ordered that one I linked yesterday - not sure what the difference is though, except that it looks like the MSI one has been factory overclocked and that it'd also be about 30-40ish dollars more. Is the SE way different or something?
Posts
Hot air rises, so top and rear fans should be set as exhaust fans.
Generally, you should have front/bottom/side fans as intakes and top/rear fans as exhaust.
I can't see anything inherently wrong with the build. Looks like good parts choice to me. If you plan on overclocking your i5, you may wish to think about an aftermarket cooler. Something like the CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ is excellent bang/buck.
As for Windows 7, are you a student? They offer Win 7 Pro Upgrade for students with a .edu e-mail address for 67 bucks. Newegg also sells System Builder (OEM, essentially) versions of Win 7. You shouldn't have to shell out $600.
Oh also mice, speakers and keyboards!
Not looking to spend lots and lots, but also want something that will last/quality.
Concerning monitors, I was looking at this http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=558_1094&products_id=16823
Monitors are a little trickier, because almost all of their advertised features are snakeoil marketing mumbo jumbo. Contrast ratio? Worthless. Even response times can be misleading. 2ms may be the monitor's gray to gray speed, instead of black to black. Generally you want to find a display that has the screen resolution you want, and then if you'd like an adjustable stand or not. I would go into a local big box retailer and look at actual displays before deciding.
Speakers, you're better off getting a decent 2.1 set, imo. Klipsch Pro Media 2.1s are considered good, and Logitech makes a good 2.1 set.
The following threads have some good recommendations in them:
Keyboards
Mice
Speakers
This is what I'd do with a $600-$700 budget:
Microcenter:
$140 - Phenom II X4 840 CPU + MSI 880G MoBo [$20 MIR on MoBo]
$60 - Spinpoint 1TB HDD
$40 - Microcenter 4GB DDR3-1333 RAM
Newegg (everything below should be free s/h):
$170 - Powercolor HD6850 1GB GPU [$20 MIR] (1080p monitor)
-or-
$120 - Powercolor HD5770 1GB GPU [$20 MIR] (720p monitor)
$155 - Cooler Master HAF 912 Case + Windows 7 Home Premium OS
$60 - Antec Earthwatts 500W PSU
$18 - Lite-ON DVD-RW drive
Subtotal: $593/$643 (pre-tax)
My current desktop has an E8500 3.16gz, 4gb ddr2, and an 8800GT. Bought the CPU about two years ago-ish, and the GPU about 3-ish. I came in awhile ago asking what the right move was, and learned that the best move would be to wait. So, uh, yeah, do I:
Just upgrade the GPU for now - something like a GTX460 or a 6870?
Grab a new mobo/CPU/memory while I'm at it?
My current PSU is an Antec 500W - would I need more juice for a new GPU?
Any help is appreciated. I'll likely pester you all with more questions down the line. Cheers.
Oh and for what it's worth, my primary goals are having the explosions in DoW2 look as explode-y as possible, and making all the other games look good too.
______________________
battlerep on STEAM.
You see, now the item is listed as "back ordered." And my order has stopped but there's no notice of inventory problems. I've received no email saying its back ordered. So I called, and after being put on hold for 15 minutes, I find that CMIX.com has a bizarre understanding of what "back ordered" means. You see, to them even if you've made commitments to provide the motherboard to other people, that doesn't count until they actually confirm they still want the motherboard.
So I can order it and they won't give me my motherboard until they're sure they haven't promised to someone else. Even though I have already put up money. And somehow this can't be done ahead of time. And somehow none of this can be done on the weekend.
And apparently Friday now counts as the weekend since they couldn't manage to process my order or figure this shit out that day. Or the 3+ hours left in the business day after I ordered it on Thursday.
But they assure me they'll let me know by the end of the business day whether they were lying when they claimed to have the motherboard in stock last Thursday. Because they can't be expected to actually figure out how many components they actually have uncommitted before offering them out.
In other words, avoid NCIX.com. It doesn't have its shit together.
QEDMF xbl: PantsB G+
That's damned solid deal-finding, sir, damned solid.
battledrill, I'd go with the Mobo/Proc set linked there (definitely go with an ATX mobo, it'll still fit your budget and will reward you in the long run). With the 50 bucks you mentioned earlier and the 40 bucks you'll save over the previously mentioned Mobo/Proc combo, you could jump up to something like the 5870 or 6950 1GB. Get yourself some real horsepower in there.
Battle.net
Handmade Jewelry by me on EtsyGames for sale
Me on Twitch!
The problem is that Asus has not sent out very many P8P67 replacements yet to anybody. they are crazy limited. I've gotten my replacement because I dealt straight with Asus but if you go into a store and want to just buy one new right now you most likely aren't going to. Intel really fucked up 3rd parties with this recall.
And that's fine. But they shouldn't claim that they have them if they don't. And when I call 5 days later, they should be able to figure out whether or not I've been allocated one or not. Its Asus's fault (arguably) that they don't have sufficient motherboards to meet the demand. Its their fault that they claimed to have enough motherboards to meet their orders (especially at a 20% markup over suggested retail).
QEDMF xbl: PantsB G+
I'm actually looking for some suggestions as to a monitor purchase as well.
I currently have a pair of monitors that are a few years old, and have been pondering an upgrade of some sort for a while. The primary monitor is a 20" Samsung widescreen display, and the secondary is a 19" Samsung 4:3 display that is dying.
Now, if I keep with two monitors, getting a nicely sized 23-24"+ monitor and making the old primary my new secondary doesn't make much sense, as they'd fit side by side even more poorly than the current two do (which really isn't too bad).
So, I'm weighing between snagging 2 monitors at the same time, or going with one more expensive but larger one. I've even heard of people using LCD TVs for their monitor, and the idea of having a 30"+ monitor holds appeal.
Primary uses for the system are browsing and gaming. Big releases I can't wait for this year include Portal 2, Mass Effect 3 and (hopefully) Diablo 3 (or next year, whenever Blizzard gets around to it), so a little input would be appreciated.
Unless someone can make a highly convincing argument in favour of the single large monitor, I am kind of leaning towards a pair of 23's or so, maybe even just snagging one to start and seeing if I can't wean myself off paired monitors this year, which were mainly an adaptation to years of WoW'ing and having the game up on the main monitor and an info site, the forums, itunes or Youtube or something on the other.
Thoughts?
Nevermind, fixed my problem a different way.
Mount your current one vertically (portrait-style), use it for web pages.
______________________
battlerep on STEAM.
Heh, the "stand" for it is very literally just that. I have it set to a height of my liking by putting a phonebook under it, don't believe there's any hardware in place to do that without buying or Macgyver'ing a mount on my own.
That said, I might give that one to my girlfriend anyway.
Radeon 6850 - ~$174
Radeon 6950 - ~$254
GTX 460SE - ~$157
I'm leaning towards getting the GTX460 for a few reasons, the primary one being that I can pick up another one when I get all new other stuff and SLI them. The price is also pretty good, it would be a huge update from my 8800GT, and I don't have too much concern about running it with my antec ew 500 PSU (whereas I don't know much about the ATI cards re: power). Also I'm kind of retarded and own stock in nvidia, but that doesn't really matter I guess.
Anyway, what do you guys think? I'm currently at 1680x1050, but I'd like to be able to go to 1920x1200 with ease, should I find a good deal on a new monitor or whatever. Would getting a 6950 on the PSU I have be way stupid? Also, does anyone have any experience doing the bios trick with the 6950? Thanks!
What is your specific PSU? Different brands make different amperage ratings for the +12V rails for the same wattage.
In the beginning the Universe was created.
This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.
Thanks for posting that. Looks great. My reservations about spending more than $100 on a case are put to rest.
And in related news, what is the advantage of a nice PSU like the one you have, the Corsair AX750? That one runs over $130 US, yet people are linking to Corsair supplies here in the same wattage range for $70. Modular cables, for sure, but is noise reduced? Stable performance?
Warframe: TheBaconDwarf
It is coolermaster. I moved some cables and tried a different 4 pin connector and everything seems peachy now, and it does send out a connection signal. Now time to install the drivers and test out a few games.
Well the Intel Sandy Bridge Processors just came out, and that will likely be the benchmark for CPUs for a while. As for video cards, the top cards are unlikely to be surpassed even by the next iteration of the mid range lines, so it can really depend on how much you want to spend. That said, there will likely be a fall/winter refresh of the graphics card lines, so if you want to wait till then, you'll probably increase your eventual bang-for-buck ratio a little.
Most of the mid-high to high-end cards out right now should be able to crush SW:TOR, considering it's a game going for mass market appeal (read: crappy machines).
AMD is rumored to be releasing their Bulldozer chipset in June. Other than that, nothing new really.
i.e. I want to maximize my marginal gains; if I get a 10% improvement for a $20 investment, a 20% improvement for a $30 investment, a 40% improvement for a $50 investment, and a 50% improvement for a $100 investment, I'm probably going to spend the $50.
And if there's not going to be a huge change in that in the next few months, maybe I'll do it earlier rather than later.
It's modular, which costs more, and it's Gold 80 certified which costs more. Basically it's the fanciest PSU they make in a 750w version. You can spend more and get a 850w or 1000w as well. I really didn't need it but maybe one day I'll slap a second 6950 in the system and set up Crossfire and I dunno, it'll be real stable.
Corsair makes a Modular PSU that isn't Gold 80 certified that I'd highly recommend. Pricewise it's right in the the middle of the one I have and the base Corsair you were probably looking at. (Once you go modular you can never go back)
I'd probably wait a month before I buy though just so that there are actually fixed motherboards on the market, right now with the recall they are mostly going out to people who are having theirs swapped.
It's practically day-to-day right now for SB because demand far exceeds supply; any sub-$100 board sells out right away
I'm still 50/50 on jumping ship to SB, but then I see zero ITX boards and my wallet breathes a sigh of relief for now
Got my TruePower 750 today. Nice PSU, mind you, but it was billed as a "hybrid modular" setup or some such, with the idea being that your basic must-have cords are hard-wired, while the rest can be added to the modular expansion ports.
Hey, makes sense. No need for a detachable 20/24-pin mobo connector, really. Cool. I get that.
Apparently, though, they consider "must-have" to include more cords than my old PSU had in total. No shit. Including an entire fucking cord of like four 4-pin Molex connectors. Really? The only reason I need one of those is for my fan controller.
My new GPU (560 Ti, overclocked) is pretty bitchin', though. I know it wasn't the absolute best value for the money at the moment, but it'll do. Figure now I just need to work my mobo/CPU upgrade in soon enough that I can still pick up a second card to SLI up.
460 SE are not worth it. Get a regular 460 1GB model like this.
2. Corsair CMX4GX3M2A1600C9 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 58
3. Antec Three Hundred Case 65
4. Thermaltake ToughPower XT 675W 155
5. EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB 299
6. Intel Core i5 2500 229
7. ASUS P8H67-M-PRO Motherboard B3 175
8. Pioneer DVR-219L DVDRW OEM 35
9. ASUS VE247H 23.6inch Widescreen LED Monitor 215
Total: $1211
I'm not sure about the monitor. I'd like to spend ~$200 for as good quality as I can get. Any ideas, or is the one I have now okay?
And would it be a serious error to change from the GTX580 down to the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 460 1GB Overclocked? Thanks, dudes!
Basing this 100% off of the PC Case Gear site...assuming you don't want to SLI at a later date, that in mind there are some costs you can cut:
$89 - Antec Neo ECO 620W 80-Plus PSU (Note: no included power cord)
Reasoning: Antec is a respectable PSU name brand and I chose the 620W model over the 520W because the 560Ti sucks up slightly more power than the 6870/6950.
$139 - Asus P8H67-M-LE Motherboard
Reasoning: If you're okay with two memory slots and no SLI capabilities, this is now functionally equivalent to the Pro version.
$56 - Corsair 4GB DDR3-1333 RAM, single stick
Reasoning: H67 doesn't accept memory speeds over 1333 and going for a single stick means we can expand with a second one at a later date. If you can live without heatsinks on the RAM (I can't because I'm neurotic that way) there are several choices at the $49 mark.
Total savings: $104
I'm building something very close to this but with ITX form factor and a massive SSD in the near future. Good luck!
Any one on the monitor I'm looking at? The ASUS VE247H 23.6inch Widescreen LED Monitor. I'll take any other recommendations for around $200. I trust the people on this board more than a few online reviews.
I actually think I have this monitor. Or at least a similar model. It's excellent. It tends to tint a bit on the blue side, but using Windows 7's monitor calibration tool, you can easily correct this.
Steam profile.
Getting started with BATTLETECH: Part 1 / Part 2
http://promotions.newegg.com/neemail/mar-0-2011/madness15/index-landing.html?nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL031511&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL031511-_-EMC-031511-Index-_-E0-_-PromoWord
$394.99
$109.99
$238.99
$123.98
$68.98
$129.99
$27.99
$95.76
$152.98
Those are all Canadian prices, by the way.
Any comments or suggestions? I'm open to cost cutting ideas, though this is ABOUT the level of power I would want from whatever I buy.
Hm, ordered that one I linked yesterday - not sure what the difference is though, except that it looks like the MSI one has been factory overclocked and that it'd also be about 30-40ish dollars more. Is the SE way different or something?