Building a new PC

[Delarock]

Soooo... It's getting to that time where I feel like my current home computer is getting a little old. I'm thinking about building a new PC. I've been doing research, and it's now at the point where I've decided on nothing more than the processor, but I have a bunch of ideas that aren't really coming together.

I'm looking to build a PC with an i7-3770k. I have an SSD, and I'd like to get a 1-3 TB HD for storage. Aside from this, I'm pretty lost. I got lost at the case/motherboard, as I'm looking to build something smaller sized. I only need 1 GPU, but I'd like to be able to upgrade to 2 in the future. So I'm stuck between a mini ITX and a micro ATX mobo, and then the case for it. I was looking at the BitPhoenix Prodigy, but I think it's only mini ITX. I'd prefer mATX for upgradability purposes. I can't find a decently priced mobo with wi-fi built in, but I'd prefer that.

So the long and short of it is that I'm trying to build a small(er) form factor PC for light gaming purposes. My only requirement is that I can use dual monitors with it. I'd like suggestions on mobo's and cases, and graphics cards as well. Trying to keep the computer itself under a grand, as I figure the monitors, keyboard, mouse, etc. is going to run me another couple hundred bucks.

Anyone wanna help me?

[Mogonis]

I figure the monitors, keyboard, mouse, etc. is going to run me another couple hundred bucks.
The monitors should be at least that much each.

[NinjasLeadTheWay]

Save yourself the trouble and just loop it all through a decent TV. I just got that little apple device that lets me use my laptop, ipad, ipone all on my 55 inch flatscreen with the push of a couple buttons. Saves my eyes too.

[Bobmuhthol]

I don't build PCs because I don't find it cost efficient, so I could be totally off here, but I think you're going to need to buy a larger motherboard than micro ATX if you want to use CrossFire / whatever the fuck Nvidia calls theirs.

If it were me, I'd just buy http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883258013.

[Delarock]

Micro ATX should have no problem with two GPU's. More than that isn't going to happen. And a lot of it has to do with the case.

I'm budgeting about $500 for the miscellany. Wanted to keep this whole project under $1500.

[Bobmuhthol]

It might have the slots, but there are plenty video cards that obstruct neighboring slots with huge fans.

[subzero]

It might have the slots, but there are plenty video cards that obstruct neighboring slots with huge fans.

This. Mobo manufacturers haven't exactly been on top of things regarding the actual space required for multiple cards while promoting things like crossfire compatibility.

[Delarock]

From the research I've done, micro ATX will work, mini ITX won't. I'll look further. Anyone have suggestions on video cards?

[Bobmuhthol]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130810&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-Desktop+Graphics+Cards-_-N82E16814130810&gclid=COnV4L-hxrUCFYqf4AodtREA8A

[Drew]

I'm actually building this right now:
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/307329_10151499821727429_1146880409_n.jpg

[Androidpk]

Hurry up and build it so I can tell you that you didn't build it yourself!

[Keller]

no video card?

[Androidpk]

He's waiting for the GTX Titan.

[Drew]

no video card?

Me? Cause I have Sapphire Radeon 7970 right there in the top of the pic.

[waywardgs]

I just built a PC. I7-3770k, MSI GTX660TI 2gb, ASrock z77 mobo, OCZtech 850watt zsrs power, ssd, 3tb seagate, blabla... case is a bitfenix ghost. Very similar to what Drew's got going on. I'm liking it so far, except I made the horrible, horrible mistake of installing win8. FML.

[Fallen]

I recently built a new gaming PC myself. My advice would be to either get a 650 ti or 660 ti, or wait until the next gen is announced and pick up a 680 once they drop in price.

[Androidpk]

Go big or go home (http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/19/nvidia-gtx-titan-announce/)

http://i46.tinypic.com/f0c5zk.jpg

[Bobmuhthol]

Thread: Building a new PC (http://forum.gsplayers.com/showthread.php?79169-Building-a-new-PC&p=1504725#post1504725)
Not cost efficient- wow, this is the dumbest, most incorrect thing you've said in a long stream of similar idiocy.

Whoever wrote this is seriously fucking retarded.

[Paradii]

Thread: Building a new PC (http://forum.gsplayers.com/showthread.php?79169-Building-a-new-PC&p=1504725#post1504725)
Not cost efficient- wow, this is the dumbest, most incorrect thing you've said in a long stream of similar idiocy.

Whoever wrote this is seriously fucking retarded.

I didn't leave the rep, but it really depends on what your initial budget is. This article makes a convincing argument that at the lower end your better off going manufactured, but once you are planning on going >$1,000, homemade starts to pull ahead.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/203827/build_the_perfect_pc.html

[Androidpk]

Don't limit yourself to a small case. I ended up going with a Corsair Obsidian 650D and haven't regretted it one bit. The thing is sexy looking and built like a tank. I ended up flipping over in my office chair (don't ask how) and came crashing down on the desktop, knocking it over onto it's side while it was running. Didn't even skip a beat.

http://i46.tinypic.com/21j28t3.png

[Paradii]

Don't limit yourself to a small case. I ended up going with a Corsair Obsidian 650D and haven't regretted it one bit. The thing is sexy looking and built like a tank. I ended up flipping over in my office chair (don't ask how) and came crashing down on the desktop, knocking it over onto it's side while it was running. Didn't even skip a beat.




http://static2.beanscdn.co.uk/modules/SbPicture/picture/-sitting-down-without-dying-fail-4.jpg I am going to assume it looked something like this.

[Gelston]

Thread: Building a new PC (http://forum.gsplayers.com/showthread.php?79169-Building-a-new-PC&p=1504725#post1504725)
Not cost efficient- wow, this is the dumbest, most incorrect thing you've said in a long stream of similar idiocy.

Whoever wrote this is seriously fucking retarded.

Agreed. Building your own computer used to be cost efficient, but there are so many good deals you can get on pre-built computers on the internet these days.

[Androidpk]

At the moment it started to happen it looked just like this, then proceeded in slow motion.


http://i50.tinypic.com/2qsxs7c.jpg

[Bobmuhthol]

I didn't leave the rep, but it really depends on what your initial budget is. This article makes a convincing argument that at the lower end your better off going manufactured, but once you are planning on going >$1,000, homemade starts to pull ahead.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/203827/build_the_perfect_pc.htmlI didn't say "it makes sense to buy a Dell" or anything, I said it's not cost efficient to go through the process of building a PC. Someone else is better than me, has access to lower component prices than me, values their time not spent building a computer less than I do, etc. The monetary cost of having someone else do everything that I would have to do far outweighs the shit I'd have to deal with to turn an idea into a working machine. That's what the economy is built on. But sure, someone here seems to believe that it's sensible for everyone to do everything themselves, because that makes tons of fucking sense. Comparative advantage doesn't exist in his world.

As far as the topic of the thread, you might want to adjust your expectations, particularly if you don't like the $1000 machine I pointed to (with the 3770k). The 660 Ti (which at least 3 people have recommended by now) is $300+, the 3770k is $300+, so you're looking at less than $400 to cover a case, hard drive, power supply, RAM, motherboard, optical drive...

[Paradii]

Is that a young Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? I knew he was a pbr drinking hipster.

[Delarock]

I'll use that avatar comp as a baseline and see if I can beat it.

[Showal]

At the moment it started to happen it looked just like this, then proceeded in slow motion.


http://i50.tinypic.com/2qsxs7c.jpg

Was it due to an involuntary reflex after reading about someone drilling holes into their computer case?

[Androidpk]

There was a cat involved.

[Delarock]

Anyone have any video card recommendations? Looking at the 660 and 660ti. What's the Radeon equivalent? Any reason why I should go with one over the other, or is this a Pepsi vs. Coke issue?

[Bobmuhthol]

The Radeon equivalent is the HD 7950, no real reason to choose one over the other.

[Methais]

This is what I bought a few months ago from ibuypower.com and it pwns, though it's not exactly small like you were wanting. But it still rules. The case is pretty badass too. I can't keep the women off of me now with this case.

1 x Case CoolerMaster HAF 922 Gaming Case - Black
0 x Case Lighting None
0 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction None
0 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion None
1 x Processor AMD FX-6100 CPU (6x 3.30GHz/6MB L2 Cache)
0 x iBUYPOWER PowerDrive None
1 x Processor Cooling Corsair Hydro Series H60 Liquid CPU Cooling System - Standard 120mm Fan
1 x Memory 8 GB [4 GB X2] DDR3-1600 Memory Module - Corsair Vengeance
1 x Video Card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 - 2GB - EVGA Superclocked - Core: 1202MHz
1 x Video Card Brand Major Brand Powered by AMD or NVIDIA
1 x Free Stuff [FREE] - Gigabyte GC-WB300D Bluetooth 4.0 / Dual Band WiFi Expansion Card - Free with purchase of selected Gigabyte Motherboard
1 x Motherboard Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 -- AMD 970
1 x Power Supply 500 Watt - Corsair CX500 V2
1 x Primary Hard Drive 1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive
0 x Data Hard Drive None
1 x Optical Drive 24X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black
0 x 2nd Optical Drive None
0 x Flash Media Reader / Writer None
0 x Meter Display None
0 x USB Expansion None
1 x Sound Card Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy SE
1 x Network Card Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100)
1 x Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium + Office Starter 2010 (Includes basic versions of Word and Excel) - 64-Bit
1 x Keyboard iBUYPOWER Standard Gaming Keyboard
1 x Mouse iBUYPOWER Standard Gaming Mouse - Blood Red
0 x Monitor None
0 x 2nd Monitor None
0 x Speaker System None
0 x Video Camera None
0 x Case Engraving Service None
1 x Warranty 3 Year Standard Warranty Service
1 x Rush Service Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) - No Rush Service, Estimate Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days
Subtotal : $912.00
Tax : $0.00
Ground Shipping : $75.00
Total : $987.00

[Fallen]

Evga, nice.

[Keller]

Me? Cause I have Sapphire Radeon 7970 right there in the top of the pic.

Don't correct me, bitch.

[Keller]

Also - I need an excuse to build a new rig. What are people playing that they need these beasts?

[AnticorRifling]

Here's what I had delivered yesterday:


CAS: Corsair Carbide 300R Mid-Tower Gaming Case w/ front USB 3.0
CASUPGRADE: None
CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
COOLANT: Standard Coolant
CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.00 GHz Eight-Core AM3+ CPU 8MB L2 Cache & Turbo Core Technology
CS_FAN: Maximum Enermax 120MM Case Cooling Fans for selected case (Maximum Silent Operation)(500-1,200 RPM T.B. Silence Black Color with Blue LED Twister Bearing 8-14 dBA)
FAN: CoolIT LCS ECO II-120MM FB Water Cooler
FREEBIE_MB: GIGABYTE GC-WB300D Exclusive Bluetooth 4.0/WiFi PCIe Expansion Card
HDD: 120 GB SAMSUNG 840 Series SATA-III 6.0Gb/s SSD - 530MB/s Read & 130MB/s Write (Single Drive)
HDD2: 2TB (2TBx1) SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 7200RPM HDD(Single Drive)
IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
KEYBOARD: (Keyboard & Mouse Combo) Razer Cyclosa Gaming Keyboard & Abyssus Gaming Mouse
MEMORY: 16GB (4GBx4) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (Corsair Vengeance)
MOTHERBOARD: [CrossFireX] GIGABYTE GA-970A-D3 AMD 970 Chipset Socket AM3+ ATX Mainboard w/ Touch Bios, Ultra Durable 2, On/Off Charge, 7.1 Audio, GbLAN, 2 Gen2 PCIe X16, 3 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
OS: Microsoft(R) Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit Edition)
POWERSUPPLY: * 750 Watts - Corsair CMPSU-750TXV2 80 Plus Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready
RUSH: No Rush Service, Estimate Ship Date 12 Business Days
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 1.2GB 16X PCIe Video Card (MSI Twin Frozr II 750 Mhz Powered by NVIDIA)

PRICE:1062 + 75 for shipping = 1137 total

[Jarvan]

It's about time for me to look at building a new rig again. 2 years since last one.

I could just up the video card, but it almost becomes a why not do most if not all of it, kind of thing.

[Methais]

Also - I need an excuse to build a new rig. What are people playing that they need these beasts?

Gemstone, what else?

I'm surprised you had to even ask.

[Fallen]

Also - I need an excuse to build a new rig. What are people playing that they need these beasts?

Crysis 3 is all the excuse you need. I imagine it will be replacing Battlefield as the new benchmark for game testing. A GTX 580 can't max out Crysis.

http://www.game-debate.com/games/index.php?g_id=3953&game=Crysis%203 Check out the High-performance rec. specs.

[Ashliana]

As far as the topic of the thread, you might want to adjust your expectations, particularly if you don't like the $1000 machine I pointed to (with the 3770k). The 660 Ti (which at least 3 people have recommended by now) is $300+, the 3770k is $300+, so you're looking at less than $400 to cover a case, hard drive, power supply, RAM, motherboard, optical drive...

Random note: I just picked up an i7-3770k for $230 from MicroCenter (cheaper in a brick and mortar store than both NewEgg/Amazon by $70-100. Go figure). Overclocked it from 3.5 to 4.5GHz. Wee.

http://www.microcenter.com/product/388575/Core_i7_3770K_35GHz_LGA_1155_Processor

[Delarock]

Yeah there is a MicroCenter about 40 minutes away from me. Might drop in tomorrow or next week for that chip.

I've pretty much abandoned the whole micro ATX thing. So I have the CPU, mobo, and case pretty much pinned down. Now I gotta figure gpu and ram.

[Fallen]

I haven't found anyone saying that going for something other than DDR 1600 is worthwhile. At that point, it is just a question of whether or not to spend a bit more money and max out the slots in your mobo.

[Ashliana]

I haven't found anyone saying that going for something other than DDR 1600 is worthwhile. At that point, it is just a question of whether or not to spend a bit more money and max out the slots in your mobo.

Honestly, it depends on the deal you can get. AFAIK, unless you're doing specific, mostly-RAM-based processing (like large image manipulation in Photoshop), RAM speed beyond a certain point offers extremely diminished returns. I picked up 16GB of 2400MHz Kingston DDR3 for about $100 on a (now expired) deal. I haven't compared the benchmarks between XMP profiles, but I imagine there's very little difference.

Anyway, you can get 1600MHz DDR3 all the time for about the same price.

[Delarock]

It's under $1500. There's a sale on the 3TB drive at Newegg.

Any thoughts?

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/F1K0
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/F1K0/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/F1K0/benchmarks/


CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 2.0 Pro 81.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($182.98 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($90.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($133.11 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: BitFenix Raider Window (Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case ($114.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1481.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-21 16:41 EST-0500)

[Ashliana]

Personally, I wouldn't go with a low-end water cooling solution. I'd consider a Hyper 212 Evo if your case has clearance for it--cheaper, works very well, less risk. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

If you're dead set on water cooling (and understand that any water cooling system runs the risk of ruining your entire setup if it springs a leak), I'd consider something like the Corsair H100i (~$110), again, if your case has clearance for it. What are you planning on doing with the chip? I've got mine overclocked to 4.5GHz on air; I could push it a little further, but the amount of increased heat Ivy Bridge generates when pushed past 1.3 vcore isn't worth the reduced life you get in exchange for the performance difference.

Didn't you also want an SSD? I've been seeing 256GBs on sale for $150 lately--pretty good deal, and any SSD will give you vastly superior boot times (as well as a generally more responsive experience) than any HDD. And I wouldn't bother with an optical drive myself--I haven't needed one in years, with digital downloads and USB thumb drives (PS3 for Blu-rays).

Edit: I'd also consider something like an Antec 900 instead of that case. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021

[Delarock]

Yeah the watercooling thing was an impulse type thing. May take that out.

I already have an SSD, so I won't need another one.

Anyone know if I can take my existing OS and just drop it into the new computer and reinstall it?

[Ashliana]

Existing OS as in, re-use your current Windows cd-key? Yes, you can do that. If you mean--can you take your current installation of Windows on your current SSD, connect it to the new equipment and expect it to boot?--It's a crapshoot. It may partially boot, and then blue screen once it gets to Windows, or it may work fine. My experience is that they usually don't work, and require a new installation.

[Delarock]

Is a 650w PSU going to be enough for this?

I'm gonna pull the trigger on this in the next day or two. I'm barely over budget once I get a keyboard and speakers.

[Fallen]

If you can spring for the 660 ti I would recommend doing so. For a few more dollars you can get as much as 20% greater performance out of the card BEFORE overclocking.

[Ashliana]

Is a 650w PSU going to be enough for this?

I'm gonna pull the trigger on this in the next day or two. I'm barely over budget once I get a keyboard and speakers.

If anything, 650 watts is overkill for a single GPU system. People tend to overestimate their power requirements, even though they've been on a downward trend thanks to die sizes scaling down (especially for CPUs). If you want to leave the option for a Crossfire/SLI system, you may want as much as 750 watts, depending on the card you get.

Checked out a few benchmarks:

"Here is Guru3Ds power supply recommendation:

GeForce GTX 660 - On your average system the card requires you to have a 450~500 Watt power supply unit.
GeForce GTX 660 SLI - On your average system the cards require you to have a 700 Watt power supply unit as minimum."

[g++]

Existing OS as in, re-use your current Windows cd-key? Yes, you can do that. If you mean--can you take your current installation of Windows on your current SSD, connect it to the new equipment and expect it to boot?--It's a crapshoot. It may partially boot, and then blue screen once it gets to Windows, or it may work fine. My experience is that they usually don't work, and require a new installation.

My experience has been the exact opposite. If you have a windows recovery cd I have never run into a situation where you cant get a windows system into a new environment. Windows 7 may realize all the hardware has changed and invalidate your key however.

[Delarock]

Ordered everything except the CPU, GPU, and PSU, which I will pick up locally next week. Pics when it's built and running.

[Delarock]

Still stuck on what I should do about a GPU. I'm starting to learn towards the 660 ti. It's a roughly $80 premium over the 660.

The hope is to pick up one card and pair another card to it in the future if I need/desire. Of course, I'd rather have a better card now and not have the need to add another GPU.

Any other advice?

[Androidpk]

Do you game a lot?

[Fallen]

Honestly, I don't like doubling up unless you do it from the start. Why? Because by the time you truly need it you can spend a bit more and get a current gen card with the new features and not have to run in SLI. I would go with the 660 ti. You can likely make do for now with a 660, but you'll need to replace it sooner rather than later. Spend a bit more now or spend a lot more sooner is the boat you're in, really.

[Bobmuhthol]

I still use a GeForce 9600 GT. I guess I haven't played any games in the last couple years, but people put way too much weight on having the best video card.

[Androidpk]

Yeah because if you're a gamer then who cares about maxing your games graphics.

[Bobmuhthol]

If you can tell the difference between 4xAA and 16xAA, you're doing something incredibly right. But nobody I know can.

And if you're going over 60 fps, that's real cool and all, but your eye can't see it.

[Fallen]

If you can tell the difference between 4xAA and 16xAA, you're doing something incredibly right. But nobody I know can.

If you can still run games at your monitor's native resolution and not suffer massive frame rate drops and pop-in (without setting everything to "low" or something) then you're fine.

[Androidpk]

Between 4xAA and 16xAA, depending the title, you can notice a big difference. Between 8x and 16 not so much. But there is more to high end graphics than just antialiasing.

[Drakefang]

Hrmm, I was going to start a thread like this but am getting some good info. My own personal question is about the GPU, as well. I guess Fallen kind of answered it. The thing is, it's a bitch to save a lot of cash for a top line current tech GPU.

I want an upgrade from what I have which is maybe two years old at this point. Is it a waste of time to make that half step assuming the step to current gen is just out of the budget?

This is what I currently have: GeForce GT 520 1GB

What I was thinking of getting is a GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB. That seems like it's not quite a year old. It's still steep for me and I was considering something closer to the $150 price. All I am curious is if that's a significant enough jump in power to make the purchase worth it. I'm just not going to invest $250 or more for a current gen or next release GPU. I just don't spend that much on my computer. If I could even get another GT 520 would using a second one in SLI even be worth the bother over a single GTX 460 or 560? I am guessing the answer is almost definitely no.

[Fallen]

http://www.evga.com/Products/ProductList.aspx?type=0&family=GeForce+600+Series+Family&chipset=GTX+650

Did you mean a 650? I'd recommend that over a last gen card.

[Androidpk]

Hrmm, I was going to start a thread like this but am getting some good info. My own personal question is about the GPU, as well. I guess Fallen kind of answered it. The thing is, it's a bitch to save a lot of cash for a top line current tech GPU.

I want an upgrade from what I have which is maybe two years old at this point. Is it a waste of time to make that half step assuming the step to current gen is just out of the budget?

This is what I currently have: GeForce GT 520 1GB

What I was thinking of getting is a GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB. That seems like it's not quite a year old. It's still steep for me and I was considering something closer to the $150 price. All I am curious is if that's a significant enough jump in power to make the purchase worth it. I'm just not going to invest $250 or more for a current gen or next release GPU. I just don't spend that much on my computer. If I could even get another GT 520 would using a second one in SLI even be worth the bother over a single GTX 460 or 560? I am guessing the answer is almost definitely no.

Like I asked the OP do you game a lot? What sort of games do you like playing?

[Delarock]

There's no specific games that I like to play. It's actually a little embarrassing after looking at benchmarks and tests for different games. The only game I play on the regular is Starcraft 2, and I did realize that there's the possibility I've dropped $1500 on a rig to play Starcraft at 150 fps... But I want to be able to play anything that catches my fancy, and I want a rig that's going to last me a long time.

I've only been reading about a select group of GPU's. My original plan was to rock a 660, but I think that I might be better served with a 660 ti, or even a 670 if I'm feeling spendy. I have no idea which way to go with a Radeon card, and was hoping to get a little insight into that world. A lot of what I've read alludes to the fact that it's six of one, half dozen of the other, but the lean is definitely towards nvidia.

$200 gets me a really good 660. Now I'm trying to figure out if it's worth spending a little more, which seems to be the case.

[Drakefang]

Like I asked the OP do you game a lot? What sort of games do you like playing?

I like to play current gen games but I don't feel any need to push my machine. I'm good with medium settings and some AA. I don't need my shadows maxed or anything like that. Would it be neat, yeah, sure. I just don't see me forking over a lot of cash to do so. Games are bad enough. Last three games are Path of Exile, Fallen Enchantress and Mass Effect 3. Civ 5 still pushes my machine to the limits so I have to be cautious with my settings once a lot of map is revealed.

Fallen's link is pretty nice and some of the cheapest pricing I've seen. Newegg's prices seems moderately higher across the board. I may look into the 650 2G at that price.

[Drisco]

Battery charger 1 just broke and I'm wondering if Battery charger 2 can just replace it. The laptop will turn on with it and function properly, but I don't wanna use it if it'll hurt the computer.

Battery 1 - Broken

4618

Battery 2 - Replacement

4619

[Drew]

I can't believe I bought Windows 8, its an abomination. Stick with Windows 7.

[Androidpk]

Battery charger 1 just broke and I'm wondering if Battery charger 2 can just replace it. The laptop will turn on with it and function properly, but I don't wanna use it if it'll hurt the computer.

Battery 1 - Broken

4618

Battery 2 - Replacement

4619

The voltages are fine but with the replacement charger having less ampere you may not want to use it since it could put strain on the charger and cause it to overheat.

[Delarock]

What is it about Win 8 that you don't like?

[subzero]

If you can tell the difference between 4xAA and 16xAA, you're doing something incredibly right. But nobody I know can.

And if you're going over 60 fps, that's real cool and all, but your eye can't see it.

I can usually see a good bit of difference between various AA settings. I suppose a lot of that may depend on the games themselves. As for frame rate, word it however you want, but I can definitely notice a difference between 100+ and 60 FPS.

[SHAFT]

I recently got the GTX 680 and overclocked my cpu. Made a huge difference. I really like my current setup. The 680 does wonders for Gemstone

[subzero]

This is what I currently have: GeForce GT 520 1GB

What I was thinking of getting is a GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB. That seems like it's not quite a year old. It's still steep for me and I was considering something closer to the $150 price. All I am curious is if that's a significant enough jump in power to make the purchase worth it. I'm just not going to invest $250 or more for a current gen or next release GPU. I just don't spend that much on my computer. If I could even get another GT 520 would using a second one in SLI even be worth the bother over a single GTX 460 or 560? I am guessing the answer is almost definitely no.

I'd advise not getting the 560 Ti at this point. I got one when it was relatively new and I still get driver crashes. Not nearly as frequently as I did when it was new, but it still happens and is a very common issue with the card. It's been a while since I did any digging into the problem, but if I recall correctly somewhere I read that it has some issue dumping memory or something which requires the thing to shut-down in order to clear. It's not a huge issue, but I have to shut-down the computer once every couple weeks or so depending on how much gaming I've done with it. Do a search for 560 Ti driver crash... the geforce forums have a post about it on the second page that was started two years ago among other new ones. On the bright side, the newer drivers seemed to have cut out non-gaming crashes. When I first got it, it wasn't uncommon for a driver crash while just screwin around on the web.

Also, and this is probably just one of those random hardware/manufacturing faults that could happen to any piece at any time, but this is the first and only card I've had that simply had a fan blade snap off during operation. Thankfully the temperatures stay in a good range with the fan throttled, otherwise I'd have had to replace/repair the thing because that unbalanced fan gets really loud and I'm sure causes more movement than it should at the upper range (I have to keep it under 40% speed while gaming or it starts to get annoyingly loud). Unfortunately, there is another blade next to it that is cracking at the base.

Aside from the bullshit that you could probably avoid by getting a newer model, it's been a good card. I just wouldn't buy another one after dealing with the one I have and personally knowing others with the same issue even after RMA.

[Delarock]

Well... Here it is from the inside.

Really wish I knew what I was doing when I put it together. I started on it way too late at night, got everything installed, wouldn't turn on. Slept for an hour, disassembled the whole thing, put it back together, still nothing. Started going through the internet without finding any help... And then I came across something completely unrelated to the various red warning lights on the motherboard...

Took battery out of mobo, flipped the CMOS jumper, flipped it back, booted no problem.

Then, after that picture, I rerouted all the cables and put it together.

I think all said and done, after splurging for a Blackwidow Ultimate Stealth keyboard, I just crossed $1700 including tax and shipping. I'm happy. I did wind up going with a 660 Ti.



4640

[Fallen]

Congrats on the new rig. Fire up some Crisis or Dead Space and enjoy.