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It's been months...still not sure about this computer build...

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  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383


    Originally posted by Nunez1212
    Another question that I have been wondering but have not seen a specific answer to just yet, is how long does a motherboard usually last? My last mobo lasted only about 3-4 years and now only 1 out of 4 of the RAM slots work :/
    How can I tell a good one from a bad one? The one I'm looking at now is this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131770

    For electronics, a good rule of thumb:
    If it has anything that moves (hard drive platter, fan, pump, etc): 3-5 years
    If it is all solid state and kept clean and cool: decades

    So motherboards fall somewhere in between, as they usually have a northbridge-mounted cooler with a fan, or get abused because of components getting pulled and re-installed, or have a lot of auxiliary equipment which could fail. 5-8 years is pretty typical for a desktop motherboard kept pretty clean that doesn't get too abused.

    There are only a few ways to tell "good" from "bad" - one is from legit reviews that do in-depth testing. Anandtech and HardOCP are my favorite, but they can't do a lot of longevity testing, as they usually just get the boards when they are first released so how can they know if the board will have problems 2-3-8 years down the road. But, a good quality board that works well now will probably continue to do so as long as you keep it clean and well maintained. Another way to tell is from user and buyer reviews: Take these with a large grain of salt, as disgrunteled people are much more likely to post than satisfied customers (the vocal minority). I tend to have my favorite brands that I've had good luck with, and I always look to them first (even if it means paying a few extra dollars): Asus in particular, Gigabyte and MSI have been good for several years, and there are some up and comers that produce quality products as well.

  • RobgmurRobgmur Member Posts: 322

    Originally posted by Nunez1212

    Originally posted by czekoskwigel

    Originally posted by Nunez1212

    Hmm well I'm not trying to call you or anyone on here a liar, but maybe they were just ill informed and like many people spreading information unresearched. Here is a question to you since you have seemed to research your information. The PSU that I have been contemplating getting: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094  I have been told it is "golden" and should last me a very very long time. Few questions. How much is "very very long"? Will this be sufficient enough for the higher cards that are being released soon? I just hate to spend $70 on it and then next year have to buy another one because this one is weak...

    I wouldn't buy anything less than 700 watts.

    I would have thought the same thing before Quizzical recommended this exact psu to someone else here a few days ago for a build that was about $1000 and was hosting an i5 2500k and a 6870. I have also heard many people state that the wattage is not nearly as important as the AMP rating and this one has a 20A rating for 12V which is supposedly very good.

     Of course when getting any PSU you want the better AMP draw, why would you buy a Ferrari if it had a lawn mower engine in it?

    *Corsair Obsidian Series 650D *i5-2500K OC'd ~ 4.5
    *Asus P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 mother board
    * Radeon HD 7970
    *8GB (4GBx2) 1600MHz Kingston HyperX
    *240GB Corsair Force GT Series SATA-III SSD

  • czekoskwigelczekoskwigel Member Posts: 458

    Originally posted by Nunez1212

    Originally posted by Robgmur

    But like we all were saying, AMD followed by NVIDIA will more than likely launch cards soon that are roughly the same price as the 560 ti or 6950 2gb but could possibly draw way less power and are more stable with a slight jump in performance. So it would be worth waiting for those  while the 260 you have holds you over.

    I am also a bit confused on which cards we are all talking about. Many people say different names and I don't know which is which. From what I understand, southern islands is supposed to come out soon, and Kepler is totally different and will be out much later? When is the southern islands supposed to be releasing exactly?

     

    http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card-gaming-performance,3042.html

     

    All you need to know about picking your videocard

  • RobgmurRobgmur Member Posts: 322

    Originally posted by Nunez1212

    Originally posted by Robgmur

    But like we all were saying, AMD followed by NVIDIA will more than likely launch cards soon that are roughly the same price as the 560 ti or 6950 2gb but could possibly draw way less power and are more stable with a slight jump in performance. So it would be worth waiting for those  while the 260 you have holds you over.

    I am also a bit confused on which cards we are all talking about. Many people say different names and I don't know which is which. From what I understand, southern islands is supposed to come out soon, and Kepler is totally different and will be out much later? When is the southern islands supposed to be releasing exactly?

    -code names-

    Southern Island= AMD cards, releases soon

    Keplar = Nvidia cards, will follow the release of AMDs shortly after

    All of this is notional''

    *Corsair Obsidian Series 650D *i5-2500K OC'd ~ 4.5
    *Asus P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 mother board
    * Radeon HD 7970
    *8GB (4GBx2) 1600MHz Kingston HyperX
    *240GB Corsair Force GT Series SATA-III SSD

  • czekoskwigelczekoskwigel Member Posts: 458

    Originally posted by Robgmur

    Originally posted by Nunez1212


    Originally posted by czekoskwigel


    Originally posted by Nunez1212

    Hmm well I'm not trying to call you or anyone on here a liar, but maybe they were just ill informed and like many people spreading information unresearched. Here is a question to you since you have seemed to research your information. The PSU that I have been contemplating getting: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094  I have been told it is "golden" and should last me a very very long time. Few questions. How much is "very very long"? Will this be sufficient enough for the higher cards that are being released soon? I just hate to spend $70 on it and then next year have to buy another one because this one is weak...

    I wouldn't buy anything less than 700 watts.

    I would have thought the same thing before Quizzical recommended this exact psu to someone else here a few days ago for a build that was about $1000 and was hosting an i5 2500k and a 6870. I have also heard many people state that the wattage is not nearly as important as the AMP rating and this one has a 20A rating for 12V which is supposedly very good.

     Of course when getting any PSU you want the better AMP draw, why would you buy a Ferrari if it had a lawn mower engine in it?

    I dont want to make this personal, but Quizzical always finds his way to the hardware recommendation threads, and just the thought of it brings to mind fingernails on a chalkboard.  Nothing personal, but ignore his advice on this one.

  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383


    Originally posted by Robgmur

    Originally posted by Nunez1212
    To NoQuarter:
    I don't think it would be worth it upgrade past my current gtx 260 core 216 since the performance gains would not be huge and much better cards should be out moderately soon. On the topic of CPU, the benchmarks that I have seen do not seem to warrant the i5 2500k for me since by the time the x4 is outdated in performance I should have a much better economical position for putting money into a pc, though right now I'm looking to save money if possible. I am planning on getting a smaller 64gb Sata III SSD to put the OS and a few main games on to optimize performance, but other then that I believe the performance/price should be adaquate for now and will not be a waste of my money. If you really think about it...money is relative. To me, $500 is a lot of money, but to perhaps a millionaire it is quite small. So by formulating what the best build would be by using finances that span for years and years seems quite pointless when in that much time my ecnomonical stance could be quite different, and since things point to them being much better in the future then situationally I would be saving more money if I just got the cheaper version now and the more expensive pieces later. 
    Okay for the love of all that is good just get the 2500k and a small SSD and keep your 320gbHDD for now. Don't let them rope you into thinking  the AMD cpu is a good choice, it is weak and out dated. Why spend 120$ now and another 120-150$ a year or two from now and still (for GAMING) having an equivalent CPU as the 2500k that you could just get now and be done. The other posters are throwing too many options and variants at you. Just get the recommended by the book build for performance. the 2500k and a SSD now and a new GPU a few months from now when the new lines arrive. You get what you pay for.. so don't go for the cheapest ways out (especially if you're a perfectionist). There is a line for performance hardware in gaming (Low budget / Low performace-----------High budget / Extreme performance), people will obviously argue this because I guess they get offended when a person spends 2000$$ + on a build. Don't try hoping to different sides if your budget is 700$$ or so, just stay center and game.

    Actually I tend to agree with this. If you have the money, get the Intel. It runs games now, but it is already long in the tooth, and the 2500k is head and shoulders above it. The difference in price by the time you factor in the chip and motherboard is probably only $100, but it saves you from having to do another $150-$200 upgrade in a couple of years. Sure, that upgrade could be marginally faster than your current i5, but if you have the i5 now, you wouldn't need the upgrade then either. I think the value is there to just buy it now and be done with it.

    Get your 1155 motherboard, get your i5 CPU, get the Seasonic power supply.

    Recycle the case and video card. Look to upgrade those both in a year or two.

    Your set for the next 4+ years with that plan.

  • RobgmurRobgmur Member Posts: 322

    Originally posted by Ridelynn

     




    Originally posted by Robgmur





    Originally posted by Nunez1212

    To NoQuarter:

    I don't think it would be worth it upgrade past my current gtx 260 core 216 since the performance gains would not be huge and much better cards should be out moderately soon. On the topic of CPU, the benchmarks that I have seen do not seem to warrant the i5 2500k for me since by the time the x4 is outdated in performance I should have a much better economical position for putting money into a pc, though right now I'm looking to save money if possible. I am planning on getting a smaller 64gb Sata III SSD to put the OS and a few main games on to optimize performance, but other then that I believe the performance/price should be adaquate for now and will not be a waste of my money. If you really think about it...money is relative. To me, $500 is a lot of money, but to perhaps a millionaire it is quite small. So by formulating what the best build would be by using finances that span for years and years seems quite pointless when in that much time my ecnomonical stance could be quite different, and since things point to them being much better in the future then situationally I would be saving more money if I just got the cheaper version now and the more expensive pieces later. 






    Okay for the love of all that is good just get the 2500k and a small SSD and keep your 320gbHDD for now. Don't let them rope you into thinking  the AMD cpu is a good choice, it is weak and out dated. Why spend 120$ now and another 120-150$ a year or two from now and still (for GAMING) having an equivalent CPU as the 2500k that you could just get now and be done. The other posters are throwing too many options and variants at you. Just get the recommended by the book build for performance. the 2500k and a SSD now and a new GPU a few months from now when the new lines arrive. You get what you pay for.. so don't go for the cheapest ways out (especially if you're a perfectionist). There is a line for performance hardware in gaming (Low budget / Low performace-----------High budget / Extreme performance), people will obviously argue this because I guess they get offended when a person spends 2000$$ + on a build. Don't try hoping to different sides if your budget is 700$$ or so, just stay center and game.



     

    Actually I tend to agree with this. If you have the money, get the Intel. It runs games now, but it is already long in the tooth, and the 2500k is head and shoulders above it. The difference in price by the time you factor in the chip and motherboard is probably only $100, but it saves you from having to do another $150-$200 upgrade in a couple of years. Sure, that upgrade could be marginally faster than your current i5, but if you have the i5 now, you wouldn't need the upgrade then either. I think the value is there to just buy it now and be done with it.

    Get your 1155 motherboard, get your i5 CPU, get the Seasonic power supply.

    Recycle the case and video card. Look to upgrade those both in a year or two.

    Your set for the next 4+ years with that plan.

     Case closed.

    BOOM I find the defendant.. GUILTY, for wanting get a new budget build for future proofing.

    *Corsair Obsidian Series 650D *i5-2500K OC'd ~ 4.5
    *Asus P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 mother board
    * Radeon HD 7970
    *8GB (4GBx2) 1600MHz Kingston HyperX
    *240GB Corsair Force GT Series SATA-III SSD

  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383


    Originally posted by Robgmur


    Originally posted by Nunez1212


    Originally posted by czekoskwigel


    Originally posted by Nunez1212
    Hmm well I'm not trying to call you or anyone on here a liar, but maybe they were just ill informed and like many people spreading information unresearched. Here is a question to you since you have seemed to research your information. The PSU that I have been contemplating getting: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094  I have been told it is "golden" and should last me a very very long time. Few questions. How much is "very very long"? Will this be sufficient enough for the higher cards that are being released soon? I just hate to spend $70 on it and then next year have to buy another one because this one is weak...

    I wouldn't buy anything less than 700 watts.

    I would have thought the same thing before Quizzical recommended this exact psu to someone else here a few days ago for a build that was about $1000 and was hosting an i5 2500k and a 6870. I have also heard many people state that the wattage is not nearly as important as the AMP rating and this one has a 20A rating for 12V which is supposedly very good.

     Of course when getting any PSU you want the better AMP draw, why would you buy a Ferrari if it had a lawn mower engine in it?

    First off: Watts doesn't mean anything, you do need to look at Amp draw, and how those amps are arranged across the various rails.
    Second off: Quiz makes his recommendations for power supplies based a) on quality supplies, and also b) whatever happens to be on sale at the time he made the recommendation. If you asked him today, he may very well recommend a different unit. It doesn't mean that the Seasonic isn't still good, it just means he found a better deal that will work for you someplace else at this point in time.

    Now, having said watts are useless, it's also important to point out that it's the only standard number that the industry seems to use. The typical computer will never use more than 300W total, even with a nice graphics card. I usually recommend a quality 650W because it's in the sweet spot: big enough to run most any card, but not so big as to cost a lot or run into efficiency problems. A ~good~ 500W can run up through a 6950/560Ti based on manufacturers recommendations.

    ~Most~ people can run a 400-500W power supply with no issue, because most people aren't running around with $350-500 video cards. Anyone running 1000W power supplies with your 107W 5770 or 450GTS (and I know your out there) are just racking up the electricity bill for absolutely no reason at all and rocking about a 72% efficiency rating running that power supply at 15% load.

  • Yeah I have been looking at ASUS a lot for a mobo because I have a friend who has done several builds and told me that out of all the computers he has put together, the ASUS mobo has lasted him the longest. I just want something solid that will last me :/ Any tips on maintaning the health of my hardware? That's probably something I should really know more about...

    Also I'm getting mixed opinions about the PSU from everyone....so idk what to think :(

  • czekoskwigelczekoskwigel Member Posts: 458

    I generally go with ASUS or MSI, those are generally a safe bet.  As far as taking care of it, just stick with the basics:  Keep it cool, clean, and dry. 

  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383


    Originally posted by Nunez1212
    Yeah I have been looking at ASUS a lot for a mobo because I have a friend who has done several builds and told me that out of all the computers he has put together, the ASUS mobo has lasted him the longest. I just want something solid that will last me :/ Any tips on maintaning the health of my hardware? That's probably something I should really know more about...
    Also I'm getting mixed opinions about the PSU from everyone....so idk what to think :(

    Clean it out every once and awhile with compressed air. Dust bunnies are bad. It doesn't have to be pristine, but if there is a layer of dust on everything, it means it runs that much hotter. I've seen computers get to the point where the dust is so thick it actually clogs up and stops fan blades from turning.

    Aside from dust, just make sure all the fans you have keep running. Fans like to die from time to time, and sometimes they are in hard to see areas (like on the motherboard itself). They don't cost much to replace, but if you don't it can seriously damage or reduce the life of your stuff.

  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383


    Originally posted by Nunez1212
    I was thinking may this PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182132

    I can't find any legit reviews about this unit, so I couldn't say one way or another if it's any good.

    I think I'd fall back on this one. Similar wattage, similar price, rock solid testing on reviews.
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151095

    If HardOCP says it passes, it doesn't matter what color award they give it, it's a great unit.
    http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/05/18/seasonic_m12ii620_power_supply_review/9


  • Originally posted by Ridelynn

     




    Originally posted by Nunez1212

    I was thinking may this PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182132




     

    I can't find any legit reviews about this unit, so I couldn't say one way or another if it's any good.

    I think I'd fall back on this one. Similar wattage, similar price, rock solid testing on reviews.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151095

    If HardOCP says it passes, it doesn't matter what color award they give it, it's a great unit.

    http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/05/18/seasonic_m12ii620_power_supply_review/9

    Thank you! That one looks of much much better quality! It's funny how I am the 'genius tech' in my house according to everyone, but no matter how much time I spend asking questions, learning, reading and researching... I always find that everyone seems to know waaay more than me :P Though I always appreciate that in some ways because then it never gets boring :D

  • Ok this is it...I'm done with this. This is the final and complete build. I'm pulling the trigger tomorrow and in a week instead of for 'fun' debating over PC components...I will be playing Skyrim. I am keeping the gtx 260 216 core, but I will be ordering this new case. Like many others have stated, I will wait to upgrade my GPU for awhile and stay satisified with what I already have. Here is the final build! Thank you all for the help, advice, patience and laughs :) I wish everyone working at building their own pc the best of luck and that it is easier but just as enjoyable as mine has been :)

     

    image

     

    PC SPECS:

    Case: Cooler Master HAF 912

    PSU: SeaSonic M12II 620w

    RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB @ 1600

    Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 (REV 3.1)

    CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K

    GPU: Keeping current for now (GTX 260 MAXCORE 216 CORE)

    HDD: WD Blue 7200RPM (current)

    SSD: Crucial M4 64GB SATA III   (For OS and main games)

    TOTAL COSTS FOR NEW PARTS: $708.92 with shipping and handling

     

     

    Addtional Specs:

    - Might get a mechanical keyboard later down the line when I recover from the money spent now, that along with a RAT 7     mouse

    - Monitor: ASUS 24''  VE249H   (already purchased)

    - Headset: Sennheiser PC 360     (already purchased)

    - Astro Mixamp 5.8                           (already purchased)

     

    I believe with this setup I will be able to experience high quality and high performance at a very modest price compared to other builds that I have seen. I do believe I will be happy with this build for a long time to come, and again thank everyone for helping me out along the way :)

  • RobgmurRobgmur Member Posts: 322

    Originally posted by Nunez1212

    Ok this is it...I'm done with this. This is the final and complete build. I'm pulling the trigger tomorrow and in a week instead of for 'fun' debating over PC components...I will be playing Skyrim. I am keeping the gtx 260 216 core, but I will be ordering this new case. Like many others have stated, I will wait to upgrade my GPU for awhile and stay satisified with what I already have. Here is the final build! Thank you all for the help, advice, patience and laughs :) I wish everyone working at building their own pc the best of luck and that it is easier but just as enjoyable as mine has been :)

     

    image

     

    PC SPECS:

    Case: Cooler Master HAF 912

    PSU: SeaSonic M12II 620w

    RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB @ 1600

    Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 (REV 3.1)

    CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K

    GPU: Keeping current for now (GTX 260 MAXCORE 216 CORE)

    HDD: WD Blue 7200RPM (current)

    SSD: Crucial M4 64GB SATA III   (For OS and main games)

    TOTAL COSTS FOR NEW PARTS: $708.92 with shipping and handling

     

     

    Addtional Specs:

    - Might get a mechanical keyboard later down the line when I recover from the money spent now, that along with a RAT 7     mouse

    - Monitor: ASUS 24''  VE249H   (already purchased)

    - Headset: Sennheiser PC 360     (already purchased)

    - Astro Mixamp 5.8                           (already purchased)

     

    I believe with this setup I will be able to experience high quality and high performance at a very modest price compared to other builds that I have seen. I do believe I will be happy with this build for a long time to come, and again thank everyone for helping me out along the way :)

     Very good, and when the new cards come, it's a simple pop and swap and BAM, you will see a massive jump in gaming performance with the new GPU when it comes knocking. At that point, you will be set for a long long time. Game on!

    *Corsair Obsidian Series 650D *i5-2500K OC'd ~ 4.5
    *Asus P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 mother board
    * Radeon HD 7970
    *8GB (4GBx2) 1600MHz Kingston HyperX
    *240GB Corsair Force GT Series SATA-III SSD

  • RobgmurRobgmur Member Posts: 322

    By the way the RAT 7 mouse is pretty cool, I use that for FPS's.  I use the RAZER death adder for my laptop, it's also a very nice mouse for a modest price and looks sharp.

    *Corsair Obsidian Series 650D *i5-2500K OC'd ~ 4.5
    *Asus P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 mother board
    * Radeon HD 7970
    *8GB (4GBx2) 1600MHz Kingston HyperX
    *240GB Corsair Force GT Series SATA-III SSD

  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383

    Nice build.

    One thing to mention. Since your doing a motherboard swap, your going to need an OS - that triggers reactivation (that will fail) if you try to re-use the install that is on your current HD from your old computer.

    If you have anything except for a full retail version of Windows, you will need a new license/serial number to reactivate. If you have the full retail version, you can call the 1-800 number that shows up when it fails activation and explain you are moving the license to your new computer and they will give you an unlock code to reactivate with.

    You'll be doing a clean re-install on the SSD at any rate I assume, but it's just something to keep in mind, especially if your old version of windows was a pre-installed OEM edition (most people get it this way).

  • ronpackronpack Member Posts: 138
    I only read about half the posts so not sure if anyone else mentioned it. But, you should consider matching the videocard maker with the motherboard maker. Two of my friends decided to try it and their PC's are more magical than Steve Jobs dust...

    I know people are going to argue against it and say it doesn't matter but I've been told that when you do match them up, you get bonus features that make them run great together.

    And also, you don't really need more than 4GB of RAM. I don't think there is any game that requires more than 2GB? Just disable all the crud in MSCONFIG except firewall/antivirus. Also Google Black Viper. His website is a community project that has helped countless people with speeding up their PC's by disabling needless services running in Windows. Oh, and another thing about memory. They too have 'features' and when paired with the right motherboard, it helps. Same with the CPU. Buy a cheap mobo and you miss out on those features. Goodluck!
  • RobgmurRobgmur Member Posts: 322

    Originally posted by ronpack

    I only read about half the posts so not sure if anyone else mentioned it. But, you should consider matching the videocard maker with the motherboard maker. Two of my friends decided to try it and their PC's are more magical than Steve Jobs dust... I know people are going to argue against it and say it doesn't matter but I've been told that when you do match them up, you get bonus features that make them run great together. And also, you don't really need more than 4GB of RAM. I don't think there is any game that requires more than 2GB? Just disable all the crud in MSCONFIG except firewall/antivirus. Also Google Black Viper. His website is a community project that has helped countless people with speeding up their PC's by disabling needless services running in Windows. Oh, and another thing about memory. They too have 'features' and when paired with the right motherboard, it helps. Same with the CPU. Buy a cheap mobo and you miss out on those features. Goodluck!

     /wrists

    *Corsair Obsidian Series 650D *i5-2500K OC'd ~ 4.5
    *Asus P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 mother board
    * Radeon HD 7970
    *8GB (4GBx2) 1600MHz Kingston HyperX
    *240GB Corsair Force GT Series SATA-III SSD

  • mrxennonmrxennon Member Posts: 209

    Originally posted by Nunez1212

    I have been contemplating a new pc build for the newer games such as Skyrim, BF3 and Guild wars 2. I have been thinking and reviewing for months now and have still not come to terms with which hardware to settle on. I have learned a lot in this time, but still do not know. The problem is...I cannot go test this equipment out so I will never fully know until I just gamble and buy it. How can i really know how much better the 6950 2gb card will run BF3 then say a 560ti?? I can look at youtube videos and I can read forums, but I'll never trully know until I pull the trigger and hope I chose the right one. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and so it's hard for me to do that... So far this is a few of the hardware items I have been debating upon. Maybe after some talk on here I can finally come to terms with what pieces are worth the buy.

     

    Case:

    FT02: I was suggested this one a long time ago, but it's just soooo expensive and just does not seem justifiable to me.

    Cooler master elite 430: I love the way this case looks and it is only $50 on newegg. It does not have as many features as the storm scout, but it's very cheap

    Storm Scout: Pretty sweet design, has great features and is not to bad in price, $85

    Azza Triton Black: VERY cheap. About $35 after rebate and has a lot of features...it's just a bit ugly.

     

    CPU:

    2500k: Yes, I know this one is supposedly the best price to performance for gaming, but it's pretty expensive

    i3 2100: I have seen benchmarks stating that this is much better at gaming then the amd x4's even though it is only a dual core. Though I have often wondered if that is only because it was benchmarking games that only utilized two cores...so I'm not sure how it would hold up in the newer games.

    x4 965: A cheap quad core that supposedly runs games quit well...I have thought about getting this one quite a lot since I really only game with my computer..besides the occasional youtube watching and such, but the only thing that I do that pushes it is gaming. Seems like a great choice, but I have heard that going with intel was a better upgrade path.

     

    Motherboard:

    Intel: Really it's between an intel motherboard and an amd one which also coincides with the cpu obviously. I'm a bit confused about these boards.. I have heard z68, h67 and p67 will support ivy bridge and that's great and all, but damn they are up there in price.. Not sure if they are really worth it for gaming..

    AMD: I have only come across one or two am3+ boards that have decent reviews and they are from GIGABYTE. This is of course only looking at user reviews from newegg so I'm not sure how accurate they really are, but everything else seemed to have a high DOA rating and that's no good.. Though I would not want to get an am3 because then I can't upgrade to bulldozer later :/

     

    RAM:

    Pretty much I was planning on going with 8gb that has a low failure rating at 1600mhz speeds. I have read that past 1600 was very little performance gain....and thats all i really know about ram besides it has to be dual/triple channel depending on your mobo.

     

    GPU:

    There are several cards that I have been comtemplating, but I just don't know how well they will run games :/ It's so hard to tell.... So far I have been debating upon: 6870, 560 ti, and 6950 2gb. That's the main three. I would honestly just love to go with the 6870 since it's the cheapest, but I also don't want to be dissapointed in the performance..

     

    PSU: 

    I don't know how to completely check the wattage and what +12V means... I don't know about any of that besides that 650w  is supposed to be plenty for a single gpu and about 750w for dual? 650 - 750 modular

     

    Anyways, whoever has got this far and can give me some advice would be greatly appreciated....thanks. Hopefully together we can solve my curse of perfectionism...

     

    Case:  You answered your own question, but its a personal thing, but consider the space you need for your GPU, how your psu will sit and where all the cabling is going or if your going down the water cooling route,  My choice is Antec 1200 or the 300 if money is an issue.

    CPU:  i5 2500k @3.3Ghz

    Motherboard:  Gigabyte Z68AP-D3  (socket1155)  has a lot of functions that you probably wont use but bang for buck a great board.

    GPU I wouldnt consider anything below 560Ti now

    RAM I just recently bought 8gig Corsair Vengeancxe 1600 Dual channel.

    PSU 650w should do you fine, just dont buy a cheap model,  I bought Antec Truepower 750 80 plus bronze, you get plenty of cables with this and you get the minimum you actually require fixed, improves the air flow if you do your cable management right.

    I've just built a machine with the above components, it runs like a dream, dont even know if the machine is switched on it is that quiet.

     

    Battlefield 3, I had a problem on another system I had where it freezes and locks up, needing a hard reboot.  After 4 days of raging at EA and Origin who have had a DXDIAG file sent to them, never responded to a fix and I and a lot of other plaers have the same problems.  But yesterday I disabled the onboard sound and installed a soundblaster card.  issue solved.  It seems the game didnt like my Asus onboard sound card.

     

     

  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383


    Originally posted by ronpack
    I only read about half the posts so not sure if anyone else mentioned it. But, you should consider matching the videocard maker with the motherboard maker. Two of my friends decided to try it and their PC's are more magical than Steve Jobs dust...I know people are going to argue against it and say it doesn't matter but I've been told that when you do match them up, you get bonus features that make them run great together.

    I won't tell you all the things that I've been told, that just aren't true... The cake is a lie.

    You absolutely do not need to match motherboard and video card manufacturers. While you could do it via Asus, MSI, or even eVGA or Gigabyte, it won't grant you any bonuses to your total geek score. You won't get any more FPS or performance. Nothing magical will happen. Not even if you sprinkle magic Steve Jobs Pixie Dust over your computer.

    That said, there's nothing wrong with doing it, but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to do it for any mythical bonus points.

  • mrxennonmrxennon Member Posts: 209

    Originally posted by Ridelynn

     




    Originally posted by ronpack

    I only read about half the posts so not sure if anyone else mentioned it. But, you should consider matching the videocard maker with the motherboard maker. Two of my friends decided to try it and their PC's are more magical than Steve Jobs dust...

     

    I know people are going to argue against it and say it doesn't matter but I've been told that when you do match them up, you get bonus features that make them run great together.



     

    I won't tell you all the things that I've been told, that just aren't true... The cake is a lie.

    You absolutely do not need to match motherboard and video card manufacturers. While you could do it via Asus, MSI, or even eVGA or Gigabyte, it won't grant you any bonuses to your total geek score. You won't get any more FPS or performance. Nothing magical will happen. Not even if you sprinkle magic Steve Jobs Pixie Dust over your computer.

    That said, there's nothing wrong with doing it, but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to do it for any mythical bonus points.

    I really dont know where people get these myths from.  I supose these same people suggest I only put my intel i5 or i7 in an intel made motherboard to?

  • noquarternoquarter Member Posts: 1,170


    Originally posted by Ridelynn
    Nice build.One thing to mention. Since your doing a motherboard swap, your going to need an OS - that triggers reactivation (that will fail) if you try to re-use the install that is on your current HD from your old computer.If you have anything except for a full retail version of Windows, you will need a new license/serial number to reactivate. If you have the full retail version, you can call the 1-800 number that shows up when it fails activation and explain you are moving the license to your new computer and they will give you an unlock code to reactivate with.You'll be doing a clean re-install on the SSD at any rate I assume, but it's just something to keep in mind, especially if your old version of windows was a pre-installed OEM edition (most people get it this way).

    Whenever I've had to call the 1-800 number it's been completely automated - just punched in the code Windows had given me and it activated it for me.

    Also, if you are using a Windows upgrade version you're only suppose to use it when you have a previous version of Windows installed, but I like starting with a freshly formatted drive. You can still install it to an empty drive and then set a registry flag to bypass the requirement.

  • KotatsuKotatsu Member Posts: 57

    Just got all my parts in today.

    NZXT Phantom Orange Trim Case

    Gigabyte Z68 Mobo

    Intel Core i5-2500k

    Corsair H50 Liquid Cooling

    HIS Radeon HD 6950 2GB (Adding another this December)

    G.Skill Ripjaw X Series 16GB DDR3 1600 8-8-8-24 SDRAM

    Rosewill HIVE Series 750W PSU

    Crucial 64GB SSD (OS)

    Crucial 128GB SSD (Programs)

    Not the best out there, but it was a reasonable price for all the parts and it should handle all current games and future ones as well. I've been posted for like two days looking out the window for the UPS delivery person. I probably creeped the neighbors out.

    (o'')-O Vs Q('' Q)
    image

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