12/7/2009 4:46:59 PM

Quote :

"Is it worth to upgrade? Currently have 2 x 1 GB PC2 9200 (1150). A friend is going to cut me a deal on a 2 x 2 GB PC2 8500 (1066)."

what kind of deal? with the speeds that close, it wouldn't make much difference if you were sticking with the same amount, but since you're doubling, i'd say definitely go for it

i can't imagine having less than 4gb these days, anyway

12/7/2009 4:51:17 PM

That's what I figured, but I felt like I was falling into some trap.

I have no idea WHY I felt that way, but... I just did. Retail price for my 2 GB kit a year and a half ago was $75, with a $25 rebate I believe. This 4 GB kit retails for 110 now, and he was offering $75.

DDR2 prices keep rising, and I figured I should make the jump now - hard to find that speed for that price (usually just the 800 kits are being sold on sale or special).

12/7/2009 5:58:52 PM

i'm so glad i picked up my 8gb for $30

then again, it isn't high-end memory, but i'm okay with that

12/7/2009 6:08:34 PM

http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/rts_desktop/rts_desktop//3/storefronts/NY556AA%2523ABA

what say TT about this?

Quote :

"Perfect for multimedia * Experience genuine Windows 7 Home Premium §§§64-bit * Get reliable performance from the 2.66GHz Intel Core i5-750 processor * Multitask with the 8GB PC3 8500 DDR3 SDRAM * Enhance multimedia with the 1.5B Nvidia GeForce GT230 graphics card * Store data on the high-capacity 1TB 7200 rpm SATA hard drive * Label discs with silkscreen-quality text, photos, and designs using HP's cool LightScribe feature1 "

$940 shipped. Not for me, else I would build it.

--
How the hell do they get away with a 350W PSU ?

[Edited on December 14, 2009 at 4:03 PM. Reason : .]

12/14/2009 3:54:11 PM

easy, core i5 is like what 65W? GT230 doesn't even have a PCI-E connector, 1 hard drive, 2-4 dimms, there's no way that machine peaks over 200-250W

people get crazy with their PSU's, with efficiency going through the roof most machines don't need anywhere NEAR 500W unless you run SLI/Crossfire or 4-5 hard drives

my C2D E8400, 9800GX2 (dual-gpu), 4dimms, 3 hdds only pull 320W under 100% load.

[Edited on December 14, 2009 at 4:12 PM. Reason : .]

12/14/2009 4:11:01 PM

so what about the system as a whole? I found a couple shitty forum posts regarding the video card...

12/14/2009 4:56:47 PM

it's not bad, although HP is the worst in terms of reliability... studies show it.

the GT230 is OEM only, it's pretty much the bottom of the line, they just threw some video ram at it to seem powerful even though it's not.

good thing a 4670 is only $75 these days.

i just built a Core i5, 4GB DDR3, 1.2TB (2x 640GB) HDD's, ATI 4670 1GB, OCZ 700W PSU, Win7 Pro 64-bit for about $750 after rebates, probably cost close to $850 shipped before rebates.

in terms of cost i'm not sure you'd get any lower building it yourself anyhow, i got a lot of BF deals and was building for a non-profit so saved money on Win7

[Edited on December 14, 2009 at 5:23 PM. Reason : .]

12/14/2009 5:19:03 PM

https://ecomm2.dell.com/dellstore/basket.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&itemtype=&cart
id=1007000204127&toEmail=ecomm@dell.com

Quote :

"Studio XPS 8000 Studio XPS 8000 Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64Bit, English Processors Studio XPS 8000, Intel® Core™ i5-750 processor(8MB Cache, 2.66GHz) Memory 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz - 4 DIMMs Keyboard Dell Studio Consumer Multimedia Keyboard Monitor 23" Dell ST2310 Full High Definition Monitor Video Card ATI Radeon HD 4350 512MB Hard Drives 640GB - 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 16MB Cache"

$1,165.32 with a 50.00 gift card

12/14/2009 5:54:24 PM

looks pretty good, about the same computer. you'd most likely still need to upgrade that POS 4350, but looks to be about the same as the HP

12/14/2009 6:11:46 PM

you can get it down to ~950 with an i7 cpu, the pos radeon, and no monitor. They wanted 100 bucks for the GT230 upgrade which seemed retarded. And 100 bucks for the 1TB HDD -- also retarded.

12/14/2009 6:19:24 PM

i'd probably do that

12/14/2009 6:24:14 PM

Okay, so I just finished my new computer.

Parts:

Case - NZXT Tempest EVO Gaming Tower Case
Processor - Intel Core i5 860 Processor (4x 2.66GHz/8MB L3 Cache)
Motherboard - ASUS P7P55D LE -- Intel P55 Chipset CrossFire Supported w/7.1 Sound, Dual-Channel DDR3, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, Dual PCI-Ex16 MB
Memory - 8 GB [2 GB X4] DDR3-1600 Corsair Memory Module
Video Card - EVGA ATI Radeon HD 5850 1GB - Single Card
Lightning - I stuck a blue cold cathode light up in there...
Power Supply - 800 Watt -- Corsair Power Supply - SLI Ready
Processor Cooling - Thermaltake Liquid CPU Cooling System w/ 120mm Radiator [SOCKET-1156]
Primary Hard Drive - 1.5 TB HARD DRIVE -- 16M Cache, 7200 RPM, 3.0Gb/s - Single Drive
Optical Drive - 22X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black
Sound Card - A Creative Labs X-Fi Sound Blaster I picked up
Network Card - Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100)

Aaaand, as a christmas treat, I picked up a 24" Sceptre 16:10 Widescreen HDTV PC LCD Monitor 1920x1200 - Black, and Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade (yay for student discounts).

OH YEA--forgot. I also threw in a 12-in-1 Digital Media reader and I replaced the thermal paste with some Tuniq TX2.

EDIT: Monitor is 2ms and 10000:1

[Edited on December 15, 2009 at 10:06 PM. Reason : ^]

12/15/2009 9:59:29 PM

nice, only things i would've done different would be the case, lighting, hard drive and sound card... i think your onboard sound is probably better than that sound blaster (unless it's the gamer card)

12/15/2009 11:22:11 PM

I copied that from another forum I was posting on without editing the changes--that was the list I started off with.

And you're right about the sound card, I ultimately didn't get it. The onboard sound is 7.1 3D, and it's more than needed. I also didn't end up installing a cold cathode because the NZXT case comes with some blue LED lights inside already. I understand your sentiment about the hard drive--plan to update it at some point, it was what I had honestly.

Although I don't know what you don't like about the case. It's got plenty of room for future expansion to Xfire and great circulation.

12/15/2009 11:37:24 PM

actually the case isn't half bad and i noticed it has the grommets for liquid cooling big plus. i just buy nothing but antec (i would've gotten the P183), but cases are mostly subjective.

12/16/2009 1:16:36 AM

This is my second NZXT case, and I haven't really had anything else.

I just actually got things running on the computer by the way. I'm loving this so much.

Last computer was a 15.4" XPS 1530 Laptop.

Intel Duo Core 1.67ghz
NVIDIA 8400
2GB DDR2 RAM
32 bit Vista.
160GB HD.

So yea, major improvement considering this honking new rig cost about the same amount.

12/16/2009 2:46:00 AM

My old comp finally gave out last night and it was time for a new one anyway. Any feedback for the parts im about to order from newegg?

Case - COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel
Motherboard - Intel BOXDP55WG LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX
Video Card - EVGA 896-P3-1257-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked Edition
Power Supply - CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V
Processor - Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz 8MB L3 Cache
Memory - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Hard Drive - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5

Burner - Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner with LightScribe LightScribe Support

Any thing that needs to be changed? Budget is right a 1K.
Thanks.

12/16/2009 11:20:49 AM

Looks great. I prefer Gigabyte & Asus over Intel for motherboards, I think they're more reliable.

[Edited on December 16, 2009 at 12:32 PM. Reason : .]

12/16/2009 12:30:40 PM

If you're on a budget I would honestly go for an ATI 5000 series alternative, considering the lower price and higher performance--and GOD have they been destroying some benchmark data with those. However, you got a EVGA superclocker picked out... and that's going to be pretty damn awesome in itself. How much you looking at paying for that?

NICE processor choice, and I wouldn't change it. Two posts up I put a i7 920 in, but that's ONLY because I got a deal from a parts dealer I know, otherwise I was going to get an i5 750. They overclock to crazy-awesome speeds, hold up well, and are really overall just as good as most of the i7 series.

Good choices overall. You sacrificed more RAM or more processing (well,not really, but in theory) for EVGA and Corsair and Lynnfield products which are just fantastic and worth the price. I put 8GB DDR3 1600 on my machine and it's probably overkill. Should have held out and put the extra money towards some different brand names.

12/16/2009 12:54:41 PM

when it comes to memory, there's not a whole lot of difference, if i'm not mistaken g.skill uses the same chips that name brand companies use. i know you pay for the micron chips.

12/16/2009 2:07:20 PM

I switched out the MB to this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131405
per Prospero's comment above.

The EVGA overclocked is $225. Is it worth it to switch to ATI??

Thanks for all the feedback. The next hurdle will be putting it together.

12/16/2009 2:14:29 PM

I was previously a big NVIDIA fan before the ATI 5000 series. An ATI 5850 would be significantly higher-performing than the GTX260, but it's slightly more expensive--but still cheaper than its NVIDIA counterpart, which is I think the benchmarks suggested the 275 or 285 (probably 285, since I know the 295 and the 5870 are neck and neck).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102857
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150442

The 5750 and 5770 are good but I don't remember how they compare to the GTX260, and I really think that if you're going to go to a 5000 series you at least need a 5850 for the awesomeness.

EDIT: An EVGA Superclocked GTX 260 at that price is still really nice though.

[Edited on December 16, 2009 at 2:32 PM. Reason : ^]

12/16/2009 2:29:28 PM

i'm looking into possibly doing a first build. i've looked some into different pre-built systems, but when i go through all of the upgrades i think i may need, i'm not sure if it's worth it (building may be cheaper)

i haven't looked too much into all of the components yet, but i was hoping someone could help me figure out a ballpark cost for what i'm looking for

i would say this would be a pretty basic build for the most part, but i definitely want it to be able to handle video editing and decently powerful upfront (upgrades not needed soon). it definitely won't be used for any gaming and the monitor would be your basic 22" via DVI or HDMI (so likely a basic video card) - also no real need for a tv tuner

my preliminary thoughts are to go with 6GB of DDR3 and a good processor (i5?). i'm open to hard drive configurations, but leaning towards a single 750 GB - 1TB 7200 rpm drive, with room in the case for one more down the road. i'm not really sure about power supplies, mobos, or case (want a simple black case though)

random afterthought: can you still get windows 7 for $30 w/ an .edu email address? (might bust any budget i may have if not)

any help would be greatly appreciated

12/16/2009 3:08:25 PM

I really want a top of the line mobo as far as how much I can upgrade it is. I probably won't be buying anything until this summer.

Will the LGA 1156 socket type be around for a while and is it any good or should I go with the LGA 1366?

I can't afford an i7 but hopefully they'll go down by the summer.

12/25/2009 4:33:59 PM

Ok, so unwrapping Christmas presents today, I saw that Santa Claus had left me the Lynnfield i7-860, 4GBs of G-Skill DDR3-1600 and an ASRock P55 Deluxe Motherboard.

Now my question. I just redid my OS when I got a 1TB Caviar Black HDD in October. Its really running slick, and unitl I get Windows 7, or go get Vista from work, I am stuck on this. What are the chances I can swap out my mobo/proc and just keep going? Really don't want to do a repair or redo everything again just to keep using this OS for a little bit longer, so what do ya'll suggest?

12/25/2009 7:37:40 PM

Ok, I farted around and found out I did bring my Vista DVD from work, with my key on it. We have licenses that we aren't using for it, so that's not a big deal. My question is, it appears to only be the x86 version on the DVD. Since the 32 bit and 64 bit version use the same key, and it is a retail version, I should be able to torrent a 64 bit DVD and use my product key to install it, correct?

12/25/2009 9:42:18 PM

I'd like to build a computer.... Could someone post up a new build? The latest ones in this thread and on ArsTechnica are from October and several of the components are out of stock or have risen in price dramatically.

I haven't been into computer technology since around 2005... What's hot?

[Edited on December 28, 2009 at 3:25 PM. Reason : s]

12/28/2009 3:24:18 PM

^I'll be looking for the answer to that question here in a few months... after the GeForce 300 series cards start to appear.

12/28/2009 6:43:33 PM

this is what i'd get... although i'd keep my P180B

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=12665646

allows for SLI by buying a 2nd graphics card in the future
allows for adding 4GB of memory in future
allows for adding 1TB Caviar Black in future
add logitech speakers
add logitech keyboard/mouse
add samsung/asus LCD

just looked at Ars system guide, it's strangely similar... I guess they know their stuff

[Edited on December 28, 2009 at 7:22 PM. Reason : ,]

12/28/2009 7:12:20 PM

^ Great, thanks... I couldn't access the link you posted, but guessed that the id would remain the same...

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=12665646

Is the 750W power supply strong enough if I add a second video card, another 4GB of RAM and upgrade the processor in a couple of years?

[Edited on December 28, 2009 at 11:13 PM. Reason : s]

12/28/2009 11:05:40 PM

yes, as built that rig in the wishlist probably only uses 350W under full load, assuming another 200W for a 2nd graphics card, processor wattage will probably continue to drop and memory is like 5-10W per DIMM so almost a non-factor.

12/29/2009 12:40:32 AM

grand total is $1,412.46 after I add a monitor and Windows 7... not too bad for what looks like a badass system

12/29/2009 12:44:33 AM

i basically built that exact same rig (different PSU & Gfx) for someone else, it screams.

12/29/2009 1:05:13 AM

^^^^ Thats a really nice computer.

If overclocking I would look for a 120mm cpu fan because it would be quieter in general than a 92mm and should cool better too. Though the reviews on newegg look solid and the price is right. Anyone ever try this cooler before he gets it?

12/29/2009 9:57:17 AM

Sounds like Prospero has tried it, or at least installed it.... I'm actually more worried about the XFX 5850 video card... A lot of reviews said it runs loud.

12/29/2009 10:08:34 AM

yes, i have the Freezer 7 Pro best bang/buck and now that processors are dropping in wattage and heat it's not even really needed but will be quieter and cool it much better, the cooler your cpu the longer it will last. the Freezer 7 Pro cools withing 3-5'C of the 120mm coolers out there and is about $20 less expensive and easier to install.

i just picked xfx because of the warranty, any 5850 will do... HIS & Diamond I think are the top brands for ATI, you just pay a couple dollars more for them.

nearly all of the graphics cards for a certain model all have the same reference cooling heatsink & fan unless it's a special version of the card in which they customized. the gpu fan i believe is controlled by the ATI/nvidia drivers so not sure why one would be louder than another unless they use a cheap fan with a low quality bearing or something... or bad QC on the heatsink... not sure.

[Edited on December 29, 2009 at 10:53 AM. Reason : .]

12/29/2009 10:52:12 AM

based on my earlier post, i've come up with the following so far:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=12777052

i'm open to any suggestions on what should be changed, or any other ideas... windows isn't on the list b/c i'm still thinking i can get it for $29.99 w/ .edu address (if not, i can go back and order it for $105 from newegg)

i built a couple of systems today on dell and hp...
the dell studio xps 8000 w/ 500GB HD/6GB DDR3/ATI Radeon HD 4350 was $893
the HP elite e9250t w/ 640GB HD/6GB DDR3/ATI Radeon HD 4350 was $846

also, i'm wondering about cooling applications... what do i need?

12/29/2009 3:38:47 PM

Quote :

"I'm actually more worried about the XFX 5850 video card... A lot of reviews said it runs loud."

They run pretty silent until you run 3d intensive games/apps or overclock them. Then they are loud. Well louder than anything else in your system. With high performance comes heat. And like Prospero said pretty much all cards with be the same. If its too loud then you can always water cool it later.

Quote :

"based on my earlier post, i've come up with the following so far: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=12777052"

I am not a fan of mixing and matching 2Gb sticks with 1Gb sticks even if they are the same model.

Quote :

"i built a couple of systems today on dell and hp..."

Do your self a favor and dont go that route. Yes they are cheaper and close in terms of specs... though a 5850 is way better than the 4350 but upgrade wise your shooting yourself in the foot.....maybe the head too. Yes its easier and you get a 1yr warranty most likely but pretty much every component you get now has the same warranty and probably better drivers too.



[Edited on December 29, 2009 at 4:35 PM. Reason : im a tard]

12/29/2009 4:29:13 PM

Quote :

"also, i'm wondering about cooling applications... what do i need?"

well you have the option of the CPU cooler I mentioned above.

other then that, consider buying a pair of 120mm fans for the front of the three-hundred case.

i buy nothing but Scythe S-Flex fans, the fluid dynamic bearing is the best you can buy, long life and INCREDIBLY low noise to flow ratio
http://www.svc.com/sy-fan-sff21e.html

and like J33Pownr mentioned, don't mix/match memory unless they are the EXACT same module, so either go 4GB or go 8GB

[Edited on December 29, 2009 at 4:32 PM. Reason : .]

12/29/2009 4:29:33 PM

thanks for your opinions...

^^based on what you said about the memory... i feel like i've read something about using the sticks in tandem - else i was going to just get 3 - 2 GB sticks, thus using 3/4 banks... would this create some kind of power limitations?

^so you're saying one OR the other?

[Edited on December 29, 2009 at 4:32 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on December 29, 2009 at 4:33 PM. Reason : ..]

12/29/2009 4:31:44 PM

Quote :

"So maybe I missed it Solinari but what do you want your computer to do? If its gaming then the 5850 should be back on the list."

Right now I want to run WoW at max settings in Northrend in a raid without going below 30fps. In the future, I want to be able to cheaply upgrade my computer to run Diablo 3 with max settings when it comes out.

[Edited on December 29, 2009 at 4:33 PM. Reason : s]

12/29/2009 4:31:45 PM

well the 3x2GB kits are really for triple-channel motherboards with i7 processors.

i5 and that motherboard uses dual-channel, hence you need multiples of (2), not odd numbers.

you want equal # of GB per slot, so dual channel would look like this:

(2) DIMMs of 2GB (4GB total):
slot 1 (channel 1): 2GB
slot 2 (channel 1): empty
slot 3 (channel 2): 2GB
slot 4 (channel 2): empty

triple channel typically has 6 DIMM slots:
(3) DIMMs of 2GB (6GB total):
slot 1 (channel 1): 2GB
slot 2 (channel 1): empty
slot 3 (channel 2): 2GB
slot 4 (channel 2): empty
slot 5 (channel 3): 2GB
slot 6 (channel 3): empty

[Edited on December 29, 2009 at 4:36 PM. Reason : .]

12/29/2009 4:33:19 PM

that's what i was trying to think of... thus i went with 2x2 and 2x1 for a total of 6, trying to save some money that would be spent going 4x2 for a total of 8

12/29/2009 4:35:06 PM

Why not just go with 4 now and wait 6 months to recover some savings and buy another 4 then? Do you desperately need 6 now?

12/29/2009 4:36:55 PM

^not necessarily... so i'll probably do that

also... i wasn't quite sure about the video card or the power supply... just went w/ good rated and middle of the road as far as i could tell - they seem okay, or should i do something different?

[Edited on December 29, 2009 at 4:40 PM. Reason : video/ps]

12/29/2009 4:38:16 PM

i think it would be fine (albeit no upgrade path) if you really wanted to do it, just not recommended.

just make sure you install the DIMMs correctly per the motherboard manual...

(2) DIMMs of 2GB + (2) DIMMs of 1GB (6GB total):
slot 1 (channel 1): 2GB
slot 2 (channel 1): 1GB
slot 3 (channel 2): 2GB
slot 4 (channel 2): 1GB

channel 1 # of GB = channel 2 # of GB

12/29/2009 4:38:25 PM

Quote :

""So maybe I missed it Solinari but what do you want your computer to do? If its gaming then the 5850 should be back on the list.""

Sorry i looked at poohpimpin link and it was similar to yours and I though you had replaced the 5850 with the 4350 and was asking what we thought. I will read better next time when i am not trying to work, browse internets & answer phone calls.

[Edited on December 29, 2009 at 4:40 PM. Reason : .]

12/29/2009 4:39:49 PM

4670 is best entry card out right now i think, decent card, can do games, just not as high-end

12/29/2009 4:40:52 PM

So, looking into Diablo 3, seems it won't be released until at mid 2011 at the earliest... By then I could buy an additional graphics card, upgrade to max freq CPU and toss in another 4GB of ram... Would that be enough to run max settings on games released two years from now?

12/29/2009 4:45:05 PM