OMFG I got my parts today and put this thing together and he purrs like fucking kitten!!!11 WTF maynne I should have been built a PC... I really think I should have got the SSD btw, but I am gonna upgrade this build as soon as the Bulldozer processor family of processors come out so I'll just probably upgrade to a SSD and an extra 1TB HD just for FRAPS recordings. I can;t use my upgrade key to activate a clean install of Windows 7, any pointers on this one?

I found this and supposedly its legit and supported by M$, this blog aritcle is old and I wonder if it stills works, I'll find out soon enough.

http://www.winsupersite.com/article/win7/clean-install-windows-7-with-upgrade-media

[Edited on September 2, 2011 at 5:13 PM. Reason : .]

9/2/2011 5:07:56 PM

I don't think I'll be overclocking anything and I probably won't upgrade my GPU for a while. The 4770 runs all the games I play very well, and I don't need highest detail on new games like Deus Ex. I was going to use RAID0 for the two WD Black drives for my games n' shit, unless I have more space than anticipated on the SSD (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441).

As far as PSUs go, I want something modular and under $100. This one looks good: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016

9/2/2011 5:26:11 PM

Here's two OCZ with decent deals. I have a 700w modular that I've had for the past year and I like it. Was named best in class and a great value PSU in the 600-700w range as well as being the most efficient.

Personally, that 600w with a free dvd burner is a good deal for $50. The antec for $50 AR is also a good deal.

OCZ 500w modular $44.99 AR & AC
$10 off w/ promo code EMCKAKJ45, ends 9/7
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341016

OCZ 600w modular 49.99 AR
Free ASUS DVD burner w/ purchase, limited offer
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017


Also, there's deals on SSD's all the time now. Even some good prices on the newer 6gb ssd. I'm waiting till the new ssd's get down closer to the $1/gb like the cheaper ssd's are right now. But for the price, you can't go wrong with the cheap kingston 64,96,128 v+ ssd's that hover just below the $1/gb mark. Might pick up the 64 for 50AR for my laptop if I see it at that price again.

9/2/2011 6:59:57 PM

Oh yeah I have not installed my GPU yet, the on-board card seems OK but I have not tried any games on it, and probably won't either, I just want to get everything settled with the PC first and the very last thing is to install the graphics card. I have a Core Unlocker, GPU booster, and Turbo Unlcoker, so I get a little bit of OC without have to do anything but flip a few switchs!

9/2/2011 7:48:57 PM

If one of the fans is not working in my case what should I do, should I send it back, or deal with it? I have a spot to put another fan, should I just call them up and see will they send me another fan to replace the defective (if it is defective) one?

9/2/2011 11:13:58 PM

Wouldn't os and games on same drive cause bottlenecking. I thought you separated the os from everything?

9/2/2011 11:34:28 PM

Has anyone built a Home Theater PC before? Like the ones in the Receiver box? I'm thinking of building one of those and building a tray for an amplifier to go on it so I have one unit for both computer and receiver.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811280027 (Moneual HTPC case with touchscreen). This was the case I'm looking at as I want the touchscreen thing so that if I'm listening to music the TV won't have to be on to look where I'm going. Lazy I know, but this is a project I've been thinking up for a few months. Has anyone used one of these or a similar one?

9/3/2011 12:13:23 AM

yes, i originally built an HTPC in 2003 and built many since until 2010 when I sold it and bought a network-enabled blu-ray player and media device (wd tv live plus)

i used to use this case (for something that looks similar to a receiver), much better deal IMHO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129034

i have no idea why a 7" embedded screen in a case without a PSU or motherboard would be worth $450

also there is a HTPC thread here:
/message_topic.aspx?topic=524493

[Edited on September 3, 2011 at 12:30 AM. Reason : ;]

9/3/2011 12:26:22 AM

Quote :

"Wouldn't os and games on same drive cause bottlenecking. I thought you separated the os from everything?"

how would your situation cause bottle-necking?

With accessing tons of data on the same drive, your speed is really determined by the random access ability, which is the ability to access multiple files at the same time from the same drive. This was very important on mechanical hdd since random access is dependent on physical properties of the drive. Then came along ncq (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Command_Queuing) that increased the efficiency of random access by optimizing the read & write order. File fragmentation also played a huge role in how efficient file access was, not so much on ssd's. Even on the slowest SSD on the market, random reads is still much higher then that of any consumer level sata hddrive.

Once the OS is loaded and operating, its not like the OS is constantly using the full bandwidth of the disks, it sits mostly idle (or unless its idle long enough to defrag or do other maintenance task). There is the use of page files, which are temp files used by the OS or programs that would be in RAM, but kept on the drive to allow the system have more access to RAM for other programs.

With SSD's, the debate is whether to allow page access on the SSD or disable it all together to reduce wear and tear on the disk. Some mention of redirecting the page access to the secondary hdd, a USB thumb drive or even creating a virtual RAM disk. Depending on what programs you use and how much virtual RAM you have, your needs would be between 512mb to 4gb for max page files. Usually the limit is set at 32mb min, 1024mb max. However, a virtual RAM disk won't work for OS page files since the drive will only initialize once the OS is loaded, would work for programs that use temp files like browsers.

[Edited on September 3, 2011 at 1:13 AM. Reason : ]

9/3/2011 1:12:15 AM

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/e7/archive/2009/05/05/support-and-q-a-for-solid-state-drives-and.aspx

Quote :

"Should the pagefile be placed on SSDs? Yes. Most pagefile operations are small random reads or larger sequential writes, both of which are types of operations that SSDs handle well. In looking at telemetry data from thousands of traces and focusing on pagefile reads and writes, we find that -Pagefile.sys reads outnumber pagefile.sys writes by about 40 to 1, -Pagefile.sys read sizes are typically quite small, with 67% less than or equal to 4 KB, and 88% less than 16 KB. -Pagefile.sys writes are relatively large, with 62% greater than or equal to 128 KB and 45% being exactly 1 MB in size. In fact, given typical pagefile reference patterns and the favorable performance characteristics SSDs have on those patterns, there are few files better than the pagefile to place on an SSD."

[Edited on September 3, 2011 at 3:14 AM. Reason : -]

9/3/2011 3:14:14 AM

I said it was a debate. I didn't take a side, just noted the info.

Even your from msdn touches on wear and tear issue. Honestly, for consumer level ssd, its a moot point. I don't think personal use would get to that point of where read/write cycles would degrade performance or possibly have the device fail in the acceptable lifespan. Trim supported ssd's does help reduce the amount of read/write cycles if the data being moved, erased or copied are partials.

I mean I haven't really read any studies personally that would showcase wear & tear issues on ssd's in an enterprise environment (or use of consumer ssd's in enterprise setting), but I would only assume that ssd's focused on high volume/traffic requirements would have much more stiffer quality control and better materials than what we consumers would see. yes?

9/3/2011 3:41:05 AM

What would be a good upgrade card from a 4850 (I think that's what I have in the desktop. I honestly have not had much time to mess with it since I've gone back to school.)

I pretty much want to play BF 3 when it comes out smoothly, high detail and high graphics are of lesser concern.

I do have to upgrade to windows 7 before this so take that into account.

Would this completely do the trick? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150561 - XFX HD-687A-ZHFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP

Also will that card interface correctly with a older PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot?

9/6/2011 11:45:54 AM

yes, that will do the trick.

[Edited on September 6, 2011 at 12:26 PM. Reason : ']

9/6/2011 12:22:14 PM

^^ How does that card stack up to the EVGA GTX 560 DS (non Ti version)? My motherboard supports Crossfire and I am considering upgrading to dual cards, so that what piques my interest about that card.

9/6/2011 1:34:31 PM

i think they're pretty similar.

9/6/2011 2:31:06 PM

so, for those of us with only pcie slot and a overwhelming desire not to spend $texas on a single video card...what are the ~$150 options for something that will run skyrim all pretty like on a 720p television? i know 720p is all like , but at 10-12' away, i don't care...it looks fine

[Edited on September 6, 2011 at 3:16 PM. Reason : GTX 460 or radeon HD 5850, maybe?]

9/6/2011 3:11:07 PM

460 would be plenty for 720p.

9/6/2011 3:30:42 PM

anything cheaper? would the 460 do 1080p decently, as well?

9/6/2011 4:35:47 PM

Do you have any interest in playing Skyrim in 3D?

9/6/2011 4:36:13 PM

no...just decent frame rate with reasonably awesome eye candy (in that if it looks 95% awesome, i don't want to spend twice as much to get the extra 5%)

i don't really game that much, but the elder scrolls are my favorite...it's likely the only game i'll play in the next year and it will likely only be on my 42" 720p plasma (i don't actually own a computer monitor)...so i want it to look good and run smoothly, but value is far more important to me than buying a card that will still be great in a year

and i only have a single pcie slot in my HTPC...i think

9/6/2011 4:47:30 PM

Then go for a card that gets sustained 60 FPS at 720P in games released in the past 2 months, as your display will bottleneck you to that anyway. Since you don't want 3d, you don't have to get nvidia cards for the 3d tech either, so that really opens up your options.

9/6/2011 5:02:43 PM

Does anyone use three monitors for gaming? Does it really chop off your field of view on the top and bottom and just stretch it out to the left/right monitors? I'd consider it if it simply added to the game but not if it took away.

9/6/2011 5:15:45 PM

^^ awesome...i was leaning toward ATI because i have an AMD system anyway and since ATI cards are USUALLY more bang for the buck (or so it's always seemed to me), i thought i might just throw $150 at the best value ATI card that shows up on slickdeals in october

9/6/2011 5:18:51 PM

Looking to build a new computer for BF3 and such.

been reading alot, but definitely no expert here.

Looking at ~1000 price range.. maybe slightly more. already have a case and peripherals

Seems like most people i have read favor Intel right now? Thoughts?

Thinking about a i5 2500K.. Should be about $220.

Not really sure what to look for in a motherboard. I dont think i am going to be able to afford SLI right out of the box, but maybe down the road i will upgrade, so that is a factor. I also would like massive hard drive capability for storage (>4 tb in current pc) so support of multiple HDD is important. I have 8 usb devices plugged into my current computer, so at least that many USB ports.

I fiddled with some OC back with pentium II and such, and it seems like its pretty straightforward with the sandybridge chips. So OC support would be a excellent plus!

So far looking at a ASRock Z68 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z68. $185

Total____________________________$400

I don't know what kind of ram i should get. I haven't had time to research that yet. I was thinking 8 gig should cover all bases?

I haven't researched a graphics card yet, but i have had alot better luck with Nvidia cards in the past. Only advantage i have read for radeons is tri monitor support? I only have 2 monitors anyways. I was thinking solid 60-70 percentile card, and when i can afford it get a SLI setup.

Other thing is CPU cooling.. If I am thinking about OC, I am sure a beefier heatsink and cooling setup would be a worthwhile investment.

From some basic calculations, it seems like my processor/mobo combo will use about 160 W at full load. If i run 2 HDD, thats another 20 W. My case has 5 fans, plus a CPU fan, so 6 fans = ~20 W. A DVD burner is like 10w, and Ram should be around 15 W more, so 225w Total. This leaves the graphics card. Quick google shows a 570 uses 150w idle and 330w load. If i SLI, thats 660W, so total 900W. How do you choose a solid, reliable PSU?

oh, I was also thinking about getting a SSD. OCZ Vertex 3 seems like a fair compromise between price and reliabliltiy. I was not counting this in my pricing considerations though.

so you have ~$600 to spend on a graphics card, memory, and psu. what would you do?

9/7/2011 6:09:18 PM

Finally settled on AMD/ATI and just ordered 2 of these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102951

9/7/2011 9:09:19 PM

^^See my setup posted on the last page.
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=14724731

9/7/2011 9:12:11 PM

do random reboots during gameplay and random shutdowns during gameplay mean i need a new video card? what do you recommend for MW3?

9/7/2011 9:13:54 PM

^^^ Unless you are planning to overclock you don't need the 2500k. Get the 2500 and save yourself a few bucks. I'm going to be building a new gaming PC soon, I've been spending a ton of time in http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc, go there for lots of good information and to see other builds.

9/7/2011 9:52:33 PM

So whats the deal with 120hz monitors vs 60hz? Does it really make difference? DOes it hold back your GPU from better performance? If you have one how much better is it than a 60hz for the cost?

9/7/2011 10:56:51 PM

It's noticeably different

but i decided against it because for the same cost you can get a big ass IPS monitor.

but also, unless you are playing counterstrike....you are going to have to spend insane amounts of cash or sacrifice visual quality to constantly maintain 120 frames in most modern games

i'm sure there are games/exceptions to this rule but for the most part its essentially requiring double the horsepower to maintain the full effect

9/7/2011 11:23:00 PM

I like Prospero's build for the price.

120Hz is worth every cent and the picture quality is next gen tech.

Plus the monitor I bought comes with 3D glasses, and the card I bought is nvidia, so it come with 3d tech. So I switch back and forth between sustained 120 FPS in 2d, and sustained 60FPS in 3D. Epic.

Granted, I have a 600 dollar card to achieve max frames. However, you can simply lower the resolution to maintain 120 FPS in most modern games, or buy two mid-range cards and run them in SLI/Crossfire to get 120 FPS, and/or a combination of both. Honestly, I wouldn't lower the resolution as it defeats the purpose, but it's always an option.

If you aren't an enthusiast though, let it age, everything will drop it price.

Here she is: http://www.amazon.com/Acer-HN274H-BMIIID-27-Inch-Monitor/dp/B004YCMEJU

[Edited on September 8, 2011 at 8:31 AM. Reason : -]

9/8/2011 8:20:23 AM

Quote :

"Here she is: http://www.amazon.com/Acer-HN274H-BMIIID-27-Inch-Monitor/dp/B004YCMEJU"

silly question: for that price, why wouldn't you just get a 32" with the same specs that also has a built-in tuner? i only briefly searched and it looks like you can get one for around $700 (so, what, $30 more?)...but i might very well be missing something

9/8/2011 8:58:59 AM

If I understand correctly HDTVs don't truly have a 120hz INPUT. They only can mimic the higher FPS in the output. You have to get an actual computer monitor with the input to get 120hz.

I'm really considering one of these. I'd like to try the 3 monitor-gaming and I have 2 24" Dell ultrasharps right now.

If I got something similar to this it would only be 1080p so I'd have to run the 24"s at 1080p instead of 1920 by 1200? You can't do 1920x1200 - 1920x1080 - 1920x1200?

^^You're only gaming with a single 1080p though right? Not getting into higher resolution stuff?

-or find a 1920 by 1200 120hz monitor. I guess you can't do the 3 monitor gaming with 120hz on all monitors unless all three supported it. So I'd stick to using a single monitor if I'm running at 120hz and do all 3 if doing 60.

[Edited on September 8, 2011 at 9:23 AM. Reason : s]

9/8/2011 9:21:27 AM

^bingo

9/8/2011 10:22:58 AM

So for those that give a shit...here is my ordered build. Posting for those that may have questions regarding components, etc:

Case: Cooler Master Enforcer
PSU: 850w Corsair Enthusiast
Motherboard: MSI Z68-GD80 G3
CPU: Intel i7 2600k
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB DDR3 1600
Video: 2 x Sapphire Radeon 6950 Toxic
Storage: 128GB Crucial M4 + old 640GB 7200rpm HDD
Monitor: Dell U2412

9/8/2011 10:36:37 AM

How much did all of that cost?

Actually, strike that. What was your total minus the monitor?

[Edited on September 8, 2011 at 11:24 AM. Reason : monitor]

9/8/2011 11:23:26 AM

^^That looks good.

^^^Let us know how that Acer monitor is!

The technical details say "nVidia 3D glasses included" but are they?

There's a $795 bundle that includes the glasses.

So using Nvidia cards and SLI the only way to run 3 monitors is with a 3rd video card? With the Acer it's dual link but that's still a single port right? So I'd still be able to run 2 monitors with SLI, just not 3? Because you can't currently run 3 monitors with only 2 videos cards in SLI.

What about the Samsung one? Compared to the Acer?

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-S27A950D-27-Inch-Class-Monitor/dp/B004Z75LX0/ref=pd_cp_pc_3

http://www.overclock.net/monitors-displays/1018108-samsung-s27a950d-120hz.html

Totally might get that over the Acer. Looks much nicer.

-on second thought the Samsung doesn't support Nvidia 3d.

The Acer also has pretty bad reviews in terms of color, response time, and contrast:

Quote :

"The Acer HN274H monitor is almost as big a disappointment as its little brother the GN245HQ was a success. There's really nothing left to save the day ..."

http://www.digitalversus.com/acer-hn274h-p357_10872_38.html

Guess I should wait for something better to come out first.

[Edited on September 8, 2011 at 11:51 AM. Reason : s]

9/8/2011 11:26:30 AM

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=17266885

Think that will set me up nice for BF3

9/8/2011 11:49:11 AM

catalyst do you know if the next Intel chips that come out are going to be the same socket as the current i3-7s? The reason I ask is that the PCIe 3rd gen that's on the card can't be used yet, so I was just wondering if it's there to be there or what's going on wit hit? That is a sweet setup though!

9/8/2011 11:50:03 AM

^^ n00b lol

9/8/2011 11:58:16 AM

^^^Gotta make the wishlist public, dude.

9/8/2011 12:15:26 PM

made wishlist public. guess it just takes awhile. Only yesterdays lists are showing up for me.

Here is specs from my excel spreadsheet:


component______Description________________Cost_____rebate
Motherboard........AS rock z68 Extreme 4...........$184.99
Processor............i5 2500K..............................$219.99
Memory..............Gskil Ripjaw X 8Gb DDR3 1333..$47.99
Graphics Card......MSI N560GTX Ti Hawx 1gb......$259.99
Power Supply...... OCZ ZX 850W Modular............$169.99....$30
Hard Drive..........Segate Barracuda Green 2TB....$79.99
Boot Drive..........OCZ Vertex 3 120 GB..............$199.00....$20
DVD Drive...........Sony Optiarc SATA................$19.99
CPU FAN.............????

.................................................................$1,181.93

[Edited on September 8, 2011 at 12:32 PM. Reason : format]

9/8/2011 12:29:43 PM

Quote :

"catalyst do you know if the next Intel chips that come out are going to be the same socket as the current i3-7s? The reason I ask is that the PCIe 3rd gen that's on the card can't be used yet, so I was just wondering if it's there to be there or what's going on wit hit? That is a sweet setup though!"

The Ivy Bridge CPUs will share the same socket...I think there will be a new socket for enthusiast edition cpus that are very expensive.

Ivy bridge CPUs will enable the PCI-E 3.0 on the motherboard.

9/8/2011 12:49:57 PM

Here is a benchmark I did with Lost Planeet Extreme Condition maxed out with the EVGA GTX 560 (non Ti) DS SSC, see description of video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqQ5rNTE0F4&NR=1

I did a Metro 2033 benchmark maxed out but its sorta embarrassing to post lol. But playing the actual game maxed doesn't run like the benchmark would suggest.

I id one for RE5 as well and the FPS are in the 100s.

[Edited on September 8, 2011 at 1:55 PM. Reason : /]

9/8/2011 1:54:20 PM

Quote :

"MSI N560GTX Ti Hawk 1gb"

i got the Twin Frozr II model of the 560gtx and it kicks serious ass. everything turned up high with all effects on is able to run with no hiccups. you should be happy with your choice and how your games perform.

9/8/2011 2:53:40 PM

Quote :

"The Ivy Bridge CPUs will share the same socket...I think there will be a new socket for enthusiast edition cpus that are very expensive. Ivy bridge CPUs will enable the PCI-E 3.0 on the motherboard."

To correct some confusion. The new Ivy Bridge chips will be both socket 1155 and 2011. Ivy Bridge is simply a die shrink.

So Sandy Bridge-E will replace all higher end CPUs and (I think) only work with the new socket 2011. So if you're on socket 1155 you won't be able to upgrade.



[Edited on September 8, 2011 at 4:27 PM. Reason : image explains it better. ]

9/8/2011 4:16:23 PM

yea thats more accurate lol

9/8/2011 4:38:05 PM

Quote :

"Does anyone use three monitors for gaming? Does it really chop off your field of view on the top and bottom and just stretch it out to the left/right monitors? I'd consider it if it simply added to the game but not if it took away."

@neodata686: I don't know if you remember my triple monitor gaming rant from last year with you about the field of view issue, but yes it does seem to chop off your field of view. The problem is that by extending the field of view the way that they are doing it with one fixed perspective, its adding a lot of distortions, which is what you see as being stretched out.

This is no different then using an ultra wide angle lens on a camera then cropping through the center row to make it into a panoramic image. It's really noticeable if you shift axis by going up or down where the diverging angles become almost discombobulated. Circles turn into ellipses, squares turn into rhombus' and so on. The further you go from the center of the image, the more distortions you will see, this is an actual optical property, nothing wrong with the game engines, they are just forcing the perspective.

The mixed perspective is also odd because of two other factors: 1. most of the time, auxiliary LCD's aren't on the same image plane as the main monitor (therefore continuity is broken). 2. The three pieces of the image is broken into sections with a bezel and space in between (again, continuity is broken). The gap might not seem much, but remember psychology 101, our mind will fill in the blanks if gaps are present, even if we know of the physical truth of the situation.

The real issue is that in a mutli-monitor setup, each lcd is actually an individual portal, or window or their own perspective "camera's". To make the support monitors on the side to match the perspective of the main, you need to separate each monitor into their own images. Think of this as adding two more cameras, one left and one right.

Ever stitched together a panoramic image in photoshop? How do you take the photos? By shooting the center and then rotating to the sides from a fixed position. Pull it into the image editor and you see that software will force the perspectives (stretch the far ends and squeeze the closer ends near the center) of the left and right images to fit the field of view with the center. The perspective from wide angle images will have objects look like they are diverging compared to a longer focal length like normal or telephoto; then the perspective will be more compressed. The only problem here is parallax error. Even if you take the photos from the same plane(not rotating the camera) and just shifted position, you will always have ghosting overlaps because the perspectives are always going to be different, but this easily correctable with software.

So all in all, they had to choose between wide angle distortion or parallax error and use software to correct it for a seamless pano image. They just went the easy route and slapped a sticker on the box. Personally, I can't stand it and it was the selling feature of why I bought AMD in the first place. Biggest let down and I still only game on one monitor.

Quote :

"So whats the deal with 120hz monitors vs 60hz? Does it really make difference? "

@seedless: It was common to say that most human perceptions could not see the difference past 60hz, but those who used to play on the CRT monitors back in the day were more acceptable to see the difference between 60, 90 and 120 hz. It gets a little difficult to spot between 90 and 120, but I'd think that people now days can tell between 60 and 120 compared to a decade or two ago. Anything past 120 is just a marketing gimmick and if you say you can tell, its either a moot point or you are lying.

@Air: Have you looked into AMD offerings? I was pretty impressed with the value of the 1090t X6 6 core cpu's. CPU was about $150 and another 70ish for a decent asus mobo. But for gaming, I'd probably would stick with the i5 cpu myself, even if its a little more expensive.

Also, I wouldn't exactly spend 185 on a mobo for a $200 cpu, specially considering you aren't doing SLI, shit I'd advice you save your money and get the model under it: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3. The only major difference I can tell is that it has two 3.0 PCIx16 slots instead of three. Do that and you save $60. If you don't plan to do SLI/crossfire initially or within 6-12 months after the build, don't even bother.

If you don't plan to do dual SLI and/or do heavy OC, you won't really need the 850w PSU. The 700w would work for you and its $60 AR. Although the 850w is really nice and priced pretty good for that range if you really want the headroom. Those Fermi cores do take some power unlike the amd's.

As for the SSD, I'd advice on shopping around. There's definetly an ssd war right now and prices will only get cheaper from here on out. There was the 240gb Crucial M4 that was on sale around the 200-220 mark late last month. Then don't forget the slower and cheaper kingston ssd's that have hovered just below the $1/gb mark in the V100 and V+ models for the past few months. Also, I just got the same seagate 2TB drives for $66 shipped at micro center last week. That drive seems to go onsale quite a bit around the $60 mark.

Remember, if you can wait, shop smart.

[Edited on September 8, 2011 at 6:16 PM. Reason : ]

9/8/2011 6:12:20 PM

Quote :

"Remember, if you can wait, shop smart."

I agree, but this differs on which component you're buying, some are better to buy as soon as they are released (CPUs/Motherboards) others you need to wait for mid-cycle to buy like (GPUs/SSDs) where you never want to pay the price new, but don't want to wait too far into the cycle to where you're buying it at discount right before a new generation is released. For CPUs it's even more complicated as it's perceived performance for the money and buying something that's appropriate. The only people that need to wait for Sandy Bridge-E are "Enthusiasts" like high-end gamers, overclockers, video editors, 3d renderers, etc.) Everyone else is mainstream and would not likely benefit or see the benefit from waiting 6-months.

[Edited on September 8, 2011 at 6:38 PM. Reason : .]

9/8/2011 6:37:30 PM

true, but I was referring to Air to shop around before he pulled the trigger on his build. Although, its a good advice to anyone. Shop around first. Hit up slickdeals and fat wallet. Try to gauge the market value of things before you buy so you wont get ripped off or have buyers remorse.

9/8/2011 6:58:56 PM