I did the Microcenter deal with the i7 when I was on a business trip to Denver. They didn't have the i5 deal that day, otherwise I probably would've gotten it. But I got essentially an i7 for the price of an i5 at most places. So I'll take it.

I'm getting my modular power supply in the mail today. Now I just need my case, hard drives and blu-ray drive and I'm set.

10/12/2011 8:59:33 AM

I like my OCZ 850 so far. Powers the 570's just nicely. Since my old OCZ was modular as well, I didn't take a long time to route power to the system.

As for your case, I highly recommend the HAF 922 case for around $90 or the even better NZXT Pahntom case, which is $125 shipped for either the back or white one. I honestly like the two tone white one. The shape/design isn't for everyone, I just find it attractive.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146067

You can't go wrong with the Samsung Spinpoint F3 1tb 7200 drives. Fastest drive in it's class and its pretty damn cheap at $60 (was $50 last week). Beats the WD blacks.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185

As for bluray drive, nothing of noteworthy to talk about. Just look on newegg for one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151222

10/12/2011 9:23:29 AM

Yep others tried to get NCIX to PM Microcenter on that bundling deal, and they wouldn't do it. So I went with the next best deal.

I'm also gonna give the ASRock Extreme4 Gen3 a run for my money. I've heard nothing but outstanding remarks so far, which worries me slightly.

10/12/2011 11:11:36 AM

Oh, and regarding Bulldozer ... I was considering waiting for it, but I still think they have a long way to go and I will be happy to jump on board a few years down the road if they ever best Intel again.

Good benchmarks here from Tom's:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/fx-8150-zambezi-bulldozer-990fx,3043-15.html

Like JBaz said, still not much better than the i5 2500k ... but it has lots of potential.

10/12/2011 11:35:22 AM

The NZXT is a cool case, but a lot more flashier than I want. I kind of want something subtle, but that's just how I am. I've looked at the HAF922 and have debated getting it. I'm thinking if I get it, I'll probably end up cutting the LED fan light out as I'm just not a huge LED person anymore. I was when I was a freshman in college, but now that I'm out a few years, I don't think I need it anymore.

With the Microcenter deal, I ended up getting the Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 board. I couldn't fit the ASROCK into my suit case or backpack coming back and the Gigabyte fit perfectly. I got it, 8gb ram and the i7 2600k for about 400 after the mail in rebates and all. Pretty sweet deal I'd say.

[Edited on October 12, 2011 at 11:50 AM. Reason : Added a bit more.]

10/12/2011 11:47:56 AM

Bulldozer is terrible for gaming as well....
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4955/the-bulldozer-review-amd-fx8150-tested/8

Quote :

"AMD clearly states in its reviewer's guide that CPU bound gaming performance isn't going to be a strong point of the FX architecture, likely due to its poor single threaded performance"

[Edited on October 12, 2011 at 12:16 PM. Reason : .]

10/12/2011 12:15:31 PM

This seems like a terrible release of a CPU then. I'm so glad I didn't wait for it and went with the i7 2600K. I just need to get building it.

10/12/2011 4:39:09 PM

For AMD, it's much better technology, but whereas they were 20% down to Intel, now they are only 5-10% down to Intel and gaining... but it will still be another generation or two before they'll be competitive again IMHO...

Also the Bulldozer FX-8150 is $20 more than the i5-2500K... hard sell.

10/12/2011 4:46:21 PM

well once they get the OS and applications optimized for it, it should be blazing fast...

10/12/2011 6:02:13 PM

Well considering Windows 8 is coming late 2012... you're looking at Piledriver, not Bulldozer.

So here we are always waiting for the next AMD platform to arrive and the latest, greatest, promised land has arrived and still failed to live up to expectations, and still has the same weaknesses as previous generations.

10/12/2011 6:22:03 PM

Man, Newegg is OOS of FX-8150!!!

10/14/2011 2:44:03 PM

^ That's not a problem. It just means you can get a 2600K and be ahead of the game.

10/14/2011 3:12:46 PM

apparently, you can get the dev build of win8 to take advantage of the new FX cpu. I haven't seen anything about this on any review site, just someone said you could get it.

Also... Must save money for 27" HP ZR LED IPS monitor... makes mouth watery.

10/14/2011 4:21:03 PM

I think Bulldozer maybe better at interger calculations, so that means I can get more nodes per seconds (half-moves in chess) and be ahead of the game.

The Fritzmark for this processor is not really that impressive, but I'd have to see Houdini calculate with this processor then I can tell how good it is for chess. I know Rybka, Fritz, Houdini engines quite well, but I don't know how much to trust the Fritzmark.

10/14/2011 5:05:10 PM

yeah, i heard the same.

10/14/2011 5:06:03 PM

With a 27" you need a very large space to put it. My 24" BenQ is huge on a medium size desk.

10/14/2011 5:21:47 PM

I'm able to fit a 40" led tv on my desk or 4x 24" monitors. I think I'll be fine.

10/14/2011 6:07:34 PM

Since my top video card fan was blocked by the 2nd video card, I took the time today to clean out my case, do some real cable managment and relocated the 2nd video card to the 3rd slot, while I used the tri-sli connector that came with my mobo. Pretty happy I'm about to use it instead of having to wait for an $8 ribbon cable bridge off of ebay to come.

Top card dropped 5C on load, but still seems to be 10C higher compared to the bottom one. It also seems to not want to down clock like the 2nd card does when idling.

10/15/2011 7:33:16 PM

they sell single slot coolers, exactly for this purpose.

oh and with my 24" LCD I forgot most people don't have a stereo and their computer all on the desk with their LCD.


BTW all the HAF cases are POS, look at the Silverstone Raven2



[Edited on October 15, 2011 at 11:41 PM. Reason : _]

10/15/2011 11:39:34 PM

donno what you talking about man, I've build PC's on all HAF cases and have liked them, The 912 and 922 are a bit cheap in their build, but the 932 and X are pretty nice. Personally I'd never get the 932 or X since there's better alternatives in those price ranges like the Phantom white case since that's on sale for $125 on newegg for the past week. Also the Lian Li lancool case is nice, it's what I use and it was on sale last week for $50 shipped. It's an extremely good case with cool features.

10/16/2011 1:00:07 AM

the Raven2 is on sale for around $170, depending on the site and sale, there is also another Raven besides the 1 and 2nd and it is much more reasonably priced, the Raven RV03-BW which is the cheapest of the Raven. However the quality is still top notch and it is probably the case that will replace my trusty Antec 900 with four 120mm @ 115CFM each.

It is below $150 on NewEgg: Fairly new case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163180

10/16/2011 1:28:05 AM

Don't get me wrong, I like silverstone cases, its just that the cheaper HAF cases are good values and shouldn't be dismissed so easily. Its a different market for a different kind of target customer. Personally I don't like the looks of the Raven and I also not so keen on the HAF look either. I do like the look of the Phantom only to the extent that its techno with a good design, specially the half tone version. Reminds me of the alien ware case when they first came out and ppl we ape shit over it.

And as for the single slot coolers, it doesn't explain why the top gpu is running a lot hotter than the bottom now that both have unimpeded air flow. At the very least, the temps shouldn't have this much of a difference.

And honestly... who ever takes pics of the products on newegg needs to learn something about lighting cause they obvious can't capture anything that's black on black... Can't see a damn thing inside gloss black painted cases. Use a large white fill card dude and up your exposure by 2/3!!! gheeze.

[Edited on October 16, 2011 at 1:43 AM. Reason : ]

10/16/2011 1:40:02 AM

some of the single slot fans can be turned at an angle and others are just plane huge. Why do you think they make them? To cool sound cards?

10/16/2011 1:46:42 AM

I'm not questioning the validity of using such a product. I'm questioning the difference in temps since both cards are exactly the same and the air is not blocked on both.

10/16/2011 1:51:26 AM

Quote :

"With a 27" you need a very large space to put it. My 24" BenQ is huge on a medium size desk."

A single 27"? It depends on the stand. Most monitor stands are smaller than a keyboard. Can get away with a tiny desk. I have 3 monitors (24" - 27" - 24") and the surface area taken by the stands fits on a medium sized desk.

10/16/2011 1:37:45 PM

ok, y'all are bickering about stuff that's either personal preference or circumstantial. do what works for you and buy what case fits your needs or preference best.

Quote :

"I'm not questioning the validity of using such a product. I'm questioning the difference in temps since both cards are exactly the same and the air is not blocked on both."

heat rises, the top card will always run hotter, the slot fan will just help mitigate it a bit, but not entirely. now why it doesn't downclock like the bottom card, that's a different issue, probably just an anomaly with the card binning.

10/16/2011 3:40:09 PM

Quote :

"heat rises, the top card will always run hotter, the slot fan will just help mitigate it a bit, but not entirely. now why it doesn't downclock like the bottom card, that's a different issue, probably just an anomaly with the card binning."

Yes, but the air temps between the two graphics card is only hotter by 1-2C than the air pocket below the bottom card.

Also, just saw something interesting this afternoon as the PC was at idle with the monitors off, the system said the top gpu down clocked correctly and was idleing at 40C, bottom is 36C, but the second I hopped on, the gpu clocked to normal speed. I do have an extra 570 sitting on my desk that I can swap out and see if its just the card or it being a driver issue. God knows I need to do a clean install very soon, but I'm dreading the amount of work to reinstall/redownload all of my games, specially on steam. Ugg

10/16/2011 4:59:28 PM

Newegg is about to put this case on Shell Shocker tonight. It's currently 40 bucks after mail in rebate, so logic says this should be like 30 bucks on Shell Shocker right? Has anyone used it before? Or should I spring for a more expensive case, it gets pretty decent reviews from what I've seen (especially at an entry-level price)?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129098

10/16/2011 5:15:52 PM

I built a system using that case for a buddy, it's not bad specially for that price. I think he paid $50 for his. Just to note, its a little smaller than what you'd consider a normal mid tower case would be. It's a bit shorter and thinner than my Lian Li mid tower case so don't expect to put a card that's over 9" in there.

Plus the case doesn't have the feature of removing a drive bay if you wanted to add a more powerful gpu like some other entry level cases. It's a bit old in this regard, but for $33, you really can't complain. Beats a lot of the same priced cheap shit.

The little bowl plastic shit on top of the case looks stupid as hell, but its actually really useful. my friend just puts his keys in it and other small items. If I was building another small cheap budget box, I'd jump on it and get it.

10/16/2011 7:52:24 PM

The thing I need to figure out is where I want to put this computer. I could put it in the living room - meaning I could get HTPC case - or in my office nook or who knows. I bought a 25ft HDMI cable just in case of putting it far from a monitor source. Too many choices for cases.

10/16/2011 8:19:03 PM

Just got finished updating my computer for Battlefield 3 and got my 570 back... not too shabby.

CPU: Intel i5 2500k @ 4.0ghz
GPU: MSI GTX 570 1.28GB 320-bit @ 785/1570/2002 MHz @1025mv
LCD: Samsung SyncMaster 226BW 22" LCD (1680x1050)
Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-P67A-UD3-B3
Sound: Realtek ALC889 HD Onboard w/ Logitech X-230 2.1 Speakers
RAM: 16GB (4x4GB) G.SKILL Ripjaws X DDR3-1600
PSU: SeaSonic X Series X650 Gold
SSD: Corsair Force GT 120 GB SATA III
HDD: Western Digital VelociRaptor 300GB 10,000rpm
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Pro x64
LAN: 1Gbps + 802.11n
WAN: 30Mbps/5Mbps
Keyboard: Saitek Eclipse II
Mouse: Logitech MX518 w/ IceMat SteelSeries Surface
Headset: IceMat Siberia
Cooling: Antec P180 Case w/ ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro (lapped) + (4) Scythe S-FLEX 120mm (100CFM) + Zalman ZF-MFC2 Controller

Power:
112W idle
370W load

http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=2059937
http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/n42n9/

MSI GTX 570 @ 850/1700/2153 @ 1075mV
P6442
http://3dmark.com/3dm11/2055172

I stopped OC'ing the graphics card because it made me nervous to push it that hard after JUST getting it back from MSI... and it's got the crappy 470 cooler on it.





[Edited on October 22, 2011 at 7:19 PM. Reason : ']

10/22/2011 7:16:46 PM

Never used slickdeals.net before. Just curious, how often does the "computers" section get updated? FYI: I'm looking for a laptop anyway

10/22/2011 7:46:05 PM

Okay, almost done with my build. Just need to get a CPU Cooler and Graphics Card, I might get another 8gb of memory, but that's secondary. I went with a WD Green hard drive because 2 gigs was 70 bucks or so. Figured it couldn't be that bad. I gotta get more eventually, but will be happy with it for now.

I have an i7 2600k and pretty good clearance at the moment in my case for any cooler, I'd prefer one that doesn't often take away a RAM slot, which is why I originally considered water cooling. I probably need to add at least another fan in as I have only 2, one is pushing from the front, and then getting pulled out the back. The system has stayed relatively cool with no loud noises from it, but haven't temperature read it yet (will do tomorrow). I won't OC it until I get the new CPU Cooler, stock is good for initial setup, but not much else.

Total budget left 200 for Graphics card and cooler, might push to 250 tops, what is suggested from yall? I'm not aligned to any brand as this is my first build in about 5 years, so I'm just trying to get something that will last me the next 3 years if possible.

10/23/2011 12:41:04 AM

To be completely honest, you shouldn't be spending money on a CPU cooler if you can't afford a decent drive. WD Green is gonna be a major bottleneck. There's nothing wrong with the stock CPU cooler unless you plan on overclocking.

10/23/2011 1:29:25 AM

what video card should i buy to play bf3 and mw3?

i have an ATI Radeon HD 4870 right now but my system seems to overheat during gaming and randomly powers off so i think it's time to 1) clean the dust out and 2) get a new video card?

10/23/2011 2:14:06 AM

^^^ look at Cooler Master 212+ for $25, grab a gigabyte 560 OC for $160ish at newegg and you should be set. The OC 560 is about the same speed as the regular 560 ti for 40 bucks less.

^^yeah, even the stock intel cooler is good to a little bit of OC, even up to 4.2ghz of what I've seen. But honestly, the CM 212+ for 25 bucks is cheap to just get and add.

^clean your card, those older 4000 series ran really hot compared to 5 and 6k series cards.

10/23/2011 2:38:02 AM

So the WD Green as a data drive is going to hurt me? Damn. I have an OCZ Sata III SSD for boot, I get boot into Win 7 between 11 and 12 seconds are POST. I was thinking of adding a faster mechanical too, but as of playing with it briefly yesterday it's not an issue yet.

10/23/2011 8:46:23 AM

Nice rig Prospero, you are ready to kick some ass now.

10/23/2011 9:12:30 AM

Quote :

"So the WD Green as a data drive is going to hurt me? Damn. I have an OCZ Sata III SSD for boot,"

I didn't see you had an SSD, so long as your OS & your games are installed on the SSD, no the WD Green won't impact you at all.

10/23/2011 1:03:51 PM

Yeah my bad, forgot to put that in as a piece, I bought the SSD first months ago. I ended up buying the green because 2TB for 75 bucks was pretty good.

10/23/2011 3:40:47 PM

you could find 2tb green drives for 60 easily... well before the floods.


And good god Prospero, have you heard of cable wraps?

10/23/2011 4:39:28 PM

Ok whatever JBaz

I don't know what picture you're looking at, but it is cable-wrapped, I know it's a bad angle, but there's tons of airflow and unfortunately the P180 doesn't have room behind the motherboard for cables, so there aren't a lot of options. The couple cables you see are PSU cables that are already wrapped, just not hidden behind the motherboard plate, but like I said, my case doesn't support it.

[Edited on October 23, 2011 at 5:00 PM. Reason : ,]

10/23/2011 4:58:56 PM

well that sucks. was wondering why you didn't route it behind the mobo tray.

10/23/2011 5:29:19 PM

Are the ViewSonic monitors a worthy brand?

10/23/2011 7:52:11 PM

Quote :

"GPU: MSI GTX 570 1.28GB 320-bit @ 785/1570/2002 MHz @1025mv LCD: Samsung SyncMaster 226BW 22" LCD (1680x1050) "

nothing like making sure you can put that GPU to good use...

[Edited on October 23, 2011 at 10:43 PM. Reason : ]]

10/23/2011 10:43:14 PM

it's still not going to max out at 60fps, so i'm not sure what your point is, but yes, it's next on my list

[Edited on October 23, 2011 at 11:09 PM. Reason : .]

10/23/2011 11:09:01 PM

I think the 570 would do 60 frames at that res in bf3.

10/24/2011 12:13:21 AM

It doesn't. ~40fps on Ultra settings, ~50fps on High settings, maybe 10fps higher when I OC.

So I'm still not maxxing out the resolution.

[Edited on October 24, 2011 at 11:22 AM. Reason : .]

10/24/2011 11:20:16 AM

That's really good performance for the price.

10/24/2011 11:57:38 AM

Indeed, after getting a replacement from MSI, this 570 is actually pretty decent. I wasn't expecting any OC and I got about 15% out of it, pretty decent considering the 470 cooler and it's the base model.

10/24/2011 12:12:26 PM