SSD basically eliminates one huge bottleneck from your system. If you have the best CPU, Ram, Video Card, etc, and a mechanical drive.. that is like driving a Ferrari with one tire missing.

^ lol really? i was looking at those load times comparo videos and it doesn't seem that significant (ssd)

Loading my games such as BF3, Skyrim etc on my SSD it's noticeably improved, loading times that have things written for info etc don't even stick around long enough usually for me to read what they have to say
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My only regret in getting an SSD is that I didn't get one sooner!

It's not really something that can be fully experienced by looking at benchmark results or numbers. It just feels like your system is running at its full potential.

SB-E benchies are out!

edit: 3960X's at least

Launch is at midnight

3960X was the only one Intel sent.

I'll post my review here when it's up

Edit: Oops, I miscalculated the time difference :facepalm:

Intel Core i7 3960X Extreme Review

TLDR: Fastest desktop CPU ever costs $1000. One that is 95% as fast will be $600 and worth every penny. (if you can afford it)

For gaming, pretty much anything with at least 2 cores is enough.

I'm thinking of upgrading my video card to place BF3 and Skyrim. Which 1 of the following do you guys think is better?
XFX Radeon HD 6850 Fansink 775MHZ 1GB 4.0GHZ GDDR5
or
Gigabyte Radeon HD 6850 Windforce 820MHZ 1GB 4.2GHZ GDDR5
or
EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti Superclocked 1024MB GDDR5
or
Anything else less than $150

Also, what's the minimum amount of power would I need?.

Thanks

Skyrim is more CPU-limited than GPU-limited.

Any of those cards will handle Skyrim fine if you have a decent modern CPU. With a 1090T @ 3.9 GHz, 8 GB DDR3 1600, and an ATI HD 5850 1GB, I run Skyrim on Ultra settings, 4x AA, 16x AF @ 1920x1200 at a pretty consistent 60 FPS (A few of the towns drop it into the 20s/30s in certain areas, but it's at 60 FPS in dungeons, outside, etc. when it matters).

Battlefield is another story, though. It's almost entirely GPU-oriented, so the graphics card will matter more. I don't think either card is going to be ideal for High-Quality @ 1080P (my 5850 barely does High Quality @ 1920x1200 and it's faster than those cards), but they should be fine on Medium.

Have you considered spending a little more for the HD 6870/GTX 560, which are a fair amount quicker and go for about $175/$180 (before rebate) ?

As for how much power is sufficient, that will depend on what else is in your system and what your upgrade plans are for the future. A decent 500W PSU should be sufficient, but it might be a little noisy if you have say a 140W TDP processor.

toms tested like 30 cards for BF3 you may want to give it a read

Battlefield 3 Performance: 30+ Graphics Cards, Benchmarked : Battlefield 3 Reinvigorates PC Gaming





i probably should have gone with nvidia though seems like it does BF3/skyrim better

something you may want to consider q0192837465 is change your username :P and that nvidia cards seem to get a few more FPS than radeon for those games that you want to play (and every little bit counts)

also Black Friday is coming up next week you should hold off buying until this sale @ ncix is just about over and then purchase and then wait to see if there are any better deals on Black Friday and if there are just cancel the order :)




as for my build for my dad i ended up going with a 6970 :/

I prefer Nvidia, because their drivers are almost always prepared for a new game. When a new big game comes out, ATI usually has to scramble to release betas, which can break other games.

Thx guys, nVidia it is then. Now I'll have to see if they go on sale soon. I have no problem spending up to $200 for the graphics card.

Also, is Q6600 sufficient to be considered a "modern" processor?

Yes, especially if you overclock it.

Recently upgrade my video card form a GTS460 to a 6950 with a new PSU! The only issue I have now is which SSD to get.... seems there are a lot of fix reviews on them. Some say is good and other said it died withn a month.

Want a SSD that will last a few years (hopefully). Doesn't have to be big just something around 100GB should be fine.

Also will be needing a new case soon! That 6950 barely fits into my case lol.

you might find this thread useful Happyslip

HD 6950 UNLOCK THREAD (at users risk) - Guru3D.com Forums

I haven't try to unlock the biso yet... but from what I gather I card I got is not a refrence card so can't unlock it............
NCIX.com - Buy Powercolor Radeon HD 6950 800MHZ 2GB 5.0GHZ DDR5 2XDVI HDMI 2x Mini DP Dual Fan PCI-E Video Card - PowerColor - AX6950 2GBD5-2DH - in Canada

I think the card have dual biso as well so might try to do unlock one of them and see....

what grapgics card do you guys think is best in the $250-$300 price range at the moment?

i believe at that price point its the hd 6950 2gb.

Yea I got my 6950 for 269 I think? Very happy with jt
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2GB 6950 or a GTX 560TI on sale.

hmm how long do you think the 6950 will last for the coming years?

At least until the next console generation, and even then it will be good probably. Current consoles were already outdated by at least a year when they came out, and have been holding back graphics ever since.
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$35 over $200 but ncix has an in-store sale currently for the 560ti
NCIX.com - Canada's Premier Computer Store - Online PC Discount Store, Buy Computer Accessories

might be cheaper on black friday though next week/cyber monday


read the link i posted; i was going to get the same card, in that thread apparently some have unlocked that very card

I need a silent video card.... (I don't game on my PC much) that can accomodate:
1) lcd with displayport/dvi/vga (6-bit panel, DP not too important i guess)
2) lcd with dvi/vga
3) tv with hdmi

Right now, I'm using a fanless 5450 that has vga/dvi/hdmi, with 2/3 displays on at any given time. Ideally, something that can pump out all three would be nice. Is it just easier/cheaper to keep the 5450 and add anther card?