Official Building/Upgrading thread

[twitchyzero]

water cooling is absolutely overkill if you don't OC

[Renxo]

Thanks that helps a lot!

[FerrariEnzo]

Im using the H80 and have my i5 2500k clocked at 4.8ghz...

[bananana]

So RS, I have a problem.

I just got my 3rd Dell U2410 in today for my eyefinity setup -- but for some reason I can only get 2 of the monitors to work at a time. I do know that all 3 work because during boot up they will switch around. The first and second monitors are plugged into the DVI and HDMI ports. The new one is plugged into an active mini-displayport to DVI connector. Any clues?

My GPU is a XFX 7950 DD Black Edition.

[twitchyzero]

have you tried configuring it in Catalyst? Sorry I don't have experience with Eyefinity only its Nvidia equivalent

[MarcusLaw]

Originally Posted by bananana

So RS, I have a problem.

I just got my 3rd Dell U2410 in today for my eyefinity setup -- but for some reason I can only get 2 of the monitors to work at a time. I do know that all 3 work because during boot up they will switch around. The first and second monitors are plugged into the DVI and HDMI ports. The new one is plugged into an active mini-displayport to DVI connector. Any clues?

My GPU is a XFX 7950 DD Black Edition.

im not an expert at this but, heres why I think it's not working for you.

For AMD graphics card to go 3+ monitors with eye infinity, with your configuration, requires a special active adapter. Other wise it wont run on 3+ monitors.

Here's a list of monitors you can choose from: AMD Eyefinity Technology - Recommended Adapters

Edit1:

so yeah straight from AMDs website:

"To enable more than two displays, or multiple displays from a single output, additional hardware such as DisplayPort-ready monitors or DisplayPort 1.2 MST-enabled hubs may be required. Maximum two active adapters supported. See www.amd.com/eyefinityfaq for full details."

So in order to bypass this without buying an adapter is to have all 3 monitors using display ports :|

I'm not so good at this but... if you go the tripple display port way... you kind of bottle neck your self in some games, as display port only goes up to 60hz lol ._. so buying super high end graphics card having like 100 fps kinda useless with 60 hz limit.

edit2: oh ._. at post below... yeah no clue... XDDD

[roastpuff]

Originally Posted by MarcusLaw

im not an expert at this but, heres why I think it's not working for you.

For AMD graphics card to go 3+ monitors with eye infinity, with your configuration, requires a special active adapter. Other wise it wont run on 3+ monitors.

Here's a list of monitors you can choose from: AMD Eyefinity Technology - Recommended Adapters

He's got an active adapter.

My guess is a configuration issue - mess around with the driver settings?

[lilaznviper]

Originally Posted by bananana

So RS, I have a problem.

I just got my 3rd Dell U2410 in today for my eyefinity setup -- but for some reason I can only get 2 of the monitors to work at a time. I do know that all 3 work because during boot up they will switch around. The first and second monitors are plugged into the DVI and HDMI ports. The new one is plugged into an active mini-displayport to DVI connector. Any clues?

My GPU is a XFX 7950 DD Black Edition.

you may want to try a mini-displayport to displayport cable instead of using an adapter. I have the same setup as you but differnet monitors and using the mini displayport to displayport cable running eyefinity without any problems

cable is about 10 dollars at memory express

[SkinnyPupp]

OCZ Vector Review - 256GB High End Consumer SSD

[J.C]

anyone interested in gentle typhoons 1850 rpm?
just took 2 out of my pc because i have way too many fans

$30 for both
been in my system for 2 months running about 5hrs a day

[SkinnyPupp]

Got some of these today... they are absolutely gorgeous

[underscore]

that looks so badass.

[FerrariEnzo]

Question about Powerline adapters...


Can I mix different brands/make? The TrendNet I have doest seem to have the Wifi version, At least NCIX doesnt have that model and ME doesnt carry trendNet at all... Tried to search online but answers arent very clear.. some say works some say doesnt...

[MarcusLaw]

Originally Posted by FerrariEnzo

Question about Powerline adapters...


Can I mix different brands/make? The TrendNet I have doest seem to have the Wifi version, At least NCIX doesnt have that model and ME doesnt carry trendNet at all... Tried to search online but answers arent very clear.. some say works some say doesnt...

it might and might not.

there's a standard some companys do and get certified called HomePlug. HomePlug Certified Products - HomePlug Powerline Alliance

If your product and the other product you want to mix with are both listed, they should in work.

for all other adapters not listed on the HomePlug website, its a maybe. Theres other protocol companys that certify these PowerLine adapters too, but HomePlug being the most popular one.

[b0unce. [?]]

Seeking the help of RS computer gurus!

So it's been ages (6+ years) since I've upgraded or done anything with my current tower. Long story short, I'm looking to just replace what I have. I'm seeking the help of you guys to toss me some suggestions/builds for a gaming rig. I'm budgeting myself at $1300 - $1500. Essentially the best bang for my buck.

I don't have a preference with either Intel or AMD. I've used Intel for my last couple builds and had no issues, at the moment I would lean towards it. i5, i7 w/e

Ideally I'd love to run SSD's, but they seem to be quite expensive. I've never had one before or experienced the difference. If it can fit within my budget, great. Otherwise maybe 1TB or 2TB should be more than enough storage space.

With video cards, I've completely fallen out of the loop. I've got no clue which are the newest ones or offers the highest performance. I'll leave that up to you.

12gb ram?

I'll leave it to you to pick out the mobo, heatsink/water cooling, psu, case etc...

I won't need a dvd/blu ray drive or any accessories. I'd prefer purchasing all my parts locally.
I might have missed something since I'm posting this at 2:30am.

TIA.

[SkinnyPupp]

BTW if you have been thinking about holding off on a new video card to wait for the next batch based on new chips, don't bother

New AMD Roadmap Suggests No New Radeon Architecture Until Late this Year

[MarcusLaw]

Originally Posted by b0unce. [?]

Spoiler!

Seeking the help of RS computer gurus!

So it's been ages (6+ years) since I've upgraded or done anything with my current tower. Long story short, I'm looking to just replace what I have. I'm seeking the help of you guys to toss me some suggestions/builds for a gaming rig. I'm budgeting myself at $1300 - $1500. Essentially the best bang for my buck.

I don't have a preference with either Intel or AMD. I've used Intel for my last couple builds and had no issues, at the moment I would lean towards it. i5, i7 w/e

Ideally I'd love to run SSD's, but they seem to be quite expensive. I've never had one before or experienced the difference. If it can fit within my budget, great. Otherwise maybe 1TB or 2TB should be more than enough storage space.

With video cards, I've completely fallen out of the loop. I've got no clue which are the newest ones or offers the highest performance. I'll leave that up to you.

12gb ram?

I'll leave it to you to pick out the mobo, heatsink/water cooling, psu, case etc...

I won't need a dvd/blu ray drive or any accessories. I'd prefer purchasing all my parts locally.
I might have missed something since I'm posting this at 2:30am.

TIA.

CPU: Intel i5 3570k Intel Core i5 3570K Unlocked Quad Core Processor LGA1155 3.4GHZ Ivy Bridge 6MB Retail
Standard. Hands down best main stream cpu for everything.

Motherboard: If your going to just use 1 video card get MSI Z77A-G45 ATX LGA1155 Z77 DDR3 3PCI-E16 4PCI-E1 SLI SATA3 DVI HDMI VGA DX11 USB3.0 Motherboard
Going to SLI or crossfire? get MSI Z77A-GD65 ATX LGA1155 Z77 DDR3 3PCI-E16 4PCI-E1 SATA3 DVI HDMI VGA DX11 USB3.0 Motherboard
Honestly, motherboards are a pain to choose, i just choose these because they were on sale ._.
Its really based on what features you want and if all your stuff fits on it... thats all. 100$ mother board and they work why not x]

Ram: Corsair Vengeance CML16GX3M2A1600C10 Low Profile 16GB 2X8GB DDR3-1600 CL10 Dual Channel Memory Kit
or Corsair Vengeance Black CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10 16GB 2X8GB DDR3-1600 CL10 1.5V Dual Channel Memory Kit
They are the same ram, just one is low profile and other is standard. It basically the looks and price lol Ram is just ram, if you want a Red G.skill one you can pick that too if you want. Just pick the one you think looks nicest.

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti Power ED 1019MHZ 2GB 6.0GHZ GDDR5 2xDVI HDMI Display Port PCI-E Video Card
If your going to overclock your video card then get Gigabyte Radeon HD 7950 Windforce 900MHZ 3GB 5GHZ GDDR5 DVI HDMI 2XDP PCI-E Video Card
If your going to do 3d, get a nvidia card.

SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 128gb Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5in SATA3 MDX Solid State Disk Flash Drive SSD
Best SSD in the market atm. 256gb is better bang for the buck, but if its just for the boot + games + applications then your fine with 128gb

HDD: 2tb Western Digital Green Western Digital 2TB Caviar Green SATA3 Intelli Power 64MB Cache 3.5in Internal Hard Disk Drive HDD
Standard storage drive, its green... saves power. if you want a little more performance (less wait time), get a seagate baracudda 2tb

PSU: Corsair TX550M Corsair Enthusiast Series TX550M 550W ATX Modular Power Supply Active PFC 120MM Fan 5 Year Warranty
Should be enough with this configuration. It should be around 380w or w.e so 450... 550w is good XD 80 plus bronze standard... pay more if you want better efficiency and silenter

CASE: Fractal Design r4 Fractal Design Define R4 ATX Mid Tower Window Case Black 2X5.25 1X3.5 8X3.5INT 2X2.5SSD No PSU
it also comes in white w/ or w/o window and black w/o the window. My personal fav is black w/ window though XD
This case is really awesome, especially at the price its at right now! Super quite, really clean look, and is just really amazing. Recommended this case for so many people and they all love it! (well the r2, not the r4, r4 is new so ^_^)

HeatSink: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo Direct Touch 4 Heatpipe Heatsink AM2 AM3 LGA1366/1155/1156/2011 120mm for air cooling without you buying other fans.
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus Direct Touch 4 Heatpipe Heatsink AM2 AM3 LGA1366 LGA1155 LGA1156 120mm it is cheaper than ^ but not as good because of the fan, so spend that extra cash on better fans. if your going for heavy overclock, your doing 3d render work or w.e or you just want a baller and cheap water cool... get Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H80I CPU Cooler System LGA1155 1156 1366 2011 AM2 AM3 FM1 FM2 especially when its on sale, this is amazing!

Grand Total Price: $1309.88 w/o price matching. You can prob save 50-100$ with price matching. Note this is the price with the h80i. you can drop it by like 50$ with an air cooler. You prob even get away with 50$ case, and like 80$ ram but I choose the parts that I would personally buy, based on experience, looks, and yeah....

Have fun!

Oh yeah and if you want to spend like 1500$... you can upgrade the video card to a GTX 670 (+170$) which brings you to around 1480$.

[twitchyzero]

Originally Posted by SkinnyPupp

BTW if you have been thinking about holding off on a new video card to wait for the next batch based on new chips, don't bother

New AMD Roadmap Suggests No New Radeon Architecture Until Late this Year

the best bang for the buck card I'd recommend to people these days would be the Tahiti LE

better than the 660 Ti while costing less...could be had just north of $200

Powercolor Radeon HD 7870 PCS+ MYST.(TAHITI LE) 2GB 6Gbps GDDR5 DVI HDMI 2XMINIDP PCI-E Video Card

[SkinnyPupp]

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

the best bang for the buck card I'd recommend to people these days would be the Tahiti LE

better than the 660 Ti while costing less...could be had just north of $200

Powercolor Radeon HD 7870 PCS+ MYST.(TAHITI LE) 2GB 6Gbps GDDR5 DVI HDMI 2XMINIDP PCI-E Video Card

I plan on comparing a couple cards around $200. Nvidia will be most likely represented by the 660, but I am having a tough time deciding on which AMD card to use. It's supposed to be the 7850, but with so many 7870 cards, that seems like a more fair comparison...

But then I am worried Nvidia will just drop the 660 Ti down to match it.... fuuuuu

[ForbiddenX]

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

the best bang for the buck card I'd recommend to people these days would be the Tahiti LE

better than the 660 Ti while costing less...could be had just north of $200

Powercolor Radeon HD 7870 PCS+ MYST.(TAHITI LE) 2GB 6Gbps GDDR5 DVI HDMI 2XMINIDP PCI-E Video Card

And you get the two games with it too which makes it an even better deal.

[flipkronikz]

Originally Posted by MarcusLaw

CPU: Intel i5 3570k Intel Core i5 3570K Unlocked Quad Core Processor LGA1155 3.4GHZ Ivy Bridge 6MB Retail
Standard. Hands down best main stream cpu for everything.

Motherboard: If your going to just use 1 video card get MSI Z77A-G45 ATX LGA1155 Z77 DDR3 3PCI-E16 4PCI-E1 SLI SATA3 DVI HDMI VGA DX11 USB3.0 Motherboard
Going to SLI or crossfire? get MSI Z77A-GD65 ATX LGA1155 Z77 DDR3 3PCI-E16 4PCI-E1 SATA3 DVI HDMI VGA DX11 USB3.0 Motherboard
Honestly, motherboards are a pain to choose, i just choose these because they were on sale ._.
Its really based on what features you want and if all your stuff fits on it... thats all. 100$ mother board and they work why not x]

Ram: Corsair Vengeance CML16GX3M2A1600C10 Low Profile 16GB 2X8GB DDR3-1600 CL10 Dual Channel Memory Kit
or Corsair Vengeance Black CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10 16GB 2X8GB DDR3-1600 CL10 1.5V Dual Channel Memory Kit
They are the same ram, just one is low profile and other is standard. It basically the looks and price lol Ram is just ram, if you want a Red G.skill one you can pick that too if you want. Just pick the one you think looks nicest.

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti Power ED 1019MHZ 2GB 6.0GHZ GDDR5 2xDVI HDMI Display Port PCI-E Video Card
If your going to overclock your video card then get Gigabyte Radeon HD 7950 Windforce 900MHZ 3GB 5GHZ GDDR5 DVI HDMI 2XDP PCI-E Video Card
If your going to do 3d, get a nvidia card.

SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 128gb Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5in SATA3 MDX Solid State Disk Flash Drive SSD
Best SSD in the market atm. 256gb is better bang for the buck, but if its just for the boot + games + applications then your fine with 128gb

HDD: 2tb Western Digital Green Western Digital 2TB Caviar Green SATA3 Intelli Power 64MB Cache 3.5in Internal Hard Disk Drive HDD
Standard storage drive, its green... saves power. if you want a little more performance (less wait time), get a seagate baracudda 2tb

PSU: Corsair TX550M Corsair Enthusiast Series TX550M 550W ATX Modular Power Supply Active PFC 120MM Fan 5 Year Warranty
Should be enough with this configuration. It should be around 380w or w.e so 450... 550w is good XD 80 plus bronze standard... pay more if you want better efficiency and silenter

CASE: Fractal Design r4 Fractal Design Define R4 ATX Mid Tower Window Case Black 2X5.25 1X3.5 8X3.5INT 2X2.5SSD No PSU
it also comes in white w/ or w/o window and black w/o the window. My personal fav is black w/ window though XD
This case is really awesome, especially at the price its at right now! Super quite, really clean look, and is just really amazing. Recommended this case for so many people and they all love it! (well the r2, not the r4, r4 is new so ^_^)

HeatSink: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo Direct Touch 4 Heatpipe Heatsink AM2 AM3 LGA1366/1155/1156/2011 120mm for air cooling without you buying other fans.
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus Direct Touch 4 Heatpipe Heatsink AM2 AM3 LGA1366 LGA1155 LGA1156 120mm it is cheaper than ^ but not as good because of the fan, so spend that extra cash on better fans. if your going for heavy overclock, your doing 3d render work or w.e or you just want a baller and cheap water cool... get Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H80I CPU Cooler System LGA1155 1156 1366 2011 AM2 AM3 FM1 FM2 especially when its on sale, this is amazing!

Grand Total Price: $1309.88 w/o price matching. You can prob save 50-100$ with price matching. Note this is the price with the h80i. you can drop it by like 50$ with an air cooler. You prob even get away with 50$ case, and like 80$ ram but I choose the parts that I would personally buy, based on experience, looks, and yeah....

Have fun!

Oh yeah and if you want to spend like 1500$... you can upgrade the video card to a GTX 670 (+170$) which brings you to around 1480$.

Similar to my setup. Picking up parts as they go on sale
3570k cpu $200 ncix
msi z77a gd65 mobo memory express price match $134
corsair 8gb ram $49 ncix
cx750 psu $70 ncix
zalman z9 plus $50
samsung ssd 120gb $100
dvd writer $17 ncix
Still need a monitor(asus), video cards(gigabyte 7950 crossfire), storage drive

[BrRsn]

Have any of you guys dealt with those mini android tv boxes?

I want to get one for the parents for skyping, anyone recommend one/one that isn't crap? They all seem kinda generic. I'd prefer to set it up with a full size keyboard/mouse

Thanks in advance for your help

[ForbiddenX]

The 7870 Tahiti LE is $234 ($205 with a $30 MIR) + The free games to drop the price even more if you were planning on getting the two games anyways.

Powercolor Radeon HD 7870 PCS+ MYST.(TAHITI LE) 2GB 6Gbps GDDR5 DVI HDMI 2XMINIDP PCI-E Video Card

edit: just ordered one

[twitchyzero]

crazy value...I'd totally jump on it if I was in the market for one or two
those are actually great games too....Nvidia on the other hand is offering credits for F2P games

[StylinRed]

supposedly Crysis 3 should be free too


Tomb Raider, Crysis 3 And Bioshock Infinite Free With AMD Graphics Cards : New Games : Gamenguide