[EternalGamer]

Ok I'm doing my graphics card research and I'm leaning towards a 6870. It seems (and this thread says) it's great especially for the money. So is there a difference in buying an AMD vs Nvidia card or is it basically just brand preference? Also is it worth it to upgrade to the 7850? for the 100ish bucks?

I have one PC with Nvida and 1 with Radeon.

The only real downside to Radeon is that when new games come out, they are sometimes a little slow to send out driver updates to optimize performance. However, they are definitely the better bang for the buck.

Thus I recommend the Radeon 6870. It's a good card at a reasonable price. It will easily handle anything on the market today but it isn't crazy overboard. The higher tiered cards are for enthusiast that like to compare benchmarks and/or need to max out everything in every game.

[EternalGamer]

I always figured it was the other way around. Good to know. I kinda figured that too since the 6 and 7 series are very power efficient and his PSU was already running a power hungry 4800 card, but the recommended specs said otherwise.

I can personally verify that a 6870 runs fine on a 450W power supply. I've had this set up for years.

[Mr_Elysia]

Nice to see someone daring to go for the FX8150. It's not that awful if all cores are used and performance is somewhat hindered by Win7 not loving the architecture. Win8 performance is slightly better and if you can't wait just use Ubuntu :D I'd really love AMD parts in my upcoming system, but there are no 990 mATX motherboards and the 7850 blower doesn't seem to be sold by anyone...

I knew I should have stuck with XP! And yeah my whole system is way too big, I love the Obsidian look anyways, but not something remotely transportable with any ease. Wanted to go with a 650D with no sidewindow but none available at the time. My previous computer was a small form factor and so east to transport. I'm going to miss that.

[Hazaro]

When to restart my computer. It's not even posting right now. Not even spinning fans.

I swapped the memory Tried running 1 stick in multiple slots Plug and replugged every power connector. Clear the cmos multiple times. Down to motherboard and power supply. Asus p8p67 pro or seasonic x750 :/

[jwhit28]

When to restart my computer. It's not even posting right now. Not even spinning fans. I swapped the memory Tried running 1 stick in multiple slots Plug and replugged every power connector. Clear the cmos multiple times. Down to motherboard and power supply. Asus p8p67 pro or seasonic x750 :/

Wow that sounds like the reason I started messing with computers. I woke up and there was obviously a power surge due to all the flashing clocks in the house, I went to turn on the computer and nothing, I brought a crappy fire hazard PSU and traced all the wires. Its weird it comes down to those 2 usually ultra reliable parts.

[Hazaro]

I would not call a motherboard ultra reliable, but I'm a bit surprised this is sort of out of the blue.

* Swapped The power supply with the vp 450 still no post. Gonna swap the graphics and see if that helps, if not it's not time for an RMA

[Infinite Justice]

I would not call a motherboard ultra reliable, but I'm a bit surprised this is sort of out of the blue. * Swapped The power supply with the vp 450 still no post. Gonna swap the graphics and see if that helps, if not it's not time for an RMA

What motherboard is this?

What happened?

[AwesomeSauce]

I would not call a motherboard ultra reliable, but I'm a bit surprised this is sort of out of the blue. * Swapped The power supply with the vp 450 still no post. Gonna swap the graphics and see if that helps, if not it's not time for an RMA

Try unplugging the CPU power and then turning on the PC. If it powers up, it shouldn't POST or anything, just fans spinning. If that happens, most likely motherboard went bad and not PSU.

[Hazaro]

Try unplugging the CPU power and then turning on the PC. If it powers up, it shouldn't POST or anything, just fans spinning. If that happens, most likely motherboard went bad and not PSU.

That's an awesome trick to know thank you very much. I already swapped the power supply Memory ,graphics card ,graphics card slot ,Memory slots and sticks of memory. But just having the fans run feels nice. :)

I'm pretty sure if I swap in another be 67 bored I will be okay on my installs correct?

[scottnak]

So... looks like my brother is in the market for a new PC.
He picked out this line up, was wondering what you guys thought:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8Zy8

Any suggestions would be muchly appreciated!

[MrBig]

So... looks like my brother is in the market for a new PC. He picked out this line up, was wondering what you guys thought: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8Zy8 Any suggestions would be muchly appreciated!

What is he going to be using it for? No matter what you can drop the 680 to a 670 and not really lose in in-game performance with an OC, or even a stock Asus TOP. If he's just gaming he can save another $150 and drop the 2600k to a 2500k and the ram to 8gb- there is no need for any more than that.

[scottnak]

What is he going to be using it for? No matter what you can drop the 680 to a 670 and not really lose in in-game performance with an OC, or even a stock Asus TOP. If he's just gaming he can save another $150 and drop the 2600k to a 2500k and the ram to 8gb- there is no need for any more than that.

Yup... it's mainly gaming. Here's some extra info he dropped on me:

Budget: 1400+ish
Main Use: Gaming , lots of gaming
Monitor Resolution: Not sure...
Games must be able to play: Battlefield 3 , Diablo III , Skyrim, Total war series (in ultra) and not slow down when having thousands of soldiers on battlefield. any of the upcoming PC games.

Reuse any parts: Most likely only optical drives
Current Specs:

Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_gdr.120401-1505)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: ECS-USASystem Model: GeForce6100PM-M2
BIOS: )Phoenix - Award WorkstationBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: AMD Phenom(tm) 8450 Triple-Core Processor (3 CPUs), ~2.1GHz
Memory: 4096MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 4094MB RAM

[MrBig]

Yeah, he can play any game on ultra at ~60fps at 2560x1440 (~90+ at 1920x1080) with his list and the changes I recommended. That probably puts him somewhere around $1250. He can use the extra in the budget to get a better monitor or case or an SSD.

[claviertekky]

When to restart my computer. It's not even posting right now. Not even spinning fans. I swapped the memory Tried running 1 stick in multiple slots Plug and replugged every power connector. Clear the cmos multiple times. Down to motherboard and power supply. Asus p8p67 pro or seasonic x750 :/

Sounds like your board is dead.

[scottnak]

Yeah, he can play any game on ultra at ~60fps at 2560x1440 (~90+ at 1920x1080) with his list and the changes I recommended. That probably puts him somewhere around $1250. He can use the extra in the budget to get a better monitor or case or an SSD.

Excellent! Thanks muchly for the suggestions. Is there any case or monitor in particular that you might suggest?

[Shambles]

Getting awfully tired of waiting for a decent GTX 670 to show up in stock without the retailer gouging. If i can't find one available soon I might end up just jumping in with a 7870 as they're pricing is now as good as the 670 as far as price/performance goes. Come on nvidia, get your crap in gear.

[MrBig]

Excellent! Thanks muchly for the suggestions. Is there any case or monitor in particular that you might suggest?

He could get something in the ~$100 range like a Fractal R3 or a Silverstone.

If he's willing to pay for it I completely recommend this monitor.

Getting awfully tired of waiting for a decent GTX 670 to show up in stock without the retailer gouging. If i can't find one available soon I might end up just jumping in with a 7870 as they're pricing is now as good as the 670 as far as price/performance goes. Come on nvidia, get your crap in gear.

I would wait till Monday and see if Newegg continues the 11am est refresh of the Asus cards.

[kaskade]

I have one PC with Nvida and 1 with Radeon. The only real downside to Radeon is that when new games come out, they are sometimes a little slow to send out driver updates to optimize performance. However, they are definitely the better bang for the buck. Thus I recommend the Radeon 6870. It's a good card at a reasonable price. It will easily handle anything on the market today but it isn't crazy overboard. The higher tiered cards are for enthusiast that like to compare benchmarks and/or need to max out everything in every game.

Very cool. So I'll probably stick with that. Since this will be my first gaming PC I'll probably be going through some older stuff in the beginning anyway.

I feel like I want to buy 8 HDDs just cause they fit in the case.

[Hazaro]

If I go from P67 to Z77 on a Win 7 install, should everything (my installs) be ok?

Sounds like your board is dead.

That's what all signs point to.

I've hooked up my reserve machine (The $500 one in the OP using Win 8) in the meantime. Lucky I decided to have this around to do some testing. My computer is everything and mobo dying out of the blue sucks terribly.

That feel when getting down to 18/20 on your trouble shoot list.

[claviertekky]

If I go from P67 to Z77 on a Win 7 install, should everything (my installs) be ok? That's what all signs point to. I've hooked up my reserve machine (The $500 one in the OP using Win 8) in the meantime. Lucky I decided to have this around to do some testing. My computer is everything and mobo dying out of the blue sucks terribly. That feel when getting down to 18/20 on your trouble shoot list.

Windows may ask you to reauthenticate your key.

[EternalGamer]

Very cool. So I'll probably stick with that. Since this will be my first gaming PC I'll probably be going through some older stuff in the beginning anyway. I feel like I want to buy 8 HDDs just cause they fit in the case.

Buy one TB hardrive then put about $150 in your Steam Wallet for the upcoming Summer sale. Trust me. That will get you like half the games ever released on PC. :)

[ProXimity]

So my new PC build is all prepped and stuff. I've been doing some gaming but I thought of two things:

What is a list of things I should configure/do after booting for the first time?

Also, I've been experiencing issues where my games recommend pretty poor settings, even though my card should be able to handle it no problem. I was playing Red Orchestra 2, TF2, L4D2, and CS:S all maxed out without any issues whatsoever. For each of those games, it gave me some weird recommended settings. I have a GTX 670, i7-3930K, and ASRock X79 Extreme6/GB mobo. Should I be experiencing this issue or did I miss some setup procedure?

[Hazaro]

Windows may ask you to reauthenticate your key.

But as far as changing of chipsets goes, Win 7 is a lot nicer on this regard?

I remember asking about going from P965 to P55 and I was told reinstall was the best option for my XP install.

So my new PC build is all prepped and stuff. I've been doing some gaming but I thought of two things: What is a list of things I should configure/do after booting for the first time? Also, I've been experiencing issues where my games recommend pretty poor settings, even though my card should be able to handle it no problem. I was playing Red Orchestra 2, TF2, L4D2, and CS:S all maxed out without any issues whatsoever. For each of those games, it gave me some weird recommended settings. I have a GTX 670, i7-3930K, and ASRock X79 Extreme6/GB mobo. Should I be experiencing this issue or did I miss some setup procedure?

670 is very new and not on the recognized hardware list for game settings.

Just run ninite, install your stuff. Find some nice OC settings.

[JetBlackPanda]

well my build is almost done! I just moved my computer desk to a better location in the house but now its out of wired range. I will need to get a wireless pci card or a usb wireless adapter.

I really dont want to get a USB one.. they suck right?? my problem is i need it by tuesday.

[Firehead]

Looking for a new case for my PC, looking at newegg, I noticed the Cooler Master CM690 II was on sale. Anyone have any experience with it? How is it? Would there be anything better for that price?

[ProXimity]

I have the Microsoft wireless desktop 2000 bundle (mouse + keyboard). I want to keep using my old wireless logitech mouse, but the MS mouse and keyboard use the same USB receiver. If I plug in the receiver to use the keyboard, the mouse automatically works. If I try to plug in the other mouse's receiver, it doesn't respond and says it's an unrecognizable device. If I take out the MS receiver, the Logitech mouse works.

I want to set it up so I can use the MS keyboard and the Logitech mouse, but I can't figure it out.

"Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)" for whichever receiver I plug in second.

[Shambles]

Looking for a new case for my PC, looking at newegg, I noticed the Cooler Master CM690 II was on sale. Anyone have any experience with it? How is it? Would there be anything better for that price?

I bought the USB 3 version that includes the updated USB headers on the front as well as grommets for the motherboard cutouts inside. I've been very happy with the case. It has a nice simple look to it, the built in hard drive enclosure "thing" on the type I've come to like a lot and I found it quite easy to build in. The only two issues I have with it is that I found the pegs on the HDD trays to be quite a tight fit. I had to squeeze them into the corresponding holes for the pegs on the HDD quite forcefully in order for the tray to fit into the HDD bay. Also while there is space behind the motherboard for routing cables you will have to careful about how you lay them out in order to get the back panel of the case on. My 24-pin cable barely fit back there for me. Other cases in that range include the Corsair 400/500R and the Bitfenix Raider. I haven't seen the raider in person but I've done a couple builds with the 400/500R. They are also great cases to work in and the back panel on the case gives you an extra inch-inch and a half to fit cables back there. I found the HDD inidicator light to be obnoxiously bright but I would have been just as happy with the 400/500R as the 690 II Advanced. Both were miles ahead of the Antec 300 I had in my old system. I'd take the 400R over the 690 II Advanced (Non USB3) version, but you won't find it on sale for the $60 that case is selling for now. At least not around where I live. If that sale doesn't include the $10 off in the price and you can get the 690 for $50 bucks then it will destroy any other case in that price bracket.

Edit: The arc midi also looked pretty good but again, I haven't seen it in person.

[TheExodu5]

The Cooler Master CM 690 II is a great case for the money. Highly recommended.

[Grayman]

But as far as changing of chipsets goes, Win 7 is a lot nicer on this regard? I remember asking about going from P965 to P55 and I was told reinstall was the best option for my XP install. 670 is very new and not on the recognized hardware list for game settings. Just run ninite, install your stuff. Find some nice OC settings.

why did I just hear of this app now. That is awesome.

[kaskade]

Buy one TB hardrive then put about $150 in your Steam Wallet for the upcoming Summer sale. Trust me. That will get you like half the games ever released on PC. :)

Steam sales are one of the reasons I want to have a PC. I always see people getting like 20 games for 8 bucks. I was thinking about playing through Hitman Blood Money and it's like 10 bucks on there. Also my TV will be right near it so I can play some stuff right on there.

[Grayman]

Steam sales are one of the reasons I want to have a PC. I always see people getting like 20 games for 8 bucks. I was thinking about playing through Hitman Blood Money and it's like 10 bucks on there. Also my TV will be right near it so I can play some stuff right on there.

your first few months or year with steam sales and daily deals are awesome.

[Firehead]

I bought the USB 3 version that includes the updated USB headers on the front as well as grommets for the motherboard cutouts inside. I've been very happy with the case. It has a nice simple look to it, the built in hard drive enclosure "thing" on the type I've come to like a lot and I found it quite easy to build in. The only two issues I have with it is that I found the pegs on the HDD trays to be quite a tight fit. I had to squeeze them into the corresponding holes for the pegs on the HDD quite forcefully in order for the tray to fit into the HDD bay. Also while there is space behind the motherboard for routing cables you will have to careful about how you lay them out in order to get the back panel of the case on. My 24-pin cable barely fit back there for me. Other cases in that range include the Corsair 400/500R and the Bitfenix Raider. I haven't seen the raider in person but I've done a couple builds with the 400/500R. They are also great cases to work in and the back panel on the case gives you an extra inch-inch and a half to fit cables back there. I found the HDD inidicator light to be obnoxiously bright but I would have been just as happy with the 400/500R as the 690 II Advanced. Both were miles ahead of the Antec 300 I had in my old system. I'd take the 400R over the 690 II Advanced (Non USB3) version, but you won't find it on sale for the $60 that case is selling for now. At least not around where I live. If that sale doesn't include the $10 off in the price and you can get the 690 for $50 bucks then it will destroy any other case in that price bracket. Edit: The arc midi also looked pretty good but again, I haven't seen it in person.

Yeah, the price is before the $10 discount. So it would be $49.99. Definitely think I'll just go with that and get some extra RAM with the savings. Thanks. ^^

[RedSwirl]

Yeah, it's great if you only have an average monitor and huge tv. I think this is the closest thread to that description that already exists. I only have a 32" tv and am getting a 27" monitor so I won't have to sit on my terrible couch anymore :)

I'm just sayin'. When I booted up Crysis 2 on my 1080p Bravia, plugged up my Xbox controller, and sat back on the couch, it felt like I was finally looking at J Allard's "HD era" promise from back in 2005.

[I H8 Memes]

So my new PC build is all prepped and stuff. I've been doing some gaming but I thought of two things: What is a list of things I should configure/do after booting for the first time? Also, I've been experiencing issues where my games recommend pretty poor settings, even though my card should be able to handle it no problem. I was playing Red Orchestra 2, TF2, L4D2, and CS:S all maxed out without any issues whatsoever. For each of those games, it gave me some weird recommended settings. I have a GTX 670, i7-3930K, and ASRock X79 Extreme6/GB mobo. Should I be experiencing this issue or did I miss some setup procedure?

Most games will suggest settings far below what your PC can handle

Here are some GAF thread for must have software. Also, at ninite.com you can get almost all of the software you want in one go.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=460440

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=459129

[corn_fest]

I agreed to help my cousin look for a laptop for school, but it appears I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Trying to find anything that stands out above the rest on the typical sites (Newegg, Amazon, PCMag...) is proving to be quite difficult. Perhaps someone could offer some advice?

She's looking for something...
- in about the $500-700 range
- ~15" screen
- 6 or 8 GB RAM
- reasonably fast... I'm thinking something with an i5 processor is probably the best bet for her price range
- graphics are not a concern. Discrete graphics won't be necessary (and I assume are rarely found in that price range anyway)

Anyway, I would appreciate any advice I can get here, even if it's just a link to a better resource for comparing.

[EternalGamer]

I agreed to help my cousin look for a laptop for school, but it appears I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Trying to find anything that stands out above the rest on the typical sites (Newegg, Amazon, PCMag...) is proving to be quite difficult. Perhaps someone could offer some advice? She's looking for something... - in about the $500-700 range - ~15" screen - 6 or 8 GB RAM - reasonably fast... I'm thinking something with an i5 processor is probably the best bet for her price range - graphics are not a concern. Discrete graphics won't be necessary (and I assume are rarely found in that price range anyway) Anyway, I would appreciate any advice I can get here, even if it's just a link to a better resource for comparing.

Obviously, she isn't looking for a hardcore gaming device and she probably isn't using any really demanding programs, so honestly the three most important specs are battery life, weight, and price.

You can surf, word process, social network, watch videos, music, etc. with on anything on the market, no problem. It used to be that networks would chug a bit on HD video content, but I don't think that is true any more. So don't sweat the specs. That only really matters for gamers and professionals who use resource intensive programs.

Personally, for portable stuff like web surfing, writing papers, video, music, etc, I prefer an IPad, a nice stand and a Bluetooth keyboard. I quit using my netbook completely when I got one.

[corn_fest]

Obviously, she isn't looking for a hardcore gaming device and she probably isn't using any really demanding programs, so honestly the three most important specs are battery life, weight, and price. You can surf, word process, social network, watch videos, music, etc. with on anything on the market, no problem. So don't sweat the specs. That only really matters for gamers and professionals who use resource intensive programs.

I agree. The one thing she's been saying though is that she wants something faster than her brother's laptop, which is a midrange i3 iirc, even though I'm sure all she'll be doing is web/video/office type stuff. Perhaps I should be looking for something with a faster HDD.

[I H8 Memes]

I agreed to help my cousin look for a laptop for school, but it appears I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Trying to find anything that stands out above the rest on the typical sites (Newegg, Amazon, PCMag...) is proving to be quite difficult. Perhaps someone could offer some advice? She's looking for something... - in about the $500-700 range - ~15" screen - 6 or 8 GB RAM - reasonably fast... I'm thinking something with an i5 processor is probably the best bet for her price range - graphics are not a concern. Discrete graphics won't be necessary (and I assume are rarely found in that price range anyway) Anyway, I would appreciate any advice I can get here, even if it's just a link to a better resource for comparing.

There is a link for the laptop thread in the OP.

But I also asked this same question recently for a laptop for my gf's mother and this is what was recommended to me.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834215257

Edit: Obviously not going to be faster than an i5. But for the price it looks like it's a pretty nice laptop. And going by the reviews it can even handle light to mid range gaming.

[corn_fest]

There is a link for the laptop thread in the OP. But I also asked this same question recently for a laptop for my gf's mother and this is what was recommended to me. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834215257 Edit: Obviously not going to be faster than an i5. But for the price it looks like it's a pretty nice laptop. And going by the reviews it can even handle light to mid range gaming.

Whoops, totally missed the laptop thread. Sorry about that.
I think maybe I'll look at the Aspire series closer. They seem to be reviewed pretty decently several places.

[faceless007]

Looking for a new case for my PC, looking at newegg, I noticed the Cooler Master CM690 II was on sale. Anyone have any experience with it? How is it? Would there be anything better for that price?

I just built my new IB system in that a few weeks ago, it's a fantastic case. Everything feels solid and well-constructed, it feels very roomy to work in, great airflow, lots of spots for more fans (I put a 140mm on the bottom), easy cable routing, and just cool to look at. I doubt you'd find a better case for $50.

Just a couple minor niggles to expect if you get it: as mentioned, the pegs that hold HDDs are hard to push in all the way and will likely make installing the HDDs a little tough. The thumbscrews it comes with are little on the small side, you might still need a screwdriver (but you should have one when building anyway). While there's room to route cables in the back, thick cables like ATX power will be tight so you want to be careful not to overlap too many.

Also, despite what the pics on Newegg's site show, the case I got was the newer revision with rubber grommets and the larger motherboard cutout. Nice surprise.

One more thing, you can buy a replacement top panel from Cooler Master's site that has USB3.0 ports instead of eSATA if you want, which I did. But the panel they sent me had a mismatched connector for the wire that plugs into the front fan's LED. I jury-rigged a replacement, and it's just for the light, not the fan itself, so it's not a big deal if you can live without it. I don't know if it's just a fluke in the one I got or if they're all like that, but something to keep in mind.

[MooMoo]

well my build is almost done! I just moved my computer desk to a better location in the house but now its out of wired range. I will need to get a wireless pci card or a usb wireless adapter. I really dont want to get a USB one.. they suck right?? my problem is i need it by tuesday.

I'm no expert, but both PCIE and USB seem to be hit and miss. I bought a random $50 PCIE one from BB for my old desktop a long time ago and it would constantly drop connection. I got a $20 USB one with excellent user reviews on newegg for the desktop I just built. I get 4-5 bars (router is one floor down, opposite end of the house) and no drops yet. I only noticed some slowing issues when dling a bunch of games at once, but I guess that's kind of a given with a wireless connection if you try to dl 5+ games and play D3 at the same time lol.

I guess my point is: look at user reviews and buy based off that.

Edit: I could be wrong though. Is there anything inherent to a PCIE card that makes it objectively better than a USB one?

[ProXimity]

Thanks guys.

Anybody have any ideas about the mouse? The mouse that came with the combo is too weighty and the scroll wheel doesn't click. I wanna use my darn Logitech!

[Gav47]

If he's willing to pay for it I completely recommend this monitor.

I want this monitor so much but no one stocks them in Europe :( Should I chance getting one of the Korean models from eBay?

[scottnak]

He could get something in the ~$100 range like a Fractal R3 or a Silverstone. If he's willing to pay for it I completely recommend this monitor.

Hmm.. Interesting. Seems a bit too far out of his budget though... heh.

My brother added some extra thoughts:

Well i heard recommendation to go to 2500k for the CPU , and 670 for the graphics , however another friend said my power supply should go up to 600w instead of 550 and they wonder if it'll fit in the current case

Any comments on to what he was thinking?

Again, thanks again for taking time to help out.

[Edgeward]

Wanna do a new build but also want to back up my media files of course, so I'm looking for a external HDD. Are there any recommendations on what brand or specific ones people can vouch for? I just need something 500mb to 1 gig.

[JetBlackPanda]

I'm no expert, but both PCIE and USB seem to be hit and miss. I bought a random $50 PCIE one from BB for my old desktop a long time ago and it would constantly drop connection. I got a $20 USB one with excellent user reviews on newegg for the desktop I just built. I get 4-5 bars (router is one floor down, opposite end of the house) and no drops yet. I only noticed some slowing issues when dling a bunch of games at once, but I guess that's kind of a given with a wireless connection if you try to dl 5+ games and play D3 at the same time lol. I guess my point is: look at user reviews and buy based off that. Edit: I could be wrong though. Is there anything inherent to a PCIE card that makes it objectively better than a USB one?

Thanks for your input! After doing some reading and review checking I found that a ton of people really like the netgear wireless adapter. It basically acts like a bridge and wires into your pc via the ethernet port. It's only 45 bucks and it seems to work better then USB for most people.

Here it is:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003KPBRRW

I am going to give it a shot and let you guys know.

[claviertekky]

Thanks for your input! After doing some reading and review checking I found that a ton of people really like the netgear wireless adapter. It basically acts like a bridge and wires into your pc via the ethernet port. It's only 45 bucks and it seems to work better then USB for most people. Here it is: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003KPBRRW I am going to give it a shot and let you guys know.

These devices are basically either the mini pci-e cards or USB sticks powered with an external power brick that consumes just as much power as a USB port does.

I have a few of a similar design, and it's OK. These devices may have trouble forwarding ports, but for most people, I don't think they will notice as they probably won't use them for intensive purposes.

I prefer TP-Link internal computer cards, but I could just be biased. I like how Atheros drivers are well supported in Linux as most (if not all) TP-Link's products are Atheros chip based.

[kharma45]

Managed to flog my 5770 Vapor-X on eBay for £58 :D

After eBay fees it'll only be another £15 or so for a 120GB SSD so I think that'll be my next purchase, didn't expect the card to sell within a few hours of being listed.

[BackwardsSuggestions]

I have a front panel microphone and headphone jack, but I can't for the life of me figure out what cable is for them. Does anyone know what the cable for them would look like and where abouts it would fit on an Asus P8Z68-V LX.

Cheers.

[mkenyon]

I have a front panel microphone and headphone jack, but I can't for the life of me figure out what cable is for them. Does anyone know what the cable for them would look like and where abouts it would fit on an Asus P8Z68-V LX. Cheers.

AC '97 or HD audio, will say it on the end of the cable on the header. Read manual for spot to put them.