[mkenyon]

Anyone know if ATX power supplies fit in mATX cases? Will these two: Seasonic S12II 520W EPS12V 20/24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 80+ Bronze 6+8PIN PCI-E W/ 120MM Fan Fractal Design Arc Mini Tower Computer Case 2X5.25 6X3.5INT No PS Fan Controller & Front USB3 work together?

Yes.

It's mostly for gaming. I play everything. Literally everything. I need a headset with mic because I do play a lot of multiplayer games and the standalone mics just don't have the same clarity without hissing or picking up sound from around my office. Also needs to go over my ears (cup them completely). My Creative Tactic3D USB had deeper bass, but overall weaker sound. Plus it hurt my ears.

Non-esports and audiophiles just do not understand this at all. 'Just get the zalman clip on mic, it does fine'. That mic is such a piece of garbage. Once you factor in the price of a good soundcard to power your nice headphones, a mic that doesn't make your teammates want to kill you, and a decent pair of headphones, you're well past $200.

This is what I was getting at though, and why I suggested saving up for the PC-350s. It's the only headset out there that provides genuinely good sound if you do have some audiophile inclinations, and it has the single best mic out there. I've had a fan blowing directly on my face in the middle of summer and no one could hear it. Anecdotal, but trying to use it as an extreme example.

As far as budget soundcards go, Xonar (fill in the blank) is a good way to go. Just buy one that is compatible with your motherboard. Once installed, disable your onboard sound in BIOS to clear up any sort of hardware conflicts.

[Grief.exe]

It's mostly for gaming. I play everything. Literally everything. I need a headset with mic because I do play a lot of multiplayer games and the standalone mics just don't have the same clarity without hissing or picking up sound from around my office. Also needs to go over my ears (cup them completely). My Creative Tactic3D Alpha USB had deeper bass, but overall weaker sound. Plus it hurt my ears.

There are a lot of mics you can get that alleviate this problem.


There are some mics that actually attach to your headphones and make it somewhat of a pseudo headset. Then you can use some nice headphones and don't have to deal with the bad audio quality.

[Exuro]

Does anyone know of some small and quiet cases for an htpc build? I'm most likely going to make one for my parents during the holidays and am right now beginning to just get ideas on what styles I could go for. I've seen cube shaped ones as well as larger dvr looking ones but am not sure what the differences would be in the parts needed to fit. I'll want to make a solid balanced system.

[mkenyon]

There are a lot of mics you can get that alleviate this problem. There are some mics that actually attach to your headphones and make it somewhat of a pseudo headset. Then you can use some nice headphones and don't have to deal with the bad audio quality.

Right, but the problem that we were coming up against in me suggesting the Siberia was monetary. Those mics that even come close to the Siberia or PC-350 (or even middle tier headsets like Sonuz) are pretty pricey.

Does anyone know of some small and quiet cases for an htpc build? I'm most likely going to make one for my parents during the holidays and am right now beginning to just get ideas on what styles I could go for. I've seen cube shaped ones as well as larger dvr looking ones but am not sure what the differences would be in the parts needed to fit. I'll want to make a solid balanced system.

You'll be looking at ITX boards and cases. SFX power supplies if the power isn't supplied via a power brick in most cases.

It's all on fans and components to keep it quiet. SSD + passively cooled mobo + one low speed case fan = silent.

Look at Silverstone, Lian Li, or any ITX cases that have decent reviews on Newegg.


----------------------------------------------------


Still have a few items left!

Alright, the following items are FREE, including shipping. International shipments should be cool too, but I'll need to check rates beforehand. Might need to chip in a little, might not. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR ADDRESS IN A PM WHEN I PUT YOUR NAME IN RED NEXT TO AN ITEM. 1) Gigabyte 3.5" bay USB3, with internal header. Taken by CambriaRising 2) TWO Sandybridge stock heatsinks. 3) TWO 6' HDMI cables. Taken by Lone_Prodigy and ipitydatfu 4) Gigabyte 3-Way SLI bridge. 5) BitFenix Spectre Pro 120mm White LED Taken by Jzero 6) TWO dual 6 pin to 8 pin extensions, sleeved red. Taken by RS4 7) XBox 360 video out to VGA/Optical/Stereo breakout cable. Taken by Mr. Nightman 8) TWO all back SATA cables (yes, SATA 6GB) Taken by Catpee and Mangotron (this will not be the first piece of hardware I have lost to CatPee. Just sayin') 9) Razer Destructor Mousepad Taken by Mr. Big 10) Zotac Ion/ATOM motherboard (whole system, only need storage drive and RAM). This is missing the power brick, but it plugs in to the cable on the right. Should be able to be sourced from Zotac. Taken by kennah 11) AMD Phenom II X4 970 (I clocked as high as 4.3GHz) - This has a few bent pins, but a good local computer store should be able to fix it. The bent pins are only on a single row (last row). Taken by Mr. Nightman 12) Primochill PRO LRT tubing in white - 7/16" ID, 5/8" OD Taken by Scogoth 13) TWO XSPC K2 TIM 14) TWO XSPC TIM (comes with Raystorm, supposedly pretty good - unbranded)

[Grief.exe]

Here are some pretty high quality mics.

http://www.cyberacoustics.com/retail...hones/CVL-1064

http://www.cyberacoustics.com/retail...hones/CVL-1124

http://www.modmic.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Labtec-LVA7330.../dp/B00000JBRV

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphon.../dp/B002OO333Q

Modmics are currently sold out.

[Exuro]

dang itx is small. just for kicks, what could you do with this case in particular?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129080

I'm not sure how much you could cram into that, but it looks like a nice form factor. Could you do an ivy bridge?

[JimmyRickard]

How do you guys rate the 660Ti? Thinking about building a Steam Box and using this card.

[MrBig]

Razer Destructor Mousepad

I could do with a hard pad, if you would be so kind :)

[cametall]

Right, but the problem that we were coming up against in me suggesting the Siberia was monetary. Those mics that even come close to the Siberia or PC-350 (or even middle tier headsets like Sonuz) are pretty pricey.

Looking at my Siig sound card, would I still need to upgrade that to really get my money's worth out of the Sennheisers?

EDIT: Btw, the mic on the Siberia v2 sounds excellent.

[Mr Nightman]

damn nobody has called dibs on the paste? let me know if nobody wants them, dont want to hog things lol, we can give it a few more days for people to have a chance at :-)

[mkenyon]

Here are some pretty high quality mics. http://www.cyberacoustics.com/retail...hones/CVL-1064 http://www.cyberacoustics.com/retail...hones/CVL-1124 http://www.modmic.com/ http://www.amazon.com/Labtec-LVA7330.../dp/B00000JBRV http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphon.../dp/B002OO333Q Modmics are currently sold out.

Yes, some of those are good, but they're also really good at picking up background noise. That's the appeal of the quality headset. When you transmit in the middle of a game that will determine whether or not your team walks home with two grand, you don't want some background chatter going on that makes you hard to understand, or even worse, the mic picking up headphone noise if you use open ear cans. Even the best positional desk mics are prone to this. I've tried the CVL-1124, the Labtec, and a host of others that sound similar. It's to the point where we have banned non-headset mics on our mumble.

I will admit, I have not yet tried the modmic, and as soon as they are in stock, I'll give it a shot.

How do you guys rate the 660Ti? Thinking about building a Steam Box and using this card.

660Ti<7950, and they're the same price. The 660Ti with one of the really good coolers does run quieter though.

dang itx is small. just for kicks, what could you do with this case in particular? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129080 I'm not sure how much you could cram into that, but it looks like a nice form factor. Could you do an ivy bridge?

Yep. The different size cases basically limit you on videocard, as that's really the only thing you'll be putting in the PCI-E slot.

[Fantasmo]

So for about $856 I got:

Fractal Mini
3770k
Seasonic 520W
Asus P8Z77
256GB Samsung SSD
16GB Corsair Vengeance

Pretty good setup and if the video card comes down in price I'm looking at $1250 total after sound card.

Seems like it worked out pretty well. Hope it all fits nicely, kinda concerned about how tight it will all be.

[mkenyon]

So for about $856 I got: Fractal Mini 3770k Seasonic 520W Asus P8Z77 256GB Samsung SSD 16GB Corsair Vengeance Pretty good setup and if the video card comes down in price I'm looking at $1250 total after sound card. Seems like it worked out pretty well. Hope it all fits nicely, kinda concerned about how tight it will all be.

P8Z77-M?

[Exuro]

Yep. The different size cases basically limit you on videocard, as that's really the only thing you'll be putting in the PCI-E slot.

I figure I'd just use the 4000 hd that comes with some of the ivy bridge sets. Those can do hd stuff pretty well from what i've heard plus small gaming like minecraft, which my sister would probably want to play. Would that work with the included 150w psu?

[cametall]

How is the quality of the padding on the PC 350s? The material looks like it would shred apart after a bit of use.

[mkenyon]

Mine look like the day that I bought them which was over a year ago. I do have a little hook that comes off my computer stand, and generally treat them like a prized possession. Mostly because I've destroyed lots of headphones in the past from not doing that.

[Fantasmo]

P8Z77-M?

I froze and almost shit myself. Yes, WHEW!!

[cametall]

Mine look like the day that I bought them which was over a year ago. I do have a little hook that comes off my computer stand, and generally treat them like a prized possession. Mostly because I've destroyed lots of headphones in the past from not doing that.

Alright. I'll give them a shot.

Who needs a new pair of Ray Bans anyways.

[Fantasmo]

You know what's beautiful about all this? My 42" HDTV is a 720P from 2007 and it's still going strong. So if I wanted to get a quiet as all hell 7950 I probably could without sacrificing 60FPS in most games, couldn't I?

[mkenyon]

You know what's beautiful about all this? My 42" HDTV is a 720P from 2007 and it's still going strong. So if I wanted to get a quiet as all hell 7950 I probably could without sacrificing 60FPS in most games, couldn't I?

There isn't much difference in performance between a well tuned 7950 and 670. I bet if someone did a blind test on both, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

[Fantasmo]

Well I like that the Gigabyte Windforce 670 is supposed to be really quiet. Is there a particular brand of 7950 that runs quiet or does nobody but AMD put them out these days?


**

omfg I just realized something, I have to get a Windows 7 license. FFFFFFFFFFF

[ntropy]

How do you guys rate the 660Ti? Thinking about building a Steam Box and using this card.

right now it's overpriced by ~$50

[Zolf]

Newegg has quite a deal on a Diamond 7970: ($415 -$83 promo code - $20 rebate = $312+tax)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814103201

The downside is that it's a reference design with single fan but it's still a 7970 for little more than a 7950 or 660ti.

[mkenyon]

Newegg has quite a deal on a Diamond 7970: ($415 -$83 promo code - $20 rebate = $312+tax)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814103201 The downside is that it's a reference design with single fan but it's still a 7970 for little more than a 7950 or 660ti.

For that price, you can buy a sweet aftermarket cooler. Or even better, put it under water! :P

[Varna]

Is keeping some of the power saving features such a bad idea on an overclocked CPU? Everyone keeps telling me they create problems.. but I love my CPU downclocking itself and only firing up when it really needs it.

[mkenyon]

Is keeping some of the power saving features such a bad idea on an overclocked CPU? Everyone keeps telling me they create problems.. but I love my CPU downclocking itself and only firing up when it really needs it.

Running in offset is totally fine for a moderate to highish overclock. Just make sure that your offset is enough to compensate along the way. In addition to stress testing for long periods, I've found it helpful to start and stop the process a number of times.

I generally don't do it because every now and then it's like the processor doesn't get going when it needs to, and it's too much effort to save a few watts a year. Yeah, I live in the Pac NW too. Come at me environmentalists.

[Mangotron]

Still have a few items left!

I'll take the other SATA cable if nobody else has claimed it, I still have one random non-black one in my case. :O

[JackieTreehorn]

I've been looking for a couple of weeks now for the best price/performance I can get to upgrade my aging 1GB 5870 for 2560x1440 gaming. I don't do a ton of gaming, but my current card works pretty hard even on something like Portal with everything turned up.

I read that AMD was cutting prices, but haven't paid close enough attention to see if that's come through yet. Would I be better off waiting?

This was all brought on by seeing the deal pop up tonight for the 7970 for $312, and seeing a 7870 a few days ago for $200.

Would I be better off going over what I'd really like to spend and get something like a 7950/7970 (or 670, but that's considerably more), or would I be ok with a 7870 or something similar?

I've got a bit older of a setup, an x4 955 BE @ stock speed, 8 GB RAM, Samsung 830 SSD.

[mkenyon]

Buy what works with your budget. Judging by the Phenom II, I'm assuming you aren't a die hard for ultimate performance. If that is the case, its always more cost efficient to buy a mid tier card and upgrade it every two years or so. 7870 is a great card, and can easily handle any game at 1080p/60hz.

[Babalu.]

ugh just built my computer and it doesn't turn on or post. The motherboard lights up (the start button, reset button, ROG red led sign) but nothing else thats helpful. No Q error codes no fans spin for even a second, nothing.

I have the 24pin power connector plugged in as well as the 8pin atx_12v1 plugged in (using a 4+4 connector).

I've taken all the power cables off, reattatched them all starting with only the motherboard ones and still nothing. Everything seems to be seated properly. It just wont start, not by pressing the start button on the motherboard nor from the power switch on the case.

Can anyone give me any advice for fixing this problem since it all lights up but just doesn't start? I dont want to take out everything again since i'm working on carpet and it sucks ass. I wore the static wrist strap and was touching the metal case every 20 seconds about. I don't remember how many MB standoffs I used but there are 9 i can see in the back of the case that i used.

I just don't know what to do since I don't have any tables in my house to take everything apart and rebuild it static free.

my parts:
Haf X case
Asus maximus v formula motherboard
i7 3770k
16gb (2x8) ares 1866 ram
gigabyte gtx 670 windforce
cm hyper 212 evo

this is seriously annoying. what could be the culprit? power supply? mother board? is there anyway to test this stuff without pulling it all out. I seriously don't want to risk messing more stuff up by moving everything around and out if I can help it

[Fugu]

I've got a quick question for you guys. I'm mostly just looking for some suggestions as to things I can try as I'm pretty sure that there's nothing I can do about it.

My video card (a 4870x2) was having some issues with spontaneous flickering causing serious drops in frame rate (from 85 to around 20) for a few seconds. I suspected it was a driver issue when I started having this problem in basically every game. Then, the problem escalated and my computer started to BSOD, with the computer reporting that it attempted to restart the video card driver but failed. Naturally, I uninstalled the driver and tried some older versions that I had; this was particularly relevant to the 4870x2 because it's no longer supported and even when it was the support was pretty spotty due to being a dual GPU. While I didn't have the stuttering problem any more, my computer would now lock up maybe five minutes after starting a game. So I did some testing and it appears that the drivers are shutting the computer off due to the card overheating. I suppose it's about time seeing as the card is four years old now but I was wondering if anyone had some ideas as to something I can do to make the card run cooler without... well, spending any money. It had been near the threshold for quite some time so I probably only need to make it run a few degrees cooler. In fact, I'm considering just running my computer with the case open until I can get a replacement.

ugh just built my computer and it doesn't turn on or post. The motherboard lights up (the start button, reset button, ROG red led sign) but nothing else thats helpful. No Q error codes no fans spin for even a second, nothing. I have the 24pin power connector plugged in as well as the 8pin atx_12v1 plugged in (using a 4+4 connector). I've taken all the power cables off, reattatched them all starting with only the motherboard ones and still nothing. Everything seems to be seated properly. It just wont start, not by pressing the start button on the motherboard nor from the power switch on the case. Can anyone give me any advice for fixing this problem since it all lights up but just doesn't start? I dont want to take out everything again since i'm working on carpet and it sucks ass. I wore the static wrist strap and was touching the metal case every 20 seconds about. I don't remember how many MB standoffs I used but there are 9 i can see in the back of the case that i used. I just don't know what to do since I don't have any tables in my house to take everything apart and rebuild it static free. my parts: Haf X case Asus maximus v formula motherboard i7 3770k 16gb (2x8) ares 1866 ram gigabyte gtx 670 windforce cm hyper 212 evo this is seriously annoying. what could be the culprit? power supply? mother board? is there anyway to test this stuff without pulling it all out. I seriously don't want to risk messing more stuff up by moving everything around and out if I can help it

I think you're going to have to pull some things out. Start with the RAM and then go from there.

[Dark Octave]

ugh just built my computer and it doesn't turn on or post. The motherboard lights up (the start button, reset button, ROG red led sign) but nothing else thats helpful. No Q error codes no fans spin for even a second, nothing. I have the 24pin power connector plugged in as well as the 8pin atx_12v1 plugged in (using a 4+4 connector). I've taken all the power cables off, reattatched them all starting with only the motherboard ones and still nothing. Everything seems to be seated properly. It just wont start, not by pressing the start button on the motherboard nor from the power switch on the case. Can anyone give me any advice for fixing this problem since it all lights up but just doesn't start? I dont want to take out everything again since i'm working on carpet and it sucks ass. I wore the static wrist strap and was touching the metal case every 20 seconds about. I don't remember how many MB standoffs I used but there are 9 i can see in the back of the case that i used. I just don't know what to do since I don't have any tables in my house to take everything apart and rebuild it static free. my parts: Haf X case Asus maximus v formula motherboard i7 3770k 16gb (2x8) ares 1866 ram gigabyte gtx 670 windforce cm hyper 212 evo this is seriously annoying. what could be the culprit? power supply? mother board? is there anyway to test this stuff without pulling it all out. I seriously don't want to risk messing more stuff up by moving everything around and out if I can help it

Same problem here. Whatever I'm just gonna take it to Frys or somewhere tomorrow after work and see if they can figure it out.

[mrklaw]

Yeah I can't afford a new HTIB or receiver and I don't have HDMI on my receiver (same room). I'll make the leap at some point but 50 smackeroos is more palatable than $300 or so. DDL or DTS Connect for me. (For the record, I have an Onkyo HT-R340 as my home theater receiver)

does your receiver accept multichannel analog inputs?



for the headset question - what are recommended clip-on mics? I have a pair of sennheiser 555s and want to add a mic.

[Ledsen]

How long do HDDs usually last before breaking?

I have a Western Digital Caviar SE16 250GB SATA 7200RPM that I bought back in -05, and it was in use for about 3-4 years before it got put in a closet. So I've tried it in my new, so far SSD-only build, and it seems to work fine. I'm just unwilling to "commit" to it, so to speak, if it could simply break down at any moment. What do you guys think?

[AwesomeSauce]

I've got a quick question for you guys. I'm mostly just looking for some suggestions as to things I can try as I'm pretty sure that there's nothing I can do about it. My video card (a 4870x2) was having some issues with spontaneous flickering causing serious drops in frame rate (from 85 to around 20) for a few seconds. I suspected it was a driver issue when I started having this problem in basically every game. Then, the problem escalated and my computer started to BSOD, with the computer reporting that it attempted to restart the video card driver but failed. Naturally, I uninstalled the driver and tried some older versions that I had; this was particularly relevant to the 4870x2 because it's no longer supported and even when it was the support was pretty spotty due to being a dual GPU. While I didn't have the stuttering problem any more, my computer would now lock up maybe five minutes after starting a game. So I did some testing and it appears that the drivers are shutting the computer off due to the card overheating. I suppose it's about time seeing as the card is four years old now but I was wondering if anyone had some ideas as to something I can do to make the card run cooler without... well, spending any money. It had been near the threshold for quite some time so I probably only need to make it run a few degrees cooler. In fact, I'm considering just running my computer with the case open until I can get a replacement. I think you're going to have to pull some things out. Start with the RAM and then go from there.

Use a program like Afterburner and put the fan speed up. My buddies 4870x2 runs hot on default fan settings, boosting up the fan helped a lot but with the cost of more noise.

Check the temps with the fan boosted up while playing games. See if your problem still persists.

[Fugu]

How long do HDDs usually last before breaking? I have a Western Digital Caviar SE16 250GB SATA 7200RPM that I bought back in -05, and it was in use for about 3-4 years before it got put in a closet. So I've tried it in my new, so far SSD-only build, and it seems to work fine. I'm just unwilling to "commit" to it, so to speak, if it could simply break down at any moment. What do you guys think?

You'll be fine.

Use a program like Afterburner and put the fan speed up. My buddies 4870x2 runs hot on default fan settings, boosting up the fan helped a lot but with the cost of more noise. Check the temps with the fan boosted up while playing games. See if your problem still persists.

Yeah, I'm going to try cranking the fan speed up in CCC. Shit is so damn noisy already though.

I'm looking at a replacement card anyway. The 4870x2 has always been such a hassle in most areas except for performance.

[Ledsen]

Well that's encouraging :) I'll use it then!

[Fugu]

Well that's encouraging :) I'll use it then!

I'm not using it any more but I have a 30GB Quantum Fireball with almost seven years of up time.

EDIT: Yeah, cranking the fan up doesn't help. The fan used to run at like 40% all the time; now it's running at 60% idle.

[Stubo]

So I've got 2 Noctua NF-F12s arriving today to push/pull on my 212 evo. I should've just bought the Noctua cooler in the first place really.

Is there any reason not to run this config (besides price)? Hoping I've not made a huge-mistake.jpg

[JimmyRickard]

660Ti<7950, and they're the same price. The 660Ti with one of the really good coolers does run quieter though.

Has ATi stepped it up with their driver support or are they still shit?

[Fantasmo]

does your receiver accept multichannel analog inputs?

Holy CRAP! It does!

All these years and I never knew it! It has DVD IN which has individual RCA inputs for front surround center and sub. Had this thing since 2009 and I never bothered to figure out what it was!

Hahahahaah, no more weird sound cards for me mofos! Bwahahaahahahaha

(I am right aren't I ? This is what you were asking and I have it right?)

[Hazaro]

>>>>> "I need a New PC!" 2012 Thread. Ivy, SSDs, and reading the OP. [Part 2]
>>>>> "I need a New PC!" 2012 Thread. Ivy, SSDs, and reading the OP. [Part 2]
>>>>> "I need a New PC!" 2012 Thread. Ivy, SSDs, and reading the OP. [Part 2]


Going to be trimming and editing the OP along with adding the long awaited Accessories section in the near future.

Possibly some more focus on build capability as well if people can help me with that who have used the guide.

Most of my issues with the OP is lack of focus on things not parts/cases and how everything is presented even if I'm restricted to forum posting. So I'm hoping to make it look nicer while still being readable, searchable, and information dense (aka not super long).

[kagete]

Has ATi stepped it up with their driver support or are they still shit?

Anecdotal evidence will always be all over the place and ultimately your friends, peers, and trusted sites will be the ones painting the picture for you of bad or good driver support. They are both great nowadays and really your card choice should be influenced more by your desired build's size/power/heat/noise profile, budget, parts availability, and preferred OEM (MSI, GB, Asus, HiS).

The next card I buy will probably be a chibi-Zotac 660ti for a mini build unless I get a new contract earlier than year-end in which case I'm going all-out O_O

My personal experience with drivers after buying both over the last 3 years only (older experiences don't count anymore):

Nvidia:
+OK driver support, more options for high end tweaking of AA and the like
+seemingly better SLI support at a game's launch (but I hated running 2x cards so i only tried it once with dual-460s)
+much better laptop drivers offset by worse performing, more expensive, and hotter laptop GPUs
-mediocre multi-monitor support
-last year, auto-updating to the latest Nvidia drivers killed 2 of my GPUs, my little brother's, and my friend's. We were reformatting, swapping them around, and I even tried installing them in a new PC I built in frustration because of this issue but they would always cause blue screens after that driver update. Note that this is not a BIOS update, just nvidia's whql drivers.

AMD:
+installing new drivers have never killed any of my AMD cards
+OK driver support, Steam bugs you to update
+very good multi-monitor support. You can create shortcuts to instantly load your profile for combinations of dual monitor, rotated screen, HDTV only, all 3 screens, etc.
-mediocre Crossfire support where often I never noticed the difference between 1 card or 2 running. I don't like doing game-specific tweaking at the driver/profile level so this is a minus for me (only ever tried with dual-6950s @ 1080p so I didn't even need it).
-advanced tweaking options are better using 3rd party programs
-mediocre and vendor-locked laptop drivers that sometimes don't act like they're installed. Power-saving and integrated/dedicated GPU switching features are cumbersome when they even work. Thankfully, AMD laptop GPUs perform much better on average at lower price points.


urk guess this OT will be closed.