[Wolf Akela]

How often do people actually need to RMA? Hard to tell off reviews because only the people motivated to post generally do so, thus the sample is unbalanced.

The last time I had to RMA something was back in April 2009. PSU toasted my new-ish motherboard (totally my fault) but somehow they still accepted it.

Otherwise... I don't really remember. You can still bad eggs from the best makers.

Flash forward 2-4 years, what is generally the bottle neck the GPU? If so, would it be better to replace it with a newer one or buy a second copy of the current one and link them? (Trying to decide if I need a mobo with 2 PCIe 3.0 slots).

SLI/XF is for enthusiasts only. I would really rather just get one strong card.

If you're thinking of investing on a motherboard that supports that, assuming that you save money by going SLI/XF after several years... there's still the chance that the SLI/XF profiles won't be well updated for older cards.

What wattage PSU is needed to run a single GPU? (ex. upcoming gtx670 or something else in the $300-400 range)?

Good 500W is enough for any single GPU.

[DyslexicAlucard]

I need a reply ASAP.

What say you, GAF? Worth it, or should I wait until the 670 is announced?

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=67...y&promoid=1058

[Hazaro]

I need a reply ASAP. What say you, GAF? Worth it, or should I wait until the 670 is announced? http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=67...y&promoid=1058

It's not bad, and free BF3 is a nice deal. If you are ok with extra heat it'll spit out it's not terrible. The 670 I WOULD IMAGINE would be very similar performance at that price but use much less power. Not sure on overclocking due to the new power thing. I'm sure they'll limit it some way since it's the same GK104 chip for 670 and 680.

Personally I'd wait, but I'm betting the 670 will be a great card for the money, or at least AMD price drops 78xx.

Couple quick questions before I take the dive and start buying (although I already bought a 2tb hdd...) How often do people actually need to RMA? Hard to tell off reviews because only the people motivated to post generally do so, thus the sample is unbalanced. Flash forward 2-4 years, what is generally the bottle neck the GPU? If so, would it be better to replace it with a newer one or buy a second copy of the current one and link them? (Trying to decide if I need a mobo with 2 PCIe 3.0 slots). What wattage PSU is needed to run a single GPU? (ex. upcoming gtx670 or something else in the $300-400 range)? Thanks!

1) Not often. Low single digits %. Depends on product as well.
2) 2-4 years? Looking at current CPU progression, GPU for sure. Most games are GPU bound too. PCI-E 3.0 won't matter for another 2 years, maybe even 4. Even if it does come into play it'll be negligible.
3) A good 500W is fine.

[evilpigking]

Thanks Wolf and Hazaro.

Looks like now I just wait for things to actually come out.

[dskillzhtown]

Just finished installing Windows on my new build. I will post pics and details later today. I had only two hiccups in the install.

1. Forgot to plug in the 8-pin power into the mobo.
2. Didn't actually install the memory. My dumbass had the memory backwards and wondered why it didn't "click".

I am going to have to play with the bios and get the boot order right, as it is stopping at the bios now and I am forcing it to boot off the solid state drive.
Feels good to finally have a high performance machine. Can't wait to load some games!

[Sethos]

Sethos- I really like my Noiseblockers...they are really quiet and push some good amount of air. I also got 2 Scythe Silent Typhoon's for my H100 cooler and they are also very good. The ramp up to a higher RPM which is what I wanted to keep the CPU cool when pushing it. Both are bit pricey, but very good.

Hey man, thanks. I'll check it out, unfortunately I live in a country where lots of stuff isn't available. The noiseblockers for one I can't find anywhere. Think I'll just stick to that one 200mm

[AkIRA_22]

SO I bought some of this RAM today



Does anyone for see any issues running this is an i7-930? It's worked so far and it isn't warm, but is the increased Voltage going to reduce it's longevity?

[scogoth]

SO I bought some of this RAM today Does anyone for see any issues running this is an i7-930? It's worked so far and it isn't warm, but is the increased Voltage going to reduce it's longevity?

You could just run it at 1.35v on your x58 mobo.

[Karmum]

NewEgg just came to my rescue.

Is there any big difference between this GTX 460 256-bit and this GTX 460 256-bit? The latter is the one I have now in my computer, but is it worth spending that much more on it (refurbished, mind you) just to SLI it with the current GTX 460 I have now or just go with the $99 one?

Edit - I mean the $99 one is slightly less clocked, but I'm sure I can OC it right around to where I have my GTX 460 at now (or just lower that one a bit). Barring any major differences, I'm probably going to just go with the $99 version and buy the $9.99 1-year warranty, and I assume it will SLI with my GTX 460 that I have (which is the second one listed above). How is the quality of NewEgg refurbished products?

[ParityBit]

Quick question. Is a Corsair Professional Series Gold 850-Watt (CMPSU-850AX) powerful enough for two GTX 680's in SLI?

[kennah]

NewEgg just came to my rescue. Is there any big difference between this GTX 460 256-bit and this GTX 460 256-bit? The latter is the one I have now in my computer, but is it worth spending that much more on it (refurbished, mind you) just to SLI it with the current GTX 460 I have now or just go with the $99 one? Edit - I mean the $99 one is slightly less clocked, but I'm sure I can OC it right around to where I have my GTX 460 at now (or just lower that one a bit). Barring any major differences, I'm probably going to just go with the $99 version and buy the $9.99 1-year warranty, and I assume it will SLI with my GTX 460 that I have (which is the second one listed above). I know NewEgg won't dick around with me like Amazon did.

The 99$ one is an SE model. I think people have said in the past to not buy the SE model.

[1-D_FTW]

NewEgg just came to my rescue. Is there any big difference between this GTX 460 256-bit and this GTX 460 256-bit? The latter is the one I have now in my computer, but is it worth spending that much more on it (refurbished, mind you) just to SLI it with the current GTX 460 I have now or just go with the $99 one? Edit - I mean the $99 one is slightly less clocked, but I'm sure I can OC it right around to where I have my GTX 460 at now (or just lower that one a bit). Barring any major differences, I'm probably going to just go with the $99 version and buy the $9.99 1-year warranty, and I assume it will SLI with my GTX 460 that I have (which is the second one listed above). How is the quality of NewEgg refurbished products?

The 99 dollar version is the SE. If it were me, I'd pay the extra and get the real GTX 460.

[Madridy]

NewEgg just came to my rescue. Is there any big difference between this GTX 460 256-bit and this GTX 460 256-bit? The latter is the one I have now in my computer, but is it worth spending that much more on it (refurbished, mind you) just to SLI it with the current GTX 460 I have now or just go with the $99 one? Edit - I mean the $99 one is slightly less clocked, but I'm sure I can OC it right around to where I have my GTX 460 at now (or just lower that one a bit). Barring any major differences, I'm probably going to just go with the $99 version and buy the $9.99 1-year warranty, and I assume it will SLI with my GTX 460 that I have (which is the second one listed above). How is the quality of NewEgg refurbished products?

I accidentally bought the SE model instead of the normal one early 2011, and I regret it.

[Karmum]

The 99 dollar version is the SE. If it were me, I'd pay the extra and get the real GTX 460.

I see...

Well, I do love my "actual" GTX 460...

It'll be here tomorrow regardless of which I choose, guess I'll just suck it up and pay a bit more tax too and buy my same exact card again. Hoping I get a good refurbished one. And thanks! Seems like there is a lot of negativity toward the SE model, haha. I should have known better, cause I've seen people (in this same topic) call it the "Shit Edition."

[MBison]

I need some help with PC upgrade/new PC decisions. I'm not the most adept with all the tech details of processor and video card speed knowledge.

I currently have an i7-860, 2.8-3.4 with 8 gig RAM and an ATI 5850 with 1 gig.

It runs pretty good, playing Fallout New Vegas maxed. Not the most graphically intensive game but still good.

I have some extra money and wanted to upgrade some. So my questions are:

1) is my PC still good as is, ie any upgrade won't be a major one and the bang for the buck isn't there? Better to just wait.

2) worth upgrading the video card and if so, best bang for the buck?

3) if I were to completely get a new PC, what's the best avenue to go? I'm not the most savvy with build your own. The console sized Alienware are cool but most ppl seem to indicate they could be more powerful and are usually talking about new video cards for it.

Any guidance would be appreciated! Thanks!

[mkenyon]

I need some help with PC upgrade/new PC decisions. I'm not the most adept with all the tech details of processor and video card speed knowledge. I currently have an i7-860, 2.8-3.4 with 8 gig RAM and an ATI 5850 with 1 gig. It runs pretty good, playing Fallout New Vegas maxed. Not the most graphically intensive game but still good. I have some extra money and wanted to upgrade some. So my questions are: 1) is my PC still good as is, ie any upgrade won't be a major one and the bang for the buck isn't there? Better to just wait. 2) worth upgrading the video card and if so, best bang for the buck? 3) if I were to completely get a new PC, what's the best avenue to go? I'm not the most savvy with build your own. The console sized Alienware are cool but most ppl seem to indicate they could be more powerful and are usually talking about new video cards for it. Any guidance would be appreciated! Thanks!

1) Yeah, it's pretty good. Best option for you is to get a better CPU cooling solution and overclock more.

2) That's a tough one, and dependent upon how much you want to spend. When you're upgrading from a really good part like that, you can't purchase from the price:performance, it's better to look at price:gained performance. I can't say for certain what that is, but my gut tells me 7950.

3) You shouldn't. Your processor is still great.

Quick question. Is a Corsair Professional Series Gold 850-Watt (CMPSU-850AX) powerful enough for two GTX 680's in SLI?

Yes.

[Wizman23]

Question for those who run an HDMI out of the video card to an external TV or projector. Is there something one needs to do to tie the audio on that HDMI cable or does Windows 7 do it automatically?

[j2theizzay]

Question for those who run an HDMI out of the video card to an external TV or projector. Is there something one needs to do to tie the audio on that HDMI cable or does Windows 7 do it automatically?

It should pick it up automatically, but if not you may need to right click the sound icon and select the HDMI out for default playback device.

[MBison]

1) Yeah, it's pretty good. Best option for you is to get a better CPU cooling solution and overclock more. 2) That's a tough one, and dependent upon how much you want to spend. When you're upgrading from a really good part like that, you can't purchase from the price:performance, it's better to look at price:gained performance. I can't say for certain what that is, but my gut tells me 7950. 3) You shouldn't. Your processor is still great. Yes.

Hey thanks very much for the reply.

As for the 7950, what "brand" do you recommend? Can you link me to one you would recommend as far as quality and price go. For instance the top Amazon link is a Sapphire.

Thanks a ton!

[mkenyon]

From what I've seen this 7950 has received some pretty great reviews. You can't go wrong with ASUS, MSI, or Sapphire though.

[MBison]

From what I've seen this 7950 has received some pretty great reviews. You can't go wrong with ASUS, MSI, or Sapphire though.

You've been really helpful, thanks!

One more question, and I know this is probably difficult to answer. What would you expect to be a performance increase for my computer going from a 5850 1 gig to this card, 7950 3 gig either, like a general fps increase amount or percentage. Thanks again for the help!

[brotkasten]

Why did I do this?

I found someone selling a 2600K for 200. It supposedly runs at 4.5 GHz @ 1,284V. For 30 more I could probably make him throw some 8 GB Corsair Vengeance. This offer, plus a new Maximus V Gene is 10 bucks more expensive than a new 2500K with new Kingston RAM.

Thoughts? Is this a good deal?

[StriKeVillain]

I accidentally bought the SE model instead of the normal one early 2011, and I regret it.

Same here - it ran most games fine but I just dropped the ball when shopping. I just recently upgraded to a 560TI 448. So much better.

[mkenyon]

You've been really helpful, thanks! One more question, and I know this is probably difficult to answer. What would you expect to be a performance increase for my computer going from a 5850 1 gig to this card, 7950 3 gig either, like a general fps increase amount or percentage. Thanks again for the help!

I believe there is a relative performance chart in the OP. Also, you'll want to do the better heatsink + overclock as well to get even more performance.

*edit* looks like about a 45-60% boost in video performance. Hard to say for certain how much the CPU will bottleneck, but not likely very much at all with a good overclock.

Why did I do this? I found someone selling a 2600K for 200. It supposedly runs at 4.5 GHz @ 1,284V. For 30 more I could probably make him throw some 8 GB Corsair Vengeance. This offer, plus a new Maximus V Gene is 10 bucks more expensive than a new 2500K with new Kingston RAM. Thoughts? Is this a good deal?

Just bought the MVGene as well. That plus a solid 2600/2700K is still seemingly the best way to go for maximum performance.

[Hazaro]

You've been really helpful, thanks! One more question, and I know this is probably difficult to answer. What would you expect to be a performance increase for my computer going from a 5850 1 gig to this card, 7950 3 gig either, like a general fps increase amount or percentage. Thanks again for the help!

Anandtech has a nice BENCH comparison link on their website and it's in the OP if you ctrl+F bench

Why did I do this? I found someone selling a 2600K for 200. It supposedly runs at 4.5 GHz @ 1,284V. For 30 more I could probably make him throw some 8 GB Corsair Vengeance. This offer, plus a new Maximus V Gene is 10 bucks more expensive than a new 2500K with new Kingston RAM. Thoughts? Is this a good deal?

Yup

[xzoowy]

Question :

So I decided to impulse buy a GeForce 680 GTX, but my current power supply is a OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W, which seems a have quite some mixed reviews. Is this a sufficent PSU(with 2500k not overlocked CPU) or should I think about upgrading to a more reliable one.

[Spirit of Jazz]

Good for you! Hope everything goes well with your Windows install. I can easily see the CPU lever and the Noctua being issues. Are your temps ok in the BIOS? Fans on your motherboard are good, they can get controlled that way.

Thanks. Currently my CPU is reading +68.0°F/+20°C and MB +64°F/+18°C in BIOS, are those temps alright?

[Hazaro]

Question : So I decided to impulse buy a GeForce 680 GTX, but my current power supply is a OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W, which seems a have quite some mixed reviews. Is this a sufficent PSU(with 2500k not overlocked CPU) or should I think about upgrading to a more reliable one.

You should be fine.

Thanks. Currently my CPU is reading +68.0°F/+20°C and MB +64°F/+18°C in BIOS, are those temps alright?

What mobo do you have? I'm going to guess that's above ambient so that's fine.

[SwimmingwithChickenz]

Ok guys really need your input if you dont mind. I've made some changes after some more research and have updated my build. Please note any problems that you see. I wanted to keep my budget under $700 but that didn't quite work and am now close to $900. My better half gave me the go ahead so before I purchase it, was hoping to get the ok from more of the technically minded PC users in here. Please keep in mind, this will be used to run Tera Online at max settings and hopefully be capable enough of running next gen games at mid to high settings. If you think I could cut back and add onto to help better my build please feel free. This will be the first time I've tried putting a PC together as well. Thanks for you help!

Intel Core i5-2500K
EVGA GeForce GTX 560 1024 MB GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 2DVI/Mini-HDMI SLI Ready Graphics Card, 01G-P3-1460-KR - 160
Corsair XMS3 8 GB (2 x 4GB) 1333 MHz PC3-10666 240-Pin DDR3 Memory Kit CMX8GX3M2A1333C9 -
ASUS P8Z68-V LX LGA 1155 Z68 SATA 6 Gb/s and USB 3.0 ATX Intel Z68 ATX DDR3 2200 Intel Motherboard - 108
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500 GB SATA III 7200 RPM 16 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive - WD5000AAKX
Asus 24xDVD±RW Drive DVD-RAM/±R/±RW 24x8x16x(DVD) 48x32x48x(CD) Serial ATA Internal OEM DRW-24B1ST - 19
Cooler Master RC-692-KKN2 PC case
OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular High Performance Power Supply
Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit

Don't think I will overclock right away. Might do so later. Is the 600 W power supply enough for this system? Thanks again!

[Spirit of Jazz]

You should be fine. What mobo do you have? I'm going to guess that's above ambient so that's fine.

I'm running a p8z68-v lx. It's truly a miracle if that paste was applied in a way that works. I panic bought some remover before I went to work to day to give me some peace of mind.

On another note do you have any idea why the DVI out on my video card wouldn't work when the HD is fine? The DVI work on my first boot but the display had a green tint with lines running down it. After that I turned it off, tightened the DVI cable down and ever since then my monitor hasn't been picking up any kind of image at all.

[Hazaro]

Ok guys really need your input if you dont mind. I've made some changes after some more research and have updated my build. Please note any problems that you see. I wanted to keep my budget under $700 but that didn't quite work and am now close to $900. My better half gave me the go ahead so before I purchase it, was hoping to get the ok from more of the technically minded PC users in here. Please keep in mind, this will be used to run Tera Online at max settings and hopefully be capable enough of running next gen games at mid to high settings. If you think I could cut back and add onto to help better my build please feel free. This will be the first time I've tried putting a PC together as well. Thanks for you help! Intel Core i5-2500K EVGA GeForce GTX 560 1024 MB GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 2DVI/Mini-HDMI SLI Ready Graphics Card, 01G-P3-1460-KR - 160 Corsair XMS3 8 GB (2 x 4GB) 1333 MHz PC3-10666 240-Pin DDR3 Memory Kit CMX8GX3M2A1333C9 - ASUS P8Z68-V LX LGA 1155 Z68 SATA 6 Gb/s and USB 3.0 ATX Intel Z68 ATX DDR3 2200 Intel Motherboard - 108 Western Digital Caviar Blue 500 GB SATA III 7200 RPM 16 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive - WD5000AAKX Asus 24xDVD±RW Drive DVD-RAM/±R/±RW 24x8x16x(DVD) 48x32x48x(CD) Serial ATA Internal OEM DRW-24B1ST - 19 Cooler Master RC-692-KKN2 PC case OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular High Performance Power Supply Don't think I will overclock right away. Might do so later. Is the 600 W power supply enough for this system? Thanks again!

You are in a tough spot, nVidia doesn't really have a good $200 card. They have the 460 and the 560Ti 448 being the good value. If possible jump to the 560Ti 448, if not, then the 560Ti.

600W is more than fine, but can you stretch to a Corsair 650WV2? Much better supply. Not modular though.

I'm running a p8z68-v lx. It's truly a miracle if that paste was applied in a way that works. I panic bought some remover before I went to work to day to give me some peace of mind. On another note do you have any idea why the DVI out on my video card wouldn't work when the HD is fine? The DVI work on my first boot but the display had a green tint with lines running down it. After that I turned it off, tightened the DVI cable down and ever since then my monitor hasn't been picking up any kind of image at all.

Jiggle it, plug and replug both sides. See if it works.

[Spirit of Jazz]

Jiggle it, plug and replug both sides. See if it works.

Thanks again for all the help. I'll give it a go tomorrow when I try and get my cable management sorted, after the 9 hours yesterday I really need a day off from it.

[Sykane]

Quick question for you guys: What's the cheapest place to get windows 7 home premium retail edition? I currently have a pc with an e7200 and a gtx 470 that I haven't used in awhile and recently replaced the hard drive. The pc is so old the last OS it had on it was vista, and I have long since lost the product key. My plan was to buy windows 7, use this PC for awhile and then in a few months upgrade to a 2500k & new mobo and ram. I called Microsoft today to ensure I would be able to transfer the windows 7 license once this happened, and they said I could as long as I had the retail edition and not the OEM or upgrade. I assume most people here just go with the OEM edition that sells for around $100 on most sites, but since I plan on upgrading in the near future, I need the retail edition that I have been seeing for mostly $200. Is there any place I can get this cheaper or is there another way around the restrictions? I'd rather not spend $200 just for my OS, not to mention Windows 8 right around the corner. Any advice?

[scitek]

This is an odd question, but if I were to get one of these HD capture cards and play my consoles through my PC at 1920x1080, wouldn't that effectively make my PC an upscaler? The scaler in my TV is absolute shit, so would I maybe get a better picture this way? (In addition to the bonus of being able to capture gameplay for reviews and such.)

[Paracelsus]

This is an odd question, but if I were to get one of these HD capture cards and play my consoles through my PC at 1920x1080, wouldn't that effectively make my PC an upscaler? The scaler in my TV is absolute shit, so would I maybe get a better picture this way? (In addition to the bonus of being able to capture gameplay for reviews and such.)

I'd say

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=438638

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=469916

[1-D_FTW]

Quick question for you guys: What's the cheapest place to get windows 7 home premium retail edition? I currently have a pc with an e7200 and a gtx 470 that I haven't used in awhile and recently replaced the hard drive. The pc is so old the last OS it had on it was vista, and I have long since lost the product key. My plan was to buy windows 7, use this PC for awhile and then in a few months upgrade to a 2500k & new mobo and ram. I called Microsoft today to ensure I would be able to transfer the windows 7 license once this happened, and they said I could as long as I had the retail edition and not the OEM or upgrade. I assume most people here just go with the OEM edition that sells for around $100 on most sites, but since I plan on upgrading in the near future, I need the retail edition that I have been seeing for mostly $200. Is there any place I can get this cheaper or is there another way around the restrictions? I'd rather not spend $200 just for my OS, not to mention Windows 8 right around the corner. Any advice?

Play stupid and you can transfer the OEM no problem. The worst that will happen is you get an invalid code when you make the transfer. They'll be a 800 automated number you'll have to call to get it revalidated. You'll enter in 54 numbers and the automated voice will give you a new set of 54 numbers you enter into your computer. The automated voice will also ask you how many computers you've had this installed on. As long as you lie and say one, you should have zero issues transferring it to your new rig.

[Snookie]

Just curious as to why the Samsung F4 is a recommended drive in the OP. why would you want to use a 5400 rpm drive?

Also i thought there were issues playing games on an SSD?

[Sethos]

Also i thought there were issues playing games on an SSD?

What

[mkenyon]

Just curious as to why the Samsung F4 is a recommended drive in the OP. why would you want to use a 5400 rpm drive? Also i thought there were issues playing games on an SSD?

Platter density makes it almost as fast.

Nope.

[Snookie]

What

That was my reaction as well but i wanted to ask. Someone at work told me it would burn out eventually. I mean all hard drives might eventually break. Doesnt mean it will.

[Sethos]

That was my reaction as well but i wanted to ask. Someone at work told me it would burn out eventually. I mean all hard drives might eventually break. Doesnt mean it will.

That was a reaction to some horse manure, they work perfectly for games, just faster.

This is what he's talking about;

Each block of a flash-based SSD can be only be erased (and therefore written) a limited number of times before it fails. The controllers manage this limitation so that drives can last for many years under normal use. SSDs based on DRAM do not have a limited number of writes

[SwimmingwithChickenz]

You are in a tough spot, nVidia doesn't really have a good $200 card. They have the 460 and the 560Ti 448 being the good value. If possible jump to the 560Ti 448, if not, then the 560Ti. 600W is more than fine, but can you stretch to a Corsair 650WV2? Much better supply. Not modular though.

Should I go with a comparible AMD card then, such as the 6870? Would i need to change mother boards if i switch to the AMD card? Really I'm just wanting to run Tera Online at max settings along with Diablo 3. I can always upgrade a little later if I need to. Thanks!

[mkenyon]

Should I go with a comparible AMD card then, such as the 6870? Would i need to change mother boards if i switch to the AMD card? Really I'm just wanting to run Tera Online at max settings along with Diablo 3. I can always upgrade a little later if I need to. Thanks!

Yeah, 6870 is a really good choice for price:performance. No, you don't need to change your motherboard.

[Takuan]

My PC recently died. After some troubleshooting, it turned out that the CPU had died, so I ran out and bought the 2500K/Asus P8Z68-V LX/8GB Kingston HyperX 1600 RAM.

Should I bother attempting an overclock with a 500W PSU? It's a Silverstone Element, which at the time of purchase was a fairly solid power supply. Aside from the stuff listed above, I'm running a GTX460, a DVD-R, and two hard drives. Another reason I'm a little iffy on overclocking since the q9550 I fried was overclocked extremely modestly (2.83GHz@3.2GHz), with a solid aftermarket heatsink.

I'm currently using Arctic Alumina and the Cooler Master 212+ recommended in Hazaro's (fantastic) guide and would be very happy to squeeze 4GHz. I was originally going to hold off on OC'ing until I replaced the power supply, but if I can safely push it past 3.3GHz without worrying too much, I'll do it.

One thing I noticed is that the CPU was running surprisingly high at 35C idle - the q9550 idled in the low 30s - but maybe the thermal compound hasn't broken in yet. I should also note that the cabling is a bit of a mess at the moment, and I plan on going modular once a good sale comes along (have my eye on an NZXT HALE32 650W, just waiting for it to dip in price a bit more).

There's an OC guide link in the OP. Do it. You can get into the 4.0 range without even a voltage increase. 4.5 should be pretty easy to achieve.

Even with a meager 500W of juice? Alright, I'll give it a shot.

[mkenyon]

There's an OC guide link in the OP. Do it. You can get into the 4.0 range without even a voltage increase. 4.5 should be pretty easy to achieve.

*edit*

Your whole system is drawing probably 250ish total during gaming.

[MBison]

I believe there is a relative performance chart in the OP. Also, you'll want to do the better heatsink + overclock as well to get even more performance. *edit* looks like about a 45-60% boost in video performance. Hard to say for certain how much the CPU will bottleneck, but not likely very much at all with a good overclock. .

Ok thanks. And as I mentioned I am a tech newb so what do I need to look into for the "better heatsink and overclock"? Seriously thanks for the help :)

[mkenyon]

Ok thanks. And as I mentioned I am a tech newb so what do I need to look into for the "better heatsink and overclock"? Seriously thanks for the help :)

Depending on the heatsink you currently have, Coolermaster Hyper 212 is great. Here's a P55 overclocking guide that should help quite a bit. Don't get nervous, as long as you don't dump an insane amount of volts into your CPU, you're not going to kill anything. The worst that can happen otherwise is that your system will just shut off and you might need to clear CMOS.

[DoctorWho]

Need help:

Best place to buy RAM in Canada.
Preferably a place that has a computer scan feature that can easily tell me what RAM is capable with my rig or a place that can at least let me search by what is best for my MOBO.

Thanks

[rhfb]

There doesn't seem to be that big of a difference between the PS07B and the TJ08B-E... Except for the front fans. The TJ08B-E is shorter and $20 more too, and apparently has a rather loud fan.

Anyone had bad experiences with the PS07B?

[faceless007]

Is there any disadvantage to putting a SB (2500K) in a Z77 mobo? Would it still be able to use the native USB 3.0?