[Ledsen]

OK. I have made to decision to jump to PC gaming. :) For now, I just want to play really old games via steam on my laptop. Is this considered to be a good all around controller for pc gaming? I loved the feel of the 360 controller, but wonder how it well it is supported and what not. Does the wireless receiver work ok?

The 360 controller is basically as much a standard for PC as it is for 360. It's the only controller for PC.

I reformated my PC and since then I'm having a hell of a time trying to get the screen tearing to stop when I'm gaming. I've been using the NVidia control panel, I turn on V-Sync and Triple Buffering. Is there another program that performs these actions more effectively? Am I missing anything? I have a GTX570 and have the latest (non-beta) drivers installed.

You need to download Rivatuner and install it, it comes with D3D Overrider. It should be standard install on all gaming PCs.

[1-D_FTW]

I reformated my PC and since then I'm having a hell of a time trying to get the screen tearing to stop when I'm gaming. I've been using the NVidia control panel, I turn on V-Sync and Triple Buffering. Is there another program that performs these actions more effectively? Am I missing anything? I have a GTX570 and have the latest (non-beta) drivers installed.

D3D Overrider is what most people use for triple buffering and v-sync.

Traditionally, v-sync and triple buffering in the control panel have only applied to OpenGL.

I think it may have changed with the latest driver and adaptive v-sync, but that was totally broken for my GTX 460 and I rolled back to an older driver. Can't speak authoritatively on that.

[MBison]

You can use D3D Overrider with ATI also right?

Question: when switching out my 5850 for the 7950, what's the best way to install, should I be uninstalling the driver before switching the card or is it ok to just shut down, switch cards, and boot up? I know, tech newb!

[DoctorWho]

Will this RAM http://www.canadacomputers.com/produ...item_id=045914 be good with this MOBO GA-P67A-UD3?

Would it be better to go with two 8 gig sticks instead of 4 4 gig ones?

Thanks!

[georaldc]

You can use D3D Overrider with ATI also right? Question: when switching out my 5850 for the 7950, what's the best way to install, should I be uninstalling the driver before switching the card or is it ok to just shut down, switch cards, and boot up? I know, tech newb!

Yup D3DOverrider works fine.

As for swapping out cards, I think it should work even without uninstalling drivers, but your better off just removing the drivers, then putting in the new card and installing some brand new drivers. That's what I did when I moved from an nvidia card to amd

[ParityBit]

Hi All,

So while I wait for IB, I have been trying to plan my build strategy. I am looking for some suggestions as far as setting up the fans [i.e. Push/Pull]. I looked online at various videos and board threads, all they all seem different, which to me means some are doing it correct, and some are not.

So my case has (http://www.nzxt.com/new/products/cra...ries/phantom):

FRONT: 1 X 140mm
REAR: 1 X 120mm
SIDE: 2 x 120mm
SIDE: 1 x 200mm
TOP: 2 X 200mm

And I have a H100 which has 2 x 120mm

All of my fans are aftermarket silents of various types and I have a fan for all spots. Obviously if I do not need to use all the fans, I won't.

Lastly, how will the H100 mount to the top of the case when attaching to the 200mm fans. Is that an issue?

Thanks!

[ombz]

I got my 500r yesterday. Managing the cables was much easier than the challenger ( its bigger too).

[LordAlu]

I got my 500r yesterday. Managing the cables was much easier than the challenger ( its bigger too).

I'll be buying one of these cases for my new build next month. Love the look of them (the white one especially).

[Edvardelis]

I got my 500r yesterday. Managing the cables was much easier than the challenger ( its bigger too).

I got one as well, just waiting for the processor before putting it all together.

I managed to snap the little tab that holds the top mesh in place though. :-/

[Spirit of Jazz]

I tided up my cables a little and it resulted in my BIOS temps falling by around 10°C. I was just wondering if anybody could see any room for improvement, the secondary power's the only thing that stands out to me and I think I'm screwed on that front. Anyway the image is here:

[Takuan]

That is really high. Stock volts?

I didn't touch the CPU voltage settings. I noticed that the voltage varies based on how hard the CPU is working, so it's clearly on some variable/automatic setting.

Aside from the thermal grease/heat sink installation, I don't know what could be wrong. I'll try a re-application.

[ombz]

I got one as well, just waiting for the processor before putting it all together. I managed to snap the little tab that holds the top mesh in place though. :-/

Man that's bad luck. I wonder if corsair sells replacement parts?

[black_vegeta]

You need to download Rivatuner and install it, it comes with D3D Overrider. It should be standard install on all gaming PCs.

Ahhhh yes, that's what I forgot to install. Thanks a million!

[kpeezy]

I tided up my cables a little and it resulted in my BIOS temps falling by around 10°C. I was just wondering if anybody could see any room for improvement, the secondary power's the only thing that stands out to me and I think I'm screwed on that front. Anyway the image is here:

You could buy one of these for your 8 pin http://www.amazon.com/CB-8P-8-Pin-Mo...578876-1177352

[faceless007]

I've had a tube of Arctic Silver 5 sitting in a drawer since my last build in 2006. Is it still good to use or should I buy another tube of something?

[faceless007]

dupe

[mkenyon]

I'm thinking of putting together an mATX gaming pc for Guild Wars 2/Diablo 3. It's based on Haz's 'excellent' build and I'm going to wait for his next update but here's what I have so far: Questions: 1. Is it worth waiting for IB and upgrading the motherboard to a Maximus V? It'll cost a bit more to go IB + Maximus V but I'm not sure it's worth it. 2. The Arc Mini is a nice case but I would like to go even smaller if possible, I'm worried that it would give me heating issues when overclocking. Is it safe to go for a smaller case such as the Lian-Li V351?

1. You can get the Maximus Gene V and use SB. It's not worth waiting if you think you will be overclocking in the 4.6-5.0 range with a 2500K.

2. It really depends on what your have plans for in the future as far as video cards and CPU cooling. Lian Li A04 and Silverstone TJ-08 offer a perfect amount of room for air cooling everything with plenty of airflow for even high end parts. They're both really small, and to be honest, have no competition in the $100-150 price range. (other than Arc Mini and V354)

There really isn't anything that compares with the Fractal Arc Mini as far as capabilities:size unless you start looking at the $190+ range, such as the V700 or Silverstone FT03 (the latter for air cooling only). If you want an H100, you're pretty much stuck with the Arc Mini.

However, if you are looking to only use a single PCI-E slot, you could go with ASUS's new Z77 ITX motherboard and get an even smaller case. The Bitfenix Prodigy is coming out soon, which looks pretty amazing. FT03 mini (itx as opposed to matx) is also a good choice.

I didn't touch the CPU voltage settings. I noticed that the voltage varies based on how hard the CPU is working, so it's clearly on some variable/automatic setting. Aside from the thermal grease/heat sink installation, I don't know what could be wrong. I'll try a re-application.

You need to turn that off of auto, thats why your temps are so high.

[faceless007]

dupe

[faceless007]

dupe

[Tarin02543]

Did somebody say something about tubes?

[Sethos]

I've had a tube of Arctic Silver 5 sitting in a drawer since my last build in 2006. Is it still good to use or should I buy another tube of something?

You should try asking again.

[GoingGreen]

I've had a tube of Arctic Silver 5 sitting in a drawer since my last build in 2006. Is it still good to use or should I buy another tube of something?

It's still good. It's doesn't really go bad unless extreme circumstances.

[mkenyon]

Double post! Stupid server errors.

[faceless007]

LOL, I swear I just saw 500s.

[t-ramp]

I've had a tube of Arctic Silver 5 sitting in a drawer since my last build in 2006. Is it still good to use or should I buy another tube of something?

If the consistency is still right, it might be fine. I'd grab some new stuff, though.

[mkenyon]

Cross post from ivy thread

From Overclockers.com

Why is Ivy Bridge so hot? Ask that question in any forum currently, and you are likely to receive one of two different popular (but not entirely correct) answers that everyone has been parroting: “Power density is greater on Ivy Bridge than Sandy Bridge” “Intel has problems with tri-gate/22nm” The first answer is correct, but wrong at the same time – power density is greater, but it isn’t what is causing temperatures to be as much as 20 °C higher on Ivy Bridge compared to Sandy Bridge when overclocked. The second answer is jumping to conclusions without sufficient evidence. If you aren’t in the loop, there’s evidence of a considerable temperature difference nearly everywhere you look – we confirmed it by mirroring settings in our Ivy Bridge review, and we have read similar reports in solid testing at Anandtech as well as from other sites.

So based on what evidence we could find from our own investigation, as well as what experience has taught us, Ivy Bridge is running hot when overclocked because of TIM paste between the IHS compared to solder attach used on Sandy Bridge. Why Intel made this choice we aren’t yet sure. We also aren’t sure if they will continue using TIM paste on the Ivy Bridge line, or if this will only be seen on the Engineering Samples like the units sent out for review. However, we’ve put word out again to Intel and are waiting to hear back if they have any further insight or comment to offer. If nothing else, we can hope their reply will again be in good humor… “Secret Sauce” did give us a laugh!

[Teknoman]

So i'm looking to replace my current monitor with one that has a max res of 1080p. Are Acer monitors actually decent, because there is one on sale at Frys this weekend for 119.99.

ACER S211HL 21.5" LED

[Zombie James]

Cross post from ivy thread From Overclockers.com

Wow, it's ridiculous how Intel could let something like this slip... [conspiracy]unless Ivy Bridge was such an amazing overclocker they had to artificially limit it...[/conspiracy]

[r4z4]

snip

Thanks! I think I'll go 2500k + Maximus V Gene + Arc Mini for now. The BitFenix Prodigy looks delicious though.

[Sethos]

Wow, it's ridiculous how Intel could let something like this slip... [conspiracy]unless Ivy Bridge was such an amazing overclocker they had to artificially limit it...[/conspiracy]

I wouldn't even be surprised if it was to limit the product to fit into their business scheme.

[Hawk269]

I tided up my cables a little and it resulted in my BIOS temps falling by around 10°C. I was just wondering if anybody could see any room for improvement, the secondary power's the only thing that stands out to me and I think I'm screwed on that front. Anyway the image is here:

Flip the HDD around so that cabels are on the other side. Get an extension cable for the seconday Mobo power so you can route it from behind the case. And I know it sounds a bit anal, but if you order sleeving you can sleeve any cable that is not black..or you can go cheap and still get a great look is get black electrical tape and sleeve the cables using electrical tape to make them look black.

Lastly, get about a dozen medium sized zip ties in black and tighten up all the cables. For example you can tie the cables leading to the mobo's bottom together to give it a cleaner look, just leave enough slack to ensure they plug in.

[Karmum]

Well, I'm all SLI'd up. Noticed in MSI Afterburner that GPU 2 usage is almost always at 0% even though GPU usage for my first GTX 460 is fluctuating depending on what's going on. Bad? Froze in Skyrim when I tried to pull back to the task manager to dry and check out the usage then.

Edit - Doing the Windows Performance Test now and I see it going up and down. So far so good, hopefully.

[mkenyon]

You certain you have SLI enabled?

*edit*

If you want to be certain, do a run in 3DMark11 and compare it to someone in the Race your PC thread.

*edit 2*

And make sure your drivers are up to date, and that you have a profile for your game of choice.

[MisterNoisy]

I tided up my cables a little and it resulted in my BIOS temps falling by around 10°C. I was just wondering if anybody could see any room for improvement, the secondary power's the only thing that stands out to me and I think I'm screwed on that front. Anyway the image is here:

I flipped around your image to present it as if you're looking at the back side of the motherboard tray with the right side door off.



Your case has a bunch of ziptie loops on the motherboard tray - use those to secure your cables and route them where they need to go. Everything from the PSU should first pass through to the underside of the mobo tray through the big hole next to the PSU. In the case of your EPS CPU power cable, you can get a cable extension if it won't reach when it's routed in this fashion.

Hawk269 is spot on re: flipping the HDDs around - that way you can gather up all the cables so they can be secured/hidden under the motherboard tray.

None of this will likely improve temps, since your cables are already mostly out of the way - this is mostly just about making it look nicer.

[mkenyon]

Mr. Noisy's advice is good. One thing though is that you can clip the bottom zip tie hole that he has outlined in red and put your front panel connections through that. Also, your CPU power cable should be routed behind your motherboard tray. If it doesn't reach, literally route it underneath the motherboard, between the motherboard and the tray. Check out this guide, link from the OP.

[Spirit of Jazz]

Thanks for all the help guys, I'll be sure to get some more zip ties and tidy things up a little. I think I'll leave the secondary power as it is unless I need to reapply my thermal paste given that it's such a hassle to get it in with the Noctua installed. Still the diagram and advice is really helpful so cheers.

[Sethos]

It's funny, a few years ago cable management was the last thing on my mind when building a machine - Hated the idea and all the effort. Then in my last build, it was so much fun doing it, almost a challenge how much you could tuck it away. Probably the thing I look forward to the most on my upcoming build <3

[mkenyon]

That's where it all starts...

Before you know it, you're cutting into your case, fitting radiators, and thinking about how your tubing matches your motherboard and graphics card.

[Sethos]

That's where it all starts... Before you know it, you're cutting into your case, fitting radiators, and thinking about how your tubing matches your motherboard and graphics card.

Nah, water isn't the natural next step - I really dislike the look of water setups for some reason, while the temp benefits are great the look is awful. Looks like a toilet.

Did help a friend out with a water setup and it was fun to work with but I just don't feel the looks.

[MrPing1000]

Whelp it's time to say goodbye to my q6600 after nearly 4 years of loyal service. Had a 10% discount voucher for overclockers.co.uk and a £25 cashback on an msi mobo. Couldn't resist.


Going to keep my HD5850 for the time being. But I'm looking forward to the boost in performance. Just in time for Diablo 3. And I have the Witcher 2 to play through as well.

[1-D_FTW]

It's funny, a few years ago cable management was the last thing on my mind when building a machine - Hated the idea and all the effort. Then in my last build, it was so much fun doing it, almost a challenge how much you could tuck it away. Probably the thing I look forward to the most on my upcoming build <3

I never cared either, but with these new cases, even a chimp can do good cable management. Makes a big difference.

[Sethos]

I never cared either, but with these new cases, even a chimp can do good cable management. Makes a big difference.

Yeah, probably why I was never too bothered - The cases back then were terrible for cable management. No real cutouts, not enough room to pull the large cables through, terrible layouts and no locations to tuck anything away.

[mkenyon]

Going to keep my HD5850 for the time being. But I'm looking forward to the boost in performance. Just in time for Diablo 3. And I have the Witcher 2 to play through as well.

Nice choice on the RAM. That stuff is stupid amazing.

Nah, water isn't the natural next step - I really dislike the look of water setups for some reason, while the temp benefits are great the look is awful. Looks like a toilet. Did help a friend out with a water setup and it was fun to work with but I just don't feel the looks.

It's cause you haven't seen it done right.

The thing I used to not like about it was that the design of the plastic case around videocards have a really nice look. Stripping them to the bare PCB seemed to make them ugly. Between EK full cover blocks and the backplates, I think they look much better though. The 580 Hydro Coppers and Classified Hydro Coppers are still one of my most favorite in terms of aesthetics.

[Sethos]

Nice choice on the RAM. That stuff is stupid amazing. It's cause you haven't seen it done right. The thing I used to not like about it was that the design of the plastic case around videocards have a really nice look. Stripping them to the bare PCB seemed to make them ugly. Between EK full cover blocks and the backplates, I think they look much better though. The 580 Hydro Coppers and Classified Hydro Coppers are still one of my most favorite in terms of aesthetics.

Yeah but what's the point, you never see those kind of builds let alone something you do yourself. Then it's just a pipedream and has no bearing and the thousands of water users out there, constantly going "OMG U NEED TO GO WATER" when their setup looks like a drunk plumber drove through their case. Then again, the pumps already ruin the looks of the overall build in that link.

I'm more of a sucker for a nice fan based builds, they really hit my nerdy bone.

[claviertekky]

Crucial M4 drives at Beach Camera and Crucial Memory through Amazon are nearly $1/1GB.

128 GB: http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-2-5-In...dp/B004W2JKZI/

256 GB: http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-2-5-In...dp/B004W2JL2A/

[MisterNoisy]

I'm more of a sucker for a nice fan based builds, they really hit my nerdy bone.

I'm much the same way - I love the look of tons of fans and big-ass heatsinks.

[Hawk269]

I'm much the same way - I love the look of tons of fans and big-ass heatsinks.

Let me guess...your a boob man right?

[MisterNoisy]

Let me guess...your a boob man right?

Ass all the way. :P

[Sethos]

Boobs'n'ass mmmmm ....

[Karmum]

You certain you have SLI enabled? *edit* If you want to be certain, do a run in 3DMark11 and compare it to someone in the Race your PC thread. *edit 2* And make sure your drivers are up to date, and that you have a profile for your game of choice.

Yep. BF3 ran fine until I decided to crank up the settings, booted me to the desktop (didn't really try to open it back up) and just ended it through Task Manager. Then ran 3DMark11 and it froze.

Looking good so far. I'm going to update to 301.24 from 296.10 and underclock it some more and see if it does anything.

Edit - Ugh, get through two of them (not sure how many there are) and it stops and this comes up:

Workload Single init returned error message: DXGI call IDXGISwapChain::SetFullscreenState failed:

The requested functionality is not supported by the device or the driver.

DXGI_ERROR_NOT_CURRENTLY_AVAILABLE

I have pretty much everything closed. Steam, Skype, iTunes, etc.