[iqubal]

I like big heavy wood desks. For those wanting something a bit more modern yet well (partially) made, I hear constant rave reviews about the Ikea Galant, seems to be a special favorite over at OCN.

I'm using one now and absolutely love it. My favorite desk by far.

[faceless007]

Anybody have experience with the OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W? Cheap after rebate but reviews are kind of mixed.

[Shambles]

I have a big glass Galant desk with a 24" and a 22" at the moment without breaking a sweat. The desk feels very solid and I love the space and look of it. I recommend it if that's the style you're looking for.

[Lingitiz]

So I just picked up 2 more case fans to add to my current setup which is only running 1 rear exhaust at the moment. What would be the best setup for these 2 new fans to maximize cooling? My GTX 460 gets occasionally hot but never gets over 70C. My CPU gets to 50C idle with the 4th core unlocked but I since dialed it back to 3 cores.

[misterF]

Hi guys! First of all thanks to the thread starter for an amazing OP and all the others who are contributing to this thread!

I've decided to build my first PC and after looking at the OP and one of the guides linked in the OP this is the build I've come up with. Please note that where I live ordering stuff online via newegg or amazon wouldn't be worth it. I'll be using this PC for gaming.

CPU: I5 2500K
MOBO: ASROCK Extreme3 Gen3
RAM: 8GB 2x4GB Kingston DDR3@1333
GPU: GTX 560 Ti or HD7850
HDD: WD Black 500GB
PSU: XFX 650W
CPU Fan: Cooling Master 212 Evo
SSD: OCZ Vertex3 60GB or Intel 520 60GB
Case:NZXT Source

I've browsed the prices of each of these parts and the build would cost 1080$.

Right now my biggest question mark is the SSD as I've never used one. I compared both on Anandtech but I have no idea what to make of the benchmark results. Any advice would be greatly appriciated!

[ScRYeD]

Building a htpc soon, need help selecting a case.

Cpu: i3 2100
CPU Cooling: Noctua NH-U9B SE2
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Pro3-M Motherboard B3
RAM: G.Skill F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ (2x2GB) DDR3
HDD: Western Digital Green 2TB WD20EARX
SSD: Intel 520 Series 60GB SSD
PSU: Seasonic X-400 Fanless Gold 400W
Optical Drive: LG CH12LS28 12X BD-R Blu-ray DVD Combo Drive
TV Tuner: Hauppauge HVR-2210 Media Centre Kit

Plus a couple of fans if I really need them.

Whats a good case I could fit all this in and could I use the onboard gpu.

[Soka]

Anybody have experience with the OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W? Cheap after rebate but reviews are kind of mixed.

I have the 700 W version. It runs my 2500k/560ti without a problem, had it for ~1 year now. Can't really say anything beyond that, it works and hasn't died! I seem to recall the cables being a tad on the short side, so they're sort of snug fitting from the PSU to the motherboard and I had no real way of running them around my graphics card... so they're just going directly over it. Not ideal by any means, but I got the damn thing so cheap I can't really complain.

[demolitio]

If any of you find a really good deal on a bluray drive, can you please let me know? I try to check this thread every once in a while but forget, but I want a cheap one to try with 3D. I'm in no hurry and I'm waiting on a good deal.

[ParityBit]

I have a big glass Galant desk with a 24" and a 22" at the moment without breaking a sweat. The desk feels very solid and I love the space and look of it. I recommend it if that's the style you're looking for.

Do you have a link to the desk? Maybe on their site? I looked at those desks and I do not see a glass one. My current desk has 4 single legs and it is very wobbly. I had gotten it a few years ago when to match the wall shelving unit from the Container store.

EDIT: Oh wait, you pick the pieces you want. Is it sturdy? I ask because my biggest gripe with my current table top desk is that it wobbles something bad.

[ccbfan]

Ok I just went to MicroCenter last night. Finally started my new system build. First one in over 10 years so no old parts.

Got a I5-3570K and a AsRock z77 Pro 4.

I had no clue what to get for the mobo but is this a decent mobo? I don't really plan to do any major OCing.

Also I5-3570K or I5-2500K. I plan to do minor OCing like to 4.0-4.3 Ghz. Which one is better? Also can I do this on the stock coolers? I heard you can get the I5-2500K to 4.0 Ghz easy on stock coolers. Can you do the same for the I5-3570K?

Still hearing a lot of mixed details on the heat issue with the I5-3570K. Is it always hotter than the 2500K or is it just hotter when you OC past 4.5 Ghz?

Also can the integrated graphics of the I5-3570K (Intel HD 4000) hold me over on D3? I'm waiting for the mid range 6xx nvidia cards to come out.

I probably should have asked these questions yesterday but I could always just return the products since Microcenter is 10 minutes away.

[Cimarron]

Are dual video cards better for 3D gaming? Or will one powerful card like a GTX 580 1.5g be suffucient?

[t-ramp]

Ok I just went to MicroCenter last night. Finally started my new system build. First one in over 10 years so no old parts. Got a I5-3570K and a AsRock z77 Pro 4. I had no clue what to get for the mobo but is this a decent mobo? I don't really plan to do any major OCing. Also I5-3570K or I5-2500K. I plan to do minor OCing like to 4.0-4.3 Ghz. Which one is better? Also can I do this on the stock coolers? I heard you can get the I5-2500K to 4.0 Ghz easy on stock coolers. Can you do the same for the I5-3570K? Still hearing a lot of mixed details on the heat issue with the I5-3570K. Is it always hotter than the 2500K or is it just hotter when you OC past 4.5 Ghz? Also can the integrated graphics of the I5-3570K (Intel HD 4000) hold me over on D3? I'm waiting for the mid range 6xx nvidia cards to come out. I probably should have asked these questions yesterday but I could always just return the products since Microcenter is 10 minutes away.

I don't know much about Z77 motherboards, but I'd guess that ASRock is fine.

However, I would say the HD 4000 graphics are going to be very underwhelming if you try to put them to any use for gaming.

Are dual video cards better for 3D gaming? Or will one powerful card like a GTX 580 1.5g be suffucient?

A single 580 will be sufficient for the vast majority of games, if not all, on a single 1080p display.

[Gueras]

Why is so hard to find GTX680? I get in amazon.com everyday and they never have in stock...

[LiquidMetal14]

Best defrag app? I just got Defragler and used it overnight. Also have udefrag.

[mkenyon]

Why is so hard to find GTX680? I get in amazon.com everyday and they never have in stock...

Get on auto notify with amazon, newegg, and evga.com

[Squall ASF]

Just ordered my parts yesterday and everything should arrive tomorrow. This is my first attempt at a proper gaming rig, How did I do? BTW, I know I could have downgraded things to save money, don't care about that, just want opinions on how it will perform and if I chose good brands/parts/quantity. Thanks!

Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 ...

MOBO: ASUS P8P67 DELUXE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

Graphics Card: SAPPHIRE 11196-00-40G Radeon HD 7950 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B

SSD: Corsair Force Series GT CSSD-F120GBGT-BK 2.5" 120GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

HDD: Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Monitor: ASUS VW246H Glossy Black 24" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor

PSU: COOLER MASTER GX Series RS650-ACAAE3-US 650W ATX12V v2.31 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

CPU Cooling: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel ...

I also grabbed a few 200mm fans, another matching fan for the other side of the CPU heatsink, optic drive, and speakers but figured that would be too boring to get specific about ha

[CSampson]

Building an HTPC with existing parts (5770 and 4gb of RAM):

CX430 v2 430W @ 54.99
WD5000 500gb @ 69.99
ASRock H61M-VS Micro @ 64.99
Intel G859 SB 2.9Ghz
(all above from OP)
+
TP-Link pci-e wireless card @ 44.99
total: 327.95 + taxes

I already have a 5770 and 4gb of RAM for the machine. I guess my main concern is the PSU and being strong enough. I also think I might be able to downsize the HDD a bit since I don't plan on storing much media locally on this machine. Mostly streaming..maybe just get a 64gb ssd instead?

[Shawn6661]

Best defrag app? I just got Defragler and used it overnight. Also have udefrag.

Try MyDefrag.

[ParityBit]

What do people use for a mic when playing online games/teamspeak/etc?

Do you like a table top or something attached to a headset? Any examples?

[Zombie James]

What do people use for a mic when playing online games/teamspeak/etc? Do you like a table top or something attached to a headset? Any examples?

I use a Logitech H390. The cups are a bit too small for my ears but it's cheap and gets the job done.

[Sethos]

What do people use for a mic when playing online games/teamspeak/etc? Do you like a table top or something attached to a headset? Any examples?

http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser...-gaming_504122 Regularly

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/webcam...es/devices/221 with my HD650s when I can't be bothered switching

http://www.rodemic.com/mics/Podcaster when I need quality voice.

[Shambles]

Do you have a link to the desk? Maybe on their site? I looked at those desks and I do not see a glass one. My current desk has 4 single legs and it is very wobbly. I had gotten it a few years ago when to match the wall shelving unit from the Container store. EDIT: Oh wait, you pick the pieces you want. Is it sturdy? I ask because my biggest gripe with my current table top desk is that it wobbles something bad.

Here's the link to the product page: http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/pr...16/#/S99848216

The thing is rock solid. Not like your typical glass desk. My wife is using one that is a similar size but it's a whatever glass thing from Staples that shakes like a coward. The Galant is a great size too, nice and large. They sell the table top and legs separately but they're all part of the same system. You can get A or T shaped legs for the desk, and the desk also comes in wood tops as well. The legs are height adjustable, from memory I think i had a good 6-8" of movement with them. I keep my desk fairly high. I have the white glass, my friend has the black glass one. The black looks classier, but it's more of a fingerprint/smudge magnet. The glass top is priced higher than wood but easily worth it in my books.

I like the T legs better since they give you a bit more leg space. My friend has the A legs and they're good as well. Also I think only the A-legs come in chrome, the T's don't.

[ZetaEpyon]

I picked up the Plantronics Gamecom 780s with some gift cards at Best Buy.

I generally only use them when playing MMOs, but the sound is pretty decent, and I've been told that my voice comes through very clearly (compared to the crap mic I had before, in particular).

[JaseC]

So, what's the consensus on the overclocking potential of Ivy? I understand it falls short of Sandy, but is a 4.5GHz 3570K on a high-end air cooler (namely the NH-D14) both achievable and safe?

[Sethos]

So, what's the consensus on the overclocking potential of Ivy? I understand it falls short of Sandy, but is a 4.5GHz 3570K on a high-end air cooler (namely the NH-D14) both achievable and safe?

I believe 4.4 is the 'sweet spot' in heat / performance ratio

[GoingGreen]

What's the consesus of the Corsair H100? I bought the Ivy Bridge i7 3770k and was wondering if this cooler is worth the $100?

Or are there any good AIR coolers that you recommend?

[JaseC]

I believe 4.4 is the 'sweet spot' in heat / performance ratio

If so, that's close enough! Cheers. :)

[ParityBit]

What's the consesus of the Corsair H100? I bought the Ivy Bridge i7 3770k and was wondering if this cooler is worth the $100? Or are there any good AIR coolers that you recommend?

I picked one of these up for my new rig. Cant wait to start the build tonight!

[GoingGreen]

I picked one of these up for my new rig. Cant wait to start the build tonight!

Awesome man. Lemme know how it goes!

[HoosTrax]

Getting desperately low on storage space. Ideally, I'd get a 2TB Caviar Black, but these run $200+ right now, which is bit ridiculous.

So I've narrowed my options down to these:

Samsung F4 EcoGreen 2TB
$129.99 | 1 year warranty

Hitachi 7K3000 2TB
$147.27 ($139.99 + $7.28 S&H) | 3 year warranty

2x Samsung F3 1TB
$179.98 | 3 year warranty

[Hazaro]

Building an HTPC with existing parts (5770 and 4gb of RAM): CX430 v2 430W @ 54.99 WD5000 500gb @ 69.99 ASRock H61M-VS Micro @ 64.99 Intel G859 SB 2.9Ghz (all above from OP) + TP-Link pci-e wireless card @ 44.99 total: 327.95 + taxes I already have a 5770 and 4gb of RAM for the machine. I guess my main concern is the PSU and being strong enough. I also think I might be able to downsize the HDD a bit since I don't plan on storing much media locally on this machine. Mostly streaming..maybe just get a 64gb ssd instead?

Antec VP450 for PSU. That's going to be changed along with the whole sheet as soon as I get some goddam free time to sit down with it.

Best defrag app? I just got Defragler and used it overnight. Also have udefrag.

I use defraggler.

Why is so hard to find GTX680? I get in amazon.com everyday and they never have in stock...

28nm yo.

What's the consesus of the Corsair H100? I bought the Ivy Bridge i7 3770k and was wondering if this cooler is worth the $100? Or are there any good AIR coolers that you recommend?

One's I'd get are in the OP. Can't go wrong with the CM 212+. If you want more, get a HR 02 Macho. H100 is $100+two fan replacements since it's loud as hell.

Getting desperately low on storage space. Ideally, I'd get a 2TB Caviar Black, but these run $200+ right now, which is bit ridiculous. So I've narrowed my options down to these: Samsung F4 EcoGreen 2TB $129.99 | 1 year warranty Hitachi 7K3000 2TB $147.27 ($139.99 + $7.28 S&H) | 3 year warranty 2x Samsung F3 1TB $179.98 | 3 year warranty

F4 2TB no question

[faceless007]

I just want to brag that I got the Cooler Master 690II Advanced for $50 after rebates. There were two concurrent ones, $15 and $10, and I didn't know if they'd both be accepted for the same purchase but I checked the status and they were. Freaking ridiculous case for $50.

[Sethos]

I just want to brag that I got the Cooler Master 690II Advanced for $50 after rebates. There were two concurrent ones, $15 and $10, and I didn't know if they'd both be accepted for the same purchase but I checked the status and they were. Freaking ridiculous case for $50.

Indeed it is, enjoy it man.

[Piercedveil]

I know this is mostly hardware talk, but what is the best tool to remove old AMD video card drivers? I recently updated them and it may have caused a problem, so I want to do a clean install. Thanks!

EDIT: Problem has been solved :]

[AwesomeSauce]

Building an HTPC with existing parts (5770 and 4gb of RAM): CX430 v2 430W @ 54.99 WD5000 500gb @ 69.99 ASRock H61M-VS Micro @ 64.99 Intel G859 SB 2.9Ghz (all above from OP) + TP-Link pci-e wireless card @ 44.99 total: 327.95 + taxes I already have a 5770 and 4gb of RAM for the machine. I guess my main concern is the PSU and being strong enough. I also think I might be able to downsize the HDD a bit since I don't plan on storing much media locally on this machine. Mostly streaming..maybe just get a 64gb ssd instead?

Get the newer PSU that Hazaro recommends and you should be golden.

[SwimmingwithChickenz]

Ok I'm finally building my first PC. I had a quick question to ask the more PC savy people here. Whats the best way to power your fans in your case? Straight to the PCU or directly to the mother board? I'ld like to keep it simple but I want to keep my PC running cool at the same time. Please help!

[bee]

just rebuilt my pc with a 3570k and gigabyte z77x-d3h. took about 2hours, currently idles at 25c in windows with my trusty 4+ year old TRUE black cpu cooler :) this board posts and boots stupidly quick, it beeps once then its at windows like 5 secs later, WAY faster than my old P67 board

just need another 680 or maybe i'll sell my current one and get a 690, wont be for 1-2 weeks anyway

[ccbfan]

What does Power Phase Design mean.

I read it has something to do with over clocking but I'm not sure how to read the numbers.

The motherboard I got has a 4+2 phase design. Is this OK for overclocking?

Now I'm not talking about heavy overclocking. But more like getting a i5-3570K to 4.0-4.3 Ghz.

[Shambles]

I just want to brag that I got the Cooler Master 690II Advanced for $50 after rebates. There were two concurrent ones, $15 and $10, and I didn't know if they'd both be accepted for the same purchase but I checked the status and they were. Freaking ridiculous case for $50.

How on earth did you manage that? I'm sure you must be in the states so I won't get my hopes up but I've been looking for a case, and i've been leaning towards that exact one for a while now. However I'm up in Canada where we don't get the wicked Microcentre type sales.

[TheThunder]

For the people with Hyper 212 EVO, did you have any problems installing it without hitting the RAM sticks, or is that just a problem if you get a second fan and mount it on the other side of the Heatsink ?

[faceless007]

How on earth did you manage that? I'm sure you must be in the states so I won't get my hopes up but I've been looking for a case, and i've been leaning towards that exact one for a while now. However I'm up in Canada where we don't get the wicked Microcentre type sales.

Yes, I'm in the states. It was a Newegg sale, there was a $20 discount code and a $15 rebate, and I found a concurrent $10 rebate in a slickdeals thread. I think the second one might have been an accident or activated at the wrong time or something, since it seems odd to have 2 rebates for the same product going simultaneously.

[gate777]

For the people with Hyper 212 EVO, did you have any problems installing it without hitting the RAM sticks, or is that just a problem if you get a second fan and mount it on the other side of the Heatsink ?

No problem with my RAM. If it is, just switch the fan to the other side and have it pull out instead of push through like it did before, or get some low-profile RAM and it won't interfere.

[Feep]

Yayyyyy! Ivy Bridge get!

I'll be asking a few questions here throughout the day...it's been awhile since I last built a rig.

1) Should I use the stock fan that came with the Ivy Bridge, or unscrew the old Zalman (now approaching five years old) off my old Dual Core? It was a sixty dollar quality aftermarket fan, as I recall, but I'm not sure if age or ugly thermal residue would cause a problem.

2) My old motherboard was awesome in that it had a two digit LED which would correspond to what part of the post/boot process it was in, which was UNBELIEVABLY helpful in debugging. If I hit the power button and this things fails, how do I debug it? = (

Thanks in advance! I'm excited...this is crazy fun.

[_woLf]

Yayyyyy! Ivy Bridge get! I'll be asking a few questions here throughout the day...it's been awhile since I last built a rig. 1) Should I use the stock fan that came with the Ivy Bridge, or unscrew the old Zalman (now approaching five years old) off my old Dual Core? It was a sixty dollar quality aftermarket fan, as I recall, but I'm not sure if age or ugly thermal residue would cause a problem. 2) My old motherboard was awesome in that it had a two digit LED which would correspond to what part of the post/boot process it was in, which was UNBELIEVABLY helpful in debugging. If I hit the power button and this things fails, how do I debug it? = ( Thanks in advance! I'm excited...this is crazy fun.

If the Zalman works on socket 1155, then do that. Ivy has inherent heat problems so stock cooler isn't advised in my opinion.

[HoosTrax]

The Zalman is almost 99.9% guaranteed to NOT support socket 1155, and it's likely there won't be adapter kits for it, unlike newer heatsinks. That said, there are some pretty decently priced heatsinks these day, and you can get a lot of bang for your buck for less than half of what the Zalman cost five years ago.

Check Xigmatek heatsinks for good value for your money.

I don't know which Zalman we're talking about, but heatsinks these days typically do not use massive amounts of heavy copper like some of the old Zalmans did, and rely on the newer heatpipe technology instead.

[Feep]

Eh. I'm not a big overclocker, I was just wondering if it would fit. I don't feel like waiting, so if I build the rig and the internal temps are reading too high, I can go ahead and just order one later. It's not *too* much of a pain to reapply thermal compound...

Edit: The Zalman part number is ZF9225ATH, though I was unable to find a lot of information on it. What makes it "incompatible"? It looks like all the holes and whatnot line up...

[HoosTrax]

Eh. I'm not a big overclocker, I was just wondering if it would fit. I don't feel like waiting, so if I buid the rig and the internal temps are reading too high, I can go ahead and just order one later. It's not *too* much of a pain to reapply thermal compound...

The stock heatsink would be fine then. I wouldn't bother buying LGA 1155 adapter kits for the Zalman, assuming such a thing existed, it wasn't really designed with the die orientation of today's quads in mind.

[HoosTrax]

Edit: The Zalman part number is ZF9225ATH, though I was unable to find a lot of information on it. What makes it "incompatible"? It looks like all the holes and whatnot line up...

The holes aren't in the same place (I know at a glance, it looks identical). Take a looky here:

The inner part of the hole would be compatible with LGA775. The outer part is compatible with LGA1155/6. Basically, the holes for 1155 are in the same directions, but they're slightly further out (annoying, I know, but the CPU itself is slightly bigger).

[Feep]

The holes aren't in the same place (I know at a glance, it looks identical). Take a looky here: The inner part of the hole would be compatible with LGA775. The outer part is compatible with LGA1155/6. Basically, the holes for 1155 are in the same directions, but they're slightly further out (annoying, I know, but the CPU itself is slightly bigger).

Ah, that explains it. I was looking at the orientation of the holes, not their radii from the center.

Damn you, socket gods!

That's okay. I'll proceed with my original plan. = D Now where's that high-stock business card I was going to use to apply compound...

[InertiaXr]

I have a couple questions about RAM usage and overhead:

1. Is there anything 'bad' about using 75-80%+ of my RAM most of the time, similar to how you always want 15% or more of your HD space free? I'm usually running 15-20 tabs of Chrome and Football Manager and am always around 75-78% RAM usage.

2. If so, is there any reason to not get 2 more 2GB sticks if I already have 2 2GB sticks, compared to getting 2 new 4GB sticks? I built my current computer right after Sandy Bridge came out and got this RAM, should I just spend $30 more and get 2 more 2GB sticks and fill out all 4 RAM slots or should I upgrade to 4GB sticks?