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[shinobi602]

Nope.

Nvidia drivers aren't brand specific.

Awesome, thanks.

So just I'm 100% right, beta driver 301.24 is the latest driver right?

 

[Sethos]

301.24 is the latest 'official' Beta drivers, there's also a .34 floating around but it's pretty iffy. So just download the .24 and you're golden sir

 

[shinobi602]

Excellent, thank you sir

 

[professor_t]

Pardon my absence of a clue, but do I have to worry about upgrading from a GPU that has two 6-pin power connectors (the 5850) to one that has a 6-pin and an 8-pin (the Gigabyte 670)?

Should my power source come with both types, or am I screwed? I have a 750W power supply, but I don't know exactly what it is until I crack open the case. Here's my PC:

http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/gateway-fx6831-01/4507-3118_7-34048068.html?tag=rightspecs

 

[hyduK]

Pardon my absence of a clue, but do I have to worry about upgrading from a GPU that has two 6-pin power connectors (the 5850) to one that has a 6-pin and an 8-pin (the Gigabyte 670)?

Should my power source come with both types, or am I screwed? I have a 750W power supply, but I don't know exactly what it is until I crack open the case. Here's my PC:

http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/gateway-fx6831-01/4507-3118_7-34048068.html?tag=rightspecs

Should be fine. You'll likely have two 6-pin adapters each with a separate 2-pin adapter connected to it.

So you just plug in the 6-pin, then the 6+2 pin.

 

[theRizzle]

What kind of antivirus are you guys using on your rigs? Mostly wondering because I am building for my 15 year old brother and I want something that will still offer good protection but is easy to use and not super intrusive.

 

[hyduK]

What kind of antivirus are you guys using on your rigs? Mostly wondering because I am building for my 15 year old brother and I want something that will still offer good protection but is easy to use and not super intrusive.

AVG is good. Install it once and pretty much never see/hear about it again.

 

[shinobi602]

What kind of antivirus are you guys using on your rigs? Mostly wondering because I am building for my 15 year old brother and I want something that will still offer good protection but is easy to use and not super intrusive.

Microsoft Security Essentials has always served me well. Super easy to use and best of all, free

 

[Sethos]

What kind of antivirus are you guys using on your rigs? Mostly wondering because I am building for my 15 year old brother and I want something that will still offer good protection but is easy to use and not super intrusive.

MSE

 

[JB1981]

So after 2 days of fiddling with different configs, this seems to be the best I can do under 1k.

- LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM $17.99

- Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $54.99

- SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive $79.99

- TP-LINK TL-WN781ND PCI Express Wireless Adapter $20.99

- ASUS EAH6870 DC/2DI2S/1GD5 Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity $179.99 + $20 mail in rebate

- AMD Gift - Dirt3 Game Coupon - free

- CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2 (CMPSU-430CXV2) 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply $44.99 + $20.00 mail-in rebate

- CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B $48.99

- BIOSTAR TZ77B LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS $99.99

- Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K $219.99

- Newegg Promotional Gift Card - $10.00

- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit $99.99

- COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel 2011/1366/1155 and AMD FM1/AM3+ $34.99

Grand total with tax and shipping = $984.71.

What do you folks think? Anything that jumps out at you? Any compatibility issues you are seeing? If I buy this, this will be my first gaming PC ever. Please give me your feedback.

 

[r3n4ud]

What kind of antivirus are you guys using on your rigs? Mostly wondering because I am building for my 15 year old brother and I want something that will still offer good protection but is easy to use and not super intrusive.

I'm using Microsoft Security Essentials and have no issues.

 

[professor_t]

Should be fine. You'll likely have two 6-pin adapters each with a separate 2-pin adapter connected to it.

So you just plug in the 6-pin, then the 6+2 pin.

Awesome. Thanks.

Now that I'm finally about to upgrade -- after two years of gaming bliss with the trusty 5850 -- I'm worrying about every conceivable thing that can go wrong.

Someone else in here was thinking about reinstalling windows because of a rocky adjustment from an AMD card to an Nvidia card, and I'm already hoping I won't have to do that.

 

[DEO3]

Something I've always wondered is, how important is it to install the chipset and audio drivers that come with your motherboard? I ask because every few months I'll reformat my hard drive to just clean it up a bit, and everything seems to work fine using whatever just comes with Windows 7 by default.

Sometimes I install the manufacturer's drivers, sometimes I don't, but it never really seems to make a difference, and hunting down the proper drivers is always a headache thanks to my manufacturer's slow and terrible website (DFI). There's always like a million versions and no descriptions and I don't know what the fuck.

I run a P35-T2RS for what it's worth.

 

[K' Dash]

what's the difference between this:

EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2048 MB GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 2DVI/Mini-HDMI SLI Ready Graphics Card, 02G-P3-1568-KR

and this:

EVGA GeForce GTX560 Ti 448 Cores FTW 1280 MB GDDR5, Dual-DualLink DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, SLI Graphics Cards 012-P3-2066-KR

???

Also, if someone could take a look at the build I posted a few posts back, I'd be eternally grateful.

 

[shinobi602]

what's the difference between this:

EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2048 MB GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 2DVI/Mini-HDMI SLI Ready Graphics Card, 02G-P3-1568-KR

and this:

EVGA GeForce GTX560 Ti 448 Cores FTW 1280 MB GDDR5, Dual-DualLink DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, SLI Graphics Cards 012-P3-2066-KR

???

Also, if someone could take a look at the build I posted a few posts back, I'd be eternally grateful.

Looks like one's a 2GB card, the other's 1280mb

 

[K' Dash]

Looks like one's a 2GB card, the other's 1280mb

Yeahm I'm asking cause the last one is the one recomended in the OP "excellent build" I'm a little bit confused, Amazon doesn't have the 7850 on stock so I'm trying to look for Nvidia cards, but it's difficult when you don't know shit about PC hardware, lol.

 

[JB1981]

Yeahm I'm asking cause the last one is the one recomended in the OP "excellent build" I'm a little bit confused, Amazon doesn't have the 7850 on stock so I'm trying to look for Nvidia cards, but it's difficult when you don't know shit about PC hardware, lol.

i want someone to build my pc with

 

[MisterNoisy]

what's the difference between this:

EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2048 MB GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 2DVI/Mini-HDMI SLI Ready Graphics Card, 02G-P3-1568-KR

and this:

EVGA GeForce GTX560 Ti 448 Cores FTW 1280 MB GDDR5, Dual-DualLink DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, SLI Graphics Cards 012-P3-2066-KR

???

Also, if someone could take a look at the build I posted a few posts back, I'd be eternally grateful.

The second is the 448-core (as opposed to the 384-core version in the first link) 560ti, which performs very closely to the GTX570. For only $10 more, I'd say get the second unit. Everything else in the build you posted looks kosher.

 

[K' Dash]

The second is the 448-core (as opposed to the 384-core version in the first link) 560ti, which performs very closely to the GTX570. For only $10 more, I'd say get the second unit. Everything else in the build you posted looks kosher.

I'm going to assume Kosher means OK, lol, thank you for clarifying the Video Cards for me and looking at my build.

 

[ProXimity]

I know this is lazy, but I don't know TOO much about computers and I'm curious as to what a <$1500 PC build would look like if it were spec'd for top of the line gaming and lots of HD video editing (I'm a film student). I kind of want to future-proof this system for things like 4k video and stuff as well.

 

[MisterNoisy]

I know this is lazy, but I don't know TOO much about computers and I'm curious as to what a <$1500 PC build would look like if it were spec'd for top of the line gaming and lots of HD video editing (I'm a film student). I kind of want to future-proof this system for things like 4k video and stuff as well.

I'd look for something like this:

Core i7 2600K ($310)
Z77 motherboard (~$150+)
GTX670 ($400)
8-16GB RAM ($40-100)
120+GB SSD (~$120)
1-3TB Data Drive ($100+)
650+W PSU (~100)
Case + Fans (~$50-100 or more)
Win7 64-bit (~$80-100)
Optical Drive (~$20-50)

Alternately, the 'Enthusiast/'Little Extra' build in the OP with a 670 in place of the 680.

 

[mkenyon]

I'd look for something like this:

Core i7 2600K ($310)
Z77 motherboard (~$150+)
GTX670 ($400)
8-16GB RAM ($40-100)
120+GB SSD (~$120)
1-3TB Data Drive ($100+)
650+W PSU (~100)
Case + Fans (~$50-100 or more)
Win7 64-bit (~$80-100)
Optical Drive (~$20-50)

Alternately, the 'Enthusiast/'Little Extra' build in the OP with a 670 in place of the 680.

Swap the Z77/2600K for an X79 and 3820.

 

[NeOak]

I know this is lazy, but I don't know TOO much about computers and I'm curious as to what a <$1500 PC build would look like if it were spec'd for top of the line gaming and lots of HD video editing (I'm a film student). I kind of want to future-proof this system for things like 4k video and stuff as well.

Probably a SB-E with six cores would work for you. Changing what mkenyon posted:

Intel Core i7-3930K (6C/12T) ($590)
X79 motherboard (~$220+)
32GB RAM

 

[ProXimity]

Probably a SB-E with six cores would work for you. Changing what mkenyon posted:

Intel Core i7-3930K (6C/12T) ($590)
X79 motherboard (~$220+)
32GB RAM

Why 32GB RAM instead of 64?

And how do I know if I need 32 or 64 bit Windows?

 

[NeOak]

Why 32GB RAM instead of 64?

Just a minimum. If you can get the 64GB, do it.

And 64 bit Windows.

BTW, do you need to take that PC with you?

 

[Sethos]

And how do I know if I need 32 or 64 bit Windows?

When you have more than 4GB of combined RAM, you need 64 bit to utilize it.

 

[kharma45]

The second is the 448-core (as opposed to the 384-core version in the first link) 560ti, which performs very closely to the GTX570. For only $10 more, I'd say get the second unit. Everything else in the build you posted looks kosher.

Agreed, if you can afford it go for a 558 over the regular 560Ti if you're not prepared for the 7850 to come back in stock.

 

[ss_lemonade]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I consider 8GB to be bare minimum. I think you'd be surprised by the performance gain of doubling your RAM.

Is there a game that nets a big performance gain moving from 4 - 8gb? I was at 2gb before, moved to a weird 6gb configuration, then back to 4gb and haven't really noticed much difference when it comes to gaming.

 

[ProXimity]

Just a minimum. If you can get the 64GB, do it.

And 64 bit Windows.

BTW, do you need to take that PC with you?

No, it's going to be a desktop.
This is what i have so far.
Build

Looks to be a lot more than $1500.

 

[NeOak]

Is there a game that nets a big performance gain moving from 4 - 8gb? I was at 2gb before, moved to a weird 6gb configuration, then back to 4gb and haven't really noticed much difference when it comes to gaming.

A game from 4 to 8? No. But 64 bit Windows does like the extra 4GB.

 

[Parham]

I am planning on building a new PC (<$750) in a few weeks. I would like to use it for Maya and the occasional game. Here is the tentative build:

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz
Motherboard: ASRock Z77
RAM: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3
PSU: Antec BP550 Plus 550W
Video Card: ECS GTX 560 Ti

PCPartPicker Build

What do you guys think? I'm sure there is some room for improvement.

 

[1-D_FTW]

Newegg is selling the 1TB Samsung F3 for 79.99. Lowest it's been since the buyouts took place.

 

[JonCha]

What's the difference between the ASUS P8H61-M LE/CSM and the ASUS P8H61-M LE/USB3?

Edit: doesn't matter, ordered the USB3.

 

[NeOak]

No, it's going to be a desktop.
This is what i have so far.
Build

Looks to be a lot more than $1500.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8et2

I kinda fixed it and got it at almost 1800. Check with your school IT dept for access to MSDN, that way you can get a free copy of Win 7 Professional. And forget about the SSD for now. Use the 2 Velociraptors in RAID-0.

EDIT: A GTX 560Ti 448 will work fine for 1080p gaming.

 

[Yoritomo]

Also there's a 3tb external seagate for $139 at newegg which is right around the pre-flood price for an internal 3tb.

Just crack the case open and there ya go.

 

[Sethos]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8et2

I kinda fixed it and got it at almost 1500. Check with your school IT dept for access to MSDN, that way you can get a free copy of Win 7 Professional.

That PSU needs to go, can't take a company serious that makes thermal paste that handles worse than butter.

 

[NeOak]

That PSU needs to go, can't take a company serious that makes thermal paste that handles worse than butter.

Haven't had a problem with their PSUs.

 

[ProXimity]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8et2

I kinda fixed it and got it at almost 1500. Check with your school IT dept for access to MSDN, that way you can get a free copy of Win 7 Professional. And forget about the SSD for now. Use the 2 Velociraptors in RAID-0.

EDIT: A GTX 560Ti 448 will work fine for now and you can upgrade it later.

So with a video card, that's more like 1700+, but with the rebates, it shouldn't be so bad. I want a GTX 670/680. Will that mesh well with the parts you've listed?

 

[Sethos]

Haven't had a problem with their PSUs.

Generic OEM PSUs can also work fine. It's about proven quality and reliability. PSU is the last part I'd gamble with as that can take down an entire computer if it goes bad.

I've seen far too many of these shitty brand PSUs blow up in a cloud of smoke and sparkles, basically frying the rest of the machine.

 

[NeOak]

So with a video card, that's more like 1700+, but with the rebates, it shouldn't be so bad. I want a GTX 670/680. Will that mesh well with the parts you've listed?

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

Yeah, it would work. Its about 1800 right now.

 

[Shambles]

Generic OEM PSUs can also work fine. It's about proven quality and reliability. PSU is the last part I'd gamble with as that can take down an entire computer if it goes bad.

I've had the same low end Sparkle OEM PSU powering my mothers computers for the past 10 years or so. As long as I know the PSU properly shuts down when overloaded. Unlike some people I don't believe that the only companies that won't cause my computer to suddenly explode is Corsair, Seasonic and PC Power & Cooling.

 

[NeOak]

Generic OEM PSUs can also work fine. It's about proven quality and reliability. PSU is the last part I'd gamble with as that can take down an entire computer if it goes bad.

I've seen far too many of these shitty brand PSUs blow up in a cloud of smoke and sparkles, basically frying the rest of the machine.

That PSU needs to go, can't take a company serious that makes thermal paste that handles worse than butter.

You haven't bought one and are basically judging their PSUs based on a fucking paste. Whatever.

I, on the other hand, am judging it based on my Octal Xeon workstation.

 

[ProXimity]

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

Yeah, it would work. Its about 1800 right now.

Thanks! What are other people's thoughts on this build? If it costs a little extra to get a different power supply that won't run my pc into the ground, I'll do it. I see a lot of people recommending Z77 motherboards and the like. What's the difference between those and the one you suggested?

 

[Hazaro]

I've had the same low end Sparkle OEM PSU powering my mothers computers for the past 10 years or so. As long as I know the PSU properly shuts down when overloaded. Unlike some people I don't believe that the only companies that won't cause my computer to suddenly explode is Corsair, Seasonic and PC Power & Cooling.

iirc Sparkle had some good OEM units before quality really became a selling point.

Rosewill PSU's are just ok, and for barely any more you can get an Antec. They have had a bad stigma for a while because their first units were not very good and still seem to have more QC issues than other brands. They had a good 500W model for a while, but also had two other not so great 500W models at the time.

**The Seasonic 620M is on sale for $90, 100% buy this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151095
If you are only running 1 GPU

 

[Sethos]

You haven't bought one and are basically judging their PSUs based on a fucking paste. Whatever.

I, on the other hand, am judging it based on my Octal Xeon workstation.

No, of course I haven't bought a brand with a previous bad track record - I'm not an idiot. You are judging it by buying it and it just works, like you'd expect it to do? Like being amazed at buying a car and it actually runs.

This is about long term reliability, about reputation, it's about taking a gamble.

Rosewill have had some dodgy ass models and they haven't got the best reputation. They did clean up their act a bit but they still make average stuff, so why buy a top-of-the-line PC and shuve' that crap in there to save a few dollars. Get something that is actually top shelf that is known for reliability, known for their quality and known for really good voltage numbers and stability.

 

[kennah]

Also there's a 3tb external seagate for $139 at newegg which is right around the pre-flood price for an internal 3tb.

Just crack the case open and there ya go.

Have to be careful with that... Some of these externals come with the drive soldered in

 

[NeOak]

Thanks! What are other people's thoughts on this build? If it costs a little extra to get a different power supply that won't run my pc into the ground, I'll do it. I see a lot of people recommending Z77 motherboards and the like. What's the difference between those and the one you suggested?

Z77 is for the Sandy/Ivy-Bridge CPUs which are dual and quad cores with only 2 channels of memory. X79 has the six-cores available and uses 4 channels of memory. X79 CPUs are basically almost Xeons.

If you were just to game, a Z77 would be fine, but Video editing eats CPU and RAM like crazy, so the X79 based CPUs are the ones to go for in that scenario.

 

[Smokey]

No, of course I haven't bought a brand with a previous bad track record - I'm not an idiot. You are judging it by buying it and it just works, like you'd expect it to do? Like being amazed at buying a car and it actually runs.

This is about long term reliability, about reputation, it's about taking a gamble.

Rosewill have had some dodgy ass models and they haven't got the best reputation. They did clean up their act a bit but they still make average stuff, so why buy a top-of-the-line PC and shuve' that crap in there to save a few dollars. Get something that is actually top shelf that is known for reliability, known for their quality and known for really good voltage numbers and stability.

Yup. PSUs and motherboards are two areas I don't have a problem putting $$$ into. Better safe than sorry.

 

[shinobi602]

So I'm pretty much stuck with an AM3+ mobo.

Do you guys recommend eventually getting a whole new Intel mobo, or will AMD pull their shit together?

 

[NeOak]

So I'm pretty much stuck with an AM3+ mobo.

Do you guys recommend eventually getting a whole new Intel mobo, or will AMD pull their shit together?

If you have a Phenom II BE, OC the shit out of it. Otherwise, jump to intel. Bulldozer is no better at gaming than the Phenom IIs.