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"I need a New PC!" 2012 Thread. 22nm+28nm, Tri-Gate, and reading the OP. [Part 1]

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mkenyon

Banned
So what's the best way to clean the filters in my Arc Midi?

I bought a DataVac blower and, although it clears the dust from the filters, it doesn't completely removes it (I can still see faint traces of dust).
Soak them in water if you want them sparkly clean. The stuff that is left after a DataVac job is aesthetic though.
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
Any recommendations for a 22-24" 1080p monitor that is no more than 60mm deep? I'm looking to setup a home office area for the wife, and there is an ikea desk (vika veine I think) that folds open and has 60mm internal space so I could mount a screen to it and it'd hide away when closed. Then keyboard/ mouse could tuck away at the side.

Needs to be VESA mount compatible and take hdmi. Speakers built in a bonus but by no means essential
 

Kipp

but I am taking tiny steps forward
Still curious about this:

I know the HDD situation is pretty bad right now, but does that apply to external HDDs as well? Those 3TB external drives go on sale quite often and I could use one right now. Would that be a wise or unwise choice? Obviously if those ones are in poor shape and known to be unreliable there's not really a point in getting one, since the point of having it would be backup/storage.
 
Any recommendations for a 22-24" 1080p monitor that is no more than 60mm deep? I'm looking to setup a home office area for the wife, and there is an ikea desk (vika veine I think) that folds open and has 60mm internal space so I could mount a screen to it and it'd hide away when closed. Then keyboard/ mouse could tuck away at the side.

Needs to be VESA mount compatible and take hdmi. Speakers built in a bonus but by no means essential

Thought about buying a small, cheap LED TV? Won't be best quality, but it could work.
 

Fantasmo

Member
Anyone?

Okay so I decided to nix the HTPC case idea since it obviously limits me.
Here's what I've chosen so far, and I'll make adjustments as necessary.

Again this is for VM lab stuff for an MCITP and gaming (eventually but not yet).
I want to buy asap unless there are sales around the corner.

My budget WAS $1200, but if I have to loosen it, I'm willing to see what I can tinker with.

I need motherboard/case/quiet psu/cpu heatsink&fan recommendations:

i7 3770k w/ Intel 4000 HD - $330.00
Corsair Vengeance 4x4GB DDR3 1600 SDRAM - $77.98
Samsung 830 WW 256GB SATA3 - $199.99
ASUS Xonar DSX 7.1 $48.99 (DTS Connect)

This already puts me at $640, not even including tax and shipping, leaving me with a budget of $600. I plan on buying a Gigabyte Windforce 670 for $399.99 on my next paycheck. So that leaves me with $200 for all the rest including tax and shipping. Fuck! Should I loosen my wallet to $1400 total? I live in NJ so NewEgg taxes me. Damn them lol.

I need a motherboard that can handle the Gigabyte and X-Fi sound card and a case and PSU that can handle the wattage. I don't plan on overclocking, my goal is to make this thing as quiet as possible with fans, so the quieter the fans are, the better. I want it future proofed with USB 3.0. I don't want to go nuts with the case, but if there's one where it's not too expensive and fairly easy to modify stuff without cutting my fingers.. yes please ;-)
 

gurudyne

Member
Looking to build a computer soon and I wanted to know--how are the Black Friday sales for computer parts? Would it be worth it putting off the build until late November, or are the sales usually lackluster? (Aiming for the standard 1000 build from the OP, but with a 670 GPU, if that matters.)
 
Alright, the following items are FREE, including shipping. International shipments should be cool too, but I'll need to check rates beforehand. Might need to chip in a little, might not.

PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR ADDRESS IN A PM WHEN I PUT YOUR NAME IN RED NEXT TO AN ITEM.

I'll take an HDMI cable if you still have them.

Thanks.
 

CatPee

Member

Do you really need that sound card?

If you're never overclocking at all, get an i7-3770 and save yourself $30, or grab a cheap H77/B75 mobo, or do both. That should cut the cost down by ~$60 combined. I strongly suggest keeping the K model and getting a decent Z77 mobo though. You might not wanna plan on OCing now, but it's a given that you will want to down the line. The ones that are around the $100 range in the OP should do decently.

The Windforce recently dipped down to ~$360, so it might drop again in the future. Fractal Design Define R4 ($110) is great on the noise end. Otherwise you'll have to shell out money for quiet fans. A SeaSonic 520W ($70) should handle everything well.

Honestly, $1200 is a slightly cramped budget for a 3770K/670 build with the bells and whistles that you prefer. It's a good idea to buy from vendors other than Newegg like Amazon or NCIX to avoid taxes/shipping too.
 

Fantasmo

Member
Do you really need that sound card?

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

If you're never overclocking at all, get an i7-3770 and save yourself $30, or grab a cheap H77/B75 mobo, or do both. That should cut the cost down by ~$60 combined. I strongly suggest keeping the K model and getting a decent Z77 mobo though. You might not wanna plan on OCing now, but it's a given that you will want to down the line. The ones that are around the $100 range in the OP should do decently.

I might stay with the K, you're making a lot of sense here lol. Which Z77 motherboard should I go with and why? (You don't have to go crazy with the description, just general idea, it's been 8 years since I put together a machine).

The Windforce recently dipped down to ~$360, so it might drop again in the future.

Yeah, this is why I'm waiting it out on the video card. Plus the 3770 & 3770k have a graphics chip to buy me some time. It will be for gaming, but I can hold off on the 670.

Fractal Design Define R4 ($110) is great on the noise end. Otherwise you'll have to shell out money for quiet fans. A SeaSonic 520W ($70) should handle everything well.

So if I go Fractal it's $110 + Seasonic 520W PSU $70 is $180 total. Good god almighty lol. Is there a reasonable option for quietness at $100 total or am I hosed if I want that? Is there a decent case + PSU where I can replace the PSU later and get quiet fan sound? Is 520W enough for a 3770k & 670? Does OCing up the wattage?

Honestly, $1200 is a slightly cramped budget for a 3770K/670 build with the bells and whistles that you prefer. It's a good idea to buy from vendors other than Newegg like Amazon or NCIX to avoid taxes/shipping too.
It's looking like I might be going up to $1400 if I have to. I'd rather not, but I'm starting to accept my fate :)
 

Gvaz

Banned
Which one is easier for overclocking? I'm absolutely gonna try overclocking it as far as I can on my air cooler (i forget the name, one of the better cheaper ones)
 

mkenyon

Banned
Still curious about this:
External HDDs are the worst mechanical drives in enclosures unless you know of one that specifically comes with a good drive in it.
MK, are the 6-8 sleeved cables still available?

Good luck on the 580/690 sales!
Yep, I'll add you tonight. Sold the 580 to its original owner, Sketch.
I'll take an HDMI cable if you still have them.

Thanks.
Will add.
You are trying to accomplish too much with not enough money. There's no way around it.

Have you thought about going AMD on the GPU and passing undecoded out via HDMI?
 

Fantasmo

Member
You are trying to accomplish too much with not enough money. There's no way around it.

Have you thought about going AMD on the GPU and passing undecoded out via HDMI?

I'll skip the sound card for now if $50 puts me under. I know I can't squeeze blood from a stone but my budget has to come first and go from there, instead of going straight performance with budget as a second factor if that makes sense!

As for AMD, I know with nVidia I can count on a solid framerate, and best driver compatibility in the business 15 years running. I haven't kept up much, but I can't stand unreliable or unoptimized game drivers and month long waits. If I'm completely wrong on this, by all means correct me, but nothing infuriates me more than getting a new game and playing the waiting game. If it's happened more than a couple times in the past few years, count me out for AMD. I love competition but I just want things to work well right away!

Anyway, price-wise I've loosened up a bit, see my last post!
 

CatPee

Member
Which one is easier for overclocking? I'm absolutely gonna try overclocking it as far as I can on my air cooler (i forget the name, one of the better cheaper ones)

Both are incredibly easy.

Which Z77 motherboard should I go with and why?

Check out the OP.

So if I go Fractal it's $110 + Seasonic 520W PSU $70 is $180 total. Good god almighty lol. Is there a reasonable option for quietness at $100 total or am I hosed if I want that? Is there a decent case + PSU where I can replace the PSU later and get quiet fan sound? Is 520W enough for a 3770k & 670? Does OCing up the wattage?

You're hosed if you want that, to my knowledge. Quiet fans aren't the cheapest. There are no good case+PSU combo that exists. 520W is plenty even with both CPU + GPU overclocked.

Honestly though, noise shouldn't be a major issue with the case, as far as I know.
 

mkenyon

Banned
I'll skip the sound card for now if $50 puts me under. I know I can't squeeze blood from a stone but I'm trying to make sure you guys understand my budget and go from there, instead of going straight performance with budget as a second factor if that makes sense!

Also, I've loosened up a bit, see my last post!
Fractal Arc mini is on sale at NCIX US for $79. Add the ASRock Pro4 mATX motherboard to it, and see how that works out budget wise. For silent fans, you are looking at $10-15 a piece starting, up to $25 a piece for the great ones.

Easiest place to shave off money without a huge decrease in value is the 670 for a 7950.

*edit
Also, the Samsung 830 256GB was on Mega sale today. You get one?
 

Fantasmo

Member
Check out the OP.



You're hosed if you want that, to my knowledge. Quiet fans aren't the cheapest. There are no good case+PSU combo that exists. 520W is plenty even with both CPU + GPU overclocked.

Honestly though, noise shouldn't be a major issue with the case, as far as I know.



Fractal Arc mini is on sale at NCIX US for $79. Add the ASRock Pro4 mATX motherboard to it, and see how that works out budget wise. For silent fans, you are looking at $10-15 a piece starting, up to $25 a piece for the great ones.

Easiest place to shave off money without a huge decrease in value is the 670 for a 7950.

*edit
Also, the Samsung 830 256GB was on Mega sale today. You get one?

Argh you guys are confusing me lol. Okay. ASRock Pro 4 mATX or Z77 motherboard? Which one and why? I know you said look at the OP but I don't really get the difference, boy it's been a long time.
Okay I'm into the Fractal arc mini. Wait!! Mini or MIDI? You mean this one? http://ncix.com/products/?sku=58475

It's definitely pairable with the Seasonic 520W?

The case is on sale today only, so I'll pick it up if it's highly recommended by you guys. Canada right? Shipping is fair/decent to USA?

***NEVERMIND I SEE NCIX HAS A USA SITE****

Yes I happily got in on the Samsung 256GB 830 from Newegg today. Had to pay tax but it still saved me $20 or so :)))))))
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Which one is easier for overclocking? I'm absolutely gonna try overclocking it as far as I can on my air cooler (i forget the name, one of the better cheaper ones)
Same.

OP has the differences. 3570K for gaming. 3770K if you can spend more and do media / streaming / encoding / coding / rendering.
 

beje

Banned
Legacy products on legacy interfaces!

You can get PCI-E versions of both.

Which is kind of a non-issue when both are still working like champs. Don't fix what ain't broken!

Edit: you also have to take into account that the recommended Asus Xonar DG in the OP comes in PCI
 

Fantasmo

Member
Are ther cons with going with an matx case and motherboard aside from slots? Is the speed the same? Is it easy to get a 670 and 3770k into a fractal mini and seasonic 520?

For example would:
16GB (4x4)
3770k
670
PciE sound card
Fractal mini matx
Asus p77 matx
Seasonic 520

Be doable and recommended?
 

Uthred

Member
Currently started a PhD and the computers available in the research lab are a piece of shit. I cant really afford a sufficiently powerful laptop and I dont want to haul a full sized rig in and out so I was thinking of throwing together a SFF build to suit my needs. The machine will be used primarily for 3dsmax and Photoshop, of secondary importance is gaming/media (for downtime of course ;) and finally general productivity.

Budget: ~€700 (Ireland)
Main Use: Gaming (3.5), HD Media Playback i.e. 10bit 720 & 1080p (4) 3D work (5), General Usage (2.5). Rate importance on a 1-5 scale. (5 Being highest)
Monitor Resolution: What resolution will you be playing your games at? 1920x1200 Are you going to upgrade later? No Are you buying a new monitor? No
Looking to reuse any parts?: i7 2600K (currently my desktop PSU, going to upgrade my desktop to an i7 3770)
When will you build?: Sometime in the next month or so
Will you be overclocking?: No

Build

Case: Lian Li PC-Q08B
PSU: Antec TruePower New TP-550
CPU: i7 2600K
RAM: Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 8GB 1600MHz CL9 DDR3 Vengeance Memory Two Module Kit
MB: ASRock H77M-ITX Motherboard
GPU: XFX ATI Radeon HD 6870 HD-687A-ZHFC Graphics Card 1 GB PCI-e
HD: Samsung SSD 830 2.5inch SATA III 6GBps 64GB & Seagate ST31000524AS 3.5 inch Barracuda 1TB GB 7200rpm SATA Drive with 32MB Buffer
 

f0rk

Member
Installing a new card tomorrow (660ti from a ati 6950). Is this the right order to do things?

Uninstall ATi driver
Take out old card
Put in new card
turn on, install nvidia drivers
 
Still wondering which version of Windows 7 I should get.
Is OEM a safe bet? I read that if I change my system configuration in anyway (like replacing a card or an HDD) I'm kinda SOL. Maybe I should buy the full edition if that's the case.

Seriously I have never bought an OS before. I'm used to buying computers with the software pre-loaded.
 

Jzero

Member
Still wondering which version of Windows 7 I should get.
Is OEM a safe bet? I read that if I change my system configuration in anyway (like replacing a card or an HDD) I'm kinda SOL. Maybe I should buy the full edition if that's the case.

Seriously I have never bought an OS before. I'm used to buying computers with the software pre-loaded.

I would just buy a retail license just in case you want to change your hardware later.
 

Grief.exe

Member
Got my Siberia v2 in. Now that I don't use a USB sound card I've come to the conclusion that my current sound card (http://www.siig.com/it-products/multimedia/sound/pci/soundwave-7-1-pci.html) sounds flat.

I also swear I hear very light crackles or pops sometimes. But it is low enough that I wonder if I'm imagining them.

Affordable recommendations that offer 5.1 support (I also have 5.1 Altec Lansings speakers I use sometimes)?

Its probably because the Siberia's have pretty low sound quality. If you are really interested in sound, stay away from headsets in general.

I would advise trading sending them back and get a high quality pair of headphones.

What kind of music do you listen to? What kind of games do you play?
 

cametall

Member
Its probably because the Siberia's have pretty low sound quality. If you are really interested in sound, stay away from headsets in general.

I would advise trading sending them back and get a high quality pair of headphones.

What kind of music do you listen to? What kind of games do you play?

It's mostly for gaming. I play everything. Literally everything. I need a headset with mic because I do play a lot of multiplayer games and the standalone mics just don't have the same clarity without hissing or picking up sound from around my office.

Also needs to go over my ears (cup them completely).

My Creative Tactic3D Alpha USB had deeper bass, but overall weaker sound. Plus it hurt my ears.
 

Fantasmo

Member
Anyone know if ATX power supplies fit in mATX cases? Will these two:


Seasonic S12II 520W EPS12V 20/24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 80+ Bronze 6+8PIN PCI-E W/ 120MM Fan


Fractal Design Arc Mini Tower Computer Case 2X5.25 6X3.5INT No PS Fan Controller & Front USB3

work together?
 

mkenyon

Banned
Anyone know if ATX power supplies fit in mATX cases? Will these two:


Seasonic S12II 520W EPS12V 20/24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 80+ Bronze 6+8PIN PCI-E W/ 120MM Fan


Fractal Design Arc Mini Tower Computer Case 2X5.25 6X3.5INT No PS Fan Controller & Front USB3

work together?
Yes.

It's mostly for gaming. I play everything. Literally everything. I need a headset with mic because I do play a lot of multiplayer games and the standalone mics just don't have the same clarity without hissing or picking up sound from around my office.

Also needs to go over my ears (cup them completely).

My Creative Tactic3D USB had deeper bass, but overall weaker sound. Plus it hurt my ears.
Non-esports and audiophiles just do not understand this at all. 'Just get the zalman clip on mic, it does fine'. That mic is such a piece of garbage. Once you factor in the price of a good soundcard to power your nice headphones, a mic that doesn't make your teammates want to kill you, and a decent pair of headphones, you're well past $200.

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

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

Grief.exe

Member
It's mostly for gaming. I play everything. Literally everything. I need a headset with mic because I do play a lot of multiplayer games and the standalone mics just don't have the same clarity without hissing or picking up sound from around my office.

Also needs to go over my ears (cup them completely).

My Creative Tactic3D Alpha USB had deeper bass, but overall weaker sound. Plus it hurt my ears.

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


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

Exuro

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

mkenyon

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


There are some mics that actually attach to your headphones and make it somewhat of a pseudo headset. Then you can use some nice headphones and don't have to deal with the bad audio quality.
Right, but the problem that we were coming up against in me suggesting the Siberia was monetary. Those mics that even come close to the Siberia or PC-350 (or even middle tier headsets like Sonuz) are pretty pricey.
Does anyone know of some small and quiet cases for an htpc build? I'm most likely going to make one for my parents during the holidays and am right now beginning to just get ideas on what styles I could go for. I've seen cube shaped ones as well as larger dvr looking ones but am not sure what the differences would be in the parts needed to fit. I'll want to make a solid balanced system.
You'll be looking at ITX boards and cases. SFX power supplies if the power isn't supplied via a power brick in most cases.

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

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


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


Still have a few items left!


Alright, the following items are FREE, including shipping. International shipments should be cool too, but I'll need to check rates beforehand. Might need to chip in a little, might not.

PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR ADDRESS IN A PM WHEN I PUT YOUR NAME IN RED NEXT TO AN ITEM.

BsItjl.jpg


1) Gigabyte 3.5" bay USB3, with internal header. Taken by CambriaRising

2) TWO Sandybridge stock heatsinks.

3) TWO 6' HDMI cables. Taken by Lone_Prodigy and ipitydatfu

4) Gigabyte 3-Way SLI bridge.

s0Vool.jpg


5) BitFenix Spectre Pro 120mm White LED Taken by Jzero

6) TWO dual 6 pin to 8 pin extensions, sleeved red. Taken by RS4

7) XBox 360 video out to VGA/Optical/Stereo breakout cable. Taken by Mr. Nightman

8) TWO all back SATA cables (yes, SATA 6GB) Taken by Catpee and Mangotron (this will not be the first piece of hardware I have lost to CatPee. Just sayin')

VIYsLl.jpg


9) Razer Destructor Mousepad Taken by Mr. Big

10) Zotac Ion/ATOM motherboard (whole system, only need storage drive and RAM). This is missing the power brick, but it plugs in to the cable on the right. Should be able to be sourced from Zotac. Taken by kennah

VLGfal.png


1RbbLl.png


11) AMD Phenom II X4 970 (I clocked as high as 4.3GHz) - This has a few bent pins, but a good local computer store should be able to fix it. The bent pins are only on a single row (last row). Taken by Mr. Nightman

PCpzql.jpg


12) Primochill PRO LRT tubing in white - 7/16" ID, 5/8" OD Taken by Scogoth

vlp9nl.jpg


13) TWO XSPC K2 TIM

14) TWO XSPC TIM (comes with Raystorm, supposedly pretty good - unbranded)
 
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