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[A.Romero]

Glad I could help you!

Regarding sleeping dogs, what setting was the benchmark running on? Some of the higher preset settings are pretty demanding.

Extreme Preset.

Funny thing is that the game was very playable with my previous CPU (AMD Phenom 955) so I was expecting somewhat a big step up.

I haven't had the chance to really test the computer but so far it is awesome.

One thing that I noticed is that the Asrock Mobo (Extreme 4) sets the fans pretty loud by default and it has been a pain to manage that... I live in a very hot place and its kind of risky to set a low fan profile...

 

[zeelman]

Looks good. The FX 6100 isn't good as you probably know but the 8350 might be worth a look as an upgrade just to throw out another option that would cost less money.

Don't forget Haswell is coming in 2 months if you're in no huge rush to upgrade.

I thought of that, but my motherboard (Gigabyte M68MT-S2) does not support the 8350.

While I read that Haswell is a slight upgrade over Ivy Bridge, I guess Haswell would be a huge upgrade from my FX processor.

 

[gilljoy]

One of the best PSU's I've picked up has been my XFX PRO850W Black edition, really nice PSU but its only silver rated so It may be upgraded eventually

 

[kharma45]

For whatever reason, it has a really really low failure rate. It's also modular, which is a huge plus at that price point.

For a budget build, it's just hard to beat. If one is looking to spend more than that, they should stop trying to skimp on a PSU and get something better.

That's the moral of the story.

The only three PSU's I'd consider getting would be the BP550 for budget, then M12II for not budget, then Seasonic X or Corsair AX (even the i models as they are even a bit better than the Seasonic ones and have much lower rates of coil whine) if you are spending $1000+.

*edit*

and the Silverstone 450W SFX PSU if you need SFX.

Where is my beloved XFX?

I thought of that, but my motherboard (Gigabyte M68MT-S2) does not support the 8350.

While I read that Haswell is a slight upgrade over Ivy Bridge, I guess Haswell would be a huge upgrade from my FX processor.

Ah that's crap. Yeah Haswell we're expecting a 10% jump over Ivy Bridge clock for clock in CPU performance, and it'll be a fairly big jumo up from the FX 6100. If you go IB now though you'll still have a great CPU.

 

[Hazaro]

I thought of that, but my motherboard (Gigabyte M68MT-S2) does not support the 8350.

While I read that Haswell is a slight upgrade over Ivy Bridge, I guess Haswell would be a huge upgrade from my FX processor.

It's a new socket though which is good.

I'd just get a compatible heatsink and OC your FX6100 as close to the moon as you can get and wait for Haswell.

 

[zeelman]

It's a new socket though which is good.

I'd just get a compatible heatsink and OC your FX6100 as close to the moon as you can get and wait for Haswell.

I thought of that, but the motherboard can't handle an overclock, either. I bought such a shitty pre-built machine.

I'll probably just wait for Haswell.

 

[kharma45]

Yeah just wait and start afresh in that case, 2 months isn't that long

 

[mkenyon]

Where is my beloved XFX?

Can't stand non-modular.

M12II is so cheap that there just isn't much of a reason to get one with the BP550 serving up the lower end of things.

 

[kharma45]

Can't stand non-modular.

Ah suppose there is that. What about their Seasonic X-series re-badge? Only $100 for the 750w after MIR on Newegg atm, $40 cheaper than the Seasonic version.

 

[zeelman]

Yeah just wait and start afresh in that case, 2 months isn't that long

Yeah, I guess its better that way. I'll be done with college by then and have plenty of time to use it.

 

[Thorgal]

Should i always download the latest drivers when a new one comes out ?

Like right now there is Nvidia 314.22 out .


also could old drivers be the cause that my games freeze after a few hours of gameplay?

 

[HoosTrax]

Nope, their AX series is high end.

HX ones are p'good though. The G and CX series would be their 'meh' ones. I've had way too many difficulties with PSUs over the years to get anything but the best in its class. They can cause some serious headaches, and even kill your entire system. It's the #1 most important part to consider for reliability.

I did that once a few years ago. Now I wish my HX1000 would go kaput already, so I can have an excuse to get a new one that's fully modular and not as long as a bus. And there's something vaguely annoying about seeing the upside-down label blue label on the side of it, in an OCD-ish way. It's a throwback to the time where PSUs were mounted with the fan facing down, and in my case, I have it pointed up.

 

[knitoe]

I did that once a few years ago. Now I wish my HX1000 would go kaput already, so I can have an excuse to get a new one that's fully modular and not as long as a bus. And there's something vaguely annoying about seeing the upside-down label blue label on the side of it, in an OCD-ish way. It's a throwback to the time where PSUs were mounted with the fan facing down, and in my case, I have it pointed up.

Top or bottom mounted, it's better to have the PSU fan facing down. Can't really see a situation where the fan is facing up.

 

[HoosTrax]

Top or bottom mounted, it's better to have the PSU fan facing down. Can't really see a situation where the fan is facing up.

A situation where there is no top PSU mountpoint, and the bottom has no holes under the PSU position .

 

[mkenyon]

Ah suppose there is that. What about their Seasonic X-series re-badge? Only $100 for the 750w after MIR on Newegg atm, $40 cheaper than the Seasonic version.

I find that between the X series and AX series, there's almost always one on sale.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ..._mmc=EMC-GD040313-_-index-_-Item-_-17-151-121

$89.99 right now w/ code EMCYTZT3210

I just go with the AX series due to the very pretty single braided cables. No reason other than that. The XFX one you linked I'd definitely consider suggesting as well, it just doesn't spring to mind often.

 

[knitoe]

A situation where there is no top PSU mountpoint, and the bottom has no holes under the PSU position .

Then, you need a new case.

 

[kharma45]

I find that between the X series and AX series, there's almost always one on sale.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ..._mmc=EMC-GD040313-_-index-_-Item-_-17-151-121

$89.99 right now w/ code EMCYTZT3210

I just go with the AX series due to the very pretty single braided cables. No reason other than that. The XFX one you linked I'd definitely consider suggesting as well, it just doesn't spring to mind often.

Damn, that's a great price for that Platinum one. People do seem to forget about the XFX units, but as you say the Seasonic X variants are almost always on sale.

 

[Sorral]

Ah suppose there is that. What about their Seasonic X-series re-badge? Only $100 for the 750w after MIR on Newegg atm, $40 cheaper than the Seasonic version.

I find that between the X series and AX series, there's almost always one on sale.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ..._mmc=EMC-GD040313-_-index-_-Item-_-17-151-121

$89.99 right now w/ code EMCYTZT3210

I just go with the AX series due to the very pretty single braided cables. No reason other than that. The XFX one you linked I'd definitely consider suggesting as well, it just doesn't spring to mind often.

Reading previous posts and here; you guys are too convincing. I wish I looked up what a modular PSU is before becoming impatient as well. I would have def. skipped the Corsair. -_- I will return it when it gets here.

How is the fan on the Antec BP550? I am reading that it is actually noisy. Next one up is the Seasonic M12II 520W at $82 or should I get the 620W one? Something that's reasonable and on Amazon not newegg.

Edit: Nevermind. The Antec it is. That M12II 520 isn't on prime and rather not deal with newegg's returns when I can use amazon.
You're accounting for the rebate in the AX? I can't rely on those unless they are instant.

 

[brentech]

My system sidebar after map loaded in BF3, with firefox open w/ a few tabs.

Temps stay nice and cool. Info is pulled from CoreTemp plugin of Rainmeter. Max temps I've reached today is 57C on my 3rd core.

 

[CreepingFear]

I want to buy this just for looking so cute.

More @ http://www.pcper.com/news/Graphics-...-Friendly-GTX-670-DirectCU-Mini-Graphics-Card

 

[PoweredBySoy]

I want to buy this just for looking so cute.

Wow. That's impressive. I'll assume that fan is loud, but if not, what a great card.

 

[Infinite Justice]

Aye the Antec is ugly but you can't have it all.

I should be able to

The old ones were but the new ones are supposed to be quite good. One of the reviews mentioned it was baffling that they kept the same name as the old junk ones.

On the topic of PSUs, who'd like an Aces Low 550w? Review is worth a read, I got a chuckle from it. I won't spoil the ending but it's the same old story with cheap PSUs

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=335

Checked that and damn but this

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=324

HOLY FUCK

 

[Sorral]

My system sidebar after map loaded in BF3, with firefox open w/ a few tabs.

Temps stay nice and cool. Info is pulled from CoreTemp plugin of Rainmeter. Max temps I've reached today is 57C on my 3rd core.

I am curious about how the overall noise from your system and if you customized your fans' speeds at all since you have similar stuff to what I am getting and you have a higher overclock than what I am thinking of. Looks nice either way.

 

[mkenyon]

Wow. That's impressive. I'll assume that fan is loud, but if not, what a great card.

That's one of the things I love about the 670s. The reference ones have super tiny PCB. The reference cooler actually adds like 3-4" to the length of the card. With waterblocks:

 

[Woody Invincible]

I should be able to



Checked that and damn but this

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=324

HOLY FUCK

Dat Hercules.

 

[brentech]

I am curious about how the overall noise from your system and if you customized your fans' speeds at all since you have similar stuff to what I am getting and you have a higher overclock than what I am thinking of. Looks nice either way.

I have my 4 case fans running at full speed. If anything it just sounds and feels like a wind tunnel. The fan on the 212 Evo I haven't changed any settings in the bios for.
Since changing out the other 3 case fans, only the front fan runs on the 4 prong molex power connector.
The other 3 used to, but I replaced them with some cheaper CoolerMaster pack that connect to motherboard. No temps on the system seem to have changed, I just wanted less large connecters to try to hide.

I personally don't find it very noisy at all, but that's very subjective.

 

[Sorral]

I have my 4 case fans running at full speed. If anything it just sounds and feels like a wind tunnel. The fan on the 212 Evo I haven't changed any settings in the bios for.
Since changing out the other 3 case fans, only the front fan runs on the 4 prong molex power connector.
The other 3 used to, but I replaced them with some cheaper CoolerMaster pack that connect to motherboard. No temps on the system seem to have changed, I just wanted less large connecters to try to hide.

I personally don't find it very noisy at all, but that's very subjective.

Ah, that many fans and still not load. That does sound good, but yeah, subjective because I notice any noise increase way too easy for my own good.

My case isn't great either, so I might do something similar with the fans if I don't change the case all together later.

 

[kharma45]

I want to buy this just for looking so cute.

More @ http://www.pcper.com/news/Graphics-...-Friendly-GTX-670-DirectCU-Mini-Graphics-Card

That is fantastic.

I should be able to



Checked that and damn but this

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=324

HOLY FUCK

That is not. Sweet mother of all that is holy that is a fucking scary PSU.

 

[Demon Ice]

I want to buy this just for looking so cute.

More @ http://www.pcper.com/news/Graphics-...-Friendly-GTX-670-DirectCU-Mini-Graphics-Card

Man. I could have used that a month ago. Ended up going with Zotac's 660 Ti since they made the shortest one and my case is cramped.

That's one of the things I love about the 670s. The reference ones have super tiny PCB. The reference cooler actually adds like 3-4" to the length of the card. With waterblocks:

Yep, didn't realize that until I saw the backside of an EVGA one. I always thought it was funny that the power connectors seemed to be in the middle of the card for some reason. Now I know why.

 

[OriginofHysteria]

I should be able to



Checked that and damn but this

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=324

HOLY FUCK

That PSU would add like 100c to my case.

 

[metalshade]

Hey guys, I just fitted my CM Hyper 212 evo to my i5 2500k (No overclock yet) , and after 7 mins in occt I am getting my highest core at 54 degrees, lowest at 47, this seems too high to me, guessing I might have applied too much thermal paste?
Edit: at 10 mins, core 0 shot up to 72 now, lowest core at 51.
Edit: 13 minutes, the overall temp readout shot up to 127 and then to 40 then bounced back and forth.
I immediately shut it down.

 

[mkenyon]

Sounds fine. What do you mean by 'overall temp readout'?

 

[metalshade]

Sounds fine. What do you mean by 'overall temp readout'?

I assumed that was what the first readout CPUTIN was, that went up to 127 then started bouncing up and down, so I switched it off.

Reading it wrong?

 

[GHG]

Tech power up have just published their review on the 650 Ti-Boost in SLI which throws out some interesting results from a performance/price perspective:

After running the GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost SLI through our test suite, I have to admit that I'm impressed. The duo delivered performance easily matching and often exceeding much more expensive single-card options such as the GeForce GTX 680 and Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition, and they don't cost as much. SLI multi-GPU scaling works well with all of our titles except for F1 2012. Scaling by going from one to two GTX 650 Ti Boost cards is around 70%, even with F1 2012 taken into account. Unlike AMD, NVIDIA does a good job of maintaining its SLI profiles, so you should be able to play new games without a long wait for multi-GPU support. However, the risk that a game will not be supported still exists, and you might, at worst, end up with single-card performance. This is in my opinion, given the massive performance-per-dollar advantage, an acceptable tradeoff. I would definitely recommend a GTX 650 Ti Boost SLI setup to a friend looking to spend as little money as possible on a high-end gaming rig.

With a combined price of $340, the graphics cards cost much less than the HD 7970 GHz Edition ($430) and the GTX 680 ($440) while still delivering comparable performance. Power draw and noise levels are slightly higher, but that's the price you'll have to pay to save over 100 bucks. This setup also makes upgrading your aging rig to play the latest and most demanding titles without breaking the bank an option. Core "Sandy Bridge" only supports PCI-Express 2.0, so the setup would run at reduced PCI-Express bandwidth, but the difference should be quite small, maybe 4% in actual games, which is very acceptable if you take into account the lower cost of this upgrade path. Have $340 and want high-end performance? Consider this!

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_650_Ti_Boost_SLI/1.html

I know a lot of people here are not fans of mid-range SLI setups but its definitely something interesting for those who want the best performance on a tight budget. These cards also overclock like mad from what I'm seeing so far. Nice little cards for a multi-GPU setup. Shame that UK Pricing is screwed up (yet again... sigh...) on these though.

 

[mkenyon]

Yeah, ignore that.

You just want Core 0-3. Do an average of all 4.

 

[OriginofHysteria]

Looking at options for replacing my Sapphire 7950 Vapor-X and in Micro Center I found the ASUS GTX 670 Direct CUII 4GB card as a possible replacement (I was gonna get a 7970 otherwise).

I heard this cooler is very good and quiet, can anyone attest to that? Also would it be worth it to get a GTX 670 (4GB version) over a 7970?

 

[mkenyon]

They're both really great cards.

The 7970, when OC'd, will definitely outshine the 670 (and 680), and will continue to get even better over the next few months.

The 670 will definitely run quieter and cooler, and can handle just about anything at 1080p. I'm not certain the 4GB variant is worth the price premium, however.

 

[GHG]

Looking at options for replacing my Sapphire 7950 Vapor-X and in Micro Center I found the ASUS GTX 670 Direct CUII 4GB card as a possible replacement (I was gonna get a 7970 otherwise).

I heard this cooler is very good and quiet, can anyone attest to that? Also would it be worth it to get a GTX 670 (4GB version) over a 7970?

Id say get a 7970 if those are also in your price range. Great cards, lots of raw grunt and will last you a while. If you really want a 670 then the Asus versions are some of the best, so you wouldn't be going wrong at all.

 

[OriginofHysteria]

They're both really great cards.

The 7970, when OC'd, will definitely outshine the 670 (and 680), and will continue to get even better over the next few months.

The 670 will definitely run quieter and cooler, and can handle just about anything at 1080p. I'm not certain the 4GB variant is worth the price premium, however.

For some reason the ASUS 4GB variant is cheaper than the Gigabyte 670 2 GB variant and MC by 10 dollars. Idk why but thats what boosted my attention. Unfortunately for me to even buy this card, I'd have to convince the MC employee to give me a Never Settled Reloaded coupon to properly RMA my card to Newegg without getting $169.99 deducted from my card.

But as for the 7970, do you have any suggestions as to what would run quiet and cool? I'm putting this inside a Define R4 so obviously I'm all about the quiet right now. I was thinking about getting the Vapor-X 7970 ghz edition and hope that because it's a new model I get a higher binned chip to help with the temps and overclocking. But if you have any suggestions for a silent PC build (without watercooling) I'm all ears (or eyes).

Edit: Do you think I should just stick with another 7950 instead? I'm basically back to square one about 2 months ago lol.

 

[metalshade]

Yeah, ignore that.

You just want Core 0-3. Do an average of all 4.

Oh ok. As soon as I saw the spike I stepped in.
But at 13 minutes again, core 1 spiked to 127 and occt shut it down itself.
Definitely something wrong.
Will have to strip it down and reapply and try again I guess.

 

[mkenyon]

That is really strange, and more typical for Ivy to have those kind of core spikes. Is there a possibility that it was over tightened?

For some reason the ASUS 4GB variant is cheaper than the Gigabyte 670 2 GB variant and MC by 10 dollars. Idk why but thats what boosted my attention. Unfortunately for me to even buy this card, I'd have to convince the MC employee to give me a Never Settled Reloaded coupon to properly RMA my card to Newegg without getting $169.99 deducted from my card.

But as for the 7970, do you have any suggestions as to what would run quiet and cool? I'm putting this inside a Define R4 so obviously I'm all about the quiet right now. I was thinking about getting the Vapor-X 7970 ghz edition and hope that because it's a new model I get a higher binned chip to help with the temps and overclocking. But if you have any suggestions for a silent PC build (without watercooling) I'm all ears (or eyes).

Edit: Do you think I should just stick with another 7950 instead? I'm basically back to square one about 2 months ago lol.

Get a reference 7970/7950 and one of these.

 

[appaws]

660ti and the 7950 aren't even comparable now. The 7950 is more on par with a 670 and even surpasses it when overclocked.

No doubt. That's why I have one. But the PcPer articles in this series are broken out by price brackets, so that's why they broke it out this way.

At these prices, if they fix the crossfire problems....just think how many of us will be stampeding out to buy a 2nd 7950. I know I would. But, as of right now it is just a mess.

 

[kharma45]

For some reason the ASUS 4GB variant is cheaper than the Gigabyte 670 2 GB variant and MC by 10 dollars. Idk why but thats what boosted my attention. Unfortunately for me to even buy this card, I'd have to convince the MC employee to give me a Never Settled Reloaded coupon to properly RMA my card to Newegg without getting $169.99 deducted from my card.

But as for the 7970, do you have any suggestions as to what would run quiet and cool? I'm putting this inside a Define R4 so obviously I'm all about the quiet right now. I was thinking about getting the Vapor-X 7970 ghz edition and hope that because it's a new model I get a higher binned chip to help with the temps and overclocking. But if you have any suggestions for a silent PC build (without watercooling) I'm all ears (or eyes).

Edit: Do you think I should just stick with another 7950 instead? I'm basically back to square one about 2 months ago lol.

I saw a TechPowerUp article about Newegg doing that over the Never Settle bundle but they've pulled the link and I can't find anything more about it. A real dick move by them.

 

[OriginofHysteria]

That is really strange, and more typical for Ivy to have those kind of core spikes. Is there a possibility that it was over tightened?

Get a reference 7970/7950 and one of these.

That looks insane. Except I'm looking to CF when the drivers aren't all jacked up for it

I saw a TechPowerUp article about Newegg doing that over the Never Settle bundle but they've pulled the link and I can't find anything more about it. A real dick move by them.

Yeah it really is. I saw that article a few months ago and thought maybe after it came out Newegg cleaned up their act. But after speaking with customer service online yesterday that wasn't the case. But still, that's like 80 dollars per game.

 

[Akai__]

I'm a little bit confused on how the Bitfenix Alchemy sleeved cables are working. :/

Are those only extensions or can I actually replace my modular cables from the Corsair AX850?

 

[mkenyon]

That looks insane. Except I'm looking to CF when the drivers aren't all jacked up for it

The point of crossfire (or SLI for that matter) is to achieve performance that isn't otherwise attainable with a single card. I think creating a plan for future crossfire/SLI is a terrible terrible way to go. When the new cards release, sell your single card and buy the new shiny. You get a great performance boost without a ton of money out of pocket and never have to worry about the pains associated with dual GPU solutions.

With that being said, if you need more performance than a single 7970/670/680 can offer, get a Titan. (or two 670s)

I'm a little bit confused on how the Bitfenix Alchemy sleeved cables are working. :/

Are those only extensions or can I actually replace my modular cables from the Corsair AX850?

Extensions.

 

[kharma45]

Yeah it really is. I saw that article a few months ago and thought maybe after it came out Newegg cleaned up their act. But after speaking with customer service online yesterday that wasn't the case. But still, that's like 80 dollars per game.

Try phoning them and ask to speak to a supervisor and see. It's a gift from AMD, not them.

 

[Threi]

They're just mediocre at the low end, although the CX/Builder models can sometimes be the only option for those on a tight budget for instance. The CX 430 for example Chinese Samxon capacitors and they've only given it a 2 year warranty that doesn't really inspire confidence. They're not bad, there are just better options like for the same price as that CX 430 there is this Seasonic-made XFX 450w http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1143934.

Their higher end models are still good but usually aren't great value next to Seasonic or XFX.

I see. I just found it strange considering literally every in-depth review i've read has pegged it as a great buy and highly recommended (even for the older revisions, which they have since upgraded)

 

[appaws]

I was just going to post some results of changing out fans, if anyone cares...

Like many of you, I have the 212+ heatsink on my 3570k. OCed at 4.4ghz (-0.40 offset) on an Asrock Extreme4.

The CPU fan that came with the 212 was starting to make a "clicky" noise, so I bought 2 SP120 Quiet Edition fans and put them on in Push-Pull.

They are very quiet, but CPU is about 3 degrees hotter than before. Not a big deal, still maxes out at 76 with full OC load.

I was hoping the performance would at least be equal to the stock 212 fan, oh well. 1400 rpms is very low and quiet.

 

[kharma45]

I see. I just found it strange considering literally every in-depth review i've read has pegged it as a great buy and highly recommended (even for the older revisions, which they have since upgraded)

When you say older versions do you mean the Seasonic-made CX 400? Like I said, they're not bad just average and you can do a lot better for the same price or not too much more.