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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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ParityBit

Member
So you think for a top of the line gaming rig the i5-2500k makes more sense than the i7-2600k?

Generally the impression I get is that the Ivy Bridge is not necessarily worth waiting for [with regards to gaming].
 

1-D_FTW

Member
So you think for a top of the line gaming rig the i5-2500k makes more sense than the i7-2600k?

Generally the impression I get is that the Ivy Bridge is not necessarily worth waiting for [with regards to gaming].

Absolutely no benefit today. It's possible (if you keep it that long) that 8 threads will offer greater performance with next-gen console ports. But that's only if 4 threads becomes a bottleneck. No way to predict that right now.
 

zbarron

Member
Just got my replacement motherboard in the mail. It is the MSI X58 Pro-E and I got my i7 920 C0 to 4.0Ghz at 1.41V and it's only 60C. What is the max Voltage I should consider for 24/7 use? I plan on using PS2 and GC emulation so I do have use for a high clocked CPU.
 

zulfate

Member
so i have another noob pc question, i was burning something and it got stuck burning so i manually ejected the disc but now my dvd-rw wont burn anything but it still reads discs, what should i do i downloaded the drivers and i still dont get anything its an asus drw-24b1st thanks in advance

Anyone? I guess ill have to buy an another
 

larvi

Member
Absolutely no benefit today. It's possible (if you keep it that long) that 8 threads will offer greater performance with next-gen console ports. But that's only if 4 threads becomes a bottleneck. No way to predict that right now.

the I7 also has a larger L3 cache which would provide a benefit to those who tend to have lots of programs open at the same time like I do. And while the improvement to current games from the increased cache may be negligable I would expect as memory usage and working set size of games increase it will be more and more of a benefit.
 

Gawaian

Member
So I'm in the process of choosing the parts for a new computer. It'll be my first build. Where I live the 560 ti is around $80 more expensive than the 6870. Is the difference in performance worth that much? I was planning on getting a 6870 and either buying a second one in a couple of months or selling the card and buying a 7870 when its price drops or its nvidia equivalent comes out. What do you think?

On another note. I'll be playing on a 32 inch 1080p tv. If I'm going to be sitting around 1.5 meters away from it, would I notice any difference when playing at that resolution and a lower one, say 1600x900?
 

mkenyon

Banned
o, cool, but if I get an adapter how does that know to pass through the audio from the adapter to my onboard realtek card and broadcast through my computer speakers?
Magic!

The same way it would know that a bluetooth mouse is attempting to move and use the cursor on the screen. The hardware is telling the operating system "do this", but the commands are just transmitted via bluetooth rather than a wire.
 

vaelic

Banned
Magic!

The same way it would know that a bluetooth mouse is attempting to move and use the cursor on the screen. The hardware is telling the operating system "do this", but the commands are just transmitted via bluetooth rather than a wire.

ok , ty :)
 

1-D_FTW

Member
So, yeah, that M12II that died after 28 days is a real PITA. Newegg's return policy is they have to have it in their possession at the 30 day mark. I really need to ditch them and order from anyone else. Their return policy sucks in so many ways.

The real kicker is Seasonic's RMA page. I go through all the steps and when I hit submit, it tells me the serial number isn't valid. And it seems this is such a common issue, they make a big point about telling you (at the bottom of the form) that if this happens, to contact them with a personal e-mail. FIX YOUR WEBPAGE IF YOU KNOW IT'S AN ISSUE. Good grief.
 

Dibbz

Member
quick question is there is a disadvantage to having 3 HDD's over 2? I've got two 500GB's in atm but am building a new rig. Wanted to get a 1TB and partition 100GB off one of my current HDD's for the OS but the prices are quite expensive atm.

Would it be worth just buying a small 100GB HDD, not an SSD, to use for the OS and keep my current 2x500GB's in there for other stuff?
 
quick question is there is a disadvantage to having 3 HDD's over 2? I've got two 500GB's in atm but am building a new rig. Wanted to get a 1TB and partition 100GB off one of my current HDD's for the OS but the prices are quite expensive atm.

Would it be worth just buying a small 100GB HDD, not an SSD, to use for the OS and keep my current 2x500GB's in there for other stuff?

Honestly, best bang for your buck right now is to buy a 64-128 GB SSD. So much faster than an HDD and almost as much. Any 100 GB HDD is going to be slow as fucking balls. Even 250-320 GB HDD's are slow as hell...

Just for an example of one basic benchmark, my 250 GB HDD hits 80 MB/s read speeds, my 3 TB HDD hits read speeds of 200 MB/s, and my Crucial M4 128 GB SSD hit reads of 520 MB/s!
 

1-D_FTW

Member
Honestly, best bang for your buck right now is to buy a 64-128 GB SSD. So much faster than an HDD and almost as much. Any 100 GB HDD is going to be slow as fucking balls. Even 250-320 GB HDD's are slow as hell...

Just for an example of one basic benchmark, my 250 GB HDD hits 80 MB/s read speeds, my 3 TB HDD hits read speeds of 200 MB/s, and my Crucial M4 128 GB SSD hit reads of 520 MB/s!

Yeah. I wouldn't touch a 100GB platter drive either. He should either go SSD or partition off 100GB on one of the 500GB drives. That's a perfectly fine solution if he doesn't have money to burn.
 

Dibbz

Member
Thanks for the quick replies guys. I'll just stick with my current HDD's and partition it better when the time comes.

Would you guys mind just giving your opinion on the stuff I'm about to pull the trigger on? I'd appreciate it.

Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail
£167.99

Asus P8Z68-V PRO GEN3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard
£155.99

BitFenix Shinobi Gaming Case - Black
£48.98

Corsair Vengeance Blue 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B)
£41.99

Total : £429.05

Going to wait for the new nVidia's to hit before I get a GPU. I've got a 500w PSU in atm so that should be ok I think.

Are the prices and hardware good for current line of games? More importantly I do 3D modeling and work with UDK so this should be good for that right?
 

AwesomeSauce

MagsMoonshine
Hey guys, how much should I be looking to pay for a 2gb 6950? Specifically a used one. I'm seeing some go for 250$ to 160$.

I really want to upgrade from my gtx 260 already.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Hey guys, how much should I be looking to pay for a 2gb 6950? Specifically a used one. I'm seeing some go for 250$ to 160$.

I really want to upgrade from my gtx 260 already.
My personal guess would be around $180.

I might have one or two to off load depending on Keplers launch.
They clock really nicely as well. POWERCOLORS. No unlock, but damn nice cooler. 984Mhz on air is world class ;)

*I see most going for over $200, seems a bit high to me.

wzlta.jpg
 

AwesomeSauce

MagsMoonshine
My personal guess would be around $180.

I might have one or two to off load depending on Keplers launch.

They clock really nicely as well. POWERCOLORS. No unlock, but damn nice cooler.

Keep me in mind Haz if you do sell or unless this dude I'm negotiating with budges. Still trying to haggle a deal to lower it to 150$ lol. Its the MSI twin frozr II model, with unlocked shaders.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Haha keep me in mind Haz if you do sell or unless this dude I'm negotiating with budges. Still trying to haggle a deal to lower it to 150$ lol. Its the MSI twin frozr II model, with unlocked shaders.
If I had to sell one now I would probably do $170 + S/H (Shipping is usually $15).
Depending on the new cards coming out prices could stay the same or drop by $20-$30.

So if you are budgeting I'd wait for launch, but the cards coming out shouldn't be anywhere near that kind of value per dollar in that price range. I think. Maybe the 650Ti launches for $199 and is as fast a 6970. Either way, damn good value whatever you go with.
 

AwesomeSauce

MagsMoonshine
If I had to sell one now I would probably do $170 + S/H (Shipping is usually $15).
Depending on the new cards coming out prices could stay the same or drop by $20-$30.

So if you are budgeting I'd wait for launch, but the cards coming out shouldn't be anywhere near that kind of value per dollar in that price range. I think. Maybe the 650Ti launches for $199 and is as fast a 6970. Either way, damn good value.

Yeah, I've been keeping tabs on the Kepler stuff, and the reason I want to upgrade soon is that I got someone who will buy my gtx 260 off me asap as soon as I find its replacement.
 
logitech-g400.jpg


I've bought a new mouse to replace my slightly broken Deathadder and I love it save for one detail that's driving me crazy - the Logitech logo feels slimy and very discomforting on my palm. I'm resorting to a claw-like grip even though it's clearly meant to be a palm rest mouse. Is it possible to pry it off? What's the closest material to the main body that I can put over it?
 
Anybody here ever dealt with EVGA RMA before? I shipped off a GTX 460 like six weeks ago. First replacement would just randomly restart my machine. Second replacement came yesterday and it's giving me sudden bouts of artifacting frequently followed by lockups.

Is their refurb QA actually this bad or am I just really unlucky?
 

Fixed1979

Member
Anybody here ever dealt with EVGA RMA before? I shipped off a GTX 460 like six weeks ago. First replacement would just randomly restart my machine. Second replacement came yesterday and it's giving me sudden bouts of artifacting frequently followed by lockups.

Is their refurb QA actually this bad or am I just really unlucky?

Only RMA'd once and that was a launch 295, no issues with the replacement. My 295 currently has an outstanding RMA but I don't have another card so I'm waiting on the Nvidia cards before I send it in.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
BTW I am selling that 6950 2GB for $180 shipped.
Anybody here ever dealt with EVGA RMA before? I shipped off a GTX 460 like six weeks ago. First replacement would just randomly restart my machine. Second replacement came yesterday and it's giving me sudden bouts of artifacting frequently followed by lockups.

Is their refurb QA actually this bad or am I just really unlucky?
Two returns sounds odd, but I've heard it happen. Try to elevate your problem or something.

What is the rest of your system? Any power outages happen?
 
BTW I am selling that 6950 2GB for $180 shipped.

Two returns sounds odd, but I've heard it happen. Try to elevate your problem or something.

What is the rest of your system? Any power outages happen?

Nope. Rest of the system is close to brand new. I'd been having TDR problems with the original card since I'd gotten it at release. I knew that could be caused by a lot of things and it never happened in game so I was never super bothered by it. Then I upgraded the rest of my hardware a couple of months ago. My video card was the newest part I had and it was still pretty competent, so I transferred it into the new machine.

Still kept getting the same TDR issues in a completely different PC, so I figured, "What the hell. I didn't get the lifetime warranty for nothing," and filed for an RMA. That was clearly a mistake. I wish I'd kept the original now. At least its malfunction was somewhat benign.
 

CSampson

Member
I need a fucking second opinion here:

To escape the blue screens I had before I bought an ssd and did a clean install of win 7...install these fucking ati drivers and I'm still being hit by bluescreens. Twice during two games of Dota 2. WHY OH WHY? The bluescreen always cites atikmdag.sys.

"The blue screen of death (BSOD) that is referenced by 0x00000050 PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA is often a result of a buggy driver that attempts to access information at an invalid location or a driver that has corrupted the memory. Most crash dumps reference the system kernel (ntoskrnl.exe, ntkrnlpa.exe, ntkrnlmp.exe, and ntkrnlpamp.exe) which is typically not the cause of the issue, but rather where the issue was detected. "

Any tips?
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Does it happen on other non-valve games?
Overclocked?

TF2 is the only game that has given me trouble. So janky.
 

CSampson

Member
Does it happen on other non-valve games?
Overclocked?

TF2 is the only game that has given me trouble. So janky.

SWTOR. Thought it was SWTOR centric at first actually. Then it happened at desktop. Has happened once or twice in TF2 I think. Now, in my first 2 games of DOTA 2. And I've google a lot about it. From what I gather this is a driver error that has no fix. I'm gonna uninstall CCC as some people think that's the problem (I know it isn't as I uninstalled it on my old drive and still got it). Of note, I tried enabling the driver verifier and my system would lock up a few seconds after desktop loaded. Had to system restore. I thought a fresh install and the newest drivers would eliminate this :(.

EDIT: Lol, so I used driver sweeper to uninstall drivers. Tried installing the drivers from the driver cd it comes with. Reboot, now screen is all sorts of fucked colour wise. Am I forced to use the latest ones? HD6950 here. Also, yes OC. I've had the bsod from non OC as well.

Dub edit: Installed previous version drivers, played Dota 2 for about an hour but fucking bsod again.
 

Gawaian

Member
So I'm in the process of choosing the parts for a new computer. It'll be my first build. Where I live the 560 ti is around $80 more expensive than the 6870. Is the difference in performance worth that much? I was planning on getting a 6870 and either buying a second one in a couple of months or selling the card and buying a 7870 when its price drops or its nvidia equivalent comes out. What do you think?

On another note. I'll be playing on a 32 inch 1080p tv. If I'm going to be sitting around 1.5 meters away from it, would I notice any difference when playing at that resolution and a lower one, say 1600x900?

Anyone?
 

Iadien

Guarantee I'm going to screw up this post? Yeah.
EDIT: Lol, so I used driver sweeper to uninstall drivers. Tried installing the drivers from the driver cd it comes with. Reboot, now screen is all sorts of fucked colour wise. Am I forced to use the latest ones? HD6950 here. Also, yes OC. I've had the bsod from non OC as well.

Dub edit: Installed previous version drivers, played Dota 2 for about an hour but fucking bsod again.

atikmdag.sys is the ati equivalent of nvlddmkm.sys for nvidia cards. Unfortunately, those errors can be caused by just about anything. It can be the ram, motherboard, cpu, sound card, video card, drivers, and rarely software. from what I've read anyway. That's why there is no "fix".

I had the issue for years, don't wait as long as I did to change out hardware or it will drive you insane. If you have access to spare parts, try swapping out different components.
 

CSampson

Member
atikmdag.sys is the ati equivalent of nvlddmkm.sys for nvidia cards. Unfortunately, those errors can be caused by just about anything. It can be the ram, motherboard, cpu, sound card, video card, drivers, and rarely software. from what I've read anyway. That's why there is no "fix".

I had the issue for years, don't wait as long as I did to change out hardware or it will drive you insane. If you have access to spare parts, try swapping out different components.

I give up -_-. Memtest didnt pull up any errors so it isn't the RAM. Only started after installing the 6950 I think but I'm not in a position to shell out another few hundred dollars for a video card when I just bought this one. Woo.
 

1-D_FTW

Member
I give up -_-. Memtest didnt pull up any errors so it isn't the RAM. Only started after installing the 6950 I think but I'm not in a position to shell out another few hundred dollars for a video card when I just bought this one. Woo.
I would still try Window's 7 memory test. I remember one time when I was having issues and Memtest wasn't revealing any issues and Window's 7 Diagnostic memory test did.
 

2San

Member
SWTOR. Thought it was SWTOR centric at first actually. Then it happened at desktop. Has happened once or twice in TF2 I think. Now, in my first 2 games of DOTA 2. And I've google a lot about it. From what I gather this is a driver error that has no fix. I'm gonna uninstall CCC as some people think that's the problem (I know it isn't as I uninstalled it on my old drive and still got it). Of note, I tried enabling the driver verifier and my system would lock up a few seconds after desktop loaded. Had to system restore. I thought a fresh install and the newest drivers would eliminate this :(.

EDIT: Lol, so I used driver sweeper to uninstall drivers. Tried installing the drivers from the driver cd it comes with. Reboot, now screen is all sorts of fucked colour wise. Am I forced to use the latest ones? HD6950 here. Also, yes OC. I've had the bsod from non OC as well.

Dub edit: Installed previous version drivers, played Dota 2 for about an hour but fucking bsod again.
The CD drivers in my experience where terrible, but I didn't get BSOD's with them though. :x
 

Iadien

Guarantee I'm going to screw up this post? Yeah.
I give up -_-. Memtest didnt pull up any errors so it isn't the RAM. Only started after installing the 6950 I think but I'm not in a position to shell out another few hundred dollars for a video card when I just bought this one. Woo.

Are you able to RMA the video card, or maybe know someone you can ask to borrow a video card to test your PC for a bit?
 

CSampson

Member
I would still try Window's 7 memory test. I remember one time when I was having issues and Memtest wasn't revealing any issues and Window's 7 Diagnostic memory test did.

Actually ran that last night..no errors after 9-10 passes. Honestly, I think it has something to do with two monitors. There are so many common factors across all the atikmdag.sys errors across the vast googles that it's hard to pinpoint what could be the issue. Just keep plugging away at it :(.


Are you able to RMA the video card, or maybe know someone you can ask to borrow a video card to test your PC for a bit?

Too late on the RMA but I have my old HD...I forget off the top but I'll pop that back in and run Dota 2. Good call.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Actually ran that last night..no errors after 9-10 passes. Honestly, I think it has something to do with two monitors. There are so many common factors across all the atikmdag.sys errors across the vast googles that it's hard to pinpoint what could be the issue. Just keep plugging away at it :(.

Too late on the RMA but I have my old HD...I forget off the top but I'll pop that back in and run Dota 2. Good call.
Underclock your card as well.

If you can try the card on another system that would be good.
You might be getting bad power, or have a bad PCI-E slot somehow.
 

CSampson

Member
So I ended up unplugging second monitor, uninstalling via driver sweeper, ccleaned the reg, reinstalled latest and, with only one monitor plugged in, I was able to play a full hour game of dota 2. Good first sign.
 

cilonen

Member
logitech-g400.jpg


I've bought a new mouse to replace my slightly broken Deathadder and I love it save for one detail that's driving me crazy - the Logitech logo feels slimy and very discomforting on my palm. I'm resorting to a claw-like grip even though it's clearly meant to be a palm rest mouse. Is it possible to pry it off? What's the closest material to the main body that I can put over it?

You could lightly sand the logo with some fine grit sandpaper or wet & dry paper to texture the finish. A solvent like acetone (sometimes in nail varnish remover) might eat away at the shiny plastic and roughen the surface too, depending on what the plastic is.

Other than that 3M do some laminate coverings called 'DINOC' with many textures & styles - someone used the carbon fiber one on a case a couple pages back - I'm fairly sure they do a standard matt finish one, but these are supposed to be for cars so getting a tiny piece just for your mouse may prove way overkill and too expensive.

You could try a hardware / home improvement store and see if they have any matt tape or paint, but that might feel even weirder.
 

1-D_FTW

Member
Just got my Cooler Master Quick Fire mechanical keyboard that I bought for 64.99. Thing is sweet. So good. Someone in the slickdeals thread even said it was the same OEM that does the Filco keyboards.

Doesn't have a number pad, but aside from entering the rare credit card, I never use it anyway. And the compact space is more than a worthy trade-off considering how rarely I use it.

EDIT: So it's basically a rebadged Leopold 10 keyless keyboard for 64.99 with twice the warranty (2 years). What a great purchase!
 

Shambles

Member
Looking for input,

Brother in law is looking for a case in the 60-100 range. Leaning away from LED riddled "l33t" looking cases and looking more for simple, elegant (black probably) case. Case must have a proper USB 3.0 panel and motherboard header, none of that plugging into the back of the motherboard to get USB3 workaround that first showed up last year. So far leaning towards the 400R. I like the 690 II advanced but as far as I can tell i'm not seeing a USB3 variant. Have also looked at the Arc Midi and Bitfenix Shinobi but I haven't seen them in person so I can't comment on their quality.

I keep myself fairly up to date on cases but I'd like to know if there has been any recent movement on some mid-range high-popularity cases that may have started to introduce USB3 headers. I'm also willing to look at cases from non-major manufacturers in that price range that someone has personally ordered lately and would love to rave about. Thanks for any input.
 
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