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[derFeef]

Hey guys, I ham having a slight OC problem and maybe you could help me out.
My i5 can't hold the desired OC speed (4.4ghz eg) and falls back to 3.5ghz under full load after it works for a second. I disabled SpeedStep but it did not help, clunks guide did not mentioned any of that too.

Motherboard is a ASRock P67 E6, with a 2500k

 

[Servizio]

Anyone ever lubricate old noisy fans? Any thoughts? What I read (on a website designed to sell specially blended fan lubricant(!)) makes it sound like some silicone oil would work.

 

[AkIRA_22]

I understand why Noctua have coloured their fans poo brown, so we know that the fans are Noctua fans. But really they are fucking horrible looking, but their performance is amazing. Look at this beautiful PC ruined by diarrhea fans.

 

[derFeef]

Noctua all the way, amazing coolers and fans.

 

[Le-mo]

Thinking about upgrading my CPU. I am currently sporting the Athlon II X4 and was considering the Bulldozer, but if the i5 or i7 is considerably better than the Bulldozer then I might switch to Intel. Any opinion on this, Gaf?

 

[Draft]

One day I'll wire a PC that cleanly.

One day...

 

[zbarron]

Hey guys, I ham having a slight OC problem and maybe you could help me out.
My i5 can't hold the desired OC speed (4.4ghz eg) and falls back to 3.5ghz under full load after it works for a second. I disabled SpeedStep but it did not help, clunks guide did not mentioned any of that too.

Motherboard is a ASRock P67 E6, with a 2500k

Not sure if this will help but I had a similar problem with my i7 920. I disabled everything but it would lower the multiplier when stress testing. My 920 is usually 20x but can go as high as 21. I brought the multiplier down to 19x and upped the BCLK to where I wanted it and it runs great. Only downside is my ram is at about 1200 when it is 1600 ram. Though according to benchmarks that shouldn't make a noticeable difference. Hope it helps. Never worked with a 1156 board before.

 

[Wubby]

So what's the deal with SSD's lately? I built my 2600k/570GTX system last year but skipped the SSD after reading about all the problems they were having with the new Sandforce controllers. Did they ever fix the problems they were having and are we expecting a new generation of SSD's to be out at some point this year?

 

[derFeef]

Not sure if this will help but I had a similar problem with my i7 920. I disabled everything but it would lower the multiplier when stress testing. My 920 is usually 20x but can go as high as 21. I brought the multiplier down to 19x and upped the BCLK to where I wanted it and it runs great. Only downside is my ram is at about 1200 when it is 1600 ram. Though according to benchmarks that shouldn't make a noticeable difference. Hope it helps. Never worked with a 1156 board before.

I actually tried that and it did not help. But I just found out that after ~10 minutes off stress testing it goes to the full/desired speed and all works fine. I am not sure if this a good or a bad sign. It seems werid that it drops several multipliers (and gigahertz) before it gains full speed. Seems like a bug?

So what's the deal with SSD's lately? I built my 2600k/570GTX system last year but skipped the SSD after reading about all the problems they were having with the new Sandforce controllers. Did they ever fix the problems they were having and are we expecting a new generation of SSD's to be out at some point this year?

I am running my win install on a Crucial M4 and it runs flawlessly, could not be more happy.

 

[Cory_t_]

This may or may not be the best place for this. If so please point me in the right direction.

I'm having a network issue that, aside from being annoying, is really boggling my mind. I have several devices on my home network that don't have internet access. My network looks something like this:

Router: D-link DIR-628

Win 7 Desktop
Wired Internet Access: YES
Wireless Access: NA (no wireless adapter)

MacBook (OSX 10.5.8)
Wired Internet Access: NO
Wireless Access: NO

PS3 (Latest FW)
Wired Internet Access: NO
Wireless Access: NO

X-360
Wired Internet Access: NO
Wireless Access: NO

Wii
Wired Internet Access: NA
Wireless Access: NO

iPhone 3GS
Wired Internet Access: NA
Wireless Access: NO

Samsung Infuse 4G (CM7)
Wired Internet Access: NA
Wireless Access: NO

Every device on the network can be pinged with 100% success from another device when connected, the troublesome ones just can't access outside the network. I've tried several things to troubleshoot this problem and I'll list them here.

Updated the FW on my router to latest from d-link website
Wired and Wireless attempts on all devices that can
Placed several devices in DMZ
Turned Firewall off completely
Disabled WPA security
Reset router to factory defaults
Shutdow all devices and turned them back on in order (modem -> wait -> router -> wait -> device)

Nothing seems to work. Any help here would be much appreciated. I've tried to be as detailed as possible but feel free to ask for more information if required.

 

[Bloodsent]

So are all of your wired devices plugged directly into the router, or is there separate switch that daisy chains them?
Is this something that began recently, or you have never gotten it to work?
What are you using for security/encryption on your wireless, and do all of your devices support it?
Are you sure you are plugged into the correct ports on your router? (Modem in the WAN port, rest of devices in the LAN ports?)
Do all of your devices use DHCP, including your desktop that works?

I am wondering if it is DNS related. Any way you can attempt to ping an internet address like 8.8.8.8 from one of the non-functional devices to see if that works?

 

[Dibbz]

Just wondering here but I've ordered an i5 retail but was wondering if the stock heatsink will come with some thermal paste applied or do I need to apply some myself? I've got some Antec Forumla 6 lying around if I need to do it.

Also what would be the best way to apply some thermal compound on an i5? A line down the middle or should I spread it around with a card?

 

[Cory_t_]

So are all of your wired devices plugged directly into the router, or is there separate switch that daisy chains them?
Is this something that began recently, or you have never gotten it to work?
What are you using for security/encryption on your wireless, and do all of your devices support it?
Are you sure you are plugged into the correct ports on your router? (Modem in the WAN port, rest of devices in the LAN ports?)
Do all of your devices use DHCP, including your desktop that works?

I am wondering if it is DNS related. Any way you can attempt to ping an internet address like 8.8.8.8 from one of the non-functional devices to see if that works?

All of the wired devices are plugged into the router. Internet works fine when wired directly to the modem

This network has been up for two years with very little problems. This problem started about 4 days ago.

Wireless security is WPA-2 and every problem device has been connected to this network without problems before so I'm assuming it's supported by all devices.

All ports are correct. Modem to WAN port on router. Router ports 1 2 3 and 4 to devices

I know the mac book uses DHCP as it says so in the network preferences
My router's WAN portion of the status page lists Connection Type HCP Client
I'm not sure how to check the other devices.

EDIT: My modem (From BELL but not sure make/model, can check if necessary) has it's own wireless options which I've always had OFF. Turned it on just now and wireless seems to work for some devices. Checking the rest now.

EDIT2: All devices work with wireless through the modems wifi network. Could be my router's borked?

EDIT3: Just noticed what you said about pinging. A ping from the macbook to 8.8.8.8 comes back 100% successful. What address is that btw? Shouldn't that mean that I should be able to visit that site using the IP just not the host name?

 

[1-D_FTW]

Just wondering here but I've ordered an i5 retail but was wondering if the stock heatsink will come with some thermal paste applied or do I need to apply some myself? I've got some Antec Forumla 6 lying around if I need to do it.

Also what would be the best way to apply some thermal compound on an i5? A line down the middle or should I spread it around with a card?

Intel retail sinks come with thermal paste pre-applied. I'm not sure of its quality and whether or not there would be any benefit to removing it and reapplying something else.

 

[Bloodsent]

All of the wired devices are plugged into the router. Internet works fine when wired directly to the modem

This network has been up for two years with very little problems. This problem started about 4 days ago.

Wireless security is WPA-2 and every problem device has been connected to this network without problems before so I'm assuming it's supported by all devices.

All ports are correct. Modem to WAN port on router. Router ports 1 2 3 and 4 to devices

I know the mac book uses DHCP as it says so in the network preferences
My router's WAN portion of the status page lists Connection Type HCP Client
I'm not sure how to check the other devices.

EDIT: My modem (From BELL but not sure make/model, can check if necessary) has it's own wireless options which I've always had OFF. Turned it on just now and wireless seems to work for some devices. Checking the rest now.

EDIT2: All devices work with wireless through the modems wifi network. Could be my router's borked?

EDIT3: Just noticed what you said about pinging. A ping from the macbook to 8.8.8.8 comes back 100% successful. What address is that btw? Shouldn't that mean that I should be able to visit that site using the IP just not the host name?

8.8.8.8 is Google's public DNS server. If you can ping internet addresses from devices that you originally thought had no internet access, it is possible it is just a DNS resolution issue. Check your MacBook to see what address you are getting, gateway, subnet, as well as DNS servers. If you are pointing your DNS server to the same IP as your gateway (which is probably your D-Link), maybe the DLink isn't getting the proper DNS servers and thus not able to proxy-resolve your devices' hostname requests.

The other quick test is to just put 8.8.8.8 in as your DNS server on your MacBook and see if you are off to the races.

 

[Cory_t_]

8.8.8.8 is Google's public DNS server. If you can ping internet addresses from devices that you originally thought had no internet access, it is possible it is just a DNS resolution issue. Check your MacBook to see what address you are getting, gateway, subnet, as well as DNS servers. If you are pointing your DNS server to the same IP as your gateway (which is probably your D-Link), maybe the DLink isn't getting the proper DNS servers and thus not able to proxy-resolve your devices' hostname requests.

The other quick test is to just put 8.8.8.8 in as your DNS server on your MacBook and see if you are off to the races.

So my macbook's primary DNS is my router's ip address and It's grey so I can't remove it or change it. What I did do was disable Advanced DNS Service on my router and manually set it's primary DNS to 8.8.8.8. Now all wired AND wireless devices seem to be working, which is great!

Thanks SO much for your help. It's much appreciated.

Any idea what could've gone wrong lol? I hate it when something that's been working just decides to stop for no apparent reason.

Anyway, thanks again!

 

[clav]

This may or may not be the best place for this. If so please point me in the right direction.

I'm having a network issue that, aside from being annoying, is really boggling my mind. I have several devices on my home network that don't have internet access. My network looks something like this:

Router: D-link DIR-628

Win 7 Desktop
Wired Internet Access: YES
Wireless Access: NA (no wireless adapter)

MacBook (OSX 10.5.8)
Wired Internet Access: NO
Wireless Access: NO

PS3 (Latest FW)
Wired Internet Access: NO
Wireless Access: NO

X-360
Wired Internet Access: NO
Wireless Access: NO

Wii
Wired Internet Access: NA
Wireless Access: NO

iPhone 3GS
Wired Internet Access: NA
Wireless Access: NO

Samsung Infuse 4G (CM7)
Wired Internet Access: NA
Wireless Access: NO

Every device on the network can be pinged with 100% success from another device when connected, the troublesome ones just can't access outside the network. I've tried several things to troubleshoot this problem and I'll list them here.

Updated the FW on my router to latest from d-link website
Wired and Wireless attempts on all devices that can
Placed several devices in DMZ
Turned Firewall off completely
Disabled WPA security
Reset router to factory defaults
Shutdow all devices and turned them back on in order (modem -> wait -> router -> wait -> device)

Nothing seems to work. Any help here would be much appreciated. I've tried to be as detailed as possible but feel free to ask for more information if required.

Purchase a new router that runs custom Linux firmware.

edit: I see it's a DNS issue. This is a constant problem for many ISPs, and many do advise their customers to use alternative DNS servers. Still, not a fan of proprietary CPU routers.

 

[Bloodsent]

So my macbook's primary DNS is my router's ip address and It's grey so I can't remove it or change it. What I did do was disable Advanced DNS Service on my router and manually set it's primary DNS to 8.8.8.8. Now all wired AND wireless devices seem to be working, which is great!

Thanks SO much for your help. It's much appreciated.

Any idea what could've gone wrong lol? I hate it when something that's been working just decides to stop for no apparent reason.

Anyway, thanks again!

Glad to hear it is working again. It is possible that your router was trying to pull DNS servers via DHCP from your internet provider. Maybe this is where it was getting messed up, like it wasn't pulling servers, or maybe the servers it was pulling were not valid anymore. Either way, setting the DNS servers manually in the router should have helped, so glad to see you are up and running again!

 

[Dibbz]

Intel retail sinks come with thermal paste pre-applied. I'm not sure of its quality and whether or not there would be any benefit to removing it and reapplying something else.

Hmm cool thanks. I'll have a look at it when it gets here.

 

[cilonen]

Houston. We have a computer.

Just over halfway in - right afterdoing what I thought would be (and was) the trickiest bit; installing the Corsair H100.

Spaghetti Junction - didn't go for a modular PSU, this is the final cable sorting (again, thanks mkenyon for the guides and tips in here.

And the other side, finished. Booted like a charm first time. Now doing the windows shuffle and update routine before I start tweaking it to my liking.

My first build, and this has been one of the most fun days I've had in a long, long time. I really wouldnt have felt comfortable doing it were it not for this thread and the gaffers within it. Many, many thanks. I'll post the full spec when I get my shit together in a bit

 

[Hazaro]

Thinking about upgrading my CPU. I am currently sporting the Athlon II X4 and was considering the Bulldozer, but if the i5 or i7 is considerably better than the Bulldozer then I might switch to Intel. Any opinion on this, Gaf?

Best value for the money would be to stick to your x4 and overclock it if you haven't.
There will be a few heavy CPU games which will want more power, but for the most part it should do very well. If you run into games where it seems that your frames are not as good, check if it's more CPU dependent.
Bulldozer is not a great upgrade for gaming value and the i5's are the best choice.

I understand why Noctua have coloured their fans poo brown, so we know that the fans are Noctua fans. But really they are fucking horrible looking, but their performance is amazing. Look at this beautiful PC ruined by diarrhea fans.

Tell me about it.
Build looks good. Cleaner than mine at least

So what's the deal with SSD's lately? I built my 2600k/570GTX system last year but skipped the SSD after reading about all the problems they were having with the new Sandforce controllers. Did they ever fix the problems they were having and are we expecting a new generation of SSD's to be out at some point this year?

With OCZ being the old front of Sandforce it got a bad rep. The newer controller is used by a large amount of companies that are mostly just rebranding it. The only one I'd personally feel 'ok; recommending would be the Corsair SSDs. However, I'd still recommend the M4 or the Samsung 830 over it.
It's storage and SSD is 'SSD-fast' IMO. I'll take the extra bit of reliability.

Houston. We have a computer.

Just over halfway in - right afterdoing what I thought would be (and was) the trickiest bit; installing the Corsair H100.

My first build, and this has been one of the most fun days I've had in a long, long time. I really wouldnt have felt comfortable doing it were it not for this thread and the gaffers within it. Many, many thanks. I'll post the full spec when I get my shit together in a bit

Good stuff. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
What fans are you using on the H100?

 

[cilonen]

Good stuff. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
What fans are you using on the H100?

The stock corsair 120mm units that came with it - they're on the outside of the case at the top, beneath a shroud. It's operating in pull, which admittedly isn't probably the most efficient, but I moved the drive bays around inside so I'd have the least airflow obstructions through the case from the massive intake fan at the front.

 

[LordAlu]

I understand why Noctua have coloured their fans poo brown, so we know that the fans are Noctua fans. But really they are fucking horrible looking, but their performance is amazing. Look at this beautiful PC ruined by diarrhea fans.

Is that a Corsair 500R White? It's the case I've pretty much decided on for my new build in the next few months. If it is, any impressions?

 

[Ledsen]

I understand why Noctua have coloured their fans poo brown, so we know that the fans are Noctua fans. But really they are fucking horrible looking, but their performance is amazing. Look at this beautiful PC ruined by diarrhea fans.

Wait... Why would you care how the PC looks on the inside?

 

[scogoth]

Wait... Why would you care how the PC looks on the inside?

1. Airflow
2. Windowed cases
3. Taking pride in doing it right.

 

[dehydratedbabies]

Nice @cilonen

As expected the Bgears fan adapter wouldn't fit on top of my K58W so I resorted to using duct tape to secure my two TY-140s as top fans. Since doing that, Noctua has agreed to send me two sets of 120mm to 140mm adapter brackets for free. I might remove the duct tape but then again I might not bother because the tape seems to be working fine.

In late February after reading the rumor that Kepler was delayed until April I decided that I was sick of the rumors/waiting and I bought a Gigabyte GTX 580 3GB. Maybe that makes me a fool, but instead of refreshing the Kepler threads I'm now playing Battlefield 3 maxed out at 45-60 fps. I have until April 1st to return it, so if it turns out that GK104 releases in March and I can get one then I'll do so.

Last night I built my mother a new PC using the leftovers from my pre-built HP. My old GPU was the last thing that it needed before I could build it so that played a role in my lack of patience for Kepler. I had to get her a new power supply (430W Corsair, which I got for only $17 after MIR on Newegg) and case (Cooler Master Elite 360), and I told her to opt for a SSD as well (64GB Crucial M4, $65 on Newegg). Otherwise, I used my old motherboard, CPU (Core 2 Quad Q8300) w/ stock cooler, GTS 250, DVD drive, Vista Home Premium 64-bit, and the 30GB hard drive from her current computer. I haven't had time to set up Windows yet but it does seem to boot fine, however upon booting I get this error message:

"The System Fan Has Failed! Service PC to prevent damage to the system. Press <F2> to Continue"

There's the CPU's stock cooler fan, the case's lone 120mm (I think) fan, and the GPU fan, and they're all spinning and seemingly working well. After hitting F2 I'm able to load the Vista disc and everything seems fine. Google indicates that a lot of people with pre-built HPs encounter this problem so I'm thinking it's some sort of glitch related to the motherboard. Tonight I'll look further into it, but does anything immediately know if there might be a problem I'm not considering?

Also, after much deliberation I settled on a mouse and mechanical keyboard:

G500: I really like it. My only complaint is that I can't customize the LED, and despite what I previously thought I find myself wishing for more custom buttons. The G700 would solve both of those problems, and I prefer its all-black look to the G500's digital camo thing (which I initially hated, but it's grown on me). So I may switch at some point, but for now I'm just wondering how I went so long without access to a "Show Desktop" shortcut on my mouse. And it's nice to finally be able to compete in tank battles in BF3.

Unicomp Ultra Classic: Initially, I am disappointed. The build quality seems pretty cheap (keys with little plastic pieces still attached, some warped plastic, creaking case), and I'm finding it hard to get used to the loud noises of the buckling spring keys. I'm hoping it grows on me, but right now I wish I'd gotten a Leopold Brown. If it doesn't grow on me I'll have to wait a while before switching because all of this PC upgrading lately has left me slightly broke.

 

[Previous]

My last computer was an HP, while I never encountered any serious problems but anytime I'd look up something about it to check something normal out, all I came across were people complaining about how super cheap motherboards they use are. (Pegatron I think?)

Did you change what fan header on the mobo the cpu/case fan plug into? Or if you have a spare fan try connecting it to another one of the SYS_FAN connections on the motherboard and see if the warning goes away.

 

[1-D_FTW]

Unicomp Ultra Classic: Initially, I am disappointed. The build quality seems pretty cheap (keys with little plastic pieces still attached, some warped plastic, creaking case), and I'm finding it hard to get used to the loud noises of the buckling spring keys. I'm hoping it grows on me, but right now I wish I'd gotten a Leopold Brown. If it doesn't grow on me I'll have to wait a while before switching because all of this PC upgrading lately has left me slightly broke.

Exact opposite with my new keyboard. I've had my Cooler Master Quick Fire (Blue - re-badged Leopold 10 key-less) for 24 hours now and I'm absolutely smitten. Smitten! There's a lot of parts I've purchased recently that I'm extremely impressed with, but this thing takes the cake. Clickity-click, XOXOXO, clickity-click, XOXOXO.

 

[AkIRA_22]

1. Airflow
2. Windowed cases
3. Taking pride in doing it right.

This, 100%. I put effort into my rig, even the internals, for me its about putting that little bit effort on something I've spent thousands of my hard earned on.

Also that isn't my PC, it's Tiny Tom Logan's from OC3D. Mine has fractal black and white fans, decause I'm anal retentive.

 

[irishcow]

A question for anyone that uses multiple monitors:

I have my pc connected to my hdtv downstairs and sometimes my wife wants to watch movies while i use the PC. I would like to be able to control the extended display from upstairs.

Is there any way to have an image of an extended desktop on the primary desktop? What I mean is like a small image of whats going on on the extended desktop on the main display.

If not, is there a good solution to this problem? Using a single pc for watching movies/playing games on multiple monitors on a different floor of the house without having to run up and down the stairs whenever I need to do something for the wife.

I hope I was clear enough for someone to understand lol. Thanks!

 

[Guri]

Guys, I just had an idea. I bought a Radeon 7970 for my new PC and now I have a GTS 250. Is it a good ideia to use dual cards, with the GTS for physics or something like that? How this works?

 

[chaosblade]

Guys, I just had an idea. I bought a Radeon 7970 for my new PC and now I have a GTS 250. Is it a good ideia to use dual cards, with the GTS for physics or something like that? How this works?

You could use the 250 for Physx but it's going to require some effort on your part. NVidia disables it if it detects an AMD/ATI card in the system, but there are some guides to help you get around that. Don't know any offhand, but Google should be able to help.

 

[Dibbz]

So I'm hoping my new CPU and stuff comes tomorrow and I've been looking around for my Windows 7 disc but can't find it anywhere. I've got my serial code authenticated with MS on this PC but is there a way I can make a Windows 7 installation disc?

I assume that I would need to reinstall windows since I'm changing the CPU and motherboard.

 

[scogoth]

So I'm hoping my new CPU and stuff comes tomorrow and I've been looking around for my Windows 7 disc but can't find it anywhere. I've got my serial code authenticated with MS on this PC but is there a way I can make a Windows 7 installation disc?

I assume that I would need to reinstall windows since I'm changing the CPU and motherboard.

http://www.mydigitallife.info/windo...links-ultimate-professional-and-home-premium/

You can get the ISOs there and burn them to disc. I don't think you will be able to activate though because Microsoft will consider it a new computer.

 

[mkenyon]

Houston. We have a computer.

Just over halfway in - right afterdoing what I thought would be (and was) the trickiest bit; installing the Corsair H100.

My first build, and this has been one of the most fun days I've had in a long, long time. I really wouldnt have felt comfortable doing it were it not for this thread and the gaffers within it. Many, many thanks. I'll post the full spec when I get my shit together in a bit

Awesome case, great installation. If you want to really get your modding feet wet, fit the radiator to the top of the case. Dremel the plastic and metal that gets in the way of mounting it. You can then have the fans in push while exhausting out of the top for proper airflow.

Wait... Why would you care how the PC looks on the inside?

1. Dust
2. Better airflow/temps
3. Easier to work on if something goes wrong or if you like to switch out parts.
4. Epeen - same reason guys like having their engine bays all sparkly and pretty.

Exact opposite with my new keyboard. I've had my Cooler Master Quick Fire (Blue - re-badged Leopold 10 key-less) for 24 hours now and I'm absolutely smitten. Smitten! There's a lot of parts I've purchased recently that I'm extremely impressed with, but this thing takes the cake. Clickity-click, XOXOXO, clickity-click, XOXOXO.

Quick Fire Rapid is my new favorite keyboard. I prefer Red switches for everything, and the Red is available through their online shop as well. It's better quality in every respect over the Leopold tenkeyless, and less expensive.

http://www.mydigitallife.info/windo...links-ultimate-professional-and-home-premium/

You can get the ISOs there and burn them to disc. I don't think you will be able to activate though because Microsoft will consider it a new computer.

You won't be able to to auto activate, but you will be able to do it if you just call in. They're really cool and understanding about new builds. Tell them your previous motherboard fried.

 

[·feist·]

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.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=34680784&postcount=2723

The Antec 300 2 is out, don't but the old one, especially at that price (I don't trust MIRs). The new one has USB3 and has several improvements inside such as cable routing holes in the motherboard etc. I've been happy with my old 300 but at the 60-70 price point there are other options out there to consider. I like the HAF 912 better on the inside but I think the outside looks stupid. I like the CM 690 II as well but it's a little more expensive and doesn't have USB3. At this point I wouldn't bother with a case without front USB3 ports.

Things done changed, Shambles.

CM 690 II Advanced (USB 3.0 version)
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=32710728&postcount=17226
CM 690 II Advanced Black & White Edition
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=34569406&postcount=2502

There haven't really been any recent, worthwhile developments in that price range that match the features/quality/performance/flexibility/value of the current class leaders. Lots of disappointments, and poorly priced choices. Need to wait until the latter part of this year for some new options to start surfacing.

I'd add the SilverStone KL04, Nexus Prominent R, and Fractal Design Define R3 to your list. IIRC, you're in Canada. I'm not sure but if NCIX, and others have free-shipping, the R3 has one of the best mixes of the points I mentioned above, while being one of the cleaner enclosures. It wouldn't look particularly out of place in most rooms, and, looks wise, will age well.

 

[drexplora]

http://www.mydigitallife.info/windo...links-ultimate-professional-and-home-premium/

You can get the ISOs there and burn them to disc. I don't think you will be able to activate though because Microsoft will consider it a new computer.

Awesome!!
This should work with my cd key i got when i purchased 7 home premium with my most recent build

 

[mkenyon]

CM 690II Advanced Black and White pictures

Yep. This is really the only sub-$100 case I'd ever buy. I've built in the 300R, 400R, Antec crap cases, CM Storm Scout, HAF 912, HAF 922.

690II Advanced better than all of them, by such an astounding leap that it's not even fair. The only case that comes close to its build quality, modular aspects, and capabilities is the Fractal Arc Midi, and that's $100.

Also, awesomeness if it hasn't bee posted:

http://guru3d.com/news/cooler-master-eisberg-watercooling-lineup-shown/

Cooler Master has two new watercooling products on display at CeBIT; the Eisberg 240 and the Eisberg 120. As the product names suggest, these watercooling kits offer radiators with a size of 240mm and 120mm, respectively.

Both models offer a copper radiator that is designed to be used with two fans in push-pull configuration. Included in the kit is a waterpump from German manufacturer Eheim with ceramic bearings, it has a nominal operation speed of 1500rpm and a maximum speed of 3000rpm. The cooling fluid can be refilled and the kit uses standardized fittings so you can connect third-party components. Cooler Master says the included pump is powerful enough to simultaneously serve four CPU and four GPU cooling blocks.

The Eisberg 120 is expected to cost about 130EUR while the 240 edition should have a MSRP of around 140EUR. Availability is slated for late April, and Cooler Master added that a 360mm edition should follow afterwards.

We'll have to wait for some reviews to see how it performs, but it looks like a good kit that uses quality components and offers expandability. The photo's are courtesy of tweakers.ne

That's a *real* pump with a *real* radiator. You can even add on or switch out your own barbs/fittings if you want. This right here is the tipping point where real watercooling will become mainstream.

Coolermaster is coming back hard right now. Cosmos II, amazing keyboards and mice, 690II still on top, etc... Pretty excited to see what else they have in store. If they made a switch to Seasonic OEM PSU's, they'd be replacing Corsair as king.

 

[scogoth]

Is that a fill port on the pump?

 

[cilonen]

Those Coolermaster units are lovely. I went with the H100 as I couldn't find anyone with a Rasa 240 kit in stock, even XSPC themselves were out of stock.

Those units look like the ideal hybrid between self-contained and custom loop though, love the mini resevoir integrated into the CPU block (at least, it looks like that from the photos!)

 

[scogoth]

First world problems...

VG236HE on sale for $250. Do I buy 2 more for 3d Surround or get one 27in 3D monitor............

 

[mkenyon]

Benq XL2420T or go home.

Is that a fill port on the pump?

Yep.

Those Coolermaster units are lovely. I went with the H100 as I couldn't find anyone with a Rasa 240 kit in stock, even XSPC themselves were out of stock.

Those units look like the ideal hybrid between self-contained and custom loop though, love the mini resevoir integrated into the CPU block (at least, it looks like that from the photos!)

Exactly. The pumps are plenty strong too for even CPU + multi GPU watercooling.

 

[scogoth]

Benq XL2420T or go home.

Yech. Don't like BenQ monitors. Asus 27in or 3x 24in

 

[BoobPhysics101]

Yech. Don't like BenQ monitors. Asus 27in or 3x 24in

I'd go for the 3x 24 in. Having that super wide screen/FOV sure looks nice. Although it'll piss you off when they don't work with certain games or act funky. So if you're worried about that, get the 27".

 

[TGMIII]

Yech. Don't like BenQ monitors. Asus 27in or 3x 24in

The XL2420T is one of the best 120hz gaming TN screens you can get. Colours aren't great out of the box due to it automatically being in a counter-strike configuration but after playing around with it for a bit I got it how I wanted.

 

[Grayman]

ya i need to find a good standard config for my benq. CS mode is bad but even the normal mode is hella washed out. The quick 1 2 3 switch will be awesome if I actually get drastically different setups on it.

speaking of general desktop use above. CS mode does not look that bad for CS.

 

[Suairyu]

I've asked in the laptop thread as well, but as I need quick answers I hope none of you mind me cross-posting this one time.

What are generally the best companies to go with for laptops right now? My lady is in the market to pick up a new laptop in the next couple of weeks. She wants something gaming capable (by the NeoGAF definition), but not necessarily top of the line. No strict budget, just a sensible mindset of wanting to only spend as much as needed.

UK resident.

 

[TGMIII]

ya i need to find a good standard config for my benq. CS mode is bad but even the normal mode is hella washed out. The quick 1 2 3 switch will be awesome if I actually get drastically different setups on it.

speaking of general desktop use above. CS mode does not look that bad for CS.

I ended up using CCC to slightly adjust the colours. I know it's not really good practice to do it like that but whatever.

I've asked in the laptop thread as well, but as I need quick answers I hope none of you mind me cross-posting this one time.

What are generally the best companies to go with for laptops right now? My lady is in the market to pick up a new laptop in the next couple of weeks. She wants something gaming capable (by the NeoGAF definition), but not necessarily top of the line. No strict budget, just a sensible mindset of wanting to only spend as much as needed.

UK resident.

Asus or MSI.

 

[1-D_FTW]

First world problems...

VG236HE on sale for $250. Do I buy 2 more for 3d Surround or get one 27in 3D monitor............

First world problems are you not saying where it's on sale? What? Off to search google.

EDIT: I'm guessing you're not from the US and that isn't dollars? Can't find this.

http://www.mydigitallife.info/windo...links-ultimate-professional-and-home-premium/

You can get the ISOs there and burn them to disc. I don't think you will be able to activate though because Microsoft will consider it a new computer.

I just did it. But there's a good chance he'll have to re-authenticate it with a telephone call. It's relatively painless. It's automated. It just required you enter in like 54 numbers through the telephone, and then type in another 54 numbers that the bot gives you to type in. Just make sure you say one when it asks how many computers you've installed it on.

Quick Fire Rapid is my new favorite keyboard. I prefer Red switches for everything, and the Red is available through their online shop as well. It's better quality in every respect over the Leopold tenkeyless, and less expensive.

Can't complain about the 2 year warranty either.

 

[Shambles]

There haven't really been any recent, worthwhile developments in that price range that match the features/quality/performance/flexibility/value of the current class leaders. Lots of disappointments, and poorly priced choices. Need to wait until the latter part of this year for some new options to start surfacing.

I'd add the SilverStone KL04, Nexus Prominent R, and Fractal Design Define R3 to your list. IIRC, you're in Canada. I'm not sure but if NCIX, and others have free-shipping, the R3 has one of the best mixes of the points I mentioned above, while being one of the cleaner enclosures. It wouldn't look particularly out of place in most rooms, and, looks wise, will age well.

Thanks for the help. I ended up getting a 400R for him for $65 by price matching an NCIX sale with Memory Express. I've built in the 500R which I've been fairly happy with but this is me coming from an Antec 300. Personally I'm still looking for a case for June and I'm willing to spend a little more money than my family members so I'll have some of these options open to me. I'm also looking for an adapter like this but with two USB3 connections instead of one. Does anyone know of a source that ships to canada? Ebay is letting me down. It's so I can connect a 400R front panel USB3 connections to a motherboard without a USB3 header but with USB3 on the back panel only.

Yep. This is really the only sub-$100 case I'd ever buy. I've built in the 300R, 400R, Antec crap cases, CM Storm Scout, HAF 912, HAF 922.

690II Advanced better than all of them, by such an astounding leap that it's not even fair. The only case that comes close to its build quality, modular aspects, and capabilities is the Fractal Arc Midi, and that's $100.

These kind of posts are invaluable when regarding products, such as cases, that can't be easily compared. I don't do enough builds to be able to compare a lot of the stuff that is on the market right now and a lot of builds I do end up saving the old case to put the money into the GPU or CPU. The 690 II Advanced seems to be hard to come by up in Canada. I see the NCIX seems to be the only one selling it and they only have some black and some nVidia branded version of it. Not the white that looks pretty sweet. Are there any specifics about how the 690 II Advanced out-does the 400/500R?

Edit: Looking at the NCIX 690 II Advanced model it doesn't even have the USB3 header on it, pffft worthless. I'm also noticing that the 690 II advanced does not appear to have removable hard drive bays. Although I'll probably never be putting in a GPU long enough to need to take one out it's nice to have the option that the 500R does that opens up airflow a bit more.