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f13.net  |  f13.net General Forums  |  Gaming  |  Topic: The 'Build Me A PC' Thread 0 Members and 3 Guests are viewing this topic.
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Author Topic: The 'Build Me A PC' Thread  (Read 853794 times)
rrazcueta
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Reply #70 on: February 09, 2010, 01:12:20 PM

Wish you guys said something before I pulled the trigger on my build. Do I need anything to build my PC besides what comes in the boxes and a couple screwdrivers?
Trippy
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Reply #71 on: February 09, 2010, 01:18:26 PM

If your case comes with an assortment of screws you should be fine.
Yegolev
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Reply #72 on: February 09, 2010, 04:43:08 PM

Is this a good place to talk about Windows PC performance metrics and the logging of them?  New thread?  Simple, complex?

I'm looking at upgrading my wife's computer in some fashion but it is too new to just throw money in its direction.  Need a help in Win7 performance metrics.

Why am I homeless?  Why do all you motherfuckers need homes is the real question.
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Trippy
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Reply #73 on: February 09, 2010, 04:49:16 PM

New thread.
01101010
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Reply #74 on: February 09, 2010, 05:09:16 PM

Wish you guys said something before I pulled the trigger on my build. Do I need anything to build my PC besides what comes in the boxes and a couple screwdrivers?

Get yourself a small philips-head screwdriver with a long shaft. It helps tremendously in tight spots and also serves as a spike to plunge into your leg when the frustration gets too unbearable (if something doesn't work). In addition, try and pick up a pair of long nose tweezers just in case something drops or you lose a screw.

Your mobo should come with a ton of screws and spacers. Its a pretty plug-n-play process since jumpers went the way of the dodo. Most importantly, take it slow.

Does any one know where the love of God goes...When the waves turn the minutes to hours? -G. Lightfoot
Le0
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Reply #75 on: February 10, 2010, 01:22:39 AM

My turn,
I wanna upgrade and this is what I came up with.
This PC is mainly for gaming and otherwise it is for internet/video.

I'm still wondering if I should get an i7 instead since I'll be spending so much money, i7 would be easier to upgrade later on?



Also added an SSD in this build
« Last Edit: February 10, 2010, 01:43:07 AM by Le0 »
Sheepherder
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Reply #76 on: February 10, 2010, 03:12:20 AM

1. The ram is triple channel, the board is dual channel.
2. Socket LGA1156 is not the most future proof.
3. You won't actually feel the need upgrade the processor until after Intel has moved onto the next socket type and you need to replace the mobo.
Kageh
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Reply #77 on: February 10, 2010, 03:15:25 AM

Components look solid, SSD too. Careful, you have an LGA1366 CPU but LGA1156 mainboard. CPU cooler is kind of meh, IMO. If you have the money, I'd buy a Megahalem or D-14/U12P from Noctua. If you want best price/performance ratio, probably Scythe Mugen 2 or Scythe Grand Kama Cross (which is "top blow" design instead of tower and a great cooler for the money). If you don't plan to OC at all, boxed might even be enough (if a bit noisy when getting hot).

i7/LGA1366 vs. LGA1156 is a very good question. Is your PC mainly for gaming? Currently i5-750 outperforms or is at least on par with i7-920 for games, runs cooler and needs less power. Triple channel and dual PCIx16 lanes is one of the advantages of the LGA1366/X58 design if you need any of those, but the memory advantage doesn't really show in games and the PCI stuff only matters with SLI.

LGA1366 has some powerful stuff coming, like Gulftown/i9 (6-cores). But we're probably looking at least another 1-2 years before it becomes mainstream, and the advantage for gaming is still questionable since it would require a massive shift in programming paradigms towards parallelization.

D0 i7-920 is great to overclock. Don't know about i5, but it looks good on paper.
Sheepherder
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Reply #78 on: February 10, 2010, 03:19:13 AM

Everything I've read about the i5-750 says it thrashes the shit out of everything else in existence except for tasks that make good use of threading.
Kageh
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Reply #79 on: February 10, 2010, 03:57:19 AM

That is probably a bit of an exaggeration though. For raw number crunching, the i7 is similar in computing power but is usually hampered for games by HT, given how HT can lead to threads from the same application starving each other on the same physical core. You can turn HT off with an i7 and have similar results in games.

Here's a comprehensive game comparison at 19200x1200 average fps on i5 vs i7 with a GTX275 (full forum thread - sadly in german - here):


As you can see, there isn't really that much difference, sometimes i5 is better, sometimes i7 is better, both can be OC'ed, both vary in results.

For an interesting example of a modern game which actually uses HT - of which there aren't really that many out, but who knows what is to come - i7 can outperform i5s: (Anno1404)

The appeal of the i5 IMO comes from the reduced costs for CPU+MB+dual channel kit vs i7+highend X58 MB+triple channel kit. You get similar / slightly better performance for about 60% of the cost.

For a closing thought, here's the power consumption under load:


At lower voltage but similar clock speed, you see the i7 consuming an intimidating 100W more than the i5, for a grand total of 350W (a huge figure). The i7 was theoretically undervolted (!) for that overclock, as most boards would default to 1.25V or higher. Assuming your computer runs 10hrs/day, thats 1kW saving per day.


Le0
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Reply #80 on: February 10, 2010, 05:50:35 AM

Thanks for the answers.

I'm going to go for a Alpenföhn Nordwand I think, the others seems to be a bit expensive. http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-008-AL&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=1395

I decided to go for the i5 setup, I can't really justify the cost of an i7 setup for only a little bit of performance boost, also since I mainly do gaming I won't benefit from the HT stuff.

Oops, I did not notice the RAM was a triple channel, I'll change that, thanks.

edit: typo

« Last Edit: February 10, 2010, 05:54:00 AM by Le0 »
01101010
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Reply #81 on: February 10, 2010, 08:03:08 AM

More of an indulgence for me, but I really like the modular PSUs. My current PC I built, I went out of my way to grab one and I can't say enough about the neatness of the inside of my box as well as the airflow with a 120mm in front and back along with an inner core 120mm.

Does any one know where the love of God goes...When the waves turn the minutes to hours? -G. Lightfoot
Trippy
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Reply #82 on: February 10, 2010, 09:46:55 AM

Everything I've read about the i5-750 says it thrashes the shit out of everything else in existence except for tasks that make good use of threading.
That's not possible since the i7-860 and i7-870 are Lynnfield chips like the i5-750 that are clocked faster than the i5-750, and those i7s have HyperThreading. You could argue the Lynnfield i7s aren't worth the extra cost but that's not the same as saying the i5-750 trashes both of them.
Hoax
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Reply #83 on: February 10, 2010, 10:59:17 AM

More of an indulgence for me, but I really like the modular PSUs. My current PC I built, I went out of my way to grab one and I can't say enough about the neatness of the inside of my box as well as the airflow with a 120mm in front and back along with an inner core 120mm.

I was thinking this as well.  Corsair makes some nice modular PSU's but if you've never cared don't start now.

I'd try to find a better case, better cpu cooler and you should be money.

A nation consists of its laws. A nation does not consist of its situation at a given time. If an individual's morals are situational, then that individual is without morals. If a nation's laws are situational, that nation has no laws, and soon isn't a nation.
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Le0
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Reply #84 on: February 11, 2010, 02:58:55 AM

Here is my final list of stuff, thanks for your advice guys!

Sheepherder
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Reply #85 on: February 11, 2010, 03:29:01 AM

That's not possible since the i7-860 and i7-870 are Lynnfield chips like the i5-750 that are clocked faster than the i5-750, and those i7s have HyperThreading. You could argue the Lynnfield i7s aren't worth the extra cost but that's not the same as saying the i5-750 trashes both of them.

I've seen benchmarking comparisons that suggest otherwise, but, you know, variability.
Trippy
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Reply #86 on: February 11, 2010, 03:33:11 AM

That's not possible since the i7-860 and i7-870 are Lynnfield chips like the i5-750 that are clocked faster than the i5-750, and those i7s have HyperThreading. You could argue the Lynnfield i7s aren't worth the extra cost but that's not the same as saying the i5-750 trashes both of them.

I've seen benchmarking comparisons that suggest otherwise, but, you know, variability.
There are glitches with Turbo Boost in individual benchmarks but if you look at things overall there's nothing that shows the i5-750 is faster than the i7-870. The i7-860 is more debatable.
rrazcueta
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Reply #87 on: February 11, 2010, 06:21:22 AM

Here is my final list of stuff, thanks for your advice guys!



If you haven't purchased it yet, I would suggest looking around for SSD prices at zipzoomfly or so. Newegg notoriously overprices SSDs. A quick lookup saves you $45 over NE on that drive.
Fraeg
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Reply #88 on: February 11, 2010, 11:29:06 AM

Hardwood.  Plumb it with a liquid cooling system done in copper.

nah if he really wants to impress he will build it in one of these:


comes with its very own easy to use handle.   Hmm that was meant as a joke... but that would actually be really really cool, guess you would have to make some holes, building ships in bottles might be all that, but the mobo might cause some issues.

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stu
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Reply #89 on: February 11, 2010, 11:41:43 AM

I have a friend who built a Linux system into a milk crate and loved it. Maybe I can get some pics.

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MahrinSkel
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Reply #90 on: February 11, 2010, 07:16:29 PM

Been thinking about trying to build something around a nano-ITX mobo into a carved wooden box.  Can get some really nice-looking ones from India for chump change in workable sizes (8-10 inches exterior measurements, $20-40).  Hard part is figuring out how to ventilate without ruining the look of the box.

--Dave

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rrazcueta
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Reply #91 on: February 13, 2010, 08:06:49 AM

If I wanted a new game to put my setup to the test, what should I get? Preferably it'd be something off Steam, but...
Kageh
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Reply #92 on: February 13, 2010, 09:41:35 AM

If you're into FPS, Crysis and Crysis:Warhead have always been good showcase titles.
rrazcueta
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Reply #93 on: February 13, 2010, 11:09:12 AM

If you're into FPS, Crysis and Crysis:Warhead have always been good showcase titles.

How about RPG? I've been hearing Dragon Age (I've also heard bad things :() and The Witcher.

Edit: Also, the THQ collection is on sale on Steam for $50. Dawn of War 2 sounds like it would be cool at 1080p. Yay/nay?
Kageh
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Reply #94 on: February 13, 2010, 11:45:19 AM

DoW 2 is great and should look sweet, but I don't think it is really that taxing on the system. DO:A is good, yes.
Yegolev
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Reply #95 on: February 15, 2010, 09:27:39 AM

If I wanted a new game to put my setup to the test, what should I get? Preferably it'd be something off Steam, but...

The Sims 3

why so serious?

EDIT: I don't want to buy ATi cards!  Dammit.  I am going to throw a lot of money on two matched cards to fit on a ASUS P6T Deluxe and I'd rather not get ATi.  Any hope for Nvidia to stop sucking soon?
« Last Edit: February 15, 2010, 09:30:53 AM by Yegolev »

Why am I homeless?  Why do all you motherfuckers need homes is the real question.
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Mommy come back 'cause the water's all gone
Trippy
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Reply #96 on: February 15, 2010, 10:25:32 AM

If I wanted a new game to put my setup to the test, what should I get? Preferably it'd be something off Steam, but...

The Sims 3

why so serious?

EDIT: I don't want to buy ATi cards!  Dammit.  I am going to throw a lot of money on two matched cards to fit on a ASUS P6T Deluxe and I'd rather not get ATi.  Any hope for Nvidia to stop sucking soon?
Depends if NVIDIA actually ships the GF100 in March (well, makes the GPU available in sufficient quantities for vendors to make cards with the GPU) and if you can actually find two and have enough power to power them.
Kageh
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Reply #97 on: February 15, 2010, 12:25:59 PM

The GF100 prototype should be on display at Cebit, including (finally) some benchmarks, as launch is due sometimes mid-march according to the usual leaks on the web. I'm also quite anxious to see thow they turn out.
Sky
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Reply #98 on: February 18, 2010, 01:44:06 PM

Count me in the fingers-crossed-for-nvidia camp. Jump to 1080p wasn't as bad as I'd thought but I do miss the headroom my 8800gtx had at 720p. GTX 285 looks decent, but I'd really like some mule kicking for that kinda bread.

Mostly interested in nvidia because I want to play with 3d tech.
rrazcueta
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Reply #99 on: February 23, 2010, 03:16:24 PM

I'm looking at some accessories for my PC. Currently I'm running pretty terrible USB kb/m to my system displayed on an HDTV. This is the monitor I'm looking at:

Acer B243HLbmdrz Black 24" 5ms Widescreen White LED backlight LCD Monitor 250 cd/m2 ACM 8,000,000:1 Built-in Speakers - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009203

*I'm also looking at this HP monitor, but it's pretty pricey :(
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF06a/382087-382087-64283-72270-444767-3648442.html

I'm also looking into Filco keyboards. Does anyone have experience with mechanical kbs? Especially in relation to laptop kbs (I haven't had a desktop in years). It's wired, and I'd like wireless, but that's ok becaue I hear they're awesome. Also red escape key = sexy. Mice... I have no idea where to start.

*Edit
« Last Edit: February 23, 2010, 03:20:21 PM by rrazcueta »
schild
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Reply #100 on: February 23, 2010, 03:37:25 PM

Quote
Does anyone have experience with mechanical kbs?

Search button, your friend.
Lt.Dan
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Reply #101 on: February 23, 2010, 04:04:47 PM

Count me in the fingers-crossed-for-nvidia camp. Jump to 1080p wasn't as bad as I'd thought but I do miss the headroom my 8800gtx had at 720p. GTX 285 looks decent, but I'd really like some mule kicking for that kinda bread.

Mostly interested in nvidia because I want to play with 3d tech.
According to some early articles on 3d gaming I think youre going to need more graphics firepower than a GF100 based card.  The big problem is that the card has to render each screen twice - once for each eye.  That's a pretty big kick in the guts for graphics performance, even on leading edge systems and especially at higher resolutions. 
Sky
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I love my TV an' hug my TV an' call it 'George'.


Reply #102 on: February 24, 2010, 06:58:02 AM

It's not bad but the card is running a bit hot. About 90C, used to hit 80C for most games that aren't Crysis. I've been turning off FSAA, which I used to max at 720p: performance seems about the same.

Problem is, single card nvidia solutions aren't performing much better right now, so there's not much of an upgrade path for me. I don't mind spending $$$ for good performance, but $350 for a 10% increase is dumb, especially as it's not future-proof.
rrazcueta
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Reply #103 on: February 24, 2010, 07:45:55 AM

Quote
Does anyone have experience with mechanical kbs?

Search button, your friend.

That thread scares me.

As nice as Model-Ms might work for you, look like fuckass. I also don't think the clickyclick of the keyboard will work when I'm typing papers. Anyone here use a Filco board?

Also, I am looking for an IPS monitor for my rig. I've found this NEC for $325

http://www.amazon.com/NEC-EA231WMI-BK-NEC-EA231WMI-BK-23-inch-Ws-LCD-1920X1080-1000-1-VGA-Black-14MS-Monitor/dp/B002LARVYK

I'm concerned mostly because I've never seen IPS monitors for <$500, and there are very few places for reviews on these things. Any help?
Engels
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Reply #104 on: February 24, 2010, 08:43:23 AM

I've had very good luck with NEC. That said, I have seen some 'budget' NEC monitors that looked like total butt. This is an eIPS (not sure what the e stands for, will google later), so it'll have the usual caveat of slower response times that allegedly will frustrate hardcore gamers. I have an NEC IPS and I play Call of Duty just fine. Sure, I'm not l33t sH0tz McTw1tch, but its never stopped me from having fun. Oh, ya, and this is with a wireless keyboard, which is apparently death to FPS 'purists'.

Summary: If I didn't already have an NEC monitor, I'd buy 3 of these. In fact, I'm considering buying 2 and kicking the GF out of her den so I can set up Eyefinity.

I should get back to nature, too.  You know, like going to a shop for groceries instead of the computer.  Maybe a condo in the woods that doesn't even have a health club or restaurant attached.  Buy a car with only two cup holders or something. -Signe

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