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The Official PC building thread - 4th Edition
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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2. April 2012 @ 16:25 |
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Money is always the deciding factor. $50 doesn't seem like much difference, but it does depend on ones finances. I wouldn't mind SLI'ing for testing purposes. But I wouldn't do it with lower end cards. At least I have a very agreeable single. In games that support SLI'ing, two cards would be wonderful. Provided stability ;)
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! |
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2. April 2012 @ 17:22 |
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Ghosting and shading effects too. The GTX580 Fermi would be a great addition, high clock rate, lots of memory, and 512 processor pipes, plus the 3 fan PWM system, cool and quiet.
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2. April 2012 @ 18:37 |
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Those Geek Squad guys sound dreadful!, I've lived in Australia for aprox. 7 years now and touch wood have never had a problem with the PC outlets here, I do miss PC World from the UK though, however Australia's equivalent would be "PC Case Gear" which I buy from quite abit.
http://www.pccasegear.com/
Ive decided to go with these upgrade parts for my Main Desktop PC
Intel Core i5 2500K 3.3GHz Socket 1155 UNLOCKED
Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD4
G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM (2x4GB) DDR3
Parts I already Have are: gtx295, v8 heatsink, PSU(you know which one)
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Now, from the parts Im taking out of my old machine I'm building a HTPC and here is the final build:
Gigabyte GA-965P-S3 MotherBoard (Rev.3.3)/ Bios: Award Software International, Inc. Version:F13
Core 2 Duo E6700 - 2.66GHz / OC'd to 3.33GHz
x2 G.SKILL DDRII800 2GIG Ram Running at 5-5-5-15@400Mhz
NVIDIA GT430 1GB ASUS PCIe
Crucial M4 SSD 64GB
Seasonic S12-II 80+ 520 Power Supply
Silverstone LC16B-MR Black
Hauppauge HVR2200 MCE PCIe Dual Hybrid
Creative SoundBlaster X-FI XtremeMusic 7.1 Card
Any thoughts most welcome!
Gigabyte GA-965P-S3 MotherBoard (Rev.3.3)/ Bios: Award Software International, Inc. Version:F13 , Core 2 Duo E6700 - 2.66GHz / OCd to 3.33GHz , x2 G.SKILL DDRII800 2GIG Ram Running at 5-5-5-15@400Mhz , nVidia GeForce GTX295 , Creative SoundBlaster X-FI XtremeMusic 7.1 Card , APEVIA Warlock 900W PSU , Cooler Master V8 Heatsink (CUSTOMISED) , Seagate 320GIG 7200RPM SATA-II 16M cache Internal Hard Drive , Maxtor OneTouch4 500GIG External USB Hard Drive , Asus 16x +/- Dual Layer Lightscribe DVD Burner , External LITE-ON DVD Burner , NZXT Sentry LX Fan controller & Heat Sensor , Antec Twelve Hundred Case (CUSTOMISED) , D-Link DSL-2730B Modem - Firmware v1.01 , Logitech x-530 Speaker System , Logitech G15 Keyboard , Acer 24" LCD Monitor , Windows XP Home SP3
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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2. April 2012 @ 18:45 |
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I had Geeksquad repair an old computer once upon a time. As well as a local repair shop. Places like that inspired me to repair/build my own ;)
Much like Jeff, I couldn't work for a place that rapes/takes advantage of a persons knowledge regarding computers. The local repair shop charged a buddy $45 for a cheapo Dvd burner. What's funny is, I offered him mine for free. He didn't wanna put me out...
One time it was a stupid faulty sound card. The other was simply a bad boot sector. Both can be done with a blindfold now...
I laugh about stuff like that now LOL!
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! |
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2. April 2012 @ 19:34 |
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Geek Squad is a joke now that Worst Buy bought them out but before that they were good. At the place I work they want to push Geek Squad now but it won't happen by me, I won't push that scat on anyone.
As to raping employees for their knowledge most businesses do just that these days so who are you going to work for? Self employment is the only way around that issue.
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AfterDawn Addict
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3. April 2012 @ 00:04 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
You haven't used SLI Russ. There's a lot more to it than raw performance. Game compatibilities, the effects of microstutter, non-perfect scaling mean that in the rule world, it is always worse to buy two smaller cards than one single card of equivalent performance, even if you end up paying more for the single.
Sam,
While I've never installed SLI, I have used computers with it on them before. I generally get the idea that a pair of HD-4670s in SLI, might not be worth it, the GTX550 is many times more powerful, with more potential, and two would run me under $200. besides, it would give me something to do! LOL!! Cards like the GTX 570 and 580, at least the good ones, are out of my price range ATM! I look at it this way, I've slowly put this computer together, and things have worked out pretty much the way I thought they would to begin with. So far, I'm more than pleased with the results!
Best Regards,
Russ
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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3. April 2012 @ 00:40 |
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I do realize that profiteering is everywhere. But I won't do it with computers. I love working with them. So when I get to work on someones computer, I enjoy it. A LITTLE money is of course appreciated. More than anything, I do it for the experience ;)
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! |
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3. April 2012 @ 01:14 |
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Just a quick check with you guys, I need to do a new reinsall of windows 7 because I'm changing the MB yeah?, does this mean I can't restore from my image backup?, sorry for the newbie question, its been ages since I had to do this!lol
Gigabyte GA-965P-S3 MotherBoard (Rev.3.3)/ Bios: Award Software International, Inc. Version:F13 , Core 2 Duo E6700 - 2.66GHz / OCd to 3.33GHz , x2 G.SKILL DDRII800 2GIG Ram Running at 5-5-5-15@400Mhz , nVidia GeForce GTX295 , Creative SoundBlaster X-FI XtremeMusic 7.1 Card , APEVIA Warlock 900W PSU , Cooler Master V8 Heatsink (CUSTOMISED) , Seagate 320GIG 7200RPM SATA-II 16M cache Internal Hard Drive , Maxtor OneTouch4 500GIG External USB Hard Drive , Asus 16x +/- Dual Layer Lightscribe DVD Burner , External LITE-ON DVD Burner , NZXT Sentry LX Fan controller & Heat Sensor , Antec Twelve Hundred Case (CUSTOMISED) , D-Link DSL-2730B Modem - Firmware v1.01 , Logitech x-530 Speaker System , Logitech G15 Keyboard , Acer 24" LCD Monitor , Windows XP Home SP3
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3. April 2012 @ 01:22 |
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If you do a new clean install for new MB driver set then you'll have to make a new backup and can use that to re-install in the future. If you're MB's are both Intel in the same class you can possibly use the original backup image as the driver set will be the same or very close and you may only have to upgrade a couple of things, so it depends on your situation. I've changed MB's and just updated all of the drivers even when they have mostly changes, more important chipset drivers but that really isn't a good idea and can cause you problems so it is always better to do a clean install with exception above.
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AfterDawn Addict
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3. April 2012 @ 02:17 |
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Originally posted by Mr-Movies:
If you do a new clean install for new MB driver set then you'll have to make a new backup and can use that to re-install in the future. If you're MB's are both Intel in the same class you can possibly use the original backup image as the driver set will be the same or very close and you may only have to upgrade a couple of things, so it depends on your situation. I've changed MB's and just updated all of the drivers even when they have mostly changes, more important chipset drivers but that really isn't a good idea and can cause you problems so it is always better to do a clean install with exception above.
Mr_Movies,
I don't know about Win7, but with XP I was able to do a backup of my OS and programs with True Image 9. All I had to do was install the OS, run the backup and everything worked, as long as the chipset and other motherboard drivers are installed on the new OS. I used the same OS for about 5 years, that way.
More than likely, I will stick with Win7 64 Bit. I'm going to tear it all down, and re-install Win7, so my AHCI will work, and I can finally get my SSD setup properly, running at full speed. I got the same set that GigaByte uses for testing, so I won't have any problems.
Best Regards,
Russ
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
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Senior Member
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3. April 2012 @ 02:58 |
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Originally posted by theonejrs:
I don't know about Win7, but with XP I was able to do a backup of my OS and programs with True Image 9. All I had to do was install the OS, run the backup and everything worked, as long as the chipset and other motherboard drivers are installed on the new OS. I used the same OS for about 5 years, that way.
I use True Image too but what is your point on this, it works for me as well no matter what OS I've backed up??? Different motherboard chipsets can be a problem though and a clean install is always your best bet when going to a different MB unless they are very similar in driver sets.
Well good to hear that your going to stick with Seven hopefully everything will work proper with the new install. I'll cross my fingers for you. LOL
Again glad to hear,
Stevo
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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3. April 2012 @ 03:47 |
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Pretty sure I'm not using AHCI on my current system because like you I neglected to enable it before installing Windows. If I'm honest, I highly doubt I'll be able to tell the difference.
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AfterDawn Addict
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3. April 2012 @ 04:41 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
Pretty sure I'm not using AHCI on my current system because like you I neglected to enable it before installing Windows. If I'm honest, I highly doubt I'll be able to tell the difference.
sam,
It wasn't that I didn't enable it, but rather that Win7 would not allow it to be installed because the drivers were not digitally signed. I'm now going to use what GigaByte uses for testing. The difference should be noticeable as it's about 20% faster with AHCI enabled. Overall I'm well pleased with how smoothly everything works together.
BTW, I owe you a Thank You! You were the one who put me on to the GTX550, in the first place. You made an excellent call there!
Best Regards,
Russ
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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3. April 2012 @ 05:16 |
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Ah fair enough, that hadn't occurred to me.
Luckily enough AHCI can be changed per-controller on my board, so I could enable it for the eSATA ports without jeopardising the Windows installation to the internal ports.
No probs on the GTX550, glad you're getting on well enough with it that you want another :P
As for the negativity on SLI, I'm just trying to save some disappointment, even with the recent improvements, SLI still isn't anywhere near as straightforward as using a single card.
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AfterDawn Addict
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3. April 2012 @ 06:03 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
Ah fair enough, that hadn't occurred to me.
Luckily enough AHCI can be changed per-controller on my board, so I could enable it for the eSATA ports without jeopardising the Windows installation to the internal ports.
No probs on the GTX550, glad you're getting on well enough with it that you want another :P
As for the negativity on SLI, I'm just trying to save some disappointment, even with the recent improvements, SLI still isn't anywhere near as straightforward as using a single card.
Sam,
After all, I have to give into my Masochistic side, once in a while! :) Besides, I've still got plenty of hair left I can pull out! LOL!! They are supposed to be a fairly ideal set up for the custom software I use for my AutoCad program. I'll have a pretty good idea how much better the software runs, early next week when I start another Turbine project. Now, I should be able to determine the shape of any fracture in the hub, with this video card. This will make the problem, either through design or Metallurgy, much easier to eliminate.
Best Regards,
Russ
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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3. April 2012 @ 06:39 |
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Typically speaking, when used for parallel processing work like that, the SLI technology isn't really used, so you don't have to suffer the limitations of it so much. SLI really comes into play with games.
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3. April 2012 @ 06:45 |
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Hi Guys, I hit a problem with my build, I bought a Coolermaster V8 heatsink approximately 3 years ago when they were first released. I was hoping the heatsink would fit on the new Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD4 Motherboard however I found that none of the retention brackets that came with the v8 actually fit this board. Coolermaster actually sell retention bracket sets for the 1155, will they fit on my 3 year old V8 heatsink though?. If not can you guys recommend a new heasink?
Gigabyte GA-965P-S3 MotherBoard (Rev.3.3)/ Bios: Award Software International, Inc. Version:F13 , Core 2 Duo E6700 - 2.66GHz / OCd to 3.33GHz , x2 G.SKILL DDRII800 2GIG Ram Running at 5-5-5-15@400Mhz , nVidia GeForce GTX295 , Creative SoundBlaster X-FI XtremeMusic 7.1 Card , APEVIA Warlock 900W PSU , Cooler Master V8 Heatsink (CUSTOMISED) , Seagate 320GIG 7200RPM SATA-II 16M cache Internal Hard Drive , Maxtor OneTouch4 500GIG External USB Hard Drive , Asus 16x +/- Dual Layer Lightscribe DVD Burner , External LITE-ON DVD Burner , NZXT Sentry LX Fan controller & Heat Sensor , Antec Twelve Hundred Case (CUSTOMISED) , D-Link DSL-2730B Modem - Firmware v1.01 , Logitech x-530 Speaker System , Logitech G15 Keyboard , Acer 24" LCD Monitor , Windows XP Home SP3
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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3. April 2012 @ 06:52 |
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Ask them. You will likely have to pay for the bracket to be shipped out to you.
Otherwise, I'd recommend something from Thermalright, Prolimatech or Noctua.
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AfterDawn Addict
15 product reviews
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3. April 2012 @ 08:52 |
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The Cooler Master V8 is a pretty beefy cooler though so it might be worth your time to get the brackets.
Hmmm just just a rather expensive HEPA Dual Air Purifier for my room. Smell the ionized goodness :D Sleeping much better.
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 4GHz(20 x 200) 1.5v 3000NB 2000HT, Corsair Hydro H110 w/ 4 x 140mm 1500RPM fans Push/Pull, Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5, 8GB(2 x 4GB) G.Skill RipJaws DDR3-1600 @ 1600MHz CL9 1.55v, Gigabyte GTX760 OC 4GB(1170/1700), Corsair 750HX
Detailed PC Specs: http://my.afterdawn.com/estuansis/blog_entry.cfm/11388This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 3. April 2012 @ 09:18
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Senior Member
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3. April 2012 @ 09:18 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
Pretty sure I'm not using AHCI on my current system because like you I neglected to enable it before installing Windows. If I'm honest, I highly doubt I'll be able to tell the difference.
You're right Sam I'm used it both ways and it really doesn't seem to make a big difference or any noticeable difference and I'm using a Gigabyte board just like Russ's.
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AfterDawn Addict
15 product reviews
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3. April 2012 @ 09:21 |
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I'm using a rather similar board and the differences are not readily apparent but they are there. Everything is just a bit faster, snappier, and more responsive with AHCI. It's a shame you forgot to turn it on as I have gone back and restarted formats just to have that feature working. I doubt it hurts much in the long run but it does enable a few token technologies.
RUSS, I was was wondering if you could tell me was SB Spread Spectrum was? You seem to have a firm grasp of these boards. Mine is a 790X Chipset with an SB850 Southbridge.
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 4GHz(20 x 200) 1.5v 3000NB 2000HT, Corsair Hydro H110 w/ 4 x 140mm 1500RPM fans Push/Pull, Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5, 8GB(2 x 4GB) G.Skill RipJaws DDR3-1600 @ 1600MHz CL9 1.55v, Gigabyte GTX760 OC 4GB(1170/1700), Corsair 750HX
Detailed PC Specs: http://my.afterdawn.com/estuansis/blog_entry.cfm/11388
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 3. April 2012 @ 09:24
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AfterDawn Addict
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3. April 2012 @ 09:33 |
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Originally posted by Estuansis:
I'm using a rather similar board and the differences are not readily apparent but they are there. Everything is just a bit faster, snappier, and more responsive with AHCI. It's a shame you forgot to turn it on as I have gone back and restarted formats just to have that feature working. I doubt it hurts much in the long run but it does enable a few token technologies.
RUSS, I was was wondering if you could tell me was SB Spread Spectrum was? You seem to have a firm grasp of these boards. Mine is a 790X Chipset with an SB850 Southbridge.
Estuansis,
This function is used for meeting the specifications when complying with the CE acceptance test. Enabling it leads to a noticeable deterioration in performance. That's why it should always be disabled! This is only used for Central Europe, hence the CE part. It's the stylized CE you see on Motherboards. It has to pass the test to earn the CE. Sort of like UL in the US, only a bit more complex
Best Regards,
Russ
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 3. April 2012 @ 09:40
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AfterDawn Addict
15 product reviews
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3. April 2012 @ 09:36 |
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Interesting! Tomshardware has a rather old article on it I had to find through forums.
Quote:
When the motherboard clock generator pulses, the extreme values (spikes) of the pulses creates EMI (Electromagnetic Interference).
The "Spread Spectrum" function reduses the EMI generated by modulating the pulses so that the spikes of the pulses are reduced to flatter curves. If you do not have any EMI problem, leave the setting at "Disable" for optimal system stability and performce. But if you are plagued by EMI, set to "Enable" for EMI reduction.
Remember to disable "Spread Sprectrum" if you are overclocking because even the slight jitter can introduce a temporary boost in clock speed which may just cause your overclocked processor to lock up.
In other words, it's for very sensitive work no?
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 4GHz(20 x 200) 1.5v 3000NB 2000HT, Corsair Hydro H110 w/ 4 x 140mm 1500RPM fans Push/Pull, Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5, 8GB(2 x 4GB) G.Skill RipJaws DDR3-1600 @ 1600MHz CL9 1.55v, Gigabyte GTX760 OC 4GB(1170/1700), Corsair 750HX
Detailed PC Specs: http://my.afterdawn.com/estuansis/blog_entry.cfm/11388
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AfterDawn Addict
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3. April 2012 @ 09:43 |
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Originally posted by Estuansis:
Interesting! Tomshardware has a rather old article on it I had to find through forums.
Quote:
When the motherboard clock generator pulses, the extreme values (spikes) of the pulses creates EMI (Electromagnetic Interference).
The "Spread Spectrum" function reduses the EMI generated by modulating the pulses so that the spikes of the pulses are reduced to flatter curves. If you do not have any EMI problem, leave the setting at "Disable" for optimal system stability and performce. But if you are plagued by EMI, set to "Enable" for EMI reduction.
Remember to disable "Spread Sprectrum" if you are overclocking because even the slight jitter can introduce a temporary boost in clock speed which may just cause your overclocked processor to lock up.
In other words, it's for very sensitive work no?
Estuansis,
No! LOL!! See above!
Russ
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
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AfterDawn Addict
15 product reviews
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3. April 2012 @ 09:55 |
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Oh didn't see your edit! I see, very interesting! It's off by default for me so I never gave it much thought.
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 4GHz(20 x 200) 1.5v 3000NB 2000HT, Corsair Hydro H110 w/ 4 x 140mm 1500RPM fans Push/Pull, Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5, 8GB(2 x 4GB) G.Skill RipJaws DDR3-1600 @ 1600MHz CL9 1.55v, Gigabyte GTX760 OC 4GB(1170/1700), Corsair 750HX
Detailed PC Specs: http://my.afterdawn.com/estuansis/blog_entry.cfm/11388
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 3. April 2012 @ 09:55
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