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The Official PC building thread - 4th Edition
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AfterDawn Addict
15 product reviews
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11. June 2012 @ 04:24 |
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Forgive me for the rather outdated and disjointed nature oft his post but there has been a flurry of activity lately. Figured I would go back and make some replies before everything loses relevance...
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In other news, my ISP have finally announced the upgrade to 80Mbps/20Mbps FTTC, and upped their peak usage allowances with it. Good times :)
HAHA HOLY CRAP. Bit late on my answer here but my ISP have firmly settled on new speeds of 30Mbps/4.5mbps. I would imagine more upgrades are in stock as they are still updating hardware all over the place. They also recently ran a fiber-optic cable to my house, so that bodes well! lol. The last time I talked with a service rep I was told they are going to be making big steps with upload speeds, which should boost downloads as a matter of course.
Still, no usage limits or throttling... ever. And it's fairly cheap to boot. In contrast my previous ISP have recently made a "massive" upgrade from 1.3Mbps to 2Mbps... lol. They were more expensive too.
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I had a couple of sets of 5.1 headphones for a while, one from Trust and one from Zalman and they were fine, but not as good as proper stereo headphones really. What you gain from the 5.1 effect you lose far more in actual sound production vs. a proper stereo set.
I'll have to agree here. Unless you get a VERY expensive set of 5.1s and have a sound card capable of proper Stereo Surround, it's hard to compare a 5.1 headset to a proper pair of stereos. The quality of the speakers suffers, as does their power and sound range due to the small size needed to squeeze them in. Not to mention cuts made due to price.
I've heard a few pairs of 5.1s that sound fantastic, but most people are so ignorant of quality sound it's hard to get a good idea of other sets without trying them myself.
Have been using the same Pair of $50 Creative Fatal1ty's for about 4 years now. Only some very minor issues with the wire breaking internally near the 3.5mm jack. Easily understandable as I only ever plug them in the back, directly into the sound card, and do quite a bit of fumbling with the wires in the process. LOL That's a very quick and easy fix thankfully. Only need to cannibalize some cheap headphones or make a stop at Radio Shack for two new 3.5mm jacks.
Worth noting is that with any multi-speaker setup, any sound card in the last decade with a Creative chip is capable of Stereo Surround. Anything without an X-Fi chip needs hacked drivers of course but they are easy to find and even easier to use. Also worth noting is that any discrete sound card at all gives massive gains in quality and power. Even an Audigy SE is capable of awesome sound. I know your luck with Audigy SE's has been far from perfect but I've used several and not had a problem... Using the oinboard after so many years is like going from a sports car to a bicycle. Sure, it works, but I'd rather just mute the sound entirely... Also, the onboard has nowhere near enough power to push my headphones. They are very quiet without my trusty old XtremeMusic.
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Hmmm. Is that true in all cases? I know that with stereo, they have developed things to the point that by adjusting the wave guide - or through a sort of echo effect - they can simulate surround sound. Mostly what I was after initially was to figure out where the guys were coming from in Counter Strike - which side of the wall they were on - that type of thing. The quality has always seemed good - but I dont use headphones for music.
That technology is called "Stereo Expand" and it is pure shite, plain and simple. All it really does is add an echo effect. There is really no practical way to create positional sound with a pair of stereo headphones.
I am usually split down the middle between my speakers and my headphones. Both have great sound quality. Again if you have a relatively recent discrete sound chip, you can use an effect called "Stereo Surround", which will stretch a stereo signal to every channel. On my 5.1 setup it put Channel L on both left speakers, Channel R on both rights, and mixes both channels on the center. Really really nice, that feature :)
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There is a new 5.1, quite pricey, where the speakers are on top of your head, and an actual air guide goes down to the various positions on the ear. The reviewer said he turned around in his chair when something came from behind him - the effect was so good. You guys have probably heard of them.
Yes I have heard of them, and they are a good example of HIGH QUALITY 5.1 headphones. Unfortunately you really do need to pay a lot to surpass a cheapo pair of stereo headphones.
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Well, okay. I dont have your new great speed, but I get 12Mb/sec download, however only about 0.8Mb/sec upload, so I figure it would take about 2 solid days to upload the full fantastic 17 gig library.
Hmm my current collection is 3757 songs at 45.07GB. A good half of it is lossless FLAC or APE files though which accounts for the bloated size. The same collection in only MP3s would be about half the size, give or take.
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By the way, do these mods apply to Warhead, or is that an entirely different set of mods?
Still investigating that myself actually but they do use about 90% of the same resources so I don't see why not. Crysis Warhead does have slightly better graphics on its own though. The worst that can happen is some of the textures don't apply.
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 11. June 2012 @ 05:05
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11. June 2012 @ 12:35 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
Well, whenever I switch my PCs off for the night there's all sorts of noises like those as the casings contract, monitor, PCs etc. they all do it. I wouldn't read much into that.
My Samsung didn't make noises. But, I don't read much into it :p
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harvardguy
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11. June 2012 @ 15:48 |
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Well, I'm still on the last page, but a bunch of short posts is all I need to bust through "no pics, no links" newbie status, lol.
Kevin and DDP clued me in, only 25 posts, and this is post 15, but who's counting?
Russ, when you say the P word, is that Prodigy, or Proud, or Papa? I read you PM - amazing that your friends, because of your accomplished musical background, asked you to evaluate Jackie's singing.
She said she started singing at 8, but I found a youtube video, saying she was 7, in a school play. I'll find it again if you like, and on post 26 I'll link to it, lol.
All I would say, Russ, is that enthusiasm is the spark of life, and your obvious enthusiasm will keep you in the game at least to 100, so you might as well stop counting.
Rich
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11. June 2012 @ 15:52 |
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I'm a mellow, patient person. I plan to live a long time to come. Stress is a mind killer. Trust me...
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harvardguy
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11. June 2012 @ 16:18 |
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Well put Kevin. And you're so right!
Stress - which is a form of fear - which is another word for anxiety - is future pacing ourselves - dwelling in the future of "what may be" or "the problem that awaits me." But at this immediate one second, right now, what do we have to be afraid of, or stressed about - right this one second, sitting wherever we are, reading these words. Is a lion trying to break down our door 5 feet away. If so, it was good to know you. :P
I'm reading a VERY interesting book, guys, The Power of Now. We all have extreme difficulty turning off that magnificent tool, the mind, which is locked into time, and identification with the mind keeps us locked into time. "We look to the past for our identity and the future for our fulfillment."
But what about now?
I think enthusiasm, like Russ' enthusiasm for the phenomenon that is occurring right now, called Jackie Evancho, is part of stopping for a second, turning off the mind, and realizing the magnificence all around us.
The book helps me put things in perspective.
(post 16 but who's counting - looks like I too am living in the future - post 26 where are you?)
Rich
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 11. June 2012 @ 17:17
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11. June 2012 @ 19:57 |
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Originally posted by harvardguy:
Well, I'm still on the last page, but a bunch of short posts is all I need to bust through "no pics, no links" newbie status, lol.
Kevin and DDP clued me in, only 25 posts, and this is post 15, but who's counting?
Russ, when you say the P word, is that Prodigy, or Proud, or Papa? I read you PM - amazing that your friends, because of your accomplished musical background, asked you to evaluate Jackie's singing.
She said she started singing at 8, but I found a youtube video, saying she was 7, in a school play. I'll find it again if you like, and on post 26 I'll link to it, lol.
All I would say, Russ, is that enthusiasm is the spark of life, and your obvious enthusiasm will keep you in the game at least to 100, so you might as well stop counting.
Rich
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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harvardguy
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11. June 2012 @ 20:04 |
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Hey Russ.
Jeff, it's time to come up to date and answer you.
That's good information on the headphones. I have no speakers at all over where I game, so it's headphones all the way, and the Medusa's were about $150 when I bought them about 6 or 7 years ago.
In all likelihood they don't match the finest stereo speakers, but the positioning has been great - I can hear those little zombies trying to sneak around behind me - their footsteps give them away. I tried out some Bose headphones at Target a few months ago, about $125, for some other purpose, and in thinking about it now, I can't say that I noticed better sound than what I normally hear through the medusa's.
But your point is well taken - 5, or maybe 6 speakers, in each earcup, instead of 1. You would have to wonder if they can match the quality of one superb driver.
Music of course is an important part of the gaming experience, and I wrote about the enthralling music that, together with the shocking 12 story mutant carcass splayed against the opposite wall of the hospital atrium in Rage, his chocolate blood slowly oozing down the walls of the operating room across the way, held me utterly spellbound, and terrified! The visual was breathtaking in its own right, the music added that last dimension needed to raise the hair on my neck - yes I was stressed. I most certainly did think a lion was about to enter the room and gobble me up!
These are the old medusas from about 5 years ago. They seem very high quality - very large and comfortably fitting over my ears - fairly thick and sturdy wires, separate pre-amp, and full volume controls on my chest where the two headset wires come together.
I haven't played counterstrike for years, but footsteps were important. (You could force walk and turn silent.) And Left 4 Dead zombie footsteps have been important. So if the Medusas fail (I have another set but the back left speaker died) I would be likely to upgrade only to another 5.1 set.
By the way, in your opinion, would you think that I could take the other set of headphones somewhere, and have a repair tech swap out the one speaker on the left that is not working?
Regarding the iTunes library, congrats on your large number of songs. My brother has a 4,000 song library that is 25 gigs. I have that library also.
I found a very interesting thing. You can take any windows folder, go to detail view, go to View, choose details, and select all the same columns that windows assigns if they think the collection is music. That was helpful in my XP project.
But I found another interesting thing. If you open a song in notepad, you will see the song tag at the top - USUALLY. But for some newer songs, you see the song tag only after what I call the first paragraph, a blank space about 10% into the song. Windows does not read THAT song tag, but iTunes of course does.
I think that is a newer song tag position allowing people to cut off the front of a song if they don't like the intro. Of course with iTunes you can just tell it to start the song 10 seconds later, but if you were burning to a CD, cutting off the intro I guess would be the preferable way to handle it.
So, as I say, my brother gave me the big library, but so far I have only gone through and selected a sampling of 31 of the 4000. On those 31 samples, I changed the song tag composer information to Joel (my brother is Joe) which allows an iTune search for joel, and immediately retrieves the 31. That lets her know that similar songs to those are in the other library, or, that would be a way to quickly delete them if she didn't appreciate the sampling - my brother's taste in music is quite different. (So far I like the smaller library better, lol.)
Rich
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 11. June 2012 @ 20:08
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11. June 2012 @ 22:53 |
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Originally posted by theonejrs:
Originally posted by harvardguy:
Well, I'm still on the last page, but a bunch of short posts is all I need to bust through "no pics, no links" newbie status, lol.
Kevin and DDP clued me in, only 25 posts, and this is post 15, but who's counting?
Russ, when you say the P word, is that Prodigy, or Proud, or Papa? I read you PM - amazing that your friends, because of your accomplished musical background, asked you to evaluate Jackie's singing.
She said she started singing at 8, but I found a youtube video, saying she was 7, in a school play. I'll find it again if you like, and on post 26 I'll link to it, lol.
All I would say, Russ, is that enthusiasm is the spark of life, and your obvious enthusiasm will keep you in the game at least to 100, so you might as well stop counting.
Rich
Rich,
The Biological "P"! I probably write a dozen or so reviews a year. It's hard for them to write about something when they don't know what the music is about, and the words are no help because she's singing in Italian. "O Mio Babbino Caro" is an impassioned plea buy a young girl to her father, for the boy she loves. She was actually 8 in April, and it was May when that video was made. It's a shame about the poor video quality, because you don't get a very good look at her costume. I love the way she pulls her hat down to hide her eyes. In Texas they call that, "cute as a bug"! Just being able to remember the words at that age is quite an accomplishment. To be self determined to a lifetime career at that age, probably unprecedented. Most kids that age would quickly lose interest, and that would have been the end of it. In an interview, her father was asked when he realized she was that good. You have to love his answer, "When Sony/Columbia signed her to a contract!"
Enthusiasm indeed, is the spark of life, but you can't put more sand in the hourglass, no matter how much you would like to, or how hard you try.
So when are you going to build a new computer? You're about 4 generations behind now! I've let mine evolve, with my latest upgrade besides better video, was switching to an AM3+ motherboard and DDR3. I also added a 60GB SSD for the boot drive. My 1190T 6 core is clocked at 3.7GHz. I ran it for about a month at 4.0GHz with no problems, and below max voltage. I've managed to get it stable as high as 4.2GHz, and it will boot up at 4.3GHz now. I originally went with Cas 7 1333MHz G.Skill Ripjaws memory, as the were almost equal to the performance of the Cas 9 1600 memory. Now I see I can get 8GB (2x4GB) Cas 7 1600MHz memory with 7-8-8-24 timings for $80, that may be my next step up.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231536
Got to keep up with the times! BTW, hope you liked "The Impossible Dream" video from last weekend.
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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harvardguy
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11. June 2012 @ 23:30 |
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Originally posted by Russ:
So when are you going to build a new computer? You're about 4 generations behind now!
Hahahaha. You're almost right, but it's not quite that bad at the moment. I was gifted a Q9450 with an 8800GTX. (You're remembering my p4.)
But exciting upgrade stuff will be happening shortly. Soon I'll be picking up a 7950 - soon as in a matter of days!!!
And then it will be high time to overclock the Q9450. Then - IF - I say IF - I am still somewhat gpu bottlenecked on a title such as crysis, which I am sure I will still be gpu-bottlenecked on, I will pick up a second 7950, within maybe 45 to 60 days after the first one - the $800 is already set aside for this.
That will of course make me caught up gpu-wise, but badly cpu limited. As I already have a brand new $180 case in a box in the garage, purchased several years ago to spur me to upgrade, a second investment of $800 next year some time will bring me fairly current.
Blaze, the guy blazorthon who popped over here from Tom's hardware, where he usually hangs out, suggested to me to get a motherboard that would support 3, or even 4 graphics cards, if I wanted to try to future proof myself for a couple more years, by just adding 7950s as the need arose. That idea appeals to me - 1. they'll become cheaper and cheaper, and 2. Sam here can sure help me with quad cf from his experience with the two 4870x2 cards.
Man, that memory looks MEAN! RIPJAWS! It looks as mean as it sounds, lol.
I can't believe you don't even game with all that hardware - you and probably Stevo also, are more into movies. Well that's cool.
But we have some serious gamers on the forum. Kevin, for example, is now helping Grandma and her shotgun defend us from aliens - which is his most recent gaming upgrade from Angry Birds, lol.
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Got to keep up with the times! BTW, hope you liked "The Impossible Dream" video from last weekend.
It was lovely, but what I'd really like to hear her sing, is the one you talked about, Vincent (Starry Starry Night). Do you have a link?
By the way, since I added Vincent recently to my Folk Song playlist in my new iTunes library, I have heard it quite a few times, and I have started thinking it is referring to Jesus Christ. Anybody else think so?
Best regards,
Rich
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12. June 2012 @ 00:29 |
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I haven't checked that game out yet Rich. Work work work :(
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harvardguy
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12. June 2012 @ 00:33 |
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OMG - then who is helping Grandma !!!!!!!!!
LOL
(nineteen !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 12. June 2012 @ 00:37
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12. June 2012 @ 00:40 |
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Making some money, so I can buy the 30" Dell! Plus get out on my own of course ;) It's beyond time!
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12. June 2012 @ 00:59 |
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Originally posted by harvardguy:
Well put Kevin. And you're so right!
Stress - which is a form of fear - which is another word for anxiety - is future pacing ourselves - dwelling in the future of "what may be" or "the problem that awaits me." But at this immediate one second, right now, what do we have to be afraid of, or stressed about - right this one second, sitting wherever we are, reading these words. Is a lion trying to break down our door 5 feet away. If so, it was good to know you. :P
I'm reading a VERY interesting book, guys, The Power of Now. We all have extreme difficulty turning off that magnificent tool, the mind, which is locked into time, and identification with the mind keeps us locked into time. "We look to the past for our identity and the future for our fulfillment."
But what about now?
I think enthusiasm, like Russ' enthusiasm for the phenomenon that is occurring right now, called Jackie Evancho, is part of stopping for a second, turning off the mind, and realizing the magnificence all around us.
The book helps me put things in perspective.
(post 16 but who's counting - looks like I too am living in the future - post 26 where are you?)
Rich
Rich,
You're absolutely right, Jackie does make you realize the magnificence all around us, as well as all the beauty that magnificence holds! There were some informal studies done in nursing homes as to the therapeutic value of her music, and the results have been overwhelmingly positive. Strokes have gone way down, and there's less heart attacks. Not totally scientific, but it would be reasonable to assume that playing music that soothes, rather than riles up people, but as a listener, you don't care. It makes perfect sense to me. I've never seen anybody who communicates with her audience, like she does, in ways hard to explain, and sometimes even harder to understand. I never would have considered "When You Wish Upon A Star" a great song in any way shape or form. Certainly not a song worthy of her talents. She doesn't read music yet, but still has a full intuitive understanding of the entire musical process. She finds things in the musical structure that others miss. She's like a gold miner mining gold, and what she does find she uses to her best advantage to tell a story. Listen for yourself at 11! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tzUWQL1tb8 Simply amazing!
Enjoy,
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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12. June 2012 @ 01:13 |
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Originally posted by harvardguy:
Originally posted by Russ:
So when are you going to build a new computer? You're about 4 generations behind now!
Hahahaha. You're almost right, but it's not quite that bad at the moment. I was gifted a Q9450 with an 8800GTX. (You're remembering my p4.)
But exciting upgrade stuff will be happening shortly. Soon I'll be picking up a 7950 - soon as in a matter of days!!!
And then it will be high time to overclock the Q9450. Then - IF - I say IF - I am still somewhat gpu bottlenecked on a title such as crysis, which I am sure I will still be gpu-bottlenecked on, I will pick up a second 7950, within maybe 45 to 60 days after the first one - the $800 is already set aside for this.
That will of course make me caught up gpu-wise, but badly cpu limited. As I already have a brand new $180 case in a box in the garage, purchased several years ago to spur me to upgrade, a second investment of $800 next year some time will bring me fairly current.
Blaze, the guy blazorthon who popped over here from Tom's hardware, where he usually hangs out, suggested to me to get a motherboard that would support 3, or even 4 graphics cards, if I wanted to try to future proof myself for a couple more years, by just adding 7950s as the need arose. That idea appeals to me - 1. they'll become cheaper and cheaper, and 2. Sam here can sure help me with quad cf from his experience with the two 4870x2 cards.
Man, that memory looks MEAN! RIPJAWS! It looks as mean as it sounds, lol.
I can't believe you don't even game with all that hardware - you and probably Stevo also, are more into movies. Well that's cool.
But we have some serious gamers on the forum. Kevin, for example, is now helping Grandma and her shotgun defend us from aliens - which is his most recent gaming upgrade from Angry Birds, lol.
Quote:
Got to keep up with the times! BTW, hope you liked "The Impossible Dream" video from last weekend.
It was lovely, but what I'd really like to hear her sing, is the one you talked about, Vincent (Starry Starry Night). Do you have a link?
By the way, since I added Vincent recently to my Folk Song playlist in my new iTunes library, I have heard it quite a few times, and I have started thinking it is referring to Jesus Christ. Anybody else think so?
Best regards,
Rich
Rich,
I wasn't referring to the P-4, I was referring to the Q9450! LOL!!
Vincent referring to Jesus Christ, no, I don't think so. Vincent is Vincent Van Gogh, the artist
Here's the link to Vincent http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Iqm6q1QSJ8
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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12. June 2012 @ 01:35 |
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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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12. June 2012 @ 01:54 |
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Originally posted by harvardguy:
Blaze - the explanation and the solution are brilliant. (Scary - remove the heat spreader - really? But you say it's easy, so I'll believe you.)
But when you say "not a design flaw - done deliberately", you didn't really explain. Why in heaven would Intel to do this to the Ivy Bridge? I mean, what did they have to gain by using the paste instead of the fluxless solder.
Rich
Intel probably didn't want the Ivy Bridge CPUs to be able to beat Sandy Bridge E in overclocking performance for gaming and other such situations. It would be disasterous to have a repeat of the Guftown versus SB quads, bot on an even mroe extreme scale with the sub $350 i7s able to roughly match the $600 and $1000 i7 SB-E CPUs in highly threaded performance with a great overclock on the same cooler and simply slaughtering SB-E in performance per core. Losing what few customers they have for their overpriced six core CPUs to their much cheaper quad core alternatives would mean a huge hit to the profits that SB-E generates and Intel probably wants them to keep going high at least until an IB-E or H-E (Haswell) launch.
Mere speculation, yes... However, this is what it looks like to me. I wouldn't demonize Intel for it, but I don't particularly like it. However, with how Intel made it fairly easy to circumvent with at least better paste, it's all fine for me. I do kinda feel a little sorry for the people who could make use of these CPUs if they knew how to switch out the paste safely, but can't justify buying them because of the paste meaning that without a paste change, SB can still beat IB slightly in maximum stable overclock for the money.
Originally posted by harvardguy:
Originally posted by Russ:
So when are you going to build a new computer? You're about 4 generations behind now!
Hahahaha. You're almost right, but it's not quite that bad at the moment. I was gifted a Q9450 with an 8800GTX. (You're remembering my p4.)
Ivy Bridge
Sandy Bridge
Westmere (32nm Nehalem)
Nehalem
Yorkfield (45nm Core 2)
Yorkfield has the Q9450 and if we count Westmere and Nehalem as one generation like Intel prefers to, then the Q9450 can be said to be four generations behind Ivy Bridge.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 12. June 2012 @ 02:15
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harvardguy
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12. June 2012 @ 02:06 |
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Smart aleck! Russ, so you already knew I had the Q9450. Hmph!!!
Now THAT was lovely, Vincent by Jackie Evancho. I'll listen to that more tomorrow - thanks for the link - and the explanation.
So it was Vincent Van Gogh - hmmm - his brother tried to sell his art around, and had mild success, but Vincent was just a little bit odd and impulsive - you know, the ear thing.
Wow, the duet was nice! For sure it's hard to imagine that she's just a kid! (That Ukraine concert with the two sisters was pretty good too in the PM. That little sister was SHORT, but very nice voice.)
Rich
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 12. June 2012 @ 02:11
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harvardguy
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12. June 2012 @ 02:41 |
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(Sorry for the double, but blazorthon was posting at the same time I was.)
So Russ is right, I'm four generations behind already. Haha. Well, I'll take care of that with another $800 next year. I'll be looking for a 3 or 4 gpu 1155 motherboard - you say they're out there, right?
Regarding the explanation for the cheap paste that is virtually an insulator, Blaze that is quite interesting speculation, and it makes sense.
When you first mentioned "remove the IHS" I had to look it up of course, and when I saw it was integrated heat spreader, I thought - "What!"
Like Russ just said, "Are you feckin kidding me?"
I never heard of that before and it sounded dangerously like a good way to tear the chip apart! LOL
But you kept saying it was easy, so I started considering it more seriously. When I saw that guy on YouTube - god I would love to link to that video but I'm not at 25 posts quite yet - and the way he was just chopping away at the chip, to loud rap music - I shuddered! (And so did everybody making the comments - some of which said they'd rather let a monkey have a go at their computer than this guy.)
In fact that is the first video I'm going to link to - it is actually hysterical! Let's just throw all finesse out the window. And the way he was getting his fingerprints all over the gold lands - somebody needs to pimp slap that rapper!! LOL
But when he was done, it was just some stubborn paste on an area about 20% of the size of the heat spreader, right in the middle - not actually a big deal.
But I much prefer the instructions you posted over at Tom's. Maybe I'll repeat them here tomorrow.
So, the idea of removing the heat spreader does not appear to be as daunting - and yes, for the overclocking community, it's really not that hard to do, so we overclockers will do it, but for sure nobody else will.
So they keep the chip from performing too brilliantly, to keep the higher priced stuff looking reasonably more competitive. That makes sense to me and I agree with you that I wouldn't demonize them for that.
Spend 20 minutes of patience to remove the small amount of paste - but it's a very hardened substance, so it will take some patient slicing, and then you're going to replace that with excellent paste. Add to that equation the lapping, but not in that order - if you're going to lap, do it before you remove the heat spreader. That makes total sense.
The result of that patient effort, is, you have a very overclockable 3rd generation chip, 1.4 billion transistors to 1.1 of the sandy bridge, 22nm to 32nm, pci-e 3 to pci-e 2, at just a few bucks premium, and more instructions per cycle, for - did you say 40% more power at same clocks? No that can't be right - what IS the expected increased throughput vs sandy bridge for gaming?
Rich
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12. June 2012 @ 02:49 |
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Well there have been lots of posts since I last read - quick one though, I'm OK with onboard sound at the moment because my headphones are amplified through my Z-5500's headphone socket. When attached directly they sound terrible by comparison, but with some amplification they sound excellent.
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12. June 2012 @ 02:52 |
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Originally posted by harvardguy:
The result of that patient effort, is, you have a very overclockable 3rd generation chip, 1.4 billion transistors to 1.1 of the sandy bridge, 22nm to 32nm, pci-e 3 to pci-e 2, at just a few bucks premium, and more instructions per cycle, for - did you say 40% more power at same clocks? No that can't be right - what IS the expected increased throughput vs sandy bridge for gaming?
Rich
Sandy is mostly between a little under 5% and a little under 9 or 10% faster than SB at the same frequency. The advantage depends on the application and is usually about 5% to 7%.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 12. June 2012 @ 02:54
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harvardguy
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12. June 2012 @ 03:08 |
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Thanks for clarifying that.
Anywhere from 5-10% depending, usually 5-7. Good.
I've been listening to some more Jackie Evancho, and she did a duet with her brother Jacob. He doesn't have her power, but in tight harmony, it was very nice.
Rich
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12. June 2012 @ 03:28 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
Well there have been lots of posts since I last read - quick one though, I'm OK with onboard sound at the moment because my headphones are amplified through my Z-5500's headphone socket. When attached directly they sound terrible by comparison, but with some amplification they sound excellent.
Sam,
I have to say, I loved the sound on the 790X, but the sound on the 990X is so clean and clear, and the signal to noise ratio, makes it a cut above the capabilities of the 790X, with the same audio chip (Realtec ALC889).
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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12. June 2012 @ 09:15 |
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Originally posted by theonejrs:
Originally posted by sammorris:
Well there have been lots of posts since I last read - quick one though, I'm OK with onboard sound at the moment because my headphones are amplified through my Z-5500's headphone socket. When attached directly they sound terrible by comparison, but with some amplification they sound excellent.
Sam,
I have to say, I loved the sound on the 790X, but the sound on the 990X is so clean and clear, and the signal to noise ratio, makes it a cut above the capabilities of the 790X, with the same audio chip (Realtec ALC889).
Russ
P55A-UD4 here, It's been a long time since I've used the older boards with sound, but even the X48-DS4's was good. I've used the same speakers/amplifier and headphones for the last 5 years, during which time I've had several Gigabyte boards and I don't recall having any complaint about the sound with any of them.
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12. June 2012 @ 12:46 |
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Any onboard compared to my X-Fi XtremeMusic is intolerable for me. Afraid I'm rather spoiled :(
I will note that since about X38/790X onboard sound took a huge leap. The onboard on my 790X is wonderful(actually the same chip as many 890 and 990 boards) but again not a discrete chip :(
Been re-visiting my roots lately. More Diablo II... lol never thought I'd be saying that...
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 12. June 2012 @ 13:04
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harvardguy
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12. June 2012 @ 16:59 |
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Diablo II - what's that all about? Is it a shooter?
Hey, is anybody playing Max Payne 3 ?
Russ you linked me to When I Wish Upon a Star sung by Jackie Evancho. I always thought that was a great melody, and she sings it beautifully. But did you re-write your post - where'd the link go?
Oh, and thanks for the info about Vincent. I have the version by Don McLean on my Folk song playlist - his singing style makes it very easy to hear the lyrics. The song meant a lot more to me today - "paint your pallette" etc, knowing it was Vincent Van Gogh. And then a friend said - Starry Starry Night is one of his paintings. I totally forgot about that. So we had the painting open in google listening to the song. Very cool.
A new medal of honor is coming out!!! Some of the critics like it - awarded Best FPS Game of E3 2012! MP will have 2 person coop. Come on, Kevin, this is your chance. Unlike Sam, who will charge off and leave you, I won't let you down. I promise. LOL
Rich
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 12. June 2012 @ 23:49
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