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The Official Budget-Conscious Dream Machine!
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AfterDawn Addict
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10. June 2008 @ 13:39 |
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by next month ill have £350 free.
so do i get an antec 1200 and a 4870, or a 24" screen and a 4850?
(or look for a cheap second hand 8800GTX with the screen)
MGR (Micro Gaming Rig) .|. Intel Q6600 @ 3.45GHz .|. Asus P35 P5K-E/WiFi .|. 4GB 1066MHz Geil Black Dragon RAM .|. Samsung F60 SSD .|. Corsair H50-1 Cooler .|. Sapphire 4870 512MB .|. Lian Li PC-A70B .|. Be Queit P7 Dark Power Pro 850W PSU .|. 24" 1920x1200 DGM (MVA Panel) .|. 24" 1920x1080 Dell (TN Panel) .|. |
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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10. June 2008 @ 14:09 |
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If you're going to get a 24" monitor, do it right, and don't get a cheap crappy acer one. If it was one of those you were considering, go for the case instead.
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AfterDawn Addict
2 product reviews
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10. June 2008 @ 14:15 |
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I say Monitor and video card.
What kind of case do you have right now?
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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10. June 2008 @ 14:17 |
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An Akasa Zen, the £20 one...
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AfterDawn Addict
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10. June 2008 @ 14:28 |
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yep sadly :(
or i could mod it, and paint it etc. and do the case/video.
but if i do go for 24", and 8800GTX.
i gues ill see in july then.
but it will mostly likely be a TN film 24"
i could scrape £400, which would allow me £150/and £250 for gfx and monitor. or £100/£300 for antec/4870/and p45 mobo.
MGR (Micro Gaming Rig) .|. Intel Q6600 @ 3.45GHz .|. Asus P35 P5K-E/WiFi .|. 4GB 1066MHz Geil Black Dragon RAM .|. Samsung F60 SSD .|. Corsair H50-1 Cooler .|. Sapphire 4870 512MB .|. Lian Li PC-A70B .|. Be Queit P7 Dark Power Pro 850W PSU .|. 24" 1920x1200 DGM (MVA Panel) .|. 24" 1920x1080 Dell (TN Panel) .|.
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AfterDawn Addict
2 product reviews
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10. June 2008 @ 14:43 |
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The case seems fine to me. Also what's the difference between P35 and P45?
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AfterDawn Addict
15 product reviews
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10. June 2008 @ 14:46 |
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Remember, you can always buy more stuff later. When I got my 8800GTX, I was stuck on a 17" LCD for a few months. As it seems, you could use a new video card the most. Your 3GHz Core 2 Duo is enough to push a high-end video card so I see no advantage getting a new mobo right now if you planned to OC more.
If you're going to be using a 24" monitor, I'd recommend an 8800GTS over the more expensive 8800GTX. Most games won't give you any trouble. If you want to go ATi, wait until the 4850 gets here and see what performance is like.
I'd put priority as:
1) Video Card
2) Monitor
3) Case
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 |
AfterDawn Addict
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12. June 2008 @ 14:26 |
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yeah your right m8. i guess ill buy a holesaw and mod my case :) (not forgetting the paint and primer :)
im deffo gonna put pics of that up :)
ok so 4850 and 24" TN film montior for me by july. cant wait.
MGR (Micro Gaming Rig) .|. Intel Q6600 @ 3.45GHz .|. Asus P35 P5K-E/WiFi .|. 4GB 1066MHz Geil Black Dragon RAM .|. Samsung F60 SSD .|. Corsair H50-1 Cooler .|. Sapphire 4870 512MB .|. Lian Li PC-A70B .|. Be Queit P7 Dark Power Pro 850W PSU .|. 24" 1920x1200 DGM (MVA Panel) .|. 24" 1920x1080 Dell (TN Panel) .|.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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12. June 2008 @ 14:37 |
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Case modding can be quite fun - and it's not as if you're risking much with an expensive case - go nuts! :D
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AfterDawn Addict
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12. June 2008 @ 15:05 |
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yeah, £30 case :)
i wonder how much the paint, primer and holesaws and sander (for the edge of the holes i cut), and the window will cost?
what would i use to cut the window out?
MGR (Micro Gaming Rig) .|. Intel Q6600 @ 3.45GHz .|. Asus P35 P5K-E/WiFi .|. 4GB 1066MHz Geil Black Dragon RAM .|. Samsung F60 SSD .|. Corsair H50-1 Cooler .|. Sapphire 4870 512MB .|. Lian Li PC-A70B .|. Be Queit P7 Dark Power Pro 850W PSU .|. 24" 1920x1200 DGM (MVA Panel) .|. 24" 1920x1080 Dell (TN Panel) .|.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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12. June 2008 @ 15:39 |
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A reasonable amount, but shouldn't be too bad. The number one PC modding tool though is a Dremel - infinitesimally useful, and dirt cheap if you get a B&Q's own brand 'performance' one or something like that.
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AfterDawn Addict
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12. June 2008 @ 16:14 |
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ok will that do both hole cutting and big windows?
what about plexiglass for the window?
MGR (Micro Gaming Rig) .|. Intel Q6600 @ 3.45GHz .|. Asus P35 P5K-E/WiFi .|. 4GB 1066MHz Geil Black Dragon RAM .|. Samsung F60 SSD .|. Corsair H50-1 Cooler .|. Sapphire 4870 512MB .|. Lian Li PC-A70B .|. Be Queit P7 Dark Power Pro 850W PSU .|. 24" 1920x1200 DGM (MVA Panel) .|. 24" 1920x1080 Dell (TN Panel) .|.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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12. June 2008 @ 16:25 |
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You can get cutting discs of different types and materials for different jobs, I've not used one myself, but I know they can definitely cut plastic well enough.
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AfterDawn Addict
15 product reviews
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13. June 2008 @ 01:30 |
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The parts are finally here. The Smilodon is a bad-ass case. The quality is way above what one might expect from a budget brand like Raidmax. Loads of little features. Very solidly built. Looks MUCH better in real life than in photos. Like a stealth fighter :D
I'm going to be working on the customer build tomorrow, and I'll be doing my own in a few days. Not in a big rush or anything. I'll report back with a quick review on the new stuff when I get a chance.
Installed the 8800GTS right away though. HUGE improvement in 1920 res. Crysis is playable in 1650 res again too :) Looks beautiful... Also, 600W StealthXstream boots up normally and voltage checks out fine in all software sensors. Speedfan seems to be generally accurate. Eh, I'm not too worried. Handles the build without a hiccup. As quiet as my Corsair.
Quote:
ok will that do both hole cutting and big windows?
what about plexiglass for the window?
Well, like sammorris says, a dremel is your best friend. A fairly high quality one can be picked up for cheap. Different cutting heads for different materials.
Plexiglass isn't too hard to find either. A local hardware store might have some.
Have fun. Be creative. Easy mods include cutting out fan grills for better airflow, and maybe some cold cathodes if you're so inclined.
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
2 product reviews
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13. June 2008 @ 01:56 |
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Really, isn't that case great? They really did pay attention to details.
I just wish the fan's position on the VGA bar was adjustable. That way you can intake cold air right over the GPU fan. On the most recent build I did the fan was useless because the 9800GTX blows air out of the case so the fan can't exhaust or anything like that.
I'm sure you could cut out a new position though...
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 13. June 2008 @ 01:56
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AfterDawn Addict
15 product reviews
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13. June 2008 @ 07:53 |
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The VGA bar works great for the 8800GT I put in. I can feel warm air coming out when running 3Dmark 06. I don't know what I'll do with the dual slot cooler on my 8800GTS. I probably need to break out my own dremel and make some mods. Not sure how that would work. But I'll figure something out. I might just remove the bar altogether.
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 13. June 2008 @ 07:55
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AfterDawn Addict
2 product reviews
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13. June 2008 @ 10:40 |
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I had a BIG ASS cooler so I had the remove the green CPU fan(that things moves a LOT of air) and put it in the VGA slot and took the VGA fan and put it behind the HDD.
Well some airflow is better than none. I'm sure there will will be SOME heat that it can remove from the 8800GTS.
I thought you were going to get a 8800GTS G92? Did you get the Palit 8800GT instead?
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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13. June 2008 @ 11:16 |
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From most of the information I've gathered, the OCZ is not as quiet as Corsair units - it probably just isn't audible above the rest of your components...
Is this VGA bar a side exhaust fan? Because if it is, it's something I've found to be tremendously effective in my PC - once I made my X1900 fanless a while back (it also helps with my current 3870 since it exhausts into the case) I swapped my 120mm side fan to exhaust and took the dust filter off, and it lowered my GPU temps by nearly 10 degrees - you can feel warm air coming out when gaming, and cool air when not...
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AfterDawn Addict
2 product reviews
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13. June 2008 @ 11:35 |
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You can turn it and make it exhaust or intake.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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13. June 2008 @ 11:41 |
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I'm not saying you couldn't - but what are you guys using it as?
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AfterDawn Addict
2 product reviews
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13. June 2008 @ 11:52 |
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I used to use it as exhaust in the first build because it was a 9600GT and it spit the hot air back out into the case. In the second build I used it as intake because it was a 9800GTX with a dual slot solution.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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13. June 2008 @ 11:57 |
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Yep, that's what I'd do in those relevant situations, or at least would if I wasn't a silence nut. I don't know about the Raidmax case but for the NZXT Lexa, the side fan is mounted directly to the plexiglass side panel, consequently if you mount a fan as intake (without the dust filter - that abates this issue) you get horrible 4b vibrations (4*blade frequency).
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AfterDawn Addict
2 product reviews
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13. June 2008 @ 12:10 |
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Great minds think alike...
Here I will show you what it looks like.
AND... Here is a review!
http://www.3dgameman.com/content/view/4286/103/
I just noticed something. The Extreme version(the ones I bought) have 120mm exhaust, while the Blue version has 80MM exhaust!
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 13. June 2008 @ 12:13
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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13. June 2008 @ 12:13 |
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Is that an 80mm rear fan? What is this, 2003? lol
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AfterDawn Addict
2 product reviews
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13. June 2008 @ 12:13 |
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Check my Edit.
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