PC Discussion Thread - All PC related in here.

[Balschoiw 0]

Looks like there will be no other chance than to program a autohotkey exe for my netbook. I´ll keep you updated and eventually will post the exe in case someone else needs it.

I´m wondering what I can expect from my new computer, related to Arma ingame performance and gaming performance in general.

What are your thoughts ?

Specs:

Intel® Core™2 Quad Prozessor Q9550 4x 2.83Ghz @ 4x 3.3Ghz

Asetek watercooling

ASUS P5N-D Mainboard

- NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI

- 2x PCI-E x16

- 2x PCI-E X1

- 2x PCI

- 4x DDR2 533/667/800

- 4x SATA2

- 7.1 Kanal Sound

- 1x Gigabit-LAN

- 8x USB 2.0

4096MB DDR2 PC2-6400 (2x 2048MB, dualchannel Mode)

1024MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 280 PCI-E, DVI

1000GB 7200upm SATA 16MB Cache

Thermaltake Shark, 700W BeQuiet

Windows Vista Ultimate

Will it be enough for GTA 4, Far Cry 2 and Arma on high settings ?

[MehMan 0]

My rig is a bit less powerful than yours but it can run ArmA on high with lots going on at high FPS(30+, it tops at 60 because the LCD can only do 60...) and with a 2,5km view distance and at 1680x1050.

And I can run Far Cry 2 completely maxed out without a hitch. Too bad the game sucks balls.

[echo1 0]

That PC should be able to chew on just about anything you throw at it. Are you buying or building yourself?

[Balschoiw 0]

I´ve bought it complete. I usually built my own computers but the difference in price is marginal and I get guarantee for an oc´ed system that is extensively stressed and tested before I get it.

The price seems to be solid aswell. I payed ~1200 Euro for the system. It´s currently stress - tested by the manufacturer

I assembled the same computer at alternate.de and it was infact more expensive than buying the whole package with watercooling already installed. Well, I´ll see how it will perform but to be honest I´m looking forward to it very much

[Supernova 0]

Looks like there will be no other chance than to program a autohotkey exe for my netbook. I´ll keep you updated and eventually will post the exe in case someone else needs it.

I´m wondering what I can expect from my new computer, related to Arma ingame performance and gaming performance in general.

What are your thoughts ?

Specs:

Intel® Core™2 Quad Prozessor Q9550 4x 2.83Ghz @ 4x 3.3Ghz

Asetek watercooling

ASUS P5N-D Mainboard

- NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI

- 2x PCI-E x16

- 2x PCI-E X1

- 2x PCI

- 4x DDR2 533/667/800

- 4x SATA2

- 7.1 Kanal Sound

- 1x Gigabit-LAN

- 8x USB 2.0

4096MB DDR2 PC2-6400 (2x 2048MB, dualchannel Mode)

1024MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 280 PCI-E, DVI

1000GB 7200upm SATA 16MB Cache

Thermaltake Shark, 700W BeQuiet

Windows Vista Ultimate

Will it be enough for GTA 4, Far Cry 2 and Arma on high settings ?

Armed Assault performance should be good to decent. Don't even expect to run GTA IV maxed out. It's intended for future hardware. My only concern is the 750i chipset in you're case I would have gone with a P45 chipset or an X48. I generally steer clear from the nForce chipsets. Also the manufacturer/supplier saved some money with the power supply and case. That overclock is just pathetic from 2.83ghz to 3.33 that's practically nothing and under watercooling.

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ] Also the manufacturer/supplier saved some money with the power supply and case.

I wanted to have a case that does not interfere with longer cards or produces problems with fans that are too close to slots. That´s why I selected that case.

I can´t see what´s wrong with the 700 W BeQuiet powersupply.

Please explain.

I will see what it will be capable of as I´ll get it tomorrow.

Quote[/b] ] That overclock is just pathetic from 2.83ghz to 3.33 that's practically nothing and under watercooling.

That´s the overclocking done by manufacturer. Of course they don´t go to the max as they give guarantee on the machine with oc´ed speeds.

It will be my personal pleasure to find the limit.

[Supernova 0]

Quote[/b] ] Also the manufacturer/supplier saved some money with the power supply and case.

I wanted to have a case that does not interfere with longer cards or produces problems with fans that are too close to slots. That´s why I selected that case.

I can´t see what´s wrong with the 700 W BeQuiet powersupply.  

Please explain.

I will see what it will be capable of as I´ll get it tomorrow.

Quote[/b] ] That overclock is just pathetic from 2.83ghz to 3.33 that's practically nothing and under watercooling.

That´s the overclocking done by manufacturer. Of course they don´t go to the max as they give guarantee on the machine with oc´ed speeds.

It will be my personal pleasure to find the limit.  

My favourite choices for cases come from Antec and Cooler Master. Thermaltake cases look cheap and poorly made and the Shark is archaic (why not go for the Armor+ , Spedo ?).

I always use the following brands for power supplies: Corsair , PC Power and Cooling and Thermaltake. Never had any problems with any of the above.

Why not overclock it you'reself instead of having a beginner overclock upon which you can improve upon?.

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ] the Shark is archaic (why not go for the Armor+ , Spedo ?).

Because I´m an archaic type of guy

No seriously...I don´t need bells and whistles with a case. I need to be able exchange drives, I need to be able to open it quickly and needs to have proper ventilation. That´s what I need for a case. I´m not buying a showroom computer or space shuttle.

BeQuiet power supplies have a good reputation and are really quiet. That´s why I wanted to have it and also some backpower for a second Nvidia 280 card that most likely will find it´s way into the computer at some point.

I have it overclocked by the manufacturer because he offers that service and I don´t want to spend the first days with trial and error. I know already that I can easily clock it up to 4x 4Ghz IF the other components cooperate. Still, right now I hardly can imagine a software component apart from Maya that would need such core-power. The games to come will certainly benefit from high core speeds but from what I´ve read in forums, techblogs,etc. the setup I have with the CPU, RAM and Gfx card seems to be pretty able of running todays games decently and certainly much better than my old system.

Financially this is certainly a compromise but to be honest I really don´t see why I should buy the lastest stuff for 4000 Euro when I can have a good platform for 1200 Euro.

My old computer basically lastet 6 years with overclocking, new motherboard, new CPU, new Ram, new PSU,etc,etc

He simply has to make place now and that´s why I chose to buy a complete, tested, oc´ed, working and ready...I hope

[Supernova 0]

Quote[/b] ]

BeQuiet power supplies have a good reputation and are really quiet. That´s why I wanted to have it and also some backpower for a second Nvidia 280 card that most likely will find it´s way into the computer at some point.

I don't think you can add a second GTX 280 with that power supply. You need at minimum a 750W-800W (800 to be on the safe side).

Quote[/b] ]Financially this is certainly a compromise but to be honest I really don´t see why I should buy the lastest stuff for 4000 Euro when I can have a good platform for 1200 Euro.

I disagree and agree here. If you have the money for a high-end system you can go ahead and spend that cash but no matter how much money you spend eventually it's value and 'cutting edge' status will make it archaic and obsolete.

Quote[/b] ]My old computer basically lastet 6 years with overclocking, new motherboard, new CPU, new Ram, new PSU,etc,etc

Welcome to the club of S478 systems . Except I no longer am using my S478 system I replaced it with a i7 965 system. Although I do regret the amount of money spent on the system when I could have built a similar performer using slightly less expensive components.

On a side note specifically ask for the Q9550 to be E0 stepping and C1 stepping. They have numerous revisions and run cooler and overclock even better than the C1 Q9550's.

[echo1 0]

I don't think you can add a second GTX 280 with that power supply. You need at minimum a 750W-800W (800 to be on the safe side).

What that spec you could easily put in a GTX280 with that PSU. It would only become a problem if you decided to throw in two, but SLI sucks anyway so that's not an issue.

[Supernova 0]

Quote[/b] ]

What that spec you could easily put in a GTX280 with that PSU. It would only become a problem if you decided to throw in two, but SLI sucks anyway so that's not an issue.

Yes. I don't disagree with what you said about a 700W being powerful enough for a single GTX 280 but Balschoiw said:

Quote[/b] ]

BeQuiet power supplies have a good reputation and are really quiet. That´s why I wanted to have it and also some backpower for a second Nvidia 280 card that most likely will find it´s way into the computer at some point.

Clearly he didn't do his research because if he wants to add a second or third nvidia gtx 280 or go 285 sli/tri-sli in the future he would need a new power supply because 700W is not enough for multiple video card configs.

[Balschoiw 0]

Ok...little feedback about the computer.

It´s terrific

I tested Far Cry 2, Dead Space, Fallout 3 and some race-sims so far and I can play them all maxed out. Incredible.

Next will be Arma

The option for a second gfx card is not today or tomorrow. The computer should last some years and therefore I mentioned an optional second gfx card. Right now the PSU is really enough. Under heavy load the computer consumes 340 Watt measured with a device that is plugged in between the computer and the socket.

The computer is a blast, running at 3.6 Ghz/core by default now and the Nvidia 280 definately rocks.

[Supernova 0]

Quote[/b] ]

The option for a second gfx card is not today or tomorrow. The computer should last some years and therefore I mentioned an optional second gfx card. Right now the PSU is really enough. Under heavy load the computer consumes 340 Watt measured with a device that is plugged in between the computer and the socket.

Why do you keep thinking that you are right when I told you specifically that SLI or TRI-SLI with that power supply will be inadequate. I think its bad research on you're part because YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SLI A GTX 280 on a 700W power supply. . I don't care about you're measurements if you want to SLI a GTX 280 you need a higher wattage model than the one you have.

[echo1 0]

Beg your pardon, my bad But I still stick to what I said earlier - putting in another GTX280 would be a waste of time and money. Better to wait till the GTX280 starts to become outdated and replace it with whatever is new then.

[Supernova 0]

Beg your pardon, my bad But I still stick to what I said earlier - putting in another GTX280 would be a waste of time and money. Better to wait till the GTX280 starts to become outdated and replace it with whatever is new then.

That's ok ch_123. I agree I personally wouldn't add a second GTX 280 or a pair of them because ArmA doesn't support SLI/CrossfireX like other games do. Even then in certain games the performance is not justified while in others its when you run 30" LCD's. It's an expensive delight for little to no performance gain. I am just frustrated Balschiow cannot understand he cannot SLI with that power supply.

[Infam0us 10]

Better to add a GTX295 imo. As ArmA does'nt do SLI

[echo1 0]

Actually, its better to add a GTX285 because if the game doesnt support SLI, it won't support a dual-GPU card.

[Supernova 0]

Better to add a GTX295 imo. As ArmA does'nt do SLI  

GTX 295 is "SLI" on two-pcb's and ArmA doesn't support SLI as you said . So GTX 285 is indeed the better choice because it is a die shrink GTX 280 and a single card solution. It's funny Infamous mentioned the GTX 295 and then mentioned the SLI when that recommendation was poorly researched because his statement contradicts what he said.

[Infam0us 10]

Lols, I just assumed that it was the next model up from the GTX280    I'll stay in the Red Corner for now  

[Rebel Man 431]

Thank you Universal an ch_123 both for the infromations.

[Sertorius 0]

OK, a relatively minor question. I've got most of the wiring for my theoretical computer worked out, but one part has me scratching my head a bit. The system has a mobo with 8 SATA 3GBs ports and 1 PATA port (ATA100 2 Dev. Max). I'll be connecting a DVD-RW drive ("SATA interface"), a hard drive (SATA 3GBs), and 4 external USB ports on the case. The USB ports come on the case, I believe they come with cabling, and I'm not particularly concerned about them anyway. What I'm mainly wondering about is which format of cable I should use for the other two devices (SATA or SATA II). The mobo comes with an IDE/PATA cable and a SATA cable. Should I be shopping for SATA II cable(s)? I certainly am not looking to be stuck with PATA/IDE.

Edit: However, speaking of the USB ports, they are located on the front of the case, and I would like to have all of them connected to the mobo. The mobo is listed as having 2 USB 2.0/1.1 headers. As I said before, I'm pretty sure the USB ports come with connectors, but am I going to need to purchase some sort of bracket/splitter to connect the USB cables to the mobo?

Edit2: Right now, I'm pretty sure I'll need a SATA II cable to connect the HDD to the mobo (A SATA 3GBS HDD to a SATA 3GBs port seems fairly straightforward). The SATA cable will connect the disc drive to the mobo. Am I on the right track here?

[echo1 0]

OK, a relatively minor question. I've got most of the wiring for my theoretical computer worked out, but one part has me scratching my head a bit. The system has a mobo with 8 SATA 3GBs ports and 1 PATA port (ATA100 2 Dev. Max). I'll be connecting a DVD-RW drive ("SATA interface"), a hard drive (SATA 3GBs), and 4 external USB ports on the case. The USB ports come on the case, I believe they come with cabling, and I'm not particularly concerned about them anyway. What I'm mainly wondering about is which format of cable I should use for the other two devices (SATA or SATA II). The mobo comes with an IDE/PATA cable and a SATA cable. Should I be shopping for SATA II cable(s)? I certainly am not looking to be stuck with PATA/IDE.

Edit: However, speaking of the USB ports, they are located on the front of the case, and I would like to have all of them connected to the mobo. The mobo is listed as having 2 USB 2.0/1.1 headers. As I said before, I'm pretty sure the USB ports come with connectors, but am I going to need to purchase some sort of bracket/splitter to connect the USB cables to the mobo?

Edit2: Right now, I'm pretty sure I'll need a SATA II cable to connect the HDD to the mobo (A SATA 3GBS HDD to a SATA 3GBs port seems fairly straightforward). The SATA cable will connect the disc drive to the mobo. Am I on the right track here?

Sertorious -

A SATA cable is a SATA cable. There arent any ones specifically designed for SATA II or the original SATA, they use the same one.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by needing splitters for the case's USB ports. A single USB header can support up to 2 ports. The headers don't have anything to do with the ones on the back so they wont interfere with them.

[Supernova 0]

OK, a relatively minor question. I've got most of the wiring for my theoretical computer worked out, but one part has me scratching my head a bit. The system has a mobo with 8 SATA 3GBs ports and 1 PATA port (ATA100 2 Dev. Max). I'll be connecting a DVD-RW drive ("SATA interface"), a hard drive (SATA 3GBs), and 4 external USB ports on the case. The USB ports come on the case, I believe they come with cabling, and I'm not particularly concerned about them anyway. What I'm mainly wondering about is which format of cable I should use for the other two devices (SATA or SATA II). The mobo comes with an IDE/PATA cable and a SATA cable. Should I be shopping for SATA II cable(s)? I certainly am not looking to be stuck with PATA/IDE.

Edit: However, speaking of the USB ports, they are located on the front of the case, and I would like to have all of them connected to the mobo. The mobo is listed as having 2 USB 2.0/1.1 headers. As I said before, I'm pretty sure the USB ports come with connectors, but am I going to need to purchase some sort of bracket/splitter to connect the USB cables to the mobo?

Edit2: Right now, I'm pretty sure I'll need a SATA II cable to connect the HDD to the mobo (A SATA 3GBS HDD to a SATA 3GBs port seems fairly straightforward). The SATA cable will connect the disc drive to the mobo. Am I on the right track here?

Most motherboards support 6 SATA ports not 8. I'm pretty sure you must be confusing 2 additional ports for E-SATA as SATA. Take a look at the Gigabyte X58 Extreme it has 6 sata ports and 4 E-SATA ports. I may be wrong but I am pretty sure no motherboards support more than 6 SATA devices at a time.

[echo1 0]

Many motherboards will include a seperate SATA controller on the southbridge, allowing it to support more than 6. In fact, on Intel-based motherboards since around the time the original Core 2 Duos came out, IDE is no longer handled by the chipset, but by a seperate controller.

[Sertorius 0]

Quote[/b] ]A SATA cable is a SATA cable. There arent any ones specifically designed for SATA II or the original SATA, they use the same one.

Thank you. I asked because NewEgg sells some cables labeled as "SATA" and some as "SATA II", and I wasn't sure if I might run into compatibility problems.

Quote[/b] ]I'm not entirely sure what you mean by needing splitters for the case's USB ports. A single USB header can support up to 2 ports.

I wasn't quite sure how many USB ports a header could support. Thanks for answering my question   .

Quote[/b] ]Most motherboards support 6 SATA ports not 8.

I'm looking at a Gigabyte GA-EX58 UD3R. It's supposed to have 6 SATA connectors from the South Bridge and 2 from the SATA2 chip. Probably not that big of a deal, I'm not planning to do RAID.