PC Discussion Thread II - All PC related discussion goes here.

[Shashman 0]

So I'll go for an Asus motherboard, i5 2500K (I've read that the Ivybridge CPUs overheat more than Sandybridge) as most people agree that it's the most futureproof CPU, and the 560Ti. I have to get everything in one go as I will be buying on finance, so can't wait for the new GPUs to be released

[PuFu 4600]

I would wait had it not been for my PC being virtually destroyed four days ago. I've found out the only thing that is not damaged is the hard drive (so rather lucky I guess), everything else smells like it's already been on fire, or about to ignite ...

I was planning for some time to buy a new computer after ArmA3 comes out, but as all I've got left now is this 10 year old computer I dragged from the attic, I'm in need for a new system. I have been looking for the best price/performance parts that are not overly noisy, and came up with this:

fair enough i guess.

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Antec P280, ATX, Black

CoolerMaster Silent Pro M2 520W

Intel Core i7-3770, 3.40GHz, 8MB, S1155

Be Quiet! Dark Rock Advanced C1

Asus P8Z77-V LE S1155 Z77 4xDDR3 ATX

Corsair Vengeance 16GB(4x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz CL9

GeForce GTX 560 Ti, 1024MB, DirectCU

OCZ Vertex 4 128GB 2.5" SATA3

Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB

Lite-On iHAS124 24xDVDRW, Black, SATA, bulk

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1234,09

get the i7 3770k. It's under 20Eus more, and you have some headroom to push it further when you need to (up to 4.6-4.8 on air).

see if you can grab the 2gb version of that 560TI. It does worth having extra ram if you have a 1080p monitor. I have found places where it was 5-10 Eus more than the 1GB. Definitely worth it.

The PSU might be right on the edge. I would suggest a 600-700W, just in case.

One more thing: the cooler on that processor is pretty low-budget. It should do a decent job untill you clean it up and you need to unscrew it, 8/10 cases you will break one of it's plastic ends that fit in the MB. Might wanna consider a proper one (corsair H series, Noctua and Zalman would be my picks here, in that order).

That is without a soundcard, I am not sure on what to pick at all. Something in the 50-75 euro range probably, I use both surround speakers and a fairly cheap headphone, I'm not exactly an audiophile when it comes to noticing differences in sound quality ... does anyone have any suggestions? :confused:

You can grab an XFI card laters on. It isn't a must for most games, i haven't really noticed the difference between the on board and dedicated in games, although i surely do when i am compositing or post-pro and need to pay attention to fine audio details.

Unfortunately I'm some way over my (self-imposed) budget of 1100 euros. I could shave off some money by getting a cheaper case, this one currently costs 129,90 ... :eek:

Well, for some weird reason, cases are under-rated. I used to believe that a cardboard case would do, but the airflow, dust-proof case and silence is pretty important when it comes to todays PCs. Either way, don't buy those cheep damn cases, you might end up buying another proper one just after that.

So I'll go for an Asus motherboard, i5 2500K (I've read that the Ivybridge CPUs overheat more than Sandybridge) as most people agree that it's the most futureproof CPU, and the 560Ti. I have to get everything in one go as I will be buying on finance, so can't wait for the new GPUs to be released

Even so, you might wanna check the EVGA RMA policy, just in case you might be eligible for an upgrade in the next 6 months. Might worth trowing another 5-10 dollars/euros/pounds on an EVGA version another brand just for that very reason.

[Colossus 2]

@JdB

It's probably cheaper down in Europe, but I'll give it a go with my annoying Norwegian prices. :o

Motherboard:

Gigabyte GA-Z68AP

CPU:

Intel Core i5 3570K

SSD:

Samsung SSD 830 Series 128GB

HDD:

Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB 64MB

Graphics card:

MSI Radeon HD 7850 2GB Twin Frozr III

PSU:

Corsair TX 750W V2

RAM:

Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1600 8 GB (2x4GB) CL9 - I guess you can go for the 4x4GB option too.

Fan:

Zalman CNPS9500A LED

DVD burner:

Sony AD-5280

Price: 7989 NOK which is about 1053 Euros

Adding another 639 NOK or 84 Euros and you'll get a nice 'Fractal Design Define R3 Black Pearl' cabinet. :)

Edited May 6, 2012 by colossus
not to get in confused with anything else

[Shashman 0]

JdB, go for an ASUS Xonar DG sound card. It only costs around 15E, or just settle with the onboard sound, which nowadays is more than decent, and nearly always HD.

Ah thanks PuFu I'll have a look at the EVGA cards, as that sounds very attractive. So basically, when the new GPU comes out, I get a free upgrade? Sounds too good to be true!

That's quite a pricey build collossus :P

[Bee8190 10]

The Asus xonar generaly recieve good reviews and are not priced sky hi, however you can get the best sound card but without decent headphones / speakers it will still be rather waste. I have pair of Sennheiser's 555 and the sound is stunning without ever feeling the need for dedi sound card. My advice would be to get pair of sennheiser's and never look back ( you can get alreaddy decent pair for 50Eur + )

Hope this helps

[MissileMoose 10]

If we're onto headsets I'd recommend the Corsair gamer series. I have the HS1 but the Vengeance 1500 and 2000 have since been released.

[Shashman 0]

Don't forget that a dedicated sound card not only gives you better quality sound, but takes a load off your CPU too. That's a factor to take into account.

[Tonci87 163]

For PSUs: Cougar

Never had problems with them

http://www.cougar-world.com/

[special_air_service 10]

er what's the different between RAM speed (example : DDR2 667 mhz and DDR2 1066 mhz ) , is it affecting on gaming so much or it will only make a little differences ?

[JdB 151]

get the i7 3770k. It's under 20Eus more, and you have some headroom to push it further when you need to (up to 4.6-4.8 on air).

see if you can grab the 2gb version of that 560TI. It does worth having extra ram if you have a 1080p monitor. I have found places where it was 5-10 Eus more than the 1GB. Definitely worth it.

The PSU might be right on the edge. I would suggest a 600-700W, just in case.

One more thing: the cooler on that processor is pretty low-budget. It should do a decent job untill you clean it up and you need to unscrew it, 8/10 cases you will break one of it's plastic ends that fit in the MB. Might wanna consider a proper one (corsair H series, Noctua and Zalman would be my picks here, in that order).

I'm trying to save money, not spend more! :p

I've now picked a 700W PSU. The price difference online and offline between the 3770 and 3770K is around 40 euros here in all shops, the Ti 2GB model costs 30 euros more in all shops :(

It might be when they're on sale, I've noticed tiny differences before myself, but sadly none of the parts I want are on sale right now, typical :mad:

Do you mean the standard cooler that comes with the CPU? I did list a separate cooler as I have zero faith in the standard ones, "Be Quiet! Dark Rock Advanced C1". I'll take a look at the brands you suggested.

Well, for some weird reason, cases are under-rated. I used to believe that a cardboard case would do, but the airflow, dust-proof case and silence is pretty important when it comes to todays PCs. Either way, don't buy those cheep damn cases, you might end up buying another proper one just after that.

And cable-management too, all of which this case is rated to be good at in reviews. So I'll try to stick with it if possible.

One other thing, should I install the OS and ArmA3 on the SSD or just ArmA3?

[Shashman 0]

Go for the GTX 560Ti 448 Core Version. It's got a stupid name and should really be called "GTX 565", as it performs almost as well as the 570.

If you're looking to save money, forget the i7 and go for the IvyBridge i5 3570K.

That HSF is a top choice by the way. It's winning awards left, right and centre.

[special_air_service 10]

what is the difference between 60 Hz and 75 Hz refresh rate on PC monitor ? I feel my eye are better and not tired so fast when using 75 hz than 60 hz, but is there any effect on the gaming itself ?

[Shashman 0]

The higher the better, both in terms of image fluidity and the effect on your eyes.

[Hillsbills 1]

If money isn't really an issue are the i7 big boys worth it solely from an ARMA3 standpoint? I don't mind dropping the cash on a new build but if the gains are small why drop the extra $700?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115079

[special_air_service 10]

The higher the better, both in terms of image fluidity and the effect on your eyes.

my default refresh rate monitor is 60 Hz , but if I change it into 75 Hz will it damaging my monitor ? Because I had read some article told that increasing refresh rate will cause damage to your monitor , and even though you had change into 75 Hz , the actual output you have will be still 60 Hz. Is this correct ?

[CameronMcDonald 146]

er what's the different between RAM speed (example : DDR2 667 mhz and DDR2 1066 mhz ) , is it affecting on gaming so much or it will only make a little differences ?

RAM speed is usually not as important as the amount you have, provided you are dealing with the same DDRX number.

The best analogy I've heard of is road transport. If you have say, 4GB of DDR2-667, consider it a van. However, if you have 2GB of DDR2-1066, consider it a Lamborghini.

Although the Lambo will get there (read: transfer data) much quicker, the van can deliver much more with each trip. The amount you can deliver far outweighs the speed you deliver it with in most cases, so it's better to have more RAM, rather than faster RAM of the same capacity. Of course, it's best to get more, faster RAM if you have the mulah. :D

[special_air_service 10]

RAM speed is usually not as important as the amount you have, provided you are dealing with the same DDRX number.

The best analogy I've heard of is road transport. If you have say, 4GB of DDR2-667, consider it a van. However, if you have 2GB of DDR2-1066, consider it a Lamborghini.

Although the Lambo will get there (read: transfer data) much quicker, the van can deliver much more with each trip. The amount you can deliver far outweighs the speed you deliver it with in most cases, so it's better to have more RAM, rather than faster RAM of the same capacity. Of course, it's best to get more, faster RAM if you have the mulah. :D

Detailed information, thank you very much :) , eh much quicker transfer data affecting FPS on gaming or make loading faster ? or maybe not at all both ? :confused:

[Tonci87 163]

@JdB always go for a seperate cooler, the little things that are issued with the CPU are fine for office work but if you are into gaming simply pick the most efficient cooler you can get. Especially if you consider to overclock one day.

[PuFu 4600]

my default refresh rate monitor is 60 Hz , but if I change it into 75 Hz will it damaging my monitor ? Because I had read some article told that increasing refresh rate will cause damage to your monitor , and even though you had change into 75 Hz , the actual output you have will be still 60 Hz. Is this correct ?

It isn't. What articles?

If your monitor supports 75Hz, good, you'll be able to select it from the list of screen resolutions available, and it will run @75Hz. BUT If it doesn't, even if you force it to show unsupported resolution and frequencies, selecting one of those will show a blank black screen, and will auto-revert to previous resolution in 15s.

You cannot damage a monitor this way, i'm sure of it.

RAM speed is usually not as important as the amount you have, provided you are dealing with the same DDRX number.

The best analogy I've heard of is road transport. If you have say, 4GB of DDR2-667, consider it a van. However, if you have 2GB of DDR2-1066, consider it a Lamborghini.

In this case the comparision in terms of speed would be between a VW Van (transporter), and a VW Golf. The difference between 667 and 1066 and neglijable in most applications. If we would be talking about DDR2 vs DDR3, things might be different though, and you comparison would be a bit more exact.

much quicker transfer data affecting FPS on gaming or make loading faster ? or maybe not at all both ? :confused:

The size and speed of the ram usually affects loading times, not average FPS. It does affect average FPS when the application is trying to load more into the ram than available ram. That said, more ram than it is needed doesn't make thing run better, nor worse.

For gaming purposes, even on 64-bit OS (taking into account that there is no native 64-bit binary file for 99.9% of the games out there), 6gig is more than enough.

For instance, my 24GB rig is normally using around 2-5 gig in OS or when gaming. There is a completely different thing when it comes down to multiple 64-bit applications running and performing various tasks simultaneously, that require a lot of data to be streamed via ram.

[special_air_service 10]

Thank for you all that had answered my question :)

Actually I have Gigabyte EP45-UD3R which LGA 775 and compatible to Core2Extreme at max , I planning to buy Geforce GTX 460 or GTX 560 Ti but Iam afraid that even though my motherboard are fully compatible with those 2 VGA , my Processor will be heavily bottleneck by the new VGA. My current Processor is E7200 Core2Duo @2.53 Ghz.

Since the most powerful processor that compatible with my old motherboard is Core2Quad class (not mention core2Extreme because I think there isn't anymore Computer Store in my town that still have new stock of it) which in my opinion Core2Quad Q9650 is the best among it's class, will it make my new VGA bottleneck ?

Since I am reading that newer models of VGA such as GTX 460 or 560 a perfect match for Intel Core I5 or I7 class :(

Iam considering purchasing Geforce GTX 460 if GTX 560 Ti will be bottleneck with my Processor, even though maybe GTX 460 maybe similar bottleneck as well :( , but I have no choice (lower than GTX 460 are GTS 450 which Iam not too confident in handling future game)

Thank you for the help :)

[SWAT_BigBear 0]

A lil OT....but here is a screenshot after a recent backup, lol@ the W-7 Fail.

[kmossco 9]

The only thing I would change is the PSU. For a Corsair TX-650, OCZ or Antec. All around the 500-650W.

[king_code 1]

So I have Arma2 OA on disc (bought it at walmart) and Arma2 off of steam is there a way I can combine Ama2 OA to steam? (I really want to play Dayz but dont want to rebuy OA) please say no if not possible or if it is please tell me how. Thanks :yay::yay:

[Placebo 29]

I'm looking to upgrade my motherboard seeing as I just bought a Sata3 SSD and my current mobo is only Sata2 (as well as having some other flaws such as onboard network adaptor and 1 usb no longer working, gfx card blocking the only other PCI slot etc), so looking for recommendations of a new mobo, must have the following:

Sata 3

AM3 compatible (CPU is AMD Phenom II X4 945 3ghz)

4 DIMM slots (I have 2x2gb and 2x1gb ram)

PCIE

At least 2 PCI slots (not blocked by gfx card)

Ideally no more than £100, not too bothered about brand but I am ware Gigabyte (my current board) have some big issues with AHCI performance so wouldn't mind avoiding that brand.

[Colossus 2]

I'm not very familiar with the AMD chipsets, but this one seemed to meet your requirements. Bare in mind there are other versions of this card as well, but this is the one I was able to find in a swedish store - unless of course you want it from somewhere else.

Asus M4A87TD/USB3 - Specifications

Asus M4A87TD/USB3 - CDON.se (799 SEK / ~£76)

PS: You didn't specify what RAM chips you have. This motherboard supports DDR3 1600/1333/1066

Edited June 6, 2012 by colossus