INFO: Building/Buying a Desktop (PC or Mac) - Page 157

Fadaar · 11-21-2009, 06:25 PM

5870 by far. 5870 is nearly equivalent to the 295, more or less in between the 280 and 295.

Chanur · 11-21-2009, 09:22 PM

Are i5's decent? Looking at building a comp with one. Are they way worse than i7s? Or not even worth getting?

Whats a decent mobo brand now days?

Silence · 11-21-2009, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chanur

Are i5's decent? Looking at building a comp with one. Are they way worse than i7s? Or not even worth getting?

Whats a decent mobo brand now days?

Nothing at all wrong with an i5. A good read here: AnandTech: Intel's Core i7 870 & i5 750, Lynnfield: Harder, Better, Faster Stronger

Mainboards... the usual suspects, Asus and Gigabyte are both top notch.

Cybsled · 11-22-2009, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fadaar

5870 by far. 5870 is nearly equivalent to the 295, more or less in between the 280 and 295.

Wow, that's a damn powerful card then if it beats a dual nvidia 260 SLI setup. Yum.

Leadsalad · 11-22-2009, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chanur

Are i5's decent? Looking at building a comp with one. Are they way worse than i7s? Or not even worth getting?

Whats a decent mobo brand now days?

Yeah, read that Anandtech link. Current i5s are just the LGA1156 i7s without Hyperthreading. Later down the road they'll have i5s with integrated graphics processors (requiring new motherboards with support for built in graphics).

Fadaar · 11-22-2009, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cybsled

Wow, that's a damn powerful card then if it beats a dual nvidia 260 SLI setup. Yum.

Oh shit I missed the part where you said SLI. I thought you meant straight up card vs card. Dual 260's would be better then.

Cybsled · 11-23-2009, 05:01 AM

Ah ok, thanks

Chanur · 11-23-2009, 09:07 AM

Okay I have had good experiences with both AMD and Intel. AMD are about half the price it seems, so I am wondering if the performance is good enough on the intels to really make up the cost difference. I am not really that up to date on what are current or good AMD chips. But I am basically looking at getting something like an i5 or something like this.

Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more!

Is that chip any good? Is that an old chip? If so what are the newer chips?

brekk · 11-23-2009, 09:31 AM

Conclusion - Review Tom's Hardware : Best Gaming CPUs For The Money: November '09

This page has a good hierarchy of performance of most of the modern AMD and Intel CPU's. However this doesnt not take into account overclocking. With a good Overclock most of the CPUs on that list can jump up 1-2 tiers.

Dinthug · 11-23-2009, 09:39 AM

Ok, so I'm finally upgrading from my $2700 XPShit that I bought 3-4 years ago. As I posted in the other thread, I want a desktop in the $800-1200 range. I don't really follow new hardware and innovative new technologies in general, so I figured asking you guys would be the best bet.

I'm not very concerned about playing new(er) video games on max settings, as long as I can get a good framerate that's all that matters to me. I just want to make sure I have the ability to multitask programs like photoshop, illustrator, premiere, maya, afterfx, flash, etc. (not all at once) and be able to display on a large flat panel.

I don't torrent very much, but that has a lot to do with the fact that my hard drive is 250 gigs. I have two hard drives (3.5 SATA drives) from two external hard drives that I want to check out, so I'd probably be cloning about 300gigs of information off of that, 250gigs off this computer and 60-90 gigs off my laptop.

And I want the ability to burn DVDs. That's about all I can think of. Just reading a little bit lately, I've heard that the new multi-core processors overclock when the cores aren't being used. I never got that into tweaking my computers, but if the cards overclock themselves that sounds nice (I might have over-simplified it, but anyway). Also, someone mentioned that I could use two monitors on the same computer. I probably wouldn't be doing this off the bat, but definitely eventually. Another thing I've seen lately that piqued my interest was the new multi-touch monitors. If they work like a tablet pc, and have the ability to output to another monitor, this could be interesting (maybe replace the keyboard? Use with a keyboard and mouse? I'd just like a screen I can draw directly on with either a stylus or my fingers). But that's not very important, I just want to see what people think of them, especially if they are an artist.

Going to go read 10ish pages back to catch up on where the conversation is now, but I figured I'd post this first. Some of the suggestions from the last thread can be found below. Begin arguments.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aegdaien

I don't know what they're paying you but that's a goddamn terrible setup. Buy via Newegg or Microcenter, not some weird fucking store in Texas only. Not saying the store isn't legit, but unless they're way cheaper I'd pass. As far as that setup, 8gb of ram using onboard video? What the fuck, do you work for HP? For significantly better advice, it might be a good idea to actually look at the 59 page thread directed at exactly this topic

http://www.fohguild.org/forums/gener...op-pc-mac.html

My setup just built two weeks ago:

-Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor - Processors - Desktops
-ASUS P7P55D PRO LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards
-OCZ Gold 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model OCZ3G1600LV4GK - Desktop Memory
-OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS 600W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Power Supplies
2x -SAMSUNG EcoGreen F2 HD154UI 1.5TB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
-Thermaltake Silent 1156 CLP0552 92mm CPU Cooler For Intel Socket LGA1156 - CPU Fans & Heatsinks

Using my current video card: -XFX GS250XZDFC GeForce GTS 250 1GB Core Edition 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards
And my current case: -Thermaltake Tsunami VA3000BWA Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases

Total cost was approximately $800 (bought from Microcenter). If you're on a budget, drop 1 of the HDs and you can sub a case in. Decent video card would cost you $120-150 if you want, or just grab something cheap off the shelf if you really don't care about video (you do).

Quote:

Originally Posted by brekk

Xadion recommending 8gb of RAM, but sticking to on-board video is idiotic. And that case is a piece of shit.

Antec 300 case, CPU, Gigabyte Motherboard, 4gb of Ram, 1TB data drive, ~100gb SSD, Simple 100$ video card, 500w PSU.

edit: Also, people make GOOD build lists at request in this thread.
http://www.fohguild.org/forums/gener...op-pc-mac.html

Dinthug · 11-23-2009, 09:54 AM

Aegdaien seems like he has a pretty good build. i5 750 is the cheapest processor in Tier 1 of the link Brekk posted. Any changes to his build that any of you guys would make with the budget I have? I'd like to keep it around $1000, maybe give a few specific options for several parts so I can just see which one is cheapest/fits in my budget?

Also, another question. Is there any possibility that I can get any of these parts on sale this week?

brekk · 11-23-2009, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dinthug

Also, another question. Is there any possibility that I can get any of these parts on sale this week?

Next monday (after black friday) is called Cyber Monday, its the equivalent of Black Friday for online retailers, I'm sure there will be good deals on computer parts.

Dinthug · 11-23-2009, 11:09 AM

Quoting from last 10 pages so I don't have to find this information again. If you're building a computer for the holiday, here is a lot of useful information.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjac

Quote:

Originally Posted by kobalt

I know this was answered months ago, but wanted to get a checkup to see if it's still accurate. Is anything more then 4gigs overkill still? Computer died but low on funds so was thinking of getting a x4 955. Not sure if its worth it to get 8 gigs or not(guess getting 6 gigs and thus losing out on dual channel would be foolish), will decude what gpu I get also if I have to spend extrafor ram (gtx 275 vs 5770).

Of course I might end up just getting a i7 920 and might as well get 6gigs and this question will be moot anyway. Which reminds me, which platform do you all think is more future proof? I realize upgrading is always a big if when it comes to cpus but I know the platform the i7's are on will be used for the upcoming set of cpus by intel but I have no clue about amd.

One more question, is there a big difference between the gtx 275 896 megs vs the 1gig 9770? I realize the gtx is better obviously but wondering with the memory difference plus lack of dx 11 support makes the radeon the better deal.

If you're going to stick with 32bit windows, you cannot benefit from more than 4GB of RAM (really it's more like 3GB). But if you go with 64bit, 8GB might be nice -- if you multitask with multicores, it will shine, but if all you do is single-ap gaming, you might not notice much of a difference. Be aware that, to utilize the 8GB, you might need to tweak some bios settings and make sure Windows is using it. Also, Windows 7 64bit seems to be buggier than Windows 7 32bit. From a longevity and upgradeability perspective, I would go with 64bit and more ram.

Regarding the processors, don't rule out AMD. They have some very nice triple cores and quad cores right now.

For the vid card, the Radeons are the state of the art, but there are big production shortages with them (they're actually going up in price because of the demand). IMO, If you can find a 5850 for $300 or less, grab it. Nvidia has yet to release its DX11 generation, and it's not certain they will be as price competitive. BTW -- more important than DX11 compatibility is the 256bit pipeline. Radeon has really nice DX11 cards for $130 or so, but they are 128 bit, and suffer bottlenecking.

For me, I just built a machine with an eye for power, budget, and upgradeability. It includes Windows 7 64 bit, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, an AM3 Phenom II triple core at 2.8GHz, and a Diamond Radeon 5850. It runs FarCry2, Crysis WARHEAD, etc with max settings and no problems. Cost was about $900. For $90 more, it can have 8GB RAM. For $175 it can instead run a quad core 3.4GHz, and for an extra $300 I can run 5850 crossfire...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Should I just go with Aegdaien's build? Seems like what I'm looking for. Anything different any of you would have done? Seems like he is pretty happy with it.

Leadsalad · 11-23-2009, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dinthug

Should I just go with Aegdaien's build? Seems like what I'm looking for. Anything different any of you would have done? Seems like he is pretty happy with it.

I would get this case instead - Newegg.com - Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases I just purchased it for my older E6850 (E8400 in that Tom's Hardware chart if you care). It's a more modern design with 120mm fans everywhere and it has significantly more airflow than that Thermaltake. And for $50 it's a steal.

I'm also a Corsair memory guy, I've just never liked the gaudy OCZ branded hardware - Newegg.com - CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX4GX3M2A1600C8 - Desktop Memory But his ram choice should work fine.

I'd also recommend this cooler - Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-G1 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long life sleeve CPU Cooler - CPU Fans & Heatsinks It's the same price as that Thermaltake, but it has a bigger 120mm fan, is close in performance to the performance king, the Thermalright Ultra Extreme, and doesn't use the awful motherboard stressing pushpin system that the Thermaltake does.

And based upon my super casual search of Newegg, it looks like 5770s are cheaper than 4890s, oh well. That point, I'd say get a 5770 or wait for 5850s to not be gouge level prices.

Aegdaien · 11-23-2009, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dinthug

Quoting from last 10 pages so I don't have to find this information again. If you're building a computer for the holiday, here is a lot of useful information.

Should I just go with Aegdaien's build? Seems like what I'm looking for. Anything different any of you would have done? Seems like he is pretty happy with it.

You've got a lot of good research there. As far as my build goes -

Case is a personal preference. I picked the case/vid card that I did because they were carry overs from my last rig. I will tell you that I'm very partial to my case though. It's got more than enough room and a pretty easy way to remove optical/hard drives. I'm sure there are other ones out there that do it better though.

To me, ram is ram. Get whatever gives you the best performance for the money. I do like the cooler I purchased though. Not sure about the one Leadsalad posted but if you look earlier in the thread you'll see my build has some pretty good temps, even OC'd to 3.2ghz. However if you're not planning on doing anything crazy then there's really no need to get an aftermarket cooler. I'm not sure how much quieter mine is than the stock cooler though if that makes a difference to you.

11-21-2009, 06:25 PM	#2341 (permalink)
Fadaar Detective Fox Mulder Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,057	5870 by far. 5870 is nearly equivalent to the 295, more or less in between the 280 and 295. __________________

11-23-2009, 05:01 AM	#2347 (permalink)
Cybsled Registered User Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 10,493 +49 Internets	Ah ok, thanks __________________ Training the citizens of Norrath from 1999-2003!

11-23-2009, 09:31 AM	#2349 (permalink)
brekk Unregistered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: The CT Posts: 7,187 +27 Internets	Conclusion - Review Tom's Hardware : Best Gaming CPUs For The Money: November '09 This page has a good hierarchy of performance of most of the modern AMD and Intel CPU's. However this doesnt not take into account overclocking. With a good Overclock most of the CPUs on that list can jump up 1-2 tiers. __________________

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11-21-2009, 09:22 PM	#2342 (permalink)
Chanur Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Washington Posts: 1,786 -29 Internets	Are i5's decent? Looking at building a comp with one. Are they way worse than i7s? Or not even worth getting? Whats a decent mobo brand now days?

11-23-2009, 09:07 AM	#2348 (permalink)
Chanur Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Washington Posts: 1,786 -29 Internets	Okay I have had good experiences with both AMD and Intel. AMD are about half the price it seems, so I am wondering if the performance is good enough on the intels to really make up the cost difference. I am not really that up to date on what are current or good AMD chips. But I am basically looking at getting something like an i5 or something like this. Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more! Is that chip any good? Is that an old chip? If so what are the newer chips?