|
When using this resource, please read FragKrag's opening post. The Tech Support forum regulars have helped create countless of desktop systems without any compensation. The least you can do is provide all of the information required for them to help you properly. |
|
|
hi guys, just purchased and installed a new 7870 recently. worked perfectly for a while but last night I turned on the computer and it had thick colored lines going through the whole screen. windows reverted back to a previous version and it was all seemingly ok, i just wanted to check if i should take this card back or if this issue is on my end?
edit - seems to be happening every 2nd time i boot or something similar. yellow bars all across all my screens and then it goes black when windows should run, i have to hard restart and then it works.
any ideas?
thanks
|
You've picked a motherboard from the previous generation. While it'll work, you might as well pick up a model with a newer chipset, they cost the same.
Your powersupply is probably a bad idea. 700W model, unknown brand, for less than 40 pounds indicates that it's a low-quality PSU that will most likely not be able to deliver the rated wattage continuously and may also fail to protect your hardware from power surges. The system you've selected doesn't need more than 400W, even if you overclock it. For example: http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Home/Product/52198/Corsair-PSU-CX430-Builder-Series-430W
Overclocking the CPU is a good idea, as it will directly impact streaming performance and the recent Intel CPUs are rather easy to overclock. Overheating will not be an issue if you use a decent third-party cooler rather than the one that comes with the CPU (which is fine for stock speeds, but that's it). If you don't plan on overclocking at all, you can drop the third party cooler, get a CPU without the "K" suffix and get a low-budget motherboard.
.
|
|
|
Hey guys,
I was planning to build a computer for my friend, but haven't really looked at parts in forever and not sure what is the value. My friend really just wants to play WoW at high gfx levels and then the next sc2 at high settings too.
What is your budget?
800-900
What is your resolution?
1920x1080
What are you using it for?
Gaming, I would really like to be able to play the next Starcraft at high/ultra settings and then WoW also at the highest settings.
What is your upgrade cycle?
3-4 years
When do you plan on building it?
I want to get started right away.
Do you plan on overclocking?
no
Do you need an Operating System?
Yes
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
Maybe in the future, but wasn't planning on it for the first year or so
Where are you buying your parts from?
I'll probably use my local Microcenter and then an online resource like newegg.
Thanks for the help in advance!! :D
|
On September 18 2012 18:34 Rannasha wrote:You've picked a motherboard from the previous generation. While it'll work, you might as well pick up a model with a newer chipset, they cost the same. Your powersupply is probably a bad idea. 700W model, unknown brand, for less than 40 pounds indicates that it's a low-quality PSU that will most likely not be able to deliver the rated wattage continuously and may also fail to protect your hardware from power surges. The system you've selected doesn't need more than 400W, even if you overclock it. For example: http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Home/Product/52198/Corsair-PSU-CX430-Builder-Series-430WOverclocking the CPU is a good idea, as it will directly impact streaming performance and the recent Intel CPUs are rather easy to overclock. Overheating will not be an issue if you use a decent third-party cooler rather than the one that comes with the CPU (which is fine for stock speeds, but that's it). If you don't plan on overclocking at all, you can drop the third party cooler, get a CPU without the "K" suffix and get a low-budget motherboard. .
Do you think this mobo, even though a bit more expensive, would be better for me?
http://www.dabs.com/products/asus-p8z77-v-lx-s1155-intel-z77-ddr3-atx-80TK.html?refs=4294943314-42180000-50626&src=3
Regarding the PSU, I was told that my system would need around 550W - 600W, but I have no idea. How do you know it would require around 400W?
|
On September 19 2012 04:24 YouthSC wrote:Show nested quote +On September 18 2012 18:34 Rannasha wrote:You've picked a motherboard from the previous generation. While it'll work, you might as well pick up a model with a newer chipset, they cost the same. Your powersupply is probably a bad idea. 700W model, unknown brand, for less than 40 pounds indicates that it's a low-quality PSU that will most likely not be able to deliver the rated wattage continuously and may also fail to protect your hardware from power surges. The system you've selected doesn't need more than 400W, even if you overclock it. For example: http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Home/Product/52198/Corsair-PSU-CX430-Builder-Series-430WOverclocking the CPU is a good idea, as it will directly impact streaming performance and the recent Intel CPUs are rather easy to overclock. Overheating will not be an issue if you use a decent third-party cooler rather than the one that comes with the CPU (which is fine for stock speeds, but that's it). If you don't plan on overclocking at all, you can drop the third party cooler, get a CPU without the "K" suffix and get a low-budget motherboard. . Do you think this mobo, even though a bit more expensive, would be better for me? http://www.dabs.com/products/asus-p8z77-v-lx-s1155-intel-z77-ddr3-atx-80TK.html?refs=4294943314-42180000-50626&src=3
Yes. But there are also cheaper motherboards in the 70's series that don't have the Z77 chipset, which is the top-end chipset for Intel CPUs at the moment. If you're not going to overclock, you don't need a Z77.
Regarding the PSU, I was told that my system would need around 550W - 600W, but I have no idea. How do you know it would require around 400W?
The 3570k has a TDP (Thermal Design Point, the amount of heat a cooler has to be able to dissipate) of 77 W (source: http://ark.intel.com/products/65520/Intel-Core-i5-3570K-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_80-GHz), which is the absolute maximum of power it will consume. Under normal "heavy load" circumstances, it'll be considerably less. According to this review (http://www.anandtech.com/show/4344/nvidias-geforce-gtx-560-top-to-bottom-overclock/15) a system with the video card you selected uses 371 W while running a test that exceeds what games can throw at it (310 W ingame). Note that this review uses a processor that has a 130 W TDP (so already 53 W more) than the one you've selected. And that's at stock speeds, the reviewers overclocked it a bit for good measure.
Long story short, even in the most draining, unrealistic scenario, a system with considerably less power-friendly components, uses comfortably less than 400W.
The reason why you often hear PSU recommendations that far exceed the actual requirement is that there is considerable difference in quality between PSUs. Poor models never reach their advertised wattage under continuous load, only during peaks. Their continuous load wattage can be considerably lower. In addition, different PSUs spread the supplied wattage out over the various voltages differently. Modern computers draw almost all their power from the 12V line, while older machines relied more heavily on 3.3V and 5V lines. Consequently, older budget models may still be based on these old requirements and not provide enough juice where it's needed.
The PSU I recommended has the same price (roughly) as the 700W model you picked. The difference is that my pick is from a well-known PSU brand (browse through the pages in this thread to see it being recommended regularly). It will definitely offer the 430W it advertises, you may be able to get a bit more out of it even. It will also be more efficient, which will save you some on the powerbill. And finally, it's most likely much better designed, which means it offers far more protection against power surges. Poor PSUs have been known to take the whole system with them when they die.
|
On September 19 2012 04:48 Rannasha wrote:Show nested quote +On September 19 2012 04:24 YouthSC wrote:On September 18 2012 18:34 Rannasha wrote:You've picked a motherboard from the previous generation. While it'll work, you might as well pick up a model with a newer chipset, they cost the same. Your powersupply is probably a bad idea. 700W model, unknown brand, for less than 40 pounds indicates that it's a low-quality PSU that will most likely not be able to deliver the rated wattage continuously and may also fail to protect your hardware from power surges. The system you've selected doesn't need more than 400W, even if you overclock it. For example: http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Home/Product/52198/Corsair-PSU-CX430-Builder-Series-430WOverclocking the CPU is a good idea, as it will directly impact streaming performance and the recent Intel CPUs are rather easy to overclock. Overheating will not be an issue if you use a decent third-party cooler rather than the one that comes with the CPU (which is fine for stock speeds, but that's it). If you don't plan on overclocking at all, you can drop the third party cooler, get a CPU without the "K" suffix and get a low-budget motherboard. . Do you think this mobo, even though a bit more expensive, would be better for me? http://www.dabs.com/products/asus-p8z77-v-lx-s1155-intel-z77-ddr3-atx-80TK.html?refs=4294943314-42180000-50626&src=3 Yes. But there are also cheaper motherboards in the 70's series that don't have the Z77 chipset, which is the top-end chipset for Intel CPUs at the moment. If you're not going to overclock, you don't need a Z77. Show nested quote +Regarding the PSU, I was told that my system would need around 550W - 600W, but I have no idea. How do you know it would require around 400W? The 3570k has a TDP (Thermal Design Point, the amount of heat a cooler has to be able to dissipate) of 77 W (source: http://ark.intel.com/products/65520/Intel-Core-i5-3570K-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_80-GHz), which is the absolute maximum of power it will consume. Under normal "heavy load" circumstances, it'll be considerably less. According to this review (http://www.anandtech.com/show/4344/nvidias-geforce-gtx-560-top-to-bottom-overclock/15) a system with the video card you selected uses 371 W while running a test that exceeds what games can throw at it (310 W ingame). Note that this review uses a processor that has a 130 W TDP (so already 53 W more) than the one you've selected. And that's at stock speeds, the reviewers overclocked it a bit for good measure. Long story short, even in the most draining, unrealistic scenario, a system with considerably less power-friendly components, uses comfortably less than 400W. The reason why you often hear PSU recommendations that far exceed the actual requirement is that there is considerable difference in quality between PSUs. Poor models never reach their advertised wattage under continuous load, only during peaks. Their continuous load wattage can be considerably lower. In addition, different PSUs spread the supplied wattage out over the various voltages differently. Modern computers draw almost all their power from the 12V line, while older machines relied more heavily on 3.3V and 5V lines. Consequently, older budget models may still be based on these old requirements and not provide enough juice where it's needed. The PSU I recommended has the same price (roughly) as the 700W model you picked. The difference is that my pick is from a well-known PSU brand (browse through the pages in this thread to see it being recommended regularly). It will definitely offer the 430W it advertises, you may be able to get a bit more out of it even. It will also be more efficient, which will save you some on the powerbill. And finally, it's most likely much better designed, which means it offers far more protection against power surges. Poor PSUs have been known to take the whole system with them when they die.
Wow, thank you so much for that. I've been looking around for other mobos with the 70's series chipsets, but I can't seem to find ATX ones that are cheaper (at least considerably) in the UK. I think I'll stick with the Z77 and maybe overclock a bit to 3.6GHz or 3.7.
Thank you again for the effort on that post, you maybe just saved my future PC from a power surge or something, and probably also some money on fans/cooling for the shit PSU that I was going to buy.
Cheers!
|
On September 19 2012 00:15 Sneddo wrote:+ Show Spoiler +
Hey guys,
I was planning to build a computer for my friend, but haven't really looked at parts in forever and not sure what is the value. My friend really just wants to play WoW at high gfx levels and then the next sc2 at high settings too.
What is your budget?
800-900
What is your resolution?
1920x1080
What are you using it for?
Gaming, I would really like to be able to play the next Starcraft at high/ultra settings and then WoW also at the highest settings.
What is your upgrade cycle?
3-4 years
When do you plan on building it?
I want to get started right away.
Do you plan on overclocking?
no
Do you need an Operating System?
Yes
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
Maybe in the future, but wasn't planning on it for the first year or so
Where are you buying your parts from?
I'll probably use my local Microcenter and then an online resource like newegg.
Thanks for the help in advance!! :D
Assuming you don't need peripherals (mouse, keyboard, speakers), here's my recommendation:
Core Components: $219
i3-3220 - $120 after promo code, surprisingly about the same at microcenter after taxes
Asrock B75 mATX mobo - $62
2x4gb 1600mhz RAM - $37
+ Show Spoiler +
Supporting Components & Windows: $339
Bit Fenix Outlaw Case - $36
Neo Eco 450c PSU - $40
Plextor MS5 128 GB SSD - $100 - + Show Spoiler +put your OS, WoW, and other programs you use a lot here for zoom-zoom loading times
Hitachi 1TB HDD - $70
DVD-burner - $13
SATA cable if you don't have an extra - $2 (1 for SSD, 1 for HDD, 1 for DVD-burner, mobo comes with 2)
Windows Home Premium 64-bit OEM - $80
+ Show Spoiler +
Video Card: Gigabyte 660 ($230)
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=76163&vpn=GV-N660OC-2GD&manufacture=Gigabyte
Tower total: $788, including shipping
That leaves you room for the mouse, keyboard, & speakers if you need them. I recommend a cheap keyboard (probably some microsoft keyboard from us.ncix.com for $8), cheap speakers ($20 somewhere), and for mouse a Mionix Naos 3200 (most comfy ergonomic mouse I know of for right-handers... games well too).
Ways to spend more:
1)upgrade to an i5-3450 for CPU ($150 at microcenter, before tax... actually come to think of it, you should probably do this).
2)Get a more expensive sound-dampening case like a Bit Fenix Ghost or a Fractal Design R3
3)get a more expensive video card like a 7950 (these last 2 options not recommended at your budget)
Ways to spend less:
1)Drop the SSD (not recommended)
Speaking of the SSD, what it does is reduce load times. You can see this when booting up (much faster). In SC2 (your loading bar will finish much faster than your opponents'... but you still have to wait for your opponent, so SC2 isn't as useful on the SSD. In WoW - graphics textures loaded on the fly will appear more quickly (WoW is one of the few games to get an actual, if minor, in-gameplay benefit form an SSD.
|
On September 19 2012 05:01 YouthSC wrote:Show nested quote +On September 19 2012 04:48 Rannasha wrote:On September 19 2012 04:24 YouthSC wrote:On September 18 2012 18:34 Rannasha wrote:You've picked a motherboard from the previous generation. While it'll work, you might as well pick up a model with a newer chipset, they cost the same. Your powersupply is probably a bad idea. 700W model, unknown brand, for less than 40 pounds indicates that it's a low-quality PSU that will most likely not be able to deliver the rated wattage continuously and may also fail to protect your hardware from power surges. The system you've selected doesn't need more than 400W, even if you overclock it. For example: http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Home/Product/52198/Corsair-PSU-CX430-Builder-Series-430WOverclocking the CPU is a good idea, as it will directly impact streaming performance and the recent Intel CPUs are rather easy to overclock. Overheating will not be an issue if you use a decent third-party cooler rather than the one that comes with the CPU (which is fine for stock speeds, but that's it). If you don't plan on overclocking at all, you can drop the third party cooler, get a CPU without the "K" suffix and get a low-budget motherboard. . Do you think this mobo, even though a bit more expensive, would be better for me? http://www.dabs.com/products/asus-p8z77-v-lx-s1155-intel-z77-ddr3-atx-80TK.html?refs=4294943314-42180000-50626&src=3 Yes. But there are also cheaper motherboards in the 70's series that don't have the Z77 chipset, which is the top-end chipset for Intel CPUs at the moment. If you're not going to overclock, you don't need a Z77. Regarding the PSU, I was told that my system would need around 550W - 600W, but I have no idea. How do you know it would require around 400W? The 3570k has a TDP (Thermal Design Point, the amount of heat a cooler has to be able to dissipate) of 77 W (source: http://ark.intel.com/products/65520/Intel-Core-i5-3570K-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_80-GHz), which is the absolute maximum of power it will consume. Under normal "heavy load" circumstances, it'll be considerably less. According to this review (http://www.anandtech.com/show/4344/nvidias-geforce-gtx-560-top-to-bottom-overclock/15) a system with the video card you selected uses 371 W while running a test that exceeds what games can throw at it (310 W ingame). Note that this review uses a processor that has a 130 W TDP (so already 53 W more) than the one you've selected. And that's at stock speeds, the reviewers overclocked it a bit for good measure. Long story short, even in the most draining, unrealistic scenario, a system with considerably less power-friendly components, uses comfortably less than 400W. The reason why you often hear PSU recommendations that far exceed the actual requirement is that there is considerable difference in quality between PSUs. Poor models never reach their advertised wattage under continuous load, only during peaks. Their continuous load wattage can be considerably lower. In addition, different PSUs spread the supplied wattage out over the various voltages differently. Modern computers draw almost all their power from the 12V line, while older machines relied more heavily on 3.3V and 5V lines. Consequently, older budget models may still be based on these old requirements and not provide enough juice where it's needed. The PSU I recommended has the same price (roughly) as the 700W model you picked. The difference is that my pick is from a well-known PSU brand (browse through the pages in this thread to see it being recommended regularly). It will definitely offer the 430W it advertises, you may be able to get a bit more out of it even. It will also be more efficient, which will save you some on the powerbill. And finally, it's most likely much better designed, which means it offers far more protection against power surges. Poor PSUs have been known to take the whole system with them when they die. Wow, thank you so much for that. I've been looking around for other mobos with the 70's series chipsets, but I can't seem to find ATX ones that are cheaper (at least considerably) in the UK. I think I'll stick with the Z77 and maybe overclock a bit to 3.6GHz or 3.7. Thank you again for the effort on that post, you maybe just saved my future PC from a power surge or something, and probably also some money on fans/cooling for the shit PSU that I was going to buy. Cheers!
While I generally agree with everything Rannasha wrote, I disagree on recommending the Corsair cx430 v2. The cx v2 series are honest quality power supplies, and they are perfectly safe for your computer, but they have a somewhat higher chance of developing coil whine than other PSUs (an irritating but otherwise harmless noise that only some customers will experience).
I'd recommend this PSU instead (XFX Core 450w):
http://www.dabs.com/products/xfx-450-watt-core-edition-single-rail-psu-w--full-wired-cables-7NSV.html?refs=50544&src=3
It's another honest, quality power supply, but a smaller chance of coil whine issues.
|
On September 19 2012 05:07 MisterFred wrote:Show nested quote +On September 19 2012 00:15 Sneddo wrote:+ Show Spoiler +
Hey guys,
I was planning to build a computer for my friend, but haven't really looked at parts in forever and not sure what is the value. My friend really just wants to play WoW at high gfx levels and then the next sc2 at high settings too.
What is your budget?
800-900
What is your resolution?
1920x1080
What are you using it for?
Gaming, I would really like to be able to play the next Starcraft at high/ultra settings and then WoW also at the highest settings.
What is your upgrade cycle?
3-4 years
When do you plan on building it?
I want to get started right away.
Do you plan on overclocking?
no
Do you need an Operating System?
Yes
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
Maybe in the future, but wasn't planning on it for the first year or so
Where are you buying your parts from?
I'll probably use my local Microcenter and then an online resource like newegg.
Thanks for the help in advance!! :D
Assuming you don't need peripherals (mouse, keyboard, speakers), here's my recommendation: Core Components: $219 i3-3220 - $120 after promo code, surprisingly about the same at microcenter after taxes Asrock B75 mATX mobo - $62 2x4gb 1600mhz RAM - $37 + Show Spoiler +Supporting Components & Windows: $339 Bit Fenix Outlaw Case - $36 Neo Eco 450c PSU - $40 Plextor MS5 128 GB SSD - $100 - + Show Spoiler +put your OS, WoW, and other programs you use a lot here for zoom-zoom loading times
Hitachi 1TB HDD - $70 DVD-burner - $13 SATA cable if you don't have an extra - $2 (1 for SSD, 1 for HDD, 1 for DVD-burner, mobo comes with 2) Windows Home Premium 64-bit OEM - $80 + Show Spoiler +Video Card: Gigabyte 660 ($230) http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=76163&vpn=GV-N660OC-2GD&manufacture=GigabyteTower total: $788, including shipping That leaves you room for the mouse, keyboard, & speakers if you need them. I recommend a cheap keyboard (probably some microsoft keyboard from us.ncix.com for $8), cheap speakers ($20 somewhere), and for mouse a Mionix Naos 3200 (most comfy ergonomic mouse I know of for right-handers... games well too). Ways to spend more: 1)upgrade to an i5-3450 for CPU ($150 at microcenter, before tax... actually come to think of it, you should probably do this). 2)Get a more expensive sound-dampening case like a Bit Fenix Ghost or a Fractal Design R3 3)get a more expensive video card like a 7950 Ways to spend less: 1)Drop the SSD Speaking of the SSD, what it does is reduce load times. You can see this when booting up (much faster). In SC2 (your loading bar will finish much faster than your opponents'... but you still have to wait for your opponent, so SC2 isn't as useful on the SSD. In WoW - graphics textures loaded on the fly will appear more quickly (WoW is one of the few games to get an actual, if minor, in-gameplay benefit form an SSD.
The request you responded to sounds exactly like my needs as well. I'm very interested in building this computer! My XPS M1730 (I believe this is the model, not 100%) completely crapped out on my after 5 years of heavy use. It used to have a problem where if I started a game too quick after boot it would suddenly lock up and get ~3fps until I restarted. Today the screen died and I can only boot it in safe mode 800x600 screen with really messed up coloring. I think my NVidia card is dead.
|
@PureMetal - No reason the build won't work for you, though if you don't live by a microcenter the ways to spend more option #1 would change somewhat (to a $190 i5-3470 @us.ncix.com). If your budget or what you want to do with the computer (say, produce your own stream) is quite different, there might be different recommendations though.
|
On September 19 2012 05:31 MisterFred wrote:
@PureMetal - No reason the build won't work for you, though if you don't live by a microcenter the ways to spend more option #1 would change somewhat (to a $190 i5-3470 @us.ncix.com). If your budget or what you want to do with the computer (say, produce your own stream) is quite different, there might be different recommendations though.
Well I don't live near by a microcenter, so I was planning on buying components from newegg.com. The price is a little steep, but I do have the money to spend on it, I just like to save money where I can. I would like to be able to run games on high settings; SC2, CS:GO, Black Mesa Source, WoW, maybe toss in a few steam games. I don't have any plans to stream, but if I did, medium to low settings would be fine. My only other requirements for the computer would be able to run Microsoft Office and all of its respective programs. Also I might just be using an older dell monitor to save some bucks.
|
Yeah, then the build above (going with the i3) is the one I'd recommend for you. You won't be able to stream SC2 on an i3, unlike the full quad-core i5, but it doesn't sound like that matters to you.
|
On September 19 2012 05:46 MisterFred wrote:
Yeah, then the build above (going with the i3) is the one I'd recommend for you. You won't be able to stream SC2 on an i3, unlike the full quad-core i5, but it doesn't sound like that matters to you.
I'm curious. Would it be able to stream on medium or low settings?
Thank you so much for the help, it would have taken me a long time to go through the process of building a computer.
|
Depends on what you're streaming. SC2, you'd probably tax the processor too much and get in-game slow downs. But I can't say for sure. If you think you'd want to stream, pay the $80 extra for the i5-3470 @ us.ncix.com.
|
On September 19 2012 05:14 MisterFred wrote:Show nested quote +On September 19 2012 05:01 YouthSC wrote:On September 19 2012 04:48 Rannasha wrote:On September 19 2012 04:24 YouthSC wrote:On September 18 2012 18:34 Rannasha wrote:You've picked a motherboard from the previous generation. While it'll work, you might as well pick up a model with a newer chipset, they cost the same. Your powersupply is probably a bad idea. 700W model, unknown brand, for less than 40 pounds indicates that it's a low-quality PSU that will most likely not be able to deliver the rated wattage continuously and may also fail to protect your hardware from power surges. The system you've selected doesn't need more than 400W, even if you overclock it. For example: http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Home/Product/52198/Corsair-PSU-CX430-Builder-Series-430WOverclocking the CPU is a good idea, as it will directly impact streaming performance and the recent Intel CPUs are rather easy to overclock. Overheating will not be an issue if you use a decent third-party cooler rather than the one that comes with the CPU (which is fine for stock speeds, but that's it). If you don't plan on overclocking at all, you can drop the third party cooler, get a CPU without the "K" suffix and get a low-budget motherboard. . Do you think this mobo, even though a bit more expensive, would be better for me? http://www.dabs.com/products/asus-p8z77-v-lx-s1155-intel-z77-ddr3-atx-80TK.html?refs=4294943314-42180000-50626&src=3 Yes. But there are also cheaper motherboards in the 70's series that don't have the Z77 chipset, which is the top-end chipset for Intel CPUs at the moment. If you're not going to overclock, you don't need a Z77. Regarding the PSU, I was told that my system would need around 550W - 600W, but I have no idea. How do you know it would require around 400W? The 3570k has a TDP (Thermal Design Point, the amount of heat a cooler has to be able to dissipate) of 77 W (source: http://ark.intel.com/products/65520/Intel-Core-i5-3570K-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_80-GHz), which is the absolute maximum of power it will consume. Under normal "heavy load" circumstances, it'll be considerably less. According to this review (http://www.anandtech.com/show/4344/nvidias-geforce-gtx-560-top-to-bottom-overclock/15) a system with the video card you selected uses 371 W while running a test that exceeds what games can throw at it (310 W ingame). Note that this review uses a processor that has a 130 W TDP (so already 53 W more) than the one you've selected. And that's at stock speeds, the reviewers overclocked it a bit for good measure. Long story short, even in the most draining, unrealistic scenario, a system with considerably less power-friendly components, uses comfortably less than 400W. The reason why you often hear PSU recommendations that far exceed the actual requirement is that there is considerable difference in quality between PSUs. Poor models never reach their advertised wattage under continuous load, only during peaks. Their continuous load wattage can be considerably lower. In addition, different PSUs spread the supplied wattage out over the various voltages differently. Modern computers draw almost all their power from the 12V line, while older machines relied more heavily on 3.3V and 5V lines. Consequently, older budget models may still be based on these old requirements and not provide enough juice where it's needed. The PSU I recommended has the same price (roughly) as the 700W model you picked. The difference is that my pick is from a well-known PSU brand (browse through the pages in this thread to see it being recommended regularly). It will definitely offer the 430W it advertises, you may be able to get a bit more out of it even. It will also be more efficient, which will save you some on the powerbill. And finally, it's most likely much better designed, which means it offers far more protection against power surges. Poor PSUs have been known to take the whole system with them when they die. Wow, thank you so much for that. I've been looking around for other mobos with the 70's series chipsets, but I can't seem to find ATX ones that are cheaper (at least considerably) in the UK. I think I'll stick with the Z77 and maybe overclock a bit to 3.6GHz or 3.7. Thank you again for the effort on that post, you maybe just saved my future PC from a power surge or something, and probably also some money on fans/cooling for the shit PSU that I was going to buy. Cheers! While I generally agree with everything Rannasha wrote, I disagree on recommending the Corsair cx430 v2. The cx v2 series are honest quality power supplies, and they are perfectly safe for your computer, but they have a somewhat higher chance of developing coil whine than other PSUs (an irritating but otherwise harmless noise that only some customers will experience). I'd recommend this PSU instead (XFX Core 450w): http://www.dabs.com/products/xfx-450-watt-core-edition-single-rail-psu-w--full-wired-cables-7NSV.html?refs=50544&src=3It's another honest, quality power supply, but a smaller chance of coil whine issues.
This one lacks 2x 6-pin PCI-Express connectors that the GTX 560 uses though :/
/e actually thank you for that. Both PSUs lack the 2x 6-pin connectors. WTF Im glad I didn't buy it yet!
|
|
|
On September 19 2012 07:18 YouthSC wrote:Show nested quote +On September 19 2012 05:14 MisterFred wrote:On September 19 2012 05:01 YouthSC wrote:On September 19 2012 04:48 Rannasha wrote:On September 19 2012 04:24 YouthSC wrote:On September 18 2012 18:34 Rannasha wrote:You've picked a motherboard from the previous generation. While it'll work, you might as well pick up a model with a newer chipset, they cost the same. Your powersupply is probably a bad idea. 700W model, unknown brand, for less than 40 pounds indicates that it's a low-quality PSU that will most likely not be able to deliver the rated wattage continuously and may also fail to protect your hardware from power surges. The system you've selected doesn't need more than 400W, even if you overclock it. For example: http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Home/Product/52198/Corsair-PSU-CX430-Builder-Series-430WOverclocking the CPU is a good idea, as it will directly impact streaming performance and the recent Intel CPUs are rather easy to overclock. Overheating will not be an issue if you use a decent third-party cooler rather than the one that comes with the CPU (which is fine for stock speeds, but that's it). If you don't plan on overclocking at all, you can drop the third party cooler, get a CPU without the "K" suffix and get a low-budget motherboard. . Do you think this mobo, even though a bit more expensive, would be better for me? http://www.dabs.com/products/asus-p8z77-v-lx-s1155-intel-z77-ddr3-atx-80TK.html?refs=4294943314-42180000-50626&src=3 Yes. But there are also cheaper motherboards in the 70's series that don't have the Z77 chipset, which is the top-end chipset for Intel CPUs at the moment. If you're not going to overclock, you don't need a Z77. Regarding the PSU, I was told that my system would need around 550W - 600W, but I have no idea. How do you know it would require around 400W? The 3570k has a TDP (Thermal Design Point, the amount of heat a cooler has to be able to dissipate) of 77 W (source: http://ark.intel.com/products/65520/Intel-Core-i5-3570K-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_80-GHz), which is the absolute maximum of power it will consume. Under normal "heavy load" circumstances, it'll be considerably less. According to this review (http://www.anandtech.com/show/4344/nvidias-geforce-gtx-560-top-to-bottom-overclock/15) a system with the video card you selected uses 371 W while running a test that exceeds what games can throw at it (310 W ingame). Note that this review uses a processor that has a 130 W TDP (so already 53 W more) than the one you've selected. And that's at stock speeds, the reviewers overclocked it a bit for good measure. Long story short, even in the most draining, unrealistic scenario, a system with considerably less power-friendly components, uses comfortably less than 400W. The reason why you often hear PSU recommendations that far exceed the actual requirement is that there is considerable difference in quality between PSUs. Poor models never reach their advertised wattage under continuous load, only during peaks. Their continuous load wattage can be considerably lower. In addition, different PSUs spread the supplied wattage out over the various voltages differently. Modern computers draw almost all their power from the 12V line, while older machines relied more heavily on 3.3V and 5V lines. Consequently, older budget models may still be based on these old requirements and not provide enough juice where it's needed. The PSU I recommended has the same price (roughly) as the 700W model you picked. The difference is that my pick is from a well-known PSU brand (browse through the pages in this thread to see it being recommended regularly). It will definitely offer the 430W it advertises, you may be able to get a bit more out of it even. It will also be more efficient, which will save you some on the powerbill. And finally, it's most likely much better designed, which means it offers far more protection against power surges. Poor PSUs have been known to take the whole system with them when they die. Wow, thank you so much for that. I've been looking around for other mobos with the 70's series chipsets, but I can't seem to find ATX ones that are cheaper (at least considerably) in the UK. I think I'll stick with the Z77 and maybe overclock a bit to 3.6GHz or 3.7. Thank you again for the effort on that post, you maybe just saved my future PC from a power surge or something, and probably also some money on fans/cooling for the shit PSU that I was going to buy. Cheers! While I generally agree with everything Rannasha wrote, I disagree on recommending the Corsair cx430 v2. The cx v2 series are honest quality power supplies, and they are perfectly safe for your computer, but they have a somewhat higher chance of developing coil whine than other PSUs (an irritating but otherwise harmless noise that only some customers will experience). I'd recommend this PSU instead (XFX Core 450w): http://www.dabs.com/products/xfx-450-watt-core-edition-single-rail-psu-w--full-wired-cables-7NSV.html?refs=50544&src=3It's another honest, quality power supply, but a smaller chance of coil whine issues. This one lacks 2x 6-pin PCI-Express connectors that the GTX 560 uses though :/ /e actually thank you for that. Both PSUs lack the 2x 6-pin connectors. WTF Im glad I didn't buy it yet!
You can get a molex -> PCI-E adapter cable. Costs a few bucks at most.
|
On September 19 2012 07:39 Rannasha wrote:Show nested quote +On September 19 2012 07:18 YouthSC wrote:On September 19 2012 05:14 MisterFred wrote:On September 19 2012 05:01 YouthSC wrote:On September 19 2012 04:48 Rannasha wrote:On September 19 2012 04:24 YouthSC wrote:On September 18 2012 18:34 Rannasha wrote:You've picked a motherboard from the previous generation. While it'll work, you might as well pick up a model with a newer chipset, they cost the same. Your powersupply is probably a bad idea. 700W model, unknown brand, for less than 40 pounds indicates that it's a low-quality PSU that will most likely not be able to deliver the rated wattage continuously and may also fail to protect your hardware from power surges. The system you've selected doesn't need more than 400W, even if you overclock it. For example: http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Home/Product/52198/Corsair-PSU-CX430-Builder-Series-430WOverclocking the CPU is a good idea, as it will directly impact streaming performance and the recent Intel CPUs are rather easy to overclock. Overheating will not be an issue if you use a decent third-party cooler rather than the one that comes with the CPU (which is fine for stock speeds, but that's it). If you don't plan on overclocking at all, you can drop the third party cooler, get a CPU without the "K" suffix and get a low-budget motherboard. . Do you think this mobo, even though a bit more expensive, would be better for me? http://www.dabs.com/products/asus-p8z77-v-lx-s1155-intel-z77-ddr3-atx-80TK.html?refs=4294943314-42180000-50626&src=3 Yes. But there are also cheaper motherboards in the 70's series that don't have the Z77 chipset, which is the top-end chipset for Intel CPUs at the moment. If you're not going to overclock, you don't need a Z77. Regarding the PSU, I was told that my system would need around 550W - 600W, but I have no idea. How do you know it would require around 400W? The 3570k has a TDP (Thermal Design Point, the amount of heat a cooler has to be able to dissipate) of 77 W (source: http://ark.intel.com/products/65520/Intel-Core-i5-3570K-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_80-GHz), which is the absolute maximum of power it will consume. Under normal "heavy load" circumstances, it'll be considerably less. According to this review (http://www.anandtech.com/show/4344/nvidias-geforce-gtx-560-top-to-bottom-overclock/15) a system with the video card you selected uses 371 W while running a test that exceeds what games can throw at it (310 W ingame). Note that this review uses a processor that has a 130 W TDP (so already 53 W more) than the one you've selected. And that's at stock speeds, the reviewers overclocked it a bit for good measure. Long story short, even in the most draining, unrealistic scenario, a system with considerably less power-friendly components, uses comfortably less than 400W. The reason why you often hear PSU recommendations that far exceed the actual requirement is that there is considerable difference in quality between PSUs. Poor models never reach their advertised wattage under continuous load, only during peaks. Their continuous load wattage can be considerably lower. In addition, different PSUs spread the supplied wattage out over the various voltages differently. Modern computers draw almost all their power from the 12V line, while older machines relied more heavily on 3.3V and 5V lines. Consequently, older budget models may still be based on these old requirements and not provide enough juice where it's needed. The PSU I recommended has the same price (roughly) as the 700W model you picked. The difference is that my pick is from a well-known PSU brand (browse through the pages in this thread to see it being recommended regularly). It will definitely offer the 430W it advertises, you may be able to get a bit more out of it even. It will also be more efficient, which will save you some on the powerbill. And finally, it's most likely much better designed, which means it offers far more protection against power surges. Poor PSUs have been known to take the whole system with them when they die. Wow, thank you so much for that. I've been looking around for other mobos with the 70's series chipsets, but I can't seem to find ATX ones that are cheaper (at least considerably) in the UK. I think I'll stick with the Z77 and maybe overclock a bit to 3.6GHz or 3.7. Thank you again for the effort on that post, you maybe just saved my future PC from a power surge or something, and probably also some money on fans/cooling for the shit PSU that I was going to buy. Cheers! While I generally agree with everything Rannasha wrote, I disagree on recommending the Corsair cx430 v2. The cx v2 series are honest quality power supplies, and they are perfectly safe for your computer, but they have a somewhat higher chance of developing coil whine than other PSUs (an irritating but otherwise harmless noise that only some customers will experience). I'd recommend this PSU instead (XFX Core 450w): http://www.dabs.com/products/xfx-450-watt-core-edition-single-rail-psu-w--full-wired-cables-7NSV.html?refs=50544&src=3It's another honest, quality power supply, but a smaller chance of coil whine issues. This one lacks 2x 6-pin PCI-Express connectors that the GTX 560 uses though :/ /e actually thank you for that. Both PSUs lack the 2x 6-pin connectors. WTF Im glad I didn't buy it yet! You can get a molex -> PCI-E adapter cable. Costs a few bucks at most.
Ya, just to reiterate what Myrmidon said, most graphics cards come with the adapter and there's no downside to using one (it's why we didn't mention it).
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT
