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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. |
The only person that has to worry about true maximum power usage on GPU's on TL forums is me. None of you gamers have to worry about that.
This isn't spoken about much, but 100 percent GPU usage and 100 percent GPU power output are NOT equivalent. 100 percent usage means the card is rendering at its maximum speed. Even at 100 percent usage, during gaming the card isn't consuming all (or even the same amount of) the power it can possibly consume because games generally aren't capable of pressing every single element on the board at the exact same time.
These torture testers however, ARE able to do that. Like Furmark.
This is why when we look at load power consumption, we look for real world applications, not synthetic benches.
As for RAM. RAM is so cheap 8gb makes the most sense.
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I guess people (myself included) keep asking this questions because it can all get pretty confusing. Take this for example:
http://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/geforce-gtx-680-review,9.html
In this article they're testing a power hungry system (i7 965 / X58 OC'd to 3.75GHz, GTX 680, water cooling, cold cathode lights etc.), supposedly drawing 50-100W more than average.
Then they post that total sytem power consumption when idle is 144W, under full load 307W and proceed to suggest 550W PSU at the least for regular systems. Again, wouldn't 400W one be enough?
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Not going to be held liable for a dumbass buying some 400w power supply that's rated for peak power.
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It's not such a big deal to overbuy, and they're not the ones paying for your power supply.
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Overall ratings are pretty meaningless since many companies downright lie about whats going on underneath the hood.
You want to look at your needs and how they related to the amperage ratings on the rails you are putting under load, namely the 12v rail. Next you need to look for a power supply thats made by a manufacturer that is trusted to provide accurate ratings, which are always given in continuous, versus peak.
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5930 Posts
This is a piss easy way to tell which PSU you need:
- 0x PCIe connector required = 300W
- 1x PCIe connector required = 400W
- 2x PCIe connector required = 500W
And PSUs with those respective power rating will have the same number of PCIe connectors I have mentioned. So your standard 400W PSU will have 1x PCIe plug. Your standard 500W PSU will have 2x PCIe plugs. There's a reason for this.
This is always right provided the PSU is from a reputable brand and is a recent model. You, for instance, will not see entry level, decent quality 400W PSUs with 2x PCIe connectors because those systems aren't beefy enough to deal with high power loads anyway.
Some 450W PSUs will have 2x PCIe connectors. If you look at their 12v rails, they should match some lower end 500W models. Compare the PSU sticker of the Rosewill Capstone 450W model against the Corsair CX500. It isn't rocket science, most of the work has been done for you. Its only confusing if you try and overthink these things.
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Anything that isnt rated at 50c (in some cases 40c depending on cooling) continuous is a marketing lie, since its the most realistic scenario. That people look at wrong numbers when buying isnt exactly news, but its not easy to choose correctly when many (most?) labels market solely to deceive. According to surveys americans like big numbers so obviously they will put 800w instead of 400w if they can, as long as the guidelines aren't more forcing.
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5930 Posts
It is easy to choose correctly. You pick brand lines (so not just Rosewill but Rosewill Capstone) known for their quality, pick the amount of PCIe plugs you need, and you should be fine. You can find which brand lines are good quality by digging through good reviews of the product.
If you are not sure, there's something called Google or digging through the Computer Build Resource Thread, something that most people asking for advice on Teamliquid seem to struggle to do for whatever reason. JonnyGuru, for instance, will make everything easy to understand even if the understanding is only superficial.
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United States10 Posts
Hey guys, my friend wants me to make a computer for him, that will mostly be used for gaming since he desperately wants an upgrade from his laptop.
+ Show Spoiler +
What is your budget
Around 500-700$
What is your resolution?
1600 x 900
What are you using it for?
Purely Gaming
What is your upgrade cycle?
1-2 Years
When do you plan on building it?
2-3 Months
Do you plan on overclocking?
Maybe
Do you need an Operating System?
Yes
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
No
Where are you buying your parts from?
Newegg, Fry's or Ncix
However, Newegg is preferred
Here is some parts that I have chosen for him so far
+ Show Spoiler +CPU/Processor - i3 3220 $130 @ newegg
GPU/Graphics - MSI 7770 $135 @ newegg
Motherboard - Asrock b75M $65 @ newegg
Memory/RAM - Crucial Ballistix 8GB $40 @ newegg
PSU/Power - Rosewill Capstone 450M $65 @ newegg
Storage - WD Blue 500 GB $70 @ newegg
Case - BitFenix Merc Alpha $35 @ ncix
Optical Drive - Asus DRW $20 @newegg
Operating System - Windows 7 64 bit $97 @ ncix
Total cost ATM = about $660~
Very open to suggestions! (Like things to skimp on Ex. get a 400w psu)
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On October 11 2012 23:35 Shauni wrote:
Anything that isnt rated at 50c (in some cases 40c depending on cooling) continuous is a marketing lie, since its the most realistic scenario. That people look at wrong numbers when buying isnt exactly news, but its not easy to choose correctly when many (most?) labels market solely to deceive. According to surveys americans like big numbers so obviously they will put 800w instead of 400w if they can, as long as the guidelines aren't more forcing.
40C-50C? Most people these days use cases with a power supply bottom intake, so they're drawing (pretty much) room temperature ambient air into the thing. Even if they don't, it's pretty hard to get chassis temperatures into the 40-50C range unless you're right next to a graphics card or something like that (in which case it could be much higher).
On October 12 2012 10:07 Mbf wrote:Hey guys, my friend wants me to make a computer for him, that will mostly be used for gaming since he desperately wants an upgrade from his laptop. + Show Spoiler +
What is your budget
Around 500-700$
What is your resolution?
1600 x 900
What are you using it for?
Purely Gaming
What is your upgrade cycle?
1-2 Years
When do you plan on building it?
2-3 Months
Do you plan on overclocking?
Maybe
Do you need an Operating System?
Yes
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
No
Where are you buying your parts from?
Newegg, Fry's or Ncix
However, Newegg is preferred
Here is some parts that I have chosen for him so far + Show Spoiler +CPU/Processor - i3 3220 $130 @ newegg
GPU/Graphics - MSI 7770 $135 @ newegg
Motherboard - Asrock b75M $65 @ newegg
Memory/RAM - Crucial Ballistix 8GB $40 @ newegg
PSU/Power - Rosewill Capstone 450M $65 @ newegg
Storage - WD Blue 500 GB $70 @ newegg
Case - BitFenix Merc Alpha $35 @ ncix
Optical Drive - Asus DRW $20 @newegg
Operating System - Windows 7 64 bit $97 @ ncix
Total cost ATM = about $660~
Very open to suggestions! (Like things to skimp on Ex. get a 400w psu)
You must've missed the promo code to make Windows $80.
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=45271&promoid=1368
I think HD 7770 is a bit low for a "purely gaming" build, so I'd skimp elsewhere.
HD 7850 1GB is a whole lot better, for $165:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161426
Possible places to skimp or get the same thing for less:
i3-3220 - $120
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=75429&promoid=1388
Corsair CX400 - $40
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=33357
Seagate Barracuda 500GB - $53
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=63468&promoid=1387
2 x 4GB DDR3 RAM (1333 MHz) - $32
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820301087
Depending on how important you think a little worse quality on the motherboard and less ports is, you can save about $10 there too. I wouldn't necessarily recommend that. You can find a DVD drive for $3 or so less too.
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United States10 Posts
Alright, thanks! I'll incorporate those changes to the build  )
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Hey TL, I'm in need of an upgrade and you guys seem to know what you're talking about. Could anyone recommend me a good build?
+ Show Spoiler +What is your budget? 1300-1500 euro What is your resolution? 1650*1080 What are you using it for? Primarily gaming, but I would like to have a pc capable of streaming when I get a better internet connection. What is your upgrade cycle? 3+ years When do you plan on building it? now Do you plan on overclocking? I would like to have the option but only if it won't add too much to the total cost. Do you need an Operating System? yes Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire? No Where are you buying your parts from? I wish to buy all the parts from a nearby store, here is a list of their prices but if I can find a store that sells the parts for much cheaper I will obviously go there if it's not too far away.
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Formatting this time may be a little weird:
CPU Cooler:
--Zalman 32 € CNPS 10x Performa CPU Cooler
Case:
--Lancool 99 € Lancool K62 Midi-Tower Black
CD / DVD:
--Samsung 25 € INTERNAL DVD Rewriter 16x DL +/-RW SATA
RAM:
--(unknown) 45 € DDR3 8GB 1333Mhz desktop memory (kit of 2)
Hard drive:
--Western Digital 99 € 1TB WD10EALX 7200rpm - 32mb buffer
SSD:
--Samsung 203 € 128GB SSD 830
Motherboard:
--MSI 144 € Z77A-G45 Socket 1155
CPU:
--Intel 280 € Core i5-3570K 3.40 Ghz 6mb LGA1155
GPU:
--(unknown) 341 € RADEON HD 7950 - 3GB ddr5
OS:
--Microsoft 119 € Windows 7 Home Premium
These prices (and selection) are pretty poor, by the way, maybe some 30% or so over what I expect from some of the German retailers, for example. The only decent price is for the Zalman. I tried to spend the budget rather than take more cost-effective options to keep costs down, because minimizing costs with these high prices did not seem right.
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hi guys, my friend needs a new computer ASAP and I am hoping you can help
What is your budget?
1000 euros
What is your resolution?
1920x1080
What are you using it for?
gaming (SC2, Warcraft 3, Diablo 3 but also would like to be able to play the latest titles)
What is your upgrade cycle?
2-3 years or so
When do you plan on building it?
yesterday if possible
Do you plan on overclocking?
nope
Do you need an Operating System?
nop
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
not really
He will keep his own mouse/monitor/ etc
All he need is CPU,GPU,mobo,CPU cooler (if you think so), case, PSU, RAM, HDD etc
He will probably buy from mindfactory.de and/or hardwareversand.de
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My computer came to today and it is just awesome. I really want to thank you guys that helped me, SkyR, Manit0u, Rollin, Medrea and other i may of missed. Could of wasted my my money on a 3000$ doller pc that i would not of needed if not for your guy's help.
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What is the going rate of the Computer Build Resource Thread these days, you guys should have that in the OP.
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On October 16 2012 05:32 Parakelsos wrote:+ Show Spoiler +hi guys, my friend needs a new computer ASAP and I am hoping you can help
What is your budget?
1000 euros
What is your resolution?
1920x1080
What are you using it for?
gaming (SC2, Warcraft 3, Diablo 3 but also would like to be able to play the latest titles)
What is your upgrade cycle?
2-3 years or so
When do you plan on building it?
yesterday if possible
Do you plan on overclocking?
nope
Do you need an Operating System?
nop
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
not really
He will keep his own mouse/monitor/ etc
All he need is CPU,GPU,mobo,CPU cooler (if you think so), case, PSU, RAM, HDD etc
He will probably buy from mindfactory.de and/or hardwareversand.de
There's not really a good way to spend 1000 euros on that, without going way overkill on the graphics card. The GTX 660 below is already way more than overkill for the games listed and will run anything fine.
Intel Core i5-3570 - €183
http://www.mindfactory.de/product_info.php/info/p790359_Intel-Core-i5-3570-4x-3-40GHz-So-1155-BOX.html
AsRock H77 Pro4/MVP - €73
http://www.mindfactory.de/product_info.php/info/p795488_ASRock-H77-Pro4-MVP-Intel-H77-So-1155-Dual-Channel-DDR3-ATX-Retail.html
Asus GTX 660 - €210
http://www.mindfactory.de/product_info.php/info/p812883_2048MB-Asus-GeForce-GTX-660-DirectCU-II-Aktiv-PCIe-3-0-x16--Retail-.html
Corsair 2 x 4GB DDR3 1600MHz - €31
http://www.mindfactory.de/product_info.php/info/p718133_8GB-Corsair-XMS3-DDR3-1600-DIMM-CL9-Dual-Kit.html
Samsung 830 128GB - €90
http://www.mindfactory.de/product_info.php/info/p791469_128GB-Samsung-830-Series-2-5Zoll--6-4cm--SATA-6Gb-s--MLC-Toggle--MZ-7PC128B-WW-.html
Toshiba 1TB - €60
http://www.mindfactory.de/product_info.php/info/p808828_1000GB-Toshiba-DT01ACA-Serie-DT01ACA100-32MB-3-5Zoll--8-9cm--SATA-6Gb-s.html
Samsung CD / DVD - €15
http://www.mindfactory.de/product_info.php/info/p784750_Samsung-DVD--R-RW-DL-RAM-SATA-schwarz-bulk.html
Super Flower Golden Green Pro 450W - €65
http://www.mindfactory.de/product_info.php/info/p688893_450-Watt-Super-Flower-Golden-Green-PRO-Non-Modular-80--Gold.html
Fractal Design Define R4 - €96
http://www.mindfactory.de/product_info.php/info/p807433_Fractal-Define-R4-Midi-Tower-ohne-Netzteil-schwarz.html
I would consider reasonable downgrades to be a cheaper B75 motherboard, a HD 7850 1GB, a Super Flower Amazon 450W, and a BitFenix Shinobi.
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Ok I'm thinking about upgrading my comp and this will be the first time I upgrade my comp
According to my score, I need to upgrade my graphics card compared to my other specs. My other specs are pretty good I think.
Intel i5-2500k
BIOSTAR TZ68A+RCH LGA 1155 Intel Z68
Radeon HD 6790
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W
120GB SSD + 500GB HDD
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB)
My question is what should I get? I would like to convert to Nvidia instead just b/c of the positive feedback I heard about them. The Radeon sometimes stop responding randomly.
I want to upgrade this and don't really want to spend over $300
Also is there anything I need to do once I do convert it to a Nvidia graphics card like uninstall AMD programs I assume, etc?
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EPT
