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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. |
2073600/1049088=1.97 ~2 you cutting the amount of pixels in half
1366x768 is very small The width of this thread how wide the box i'm typing in is 590px the width of the thread is 600 the width of whole of tl is about 994px wide
If you're going to down grade the monitor i'd suggest something along the lines of 1680x1050 1366x768 is very small by todays standards it's only seem on laptops usually.
And yes a small monitor doesn't need as much horse power to deliver similar performance but games are diverse in what they need so even on a small monitor being excessive in gpu power is nice in the long run esp with newer and newer games.
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On January 15 2011 05:59 -Jambi- wrote:
What I want from a comp:
Just looking to get the best bang for my buck and trying to pick a build where I can upgrade easily. With this build I can upgrade the processor at a later time, add in liquid cooling, and put in another card for crossfire more later on, more ram, etc.
I'd rethink this build. Bulldozer will be on a separate AM3+ platform, there's really not a lot of options right now for an upgradeable CPU slot, and in general there rarely is. If you're looking for longevity in your CPU then the i5-2500K is worth looking at, since it's powerful as hell and has a lot of overclocking potential. I wouldn't recommend crossfire/SLI either, but if you're serious about it, consider the 6850 since it does well right now at 1920x1200, scales well in crossfire, uses less power, and is newer - the 5850 will probable be harder to find years from now. But if you're not going to crossfire that 5850 is a pretty good deal if you are running a high enough resolution to warrant it
You could probably get an i5-2500K build for around the same price as your current build if you cut out the extra ram and crossfire/sli designed PSU, or a real 'budget' AMD build for around $200 less with a Athlon II X4 640 with a non-sli/crossfire compatible mobo
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I've got 2 sufficient hard drives, 3 gb of ram and a PSU (Thermaltake TR2, 430W) already, I can get more specific info about the ram and HDs if needed.
What is your budget?
Uncertain, 400-800 dollars.
What is your resolution?
1680x1050
What are you using it for?
Gaming. I don't need something that can run Crysis on max settings, something that can do Starcraft 2 at Medium or High would be sufficient.
What is your upgrade cycle?
Very long, I don't modify or replace computers unless I really have to.
When do you plan on building it?
Soon, within the month hopefully.
Do you plan on overclocking?
No.
Do you need an Operating System?
Nope.
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
Nah.
Where are you buying your parts from?
Newegg would by my first choice.
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I'm guessing that's probably DDR2 RAM? DDR3 RAM is pretty cheap these days anyway though. You'd need a DVD drive and a case too, right?
If the most stressful thing you're ever going to really make this computer do is SC2 on medium/high for 1v1s, you could go with a build under $400 easily. If you want to be safe and get something more powerful that can max out SC2 handily and will be less outdated years down the line, you can spend in the $600-700 range. Which do you prefer?
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oh forgot about the drive, have a DVD drive already, also have a case, don't know if theres any specs needed for that. pretty sure the RAM is DDR2 but I'm not sure where I would check that. Leaning on the upper range of the budget would be preferable, if I can get something that maxes sc2 that would be great.
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Here are some parts and then some options then.
Core i5-2400 + Intel H67 USB3 and SATA6 motherboard + (free Civ 5)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.575901
Asus DirectCU HD 6850
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121399
G.Skill 2x2 GB DDR3 RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231396
Antec Neo Eco 400C
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371029
The Thermaltake TR2 really sucks and actually can't supply nearly as much power as the above unit (in a modern +12V-heavy system). The TR2 would also be notably less efficient and louder. You could get a higher-power GPU and maybe a higher-power PSU to support it, but that HD 6850 can already max out SC2 as it is. If your old case only fits microATX boards (generally those have only 4 expansion slots in the back), you could get a microATX motherboard instead, or get a new case.
Other options:
G.Skill 2x4 GB DDR3 RAM -- not like you'd need 8 GB RAM for gaming, but it's cheap; having more RAM doesn't hurt, though it might not do anything for you
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231422
Cooler Master HAF 912 -- probably better ventilation/features than what you have, if maybe you want a new case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB -- just a modern SATA-interface hard drive, likely faster than what you have; if you think your old drives are aging and may die soon, why not?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185
You could also throw in a SSD if you wanted. If your old drives are PATA (IDE; ribbon cables), that may be a slight issue as modern motherboards only have one PATA slot--with several SATA slots. In that case, you could get new SATA drives.
edit:
Wait a second, get this PSU instead! You can be sure with this that you have enough power for any single GPU system, even if you upgrade to something ridiculous and put in a whole bunch of other stuff. It would run most dual-GPU systems too, via some power adapters.
Rosewill Green Series 630W ($60 - $10 instant promo code!)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182200
review
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Hey all after doing a ton of research the past month or so (been jonesing for a new comp for years now) and after talking to a friend and taking some of the GREAT advice all of you posted on here I think I am leaning towards this build, and will make a final decision in the next couple of days > http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=19126167 I was estimating around $1200 for a monster computer that can play games on highest detail while streaming, multitasking, and good for student/work stuff and such, so with the price being under that thats great! I also like what you all suggested about the processor upgradability / overclocking(Even though I wouldn't always overclock, since I like to get longevity out of my parts, but would definitely overclock as the system starts to get really outdated).
For any of you near a Micro Center, they do have the i5 2500k for about 25 bucks cheaper, but it wasn't worth it for me personally since I would have to drive two hours, and wait another month or two.
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Thanks a bunch Myrmidon, price to quality ratio is much better than I expected.
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Lol... it took me forever to find that great video card and a decent 1tb or higher hard drive when I could have waited a day for myrmidon to post exactly what I found earlier  Also myrmidon do you think the haf 912 is really a better buy considering the haf 922 is on sale + $10 off promo, and it comes with 2 extra 200mm fans???? Another question is what do you think is the better option, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121399 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121401
From the benchmark tests and videos I've seen both cards can handle ultra and high settings on games with ease, just wondering if there would be any reason to get the 6870, when the 6850 is doing perfectly fine.
Still debating on whether to get a 650w or 750w power supply, would get the 750 if/when I do decide / have the cash to get another graphics card for crossfire/liquid cooling/more ram and such the power needed will already be there.
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On January 16 2011 08:25 -Jambi- wrote:
From the benchmark tests and videos I've seen both cards can handle ultra and high settings on games with ease, just wondering if there would be any reason to get the 6870, when the 6850 is doing perfectly fine.
6850 does fine at 1920x1200, and it can be overclocked to around the speed of a 6870 if you need more performance. If you're running a res lower than 1080p the 6850 is more than enough
Also at the end of the month the GTX560 will launch for ~$200, which might drop prices on mid-range cards. I'm waiting to see what happens then
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The GTX 560 won't debut at $200. If it does than Nvidia will start a price war with AMD and Nvidia will certainly lose that price war...
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from xbit labs:
![[image loading]](http://www.xbitlabs.com/images/cpu/core-i5-2500-2400-2300/starcraft2.png)
make your purchases accordingly 
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On January 16 2011 07:08 Myrmidon wrote:Here are some parts and then some options then. + Show Spoiler +Core i5-2400 + Intel H67 USB3 and SATA6 motherboard + (free Civ 5) http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.575901Asus DirectCU HD 6850 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121399G.Skill 2x2 GB DDR3 RAM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231396Antec Neo Eco 400C
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371029The Thermaltake TR2 really sucks and actually can't supply nearly as much power as the above unit (in a modern +12V-heavy system). The TR2 would also be notably less efficient and louder. You could get a higher-power GPU and maybe a higher-power PSU to support it, but that HD 6850 can already max out SC2 as it is. If your old case only fits microATX boards (generally those have only 4 expansion slots in the back), you could get a microATX motherboard instead, or get a new case. Other options: G.Skill 2x4 GB DDR3 RAM -- not like you'd need 8 GB RAM for gaming, but it's cheap; having more RAM doesn't hurt, though it might not do anything for you http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231422Cooler Master HAF 912 -- probably better ventilation/features than what you have, if maybe you want a new case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB -- just a modern SATA-interface hard drive, likely faster than what you have; if you think your old drives are aging and may die soon, why not? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185You could also throw in a SSD if you wanted. If your old drives are PATA (IDE; ribbon cables), that may be a slight issue as modern motherboards only have one PATA slot--with several SATA slots. In that case, you could get new SATA drives. edit: Wait a second, get this PSU instead! You can be sure with this that you have enough power for any single GPU system, even if you upgrade to something ridiculous and put in a whole bunch of other stuff. It would run most dual-GPU systems too, via some power adapters. Rosewill Green Series 630W ($60 - $10 instant promo code!) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182200review
Thanks a bunch! I had nearly the same specs (+ buying an OS) so I just placed my order with Newegg.
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On January 17 2011 08:03 a176 wrote:from xbit labs: make your purchases accordingly
Please define the X-axis. "Better" pertaining to what? (Or put easier, what do those values represent?)
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That's FPS... I don't see how you couldn't figure that out. And most likely put on a very powerful GPU so GPU bottleneck isn't evident in the graph, only CPU bottleneck.
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On January 17 2011 17:26 R04R wrote:
That's FPS... I don't see how you couldn't figure that out. And most likely put on a very powerful GPU so GPU bottleneck isn't evident in the graph, only CPU bottleneck.
That's what I figured. Link the GPU please (whoever originally posted this).
Edit: Reason why I am concerned, to say the least, is because my CPU is on that list, and I know technically why it would result in lower FPS, but I am baffled at how much lower it is.
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Is it that hard to look at xbitlabs yourself? Test setup is this. GPU is a HD 6970. The reason for the very low fps is because they're intentionally testing a very very large battle where the game is being bottlenecked by the CPU.
Maybe the improvements in the branch prediction, micro-op caching, etc. make a bigger difference in SC2 than in synthetic CPU benchmarks and other tests. What CPU do you have? AnandTech results show an even bigger difference between i5-2500 and Phenom II X4 970 (pretty much same as 975) in their testing scenario. Likewise against i5-760.
@-Jambi-: You can probably get better prices looking around, even just on newegg. Use combos, pick alternatives, etc. 750W is totally overkill even if you add in a second HD 6850 and overclock the crap out of everything. I'd try the 650W version or even this for $50. That GPU is sold out. CAS 7 RAM is nice I guess, but I'd either get a cheaper set or maybe a 2x4GB set. Maybe you want an aftermarket CPU cooler, or are you going to overclock on the stock cooler?
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Hey TL, i asked a friend of mine to 'build' a possible new PC for me. Now i'm here asking for some input on his choice and to ask a few questions.
The build:
Samsung SH-223C bare schwarz SATA
8GB-Kit TakeMS DDR3-1333/10667 CL9
Super-Flower SF550P14XE Golden Green Pro 80plus gold
Xigmatek Asgard Midi Tower - black Window, ohne Netzteil
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit (SB-Version)
MSI R6870 Twin Frozr, 1024MB, PCI-Express
--- cpu, either ---
ASRock 870 Extreme3, AM3, ATX
AMD Phenom II X6 1075T, AM3
--- or ---
Intel Core i5-2500 Box, LGA1155
MSI P67A-C43, Intel P67, ATX, DDR3
--- ssd, yay or nay?---
Hitachi DESKSTAR 7K1000.C 1TB, 32MB, SATA II, 8,9cm (3,5")
Crucial RealSSD C300 64GB Retail
--- or---
WD Caviar Black 1TB SATA 3 8,9cm(3,5")
What do i expect from my new PC. Well it should for the next few years ... it is mainly for gaming and i also want it to be decently fast converting video files.
I do realize that this build is somewhat similar to Mikster's but i'd like to get some input on it ...
Thanks in advance 
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On January 17 2011 17:35 gulati wrote:Show nested quote +On January 17 2011 17:26 R04R wrote:
That's FPS... I don't see how you couldn't figure that out. And most likely put on a very powerful GPU so GPU bottleneck isn't evident in the graph, only CPU bottleneck. That's what I figured. Link the GPU please (whoever originally posted this). Edit: Reason why I am concerned, to say the least, is because my CPU is on that list, and I know technically why it would result in lower FPS, but I am baffled at how much lower it is.
Don't worry, just OC your i7 950. What is absolutely baffling is how few sites out there are doing a proper clock-for-clock comparison for the SB vs. Lynnfield/Bloomfield. When compared at similar clocks, the SB has an insignificant advantage over the previous Nehalem iterations. Also - Turbo Mode is especially aggressive in SB - it's enough that the nominal frequences are almost meaningless:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/picture/?src=/images/cpu/core-i5-2500-2400-2300/table2.png
I would guess both the 2400/2500 are running closer to 3.3/3.6, then they are at their nominal 3.1/3.3Ghz. I'm sure your i7 950 (stock 3.06Ghz) can hit 3.6Ghz on stock, hell, 3.8GHz wouldn't be out of question. My 3.6GHz i5 750 is also not represented on the xbitlabs graph , but then it is rarely represented anywhere, except maybe the TechSpot CPU scaling review.
I guess my bottom line is don't worry about it. The thing is Intel released the SB chips that are actually clocked up considerably out of the gate (>3Ghz, and even more so with the aggressive Turbo profiles). If you consider that the i5 750 is only 2.66Ghz stock, then yeah just a quick glance at these graphs would be deceiving.
Here is such a review, where direct clock-for-clock comparison can be made.
SC2 charts are at towards the end.
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=pl&tl=en&u=http://www.frazpc.pl/recenzje-2/733511,Sandy-Bridge-AKT-II---Porwnanie-z-Lynnfield-i-Bloomfield-przy-4GHz.html&act=url
*couple points to consider:
SB usually clocks even higher than 4Ghz (4.6Ghz easily on air, 4.8Ghz-5Ghz with more voltage). This is obviously SB's selling point at the current moment. However, note that at 4Ghz, i7/i5/SB - they all perform very well. Note, getting 4.5Ghz or more on a 950 would not be a surprise to me either, as I have seen that on other forums.
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EPT
