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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. |
On April 22 2013 07:16 Myrmidon wrote:HD 7870 XT: 1536 stream processors, 96 TMUs, 32 ROPs, core clock 925-975 MHz, 2GB GDDR5 @ 1500 MHz and 256-bit bus HD 7870: 1280 stream processors, 80 TMUs, 32 ROPs, core clock 1000 MHz, 2GB GDDR5 @ 1200 MHz and 256-bit bus So yeah, the 7870 XT should definitely be a little faster (extra compute hardware and memory transfer rates should more than compensate for small core clock speed difference) but should use more power. Check benchmarks if you want numbers. edit: Show nested quote +On April 22 2013 07:10 Cyro wrote:
Um, yea, the 7870 is Tahiti. All of them. You're comparing two models of the same card that are almost identical No, normal 7800 series is all Pitcairn (middle / 2nd chip). 7870 XT is the 3rd-string Tahiti (big chip) config under 7970 and 7950. In another era, it'd have been called 7930.
Thanks, that's just what I wanted to hear! It was the smaller clock speed that really got me confused. I have ordered the XT now, hopefully I'll get it soon :D
No wonder Cyro was confused as well though, the whole graphics card business seems extremely confusing 
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Hey guys I'm building a comp for my friend and just like to check in for thoughts.
i5 3570k
Z77 extreme4
GeForce GTX 670 Phantom
8gb ram
CX 600W ATX PSU
is the power too much? He is not going to OC I strongly believe. I have not used corsair psu so anything I need to know?
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U can go with cheaper one and get a GTX670 with a better cooler, that one is quite noisy. Direct Cu and windforce are the best coolers out there.
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You should be getting a good psu, wattage isn't really relevant, efficiency and price is. If you're not overclocking you are wasting money on the 3570k and z77 mobo, get a cheaper h77/b75 mobo and 3570.
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thanks guys I'll think about it
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Also if not overclocking the xeon 1230V2 would be a better cpu.
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Hey I was wondering if someone could take a look at this post on craigslist and tell me if the specs are worth the price? Im looking for a computer basically for just SC2. I would be willing to build but I never have before and if this is comparable to what I would be paying it would be a lot easier. Thanks!
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On April 22 2013 20:39 FinBenton wrote:
Also if not overclocking the xeon 1230V2 would be a better cpu.
Depends on what he's using it for, and it's not that commonly available, but if it's the same price sure.
On April 22 2013 22:43 ultrakiss wrote:
Hey I was wondering if someone could take a look at this post on craigslist and tell me if the specs are worth the price? Im looking for a computer basically for just SC2. I would be willing to build but I never have before and if this is comparable to what I would be paying it would be a lot easier. Thanks!
You're going to have to post a link buddy 
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On April 22 2013 23:42 Rollin wrote:Show nested quote +On April 22 2013 20:39 FinBenton wrote:
Also if not overclocking the xeon 1230V2 would be a better cpu. Depends on what he's using it for, and it's not that commonly available, but if it's the same price sure.
Yeah it says his from finland and 1230V2 is commonly available here and its cheaper than 3570 
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You could do $450 for an i5 build but it'd require ebay and being really savvy and basically not questioning what i tell you to do lol. It's way beyond your element to make a $450 i5 build, and you'd have to make sacrifices like only 4gb of ram (which is still more than enough for gaming), a gpu off ebay (which will still perform the same as your 650ti, just way cheaper), etc.
i'm listening... i'm guessing this involves used parts and will take longer because you have to bid on auctions.... and does $450 include shipping costs and tax? i'm getting a bit over $600 as a final price.
The totaldefense premium thing.. they are software, that's not a hdd.
The link takes you to a bundle deal of that and HDD. can't miss it.
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Where can I find a good 1TB HDD deal for less than 75?
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United Kingdom20318 Posts
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1 TB hard drive?
There's a last-gen Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB for $60.
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=58746&promoid=1021
Get something else from (us)NCIX for order above $100 for free shipping.
edit: wait a sec, tried it and the newegg promo code is actually $15. I was expecting more like $5-10.
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United Kingdom20318 Posts
The newegg code takes it below $74.99? That's pretty sweet if it does, i mean it's free shipping and took like literally two seconds to find
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Yeah, to newegg promo -> $59.99 final. My first guess was to check us.ncix because they've often had decent deals on some model of 1 TB in the post-flood era of course.
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United Kingdom20318 Posts
Accidentally struck gold with no effort, i need a .gif for that :D
+ Show Spoiler +
Well, not sure if it's gold (is it?), but it's good at least.
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haha don't i feel silly.
it's weird cause I searched yesterday and it didn't show up.
the promotion code is not working for me. =( it says it's expired, even though the date clearly says 4/24 on the product page itself.
edit. i refreshed my browser and it works. now.
I think the deal showed up today too. which is why i couldn't find it yesterday. maybe not lol.
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Hey guys,
I'm looking to build a desktop PC, but I don’t know much and I’m concerned that I may purchase components that aren’t compatible with each other.
Budget: I don’t have a number in mind; I don’t need/want top of the line gear. To give a clearer image of my price range: the “Intel Core i3 2120 3.3ghz” looks like it may serve my needs(not sure) but am willing to pay more/less. I got stuck on choosing a video card, but it seems like $60-100 may get me what I need (again, am flexible). I didn’t look into other parts as I got stuck looking at the video card.
What am I using it for: Just gaming. I would like to run SC2, Dota2, & Natural Selection 2 at reasonable rates. I don’t see myself purchasing many games or need to stay up-to-date to be able to play the newest releases. I still play BW, Dota1 and Half-Life1 mods to give an example of my current gaming needs.
Resolution: This is tricky as I game in 1024x768, but that’s with the older games I mentioned above. I have never played SC2/Dota2/NS2 so I am not particularly keen on what resolutions I would play in. I am not opposed to playing in a higher resolution, but don’t wish to pay an arm and a leg to do so. I have a widescreen monitor that I generally leave in 4:3 mode (I think thats what its called) as older games don’t look flattering in widescreen, but am willing to play widescreen if the newer games are suited to it.
Upgrade cycle: 5+ years – I am currently running a AMD Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8ghz, 2x512mb RAM, a Radeon 9200 series video card – I have no idea how old my current PC is but you can assume a very long upgrade cycle.
When do I plan to build it: Building this PC isn’t a priority; I can do it today or a year from now. I’d rather build it sooner, but am willing to wait if newer technology will drive down the prices of older parts.
Overclocking: I know very little about overclocking, but I don’t think I’ll be needing it – if this is something I absolutely need I will do it, otherwise I’d prefer not.
OS: I’m currently on XP – Should I upgrade? I don’t know much of the newer OS’s
2GPU/Crossfire: No idea what these are, I’m going to assume I don’t need this, but correct me if I’m wrong.
Where am I buying parts: I’m Canadian – I’ve been browsing futureshop.ca, amazon.ca, newegg.ca, and tigerdirect.ca to gauge prices. I’ve never ordered from newegg or tigerdirect so I’m unfamiliar with their service but I hear those two are the big Canadian sites?
Extra Info/Concerns:
I do not need a monitor, mouse, or keyboard. I have recently replaced my PSU and hope I can still use it with the PC I intend to build – The PSU I have is the “Corsair Builder Series V2 CX500”. If I have to get a new PSU, I suppose I could. Everything else, including a case, is needed. My preference would go to a black case, but it isn’t a big deal
Some CPUs I looked at have a fan/heatsink included and others are sold separately, this seems like an important component, but I’m not knowledgeable – preference would be to have it included as it would be less hassle, but I’m overall just confused about this feature.
I currently have a 150gb HDD and am perfectly content with it, so a SSD is likely unnecessary; a bigger HDD would be suitable.
As for RAM, 4GB-8GB seems to be the consensus, is that a significant difference? Lets assume I have a game like dota2 open, a browser with many tabs open which may include a stream, a large download going(don’t know if this concerns RAM but threw it in), and perhaps itunes running?
I’ve never built a PC and rarely have removed parts, is this something I should be concerned about? I could see a million things going wrong, but it seems really simple.
Thanks for reading.
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You can re-use the PSU.
All retail CPUs come with a heatsink. Not sure what you're confused about. You're going to have to install a heatsink either way. Installing the Intel provided heatsink just involves using lots of force to push down 4 pins. Installing a purchased heatsink generally involves installing a backplate, applying thermal paste, and screwing in some screws.
If you are perfectly content with a 150gb HDD then why would you want a bigger HDD over a SSD (which is significantly faster than HDDs) of similar size as your current HDD?
1024x768 is a very low resolution and those games you listed aren't GPU demanding so yes a $60 GPU would be more than fine.
Futureshop has a very limited selection and their pricing is awful so you generally never buy from there. Besides shellshockers / sales or Rosewill products, no point in buying from Newegg. Tigerdirect and Amazon, generally terrible. The major Canadian website is NCIX. Some other more local retailers are Memory Express and Canada Computers.
Process of building a computer is simple, almost everything fits one way. Yes there are a million things that could go wrong but that's true for everything.
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Err, what's your budget? If you game at 1024 x 768 a new build is hardly worth it. If your budget allows I'd get a 1080p monitor.
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EPT
