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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. |
People need to stop referencing that website, the numbers it provides are meaningless.  If you want canned benches, just stick with the Anandtech link.
As for the i5 dual-cores, those are Clarkdales which are a terrible value. The i5-2X00 are Sandybridge quad-cores. If you want hyperthreading, get the i7-2600 (or K-version), but I doubt you really need it.
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Hey guys, I have a quick question.
I built my computer a year and a half ago with an OEM version of Windows Vista, and my motherboard died. If I change to a new motherboard, will my version of Vista work? If so, what if I also change other hardware?
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On January 29 2011 05:13 Miles_Edgeworth wrote: Hey guys, I have a quick question.
I built my computer a year and a half ago with an OEM version of Windows Vista, and my motherboard died. If I change to a new motherboard, will my version of Vista work? If so, what if I also change other hardware?
If it doesn't reactivate on its own, you have to call Microsoft to get it reactivated (they'll say yes 99% of the time).
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On January 29 2011 05:16 skyR wrote:Show nested quote +On January 29 2011 05:13 Miles_Edgeworth wrote: Hey guys, I have a quick question.
I built my computer a year and a half ago with an OEM version of Windows Vista, and my motherboard died. If I change to a new motherboard, will my version of Vista work? If so, what if I also change other hardware? If it doesn't reactivate on its own, you have to call Microsoft to get it reactivated (they'll say yes 99% of the time).
Thank you! Also, for buying Motherboards, what are the best companies to look for? I know ASUS and Gigabyte are good, but are there any others I should be considering? My build isn't exactly top end, but I want a mobo that can handle gaming pretty well.
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On January 29 2011 05:25 Miles_Edgeworth wrote:Show nested quote +On January 29 2011 05:16 skyR wrote:On January 29 2011 05:13 Miles_Edgeworth wrote: Hey guys, I have a quick question.
I built my computer a year and a half ago with an OEM version of Windows Vista, and my motherboard died. If I change to a new motherboard, will my version of Vista work? If so, what if I also change other hardware? If it doesn't reactivate on its own, you have to call Microsoft to get it reactivated (they'll say yes 99% of the time). Thank you! Also, for buying Motherboards, what are the best companies to look for? I know ASUS and Gigabyte are good, but are there any others I should be considering? My build isn't exactly top end, but I want a mobo that can handle gaming pretty well.
Gigabyte, MSI, ASUS, and Asrock (sister company of ASUS).
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Hi,
I am trying to throw together a system for SC2. I have a leftover graphics card and two harddrives from my last set-up so in order to cut costs I was thinking to integrate them into my build. I am looking for the best performance/cost ratio for around 300-350$. I am Canadian and have managed to scrounge around and find these parts from a few local places and online. What I am considering so far:
CPU: AMD Phenom II X2 555 3.2GHz SKT AM3 L2 7MB ($99.77)
MOBO: MSI 770-G45 ATX AM3 770 DDR3 or ASUS M4A77TD ATX AM3 DDR3 AMD770 SB710 (both ~$55.00)
PSU: BFG GS-550 550W Power Supply ATX V2.2 24PIN ($30.00)
CASE: COOLER MASTER ELITE 335 MID-TOWER BLK ($49.77)
RAM: Mushkin Silverline DDR3 1333MHZ 4GB Dual Channel Kit ($46.77)
HDDS: a 250GB 7200 (cant remember model or brand right now, have no access to the computer) & a 40gb 10000 wd ($0.00)
GFX: 1gb 250gts ($0.00)
this would bring me to about $320.00 with tax. i initially was thinking to try to find an sli board and grab another 250gts cheaply but it seems that am3 sli boards are pretty expensive (nforce 980a or fuzion 870s, both around $150). how do you think this computer would perform in general and for sc2? also, are the old hdds going to be an issue?
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Check out this thread, its great: http://www.computerbase.de/forum/showthread.php?t=215394
I would advise you to go with the 850€ build. The 1050€ build has a stronger gpu, but the 580 is very expensive. It's better to buy a still very very strong 570 now and upgrade that in two years. You don't need to do overclocking, if you don't know about it just leave everything at stock speed. You might want to upgrade from 4 to 8gb of memory since it is quite cheap right now, but for gaming and watching films you won't really need it.
But it is very hard to give advise for a build in 5 months. There are probably new AMD processors out by then which might or might not be a better choice than the intel processors right now. There is always something new to wait for, so if you have the money and need a new pc right now, just buy it now.
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@Aevum: That looks about right to me. The Phenom II X2 seems a little bit expensive ($10-15), but maybe that's just Canadian prices.
For the record, the BFG GS units are apparently rated for peak (not continuous) power at room temperature (not a realistic operating temperature). This means that the "550W" rating is very overinflated compared to how most top brands label their units. You're getting something more like a 350-400W unit in those terms, maybe. My estimate might be very very off, but just a heads-up.
That said, aside from having an overinflated rating, it should be a fairly solid unit and a great deal for $30. Just don't think about running SLI GTS 250 on it. Units labeled like this is part of the reason why people think they need more power than they do. For a single GTS 250, you're fine with room to spare.
In general, that build should be decent. It should run SC2 on high smoothly at most resolutions in most situations. Old HDDs are just a problem if they fail on you. They're slower in reading and writing data, but all games load the relevant data into RAM beforehand, so HDD access does not really effect gaming performance other than loading times.
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Hey liquidians,
I have recently come into some money so I wanted to continue upgrading the HP desktop that I got a couple of years ago, I recently just put in a 500W PSU and also a GTS 450 graphics card. Now I wanted to upgrade the CPU but learning from a couple other members, my old LGA 775 motherboard isn't even worth upgrading, so I want to upgrade my motherboard and get a CPU and RAM to go with that.
I was looking at the i5 processors, but I only have around 500 dollars or so, and will probably have to purchase a new windows 7.
Any advice on upgrade my parts, but still being able to reuse my case and drives and card. If there is anything more I can do to help you in helping me. Thank you in advance :D
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so i'm having a problem with my fps in sc2.... it drops down from 60 to 2.
here are the specs: i5 3.2ghz processor 4gigs of ddr3 ram 1066hz ati radeon 3800 series 1gig ddr3
i only run itunes and sc2 when i play
i think its bottlenecking somewhere but i don't know where, or theres something slowing down my computer, but i end all unnecessary processes but it still occurs...
if anyone thinks they have a solution please let me know
ty teamliquid
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@Fluffy1
You do not need to purchase a new windows 7. If it doesnt reactivate on its own with the new hardware, all you have to do is call Microsoft to get it reactivated.
$500 is plenty for a new processor, motherboard, and ram. A core i5 2500 will be around $230, a entry p67 board will be around $140, and 2x2gb kits are around $50 or 2x4gb kits are around $85.
@Igottheil
Its your graphics card holding you back. The HD3800 series weren't exactly great cards...
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@skyR....
i just replaced my graphis card from a geforce 9600 series 1 gig ddr3 and it ran it on medium with decent fps...i couldn't handle high or ultra....this new video card has ultra as recomended and its ddr4 not ddr3, my mistake.
this video card should work and it shouldn't drop down to 2 fps on high....i honestly think its something unrelated to hardware but i haven't the slightest idea
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Thank you skyR, I am running windows vista 32 bit though now that is why I wasn't sure if I should just upgrade to windows 7 while im doing everything else.
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@Igottheil
The 9600GT and I'm assuming you have a 3850 (?) are similar in performance so it wasn't really much of an upgrade...
@Fluffy1
Oh, if you are still using vista 32bit then I think its best to get Windows 7 64bit so you can utilize 4gb of ram.
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Hey everyone,
I'm back and I'm dedicated to buying a new computer this week. Here is what I'm planning on getting.
+ Show Spoiler +Case - Antec Sonata III Quiet Mid Tower w/ EarthWatts 500W, eSATA - $109.99 CPU - Intel Core™ i5-2500 Processor, 3.30GHz w/ 6MB Cache - $219.99 Mobo - Asus P8P67 PRO w/ DualDDR3 1600, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, 1394, Bluetooth, CrossFireX /SLI - $189.99 RAM - Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 1600MHz CL9 Dual Channel Kit (2 x 4GB) - $114.99 HDD - Seagate 1TB Barracuda 7200.12 SATA II w/ 32MB Cache - $54.99 Optical Drive - Samsung SH-S223C 22x SpeedPlus™ DVD-Writer, SATA, Black, OEM - $18.99 GPU - eVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB 1GB GDDR5 PCI-E w/ Dual DVI, HDM - $259.99 Assembly - $40 Windows 7 Professional 64-bit - $139.99 Total - $1173.92
I'll be using www.memoryexpress.ca, although they do price match so some of the prices are matched to newegg/ncix. The mobo choice was in case I ever decide to pick up another 560 then I could SLI them. I don't plan on OC'ing. The CPU might have to change because there is none in stock anywhere near me from memoryexpress, so I don't know if I want to get into the OC'ing scene (the 'k' version is only $5 more expensive, but I heard that if I get it I HAVE to OC it?), or just dip down into the 2400's. I'm just looking for confirmation that all the parts will go together/and are decently priced (CAD). Also, if the PSU seeing as 500W is the 'minimum' that is recommended.
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IMHO the "maybe I'll SLI/Crossfire later on" option is not worth it, unless you're a little short on money now and want to have monster performance in a few months. A GTX 560 Ti would be relevant for a decent amount of time, unless you're playing on resolutions higher than 1920x1200 maybe. You can just upgrade to something else later whenever you need something more powerful, and save the extra costs and hassle.
SLI GTX 560 would definitely not be recommended in that case (too much heat for it to handle well) and on that power supply. It's a good quiet case, not a great cooling case. 500W would work in theory for SLI GTX 560, but that's too close for comfort. Also, with all the heat buildup, the case temperatures would be high, and power supplies usually can't deliver as much power at higher temperatures (not to mention them being louder and dying quicker that way).
If you got a i5-2500k, you wouldn't need to overclock it. It just gives you the option of doing so by setting a significantly higher multiplier. To be honest, doing moderate overclocks on the new Intel k processors is so functional and simple that I'm sure some in the "OC'ing scene" are bored.
I would get a cheaper motherboard (if not doing SLI), cheaper RAM (1600 MHz vs. 1333 MHz is honestly only noticeable in memory benchmarks), and maybe an extra 120mm case fan--though I'm not sure if it would fit in the place allotted for it in the Sonata III with a GTX 560 installed. It depends on how long the card is. Other prices look normal, and the build is good overall.
If I've scared you about the Sonata III--though it should be plenty fine on a single GTX 560 system--you can try these instead: Antec 300 http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX20934(ME).aspx Corsair CX500 http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX30799(ME).aspx
The Corsair CX500 has lower efficiency, probably slightly lower fan noise, higher electrical performance (mostly just significantly better ripple), and a little less power capacity compared to the Earthwatts in the Sonata III, AFAIK. Both would have plenty of room to spare running a single GTX 560 with the other parts.
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ATTN to the early Sandybridge adopters: http://newsroom.intel.com/community/intel_newsroom/blog/2011/01/31/intel-identifies-chipset-design-error-implementing-solution
No idea on how serious this is at the moment, but something to keep an eye on.
From Intel PR Intel Corporation has discovered a design issue in a recently released support chip, the Intel® 6 Series, code-named Cougar Point, and has implemented a silicon fix. In some cases, the Serial-ATA (SATA) ports within the chipsets may degrade over time, potentially impacting the performance or functionality of SATA-linked devices such as hard disk drives and DVD-drives.
The company expects to begin delivering the updated version of the chipset to customers in late February and expects full volume recovery in April.
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