Computer Build Resource Thread - Page 168

On March 04 2011 01:46 skyR wrote:

Btw, if you do not need a copy of Windows. You should probably get a GTX 560 and a Core i5 2500.

On March 03 2011 12:03 Myrmidon wrote:
If you don't know why you need a high-end motherboard, you don't need one. Likewise, you don't need an i7-2600k when a i5-2500k is just as good for gaming. You also don't need a high-end heatsink for overclocking a i5-2500k in the "safe zone," since they only take about 65W at full load at stock frequencies and voltage when you're not using the integrated graphics (much less than previous quad cores and hex cores that could really use the high-end cooling for high overclocks).

You also don't need more than one graphics card to run SC2 on extreme with high fps. Crossfire or SLI (running more than one graphics card in tandem to hopefully improve performance) isn't worth the driver and configuration hassles, and sometimes poor support in some games--especially if you're willing to upgrade the GPU whenever necessary.

Prices are unlikely to drop much in a few months and there's not going to be a new CPU or GPU really worth waiting for in that time frame, so you might as well buy in maybe a month whenever all the P67 motherboards are back in stock.

If you have a large budget, you may as well just spend the money on a new SSD, a better monitor, a nicer case, a high-end power supply built to last (think 8+ years), better peripherals, or something like that that will give some kind of benefit. If you get something like a high-end motherboard, what you're getting is a lot of ports, connectivity options, and features that you're not going to ever use.

I'm sure somebody can supply the techno jargon if necessary, but that kind of language is really only necessary when comparing between different parts (e.g. different power supplies). And it's not much worth comparing different parts until you're actually buying and know what the exact prices are at the moment of the exact models you're looking at.

On March 04 2011 13:03 Triscuit wrote:
Would I be able to get an i7 2600k to 5.0GHz+ with a Noctua NH-D14? I've heard of people getting a Sandy Bridge up to 4.8 GHzish with a Thermaltake Frio.

Second question: how does overclocking (especially to the intent of getting the clock up to 5 GHz) affect the longevity of the CPU? Does it matter as long as the temperatures are down?

On March 04 2011 22:14 GTR wrote:
What is the cheapest build I can do to stream SC2 at Ultra settings without lag (obviously 1v1... streaming 4v4 200/200 battles.... yeh...). Please try and include a 1080p monitor with the build because I'm currently sporting a HP w2207 (not bad, don't get me wrong, but I'd love to have that 1080p).

I was thinking a new Sandy Bridge i5, the lowest quad-core one (2300 I think?), 4GB RAM, GTX460 and a cheap 1TB HDD (and the new fixed motherboards, whenever they come out).

On March 04 2011 15:43 Womwomwom wrote:


Sample build for you:
Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB HD103SJ - $69.00
G.Skill F3-10600CL9D-4GBNT 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 - $49.00
Intel Core i5 2400 - $209.00
MSI H67MA-E45 Motherboard - $135.00
Antec EarthWatts 430W - $68.00
Antec Mini P180 Black - $134.00

Total: $664.00

With a $1200 budget, I'd actually go buy a better monitor since this computer is good enough for high resolution gaming. Your video card might age faster than the rest of the computer because its not exactly high end right now but that's an easy to replace part.

I don't recommend replacing your video card right now. Its still good and you're not going to see a huge performance boost from any new video cards being released until AMD and nVidia start pumping out 28nm GPUs, which should happen late this year.

If you're looking for a good monitor, a solid option is the Dell U2311H. If you are a RACV (or the other Royal Auto clubs you find in other states) member you get something like 15% off any purchases from Dell and if you find yourself some nice coupons you can get a pretty sick monitor for not much more than the lesser TN monitors from PC Case Gear.