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.
Diamond HD 5750 1GB GDDR5 (GPU, same one i have except i got mine at microcenter)
Corsair 6GB(3x2GB) Triple-Channel 667 MHz DDR3 1333 RAM (RAM, this except it shows it running at 1333 which is weird)
Some 500W Rosewill (pic with all the info since I didn't have box)
Sup TL. Basically, I want to start using dual-GPUs (either CrossFire or SLI, but iirc, my motherboard only supports CrossFire) as well as get a new PSU. So, do I get another 5750 or just get 2 fresh GPUs? Also, I want a new PSU regardless of whether I get a 2nd GPU or not since my old one is simply that: old. It also makes a weird ringing noise (or so I think it's my PSU from what I've read) when my computer is in certain states (like, just finished a game of LoL without any other RAM/Gfx heavy program open, and you'll start hearing a ringing coming from my computer). My current parts n stuff was bought like February of 2010. So ya, it's been a while.
What is your budget? Total: no more than $400-450 preferably. However, absolutely no more than $500. I need/want the PSU, so that's more or less $100 (looking for something with 850W+ to safely power everything) by itself. And if I'm getting 2 new GPUs then that means spending a few hundred.
What is your resolution? 1920x1080 on my main monitor. My 2nd monitor is only 1440x900, but it doesn't display the games so it's basically irrelevant, however just letting y'all know i have a 2nd one.
What are you using it for? Starcraft 2, Battlefield 3, Diablo 3, lots of Photoshop, and maybe streaming later. I just want an upgrade so I can play future games at high quality without losing FPS. For example, right now I can get 90+ FPS on Medium settings in Starcraft 2, however I heard it's mostly CPU dependent. And although 90 on medium is cool, 90 on Ultra is cooler, and that's what I'm aiming for: a rig (with hopefully 2x GPUs) that can play current and future games (aka, BF3) on really nice quality. Obviously it won't be as good as triple or quad SLI/CrossFire, but dual is a good start. TL;DR: Games 'n Photoshop, maybe streaming later.
What is your upgrade cycle? I don't really have an upgrade cycle atm. I just buy new stuff when older stuff breaks (really bad I know). I should probably get on that.
When do you plan on building it? ASAP since like I said, it's been a while as well as I've wanted to get a new PSU for a while now.
Do you plan on overclocking? Besides the fact that I have no idea if my current specs can support it, I don't really plan on overclocking since the performance of my current CPU/Motherboard/GPU satisfies me enough. TL;DR: No.
Do you need an Operating System? Nope, already got that.
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire? Yes. The whole reason why I'm here is for SLI/CrossFire.
Where are you buying your parts from? There's a microcenter nearby, I've bought stuff from newegg and wouldn't mind another purchase. Anything else I'm not so sure about.
Just wanted some input on what to look for (if not actual links) since my tech level is like a 7/10, I don't know some of the super specific stuff. Plus a second opinion on what to get is always good anyways. If you have any more questions about my specs or anything really, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer it fully.
@Keitzer: If you aren't interested/able to do your own homework, multi-GPU is the wrong solution for you. If you want better performance in Blizzard titles, like D3, it's the wrong solution. Brand new titles? Wrong solution. Multi-GPU is for people who enjoy spending time and effort tweaking their stuff, not for people who just want to get extra performance for little to no work.
No offense, but you're really giving the impression of someone who wants to throw money at performance. The correct way for you to do that would be to buy a single high end card.
Hell, you state you aren't sure if your mobo supports SLI. Yet you linked to your motherboard. If you spent 30 seconds skimming specs, you'd know it does. If you're really that lazy, multi-GPU is a terrible solution.
Hey guys, i'm sorry to ask again, but i changed my mind a little. I need advice on a motherboard for an i5 2500k (will overclock it in the future) and 2x asus gtx 460 SLI. I'm confused about some of them having the second PCIe not being x16 but still allowing SLI configuration. Budget is 100-140 € and i'm planning on buying it from www.pccomponentes.com.
On August 13 2011 22:35 JingleHell wrote: @Keitzer: If you aren't interested/able to do your own homework, multi-GPU is the wrong solution for you. If you want better performance in Blizzard titles, like D3, it's the wrong solution. Brand new titles? Wrong solution. Multi-GPU is for people who enjoy spending time and effort tweaking their stuff, not for people who just want to get extra performance for little to no work.
No offense, but you're really giving the impression of someone who wants to throw money at performance. The correct way for you to do that would be to buy a single high end card.
Hell, you state you aren't sure if your mobo supports SLI. Yet you linked to your motherboard. If you spent 30 seconds skimming specs, you'd know it does. If you're really that lazy, multi-GPU is a terrible solution.
Now I'm confused, are you saying SLI/CrossFire yields less gfx power than a single card?
On August 13 2011 22:35 JingleHell wrote: @Keitzer: If you aren't interested/able to do your own homework, multi-GPU is the wrong solution for you. If you want better performance in Blizzard titles, like D3, it's the wrong solution. Brand new titles? Wrong solution. Multi-GPU is for people who enjoy spending time and effort tweaking their stuff, not for people who just want to get extra performance for little to no work.
No offense, but you're really giving the impression of someone who wants to throw money at performance. The correct way for you to do that would be to buy a single high end card.
Hell, you state you aren't sure if your mobo supports SLI. Yet you linked to your motherboard. If you spent 30 seconds skimming specs, you'd know it does. If you're really that lazy, multi-GPU is a terrible solution.
Now I'm confused, are you saying SLI/CrossFire yields less gfx power than a single card?
I'm saying you can get anywhere from 0-100% scaling, depending on the game, drivers, and profile settings. On new and unsupported games, you have to spend hours tweaking custom profiles to get decent returns a lot of times. Blizzard is notorious for not supporting multi-GPU stuff well, and lots of titles get bad scaling at release.
On August 13 2011 23:49 Keitzer wrote: Now I'm confused, are you saying SLI/CrossFire yields less gfx power than a single card?
In the general sense, SLI/CrossFire is not worth the investment. As JingleHell says, it's hit or miss with game support and it usually takes some work that most people won't want to put in. It's not a guaranteed and instant result.
If you want to easily add performance, go for a powerful single card solution.
Evergreen had some dick-limping bad Crossfire scaling so don't buy another HD5750 - this will get you roughly a HD5850, which while good is pretty pathetic considering the power draw, heat, and the fact you need to deal with Crossfire profiles. One thing you should not do in your situation is buy another HD5750.
Since you want a better system to play Diablo 3 and Battlefield 3, I'd personally wait till one of them gets released before buying a new GPU. AMD believes it can get Southern Islands, their 28nm GPUs, out into the market by Q4 2011...while I don't think Globalfoundries and TSMC will be able to get good enough yields to flood the consumer market, its worth waiting for because they should be pretty awesome as well as push the prices of this generation's cards down as merchants try to clear out old stock.
Ya, as you probably can tell I've never had any of my friends nor I have dual-GPU and I wanted to try it out. I'm all up for learning but according to what you guys are suggesting, I should wait.
So does this sound like a good idea: Wait for BF3/D3 and get a new Gfx like a few weeks after (a supported, and one my motherboard can dual up). Then later down the road try dual-GPU?
I know it really seems like I'm pushing the dual-GPU thingy, but I'd really love to understand it more.
If you want to understand multi-GPU, I strongly suggest using Google. The fact of the matter is, you plainly know less than you think you do. The way to fix this is to do research. Asking people for advice is all well and good if you just want to know what will work for something, but to actually understand, you shouldn't be expecting us to do your homework for you.
I mean, you don't know why your memory is running below rated spec, you thought your motherboard only supports Crossfire, not SLI, you're clearly just wanting to throw money at components and end up with a badass computer. The issue is, you're going about it the wrong way. You'll end up with one that sounds cool with sub-par performance for the money invested.
On August 14 2011 00:48 JingleHell wrote: If you want to understand multi-GPU, I strongly suggest using Google. The fact of the matter is, you plainly know less than you think you do. The way to fix this is to do research. Asking people for advice is all well and good if you just want to know what will work for something, but to actually understand, you shouldn't be expecting us to do your homework for you.
I mean, you don't know why your memory is running below rated spec, you thought your motherboard only supports Crossfire, not SLI, you're clearly just wanting to throw money at components and end up with a badass computer. The issue is, you're going about it the wrong way. You'll end up with one that sounds cool with sub-par performance for the money invested.
The memory thing I looked into a few months back and a lot of people had the same issue where it said 1600, but the system wasn't registering it as such. And as for the motherboard when I was typing my specs in the post above, I was using the box it came in as a reference where it states on the back "Certified ATI CrossFire support", and nothing about SLI. However, I see on the newegg link i posted it states "Supports NVIDIA SLI technology and ATI CrossFire".
And I'll take in as much as I can about the pros/cons, how-to's, and what to look for in regards to dual-GPUs between now and, say, January 1 (throwing an arbitrary date since D3 has none yet either). Thanks for the advice/assistance you guys did provide me with as I never tried overclocking, dual-GPUs, or anything super high level like that. I'd really love to learn that, which is why I came here first instead of buying stuff and start experimenting (as I'm sure something will break from that).
edit: reason for not trying shit is that I'm only 18 and honestly SHOULD learn more before trying anything.
The thing is, you're looking for simple, cut and dry answers, but when it comes to enthusiast configurations, those don't exist.
The memory thing and motherboard thing were kind of me making a point. If you CBA to figure those out, multi-GPU is NOT going to be as good for you as a single higher end card. I did a ton of research on multi-GPU before I set mine up, and I still find out new stuff about it on a regular basis. It's a decision you can only make informed, and becoming properly informed requires an intimate knowledge of your PC, your uses, and your computer skills.
I wouldn't mind helping you with tweaking your stuff, but you're currently looking at it the wrong way. Right now you want to be told what's good. You need to want to learn how to make what you have better, especially with that PC you have. Kind of the old teach a man to fish thing.
Hey guys, I'm looking for a pre-built PC that I can buy and get quickly before I head back to school next week. My laptop crapped out so this is pretty last minute.
Neither of those is a great deal, but between them, the 2400/550 is better for gaming.
I believe my actual words were that it was a less shitty option than most of the other prebuilts in that price range on newegg, not that it was good price/performance.
The GPU is NOT "slightly" worse on the 2500k rig. It sucks.
6670 getting smoked by other cards in the same performance range as the 550, except a 550 should at least OC decently, and comes in above a 5770 and 450, even stock.
EPT
