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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. |
I recently purchased a new tv. This left me with an extra TV which I decided to use as a computer monitor. It's a 26 inch toshiba LCD TV. I went to purchase the VGA cable and hooked it up to the PC. During the start up it worked just fine as it booted.
As I got to the start windows screen the screen went completely black and nothing else happend. Now, as a note i'm a pretty big noob when it comes to computers so any help would be greatly appreciated.
I'm assuming my graphics card could not support this monitor in color because the boot up screen is black and white and it worked just fine up until color was supposed to be displayed. Also I tried doing some googling research and I think it mentioned I might need a better motherboard as well.
Again, based off the information does it sound like I need a better graphics card and which one would be a good one to purchase. Also could I install this stuff on my own even though I don't know that much about computers? Please dumb it down for me otherwise I will not understand lol.
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On September 08 2010 08:58 kidd wrote:
I recently purchased a new tv. This left me with an extra TV which I decided to use as a computer monitor. It's a 26 inch toshiba LCD TV. I went to purchase the VGA cable and hooked it up to the PC. During the start up it worked just fine as it booted.
As I got to the start windows screen the screen went completely black and nothing else happend. Now, as a note i'm a pretty big noob when it comes to computers so any help would be greatly appreciated.
I'm assuming my graphics card could not support this monitor in color because the boot up screen is black and white and it worked just fine up until color was supposed to be displayed. Also I tried doing some googling research and I think it mentioned I might need a better motherboard as well.
Again, based off the information does it sound like I need a better graphics card and which one would be a good one to purchase. Also could I install this stuff on my own even though I don't know that much about computers? Please dumb it down for me otherwise I will not understand lol.
My TV did the exact same thing and all i had to do was change the refresh rate in display -> advanced -> monitor, to something the TV could handle, down to 45 i think i went. Not really sure if thats it but worth a go.
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United States9452 Posts
Scruffy: x8/x8 on a P55 system is good enough. As you can see here, even GTX 480 SLI (more powerful than CrossFire HD 5850) sees no performance decrease from x8/x8 compared to x16/x16. Actually, afaik a P55 system and the upcoming equivalent for Sandy Bridge can only do x8/x8 max and not x16/x8, as there's only 16 PCI-E 2.0 lanes hardwired to the controller on the CPU die. But it's a moot point with today's graphics cards.
DadE: despite the name and marketing, that's way under minimum requirements for SC2, what with the nVidia GeForce 6100 graphics. It's a reasonable price for what you get if you consider the convenience of getting it tested and preconfigured, but that's not what you want to run modern 3D games. You could get that package and then purchase a separate discrete graphics card to install in it, but it's not a terribly great deal to begin with. Also, many no-name power supplies like the one included are prone to failing early, sometimes killing other components while it dies.
zekie: Pretty much no, if you're building a new computer. If you spend $300 now and expect to play it barely on low, you might have trouble upgrading it later to play on medium without replacing multiple things. If you collect parts over time and scrounge together great deals on used parts, it might be possible.
Actually, hold up, I don't remember how I got everything to come out in the $400 range. What parts can you reuse? If the whole price is for CPU+mobo+RAM+graphics, it's doable definitely, but if you include case, PSU, HDD, optical drive, etc., no so much.
kidd: check refresh rates, input settings, etc. Also look up the exact model of your TV and just search around. What's the native display resolution? It's more a TV issue than a graphics card issue I would think.
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United States8477 Posts
On September 08 2010 02:22 zekie wrote:
so I was going to order my computer last week then some unforseen payments showed up in the mail and was wondering what the cheapest i could get a decently reliable computer i could get for SC2.
before myrmidon made me a $400 computer (canadian dollars) but I was wondering is it possible to get a fairly reliable computer for SC2 that could be upgraded later when I got a bit more money ( probably a year or 2).
is it possible to order one for like $300?
and if it is would it be a lot worse than a $400 computer?
hoping to run SC2 on medium too.
$400 is kinda the absolute least you could expect to pay for a computer that can play sc2 on medium. I'd say the bare minimum you could expect to pay in USD without combos/sales is:
$60 for cpu
$60 for mobo
$80 for gpu
$30 for psu
$40 for memory
$40 for case
$40 for hard drive
$20 for optical drive
$30 for OS
That's around $400. Also, you won't be able to play ffa, 4v4, or 3v3 on medium settings with this computer, because you'll lag hard in big fights. Unless you find some really really sick sales/deals, you won't be able to go under $400.
Also, I searched the forums but couldn't find Myrmidon's build that you're talking about that's $400.
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zekie: Pretty much no, if you're building a new computer. If you spend $300 now and expect to play it barely on low, you might have trouble upgrading it later to play on medium without replacing multiple things. If you collect parts over time and scrounge together great deals on used parts, it might be possible.
this is the build you first gave me which was around $400
+ Show Spoiler +
would i have troubles upgrading this? and would this play on medium?
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United States9452 Posts
On September 08 2010 09:48 zekie wrote:Show nested quote +
zekie: Pretty much no, if you're building a new computer. If you spend $300 now and expect to play it barely on low, you might have trouble upgrading it later to play on medium without replacing multiple things. If you collect parts over time and scrounge together great deals on used parts, it might be possible.
this is the build you first gave me which was around $400 + Show Spoiler +would i have troubles upgrading this? and would this play on medium?
Well, the CPU+mobo combo is expired, so you would get maybe this with DDR3 RAM instead of the current CPU, mobo, and RAM. You should probably also check prices at other Canadian e-tailers, as newegg.ca prices including taxes+shipping are often not the best. The above should do medium fine. For upgrading, a better GPU (though nothing more than a GTX 460), 2GB more RAM, maybe a 80mm intake fan for the case, maybe a CPU cooler, and maybe a Phenom II X4 would be possible. Both a CPU and significant GPU upgrade combined would be uncomfortably close to the PSU limit though.
edit: whoa, the $540 build at techreport is eerily similar to the above, lol. Athlon II X3 -> Athlon II X4, GT 240 -> HD 5670, Biostar mobo -> Asus mobo, same amount of DDR3 RAM, Samsung Spinpoint HDD 320 GB -> Samsung Spinpoint HDD 1TB, same PSU, Antec 4482 case -> 300 (and they mentioned the 4482 in the article as a previous choice).
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Hope no one else has posted this but if your looking to get into overclocking and such and such www.Overclock.net is a really good site for learning about all that stuff.
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dl2agon
United States473 Posts
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I am currently planning on building up a new computer and need some advice on specific parts. First of all the priority is on performance and I'm looking to spend around 2000 Euros. My main concern is what parts fit together best and if there are certain parts that which could make problems that I am not aware of.
The PC includes the case and everything that goes into it - but no peripherals.
CPU
i7 definitly, most likely the 950 (don't want one from the 32nm extreme edition, but the closest 45nm to it).
MB
I definitly want something reliable here from a well known brand for boards and a good product line. Currently I have the MSI Big Bang Xpower(Intel X58) in mind.
RAM
PC3-10600 3x2GB or 2x4GB depending if it's a triple- or dual channel board. Very unsure which brand, there are some mentioned in this thread , but I don't just want to randomly choose one. Any yes I know, triple channel will not result in a noticable better game performance, but I don't really care if the board has it or not. If the board comes with it - fine, if not - that's ok too.
GPU
Definitly an ATI Radeon HD (please don't argue with or suggest an NVIDIA Card). The highest in line is the 5970(?) and with 2GB RAM of course. Question would be which manufacturer. Sapphire is a name that sticks in my head somehow but I'm very open to suggestions.
Data Storage
I absolutly want an SSD here, but I'm unsure which. From what I gathered from research, there are quite some big differences in throughput (read/write) depending on the controller. It does not have to be big - the ssd is only gonna hold the os, sc2 and some key programs. Any other data will go onto a much larger spinning disc, which will be added later. A 128GB SSD should suffice.
PSU
Thinking of the Corsair HX1000W 1000 Watt here, beacuse it has all the safe-keeping-stuff and comes from a brand I like. But I'm open for other options.
DVD-RW
Some Lite-on or whatever cheap thing - absolutly no concerns here.
Case
No clue here. Should be black, midi tower, no windows or extra light stuff.
OS
Windows 7 64 Bit definitely.
Some questions that I have for this list:
A) All the newer Graphiccards have PCI-e 2.1 listed, but all the boards I saw had PCI-e 2.0 Slots - I think these should be compatible, but I feel awkward about this.
B) Judging from this list, which part is the weakest in the chain performance wise? Or if I wanted to improve performance even more - the exchange of which part would net in the biggest performance increase? (sorry for my english here)
C) About what part do you feel odd or where do you think 'Why the hell would he do this?'
Thanks in advance
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On September 08 2010 17:14 gm.tOSS wrote:
I am currently planning on building up a new computer and need some advice on specific parts. First of all the priority is on performance and I'm looking to spend around 2000 Euros. My main concern is what parts fit together best and if there are certain parts that which could make problems that I am not aware of.
The PC includes the case and everything that goes into it - but no peripherals.
CPU
i7 definitly, most likely the 950 (don't want one from the 32nm extreme edition, but the closest 45nm to it).
MB
I definitly want something reliable here from a well known brand for boards and a good product line. Currently I have the MSI Big Bang Xpower(Intel X58) in mind.
RAM
PC3-1333 3x2GB or 2x4GB depending if it's a triple- or dual channel board. Very unsure which brand, there are some mentioned in this thread , but I don't just want to randomly choose one. Any yes I know, triple channel will not result in a noticable better game performance, but I don't really care if the board has it or not. If the board comes with it - fine, if not - that's ok too.
GPU
Definitly an ATI Radeon HD (please don't argue with or suggest an NVIDIA Card). The highest in line is the 5970(?) and with 2GB RAM of course. Question would be which manufacturer. Sapphire is a name that sticks in my head somehow but I'm very open to suggestions.
Data Storage
I absolutly want an SSD here, but I'm unsure which. From what I gathered from research, there are quite some big differences in throughput (read/write) depending on the controller. It does not have to be big - the ssd is only gonna hold the os, sc2 and some key programs. Any other data will go onto a much larger spinning disc, which will be added later. A 128GB SSD should suffice.
PSU
Thinking of the Corsair HX1000W 1000 Watt here, beacuse it has all the safe-keeping-stuff and comes from a brand I like. But I'm open for other options.
DVD-RW
Some Lite-on or whatever cheap thing - absolutly no concerns here.
Case
No clue here. Should be black, midi tower, no windows or extra light stuff.
OS
Windows 7 64 Bit definitely.
Some questions that I have for this list:
A) All the newer Graphiccards have PCI-e 2.1 listed, but all the boards I saw had PCI-e 2.0 Slots - I think these should be compatible, but I feel awkward about this.
B) Judging from this list, which part is the weakest in the chain performance wise? Or if I wanted to improve performance even more - the exchange of which part would net in the biggest performance increase? (sorry for my english here)
C) About what part do you feel odd or where do you think 'Why the hell would he do this?'
Thanks in advance
I love the choices that you've made in your rig.buying the i7 950 is a good decision imo since it's very cheap now.plus your mobo choice in the BigBang Xpower is really good.it's a premium quality mobo for under 300$ and is very good.your gpu is really overkill but that's your choice really.sapphire is probably the best.as far as SSD is concerned, either Corsair, Kingston or Intel should be good.but there are other good brands out there as well.so do a bit more research before you finally chose one.
overall your rig seems pretty good but the only bad part about it for me is that since you're gonna spend so much money on a rig like this, then at least spend a little bit more money and get a better ram.at least one with 1600 bus or higher.
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On September 08 2010 22:03 BloodDrunK wrote:Show nested quote +On September 08 2010 17:14 gm.tOSS wrote:
I am currently planning on building up a new computer and need some advice on specific parts. First of all the priority is on performance and I'm looking to spend around 2000 Euros. My main concern is what parts fit together best and if there are certain parts that which could make problems that I am not aware of.
The PC includes the case and everything that goes into it - but no peripherals.
CPU
i7 definitly, most likely the 950 (don't want one from the 32nm extreme edition, but the closest 45nm to it).
MB
I definitly want something reliable here from a well known brand for boards and a good product line. Currently I have the MSI Big Bang Xpower(Intel X58) in mind.
RAM
PC3-1333 3x2GB or 2x4GB depending if it's a triple- or dual channel board. Very unsure which brand, there are some mentioned in this thread , but I don't just want to randomly choose one. Any yes I know, triple channel will not result in a noticable better game performance, but I don't really care if the board has it or not. If the board comes with it - fine, if not - that's ok too.
GPU
Definitly an ATI Radeon HD (please don't argue with or suggest an NVIDIA Card). The highest in line is the 5970(?) and with 2GB RAM of course. Question would be which manufacturer. Sapphire is a name that sticks in my head somehow but I'm very open to suggestions.
Data Storage
I absolutly want an SSD here, but I'm unsure which. From what I gathered from research, there are quite some big differences in throughput (read/write) depending on the controller. It does not have to be big - the ssd is only gonna hold the os, sc2 and some key programs. Any other data will go onto a much larger spinning disc, which will be added later. A 128GB SSD should suffice.
PSU
Thinking of the Corsair HX1000W 1000 Watt here, beacuse it has all the safe-keeping-stuff and comes from a brand I like. But I'm open for other options.
DVD-RW
Some Lite-on or whatever cheap thing - absolutly no concerns here.
Case
No clue here. Should be black, midi tower, no windows or extra light stuff.
OS
Windows 7 64 Bit definitely.
Some questions that I have for this list:
A) All the newer Graphiccards have PCI-e 2.1 listed, but all the boards I saw had PCI-e 2.0 Slots - I think these should be compatible, but I feel awkward about this.
B) Judging from this list, which part is the weakest in the chain performance wise? Or if I wanted to improve performance even more - the exchange of which part would net in the biggest performance increase? (sorry for my english here)
C) About what part do you feel odd or where do you think 'Why the hell would he do this?'
Thanks in advance I love the choices that you've made in your rig.buying the i7 950 is a good decision imo since it's very cheap now.plus your mobo choice in the BigBang Xpower is really good.it's a premium quality mobo for under 300$ and is very good.your gpu is really overkill but that's your choice really.sapphire is probably the best.as far as SSD is concerned, either Corsair, Kingston or Intel should be good.but there are other good brands out there as well.so do a bit more research before you finally chose one. overall your rig seems pretty good but the only bad part about it for me is that since you're gonna spend so much money on a rig like this, then at least spend a little bit more money and get a better ram.at least one with 1600 bus or higher.
Yeah I meant to write PC3-10600 RAM - the Board only supports PC3-10600 and PC3-8500 anyways.
Thanks for the advice.
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Hey guys,
I was referred to this thread for help. I am wanting to buy a PC that allows me to play Starcraft 2 at least on medium if better quality EVEN BETTER! I'd also like it to allow me to stream at the same time and not give ke any issues. Problem is that I can only spend 500-700. All I need is the PC I have keyboard, monitor, mouse, sound, etc.
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On September 08 2010 09:17 swanny_11 wrote:Show nested quote +On September 08 2010 08:58 kidd wrote:
I recently purchased a new tv. This left me with an extra TV which I decided to use as a computer monitor. It's a 26 inch toshiba LCD TV. I went to purchase the VGA cable and hooked it up to the PC. During the start up it worked just fine as it booted.
As I got to the start windows screen the screen went completely black and nothing else happend. Now, as a note i'm a pretty big noob when it comes to computers so any help would be greatly appreciated.
I'm assuming my graphics card could not support this monitor in color because the boot up screen is black and white and it worked just fine up until color was supposed to be displayed. Also I tried doing some googling research and I think it mentioned I might need a better motherboard as well.
Again, based off the information does it sound like I need a better graphics card and which one would be a good one to purchase. Also could I install this stuff on my own even though I don't know that much about computers? Please dumb it down for me otherwise I will not understand lol. My TV did the exact same thing and all i had to do was change the refresh rate in display -> advanced -> monitor, to something the TV could handle, down to 45 i think i went. Not really sure if thats it but worth a go.
Hmm, I checked this setting and I guess the lowest Hz it went down to was 65 which obviously did not fix the problem. Is there any way to manually set it to 45 or lower?
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On September 09 2010 00:05 Cochoz wrote:
Hey guys,
I was referred to this thread for help. I am wanting to buy a PC that allows me to play Starcraft 2 at least on medium if better quality EVEN BETTER! I'd also like it to allow me to stream at the same time and not give ke any issues. Problem is that I can only spend 500-700. All I need is the PC I have keyboard, monitor, mouse, sound, etc.
Can you answer some of the questions in the original post under the first spoiler? Like your resolution, operating system, where you're going to buy it, etc.
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Hey guys;
I recently asked around on the forum for help to build a computer and today I went to the store and when was I talking to the sales person; one thing led to another and he started to explain to me about new stuff coming out basically New Years 2011. That's only like 3-4 months away.
I was planning to either get a Core i5 760 or AMD Phenom II X4 today but ditched both ideas. The guy didn't end up getting the sale buy for me, I ran back home and started googling the new CPUs that are coming out soon.
Before I make any buying decisions, I just had to ask you guys.
If I don't desperately need a computer right now... can I just wait?
Will the new chips coming out be too expensive anyway??
The i5 760 and the Phenom IIX4 was the limit I was willing to spend anyway on a CPU at around 200ish(Canadian)
The motherboards I was looking to buy were around 120-140ish.
If the new SandyBridge stuff is gonna be an extra 50 or 80 dollars more, and the new motherboards will be more expensive like how the LGA1136 are right now, then I probably won't even bother.
But if you guys know anything that you could tell me about pricing or if its even worth the wait, I'd appreciate it.
Like... with the release of the new stuff, will the i5 760 drop in price?
I think I read a post where someone was saying that even if the SandyBridge stuff comes out, it'll be priced higher than it should for the first 2 months to get rid of old stock and then lowered to a more appropriate market price. If that's the case; technically for guys like me, the new stuff doesn't come out for another 5-6 months then if it's not affordable.
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Looks like you don't have the benefit of a Microcenter/Fry's to get the 750/760 at discounted prices. What are you running now? Remember as an early adopter you will get to be a guinea pig for BIOS updates as well. How comfortable are you with 1st gen hardware? That is really the main question.
I've read through the previews (which may not reflect the final product), and while the WoW numbers are nice, from Anand's preview, the other games did not show as big a gain. E.g. DA:O is a mainstream example of a game designed for quad-cores. SC2 was run at 1024x768 (wtf Anand), which means jackshit to most of us. If he ran it at a more reasonable 1680x1050, I woulda put more weight into it.
But the main chip you would be aiming for is the SB i5 2500K. Anand guesses it would be around the $200 range, but there are no guarantees. Ditto with the associated motherboard. The point is we really don't know, and combine that with being a first adopter - is that worth it to you?
I personally won't make a decision until I see final numbers, and even then, I think the i5 760 will be more than enough.
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What do you guys think, will there be huge price drops in the next few months because of the new amd and intel processors? Or will the new processors just be very expensive and the prices of the usual i5-760 and so on will be almost the same?
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EPT
