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On December 13 2011 16:59 HuggyBear wrote:
Hey guys, I'm thinking about upgrading my RAM from 4GB to 8GB. Currently, I'm using a Corsair TW3X4G1333C9A dual channel ddr3 kit. Is there any matching that I have to take note of or can I just buy a 2nd 4GB dual channel kit and stick em in?
If you have an overclock, you may need to lower it and/or raise your VTT to compensate for the extra 2 DIMMs of RAM.
You also want to make sure that the voltages to the memory and the timings/latencies/speeds match unless you want your memory to run slower. It would be best to buy the same kit though.
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5930 Posts
VTT doesn't exist with Sandy Bridge, its called VCCIO now. On LGA1366/1155 it mattered quite a bit but I haven't seen any real benefit with Sandy Bridge. In fact, even with moderate 4.5Ghz overclocks with 4 DIMMs running at 1333mhz, all I had to do was turn the processor multiplier up and increase the vcore enough to ensure stability. Everything else pretty much left at stock settings.
Having memory run slower with Sandy Bridge isn't really a bad thing considering how little benefit you get from it. Its actually pretty amusing to see how many overclocking features Sandy Bridge K series processors has pretty much made obsolete.
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Hey guys what do you think is better a GTX560Ti or a 6950?
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The 6950 seams to dominate so i will stick with that i think. can you still unlock the 2gb versions to 6970's
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5930 Posts
You can try. I wouldn't try however considering most don't have a DIP switch to change the BIOS anymore. You might as well buy a real HD6970 at that point.
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hey everyone, so I'm thinking about getting myself one of those nice thin apple-copying intel "ultrabooks" and wanted to ask if anyone knows just how suitable they are for SC2.
The specs for them all seem extremely similar (here's a list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultrabook ) and they all have the same GPU: Intel HD3000, I'm probably gonna get a model with an i7.
So the processor wont be a problem but is the HD3000 enough to really properly run SC2 (and maybe Diablo3)
Of course I've done some google research and it seems like on medium settings it hovers around 30 fps, which seems a bit low. I read on one site that on low settings it has about 90fps, which is wonderful... but I always wonder at which point in time do they measure this? With my current laptop (acer aspire 5738), the game runs just fine at the first 5, maybe even 10 minutes a game, whenever theres a really big fight with two big armies however it gives me like 1fps.
Thats why I have some doubts if, even if it runs 90fps at the start of the game if its still enough. Or do these sort of tests take into account the weaker moments of the game?
Of course theres way cheaper gaming laptops that would run games better but I do want a light, thin laptop.
Although I would be helpful if someone could name some laptops that are a good compromise between power and portability, like the Samsung series 7 chronos ( http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-NP700Z3A-S01US-14-Inch-Laptop/dp/B005KSQTQG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323783457&sr=8-1 )
price range 1000-1500$ (more like 1000-1400€ since im german)
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This should give you a decent idea. Not good but decent enough for the odd game here and there. Of course no one really bothers testing the HD3000 in proper performance vs time benchmarks since the drivers don't work with half the games haha. If you want real GPU performance, Ivy Bridge will give you lots of it considering Intel is packing most of the space with GPU parts.
If you are looking at an ultrabook, you are really doing yourself a disservice by not getting a Macbook Air. It is the unanimously best ultrabook and even if you take the price into account, its still worth the extra price Apple is asking for because their other competitors are so flawed.
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On December 13 2011 22:43 Womwomwom wrote:This should give you a decent idea. Not good but decent enough for the odd game here and there. Of course no one really bothers testing the HD3000 in proper performance vs time benchmarks since the drivers don't work with half the games haha. If you want real GPU performance, Ivy Bridge will give you lots of it considering Intel is packing most of the space with GPU parts. If you are looking at an ultrabook, you are really doing yourself a disservice by not getting a Macbook Air. It is the unanimously best ultrabook and even if you take the price into account, its still worth the extra price Apple is asking for because their other competitors are so flawed.
Even though i hate mac (for some reasons^^), i gotta admit womwomwom is right for the macbook air, it's really a beast in it's domain
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5930 Posts
If you can find an Asus U46SV, or whatever its called, that would probably be a good option. It should have a GT540M GPU if that helps you finding it. nVidia's Optimus is extremely good and actually works perfectly out of the box...in the past AMD (what the Samsung Series 7 laptops are packing) has had driver trouble with proper graphics switching.
My experience with the 15" Series 7 laptop was not really positive, especially since its $2,000 in Australia (this is more than the price of the 15" Macbook Pro with the student discount). The resolution was extremely nice but the vertical viewing angle was absolutely pathetic. Boot up times were fast thanks to the small amount of internal flash memory. The build quality was not good with flex everywhere from the keyboard to the touchpad itself. I really hate low contrast matte screens too since they typically look like ass and don't have a glossy cover to fake vibrancy.
The 14" might be better but I'm not counting on it.
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yeah I hate mac too, although that doesnt mean that I wouldnt consider getting a macbook air.
I dont know about all the competitors being so flawed though, Samsung Series 9 looks really sexy for example.
But actually.. maybe I would prefer getting a Series 7 Chronos.. maybe I do want that extra performance more than portability and sexiness... choices, choices T_T
If I do get a series 7, would it be worth it to pay about 350€ extra for the i7 2675QM over the i5 2430m?
For explanation... I do have a nice PC at home which runs SC2 perfectly, so the laptop is gonna needed for gaming when I wanna do a LAN ( i dont have a car to carry my super heavy PC), and for when I go to my parents place in a different city during semester breaks and whatnot.
Cant watch the video yet since im at the library, will do when i get home, but thanks already guys 
Maybe I should just order an ultrabook, test out how much i like the performance, then send it back if it doesnt seem enough for my needs.
edit: hadnt read that last post yet womwomwom, thats interesting thanks
Asus looks really good, too bad its a lot more expensive in germany, still cheaper than the i5 Samsung series 7 though
I read a little bit about the vertical viewing angle of series 7, that is a definite contra since I watch tv-shows on my laptop with my gf a lot.
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On December 13 2011 20:50 Kleataurus wrote:
The 6950 seams to dominate so i will stick with that i think. can you still unlock the 2gb versions to 6970's
the $289 sapphires come with a bios switch @ PCCG
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5930 Posts
+ Show Spoiler [Ultrabook Chat] +The ultrabook competitors are generally flawed because they are either:
1) Cheap and compromise a lot on the build quality and panel quality.
----- The Acer Aspire S3 falls into this category. It even has shit battery life.
2) Nearly the same price as the Macbook Air yet offer much worse trackpads, worse screen, worse keyboard, and sometimes even connectivity.
----- The Asus Zenbook and Lenovo U300s fall into this category. The Zenbook's screen matches the vertical resolution of the Macbook Air but lacks the contrast and viewing angles of it; the U300s lacks the resolution and even lacks the connectivity (no SD card for instance).
Sometimes you get a mish mash of both. This is the Samsung Series 9 and Toshiba Z385. The Samsung has a good screen but the keyboard exhibits quite a bit of flex and it has problems with wireless connectivity; the Toshiba has an awful screen but has a pretty workable keyboard (strange key width however), an actually Ethernet port, and insane battery life.
The Macbook Air is pretty much still the gold standard: it has the best ultrabook screen (16:10 still gives you good vertical real estate for document reading and web browsing), exceptional battery life, good build quality, the best trackpad, an acceptable keyboard, and some great connectivity once those Thunderbolt docks get released early next year.
Screen quality has always been a sore factor in PC laptops because they all compete through raw specsheets. Since specsheets don't really explain the real contrast, viewing angles, and brightness of the panels, they're willing to shove the cheapest shit they can find into their machines.
Viewing angles on glossy displays should be decent enough (just go to an electronics store and see) though you might notice that they're not amazing. If you want a really good panel, you're going to have to go 15" or pay a huge premium (read: Apple or other really high end business grade notebooks). If you're wondering why Apple laptops sell despite their high asking price, its because they offer zero real compromises - only $2,500 USD HP Elitebooks are similar in the whole zero compromise mentality.
If you are willing to go 15", the first place you might want to look is at the Dell XPS lineup. The build quality is what you expect but the 1080P screen upgrades are seriously amazing for laptop stuff. Since its Dell, perhaps work or university can make you eligible for Dell's Member Purchase & Employee Discount Program since Dell is big on this type of stuff. To illustrate how much they love giving out discounts, my car insurance membership means I qualify for 15% discounts on their whole monitor lineup.
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I dont really care about screen quality and i think ill do fine with almost any keyboard.
I also read about those wireless problems of the series 9, thats fucked up.
Like I said I wanna use the laptop for LANs, so apple isnt really an option
I wonder how good series 5 laptops are
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5930 Posts
If you are set on the ultrabook concept and don't need a laptop yet, I recommend waiting till March/April. Ivy Bridge is being released at that date. People are predicting that the HD4000 integrated graphics on Ivy Bridge will be 60% faster than the HD3000 on Sandy Bridge processors...that's not a trivial amount. Also apparently Asus thinks it can bring the ultrabook cost to $600 by the time Ivy Bridge hits.
If not, my best suggestion is get an Asus laptop along the lines of the one I suggested or get that 14" Samsung Series 7. Nothing is really going to beat these two in raw price/performance/[portability I think.
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It should be fine. Antec is generally considered to be a decent brand. That specific model isn't their best, which makes sense since it's a budget model, but it'll do for the hardware you're putting in.
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An i5-2400 is better for the cost, and since you're not oc'ing a H61 or H67 mobo will be enough and much cheaper.
A gtx 560 is basicly like a HD6870 which is like 20$ cheaper.
The psu should be enough but wouldn't have enough connectors for the GPU.
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On December 14 2011 00:56 Womwomwom wrote:
If you are set on the ultrabook concept and don't need a laptop yet, I recommend waiting till March/April. Ivy Bridge is being released at that date. People are predicting that the HD4000 integrated graphics on Ivy Bridge will be 60% faster than the HD3000 on Sandy Bridge processors...that's not a trivial amount. Also apparently Asus thinks it can bring the ultrabook cost to $600 by the time Ivy Bridge hits.
If not, my best suggestion is get an Asus laptop along the lines of the one I suggested or get that 14" Samsung Series 7. Nothing is really going to beat these two in raw price/performance/[portability I think.
alright that sounds like good advice, tyvm
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EPT
