|
When using this resource, please read the 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. |
United Kingdom20326 Posts
On June 30 2014 23:14 Gotlander wrote:Show nested quote +On June 30 2014 23:07 Cyro wrote:On June 30 2014 22:26 Gotlander wrote:
Hey guys I'm just wondering how long would the GTX 770 last?
I'm talking in terms of playing games on high settings (not max, but high). Maybe until 2017?
Also I tend to browse a lot of things on the Internet simultaneously. Would I benefit from Intel's i5 CPUs over the i3s? I heard that games are more GPU dependent, so I might save some money and get an i3. How does it sound? The types of games I want to play are Watch Dogs, Tom Clancy's Division and other graphically demanding games. A lot of games benefit from having 4 cores over 2, if you have a decent budget. A gtx770 is the same thing as 680, we've had that part for 2 - 2.5 years already, and it's midrange since a while ago. A single 780ti is a better option than a pair of 770's in terms of performance - don't expect them to hold out and be amazing for ages are you on 1080p? Thanks for the reply. Yes I'm on 1080p. Hmm never knew the GTX 770 was the same as GTX 680. I'm not planning to go over 1080p yet. Also what is better the AMD A10-7850K or the i5 4590?
The i5 is way stronger. The competition for i5 is AMD's fx 8-threaded CPU's which are generally cheaper, a little stronger if you use all 8 threads but have significant weaknesses in performance when you're doing something that can't load 8 threads very well. A lot of games fall into that weak area, so for general gaming, particularly mmo/rts, an Intel CPU is probably better. For some uses you can save money and be effective with an fx6300 or 8320, like a video encoding rig or something else that will utilize all of the CPU cores/threads that you have all of the time
|
Hello, I am looking for the best way to get a x64 Windows OS because I currently only own a x32 version of Windows 7 Ultimate.
Would a Core i5-3570k processor be able to handle that?
I've noticed some memory errors on a game called Tera online that crashes me to desktop. Would the x64 OS fix that? because I have an ASRock Extreme 4 motherboard with 16 GB Ram but only 3.15 GB usable.
|
On June 30 2014 23:48 yido wrote:
Hello, I am looking for the best way to get a x64 Windows OS because I currently only own a x32 version of Windows 7 Ultimate.
Would a Core i5-3570k processor be able to handle that?
I've noticed some memory errors on a game called Tera online that crashes me to desktop. Would the x64 OS fix that? because I have an ASRock Extreme 4 motherboard with 16 GB Ram but only 3.15 GB usable.
The product key you have also works on x64. You can download an image file of a Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit installation disc, then burn a disc or extract its contents onto a USB stick.
See here for a download link: http://www.w7forums.com/threads/official-windows-7-sp1-iso-image-downloads.12325/
To put it on a USB stick, use this: http://rufus.akeo.ie/
|
On July 01 2014 00:20 Ropid wrote:Show nested quote +On June 30 2014 23:48 yido wrote:
Hello, I am looking for the best way to get a x64 Windows OS because I currently only own a x32 version of Windows 7 Ultimate.
Would a Core i5-3570k processor be able to handle that?
I've noticed some memory errors on a game called Tera online that crashes me to desktop. Would the x64 OS fix that? because I have an ASRock Extreme 4 motherboard with 16 GB Ram but only 3.15 GB usable. The product key you have also works on x64. You can download an image file of a Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit installation disc, then burn a disc or extract its contents onto a USB stick. See here for a download link: http://www.w7forums.com/threads/official-windows-7-sp1-iso-image-downloads.12325/To put it on a USB stick, use this: http://rufus.akeo.ie/
The problem is that I don't have the product key... I am not sure how my current windows is working because my roommate's cousin installed it and didn't explain it at all. I was fine with it because I got a free OS, but now that I've upgraded hardware for my computer I think it is time to buy an OS if needed.
Any recommendations for a good deal or is just amazon a good place to purchase?
Thank you for quick response.
|
On July 01 2014 00:29 yido wrote:Show nested quote +On July 01 2014 00:20 Ropid wrote:On June 30 2014 23:48 yido wrote:
Hello, I am looking for the best way to get a x64 Windows OS because I currently only own a x32 version of Windows 7 Ultimate.
Would a Core i5-3570k processor be able to handle that?
I've noticed some memory errors on a game called Tera online that crashes me to desktop. Would the x64 OS fix that? because I have an ASRock Extreme 4 motherboard with 16 GB Ram but only 3.15 GB usable. The product key you have also works on x64. You can download an image file of a Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit installation disc, then burn a disc or extract its contents onto a USB stick. See here for a download link: http://www.w7forums.com/threads/official-windows-7-sp1-iso-image-downloads.12325/To put it on a USB stick, use this: http://rufus.akeo.ie/ The problem is that I don't have the product key... I am not sure how my current windows is working because my roommate's cousin installed it and didn't explain it at all. I was fine with it because I got a free OS, but now that I've upgraded hardware for my computer I think it is time to buy an OS if needed. Any recommendations for a good deal or is just amazon a good place to purchase? Thank you for quick response.
This tool will show you the product key of your installed Windows: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html
I don't know how to check if your current Windows is using some sort of crack to work and is pirated. Perhaps if you can't find the same key when searching for it with Google, that would mean it's not some generic key that's used by pirates, is instead a legitimate key.
|
My parents want me to build a home theater PC for them, and I'm looking for the most affordable way to do it. They are very specific about its looks, meaning that the case should be those horizontal HTPC cases that look like generic DVD players and such. Other than that, I just need a PC that can play 1080p videos when connected to a projector and sound system through HDMI.
I've never built a HTPC before, but I think this is what I will need:
Intel Core i3 Haswell - The integrated graphics on this should run everything just fine right?
Micro ATX Motherboard with HDMI output and USB 3.0
4 GB RAM - Should be enough
at least 2 HDDs for storage
generic PSU
generic DVD drive (non-bluray since we don't use those much)
The case would preferably have a USB 3.0 slot in the front for easier file transfers. Other than that, as long as it does the job it's fine. Any suggestions?
+ Show Spoiler +
What is your budget?
$400, but less is better
What is your monitor's native resolution?
1080p projector
What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings?
none
What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming?
Watching 1080p movies and streams
Do you intend to overclock?
no
Do you intend to do SLI / Crossfire?
no
Do you need an operating system?
no
Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget?
no
If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify.
none
What country will you be buying your parts in?
USA
If you have any retailer preferences, please specify.
Amazon or Newegg probably
|
http://www.key4vip.com/
Found this site while looking for a good place to buy a product key.
Is this a scam or a good site?
Can't seem to find a legit answer.
EDIT: seems like a scam...
My current key seems to be pretty popular online as it only took 5 letters to pop up.
sigh. I guess I need to deal out 100 bucks.
|
On June 30 2014 13:38 Cyro wrote:Show nested quote +On June 30 2014 12:42 terranimbastimamove wrote:
Hey everyone a I'm looking to purchase a new computer with the sole purpose to stream starcraft 2 using the lowest quality in game settings. I don't really know anything about building computers and regardless of how easy it seems to be I still feel inclined to buy a pre-constructed PC to not have to worry about anything.
Altough I am an avid computer user, and always have been, I literally know absolutely nothing about the machine itself. It's very similar to someone who is enjoys driving fast cars, racing, but knows jack shit about cars themselves.
In any case I was hoping to find some help and maybe even a recommendation here on what computer I should purchase. I am looking for as low budget as possible and I'm not looking for anything high-end or fancy. Just the bare minimum to stream SC2 on the lowest in-game graphic settings at 480p-720p with NO lag.
Thank you for reading and I look forward to your replies! What do you get on www.speedtest.net and www.pingtest.net ? i'm thinking haswell dual core (pentium) and gtx750 I was going to check prices of weaker graphics, but 650(?) is minimum for NVENC and it seems 650/650ti got discontinued with 750 launch Also.. best to note that you can't really always have good FPS in sc2. With high unit counts, every CPU has a lot of trouble keeping performance levels up, it's just a case of some are way better than others
I don't mind weak graphics as the only game I play is SC2 with the lowest in-game graphic settings. Here is what I got on the websites http://i.imgur.com/sUVPeN3.png
|
Hello again
I was going to purchase a AMD Radeon R9 280X 3072MB GDDR5 DUAL-X
But I'm thinking to get a MSI® VIDEO AMD RADEON R9 280X 3072MB GDDR5 TWIN FROZR IV GAMING SERIES
The main diffrerence I see is the CPU speed, the second one says it runs at 1000~1020 MHz, and the first at 870~1020 MHz
The Price difference is around USD 100, something I can afford.
I just what to know if its better.
TY in advance <3
|
United Kingdom20326 Posts
On July 01 2014 05:53 uberxD wrote:
Hello again
I was going to purchase a AMD Radeon R9 280X 3072MB GDDR5 DUAL-X
But I'm thinking to get a MSI® VIDEO AMD RADEON R9 280X 3072MB GDDR5 TWIN FROZR IV GAMING SERIES
The main diffrerence I see is the CPU speed, the second one says it runs at 1000~1020 MHz, and the first at 870~1020 MHz
The Price difference is around USD 100, something I can afford.
I just what to know if its better.
TY in advance <3
You should worry about the cooler on the graphics card a lot more than clock speeds. Generally all of the decently cooled ones are clocked around the same. A graphics card of that caliber will likely be the loudest component in your system (sometimes by a lot, if your other stuff is quiet) so the noise level of the cooler matters a lot, as well as how effective it is. There's a few different types of GPU coolers generally used that work better or worse depending on what you use them for (one GPU vs 2, the airflow design of the case etc), too
|
United Kingdom20326 Posts
|
1. I bought a samsung EVO 840 SSD. It came with no SATA cable. I have an old PC (15 years maybe?) that I thought I could scavenge for parts, maybe an old SATA 1 cable. My current motherboard supports SATA 2
Am I correct that I can use an old SATA 1 cable, for my current motherboard that has SATA 2 only, to connect it to a SATA 3 SSD? The only downside would be less throughput due to SATA 2 on my motherboard - the cable, even an old SATA 1, would not make a difference?
2. I only have 2"5 and 3"5 holders in my chassi, none of which fits the SSD. No extra equipment came with the SSD either. Can I just apply duct tape to the SSD and attach it to one of the 2"5 holders nonetheless? Do I have to be extra careful what it touches?
3. Any recommended practices on what to do with all the extra cables from the PSU? Currently, they are just a mess
|
If it's really 15 years, that might actually be from a time before SATA, so no SATA cables. 
Other than that, I do have old SATA cables that don't work for current drives. They are the same connector, so you don't really see a difference, except the current cables are thicker. When using one of those old and thin cables, the drive simply does not show up in the BIOS and OS for me. Apparently there was a change going from SATA1 to SATA2.
You don't have to be careful with the SSD. You might want to look around to see if there are holes with the spacing needed to screw down the SSD. There's often something like that in the metal somewhere, but you would need screws to use that (probably possible to harvest from the old PC).
The unused cables from the PSU, there should be a hole to the back of the case close to the PSU somewhere. Pull all the cables through that hole and hide them behind the motherboard tray. If you spread them out, everything will fit. You can also look around to see if there's some sort of hooks in the metal over there. Those are intended to be used with cable binders to tie everything down.
You can also hide the SSD in the back together with all those cables, can tape it onto the metal for example.
If your case is old and isn't built like that, no area behind the motherboard tray for the cables, that probably means the PSU is mounted at the top. In an old case like that, you can pull the cables to the front into the 5.25" drive bays, then tie them down in there.
|
10 Year warranty *drools*
Samsung must certainly have made sure that the 850 Pros are of state-of-the-art quality
|
|
|
United Kingdom20326 Posts
No, you need a specific motherboard, a decent PSU etc. You should buy with those parts (preferably from a custom build site) if you don't want to learn to build yourself or pay somebody that you know to do it
|
I'm looking for a decent wireless adapter, probably usb. Any brand/model I should look for or avoid?
|
The funny thing is that many "standard" computers of this generation will come with something better than or equal to a Pentium G3420.
If you're really aiming for GTX 750 Ti level or below, you could put that into pretty much any standard tower config. The cheaper ones wouldn't even have discrete graphics, so you wouldn't be double-buying any component and thus not actually wasting much money. Actually, on a good deal, if you require a new Windows license, this route can be cheaper than going through a custom build site.
e.g. this (okay, here you lose 200 MHz on G3420)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883220399
|
United Kingdom20326 Posts
Minimum FPS is a little random, so focus on avg, the higher number (mantle seems to be good for min fps, though, and frametime stability)
AMD DX:
![[image loading]](http://cdn.overclock.net/8/86/86444eea_http--www.gamegpu.ru-images-stories-Test_GPU-Action-Plants_vs._Zombies_Garden_Warfare-test-PVZ_proz_radeon.jpeg)
Nvidia DX:
![[image loading]](http://cdn.overclock.net/e/ed/ed47445d_http--www.gamegpu.ru-images-stories-Test_GPU-Action-Plants_vs._Zombies_Garden_Warfare-test-PVZ_proz_nv.jpeg)
---
Mantle:
![[image loading]](http://cdn.overclock.net/9/9d/9da4a4bd_http--www.gamegpu.ru-images-stories-Test_GPU-Action-Plants_vs._Zombies_Garden_Warfare-cach-PVZ_proz_mantle.jpeg)
So on DX.. Switching to an Nvidia GPU gets you 136fps to 191 on an fx6300 (a 1.4x increase)
8350 goes from 141 to 200 (capped) - a ~41.8%+ increase
i3-2100 goes from 102 minimum to 145 minimum (~40% higher)
i3-4330 goes from 148 to 191 average ("only" 29% higher avg)
^This is great for AMD on Mantle games, but very worrying on the games that don't have support for anything better than directx9-11. There's clearly a wide performance gap in CPU limited situations across a big range of games now - and for the last three months.
Quoting Derp from OCN
When mantle released I was impressed at how good it was. Now you see Nvidia's regular drivers getting close to mantle performance but this works in all games and not just the hand full of mantle supported titles.
Now when you look at results like this you end up thinking "wow AMD's DX drivers are terrible" instead of "wow Mantle is amazing". I don't think this was AMD's intention.
quoting Alatar -
You do know that you can compare the CPU results if you want mantle testing with slower CPUs?
Using AMD DX11 as a 100% baseline:
FX8350 AMD DX11: 100%
FX8350 AMD Mantle: 141%
FX8350 NV DX11: 142% (fps cap)
FX6300 AMD DX11: 100%
FX6300 AMD Mantle: 140%
FX6300 NV DX11: 140%
FX8150 AMD DX11: 100%
FX8150 AMD Mantle: 163%
FX8150 NV DX11: 159%
FX4100 AMD DX11: 100%
FX4100 AMD Mantle: 175%
FX4100 NV DX11: 169%
Just as an example. They have plenty of lower end CPUs like the ones above that did not hit the fps cap (well the 8350 did using NV's DX11 but you get the point). All the info is in the OP.
This kind of info is generally why i am and will be heavily biased towards nvidia GPU's for potentially CPU bound situations until AMD changes their stance on DX driver performance and improves stuff, or at least makes a comment saying that they are aware of a problem and will fix/improve it. There's been a big divide for 3 months now and it could be a year at this rate.
|
What is your current build?
1x AMD AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edit /3.2GHz, 125W, AM3, BOX, rev. C3
1x GoodRam GoodRam 4GB 1600MHz CL9
1x Tacens Tacens Prior Limited (92mm Fan, bez zasilacza)
1x Asus Asus GeForce GTX 560 Ti DCII 1GB DDR5 /256bit/ 2xDVI/HDMI
1x XFX XFX Core 450W 120mm 80+ SLI PSU
1x Gigabyte Gigabyte GA-870A-USB3 rev.3.1 /AMD 870, DDR3, AM3+/
1x Xigmatek Xigmatek Gaia SD1283
1x Samsung Samsung SH-S223C SATA (black)
1x Samsung Samsung 1 TB 7200rpm 32MB cache SATA-II F3
1x Intel 2.5'' SSD/530 MLC 120 GB
What is your monitor's native resolution?
1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz
Why do you want to upgrade? What do you want to achieve with the upgrade?
Streaming sc2 on medium settings.Stable 60fps in 200vs200 fight
What is your budget?
500$ ~~ 1500PLN
What country will you be buying your parts in?
Poland
If you have any brand or retailer preferences, please specify.
I'm ready to change motherboard.
Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT
