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@skyR
Thanks for the quick and very informative reply. I think you covered everything I need to know. I'll mull over this new information and see if there's anything else that I have a question about.
I think I'll go for the overclockable configuration and go ahead and include the heatsink so I don't have to go through the hassle later. I'm also going to keep my current graphics card and wait for the new technology.
When the new technology comes out though, are you implying I should buy the new stuff (28nm) or buy the current stuff (GTX 560 Ti etc) or does it depend on my budget?
Thanks again.
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It depends on the specific models of cards released and the pricing at the time you're purchasing. Both AMD and Nvidia won't have a full line of 28nm cards by the end of 2011, they tend to gradually introduce cards over the course of several months once the initial cards are launched and adjust the pricing of older cards to better align with their new offerings. So best to just wait and see.
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Asrock boards are mentioned / recommended all the time in this thread. Asrock is a sister company of ASUS and there is no major issue with their boards.
The Asrock P67 Pro3 is the better choice if you are not interested in having IGP capabilities or SSD caching.
You're missing a power supply btw.
A 600w power supply is unnecessary as both the Asrock P67 and Z68 Pro3 are incapable of supporting a multi-GPU configuration. An overclocked core i5 2500k and GTX 560 Ti configuration has a hard time exceeding 300w during a gaming load. The 500w variant of the Corsair CX V2 series would do just fine: http://www.topachat.com/pages/detail2_cat_est_micro_puis_rubrique_est_w_ali_puis_ref_est_in10051585.html
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That's what I thought when I calculated the power needed to run this configuration. But as I'm fairly new to computer building, I didn't want to take any risk and aimed higher. Thanks for the info.
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Nah, I'll probably follow your advice 
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5930 Posts
You are right. Dynamic contrast ratio in such monitors is dysfunctional and means absolutely nothing.
The ProLite E2208HDD doesn't look terrible - the only way you can be sure is to take a look at it yourself. Its got HDCP via DVI if you care about that, which is kind of cool I guess.
Another option is to just buy your monitor second hand from whatever auction sites you have in France.
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I'm planning to buy a new computer, as my current one utterly sucks.
My budget is 6000 DKK which is around 1150 USD or 800 Euro - this is just a rough price, if it's a little more expensive than that it's ok.
For that budget I would like a computer mainly for gaming (it would be nice if the computer could handle streaming though), that I won't have to switch out or upgrade for at least a few years.
I mostly game in 1280x1024 resolution atm, but I plan on buying a better screen after I have my new computer, so I would likely be gaming in a higher resolution when I buy said screen.
I plan on building the computer ASAP, and I don't plan on overclocking. I do need a new OS. I don't plan on using SLI or Crossfire (don't even know what it is).
I live in Denmark, Europe so I would like to buy my parts from a cheap website/shop that ships to Denmark.
TL:DR
I know borderline nothing about computers and I need your help building one.
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On July 24 2011 22:04 Womwomwom wrote:
You are right. Dynamic contrast ratio in such monitors is dysfunctional and means absolutely nothing.
The ProLite E2208HDD doesn't look terrible - the only way you can be sure is to take a look at it yourself. Its got HDCP via DVI if you care about that, which is kind of cool I guess.
Another option is to just buy your monitor second hand from whatever auction sites you have in France.
Do you know if it's always possible to disable dynamic contrast ?
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5930 Posts
It should be possible within the OSD. Occasionally it works quite well but I'm not expecting anything but...absolutely nothing from that monitor.
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Sweet, thanks Skyr.
What option are you talking about? You add all the components to your cart and add the assembly for $50: http://ncix.com/products/?sku=7842 You do not configure it through the PC builder fyi.
As for the options, i thought i had to go through the PC Builder they had and it just has drop down menus for everything Buuuutttt now that i know i dont have to go through that i can get the case i wanted haha
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@ Rachnar : I saw this one. The price is pretty much the same as what I listed above.
But what I hate about these kits is that you can't check exactly what's in it before hand.
About the monitors : I just read a couple of terrible reviews about both iiyama. I'm back to square one 
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I recently won a Network Gaming Card (Bigfoot Networks Killer 2100) and am wondering if it is worth it to keep it or if I should just try to sell it? I read some reviews that said it does increase framerate and does reduce latency, but will that affect SC2 performance at all since the delay in SC2 is from the Bnet servers? My internet is not the greatest so I'm thinking about using it, but can it also prioritize streaming or downloads also?
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Yes I believe it can prioritize certain applications over others. But the difference between it and the integrated NIC won't be drastic. You'll probably have a hard time finding a buyer as well =\
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Hey guys, I'm looking for a new kickass build. I am pretty knowledgeable about some aspects of hardware while pretty ignorant of others. I'll get into my own thoughts later, but first answer the required questions:
What is your budget? About $1000. That's negotiable though; if what I want to do requires more money than I thought, I can save a bit.
What is your resolution? 1600x1200 dual monitors (so 3200x1200 effective).
What are you using it for? This is my primary home PC. I use it for all sorts of development (programming, running apache/mysql, VMWare, some image editing, recording/editing/producing music), as well as occasional gaming and media usage. At least for now, before I get a true server, it will also function as my primary data repository. Music, videos, log files, my personal documents, just basically any content I want to keep.
What is your upgrade cycle? It's been 7 years since I got my last computer. I like to do it right once and keep a working machine for a long time. I do plan on making slight 'adjustments' to it over time though...but that's not relevant now as I have no idea when or even if that will truly happen.
When do you plan on building it? Between one and two months from now is the window I'm shooting for.
Do you plan on overclocking? No.
Do you need an Operating System? Hmm. Probably not. I'm pretty resourceful and can imagine finding Windows 7 for cheap or free. It would be important to know if I could install Windows XP in the meantime though. If I can't, just getting a new OS right away may be more important.
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire? No.
Where are you buying your parts from? Wisconsin USA. I've used newegg mainly in the past but really have NO preference regarding that -- assuming the place has a good reputation. But mainly wherever the specific parts I need are the cheapest.
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Ok, here's what I know I want:
HDD: Two identical large HDs from Western Digital (WD is the only brand for me) to be setup in data-mirroring RAID (my data are my babies). Minimum 7200rpm and 1TB -- though 2TB highly preferred. This is big. Less big: a small-size SSD solely for my OSes and major programs...really don't think this should need to be bigger than 60GB. I know nothing about SSD manufacturers, so looking for help here on what fits my needs best.
Disc Drive: Minimum needs: DVD read/write, CD read/write. Ideal: blu-ray read/write. I hope to have a separate media pc soonish so blu-ray really isn't that important...it would honestly probably be more for storage capability (25gb discs mm) and DVD storage is still pretty damn good at 4.7gb.
CPU: I have little knowledge here. Something fast. I've stuck with AMD processors in the past but that's not super important to me if a better CPU exists for my setup.
Power supply: I have this 530W modular power supply. Is 530W enough? If not, I very much like the modular aspect.
RAM: 4GB minimum. 8GB considerable depending on cost. Beyond that I know little about different types of RAM.
Video Card: Dual output is a necessity for my dual 1600x1200 monitors. Do any video cards have the option of switching between dual VGA output and dual DVI output? My monitors currently use VGA though I definitely want the DVI option. Other than that I want something decent but definitely don't need top-end quality. I still occasionally play new games, but not that much anymore. Also I do work with image/video editing on rare occasion.
Sound Card: I have a Creative Soundblaster Audigy 2G. Is that outdated? Don't feel like my sound quality needs much of an upgrade to be honest.
Motherboard: Needs to be expandable for options of at least 8GB of RAM, 2 disc drives, 4 SATA drives. Also obviously needs to hold all the other stuff listed. Would be nice to have the option for second Video Card or Sound Card even though I can't imagine ever ACTUALLY using it. I don't know much about picking a motherboard to match all my other needs (compatible RAM/CPU and other nightmares).
Case: Really the only requirement is it's big enough to hold everything comfortably. Options of where to look would be good as of course I'd like it to look somewhat stylish and/or badass.
Cooling: I am quite noob when it comes to cooling. How many fans do I need, do I need extra heatsink, how should I mount the fans? My build is mostly about practicality so I don't need to have anything crazy like liquid cooling or whatever. But clearly maintaining a good temperature is key.
Sorry for the length. I just tried to be detailed. Any help I could get regarding the whole build, or really any specific aspect would be much appreciated. Thanks!
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If you're looking for reliability in SSDs than your options are either Intel (320 series provides a five year warranty, the only five year warranty in the market), Crucial, or Samsung. If you're looking for speed than the OCZ Vertex 3.
All modern graphics cards have two DVI ports and an additional port or two such as HDMI or mDP. I'm not sure what you mean by switching between VGA and DVI, just use a VGA to DVI adapter which is often provided with the graphics card.
The power supply is mediocre and is outdated as it has no PFC and only provides 28a on the 12v rails. It would be adequate for a reasonable configuration but your budget definitely allows a new power supply.
I'm also not sure what you mean by effective resolution, whether you plan on just using the secondary monitor as a desktop or using Eyefinity / 3D Surround to play games across both screens.
If you aren't overclocking, you do not need to worry about additional cooling. Intel's provided heatsink and the fans that come with the case is adequate.
If you aren't building for another month or two than we can't really recommend a configuration for you as AMD's next generation processors are due in September and pricing will change by the time you are ready to purchase.
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EPT
