PC Discussion Thread II - All PC related discussion goes here.

[MissileMoose]

Definitely, a good quality case is important, for good airflow, cable management, build quality, durability, but the most I've ever spent on a case was £100 for my old Antec Twelve Hundred (which was excellent, and an award winner).

I'm a bit out of the loop for PC hardware, it's been over 2 years since my last build, but I remember the Antec 300 being a good quality and value for money choice.

Speaking of being out of the loop, I'm currently on the hunt for a new motherboard and processor. I've decided to go with AMD and will probably be getting a Phenom II X4 965 or 960T, but I just can't choose which motherboard to go for. My budget this month is quite low, no more than £45, and I've got a few shortlisted. What are your opinions on the following:

Gigabyte GA-M68MT-S2-FX-3.1 GeForce 7025 Socket AM3+ 7.1 Channel HD Audio mATX Motherboard: £31.81

Biostar A960G+ 760G Socket AM3+ VGA 6 Channel Audio mATX Motherboard: £33.80

MSI 760GM-P23 (FX) Socket AM3+ VGA DVI 7.1 Channel Audio mATX Motherboard: £35.49

Asus M5A78L-M LE Socket AM3+ 760G Onboard VGA DVI 8 Channel Audio mATX Motherboard: £42.06

If I were in your shoes, I'd purchase the Asus motherboard. I prefer their style of boards (Especially ROG series) and have yet to experience any issues. People tend to stick with certain brands for motherboards, for me it's Asus.

If you plan on upgrading for Arma 3, I would seriously recommend going with an Intel build and Nvidia graphics card. While it's more expensive, the difference between a Phenom II and Sandybridge or IvyBridge chip is day and night. You probably saw my current specification before I updated my signature, in case you didn't I'm running a Phenom II X6 1090t with two AMD Radeon HD 6870s in CrossfireX. AMD (Formerly ATI) drivers have a bad reputation, especially with CrossfireX. If I run with both cards enabled, I get around ten frames per second less than I do with a single card in Arma 2. Their processors are more suited towards light gaming and general use.

It all comes down to what you're going to use your computer for. Just remember that the minimum/recommended system specifications for Arma 3 will be somewhat obsolete when people start building heavy missions.

Just make sure you have sufficient cooling, if you plan on using the above processor for Arma 3 you may need to overclock quite a bit to get decent performance.

[Shashman]

Thanks for the reply.

My 8800GTX will have to hold out for a few more months, as motherboard and cpu are top priorities at the moment. I say 'hold out', but considering its age, it's still a very capable GPU.

I've decided to go down the AMD route as the value for money aspect just can't be ignored. I've been using a Phenom II X2 250 for the past couple of months and it seems fine. I'd actually keep it for longer and save up for an even better CPU than the Phenom II X4 965, but I'm using a mate's motherboard and CPU and he'll be needing them back soon

[JdB]

I'm trying to pick memory for my new build. Now for the latency, 8GB with CL8 or 12GB with CL9 are fairly even in terms of pricing, is the difference in speed (actually noticeable, not just a statistical difference) between CL8 and CL9 that significant that I would be better of getting less RAM but with a lower latency?

Are Ti models of NVIDIA cards worth the extra investment over the regular models? (quite a big difference in pricing while the benchmarks I've seen aren't all that far apart)

I'm not going to OC anything, and I don't want to max out AA and AF either.

[kmossco]

Thanks for the reply.

My 8800GTX will have to hold out for a few more months, as motherboard and cpu are top priorities at the moment. I say 'hold out', but considering its age, it's still a very capable GPU.

I've decided to go down the AMD route as the value for money aspect just can't be ignored. I've been using a Phenom II X2 250 for the past couple of months and it seems fine. I'd actually keep it for longer and save up for an even better CPU than the Phenom II X4 965, but I'm using a mate's motherboard and CPU and he'll be needing them back soon

Dunno how are the prices in UK, but an Intel Core i3 2120 is almost the same price as a Phenom II X4 and in most reviews they are head-to-head. BUT, in the Core i3 path you can later (when you have more money) upgrade to an i5 or even i7. That would be my bet.

[Shashman]

Well, thanks for the suggestions so far. I've had a slight change of heart.

(copy-pasted from another forum)

Hi guys!

I'm currently running the following system:

CPU: AMD Phenom II X2 250
Motherboard: Gigabyte M68M-S2P
RAM: Corsair XMS2 2GB DDR2
Graphics: 8800GTX

I'm after an upgrade, sooner rather than later (hence the 'low' budget), as both the CPU and mobo are borrowed from a mate, who'll be wanting them back soon.

Now I've done a bit of research, and after originally wanting to go down the AMD (Phenom II X4 965) route, I've come to the conclusion that I'd be better off going down the Intel route, specifically the i5 2500K CPU, as it's supposedly the best in terms of bang for buck for gaming. Am I correct or is there another suitable option?

I mention gaming, as that's what the upgrade is mainly to cater for. I play ArmA 2 and will be getting ArmA 3 when that's out. To be fair to my current rig, it runs ArmA 2 at a playable level. I suppose I have the 8800GTX to thank for that. I'll also be reinstalling FSX soon.

I'm back in the tech game after an absence of 2 years (last build is the one in my sig), and therefore, very much out of my depth and confused, so if you could spec me up a few options, explaining your choices, that'd be appreciated.

I don't need a case, don't think I'll need a new PSU (currently have a Hiper Type R 500w, I think, not sure of the wattage off the top of my head, but it's no lower than that), I have a copy of Win 7 64Bit so no OS needed, will need a new HDD (if I can get an SSD included in the spec then great, otherwise not too fussed), and will need a GPU which is a good performer and relatively future-proof (no preference, either AMD or nVidia, whatever runs best)

Think that just about covers it, otherwise ask away, and cheers!



( Sorry, I know that's cheeky but hey, it's 01:16! :P )

[MissileMoose]

Well, thanks for the suggestions so far. I've had a slight change of heart.

Snip.

Hello again,

I'm glad you've had a change of heart and wish to go down the Intel route, I highly doubt you will be disappointed. The SandyBridge i5 2500k is a decent processor and probably the most recommended too. You may however wish to look into IvyBridge, which is the latest series from Intel. As for the graphics card it really does depend on your budget. I'd like to recommend a newer card, simply because of their updated technologies but you can get older cards with similar amounts of power. Also while I'm on the topic of power, the number one rules when specifying parts for a computer is not to skimp on the power supply. I have read many stories of people using dodgy power supplies and ending up with fried components. I recommend two main brands, Corsair and XFX. The most important thing is the OEM, SeaSonic and CWT are decent.

Send me your budget and I'd be happy to throw some parts together for you.

[PuFu]

I'm trying to pick memory for my new build. Now for the latency, 8GB with CL8 or 12GB with CL9 are fairly even in terms of pricing, is the difference in speed (actually noticeable, not just a statistical difference) between CL8 and CL9 that significant that I would be better of getting less RAM but with a lower latency?

Are Ti models of NVIDIA cards worth the extra investment over the regular models? (quite a big difference in pricing while the benchmarks I've seen aren't all that far apart)

I'm not going to OC anything, and I don't want to max out AA and AF either.

There should be no noticeable difference between CL8 and CL9 memory. If i were you, i would get the more memory CL9.
regarding 12 or 8 gig of ram, most of todays MBs are dual or quad channel. That means you should either get 8 gig or 16 gig. (i suppose the 12 gb of ram is 3 sticks of 4gb, and unless you got a 1366 MB/proc planned - which you shouldn't anymore, you got LGA2011 replacing those these days) grab 4 sticks of 4 gig @1600Mhz. Shouldn't be over expensive.

Regarding 560Ti models. I have 1 at home (2gb), and 3 at the office (2x1gb, 1x2gb). There seem to have some real problems (pink screens of death) with the latest nvidia driver 210.96, but once i rolled back to 256.xx version, all these stopped. Seems nvidia doesn't wanna take responsibility for the fuck up though.
I would assume there will be a fix in the upcoming 301.xx drivers.

If i were you, i would wait a few for the 660 or 670 series. See if you have the option to RMA to a newest version via EVGA upgrade program (need to read up on their clauses and check if you are eligible before you go for a purchase).

Well, thanks for the suggestions so far. I've had a slight change of heart.

(copy-pasted from another forum)

Hi guys!

I'm currently running the following system:

CPU: AMD Phenom II X2 250
Motherboard: Gigabyte M68M-S2P
RAM: Corsair XMS2 2GB DDR2
Graphics: 8800GTX

My suggestion:
Z77 MB
I5 2500K CPU
8GB ram
6950 or 560TI. See if you can find an AMD 7850 card for a comparable price. You should be able to upgrade its bios to 7870.

[Shashman]

Cool, thanks for the advice!

Yep, fully aware of the importance of quality PSU's. I want a BeQuiet Darkpower one like I had 2 years ago, but seems they're quite hard to come by these days, at least on the online retailer sites I usually use (ebuyer, overclockers). If I can't get my hands on one, I'm guessing the Corsair Professional series would be a good bet.

As for the CPU, what about the Ivybridge i5 3570K? It costs the same as the i5 2500K.

560Ti is looking very tempting, and it seems to outperform the AMD equivalents so I'll probably go for that.

As for motherboard, I'm leaning towards ASUS but that's just because I've used their stuff a lot in the past. Gigabyte is also looking decent and being recommended. Which motherboard would you recommend?

Sorry for all the questions!

[PuFu]

Cool, thanks for the advice!

Yep, fully aware of the importance of quality PSU's. I want a BeQuiet Darkpower one like I had 2 years ago, but seems they're quite hard to come by these days, at least on the online retailer sites I usually use (ebuyer, overclockers). If I can't get my hands on one, I'm guessing the Corsair Professional series would be a good bet.

Corsair, Antec, Enermax(although a bit expensive), Thermatake , OCZ.

I recently got a Corsair PSU for a LGA2011 i7 3820 build at my office, and was pretty happy with how silent it runs.

As for the CPU, what about the Ivybridge i5 3570K? It costs the same as the i5 2500K.

You should be checking the reviews. All in all, i think it's a better bet, since it is a newer architecture (although i might not outperform the 2500K. if the price is the same, i don't see why not).
I personally have no experience with the i5s (minus the mobile ones). I always went for the I7s (in my line of work, more cores/threads = the better - see my spoiler in my signature).
Even the workstations at work are all but one(xeon) based on i7s 2600k/i7 3820.

560Ti is looking very tempting, and it seems to outperform the AMD equivalents so I'll probably go for that.

again, if you are not in a rush, i would wait one bit for the 660/670 series. The 680 is premium, and the price sort of reflects it.

As for motherboard, I'm leaning towards ASUS but that's just because I've used their stuff a lot in the past. Gigabyte is also looking decent and being recommended. Which motherboard would you recommend?

I have used mostly Asus and gigabyte myself just as well. The last PC we bought at the office has a AsRock MB, which i was really impressed with in terms of built quality.
Anyhow, i would go for Asus, mainly because of their BIOS and OC capability (although GB and Asrock come really close to that just as well).

[JdB]

There should be no noticeable difference between CL8 and CL9 memory. If i were you, i would get the more memory CL9.
regarding 12 or 8 gig of ram, most of todays MBs are dual or quad channel. That means you should either get 8 gig or 16 gig. (i suppose the 12 gb of ram is 3 sticks of 4gb, and unless you got a 1366 MB/proc planned - which you shouldn't anymore, you got LGA2011 replacing those these days) grab 4 sticks of 4 gig @1600Mhz. Shouldn't be over expensive.

If i were you, i would wait a few for the 660 or 670 series. See if you have the option to RMA to a newest version via EVGA upgrade program (need to read up on their clauses and check if you are eligible before you go for a purchase).

I would wait had it not been for my PC being virtually destroyed four days ago. I've found out the only thing that is not damaged is the hard drive (so rather lucky I guess), everything else smells like it's already been on fire, or about to ignite ...

I was planning for some time to buy a new computer after ArmA3 comes out, but as all I've got left now is this 10 year old computer I dragged from the attic, I'm in need for a new system. I have been looking for the best price/performance parts that are not overly noisy, and came up with this:

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Antec P280, ATX, Black
CoolerMaster Silent Pro M2 520W
Intel Core i7-3770, 3.40GHz, 8MB, S1155
Be Quiet! Dark Rock Advanced C1
Asus P8Z77-V LE S1155 Z77 4xDDR3 ATX
Corsair Vengeance 16GB(4x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz CL9
GeForce GTX 560 Ti, 1024MB, DirectCU
OCZ Vertex 4 128GB 2.5" SATA3
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB
Lite-On iHAS124 24xDVDRW, Black, SATA, bulk
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1234,09

That is without a soundcard, I am not sure on what to pick at all. Something in the 50-75 euro range probably, I use both surround speakers and a fairly cheap headphone, I'm not exactly an audiophile when it comes to noticing differences in sound quality ... does anyone have any suggestions?

Unfortunately I'm some way over my (self-imposed) budget of 1100 euros. I could shave off some money by getting a cheaper case, this one currently costs 129,90 ...

I'm also not sure if this PSU will be powerful enough. From the official specs it appears to be, but I never really trust those ...