Self-Built Computer (1ST)

Technology and Gaming Help and Support
#41

It is a good thing you slipped back to the GTX 260, the OCZ game extreme only has two 6 pin PCI express power connectors, and not the 6+2 connectore the 4890 requires. Though it is a very decent PSU, it’s connectors just aren’t there. The game extreme has 80+ efficiency (Though they don’t advertise it for some reason ), good ripple and, reliability. I am very happy with that PSU.

You can shave 10 buck off by getting the Gigabyte EP45-UD3P. Basically the same thing.

I still say avoid Hitachi drives. The WD 750 black is the same price. Sure you lose about 250GB, but you gain reliability and performance. Don’t worry about buying cables. Your mobo will come with at least two sata cables.

I’m not a big fan of the panels used in Acer monitors. Quality of colour etc is about the same as any TN panel out there, but the input lag is really annoying. I think the ASUS VW246H 24" is the same price, and the input lag doesn’t seem as much a problem.

Don’t let physx sway you decision making. It looks like it may be something a few new games have, but AMD cards have a similar variant they showcased that could be more widespread because of it’s open code. It’s too early to tell, and it won’t matter much in the future. That being said at the resolution you are playing at, it’s not going to matter. GTX 260 is going to own all.

I would consider Intels dual core offerings. You are paying for two extra cores you may not use in but a few applications. Higher clocks are going to matter more to you most likely.

#42

Had to take the monitor down a bit, otherwise i couldn’t increase the processor, the ram, and the motherboard for a few pounds LESS then what it orignally was =]

#43

I wouldn’t suggest that motherboard. Why don’t you ask Raminator how much he loves his motherboard with an nvidia chipset.

Investing more to get DDR3 isn’t really something that should be priority. Firstly because your mobo is a dead end. LGA775 socket is being replaced right now. The difference you’ll see going from DDR2 to DDR3 are minimal, and you are paying a premium for the mobo, and ram.

#44

Get an asus mobo with x48/58 chipset. Asus boards are good at overclocking plus their reliable and you can get pretty good deals on them.

#45

If you are stuck on wanting DDR3, you could grab a MSI P45D3 Platinum. It is about the same price, and it is a much cooler running chipset. Don’t even worry about SLi. I still suggest the Gigabyte EP45-UD3P. It will do what you want, and is a lot cheaper. Throw in a 4GB kit of DDR2 for around 50 bucks. Hell you could grab THIS for a touch of superfluous. This lowers the price a decent amount, and has no real world performance decrease. With the extra 60 bucks you could up the CPU a tad, maybe go up to 8GB of ram, or for an extra 40 bucks move up from that refurb PSU to the TX750, which is a bit better, and has the 6+2 PCIexpress power connectors. That leaves you with 20 bucks left over…you could with that extra cash grab THIS for the same price. More performance that you will see for the same price.

#46

“LGA775 socket is being replaced right now.” I’m not doing that again =/… a few months after i bought my last pc piles off stuff started coming out… Can you direct me to the new sockets? or is it coming soon. “you could grab a MSI P45D3 Platinum” I did have a look at that, i got confused with the prices, just realised its the same price. As for the other stuff you said well… I keep thinking back to “LGA775 socket is being replaced right now.” I don’t see any point purchasing ANY parts until the new stuff is out tbh… it’ll most likely bring bigger and better processors, graphics cards, and probably not for too much of a price. Can you advise me? I’d be willing to wait a month or two, but will it catch on?

“Get an asus mobo with x48/58 chipset. Asus boards are good at overclocking plus their reliable and you can get pretty good deals on them.” is this whats going to replace socket 775?

#47

It’s all settled down now, but some of the comments from Kaze and sersoft would have gotten them bitch slapped if I’d seen them earlier. [COLOR=‘Red’]If you can’t post something helpful, don’t post in this forum.

#48

The x48/58 are northbridge chipsets. The slot that is replacing the LGA775 is the LGA1366, which is for the i7. The x48 and x58 chipsets allow you to have at least two (more depending on the slots) graphic cards running at x16 speed. They also both support DDR3 memory, but some x48s use DDR2. The main difference between the x48 and x58 chipsets is that the x58 chipset has the LGA1366 socket while the x48 chipset has LGA775 socket. When I made my post about Asus mobos I didn’t realize that you switched back to the GTX260. Asus motherboards are not good with SLI and some only support CrossfireX, so if you want to the option to run two or more Nvidia cards then I would go with an x48 or x58 EVGA board.

#49

Great, you guys are being really helpful =] i’ll have a search around

#50

Very shortly the core i5 processors are expected to come out. The core i5 processor will fit into a new socket. LGA 1156, which will launch primary on a new chipset without a separate northbridge call P55. Initial tests show that the new Core i5 processors will have capabilities similar to core i7, however there is a few differences. HT being one of them. Most tests indicate that in real world use HT won’t matter. The P55 board will most likely be a bit cheaper than the core i7 boards out right now, and the core i5 CPUs are supposedly going to sell for a bit better price. This move is supposed to counter some of the new budget/high end offerings that are going to be coming from AMD.

On the GPU front there isn’t anything new coming from nvidia for a while. They are still perfecting their fab process on their new cards, and have been having some trouble. On the other side of things AMD will be releasing their DirectX 11 GPU in about a month.

These cards are supposed to be cheap fast, and rather…small actually. Leaked shots show what some people are reporting is the 5870, and it looks to be about the size of a 4770…or possibly even smaller.

I wouldn’t upgrade right now, but if you need it you need it. The way things are going hardware is lasting longer now. Little budget E4300 CPUs are still up to handling modern games. Old 4850s, and 8800GTs are able to play almost anything at high settings. So it’s not like you are shooting yourself in the foot too much.

#51

That’s why I’m sticking with my E4500@2.99Ghz and my ASUS 8800GT.

#52

Am I right in believing that you’re in the UK and if so why are you looking at Tiger Direct? Sure, the prices may be alright but I wouldn’t advise shipping to the UK from USA. I buy most of the stuff I get from Scan (https://www.scan.co.uk) and they’re usually fairly reasonably priced. There’s no point in looking at stuff on one site only to find out that they don’t sell it on another let alone in your country.

#53

I already advised Scan.co.uk, Lopez.

But, you are right; Use a UK site(s) otherwise the shipping fee will make the slightly lower prices not worthwhile if you have to pay a £100 or so shipping fee.

#54

Ok, I did check tiger if they did international shipping, and i reasoned that the shipping couldn’t total as much as I was saving. But anyway i’ll check scan for what a full setup would cost me.

"On the GPU front there isn’t anything new coming from nvidia for a while. They are still perfecting their fab process on their new cards, and have been having some trouble. On the other side of things AMD will be releasing their DirectX 11 GPU in about a month. "

So theoretically I could buy the 24 inch monitor, wait until a few more p55 mobos come out, and then get the rest of the stuff?

https://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Asus-P6T-SE-Intel-X58-Sok-1366-PCI-E-20-(x16)-DDR3-2000-1866-1800-SATA-3Gb-s-SATA-RAID-ATX

Cheapest I found on scan was this mobo, but then If i’m getting that then there’s no point getting it at all, seeing as I couldn’t afford an I7. So I see TWO choices left to me. Buy the setup, and hope like you said, it is sufficient enough to play the modern games for 2 or 3 years, OR, wait just a few months more and secure myself a setup which can last up to 4?

It’s never easy choosing a pc setup is it, i honestly thought i would have it completed yesterday at the latest, but new things just keep coming up making me completely re-evauluate.

Edit: Interestingly enough if i waited till christmas I’d have an extra £100 to play with ANYWAY, so its win/win I guess

#55

If you waited then a whole new look at parts would be advisable. Right now there is no Core i5 CPUS being listed, n’or P55 motherboards. The new socket and new CPUs from intel haven’t really been released yet. However, when they are they may provide the power and price that suits you better. Of course without seeing the exact prices, it is tough to say.

It is so so close to those mobos, and cpus coming out. The numbers they produce are looking very impressive, and cost estimates are making them look very attractive. Personally I would wait, but you will probably enjoy the system discuss a lot as well.

#56

I’d recommend waiting as well. There’s always a cool feeling knowing that you have the very latest technology.

#57

I know what you mean, being one of the first to give out massively insane benchmarks (i hope) on the new ati cards would give me alot of satisfaction.

I’ve got to face the fact that i’ve waited 3 years for this, I can wait a bit longer. Anyone want to speculate on the release dates for the gpus and the mobos+cpus?

#58

Review sites each have P55 mobos already, and CPUs are being put through initial testing. So they should be any day really. The DX 11 chips from amd are said to be coming out in Sept. So within 6 weeks…if those reports are correct.

Just

A couple

Of quick

related notes

#59

Don’t forget to check more than 1 website for the best deals.
Some others I would recommend:
ebuyer.com
Dabs.com

#60

It’s not bad, it’s just you need to add a 90mm fan to the NB and your all sweet.

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