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Welcome to the Parts Picking and Building Megathread!  Mod note: The regulars in this thread maintain a valuable resource of information and often answer the same questions every day with no reward on their part. If they are short with you, it is probably because didn't read the OP properly or ignored their helpful responses. Feel free to challenge them and ask questions but if you are a jerk, I will ban you - no probation, no warning. Love, The Management  FOR THE LOVE OF GOD READ THE STATEMENT DIRECTLY BELOW, HELP US HELP YOU If you want good advice, we really need to know the following from you: - Budget (desired and/or maximum) - What you're doing with the machine: Gaming? Transcoding? Video production? 3D Modeling? HTPC? - If you're doing multimedia stuff, how serious is it (ie are you editing old home movies or doing professional work)? What programs are you using to do it? - If you're gaming, what is your monitor resolution? What games are you looking to play? How high do you want your graphics settings to be? Also, the guide links below answer the most commonly asked questions, please take a look there! GUIDE LINKS (or just scroll down) You can also check the Tech Report System Guide (April 2013) for an alternate take on current best choices when buying. If you're need help on PC assembly, the Tech Report has a guide on how to build a PC, and Newegg has posted a video series on how to build a PC. You can also check out The old Megathread if you want a trip down memory lane. Crackbone fucked around with this message at Apr 16, 2013 around 14:19 |
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| # ? May 24, 2013 13:56 |
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THE GENERAL SYSTEM FAQ (OR, THE QUESTIONS YOU'RE GOING TO ASK SO READ THIS) Updated 5/15/2013 Question List (scroll down for answers) 1. Are prebuilt systems any good? 2. What's the best way to future-proof my system? 3. How many cores should I get? 4. Intel or AMD? 5. What socket types are there? 6. What's up with Intel's different chips/board models? 7. ATI or Nvidia? 8. What brand video card should I buy? 9. Should I crossfire/SLI? 10. Can I use a 2.0 PCIe card in a 1.0 PCIe slot? 11. How much RAM do I need? 12. How much wattage does my PSU need? 13. What kind of motherboard should I get? 14. Do I need a sound card? 15. Do I need aftermarket cooling? 16. Should I get a Solid State Drive? 17. What kind of case should I get? Should I get a full tower? 18. What monitor should I get? 19. Is Win 8 worth upgrading to? 20. What kind of gamepad should I get? 1. Are there any good prebuilt systems? If you'll only be doing things like office apps and Internet browsing, prebuilt systems are cheaper than building yourself. The more powerful you want your system, the more advantageous it becomes to build your own. If you buy pre-built, stay with big name companies like Dell, HP, etc. Smaller vendors will cut corners on important hardware, overcharge you, or both. The Dell Outlet has particularly great deals on lower-end hardware. If you're on a tiny budget but still want to game, a Dell Outlet Inspiron + Radeon 7750 is your best bet. It won't win any power awards but you'll be able to shoot people in the head with an acceptable framerate. 2. What's the best way to future-proof my system/make it run top end games for 5 years? YOU CANNOT FUTURE-PROOF! Buy parts with the best price-to-performance value for your money now, and save the rest. Anything you buy today will be outclassed by what's available in 2-3 years, regardless of if you spent $1000 or $4000. For example, if someone tried to future-proof a gaming system three years ago, they would have gotten an i7 940, 12G DDR3, a GTX480, Raptor hard drives, and paid ~$3000 for all of it. Today, a $1000 system picked from this guide would perform better. A $900-1200 system (excluding monitor/OS) is fully capable of running current games at full settings at 1920x1200. If your system costs more than that, you're probably overspending somewhere. 3. How many cores? 4/8/more? Quad core is the best general choice. Anything higher than 4 cores adds ZERO performance in gaming/general desktop work - those extra cores are only beneficial in heavy multimedia or scientific applications. Note: Hyperthreading on Intel chips counts as having double the actual cores - the i7 hass 8 cores, and the i3 has 4 cores. This isn't technically correct but is close enough for decision-making purposes. 4. AMD or Intel? Intel Ivy Bridge chips are generally the best choice unless you have a very niche need. AMD has released some competitive chips as of late - the FX-8350 (i5 competitor) and the FX-4300s (i3 competitor), but they have higher power usage and are still beaten soundly in single-thread performance. As such we are sticking with Intel as our default recommendation. 5. What motherboard sockets do I need? Buy socket LGA1155 motherboards (H77/Z77) for Intel chips. 6. What CPU/Motherboard models should I get? For most users this boils down to: - Best performance with overclock: Z77 + i5 3570K. - Best performance without overclock: H77 + i5 3570. - Cheap but functional Intel setup: H77 + i3 3220. 7. Q: AMD or Nvidia Video Cards? Both companies have good cards available. ATI outright wins the low-mid range, and both companies have good offerings in the mid-high, with ATI having a slightly better price/performance ratio. 8. What brand should I buy once I've decided on a video card? Specific models of video card (Geforce GTX660, Radeon 7950, etc) are performance-identical between brands. Lower tier vendors are more likely to cut corners that affect reliability. We recommend EVGA, Asus, Zotac, and Sapphire as vendors who produce quality GPUs. From there, most people's criteria are based on price, which is easy to see, and warranty, which varies quite a bit between brands. Other differences which are not as important include type of cooling, factory overclocking, and bundled games. 9. Should I SLI/Crossfire? In general, no. SLI gains are impressive, but very few people need the performance increase compared to a single high end card. A single ~$250-$300 card will handle everything at 1920x1200 and below. Dual card solutions not only include the cost of two cards, but also adding in a SLI/Crossfire enabled board, a bigger PSU, and sometimes additional cooling. SLI can be good in specific circumstances, like multi-monitor gaming, resolutions higher than 1200p, or 3D gaming. 10. Can I use a PCIe 2.0 video card in a PCIe 1.0 slot or vice versa? What about PCIe 3? PCIe versions are all fully compatible in all "directions". PCIe 2.0 is fine for all but high-end Crossfire/SLI setups. PCIe 1.0 will take modern cards, but any system that only has PCIe 1.0 will be a bottleneck for current gen gaming anyway. 11. How much RAM do I need? What speed, timings, brand? 8 Gigs is the current sweet spot. Brand doesn't matter as RAM is a commodity part. DDR3-1333 is the fastest you need - faster speeds and/or lower timings won't increase performance. Faster RAM is fine if it's the same price as 1333. Avoid ram with giant heatsinks/fins - they don't help and can get in the way of other parts.  12. How much wattage does my PSU need? Wattage is not the most important choice when buying a PSU. The power supply is the only part of your system that can destroy everything else in your computer, so you want to buy a well-constructed unit from a reliable brand. We recommend Corsair (avoid CX/Builder Series models), Seasonic, Antec (Earthwatt series), and XFX PSUs - all of these companies build quality units. Other brands may cut corners or give deceptive wattage/amperage ratings, and trying to money on cheaper units isn't worth the risk of blowing up your system. There are other companies that build good PSUs but it's impossible to keep a comprehensive list. Below is a general wattage guideline. These recommendations only care about your video card because everything else in a computer consumes minimal power. - Onboard video/no PCIe power plug on the video card: 300w - 1 PCIe power plug on the card (GTX460, Radeon 6850): 400w - 2 PCIe power plugs on card(GTX560, Radeon 7950, GTX670): 500w 13. What model/size motherboard should I get? The Quick Pick boards are solid boards with everything an average user needs. You shouldn't spend more than what those boards cost unless you need specific ports, features, or SLI/CrossFire support. MicroATX boards are as full-featured as full ATX boards, and mATX is now preferable to get a smaller system footprint on/under your desk. 14. What sound card should I buy? Should I use my old one? Onboard sound is now very good, and you'll be perfectly happy with it. Discrete audio cards are reserved for people doing audio production work, high end audio setups, or high end headphones (like Sennheisers). If you do have one of these needs, we recommend an Asus Xonar DGX for headphones, and going to A/V Arena and/or Creative Convention for your crazy audiophile things. 15. How much cooling do I need (ie heatsinks, watercoolers, case fans)? For CPUs, stock cooling is fine for general use. Aftermarket cooling is mainly for overclocking or noise reduction. Modern heatpipe-heatsinks equal or outclass watercooling in performance while being cheaper and easier to install. Watercooling is reserved for overclocking small builds without room for in-case heatsinks. For cases, airflow and cooling is an overblown concern. A modern case with a front and rear 120mm fan will be fine even with overclocking and a powerful GPU. 16. Should I get a Solid State Drive (SSD)? SSDs will make your day-to-day computing tasks faster. We recommend a 120G drive at minimum, or 250G if your budget will allow it. There are now a lot of "bad buys" for SSDs out there. Safest choices include Intel 330 and 520 series, and the Samsung 840 Pro on the expensive end. However, most Sandforce 120G/240G drives are fine. You can also check the SA SSD Thread, which has smart people giving good advice. 17. What kind of case should I get? Do I need a full tower? Do not get a full-tower case! A mid-tower case can fit a high-end CPU and heatsink, two video cards, 4+ hard drives, 4+ fans, and still have room for cable routing. As for what specific case, while almost anything will work, a well made case will make building and maintaining your system much easier. "Airflow" is not an issue - any decent case with 2 120mm fans is fine, and anything with more is going to be noisy and maybe even detrimental to cooling. Look for:
Avoid:
The Quick Pick has some best-in-class cases. 18. What monitor should I get? There are hundreds of available monitors, and a good one can last you ten years. If you're on a budget or not particularly demanding, focus on getting the resolution you want at a low price - you can get a 1080p monitor for $150. If you're doing color-critical work, need wide viewing angles, or just like a better monitor, something like a Dell Ultrasharp might be right for you. You can read more in the Monitor and Display Megathread. 19. Is Windows 8 worth upgrading to? 32 or 64 bit? If you're buying new, you absolutely want Win 8. It's MS's newest OS and will get the lion's share of MS's attention for patches/security updates. If you can't stand the new start screen you can get start menu replacements. If you have an existing OS: XP - Upgrade, without question. Vista - You should upgrade if your budget allows it. 7 - You're fine for now. Make sure to get the 64-bit versions of whatever you choose, as 32-bit versions cannot use more than 3GB of ram. 20. What kind of gamepad should I get? Microsoft Xbox 360 controller, end of story. It works out of the box with Win Vista and up, and is the default gamepad on Windows games anymore. Wired is cheapest but you can buy a pack with an official MS wireless adapter as well (avoid the knockoff units). Crackbone fucked around with this message at May 18, 2013 around 21:10 |
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Quick Picks Updated 5/11/2013 THIS IS NOT A DEFINITIVE LIST!!! This list has "best values" for gaming/general desktop work. Use this as a starting point, not your final stop for choices. Changes, corrections, additions, and comments are always welcome. The PC Part Picker website can be a useful tool that can help find you the best prices on what you want once you've finalized a build. Intel CPU
Intel Motherboard
Memory Graphics
Hard Drive Solid State Drives
Optical Cases
Power Supplies As long as you follow the categories based on # of PCI-E plugs, most units are interchangeable, and you should buy on price rather than on power rating. The only exception is modular units, which let you connect only the cables you need. NOTE: Some PSUs no longer come with power cords. Check your purchase to confirm if you don't have an extra lying around.
Monitors In general, most LCDs will be fine for the average user, and price is the biggest driver. You can also check the SA Monitor Megathread for additional suggestions.
Aftermarket Cooling
Operating System
Gamepads ------------------------------------------ The "SA Performance Gamer" System The "SA Value Gamer" System The "SA Penny-Pincher Gaming" system Recommended Vendor List In the U.S.: NewEgg,Amazon, NCIX Canada: NCIX,Canada Computers, DirectCanada Europe: Amazon UK, SCAN Computers, Aria Australia Umart, PC Case Gear Japan Tsukumo, Twotop Crackbone fucked around with this message at May 11, 2013 around 21:13 |
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COMPARISON CHARTS Please remember that synthetic benchmarks are the *WORST* way you can compare hardware. Make sure to choose real-work applications that reflect what you'll be doing. GPU CPU Crackbone fucked around with this message at Jan 1, 2013 around 19:53 |
| # ? Jan 1, 2013 19:51 |
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Kuros posted:1. $300 - $500. I already have: PNY 550ti 1gb dual slot video card and a hard drive. I won't need a DVD drive, I use them so rarely anyway. So I will need: cpu, case, ram, mobo, psu. You should be looking at the i3 range. Case will depend entirely on what you want - I'd say look at mini ITX, with a Bitfeenix Prodigy. It's not tiny but it's got a pretty small footprint for entertainment center space and has room for a full size video card.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 20:03 |
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Ragehaver posted:Maybe a Fractal R4, Silverstone TJ08B-E, or Corsair 400R? The Corsair 300R is a cheaper option, on sale at Newegg right now for $49. I actually do use a high end pair of Bose headphones, so I put the soundcard back in. Here's my final draft: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vkNs If anyone has any more suggestions or critiques please speak up!
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 20:29 |
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Requested_Username posted:I actually do use a high end pair of Bose headphones, so I put the soundcard back in. What headphones, exactly? The Xonar Essence card has a built in headphone amp, so you need to have low impedance headphones to make it worth while. Otherwise, you'll be fine with onboard (or go nuts, and get that regular Xonar DG card). Typically, if you aren't sure if you need a Xonar Essence, you don't. edit: if you're dying to throw money around, upgrade to a GTX 660ti video card. Also you have a "K" chip and a H77 board. Switch to a non-K chip if you don't want to overclock, unless the K is cheaper. Ragehaver fucked around with this message at Jan 1, 2013 around 20:57 |
| # ? Jan 1, 2013 20:48 |
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Ragehaver posted:What headphones, exactly? The Xonar Essence card has a built in headphone amp, so you need to have low impedance headphones to make it worth while. Otherwise, you'll be fine with onboard (or go nuts, and get that regular Xonar DG card). Typically, if you aren't sure if you need a Xonar Essence, you don't. Quietcomfort 15s. e: Ragehaver posted:Also you have a "K" chip and a H77 board. Switch to a non-K chip if you don't want to overclock, unless the K is cheaper. Yeah there's a $15 bonus for buying the K, which actually makes it cheaper than the non-K version, unless I'm reading the listing completely wrong.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 21:00 |
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Requested_Username posted:Quietcomfort 15s. Yeah, looks like you're right. Doesn't hurt to use a K chip with an H77 board, so that'll work. With those headphones, the Xonar DG would be a fine choice since they don't require an amp.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 21:05 |
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Rest is peace old thread. Thanks for all the great advice guys, it's been immeasurably helpful.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 21:06 |
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Great job again with the OP, Crackbone  Glad to see my case (BitFenix Prodigy) on the quick picks list, and all the other picks look good as well.The only thing I'd add is a note about not needing an i7 over an i5 unless you're doing lots of video encoding, which most people here probably aren't. That seems to be a question that gets asked pretty frequently. But you covered a ton of stuff, so maybe it's in there already and I just missed it v  vIn any case, to all of you reading this thread looking for solid advice: you're in the right place. This thread has helped me upgrade my PC every step of the way and now I have a killer system that I have zero complaints with. If the posters in here advise that you go a certain route, listen to them as they really know what they're talking about 
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 21:06 |
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Crackbone posted:You should be looking at the i3 range. Case will depend entirely on what you want - I'd say look at mini ITX, with a Bitfeenix Prodigy. It's not tiny but it's got a pretty small footprint for entertainment center space and has room for a full size video card. Well, my "entertainment center" is one of those cheapy things from Walmart, so there's a lot of open room for the computer. Here's what I'm looking at: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N82E16811129066 - Case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N82E16817341017 - PSU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N82E16820104173 - Memory http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N82E16813157293 - Mobo http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N82E16819115078 - CPU Looking at $433 + tax, maybe I could get a bit cheaper?
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 21:17 |
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I feel uncomfortable with the Zotac video card recommendation. Their cooling solutions are somewhat lacking and they have a HORRIBLE rebate servicer.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 21:23 |
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The Corsair Carbide 300R is also a very very good case. You might also like to mention the Intel NUC and how it's a great way to learn the feel of building a PC.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 21:44 |
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Alright, final draft, speak now or forever hold your peace: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vlBz
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 22:01 |
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Requested_Username posted:Alright, final draft, speak now or forever hold your peace: Remove Windows 8 -> Windows 7, Use the keyboard you've had / get an Apple Pro extended from goodwill.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 22:14 |
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sports posted:Remove Windows 8 -> Windows 7, Use the keyboard you've had / get an Apple Pro extended from goodwill. Why exactly should he be getting Windows 7?
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 22:27 |
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sports posted:Remove Windows 8 -> Windows 7, Use the keyboard you've had / get an Apple Pro extended from goodwill. I disagree, I've just installed Windows 8, after a long spell with windows 7, and I really like it. I'm especially loving the improved hardware performance/lower resource usage.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 22:28 |
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Windows 8 with a start menu replacement (I use Start8) is Windows 7, but with several improvements. If you've gotta buy an OS at this point in the game, don't go with 7.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 22:30 |
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Is there any point waiting a few months for some new CPU? I'm considering purchasing a whole new system in the next month, but will postpone it several months if it's worth it.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 22:43 |
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Lenin Stimpy posted:Is there any point waiting a few months for some new CPU? I'm considering purchasing a whole new system in the next month, but will postpone it several months if it's worth it. I don't really think so right now, the latest IvyBridge CPU's are excellent across the range, and will almost certainly have a great lifespan. There will always be new CPU's, but gains from one series to the next are marginal, its only as time passes that you notice a large difference. Standard advice of course remains, buy the best you can afford. Currently for my money the i5 3870k is absolutely incredible for the money.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 22:50 |
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Lenin Stimpy posted:Is there any point waiting a few months for some new CPU? I'm considering purchasing a whole new system in the next month, but will postpone it several months if it's worth it. Can you stand the performance of your current system? If yes, wait. If no, buy now.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 22:54 |
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Odd question in a department that I'm terribly unfamiliar with. I'm looking for a solution whereby I can hookup a GameCube to a monitor. Major requirement: There can't be any latency in the video output. Originally, I wanted something like this, but I'm concerned that their will be latency in output. If a converter box doesn't work, I'd be looking into getting a new monitor with a tv tuner on it, however, these seem to be incredibly expensive. I'm honestly just unfamiliar with what I should be looking for in a monitor with tv tuner and have no idea what I should be paying. Advice?
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 22:55 |
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Lenin Stimpy posted:Is there any point waiting a few months for some new CPU? I'm considering purchasing a whole new system in the next month, but will postpone it several months if it's worth it. Since we're exiting/awaiting a release cycle, I'm sure you could wait ~3months for the prices to go down, that is, if you have a computer already.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 22:58 |
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Canine Blues Arooo posted:Odd question in a department that I'm terribly unfamiliar with. I'm looking for a solution whereby I can hookup a GameCube to a monitor. Major requirement: There can't be any latency in the video output. Originally, I wanted something like this, but I'm concerned that their will be latency in output. If a converter box doesn't work, I'd be looking into getting a new monitor with a tv tuner on it, however, these seem to be incredibly expensive. I'm honestly just unfamiliar with what I should be looking for in a monitor with tv tuner and have no idea what I should be paying. Stop playing Smash Brothers? Seriously though, what you'd have to have is a monitor with no input lag, do 1:1 pixel mapping, and accept whatever video output it does, which at best is going to be component. You're going to have an incredibly hard, if not impossible time finding a monitor with all those criteria. Try the monitor megathread.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 23:17 |
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The Dell U2312HM has incredibly low input lag, I think about 0.6ms. It's one of or the lowest LCDs. CRTS are 0, in case you didn't know. I don't know how having a bunch of converters will impact this, though.Canine Blues Arooo posted:Odd question in a department that I'm terribly unfamiliar with. I'm looking for a solution whereby I can hookup a GameCube to a monitor. Major requirement: There can't be any latency in the video output. Originally, I wanted something like this, but I'm concerned that their will be latency in output. If a converter box doesn't work, I'd be looking into getting a new monitor with a tv tuner on it, however, these seem to be incredibly expensive. I'm honestly just unfamiliar with what I should be looking for in a monitor with tv tuner and have no idea what I should be paying. http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/images/...input_lag_1.jpg Mod Edit: Don't leech images. Rehost on imgur if you want to embed. Somebody fucked around with this message at Jan 2, 2013 around 17:17 |
| # ? Jan 1, 2013 23:25 |
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Canine Blues Arooo posted:Odd question in a department that I'm terribly unfamiliar with. I'm looking for a solution whereby I can hookup a GameCube to a monitor. Major requirement: There can't be any latency in the video output. Originally, I wanted something like this, but I'm concerned that their will be latency in output. If a converter box doesn't work, I'd be looking into getting a new monitor with a tv tuner on it, however, these seem to be incredibly expensive. I'm honestly just unfamiliar with what I should be looking for in a monitor with tv tuner and have no idea what I should be paying. Haha, just buy an old Dell multiscan or Trinitron. They're $15 on craigslist. Also, my experience with a converter is alright. You'll have good and bad days with them.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 23:27 |
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Hey, my hard drive is starting to give out and I'm finding myself in need of a new one. I'm running an Alienware m17x R3 I use for coding and gaming, my old hard drive had around 600 gigs and I'd prefer not to go smaller, and my price ceiling is around 200 dollars. Could anyone make some recommendations. I've seen some stuff on Dell's website that I like, but it's hard to tell what will actually fit in my laptop.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 23:41 |
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Spiritus Nox posted:Hey, my hard drive is starting to give out and I'm finding myself in need of a new one. I'm running an Alienware m17x R3 I use for coding and gaming, my old hard drive had around 600 gigs and I'd prefer not to go smaller, and my price ceiling is around 200 dollars. Could anyone make some recommendations. I've seen some stuff on Dell's website that I like, but it's hard to tell what will actually fit in my laptop. OP. Quick pick list.
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 23:42 |
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Spiritus Nox posted:Hey, my hard drive is starting to give out and I'm finding myself in need of a new one. I'm running an Alienware m17x R3 I use for coding and gaming, my old hard drive had around 600 gigs and I'd prefer not to go smaller, and my price ceiling is around 200 dollars. Could anyone make some recommendations. I've seen some stuff on Dell's website that I like, but it's hard to tell what will actually fit in my laptop. You can pick up a 1TB drive for around $80 - $100 before tax + ship most anywhere. Western Digital is the goto for many people. Kuros posted:Well, my "entertainment center" is one of those cheapy things from Walmart, so there's a lot of open room for the computer. Revisiting this. Any suggestions on this or does it look good?
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| # ? Jan 1, 2013 23:53 |
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I should've mentioned this when it was asked in the old thread, but under Recommended Vendor, I have to suggest MicroCenter. If you live near one, it's pretty awesome. Huge store with a wide selection of everything you ever thought you might need for computers. Their prices are extremely competitive to the others on that list and they offer package deals for processors and motherboards. I got an 3570k + Asus P8Z77V-LK for about $300 with an Asus rebate for $15 which is cheaper than getting them separately anywhere else (according to PCpartpicker). But they don't have too many stores across the country, so it's definitely selective. I think they ship for certain products, but not all.
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| # ? Jan 2, 2013 00:13 |
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Kuros posted:You can pick up a 1TB drive for around $80 - $100 before tax + ship most anywhere. Western Digital is the goto for many people. I saw a good one of that size for about that price at best buy today - I just want to be sure, if the label on the box says that it's a laptop hard drive, is there any worry that it won't fit in my specific laptop? I just don't want to drop a hundred dollars on something I can't plug in.
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| # ? Jan 2, 2013 00:39 |
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Spiritus Nox posted:I saw a good one of that size for about that price at best buy today - I just want to be sure, if the label on the box says that it's a laptop hard drive, is there any worry that it won't fit in my specific laptop? I just don't want to drop a hundred dollars on something I can't plug in. Just make sure you get the right size. Laptop HDDs are 1.8 or 2.5 inches. You probably have a 2.5 inch drive. Just check that first before buying.
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| # ? Jan 2, 2013 00:43 |
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Reposting without actually reposting from last thread. Basically I want to know if I'm crazy for wanting to upgrade from my 6870. And should I be waiting for the next release of Nvidia cards for the purpose of maxing out graphics with 3D on? I know next to nothing on Nvidia, too.
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| # ? Jan 2, 2013 01:30 |
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Ularg posted:Reposting without actually reposting from last thread. Basically I want to know if I'm crazy for wanting to upgrade from my 6870. And should I be waiting for the next release of Nvidia cards for the purpose of maxing out graphics with 3D on? I know next to nothing on Nvidia, too. Moving up to a 660ti would be a nice upgrade from a 6870, without the 3D. 3D with max settings however, may require a lot more than that. I'd look into a GTX670 minimum, if you demand 3D, good frame rate and max settings.
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| # ? Jan 2, 2013 01:33 |
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Has there been any word of a new AMD game promo? Looks like the one with FC3/Sleeping Dogs/AC3 isn't offered anymore. On top of that it seems like the 7870s all shot up in price so it seems like a really bad value right now. I might just go with a GTX 660 (non-Ti) instead since there are a couple in the $200 range
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| # ? Jan 2, 2013 01:46 |
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Kuros posted:Just make sure you get the right size. Laptop HDDs are 1.8 or 2.5 inches. You probably have a 2.5 inch drive. Just check that first before buying. What if I'm seeing a drive (that claims to be for laptops) that claims to be 2.75 inches? I presume that's right out.
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| # ? Jan 2, 2013 01:55 |
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Ragehaver posted:Moving up to a 660ti would be a nice upgrade from a 6870, without the 3D. 3D with max settings however, may require a lot more than that. I'd look into a GTX670 minimum, if you demand 3D, good frame rate and max settings. Thank you, I'll check them out right now. 3D and a good framerate at 1920x1080 would be the dream.
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| # ? Jan 2, 2013 02:02 |
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What hard drive would be preferred for those people who insist on larger storage capacities?
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| # ? Jan 2, 2013 02:14 |
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| # ? May 24, 2013 13:56 |
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Scalding Coffee posted:What hard drive would be preferred for those people who insist on larger storage capacities? For NAS stuff Western Digital Reds, 2-3TB (best, usually most expensive, TLER etc) or Seagate Barracuda 3TB (shorter warranty, more power usage but usually on sale) If you don't care about performance and just want raw storage then the WD Greens are fine, although they don't have configurable TLER anymore. Personally I use a set of 6 Seagate 3TB drives in my fileserver but they were on sale for $90 during black friday compared to $150 for the WD Reds so it was a no brainer. If the prices were the same I would have gotten the WD Reds or Greens since they are a bit lower power usage and are a bit quieter.
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| # ? Jan 2, 2013 03:14 |
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