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brian mayhem | Posted: Jun 25 2011, 11:47 AM |
IDW Goldmember Group: Advanced Members Posts: 4,294 Member No.: 13,958 Joined: Oct 22nd 2005 Location: Binghamton, New York | I have never look into getting a decent build going until after attending MLG Columbus. The crowd for SC2 was unreal and I have decided to get into it. Problem is my laptop is ancient and It cannot really handle much. So, I was looking at some of the prebuilds you can get from various websites like velocitymicro, tigerdirect, and cyberpower. I dont have much of a budget to work with because of the baby being on the way.. No real preferences in terms of case appearance, but I'd like enough to run SC2, Steam games, and to run a HDPVR and Black Magic Intensity for use on TwitchTV, JTV. Any takers? |
Lebon14 | Posted: Jun 25 2011, 01:07 PM |
🎧 Group: Advanced Members Posts: 6,594 Member No.: 18,005 Joined: May 25th 2006 Location: Canada | Well, I'm pretty sure you can find a nice combo with latest Intel CPUs. I went on Velocity Micro and chose the cheapest gaming machine : http://www.velocitymicro.com/wizard.php?iid=157 It was good but.......... there's no graphics! (well, on-board sucks for gaming) I would select the Nvidia GeForce GTX550 Ti. OK performance and OK price. The price is 1054$. Again on that site, you could go out of the gaming section and try the "Home & Digital Media" for cheaper computers. -> Selected cheapest "Vector" computer +Changed CPU cooler for 25$ +Added a graphic card (go gor the GTX450) 984$ The cheapest is an AMD Athlon II Setup. It's OK but the thing is, for recommanded graphics for Starcraft 2, on cheaper setup, they offer only cheap settings so... EDIT : Well, they offer the AMD Radeon 4850. Does the job. But upgrading that CPU for a quad-core for 85$ might be a deal and... upgrade that Power Supply to 550Watts because if you wanna upgrade later, you won't hit a "I don't have enough juice" wall. And 25$... With those two upgrades, it's 809$. Anyway, a good tip for you is check the Intel setups (any Core i CPUs) with anything except integrated graphics. If you want an AMD setup, check out Phenom II setups with dedicated graphics (NOT integrated). Peace out. This post has been edited by Lebon14 on Jun 25 2011, 01:11 PM |
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Kiroshino | Posted: Jul 5 2011, 05:41 PM |
IDW Goldmember Group: FORUM MODERATOR Posts: 2,453 Member No.: 34,203 Joined: Oct 22nd 2009 Location: NJ, USA | System Builder Marathon, March 2011: $500 Gaming PC Though now the Phenom II x4 955 and/or 965 Black Edition comes to about the same price. My choice would be upgrading to a 890FXA motherboard for some future potential, and the power supply to at least 550W. New Egg usually has some good deals on power supplies; just ordered an Antec 750W for $55 after rebate. System Builder Marathon, June 2011: $500 Gaming PC Pretty much an Intel i3 version of the above. You can also find decent used set-ups on Ebay for under $500 if you're a little patient. You can also find used graphic cards on Ebay for under $100 (ie 4850x2, 4870x2, 200 and 400 series GTX, etc.). Keep in mind that I have very little experience in building computers. This is just from my own research over the past few weeks. This post has been edited by Kiroshino on Jul 5 2011, 05:41 PM |
Type 100 | Posted: Jul 5 2011, 05:49 PM |
IDW Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 93 Member No.: 37,520 Joined: Jun 21st 2011 Location: aboard the Argama | You'll want a good CPU to run StarCraft 2. The GPU will boost running everything else you like on Steam. Try building your own rig. The SBM June 2011 $500 Gaming rig mentioned above looks good and well-balanced for the purpose. Intel's current Sandy Bridge CPUs run rings around AMD's aging Phenoms; even the cheapest Core i3-2100 or i3-2105 should be enough. If you can spend a little more on the GPU, a decent GTX560 card should be better than the 6850 for a similar price point. This post has been edited by Type 100 on Jul 5 2011, 05:52 PM |
Lebon14 | Posted: Jul 5 2011, 05:53 PM |
🎧 Group: Advanced Members Posts: 6,594 Member No.: 18,005 Joined: May 25th 2006 Location: Canada | I like the Core i3 Sandy-bridge rig. Nice cheap future proof rig right there. This post has been edited by Lebon14 on Jul 5 2011, 06:01 PM |
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Type 100 | Posted: Jul 5 2011, 08:07 PM |
IDW Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 93 Member No.: 37,520 Joined: Jun 21st 2011 Location: aboard the Argama | Just in case you need help with actually building your own PC: http://techreport.com/articles.x/13671 |
Kiroshino | Posted: Jul 6 2011, 03:24 AM |
IDW Goldmember Group: FORUM MODERATOR Posts: 2,453 Member No.: 34,203 Joined: Oct 22nd 2009 Location: NJ, USA | That article really comes in handy for me. Thanks for the share! Something I noticed right away: I put way too much thermal compound between the CPU and heat sink. Any adverse affects of this? |
outlaw-2 | Posted: Jul 6 2011, 11:22 AM | ||||||
Always Lurking... Group: Advanced Members Posts: 1,760 Member No.: 20,050 Joined: Sep 6th 2006 Location: Singapore |
Yes, and in a bad way. instead of transferring heat to the heatsink, too much of it makes it act like an insulator, producing more heat. I recommend you to take it out, wipe off and clean the surfaces with a cloth and isopropyl alcohol. Recommended amount would be something like a small pea-size. Some vids about how the thermal compound spreads...
One problem about having too much thermal compound.
But I got to ask, what's your heatsink model, and what thermal compound are you using? For me, I'm using Arctic Cooling MX-4 here and a Coolermaster Hyper TX-3. | ||||||
Type 100 | Posted: Jul 6 2011, 04:29 PM |
IDW Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 93 Member No.: 37,520 Joined: Jun 21st 2011 Location: aboard the Argama | Kiroshino: No problem, glad to help out a fellow builder. I've yet to build a rig from scratch myself, but I've dismantled my existing Core 2 Quad Q6600 rig down to the motherboard to put on a heatsink. I'm also planning a Sandy Bridge-based build. outlaw2: Nice choice. The Hyper TX3 is pretty good for its size and price; that's what I used on my Q6600. It's great for smaller cases that won't accommodate a typical ~160mm-high heatsink. This post has been edited by Type 100 on Jul 6 2011, 04:29 PM |
Kiroshino | Posted: Jul 6 2011, 05:09 PM |
IDW Goldmember Group: FORUM MODERATOR Posts: 2,453 Member No.: 34,203 Joined: Oct 22nd 2009 Location: NJ, USA | The one I used too much of: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16835100007 The one I just bought: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16835100017 Just using whatever came stock with the processors. My cousin overclocked the Phenom II x4 940 BE to 3.5Ghz and hasn't had any problems. I run the Phenom x4 9550 stock and it's been fine. I was originally thinking of swapping the heat sink out for a Cooler Master Hyper 212+. Seems to get good reviews. |
Lebon14 | Posted: Jul 6 2011, 11:55 PM | ||
🎧 Group: Advanced Members Posts: 6,594 Member No.: 18,005 Joined: May 25th 2006 Location: Canada |
I'm using the Arctic Silver thermal compound here. No problems at all! I don't know why you changed thermal compound... just remove it and try again. | ||
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outlaw-2 | Posted: Jul 7 2011, 12:06 AM | ||
Always Lurking... Group: Advanced Members Posts: 1,760 Member No.: 20,050 Joined: Sep 6th 2006 Location: Singapore |
Well, funny thing is that I used the Hyper TX-3 in the push-pull configuration, the 2nd fan being a Zalman. Though, my processor is an AMD Phenom II X6 1100T O_o. And Kiroshino, you kidding me? Arctic Silver 5 is one of the best thermal compounds ever, though its biggest disadvantages would be its conductivity with the electrical components, and the fact that you need at least 200 hours of curing time for the compound to settle in before it can really perform. At least you made a good move choosing the Arctic Ceramique thermal compound. The other alternatives you might want to have a look would be the Arctic Cooling MX-2, and MX-4. MX-4 review http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/986/...erformance.html MX-3, MX-2, and Gelid GC-2 review comparison http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/798/...erformance.html And once again, another good move choosing the Coolermaster Hyper 212+ as well, just that you might need to put a tad more thermal compound as it has small ridges between the copper pipes and the flat surface. My Hyper TX-3 has the same issue as well, and I added a tad more of the thermal compound so it'll fill up the ridges. And Type 100, well, my casing could accommodate bigger heatsinks. (Ikonik SOHO1 here), just that I wanted some accessibility to some components. I'd even chose the Hyper 212+ if my mobo's components were more spread out. (Biostar A780L3G mobo here) | ||
Kiroshino | Posted: Jul 7 2011, 10:03 AM | ||
IDW Goldmember Group: FORUM MODERATOR Posts: 2,453 Member No.: 34,203 Joined: Oct 22nd 2009 Location: NJ, USA |
Ran out. I thought you were supposed to use the whole tube. >.< Just wanted something cheaper. The Ceramique should do a decent enough job. 200 hours of running time to cure, or just time? If it's the former, that means I should still be able to pull the CPU off the heatsink... And I never bought the Hyper 212+. Just was thinking about it, but since stock has proven to work for the past few years, I don't think I need to change it. | ||
outlaw-2 | Posted: Jul 7 2011, 12:06 PM | ||
Always Lurking... Group: Advanced Members Posts: 1,760 Member No.: 20,050 Joined: Sep 6th 2006 Location: Singapore |
200 hours of running time I was meant to say. Sorry about that. | ||
Kiroshino | Posted: Jul 7 2011, 07:46 PM |
IDW Goldmember Group: FORUM MODERATOR Posts: 2,453 Member No.: 34,203 Joined: Oct 22nd 2009 Location: NJ, USA | Well, it came off with a little effort. Bent a few pins in the process. Straightened them out and the system booted, but I did get a BSoD... :/ Power supply I got was way too big for the HPE case. Broke the case face plate and the quick connect latches for the optical drive in the process of installation. Motherboard was definitely not set up for a huge graphics card. It manages to cover all of my SATA ports. I forced a couple in, but the GPU fan has been cutting up the SATA cables. No problems with the custom rig yet except slow boot times. Do case fans blow into or out of the case? Edit: Apparently, rear fans are supposed to suck air out of the case. I'll need to reverse that tomorrow. Shouldn't be too much of a problem in the mean time. This post has been edited by Kiroshino on Jul 7 2011, 09:37 PM |
Type 100 | Posted: Jul 7 2011, 10:32 PM | ||
IDW Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 93 Member No.: 37,520 Joined: Jun 21st 2011 Location: aboard the Argama |
It depends on mounting position and on what you want to achieve. Conventional wisdom states the following: Front = intake Bottom = intake Rear = exhaust Top = exhaust The rear fan mount is almost always an exhaust. However I've heard of people doing things differently with the other fan mounting locations. | ||
khat17 | Posted: Jul 12 2011, 04:07 PM |
IDW SIMPLETON Group: Advanced Members Posts: 1,168 Member No.: 17,668 Joined: May 7th 2006 Location: Mandeville, Jamaica | I'm late on this and it's all been answered already, so I'm jumping in and right back out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7rPqCvCt0g Personally I use the spread method. Sometimes I also spread some on the heat sink depending on the scenario, but most times it's just on the CPU. Any of the products by Arctic Silver or OCZ will work IMO. As for your fans - as mentioned above you can place them according to your needs. http://www.iceteks.com/articles.php/casecooling/1 http://www.heatsink-guide.com/casecool.htm |
Kiroshino | Posted: Jul 21 2011, 06:37 AM |
IDW Goldmember Group: FORUM MODERATOR Posts: 2,453 Member No.: 34,203 Joined: Oct 22nd 2009 Location: NJ, USA | FallOut 3 freezes on me after an hour of playing. I think something is overheating 'cause air flow is pretty much non-existent in my current case. Should really get a new case, preferably with a bottom-mounted PSU and enough room to handle regular-sized ATX boards. Or, just take the PSU and GPU out, put back the old stuff, and start building from scratch. |
Sensation! | Posted: Jul 21 2011, 07:36 AM |
As expected of country grown vegetables Group: Special Snowflake Posts: 2,330 Member No.: 19,520 Joined: Aug 14th 2006 Location: Redondo Beach, CA. | Turn up the fan on your graphics card and see if that'll fix it. For long gaming sessions, i never leave my cards on auto, i usually crank the fans up to 70-100% most heat related gaming crashes are usually the GPU, so giving it a helping hand might eliminate your issue. I also wouldn't worry about the life of the fan either, as long as you aren't leaving it at 100% constantly, you'll be replacing it because it became obsolete rather than a hardware failure. also, a new case that sounds like it can hold plain standard ATX sounds like a good idea lol |
Kiroshino | Posted: Jul 21 2011, 08:00 AM |
IDW Goldmember Group: FORUM MODERATOR Posts: 2,453 Member No.: 34,203 Joined: Oct 22nd 2009 Location: NJ, USA | Dumb question, but is that something you do in the BIOS or is there a utility for that? Yeah, my current case only fits micro-ATX, the reason why it's so cramped. Edit: Picked up an old Gateway Essentials case from 1999 thinking I could use it. Other than being a very solid case, the whole thing was held together either by rivets or plates of steel, including the motherboard mounts and I/O plate. Rear fan was probably a 80cm, which I don't have. That was a bummer. Then, I went to my computer, took out the PSU and GPU, swapped back in the original PSU, and gave it back to my dad. Should work fine now as a desktop web browser. This post has been edited by Kiroshino on Jul 21 2011, 07:01 PM |
Type 100 | Posted: Jul 22 2011, 04:40 AM | ||
IDW Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 93 Member No.: 37,520 Joined: Jun 21st 2011 Location: aboard the Argama |
I'm not sure if it can tweak GPU cooling, but for almost everything else inside a PC case you can try out SpeedFan. It'll link up with the thermistors on your hardware (CPU, hard disks, GPU) so you can monitor temperatures, and you can tweak the speeds of your case fans if they're hooked up to the fan headers on your motherboard. HWMonitor does the same thing but lacks fan control, as far as I know. It's usually for recording minimum and maximum temperatures per component, so it's more of a benchmarking tool. Both utilities are free to download. Some newer motherboards indeed have their own fan-control utilities in the BIOS, but it's more of an enthusiast-level feature. On cheaper mobos the most you'll get is real-time fan speed tracking. Now if you want more control over your GPU, there are popular programs written for just them. MSI's Afterburner is the most popular one I know, but I have no idea if it's free. HTH This post has been edited by Type 100 on Jul 22 2011, 04:42 AM | ||
Shirogane | Posted: Aug 5 2011, 10:50 PM | ||
SCREEEEEEECHING INTENSIFIES Group: Advanced Members Posts: 5,595 Member No.: 17,722 Joined: May 10th 2006 Location: Washington | Thought I'd post in here just to save some time, though I, too, am looking for a gaming computer, and someone had gave me a link to "CyberPowerPC." I am a bit skeptical when it comes to online stores, though here's what I made up just for shits and giggles.
(Kind of a little archaic, I know.) The problem for me, is whether to take the dive and dish out $970 total (Shipping is included), or to go to a store and either buy a prebuilt or buy components. I'm kind of stuck in between. | ||
Lebon14 | Posted: Aug 6 2011, 09:59 AM |
🎧 Group: Advanced Members Posts: 6,594 Member No.: 18,005 Joined: May 25th 2006 Location: Canada | It's not that archaic... the CPU, AMD A8-3850, is pretty new. But, it's far from being better than Intel's CPUs. The whole thing should do the job for most of today's games. |
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Shirogane | Posted: Aug 6 2011, 12:56 PM | ||
SCREEEEEEECHING INTENSIFIES Group: Advanced Members Posts: 5,595 Member No.: 17,722 Joined: May 10th 2006 Location: Washington |
I meant how the list is made. But still, I'm faced with a dilemma. There are three ways I can do this:
That just made me indecisive. | ||
khat17 | Posted: Aug 6 2011, 01:09 PM | ||
IDW SIMPLETON Group: Advanced Members Posts: 1,168 Member No.: 17,668 Joined: May 7th 2006 Location: Mandeville, Jamaica |
You can set the fan speeds on ATI cards. Not sure about the nVidia cards as I don't have one anymore. | ||
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