Search results

  1. U

    Question about when to build

    Thank you guys for the helpful suggestions. One more question - if I'm looking to cut the price of the build a bit, and knowing that I will be gaming on this for years to come, should I look to downgrade the processor or the GPU? I have a feeling that the gpu ends up being more important for...
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    Question about when to build

    Awesome, one more piece I can keep. Thanks! As for the overclock, I wasn't planning on pushing it to more than 4ghz. So I will seriously consider the slower processor combined with a solid Z77 mobo.
  3. U

    Question about when to build

    New heatsink is compatible with h77/z77 mobos, so I can keep it, thankfully. Monitor is a 22" 1680x1050 Acer, and I don't think I'll be replacing it anytime soon. So gaming will be at this resolution. If I'm keeping this for five years? Probably get a new monitor at some point and game at...
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    Question about when to build

    PSU is an Antec 500w, which I thought was enough for an HD7870, but I'm not sure about the bigger card. I was only planning a moderate overclock, so I'll check the prices differences for an H-mobo instead.
  5. U

    Question about when to build

    I plan on using the system for gaming, but I don't need ultra-high resolutions. I've got a monitor, a case, a PSU, a DVD drive, an HDD, an SSD, and a new heatsink/fan combo. I think all I need are a new mobo, processor, RAM, and vid card. I'm not a fanboy, but my own research suggests that if...
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    Question about when to build

    It's a good suggestion, and I did live close to a Microcenter...until the move that ended up breaking the PC. Also, I have a credit card that all my business expenses go to, and I can use the points on it to get the first $500 of Amazon purchases for free.
  7. U

    Question about when to build

    Hi all, About five years ago I was able to get some great advice from forum members here and I built my first PC. It ran on a Q6600 and four whole gigs of RAM, and most indulgently (for me at the time), a 8800 GT 512 MB card. I overclocked it a little bit, and for nearly five years, it was a...
  8. U

    Are there cost-effective upgrades for my 2008 desktop?

    I run windows at 1680x1050, but not all games at that rez, if I'm trying to maximize frames. Thanks for the advice on overclocking and the new video cards. Could any of you point me in the direction of a solid guide for OCing the q6600?
  9. U

    Are there cost-effective upgrades for my 2008 desktop?

    No, by "giant cooling unit" I mean the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro, an aftermarket cooler that, at the time, was top of the line. Thing has huge pipes!
  10. U

    Are there cost-effective upgrades for my 2008 desktop?

    I had considered overclocking it and gave up due to the difficulty I had translating the guides. Because I had considered it, the CPU has a giant cooling unit strapped to it. Should I overclock - does it really make a big difference?
  11. U

    Are there cost-effective upgrades for my 2008 desktop?

    Hey Everyone, I haven't posted here in ages, since I built my first desktop back in 2008. You were all incredibly helpful in assisting me with picking out components for the build and giving advice. The machine, which I built for around $1200 including the monitor, is still running strong...
  12. U

    Cell CPU in desktop

    Is that the reason why developers complain about writing software for PS3, and say that the 360 is easier to code for?
  13. U

    Laptop Recommendations

    My girlfriend was just activated from the waitlist of the med school she really wanted to go to, and she needs a new laptop. As much as she wants a Macbook, the students are strongly told not to use them as there is a lack of support for them in the country (the med school is in Israel, a joint...
  14. U

    A Thank-You Post!

    Over the past six months, I've visited these boards reading posts about building experiences and component choices, and I finally made the plunge. With the help of all of you, I picked out the parts that worked best for me and put it together this weekend. Then, when I couldn't get it working...
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    PSU problem with my first build

    Jesus christ, I figured out was wrong. On a hunch I thought the processor might be too hot, so I dloaded coretemp and boy was I right! My heatsink was incorrectly secured on one side, and the Q6600 was overheating! I'm glad I wasn't trying to throttle this thing! I took everything out again...
  16. U

    PSU problem with my first build

    So with the help of all you guys, I ordered a good bunch of parts, and set off yesterday to build my first desktop. Everything went well, except that the power kept cutting out. Sometimes it wouldn't boot at all, sometimes it would turn off while booting, and when I was able to have it up long...
  17. U

    Question about installing a motherboard

    Ah, I wondered what those were for. Thanks so much! I took everything out, put in the risers, and now it's golden!
  18. U

    Question about installing a motherboard

    What's the solution, then? How can I make it not touch the case? It's lined up fine with the ports in the back...not out of alignment, i dont think
  19. U

    Question about installing a motherboard

    So thanks to everyone here on the forums, I put together a nice little list of components and finally bought them all. The last of them were delivered today, so I went to work putting the PC together. There's a problem, though - sometimes it won't turn on for more than a second, sometimes it...
  20. U

    What processor should I put in my new Intel rig?

    purchased the retail version from clubIT. I'll try it at 333x9, and maybe get a real cooler a few months from now and overclock it some more. Thanks so much!
  21. U

    What processor should I put in my new Intel rig?

    I guess the Q6600 it is, thanks. But where can I find it for $240? The egg has it at 275, and that's not guaranteed G0 stepping...
  22. U

    What processor should I put in my new Intel rig?

    aigomorla - you always pop in to threads with good advice. can i ask why you recommend the Q6600?
  23. U

    What processor should I put in my new Intel rig?

    Greytautumn - unfortunately, my current rig is a five year old laptop on its last legs. I suppose I can wait two more months....it's hard, y'know, because I've been waiting since June to buy my parts. I'll go look up the stats on the Q9450.
  24. U

    What processor should I put in my new Intel rig?

    I've read through the posts here, and with the help of you guys, I picked out the parts for my new desktop. The only item I held off on purchasing was the processor, because of the new Penryns coming out on the 20th. Everyone seems to agree that dual-cores are better for gaming, and that...
  25. U

    Where to get x64 Vista?

    I'm a grad student, and I just purchased all the parts for my first build, including 4 gigs of RAM. To properly address it all, I want to get a 64-bit version of Vista. I've read lots of threads, and reviewed MSoft's own pages on version differences, but I can't seem to figure out if I can get a...
  26. U

    Finally Building my First System

    I'm all in! I went for the Case + PSU deal from Fry's, and got everything else from Newegg. Held off on the processor - I can wait for a week to see if prices drop. Thanks guys!
  27. U

    Finally Building my First System

    Doclife - The Transcend ram looks good, Ive added it to my cart. I'm also going to go with a 4500 - I should be able to overclock it a bit with the stock HS and fan, and then spring for a new chip maybe a year or two from now. Sound like a plan?
  28. U

    Finally Building my First System

    Thanks for the feedback, guys! The keyboard I'm swiping from work, and I've got a good mouse, so we're set there. I've also my legit copy of XP and its product key, so that should work fine, too. Later on I plan on buying Vista 64bit, but until then, I'm content to get the 3.2 gigs of ram...
  29. U

    Finally Building my First System

    So here I sit, typing away on my five year old laptop. It's time to get something new, and I've been waiting since the beginning of last summer to buy some parts. I can't wait any longer, because the lappy is finally dying on me, refusing to start up and whatnot. I want my new machine to...
  30. U

    The Best Modifications

    Team Aerial Combat (TAC) for Tribes 1! Did anybody else play this? Big floating bases, you could only jetpack around or hitch a ride on a ship, and if you touched the ground, you instantly died? I spent so many hours zooming around in scouts, lining up my targets and ramming right in to them...
  31. U

    Is this a good deal?

    Doesn't actually come with anything bundled aside from keyboard and optical mouse. No AV suite, no MS office, no printer, etc. Didn't want any of that.
  32. U

    Is this a good deal?

    Yeah, I've priced out systems on my own, and am familiar with how ridiculously cheap RAM is, etc etc. I don't know if I could do much better than this Dell, though, and a lot of the savings would be dependent on rebates. According to pricescan/watch, the cheapest I can get a new E6550 for is...
  33. U

    Is this a good deal?

    So my five year old Dell laptop is finally in its death throes, and I simply can't wait to get a new computer. Thankfully it lasted me through the summer/fall, and now the processors and prices are better. After much deliberation I decided to build, and was simply waiting until after xmas to...
  34. U

    Underclocking a video card?

    Let me apologize; I'm no expert on video cards but I felt obligated to respond. Simkuriakose, your original question was how to underclock a card you thought was running too hot. You were told that it wasn't running too hot and not to worry, but were also given instructions on how to underclock...
  35. U

    *OLD*Official Bioshock Thread

    Do any of you watch Flight of the Conchords on HBO? All this 2KAUS crap seems very reminiscent of the treatment that the Aussies got outside their consulate in NYC at the hands of Bret, Jemaine, and my fav comedian, Aziz Ansari. Flip 'em the bird!
  36. U

    Should I bite the bullet and buy?

    jkresh, I purchased the RAM a few weeks ago, so it's a done deal. 2 gigs of Patriot extreme for $50 from a friend of mine who had ordered too much. I'm not worried about the RAM. Who knows though, maybe by December DDR3 will be all the rage?
  37. U

    Must hit space bar 3x to get one space character. PLEASE HELP!

    Ah, the ol' Windows reinstall. Used to be whenever I had a problem with '95, I would just reinstall it until the problem went away. Almost always worked. ;)
  38. U

    Should I bite the bullet and buy?

    Jkresh, I think I will end up waiting for Penryn and the next generation of dx10 cards as you suggested. Whether I get the new stuff, or the current stuff at a discount, I don't know yet. Gigantopithecus, a whole bunch of people have said that RAM is going to go back up, so I went ahead and...
  39. U

    Should I bite the bullet and buy?

    With the help of you great forum guys, I put together a nice system build to replace my five-year-old laptop. I started looking around back in June, and it's now halfway through August. If I can wait till December, will prices markedly go down on intel processors and the first gen of DX10 video...