PALGN Master Race Builders Thread (Build your PC + advice!)

Jarrod · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 8:47 pm�� Post subject:

Pagan is right about the CPU too. i7's are superior, but if money is a question you'd be better off going for an i5. Stick an after market cooler on an i5 K series and you can OC from 3.3ghz to ~4.5ghz without much trouble. i7 is quite a luxury model, and even if you dont intend to overclock you could downgrade to an i5 to either save dosh, or put that dosh towards a meatier GPU.
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Karai Pantsu · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 8:59 pm�� Post subject:

This would be the first PC I've paid for myself that I haven't built from scratch. I can put 'em together alright, but not well - I think I'd rather let someone else fuck around with installing the CPU (always freaked me out...) and handling cable management (haaaaaate) if it's an option.

Gotta say though, just getting the barebones and then dealing with the extras myself is a solid gold idea - that give me a little more freedom to move with parts too.

Hrmm.

I don't want to mess around with overclocking until games start demanding it, and even then I'm not sure that I'd bother, so the idea of getting a between-mid-and-high-end CPU straight up appeals to me - hence nosing towards the 3.4 quad.

SSD is a luxury that I can do without - which makes me doubly glad that the HDD listed rates well.

AMD I've tried in the past and found the performance to saving ratio just not worth it. May be a different case now, of course, but my preference runs towards Intel.
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Island_Wolf · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 9:06 pm�� Post subject:

Yeah, I hate the push-down mechanism of the CPU heatsinks >.> , built quite a few computers in the past and that is still one of my hates . Also, cable management, it's like an art!!!. I got HEAPS of gardening ties ready, ran out of velcro ones for my current computer so I used a garden tree tie one... worried it might affect something but my computer still running atm.
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Frozencry · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 9:08 pm�� Post subject:

Go intel. Everything AMD have done so far are just not good enough when compared to the performance of intels new range, especially sandybridge chipsets (i7 2600k etc).

If you're wanting to go high end CPU from the get-go and want to possibly overclock later, do not get a 2600. Get a 2600k instead, as that has unlocked multipliers which allow overclocking. The 2600 series is hardly overclockable, so I would advise against it if you want to look into overclocking later down the track.

This applies to the i5 2500 as well. The K edition is only a little more in price but comes with the added feature of insane OC ability.
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Jarrod · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 9:09 pm�� Post subject:

Well, for what its worth, I'm running an i5 2500K and at stock speeds it does the job quite dandy. I still need to OC and intend to quite soon, but it does a bang up job even at stock.

Going by that website, an i5 2500K will save you $75. Nearly $100 if you chose to ditch the K (K series just means the OCing is completely unlocked, and can thus push it as far as possible).

Others should chime in, but personally, I dont think you'd see $75 worth of performance increase in that i7 2600. I'd take that $75 and either save it, or put it towards a better GPU.
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Pagan's Mind · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 9:40 pm�� Post subject:

AMD is incredible value at the moment. Their fastest quad cores, the Phenom II X4, are dirt cheap at about $120 for the 955 (3.2GHz) and a decent AM3 motherboard won't cost anymore than $100-130. In a realisitc gaming scenario like 1920x1080 where the GPU really starts to kick in, AMD and Intel are pretty much neck and neck in the frames per second department. I would buy Intel if I wanted to do other things like video rendering and other intensive CPU activities. For gaming and general PC use an AMD CPU really can't be beat performance and definitely price wise.

You can put the money you would have otherwise put into an Intel CPU into a better video card which in the end is the most important component in a gaming oriented PC.

Karai Pantsu · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 9:45 pm�� Post subject:

I also do a bit of Photoshop stuff here and there (some poster work and other such), also the odd bit of video encoding - want to keep the CPU as flexible as possible.

You guys are fucking mint, this is really helpful. Thanks!
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Appel · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 10:46 pm�� Post subject:

I'm keeping note.

Like sexy Karai, i'll soon enough be back on the PC bandwagon.

But mine will be a little challenging as i'd like to see if I can dual boot Mac OS as well for work purposes. And i'll have three monitors hopefully so I plan to join Denny in the three-some club.
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Frozencry · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 10:52 pm�� Post subject:

Clubfinity life is pretty awesome bro.

To the left of me, a listing of over 200 games on steam which I may choose from, all maxed out and easy to run due to the power of the Crossfinity PC.

In the centre, my browser, all spiffed up and firefoxed, for all my internet surfing pleasure.

And finally to the right. Porn.

So much...porn.

Life is good at Clubfinity.

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Appel · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 11:02 pm�� Post subject:

I keep hearing on the interwebs from some anteater that Club-finity is fresh.

How much would a decent crossfire rig cost?
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Pagan's Mind · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 11:06 pm�� Post subject:

Appel · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 11:13 pm�� Post subject:

Yeah, that's pretty good.

I'd want an Intel chipset though for Mac compatibility reasons.

And would 8 gb of RAM be overkill? I'd like more for audio editing reasons.
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Frozencry · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 11:15 pm�� Post subject:

Just games only, 8GB is overkill.

Everything else? It's pretty sweet.

Also I advise going 6970 CFX or 6990. 6950 is alright but it strains pretty quick in Eyefinity. Hell, I can bring my 6990 to its knees pretty easily.
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Pagan's Mind · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 11:19 pm�� Post subject:

An Intel CPU and motherboard would only be another $150-200. It's pretty cheap to get an eyefinity capable rig now. I plan to crossfire my unlocked 6950 with a 6970 soon.

I think most people recommend 4GB for a gaming computer but RAM is so cheap that you might as well go 8GB anyway.

Jarrod · Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 10:15 am�� Post subject:

Yeah, RAM is cheap as chips these days. 8GB is good for future protecting, but pretty much useless for games these days. Nothing will take advantage of it, so you could sit comfortably on 4GB and never really have to worry.

Video/image/audio editing software will benefit most from more RAM. The former especially.
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Karai Pantsu · Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 3:22 pm�� Post subject:

Ok, bearing in mind that I plan to be sticking to a single display setup (no room for more, no real need or want - I get enough multi-mon face time at work #_#) what GPU would people recommend. Looking at the 6950s (and periphery models) they seem to be using the eyefinity (and multi-mopn support in general) as a big focus point. Are those cards optimised for that use? If so, are there similar power cards that are optimsed for single displays?

Your help is, as always, muchly appreciated.
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Frozencry · Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 3:31 pm�� Post subject:

Your choices from Mid to God Tier:

Mid-tier

HD6950 - Good 1920x1080 performance in 90% of games. Decent 2560x1600 performance.

GTX570 - Good 1920x1080 performance in 90% of games. Decent 2560x1600 performance.

High-tier

HD6970 - Excellent 1920x1080 performance in 90% of games. Good 2560x1600 performance.

GTX580 - Excellent 1920x1080 performance in 90% of games. Good 2560x1600 performance.

Demigod-tier

Crossfire HD6950 - Excellent performance all round.

SLI GTX570 - Excellent performance all round.

God-tier

Crossfire HD6970 - Superb performance all round.

SLI GTX 580 - Superb performance all round.

HD6990 - Enthusiast dual GPU card, superb perf.

GTX590 - Enthusiast dual GPU card, superb perf.

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I'd say your best bet is either the 6970 or 580, as they both perform very well and are the best single GPU cards out. The 6950 is great too, and as Pagan has shown it runs very well on most games, but on a personal note I like to future proof that slight bit more and if you go CFX 6970 later on to future proof, you're in for an insanely big performance jump. That and most 6950 cards that have just come out are not reference model anymore, so the BIOS flash to unlock it and turn it into a 6970 isn't fully possible anymore. Unless of course you find yourself ref. model ones!
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TamTam79 · Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 3:31 pm�� Post subject:

I use Xfired 6950's and I pull max frames (60hz) + v-sync on everything I've thrown at it. Always have the opiton to unlock mine as well, which will be a little bonus down the road.

The price point for those make them hard to pass up, IMO.
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Jarrod · Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 3:41 pm�� Post subject:

I have a GTX570.

Its awesome.
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Pagan's Mind · Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 3:53 pm�� Post subject:

GTX 560Ti - $225
6950 1GB - $220

I think those two cards are the best performance/price video cards out right now. Both are capable of running every game including The Witcher 2 at the highest settings at 1920x1080.

The next cards up from that like the 6970 and GTX570 start getting in the $330-350 price range. In my opinion the 10-15% performance increase it not worth the extra $100 or so. But then again it depends on how much you're willing to spend.

A l e x · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 12:50 pm�� Post subject:

Well all set up and working fine, idles at 25c

Edit: and 50c on 100% load

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Karai Pantsu · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 2:15 pm�� Post subject:

Time to put it through it's paces with some high-end gaming and tell how how she fares?

I've pretty much finalised my hardware selection, just need to pull the trigger on the purchase... !
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A l e x · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 2:20 pm�� Post subject:

Frozencry · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 2:38 pm�� Post subject:

Haha it's sweet innit, love my SSD.

Wait till you see the framerates when you get that card going. Your mind will fucking EXPLODE.

Also, go download RadeonPro. It'll help a lot for Crossfire!

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A l e x · Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 2:00 am�� Post subject:

Played a few games and i can say its deff worth it, plays everything i throw at it full settings pretty much, cant wait for BF3 on this comp.

overclocked to 4.2 just then seems to run around 5c more on idle and load, had it on prime 95 for a few hrs and been playing games since then and all seems ok.
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