http://forums.tweaktown.com/ en Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:07:11 GMT vBulletin 60 http://forums.tweaktown.com/images/misc/rss.png http://forums.tweaktown.com/ http://forums.tweaktown.com/what-should-i-buy/53034-upgrade-options-my-old-amd-build.html Thu, 06 Jun 2013 23:26:19 GMT I built this rig...roughly 5 years ago I believe, with the idea in mind that I could upgrade it easily. Here are the specs:
CPU: AMD athlon 64 x2 4600
Mobo: ASUS m2n32Sli Deluxe Wifi
GFX: XFX Geforce 7950GT
Memory: OCZ 2x2gb

I've heard that I can drop in an AMD Phenom II x4 965 Black and it will work in my mobo with a bios update. Any truth in this? Complicated procedure? If that worked, and I upgraded my video card to say...a GTX 650...bumped up the ram to the mobo's max of 8gb...can this system be salvaged? Worth it? Is there a bottleneck in this idea residing in the motherboard itself that would make spending the extra dollars fruitless?

Adam. ]]> What Should I Buy? admpilot http://forums.tweaktown.com/what-should-i-buy/53034-upgrade-options-my-old-amd-build.html http://forums.tweaktown.com/what-should-i-buy/53033-im-bit-noob-building-rig-my-dad.html Thu, 06 Jun 2013 23:06:54 GMT I've been gifting my dad with gift cards for new egg for a couple years now...with the intention of having him save them up so we can collaborate on his next pc. The time has come (roughly $800 in gift cards)...and I've been doing a good amount of research. Im simply looking for advice and opinions on what I've come up with so far.

Build 1:
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K
Mobo: Gigabyte Ga Z77x UD5H
HDD: WD Caviar black 1 tb 7200rpm
SSD: Samsung 840pro 128gb
GPU: gigabyte gtx 660 oc 2 gb
Memory:4x4gb corsair vengence
Case: Corsair Carbide 200r
PSU: Corsair cx500m
OS: Windows 8
Monitor: 24 inch TN BenQ XL2411T
Optical: Asus BluRay reader DVD/CD writer

Build 2:
CPU: Intel Core i7-3820 with CM hyper EVO 212 (I went with this cpu because its on the low end of the socket 2011, which has more future options than build 1 and should be just as fast)
Mobo: Gigabyte GA X79 UP4
HDD: WD Caviar black 1 tb 7200rpm
SSD: Samsung 840pro 128gb
GPU: Gigabyte gtx660 oc 2 gb
Memory: 4x4gb corsair vengence
Case: Corsair Carbide 200R
PSU: Corsair cx500m
OS: Windows 8
Monitor: 24 inch TN BenQ XL2411T
Optical: Asus BluRay reader DVD/CD writer

I haven't decided on which of the two builds to go with. My dad always wants the best, of everything...but Im trying to hold him back some because even build 1 is overkill for what he uses(Mostly home theater/office computer/web browser). Each time he tells me he wants the best, I need to remind him the best would be a $4000 system. I came up with build 2 on the idea that we'd only be spending $200 more and it would be buying him a bit more futureproof of a system. He would be able to upgrade the cpu hopefully to an IB-E (as if he would ever really need to). Now haswell has come out, I wonder if I should just go with a build more like build 1...but with a haswell cpu and associated mobo. What are your thoughts/suggestions/bottlenecks on all components? Will the CM Hyper EVO 212 fit inside the Corsair Carbide 200R? Are my mobo choices reliable? I almost feel like in build 2 he doesnt need a board with 4 pci ex16 slots, so maybe I would consider a smaller board, but I dont see any gigabyte socket 2011 boards that are mATX and if I went with an asus mATX board I'd be paying the same price as the larger gigabyte board. ]]> What Should I Buy? admpilot http://forums.tweaktown.com/what-should-i-buy/53033-im-bit-noob-building-rig-my-dad.html http://forums.tweaktown.com/what-should-i-buy/53017-help-me-build-temp-rig-my-1st-future-rig.html Wed, 05 Jun 2013 17:14:43 GMT Hi guys i was trying to build my very first rig, can you please help me on buying which best and affordable for my rig?


First of, i would be building my dream rig over a temporary rig. I'll explain my temporary rig: It will be used temporarily for office use, some photoshop editing, word processing and browsing NO GAMES aside from online games on facebook :P then i will upgrade this rig to be use as VIDEO EDITING machine in the future (future like 4-6 months after the temp rig).


Heres the idea, i will be buying first a
- CPU case (cm scout 2 already have)
- Power supply
- 256gb crucial m4 (which i already have)
- and a Monitor (asus mx239h already have)
as these are the components that does not need to be compatible or at least these are the hardware that i may not have to replace.


So now i have a cpu case (cm scout 2), ssd, a power supply (not yet sure) and a monitor (IPS since will use it on video editing)


On my temporary rig, i will be buying these hardwares (in 1155 setup, in the future i'd like it to be 1155 too):


cpu = Pentium g620
$47


mobo = ASRock B75M-DGS VSGIGAL mATX U3S3 Motherboard (B75M-DGS)
$60


ram = GSkill Sniper 8GB (4GBX2) DDR3 1600 / F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR2
$70


psu = HEC Cougar Power X 550watts
$61


gpu - PCI-E , ECS GT520 1GB-64bit DDR3
$30


Total = $268


Now once im done with this temporary rig, i will be replacing the Processor and GPU which i will give to my younger brother so he can setup his own rig through those hardware :)


Now my problem is that, does the MOBO will support my upcoming processor which is 3770k?
well i know on its compatibility list that it is, but i wonder if it has drawback like xmp or whatever technology bottle neck it is. Will it run the 3770k without a problem even if i overclock it in the future? cause if not i will retain the board. I am only looking for a board that is compatible with 3770k and run it with no problem. Also i dont need a lot of PCIe slot, i only need at least 1 as i would not be doing an SLI (never) also i need a sata 6/gbps for my ssd and USB3 (for my usb3 powered passport) which ASRock B75M-DGS already have. I know if it has a lot of slots it would be expensive, so please find me a cheap mobo if i have to replace it with same specs.


Then the RAM, when i change the motherboard because of the processor incompatibilty i know i have to change the RAM too so which do you suggest? also if i dont have to replace the motherboard then 8gb (2x4gb) is fine with me but if i have to i would be using 16gb (2x8gb) so please suggest a better ram for the mobo.


3rd problem is the PSU, why its a problem? because i will surely replace my GPU and I only have 2 candidate.


1) GTX 660TI (very much suggested by video editors)
2) GTX 780 because of having 300+ bit


well i had gtx680 before but its kinda low powered and i think have no real life difference over gtx660ti on after effects rendering or if it has it would not be noticeable like few seconds only, so i only choose between 660ti or jump to 780. So if i decide to go on whichever of the 2 i need to have a better PSU, in addition in the future i will also be using 3 monitors (asus mx239h) so i really need a good psu, NO SLI by the way.


Guys i really need your help on these. Also please give me tips on whatever i miss or let me know if i forgot something. :P


Thanks a lot and hoping that someone could help me. ]]> What Should I Buy? kenjiwatashimaa http://forums.tweaktown.com/what-should-i-buy/53017-help-me-build-temp-rig-my-1st-future-rig.html http://forums.tweaktown.com/what-should-i-buy/52968-help-me-build-amd-rig.html Sun, 02 Jun 2013 04:32:29 GMT Hello all! I'm building an AMD system right now as I've confirmed the payment on Gigabyte's F285X-UP4 board so I can't back off on the eve of Haswell's crowning day. Why? I'd love to get my hand on that Ultra Durable 5 gimmick from Gigabyte. Yes I read it everywhere that A10 APU chicken out at 4.5Ghz but Ultra Durable 5 I must get. :cackle: So here's what I have in mind:

M/B: GA-F2A85X-UP4 (being shipped)
CPU: A10 5800k
PSU: FSP AURUM 600w
RAM: Kingston ValueRam KVR16N11 8GB
GPU: MSI 7850 Twin Frozr III
HDD: Any 500GB 7.2k RPM will do
OS: Win7 Ulti 64bit

What say you guys? Comments are most welcomed and very appreciated. Thank you first. ]]> What Should I Buy? PedangGila http://forums.tweaktown.com/what-should-i-buy/52968-help-me-build-amd-rig.html http://forums.tweaktown.com/what-should-i-buy/52958-upgrade-options.html Sat, 01 Jun 2013 15:34:08 GMT So i've been noticing games starting to stick and shutter at maxed out settings and figure it's probably time for an upgrade.. but what is the question

I built this system about 3-4 years ago and it's served me really well.

ASUS Crosshair III Formula Mainboard
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black
ASUS HD6950 2GB Flashed to HD6970
8GB of Gskills memory.. i really can't remember the timing or the speed anymore
1TB Western Digital Black 7200rpm

I'm not really sure where the bottle neck would be other then maybe the video card? But should i just get a new 7x series or try to find another card like i have and crossfire it?

My Mainboard as far as i can see supports up to the Phenom II X6 series of CPU's.. but would i really see much improvement just adding more CPU cores?

Also i see SSD's have really come down in price and are looking better and better.. Do these effect gaming though? I mean other then loading times?

Any info or comments would be great.. My upgrade budget is around $500 ]]> What Should I Buy? Lomax21 http://forums.tweaktown.com/what-should-i-buy/52958-upgrade-options.html http://forums.tweaktown.com/what-should-i-buy/52887-building-gaming-pc-setup-so-far-any-ideas.html Fri, 24 May 2013 12:41:12 GMT PCPartPicker part list (http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/ZBw9) / Price breakdown by merchant (http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/ZBw9/by_merchant/) / Benchmarks (http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/ZBw9/benchmarks/) *CPU:* Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor... PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($226.99 @ Newegg Canada)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ NCIX)
Motherboard: Biostar TZ77XE3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($168.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($64.99 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.49 @ NCIX)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.99 @ Canada Computers)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card ($269.99 @ NCIX)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ Canada Computers)
Power Supply: OCZ ZT 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($68.88 @ Canada Computers)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Canada Computers)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($94.99 @ NCIX)
Keyboard: Lite-On SK-1788/BS Wired Standard Keyboard ($9.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M65 Wired Laser Mouse ($76.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $1288.26
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-24 08:41 EDT-0400) ]]> What Should I Buy? Brennan http://forums.tweaktown.com/what-should-i-buy/52887-building-gaming-pc-setup-so-far-any-ideas.html http://forums.tweaktown.com/what-should-i-buy/52854-need-help-building-new-gaming-computer.html Tue, 21 May 2013 04:28:04 GMT My previous desktop died on me and I would like build a decent gaming computer (cause its cheaper to build than buy) and would like some advice on whether the parts I choose are fine. My primary use would be gaming (average gamer), and perhaps some light video editing. I am a noob with all these... My previous desktop died on me and I would like build a decent gaming computer (cause its cheaper to build than buy) and would like some advice on whether the parts I choose are fine. My primary use would be gaming (average gamer), and perhaps some light video editing.

I am a noob with all these computer parts but after some research, have decided to get something like (open to suggestions):

CPU: i5-3470
Mobo: H77/Z77 chipset
GPU: GTX 650 Ti (minimum)
500 GB HDD, 64/128GB SSD
20-22" Monitor
PSU: not sure how much power supply I need but perhaps 550-625w (80+ Bronze) is enough?
Case: Not good with cases :/

I'm not too sure the difference for each part for individual retailers (e.g. AsRock, Gigabyte) but I see there are different variations for the same part so advice on which brand I should get will be a great help. Also those parts I named are just a rough idea so opinions on what I should switch them with are also welcome! (hopefully not too expensive compared to what I have picked as I am on a budget). Just a note, I would prefer if ASUS is left out of my options as I have recently a very bad experience with them.

Thanks in advance for any help! ]]> What Should I Buy? iamatechnoob http://forums.tweaktown.com/what-should-i-buy/52854-need-help-building-new-gaming-computer.html http://forums.tweaktown.com/what-should-i-buy/52849-not-sure-what-i-should-do.html Mon, 20 May 2013 16:37:25 GMT I am currently having a hard time deciding on upgrading my current system to the TT Admiral build or just getting a whole new system, probably the Triple Terror system from Origin. As money is not a concern at this point in time, my only concern is performance...which would be a better fit for me?... I am currently having a hard time deciding on upgrading my current system to the TT Admiral build or just getting a whole new system, probably the Triple Terror system from Origin. As money is not a concern at this point in time, my only concern is performance...which would be a better fit for me? Currently I use my computer for video encoding/editing, CAD, general office programs and gaming. Any tips on helping me make up my mind would be very helpful. ]]> What Should I Buy? Athebasca http://forums.tweaktown.com/what-should-i-buy/52849-not-sure-what-i-should-do.html