# Need Suggestions For Improving PC specs



## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

hello

I am thinking of buying a new PC which i will assemble my self and i decided on the hardware items that i should buy i am not an expert so i just want to know if they are compatible with each other and if an improvement is possible for an item with same or close price of the item i chose here are the specs.
I chose these items my self i hope i didn't miss an important piece.

Monitor: Newegg.com - Acer S231HLbid Black 23" 5ms HDMI LED-Backlight LCD monitor Slim Design 250 cd/m2 ACM 12,000,000:1 (1000:1)
PSU: Newegg.com - hec Zephyr MX 750 750W Peak Output ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
Case: Newegg.com - Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan
DVD: Newegg.com - ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - CD / DVD Burners
HDD: Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 ST3500641AS-RK 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
GPU: Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7950 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card ( 11196-00-40G)
RAM: Newegg.com - Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 Desktop Memory Model KHX1600C9D3K2/8G
Motherboard: Newegg.com - MSI Z77A-G43 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
InteL Core: Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-2700K Sandy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623i72700K
Mouse: Newegg.com - Orange MOUW2020TB Black 5 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB RF Wireless Optical 1600 dpi Mouse


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

Only real issue I see is the power supply. That is a very low quality PSU, hence why it's so cheap. Your total build cost here is about $1200 so it's a very good idea to get a PSU you can rely on :smile:

SeaSonic, XFX, and Corsair (TX, AX, and HX models) are recommended here for quality and reliability. Some good options, ordered from good to best:
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
Newegg.com - SeaSonic X750 Gold 750W ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Active PFC Power Supply

The SeaSonic X750 is a really, really good choice if you can buy before the sale ends. It's pretty much the bacon of PSUs.


Other than that, some minor brand recommendations:

For RAM, G. Skill and Corsair are the best right now.
For motherboard, ASUS or Gigabyte are better options for quality/reliability. For insane bang/buck value, there's this ASRock unit:
Newegg.com - SeaSonic X750 Gold 750W ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Active PFC Power Supply
For video card, this one's a better buy with superior cooling and factory overclock:
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GV-R795WF3-3GD Radeon HD 7950 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card


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## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

That's quite a GPU ya got right thar. I'd recommend going with 3 monitors (21.5"ers for smaller dot pitch and to be able to get em all closer together) to take advantage of it's eyefinity support and harness all that power.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

thanks i noted your ideas but is there a good cheaper Intel core i7..2nd generation of course??

thanks darfvayda for your idea but 3 moniters will be alot more then my budget..im only 16 years old please consider that...maybe i dont need a GPU that good? 

btw the link to the motherboard is actually a link to the power supply...

changes:
GPU: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GV-R795WF3-3GD Radeon HD 7950 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Motherboard: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

more suggestions are welcome 

thanks 

Edit: can someone tell me what is the cas latancy and the timing for the RAM i need to know the difference in each RAM and not just choose the most expensive one for no reason


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

There's the 2600k:
Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I72600K

Of course, the i5-2500k has nearly identical gaming performance to both of those i7s for much less $$:
Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K


Eyefinity is really cool, but yea it's a budget breaker =/ if it worked well for Diablo 3 I'd probably get it set up right now.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

im kinda obsessed with the i7 and since the one u suggested has only 30$ difference i guess ill stay with the one i chose...but is the i5 really good? im thinking of choosing the i5 but not sure.

thanks for the quick reply


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## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

I think you'd get more enjoyment going with an i5, such as the 3570k if you want 2nd gen, (2700k is first gen sandy btw) and a little bit lesser of a Video card, like a 6850. i5's are the best value. You really pay a premium for i7, and 6850 is the best price/performance GPU out right now according to this PassMark Videocard Value Chart - Performance / Price of Videocards

going to i5-3870k will save you $80
going to 6850 will save you $200

with that $280 you can just about buy 2 more monitors, and that extra screen real estate will make way more of a difference than an extra few fps a higher end vid card and cpu will provide on a single monitor. I like these monitors
Newegg.com - HANNspree By Hanns-G HF225DPB Black 21.5" 5ms Full HD WideScreen LCD Monitor w/Speakers 250 cd/m2 X-Contrast 30,000:1 (1000:1)
Newegg often has them on special for $110 shipped. You may just want to buy 1 full price if you can't wait for a sale, save some money, get your system up and functioning, then snatch up the other 2 when they're $110 again.

Another good thing about having 3 monitors is, you can game in eyefinity on your good computer through the monitors DVI inputs, but then you can also get a junky old computer tower for next to nothing, maybe even reuse your old one, put a linux OS on it like Ubuntu, and connect it to one of the side monitors VGA inputs. Then when you want, you just switch that monitors input from DVI to VGA, and learn to use linux. You can even use the same keyboard and mouse for both computers using synergy as if the screens were connected to the same computer, and it's all free if you have an old computer tower laying around.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

hmm you actually got me thinking on the 3 monitor setup...but according to toothman it doesnt support diablo 3.....and i dont know if i can get used to it....and a link to the GPU you mentioned will be appreciated, the pc im using at the moment has really great spec though one of the ram sticks is not working properly(caused the infamous blue screen of death) so i took it off if it is possible to fix please do tell how. and i think that i already have the GPU u mentioned on my current pc but im not entirely sure. im starting to think about the 3 monitor but im not that excited also the i5 3870k looks great. and i really like my 23 led monitor wich was really cheep. 

Edit: i just checked the gpu i have its AMD Radeon HD 6900 Series id: 6719 2 GB memory. its been almost a year since i build this pc so i forgot which gpu i chose.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

i somehow got a link in the forums about intel specs wich costs about 1200$:


Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth Z77 (5-yr warranty) @ $239.99
Newegg.com - ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard


CPU: Intel i7-3770 Ivy Bridge 3.4ghz (3.9ghz turbo) @ $319.99
Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770


Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 560ti @ $249.99
Newegg.com - EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card 


Ram: G.Skill RipJaws 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 @ $29.99
Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL


Case: Coolermaster RC-692 Mid Tower ATX spec @ $94.99
Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER RC-692-KKN2 CM690 II Advanced Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 


Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast TX-750 Watt @ $104.99
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply


DVD Rom Drive: LG Black 24X DVD & CD Burner @ $18.99
Newegg.com - LG DVD Burner 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model GH24NS70 - CD / DVD Burners


CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper N520 @ $41.99
Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Hyper N 520 RR-920-N520-GP 92mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Intel Core i7 compatible


Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 500 GB 6.0 Gb/s @ $99.99
Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD5002AALX 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive 


------> Be sure to connect this drive to the Sata 6.0 ports to achieve 6.0 drive speed otherwise the drive will operate at Sata 3.0 which is NOT a big difference but why not squeeze all you can.


Subtotal: $1200.91

im trying to change some specs like get a better GPU and make the price 1200 with the monitor. help is appreciated


im starting to think my build is better.....any comments ?


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

how are SSDs useful? if they are really useful any suggestions ?? all i understood is that they are faster...but not sure in what. 

ohh and i watch movies more then i do gaming so please put that in mind in the suggestion thank you.


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

For just gaming and movies, cut back on the motherboard/processor; easily nets you nearly $200 saved.

SSD gets you faster boot and application start, and improvement in large file transfer times. In-game performance boost is minimal and only achieved if all game files are stored on the SSD.



> the gpu i have its AMD Radeon HD 6900 Series


This would still be one of the fastest cards available. Why are you replacing it?


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

Adding up your build, but choosing the 2500k for the CPU, total in cart at Newegg is ~$1250. I think that looks really good as-is.

Oh and Eyefinity does work for Diablo 3, it's just got some issues since the game isn't designed for it.

Same is true for Dota 2 and League of Legends :frown: I really wish I had a reason to get Eyefinity.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

latest build:


Monitor: Newegg.com - Acer S231HLbid Black 23" 5ms HDMI LED-Backlight LCD monitor Slim Design 250 cd/m2 ACM 12,000,000:1 (1000:1)
PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
Case: Newegg.com - Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan
DVD: Newegg.com - ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - CD / DVD Burners
HDD: Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 ST3500641AS-RK 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
GPU: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GV-R795WF3-3GD Radeon HD 7950 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Motherboard: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
InteL Core: Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K
Mouse: Newegg.com - Orange MOUW2020TB Black 5 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB RF Wireless Optical 1600 dpi Mouse


________________________

im intersted in this video card: any comments?
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GV-R785OC-2GD Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

gcavan:

i am not replacing it i really love this video card. im getting a new pc.
you told me to cut back on motherboard and processor but im not sure which to choose please help.

Toothman:

you just mentioned all the games i play except for LoL which i dont..i play HoN and apperantly i have no reason to get eyefinity.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

also intersted in this CPU comments please  :

Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K


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## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

Diablo 3 had fully working eyefinity support in the beta, but blizzard chose to remove it for some strange reason. I think so people would feel like they HAD to have eyefinity to fully enjoy the game. Supposedly it does sstill work, but only in Windowed fullscreen mode, and not FULL fullscreen mode. Still, the beauty of multiple monitors is actually much greater than just eyefinity/surround. The best thing is being able to do multiple things at once, or even run multiple operating systems at once.

I have 4 monitors in a 2x2 setup using this mount and those monitors I listed above, with the top 2 flipped upside down.
Amazon.com: Quad LCD Monitor stand Fully adjustable New: Electronics

I run Windows 8 in bottom left for gaming/learning win8, Windows 7 top left for Live/Recorded cable TV in WMC using a Ceton InfiniTV, I run OSX86 in top right for chat, itunes and apple specific junk, and Fedora on bottom right for linux magic. 

Sounds like your 1 year old comp is too good for a linux beater box ha, try and find one someone has in storage that they don't use anymore. Or pick up a cheap OEM off ebay for ~$50. Don't limit yourself to just Windows and don't limit yourself to just 1 monitor!

SSD gives benefits like this
SSD vs HDD World of Warcraft load times - YouTube


As far as your motherboard, Z77 is a great chipset for overclocking. I would stick with that, but you don't really need 3 PCI-E x16 3.0 slots if you aren't going to use SLi/CFX (which would be even more waste of money) I'd recommend this board
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-Z77-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
and of course, with this savings I'd recommend you put it towards at least a 2nd monitor. No other upgrade is going to be as useful.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

thanks darfvadya im starting to think about the 2nd monitor and getting an SSD...logging in wow is really annoying with my current HDD.
i decided i would get the motherboard u mentioned

oh and i said im not an expert you gave alot of words that i didnt understand:
linux beater box
Ceton InfiniTV
Fedora
linux magic
SLi/CFX 

ok so i understand why i shouldn't want to "limit my self with 1 monitor" but i dont understand why i shouldn't want to "limit my self with windows" i mean what makes other operating systems better then windows?.. im not a computer professional i just play games and watch movies or series isnt windows enough for that? and isnt 1 monitor enough for that?

but i made up my mind about the SSD..any suggestion which SSD is good i found alot and i got confused.

Latest build:

Monitor: Newegg.com - Acer S231HLbid Black 23" 5ms HDMI LED-Backlight LCD monitor Slim Design 250 cd/m2 ACM 12,000,000:1 (1000:1)
PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
Case: Newegg.com - Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan
DVD: Newegg.com - ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - CD / DVD Burners
HDD: Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 ST3500641AS-RK 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
SDD: 
GPU: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GV-R795WF3-3GD Radeon HD 7950 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Motherboard: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-Z77-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
InteL Core: Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K
Mouse: Newegg.com - Orange MOUW2020TB Black 5 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB RF Wireless Optical 1600 dpi Mouse



please i need your comments about the CPU and Video Card i mentioned above.
oh and since im getting SSD a cheaper HDD would be good for the price any recommendations? 
im not good in choosing a cheap good item.
Edit: ill probably install windows on the SSD


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## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

linux beater box = a machine that is so old and junky it's OK to beat up on and experiment with, likely has Windows XP COA on it. Great for learning how to flash a bios or how to install and use linux.

Ceton infiniTV = encrypted QAM cable TV tuner.... puts digital cable TV channels over my network to all the computers in my house. No longer have to pay monthly cable box fees. HTPC is cablebox/TiVO/Blu-ray player and PC all in one. Amazon.com: Ceton InfiniTV 4 Digital Cable Quad-tuner Card PCIe: Computers & Accessories

Fedora = a linux operating system Fedora Project Homepage

linux magic = all the awesome stuff that linux does that windows doesn't(well, some of the programs do have windows clients). All of it free, open source software. You got data recovery tools, partitioning tools, data backup and transfer tools. Linux is just chock full of great free utilities for making your computer do incredible things, like synergy, pulseaudio, freeradius, bacula, the list goes on and on. Windows is geared more towards dum-dums who don't want to think too hard. It's incredibely intimidating at first to try and learn to use linux, but you mess with it and poke and peck and the more you do the more you learn just how awesome it is.

SLI/CFX = SLI and crossfire... nvidia and AMD/ATI's terms for using multiple video cards linked together.

I'm not a computer professional either, just an enthusiast/gamer, I used to game a lot but I've started learning about all the other stuff computers can do and it's as much or more fun than gaming to me now. 

Here's something else to consider... a RAMdisk RAM disk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia will give even faster application and screen load times than an SSD. However, your initial system boot times when you first turn the computer and it loads form primary HDD won't change, and shutdown will take longer, as it saves the changes made in the RAMdisk to HDD on shutdown. You will also need a huge amount of RAM, like 32GB Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL10Q-32GBZL and have about 24GB of that devoted to the RAMdisk, and 8GB to system RAM. Personally I'd rather have that than an SSD, although an SSD would probably be more useful in general, since it's capacity is so much greater, and takes less brain work to get setup and functioning correctly.
Newegg.com - Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2CCA 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) with Transfer Kit
Is what I would suggest, but wait till it's on special. Amazon had it for $209 shipped a few weeks ago. Something like that that you don't really NEED, you should just keep an eye out for when it's a good buy. Same with extra monitors. Multiple monitors are more bang for the buck than SSD or RAMdisk though. I don't have an SSD or a machine with more than 4GB of ram, but I do have 4 monitors. My best video card is a PNY GTX 465 flashed to a 470.


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

> logging in wow is really annoying with my current HDD.


 I really doubt an SSD will change this. Slow response in an on-line game is almost always due to network traffic. 



> since im getting SSD a cheaper HDD would be good for the price any recommendations?


 Eliminating the HD altogether only saves you enough to cover the cost of a 64GB SSD. Cut someplace else; only place I see is your $400 graphics card.

If budget constraints are an issue, the SSD should be the first to go.


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## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

gcavan said:


> I really doubt an SSD will change this. Slow response in an on-line game is almost always due to network traffic.


The map load times are what's decreased by SSD and RAMdisk. All the buildings, trees, water and sky and everything is stored on your HDD/SSD/RAMdisk, the only thing that comes over the network is the other players and NPC's. The reason the players take so long to load in that video up there is because the machine works on the local stuff first, then the network.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

hmm guess i will say no to SSD . but its ok im not looking for something extraordinary. i just wanna have fun when playing. guess the current build is good then? and 32gb ram is too much for me i dont think i need that much....the current 4gb i have is actually good..so i guess ill stay with the 8gb ram.

now i only want to know if the gpu and cpu are good or should i get better or is there cheeper and good ones.

3gb is probably too much right?
and then there is the ivy bridge....
my only problem now is the cpu and gpu....



edit: but the ssd u gave me is so expensive.


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

Ummm . . . so what's the problem? Aren't you right at $1200 now? Do you need to cut more off your budget?

First cut would be graphics. Drop back to an HD 7850 or a GTX 560Ti to cut $150 or so.
Going with an AMD platform for motherboard/CPU would drop another $100 or so.


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## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

Yeah the GPU is way overkill. It would be better suited for a 2560 x 1600 monitor. I would say nock it down to a 6850, and 3570k for the CPU(oh yeah, Ivy is 3rd generation, I had it wrong earlier saying sandy was 1st gen), and keep some money aside for future upgrades as you learn/experiment.

7850 is double the price of 6850, and not double the performance
Radeon HD 6850 vs Radeon HD 7850 – Performance Comparison Benchmarks @ Hardware Compare

Always go for the bang for the buck IMO


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

im trying to make the price as low as possible and this is what i came up with:


Monitor: Newegg.com - Acer S231HLbid Black 23" 5ms HDMI LED-Backlight LCD monitor Slim Design 250 cd/m2 ACM 12,000,000:1 (1000:1)
PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
Case: Newegg.com - Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan
DVD: Newegg.com - ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - CD / DVD Burners
HDD: Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 ST3500641AS-RK 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
GPU: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GV-R785OC-2GD Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Motherboard: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-Z77-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
InteL Core: Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K
Mouse: Newegg.com - Microsoft Comfort Mouse 6000 S7J-00001 Black 1 x Wheel USB Wired BlueTrack Mouse

1082.9 total with mouse and monitor...perfect right?

the mouse is good right? i dont want more or less then 5 buttons in a mouse with back and forward.


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

The more expensive the video card, the less bang for buck. Always true =/

BTW hardwarecompare isn't a very useful tool for comparing real-life usage of video card. For that you need benchmarks in the games you're going to be playing, for which Anandtech is just great.
AnandTech - Bench - GPU12

The 7850 is actually about identical to the 6950.
AnandTech - Bench - GPU12

I used a 6950 and comfortably max out Skyrim with mods.


The 3570K is more expensive than the 2500K but barely any faster at stock speeds while the 2500K has lower overclocking temps. Unfortunately, Ivy Bridge really isn't worth picking over Sandy Bridge for desktop builders. Lower stock thermals and improved integrated graphics are the only real upgrades, which helps new laptops more than anything.

Once again, despite the i7s and the new Ivy Bridge, the 2500K is really the top buy for high-end gaming. Anything more expensive isn't worth the extra cost, and anything cheaper is either not unlocked or is AMD.


EDIT: Couldn't tell you much about that mouse, but if you want a 5-button gaming mouse I recommend the Razer DeathAdder.
Newegg.com - RAZER DeathAdder Precision Optical Gaming Mouse - 3.5G Infrared Sensor
More expensive, but once you start using it you'll never want to go back :smile:


----------



## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

new build:

Monitor: Newegg.com - Acer S231HLbid Black 23" 5ms HDMI LED-Backlight LCD monitor Slim Design 250 cd/m2 ACM 12,000,000:1 (1000:1)
PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
Case: Newegg.com - Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan
DVD: Newegg.com - ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - CD / DVD Burners
HDD: Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 ST3500641AS-RK 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
GPU: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GV-R785OC-2GD Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Motherboard: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-Z77-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
InteL Core: Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K
Mouse: Newegg.com - Microsoft Comfort Mouse 6000 S7J-00001 Black 1 x Wheel USB Wired BlueTrack Mouse


i didnt find the 6950 at newegg

edit: ok i found it 
Newegg.com - XFX Double D HD-695X-CDFC Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity

is that good or it has to be gigabyte ??


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

Nothing wrong with that card at all. XFX is a good brand, it's got two fans, and at $230 that's a pretty great deal.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

that settles it then..

probably final build:

Monitor: Newegg.com - Acer S231HLbid Black 23" 5ms HDMI LED-Backlight LCD monitor Slim Design 250 cd/m2 ACM 12,000,000:1 (1000:1)
PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
Case: Newegg.com - Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan
DVD: Newegg.com - ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - CD / DVD Burners
HDD: Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 ST3500641AS-RK 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
GPU: Newegg.com - XFX Double D HD-695X-CDFC Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Motherboard: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-Z77-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
InteL Core: Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K
Mouse: Newegg.com - Microsoft Comfort Mouse 6000 S7J-00001 Black 1 x Wheel USB Wired BlueTrack Mouse


more suggestions are welcome 

thanks


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

I can't say anything against the XFX, but personally, I prefer the Sapphire. I had issues with a couple XFX cards a few years back and swore them off.

One other item: your choice of hard drive is several generations old and only comes with a 1 year warranty. A 750GB 7200.12 comes with a two year warranty and nets you a large cache for slightly quicker response and only costs about $10 more than your chosen drive.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

latest build:


Monitor: Newegg.com - Acer S231HLbid Black 23" 5ms HDMI LED-Backlight LCD monitor Slim Design 250 cd/m2 ACM 12,000,000:1 (1000:1)
PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
Case: Newegg.com - Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan
DVD: Newegg.com - ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - CD / DVD Burners
HDD: Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda ST3750525AS 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
GPU: Newegg.com - XFX Double D HD-695X-CDFC Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Motherboard: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-Z77-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
InteL Core: Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K
Mouse: Newegg.com - Microsoft Comfort Mouse 6000 S7J-00001 Black 1 x Wheel USB Wired BlueTrack Mouse

the saphire almost has the same price as the gigabyte 7850.


----------



## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

im sure i wont buy it but any comments on this gaming laptop?

iBUYPOWER Computer :: Battalion 101 P151EM1 Gaming Laptop

customized to 8 gb RAM


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Gaming & laptop do not go together. Laptops are designed for convenience and do not make good gamers.
If you have need of a laptop, I would suggest purchasing a name brand.


----------



## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

meh thats exactly what i thought ..but its for my friend and he cant be convinced that desktop is better :/


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

xweel said:


> meh thats exactly what i thought ..but its for my friend and he cant be convinced that desktop is better :/


After attempting to do any serious gaming, he will become a believer.


----------



## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

If he wants a laptop he can game on for a reasonable price from a good brand, I'd get one of these:

Newegg.com - PCs & Laptops, Laptops / Notebooks, Laptops / Notebooks, ASUS, AMD A-Series, AMD Radeon HD 6520G
ASUS makes the best laptops in my humble opinion.

Only reason it would be worth spending the $1200+ (sometimes much more) it costs to get a "high end" gaming laptop is if you travel a lot and game in many different locations. My brother-in-law was one such, and even he feels a little disappointed only a couple years after the purchase now that the hardware is outdated.

But spending less than $600 on a laptop that can game and multitask perfectly fine, just not on ultra graphics, is a pretty good buy.


----------



## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

toothman said:


> The more expensive the video card, the less bang for buck. Always true =/


Not always true, some of the cheapest video cards, like the 8400 GS, have some of the worst bang for the buck simply because their performance is so terrible. I think I posted this before, but here's the bang-for-the-buck chart again. PassMark Videocard Value Chart - Performance / Price of Videocards

The 6950 is just 1 notch higher than the 7850, 6850 being at the very top, and 6850 will max skyrim on a 1920x1080 60hz monitor as well
Skyrim Settings Maxed - Sapphire Radeon 6850 - YouTube




toothman said:


> The 3570K is more expensive than the 2500K but barely any faster at stock speeds while the 2500K has lower overclocking temps. Unfortunately, Ivy Bridge really isn't worth picking over Sandy Bridge for desktop builders. Lower stock thermals and improved integrated graphics are the only real upgrades, which helps new laptops more than anything.
> 
> Once again, despite the i7s and the new Ivy Bridge, the 2500K is really the top buy for high-end gaming. Anything more expensive isn't worth the extra cost, and anything cheaper is either not unlocked or is AMD.


the 3570k is only $20 more than the 2500k. It's 100MHz faster stock, and also faster clock for clock, which means it doesn't have to overclock as high to be as fast. A 3570k at 4.7GHz beats a 2500k at 4.9GHz for example. I don't see an aftermarket HSF listed in his build either, is he going to be doing any overclocking? Sandy also doesn't support PCI-E 3.0, which isn't a problem now since 2.0 speeds are sufficient, but a couple years down the road when you want to do a GPU upgrade, it may be. If it were a $40-50 difference like it used to be, I'd say 2500k. But at only +$20, I think it's worth going 3570k. Oh MWave.com has it for $229.99 + $4.99 shipping, so it's only $14.99 more.. it pays to shop around!

Intel BX80637I53570K Intel BX80637I53570K Core i5 3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4 GHz Socket 1155 77W Quad-core Desktop Processor from mwave.com

For KB/mouse I would recommend wireless all the way Newegg.com - Rosewill RKM-1600RF Slim Wireless Multimedia Keyboard and Laser Mouse Combo


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

I've attempted Skyrim maxed out on a 6850 at 1920x1200 (about the same as 1080p). Performance was not desirable. Graphical intensity can vary significantly depending on your location in the game, hence how this footage depicts smooth performance. It also doesn't specify the resolution he's playing at, but I presume less than 1080p since the video is only uploaded in 720p.

I found the best mix with my HD 6850 was to select "high," drop AA down to 2x, then max out all viewing distance settings. Performance was smooth and the game looked great, so the 6850 is definitely a good value for Skyrim. But to max it out properly in 1080p a 6950 or better is required.


If you can't find an equally appealing deal for the 2500k then you're right about the 3570k, although I still don't like how Ivy Bridge's overclocking temps can get up to 20°c higher than Sandy Bridge. BTW if you can get to a Micro Center, they sell 2500Ks for only $170 :smile:


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

The problem I have with the Passmark charts is that they are not just comparing apples and oranges but they are comparing apples and oranges to peas and carrots. They compare cards at all price points to each other. A lower performing card can have a high score because it is relatively low cost also. If that card does not give the desired performance, the cost is immaterial. 

If you wish to use those charts, pick out several cards at the same price point and compare their performance or choose a few similarly performing cards and compare costs.


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## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

We don't have Micro Center's in Florida, but I read about their great in-store deals all the time. $170 is a smokin deal for a 2500k. That's definitely the way to go if you have a store near you, or even a friend/relative who lives near one who can buy it and mail it to you.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

latest build  :


Monitor: Newegg.com - Acer S231HLbid Black 23" 5ms HDMI LED-Backlight LCD monitor Slim Design 250 cd/m2 ACM 12,000,000:1 (1000:1)
PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
Case: Newegg.com - Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan
DVD: Newegg.com - ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - CD / DVD Burners
HDD: Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda ST3750525AS 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
GPU: Newegg.com - XFX Double D HD-695X-CDFC Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Motherboard: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-Z77-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
InteL Core: Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K
Mouse: Newegg.com - Rosewill RKM-1600RF Slim Wireless Multimedia Keyboard and Laser Mouse Combo

the mouse looks awesome thanks.

edit: in micro center the 3570k costs 190$ so its still a 20$ difference..


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## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

I would get the 3570k at micro center then. great deal!

Are you going to overclock? If you are, you're going to need an aftermarket HSF. I'd recommend Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7
since it's only $20, and just doing some moderate overclocks. You can also overclock your vid card with MSI afterburner, and an overclocked 6850 is probably going to play most any game at full max settings at 60fps on a 1920 x 1080 60hz monitor. Even if it were to fall a few fps short of 60 in a few areas of a game, I don't think that little bit is worth the $60+ price jump to 6950. The more money you save, the more often you can upgrade, and buy a 7850 when it's price has dropped and it's topping the bang for the buck charts.


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

> I would get the 3570k at micro center then. great deal!


Probably not possible. Pretty certain OP is not in North America.

OP has stated he now has a 6950. Why would he get a lesser card.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

hmm ill probably be overclocking but i never heard of overclocking vid card ..... does it require another cooler?

yes i always try to get better then what i currently have


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## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

gcavan said:


> Probably not possible. Pretty certain OP is not in North America.
> 
> OP has stated he now has a 6950. Why would he get a lesser card.


If that is the case, simply take the 6950 out of the old machine for the new one, and put the 6850 in the old machine!




xweel said:


> hmm ill probably be overclocking but i never heard of overclocking vid card ..... does it require another cooler?


No, it lets you take control of the GPU's built in fan, and have full adjustability of what speed the fan runs at at any given temps. You can even make it run 100% all the time if you wanted (would be noisy, but cool)

MSI Afterburner


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

> i never heard of overclocking vid card


It's possible but really accomplishes little more than bragging rights. Same with overclocking the CPU.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

why would i put the new Card in the old machine and the old card in the new machine....??

my Video Card is 6719.
2GB
6900 series


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

+1 for the Hyper 212 Plus if you're going to overclock

As for the 6850, it depends on the games. The very high-end games that are all the craze right now, it is definitely more than a few fps short of 60 at max. As I stated before, a 6850 cannot play Skyrim at max with smooth framerates. And Skyrim is low on the list of most demanding games.

The 6850 is an excellent buy if that's price/performance you're looking for.


xweel said:


> why would i put the new Card in the old machine and the old card in the new machine....??
> 
> my Video Card is 6719.
> 2GB
> 6900 series


That doesn't appear to make any sense. "6900 series" means eith 6950, 6970, or 6990. And there is no 6719 card. Is that integrated graphics?


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## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

6719 is not a model number for a video card, idk where you got that number. Looks like it's the primary adapter part number for 6950 though.

Just cause you got 6950 last time, doesn't mean you got the most for your money. You probably paid a lot for it. Since 6850 is the most bang for the buck now, but the 6950 more powerful, it makes more sense to spend less and put the bang for the buck card in your older machine and the more powerful card, which you already have, in your newer machine.

Overclocks do increase performance, but if you're buying overkill hardware to start with, you're not going to see any noticeable difference in gameplay or anything. That's why it's best to buy bang for the buck gear and overclock it.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

6719 is the device id and im trying to remember which card i got i think its the 6970....ill check if i still have the box....that aside...the most suitable video card for me now is the 6850??


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## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

Click Start, Right click Computer, click Properties, click Device Manager, click Display adapters drop down menu... should tell you what you have right there.

I think you should get the 6850 and put it in your old machine, and put the 6970 in your new machine. You don't need anything more powerful than that.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

i already checked that it only says AMD Radeon HD 6900 series

is my current Card overclockable??


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

How does it perform your games? A 6950 is nearly identical in performance to the 7850.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

it is more then awesome......fps is almost always 60 in WoW and i had no problems in skyrim...i dont remember the settings i used and i currently dont have the game. but it was good i have no problems at all with this card.

WoW setting is Ultra.


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## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

ahh, maybe that's cause all the 6900 series cards use the same driver.

Try running MSI Afterburner, it should tell you your card and driver version. Yes it's most likely overclockable. But yeah like I said, if a 6970 is already running everything max settings 60fps, overclocking's not gonna help anything. If you got more monitors, higher res monitors, or 120hz monitors it probably would, though. I say get 6850 for your old rig and take it's 6970 for your new one.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

even the MSI afterburner is saying AMD ...6900 series only..and how do i overclock the card..like which settings to choose..for the fan speed and voltage??


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

Yea just bring the card you're using in the current rig over to the new, then buy whichever card you're comfortable spending on for your brother's. You're not gonna see any improvement over your current card with the 7850.

How do you not have Skyrim anymore? It's on Steam, so even if you bought a store copy you should be able to download it again through your Steam account (assuming it was your account or a legit version :tongue.


----------



## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

my account is closed right now and my brother is not making any efforts to re open it..some credit card problem so i should get the 6850 ?? im not sure which is good...i use this pc on holidays and weekends so i need a good card for this pc as well..the other pc will be for school days since im not at home during school days


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

gcavan said:


> It's possible but really accomplishes little more than bragging rights. Same with overclocking the CPU.


Ditto ^


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card (100315-2GL )

2gb better then 1gb right?  or i should just get the 1 gb 6850 and save 30$...

Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity (100315L )


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

xweel said:


> my account is closed right now and my brother is not making any efforts to re open it..some credit card problem so i should get the 6850 ?? im not sure which is good...i use this pc on holidays and weekends so i need a good card for this pc as well..the other pc will be for school days since im not at home during school days


Steam is free so I don't see how the account could be inaccessible due to payment issues. All of the games are one-time purchases, so if they got your money or cd key then the deal is done.

You should definitely look more into getting Steam back online on your computer.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

its a pretty long story how it got closed......making it short i'd say that i used someone else's credit card instead of my brother's credit card cause it was saved since my brother's last purchase (unintentionally of course) but i do have another account. ......that aside which video card i should choose?


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## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

Download the MSI AFterburner manual from the site. Tells you everything. Besides, the GUI is pretty self explanatory if you look through it. I don't advise downloading the illegal version of anything. Better to download Ubuntu and learn to use that, way more interesting than any game!

I'd say go with the 1GB, it's more like $50+ dollars cheaper after shipping and mail in rebate. Use the savings to go eyefinity with that 6970.


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Not much point in suggesting a GPU, and certainly not to use Eyefinity, if you suggest using Ubuntu.


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

darfvayda:

i looked through GUI and i changed some settings the fan got so fast and smoke came out so i decided not to do anything and ask instead.

and besides i need the money i saved for cabs from school to home :/. 

decided on the 1GB then


----------



## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

darfvayda said:


> I'd say go with the 1GB, it's more like $50+ dollars cheaper after shipping and mail in rebate. Use the savings to go eyefinity with that 6970.


Eyefinity requires more than 1gb of memory. With only 1gb, it's much harder to find smooth settings. Getting 2gb really makes a difference.

For single HD monitors, though, there's virtually no difference between 1gb and 3gb


----------



## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

i think he means that i should use eyefinity the my current video card..

what makes ubuntu good other then free apps and stuff...though it does sound intersting..i cant get it on this PC right now i need to reformat it..its pretty full since i removed 1 HDD before i upgraded it. if i bought windows from a reseller online how can i reformat it if i lost the key and the site i bought it from :/ ?? 
ill search my email cause i got it on my email and hope to find it..and here is the latest build:


Monitor: Newegg.com - Acer S231HLbid Black 23" 5ms HDMI LED-Backlight LCD monitor Slim Design 250 cd/m2 ACM 12,000,000:1 (1000:1)
PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
Case: Newegg.com - Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan
DVD: Newegg.com - ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - CD / DVD Burners
HDD: Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda ST3750525AS 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
GPU: Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity (100315L )
RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Motherboard: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-Z77-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
InteL Core: Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K
Mouse and Keyboard: Newegg.com - Rosewill RKM-1600RF Slim Wireless Multimedia Keyboard and Laser Mouse Combo
Cooler: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

good i found the key..can i reuse the key if i wanna reformat my pc?
probably not the right place to ask.... 
and how do i reformat if i dont have the CD as i said i bought it online really cheap btw...got the site if anyone wants...
if i remember correctly i got it for 30$


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## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

Smoke came out LMAO ya right. And yeah I meant eyefinity on the 6970 2GB, for now, and upgrade later down the road. I didn't mean use Ubuntu and NOT Windows. You can dual boot both, or run Ubuntu in a virtual machine. Linux is awesome and Ubuntu is the best distro to start with. Stupid to buy non-legitimate windows IMO. With as much money as you have in hardware you should be able to afford the real thing.

Your build looks good just like that, but I would recommend going with the hanspree 21.5" monitor, and then buying more of them at a later date when they're $110 each.
They have refurbished 23"'s in 
Newegg.com - Refurbished: HANNspree HF Series HF235DPB Black 23" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 250 cd/m2 X-Contrast: 50,000:1 (1000:1) Built-in Speakers
but having multiple monitors is more cost effective and easier to turn your head to look at when they're smaller. The smaller dot pitch on smaller monitors also gives a sharper image. Same resolution in a smaller space = sharper image.

Or an even better single monitor to make use of that 6970 would be this
Newegg.com - HP ZR2740w Black and Brushed Aluminum 27" 12 ms (GTG) IPS Panel Height & Pivot Adjustable Widescreen LED-Backlit LCD Monitor 380 cd/m2 1000:1


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

but seriously smoke came out...maybe it was the dust..and a i smelled a bad odor..like somthing is burning when i increased fan speed so i got scared...my brother will kill me if it broke..... 

and i bought windows like a year ago when i upgraded my current PC didnt have much money at that time and my brother was the one who payed for the pc upgrades and i payed for the windows. 
and why is the windows i got not real....some re sellers buy in bulks and sell real cheap and the key works  
oh and ill probably buy the hanspree monitor since i already have a 23.5 monitor that i can use temporary tell i get 2 monitors.

edit: is it possible to make a recovery drive in the PC like in most laptops??
and where can i see my current motherboard information ??


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## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

Yeah the hanspree 21.5" seems to go on sale every 2-3 months or so. Killer deal for $110 shipped. only $330 for 3! I paid nearly that much for a single 24" 1920x1200 monitor 3-4 years ago


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

how can i use 3 or 2 monitors using a single pc if there is only 1 HDMI port???


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

The HD 6850 you've listed has four video-outs, only one of which is HDMI. One HDMI, two DVI, and one Display Port. Each works as well as the other for an HD monitor, with the exception that the HDMI port can also send audio.


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## darfvayda (Apr 9, 2012)

The HDMI shares a lane with one of the DVI's, so you need to use the 2 DVI's and the Display Port with an active DP to DVI adapter
Newegg.com - StarTech DP2DVIS DisplayPort to DVI Active Adapter

HDMI is mostly for TV's...


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## xweel (Apr 8, 2012)

ok then that makes my top build my final build


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