PC Build Advice/Review Thread

[Correction]

I'm having trouble browsing through motherboards to go with an Intel i7 2600K, and I suffer from an overload of information on how to decide. Since this will be my first attempt at overclocking a CPU, I need one that comes with an overclock-friendly BIOS, something lacking from most reviews I'm reading. The price is not too much of a concern, I mostly want a motherboard that's easy to work and has integrated audio. Halp.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about. Just browsing the brands I know, I'm still lost.

http://tinyurl.com/64h5pfp

Not a lot of differences here, but a $50 dollar spread in prices. Does the North Bridge chip used even matter anymore with unlocked Sandybridge chips? Should I worry that the P8P67 DELUXE forces the operating frequency of DDR3 2200 down, according to newegg?

[Olo401]

- Having the Z68 chipset makes a difference if you're using SSDs, or if you want to have access to the CPU's onboard video (it's not hardcore gaming quality, but it's fine for everyday or backup use). Only one of the boards you has DVI/HDMI plugs tho.
- All of the boards you chose have UEFI BIOS, which is the "new" feature to have and is easier to use and has mouse support. As far as overclocking goes tho, the BIOS doesn't matter too much anymore because Intel's new CPUs only have one setting that affects overclocking (the CPU multiplier).
- BIG SUPER SECRET TECH TIME! DDR3's native memory speeds max out at 1600MHz. Memory that's rated at speeds higher than that is really just 1600MHz memory that's been binned by the manufacturer as a "HQ synth" and therefore capable of withstanding higher speed/voltage/heat tolerance and lower latency. All three of these boards are capable of tuning the memory to these HQ settings, but they will always default to 1600MHz.

There's few other differences between those boards - number of USB ports, eSATA ports, single or dual ethernet..

[Correction]

I'm going to buy a new video card anyway, I'm just stuck at the motherboard. My shopping list looks like this right now:

Intel i7 2600K
Motherboard (wut)
between 4-8GB of RAM
120GB SSD
New video card, probably a GTX570 card (suggestions? newegg is out of stock on a lot of these)

[oldoldman]

So I need a new PC but my budget is kind of shit right now, what's the best thing I can scrape together for around 600 bucks that can play games at at least moderate speed? I've never built a PC but I'm sure I could figure it out.

[Correction]

Do you need every part?

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Pu...umber=23734148

[oldoldman]

Yea everything as far as the PC goes, I have monitor and all that.

[five]

yo, finalizing up a build primarily for FFXIV, SC2, and hopefully down the road be able to handle bf3.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Pu...umber=13176454

Think I'll need a CPU cooler to go with it if I'm playing at 1920x1080 with high? Down the road i'll probably grab another gtx 560ti when they're cheaper and go for SLI. Thoughts?

[oldoldman]

Correction, would that PC you put together run FFXIV?

[Correction]

Correction, would that PC you put together run FFXIV?

Should run it just fine. But if I remember correctly a lot of FFXIV's performance problems were on the software end of things. Even beastly machines used to struggle to get decent framerates due to some programming inefficiencies.

[oldoldman]

Does it matter what case I get?

[Phoenyx]

Does it matter what case I get?

As long as it supports the form-factor of the motherboard (micro-ATX) and will house the 460 (nVidia's site lists the 460 at 8.25" long), you should be good. Bonus points for cases with decent stock fans, good airflow and cable management options.

[CoronA1979]

Should run it just fine. But if I remember correctly a lot of FFXIV's performance problems were on the software end of things. Even beastly machines used to struggle to get decent framerates due to some programming inefficiencies.

Mmmm - Yeah, I haven't played it since like 2-3 weeks after release but my i7-980x @ 4.4ghz gtx 470 SLI watercooled setup struggled, and ANYTHING else I throw at it, runs great. It was (may still be I have no idea...) for sure programming inefficiencies.

[Karinastar]

They did a little work on it around late November... it's a little better now, but you're still gonna need a modern CPU clocked over 4ghz to have consistently high fps. It's just like XI was, seems more like trying to run an emulator than a real game. ><

[Kipling]

Been revising my future build somewhat, and am not sure if I should go with the gtx 570 or a 6970. I've read some research, but it all seems like it goes back and forth. Anyone have advice on this?

[Karinastar]

Personal preference really between those two. I usually lean towards ATI unless the comparable nvidia card offers a definite hardware advantage, but that's just a personal preference. You wouldn't be going wrong with either, they're both great cards. If you don't have any brand preference, just go with whichever you can get for cheaper.

If you want to save money and can manage to find an older stock 6950, you can do a bios mod and essentially turn it into a 6970. Sadly, pretty much all recent versions of the card have had that hardware locked. ><

[Caiyuo]

neato graphics card hierarchy and budget breakdown in case others have similar questions: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...rd,2964-7.html

curious to see how amd fusion will stack up

[oldoldman]

How does this setup look? Any ideas for changes would be welcome, especially if they shave a few bucks off.



With this Motherboard and Case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813121512

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811156241

[five]

How does this setup look? https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/M...px?ID=18073986 Any ideas for changes would be welcome, especially if they shave a few bucks off.

have to make the wishlist public else we can't see!

[oldoldman]

I did, it says shared but it still isn't working :/

[Karinastar]

Looks good to me! I'm not sure how much overhead you'll have with that PSU, but it should be fine as long as you don't run a ton of extra stuff.