PC Build Advice/Review Thread

[Jojimbo]

PAL shouldn't stop at 25 FPS though, maybe 30 but usually it's 50 FPS limit. Have you tried any other games to see if they have performance issues? Have you tried defaulting the settings (or just redownloadinng dolphin) as well

[Nitsuki]

Will try that once i get home, i'll also try smash bros brawl since it's a 60fps game lol. Ty

[hey]

No, xenoblade runs at 25 fps. Patch to make it 30 fps at http://www.mediafire.com/?o69581y3p4gkk6j

PAL shouldn't stop at 25 FPS though, maybe 30 but usually it's 50 FPS limit.

50/2 = 25 fps.

[Nitsuki]

No, xenoblade runs at 25 fps. Patch to make it 30 fps at http://www.mediafire.com/?o69581y3p4gkk6j



50/2 = 25 fps.

you're godlike!

i wonder if there's one for last story since i have the PAL version also?

[hey]

i wonder if there's one for last story since i have the PAL version also?

Sorry, no.

[Kais]

sister and mom are offering to buy me a mac as a present for recent help with stuff/long overdue.
i usually don't fuck with laptops (and know fuckall about them as a result) at all but i'm down.
weary of paying overpriced stuff though, anyone recommend a good laptop?
if they're willing to buy me a macbook pro, i guess their max is like $1500, though i'm trying to bump that price way down.
around 256gb ssd would be ace, would do basic student business, maybe some music production. idk what else i'd do though, most of my time is on a desktop

[Seraph]

sister and mom are offering to buy me a mac as a present for recent help with stuff/long overdue.
i usually don't fuck with laptops (and know fuckall about them as a result) at all but i'm down.
weary of paying overpriced stuff though, anyone recommend a good laptop?
if they're willing to buy me a macbook pro, i guess their max is like $1500, though i'm trying to bump that price way down.
around 256gb ssd would be ace, would do basic student business, maybe some music production. idk what else i'd do though, most of my time is on a desktop

Under $1500 will only get you the new 13" Macbook Pro, assuming that is acceptable to you.

[Woozie]

So my laptop stopped charging, which is actually normal for a dell inspiron, apparently. After some testing, I discovered that it is in fact the laptop itself that's the problem and not the charger.

Anyways, I used to play DCUO on my laptop and now I need to upgrade my desktop to the point where it can handle DCUO. This game doesn't require anything special (I could play it on the highest settings on my laptop without a problem, so the needed specs are pretty low).

I haven't the slightest clue how to find a new graphics card for my desktop. I have an HP Compaq Presario SR5710Y. Here are all of the relevant specs


http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...ct=3867474#N77

motherboard info:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...t=3867474#N185

and here are the recommended specs for DCUO

Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7
3.0 GHZ CPU Dual Core Processor
2 GB RAM
NVIDIA 8800GTX+ or ATI 3800 series+ Video Card
30 GB of Free Hard Drive Space
Broadband internet connection

I've tried to do my own research to see what I would need but half the stuff I'm reading looks like hieroglyphics to me. From my own understanding, it seems that I need a graphics card that is compatible with PCI express x16 (whatever that means). I also think I'm supposed to upgrade my power supply too for some reason. My google searches reveal graphics cards that say "pci express 2.0" and since my motherboard info doesn't have the number "2.0" I'm guessing that these cards are not compatible with what I have. So I haven't the slightest clue where to find a compatible graphics card. I'm basically looking for the cheapest one I can find since it's very unlikely that I'll decide to play anything graphically intensive in the next few years. I want the bare minimum card that will meet the recommended specs. How do I go about finding one? Would a PCI express 2.0 work with my computer? How do I know if I need to upgrade my power supply?

[hey]

I also think I'm supposed to upgrade my power supply too for some reason. My google searches reveal graphics cards that say "pci express 2.0" and since my motherboard info doesn't have the number "2.0" I'm guessing that these cards are not compatible with what I have.

PCI-e is backward/forward compatible. Any video card you buy will work.

I also think I'm supposed to upgrade my power supply too for some reason.

250w is just enough to power what you have now. Some video cards can use almost that much by themselves. You're probably going to want a 400-500w psu.

[Treble]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/fV7W

Purchased all of my parts finally except for a keyboard and the possible SSD. Awaiting delivery.
While they get here, I did think of one possible snag... I've been working off of wireless on my current desktop, using a USB wireless adapter. It didn't work very well for games (resorted to playing them on my laptop), but since I'm building my own machine I thought I'd ask whether its worth it to go for a wireless PCI, try a different wireless USB or just bite the bullet and try to thread an ethernet cable under the house (would be a pain). I've read reviews but I can't seem to find any concrete answers. For the record, my desk is at least 40 feet from the router, with three walls in the way (incidentally the same place I use my laptop with little trouble), same floor.
If I did get a PCI adapter, does it matter what brand as long as it supports wireless b/g/n?

[Jojimbo]

Ethernet would be best option of course, but a new usb wireless adapter should be ok + a good wireless router (nothing on your end will matter if you have a shit router). Could look into that Ethernet over power line or whatever it's called, you plug something into your plug socket and it can carry ethernet signals

[achira]

So I have an Expedit Bookcase/Desk setup from IKEA, and it's incredible. There is this one flaw though- my computer case doesn't fit anywhere.

I'm ready to build a new one, so I thought I'd look to see what "Square" options there were available. There are cases on New Egg that reviews say will fit, this one is discontinued but it gives the idea of what I have in mind.

If I were to go this route, obviously cooling would be a concern but I do think that we have that covered with the various fans we've planned to install. I'm more wondering about what kind of computing power I could fit into a case that size, especially as I like to game on my PC as well as running my various Adobe programs (Dreamweaver, Photoshop, etc) and would like to continue doing that.

I'd love some feedback; especially since the alternative is pretty much just taking a measuring tape down to the computer hardware store and start measuring parts.

[Treble]

Ethernet would be best option of course, but a new usb wireless adapter should be ok + a good wireless router (nothing on your end will matter if you have a shit router). Could look into that Ethernet over power line or whatever it's called, you plug something into your plug socket and it can carry ethernet signals

I hadn't heard of that Ethernet over the power line thing. Have USBs improved in the past five years or so? I just don't want hiccups while I'm playing some things online, but if they can handle it then I don't see a reason to throw more money or effort at the solution than I need to. Still going to look into an Ethernet beneath the floor, just in case.

[Adajer]

Powerline networking is great, its pretty expensive though. for ~$20 you can get a 50-100ft cat 6 cable and be set. I dont know where you would buy them, but comcast uses these little plastic cable stickers that they use to route cables along hallways and around door frames. I dont imagine them costing much being plastic. If you dont want to just have a cord running on the floor untamed.

[Caiyuo]

Just depends on what you're / whoever lives with you is willing to put up with. Ethernet would be best, powerline works well but rarely gives speeds it rates so shooting for something like 500mbps would be smart if you plan to stream movies and wireless would be last place, especially for online play. High chance of added latency with that.

So I have an Expedit Bookcase/Desk setup from IKEA, and it's incredible. There is this one flaw though- my computer case doesn't fit anywhere.

I'm ready to build a new one, so I thought I'd look to see what "Square" options there were available. There are cases on New Egg that reviews say will fit, this one is discontinued but it gives the idea of what I have in mind.

If I were to go this route, obviously cooling would be a concern but I do think that we have that covered with the various fans we've planned to install. I'm more wondering about what kind of computing power I could fit into a case that size, especially as I like to game on my PC as well as running my various Adobe programs (Dreamweaver, Photoshop, etc) and would like to continue doing that.

I'd love some feedback; especially since the alternative is pretty much just taking a measuring tape down to the computer hardware store and start measuring parts.

I take it the floor or the other side of the desk aren't an option? Usually those microATX cases are reserved for HTPCs so you can scoot them next to a TV without taking up a lot of space. For regular PC offerings, they can be very limiting in what's available to you. Fewer bays might not be a big concern, but I imagine finding a graphics card that fits that's also worthwhile would be really hard.

[Jojimbo]

There are ITX and mATX cases that are "gamer" orientated and can support GPUs of basically any length.

[Treble]

Just depends on what you're / whoever lives with you is willing to put up with. Ethernet would be best, powerline works well but rarely gives speeds it rates so shooting for something like 500mbps would be smart if you plan to stream movies and wireless would be last place, especially for online play. High chance of added latency with that.

There's one other computer on the network (along with my PS3 wirelessly), the one that's hooked to the modem and router itself. I'd need a splitter or switch or something like that to run both machines wired, right? I'm not sure how this sort of stuff works.

[RKenshin]

There's one other computer on the network (along with my PS3 wirelessly), the one that's hooked to the modem and router itself. I'd need a splitter or switch or something like that to run both machines wired, right? I'm not sure how this sort of stuff works.

The modem doesn't have other ethernet ports? Sounds to me like you have a modem that doubles as a router, in which case you shouldn't need another.

[Treble]

The modem doesn't have other ethernet ports? Sounds to me like you have a modem that doubles as a router, in which case you shouldn't need another.

Its an older modem, so only one ethernet port. The router itself has three more ports though, which I figured I could hook up to and have it work just the same. Will probably be upgrading the modem for free thanks to our payment plan sometime soon. The problem is still finding a way to route the ethernet cable to my room from all the way across the house, but hopefully it won't be too much of a hassle.
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...WvXdYLt-Mm&t=1
This is pretty much the modem that I have. I don't know what Time Warner gives to customers lately as its been a fairly long time since we've gotten a new one, but we haven't had that many problems that would require us to call them. Probably about time for a checkup anyway and I can ask about multiple connections on the same line.

[Weeks]

How would FFXI run on this CPU without a discrete video card? I still want to build a new computer since I have some failing USB ports and such, and I'm tempted to make a really tiny one in this case if I can find a mini-ITX motherboard with everything I want.