PC Build Advice/Review Thread

[Adajer]

I got the 3570k, because MicroCenter had a $50 instant rebate if you bundle it with a motherboard.

That is what I did. I originally bought the 3570k with -$50 off mother board deal. I got my ASRock z77 extreme 4 for $50 off when I bought the i5. Then 2 months later, the price on the i7 dropped from $289 to $229. I brought my i5 in and traded it in and paid the difference(with receipt).

[Don Katsu]

Do they have any deals with the i5?

[Don Katsu]

Do they have any deals with the i5?

Nevermind I see it now

$189.99 plus take an additional $40 off if you buy the motherboard from them. Hmmm. I'm wondering if I could pull off what Adajer did. Then how long would I wait for the processor

[Adajer]

Do it an hour later if you got the cojones.

[arus2001]

Considering a new video card. I have a GeForce GTX 285 from Nvidia at present, and while I still think it's generally working fine, it's not the best for running newer stuff at higher settings. Basically want the best bang for my buck within the $200-300 range. And if newer models may be coming out soon, I don't mind waiting a bit if it knocks down costs. Just not in the loop here.

[Krandor]

Nvidia 660ti or an AMD 7950 are the best options in those price ranges, and generally the best price/performance ratio cards overall.

[Jojimbo]

HD 7870 XT is probably best bang for buck GPU if you can get one in stock, HD 7950 is also in your price range if looking for best you could get.

[Krandor]

Also, to answer the other part of your post, outside of the GTX Titan and AMD throwing out a 7990, there's probably not going to be much happening in the graphics card world until late in the year.

[Asai]

Considering a new video card. I have a GeForce GTX 285 from Nvidia at present, and while I still think it's generally working fine, it's not the best for running newer stuff at higher settings. Basically want the best bang for my buck within the $200-300 range. And if newer models may be coming out soon, I don't mind waiting a bit if it knocks down costs. Just not in the loop here.

In that range probably a radeon 7870 or a GTX 660 from MSI.

I'd honestly save up a lil more and get a 670 and not have to worry about it for longer.

[Jojimbo]

Well, technically there are 7990s, they are just unofficial

[Krandor]

Well, technically there are 7990s, they are just unofficial

I know of the Ares II, what are the others?

[Jojimbo]

Ares/Mars are more of 'Fastest GPU' x2 type thing rather than 7990/690 and so on, PowerColor/Club 3D/VTX3D (all the same, just different names depending on region) do one which is more appropriately priced for a 7990

[Prothescar]

http://hexus.net/tech/news/cpu/53097...marked-priced/

some haswell benchmarks (links to Tom's Hardware benches in there) and pricepoints. Almost considering grabbing one to replace my sandy bridge, couldn't really justify the upgrade to ivy but this is enough of a boost for me to at least consider it.

[Don Katsu]

http://hexus.net/tech/news/cpu/53097...marked-priced/

some haswell benchmarks (links to Tom's Hardware benches in there) and pricepoints. Almost considering grabbing one to replace my sandy bridge, couldn't really justify the upgrade to ivy but this is enough of a boost for me to at least consider it.

I thought about waiting for Haswell but then I realized two things.

1) 3770K is $230 at Microcenter I doubt the 4770K will be anywhere near this price, my guess $340 at Microcenter

2) Do we have any idea how much LGA 1150 boards are going to cost?

[Adajer]

Doubt that. MC has had the past 2 gens of CPUs on sale far cheaper than anyone else. It took them a while to drop the 3770k fron $289 to $229, but the 3570k came out at $189. They also added in all those motherboard deals with Ivy Bridge. I don't see them stopping this trend with Haswell.

[Don Katsu]

Doubt that. MC has had the past 2 gens of CPUs on sale far cheaper than anyone else. It took them a while to drop the 3770k fron $289 to $229, but the 3570k came out at $189. They also added in all those motherboard deals with Ivy Bridge. I don't see them stopping this trend with Haswell.

Oh no, I'm saying it's going to be more expensive everywhere else and microcenter will be the cheapest at $339 ($340)

[Prothescar]

thinking about it a bit more i prolly wont personally spring for haswell, probably wait for skylake or something and hope the price of 1150 mobos goes down by then (I expect it to be an entirely new platform again though ._.) and it's actually more than a marginal increase in CPU strength.

[Don Katsu]

I was going to say you will probably see an increase in performance if you get a 3770K then I noticed you're clocked at 4800Mhz.. nevermind you're good for while lol

[Don Katsu]

Would I notice a bigger difference overall going from a

Phenom II x4 3.2Ghz to a i5 3570k

Or

Western Digital 7200RPM to SSD?

[Krandor]

Would I notice a bigger difference overall going from a

Phenom II x4 3.2Ghz to a i5 3570k

Or

Western Digital 7200RPM to SSD?

Gaming wise, there's not a huge difference going to an SSD outside of load times. General use computer stuff will see a big difference jumping to an ssd, which is tied into the load time stuff, but Windows and a good portion of your programs will feel a lot snappier.

Having to use work computers running off an HDD is downright painful since my desktop/laptop are both using SSDs.

If you're mostly referring to gaming, I would say the i5 though.