PC Hardware Thread: Now With 100% More Folding!

[VincentX3]

Favoring this.
Helpful indeed.

Just one personal question

I currently have a "Gigabyte Nvidia 9600GT" (Passive Cooled) and I'm looking for an upgrade.
I've been thinking about the "260GTX \ 275GTX" at the moment. Since I heard there pretty good and powerful, since I'm not interested in getting the most powerful or anything, just something high-end.
I want to know which out of those do you recommend, or if there's any better card I can get from Nvidia under 150? (195$)

Thanks for all.


EDIT: If you need to know the rest of my spec's let me know, and I'll private them.
The PC is fairly new, since I just built everything (But the card) around the end of March moreless.

 

[Horticulture]

Long vacation.

I should update the OP.

Favoring this.
Helpful indeed.

Just one personal question

I currently have a "Gigabyte Nvidia 9600GT" (Passive Cooled) and I'm looking for an upgrade.
I've been thinking about the "260GTX \ 275GTX" at the moment. Since I heard there pretty good and powerful, since I'm not interested in getting the most powerful or anything, just something high-end.
I want to know which out of those do you recommend, or if there's any better card I can get from Nvidia under 150? (195$)

Thanks for all.


EDIT: If you need to know the rest of my spec's let me know, and I'll private them.
The PC is fairly new, since I just built everything (But the card) around the end of March moreless.

The GTX 460 in 1GB flavor is a good card around that price range. It does require a fair chunk more power than the 9600GT, though; what model of power supply are you running?

 

[VincentX3]

Long vacation.

I should update the OP.

Favoring this.
Helpful indeed.

Just one personal question

I currently have a "Gigabyte Nvidia 9600GT" (Passive Cooled) and I'm looking for an upgrade.
I've been thinking about the "260GTX \ 275GTX" at the moment. Since I heard there pretty good and powerful, since I'm not interested in getting the most powerful or anything, just something high-end.
I want to know which out of those do you recommend, or if there's any better card I can get from Nvidia under 150? (195$)

Thanks for all.


EDIT: If you need to know the rest of my spec's let me know, and I'll private them.
The PC is fairly new, since I just built everything (But the card) around the end of March moreless.

The GTX 460 in 1GB flavor is a good card around that price range. It does require a fair chunk more power than the 9600GT, though; what model of power supply are you running?

750W
Pretty much brand new too

 

[Horticulture]

750W
Pretty much brand new too

Whew, big guns. You're definitely in the clear for a 460, with room to OC if you want.

 

[Outright Villainy]

Well, this seems like a pretty knowledgeable thread to ask, so I'll dive right in:
I'm looking to buy a desktop for gaming, which I've never done before. Right now I've a laptop which overheats pretty frequently, and it runs tf2 like a load of old balls.

I'm looking to get a rig that can play tf2 on high, and hopefully modern games like Mass effect of fallout 3 on med-high settings. (if possible)
Would you recommend getting a pre-built or build it myself? Keeping in mind I have no experience building, and likely have to get someone to build it for me anyway...

My brother's laptop can run tf2 reasonably well, so if I could get a similar desktop for cheap I'd consider settling:
2.4Ghz Dual core
512mb Vram
3Gb Ram.

Display is 1440x900, and it runs at over 60fps on high in smaller games, around 30-40 in really hectic ones.

Would a desktop of similar spec be much cheaper than the budget rig you mentioned?

 

[Sneaky-Pie]

Well, this seems like a pretty knowledgeable thread to ask, so I'll dive right in:
I'm looking to buy a desktop for gaming, which I've never done before. Right now I've a laptop which overheats pretty frequently, and it runs tf2 like a load of old balls.

I'm looking to get a rig that can play tf2 on high, and hopefully modern games like Mass effect of fallout 3 on med-high settings. (if possible)
Would you recommend getting a pre-built or build it myself? Keeping in mind I have no experience building, and likely have to get someone to build it for me anyway...

My brother's laptop can run tf2 reasonably well, so if I could get a similar desktop for cheap I'd consider settling:
2.4Ghz Dual core
512mb Vram
3Gb Ram.

Display is 1440x900, and it runs at over 60fps on high in smaller games, around 30-40 in really hectic ones.

Would a desktop of similar spec be much cheaper than the budget rig you mentioned?

Do you want to build your own or just purchase a prebuilt machine?

 

[Outright Villainy]

Well, this seems like a pretty knowledgeable thread to ask, so I'll dive right in:
I'm looking to buy a desktop for gaming, which I've never done before. Right now I've a laptop which overheats pretty frequently, and it runs tf2 like a load of old balls.

I'm looking to get a rig that can play tf2 on high, and hopefully modern games like Mass effect of fallout 3 on med-high settings. (if possible)
Would you recommend getting a pre-built or build it myself? Keeping in mind I have no experience building, and likely have to get someone to build it for me anyway...

My brother's laptop can run tf2 reasonably well, so if I could get a similar desktop for cheap I'd consider settling:
2.4Ghz Dual core
512mb Vram
3Gb Ram.

Display is 1440x900, and it runs at over 60fps on high in smaller games, around 30-40 in really hectic ones.

Would a desktop of similar spec be much cheaper than the budget rig you mentioned?

Do you want to build your own or just purchase a prebuilt machine?

Would there be a huge difference in price? Like I said, I don't know the first thing about building, so it's a large detterrent.

 

[Sneaky-Pie]

Well, this seems like a pretty knowledgeable thread to ask, so I'll dive right in:
I'm looking to buy a desktop for gaming, which I've never done before. Right now I've a laptop which overheats pretty frequently, and it runs tf2 like a load of old balls.

I'm looking to get a rig that can play tf2 on high, and hopefully modern games like Mass effect of fallout 3 on med-high settings. (if possible)
Would you recommend getting a pre-built or build it myself? Keeping in mind I have no experience building, and likely have to get someone to build it for me anyway...

My brother's laptop can run tf2 reasonably well, so if I could get a similar desktop for cheap I'd consider settling:
2.4Ghz Dual core
512mb Vram
3Gb Ram.

Display is 1440x900, and it runs at over 60fps on high in smaller games, around 30-40 in really hectic ones.

Would a desktop of similar spec be much cheaper than the budget rig you mentioned?

Do you want to build your own or just purchase a prebuilt machine?

Would there be a huge difference in price? Like I said, I don't know the first thing about building, so it's a large detterrent.

Typically it's quite a bit cheaper to build your own.

Everyone is a beginner at some point, it isn't that bad. It's intimidating at first but it's a lot fun putting it together.

 

[VincentX3]

750W
Pretty much brand new too

Whew, big guns. You're definitely in the clear for a 460, with room to OC if you want.

Yea...I guess so.
But is the 4XX Series (Or more specifically in this case the 460) really worth it?

Don't get me wrong, I love Nvidia's products (Had 2 ATI's a few years ago, both burnt out in around a year each) But I heard there so pricey, I dought I can get one under 150? (190$).

Is any of the 4XX Series, other than the 460 cheaper yet powerful?

EDIT: There's one called "VGA PCIE GF GTS250 1GB
CORE EDITION XFX"

In price for around 143?
How good is it?
Specs

Spoiler

VGA PCIE GF 1GB XFX GTS250 EDITION CORE
XFX GEFORCE GTX 260 896 MB DDR3 PCI-E 2.0
P / N: GX-260X-ADJF

Chip manufacturer: Nvidia
Graphic Chip: GeForce GTS 250
RAM: 1GB DDR3
PCI Express x16
Memory Interface: 256 bits
Graphic core (Core): 738 MHz
Shader Clock: 1836 MHz
Memory Clock: 2.2 GHz
Connectors: 2xDVI / TVOUT
Fans: yes, turbine
Power: 1x6 pin
Other: Occupies 2 slots

 

[KaosuHamoni]

I'm looking to build a PC in the near future, and I was wondering, are these prices worth it, and are these parts good, or are there others I can get in the near future?
This will be my first build, and I know how much it will cost. I just want a future-proof Comp that will run everything for years to come =]

Coolermaster Haf X Case ? £150
Intel Core i7 950 (4 x 3.06GHz) 8 MB - £220
Cooler Master V8 Heatpipe based Heatsink (unsure about this one) - £40
Corsair 6GB (3x2GB) XMS3 1600MHz RAM - £130
EVGA NVIDIA GTX 470 Graphics Card - £250
Corsair 750W Tx PSU - £80
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1 TB Hard Drive, SATA, 7200 RPM, 32 MB Cache x 2 (one main one backup) - £100 (for both)
Asus Rampage III Extreme Motherboard ? £210

Total = £1180

 

[Outright Villainy]

Well, this seems like a pretty knowledgeable thread to ask, so I'll dive right in:
I'm looking to buy a desktop for gaming, which I've never done before. Right now I've a laptop which overheats pretty frequently, and it runs tf2 like a load of old balls.

I'm looking to get a rig that can play tf2 on high, and hopefully modern games like Mass effect of fallout 3 on med-high settings. (if possible)
Would you recommend getting a pre-built or build it myself? Keeping in mind I have no experience building, and likely have to get someone to build it for me anyway...

My brother's laptop can run tf2 reasonably well, so if I could get a similar desktop for cheap I'd consider settling:
2.4Ghz Dual core
512mb Vram
3Gb Ram.

Display is 1440x900, and it runs at over 60fps on high in smaller games, around 30-40 in really hectic ones.

Would a desktop of similar spec be much cheaper than the budget rig you mentioned?

Do you want to build your own or just purchase a prebuilt machine?

Would there be a huge difference in price? Like I said, I don't know the first thing about building, so it's a large detterrent.

Typically it's quite a bit cheaper to build your own.

Everyone is a beginner at some point, it isn't that bad. It's intimidating at first but it's a lot fun putting it together.

Is it really that much a difference in price? Like, how much roughly? I'd probably just get someone to build it for me if I was doing that, I really don't want to fuck it up, I can't afford that.

 

[Horticulture]

Don't get me wrong, I love Nvidia's products (Had 2 ATI's a few years ago, both burnt out in around a year each) But I heard there so pricey, I dought I can get one under 150? (190$).

Is any of the 4XX Series, other than the 460 cheaper yet powerful?

EDIT: There's one called "VGA PCIE GF GTS250 1GB
CORE EDITION XFX"

In price for around 143?
How good is it?

I just looked up GTX 460 prices in Europe...ouch. You're paying as much in Euros as we pay in dollars

If a 460 is out of your price range, I highly recommend looking at ATI's offerings. The 5770 is current and a solid card in your price range, and you might be able to find an older 4890 which will offer good performance at that price.

The GTS250 is pretty old/slow by current standards, it's several generations old at this point. If you're dead set on nVidia at that price, go with the newer GTS 450.

 

[Horticulture]

I'm looking to build a PC in the near future, and I was wondering, are these prices worth it, and are these parts good, or are there others I can get in the near future?
This will be my first build, and I know how much it will cost. I just want a future-proof Comp that will run everything for years to come =]

Coolermaster Haf X Case ? £150
Intel Core i7 950 (4 x 3.06GHz) 8 MB - £220
Cooler Master V8 Heatpipe based Heatsink (unsure about this one) - £40
Corsair 6GB (3x2GB) XMS3 1600MHz RAM - £130
EVGA NVIDIA GTX 470 Graphics Card - £250
Corsair 750W Tx PSU - £80
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1 TB Hard Drive, SATA, 7200 RPM, 32 MB Cache x 2 (one main one backup) - £100 (for both)
Asus Rampage III Extreme Motherboard ? £210

Total = £1180

That's definitely a powerful build. You could save a bit on the case and motherboard, though, going with an fan [http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Antec-902-Nine-Hundred-Two-Plastic-Steel-ATX-Case-Window-without-PSU].

An optical drive wouldn't be a bad call, either

 

[Quick Ben]

I'm going to build myself a PC in the immediate future, and I would like to know if my build is any good
or if there are some better alternatives out there. It's my first self-built comp, so any advice is welcome.

Motherboard: ASUS P6X58D-E X58
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 480 1536MB PhysX CUDA (is MSI a good maufacturer?)
Processor: Intel Core i7 950 /w fan (is the default fan good enough?)
Hard Drives: Crucial RealSSD C300 2,5" 64GB (For OS + programs I use a lot)
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB (Storage + games that won't fit on the SSD)
Case: Cooler Master HAF X Big Tower
Optical Drive: Please recommend me one. Preferably with Blue-Ray read + DVD/R/RW
Memory: Corsair Dominator DHX+ DDR3 1600MHz 6GB
PSU: Corsair HX 850W

Does this look good? I was thinking of an LG CH08 for optical, but a quick google search came up with lots of freeze problems. Any thoughts?

 

[Quick Ben]

Spoiler: Snip

I'm going to build myself a PC in the immediate future, and I would like to know if my build is any good
or if there are some better alternatives out there. It's my first self-built comp, so any advice is welcome.

Motherboard: ASUS P6X58D-E X58
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 480 1536MB PhysX CUDA (is MSI a good maufacturer?)
Processor: Intel Core i7 950 /w fan (is the default fan good enough?)
Hard Drives: Crucial RealSSD C300 2,5" 64GB (For OS + programs I use a lot)
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB (Storage + games that won't fit on the SSD)
Case: Cooler Master HAF X Big Tower
Optical Drive: Please recommend me one. Preferably with Blue-Ray read + DVD/R/RW
Memory: Corsair Dominator DHX+ DDR3 1600MHz 6GB
PSU: Corsair HX 850W

Does this look good? I was thinking of an LG CH08 for optical, but a quick google search came up with lots of freeze problems. Any thoughts?

Don't waste the money on the i7-950 over the i7-930. You can overclock an i7-930 to the same speed as a more expensive i7, and even then, you won't see much improvement in gaming terms.

I forgot to mention that I can get hold of an i7-950 (unused from someone who had to sell) for the price of an i7-930. Then the rig is fine?

 

[Horticulture]

GPU section updated, new builds incoming.