Official Hardware Discussion and Advice Megathread

[Q]

1) Sign up for the Newegg newsletter.

 

2) Check deal forums like FatWallet and SlickDeals for sales.

 

3) Don't pay full price for anything.

 

4) If you're in the US, do you live near a Fry's and/or a MicroCenter?

 

5) Still messing around with KotOR? You'll need an Nvidia card.

 

6) You can get a 2TB HDD for less than half of what that 3TB will cost you.

[Canderis]

1) Sign up for the Newegg newsletter.

Ok, Will do.

2) Check deal forums like FatWallet and SlickDeals for sales.

Ok.

 

3) Don't pay full price for anything.

Dont plan to

 

4) If you're in the US, do you live near a Fry's and/or a MicroCenter?

I do live near a Fry's

 

5) Still messing around with KotOR? You'll need an Nvidia card.

Ill look into one

 

6) You can get a 2TB HDD for less than half of what that 3TB will cost you.

With the same rpm?

[Char Ell]

Hi guys

 

I'd like to upgrade my PC and I'm having some trouble deciding. The main thing I'm aiming at is getting a better processor. The one I got now, is a Core 2 Duo with 2.13 Ghz. I'd like to use that one for another rig composed of spare parts. So I was first thinking of buying an i5, but then I'd need to buy another motherboard and new memory. Seeing as I've already bought a few motherboards, I'm not sure I want to change again for the foreseeable future. Besides, this would cost me quite much, considering I'm also going for a SSD drive.

 

So I was wondering if upgrading from a Core 2 Duo to a Core 2 Quad is still worth it. Will it be able to hold its own for the games of the next 2 years? Won't I miss the advantages of SATA III and DDR3 in the mean time?

My first question is what is the make and model of the current mainboard your Core 2 Duo is installed in? We need to determine what type of Intel processors it can support.

 

After a cursory search it looks like Core 2 Quads still cost a pretty penny. The Core 2 Quad Q9505 is listed for 180,11 euros at Microstar.be

 

I'm not too concerned about the lack of DDR3 support your system would have. SATA III may be another matter but probably a minor concern. Without accounting for your graphics card, I do think upgrading to SSD and Core 2 Quad should keep you playing new games for another couple of years though.

[Miltiades]

Thanks for the reply, Char!

 

Motherboard is an Asus P5K-E/WiFi-AP. I think I bought the thing because of the chance I could upgrade to a Quad if I ever wanted to, and looking at the CPU Support list, it does support both older and newer versions of the Quad Core. Also, I might go for a Q8400, which is significantly cheaper and can hold its own against the Q9400, if hardware reviews are anything to go by.

 

The graphics card is another thing I'd wanted to upgrade, but all in good time. It's an 8800GT 512mb. It's getting a hard time when playing the heavier games, but in my opinion, getting more processor power is a priority right now.

[Q]

At this point, you might want to look on the Euro version of Ebay, or the US version for sellers who ship internationally, and get a used C2Q from a reputable dealer. You could probably score a Q9550 for the same price as the cheaper CPUs, or get a Q9400 or Q8400 significantly cheaper than a new one.

 

Also, if you want to save some money, have you considered overclocking your C2D? If yours is an E6400, you could increase its clock speed by at least 1GHz.

 

EDIT: Even a Q6600 would be a good upgrade option for you, especially if you overclocked it.

 

The best deal in Nvidia cards, at least for the moment, is the GTX 460 768MB. I have no idea what sort of deals are going on in Europe, but I got a Galaxy model for $80 after a massive rebate last December. It's still a pretty competent card, and it's much faster than anything else in the $100 price range.

[Char Ell]

Q,

Any thoughts on how much L2 cache is required for gaming? I've always preferred 2MB per core. My concern about the Q8400 is it only has 1 MB per core, 4 MB total L2 cache.

[Q]

Supposedly, when it comes to gaming, the more the better, but, according to Anandtech Bench, it doesn't seem to make much of a difference; at least not in the benchmarks that make up its testing suite.

 

Actually, there doesn't seem to be a huge difference between the Q8400 and the Q9450, which has the full 12MB of L2.

[Miltiades]

Thanks guys. I think I am going for the Q8400. I'll see if I can get it somewhat cheap. A GTX 460 (or even 480) was the initial plan, but I'll wait a few months and see if there's even a better deal then. The only issue I can see is the graphics card not fitting into the case, which is an Antex Three Hundred and doesn't allow for a lot of room.

[Char Ell]

Good luck with finding a good deal on a Q8400 Miltiades! Will this be your b-day present to yourself? Also, if you plan on overclocking then it's probably a good idea to invest in a good aftermarket cooler. Let us know if you're looking for any recommendations in that area.

 

Q,

Interesting how the Q8400 and the Q9450 are clocked at the same 2.66 GHz. But the Q9450 with its 12 MB L2 cache has a minimum 3 FPS advantage in all the tested games versus the Q8400. However L2 cache is expensive and IMHO 3 MB L2 cache per core is overkill for most uses.

[Q]

The models with more cache do much better in software that takes advantage of it (like archiving and video editing), and they scale better at higher clock speeds, which makes them more desirable for overclockers.

 

I, too, would recommend an aftermarket heatsink, because the ones that Intel packs with their CPUs are woefully inadequate, even at stock speed.

[Miltiades]

I don't have any experience with coolers, I've always used the ones that came with the CPU. Recommendations would be welcome, yeah.

[Q]

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus is what I use.

 

I have no idea how much it would be in Europe, but it's available for $29.50 from Amazon, so don't let Newegg's ridiculous price-gouging fool you. I used their ad because it's got the best description and pics.

 

EDIT: That Antec 300 (which is a great case for the money, BTW) shouldn't have any problems fitting just about any modern video card. My GTX 460 is actually a good bit shorter than your 8800GT.

[Char Ell]

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus is what I use.

Me too and I second this recommendation. I've been quite satisfied with the Hyper 212 Plus's cooling performance. I'm not sure how much noise the fan produces but it supports PWM so the fan speed varies depending on how much the CPU is being used.

[Miltiades]

Alright, I think that settles things. Thanks for all the advice, guys!

[Q]

My only other advice would be that, unless it now ships with vastly superior ThermalFusion 400, you should use a different thermal compound than what Cooler Master supplies with that 212 Plus. The plain Cooler Master stuff is terrible.

 

Here is a fairly up-to-date list of some of the better thermal compounds.

[Ferc Kast]

Well, I noticed a good deal on a laptop for about $400. Though, I was wondering with most laptops having either a dual or quad core processor, would a single core processor be worth it to get or would it be better to look at one with a multi-core processor?

[Q]

Since software is finally becoming more multi-threaded, I think that it's pretty pointless to have a single-core CPU in a machine that you'll be using a lot. That's probably why there are so few of them available now.

[acdcfanbill]

Anyone have a NAS here? I've have a htpc up and running now, ubuntu+xbmc samba thru my windows shares but I'd like to have a dedicated storage/media server. I plan on running 4-5 drives, raid1+0, linux etc. I'd like it to be pretty quiet and low powered, just sit around and serve media or accept backups. hot swapping drives would be nice, but not required.

[Canderis]

My laptop's motherboard is failing so I've been forced to accelerate my plans for a new gaming computer build. I'm unsure on what processor/motherboard/power supply I should use. Google brings up many options but I trust you people here much more than a google search. Any suggestions?

 

Note: this is for gaming so I am looking for something good. I have a very nice graphics card picked out already. But I would still like to keep this at a reasonable price.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Q]

Couple of questions:

 

Do you live near a Micro Center store?

 

How old is your laptop? Would it be worth buying another motherboard for it? Depending on the model, replacement laptop motherboards can be had for < $100.

[Canderis]

Couple of questions:

 

Do you live near a Micro Center store?

 

How old is your laptop? Would it be worth buying another motherboard for it? Depending on the model, replacement laptop motherboards can be had for < $100.

 

Its been replaced once already and the amount of effort required to do so is immense. It took a trained repairman 2 hours. I needed a new computer sooner or later, i was just hoping for another year. I got this laptop in 2009. Its an alienware. The cd drive, the sound card, harddrive and motherboard are all failing.

Don't buy alienwares. They are not worth the hassle.

And no, there isn't one of those stores near me.

[Q]

OK, so you probably are better off selling it for parts/repair on ebay and not sinking any more money into it, then.

 

Some more questions:

What type of video card do you have in mind? If you're still playing/modding KotOR, I'd suggest an Nvidia card.

What resolution will you be gaming at?

What's your budget?

 

For gaming, you're going to want to go with an Intel CPU. Since you don't live near a Micro Center, an Intel Core i5 3570K CPU and a decent motherboard together are going to run you about $300. 8GB of memory is going to cost another $40-$50.

 

Seasonic is generally regarded as the best overall power supply manufacturer. They make PSUs for several different companies, and they also sell them under their own brand. You shouldn't need one any bigger than 650W, with 54-55 amps on the 12-volt rail. The mid-grade (80Plus Bronze) ones go for around $60, while the ultra-high-end model (80Plus Platinum) is sometimes on sale for $90. If you want a bullet-proof PSU with a 7-year warranty, I'd go ahead and get the Platinum. It'll likely last you through several builds. If you don't want to shell out that much, there are definitely cheaper alternatives out there that will still serve you well.

[Canderis]

This is the combo i had come up with:

 

Processor:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504

(as per your recommendation, is this correct?)

 

Motherboard:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131837

(Price saving combo with the processor, ~300$)

 

Power Supply:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153158

(Would this be good? It can be bundled with my shell for around 100$ less than buying them both separate.)

 

Graphics Card:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130768

 

Sound Card:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132006&CMP=OTC-TechReport&ATT=29-132-006&nm_mc=OTC-TechReport&cm_mmc=OTC-TechReport-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA

 

Also on my list is a solid state 256gb for the os and games, and a 2tb storage drive, 16(or 8, depending on final budget)gb of RAM, a CD drive & BluRay drive. I feel like i'm missing something else important too.

I don't really have a set budget, and my current resolution is 720p 1600X900, but i plan on getting a new monitor in the near future. 1080p.

 

Also i'm unsure of what speed of RAM i should use.

 

I am unsure if these all will fit together well and also, if i can save any cash that would be good, but i really don't want to lose out on much performance. I'd like this to last without too much upgrades through the next few years as I am starting college soon. And, because i'm a gaming nerd i'd like to be able to run games on highest settings for as long as i can push it.

As for kotor modding, i have a desktop i prefer to do that with.

 

Currently the price is stiing around 1600$

 

By the way, thanks so much for helping with this!

 

EDIT:

I was re-looking at SSD drives and i am unsure of what one i should get. I'm stuck on these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147193

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=20-148-443&SortField=2&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=%28keywords%29&Page=1#scrollFullInfo

The one is quite a bit more money than the other, but it seems to be higher rated. I'd be open to an entirely different one as well.

 

EDIT 2:

I'm starting to deem my graphics card, which was nvidia actually, as not worth the price. I'm looking for a card that can support HDMI, 3 monitor support, and powerful enough to last me a while playing the newest game on highest graphics with any enhancement mods for a while.

The card i had been considering was http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130768 but i think that it's not worth the price to what i need it to do. Suggestions? I would like to keep it a nvidia too if possible.

[Q]

Sorry I haven't answered this till now.

 

You haven't bought anything yet, have you?

 

If you haven't, and you can wait just a little while longer, Haswell, Intel's new CPU architecture, launches June 4. With an investment this big, it's always best to get the newest stuff that you can, and getting the newest Intel CPU is a big deal. It shouldn't be any more expensive than Ivy Bridge is now.

 

Motherboard: You pretty much can't go wrong with either ASUS or Gigabyte.

 

As far as a power supply is concerned, you really should get one that's made by Seasonic. Channel Well (CWT), who makes that Thermaltake, is certainly OK, but Seasonic is better. If you're going to spend $100 on a PSU, do yourself a favor get a Seasonic. 650 watts is plenty. Newegg has the Seasonic 660W 80Plus platinum on sale for $90 every once in a while, and I strongly recommend it. This database will tell you who makes what.

 

Graphics card: Never buy a high-end graphics card. Not worth it, IMO. Get 2 mid-grade ones and SLI them together. The best ones to do this with are the GTX 660 and the new GTX 650 Ti BOOST. They are the best bang-for-the-buck option, and will save you as much as $200 over a GTX 680 and give similar performance. Just make sure they have at least a 2GB frame buffer per card. 1GB just doesn't cut it anymore. For reference, I'm still gaming on 2 GTX 460s that I bought new for about $62.50 apiece after rebate!

 

Sound card: Try using your motherboard's on-board sound chip before buying one. Chances are, it'll be good enough.

 

SSD: The Samsung 840 Pro is the best one on the market right now. It's on sale sometimes for $200, though this is really not a good time to be buying an SSD because prices are high right now.

 

RAM: At least DDR3 1600. 8GB should be plenty, unless you use software that requires more. Most people don't. Corsair, GSkill and Crucial are my usual go-to brands, though my latest has been Samsung.

 

 

EDIT: If you haven't yet, sign up for the Newegg newsletter to get their coupon codes. The AnandTech Bench is also extremely useful in cases such as yours.

[Canderis]

Ok, so pre-SSD and the motherboard/processor combo (waiting till june 4th) this is what i have:

 

Power Supply: 140

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151121&Tpk=seasonic&IsVirtualParent=1

 

RAM: 80

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148560

 

Graphics Card: 198+180

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130826

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130910

 

Hard-drives: 100

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148834

 

CD Drives: 20

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

 

Sound Card: 60

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132053

 

I do need the sound card because i have speakers and headphones meant for a 7.1 sound card, unless my motherboard comes with one.