Building a NEW PC with Windows 7 TIPS?

[Lazorith]

Can you tell me if these are a good catch for a Gaming PC.

Note: I want to add 8-16 gigs of RAM to this Pc. I Might have to stick with 8 gigs due to a 4 gig stick being way out of my league as far as budget goes ($250.. Less you know where I can get 4 sticks of 4 gig ram-each cheaper.).
RAM

MoBo

Video Card

I still need to buy Windows 7. But, until I can buy that, Ill still use windows XP Pro 5600 SP3.

All together this will cost:881 (The RAM I am actually going to work around getting only 2 for 133 each.)

I still need to buy an 800 Watt PSU. But, that is for later. I am trying to keep the budget around $800 though and still have a fast PC. I want the max, 16 gigs, that can come with a board and therefore don't want to buy 2 gigs now, save up, then buy 4 gigs because then Id have to worry bout selling the present 2 gigs. I'm willing to buy only 1 stick 4 gig ram if it comes to that. But I know many programs, Windows 7, and many games now ask 4 gigs of the Ram all ready. So, That's why i'm aiming for at least 8. Ill buy the other 8 late.

All together, I know a good running PC that will last me at least 10 years for the next generation of games and software, will cost around $1500. But, what can I do now to get me at least started for around $800?

my current PSU can only withstand 450 watts, and it is 9 years old.
My current Graphics card is a Nvidia 5600. Very underated for present games.
My current MoBo is an Albatron Pro that can only withstand 4 gigs of DDR memory. It is a single core, not a Quad either.

Thank you, all tips/hints/help will be very appreciated. This is going to be the first build that I personally make.

[Lazorith]

Also, let's say I wanted to run a new-aged game, such as ..

Dark Void
Startrek Online
or the new upcoming Diablo III
or the new upcoming Starcraft II
or the new upcoming Final Fanatasy XIV

All these games require around 3.0 MHZ Processor speed.

If this mother board supports 3.20 MHZ Processor speed and comes with the Phenom II which does 3.20 MHZ. Will that run these games? I know, common sense should say "Well Thats above 3.0 so yes.." But, I know that Windows takes some Processor speed for itself. So, after Windows has taken it's share.. Will i be able to run these games at Max settings WITHOUT overclocking?

[orbrit]

Building a PC to last 10 years is going to be very difficult. You have no idea where things will be in 10 years!
Look at 10 years ago. 800 MHz Pentium IIIs were still mainstream, Win 2k was still not stable, and 128 Mb video cards were the high end. 1Gb of RAM was considered a lot.

As far as 8Gb RAM goes, most games won't use more than 2. Win 7 pro at system idle uses less than 1Gb. It's not like you have other programs open while gaming or anything.

[glc]

That ram is not compatible. It's ECC ram for servers. You should be looking at 2x2gb dual channel kits.

As I sorta said in your other thread, there isn't really much you can reuse out of your old system - probably just the big hard drive if it's SATA.

That's a pretty expensive video card for someone on a tight budget. If you have $800, then plan a $800 build. You can always upgrade selected components later.

[Lazorith]

Originally Posted by orbrit Building a PC to last 10 years is going to be very difficult. You have no idea where things will be in 10 years! Look at 10 years ago. 800 MHz Pentium IIIs were still mainstream, Win 2k was still not stable, and 128 Mb video cards were the high end. 1Gb of RAM was considered a lot. As far as 8Gb RAM goes, most games won't use more than 2. Win 7 pro at system idle uses less than 1Gb. It's not like you have other programs open while gaming or anything.

the pc i have no has lasted 10 years and played every game out there with no problem till these new HD games started coming out.

Ah.. thats why they are so cheap. blah that sucks. Looks like ill have to stick with 8 gigs buying 2 gig sticks everywhere huh?

[Lazorith]

Originally Posted by glc That ram is not compatible. It's ECC ram for servers. You should be looking at 2x2gb dual channel kits. As I sorta said in your other thread, there isn't really much you can reuse out of your old system - probably just the big hard drive if it's SATA. That's a pretty expensive video card for someone on a tight budget. If you have $800, then plan a $800 build. You can always upgrade selected components later.

Well, I'm not selling my HDD. - any of them. I have 3. 1 for spare-internal. 1 Master. 1 External for my school and softwares I am presenting to mult-million dollar companies. (well.. soon hopefully..)

The video card is for many reasons.. $800 is my budget that I want to fit everything into.. But, I know a good computer will cost around $1000.

So, Lets forget about RAM and stick to Mobo and Vid card. Infact I think I have a friend with a few extra DDR3 2x2 sticks I can nab.

My question for 3.0 MHZ CPU Processing speed.. can that be answered?

The MoBo + Vid card, Is this a good buy for the games I want to play? Is there a better one?

I don't trust Intel MoBo, only AMD/Asus/Albarton if anything. Ill trust Intel CPUs though.
Only ATI Radeon or Nvidia graphics I trust.

If I buy just the Mobo and Graphics, I am still within my budget around $550. They said they are willing to sell me 4 gigs of ram to go with it for an extra $94. that puts me around $650.

a PSU unit shouldn't cost much.... $80

See: PSU

so now that is around $730

I all ready have the HDD. I think this covers everything yeah? I also have plenty of Fans to go into this PC to keep it running around 38-45 degrees.

What you think?

EDIT**turns out I recalculated.. MoBo+ Vid Card will = 615. Sooo just to add the extra $65 to $730 thats roughly $795 plus tax. Tax judged to be around 14% will total to be:

$906

I can handle that since the core computer price is $800.

What do you think? Is this good.. not good? Think it'll run the High-End games I wish to buy and play WITHOUT overclocking?

[MaxRat]

the video card alone will play any game you throw at it...I have a gtx275 and its a monster

[Lazorith]

Originally Posted by MaxRat the video card alone will play any game you throw at it...I have a gtx275 and its a monster

Thanks. So this vid card will be worth the expensive price?

Thats good news. Im ok with going a little over budget so long as it performs greatly.

Granted, the 9 year old PC I have no can run even the newest games todate that REQUIRE 2 gigs ram and a more fancy vid card, but I would have to set everything down to base pixels. But i'm wanting a PC that can handle these new games at FULL GRAPHICS without overclocking and for a manageable price. I'm trying my best to get the best of everything for a very cheap price. So far the only thing that truly holds me back is the RAM. I want to just buy 4 gig ram sticks but the good ones cost from 200-$250 per 1 stick! That is just ridiculous I think. so guess i'm forced to buy 2x2 till I have $1000 spare to through at some speed.

The real reason other than gaming that I need the speed is because I also plan to use this computer to render programs that hasnt been created/thought up yet. But, being under-paid at this time (unemployed) It makes it hard. I have loads of program documents waiting to be created (My own personal inventions..) and tis why im attempting all this. To create the unimaginable xO woot woot. Sorry. I like ranting xP

I'm just getting into the world of understanding what the machine i'm working on actually does. It's kinda funny.. I know some programming (still learning) yet know only how to diagnose and go through the backdoors of the PC. Yet, I know nothing bout the quality or speed of the actual machine and it's limitations. hence why I need to ask for help :-(.

so the 3.20 MHZ CPU... how much of that CPU is running with just windows.. and How much will be running to run a game that requires 3.0MHZ of that CPU?

BTW, If anyone comes up with a better, cheaper or slightly more expensive MoBo that the one I posted, Just know i will NOT go anything less than a Quad core. I currently run a Single Core, and though it's great, I just know a Dual or Triple(doesn't exist I know) will not Suffice for what I need it for.

[glc]

I personally don't like the way this is going. You are putting WAY too much emphasis on the video card - it's not like it used to be, you can actually get video cards for $100 now that can play all modern games fairly well. I also do not recommend Rosewill power supplies, they just aren't consistent yet. You also can't compare clock speeds of today's processors to the clock speeds of classic Pentium 4's.

Here is a COMPLETE SYSTEM, without peripherals or operating system, for $809 that will do a DARN FINE job. It is a well balanced system that is easily upgradeable.

Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129024

ASUS P7P55 LX LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131604

Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115215

A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model HY63I1B16K - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820211364

Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136320

ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827135204

ASUS CuCore Series EAH5770 CuCore/2DI/1GD5 Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support ... - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121363

Now - I'd recommend you use this as a basis. If you can scrounge up some DDR3 from a friend, that's a plus. If you have a case to reuse, you can just buy a GOOD power supply - and I try to stick to Antec, Corsair, or Seasonic. That video card is the best in its class. According to Tom's Hardware, "Great 1920x1200 performance in most games". 450 watt power supply recommended, and it will actually run fine on less as long as it's a quality power supply. The one in the case I recommended is a high quality 500 watt.

EDIT: Read this post:

New Build Advise Please

[Lazorith]

Thanks, I;'m going to review all of the info you have just given and tell ya what i think ^.^

[Lazorith]

ok Looked.

I dont need the tower minus that.
The CD Player/DVD Burner could be used. It is indeed faster than mine 24X.
The CPU is too slow for what i need it for. I'd burn it out in a month. 2.7 GHZ deffinitely too slow. I need at least 3.0GHZ but I would like more if possible because 3.0GHZ would be pushing it as well.

Don't need the HDD. Mine spins the same RPMS and I never seem to use more than 100 gigs of memory at this time. So minus that :-)

Love the Ram, though kinda wish the LAT wasn't 9.. I heard this was a little slow.. is this true? Is it possible to get a 7 or 8 for around the same price?

That Video card.. It is definitely slower than the $300 one i want. But, seems applicable too. I'm not a person who is going to do more than 2 things at one. If i'm playing a game, nothing else is running at all. But, with that said if im not going I do run larger programs by at least 5.

Word.. Excel..Maya 8.5.. Paintshop pro.. Illustrator.. Flash 3.0.. a couple C++ and Csharp programs as well as rendering and some videos playing in the back ground for either entertainment or to get visual tips on something im doing but do not know how to do.

So All in all I like:

MoBo
Ram
CD/DVD ROM
VID Card


Anyway to get a rather cheap PSU that will run the computer efficiently enough without a case? Just the PSU.

So far.. All the above cost:

$413
add tax: (14%)
$470.82

Not bad at all. I love that price lot's more than I liked the price I as about to aim for.

Also note that according to some reviews of the MoBo the MoBo cannot handle a 1.9V CPU.

[Lazorith]

How bout this...

Think it'd be good to do it this way:

Buy the RAM you Suggested
Buy the Vid Card You Suggested
Buy the DVD ROM You Suggested
But the MoBo I found packaged with the CPU unit I found?

Now all thats left is finding a PSU that will run it. The 500Watt PSU might do it.

all that =

$654.36 tax included.
RAM
Vid Card
DVD ROM
Mobo w/ CPU

This way I would be able to upgrade it a lot more effectively in the future. Do you agree? The board you suggested appears to have a few limitations that I just don't think I could agree with.

The MoBo W CPU I found needs 125 Watts of power to run effectively. Have a CLOcK speed of 3.20 GHZ and can support everything I throw at it and more.

Any objections xO. I thanks for the help. This is truly helping me make a smarter decision when buying a PC. Sorry if i'm a little aggravating. But, I must let ya know the games I ply deal with MMORPG high-end gaming. Lots of graphics, lot's of fast moving objects and screens. Then when I get to programming.. Sometimes what i want from the PC is to throw me a really fast/flashy object via my Coding and rendering. On my current PC it lags up really badly, and Thats what I want to also avoid.

Also, When I play, I play for a very unhealthy 8-16 hours sometimes more straight. It's the same when I work. (Haha, You'd be amazed at how I look. This prolly makes me sound like a fat *** but i'm actually very athletic xO)

[glc]

Sorry, I don't comment on AMD processors. You have my recommendations, and I don't think you have fully read them.

You also can't compare clock speeds of today's processors to the clock speeds of classic Pentium 4's.

What on EARTH makes you think a quad core I5 has to be 3 GHz to be any good?

[Lazorith]

nothing. I honestly don't even understand speeds and clocks and what not x)

I'm going off the specs of the programs i run, what they recommend and what they require. Then i compare to the numbers i see listed under specifications. Tis all xO

Also... I found some PSU's. No rosewills. and I went with Corsair, Antec, and some others.

MMM AMD might not be your favorite, though I havnt had an AMD CPU before.. but I have had AMD hardware before with no problems, so I trust them a bit. I think it was a chip xO


http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&Sku=A406-1116

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...9&Sku=C13-2503

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...9&Sku=D15-1214

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&Sku=A406-1114

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371015

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139006

[orbrit]

"Burn out" an i5 750 when you don't plan to overclock it? That's pretty funny.

If your eyes can tell the difference between 90 FPS and 120 FPS, then by all means go ahead and spend your money on the graphics card you think you need. And 8 or 16Gb RAM that you won't use. While you're at it, go ahead and get the fastest core i7, just incase your super programming skills will burn out the i5-750

You keep referring to your current 9 year old PC being slow. I don't think you have any idea how fast today's processors really are - it sounds as if you're comparing numbers. As in a 1st Generation Pentium 4 single core @ 3.0 Ghz is somehow even in the same realm as a 2.67 GHz Core i5 750.

What resolution do you run your monitors at? What size?
What generation and speed of SATA drives do you currently have? If they are 9 years old (did SATA exist 9 years ago?) then what's the point in throwing all the super fast components into a system to have a huge bottleneck at the component which is always the slowest (even with the fastest modern SATA drives).

If you're really that much of a hotshot programmer, then I'm sure you'll be able to afford a new PC in 2-3 years, so why not just get something that will serve it's purpose for the short term?

If you're spending 16-18 hours at a time regularly playing games or staring at code, you may want to set aside some money for carpal tunnel surgery and regular vision exams too.

[Lazorith]

ha I never claimed to be a hotshot Programmer. I did claim to be learning though .

again.. I'm comparing numbers. and mentioned more than twice that I don't understand "speeds of a unit". all I understand Is "Do these numbers match up to the recommended settings of this program?"

Carpul tunnel/Vision, Actually.. I made a few inventions that I'm attempting to get out there to people like you. My Inventions have worked for me so far. For the past 8 years of my life I have not needed to visit an eye doctor. My vision has stayed the corrected 20/20 with corrective lens (I am a four eyes. But I invented some things to prevent my eyes from deteriorating further.) Same thing with Carpel tunnel. I have invented something for that too.

Please don't insult me When I am not only asking for help, but also trying to tell you have Ignorant I am of tis information.

I have all ready stated i am matching numbers. I do not understand speed. Not once did you guys explain it and not once have I rebuddled any of your current explanations. I have not acted Ill towards any of you as of yet. So DON'T GO INSULTING ME Got it?

If you want someone to understand, then explain it to them. If they refuse to learn it, Then get aggravated.

Don't go around thinking something is common knowledge ust because you learned it a couple moments/a year ago. Some people just have yet to learn it. So teach them or DONT OFFER YOUR HELP! Got it?

a 2.66GHZ Processor to me is SLOW when I compare it to a program that asks for 3.0! What is STUPID about that? THESE NUMBERS DON'T ADD UP! and I'm Certain this MODERN GAME! (Produced JUST THIS YEAR) is talking about a CPU Speed of TODAY Not 9 years ago!

[glc]

The "some others" you have chosen are not recommended. We also encourage people to stay away from Tiger Direct. I'm trying to guide you to the most reliable components available. If you want a CHEAP power supply by itself that can handle the 5770 card, you can get a 500 watt Antec Basiq for about 50 bucks.

The 2.66 GHz i5 will outperform any 3 GHz processor (AMD or Intel) on the planet except an i7. The 3 GHz requirements you are seeing are all based on previous CPU architectures. I linked you to the least expensive full size Asus board that works with that processor, it is reliable.

I betcha your hard drive doesn't have 32mb cache and a 5 year warranty.......but if you have a usable drive, use it. It may impact performance.

CAS 9 is fine. You don't need to spend more money for low latency ram, the only way to tell the difference is with benchmarks. Real world computing, it doesn't really matter.

A tip - other than for games, you can use a $40 video card with any of those applications you have listed and it will work fine.

EDIT: Let's all review the forum rules in respect to how we treat other members. That includes me too.

[orbrit]

Apologies for my comments. I should have added some emoticons to convey the sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek nature.

Hey, if you can invent a screen filter that helps users who have to sit in front of monitors for extended periods of time, that can prevent headaches, eye fatigue, and also provide anti glare and privacy, that costs less than the monitor that it fits on, then I'd invest in that!

As an indicator of how fast a Core i5-750 is:

SuperPi
Calculation to 1 million digits - 12.0 Seconds

vs. my old Intel Pentium 4 640 Prescott 3.20 Ghz
SuperPi
Calculation to 1 million digits - 41.0 Seconds

[Dave in Houston]

Originally Posted by Lazorith a 2.66GHZ Processor to me is SLOW when I compare it to a program that asks for 3.0! What is STUPID about that? THESE NUMBERS DON'T ADD UP! and I'm Certain this MODERN GAME! (Produced JUST THIS YEAR) is talking about a CPU Speed of TODAY Not 9 years ago!

Lazorith,

In the short time I've been a member on this board, I've learned that these folks are really quite knowledgeable.

Even though a program may have been released just this year, it is being marketed to people who own older computers. I bet if you could provide a link to the specifications you described, there would be someone who could help you to interpret them in the context of the hardware available today.

Best regards,

Dave

[Dave in Houston]

Originally Posted by glc We also encourage people to stay away from Tiger Direct.

glc,

I'm curious why you encourage people to stay away from Tiger Direct. I haven't bought many computer parts, but I needed a monitor recently. I didn't like Newegg's "8 bad pixel" policy, so I bought it from Tiger Direct because they said they would take it back for any reason.

The monitor worked fine, so I didn't have to try to invoke Tiger Direct's return policy, but it would be nice to know if people have had problems dealing with them.

Thanks!

Dave

[orbrit]

Re: gaming specs.

as an example, here are the minimum specs for Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 2 which is a fairly recent release - 6 months or so.

Minimum System Requirements:
Hard Drive Space: 16GB free hard drive space
Operating System: XP / Windows Vista / Windows 7
Processor: AMD 64 3200+ or Intel Pentium 4 3.0GHz or better
RAM: 512MB RAM (XP) / 1GB RAM (Vista)
Video Card: Shader 3.0 or better 256MB Nvidia GeForce 6600GT / ATI Radeon 1600XT or better

You'll notice that the reference to "3.0 GHz or better" in this case specifically states "Intel Pentium 4 3.0GHz or better"

So in this case it is quite clear cut. If you have a processor developed since about 2004, it meets or exceeds the minimum specs for this game.

[glc]

I just did some benchmark research - the i5-750 even slightly outperforms AMD's flagship - the 965. The advantage is very slight, probably not noticeable in everyday computing. My point is, this is a 2.66 GHz processor outperforming (well, at LEAST equaling) the competition's flagship 3.4 GHz unit. Both of these absolutely destroy previous architecture processors of ANY clock speeds. AMD's real advantage lays in the under-$100 processors, they are faster for the money.

I am not trying to tell you not to get an AMD, but I do need you to realize that if you buy that combo with the 955, you are buying a slower processor than the i5-750.

To put the clock speed more in perspective - AMD used the "+" system for quite a while. Basically, they rated the performance relative to Intel Pentium 4 clock speeds. Their Athlon 4200+, for example, performed like a 4.2 GHz P4 would, if such a processor existed. Its actual clock speed was what - about 2 GHz?

In the past several years, technology has run up against a brick wall. They just can't seem to get CPU clocks any higher. So, what they have done is found ways to increase efficiency to improve performance so clock speed just doesn't really matter that much any more.

EDIT: Tiger Direct sells a lot of distressed and low quality merchandise, and their customer service hasn't always been very good. Their ad writers can make a turd sound like a brick of gold.

[orbrit]

Here are some useful resources for figuring out what components to select, and the once built, how your PC is performing and behaving.

Video card Hierarchy chart 2010
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...rd,2569-6.html
Useful if a game states that it needs a minimum of a Radeon 9800, and you have no idea what the specs of that are compared to your 8400GS or GT220.

CPU-Z
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
Detailed info about your main system components. Useful for checking frequencies of CPU and memory, bus speeds etc, just to make sure you're doing everything correctly.

GPU-Z
http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/
Detailed info about your video card and GPU. Including fan speed, temperature monitoring etc.

Real-Temp
http://www.techpowerup.com/realtemp/
Useful for temperature monitoring under stress testing.

RTHDRIBL
http://www.daionet.gr.jp/~masa/rthdribl/
A good way to stress test your GPU to see how your cooling system is working!

LinX
http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/892376
Useful for testing stability or stress testing CPUs to the max for testing CPU core temps.

[Lazorith]

Originally Posted by glc The "some others" you have chosen are not recommended. We also encourage people to stay away from Tiger Direct. I'm trying to guide you to the most reliable components available. If you want a CHEAP power supply by itself that can handle the 5770 card, you can get a 500 watt Antec Basiq for about 50 bucks. The 2.66 GHz i5 will outperform any 3 GHz processor (AMD or Intel) on the planet except an i7. The 3 GHz requirements you are seeing are all based on previous CPU architectures. I linked you to the least expensive full size Asus board that works with that processor, it is reliable. I betcha your hard drive doesn't have 32mb cache and a 5 year warranty.......but if you have a usable drive, use it. It may impact performance. CAS 9 is fine. You don't need to spend more money for low latency ram, the only way to tell the difference is with benchmarks. Real world computing, it doesn't really matter. A tip - other than for games, you can use a $40 video card with any of those applications you have listed and it will work fine. EDIT: Let's all review the forum rules in respect to how we treat other members. That includes me too.

Thanks. I did not understand that the 3GHZ was based on old technology to today. But, with that knowledge learned.. how do i spot such errors in the numbers i'm given when researching parts for my future wants?

[Lazorith]

Originally Posted by orbrit Apologies for my comments. I should have added some emoticons to convey the sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek nature. Hey, if you can invent a screen filter that helps users who have to sit in front of monitors for extended periods of time, that can prevent headaches, eye fatigue, and also provide anti glare and privacy, that costs less than the monitor that it fits on, then I'd invest in that! As an indicator of how fast a Core i5-750 is: SuperPi Calculation to 1 million digits - 12.0 Seconds vs. my old Intel Pentium 4 640 Prescott 3.20 Ghz SuperPi Calculation to 1 million digits - 41.0 Seconds

I see. Thank you. This will help me a lot for future buying research. but with that said.. how do i know when to calculate 1mill to 41 secs or 1 mil to 12 secs?

Can't say I've invented such technology as that. I just did a few other things that you can do yourself. That information I have is Free. But, the info of my item to prevent/help reduce risk of arthritis an carpel tunnel is a little different xP

To help reduce eye strain and headaches.. believe it or not.. Reduce the size of your ratios to it's lowest so words and pictures show at their smallest possible size for your monitor. This might seem like your eyes will straight to read them and determine what it is, but this is not the case. Technically, we see in very minuscule sizes naturally. We just don't realize it because it's not in a box. Take it like art if you eve drew something before.. lets say you draw a line on a piece of paper with any size pencil. a Straight line. Now, anywhere on that straight line, put a pin-needle dot on the edge of the line anywhere but the 2 ends. It will make a dramatic change to that entire line.

When things are "Blown up" you might be able to see it easier but your eyes have to bounce back and fourth A LOT to get the entire picture of it just to process it in your brain. Think of it as small programs to large programs for pcs xP

next is to simply lower brightness and shades down. that is all.

And finally the very more important step is.. everytime you visit an eyye doctor, test them.. Figure out if they are honest or not. Did you know.. everytime you get a new pair of glasses for a new prescription, the docs are trying to make ur eyes weaker so you come back to buy more? When you put on a new pair of glasses or corrective lens you see "fish-eyes" or hazey or something right? This means that lens is too strong for your eyes. You should tell the doc you refuse to wear them and you want the correct lens strength for your eye. Don't believe him/her when they state "Oh you just need to let your eyes adjust to it" no, this is not the case. What this really means is "You got to give your eyes time to let them know you no longer need to work as hard." hence letting the muscle grow weaker, more softer.

When you do this, go back to 1-3 eye doctors. Try em all for second and third opinions, youll find that at least 1 of them will state your eye sight is perfect with your present lens, no matter how long is has been after they were given to you. My eyes were constantly getting weaker till i started doing this. I've had the same prescription for 8 years. i go in for free consultations every once in a while only to be told i don't need new lens prescription.

anyways.. back On topic. I'm perfectly fine. You apologized. I accept it. Just please dont call anyone dumb when they are asking to learn. - Same to GLC.

Thanks for all the help. now uh.. can I know how to tell when to calculate 1 mill to 12 or 41 secs?

[orbrit]

Not sure I understand the question of calculating pi.

the numbers are the results of the SuperPi tool
http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads..._Mod_v1.5.html
What it shows is that my current setup processes a lot faster than the P4 3.2 GHz which back then was considered incredibly fast.

[Lazorith]

Thanks Dave. I actually Know they are knowledgable else i wouldnt be here xP. Actually, i was recommended to a friend of mine via FFXI. I trust everyone here with their knowledge. I just don't wanna be downsized for me.. lack of knowledge. Im ok with being thrown a hard ball here and there like "Duh dude this is why!" but not a slap "You dumb**** you should know this!"

O well though, I'm good.

MMM I never really noticed it say.. "P4 intel 3.0" Orbitz, I was always looking at numbers. Haha. Next time I will definitely look at that. So that is how to tell when to calculate 1 mill to 12 or 42. Thanks a bunch!

Also, Thanks for the links. Looking at them now.

GLC Thanks for all the help as well. I honestly thought you werent listening to me when I asked for a 3.0 and you give me a 2.66. I didn't realize Tiger was selling me an older, less advanced and slower tool to use by giving me a 3.20. I never really realized computer techies were no longer trying to make anything faster, rather make everything more efficient in their work to out-do any thing older even if "faster."

Guess this means the "Faster" means "the hotter.." and the more "lag" it has trying to scramble (CPU Usage goes through the roof..am i right?).

[glc]

I didn't realize Tiger was selling me an older, less advanced and slower tool to use by giving me a 3.20.

Not exactly. It's AMD's current technology, it's just not as efficient as an i5 clock for clock. As I'm trying to say, you just can't compare clock speeds directly across different processor architectures. In this case, Tiger is not selling distressed merchandise. Note that the price of just the 955 processor is $40 less than the i5, the performance benchmarks bear that out. The AMD 965 is about $10 less than the i5, again, that corresponds quite well to the relative performance.

Here's some benchmark charts you may be interested in:

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/2...hmarks,60.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/g...hmarks,70.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/g...hmarks,69.html

Note that CF and SLI stand for dual cards. With your budget, I don't recommend you do that, to max out your gaming you just don't have an adequate budget at this time. You are going to have to build within your means and upgrade when you can. Even a very barebones entry-level build is going to perform tons better than what you have right now, even if you could get it working right. You have enough $$$ to go considerably better than that, but not to get into high-end. This is why I'm so concerned about getting your system well balanced, otherwise some old or cheap component is going to hold the whole system back.

EDIT: Tiger Direct sells a lot of distressed and low quality merchandise, and their customer service hasn't always been very good. Their ad writers can make a turd sound like a brick of gold.

Maybe what I'm trying to say is this - you have to know what you are looking at. Tiger does sell quality stuff at a decent price - that Asus motherboard and AMD 955 combo is certainly quality. However, they make ECS motherboards and Ultra power supplies sound like the greatest thing since sliced bread - and anyone "in the know" knows that this is not the case, those manufacturers are quite lacking in quality.

[Dave in Houston]

glc,

I'm thinking of a similar build as a graduation gift for my son.

I live in a town that has a Microcenter, and they sell i7-920 CPUs to walk-in customers for $199 ($215 with tax).

Is that a worthwhile improvement to the i5 CPU you suggested?

What mother board and memory would be good?

Would it be better if I just made a new thread?

Thanks!

Dave

Edit: I just noticed that they've reduced the price of the i7-920 to $180, and they have the i7-930 for $200.

[ryuk999]

Originally Posted by Dave in Houston glc, I'm thinking of a similar build as a graduation gift for my son. I live in a town that has a Microcenter, and they sell i7-920 CPUs to walk-in customers for $199 ($215 with tax). Is that a worthwhile improvement to the i5 CPU you suggested? What mother board and memory would be good? Would it be better if I just made a new thread? Thanks! Dave Edit: I just noticed that they've reduced the price of the i7-920 to $180, and they have the i7-930 for $200.

It is suggested to start a new thread for a new build.
The i7-920 uses the X58 Chipset which, on here, is considered to be unstable and for the more expensive enthusiast. i5 uses the P55 chipset which is a bit more stable and made for the more "typical user".