• PC Building Thread
    4,998 replies, posted
[QUOTE=barrab;47248556]The CPU wasn't in stock so I ordered this instead: [url]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-Graphics-BX80646I54430-Generation-Technology/dp/B00CO8T9VC/ref=sr_1_12?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1425373715&sr=1-12&keywords=intel[/url] I figure the bigger numbers make it future proof[/QUOTE] Yes that'll do well. It's a full quad core.
[QUOTE=Levelog;47248566]Yes that'll do well. It's a full quad core.[/QUOTE] Does anyone have any good analogies to explain CPU cores and speeds? I note that I lost .5ghz per core, what does that mean, or does it not matter because its i5? Sorry for being a layman.
I'm looking to make my PC run a little smoother. I've been having issues with my Motherboard basically since I got it. One of the two RAM slots doesn't work at all and just having one RAM stick in there still causes some blue screens complaining about bad memory. I think my CPU is still okay but I would like to know what you guys think would be a good replacement for motherboard and what you recommend for ram as well since I need to replace those as well. This is my current build. GPU: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6870 1GB MB: ASRock H61M-GS LGA 1155 Intel H61 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard CPU: Intel Core i5-2300 Sandy Bridge 2.8GHz (3.1GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core RAM: G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Speccy: [t]https://db.tt/NmdWzS0P[/t]
[QUOTE=barrab;47248593]Does anyone have any good analogies to explain CPU cores and speeds? I note that I lost .5ghz per core, what does that mean, or does it not matter because its i5? Sorry for being a layman.[/QUOTE] In its essence, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) is a calculator. As such, typically it can only perform one calculation/instruction at a time, but it can perform a huge amount of them every second. Increasing the frequency (Hz) of the CPU will mean you can execute more instructions every second. Note that the word "core" in CPU technology didn't even exist as a concept until multi-threading was invented. This means that instead of having a single, fast calculator doing your calculations for you, the operating system will split its tasks between 2, 4, 6, 8, however many "calculators", or cores, you have in your CPU. This lightens the workload and allows for parallel processing, making tasks more efficient. It starts getting a lot more involved and complicated when you compare different CPU architectures (AMD vs Intel, as an example), but that should be enough as a basis. The fact that you lost 0.5GHz on the cores is fairly negligible considering you have double the amount of cores available to you. The "i5" is simply Intel's model numbering. The i3s are their entry level, dual core processors, the i5s are generally good, mid-range quad cores, and the i7s are their highest tier, capable of Hyper-threading (which will simulate 2 threads for each core, effectively turning a quad-core into an 8-core, roughly).
Well, I managed to put it together in 3 hours. It was a lot easier than I thought it'd be, the biggest snag I ran into was not connecting the CPU 4pin power socket.
[QUOTE=barrab;47256516]Well, I managed to put it together in 3 hours. It was a lot easier than I thought it'd be, the biggest snag I ran into was not connecting the CPU 4pin power socket.[/QUOTE] Yup, that one's easy to forget. Makes your heart skip a beat when your mobo starts beeping at you when you turn it on.
More than anything I'd recommend an H97 board over a B85. And why a $40 CPU heatsink when you can't even overclock?
[QUOTE=Teddybeer;47282660]Because I know my room will give heating problems[/QUOTE] Something far cheaper like the Cooler Master TX4 will do the job plenty well unless your room is a consistent 40C+
Its not like an aftermarket cooler an an excessive luxury.
[QUOTE=Cold;47282736]Its not like an aftermarket cooler an an excessive luxury.[/QUOTE] Yes but getting a ~$20 cooler and using the extra $20 to bump up to an H97 board is a better choice IMO.
[QUOTE=IceWarrior98;47254558]I'm looking to make my PC run a little smoother. I've been having issues with my Motherboard basically since I got it. One of the two RAM slots doesn't work at all and just having one RAM stick in there still causes some blue screens complaining about bad memory. I think my CPU is still okay but I would like to know what you guys think would be a good replacement for motherboard and what you recommend for ram as well since I need to replace those as well. This is my current build. GPU: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6870 1GB MB: ASRock H61M-GS LGA 1155 Intel H61 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard CPU: Intel Core i5-2300 Sandy Bridge 2.8GHz (3.1GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core RAM: G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Speccy: [t]https://db.tt/NmdWzS0P[/t][/QUOTE] Would anyone here recommend these parts as a replacement? I've checked compatibility and it seems solid. I just need a more educated opinion on the matter. [url]http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/user/caribou89/saved/XMDKHx[/url] [quote]PCPartPicker part list: [url]http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/ThGYt6[/url] Price breakdown by merchant: [url]http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/ThGYt6/by_merchant/[/url] CPU: AMD FX-4300 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($99.98 @ DirectCanada) Motherboard: Biostar TA970 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($74.98 @ Newegg Canada) Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (4 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($95.98 @ Newegg Canada) Total: $270.94 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-09 19:36 EDT-0400[/quote]
That processor is going to end up worse for gaming unless you heavily overclock it, which I wouldn't recommend doing on that biostar board. What's your budget?
[QUOTE=Levelog;47290661]That processor is going to end up worse for gaming unless you heavily overclock it, which I wouldn't recommend doing on that biostar board. What's your budget?[/QUOTE] I'd rather not spend more than the 270 that website is suggesting. Of course I'm also willing to wait and save up so let's say there is no budget.
I'd get this and use your current RAM until you can afford another 4gb. If the RAM is still giving you issues, RMA it. It should have a lifetime warranty. [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7FMw7P]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7FMw7P/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url] [b]CPU:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54460]Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor[/url] ($178.98 @ OutletPC) [b]Motherboard:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-h97mpro4]ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard[/url] ($79.89 @ OutletPC) [b]Total:[/b] $258.87 [i]Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available[/i] [i]Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-09 20:03 EDT-0400[/i]
An RMA would require a receipt though wouldn't it? If so, I think I've thrown it out, which is odd because I have receipts for most of the other parts. None the less, that seems very promising. Thank you.
[QUOTE=IceWarrior98;47290900]An RMA would require a receipt though wouldn't it? If so, I think I've thrown it out, which is odd because I have receipts for most of the other parts. None the less, that seems very promising. Thank you.[/QUOTE] It really depends on the company and how they're feeling, sometimes the age of the product. I've RMA'd a stick of ddr3 I literally found on the street via corsair without question. Then some old sticks DDR2 sticks I've had for ages, they asked for a receipt.
I ordered from Newegg.ca and the website is telling me no (Been way past 30 days). I can print off a receipt which is nice because the online version is identical to the ones you get in the package. Unless G.Skill does their own RMA's. Newegg is telling me there is no warranty, even with the manufacturer. So I'll probably just order new RAM. Screw it. Less hassle.
[QUOTE=IceWarrior98;47290952]I ordered from Newegg.ca and the website is telling me no (Been way past 30 days). I can print off a receipt which is nice because the online version is identical to the ones you get in the package. Unless G.Skill does their own RMA's. Newegg is telling me there is no warranty, even with the manufacturer. So I'll probably just order new RAM. Screw it. Less hassle.[/QUOTE] If you bought new RAM there should 100% be a warranty. GSkill handles their own warranties. Tell Newegg to fuck off.
What is your guy's opinion on this board? [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131981[/url] It's ~$50 off and I may pick it up. Is it good for its price?
In a word, yes.
I'm also looking for a new CPU cooler. Less than $50, better than stock coolers, and quiet since my current cpu cooler is stock and super loud. I see this one posted often: [url]http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2[/url] What do you guys think?
[QUOTE=Banhfunbags;47292158]What is your guy's opinion on this board? [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131981[/url] It's ~$50 off and I may pick it up. Is it good for its price?[/QUOTE] It'll do a mediocre job at overclocking, pretty much anything you can get out of that 212 evo. The reviews point out some possible issues though.
[QUOTE=Levelog;47292517]It'll do a mediocre job at overclocking, pretty much anything you can get out of that 212 evo. The reviews point out some possible issues though.[/QUOTE] Oh boy yeah the reviews on that board aren't great, especially the ones about issues with Linux, which I'll be using.
I'm thinking of buying an internal drive for my rig. I already decided on Seagate Barracuda 3.5" 2TB, is it good enough or should I find anything cheaper? (I got tons of stuff to keep, so I really need the 2TB)
[QUOTE=Spectre1406;47292714]I'm thinking of buying an internal drive for my rig. I already decided on Seagate Barracuda 3.5" 2TB, is it good enough or should I find anything cheaper? (I got tons of stuff to keep, so I really need the 2TB)[/QUOTE] That should do fine. I've got a 2tb Seagate Barracuda in my system and it's working great.
What about this hybrid drive I keep seeing? Do you think it's okay?
[QUOTE=Spectre1406;47292728]What about this hybrid drive I keep seeing? Do you think it's okay?[/QUOTE] Hybrid drives are meh. If it's your main drive and you have no SSD, it's kinda sorta worth it. Otherwise no.
[QUOTE=IceWarrior98;47290632]Would anyone here recommend these parts as a replacement? I've checked compatibility and it seems solid. I just need a more educated opinion on the matter. [url]http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/user/caribou89/saved/XMDKHx[/url][/QUOTE] That I5 is faster then the FX-4300. Should just get a motherboard/ram compatible with your current setup. I would probably just replace(or RMA) your ram, see if that fixes your problem, and if it doesn't fix your problems replace your motherboard. I wouldn't replace your CPU with an i5-4460, that's a lot of money to spend on a small performance improvement.
[QUOTE=Banhfunbags;47292158]What is your guy's opinion on this board? [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131981[/url] It's ~$50 off and I may pick it up. Is it good for its price?[/QUOTE] I'm a bit skeptical about buying this board now. Can someone recommend me a board that's less than $150? The desktop that this board will be in will be a Linux and Windows desktop, I'll be playing video games, I probably won't do that much overclocking I'm considering this board now: [url]http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-motherboard-z97gaming5[/url]
[QUOTE=Banhfunbags;47295030]I'm a bit skeptical about buying this board now. Can someone recommend me a board that's less than $150? The desktop that this board will be in will be a Linux and Windows desktop, I'll be playing video games, I probably won't do that much overclocking I'm considering this board now: [url]http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-motherboard-z97gaming5[/url][/QUOTE] The Gigabyte gaming 5 has pretty much the same feature set But better vrms. I'd go with that.
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