Support NeoGAF

[TommyT]

Ugh had to reformat last night... Wasn't as bad as I expected though, was sure to make an image of the fresh machine so I can just roll with that next time.

I think I'll be upping to 8gigs of RAM within the month... and thinking about SLI'ing my 560 ti. The latter I'm still a bit on the fence about. No real reason to do it at the moment as it currently OC'ed is running BF3 perfectly fine.

 

[Previous]

Researching my first build and got some questions

- For the i7 2500k, if I decide to overclock sometime in the future, heat sink wise will the CoolerMaster 212+ be enough? or should I get a Coolermaster V6 or V8 to be safe? Would either of those two be a noticeable improvement over the 212+?

-
For choosing a motherboard, I'm pretty confused, and since a few of them listed in the op don't seem to be available anymore ill just ask:

What is (if any) difference between this mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131729
and this one?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131771

 

[MC RaZaR]

Researching my first build and got some questions

- For the i7 2500k, if I decide to overclock sometime in the future, heat sink wise will the CoolerMaster 212+ be enough? or should I get a Coolermaster V6 or V8 to be safe? Would either of those two be a noticeable improvement over the 212+?

-
For choosing a motherboard, I'm pretty confused, and since a few of them listed in the op don't seem to be available anymore ill just ask:

What is (if any) difference between this mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131729
and this one?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131771

The motherboards seem to differ in chipset as one is Z68 and the other is P67 and the rear panel ports are alittle bit different.

 

[mkenyon]

Researching my first build and got some questions

- For the i7 2500k, if I decide to overclock sometime in the future, heat sink wise will the CoolerMaster 212+ be enough? or should I get a Coolermaster V6 or V8 to be safe? Would either of those two be a noticeable improvement over the 212+?

-
For choosing a motherboard, I'm pretty confused, and since a few of them listed in the op don't seem to be available anymore ill just ask:

What is (if any) difference between this mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131729
and this one?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131771

For an overclock, it depends on how far you want to take it. For a light to medium overclock, the 212+ is great.

One of the motherboards is P67, one is Z68. With Z68 you gain some features that you probably won't be using. (SSD caching, onboard video)

 

[RedSwirl]

Just asking, but exactly what kind of difference can tidy cables make to a computer's temperature? Even if it's just a difference of around 10C that would mean something to me.

Edit: looking back at photos, for one of them (maybe a few) I will probably need a longer SATA data cable. Any tips on where I can get one? The one I'm using was the only one I could find from DELL because they told me buying from anywhere else would void my warranty, but installing the HD6850 probably already did that (said warranty might expire this year anyway).

 

[Swag]

Would now be a terrible time to purchase a Solid State Drive?

 

[RedSwirl]

Also, how long do you guys think I can keep playing games at 80+C GPU temps before I start to have serious hardware problems? We're talking games like RPGs that I might play for a couple hours at a time. For all I know I could have been playing at these temps since March. After this fall though I don't think I'll be doing much PC gaming until Far Cry and Mass Effect come out.

 

[JJBro One]

amazon has this sparkle gtx 580 on sale for $420. Any opinions on it? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004BLHG92/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Hazaro]

Researching my first build and got some questions

- For the i7 2500k, if I decide to overclock sometime in the future, heat sink wise will the CoolerMaster 212+ be enough? or should I get a Coolermaster V6 or V8 to be safe? Would either of those two be a noticeable improvement over the 212+?

212+ is good. V6 or V8 not that much better. Should get a solid 4.2Ghz at least.

Just asking, but exactly what kind of difference can tidy cables make to a computer's temperature? Even if it's just a difference of around 10C that would mean something to me.

Rounded or small cables maybe 2C. Just add a fan if you are worried about temps like I said.

Also, how long do you guys think I can keep playing games at 80+C GPU temps before I start to have serious hardware problems? We're talking games like RPGs that I might play for a couple hours at a time. For all I know I could have been playing at these temps since March. After this fall though I don't think I'll be doing much PC gaming until Far Cry and Mass Effect come out.

You can do just fine at 80C GPU temps

amazon has this sparkle gtx 580 on sale for $420. Any opinions on it? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004BLHG92/?tag=neogaf0e-20

It's a good deal. Prices on other brands might fall with the 7970 launch. 7950 will most likely offer a better value as well.

Would now be a terrible time to purchase a Solid State Drive?

Time is fine for buying SSDs. Nothing new upcoming and HDDs are expensive.

 

[JJBro One]

what are your thoughts on this psu? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153136 best price i've seen for a 750W.

 

[RedSwirl]

Rounded or small cables maybe 2C. Just add a fan if you are worried about temps like I said.

You can do just fine at 80C GPU temps.

What about 90 (which is what I get playing TW2)? If I did get a second fan, where would I install it?

Secondly, if I do decide to tie up the cables, to which side would be best? Inside my case to the left of the cables (which are semi-tangled up over the motherboard) is the heatsink directly in front of the intake. Above them is the PSU's fan and below them is the GPU with its heatsink facing towards the cables.

 

[Hazaro]

One monitor, but my computer originally came with an 8800GT, and I replaced it with the HD6850, which is physically twice as wide. I only recently started hearing the fan this loudly, but for all I know I could've been running at these temperatures since March.

That's why I'm here: I'm looking for airflow solutions.

Clean the GPU with compressed air if you haven't already.

Move cables to infront of PSU. Add 1 or 2 80mm cheapo fans.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150007

Check if you have any open 3pin fan slots on motherboard. Otherwise get a molex splitter or SATA -> molex and split that.

 

[TheChewyWaffles]

Ok I'm probably being a bit anal here, but how much better real world performance would I get by swapping out my 570 ti 1.5GB (MSI) for a 3GB 580 ti (also MSI). Stupid, right? This is with a 2600k i7 running the show.

 

[Hazaro]

Ok I'm probably being a bit anal here, but how much better real world performance would I get by swapping out my 570 ti 1.5GB (MSI) for a 3GB 580 ti (also MSI). Stupid, right? This is with a 2600k i7 running the show.

Don't be dumb silly. Check Anandtech Bench in the OP.

 

[gofreak]

Thanks brotkasten and Lime for the advice Think I might look into overclocking my CPU again and couple that with new RAM and a new GPU...I have a beastly heatsink so I suppose I should put it to use.

 

[FoolsRun]

what are your thoughts on this psu? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153136 best price i've seen for a 750W.

Different reviewers seem to classify it as an entry-level PSU, perhaps along the lines of Corsair's Builder series. Two reviewers found that it began to struggle at higher loads, indicating it's not really a true 750w device (or at least the units they tested weren't).

I think you can get better quality 650w mid-range PSUs like the Corsair TX650 or XFX 650 for about the same price after rebate, and they'll likely do as good if not better a job than the Thermaltake. They aren't modular, though.

Do you really need a 750 watt?

 

[TheChewyWaffles]

Anyone have a recommendation on a good wireless NIC? Are they pretty much commoditized these days or is there a superior model I can target?

 

[Celcius]

I'm using afterburner 2.10 & nvidia's 290.53 drivers and today I decided to raise my gtx 580 from stock to 830 core. Afterburner and gpu-z show the updated clocks, but my benchmark scores are still exactly the same. Any suggestions?

 

[mkenyon]

I'm using afterburner 2.10 & nvidia's 290.53 drivers and today I decided to raise my gtx 580 from stock to 830 core. Afterburner and gpu-z show the updated clocks, but my benchmark scores are still exactly the same. Any suggestions?

What bench are you running?

There is some stuff in here that might help as well.

 

[Celcius]

3dmark 11 and the FF14 benchmark

 

[Hasphat'sAnts]

I just ran into a big problem with my new computer, and I don't really know where else to turn to. My new build is now 3 weeks old, and it's been running very well.

Yesterday when I was playing League of Legends I got my first BSoD, and after digging around on the forums, I found that it could be a RAM issue.

So I downloaded MemTest, ran it, and found some errors. No big deal, I thought, I can test the individual (Corsair Vengeance, 8GB, 2X4) modules and see where the problem is. Took out the second module, tested the first, worked fine, no errors. Great.

Took out the first, put in the second, shit hit the fan. Computer won't boot up. Then I took that module out and put in the first one, which worked just fine a minute ago. Doesn't boot either. Then I found out that the socket I put it in (I changed the sockets on purpose) wasn't working because when I put the working module in the other sockets the computer booted fine. So now I've got a bad memory module, and a squeaky mobo (ASUS P8P67 Pro). Not good.

And here's where the real problems came in. Now that I only got one module in there, it takes forever for the computer to get past the BIOS splash screen during the booting sequence, but that's just an annoyance for now.

Random assortment of issues:

USB Wireless Adapter isn't recognized.
Computer randomly shuts down after booting into Windows 7 (gets past the welcome screen, desktop loads, then boom, it shuts down, only to start back up again).
The LED light switch on my case shuts down the computer.
Does not restart (shuts down fine, but then refuses to start back up).

I'm really at a loss as to how to diagnose the problem. And since it's the holidays, customer service reps aren't working, and it'll take forever to replace the borked parts

I bought the computer little under a month ago, so I was wondering if I should try to fix the problem now, or just bite the bullet now and return the mother board to newegg and get a different one.

My build:
OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular Unit
ASUS P8P67 Pro Motherboard
Intel Core i5-2500K
Corsair Vengeance 8GB 1600Mhz, 2X4
Sapphire AMD Radeon 6870
Hitachi 250 GB hard drive (from a friend)
LITE-ON CD-DVD burner.

NOTE: I did not overclock.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Out of curiosity, if I decided to buy a 7970 at some point in the future, would my Corsair 650TX power supply still be in good shape?

My current rig:
i7 930 @3.9 Ghz
HD5850
1 HDD and 1 SSD

 

[mkenyon]

Lots of problems.

Have you cleared CMOS since all of this started happening?

3dmark 11 and the FF14 benchmark

Processor and speed? Does your score compare to the other folks in that thread with a similar setup?

Out of curiosity, if I decided to buy a 7970 at some point in the future, would my Corsair 650TX power supply still be in good shape?

My current rig:
i7 930 @3.9 Ghz
HD5850
1 HDD and 1 SSD

Should be fine.

 

[Celcius]

My 2600k is at 4.5ghz. When overclocked, the display driver crashes while running a 3d program. I'll give my old drivers a shot and see what happens.

edit: I upgraded to the latest beta afterburner and it seems to be applying the OC, but my display driver crashes. 830mhz isn't too much for stock voltage is it?

 

[Hasphat'sAnts]

Have you cleared CMOS since all of this started happening?

Yes.

The stability problems are still there after I cleared CMOS. I'm trying to update the BIOS right now.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Should be fine.

Thanks! I don't have any immediate plans but its good to know.

 

[mkenyon]

My 2600k is at 4.5ghz. When overclocked, the display driver crashes while running a 3d program. I'll give my old drivers a shot and see what happens.

edit: I upgraded to the latest beta afterburner and it seems to be applying the OC, but my display driver crashes. 830mhz isn't too much for stock voltage is it?

Probably, give it some more juice.

 

[Celcius]

^^I'll give it a try. At 800mhz the driver doesn't crash, but my score is still the same as stock.

edit: I bumped the voltage up to 1075 and that seems to have worked. I got 7k in 3dmark 11 on performance and the driver didn't crash

 

[Black_Stride]

Researching my first build and got some questions

- For the i7 2500k, if I decide to overclock sometime in the future, heat sink wise will the CoolerMaster 212+ be enough? or should I get a Coolermaster V6 or V8 to be safe? Would either of those two be a noticeable improvement over the 212+?

First the i7 is either a 2600K or 2700K
The i5 is a 2500K
If you are talking about the i5 - 2500K then a 212 is more than sufficient for the job honestly.

Got up to 4.8 stable with a 212 this is pretty much my daily as i play BF3 almost everyday, temperatures arent bad at all during real world usage.

I even went to 5.0GHz the 2500K held up like a champ.
Here are the temps at 5.0GHz after running 3D Mark 11 and doing some CPU stress tests.

 

[chaosblade]

First the i7 is either a 2600K or 2700K
The i5 is a 2500K
If you are talking about the i5 - 2500K then a 212 is more than sufficient for the job honestly.

Got up to 4.8 stable with a 212 this is pretty much my daily as i play BF3 almost everyday, temperatures arent bad at all during real world usage.

I even went to 5.0GHz the 2500K held up like a champ.
Here are the temps at 5.0GHz after running 3D Mark 11 and doing some CPU stress tests.

<50C max temps during a stress test at 5GHz? Do you live in Antarctica or have a magic CPU?

 

[Brandon F]

So I want to upgrade my HD 4890 card to either a GTX 560ti or 570 card. My current specs:

-i7 920 at vanilla speed.
-9gb RAM
-Radeon 4890
-450w PSU

The two Nvidia cards I am considering both state a min. 500w PSU, but mine is 450. I guess it is obvious I would need to upgrade it.

Any thoughts on a good PSU? I was thinking Corsair as the go-to brand. Supposing a 750-850w to be safe? Will my rig support it ok? Overkill? Any recommended actual PSU SKU's I should look into? Corsair has a lot of choices it seems.

Also any thoughts on the 560ti vs. 570 is appreciated. I'm open to suggestions($300-350 would be my cap), but I want a solid DX11 card that can run Metro 2033 and Witcher 2 comfortably at 1920x1200.

 

[Hazaro]

So I want to upgrade my HD 4890 card to either a GTX 560ti or 570 card. My current specs:

-i7 920 at vanilla speed.
-9gb RAM
-Radeon 4890
-450w PSU

The two Nvidia cards I am considering both state a min. 500w PSU, but mine is 450. I guess it is obvious I would need to upgrade it.

Any thoughts on a good PSU? I was thinking Corsair as the go-to brand. Supposing a 750-850w to be safe? Will my rig support it ok? Overkill? Any recommended actual PSU SKU's I should look into? Corsair has a lot of choices it seems.

Also any thoughts on the 560ti vs. 570 is appreciated. I'm open to suggestions($300-350 would be my cap), but I want a solid DX11 card that can run Metro 2033 and Witcher 2 comfortably at 1920x1200.

What model 450w?
550W is all you need for single card. 750W if you are thinking dual cards later. 850W for higher end dual GPU. 1000W for highest end pair.
The recommended choices are in the OP.

GPU wise: 560Ti or 560Ti (448 core). The 7950 should be reviewed in under 3 weeks and it will probably have better FPS/$ than both of those cards.

 

[·feist·]

What model 450w?

Looks like he might have a pre-built with 3x2GB+3x1GB memory, and, likely, a middling PSU.

So I want to upgrade my HD 4890 card to either a GTX 560ti or 570 card. My current specs:

-i7 920 at vanilla speed.
-9gb RAM
-Radeon 4890
-450w PSU

The two Nvidia cards I am considering both state a min. 500w PSU, but mine is 450. I guess it is obvious I would need to upgrade it.

Any thoughts on a good PSU? I was thinking Corsair as the go-to brand. Supposing a 750-850w to be safe? Will my rig support it ok? Overkill? Any recommended actual PSU SKU's I should look into? Corsair has a lot of choices it seems.

Also any thoughts on the 560ti vs. 570 is appreciated. I'm open to suggestions($300-350 would be my cap), but I want a solid DX11 card that can run Metro 2033 and Witcher 2 comfortably at 1920x1200.

Like Hazaro said, check the OP, and it's not a particularly good time to be buying a ~$350+ GPU. 750-850w is overkill for a single CPU + single GPU build. Also, a stock 920 is a crime.

 

[gokieks]

So I want to upgrade my HD 4890 card to either a GTX 560ti or 570 card. My current specs:

-i7 920 at vanilla speed.
-9gb RAM
-Radeon 4890
-450w PSU

The two Nvidia cards I am considering both state a min. 500w PSU, but mine is 450. I guess it is obvious I would need to upgrade it.

Any thoughts on a good PSU? I was thinking Corsair as the go-to brand. Supposing a 750-850w to be safe? Will my rig support it ok? Overkill? Any recommended actual PSU SKU's I should look into? Corsair has a lot of choices it seems.

Also any thoughts on the 560ti vs. 570 is appreciated. I'm open to suggestions($300-350 would be my cap), but I want a solid DX11 card that can run Metro 2033 and Witcher 2 comfortably at 1920x1200.

For Corsair, the HX/TX/AX series models rated at 500W+ should be fine. Also SeaSonic PSUs are by and large quite good, with the X series occasionally able to be had for pretty good prices.

As far as the GPU goes, the timing is such that if you can stand using the 4890 for a little while longer, it might be worthwhile to wait to see what the next generation of nVidia cards end up being like (or if the lower end Radeon 7000 series cards end up being worthwhile). But if you need it now, the 570 or 560 Ti 448 (if you're sure you won't want another on to SLI down the road) is probably the way to go for 1920x1200 gaming. I am a little wary of nVidia cards in terms of VRAM size though, as WUXGA resolution is probably going to be on the cusp of that becoming a limitation in certain games.

 

[iavi]

As far as the GPU goes, the timing is such that if you can stand using the 4890 for a little while longer, it might be worthwhile to wait to see what the next generation of nVidia cards end up being like (or if the lower end Radeon 7000 series cards end up being worthwhile). But if you need it now, the 570 or 560 Ti 448 (if you're sure you won't want another on to SLI down the road) is probably the way to go for 1920x1200 gaming. I am a little wary of nVidia cards in terms of VRAM size though, as WUXGA resolution is probably going to be on the cusp of that becoming a limitation in certain games.

To piggy back off of your post, I'm eyeing this over the 560Ti 448 for my upcoming rig myself. 2gb of ram will future proof things a bit, it's cheaper (And will probably sink even further once the 7XXX series saturates a bit), and performs as well, if not much better than the 560 Ti 448 in most of the benches I've seen.

Spoiler

plus AMD seems to have an advantage when it comes to The Witcher 2, which is all that really matters anyway, lol

e: holy shit am I wrong. The 560Ti 448 destroys this thing. I read Bench wrong. fff, back to the price hunt.

 

[Previous]

Cool thanks everyone for helping me clarity that. The H80 has also now caught my eye, I know it costs a lot more is almost certainly overkill but it sure looks sexy. I'll have see how much the rest of my final build costs before before I decide on that.

Anyway here's my preliminary part list as of today:
Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz
ASRock P67 EXTREME4 GEN3 mother board
Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 RAM
MSI GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2GB Video Card
Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SATA III
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W PSU

I would love any input at all, particularly so on my MOBO or the PSU selections.
and for a traditional HDD, ill just ask if anyone knows of any good deals going on right now for something in the 2TB range, if not I may just go with this one: Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM

edit: nvm that HDD I linked

 

[T-Matt]

I'm going to be installing an Nvidia card, I've been using the integrated ati video before that so what steps will I need to take?
Do I need to disable the on board graphics in Bios?

 

[·feist·]

I'm going to be installing an Nvidia card, I've been using the integrated ati video before that so what steps will I need to take?
Do I need to disable the on board graphics in Bios?

Run Driver Sweeper to clear out the old ATI video drivers (but, obviously not the chipset drivers). Some boards switch automatically. If yours doesn't, switch the video-out default in BIOS. Install the new card, disregard driver disc, and download drivers from Nvidia.

Cool thanks everyone for helping me clarity that. The H80 has also now caught my eye, I know it costs a lot more is almost certainly overkill but it sure looks sexy. I'll have see how much the rest of my final build costs before before I decide on that.

Anyway here's my preliminary part list as of today:
Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz
ASRock P67 EXTREME4 GEN3 mother board
Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 RAM
MSI GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2GB Video Card
Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SATA III
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W PSU

I would love any input at all, particularly so on my MOBO or the PSU selections.
and for a traditional HDD, ill just ask if anyone knows of any good deals going on right now for something in the 2TB range, if not I may just go with this one: Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM

Looks solid. Mobo should be fine, so long as you aren't looking for extreme clocks. PSU is $10 cheaper on Amazon, and the same post purchase rebate to go along with that.

If you live near Micro Center, or Fry's, they both tend to have CPU+board deals (MC in particular). Check their sites/circulars.

 

[Brandon F]

Looks like he might have a pre-built with 3x2GB+3x1GB memory, and, likely, a middling PSU.


Like Hazaro said, check the OP, and it's not a particularly good time to be buying a ~$350+ GPU. 750-850w is overkill for a single CPU + single GPU build. Also, a stock 920 is a crime.

As correctly assumed, my PSU is a Lite-On 450w PSU in my pre-built Gateway machine from Nov. 2008. Probably not the most efficient PSU I guess. I'll take a look at the OP, my bad for not checking it for PSU recommendations first.

The RAM is all Corsair I upgraded myself though. Came with 3GB, but I installed a few more sticks to get up to 9GB.

I guess I can hold off on GPU cards if Nvidia is close to unveiling a new generation. I have been holding off on my Witcher 2 playthrough until I upgrade as I really don't wish to experience that game on the lower settings.

Any good tips for OC my i7 920? I am so fearful of that stuff and have no real experience doing so.

 

[T-Matt]

Run Driver Sweeper to clear out the old ATI video drivers (but, obviously not the chipset drivers). Some boards switch automatically. If yours doesn't, switch the video-out default in BIOS. Install the new card, disregard driver disc, and download drivers from Nvidia.

.

Thank you feist you are awesome.

 

[lastendconductor]

Do you think a Tacens Radix II 420w PSU is enough for powering this?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051GK5K8/?tag=neogaf0e-20
(I know, it says minium 500w in the description, but..)
if not, do you think there is a decent alternative with dual dvi + hdmi that my PSU can handle? I don't want to upgrade my PSU, but I want dual monitors + tv output.

 

[Nekrono]

Hey guys I just bought a CM Hyper 212 Plus for my 2500k. Is the paste that comes with it good? Also, is there a "best" way to apply it for my processor? I'm talking about amount, method, etc.

Also while I'm at it, what would be the best airflow for a CM 690 II? I just got 4 extra fans for it.

 

[mkenyon]

Should be fine, 560s are really low wattage. You have a ton of HDD's, USB devices, or anything else that draws power from your computer?

 

[·feist·]

Hey guys I just bought a CM Hyper 212 Plus for my 2500k. Is the paste that comes with it good? Also, is there a "best" way to apply it for my processor? I'm talking about amount, method, etc.

Also while I'm at it, what would be the best airflow for a CM 690 II? I just got 4 extra fans for it.

690 II airflow depends on the particular mix of build components you have. For instance, reference GPUs and custom cooled GPUs often respond to different setups, with varying fan speeds. If you don't have an ODD, you can place the front 140mm into the 5.25" bays (or a single 120mm, if you run an ODD). Swap in two 120mm, in place of the single stock 140mm front fan, and use the remaining fan as either a bottom intake, on the floor of the case, or placed on the HDD cage blowing into the GPU. You just need to try out different configs to see which you prefer for best cooling and noise levels.

Stock 212 TIM is adequate, though others are better. For application, there's this link for HDT coolers like the 212, or this, from the OP:

Putting it all together
Thermal Paste: Apply as a ~4mm ball to the CPU. Press the heatsink down and tighten. Line method is ok. If you take the heatsink off, clean it with alcohol and reapply or you will trap air.

As correctly assumed, my PSU is a Lite-On 450w PSU in my pre-built Gateway machine from Nov. 2008. Probably not the most efficient PSU I guess. I'll take a look at the OP, my bad for not checking it for PSU recommendations first.

The RAM is all Corsair I upgraded myself though. Came with 3GB, but I installed a few more sticks to get up to 9GB.

I guess I can hold off on GPU cards if Nvidia is close to unveiling a new generation. I have been holding off on my Witcher 2 playthrough until I upgrade as I really don't wish to experience that game on the lower settings.

Any good tips for OC my i7 920? I am so fearful of that stuff and have no real experience doing so.

If the PSU is PS-6451-5, you may be ok, as it's 80+ Bronze-rated. Just need to check for suitable 12v amp. If it's something like this PS-6451-2, I wouldn't get my hopes up much.

Your PC likely came with a very low-end board (like an ECS) with limited, or no overclocking. If so, it may be worth it to look into a solid s1366 board upgrade. Despite being a dead socket, your CPU is very capable, and will be good for years to come with a nice OC.

While I've never used it, Clunk's beginners' overclocking guides have been among the most popular for at least the last three generations of Intel processors. Core i7 Overclocking Guide For Beginners. Aside from that, you can search around for the specific models of your CPU+motherboard+overclock, for further help.

 

[MC RaZaR]

Anyone have a recommendation on a good wireless NIC? Are they pretty much commoditized these days or is there a superior model I can target?

It sort of matters which ones you get. Some have a more stable and steady connection and better reception I guess. I don't know which ones are good. I guess just don't get one that is too cheap or maybe one with good reviews.

 

[reggie]

Confused on the CoolerMaster 212+ EVO. Is it + or EVO or both? I can't seem to find it or I'm a moron?

 

[Brandon F]

If the PSU is PS-6451-5, you may be ok, as it's 80+ Bronze-rated. Just need to check for suitable 12v amp. If it's something like this PS-6451-2, I wouldn't get my hopes up much.

Just did a bit of research and I think my PSU is the PS-6451-2 one you listed unfortunately. Seems you aren't too big on that one, reaffirming my need for an upgrade.

 

[·feist·]

Brandon F, even if it isn't the highest quality PSU ever, doesn't mean it won't run your next GPU upgrade. That said, better models tend to have better fail-safes for things like load/over current, and spikes.

Confused on the CoolerMaster 212+ EVO. Is it + or EVO or both? I can't seem to find it or I'm a moron?

Start here:

Cooler Master Hyper 212+ vs Hyper 212 Evo - spec comparison (including video)


In addition:

212+ = Direct Contact | 212 Evo = CDC

Plus
http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?category_id=2&product_id=2923
Evo
http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?category_id=2&product_id=3053

212+ vs 212 Evo review [YMMV]

Test and review of the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
http://dvtests.com/?p=6565

Free Intel X79 mounting bracket:

Cooler Master Intel LGA2011 Bracket Free Upgrade Program
http://coolermaster-usa.com/landing/lga2011/

 

[iavi]

I'm not jumping on all of this yet, but getting it all in mind for the coming weeks. Aside from the GPU, which is supposedly coming up for its rebranding as the 7850 and substantial price drop(that I'm holding off on my build for), where do you guys think I could improve upon this build here? I'm looking for bang/buck, so even if something is a few dollars more expensive, let me know if its performance/$ ratio warrants the jump. And it'd definitely help if you could let me know where I can go cheaper without losing much from this base here. My aim is a machine that aces The Witcher 2 at ultra, with AA, at 1680x1050.

 

[RS4-]

I'm not jumping on all of this yet, but getting it all in mind for the coming weeks. Aside from the GPU, which is supposedly coming up for its rebranding as the 7850 and substantial price drop(that I'm holding off on my build for), where do you guys think I could improve upon this build here? I'm looking for bang/buck, so even if something is a few dollars more expensive, let me know if its performance/$ ratio warrants the jump. And it'd definitely help if you could let me know where I can go cheaper without losing much from this base here. My aim is a machine that aces The Witcher 2 at ultra, with AA, at 1680x1050.

Get the 2500k; how much is the 1GB 6950? Aren't the new 560T 448's like $280?