07-06-2012, 01:56 PM
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#1
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Lifetime Suspension
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: The Void between Darkness and Light
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Looking for advice on new BC (PC) build
Long story short, several components on my existing desktop are dying. PSU smells like it's about to burst into flames, motherboard has seen better days, every other component is 4 years old.
It's now going to cost me more to upgrade this baby than it will be to replace it, which is where the CP faithful come in.
I'm not a stranger to building a pc, but, I don't have much in the way of hardware knowledge.
I've gone on NCIX and customized one of their existing set ups, and am wondering what y'all think. The thing about this build is budget is tight for now but is loosening up in the fall. For right now, I need a desktop that I can word process on, download, and maybe play some games requiring little hardware (age of empires online, company of heroes), but I want as much flexibility as possible for future improvements. In the future I'll add things like an SSD for my operating system etc, but for right now, i need it to boot up.
A friend has a ATI 6970 card that he'll sell me cheap, so I'm looking for the components for everything else to hold me over for the next little while. I don't need mouse, keyboard, monitor or anything else like that.
What does everyone think?
Last edited by Flash Walken; 07-06-2012 at 02:41 PM.
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07-06-2012, 02:04 PM
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#2
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The new goggles also do nothing.
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Calgary
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For only $30 more you could get an Intel combo:
http://ncix.com/products/index.php?s...s&promoid=1015
I'd stick with the Intel, especially for only that much price difference. It'll run far cooler and be better in almost every application.
And I'd get at least 8GB of RAM.
__________________
Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
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The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to photon For This Useful Post:
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07-06-2012, 02:16 PM
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#3
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First Line Centre
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Calgary
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No SSD? For shame.
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07-06-2012, 02:18 PM
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#4
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Victoria
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Island, or lower mainland?
*rimshot*
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The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to rubecube For This Useful Post:
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07-06-2012, 02:31 PM
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#5
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Lifetime Suspension
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: The Void between Darkness and Light
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I don't get it, Rube?
edit: i get it now.
Hilarious.
Last edited by Flash Walken; 07-06-2012 at 02:40 PM.
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07-06-2012, 02:34 PM
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#6
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Lifetime Suspension
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: The Void between Darkness and Light
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Quote:
Originally Posted by photon
For only $30 more you could get an Intel combo:
http://ncix.com/products/index.php?s...s&promoid=1015
I'd stick with the Intel, especially for only that much price difference. It'll run far cooler and be better in almost every application.
And I'd get at least 8GB of RAM. |
The type of ram shouldn't matter though with the exchanged mobo and processor?
That's funny you linked the combo deal, I looked at that previously and decided on the AMD 
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07-06-2012, 02:37 PM
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#7
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Lifetime Suspension
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: The Void between Darkness and Light
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MickMcGeough
No SSD? For shame.
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I'll take any and all donations.
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07-06-2012, 02:39 PM
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#8
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GOAT!
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Well, personally, I'd leave Vancouver as part of your rebuild. The city is quite nice, but I'd try to kind some way of shipping out the Canucks. Maybe blowup Rogers Arena or something?
Also, see if you can find a way to not make me drive so far from here to do a little salmon fishing.
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07-06-2012, 02:40 PM
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#9
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: in your blind spot.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flash Walken
I don't get it, Rube?
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Your thread title - "new BC build".
And RAM is one of, if not the, easiest thing to add later. So IMHO 4GB should be fine for what you mention you want to use it for.
__________________
"The problem with any ideology is that it gives the answer before you look at the evidence."
—Bill Clinton
"The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance--it is the illusion of knowledge."
—Daniel J. Boorstin, historian, former Librarian of Congress
"But the Senator, while insisting he was not intoxicated, could not explain his nudity"
—WKRP in Cincinatti
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07-06-2012, 03:07 PM
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#10
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Lifetime Suspension
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: The Void between Darkness and Light
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School me on cooling systems.
I had one in my priced out list, until photon recommended the intel combo.
He's usually a pretty particular guy, so I noticed that he didn't suggest a separate cooling unit of his own. The cooling unit I picked out I assumed was specific to my chipset, am I to think that cooling units that are more than the average heatsink and fan are useless/not worth it for the average computer assembly?
Do I need several chips, double video card and all an around computer hardware mega-boner to take advantage of some wicked-awesome cooling infrastructure?
Also, reviews on the ATI 6970?
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07-06-2012, 03:29 PM
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#11
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The new goggles also do nothing.
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Calgary
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flash Walken
The type of ram shouldn't matter though with the exchanged mobo and processor?
That's funny you linked the combo deal, I looked at that previously and decided on the AMD |
RAM might matter, but only the speed, they both seem to take DDR3, so you'd just need to see what the minimum requirement for the other board is for speed of memory.
__________________
Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
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07-06-2012, 03:35 PM
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#12
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The new goggles also do nothing.
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Calgary
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flash Walken
School me on cooling systems.
I had one in my priced out list, until photon recommended the intel combo.
He's usually a pretty particular guy, so I noticed that he didn't suggest a separate cooling unit of his own. The cooling unit I picked out I assumed was specific to my chipset, am I to think that cooling units that are more than the average heatsink and fan are useless/not worth it for the average computer assembly?
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Yeah I'm picky about noise for sure. I didn't change it as it was a Noctuna and they usually are very good, I didn't notice that one was for AMD only. Whatever comparable Noctuna for Intel would probably be ok, or if they don't have one the Scythe Mugen 3 is a good budget one:
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=65872&...facture=Scythe
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coo...e-mugen-3.html
Or you can browse their reviews to find a decent one:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flash Walken
Do I need several chips, double video card and all an around computer hardware mega-boner to take advantage of some wicked-awesome cooling infrastructure?
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Not really, I've heard that the stock Intel retail heatsink isn't that bad, especially if you aren't overclocking.
Video cards on the other hand are horrible IMO, I usually go through tons of reviews and even a few products before I settle on one, or I just throw away the stock cooler and get an aftermarket one. But noise here is usually only an issue under load (games); most are pretty quiet when just doing regular stuff.
__________________
Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
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07-06-2012, 03:37 PM
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#13
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GOAT!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flash Walken
School me on cooling systems.
I had one in my priced out list, until photon recommended the intel combo.
He's usually a pretty particular guy, so I noticed that he didn't suggest a separate cooling unit of his own. The cooling unit I picked out I assumed was specific to my chipset, am I to think that cooling units that are more than the average heatsink and fan are useless/not worth it for the average computer assembly?
Do I need several chips, double video card and all an around computer hardware mega-boner to take advantage of some wicked-awesome cooling infrastructure?
Also, reviews on the ATI 6970?
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http://ncix.com/products/?sku=64385&...e=COOLERMASTER
I use Noctua case fans, but I've always been partial to the Hyper 212 for my sink/fan.
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07-06-2012, 03:44 PM
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#14
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The new goggles also do nothing.
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Calgary
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That's a good budget one too.
__________________
Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
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07-06-2012, 04:10 PM
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#15
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Franchise Player
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Quote:
Originally Posted by photon
Video cards on the other hand are horrible IMO, I usually go through tons of reviews and even a few products before I settle on one, or I just throw away the stock cooler and get an aftermarket one. But noise here is usually only an issue under load (games); most are pretty quiet when just doing regular stuff.
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What kind of video card cooler do you recommend? I've had my 8800 Ultra over heat a couple times and hot summer days are around the corner.
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07-06-2012, 04:23 PM
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#16
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The new goggles also do nothing.
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Calgary
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I've always liked Arctic Cooling's VGA coolers:
http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/cooling/vga.html
I had one like the Accelero S1 Plus on my 8800GT (had the turbo module fans as well).
__________________
Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
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07-06-2012, 06:19 PM
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#17
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First Line Centre
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Coquitlam, BC
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If you're going through NCIX don't forget to take advantage of the price-match route.
Search your components out on either pricebat.ca or shopbot.ca, and I guarantee you'll find better prices at bestdirect.ca and/or directcanada.com.
If you do a bit of digging you'll realize that both these online retailers have a head office in the same building as NCIX. Pretty sure they're different faces for the same company, but targeted to different audiences.
As far as cooling goes, I just built a new PC myself and went with a Thermaltake Water 2.0 Performer from Memory Express, which comes with all the bits and bobs for current AMD and Intel sockets. Very good reviews on these things, and a total steal at $70.
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07-26-2012, 02:31 AM
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#19
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First Line Centre
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Calgary, Alberta
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I am looking for an off-the-shelf desktop PC, I will be primarily using it for pron and as a HTPC. I would like to purchase it today. About $1000 budget, I'll need the PC, keyboard, mouse, monitor.
I would like to network 2 TVs, both with PS3s, and the PC. If anyone has thoughts on how to best accomplish this, it would be greatly appreciated. I am going to run a BB50 router and CAT5 to the PS3s and the PC.
TIA
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07-26-2012, 06:56 AM
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#20
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First Line Centre
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Calgary
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GreatWhiteEbola
I am looking for an off-the-shelf desktop PC, I will be primarily using it for pron and as a HTPC. I would like to purchase it today. About $1000 budget, I'll need the PC, keyboard, mouse, monitor.
I would like to network 2 TVs, both with PS3s, and the PC. If anyone has thoughts on how to best accomplish this, it would be greatly appreciated. I am going to run a BB50 router and CAT5 to the PS3s and the PC.
TIA
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You'd still probably be better off picking out some parts from memory express and have them build it for you. Apparently Futureshop is having a sale on monitors.
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