Customized computer?

[Board of Command]

And no I'm obviously not counting the possibility that you are right, even though I know you are, after reading the graph, but it doesn't matter for this argument)

And that's all that matters really. You did some more research after I said what I said, and verified for yourself that in fact, I'm right and you're wrong. You've already made your purchase and I'm not trying to persuade you to exchange it for something else.

( And if you didn't mean to convince anyone, then why did you post about it in a way that could be discribed as a "lolnaab"+*point**laugh* reply, like "I the man, you teh suck" )

And yeah, that's pretty much it. You can argue semantics all you want. You're the one spending money on parts; I'm not. My post wasn't a suggestion. I was planting the idea that you got a bad deal into your mind. Whether you want to verify my statement is totally up to you, or you could ask me to provide more evidence (which I eventually did). The fact of the matter is: I was right and I knew it. Whether you initially believed me or not is not my concern. Just that from now on, you'll know I > you.

And yeah, like DS said, I'm going to stop here. You can pat yourself on the back for beating me with words if you want. The bottom line is: in the end you were arguing about words instead of your cooler. People who do that generally have nothing to go on. What do they call that again? Oh yeah, that's right..."straw man." I have to commend you though -- you executed it very well!

And yes i can recommend the x-fi xtreme gamer, THOUGH for entry lvl I would stick with the xtreme music card, it's a tad more expensive but worth it, but whatever you do, DON'T bother with the xtreme audio card, its really a piece of shit.

XtremeGamer and XtremeMusic are the same cards. XtremeMusic was discontinued and replaced by XtremeGamer. XtremeGamer just has a smaller PCB. I haven't read too much into this but I'm pretty sure all the circuitry and components are the same. They're also sold at very similar prices (around $100 CAD) but you can't really find any XtremeMusic cards in Canada anymore.

[darkshadow]

Yes it was discontinued, but it is still available here, plus they aren't really the same cards, the xtremegamer isn't compatible with the X-FI i/o console upgrade kit and doesn't have a gameport either ( separate 2nd slot perhaps? ), it also doesn't have the sexy golden finish ;o.
But those are things ?igma prolly wouldn't use anyway, like i said, for entry level I would go for the xtrememusic, but hardware wise its the same.

[itadakimasu]

for entry level, i would recommend buying any motherboard... as nearly all current motherboards have onboard sound and for any entry level person or for that matter any person who does not record or professionally produce music.

on the computer topic.... i am now wavering on my video card choice... im now actually giving nvidia the possibility of purchase but im finding such a wide range of cards and am just relaly unsure of what to get. it may have been dark shadow, or somebody else in this thread who showed me a sapphire x1950 xt, and i have since found a 512 version but it seems to be limited release (saw it on ebay) so i dunno... i would get it if i can find one on newegg or zipzoom but have only seen the 256mb version

[Board of Command]

Radeon X1950 Pro and Geforce 7950GT are good choices if you can get them cheap. Don't spend too much money on a video card right now though, and don't bother with the DX10 cards as they're useless and will be obsolete by the time DX10 becomes mainstream.

It all depends on your resolution. If you have a 20" or small monitor, the Geforce 8800GTS 320 is the highest card you should consider. DX10 performance is irrelevant, but DX9 is very good.

[Dubazlar]

And that's all that matters really. You did some more research after I said what I said, and verified for yourself that in fact, I'm right and you're wrong. You've already made your purchase and I'm not trying to persuade you to exchange it for something else

It's really great that you win at your own created question, with your own answer and your own debate, however, it still doesn't make it relevant to my purchase in any way :P at all. The answers to why that is have already been given.

In other words, I don't doubt myself, ever, if I make a wrong purchase, it means the object in question can't fulfill its purpose, but it can(and will) so it's either way, not a cat in the bag.

I'll look into the Audio thing, but I can't bring myself to caring at all..sure it's just € 50,-, but I've always been happy with my onboard sound. I had a soundcard once, with my P3 or such, because the onboard sound was horrible, but I've never actually needed one ever after, the onboard sound is perfectly fine for me. Maybe they improved it, or perhaps I've gotten used to it.

[darkshadow]

Yeah sure its perfectly fine... cause you never had BETTER >_>.
It's like driving a ferarri all your life, only to go back to a (old) mini cooper.
Really EAX 4.0 and up just make your games sound that much better, plus the 24bit crystalizer on the X-FI series will make even your old 128kbps mp3's sound like a fucking dream.
But hey, you might not need Hidef, i guess Standard Def is perfectly fine for you... ;o.

[Board of Command]

Depends on the onboard chip. The Realtek ALC888 is pretty good for onboard. I used it for a while when my X-Fi driver refused to work. With regular 2.1 speakers, I couldn't notice too much difference. It also has equalization presets that can make it sound like the X-Fi. The biggest difference is when you put on headphones. The X-Fi's headphone setting sounds drastically different from The ALC888's headphone setting (which seems to do nothing, actually).

A lot of people won't be able to notice much difference unless they use good speakers or headphones where any little difference is emphasized.

[Dubazlar]

Most of the time I'm using headphones. Sennheiser of course.

[itadakimasu]

ok.... so i was so excited to get my new video card today. i rushed home so i could put it in.... and, 30-40 minutes later here i am... i cant get this mammoth bitch to snap all the way into my pci-e slot (sapphire x1950 xt) its a good 33% larger than my last vid card which, i also had a hard time installing.

The back snaps right in but the front side just does not want to snap into place. GRRRRRRRRRR and on top of that i realise that my psu is only 350 watt and so i have my other out that im going to use just for the card LOL if i can get the damn thing to go into its new home.

[Animeniax]

I had the same problem with my new monster card. At the front of the PCI-E slot, don't try to insert the card contacts into the lock mechanism. The card goes to one side or the other of the lock, not into it.

I'm waiting for my Tuniq Tower to arrive so I can overclock my Q6600. Did everyone know Tuniq is made by Sunbeam? I think they're the same company that makes cheap household appliances.

[Board of Command]

Unless that's a very good 350 W power supply, I suggest you get a new one before testing out your card.

[itadakimasu]

So. I guess i am now in the market for a psu. Although i'm really not trying to spend much money on it since i'm pretty broke at the time. I found a few on newegg that are really cheap;

i haven't heard of sunbeam but the reviews for it were good. and also there are a couple logisys ones on there that are cheap and have good reviews. 550Watt*

any posative input on this would be nice although i already am picturing a post from BOC or somebody else saying "JUST BUY A BAD ASS $200 PSU you cheap bastard"

[Board of Command]

Now why would I suggest a $200 power supply...

The Corsair 450W is plenty for your system. I have a Silverstone Element 500W and it's pretty solid too. There are several very good units you can get for under $100. The Seasonics, Corsairs, Antecs, Enermaxes and Silverstones are all very good power supplies. Make sure they're ATX12V 2.2 though.

Seasonic, Corsair and Antec are all manufactured by Seasonic, so they're all more or less the same stuff. Enermax makes their own stuff, I think. Silverstone is made by big names like Enhance and Etasis.

[?igma]

I'd just say, get something with a brand that means something . Don't buy some lowpriced 550 watt psu from a company you've never ever in your life heard about and publishes in your local groceries newspaper.

550watt on itself doesn't mean it's a good psu. There's alot more technical qualifications it has to match and I'm not that technical. Buying something that has a quality name/reputation is usually your safe bet towards a safe psu.

Factors like leakage.
Make sure there's at least 24 ampere ( I'm not even sure that's the name in english ) on the 12v rail. well in fact you shouldn't be talking to me about the insides. Just don't buy to buy cheap, buy clever.

[Animeniax]

Look for a PSU with modular cabling system so you can disconnect unneeded cables. Also, make sure you get one with the appropriate connectors like dual PCI-E power plugs for high-end videocards, SATA power connectors as well as IDE, a power fan lead if you care to monitor fan speeds, and power connections as required for higher-end motherboards. You can get a decent one for under $100, and a really good one for under $150.

[darkshadow]

Cooler Master RS-550-ACLY Real Power, 550W (ATX v2.01)
awesome psu right there.
IF you want atx v2.3 go for the Cooler Master RS-520-ASAA-A1 Real Power Pro 520W, its also modular

[Board of Command]

Cooler Master RS-550-ACLY Real Power, 550W (ATX v2.01)
awesome psu right there.
IF you want atx v2.3 go for the Cooler Master RS-520-ASAA-A1 Real Power Pro 520W, its also modular

I can't recommend that. Coolermaster is not a common name in power supplies and it kinda shows.

http://www.extremeoverclocking.com/r...er_550W_2.html

The 12V rails are very weak for a 550W unit. It only gives 360W with three rails. The good 500W power supplies will all give over 400W on two rails. The Corsair 520W gives 480W on the 12V rails. My Silverstone Element gives 430W on the 12V. The weak individual rails might run into trouble if you're using power hungry cards like the 2900XT.

Also, I don't know who makes Coolermaster power supplies. Judging from the heatsink design, it's certainly not Seasonic. When in doubt, stick to the Seasonic brands (Seasonic, Antec, Corsair).

[itadakimasu]

ok... i did find a psu i was ready to buy but they dont have it in stock at the store so i cant' have it tonight.

Found a couple that i think are winners...

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=382326
Ultra ULT33136 XVS Modular 600W

http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...0260161#rebate
StealthXstream 600 Watt

i like the stealthxstream one for 80 bucks (OCZ) but it was not in stock at micro center... and where i usually buy stuff (zipzoomfly/newegg) it is about $20 more *sigh* im going to have to wait until the end of the week it looks like.

[Board of Command]

If you're not using multiple video cards (and you shouldn't), then just get this and call it a day

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139003

[darkshadow]

Err no i can recommend it, cause i'm using the real power 450watt, and its awesomely powerfull
also if you read that review's conclusion:
"I can't stress enough to people the importance of choosing a quality power supply. After running the Cooler Master 550W Real Power through its paces, it has earned a spot on my recommended list for sure. As mentioned before, generally the voltage levels remained around ±1-2% of nominal specs, efficiency was also better than recommended levels. Lastly, the 120mm fan operated quietly while keeping the air flowing."
"This PSU does have solid 12V rails, capable of maxing out our test rig at ~17.5A each (that's 52Amps on the 12V rails) while testing peak levels. Voltage tolerances generally remained around ±1-2% while testing various load levels."
"Efficiency exceeded ATX12V "required" minimum levels, and even met or exceeded the more stringent "recommended" minimum levels!"
"Active PFC is always a nice feature (required for EPS12V), and is mandatory in some countries."
"PSU shutdown properly from over-current & over-temperature conditions. Also powered up fine under no-load conditions."

Cooler Master Real power = awesome.
and it is a common name here in europe.

Oh and bbaucom, i think you forgot to read ?igma's post, here read it again:
http://forums.gotwoot.net/showthread...&postcount=154