Pc Setup - Chat Thread

[bnr#@]

I still have a 286 that still actually fully works

- Intel 80286 CPU

- 1MB ram

- 1.44MB 3.5' FDD

- 40MB HDD

- 14' CRT

- VGA Graphic card (don't know how many KBs in size - but can display 256 colours at 640x480 max)

- MS-DOS 5.0 with dos shell

- Panasonic Dot-matrix KX-P1180

You would be surprised how much stupid old tech is still around and works... The hubble telescope in space still uses a 486

[Sheng]

Hey guys,

i'm looking to buy a new tower atm, don't really want to spend over 1g,

it's for daily use, occasion lan,

any suggestions?

cheers

[R31Nismoid]

gaming you mean?

what size monitor etc?

1k wont get you a lot of PC in the current market

[Sheng]

Yeah gaming, I've got 19 inch lcd atm,

find this shop the other day

http://www.jw.com.au/systems.asp

any good ones there?

[pkblade]

Hey guys,

i'm looking to buy a new tower atm, don't really want to spend over 1g,

it's for daily use, occasion lan,

any suggestions?

cheers

This is a budget and O/C friendly build that I did recently for a mate for around $1K, only difference is he already had a spare case and an Intel E8400. Also, most of these prices are local pickup (NSW)

Case___Coolermaster Elite 334 $60

Mobo___Gigabyte EP45-UD3L $177

PSU____Seasonic PSR550+ $125

CPU____Intel E7300 $185

GPU____ATi HD4850 $225

RAM____2x2Gb (800mhz) G.Skill Pi $101

HDD____Western Digital 640Gb $99

DVD____Samsung (SATA) $27

Total = $999

You could save a little by getting cheaper RAM, PSU, and lower spec model mobo and CPU.

[locote]

- Intel [email protected] CPU (Thermaltake Cooler and Fan)

- 4gig ram@1066 (Patriot)

- DVD

- 465Gb HDD

- 24' widescreen LCD

- Single GTX280 stock clocks (tried it overclocked not much difference)

- Windows Vista 64bit

- 17000 odd points 3dmark06, 11000 Vantage, 40odd FPS Farcry2 demo benchmark(settings on MAX)

Edited March 14, 2009 by locote

[N-DAWG]

My system isn't cutting edge anymore, since owning a skyline I upgrade computers on a needs/as parts die basis lol Some parts date back to 2006, except the mobo and GPU and RAM.

Case___Thermaltake Armor Silver Aluminum

Mobo___Asus P5KE-WiFi

PSU____Hyper Type R PSU (580watt iirc?)

CPU____Intel Q6600 G0 Stepping =]

GPU____Palit 8800GTS

RAM____2 x 1GB Corsair Dominator (pretty sure it's around a Ghz at decent timings, I'd have to check, been a while since I've tweaked around with them)

HDD____ 2 x Hitachi 320GB 16MB Cache in Raid 0, Seagate 250GB 16MB Cache, 2 x 80GB Seagate SATA's, only use them for backups now, not point having them all hooked up using more power and noise.

DVD____Asus Light Scribe DVD Burner

Sound__ Creative X-Fi Xtreme Music

Media___ iMon Media Bay/Remote

KB/Mouse_ Logitech G15 (2nd edition, previously owned a 1st edition), MX Revolution, and G5.

Monitor__ Asus W222U? 22" Wide Screen

Sounds__ Sennheiser HD485 Headphones, Logitech X-230 (will get a 5.1 set up again when I move to a bigger place)

Cooling__ Laing D5 Pump, 1/2" Tubing, Storm G4 Waterblock (one of the original ones before Swiftech bought the design), Black Ice Xtreme 240mm Radiator with Swif Coolink silent fans, Silverstone computer Coolant, front 3x5.25" bay Scythe Intake Fan mounted in front of 3xHDD Cage with Antec red LED Fan, Coolermaster UV and LED fans blowing onto GPU Northbridge heatsink RAM and voltage regs, gatewatch II front LCD Temp Monitor/fan controller, Zalman ZM MFC1 Fan controller (not the new design).

Other Stuff_ couple of UV Tubes for all that glowey stuff. A couple of Red Cathodes. I Eat n00bs sticker (from PC Case Gear), Noise deadening material on the floor and panels of the case.

Runs 3.2GHz Daily. I have had it aroun 4GHz before for some Pi runs, one day when I've got time I'll see how far I can push it again I've never OC'd that video card yet though...probably the first one that I haven't OC'd or changed the cooler on... usually I find the limits on them in no time..but I guess if it aint broke, and it can render the games I play nice and smoothly, then I'll leave it as is and get some decent life out of it lol

Before this I had a Opteron Dual Core (skt 939) with a DFI LanParty that ran 3GHz Daily with Corsair 1GB Kit pushing 500MHz @ 2-3-3-6 timings (TCCD Sammy Chips), and a Xpertvision 512MB 7900GT SONIC that ran 671MHz/1440MHz daily with a Asetek GPU Waterblock. Had the #1 spot on AtomicMPC Benchmarks for 2-3years. Might put it in again one day and do some V-Modding since it was voltage limiting it. I could get it to almost complete an Aquamark at 700 MHZ Core before it would just freeze. Never artifacted. RAM is pretty much limited to 1440MHz Effective. The chips on it are rated for 800MHz (1600 effective) but it's been physically limited on the card (been a while since I've looked into the V-Modding threads on this card).

Been outta the 1337 loop for a looong time now, I wouldn't know what the latest chipsets and cores are these days

[R31Nismoid]

Div - your recent setup is tip top...

X58 Classified... love!

You gonna chuck the EK full board waterblock on it? They look astonishing

I wanna buy one just to put a full block on it

[DivHunter]

I have been looking at it and already have the spare compression fittings. I was expecting to have a WC NB but unfortunately the first board that I got for this system, a Foxconn BloodRage, was killed by a dodgy TFC SLi Vid connector which leaked under the barb's O-ring. As you can see in the picture when testing to try and figure out wtf went wrong it just beaded down the card under the block, into the PCI-E slot and worked it's way to the battery etc and that was one dead BloodRage. Funnily enough the 3870X2 is fine. Would have prefered the BloodRage to survive. I'm also running on some cheaper GSkill RAM while my Dominator GTs are RMA'd as one stick died shortly after getting up and running with the Classified. Was testing out fine and then just stopped working which doesn't seem to be all that uncommon with the high speed Elpida chips. Should get a new set back soon.

[R31Nismoid]

from the rear left connector? (i think thats where im meant to be looking)

But ye, amazing that it didnt kill the card if it ended up in the slot itself!

Lucky!!!

[25GTT]

N DAWG

Please post pics of that setup!, sounds awesome mate, when my dual core becomes outdated i really want to go all out on water cooling etc!

I am waaay to scared to do all that right now to my case etc incae if something goes wrong.

Is there much maintenance required in running water cooling? I shouldr eally start a thread on water cooling yeah? I would like to know if rusting etc occurs, or if the liquid needs to be changed over regularly?

[R31Nismoid]

google watercooling dude - there is a lot of info out there

just by talking about rust, means you really need to do more homework!

Im going to watercool my setup shortly i think to give me something to do on a weekend lol

[prae]

Out of interest, how many of you guys in Melbourne bought stuff from MSY Clayton? I know Nis has, and I've seen quite a few SAU lanyards in the queue.. Own up!

[R31Nismoid]

lol you know im guilty... although lately no car has lead me to pccasegear as they deliver... and some stuff you buggers dont stock (eg: caviar blacks)

Bit hard to walk to clayton for the super cheap pricing haha

[prae]

Hah no worries Ash. I won't be there after the 20th though, taking a break from this whole "work" thing and deciding what I actually want to do with my life. Doing sales at MSY is definitely not it.

Edit: Changed my stuff around again, P182 gave me the shits

Case: Antec Solo with all fans replaced with Noctuas (2x NF-B9 in the front, 1x NF-S12 on the back)

Motherboard: ASUS P5Q-Pro

CPU & CPU Cooler: E8500 @ stock, Noctua NH-U12P + additional NF-P12 in push-pull configuration

RAM: Kingston Value DDR2-800 4gb kit

Monitor: BenQ E2400HD

Graphics Card: ASUS 512mb 4850

HDD(s): WD 160gb + 640gb

PSU: Antec TruePower Trio 650W

OS Used: Vista Ultimate x64

Peripherals: Logitech G15v2 + MX518, X-240 speakers, Zalman MFC1 fan controller

[R31Nismoid]

Im just trying to resist the urge to spend on i7

I dont need it, i have no tangible use for it... i just wanna play with it.

Same reason i think im gonna watercool my current setup, just to play

[prae]

Heh tell me about it.. I was thinking of selling my cpu/ram/mb and getting a 920, some Corsair ram (from scorptec! weee) and a UD5 board, just so I'll have something to do on a weekend.

Another thing, what do you guys use for mouse pads?

[R31Nismoid]

razer - exactamat

[25GTT]

prae - why the e8500 over the e8400?

Isnt the norm these days the e8400 becuase of its high clocks it produces. Have not researched the price differences but most of the whirlpool and toms hardware users seemed to really like the e8400.

31Nismoid, what cooling system will you be using? PCcasegear just got some high end water cooling on their main page that the updated recently. The water cooling i am referring to though looks pretty expensive.

There is also water cooling block that i think xigmatek made, similar size to a CPU cooling fan, but runs water through it instead.

Anyways i want to see pics of your water cooling setups!

[R31Nismoid]

There is no place in AUS that does decent watercooling stuff to be honest. Most of the stuff i want its either ridiculously priced here (like some more select PC bits) or you have to buy stuff from 5-6 differenct places, and thats a lot of shipping $$.

Its cheaper to buy from the US and have it shipped to be honest, so thats what im going to do.

I wish Newegg shipped international, it actually works out cheaper to buy from the US and have stuff posted. Aus resellers are profitieering quite majorly when you consider you can pay less than you would here, including delivery from the US, and the price here in AUS on a $300 item is STILL $30 more expensive in many instances. Thats a fair markup for no justified reason in my book