[Cman333]

Hello RS comp guru's. You guys have always seemed to steer me in the right direction, so again I come to you guys for advice.

So now I'm in progress of upgrading. Didn't want to hijack the other threads.

I'm not too familiar with some of the new stuff. I only plan to game with this new rig. Basically prepping for BF3, Diablo 3, etc. I would like to be able to run everything at high res with good frame rates. I don't plan on spending HUGE money to upgrade.

I tried googling a bunch of stuff but the techno babble was a little too much for me to comprehend.

Here's what I have now:
Q6600 (stock)
Asus P5K mobo
4 gigs DDR2 ram
9800GTX
650W PSU
Win7 64 bit

I have ordered an Intel i7 2600K. So my plan was to get new mobo/ram. Then upgrade the GPU later. Keep the Win7 64 and the 650W PSU.

So here's my questions:

Would the new sata 6gb/s ports work with traditional sata harddrives? Or are they only for SSD's?

As for the DDR3 ram. I see some boards say they support up to 32 gigs. Maybe I'm old school but with my old stuff 4 gig's was like HOLY FUCK. I'm running Windows 7 64bit. Is 8 gb ram enough? Or 16/32 GB recommended? Does windows 7 64bit support that much ram? Is there much difference between ram? Or is it just the amount of memory all that matters?

As for motherboards. What is the major diff between a $300+ one vs. a $150 one? I assume the higher priced stuff has more ports, can run triple SLI, more RAM. But does the higher end stuff actually help the comp run faster or smoother? Does it make a big difference in gaming? What do you guys recommend for the i7 2600K LGA1155?

last Q, when I do upgrade to a better GPU (GTX560 or HD6850 unless anyone else has other suggestions). Is my PSU enough power for all these upgrades?

Thanks alot guys...sorry for the long winded post

[.Renn.Sport]

just get a Z68 board and 2 sticks of 4GB DDR3, high end motherboards are more stable when overclocking.

the power supply is enough

SATA 3 is backward compatible with SATA 2 drives, but to get the best performance out of it, use it with SATA3 SSD

[SkinnyPupp]

4GB is pretty much minimum spec now. Go with 8GB if you can afford it. Should be under $100 for a good set. And it's not about the OS hogging the ram. The OS will take as much ram as you can give it. The more it gets, the smoother it runs. The difference between 4GB and 8GB will be noticable, while going from 8GB to 16GB won't be, unless you are doing a lot of HD video or photo editing, etc.

On a more expensive motherboard, you basically get a bunch of extra features that unless you enjoy tinkering with things, you probably don't need. In the next couple days I'll be posting a review of a $220 AMD board. There isn't much different in actual performance when compared to a $120 board, but there are a TON of features that other boards don't have, for people who want them.

For your i7, you could just get a basic H67 board, although a Z68 will open up some features like hybrid SSD drives, etc. But again if you don't care for that, H67 is fine.

[Datsun]

Because you only plan on gaming with this machine, I suggest you stick to 4GB as it is not likely you will need more than that. Focus on getting a lower latency RAM rather than frequency too. Something like CL7 1333mHz is great.

Also, a 2500K would have been a better choice as the hyper threading on a 2600K isnt going to give you benefit for your machine's purpose.

As for motherboards, personally I try to choose one thats <$200 and 8 power phase if you want to be overclocking. Find charts of Gigabyte and Asus and from there, figure out what features you need (notice I didnt mention MSI...stay away from them). I think the z68 is what you should get if you already have or plan to pair an SSD & HDD to get SSD performance on the mechanical drive (not 100% sure about accuracy of this point, someone please correct me if it is wrong please).

Power supply should be plenty but more is always better for that security. Theres a XFX 750W powersupply thats 80+ certified (Bronze) for only 70 bucks on NCIX. Good brands include Seasonic, Corsair (rebranded Seasonic) and Silverstone.

[SkinnyPupp]

Actually higher frequency memory > lower latency when it comes to games. The difference is only a few FPS though. If on a budget, just go with the cheapest 1.5v DDR3 memory that gives you a lifetime warranty. I think Kingston and OCZ fit this bill well.

[Cman333]

Also, a 2500K would have been a better choice as the hyper threading on a 2600K isnt going to give you benefit for your machine's purpose.


I got a deal on the 2600K for $150 from intel. There wasn't any other choice other then the sold out i7 970 for $250. I wanted the 970 but sold out quickkk.

Thanks for headsup on MSI. I actually bought an MSI mobo for the shop and it died pretty quickly. Good to know.

I might go SSD down the road. But even then I'm on the fence. I can't say I'll be using the gaming rig much. I know SSD drives are way faster. But faster as in what? Does it boot up quicker? Or do things like games run better if installed onto them?

I'm trying to keep the upgrading to a minimum considering I don't game that much and moneys kind of tight. I will spend the money if it's really needed and the performance can be justified.

I don't tend to OC my stuff just to avoid headaches. If I can score some aftermarket water cooling I may consider down the road. But still quite unlikely. Oh, and the odds of me running SLi or X-fire is pretty slim. So not really something I will do.


Basically, I just want to be able to game newest games at high res with decent framerates. If loading times can be cut down, then thats a bonus :)

As for Vid Cards. How are the two choices I'm thinking. GTX560 vs HD6850?


Thanks so far guys for your input. Helping alot already.

[SkinnyPupp]

2600K >>>>> 970, you'd be crazy to spend an extra $100 on that CPU.

[Datsun]

I got a deal on the 2600K for $150 from intel.

That's beast pricing. How'd you get in on that?

[Cman333]

Donut> http://retailedge.intel.com/sites/asmo/Pages/Home.aspx

They have special deals for people in the industry couple times a year.


Skinny> Really? I just assumed cuz it's double the retail of 2600K that it would be crazy. So for $100 more it seemed to be a steal to me. Not that I really know any better. Seemed like everyone jumped on that deal the fastest.




They have SSD drives in the deal too. Deciding whether I want one or not. Doesn't seem that much cheaper than retail though.

They have the Intel 310 120Gb for $160

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=60547&vpn=SSDSA2CW120G3B5&manufacture=Intel

I'm not sure if they combine shipping. If they do then sounds ok. But if not I pay another $36USD. Works out to be 196USD + Duties.

Are they that much better? Will it enhance gameplay or speed up game loading times? I'm under the impression that they're only really meant for the OS. So I assume that means speeding up the boot time of the comp.

[SkinnyPupp]

The only reason the 970X is more is because it came out as a $1000 CPU. When the 2700K came out, it was never branded as a $1000 CPU, even though it was faster than $1000 CPUs.

Sandy Bridge has essentially made everything else obsolete.

And BTW, nothing - absolutely nothing - will make your PC seem faster than upgrading the hard drive to SSD. You could put the fastest CPU and Ram in there, but a mechanical hard drive will always hold it back.

[Datsun]

I might go SSD down the road. But even then I'm on the fence. I can't say I'll be using the gaming rig much. I know SSD drives are way faster. But faster as in what? Does it boot up quicker? Or do things like games run better if installed onto them?

I'm trying to keep the upgrading to a minimum considering I don't game that much and moneys kind of tight. I will spend the money if it's really needed and the performance can be justified.

SSDs should cut down your boot and game load times but to be honest, its not worth it to buy one right now. Rumor has it that the pricing will reach $1 per 1GB by the end of 2012. I'd say a Samsung spinpoint F3 1TB should be good enough for now.

I don't tend to OC my stuff just to avoid headaches. If I can score some aftermarket water cooling I may consider down the road. But still quite unlikely. Oh, and the odds of me running SLi or X-fire is pretty slim. So not really something I will do.


Basically, I just want to be able to game newest games at high res with decent framerates. If loading times can be cut down, then thats a bonus :)

Whoa, your mobo needs seem similar to mine. Personally, I'm too pussy to OC drastically and have no $ to do multi GPU setups, BUTTTT: I like to keep my options open and give myself a little space to grow.

That being said, I recommend a board I've been looking at for a while now, Gigabyte z68x-UD3R. I'd say stick to the z68 chipset so you can stretch the legs of the 'K' if you feel adventurous one day, have the opportunity to use SSD/HDD hybrid caching thing we talked about earlier, have the oppurtunity of running single GPU or multi, and its got a great black/gunmetal colorway rather than those baby blue TURDS every company seems to go with. It wont cost too much either.


As for Vid Cards. How are the two choices I'm thinking. GTX560 vs HD6850?

To be very honest, I dont know shit about graphic cards. But, heres a handy pre-made benchmark webpage:

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU11/188

so you can do your own comparisons to help you reach a conclusion of which card to buy. :thumbsup:

BTW do a build thread of the comp, theyre good reads for cars...why not computers, lol.

[Cman333]

Donut>

I couldnt find that board on the NCIX site. Is there something similar you recommend that's similar? http://source.ncix.com/lp4/Gigabyte_Z68_05242011/index.html

I already have tons of HDD's. I currently have 2x 1TB, 1x 1.5TB, 2x 2TB. I can't say I really notice the difference between the Caviar black and the greens in terms of speed. Although I've only had the OS installed on the Black.

Man, I'm really on the fence about SSD. Skinnypup kinda has me sold LOL. Fuckit, lets just say I get the Intel 120GB SSD. I guess that plays a big factor in the mobo decision?

[Datsun]

The z68 boards are pretty new, so I'd give it a little while before NCIX receieves the full lineup. I really do think this board fits the bill. If you are ina rush to build though, the UD4 is a beefier version that is great too.

OS on the WD Black is perfect. :) Just make sure the greens are purely for storage.

[gars]

I doubt you'll notice much of a difference between 4GB and 8GB, UNLESS you actually leave a million things open - like game WITH a browser open with a lot of tabs, plus a whole bunch of other programs running in the background. Even then, it's not that big an issue. I only have 4GB, and it's still fine - not as noticeable a difference as an SSD.

I actually run 2 x 60GB SSD's in Raid 0, things open so quickly - especially PS and LR.

and honestly, overclocking on modern Intel chips is so easy, it's not even funny. You don't need a watercooled system - all you need is a half decent cooler. Look up some settings, and it'll take you 15 minutes to get a decent OC.

[Cman333]

The z68 boards are pretty new, so I'd give it a little while before NCIX receieves the full lineup. I really do think this board fits the bill. If you are ina rush to build though, the UD4 is a beefier version that is great too.

OS on the WD Black is perfect. :) Just make sure the greens are purely for storage.

No rush. I just ordered the CPU. So probably 4-6 weeks before I see it anyways.

Oddly one of my blacks died recently. It was used for movie storage. Got it warrantied, but still I got the blacks because of their reputation. I've only ever had one HDD die on me (Seagate). I didn't expect the black to die so quickly. The greens r for pr0n. LOL

Thanks again.

[Cman333]

I doubt you'll notice much of a difference between 4GB and 8GB, UNLESS you actually leave a million things open - like game WITH a browser open with a lot of tabs, plus a whole bunch of other programs running in the background. Even then, it's not that big an issue. I only have 4GB, and it's still fine - not as noticeable a difference as an SSD.

I actually run 2 x 60GB SSD's in Raid 0, things open so quickly - especially PS and LR.

and honestly, overclocking on modern Intel chips is so easy, it's not even funny. You don't need a watercooled system - all you need is a half decent cooler. Look up some settings, and it'll take you 15 minutes to get a decent OC.

Hmmmm. Seems like everyone is recommending the SSD.

What is RAID? I've heard the term before, just unsure what it is. Sounds complicated.

I've tried OC'ing before. I know it's quite easy, but seems I always eventually get the BSOD. Usually while gaming or just at a shitty time. I didn't really notice any gains when I OC'd my Q6600. I had a huge crash and ended up reformatting and everything went back to stock speeds. Ever since I haven't had any issues with BSOD.

[Datsun]

What is RAID? I've heard the term before, just unsure what it is. Sounds complicated.

Great videos by Linus explaining RAID:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYBtmVMtH1g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuwjadbtUCY

Oddly one of my blacks died recently. It was used for movie storage. Got it warrantied, but still I got the blacks because of their reputation. I've only ever had one HDD die on me (Seagate). I didn't expect the black to die so quickly. The greens r for pr0n. LOL

Thanks again.

Fapping -> vibration -> HDD damage. Gotta use them rubber washers for mounting the drives, LOL

And no probs.

[.Renn.Sport]

its a waste of the 2600k if u dont overclock

u might as well get a 2600

and if its within budget, get a SATA3 SSD, they are twice as fast

also, there is no point getting anything other than a Z68 board if you plan to run your video card. only the Z68 board allows intel quick sync with a discrete video card. intel quick sync allows u to convert videos like 10 times faster than without

[SkinnyPupp]

He got a 2600K because it was on sale. No reason to pay full price for a 2600 when you can get a 2600K for cheap.

[Neva]

if it's worth anything a couple weeks ago i picked up a 2600k

p8p67 deluxe < got a good deal/most oc'ing benchmarks i've seen were with this board
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=59314&vpn=P8P67%20DELUXE%20REV%203%2E0&manufacture=ASUS

8gs of mushkin silverline (ddr2 won't work with that board. ddr3 only)
http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=55544&vpn=996770&manufacture=Mushkin%20Enhanced&promoid=1322

and my system is wicked fast. 2600k is easily one of the best cpu's right now and can handle a crap load of oc'ing. just make sure you get different cooler since stock ones are lame. I haven't oc'd yet but i've never hit 40c core temp while gaming/photo processing etc. <3 it so much

[FerrariEnzo]

ME has a bundle deal..

Intel Core™ i7-960 Processor 3.20GHz w/ Asus Sabertooth X58 Motherboard for $499.98.. is this good?

[Sandman]

http://ncix.com/products/?sku=59317&vpn=P8P67%20PRO%20REV%203%2E0&manufacture=ASUS

This is good enough for your basic needs. Most people don't realize it and they want the best of everything, but when you really think about it, a regular computer user is in no way using enough computing power to require 8gigs of ram/300 dollar mobo's/ etc...

8 gig is definitely the max you should get, and even 8 gigs of ram is kind of pushing it. You don't really need anymore than 4 for basic computing needs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lR0XoHFU6Y

This video compares the SSD vs HDD. He shows loading times/alt-tabbing times to be much faster on the SSD, so yes, it will improve your overall gaming performance as well. Its definitely an improvement to get the SSD, but:

a) The intel retail edge deal for the SSD is really disappointing, so I didn't see the need to jump on it and

b) Like I said, for an average user, its simply up to you to determine whether or not you want to pay an extra 200 dollars just to be able to cut your loading times in half for a game. Personally, I really don't mind waiting an extra 10 seconds to load something if it saves me 200 dollars lol. Thats just up to you to determine.

[Datsun]

LOLWUT

Just found this right now; Gigabyte is planning a new z68 board with built in SSD for june.

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2011/05/27/gigabyte-mobo-with-integrated-ssd-due-in-ju/1

[Cman333]

LOLWUT

Just found this right now; Gigabyte is planning a new z68 board with built in SSD for june.

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2011/05/27/gigabyte-mobo-with-integrated-ssd-due-in-ju/1

Sounds pricey lol.

$400+ board I'll guess.

[ddr]

a) The intel retail edge deal for the SSD is really disappointing, so I didn't see the need to jump on it


yes ... quite dissapointing.

you will feel the SSD difference in a system when the harddrive is the bottleneck. i.e. 5400rpm OS drives. a system loaded with crapware. like above said, it depends on how you are using your system. to me, the SSD is worth every penny on the laptop, not so much on the desktop at home.

and the price difference in ram is so minimal.... you will need ddr3 ram anyways. 2 sticks of 4gb is not even 100 bux. same goes with a good cpu cooler and extra fans.

[gars]

b) Like I said, for an average user, its simply up to you to determine whether or not you want to pay an extra 200 dollars just to be able to cut your loading times in half for a game. Personally, I really don't mind waiting an extra 10 seconds to load something if it saves me 200 dollars lol. Thats just up to you to determine.

This is quite subjective - it's not just running a game - overall usage of the computer is much quicker. Opening up Photoshop - for me - is the biggest thing. But for those who don't use photoshop/lightroom/video editing software, you'll definitely appreciate booting up windows in a much shorter time - or even just opening up MS Word/Excel, etc.

And you can find 80GB SSD's for $100, you don't HAVE to shell out $200. Even those will be much, much quicker than a regular HDD.


ANYWAYS, to the OP:

Overclocking - yes, if done incorrectly, can result in BSOD, or a locked computer - but with modern MB's and chips, it doesn't take much to overclock. I personally have an i5, and with a couple quick tweaks, i bumped it from a 2.8GHz, to a 4.0GHz. I had an issue where it froze once and gave me a blue screen, but then all it did was reboot with the default settings - never lost any data or anything.

[John]

I watched Linus' SSD video and kept my eye on the video timer. The HD took 12 seconds longer to close and start Windows 7. A 27% improvement with any computer component is just barely worthwhile upgrading. Considering the extra cost and loss in storage capacity, I can see why it is not too popular at the moment. I think I will wait longer until the prices fall a lot more.

[wasabisashimi]

Killer deal on that i7.

[gars]

I watched Linus' SSD video and kept my eye on the video timer. The HD took 12 seconds longer to close and start Windows 7. A 27% improvement with any computer component is just barely worthwhile upgrading. Considering the extra cost and loss in storage capacity, I can see why it is not too popular at the moment. I think I will wait longer until the prices fall a lot more.

i'm not sure if that's sarcasm or not. a 27% improvement in computer terms is a massive improvement. Find me another piece of hardware that would net you a 27% improvement in anything, from boot up time, to frame rate in a game....

the loss in storage capacity in a desktop is a moot point with desktops, because large capacity storage is so readily available and cheap. for example, a 1TB Western Digital Cavier Black is only $80 right now - for a high performance HDD. But if you are using it purely for storage, a 2TB Cavier Green is even cheaper at $75.

[ddr]

i bet a ssd in OP's system now might even be faster than his new computer with a traditional hard drive at everything but CPU/GPU intensive tasks.

[SkinnyPupp]

Exactly. You almost can't quantify it just by looking at how fast it starts Office or Photoshop. It just makes everything faster. A lot faster. Yes it's expensive, so that's something to consider. But really, I would consider putting an extra $100 into the hard drive instead of the cpu if I were to build a system now.

In a few weeks I'll be reviewing a bunch of SSDs in the $200-250 price range. I'll post it here when it's published.
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[.Renn.Sport]

those who think SSD isnt a worthwhile upgrade has never owned or used a SSD before

[Cman333]

I think I might end up skipping on SSD for now. I wasn't even planning on upgrading. Just couldnt pass up the deal. So now stuck with upgrading mobo along w ram. I'm not even upgrading the GPU for awhile I think. Just gonna stick it out with the 9800GTX until closer to the time BF3 comes out. By then the GPU's will be even cheaper. I don't game a whole lot nowadays, plus summer coming up will be busy with work and partying lol.

Thanks for everyones input. Helped alot. Learned alot.

SSD looks very tempting. I'll probably wait until the next intel deal to grab an SSD.

[akalic]

so if you were to OC your 2600k processor and GPU (potentially), which board is best recommended? If that's all you're worrying about, nothing about SSDs/RAID. Something cheap

[SkinnyPupp]

Probably an ASROCK X68 would be best bank for buck for OCing

[Sandman]

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?mode=productreviewread&product_id=35456&pagenumber=2

Since this is the general computer parts questions thread I suppose, has anyone had any experiences with this psu?

I'll be pairing it with the antec lanboy air, and was wondering if the short cables would be a big problem in my case. From the countless reviews out there, the general census seems to be that the cables are too short. Apart from that, I've read a lot of mixed reviews on OCZ psu's. Some people say they are really good, while others don't seem to think very highly of OCZ psu's. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Cheers.

[ddr]

i own a ocz and have 0 problems. this is just my experience. actually, most ppl will say ocz psu's are not the greatest.

[noTirl]

ive owned 2 ocz psu in the past with no problems. i even got another ocz psu for my next build in a LANBOY AIR as well!!!
:woot2:

[Datsun]

I've used a OCZ ModXStream 600W and had no probs (except case compatibility when you have the fan grill on). Function wise it should be alright.

Here's a 'tiered' list of power supply brands and models to help you choose yours if you have second thoughts about OCZ:

http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx



BTW, avoid Antec at all costs. They made some of the worst cases I've ever worked with.

Why? Shit build qualitty, tons of design flaws, no wire management possiblities, expensive, looks like dick, and the list goes on.

[ddr]

BTW, avoid Antec at all costs. They made some of the worst cases I've ever worked with.

Why? Shit build quality, tons of design flaws, no wire management possibilities, expensive, looks like dick, and the list goes on.

i've actually built more than 10 machines using Antec cases. I think build quality's great (but this can be subjective). I don't see any design flaws, i do see wire management in the more expensive ones, i think they look great (this is again subjective), and on the list of available cases i think they are priced very reasonably.

i use a p180 myself, and usually asked to build with the sonata's since it's a decent deal with the included psu; and they're all super quiet.

[Cman333]

Hey guys,

Whats the diff between DDR3-1333 and DDR3-1600? Faster? Would it make much diff?

[SkinnyPupp]

1600 is faster, but not by a noticeable amount. see my article on Sandy Bridge memory (http://www.hardcoreware.net/best-memory-for-sandy-bridge/) for testing results.

Overall, high latency 1600 (CL9) is about the same as low latency 1333 (CL7) in most normal applications. Games do benefit more from 1600, even with the higher latency.

[Cman333]

1600 is faster, but not by a noticeable amount. see my article on Sandy Bridge memory (http://www.hardcoreware.net/best-memory-for-sandy-bridge/) for testing results.

Overall, high latency 1600 (CL9) is about the same as low latency 1333 (CL7) in most normal applications. Games do benefit more from 1600, even with the higher latency.

I'm pretty unclear on the differences. CAS 8 vs. CAS 10. Lower the number the better?

I think I'm aiming for Gigabyte Z68X-UD4-B3 Mobo if that makes any diff.

[SkinnyPupp]

Yes, lower is better. But if there is a significant price difference, then don't bother

[wasabisashimi]

asrock p67 extreme 4 or asus p67 pro? asus being 25-30$ more and has a bluetooth built-in, Asus also has more power phase 12+2, Asrock 8.


I am planning to buy an i7 2600k and overclock mildly on Air with only multiplier and not touching the voltage (Going for about 4.0ghz-4.4ghz)

Should I be looking at Asus p67 LE or cheaper gigabyte or MSI?


Does paying more for deluxe model give me more easier time and safer for overclocking? I am a Noob as you can see. I would rather save money for a good PSU

[roastpuff]

Why not Z68? With the K-series, overclocking is very easy and for mild OC's an extremely good board is not needed.

I'm looking at this: http://ncix.com/products/?sku=61002&vpn=GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3&manufacture=Gigabyte or http://ncix.com/products/?sku=61065&vpn=GA-Z68A-D3H-B3&manufacture=Gigabyte

[wasabisashimi]

Why not Z68? With the K-series, overclocking is very easy and for mild OC's an extremely good board is not needed.

I'm looking at this: http://ncix.com/products/?sku=61002&vpn=GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3&manufacture=Gigabyte or http://ncix.com/products/?sku=61065&vpn=GA-Z68A-D3H-B3&manufacture=Gigabyte

Are you then paying extra for onboard graphic which may not be necessary if you have a separate GPU card.

Is Z68 overall cheaper and better than regular P67?

[roastpuff]

Are you then paying extra for onboard graphic which may not be necessary if you have a separate GPU card.

Is Z68 overall cheaper and better than regular P67?

Z68 is better than P67 in the sense that it gives you the ability to use Intel's Quick Sync feature to encode/decode videos much faster than just using the CPU, and enables SSD caching which improves read times on the OS drive by using a small (<60GB) SSD as a cache for the mechanical HDD.

Pricing-wise I find the market is fairly similar between a P67 and a Z68. Thus, my choice goes to a Z68 board.

A few articles:

http://www.overclock.net/intel-motherboards/969096-p67-vs-z68.html
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2157881

[wasabisashimi]

Z68 is better than P67 in the sense that it gives you the ability to use Intel's Quick Sync feature to encode/decode videos much faster than just using the CPU, and enables SSD caching which improves read times on the OS drive by using a small (<60GB) SSD as a cache for the mechanical HDD.

Pricing-wise I find the market is fairly similar between a P67 and a Z68. Thus, my choice goes to a Z68 board.

A few articles:

http://www.overclock.net/intel-motherboards/969096-p67-vs-z68.html
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2157881

Regarding the SSD cacheing, do I have to be a comeputer guru to use it or is this just automatica setting/ plug and play type of thing? cuz I dont even know how to set up Raid for HDD

[roastpuff]

It's a fairly easy setup from what I've read - just enable it in BIOS and in Windows.

[Cman333]

Regarding the SSD cacheing, do I have to be a comeputer guru to use it or is this just automatica setting/ plug and play type of thing? cuz I dont even know how to set up Raid for HDD

I ended up w the Z68X mainly because there wasn't any price difference. The dude at ME was mentioning that for SSD caching you had to use a specific type of SSD drive. Not the usual ones you see. I dunno if there was any truth to it.

Either way ME gave an additional 5% pricebeat. So make sure to check prices with shopbot.ca and get ME to price beat.


I managed to OC to 3.8 so far on stock cooling. I'm surprised how small the factory cooler was. Looks like i'm getting into the OC'ing game afterall. Time for a better cooler down the road.

[roastpuff]

For best performance, the Intel 311 SSD which is optimized for SSD caching duties is recommended, but it's not necessary - you can use pretty much any small (below 60GB) SSD for this task.

For the cooler... I managed to snag a Corsair A50 for $12.49. Gotta love ME's price beat!

[Datsun]

I ended up w the Z68X mainly because there wasn't any price difference. The dude at ME was mentioning that for SSD caching you had to use a specific type of SSD drive. Not the usual ones you see. I dunno if there was any truth to it.

Either way ME gave an additional 5% pricebeat. So make sure to check prices with shopbot.ca and get ME to price beat.


I managed to OC to 3.8 so far on stock cooling. I'm surprised how small the factory cooler was. Looks like i'm getting into the OC'ing game afterall. Time for a better cooler down the road.

How much did you get the board for @ ME(before MIR)? I'm planning to get the ud4 as well.

Also, do you think you can price match it at NCIX after going to ME for 5% off...muahahaha

edit: If you need a good cooler, grab the Scythe Mugen 2 heatsink cooler @ NCIX for $35 bucks, its a great deal.

[Cman333]

How much did you get the board for @ ME(before MIR)? I'm planning to get the ud4 as well.

Also, do you think you can price match it at NCIX after going to ME for 5% off...muahahaha

edit: If you need a good cooler, grab the Scythe Mugen 2 heatsink cooler @ NCIX for $35 bucks, its a great deal.



It wasn't substantial. I found it for $189 using shopbot then they beat it. I think it was like $180. So saved like $10 more or something.

I'll look into it that cooler. I'm kind of partial to the coolermaster V8 cooler. I'm a computer ricer :s lol

[Datsun]

It wasn't substantial. I found it for $189 using shopbot then they beat it. I think it was like $180. So saved like $10 more or something.

I'll look into it that cooler. I'm kind of partial to the coolermaster V8 cooler. I'm a computer ricer :s lol

Nice, I'll def get on that deal. :thumbsup:

[roastpuff]

Right now the UD4 is on sale at Memory Express. Funnily enough that's the exact board I'm planning on getting haha.
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[Cman333]

Right now the UD4 is on sale at Memory Express. Funnily enough that's the exact board I'm planning on getting haha.
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

Their "sale" is only minus the rebate ($175). Get them to price beat best direct:
http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/235033/Gigabyte/GA_Z68X_UD4_B3/

Should work out to be $180.30
then minus the $30 rebate

You'll be paying around $150

[Datsun]

Hahaha RS UD4 crew. This board is totally overkill for me, but absolutley perfect given that price (seeing as the UD3R/P is nowhere to be seen).

[roastpuff]

Yeah I just shop-botted too, and I am heading to memory express to pick up the board and my new 560Ti tomorrow :)
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[roastpuff]

Why is BestDirect's website down? Fuuuuu!

[Datsun]

WTF. everythings gone.

edit: still shows up on shopbot and pricebat...wonder if they will honour it?

[Cman333]

i dont have a scanner otherwise i'd just scan my invoice.

I found it on canadacomputers

http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?item_id=038764


If you guys have a fax number you can pm me and I can fax it or something

[Cman333]

Hahaha RS UD4 crew. This board is totally overkill for me, but absolutley perfect given that price (seeing as the UD3R/P is nowhere to be seen).

NCIX has the UD3R but I think it was 169 with no rebate.

So 180 minus the 30 rebate seems like the better deal for the UD4


Anyways, thanks for recommending this board. It's prrrretty. LOL

I really hated the blue heatsinks of the P67's.

[Datsun]

^Great minds think alike. The black stealthy look was one of the major selling points for me. LOL none of that baby blue bullshit. I can't stand any blue in my system.

Anyways turns out I had the ud4 page open from this morning before putting my computer to sleep. Manager still let the employee beat the price even tho bestdirect webpage derped.

thx for the invoice offer though cman. Good luck to anyone else who wants the board too. Happy oc'ing
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[Cman333]

The best direct site works again

http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/235033/Gigabyte/GA_Z68X_UD4_B3/

[roastpuff]

Sweet. I got it already though...

Still contemplating an extra 560Ti (ASUS DirectCUII no less) for about $200 for SLI goodness. What a steal for a 560Ti - stretch for it if you can Cman. Pricematch BestDirect at ME and then use the $20 MIR to get it at about $205 + tax.

[Datsun]

Sweet. I got it already though...

Still contemplating an extra 560Ti (ASUS DirectCUII no less) for about $200 for SLI goodness. What a steal for a 560Ti - stretch for it if you can Cman. Pricematch BestDirect at ME and then use the $20 MIR to get it at about $205 + tax.


I just remembered the mobo comes with black SLI bridge.

http://www.gamesprays.com/files/resource_media/preview/me-gusta-4386_preview.png

And anyone out there who wants the mobo, 3 left at ME. :O

[Cman333]

Sweet. I got it already though...

Still contemplating an extra 560Ti (ASUS DirectCUII no less) for about $200 for SLI goodness. What a steal for a 560Ti - stretch for it if you can Cman. Pricematch BestDirect at ME and then use the $20 MIR to get it at about $205 + tax.

LOL you're tempting me. I'll probably get the card in a month or late summer. I haven't gamed in awhile due to the Canucks, GF, and work. No new games out yet that are worth upgrading my card yet. I figured by time BF3 is out the 560 will be cheaper. But I'll probably end up getting the card next week because of the urge to upgrade lol

Is this the one you got?
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=58457&vpn=ENGTX560%20Ti%20DCII%2F2DI%2F1GD5&manufacture=ASUS

[roastpuff]

Yup! That's the card I got. The thing is so beefy! The cooler is massive and all-metal. It was a toss-up between this or the MSI Twin Frozr 560Ti but I like ASUS cards better.

[Cman333]

I've finally just played BFBC2 on my "upgraded" rig and now I'm having issues.

While gaming the screen goes black, but I can see the HUD, the words, etc perfectly. Only thing is I can't see is the background if that makes sense. I never had this issue with my previous setup. I eventually comes back, but as I move around it keep going black then coming back etc etc.

Then I got BSOD

http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq244/cman_333/IMG-20110613-00231.jpg



Any ideas?

Running:
win 7 64 bit
Z68X-UD4 Mobo
i7 2600k (oc'd to 3.8 using the Smart 6 the Gigabyte software that came w mobo)
8 gig ddr3
9800GTX
650TX PSU

[Datsun]

I googled around, I think its a Vcore problem being auto/manual?

I think you should post this on overclock.net for more traffic and experts on this technical stuff.

[striderblade]

I would reset everything back to default in the bios and play some graphic intensive games for a hour or two. Just to make sure is not a hardware defect but instead it could be your OC setting.

[Datsun]

^ This. But do some stress testing to make sure everythings stable and good (e.g. Prime95, 3dMarks).

I'm trying to compile a list of programs for me to run after I build my rig but the amount out there is so overwhelming..

[Cman333]

I would reset everything back to default in the bios and play some graphic intensive games for a hour or two. Just to make sure is not a hardware defect but instead it could be your OC setting.

I did reset back to factory settings and it just crashed. :failed:

I'm just playign BFBC2 on highest settings and it's doing this.


What else could this be?

[SkinnyPupp]

Could be overheating, due to a poorly installed heatsink

[Cman333]

I'm just using the stock heatsink and thermal compound and the tabs are on tight.

I deleted the Gigabyte OC software but my CPU still runs up to 38xx MHz on startup. Is it normal to go above the rated 3.4ghz from factory?


Is there any Temp monitor programs that will display while playing? I'm using everest and the OSD doesn't work while I'm in game.



I ran OCCT for like 5 mins and my core temps hit 89 degrees which I'm assuming is too hot. It also said 78 degrees @ CPU.

[roastpuff]

Whoa. You are running way too hot on that CPU. You don't want to be going above 70c... Are you sure the stock cooler is on right?

[SkinnyPupp]

Definitely sounds like overheating. And that is with the CPU throttling too, to try to keep from blowing up. Do not turn your computer on again until you have someone help you install the heatsink properly.

Plus if you want to overclock, stock heatsink is not a good idea

[roastpuff]

Get the Corsair A70 heatsink... 29.99 at NCIX, pricematch it at ME to get a good deal. It's fairly good and cheap.

[Cman333]

Whoa. You are running way too hot on that CPU. You don't want to be going above 70c... Are you sure the stock cooler is on right?

I was playign BFBC2 and one core hit about 73 degrees and crashed.


Right now on idle it says:

CPU1 34 deg
CPU2 36
CPU3 37
CPU4 39
GPU Core: 1.39V


I would assume the cooler is on right. Kind of hard to fuck up I assumed. Thermal compound is already applied and the heatsink you just push in 4 corners tabs. I've setup tons of my own comps and never had an issue before. One thing I did notice was that my old Q6600 heatsink is like twice the size of this 2600K heatsink.

Oh well, looks like its time for an aftermarket cooler. What thermal compound is good? MX3,4,5?

I assume Arctic Silver ArctiClean cleaner is ok to clean?
And do I need a special cloth to clean the CPU off?

[SkinnyPupp]

You know the default cooler comes pre-applied with thermal compound, right? Did you remove that before adding your own?

[Cman333]

You know the default cooler comes pre-applied with thermal compound, right? Did you remove that before adding your own?

No I didn't add my own. I mean I just used what came on the intel heatsink.

[Cman333]

Oh i found this from another forum. Dude with same board and cpu. I'm not quite following what he's saying.

0x124 is usually a problem with the CPU->IMC transactions, rather than the cpu cores themselves freezing up (core crashes are 0x101). Can also be caused by the IMC. 0x1E's can happen from that too. This can be caused by multiple things.

He can't use LLC 75% because that is ONLY on the Asus M4E. Gigabyte doesn't have %'s.

Set the BIOS to 1.25v and turn on LLC.
If you still get 124's, then the problem is strictly the RAM. You either need proper RAM (Gskill Ripjaws PC3 12800's 1.5v are a good start), or you need to manually change the RAM settings with your non certified RAM. What to change? I don't know. You can start by raising VTT to 1.2v, changing command rate to 2T, forcing the RAM down to 1333 mhz...bumping VCCSA up to 1.0v...I honestly don't know...

[SkinnyPupp]

Run memtest86+. If it fails, you'll have to test each stick individually to find the faulty one

[Cman333]

OFMG I think I finally figured it out. Apparently the Gigabyte Utilities software conflicts with something and causes it to BSOD. I deleted all the gigabyte utilities and was able to game for an hour with no BSOD. Maybe try gaming for longer next time to see if BSOD.

During gaming it never went over 78 degrees. Average would be around 69-72 deg.

[SkinnyPupp]

It no longer hit 89 after reseating the CPU cooler? or was that something else?

[snowball]

Try out this program that analyzes dump files: Crash Analysis Tools > WhoCrashed 3.01 http://www.resplendence.com/whocrashed to see if it's a software/driver conflict

[Cman333]

It no longer hit 89 after reseating the CPU cooler? or was that something else?

It only hit 89 on 100% CPU load using OCCT. (CPU stress test program)

I didn't reseat the cooler. It was on good, all the tabs were on tight.

Either way, I think I'm going to get an aftermarket cooler because the factory one is really small. Smaller than my old Q6600 factory cooler.

[Cman333]

Try out this program that analyzes dump files: Crash Analysis Tools > WhoCrashed 3.01 http://www.resplendence.com/whocrashed to see if it's a software/driver conflict

THanks. I'll give it a try later.

I read some forums, it apparently was the newest punkbuster software conflicts with the Gigabyte OC'ing software.

I could game longer than 5-10 mins before BSOD. After deleting all the Gigabyte utilities software I was able to game for an hour with no BSOD.



I can't believe I spent like 6+ hours trying to figure it out. Ugh.

[noTirl]

quick question for the tech savvy people

im planning to get an asus z68 board with a 60gb ssd+2tb green but after reading up on SRT should i get a 1tb black+60gb ssd instead?

it will be a gaming and everyday use computer

[roastpuff]

Yeah, get the black.

[Datsun]

Anyone know where I can get a black drive for cheap? One of the NCIX warehouse sales sold 1TB drives for 40...blargh

[Cman333]

Does anyone with the Z68X know how to adjust the vcore? I changed vcore to 1.30V in BIOS but it keeps reading as 1.39V in CPU-ID, OCCT and Everest.

[Datsun]

I heard this guide works for z68'ers too, give it a shot.

http://www.overclock.net/intel-general/910467-ultimate-sandy-bridge-oc-guide-p67a.html

[roastpuff]

I just installed the new processor, SSD, motherboard and GPU.

SO. FRICKING. FAST.

On the other hand... I didn't realize the RAID array would not transfer easily. Doh! Now I have to figure out how to recover the array and the data in it.

[Cman333]

I got the Asus 560 Ti but according to afterburner my GPU is running at 99%....

Is that normal? I have it lightly OC'd.

BFBC2 and Champions Online @ 1900x1200 both do it. Even lower resolutions its running at 99%.

Any ideas? GPU temp is around 56-60 under load.


NOTE: I googled and I guess that's suppose to be a good thing. I guess at stock speeds I was bottlenecked. Whoa you learn alot fucking around with these things.

[SaviorSelf_666]

I don't see why it would not be normal, as unlike your CPU the GPU is being utilized @ 100% for the game.