I'm new to the forums here but I have been using this site very very often over the past 6 months or so. I am planning on buying a new computer very soon....waiting for the new Ivy Bridge i7 processors and Kepler chips from Nvidia. My problem is I'm not sure when those parts will become available for purchase. Since I absolutely must have D3 as soon as it launches, I want to know if my current Pc wil be able to at least run the game if I have to wait a week or two before my new PC is built. My current pc has:
I was able to run WoW and SC2 at reasonable settings way back when I played both those games. Does anyone have experience with Diablo 3 with something close to these specs? Thanks, I appreciate the help.
You'll be able to run it but probably on low. Here's the SR.
Okay, I really, truely do not understand what the big difference between the i3, i5, and i7 is. The i5 2500k and i7 2600k look just about the same, aside from a 0.1 ghz increase from the i5 to i7 for a $150 increase. (Kinda expensive...) What am I missing?
Also, the i5 isn't much more expensive then the AMD FX-8120. (About $50, even if it is four cores less.)
The 3D rendering/video encoding/game performance starts at page 15 if you would just like to look at those. You'll see that the i7 outperforms the i5 in the rendering/video encoding tests, while the i5 is almost exactly as good (some games even better) as the i7, even though the i7 has the extra 0.1GHz and is a "better" sandybridge model than the i5.
Starting building my new computer. I have the case, power supply and SSD.
Before I buy my MoBo.. is there any noticable difference between the 4 core and 6 core i7 processor? Do those 2 cores really make a shit of difference for gaming?
The guys before me already gave you the right answer. So I'll just add: get the i5 2500k if you are only gonna use it for gaming.
I'm curious to know what graphics card I should install. I currently have an ATI Radeon 4200 HD built into the motherboard so I know I will need to buy a new card to put in and take over the graphics. I was thinking of this one: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814102908
Can anyone chime in on this card or suggest another? Thanks
You should list the rest of your pc's specs. If you have really old hardware and you install that graphics card, the chance is good that your outdated hardware will bottleneck your gfx.
I have been thinking lately maybe I will get the i5k and just overclock it while spending the extra money perhaps on a GTX 560 Ti. I may still even get the regular GTX 560, but one thing I am certain of is that I will spend more on the card and forego the 550 Ti.
Good choice!! Anyway, this is what I would've done. Use that extra $100 on a better GFX which is the best for gaming.
Also, is the RAM not worth getting up to 2133 then for the i5? Should I just stick to the 1600? I was a little disappointed at this to be honest. Not that RAM is thee most important upgrade, but it's a fairly cheap upgrade to eventually max out so I like doing it eventually. But if my processor can't even really benefit from 2133 speeds then I suppose I'd just buy more of the Corsair Vengeance 1600.
If you're not gonna OC your ram to nearly 2133Hz with your mobo, than I'll suggest getting either the 1600 Corsair or Ripjaw RAM. The Vengeance is designed to get OC, so with both the Ripjaw and Corsair RAM at basically the same price I'll suggest getting the Corsair, cause you might want to OC in the future.
Alright, let's see here...I'll just link to each thing...
So it's pretty basic so far. I'm just making it so I can continue my upgrades as I go along with more ssd's later and I'll max out the ram, get extra monitors later, etc.
Well here's MY personal opinion. Firstly, Intel makes better CPU's, both may be 4-core and stuff but AMD CPU's doesn't perform nearly as good as Intel (you can go compare some stuff for yourself):
Intel Core i5 2500K - 3.3GHz vs AMD Phenom II X6 1100T BE - 3.3GHz (One of AMD's most high end CPU's)
For gaming, intel CPU's is the best way to go...even the 6-core AMD is no match for the Intel 4-core...
EVEN for 3d rendering the i5 is slightly better (rendering all depends on the amount of cores and threads of the cpu - so this just go to show how good Intel's CPU's are):
Render Time in Seconds - Lower is Better
i5 - 3.923
1100T - 4.116
So in your case, I'd prefer even the i5 2500k over the i7 2600K and spare $100...i7 only has twice as many threads (better for rendering (as you can see in the above link), gaming doesn't even use these extra threads). The i5 even beats the i7 on some tests:
And just google "i5 2500k vs i7 2600k best for gaming performance" or something you'll get your answer. i5 2500k is the best gaming cpu for the cheapest by FAR!!
Just ask anything, I recently build my own pc and did intensive research to make sure I got everything right!
As for your mobo, I have the exact same one! I also prefer Asus mobo for Intel CPU's. That mobo is a good choice, doesn't have 7+ PCI slots from which you're only gonna use 2...BUT I see your RAM's default frequency is 2133Hz and your mobo's default is 1600Hz, so you'll have to OC the DIMMS in your mobo the fuck up! I don't OC my DIMMS so I can't say if OC that much might be dangerous.
Hope this helps.
Edit: You can add that extra $100 for a better gfx.
Very true. Now compare the quad core AMD phenom BE x4 980 against the 2500k. The AMD is $159 compared to intels $229, and the AMD beats the intel on about half of the benchmarks. Both have their ups, I'm simply saying for the price I always go AMD, I can max any game settings with zero performance issues, and I saved a lot of money for other parts on my rig =D http://www.anandtech...duct/288?vs=362
Gosh, I was hoping the upgrades I've chosen over my current rig would be quite substantial. Are there really not that many selling points for the i7 over the i5? I guess I should've listed what my current rig was, but yeah I am using an unlocked i5 now. I knew I wanted a better mobo for future upgrades, and I'm selling 2 TB of slower harddrives just to invest in ssd. And yeah I wanted RAM for speeds up to 2133. Hopefully this isn't difficult to do in the BIOS.
The only selling points I know of is the fact that the i7 is a 4-core-8-thread-8MB-cach cpu and the i5 is a 4-core-4-thread-6MB cpu. Just compare here:
There are subtle increases in some areas, but not THAT much.
I take it you have the previous i5 version cpu and not the Sandy Bridge? Even though it's an improvement IF you sell you old i5 and buy the SB i5, it's not really an "upgrade". But if you want you can buy the i7.
The Gigabyte mobo I have now made overclocking really easy. Also I know the overclock speeds of i5 and i7 are about the same, but I thought the i7 had all that hyperthreading that the i5 did not. Maybe I acted too soon to replace my rig, but I wasn't confident in selling each of my PC's hardware individually so I'm just selling it all as a package to recover most my costs and do it again since I learned a lot building that first one and I know I'd do things differently this time around.
Yeah same OC speeds and yes for i7's hyperthreading. As I said in my post, you only need those extra threads in the i7 for heavy rendering and not gaming. If you sell your old rig as a whole, I'll suggest you take advantage of selling your rig as a package! Lookup what each component is worth atm and add it up and add a couple of $100 afterwards just so you make some profit. But yeah just do your thing!
Alright, let's see here...I'll just link to each thing...
So it's pretty basic so far. I'm just making it so I can continue my upgrades as I go along with more ssd's later and I'll max out the ram, get extra monitors later, etc.
Well here's MY personal opinion. Firstly, Intel makes better CPU's, both may be 4-core and stuff but AMD CPU's doesn't perform nearly as good as Intel (you can go compare some stuff for yourself):
Intel Core i5 2500K - 3.3GHz vs AMD Phenom II X6 1100T BE - 3.3GHz (One of AMD's most high end CPU's)
For gaming, intel CPU's is the best way to go...even the 6-core AMD is no match for the Intel 4-core...
EVEN for 3d rendering the i5 is slightly better (rendering all depends on the amount of cores and threads of the cpu - so this just go to show how good Intel's CPU's are):
Render Time in Seconds - Lower is Better
i5 - 3.923
1100T - 4.116
So in your case, I'd prefer even the i5 2500k over the i7 2600K and spare $100...i7 only has twice as many threads (better for rendering (as you can see in the above link), gaming doesn't even use these extra threads). The i5 even beats the i7 on some tests:
And just google "i5 2500k vs i7 2600k best for gaming performance" or something you'll get your answer. i5 2500k is the best gaming cpu for the cheapest by FAR!!
Just ask anything, I recently build my own pc and did intensive research to make sure I got everything right!
As for your mobo, I have the exact same one! I also prefer Asus mobo for Intel CPU's. That mobo is a good choice, doesn't have 7+ PCI slots from which you're only gonna use 2...BUT I see your RAM's default frequency is 2133Hz and your mobo's default is 1600Hz, so you'll have to OC the DIMMS in your mobo the fuck up! I don't OC my DIMMS so I can't say if OC that much might be dangerous.
Hope this helps.
Edit: You can add that extra $100 for a better gfx.
The shape of the death adder isn't that strange. It's pretty standard. So unless your use to one of the weird ass logitech designs I can't see any problem with using it. I don't have one but my bro does and I use his computer a fair bit. It also looks really cool
Yeah I wouldn't say I'm used to the weird Logitech designs cause I had that one for just a couple of months. And besides, you (or rather I) gets use to mice in just a couple of days, perhaps a week. So the getting used to doesn't bother me. I have the shitty one for a week now and I already pwned with it in BF3!
But yeah thanks for that bit of info, guess I'm gonna buy one then, it's just Logi-cal...
Good day. Recently some shitheads broke into me and my roommate's flat and stole a bunch of stuff (luckily not my pc) and my pc mouse was one of them. I'm using a crappy mouse just for the moment, till I can buy me a good one. I want to buy my new mouse at the online store where I bought my pc parts cause they're real good. So I had the Logitech MK710 wireless mouse & keyboard combo, well still got the keyboard, just needs a mouse.
But you obviously know which one is best, for gaming at least. Read a couple of reviews and there was just praise given, especially cost/performance ratio. Gonna buy BF3 once I get this mouse, so I'm gonna use my mouse mainly for gaming...and once D3 is released of course. And I want a wired mouse, my last one lagged sometimes.
So question: I use a combination between the Claw and Fingertip grip (my palm doesn't touch back of mouse & my fingers are like the claw grip [I have quite large hands]) and the size of the DA is: 127 mm / 5.00” (Length) x 70 mm / 2.76” (Width) x 44 mm / 1.73” (Height) but my previous mouse was real tiny so it was easy to use!
So is there any DA users that can verify or help me with whether it's possible/comfortable to use these grips with this large mouse? And if there is any other recommendations to a mouse, I'll appreciate it! Thanks.
I just read that you only need a 2GB GFX card if you intend to play games at a resolution higher than 1920x1080 (My monitor is 1680x1050 and I don't intend to buy a new one soon) or for games basically with better GFX than BF3 or that needs a shit load of anti-aliasing...
So my question is whether I should buy the 2GB (R3020 or $368.07) even though I won't be using the full 2GB OR should I buy a 1GB card (R2858 or $348.33)?
GFX - 200MHz faster memory clock speed and 30MHz faster core speed than the other GFX's for the same/less of the price (in RSA though).
RAM - It's good. The best RAM for that price that I could find (again in RSA though).
PSU - I used Asus's Wattage Calculator and the recommended PSU wattage required came up at 650watts. So I searched for 700watt and 800 watt PSU's. And most 800watt PSU was just a bit more expensive, but for 100watts more, it's nothing. It's just for in case I get another HDD or something.
MOBO - The mobo is the one thing I'm the least educated about, so suggestions openly welcome! I don't want to spend more than the current one I want though, if possible. And I don't really want 7 PCI-E slots, just have my GFX (which will probably take up 2 slots (how many slots is really necessary?), cause of the fan and cooling on it). Also want 4 dimms for future RAM instalments and don't need to be Asus. Thanks.
PS - Well the specs says that one of the memory speeds is 1600MHz. And the cheaper mobo's memory speed is 1600MHz (OC - overclocked). Since the RAM I wanna buy is 1600MHz, does this mean that for the 1600MHz (OC) memory speed mobo, I have to overclock the memory, for the RAM to achieve it's full potential?
CASE - I don't want a "flashy" pc case neither a dullone. And that one seems just fine. And my current case is rusty (live near the ocean)
BUT they said my GFX and case isn't in stock atm and will be in stock next year. They gave me alternatives for my GFXand case.
Note: This GFX has a 5000MHz clock speed and a 830MHz memory speed. Whereas my initial one has a 5200MHz clock speed and a 830MHz memory speed. Is this extra 200MHz really that much? (They are the same price btw).
And the case is basically the same one but the side panel differs. (more flashy).
So any help, especially with the mobo and GFX, are welcome!
Edit: My current pc (from what I can remember):
CPU - Intel Core2Duo 2.8GHz
GFX - Sapphire HD 4830 512MB
RAM - some shitty Kingston ones
PSU - Some Vantec 460watt one
MOBO - Asus P5KPL1600
Case - Vantec TSX 300b
So should I upgrade now (with the other GFX and another case) or wait till next year?
Note:
XFX - GPU Speed of 830MHz & Memory Speed of 5200MHz, while
SAPPHIRE - GPU Speed of 800MHz & Memory Speed of 5000MHz.
Also on XFX's official site, it states that the cards have DDR5 and not GDDR5...
Question 2:
Difference between DDR5 & GDDR5 for GFXs?
I know G stands for GraphicsDDR5. I've seen GFX cards with either of these and I dunno the exact difference...I read that the "G" is just added to DDR5 of the GFX Memory cause it's well graphics memory, so there is no difference.
Also read that with GDDR5 you can open the memory bank of your GFX or something like this...
SO if both cards use GDDR5 and/or there is no performance wise difference between those two, the XFX is obviously better.
XFX just decided to call it DDR5 as opposed to adding a G, for whatever reason. DDR5 doesn't even exist yet, so it would be tough to use it. DDR4 is supposed to hit the market sometime next year. GDDR and DDR are two different things and perform two different functions, with DDR as your standard ram and GDDR as your graphics memory. Also, the GDDR numbering is not homologous to any DDR designation. DDR2 is more advanced than GDDR2, DDR3 more advanced than GDDR3 and on down the line. They have similarities but are different products. EG, DDR isn't the desktop memory version of GDDR, nor is GDDR the graphics version of DDR.
So long story short...the XFX is slightly faster on paper, but I doubt you'll ever notice it. If you can find reviews of each or a website that compares them head to head, you'd know for sure.
It's funny cause there isn't a source on the internet that give me a definite difference between the two or one that gives an answer the way I want it! Thanks anyways.
Funny enough, the XFX is cheaper than the Sapphire where I'm gonna buy it... <_< Not complaining though. I'll give an update on my about to be new pc soon!
Note:
XFX - GPU Speed of 830MHz & Memory Speed of 5200MHz, while
SAPPHIRE - GPU Speed of 800MHz & Memory Speed of 5000MHz.
Also on XFX's official site, it states that the cards have DDR5 and not GDDR5...
Question 2:
Difference between DDR5 & GDDR5 for GFXs?
I know G stands for GraphicsDDR5. I've seen GFX cards with either of these and I dunno the exact difference...I read that the "G" is just added to DDR5 of the GFX Memory cause it's well graphics memory, so there is no difference.
Also read that with GDDR5 you can open the memory bank of your GFX or something like this...
SO if both cards use GDDR5 and/or there is no performance wise difference between those two, the XFX is obviously better.
You'll be able to run it but probably on low. Here's the SR.
Many people above has stated that the i5 has the best price/performance ratio. Gaming wise, the i5 2500K is basically the same as the i7:
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/CPU/50
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/CPU/342
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/CPU/47
Here's a very lengthy review (22 pages) for all the Intel Sandy Bridge processors (you can skip to certain parts at the dropdown at the bottom of the page):
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/the-sandy-bridge-review-intel-core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested
The 3D rendering/video encoding/game performance starts at page 15 if you would just like to look at those. You'll see that the i7 outperforms the i5 in the rendering/video encoding tests, while the i5 is almost exactly as good (some games even better) as the i7, even though the i7 has the extra 0.1GHz and is a "better" sandybridge model than the i5.
Hope this helps!
The guys before me already gave you the right answer. So I'll just add: get the i5 2500k if you are only gonna use it for gaming.
You should list the rest of your pc's specs. If you have really old hardware and you install that graphics card, the chance is good that your outdated hardware will bottleneck your gfx.
Good choice!! Anyway, this is what I would've done. Use that extra $100 on a better GFX which is the best for gaming.
If you're not gonna OC your ram to nearly 2133Hz with your mobo, than I'll suggest getting either the 1600 Corsair or Ripjaw RAM. The Vengeance is designed to get OC, so with both the Ripjaw and Corsair RAM at basically the same price I'll suggest getting the Corsair, cause you might want to OC in the future.
The 2 AMD CPU's are very similar:
http://www.anandtech...duct/203?vs=362
But yeah, if you have no issues with AMD, then you should go for them and save some money. I just prefer Intel. :Thumbs Up:
The only selling points I know of is the fact that the i7 is a 4-core-8-thread-8MB-cach cpu and the i5 is a 4-core-4-thread-6MB cpu. Just compare here:
i5 - http://ark.intel.com...Cache-3_30-GHz)
i7 - http://ark.intel.com...Cache-3_40-GHz)
There are subtle increases in some areas, but not THAT much.
I take it you have the previous i5 version cpu and not the Sandy Bridge? Even though it's an improvement IF you sell you old i5 and buy the SB i5, it's not really an "upgrade". But if you want you can buy the i7.
Yeah same OC speeds and yes for i7's hyperthreading. As I said in my post, you only need those extra threads in the i7 for heavy rendering and not gaming. If you sell your old rig as a whole, I'll suggest you take advantage of selling your rig as a package! Lookup what each component is worth atm and add it up and add a couple of $100 afterwards just so you make some profit. But yeah just do your thing!
Well here's MY personal opinion. Firstly, Intel makes better CPU's, both may be 4-core and stuff but AMD CPU's doesn't perform nearly as good as Intel (you can go compare some stuff for yourself):
Intel Core i5 2500K - 3.3GHz vs AMD Phenom II X6 1100T BE - 3.3GHz (One of AMD's most high end CPU's)
http://www.anandtech...duct/288?vs=203
For gaming, intel CPU's is the best way to go...even the 6-core AMD is no match for the Intel 4-core...
EVEN for 3d rendering the i5 is slightly better (rendering all depends on the amount of cores and threads of the cpu - so this just go to show how good Intel's CPU's are):
Render Time in Seconds - Lower is Better
i5 - 3.923
1100T - 4.116
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/CPU/33
So in your case, I'd prefer even the i5 2500k over the i7 2600K and spare $100...i7 only has twice as many threads (better for rendering (as you can see in the above link), gaming doesn't even use these extra threads). The i5 even beats the i7 on some tests:
(it's quite a long review - but i5 and i7 gaming performance charts start at page 20)
http://www.anandtech...-2100-tested/20
http://www.cpubenchm...h_end_cpus.html
And just google "i5 2500k vs i7 2600k best for gaming performance" or something you'll get your answer. i5 2500k is the best gaming cpu for the cheapest by FAR!!
Just ask anything, I recently build my own pc and did intensive research to make sure I got everything right!
As for your mobo, I have the exact same one! I also prefer Asus mobo for Intel CPU's. That mobo is a good choice, doesn't have 7+ PCI slots from which you're only gonna use 2...BUT I see your RAM's default frequency is 2133Hz and your mobo's default is 1600Hz, so you'll have to OC the DIMMS in your mobo the fuck up! I don't OC my DIMMS so I can't say if OC that much might be dangerous.
Hope this helps.
Edit: You can add that extra $100 for a better gfx.
Yeah I wouldn't say I'm used to the weird Logitech designs cause I had that one for just a couple of months. And besides, you (or rather I) gets use to mice in just a couple of days, perhaps a week. So the getting used to doesn't bother me. I have the shitty one for a week now and I already pwned with it in BF3!
But yeah thanks for that bit of info, guess I'm gonna buy one then, it's just Logi-cal...
So I ended up with these two:
- Razer DeathAdder 3500 Black Edition
- Logitech Corded Mouse M500
But you obviously know which one is best, for gaming at least. Read a couple of reviews and there was just praise given, especially cost/performance ratio. Gonna buy BF3 once I get this mouse, so I'm gonna use my mouse mainly for gaming...and once D3 is released of course. And I want a wired mouse, my last one lagged sometimes.
So question: I use a combination between the Claw and Fingertip grip (my palm doesn't touch back of mouse & my fingers are like the claw grip [I have quite large hands]) and the size of the DA is: 127 mm / 5.00” (Length) x 70 mm / 2.76” (Width) x 44 mm / 1.73” (Height) but my previous mouse was real tiny so it was easy to use!
So is there any DA users that can verify or help me with whether it's possible/comfortable to use these grips with this large mouse? And if there is any other recommendations to a mouse, I'll appreciate it! Thanks.
So my question is whether I should buy the 2GB (R3020 or $368.07) even though I won't be using the full 2GB OR should I buy a 1GB card (R2858 or $348.33)?
Ordered PC (this is from the site I ordered it from, so ignore the prices):
CPU - Intel i5 2500K
GFX - XFX Radeon HD 6950 XXX Edition 2GB
RAM - Corsair Vengeance 8GB
PSU - Vantec ioN2+AS van-800A 800W
MOBO - Asus P8Z68-V LE
CASE - CoolerMaster CM Storm Enforcer Gaming Case plus 200mm fan for on top
Reasons:
CPU - Best cpu for it's price.
GFX - 200MHz faster memory clock speed and 30MHz faster core speed than the other GFX's for the same/less of the price (in RSA though).
RAM - It's good. The best RAM for that price that I could find (again in RSA though).
PSU - I used Asus's Wattage Calculator and the recommended PSU wattage required came up at 650watts. So I searched for 700watt and 800 watt PSU's. And most 800watt PSU was just a bit more expensive, but for 100watts more, it's nothing. It's just for in case I get another HDD or something.
MOBO - The mobo is the one thing I'm the least educated about, so suggestions openly welcome! I don't want to spend more than the current one I want though, if possible. And I don't really want 7 PCI-E slots, just have my GFX (which will probably take up 2 slots (how many slots is really necessary?), cause of the fan and cooling on it). Also want 4 dimms for future RAM instalments and don't need to be Asus. Thanks.
PS - Well the specs says that one of the memory speeds is 1600MHz. And the cheaper mobo's memory speed is 1600MHz (OC - overclocked). Since the RAM I wanna buy is 1600MHz, does this mean that for the 1600MHz (OC) memory speed mobo, I have to overclock the memory, for the RAM to achieve it's full potential?
CASE - I don't want a "flashy" pc case neither a dullone. And that one seems just fine. And my current case is rusty (live near the ocean)
BUT they said my GFX and case isn't in stock atm and will be in stock next year. They gave me alternatives for my GFXand case.
Note: This GFX has a 5000MHz clock speed and a 830MHz memory speed. Whereas my initial one has a 5200MHz clock speed and a 830MHz memory speed. Is this extra 200MHz really that much? (They are the same price btw).
And the case is basically the same one but the side panel differs. (more flashy).
So any help, especially with the mobo and GFX, are welcome!
Edit:
My current pc (from what I can remember):
CPU - Intel Core2Duo 2.8GHz
GFX - Sapphire HD 4830 512MB
RAM - some shitty Kingston ones
PSU - Some Vantec 460watt one
MOBO - Asus P5KPL1600
Case - Vantec TSX 300b
So should I upgrade now (with the other GFX and another case) or wait till next year?
Funny enough, the XFX is cheaper than the Sapphire where I'm gonna buy it... <_< Not complaining though. I'll give an update on my about to be new pc soon!
Question 1:
XFX Radeon HD 6950 2GB XXX or SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6950 2GB?
Note:
XFX - GPU Speed of 830MHz & Memory Speed of 5200MHz, while
SAPPHIRE - GPU Speed of 800MHz & Memory Speed of 5000MHz.
Also on XFX's official site, it states that the cards have DDR5 and not GDDR5...
Question 2:
Difference between DDR5 & GDDR5 for GFXs?
I know G stands for GraphicsDDR5. I've seen GFX cards with either of these and I dunno the exact difference...I read that the "G" is just added to DDR5 of the GFX Memory cause it's well graphics memory, so there is no difference.
Also read that with GDDR5 you can open the memory bank of your GFX or something like this...
SO if both cards use GDDR5 and/or there is no performance wise difference between those two, the XFX is obviously better.