Hardware Discussion Thread

Trevor451 · 18-08-2011 03:05PM

I am very impatient (they told me that the RMA might take up to 6 weeks for my 6850 to be fixed) and I was thinking of getting a 6950 anyway for BF3.

It would run OK on my super flower amazon 550w?

Tea_Bag · 18-08-2011 03:10PM

apparently sandy E will come without a heatsink, but id stake money on the 2800k having a heatsink. its probably nothing more than a higher clocked 2700k.

Unregistered. · 18-08-2011 03:11PM

Monotype wrote: »

Edit: 2800K not until 1H 2012.
http://wccftech.com/intel-sandy-bridgee-lga-2011-pricing-leaked-core-i7-3960x-extreme-edition-cost-1000us/

Looks like Q3 '11 to me. (as denoted by "≥ i7-2600k")

Monotype · 18-08-2011 03:29PM

Trevor451 wrote: »

I am very impatient (they told me that the RMA might take up to 6 weeks for my 6850 to be fixed) and I was thinking of getting a 6950 anyway for BF3.

It would run OK on my super flower amazon 550w?

Yeah.

deconduo · 27-08-2011 09:23PM

Good news for anyone with a Crucial M4:

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/crucial-m4-ssd-firmware-update,news-36290.html

Unregistered. · 28-08-2011 12:17PM

^^^ Look forward to reviews revisited.

VenomIreland · 28-08-2011 12:18PM

I'm getting an M4 this week, how do you update the firmware on it?

Monotype · 28-08-2011 03:30PM

If it's the same as updating for the C300, first you need to change it to IDE in the CMOS. Then you'll need to make a bootable USB drive with DOS on it. Just enter the command and you're done.

It's a little bit of hassle but it's not bad once you get a hold of the DOS files and a bootable USB tool. You can find these on the internet or I can dig up the files if you're not sure. It will tell you in the update guide with the firmware anyway.

VenomIreland · 28-08-2011 03:33PM

Monotype wrote: »

If it's the same as updating for the C300, first you need to change it to IDE in the CMOS. Then you'll need to make a bootable USB drive with DOS on it. Just enter the command and you're done.

It's a little bit of hassle but it's not bad once you get a hold of the DOS files and a bootable USB tool. You can find these on the internet or I can dig up the files if you're not sure. It will tell you in the update guide with the firmware anyway.

I just finished reading the guide they have on the site a few minutes ago, they supply a bootable ISO image to upgrade the firmware

Really excited for this build, according to DHL it'll arrive either tomorrow or Tuesday.

Monotype · 28-08-2011 03:44PM

Oh well that sounds a lot easier. I thought it was a bit ridiculous having to boot to DOS to be honest.

deejer · 30-08-2011 01:16PM

http://wccftech.com/amd-fx-bulldozer-chips-start-shipping-week/

Looks like we wont have to wait too much longer for the first of these Bulldozer chips. Im looking forward to seeing what they can do.

While the whole intel/AMD thing doesnt bother me I would like to see them at least catch up with the Sandybridge.

Tea_Bag · 30-08-2011 01:50PM

any reason why HWmonitor isnt showing both my gpu's temps?
ive got 6950's crossfired.

Ryan451 · 03-09-2011 07:19PM

Hey guys, i'm ordering an i5 2500k and a Gigabyte z68x UD3P. I also want to upgrade RAM but dont really understand all the Numbers and stats about RAM. I was wondering would anybody know the best 8GB kit to go with the i5 and z68x?

deconduo · 03-09-2011 07:57PM

Just grab the cheapst DDR3 kit, it'll be fine. If you're ordering from HWVS, this is what you'd go for:
http://www1.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=44315&agid=1192

Ryan451 · 03-09-2011 08:09PM

deconduo wrote: »

Just grab the cheapst DDR3 kit, it'll be fine. If you're ordering from HWVS, this is what you'd go for:
http://www1.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=44315&agid=1192

Would i see improved performance in a kit with higher mhz? Like 1600mhz instead of 1333mhz?

deconduo · 03-09-2011 08:13PM

Ryan451 wrote: »

Would i see improved performance in a kit with higher mhz? Like 1600mhz instead of 1333mhz?

The increase in performance is miniscule, and not something you'd notice.

Ryan451 · 03-09-2011 08:17PM

deconduo wrote: »

The increase in performance is miniscule, and not something you'd notice.

Ok, thanks, i will get on that. Time to watch the X Factor :P

Brian · 05-09-2011 11:36AM

Anybody know if it's possible to buy the reference AMD 6450? I can't seem to find a 3rd party version that uses GDDR5 and not DDR3.

Effluo · 05-09-2011 11:46AM

Baza210 wrote: »

Anybody know if it's possible to buy the reference AMD 6450? I can't seem to find a 3rd party version that uses GDDR5 and not DDR3.

Did a quick search there and it doesn't seem as though they're on the market at all

Edit:
http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/10013120/art/sapphire-technology/radeon-hd-6450-512-mb-gd.html?srcid=867&key=YU96cRc9a+beL9ojAzRQDCofEiMLEYS7H+sRNQU0MxxweEdxa4ONBt0nUGFSA3lPFCFYXA==

Found one

Brian · 05-09-2011 12:35PM

I found that one too, cheers. The HSF looks small enough that it hopefully won't be noticeable in a MicroServer. There are no passive DDR5s sadly.

Tea_Bag · 05-09-2011 01:52PM

In a server system would it really matter? I'd take a passive over a noisy slight improvement.

Brian · 05-09-2011 02:43PM

sapphire-hd6450-512mb-ddr5-64bit-memory-graphics-card-frsc-s6450512d5.jpg

The HSF is tiny. Plus there are already 120 mm and 40 mm case and PSU fans, I doubt it will change much. The performance (at least with the AMD reference card) is markedly improved, however.

The Sapphire version that I bought is 512 MB though, so I'm guessing it would be somewhere in between the two (the Sapphire shown in this graph is the passive DDR3 model vs the AMD reference DDR5).

Monotype · 10-09-2011 01:08PM

I was on komplett this morning and spotted A-Data HM-650 650 Watt PSU for €59. What is this madness, I thought, doesn't Adata sell RAM and SSDs?

Well it seems they sell PSUs now too, and they're not too bad apparently. It's based on CWT's PSH II series - similar to Corsair's GS and TX PSUs and it's modular.

At €59 delivered, it looks better than anything else around at that price.

Reviews
http://www.kitguru.net/components/power-supplies/zardon/adata-hm-series-650w-power-supply-review/
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AData/HM-650W/1.html

Tea_Bag · 10-09-2011 01:31PM

That's a big ugly blue label though

DannyD · 10-09-2011 07:55PM

So I bought this board.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131668

I want a mid tower for this. What sort of a case do I need? I take it a ATX case but how will I know if it is correctly speced for all the inputs/outputs on the board (eg: usb, hdmi etc...).

Will this suffice ? Does it have the correct layout for all the ports on the board?
http://www.elara.ie/productdetail.aspx?productcode=ECE2023677

Donny5 · 10-09-2011 08:11PM

DannyD wrote: »

So I bought this board.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131668

I want a mid tower for this. What sort of a case do I need? I take it a ATX case but how will I know if it is correctly speced for all the inputs/outputs on the board (eg: usb, hdmi etc...).

Will this suffice ? Does it have the correct layout for all the ports on the board?
http://www.elara.ie/productdetail.aspx?productcode=ECE2023677

Any ATX will do. Your motherboard will come with a rectangular I/O plate which has all the correct slots. You just put that into place in the case, and you're set.

It looks like this:

Trevor451 · 10-09-2011 10:11PM

Monotype wrote: »

I was on komplett this morning and spotted A-Data HM-650 650 Watt PSU for €59. What is this madness, I thought, doesn't Adata sell RAM and SSDs?

Well it seems they sell PSUs now too, and they're not too bad apparently. It's based on CWT's PSH II series - similar to Corsair's GS and TX PSUs and it's modular.

At €59 delivered, it looks better than anything else around at that price.

Reviews
http://www.kitguru.net/components/power-supplies/zardon/adata-hm-series-650w-power-supply-review/
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AData/HM-650W/1.html