Hardware Discussion Thread

Beez · 04-10-2012 09:00AM

frozenfrozen wrote: »

I knew I was meant to do something today, I forgot to get the diode!
I'll pick one up tomorrow if I remember and give it a try. Now that I know there's a problem I can't hear anything but the grinding!

Just remember it only goes one way. I thought mine was not working at first until i swapped it around.

Genghiz Cohen · 04-10-2012 10:53AM

thewheel2.0 wrote: »

How do AOC IPS monitors rate compared to the Dell IPS monitor? http://www.scan.co.uk/products/23-aoc-i2353fh-ips-widescreen-monitor-1920x1080-5ms-250cd-m-10001-hdmi-vga

From just looking at the specs, the Dell is brighter.

Both myself and ShadowComplex have the Dell 23" and we both are very happy with them.

M00lers · 04-10-2012 11:06AM

Hi,
Can anyone recommend a mATX motherboard for a Phenom II x2 555 unlocked to x4 B55 (essentially a Phenom II x4 955)?

I'll be overclocking to 3.8 and have no need for SLI/CF support, SATA II and USB 2.0 will suffice but if there is SATA III and USB 3.0 onboard thats cool!

Will be running a 6870 so onboard graphics are unimportant.

Budget is approx 100euro but I'm flexible..
Thanks,
Moo

Tea_Bag · 04-10-2012 12:07PM

a short but good review on Trinity dual GPU support (ie CF with igp)

www.hexus.net/tech/reviews/cpu/46157-amd-a10-5800k-dual-graphics-evaluation/

good for low budgets and HTPC, but once you go discreet in almost any fashion, you'd be better on 1155.

marco_polo · 04-10-2012 01:02PM

thewheel2.0 wrote: »

How do AOC IPS monitors rate compared to the Dell IPS monitor? http://www.scan.co.uk/products/23-aoc-i2353fh-ips-widescreen-monitor-1920x1080-5ms-250cd-m-10001-hdmi-vga

Solid budget IPS and has some very good reviews, however this site specifically mentions the Dell as being a better gaming option than this, and also going beyond the basics the Dells have a full 3 year warranty, much greater movement ranges (tilt, swivel, pivot etc), usb hubs and a vast array of inputs, certainly more than enough to justify the extra few quid if you can spare it IMO.

farna_boy · 04-10-2012 04:10PM

Tea_Bag wrote: »

a short but good review on Trinity dual GPU support (ie CF with igp)

www.hexus.net/tech/reviews/cpu/46157-amd-a10-5800k-dual-graphics-evaluation/

good for low budgets and HTPC, but once you go discreet in almost any fashion, you'd be better on 1155.

I have actually been reading a lot of reviews of this at the moment and most seem contradictory when it come to the graphics section. In every other section and in the conclusions, every review seems to say that they are very good chips and would be good for HTPCs. However, I have also seen a few reviews recommending them for low end gaming PCs.

Even with regards the Hexus review that you linked, if you read the Rage3D review, it seems to directly contradict the hexus review, although the Rage3D review seems to use some unusual settings, perhaps in an attempt to favour the AMD chip.

I would like to see more reviews of what happens when you put a good graphics card in to the machine and compare it to the competition. Techspot have done this, where they added a GTX580 and compared this system against i3s and i7s and it seems to compare favorably with current games. Guru3D have also done this but have found what seems like completely contradictory results, saying that it fair considerably worse than its rivals. There is also one other review that uses a 7850 with the chip and show that it performs well, but unfortunately does not compare these tests vs anything else (can't seem to find that review right now).

My main problem with most of the reviews is that there is no consistency and some gaping holes in their methods, for example in the Techspot vs Guru3D reviews and the Hexus vs Rage3D reviews all seem to contradict each other when it comes to the gaming benches.

As long as you are buying the CPU for casual use, as a HTPC or low end gaming, it seems like a very good idea. However, if you are buying the CPU and intend to play a moderate amount of games on it, then I would wait and see if any consensus can be reached.

Monotype · 04-10-2012 10:03PM

In the techspot review, the only i3s/i5s it's beating are the two generation old Nahelms. Sandy and Ivy Bridge chips win with a discrete card. It's fairly consistent. Sandy and Ivy are clearly better still at performing per core CPU performance. vr-zone did a review with a discrete card too. Intel are going to win out, but it does show that you're not tremendously held back so it's still a reasonable option for someone who wants to upgrade from the integrated graphics. The main goal of it is to use the integrated graphics. If you don't, then you ought to be looking at another CPU.

Edit: Actually there's an Ivy Bridge CPU below in one of the tests, but I'd hardly consider 2 frames a victory.

frozenfrozen · 04-10-2012 10:48PM

Little update on my loud H100. I forgot to get the diode again today, but I got an email back for corsair support. Email said that I should RMA it, and that I can request an advance RMA, so I'll be able to swap on the same day. Took a while to reply but otherwise corsair support seems grand. I'll probably do the advanced rma, and if it gets loud again ill do the diode trick

Beez · 05-10-2012 07:39AM

frozenfrozen wrote: »

Little update on my loud H100. I forgot to get the diode again today, but I got an email back for corsair support. Email said that I should RMA it, and that I can request an advance RMA, so I'll be able to swap on the same day. Took a while to reply but otherwise corsair support seems grand. I'll probably do the advanced rma, and if it gets loud again ill do the diode trick

Worth a try I suppose. At least you wont be without it for any time. This is a bad flaw but I still love my H100.

Eboggles · 05-10-2012 05:05PM

Pricing of AMD Radeon HD7800, HD7700 being slashed @XbitLabs

Article here:

Advanced Micro Devices on Thursday informed about reduced prices of its mainstream and performance-mainstream graphics cards. The company and its partners continue to lower pricing in a bid to better compete against Nvidia Corp.'s growing lineup of Kepler-architecture GeForce 600-series graphics cards.

Starting today, AMD Radeon HD 7850 1GB costs $159 (after rebate), whereas the 2GB version carries $189 official price-tag. The AMD Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition graphics board now has manufacturer suggested retail price of $119. AMD and its partners specifically reduced price of sub-$200 graphics boards to improve positions in the most popular segment of graphics boards.

AMD is pre-empting the 650ti I presume? I really hope that the GTX 650ti turns out to be great, and maybe we'll see more cuts?

Bazzo · 05-10-2012 05:10PM

Eboggles wrote: »

Pricing of AMD Radeon HD7800, HD7700 being slashed @XbitLabs

Article here:

AMD is pre-empting the 650ti I presume? I really hope that the GTX 650ti turns out to be great, and maybe we'll see more cuts?

Is this their 3rd round of cuts? Has anyone actually kept score on how much prices have gone down so far on places like HWVS, amazon, pixmania etc?

Just curious to see how it's translating over here.

Monotype · 05-10-2012 05:12PM

Wooooooooo! Something in the mid 100s, finally.

ShadowHearth · 05-10-2012 05:16PM

Respect to AMD in all fairness. Can someone throw a shoe at nvidia and wake them up. Fecking 680 is still around 500eu!!!

Eboggles · 05-10-2012 05:24PM

By the way guys, what's better for gaming? An i3 2120 with a HD 7750 or an A10 5800k CF'd with a HD6670? This is assuming that overclocking is involved.

EDIT: Never mind, I just found out the HD7750 is actually the same price as the HD6670. I think that answers that one!

N64 · 05-10-2012 05:29PM

Bit angry now since I bought my 7850 for €230 :mad: Although I did get both DIRT and sleeping dogs for free (dabs gave me a free copy because of my RMA)

Monotype · 05-10-2012 05:31PM

I thought it was pixmania, or was that a second 7850?

Bazzo · 05-10-2012 05:48PM

N64 wrote: »

Bit angry now since I bought my 7850 for €230 :mad: Although I did get both DIRT and sleeping dogs for free (dabs gave me a free copy because of my RMA)

That must have been a good while ago was it? I got the XFX DD 7870 a couple weeks ago for less than that.

N64 · 05-10-2012 05:53PM

Monotype wrote: »

I thought it was pixmania, or was that a second 7850?

second one, but I had to RMA that

:D

I got a new PSU now and the build I am on is running the same (minus the annoying squealing noise) Why else would the manufacturer deem the cards to be faulty though if it was my rig? Must be a heap of bad luck I got

ShadowHearth · 06-10-2012 12:56PM

is it me or HDD prices starting to go waaaay down? maybe about time to get some nice 2TB hdd just for junk and porn?

Monotype · 06-10-2012 01:04PM

They're not falling as fast as SSDs, but yeah, they're slowly going down. Still not anywhere near as low as they were.

ShadowHearth · 06-10-2012 01:55PM

Monotype wrote: »

They're not falling as fast as SSDs, but yeah, they're slowly going down. Still not anywhere near as low as they were.

still better then it was though. when you think about it, i bough 500gb for 100eu, now 100eu could get you 2tb storage hdd.

its a shame i am as broke as church mouse...

Eboggles · 06-10-2012 02:40PM

GTX 650Ti review leaked

It's around stock HD6870 performance when overclocked, and pre-overclocked ones such as this Gigabyte Windforce 2GB version are coming in at just under €170.

Kinda underwhelming, but the review looks a bit dodgy so here's hoping that it's a fake.

ShadowHearth · 06-10-2012 02:45PM

Eboggles wrote: »

GTX 650Ti review leaked

It's around stock HD6870 performance when overclocked, and pre-overclocked ones such as this Gigabyte Windforce 2GB version are coming in at just under €170.

Kinda underwhelming, but the review looks a bit dodgy so here's hoping that it's a fake.

if thats true, then it is very useless card. 6870 is cheaper and beter card for the money. with price drop of 7850 7870 it looks even worse for nvidia

Monotype · 06-10-2012 02:51PM

6870s have been disappearing and getting more expensive though. I was hoping for something a bit more like the 560ti. At 6870 prices. However, with the recent price slashes of the 7850, I think that fills that area. They'd want to be pricing these less than 150 euros.

marco_polo · 06-10-2012 03:08PM

Kinda pointless of NVidia to only now get around to filling their entire range of 6xx cards, as AMD have presumeably been doing a very steady trade all along in the mid ranges, and certainly must have a very stable production supply by now, and so are now in a great position to make the price cuts that will undermine anything that NVidia release.

Mostly though I am just pissed off that the very time I don't have the cash anymore the 7850/7870 are dropping into the price ranges where I would have been throwing money at them a few month ago

.

marco_polo · 06-10-2012 03:24PM

Monotype wrote: »

They're not falling as fast as SSDs, but yeah, they're slowly going down. Still not anywhere near as low as they were.

While manfacturing levels are long gone back up, I think the major manufacturers are trying to draw out the increased profit margins for as long as possible.

Not that they are fixing prices or anything but I don't think there is the appetite there for a serious price war. But you do get the feeling that a some point in the near future those ever falling SSD prices will force their hand.

N64 · 06-10-2012 05:08PM

marco_polo wrote: »

While manfacturing levels are long gone back up, I think the major manufacturers are trying to draw out the increased profit margins for as long as possible.

Not that they are fixing prices or anything but I don't think there is the appetite there for a serious price war. But you do get the feeling that a some point in the near future those ever falling SSD prices will force their hand.

Yeah, I was reading a few reports through this year stating that hard drive supply has actually surpassed what it was pre flood levels. Of course, with the merger of some major manufactures, this means that the companies have no need to reduce the prices significantly.

I bet we will see a price fixing charges brought upon them in the next few years because of this :pac: Its not the first time

ED E · 06-10-2012 05:33PM

Anyone see HDDs being made obsolete in the next decade by SSDs?

Serephucus · 06-10-2012 05:36PM

In the next decade? Quite probably. I wouldn't count HDDs out just yet though. There's been a few things around to suggest that we might be seeing 6-10TB drives in the next couple of years.

kenyard · 06-10-2012 09:08PM

Serephucus wrote: »

In the next decade? Quite probably. I wouldn't count HDDs out just yet though. There's been a few things around to suggest that we might be seeing 6-10TB drives in the next couple of years.

oO wow those would be incredible

at the rate we are going though im not surprised alright.

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