Off-Topic Thread

ShadowHearth · 19-03-2014 05:22PM

Just a little update: Dirt 2 + G27 = Best workout for your upper body ever created! :pac:

Took me 30 minutes to Win the Newby first tutorial Race! Though it was so most fun I ever had in Racing game! It will take time to get used to it, but god, its damn fun!

Seaaan · 21-03-2014 02:55PM

Hwvs shipped my replacement 19/3 but told me its 'too late to change address'
Any way to change it now?

SuperTortoise · 21-03-2014 02:57PM

Seaaan wrote: »

Hwvs shipped my replacement 19/3 but told me its 'too late to change address'
Any way to change it now?

Maybe try and contact the courier service??, you should have a tracking number if the order was dispatched already.

Seaaan · 21-03-2014 04:24PM

SuperTortoise wrote: »

Maybe try and contact the courier service??, you should have a tracking number if the order was dispatched already.

It was a return so they just shipped it without telling me, and I know because I emailed them about it. I don't know which courier service it is, and no tracking number. If its ups they have my mobile number so I could meet them somewhere else, but I know for a fact no courier will deliver to my house..

Squaredude · 21-03-2014 06:14PM

Finally gave in and ordered myself a mechanical keyboard, ordered a corsair vengance k70. This better be the best damned keyboard I've ever used.

Blitz17 · 21-03-2014 06:25PM

Squaredude wrote: »

Finally gave in and ordered myself a mechanical keyboard, ordered a corsair vengance k70. This better be the best damned keyboard I've ever used.

I was close to doing the same but I ordered a 360mm rad and a 240mm rad instead. I will own a k70 soon

Seaaan · 21-03-2014 10:12PM

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/corsair-vengeance-k90-factory-refurbished-mmo-rts-mechanical-backlit-gaming-keyboard-mx-red
Anyone ever buy a factory refurbished item? For 70 euro it's a steal, but I don't want someone's scratched old keyboard..

Headshot · 21-03-2014 10:13PM

Some times a refurb is just when the customer changes their mind after buying it

ShadowHearth · 21-03-2014 10:24PM

Seaaan wrote: »

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/corsair-vengeance-k90-factory-refurbished-mmo-rts-mechanical-backlit-gaming-keyboard-mx-red
Anyone ever buy a factory refurbished item? For 70 euro it's a steal, but I don't want someone's scratched old keyboard..

Well, knowing how clean is my Keyboard and how much stuff inside of it... I would not buy even Refurbed one... :pac:

Seaaan · 21-03-2014 10:27PM

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Well, knowing how clean is my Keyboard and how much stuff inside of it... I would not buy even Refurbed one... :pac:

That's why i'm hesitant. I know how badly i treat my keyboard! :P

Baked.noodle · 21-03-2014 10:59PM

Intel returns to its roots with slew of overclocker-friendly desktop CPUs

First up is a new "Extreme Edition" Core i7 processor based on the "Haswell-E" architecture.... This new CPU checks all of those boxes—it uses eight CPU cores, supports the emerging DDR4 memory standard, and requires Intel's upcoming X99 chipset (which we don't know much about, yet). This new chip will launch at some point in the second half of 2014

Other announcements were of a little more interest to people looking to get the most performance for their dollar. First up is a dual-core, Haswell-based Pentium chip that's unlocked for overclocking... The chip is being released in celebration of the Pentium name's 20th birthday—"Pentium" hasn't been used to describe a flagship processor since the "Core" moniker showed up almost a decade ago, but Intel has continued using it to describe mid-to-low-end CPUs nestled in between Core at the high end and Celeron and Atom at the low end. We don't have pricing or an exact availability date, but the chip is compatible with current 8-series and upcoming 9-series chipsets and will be available around the middle of the year.

Available at around the same time will be a new mid-cycle refresh for Haswell, codenamed "Devil's Canyon." Like the new Pentium, the chip will be unlocked, but its packaging will be altered to enable lower temperatures and better overclocking than current Haswell chips—AnandTech has a good breakdown that describes how overclocking potential has diminished even as Intel has improved the efficiency of its CPU architectures. We know nothing else about the processor—not its core count, not its clock speed, and not even if it will support current 8-series chipsets and motherboards—but expect more information between now and when it goes on sale mid-year.

The most forward-looking announcement Intel made was about a new, socketed desktop chip based on the next-generation "Broadwell" CPU architecture... we know that it will be built on Intel's new 14nm manufacturing process, and we know that the manufacturing process switch has delayed Broadwell by around three months from its original projected ship date.

...contrary to some older rumors, Broadwell will indeed be available for standard socketed motherboards. Enthusiasts will be able to upgrade them and swap them as they please. Second, some of those socketed Broadwell CPUs will use Intel's Iris Pro GPUs, the designation used for the company's best integrated graphics chips. In Haswell chips, Iris Pro is limited strictly to desktop and laptop CPUs that are soldered to the motherboard...

Gumbi · 21-03-2014 11:16PM

3ghz dual core haswell, overclockable will hurt AMD.

Revoker88 · 21-03-2014 11:33PM

The i3-4130 is already giving the fx-6300 a run for its money,if you can then overclock the i3 its a better option imo.

Will use a lot less power than the 6300 aswell.

An i3 and a 750ti and you could probably get away with a 300w psu and still have a reasonable gaming machine......hmmmm ive wanted to build a htpc for awhile now maybe these would be a good low power option that would still have a bit of gaming ability

Tea_Bag · 21-03-2014 11:53PM

Its very clever from intel. They get to sell off all their "old" (read: haswell 1.0) low end stock by unlocking the multi's, slap a Special Edition badge on it, and destroy AMD'd portfolio all in one move.

i3 @ 4.5ghz for €100? yes please.

Its good to see theyre addressing the TIM issue, I reckon it'll be a premium feature on K SKU's only though..

Dothehustle · 22-03-2014 02:26AM

Seaaan wrote: »

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/corsair-vengeance-k90-factory-refurbished-mmo-rts-mechanical-backlit-gaming-keyboard-mx-red
Anyone ever buy a factory refurbished item? For 70 euro it's a steal, but I don't want someone's scratched old keyboard..

i bought a refurbish one before off them
while mine is grand loads of people had problems with it ( some led not working and scratches on it) so bit of a lottery with it
i am sure there was a thread on hduk about it

found the thread where it was posted
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/corsair-k90-refurbished-mechanical-keyboard-cherry-mx-reds-scan-uk-1674926?page=8#comments

raymix · 23-03-2014 06:30PM

SP: Stick of Truth was awesome, those who are not sure whether or not to play it - you are missing out big time

I've never ever facepalmed so much in a game

Revoker88 · 24-03-2014 01:53AM

Ok so my rig is in my sig,for those on phones its basically a 3570k and 2x7950 Vapor X's with 8 gb of ram so nothing to mad.

Basically im going to be buying a nzxt h440 to replace my CM HAF case,nothing wrong with the HAF,just want something more asthetically pleasing while keeping the cooling performance similar to that of the HAF. Gonna grab a few braided cables as well to help with the looks.

The bit im having trouble deciding is should i get rid of the 7950's? They still fetch a reasonable price atm so was thinking of getting rid and grabbing a 780. Is this madness?

Idea was add a second 780 when i go 4K,which by the looks of tea_bags thread the other day could be sooner than i thought and one 780 should do fine for now at 1440p

I know people are going to say 290 over 780 also but with the intention to crossfire/sli the 780 seems the better option to me,i dont want a hot noisy system either

Gumbi · 24-03-2014 02:17AM

EoinHef wrote: »

Ok so my rig is in my sig,for those on phones its basically a 3570k and 2x7950 Vapor X's with 8 gb of ram so nothing to mad.

Basically im going to be buying a nzxt h440 to replace my CM HAF case,nothing wrong with the HAF,just want something more asthetically pleasing while keeping the cooling performance similar to that of the HAF. Gonna grab a few braided cables as well to help with the looks.

The bit im having trouble deciding is should i get rid of the 7950's? They still fetch a reasonable price atm so was thinking of getting rid and grabbing a 780. Is this madness?

Idea was add a second 780 when i go 4K,which by the looks of tea_bags thread the other day could be sooner than i thought and one 780 should do fine for now at 1440p

I know people are going to say 290 over 780 also but with the intention to crossfire/sli the 780 seems the better option to me,i dont want a hot noisy system either

Ìf you are going single card, a 780 is probably better than a 290, but for dual cards at high res, the 290s will be better (they perform A LOT better at higher resolutions with the 512 bit memory bandwidth).

As for heat, they don't consume much more than a 780 at all, and as for cooling, yes, the bower cooler of the 780 is definitely better (which in turn makes them better for dual card solutions) but with the right setup I think dual 290s would be better, either reference cards under water or a pair of aftermarket cooler cards with good airflow.

Revoker88 · 24-03-2014 02:47AM

Gumbi wrote: »

Ìf you are going single card, a 780 is probably better than a 290, but for dual cards at high res, the 290s will be better (they perform A LOT better at higher resolutions with the 512 bit memory bandwidth).

As for heat, they don't consume much more than a 780 at all, and as for cooling, yes, the bower cooler of the 780 is definitely better (which in turn makes them better for dual card solutions) but with the right setup I think dual 290s would be better, either reference cards under water or a pair of aftermarket cooler cards with good airflow.

Water is not really a route i want to go down,i dont see the point unless there are some really high end gear going into the build.

My plan would be to stick with air and upgrade a bit more often.

So the 290's would be just on air,which is why im being put off them. Power consumption is an issue as well,electricity is so costly these days:( There was a noticable jump in my elec bills with my current setup.

If they had been a bit more efficent and ran cooler it wouldnt even be an issue and id probably have ordered them already. These issues are the reasons im thinking 780,so annoying as there no clear winner for me between the two. Each card has its own pros/cons imo.

How badly will the lower memory bus width affect the 780's at 4K?

Also the 290's having the extra 1gb of vram is a plus i guess and also cheaper,but i just cant seem to get past the inferior cooling,noise levels. Especially if im not gonna put them under water:(

Gumbi · 24-03-2014 03:23AM

EoinHef wrote: »

Water is not really a route i want to go down,i dont see the point unless there are some really high end gear going into the build.

My plan would be to stick with air and upgrade a bit more often.

So the 290's would be just on air,which is why im being put off them. Power consumption is an issue as well,electricity is so costly these days:( There was a noticable jump in my elec bills with my current setup.

If they had been a bit more efficent and ran cooler it wouldnt even be an issue and id probably have ordered them already. These issues are the reasons im thinking 780,so annoying as there no clear winner for me between the two. Each card has its own pros/cons imo.

How badly will the lower memory bus width affect the 780's at 4K?

Also the 290's having the extra 1gb of vram is a plus i guess and also cheaper,but i just cant seem to get past the inferior cooling,noise levels. Especially if im not gonna put them under water:(

You're right, there are pros and cons to both. The 290 reference cooler sucks. nVidia wins here, and since we're talking SLI/CF, this is more relevant.

As for power consumption, this review shows the 780 drawing more power in crossfire.

Other reviews seem to show the 290 barely using more, you can look them up. Fairly equal in power consumption.

The memory makes a difference. See this review on how the performance of a 290x in cf scales much better than a 780 when resolution is upped. Here.

So where does this leave us? I think a pair of aftermarket 290s would be the best for high res setup. Reference coolers are serviceable via good airflow and replacing the thermal paste with a single card setup, but I think it would be too hot (and probably too loud for your taste) with 2 of them like this.

Fluffy88 · 24-03-2014 10:14AM

Squaredude wrote: »

Finally gave in and ordered myself a mechanical keyboard, ordered a corsair vengance k70. This better be the best damned keyboard I've ever used.

Which one did you go for?
I bought a brown K70 myself from Amazon about 2 weeks ago, still no sign of it being shipped. Apparently there is some kind of shortage of blue & brown K70's

ShadowHearth · 24-03-2014 01:38PM

EoinHef wrote: »

Ok so my rig is in my sig,for those on phones its basically a 3570k and 2x7950 Vapor X's with 8 gb of ram so nothing to mad.

Basically im going to be buying a nzxt h440 to replace my CM HAF case,nothing wrong with the HAF,just want something more asthetically pleasing while keeping the cooling performance similar to that of the HAF. Gonna grab a few braided cables as well to help with the looks.

The bit im having trouble deciding is should i get rid of the 7950's? They still fetch a reasonable price atm so was thinking of getting rid and grabbing a 780. Is this madness?

Idea was add a second 780 when i go 4K,which by the looks of tea_bags thread the other day could be sooner than i thought and one 780 should do fine for now at 1440p

I know people are going to say 290 over 780 also but with the intention to crossfire/sli the 780 seems the better option to me,i dont want a hot noisy system either

Well, I will try to be a voice of reason. why not jump the bridge when you approach it.

You are not planing on getting 4k monitor in the next 3 months? As we know, 3 months is a lot of time in PC world. When you will know for sure to go with 4k monitor, the prices in GPUs will shift and we might see new 8 series by nvidia, which will be very good in power consuption. Something that is important for you.
Stay with 7950s for now as those can really mince anything out there. Save up money and buy GPU when you actually upgrade to 4k.

Squaredude · 24-03-2014 05:26PM

Fluffy88 wrote: »

Which one did you go for?
I bought a brown K70 myself from Amazon about 2 weeks ago, still no sign of it being shipped. Apparently there is some kind of shortage of blue & brown K70's

Went for the reds from amazon. Its not dispatched yet, hope there's not a delay I hate waiting for things.

Blitz17 · 24-03-2014 05:48PM

Some goodies came today , still waiting on more stuff to arrive ! Joys of shopping from different places!

Revoker88 · 24-03-2014 10:09PM

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Well, I will try to be a voice of reason. why not jump the bridge when you approach it.

You are not planing on getting 4k monitor in the next 3 months? As we know, 3 months is a lot of time in PC world. When you will know for sure to go with 4k monitor, the prices in GPUs will shift and we might see new 8 series by nvidia, which will be very good in power consuption. Something that is important for you.
Stay with 7950s for now as those can really mince anything out there. Save up money and buy GPU when you actually upgrade to 4k.

Well there is 4k monitors starting to become affordable at this moment,mostly TN panels but hopefully IPS or similar ones will follow soon. Latest linus vid he mentions a new asus model coming where there targeting an $800 price point so there starting to become more affordable also a 60hz TN panel on ebay for €560 right now. Im just so tempted!!

One of the reasons i was thinking of jumping now is the cards i have still fetch a decent price second hand,a few months from now that may not be the case. Also ill be breaking down the PC for new case so be handy to have all the new gear to throw in when rebuilding it. Thats really just laziness on my part though! Have a bit of spare cash at the moment as well.

Im just not keen on 2x290 unless i was gonna put them under water,which im also not keen on:(

Gumbi is right,they are the cards best suited to the job but i really dont want a hot and loud system and its hard to justify two 780's for 4k with the narrower memory bus.

Seen as im hesitant about the 290's and the 780's dont look much a better in terms of performance and price ill leave the new gpus for now,im gonna buy the case and maybe a new mech keyboard as im just not sure enough on the gpu side to take the plunge yet,cant justify an upgrade and have cash? Buy peripherals:pac:

Thanks for the advice lads,i was that close to just ordering it all the other night so glad i sought some advice and reason here.

EDIT: Looking at corsair braided cables,they have both gen 1 and gen 2 on scan.co.uk,is the only difference the weave being done in such a way to make gen 2 more flexible? The price difference is nearly £50!!

glynf · 25-03-2014 01:06AM

Gen 1 cables are for the older ranges, eg. Ax850; gen 2 are for the current range such as the ax860 or similar.

I think the molex connectors that attach to the Psu may be different for each generation.

glynf · 25-03-2014 01:07AM

Gen 1 cables are for the older ranges, eg. Ax850; gen 2 are for the current range such as the ax860 or similar.

I think the molex connectors that attach to the Psu may be different for each generation.

Revoker88 · 25-03-2014 01:13AM

glynf wrote: »

Gen 1 cables are for the older ranges, eg. Ax850; gen 2 are for the current range such as the ax860 or similar.

I think the molex connectors that attach to the Psu may be different for each generation.

Hmmmm,both listed as supporting HX750w gold,thats what i have. I dont use any molex at the moment but could do down the road so should probably get Gen 2,some price difference though £18 vs £61.38!! Ill have to have a look around and see if i can get gen 2 cheaper.

Cheers

Luck100 · 25-03-2014 09:58AM

EoinHef wrote: »

Gumbi is right,they are the cards best suited to the job but i really dont want a hot and loud system and its hard to justify two 780's for 4k with the narrower memory bus.!

Memory bus is narrower on the 780's but the memory clock is faster. So memory bandwidth (which is what actually matters) is not too different. At stock the R9 290 is 320 GB/s and the gtx 780 is 288 GB/s, so only 10% difference.

Seaaan · 25-03-2014 06:34PM

New 290 arrived. Has a different serial number, but had a broken seal on the anti static bag. Was this done by nightline as they had 'opened during transit: tape on it?

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