Building a computer

Bribe · Mar 16, 2012

Edit: Ironically, I have decided to scrap the whole project for a 1080p MSI GE60 from GenTechPC.com, customized with a last-gen CPU (no real loss but an $80 gain), mSATA 60GB SSD for $99, $25 640GB HDD for data, and they will put it together for me and install the OS for a grand total of $1070 (plus tax or w/e). I checked the performance on the CPU and the GPU; the CPU, being a natural 4 core with 8 threads, will surely perform better than the i3 which has half of the L3 cache (turbo up to 3.1GHz + that cache will probably out-perform any desktop i3), and the 650M is the latest-gen GPU so it will get royal treatment with drivers, plus it can run SC2 at 30-40FPS on full ultra 1080p or 60+ with a setting or two put on high. Plus with all those pixels condensed into a 15" screen anti-aliasing will be less important.

I will be building a computer to play StarCraft II @ Ultra(Maxed) settings with 1920x1080 resolution on a 21.5" LED monitor. I am prioritizing:

- Capability - Can it always average 60FPS (the refresh rate of my monitor) during the game? I will be turning on adaptive vSync for image consistency.
- Budget - I don't want to spend more than $700 for all the components (ssd, cpu, mobo, ram, gpu, psu, case).
- Energy Consumption - This is a cost factor as well. I prefer AMD even though they are not as good in StarCraft II because AMD uses less energy. Though the 600 series from nVidia might be just what I'm looking for if the "650" can handle the performance.
- Style - I want the case to look nice and I am willing to spend a bit more to ensure it. Currently the BitFenix Prodigy is the coolest looking.
- No CF/SLI - I don't want a second GPU. If I want to upgrade I will sell the GPU.

I currently have a netbook with an Intel Atom N450 with 2GB 667MHz RAM. So this new build will obviously be an awesome upgrade.

Best advice I can use: what is your gaming settings/graphics card? The graphics card is the area I am really undecided on. I have speculated a 6850, 6870, 7750, 7770, 7850, 460, 550, 560... I only want the minimum for the job. The 7770 is a great price/performance/energy usage combo but, again, StarCraft II favors nVidia. I would really like to use the 550 Ti but I think it will suffer a bit with the 1080p resolution I am aiming for so I might have to wait for a 650 Ti or a 660.

When I will buy: next year at the latest. Though if I find myself with extra money I am willing to spend it right away because I really want this machine and I want it to last a fair amount of time (4-5 years minimum).

Also, I update my signature regularly to reflect what I feel is the current best option. If you want to know what I'm speculating, my signature contains the latest.

I am thinking of building a computer.

I will wait for Intel Ivy Bridge because of the lower power consumption and the USB 3.0 support.

In fact, I plan to build it one year from now.

But what I am trying to do is test the water to see where technology is today.

Currently I see myself with:

Quad Core or Dual-Core i7.
AMD 6850.
Motherboard with SATA 3.0 to support a 500MB/s SSD.
USB 3.0 support and/or FireWire 800 support (they run at almost the same speed).

You guys know an affordable computer with similar spec? I am a bit nervous about building it from scratch COMPLETELY.

Gilles · Mar 16, 2012

One year from now everything will change. I'd suggest waiting before you even speculate a build.

Magtheridon96 · Mar 16, 2012

I plan on building a computer in the future as well.
I'll wait 2 years though :3

The word "affordable" is pretty vague here

A budget would help :3

Bribe · Mar 17, 2012

I'm trying to get this within five or six hundred, though I may be kidding myself. Fortunately the costs of these things will be lower next year.

@Gilles, the point is just to get a general idea and also to have some fun. I want to build it in my head first and then see what I can cut back on if necessary.

Bribe · Mar 17, 2012

I forgot to mention this beauty (this is a no-compromise MUST HAVE):

http://www.ocztechnology.com/ocz-vertex-3-max-iops-sata-iii-2-5-ssd.html

Hashjie · Mar 17, 2012

Bribe said:
I forgot to mention this beauty (this is a no-compromise MUST HAVE):

http://www.ocztechnology.com/ocz-vertex-3-max-iops-sata-iii-2-5-ssd.html

Odd, it says in the description that the vertex 3 is available in 120gb and 240gb yet I have one of 60gb xD

Bribe · Mar 17, 2012

OK I have a build set up using i3 and a different SSD (because I read the OCZ has some serious issues):

Motherboard @ 104.99 http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-P8H67-V-...1R7A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331999090&sr=8-1

i3 @ 122.99 http://www.amazon.com/Intel-i3-2100...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1331995844&sr=1-1

Tower @ 49.10 http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master...2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1331992844&sr=1-2

Power Supply @ 39.99 http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master...ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1331998188&sr=1-1

RAM @ 47.99 http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-PC3-1...X3M2A1333C9/dp/B003N8GVUY/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_c

Graphics @ 134.99 http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Rade...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1331992780&sr=1-1

128 SSD @ 194.99 http://www.amazon.com/Plextor-PX-128M3S-2-5-Inch-Solid-State/dp/B006I38EJ2/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

DVD Drive @ 20.99 http://www.amazon.com/Asus-24xDVD±RW-Serial-Internal-DRW-24B1ST/dp/B0033Z2BAQ/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_b

Total: $716.03 (free shipping).

Have I missed any essentials? I know Linux doesn't run JNGP so I will probably have to go for windows. Though I don't know of Linux support for other things like Diablo 3 or StarCraft 2 (which I might get). So I'd be looking at like an extra $100 in that case.

Dr Super Good · Mar 17, 2012

Why do you need a SSD? Yes it is fast but does it really matter?

Bribe · Mar 17, 2012

With the SATA 3.0 connection on the MB and the SSD I have set up, we are talking 510MB read and 360MB write. That's 3-4 times faster than a hard disk drive.

Storage capacity is not a concern for me, I can plug an external on USB 3.0 if I need some space.

Dr Super Good · Mar 17, 2012

With the SATA 3.0 connection on the MB and the SSD I have set up, we are talking 510MB read and 360MB write. That's 3-4 times faster than a hard disk drive.

You really need that much read and write speed? Do remember that your OS uses memory to cache files from backing storage.

A faster CPU or GPU would make much more difference when playing a game than that insane read/write speed.

Bribe · Mar 17, 2012

The current CPU and GPU are optimal choices for cost-efficiency and energy usage (keep the electric bill low hur hur).

The insane read/write speed is because I want an SSD, ever since I heard of the technology. I don't want it for any one reason but for all reasons, especially the psychological plus.

Seriously it's 50-100% more costly than a normal HDD, while speed is 300-400% more. I'll take that ratio any day.

The_wand_mirror · Mar 17, 2012

Can't you get a i5 for 80 dollar more, because the i3 is a dual-core?

Bribe · Mar 18, 2012

You are right about it being dual core. Honestly it doesn't matter to me what matters more is that it's an excellent cpu that in the longer term will also keep the electric bill low.

I have a year to change my mind, but far as I know neither sc2 or d3 will require a quad core. I am not a guy who always gets the latest stuff. Just some good games.

Dr Super Good · Mar 18, 2012

D3 does take advantage of quad cores. I have the beta running threads on all 4 of my processors.

I advise getting atleast a quad core. Be aware that the power consumption listed for various CPUs is for when they are running tasks, if the CPU is not fully schedualed for tasks it will consume less power.

Additionall techniques like turning of your display or getting the computer to turn to standby when not used for 5-10 minutes can really help to conserve power. Nothing wastes more power than leaving a computer on when it is not in use.

Bribe · Mar 18, 2012

Well this i3 has hyperthreading from what I read. Shouldn't that be enough?

sauce: http://ark.intel.com/products/53422/

Dr Super Good · Mar 18, 2012

Hyperthreading reduces the number of wasted clock cycles due to a loaded thread blocking on cache misses or waiting for I/O from the processor to complete. Instead of sitting idle, the processor switches to run a parallel state during that time using the same ALU. Once the block has been resolved it will switch back to the main state.

Although hyper threading does allow 2 threads to be loaded per core at any time (one in main state, other in side state), it still only allows 1 of them to execute at any given time. This is very different from 2 cores which can execute 2 threads at the same time.

Bribe · Mar 18, 2012

That's really good information about HT, most people will just say "Cores > HT" and I thought maybe were just Intel haters

Well that makes sense. I will see if they make a qc i3 when Ivy Bridge comes out. If not, I may just get a basic qc i5.

Trojan_PwNeR · Mar 18, 2012

Well, i'm building a ivy bridge based aswell, if you want to know this is my build, my budget is however without a GFX, i will be running overclocked integrated graphics instead for a while till kepler or prices get lowered.

3570k
8-12GB 1600-1866Mhz RAM
7200RPM 1TB Disk or maybe SSD since i don't feel like wasting time for a PC to load specific things
a Z77 motherboard since i will be overclocking, prefer ASUS
Probably a Kuhler or Corsair series cooler, i will be spending abit too much on coolers since of the overclock, aiming for around 5GHz and 70% Overclock on the iGPU i have thoughts about H40-100, but they are quite old, where are all new coolers?

Dr Super Good · Mar 18, 2012

You have 8-12 GB of ultra high clocked memory yet no graphic card? I think you need to sort out your piorities.

Bribe · Mar 18, 2012

Maybe I will man up and get the i5, it may be a better long term investment. Though the i3 does everything I need it to and more.

Dr Super Good · Mar 19, 2012

Though the i3 does everything I need it to and more.

That is what people said about the pentium 4 when it came out. Computer Scientists will always find new ways to use your computer more.

Bribe · Mar 19, 2012

I've been using a sub 2 GHz pc single core ... Forever actually. I've never owed a dual core. This will be a huge step for me. Don't you think it's enough considering where I come from?

I also like how the cpu will not overclock. Overclocking is for a processor what a hummer is to cars - you only want to get one for other areas in life you're lacking.

My current pc is a one point six Intel atom with one gig of ram. No graphics card either. Pretty much anything is an improvement, but this computer I've specked is a monster.

I typically only do blizzard games on the pc. For everything else I will use my PlayStation.

The_wand_mirror · Mar 19, 2012

Trojan_PwNeR said:
Well, i'm building a ivy bridge based aswell, if you want to know this is my build, my budget is however without a GFX, i will be running overclocked integrated graphics instead for a while till kepler or prices get lowered.

3570k
8-12GB 1600-1866Mhz RAM
7200RPM 1TB Disk or maybe SSD since i don't feel like wasting time for a PC to load specific things
a Z77 motherboard since i will be overclocking, prefer ASUS
Probably a Kuhler or Corsair series cooler, i will be spending abit too much on coolers since of the overclock, aiming for around 5GHz and 70% Overclock on the iGPU i have thoughts about H40-100, but they are quite old, where are all new coolers?

lol i still run battlefield 3 on a stable 32-37 fps on high with my 130 euro ATI 5830.

Dr Super Good · Mar 19, 2012

Overclocking just brings the component outside its designed specifications. With the precision some of the modern CPUs are made, the only reason they have a low clock is because the power they consume becomes difficult to cope with and can easilly cause overheating problems. That said, people are apparently reporting CPUs up to 5 GHz stabily (hours of continious strain) using air. Although one cannot be sure that they are exposing the CPU to a worst case heating cycle so it is usally better to not push your system to its limits.

Bribe · Mar 20, 2012

I wouldn't go higher than 3.8 without liquid cooling. The motherboard I selected does not support overclocking, because one that does is more expensive. If I was overclocking I wouldn't want the stock fan, either. But I most likely will get an i3 or an i5 that does not overclock. I would also need to get a larger psu that supports more wattage. I can't imagine the electric bill. But we are not looking at 80 to upgrade to the 2500k, more like twice that, and then a premium on the electric maybe twice the cost my current rig would produce. So we are looking at an extra 160 plus maybe an extra twenty bucks a month electric.

The i3 is for me. And I've read a lot of reviews from it even from heavy gamers expressing their enormous satisfaction.

Bribe · Mar 21, 2012

Here's an update:

Motherboard @ 105 http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-P8H67-V-1...1999090&sr=8-1

i3 @ 120 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115077

Tower @ 40 http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-...1992844&sr=1-2

Power Supply @ 65 http://www.amazon.com/OCZ-ModXStream...2526424&sr=1-3

RAM @ 35 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc..._-NA-_-NA-_-NA

Graphics @ 135 http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Radeo...1992780&sr=1-1

128 SSD @ 180 http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-830-MZ...2523495&sr=1-2

DVD Drive @ 21 http://www.amazon.com/Asus-24xDVD±RW...d_bxgy_e_img_b

Total: $701 (free shipping).

LED Monitor @ 139 http://www.amazon.com/ViewSonic-VX22...2401260&sr=1-3

Absolute Total: $840

Free Firmware:

Wine for Windows compatibility http://www.winehq.org/

Ubuntu for the Operating System http://www.ubuntu.com/

AVG for Security https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Antivirus/Avg

Drivers:

GPU Driver http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownloa...2&lang=English

Reference:

http://camelcamelcamel.com for price watching.

http://techreport.com/articles.x/13671

http://techreport.com/articles.x/22513/2

Motherboard:
- SATA 3.0 (6gbps) support.
- USB 3.0 or FW 800 support.
- DDR3 1333Mhz support for at least 16GB.
- Intel Ivy Bridge i3 support w/o overclocking.

CPU:
- Ivy Bridge i3 with hyperthreading (comparable Sandy Bridge is 2100).

Tower:
- Looks stylish, built-in fan.

Power Supply:
- Low wattage is fine since it's only supporting the i3. Preferably from the manufacturer of the chassis.

RAM:
- 8GB DDR3 1333Mhz.

GPU:
- AMD 6850.

SATA 3.0 Drive:
- SSD with 500MBps read, 250MBps+ write.

DVD Drive:
- Nothing fancy.

OS:
- Windows 8, or if it sucks, Windows 7.

For installation:
- Touch chassis for releasing any static before touching sensitive components.
- Will need anti-magnetic tools.

I am using http://camelcamelcamel.com and http://camelegg.com for price watching as some of the listed prices are not what Amazon is currently offering them at, but these are reasonable prices it has gone for in the past. Starting late this year I will start scooping up the more dynamic prices on low spikes and eventually I will have everything by next year.

I am pretty settled on these products and I am so confident in them that I would buy them already. However, obviously waiting for Ivy Bridge since it's going to be after its launch that I build this. I don't plan on changing the other parts to be fair, I am very satisfied with the price/reviews/potential of each listed item.

Dr Super Good · Mar 21, 2012

You are aware the listed power consumption is meant to be the maximum or average maximum power consumption for when a processor is fully schedualed? When cores are not fully schedualed they consume much less power (the idle process performs energy efficient instructions). Additionally iX processors can be made to lower clock rates when not in heavy use to conserve even more power.

This is why running same games can cause some hardware configurations to overheat as the cooling is not designed to cope with the maximum power usage of the components used. The same system might never overheat when doing other intensive tasks and definatly should not overheat when idle.

Bribe · Mar 21, 2012

Even if overclocking was an option I would configure the bios to disable it. I've been working with computers for almost my whole life, and I have noticed that blizzard games ( pretty much the only computer games I do) tend to support systems five to six years old. In five to six years I don't mind buying a new thing.

BlargHonk · Mar 22, 2012

*looks at PSU* OH FUCK NO.

Those "Cooler Master eXtreme" ones? They overrate them by 100 watts, thats why it's so cheap :/

Actually GOOD 500 watt PSU's:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371035
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094

Plextor makes shit drives, get OCZ, Corsair, Kingston, or Intel

Bribe · Mar 22, 2012

OCZ is the worst of that lot, but I actually changed my spec a little bit and have been looking at a Corsair SSD (slightly lower write speeds but really most of the time I'll be reading data anyway).

The PSU will not be powering much to be honest. An i3 will not clog it up so the graphics card is free to chew up more than what someone running an OC's i5 will be able to do.

Bribe · Mar 23, 2012

I've decided that I'm going to go with INTEGRATED graphics for the initial build. For now I will just stick to wc3 which will run on MAX settings on an IIG 3000 let alone an IIG 4000 without frame drop.

I will probably wait until the 3-pack StarCraft 2 will be released before buying it. With Diablo 3 well I don't care about frames per second to be honest. Plus I may or may not buy it in the first place.

This will allow me to save money from not having to buy Windows, and save money on a GPU.

When technology improves and when costs go down some more, I might upgrade. But I'm really seeing less and less of an advantage... spending 260 more for GPU and Windows just to spend 100 more for SC2 and D3... I am married and this 360 bucks can go to something more beneficial for the wife and I.

Bribe · Apr 2, 2012

Ok, current shopping list:

The Case (30)

600w Power Supply (40)

Intel Motherboard (85)

i3-2120 3.3GHz Dual-Core w/Hyperthreading (120)

2x4GB RAM @ 1600MHz (50)

AMD Radeon HD 6850 (125)

Samsung SSD 128GB 520MB/s Read & 320MB/s Write (170)

DVD Drive (20)

1080p Monitor (120)

Windows 7 OEM Version (100)

Total: $870.

That's about it. I'm counting the mail-in rebates and a low market curve. When I actually come to buy I'm optimistic that the price will be closer to $800 due to SSD market share and because Ivy Bridge will lower the prices of Sandy Bridge...

Bribe · Apr 16, 2012

OK, I've done some more price watching and have got some fairly reasonable results. I have lowered my expectations for a power supply after doing research finding that 380w will be able to handle this build even at full load, which is honestly rare for me to hit, and is why I will not require any overclocking.

Product	Features	Price Range	Hopeful	Chance	Realistic	Example Link
Case	Mid-tower /Glass Panel /Top Outtake Fan	$30-$60	$30	50%	$45	Example
Power Supply	380w+ 80+ Certified	$30-$50	$30	50%	$40	Example
Motherboard	Intel 1155 Micro ATX SATA III PCI Express 2.0 USB 3.0	$85-$105	$85	50%	$95	Example
Processor	Intel Core i3 2100+	$110-$125	$80	80%	$90	Example
Memory	2x4GB SDRAM DDR3 1333MHz+	$25-$40	$25	70%	$30	Example
Hard Drive	Solid State SATA III 120GB+ 400MBps+ Read 200MBps+ Write	$120-$140	$100	100%	$100	Example
Graphics	AMD Radeon HD 6850	$135-$150	$110	50%	$120	Example
Optical Drive	DVD	$20	$20	100%	$20	-
Operating System	Windows 7 OEM Version	$100	$85	25%	$100	-
Monitor	1080p LED Backlit 21.5" /IPS	$120-$140	$100	25%	$115	Example
Total	-	$770-$940	$665	-	$755	Budget: $800

Bribe · May 13, 2012

One month and some revisions and many considerations later, I've got a machine I'd buy today if the situation permitted it. By the time I get around to shopping, some of these prices might go down $50-$100 (as I may do the purchasing around the time of Haswell's introduction or the next generation GPU's). However, at this point I couldn't care less about those smaller scale savings. I'm very happy with the following specs, and from what I've read I won't bother with Ivy Bridge unless the price/benefit is right compared to what's out now. I may wait to see what Haswell has to offer just to give myself the choice, but Sandy Bridge i3's are pretty spectacular as-is.

Product	Features	Price Range	Link
Case	Mid-tower Decent Aesthetics 1-2 Fans /Tool-free Design /USB 3.0 /2.5" SSD Brackets /Cable Management /Glass Side Panel	$50-$60	Antec One
Power Supply	200w+ 80+ Certified /PCI-e Power Pins /Modular Cabling	$40	Antec EA 380
Motherboard	Intel 1155 PCI Express 2.0 x16 1-2 Fan Headers 2-4 240-Pin RAM /USB 3.0 /SATA 3.0	$67-$75	ASRock H61
Processor	3GHz+ 2-4 Cores 4 Threads 30+ FPS SC2/D3 TDP <= 80W /IGP	$105-$125	Intel Core i3-2100 Intel Core i3-2120
Memory	2x4GB DDR3 SDRAM 240-Pin 1333MHz /CL < 9 /Heat Spreaders	$40	G.Skill Value Series
Hard Drive	Solid State 128GB /SATA 3.0	$125-$150	Crucial M4
Graphics	1GB+ GDDR5 30+ FPS SC2/D3 TDP <= 80W /PCI Bus Powered /PCIX 3.0 /Small Card	$110	Radeon HD 7750
Optical Drive	DVD	$20	-
Operating System	Windows 7/8	$100	-
Monitor	1080p LED Backlit /IPS	$130-$150	ASUS VS228H
Total	-	$787-$870	Budget Attempt: $800

Extras
HDMI Cable ($5)
AMD Driver

Magtheridon96 · May 14, 2012

You managed to get an entire computer for ~$800 and yet I'm planning on buying a screen for ~$1000. D:

http://www.apple.com/displays/

Bribe · May 14, 2012

But isn't everything 100x the price where you are? I imagine if you traveled a bit you'd have tons of tourist powers

Magtheridon96 · May 14, 2012

Well, yeah, meaning I would actually pay something like $1500 D:

On the bright side, I could find a place that would sell it for about $1000, and maybe a bit less

(It's probably worth it seeing how many awesome features it has, but I haven't done any calculating yet, so who am I to speak?)

brad.dude03 · May 15, 2012

I don't know how you've lived with a single core CPU for so long. I most recently built a system in 2007 and was about ready to kill myself with a single-core back then, and that was on XP!

I have a new build sitting on newegg right now for about 900 bucks. Pleased with it. And now to break down your build:

Antec 1 looks decent. Kind of too... mesh-like in front for me, but nonetheless. My pick is the Raidmax Smilodon. But I've got a thing for green: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156098

You're gonna need a better PSU than that. '380' watts won't get you very far in 2012. I have had a 600W PSU since my last build, and I'd recommend having a minimum of 500 with any modern motherboard setup. Notice that Raidmax case includes a 500W PSU in the price and is only 30 bucks more expensive than yours, so you'd actually end up SAVING money by combining the cost.

As for the mobo, well, I've never heard of asrock but it sounds decent enough. Reviews seem promising and for 66 bucks there's no question that the price is definitely right.

Processor is meh. You get what you pay for, and I'd always rather take a middle of the road midrange CPU than a high-clocked shitty one. Lasts longer, performs better, you just get what you pay for at the end of the day, y'know? That's just my opinion. If you feel the i3 suits your needs the best, then by all means, go for it. The price is again, quite nice.

RAM looks good. G.Skill are nice, and the clock rate looks beefy.

Good choice on the graphics, very glad you decided against integrated. It would not have worked out, let me tell you.

Also, if you pirate windows, like 65% of the world's population does, you could shave off quite a bit of cost again. Not that I'm advocating any such thing... officially... just stating it as a thing that people do. I paid 180 dollars for motherfucking Vista the last time I put a computer together, installed it for a day, and then went back to XP, the same day, because it was so awful. Not making that mistake again.

Bribe · May 15, 2012

The Antec one is the most feature-packed budget case I've ever seen. While it doesn't look space-age, it has it all in terms of utility. I recommend checking it out.

As far as case with built in psu's go, most reviews indicate the psu as really low grade - high failure rates or bad efficiency or both. The earthwatts is really highly rated.

As for 2012 wattage, the new rage is power efficiency. The psu could power a 7850 and an ivy bridge i7 with breathing room. Seeing as how the i3 2120 maxes at 65w and the 7750 doesn't even need a six pin connector, my mobo would max at 150 give or take, probably averaging at 50-100 with regular use. So wattage is no issue.

The i3 2100 performs better than most high end quad core amd CPUs if not all of them. Seeing as people still use AMD for gaming, the i3 is a steal. I recommend reading some reviews on it you will find it can keep SC2, a highly CPU intensive game above 60 FPS on the most ultra of settings and resolutions, and it has hyper threading which is slightly better than it just being a dual core.

Vista was responsible for a lot of Mac sales I won't say much more.

Dr Super Good · May 15, 2012

Windows 7 fixed all that though.

Bribe · May 15, 2012

I agree that Windows 7 is excellent on performance in comparison. My netbook with an Intel Atom CPU running Windows 7 Starter performs just as well as my wife's AMD Turion dual core CPU running Vista Basic, even though my processor and graphics card are rated phenomenally lower than hers. Software is the bottleneck there.

I have an old PC back in California which I will try to salvage for parts, perhaps moving over the Windows 7 OS and the hard disk drive that's already on there. I am getting a USB dvd drive for my netbook and I might as well use it for the desktop rig for occasional and save a little cash.

BlargHonk · May 16, 2012

Magtheridon96 said:
Well, yeah, meaning I would actually pay something like $1500 D:

On the bright side, I could find a place that would sell it for about $1000, and maybe a bit less

(It's probably worth it seeing how many awesome features it has, but I haven't done any calculating yet, so who am I to speak?)

Frankly half those features I doubt you'll ever use, and if you look at the specs the speakers are 49 watt 2.1, about what a cheap $50 stereo will do. The internet port is just a standard one, probably slower because it has to go through an additional layer of logic, USB ports can be accomplished with a $5 USB splitter, ditto with Firewire, and I doubt you'll buy two of those displays, and the webcam isn't uncommon for displays.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824176242
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121048
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826158102
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817111714

Display is 3 inches larger, has the same IPS and LED crap.

Those speakers kick ass, hands down.

Webcam is equal in resolution, + is aimable

Hub has both USB and Firewire, 4 and 3 respectively, frankly I doubt you'll use Firewire so I'd probably just go to Fry's or Bestbuy and pick up a cheapy hub, USB3.0 doesn't matter much when used as a hub.

Bribe · May 16, 2012

I have sold double digits of those cinema displays though they are incredibly unpopular. When Apple updated them with Thunderbolt that's when I sold the most, though a lot of people were disappointed with the lack of backwards compatibility (hence why Apple still has 2 products).

The most common gripe people about them is the glossy screen which is useless for people who print photos. However, for gamers I imagine the exaggerated colors is pretty impressive. But this thing is well outside of my budget and I could never justify the cost. There is simply a threshold where, no matter how good it is, I can't go above a certain cost.

BlargHonk · May 16, 2012

Was more of replying to Mag than you.

Magtheridon96 · May 23, 2012

If you can link me to a display with anything above the following specs:

- 320cd/m^2+
- True color (16.7 million colors) or Deep color (1.07 billion colors)
- Very fast response time (2-5ms)
- 27 inches or more

And if it doesn't look like a piece of plastic rubbish, then I /will/ go for it

The Reborn Devil · May 23, 2012

Magtheridon96 said:
If you can link me to a display with anything above the following specs:

- 320cd/m^2+
- True color (16.7 million colors) or Deep color (1.07 billion colors)
- Very fast response time (2-5ms)
- 27 inches or more

And if it doesn't look like a piece of plastic rubbish, then I /will/ go for it

http://www.amazon.co.uk/BenQ-GL2750HM-Widescreen-Monitor-1920x1080/dp/B005OPLFRI/
Price: £181.99 (Free shipping, and not only in the UK as it says)

27 inches
2ms response time
1920x1080 resolution
12000000:1 Dynamic Contrast
300cd/m² (Seriously Mag)
16.7 million colors
42W power consumption

Good reviews and I personally know BenQ is good.

I didn't really search much though. You can probably find another BenQ screen which better matches your preferences easily. I just went to amazon and searched for BenQ 27 inches and picked the first I found

Bribe · May 23, 2012

This is an awesome monitor on Amazon, 22", but seriously more than that you are just using it for e-peen. 22" @ 1080p with typical viewing distance is pretty much retina display, and the screen is super huge. I use this screen size at work (iMac) with dozens of windows open - while there is a bit of screen management necessary at that resolution it's nothing a simple Alt+Tab can't plow through without even noticing you were lacking on space.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00413PHEQ

Magtheridon96 · May 24, 2012

The Reborn Devil said:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/BenQ-GL2750HM-Widescreen-Monitor-1920x1080/dp/B005OPLFRI/
Price: £181.99 (Free shipping, and not only in the UK as it says)

27 inches
2ms response time
1920x1080 resolution
12000000:1 Dynamic Contrast
300cd/m² (Seriously Mag)
16.7 million colors
42W power consumption

Good reviews and I personally know BenQ is good.

I didn't really search much though. You can probably find another BenQ screen which better matches your preferences easily. I just went to amazon and searched for BenQ 27 inches and picked the first I found

I like how a 1920x1080 resolution monitor would sell for $300 while a 2560x1440 resolution monitor having the same specs would sell for $1200 D:

Bribe · May 24, 2012

One word: Apple.

Magtheridon96 · May 24, 2012

Well, the Apple Thunderbolt monitor seems under-priced relative to what I've been seeing at newegg.com