rz22g
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I have asked before when I was getting ready to build a new system but ran into financial road blocks and had to put it off. Well I have the opportunity again and want the best bang for the buck I can get. Budget is $700 to $800. Need to buy a few things for old system to build it back for my daughter so saving is a plus. I already have.. EVGA GTX580 In Win Dragon Rider Case Corsair TX 650 Power Supply Optical Drive / Bluray Player G700 Mouse G510 KB Corsair CPU Cooler (it fits my AMD X2 6400+ AM2) Would like to use it on next processor if at all possible but not required. What I will need to complete new system.... Motherboard (with or without integrated sound) Sound Card if MB does not have integrated sound) CPU CPU Heatsink / Fan if above cooler cannot accomodate new CPU HD (1TB would be plenty) Ram (4 or 8 GB ?) Good display in the 20 + Inch range Windows 7 (64 bit) I do not necessarily want to spend the entire amount mainly because I still need to use the old components from my current system to build the system back up for my daughter. To build her system back up I would need... Case and power supply (something compact and simple) Video Card (something to match the X2 6400 + 3.2 / No need in exceeding the bottleneck) As for my system expectations I just want to get the most performance I can without having to deal with overclocking. The option to go SLI would be nice but honestly that would be something I just "might" do later on. If I left out any details I apologize.. Any help appreciated.
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 06:00:48
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If there's a Microcenter near you, Black Friday, (day after tomorrow), They're selling the 2500K for $150, combine that with $60 off a Gigabyte UD3 Mobo, you get a damn nice setup for about half what others sell it for...You can get all the parts you need there well within your budget. Before I make further recommendations, 2 things: 1:Is there a Microcenter near you? And 2:Can you pull the trigger on this stuff this weekend? (To take advantage of all the killer deals)...
Multi-Boot: 1x 7 Home 64, 1x 8.1 Pro 64, 1x 10 Home 64, 1x 10 Pro 64, Gigabyte EP43-UD3L Mobo, Intel Q6600 (@ 3456MHz), Hyper 212 EVO... 8 GB Corsair Dominator DDR2 800, EVGA GTX750Ti FTW ACX, 9 WD hdd's (160 GB, 220 GB, 320 GB, 500 GB Blue, 1 TB Blue, 1 TB Black, 2 TB Black, 3 TB Green, 2TB Passport Ultra External), 2 Samsung DVD Multi Burners, (SH-202N, SH-224DB)... Pioneer BD-RW BDR-208M Bluray Burner ... SoundBlaster Live 24-bit soundcard, EVGA Supernova 850 G2 psu, Tt Dokker case, Acer Media Keyboard, HP Wireless Comfort Mouse, Thrustmaster Ferrari GT Experience Wheel/Pedals, Dell P2214H 22" IPS(1920x1080), Dell E2014H 20" LED (1600x900). Creative Inspire T2900 speakers, Dahlton 300 watt 10" Subwoofer (w/Pioneer sub). Built for Gaming, Video Production, and Cakewalk, Cubase DAWs...
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rz22g
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 06:17:06
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Nope.. no MicroCenter nearby. Most of my ordering is going to be online for that reason. Preferably Amazon due to store card and no interest card or NewEgg since part of the funds could come from PayPal. Bestbuy is the only place I know of nearby and I don't like going there on a normal day :) I really wish I was not so behind on gaming systems. I use to stay current. For example the $100 difference between the 2500k and 2600k... Is there $100 performance difference ?
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_Bathory
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 06:20:42
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rz22g Nope.. no MicroCenter nearby. Most of my ordering is going to be online for that reason. Preferably Amazon due to store card and no interest card or NewEgg since part of the funds could come from PayPal. Bestbuy is the only place I know of nearby and I don't like going there on a normal day :) I really wish I was not so behind on gaming systems. I use to stay current. For example the $100 difference between the 2500k and 2600k... Is there $100 performance difference ? Only if you need the extra threads on the 2600k, if all you do is game, then there's less than a 1% difference between the 2500k and the 2600k. However if you do video encoding, fold, ect ect..then the 2600k is the way to go. If you want to keep the processor/platform for awhile, then it might also be wise to purchase the 2600k as that gives you a little breathing room when it comes to future games being optimized for more threads/cores.
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rz22g
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 06:35:24
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Ok .. so I think I will save the $100 and get the 2500k. According to Corsair site the cooler I have.. The H50... will work with LGA1155 Socket, which the 2500k is unless Im reading specs wrong. So lets say I have that extra $100 for choosing the 2500k. Is there a motherboard I might put that towards that would offer significant advantages ? Here is my list and what has been decided on so far.. CPU : Intel 2500k Motherboard: HD: Ram:
post edited by rz22g - 2011/11/23 06:47:47
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agedrig
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 06:50:04
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newest rig Storm Trooper Asus P8Z68 V Pro 2500k 4.8ghz, 8g Evga gtx580 3g Ultra Msi gtx580 3g lightning Sb extreme gamer pro Corsair AX1200 Wd Raptor, greens, intel 20g ssd W7 64, 1920x1080
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rz22g
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 07:00:07
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agedrig
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 07:09:00
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newest rig Storm Trooper Asus P8Z68 V Pro 2500k 4.8ghz, 8g Evga gtx580 3g Ultra Msi gtx580 3g lightning Sb extreme gamer pro Corsair AX1200 Wd Raptor, greens, intel 20g ssd W7 64, 1920x1080
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rz22g
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 07:21:23
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_Bathory
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 07:30:39
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The Majority of motherboards offer one button overclocking now, most of them will auto overclock the cpu to 4.2- 4-6 ghz. Your H50 is compatible with the majority of sockets, including LGA 1155 (2500K/26/2700k) As far as RAM goes, almost everyone is running corsair vengeance. might aswell go for 8GB because it's so cheap anyway, the chances of you needing any more are slim unless you start doing things like video encoding or heavy photoshop. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233144 Unfortunately due to the flooding, the prices of HDDs have now more than doubled in most cases. It is still possible to find cheaper HDDs (specially around black friday I would think) so keep your eyes out if you can. If it weren't for the current prices I would recommend the caviar black series from Western Digital, but again due to the flooding most people are reusing old hard disks or starting to invest in SSDs. According to a statement from Seagates CEO the price of HDDs will not return to normal levels until the end of 2012. This is just a personal preference, but I really like the aesthetics of the P67 Sabertooth motherboard.

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rz22g
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 07:39:11
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Awesome... Almost there :) Current Cart Price with below items is $423 at Amazon. CPU : Intel 2500k Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 HD: Ram: Corsair Vengeance 8 GB The biggest thing after figuring out the HD is going to be the Display. Any suggestions on disply are welcome. I also noticed that this motherboard supports an Intel feature where it basically caches frequent used processes to a smaller SSD. Am I correct in assuming that any SSD used for this will probably be better than not using the feature at all ?
post edited by rz22g - 2011/11/23 07:52:35
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agedrig
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 07:54:49
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its a nice stop gap feature but if you can swing a 120g ssd then that would be the best, its does speed things up. the cache is up to 64g and any ssd will work, the system needs to be setup in raid before hand otherwise a full reinstall will be need if you opt in later.
newest rig Storm Trooper Asus P8Z68 V Pro 2500k 4.8ghz, 8g Evga gtx580 3g Ultra Msi gtx580 3g lightning Sb extreme gamer pro Corsair AX1200 Wd Raptor, greens, intel 20g ssd W7 64, 1920x1080
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rz22g
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 07:57:45
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I wish I could swing the 120 gb but will most likely only be able to get a 40.. OCZ Technology Vertex 2 Series 40 GB SATA II So if I set it up initially like this I should be able to swap out later for a larger capacity SSD without a reinstall correct ?
post edited by rz22g - 2011/11/23 08:00:11
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_Bathory
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 08:00:04
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rz22g I also noticed that this motherboard supports an Intel feature where it basically caches frequent used processes to a smaller SSD. Am I correct in assuming that any SSD used for this will probably be better than not using the feature at all ? That is true, alot of people are using smaller size ssds with this feature, but if you aren't going to be using an ssd then you might aswell see if you can get by a little cheaper with a P67 board. I have not tried the ssd caching personally, so I can't comment on it's usefulness. However if you are using an ssd then it sounds like a neat feature, but again I can't comment too much on it due to inexperience. As far as displays go I have heard good things from both the Asus and Acer brands. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236059 Just a small side note, the heatsinks on the RAM are tall, so if you at some point switch to a high end air cooler like the NHD-14 from Noctua you will have clearance issues. But with closed loop watercoolers this is a none issue. Should this be of concern to you, Corsair also makes a low profile version of the vengeance RAM. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233186

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agedrig
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 08:01:10
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the cache is only up to 64g after that it just become storage, so there is no point in getting anything larger then 64g. I would setup like I wanted to use it and later on add a used 64g ssd for a little boost.
newest rig Storm Trooper Asus P8Z68 V Pro 2500k 4.8ghz, 8g Evga gtx580 3g Ultra Msi gtx580 3g lightning Sb extreme gamer pro Corsair AX1200 Wd Raptor, greens, intel 20g ssd W7 64, 1920x1080
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rz22g
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 08:02:10
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Ya'll are awesome. Might be hard for me to hold off until Black Friday to see if Amazon or NewEgg has some good deals. Here is where I stand at the moment before a HDD. Cart at $680 CPU : Intel 2500k Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 HD: SSD: OCZ Technology Vertex 2 Series 40 GB SATA II Ram: Corsair Vengeance 8 GB Display: ASUS VH236H 23 Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black Whats a good thermal paste for attaching the 2500k and H50 ? What I cant do is get carried away and forget that I have to replace the video card and the case on my current system so my daughter has a respectable gaming system. Any suggestions on a video card that would be a good balance for the AMD X2 6400 + 3.2 ? I dont want to go overboard and end up having the CPU be the bottleneck because this system will not get upgraded again. As for Black Friday... do y'all think I would probably stand a chance of getting some deals on the items I have chosen so far ? I know there is no way of knowing but I figured there are some things that are typical of getting reduced.
post edited by rz22g - 2011/11/23 08:25:21
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_Bathory
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 08:23:56
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rz22g Whats a good choice for thermal paste to put between the H50 and 2500k ? The standard choice would be Arctic Silver 5 or Ceramique, they won't give you the absolute lowest temperature, but they have been a solid choice for many including myself. Lots of people like IC Diamond and Shin-Etsu though, they are also regarded as better performers than the Arctic Silver if you don't mind paying a little extra for the performance I would recommend IC Diamond. Regarding the HDD, unfortunatly due to the current situation it's going to be difficult to find one of an appropriate size for less than 100$ But I have a feeling if you keep your eyes open come Black Friday, you might be able to find worthy deals to jump on. *Edit In regard to the replacement GPU, I can't recommend anything less than a GTS450/GTX460 to keep it within the "respectable budget gaming" area.
post edited by _Bathory - 2011/11/23 08:31:16
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rz22g
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 08:44:03
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_Bathory In regard to the replacement GPU, I can't recommend anything less than a GTS450/GTX460 to keep it within the "respectable budget gaming" area.
If I can pick up a PNY GTX 460 XLR8 for $120 to $150 cash.. would that be a good move / deal ?
post edited by rz22g - 2011/11/23 08:58:19
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_Bathory
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 09:33:34
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rz22g _Bathory In regard to the replacement GPU, I can't recommend anything less than a GTS450/GTX460 to keep it within the "respectable budget gaming" area. If I can pick up a PNY GTX 460 XLR8 for $120 to $150 cash.. would that be a good move / deal ? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133326 retails for 190$ on newegg, so yeah, I would say that's a pretty decent deal..
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/23 16:00:54
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If you want to spend your saved $100 on mobo, you could get Gigabyte's top of the line Z68X-UD7, (Aside from the G1 Sniper2, $349): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128480 Granted, it's $50 more than the added $100, after rebate, but well worth it, considering top grade components, increased function, overclockability, and is Tri-SLI ready. Also has 8 SATA ports, (4-2.0, 4-3.0)...I recommend it highly. Also, Hard drive choice should be a Western Digital Caviar Black 1 Tb. Would be great for using SSD for Win 7, HDD for programs and storage...
Multi-Boot: 1x 7 Home 64, 1x 8.1 Pro 64, 1x 10 Home 64, 1x 10 Pro 64, Gigabyte EP43-UD3L Mobo, Intel Q6600 (@ 3456MHz), Hyper 212 EVO... 8 GB Corsair Dominator DDR2 800, EVGA GTX750Ti FTW ACX, 9 WD hdd's (160 GB, 220 GB, 320 GB, 500 GB Blue, 1 TB Blue, 1 TB Black, 2 TB Black, 3 TB Green, 2TB Passport Ultra External), 2 Samsung DVD Multi Burners, (SH-202N, SH-224DB)... Pioneer BD-RW BDR-208M Bluray Burner ... SoundBlaster Live 24-bit soundcard, EVGA Supernova 850 G2 psu, Tt Dokker case, Acer Media Keyboard, HP Wireless Comfort Mouse, Thrustmaster Ferrari GT Experience Wheel/Pedals, Dell P2214H 22" IPS(1920x1080), Dell E2014H 20" LED (1600x900). Creative Inspire T2900 speakers, Dahlton 300 watt 10" Subwoofer (w/Pioneer sub). Built for Gaming, Video Production, and Cakewalk, Cubase DAWs...
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_Bathory
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/24 00:26:49
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HotRodPolk Also, Hard drive choice should be a Western Digital Caviar Black 1 Tb. Would be great for using SSD for Win 7, HDD for programs and storage... I agree, the price of HDDs at the moment just makes me cringe.
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rz22g
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/24 05:55:14
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What about the 750 GB WD Caviar Black ? Its currently at $124 on Amazon. The 1TB is $60 more. For some reason the 500 GB WD CB cost more than the 750. The SSD Drive I had in my cart went up from $89 to $149 last night so I will not be getting it and might have to go that route later. Im tempted to say screw black friday and order before something else goes up.
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/24 07:04:09
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rz22g
What about the 750 GB WD Caviar Black ? Its currently at $124 on Amazon. The 1TB is $60 more. For some reason the 500 GB WD CB cost more than the 750.
The SSD Drive I had in my cart went up from $89 to $149 last night so I will not be getting it and might have to go that route later. Im tempted to say screw black friday and order before something else goes up.
Considering the prices of hdd's are likely to continue going up for the next year or so, I'd jump on deals when you find them. Don't wait for it to go down, it probably won't. So yeah, jump on the 750....
Multi-Boot: 1x 7 Home 64, 1x 8.1 Pro 64, 1x 10 Home 64, 1x 10 Pro 64, Gigabyte EP43-UD3L Mobo, Intel Q6600 (@ 3456MHz), Hyper 212 EVO... 8 GB Corsair Dominator DDR2 800, EVGA GTX750Ti FTW ACX, 9 WD hdd's (160 GB, 220 GB, 320 GB, 500 GB Blue, 1 TB Blue, 1 TB Black, 2 TB Black, 3 TB Green, 2TB Passport Ultra External), 2 Samsung DVD Multi Burners, (SH-202N, SH-224DB)... Pioneer BD-RW BDR-208M Bluray Burner ... SoundBlaster Live 24-bit soundcard, EVGA Supernova 850 G2 psu, Tt Dokker case, Acer Media Keyboard, HP Wireless Comfort Mouse, Thrustmaster Ferrari GT Experience Wheel/Pedals, Dell P2214H 22" IPS(1920x1080), Dell E2014H 20" LED (1600x900). Creative Inspire T2900 speakers, Dahlton 300 watt 10" Subwoofer (w/Pioneer sub). Built for Gaming, Video Production, and Cakewalk, Cubase DAWs...
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Violence.
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/24 08:01:46
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right now im running a asus sabertooth 990fx board and a amd 1100t black box 6 core and it does real good for itself. and the mobo and processor were real close to the price of the stuff you have picked above. also im running the corsair force 3 240gb SSD and there fast as hell. havent skipped a beat yet. just a few suggestions.
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rz22g
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/24 08:07:35
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_Bathory
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/24 09:45:15
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rz22g
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/24 09:51:35
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Sounds good to me so I will stick with the Asus.. Thanks
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rz22g
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/24 09:52:43
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Processor just dropped $15.. always a good thing :)
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rz22g
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/24 09:59:13
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_Bathory
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Re:Yes another... "what should I get" post
2011/11/24 13:53:04
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rz22g Another question.... Since hard drives are high at the moment and probably going to be the bottleneck in my system anyway, would it be better to go with something like a Sata II 120gb SSD as my main drive and just use my current 1TB WD 5400 as a secondary drive for storage of games, etc ? I cannot afford a a newer model SSD and I see a used Sata II 120 that I can afford. On another note... The Corsair Vengeance Ram Im getting just went up from $44 to $53. I notice they have what appears to be the same exact ram except its blue and its still at $44. Isnt the only difference color ? http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-240-Pin-Platforms-CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9/dp/B004CRSM4I/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1322159399&sr=1-1 http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-PC3-12800-1600mHz-CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B/dp/B004QBUL1C/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1322159399&sr=1-2 Yes, it would be best to run your OS and a few of your favourite programs off of the SSD and then re-use your old Hard drive for the time being, even though it's only Sata II you will see a noticable increase in speed if your coming from a hard drive. The only thing I would be worried about is any warranty issues being that it's used. I don't suppose you could post a link to it, could you? Yes, the only difference is the color. For some strange reason Corsair charges a small premium depending on the color you want. Doesn't make a difference to me, but I can imagine if someone was trying to match the ram with the rest of the computer it would. Corsair has that vengeance RAM in too many colours to count, almost makes my head spin haha!

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