Death of a Computer Options

[All4BigGuns]

Have you played MWO? If you have ... picture a three-monitor setup, giving you an entire 150-degree undistorted FOV.

Even without that; it can be very handy to have a second area to your desktop, for things like:

• playing a full-screen game on one, while keeping a Skype video chat open on the other;
• playing a full-screen game on one, and having a walkthrough / strategy guide up on the other;
• running any full-screen application on one, and having various monitoring software running on the other (SpeedFan, etc).

None of that is necessary, of course. But some of it can be rather convenient.

What is MWO?

[_Pax._]

What is MWO?

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=37935

[All4BigGuns]

I'd just never heard of it. Is it really that bad?

[_Pax._]

... bad? why do you say it's bad?

Granted, it's not something I happen to like. But it's hardly bad.

And recognising that a multi-monitor setup might enhance a game, shouldn't make it "Bad" either.

[All4BigGuns]

I asked if it was that bad because of the following quote:

Okay, no, it's official: this game is a pile of shit.

I logged in, tried my best, oh hey I got defeated, no problem, wait a few and try again ... right?

Wrong. That defeat utterly destroyed the entire friggin' ENGINE. And I can't afford a replacement. Which means, I can't drive the mech I spent MC to buy. I can't drive the only mech I don't completely suck with ('cause at least I can usually get A kill, and several assists, in most matches - or did, while it still had a goddamned engine). Unless, of course, I want to spend real cash to be able to play again.

Screw this noise. >_< Not only is it "pay to win", it's even pay to lose.

/uninstall

[_Pax._]

You should have kept reading - only five posts further on, I then posted this:

IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION

I was a fool, who let surprise and anger cloud his judgement. The missing engine was a BUG.

Herp, derp, idiotcakes on me.

Yes, the font-size was used in the original post, too. All I've done is cut-and-paste a quote-block. Just like you did.

[All4BigGuns]

More than that, I kinda stopped at the "this game is a pile of shit". Heh.

[_Pax._]

One should never form an opinion, with less than the whole of the information easily available to them.

[nezumi]

I don't recall the last time I did NOT have two monitors (at home or at work). Almost never for games, except to leave chat/movie open in one screen while I play in the other. But for everything else. Movies and chat, giant project plans, copying data between documents, etc. About 60% of the time I'm using both. My wife, whose single screen is easily the size of my two work screens (and cost something like $2,000, compared to my $40) now also wants a second (normal) sized screen, for the same reason.

Your graphics card quite likely already supports this, if it was made in the past five years. I bought my screen used from a school for $20. They aren't too hard to find. Try it out. Assuming you have space on your desk, I don't think you'll ever go back.

Edit: Plus, screen radiation is how I maintain my healthy pallor. Double screens = double geek chic color.

[Stahlseele]

Flat Screens don't have any meaningfull radiation anymore.
That went pretty much the way of the dodo with CRT-dispay.

But yes, i went to 2 screens 5 years ago and i am not looking back.
C³ is running on one and actual work/gaming/entertainment on the other.

[nezumi]

Flat Screens don't have any meaningfull radiation anymore.

I paid extra to get it as a feature with mine.

[_Pax._]

Well. Despite good past experiences with the OEM I ordered from, above .... they are so backlogged, and their communication with customers has degraded so badly ... that after a bloody month with no appreciable progress (nor even updates/emails) ... I've cancelled that order. Very disappointing.

Now to wait a week and a half for the refund to process, so I can place a new order with someone else. I'm currently looking at Puget computer; I'm still not confident enough to try assembling it myself, this time around. This time around:

• Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth 990FX R2.0
• CPU: AMD FX-8350 4GHzx8
• System RAM: Kingston, 16GB DDR3-2600 (4x4GB)
• Video card: AMD Radeon HD 7970, 3GB (single card this time)
• Sound Card: Asus Xonar DSX
• Other: Silverstone USB 3.0 controller, PCI-Express
• Primary Drive: Intel 520 SSD, 240GB
• Data Drive: Western Digital cavia Green, 3TB
• Optical Drive: Asus 12x BluRay burner
• Case: Antec P183 (Gunmetal finish, no side window)
• PSU: Seasonic X-850, 850W (80+ Platinum, yayy!)
• CPU Cooling: Puget Hydro CL3 liquid cooling (sealed system)
• Other cooling: case fans upgraded to Adjustable Speed; additional Chassis fan
• Case Mods: sound reduction materials; Cardkeeper retention package
• OS: Win7 Pro 64-bit

... for $2,931US, plus shipping.

[X-Kalibur]

I'll say again that I think liquid cooling is a waste. I tried it before and had no appreciable difference.

[_Pax._]

*shrug* It's a $22 difference from the Air-cooling option I'd've picked anyway.

[X-Kalibur]

*shrug* It's a $22 difference from the Air-cooling option I'd've picked anyway.

Is it only $22? Huh. Crazy.

[_Pax._]

No, it's more than $22 total. It's just, that's the difference between the (sealed) system I picked, and the air-cooling setup I would otherwise have chosen. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Just itself, I think it's about seventy or eighty dollars.

It's not exactly this, but pretty close: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16835181015

[Stahlseele]

Personally, not a big fan of the latest AMD offerings, i'd go with intel myself.
But not for the SSD, there i would chose a samsung one.
WHY the BluRay BURNER?
BluRay Blanks are still hellishly expensive and most players won't play them anyway in my experience.
The GPU is good, but i'd go for a 7970 GHz Edition, if possible. It's right now the single strongest GPU out there.
External SoundCard . . again, why? The onboard Cards are usually good enough for everything you want to do.
If the iquid cooling is only 22 bucks more, then yeah, i'd go for that too. Hell, even AIO WaterCooling is usually about twice to three times as expensive as an aircooler.
Having the case-fans at adjustable speeds will make one hell of a difference, both cooling and in noise, so good choice there.
The PSU may be 80+ platinum, but this only means it's at peak efficiency if it's at 80% load. Which you will be hard pressed to achieve most of the time anyway.
The silverstone USB3-Controller . . does the Board not come with USB3 by itself already? O.o

edit:
aaah, so it IS an AIO WaterCooler . .
These are, sadly, still a bit hit and miss <.<
The CONCEPT is pure genius . . but execution can be pretty poor x.x
The loudest part of these are usually not even the Fans you need to blow the air through the Radiator. It's usually the pump, sadly <.<

[_Pax._]

WHY the BluRay BURNER?
BluRay Blanks are still hellishly expensive and most players won't play them anyway in my experience.

That BluRay drive I got (and bricked my old desktop installing), is a burner too. And the present came with a stack of 20 blank disks.

Anyway, I want it for archiving stuff. On as few disks as humanly possible. (For example, we have almost 16GB of photographs and video from our 2009 trip to Walt Disney World - which was 9 days, 8 nights. We're planning another trip there next January, 2014 ... for 16 days, 15 nights ... and I'll have a much better, HD-capable video camera, and we're bringing a friend with us; as a result, I expect to have 50, maybe 60 GB of video and photos. Maybe more, as I intend to "video blog" my trip, with daily installments, for a Disney-related forum I frequent.

And, well ... I'd like to be able to put all the video and stuff on fewer than five to eight disks, thanks. ;D

The GPU is good, but i'd go for a 7970 GHz Edition, if possible. It's right now the single strongest GPU out there.

I would have, but Puget just doesn't have 'em. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

External SoundCard . . again, why? The onboard Cards are usually good enough for everything you want to do.

I want it for the 7.1 Surround support. I already have my eye on a Logitech headset that supports 7.1, so ... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

The PSU may be 80+ platinum, but this only means it's at peak efficiency if it's at 80% load. Which you will be hard pressed to achieve most of the time anyway.

Puget calculates watt-usage as you go, actually. The calculator shows a peak usage of 600W even, so they recommended an 850W PSU. I probably could have gotten away with 750W, but the next-lower PSU Puget has is only 650W, and that's cutting it WAY too close - peak usage would be over 90% capacity. So, the extra 100W maximum capacity won't kill me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

The silverstone USB3-Controller . . does the Board not come with USB3 by itself already? O.o

It does ... but, two of the internal headers will be used up by the front panel (for only three USB3 ports, but *shrug* ...), so having an extra internal seemed prudent. Plus, and more importantly to me, it offers two more USB3 ports in the back: http://www.pugetsystems.com/parts/Controll...press-card-9044

The motherboard comes with 4 internal headers, and 4 rear USB3 ports (and an astonishign 8 internal USB2 headers!!): http://www.pugetsystems.com/parts/Motherbo...990FX-R2-0-9074

now ... I don't know if those four rear ports use any internal headers. If they do, likely 1 header per 2 ports (to match what the front panel needs) ... then without he card, I'd have zero unoccupied USB3 headers, but with it, I'll have 1. Meanwhile, I'll have 6 rear and 3 front USB3 connectors, which should cover my needs for a good 6-8 years, with a nice comfortable bit of wiggle-room, if you will. And at only $38, I'm not terribly worried about the price.

edit:
aaah, so it IS an AIO WaterCooler . .

AIO = All-in-One? If so - that's the only kind of liquid cooling I'd be comfortable with, just now. Don't want to have to be checking coolant levels, not to mention storing coolant with three cats in the house, and probably (knowing my luck inside computer cases) spilling some when trying to refill, gah.

Anyway, it's a Puget-branded unit, based on a CoolIT model: http://www.pugetsystems.com/parts/CPU-Cool...ing-System-7617

[Stahlseele]

Yes, AIO=All-In-One WaterCooling.
And yes, if it's a CoolIT, then it is exactly the same as the Corsair ones with the square Cooling/Pump-Unit.
Because they are just rebranded CoolIT too.
And yes, i know what you mean with being comfortable with that.
I worked in a Computer BuyAndRepairShop for some weeks while in School, and i had THREE Computers with busted Watercooling on my Desk in that Time alone . .

i was dumb enough to not check wether or not my computers case comes with a cut out on the mainbaord try so i don't have to remove the whole board to change the cpu cooler . .
if the cut-out for a back-plate were there, i'd have gotten an Corsair H100 long ago, because my Q9650(still socket 775) goes up to 110° Celsius und a Gaming-Spree with the Intel Standard Cooler.
i am too damn lazy to change it like this <.<

and i am hoping SOMEBODY will make a GPU of the 7970GHz or an OCed GTX680 Series with the Arctic Accelero Hybrid, because that's an AIO for GraphicsCards.

[Halinn]

Anyway, I want it for archiving stuff. On as few disks as humanly possible. (For example, we have almost 16GB of photographs and video from our 2009 trip to Walt Disney World - which was 9 days, 8 nights. We're planning another trip there next January, 2014 ... for 16 days, 15 nights ... and I'll have a much better, HD-capable video camera, and we're bringing a friend with us; as a result, I expect to have 50, maybe 60 GB of video and photos. Maybe more, as I intend to "video blog" my trip, with daily installments, for a Disney-related forum I frequent.

And, well ... I'd like to be able to put all the video and stuff on fewer than five to eight disks, thanks. ;D

Terabyte-range HDDs are quite cheap.

[_Pax._]

Terabyte-range HDDs are quite cheap.

And not so portable from one PC to another. Just in this house, we have ... um ... let's see, two desktops, three laptops, one ultrabook, one tablet, one tablet-ish eReader, three iPod touches.

And then there's that friend of mine. I'd love to be able to just hand her a disk and say "there, that's every picture or video any of the four of us took. Enjoy yourself!"

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[_Pax._]

and i am hoping SOMEBODY will make a GPU of the 7970GHz or an OCed GTX680 Series with the Arctic Accelero Hybrid, because that's an AIO for GraphicsCards.

I would upgrade to THAT, in a frelling heartbeat. I'd burn $100 or so, if it were possible right now, even.

I can, have, and pre-Bricking regularly did do marathon 6+ hour gaming sessions, with everything dialled up as high as my old GTX 275 could handle. And heat was always an issue int eh back of my mind ... cooling is one place I am willin to say "there is no such thing as oberbuilt".

Kind of like Maxim 34: "There is no such thing as Overkill; there is only Open fire and Time to reload".

Also, "If you're leaving scorch marks, you need a bigger gun." Forget which maxim that one is ...

[Stahlseele]

Yeah, an AIO for CPU and one for GPU would be pretty boss.
And the cooler keeps the card about 5 to 10° celsius cooler than most aircoolers do.
AND is much much quieter to boot!

[taeksosin]

A friend of mine recommended Maingear as the folks he has build his machines. He had a bum video card ship with his, which they were on the ball about fixing (overnighted a brand new card to him) so you may wanna take a look at pricing one out with them as well.

[CanRay]

External Hard Drives are great items to have!