280 replies to this topic

[Velotix von Skruviktorrius]

After a certain other thread got hijacked every other post with PC troubleshooting, I decided it was about time this thread was created. Discuss here any of these topics:

1) Upcoming new PC hardware
2) Issues with your existing PC
3) Purchasing advice for new PC parts
4) Getting PC games to work on your system
5) Bragging about your current PCs

Without further ado:
 
So I'm a bit pissed.

After the last month or so of trying to fix dumb crashes in Minecraft and other games where my display would cut out and not restart for no good reason, I finally gave up and laid my old GeForce GTX 295 to rest. RIP.

And now I'm packing a GTX 560Ti. The Gigabyte OC model. Overclocked out of the box. Yummy performance goodness. What annoys me though is that this part manages to get performance out of the box that seems to always match or outclass my recently departed 295. And that thing had two GPUs! Why did it take me so long to upgrade?! @___@

If there's one thing that my experience has taught me though, it's that dual-GPU cards are not worth buying unless you're actively developing game graphics. I really got sick of having a gimped system every time a game happened to not support SLI and left me with performance worse than a midrange system. Having to put up with a system stuck at 50% performance most of the time is just really not worth it. What's the point of a multi-GPU system where most of the time only one GPU in the set ever gets used? :/

If you're going to get multiple GPU system, folks, just buy multiple midrange cards. Much less hassle and grief. Twin 560Tis seems to be the most cost-effective performance option recommended by people at the moment, and after giving a solo 560Ti a spin I can see why: it's so far living up to the reputation the card has gotten in the press. It definitely doesn't feel like a midrange card at all. I'm interested to see how this goes now, plus DX11 games I can actually play now. Hooray. I really don't think it's sunk in yet, but I may have actually lucked out here.

Edited by Velotix von Skruviktorrius, 16 April 2012 - 11:21 PM.

[Carbo]

Useful topic is useful. Sticky sticky pin nails.

Laptop master race.

[Swiss]

Not sure if this would count as a 'parts' question as such, but after recently upgrading my PC I'm looking for a really good gaming headset for a reasonable price but I'm having no luck. :I

Anyone got any ideas?

[Tornado]

Not sure if this would count as a 'parts' question as such, but after recently upgrading my PC I'm looking for a really good gaming headset for a reasonable price but I'm having no luck. :I

Anyone got any ideas?

Define "reasonable price" and define your needs.

[Velotix von Skruviktorrius]

(Yes it would.)

This isn't something I'm very familiar with, so I'll do this: start with the stuff marked 5-stars and go from there.

[Swiss]

Define "reasonable price" and define your needs.

Well, I guess I'd be willing to pay up to £150 if I get my money's worth. And just that it's comfy, got surround sound, good durability...the usual really.

[eXtaticus]

Though I never usually recommend official Microsoft-branded hardware to anyone, (I've had a few bad experiences with the wires on their controllers and keyboards breaking internally and irreparably in ridiculously short amounts of time - and I've always stuck by the belief that there's a damned good reason why the company is named Microsoft) one particular headset in the LifeChat series is an extremely high-quality product, so long as you are prepared to transfer all audio control to the unit's (admittedly fantastic) internal sound card and not use your PC's one until it's unplugged - the LifeChat LX-3000 is pretty much the perfect headset from a comfort and sound quality (from both the mic and the speakers) perspective, and if you don't mind the disadvantages of digital USB headsets, then it's gold. Far removed from Microsoft's own terrible Xbox 360 headset, that much is certain...

If, however, you've invested a hefty amount of cash in an expensive, state-of-the-art, dedicated sound card, or simply just want the ease of use and universal compatibility of an analog (oh, shut up, Chrome; analogue is a ridiculous way of spelling it) headset, then the Plantronics GameCom 367 is a suitably excellent alternative (albeit slightly more expensive, but I suppose that you get what you pay for with headsets in this kind of price range) to the Microsoft headset - and, seeing as I'm a huge proponent of analog audio devices, I would without hesitation recommend the gaming-orientated GameCom over the VOIP-purposed LifeChat. I suppose that it all depends on which type of technology you prefer, and whether or not you're prepared to pay the marginally higher price for what I believe to be the superior product.

I hope that helps.

Edited by eXtaticus, 24 August 2011 - 01:17 AM.

[Tornado]

Cooler Master Storm Sirus.

Review.

Don't know how much it costs in pounds, but its only $130 over here.

[Velotix von Skruviktorrius]

I found this amusing review. This happens to be the PC case I use myself, and sure enough, the PC I made with it was my first.

I had no idea my computer case was both so popular and so controversial. o.o

I didn't know computer cases could even cause controversy.

Edited by Velotix Lexovetikan, 24 August 2011 - 02:27 AM.

[Tornado]

I've reviewed several cases, and with one exception (a shitty Thermaltake), I've never experienced "compromises in build quality, ease of use, features or cooling performance" in gaming cases. That guy just sounds pissed for the sake of being pissed.

[Velotix von Skruviktorrius]

Which shitty Thermaltake would that be? My previous PC happened to use an Aguila.

Edited by Velotix Lexovetikan, 24 August 2011 - 02:45 AM.

[Tornado]

Armor A60.

$50 case for $90, which was apparently supposed to be justified because it had USB 3.0. It even shared parts with Thermaltake's (at the time) bottom-market model, except it wasn't put together as well. Complete shit.

Edited by Tornado, 24 August 2011 - 03:21 AM.

[Swiss]

Though I never usually recommend official Microsoft-branded hardware to anyone, (I've had a few bad experiences with the wires on their controllers and keyboards breaking internally and irreparably in ridiculously short amounts of time - and I've always stuck by the belief that there's a damned good reason why the company is named Microsoft) one particular headset in the LifeChat series is an extremely high-quality product, so long as you are prepared to transfer all audio control to the unit's (admittedly fantastic) internal sound card and not use your PC's one until it's unplugged - the LifeChat LX-3000 is pretty much the perfect headset from a comfort and sound quality (from both the mic and the speakers) perspective, and if you don't mind the disadvantages of digital USB headsets, then it's gold. Far removed from Microsoft's own terrible Xbox 360 headset, that much is certain...

If, however, you've invested a hefty amount of cash in an expensive, state-of-the-art, dedicated sound card, or simply just want the ease of use and universal compatibility of an analog (oh, shut up, Chrome; analogue is a ridiculous way of spelling it) headset, then the Plantronics GameCom 367 is a suitably excellent alternative (albeit slightly more expensive, but I suppose that you get what you pay for with headsets in this kind of price range) to the Microsoft headset - and, seeing as I'm a huge proponent of analog audio devices, I would without hesitation recommend the gaming-orientated GameCom over the VOIP-purposed LifeChat. I suppose that it all depends on which type of technology you prefer, and whether or not you're prepared to pay the marginally higher price for what I believe to be the superior product.

I hope that helps.

Thanks eX, and it's funny you should mention the LX-3000...that's the one I'm wearing on my head as I type this.

I've had similar trouble with Microsoft products, I'll never be going with them for anything except headsets again. BUT, I think I'm definitely looking for something a little more than the LifeChat offers. I don't actually find this one very comfortable over long periods of time, and one of the ears actually fell off a month after I got it. I just decided to keep it and use it as I one-ear set for voice chat only.

I'll definitely consider the GameCom though if I need a cheaper replacement. I'm just hoping to find something that packs a lot of power behind it to last me in the long run. Thanks again man!

Cooler Master Storm Sirus.

Review.

Don't know how much it costs in pounds, but its only $130 over here.

And I'll definitely be considering this set (or at least something very similar), if I can find it for a good price in the UK anyway.


I've found 2 other sets I'm interested in aswell, one Sennheiser and a Logitech. Anyone got any good/bad things to say about those brands in the way of headsets? Been with both for headphones and other peripherals, but not headsets.

[Tornado]

Sennheiser's are good as a rule. There exceptions to every rule, but I don't personally know of any in this case.

[Swiss]

Well, I'm more inclined to go with the Sennheiser's as they're about £50 cheaper, all for the sake being wired. The Logitech's do look a lot comfier though, and come in a wired variety.

Screw it, I think I'll go for the Wireless Logi's. Hopefully I'll get my money's worth!


Scratch that, I'm going with the Razer Megaloden's. Reviews are saying they're much more comfortable and I don't really want any wireless interference.

Edited by Swiss, 24 August 2011 - 04:13 AM.

[The Blue]

Ugh. I have a 6200 GeForce on my PC, I found a rather cheap GeForce GT210 for 50 bucks, I don't know if I should buy it but I want to know if some games like Portal 2 would work on this PC. Everything Required for the game is Perfect for my PC but I lack in GPU. Should I grab that GT210? Or look for something cheaper?.

[eXtaticus]

^ The GT 520 will beat an Xbox 360 - but it is, however, more expensive than a 210. The 210's not at all worth it, mind, as you're paying more for what performance you get out of it than you are for any other card in the GeForce series - and remember PCI-E and AGP, and the difference between the two; if your 6200 is an AGP card, then your motherboard is outdated and your PC needs to be replaced - however, if it's a PCI card, then definitely get the GT 520 and upgrade. One last thing to remember is that the performance of your graphics card is limited - or "bottlenecked" - by the power of your CPU; you'll definitely need at the bare minimum a highly-clocked Pentium 4 or a mid-range Core 2 Duo to make the most of that 520 - good luck!

[The Blue]

Eh, nevermind. My dad won't let me buy the GPU - Even with my own money!

Other news, EasyCap 2.0. Should I buy it or not?
I've been wanting a recorder for Games for a while, and when I foudn this video I was interested on the EasyCap. The guy even made a tutorial on how to make it look like that.

So, yeah. Yay or nay.

I have Windows 7 BTW.

- Vinyl Scratch

[shimapun]

I don't know if this type of noob question will receive a good reception, but I could use some guidance and opinions.

The laptop I've been using for 6+ years has finally crapped out on me and won't work even turn on. This isn't exactly a massive loss, since I've been considering buying a new one. However, being that I know next to nothing about what I should look at in terms of brands and tech specs, I'm kinda lost.

I guess I should talk about what I'd want the damn thing to do first, eh? As far as the basic things go, I'm a college kid, so the primary use for a computer to do my work (online research, tryping papers, etc). I need something that can detect wireless internet connections well, too. My old one would barely detect my father's router from a few rooms away, and being that a good amount of my homework requires a steady connection to the internet, I really do need one. I assume that any half-decent laptop could handle these tasks, but there are a few other things I am looking for, like something that can handle vidya gaems.

I've been interested in PC games for quite some time now, but my old machine couldn't really handle much. I'm interested in stuff like Minecraft, Portal, Sam and Max, Cave Story, Maplestory, Super Meat boy, Rosenkreuzstilette, etc. I also do like to emulate some 16 bit and 8 bit era games. Even though I listed quite a bit, I can't picture myself being some incredibly avid PC gamer (I barely play my console games, as it is), but it's still something I'm interested in, so I'd really like the option to have a laptop that could handle your basic PC games.

I'd also like something I can watch movies on. I'm only bringing this up because I know that many brands don't come with CD drives anymore. Something that could handle really high quality anime/tokusatsu that I download would be incredibly awesome, too.

Like I said before, I don't know much about tech specs or brand names. What do I need to keep an eye out for? How do I know if a specific aspect of a laptop is "good" or not? What brands are considered the best? Where should I buy? Anybody have any personal recommendations?

Also, I guess it's worth mentioning that I have currently about $1,200 (give or take) to use.

Sorry for the barrage of newbie questions. I'm just a bit overwhelmed because there's so much available on the market, I want to be certain I make the right choice.

Edited by gunther, 03 September 2011 - 05:18 PM.

[Velotix von Skruviktorrius]

Helping newbs is what this thread is all about, when we're not swinging our PC e-peens. :P

Well at this stage, if your PC is from 2005 or earlier, even the most basic budget PC will be a gigantic power jump for you. So how much money we throw at this is dependent on what you're actually going to do with it. Most of what you listed can be accomplished perfectly fine by a bog-standard laptop nowadays.

First thing to point out is that your connection problems you mentioned are most likely caused by the router, actually. Are other wireless devices working fine on it, or do you only have one?

It seems you are set on having a laptop. Personal experience has taught me that whilst you can game on a laptop, there's a reason most developers and companies flat-out refuse to formally support laptop gaming systems - they're much more fiddly than their desktop equivalents and more expensive to boot. If you plan to game on a laptop and expect customer service from games companies, expect to be disappointed; getting games to run smoothly will be entirely your problem. That said, provided you're willing to spend enough, laptops can indeed game nowadays. I wouldn't have been able to say that six years ago.

Before I recommend anything concrete, we should confirm that getting a laptop is required. Unless you absolutely must have the mobility, desktop systems outclass them every single time and for less money.

Speaking generally, only very old computers cannot handle Minecraft. Any basic system built nowadays will run rings around it, so that's no problem - and currently on your list Minecraft is by far the most demanding title, so a budget laptop should actually cover you.

So before we bother with any recommendations, do you absolutely require a laptop? And independently, what is the most intensive (read: new, 3D, probably requires DX11 to run properly) game you can see yourself playing, if any? Finally, do you do any graphics work like graphic design or 3D modelling, because if so modern software can take advantage of a strong GPU and you will benefit from getting a decent gaming GPU anyway.