Off-Topic Thread

FlyingIrishMan

You can actually download the beta now, I assume its either a developers preview or its been leaked but I've seen threads about it on several forums.
Its most likely done through piratebay or other illegal sites so I can't link to it, but I doubt its that hard to find if you really want to try it.

PseudoFamous

FlyingIrishMan wrote: »

You can actually download the beta now, I assume its either a developers preview or its been leaked but I've seen threads about it on several forums.
Its most likely done through piratebay or other illegal sites so I can't link to it, but I doubt its that hard to find if you really want to try it.

Dev preview from microsoft: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/br229516

_AVALANCHE_

8

I'm only after getting 7.

Bonesy.

_AVALANCHE_ wrote: »

8

I'm only after getting 7.

I havn't even got 7 yet.

Trevor451

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows-8-Beta-Delivered-to-Testers-Screenshots-Leak-241583.shtml

Windows 8 beta is delivered to testers now

I have a windows phone 7 device (thanks bargain alerts ) and I adore the metro UI. It works so well on a mobile device and is so much more better than the crappy UI android devices have. I don't know how well the metro UI will work out using a keyboard and mouse though.

nesf

Rar, knock my Kombustor Extreme GPU temps down from 100 (I'd quit the test when I'd see this number) to under 79 with two new case fans. The default case fan config for the Define XL doesn't deal well with Crossfire at all it seems (or I got two cards that run a bit hot). Cards now idle in the low 40s instead of mid 50s too which is nice.

2 x Noctua NF-S12B 120mm at lowest fan speeds (600prm) for those who are interested. Which was a screw up by me since both slots can take 140mm fans and the front slot is actually made for a 140mm. Eh, live and learn and all that.

Bonesy.

Which is a better Motherboard? (And not in terms of price) The Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 or the ASUS P8Z68-V LX ? Are they both compatible with the i5-2500k or any AMD processors?

nesf

Bonesy. wrote: »

Which is a better Motherboard? (And not in terms of price) The Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 or the ASUS P8Z68-V LX ? Are they both compatible with the i5-2500k or any AMD processors?

Both are Intel boards compatible with the i5 2500K and not compatible with any AMD processors. No board in existence is compatible with both.

Headshot

I remember talking about cases in here, anyone see the Cooler Master Cosmos II Extreme Gaming Case

****ing hell, what a beast (in a good way:))

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DklUlve_C4Y

Seems to be very heavy but damn it looks absolute sweet

Serephucus

Very nice. Sort of like the 800D meets the Cosmos.

infowars.com

whats a decent card for 120 euro

Serephucus

http://www.dabs.ie/products/pny-geforce-gtx-550-ti-900mhz-1gb-pci-express-hdmi--claim-mafia-2--7DTH.html?src=3

deejer

Serephucus wrote: »

Very nice. Sort of like the 800D meets the Cosmos.

At Eur350 its asking a bit much. I would pick the 800D for Eur120 less everytime. Alot of case manufactures are using Corsair design features in their new cases.

It is pretty though

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1663181

Serephucus

deejer wrote: »

At Eur350 its asking a bit much. I would pick the 800D for Eur120 less everytime. Alot of case manufactures are using Corsair design features in their new cases.

Ouch, didn't realise it was that much. And yeah, I've noticed that. Particularly the cable management grommets. The one thing I wish someone would copy, are the hard drive mounts from Antec's LANBoy Air. Bloody wonderful idea, and even Antec haven't used it in another case (not even the P280!).

papu

Serious Nostalgia moment lookin back at the pc builds/mods threads I did back when I was 15-16 . Thems were the days...

Bonesy.

papu wrote: »

Serious Nostalgia moment lookin back at the pc builds/mods threads I did back when I was 15-16 . Thems were the days...

Any pics?

Edit: Sorry just saw 'Threads' :pac: Ditsy at this time so I am.

papu

Bonesy. wrote: »

Any pics?

Edit: Sorry just saw 'Threads' :pac: Ditsy at this time so I am.

whats left of em are in here

http://www.boards.ie/search/?sort=newest&title=1&f=968&u=98454

Stupid Imageshack has nuked a few of the images ,I also had a look on Xtremesystems forum the other day for the first time in a few years ...Its Changed!

Bonesy.

papu wrote: »

whats left of em are in here

Stupid Imageshack has nuked a few of the images ,I also had a look on Xtremesystems forum the other day for the first time in a few years ...Its Changed!

Very impressive stuff Been doing any mods lately? I'll be doing my first case mod soon (Only 15 )

papu

Bonesy. wrote: »

Very impressive stuff Been doing any mods lately? I'll be doing my first case mod soon (Only 15 )

Yeah I saw your thread there , nah I moved from Pc's to cars then sold that. I'm still using the stacker 830 case which I plan on keeping for another long time so I'm not going to do anything more than that window mod.

Headshot

Lads do you think my sound card Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Sound Card will get the best out of the razor tiamat 7.1 headset ?http://www.razerzone.com/tiamat/en/features

Serephucus

Yes.

nesf

Headshot wrote: »

Lads do you think my sound card Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Sound Card will get the best out of the razor tiamat 7.1 headset ?http://www.razerzone.com/tiamat/en/features

Probably, the headphones should be designed to work off on-board happy enough. How much were they out of interest?

Headshot

nesf wrote: »

Probably, the headphones should be designed to work off on-board happy enough. How much were they out of interest?

The headset isnt out yet, nesf

Suppose to be at the end of January

Brian

Headshot wrote: »

Lads do you think my sound card Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Sound Card will get the best out of the razor tiamat 7.1 headset ?http://www.razerzone.com/tiamat/en/features

Well Creative aren't renowned for brilliant audio, and neither are gaming headsets, so I'd say they're a perfect match.

nesf

Headshot wrote: »

The headset isnt out yet, nesf

Suppose to be at the end of January

Just make sure you prefer 7.1 to stereo in headphones before you buy them. There's a pretty savage split in the community over which way is best, it seems to vary quite widely from individual to individual. If they're £150+ you're probably best off waiting for a few audiophile gamers to do reviews, they tend to have tested a lot of headsets/headphones and have a pretty good knowledge of what works best with respect to surround sound gaming (yes this last point conflicts with my first one!). You might get better performance out of a Sennheiser HD598 and virtual surround (one of the best combos atm apparently) than Razer's attempt at 7 drivers in one ear piece considering this is not a tried and tested method of audio.

I linked to this before and it's interesting reading: http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envy-aka-shin-czs-guide-to-headphone-gaming-particularly-with-dolby-headphone

I have the HD598s and their imaging is superb in stereo. I get a very good positional sense in MMOs and the kind of stuff I play. I haven't tried them with virtual surround yet though.

Trevor451

http://www.therestartpage.com/

Tea_Bag

Trevor451 wrote: »

http://www.therestartpage.com/

that is my new favorite website. thanks.

ShadowHearth

Trevor451 wrote: »

http://www.therestartpage.com/

oh that was sneaky

_AVALANCHE_

ShadowHearth wrote: »

oh that was sneaky

What happens? I see the one counting down?

Serephucus

Click on one of them!

_AVALANCHE_

Serephucus wrote: »

Click on one of them!

Nope, someone tell me their, we're on a new page now so it won't wreck it for anyone else.

Monotype

_AVALANCHE_ wrote: »

Nope, someone tell me their, we're on a new page now so it won't wreck it for anyone else.

What?

Tea_Bag

sorry lads you can completely ignore this post. its just a saved basket for later upgrades/new builds. didnt want to start a new thread and get people confused.


that said, if you know of a better mATX Z68 mobo for ~€100 shout!
also, im looking for a subtle/refined "desktop" style mATX case with a few HDD bays. at least 2x3.5" bays and somewhere i can squeeze a 2.5" SSD. second hand is fine so if you come across something id appreciate it.


Total build cost: €745.55 + €30 shipping
BitFenix Merc Alpha €31.61
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 550W €52.68
Crucial M4 64GB SSD 6,4cm (2,5") €98.69
8GB-Kit Corsair ValueSelect PC3-10667U CL9 €33.51
8GB-Kit G.Skill RipJaws-X PC3-12800U CL9 €38.18
LG GH24NS bare schwarz €16.86
Gigabyte GA-Z68MA-D2H-B3, Intel Z68, mATX €92.81
Silverstone SST-ML03B Milo Desktop - black €53.39
AMD Phenom II X4 970 Black Edition - 125 Watt, Sockel AM3 €131.94
Intel Core i5-2500K Box, LGA1155 €195.88

deconduo

Cheap:
http://www4.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=49193&agid=635

Less cheap:
http://www4.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=49191&agid=635

Tea_Bag

they both look nice, but im more into the flat this type style. its going under the TV, whereas the current case (Storm Scout) is pretty big and has to go behind the TV. i was gonna sell on the Scout. any idea on what i could get for it? still got box and in good condition.

deconduo

Tea_Bag wrote: »

they both look nice, but im more into the flat this type style. its going under the TV, whereas the current case (Storm Scout) is pretty big and has to go behind the TV. i was gonna sell on the Scout. any idea on what i could get for it? still got box and in good condition.

Its out of stock in HWVS but here's the same one from scan

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/silverstone-milo-ml03b-microatx-black-slim-htpc-case-with-usb-30-w-o-psu-%28can-take-atx%29

Tea_Bag

thanks, that helps allot. it used to be €37 on HWVS!

nesf

Tea_Bag wrote: »

sorry lads you can completely ignore this post. its just a saved basket for later upgrades/new builds. didnt want to start a new thread and get people confused.


that said, if you know of a better mATX Z68 mobo for ~€100 shout!
also, im looking for a subtle/refined "desktop" style mATX case with a few HDD bays. at least 2x3.5" bays and somewhere i can squeeze a 2.5" SSD. second hand is fine so if you come across something id appreciate it.


Total build cost: €745.55 + €30 shipping
BitFenix Merc Alpha €31.61
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 550W €52.68
Crucial M4 64GB SSD 6,4cm (2,5") €98.69
8GB-Kit Corsair ValueSelect PC3-10667U CL9 €33.51
8GB-Kit G.Skill RipJaws-X PC3-12800U CL9 €38.18
LG GH24NS bare schwarz €16.86
Gigabyte GA-Z68MA-D2H-B3, Intel Z68, mATX €92.81
Silverstone SST-ML03B Milo Desktop - black €53.39
AMD Phenom II X4 970 Black Edition - 125 Watt, Sockel AM3 €131.94
Intel Core i5-2500K Box, LGA1155 €195.88

HTPC or server build or what? I'm confused by the lack of a GPU with those kinds of chips. Or is it that you use your TV as a monitor?

Monotype

Tea_Bag wrote: »

AMD Phenom II X4 970 Black Edition - 125 Watt, Sockel AM3 €131.94

I assume this is an upgrade for something, but what about the 960T?
http://www4.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=52244
€109.90. It's built on the Thuban design, so you should get slightly higher overclocks and you get the possibility to unlock to 6 cores too. They're both black editions anyway, so you don't lose out on the unlocked multiplier.

Tea_Bag

nesf wrote: »

HTPC or server build or what? I'm confused by the lack of a GPU with those kinds of chips. Or is it that you use your TV as a monitor?

im potentially building two PC's by mashing up some new components with my current server. The server resides behind the TV as it stands, so its also used as a HTPC.

current server specs are:

MSI 770-G45
athlon X3 445 (can unlock to phenom x4, but ive disabled that and an extra core to cut back on power, as all it does is play movies. so currently x2)
GTX460
CM silent pro M600W PSU
4gb corsair vengeance 1600mhz ram
4tb's of HDDs
CM Storm Scout case

mashup build for chemical calculations, which isnt very demanding, and going to be spending life in a lab:

BitFenix Merc Alpha €31.61
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 550W €52.68
Crucial M4 64GB SSD 6,4cm (2,5") €98.69
8GB-Kit G.Skill RipJaws-X PC3-12800U CL9 €38.18
(with thanks to Mono) the 960T
the MSI 770-G45 from the current server
GTX460 from current server.

new server/HTPC (and hopefully a little quieter):

8GB-Kit G.Skill RipJaws-X PC3-12800U CL9 €38.18
(i really dont need the 8gb here. i could reuse the 4gb i have already, but my justification was that ram is apparently going to get pricey again, and if i had the 8gb i could forget about thinking of it again. i could also RAMdisk my minecraft server if i ever get that up and running again. thoughts?)
LG GH24NS bare schwarz €16.86
Gigabyte GA-Z68MA-D2H-B3, Intel Z68, mATX €92.81
Silverstone SST-ML03B Milo Desktop - black €53.39
silent pro M600 PSU from server
Intel Core i5-2500K Box, LGA1155 €195.88

the 2500K im undecided about. if i get it, im turning off two cores without a doubt. its complete overkill for something that the lads use to stream movies around our network and play youtube on the TV with. the obvious solution is the i3-2120. 65W TDP, and pretty much a beast in its own right. thing is, its €110. the 2500K is only €90 more and im getting alot more CPU. if it goes into a gaming rig in 3 years time, it'll be fine. can i say the same for the i3? doubt it. if i sell it all, i should get that extra €90 back anyway on resale value. the i5 also has the HD3000 igp vs. the i3's HD2000. i obviously want flawless 1080p movie playback. i dont want to think about the chip struggling ever during the movies etc. this is where i got the 2500K idea from, because i was originally sold on i3 + HD6450.:P


if anyone has any thoughts at all about this stuff, please do shout, i need more opinions.

anyway, with that, im hopefully going to plough back some money selling the Storm Scout case, athlon x3, 4gb vengeance ram. hopefully.

Monotype wrote: »

I assume this is an upgrade for something, but what about the 960T?
http://www4.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=52244
€109.90. It's built on the Thuban design, so you should get slightly higher overclocks and you get the possibility to unlock to 6 cores too. They're both black editions anyway, so you don't lose out on the unlocked multiplier.

completely sold on the 960T mono. sound.
i actually didnt even notice cause it cause i started paying attention to the HWVS page after the 955 came up, and the 690T is cheaper.:o:o

Serephucus

You could look at the 2105 for the HTPC. 3.1GHz version of the 2120, but it uses HD 3000 graphics, vs. 2000.

Tea_Bag

Serephucus wrote: »

You could look at the 2105 for the HTPC. 3.1GHz version of the 2120, but it uses HD 3000 graphics, vs. 2000.

interesting!

Serephucus, i know you're toying with the idea for a new server. what do you make of the idea to get the 2500K instead? compared to the 2105, its €85 more.

its a shame cause when i got my 2500K i paid €170 from HWVS.

nesf

I'd go cheapo with a Celeron and a HD 6450 to be honest for a server. Once it's a 1155 socket you can always throw a better chip in there later on if you need more grunt. Some of the Pentiums are really low on power and quite reasonably priced too. If you're going to be underclocking the thing anyway, why not pick up a chip for €30? You can do a HTPC off an Atom chip etc. The 6450 gives you an option of Dolby TrueHD later on too if you get a surround sound system, which is nice.

Serephucus

I'd be going cheap on this route. Get whatever you need for the server to run whatever you want it to, plus a little spare, just to be sure. If you get a cheap 1155 motherboard, you're looking at an i5 2400 at most, for a future gaming rig, with is respectable.

There's also Ivy Bridge to consider. If you want to make a gaming rig out of it in a year, odds are there will be a spate of P67/Z68 motherboards on Adverts by then, considering IB will be using Z77 and Q77 (I think). And you could easily pickup a 2500K/Z68 combo for cheap then.

Given my funds at this point, if I throw together a server at all it'll be G530-based. :P

deconduo

Monotype wrote: »

I assume this is an upgrade for something, but what about the 960T?
http://www4.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=52244
€109.90. It's built on the Thuban design, so you should get slightly higher overclocks and you get the possibility to unlock to 6 cores too. They're both black editions anyway, so you don't lose out on the unlocked multiplier.

But isn't the 960T a green chip clocked at 3GHz. I'd be interested to see what sort of overclocking people are getting from it, but I would expect it to be from a fairly low bin right?

Tea_Bag

tom's got an early sample and got a 3.9Ghz OC on x4 and after an x6 unlock they got 3.6Ghz. it was on air but at 1.42v

FlyingIrishMan

Okay, I have 70euro and am in desperate need of a hard drive.
Having a steam library full of games and only a 64Gb SSD isn't good :P

Whats the best hard drive I can get for 70euro? The bigger the better, not too worried about the speed.

ShadowHearth

FlyingIrishMan wrote: »

Okay, I have 70euro and am in desperate need of a hard drive.
Having a steam library full of games and only a 64Gb SSD isn't good :P

Whats the best hard drive I can get for 70euro? The bigger the better, not too worried about the speed.

try to make him to drop the price?

http://www.adverts.ie/hardware/western-digital-wd-1tb-hdd/1238542

if not for now you could buy something cheap?

http://www.adverts.ie/hardware/hdd-hard-disc-250gb/1139643

FlyingIrishMan

ShadowHearth wrote: »

try to make him to drop the price?

http://www.adverts.ie/hardware/western-digital-wd-1tb-hdd/1238542

if not for now you could buy something cheap?

http://www.adverts.ie/hardware/hdd-hard-disc-250gb/1139643

I actually asked a question about the first link a minute before you posted it.
Only problem is he doesn't take paypal and I need it shipped to Mayo too.

I don't see the point in spending 40euro on a 250GB hard drive, I'll have that much used up with Steam games in no time and will only need to get another one then.

Headshot

Jebus how many games do you?