azrael Posted February 15, 2010 Posted February 15, 2010 I'm looking to turn my PC into a PVR when I get my high-def channels hooked up (tomorrow, yay!). I've got 300 unused gigs of HD space, so that's not an issue, but what sort of video card should I be looking at that'll accept an HD-in? HD-in......then you'll probably be wanting to look at a HD tuner card. Video cards do HD-out so you'll need something to capture the input from the cable box. Hauppauge or AVerMedia seems to be the first stop for PVR-DIYers.
Agent-GHQ Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 Okay you computer geeks and nerds! Check this out.... If I were to build my own PC, how bad-a$$ can it get for lets say..... $2,500 - $3,000 bucks. I'm looking for performance, gaming, surperb video graphics, sounds, multi-media, interwebing, etc. Which brand, make, or model for the individual parts do you suggest?
VF-19 Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 Okay you computer geeks and nerds! Check this out.... If I were to build my own PC, how bad-a$$ can it get for lets say..... $2,500 - $3,000 bucks. I'm looking for performance, gaming, surperb video graphics, sounds, multi-media, interwebing, etc. Which brand, make, or model for the individual parts do you suggest? Since we're talking serious cash, how about a pair of Radeon 5970's to start (4 gpus on two boards)? Back it up with 4-8 gigs of RAM, and a high end quad-core cpu, and you've got something that won't go obselete for a few years. If you need to save $100 after all that, you could use on-board sound instead of a sound card.
Agent-GHQ Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 I love music and I want it to project really well, so I will need a kick-a$$ sound card too! But someone mentioned the i7900 was the best on the market right now? What will two pairs of 5970 Radeon do than one? And what's a GPUS? Remember, go easy on the computer jargons pls!!
mikeszekely Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 I love music and I want it to project really well, so I will need a kick-a$$ sound card too! No, you don't. Seriously, you can great-quality 5.1 sound right off most motherboards. Whatever you'd spend on a sound card, just put it in your budget for quality speakers. But someone mentioned the i7900 was the best on the market right now? Can I assume you're talking about Intel's Core i7 family? The first series (code-named Nehelem) were all 9xx models. And yeah, they are pretty much the best processors on the market right now. Much as I respect AMD for competitive price/performance, they really don't have anything that hangs with the i7 (yet). The i7 920 is thought of as "best bang for your buck", if you're going to use more than one video card. What will two pairs of 5970 Radeon do than one? Crossfire. Think of it like this... I'm sure you've noticed the trend in computers where single-core processors have been replaced by dual-core and even quad-core processors? There's a similar trend in graphics... if one graphics card can do so much, then two graphics cards working together can do even more. Crossfire is ATI's technology for linking two graphics cards (SLI is Nvidia's). And what's a GPUS? Remember, go easy on the computer jargons pls!! GPU = Graphics Processing Unit. The heart and soul of every graphics card is a chip, just like the heart of your whole computer is a chip. Now, the Radeon HD 5970 is a graphics card that already has two chips. If you buy two of them and link them in Crossfire, you'd have 4 total GPUs. For the record, the Radeon HD 5970 is probably the single fastest graphics card almost-available (Newegg doesn't seem to have any yet, but has a couple listed as "auto-notify"). Should you take VF-19's advice and get two, you can expect to spend around $1400 on the pair. You can also expect to run every computer game released for at least the next five years on the absolute highest settings.
Vince Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 (edited) I love music and I want it to project really well, so I will need a kick-a$$ sound card too! But someone mentioned the i7900 was the best on the market right now? What will two pairs of 5970 Radeon do than one? And what's a GPUS? Remember, go easy on the computer jargons pls!! i say i7 975, 12Gb+ ddr3, 160GB solid state HD as boot drive, a couple of SATA as data drive, antec 1200 case, antec or corsair 950w+ psu, ZALMAN CNPS10X cooler, I like all EVGA stuffs but they don't make Radeon video cards, so mb would be EVGA or ASUS just pick the most expensive one. the high end mb's support more then two video cards, but I think some of them only support up to 4 gpu's, if you want directx 11 (which there are only a few games currently available) and Eyefinity - get a pair of Radeon 5970, otherwise a pair of GTS295 (are they coming of newer ones?). I have never seen two 295 in action before, but a single card were doing Crysis on ultra high everything 16x AA @ the highest selectable res for the game without any problem. I wouldn't worry about the sound card too much, most good mb's have digital 7.1 output anyway, but if you want get the most expensive one Creative Lab make. You must however save a few hundreds for the BOSE pc speakers, can't beat them. that's what I would do if I was going the spend 3k on my computer. Edited February 16, 2010 by Vince
shiroikaze Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 (edited) GPU = Graphics Processing Unit, it's the main chip on the graphics card. The Radeon 5970 has two chips on one card instead of one. So it's like you're getting "four graphics card". Utilizing multiple graphics cards is called Crossfire or SLI (coined by ATI and Nvidia respectively). Basically the first video card will be the main card while additional video cards will support the main card, giving the computer an extra (not 100% by the way) boost in graphical power. Onboard sound is pretty good nowadays. But if you want a sound card, Creative and Asus are the two main brands to go for. I'm not sure which one is better though... [edit] I compiled a sample list on Newegg, I don't think it's a great list, but it falls in your budget range. I think someone can probably do better. I didn't consider Crossfire at the moment since the HD 5970 is an insanely powerful card already, you can always get another later. Of course it doesn't include a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers. https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedW...spx?ID=13963126 Also, if you're patient and know where to look, you can probably cut down that price tag by alot. Edited February 16, 2010 by shiroikaze
azrael Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 On-board sound is good for most people. HT Omega, I hear, is a brand for people who really care about sound. At the $2,500-$3,000, level, you'll want to go with SSDs (Solid State Drive) instead of your regular disk hard drives. For storage, you'll probably be looking at the 1-2 TB (terabyte) hard drives JUST for storage.
VF-19 Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 Oh, and if you need to save that $600 or so from the second videocard, get a motherboard that supports crossfire (pretty much every intel based board), get the one 5970, and when you see the second on sale, get it then. The nice thing about crossfire is that the system isn't really picky on what you have installed in the computer. It'll work with, say, one 5970, and one 4870, albeit, it will only work at the speed of the slowest card (the 4870).
myk Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 Okay you computer geeks and nerds! Check this out.... If I were to build my own PC, how bad-a$$ can it get for lets say..... $2,500 - $3,000 bucks. I'm looking for performance, gaming, surperb video graphics, sounds, multi-media, interwebing, etc. Do you know how to put a system together? Ask around just to be sure you're covering all the bases...
light Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 Sound is easy to get any way cards for sound are dirt cheap; not much improvement in that category over the years. Dolby Digital
Vince Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 bose sucks. that is all. now that depends on which set you got and how much input power. Given it sucks that you need to buy all their stuffs to get their best performance.
eugimon Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 now that depends on which set you got and how much input power. Given it sucks that you need to buy all their stuffs to get their best performance. Bose, as a company, makes crap products. They used to make quality stuff waaaay back when but modern Bose is just crap. Granted, all those "pc" speaker sets are crap, so maybe Bose is the very best of the crap but king of crap is still crap.
Uxi Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 "No highs, no lows, must be Bose?" For a non-audiophile, they seem to induce satisfaction... I'd never get their stuff myself, though. Polk and Denon FTW!
mikeszekely Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 (edited) Are we talking speakers, or all of it? I'll second Uxi's Denon if we're talking receivers, but I like Paradigm for speakers. EDIT: Which I should probably point out has nothing to do with computers. Edited February 16, 2010 by mikeszekely
Uxi Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 Oops. Well I did use the toslink out from my VAIO to my old AVR. Not the Denon, though. Probably overkill for most computers, tho
eugimon Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 Oops. Well I did use the toslink out from my VAIO to my old AVR. Not the Denon, though. Probably overkill for most computers, tho sure, but if you're going to go through the trouble of getting a "high end" sound card for your computer and then you're plugging in "pc speakers", what's the point? I mean, I probably wouldn't rush out and get another set of def tech (or paradigm) speakers for my computer but even a decent low end klipsch speakers on an old amp is going to give you MUCH better sound than any boxed pc speaker setup. Though, I have to admit I did like those old cambridge soundworks setups from around 10 years ago. But even those had absolute poo for mid and low range.
VT 1010 Posted February 17, 2010 Posted February 17, 2010 EDIT: Which I should probably point out has nothing to do with computers. "Electronics" is a part of the title, so I think you're safe. From what I hear (is that a pun?), it's not so much that Bose equipment sucks, but that it's just not that high of a quality for what they cost--especially comparing them to the competition in the lower price range. Bose = Basically Over-priced Sound Equipment...
light Posted February 17, 2010 Posted February 17, 2010 A lot of companies talk a lot of exoctic crap about their speakers and tell a tale of elaborate benefits that are really not there. And when you buy there product you find out the speakers sound like popcorn poppers but they dont care because they are happy they fooled you out of your money. They do not like people that investigate and learn specs on products, we are the enemy because we know they are a load of shiznit. So they make up names for us such as nerds geeks book worms and such; so that we stop investigating and finding out the truth. I have found out that there is a secret in the world; every time a new product comes out one company or two out of all companies will sell a product dirt cheap with high specs just to see if the population is paying attention, they wont sell many of it but it will be a extremely good product for dirt cheap. But if you have no knowledge of the products and your just buying because it is SHINEY or has your favorite musicians face on it you will get crap. Be who you are know the spec's
Vince Posted February 17, 2010 Posted February 17, 2010 "No highs, no lows, must be Bose?" For a non-audiophile, they seem to induce satisfaction... I'd never get their stuff myself, though. Polk and Denon FTW! polk make pc speakers?
Vince Posted February 17, 2010 Posted February 17, 2010 "Electronics" is a part of the title, so I think you're safe. From what I hear (is that a pun?), it's not so much that Bose equipment sucks, but that it's just not that high of a quality for what they cost--especially comparing them to the competition in the lower price range. Bose = Basically Over-priced Sound Equipment... so true
shiroikaze Posted February 17, 2010 Posted February 17, 2010 (edited) polk make pc speakers? My googling shows me that they once did. Also, any recommendations for 2.1 speakers in the $50 range? On a separate note, what are you guys' general feelings on Logitech's 5.1 speakers lineup? Edited February 17, 2010 by shiroikaze
azrael Posted February 17, 2010 Posted February 17, 2010 On a separate note, what are you guys' general feelings on Logitech's 5.1 speakers lineup? Heard the Logitech X-540 was a great set. In fact, it's on my short list if and when my current 5.1 speakers blow out. If it still exists by that time.
mikeszekely Posted February 17, 2010 Posted February 17, 2010 My googling shows me that they once did. Also, any recommendations for 2.1 speakers in the $50 range? On a separate note, what are you guys' general feelings on Logitech's 5.1 speakers lineup? Heard the Logitech X-540 was a great set. In fact, it's on my short list if and when my current 5.1 speakers blow out. happy.gif If it still exists by that time. unsure.gif I own the X-540's, and I'm generally happy with them. I mean, they could be better... the lows are very good, but I think the highs sounded better on my headphones (headphones which, admittedly, cost almost as much as the entire X-540 set). If you do like Uxi did and go audio out over toslink to a good audio receiver I'm sure you'll get better sound, but when you're married and your computer is confined to a smaller space that's not always an option. For the price and size, I think the sound is quite good, and the tethered remote puts the set's power button and volume controls in easy reach, as well as providing a headphone jack that might be more convenient than the on directly on the computer (my only gripe there being that, if the source audio is 5.1, you'll only get the fronts if you plug in headphones... not bad for listening to music in stereo, problematic on some games if you might be trying to play while you're wife watches the Sex and the City DVD she rented). I dare say the X-540 is good enough that (if we're still talking about computer speakers) you skip the 2.1 speakers and keep saving for the X-540. It's currently going for $82 and free shipping on Newegg, so you'd only be spending about $32 more.
baronv Posted February 17, 2010 Posted February 17, 2010 Got a wireless network connection question for my fellow MW'rs since I havne't gotten a proper response when I posted on a tech forum. When more than one computer accesses the internet then the connection drops. Recently when one person is on our HP home desktop computer and another is on our Toshiba Satelline Vista laptop (2 yrs old), both internet connections will stop and both computers will need to be rebooted or wait a few minutes for the connection to function again so we can then access the internet again. Same thing happens when I have the Toshiba laptop on and then someone tries to access the internet separately on an Acer Aspire One netbook, both connections will get cut off and both need to be rebooted, only then can both laptops connect to the internet. The desktop and netbook are running XP and the Toshiba is Vista, the router is a Linksys and the cable modem is from Cox. So far there has been no issue if one of the computers are on the net and then I use my iPod Touch's Wifi. So far I've noticed the issue mainly when I turn on the Toshiba and it affects the other computer's connection. So far if I have the HP Desktop and the Acer Aspire netbook on there has been no dropped connection. Any suggestions as to the culprit. Again, I can connect to the internet fine with all the machines, it seems only when the Toshiba is powered on and it searches for the wifi connections that it interrupts both the hard-wired and wifi connections. Is it my Toshiba, my Linksys router?
Uxi Posted February 17, 2010 Posted February 17, 2010 Gonna build my new rig then maybe do ST: Online. Core i5 or Core i7 is the magic question right now...
azrael Posted February 17, 2010 Posted February 17, 2010 .... Any suggestions as to the culprit. Again, I can connect to the internet fine with all the machines, it seems only when the Toshiba is powered on and it searches for the wifi connections that it interrupts both the hard-wired and wifi connections. Is it my Toshiba, my Linksys router? Okay, just so I'm clear, HP desktop + Acer netbook + iPod Touch = good. but HP desktop + Acer netbook + iPod Touch + Toshiba laptop = no good or HP desktop + Acer netbook + Toshiba laptop = no good or HP desktop + Toshiba laptop = no good or Acer netbook + Toshiba laptop = no good or even iPod Touch + Toshiba laptop = no good Is that right? What model and firmware for the Linksys router are you using? Are you using the latest firmware for your router?
baronv Posted February 17, 2010 Posted February 17, 2010 Yes, you got it right. The router I have is Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router, I haven't updated the firmware since it was installed last Summer so I'll check it. THe issue isn't a big deal since the connections to the internet come back up after several minutes one the Toshiba laptop is booted, just strange that I thought it's Atheros network adapter may be the culprit since the Acer didn't cause any issues when it's booted up. THe problem only became significanty when I accidentally turned on the Toshiba when someone was on the HP desktop taking an online test for school and the network interruption when the connectivity cut off caused their online test to lose connection and the entire test became invalidated...this while they were on it for two hours! Okay, just so I'm clear, HP desktop + Acer netbook + iPod Touch = good. but HP desktop + Acer netbook + iPod Touch + Toshiba laptop = no good or HP desktop + Acer netbook + Toshiba laptop = no good or HP desktop + Toshiba laptop = no good or Acer netbook + Toshiba laptop = no good or even iPod Touch + Toshiba laptop = no good Is that right? What model and firmware for the Linksys router are you using? Are you using the latest firmware for your router?
azrael Posted February 18, 2010 Posted February 18, 2010 Yes, you got it right. The router I have is Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router, I haven't updated the firmware since it was installed last Summer so I'll check it. THe issue isn't a big deal since the connections to the internet come back up after several minutes one the Toshiba laptop is booted, just strange that I thought it's Atheros network adapter may be the culprit since the Acer didn't cause any issues when it's booted up. THe problem only became significanty when I accidentally turned on the Toshiba when someone was on the HP desktop taking an online test for school and the network interruption when the connectivity cut off caused their online test to lose connection and the entire test became invalidated...this while they were on it for two hours! Try updating the firmware if there is an update. Try disabling some services like UPnP or SES (or whatever Linksys calls that security setting). If it's still happening, I would write down all your information stored in the router (username/password, if applicable, wi-fi security settings, etc) and reset the router to factory default (press and hold the reset button for about 30 seconds). Input your settings again. Then test your devices 1 at a time but be sure you test your Toshiba last (you can try all your devices then turn on the Toshiba laptop, or just try 1 computer and then the Toshiba). A couple other things you can do are: -update the Toshiba's wireless NIC adapter driver -assign the Toshiba a static IP
myk Posted February 18, 2010 Posted February 18, 2010 "VOMIT..." I just spent $150 on an EVGA 250 GTS...
Vince Posted February 18, 2010 Posted February 18, 2010 Got a wireless network connection question for my fellow MW'rs since I havne't gotten a proper response when I posted on a tech forum. When more than one computer accesses the internet then the connection drops. Recently when one person is on our HP home desktop computer and another is on our Toshiba Satelline Vista laptop (2 yrs old), both internet connections will stop and both computers will need to be rebooted or wait a few minutes for the connection to function again so we can then access the internet again. Same thing happens when I have the Toshiba laptop on and then someone tries to access the internet separately on an Acer Aspire One netbook, both connections will get cut off and both need to be rebooted, only then can both laptops connect to the internet. The desktop and netbook are running XP and the Toshiba is Vista, the router is a Linksys and the cable modem is from Cox. So far there has been no issue if one of the computers are on the net and then I use my iPod Touch's Wifi. So far I've noticed the issue mainly when I turn on the Toshiba and it affects the other computer's connection. So far if I have the HP Desktop and the Acer Aspire netbook on there has been no dropped connection. Any suggestions as to the culprit. Again, I can connect to the internet fine with all the machines, it seems only when the Toshiba is powered on and it searches for the wifi connections that it interrupts both the hard-wired and wifi connections. Is it my Toshiba, my Linksys router? static ip for the Toshiba? what happens if you turn on the Toshiba first?
Vince Posted February 18, 2010 Posted February 18, 2010 "VOMIT..." I just spent $150 on an EVGA 250 GTS... it is a good card.
shiroikaze Posted February 18, 2010 Posted February 18, 2010 (edited) static ip for the Toshiba? what happens if you turn on the Toshiba first? The IP stays with it, forever... ...Unless you reassign it. Heard the Logitech X-540 was a great set. In fact, it's on my short list if and when my current 5.1 speakers blow out. If it still exists by that time. I dare say the X-540 is good enough that (if we're still talking about computer speakers) you skip the 2.1 speakers and keep saving for the X-540. It's currently going for $82 and free shipping on Newegg, so you'd only be spending about $32 more. Hmm, I guess maybe I will get the X-540s. I see these speakers (and its predecessors) go on sale for about $60 at times. I'm in no hurry anyway... It would be nice if it had a toslink input... Gonna build my new rig then maybe do ST: Online. Core i5 or Core i7 is the magic question right now... Do you live near a Microcenter? They often have some insane deals on Intel CPUs. Edited February 18, 2010 by shiroikaze
myk Posted February 18, 2010 Posted February 18, 2010 it is a good card. Yeah I know, I just hate spending money lol. It's a 'beaut too, spanning 10 freaking inches long, black and almost an inch thick (0 O). The new AvP game runs smoother than anything I've ever seen. I can't wait to try out Crysis and Modern Warfare 2... *
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