[dmdougie]

Great just when I thought I could settle on a CPU...So from looking at some other forums through google I see that the only difference is as you say Krill, with the voltage. It just seems a little odd to me thought they would produce 2 identical chips and give them different voltages. I dont think I'll be ocing the chip, should I still go for the 8400 or switch to the 3110?

Thanks

[Krlll]

If you are not OCing the only thing relevant to you is the price and availabilty I guess.Possibly power consumption aswell.

[Carbon]

Good news everybody!

I've decided editing old stuff sucks: I don't want to annoy Alex every week, and almost everything in here is outdated anyway (funny how that works, huh?)

Recommended Computer Parts Guide V2: ATI Recuperation Appreciation Station is now being drafted.

Included:

Updated views on ATI's resurgence with its 4850 cards
New recommended motherboards: comparison of the 750i/780i with the X48, as well as the P45
More indepth look at power supply ratings
Three new sample builds (up from one)
New sections on cases, heatsinks, monitors, and sound cards (maybe!)
A bunch of other stuff!

Will be done this week or so, depending on my schedule.

If you have any suggestions let me know!

[serverguy]

Originally Posted by Carbon

Good news everybody!

I've decided editing old stuff sucks: I don't want to annoy Alex every week, and almost everything in here is outdated anyway (funny how that works, huh?)

Recommended Computer Parts Guide V2: ATI Recuperation Appreciation Station is now being drafted.

Included:

Updated views on ATI's resurgence with its 4850 cards
New recommended motherboards: comparison of the 750i/780i with the X48, as well as the P45
More indepth look at power supply ratings
Three new sample builds (up from one)
New sections on cases, heatsinks, monitors, and sound cards (maybe!)
A bunch of other stuff!

Will be done this week or so, depending on my schedule.

If you have any suggestions let me know!

This is just an idea Carbon, but what about starting a new post for each week, giving the lowdown on whats what with hardware at the moment. I try to keep up, but stuff changes so rapidly, I still don't have the up to date knowledge I want. And theres just to much news posted on big sites like Tom's Hardware.

It would also be interesting to be able to go back and look at how things have changed.

Anyway, just an idea if you have time, and I would sure find it useful.

[Carbon]

Well, the only way I could do that is to compile prices for certain pieces of hardware in US, then the UK, take the average and spit it out every week. I'm willing to do that, but time may not permit, and I think you'd end up with a lot of numbers. I don't think a lot of numbers is going to be very useful for non-technical people, but I'll think of a way to possibly work it in.

[serverguy]

Originally Posted by Carbon

Well, the only way I could do that is to compile prices for certain pieces of hardware in US, then the UK, take the average and spit it out every week. I'm willing to do that, but time may not permit, and I think you'd end up with a lot of numbers. I don't think a lot of numbers is going to be very useful for non-technical people, but I'll think of a way to possibly work it in.

You don't necessarily need to mention actual prices, just ball parks.

Just an overview of what happening in the hardware world.

[thingie2]

Isn't that what the Newsbot does though?

[serverguy]

Originally Posted by thingie2

Isn't that what the Newsbot does though?

Kind of, but can you keep up with all the posts he makes?

[thingie2]

All the ones that interest me, yes, however, even if you try to sum it all up yourself, it will still be just as much stuff, so won't rearly make it any better, but if you feel like you can, by all means, go for it

[Bubba]

Hello Carbon,

This is Death Stalker from the steam forums. I would send this via PM but i can't lol so here's hoping you read this.

I'm building a computer for a friend. His HDD fried through a lightning strike and he was ready to upgrade anyways. If you remeber, the only thing i have built was a high end gaming computer and he doesn't need anything like that, no one in his family games. He has a teenage son who just wants to download music and video's, his wife does catering so she wants to be able to design fliers and such and he doesn't do much of anything lol. His budget is somewhere around 700 bucks or so.

I read your recommendations but can't find the P35C on either Newegg or Fry's. I want to give him upgradability (with value of course) so I want something capable of FSB up to 1600 and able to use DDR3 when it becomes cheaper.

With the price of the Q6600 dropping so much would you recommend it over the E8400 now? ($169.00 for the E8400, $179.00 for the Q6600 as of today on Newegg).

Soundcard: How were you able to get your Xfi to work with Vista? Write your own drivers?

Radeon vs NVidia: I've heard the nVidia GFX cards are better for gaming while the Radeon for movies and such. Any truth to that? If not then do you have a recommendation of one of the cards you suggested over the other, or just get the one that is cheaper when we buy?

2 GB's of the 800 RAM should be more enough for them shouldn't it? I'm also thinking (without having seen the dead computer) that the DVD and floppy should be reusable. LOL I don't even have a floppy in this machine.

Thanks in advance and I can't wait for the guide part 2 to come out.

EDIT: Oh, I forgot the PSU. I also forget what you think of Thermaltake. I'll see if Fry's has the Coolermaster, but if they don't I know they have Thermaltake. (Here is Georgia, there is a "tax holiday" today through SUnday for "back to school" items so I'll try to pick stuff up locally rather than Newegg if the prices are comparable).