The Official PC building thread - 4th Edition

I have that P51, I like it too. That's a great price for good memory I've been keeping my eye on another 16G for my main system bringing it to 32G but it has been so high lately and I just dropped a ton of bucks on my new NAS but maybe it is time to upgrade again. I also want to get a GTX 780 for my CAD machine and a 40" 4k monitor wish money wasn't an issue

You'll have to jump off the auto to really OC her but I'm sure you can push it harder with your limit being the cpu's FSB. It's fun playing with new gear...

Good job Jeff

 

Haha too true on auto settings. Funny enough, the auto settings on this RAM are pretty decent. 9-10-10-26 is quite good for 2000MHz considering my 1600MHz kit was 9-9-9-24. I'll be attempting to push the FSB higher, but 250MHz is already very respectable. I wouldn't mind reaching higher though. Have seen some hit 300MHz. Then this RAM would really be cooking I'd simply leave it at stock timings then and let it run at rated spec.

 

Wow that's great I have pretty good luck with the auto ram settings too but when I need to really push I end up manually tweaking, a lot more hassle but you can squeak out more performance. Kudos on the great buy...

 

At 1600MHz they auto to 7-8-8-21. Far and above superior to my old 1600MHz kit at 9-9-9-24. Gotta say this is pretty damn good RAM. Not the best, but far from the worst. Well above average

 

Ya you can't beat that for the price I will be surprised if you get a 250 FSB with the lower CAS you may have to slow your RAM settings down to reach that but hey if you get it to work super!

Great deal for sure!!!

 

I just upgraded my main pc, Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD7 Rev 1.1 with AMD 8350 4.0 GHz cpu to the new AMD 9590 4.7 GHz EggCooker. Since I already have the Corsair 100i throwing the new heater on my UD7 was no problem with exception to the BIOS upgrade I needed to automatically clock the 4.7 GHz speed, I could do it manually but it required cranking the vcore up quite a bit to gain a stable machine. I used @BIOS to upgrade using Windows and had to change all of my BIOS settings back to my original configuration and wham a very smooth 4.7 GHz.

I also had a Seagate 1TB hard drive start to drop out on me so I replaced it with a Toshiba 2TB which is really nice I must say, you see so many horror stories on Newegg but I'm not seeing it. It's funny because at first I thought my controller on the Gigabyte was at fault but after running Seatools and actually determine prior that it was my drive did I nail it down. It pass the short test but failed the long test in Seatools.

So back to the new Heater, I could tell it was more snappy but started to think there wasn't much of a gain in my performance until I transcoded a movie. It was well worth the upgrade as a movie that would take me around 2:20 hours now takes 1:15 hours to transcode, I love the new processor and with the new drive I can run full SATA AHCI Hot Plug again.

During transcoding I do get the fans going on my radiator when the cores are maxed but I can live with the noise at twice the performance.





Happy camper!

 

FX 6300

Evga GEForce GTX 760

8gb RAM (x2 4gb) ddr3 1800mhz

mobo asus m5a97 r2.0

1TB HDD 7200 RpM

Rosewill 650w power supply

And a Mugen 4 cpu cooler.

 

Mr-Movies, sorry for the long hiatus. That's awesome, and seems perfectly suited to your needs. They aren't the greatest upgrade for my intended uses, but a Vishera was obviously exactly what you needed. If ever I were to look at a new AMD chip, the 4.7GHz model would be it. Definitely beating my Phenom II in most situations at that speed. Hope it's been behaving well for you Just got a GTX970 OC so basically one of the fastest video cards available and the 1100T still pulls its own weight. Will hang onto it a little longer but a dead PCI-E slot on the 990FXA-UD5 is hastening my upgrade decision.

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Haha back to speaker shopping for me. Finally making a determined drive at building a very budget home theater setup with a little oomph.

Gambling a bit on a pair of 150W Sony SS-F5000s as I was able to pick them up for a reasonable deal on ebay in New - Open Box condition. $120 for the pair with shipping included. From reviews and opinions, I guess their largest weakness is that they don't have a proper crossover which makes them decidedly low-end. But most of the stuff in my price range is. I will try them out thoroughly when they arrive and give some impression compared to my 100W Kenwood JL-507s.

The Kenwoods are decent quality and quite comfortable to listen to, but are not especially good speakers compared to others I've heard. I'm aware the Sony SS-F5000s are a bit lacking compared to their bigger brothers the 6000 and 7000 models, but the Kenwoods are really quite meh overall(being from a home-theater-in-a-box) and I'm hoping the new ones are a decent upgrade.

If the Sonys do not satisfy or totally underperform, I am looking at a rather decent set of Andrew Jones designed Pioneers which DO have a proper crossover and seem to be properly designed, even if not properly high-end. I have already purchased the center from the set based on recommendations. It is a very decent center channel for what you pay, which is basically pocket change in the home audio world. These are a very similar class of speaker to the Sonys. A few forum-goers suggested that these Pioneers and Sonys can be intermixed a bit if my current setup doesn't already bother me

I have heard the Pioneers at Best Buy and they underwhelmed a bit compared to my Kenwoods, but their in-store listening area is horrible. There is also a higher end set of Pioneers based on the same design, and which is exactly twice the price. Instead of $400-500 spent upgrading, I'd be in more like $600-700. A little rich for my blood right now, but there's always the future... Then I'd want to be in the range of $1000+ and that's still entry-level


Pioneers
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882117404

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882117403

Sonys

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1CZ0H20976&cm_re=SS_F5000-_-82-105-200-_-Product

I won't know till the Sony speakers get here. Best Buy's entire audio setup sucks so it's been hard to get a feel for the Pioneers. They are well liked but so are the Sonys.

 

That's a good buy on the Sony's but I don't know what you would gain with those Pioneer's other than a little more bass. Both the Sony and the Pioneer, Polk in this dollar range suffer not only in sound quality but more importantly SPL which is huge in this price range. For every 3 dB you have to double your power to increase your sound volume so 87 dB even worst yet at an SPL of 2.83v (not 1W/1M which is a stronger rating) makes these power suckers. For your needs, price budget, you should look for at least 95 dB or higher and if it is rated that at 1W/1M then they are even better typically. So for that price range this is what would work much better for you.

Klipsch Synergy F-30 Premium Dual 8" Floor-standing Speaker
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882780026&cm_re=klipsch-_-82-780-026-_-Product

Klipsch Synergy C-20 Premium Dual 5.25" Center-channel Speaker
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882780030&cm_re=klipsch-_-82-780-030-_-Product

Klipsch Reference RB-41 II Bookshelf Speaker Pair
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1J70ZW2217&cm_re=klipsch-_-82-780-056-_-Product

Klipsch Synergy C-10 Center-channel Speaker
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882780031&cm_re=klipsch-_-82-780-031-_-Product

Klipsch Reference RC-42 II Center Speaker
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1J70ZW2340&cm_re=klipsch-_-82-780-062-_-Product

Klipsch Reference RF-42 II Floorstanding Speaker
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1J70ZW2280&cm_re=klipsch-_-82-780-047-_-Product

You could also look at BIC's which are knock-offs of Klipsch they're not quite as good but they are less expensive.

My main rig is working fantastic I only deal with fan noise on occasion so it is tolerable having the egg cooker.

I built, building, two AMD-A series computers, one for mom and another for my niece. I wish I hadn't picked the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-HD3 Rev 3.1 with latess firmware as it gave me nothing but problems and I hope it hasn't damage one of my CPU's. It wouldn't let me set the CPU temp shutdown nor would it turn the fans on full speed when I adjusted them in the BIOS. The problem was, on both boards, that the CPU temp would start at about 36-38C and just crawl up to around 75C before the system would go into a continuous reboot/shutdown cycle. Both systems had the same CPU's and RAM, AMD A8 6600K with Ripjaw G.Skill RAM. The MSI board works flawlessly with both processors and RAM, it's a A78M-E45. I won't buy another Gigabyte A series board and I absolutely love the MSi even though it is a chipset behind Hudson D3/78 instead of a Hudson D4/88.

Hope the Sony's work out well for you Jeff!

And Merry Christmas to ALL

 

If the Sonys do not work out well, I'll be back to shopping... If I had the money I'd either be looking at Polk Audio Monitors or Klipsch(Probably the speakers you linked) but right now the goal is to improve on my current setup, which shouldn't be particularly hard...

As far as receivers, considering a Yamaha RX-V375 or maybe the lower end V377. They are largely similarly capable units but the 375 has a superior DAC among a few extras.The biggest diofference in practice for me would be the price tag which is a $100 difference.

Have considered assembling something from Polk Monitors based on recommendations, but likely going to be as pricey as the Klipsch's. At $120 these Sonys are a bargain purchase. For the speakers I really want (Polk TSi-400s) I'd need to spend upwards of $500 a pair. And thats still generally cheap-o junk equipment compared to REAL Hi-Fi equipment.

 

As far as overall quality the Kenwoods I own rate quite low. But for listening comfort over a long term, they are surprisingly comfortable. Some speakers can be overpowering or harsh, but these are very mellow and smooth across their power range. I'd say something like

Kenwood JL 507s
Quality - 3/10
Comfort - 5/10
Power - 5/10

Teac Magneplanar Sound Reflectors
Quality - 5/10
Comfort - 4/10
Power - 3/10

My 10/10 standard for quality in these ratings would be a pair of Polk TSi400s as they are the best thing I've listened to in good detail over a long session. Several have mentioned that sound reflectors are greatly enhanced by a subwoofer and really need one to perform properly. Would be interested in trying the Teacs with a decent sub. I understand the TSi-400s are only okay-ish speakers but certainly comparable to any other pair in their price range.

 

mag's are great for space saving and decent imaging with little bass. There are better magneplanar's then the TEAC but you always lack good old crisp bass even with the high-end ones. Kenwood and Sony can be good on a low budget, I think you'll like the Sony's.

The Polk TSi400s are very good low end speakers and are right in there with the Klispch I listed, I think if you demo'd the two side by side you might like the Klipsch better but again those Polk's are good too and you can't go wrong with either at your price line.

Your ratings look pretty accurate and as you go up in speaker quality and reach around 8/10 you start spending extremely more in even half increments, exponentially increasing.

Let me know what you thing about the Sony's and were you think they excel, like given frequencies. If I recall your Sony's should be lacking a bit in the bass but OK, midrange will be very sweet given, and the hi's will be OK too but a shy dim at the top.

It's always fun getting new gear!

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...yMark=False&IsFeedbackTab=true#scrollFullInfo

Taking your advice into consideration, was considering these or their little brothers the series 60 maybe if the Sonys underwhelm. I can always sell the Sonys for what I paid easily. The Polks are extremely well reviewed professionally and by home audio nuts. Only caveat is that they need a powerful amp to really crank but I have tame listening levels so it might not be an issue, even with my current 70wpc receiver. $300 for the pair is the best deal I've found on these speakers. Not long ago they were more like $450-500. A newer receiver will have more wpc probably in the range of 100 vs my current 70. What's your opinion on powering speakers for comfortable home listening? Would I need a separate amp to properly enjoy these? Not get full performance but simply enjoy the quality? They are designed for bi-amp which I'd rather not do. Would the lower-powered series 60s be a better match for my receiver/a future one with 100wpc?

BTW the 70s are Polk Audio's replacement for the TSi 400s. The series 60s are TSi 300s. I've heard all of these speakers mentioned as being good on home audio forums but want your opinions on what and more importantly WHY. Price range is always an issue. Would rather not go much higher than $200-400 for a pair. Somewhere in the range of $250-300 like the Polk Monitor 60s or 70s would be ideal. I am looking for the best bang for buck in that sort of range. The Klipschs you pointed to are a bit outside what I'm willing to spend. I just can't justify them. They do look amazing though.

 

No, that wouldn't be good for you unless you want to jump up to a Crown XLS 500w amps or better and the one comment-or is correct it would be best to bi-amp so you would need two XLS's, each are stereo or can be setup as active filter bi-amps.

Polk is really only good when you jump up to monitors much higher then those in their high-end stuff and then you also have to have huge amps. The low end stuff is mushy bass with ok mid's and hi's I wouldn't suggest them unless you go top shelf otherwise you are only buying a name.

You are missing a important point here also, sensitivity (SPL) isn't only about sound pressure at a given, what it also provides is a much better sound quality at low volume levels so this is even more important for you. If you bought the Polks you would really need to crank them to hear any quality sound from them.

 

I am open to suggestions but $500 a pair is just a bit much. If the Polks won't be suitable I won't buy them. Any other suggestions? Bombard me please

 

I believe my two tower speakers were $500 for the pair, in late 90s(Technics SB-A271). Clearly, technology has advanced greatly, if a 4.5" speaker can put out great bass! I'm a sucker for size, but I have had impressive 5" sony's. But I don't buy $ony anymore...
Anyway, they needed to be placed in a particular environment. My Technics are awesome. I'd love to have them part of a 7.1 system later. The receiver is getting long in the tooth! LOL! The main display rarely works, when it does. Sometimes I have to rap on the top of it, to get it to come on...

 

Maybe my safest choice is to buy 2 pairs of SS-F7000s and be done with it :S Might as well get a buyer lined up for the 5000s already lol.

Fantastic price with free shipping.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...G&gclid=CI_eisPr18ICFUw2aQoduLwAPw&sku=493594

My priority with speakers is music anyway with surround being secondary so four of the same makes sense. Sony are good for budget speakers? Well these are the best of their budget line.

 

I think that's a better route to go Jeff, they'll be more efficient than the Polk's and they will sound much better at low volumes. When Polk rates their SPL it is almost always a lie, there is something they aren't telling you like they achieve 90 dB but it is at F6 or even worst yet F12. The Yamaha's and the Infinity's at the bottom of the page would also be worth looking at and B&H is a great place to buy also!

A 4.5" speaker isn't going to put out great bass, UNLESS they are very expensive drivers and built as a proper array in the right enclosure. There are some $300 to $500 drivers that when built right do sound very good, especially if you fold them, but it still isn't the same as a larger driver. This is were towers excel you can take inexpensive drivers built in an array and woolaa you have a decent speaker.

 

Think I have a winner here. Very well reviewed and normally $350 a pair. Specs seem to indicate the things I want for my listening levels. Easily a good brand as well. Opinions? They seem vastly more capable than the Sonys. I want to completely avoid a subwoofer if I can while still maintaining respectable quality. Onkyo has a good reputation and these seem to have the right specs for me. Large as well which I know doesn't matter but is something I really like

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-SKF-4800-Reflex-Floor-standing-Speakers/dp/B00EKJQLSC/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1419260978&sr=1-2&keywords=floor speakers pair PAIR

The Sonys remain an Ebay gamble. They should be here today. If I like them, it will vastly influence my decision. Maybe SSF-7000s would do the trick then. I've realized that the 5000s are not quite what I'm aiming for. Though the 7000s largely only add extra drivers, not more quality. Electronic Music is my drug of choice. Daft Punk, LazerHawk, Justice, etc. I also like all types of rock from soft classic stuff all the way to pounding metal. Lots of acoustic stuff which my current speakers struggle to reproduce. I have a feeling the Sonys will have similar limitations but probably end up much better regardless. The Onkyos seem like a MUCH better and higher quality set of speakers than the SS-F7000s I wanted to settle on, for cheaper. The specs are comparable and the overall build quality of the Onkyos seems superior.

Plan to eventually power them with this receiver. Should be more than adequate for home listening levels, yes? Mmm 2700kbps FLAC vinyl rips with HDMI

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-RX-V663BL-7-2-Channel-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B0013ZGOWY