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  • Subject: Want to build a PC? PC Building Guide and FAQ of The Flood
Subject: Want to build a PC? PC Building Guide and FAQ of The Flood
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I like Cheese

Guys! I'm having an issue.
Whenever I use my computer, everything works fine but I hear a tic or a little noise, i can't describe it coming from the case or from the fans or something.

  • 12.22.2012 1:26 AM PDT

"I'm a floodian....
Step into our territory and you will be taken away at night while you are sleeping....and you will never see daylight ever again.......YOU WILL BE OUR FOOD!!!......*crawls back into hole*" Jedi 4

laptop or desktop?

  • 12.22.2012 1:41 AM PDT
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I like Cheese


Posted by: ZuneMan239
laptop or desktop?
Desktop

  • 12.22.2012 2:02 AM PDT
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t3hAvenger77 - XBL (BF3, ME3, Blops)
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Possibly some coil whine. They're usually harmless.

---

I'm going to replace my PSU with a modular one. Cable management would be easier right?

[Edited on 12.22.2012 2:20 AM PST]

  • 12.22.2012 2:18 AM PDT
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I like Cheese


Posted by: ThirstyAvenge
Possibly some coil whine. They're usually harmless.

---

I'm going to replace my PSU with a modular one. Cable management would be easier right?
Thanks, and as far as I'm concerned, yes, it would be easier.

  • 12.22.2012 2:52 AM PDT

FLOOD QUOTES!
Posted by: G3N3RAL R3VAN
The Flood....... if it doesn't go anywhere else, stick it her pooper
Posted by: xflox231
Idiots. I'm surrounded by idiots
Posted by: ferrrari
the flood, there a bunch of jerks, but there my jerks.


Posted by: ThirstyAvenge
I'm going to replace my PSU with a modular one. Cable management would be easier right?

Definitely.

I'm curious, what kind of headphones can I get for $150? I would be playing games most the time with music occasionally. I want it to be surround sound, whether it be multi-speaker or simulated surround. A mic is preferred, but not necessary.

[Edited on 12.22.2012 5:02 AM PST]

  • 12.22.2012 4:26 AM PDT

Who the hell do you think I am?


Posted by: thebig100
Guys! I'm having an issue.
Whenever I use my computer, everything works fine but I hear a tic or a little noise, i can't describe it coming from the case or from the fans or something.
It might be your fans, but it could possible be your hard drive. If the ticking gets worse, find out the model number of your HDD and search on google for any solutions to it.

  • 12.22.2012 5:02 AM PDT
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I like Cheese


Posted by: THE SALTY CHIP

Posted by: thebig100
Guys! I'm having an issue.
Whenever I use my computer, everything works fine but I hear a tic or a little noise, i can't describe it coming from the case or from the fans or something.
It might be your fans, but it could possible be your hard drive. If the ticking gets worse, find out the model number of your HDD and search on google for any solutions to it.

I've checked my fans, and it's okay.
It's really weird, sense it only happens few minutes after boot then it stops.
I'll check later just to be sure.

  • 12.22.2012 5:54 AM PDT
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They don't think it be like it is...


But it do.


Posted by: Ferrari DuDe856

Posted by: ThirstyAvenge
I'm going to replace my PSU with a modular one. Cable management would be easier right?

Definitely.

I'm curious, what kind of headphones can I get for $150? I would be playing games most the time with music occasionally. I want it to be surround sound, whether it be multi-speaker or simulated surround. A mic is preferred, but not necessary.
Its on sale. You can switch, on the fly, between 7.1 (optimal for gaming) and 2.1 (optimal fod music). It also has the built in razer maelstrom which controls audio and improves sound quality. This is one of the last places that it's in stock.

The reason I chose this over other headsets is the 7.1 and 2.1 switching since you said you would play games and listen to music.

  • 12.22.2012 6:20 AM PDT

Who the hell do you think I am?


Posted by: Ferrari DuDe856

Posted by: ThirstyAvenge
I'm going to replace my PSU with a modular one. Cable management would be easier right?

Definitely.

I'm curious, what kind of headphones can I get for $150? I would be playing games most the time with music occasionally. I want it to be surround sound, whether it be multi-speaker or simulated surround. A mic is preferred, but not necessary.
You could get a Logitech G35 or the Audio Technica AD700s with a logitech desktop mic and a $30 soundcard, like one of the ASUS Xonar cards.

  • 12.22.2012 6:38 AM PDT
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t3hAvenger77 - XBL (BF3, ME3, Blops)
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Anyway, how do desktop mics compare with proper headsets? I might get one as I don't want to dump a 2.1 speaker setup.

  • 12.22.2012 6:50 AM PDT

WHEN LIFE HANDS YOU: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Maltodextrin, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Magnesium Oxide, Calcium Fumarate, Yellow 5, Tocopherol and less than 2% natural flavors...

Make Lemonade!


Teabag twin #1 is here to kick ass and chew gum. And I'm all out of gum.

Processor: AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 840 Processor

Memory (RAM): 8.00 GB

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 610

Gaming graphics: 4096 MB Total available graphics memory

Primary hard disk: 355GB Free (466GB Total)

Can you help me improve the performance of my PC? I use it primarily for gaming, yet it cannot run any games smoothly.

  • 12.22.2012 7:19 AM PDT

Who the hell do you think I am?


Posted by: paradox954
Processor: AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 840 Processor

Memory (RAM): 8.00 GB

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 610

Gaming graphics: 4096 MB Total available graphics memory

Primary hard disk: 355GB Free (466GB Total)

Can you help me improve the performance of my PC? I use it primarily for gaming, yet it cannot run any games smoothly.
Definitely because of that graphics card, the 610 is about as low end as it gets (when it comes to the 6xx series of nvidia cards).

Do you know what PSU you have?

  • 12.22.2012 7:22 AM PDT
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Posted by: THE SALTY CHIP

Posted by: paradox954
Processor: AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 840 Processor

Memory (RAM): 8.00 GB

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 610

Gaming graphics: 4096 MB Total available graphics memory

Primary hard disk: 355GB Free (466GB Total)

Can you help me improve the performance of my PC? I use it primarily for gaming, yet it cannot run any games smoothly.
Definitely because of that graphics card, the 610 is about as low end as it gets (when it comes to the 6xx series of nvidia cards).

Do you know what PSU you have?
Yeah, that basically determines what graphics card you can fit in. 500W-600W would allow you to upgrade to a higher-end card.

  • 12.22.2012 7:33 AM PDT

I got these cheeseburgers man....


Posted by: THE SALTY CHIP

Posted by: Ferrari DuDe856

Posted by: ThirstyAvenge
I'm going to replace my PSU with a modular one. Cable management would be easier right?

Definitely.

I'm curious, what kind of headphones can I get for $150? I would be playing games most the time with music occasionally. I want it to be surround sound, whether it be multi-speaker or simulated surround. A mic is preferred, but not necessary.
You could get a Logitech G35 or the Audio Technica AD700s with a logitech desktop mic and a $30 soundcard, like one of the ASUS Xonar cards.
Yeah, definitely the AD700s with a mic. I've beard great things about it. But I've also heard there's a huge lack of bass in them, if that'll bother you.

  • 12.22.2012 7:37 AM PDT

7even is Darker

Hi guys, I run a dell t3500 workstation that I adapted into a gaming computer, I'm looking to upgrade my cpu but I'm not sure of the compatibility of the motherboard.

Its the dell 0xpdfk

What sort of CPU upgrade options do I have?

[Edited on 12.22.2012 7:39 AM PST]

  • 12.22.2012 7:39 AM PDT
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t3hAvenger77 - XBL (BF3, ME3, Blops)
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LGA775?

That is phased out and Intel no longer produces CPUs for that socket type. The best you can get is a Intel Core 2 Quad.

  • 12.22.2012 7:44 AM PDT

Who the hell do you think I am?

Yeah, that's a really old (and huge) motherboard. You'd probably be better off just building an entire new computer.

  • 12.22.2012 7:49 AM PDT

MLP: FiM Master Moderator: | Homepage | My Steam Profile | My Computer |

Posted by: ThirstyAvenge
Anyway, how do desktop mics compare with proper headsets? I might get one as I don't want to dump a 2.1 speaker setup.
Desktop mics are way better in terms of quality. I used to always suggest the Logitech Desktop Mic (silver) for $20, but it went out of production and the price increased to $30 in the stores that still carry it.

It's still the bext Microphone for under $50.

Posted by: thebig100
Guys! I'm having an issue.
Whenever I use my computer, everything works fine but I hear a tic or a little noise, i can't describe it coming from the case or from the fans or something.
It's probably your HDD. Do you have a Seagate or WD?

Posted by: Ferrari DuDe856
Posted by: ThirstyAvenge
I'm going to replace my PSU with a modular one. Cable management would be easier right?

Definitely.

I'm curious, what kind of headphones can I get for $150? I would be playing games most the time with music occasionally. I want it to be surround sound, whether it be multi-speaker or simulated surround. A mic is preferred, but not necessary.
As a self proclaimed audiophile, I'd copy-paste the guide that I wrote:


Audio General; Speakers, Headphones, Souncards:

The average day of audiophile.


Headsets?:

Alright, here's where Fluffy is going to lay some science on you. Generally, gaming headsets range from $50-$300. What exactly is a gaming headset? Well, imagine it as a $20 gas-station headphone with a built in microphone. Yeah, they really are that cheap. So I come here to offer you an alternative, headphones made for music, but ones that perform exceptionally better than headset brands such as Tritton, Turtlebeach, Razer, Logitech, or Astro.
Microphones:

First off, you're going to need a mic to work with them. This is the easiest part. If you want a cheaper solution, don't mind having an extra cord down your side, travel often, and would rather use a 3.5mm jack than a USB, then get a Zalman clip-on mic.

If you have ten more bucks, only want to have the headphone cord in your way, have a spare USB port, and care about quality, get a Logitech desktop mic. I suggest the second, but either one works.

A third alternative is the AntLion Modmic, but be prepared to wait a while to order one. If you really want to get into high-quality microphones, you can look at Audio-Technica or Blue.

Brands:

Grado - generally, bright, forward, aggressive, with great sense of immediacy/speed and energy, but not as spacious sounding as Senns or AKGs or Beyers. Easier to drive than the competition, but do benefit a good deal from amping, especially tube amps I think.

Alessandro - technically like Grado, but more relaxed and neutral.

Sennheiser - Generally balanced with some extra warmth. Smooth and relaxed sound compared to Grados with better sense of space and better imaging (depending on the models compared). More neutral. Some find them not as detailed as Grado's and veiled or lacking energy. Most of their high end cans need a great amp and source to shine and also balancing.

Denon - Bassy. Great soundstage and imaging for closed cans. Good detial accuracy. Bass is very deep but can be boomy with wrong source and/or amp. Mods apparently help a lot (i.e markl mod). Also need good amp and source.

Audio-Techinca - Their open models and some closed ones are bass light for some, but bass quality is generally good. Their closed cans can actually be quite bassy. Midrange is usually a bit forward or recessed depending on the model. Treble can also be forward or recessed. Something like a mix of Grados and Senns - not as aggressive as Grado, but not as laid back as Senn. Known for great imaging and soundstage. Generally easy to drive.

AKG - Known for great clarity. their full-sized open cans are also known for excellent soundstage and imaging. Some think their open cans are a bit lean on bass and forward on treble (i.e K701) Other think they neutral. Also known for realistic tonality. generally hard to drive and require a good amount of burn-in to open up.

Beyerdynamic - known for great treble. Some cans like DT770 are also known for huge bass which some think is overpowering and/or bloated. Are generally not easy to drive, but easier than Senn HD6** series. The sound is usually clear and clean and somewhat bright/enthusiastic. Generally more neutral than Audio-Technica, kinda like Senn, but with different flavour. Some think Beyers are more neutral and Senns sound too sweet, but that depends on which models you compare.

Ultrasone - Very controversial cans. Some think they are very neutral and revealing, but need a lot of juice and/or burn-in to reach their full potential. others think their basses are bloated or overpowering and treble is harsh/metallic and mids are recessed. They are generally acknowledged as having good soundstage for closed headphones though.

Headphone Suggestions:

Now that you have a basic idea of what the brands are, I can show you the prices. Here is the go-to headphone buying guide. It has the most information out of any thread I have seen in a while, and thus I will refer to it often.

The best setup for your money would be an Audio Technica ATH-AD700 with a Zalman clip-on mic. The total would come out to $100. "But Fluffy, that's as much as a Logitech G930." Well, yes, but it's ten times better. The AD700 is the most comfortable headset on the market for under $150. This is due to the grips that suspend the drivers from your ears without actually touching your head. Speaking of the drivers, they're freaking huge. Again, you won't find this quality in this price range.

If you want an upgrade from this style, you can get the AD900's. I have not listened to both, so I can not accurately compare them (I own the 900's). However, I can attest to the fact that they have the best soundstage out of any headphone. 7.1? More like 9.0 (The .1 being the lack of a sub. They aren't very punchy with the bass. These are treble headphones). Although they only use two drivers, as with any other headphone, the soundstage simulates a much broader environment due to the size of the drivers, not only in games, but in music. Yeah, don't forget that you can also use these babies with your iTunes library (although it will reveal the glaring flaws in lossy files, and then we'll have to start talking Foobar and Bandcamp). One thing though, the 900's are NOT portable in any sense of the word. They are open headphones, so they are very exposed to moisture. They're also super fragile. Expect these to stay at your computer.

If you want on-the-go headphones, look into the V-Moda M-80's. Bass heavy, removable cable, foldable. You can purchase custom ear-shields, even ponies if you want, for about $23, and your first purchase is 15% off. You can also upgrade to any pair after that for 50% off if your cans break.

Beyerdynamic DT770

  • 12.22.2012 8:32 AM PDT

MLP: FiM Master Moderator: | Homepage | My Steam Profile | My Computer |


Now that we have that huge paragraph out of the way, we can move on to another important component; the soundcard. Onboard audio has gotten a ton better over the years, but soundcards will give you a huge boost in sound quality, which extends to games obviously as well. First, you want to choose if you want a soundcard or would rather purchace a DAC. A soundcard will be either PCI or PCI-E (check your slots and wattage), and will generally perform better for a lower price. Examples of good soundcards include:

Soundcards:

ASUS Xonar Essence STX. The best, bar none. Source: I own one. It has everything you need, two ports for a 2.0/2.1 speaker setup (more if you have a sub), a headphone jack, a mic jack, and you can change the amp. It only has one flaw; You'll never want to listen to your iPod ever again. Also, it doesn't cook you bacon in the morning. The drivers are a bit old, so pick up the Unified drivers. I have had zero issues with them, but some people have had problems. My guess is that they used the disk instead of downloading them online. Just be sure to check the Hi-Fi setting (HF button above DSP) to keep the quality from being altered.

ASUS Xonar DGX 5.1. A much cheaper solution, but also with its obvious flaws. Not as high of a quality amp, meaning the sounds will not be as rich, but it's stil a MASSIVE improvement over onboard audio. It also only has 3.5mm jacks, as opposed to the 6.3mm that most high quality headphones use. The good news is that there are adapters, so you can still use the headphones, just not to their full potential. If you're not a serious audiophile, you should still pick this up if you have the money. Use the Unified drivers again. The DG is PCI but has a better amp and does NOT require a molex plug to power it.

Digital-to-Analog-Converters:

If you want to go a different route, you need a DAC and amp. Basically, a DAC converts the audio from digital to analog, which is, in a nutshell, higher quality. The amp is used to bypass the resistivity of high-ohm headphones and bring out their frequency responsiveness. Basically, louder and more clear.

Example of a USB DAC. Example of an amp.

Other amps and DAC's include:

Audioengine D1 24-bit DAC
HRT Music Streamer II DAC
FiiO D3 DAC
Tube Magic DAC

FiiO E7 (DAC) and E9 (Amp)
FiiO E10 DAC and Amp
FiiO E17 DAC and Amp

Cmoy Amp
Objective2 Amp
Little Dot Amp

As you can see, these pieces of equipment are very diverse in quality and price. Now, the good thing is that you can use headphones without a soundcard, DAC, or amp. The 700's don't even need an amp (although they still benefit from a DAC/SC), so you wouldn't add those until later.

In a nutshell, if you want to go cheap, just get the 700's and Zalman. If you want to go expensive, get the 900's, Logitech, and Xonar Essence. If you want something in between, get the 700's, either mic, and a DAC of your choosing (but only after researching it). This is a huge field to get into, and extends well beyond headphones into speakers, and even the types of files and music players that you use. Never take anyone's word, even mine, just because they said so. Do your own research. Everyone has different ears, so what sounds good to me might not sound good to you. I can, however, objectively say that the 700's are best for gaming, but in the music realm, that's a different story.

You might not think that the price is justified, but going from onboard audio to dedicated equipment is like moving from a console to the PC, or upgrading your mouse and keyboard.


Speakers:

Audioengine A2 (DS1 stands)
Audioengine A5
M Audio AV40

  • 12.22.2012 8:33 AM PDT

FLOOD QUOTES!
Posted by: G3N3RAL R3VAN
The Flood....... if it doesn't go anywhere else, stick it her pooper
Posted by: xflox231
Idiots. I'm surrounded by idiots
Posted by: ferrrari
the flood, there a bunch of jerks, but there my jerks.

Posted by: superbunnie

Posted by: Ferrari DuDe856

Posted by: ThirstyAvenge
I'm going to replace my PSU with a modular one. Cable management would be easier right?

Definitely.

I'm curious, what kind of headphones can I get for $150? I would be playing games most the time with music occasionally. I want it to be surround sound, whether it be multi-speaker or simulated surround. A mic is preferred, but not necessary.
Its on sale. You can switch, on the fly, between 7.1 (optimal for gaming) and 2.1 (optimal fod music). It also has the built in razer maelstrom which controls audio and improves sound quality. This is one of the last places that it's in stock.

The reason I chose this over other headsets is the 7.1 and 2.1 switching since you said you would play games and listen to music.

I want to avoid razer at all costs. Should have mentioned that.

@Fluffy MOTHER OF POSTS! I have the Asus Formula V, which supposedly have awesome on board sound. So I wanted to avoid a sound card.

[Edited on 12.22.2012 10:29 AM PST]

  • 12.22.2012 10:18 AM PDT

Xbox LIVE gamertag: Dat3lessNutella
Steam username: TopWargamer
To look up my Halo stats...search for the gamertag TopWargamer.
SAVED THREAD PAGES: 283
One does not simply get rid of TopWargamer so easily.
You know this to be true.
ALL HAIL GABEN

Razer is not a bad brand at all. Some of their products are overpriced though.

  • 12.22.2012 10:34 AM PDT

Who the hell do you think I am?


Posted by: TopWargamer
Razer is not a bad brand at all. Some of their products are overpriced though.
Nah, most of their stuff is pretty bad.

  • 12.22.2012 10:36 AM PDT

Xbox LIVE gamertag: Dat3lessNutella
Steam username: TopWargamer
To look up my Halo stats...search for the gamertag TopWargamer.
SAVED THREAD PAGES: 283
One does not simply get rid of TopWargamer so easily.
You know this to be true.
ALL HAIL GABEN

My Razer Deathadder says hello.

  • 12.22.2012 10:38 AM PDT


Posted by: TopWargamer
My Razer Deathadder says hello.

As does mine

  • 12.22.2012 10:41 AM PDT