video card suggestions

[Coldfire]

Well either $3000 for a super silent highend PC $30-50 per game on ultra details on 3 screens and 3D in every game or $300 for a noisy console that has 1% of the capabilities of the PC and $50-80 per game on mediocre settings.

[Khalus]

I will admit though, there is one thing with this new generation of consoles I envy, that the PC has no access too. Well it does, just a much different selection. And that is the indie games on XBLM, and PSN...most of them released there are not available on PC for some dumb reason, and there are tons I'd love to play, but I will never own a console again...just too limiting!

[ScipioCaesar]

Naylia -- Thanks for looking that up for me but these guys convinced me to build my own since the last time you posted.

I think all I have left is to make 100% sure i can return the desktop i have now, then I'll do that here in the next day or two and hopefully ill have the parts by monday!

[origamikitsune]

Well, it looks like you have a decent system for your first build. Certainly better than mine, and I run FF14 pretty close to maxed out. What you have should be awesome. I think you will find that building your own computer is a lot of fun, especially for your first time. It is surprisingly easy to, despite the overwhelming number of parts (there is a general rule of if the plug fits, it goes there that makes things super easy). The site they linked to you (Toms Hardware) is a wonderful, wonderful, place to get help for all things. I have been using them for over a decade and have always been pleased with the community there.

Of course, you're also welcome to ask us here! We would be happy to geek out with you! Grats on the new system!

[ScipioCaesar]

Well, it looks like you have a decent system for your first build. Certainly better than mine, and I run FF14 pretty close to maxed out. What you have should be awesome. I think you will find that building your own computer is a lot of fun, especially for your first time. It is surprisingly easy to, despite the overwhelming number of parts (there is a general rule of if the plug fits, it goes there that makes things super easy). The site they linked to you (Toms Hardware) is a wonderful, wonderful, place to get help for all things. I have been using them for over a decade and have always been pleased with the community there.

Of course, you're also welcome to ask us here! We would be happy to geek out with you! Grats on the new system!

Thank you! I'm very excited I'm just a little afraid that Best Buy is gonna give me trouble with teh return; it would be awful if I couldn't build the system after all the help you all have given me. And I'm definitely gonna have to check that site out a little bit more.

[Naylia]

Naylia -- Thanks for looking that up for me but these guys convinced me to build my own since the last time you posted.

I think all I have left is to make 100% sure i can return the desktop i have now, then I'll do that here in the next day or two and hopefully ill have the parts by monday!

Excellent! Just don't let your family know, because you'll become the default tech support guy. Welcome to DIY!!

[ScipioCaesar]

Well it is official everyone; my order has been processed. If I'm lucky I'll have the parts by Saturday, but wouldn't surprise me if i gotta wait until monday. Just gotta return this computer I'm typing from now and I am all set!

[Khalus]

Is Best Buy going to be taking it back, without any hassle? You know I just thought, don't they have a restocking fee on electronics too?

And unless you paid for overnight shipping, more than likely it'll be Mon. Even with 2-day, they'll spend most of today packing it all up, and a 1/2 day in processing waiting for the truck to fill, so it might ship on Fri or Sat, and you'll get it Mon-Wed. At least that how it seems with all my orders of the past...LOL

Anyhow, grats on the new custom-built PC. And do find a way to contact us here if you need help putting it together. Even though its not very difficult, being your first time, it'll look daunting with so many parts and cables.

[ScipioCaesar]

I asked them about the restocking fee and they told me there wasn't one, and I asked if there was any other red tape that could hold me back and they said as long as I was within the fourteen days I would be fine. As for the shipping, I happen to work at UPS so I can flag the boxes and take them home as soon as they get to my HUB =P Of course there may be too much for me to do that but it's a possibility at least. I may take the parts over to my dad's place and use his computer for help putting it together should i need any, although I've had a lot of people telling me it's really quite simple. My only problem in the future will be when the computer breaks down is I have no idea how to figure out which part it is that malfunctioned.

[Khalus]

Well, unless you submerge your PC in the bathtub, they very rarely just break down. Now there are parts that can go out but the signs are pretty evident and easy to figure out. For instance if your PSU is going out, the PC will BSOD often and reset. If you're having trouble loading anything and its taking awhile, or you hear a clicking noise, then your HDD is probably going out. If programs aren't running very quickly or at their best and you get memory errors, maybe even a BSOD, then a stick of RAM may be bad, or all of it...but thats rare.


As long as you take care of your PC, keep it clean by regularly blowing the dust off/inside the components weekly{with compressed air ~ I use Dust Off ~ you can get a 6-pack for $18 from Costco which lasts me a year or so...} There are air-filters over the case fans on the Antec 902 you got, but the dust does build up on them. And it will still build up inside your case, cover everything, getting inside your GPU and all over your CPUs Heatsink. Especially it will build up on the GPUs fan, keep that as clear as possible, and blow the inside of the case out where you see it. {All this only take about a min, once a week or so or as often as needed like if you have pets, dust will build up faster}

Everything will run great and function well for years to come if you keep it cleared of dust building up.



Oh and hopefully this won't happen to you, but on occasion, you may get a part that is DOA, or maybe a GPU that runs ok for the first week, then you start seeing artifacts in games and discoloration here n' there. No worries though as Newegg rocks at replacing parts that are bad, just contact them via live chat support and go from there. The thing that sucks is waiting on the shipping times of getting the parts replaced!