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[GUIDE] Hardware Mythbusters - An In-Depth Hardware Guide



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#441 RenegadeMaster

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Posted 21 June 2012 - 09:15 PM

Wow, I didn't even know fanless PSUs existed for 400W+. It is too bad 500W+ for fanless is rare and arguably less reliable, as shown in this torture test. Seems like fanless PSU tech has quite a ways to go in terms of development.

#442 Vulpesveritas

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Posted 21 June 2012 - 09:25 PM

View PostRenegadeMaster, on 21 June 2012 - 09:15 PM, said:

Wow, I didn't even know fanless PSUs existed for 400W+. It is too bad 500W+ for fanless is rare and arguably less reliable, as shown in this torture test. Seems like fanless PSU tech has quite a ways to go in terms of development.

well, none of those are for the Kingwin Stryker.http://www.hardocp.c...supply_review/1
http://www.tweaktown...view/index.html
http://www.techpower...ingwin/STR-500/
Which manages to hold up very well, largely due to it's high power efficiency.

#443 Natedog

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Posted 21 June 2012 - 11:11 PM

View Postiron wolf, on 18 June 2012 - 12:54 AM, said:

Check out http://www.hardwares....com/page/power

They're easily the best one stop site for PSU reviews. (Since they actually test the PSUs instead of reading the box specs like half of 'reviewers' do. See: http://www.hardwares...com/article/410 "Why 99% of Power Supply Reviews Are Wrong").

And to anyone thinking of skimping on their PSUs, here's a reason not to:

"the “reviewer” gave the product a “Gold Award” to a 750 W power supply that burns if you try to pull more than 450 W from it."

Don't burn the rest of your hard earned money along with it.



I agree with this and will add check out http://www.jonnyguru.com/ They do significant stress testing on their units. If you look around on Newegg.com, Tigerdirect.com, or any site like that you can usually find a good unit for a great price. I picked up a stellar 650W Antec unit for $35 after MIR (only a $20 MIR) that rated high on Jonny Guru.

#444 Ishtar

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Posted 22 June 2012 - 03:44 AM

hmm you guys are forgetting MCI, SPRINT,.... I think T-mobile.. and Orange which kinda leeched over here from europe.. Time Warner?

#445 Ares McMannus

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Posted 22 June 2012 - 04:08 AM

View PostIshtar, on 12 June 2012 - 08:53 PM, said:

...... 12:48 am and I think I refreshed the damn mwomercs website nearly thousands time.. sorry correction ... Literally a million times.. (LITERALLY)

Posted Image


If you work as as Security guard then its probably a breach of contract to swap out the camera feeds to the monitors so you can post on the forums, watch youtube and play MWO all at the same time instead of actually watching whats going on during those long lonely nights. :D

View PostSJ SCP Wolf, on 17 June 2012 - 06:09 AM, said:

Most of my office, what do I win?

Posted Image


Die, Demon, DIE!

#446 Heinrich ApokalypseTest Gruber

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Posted 22 June 2012 - 04:57 AM

Is it worth getting the old optical microsoft Joysticks? I have an old Sidewinder Precision Pro but I am not sure it would work (has the Gameport Connector and I don't have an adapter). I also see Sidewinder Precision Pro 2 Flightsticks on ebay every now and then but they are not exactly cheap and I hear of driver Issues with windows 7. Anyone with experience on that? I used the precision pro extensively and loved it.

#447 PoPuP

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Posted 22 June 2012 - 05:11 AM

great thread for those who are undecided, going to stick with a cheapo till i see the prices on Razer's Artemis and the Mek-FU but heavily leaning towards the Artemis if the keep the center display , better yet a touch display.

#448 Vulpesveritas

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Posted 22 June 2012 - 08:25 AM

View PostIshtar, on 22 June 2012 - 03:44 AM, said:

hmm you guys are forgetting MCI, SPRINT,.... I think T-mobile.. and Orange which kinda leeched over here from europe.. Time Warner?

No, MCI will die, sprint will be absorbed by Verizon, and T-mobile will absob Orange and stay terra-only.

#449 Alareth

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Posted 22 June 2012 - 09:12 AM

I started out with the x36 from Saitek and moved onto the x45. I used them exclusively for Mechwarrior 4.

I had a single issue with the pot on the rudder for my x45 and after mentioning it on the forums a mod contacted me for my address and a replacement pot and instructions for replacing it showed up in my inbox a week later. I was a little shocked because I'd never gotten good CS treatment like that before from other manufacturers.

I was all set to move to the x52 when it was announced, but was very disappointed by the move to twist rudder and passed on it. The paddle on the throttle was the reason I purchased the original x36. I simply cannot use twist rudder sticks as I have a natural tendency to twist my wrist when I push forward.

Separate pedals would be the solution for me but I can't support the expense at this time.

Edited by Alareth, 22 June 2012 - 09:12 AM.


#450 Louis Cifer

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Posted 22 June 2012 - 02:11 PM

I happen to have an old Logitech Extreme 3D pro that I used years ago playing Air Attack. I'll see how it work with MWO and if the game has longevity for me I'll definitely be referring back to this guide if I need an upgrade. Many thanks for the time and effort compiling it all.

#451 Gwarryn

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Posted 22 June 2012 - 02:32 PM

I know it's been said but thanks for the Ecellent post. Really helped my stick research. :D

#452 Steven McWayne

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Posted 22 June 2012 - 02:40 PM

I'm a member of a IL-2 flight squadron for around 4 years now and own a Thrustmaster Warthog + Simpeds.
If you do fly in simulations and use these sticks then it's worth the money, if not take the cheaper sticks like X52.
I started with X52 "not pro" variant + Saitek rudders. Useful if you use it once a week but its not that hell accurate around the center, the potis on the sliders are medicore..china quality i would say. The Pedals are full plastic and swing out of their rails if you put to much pressure from above on them.
We got 2 Members with the Logitech G940 and they had to exchange them for the 4th time, just don't buy them.
One of them Exchanged the full Logitech electronics with a custom Bodnar electronics to get it stable working.
The other one just bought a Warthog this week :P.
The Saitek X65...yeah, the stick isn't movable, it works with force sensing sensors..i wouldn't like it if it doesn't move.
Pedals? I would call the CH pedals "nutcracker", the way from left to right pedal are really tight.
Better get a beginner "Saitek" pedal or more quality Simped, also the russians build a full metal pedal for ~200€+ i guess.

So i would say.
High quality, Thrustmaster Warthog/Cougar + Simpeds or Russian pedals
Med quality, X52pro/X65F + Saitek combat rudder pedals
Low quality, G940, pedals inkluded
Or just get a stick with thrustcontrol and a twist axis :P

Oh..i played MW2 to 4 all with mouse and keyboard :D

#453 Alfred VonGunn

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Posted 22 June 2012 - 03:23 PM

I laughed a lot.. The X-45 has the best Rudder placement of anything without pedals.. used one for years in flight games and MW... Just picked one up for this game as a stand in until I decide on high end one. But then I hate twist sticks. I shouldn't have to worry about twisting off target because I am turning or aiming..

Edited by Alfred VonGunn, 22 June 2012 - 03:23 PM.


#454 Beaker

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Posted 22 June 2012 - 05:24 PM

I would highly recommend the Asus M5A97

Scan (UK) :: Linky @ £67.16

newegg (US) :: Linky @ $94.99

I'm using one of these myself after using them for other people. At present I'm on a running total of 17 boards, with zero RMA or failure to this point. It's a record for me at least with a single model! It was when I got to 8 that I decided it was a good board!

#455 Vulpesveritas

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Posted 22 June 2012 - 07:46 PM

View PostBeaker, on 22 June 2012 - 05:24 PM, said:

I would highly recommend the Asus M5A97

Scan (UK) :: Linky @ £67.16

newegg (US) :: Linky @ $94.99

I'm using one of these myself after using them for other people. At present I'm on a running total of 17 boards, with zero RMA or failure to this point. It's a record for me at least with a single model! It was when I got to 8 that I decided it was a good board!

Well, I may add a durability selection later.
I'll do that after the $250 segment.

#456 LordDeathStrike

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Posted 22 June 2012 - 10:10 PM

View PostIshtar, on 12 June 2012 - 08:53 PM, said:

...... 12:48 am and I think I refreshed the damn mwomercs website nearly thousands time.. sorry correction ... Literally a million times.. (LITERALLY)

Posted Image

its so hideious, all those small screens with borders and gaps, fuse them into one 100 inch!

View PostVulpesveritas, on 19 June 2012 - 08:53 PM, said:

No, Verizon = comstar without guns yet
AT&T is their more evil twin.

verizon = comstar
at &t = WoB

#457 Lakevren

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Posted 22 June 2012 - 11:47 PM

View PostVulpesveritas, on 21 June 2012 - 08:10 AM, said:

yes it would be. But the thing is, games aren't nearly that multithreaded. And those benchmarks are mostly gaming benchmarks those scores are based off of, correct? And the FX-6200 should be approximately 10% faster in lightly threaded tasks vs the 8150p.

Hence my point.


Yeah except even the i5-2500k performs better even with the multithreaded tasks, at least vs. the FX-8150. The two extra "cores", really one extra module that happens to have "two cores".
http://www.bit-tech....x-8150-review/8

So I don't know where some of the multi-tasking advantage that you keep claiming is from.

Posted Image
Source: http://benchmarkrevi...1&limitstart=11

This is why i'm like "Why the hell are you recommending an inferior product?" And the only thing I can think of is your Ethics bias.

Please stop.

I honestly had though the FX-8150 previously had a multitasking advantage until I kept researching. But found out it didn't, even versus the i5 2500k.

And if you look in EVERY OTHER SITE in their FORUMS, they recommend an Intel, not an AMD, because of how POOR the Bulldozer is. Hell, some people even recommend going back to the Phenom II X6 instead.
For Example: http://www.overclock...ce-on-going-amd

Quote

It will game fine... for most games. But not as well as Intel processors. In fact, contrary to your understanding, Intel generally has the price/performance advantage for gamers.

The real competitors to the fx-6100 are the g620 & i3-2100 + h61 or h67 mobo, not the Intel quad-cores. For the vast majority of games, these two processors (which cannot be overclocked) will perform about as well as a heavily overclocked 6100. For some games, they'll be a little worse. For some, they'll be a little better.


And then the Review: www.pcper.com/reviews/Processors/AMD-FX-6200-CPU-Review-Small-Bulldozer-Refresh


Quote

The chip can easily overclock. It is just unfortunate that even when overclocked it barely gets past the performance of many current processors at stock speeds. Still, free performance is free. It is just an interesting part, but not always in a good way.

So in the end is the FX-6200 worth it? Yes and no. It fits the price/performance envelope for a product in its category. It overclocks easily. It is still a 3.8 GHz product that has fair performance across the board. It does not abduct your family or set your house on fire. It just is simply not the budget performer that we were expecting or hoping for. Better luck next time.


Before I researched thoroughly, I really though maybe AMD has something on the sub $200 side. But they really don't.

Feel free to recommend the AMD Graphics cards, because honestly, that's where they pretty much tie up with Nvidia and quite often. Hell, they had severe price to performance advantages as well as power and heat in previous generations, but even Nvidia got the power and heat advantage this time around. The only thing Nvidia is lacking (and curse them for doing so) is a sub $400 line-up, while AMD has all of this. But to recommend an AMD CPU? Good god. I'd only recommend a Llano. I'd even recommend a Phenom II over the FX Bulldozer.

Edit: I completely botched that formatting, somehow.

Edited by Lakevren, 23 June 2012 - 12:02 AM.


#458 Vulpesveritas

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Posted 23 June 2012 - 12:06 AM

View PostLakevren, on 22 June 2012 - 11:47 PM, said:


Yeah except even the i5-2500k performs better even with the multithreaded tasks, at least vs. the FX-8150. The two extra "cores", really one extra module that happens to have "two cores".
http://www.bit-tech....x-8150-review/8

So I don't know where some of the multi-tasking advantage that you keep claiming is from.

Posted Image
Source: http://benchmarkrevi...1&limitstart=11

This is why i'm like "Why the hell are you recommending an inferior product?" And the only thing I can think of is your Ethics bias.

Please stop.

I honestly had though the FX-8150 previously had a multitasking advantage until I kept researching. But found out it didn't, even versus the i5 2500k.

And if you look in EVERY OTHER SITE in their FORUMS, they recommend an Intel, not an AMD, because of how **** POOR the Bulldozer is. Hell, some people even recommend going back to the Phenom II X6 instead.
For Example: http://www.overclock...ce-on-going-amd



And then the Review: www.pcper.com/reviews/Processors/AMD-FX-6200-CPU-Review-Small-Bulldozer-Refresh




Before I researched thoroughly, I really though maybe AMD has something on the sub $200 side. But they really don't.

Feel free to recommend the AMD Graphics cards, because honestly, that's where they pretty much tie up with Nvidia and quite often. Hell, they had severe price to performance advantages as well as power and heat in previous generations, but even Nvidia got the power and heat advantage this time around. The only thing Nvidia is lacking (and curse them for doing so) is a sub $400 line-up, while AMD has all of this. But to recommend an AMD CPU? Good god. I'd only recommend a Llano. I'd even recommend a Phenom II over the FX Bulldozer.

sorry, but a number of benchmarks and reviews disagree. That would be why.
For example here it wins in a good number of multithreaded benchmarks. http://www.anandtech...duct/434?vs=288
http://www.tomshardw...mance,3119.html
Posted Image
Posted Image
Posted Image
looking alright here so long as you are using 7-zip like a normal person XD

http://www.anandtech...d-fx8150-tested does decently in multithread and acts between the i5-2500k and 2600k in multithread.

The trick is sample size. In any case, bulldozer FX is painfully weak in floating point math, but is very strong in integer math - which is what most day to day tasks revolve around.

And I must say it is odd that you're saying that about Phenom II, when it is clearly showing a hexacore Phenom II to be slower in that 'lightwave' test there. Clearly then an i5-2500k must be twice as fast as a Phenom II as well.. wait a minute, that doesn't add up with real life information, or the majority of benchmarks out there. (care to consider why that may be? Such as perhaps a biased benchmark?)

In any case, feel free to believe what you like, but I am going to continue to keep a broad perspective on things and continue to make conclusions based on reading as many reviews on processors as I can, and using data sensibly.

#459 iron wolf

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Posted 23 June 2012 - 12:56 AM

View PostVulpesveritas, on 21 June 2012 - 08:10 AM, said:

yes it would be. But the thing is, games aren't nearly that multithreaded. And those benchmarks are mostly gaming benchmarks those scores are based off of, correct? And the FX-6200 should be approximately 10% faster in lightly threaded tasks vs the 8150p.

Hence my point.



How can you come to the conclusion those are mostly gaming benchmarks, when you just said that "games aren't nearly that (refering to the benchmark) multithreaded." - Those are productivity benchmarks, which seeing as they're fully multithreaded, are skewed towards AMD. And they still don't shine very well!

And as for 'And the FX-6200 should be approximately 10% faster in lightly threaded tasks vs the 8150p." - That just shows that the 8150p is slow, not that the FX-6200 is fast. You have a habit of using awkward combinations of comparisons that make it seem like the AMD chip is somehow faster than Intel chips because they're faster than other AMD chips which are faster than X chip which is only 10% slower than Y chip etc.

So really, "So you would see gaming performance in the middle of the i7 Nehalem and i5 SB processor in gaming for $50 less, and similar multitasking capabilities. Not that bad of a trade off if you ask me." Is flat out false. No AMD chip is $50 less than either the i5/i7, whilst having the same gaming perf. as either the i5/i7 AND having the same multitasking capabilities as either the i5/i7.

For $50 less, that is just not happening.

So you have comments worded like this, and then half of your threads are great concepts, and the other half is AMD advertising. Godamn.

#460 Vulpesveritas

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Posted 23 June 2012 - 01:08 AM

View Postiron wolf, on 23 June 2012 - 12:56 AM, said:

How can you come to the conclusion those are mostly gaming benchmarks, when you just said that "games aren't nearly that (refering to the benchmark) multithreaded." - Those are productivity benchmarks, which seeing as they're fully multithreaded, are skewed towards AMD. And they still don't shine very well!

And as for 'And the FX-6200 should be approximately 10% faster in lightly threaded tasks vs the 8150p." - That just shows that the 8150p is slow, not that the FX-6200 is fast. You have a habit of using awkward combinations of comparisons that make it seem like the AMD chip is somehow faster than Intel chips because they're faster than other AMD chips which are faster than X chip which is only 10% slower than Y chip etc.

So really, "So you would see gaming performance in the middle of the i7 Nehalem and i5 SB processor in gaming for $50 less, and similar multitasking capabilities. Not that bad of a trade off if you ask me." Is flat out false. No AMD chip is $50 less than either the i5/i7, whilst having the same gaming perf. as either the i5/i7 AND having the same multitasking capabilities as either the i5/i7.

For $50 less, that is just not happening.

So you have comments worded like this, and then half of your threads are great concepts, and the other half is AMD advertising. Godamn.

The benchmarks he picked for that were all gaming benchmarks, and I simply was pointing out based on clock speed the FX-6200 should be 10% faster than the FX-8150 there in that Techpowerup article.

And in producttivity benchmarks, it flips back and forth depending on threading.

As far as multithread benchmarks being skewed towards AMD, on that logic I can say that lightly threaded benchmarks are skewed towards Intel.

And in Non-CPU intensive titles, as most DX11 titles are , there is no difference in gaming performance between a Core2Quad, FX-6200, or i5 in many cases.

As far as half my threads being "AMD advertising" Umm... okay so let's see my first page here again... oh wait the majority of CPUs there are Intel... and even with most of the AMD chips it is saying that unless you're overclocking Intel is the way to to...
...

As far as others, tech news wise, I will be posting news when the intel ivy i3s come out or have benchmarks out (haven't seen them yet.) When the Gefoce GTX 660 and 650 come out (have yet to hear an exact date on those either). AMD just had two points of news last night.

I do admittably have a bias against criminal organizations like Intel (Committing crimes repeatedly worldwide qualifies I think.), and therefore I do try to recommend AMD where possible. But the simple fact is unless you're multitasking and / or overclocking, at nearly every price point Intel does have an advantage.

Do you disagree?

The simple thing is overclocking an i3 isn't going to be as easy as an FX seires or a Phenom II chip, and won't match it in multithread. THe FX 8 cores beat the i5s in multithread, and the 6 cores perform between the i3s and i5s in multithread at stock. Then the FX-4170 is clocked high enough to beat most i3s, plus it has extra OC headroom, and then there are the good 'ol Phenom II X4/X6 BE chips if you can find them that still have a performance advantage with overclocking sub-$200. And in the end, an i3 or AMD quad core will be fine for the majority of games, and in modern titles other than RTS, they will generally be just as fast for less cost.

Or am I wrong about that as well?

By the gods, I wish I could recommend a third party, but VIA is the only option there, and while they have a quad core, it frankly isn't that great seeing as you can't really add much to it. Sure it beats out Brazos in CPU tasks in multithread... you can't OC it well and it doesn't match a Llano A6.

(Edited. once again, I apolagize for my loss of professionalism in that post)

Edited by Vulpesveritas, 23 June 2012 - 08:27 AM.






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