Mad Cow! Holiday Computer building (1 Viewer)

[Pick]

Not sure what this means but it's what my PC says I got:

Intel® Core2 CPU 6320 @1.86 GHz (2 CPUs) 1.9 GHz

2048 RAM

GeForce GTS 250

 

[Drifter]

1Saleaday has the ATI 5850 for $120 shipped today. Smoking deal on a last gen video card that works like a beast.

If this my recommendation?

 

[Zasada]

1Saleaday has the ATI 5850 for $120 shipped today. Smoking deal on a last gen video card that works like a beast.

If this my recommendation?

That's a good deal (same card I have right now), but I would wait. You want something from the current generation, or perhaps the next if it's out before you run out of patience.

 

[Mad Cow]

1Saleaday has the ATI 5850 for $120 shipped today. Smoking deal on a last gen video card that works like a beast.

If this my recommendation?

That's a good deal (same card I have right now), but I would wait. You want something from the current generation, or perhaps the next if it's out before you run out of patience.

I disagree. You have a very powerful video card for $120. It performs as well as any card selling for $200 right now. Buy this for a holdover until the next gen or beyond. Better yet even if you want the next gen, buy this and wait for the killer prices on the next gen. This is about value and you won't find better value now. You could buy this now and sell it for the same price in six months.

 

[Zasada]

1Saleaday has the ATI 5850 for $120 shipped today. Smoking deal on a last gen video card that works like a beast.

If this my recommendation?

That's a good deal (same card I have right now), but I would wait. You want something from the current generation, or perhaps the next if it's out before you run out of patience.

I disagree. You have a very powerful video card for $120. It performs as well as any card selling for $200 right now. Buy this for a holdover until the next gen or beyond. Better yet even if you want the next gen, buy this and wait for the killer prices on the next gen. This is about value and you won't find better value now. You could buy this now and sell it for the same price in six months.

Don't overstate it, MC. Tom's best value at $180 is the 6870 and it beats the 5850 in almost every game. I have the 5850 and love it, but it is getting long in the tooth.This is a good deal. No question. But for $60 $40 $20(AR) more you can get a linear and meaningful bump in performance.

ETA: Here's a 6870 for $150AR, shipped free. I would buy this before the 5850 for $120.

ETA2: Here's another for $140AR, shipped free.

ETA3: Fixed the link the the Anandtech performance comparison, had the 6970 in there which really/unfairly exaggerated my point (as well it should)!

 

[Zasada]

In case one wanted to wait for the next generation of ATI cards, it sounds like we might be seeing them soon:

The Southern Islands design was reportedly taped out in February 2011. AMD gave a preview of the new design at the AMD Fusion Development Summit (June 13-16, 2011).[10] On July 21, 2011, the company confirmed that it has working silicon in-house and it plans to release the first cards before the end of the year.[11] The most optimistic forecasts call for Southern Islands to ship as early as November 2011, the primary constraint being the stability of the 28 nm process at TSMC.[12] It has been speculated that AMD is to use a version of the 28 nm process that is optimized for low power/low clock chips in order to meet the Q4 2011 target. The primary competitor of Southern Islands, Nvidia Kepler (also manufactured at TSMC), is not expected to ship until Q1 2012, largely due to the immaturity of the 28 nm process.

Source: Wikipedia (FWIW).I can guarantee that there will not be a "deal" on these cards when they come out. So the value proposition probably isn't going to be there, but if one is looking for the next bump in performance, it might be worth the purchase (depending on how the performance ends up comparing to the current gen).

ETA: Might not be until January, as well.

Here's hoping we see a great deal on a 68xx or 69xx card for Black Friday or Cyber Monday!

 

[Dragons]

1Saleaday has the ATI 5850 for $120 shipped today. Smoking deal on a last gen video card that works like a beast.

If this my recommendation?

That's a good deal (same card I have right now), but I would wait. You want something from the current generation, or perhaps the next if it's out before you run out of patience.

I disagree. You have a very powerful video card for $120. It performs as well as any card selling for $200 right now. Buy this for a holdover until the next gen or beyond. Better yet even if you want the next gen, buy this and wait for the killer prices on the next gen. This is about value and you won't find better value now. You could buy this now and sell it for the same price in six months.

Don't overstate it, MC. Tom's best value at $180 is the 6870 and it smokes the 5850 in almost every game. I have the 5850 and love it, but it is getting long in the tooth.This is a good deal. No question. But for $60 more you can get a linear and meaningful bump in performance.

ETA: Here's a 6870 for $150AR, shipped free. I would buy this before the 5850 for $120.

6870 for $140 AR, shipped free

 

[Dragons]

Best gaming CPU's for $ spent

This Phenom II X4 840 seems to be a great price based on the Toms Hardware chart.

Absolutely. AMD mobo's are gonna be cheaper as well.

Thoughts on this motherboard to match up with this chip? I bought the Mushkin DDR3 1333 RAM, I'm concerned about the (supported by CPU note) in the description.ETA-

Hell, any reason to not go with this one for $50AR?

I'm thinking I may splurge on a higher end vid card if I go with the AMD setup.

ETAA - AM3+ board to somewhat future proof?

 

[Zasada]

Thoughts on this motherboard to match up with this chip? I bought the Mushkin DDR3 1333 RAM, I'm concerned about the (supported by CPU note) in the description.

ETA-

Hell, any reason to not go with this one for $50AR?

I'm thinking I may splurge on a higher end vid card if I go with the AMD setup.

ETAA - AM3+ board to somewhat future proof?

How critical is it that you save on the parts? Because Biostar and ECS are on the very low end in terms of features and reliability. ASRock is one step up.If you plan to overclock (and you should if you get an AMD Black CPU), then you should get a board that is going to provide a more stable experience, like Gigabyte, ASUS, or MSI.

I see your overall budget is in the $300-$400 range. Based on that and that you don't have a Micro Center nearby, I think we should definitely wait for next week to see what BF-related combo deals pop up on NewEgg.

Looking at Tom's article on best CPUs for the money, the Pentium G860 is grouped with the AMD CPU and it is a good 20% faster in games. Note that it is slower in multi-treaded applications (media encoding) so if that is important to you, a dual core CPU probably isn't your best bet.

That said, your budget dictates that the best deal will dictate your path, rather than specific parts. We'll start to see the BF deals roll out next week (there's been a lot of creep forward over the years) and let's just be ready to jump on the right one. I'm still not sold that AMD is the best value (Intel CPUs are competitively priced, but you give up multi-threaded performance for single-threaded (what matters more in games is the latter)), but if that's the best deal that pops up, then that's the route we'll go for you.

 

[Pick]

Don't like all this waiting.

 

[Dragons]

How critical is it that you save on the parts? Because Biostar and ECS are on the very low end in terms of features and reliability. ASRock is one step up.

If you plan to overclock (and you should if you get an AMD Black CPU), then you should get a board that is going to provide a more stable experience, like Gigabyte, ASUS, or MSI.

I see your overall budget is in the $300-$400 range. Based on that and that you don't have a Micro Center nearby, I think we should definitely wait for next week to see what BF-related combo deals pop up on NewEgg.

Looking at Tom's article on best CPUs for the money, the Pentium G860 is grouped with the AMD CPU and it is a good 20% faster in games. Note that it is slower in multi-treaded applications (media encoding) so if that is important to you, a dual core CPU probably isn't your best bet.

That said, your budget dictates that the best deal will dictate your path, rather than specific parts. We'll start to see the BF deals roll out next week (there's been a lot of creep forward over the years) and let's just be ready to jump on the right one. I'm still not sold that AMD is the best value (Intel CPUs are competitively priced, but you give up multi-threaded performance for single-threaded (what matters more in games is the latter)), but if that's the best deal that pops up, then that's the route we'll go for you.

Thanks for the advice. I don't have easy access to a Micro Center, but I'm driving through Ohio on Wednesday (how strict are they with the 3 day hold? If I order today, will they hold until the end of the day on Wednesday? Or should I wait to order Monday?). Plan A is to pick up the i5 combo on the way through. I'd like to spend $300-$400 overall, but it's not necessarily a hard budget as I want to get value and longevity too. I'm at ~$100 with the SSD and RAM and I still need processor, mb and video card. If I spend ~$235 on the i5 combo, that leaves me with wanting to save money on the video card. A BF special on a 6850 seems to be the best plan, but I'll also have onboard graphics in the meantime, so I can delay the video card (and Skyrim) purchase for a month or so until better deals crop up.Alternatively, if I go the AMD route, a $60 processor leaves a lot of money left over to go with a higher end video card. I will also be using this pc for some video encoding for my HTPC.

Already purchased:

60GB OCZ SATA III SSD $72

2x4GB Mushkin DDR3 1333 RAM $25

Option A:

i5 2500k + Biostar MB $235

Radeon 6850 (looking for ~$110-120 BF deal)

Total = $452

Option B:

Phenom II X4 840 $60

ASUS AM3 MB $75

or

Gigabyte AM3+ MB $83

Radeon 6870 $140-$150 right now, maybe BF sale to reduce this

Total = $390

I'm leaning towards the i5 combo, because I think it's the best value at the price, but I want to thoroughly examine the alternatives.

 

[Zasada]

I'm leaning towards the i5 combo, because I think it's the best value at the price, but I want to thoroughly examine the alternatives.

I think that's a good plan, but please don't go the Biostar route. The i5 2500K is a great overclocker and yet you're choosing a low-end mobo manufacturer that isn't known for strong overclocking or reliability.Go with Gigabyte, ASUS, or MSI instead.

If you do choose to go the AMD route on the CPU/Mobo, consider these combo deals (my aversion to Biostar and ECS still applies):

Micro Center AMD combo deals.

I'm struggling to determine if an X4 970 and 6870 is a better performer than a 2500K and 6850. There are no real comparisons of those two options. If I were buying though, I would go for the latter, although the latter feels like it is too CPU-weighted & GPU-constrained.

I'll keep digging, but I think either of those two options would make you happy playing Skyrim.

Hopefully we'll get an i3 2300 combo deal out of Micro Center in the next week and then we can get you that and a 6870 as the "best of both" option.

 

[Dragons]

I'm leaning towards the i5 combo, because I think it's the best value at the price, but I want to thoroughly examine the alternatives.

I think that's a good plan, but please don't go the Biostar route. The i5 2500K is a great overclocker and yet you're choosing a low-end mobo manufacturer that isn't known for strong overclocking or reliability.Go with Gigabyte, ASUS, or MSI instead.

If you do choose to go the AMD route on the CPU/Mobo, consider these combo deals (my aversion to Biostar and ECS still applies):

Micro Center AMD combo deals.

I'm struggling to determine if an X4 970 and 6870 is a better performer than a 2500K and 6850. There are no real comparisons of those two options. If I were buying though, I would go for the latter, although the latter feels like it is too CPU-weighted GPU-constrained.

I'll keep digging, but I think either of those two options would make you happy playing Skyrim.

Hopefully we'll get an i3 2300 combo deal out of Micro Center in the next week and then we can get you a 6870 as the "best of both" options.

Sorry, I meant the Gigabyte MB with the i5 deal. The deal you posted. For some reason I had in my mind it was a Biostar, even though it's been sitting in my cart since last week.ETA - Thanks, don't worry about digging too hard, unless you find it interesting for your own purposes. I think I'll just pull the trigger on the i5 and wait for a 6850 deal. I'm going to set up the purchase tomorrow for pickup Wednesday. And if the store still has stock Wednesday morning, I'll cancel that order and place a new one to pick up Friday or Saturday. That'll buy some time to see if they offer any killer BF deals (hopefully on the i3 2300 as you said).

 

[tdoss]

The Microcenter I5/Mobo combo looks great but I think I waited too long. The Mobo says out of stock.

Also...where is the rebate part of that deal located?

And no one commented on the ability to have Fry's match prices. I've not tried to match to Microcenter prices before (usually Amazon)...has there been any problems there?

 

[Dragons]

The Microcenter I5/Mobo combo looks great but I think I waited too long. The Mobo says out of stock.

Also...where is the rebate part of that deal located?

And no one commented on the ability to have Fry's match prices. I've not tried to match to Microcenter prices before (usually Amazon)...has there been any problems there?

Do you have more than 1 store in your area? If not, there are other motherboards available at a deep discount, but the Gigabyte board is the cheapest overall.Here is the page of the ad that offers the special. There's at least an Asus board that's a $245 combo. I can't figure out the chart below, but there may be a suitable board there too.

ETA - you can download the rebate PDF here.

ETAA - I'll be cruising by the Columbus, OH store on Wednesday. If you order a combo from that store, set me up as an authorized pickup person and pay shipping costs, I'd be happy to pick it up and ship it to you next week when I get back home. It's coming a long way (CT to CA), so the Asus board may be a better option.

 

[tdoss]

The Microcenter I5/Mobo combo looks great but I think I waited too long. The Mobo says out of stock.

Also...where is the rebate part of that deal located?

And no one commented on the ability to have Fry's match prices. I've not tried to match to Microcenter prices before (usually Amazon)...has there been any problems there?

Do you have more than 1 store in your area? If not, there are other motherboards available at a deep discount, but the Gigabyte board is the cheapest overall.Here is the page of the ad that offers the special. There's at least an Asus board that's a $245 combo. I can't figure out the chart below, but there may be a suitable board there too.

ETA - you can download the rebate PDF here.

I only have the one in Tustin/Orange County and that board is out of stock.I can maybe see if they'll drop ship one over to that store.

 

[Dragons]

The Microcenter I5/Mobo combo looks great but I think I waited too long. The Mobo says out of stock.

Also...where is the rebate part of that deal located?

And no one commented on the ability to have Fry's match prices. I've not tried to match to Microcenter prices before (usually Amazon)...has there been any problems there?

Do you have more than 1 store in your area? If not, there are other motherboards available at a deep discount, but the Gigabyte board is the cheapest overall.Here is the page of the ad that offers the special. There's at least an Asus board that's a $245 combo. I can't figure out the chart below, but there may be a suitable board there too.

ETA - you can download the rebate PDF here.

I only have the one in Tustin/Orange County and that board is out of stock.I can maybe see if they'll drop ship one over to that store.

Get approval from Zasada, but this Gigabyte MB is the same price. I didn't check features, but it's an Z68 board.

 

[Zasada]

Get approval from Zasada, but this Gigabyte MB is the same price. I didn't check features, but it's an Z68 board.

Looks good! ASUS and MSI are fine as well. Just stay away from Biostar and ECS.

 

[Anonymous Internet User]

where are all the Mac enthusiasts in here?

 

[MaxThreshold]

where are all the Mac enthusiasts in here?

This thread is about money saving sales and great deals going on for computers and/or computer parts. Apple is the complete antithesis of that.

 

[Drifter]

Newegg deals - Either of these "can't miss"?

Corsair Case $89.99 after promotion and rebate: EMCJJHJ23

Corsair Power Supply - $99 after rebate and code: EMCJJHJ34

 

[Drifter]

NZXT case - $89.99 after rebate and code: EMCJJHJ36

 

[Drifter]

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory $34.99 after code EMCJJHJ26

 

[Zasada]

None of those deals are can't-miss. Did you get the RAM that I posted last week? The RAM you posted is a "good" deal but I liked the $25AR deal better.

Regarding cases, do you prefer flashy and high-end, or just the basics at a low price? Opinions vary widly there and are largely subject to personal preference. I tend to fall somwhere near the latter portion of the spectrum.

 

[Drifter]

None of those deals are can't-miss. Did you get the RAM that I posted last week? The RAM you posted is a "good" deal but I liked the $25AR deal better.Regarding cases, do you prefer flashy and high-end, or just the basics at a low price? Opinions vary widly there are are largely subject to personal preference. I tend to fall somwhere near the latter portion of the spectrum.

I did get that RAM but I'm also not opposed to returning stuff if something better comes along.For cases, I don't care about flashy but I want high utility.

 

[Elf On The Shelf]

If this is thread hijacking let me know and I'll start a new thread. I just figured that all of the needed parties were already here so it might be easier for me to just stay here to work this out.

Facts -

1. Have a theater basement with Panny projector, Pioneer sound unit, Oppo DVD, and Comcast HD cable (non-DVR)

2. HDMI devices (cable and DVD) are channeled to the projector through an HDMI switch

3. Have a ton of DVDs that are cumbersome/annoying to flip through in the sleeves they are in so they don't get much usage

4. Have an old Dell Pentium 4 computer from the inlaws they don't use anymore that may have bad RAM or a bad harddrive. Definitely one or the other, but hasn't been fully tested out.

Here is what I'd like to do, but don't know how feasible it is. Can I do anything with the old computer to make it a storage house for all the digital content (DVDs) I have? Would also want to use it to output streaming content from Netflix/Amazon Prime. I think that technically that I can but I'm trying to figure out how much it is worth it. It would almost certainly need a new vid card (for HDMI output) as well as audio card (for digital audio output to the Pioneer). And definitely would need a bigger hard drive...possibly RAM. Is it worth it to try and do anything with this rig or would I need to start from scratch? If I can do anything with it, is it worth trying to turn it into a DVR as well?

If the old computer is not worth working with, what kind of cost outlay am I looking at here to start from scratch with this?

 

[Courtjester]

Anyone know why the sata III internal (non-ssd) hard drives are suddenly so expensive? I was looking at some of my old invoices from newegg and I purchased a WD 500GB drive back on 5/18/2011 and it was $45. Now it's at $119! HOLY SHNIKES! So then I started looking at other ones and I noticed ALL HD prices are 2-3 times more than what they were just a couple of months ago.

Is there some kind of shortage on internal drive components?

Flooding in Thailand. Prices are expected to be higher than normal for 6 months or so.

I can attest to this. I was on Dell trying to get a replacement HD for my daughter's laptop and they indicated that any drive on their site that says shipping in 5-7 days really means closer to 60 days because of the flooding. Just crazy.

 

[Zasada]

If this is thread hijacking let me know and I'll start a new thread. I just figured that all of the needed parties were already here so it might be easier for me to just stay here to work this out.

Facts -

1. Have a theater basement with Panny projector, Pioneer sound unit, Oppo DVD, and Comcast HD cable (non-DVR)

2. HDMI devices (cable and DVD) are channeled to the projector through an HDMI switch

3. Have a ton of DVDs that are cumbersome/annoying to flip through in the sleeves they are in so they don't get much usage

4. Have an old Dell Pentium 4 computer from the inlaws they don't use anymore that may have bad RAM or a bad harddrive. Definitely one or the other, but hasn't been fully tested out.

Here is what I'd like to do, but don't know how feasible it is. Can I do anything with the old computer to make it a storage house for all the digital content (DVDs) I have? Would also want to use it to output streaming content from Netflix/Amazon Prime. I think that technically that I can but I'm trying to figure out how much it is worth it. It would almost certainly need a new vid card (for HDMI output) as well as audio card (for digital audio output to the Pioneer). And definitely would need a bigger hard drive...possibly RAM. Is it worth it to try and do anything with this rig or would I need to start from scratch? If I can do anything with it, is it worth trying to turn it into a DVR as well?

If the old computer is not worth working with, what kind of cost outlay am I looking at here to start from scratch with this?

How I deal with this is to have a centralized server in the house where I store all the media (TV Shows, ripped DVDs/BDs, etc). About 8.5TB of storage on that. That server sits on my home network. To play the content, I use media player front-ends that also sit on my network and display that stored media from the server to the TV or AVR (via HDMI).I have two devices that do this:

1. Netgear EVA-9150 (no longer sold/supported)

2. Boxee Box

I have also purchased a couple WDTV Live Hubs for my parents/in-laws and they work fine. While the WDTV Live Hub doesn't have wireless networking, it can be added with a USB dongle. It also has 1TB of internal storage if you want to take it with you (perfect for my Mom's RV).

You could also set up an HTPC, but you will definitely need a new rig for that versus what you have now. I plan to do this (as noted earlier in the thread) but the HTPC route comes with pluses and minuses.

Either way you're going to need more storage for your media and HDDs are really expensive right now (due to the flooding in Thailand).

ETA: That WDTV Live Hub is $150 right now at NewEgg using code EMCJJHJ72 at checkout. Best price I have seen on that device.

ETA2: The Boxee Box will do Netflix streaming quite well, but not Amazon Prime. Same goes for the WDTV Live Hub.

 

[Elf On The Shelf]

If this is thread hijacking let me know and I'll start a new thread. I just figured that all of the needed parties were already here so it might be easier for me to just stay here to work this out.

Facts -

1. Have a theater basement with Panny projector, Pioneer sound unit, Oppo DVD, and Comcast HD cable (non-DVR)

2. HDMI devices (cable and DVD) are channeled to the projector through an HDMI switch

3. Have a ton of DVDs that are cumbersome/annoying to flip through in the sleeves they are in so they don't get much usage

4. Have an old Dell Pentium 4 computer from the inlaws they don't use anymore that may have bad RAM or a bad harddrive. Definitely one or the other, but hasn't been fully tested out.

Here is what I'd like to do, but don't know how feasible it is. Can I do anything with the old computer to make it a storage house for all the digital content (DVDs) I have? Would also want to use it to output streaming content from Netflix/Amazon Prime. I think that technically that I can but I'm trying to figure out how much it is worth it. It would almost certainly need a new vid card (for HDMI output) as well as audio card (for digital audio output to the Pioneer). And definitely would need a bigger hard drive...possibly RAM. Is it worth it to try and do anything with this rig or would I need to start from scratch? If I can do anything with it, is it worth trying to turn it into a DVR as well?

If the old computer is not worth working with, what kind of cost outlay am I looking at here to start from scratch with this?

How I deal with this is to have a centralized server in the house where I store all the media (TV Shows, ripped DVDs/BDs, etc). About 8.5TB of storage on that. That server sits on my home network. To play the content, I use media player front-ends that also sit on my network and display that stored media from the server to the TV or AVR (via HDMI).I have two devices that do this:

1. Netgear EVA-9150 (no longer sold/supported)

2. Boxee Box

I have also purchased a couple WDTV Live Hubs for my parents/in-laws and they work fine. While the WDTV Live Hub doesn't have wireless networking, it can be added with a USB dongle. It also has 1TB of internal storage if you want to take it with you (perfect for my Mom's RV).

You could also set up an HTPC, but you will definitely need a new rig for that versus what you have now. I plan to do this (as noted earlier in the thread) but the HTPC route comes with pluses and minuses.

Either way you're going to need more storage for your media and HDDs are really expensive right now (due to the flooding in Thailand).

ETA: That WDTV Live Hub is $150 right now at NewEgg using code EMCJJHJ72 at checkout. Best price I have seen on that device.

ETA2: The Boxee Box will do Netflix streaming quite well, but not Amazon Prime. Same goes for the WDTV Live Hub.

How do the WDTV Live Hub and Boxee Box connect to the TV, via HDMI? Does either have a separate output for digital audio? Am I right in thinking that the internet/network goes "into" these and then it is output to the TV via standard cables?

 

[Mad Cow]

If this is thread hijacking let me know and I'll start a new thread. I just figured that all of the needed parties were already here so it might be easier for me to just stay here to work this out.

Facts -

1. Have a theater basement with Panny projector, Pioneer sound unit, Oppo DVD, and Comcast HD cable (non-DVR)

2. HDMI devices (cable and DVD) are channeled to the projector through an HDMI switch

3. Have a ton of DVDs that are cumbersome/annoying to flip through in the sleeves they are in so they don't get much usage

4. Have an old Dell Pentium 4 computer from the inlaws they don't use anymore that may have bad RAM or a bad harddrive. Definitely one or the other, but hasn't been fully tested out.

Here is what I'd like to do, but don't know how feasible it is. Can I do anything with the old computer to make it a storage house for all the digital content (DVDs) I have? Would also want to use it to output streaming content from Netflix/Amazon Prime. I think that technically that I can but I'm trying to figure out how much it is worth it. It would almost certainly need a new vid card (for HDMI output) as well as audio card (for digital audio output to the Pioneer). And definitely would need a bigger hard drive...possibly RAM. Is it worth it to try and do anything with this rig or would I need to start from scratch? If I can do anything with it, is it worth trying to turn it into a DVR as well?

If the old computer is not worth working with, what kind of cost outlay am I looking at here to start from scratch with this?

How I deal with this is to have a centralized server in the house where I store all the media (TV Shows, ripped DVDs/BDs, etc). About 8.5TB of storage on that. That server sits on my home network. To play the content, I use media player front-ends that also sit on my network and display that stored media from the server to the TV or AVR (via HDMI).I have two devices that do this:

1. Netgear EVA-9150 (no longer sold/supported)

2. Boxee Box

I have also purchased a couple WDTV Live Hubs for my parents/in-laws and they work fine. While the WDTV Live Hub doesn't have wireless networking, it can be added with a USB dongle. It also has 1TB of internal storage if you want to take it with you (perfect for my Mom's RV).

You could also set up an HTPC, but you will definitely need a new rig for that versus what you have now. I plan to do this (as noted earlier in the thread) but the HTPC route comes with pluses and minuses.

Either way you're going to need more storage for your media and HDDs are really expensive right now (due to the flooding in Thailand).

ETA: That WDTV Live Hub is $150 right now at NewEgg using code EMCJJHJ72 at checkout. Best price I have seen on that device.

ETA2: The Boxee Box will do Netflix streaming quite well, but not Amazon Prime. Same goes for the WDTV Live Hub.

I got a Sony Media player recently on Amazon that I really like better than the WD Live deal which I also have.$50

 

[Zasada]

How do the WDTV Live Hub and Boxee Box connect to the TV, via HDMI? Does either have a separate output for digital audio? Am I right in thinking that the internet/network goes "into" these and then it is output to the TV via standard cables?

Yes to all of your questions.

 

[Zasada]

I got a Sony Media player recently on Amazon that I really like better than the WD Live deal which I also have.

$50

Yup, that's a good one since it can stream both Netflix and Amazon.The key to these media players is that all of them have some kind of format support hole. Once you decide which formats you really care about, then make sure that your player supports it.

For example, I really care about DVD ISOs and H264/MKV support (98% of my media is one of these two). Going forward, I want to be able to play BD ISOs as well, but only one of my streamers will do that.

And once you discover tvtorrents.com, you'll start watching most of your recorded TV that way (I only use live TV for sports now).

 

[cstu]

The Live Hub is awesome, especially now that they fixed some of the firmware problems.

 

[Dragons]

It may be better to wait for a BF deal, but in case anyone missed the Mushkin Shell Shocker: Patriot G series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 $29.99 AR

 

[Zasada]

Micro Center BF Ad.

You'll probably have to queue for these, so I don't think they're part of our build. But if you have some time to kill, some of the hot deals of note are:

Core i5 2500K $149 (not sure if this still works with the combo deal, if it does, I can't describe how crazy cheap this is)

Corsair 2x4GB DDR3 $25AR

I can't guarantee that this will work, but if you have a Micro Center nearby, order an i5 2500K CPU/mobo combo on Wednesday for in-store pickup. Then wait until BF and saunter-in anytime during the day to pick it up. When you pick it up, have them honor the $149 price on the CPU (since they were, in essence, saving it for you).

No idea if this will work, but if you feel like experimenting, it's worth a shot. If I had any need for a new gaming CPU and mobo (I don't), I'd be all over this.

Of note is that there are no vidcard deals and no HDD deals. The latter is understandable, but the former is really disappointing.

 

[Dragons]

It may be better to wait for a BF deal, but in case anyone missed the Mushkin Shell Shocker: Patriot G series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 $29.99 AR

Looks like these will be a Shell Shocker today at 1pm PST.

 

[Dragons]

It may be better to wait for a BF deal, but in case anyone missed the Mushkin Shell Shocker: Patriot G series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 $29.99 AR

Looks like these will be a Shell Shocker today at 1pm PST.

Oops, similar but not the same. These will be a Shell Shocker.

 

[Dragons]

Micro Center BF Ad.

You'll probably have to queue for these, so I don't think they're part of our build. But if you have some time to kill, some of the hot deals of note are:

Core 15 2500K $149 (not sure if this still works with the combo deal, if it does, I can't describe how crazy cheap this is)

Corsair 2x4GB DDR3 $25AR

I can't guarantee that this will work, but if you have a Micro Center nearby, order an i5 2500K CPU/mobo combo on Wednesday for in-store pickup. Then wait until BF and saunter-in anytime during the day to pick it up. When you pick it up, have them honor the $149 price on the CPU (since they were, in essence, saving it for you).

No idea if this will work, but if you feel like experimenting, it's worth a shot. If I had any need for a new gaming CPU and mobo (I don't), I'd be all over this.

Of note is that there are no vidcard deals and no HDD deals. The latter is understandable, but the former is really disappointing.

If the combo deal doesn't work, I may try to get a second one and sell it.

 

[Zasada]

Micro Center BF Ad.

You'll probably have to queue for these, so I don't think they're part of our build. But if you have some time to kill, some of the hot deals of note are:

Core 15 2500K $149 (not sure if this still works with the combo deal, if it does, I can't describe how crazy cheap this is)

Corsair 2x4GB DDR3 $25AR

I can't guarantee that this will work, but if you have a Micro Center nearby, order an i5 2500K CPU/mobo combo on Wednesday for in-store pickup. Then wait until BF and saunter-in anytime during the day to pick it up. When you pick it up, have them honor the $149 price on the CPU (since they were, in essence, saving it for you).

No idea if this will work, but if you feel like experimenting, it's worth a shot. If I had any need for a new gaming CPU and mobo (I don't), I'd be all over this.

Of note is that there are no vidcard deals and no HDD deals. The latter is understandable, but the former is really disappointing.

If the combo deal doesn't work, I may try to get a second one and sell it.

Yeah, I was considering the same thing on the ride into work this morning.

 

[Zasada]

Micro Center BF Ad.

You'll probably have to queue for these, so I don't think they're part of our build. But if you have some time to kill, some of the hot deals of note are:

Core 15 2500K $149 (not sure if this still works with the combo deal, if it does, I can't describe how crazy cheap this is)

Corsair 2x4GB DDR3 $25AR

I can't guarantee that this will work, but if you have a Micro Center nearby, order an i5 2500K CPU/mobo combo on Wednesday for in-store pickup. Then wait until BF and saunter-in anytime during the day to pick it up. When you pick it up, have them honor the $149 price on the CPU (since they were, in essence, saving it for you).

No idea if this will work, but if you feel like experimenting, it's worth a shot. If I had any need for a new gaming CPU and mobo (I don't), I'd be all over this.

Of note is that there are no vidcard deals and no HDD deals. The latter is understandable, but the former is really disappointing.

If the combo deal doesn't work, I may try to get a second one and sell it.

Yeah, I was considering the same thing on the ride into work this morning.

Hah, Micro Center is hip to this and has removed the ability to put an i5 2500K into one's cart for in-store pickup. Foiled again!

 

[BoltBacker]

Would this be a pretty good option for a Monitor/TV combo to game on or is 60hz a deal breaker for gaming...

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6087494&SRCCODE=GOOGLEBASE&cm_mmc_o=VRqCjC7BBTkwCjCECjCE

... I've seen some deals on it for ~$200 and it seems pretty tempting for a 1920x1200 display. Pretty solid reviews as well.

Is there a better Monitor/TV combo out there I'm missing?

 

[Zasada]

Would this be a pretty good option for a Monitor/TV combo to game on or is 60hz a deal breaker for gaming...http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6087494&SRCCODE=GOOGLEBASE&cm_mmc_o=VRqCjC7BBTkwCjCECjCE... I've seen some deals on it for ~$200 and it seems pretty tempting for a 1920x1200 display. Pretty solid reviews as well. Is there a better Monitor/TV combo out there I'm missing?

To be honest, I don't know much about gaming on TVs. But my 30" LCD Monitor is 60hz and it's fine. /shrug

 

[Pick]

Power

COOLER MASTER GX 450W RS450-ACAAD3-US 450W ATX12V v2.31 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

 

[Zasada]

This is a pretty good case for $60AR.

Big enough for high-end video cards.

Great airflow.

Easy-access HDD trays.

HSF mounting cutout behind the mobo plate.

Bottom-mounted PSU.

We might find a better value case over the next few days, but this is a good deal if you want to play it safe on a good case.

I have a cheaper Cooler Master case for my HTPC and it's very good and easy to work with.

 

[Pick]

What does it mean with ATX motherboard capability?

 

[Dragons]

What does it mean with ATX motherboard capability?

ATX, mATX and (I think) miniITX are sizes of motherboards, from large to small.

 

[Pick]

What does it mean with ATX motherboard capability?

ATX, mATX and (I think) miniITX are sizes of motherboards, from large to small.

So ATX is good then, right?

 

[Dragons]

What does it mean with ATX motherboard capability?

ATX, mATX and (I think) miniITX are sizes of motherboards, from large to small.

So ATX is good then, right?

yes, if the size of the case is not a concern, then an ATX case gives you the most flexibility.

 

[jamil]

Micro Center BF Ad.

You'll probably have to queue for these, so I don't think they're part of our build. But if you have some time to kill, some of the hot deals of note are:

Core 15 2500K $149 (not sure if this still works with the combo deal, if it does, I can't describe how crazy cheap this is)

Corsair 2x4GB DDR3 $25AR

I can't guarantee that this will work, but if you have a Micro Center nearby, order an i5 2500K CPU/mobo combo on Wednesday for in-store pickup. Then wait until BF and saunter-in anytime during the day to pick it up. When you pick it up, have them honor the $149 price on the CPU (since they were, in essence, saving it for you).

No idea if this will work, but if you feel like experimenting, it's worth a shot. If I had any need for a new gaming CPU and mobo (I don't), I'd be all over this.

Of note is that there are no vidcard deals and no HDD deals. The latter is understandable, but the former is really disappointing.

If the combo deal doesn't work, I may try to get a second one and sell it.

Yeah, I was considering the same thing on the ride into work this morning.

Hah, Micro Center is hip to this and has removed the ability to put an i5 2500K into one's cart for in-store pickup. Foiled again!

haven't been able to go to microcenter yet... was planning on going this weekend. Is there a way to get the CPU/MOBO deal online still for store pickup. When I add it to my cart on the site.. it rings up separately with the $149 price and $109 for the mobo.

 

[cstu]

Frys Corsair 12GB DDR3 1600MHZ 1.5V - $29.99 AR + $2.99 Shipping