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[kennah]

First round of Benchmarks - Pre drivers. Installing 13.1 right now.

2013-01-26 21:53:44 - Diablo III
Frames: 12007 - Time: 180000ms - Avg: 66.706 - Min: 0 - Max: 99

2013-01-26 22:11:06 - heaven
Frames: 9394 - Time: 180000ms - Avg: 52.189 - Min: 31 - Max: 69

2013-01-26 22:19:14 - 3DMark11Workload1
Frames: 508 - Time: 31328ms - Avg: 16.216 - Min: 12 - Max: 44

2013-01-26 22:33:38 - Borderlands2
Frames: 3071 - Time: 60000ms - Avg: 51.183 - Min: 6 - Max: 69

and

P3316 with AMD Radeon HD 6850(1x) and Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6600

Heaven Benchmark v3.0 Basic

FPS: 53.1
Scores: 1337
Min FPS: 23.9
Max FPS: 100.7


Fancy graphs to follow (don't have excel on this computer). Back in a bit with 13.1 results.

 

[Hawk269]

Need some help. My girlfriend moved in with me tonight and she has a macbook laptop and is using Safari for Web Browsing. She was able to connect to my home network using the provided password I gave her. She is able to get on the net and go the majority of her websites with no issues, however, Facebook, Yahoo and Comcast.net etc. will just not load. We reset her computer and the same issues and only with these websites.

Prior to moving in with me she had Comcast Cable which is the same ISP that I use. I have used her laptop at her place and was able to visit these sites with no issues, but here at my place they just sit trying to load until she gets an error that page does not load. When this happens, I am able to go to those sites on my laptop connected to the same router etc.

Can anyone provide any ideas on how to fix this?

Thanks!

 

[Dynamic3]

I just got an 840 Pro (256GB) and after a fresh W8 install I'm already at less than 200GB left. Is this normal?

 

[mkenyon]

I just got an 840 Pro (256GB) and after a fresh W8 install I'm already at less than 200GB left. Is this normal?

Check out the stuff about SSDs in the OP.

 

[Dynamic3]

Check out the stuff about SSDs in the OP.

I don't really see anything that indicates if starting with over 40gb used is normal.

 

[CharpyImpact]

Hi All,

So I am in the process of setting up my PC so I can use it to play it both on a computer screen with 5.1 headphones using optical audio and use it with my TV as the screen and an Xbox controller using optical audio. I don't want to manually keep changing cables from the PC screen to the TV screen and from my mixer to my TV's audio system. What is the best way to switch back and forth? I haven't found a good switch to do this. Anyone have any suggestions or know of a better way to do this?

Thanks.

Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[mkenyon]

I don't really see anything that indicates if starting with over 40gb used is normal.

Hibernate and Page File probably taking up a big chunk of that. I assume you have a large amount of RAM?

Any ideas? Thanks.

Have dedicated outputs for both?

 

[Dynamic3]

Hibernate and Page File probably taking up a big chunk of that. I assume you have a large amount of RAM?

Have dedicated outputs for both?

8gb RAM.

 

[kennah]

Ok! AMD 13.1 is in. Let's see the results. Again, this is not 100% scientific, but interesting.

Heaven Benchmark v3.0 Basic

FPS: 53.2
Scores: 1339
Min FPS: 24.7
Max FPS: 100.7

3DMark11
P3326 with AMD Radeon HD 6850(1x) and Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6600

2013-01-26 23:15:51 - 3DMark11Workload1
Frames: 508 - Time: 31234ms - Avg: 16.264 - Min: 12 - Max: 39

2013-01-26 23:26:34 - heaven
Frames: 9342 - Time: 180000ms - Avg: 51.900 - Min: 10 - Max: 69

2013-01-26 22:42:20 - Borderlands2
Frames: 3196 - Time: 60000ms - Avg: 53.267 - Min: 35 - Max: 69

2013-01-26 23:02:41 - Diablo III
Frames: 10518 - Time: 180000ms - Avg: 58.433 - Min: 0 - Max: 98



My minimum frames went WAY up in Borderlands 2. Subjectively everything 'feels' a little smoother, and there was a teeny tiny bump across the board in performance. I'll see what I can do with this MOUNTAIN of data mkenyon had me collect.

But my conclusion is - the drivers didn't turn my 6850 into a 6870, but they didn't make things worse.

 

[Typographenia]

Not sure if this really belongs here, so pardon me if it doesn't.

I have a friend that is looking to buy a pretty good workstation for doing animation (maya/after effects) and artwork primarily. Any recommendations for a complete package? Price doesn't really matter, apparently, but a reasonable cost would be great.

 

[kennah]

Depends on the software. Read the OP and look at the higher end builds. But for GPU go with what is recommended by the software they use most.

 

[CharpyImpact]

Ok! AMD 13.1 is in. Let's see the results. Again, this is not 100% scientific, but interesting.

Heaven Benchmark v3.0 Basic

FPS: 53.2
Scores: 1339
Min FPS: 24.7
Max FPS: 100.7

3DMark11
P3326 with AMD Radeon HD 6850(1x) and Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6600

2013-01-26 23:15:51 - 3DMark11Workload1
Frames: 508 - Time: 31234ms - Avg: 16.264 - Min: 12 - Max: 39

2013-01-26 23:26:34 - heaven
Frames: 9342 - Time: 180000ms - Avg: 51.900 - Min: 10 - Max: 69

2013-01-26 22:42:20 - Borderlands2
Frames: 3196 - Time: 60000ms - Avg: 53.267 - Min: 35 - Max: 69

2013-01-26 23:02:41 - Diablo III
Frames: 10518 - Time: 180000ms - Avg: 58.433 - Min: 0 - Max: 98



My minimum frames went WAY up in Borderlands 2. Subjectively everything 'feels' a little smoother, and there was a teeny tiny bump across the board in performance. I'll see what I can do with this MOUNTAIN of data mkenyon had me collect.

But my conclusion is - the drivers didn't turn my 6850 into a 6870, but they didn't make things worse.

Try it with the Beta 13.2 drivers. I understand that they helped significantly with the draw latency issue. My Skyrim works a LOT better.

 

[Momentary]

I love Aqua-Computer but their radiators aren't that special performance/value wise. Nice design though. And if you're gonna spend the $$$ anyway just get the best looking fan controller in business

900D looks like a great case though, going by the youtube interview with the designer I agreed with him on a lot of points regarding (watercooling) functionality despite not being the biggest fan of Corsair case aesthetics

Wow. That fan controller looks really slick. If I were to go with one that would definitely be it. But I might go with mkenyon's suggestion about gettin 1200rpm fans. Now if I could somehow hide the fan controller when it's not in use I might do it.

But about Aqua-Computer's radiators, I'm basically paying more for the aesthetics. That's fine due to the color scheme that I'm going with for all the internal parts.

 

[mkenyon]

Ok! AMD 13.1 is in. Let's see the results. Again, this is not 100% scientific, but interesting.

Heaven Benchmark v3.0 Basic

FPS: 53.2
Scores: 1339
Min FPS: 24.7
Max FPS: 100.7

3DMark11
P3326 with AMD Radeon HD 6850(1x) and Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6600

2013-01-26 23:15:51 - 3DMark11Workload1
Frames: 508 - Time: 31234ms - Avg: 16.264 - Min: 12 - Max: 39

2013-01-26 23:26:34 - heaven
Frames: 9342 - Time: 180000ms - Avg: 51.900 - Min: 10 - Max: 69

2013-01-26 22:42:20 - Borderlands2
Frames: 3196 - Time: 60000ms - Avg: 53.267 - Min: 35 - Max: 69

2013-01-26 23:02:41 - Diablo III
Frames: 10518 - Time: 180000ms - Avg: 58.433 - Min: 0 - Max: 98



My minimum frames went WAY up in Borderlands 2. Subjectively everything 'feels' a little smoother, and there was a teeny tiny bump across the board in performance. I'll see what I can do with this MOUNTAIN of data mkenyon had me collect.

But my conclusion is - the drivers didn't turn my 6850 into a 6870, but they didn't make things worse.

On the frametimes, you will want to subtract the value of the previous cell from the current cell. So lets say you are on B2 (for the result), the formula is =sum(A2-A1). Then just copy that, and then paste it on all the cells next to the frame times, but select 'paste special - formula'.

I hope this makes sense, if not, please let me know.

*edit*

For 99th percentile frame time, do =Percentile(XY:XZ, .99), whee Y and Z is the range of the data you put together.

For finding frames over a certain frametime, use =countif(XY:XZ, ">16.7"). I find 16.7, and 33.3 are good for graphics hogs. 11.1 as well for titles where maintaining a very high frame rate is necessary.

 

[rohlfinator]

I just got an 840 Pro (256GB) and after a fresh W8 install I'm already at less than 200GB left. Is this normal?

Keep in mind that Windows reports drive capacity in binary gigabytes whereas the drive manufacturer lists the capacity in decimal gigabytes, which are 1.074x larger. My "240 GB" SSD is listed in Windows as 223 GB, for example.

 

[NoRéN]

Keep in mind that Windows reports drive capacity in binary gigabytes whereas the drive manufacturer lists the capacity in decimal gigabytes, which are 1.074x larger. My "240 GB" SSD is listed in Windows as 223 GB, for example.

Well, mystery solved. I too have a 240gb ssd

 

[sorijealut]

Excited about 13.1.
Gonna try running some games right now

edit: nvm confused 13.1 with upcoming 13.2

 

[mrklaw]

I sent a PM but prior to reading this. I will have to raise it but am open to having it as an in-take.



The black is nice. Will take a few pics in a minute as the wife is done with Vita.

Put the PSU with the intake at the bottom, and the exhaust to the rear. That way it is a closed loop and the PSU fan only has to cool itself, and it isn't exhausting any hot air into the case so the rest of your system only has to worry about itself too.

Any preferred brand for case fans? I have an Enermax Ostrog case that came with a rear fan pre-installed and it seems to work well, but I'm not sure if I'd be better off replacing it with a different fan.

And thanks for the responses. Will be picking up the Hyper 212 before I leave

Do you want performance or quietness? I wanted quiet in my case and went for noctua case fans. Didn't bother with a fan controller, just ran them all on the low noise adapters at a constant speed.

 

[Dynamic3]

Keep in mind that Windows reports drive capacity in binary gigabytes whereas the drive manufacturer lists the capacity in decimal gigabytes, which are 1.074x larger. My "240 GB" SSD is listed in Windows as 223 GB, for example.

Well, mystery solved. I too have a 240gb ssd

I already accounted for that, my 256 has a capacity of 238.5.

On another note, does hibernating even apply to a desktop?

 

[Akai__]

For those interested, the Crysis 3 Beta starts on the 29th(in 2 days). It will be available on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. From what I've seen so far, the game looks awesome.

---

Also, I can't find these logos for the Bitfenix Shinobi XL, which you can switch on the front of the case, like the mesh-stripes. All I found, were the logos for the mid-tower Shinobi, but are they compatible to the Shinobi XL?

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Not sure if it's been said but Microcenter is having a really good sale tomorrow on processors and motherboards. I saved 30 bucks on each personally. http://tinyurl.com/bkqvbtb

Nice prices. Pity none of them are for a 3930k.

While we're on the subject of Microcenter, is there any local gaffers near a store that would be able to pick up a SB-E cpu in store? I seen them for 420 in store but I am nowhere near that. Would gladly pay for shipping and a little overhead for the trouble.

Looking to shave costs on the Sabertooth x79 and 3930k. PM me if interested and we can flesh out the details.

I be back around 5-6pm EST.

 

[Ty4on]

Use FRAFS bench viewer to open the frame times spreadsheet. It'll calculate everything in no time, takes me less than a second to open this bench with almost 50000 frames. Seems like the limit is 30000 frames, but that's still over 10 minutes

Edit: And I just found the "copy image to clipboard" button... T.T

 

[kennah]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll update and try beta 13.2

 

[kharma45]

Now I'm tempted to start doing benches with my PC to measure fps, latency etc.

Could be good if we got a wide range of hardware benches done to simulate real world components working together.

Just threw this together quickly for Sleeping Dogs

Some huge spikes

 

[Ty4on]

Now I'm tempted to start doing benches with my PC to measure fps, latency etc.

Could be good if we got a wide range of hardware benches done to simulate real world components working together.

Just threw this together quickly for Sleeping Dogs

Some huge spikes

Spikes seem to happen with every game, but don't bother me that much. Thick lines with the frame time constantly changing however makes the game feel really jerky.

This is how Skyrim used to look. Cut the top because there was one 466ms which possibly showed up because a cutscene ended, but either way it felt really laggy.

 

[Souther]

I'd like to see some comparisons between Nvidia's 306.97 driver and the 310.XX driver.

Anyone?

I've seen a lot of people complaining that the 310.XX giving them alot of problems.

 

[kennah]

How do you do the record demo thing so it will play back the same situation? And bench from there?

 

[memecomplex]

I'd like to see some comparisons between Nvidia's 306.97 driver and the 310.XX driver.

Anyone?

I've seen a lot of people complaining that the 310.XX giving them alot of problems.

I reinstalled the 310.XX WHQL drivers and while they boot up fine now it'll still causing major artifacting on Hawken... blah!

 

[n0n44m]

Wow. That fan controller looks really slick. If I were to go with one that would definitely be it. But I might go with mkenyon's suggestion about gettin 1200rpm fans. Now if I could somehow hide the fan controller when it's not in use I might do it.

But about Aqua-Computer's radiators, I'm basically paying more for the aesthetics. That's fine due to the color scheme that I'm going with for all the internal parts.

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...ontroller_Liquid_System_Controller_53095.html

same version without a display, you can just stick it somewhere in your case and control from software

 

[Souther]

I reinstalled the 310.XX WHQL drivers and while they boot up fine now it'll still causing major artifacting on Hawken... blah!

That sucks.

It looks like my question was answered concerning performance graphs as HardOCP have a
Nvidia Driver Performance Review up on their site.

They say 310.70 is the all around best driver but I've heard alot of people complain about it. Maybe I will just stick with 306.97 for now.

 

[Koroviev]

I would know if the Hyper 212 isn't seated properly, right? I'm 99% sure that I installed it correctly and my temperatures seem fine (same ~30C idle temp as before but very little increase when playing games), but it was definitely a different installation process from that of the stock cooler.

 

[Ty4on]

I would know if the Hyper 212 isn't seated properly, right? I'm 99% sure that I installed it correctly and my temperatures seem fine (same ~30C idle temp as before but very little increase when playing games), but it was definitely a different installation process from that of the stock cooler.

Don't have any experience with the 212 other than knowing it is kinda complicated and not at all like the Intel cooler.

 

[Koroviev]

Don't have any experience with the 212 other than knowing it is kinda complicated and not at all like the Intel cooler.

It's not! It's a behemoth. And the instructions are terrible. But there are YouTube tutorials and picture guides, so I survived.

 

[Shambles]

Any ideas? Thanks.

Run audio and video to the TV over HDMI and to your PC with DVI and optical?

 

[Necrovex]

I am looking at upgrading my CPU in March. I want to hear some opinions on whether upgrading from this CPU to this CPU will have any true significance?

Also, would I need to upgrade my MOBO if I got that AMD processor? This is my current MOBO.

 

[Anton668]

intel / AMD do not mix

 

[Koroviev]

I am looking at upgrading my CPU in March. I want to hear some opinions on whether upgrading from this CPU to this CPU will have any true significance?

Also, would I need to upgrade my MOBO if I got that AMD processor? This is my current MOBO.

I would stick with the recommendations in the OP. Haven't seen anyone championing the current line of AMD processors. Stick with Intel.

 

[TimHortons]

I would stick with the recommendations in the OP. Haven't seen anyone championing the current line of AMD processors. Stick with Intel.

There's some recent videos that have some pretty convincing data on the 8350 vs. 3750
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4et7kDGSRfc

 

[mere_immortal]

Is it worth switching out my planned Vertex 4 for an 840 pro?

Been reading some things about poor reliability with the OCZ drives, but as with anything it could just be the worst experiences standing out the most.

 

[BlastProcessing]

I am looking at upgrading my CPU in March. I want to hear some opinions on whether upgrading from this CPU to this CPU will have any true significance?

Also, would I need to upgrade my MOBO if I got that AMD processor? This is my current MOBO.

Yes, you would need a new motherboard. For motherboard compatibility look at the socket type. Your current board and CPU are LGA 1366. The AMD 8350 is AM3+. If you upgraded to an intel CPU you would also need a new board. Intel currently uses LGA 1155 in their consumer parts.

A good, quick way to get a rough sketch of CPU performance is Anandtech's CPU bench

These benchmarks don't tell the whole story but they are a good place to start. The 8350 is a good CPU and a great deal. But the intel i5's are very good especially for gaming.

That said, your CPU seems fine for now. You could probably better spend your money upgrading other things. What do you do with your PC? How does it feel slow?

 

[Koroviev]

Any reason why the OP recommendations jump straight from the 7850 to the 7950/660ti? Are the 660 and the 7870 not considered to be worthwhile options? I have the TFIII 7850, but I almost feel like I compromised too much on the card (I'm using a single 1080p monitor fwiw). PC upgrading is a very addictive pursuit...


Edit: 256gb 840 Pro is back to being $320 on Newegg...$200 was an even better deal than I had realized. Thought the drive was $250 normally.

 

[Necrovex]

Yes, you would need a new motherboard. For motherboard compatibility look at the socket type. Your current board and CPU are LGA 1366. The AMD 8350 is AM3+. If you upgraded to an intel CPU you would also need a new board. Intel currently uses LGA 1155 in their consumer parts.

A good, quick way to get a rough sketch of CPU performance is Anandtech's CPU bench

These benchmarks don't tell the whole story but they are a good place to start. The 8350 is a good CPU and a great deal. But the intel i5's are very good especially for gaming.

That said, your CPU seems fine for now. You could probably better spend your money upgrading other things. What do you do with your PC? How does it feel slow?

I used my PC for gaming, and I have been very interested in getting to emulation (Dolphin and the PS2 emulator), which I know is very CPU-heavy. It seems like my I7 is unable to get the job done anymore (Xenoblade is unable to stay at a 100% speed; I tend to hit around 70% on average). I have started to see some speed and graphical issues with my current crop of games. Like I have notice DMC hitting some slowdowns as I play it (the framerate isn't the issue according to FRAPS).

I am waiting for the next-gen to appear before I upgrade my GPU (the 570 has been great so far, so I am not too concern with that upgrade). I appreciate the write up too!

I would stick with the recommendations in the OP. Haven't seen anyone championing the current line of AMD processors. Stick with Intel.

I was slightly skeptical about AMD, so I'll gladly stay with Intel. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[minasodaboy]

Help me gaf! Is this a good deal for a photo/video editing PC that will be used for games?

http://www.costco.com/Dell-XPS-8500-Desktop,-Intel®-Core™-i7-3770-3.4GHz.product.100010262.html

$999.99
Dell XPS 8500
i7-3770
2TB 7200rpm HDDD
16GB DDR3 1600Mhz
GT 620 (Will be upgraded someday)
Comes with Office 2010 (which I need)
Dell 23" S2340M IPS Monitor
Windows 8 (I REALLY don't wan this)

I would prefer a custom built PC, but I think this is a pretty good deal. How upgradeable is this down the line? Can I get rid of Windows 8?

Please talk me out of this!

 

[Koroviev]

Help me gaf! Is this a good deal for a photo/video editing PC that will be used for games?

http://www.costco.com/Dell-XPS-8500-Desktop,-Intel®-Core™-i7-3770-3.4GHz.product.100010262.html

$999.99
Dell XPS 8500
i7-3770
2TB 7200rpm HDDD
16GB DDR3 1600Mhz
GT 620 (Will be upgraded someday)
Comes with Office 2010 (which I need)
Dell 23" S2340M IPS Monitor
Windows 8 (I REALLY don't wan this)

I would prefer a custom built PC, but I think this is a pretty good deal. How upgradeable is this down the line? Can I get rid of Windows 8?

Please talk me out of this!

No SSD, terrible video card (typical), and you don't want the OS. I would pass. Not a fan of that case, either. Also, the brand isn't identified for most of the parts, so the PSU could be worthless and other parts could be less than ideal.

 

[Horse Detective]

Do most people only buy an SSD for their operating system?

 

[Akai__]

Help me gaf! Is this a good deal for a photo/video editing PC that will be used for games?

http://www.costco.com/Dell-XPS-8500-Desktop,-Intel®-Core™-i7-3770-3.4GHz.product.100010262.html

$999.99
Dell XPS 8500
i7-3770
2TB 7200rpm HDDD
16GB DDR3 1600Mhz
GT 620 (Will be upgraded someday)
Comes with Office 2010 (which I need)
Dell 23" S2340M IPS Monitor
Windows 8 (I REALLY don't wan this)

I would prefer a custom built PC, but I think this is a pretty good deal. How upgradeable is this down the line? Can I get rid of Windows 8?

Please talk me out of this!

I would buy it and then try to sell it for arround 1200-1500$.

Do most people only buy an SSD for their operating system?

I bought it for my capture card and because my 1TB HDD was broken. But, I guess people buy them for OS and for some games.

 

[Koroviev]

Do most people only buy an SSD for their operating system?

I'm not sure about most people, but I like having one for everything but data. I keep the OS + all of the programs that I actively use, including games, on the SSD. The speed of SSDs scales with the capacity (i.e., 64GB drives are generally much slower than their 240/256GB counterparts).

 

[Horse Detective]

I'm not sure about most people, but I like having one for everything but data. I keep the OS + all of the programs that I actively use, including games, on the SSD.

What size is yours?

I am just trying to get an idea of how big it would have to be to hold the OS and a bunch of games/apps.

 

[Koroviev]

What size is yours?

I am just trying to get an idea of how big it would have to be to hold the OS and a bunch of games/apps.

Oh dear....well, I started out with a 120GB Corsair drive about two weeks ago, then read that the controller was a disaster waiting to happen, so I switched to the reliable 128GB Crucial M4 drive. It was fine...but it was too small. Realizing that 240/256GB SSDs were only marginally more expensive, I decided to upgrade to the 250GB Samsung 840 non-pro. I thought that was it, but then yesterday Newegg had the 256GB Samsung 840 Pro for a mere $200, so I went and exchanged my non-Pro drive for the Pro version. And now I'm done. I think <:T

I should note that I like keeping a small library of games installed and that I find swapping them out frequently to be rather annoying.

Edit: Hmm, well I'm going to venture a guess that I did actually manage to install the Hyper 212 correctly...CPU currently idling at 26C and it's not even especially cold today <:>

Only complaint is that having two fans mounted to it + a rear case fan set to high is kind of loud....the sound of thermal success

 

[BlastProcessing]

I used my PC for gaming, and I have been very interested in getting to emulation (Dolphin and the PS2 emulator), which I know is very CPU-heavy. It seems like my I7 is unable to get the job done anymore (Xenoblade is unable to stay at a 100% speed; I tend to hit around 70% on average). I have started to see some speed and graphical issues with my current crop of games. Like I have notice DMC hitting some slowdowns as I play it (the framerate isn't the issue according to FRAPS).

I am waiting for the next-gen to appear before I upgrade my GPU (the 570 has been great so far, so I am not too concern with that upgrade). I appreciate the write up too!



I was slightly skeptical about AMD, so I'll gladly stay with Intel. Thanks for the heads up.

The 8350 only outperforms the i5 on heavily multithreaded applications really. Single thread performance is more important with emulation. (at least with Dolphin and PS2) So I would definitely go with the venerable i5 3570k.