Hardware What Hardware Should I Buy? - Nov 2009

Do you guys recommend holding off till Xmass or even till after Xmass with buying equipment for a gaming machine? Seems to me prices are not likely to fall and I might as well just buy it all now?

 

That Gaming Workhorse set up looks like what i need and its quite cheap. Couple of Questions though.
1) I really wanna get the Antec 902 will the Titan Fenrir fit in it or will i have to cut some of the motherboard side panel?
2)You listed the Intel i7 920 d0 but its the OEM one, whats the difference between the retail and OEM ?
3) I really would like to get the Be Quiet Dark Power Pro 650W PSU but as you said they seem to be not stocking these anymore. When do you think the new ones will be released?

 

The 4870 sells for $20 less than the GTX 260 here, they've been as low as $120 on sale.. Just not sure about recommending the GTX 260 over it when the performance is pretty much the same. I guess the GTX 260 is quieter..

Also, the Antec Big Boy is a 200mm fan, not a 120mm as mentioned multiple times.

I lol'd at the lack of a high end graphics card, but thanks for the great article.

 

Oem has no fan is mainand only dif

 

And just to let you all know if that free delivery code for CCL still works when you spend over £50? It's BIT50 so quote it

 

It's maybe worth mentioning that in the UK, the VAT will go from 15% to 17.5% as of 1st Jan 2010. Things are going to get more expensive...at least in Ripoff Britain.

 

Fenrir in Antec 902

I have a Fenrir on the Antec 900 on a Gigabyte S1366 board, so I'd be surprised if it doesn't fit the 902. It's not a particularly tight fit as far as I recall, but it is my server, so I haven't opened it up in a while.

 

Given the choice of performance AND quietness (budget isn't an issue) would the Noctua NH-U12P still be better than the Titan Fenrir?

 

Get the Fenrir and a quieter fan? Still cheaper.

 

docodine 10th November 2009, 22:26
The 4870 sells for $20 less than the GTX 260 here, they've been as low as $120 on sale.. Just not sure about recommending the GTX 260 over it when the performance is pretty much the same. I guess the GTX 260 is quieter..

^ This

I'm consistently surprised by the GTX260 recommendation for the Enthusiast overclocker system on both the website and in CPC. In the UK a HD4890 can be had for as low as £127-£130, and although a reference card it offers superior performance to the GTX. I realise there are other considerations to be taken into account, but I'd still recommend the 4890 as a better buy in the UK market.

 

4890 for 127 were? Cheapest I found was around £140

 

Rollo: at Scan, powercolor for £126.96. Its currently out of stock, but then so is the recommended GTX260 @ £125, so its a moot point. I bought an XFX version a couple of months ago for a similar price too, but prices seem to have increased since the shortage on the 58** series.

 

Regarding the 'Affordable All-rounder', Ebuyer now has a 4870 for less than a pound more than the listed 4850. But then you'd need to beef-up the PSU...
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/169206

 

Nice find! But a 512MB though. I'd really want a 1GB 4870 to make use of the extra umpf.

The Scan 4890 has always been out of stock when I checked, but at the time of writing the GTX 260 was in stock.

 

Thanks dude.

 

Meh...after Xmas is before CeBit

Usually:
After Xmas prices will fall, stabilize till CeBit and then, about 2-3 Pricedrops after CeBit, will remain relatively stable still end of summer.

If somebody drops the bomb unexpectedly (see Ati this year) prices become turbulent even during late summer.

Short: wait if you can, but at some point, draw the line and buy. And whatever you buy, it'l be worth less afterward. Live with it.

 

Basically this article is saying: This is a terrible time to build a new computer.

 

"The Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 1GB Vapor-X might not equate to HD 5850 performance and its latest features, so we really recommend you wait it out, however if you must get something in this price range the quiet Sapphire is a decent choice."

How is the 5850 in the same price range? Unless I'm missing something here... in the US the 5850 is around $300 which is over $100 more.

 

Hi guys. No pressure, but half the month has already gone by. Can we please have the December edition up soon? I refuse to buy my PC without relying on your expert advice.

 

There's no December issue sorry, it's too late already and we've been working hard for Christmas content and the run up to launches at the start of Jan.