Computer Building Help

[Manason]

As far as overclocking, you could overclock both. However, overclocking is not "covered" under warranty, so if it is damaged from say too much voltage, you are screwed. That, and given I would not recommend it to someone unless they have some tech savvy. However, both cards are likely to overclock some, but the 460 I linked to is overclocked so much over a standard 460, you probably do not need to overclock it. Especially compared to the performance you would get from the 550 Ti.

But get what you want, it is your money.

Actually overclocking is covered by warranty, even if you do burn it out, EVGA will still replace it and overclocking the 550 TI will be better, not to mention that either card will work fine for pretty much anything he wants to do.

http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.aspx?m=307323&mpage=1

 

[I'm your huckleberry]

That is impressive by evga to cover overvolting the card. Did not know that. However, the 550 Ti will not be able to touch the 460 I have suggested, and that is without overclocking the 460 any more. Depending on what games he plays, a 550 Ti will not be more than enough. If he simply plays source games, then yes. If he plays newer games, he can expect lower quality results. But for the cost of the upgrade (at least when I posted it) to a much better card, it is worth it for future proofing down the road. I am sure it will come down in price once again with new cards being released soon.

 

[bdc3141]

I don't think there's anything wrong with what you've got, but I would have to recommend a step up to the Nvidia 560. I'd also recommend a slightly higher power supply.
In my experience, it's cheaper in the long-run to buy nicer stuff up front. Then you won't have to upgrade as much.

 

[runo]

I don't think there's anything wrong with what you've got, but I would have to recommend a step up to the Nvidia 560. I'd also recommend a slightly higher power supply.
In my experience, it's cheaper in the long-run to buy nicer stuff up front. Then you won't have to upgrade as much.

It's not the 560 that is really a step-up; he'd want the 560 Ti for a noticeable improvement in that case. The 460 and 560 are almost the exact same card without enough changes/improvements to warrant the price jump, IMHO, so the 460 that huck recommended should work just fine (I have a lesser version of the card he recommended and run a lot of games maxed out or on very high).

He also doesn't need a better power supply for a 460 ( or even a 560, or 560 Ti). He could technically SLI a pair of those cards, if he wanted to, and still have plenty of wiggle room. Power supplies are less about the wattage and more about things like amperage, certification, and component quality, IMO.

 

[pichael]

Hey guys, I got all the parts, put everything together, and it all fits. However, I connect the monitor and nothing shows up. Not even the BIOS. Help!

 

[I'm your huckleberry]

So the actual computer is definitely on? You just are not getting a signal to the monitor? Or it seems like the tower is shutting off? If it is the former, try adjusting the input of your monitor.

 

[pichael]

Everything works. When I turn on the computer the fans spin and it makes a very nice whirring noise. But when I plug in the monitor nothing. Ive tried adjusting it. I asked my friend, he told me to take out the video card, so I did, and still nothing. Could it be because I didn't plug in one of the internal cables?

 

[Snipeye]

Everything works. When I turn on the computer the fans spin and it makes a very nice whirring noise. But when I plug in the monitor nothing. Ive tried adjusting it. I asked my friend, he told me to take out the video card, so I did, and still nothing. Could it be because I didn't plug in one of the internal cables?

Definitely a possibility.

If you remove the video card, and plug the monitor in to connect to the motherboard, and it's still not showing up on the screen, you forgot to connect something to the motherboard. Recheck the cables and connections. If you have everything properly connected, you should see at least a POST screen.