Gaming PC building regrets!! =^{
- Thread starter Cimarron
- Start date
Same here. It did its job fine at 1440x900 but at 1080p it kinda struggles.
RedSoxFan9
Banned
Not going custom water cooling sooner.
R4's are amazing and I don't give a crap if people call people who use them fanboys. It's super modular, has great airflow and doesn't break the bank.
Also Lian Li makes some amazing looking cases if you're willing to shell out for them.
I mean comon.... look at this.
December 2010, I decide to build a PC to replace the one I had used since 2005, but I was kinda lazy so I put it off for a month.
Exactly one month later when I start deciding what parts to get, the Sandy Bridge recall occurred. And rather than wait a few weeks for them to come back in stock... I went with an AMD Phenom II X6 1090T instead. So now I'm stuck with this motherboard whose socket was dead when I purchased it until 2016 or so, because I don't want to upgrade before 5 years are up, especially since I would basically have to rebuild it completely.
Exactly one month later when I start deciding what parts to get, the Sandy Bridge recall occurred. And rather than wait a few weeks for them to come back in stock... I went with an AMD Phenom II X6 1090T instead. So now I'm stuck with this motherboard whose socket was dead when I purchased it until 2016 or so, because I don't want to upgrade before 5 years are up, especially since I would basically have to rebuild it completely.
TC McQueen
Member
Using a GTX560 Ti 448 in my current rig. Don't get me wrong, it works, but I'm desperately awaiting news about the high end 800 cards so I can upgrade as soon as possible.
Gully State
Member
My PC build is almost 6 years old at this point and it still runs everything I throw at it (Core 2 Quad + 5850). 30-60 FPS @1080p (of course I can't crank up features like ambient occlusion but whatever).
No real regrets, but buying the "enthusiast-thread" 1366 socket type with an i7-920 stings from the longevity/what I paid end. "Enthusiasts should pay the extra and go this direction" they said, "we'll keep supporting it with our new generations of CPUs since it's such a powerful architecture" they said. 2 years later (or at least a little less than a year and a half after I "jumped in"), they finally launch a real leap in price/performance/lowered-powerdraw... on a whole new socket type. 5 years later and the only new processors they ended up adding were very slight step-up versions of the old ones, and the prices still hadn't gone down from launch. It's served me well, but in the past I would always get an extra year or two out of a PC with an upgraded CPU (usually something super powerful/server-grade on the cheap), and it looks like going forward I'm going to assume whatever option I choose from the launch lineup, that's what I'm sticking to for (and thus will determine) the lifetime of the system.
Cases I started going minimal on since my last build and swear by it but before that... yes, tricked out LED/window cases are actually an eyesore and if they aren't crazy expensive are really cheaply constructed.
Video cards on the other hand... that's just par for the course. In my experience it's almost always been if you want to stay on the "glorious master race" edge of PC gaming, getting a new upper-midend/lower-highend ($250-$400) card every 2 years is the way to go/minimum you'll need to do.
Cases I started going minimal on since my last build and swear by it but before that... yes, tricked out LED/window cases are actually an eyesore and if they aren't crazy expensive are really cheaply constructed.
Video cards on the other hand... that's just par for the course. In my experience it's almost always been if you want to stay on the "glorious master race" edge of PC gaming, getting a new upper-midend/lower-highend ($250-$400) card every 2 years is the way to go/minimum you'll need to do.
Dreamgazer
Member
Past Regrets:
-Pentium 4 3.0 Northwood - Heat and power (electricity) monster. Hyperthreading was half broken with most games at the time. Totally unnecessary
-Fan controllers (early 2000s) - overkill for my need.
-Asus Xonar DG soundcard - C-media drivers are a pain when they're corrupted.
-Blue LEDs
-AsRock Fatality motherboards. Overkill and ugly BIOS until patched:
Current build regrets:
Lian-Li cases and their Blue LEDs.
16GB ram is overkill.
OC 560ti SLI (should just upgrade.)
Not building a NAS
Not doing a silent build
I still fall for the gaming mouse bs even though I hardly ever need their features. (Logitech, please come out with a true sucessor to the MX1000!)
-Pentium 4 3.0 Northwood - Heat and power (electricity) monster. Hyperthreading was half broken with most games at the time. Totally unnecessary
-Fan controllers (early 2000s) - overkill for my need.
-Asus Xonar DG soundcard - C-media drivers are a pain when they're corrupted.
-Blue LEDs
-AsRock Fatality motherboards. Overkill and ugly BIOS until patched:
Current build regrets:
Lian-Li cases and their Blue LEDs.
16GB ram is overkill.
OC 560ti SLI (should just upgrade.)
Not building a NAS
Not doing a silent build
I still fall for the gaming mouse bs even though I hardly ever need their features. (Logitech, please come out with a true sucessor to the MX1000!)
michaelius
Banned
Phenom II X6 - junk topped at 3,7 Ghz overclock and performance sucked anyway
2x6850 CF- barely worked and when it worked games felt as choppy as with one card (12 months layter we learned why)
2x6850 CF- barely worked and when it worked games felt as choppy as with one card (12 months layter we learned why)
I kinda regret getting a i5 3750K processor, as while it's fuckawesome I feel in my gut that devs are going to be lazy shits about optimizing PC games for anything that's not a 8-core processor.
But aside from that everything is perfect. Well, my Seagate 4TB external harddrive just died. But whatevs.
But aside from that everything is perfect. Well, my Seagate 4TB external harddrive just died. But whatevs.
AMD 960T Phenoem X4 Black Edition
Radeon HD 6870
500 GB HDD
Cooler Master 690M II Case
I had it for two years and I filled up the hard drive pretty quickly, wish a got a biggest one.
Also when I first started I order a cheap power supply, it was DOA but I reorder it 3 times and the third time it almost lit on fire. I finally sprung for a Corsair.
MY biggest regret is bringing it to college. It just sits there and I don't have time while I study and I have no where to store it when the year ends I might just sell (my STEAM GAMEZ NOO)
Radeon HD 6870
500 GB HDD
Cooler Master 690M II Case
I had it for two years and I filled up the hard drive pretty quickly, wish a got a biggest one.
Also when I first started I order a cheap power supply, it was DOA but I reorder it 3 times and the third time it almost lit on fire. I finally sprung for a Corsair.
MY biggest regret is bringing it to college. It just sits there and I don't have time while I study and I have no where to store it when the year ends I might just sell (my STEAM GAMEZ NOO)
I can't believe people are saying they regretted buying a GTX570. I got two damn good years out of that card before deciding it was time to move on. Two years is an eternity in GPU land, and we're talking about a mid-tier / upper mid-tier card.
My personal regret - going with Sapphire for my 7970GE. Loud-ass cooler, fan died, terribad RMA process.
My personal regret - going with Sapphire for my 7970GE. Loud-ass cooler, fan died, terribad RMA process.
ToastyBanana
Member
Same here. I just dumped a Benq XL2420T for a Dell U2713HM. I really appreciated the hacked in dx9 support from Helix and pals but it was hardly ideal. With dx11 being the standard now and no 3D support from nvidia themselves, I'm done with 3D gaming now. I had thought about going for a g-sync monitor but it's been a while since I had a non-TN panel and it looks really noice!
MikeE21286
Member
Wow at the GTX570 hate.
I love this card. Still going strong for me. Not really feeling the pressure to upgrade yet at all.
My biggest regret was getting the 8800GTS 640 mb. I think I quickly upgraded to the 8800GT 512mb shortly thereafter.
I love this card. Still going strong for me. Not really feeling the pressure to upgrade yet at all.
My biggest regret was getting the 8800GTS 640 mb. I think I quickly upgraded to the 8800GT 512mb shortly thereafter.
dancrane212
Member
I should have gone in for a mothehrboard that used DDR3 ram. My 4gb of DDR2 looks to be the one big thing that will keep me from meeting Star Citizen's requirements.
It's the one "issue" I have with my desktop so it's hard to justifiy spending the crazy money on 8gb of DDR2 or picking up a new MB with DDR3.
Actually...thinking about it maybe I could replace my motherboard and use it + my old cpu as a HTPC (it's a microATX board). Something to think about.
It's the one "issue" I have with my desktop so it's hard to justifiy spending the crazy money on 8gb of DDR2 or picking up a new MB with DDR3.
Actually...thinking about it maybe I could replace my motherboard and use it + my old cpu as a HTPC (it's a microATX board). Something to think about.
Crimsonsky
Member
I should've purchased two Radeon 7970ghz Vapor-X 6gb's. I made 130 bucks profit off mine, and got to use it for a year.
Probably my only regret was getting a Razer Blackwidow two years ago.
The keyboard is fine and it feels great, but I think the spacing of the keys is off or something because I never hit the correct keys in the dark (no backlit).
I should upgrade to the ultimate version or try another brand.
The keyboard is fine and it feels great, but I think the spacing of the keys is off or something because I never hit the correct keys in the dark (no backlit).
I should upgrade to the ultimate version or try another brand.
Kind of agree. The only reason I got rid of mine at all was due to upgrading to a 120/144Hz monitor, so I needed something with a lot of kick.
On my current machine got a non k processor when I wanted a k. Still was able to overclock to a point I wanted to, just can't go as high as some of the 3570 are getting pushed. Took me a few builds to realize shitty ram and psu are nothing but trouble.
All in all less problems than most but here and there I get a few hiccups.
All in all less problems than most but here and there I get a few hiccups.
adamantypants
Member
The heatsink is complete overkill. Fits in my case but I don't over clock. I guess I'll use it in the future when my CPU starts lagging but until then it's really not doing much for my setup.
My MoBo isn't the best either. Should have spent more on MoBo and gotten a normal heatsink. O well, everything I throw at it runs great so I won't care for a while.
*Also regret how half assed I put this computer together w/ no regards to component safety. Everything worked out fine but I could have easily messed something up the way I put it together.
I never think heatsinks are overkill unless you regret the amount of money you put into it. There's always a positive to having your CPU run cooler. If it's already cool, then it just runs quietly.
As far as mobos, I regret my initial purchase. I bought the cheap Biostar Z87W board from the PC building OT and regretted it immediately. Broken Engrish and unintuitive UEFI made me ebay it pronto. I'm much happier with my MSI board.
crimsonheadGCN
Banned
Last year, I bought an HD 6850 for my new build. I have been an ATi fan a long time now and everything that they've announced recently just does not interest me. I wish I had gone with an nVidia card so I could used ShadowPlay and GeForce Experience.
Every Razer's mouse I have ever bought has died in about a couple of months use. I wouldn't call that a regret as such due to knowing what I was letting myself in for. I sent a 3600dpi Death Adder back about 4 times due to having appalling tracking issues but in the end just gave up with it and settled for a MX518 despite being left handed.
Only Razer's product that might not fall apart is their mouse mats and that's still a bit touch and go.
Guerrillas in the Mist
Member
Skimping on the case, against GAF's advice. Cable management is nigh on impossible, and this has caused a few issues.
phosphor112
Banned
Bought a GTX 780. A month later, AMD revealed their R7 and R9 cards. =[
OminoMichelin
Member
should have probably spent more on a modular PSU and a case with cable mangement, it's really a mess in there but oh well.
Fury Sense
Member
gtx460 still serving me well (cheapest card that runs directx 11), intel core 2 quad @ 2.33 is fine as well
the 8gb ram and ssd really helps
mobo is 7 years old though.
really enjoy the microATX, looking at mini-ITX for my next upgrade maybe holiday 2015
the 8gb ram and ssd really helps
mobo is 7 years old though.
really enjoy the microATX, looking at mini-ITX for my next upgrade maybe holiday 2015
Betta Lines
Member
Ideal Steam Machine.R4's are amazing and I don't give a crap if people call people who use them fanboys. It's super modular, has great airflow and doesn't break the bank.
Also Lian Li makes some amazing looking cases if you're willing to shell out for them.
I mean comon.... look at this.
Dictator93
Member
The heatsink is complete overkill. Fits in my case but I don't over clock. I guess I'll use it in the future when my CPU starts lagging but until then it's really not doing much for my setup.
My MoBo isn't the best either. Should have spent more on MoBo and gotten a normal heatsink. O well, everything I throw at it runs great so I won't care for a while.
*Also regret how half assed I put this computer together w/ no regards to component safety. Everything worked out fine but I could have easily messed something up the way I put it together.
noctua nh-d14? HNNNNNNNG
I have that thing and love it. Love it to death.
My regret? Not purchasing an R9 290x early, when they were close to MSRP. So, I'm missing some AAA games because my HD6870 is not good enough to pull 2560x1440 resolutions on those (and don't want to compromise with a lesser one).
(Missing ones: AC:Black Flag, BF4, Metro:Last light, Witcher 2)
The good thing is, that I'm focusing on completing old classsics at moment.
And of course, not being there for the initial Bitcoin rush. Guess most of us are.
(Missing ones: AC:Black Flag, BF4, Metro:Last light, Witcher 2)
The good thing is, that I'm focusing on completing old classsics at moment.
And of course, not being there for the initial Bitcoin rush. Guess most of us are.
Best decision ever. Jumped straight from a mammoth 23' CRT.
The only thing I regret is 500GB HDD.I got over 170 games on Steam in 6 months and I don't have space for most of them.
It's not like 770GTX can achieve stable 60fps in BF4
My GTX 770 gets 70+Fps without a problem.
That is exactly what I'd imagine an 80 year old PC gamer's case would look.
Piercedveil
Member
Only thing I can think of is getting a gtx 760 2 gb rather than 4 gb.
However, I don't think I'll have this card long enough for it to be an issue. The only thing I play currently that uses tons of vram is modded Skyrim.
However, I don't think I'll have this card long enough for it to be an issue. The only thing I play currently that uses tons of vram is modded Skyrim.
Singleplayer or multiplayer (I'm hoping single)
alexandros
Banned
Well I regretted buying a Cyrix processor back in the day :-D
fuzzylogic
Member
I built in June 2013.
Wish I had gone for a small form factor build instead of a mid tower. That would have been useful for the 2-4 LAN parties I attend yearly, and all I would have had to sacrifice is my sound card. My case, Fractal Design R4, is great though and was amazing to build in, it's just large and heavy.
Kinda wish I had kept my AMD 6950 from my old build, instead of upgrading to a 7950 for no too good reason. I really just don't play anything super demanding 90% of the time. Should have waited for Witcher 3 to upgrade my GPU. Not a big deal really, but it bugs the frugal part of me. It's not like I don't benefit from it, but I should have just stuck with the 6950, mostly everything ran fine. Max Payne 3, Tomb Raider, BioShock Infinite and Crysis 3 are the only things I've played on it that might be worth the upgrade, but I've played maybe 10 hours across all those games. I do plan the finish MP3 and C3 though, they're fun. TR, C3, BI were all free from the 7950 promotion, and MP3 was $7, so only playing 10 hours doesn't matter either.
Why didn't I get a motherboard with Wifi and bluetooth. Again, would have been convenient for LANs, or other odd situations where I couldn't plug into ethernet. Not a big deal here though, but so far I've been too lazy to buy a Wifi/BT card or usb dongle.
Why didn't I get a blu ray drive that can write to them? Why did I cheap out there over 30 dollars. There's some home videos/ projects I'd like to back up on Blu Rays, but now I'll have to borrow or buy a proper one to do that :/
Everything else, and overall, it's a great computer that's given me no problems.
Wish I had gone for a small form factor build instead of a mid tower. That would have been useful for the 2-4 LAN parties I attend yearly, and all I would have had to sacrifice is my sound card. My case, Fractal Design R4, is great though and was amazing to build in, it's just large and heavy.
Kinda wish I had kept my AMD 6950 from my old build, instead of upgrading to a 7950 for no too good reason. I really just don't play anything super demanding 90% of the time. Should have waited for Witcher 3 to upgrade my GPU. Not a big deal really, but it bugs the frugal part of me. It's not like I don't benefit from it, but I should have just stuck with the 6950, mostly everything ran fine. Max Payne 3, Tomb Raider, BioShock Infinite and Crysis 3 are the only things I've played on it that might be worth the upgrade, but I've played maybe 10 hours across all those games. I do plan the finish MP3 and C3 though, they're fun. TR, C3, BI were all free from the 7950 promotion, and MP3 was $7, so only playing 10 hours doesn't matter either
.Why didn't I get a motherboard with Wifi and bluetooth. Again, would have been convenient for LANs, or other odd situations where I couldn't plug into ethernet. Not a big deal here though, but so far I've been too lazy to buy a Wifi/BT card or usb dongle.
Why didn't I get a blu ray drive that can write to them? Why did I cheap out there over 30 dollars. There's some home videos/ projects I'd like to back up on Blu Rays, but now I'll have to borrow or buy a proper one to do that :/
Everything else, and overall, it's a great computer that's given me no problems.
The only thing going on crazy right now is the introduction of Maxwell. Intel's not going to make any major moves that will have too much of a performance impact on the desktop on the near future.
ScriptedReality
Member
Sticking with a 720p free dell monitor back in 2010. I was ecstatic about how ff14 looked on my pc until I saw 1080p. And now there's so many choices that I don't know what to choose lol.
I regret not getting the 4GB version of the GTX670, but I've only really had true issues with 2GBs of VRAM with Skyrim + 100+ mods (most of those being texture and model mods) lol.
I also regret not getting a higher-quality Asus or Gigabyte motherboard. My Asrock z77 has a ton of features and was a fantastic bargain, but it uses a really thin and cheap PCB, has a lot of voltage irregularities, and improperly reports voltages. I had to go through alot of trial and error to get my overclocks to stick because my bios was reporting a certain voltage while the actual voltage going through was less.
I'm extremely happy with the investment I made over all though:
Core i7-3770K @ 4.4 GHz
16GB Muskin Redline 1600 MHz Ram
2 x Gigabyte Windforce GTX 670 2GB OC (SLI)
Asrock z77 Extreme 4 motherboard
1 x OCZ Vertex 4 256GB SSD
1x Samsung Evo 250GB SSD (this is mainly my Steam hard drive)
I'm really happy I decided to add another GTX 670. The price was great and I got a HUGE performance boost (not that I really needed it outside a few games).
I wondering how much staying power this setup will have? Now that I've finally had a taste of the high-end, it'll be weird having to play any games at max settings that don't run at 60 fps average (this is mostly with 4x or less anti-aliasing for rigorous titles).
I also regret not getting a higher-quality Asus or Gigabyte motherboard. My Asrock z77 has a ton of features and was a fantastic bargain, but it uses a really thin and cheap PCB, has a lot of voltage irregularities, and improperly reports voltages. I had to go through alot of trial and error to get my overclocks to stick because my bios was reporting a certain voltage while the actual voltage going through was less.
I'm extremely happy with the investment I made over all though:
Core i7-3770K @ 4.4 GHz
16GB Muskin Redline 1600 MHz Ram
2 x Gigabyte Windforce GTX 670 2GB OC (SLI)
Asrock z77 Extreme 4 motherboard
1 x OCZ Vertex 4 256GB SSD
1x Samsung Evo 250GB SSD (this is mainly my Steam hard drive)
I'm really happy I decided to add another GTX 670. The price was great and I got a HUGE performance boost (not that I really needed it outside a few games).
I wondering how much staying power this setup will have? Now that I've finally had a taste of the high-end, it'll be weird having to play any games at max settings that don't run at 60 fps average (this is mostly with 4x or less anti-aliasing for rigorous titles).
