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[Hazaro]

I'm coming from:
Intel E8400 3GHz
HD 5450
4 GB RAM

I'm thinking about building a new cheap (~$300-$400) work PC for home. It's mainly for Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and MS Office stuff. I'll be using it for 720p/1080p MKV movies and whatnot too. I need something that can switch between all of these programs at the same time seamlessly.

My questions are:
1. Is such a build possible for that price? (I can salvage my graphics card and HDD). The reason why I can't just upgrade my CPU is because I'm using an old Dell XPS 420 (weird case and all).

2. If I do decide to build one from scratch, would an onboard GPU (e.g., Intel HD 4000) work well enough or will it bottleneck?

I'd say look at used PCs or something like Dell Outlet (And look for an AMD x4 or x6), but you are in Canada so I don't know how well that advice works.

You can build a PC pretty barebones with an FX CPU which should suit your needs, not sure about prebuilts in that price range with AMD A8's or A10's in them. That or HD4000 should be fine.

 

[kharma45]

I'm coming from:
Intel E8400 3GHz
HD 5450
4 GB RAM

I'm thinking about building a new cheap (~$300-$400) work PC for home. It's mainly for Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and MS Office stuff. I'll be using it for 720p/1080p MKV movies and whatnot too. I need something that can switch between all of these programs at the same time seamlessly.

My questions are:
1. Is such a build possible for that price? (I can salvage my graphics card and HDD). The reason why I can't just upgrade my CPU is because I'm using an old Dell XPS 420 (weird case and all).

2. If I do decide to build one from scratch, would an onboard GPU (e.g., Intel HD 4000) work well enough or will it bottleneck?

For $400 you could get (with salvaging your HDD)

PCPartPicker part list: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/10Z3T
Price breakdown by merchant: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/10Z3T/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/10Z3T/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($129.99 @ Newegg Canada)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($31.05 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A85X Extreme4 ATX FM2 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($59.99 @ Memory Express)
Case: Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply ($34.99 @ NCIX)
Total: $368.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-29 07:22 EDT-0400)

or this re-using both your HDD and GPU (albeit the GPU is very, very weak and worse than the integrated HD 4000 graphics you'd get with Intel)

PCPartPicker part list: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/10Z4W
Price breakdown by merchant: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/10Z4W/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/10Z4W/benchmarks/
CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Canada Computers)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($35.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($98.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Canada Computers)
Case: Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply ($34.99 @ NCIX)
Total: $374.94
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-29 07:24 EDT-0400)

If you can't afford to add a better GPU or don't plan to down the line I'd go for the APU. With that APU build as well if you wan you can sacrifice the speed of the 1866 stuff and go for 16GB of 1600 and it'd still come within budget by $2 http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=24_311_312_611&item_id=050748 If you're not going to be doing any gaming the increased capacity will benefit more.

 

[HammerOfThor]

Hey guys, whats the diffence between these two?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...p=&AID=10446076&PID=6146996&SID=1u0i1zjxp4ngp

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=


Is it just the 25MHz extra w/ boost?

Which should I get?

Also, is it a safe bet to go with the 7950 at this point? Will it last a few years?

 

[Akai__]

It doesn't matter. I think I've owned a few heatsinks that came with 4-pin PWM fans, but I seem to end up just tossing them and using my 3-pin fans anyway. I think the fourth pin is used for some more advanced fan speed control, but I get by just fine with voltage-based fan control with my three pin fans.

1) That is coil whine, and typical for Seasonic's 850W+ PSUs. Go ahead and RMA, or do some googling for possible options on how to cure it.

2) Nope. 4 pin = PWM which means the fans can be sped up and down using pulse width modulation. Your Cougars run quiet at full voltage, so there's no reason to change them.

3) Depends on the rest of the PC, but most 500-550W PSUs in the OP should suffice.

Broadwell might be BGA only, which means chips soldered to the motherboard.

Thanks guys.

I found out, that it was indeed the PSU, earlier today. It's already on the way for being RMA'd.

 

[kharma45]

Hey guys, whats the diffence between these two?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...p=&AID=10446076&PID=6146996&SID=1u0i1zjxp4ngp

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=


Is it just the 25MHz extra w/ boost?

Which should I get?

Also, is it a safe bet to go with the 7950 at this point? Will it last a few years?

Sapphire one has a much better cooler, it's quieter and runs cooler.

If you want to spend a bit less but still have a good cooler I would go for this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202026

 

[diaspora]

For $400 you could get (with salvaging your HDD)


or this re-using both your HDD and GPU (albeit the GPU is very, very weak and worse than the integrated HD 4000 graphics you'd get with Intel)



If you can't afford to add a better GPU or don't plan to down the line I'd go for the APU. With that APU build as well if you wan you can sacrifice the speed of the 1866 stuff and go for 16GB of 1600 and it'd still come within budget by $2 http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=24_311_312_611&item_id=050748 If you're not going to be doing any gaming the increased capacity will benefit more.

I thought PC-gaf generally didn't care for AMD CPUs as the OP seems to make abundantly clear

 

[Meteorain]

I thought PC-gaf generally didn't care for AMD CPUs as the OP seems to make abundantly clear

A good portion are still poorly students/graduates

 

[diaspora]

A good portion are still poorly students/graduates

Including myself. Which is probably why I'm not upgrading my Phenom II X4 (BE) anytime soon. As a recent attempt at photoshopping a 10,800 x 5,400 image recently has illustrated I should probably be making some upgrades. Specifically, I've got my eye on a bump up from 4 (currently) to 8GB of RAM, and a 120GB SSD to run Windows (and Adobe?) off of.

 

[kharma45]

I thought PC-gaf generally didn't care for AMD CPUs as the OP seems to make abundantly clear

It depends on the budget and the use of the PC. Anything high end is Intel all the way but into the mid-range AMD can be argued for and at the low end I see them at this moment in time as the clear choice.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

Saw in one of the other threads that people were saying the AMD cards are currently competitive with Nvidia or even better? Is this the case?

I'm not talking from a price/perf perspective.

 

[Alcoholikaust]

Saw in one of the other threads that people were saying the AMD cards are currently competitive with Nvidia or even better? Is this the case?

I'm not talking from a price/perf perspective.

Well alot of the higher end AMD cards come with a bunch of game download cards, so in a way you save the money you were going to spend on the games.

 

[MedIC86]

Saw in one of the other threads that people were saying the AMD cards are currently competitive with Nvidia or even better? Is this the case?

I'm not talking from a price/perf perspective.

If you are not talking price/perf, not really.
The 7970ghz is okay but not as fast as the 780gtx or titan,
then you have the 7990 but thats a dual GPU (so if you put 2 titans against that they are way faster)

 

[diaspora]

AFAIK, the "refresh Windows" feature in Win8 is essentially a reinstall option. Does anyone know if I can use this to install Windows 8 onto an SSD when it's on an HDD currently?

 

[kharma45]

Saw in one of the other threads that people were saying the AMD cards are currently competitive with Nvidia or even better? Is this the case?

I'm not talking from a price/perf perspective.

That's been the case for the last year. With the 700 series from Nvidia they'll out-perform AMD at their respective points in the range.

 

[nbthedude]

Saw in one of the other threads that people were saying the AMD cards are currently competitive with Nvidia or even better? Is this the case?

I'm not talking from a price/perf perspective.

If you are not at all considering price/performance, what does this mean? You just want to know the single fastest card regardless of price?

 

[derder]

Anndddd all of them depend on what to function?

A PSU.

There is a staggering misconception that Even the most basic build needs more than 400W. A single GPU, $1000 build won't need more than 550W. A single GPU build will get the most improvement /$ from a $200 more expensive GPU.

I've been building for years and I build for others. Get an i5, get a SSD, get a $50 mobo, 8GB of ram, then get the most expensive GPU you can afford and save $150 for the rest.

 

[MedIC86]

Does anyone here have experience with mass production all-in-one watercoolers like the Corsair h100 and nzxt stuff?

Maybe im buying one, but im not sure about the longlevity of these coolers (being that they have a pump and all).

Also is it me or does the NZXT Kraken series (at least the 60) is better then the corsair ones?

 

[mkenyon]

Saw in one of the other threads that people were saying the AMD cards are currently competitive with Nvidia or even better? Is this the case?

I'm not talking from a price/perf perspective.

Yeah as outlined above, this was the case until a week ago. Complex history, as they traded back and forth during their respective lives, but the 7970 GHz was the top dog before the Titan released. 780 released last week at about $100-150 above the 7970 GHz and is now the king.

We'll see what happens with the 770 and 760Ti, but AMD still has the best cards in the sub-$500 market.

Does anyone here have experience with mass production all-in-one watercoolers like the Corsair h100 and nzxt stuff?

Maybe im buying one, but im not sure about the longlevity of these coolers (being that they have a pump and all).

Also is it me or does the NZXT Kraken series (at least the 60) is better then the corsair ones?

Kraken needs 140mm mounting points, which means way less compatibility.

The current stuff out is pretty reliable. They're not really worth it in terms of priceerformance though, especially with Ivy. Standard air coolers will continue to be a better value in the meantime. The big benefit is aesthetics and the fact that you don't have a giant heatsink covering up your motherboard. With a all in one water cooler, it's a lot easier to get in and work on your system.

 

[MedIC86]

AFAIK, the "refresh Windows" feature in Win8 is essentially a reinstall option. Does anyone know if I can use this to install Windows 8 onto an SSD when it's on an HDD currently?

Im not 100% sure but i thought the refresh option resets your installation to when it was first done, meaning removing all software/drivers etc (no personal files i believe). but if you want to put it on another HDD you need to format.

Kraken needs 140mm mounting points, which means way less compatibility.

The current stuff out is pretty reliable. They're not really worth it in terms of priceerformance though, especially with Ivy. Standard air coolers will continue to be a better value in the meantime. The big benefit is aesthetics and the fact that you don't have a giant heatsink covering up your motherboard. With a all in one water cooler, it's a lot easier to get in and work on your system.

Thanks for the reply, im going to buy haswell when it comes, it looks like the coolers will be compatible with 1150 right? (most ones that are out now) Also, how come i dont read much about scythe stuff in these threads? or is that not really available in the us? they make pretty good stuff.

 

[derder]

I disagree. $200 on a solid PSU will last you years. I have an X750 from about... 4-5 years ago that has powered probably 10 different builds.

This.

I would never suggest to splurge on a PSU on a budget build, or even a build with a $1000 budget. But if you are getting into serious part territory with a top of the line GPU, a solid PSU to power that and any options you might want to pursue in the future can save you money.

Spend $90 on a PSU to get a $200 PSU later is a crappy situation.

Using this power supply calculator:
Regular Desktop Mobo
i5-3570K overclocked to 4.2Ghz
100% TDP
2 sticks of RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti
1 HDD
1 SSD

Asks for a recommended 352W PSU.
Plop in a GeForce TITAN and it asks for a 442W PSU.

PSU manufacturers and the vendors are making people believe they need 750W for single GPU rigs.

 

[kharma45]

Using this power supply calculator:
Regular Desktop Mobo
i5-3570K overclocked to 4.2Ghz
100% TDP
2 sticks of RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti
1 HDD
1 SSD

Asks for a recommended 352W PSU.
Plop in a GeForce TITAN and it asks for a 442W PSU.

PSU manufacturers and the vendors are making people believe they need 750W for single GPU rigs.

People like the GPU OEMs they're just covering themselves from people using shit like this http://www.outletpc.com/c0840.html?... Computer+-+Power Supplies > ATX Power Supply

 

[diaspora]

Using this power supply calculator:
Regular Desktop Mobo
i5-3570K overclocked to 4.2Ghz
100% TDP
2 sticks of RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti
1 HDD
1 SSD

Asks for a recommended 352W PSU.
Plop in a GeForce TITAN and it asks for a 442W PSU.

PSU manufacturers and the vendors are making people believe they need 750W for single GPU rigs.

This is what's always got me. Whenever I've entertained the idea of getting a new GPU with my friends, they'd tell me I'd need a new PSU when my 550W one would easily be sufficient.

 

[mkenyon]

Thanks for the reply, im going to buy haswell when it comes, it looks like the coolers will be compatible with 1150 right? (most ones that are out now) Also, how come i dont read much about scythe stuff in these threads? or is that not really available in the us? they make pretty good stuff.

Yep.

And yeah, the reason why Scythe isn't discussed is because they actually closed Scythe USA. As a result, the shops are few and far between that actually carry their products. They were always a bit pricey in comparison to other brands as well.

People like the GPU OEMs they're just covering themselves from people using shit like this http://www.outletpc.com/c0840.html?... Computer+-+Power Supplies > ATX Power Supply

Yep.

Watt's aren't the only thing that matters. You need to look at watts on the 12V rail, as well as amps.

This is also new. For comparison, the GTX580 used 280W by itself. OC'd, they could easy eat 350W.

 

[Deleted member 22576]

Do you guys have any experience using light boost on the asus 24qe?
I'm reading this guide http://www.blurbusters.com/zero-motion-blur/lightboost/ and it sounds kinda hacky and a lot to maintain. I don't really plan to run mot games at 120hz anyway.. But I'm curious about using it on the desktop, etc.

 

[Animator]

Thinking about picking up a GTX 780 today, those of you that got it are you happy with it? Also does it come with any games/promos (like the planetside cash card).

 

[Trinity]

I'm trying to get into pc gaming, but I've never built anything before.

Any thoughts on buying the following refurbished Alienware Aurora R4 from Dell vs building a comparable machine? I would be willing to pay a little bit more ($100-150) if it meant not building my own pc.

Alienware Aurora R4:
Processor: Intel Core i7-3820 (3.6GHz,Quad Core, 10MB Cache) OC to 4.1GHz
OS: Windows 8 (64 bit)
HDD: 2TB, 7200 RPM 3.5 inch SATA 6Gb/s Hard Drive
Memory: 16 DDR3 UDIMM Memory, 1600MHz, non ECC (4 x 4GB DIMMs)
Video: 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680
No SSD, no blu-ray.

With today's 35% off sale and after tax, it comes to about $1180. My goal is to run next gen games (such as Battlefield 4, etc.) at 1920x1080. Would I be better off buying this now or building a $1000-1200 machine in six months?

 

[BizzyBum]

im debating if I should completely upgrade my pc when BF4 comes or just get a PS4.

 

[Spookie]

Thinking about picking up a GTX 780 today, those of you that got it are you happy with it? Also does it come with any games/promos (like the planetside cash card).

I think only one comes with a games bundle. Not installed mine yet as I'm currently in work

 

[mkenyon]

I'm trying to get into pc gaming, but I've never built anything before.

Any thoughts on buying the following refurbished Alienware Aurora R4 from Dell vs building a comparable machine? I would be willing to pay a little bit more ($100-150) if it meant not building my own pc.

Alienware Aurora R4:
Processor: Intel Core i7-3820 (3.6GHz,Quad Core, 10MB Cache) OC to 4.1GHz
OS: Windows 8 (64 bit)
HDD: 2TB, 7200 RPM 3.5 inch SATA 6Gb/s Hard Drive
Memory: 16 DDR3 UDIMM Memory, 1600MHz, non ECC (4 x 4GB DIMMs)
Video: 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680
No SSD, no blu-ray.

With today's 35% off sale and after tax, it comes to about $1180. My goal is to run next gen games (such as Battlefield 4, etc.) at 1920x1080. Would I be better off buying this now or building a $1000-1200 machine in six months?

That's good value. But, and this is a huuuuuuuuuuge but: the motherboard is one of the most important parts of a PC, and this dell one may significantly limit what you can do with the system. It may lack PCI-E 3.0, which is the biggest issue I see. The other major issue is that it limits OC potential, which is how you breathe life into an aging system. We're talking 20% increased linear performance with the same parts.

Any chance you live in the Pacific NW?

im debating if I should completely upgrade my pc when BF4 comes or just get a PS4.

One has mouse, keyboard, and 120hz monitors. One doesn't. If you are mostly interested in BF4, I can't imagine how this is a question.

 

[Like the hat?]

Does this look like a decent build?

http://amzn.com/w/I860XGSPZW67

also, if I didn't get any video card right now, I would still have some sort of display available via the motherboard, right?

I haven't built a PC in years, and I can't really afford to buy all the pieces right now, but I assume the only piece I can skip on right now is the video card (and the monitor, if I get a cheap one off craigslist for now)--is this right?

Also, if I want Windows, what is the cheapest way to get it? Is like $90 the cheapest? Or it looks like through my school, I can get a download version of Windows 8 Student Edition for $70. Don't know exactly what a student edition is.

oh, and I guess I would need some sort of DVD drive.

 

[Treechopper]

Whoever continues to update and improve the OP congratulations. That is a thing of beauty.

That said, do we know when the next generation of GPUs come out? I've got a 5850 and I'd like to update by late summer. I can wait a little longer if new tech is coming out close to that time frame.

 

[Addnan]

Whoever continues to update and improve the OP congratulations. That is a thing of beauty.

That said, do we know when the next generation of GPUs come out? I've got a 5850 and I'd like to update by late summer. I can wait a little longer if new tech is coming out close to that time frame.

GTX 780 came out last week and the rest of the 700 series should be following soon. New AMD cards closer to end of the year.

 

[Hawk269]

I have noticed something weird with my rig that only happens with recent Codemasters racing games, including the new Grid 2. It happens with Dirt 3 and Grid 2, but not with and of the other games. What appears to happen is whenever I crash into a barrier or hit another car, I get graphical glitches/artifacts. They only appear when I hit something, if I run a clean race there is no issue.

I have done a ton of overclocking and other things to my GPU's for years and the artifacts that appear only when I crash look very near to what happens when you overclock the memory too much. On my Titan's I have a mild memory overclock and Every single game, every benchmark, I mean everything has no issues whatsoever. I even changed to stock settings and it still happens.

It does not happen over the entire screen, just random thick lines, only a few of them after a crash into anything. Has anyone heard of this issue and has any one experienced it? The 2 games in question never even cause my cards to boost, they stay at stock speeds because nethier game pushes my rig at all.

Thanks to anyone that can assist.

 

[kharma45]

Does this look like a decent build?

http://amzn.com/w/I860XGSPZW67

also, if I didn't get any video card right now, I would still have some sort of display available via the motherboard, right?

I haven't built a PC in years, and I can't really afford to buy all the pieces right now, but I assume the only piece I can skip on right now is the video card (and the monitor, if I get a cheap one off craigslist for now)--is this right?

Also, if I want Windows, what is the cheapest way to get it? Is like $90 the cheapest? Or it looks like through my school, I can get a download version of Windows 8 Student Edition for $70. Don't know exactly what a student edition is.

oh, and I guess I would need some sort of DVD drive.

Looks good. I'd change the motherboard to the MSI GD55 or Biostar TZ77XE3/XE4. Throw a Hyper 212 in to overclock as well.

Yeah you can negated the GPU for now and just run off the integrated HD 4000 GPU. If you're in no rush btw wait until next week for Haswell.

Your school will likely offer Windows 8 for the cheapest, go for it.

Whoever continues to update and improve the OP congratulations. That is a thing of beauty.

That said, do we know when the next generation of GPUs come out? I've got a 5850 and I'd like to update by late summer. I can wait a little longer if new tech is coming out close to that time frame.

Nvidia's 700 series is trickling out now, AMD is due towards the end of the year.

 

[mkenyon]

Whoever continues to update and improve the OP congratulations. That is a thing of beauty.

It's a communal effort that falls on Hazaro's shoulders to implement. That guy is a saint.

 

[Trinity]

That's good value. But, and this is a huuuuuuuuuuge but: the motherboard is one of the most important parts of a PC, and this dell one may significantly limit what you can do with the system. It may lack PCI-E 3.0, which is the biggest issue I see. The other major issue is that it limits OC potential, which is how you breathe life into an aging system. We're talking 20% increased linear performance with the same parts.

Any chance you live in the Pacific NW?

Thanks for the input. I ended up getting it. I figure an extra six months of pc gaming is worth any saved cash. Not sure how much overclocking I will do anyways.

 

[mkenyon]

Keep in mind that PCI-E 2.0 bandwidth will already bottleneck cards like the Titan, 780, and 690, albeit at low percentages.

You should be able to unlock PCI-E 3.0 with a drop in IvyBridge-E upgrade (socket 2011) when they release, or further down the line when you upgrade the video card.

 

[Frostburn]

Does this look like a decent build?

http://amzn.com/w/I860XGSPZW67

also, if I didn't get any video card right now, I would still have some sort of display available via the motherboard, right?

I haven't built a PC in years, and I can't really afford to buy all the pieces right now, but I assume the only piece I can skip on right now is the video card (and the monitor, if I get a cheap one off craigslist for now)--is this right?

Also, if I want Windows, what is the cheapest way to get it? Is like $90 the cheapest? Or it looks like through my school, I can get a download version of Windows 8 Student Edition for $70. Don't know exactly what a student edition is.

oh, and I guess I would need some sort of DVD drive.

If you are going to be doing any real gaming you'll want to keep the video card, if you are just using it for browsing, light gaming, etc then you can skip on that for now. Change out the Motherboard as stated above and you should be all set!

 

[derExperte]

I have noticed something weird with my rig that only happens with recent Codemasters racing games, including the new Grid 2. It happens with Dirt 3 and Grid 2, but not with and of the other games. What appears to happen is whenever I crash into a barrier or hit another car, I get graphical glitches/artifacts. They only appear when I hit something, if I run a clean race there is no issue.

Could that be ingame effects? Watch some videos on YT and check if this happens to everyone (I can't remember).

 

[Like the hat?]

If you are going to be doing any real gaming you'll want to keep the video card, if you are just using it for browsing, light gaming, etc then you can skip on that for now. Change out the Motherboard as stated above and you should be all set!

Yeah, I plan to get a card eventually, it's just a matter of funding for now. Is that a decent card though? My goal would be to run stuff like Skyrim or whatever the next ES/Fallout game is at max settings.

 

[Ty4on]

Are there any microATX cases other than the Corsair 350D and Arc Mini that are designed to take 2x120mm rads right out of the box?

You do mean two 120mm rads?

I can't find the build, but one guy managed to get two of these rads without modding a thing. There's some space for a pump, especially if you use the intake (dual 80mm) at the bottom.

 

[Frostburn]

Yeah, I plan to get a card eventually, it's just a matter of funding for now. Is that a decent card though? My goal would be to run stuff like Skyrim or whatever the next ES/Fallout game is at max settings.

That card is a great value for the performance you'll get. For that price range that is probably your best bet and should run games very well for a while. As far as a year or two down the road it really depends on what kinds of games are coming out, The next Fallout game should be on a revised/new engine so it may require more horsepower but if its anything close to the current gen engine your 7850 should be fine.

 

[wandering goat]

Just read that the GTX 770's look like they may come in at a lower than expected price of $400, based on leaks out of Japan. If this stays the same for North America, it's looking like a decent value for 1080p gaming (given it only has 2GB ram). Hopefully that pans out.

 

[diaspora]

Yeah, I plan to get a card eventually, it's just a matter of funding for now. Is that a decent card though? My goal would be to run stuff like Skyrim or whatever the next ES/Fallout game is at max settings.

You can max out skyrim with a bloody 5770.

 

[derder]

This is also new. For comparison, the GTX580 used 280W by itself. OC'd, they could easy eat 350W.

That's why I argue against future proofing with an unnecessary PSU. Everything is moving towards lower power.

Also, this also brings up the hidden costs of SLI:
at least +$50 extra for the mobo
at least +$30 extra for the PSU
at least +$20 for a larger case (we're talking barebones -> ATX)
increased heat, noise, and fans
not every game supports it

That $100 could go towards a better single GPU solution which would improve all aspects of your gaming.

 

[mkenyon]

That's why I argue against future proofing with an unnecessary PSU. Everything is moving towards lower power.

Also, this also brings up the hidden costs of SLI:
at least +$50 extra for the mobo
at least +$30 extra for the PSU
at least +$20 for a larger case (we're talking barebones -> ATX)
increased heat, noise, and fans
not every game supports it

That $100 could go towards a better single GPU solution which would improve all aspects of your gaming.

That's not what we're talking about. What if you have a 7970, 780, or Titan and something like the BP550? How are you going to power that new triple 120hz setup or a 1600p monitor?

When you are talking premiere PCs, I think the AX760 should basically be standard. Beyond extra power, you get an amazingly well built PSU that is near guaranteed to kill your system. It will also go forward 10 years if you want to power the next four to twenty (the latter part is accounting for nut jobs like myself) systems you build.

 

[Huge_Jackman]

Ok so i'm moving my already installed Windows 8 ssd to a new case. What would you guys advise? Refresh or Reset?

 

[mkenyon]

Ok so i'm moving my already installed Windows 8 ssd to a new case. What would you guys advise? Refresh or Reset?

Do you mean new PC, or you are moving the guts of your PC to a new case?

 

[Huge_Jackman]

Do you mean new PC, or you are moving the guts of your PC to a new case?

Ok didn't think that through. A whole new PC.

 

[CaptainZombie]

Just read that the GTX 770's look like they may come in at a lower than expected price of $400, based on leaks out of Japan. If this stays the same for North America, it's looking like a decent value for 1080p gaming (given it only has 2GB ram). Hopefully that pans out.

This confuses me with the rumored prices today. If the 780 is $650, wouldn't the 770 be around $500-$550 if they are following previous price models? If it was $400, that would be a huge jump from $400 to $650 for the 780. I guess we will see tomorrow.