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[Osiris]

Looks good, buy it!


Looks good, I would throw an SSD in there. Once you use one, it really is something you can't go back from. ALso just make sure the PSU you are using again is up to the task.

Cheers, I'll be quite interested in what kind of upgrade over my current i5-750 / AMD 7750 it's going to be haha

 

[The Henery]

Ok, if you really really want to buy from this company, here is what I would do:

Go to that custom build here:

http://www.chillblast.com/pconf.php?productid=18376

Leave everything at default except if you want to spend 20 pounds for a bigger harddrive and maybe change the case to your preference.

That puts you at 383

Then go and buy your videocard separately and snap it in. You can get a kick ass videocard for that difference.

The best bang for the buck videocards right now in that range are the Radeon 7870 and the Radeon 7950. Look at prices on Amazon for them. Buy a 7950 if you can afford the cheaper ones. If not, a 7870 is still really good. Both are good cards. They also both come with 3 free games (Bioshock Infinite, Tomb Raider and Blood Dragon for 7870 and Bioshock Infinite, Crysis 3, and Blood Dragon for the 7950).

Still, you would be able to build a better system for significantly cheaper if you picked out individual parts. There a lot of people here and a lot resources that can take you through step by step and it takes an hour or two to put together. Mostly like snapping lego blocks in place.




Those 3 Chillblast you linked to above are DEFINITLELY far better than that HP computer. Do not buy that whatever you do.

Basically for your budget, I would say make sure you have a processor that is an intell i5 (the i3s are only dual cores) and look for a Radeon 7870 or 7950 graphics card to put in it. Graphics cards are easy to install and those places are charging you a premium for old cards. Better to just avoid adding a videocard to their builds and just buy one separately to put in yourself. Again, that's if you are really set on not building from scratch.

Wow, those were two incredibly helpful posts, thanks a lot. Starting with the basic build on the site is 383 but that's before VAT. The final price would be 455. That plus the graphics card(s) you recommend put the price around the 650 range. In light of that I'm rather persuaded by your advice to build from scratch. Is it really that straightforward (lego) with the right guide?

I did have a look at a youtube vid on how to do it, seemed like I need an anti static bracelet (my house is carpet) and to check beforehand that each of the individual components are compatible with one another.

 

[Akuun]

Looks good, I would throw an SSD in there. Once you use one, it really is something you can't go back from. ALso just make sure the PSU you are using again is up to the task.

Thanks!

I'm kind of in an odd spot with SSDs because I'm currently using a very tiny SSD (40 GB Intel x-25v) that I got for free as a hand-me-down, and don't want it to go to waste. I figure I'll go with that as a system drive and then move on to a bigger SSD if/when I'm really hurting for system drive space or want to install games on it.

My PSU is a 750w corsair thing, so I think I'm okay with power.

I've also heard recommendations on the Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H motherboard. What do you think?

 

[biocat]

I'm looking at building a new computer in a couple months.

Which parts should I hold off on buying until the last moment to get the best price, and what parts can I pick up now if I see a good deal?

I imagine things like cases and PSUs don't change much, but what else can I consider picking up early?

I'm looking at starting from scratch besides the monitor, keyboard, etc.,
so: CPU, hdd, ssd, memory, gpu, mb, cooler, case, psu.

Thanks!

 

[pulsemyne]

As per the original post I cannot recommend the Coolermaster elite 120 case enough for a small form factor build. However there is an important point with the build. If your willing to do a bit of work then you can drill out the HD cage in the machine and put in a proper closed loop cooler. This solves any issues you may have with hot CPU's. Any hardrives you have can just be placed in the same space that the cage occupied. All you need to do is drill out the rivits that hold the cage in and remove it. Not that difficult. In the end you can have a nice quite small form factor PC that a powerful single card machine.

 

[Addnan]

Thanks!

I'm kind of in an odd spot with SSDs because I'm currently using a very tiny SSD (40 GB Intel x-25v) that I got for free as a hand-me-down, and don't want it to go to waste. I figure I'll go with that as a system drive and then move on to a bigger SSD if/when I'm really hurting for system drive space or want to install games on it.

My PSU is a 750w corsair thing, so I think I'm okay with power.

I've also heard recommendations on the Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H motherboard. What do you think?

They are pretty similar boards, the UD3H has esata and power buttons on the board. Maybe a few smaller things, but the difference is not huge.

I personally would go with MSI GD55, but that's because it's a tried and tested board for myself.

I'm looking at building a new computer in a couple months.

Which parts should I hold off on buying until the last moment to get the best price, and what parts can I pick up now if I see a good deal?

I imagine things like cases and PSUs don't change much, but what else can I consider picking up early?

I'm looking at starting from scratch besides the monitor, keyboard, etc.,
so: CPU, hdd, ssd, memory, gpu, mb, cooler, case, psu.

Thanks!

The price of GPU, CPU and motherboard probably won't change, so it shouldn't really matter when you pick it up.

 

[nbthedude]

I'm looking at building a new computer in a couple months.

Which parts should I hold off on buying until the last moment to get the best price, and what parts can I pick up now if I see a good deal?

I imagine things like cases and PSUs don't change much, but what else can I consider picking up early?

I'm looking at starting from scratch besides the monitor, keyboard, etc.,
so: CPU, hdd, ssd, memory, gpu, mb, cooler, case, psu.

Thanks!

Go ahead and buy RAM, Harddrive, cooler, case, and PSU. Those aren't going to get radically cheaper. Prices are pretty stable or headed in the opposite direction. If you see a good deal on any of those, just buy it.

Even in processor and graphics cards, really most of the major stuff is out now. I don't see the CPU market changing very much except maybe the Ivy's selling out of the market and therefore the deals disappearing on them. Thus motherboard and processor prices are likely to be a bit more expensive later than now due to all the current deals on Ivys.

 

[nbthedude]

Wow, those were two incredibly helpful posts, thanks a lot. Starting with the basic build on the site is 383 but that's before VAT. The final price would be 455. That plus the graphics card(s) you recommend put the price around the 650 range. In light of that I'm rather persuaded by your advice to build from scratch. Is it really that straightforward (lego) with the right guide?

I did have a look at a youtube vid on how to do it, seemed like I need an anti static bracelet (my house is carpet) and to check beforehand that each of the individual components are compatible with one another.

It really is close to just snapping parts in. And most of them can't go in the wrong place or in the wrong way. There are a ton of great step by step videoguides so if you have a smart phone or ipad or something, you can literally just keep them by you and follow them through the steps.

Like I said my buddy who didn't even know what a harddrive really was or what it looked like until last month built a pc from scratch. I helped him pick out the parts and they shipped to his house. I sent him a video guide from Techreport.com and he had it up and running in literally a little over one hour having never so much as looked at the inside of a PC case before. He watching the video all the way through the night before then watching it step by step as he built the next day.

As for the static bracelet, it's not really that big of a deal as long asyou make sure to touch the side of the case or something metal. If you haven't noticed yourself shocking people or alot of static electricity in your house you are probably fine. At any rate, touching something metal like the side of the case before you handle parts gets rid of any static.

In terms of compatibility, the only real major thing you need to keep in mind is to make sure your motherboard socket matchs the processor socket. For example i5 Ivy Bridge are socket 1155. i5 Haswells are socket 1150. Those are probably the only two types of processor sockets you will be looking at. Just make sure the motherboard matches the type you go with.

 

[LogicStep]

So my card died, a gtx570. What's the current equivalent to that? Or should I get a lower one?

On another note, being that the ps4 and xb1 use ati, will ati cards be favorable for the ports over nvidia cards? I've always preferred nvidia cards, I've had both.

 

[Addnan]

So my card died, a gtx570. What's the current equivalent to that? Or should I get a lower one?

On another note, being that the ps4 and xb1 use ati, will ati cards be favorable for the ports over nvidia cards? I've always preferred nvidia cards, I've had both.

No way to know until games actually start coming out.

The current equivalent I guess would be 770/7970

 

[owasog]

So my card died, a gtx570. What's the current equivalent to that?

The GTX 660 (non-Ti) is slightly faster than a 570.

 

[charlequin]

Is it just me or is the cooler facing the wrong way in that pic?

EDIT: intake in the back? Im confused.

Yeah, I must be wrong about that. Or... could I have done something wrong in setting up the fans? I think we plugged them into the board when they're supposed to go into the fan switches...

Should the cooler fan be pointing away from the rear fan?

 

[LogicStep]

I think I might just go for a good card now, I have i7 and 6gb ram, what would be the best bang for the buck right now? Nvm, I guess it's the 770 at 400, 780 too much, or 660ti?

 

[Hazaro]

I don't know much about CPU temps. With a 3570K and the Hyper 212 cooler suggested in the OP, The BIOS display on this system (MPower mobo) was showing an idle temp of like 38-40C. Is that super high? Should I be concerned?

Relatedly: what's the deal with fans? I got the Fractal Define R4 (one intake in the back, one output in the front.) I put the whole thing together with a coworker, he was saying that for something like my build I probably wanted 4 total fans -- maybe another intake and output in the two fan ports on the top. How do I buy good fans? Is two the right number?

Load temps are the ones that matter, keep em under 75C if possible.

See: The two fan links in the OP (News). It's a very good article.

*Your CPU fan should be BLOWING air ACROSS the heatsink. Air being pushed across the heatsink into the rear case exhaust. (Put CPU fan on other side)

I think I might just go for a good card now, I have i7 and 6gb ram, what would be the best bang for the buck right now? Nvm, I guess it's the 770 at 400, 780 too much, or 660ti?

7950, 760(Ti) in a week, 7970, or 770 4GB are all good choices.

 

[longdi]

imo seasonic g550w is the cheapest modular gold unit that performs remarkably.

selling for $79 online, it will be more than enough for your single gpu pc.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Seasonic/G550/11.html

The Seasonic G Series 550 W retails for $99.99

Delivered full power (and even more) at 45°C
Efficient
Good voltage regulation overall
Excellent ripple suppression
Fair price
Five year warranty
Pretty rich bundle

Hold-up time is 2 ms lower than the limit of the ATX spec
Only two PCIe connectors
8.8 Seasonic products are, in general, meticulously designed and really good performers. After all, this company has been in this field for ages. They, naturally, have a lot of experience in making PSUs, which is their only and main purpose. The only downside of most Seasonic products is their somehow high price. Especially their high-end models are expensive. Thankfully, most likely due to the tough economic times, Seasonic decided to follow the currents and designed an affordable series with high-end characteristics, allowing users to equip their systems with a high-performance PSU that won't cost them a fortune. The G-550 left me very satisfied with its overall performance and build quality. Clearly, Seasonic made very few compromises in component selection, allowing for high efficiency, tight voltage regulation, and excellent ripple suppression. Only the hold-up time is a little smaller than what ATX spec recommends, but that alone is not enough to spoil the overall good impression of the G-550. Nevertheless, I would like to see this unit equipped with four PCIe connectors instead of only two. I know that Seasonic addresses the mainstream user with this unit, but I would have still liked some extra headroom for a dual PCIe graphics card setup.

To wrap up, the G-550 is another excellent product from a company that has a strong tradition in this field; a company that provides excellent after-sales support which is crucial to all future buyers. Surely, the G-550 meets some strong competition at this price point, but, judging from all test results, I can tell you that it is worth every penny. You should seriously consider the new Seasonic G-550 if you need a medium capacity PSU and are covered with two PCIe connectors.

 

[RSTEIN]

Thanks for everyone's help. Here's my final build. Hopefully a solid entry-level gaming rig.

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($99.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($419.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-14D1XT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1457.87

My biggest worry is the case. I love the look but some have reported issues with the hinges and overall build quality.

 

[Hazaro]

Thanks for everyone's help. Here's my final build. Hopefully a solid entry-level gaming rig.

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($99.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($419.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-14D1XT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1457.87

My biggest worry is the case. I love the look but some have reported issues with the hinges and overall build quality.

Hinges are only bad if it gets damaged during shipping.

Drop the Extreme 4 for an ASUS LK. Consider a 4GB 770 or a 7950/7970.

 

[brentech]

My biggest worry is the case. I love the look but some have reported issues with the hinges and overall build quality.

Build quality seems superb. I think that was a straight up shipping issue.

 

[RSTEIN]

Hinges are only bad if it gets damaged during shipping.

Drop the Extreme 4 for an ASUS LK. Consider a 4GB 770 or a 7950/7970.

Will switch to the Asus LK.

Someone in the thread earlier said 4gb is useless. Also someone on another forum said that I'll need a new video card by the time I need 4gb. If you tell me it's worth it I'll do it!

 

[cartman414]

Will that most likely use the same socket as Haswell?

Any source for that or just speculation?
Maybe so i can put aside some money in 2014.

http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-core-i7-ivy-bridge-e-core-i3-haswell-lineup-detailed/37832.html

 

[AndyBNV]

Someone in the thread earlier said 4gb is useless. Also someone on another forum said that I'll need a new video card by the time I need 4gb. If you tell me it's worth it I'll do it!

No one can tell for sure, but in my opinion you will need 4GB for max settings in the foreseeable future.

 

[bro1]

No one can tell for sure, but imo you will need 4GB for max settings in the foreseeable future.

2gb is fine for right now. By the time 4gb is necessary for 1080p you are going to upgrade your gpu anyway

 

[nbthedude]

2gb is fine for right now. By the time 4gb is necessary for 1080p you are going to upgrade your gpu anyway

That's pretty much the rule I'd follow. If you are only gaming at 1080 on a single screen, then 2GB Vram+ 8GB system ram is probably going to hold up fine for a good while.

However you could always hedge your bets with a 3GB AMD card, which are the same price as their comparable 2GB Nvidia models.

 

[Regret Truth]

No one can tell for sure, but in my opinion you will need 4GB for max settings in the foreseeable future.

Who's selling the 4GB version of the 770?? I cant find it anywhere. Amazon had the best price for them a couple weeks back at $450.

I'd love to get my hands on one!

 

[cobragt4001]

No one can tell for sure, but in my opinion you will need 4GB for max settings in the foreseeable future.

With Maxwell on the horizon, what type of memory capacity could we be seeing? I'm hoping for 4GB standard and 6GB for premium cards.

 

[AndyBNV]

With Maxwell on the horizon, what type of memory capacity could we be seeing? I'm hoping for 4GB standard and 6GB for premium cards.

I can't answer those kinds of questions for obvious reasons. Sorry

 

[The Henery]

It really is close to just snapping parts in. And most of them can't go in the wrong place or in the wrong way. There are a ton of great step by step videoguides so if you have a smart phone or ipad or something, you can literally just keep them by you and follow them through the steps.

Like I said my buddy who didn't even know what a harddrive really was or what it looked like until last month built a pc from scratch. I helped him pick out the parts and they shipped to his house. I sent him a video guide from Techreport.com and he had it up and running in literally a little over one hour having never so much as looked at the inside of a PC case before. He watching the video all the way through the night before then watching it step by step as he built the next day.

As for the static bracelet, it's not really that big of a deal as long asyou make sure to touch the side of the case or something metal. If you haven't noticed yourself shocking people or alot of static electricity in your house you are probably fine. At any rate, touching something metal like the side of the case before you handle parts gets rid of any static.

In terms of compatibility, the only real major thing you need to keep in mind is to make sure your motherboard socket matchs the processor socket. For example i5 Ivy Bridge are socket 1155. i5 Haswells are socket 1150. Those are probably the only two types of processor sockets you will be looking at. Just make sure the motherboard matches the type you go with.

Again, really appreciate the help. I'm now inspired to build one from scratch. I'll be back in this thread pestering with more questions no doubt.

 

[Flaxh]

2gb is fine for right now. By the time 4gb is necessary for 1080p you are going to upgrade your gpu anyway

I'm picking an Asus 770 with my new pc to play "next gen" games. Isnt it worth the money? I see a lot of people recommending the 7970.

 

[HoosTrax]

I'm picking an Asus 770 with my new pc to play "next gen" games. Isnt it worth the money? I see a lot of people recommending the 7970.

I went with the 7970 GHz Edition. Way better value for similar performance.

50% more VRAM. Both the XFX and Sapphire ones are less than $400 now after rebate ($382 and $370 respectively). And the value argument just goes out the window once you factor in the potential resale value of the 4 games you get for free with the AMD card. Nvidia is just not competitive in terms of value at that tier.

 

[rohlfinator]

Woo, got my new 3570k and mobo in today. Still waiting to get my GPU back from RMA before I do the upgrade though.

 

[mhayze]

Reposting for new page







Thanks for the advice man. So a CPU means the processor? For an extra £20 I can have the Intel Core i5 4670K Haswell Processor Overclocked to up to 4.3GHz (as opposed to the Intel Core i5 3570K Processor Overclocked to up to 4.5GHz). Is that enough?

And GPU means the graphics card? For an extra £50 I can have the NVIDIA GeForce GT 630 1024MB Graphics card. Would that be enough? They also offer the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 2048MB for an extra £140 but that would be approaching too pricy for me on top of the initial £510. I've still got to buy a monitor.

Yes CPU = processor, GPU = graphics card. The default i5 3570 is fine, I don't see a need to upgrade that, just differentiating it from the other two PCs you listed. Unfortunately the 630 isnt much better than the 6670, both 1GB GPUs, not that fast, but you'd be better off buying that and getting another GPU off ebay or something down the road, I agree the £140 for 660 is excessive here. They should have another GPU like the 650 for less, but I guess that's not an option.

 

[kharma45]

How can that be true when CPU performance barely affects in game performance? The pentium is clearly an outlier there.

Good optimisation for games with more than two threads? I don't get why the Pentium would be so much worse there. TR has some more modern games being used too, although it's FM2 against high end Intel

Far Cry 3 for example. The FM2 is fairly good for what it costs, it spends not that much time beyond TR's 50-ms "badness" level. It looks bad relative to the 4770K et al but they cost significantly more. I do wish other sites would do this too, and with a wider range of processors and games. It'd be nice to have some other peer reviewed stuff being published not just having to solely rely on TR, despite what they put out being very good.

I went with the 7970 GHz Edition. Way better value for similar performance.

I'm picking an Asus 770 with my new pc to play "next gen" games. Isnt it worth the money? I see a lot of people recommending the 7970.

50% more VRAM. Both the XFX and Sapphire ones are less than $400 now after rebate ($382 and $370 respectively). And the value argument just goes out the window once you factor in the potential resale value of the 4 games you get for free with the AMD card. Nvidia is just not competitive in terms of value at that tier.

I would concur with going 7970 still at this stage.

Thanks for everyone's help. Here's my final build. Hopefully a solid entry-level gaming rig.

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($99.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($419.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-14D1XT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1457.87

My biggest worry is the case. I love the look but some have reported issues with the hinges and overall build quality.

Do as Haz says and change that mobo and consider too changing to a 7900 GPU. Two others to look at are the MSI GD55 and the Gigabyte UD3H as well. That PSU is overpriced too for what you're getting, I'd swap it to this http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00918MEZG/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Consider too a 250GB 840 over the 128GB 840 Pro.

 

[kennah]

RSTEIN are you hopping across the border to a Microcenter? Because you just listed a bunch of American prices

 

[LogicStep]

The GTX 660 (non-Ti) is slightly faster than a 570.

I went with that since it's quite a bit cheaper than the others above it.. I don't really need more power right now.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Will switch to the Asus LK.

Someone in the thread earlier said 4gb is useless. Also someone on another forum said that I'll need a new video card by the time I need 4gb. If you tell me it's worth it I'll do it!

There's a chart out there that shows how the bus width bottlenecks Nvidia VRAM compared to AMD that used to be posted all the time.

Personally, I'm going 4GB, because 2GB is not going to be enough for 1440p or 120Hz gaming, even if the bus width bottlenecks things at 2.5GB or 3.5GB or something. It'll still be better than 2GB.

 

[cobragt4001]

I can't answer those kinds of questions for obvious reasons. Sorry

I completely understand.

 

[charlequin]

*Your CPU fan should be BLOWING air ACROSS the heatsink. Air being pushed across the heatsink into the rear case exhaust. (Put CPU fan on other side)

Lol, good to know. I'll check out the fan links in the top and swap around the CPU fan.

 

[Thorgal]

for next year i might go with a two 880 cards in SLI.

One thing :are there still any issues that can happen (microstutter etc )

or have they been mostly ironed out ?

 

[kennah]

for next year i might go with a two 880 cards in SLI.

One thing :are there still any issues that can happen (microstutter etc )

or have they been mostly ironed out ?

You should find a time traveller and ask them.

 

[scogoth]

2GB vs 4GB again? On a 5760x1080 and max settings on everything I play and very few games even use 2GB let alone over 2GB. My opinion is 4GB for 1080p it just overkill and will be for some time.

 

[beastmode]

Friend wants to get his first PC for games. 650 Ti the best performance/dollars card? Then if he wants, can upgrade for next gen games when the 800 or 900 are released?

 

[RSTEIN]

Thanks everyone for your help. I'm going to stick with the 2gb 770... Mostly because the 4gb is impossible to find lol

Quick question: I'm not 100% sure what "SLI" is. Is this simply running two cards? So I could add another 770 for 2x performance and 8 gb?

RSTEIN are you hopping across the border to a Microcenter? Because you just listed a bunch of American prices

No. Just set up pc part picker quickly. Going to grab most of the stuff off newegg.ca.

 

[falastini]

Free 8GB ram with MSI Mpower board @ newegg. Seems like a good deal.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148661

Any opinions on crucial memory?


Edit: oh it's 1x8 GB stick. Maybe somebody building 16 will want it.

 

[diaspora]

Installing the 128GB Samsung 840 Pro was an unexpected breeze. My only problem now is getting another SATA cable for my HDD so I can use it for my libraries.

 

[TheD]

Hinges are only bad if it gets damaged during shipping.

Drop the Extreme 4 for an ASUS LK. Consider a 4GB 770 or a 7950/7970.

Don't the Asus LK boards have a poor power system that limit's overclocking headroom?

 

[vocab]

Installing the 128GB Samsung 840 Pro was an unexpected breeze. My only problem now is getting another SATA cable for my HDD so I can use it for my libraries.

Did you mess around with any new firmware or ACHI mode? Also can you recommend a good 2.5 to 3.5 converter?

 

[scogoth]

Thanks everyone for your help. I'm going to stick with the 2gb 770... Mostly because the 4gb is impossible to find lol

Quick question: I'm not 100% sure what "SLI" is. Is this simply running two cards? So I could add another 770 for 2x performance and 8 gb?



No. Just set up pc part picker quickly. Going to grab most of the stuff off newegg.ca.

SLI Is running two cards but it does not double your VRAM, ie its still 2GB not 4GB and the performance increase can range from 0-95% usually around 75-80%. You have to get an SLI motherboard too and there are some issues with game compatibility (though nvidia offers much better support for day one releases of major games over AMD) and micro stutter (again more of an issue with AMD than nvidia). The asus lk is SLI compatible if that's what you are getting but just know the SLI can introduce some minor issues. We say here that only go for SLI when the power of one card is not enough and it's usually better to upgrade then to add a second card in a few years.

 

[diaspora]

Did you mess around with any new firmware

I installed the newest firmware and noticed... nothing. I mean it's fast and all, but...

ACHI mode?

Nay

Also can you recommend a good 2.5 to 3.5 converter?

Not using one myself.

 

[Hazaro]

Don't the Asus LK boards have a poor power system that limit's overclocking headroom?

Better than many of the things on the Extreme 4

 

[rohlfinator]

2GB vs 4GB again? On a 5760x1080 and max settings on everything I play and very few games even use 2GB let alone over 2GB. My opinion is 4GB for 1080p it just overkill and will be for some time.

Depends on how futureproof you want it to be. Next gen games are going to eat VRAM like it's candy.