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"I need a New PC!" 2013 Part 2. Haswell = #IntelnoTIM, but free online. READ THE OP.

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t-ramp

Member
First time posting here but I do lurk from time to time. Be gentle. :)

I'm super new to modern PC gaming but would be happy with a machine that runs games that look like the current PS3 and Xbox 360 titles. I really like Steam and how easy they have made it to buy/install/and play games. Something that was lacking in my mid to late 90's Diablo, Starcraft, Warcraft, Baldurs Gate, gaming days.

Other than changing the occasional harddrive, power supply, or ram I have no idea on building a PC or the inner workings. It would be great if I could buy a decent all in one or already assembled cpu. I came across Futureshop today as they have a gaming PC sale on now till the 29th. They have a cheap under $600 machine that I want to get your opinions on.

LINK

Would this be good as a starter gaming PC? Something that will give me PS3/360 visuals and speed, something to keep in the Mancave away from the home office and wife's off the shelf Walmart, bill paying, facebook machine . :)

Thanks!
Doesn't look good, honestly. Weak video card and mediocre processor.
 

Anton668

Member
First time posting here but I do lurk from time to time. Be gentle. :)

I'm super new to modern PC gaming but would be happy with a machine that runs games that look like the current PS3 and Xbox 360 titles. I really like Steam and how easy they have made it to buy/install/and play games. Something that was lacking in my mid to late 90's Diablo, Starcraft, Warcraft, Baldurs Gate, gaming days.

Other than changing the occasional harddrive, power supply, or ram I have no idea on building a PC or the inner workings. It would be great if I could buy a decent all in one or already assembled cpu. I came across Futureshop today as they have a gaming PC sale on now till the 29th. They have a cheap under $600 machine that I want to get your opinions on.

LINK

Would this be good as a starter gaming PC? Something that will give me PS3/360 visuals and speed, something to keep in the Mancave away from the home office and wife's off the shelf Walmart, bill paying, facebook machine . :)

Thanks!

a quick google indicates that GPU is crap.

the lower on the list, the worse it is.. Graphics Card Hierarchy Chart
 
First time posting here but I do lurk from time to time. Be gentle. :)

I'm super new to modern PC gaming but would be happy with a machine that runs games that look like the current PS3 and Xbox 360 titles. I really like Steam and how easy they have made it to buy/install/and play games. Something that was lacking in my mid to late 90's Diablo, Starcraft, Warcraft, Baldurs Gate, gaming days.

Other than changing the occasional harddrive, power supply, or ram I have no idea on building a PC or the inner workings. It would be great if I could buy a decent all in one or already assembled cpu. I came across Futureshop today as they have a gaming PC sale on now till the 29th. They have a cheap under $600 machine that I want to get your opinions on.

LINK

Would this be good as a starter gaming PC? Something that will give me PS3/360 visuals and speed, something to keep in the Mancave away from the home office and wife's off the shelf Walmart, bill paying, facebook machine . :)

Thanks!

I think you could do better if you bought a non gaming prebuilt and installed a new graphics card on your own. The biggest concern in that case would be to make sure the power supply is sufficient.
 

Arulan

Member
Hello. I am looking for a new headset. I had a logitech g930 and of course as soon as ff launched they broke ..

Now i am looking for something up to 60 euro's. Wireless and comfortable to wear for a good amount of time. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

I'm not familiar with wireless headsets, however I did want to ask if you were set in stone about using wireless and a headset, rather than wired headphones with a separate mic. I would recommend the wired headphones + mic approach if sound quality is your primary focus.

Overclock.net has a great guide of recommendations based on preference and price.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1014902/ocns-most-recommended-audio-products
 
The PC so far

3fIQhtO.jpg



Hard drive next
 

Jeb

Member
So I looked around a bit more and found 70% Isopropyl, didn't find any 90% though, is it good enough to clean my cpu lid and that stain on the green area?
 

Vlodril

Member
I'm not familiar with wireless headsets, however I did want to ask if you were set in stone about using wireless and a headset, rather than wired headphones with a separate mic. I would recommend the wired headphones + mic approach if sound quality is your primary focus.

Overclock.net has a great guide of recommendations based on preference and price.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1014902/ocns-most-recommended-audio-products

i need wireless so i can wear them to bed.
 

Jeb

Member
Google search linked me to another forum that says 70% is good enough if you let it evaporate, just checking with you guys.
Green part will be okay with this method right?
 
That's the way to do it. I started my build last August. Hoping to finish before November.

Can I play Crysis on Ultra yet?

:p


Don;t really have a clue what I'm doing, getting help step by step and will probably need a photo-guide when I assemble. Should be fun (for me at least)
 
Thanks for the info and quick replies. I'm currently looking through the OP. Lots of good info there. :)
Put something together for you (basically the Standard build):

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI B75A-G43 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55.25 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost 2GB Video Card ($164.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply ($43.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $584.17
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-24 11:28 EDT-0400)

That list is newegg-only. If you shop around, you should be able to save a little more money.
Keep in mind that you also need an OS if you don't have a license lying around.
 

Martian

Member
So, I'm reading the OP and like the person above me I have no idea on what to choose or to do.

Say I have like max 800 to spend on a gaming PC, what are my options. I see people speaking of building it yourself, but I'm not too sure thats such a good idea as I have no idea as to what I'm doing.

What are my options here?
BTW I live in Europe (the Netherlands) if that makes a difference.

(to give an example as to how clueless I am: I don't know which processors or video cards are good or bad)
 

kidko

Member
Hello. I am looking for a new headset. I had a logitech g930 and of course as soon as ff launched they broke ..

Now i am looking for something up to 60 euro's. Wireless and comfortable to wear for a good amount of time. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

I really like the PS3 wireless stereo headset for comfort. It feels very light when you wear it, and is comfortable with glasses on. Works great with my pc, mac and of course ps3.

It wouldn't hold up to rough handling, though. I handle it carefully and expect it to last me a long time.

 

daevv

Member
Put something together for you (basically the Standard build):

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI B75A-G43 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55.25 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost 2GB Video Card ($164.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply ($43.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $584.17
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-24 11:28 EDT-0400)

That list is newegg-only. If you shop around, you should be able to save a little more money.
Keep in mind that you also need an OS if you don't have a license lying around.

Excellent list of better parts for the same price as the FS machine. Thank you!
 

LordAlu

Member
So, I'm reading the OP and like the person above me I have no idea on what to choose or to do.

Say I have like max 800 to spend on a gaming PC, what are my options. I see people speaking of building it yourself, but I'm not too sure thats such a good idea as I have no idea as to what I'm doing.

What are my options here?
BTW I live in Europe (the Netherlands) if that makes a difference.

(to give an example as to how clueless I am: I don't know which processors or video cards are good or bad)
Here's a sample build for you:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor (€164.85 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G45 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (€93.93 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (€60.34 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (€91.89 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (€56.98 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card (€229.89 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (€59.26 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Total: €757.14
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-24 19:06 CEST+0200)

This is all using Amazon.de as the merchant. Obviously this is just for the machine itself and doesn't include Windows or a monitor/keyboard/mouse. You could go just over €800 and get an i5-3570k and cooler too.

Building a PC is pretty easy stuff and anyone in this thread will be able to advise you - there's a couple of videos in the OP but it's essentially just plugging everything in in the right order :D
 
N

NinjaFridge

Unconfirmed Member
Put something together for you (basically the Standard build):

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI B75A-G43 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55.25 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost 2GB Video Card ($164.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply ($43.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $584.17
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-24 11:28 EDT-0400)

That list is newegg-only. If you shop around, you should be able to save a little more money.
Keep in mind that you also need an OS if you don't have a license lying around.

Out of curiosity, what kind of performance could you get from this build?
 

Addnan

Member
Out of curiosity, what kind of performance could you get from this build?

It's a pretty entry level gaming PC. All games will run, but most will have to be set to medium to low to get good framerate at 1080p

edit: obviously depends what kinda framerate you find acceptable!
 

Martian

Member
Here's a sample build for you:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor (€164.85 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G45 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (€93.93 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (€60.34 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (€91.89 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (€56.98 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card (€229.89 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (€59.26 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Total: €757.14
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-24 19:06 CEST+0200)

This is all using Amazon.de as the merchant. Obviously this is just for the machine itself and doesn't include Windows or a monitor/keyboard/mouse. You could go just over €800 and get an i5-3570k and cooler too.

Building a PC is pretty easy stuff and anyone in this thread will be able to advise you - there's a couple of videos in the OP but it's essentially just plugging everything in in the right order :D


Thanks dude!
For a newbie like me this is brilliant.
I guess this includes everything (except the monitor) needed to use it?

What could I expect from this build? I dont expect miracles, but I primarily use my laptop now and it's probably better than that.
Say: Would I be able to run say BF4(medium?)/Rome 2 total war (high?) on this?
 

Zaph

Member
Hold me

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Three whacks and the fucker flew right off. Wasn't even scared *cough*.

I knew it would be big, but god damn the difference is insane. What on earth was intel thinking using that TIM? These chips aren't cheap, how much extra would it have cost to just solder it?

4770k @ 4.6GHz 1.27v (room temperature 26.2c, H60 cooler)

Before: idle 44c-47c | load 95c-100c (Prime95, was getting throttled on core 1)
After: idle 28c-32c | load 65c-72c (Prime95)

Used Liquid Ultra on the core and PK-3 on the IHS.
 

kidko

Member
So, I'm reading the OP and like the person above me I have no idea on what to choose or to do.

Say I have like max 800 to spend on a gaming PC, what are my options. I see people speaking of building it yourself, but I'm not too sure thats such a good idea as I have no idea as to what I'm doing.

What are my options here?
BTW I live in Europe (the Netherlands) if that makes a difference.

(to give an example as to how clueless I am: I don't know which processors or video cards are good or bad)

Build it yourself! It's really not that hard, especially if you let someone pick out the parts for or use a build in the OP. YouTube guides are out there to help you through some of your questions.

Don't be intimidated by it, just take your time, pay attention and use common sense and you can't really screw it up. If you know how to hook up cables to the outside of a PC, then you can figure out how to do the inside. The only difference is the cable ends are shaped a little differently. Just like a game, the more you learn about it, the more you can squeeze out of it (such as with overclocking).
 

Windam

Scaley member
I have a Phenom II X4 965 BE, would it severely bottleneck a GTX 760? Also, my case is an Antec 300 Illusion. Would newer cards fit? D:
 

Martian

Member
Build it yourself! It's really not that hard, especially if you let someone pick out the parts for or use a build in the OP. YouTube guides are out there to help you through some of your questions.

Don't be intimidated by it, just take your time, pay attention and use common sense and you can't really screw it up. If you know how to hook up cables to the outside of a PC, then you can figure out how to do the inside. The only difference is the cable ends are shaped a little differently. Just like a game, the more you learn about it, the more you can squeeze out of it (such as with overclocking).

Hmm, still kind of afraid to screw things up.
I live in a student apartment without many tools (just screwdriver hammer etc.)
Is it possible to fuck up your PC? Like accidently break a component?
 
Mm
I'll buy a new pc during november..
Worth going nvidia route if i plan to buy a shield, or future ati videocard are benching better in early test?
 

Addnan

Member
Hmm, still kind of afraid to screw things up.
I live in a student apartment without many tools (just screwdriver hammer etc.)
Is it possible to fuck up your PC? Like accidently break a component?

If you use a hammer then yes :p. It is pretty hard to break parts if you just follow guides

All you need is a screwdriver and a guide + help from GAF doesn't hurt!

As for performance of that PC it should be pretty good for getting into PC gaming. As you said no miracles, it is a pretty entry gaming PC. You will be able to play BF4 and Rome 2, but quality depends on what sort of performance you find acceptable. Mediums and some lows on BF4 will probably be where you are aiming for.

edit: oops read the specs wrong! That is a pretty great build. Should get good mileage.
 

Seanspeed

Banned
I highly recommend watching some vids in the OP on step by step instructions for building. Really helped me get comfortable in knowing I can do it myself. There's one guy that goes through every single little step painstakingly, never really glossing over anything and pretty much assuming that the viewers are completely uneducated/inexperienced with this sort of thing. Lots of times, experienced 'how-to' video makers tend to make things seem easier than they sometimes are or skip over some parts thinking they are unnecessary to explain/show.

It was like an hour long, but well worth it. I was able to afford a much more powerful computer building it myself.
 
It's a pretty entry level gaming PC. All games will run, but most will have to be set to medium to low to get good framerate at 1080p
Maybe in Metro: LL or Crysis 3. For most games it's a pretty capable little rig.

Excellent list of better parts for the same price as the FS machine. Thank you!
No problem! If you can stretch your budget a little, go quad core and get an i5 3350P.

Also, I just saw that this Sapphire 7870 is on sale right now. Get that instead of the 650Ti Boost. You could even sell the 2 games you get with your purchase.

Quite a big boost for not much more money.
 

Addnan

Member
I highly recommend watching some vids in the OP on step by step instructions for building. Really helped me get comfortable in knowing I can do it myself. There's one guy that goes through every single little step painstakingly, never really glossing over anything and pretty much assuming that the viewers are completely uneducated/inexperienced with this sort of thing. Lots of times, experienced 'how-to' video makers tend to make things seem easier than they sometimes are or skip over some parts thinking they are unnecessary to explain/show.

It was like an hour long, but well worth it. I was able to afford a much more powerful computer building it myself.
Yes, watching long videos helps so much. The 15-20mins videos kinda just goes through a lot of stuff really quick. So much better to spend a few hours just checking these things out than start building and finding a cable that you are not sure what to do with.

Maybe in Metro: LL or Crysis 3. For most games it's a pretty capable little rig.

No doubt. All depends what sort of performance each person prefers. I just like fps over visuals.
 

Vlodril

Member
I really like the PS3 wireless stereo headset for comfort. It feels very light when you wear it, and is comfortable with glasses on. Works great with my pc, mac and of course ps3.

It wouldn't hold up to rough handling, though. I handle it carefully and expect it to last me a long time.

Hm i can only find the 7.1 in amazon. you sure it will work with pc?

Sorry to ask for clarification because i am reading it will only work partially on the pc
 

Jeb

Member
Whats the preferred method to spread thermal paste?
Tried with that paper that comes with it and it doesn't spread as well as the videos, if anything it is easily absorbed, don't know if its remnants from the alcohol though.
 

Addnan

Member
Whats the preferred method to spread thermal paste?
Tried with that paper that comes with it and it doesn't spread as well as the videos, if anything it is easily absorbed, don't know if its remnants from the alcohol though.

Just put a pea sizes amount in the middle and don't spread it. Just place the heatsink and screw it in. That's it. No manual spreading, the heatsink will spread it.
 

Zaph

Member
I was scared looking at the pictures.

Do you have to even impact it that hard?

Rubber mallet might be a bit gentler?
The piece of wood under the hammer is what makes contact with the chip, not the hammer itself. Still takes 2/3 solid whacks though.
 

Dreaver

Member
I found out that with my XFI Fatal1ty will disappear randomly if I also install the Console app. I would need to uninstall and reinstall the drivers for the card to show up again. That maybe your problem. Uninstall all the Creative Labs apps and just reinstall the drivers.

Sadly didn't work, also took out my sound card and removed the dust... nothing, even tried changing settings in the BIOS to 'internal' soundcard. It is frustrating the fuck out of me, I guess I will have to format my computer, I have no idea what I can do else. Thanks for your help though!
 

bro1

Banned
Sadly didn't work, also took out my sound card and removed the dust... nothing, even tried changing settings in the BIOS to 'internal' soundcard. It is frustrating the fuck out of me, I guess I will have to format my computer, I have no idea what I can do else. Thanks for your help though!
Did you change pcix settings from x4 to x1?
 

LordAlu

Member
Thanks dude!
For a newbie like me this is brilliant.
I guess this includes everything (except the monitor) needed to use it?

What could I expect from this build? I dont expect miracles, but I primarily use my laptop now and it's probably better than that.
Say: Would I be able to run say BF4(medium?)/Rome 2 total war (high?) on this?
You'd need Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit or Windows 8 64-bit, a monitor, keyboard/mouse and speakers or headset.

Performance wise you'll easily get 1080p/60FPS with BF3 on Very High so I'd expect the same level of performance with BF4. Basically it will blitz anything your laptop can do :D
 

Addnan

Member
You'd need Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit or Windows 8 64-bit, a monitor, keyboard/mouse and speakers or headset.

Performance wise you'll easily get 1080p/60FPS with BF3 on Very High so I'd expect the same level of performance with BF4. Expect it to blitz anything your laptop can do :D
Oh man, I replied to that guy saying he would have to play on med/low. Thought I saw 3220 and a 650. Should probably have double checked.
 
Want to upgrade by GTX580. I know ATI has a new card coming out in a month. nvidia have anything rumoroed?

I just want the fastest single card out in fall. Probably won't upgrade the CPU seeing that my 2600k @ 4.8 can hang all day for gaming.
 
Hey PC GAF, I'm thinking of jumping in while I wait out the new consoles.

I plan on connecting whatever I get to my 720p TV. How far will the medium spec'd x51 run some of this years games do you imagine? Should 60fps be an issue for me at that resolution? Is the top of the line X51 worth the extra price?
 

Addnan

Member
Want to upgrade by GTX580. I know ATI has a new card coming out in a month. nvidia have anything rumoroed?

I just want the fastest single card out in fall. Probably won't upgrade the CPU seeing that my 2600k @ 4.8 can hang all day for gaming.

No Nvidia until some time next year.
 
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