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[kharma45]

Good catches, I forgot Windows 8's limit is 128GB for the standard version! I prefer Green's for storage myself, although if the storage drive was less than 2TB I'd go for the Blue as well.

Not seen much on Be Quiet! power supplies, how are they compared to the usual SeaSonic/Corsair/XFX ones?

Be Quiet stuff is really good, I've no problem with recommending them. Hell, bought one myself when I was about to buy an XFX. They're still sort of small time compared to Seasonic but they're expanding outside of Europe now and should become a bigger name soon.

Whag does that exactly do

"This option allows you to keep all your personal files and purchased Apps from the Windows Store, whilst removing all downloaded and installed programs such as Java, Adobe and Games. Your PC settings will also revert to default."

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/windows/3443121/how-refresh-reset-windows-8/

Similar to a clean install but you keep all your files, just not programs downloaded from the internet.

 

[LordAlu]

Whag does that exactly do

It will remove and then clean install Windows 8, but it will copy your Metro apps, personalizations, and personal files to a temporary location during the process and then returning them to the new Windows install when done. You lose any applications installed from discs or websites though, it just keeps Windows Store apps.

Edit: Beaten

 

[WAR recon zero]

So, I have a problem.

I have a MSI board, and one day it wouldn't boot. It would cycle on and off. After swearing, removing one of the rams worked.

Question is, would a bad ram/no ram cycle on and off?

Nvidia 320.18 WHQL Display Drivers CAUSING ISSUES

Didn't read this. Sometimes Windows 8 loads and loads and loads.

Seems to be the culprit

 

[unluckyhat]

nevermind

 

[kennah]

Alright guys, so I posted in here a few weeks back when I was thinking of buying a PC after more than 10 years of console-only gaming. The thing is my time is very limited right now (writing up my PhD thesis). But I still want to do it so I would appreciate recommendations.

This computer will be used for two things: gaming and development of image processing/machine learning algorithms. The latter means that I need at the very least 16GB of RAM and at least a 4-core CPU.

My current plan would be to go for the "Excellent - Best Overall" build from the OP with the i7 3770K, 16GB of RAM. For the graphic card, because I make extensive use of CUDA, a NVidia GPU is required. How is the jump in performance between a GTX 770 2GB and a GTX770 4GB? Is it worth it to go all in with a GTX 780?

My other questions relate to how I should buy the parts. I am fairly confident I would be able to put the thing together myself. I live in London. Is my best bet Amazon? Or are specialist retailers usually cheaper?

As you can see I am still very open to suggestions. Thought I would post as I would like to make this happen relatively quickly.

I'm surprised no one recommended this, but if you have the money you would be better off going for Socket 2011 instead lf Ivy. Costs a little more for motherboard, and you should use quad channel ram, but the bottom end cpu costs the same as the top end i7 and performs as fast - with possible hex core upgrade options.

 

[kharma45]

IB-E is only a couple of weeks off too, not that long a wait.

 

[Honey Bunny]

Unless you're mainly going for emulation I'd personally go with the i5-3570k and a Z77 motherboard as there's not much of a performance difference and the Ivy Bridge chips will overclock better.

I'd probably also swap out the power supply for something like the Seasonic M12II 520 Bronze or the XFX P1-550S, and if there isn't much of a price difference where you are I'd maybe change the SSD to the EVO version (Samsung 840 EVO 250GB) but it's certainly not a necessity!

Otherwise looks nice! I take it you've already got a Windows license and keyboard/mouse/speakers?

Edit: I've based all these on Amazon.de since they usually deliver to Switzerland

Thanks for the response! My PSU is actually cheaper than the seasonic and the same price as the xfx, buying from digitec.ch.

The EVO SSD is one of the things I cut back, it's 16 chf more than the one I have listed and that's the same price difference between jumping from Ivy Bridge + mobo to Haswell + mobo , so I choose to upgrade the CPU instead. File transfer speeds are nice but Dolphin emu is nicer

I'm pretty sure I'll stick to Win7, and I have speakers and a mouse. I haven't looked into keyboards yet actually, I just know mechanical is preferred. Any suggestions for a modest price?

 

[kennah]

Thanks for the response! My PSU is actually cheaper than the seasonic and the same price as the xfx, buying from digitec.ch. /QUOTE]
You are missing what he said. You picked a shitty PSU. Buy one of the better ones he recommended. If the xfx is the same price, get it

 

[ghst]

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-204-MS

MSI 7970 GHZ edition for £260.

great deal for those who can't wait for the 9xxx series.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

Does anyone know if th Be Quiet Pure Power L8 530W PSU has a built in surge protector?

This one apparently does

http://www.ebuyer.com/190751-be-quiet-530w-pure-power-psu-bn106

But I can;t find anything about it with the L8


edit: If I can;t find any confirmation, what do you guys use to protect from surges? My socket extension block is supposed to have one built in, but it failed to save my old desktop from dying after a surge so I don't trust it

 

[Azulsky]

Does anyone know if th Be Quiet Pure Power L8 530W PSU has a built in surge protector?

This one apparently does

http://www.ebuyer.com/190751-be-quiet-530w-pure-power-psu-bn106

But I can;t find anything about it with the L8


edit: If I can;t find any confirmation, what do you guys use to protect from surges? My socket extension block is supposed to have one built in, but it failed to save my old desktop from dying after a surge so I don't trust it

Surge Protector?

If you want to be thorough you need to get one for your ethernet. We have lost computers at work due to that issue. They are relatively cheap($20) for a standalone that actually takes RJ45. Most block it before it gets to the modem so you have the Coax or RJ11 protection there.

 

[kennah]

OH MY GOD USING A COMPUTER WITH NO SSD IS PAINFUL

Working on finishing my friends budget/handmedown pc. Oof. Even when 7200rpm drives.

Maybe I'll put in these 10k 36gigs... Hmm.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

Surge Protector?

If you want to be thorough you need to get one for your ethernet. We have lost computers at work due to that issue. They are relatively cheap($20)

A UPS serves this function too, for the power.

Cheers.

Says this on the official product page

Engineering

Full suite of top safety protections defends against over-currents, over- and under-voltages, short circuits, overheating and overloads, thus safeguarding your valuable components
Two independent +12V rails improve power signal stability

So I should be double-protected, hopefully

*touch wood*

 

[PairOfFilthySocks]

Amazon is taking its sweet-ass time getting the XFX Pro 550w in stock. I'm thinking of switching to that Antec BP550 mentioned in the OP, but all Amazon has is this. What's the difference between the BP550 and the VP550?

 

[nicjac]

Thanks for all the recommendations, I will digest all that and come back with any question I might have then!

 

[Azulsky]

OH MY GOD USING A COMPUTER WITH NO SSD IS PAINFUL

Working on finishing my friends budget/handmedown pc. Oof. Even when 7200rpm drives.

Maybe I'll put in these 10k 36gigs... Hmm.

Yeah i will never go back.

Hopefully forward, to PCIE based SSD!

 

[LordAlu]

Amazon is taking its sweet-ass time getting the XFX Pro 550w in stock. I'm thinking of switching to that Antec BP550 mentioned in the OP, but all Amazon has is this. What's the difference between the BP550 and the VP550?

Are you wanting to buy only from Amazon UK? Scan, Dabs, Novatech and Aria all have the XFX in stock.

 

[Bii]

Fractal Design Define R4 w/window (titanium grey) is only $69.99 on Amazon.com (2 left in stock!). This is probably the lowest I've ever seen the case go for. It's actually something that I'll use for my next build but that probably won't happen until later this year. So hopefully someone here snags it.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008HD3E82/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[QaaQer]

I'm interested in delidding my 3570k because ive been getting pretty high temps (about 80c at 4.3ghz).

After delidding, do you just put new thermal paste on the die, and then put the heatsink back on abd put thermal paste on that again?

Is there anyone in north NJ that did the delidding before?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3dMgRSEi2Y

Let us know how it turns out, seriously contemplating this myself.

 

[teh_pwn]

I'm interested in delidding my 3570k because ive been getting pretty high temps (about 80c at 4.3ghz).

After delidding, do you just put new thermal paste on the die, and then put the heatsink back on abd put thermal paste on that again?

Is there anyone in north NJ that did the delidding before?

What cooler and vcore are you at

This question is very important. Unless you mega lost the silicon lottery and you have to go to 1.3 V to get Ivy stable at 4.3 GHz (this is like the bottom 5% of chips in overclock limit), you don't need to delid. The chances of getting such a chip are so low that it's more likely:
1. Your cooler is bad.
2. Your cooler is not seated properly.
3. Your motherboard's voltage regulator sucks.
4. Your BIOS settings are bad.
5. You have a motherboard that shipped with pre-release BIOS and you need to update for stability.
6. You have a cheap motherboard that requires tweaking C States, load line calibration, RAM voltage, and other settings to workaround it's flaws. Google OC guides for your motherboard.

I won the silicon lottery at home with my 3770K @ 4.6 GHz with 1.22V VCore, but I have overclocked many chips at work and the worst I have seen in 4.3 GHz, but it's stable at 1.24V VCore at 65C.

 

[tycoonheart]

I'm looking for suggestions here.

So I recently bout a 1440p monitor that overclocks to 120 Hz. I have a GTX 680 that plays most games at that resolution w/o much problems. But I'm looking to push the framerate higher since my monitor does go up to 120hz. Was thinking about getting another G680 for a SLI setup. Should I go for that? Or would you guys recommend I wait for the 800 series? I'm kind of torn on what to do right now.

 

[kharma45]

Amazon is taking its sweet-ass time getting the XFX Pro 550w in stock. I'm thinking of switching to that Antec BP550 mentioned in the OP, but all Amazon has is this. What's the difference between the BP550 and the VP550?

Are you wanting to buy only from Amazon UK? Scan, Dabs, Novatech and Aria all have the XFX in stock.

Yeah just grab it somewhere else.

 

[lmpaler]

I'm looking for suggestions here.

So I recently bout a 1440p monitor that overclocks to 120 Hz. I have a GTX 680 that plays most games at that resolution w/o much problems. But I'm looking to push the framerate higher since my monitor does go up to 120hz. Was thinking about getting another G680 for a SLI setup. Should I go for that? Or would you guys recommend I wait for the 800 series? I'm kind of torn on what to do right now.

SLI is cool and all, but I still prefer one beefy card to two, micro stutter and issues with SLI in general. Just my opinion, wait

 

[valouris]

Okay, so I have a Phenom II X4 955, upgrading both MB and CPU is not an option, so I will upgrade my 4870 in order to enjoy Rome II.

Stock 7850 or Souped 7850 or 660 or 660 Ti?

I could get something more like a 7870 or a 670 (barely) but I think it would have no point on my rig.

Edit: Also, are we expecting any significant price drops soon?
Edit2: Is 7850 with 2gb worth it over 7850 with 1gb?

 

[kharma45]

Okay, so I have a Phenom II X4 955, upgrading both MB and CPU is not an option, so I will upgrade my 4870 in order to enjoy Rome II.

Stock 7850 or Souped 7850 or 660 or 660 Ti?

I could get something more like a 7870 or a 670 (barely) but I think it would have no point on my rig.

Edit: Also, are we expecting any significant price drops soon?

What country are you from? Also if you haven't overclock your Phenom, should be able to get it up to 4 GHz or so.

 

[NinjaCatfish]

I find it so hard to take decent pictures of my rig. Whenever I use flash it brings out gross fingerprints and marks you can't normally see.

Anywho, here it is, I quite like it, even in it's gargantuan size.

CPU: Intel i5 2500K @ 4.4GHz
RAM: 16GB Corsair Vengeance Low-Profile
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14
GPU: XFX 3GB Double Dissipation 7970 GHz
PSU: Corsair HX650
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4
Case: Silverstone Fortress FT02B-W

I'm thinking about maybe grabbing some of the Bitfenix power cable extensions to make the visible power connectors red, to give the case some sort of interesting-ness. Thought about some subtle lighting but it'd be annoying to turn off when I leave the PC on overnight and it's in the same room I sleep.

 

[valouris]

What country are you from? Also if you haven't overclock your Phenom, should be able to get it up to 4 GHz or so.

I am from Greece, pricing goes like this (lowest possible) 7850 1gb< 78502gb = 660 < 7870 < 660 Ti < 670
(edit: we generally tend to lag behind about 6 months, especially in some custom renditions, and sometimes we never get them, i.e. I cant find the MSI 7850 PE anywhere)

I haven't overclocked, but I am generally having problems with my temps, my cpu reaches 60 degrees at nearly full load, although I have a Corsair A70 on it (they were much lower when i put it initially though).
I could try reapplying the paste (bit bored to do though cuz it was a pain in the ass the first time, the A70 is huge).
I will def. try overclocking once the weather gets a bit colder though

 

[kharma45]

I am from Greece, pricing goes like this (lowest possible) 7850 1gb< 78502gb = 660 < 7870 < 660 Ti < 670

I haven't overclocked, but I am generally having problems with my temps, my cpu reaches 60 degrees at nearly full load, although I have a Corsair A70 on it (they were much lower when i put it initially though).
I could try reapplying the paste (bit bored to do though cuz it was a pain in the ass the first time, the A70 is huge).
I will def. try overclocking once the weather gets a bit colder though

Yeah it might just need reseated with fresh thermal paste.

I'd grab the 660 probably in that case. 670 prices in the UK though have tanked, they're almost the same price as a 670.

 

[Kaiden]

I'm guessing this is the right place to post this, but how is gaming on Windows 8? I had heard (a few months ago) that it wasn't good. Does anyone have any input on this?

(Basically I can get a free copy of 8 from a friend who has a code, or I could buy Windows 7.)

 

[valouris]

Yeah it might just need reseated with fresh thermal paste.

I'd grab the 660 probably in that case. 670 prices in the UK though have tanked, they're almost the same price as a 670.

You mean the same price as a 660 I guess?

this is not the case here, 670s are way above 660s, even the Ti.

I could shell the cash for it, but I am worried it wont be much of a difference for my specific rig.

 

[lostsupper]

I'm interested in delidding my 3570k because ive been getting pretty high temps (about 80c at 4.3ghz).

After delidding, do you just put new thermal paste on the die, and then put the heatsink back on abd put thermal paste on that again?

Is there anyone in north NJ that did the delidding before?

Use Coollaboratory Liquid Pro or Ultra between die and heatsink. Regular thermal paste between heatsink and cooler.

 

[kennah]

I'm guessing this is the right place to post this, but how is gaming on Windows 8? I had heard (a few months ago) that it wasn't good. Does anyone have any input on this?

(Basically I can get a free copy of 8 from a friend who has a code, or I could buy Windows 7.)

Official stance is buy whichever is cheaper. So, go for it!

 

[Addnan]

I'm guessing this is the right place to post this, but how is gaming on Windows 8? I had heard (a few months ago) that it wasn't good. Does anyone have any input on this?

(Basically I can get a free copy of 8 from a friend who has a code, or I could buy Windows 7.)

There was never a problem with gaming and Windows 8, not that I know of and I've been gaming on it pretty much since Windows 8 launched. Problem was/is that some people don't like the UI.

 

[Kaiden]

^^^

Thanks guys! When my ram comes in and I pick up the remaining pieces from Micro Center, my build will be pretty much complete! Now to just get a good monitor and keyboard without paying too much!

 

[kharma45]

You mean the same price as a 660 I guess?

this is not the case here, 670s are way above 660s, even the Ti.

I could shell the cash for it, but I am worried it wont be much of a difference for my specific rig.

Yep they're that cheap atm here. 660 is a fine card, as is the 7850. Both are good mid-range offerings for 1080p. AMD has new cards out in October fyi.

I'm guessing this is the right place to post this, but how is gaming on Windows 8? I had heard (a few months ago) that it wasn't good. Does anyone have any input on this?

(Basically I can get a free copy of 8 from a friend who has a code, or I could buy Windows 7.)

8 is fine, plus it's the only way to get DX 11.2.

 

[NinjaCatfish]

I'm guessing this is the right place to post this, but how is gaming on Windows 8? I had heard (a few months ago) that it wasn't good. Does anyone have any input on this?

(Basically I can get a free copy of 8 from a friend who has a code, or I could buy Windows 7.)

I've been using Windows 8 for gaming since launch day. I have had some issues, some that pushed me back to Windows 7 for a while. I'm back on 8 now, and it's been smooth sailing for the last 3 months at least.

Back at launch, I was having issues with The Walking Dead not opening with a 360 controller attached, and nearly every GWFL game wouldn't launch unless I uninstalled GFWL and re-installed from the website, sine the game installed with an outdated GFWL that wasn't compatible with Windows 8.

I've not had any issues since going back to Windows 8 though. I'd recommend just going with 8 rather than spending extra money on an OS that won't be getting DX11.2.

 

[valouris]

Yep they're that cheap atm here. 660 is a fine card, as is the 7850. Both are good mid-range offerings for 1080p. AMD has new cards out in October fyi.

I am actually gaming at 1680x1050. I am pretty close to deciding on a good version of the 7850, and overclocking a bit, since I've heard they are excellent for OC.

Don't know if I can wait till October though for potential price drops. There is always something on the way, one has to decide on a purchase eventually.

 

[kharma45]

I am actually gaming at 1680x1050. I am pretty close to deciding on a good version of the 7850, and overclocking a bit, since I've heard they are excellent for OC.

Don't know if I can wait till October though for potential price drops. There is always something on the way, one has to decide on a purchase eventually.

They are generally. I'm on my third now and the first two overclocked marvellously but this one (and my brothers too) are shit for it, both can barely get above their default clocks. Luck of the silicon lottery, don't depend on overclocking is my warning.

 

[OldAsUrSock]

I am actually gaming at 1680x1050. I am pretty close to deciding on a good version of the 7850, and overclocking a bit, since I've heard they are excellent for OC.

Don't know if I can wait till October though for potential price drops. There is always something on the way, one has to decide on a purchase eventually.

The Sapphire 7850 runs very cool when overclocked to 1200 GPU clock. 61° to 63° at most.

 

[valouris]

They are generally. I'm on my third now and the first two overclocked marvellously but this one (and my brothers too) are shit for it, both can barely get above their default clocks. Luck of the silicon lottery, don't depend on overclocking is my warning.

Your third one? Did you burn the other 2 with OC?

Also, apart from the MSI 7850 PE, which other editions of the 7850 would you guys recommend?

 

[kharma45]

Your third one? Did you burn the other 2 with OC?

Also, apart from the MSI 7850 PE, which other editions of the 7850 would you guys recommend?

Na one just died and the second the fan bearing broke on one of the fans. I've not had great luck haha.

The Sapphire ones are pretty good, they're usually the cheapest too.

 

[valouris]

Na one just died and the second the fan bearing broke on one of the fans. I've not had great luck haha.

The Sapphire ones are pretty good, they're usually the cheapest too.

Ouch, must have been a pain, I hope you managed to use the warranties.

Anyway, a 7850 it probably is then, thanks everybody for the help!

 

[kharma45]

Ouch, must have been a pain, I hope you managed to use the warranties.

Anyway, a 7850 it probably is then, thanks everybody for the help!

Yeah there is a three year warranty on the card, but MSI's RMA service is pretty slow so it took about a month each time to get it repaired.

 

[asdad123]

What cooler and vcore are you at

Its h80i. I think I was at like 1.30v. I knocked it down to 4.0ghz at 1.2v and now im maxing around 65c.

Dont really remember to be honest. Ill check when I get home from work.

Only reason I want to push my cpu further is because im getting another 7950 for crossfire and dint want to be bottlenecked.

 

[Windam]

I've read that getting a GTX 760 4GB is useless as the card isn't fast enough to support the memory. Is there any truth to this? I won't be going SLI as my mobo doesn't support it, if that makes any difference.

 

[kennah]

SLI makes no difference. Some say if the difference in price is 30-40 then go for it.

 

[PairOfFilthySocks]

Yeah just grab it somewhere else.

Only amazon do free delivery, though. So, is there any difference between the BP550 and the VP550?

 

[kharma45]

Only amazon do free delivery, though. So, is there any difference between the BP550 and the VP550?

Dabs charge 98p for delivery.

98p.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

Dabs charge 98p for delivery.

98p.

Every little counts bruv


Can anyone recommend me a good wireless adaptor? Any kind of physical connection to the router is seemingly out of the question for me

I can go up to £25

 

[kidko]

EDIT Nevermind