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[truthiness]

There is no best time tbh, deals come and go.

What has disappointed you about AMD?

For the video card, I've had a lot of issues with drivers from AMD. Some of the games I play have had issues with AMD cards and/or drivers in the past which has been a huge pain to resolve. This is probably just a "grass is greener" viewpoint, but it seems to me that AMD has a lot more issues. I always see problems being pointed at AMD rather than NVidia, at least for the games I have played in the past.

As far as the processor goes, I feel I could've gotten much better performance out of an Intel processor for slightly more cost.

I have a 6850 video card and a 955 processor. It's probably all just perception, but I think I got in trouble for choosing the cheaper options over the better options.

 

[kharma45]

Can anyone make suggestions to this spec? I know I'm missing RAM, it's cheaper elsewhere. Just wanting suggestions for better price to performance ratio.

I'm not sure about the PSU... may be better to get something higher spec?

Please don't get that power supply, it's awful. A good quality one isn't much more http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005FPT38U/

Do you really need a DVD drive? Get a Hyper 212 instead to save cash.

How are you getting the EVO SSD and 3570K so cheap? That mobo isn't gonna be all that great, and that 760 will be noisy since it's reference.

Can anyone make suggestions to this spec? I know I'm missing RAM, it's cheaper elsewhere. Just wanting suggestions for better price to performance ratio.

I'm not sure about the PSU... may be better to get something higher spec?

Please don't get that power supply, it's awful. A good quality one isn't much more http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005FPT38U/

Do you really need a DVD drive? Get a Hyper 212 instead to save cash.

How are you getting the EVO SSD and 3570K so cheap? That mobo isn't gonna be all that great, and that 760 will be noisy since it's reference.

For the video card, I've had a lot of issues with drivers from AMD. A lot of the games I play have had issues with AMD cards and/or drivers in the past which has been a huge pain. This is probably just a "grass is greener" viewpoint, but it seems to me that AMD has a lot more issues.

As far as the processor goes, I feel I could've gotten much better performance out of an Intel processor for slightly more cost.

I have a 6850 video card and a 955 processor. It's probably all just perception, but I think I got in trouble for choosing the cheaper options over the better options.

Drivers from AMD are on a par with Nvidia now and it's actually Nvidia who've had the most issues of late.

Depending on when you bought you probably got good stuff, the 955 is still a serviceable CPU even now and the 6850 was a great buy for a long time.

http://h20386.www2.hp.com/CanadaStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=H3L75AA&opt=ABL&sel=PCDT
How is that PC, GAF? Can it run games very good or what?

Shite, better off building.

 

[PumpkinPie]

Please don't get that power supply, it's awful. A good quality one isn't much more http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005FPT38U/

Do you really need a DVD drive? Get a Hyper 212 instead to save cash.

How are you getting the EVO SSD and 3570K so cheap? That mobo isn't gonna be all that great, and that 760 will be noisy since it's reference.

I need a DVD drive, otherwise I won't be able to play games! Not paying DD prices. The EVO SSD and CPU are on special offer, although those prices are before VAT. I just went with the mobo because it's in the OP, and I don't know anything about them.

 

[Hilti92]

Please don't get that power supply, it's awful. A good quality one isn't much more http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005FPT38U/

Do you really need a DVD drive? Get a Hyper 212 instead to save cash.

How are you getting the EVO SSD and 3570K so cheap? That mobo isn't gonna be all that great, and that 760 will be noisy since it's reference.



Please don't get that power supply, it's awful. A good quality one isn't much more http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005FPT38U/

Do you really need a DVD drive? Get a Hyper 212 instead to save cash.

How are you getting the EVO SSD and 3570K so cheap? That mobo isn't gonna be all that great, and that 760 will be noisy since it's reference.



Drivers from AMD are on a par with Nvidia now and it's actually Nvidia who've had the most issues of late.

Depending on when you bought you probably got good stuff, the 955 is still a serviceable CPU even now and the 6850 was a great buy for a long time.



Shite, better off building.

Really? I want to build but I am scared of the challenge.. Also no idea where to start.

 

[kharma45]

I followed Hazaro's Excellent build for the most part, but have maybe 200 dollars with which to make further upgrades. This PC is meant to be used for gaming mostly. I may also stream media to a TV on occasion. I wouldn't mind having the option to stream games live, but it's not a priority. I would like to try Dolphin emulation as well. I have no plans to overclock anything. The only thing I'm taking from my old computer is the cd/dvd burner, M&KB, and monitor. I'm sticking with all newegg cause i'm lazy. I would like this to work with oculus rift down the line. My current monitor is wide screen 75hz 1366x768. I don't care about audio quality much. I'm fine with a steady 30fps, but wouldn't mind better. I'd like it to be future proof so I can upgrade later on. Plan to order everything tomorrow evening.

tl;dr: $200 left to upgrade/add something below. Need a response today/tomorrow if possible. Thanks!

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1yQai

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($42.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($265.91 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 660W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($115.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1284.80

If you're looking to emulate, go Haswell. Also overclocking is so easy there is no reason not to do it. 840 Pro is overkill, as is 16GB of RAM. And that PSU. Try this for size instead

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($58.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($162.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($88.90 @ Amazon)
Total: $1098.32
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-01 19:50 EDT-0400)

Really? I want to build but I am scared of the challenge.. Also no idea where to start.

Read some guides and watch videos in the OP, it's easy

I need a DVD drive, otherwise I won't be able to play games! Not paying DD prices. The EVO SSD and CPU are on special offer, although those prices are before VAT. I just went with the mobo because it's in the OP, and I don't know anything about them.

But DD is the cheapest way to get games now :S There is zero need for a DVD drive. Plus the very few games that come in retail boxes now generally redeem on Steam or Origin.

That's not the mobo from the OP either. This is a cheaper build and better overall

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£174.93 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£22.85 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G45 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£83.04 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£128.97 @ Amazon UK)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (£38.65 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (£49.86 @ Scan.co.uk)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) (£69.66 @ CCL Computers)
Other: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 Windforce 3X NVIDIA Graphics Card - 2GB (£200.00)
Total: £767.96
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-02 00:56 BST+0100)

 

[BasketCasket]

Which one is it? there is one that suffers very badly from coil whine I suspect you have it.

Seasonic Platinum-660 Fully Modular 80PLUS Platinum 660W PSU (SS-660XP2 Active PFC F3)

If it's the one; any suggestions?

As noted; I don't have a lot of faith in the RMA route. I feel like I'm going to waste money on shipping; only to get a refurbished unit back in exchange for my new one. Only to have the same problem (as it looks like a manufacturing defect with the model).

 

[Unknown One]

What is Windows 7/8 OEM version?

 

[DeVeAn]

My GTX 570 is starting to play newer games @1080p less than 60fps. Really want upgrade but, I can't find a good enough jump on anything I can afford. Ah well will wait for 800 series.

 

[PumpkinPie]

But DD is the cheapest way to get games now :S There is zero need for a DVD drive. Plus the very few games that come in retail boxes now generally redeem on Steam or Origin.

Bioshock Infinite is £35 on Steam vs. £22 on Amazon
Saints Row IV is £40 on Steam vs £36 on Amazon
Splinter Cell Blacklist is £30 on Steam vs. £27.91 on Amazon
Skyrim Legendary Edition is £30 on Steam vs. £20 on Amazon


That's £30 saved over four games I'd be interested in buying. DD is cheaper? I'll always go physical until they stop offering it.

What does that mobo you linked to do better? It looks like it has the same features as the one I chose?

 

[kharma45]

What is Windows 7/8 OEM version?

Just normal Windows without all the fancy retail guff.

My GTX 570 is starting to play newer games @1080p less than 60fps. Really want upgrade but, I can't find a good enough jump on anything I can afford. Ah well will wait for 800 series.

Where are you in the world?

Seasonic Platinum-660 Fully Modular 80PLUS Platinum 660W PSU (SS-660XP2 Active PFC F3)

If it's the one; any suggestions?

As noted; I don't have a lot of faith in the RMA route. I feel like I'm going to waste money on shipping; only to get a refurbished unit back in exchange for my new one. Only to have the same problem (as it looks like a manufacturing defect with the model).

Quick Google suggests they do suffer from it. Email Seasonic just to see what they say.

Bioshock Infinite is £35 on Steam vs. £22 on Amazon
Saints Row IV is £40 on Steam vs £36 on Amazon
Splinter Cell Blacklist is £30 on Steam vs. £27.91 on Amazon
Skyrim Legendary Edition is £30 on Steam vs. £20 on Amazon


That's £30 saved over four games I'd be interested in buying. DD is cheaper? I'll always go physical until they stop offering it.

All of those games activate digitally, no need for the drive. Plus you're just looking on Steam, shop around for deals on places like GMG etc. Skyrim is £23 there for example and whilst I know it is more it still pays to shop around. Saints Row IV for example was £32 on DD pre-order with them. Plus you're more likely to get DD sales, BioShock was on sale for £12 a few times over the summer.

You can get some good deals on retail (Splinter Cell for £23 with GMG) discs but generally DD is the cheapest way.

Mobo wise that G45 will OC better, but you'll still be limited as it's a budget board. You need to jump to around £100 for a good one.

 

[BasketCasket]

Quick Google suggests they do suffer from it. Email Seasonic just to see what they say.

Thanks for the help.

As a side note; what would be a good replacement; if I bit the bullet and bought a new unit (even if I have to ebay this POS)?

Thanks!

 

[kharma45]

Thanks for the help.

As a side note; what would be a good replacement; if I bit the bullet and bought a new unit (even if I have to ebay this POS)?

Thanks!

The Seasonic/XFX/Corsair Gold rated units are good and generally don't have coil whine issues from what I know of them.

$80 for this http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00918MEZG/?tag=neogaf0e-20 for their entry level Gold unit or $110 for the top Gold ones http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

There are some deals on the Seasonic variants of that XFX too, not sure if the discount code works on all or just some. mkenyon knows his platinum ones better than me so he might be able to help with regards to the whine you're getting.

 

[Hilti92]

For Hazaros Very Capable build, it says it has 8GB of RAM. My current laptop has 8GB of RAM.. Should I not even bother or what? Sorry, new at this.

 

[kennah]

For Hazaros Very Capable build, it says it has 8GB of RAM. My current laptop has 8GB of RAM.. Should I not even bother or what? Sorry, new at this.

What are you asking?

 

[Hilti92]

What are you asking?

My laptop has just as much RAM as the Hazaro Very Capable one, which is 8GB. So is it worth it to upgrade? My laptop can't even run Euro Truck Sim at a good level. All blurry and shit. I upgraded to Intel i5 and GTX 660 2GB on the bundle for the extra money. Worth it?

 

[kharma45]

My laptop has just as much RAM as the Hazaro Very Capable one, which is 8GB. So is it worth it to upgrade? My laptop can't even run Euro Truck Sim at a good level. All blurry and shit. I upgraded to Intel i5 and GTX 660 2GB on the bundle for the extra money. Worth it?

I don't understand what you're getting at either.

So you've bought desktop parts to upgrade your desktop? And your laptop has 8GB of RAM?

 

[BasketCasket]

The Seasonic/XFX/Corsair Gold rated units are good and generally don't have coil whine issues from what I know of them.

$80 for this http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00918MEZG/?tag=neogaf0e-20 for their entry level Gold unit or $110 for the top Gold ones http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

There are some deals on the Seasonic variants of that XFX too, not sure if the discount code works on all or just some. mkenyon knows his platinum ones better than me so he might be able to help with regards to the whine you're getting.

Excellent; I'm beyond frustrated with this constant whine that I might just consider this an expensive lesson; if I can't figure something out with Seasonic or Canada Computers.

I'm going to try and get Seasonic to ship me a different product; which might be impossible. I'm trying the same with Canada Computers. I don't want anything to do with this model.

The only hilarious part of all this is that I went with this specific PSU; as it was used in the following build; which was aimed at creating a "silent" gaming rig:
http://www.tested.com/tech/pcs/454052-small-quiet-fast-building-modern-gaming-pc/

Ugh....

 

[Hilti92]

I don't understand what you're getting at either.

So you've bought desktop parts to upgrade your desktop? And your laptop has 8GB of RAM?

Sorry, here's the deal:
Currently, I have a 2 year old laptop which can't run games very well and over heats a lot. I want to build my own PC and I am just wondering if it's worth doing using Hazaro's Standard -- Very Capable build.
Currently what I have in my cart:

My current computer specs:

Is it going to be a lot better of a gaming experience/will it be comparable/better than the next gen of consoles?

 

[kennah]

My laptop has just as much RAM as the Hazaro Very Capable one, which is 8GB. So is it worth it to upgrade? My laptop can't even run Euro Truck Sim at a good level. All blurry and shit. I upgraded to Intel i5 and GTX 660 2GB on the bundle for the extra money. Worth it?

There isn't one single part that makes it Bery Capable. It is the balanced combination of parts. And really ram is the lowest part of the equation. Cpu and video card make the biggest difference.

 

[kharma45]

Sorry, here's the deal:
Currently, I have a 2 year old laptop which can't run games very well and over heats a lot. I want to build my own PC and I am just wondering if it's worth doing using Hazaro's Standard -- Very Capable build.
Currently what I have in my cart:

My current computer specs:

Is it going to be a lot better of a gaming experience/will it be comparable/better than the next gen of consoles?

Ah right, get you now. Are you in the US or Canada? If the US then you can get a 7950 for the same price as the 660 and it creams it.

You'd get a good PC gaming experience with that build teamed with a 7950. How it will compare to next gen consoles remains to be seen. I imagine it'll be easily competitive but that's just an educated guess, we have to just wait and see.

 

[Hilti92]

Ah right, get you now. Are you in the US or Canada? If the US then you can get a 7950 for the same price as the 660 and it creams it.

You'd get a good PC gaming experience with that build teamed with a 7950. How it will compare to next gen consoles remains to be seen. I imagine it'll be easily competitive but that's just an educated guess, we have to just wait and see.

Nope, in Canada. Damnit. With the 7950 my grand total comes to $678. I'll check other websites as well.
Seems like Newegg is the cheapest place..
Also, out of that order list I posted, am I missing any parts/components? Wires come with the products?

 

[DeVeAn]

Where are you in the world?

I am in the US.

 

[larvi]

Opened up my PC to install my new GTX 760 today and found out it was too big for my case. I didn't realize how much longer this card is than my current Radeon 5850. Time to order a new case. After browsing through what Newegg had I ordered the Lian Li PC-9NA with a 30% off promotion: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112396 I like how open the case is and I shouldn't ever have an issue with a card being too long again.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Nope, in Canada. Damnit. With the 7950 my grand total comes to $678. I'll check other websites as well.
Seems like Newegg is the cheapest place..
Also, out of that order list I posted, am I missing any parts/components? Wires come with the products?

I'm not seeing a power supply.

 

[RabidTanooki]

All right GAF, give me a run down of what you think...

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1yTVS
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1yTVS/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1yTVS/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-GD65 Gaming ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($165.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($254.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cooler Master HAF XB (Black) ATX Desktop Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($14.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1115.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-01 22:04 EDT-0400)

The only things I'm essentially unsure of are:

The CPU: I plan on using this for gaming as well as daily video editing for youtube, so I'm not sure how much time I'll be losing by not having hyperthreading. I may or may not overclock depending on whether or not I need to. I'm also unsure if I should make the jump over to Haswell or not.

The GPU: I obviously want the most bang for my buck, unfortunately I don't have much buck. I plan on only gaming on one monitor and I don't really have many intentions to go beyond 1080p. I would like this to stay competitive through the PS4's lifespan. As long as I'm still running games above 30 FPS when the PS5 comes out I'll be content. If it came to it I wouldn't be against maybe SLI'ing it a few years down the road.

Let me know if you have any other deals or options for me to either make it better, reduce the price, or both. If it matters I'm in the US. I would like to upgrade to a 2 or 3TB HDD, however I'm afraid if I go too large it'll increase the likelihood of it failing. So any suggestions there would be appreciated.

 

[RukusProvider]

Got my GTX 780 to run at 1254mhz core and 7000mhz memory.

The mem can keep going but the core starts getting artifacts I'm did the max boost allowed for voltage in EVGA precision. Any thing else I should try?

Valley Extreme HD score = 3128 or 74.8fps

 

[longdi]

Yea, AI suite is complete garbage. Also doesn't fully un-install too, leaves behind traces.

i dont use AI Suite or any motherboard software ever.
Just use HWInfo64 portable. Small, no installation, has all the readouts you ever need. It even does averaging!

 

[longdi]

All right GAF, give me a run down of what you think...

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1yTVS
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1yTVS/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1yTVS/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-GD65 Gaming ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($165.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($254.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cooler Master HAF XB (Black) ATX Desktop Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($14.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1115.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-01 22:04 EDT-0400)

The only things I'm essentially unsure of are:

The CPU: I plan on using this for gaming as well as daily video editing for youtube, so I'm not sure how much time I'll be losing by not having hyperthreading. I may or may not overclock depending on whether or not I need to. I'm also unsure if I should make the jump over to Haswell or not.

The GPU: I obviously want the most bang for my buck, unfortunately I don't have much buck. I plan on only gaming on one monitor and I don't really have many intentions to go beyond 1080p. I would like this to stay competitive through the PS4's lifespan. As long as I'm still running games above 30 FPS when the PS5 comes out I'll be content. If it came to it I wouldn't be against maybe SLI'ing it a few years down the road.

Let me know if you have any other deals or options for me to either make it better, reduce the price, or both. If it matters I'm in the US. I would like to upgrade to a 2 or 3TB HDD, however I'm afraid if I go too large it'll increase the likelihood of it failing. So any suggestions there would be appreciated.

I have seen 7950 3GB going for $215 - 240 with 3 free games, that is definitely more bangs on than 760. Add in some overclocking you can do with 7950, like 1Ghz core clock, it is better choice imo.

I even saw some 7970 going for $299...this is even better choice if you want to spend some more.

 

[RabidTanooki]

I have seen 7950 3GB going for $215 - 240 with 3 free games, that is definitely more bangs on than 760. Add in some overclocking you can do with 7950, like 1Ghz core clock, it is better choice imo.

I even saw some 7970 going for $299...this is even better choice if you want to spend some more.

If I'm sticking with that i5 processor I could afford to go up to $300 with the GPU.

Which of these is the better choice?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127732

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202008

I'm guessing it comes down to brand loyalty.

 

[Bundy]

Guys, it's time for my new gaming PC.
Quick question regarding the CPU:
Intel Core i5-4670K or Intel Xeon E3-1230 v3

 

[kennah]

Guys, it's time for my new gaming PC.
Quick question regarding the CPU:
Intel Core i5-4670K or Intel Xeon E3-1230 v3

What are you using it for?

 

[Bundy]

What are you using it for?

Oh, sorry!
2/3 gaming, 1/2 for watching/streaming movies, surfing, etc.

 

[kennah]

Oh, sorry!
2/3 gaming, 1/2 for watching/streaming movies, surfing, etc.

Get the i5.

 

[Bundy]

Get the i5.

Okay, will do.
I'm just asking, because all I hear (in the last couple of weeks) is "Dude, the Intel Xeon has 4 virtual cores extra. Get it!"

 

[kennah]

Okay, will do.
I'm just asking, because all I hear (in the last couple of weeks) is "Dude, the Intel Xeon has 4 virtual cores extra. Get it!"

Yep, and your usage scenario has no need for those extra cores.

 

[Bundy]

Yep, and your usage scenario has no need for those extra cores.

What I thought!
Thank you

 

[longdi]

If I'm sticking with that i5 processor I could afford to go up to $300 with the GPU.

Which of these is the better choice?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127732

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202008

I'm guessing it comes down to brand loyalty.

i will get the msi because it is cheaper and it looks to be using amd reference design so the voltages are not locked out.

 

[UraMallas]

Looking for a cheap laptop that will play games. ($450-$600) I play Civ V and Torchlight II on Steam as well as indie games. Most of my heavy gaming is on console. I don't have a computer, currently, and am buying this to have something to surf the web and update my fantasy team. I also want to be able to be able to write because I have been missing that lately. So, it's easy on that end; nothing intensive.

For gaming, I want something that will run the games mentioned at top settings. From searching Amazon, I think my main issue is GPU at my price range. Preferably upgradeable. Don't need anything over 15.6".

GAF, come unto me with thine wisdom.

 

[kennah]

Looking for a cheap laptop that will play games. ($450-$600) I play Civ V and Torchlight II on Steam as well as indie games. Most of my heavy gaming is on console. I don't have a computer, currently, and am buying this to have something to surf the web and update my fantasy team. I also want to be able to be able to write because I have been missing that lately. So, it's easy on that end; nothing intensive.

For gaming, I want something that will run the games mentioned at top settings. From searching Amazon, I think my main issue is GPU at my price range. Preferably upgradeable. Don't need anything over 15.6".

GAF, come unto me with thine wisdom.

Laptop thread as mentioned in the OP. This thread is basically Desktop info.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=504567

 

[PopInnovation]

Hey guys, after a quick opinion.


Long story short, I put together a new PC about a month ago. Everything was sweet, until a week ago when my PC suddenly shut down and would not start again. After a ton of troubleshooting, I managed to isolate the issue to the motherboard which an MSI Z87-G45 Gaming.

I took the motherboard back to the store I purchased it from, and after a quick look, they are claiming the pins on the CPU slot are broken, and that this is my fault - so they are going to send it to the MSI service center, and I will have to pay the repair cost.

I'm just wondering, is it even possible that I broke the pins? I have installed processors before, this isn't the first PC I've built, and this has never happened. The only way I can think of it happening is if I screwed the cooler cap (I'm using liquid cooling) on too tightly (pretty sure it wasn't that tight, especially since it came off really easily when disassembling). But if I did that, does it make sense for the PC to have worked flawlessly for three weeks and then suddenly die?

Just an update on this. MSI service center gave me a call today and said they are going to replace the motherboard for free. So it's a happy ending!!

I guess this was just a case of the store being overly cautious in case physical damage was found, and didn't want me to quote them saying they suggested it should be a free replacement.

Regardless, lesson learnt. Always take a photo of pins/other delicates before submitting parts for review by a tech - just to avoid confusion and (possibly) misplaced suspicion.

 

[Tonezorz]

Thanks for the advice before on the full ATX board.

Here is my quick "kinda budget but also not wasting my time" build. Couple special cases.

Power supply, SSD, and Video card are from my old rig. Not a lot of use on any. They were late upgrades to an old AMD Opteron 170 machine.

Video card I'm sure will be the weakest link, Radeon HD 4850 512MB

I'm very open to suggestions, where to correct an issue, and convincing me to drop money on a video card to add to these items. (Maybe saving a little on dropping the processor to the i3?

Thanks in advance.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Newegg) - I think I actually want the 3220, less for the price and more for the video support. (Is there anything wrong with the 3225 with HD 4000?
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G45 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($111.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($66.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 60GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.44 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $583.38
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-02 03:58 EDT-0400)

 

[kharma45]

I am in the US.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/856?vs=831

7950 for $200 would give you this sort of boost. AMD also has new cards out in October.

 

[dapperbandit]

Hi guys, it's been a while since I posted in the thread but some time ago a helpful chap reccomended this build to me.

EDIT:

This is the list I meant to post

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/dapperbandit/saved/2iTy

I now have more money to my name so I could afford some incremental improvements, but I'd rather everything was compatible obviously. Any suggestions?

 

[kharma45]

Hi guys, it's been a while since I posted in the thread but some time ago a helpful chap reccomended this build to me.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Newegg)

Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G45 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($111.98 @ SuperBiiz)

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($66.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: OCZ Vertex 60GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($114.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.44 @ NCIX US)

Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $583.38 (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.) (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-02 06:36 EDT-0400)

I now have more money to my name so I could afford some incremental improvements, but I'd rather everything was compatible obviously. Any suggestions?

Seems poor value that when you can get this for $3 more

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($56.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Adorama)
Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.44 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $586.39
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-02 06:44 EDT-0400)

How much extra cash do you have now?

 

[kharma45]

Newegg now stocking Haswell i3s

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...7 600436885 600005584&IsNodeId=1&name=Core i3

Looks like the 4130 should be replacing the 3220 in the OP. 0.1GHz faster along with the IPC boost that Haswell brings clock for clock and it costs the same.

 

[dapperbandit]

Yeah i'm gonna edit that post I just made I don't know what happened to that parts list but it definitely had RAM and a GPU in it.

Let me see if i can find the list I intended to post.

 

[kharma45]

Yeah i'm gonna edit that post I just made I don't know what happened to that parts list but it definitely had RAM and a GPU in it.

Let me see if i can find the list I intended to post.

I was gonna ask about the GPU, just presumed you had one already that you wanted to re-use.

 

[kharma45]

Hawell Pentium's now too. Surprised they're here so fast considering how long it took to get the Ivy Bridge ones out

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...H&Description=haswell+pentium&N=-1&isNodeId=1

 

[Palmer_v1]

If you're looking to emulate, go Haswell. Also overclocking is so easy there is no reason not to do it. 840 Pro is overkill, as is 16GB of RAM. And that PSU. Try this for size instead

<snip>

Thanks for the feedback! I adjusted for your suggestions, including the Haswell motherboard for emulation. You may have missed that I'm actually looking at around 1400 for my budget, which is why I went overboard on RAM previously.

So with the new list below, I still have $200-$300 dollars to use for upgrades. It's better if I spend it now rather than trying to convice my wife I need the upgrades later on. Where could that money go to get the most extra gaming performance at this point? Also, is there a particular reason you chose Windows8 with your update?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($58.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($176.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($265.91 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1183.32
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-02 09:04 EDT-0400)

 

[Addnan]

Better video card. A GTX 780 if you can stretch to it otherwise 7970/770.