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

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V

Vincent Alexander

Member
Hazaro said:
Shouldn't be an issue, but try plugging your KB/Mouse into the USB 2.0 ports, shutting down the computer, wait 2 minutes, turn off PSU switch, wait a minute, turn on PSU, wait a minute, power on system and see if you can get into the BIOS
Click to expand...
No luck. Brought me back to same screen. Going to tinker some more....

I gave up. Turned off, switched off, unplugged then popped mobo battery out for 10 seconds to reset.

Just to triple check, I set back to Windows 8, but this time chose MSI Fast Boot instead of the regular Fast Boot. Same results. Hrmmm.
 
Y

Ysiadmihi

Banned
Hazaro said:
Unless I'm missing something, do you have enough PCI-E power cables for both GPUs?
Click to expand...

I'm using two molex to PCI-E 6 pin adapters for the 560ti, but I don't remember when or where I got them so they could be busted or poor quality.

Edit: Was just a loose connection, working now. Thanks again!
 
C

CRS

Member
TheFLYINGManga_Ka said:
Is a gtx 780 overkill? Can it play recent games in 1080p on max?

How long do you think this card can last until it becomes outdated?
Click to expand...

It is not overkill. Yes. Maybe even 1440p.

You can overclock it, get some more life out of it, and it'll last a good 3 years?

Someone more knowledgeable can chime in.
 
T

TheFLYINGManga_Ka

Member
CRS said:
It is not overkill. Yes. Maybe even 1440p.

You can overclock it, get some more life out of it, and it'll last a good 3 years?

Someone more knowledgeable can chime in.
Click to expand...
Okay. So at least for the next three years, it should handle the new releases at high-max settings?

Sounds good. I think by that time the more better ones would be cheaper. I think it's a fair time frame.
 
D

DigiMish

Member
Is there any way to get sound from both my monitor speakers AND external speakers for some quasi surround sound?

Under Control Panel, in Sound - I can only set each one to "use as default device", I can't get 2 of them to work simultaneously. My monitor is hooked up through HDMI.
 
V

Vincent Alexander

Member
Bah...now my BIOS is giving me something brand new. Plain black, unresponsive screen. This is frustrating. I've made 0 changes from default BIOS settings. And now after numerous attempts, it works. What the banana. Anywho....overclocked my i7 4770K from 3.5 to 4.0. I'm so nervous as this is my first attempt at overclocking. I'm running Prime95 to stress test. The idea of leaving this running while I sleep doesn't leave me comfortable, even though I'm confident 4.0 is barely pushing my CPU. We'll see tomorrow.
 
N

Number45

Member
Is anyone able to recommend some good cheap laptop brands? It'll be used for little more than browsing and some office stuff so the specs aren't super important (I'd been thinking about this one). Just really want to make sure I don't go for any duffers, but if anyone has something specific they'd like to recommend I'm all ears.

I want to keep the cost right down (it's for my wife, and she hates spending money on herself for anything), but would probably stretch to £450 for the right laptop.

Thanks. :)
 
Y

Ysiadmihi

Banned
Number45 said:
Is anyone able to recommend some good cheap laptop brands? It'll be used for little more than browsing and some office stuff so the specs aren't super important (I'd been thinking about this one). Just really want to make sure I don't go for any duffers, but if anyone has something specific they'd like to recommend I'm all ears.

I want to keep the cost right down (it's for my wife, and she hates spending money on herself for anything), but would probably stretch to £450 for the right laptop.

Thanks. :)
Click to expand...

Looks pretty good to me, although unless I'm missing it they don't specify what kind of integrated graphics it has.

You could always go the refurbished route if you want to save a bit. I got a refurbished Z580 from Lenovo earlier this year and love it.

54-46! said:
Comfy couch GAF, what kind of keyboard/mouse setup do you use? I'm currently looking at the Logitech TK820:
http://www.logitech.com/en-gb/product/wireless-all-in-onekeyboard-tk820?crid=26

I will be using it for everything except gaming, but primarily for controlling media playback.
Click to expand...

I use a Lenovo wireless multimedia remote. Might not be exactly what you're looking for if you need a "real" keyboard though.

(this posts sounds like I'm shilling for Lenovo but it's just a coincidence)
 
N

Number45

Member
Ysiadmihi said:
Looks pretty good to me, although unless I'm missing it they don't specify what kind of integrated graphics it has.

You could always go the refurbished route if you want to save a bit. I got a refurbished Z580 from Lenovo earlier this year and love it.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's either an HD3000 or 4000. Actually quite tempted to go with the Dell Inspiron 15 i5 at the moment - it's at the top end of what I want to spend but it'll also probably hold its own for a little longer (that has an HD4400).

Decisions!
 
G

Gaz_RB

Member
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2fvgZ
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2fvgZ/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2fvgZ/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G45 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($113.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($162.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Raidmax ATX-249B (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($52.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX Power Supply ($39.98 @ NCIX US)
Total: $632.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-05 13:14 EST-0500)
Click to expand...

So I've got all these parts on the way to my friend's house and when they arrive, I'm going to help him build it over Skype (he has no experience building computers). We're going without an optical drive to save money (budget build) and plan on installing an OS using a USB drive. Anything we should watch out for when doing this?

He's mostly using it for couch gaming so he's plugging it directly into his hdtv through hdmi. This shouldn't be a problem when setting the system up for the first time right? Also he has a wireless keyboard that connects via usb dongle. Can we use this when booting up or should we go grab a cheap wired one?

Finally is there anything I should make sure that we watch out for in regards to these parts and the assembly? It's going to be weird not being able to build it myself so what are some common mistakes I should be watching out for when helping him build it?

Thanks guys.
 
M

mkenyon

Banned
I did a skype build with a fellow GAFer (Arken), and his was crazy complex. 4 680s and a Rampage IV Extreme! It actually works out really well. Just have the motherboard manual pulled up as well as pictures of the interior of the case and a nice big picture of the motherboard. That'll help tons.

Nothing you listed are concerns though. Wireless keyboard fine, TV hookup fine.
 
G

Gaz_RB

Member
mkenyon said:
I did a skype build with a fellow GAFer (Arken), and his was crazy complex. 4 680s and a Rampage IV Extreme! It actually works out really well. Just have the motherboard manual pulled up as well as pictures of the interior of the case and a nice big picture of the motherboard. That'll help tons.

Nothing you listed are concerns though. Wireless keyboard fine, TV hookup fine.
Click to expand...

Oh I didn't think of pulling up pictures of the mother board and the manual. Where can I find the manual? Just online?

Thanks man
 
B

BrassMonkey1010

Member
Work question now guys, hope someone will have an answer for this. My company just ordered 18 of these PC's http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883256705

Now the IT guy who is going to set them up is saying we cant use our dual montiors because these PC's only have a VGA and DVI-D port, and one signal is analog while the other is digital. He is saying we need to spend $100+ for a GPU for each one of these machines.

Isn't there just some kind of converter we can get to convert either the DVI signal to analog, or the VGA signal to digital? If if so, what should we get?

Thanks!!!
 
M

mkenyon

Banned
You can get VGA->DVI dongles that will work fine. One of the monitors I am using at this very moment is hooked up with one.

They can sometimes look a little fuzzy though.
 
3

3Dawg

Banned
Ok GAF, I have laptop question I hope you guys can help with. The laptop thread seems only concerned with gaming laptops so I thought it would be more appropriate to post here.

I'm looking to buy a new laptop, for everything but gaming. Programming, word, browsing etc.

My budget is around £350/400 but I can probably stretch to £499 if absolutely necessary. I have had my eye on http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00G4CBEI0/, which has an i5 4200m.

I've also thought about http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00G48QIV2/, which has an i5 4200u and has more RAM than the first one.

I've tried googling but the answer still isn't really clear, is the extra performance in the 4200m worth it over the battery saving benefits of the 4200u? Consider that I don't care about gaming on the laptop at all. Is the 4200m better enough to warrant the 4GB drop in RAM? My main concern is that the laptop is fast for general use.

Another option is http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/lapto...llite-c55-a-1n1-15-6-laptop-21731464-pdt.html, which is just the first option but with double the RAM and more storage.

Does anyone have any recommendations of Toshiba over Acer or vice versa? I have read from a repairman that Toshiba laptops tend to be more reliable, but there were no figures to back that claim up.
 
S

SpyGuy239

Member
3Dawg said:
Ok GAF, I have laptop question I hope you guys can help with. The laptop thread seems only concerned with gaming laptops so I thought it would be more appropriate to post here.

I'm looking to buy a new laptop, for everything but gaming. Programming, word, browsing etc.

My budget is around £350/400 but I can probably stretch to £499 if absolutely necessary. I have had my eye on http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00G4CBEI0/, which has an i5 4200m.

I've also thought about http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00G48QIV2/, which has an i5 4200u and has more RAM than the first one.

I've tried googling but the answer still isn't really clear, is the extra performance in the 4200m worth it over the battery saving benefits of the 4200u? Consider that I don't care about gaming on the laptop at all. Is the 4200m better enough to warrant the 4GB drop in RAM? My main concern is that the laptop is fast for general use.

Another option is http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/lapto...llite-c55-a-1n1-15-6-laptop-21731464-pdt.html, which is just the first option but with double the RAM and more storage.

Does anyone have any recommendations of Toshiba over Acer or vice versa? I have read from a repairman that Toshiba laptops tend to be more reliable, but there were no figures to back that claim up.
Click to expand...

Never buy an Acer if you don't have to. The reliability is piss poor (even though the price is very reasonable) and you need luck if you want to get one that will last you.

I'd personally go for Asus or Lenovo but Thoshiba is a great brand for sure

IMHO, of course.
 
M

mkenyon

Banned
I have a hard time recommending any laptop that isn't Apple. Dat build quality...

Since the computer build quality very much relates to how you enjoy using it, I'd really recommend buying from brick and mortar, or at least finding the model at a brick and mortar store to try out. The keyboard, touch pad, display quality, all that is really important, and hard to get an idea of when you buy online.

Outside of doing that, I'd suggest just googling each model. There's so many different brands and models of laptops that trying to get input on one from a community like GAF is basically just asking people to do a quick google search.

It's hard to get a definite answer on a specific brand, because each brand has turds and gems. HP's business class notebooks, for example, are amazingly well built and will last a good long while. Some of the floor stuff you'd see at an electronics store for super cheap is absolute garbage though.
 
3

3Dawg

Banned
SpyGuy239 said:
Never buy an Acer if you don't have to. The reliability is piss poor (even though the price is very reasonable) and you need luck if you want to get one that will last you.

I'd personally go for Asus or Lenovo but Thoshiba is a great brand for sure

IMHO, of course.
Click to expand...

mkenyon said:
I have a hard time recommending any laptop that isn't Apple. Dat build quality...

Since the computer build quality very much relates to how you enjoy using it, I'd really recommend buying from brick and mortar, or at least finding the model at a brick and mortar store to try out. The keyboard, touch pad, display quality, all that is really important, and hard to get an idea of when you buy online.

Outside of doing that, I'd suggest just googling each model. There's so many different brands and models of laptops that trying to get input on one from a community like GAF is basically just asking people to do a quick google search.

It's hard to get a definite answer on a specific brand, because each brand has turds and gems. HP's business class notebooks, for example, are amazingly well built and will last a good long while. Some of the floor stuff you'd see at an electronics store for super cheap is absolute garbage though.
Click to expand...

Understood.
Not interested in any Apple hardware, nor is it even in my price range. I get your point about the unfamiliarity though.
How about the CPU though? Does anyone have any experience using an i5 u cpu in comparison to an i5 m? I know the pentium u cpus are insanely slow but it's hard to find real world use examples of the i5 u (ivy or haswell).
 
K

kennah

Member
3Dawg said:
Understood.
Not interested in any Apple hardware, nor is it even in my price range. I get your point about the unfamiliarity though.
How about the CPU though? Does anyone have any experience using an i5 u cpu in comparison to an i5 m? I know the pentium u cpus are insanely slow but it's hard to find real world use examples of the i5 u (ivy or haswell).
Click to expand...

Unless you're doing games or CAD or video it doesn't matter. Either CPU will be fine for day to day use.

EDIT: After reading your thing a bit more. If you want fast for General Use if you're getting any i5 then you're fine there. The things that make speed difference on General Use (TM) are having a lot of ram and an SSD. CPU is irrelevant at that point for running just basic windows.

Unless as mentioned, you're needing to compile or render stuff.

As well - make sure to try before you buy as much as you can, and DON'T get a big screen that is only 1366x768 resolution. Go 1440x900 at the bare minimum.
 
3

3Dawg

Banned
kennah said:
Unless you're doing games or CAD or video it doesn't matter. Either CPU will be fine for day to day use.

EDIT: After reading your thing a bit more. If you want fast for General Use if you're getting any i5 then you're fine there. The things that make speed difference on General Use (TM) are having a lot of ram and an SSD. CPU is irrelevant at that point for running just basic windows.

Unless as mentioned, you're needing to compile or render stuff.

As well - make sure to try before you buy as much as you can, and DON'T get a big screen that is only 1366x768 resolution. Go 1440x900 at the bare minimum.
Click to expand...

My price range simply doesn't let me go for higher resolutions so I'm stuck with 1366x768. Thanks for the advice though.
 
K

kennah

Member
3Dawg said:
My price range simply doesn't let me go for higher resolutions so I'm stuck with 1366x768. Thanks for the advice though.
Click to expand...

Then save up longer, because you'll be stuck with that screen for a loooonnng time (and trying to open a document or a spreadsheet at that resolution is maddening)
 
C

CRS

Member
3Dawg said:
Are you being serious? I can't tell, sorry :-/

Any old shit laptop can program without issues in my experience.
Click to expand...
I was being sincere.

I'm not a very patient guy when it comes to compiling/running code and I've noticed it's like night and day when working on my PC and the PCs on campus. If your old laptop is fine for you, then any upgrade will be okay.
 
3

3Dawg

Banned
kennah said:
Then save up longer, because you'll be stuck with that screen for a loooonnng time (and trying to open a document or a spreadsheet at that resolution is maddening)
Click to expand...

I probably should have specified, I need this laptop within a week so I don't have time to save up.
 
X

Xyber

Member
A quick question, does ALL new AMD 270X GPU's come with free games (BF4, Never Settle bundle or something)? Or is it just some brands that get that?

A friend is about to buy a PC and I don't want to tell him to get a card that does not come with any games.
 
K

kennah

Member
Xyber said:
A quick question, does ALL new AMD 270X GPU's come with free games (BF4, Never Settle bundle or something)? Or is it just some brands that get that?

A friend is about to buy a PC and I don't want to tell him to get a card that does not come with any games.
Click to expand...

Neither. Depends on the retailer that you buy from. Make sure to check item descriptions close when you buy.
 
T

TC McQueen

Member
Anyone else getting absurdly low prices from PC PartPicker's price alerts for Tiger Direct? It's been giving me Walmart Black Friday error level prices like $35 for a GTX 760, even though the website has normal prices.
 
R

RedBullEnergy

Member
Hey guys, just before I hit BUY.. any glaring faults, errors, incompatibility issues or down right stupid choices!? *REALLY* appreciate it.

This will be the machine I make my living from so I can't screw it up. I can't really decide between the 680 4GB or 780 3GB if I'm honest. Any thoughts on that would be great also.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£245.99 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler (£34.95 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£143.98 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£248.75 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£159.90 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£59.49 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (£413.40 @ Aria PC)
Case: Corsair 650D ATX Mid Tower Case (£129.99 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair 760W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£125.99 @ Dabs)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer (£17.35 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £1579.79
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-05 22:21 GMT+0000)
 
B

bro1

Banned
I have an Asus 27" 144hz monitor and it is blotchy as hell. The light bleeding from the edges is AWFUL. I think I need to RMA this thing. It should be much better than it is.
 
K

kennah

Member
RedBullEnergy said:
Hey guys, just before I hit BUY.. any glaring faults, errors, incompatibility issues or down right stupid choices!? *REALLY* appreciate it.

This will be the machine I make my living from so I can't screw it up. I can't really decide between the 680 4GB or 780 3GB if I'm honest. Any thoughts on that would be great also.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£245.99 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler (£34.95 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£143.98 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£248.75 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£159.90 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£59.49 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (£413.40 @ Aria PC)
Case: Corsair 650D ATX Mid Tower Case (£129.99 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair 760W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£125.99 @ Dabs)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer (£17.35 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £1579.79
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-05 22:21 GMT+0000)
Click to expand...
Looks ok. Two things. Why 32 gig of RAM? And I'm sure you can find a better psu for cheaper.

And get the 780 not the 680
 
R

RedBullEnergy

Member
kennah said:
Looks ok. Two things. Why 32 gig of RAM? And I'm sure you can find a better psu for cheaper.

And get the 780 not the 680
Click to expand...

Because currently I'm running 16GB RAM and it's not enough. At all.

PSU was the best rated but I may re-look now. The 680 is considerably more expensive than the 780 and since I'm dong pro graphics work (but reluctant to buy a Quadro) my logic was more GPU RAM = Better...?
 
K

kharma45

Member
RedBullEnergy said:
Hey guys, just before I hit BUY.. any glaring faults, errors, incompatibility issues or down right stupid choices!? *REALLY* appreciate it.

This will be the machine I make my living from so I can't screw it up. I can't really decide between the 680 4GB or 780 3GB if I'm honest. Any thoughts on that would be great also.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£245.99 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler (£34.95 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£143.98 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£248.75 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£159.90 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£59.49 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (£413.40 @ Aria PC)
Case: Corsair 650D ATX Mid Tower Case (£129.99 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair 760W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£125.99 @ Dabs)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer (£17.35 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £1579.79
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-05 22:21 GMT+0000)
Click to expand...

kennah said:
Looks ok. Two things. Why 32 gig of RAM? And I'm sure you can find a better psu for cheaper.

And get the 780 not the 680
Click to expand...

pretty much.

Also, if you want a top end PSU then get this for less http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/corsair-rm850-fully-modular-80-gold-quiet-pc-power-supply-a59lw

RedBullEnergy said:
Because currently I'm running 16GB RAM and it's not enough. At all.

PSU was the best rated but I may re-look now. The 680 is considerably more expensive than the 780 and since I'm dong pro graphics work (but reluctant to buy a Quadro) my logic was more GPU RAM = Better...?
Click to expand...

VRAM has no correlation to performance.

The 780 is in a league above the 680.

Change that cooler too btw, Hyper 212 Evo on Amazon for around £25.
 
T

TenaciousNorth

Member
So I built my PC in the summer with the help of this thread and it is excellent, now that Christmas approaches it's time to upgrade this god-awful monitor I have my PC hooked up to. From looking at the OP I was all for the Dell U2412M but I'm put off by the fact that it's 16:10 how often am I going to run in to issues with black borders on games?

The other option in the OP is the ASUS VG23AH but sadly it isn't even available on Amazon UK, any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
H

hipbabboom

Huh? What did I say? Did I screw up again? :(
Is it me or did the price of RAM double from 12 months ago?

I tried pricing out 32GB of 1600MHz DDR3 RAM and found it was ~$300 bucks. My build from last year pegged the same type and amount of RAM at $164.

Did something happen to cause this?
 
G

Grimm Fandango

Member
hipbabboom said:
Is it me or did the price of RAM double from 12 months ago?

I tried pricing out 32GB of 1600MHz DDR3 RAM and found it was ~$300 bucks. My build from last year pegged the same type and amount of RAM at $164.

Did something happen to cause this?
Click to expand...

Wasn't it the recent typhoons or something? Or am I thinking about hard drives...
 
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