• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

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

Status
Not open for further replies.

0xCA2

Member
Okay, so I've decided to get a new PC. I'll be building my first PC (though a couple months back I put new parts in an old PC for fun).

I have a couple of questions:
1). Should I bother with mail in rebates?

2). At night, my brother constantly runs an electric space heater in his room. This has been shown to affect other appliances in the house (though he seems to use it at a lower temp now, which calms me), at one point I could tell it was on because the light in my room would get a bit dimmer and the fan would slow down, and the reverse would happen when he turned it off. There is really nothing I can do about it, he just does what he wants to do. Could this potentially screw up a PC? I imagine it could. I detect no problems right now, but I'm using a laptop plugged in.

3). I am in college and going for a BS in CS, and I want a PC for the next 3.5 years. I only want to do light gaming (indies, emulators, old PC games, etc). Would spending $1000 right now be overkill?

I came up with a few PC builds in PCPartPicker that I've scrapped because they've always ended up being $900+ and it didn't feel right. Here's my the form from the OP:

Your Current Specs: (laptop) Pentium B960 2.20GHz / 4GB RAM / Intel HD Graphics/ 500 GB HDD
Budget: <$1000 USD
Main Use: Light Gaming-3, Gaming-2, Emulation (PS2/Wii)-2, Video Editing-1, Streaming games in HD-1, 3D/Model work (and what program)-1, General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback)-5.
Monitor Resolution: 1366 x 768 (i have poor vision)
Necessary Applications: Eclipse, Visual Studio (I feel an SSD would help with those), Google Chrome, Adobe Reader. No I don't care about 60fps, etc.
When will you build?: Hopefully before Spring Semester starts (later Jan early Feb)
Will you be overclocking?: Maybe (Yes)
 
Blarg. Guess I lost, couldn't even get a stable 4.2ghz with 1.15v core. Crashed prime in under 10 minutes. Guess I'll go right for 1.2v core and hope for the best. Such high hopes.

God fucking dammit, not even 2 hours into prime and get a thread stopping. So not even 1.2vcore is good enough for me at 4.2ghz.
 
Anyone have any opinions on the g43 gaming Z87 motherboard? I see a lot of people mention the g45 gaming.

Is there a big difference in quality for a brand new build with a gtx 760, 8Gb ram, and haswell processor?
 

Sora2k7

Member
Thanks! Will this one work instead? Intel Core i7-4770 Quad-Core Desktop Processor 3.4 GHZ LGA 1150

get the i7-4770k instead the non K can't be overclocked.

Also the haf X is full tower(huge). I have one (love it :) ) but I think you may want something smaller(perhaps a mid tower).
 
What's your Load Line Calibration set to?

Extreme. Also set the timings for my ram to specs they were sold as so gonna try backing off that next before adding more vcore I think. Still really disappointed. Thought I was being conservative by going for 1.15 vcore at 4.2ghz at first, but to have issues even at 1.2 dosn't make me happy.
 
get the i7-4770k instead the non K can't be overclocked.

Also the haf X is full tower(huge). I have one (love it :) ) but I think you may want something smaller(perhaps a mid tower).
Thanks, I actually did a bit more research and thought that I might get This tower instead mainly because it looks cooler.
on another note I forgot to include what I'm using it for, mainly for gaming(duh) but I'm also editing some video on the side too. Nothing too heavy but I want it to run a bit better than my current rig.
 

SmartBase

Member
Not a chance you'll get Maxwell then. Newest thing on the GPU front by that stage will have been the custom cooled 290 and 290X.

I'll just SLI a pair of GTX 780 TIs then and overclock as needed
and pray to the silicon overlords that I won't have to upgrade for a while.
It seems like overkill for only 1440p but I don't think a single GPU setup can pump out a steady 60 frames at that resolution. That's why I want GSync.
 
thanks FedEx

llZrBQ6.jpg


fragile 4@#$@#$!@#

dwZrS4F.jpg
 

Aranath

Member
thanks FedEx

llZrBQ6.jpg


fragile 4@#$@#$!@#

dwZrS4F.jpg

I loathe FedEx. I recently shipped my computer from the UK to Spain with them and they dropped the damn thing and damaged several components. And of course they refused to pay out anything because they said the outer packaging wasn't sufficiently damaged to prove they did it. I now advise everyone to avoid them like the damn plague.
 

cdyhybrid

Member
Your Current Specs:

Operating System
MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit SP1

CPU
Intel Core i3 2100 @ 3.10GHz
Sandy Bridge 32nm Technology

RAM
4.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 665MHz (9-9-9-24)

Motherboard
ASUSTeK Computer INC. P8H61-M LE/CSM (LGA1155)

Graphics
VW246 (1920x1080@60Hz)
1024MB GeForce GTX 460 (EVGA)

Hard Drives
977GB SAMSUNG SAMSUNG HD103SJ ATA Device (SATA)

Optical Drives
ASUS DRW-24B1ST a ATA Device

Audio
Realtek High Definition Audio

Case
NZXT Source 210

Budget: Don't have a specific budget, more looking to see how long I'll have to save up for the upgrade I want (although it'll probably end up being a complete rebuild). I'd like to keep it around $1500 (under $2K at max) just because if it gets too much higher than that, it might take a while to save up for, but ultimately I'll pay what it takes to get what I need (see below)

Main Use: Gaming/General Use (may want to stream games in the future on Twitch etc. but not a requirement for this build, it's not a huge deal)

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080. Currently on a single monitor, am interested in upgrading to dual monitor setup sometime in the semi-near future - probably not at the same time as this build but maybe later in 2014.

List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: The main reason for this build/upgrade is that I want to be able to run heavily modded Skyrim at a decent framerate. HD texture packs, ENB, the whole 9 yards. Nothing else I do will be as demanding as this (only other game I play regularly is DotA2). If I can "future-proof" for a little extra I might be interested, but the next graphically-intensive game I'll get will probably be the next Elder Scrolls, and who knows how far off that is.

Looking to reuse any parts?: I'd like to keep the hard drive so I don't have to go through the trouble of moving all my stuff over, if possible. I assume I'll need to re-buy Windows 7 since I'll probably be replacing most (if not all) of this hardware, but if I could avoid that, that would be swell. I'd also like to keep the case, but if the new build won't fit, I don't mind getting a new one.

When will you build?: No deadline, I'll just have to save up longer the higher the price goes. Anything under $2K I could probably do within the next three months, so if there are any big releases/price drops coming I'm willing to wait.

Will you be overclocking?: Maybe? I assume OCing would greatly improve Skyrim's performance, but I basically know nothing about it, so if it's something I can learn to do without blowing up my computer I'd be willing to give it a shot.

I might also be interested in a sound card and a new set of speakers (with a sub most likely), but I'd file that away along with the dual-monitor setup as something that can wait for a bit.
 

nikos

Member
Can anyone please comment as to how much I'd benefit from upgrading my GPU?

Current setup is i5 (2500k?) | 8GB | HD5850. Wondering if replacing only the GPU would be worth it, and if I'd be able to max out all (or most) current games by only upgrading that. I'm still gaming at 1920x1200. Generally speaking, would my CPU be too much of a bottleneck?
 

Sora2k7

Member
Can anyone please comment as to how much I'd benefit from upgrading my GPU?

Current setup is i5 (2500k?) | 8GB | HD5850. Wondering if replacing only the GPU would be worth it, and if I'd be able to max out all (or most) current games by only upgrading that. I'm still gaming at 1920x1200. Generally speaking, would my CPU be too much of a bottleneck?

get the EVO 212 and overclock that CPU

Edit:
Your Current Specs:

get the i5-3570 , more RAM (8 is great ), a SSD and of course a GPU but was is your PSU??
 
Man. I've gotta say that one thing I can't stand about Windows 8.1 is how DirectX 11 has taken a shit all over legacy DirectDraw support. If you try to play fullscreen older games or emulators that use DirectDraw in Windows 8.1, you'll get terrible performance and graphical glitches.

I was so fed up with the graphical glitches in Brood War on Windows 8.1 that I decided to just make an XP virtual machine for playing older games that have this problem.

This is a real shame that not enough people are talking about. Tons of old games are probably affected by this.


is that including vista game?
i'm not an emulators fan but rarely i need them. too bad for that
 

ScOULaris

Member
is that including vista game?
i'm not an emulators fan but rarely i need them. too bad for that

It mostly affects older games from the XP era and earlier. Starcraft: Brood War was the first game that I noticed having a problem. Anything that came out when Vista was around should be fine and probably doesn't use DirectDraw anyway.
 
i dont thinks this is the right place to ask, but....
i've my main email , also having another for xbox
i know that windows8 requires email to login marketplace and download
also there's an xbox app

if i used my regular email. would it be the one that'll be used in xbox app? or i can put my other email in xbox app without using my regular one ?
hope i made myself clear ^^
 

ElementJJ

Banned
Extreme. Also set the timings for my ram to specs they were sold as so gonna try backing off that next before adding more vcore I think. Still really disappointed. Thought I was being conservative by going for 1.15 vcore at 4.2ghz at first, but to have issues even at 1.2 dosn't make me happy.

Try this, back off the LLC one level. Raise Vcore to counter loss of Vcore at load condition. Extreme LLC will introduce higher variation in load conditions, whereas a High LLC will keep a moderately stable Load Vcore, this will mean you are less prone to having the Vcore at a knifes edge, it can mean your getting random points of lower Vcore causes prime to crash. And raising the Vcore another notch will just mean your pushing too much Vcore in the end.

As an example:
Say you need exactly 1.21v for stability.

LLC Extreme
Bios 1.16v
Load Vcore 1.20-1.22v
Unstable

LLC Extreme
Bios 1.17v
Load Vcore 1.21-1.23v
Stable

LLC High
Bios 1.19v
Load Vcore 1.21-1.215v
Stable

As you can see, in this scenario the High LLC will achieve lower average Vcore and lower power consumption.
 
OK People, tell me what do do here.

What would I be happy with, I have two builds in mind.

The first build would probably do the job and I'm also comfortable with adding a non reference 290 to this build add $160.

Probably does the job build

The second is the build I'd fap over.

Fantasy Build

The first one would do the job I think and save me $1k. I have no interest in overclocking.

The second is desirable but would take me another month to afford, I also need the non reference 290's to come out so add about $60 to the build.

I'm currently running DayZ:SA @ 22fps Very Low Settings and it's fucking killing me :(

I won't start building until my first pay check in the new year 7/1/14. Prices are in $AU
 

kharma45

Member
NoRéN;93847411 said:
Do prices posted include the tax?

Usually. A few still do them ex. VAT but generally it's included.

From what I'm reading it can? I haven't updated my family's PC to 8.1 yet but from what I've seen it looks like it's built-in now: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2043243/how-to-boot-to-desktop-mode-in-windows-8-1.html

Get them updated. 8.1 is great.

Any thoughs on biostar mobos ?

Z87 stuff from the OP is good quality. They've coe along well.
 

ElementJJ

Banned
OK People, tell me what do do here.

What would I be happy with, I have two builds in mind.

The first build would probably do the job and I'm also comfortable with adding a non reference 290 to this build add $160.

Probably does the job build

The second is the build I'd fap over.

Fantasy Build

The first one would do the job I think and save me $1k. I have no interest in overclocking.

The second is desirable but would take me another month to afford, I also need the non reference 290's to come out so add about $60 to the build.

I'm currently running DayZ:SA @ 22fps Very Low Settings and it's fucking killing me :(

I won't start building until my first pay check in the new year 7/1/14. Prices are in $AU

Have you considered the Fractal Design Node 304? Ive built in both the Node 304 and Prodigy and thought the use of space in the Node is a lot better, and is overall a smaller chassis.

Any reason for a 750W PSU? A 500-600W would be sufficient for you first rig.

You are buying a K specced CPU, eventhough you are buying a H87 Mobo that you cant overclock on.

Id take the fist rig, but swap out the PSU for a 620W or 550W, then add in an SSD, and change the CPU to a non-K spec to shave off some cash if needed.
 
After more then 2 weeks, complains to UPS and NCIX there seems to be movements on my GPU. I was starting to hope to get a refund/replacement and then actually receive two cards :p

Windsor, ON, Canada 12/17/2013 4:56 Warehouse Scan

Windsor, ON, Canada 12/16/2013 19:21 Package data processed by brokerage Waiting for clearance / Delivery rescheduled

12/16/2013 19:21 Warehouse Scan

Canada 12/04/2013 0:59 Order Processed: Ready for UPS


My CPU will arrive today so i will finish building tonight and install Windows and stuff.
 

Li Kao

Member
Hmm guys, I had a long post asking for advice for the purchase of an htpc, but scratch that, it was not really good. The evident and simple question I should have asked is : what should I buy, a setup that would be a minimal cost but be able to play 1080p videos without hiccups, streaming steam games when the option is available and maybe some emulation or simple gaming (the more demanding games will be handled by the streaming part).

I have some spare parts from two former PC, but I have no idea of their processor so it won't be really useful I'm afraid. Memory wise I have access to 2x1g DDR2 667 DIMM 5-5-5 or 2x2g DDR2 800 DIMM CL5. The newest motherboard is an Asus P5KC. Video cards ? Geforce 8800GTS or Radeon HD 6870.
I was looking to install linux (or much more precisely try to use linux and see if I don't sink. So I suspect the Geforce is too old for HD movies and the Radeon has shitty drivers under linux ?
And case-wise I have a common looking one and a fucking monstrosity from hell.


What should I do ? Can I salvage some things or must I start from scratch ?
 

Li Kao

Member
Keep the 6870, it's not that bad. Ditch the rest.

EDIT - Oh, Linux. Maybe not. =/

Yeah I think I could reinstall the green abomination, with windows the Radeon was HD capable... but it really smells of cheap recycling here. Where I'm torn is choose a shitty setup which I will have to upgrade a lot in the future, or buy an htpc but I'm afraid the thing would too pricey for me now.
 

Ieu

Member
What should I do ? Can I salvage some things or must I start from scratch ?

Anything using DDR2 is sadly irrelevant today so it's best to get rid.

If you ever want to know what is inside the machine you are using go to http://www.cpuid.com/ and download CPU-Z or if you really really want to know PC Wizard.

AFAIK Steam streaming relies on you having a decent gaming PC to stream from with and so I'm guessing that if you're looking at those old codgers that you probably don't have one.
 

Li Kao

Member
Anything using DDR2 is sadly irrelevant today so it's best to get rid.

If you ever want to know what is inside the machine you are using go to http://www.cpuid.com/ and download CPU-Z or if you really really want to know PC Wizard.

AFAIK Steam streaming relies on you having a decent gaming PC to stream from with and so I'm guessing that if you're looking at those old codgers that you probably don't have one.

No no, I have a decent desktop PC, I'm speaking of the horrible parts I have left from prior setups. The desktop one is aging but still kicking :
Intel Core i5 2500K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti
Asus P8P67 LE Rev 3.0
2x 4go DIMM DDR3 G.Skill PC12800 9-9-9-24
Antec HCG 520 Watts 80+ Bronze

No, the bad part is when I try adding an htpc to my setup... I could go the simple long hdmi out, but not sure if the new soon to be home would pose a problem for that. I could recycle some parts but they haven't aged well. I could buy one but I fear the thing will be a good 100&#8364; too much for me these days.

Edit - Are these configurations still relevant ?
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=65541586&postcount=3
 

Katyusha

Member
So I saw that the MSI Twin-Frozr R9 290 and 290x have gone up for pre-order on NCIX. Any estimates as to when it'll be releasing?

Only reason I'm asking is because a buddy of mine wants to upgrade his video card and I recommended an R9 290, but he was against the notion of his PC becoming 2X louder, so these non-reference cards might be the solution.

Also, at these inflated prices, would it still be worth getting a 290 over a 780? I mean, performance is a bit better than the 780 right now, and may be even better with the MSI card, but nVidia does have its benefits too
 

mkenyon

Banned
Your Current Specs:

Operating System
MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit SP1

CPU
Intel Core i3 2100 @ 3.10GHz
Sandy Bridge 32nm Technology

RAM
4.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 665MHz (9-9-9-24)

Motherboard
ASUSTeK Computer INC. P8H61-M LE/CSM (LGA1155)

Graphics
VW246 (1920x1080@60Hz)
1024MB GeForce GTX 460 (EVGA)

Hard Drives
977GB SAMSUNG SAMSUNG HD103SJ ATA Device (SATA)

Optical Drives
ASUS DRW-24B1ST a ATA Device

Audio
Realtek High Definition Audio

Case
NZXT Source 210

Budget: Don't have a specific budget, more looking to see how long I'll have to save up for the upgrade I want (although it'll probably end up being a complete rebuild). I'd like to keep it around $1500 (under $2K at max) just because if it gets too much higher than that, it might take a while to save up for, but ultimately I'll pay what it takes to get what I need (see below)

Main Use: Gaming/General Use (may want to stream games in the future on Twitch etc. but not a requirement for this build, it's not a huge deal)

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080. Currently on a single monitor, am interested in upgrading to dual monitor setup sometime in the semi-near future - probably not at the same time as this build but maybe later in 2014.

List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: The main reason for this build/upgrade is that I want to be able to run heavily modded Skyrim at a decent framerate. HD texture packs, ENB, the whole 9 yards. Nothing else I do will be as demanding as this (only other game I play regularly is DotA2). If I can "future-proof" for a little extra I might be interested, but the next graphically-intensive game I'll get will probably be the next Elder Scrolls, and who knows how far off that is.

Looking to reuse any parts?: I'd like to keep the hard drive so I don't have to go through the trouble of moving all my stuff over, if possible. I assume I'll need to re-buy Windows 7 since I'll probably be replacing most (if not all) of this hardware, but if I could avoid that, that would be swell. I'd also like to keep the case, but if the new build won't fit, I don't mind getting a new one.

When will you build?: No deadline, I'll just have to save up longer the higher the price goes. Anything under $2K I could probably do within the next three months, so if there are any big releases/price drops coming I'm willing to wait.

Will you be overclocking?: Maybe? I assume OCing would greatly improve Skyrim's performance, but I basically know nothing about it, so if it's something I can learn to do without blowing up my computer I'd be willing to give it a shot.

I might also be interested in a sound card and a new set of speakers (with a sub most likely), but I'd file that away along with the dual-monitor setup as something that can wait for a bit.
You have two very realistic options.

Option 1) Upgrade just the processor to something like an i5 2500 (non K), and your GPU to something with 3 or 4GB of VRAM. This will give you a huge boost, and be the best bang for your buck. The downside is that you'll be spending additional money on a proc/socket that has some older tech, like non-native SATA 6GB/S and PCI-E 2.0.

Option 2) Upgrade the motherboard to a Z87, processor to a 4670K/4770K. This gives you all the new bells and whistles, and will allow you to overclock. It won't be nearly as $ efficient in the short term, but will provide you with a better platform for future upgrades. Also add in a GPU with 3 or 4GB of RAM.

Also, Go Hawks!
OK People, tell me what do do here.

What would I be happy with, I have two builds in mind.

The first build would probably do the job and I'm also comfortable with adding a non reference 290 to this build add $160.

Probably does the job build

The second is the build I'd fap over.

Fantasy Build

The first one would do the job I think and save me $1k. I have no interest in overclocking.

The second is desirable but would take me another month to afford, I also need the non reference 290's to come out so add about $60 to the build.

I'm currently running DayZ:SA @ 22fps Very Low Settings and it's fucking killing me :(

I won't start building until my first pay check in the new year 7/1/14. Prices are in $AU
If you want improved ArmA performance, you will want to overclock. It's really easy.

If you are dead set on not doing it, don't even bother with that second build. That's what the Impact motherboard is designed to do.
 
Try this, back off the LLC one level. Raise Vcore to counter loss of Vcore at load condition. Extreme LLC will introduce higher variation in load conditions, whereas a High LLC will keep a moderately stable Load Vcore, this will mean you are less prone to having the Vcore at a knifes edge, it can mean your getting random points of lower Vcore causes prime to crash. And raising the Vcore another notch will just mean your pushing too much Vcore in the end.

As an example:
Say you need exactly 1.21v for stability.

LLC Extreme
Bios 1.16v
Load Vcore 1.20-1.22v
Unstable

LLC Extreme
Bios 1.17v
Load Vcore 1.21-1.23v
Stable

LLC High
Bios 1.19v
Load Vcore 1.21-1.215v
Stable

As you can see, in this scenario the High LLC will achieve lower average Vcore and lower power consumption.

Got 10 hours out of prime95 before blue screen now by just backing off my ram timings. Will try messing around with the LLC next I guess. For now just going down to 4.0Ghz and 1.15vcore to hope for a stable run so I at least have something I know works and isn't reaching 80 degrees c.

Edit: scratch that, just got a crash within 30 minutes at 4.0ghz and 1.15vcore.
 

cdyhybrid

Member
You have two very realistic options.

Option 1) Upgrade just the processor to something like an i5 2500 (non K), and your GPU to something with 3 or 4GB of VRAM. This will give you a huge boost, and be the best bang for your buck. The downside is that you'll be spending additional money on a proc/socket that has some older tech, like non-native SATA 6GB/S and PCI-E 2.0.

Option 2) Upgrade the motherboard to a Z87, processor to a 4670K/4770K. This gives you all the new bells and whistles, and will allow you to overclock. It won't be nearly as $ efficient in the short term, but will provide you with a better platform for future upgrades. Also add in a GPU with 3 or 4GB of RAM.

Also, Go Hawks!

Go Hawks!

So, I'm looking at Hazaro's cheat-sheet up there, and it looks like I have to make some decisions. Leaning towards Option 2.

Will there be a significant performance difference between:

3GB and 4GB VRAM?

i5 4670K and i7 4770K?

Z87W and Z87X?

It'll be a few hundred extra bucks for the second column, but if it's the difference between, say, 30FPS and 50FPS, I'd be willing to splurge. From what I understand of Skyrim, it's more GPU heavy than CPU, so could I go for the 4GB GPU and then get the i5 4670K/Z87W to go with it and save some money? Or would I be missing out? Again, I'm willing to spend the money if it's not a negligible performance increase.

I'd have to get a new PSU, too. I assume 750W if I'm overclocking?

Finally, would I have to buy another Windows 7 license if I replaced the CPU/GPU/mobo?

Thanks for the wisdom!
 

Skidd

Member
Processor: Intel i5-4670K 3.4GHz
Motherboard: Z87 (USB3.0, SATAIII)
Graphics: nVidia GTX 770, 2Gt GDDR5
RAM: 8Gt (2x4Gt) DDR3 1600MHz, CL9
120Gt Sata3 SSD
DVD+/-RW
Cooler Master Silencio 550
(500W)
Windows 7 Home Premium 64b

Price: €1159 (&#8776;$1591) A little bit pricey for what I've had in mind, but I'm not on a budget per say.

Similar parts - PCPartPicker: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2kQ91

Now the question is, how should I proceed? IF I were to buy this build from the store, I can still modify it to suit my needs, in which case I'd be shoving a 1TB HDD in there at least (and additional RAM?).
Anyone, please :'C

Some insight would be greatly appreciated.
 

Pjsprojects

Member
Looking to do a cpu upgrade from a Q6600 quad core, is AMD8350 4ghz with a 78lmt mobo a good deal for £198 delivered?

Thinking 8 core due to the new consoles will be optimised for this spec in the future so pc ports should run well.
 
Whats a good site to have a custom built gaming PC? Don't have the time nor patience to try and build a PC myself. Looking to spend $700-$900. I don't even need windows installed since I have a genuine windows 7 copy I haven't used yet. Thanks
 

mkenyon

Banned
Anyone, please :'C

Some insight would be greatly appreciated.
Looks good.
Looking to do a cpu upgrade from a Q6600 quad core, is AMD8350 4ghz with a 78lmt mobo a good deal for £198 delivered?

Thinking 8 core due to the new consoles will be optimised for this spec in the future so pc ports should run well.
Nope. Go for a similar priced i5. The IPC on the 8350 is bad, and it doesn't perform all that well in games. The i5 will perform better now, and will definitely stay that way with new games.
Whats a good site to have a custom built gaming PC? Don't have the time nor patience to try and build a PC myself. Looking to spend $700-$900. I don't even need windows installed since I have a genuine windows 7 copy I haven't used yet. Thanks
Where are you located?
Go Hawks!

So, I'm looking at Hazaro's cheat-sheet up there, and it looks like I have to make some decisions. Leaning towards Option 2.

Will there be a significant performance difference between:

3GB and 4GB VRAM?

i5 4670K and i7 4770K?

Z87W and Z87X?

It'll be a few hundred extra bucks for the second column, but if it's the difference between, say, 30FPS and 50FPS, I'd be willing to splurge. From what I understand of Skyrim, it's more GPU heavy than CPU, so could I go for the 4GB GPU and then get the i5 4670K/Z87W to go with it and save some money? Or would I be missing out? Again, I'm willing to spend the money if it's not a negligible performance increase.

I'd have to get a new PSU, too. I assume 750W if I'm overclocking?

Finally, would I have to buy another Windows 7 license if I replaced the CPU/GPU/mobo?

Thanks for the wisdom!
Skyrim actually benefits quite a bit from CPU.


What's your current PSU? Might not have to upgrade that.

The difference between the 4670K and 4770K is that the latter is hyper threaded, meaning that it has 8 threads on 4 cores, rather than the 4 threads and 4 cores on the 4670K. There hasn't been any appreciable difference yet, and I don't expect there will be anything significant. It might start to take a bit of a lead, but it can't possibly be too substantial.

The difference between 3GB and 4GB is that the former is found on AMD cards and the 780/780Ti. The latter is found on the GTX 760 and GTX 770.

Granted, AMD cards are insanely overpriced right now due to the Litecoin mining boom, so you'd probably be looking at the 770 4GB or 780. The 770 4GB will handle Skyrim just dandy, even with mods. It's about equal in performance to the 7970, and I'm getting 100% rock solid 60 FPS even with these mods installed (on top of high-res texture pack):

STEP
SkyRe
SKSE

Core Stuff
SkyUI
A Quality World Map - With Roads
Loadout
Alternate Start - Live Another Life
Hunter's Treehouse
Skyrim Community Uncapper (might be included in SkyRe)
Bandolier
Civil War Overhaul (optional - this is what I wanted to focus on in my particular game)
Glowing Ore Veins 300
Faster Mining
Training Dummies and Targets
Interesting NPCs
Amazing Follower Tweaks
Move it Damnit for NPC Companions
Skyrim Immersive Creatures
Sneak Tools
Binocular Vision for NPCs while sneaking
Realistic Crime Radius
Calling Card Fence

Flavor Mods
WATER
Helgen Reborn (optional - just more questey stuff to do)
Hunterborn
Trophy Hunting
Dice Games in Taverns
Deployable Traps
Realistic Lighting Overhaul
Torches for Realistic Lighting
Populated Cities Towns Villages
skyBirds
Birds of Skyrim
101Bugs
Pets of Skyrim
More Village Animals
Horses Gone Wild

Economy/Owner type mods
Bank of Skyrim
Buy Whiterun
Become King of Reverhelm
RE - Real Estate

Hardcore/Realism mods
Realistic Needs and Diseases
Frostfall
Cloaks of Skyrim
Camping Kit of the Northern Ranger
 

HoosTrax

Member
Wow what in eff's name. I just looked over at Hard|Forum, and you have people selling cards like my Sapphire Vapor-X 7970GE for more than I originally bought it for over the summer.

Would I be crazy to try to pawn it off and get something slightly nicer and shinier?
 

Azulsky

Member
Which mini itx cases can hold the 780ti reference card (10.5")?

Also with regard to mini itx any reason to go z87 over h87 if you arent using a K chip?
 

mkenyon

Banned
Wow what in eff's name. I just looked over at Hard|Forum, and you have people selling cards like my Sapphire Vapor-X 7970GE for more than I originally bought it for over the summer.

Would I be crazy to try to pawn it off and get something slightly nicer and shinier?
Not at all. Just dumped a Lightning 7970 for $430 :p
Which mini itx cases can hold the 780ti reference card (10.5")?

Also with regard to mini itx any reason to go z87 over h87 if you arent using a K chip?
BitFenix Prodigy/Phenom, and the Node 304 as long as you don't have a long PSU.

No reason to go for a Z87 if you aren't using a K chip, but there are a lot of good reasons why you *should* go with a K chip.
 

cdyhybrid

Member
Skyrim actually benefits quite a bit from CPU.

What's your current PSU? Might not have to upgrade that.

The difference between the 4670K and 4770K is that the latter is hyper threaded, meaning that it has 8 threads on 4 cores, rather than the 4 threads and 4 cores on the 4670K. There hasn't been any appreciable difference yet, and I don't expect there will be anything significant. It might start to take a bit of a lead, but it can't possibly be too substantial.

The difference between 3GB and 4GB is that the former is found on AMD cards and the 780/780Ti. The latter is found on the GTX 760 and GTX 770.

Granted, AMD cards are insanely overpriced right now due to the Litecoin mining boom, so you'd probably be looking at the 770 4GB or 780. The 770 4GB will handle Skyrim just dandy, even with mods. It's about equal in performance to the 7970, and I'm getting 100% rock solid 60 FPS even with these mods installed (on top of high-res texture pack):

Currently using a Corsair CX430 V2 430W.

So based on this I'd probably go with this, this, and this.
 

Azulsky

Member
Not at all. Just dumped a Lightning 7970 for $430 :p

BitFenix Prodigy/Phenom, and the Node 304 as long as you don't have a long PSU.

No reason to go for a Z87 if you aren't using a K chip, but there are a lot of good reasons why you *should* go with a K chip.

PSU is a corsair tx750v2. I am looking into another unit as I dont want to deal with the wire mess but as I have seen its dependent on the case.

Its a friends pc and he is good about most stuff but overclocking is a bit over him plus he wants to keep the price reasonable(the gpu was his xmas gift).

Whats the skinny on the Hadron case? I told him to hold out for the Corsair mini itx that is supposed to land in Q1 next year. Interested to see what they have made as they usually cover all the functionality bases.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom