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

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My 7950 died a few weeks ago, so my gaming pc died. I have since picked up a laptop for school and was hoping to convert my gaming pc into a media center pc. I have a power supply and hard drives. I was hoping for pc, mb, and video card suggestions. I am aiming to play games on my tv via hdmi at 1080p. the case would have to fit in my entertainment center, so more horizontal than vertical Any suggestions would be welcome!
 
(I've asked this in the laptop thread, but I need an answer *fast*, so I'm putting it here too)

Laptop GAF, I need help. I'm getting a laptop, and I'm looking at a Dell New Inspiron M531R, which I can get for $550 bucks. Will it be capable of running most games? Which games won't it be able to run? I'm not really concerned about maxing out graphics and such - as long as they function, I'm perfectly happy. My alternative is a Dell Inspiron 15, which I can get for $350.
 
(I've asked this in the laptop thread, but I need an answer *fast*, so I'm putting it here too)

Laptop GAF, I need help. I'm getting a laptop, and I'm looking at a Dell New Inspiron M531R, which I can get for $550 bucks. Will it be capable of running most games? Which games won't it be able to run? I'm not really concerned about maxing out graphics and such - as long as they function, I'm perfectly happy. My alternative is a Dell Inspiron 15, which I can get for $350.

Looks like there are a bunch of variations in terms of hardware. Some models come with an integrated graphics, discrete, dual gpu and different processors. Which one exactly would you be picking up?
 
Looks like there are a bunch of variations in terms of hardware. Some models come with an integrated graphics, discrete, dual gpu and different processors. Which one exactly would you be picking up?

For the M531R (discounted from $730 to $550):
Processor
AMD Quad-Core A8-5545M Accelerated Processor
Operating System
Windows 8, 64-bit, English
Memory
6GB Dual Channel DDR3 1600MHz (4GBx1 + 2GBx1)
Hard Drive
750GB 5400 RPM SATA Hard Drive
Display
15" LED Backlit Display with Truelife and HD resolution (1366x768)
Primary Battery
65 WHr, 6-Cell Battery (removable)

For the Inspiron 15 (discounted from $380 to $340):
Processor
Intel® Celeron® processor 1017U (2M Cache, 1.6 GHz)
Operating System
Windows 8, 64-bit, English
Memory
4GB Single Channel DDR3L 1600MHz (4GBx1)
Hard Drive
320GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
Video Card
Intel® HD Graphics
Display
15.6 inch LED Backlit Display with Truelife and HD resolution (1366 x 768)

Looking at those, the M531R doesn't list a GPU, so I assume it's integrated with the processor - whether this is good or bad, I do not know. The M531R also uses an AMD CPU, which I hear is bad. I can also fit the Inspiron 15 with a 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i3 Processor and a touch screen, if it matters.

I have the money for either one, so it's not a huge deal if I have to go with the M531R, but if there isn't mych difference between the two, I'd rather get the less expensive option.
 
Looking at those, the M531R doesn't list a GPU, so I assume it's integrated with the processor - whether this is good or bad, I do not know.

The M531R also uses an AMD CPU, which I hear is bad.

I have the money for either one, so it's not a huge deal if I have to go with the M531R, but if there isn't much difference between the two, I'd rather get the less expensive option.

Do you have a link for the M531R? Integrated graphics is bad. It doesn't have a dedicated GPU, its just combined with the CPU and is just there for watching videos and stuff. Definitely not with gaming in mind.

What kind of games are you looking to play? Do you have a minimum FPS? What graphics settings?

Whoever said "AMD is bad" is a dork since there are many different types of processors and saying "oh and Intel is better than an amd" makes no sense because the Intel could be a 2 core p.o.s. and the amd could be a 4 core processor with all dem bells and whistles. It all depends.
 
Do you have a link for the M531R? Integrated graphics is bad. It doesn't have a dedicated GPU, its just combined with the CPU and is just there for watching videos and stuff. Definitely not with gaming in mind.

What kind of games are you looking to play? Do you have a minimum FPS? What graphics settings?

Whoever said "AMD is bad" is a dork since there are many different types of processors and saying "oh and Intel is better than an amd" makes no sense because the Intel could be a 2 core p.o.s. and the amd could be a 4 core processor with all dem bells and whistles. It all depends.

I'd liiike to be able to run somewhat recent games, but if that's an impossibility then I'm fine with just running older games (ie FEAR 1, TF2, etc.). My standards are "playable": I'm perfectly happy running everything at minimum settings.

The page for the M531R is here:
http://www.dell.com/us/p/laptops#!everyday-laptops

Now that I look at the main page again, I'm seeing a laptop that didn't show up before. It costs the same ($550) and has a discrete GPU: http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-17-3721/pd?oc=fncwd229h7&model_id=inspiron-17-3721

And thanks for the hand-holding, man. I'm kind of helpless on my own :)
 

kharma45

Member
My 7950 died a few weeks ago, so my gaming pc died. I have since picked up a laptop for school and was hoping to convert my gaming pc into a media center pc. I have a power supply and hard drives. I was hoping for pc, mb, and video card suggestions. I am aiming to play games on my tv via hdmi at 1080p. the case would have to fit in my entertainment center, so more horizontal than vertical Any suggestions would be welcome!

RMA the 7950 and get a replacement. Use your warranty.
 

guit3457

Member
I'm upgrading my PC.

From a AMD Phenom II 955 to a FX 8350

But I can't decide what graphic card I should buy. I currently have an AMD Sapphire HD6950 1GB and want to upgrade to:

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 OC 2GB GDDR for 299€
or
Sapphire R9 280X Vapor-X 3GB GDDR5 for 279€

I can buy a Sapphire R9 290 4GB GDDR5 Battlefield 4 Edition too for 355€.

The only problem I have is that my Motherboard doesn't have PCi 3.0 support:
Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3

Any advise?
 

kharma45

Member
PCIe 3 won't matter for any of those cards.

290 is the best card on the market for value and performance imo but without the non-ref coolers I can't recommend one, so it comes down to the 770 and 280X. I'd side with the 280X unless you want G-Sync and the other Nvidia niceties.
 

guit3457

Member
PCIe 3 won't matter for any of those cards.

290 is the best card on the market for value and performance imo but without the non-ref coolers I can't recommend one, so it comes down to the 770 and 280X. I'd side with the 280X unless you want G-Sync and the other Nvidia niceties.

Ok thanks!! Just to complete my post: I play in 1080p, not higher.
 

yatesl

Member
Making this post from the PC :D
Oh I see. How would you connect the CPU cooler fans if you had two? One in the CPU_FAN and another in SYS_FAN3/4? I tested the fans out and the CPU cooler fans are easily the reason why I feel my PC is a bit loud, it's running at full speed; the case fans quiet to me while adjusting the speeds using the fan controller. I'm just worried about the difference in air flow due to having the two CPU cooler fans are different speeds.

Do you have a CPU_OPT header on your motherboard, next to CPU_FAN? I guess you could connect the CPU fan to the case controller... Just make sure to monitor the temps if you put it in low.

As far as I know, CPU_FAN and CPU_OPT run at the same speeds at all times.
 

cyen

Member
I'm upgrading my PC.

From a AMD Phenom II 955 to a FX 8350

But I can't decide what graphic card I should buy. I currently have an AMD Sapphire HD6950 1GB and want to upgrade to:

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 OC 2GB GDDR for 299€
or
Sapphire R9 280X Vapor-X 3GB GDDR5 for 279€

I can buy a Sapphire R9 290 4GB GDDR5 Battlefield 4 Edition too for 355€.

The only problem I have is that my Motherboard doesn't have PCi 3.0 support:
Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3

Any advise?

Go for the 290, if you can stand the noise the performance is vastly superior to both. Pci 2.0 is compatible and you wont lose performance.
 

SLV

Member
A question guys, i am putting a new pc together, with a Asus SaberTooth X79 and Intel Core i7-4820K. Will the next CPU that will be 14 nm fit on the mobo, or will they have a different socket ? Was thinking of buying now so i could buy and resell as the newest stuff comes out while everything has a warranty to sell for a good buck, to stay current.
 
£750 or so.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£171.94 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.95 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£131.00 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Mushkin Silverline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£49.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£45.44 @ Amazon UK)
Case: BitFenix Shinobi ATX Mid Tower Case (£49.90 @ Amazon UK)
Other: Be Quiet Pure Power L8 530W PSU (£60.55)
Other: Sapphire AMD R9 280X 3GB 384 Bit GDDR5 OC Full Retail Pci-E Graphics Card (£219.04)
Total: £753.81
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-24 18:49 GMT+0000)

wow that is a ridiculously expensive motherboard you are recommending there
you can knock 40-50 pounds off the price right away by going for a cheaper z87 mobo that still has all the features he'll ever need and then some

also man it feels good to see hdd prices having returned to normal at last
 

kharma45

Member
wow that is a ridiculously expensive motherboard you are recommending there
you can knock 40-50 pounds off the price right away by going for a cheaper z87 mobo that still has all the features he'll ever need and then some

also man it feels good to see hdd prices having returned to normal at last

It's a pretty middle of the road priced motherboard, and it's a great price for what it offers.

I wouldn't drop down to a board as low priced as that, the cheapest I'd go is something like the MSI G45 Gaming or the Gigabyte D3H. Pity the Biostar boards have disappeared over here.
 

Lum1n3s

Member
Hello PC Gaffers, Merry Christmas!!! So, wth is going on with AMD cards over at NewEgg. A lot of the R9 cards have jacked up prices!
 

Chocobro

Member
Do you have a CPU_OPT header on your motherboard, next to CPU_FAN? I guess you could connect the CPU fan to the case controller... Just make sure to monitor the temps if you put it in low.

As far as I know, CPU_FAN and CPU_OPT run at the same speeds at all times.

Yeah, I have a CPU_OPT header next to CPU_FAN. Based on the manual, I think can adjust the speed through the voltage? It says "+12V /Speed Control" in Pin #2 whereas the CPU_FAN's Pin #2 says "+12V".

I won't put the case controller on low, I would keep it on medium. However I'm making a habit of checking the temperatures frequently. Idle temperature has been 25 C, haven't checked what temperature it would go up to when under load.

This is interesting...switching the fan controller to any other setting (high, medium, low) would cause my PC to restart. Does anyone know why this happens?
 

Kabuto

Member
I just wanted to pop in since I just got a new monitor for Christmas and wow having a 2nd monitor is amazing! Having a view of the entire map while I'm playing Battlefield 4, being able to go on the internet while I'm playing a full screened game, not having to be stuck on a tab when I watch a YouTube video or Twitch stream, being able to see my iTunes window, etc; I can't go back to one monitor!
 
Speaking of dual monitors, what is the best software to use to manage everything? A few issues I'm having:

  • New Chrome windows always open on the display with a chrome window already open. Any way to make it always open on the primary monitor?
  • Some games won't go fullscreen or are detecting the wrong monitor. My new monitor is 1080p while my old one is 1600 x 900. Now when I set the rendering resolution for DayZ (for example) on my new monitor, it says 1080p is over 100% rendering resolution, so it thinks I'm using my secondary for some reason.

Any ideas?
 

kai3345

Banned
My previous post detailing what I'm building the PC for:

Hey guys, this is the PC I'm attempting to build:


But I'm missing a graphics card and am looking for recommendations.

This is my first PC build ever, so I'm pretty ignorant on 90% of this stuff.

I'm wanting to use this PC primarily for editing HD video, and some light after effects usage, as well as a little bit of gaming on the side.

My budget was originally $800 but now it's looking more like $900-1000. With 1K being the absolute max I cannot exceed. So is this a good build for what I'm looking for? And what sort of graphics card would this machine need? Thanks guys

Here's my updated parts list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2pLVO

First of all, is this everything I would need to do what I'm looking to do? I'm not super knowledgeble about the what parts of a computer are best for different things, so any help you guys can give me would be super appreciated.

Second, I'm really, really trying to keep this under $1K, and ideally I wanted originally to pay around $800. Is there anything I could replace with a cheaper alternative without sacrificing too much on quality?
 

kennah

Member
My previous post detailing what I'm building the PC for:



Here's my updated parts list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2pLVO

First of all, is this everything I would need to do what I'm looking to do? I'm not super knowledgeble about the what parts of a computer are best for different things, so any help you guys can give me would be super appreciated.

Second, I'm really, really trying to keep this under $1K, and ideally I wanted originally to pay around $800. Is there anything I could replace with a cheaper alternative without sacrificing too much on quality?

What you could do is drop the video card for now and just use the onboard video for a bit.

As a bonus it would let you save up longer to get a 780 or another higher end card ;)

Other than that you're going to be sacrificing on perf/eventually buying things twice.
 

yatesl

Member
This is interesting...switching the fan controller to any other setting (high, medium, low) would cause my PC to restart. Does anyone know why this happens?

Well that's not right. Your CPU fan, correct? What motherboard do you have?

I wonder if, when you change the controller, that stops the CPU fan for a second, and somehow the motherboard knows this and reboots as a safety measure? But then, if they're directly in to the controller, the PC shouldn't be able to read that.

Someone who's smarter than I can hopefully shed some light.
 

Chocobro

Member
Well that's not right. Your CPU fan, correct? What motherboard do you have?

I wonder if, when you change the controller, that stops the CPU fan for a second, and somehow the motherboard knows this and reboots as a safety measure? But then, if they're directly in to the controller, the PC shouldn't be able to read that.

Someone who's smarter than I can hopefully shed some light.

Nope, the case fans are only connected to the controller. CPU fans are connected directly to the motherboard, Gigabyte Z87X-UD3H, which is why I found it to be weird.
 

Beezy

Member
I'm trying to finish my first ever build, but I still can't decide on a motherboard. Which would you guys choose?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128594

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130693

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131979

Leaning towards the Asus just because I've heard that they're more reliable. The MSI has Sound Blaster, but that's only for gaming, right? Other than gaming, I want to mess around with music production and recording. I don't know if that will make a difference.

If it'll help, here's what I purchased so far:

 

yatesl

Member
Nope, the case fans are only connected to the controller. CPU fans are connected directly to the motherboard, Gigabyte Z87X-UD3H, which is why I found it to be weird.

Wait, so when you change the fan speeds on the CASE fans, it restarts? I have the same motherboard/case as you, and (as far as I know, I plugged them in to the mobo about a day after) there were no issues.

A quick look at this thread suggests it might be an issue with your PC, and the 7v switch Fractal use.
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
Super budget build is a success so far. Memtest complete with no errors.

Heatsink on that XFX 7850 looks pretty dinky, but the case has good airflow and it's not going to be OC'd.

Now to get those rebates sent off before the end of the year, and get Windows on it.
 

kai3345

Banned
What you could do is drop the video card for now and just use the onboard video for a bit.

As a bonus it would let you save up longer to get a 780 or another higher end card ;)

Other than that you're going to be sacrificing on perf/eventually buying things twice.

So I'd still be able to edit video and stuff like that without a graphics card?
 

Taruranto

Member
Dunno if it's the right thread to ask, but here I got:

I need to buy a new graphic card for my PC cause the old one is dying (No, it's not dust, I'm 101% sure) and having problems with a lot of games even at low settings.

This is my current PC:

Summary
Operating System
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit SP1
CPU
Intel Core i5 2300 @ 2.80GHz 28 °C
Sandy Bridge 32nm Technology
RAM
8,00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 665MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard
PEGATRON CORPORATION 2AB6 (CPU 1) 30 °C
Graphics
CMC 19 AW (1440x900@60Hz)
2048MB ATI AMD Radeon HD 6570 (Sconosciuto) 57 °C
Hard Drives
932GB Seagate ST310005 ST31000528AS SCSI Disk Device (SATA) 28 °C
Optical Drives
DTSoftBusCd01
hp DVD A DH16ABLH SCSI CdRom Device
Audio
IDT High Definition Audio CODEC

I don't need a particularly powerful one, I just need it to be cheap and decent. I really don't know much about these stuff, so sorry if it's a dumb question. :p
 

kharma45

Member
Dunno if it's the right thread to ask, but here I got:

I need to buy a new graphic card for my PC cause the old one is dying (No, it's not dust, I'm 101% sure) and having problems with a lot of games even at low settings.

This is my current PC:



I don't need a particularly powerful one, I just need it to be cheap and decent. I really don't know much about these stuff, so sorry if it's a dumb question. :p

What PSU do you have?

I'm trying to finish my first ever build, but I still can't decide on a motherboard. Which would you guys choose?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128594

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130693

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131979

Leaning towards the Asus just because I've heard that they're more reliable. The MSI has Sound Blaster, but that's only for gaming, right? Other than gaming, I want to mess around with music production and recording. I don't know if that will make a difference.

If it'll help, here's what I purchased so far:

Since audio seems to be important I'd grab a Gigabyte UD3H or the Biostar HiFi Z87X and bung in an Asus Xonar DGX for around $35.
 

Chocobro

Member
Wait, so when you change the fan speeds on the CASE fans, it restarts? I have the same motherboard/case as you, and (as far as I know, I plugged them in to the mobo about a day after) there were no issues.

A quick look at this thread suggests it might be an issue with your PC, and the 7v switch Fractal use.

Yep, changing the fan speed of the case fans using the case's fan controller restarts my PC. I think I'll take the time to connect all the fans to the motherboard and control the fan speeds from the BIOS instead. Just a minor problem, no big deal. Thanks for the responses :)


Cable management good enough? Pictures are from yesterday. Should I reroute the 24-pin connector from another opening or the way I have it doesn't really disrupt air flow? I don't like how the PCI-E cables connecting the GPU are, looks messy to me.
wDNJuAB.jpg
vIbBZSx.jpg
 

kharma45

Member
Thanks man,

PC part picker has a lot going on which is I opted to just do it bit by bit. So the Antec Power supply will work fine?

It's a fine unit. Going by that build on the left for top end money there is this

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Biostar Hi-Fi Z87W ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($98.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($72.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($160.00 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Microcenter)
Total: $675.94
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-25 20:20 EST-0500)

Wanting to spend less there is this

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($114.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Biostar Hi-Fi Z87W ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($98.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($72.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($160.00 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Microcenter)
Total: $570.94
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-25 20:21 EST-0500)

If you've a Microcenter nearby good savings on CPUs to be had.
 
kharma45 said:
It's a fine unit. Going by that build on the left for top end money there is this

Thanks Kharma, yeah I was having trouble with the compatibility bits. I really just started picking at the best price.
 

Cable management good enough? Pictures are from yesterday. Should I reroute the 24-pin connector from another opening or the way I have it doesn't really disrupt air flow? I don't like how the PCI-E cables connecting the GPU are, looks messy to me.

Am I seeing things or do you have the GPU plugged into the HDD molex connectors using an adapter?

That's bad mojo if you did. Your PSU should have proper cables.
 

kharma45

Member
Thanks Kharma, yeah I was having trouble with the compatibility bits. I really just started picking at the best price.

PCP will help there as it automatically filters parts based on compatibility.

GPU wise if you're serious about gaming the lowest I'd go for is the 650 Ti Boost or the 7850. CPU wise you're best with an unlocked i5 and a Z series motherboard. It's not cheap though as you saw in that first build but the 4430 isn't bad at all if you're looking to save money. No real need for a sound card now either.
 
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