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[TheChewyWaffles]

Dumb question time - cleanest way to swap between nvidia cards on win 8 is to uninstall the old drivers, shut down, swap out the card, and boot back up? I feel like I'm computer savvy, but I haven't done much custom building for 10 years or so. This used to be the way I did things, but I wanted to check if it was still best practice in 2013.

 

[Shadowhaxor]

Dumb question time - cleanest way to swap between nvidia cards on win 8 is to uninstall the old drivers, shut down, swap out the card, and boot back up? I feel like I'm computer savvy, but I haven't done much custom building for 10 years or so. This used to be the way I did things, but I wanted to check if it was still best practice in 2013.

Basically, some would say use a driver cleaner as well but the uninstaller is pretty decent on removing the existing drivers.

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

Thanks a lot for all the compliments, guys! I think it's pretty sexy ... but of course, I'm biased.

As for not hitting higher than +100Mhz on my Titan - yeah, unfortunately, stability issues kept rearing their ugly head. That said, I've been more focused on my CPU so far. I'm hoping to at least get +200 on the Titan when all is said and done. Running into some trouble unlocking the voltage stuff in Precision/Afterburner, even after adjusting the .cfg file.

 

[maneil99]

Thanks a lot for all the compliments, guys! I think it's pretty sexy ... but of course, I'm biased.

As for not hitting higher than +100Mhz on my Titan - yeah, unfortunately, stability issues kept rearing their ugly head. That said, I've been more focused on my CPU so far. I'm hoping to at least get +200 on the Titan when all is said and done. Running into some trouble unlocking the voltage stuff in Precision/Afterburner, even after adjusting the .cfg file.

I thought you need to do a bios flash in order to boost any Nvidia card over company set vcore limits. Also If I could get an answer about fan speeds, my rear fan is set at 100%, it makes no noise and is rated for 5 years of life, should I tone it down? What is your guys case fans set too?

 

[frogg609]

So I'm wondering if I screwed up.

I posted a few pages back that this is my current setup:

Video: EVGA GTX 570
Processor: Intel Core i5 760 @ 2.8 (stock) LGA 1156
CPU Cooler: ZALMAN CNPS9500
RAM 8Gb
Motherboard: Asus Maximus III Formula LGA 1156
PSU: Corsairs TX 750 Watt PSU Bronze

I run dual monitors, but game on one only. 1080p is max.

It was suggested that I try overclocking my processor before buying any new gear. I tried to, and I couldn't hold an OC at 3.5 that wouldn't freak out on temps.

My current case is a CoolerMaster Scout, which I find a frustrating case to work in. I'm also wondering if it's keeping me from being able to OC effectively.

Yesterday, I ordered the following:

NZXT Switch 810 Gunmetal (Super excited to get rid of the Scout)
EVGA GeForce GTX770 SuperClocked with EVGA ACX Cooler, 2GB GDDR5 256bit

I figure that I will eventually order a new motherboard, ram, and processor, but that the video card would give me a nice FPS bump.

Now, where I think I may have screwed up, I now see this Gigabyte GTX 770 GDDR5-4GB 2xDVI/HDMI/DP OC WINDFORCE 3X for like 40 bucks more. Like I said, I run everything at 1080p, would getting the Gigbayte card give me a huge performance boost instead?

Also, when I'm ready to order my new processor and motherboard, should I go Haswell, or stay with Ivy Bridge?

 

[Sir Abacus]

So I've been looking at benchmarks for 770 2GB SLI and I'm on the edge. Might be going to get a second Gigabyte with the exact same clocks (1137/1189MHz) and probably a VG248QE to go alongside my existing twin VS247H-Ps for some surround gaming. Thoughts? Any 770 SLI users out there with any pitfalls to look out for?

 

[LEGEND0F117]

Question for anyone who can answer. I bought this laptop when graduated high school. I am now 22 so it's older, but when I bought it it was the most powerful you could buy.

This is it. An Asus ROG G73JH. How does it hold up today?

It's got a 1 GB AMD Radeon HD 5870. That's decent. As for as processing it's an i7 Q720 @ 1.6 Ghz.

So yeah, how does it hold up today?

 

[Danj]

Question for anyone who can answer. I bought this laptop when graduated high school. I am now 22 so it's older, but when I bought it it was the most powerful you could buy.

This is it. An Asus ROG G73JH. How does it hold up today?

It's got a 1 GB AMD Radeon HD 5870. That's decent. As for as processing it's an i7 Q720 @ 1.6 Ghz.

So yeah, how does it hold up today?

It's a bit more powerful than the laptop I just sold (Acer Aspire 8942G, i7-720QM with a 1GB 5850), so it'll probably still play this year's games in 1080p. It'll definitely play anything 2012 or older in 1080p.

 

[canadian crowe]

So I bought a PC that I hoped would be able to replicate next gen graphics close enough, and be able to play next gen games (obviously with a hit in settings).

I went with a AMD FX6300 and an HD7850 2GB.

Now I get the feeling that the GPU might not be good enough to play next gen games in a couple years. Ideally I would like it to play games for at least the next 4.

I mainly just want to play in 1080p and I don't care if future games have to be on the lowest settings and 30 fps.

Will the 7850 be good enough, or should I have sprung for a 3gb gpu?

 

[Danj]

Will the 7850 be good enough, or should I have sprung for a 3gb gpu?

I managed at 1080p with a 5850 since 2010, it was only just this year that I had to start dropping to 720p (Bioshock Infinite, Tomb Raider).

 

[kennah]

So I bought a PC that I hoped would be able to replicate next gen graphics close enough, and be able to play next gen games (obviously with a hit in settings).

I went with a AMD FX6300 and an HD7850 2GB.

Now I get the feeling that the GPU might not be good enough to play next gen games in a couple years. Ideally I would like it to play games for at least the next 4.

I mainly just want to play in 1080p and I don't care if future games have to be on the lowest settings and 30 fps.

Will the 7850 be good enough, or should I have sprung for a 3gb gpu?

We won't know until the future happens.

 

[maneil99]

We really don't know, I mean depending how much ram devs use for textures next gen alot of us could be screwed.

 

[kharma45]

So I bought a PC that I hoped would be able to replicate next gen graphics close enough, and be able to play next gen games (obviously with a hit in settings).

I went with a AMD FX6300 and an HD7850 2GB.

Now I get the feeling that the GPU might not be good enough to play next gen games in a couple years. Ideally I would like it to play games for at least the next 4.

I mainly just want to play in 1080p and I don't care if future games have to be on the lowest settings and 30 fps.

Will the 7850 be good enough, or should I have sprung for a 3gb gpu?

We won't know until the future happens.

Pretty much, we can only guesstimate. 7850 is still a good card though and if you get lucky there are quite a few that will overclock to 1.2GHz giving you really, really good performance from it. VRAM I can't see being an issue for a year yet or so, all the games coming out are being made with the present levels of VRAM available on our GPUs in mind.

 

[cajunator]

Greetings. I consulted with a few people and compiled the following list based on one of the builds from the OP (followed it pretty closely). Just wanna triple check that these parts are the right ones ( monitor is a personal choice) and I didnt overlook anything. Also making sure I dont have to buy any wiring kits or additional stuff. Dont worry about keyboard and mouse. I got that covered.

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16817371016

MSI Z77 MPOWER ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16813130660

Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16820148540

ASUS VS239H-P Black 23" 5ms (GTG) Widescreen LED Backlight LCD Monitor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16824236288

Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 Quad-Core Desktop Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16819116504

Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236339

Corsair Carbide Series 200R Black Steel / Plastic compact ATX Mid Tower Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811139018

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel 2011/1366/1155 and AMD FM1/AM3+
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16835103099

SAMSUNG 840 Pro Series MZ-7PD256BW 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147193

GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 760 GV-N760OC-4GD WINDFORCE 3X Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16814125470

ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16827135204

Also, I will definitely need some help putting this all together. Considered buying a prebuilt computer, but its hard to customize this stuff. Im pretty sure I have a copy of Windows 7 lying around somewhere to install on this too.
I havent tinkered with computer building or parts since like 2000 so I have no idea what Im currently doing. Everything has changed.

 

[Sid]

^^I'd recommend a 600-750w PSU,like this one http://www.corsair.com/tx750w.html

 

[Addnan]

No. The BP550 is perfectly adequate.

Change the HDD to the caviar blue, but that's about all I would change

 

[kharma45]

Yeah no need to change from the BP 550. only other one i could argue for is the Seasonic G550 for an extra $12 to move to 80+ Gold and the other stuff it has like a longer warranty iirc and being quieter.

 

[cajunator]

No. The BP550 is perfectly adequate.

Change the HDD to the caviar blue, but that's about all I would change

Whats the difference in the Caviar blue? Is it available as 1 or 2 TB version?

 

[cajunator]

Yeah no need to change from the BP 550. only other one i could argue for is the Seasonic G550 for an extra $12 to move to 80+ Gold and the other stuff it has like a longer warranty iirc and being quieter.

Which power supply are you referring to? I see a pretty big list when I look up Seasonic.
Keep in mind Ive been REALLY out of the loop and there are subtle changes in the parts so I dont want to choose the wrong ones if I deviate from the OP recommendations..

 

[kharma45]

Whats the difference in the Caviar blue? Is it available as 1 or 2 TB version?

a blue is faster but no 2TB versions of it.

 

[kharma45]

Which power supply are you referring to? I see a pretty big list when I look up Seasonic.
Keep in mind Ive been REALLY out of the loop and there are subtle changes in the parts so I dont want to choose the wrong ones if I deviate from the OP recommendations..

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00918MEZG/?tag=neogaf0e-20

The Antec is perfectly good, i would just pay the extra myself for the longer warranty, higher efficiency and better quality bits.

 

[cajunator]

a blue is faster but no 2TB versions of it.

Is the green a particularly slow drive or is the blue just incrementally faster? I dont need a blazing fast hard drive.

 

[cajunator]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00918MEZG/?tag=neogaf0e-20

The Antec is perfectly good, i would just pay the extra myself for the longer warranty, higher efficiency and better quality bits.

Thats this on NEwegg right? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151119&Tpk=SeaSonic G Series 550-Watt

 

[kharma45]

Is the green a particularly slow drive or is the blue just incrementally faster? I dont need a blazing fast hard drive.

Green is just slow but seeing as its not being used as a boot drive I'm less inclined to slate it.

Thats this on NEwegg right? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151119&Tpk=SeaSonic G Series 550-Watt

That's it but Newegg are whacking $8 shipping fee on it which makes it less of an alternative to the BP 550.

 

[Zezboob]

Can somebody recommend me a very silent alternative to the CoolerMaster 212 EVO?
(without being water cooling)

 

[cajunator]

Green is just slow but seeing as its not being used as a boot drive I'm less inclined to slate it.



That's it but Newegg are whacking $8 shipping fee on it which makes it less of an alternative to the BP 550.

a slow HDD shouldnt be as much of an issue if I have the SSD in addition for the main duties right?

Also I just talked with my Dad and he said "we might just build 2 of them"
Looks like hes catching the Pc bug too.
At least Ill have some assistance building this thing.

Appreciate all the help everyone has given. I feel pretty confident about getting this to work.
One other thing. I noticed that there is no longer DVI /SVGA outputs for monitors on this Mobo. Are those obsolete now? It has a HDMI but whats Display output port? Is that a different kind of connector?

 

[Addnan]

You don't need any video connectors from the motherboard. You will connect your DVI/HDMI to your graphics card.

Pretty much only hdmi and DVI is used. Display port is pretty new and some monitors use that too.

 

[cajunator]

You don't need any video connectors from the motherboard. You will connect your DVI/HDMI to your graphics card.

Pretty much only hdmi and DVI is used. Display port is pretty new and some monitors use that too.

Gotcha. Well Im gonna do a bit more research and probably order the parts by tonight thanks to this thread. Its very informative and useful.

 

[TenaciousNorth]

Looking to build my very first pc and after any help I can get.

Your Current specs: An old pre built pc that cannot run any games, very slow and very old.

Budget: £800 - £900

Main Use: This will be my one and only PC so although the primary focus is to replace my consoles and be a games machine I will also be using to for general use such as Internet browsing etc

Monitor Resolution: Current monitor is 1366 x 768. I also have a 42" Tv I would like to plug it in to now and again. A monitor upgrade isn't something I need straight away but in the future I would consider upgrading.

List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: As a console gamer 60fps isn't a big deal to me, I will be more than happy to comfortably play at 30 fps and if I go over that consider it a bonus. I would like to be able to buy any game and feel comfortable knowing I can run it very well. Emulation would be nice but if it requires a crazy £2000 pc I can pass on it. Games I would like to play include battlefield 3 and battlefield 4 when it releases., Dota 2, Starcraft 2 and just generally be able to throw anything at it.

Looking to reuse any parts?: None

When will you build?: I intend to buy some parts today and the rest next month

Will you be overclocking?: As it is my very first build I'm not sure if this would be a wise decision


I have gone through pcpartpicker and this is what I chose. Ay suggestions or am I about ready to buy?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£161.99 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£105.96 @ Dabs)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£58.97 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£71.99 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£49.32 @ Scan.co.uk)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card (£227.71 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: BitFenix Shinobi Window ATX Mid Tower Case (£59.90 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply (£59.27 @ Amazon UK)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer (£13.15 @ Amazon UK)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) (£69.59 @ Aria PC)
Total: £877.85
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-29 12:14 BST+0100)

 

[Addnan]

Change the RAM to some low profile ones. PSU to something by Seasonic , xfx or bequiet. On the train so can't link much!

 

[Im a Manatee]

Ended up pulling the trigger on these

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($121.50 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($43.26 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $814.71
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-29 07:34 EDT-0400)

Thanks for the heads up about the GTX 660 being cheap(ish). Seems like it'll give me much better compatability down the line.

Changes

• Went to Asrock Extreme 6 + Corsair PSU combo to save 80 bucks on a combo deal (was 20 dollars cheaper than MSI GD65 + Seasonic Gold!!
• Used Google Wallet twice to save 30 bucks
• GTX 660 had a 20 dollar off code that PCPARTPICKER isn't picking up, so it was 169.99AR

Total Cost comes out to 684. Not bad with a shoprunner trial

 

[Cheech]

So I'm wondering if I screwed up.

I posted a few pages back that this is my current setup:

Video: EVGA GTX 570
Processor: Intel Core i5 760 @ 2.8 (stock) LGA 1156
CPU Cooler: ZALMAN CNPS9500
RAM 8Gb
Motherboard: Asus Maximus III Formula LGA 1156
PSU: Corsairs TX 750 Watt PSU Bronze

I run dual monitors, but game on one only. 1080p is max.

It was suggested that I try overclocking my processor before buying any new gear. I tried to, and I couldn't hold an OC at 3.5 that wouldn't freak out on temps.

I have that same CPU, and I have serious issues with OCs as well. Heat is fine, but I get crazy data corruption issues, and I even killed some RAM.

My issue is that I think I should be able to get smooth frame rates on Skyrim at Ultra using my SLI'ed 6780s. Maybe not. Even on High graphical settings, I get stuttering, which is super annoying.

Any advice on what I should upgrade specifically for that game?

 

[bro1]

I have that same CPU, and I have serious issues with OCs as well. Heat is fine, but I get crazy data corruption issues, and I even killed some RAM.

My issue is that I think I should be able to get smooth frame rates on Skyrim at Ultra using my SLI'ed 6780s. Maybe not. Even on High graphical settings, I get stuttering, which is super annoying.

Any advice on what I should upgrade specifically for that game?

Are 6780 AMD? If so, crossfire is notorious for stuttering.

 

[cajunator]

Dad said he would pitch in a couple hundred so I can get a larger solid state drive. Sweet.

 

[Croyles]

Change the RAM to some low profile ones. PSU to something by Seasonic , xfx or bequiet. On the train so can't link much!

I thought the RAM should be fine size wise? I am buying the same type of RAM and the same case.

 

[knitoe]

Dad said he would pitch in a couple hundred so I can get a larger solid state drive. Sweet.

Do not buy a WD Green HDD. If you read the user reviews, not even counting their shitty speeds, it probably has the worst reliability. Mine also died even though it was barely used / access being it was only a storage drive. The guess assumption is it's over aggressive head parking routine, to save power, is damaging the drive.

 

[cajunator]

Do not buy a WD Green HDD. If you read the user reviews, not even counting their shitty speeds, it probably has the worst reliability. Mine also died even though it was barely used / access being it was only a storage drive. The guess assumption is it's over aggressive head parking routine, to save power, is damaging the drive.

Thanks for info. Which would you recommend instead? Id like at least 1TB.

 

[Croyles]

Thanks for info. Which would you recommend instead? Id like at least 1TB.

WD Blue is good apparently, but they come in 1tb max.

 

[cajunator]

WD Blue is good apparently, but they come in 1tb max.

This one? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236339

 

[Addnan]

I thought the RAM should be fine size wise? I am buying the same type of RAM and the same case.

The reason we often recommend low profile RAM is because the ones with the fins can cause issues with some heatsinks. In that it is too tall and the heatsink fan does not fit. It's only an issue with motherboard that have RAM slots close to the heatsink fan, but really there is no point taking the risk to find out. Performance wise the fins don't offer anything over the low profile. They are just there for the sake of being there.

 

[TenaciousNorth]

The reason we often recommend low profile RAM is because the ones with the fins can cause issues with some heatsinks. In that it is too tall and the heatsink fan does not fit. It's only an issue with motherboard that have RAM slots close to the heatsink fan, but really there is no point taking the risk to find out. Performance wise the fins don't offer anything over the low profile. They are just there for the sake of being there.

Any particular RAM you would recommend?

 

[kharma45]

Any particular RAM you would recommend?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007OTFE24/

This one? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236339

Yes.

 

[Addnan]

Any particular RAM you would recommend?

RAM is RAM, so you can't really go wrong unless you are into crazy high level benchmarking. These would do fine. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148544 These are probably the most commonly used ones. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233379

 

[Danj]

AWWWWW YISS, CPU and SSD arrived. It's PC buildin' time!

 

[kharma45]

RAM is RAM, so you can't really go wrong unless you are into crazy high level benchmarking. These would do fine. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148544 These are probably the most commonly used ones. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233379

UK brah.

Looking to build my very first pc and after any help I can get.

Your Current specs: An old pre built pc that cannot run any games, very slow and very old.

Budget: £800 - £900

Main Use: This will be my one and only PC so although the primary focus is to replace my consoles and be a games machine I will also be using to for general use such as Internet browsing etc

Monitor Resolution: Current monitor is 1366 x 768. I also have a 42" Tv I would like to plug it in to now and again. A monitor upgrade isn't something I need straight away but in the future I would consider upgrading.

List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: As a console gamer 60fps isn't a big deal to me, I will be more than happy to comfortably play at 30 fps and if I go over that consider it a bonus. I would like to be able to buy any game and feel comfortable knowing I can run it very well. Emulation would be nice but if it requires a crazy £2000 pc I can pass on it. Games I would like to play include battlefield 3 and battlefield 4 when it releases., Dota 2, Starcraft 2 and just generally be able to throw anything at it.

Looking to reuse any parts?: None

When will you build?: I intend to buy some parts today and the rest next month

Will you be overclocking?: As it is my very first build I'm not sure if this would be a wise decision


I have gone through pcpartpicker and this is what I chose. Ay suggestions or am I about ready to buy?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£161.99 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£105.96 @ Dabs)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£58.97 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£71.99 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£49.32 @ Scan.co.uk)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card (£227.71 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: BitFenix Shinobi Window ATX Mid Tower Case (£59.90 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply (£59.27 @ Amazon UK)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer (£13.15 @ Amazon UK)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) (£69.59 @ Aria PC)
Total: £877.85
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-29 12:14 BST+0100)

For emuluation change to the 4670K and the MSI Z87 G45 Gaming. Change the PSU to this http://www.dabs.com/products/xfx-55...4_1375100990_05c542fc891200cbe335fb57eaf3c5eb or if you want modular this http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005JS580A/

Also change to the RAM I linked to up above. Consider too dropping the DVD drive and see if that will give you the room after changing that other stuff to get an SSD.

Hyper 212 is also advisable for over clocking. Its only a matter of changing a few BIOS values to get up to at worst 4GHz and it'll bring great performance benefits. It's pretty hard to screw up doing it.

 

[Addnan]

Ah. Completely missed the UK bit.

How much does Haswell really help in emulation. I emulate on my 3570K and get great performance. Do you really need more? Especially when it's not a priority

 

[kharma45]

Ah. Completely missed the UK bit.

How much does Haswell really help in emulation. I emulate on my 3570K and get great performance. Do you really need more? Especially when it's not a priority

20% better than IB.

 

[Cheech]

Are 6780 AMD? If so, crossfire is notorious for stuttering.

Yeah, they're AMD. I don't have this issue in other games, but it could be Skyrim's engine just doesn't lend itself well to SLI. Because in between stutters, the game runs silky smooth.

 

[Addnan]

20% better than IB.

Ok, that is quite the jump. I knew it was better, but not that much 20% is probably worth it then.

 

[kharma45]

Ok, that is quite the jump. I knew it was better, but not that much 20% is probably worth it then.

Yeah it's a sizeable gap if only in that area.