Have you tried updating your chipset drivers and possibly your BIOS as well?Ran memtest 86+ for 6 passes (took about 10 hours) and it came up clean, so I don't think my RAM is the issue of my BlueScreen errors (I never actually see a BS, the PC just freezes, screen goes black, then it reboots). Pretty sure it's the CPU since the crash dumps only mention "AuthenticAMD" and the only actual AMD part in my PC is the processor (Phenom II X4 955 BE). I'll try out another processor (an Athlon II). My PC crashed while I was typing this. Thank god for Firefox's session restore, restored all the text so no retyping.
"I need a New PC!" 2013 Part 2. Haswell = #IntelnoTIM, but free online. READ THE OP.
- Thread starter Hazaro
- Start date
- Status
Honestly, right now the 780 is a gimped unloved stepchild of the GTX690/Titan, both in overall performance and memory size. I'd go for the 770 4GB right now, if you absolutely have to jump on the 700 series right now. Best price to performance ratio for the series atm, imo.
I updated my BIOS to its latest firmware, but what my motherboard site and what Windows Update tells me about my AMD Sata Controller firmware conflicts, with WU supposedly offering a newer version. I wouldn't touch any driver updates from WU though. For reference, my motherboard is the ASUS M4A77TD
No. That title belongs to a used $300 680.
charlequin
Banned
I built my system at my office (better workspace than at my tiny, messy-ass apartment, lol) and so all my boxes are still sitting on my shelves. I've had two different coworkers order one this week after asking me about how I like mine, heh.
What if you want to use a lot of big texture mods ?(skyrim etc)
Hello PCGaf, I am in search of a gaming desktop computer around $1000. It doesn't have to be high end but I want it to run everything on medium at minimum. I understand that building it myself is cheaper but I am afraid I have no knowledge of anything PC. I read the OP multiple times and I am still puzzled by some of the stuff.
Anyway, I was wondering to get an opinion on the best desktop manufacturers (HP/DELL etc).
Here are some PCs I have looked into and was hoping if someone has other recommendation. I reside in Canada so I will be only looking into vendors that ship to Canada (most companies do).
http://h20386.www2.hp.com/CanadaStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=H5P88AA&opt=ABA&sel=PCDT
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/CyberPower_Black_Pearl/
Thanks ya'll much appreciated.
Anyway, I was wondering to get an opinion on the best desktop manufacturers (HP/DELL etc).
Here are some PCs I have looked into and was hoping if someone has other recommendation. I reside in Canada so I will be only looking into vendors that ship to Canada (most companies do).
http://h20386.www2.hp.com/CanadaStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=H5P88AA&opt=ABA&sel=PCDT
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/CyberPower_Black_Pearl/
Thanks ya'll much appreciated.
Thanks. That sounds exactly what I wanted.
Most likely that as AMD drivers are solid as fuck now, and just up until recently they pretty much had the best cards at every price point.
You're going to get diminishing returns after two Titans as well as more latency but...
why not I guess. If you want to do it by all means.
CX models use Chinese made Samxon caps and Teapo ones. Ain't nowt Japanese inside those things.
CX models have so many DOA reports and issues that crop up down the line like whine they're really not worth it unless it's your only option.
No problem. Keep asking questions until you're satisfied, that's what we are here for.
2GB will be fine for the next year I would imagine as most games coming out aren't designed for games with massive amounts of VRAM in mind. After that it is anyone's guess.
Having no knowledge of building doesn't mean you can't do it, it's remarkably straightforward to do. Look at some videos and guides of it and then see how you feel. If you're not comfortable then we're not going to push you to DIY build but it is nowhere near as daunting as it seems.
Want to thank Kharma and kennah for pulling up the slack in my continued posting absence.
You don't think you could do the 20 minute build video? Adult legos, etc.
Put together the 'Great' $830 build on NCIX and have them assemble it for you. Best parts, best performance for your money, almost all those parts have a 2-3 year warranty.
You don't think you could do the 20 minute build video? Adult legos, etc.
Can you give me an idea on how Hazaro's 830 build can run say BF3 or metro?
roosters93
Member
I didn't know the motherboard was a factor in an OC. Why is it?
if you opt for the +200 7970/gtx770 it will be a very decent pc, and still in the thousand range.
That's quite a good service! I was just fiddling around and building your you can get this
From NCIX only sans rebates
Although I see they do a price match thing so you might get it down a bit.
If you were to build yourself it'd be closer to this
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Amazon Canada)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.46 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Canada Computers)
Memory: Mushkin Silverline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.98 @ NCIX)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($94.99 @ Memory Express)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.75 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($259.99 @ Memory Express)
Case: Cooler Master CM 690 II (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($47.99 @ NCIX)
Total: $985.13
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-24 06:14 EDT-0400)
Power phases, capacitor quality and cooling.
With a GTX 760 or 7950 it'll run very well.
Do you have motherboard diagnostic LEDs or numbers?
LED from the computer turn up as usual, but theres nothing on screen. Theres a also a thing, shutting down the computer by pressing the power button a couple of seconds doesnt work too.
CreepingFear
Member
I'd just want to do it for fun someday, but only if I can find great deals. Make a Frankenstein computer if you will. An example: This person on youtube found a 1 or 2 year old laptop at an estate sale for $80. It had a core i5. All he had to do was get a new battery, reapply thermal paste, and he decided to buy an ssd for it. I probably wouldn't bother with really old computers like Pentium 4's, but it would be great to find a core 2 quad and see what I can do with it with other spare parts.
OldAsUrSock
Banned
I have a 1GB video card and the one thing I wish I had more was VRAM.
Half and half
Member
What games are causing you issues?
I would guess heavily modded Skyrim with multiple 4096 resolution texture packs .
I still don't think it'd be that important. Still, if you want to future proof or do plan to upgrade, then go for it. If you stick with 1080p, then save some cash.
Half and half
Member
Ah okay. Do these make a huge difference at 1080? If the textures are too large for a given screen resolution, you won't be able to make out all of the detail.
I've never used a high res texture pack, so I'm unfamiliar with how they're applied in-game.
You can see the difference of texture resolutions very clearly at 1080.
Here's a quick comparison of vannila VS high res texture mod .
.
Many games are pushing right up to or past 1gb of Vram now. It doesn't require running at 4k resolutions and texture packs to do it either. At 1080p, I'm playing the Witcher 2 and it pushes up to a gig in vram usage regularly.
ColonelSkills
Member
I'm currently running the following;
Video: EVGA GTX 570
Processor: Intel Core i5 760 @ 2.8 (stock) LGA 1156
RAM 8Gb
Motherboard: Asus Maximus III Formula LGA 1156
PSU: Corsairs TX 750 Watt PSU Bronze
I just picked up the new Tomb Raider during the Steam sale, and was going to start playing it, but from reading to get it looking really pretty my rig may not handle it.
Would just upgrading my video card to a GTX 770 be enough? Or do I need to start replacing my processor and motherboard as well?
Video: EVGA GTX 570
Processor: Intel Core i5 760 @ 2.8 (stock) LGA 1156
RAM 8Gb
Motherboard: Asus Maximus III Formula LGA 1156
PSU: Corsairs TX 750 Watt PSU Bronze
I just picked up the new Tomb Raider during the Steam sale, and was going to start playing it, but from reading to get it looking really pretty my rig may not handle it.
Would just upgrading my video card to a GTX 770 be enough? Or do I need to start replacing my processor and motherboard as well?
Polioliolio
Member
Alright guys. So there are only two internet providers in the area I'll be moving to in a couple weeks.
One is Century Link, and I believe they only offer DSL.
The other is MCTV, previously known as Clear Picture, and while they have cable internet, they have this written on the page:
I've never had data limits set on my internet before, nor do I know how much data I typically use.. Between downloading games on steam, watching lots of youtube/netflix, playing games on line, and of course, refreshing neoGAF, I feel like I'm going to be exceeding the data limit even on the High Velocity Internet.
Also, I just read that part about an extra 10 bucks a month if you don't have cable television service with them. I don't want your tv. Shouldn't I pay less for not having that service too?
One is Century Link, and I believe they only offer DSL.
The other is MCTV, previously known as Clear Picture, and while they have cable internet, they have this written on the page:
MCTV Internet said:
I've never had data limits set on my internet before, nor do I know how much data I typically use.. Between downloading games on steam, watching lots of youtube/netflix, playing games on line, and of course, refreshing neoGAF, I feel like I'm going to be exceeding the data limit even on the High Velocity Internet.
Also, I just read that part about an extra 10 bucks a month if you don't have cable television service with them. I don't want your tv. Shouldn't I pay less for not having that service too?
Get a good cooler and overclock your CPU. It should handle it well enough then if my i5 750 and 7850 could when I played it with it. If that doesn't give you the desired results then look to upgrade your GPU. I wouldn't splurge on a GPU yet until you see how it plays yourself, all I would do is OC that CPU to 3.8-4 GHz.
Thanks. I'm currently running this cooler: ZALMAN CNPS9500. Would that allow me to overclock to 3.8, or do I need something else?
CreepingFear
Member
Nope, the Chicagoland area for now, soon to be moving to So Cal. That deal is definitely closer to something that I would want.
ChronotriggerJM
Member
I'm thinking about getting back into the PC scene relatively soonish. And figured I'd start with something a bit easy. Right off the top of my head, I'm thinking about the following for 1080p gaming. Some of these seem un-neccessary but I figured I'd ask away anyhow.
Mobo - Asus Sabertooth Z87 LGA 1150 (I like the dust protection offered by this board if for the only reason, plus I need a board that supports the 1150 chipset)
Graphics Cards - I'm thinking a pair of Gigabyte GTX 760's, the performance to dollar seems amazing, and I might be able to muscle the microstutter at 1080p gaming with these.
CPU - i7 4770 - I've read that the 4770k doesn't have TSX, how critical that would be I'm honestly not too certain. But overclocking the cpu doesn't appeal too much to me.
Case - I'm kinda spit-balling it here, but my friends got a 300r he's not using, I might give it a go.
Mobo - Asus Sabertooth Z87 LGA 1150 (I like the dust protection offered by this board if for the only reason, plus I need a board that supports the 1150 chipset)
Graphics Cards - I'm thinking a pair of Gigabyte GTX 760's, the performance to dollar seems amazing, and I might be able to muscle the microstutter at 1080p gaming with these.
CPU - i7 4770 - I've read that the 4770k doesn't have TSX, how critical that would be I'm honestly not too certain. But overclocking the cpu doesn't appeal too much to me.
Case - I'm kinda spit-balling it here, but my friends got a 300r he's not using, I might give it a go.
Only SLI when you need performance you cannot otherwise get with a single card. So, if you want to spend $500, get a GTX770 or a GTX780.
I highly suggest overclocking. It will drastically improve performance in a number of titles, most notably all Blizzard, UE3, Source, and multiplayer games.
The Sabertooth is a ripoff in terms of value. It is pretty though. I suggest taking a look at the recommended Haswell boards in the OP.
The only time I'd suggest Haswell over Ivy is in the case of emulation being a part of the core usage of the machine.
I personally dislike the 300R a lot, but if it's free, it's perfectly serviceable.
ChronotriggerJM
Member
Awesome, will consider. I was just wondering if the performance of a single 770 would give me 1080/60 maxed out. I have a feeling the 780 would have no issue with that, but it's a bit more pricey. Not that I couldn't set aside a tad bit more money though realistically.
In what games?
A 770 can push 8.3ms frame times in almost all games outside of the graphics hogs. 'Maxed' is very rarely much different than 'High' settings for huge performance hits.
I can't find anything online with that pairing to give any estimates. My advice is try it and see what happens, aim for a more conservative 3.5 at the start and work your way up from there.
ChronotriggerJM
Member
In general any multi-plat title of interest in the future. I'm thinking at the moment, of a bunch of un-released games. Battlefield 4, watchdogs, titanfall etc etc. I'm just not sure what kinda tech would be useful going forward y'know. The 770 I'm definitely interested in, but I'm not opposed to the 780 either. I was just wondering if it would be better to start out with an SLI setup to give me more initial power to cost. @1080p I'm sure I'm making it more of a deal than it really is lol.
CosmicQueso
Member
Am thinking of making the jump to 780s... but I'm running an EVGA x58 mobo. The 780s run on PCI-E 3.0, while the mobo is PCI-E 1.0 from the looks of it.
Is it dumb of me to wonder if the 780s are compatible with the mobo given this difference in PCI-E?
Do I need to build a new rig for this switch? Thanks PCGAF!
Is it dumb of me to wonder if the 780s are compatible with the mobo given this difference in PCI-E?
Do I need to build a new rig for this switch? Thanks PCGAF!
SLI has a host of issues that make it hit or miss, especially on new titles.
In some cases, you might have to wait a week to a month to play a new title with properly working SLI, unless you want to spend 30+ minutes making sure that the workaround you found on google is working properly. Even then, it's still reduced performance.
But, if you are building a PC to play a bunch of games that are unreleased, you might consider waiting until Q3 when new AMD and NVIDIA cards may be hitting. Radeon R9 series (new naming scheme to go alongside their proc naming scheme) is supposed to hit in October. Maxwell might be out in December or January.
Or, just get a hold-me-over card until then and resell it. Like a single 760.
They are not currently bottlenecked by PCI-E 2.0, but they would definitely be bottlnecked by 1.0, and very severely.
With that kind of an upgrade, you might want to look at replacing your mobo/cpu at some point anyway. There's a lot of games that will thank you for it, especially if you play a lot of multiplayer games.
In some cases, you might have to wait a week to a month to play a new title with properly working SLI, unless you want to spend 30+ minutes making sure that the workaround you found on google is working properly. Even then, it's still reduced performance.
But, if you are building a PC to play a bunch of games that are unreleased, you might consider waiting until Q3 when new AMD and NVIDIA cards may be hitting. Radeon R9 series (new naming scheme to go alongside their proc naming scheme) is supposed to hit in October. Maxwell might be out in December or January.
Or, just get a hold-me-over card until then and resell it. Like a single 760.
Your motherboard *should* be PCI-E 2.0
They are not currently bottlenecked by PCI-E 2.0, but they would definitely be bottlnecked by 1.0, and very severely.
With that kind of an upgrade, you might want to look at replacing your mobo/cpu at some point anyway. There's a lot of games that will thank you for it, especially if you play a lot of multiplayer games.
CosmicQueso
Member
Thank you for the response... total rebuild it is!!!
ChronotriggerJM
Member
Yeah I'm not building right away, I wanted to wait for news and such, interestingly enough, I was considering building mid fall lol. In your personal opinion, what should I do about the motherboard? Should I jump on the 1150 for 4th gen Intel? Or should I stick with the established 3rd gen structure? As of right now there doesn't seem to be much of a performance gain, but time will separate the gap I feel.
- Status