I'm of the mindset of only upgrading for big games (D3, BF4, etc). Is there a game coming up that you want to play that your current card can't do well?
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"I Need a New PC!" 2014 Part 1. 1080p and 60FPS is so last-gen and your 2500K is fine
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I'm of the mindset of only upgrading for big games (D3, BF4, etc). Is there a game coming up that you want to play that your current card can't do well?
anchorman128
Member
Are you looking to replace it with another AMD card? Or are you looking to just get better gaming performance? Because if you don't care about having another AMD card, I sold my unlocked 6950 on ebay last month for $225 and bought a 760 for $240. If you sell both of your 6950's and let's just be conservative and say you get $380 total.
If you want a decent upgrade your going to want to buy a GTX 780, unless you feel it is worth it to go with the GTX 780ti. You could get a GTX 780 for about 500 right now so an upgrade would be around $120 give or take $20-$30. Your performance now is probably close to a 670, so this would be a fairly big upgrade.
So my HDD seems to be on it's last legs. It's about 6-7 years old by now, I'd wager.
I've been planning to make the switch to SSD+HDD combo in the near future, but I can't afford both at the moment and I need something in case this one ups and pisses itself soon and I figured I'd ask for some help to make me decide on what to get first. Should I get the SSD first so I can have the entire OS migration process over and done with and hope my current HDD holds out long enough, or should I just get a new HDD so I don't have to worry about losing anything? What sounds like it'd be the smartest course of action?
I've been planning to make the switch to SSD+HDD combo in the near future, but I can't afford both at the moment and I need something in case this one ups and pisses itself soon and I figured I'd ask for some help to make me decide on what to get first. Should I get the SSD first so I can have the entire OS migration process over and done with and hope my current HDD holds out long enough, or should I just get a new HDD so I don't have to worry about losing anything? What sounds like it'd be the smartest course of action?
Actually, the PSU and motherboard I have put back in their retail boxes to dry there, while the fan, ram, video card, wifi card and CPU dries on my desk.
I guess I'll try fire it all up in 2 days with the fan that came with the Fractal Design R4 case instead of the water cooler.
I guess I'll try fire it all up in 2 days with the fan that came with the Fractal Design R4 case instead of the water cooler.
Crimsonsky
Member
This is a fine question.
And this touches on why.
These next few months(probably until August) will likely be important and have announcements that may interest or impact you. Holding off is almost always the wiser option, but for how long? That's a question you have to ask yourself. If you need the computer now then you need it now and should pull the trigger, if you can wait till July or later, then as the old saying goes, "Patience is a virtue."
As for price to performance, it really depends on how much you are willing to spend. Both the 770 and 780 are great cards. If your limit is 400 then the 770 is the obvious choice, if your limit is 500 then the 780, which is the better card, is probably the better option. Each has their pros and cons, I'd let your budget be the deciding factor.
As much as having an SSD will likely change your computer experience (it really is that impressive) I would definitely rather not lose any data (especially if you have stuff you don't want to lose) and grab the normal HDD and wait for the SSD.
Just out of curiosity, what kind of budget do you have? SSD prices have been dropping pretty quickly and I am seeing some pretty impressive sales over the past couple of weeks. You might be able to snag a smaller SSD and your HDD without burning too big of a hole in your wallet.
Blak_Status
Member
While I agree, budget doesn't really matter imo. It's all about the value. I just want the best bang for the buck if that makes sense. We all know the 780 is the better card. Is it $200 better though? I mean I could be wrong but I heard the performance increase is around 10%. Technology changes so fast. For me it's about the longevity of the 2 cards. If the 770 can last at least 2 years, that would be a great option. Then just sell it and upgrade. However, if the 780 can get 4 years.. that would be an ever better option. If any of that makes any sense lol. I know we can't predict the future on those types of things but that's how I'm thinking about the decision.
chickdigger802
Banned
hmmm what are the big nvidia teamup games of 2014?
I forget, was the wolf fur tech for witcher 3 nvidia? Watch_dogs was like a year ago too...
I forget, was the wolf fur tech for witcher 3 nvidia? Watch_dogs was like a year ago too...
-COOLIO-
The Everyman
760 is the best bang for your buck.
a used 760 might be even better if you can guarantee that works and you get a beefy warranty and a good transaction.
bang for you buck also factors in what you want out of the card though. if you want to max current gen (ps4/xone) ports at 1080p then the 760 is of great value to you.
Blak_Status
Member
Yeah, that's true but how much longevity do you think the 760 has? I want to play mostly everything now and in the near future at max settings. I actually think I'm not going to even worry about it and just grab a 780. Play on max, chill, and upgrade when needed.
maneil99
Member
If it already shipped keep it, its a cheap card so you can always crossfire in the future
ChennehCis
Member
The absolute best way to buy a PC is to buy it over time and look for the best deals on each part. While it does take longer, if you give yourself a month's time, typically, every computer part will be on sale at some point.
Creating Deal Alerts on Slickdeals and checking community driven sites like: http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales help significantly in getting really good pricing.
That said, a lot of the recommendations here are quite good and I agree with (like going with the 760 GTX) The nicer AMD cards are overpriced because of the cryptocurrency mining and I wouldn't recommend them for that reason.
Right now I can see myself spending maybe £70-80 at most this/next month. I was eyeing the WD Blue 1TB WD10EZEX for HDD and Kingston SSDNow V300 120GB for an SSD.
-COOLIO-
The Everyman
at 1080p? i think the 760 4gb could possibily hold out for the gen for most ports. especially since most games on consoles are looking to be 900/1080p already.
but ya, i grabbed a 780 too just because i want to max shit out in my build just this once.
Thanks. For $500, I may just hold off, I could spend that $500 on other things until the next big game comes out.
Spend the $5 more and swap that SSD for this: http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=24840&cPath=909
That SSD you had in mind is slow, or could be - take a look at this.
chickdigger802
Banned
Anybody have any experience buying used gpu's off ebay? ~$400 for a 780 is within my price... but what can i expect? Whats the worst weartear can you do with a 780 which is about... what a year old at most? Do warranties usually transfer over or is that a request needed?
Well shit, thanks for telling me this before I made a huge mistake! Price difference isn't too hard to swallow either.
Because PSU Wattage is not the right way to buy a PSU.
The GPU uses the 12v Rail of the PSU, and say it required 300W, this means it needs 300/12= 25Amps (Power=Voltage*Current).
Now for nVidia they do the following to prevent people buying a crap PSU.
See these 2 PSUs
600W - 12V(30A) rest on the 5V and 3.3V - Poor quality 600W
600W - 12V(40A) rest on the 5V and 3.3V - Good quality 600W
This is why nVidia state 600W. A good quality PSU with enough Amps on the 12V rail will run a GTX 780, such as a Seasonic Platinum, X Series with less than 600W.
Blak_Status
Member
I'm almost done with my build and my friend wants a budget build for $500. Any recommendations?
Prophet Steve
Member
You should probably grab the HDD first. There is not really a risk with taking the SSD later, it is just a bit less convenient. Might get cheaper again too.
Lactose_Intolerant
Member
Tell the friend to spend more or buy a ps4.
Around $800 is as low as I would go but I'm sure you could piece something together. Check the chart on the 1st page.
Blak_Status
Member
The Antec BP-550 can run a 780 just fine. 780 uses about 250W.
The "Very Good" build in the OP is just that.
Looking at buying a 1440p monitor with gsync when it finally releases and upgrading my video card to go with it. Would a single 780Ti and a i5-3570K be enough to drive most content (Titanfall, Watchdogs, Battlefield 4 etc.) in the 100fps range without sacrificing too many effects? I would be willing to drop down to a 1080p monitor if it meant I could consistently be close to 120fps.
As long as the 3570K is in the 4.3-4.5GHz range, then the 780Ti should suffice. I can't speak to Watchdogs as it's not yet out or tested on.
I'd feel much more comfortable with two 780s though.
RadioactiveLobster
Member
Isn't the point of a G-Sync monitor that you don't have to maintain 100+ FPS at all times? I think you are kinda missing the point of it.
Thanks, I am a little unclear on these specifics so this is helpful. Is that ULMB mode a trade off with the variable refresh rate setting? Can you have both? If you want to use the ULMB mode is it important to keep your fps above 120? I think I might just get another 1080p panel so I can maximize frame rate since I am used to playing at 1080p currently and I have a small form factor PC so I am limited to a single card.
As of right now, ULMB and the variable refresh rate are two different settings that can not run at the same time. If you want a 1080p monitor and have the GPU power to drive it, the Eizo FG2421 is the pick of the litter, IMO.
Check out this thread.
As someone with a 3570K @ 4.5 and 2 x 780 Ti, this is probably sound advice.
If you're aiming for 100fps + in modern games at 1440p, you really cannot have too much GPU power.
I played the TitanFall Beta and it didn't seem too demanding. If Far Cry 3 is anything to go by, I'm expecting to not hold a constant 60fps in Watch_Dogs though.
Like others said, it's either/or.
The lowest refresh rate where ULMB can be enabled is 85Hz, so using it starts to make sense when you can keep your framerate from dipping below 85fps.
Hello people,
I'm in need of some help. I really dislike people who ask for help before doing research but I haven't been into pc gaming for ages and after trying to asses the afore mentioned builds I found myself lost.
About 10 years ago I stepped out of pc gaming. Invested in the apple eco system (I know) and had some sort of console/handheld next to it for my gaming needs. I've been happy ever since. Now with the new consoles I find myself unimpressed and see a lot more opportunity in pc gaming. No need for the high end machines, just a console replacement that can play games on medium/high without hiccups and preferably a small form factor.
Your Current Specs:
Budget:
Main Use:
Monitor Resolution:
SPECIFIC games
When will you build?
Will you be overclocking?:
So I had a look at Mkenyon's Small Form Factor Build Sheet
Is one of those cheaper builds capable of for filling my needs? Has there been any development as of late that hasn't been included in these builds?
Any help/advice/tips would be highly appreciated!
Praise The sun!
I'm in need of some help. I really dislike people who ask for help before doing research but I haven't been into pc gaming for ages and after trying to asses the afore mentioned builds I found myself lost.
About 10 years ago I stepped out of pc gaming. Invested in the apple eco system (I know) and had some sort of console/handheld next to it for my gaming needs. I've been happy ever since. Now with the new consoles I find myself unimpressed and see a lot more opportunity in pc gaming. No need for the high end machines, just a console replacement that can play games on medium/high without hiccups and preferably a small form factor.
Your Current Specs:
None
Budget:
500 Euro, aiming for the cheapest possible (I'm dutch..)
Main Use:
3 - I will only use it for gaming.
Monitor Resolution:
1920x1080 Monitor / Samsung 40" HD TV
SPECIFIC games
Dark Souls 2!
And to justify the cost some other upcoming games.
The recommended specs for DS2:
Looking to reuse any parts?And to justify the cost some other upcoming games.
The recommended specs for DS2:
- Processor: Intel CoreTM i3 2100 3.10GHz or AMD A8 3870K 3.0GHzP
- Memory: 4 GB RAMP
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 or higher, ATI Radeon HD 6870 or higherP
- Hard Drive: 8 GB available spaceP
- Sound Card: Compatible with DirectX 9.0c or higher
Nope
When will you build?
No rush, as mentioned above I want to play DS2 in all its glory but first I'll be playing the 360 version so somewhere in april/may. I just really want to get rid of my xbox, I intensely dislike it. Its loud, slow and ugly. I want to destroy it.
Will you be overclocking?:
Yes, No, Maybe.... Yes! NO?
So I had a look at Mkenyon's Small Form Factor Build Sheet
Is one of those cheaper builds capable of for filling my needs? Has there been any development as of late that hasn't been included in these builds?
Any help/advice/tips would be highly appreciated!
Praise The sun!
RelentlessRolento
Member
Some cool new Lian Li cases are up at Newegg.
PC-A51WX
mATX size that fits ATX motherboards. Front mounted PSU, and the airflow goes rear->front. Pretty rad.
I'm not sure how prices translate in the Netherlands (20% VAT is painful), but if you can get something close to the "Very Good" build in the OP, you should be set. The parts would roughly be:
B75 Motherboard
Intel i3 4130
4-8GB RAM (would probably be fine with 4GB at first)
120GB SSD (snipe on sale)
NVIDIA 750 Ti
In terms of a case, or specific boards, if you can link me to a shop you'd be buying from, I can probably find some good deals for you.
PC-A51WX
mATX size that fits ATX motherboards. Front mounted PSU, and the airflow goes rear->front. Pretty rad.
I honestly don't know how the new AMD APUs will play DS2, but I'd imagine you'd probably want a dedicated GPU. The rest of the SFF builds are generally going to be more expensive than what you could get if you go up to mATX or ATX size, which is strange to think.
I'm not sure how prices translate in the Netherlands (20% VAT is painful), but if you can get something close to the "Very Good" build in the OP, you should be set. The parts would roughly be:
B75 Motherboard
Intel i3 4130
4-8GB RAM (would probably be fine with 4GB at first)
120GB SSD (snipe on sale)
NVIDIA 750 Ti
In terms of a case, or specific boards, if you can link me to a shop you'd be buying from, I can probably find some good deals for you.
Nostremitus
Member
Thanks. I'll see how budget goes and might run with this one, thanks
You should probably list what you're currently running your game on and how it performs; run that by mkenyon. Wouldn't want you to waste money.
chickdigger802
Banned
curious, people with a similar setup (3570k 16gb ram) and plain 780, what kinda of performances at 1440p do you get for games of the past year?
how much things must you turn down to keep 60fps?
how much things must you turn down to keep 60fps?
I'm strongly considering just putting together all the parts with the stock can instead of the water cooler when I wake up in the morning. I can always replace the fan with the water cooler later on.
I mean, the broken pump weren't spraying water everywhere I think, it were mostly dripping but must have sprayed a little. It was mostly the video card which got real wet.
I mean, the broken pump weren't spraying water everywhere I think, it were mostly dripping but must have sprayed a little. It was mostly the video card which got real wet.
You've waited long enough for sure. Stock fan will be fine.
-COOLIO-
The Everyman
Got all my parts, first noob build so crossing fingers I don't fuck anything up
I hope this is as easy as PC GAF says............
just got all of mine too brother. this is the first time ill be putting it all together as well. if we go down, let us go down together.
condompickle
Banned
oh man im jealous of your new toys. if you guys can plug things in and use a screwdriver you will be fine. i am a neadethal when it comes to electronics and built my first pc 2 years ago with no problems.. it was fun and rewarding. just make sure you plug in all the cables you need to!
makeitawkward
Member
just got all of mine too brother. this is the first time ill be putting it all together as well. if we go down, let us go down together.
This looks VERY similar to my build. First of all, CONGRATS! Let me know if you have any questions or issues but it was a super easy to put together and I didn't have any complications with mine.
Is that the EVGA GTX 780 SC at the top right? The refurbished one from newegg? Let me know your feedback on it. I'm also thinking buying that used one.
What case is that?Got all my parts, first noob build so crossing fingers I don't fuck anything up
I hope this is as easy as PC GAF says............
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