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[nbthedude]

Ok trying to help a buddy address a problem with his pc.

He tried playing Dark Souls 2 and the messages were invisible.

So I got on Soluto and tried to help him.

And I noticed he doesn't have "Gaming" in his Catalyst. SO I tried uninstalling and reinstalling it. But I think his intel onboard 4000 may be overriding it. Here is why I think this:

1. Catalyst options for Gaming seem to be there when I first install the driver but as soon as restart, it disappears.

2. Under display drivers in Device Manager BOTH Radeon and Intell 4000 show up.

3. When i right click on his desktop, under Castalyst there is something called "Graphic's Properties" on the list. When I click on it the Intel 4000 options come up.

Any suggestions at all would be appreciated. This is driving me crazy all morning and I'm trying to help him remotely via Soluto.

 

[LordAlu]

Ok trying to help a buddy address a problem with his pc.

He tried playing Dark Souls 2 and the messages were invisible.

So I got on Soluto and tried to help him.

And I noticed he doesn't have "Gaming" in his Catalyst. SO I tried uninstalling and reinstalling it. But I think his intel onboard 4000 may be overriding it. Here is why I think this:

1. Catalyst options for Gaming seem to be there when I first install the driver but as soon as restart, it disappears.

2. Under display drivers in Device Manager BOTH Radeon and Intell 4000 show up.

3. When i right click on his desktop, under Castalyst there is something called "Graphic's Properties" on the list. When I click on it the Intel 4000 options come up.

Any suggestions at all would be appreciated. This is driving me crazy all morning and I'm trying to help him remotely via Soluto.

Go into the BIOS and disable anything and everything to do with internal graphics. Usually it'll be under something like "IGP". Then use Display Driver Uninstaller to remove all display drivers and reinstall with the latest Catalyst.

 

[phxxBullet]

Sadly the bitfenix cases aren't all that much smaller than a regular mid tower.

You could look into a cheaper case, which will allow you to get a cheaper Z87 motherboard (which is required to take advantage of the K chip).

You can also save a bit of cash by getting an EVO instead of a PRO. Only super professional applications need the PRO, an EVO is way more than enough for general use/gaming.

Otherwise, super solid.

Maybe he just likes the look of the bitfenix case.

But yeah, what you said about the mobo. I'd go with a non-K model and this mobo. This way, you save some bucks on the CPU. And if you wanted to OC, you'd need a CPU cooler too, which would cost about 50bucks, maybe even more for a really good one.

 

[NotoriousPUG]

A better GPU is going to increase overall framerates, but if you are used to experiencing some choppiness, stuttering, or general slowdows, that will not be fixed until you swap out the proc/mobo. I only say this to temper expectations of what a GPU upgrade will bring.

That being said, I think the GTX 760 would be a great fit for your build at $250.

Awesome, thanks for the tips.

 

[nbthedude]

Go into the BIOS and disable anything and everything to do with internal graphics. Usually it'll be under something like "IGP". Then use Display Driver Uninstaller to remove all display drivers and reinstall with the latest Catalyst.

I'm afraid someone was going to say that. I can't do that remotely since I"m using Soluto. Any other way?

 

[mkenyon]

I'm afraid someone was going to say that. I can't do that remotely since I"m using Soluto.

He has to be using the onboard display driver. I bet the monitor is even plugged to the port on the mobo instead of the GPU. Tell him to swap the cable to the GPU.

 

[nbthedude]

He has to be using the onboard display driver. I bet the monitor is even plugged to the port on the mobo instead of the GPU. Tell him to swap the cable to the GPU.

I'm pretty sure he using the HDMI on the graphics card because I orignally set it up for him months ago. But I'll have him double check.

 

[nbthedude]

He has to be using the onboard display driver. I bet the monitor is even plugged to the port on the mobo instead of the GPU. Tell him to swap the cable to the GPU.

Let's assume for now that the HDMI is in the right spot (I'm having him check now). Is it still possible the onboard video could be overriding it and preventing catalyst from functioning properly?

 

[phxxBullet]

Let's assume for now that the HDMI is in the right spot (I'm having him check now). Is it still possible the onboard video could be overriding it and preventing catalyst from functioning properly?

Maybe when the installation itself didn't work out right. If you don't install CCC at all - for example - then the monitor won't find the dedicated GPU, even though the HDMI/VGA is connected with it.

It may be possible that, if something didn't work out right, the AMD drivers won't find the card.

 

[nbthedude]

Maybe when the installation itself didn't work out right. If you don't install CCC at all - for example - then the monitor won't find the dedicated GPU, even though the HDMI/VGA is connected with it.

It may be possible that, if something didn't work out right, the AMD drivers won't find the card.

So it turns out that's EXACTLY what it was and I feel dumb. Here I was trying to help him trouble shoot it online and via Soluto for literally a couple of hours and all he had to do was plug the damn HDMI cable into the right port.

The reason I didn't think this was the issue was because I originally set up the PC for him about five months ago and had no knowledge that he had shifted the cable (apparently to play Xbox 360 on the same HDMI port).

So yeah, 3 hours of time that could have been saved. Oh well. He now has updated Catalyst drivers and I ran CC cleaner and fixed some registry errors and used Soluto to stop some junk from starting up and got rid of a spyware program so it wasn't a total loss.

The most important thing is that he can now play Dark Souls 2 and actually see the bondfire messages and the fire (they were glitched out before when he was apparently playing on the integrated graphics w/o knowning it). I actually wonder whether or not he played all the way through Dark Souls 1 like that with the integrated graphics cause he mentioned the fps dipping sometimes and I was thinking no way in hell that should happen on his Ivy Bridge w/ a 7970.

At any rate, whoo. Dark Souls 2 now works for him.

 

[luiztfc]

Guys, a friend of mine is going to Spain for his MBA and he needs an ultrabook (non mac) in the 1300 USD range. He doesn't plan on using it for games, but who knows. But he prefer a 13,3" and light one. Can you guys recommend any model?

 

[kennah]

Try the laptop thread listed in the op

 

[mkenyon]

So it turns out that's EXACTLY what it was and I feel dumb. Here I was trying to help him trouble shoot it online and via Soluto for literally a couple of hours and all he had to do was plug the damn HDMI cable into the right port.

The reason I didn't think this was the issue was because I originally set up the PC for him about five months ago and had no knowledge that he had shifted the cable (apparently to play Xbox 360 on the same HDMI port).

So yeah, 3 hours of time that could have been saved. Oh well. He now has updated Catalyst drivers and I ran CC cleaner and fixed some registry errors and used Soluto to stop some junk from starting up and got rid of a spyware program so it wasn't a total loss.

The most important thing is that he can now play Dark Souls 2 and actually see the bondfire messages and the fire (they were glitched out before when he was apparently playing on the integrated graphics w/o knowning it). I actually wonder whether or not he played all the way through Dark Souls 1 like that with the integrated graphics cause he mentioned the fps dipping sometimes and I was thinking no way in hell that should happen on his Ivy Bridge w/ a 7970.

At any rate, whoo. Dark Souls 2 now works for him.

Occam's razor and PEBCAK. Live by it.

 

[Chinbo37]

guys i am helping a friend put together a build.

he just got a 27inch 1440 monitor. I am trying to help him pick a GPU.

I am thinking 770 but trying to decide between 2 and 4 gb.

Will he see a lot of benefit with that monitor with 4gb as opposed to 2?

 

[Hazaro]

guys i am helping a friend put together a build.

he just got a 27inch 1440 monitor. I am trying to help him pick a GPU.

I am thinking 770 but trying to decide between 2 and 4 gb.

Will he see a lot of benefit with that monitor with 4gb as opposed to 2?

4GB or AMD card with 3GB (prices are down in US now).

 

[mr stroke]

anyone considering a multi monitor set up I strongly suggest one of these-

LG 34" UltraWide 3440x1440


Sold my 3 monitors to get the LG Ultrawide and its fantastic in games, super immersive with out the bezels in the way.

 

[thespot84]

anyone considering a multi monitor set up I strongly suggest one of these-

LG 34" UltraWide 3440x1440


Sold my 3 monitors to get the LG Ultrawide and its fantastic in games, super immersive with out the bezels in the way.

how do the windows shortcuts (like winkey + left, winkey+ right etc) work with this?

 

[Chinbo37]

4GB or AMD card with 3GB (prices are down in US now).

thanks. He is a noob on building and i barely know more so i have trouble recommending amd cause im not familiar with the products.

will go with 770 4gb

 

[Echelon079]

Hey guys,

I need feedback for building a relatively portable gaming desktop for my buddy in college. Budget for everything is ~1000-1200 dollars.

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H87N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($110.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($114.99 @ Micro Center)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 2GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($259.99 @ Amazon)
Case: BitFenix Phenom Midnight Black Mini ITX Tower Case ($79.99 @ TigerDirect)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($149.00 @ B&H)
Total: $1079.91

If you want to overclock, like someone else said get the k version of the cpu and the z87 board. I will say though, i just built a system with the gigabyte z87 board in a prodigy, and be careful when purchases CPU fans. Most of the larger ones will go over the ram slots or PCIE slots. I went with a Corsair h60 for mine, Noctua c14 wouldn't fit.

 

[mr stroke]

how do the windows shortcuts (like winkey + left, winkey+ right etc) work with this?

Perfect, no different than my other Dell monitor and the best part is you can have 3-4 pages open at once with out sacrificing anything-

 

[mkenyon]

Yeah, I was pretty impressed after seeing Linus's review. Need dat 120Hz tho.

 

[Objectively Bad Opinion]

That does look nice.

My next "monitor" is going to be a Facebookulus though, almost certainly.

 

[kingmozo9]

Hi guys,

Can you recommend a Build for me?

I have no interest in gaming on the machine

I need it for 3D modelling, Video Editing and Photoshop ETC .. I want it to be fast and not sluggish and maybe even two screens... what should i get?

 

[kennah]

Specific software titles please.

Just FYI - professional computers are more high end than gaming dedicated ones. I7 vs i5,
More ram, more specific choices required for video cards.

Also what kind of budget would you be looking at? What kind of case are you wanting?

 

[Granadier]

Yeah, I was pretty impressed after seeing Linus's review. Need dat 120Hz tho.

Gorgeous display.

And I love Linus' videos. He's always so god damn energetic about his reviews.

 

[Sky Chief]

If so, plug your H100i fans into the motherboard headers, and control their speed that way since you aren't able to get the Corsair Link software working. I think there's an OS level/GUI fan control program for the RoG boards too. 1200 RPM should be plenty fast as a max speed.

I was going to do that. Made a few tweaks in the Registry though and now the Corsair Link is working perfectly!

 

[NotoriousPUG]

A better GPU is going to increase overall framerates, but if you are used to experiencing some choppiness, stuttering, or general slowdows, that will not be fixed until you swap out the proc/mobo. I only say this to temper expectations of what a GPU upgrade will bring.

That being said, I think the GTX 760 would be a great fit for your build at $250.

Another dumb question. When looking at the GTX 760 there are different brands and features. How do I know which is the right fit for me?

 

[mkenyon]

Another dumb question. When looking at the GTX 760 there are different brands and features. How do I know which is the right fit for me?

The EVGA, Gigabyte, ASUS, and MSI are all very quiet. Just get the cheapest and fastest of those four (look at core frequency).

 

[JavaMind]

Guys I need help. Should i buy MSI GTX 780 Gaming or MSI R9 290 Gaming???

Opinios please...I'm wondering if 4gb o ram is a better deal with Radeon...

 

[Enthus]

What are some of the best headsets currently available, and are any upcoming ones worth waiting for? My headset has been shitting out randomly due to the usb wires coming out, and I really would like a new one.

 

[Sky Chief]

anyone considering a multi monitor set up I strongly suggest one of these-

LG 34" UltraWide 3440x1440


Sold my 3 monitors to get the LG Ultrawide and its fantastic in games, super immersive with out the bezels in the way.

Where did you buy it?

 

[mr stroke]

Where did you buy it?

FRYS.

Though Newegg has them in stock for $999 as of yesterday. Amazon should have US versions soon.

 

[Sky Chief]

FRYS.

Though Newegg has them in stock for $999 as of yesterday. Amazon should have US versions soon.

In store or online? How much?

 

[mr stroke]

In store or online? How much?

$999, Got it in store
http://www.frys.com/product/8069024?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG



LG also sells a 34" for $699 but its 2560 x1080 Resolution which is a pass IMO. At 34" 1080p is pretty harsh.

 

[Pachimari]

Hmm, this is starting to bother me a lot.

My computer seem to constantly lose internet connection. It is wireless and I have a WiFi card installed inside of it. Drivers are installed too.

What's wrong? =/

 

[Sky Chief]

$999, Got it in store
http://www.frys.com/product/8069024?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG



LG also sells a 34" for $699 but its 2560 x1080 Resolution which is a pass IMO. At 34" 1080p is pretty harsh.

Holy shit I just went to Fry's and bought one. Most impulsive $1000 I've ever spent

 

[makeitawkward]

Holy shit I just went to Fry's and bought one. Most impulsive $1000 I've ever spent

I'm about to do the same. Is it worth it? I've been waiting for the ROG Swift for months but I'm starting to think that this may be a better overall monitor.

 

[War Eagle]

Hey PCgaf, I just pulled the trigger on this. $1969.98 all said and done. How did I do? I plan to use with mostly for my Oculus Rift DK2.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229523

General Spec
Brand
CyberpowerPC
Model
Stealth Reaper REAPER200LQ
Type
Gaming & Entertainment
Usage
Consumer
Processor
Intel Core i7 4820K(3.7GHz)
Processor Main Features
120MM Closed-Loop Liquid Cooling CPU Cooler
Memory
16 GB
Hard Drive
2 TB+128 GB SSD
Optical Drive 1
DVDRW
Graphics
NVIDIA Geforce GTX 780 Ti 3GB
Ethernet
Gigabit Ethernet
Power Supply
Corsair CX600 600W
Operating System
Windows 8.1 64-Bit

Motherboard
Chipset
Intel X79 Chipset Motherboard

CPU
CPU Type
Intel Core i7
CPU Speed
4820K (3.7GHz)

Graphics
GPU/VGA Type
NVIDIA Geforce GTX 780 Ti 3GB

Memory
Memory Capacity
16GB DDR3
Memory Speed
DDR3 1600

Hard Drive
HDD Capacity
2 TB+128 GB SSD

Optical Drive
Optical Drive Type
DVD±RW

Communications
LAN Speed
10/100/1000Mbps

Front Panel Ports
Front USB
10 xUSB 2.0 (4 x rear)
4 x USB 3.0 (2 x rear)

Back Panel Ports
Video Ports
2 x DVI, 1 x Display port and 1 x mini HDMI

Physical Spec
Weight
32 lbs.]

 

[kennah]

Poor timing . Haswell-E comes out In a month.

 

[Sky Chief]

I'm about to do the same. Is it worth it? I've been waiting for the ROG Swift for months but I'm starting to think that this may be a better overall monitor.

It is pretty sweet. I was in the same boat but I feel like this is better for getting stuff done. Honestly, right now all the screen real estate is a little overwhelming but really cool all the same.

EDIT: It would be really awesome if it was curved though.

 

[Tablo]

Why would you ask for advice after you've bought the whole thing -_-
Can you return it? Haswell E is coming and building yourself is better.

 

[Granadier]

Why would you ask for advice after you've bought the whole thing -_-
Can you return it? Haswell E is coming and building yourself is better.

This.

That pre-built seems overpriced.

 

[appaws]

Guys I need help. Should i buy MSI GTX 780 Gaming or MSI R9 290 Gaming???

Opinios please...I'm wondering if 4gb o ram is a better deal with Radeon...

This is a simple decision to me. Both powerhouses. You are talking about a $500 card vs. a $400 card. It depends on how much you want to spend. I would go for the 780 if you have the 5 bills. Or the 290 if you only have 4 bills.

 

[appaws]

This.

That pre-built seems overpriced.

Yes. I just threw this together in a few minutes. Cheaper and better. Better case, better power supply. Don't know what the mobo was in the pre-built. Nice Direct CU2 780ti. And a 250 gig SSD instead of the smaller one in the pre-built.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3CUit
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3CUit/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3CUit/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4820K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($324.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 74.4 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X79-UP4 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($242.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($153.95 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB DirectCU II Video Card ($729.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1851.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-02 23:55 EDT-0400)

 

[mr stroke]

I'm about to do the same. Is it worth it? I've been waiting for the ROG Swift for months but I'm starting to think that this may be a better overall monitor.

I was using 3x benQ 120hz TN monitors in place of this LG, and while the LG ultrawide isn't 120hz, the IPS colors are miles better and the 21:9 is like playing Battlefield on a theater screen with out bezels. Can't recommend it enough.

 

[War Eagle]

Yes. I just threw this together in a few minutes. Cheaper and better. Better case, better power supply. Don't know what the mobo was in the pre-built. Nice Direct CU2 780ti. And a 250 gig SSD instead of the smaller one in the pre-built.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3CUit
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3CUit/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3CUit/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4820K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($324.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 74.4 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X79-UP4 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($242.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($153.95 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB DirectCU II Video Card ($729.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1851.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-02 23:55 EDT-0400)

Thanks! I just have never built a PC before and don't know the first thing about it.

 

[Atlas157]

Alright so I'm building my first PC for my second year of college and I want to know if the parts I chose are good for the price. If there's anything better for the same price or slightly above then let me know.

These are all from Newegg.

Case: Corsair Obsidian 750D - $159.99
CPU: Intel Core i7 4770k - $339.99
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i - $99.99
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G55 - $129.89
GPU: Sapphire Tri-X R9 290x - $579.99
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 1600 - $72.99
SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 128GB - $129.99
Power Supply: Corsair HX850 - $149.99

Total: $1,887.79

I have a WD Green 1TB already so I don't need to buy a storage drive.

 

[M3z_]

3 Reference Asus R9 290 $280 ea.

Paypal, no trades, US48 only

Powerhouse of a card for $280, suitable for 1440p gaming.

Comes with original box

Lowered price

 

[Tablo]

Alright so I'm building my first PC for my second year of college and I want to know if the parts I chose are good for the price. If there's anything better for the same price or slightly above then let me know.

I assume you aren't in a dorm, because I would be going Mini ITX then.
I would also drop the H100i, get a 70$~ Noctua or something, drop the 290X to a 780, and use the savings to get a 256 GB SSD. Or if you want a small, quiet, build in say the Obsidian 250D, an ITX build could be arranged.

 

[Tablo]

Thanks! I just have never built a PC before and don't know the first thing about it.

It's really not too hard, plenty of resources to familiarize yourself with the building process. I assume you'll cancel that order on the prebuilt and let us recommend something better? Consider a smaller form factor like mATX or mini ITX too, unless you actually want a huge tower. Check out the Corsair 250D.