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[Hazaro]

Lowered price

Shiiiiiiiiit

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.

Lots of 'bad value' parts there. Good parts though.
Fill out the OP for your budget/needs.

Off the cuff:
i5, smaller case especially for college, 290x is super overkill unless you know you need the power, get a 250GB EVO instead, water is overrated imo go air unless you like the looks.

 

[Hazaro]

oops

 

[jakomocha]

Hey Gaf, this is my first time making my own gaming computer (I've been a console and handheld gamer my whole life and have used Macs as my PC) and so I'm quite clueless about basically everything (I'm not even sure how I'll put it together- I'll probably need to enlist some help). Currently, the only things I really have picked on PCPartPicker are Corsair Vengeance 16GB's of memory, a Raidmax ATX-605BT ATX Full Tower Case, and a MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB LIGHTNING Video Card. I'm mostly concerned about the video card, and somewhat the case. How is the Lightning? Is it really necessary to run almost all modern games at 1080p (minimum) 60fps on highest settings, or could that be done with the 770/780? At that price point of the Lightning, is it not just worth it to get the Titan? Should I only get the Lightning if I get a 1440p monitor? And speaking of 1440p monitor, what's a good one I can find cheap(ish) with 120hz? Is 2560 x 1440p really worth it? Do games displayec at 1080p resolution on a 1440p monitor still look good? Oh my god, I'm asking a ton of questions. Guess I really am overthinking it.

What's a good processor and motherboard? One of my friends is constantly bothering me to go with AMD, telling me they are cheaper, have more mhz, and more cores and when looking at it on Newegg many of them do. However, intel still has much better reviews and performance statistics. Why is this? Is there something I'm missing? Should I go with Intel i5 or i7, and which model (or AMD)? Sorry, I'm just really lost in this whole process.

 

[Hazaro]

Hey Gaf, this is my first time making my own gaming computer (I've been a console and handheld gamer my whole life and have used Macs as my PC) and so I'm quite clueless about basically everything (I'm not even sure how I'll put it together- I'll probably need to enlist some help). Currently, the only things I really have picked on PCPartPicker are Corsair Vengeance 16GB's of memory, a Raidmax ATX-605BT ATX Full Tower Case, and a MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB LIGHTNING Video Card. I'm mostly concerned about the video card, and somewhat the case. How is the Lightning? Is it really necessary to run almost all modern games at 1080p (minimum) 60fps on highest settings, or could that be done with the 770/780? At that price point of the Lightning, is it not just worth it to get the Titan? Should I only get the Lightning if I get a 1440p monitor? And speaking of 1440p monitor, what's a good one I can find cheap(ish) with 120hz? Is 2560 x 1440p really worth it? Do games displayec at 1080p resolution on a 1440p monitor still look good? Oh my god, I'm asking a ton of questions. Guess I really am overthinking it.

What's a good processor and motherboard? One of my friends is constantly bothering me to go with AMD, telling me they are cheaper, have more mhz, and more cores and when looking at it on Newegg many of them do. However, intel still has much better reviews and performance statistics. Why is this? Is there something I'm missing? Should I go with Intel i5 or i7, and which model (or AMD)? Sorry, I'm just really lost in this whole process.

Heyo

Please check (and fillout) the OP. I would not get a Raidmax case or 780 off the bat before knowing what else your entire system is going to look like.
Lets start with what you would like and what your budget is.

To answer your questions a 770 / 280X will be more than enough. I'm still sitting here on a GTX670 (~GTX 760) and it still tears though everything I really want at 120Hz without much compromise.
Monitors are in the OP.

Your GPU will be good enough if you can drop that cash to run 1440p native so don't worry about 1080p on it.

AMD has more cores and runs at a higher clock speed, but they get less work done per cycle (Roughly 25-40% off the top of my head, don't lynch me). This is especially important for some specific game engines, but overall it is easy to say that right now for gaming Intel will give you a smoother (lower minimum framerate at the very least) experience, enough so that the core advantage isn't helpful for games now.

I know the OP is a tad old, but it's not that outdated except for the AMD pricing on GPUs, so hopefully if I get my shit together I can update it soon, but it hasn't been a priority because of life.

 

[Tablo]

Hey Gaf, this is my first time making my own gaming computer

Don't worry, we got you
You're about to embark on epic journey, just give us your budget (how much $$ you want to spend) and some info on if you want a small and compact build (Mini ITX, highly recommended) or something else, etc.
As for the monitors, it comes down to this. Do you want better colors and visual fidelity, or response and low motion blur for gaming. Given you are just getting into this, I would maybe recommend a solid AMVA/IPS 1080p panel, something like the BenQ EW2740L. As you get more info you can make that choice. And yes Intel for the processor for sure, otherwise evaluate how much you want Nvidia's feature sets versus AMD, and make your choice. I typically recommend Intel/Nvidia + a healthy SSD (+HDD for storage) in a nice ITX chassis with air cooling, like a Fractal Node 304 or Corsair 250D.

 

[brain_stew]

Hey Gaf, this is my first time making my own gaming computer (I've been a console and handheld gamer my whole life and have used Macs as my PC) and so I'm quite clueless about basically everything (I'm not even sure how I'll put it together- I'll probably need to enlist some help). Currently, the only things I really have picked on PCPartPicker are Corsair Vengeance 16GB's of memory, a Raidmax ATX-605BT ATX Full Tower Case, and a MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB LIGHTNING Video Card. I'm mostly concerned about the video card, and somewhat the case. How is the Lightning? Is it really necessary to run almost all modern games at 1080p (minimum) 60fps on highest settings, or could that be done with the 770/780? At that price point of the Lightning, is it not just worth it to get the Titan? Should I only get the Lightning if I get a 1440p monitor? And speaking of 1440p monitor, what's a good one I can find cheap(ish) with 120hz? Is 2560 x 1440p really worth it? Do games displayec at 1080p resolution on a 1440p monitor still look good? Oh my god, I'm asking a ton of questions. Guess I really am overthinking it.

What's a good processor and motherboard? One of my friends is constantly bothering me to go with AMD, telling me they are cheaper, have more mhz, and more cores and when looking at it on Newegg many of them do. However, intel still has much better reviews and performance statistics. Why is this? Is there something I'm missing? Should I go with Intel i5 or i7, and which model (or AMD)? Sorry, I'm just really lost in this whole process.

No single card can play every game at an actual locked 60fps, even at 1080p. Multi GPUs are a horrible stutter and lag infested mess. So always buy the fastest single card that you can afford, you can always make use of extra GPU horsepower to increase image quality. You can never have a GPU that's too fast, there'll always be a benefit from a fatster card.

 

[Hazaro]

No single card can play every game at an actual locked 60fps, even at 1080p. Multi GPUs are a horrible stutter and lag infested mess. So always buy the fastest single card that you can afford, you can always make use of extra GPU horsepower to increase image quality. You can never have a GPU that's too fast, there'll always be a benefit from a fatster card.

HE LIVES

 

[SmartBase]

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.

I've been looking at getting one of these since CES, they look gorgeous. Just worried about potential backlight bleed and black levels.

 

[Pringler]

Hi,
I wondering if it would be worth upgrading from a GTX 660 (non ti) to a GTX 770 (like the MSI Twin Frozr) in terms of a speed bump?

I have a

Core I5 - 3470
16 GB RAM
Samsung 840 500 GB SSD
Windows 7

I would get Watch Dogs free and could sell my 660 for around 50 €. The MSI 770 would cost 260 €.

Any input is welcome.

 

[TheCloser]

Hi,
I wondering if it would be worth upgrading from a GTX 660 (non ti) to a GTX 770 (like the MSI Twin Frozr) in terms of a speed bump?

I have a

Core I5 - 3470
16 GB RAM
Samsung 840 500 GB SSD
Windows 7

I would get Watch Dogs free and could sell my 660 for around 50 €. The MSI 770 would cost 260 €.

Any input is welcome.

It would be like upgrading from a 660 -> 680 because the 770 is just a rebranded 680. There would be a noticeable bump but its not worth it imo. Just wait for the 880 in fall then upgrade, new architecture, less power consumption, more power.

 

[riflen]

Hi,
I wondering if it would be worth upgrading from a GTX 660 (non ti) to a GTX 770 (like the MSI Twin Frozr) in terms of a speed bump?

I have a

Core I5 - 3470
16 GB RAM
Samsung 840 500 GB SSD
Windows 7

I would get Watch Dogs free and could sell my 660 for around 50 €. The MSI 770 would cost 260 €.

Any input is welcome.

The 770 is essentially a 680 with a slight clock increase.

Anandtech 660 vs 770 average FPS bench.

There will obviously be an improvement, but the chip underpinning the 770 has now been on sale for over 2 years. If you can wait until Computex (the first week of June), there's a chance that Nvidia will announce some new GPUs that could be a better purchase for you.

 

[Ryoohki360]

Hey Gaf, this is my first time making my own gaming computer (I've been a console and handheld gamer my whole life and have used Macs as my PC) and so I'm quite clueless about basically everything (I'm not even sure how I'll put it together- I'll probably need to enlist some help). Currently, the only things I really have picked on PCPartPicker are Corsair Vengeance 16GB's of memory, a Raidmax ATX-605BT ATX Full Tower Case, and a MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB LIGHTNING Video Card. I'm mostly concerned about the video card, and somewhat the case. How is the Lightning? Is it really necessary to run almost all modern games at 1080p (minimum) 60fps on highest settings, or could that be done with the 770/780? At that price point of the Lightning, is it not just worth it to get the Titan? Should I only get the Lightning if I get a 1440p monitor? And speaking of 1440p monitor, what's a good one I can find cheap(ish) with 120hz? Is 2560 x 1440p really worth it? Do games displayec at 1080p resolution on a 1440p monitor still look good? Oh my god, I'm asking a ton of questions. Guess I really am overthinking it.

What's a good processor and motherboard? One of my friends is constantly bothering me to go with AMD, telling me they are cheaper, have more mhz, and more cores and when looking at it on Newegg many of them do. However, intel still has much better reviews and performance statistics. Why is this? Is there something I'm missing? Should I go with Intel i5 or i7, and which model (or AMD)? Sorry, I'm just really lost in this whole process.

The key with the 780 is that it's a OC monster. I suggest reading about that, it's pretty simple but the fine tuning is longer. You can get 10-15% performance boost for free out of it..

 

[elfinke]

Alrighty, I'm buying a new PC for my (much) younger bro's 21st. He's upgrading from a 260GTX, Core2 Duo E6400. So, it was a pretty great rig for a long time, but it has certainly run its course. He plays a lot of games, from BF3 (barely), Far Cry, WoW and does a fair bit of dual monitor 'mucking around'. Despite the dual monitor business, gaming only ever takes place at 1080p. Unless I do the overclocking, it won't happen and isn't a priority in any event. I have no trouble putting it all together, but the savings need to be worth it, as this isn't my PC and I'm not interested in tinkering around with it after any initial setup.

So to begin with, I built the "Excellent - Best Overall" PC from the OP, using the Australian version of PCPartpicker, skipping the DVD drive, sound card and extra cooling. That build will come to around $1400, not including postage and handling:

http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/3D2h3

I'd prefer a 770, but the jump from a 280X to a 770(4gb) is $100-$170, which may bust the budget - which is around $1500. Also, he tells me he really wants a window of some sort in his case. Young fellas, what can you say?

So with that said, here are some pre-built systems from well-known Aussie online sellers. They frequently come on sale for either $200 off, or with upgraded components for the same amount of coin. I think they're a better buy, but am open to suggestions (ignore the first URL name - it doesn't reflect the system!):

http://www.cplonline.com.au/code22-cpl-xtreme-radeon-r9-290-trix-gaming-system.html

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1411&products_id=27450

I've got a week or two to sort something out. Thanks guys!

 

[kharma45]

Alrighty, I'm buying a new PC for my (much) younger bro's 21st. He's upgrading from a 260GTX, Core2 Duo E6400. So, it was a pretty great rig for a long time, but it has certainly run its course. He plays a lot of games, from BF3 (barely), Far Cry, WoW and does a fair bit of dual monitor 'mucking around'. Despite the dual monitor business, gaming only ever takes place at 1080p. Unless I do the overclocking, it won't happen and isn't a priority in any event. I have no trouble putting it all together, but the savings need to be worth it, as this isn't my PC and I'm not interested in tinkering around with it after any initial setup.

So to begin with, I built the "Excellent - Best Overall" PC from the OP, using the Australian version of PCPartpicker, skipping the DVD drive, sound card and extra cooling. That build will come to around $1400, not including postage and handling:

http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/3D2h3

I'd prefer a 770, but the jump from a 280X to a 770(4gb) is $100-$170, which may bust the budget - which is around $1500.

So with that said, here are some pre-built systems from well-known Aussie online sellers. They frequently come on sale for either $200 off, or with upgraded components for the same amount of coin. I think they're a better buy, but am open to suggestions (ignore the first URL name - it doesn't reflect the system!):

http://www.cplonline.com.au/code22-cpl-xtreme-radeon-r9-290-trix-gaming-system.html

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1411&products_id=27450

I've got a week or two to sort something out. Thanks guys!

If he's playing stuff like WoW and BF3 they are CPU bound games and I'd take the time to do a mild OC for up to the 4-4.2GHz range. Those games will greatly benefit from it, and it'd take around 30mins or so. That'd rule out the two pre-builds for me.

You're not going to go wrong with either the 770 or the 280X. I'd say the 280X would have the slightly longer legs on it fwiw. Played around a bit and came up with this. Slightly smaller HDD that you could swap to 2TB if you feel he really needs it

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($269.00 @ PCCaseGear)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($39.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($189.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($95.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Crucial M500 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.00 @ CPL Online)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 280X 3GB DirectCU II Video Card ($399.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: BitFenix Shinobi ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.00 @ CPL Online)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($114.21 @ Mwave Australia)
Total: $1330.21
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-03 21:25 EST+1000)

 

[elfinke]

If he's playing stuff like WoW and BF3 they are CPU bound games and I'd take the time to do a mild OC for up to the 4-4.2GHz range. Those games will greatly benefit from it, and it'd take around 30mins or so. That'd rule out the two pre-builds for me.

You're not going to go wrong with either the 770 or the 280X. I'd say the 280X would have the slightly longer legs on it fwiw. Played around a bit and came up with this. Slightly smaller HDD that you could swap to 2TB if you feel he really needs it

Aye, this is beautiful work, thanks. There's so little to choose between the 280X and 770, and if it were my PC I'd grab the 280X. Reading through the last few pages of this thread only seems to enforce this. I might just go with it, in that case.

Don't know about anyone else, but I end up getting distracted playing with PCPartpicker. Starts out honestly enough, but before I know it I have Anand bench open with 12 other tabs showing me bundles and prices...

 

[kharma45]

Aye, this is beautiful work, thanks. There's so little to choose between the 280X and 770, and if it were my PC I'd grab the 280X. Reading through the last few pages of this thread only seems to enforce this. I might just go with it, in that case.

Don't know about anyone else, but I end up getting distracted playing with PCPartpicker. Starts out honestly enough, but before I know it I have Anand bench open with 12 other tabs showing me bundles and prices...

You'd not go wrong with the 770 either, even the 2GB version. Still plenty viable yet and you'll get all the nice features that Nvidia pack in like Shadow Play.

Yeah PCP can get distracting, and there is a lot of budget scope creep with it. Very easy to get carried away...

Just a few notes on the things I changed from your original PCP build and why I did so

• 212 Evo over stock for potential OCing, and it's quieter too
• Not much between the D3H and UD3H. Saves a wee bit of money.
• RAM is slightly higher clocked for the same price
• Saved some money on the SSD. It's not quite as quick but in isolation the Crucial will still be more than fast enough
• HDD I dropped to 1TB before I realised you had a 2TB in. Change back if needed.
• On the 280X I changed to ASUS as I rate their cooler a lot better than XFX's. It'd be worth looking to see what the RMA reputation of the various manufacturers is like in Australia as MSI and Sapphire have 280X's at the same price as the ASUS. The ASUS is a great cooler, and the TOP model has a good base clock to it.
• Case I changed again to save a bit of cash too. I own a 200R and it's great but the Shinobi is equally as good for less, and it has a window if your brother is in to that kind of thing.
• PSU I swapped as the Seasonic is a much higher quality unit, cheaper and 650w is an odd power capacity as it's more than enough to run a single GPU but not quite enough for two GPUs outside of lower mid-range offerings.

 

[Objectively Bad Opinion]

Damn, XFX's support and RMA is amazing, turn-around was <4 days for me... but then they have to choose the slowest shipping speed possible. :|

 

[ValeYard]

Hi guys, I need to buy a new computer for work this year and was wondering whether to get a Macbook Air for writing and a PC for heavy lifting, e.g., video editing.

Do you think buying the parts piecemeal over the year would be a terrible idea? Better to save and get them all at once?

What happened to the steam machines? Are they all as bad value as Dell Alienwares? Not to say that Dells are bad per se, but I'm on a budget and building is definitely much cheaper. Nevertheless, the steam machines seemed to have vanished in a puff smoke recently.

 

[elfinke]

/great stuff

Really appreciate it - I've sent off a bunch of emails requesting quotes which include delivery for the build you suggested, with a bit of wiggle room (found an R290 for not much more than the 280X, for example). See who gets back to me with what - though I'm expecting at least $130 for (courier) delivery.

Thanks for your help - you're more than just a terrific avatar!

 

[Arkadios]

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.

I've been dying to get myself a ultrawide monitor, and Linus review on this one blew me away. I hope we see this kinda of display with G-Synch in the near future.

 

[itxaka]

Changing a gtx460 1gb for a gtx760 2gb. Yay por nay? Should i change to ati?

 

[kennah]

Changing a gtx460 1gb for a gtx760 2gb. Yay por nay? Should i change to ati?

So many factors. Budget? Cpu? Use? Getting a deal on the card?

460 to a 760 would be a hell of an upgrade. But if you want to switch to AMD then go for it.

 

[itxaka]

So many factors. Budget? Cpu? Use? Getting a deal on the card?

460 to a 760 would be a hell of an upgrade. But if you want to switch to AMD then go for it.

Its just that my card is getting a bit slower at games, and I'm gonna change CPU and board in a couple of months(got a AMd x4 3.2ghz) so I thought about starting with the GPU right now.

Mainly for gaming, budget is around 250 for the GPU.which is the exact price of the card

 

[phxxBullet]

Its just that my card is getting a bit slower at games, and I'm gonna change CPU and board in a couple of months(got a AMd x4 3.2ghz) so I thought about starting with the GPU right now.

Mainly for gaming, budget is around 250 for the GPU.which is the exact price of the card

It'll be a difference like night and day. Sure worth it.

Stick do nVidia, they offer way better drivers for thei cards, and better support (this coming from someone with and AMD card)
Will join the green side later this year too.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Does anyone have a suggestion for a one speaker over the head wireless headset? I need one for when I'm using my PC on my television (I'm set with wired headphones and mic for my desk set up). I just want to use it for mumble voice chat; game audio will use my receiver's hdmi audio I'm not looking to spend too much. I have a PS3 Bluetooth headset but it refuses to work with my PC. It connects and pairs and then immediately disconnects.

 

[kharma45]

Changing a gtx460 1gb for a gtx760 2gb. Yay por nay? Should i change to ati?

Would be a great upgrade. Depends where in the world you are though and what your budget is.

You'll not go wrong with an AMD card either. Not as feature rich as Nvidia (nothing like Shadow Play) but generally you'll get more raw grunt.

 

[Hieberrr]

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Sandisk 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk[7] $63.68 @ DirectCanada
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX Power Supply

Total: $796.29 CAD

How is this build? It's mostly for work, Steam, and a hackintosh project as well (on a secondary set of drives when I get them).

 

[War Eagle]

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.

Yep. Cancelled. I really do not know much about many of the parts (console gamer for 24 years), so this is all very new to me. I am buying this as a graduation present to myself, so I know I was something that is a monster. Just a single powerful card. It will be used primarily for VR, so I need something that can hold 100+ fps at 1080p and maybe 1440p down the road. I like the build recommended for me above, but would like 16 gb of RAM. What would that cost me? My budget is around $2,000.

Also, Windows 7 or 8.1?

 

[phxxBullet]

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Sandisk 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk[7] $63.68 @ DirectCanada
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX Power Supply

Total: $796.29 CAD

How is this build? It's mostly for work, Steam, and a hackintosh project as well (on a secondary set of drives when I get them).

I'd go for a 128gig SSD (maybe a Samsung one) and a WD Black, cause it's a tad faster. But besides that, rig looks good.

 

[itxaka]

It'll be a difference like night and day. Sure worth it.

Stick do nVidia, they offer way better drivers for thei cards, and better support (this coming from someone with and AMD card)
Will join the green side later this year too.

Would be a great upgrade. Depends where in the world you are though and what your budget is.

You'll not go wrong with an AMD card either. Not as feature rich as Nvidia (nothing like Shadow Play) but generally you'll get more raw grunt.

Awesome, got it, installed rigth away. Now installing drivers and then...to test it

Thanks guys!

 

[kharma45]

Yep. Cancelled. I really do not know much about many of the parts (console gamer for 24 years), so this is all very new to me. I am buying this as a graduation present to myself, so I know I was something that is a monster. Just a single powerful card. It will be used primarily for VR, so I need something that can hold 100+ fps at 1080p and maybe 1440p down the road. I like the build recommended for me above, but would like 16 gb of RAM. What would that cost me? My budget is around $2,000.

Also, Windows 7 or 8.1?

8.1 unless 7 is a lot cheaper.

 

[Nostremitus]

So, with Dogecoin sponsoring a NASCAR in tomorrow's race, is there a legitimate risk of AMD prices skyrocketing again from a new wave of miners as it's existence becomes known to a more mainstream market?

http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=790679

 

[kennah]

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Sandisk 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk[7] $63.68 @ DirectCanada
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX Power Supply

Total: $796.29 CAD

How is this build? It's mostly for work, Steam, and a hackintosh project as well (on a secondary set of drives when I get them).

If you are patient you can find a 128gig SSD for about $10 more.

Or you can find 240gig ones for around 130-140. Even with a secondary drive 64 gig is really really hard to work with.

 

[Tablo]

Yep. Cancelled. I really do not know much about many of the parts (console gamer for 24 years), so this is all very new to me. I am buying this as a graduation present to myself, so I know I was something that is a monster. Just a single powerful card. It will be used primarily for VR, so I need something that can hold 100+ fps at 1080p and maybe 1440p down the road. I like the build recommended for me above, but would like 16 gb of RAM. What would that cost me? My budget is around $2,000.

Also, Windows 7 or 8.1?

Definitely Windows 8.1, don't compromise on that. A 780 Ti would be fantastic, unless newer Nvidia cards drop. This is sort of what I would do personally, might be a bit over 2K. You can probably swap the 1 Terabyte SSD for a 256 and then a 1TB high end HDD (Western Digital Black). and save around 200$, if you need more space. But a 1 TB SSD would be fantastic if that works for you. Or...you can get a 512GB SSD and a 1 TB HDD (also around 500~, maybe a little less), really that stuff depends on your storage needs.

Corsair 250D
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139033
Asus ROG Impact Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132039
i7 4770K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116901
16GB Crucial RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148740
1 TB SSD Crucial M550
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148793
Seasonic X650 PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151088
780 Ti
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487003

As for the CPU cooler you could either get AIO watercooling kit like the H100i in that case, or a good air cooler, off the top I'm not quite sure which ones would fit. I'm inclined to say the Noctua UH12S does, so I would get that. You can also get some Noctua case fans, those are great.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608040
Important thing to note is that new processors/motherboards are rolling out starting now through early Summer, the parts that would be relevant to you would be around June, you don't have to wait for them, but if you're the patient type you might as well.

 

[appaws]

It'll be a difference like night and day. Sure worth it.

Stick do nVidia, they offer way better drivers for thei cards, and better support (this coming from someone with and AMD card)
Will join the green side later this year too.

This internet vampire refuses to die. I think it is anti-Canadian prejudice actually.

AMD drivers are fine. And they have an edge in price/performance, not to mention free games.

Definitely Windows 8.1, don't compromise on that. A 780 Ti would be fantastic, unless newer Nvidia cards drop. This is sort of what I would do personally, might be a bit over 2K. You can probably swap the 1 Terabyte SSD for a 256 and then a 1TB high end HDD (Western Digital Black). and save around 200$, if you need more space. But a 1 TB SSD would be fantastic if that works for you.

Corsair 250D
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139033
Asus ROG Impact Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132039
i7 4770K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116901
16GB Crucial RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148740
1 TB SSD Crucial M550
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148793
Seasonic X650 PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151088
780 Ti
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487003

As for the CPU cooler you could either get AIO watercooling kit like the H100i in that case, or a good air cooler, off the top I'm not quite sure which ones would fit. I'm inclined to sat the Noctua UH12S does, so I would get that.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608040

Cases are very much personal preference. I think the best thing to do is this:

1. Decide how much you want to spend on a case, and don't get cheap.
2. Look around and find one that you think looks good. Start with the ones in the OP of this thread.
3. Find a video review on Youtube from either OC3D, hardwarecanucks, tastypctv (yowza!), or LinusTechtips. Tiny Tom Logan at OC3D does the most comprehensive and awesome video reviews of cases that you can be found. The girl at TastyPC is unbelievably hot and knows her stuff.
4. Once you have a candidate, read through the owners thread for that case at Overclock.net.
5. Enjoy
6. Did I mention how hot the girl at TastyPC is...?

I'm skeptical of the AIO watercoolers due to quality concerns....but I will say that in this era of cases with big windows and prettying everything up, I really hate the way it looks to stick a giant heatsink on the motherboard.

 

[appaws]

So, with Dogecoin sponsoring a NASCAR in tomorrow's race, is there a legitimate risk of AMD prices skyrocketing again from a new wave of miners as it's existence becomes known to a more mainstream market?

http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=790679

I don't think so. I don't think the NASCAR audience contains too many people who are going to run out and build a mining rig after seeing that car. You can buy a lot of Budweiser with the cost of a 290X.

Is that anti-southern bigotry? I'm a Kentuckian so I'm allowed.

 

[XShadows69]

So I built last night and was up until 01:30am installing drivers and programs. I finally finished today and tried out a game of DOTA. 25fps to 120 is a huge difference, especially with my new monitor! Going to be trying out some 3D modelling and Unity work within the next week which should be smooth as butter.
I forgot to take pictures while I was building but in the end, everything worked the first time (something I was very proud of) and the cable management was not bad for my first build. Glad I picked this case (Coolermaster N200). It looks so good and is compact without compromising on space. Highly recommend the case to anyone new.

 

[tarheel91]

Any news on Haswell-E pricing/release date? I assume it will be comparably priced to previous E models.

 

[LordAlu]

So I built last night and was up until 01:30am installing drivers and programs. I finally finished today and tried out a game of DOTA. 25fps to 120 is a huge difference, especially with my new monitor! Going to be trying out some 3D modelling and Unity work within the next week which should be smooth as butter.
I forgot to take pictures while I was building but in the end, everything worked the first time (something I was very proud of) and the cable management was not bad for my first build. Glad I picked this case (Coolermaster N200). It looks so good and is compact without compromising on space. Highly recommend the case to anyone new.

The N200 is my go-to case for mATX now, I've built in it a few times and it's such an easy case to build in, has lots of great little features, fits loads of stuff and is a great price. It's perhaps ever so slightly too loud for my own liking, but I like things mega silent - in which case you can just get the Silencio 352, which is the same case but designed for quiet operation.

 

[Starsunder]

So I'm doing some research for when I build my PC. What's the consensus a single graphics card versus two? I'll be picking up whatever is the top of the line card at the time (probably from Nvidia), and thought about just picking up two instead. Double the performance or whatnot. But I'm reading online that some people dislike two cards? Why? What's the advantage of a single card over two?

I'm probably going with a 1440p monitor, and would like to keep my FPS as close to 60 FPS as possible, with settings as high as possible.

 

[CrackPebbles]

Hi pc gaf. So I don't know much about pc building, just did a little research and threw this together.

Graphics
EVGA GTX 760 4GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130949

SSD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147247

Cooling
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103182

Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131877

Ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

CPU
AMD FX-6300 Vishera 3.5GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113286

Total is $761.94
I have a case, 500w power supply, and harddrive from my previous pc.

ill just be playing at 1080p on a single monitor, nothing too fancy.

Where am I messing up? anywhere I can a save some money? Thanks.

EDIT: As a side note, I want the 4gb. I know 2gb would probably save some money though.

 

[Captain Smoker]

So I wanted to ask again if my PSU is enough (already bought it). ^^

I have the Enermax Platimax 500W (80+ Platin)


I won't overclock.

i7-4770: 85 Watt max.
MSI Twin Frozr 770 2GB: 230 Watt max.
ASRock Fatal1ty H87 Performance: http://www.hardwareluxx.com/index.p...9917-test-asrock-h87-performance.html?start=4 (this test says 42 Watt Idle to 100 Watt in usage)
EVO 840 250GB SSD: 5 Watt max.
DVD drive: 30 Watt? max.
Shadow Rock Slim: 12V * 0,11A = 1,32 Watt? max.


So probably around 450 to 480 at maximum usage?

 

[Big Takeover]

Just pre-ordered my Z97 board from Newegg. A Gigabyte Z97MX-Gaming 5. It's m-atx. Other than the Killer nic, it had everything I was looking for.

I had planned all along to go m-itx in a node. Since it's going to sit on the floor, and I'd actually prefer a skinnier/taller box, I've backed off and will go TJ08.

Now for the month-long wait for Devil's Canyon.

 

[TC McQueen]

Well, I'm finally done installing my Hyper 212 Evo into my gaming rig. The biggest pain in the ass was aligning the mounting bracket with the spring loaded screws, which caused me to waste some thermal paste. But I did manage to get it installed and ran my PC for a few minutes to see that it worked. I got temps around 25-30C for the CPU, which I think is pretty good considering that I live in Florida and my room is a bit stuffy today, but the stock fan Cooler Master provided was running damn near maximum RPM (18## steady).

 

[Tablo]

Hi pc gaf. So I don't know much about pc building, I just did a little research and threw this together.

Graphics
EVGA GTX 760 4GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130949

SSD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147247

Cooling
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103182

Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131877

Ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

CPU
AMD FX-6300 Vishera 3.5GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113286

Total is $761.94
I have a case, 500w power supply, and harddrive from my previous pc.

ill just be playing at 1080p on a single monitor, nothing too fancy.

Where am I messing up? anywhere I can a save some money? Thanks.

EDIT: As a side note, I want the 4gb. I know 2gb would probably save some money though.

Go Intel, Haswell i5 or i3 will be better for gaming than that Vishera, look for a Z87 motherboard.
I would also get a Hyper 212 EVO instead of the T4.

 

[phxxBullet]

Hi pc gaf. So I don't know much about pc building, I just did a little research and threw this together.

Graphics
EVGA GTX 760 4GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130949

SSD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147247

Cooling
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103182

Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131877

Ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

CPU
AMD FX-6300 Vishera 3.5GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113286

Total is $761.94
I have a case, 500w power supply, and harddrive from my previous pc.

ill just be playing at 1080p on a single monitor, nothing too fancy.

Where am I messing up? anywhere I can a save some money? Thanks.

EDIT: As a side note, I want the 4gb. I know 2gb would probably save some money though.

Get the 2gig. 4gig is useless on a GTX 760. It's like throwing money out of the window - well kinda.

So I wanted to ask again if my PSU is enough (already bought it). ^^

I have the Enermax Platimax 500W (80+ Platin)

I won't overclock.

You'll be fine. No worrys. You could even do some OC

Go Intel, Haswell i5 or i3 will be better for gaming than that Vishera, look for a Z87 motherboard.
I would also get a Hyper 212 EVO instead of the T4.

I kinda -facepalm- every time people recommend Intel over AMD. Sure, Intels offers better performance at same clocks, BUT higher cost.
And a dual core in mid 2014? Seriously?..

AMD is just fine for a budget build.

 

[SteveWinwood]

Okay this might be the dumbest question ever asked here, but I just bought a dynex dx sc 5.1 at a garage sale for a dollar. Can I even use this thing? Will the sound even be better than my motherboards on board? Apparently the drivers only go up to vista lol.

This is my motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&cm_mmc=TEMC-RMA-Approvel-_-Content-_-text-_-

If it doesn't, whatever it was a dollar.

 

[kharma45]

So I'm doing some research for when I build my PC. What's the consensus a single graphics card versus two? I'll be picking up whatever is the top of the line card at the time (probably from Nvidia), and thought about just picking up two instead. Double the performance or whatnot. But I'm reading online that some people dislike two cards? Why? What's the advantage of a single card over two?

I'm probably going with a 1440p monitor, and would like to keep my FPS as close to 60 FPS as possible, with settings as high as possible.

You get a lot more grunt there's no debating that but Crossfire and even SLI can have issues with games where games aren't supported at launch and you need to wait for a profile to be created. There is increased noise and heat too, plus microstutter increasing with two cards.

I'd always want one big powerful single card where possible, makes life a lot easier.

Hi pc gaf. So I don't know much about pc building, just did a little research and threw this together.

Graphics
EVGA GTX 760 4GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130949

SSD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147247

Cooling
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103182

Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131877

Ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

CPU
AMD FX-6300 Vishera 3.5GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113286

Total is $761.94
I have a case, 500w power supply, and harddrive from my previous pc.

ill just be playing at 1080p on a single monitor, nothing too fancy.

Where am I messing up? anywhere I can a save some money? Thanks.

EDIT: As a side note, I want the 4gb. I know 2gb would probably save some money though.

Get an i3 4130 instead over the FX 6300. Read this as to why http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=105518879&postcount=9470

So I wanted to ask again if my PSU is enough (already bought it). ^^

I have the Enermax Platimax 500W (80+ Platin)


I won't overclock.

i7-4770: 85 Watt max.
MSI Twin Frozr 770 2GB: 230 Watt max.
ASRock Fatal1ty H87 Performance: http://www.hardwareluxx.com/index.p...9917-test-asrock-h87-performance.html?start=4 (this test says 42 Watt Idle to 100 Watt in usage)
EVO 840 250GB SSD: 5 Watt max.
DVD drive: 30 Watt? max.
Shadow Rock Slim: 12V * 0,11A = 1,32 Watt? max.


So probably around 450 to 480 at maximum usage?

It'll be fine.

Well, I'm finally done installing my Hyper 212 Evo into my gaming rig. The biggest pain in the ass was aligning the mounting bracket with the spring loaded screws, which caused me to waste some thermal paste. But I did manage to get it installed and ran my PC for a few minutes to see that it worked. I got temps around 25-30C for the CPU, which I think is pretty good considering that I live in Florida and my room is a bit stuffy today, but the stock fan Cooler Master provided was running damn near maximum RPM (18## steady).

Use the BIOS to set the fan speed so it only spins up when the heat increases if you haven't done so already.

 

[Hazaro]

Okay this might be the dumbest question ever asked here, but I just bought a dynex dx sc 5.1 at a garage sale for a dollar. Can I even use this thing? Will the sound even be better than my motherboards on board? Apparently the drivers only go up to vista lol.

This is my motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&cm_mmc=TEMC-RMA-Approvel-_-Content-_-text-_-

If it doesn't, whatever it was a dollar.

Ehhhhhhhhhh
Yeah it'll fit in the PCI, but that's OEM BestBuy fodder brand. Can't even find the chipset on it easily and the manual on their website isn't even for the right product.

You can give it a shot and see if it's any better, hopefully your computer doesn't explode. Make sure you clean the contacts.

 

[Tablo]

I kinda -facepalm- every time people recommend Intel over AMD. Sure, Intels offers better performance at same clocks, BUT higher cost.
And a dual core in mid 2014? Seriously?..

AMD is just fine for a budget build.

Don't talk about things you don't understand, that dual core i3 will outperform the AMD in many if not all games. And he chose a 120$ CPU and 170$ Mobo, you can go around the same price or cheaper with Intel. There's a massive disparity between the IPC of Haswell and Vishera, and that's very relevant to games. This affects frame latency by alot, you can't even quantify this solely by looking at average FPS. Intel is the better choice right now, no point trying to equivocate for the hell of it.