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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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Is worth just picking up a i5 4570 now and waiting for the new CPUs to roll out later/next year? ...the only thing I'll really be playing is dota 2 and I've been reading that the new broadwell chips will possibly be using a different type of board?
 

SleazyC

Member
Is worth just picking up a i5 4570 now and waiting for the new CPUs to roll out later/next year? ...the only thing I'll really be playing is dota 2 and I've been reading that the new broadwell chips will possibly be using a different type of board?
Do you foresee yourself playing anything besides DOTA2? I don't recall if Intel is on a tick or tock this upgrade but a lot of their recent processors have been focused on the mobile segment and haven't brought much upgrades to desktop performance.

They also have run super hot which has become an issue for anyone who overclocks.
 

Chocobro

Member
I just wanted to drop by to say a couple of things:

1) Nice changes to the OP, Hazaro :)
2) Thanks to the regulars here that helped me with my first PC build
3) Samsung 840 EVO 250GB for $140 on eBay (buy)

How is the 840 EVO in a Mid-2010 Macbook Pro? Any problems? My Macbook feels slow AF for the last half-year; I'm making a guess it's the HDD and considering replacing it with an SSD.
 

SLV

Member
Anyone has a Gainward GTX 780 TI Phantom ? Some feedback would be nice, that is the only one i can get at the moment, others are out of stock, country wide (-_-) don't want a reference cooler. Other choices were Zotac and the Gigabyte one, but they are out. Thanks !
 

dorkimoe

Gold Member
congrats! with a GTX780, overclocking the refresh rate is dead easy! just go to custom resolution in nvidia cp and key in 90hz (30x3) and select LCD reduced, leaving the rest untouched, hit test and if it works, it works! Next you can go to 120hz...dead easy.

Go here for some 60-120hz comparison/tests. Also a must to use the frameskipping test to ensure the overclock dont drop frames.
http://www.testufo.com/#test=framerates

Although, you would like to keep a lookout for image retention after the overclock, look for static parts like facebook toolbar etc. Its just retention, it will go away after awhile. May have to reduce the overclock if you getting bad IR
And the gamma/brightness will go down with higher hz, so you also need to calibrate the colors/brightness upwards.


wow thanks

i did it..i think

I didnt have the option for LCD reduced though
 
Do you foresee yourself playing anything besides DOTA2? I don't recall if Intel is on a tick or tock this upgrade but a lot of their recent processors have been focused on the mobile segment and haven't brought much upgrades to desktop performance.

They also have run super hot which has become an issue for anyone who overclocks.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to Titan Fall but not much else really. I was just deciding whether or not to just buy an i7 later in the year since I won't really be playing or doing anything taxing on the machine for now.
 

Copons

Member
So, I'm really near to pull the trigger and finally buy everything needed to build my first rig since early 2000s!

This is what I came up, and I hope you'll give me some advices. Keep in mind that 1) I'm NOT looking to overclock; 2) I'm on a tight budget; 3) I'd like to be a little future proof.
My main interest will be playing with this, but coming from a crappy set up, I'm gonna survive without downsampling and ultra details on everything.

CPU: i5-4440 3.1GHz 6MB 84W 22nm (160.30€)
Motherboard: AsRock Z87 Pro3 (73.70€)
RAM: 2x4GB Corsair Vengeance Low Profile 1600MHz 1.5V CL9 (69.30€)
GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 OC Core 1033/1098MHz, GDDR5 6008MHz 2GB (149.50€)
SSD Sandisk X110 64GB, 505MB/s 445MB/s (54.30€)
HDD: WD Caviar Blue 1TB (50.20€)
PSU: OCZ ModXstream Pro 500W (61.70€)
Case: Cooler Master N400 (50.60€)
TOTAL: 670€ + shipping




Now: I've followed suggestions here, there and everywhere, read every review around, and so on. But I have some doubt nevertheless.


1) The CPU
The OP spreadsheet suggests the 4430, but I noticed it's just slightly cheaper than the 4440 (less than 3€) and some comparisons around show that the 4440 is just slightly better than the 4430. So, is there a reason why it's suggested the 4430 instead of the 4440?


2) The GPU
Around the same price range I've got several different GTX 660 and I've picked the Gigabyte almost randomly. So I need your help.

- Palit GTX 660 Core 980/1033MHz, 2GB 6008MHz (147.40€)
- Gainward GTX 660 Core 980/1033MHz, 2GB 3004MHz (149.00€)
- Gigabyte GTX 660 OC Core 1033/1098MHz, 2GB 6008MHz (149.50) <-- my current choice
- Gainward GTX 660 Golden Sample Core 1006/1072MHz, 2GB 3054MHz (156.10€)
- EVGA GTX 660 Superclocked Core 1046MHz, 2GB 6008MHz (173.10€)
- Asus GTX 660 DirectCU Core 980/1033MHz, 2GB 6008MHz (179.30€)

Is there some serious reason why I should pick one of the more expensive ones? I mean, I really would like to stick with the lowest price as possible... :D


3) The SSD
Being on a budget, I decided to go with the smallest one suggested in the spreadsheet.
But at my store they have 2 different 64GB SanDisks:

- SanDisk 64GB 490MB/s 240MB/s (49.70€)
- SanDisk X110 64GB 505MB/s 445MB/s (54.30€) <-- my current choice

As the price difference is minimal, I went with the one with the highest speeds, but maybe I'm missing something...


4) The PSU
I don't know anything about PSUs, so I picked one randomly following I don't remember whose advice.
Anyway, in that price range, my store sells:

- OCZ ModXstream Pro 500W 80+ (61.70€) <-- my current choice
- Corsair CX500M 500W 80+ Bronze (62.00€)
- be quiet! Pure Power L8 CM 530W 80+ Bronze (76.30€)
- Cooler Master GX 550W 80+ Bronze (76.60€)

Any advice here?


5) CPU cooling and thermal compound
Are they even needed in my case? Will I be able to add that stuff in a second time?



---
Well, I believe that's all...
I'm really sorry for the super long post, but this being my first real time building a PC (and not being able to afford to fix any buying errors! :D ) I wanna be extra extra extra careful before.
I'm thanking you all in advance, even if I'm not gonna get any answers, because this thread is totally one of my favorite here, even if I understand 1/10 of what you say, and you are really helpful anyway.
 
Great OP as always.

I'm installing my new SSD today or tomorrow is there anything I need to do in the BIOS before installing the OS on it to increase the performance ?
 

Cimeas

Banned
Came here to ask whether my 2500k was still OK.....
But seriously, my main gaming over the coming year is going to be rather demanding (for the first time in a while) with The Witcher 3 and Dragon Age 3 (which iirc is running on the new Frostbite engine) being the main games I'm worried about.

If I plop a 780 or 880 (obviously speculation in the latter's case) into my PC at some point next year, will the fact that the 2500 is only quad core hold me back on these newer engines? Currently I'm running the same GTX570 I've had for almost 3 years.

thanks :)
 
So, I'm really near to pull the trigger and finally buy everything needed to build my first rig since early 2000s!

This is what I came up, and I hope you'll give me some advices. Keep in mind that 1) I'm NOT looking to overclock; 2) I'm on a tight budget; 3) I'd like to be a little future proof.
My main interest will be playing with this, but coming from a crappy set up, I'm gonna survive without downsampling and ultra details on everything.

CPU: i5-4440 3.1GHz 6MB 84W 22nm (160.30€)
Motherboard: AsRock Z87 Pro3 (73.70€)
RAM: 2x4GB Corsair Vengeance Low Profile 1600MHz 1.5V CL9 (69.30€)
GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 OC Core 1033/1098MHz, GDDR5 6008MHz 2GB (149.50€)
SSD Sandisk X110 64GB, 505MB/s 445MB/s (54.30€)
HDD: WD Caviar Blue 1TB (50.20€)
PSU: OCZ ModXstream Pro 500W (61.70€)
Case: Cooler Master N400 (50.60€)
TOTAL: 670€ + shipping




Now: I've followed suggestions here, there and everywhere, read every review around, and so on. But I have some doubt nevertheless.


1) The CPU
The OP spreadsheet suggests the 4430, but I noticed it's just slightly cheaper than the 4440 (less than 3€) and some comparisons around show that the 4440 is just slightly better than the 4430. So, is there a reason why it's suggested the 4430 instead of the 4440?


2) The GPU
Around the same price range I've got several different GTX 660 and I've picked the Gigabyte almost randomly. So I need your help.

- Palit GTX 660 Core 980/1033MHz, 2GB 6008MHz (147.40€)
- Gainward GTX 660 Core 980/1033MHz, 2GB 3004MHz (149.00€)
- Gigabyte GTX 660 OC Core 1033/1098MHz, 2GB 6008MHz (149.50) <-- my current choice
- Gainward GTX 660 Golden Sample Core 1006/1072MHz, 2GB 3054MHz (156.10€)
- EVGA GTX 660 Superclocked Core 1046MHz, 2GB 6008MHz (173.10€)
- Asus GTX 660 DirectCU Core 980/1033MHz, 2GB 6008MHz (179.30€)

Is there some serious reason why I should pick one of the more expensive ones? I mean, I really would like to stick with the lowest price as possible... :D


3) The SSD
Being on a budget, I decided to go with the smallest one suggested in the spreadsheet.
But at my store they have 2 different 64GB SanDisks:

- SanDisk 64GB 490MB/s 240MB/s (49.70€)
- SanDisk X110 64GB 505MB/s 445MB/s (54.30€) <-- my current choice

As the price difference is minimal, I went with the one with the highest speeds, but maybe I'm missing something...


4) The PSU
I don't know anything about PSUs, so I picked one randomly following I don't remember whose advice.
Anyway, in that price range, my store sells:

- OCZ ModXstream Pro 500W 80+ (61.70€) <-- my current choice
- Corsair CX500M 500W 80+ Bronze (62.00€)
- be quiet! Pure Power L8 CM 530W 80+ Bronze (76.30€)
- Cooler Master GX 550W 80+ Bronze (76.60€)

Any advice here?


5) CPU cooling and thermal compound
Are they even needed in my case? Will I be able to add that stuff in a second time?



---
Well, I believe that's all...
I'm really sorry for the super long post, but this being my first real time building a PC (and not being able to afford to fix any buying errors! :D ) I wanna be extra extra extra careful before.
I'm thanking you all in advance, even if I'm not gonna get any answers, because this thread is totally one of my favorite here, even if I understand 1/10 of what you say, and you are really helpful anyway.
On amazon.it you can get a 120GB SSD for 73€ http://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B00A1ZTZOG/
 

SLV

Member
Great OP as always.

I'm installing my new SSD today or tomorrow is there anything I need to do in the BIOS before installing the OS on it to increase the performance ?

Make sure AHCI is on for the controller you are hooking it up to. If anything else ssd specific, a few mobos have some options. Check the motherboard specifics.
 

Momentary

Banned
I've been thinking of abandoning this dream of a SLI water cooled beast in favor of a small form factor monster with a sleek design. The RVZ01 is making me think on this a little harder.

It'll be lighter on my wallet while at the same time not make my living room or office area look so gaudy.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Let me run this past you guys. Weird things happening here that I can't find an answer for on Google.

So, to start things off, I had a Phenom II 955. Served me well for a long time. One day I was playing a game (I forget which) that had a CPU utilization bug. Basically while playing the game got my CPU north of 80c. After that, the CPU would routinely heat up past 70c in other games. Before this, it never broke 61c. I tried all the hardware related stuff. New TIM, new cooler. Did not help my load temps. Still breaking 70c routinely.

Fast forward to the AMD 1100t I got to replace it. Same exact story (game was LOTR War of the North), just happened a few days ago. Same story with heat. Now exceeding 70c. Never broke 60c before. New TIM, new fan. No fix.

Keep in mind that the max temp AMD recommends for both of these is 63c (much lower than what Intel procs allow, in case you were thinking that 70c isn't horrible).

So now I've got two questions.

1. WTF is happening here? Is there some kind of thermal cherry that get's popped when the CPU goes way above the thermal limits?

2. What's a good CPU+Mobo combo I can get for south of $400 next month? Looking to buy in early Feb when I get my tax return. I've got a GTX 680 if that's any help. I'm not opposed to going back to AMD if I can save some dough, but I can't get a straight answer on how their new chips stack up. Mixed reports etc.

I mainly play AAA tripe like Assassin's Creed, Bioshock, Crysis etc (sorry).

EDIT: I see the post above me has ruled out the new AMD chips. So what's the best mid level i5?
1) No idea.

2) $150 board + $200-230 (depending on sale) 4670K = south of $200.
Wooo

2014 the year I do NOTHING to my PC!
When Haswell-E releases, you won't be able to hold back. You know it. Don't lie to yourself.
Any one know where i can get a 2500k from ? thinking about upgrading CPU after I can get my GPU upgraded. I have a 1155 board.
Buy a used one on HardOCP or Overclock.net. Both Hazaro and myself are using second hand processors bought off of Overclock.net. It's safe as hell. We'd really like to put that as an option in the OP, but people are really reluctant to buy used.
Subscribed.

And damn at the fighting already (even with a comment of shilling lol)
After I realized he had no idea what he was talking about, I just stopped responding :p
Is it worth moving from a Quad AMD Phenom II core to an I5? Is there a big difference regarding gamming?

Also, subscribed.
Yes, yes, so much yes.
Will my 2500K still be 'fine' even if I don't want to OC it?

I don't know whether to upgrade this year to a good Maxwell GPU or to go for a completely new build. Would much rather get the GPU upgrade of course if a default 2500K is not likely to be a bottleneck for the next couple of years or so.
But you do want to OC it.

But, even if you don't, it's okay. It's good to OC if you want to push 8.3ms frametimes consistently, or play a lot of MP games. If you don't, it's not as beneficial.
no g-sync, haswell, gpu NOTHING!
So do you base your computer purchases on Texans success then? :p
 
Oh, luv ya!!

I stopped checking on Amazon.it because it most likely has worse prices than eKey.it, and also because I've been planning this goddamn build for months now and my brain is not properly working anymore. D:


EDIT: also, I've just noticed that the same drive is actually cheaper on eKey... :D

How much does shipping cost on ekey? Are they reliable?
 

Copons

Member
How much does shipping cost on ekey? Are they reliable?

It's weight based, so it depends (reason why I wanted to at least buy the case on Amazon, but I'm not finding any good deals on case I actually like).
Anyway: http://www.e-key.it/shipment_cost.aspx

As per its reliability, I've never bought anything from them, but I know lots of people who did (even some businesses) and I've never heard any complaint at all, except the fact that they're usually a little slow in processing orders. Like, I'd have to wait a couple of weeks to get everything, or something like that.
 

Tonza

Member
So a question to someone who understands PSUs. I have a modular? PSU (http://www.thermaltake.com/products-model_Specification.aspx?id=C_00001964), which has 2 6+2 PCIe connectors.

Now I would like to have 2 different GPU's running that need together 3 of those 6-pin PCIe connectors. Those are Radeon 7770 and Radeon R9 270x. (Not crossfire)

The Radeon R9 270x came with the 2x 4-pin MOLEX? to 1 6-pin connector adapter but Im hesitant to use it since the PSU seems to be only geared to 2 PCIe connectors. Furthermore, I would have to use 2 of the the 4-pin peripherial conenctors from the same cable to get the additional PCIe 6-pin connector.

Should I just abandon the idea? I think the PSU should be able to handle both in terms of wattage, since the 7770 only draws 80W.
 

SLV

Member
So i have a i5 2500k at 4.4, the motherboard does not really allow to push it any further (asus p8p67 rev 3). WIth 8 Gigs of ram (1333 Mhz). Swapping out my Asus GTX 570 DCUII with a Gainward Phantom GTX 780 TI. I should be good till the next Intels drop later in the year right ?
 
was having this discussion earlier today, and wanted to ask you guys: Is it dangerous to install Steam on an ssd and games on the HDD? I mean, i even moved the saves folder to the hdd, but supposedly, steam still creates a bunch of files that could waste the ssd cycles.
 
It's weight based, so it depends (reason why I wanted to at least buy the case on Amazon, but I'm not finding any good deals on case I actually like).
Anyway: http://www.e-key.it/shipment_cost.aspx

As per its reliability, I've never bought anything from them, but I know lots of people who did (even some businesses) and I've never heard any complaint at all, except the fact that they're usually a little slow in processing orders. Like, I'd have to wait a couple of weeks to get everything, or something like that.

Looks like it would be agood idea do do a bit of both, the i5 4440 is 158€ on amazon, while ekey has a asus 7870 at 157€. I'm also looking to get a pc and I have been delaying for ages. I'll post what I've come up with in a bit.
edit: Man registering to that site is a pain in the ass._. why the hell do they need my fiscal code?
edit: and they won't even accept it. Great.
 

mkenyon

Banned
So a question to someone who understands PSUs. I have a modular? PSU (http://www.thermaltake.com/products-model_Specification.aspx?id=C_00001964), which has 2 6+2 PCIe connectors.

Now I would like to have 2 different GPU's running that need together 3 of those 6-pin PCIe connectors. Those are Radeon 7770 and Radeon R9 270x. (Not crossfire)

The Radeon R9 270x came with the 2x 4-pin MOLEX? to 1 6-pin connector adapter but Im hesitant to use it since the PSU seems to be only geared to 2 PCIe connectors. Furthermore, I would have to use 2 of the the 4-pin peripherial conenctors from the same cable to get the additional PCIe 6-pin connector.

Should I just abandon the idea? I think the PSU should be able to handle both in terms of wattage, since the 7770 only draws 80W.
That PSU looks like it's a single rail unit, so I think you'll be fine.

Though using two 270x's in crossfire was an iffy choice :p
So i have a i5 2500k at 4.4, the motherboard does not really allow to push it any further (asus p8p67 rev 3). WIth 8 Gigs of ram (1333 Mhz). Swapping out my Asus GTX 570 DCUII with a Gainward Phantom GTX 780 TI. I should be good till the next Intels drop later in the year right ?
See: Thread title.
was having this discussion earlier today, and wanted to ask you guys: Is it dangerous to install Steam on an ssd and games on the HDD? I mean, i even moved the saves folder to the hdd, but supposedly, steam still creates a bunch of files that could waste the ssd cycles.
No. And the average user would go through SSD cycles in about 30 years. They turned out to be way more reliable than originally thought.
 

Cmerrill

You don't need to be empathetic towards me.
Any amazing/awesome gaffer have an extra Windows 8 key I can buy for relatively cheap for my first gaming PC?
 

scottzorus

Neo Member
Was thinking about the QNIX monitor in the op. I'm good with 1440 and 60 fps, can this monitor be downsampled to 4k though without any issue?

Also are the colors and all that good for gaming?
 

mkenyon

Banned
Any amazing/awesome gaffer have an extra Windows 8 key I can buy for relatively cheap for my first gaming PC?
Check out reddit.com/r/softwareswap
Was thinking about the QNIX monitor in the op. I'm good with 1440 and 60 fps, can this monitor be downsampled to 4k though without any issue?

Also are the colors and all that good for gaming?
Overclock it to 120Hz and the motion resolution will be great for gaming.

Not sure on the downsampling.
 

LordAlu

Member
Have you had a look at replacing the CM Elite 120 with the CM Elite 130 at all mkenyon? It's ever so slightly smaller and lighter, but still has the same cooler/GPU clearances, a mesh front for better cooling and two front USB3.0. Same price too ($50) :)
 

mkenyon

Banned
lol whatever man

if that's the case bill o'brien da gawd will spur many purchases for me next nfl season !
Hmmmm 2014 Texans begin to play in Q3. Haswell-E releases in Q3.

You in trouble.
Have you had a look at replacing the CM Elite 120 with the CM Elite 130 at all mkenyon? It's ever so slightly smaller and lighter, but still has the same cooler/GPU clearances, a mesh front for better cooling and two front USB3.0. Same price too ($50) :)
Good call, puttin' it on my to-do list.
 

Wok

Member
Cross-posting.


I am no expert, but when I had to get a new PC, I followed the recommended specs by CanardPC. Basically, the current one are:

With a goal of 600 euros (everything included, even Windows 7):

Intel Pentium G3420 3,20 GHz
AMD Radeon R7 260X 2048 Mo
Gigabyte GA-H81M-D2V
8192 Mo (8 Go) G.Skill DIMM DDR3 (PC12800)
Seasonic G-Series 360 Watts

or more expensive (1200 euros, everything included too):

Intel Core i5 4440 3,10 GHz
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 2048 Mo
Asus H87M-E C2
8192 Mo (8 Go) G.Skill DIMM DDR3 (PC12800)
Antec HCG 520 Watts
 

Zaph

Member
Couple years back I bought a very cheap, low powered server pc:
Intel H61 LGA1155
Intel Celeron G530 Sandy Bridge Dual Core
8gb RAM
60gb SSD

It was more than fine for what I used it for (web server, private cloud storage) but lately I've been transcoding and remote desktoping, which it really struggles with.

What would be a good CPU upgrade for price/performance? I'm thinking maybe an i5 (locked, not OCing)?
 

mkenyon

Banned
Couple years back I bought a very cheap, low powered server pc:
Intel H61 LGA1155
Intel Celeron G530 Sandy Bridge Dual Core
8gb RAM
60gb SSD

It was more than fine for what I used it for (web server, private cloud storage) but lately I've been transcoding and remote desktoping, which it really struggles with.

What would be a good CPU upgrade for price/performance? I'm thinking maybe an i5 (locked, not OCing)?
Yeah, pick up a used Sandy i5, and you'll be golden. You should also be able to flash your BIOS to accept IvyBridge chips. Check out Intel's support site for your motherboard.
Not there yet. Needs way more work on the driver end, as well as more supported games.
 

LordAlu

Member
Couple years back I bought a very cheap, low powered server pc:
Intel H61 LGA1155
Intel Celeron G530 Sandy Bridge Dual Core
8gb RAM
60gb SSD

It was more than fine for what I used it for (web server, private cloud storage) but lately I've been transcoding and remote desktoping, which it really struggles with.

What would be a good CPU upgrade for price/performance? I'm thinking maybe an i5 (locked, not OCing)?
An i5 would be fine - the i5-3470 would be ideal if your board supports Ivy Bridge.
 

Copons

Member
Cross-posting.



I am no expert, but when I had to get a new PC, I followed the recommended specs by CanardPC. Basically, the current one are:

With a goal of 600 euros (everything included, even Windows 7):



or more expensive (1200 euros, everything included too):

Thank you very much, I'll give it a look! :)
 

derder

Member
Couple years back I bought a very cheap, low powered server pc:
Intel H61 LGA1155
Intel Celeron G530 Sandy Bridge Dual Core
8gb RAM
60gb SSD

It was more than fine for what I used it for (web server, private cloud storage) but lately I've been transcoding and remote desktoping, which it really struggles with.

What would be a good CPU upgrade for price/performance? I'm thinking maybe an i5 (locked, not OCing)?

I'd check out your local CL for an i5. I'm doing the exact same thing.
 
Is the 240hz of the FG2421 a big advantage for games? I was looking for a 120/144hz until I read up on the Eizo which has 240hz and a better display panel than those 120/144hz TN monitors.
 

Dolken

Neo Member
Damn, the RVZ01 is perfect for me (I'm a sucker for compact vertical cases). Will probably build my first ever high-end computer in that case, with a 4670K and a GTX 780 Ti. I wonder if the slim fans can be switched out for GT's or eLoops?
 

mkenyon

Banned
Is the 240hz of the FG2421 a big advantage for games? I was looking for a 120/144hz until I read up on the Eizo which has 240hz and a better display panel than those 120/144hz TN monitors.
Read this for more information, but the tl;dr of it is that it's actually a 120Hz monitor that inserts black frames between input refreshes. This leads to amazing motion clarity (zero blur) and wonderful colors.

IMO, it's the finest monitor you can purchase right now.
Damn, the RVZ01 is perfect for me (I'm a sucker for compact vertical cases). Will probably build my first ever high-end computer in that case, with a 4670K and a GTX 780 Ti. I wonder if the slim fans can be switched out for GT's or eLoops?
I'm curious about this as well.

I'm actually a bit iffy on whether or not the 120mm CLCs that I put in the guide will fit it. I'm like 95% sure they will though.
 
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