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[zam]

Looking to buy a new PSU, preferably around 700-750W and modular. Apart from these requirements it should be as quiet as possible. I've been looking at the BeQuiet DarkPower Pro10 750W or the Cooler Master V850 (since they are within spitting distance of being the same price here in Sweden). Which one do you guys recommend? Which one is quietest? I am a little wary of the BeQuiet since I had some problems with one of their PSUs causing loud vibrations throughout my case (Fractal Define R4) in the past.

 

[McBryBry]

Another question while I'm thinking of it. I'm looking for a good set of speakers for around 100 dollars. So far, I've heard good things about the Swan M10 2.1 setup. It's $120, so if its as good as I think I'd be willing to spend that.

 

[Youta Mottenai]

Thank you all.

Avoid that SSD, try and get a Samsung or Crucial. Kingston put out that SSD as their flagship model but is awful compared to their last flagship model and even budget SSDs.

If your only running a GTX 750, you wont need such a large PSU, look for a 450-500W PSU. Also on the GPU front, maybe pickup a 750Ti if possible. Its super efficient to run.

Replace the GPU with a GTX750ti 2gb
Also, the PSU is way too much. 400-450watts is enough for that setup

Maybe a better SSD. Something like Samsung EVO 120gb or Crucial M500 120gb

//Damnit, 10 seconds too slow haha

Also, since you're not going to OC anything at all, you can also save some bucks on the motherboard.

About the SSD: well, that explains the price gap from this to other models/brands (way more expensive).

Motherboard: I'll set with ASUS B85M-E LGA 1150 (cheaper than the MSI I've inicialy chosen).

Other people touched on the other parts, so I will just give one opinion. I used to have the Corsair 400R, and I hated it.

Go for something else in that price range, like the new Phanteks case or the Define R4.

Noted, I'll have a look at these brands. I want something with a good airflow and build quality. If it also has a clean/simple look, better.

Once again, thank you.

 

[Ashhong]

Anyone have any suggestions for a USB wireless adapter? I only need it when my desktop is at home- since I spend most of the year in a dorm with a nearby Ethernet port I don't need it to be in there all the time. I'm running Windows 7, by the way.

I have a linksys one I'm selling for 40$ shipped. Parents used it for a bit before moving their computer closer to their router.

It's the AC1200 I believe. AC something and has usb 3.0

 

[kiyomi]

Quick question for UK'ers. A lot of products on Scan.co.uk say the warranty is 2 years, even on products that should have a 3 year warranty. What's up with that?

 

[Sword Of Doom]

1) Use Windows 7 USB tool to install from a USB stick http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool
2) 4790k isn't out yet so its hard to tell. If it suffers from the same headwall issue (cause by bad TIM under the heat spreader of the CPU) then the H100 is overkill without delidding your CPU. If they fixed it then H100 will help.
3) For ITX nothing really. DDR4 and more than 4 cores will help media creation tasks but I doubt it will do much if anything for gaming.
4) For $3000 you could grab some better fans like some Gentle Typhoons for the radiator. Not necessary but nice to have
5) Will look better if you get custom sleeved cables =)
I'll make them at cost for you

Also do you live in/near Toronto, Vancouver or Winnipeg? If you want help there are gaffers available in those cities.

I love your PC
What GPU do you have?

 

[scogoth]

I love your PC
What GPU do you have?

That's one I built for a friend. GPU is a GTX750Ti, it's just used for 3D modeling so didn't need anything more powerful.

 

[Ourobolus]

So my birthday comes up next month, and I've been thinking that I'd like to build myself a dedicated PS2/Wii emulation box to hook up to my TV. It would at least save me some real estate by my TV.

I've read that PS2 and Wii put different loads on the GPU and CPU (can't remember which is which), so I'll probably need decent items for both.

I don't really have a "budget," per se, but I'd like to keep it as cheap as possible.

I already have some old cases:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811204035
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119068

And a power supply, if it's good enough:
OCZ ModXStream Pro 500W Modular High Performance Power Supply

Obviously don't need a monitor since it's going to hook up to a TV. I also have this remote for use on the front end:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Anyway, I need some ideas for MOBO, CPU, GPU, RAM, etc. for what's the best deal for my dollar. Thanks!

EDIT: I'll probably use this for other gaming, but that's the minimum required, so I don't necessarily need MORE power than what's needed for PS2/Wii emulation.

 

[mkenyon]

This is making my pants feel funny.

My pc is a couple years old now. The Antec 900 needs to go. Any recommendations?

The stuff in the OP is all great. I'd add the NZXT H440 as well, as i'll be including it in the OP update soon.

 

[Jag]

Can someone recommend a Graphics card for a Dell Inspiron 3000 (Intel Core i5-4440 Processor 3.1 GHz( cache); 8GB DDR3).

It only has a 300W PS which should be enough to run a smaller card without a dedicated power connection. The case is also fairly tight, so it has to be a single slot card.

I am buying this for my Dad who is mostly using it for internet, but I want to install a few older flight sims for him as a surprise (Rise of Flight, etc) to play at mid level graphics and I don't want to rely on the onboard Intel. He doesn't really need much.

 

[mkenyon]

GTX 750 Ti.

 

[RapidCancel]

Are hybrid HDD any good? My current seagate I've had for a long time now is starting to fail and I need to replace it. Do I just copy and paste everything over or should I be using a program or something?

 

[Stubo]

Can someone recommend a Graphics card for a Dell Inspiron 3000 (Intel Core i5-4440 Processor 3.1 GHz( cache); 8GB DDR3).

It only has a 300W PS which should be enough to run a smaller card without a dedicated power connection. The case is also fairly tight, so it has to be a single slot card.

I am buying this for my Dad who is mostly using it for internet, but I want to install a few older flight sims for him as a surprise (Rise of Flight, etc) to play at mid level graphics and I don't want to rely on the onboard Intel. He doesn't really need much.

Single slot? The 750Ti would've been perfect for this, but the closest it gets to single slot are designs like these:

 

[Jag]

Single slot? The 750Ti would've been perfect for this, but the closest it gets to single slot are designs like these

That may be a concern. I'm picking it up tomorrow, so I'll see if the case can handle it, but I'm not confident.

Anything else that would fit in a single slot? It doesn't have to be cutting edge.

 

[mkenyon]

EK announced a new full-board block for the RIVE-BE

 

[scogoth]

EK announced a new full-board block for the RIVE-BE

Why the hell isn't every full block like this? This is genius!

Now make one for the MVI impact.

 

[Stubo]

That may be a concern. I'm picking it up tomorrow, so I'll see if the case can handle it, but I'm not confident.

Anything else that would fit in a single slot? It doesn't have to be cutting edge.

Where are you? US? Canada? UK?

That block looks so nice! Amazingly sleek.

 

[mkenyon]

Why the hell isn't every full block like this? This is genius!

Now make one for the MVI impact.

You mean like this?

 

[longdi]

I would heavily recommend getting this 750Ti over the Zotac. The stock clocks on it are great, it's very small, very quiet and needs no additional power plugged into it.

I put one of these in my sister's PC and it's a really great card.

Edit: Oh and you also get some free ridiculous stickers and a huge poster.

got this same 750Ti for a htpc, my first EVGA card and the packing is very good for a $149 gpu. the card itself felt pretty well made with the back plate spray painted black! that is a first i seen instead of the boring silver aluminium that easily dulls in time.

but boy the best thing about this sucker is it overclocks really easy, by just using evga pre-X, i hit 1.4ghz on the core and the full 6.5ghz on the vram, all the while without any voltage adjustment and maintaining at cool 14 degree C above my room temp!

reminds me of the 7970 early days, a must buy!

 

[Stubo]

Looks like Amazon.co.uk are out of stock, but you can still grab it at Dabs and Scan.

 

[scogoth]

You mean like this?

Hate. You. So. Much. Need. To. Buy. More. Things. Now.

 

[mkenyon]

A build I spec'd out for a pal was just finished. I donated my LD PC-V7 for it. Makes me happy to see it filled with goodies:

 

[jimmypop]

Hello PC GAF. I don't post much, but this thread (and the OP in particular) have been very helpful. I've been saving up for some time to get a new build underway. I was going to go piecemeal and replace my old system (based on a Core i7 920 @ 4.2GHZ with 2 x 4GB GTX 760s) part-by-part over time, but I opted to go all in (including case). Aside from storage, the only holdover is the PSU.

Here are the specs:

• 4770k (@4.4Ghz)
• Samsung EVO 840 500GB
• 16GB G.Skill 1600Mhz (2x8GB)
• 2 x GTX 780 Ti
• Corsair H100i
• Corsair GS800 PSU
• Corsair 750D Case
• Storage: 3 older SSDs (2 x Intel 120GB, 1 Kingston 240GB), older WD Raptors (various flavors), some external drives (10 drives in total)
• Display: X-Star DP2710 (2560x1440 @ 96Hz)

The jump from the old system to new was significant (though the i7 920 (D0!) had longevity). 3DMark Fire Strike comparison here.

I spent a couple of late weekend nights building this (which is tougher to do now than before I had kids in the house). I'm pleased with the end result, though I may come back and clean up some of the cables. The 750D case is great for managing that mess, since there's ample space to tidy up the cables behind the MB tray.

Right now, I dual boot Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. Windows 8.1 was a clean install on this build; I removed MB-specific drivers from my existing Windows 7 install and then booted that up on the new build and put new drivers on.

I'm just getting used to some of the software, particularly ASUS AI Suite. I may test out the RAM Disk this weekend.

At the last minute, I went SLI, and I'm pleased with the result. I can crank up crazy levels of AA and apply plenty of effects (ENBSeries in Skyrim, for instance) and still match the 96Hz of the display.

Any questions, feel free to ask.

 

[Ryman]

I have amended my earlier build thanks to the suggestions from some helpful Gaffers. Upon further consideration I have decided to overclock my graphics card and CPU. Will this build be up to the task?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Biostar Hi-Fi Z87X 3D ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M500 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($66.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Antec Basiq Plus 550W 80+ Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $848.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-09 14:00 EDT-0400)

Is the power supply large enough and do I need any additional cooling?

 

[Jag]

Where are you? US? Canada? UK?

US

 

[NotoriousPUG]

So I just installed a GTX 760, but I can't tell how to check the temp that it is running at. A quick google search says I should check the Nvidia control center, but there is no way to download it separate from the drivers and I've already reinstalled my drivers without any luck. Any ideas on how I could check the temp?

 

[Stubo]

It's surprisingly difficult to find something which is truly 1 slot, but I did find this XFX AMD Radeon HD 7750

Maybe someone with more experience with single slot stuff will have a better suggestion.

If it will fit a 2 slot card, definitely the 750Ti though!

 

[Dave_6]

A build I spec'd out for a pal was just finished. I donated my LD PC-V7 for it. Makes me happy to see it filled with goodies:

Beautiful!

 

[Jag]

It's surprisingly difficult to find something which is truly 1 slot, but I did find this XFX AMD Radeon HD 7750

Maybe someone with more experience with single slot stuff will have a better suggestion.

If it will fit a 2 slot card, definitely the 750Ti though!

Thanks so much all! I'll check it out.

 

[Zaph]

If a HDD (not used for system, just large video file storage) seems to be taking longer than usual to spin-up whenever you access it, is that a sign to replace it? Or is it to be expected?

It's a 1 year old WD Green 3TB if that makes any difference.

 

[Frostinferno]

Silly question I'm sure, but are motherboards backwards compatible at all with their CPU sockets? I have a LGA1366 Core I7 CPU and need to get a new mobo. Looking through several of the compatibility lists though I see no support for that CPU. Are there no new mobos that work with older CPUs or am I missing something?

 

[phxxBullet]

If a HDD (not used for system, just large video file storage) seems to be taking longer than usual to spin-up whenever you access it, is that a sign to replace it? Or is it to be expected?

It's a 1 year old WD Green 3TB if that makes any difference.

Got an SSD? Maybe you're just used to the SSD speed and know the HDD seems to take even longer to load something?

 

[Zaph]

Got an SSD? Maybe you're just used to the SSD speed and know the HDD seems to take even longer to load something?

Nah, I do have couple SSD's (OS and scratch) but it's definitely taking slightly longer and longer.

I keep a lot of ProRes files on the HDD, and as silly as it sounds, I have a 'routine' when I load up Premier or After Effects and then get all my folders ready. Accessing those folders is taking more time of the Premier/AE load which is why I'm noticing it.

 

[knitoe]

If a HDD (not used for system, just large video file storage) seems to be taking longer than usual to spin-up whenever you access it, is that a sign to replace it? Or is it to be expected?

It's a 1 year old WD Green 3TB if that makes any difference.

3TB Green have a very high failure rate. Run and check for bad sectors. Personally, I would replace it asap. Mine died after only 6 months access very sparingly as a storage drive.

 

[Sword Of Doom]

That's one I built for a friend. GPU is a GTX750Ti, it's just used for 3D modeling so didn't need anything more powerful.

Well it's absolutely gorgeous.

This is making my pants feel funny.

This is making me want to scrap my water cooling idea and go with a Hadron and itx

 

[kennah]

Well it's absolutely gorgeous.



This is making me want to scrap my water cooling idea and go with a Hadron and itx

Why not do both

Silly question I'm sure, but are motherboards backwards compatible at all with their CPU sockets? I have a LGA1366 Core I7 CPU and need to get a new mobo. Looking through several of the compatibility lists though I see no support for that CPU. Are there no new mobos that work with older CPUs or am I missing something?

Alas. Backwards compatibility doesn't really exist for cpu and motherboard. It's mostly because tech changes and old parts can predict what will be different. Things like memory controller, igpu, etcetera are all on the cpu now, not the motherboard.

So you are stuck upgrading or buying a used motherboard.

 

[Zaph]

3TB Green have a very high failure rate. Run and check for bad sectors. Personally, I would replace it asap. Mine died after only 6 months access very sparingly as a storage drive.

That settles it, it's too cheap of a replacement to worth risking. Cheers.

 

[TC McQueen]

My Windows 8.1 rig keeps shutting down during sleep for some reason. Any idea what the problem is? The shutdown is proper one, not a crash.

 

[kharma45]

My Windows 8.1 rig keeps shutting down during sleep for some reason. Any idea what the problem is? The shutdown is proper one, not a crash.

Check the power options, might be set to do that after a certain period of time.

 

[DSN2K]

my pc after the last minor upgrade came in (8150FX @4.4ghz)

ive had to add extra cooling on the vrm's because my motherboard(Asus M5A78L-M/USB3) simply couldn't handle a 124w processor even at stock speeds even thought Asus states it does fine!

for the modern age a Webm as well http://a.pomf.se/estzjf.webm

 

[kharma45]

my pc after the last minor upgrade came in (8150FX @4.4ghz)

ive had to add extra cooling on the vrm's because my motherboard(Asus M5A78L-M/USB3) simply couldn't handle a 124w processor even at stock speeds even thought Asus states it does fine!

Your CPU isn't a 125w TDP when it's overclocked. What ASUS states is true as it accounts for the CPU at stock clocks.

 

[Anbec7]

Hello GAF,

A question, since I travel quite a bit and we use mostly laptops I was wondering if some of you could help me.

I would like a powerful enough laptop (not to run games full HD) but that could also works as a tablet?
Does anyone has some ideas?

I was recommended this one
http://tablet-pc-review.toptenreviews.com/lenovo-thinkpad-twist-review.html

But I don't know... every piece of advice is really appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[mkenyon]

Hello PC GAF. I don't post much, but this thread (and the OP in particular) have been very helpful. I've been saving up for some time to get a new build underway. I was going to go piecemeal and replace my old system (based on a Core i7 920 @ 4.2GHZ with 2 x 4GB GTX 760s) part-by-part over time, but I opted to go all in (including case). Aside from storage, the only holdover is the PSU.

Awesome build!

How are you enjoying your monitor? If you've ever had a 120Hz/144Hz panel, how would you compare the illusion of motion and general motion clarity?

 

[Pumpkin King]

The stuff in the OP is all great. I'd add the NZXT H440 as well, as i'll be including it in the OP update soon.

Thanks, never even heard of the H440. Really like it, may go with that.

 

[Sword Of Doom]

Why not do both

You mean the hydro? Yeah I was looking at that. Only problem is for OC'ing that psu can't hang

 

[mkenyon]

Thanks, never even heard of the H440. Really like it, may go with that.

This probably seems random, but you're not by chance Saul are you? Had a pal on an old miniature gaming forum that played at my local shop named Pumpkin King.

You mean the hydro? Yeah I was looking at that. Only problem is for OC'ing that psu can't hang

For CPU, no prob. For both, definitely not if you're pushing the volts.

 

[Murder. She Wrote]

So about a month ago my monitor no longer picked up any signal from my PC. I checked google for a solution and did the simple stuff: Remove and put back the RAM/video card, remove and put back the BIOS battery. Nothing seems to work, so I think maybe my video card is dead.

I know it's my fault I killed it because for months I left one side of the case open (to keep the computer cool, I know i'm stupid). Can anyone here tell me what piece of the computer is most likely to be damaged, so I can replace it?

I'm thinking of getting a new video card, but if that doesn't fix the problem I'm thinking of getting a new motherboard, and if that doesn't fix the problem i'm gonna cry. Am I going about things the right way?

I wish I could give more specifics, but my computer is custom made and all I remember is it had a HD Radeon 4000 video card. Maybe 4800.

 

[Sword Of Doom]

For CPU, no prob. For both, definitely not if you're pushing the volts.

I'm sure future revisions will have improvements. It's a beautiful design and is a step in the right direction for small form factor Pc's

 

[mkenyon]

So about a month ago my monitor no longer picked up any signal from my PC. I checked google for a solution and did the simple stuff: Remove and put back the RAM/video card, remove and put back the BIOS battery. Nothing seems to work, so I think maybe my video card is dead.

I know it's my fault I killed it because for months I left one side of the case open (to keep the computer cool, I know i'm stupid). Can anyone here tell me what piece of the computer is most likely to be damaged, so I can replace it?

I'm thinking of getting a new video card, but if that doesn't fix the problem I'm thinking of getting a new motherboard, and if that doesn't fix the problem i'm gonna cry. Am I going about things the right way?

I wish I could give more specifics, but my computer is custom made and all I remember is it had a HD Radeon 4000 video card. Maybe 4800.

Have you tried a different cable?

 

[Pumpkin King]

This probably seems random, but you're not by chance Saul are you? Had a pal on an old miniature gaming forum that played at my local shop named Pumpkin King.

Yep that's random. And nope, I'm not Saul.