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"I Need a New PC!" 2014 Part 1. 1080p and 60FPS is so last-gen and your 2500K is fine
- Thread starter Hazaro
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Doesn't that throw the dust around? So I'll just need compressed air and a toothbrush then?
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
For reference coolers it's a toss up. For their custom coolers I'd say MSI or Gigabyte, whichever is cheaper. Asus isn't bad, but based on what I've read the Twin Frozr and Windforce coolers are better than the DCII lately.
I was in a similar dilemma myself and found this article useful:
http://alienbabeltech.com/main/gtx-770-4gb-vs-2gb-tested/
The narrow bus can't really exploit the 4gb, meaning performance differences are minimal.
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
Not really the right thread, but this one is much more active.
My sister's VAIO laptop started fucking up. It's running Windows 8 and I backed up her files onto an ext drive. So naturally I ask for the W8 disc to reformat, only it didn't come with one. The internet tells me that this is normal, but all I can find references to so far is some kind of factory reset. I'd prefer to wipe everything and start clean, but is this factory reset just as good as a format? Will I need to reenter CD keys and what not, which I don't seem to have access to?
My sister's VAIO laptop started fucking up. It's running Windows 8 and I backed up her files onto an ext drive. So naturally I ask for the W8 disc to reformat, only it didn't come with one. The internet tells me that this is normal, but all I can find references to so far is some kind of factory reset. I'd prefer to wipe everything and start clean, but is this factory reset just as good as a format? Will I need to reenter CD keys and what not, which I don't seem to have access to?
As far as I know there is an option within the "PC Settings" app that will do a "full wipe" of the system. There is also one that will do a "soft wipe" and keep most of your applications and documents.
I only have experience with the "soft wipe" because I performed it on accident. It kept most stuff, and moved a lot of shit around.
Here's some more info
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
You shouldn't need a CD key, OEMs will rarely give you one. Without buying a copy of Windows it's as close to a clean install as you will get, it will wipe everything and give you a fresh copy of Windows plus whatever bloatware the laptop originally came with.
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
Gigabyte!
I've just picked up their GTX 770 OC and as far as my research has told me, it runs both quieter and cooler than the ASUS DCUII equivalent. It's the cheapest brand of the 3 too, and it has one of the best RMA services.
If you don't plan on taking your PC apart then yeah, almost everything you try will just move the dust rather than remove it.
Edit: Apologies for the double post!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001J4ZOAW/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I have used this for a few years now, and it has been amazing. No more need to replace cans of compressed air that constantly need to rest after every few seconds of use. It is also far more powerful and far better at dusting than cans of air.
Hmmm, the only problem with that is I doubt I'll know where to put all the parts back, and how to attach them, hah.
Whogie
Member
I was specifically hoping to nuke the bloatware
The Windows 8 reset is able to clear the bloat, from the times I've done it for people.
And if you're able to find a disc, Win 8 machines tend to have their CD key built in to the EFI.
Here is what I've got :
ASUSTeK Computer INC. P6X58D-E
Intel Core i7 950 clocked at 3.07 GHz
8 GB of DDR3
AMD Radeon HD 6900 Series
900watt Power Supply
My case: Cooler Master HAF X, this monstruosity:
I thought of Upgrading by buying a R9 280x and doubling my RAM. Is that possible?
ASUSTeK Computer INC. P6X58D-E
Intel Core i7 950 clocked at 3.07 GHz
8 GB of DDR3
AMD Radeon HD 6900 Series
900watt Power Supply
My case: Cooler Master HAF X, this monstruosity:
I thought of Upgrading by buying a R9 280x and doubling my RAM. Is that possible?
Hey GAF, first things first: Kudos to the OP, amazing post.
Now to the point: I need advice, I was going to get a ps4 but decided to build a gaming PC instead, it's just so much more attractive and I'll use it for work too,It's actually my first time building one, I'm from Mexico and I'll import the parts from Amazon or maybe Newegg, probably Amazon since I've heard a lot of good things about them.
Here is what I need:
-An energy efficient build
What GPU/CPU? I'm contemplating the GTX 760 and the i54670k because reviews said they were very energy-efficient, most high-end GPUs seem to consume A LOT of power, I'm talking about a 155W on the GTX760 vs 210W on the GTX770, and electricity here doesn't come cheap.
Are there any more powerful GPUs that consume a similar amount of power, and is choosing a Gold rated PSU over an 80+ bronze one worth it?
-Just powerful enough
I'm only planning to get a 1920x108060hz monitor, but the thing is, I'm building this mainly for the Oculus Rift, and I've heard that you need to run games at 120fps or more to get rid of motion blur and have a great experience, is the 760 gonna be enough? Keep in mind that I'm ok with lowering the settings to medium or so.
-Loading times
SSD is expensive, so I was wondering if it was really worth it buying one to install Windows and some games on it, I could get a 128gb one but the bigger ones are very expensive and I'm not sure if it's gonna be enough.
Based on that here is what I've chosen:
CPUIntel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU coolerXigmatek GAIA SD1283 56.3 CFM CPU Cooler
MotherboardBiostar Hi-Fi Z87X 3D ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
MemoryCorsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
HDDWestern Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
GPUEVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card
WirelessTP-Link TL-WDN3800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter
CaseCorsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case
Case fanCooler Master R4-L2S-122B-GP 39.8 CFM 120mm Fans
PSURosewill Capstone 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
DVDLite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer
-Any advice? am I making some rookie mistake with cooling / compatibility / memory / cost savings?
-Considering I'll get all the parts by June, should I anticipate new GPU / CPUs and see if they're better and energy-efficient?
Oh and another thing, can anyone link me to a $100 or less case with a clear side panel? I love how blue leds iluminate the hardware.
Thanks in advance!
Edit: Oh and should I wait for more steam machines? or are they not worth it
Edit 2: Do GPUs or CPUs underclock when I'm not gaming or doing anything taxing? and for example: If I get a gtx 780 over a 760 and limit all of my games to 1080p60fps would the power consumption be similar?
Now to the point: I need advice, I was going to get a ps4 but decided to build a gaming PC instead, it's just so much more attractive and I'll use it for work too,It's actually my first time building one, I'm from Mexico and I'll import the parts from Amazon or maybe Newegg, probably Amazon since I've heard a lot of good things about them.
Here is what I need:
-An energy efficient build
What GPU/CPU? I'm contemplating the GTX 760 and the i54670k because reviews said they were very energy-efficient, most high-end GPUs seem to consume A LOT of power, I'm talking about a 155W on the GTX760 vs 210W on the GTX770, and electricity here doesn't come cheap.
Are there any more powerful GPUs that consume a similar amount of power, and is choosing a Gold rated PSU over an 80+ bronze one worth it?
-Just powerful enough
I'm only planning to get a 1920x108060hz monitor, but the thing is, I'm building this mainly for the Oculus Rift, and I've heard that you need to run games at 120fps or more to get rid of motion blur and have a great experience, is the 760 gonna be enough? Keep in mind that I'm ok with lowering the settings to medium or so.
-Loading times
SSD is expensive, so I was wondering if it was really worth it buying one to install Windows and some games on it, I could get a 128gb one but the bigger ones are very expensive and I'm not sure if it's gonna be enough.
Based on that here is what I've chosen:
CPUIntel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU coolerXigmatek GAIA SD1283 56.3 CFM CPU Cooler
MotherboardBiostar Hi-Fi Z87X 3D ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
MemoryCorsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
HDDWestern Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
GPUEVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card
WirelessTP-Link TL-WDN3800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter
CaseCorsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case
Case fanCooler Master R4-L2S-122B-GP 39.8 CFM 120mm Fans
PSURosewill Capstone 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
DVDLite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer
-Any advice? am I making some rookie mistake with cooling / compatibility / memory / cost savings?
-Considering I'll get all the parts by June, should I anticipate new GPU / CPUs and see if they're better and energy-efficient?
Oh and another thing, can anyone link me to a $100 or less case with a clear side panel? I love how blue leds iluminate the hardware.
Thanks in advance!
Edit: Oh and should I wait for more steam machines? or are they not worth it
Edit 2: Do GPUs or CPUs underclock when I'm not gaming or doing anything taxing? and for example: If I get a gtx 780 over a 760 and limit all of my games to 1080p60fps would the power consumption be similar?
Good to hear those things about the Gigabyte. It is the cheapest version of the three at $175. I was skeptical at first because the rad looks smaller than either the MSI or the Asus, but it's nice to hear that the cooling is great.
Having customer service to back it up is also a plus.
Hi guys.
My little brother is building his first gaming PC and he is going to have it outputting to a 50inch Samsung HDTV in his living room. In essence, he is going for the Steam Machine experience.
My question has to do for his collection of input devices. He is going to outfit his rig with a bluetooth adaptor to support those devices. I know he is going to want:
Some preliminary searches on Newegg didn't even turn up any good bluetooth controllers. So far the best I could recommend was the Xbox 360 controller for Windows (wide level of compatibility and an all around good controller). So far that is the only device I have looked for.
Any recommendations would be appreciated for any of the stuff listed above. Also, it doesn't have to be bluetooth compatible. If it has its own proprietary wireless adaptor that is fine too.
My little brother is building his first gaming PC and he is going to have it outputting to a 50inch Samsung HDTV in his living room. In essence, he is going for the Steam Machine experience.
My question has to do for his collection of input devices. He is going to outfit his rig with a bluetooth adaptor to support those devices. I know he is going to want:
- A Wireless Gamepad
- Chat Headset
- Wireless Mouse and Keyboard
Some preliminary searches on Newegg didn't even turn up any good bluetooth controllers. So far the best I could recommend was the Xbox 360 controller for Windows (wide level of compatibility and an all around good controller). So far that is the only device I have looked for.
Any recommendations would be appreciated for any of the stuff listed above. Also, it doesn't have to be bluetooth compatible. If it has its own proprietary wireless adaptor that is fine too.
PS3/PS4 gear runs on Bluetooth. You may have some luck looking into those. They will probably require drivers/programs to make them work properly.
Derpcrawler
Member
Ok, I came up with rough idea of the build I am aiming at for Haswell.
CPU: Core i7 4770k
MB: Asus Sabertooth Z87
RAM: Corsair Dominator Platinum 2x4Gb DDR3-2133
GPU: GTX780Ti (still thinking if I should go for plain GTX780 which I already have in my current build)
SSD: Samsung 840 250Gb - again, already have that
HDD: Any 2Tb one for storage
PSU: Corsair RM650
Cooling: Corsair H100i
Chassie: Corsair 750D
Does that look solid? Should I change/swap anything?
I am also in China, so prices are strange compared to other countries with some parts cheaper and some more expensive. I am still thinking if I should go X79 platform, my reasoning is that I found a seller on local shopping platform (taobao.com) that sells LGA2011 CPUs with 6-8 cores, ranging from Core i7 4930k to 8-core Xenons for 2-3 times cheaper than market price, only catch is that those are engineering samples. But he has more than 5k+ sales on his account and he only sells CPUs and motherboards with 99%+ positive feedback.
CPU: Core i7 4770k
MB: Asus Sabertooth Z87
RAM: Corsair Dominator Platinum 2x4Gb DDR3-2133
GPU: GTX780Ti (still thinking if I should go for plain GTX780 which I already have in my current build)
SSD: Samsung 840 250Gb - again, already have that
HDD: Any 2Tb one for storage
PSU: Corsair RM650
Cooling: Corsair H100i
Chassie: Corsair 750D
Does that look solid? Should I change/swap anything?
I am also in China, so prices are strange compared to other countries with some parts cheaper and some more expensive. I am still thinking if I should go X79 platform, my reasoning is that I found a seller on local shopping platform (taobao.com) that sells LGA2011 CPUs with 6-8 cores, ranging from Core i7 4930k to 8-core Xenons for 2-3 times cheaper than market price, only catch is that those are engineering samples. But he has more than 5k+ sales on his account and he only sells CPUs and motherboards with 99%+ positive feedback.
The 360 pad will need a separate wireless receiver which plugs into a USB port. The official ones are pretty expensive for what they are...I bought a cheap one off eBay and have not had a single problem. The beauty is that a normal 360 headset will work fine and most games natively support the 360 pad (button prompts and all).
I tend to steer away for anything which requires KBAM on my "Steam Machine" so I went for a Logitech K400 which is a compact keyboard with a trackpad for those times where you need KBAM input. Usually in menus/launchers of some older partially controller supported games.
Considering to upgrade my dated 5770.
Will the 770 (2gb) be enough to enter the screenshot thread? ;-)
I play at 1080p and would love to finally add all the nice aa settings that are available. The Radeon 5770 paired with my 2500k can still play all the games, but only <1080p and not at the highest settings.
I have the MSI Hawk version of the 5770, which is almost silent. Is the MSI 770 Lightning comparable or is the Twin Frozr Gaming version enough?
Thx!
Will the 770 (2gb) be enough to enter the screenshot thread? ;-)
I play at 1080p and would love to finally add all the nice aa settings that are available. The Radeon 5770 paired with my 2500k can still play all the games, but only <1080p and not at the highest settings.
I have the MSI Hawk version of the 5770, which is almost silent. Is the MSI 770 Lightning comparable or is the Twin Frozr Gaming version enough?
Thx!
HWMonitor: http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html
Pretty basic, but it's free, accurate, and monitors voltages and fan speed as well.
Personally, I think a 770 will be a more than adequate card. For reference, here are some screenshots from a few games on my 7870XT (weaker card). I play at 1080p and go for a solid 60fps. Excuse the Steam compression.
I think you'll be able to max out pretty much everything with a 770 and you could even squeeze in some downsampling.
EDIT - Sorry, not sure about coolers. Look up reviews for both and they should give you dB levels.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
MSI Hawk is like their midrange equivalent to the Lightning. Without looking it up (on my phone) the Lightning card probably has an extra heatpipe or two and more non reference components. Probably higher stock clocks and voltage with more OC options.
Both will probably be relatively quiet but the 770 is a bigger, hotter GPU than the 5770 so silence might require adjusting the fan settings.
Adding to that, everything you need is in the OP under the Utilities section.
BoosterDuck
Banned
So do both 3-pin and 4-pin case fans change speed according to temperature?
And which temperature do they react to? The Motherboard? CPU?
And which temperature do they react to? The Motherboard? CPU?
I have the MSI lightening. Solid card but it does require two 8 pin connectors.
I'm not sure what constitutes a good brand but:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FL8FD3A/ Sapphire
http://www.ebuyer.com/579927-asus-r...l-dvi-hdmi-displayport-pci-e-r9280x-dc2t-3gd5 Asus
Both in stock, although maybe overpriced?
Thanks for the replies.
Will probably save some money and go for the "normal" Gaming one from MSI since it is below 300, quieter and needs less power.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_770_TF_Gaming/31.html
Will probably save some money and go for the "normal" Gaming one from MSI since it is below 300, quieter and needs less power.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_770_TF_Gaming/31.html
Yeah I was looking for gigabyte or asus. COuldn't find the asus one anywhere, the former is my preference though thb. Thanks for the link.
The Gigabyte one seems to be out of stock most places, yeah. Apart from Overclockers.co.uk who seem to be asking a hefty £290 for one. Ouch.
I'd be tempted by the Gigabyte 770, apparently the cooler is quieter.
Also, Gigabyte seem to have the best RMA service.
Derpcrawler
Member
Bump. I need some insight, still not sure if I should go for Haswell or X79 platform, considering I plan to use this PC for next 3-4 years. If I go for X79 I will go for those Engineering Sample CPUs. How reliable are those?
Wait a bit for the Steam controller to be released.
You are asking while everyone is sleeping
Your build is kinda excessive. But everything will work together fine. It's up to you if that's what you want to go for. As for the engineering samples I don't have any experience with them, but if you are willing to take a risk on a part with no warranty then go for it?
Pretty much that. If I have them I'll keep a hard drive box or two for warranty shipping.
Derpcrawler
Member
I always keep my PC case box because I move alot to ease up the transportation of my PC.
Is there any kind of speculative release date on the Steam controller?
If not, I wouldn't wait...I'd go for a readily available, pretty inexpensive 360 pad. You'll probably want one to hand anyway even with a Steam Controller.
Rumours are saying by end of Feb. But if you need one now can't go wrong with the 360 controller. Playstation controllers can be a pain in the ass to setup.
Oh, wow. That soon? I hope it's correct...Looking forward to being able to play mouse-driven games on my "Steam Machine".
Irobot82
Member
What speed is your 8GB of RAM. 8 is usually more than enough. I'd only recomment OC'ing your CPU (get a hyper 212), and lets see. AMD radeon 6900? Is that a 6950 6970 or 6990.
If it's a 6950 or 6970 an R9 280X is a giood upgrade. I like to use toms hierarchy chart.
Link
If it isn't 3 tiers higher it isn't worth the upgrade. If you have a 6990 you have no need to upgrade for a while.
I just took a good look at everything before setting things in stone and that build had a couple of problems.
Most (all?) 250$ motherboards don't support the 4820k without a bios update and the 4820k doesn't come with a cpu cooler. I'm not going to get a 350$ motherboard just for a 10% difference in performance.
So I went with the 3820, which is a tiny bit slower and cheaper, and a 212 EVO.
I'll check for my speed, and i've got a 6950, so I guess the upgrade is good.
What is a Hyper 212? It's a heatsink?
Also I'm really not comfortable with Overclocking, I'm always sure i'm gonna break something by tweaking in. What would be the best Overclock for a i7 950?
Still solid. Good job
Anyone here an expert in NAS? I need to look into some options for work. Needs to be archival quality and large enough to back up 40 years worth of video (seriously)
http://www.drobo.co.uk/products/capacity-calculator/#Drobo5Bay
I'd go with Drobo or Synology. It depends on your budget really, the sky is the limit. Obviously you'll want an off-site backup of everything too for DR purposes.
Do you have cabs? Something rack mounted might be more ideal?
Prophet Steve
Member
The Hyper 212 is a heatsink yes. Also overclocking is pretty easy and safe.
MeBecomingI
Member
Well, unfortunately my lovely motherboard finally croaked on Monday which was incredibly friustrating. I was thinking about upgrading at some point but I kept putting it off because my computer was still pretty decent (and I've been trying to pay off debt...), but it was starting to show some age. So, I needed to replace my motherboard but I figured I may as well upgrade where I can while I have the chance. I couldn't go balls to the wall with expense, so I had to keep it relatively decent though I didn't exactly skimp on my new stuff either. I've always been using AMD processors so I figured I'd keep the tradition going while choosing my new components so in the end I went with...
Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth 990FX R2.0
CPU: AMD FX-8320
RAM: 8GB Corsair Vengeance Low Profile DDR3-1866
Cooling: Corsair Hydro H100i
Current:
GPU: MSI GTX 680 Lightning
PSU: Corsair Gold AX850
Soundcard: ASUS Essence ST
Case: NZXT Phantom
The case and water cooler posed a bit of an issue with the choice of memory I could get because the cooler, where it is mounted at the top of the case, sits over the memory slots and can be an issue with memory with a high profile so I had to go with something good but also low, so I'm not cutting off or bending heatsinks. But, the water cooler will allow me to overclock my 8320 quite nicely which is why I got it.
It should all be here hopefully by Friday.
Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth 990FX R2.0
CPU: AMD FX-8320
RAM: 8GB Corsair Vengeance Low Profile DDR3-1866
Cooling: Corsair Hydro H100i
Current:
GPU: MSI GTX 680 Lightning
PSU: Corsair Gold AX850
Soundcard: ASUS Essence ST
Case: NZXT Phantom
The case and water cooler posed a bit of an issue with the choice of memory I could get because the cooler, where it is mounted at the top of the case, sits over the memory slots and can be an issue with memory with a high profile so I had to go with something good but also low, so I'm not cutting off or bending heatsinks. But, the water cooler will allow me to overclock my 8320 quite nicely which is why I got it.
It should all be here hopefully by Friday.
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