• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

"I Need a New PC!" 2014 Part 1. 1080p and 60FPS is so last-gen and your 2500K is fine

Status
Not open for further replies.

Stubo

Member
Have a look at this

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£164.94 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.24 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£80.00 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£40.31 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card (£204.34 @ Scan.co.uk)
Monitor: LG 23MB35PM-B 60Hz 23.0" Monitor (£136.37 @ Amazon UK)
Other: CoolerMaster Silencio 352 Black Matt Edition USB3 MicroATX Mini-ITX Case (£44.78)
Other: G.Skill 8GB (2x 4GB) Dual Channel Ares Series Memory Kit (DDR3 2133, 11-11-11-30, 1.6v, Intel XMP Extreme Memory Profile Ready) (£55.99)
Other: Crucial CT256MX100SSD1 256GB MX100 SATA 2.5 Inch 7mm SSD Includes 9.5mm Adapter (£74.81)
Other: be quiet! Pure Power L8 630W BN182 Modular 80+ Bronze 12cm Quiet Fan Braided Cables SLi/Xfire (£57.16)
Other: Windows 8 from reddit r/softwareswap (£10.15)
Other: LG 24MP55HQ 24-inch Widescreen IPS LED Monitor (1920 x 1080, 250 cd/m2, 5M:1, 5ms, VGA/DVI-D/HDMI) (£123.99)
Total: £1018.08
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-10 22:28 BST+0100)
I was confused why the price was almost the same, but it looks like you've got 2 monitors listed there?
 

Aeneas

Member
Have a look at this

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£164.94 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.24 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£80.00 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£40.31 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card (£204.34 @ Scan.co.uk)
Monitor: LG 23MB35PM-B 60Hz 23.0" Monitor (£136.37 @ Amazon UK)
Other: CoolerMaster Silencio 352 Black Matt Edition USB3 MicroATX Mini-ITX Case (£44.78)
Other: G.Skill 8GB (2x 4GB) Dual Channel Ares Series Memory Kit (DDR3 2133, 11-11-11-30, 1.6v, Intel XMP Extreme Memory Profile Ready) (£55.99)
Other: Crucial CT256MX100SSD1 256GB MX100 SATA 2.5 Inch 7mm SSD Includes 9.5mm Adapter (£74.81)
Other: be quiet! Pure Power L8 630W BN182 Modular 80+ Bronze 12cm Quiet Fan Braided Cables SLi/Xfire (£57.16)
Other: Windows 8 from reddit r/softwareswap (£10.15)
Other: LG 24MP55HQ 24-inch Widescreen IPS LED Monitor (1920 x 1080, 250 cd/m2, 5M:1, 5ms, VGA/DVI-D/HDMI) (£123.99)
Total: £1018.08
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-10 22:28 BST+0100)

Thank you!
 
One more question...

Im looking at 2 760's
one of them is 2gb Asus for $229
and the other is a 4gb Msi for $249

I might as well go with the 4gb for $20 more, right?

Or is there a difference in build quality that should make me lean towards the Asus?
 

kharma45

Member
I was confused why the price was almost the same, but it looks like you've got 2 monitors listed there?

As was I :lol well spotted!

Thank you!

Here we are again with just the one monitor

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£164.94 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.24 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£80.00 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£40.31 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card (£204.34 @ Scan.co.uk)
Other: CoolerMaster Silencio 352 Black Matt Edition USB3 MicroATX Mini-ITX Case (£44.78)
Other: G.Skill 8GB (2x 4GB) Dual Channel Ares Series Memory Kit (DDR3 2133, 11-11-11-30, 1.6v, Intel XMP Extreme Memory Profile Ready) (£55.99)
Other: Crucial CT256MX100SSD1 256GB MX100 SATA 2.5 Inch 7mm SSD Includes 9.5mm Adapter (£74.81)
Other: be quiet! Pure Power L8 630W BN182 Modular 80+ Bronze 12cm Quiet Fan Braided Cables SLi/Xfire (£57.16)
Other: Windows 8 from reddit r/softwareswap (£10.15)
Other: LG 24MP55HQ 24-inch Widescreen IPS LED Monitor (1920 x 1080, 250 cd/m2, 5M:1, 5ms, VGA/DVI-D/HDMI) (£123.99)
Total: £881.71
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-10 22:57 BST+0100)
 

mkenyon

Banned
Should have been scrapped. 100%.

The performance compared to the cheaper 295X2 is just embarrassing.
From what I understand, the big benefits are for non-gaming stuff.
One more question...

Im looking at 2 760's
one of them is 2gb Asus for $229
and the other is a 4gb Msi for $249

I might as well go with the 4gb for $20 more, right?

Or is there a difference in build quality that should make me lean towards the Asus?
$20, yeah, go for 4GB.

*edit*

Also LOL at the ad at the botom of the page:

YEElk5m.png


Truly a thread about many cultures, yeah?
 

Stubo

Member
From what I understand, the big benefits are for non-gaming stuff.
I don't really have any idea about the non-gaming stuff, but wouldn't a couple of titan blacks in SLI perform better for less? If so that probably only makes it useful for a SFF build which doesn't make sense because it's huge!

I want to believe that I'm missing something.
 

mkenyon

Banned
I don't really have any idea about the non-gaming stuff, but wouldn't a couple of titan blacks in SLI perform better for less? If so that probably only makes it useful for a SFF build which doesn't make sense because it's huge!

I want to believe that I'm missing something.
Nope, because you can fit as many Titan-Zs as you have slots on a computer, and get 12GB of memory per card. It's not like SLI where memory is limited to the amount per GPU.
I feel like the one in the BST thread is probably what I should go with, been pointed that way twice.

Just because I'm still on the fence here AMD wise, what about this for a 780?
The 780 is a beast, and definitely a card that will stand up to games for the next few years. It's that $300-400 price point that I think AMD has larger comparative advantage.
 

Smokey

Member

3 Titan Blacks > Titan Z

I thought about it....but when you can get 3 cards for the same amount well that's the way I went. I think it was the correct choice!

Just because I'm still on the fence here AMD wise, what about this for a 780?

For $60 more you can get a 780Ti + Watch_Dogs from yours truly!
 
I've become obsessed with the idea of getting the desktop back on the desk. No more do I want a build that has to hide underneath. Some of the Mini-ITX cases look good, but I am worried about the workflow for a system that might be under heavy load 20 hours a day and never shut off (just put to sleep. You need some serious cooling, and that drives the size up. Never the less, it¨'s not the size that is the main issue. It's the looks.


This visually looks amazing:

in-win-904-9-1280x1024.jpg


But at 160 Dollars, and room for such skimpy CPU coolers, what is one to do? The little cable management would require someone to be seriously skilled to make it so good looking you are proud of the entire side panel being transparent.



I don't know. I haven't been visually impressed by many cases lately. I feel I am getting tired of Corsairs and Fractal Designs constant iterations. I am ready for something new, yet still sleek and without crappy logos.


But cooling, noise, dust filters, prices. It's a cabala that won't go up it seems.
 

mkenyon

Banned
I've become obsessed with the idea of getting the desktop back on the desk. No more do I want a build that has to hide underneath. Some of the Mini-ITX cases look good, but I am worried about the workflow for a system that might be under heavy load 20 hours a day and never shut off (just put to sleep. You need some serious cooling, and that drives the size up. Never the less, it¨'s not the size that is the main issue. It's the looks.

I don't know. I haven't been visually impressed by many cases lately. I feel I am getting tired of Corsairs and Fractal Designs constant iterations. I am ready for something new, yet still sleek and without crappy logos.
You are speaking my language.

This is an expensive rabbit hole though. You sure you want to go down it?

Lian Li - They have a lot of interesting designs, but the gorgeous brushed aluminum and build quality really sets them apart.


Abee Cases - Would need to import from Japan, which might make them prohibitively expensive. Again, the fit and finish is that of a luxury product.


CaseLabs - The styling on these is really hit or miss for people, but they're more of a blank slate. You can do some pretty amazing things with them.


LD Cooling - From Ljubljana, but there's a couple retailers in the US that have brought the price down by shipping in bulk, like FrozenCPU. I love these very much.


(sometimes) Silverstone - They make the case here and there that is just amazing, but also have a lot of shit. The FT03 and FT05 are particularly impressive, IMO.


In Win has a number of new things like the 901, but they're all stupidly expensive. The In Win Tou is $1000, for example.


Then there's the truly crazy stuff like Steiger Dynamics that get stupid expensive.


But for your concerns about ITX, you really shouldn't have any. The way parts and cases are designed these days means the cooling in an ITX is equal to most mid towers. If you have no plans for a second video card or a sound card, then I think the case you might want to take a look at is the NCase M1.

 

Water

Member
(sometimes) Silverstone - They make the case here and there that is just amazing, but also have a lot of shit. The FT03 and FT05 are particularly impressive, IMO.
I would be more impressed by the FT05 if Silverstone actually sold some and I could start building a system when the 4790Ks go on sale here. :p Still haven't seen much else that I'd be totally happy with. The Enthoo Evolv looks nice, but it's not for sale either and I suspect it will not be very good at keeping noise in check.
 
Do we have a specific date in Devils Canyon? Also is the chip going to be fully functional in a Z87 Impact VI? I read that it will but will I be able to OC on that board?
 

mkenyon

Banned
Do we have a specific date in Devils Canyon? Also is the chip going to be fully functional in a Z87 Impact VI? I read that it will but will I be able to OC on that board?
Yes. Release date is the 25th.
I would be more impressed by the FT05 if Silverstone actually sold some and I could start building a system when the 4790Ks go on sale here. :p Still haven't seen much else that I'd be totally happy with. The Enthoo Evolv looks nice, but it's not for sale either and I suspect it will not be very good at keeping noise in check.
That'll mostly come down to the fans used. It certainly has ample airflow to prevent CPU/GPU coolers from going crazy. You could easily line it with some sound deadening material too.
 

Serandur

Member
Any reason to crossfire R9 290 4GB if only running 1080p on 4.5ghz 2500k?

No good reason, in my opinion. I'm running a similar card (GTX 780) at 1920x1080 and it's overkill, to be honest, unless I'm trying to maintain a perfect 60 FPS with the absolute highest settings on the most demanding games (like Crysis 3 or ubersampling on The Witcher 2).

Edit: Do you have the card yet? Test it first, see if you're happy with performance of a single one firsthand and you'll have your answer. You can always add a second later if you wish, but I doubt you'll want to unless you're driving a 120 Hz monitor or something equally out there. A plain 1080p 60 Hz monitor is no problem with a single card though.
 

Serandur

Member
Someone needs to start a "forever waiting for big Maxwell" support group.

You mean the real big Maxwell or their midrange chips they'll pass off as high-end before unveiling the real thing with at least 50% more of everything with their Titan successor and then their GTX 980? :p
 
Hey guys, I just came back from Microcenter. Got some great deals, and I didn't spend much more than I wanted to. Here's my parts list, would be great to get some feedback before I get building.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($233.97 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($66.50 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($77.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($169.00 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Other: Reddit Windows key ($20.00)
Total: $667.44
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-10 22:29 EDT-0400)

Don't worry about hard drive, that's in there too. What do you guys think? Prices here not really applicable, got most of it cheaper than what's listed.

Thing is, I don't know what OS I want...should I get windows 8 or Windows 7?
 

irishcow

Member
No good reason, in my opinion. I'm running a similar card (GTX 780) at 1920x1080 and it's overkill, to be honest, unless I'm trying to maintain a perfect 60 FPS with the absolute highest settings on the most demanding games (like Crysis 3 or ubersampling on The Witcher 2).

Edit: Do you have the card yet? Test it first, see if you're happy with performance of a single one firsthand and you'll have your answer. You can always add a second later if you wish, but I doubt you'll want to unless you're driving a 120 Hz monitor or something equally out there. A plain 1080p 60 Hz monitor is no problem with a single card though.

Yeah I have the card already. It runs most games max at 60 fps but not all. Not sure why I want one just have an itch to upgrade lol. Not going to get a new monitor because I love gaming on my hdtvs 55" and 47" too nice to switch to a smaller screen.
 
D

Deleted member 22576

Unconfirmed Member
I've become obsessed with the idea of getting the desktop back on the desk. No more do I want a build that has to hide underneath. Some of the Mini-ITX cases look good, but I am worried about the workflow for a system that might be under heavy load 20 hours a day and never shut off (just put to sleep. You need some serious cooling, and that drives the size up. Never the less, it¨'s not the size that is the main issue. It's the looks.

I have an SFF tower I built with this exact mindset and I love it. You do have a more personal connection to the device when its right there in front of you. I wouldn't have it any other way. I do shut my PC off at night occasionally but I like to keep it running most of the time so I can access it when I'm away from the house. Its stable and solid.

But its loud. Its not the type of loud that you hear it and think "Damn thats loud!" but it will start to creep up you after a year or so. Its loud and its right there right next to you.

I'm trying to solve this problem and so far the only solution seems fairly radical in terms of case mods.
 

paskowitz

Member
Just out of curiosity, is there any way to tell if my game performance is being limited by my CPU? I am running an i5 4670k and a GTX770 (Twin Frozer). I play a lot of racing sims (pCARS, Assetto Corsa, etc) and I feel like whenever I race against AI and there is any type of collision (which there often is) I get FPS drops. Also in Watch Dogs I find my performance to be rather disappointing (lots of FPS fluctuations).
 

mkenyon

Banned
Just out of curiosity, is there any way to tell if my game performance is being limited by my CPU? I am running an i5 4670k and a GTX770 (Twin Frozer). I play a lot of racing sims (pCARS, Assetto Corsa, etc) and I feel like whenever I race against AI and there is any type of collision (which there often is) I get FPS drops. Also in Watch Dogs I find my performance to be rather disappointing (lots of FPS fluctuations).
Increasing clock speed and then comparing your performance with benchmarks.

What is it currently clocked at?
 

paskowitz

Member
Increasing clock speed and then comparing your performance with benchmarks.

What is it currently clocked at?

I think I have one of those "bad" chips. I can only manage stable performance at 4.3ghz (1.20v IIRC). I read I should be able to hit a higher clock 4.5-4.8ghz but once I go past 4.4ghz I get periodic crashes. EDIT: I have a Hyper 212 EVO BTW. Max load (at 4.3ghz) temps never go above 72c.

In general, there is a lot of information on how GPU perform in certain games, but very little on how specific CPUs affect specific game performance. Benchmarks pick a CPU and then test multiple GPU, and not vise versa.
 

GaimeGuy

Volunteer Deputy Campaign Director, Obama for America '16
Well my screen became all snowy about 10 minutes ago and isn't stopping. Looks like I'll finally be replacing my Asus G72-GX after ~5 years.... Not sure if I should get a laptop now or a PC (if a PC, I'd need to get a desk as well, or just use my living room coffee table.), or where to start.

Main purpose- Gaming, streaming, watching anime, you know, nerd shit.
 

mkenyon

Banned
I think I have one of those "bad" chips. I can only manage stable performance at 4.3ghz (1.20v IIRC). I read I should be able to hit a higher clock 4.5-4.8ghz but once I go past 4.4ghz I get periodic crashes. EDIT: I have a Hyper 212 EVO BTW. Max load (at 4.3ghz) temps never go above 72c.

In general, there is a lot of information on how GPU perform in certain games, but very little on how specific CPUs affect specific game performance. Benchmarks pick a CPU and then test multiple GPU, and not vise versa.
Well you're about maxed out. There isn't really anywhere to go, CPU-wise, to get better performance in games than the 4670K.
Well my screen became all snowy about 10 minutes ago and isn't stopping. Looks like I'll finally be replacing my Asus G72-GX after ~5 years.... Not sure if I should get a laptop now or a PC (if a PC, I'd need to get a desk as well, or just use my living room coffee table.), or where to start.

Main purpose- Gaming, streaming, watching anime, you know, nerd shit.
New thread up within minutes.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom