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[kharma45]

Rosewill Capstone 550w 80+ Gold Modular PSU w/ 5 year warranty for $50 after rebate at Newegg

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...301&nm_mc=AFC-IR&cm_mmc=AFC-IR-_-na-_-na-_-na

 

[kharma45]

Welp, first PC i'm making, so here's what I'm planning:


---



Budget: $1500-$1800 / USA

Main Use: Gaming (5), Video Editing (5), General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback) (5), Emulation (PS2/Wii) (3), Streaming games in HD (1)

Monitor Resolution: 1080p -- using a Sony TV as a monitor. may or may not use a 2nd screen (don't think i need it with the 60 inch tv i have)

List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Adobe Creative Cloud (Premiere/After Effects/Photoshop), World of Warcraft, Diablo III, Star Trek Online. 30 FPS is acceptable, but 60+ would be ideal.

Need CUDA for the Adobe Premiere enhancements it provides

Looking to reuse any parts?: None, all new.

When will you build?: No deadline, definitely in the next couple months.

Will you be overclocking?: Maybe (This means yes!) -- or Yes.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Dominator 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($370.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 7K2000 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($519.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: D-Link DWA-566 802.11a/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill THRONE-W ATX Full Tower Case ($159.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($120.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer
Total: $1806.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-05 22:17 EST-0500)



A couple of the items I chose, like the WiFi card, I don't really care about the brand, I just chose something to say that I'm planning on getting it.

I've already purchased my i7 4770k for 279 and the Z87-A motherboard for 95 (they were a combo), so the Total Price shown above is a little bit more than what I'm expecting to pay.

I may want to upgrade to a Blu-Ray disc writer at some point, but it isn't necessary right now, but I'll probably at least want something that plays them.

As for the RAM, I'm wishy washy about the brand, as well. I just want a good quality RAM, so Corsair, Crucial, or this thing that my friend said was what he uses: G.SKILL Sniper Gaming Series


Am I on the right path here, or is there something I'm overlooking? I'm obviously shopping around for deals and brands don't matter as much to me as long as they are considered good quality. I'm going to need an aftermarket cooler after all since I guess I've got the processor that's made for overclocking.

Price parts change so what I'd say go for here might not be the best value option when you come to order.

If you're not going to SLI your 780 you don't need as much power.

RAM you can save a bunch of cash on.

I also don't think you'll be needing a full tower case either, a mid tower would be sufficient. I'd swap it to the Define R4 or the NZXT H230. NZXT is around $50 cheaper. If you do feel you need a full tower for whatever reason the Define XL R2 is the same price as the R4.

And again if you're not looking to SLI swap away from that reference 780.

Third party cooler wise for your CPU to overclock either the Hyper 212 or the Corsair H60 if you'd prefer a closed loop water cooler, they look nicer and are easier to install. Take a look at this build

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($299.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($122.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 7K2000 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($102.08 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($489.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: D-Link DWA-566 802.11a/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($47.72 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($107.61 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer ($30.87 @ Amazon)
Total: $1731.20
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-06 04:42 EST-0500)

Edit - Oh wait are you looking to buy only from Newegg?

 

[GianFrom1987]

Here's a link to my review.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R245...etail-glance&nodeID=340831031&store=computers
I love it but I would love for it to have been 16:10.

Thanks! I'm sold

 

[Knch]

Strange, because in his BIOS it says he has the full 8GB. Also, he tried again, and this time he got to the same point, and it didn't BSOD, it straight up just shut down at that spot, and when he booted it back up, it told him Windows didn't install properly, blah blah.

Faults in RAM don't become apparent until something actually tries to use it. The BIOS does some checks on RAM, but none thorough enough to exclude faulty sticks.

Faulty PSUs can also cause some strange behaviour...

 

[onken]

Well I built my PC at last, GA-Z87X-UD3H, 4770k and 780Ti + Windows 8.1. Build went fine, everything runs super smooth - just one problem a lot of games will randomly crash after a certain amount of play

Just Cause 2, Mirror's Edge, New Vegas, Skyrim all just crash with "program has stopped responding" error. I can start them right up again afterwards but I'm a little concerned, event log doesn't give me anything useful and the system is other super stable. Any noob mistakes I could be making?

Looking at GPU-Z logs, seems my graphics card is hitting 82C under load - is this too high?

 

[HiResDes]

What would be the biggest disadvantages of cheaping out on the motherboard on a combo like this

 

[OriginofHysteria]

Alrighty so I ultimately wound up selling my 7950 for $400.

So in looking for a replacement, I was looking at either the GTX 780 or the GTX 770.

The 780 I was looking at was the EVGA GTX 780 SC with the ACX cooler:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130918&clickid=wpQSQEyJgVfsWfO3-PT6n1u4UkTyvdXVUwbbxs0&iradid=97618&ircid=2106&irpid=79301&nm_mc=AFC-IR&cm_mmc=AFC-IR-_-na-_-na-_-na

Can anyone give me some feedback on it? I heard it runs well and is quiet.

I was also looking at the GTX 770 version of that or the ASUS Direct CU II one.


I'm trying to go high-max on my game settings. I currently game at 1080p though an upgrade to 1440p is looming in the near future as well as a dual monitor setup.


Any suggestions?

 

[riflen]

Well I built my PC at last, GA-Z87X-UD3H, 4770k and 780Ti + Windows 8.1. Build went fine, everything runs super smooth - just one problem a lot of games will randomly crash after a certain amount of play

Just Cause 2, Mirror's Edge, New Vegas, Skyrim all just crash with "program has stopped responding" error. I can start them right up again afterwards but I'm a little concerned, event log doesn't give me anything useful and the system is other super stable. Any noob mistakes I could be making?

Looking at GPU-Z logs, seems my graphics card is hitting 82C under load - is this too high?

If several games are having problems, it probably means drivers are to blame. Make one change at a time, so you can keep track of things in case you introduce a new problem.
Make certain you have the latest drivers from Gigabyte for your motherboard, including network and audio.
If this doesn't help, try using the latest WHQL drivers from nvidia for the GPU.
If you get to this point and there's still no joy, I would check the BIOS firmware version you are using on the motherboard and see if there are any more recent releases. The 780Ti is a new card and some motherboards need to be updated to support it properly.

 

[kharma45]

Alrighty so I ultimately wound up selling my 7950 for $400.

So in looking for a replacement, I was looking at either the GTX 780 or the GTX 770.

The 780 I was looking at was the EVGA GTX 780 SC with the ACX cooler:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130918&clickid=wpQSQEyJgVfsWfO3-PT6n1u4UkTyvdXVUwbbxs0&iradid=97618&ircid=2106&irpid=79301&nm_mc=AFC-IR&cm_mmc=AFC-IR-_-na-_-na-_-na

Can anyone give me some feedback on it? I heard it runs well and is quiet.

I was also looking at the GTX 770 version of that or the ASUS Direct CU II one.


I'm trying to go high-max on my game settings. I currently game at 1080p though an upgrade to 1440p is looming in the near future as well as a dual monitor setup.


Any suggestions?

Get the 780, a 770 is a bit of a sideways step.

The 780 is also $10 cheaper with NCIX and you get AC IV for free which Newegg aren't doing http://us.ncix.com/products/?usaffi...=03G-P4-2784-KR&manufacture=eVGA&promoid=1363

If you're looking to go 1440p it's by far the better choice. Great cooler from EVGA and their support is brilliant.

 

[Granadier]

I know steam streaming is on the way. Are there any other good solutions for getting the hdmi feed from upstairs to my tv downstairs? And most importantly for getting a kb/mouse signal back up there?

I'm wondering if hdmi <> cat 5 via a powerine adapter is just a complete non starter, and it still leaves the question of getting control back

I would recommend using HDMI over CAT5 along with USB over CAT5.

 

[KillerDark]

Hey guys, I want to upgrade my computer. My machine is starting to just barely be better than minimum requirements (which I don't like haha)

I currently have (built in June 2010 except I have upgraded the memory and bought the 2 TB HDD):

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 140W Quad-Core Processor
16 GB of RAM: 2x CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-890FXA-UD5 AM3 AMD 890FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
GPU: SAPPHIRE 100281-3SR Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0
PSU : CORSAIR HX Series HX750 750W
Case: Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
HDD: Western Digital WD Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5 and Western Digital WD Green WD20EZRX 2TB IntelliPower 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5

Budget: Around $1500, USA
Main Use: I mainly use my PC for heavy gaming. Some examples of current/future games I will be playing: Borderlands 2, Battlefield 4, Titanfall, Dark Souls 2, Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls, DOTA 2, Witcher 3, Dragon Age Inquisition. I would like to be able to max these games out (or come close to it). I might do some programming (Visual Studio 2013/SQL Server), not sure if I need an i7 for that or not
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080 I guess? Not sure on buying a new monitor... I'm open to the idea but don't really know much about doing so.
Looking to reuse any parts?: Possibly my RAM? Not sure if it would be worthwhile to upgrade or not. Also not sure if I need a new PSU or not? Definitely reusing my 2 TB HDD.
When will you build?: I would like to order within the next week or two.
Will you be overclocking?: I'm open to it, so yes I guess?

I'm thinking about the following parts:

GPU: GIGABYTE GV-N770OC-4GD GeForce GTX 770 4GB
CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K Haswell 3.5GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0
SSD: SAMSUNG 840 EVO MZ-7TE500BW 2.5" 500GB

RAM (Not sure if I need this or not): G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600

Any thoughts or recommendations?

I have two specific questions....

1. Should I get new RAM or is my old RAM just as good?
2. Should I get a new PSU or reuse my old one? Not sure how long they usually last or when its a good idea to get a new one.

 

[OriginofHysteria]

Get the 780, a 770 is a bit of a sideways step.

The 780 is also $10 cheaper with NCIX and you get AC IV for free which Newegg aren't doing http://us.ncix.com/products/?usaffi...=03G-P4-2784-KR&manufacture=eVGA&promoid=1363

If you're looking to go 1440p it's by far the better choice. Great cooler from EVGA and their support is brilliant.

Ah nice, well I'll venture for the 780 then. Yeah I figured that paying an extra 100 bucks for a card like that would be a good investment.

 

[kharma45]

I have two specific questions....

1. Should I get new RAM or is my old RAM just as good?
2. Should I get a new PSU or reuse my old one? Not sure how long they usually last or when its a good idea to get a new one.

1. Old RAM is fine.
2. Old PSU is fine.

 

[kharma45]

What would be the biggest disadvantages of cheaping out on the motherboard on a combo like this

What combo?

As for the motherboard you'll lose power phases, lower quality VRMs and worse cooling on them, lose extra SATA 3 ports, USB3 ports, and have a worse audio card on-board.

 

[BladeSinner]

Can't wait to join PC Gaf!!

Even though the title says 60fps is last gen, can I expect to hit 60fps or higher on all future games at 1080p ultra settings for the next 2 years with a 780? except crysis and stuff like that of course.

 

[kharma45]

Can't wait to join PC Gaf!!

Even though the title says 60fps is last gen, can I expect to hit 60fps or higher on all future games at 1080p ultra settings for the next 2 years with a 780? except crysis and stuff like that of course.

Honest answer. No one knows.

 

[KillerDark]

1. Old RAM is fine.
2. Old PSU is fine.

Thanks!

 

[Smokey]

120hz > 2560X1600 I give in. MK you win
:<|

The 1440p Gsync panels now have my attention. 1080p is too low.

 

[BladeSinner]

Honest answer. No one knows.

Figured as much. I wonder what my reaction is going to be like though. I have both my new pc build and my ps4 waiting for me to pick up at the same time. Will I even want to touch my ps4 after I taste the magic of a new rig? Exciting times!

On a more serious note, Noctua fans are known for being quiet, and relatively low RPM, but in terms of cooling capabilities, are they also superior to "noisy" fans?

 

[thespot84]

i'm thinking about building an HTPC for my parents that would do nothing but sit in a closet and serve media to extenders around the house (chromecast/plex, roku or something or other). It would be running a DVR and use either an hdhomerun or a pci cable tuner for tv. Thinking a small form factor would be nice. any thoughts? ITX? should i be shooting for LGA1150 or can i build something sustainable with less?

 

[kharma45]

Figured as much. I wonder what my reaction is going to be like though. I have both my new pc build and my ps4 waiting for me to pick up at the same time. Will I even want to touch my ps4 after I taste the magic of a new rig? Exciting times!

On a more serious note, Noctua fans are known for being quiet, and relatively low RPM, but in terms of cooling capabilities, are they also superior to "noisy" fans?

Not being unkind but you probably won't since it's pretty barren for games at the minute. Hopefully it'll improve but as much as I like the idea of a new console I can't see me getting one until 2015.

As for the Noctua's apart from being ugly they're great at everything. Are these for your case?

i'm thinking about building an HTPC for my parents that would do nothing but sit in a closet and serve media to extenders around the house (chromecast/plex, roku or something or other). It would be running a DVR and use either an hdhomerun or a pci cable tuner for tv. Thinking a small form factor would be nice. any thoughts? ITX? should i be shooting for LGA1150 or can i build something sustainable with less?

1150, 1155 (although as supply runs out prices will rise) and FM2+ are what you'll be looking at. A nice small ITX from any of those four platforms would be ideal.

 

[KillerDark]

Hey guys, I want to upgrade my computer. My machine is starting to just barely be better than minimum requirements (which I don't like haha)

I currently have (built in June 2010 except I have upgraded the memory and bought the 2 TB HDD):

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 140W Quad-Core Processor
16 GB of RAM: 2x CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-890FXA-UD5 AM3 AMD 890FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
GPU: SAPPHIRE 100281-3SR Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0
PSU : CORSAIR HX Series HX750 750W
Case: Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
HDD: Western Digital WD Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5 and Western Digital WD Green WD20EZRX 2TB IntelliPower 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5

Budget: Around $1500, USA
Main Use: I mainly use my PC for heavy gaming. Some examples of current/future games I will be playing: Borderlands 2, Battlefield 4, Titanfall, Dark Souls 2, Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls, DOTA 2, Witcher 3, Dragon Age Inquisition. I would like to be able to max these games out (or come close to it). I might do some programming (Visual Studio 2013/SQL Server), not sure if I need an i7 for that or not
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080 I guess? Not sure on buying a new monitor... I'm open to the idea but don't really know much about doing so.
Looking to reuse any parts?: Possibly my RAM? Not sure if it would be worthwhile to upgrade or not. Also not sure if I need a new PSU or not? Definitely reusing my 2 TB HDD.
When will you build?: I would like to order within the next week or two.
Will you be overclocking?: I'm open to it, so yes I guess?

I'm thinking about the following parts:

GPU: GIGABYTE GV-N770OC-4GD GeForce GTX 770 4GB
CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K Haswell 3.5GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0
SSD: SAMSUNG 840 EVO MZ-7TE500BW 2.5" 500GB

Any thoughts or recommendations?

Would it be worth going to a GTX 780? If so what's a good model to get?

 

[No Love]

Alrighty so I ultimately wound up selling my 7950 for $400.

So in looking for a replacement, I was looking at either the GTX 780 or the GTX 770.

The 780 I was looking at was the EVGA GTX 780 SC with the ACX cooler:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130918&clickid=wpQSQEyJgVfsWfO3-PT6n1u4UkTyvdXVUwbbxs0&iradid=97618&ircid=2106&irpid=79301&nm_mc=AFC-IR&cm_mmc=AFC-IR-_-na-_-na-_-na

Can anyone give me some feedback on it? I heard it runs well and is quiet.

I was also looking at the GTX 770 version of that or the ASUS Direct CU II one.


I'm trying to go high-max on my game settings. I currently game at 1080p though an upgrade to 1440p is looming in the near future as well as a dual monitor setup.


Any suggestions?

I had the 780 with the ACX cooler. Great card, never went past 66c even overclocked and overvolted. And that was at like 60% fan speed too lol. Quiet as a whisper.

I sold both my 780's and ended up picking up GTX 770 4GB's for SLI for less than the price of one GTX 780... that's the route I'd suggest. After overclocking my 770's to 1.35 Ghz/8.2 Ghz RAM, they're about as fast as stock GTX 780's.

 

[BladeSinner]

As for the Noctua's apart from being ugly they're great at everything. Are these for your case?

Yes case fans and cpu cooler... And potentially for psu cooler as well. Getting the evga Hadron as a chassis, and I want it to be cool and quiet. I don't mind the look of Noctua either, but could totally understand why someone would think they are ugly. Design wise they are polarizing for sure.

 

[kharma45]

Would it be worth going to a GTX 780? If so what's a good model to get?

I'd prefer it over the 770 4GB which I don't see as great value. It's $100 difference though which is a fair jump up.

You can still get reasonable money for your 5870 btw, work selling if you hadn't planned to do that http://www.ebay.com/sch/Graphics-Video-Cards-/27386/i.html?_from=R40&_sop=1&_nkw=5870

Same for your CPU, you'll get a bit for it too and probably the motherboard as well http://www.ebay.com/sch/CPUs-Processors-/164/i.html?_sop=1&_from=R40&_nkw=phenom+965

Yes case fans and cpu cooler... And potentially for psu cooler as well. Getting the evga Hadron as a chassis, and I want it to be cool and quiet. I don't mind the look of Noctua either, but could totally understand why someone would think they are ugly. Design wise they are polarizing for sure.

The stock fans it comes with will likely be sufficient for your needs, unless you want to swap them out. You'll not need a PSU cooler either.

 

[- J - D -]

XFX Pro 850w Black Edition PSU on sale for $115 AR at NCIX.

http://us.ncix.com/products/?usaffi...vpn=P1-850B-BEFX&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1363

Thought I'd mention it since apparently it's a rebranded Seasonic psu and is pretty good, especially at that price. Unless there's something particularly odious about the XFX brand, I'm biting on this deal. Need to replace my old Antec TPQ 850w. The coil whine from that thing is truly grating and one of the modular outlets on it isn't working. It's too bad, because it has a really awesome race stripe design on it.

 

[thespot84]

1150, 1155 (although as supply runs out prices will rise) and FM2+ are what you'll be looking at. A nice small ITX from any of those four platforms would be ideal.

Thx. I'm not sure if any of the services will require transcoding (ffmpeg or something). if they do what should I be looking for? is that gpu or cpu intensive and are more cores better?

 

[kharma45]

XFX Pro 850w Black Edition PSU on sale for $115 AR at NCIX.

http://us.ncix.com/products/?usaffi...vpn=P1-850B-BEFX&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1363

Thought I'd mention it since apparently it's a rebranded Seasonic psu and is pretty good, especially at that price. Unless there's something particularly odious about the XFX brand, I'm biting on this deal. Need to replace my old Antec TPQ 850w. The coil whine from that thing is truly grating and one of the modular outlets on it isn't working. It's too bad, because it has a really awesome race stripe design on it.

It's a great PSU and the price is pretty good. If you're running a single GPU though you don't need that much power, 550w is plenty and there's a great deal on a Rosewill Capstone atm for $50. If you're running multi GPU then go for the XFX.

 

[- J - D -]

It's a great PSU and the price is pretty good. If you're running a single GPU though you don't need that much power, 550w is plenty and there's a great deal on a Rosewill Capstone atm for $50. If you're running multi GPU then go for the XFX.

Definitely. It's a bit much if you don't need that much wattage, but I'll be doing an SLI setup at some point in the near future.

Was deciding between this one and the Corsair HX, which I originally thought were Seasonic units, but apparently those are only for the AX series. Corsair's wide naming variation for their stuff is confusing sometimes. AX, AXi, HX, RM, TX, CX etc etc.

 

[KillerDark]

I'd prefer it over the 770 4GB which I don't see as great value. It's $100 difference though which is a fair jump up.

You can still get reasonable money for your 5870 btw, work selling if you hadn't planned to do that http://www.ebay.com/sch/Graphics-Video-Cards-/27386/i.html?_from=R40&_sop=1&_nkw=5870

Same for your CPU, you'll get a bit for it too and probably the motherboard as well http://www.ebay.com/sch/CPUs-Processors-/164/i.html?_sop=1&_from=R40&_nkw=phenom+965

Awesome, thank you. I think I am going to go with the 780 then. I had no idea what to do with my old parts so I appreciate that. Is there a certain 780 model that's better than the others or that you would recommend?

 

[mkenyon]

Just scored a stupid good deal on a LD PC-V7. Going to pick it up Saturday!

Awesome, thank you. I think I am going to go with the 780 then. I had no idea what to do with my old parts so I appreciate that. Is there a certain 780 model that's better than the others or that you would recommend?

I think the EVGA Classified is worth it. Or MSI Lightning.

 

[Edvardelis]

The 780 is also $10 cheaper with NCIX and you get AC IV for free which Newegg aren't doing http://us.ncix.com/products/?usaffi...=03G-P4-2784-KR&manufacture=eVGA&promoid=1363

I got my Gigabyte GTX 780 off of NewEgg and got AC IV with it. They even listed it as $60 in the shopping cart with a $60 discount. Note that it uses UbiSoft's "store" and uPlay, so if you've already got Steam (and maybe Origin) installed it's yet another thing to keep track of.

 

[Tom Penny]

Any good upgrade to my aging but still kicking GTX 460 video card for under $200?

 

[mkenyon]

120hz > 2560X1600 I give in. MK you win
:<|

The 1440p Gsync panels now have my attention. 1080p is too low.

Hahaha, I missed this on my first scan this morning.

I knew you weren't bad at games.

Any good upgrade to my aging but still kicking GTX 460 video card for under $200?

650 Ti Boost, though I'd really suggest going $50 higher for the 760. Much much better performance for the money.

Look at the comparisons here.

 

[mrklaw]

So this will be my computer and I will order half of the hardware tomorrow.

The thing is, don't i also need to buy something for it to have WiFi? And what do I need to buy to control my movie media center (Plex) with my tv remote control?

Also my most important question; can I put on a HD movie on the HDTV while still doing something else on my PC monitor with my set-up?

Because that would make me sell my Mac Mini.

For remote controlling plex, two options

1) iPad/tablets. install plex and you can browse your collection and start playback on any PC running the plex client - with the added bonus that you can watch on the tablet too

2) pulse eight HDMI CEC adapter. Connects to your TV and PC and lets you use your TVs remote, and the inputs are converted and sent over USB to your PC where they can control the plex HT client.

 

[mkenyon]

Also, I will soon be posting a parts list based on this case and need your advice on it at at that time. I already bought some parts at Microcenter including a 4770k, GA-Z87N WiFi motherboard, and 16 gigs of Ballistix low profile Ram. I was kind of going for a cross between what your build offered and what the Beta Steam Machines offered. I will probably end up spending 1500.00+ on it. I want to future proof it as much as possible. It will be used for PC gaming, Dolphin emulation, as well as streaming through Playon and Plex.

Already setup then pretty much. Just need a cooler and a videocard, and you're pretty much set.

 

[justsomeguy]

Sorry for the FAQ but at what temps do I start worrying about my GPU (an MSI R9 270 Twin Frozr Gaming edition).

I was running the Heaven gpu test with the card at 975MHz, and stopped it when the temp kept climbing up past 70. I know 70 is okay as a "stable" temperature, but it wasn't showing any sign of stopping rising.

In regular play of the Witcher 3 and clocked at 975, it's hovering around 68/69 degrees, which is happy territory.

Shameless self bump as nobody answered a few days back, and the USA appear to be waking up...

 

[Smokey]

Shameless self bump as nobody answered a few days back, and the USA appear to be waking up...

Nothing to worry about in the 70 range. Even low to med 80s is OK with an overclock, but your room will probably get warm. 90+ is when you should be concerned.

 

[mkenyon]

Shameless self bump as nobody answered a few days back, and the USA appear to be waking up...

You shouldn't worry about it. Only worry if it goes past 90.

 

[kharma45]

Definitely. It's a bit much if you don't need that much wattage, but I'll be doing an SLI setup at some point in the near future.

Was deciding between this one and the Corsair HX, which I originally thought were Seasonic units, but apparently those are only for the AX series. Corsair's wide naming variation for their stuff is confusing sometimes. AX, AXi, HX, RM, TX, CX etc etc.

Yeah with Corsair's range you do have to do some research.

Awesome, thank you. I think I am going to go with the 780 then. I had no idea what to do with my old parts so I appreciate that. Is there a certain 780 model that's better than the others or that you would recommend?

There are the ones mkenyon suggested but it all depends on what you want to pay.

I got my Gigabyte GTX 780 off of NewEgg and got AC IV with it. They even listed it as $60 in the shopping cart with a $60 discount. Note that it uses UbiSoft's "store" and uPlay, so if you've already got Steam (and maybe Origin) installed it's yet another thing to keep track of.

They seem to be OOS of the codes.

Any good upgrade to my aging but still kicking GTX 460 video card for under $200?

660 for $180 (this also includes AC IV) http://us.ncix.com/products/?usaffi...TX660-DC2O-2GD5&manufacture=ASUS&promoid=1363 or 650 Ti Boost for $165.http://www.bestbuy.com/site/galaxy-...3471.p?id=1218928774584&skuId=8873471&cmp=RMX

I'd agree about the 760 though. It'd be worth saving a bit more and going for it.

 

[justsomeguy]

You shouldn't worry about it. Only worry if it goes past 90.

Legend, thanks.

 

[kharma45]

Shameless self bump as nobody answered a few days back, and the USA appear to be waking up...

I could've sworn I did but yeah keep below 90. 85c is always my ideal max for a 7xxx card.

 

[justsomeguy]

Nothing to worry about in the 70 range. Even low to med 80s is OK with an overclock, but your room will probably get warm. 90+ is when you should be concerned.

Thanks mate. My house is so cold that's a benefit &#55357;&#56835;

 

[davepoobond]

Thanks for the info kharma.

Price parts change so what I'd say go for here might not be the best value option when you come to order.

If you're not going to SLI your 780 you don't need as much power.

i guess the idea i had would be that it is the first upgrade i do to the computer -- just throw in the second card in a couple of years to make the machine better.

is it not worth doing?

RAM you can save a bunch of cash on.

cool, thanks for the suggestion here.

I also don't think you'll be needing a full tower case either, a mid tower would be sufficient. I'd swap it to the Define R4 or the NZXT H230. NZXT is around $50 cheaper. If you do feel you need a full tower for whatever reason the Define XL R2 is the same price as the R4.

i guess most of the reason why i chose that one is cause i like the look of it. i'm okay with spending more on the case since that is re-usable down the line.

are there any technical reasons i should get a smaller tower? does heat dissipate better or something?

And again if you're not looking to SLI swap away from that reference 780.

Third party cooler wise for your CPU to overclock either the Hyper 212 or the Corsair H60 if you'd prefer a closed loop water cooler, they look nicer and are easier to install. Take a look at this build

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($299.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($122.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 7K2000 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($102.08 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($489.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: D-Link DWA-566 802.11a/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($47.72 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($107.61 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer ($30.87 @ Amazon)
Total: $1731.20
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-06 04:42 EST-0500)

thank you for this, i'll definitely take a deeper look at what you listed. i only bought 2 pieces so far, so i'm still flexible here.

Edit - Oh wait are you looking to buy only from Newegg?

no, i just thought it'd be easier to see what things they were if they were all just at Newegg. Right now, i'm shopping around at Newegg/Amazon/Fry's Elecronics. There's a Micro Center around here, but they seemed to only have a good price on the processor and motherboard (which I've bought).

 

[Dawg]

What's a good PSU choice for the Bitfenix Prodigy?

Has to power:

1x SSD 256GB
GTX 770 OC
i5-4670K OC'd (4,5Ghz)
2x4GB RAM DDR3 1333mhz
Noctua CPU-cooler

Has to be:

very quiet (this is the most important part)
less than €100
has to fit Bitfenix Prodigy (mITX), the smaller the better

 

[mkenyon]

What's a good PSU choice for the Bitfenix Prodigy?

Has to power:

1x SSD 256GB
GTX 770 OC
i5-4670K OC'd (4,5Ghz)
2x4GB RAM DDR3 1333mhz
Noctua CPU-cooler

Has to be:

very quiet (this is the most important part)
less than &#8364;100
has to fit Bitfenix Prodigy (mITX), the smaller the better

I'd recommend the ones from the SFF Guide - third post in the OP.

*edit*

To be specific, the Seasonic G Series 650.

 

[Dawg]

I'd recommend the ones from the SFF Guide - third post in the OP.

*edit*

To be specific, the Seasonic G Series 650.

So... this one: http://www.videokaartshop.be/product/310648/category-207253-voedingen/seasonic-g-serie-650w.html

Any reason not to go for the 550w one? It's a tad cheaper and I feel like 550w would already be plenty.

 

[kharma45]

So... this one: http://www.videokaartshop.be/product/310648/category-207253-voedingen/seasonic-g-serie-650w.html

Any reason not to go for the 550w one? It's a tad cheaper and I feel like 550w would already be plenty.

If the 550w is cheaper go for it. Still plenty of power as you say.

 

[mkenyon]

If the 550w is cheaper go for it. Still plenty of power as you say.

Yep. Always forget there is one, as at that wattage the Antec BP550 is such a better deal. But it's definitely not as quiet.

 

[Dawg]

Thanks guys, ordered one.

Now I pretty much have the entire enthusiast build from your Prodigy build, mkenyon. Really loving the Asus VI Impact motherboard (first Asus board ever)