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[mkenyon]

Budget: $2200, USA

Main Use: Video editing in Sony Vegas Pro 12 making documentaries, moderately complex 2D/simple 3D graphics in Adobe After Effects CS6, and image editing in Photoshop CS6. Video games will not be played on this machine.

Monitor Resolution: Two 1920x1080 monitors.
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: CUDA-acceleration in After Effects, and OpenGL or CUDA acceleration in Vegas.
When will you build?: About a week from now. Next weekend.
Will you be overclocking?: Yes, probably to somewhere between 4.2GHz and 4.5GHz.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2P2og

CPU: Intel Core i7-4930K 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($549.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.24 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus P9X79 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($243.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($283.94 @ Amazon)
OS /Programs: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.99 @ Amazon)
RAID 0: Hitachi Deskstar NAS 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($129.99 @ Newegg)
RAID 0: Hitachi Deskstar NAS 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($129.99 @ Newegg)
RAID 0: Hitachi Deskstar NAS 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 4GB Video Card ($289.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2131.08

Will carry over PCI-e video capture card and Blu-Ray Drive from old computer.
Thinking of replacing case fans with 2 or 4 Noctua NF-P14 FLX.

A lot of those NAS HDDs have specific firmware that works with NAS arrays. I'd do some googling on that model before you settle on it.

Looks great otherwise. Only thing is that I know Vegas works much better with AMD GPUs in terms of additional render power. When I was encoding some of our T:A matches in Vegas, the time would be cut in half using a 7970 along with a 2500K @ 5.0 GHz.

 

[DarkFlow]

So the Fry's near me will price match the Microcenter $179 i5-4670k. Love me some price match.

 

[NoRéN]

What's a good price to sell a MSI twin Frozr 7850?

 

[mkenyon]

What's a good price to sell a MSI twin Frozr 7850?

I generally base my prices off of what they're selling for on Overclock.net's marketplace.

$100-120 seems about right.

 

[mercenar1e]

this will be my new case.. i need something shorter than my current Corsair 650D

NZXT H440
http://www.nzxt.com/product/detail/143-h440-performance-mid-tower.html

 

[mkenyon]

Yeah, it's a really really nice case. If you haven't watched it, check out the OC3D.tv review.

 

[NoRéN]

I generally base my prices off of what they're selling for on Overclock.net's marketplace.

$100-120 seems about right.

Thank you. Also, site bookmarked.

 

[kharma45]

Thank you. Also, site bookmarked.

There is one on eBay with 18-19 hours to go at around $120, worth keeping an eye on.

 

[kennah]

I spend too much time there, dreaming, hoping.

 

[maneil99]

Yeah I was planning on doing that after reading up on it. Any source on where to d.l the bios?

http://www.overclock.net/t/1393791/official-nvidia-gtx-780-owners-club
might look scary but its really simple and pretty safe, EVGA even allows it. It was my first time too


This is the Bios I used http://www.overclock.net/t/1393791/official-nvidia-gtx-780-owners-club



Boost 2.0 disabled - the card runs at the clocks you set it to
.
Voltage is adjustable up to 1.2125V
.
Default power target = 350W (so there should be no more need to adjust it manually per software, EVGA classified vbios is set higher)
.
Fan speed adjustable up to 100%
.
Clocks are stock, card idles normally at 2d voltage

'rev03' adds undervolting capabilities



Not sure if the lightning allows over 1.2v like most NVidia cards bar the High end EVGA Classified but this allows a little more voltage.

 

[Lexxism]

Damn. I didn't know that memex give a 25% difference after price-match! Looks like I will buy from them instead of Ncix but Antec Basiq, 200R and Crucial M500 are out of stock

 

[jd78]

I was hoping to get some feedback... I currently use a 2013 15" Retina Macbook Pro (2.3 GHz i7, 16GB RAM, 2GB GT 750M GPU, 512GB SSD) and have been using boot camp for PC games. I have recently considered building a ITX sized PC for solely gaming, but don't want to spend too much cash on it. Here is the build that I have come up with so far:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2P7sC
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2P7sC/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2P7sC/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($116.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Hitachi Travelstar Z7K500 500GB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R7 260X 2GB Video Card ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone SG05W-LITE Mini ITX Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 350W 80+ Certified SFX Power Supply ($48.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $589.91
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-07 18:23 EST-0500)

My concern is that I might be going too cheap (especially on the CPU), but at the same time I don't want to spend too much money on a gaming only machine. Would this build provide a significant performance increase over my Macbook? Also open to other part suggestions as long as it's close in price.

 

[kharma45]

I was hoping to get some feedback... I currently use a 2013 15" Retina Macbook Pro (2.3 GHz i7, 16GB RAM, 2GB GT 750M GPU, 512GB SSD) and have been using boot camp for PC games. I have recently considered building a ITX sized PC for solely gaming, but don't want to spend too much cash on it. Here is the build that I have come up with so far:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2P7sC
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2P7sC/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2P7sC/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($116.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Hitachi Travelstar Z7K500 500GB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R7 260X 2GB Video Card ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone SG05W-LITE Mini ITX Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 350W 80+ Certified SFX Power Supply ($48.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $589.91
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-07 18:23 EST-0500)

My concern is that I might be going too cheap (especially on the CPU), but at the same time I don't want to spend too much money on a gaming only machine. Would this build provide a significant performance increase over my Macbook? Also open to other part suggestions as long as it's close in price.

By the looks of it you can put a 3.5" drive in there, so look to swap the HDD to the WD 1TB Blue from the OP.

GPU wise you might be able to get a 7850 at a decent price up above if you're not averse to going used. It'd be a lot more potent than a 260X.

You can change to a cheaper motherboard like an H81 or a B85 over a Z87 to save cash.

A case like the Cooler Master Elite 110 could be an option too, it'd let you use an ATX PSU rather than a SFF one but it does jut out and you're limited to shorter GPUs (I think it's up to 8.26").

The 130 can take longer ones

Elite 110

110 vs 130

mkenyon is the SFF expert though. He'll no doubt have some good ideas. In the mean time I'd direct you to his section on it from the OP http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=95808604&postcount=3

 

[fuzzylogic]

If you're doing CUDA work would a better card/higher clock be of benefit?

Yes, there would be benefit, but my coworker selected that one, based on price and a Vegas benchmark I found on AnAndTech. mkenyon brought it to my attention that AMD cards are much better in Vegas, and the AnAndTech benchmark agrees. So, now I think I'll ask him in which program he values performance more.

A lot of those NAS HDDs have specific firmware that works with NAS arrays. I'd do some googling on that model before you settle on it.

Looks great otherwise. Only thing is that I know Vegas works much better with AMD GPUs in terms of additional render power. When I was encoding some of our T:A matches in Vegas, the time would be cut in half using a 7970 along with a 2500K @ 5.0 GHz.

Note: I'm building this for my coworker. Yes, I've suggested he have a pro do it Still wants me to do it. Hopefully I don't fail. I've built my own computer, so I can do that part, but component selection is tricky.

The toughest time I've had is figuring out which drives to use, and which video card to get. Do you know of any better benchmarks than AnandTech's one, single Vegas benchmark? It suggests AMD is much better in Vegas, but then After Effects' ray-tracing engine only seems to support CUDA. And my coworker wants GPU acceleration in AE. But I think he'd be better off with an AMD card, as he'll do 100% of the editing in Vegas, but I wouldn't be surprised if he hired someone to do the graphics for him; he's not a professional graphic designer

Yeah, I think I'll recommend he switches to an AMD GPU. I'll look into the hard drive situation more. According to reviews I've read, it seems as people are using them fine in RAID set ups, but they're not clear about it. More research required, sigh...

Anyways, thanks, mkenyon. Don't know why I got so set on a Nvidia GPU for Vegas.

 

[kharma45]

Yes, there would be benefit, but my coworker selected that one, based on price and a Vegas benchmark I found on AnAndTech. mkenyon brought it to my attention that AMD cards are much better in Vegas, and the AnAndTech benchmark agrees. So, now I think I'll ask him in which program he values performance more.

Yeah for Vegas AMD is better and Photoshop supports AMD GPUs for most rendering. Exclusions are on their site. Worth looking in to any way even with the price gouging.

 

[jd78]

By the looks of it you can put a 3.5" drive in there, so look to swap the HDD to the WD 1TB Blue from the OP.

GPU wise you might be able to get a 7850 at a decent price up above if you're not averse to going used. It'd be a lot more potent than a 260X.

You can change to a cheaper motherboard like an H81 or a B85 over a Z87 to save cash.

A case like the Cooler Master Elite 110 could be an option too, it'd let you use an ATX PSU rather than a SFF one but it does jut out and you're limited to shorter GPUs (I think it's up to 8.26").

The 130 can take longer ones

Elite 110

110 vs 130

Thanks for the input.

I probably wouldn't go 1TB for the HDD as I won't need that much space. As for the motherboard, I can't seem to find a H81 or B85 that has built in WiFi and that's kind of a must for me. I could do a add on card, but at that point the cost difference is insignificant.

Overall though, is this build a significant increase (performance wise) over my Macbook? I guess significant enough to spend $600 for a gaming only pc?

 

[RadarScope1]

Anyone ITT ever messed around with an Intel NUC? It intrigues me to no end. I'd like to get one for indie games, stuff from GOG.com and emulation. If the Intel HD integrated graphics card is good enough to run a few big games or older 3D titles at 720p then that's just gravy. I have my consoles for AAA 3D games.

There's one on sale at Amazon with the Intel HD 4400 IGP for $160. Still have to buy and HDD and RAM, though.

 

[Terbinator]

Overall though, is this build a significant increase (performance wise) over my Macbook? I guess significant enough to spend $600 for a gaming only pc?

Haven't read the rest of your posts (sorry) but i'm going to go with yes.

Just jumped on the ITX bandwagon myself with an ASRock H81 board and dropped a Xeon 1230-V3 in there and the CM 130. Case is a little larger than i'd like but very few are small and can fit a Titan in.

Scores higher in 3DMark 11 than my old GENE-Z/i7 3770K and Futuremarks stock i7 4770/Titan PC by 500 points lol.

Anyone ITT ever messed around with an Intel NUC? It intrigues me to no end. I'd like to get one for indie games, stuff from GOG.com and emulation. If the Intel HD integrated graphics card is good enough to run a few big games or older 3D titles at 720p then that's just gravy. I have my consoles for AAA 3D games.

There's one on sale at Amazon with the Intel HD 4400 IGP for $160. Still have to buy and HDD and RAM, though.

Is a Kaveri chip just not a better option?

 

[kennah]

Anyone ITT ever messed around with an Intel NUC? It intrigues me to no end. I'd like to get one for indie games, stuff from GOG.com and emulation. If the Intel HD integrated graphics card is good enough to run a few big games or older 3D titles at 720p then that's just gravy. I have my consoles for AAA 3D games.

There's one on sale at Amazon with the Intel HD 4400 IGP for $160. Still have to buy and HDD and RAM, though.

That's a hell of a deal and would be enough to run older stuff at 720P I wager. you can barely find an i5 for $160, nevermind the NUC Box.

They get recommended here from time to time for 'grandma' machines. Great for browsing and general use because of the SSD and all being SO GOD DAMN FAST. I think anyone would be pretty happy with dropping $160 on one.

Is a Kaveri chip just not a better option?

The NUCs are 4" square. There really isn't much of anything smaller yet.

 

[Azzurri]

I hope we here some new info on the GTX 790.

 

[Horsemama1956]

Damn, feels weird. This will be the first time in years I don't have AMD anything in my PC. Just getting ready to install my new i5-4670K and sold my 7870 for profit after buying a 660ti for 150 a few weeks ago.

I wonder how much it's going to smash my overclocked FX6300, lol.

 

[Firest0rm]

[Resolved]

First time upgrading a computer my self and I've been having a bad experience. I've essentially upgraded everything except the hard drive, DVD RW and the case.

Here's what I got:

Gigabyte 970A-UD3P Motherboard
AMD FX-8350 4.0 GHz Black Edition
Sapphire HD 7870
G.Skill Sniper 8 GB (2 x 4Gb) - F3-1490CL9D-8GBSR

The computer turns on, but there's no beep and no signal to the monitor. I've done everything frmo removing every component and reinstalling (except the CPU). I've tried removing the RAM and turning it on too, same thing. It turns on, the fans run and I can hear the harddrive working. But that's it. No signal to the monitor.

I'm going to take it into a store tomorrow ask for help. Anyone have any ideas of things to check/do before I go tomorrow?

 

[MidgarBlowedUp]

It suggests AMD is much better in Vegas, but then After Effects' ray-tracing engine only seems to support CUDA.

NVM...

stick a Titan in the rig and run Linux to enable full FP64 performance on the card.
So if he does need to do any major 3D rendering in something like Maya just dual boot to Linux.
Still won't help with Vegas though.

 

[KillerDark]

I think I have my build figured out:

GPU: GeForce GTX 780 3GB
CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K Haswell 3.5GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core
SSD: SAMSUNG 840 EVO MZ-7TE500BW 2.5" 500GB
Mobo: Gigabyte UD4H
Case: Fractal R4
Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120 mm PWM Fan

Reusing:

PSU: CORSAIR HX Series HX750 750W
RAM: 2x CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
HDD: Western Digital WD Green WD20EZRX 2TB IntelliPower 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5

Bought everything! Can't wait to get everything and build it

 

[kennah]

... No. It doesn't work like that.

 

[Enthus]

How much wattage should my PSU be for crossfired R9 290 Direct CU II's?

 

[LiquidMetal14]

THE MEN

ARE ABOUT TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE BOYS

 

[RadarScope1]

I just pulled the trigger on the NUC! $160 for the base unit was too good to pass up. Mainly going to be an indie and retro machine for me. I'm actually in no hurry to set it up so I will wait for some flash sales of an SSD and RAM to flesh it out, and get the cheapest version of Win 7. I'll need a couch compatible kb/m setup, too, though I'll use a controller much of the time.

I'm a complete and total PC gaming noob so this is a nice little stater machine for me.

 

[- J - D -]

THE MEN

ARE ABOUT TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE BOYS

 

[Pachimari]

Guys, I really need your help. Is this the one I should go with, if I want a GTX 780?

 

[adamantypants]

THE MEN

ARE ABOUT TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE BOYS

I've just wet myself. I love how the keyboard is basically an afterthought with those other two monsters in there.

 

[DarkFlow]

Sooooo I went to Fry's today, just thinking I was going to price stuff, then this happened...

Yeah, also not pictured is a Asus RT-AC68R, 1TB HDD and some other random crap. My wallet took a hit today lol.

 

[riflen]

THE MEN

ARE ABOUT TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE BOYS

itshappening.gif

Prepare to be CPU limited.

 

[riflen]

First time upgrading a computer my self and I've been having a bad experience. I've essentially upgraded everything except the hard drive, DVD RW and the case.

Here's what I got:

Gigabyte 970A-UD3P Motherboard
AMD FX-8350 4.0 GHz Black Edition
Sapphire HD 7870
G.Skill Sniper 8 GB (2 x 4Gb) - F3-1490CL9D-8GBSR

The computer turns on, but there's no beep and no signal to the monitor. I've done everything frmo removing every component and reinstalling (except the CPU). I've tried removing the RAM and turning it on too, same thing. It turns on, the fans run and I can hear the harddrive working. But that's it. No signal to the monitor.

I'm going to take it into a store tomorrow ask for help. Anyone have any ideas of things to check/do before I go tomorrow?

You probably need to update your motherboard firmware, as it says on this page in red:

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4717#ov

 

[Pachimari]

I have updated my list - can somebody tell me, if I have picked the right GTX 780?
And will these Kingston 2x8GB RAM do?

Have bought:

Case - [BOUGHT]
Fractal R4 (796 DKK = $144)

Storage - [BOUGHT]
WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB (400 DKK = $73)

Power Supply - [BOUGHT]
Sea Sonic G Series 550 (714 DKK = $129)

Optical Drive - [BOUGHT]
SATA DVD Burner (148 DKK = $27)

Heatsink - [BOUGHT]
Corsair H60 (488 DKK = $90)


-------------------------
NEXT UP:

CPU
i5 4670K 4C/4T (1.630 DKK = $296)

Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-Z87X-UD3H (1.146 DKK = $208)

RAM
Kingston ValueRAM (16GB) (1.119 DKK = $204)

SSD
Samsung 840 EVO 120GB (603 DKK = $111)

Video Card
GTX 780 3GB (3.387 DKK = $619)

 

[DarkFlow]

I have updated my list - can somebody tell me, if I have picked the right GTX 780?
And will these Kingston 2x8GB RAM do?

There's not really a wrong one I think. Just find one you like, and go for it. I just got this one cause I like the windforce cooler. http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4673#ov

 

[Pachimari]

There's not really a wrong one I think. Just find one you like, and go for it. I just got this one cause I like the windforce cooler. http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4673#ov

Alrighty. I'm just gonna stick to everything I have chosen in my list above then, and see if it'll work out. First time building a rig.

 

[Thorgal]

THE MEN

ARE ABOUT TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE BOYS

Suddenly, my 780 ti classified is feeling a bit lonely


On a related note , the card temperature limit is currently at 82 °C.
Is there any reason why i should not crank that even higher like 90°C ?

 

[DarkFlow]

Since I'm kinda new to the overclocking game, I'm not sure what are good temps. When getting the crap beat out of it under Prime95 with a 4.2Ghz OC, the 4670K is sitting around 71C. When it's playing a game it's in the 50's, and idle it's at 30C.

 

[Lexxism]

1. No idea. It was just the cheapest stuff. Go for the Patriot stuff if colour matters.

2. Both are good and fast enough in day to day use. Evo is quicker but I doubt you'd notice.

3. Install through USB.

4. Either go IPS at the lower end or 120/144Hz at the higher end.

Thanks again for your help. I really appreciate it. I already ordered most of it while Corsair 200R, Antec Basiq and Crucial M500 are still OOS.

 

[Firest0rm]

You probably need to update your motherboard firmware, as it says on this page in red:

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4717#ov

Hey thanks! I took out the FX and put in my old Phenom CPU and it worked. Gonna update the motherboard firmware. Hopefully no issues after this!

 

[Blak_Status]

Rosewill Hive 650W Bronze is on sale for $50 at Newegg. Just giving everyone a heads up. Probably going to grab one for my new build.

 

[KTT]

I'm thinking (strongly) about building a new PC sometime before the end of May. The last PC I had (built in late 07 IIRC) had the following specs:

CPU: Q6600 @ 2.4GHz (didn't overclock)
GPU: HD 2900 Pro
RAM: DDR2 800 RAM (I think I had 4gb, not 2gb)


And if I build a new one, I'll probably get something along the lines of a:
CPU: 4670k (I've got a MicroCenter right by my house),
GPU: between $150-$200
RAM: 8GB DDR3 RAM, etc.

Obviously I'm not 100% set on any of the parts yet. I've just started seriously considering a new build over the past week or two.

Anyway, what I'm looking for is a rough estimate as to how much of an increase this will be from my last machine. I remember being blown away after building that first one. I got REALLY into PC hardware for a while there, but I've been out of the game for a long time and haven't been keeping up with the latest developments. Will I be blown away again? Are there some charts/graphs I should be taking a look at? Or was '07 so long ago that there aren't really any good comparisons between the two eras?

 

[Jibbed]

HELP!

Since rebuilding my PC in a new case (Fractal Design R4), my CPU temps have increased at both idle and load at about +10C. Idle is now 35-45, and as I speak I'm rendering a video at 75-80C (normally 55-65 for this task).

i7-2600K @4.5GHz, Corsair H50 cooler.

All of the components are pushing 3 years old now.. is this normal or should I reapply the thermal paste again?

Edit: Still rendering this video and the temps are now changing quite erratically from 60-80C in 1s intervals...

 

[Terbinator]

HELP!

Since rebuilding my PC in a new case (Fractal Design R4), my CPU temps have increased at both idle and load at about +10C. Idle is now 35-45, and as I speak I'm rendering a video at 75-80C (normally 55-65 for this task).

i7-2500K @4.5GHz, Corsair H50 cooler.

All of the components are pushing 3 years old now.. is this normal or should I reapply the thermal paste again?

Seems like the cooler isn't fitted properly. Reseat the cooler and paste and see if it drops back to where it was before hand. Could be that the H50 fluid/pump have had their best days, too.

 

[Jibbed]

Seems like the cooler isn't fitted properly. Reseat the cooler and paste and see if it drops back to where it was before hand. Could be that the H50 fluid/pump have had their best days, too.

Possibly, I was careful to make sure it was done properly but I guess there's a chance it's not quite right.

Mhmm, I would say the same about the H50 but the relatively sudden change makes me think the pump itself isn't the issue.

 

[OriginofHysteria]

HELP!

Since rebuilding my PC in a new case (Fractal Design R4), my CPU temps have increased at both idle and load at about +10C. Idle is now 35-45, and as I speak I'm rendering a video at 75-80C (normally 55-65 for this task).

i7-2600K @4.5GHz, Corsair H50 cooler.

All of the components are pushing 3 years old now.. is this normal or should I reapply the thermal paste again?

Edit: Still rendering this video and the temps are now changing quite erratically from 60-80C in 1s intervals...

Hmm 35-45 idle is normal for me and I have an h80i.

 

[maneil99]

HELP!

Since rebuilding my PC in a new case (Fractal Design R4), my CPU temps have increased at both idle and load at about +10C. Idle is now 35-45, and as I speak I'm rendering a video at 75-80C (normally 55-65 for this task).

i7-2600K @4.5GHz, Corsair H50 cooler.

All of the components are pushing 3 years old now.. is this normal or should I reapply the thermal paste again?

Edit: Still rendering this video and the temps are now changing quite erratically from 60-80C in 1s intervals...

Could very well be the thermal paste but TBH video rendering is very CPU intensive, second to only Prime95 and CPU OC testing apps if I am correct. Maybe clean out the Radiator first, are temps higher then they were 3 years ago

 

[gibbsy24]

I finished my build last night and everything is working perfectly except one thing.
When ever I plug headphones in to the jack on the back of the motherboard it is very staticy. The jack on the front of the case is perfectly clear however. I've tried multiple pairs of headphones and the same thing happens. Any ideas on what it could be?

 

[kharma45]

Thanks for the input.

I probably wouldn't go 1TB for the HDD as I won't need that much space. As for the motherboard, I can't seem to find a H81 or B85 that has built in WiFi and that's kind of a must for me. I could do a add on card, but at that point the cost difference is insignificant.

Overall though, is this build a significant increase (performance wise) over my Macbook? I guess significant enough to spend $600 for a gaming only pc?

The 1TB is the same price.

Ah WiFi, yeah stick to Z87 then.

Performance wise I can't find anything to compare. I'll see if I can by looking more.

Damn, feels weird. This will be the first time in years I don't have AMD anything in my PC. Just getting ready to install my new i5-4670K and sold my 7870 for profit after buying a 660ti for 150 a few weeks ago.

I wonder how much it's going to smash my overclocked FX6300, lol.

Make sure to OC.

How much wattage should my PSU be for crossfired R9 290 Direct CU II's?

750w.

Since I'm kinda new to the overclocking game, I'm not sure what are good temps. When getting the crap beat out of it under Prime95 with a 4.2Ghz OC, the 4670K is sitting around 71C. When it's playing a game it's in the 50's, and idle it's at 30C.

Those are fine temps.

Rosewill Hive 650W Bronze is on sale for $50 at Newegg. Just giving everyone a heads up. Probably going to grab one for my new build.

Good quality unit that. Usually a decent Rosewill on offer for around $50. Modular Capstone 550w was the last few days.

I'm thinking (strongly) about building a new PC sometime before the end of May. The last PC I had (built in late 07 IIRC) had the following specs:

CPU: Q6600 @ 2.4GHz (didn't overclock)
GPU: HD 2900 Pro
RAM: DDR2 800 RAM (I think I had 4gb, not 2gb)

And if I build a new one, I'll probably get something along the lines of a:
CPU: 4670k (I've got a MicroCenter right by my house),
GPU: between $150-$200
RAM: 8GB DDR3 RAM, etc.

Obviously I'm not 100% set on any of the parts yet. I've just started seriously considering a new build over the past week or two.

Anyway, what I'm looking for is a rough estimate as to how much of an increase this will be from my last machine. I remember being blown away after building that first one. I got REALLY into PC hardware for a while there, but I've been out of the game for a long time and haven't been keeping up with the latest developments. Will I be blown away again? Are there some charts/graphs I should be taking a look at? Or was '07 so long ago that there aren't really any good comparisons between the two eras?

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/837?vs=53

And that's before overclocking.