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"I Need a New PC!" 2014 Part 2. Read OP, your 2500K will run Witcher 3. MX100s! 970!

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spons

Gold Member
What kind of games do you prefer? Ubisoft/AAA cinematic experiences, competitive games, indies?

Not going competitive (you mean MOBAs right?). Variety of mostly single-player experiences. Right now I'm just getting into PC gaming on a serious level, have some older stuff on my Steam (UT3, Serious Sam 3, Titan Quest, Torchlight, Just Cause 2, X3 series).

When looking at my console stuff right now: Mass Effect Trilogy, Final Fantasy, Skyrim, Dragon's Dogma. Going to get Kingdoms of Amalur, Watch_Dogs (free with the GPU as far as I know) and the Witcher series when the build comes in.

I just want a generally better experience than console gaming, mostly single-player stuff, not a lot of indies. I want things to run at 1200p, 60 FPS without being limited by console hardware/software choices.
 
I've found the best time to sell GPUs is right before the new generation of cards launch. After that you'll still most likely be able to sell it, however naturally your pricing will be up against newer material and the value will be lower. I usually try and get 75%-80% of what I paid for the card. Worked out pretty well so far.
Any tips you'd recommend for someone who hasn't flipped PC parts before? A friend is looking to sell his card he got last year ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202025 ) and upgrade now, but neither of us have done any online selling and don't know anyone local to sell to.

We figure, if we can flip his GPU annually for an upgrade it would come out to around the same price as waiting 4-5 years before getting a new one and being left with an extra GPU paperweight.
 

mr2xxx

Banned
I'm holding off for 2015(skylake, 800 series) to do a full system rebuild, targeting a large screen 4K capable machine.

I am currently running a GTX580 super OC and 2600K...my question is there a $100-$150 graphics card that's likely to be an upgrade over the 580? All my research says no...curious to hear another opinion.

Similar boat as you with my 570gtx. I got a used non-reference 280x of ebay for under $170 shipped. Look into that if you want a upgrade to hold you over a year.
 

mkenyon

Banned
After a long time of buying parts, I'm finally building my first PC, here's how it looks:


CPU: *Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: *Asus Z87M-Plus Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($126.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: *Kingston HyperX Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($91.76 @ NCIX US)
Storage: *Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Case: *Corsair 350D MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: *Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor ($155.43 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: *Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($14.99 @ NCIX US)
Keyboard: Corsair Raptor K30 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($49.99 @ Micro Center)
Mouse: *Cooler Master Recon Wired Optical Mouse ($33.09 @ Amazon)
Other: Corsair MM200 extended mat ($30.00)

Am I good to go?

How is the keyboard? Which HDD to get? 2 TB WD green or WD Blue 1TB?
Will the Hyper 212 EVO be compatible with my case and motherboard?

I'll be buying a videocard once the 20nm Maxwell series release, I'll be dealing with the iGPU HD 4600, the purpose of this build is the Oculus rift so I don't mind waiting a year.

Oh and I need a PCI-E WiFi card, which to get for gaming? Wired is not an option.
If you're going to wait to have a gaming PC, why not wait to build the rest of it?

The NF-F12 I assume is for the heatsink? Looks good otherwise.

*edit*

Oh, also have a look at Powerline Adapters instead of WiFi.
Unfortunately I am closer to the deep south :p
Bummer.

There's definitely a divisive line between people who enjoy super high res monitors that are probably IPS/VA or some other format. Then there's the folks that really enjoy the high refresh rate monitors. The difference seems to come down to either playing lots of competitive games and action games versus RPGs and enjoying super high still image quality to take screenshots of and share on GAF.

Sorry Durante, I can't help it.
Any tips you'd recommend for someone who hasn't flipped PC parts before? A friend is looking to sell his card he got last year ( http://m.newegg.com/Product?itemNumber=N82E16814202025 ) and upgrade now, but neither of us have done any online selling and don't know anyone local to sell to.

We figure, if we can flip his GPU annually for an upgrade it would come out to around the same price as waiting 4-5 years before getting a new one and being left with an extra GPU paperweight.
The mobile link is broken on desktop, but sell on GAF B/S/T, Hardforum, or Overclock.net. Also, always buy ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, or EVGA. Those are the only ones where the warranty transfers to new owners, so it's a lot easier to part with them.
Not going competitive (you mean MOBAs right?). Variety of mostly single-player experiences. Right now I'm just getting into PC gaming on a serious level, have some older stuff on my Steam (UT3, Serious Sam 3, Titan Quest, Torchlight, Just Cause 2, X3 series).

When looking at my console stuff right now: Mass Effect Trilogy, Final Fantasy, Skyrim, Dragon's Dogma. Going to get Kingdoms of Amalur, Watch_Dogs (free with the GPU as far as I know) and the Witcher series when the build comes in.

I just want a generally better experience than console gaming, mostly single-player stuff, not a lot of indies. I want things to run at 1200p, 60 FPS without being limited by console hardware/software choices.
The reason why I asked is that the unlocked pentium basically runs Source/UE3/CoD/MMOs as well as the i7 because you can overclock the crap out of it.

The parts you have are pretty good choices. I really push for everyone to get an unlocked i5 at the least because it helps tons with maintaining a good frame rate in general, but it's not a must.
•Your Current Specs: i5 2500K/ 8Gb G.Skill Sniper/ AsRock Z68/ Gigabyte Radeon HD 7870 / Thermaltake Purepower 600W / Silverstone RV02B/ Crucial M4 64Gb (for OS) and a couple of regular 1 TB HDs for data

•Budget: $1000 US

•Main Use: Light Gaming - 5, Gaming - 5, Emulation (PS2/Wii) - 2, Video Editing - 1, Streaming games in HD - 3, 3D/Model work (and what program) - 1, General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback) - 4.
•Monitor Resolution: 1600X1200 currently, would like to move away from that by buying a new monitor
•Are you going to upgrade later? Possibly
•Are you buying a new monitor? Yes, but will be using my old one in the meantime
•List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Any of the most recent MMOs (Elder Scrolls Online, Wildstar, etc.), basically PC exclusive things
•Is 30FPS acceptable? Yes 60? Yes 120? Would be nice
•How important is PhysX / SuperSampling / CUDA to you? Not very
•Looking to reuse any parts?: Case, PSU if I can get away with it, the Crucial M4 (might get another SSD for OS, but this one will stay in there for random crap) the data HDs (cause who cares)
•When will you build?: Anytime
Do you have a deadline? No
•Will you be overclocking?: Maybe
Not much to do here other than get a new videocard honestly. Overclock your 2500K. Get a Crucial MX100. Then pick out a new monitor.
 

spons

Gold Member
The reason why I asked is that the unlocked pentium basically runs Source/UE3/CoD/MMOs as well as the i7 because you can overclock the crap out of it.

The parts you have are pretty good choices. I really push for everyone to get an unlocked i5 at the least because it helps tons with maintaining a good frame rate in general, but it's not a must.

Thanks for looking into this. I might be a little biased on the overclocking, heaving heard some negative input from my friends. Then again, I should take the time in thinking over a purchase like this - I did when choosing the motherboard as it's not really geared towards gaming yet is exactly what I am (or maybe was, in case of not overclocking) looking for.

I'll let it rest for the night and see what I can change in terms of budget and overclocking, read some articles on the web on the subject. I'll be back sooner than later though since I just want to pull the trigger, but I don't want to be uninformed about my choices.
 

Atari2600

Too dumb for the internet
OK guys, I could really use some guidance here.

I like the idea of building my own PC, but I've never done it before, my attention to detail isn't fantastic with patience-demanding tasks, and I'm intimidated by the many, many things that can go wrong during the build and after. I'm OK with buying a pre-built PC or using a site where you pick your stuff and they build it for you.

That said, I'm looking for a gaming PC to use when my Oculus arrives next month. I'm also intrigued at the idea of using it to pilot a drone with the Oculus, though I do have a 4-year-old laptop that might be able to handle that, so what you recommend doesn't have to be a laptop. I'm in awe of the gorgeous screens in the PC screenshot thread, but I have no idea if playing at such amazing-looking settings is even possible, or if folks just pause, apply magic, and take a screenshot. I'm sure I won't end up playing many games because I don't play tons of games any more, but I like the idea of being able to if I want to.

Your Current Specs: Old-ass laptop. Looking for a new system. Most bang for my buck. Probably a desktop, unless there's a powerful and affordable laptop out there.
Budget: $1,500, United States
Main Use: 5 Gaming, 5 Emulation, 4Video Editing, 2 Streaming games in HD, 1 3D/Model work, 3 General Usage (media playback).
Monitor Resolution: I'll be using a 70-inch, 3D 1080p Sharp TV (it can display 4k content, but isn't 4k). I'd like to have something that can possible handle 4k when I make the plunge in a year or two. If it handle it, maybe something that can be easily upgraded to do so.
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: I'd love to have something that can run games all purty like in the PC screenshots thread. Those Skyrim mods look amazing and I'm guessing people will do some sweet stuff with GTA V. 30fps is fine for me. I don't play FPS much.
Looking to reuse any parts?: I'm happy with my keyboard, mouse, and speakers.
When will you build?: Whenever you tell me to. If I really should wait until whenever because there are awesome new cpu's or graphics cards coming out in the fall, then I will wait.
Will you be overclocking?: I'm scared of overclocking because I don't understand it and it makes me sad when things break. But if you can convince me I should, then I will.

Thanks in advance for the help. I know I sound like a giant n00b/pussy with this post, but that's basically what I am when it comes to gaming computers -- I've always been a console guy.
 
The mobile link is broken on desktop, but sell on GAF B/S/T, Hardforum, or Overclock.net. Also, always buy ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, or EVGA. Those are the only ones where the warranty transfers to new owners, so it's a lot easier to part with them.
Thanks for the advice. I edited the link in my previous post, his current card is a SAPPHIRE 100354OC-2L Radeon HD 7870 2GB.

What would be a good way to gauge a price when selling?
 

mkenyon

Banned
Where in the US are you? There's GAFers around the country that have offered to help build. I'm in the Pac NW, Haz is in LA.
Thanks for the advice. I edited the link in my previous post, his current card is a SAPPHIRE 100354OC-2L Radeon HD 7870 2GB.

What would be a good way to gauge a price when selling?
Take a look at used prices on those at Overclock.net and Hardforum. That'll give you a good baseline.
 

Smokey

Member
Damn, missed the chance to offload one of my 570s with waterblock.
This'll be a challenge, Smokey. It's quite hard to find waterblocks for lower end cards, let alone ones several years old. All I can find is the NZXT Kraken G10, which you'll have to combine with Kraken X40 closed cooler. The G10 lists compatibility with GTX 560 Ti.

EDIT: Derp, EK might have a product. What is the make / model of 560 TI?

@Smokey

You might have a nearly impossible time finding a FC block for a reference 560 Ti. You'll need to go for a universal block. EK recently released a pretty damn good product called the "Thermosphere"

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=40828



Just get some passive heatsinks for the memory and power delivery bits, which you can find anywhere.

*edit 2*

If you want to match the CPU block, there's also the XSPC Raystorm for GPUs:

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1..._Block_includes_Xbox_One.html?tl=g59c661s2185


Nope.


I figured it might be tough with a old card. I was just trying to go as cheap as I could since I'm going to be using it or practice.

Ill have to find out what kind of card it is
 
So yesterday I had a few posts about the fan on my CPU cooler, and my friend offered me an old one of his to see how much of a difference it makes.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=116241590&postcount=418

After putting new cooling paste on and adding that new fan, temperatures are a whole lot better and I am able to overclock better. The fan is a bit loud though. It is the one that came with the Corsair H60, a CF12S25M12AP, but that doesn't say much.

So I got a Arctic Cooling F12 recommended in this thread. Someone knows whether it is going to make a difference in sound, and maybe also performance? Or should I look at more expensive fans?
 

maneil99

Member
So yesterday I had a few posts about the fan on my CPU cooler, and my friend offered me an old one of his to see how much of a difference it makes.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=116241590&postcount=418

After putting new cooling paste on and adding that new fan, temperatures are a whole lot better and I am able to overclock better. The fan is a bit loud though. It is the one that came with the Corsair H60, a CF12S25M12AP, but that doesn't say much.

So I got a Arctic Cooling F12 recommended in this thread. Someone knows whether it is going to make a difference in sound, and maybe also performance? Or should I look at more expensive fans?
Should be better but I'm not positive it will fit, if not get a Corsair SP120 Quiet or Performance, either way it's not that loud
 

mkenyon

Banned
So yesterday I had a few posts about the fan on my CPU cooler, and my friend offered me an old one of his to see how much of a difference it makes.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=116241590&postcount=418

After putting new cooling paste on and adding that new fan, temperatures are a whole lot better and I am able to overclock better. The fan is a bit loud though. It is the one that came with the Corsair H60, a CF12S25M12AP, but that doesn't say much.

So I got a Arctic Cooling F12 recommended in this thread. Someone knows whether it is going to make a difference in sound, and maybe also performance? Or should I look at more expensive fans?
You should be able to control the speed of that fan through BIOS. Just set the max speed to something like 1200-1500 RPM.
 
Should be better but I'm not positive it will fit, if not get a Corsair SP120 Quiet or Performance, either way it's not that loud

It needs to fit on a Mugen Scythe 2 in case it wasn't clear. I don't know what dimensions I should look at.

You should be able to control the speed of that fan through BIOS. Just set the max speed to something like 1200-1500 RPM.

Yeah, have set it to 75% now (only have the option to do that or 50%) and it is a bit better. Temperatures are high, but my room is pretty hot atm, so I don't know how much I would benefit with a different fan. Right now it is about 42 celsius idle and about 70 when stress testing with my voltage set to 1.280 with which I get 4.2 Ghz.

Should look into settings for overclocking a bit more, but at least this is better than it was before.
 

AnAngryPillock

Neo Member
Well it turns out that I didn't get a bad chip, and I just had to mess with some of the memory settings to get a stable 4.4 OC at 1.25v. With that being said I've been thinking of going to a Haswell-E platform once it releases (which should hopefully be soon), so I'll be selling my 4770k. If anyone on here is interested let me know.
 

Jackpot

Banned
What's your actual budget? I know you state you paid £400 last time and you anticipate going over, but is there a limit to what you want to spend on a new system? We could end up recommending something way more than what you'd be able to afford :D

£600 limit.
 

Stubo

Member
No suggestions?

£600 limit.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£181.97 @ Dabs)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.28 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£86.59 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£59.98 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£73.98 @ Ebuyer)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Dual-X Video Card (£129.00 @ Amazon UK)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (£38.65 @ Scan.co.uk)
Other: Windows 8.1 Pro (£10.00)
Total: £605.45

I've chosen to put a good chunk of your budget into the CPU since you listed emulation as a 5.

I'm sure other posters would shift a few pounds around to different aspects of the build, it should be interesting to compare :)

Edit: Regarding the non-nvidia GPU selection, the 270X vastly out-performs the 750Ti which is what you'd be looking at around that price point.
 

RetroMG

Member
I need some help, GAF. First of all, I thought we had a general Tech Support GAF thread, but I can't seem to find it by searching. I figure this thread is the next best place to ask without opening my own thread.

So I just built a new HTPC, with the idea of also having it play some Steam games. Here's the build:

Motherboard: ASRock Mini ITX Motherboard FM2A88X-ITX+
Processor: AMD Quad-Core A8-Series APU A8-6600K with Radeon HD 8570D
RAM: Corsair 16GB XMS3 (2x 8GB) DDR3 SDRAM 1600MHz

And I think that's probably what's the most relevant. I could post the case and such, but it's not really pertinent to the issue.

So this is my first build. I've bought pre-built machines and replaced parts in the past, but I've never built an actual machine before. I went with integrated graphics because it really only needs to play video and the occasional game, so I did not put in a dedicated graphics card. (I may down the road.)

So here's the problem (finally): I have no sound. I have the computer hooked to my TV via HDMI cable, but Windows 7 says there is no audio device installed. I've double and triple checked the drivers for the chipset, processor, graphics, everything I can think of, but it says there's no audio device.

Did I miss a connection on the motherboard? Everything is powered, and I can't help but think there would be an issue getting video out through the HDMI if there was an issue with the integrated GPU.

Any ideas?
 

LordAlu

Member
I need some help, GAF. First of all, I thought we had a general Tech Support GAF thread, but I can't seem to find it by searching. I figure this thread is the next best place to ask without opening my own thread.

So I just built a new HTPC, with the idea of also having it play some Steam games. Here's the build:

Motherboard: ASRock Mini ITX Motherboard FM2A88X-ITX+
Processor: AMD Quad-Core A8-Series APU A8-6600K with Radeon HD 8570D
RAM: Corsair 16GB XMS3 (2x 8GB) DDR3 SDRAM 1600MHz

And I think that's probably what's the most relevant. I could post the case and such, but it's not really pertinent to the issue.

So this is my first build. I've bought pre-built machines and replaced parts in the past, but I've never built an actual machine before. I went with integrated graphics because it really only needs to play video and the occasional game, so I did not put in a dedicated graphics card. (I may down the road.)

So here's the problem (finally): I have no sound. I have the computer hooked to my TV via HDMI cable, but Windows 7 says there is no audio device installed. I've double and triple checked the drivers for the chipset, processor, graphics, everything I can think of, but it says there's no audio device.

Did I miss a connection on the motherboard? Everything is powered, and I can't help but think there would be an issue getting video out through the HDMI if there was an issue with the integrated GPU.

Any ideas?
I take it you've installed AMD Catalyst as well?
 

garath

Member
I need some help, GAF. First of all, I thought we had a general Tech Support GAF thread, but I can't seem to find it by searching. I figure this thread is the next best place to ask without opening my own thread.

So I just built a new HTPC, with the idea of also having it play some Steam games. Here's the build:

Motherboard: ASRock Mini ITX Motherboard FM2A88X-ITX+
Processor: AMD Quad-Core A8-Series APU A8-6600K with Radeon HD 8570D
RAM: Corsair 16GB XMS3 (2x 8GB) DDR3 SDRAM 1600MHz

And I think that's probably what's the most relevant. I could post the case and such, but it's not really pertinent to the issue.

So this is my first build. I've bought pre-built machines and replaced parts in the past, but I've never built an actual machine before. I went with integrated graphics because it really only needs to play video and the occasional game, so I did not put in a dedicated graphics card. (I may down the road.)

So here's the problem (finally): I have no sound. I have the computer hooked to my TV via HDMI cable, but Windows 7 says there is no audio device installed. I've double and triple checked the drivers for the chipset, processor, graphics, everything I can think of, but it says there's no audio device.

Did I miss a connection on the motherboard? Everything is powered, and I can't help but think there would be an issue getting video out through the HDMI if there was an issue with the integrated GPU.

Any ideas?

I'd check the BIOS and make sure sound is enabled. I'm not familiar with the motherboard but that's the first place I'd look.
 

RetroMG

Member
I'd check the BIOS and make sure sound is enabled. I'm not familiar with the motherboard but that's the first place I'd look.

You are awesome. That was exactly the problem. Why would that be disabled by default? It makes no sense to me.

Thanks!
 
So I see a lot of talk about the MX100 SSD but I'm curious as to what its benefits are exactly compared to the Samsung 840 EVO. Is there any significant functional difference between them? The 120GB range drives are only $5 apart in price and I'm just wondering what I should go with.
 

Josman

Member
If you're going to wait to have a gaming PC, why not wait to build the rest of it?

The NF-F12 I assume is for the heatsink? Looks good otherwise.

*edit*

Oh, also have a look at Powerline Adapters instead of WiFi.

Good to know I'm good to go

Sorry for not answering, I forgot to clarify: I can't wait since I need it for university too (and I want it already) so I thought the 4670k would last at least 5 years, Plus It's my first gaming PC so the iGPU will be enough to catch up with a lot of games and emulation.

And yep the NF-F12 is for the Heatsink.

I didn't even know Powerline adapters existed, they sound great I'll have a look at them thanks
 

Skyzard

Banned
That obvious, eh? ;)



Got it off Dabs.ie and my PSU is is a Corsair 650W (can't remember the exact model right now)

I'm not buying things from dabs anymore if I can help it.

Bought a 780 from them a month or two ago and it wasn't even sealed! They were okay to RMA it but the fact that it even reached me in that condition worried me. No thanks. Scan & amazon to the rescue.

Legit bro

Why play on PC if you're not PLAYING TO THE MAX

Only drug I take these days is Max graphics.
 

appaws

Banned
OK guys, I could really use some guidance here.

I like the idea of building my own PC, but I've never done it before, my attention to detail isn't fantastic with patience-demanding tasks, and I'm intimidated by the many, many things that can go wrong during the build and after. I'm OK with buying a pre-built PC or using a site where you pick your stuff and they build it for you.

That said, I'm looking for a gaming PC to use when my Oculus arrives next month. I'm also intrigued at the idea of using it to pilot a drone with the Oculus, though I do have a 4-year-old laptop that might be able to handle that, so what you recommend doesn't have to be a laptop. I'm in awe of the gorgeous screens in the PC screenshot thread, but I have no idea if playing at such amazing-looking settings is even possible, or if folks just pause, apply magic, and take a screenshot. I'm sure I won't end up playing many games because I don't play tons of games any more, but I like the idea of being able to if I want to.

Your Current Specs: Old-ass laptop. Looking for a new system. Most bang for my buck. Probably a desktop, unless there's a powerful and affordable laptop out there.
Budget: $1,500, United States
Main Use: 5 Gaming, 5 Emulation, 4Video Editing, 2 Streaming games in HD, 1 3D/Model work, 3 General Usage (media playback).
Monitor Resolution: I'll be using a 70-inch, 3D 1080p Sharp TV (it can display 4k content, but isn't 4k). I'd like to have something that can possible handle 4k when I make the plunge in a year or two. If it handle it, maybe something that can be easily upgraded to do so.
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: I'd love to have something that can run games all purty like in the PC screenshots thread. Those Skyrim mods look amazing and I'm guessing people will do some sweet stuff with GTA V. 30fps is fine for me. I don't play FPS much.
Looking to reuse any parts?: I'm happy with my keyboard, mouse, and speakers.
When will you build?: Whenever you tell me to. If I really should wait until whenever because there are awesome new cpu's or graphics cards coming out in the fall, then I will wait.
Will you be overclocking?: I'm scared of overclocking because I don't understand it and it makes me sad when things break. But if you can convince me I should, then I will.

Thanks in advance for the help. I know I sound like a giant n00b/pussy with this post, but that's basically what I am when it comes to gaming computers -- I've always been a console guy.

Don't worry about it. We were all noobs once. It's all actually pretty easy, including overclocking. But you don't have to worry about that right away, just buy parts that keep that door open for a bit down the road, a Z97 board and a "K" series processor, and a decent CPU cooler.

With a $1500 budget, you should be able to look to one of the builds in the OP and go from there, no problem. There are also videos there that cover the actual act of building broken down step by step.
 

appaws

Banned
I figured it might be tough with a old card. I was just trying to go as cheap as I could since I'm going to be using it or practice.

Ill have to find out what kind of card it is

Maybe post "looking for" in the B/S/T thread at overclock.net. Some of those guys there probably have stacks of old blocks gathering dust.
 
Does anyone have any experience with XFX branded video cards? Not sure exactly why but all XFX cards are pretty significantly cheaper than other brands with same GPUs...
 

knitoe

Member
So I see a lot of talk about the MX100 SSD but I'm curious as to what its benefits are exactly compared to the Samsung 840 EVO. Is there any significant functional difference between them? The 120GB range drives are only $5 apart in price and I'm just wondering what I should go with.

You should really look at the 250GB versions. If the prices are almost the same, from reviews I have read, I would go with a Samsung EVO since it offers better performance.
 

Stubo

Member
It's probably best to look at reviews for individual cards to check for the performance/cooling/sound with XFX.

That said, personally I'd stick to Gigabyte Windforce, EVGA ACX, Sapphire, Asus Direct CU II and MSI Twin Frozr cards.
 

Water

Member
So I see a lot of talk about the MX100 SSD but I'm curious as to what its benefits are exactly compared to the Samsung 840 EVO. Is there any significant functional difference between them? The 120GB range drives are only $5 apart in price and I'm just wondering what I should go with.

The MX100 has power loss protection, which I'd consider a nice thing to have. Whichever brand you go with, I would really try to grab a 250GB or larger model; they are significantly faster than the smaller SSDs instead of just having more capacity.
 
There's definitely a divisive line between people who enjoy super high res monitors that are probably IPS/VA or some other format. Then there's the folks that really enjoy the high refresh rate monitors. The difference seems to come down to either playing lots of competitive games and action games versus RPGs and enjoying super high still image quality to take screenshots of and share on GAF.

Sorry Durante, I can't help it.
.

IQ is really important to me so I just worry about being able to play games at the settings I'd want while still retaining 120 FPS or close to it to be able to use lightboost.

At the same time 4K would be great but it has a similar issue of having to have the power to be able to use it. Of course with both types the monitor would be an investment of sorts and down the line when I've upgraded such things will be less of a worry. The main thing I really want though is gsync as stuttering is awful and being able to run at framerates other than 30, 60, or 120 would help alleviate some of the power issues.

Anyone here have one of those LG Ultrawide models? The linus review really made it look pretty great so I suppose that's another option although gsync isn't ever going to come to one of those.
 
So, is there any reason I should increase the voltage on my CPU if my OC doesnt need it? I basically went into my uefi/bios, set my ratio to 42 (4.2ghz) rebooted, and its been stable throughout my stress tests. That way I have the benefit of it going up to my OC speed when needed and the CPU downclocking and reducing elect usage when not needed. Thoughts?

Thanks!
 

TheD

The Detective
So, is there any reason I should increase the voltage on my CPU if my OC doesnt need it? I basically went into my uefi/bios, set my ratio to 42 (4.2ghz) rebooted, and its been stable throughout my stress tests. That way I have the benefit of it going up to my OC speed when needed and the CPU downclocking and reducing elect usage when not needed. Thoughts?

Thanks!

No, keep the voltage as low as possible without crashing.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Stupid question time, is there ever a scenario where a HSF can be too heavy for a motherboard?
There's horror stories of the giant tower coolers cracking PCB, but it might be one of those Internet Tall Stories that gets talked about but never happened.

I probably wouldn't feel comfortable strapping something like a giant Noctua/Scythe/Thermalright cooler to a motherboard with a super thin PCB, like a lot of ASRock's stuff. But that's just me, and there's probably less than .00001% chance of something going wrong.
 

scogoth

Member
I figured it might be tough with a old card. I was just trying to go as cheap as I could since I'm going to be using it or practice.

Ill have to find out what kind of card it is

I have two universal blocks if you want to pay for shipping
 
No, keep the voltage as low as possible without crashing.

Ah ok great! How do people keep their OC going usually? They just keep their voltage constant on an OC? My ASUS board has an adaptive setting that I havent touched but it seems interesting. When you OC you just set a voltage to stay locked that high then set the ratio?
 

Atari2600

Too dumb for the internet
Don't worry about it. We were all noobs once. It's all actually pretty easy, including overclocking. But you don't have to worry about that right away, just buy parts that keep that door open for a bit down the road, a Z97 board and a "K" series processor, and a decent CPU cooler.

With a $1500 budget, you should be able to look to one of the builds in the OP and go from there, no problem. There are also videos there that cover the actual act of building broken down step by step.

Thanks, sir. I don't really know how fast the computer gaming world moves so I didn't know if the builds in the OP were out of date or not. I still feel like there's too much that I can screw up, or stuff that might drive me nuts. I see all the folks in here with weird compatibility issues other issues that require lots of time and effort to troubleshoot. I know myself, and I will get frustrated when things don't work and I worry about the endless cycle of "tweak this, but this breaks, so tweak this, but..." that can happen if you don't know what your'e doing.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Thanks, sir. I don't really know how fast the computer gaming world moves so I didn't know if the builds in the OP were out of date or not. I still feel like there's too much that I can screw up, or stuff that might drive me nuts. I see all the folks in here with weird compatibility issues other issues that require lots of time and effort to troubleshoot. I know myself, and I will get frustrated when things don't work and I worry about the endless cycle of "tweak this, but this breaks, so tweak this, but..." that can happen if you don't know what your'e doing.
The reason why you see a lot of those posts in here is because people don't post for help when everything is working fine :p

If you by chance live in SoCal or the Pac NW, you have some GAFers that will help you build everything. If you're pretty set on not doing it yourself, that's totally fine. If a few hundred or so dollars is worth your piece of mind, then that's that.

Basically just try to find parts that are similar to what is in the OP for your given budget at whatever online builder you end up choosing. There aren't a lot of recommendations for those in here given the DIY nature of the thread. I have a lot of respect for Maingear and the work they do there, but they're probably a bit more expensive than another random place that would end up being less expensive. You may even have a local computer store that will do assembly for you for a fee, which is also a good avenue. Having local support can be huge.
Ah ok great! How do people keep their OC going usually? They just keep their voltage constant on an OC? My ASUS board has an adaptive setting that I havent touched but it seems interesting. When you OC you just set a voltage to stay locked that high then set the ratio?
I do a set constant voltage as it gives me less issues and requires less time to setup. I'm not really interested in keeping my processors for 10+ years, so slightly reducing the lifespan isn't really a concern.
 
You should really look at the 250GB versions. If the prices are almost the same, from reviews I have read, I would go with a Samsung EVO since it offers better performance.

The MX100 has power loss protection, which I'd consider a nice thing to have. Whichever brand you go with, I would really try to grab a 250GB or larger model; they are significantly faster than the smaller SSDs instead of just having more capacity.

Thanks guys, guess I'll be going with a 250GB then (EVO, unless someone chimes in with some major benefit to the MX100).
 

Tablo

Member
I believe you have to choose advanced in Windows installer when it lists your disks and partitions. Then select and delete any partitions present on the MX100. You should then be able to create a new partition to install to.
I love you, will try this in a bit.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
I think this is my GPU max stable (Air, ref) in Valley. 290 power draw and noise on reference is absolute insanity by the way.
R9 290: 1135 Core / 1500 Mem. +50mV +25%PL
When VRM1 hits about 70C and Core is about 80C I start seeing artifacts (snow).

Valley seems to be more demanding than the 3DMarks by a fair bit, at least for my GTX 670 benching FWIW.

Full system draw: 370W load stock to 470W load OC. Idle is 150W.

IPZabCB.png
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Yeah, I could tweak more like bump up CPU from 4.5 to 4.6 or 4.7 and RAM from 1600 to 2133, but this is okay for now.
I kinda miss your old avatar.
 
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