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[TC McQueen]

Posted something rather rambling and pointless earlier about this, but after some thought should I go for this or wait for the hopefully soon to be release 880?

Unless you have something that you absolutely have to play right now and needs/would benefit from the 780's horse power, I'd wait for the 880 reveal and release, since it's only about a month away from the reveal and a few weeks after that is the release.

 

[FreddieQuell]

Does anyone have any clue when the phanteks enthoo evolv will come out? I'm pretty sure there hasn't been any new info released about it, but maybe someone has an idea based on how long it took their previous cases to release.

 

[Reckoner]

I have a SteelSeries Rival with the software installed. Is it supposed to show HID-compliant mouse as the driver on the Device Manager?

 

[Goldenmoney]

I decided to go ahead and make room in my case for my inbound CPU and Mobo.

Spoiler

Thanks based Mkenyon.

I didn't want the CPU and mobo to sit around unused so i decided to replace the laptop I'd been using as my HTPC. I pulled the HDD from it and got to work.

I'd seen open air builds before and really liked the idea of a wall mounted PC, so I looked through my toolbox for various supplies.


I started by placing the mobo on my backing and marking the mounting holes with a sharpie.

I then started small holes and screwed plastic snap-on spacers with fix-all adhesive to ensure they stayed put. Then i just had to snap the mobo down onto the plastic tabs once the glue had dried.


I then modified a couple of gate hinges I happend to have and grabbed a wayward bracket.


I removed a couple of fan screws from the PSU and secured the modified hinges to create a makeshift shelf, then attached the small bracket to one of the normal mounting points to hold it in place.





I didn't realize my HDD tray had shifted while I was forcing wood screws through it until it was too late. It's mounted a little crooked, but that just adds character.
I can't fix that, but I'll make it looks a little neater overall before I'm done. This isn't where it's going to stay, I just moved a piece of art that had mounts that could hold it.



I'm posting from it now, it's working great. I finally found a use for the crappy PSU that came with my case.

I realize it would look better with the connections on the side, but this way all of the words on the mobo are right-side up.

Holy smokes. Good work.

 

[Gunmonkey36]

Nvidia

You have my attention.

Can't wait to see smokey sell 3x Titans to buy 3x Titan II's within the the same year. All in the name of glorious 4k 120hz gaming.

 

[Kazenokatana]

Can anyone recommend a 27" Monitor under $250? Don't care if it's mountable or not since it's sitting on my desk the only thing I don't want is another Asus because I'm done buying their monitors.
Currently looking at this one but I've never heard much from Acer before.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G5AEZOQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Nostremitus]

Holy smokes. Good work.

Thanks, it didn't turn out as well as I'd have liked, but I think it's pretty good considering I wasn't going off a plan and I'm not very artistic. I was literally grabbing random crap from my tool chest and piecing things together to see what would work. I'll eventually mount it to the wall above my TV when I get to Korea. For now I may just leave it where it is until I have to start packing. Then I get to have fun figuring out a safe way to pack it.

I still need find a button to connect to the PWR pins so I can stop using a screwdriver to turn it on.

 

[ThoughtsOfSpeaking]

Hay guys, another slightly anal question about my build.

I currently have 2 drives, a 120gb SSD for the OS and a 2TB Hybrid Drive for files.

The thing is, im slightly unhappy with the noise levels of the build and was wondering if it is safe to disable the 2TB drive in device manager when not in use. I know I could just put it in an enclosure and connect it when needed, but I feel it is safer to stay in the case.

I literally would only need it running when my 120gb is full and I want to move files other for longer term storage. Ideally, I don't envision it being used more than once or twice a week. I'm not planning of having huge amounts of games installed.

Is this is a good idea, or am going to damage my drive by doing this?

NB: It is not a back up drive, I already have that covered. This is just a drive for files that I want readily accessible on my computer, but may not use very often.

 

[knitoe]

Hay guys, another slightly anal question about my build.

I currently have 2 drives, a 120gb SSD for the OS and a 2TB Hybrid Drive for files.

The thing is, im slightly unhappy with the noise levels of the build and was wondering if it is safe to disable the 2TB drive in device manager when not in use. I know I could just put it in an enclosure and connect it when needed, but I feel it is safer to stay in the case.

I literally would only need it running when my 120gb is full and I want to move files other for longer term storage. Ideally, I don't envision it being used more than once or twice a week. I'm not planning of having huge amounts of games installed.

Is this is a good idea, or am going to damage my drive by doing this?

NB: It is not a back up drive, I already have that covered. This is just a drive for files that I want readily accessible on my computer, but may not use very often.

A HDD shouldn't make noticeable noise unless it's going bad. Instead of disabling it, why not just tell windows to put the drive into sleep mode after X minutes?

As for PC noise, generally, it's video card fan > CPU fan > case fan > PSU fan > other devices. If you are not happy with the noise level, start quieting from top to bottom.

 

[ThoughtsOfSpeaking]

A HDD shouldn't make noticeable noise unless it's going bad. Instead of disabling it, why not just tell windows to put the drive into sleep mode after X minutes?

As for PC noise, generally, it's video card fan > CPU fan > case fan > PSU fan > other devices. If you are not happy with the noise level, start quieting from top to bottom.

I already have really. My video card is as quiet as it can be, I have my case fans on PWM connections and they only ramp up with the CPU fan. Only other step I can do with the fans is to install rubber grommets, which are on their way.

The hard drive noise isn't loud, but I can hear it and it bugs me. Ive tested it with it totally unplugged and the system sounds much better when its off.


Hard drive noise is something that frequently irritates me though. I'm thinking of putting a SSD in my PS4 for this exact same reason. Likewise, its not loud... but I can hear it and I don't like the sound.

I know it sounds anal but hay.....

EdIt: Looking at windows sleep mode settings, its just what i want. Thanks.

 

[Hawkian]

Hey Gaf, sorry to keep posting my build but I'm gonna finally be able to build after September starts, and I'm going to order a few key parts that are on sale right now. I need you guys to double check my build.

The thing I am most concerned about is whether or not my PSU is good for the build. PCPartPicker says my build will require 441 Watts, but I wanna make sure you guys think I'll be ok.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($100.00 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($55.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB DirectCU II Video Card ($311.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($46.13 @ Newegg)
Total: $1196.05
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-16 21:32 EDT-0400

Thanks again, this thread is the most helpful resource I've found online.

that's not a modular PSU is it?

 

[CMojicaAce]

Is there a consensus on which is the best motherboard under $150(US)?

 

[appaws]

Is there a consensus on which is the best motherboard under $150(US)?

I don't think there is ever really consensus on anything in the PC parts world....I would aim you at the OP, which has really good suggestions.

For gaming...? For which CPU...? I would assume you are looking for a Z97 board, but just want to make sure...
Also, size....?

 

[Zeyphersan]

So if I were to get the Corsair H80i, I heard that the fans it comes with are pretty loud. so I'd want to replace them with something like a Noctua NF-F12, right? Silence while keeping things cool is the goal. There's no way to get a fan that automatically changes its speed with my CPU load, right?

edit: Nevermind, I got my build planned out, I feel good about it

 

[phoenix296]

My headset's mic stopped working today so I want to get a new one. Anyone have any suggestions that are <$120?

 

[Smiley90]

My headset's mic stopped working today so I want to get a new one. Anyone have any suggestions that are <$120?

the Sony Wireless one is faring really well with me.

 

[Nikokuno]

My headset's mic stopped working today so I want to get a new one. Anyone have any suggestions that are <$120?

Open it and try to check if the mic cable is well connected. Happened to a friend it was just a bad weld.

 

[LilJoka]

First I want to say thank you for the help. I've built a couple PCs but I get more detail-oriented with each one, and it's people like you who help with that. Hopefully I can pay it forward

I'm hoping to just keep my i5-3570k ivy bridge and move it into a smaller mobo, since I've had no problems with it and don't see a real reason to upgrade from that. Watercooling, like I said, is a noise preference versus super-serious overclocking so that holds the appeal over a 212. As for mATX vs mITX, I actually don't know the difference between them so I can't give a solid answer on why I chose one over the other. What's the deal with them?

mITX is even smaller than mATX, the biggest difference being that there is a maximum of one PCIE port on mITX. They usually have built in wifi and Bluetooth too, a few less Sata ports (4/6), a few less fan headers (3/4). If you don't want to SLI/XFire then mITX is a good idea. Also 2 ram slots only.

The only reason I went for mATX was that you can't get a mITX LGA 2011 socket board. Otherwise my gaming PC is mITX with a 3770, 2x4gb ram and a single GTX 780.

The thing I've found is that the pumps are louder than the Hyper 212 at idle - small loads. When the CPU is under high load then the Watercooling will stay quiet, but the hyper 212 will get a bit louder. For a gaming rig with a GPU, the hyper 212 would never get louder than the GPU fan whilst gaming though.

I would actually of gone with air cooling in my Lian li if it would fit, but I went for case aesthetics first then shelled out for the required cooling in any way possible. I can only fit small down facing air coolers which aren't enough for overclocking seriously.

 

[Zeyphersan]

mITX is even smaller than mATX, the biggest difference being that there is a maximum of one PCIE port on mITX. They usually have built in wifi and Bluetooth too, a few less Sata ports (4/6), a few less fan headers (3/4). If you don't want to SLI/XFire then mITX is a good idea. Also 2 ram slots only.

The only reason I went for mATX was that you can't get a mITX LGA 2011 socket board. Otherwise my gaming PC is mITX with a 3770, 2x4gb ram and a single GTX 780.

The thing I've found is that the pumps are louder than the Hyper 212 at idle - small loads. When the CPU is under high load then the Watercooling will stay quiet, but the hyper 212 will get a bit louder. For a gaming rig with a GPU, the hyper 212 would never get louder than the GPU fan whilst gaming though.

I would actually of gone with air cooling in my Lian li if it would fit, but I went for case aesthetics first then shelled out for the required cooling in any way possible. I can only fit small down facing air coolers which aren't enough for over clicking seriously.

mITX was a good idea. Found an extremely compact case (Cooler Master Elite 130) that fits the cooler I want to get and everything. This new build is going to quite literally be the opposite of my current one (going from a Switch 810 Full Tower with a ton of fans all on full blast at all times to a mITX with watercooling). But the internal parts are still an upgrade so I'm super excited about that.

Well, I'm super excited to be saving up for it anyway, since this is going to take a while

 

[SHADES]

that's not a modular PSU is it?

It's not modular, no. But it should be fine for system output.

 

[LilJoka]

mITX was a good idea. Found an extremely compact case (Cooler Master Elite 130) that fits the cooler I want to get and everything. This new build is going to quite literally be the opposite of my current one (going from a Switch 810 Full Tower with a ton of fans all on full blast at all times to a mITX with watercooling). But the internal parts are still an upgrade so I'm super excited about that.

Well, I'm super excited to be saving up for it anyway, since this is going to take a while

Go on overclock.net people have done Watercooling in the Node 304 which is much nicer than the CM case.
http://www.overclock.net/t/1266342/official-fractal-design-node-304-owners-club/3420#post_22452274

Some of the corsair 120mm AIOs also fit.

Yeah my previous case was a HAF 922, I'm never going ATX again.

 

[kennah]

I'm never going ATX again.

You and me both brother.

 

[Tom Penny]

What's a cheap upgrade to the GTX 460 I've been riding out forever?

 

[kharma45]

What's a cheap upgrade to the GTX 460 I've been riding out forever?

Define cheap.

You and me both brother.

And me.

 

[smuf]

I put together a new pc a couple of weeks ago and so far it's been very unstable. I.E. frequent game and software crashes. Windows doesn't lock up completely - I can still get back to the desktop most of the time but I can't end the locked up process with task manager, so I end up needing to reset anyways.

Things I've tried so far:

• Malware Malbytes found nothing
• Memtest86 passed
• CPU/GPU temps are good
• Updated all drivers
• Turned off unnecessary startup processes
• Updated UEFI

My specs are:
8GB PC1600 DDR3 RAM
GTX 780
ASRock Z97 Extreme 3
Intel i5 4690k
Crucial MX100 SSD

Everything is running at stock speeds.

This behavior has been there right from the start too, with just a clean install of Windows 8 and a bunch of games.

I don't know what to try next short of re-installing the OS which I'm really dreading.

Thanks to everyone who replied. I ended up reinstalling Windows 8 and it's been rock solid so far after about 30 hours of use.

 

[Tom Penny]

Define cheap.



And me.

Under $200

 

[lifa-cobex]

So my I5 is crapping out on me.

I want to upgrade my CPU for The Wticher 3.
As far as I can tell the pc specs aren't out yet but I wanna upgrade as soon as.

I was looking at...
http://www.ebuyer.com/467649-intel-...b-cache-retail-boxed-processor-bx80646i74770s

Intel Core i7 4770S

I know I won't be able to run W3 witout selling my soul but was hoping to at least get it to run stable on medium settings.

Anyone got any suggestions?

 

[LilJoka]

Yeah I'll do that. But won't it require me to format the hard drives again to be recognisable by Windows when it have been reinstalled?

Only if they are brand new HDD's from the shop. If these HDD have you data on them they will appear just like in your previous install of Windows, HDDs are just like USB sticks.

So my I5 is crapping out on me.

I want to upgrade my CPU for The Wticher 3.
As far as I can tell the pc specs aren't out yet but I wanna upgrade as soon as.

I was looking at...
http://www.ebuyer.com/467649-intel-...b-cache-retail-boxed-processor-bx80646i74770s

Intel Core i7 4770S

I know I won't be able to run W3 witout selling my soul but was hoping to at least get it to run stable on medium settings.

Anyone got any suggestions?

What i5? What motherboard? Overclocking?

 

[kharma45]

Under $200

You'd be looking at a 660 if you want to stick with Nvidia or an R9 280 if you go AMD

So my I5 is crapping out on me.

I want to upgrade my CPU for The Wticher 3.
As far as I can tell the pc specs aren't out yet but I wanna upgrade as soon as.

I was looking at...
http://www.ebuyer.com/467649-intel-...b-cache-retail-boxed-processor-bx80646i74770s

Intel Core i7 4770S

I know I won't be able to run W3 witout selling my soul but was hoping to at least get it to run stable on medium settings.

Anyone got any suggestions?

What i5?

 

[lifa-cobex]

i5-3570K

MSI 7758.

It's a good CPU but I really cannot figure out why it keeps dying on me.

 

[kharma45]

i5-3570K

MSI 7758.

It's a good CPU but I really cannot figure out why it keeps dying on me.

More likely to be your motherboard.

 

[Pachimari]

Ugh! So I have made a clean install of Windows 7 64bit and it needs a product key but says it is not valid.

What can I do? Buy a 3rd key off Reddit? :/

 

[lifa-cobex]

More likely to be your motherboard.

oh?
I was under the impression it was a good MB...

 

[Inferno313]

that's not a modular PSU is it?

It's not. I was just trying to keep costs down a bit and the cheapest semi-modular one I could find was a good $30-40 more. How much of a pain am I going to have with a non-modular?

Also, everyone's saying the output will be enough. Even if I over clock my GPU and CPU a bit, that'll still be the case? Thanks!

 

[Smokey]

Same here. I ended up sending my 3 Titan Black Hydro's back to Amazon because for 4k gaming, there was still some challenges with some games, not many but some. Investing in 3 of those right now was not wise, even though the wife approved of it. So now, I am in the waiting game for the "next big gpu". I really want something powerful enough to run at 4k/60fps with all the bells and whistles. I still don't believe that on GPU alone will do it, but I am fine with SLI, so if it takes 2 of them, then that is fine by me!

Good choice.

Can't wait to see smokey sell 3x Titans to buy 3x Titan II's within the the same year. All in the name of glorious 4k 120hz gaming.

I don't think it will release this year or anytime soon. But the part it self and other info at the link...sounds promising. But if course it's all rumor. Hell we don't even know about the 800 series and that's 'supposed' to drop in the next few months.

 

[kharma45]

oh?
I was under the impression it was a good MB...

They're much more likely to go wrong than a CPU.

What is the exact issue?

 

[The Llama]

I'm never going ATX again.

A small case is definitely tempting but I'd hate to do the cable management and the actual build. My hands are too big for that kinda stuff haha.

Ugh! So I have made a clean install of Windows 7 64bit and it needs a product key but says it is not valid.

What can I do? Buy a 3rd key off Reddit? :/

Call MS and tell them, they'll probably just reset it for you. Otherwise, yeah just buy one off Reddit.

It's not. I was just trying to keep costs down a bit and the cheapest semi-modular one I could find was a good $30-40 more. How much of a pain am I going to have with a non-modular?

Also, everyone's saying the output will be enough. Even if I over clock my GPU and CPU a bit, that'll still be the case? Thanks!

Believe me, I was the same way as you with my first 2 builds, cheaping out a bit on the PSU since I figured "whatever, I'll save that extra $30 and buy a better graphics card/cpu/etc." But honestly, a modular PSU is so worth it. Otherwise you have to find somewhere in the case to stuff all the cables and it just gets messy.

 

[lifa-cobex]

They're much more likely to go wrong than a CPU.

What is the exact issue?

Keeps blue screening.
I couldn't work it out for ages as it did it at total random points.
Either gaming, web browsing or just working.
Other times it would be absolutely fine.

Had to google the the advanced error message. Everything seems to point at the CPU

 

[Hawkian]

It's not. I was just trying to keep costs down a bit and the cheapest semi-modular one I could find was a good $30-40 more. How much of a pain am I going to have with a non-modular?

Also, everyone's saying the output will be enough. Even if I over clock my GPU and CPU a bit, that'll still be the case? Thanks!

Your output will be fine. As long as you stick single card, you're golden.

But If the 30 bucks isn't a dealbreaker, honestly, after having worked with a modular PSU in my new rig it's like night and day. I will certainly never go back.

 

[ThoughtsOfSpeaking]

Sorry if it seems like I'm using this thread like my personal tech support, but I'm asking on behalf of a friend.

If building a PC purely for gaming, is it still better price wise to go AMD?

 

[The Llama]

Sorry if it seems like I'm using this thread like my personal tech support, but I'm asking on behalf of a friend.

If building a PC purely for gaming, is it still better price wise to go AMD?

No. Pentium Anniversary Edition G3258 + overclock.

 

[Inferno313]

One more question:

I can get an upgrade copy of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 Professional for $10. (One of the many perks of working at a University.)

I understand you can use an upgrade copy as a fresh install through some registry tweaks pretty easily.

What I'm wondering is, should I purchase the 8 or 8.1 download from my school? Are you able to perform clean installs with both, or do I need to get the 8 download, and then do my free update to 8.1 once 8 is installed.

Thanks!

 

[kharma45]

Keeps blue screening.
I couldn't work it out for ages as it did it at total random points.
Either gaming, web browsing or just working.
Other times it would be absolutely fine.

Had to google the the advanced error message. Everything seems to point at the CPU

Well if the error message points towards the CPU then fair enough, very rare for one to go wrong. There is a warranty on it still so I'd RMA.

 

[Pachimari]

Call MS and tell them, they'll probably just reset it for you. Otherwise, yeah just buy one off Reddit.

I have bought a new one from there twice already.

I think I'll try give Microsoft a call.

 

[The Llama]

I have bought a new one from there twice already.

I think I'll try give Microsoft a call.

MS are normally pretty cool about this stuff, at least in my experience. I mean, you didn't do anything wrong with the key, right? It just won't activate?

 

[LilJoka]

Keeps blue screening.
I couldn't work it out for ages as it did it at total random points.
Either gaming, web browsing or just working.
Other times it would be absolutely fine.

Had to google the the advanced error message. Everything seems to point at the CPU

What are your full specs?
Can you download BSODViewer:
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/blue_screen_view.html#DownloadLinks

And double click on some of the latest BSOD entries, then take screenshots of the window that opens. Very unlikely the CPU is bad. If it is it can be RMA'd with Intel.

I have bought a new one from there twice already.

I think I'll try give Microsoft a call.

Usually it happens if the key has been given out more than once, or the key is an MSDN key that has exceeded its number of activations (10 iirc). Use a PID Viewer to check the status of the key. It will tell you if its retail or MSDN before calling MS. Its against the reddit keyswap rules to provide anything but Retail keys.

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/20816-The-Ultimate-PID-Checker

 

[Lime]

What's the best Z97 motherboard in bang for buck?

 

[lifa-cobex]

What are your full specs?

With GTX 660 GPU

Most recent two. Recently my comp has crashed/ froze up without BSOD

 

[MoFoJones99]

So instead of getting a 290X grab the 290 and a decent PSU. What price is the 290X he's looking at?

He wants to get a Gigabyte Windforce 290x which goes for around $800 in my country (South Africa). This is the cheapest card that we have found so far. Not going to bother with importing also as it won't be a very viable option. So he will be left with about $150. Are there any PSUs you can recommend that go for this much or should he just follow your advice and get a 290?

 

[Kiru]

Ok guys. I'm debating about getting an i7-4790K for 285€ or an i5-4690K for 200€. My shop is running a promotion where you would get 45€ cash back on the i7 and 35€ cash back on the i5. I was planning with 8GB of RAM but I would increase it if I go with the i5. Do you think an i7 might be more useful in the future or is i5 + more RAM a better way to go ? Does an i7 actually overlock better ?