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[Matty8787]

So I am considering upgrading my PC but unsure which areas are in most need so hoping for GAF's help!

Mobo: ASUS P8Z68 V PRO
Processor: Intel i5 2500K
Ram: 8gb Kingston Hyper X Ram
Video Card: MSI GTX 770 Gaming Edition 4gb
Case: Coolermaster HAF 912 Plus
Corsair 128gb SSD
Seagate 2tb HDD

Now I was gunna invest in a mobo bundle with CPU and Ram, but a little unsure.

 

[paperspace]

I think I'm gonna skip X99 and go for Z97 with 4970K and the 980 (and then wait for Broadwell).

I tested the 5960X at a friend's and I wasn't really that impressed (in terms of gaming), even compared to my i7 920. The 5820K itself is at a very good price point, but when the mobos and DDR4 go for $400 each, you might as well use your money as toilet paper.

 

[JetForceGemini]

If you're wanting to build a high end computer, you might as well go all in at $1200. For that kind of money, you can build a beastly ass Intel + Nvidia rig, that will meet your expectations. The reason you can get similar results at a lower price, is that you start replacing high quality parts with lower quality ones, except for the CPU / GPU. Computer building for gaming isn't a "on a whim" kind of thing. If you're going to do it, you're better off paying a premium for all good / top-end parts now, instead of buying a bunch of mid-range parts and having to replace a few of them for more money down the road.

So its a short term lose/long term gain by going all in on the cpu.. Are there any difference with the keyboards and mouse;do I go all in with those also?

 

[xBladeM6x]

So its a short term lose/long term gain by going all in on the cpu.. Are there any difference with the keyboards and mouse;do I go all in with those also?

Well, it means you go all in on most of the parts. The most important being the PSU, CPU, and GPU. Higher end mice, and keyboards are great, but only if they fit into your budget. For now, I would just concentrate on getting the best possible rig you can. If you're unsure about what parts to get, you'd do well to have people here advise you first.

 

[JetForceGemini]

Well, it means you go all in on most of the parts. The most important being the PSU, CPU, and GPU. Higher end mice, and keyboards are great, but only if they fit into your budget. For now, I would just concentrate on getting the best possible rig you can. If you're unsure about what parts to get, you'd do well to have people here advise you first.

With the psu being the power supply, do I look for that after I got the gpu and cpu?

 

[xBladeM6x]

With the psu being the power supply, do I look for that after I got the gpu and cpu?

After you choose which CPU & GPU combo you want, it's good to then look for the appropriate PSU. For your needs, a 650-800w PSU should be more than enough. You'll want to go with Corsair, or Cooler Master for high quality PSUs. (Which I'm sure there's more brands out there that are also good)

 

[kennah]

So I am considering upgrading my PC but unsure which areas are in most need so hoping for GAF's help!

Mobo: ASUS P8Z68 V PRO
Processor: Intel i5 2500K
Ram: 8gb Kingston Hyper X Ram
Video Card: MSI GTX 770 Gaming Edition 4gb
Case: Coolermaster HAF 912 Plus
Corsair 128gb SSD
Seagate 2tb HDD

Now I was gunna invest in a mobo bundle with CPU and Ram, but a little unsure.

There's really not much a point. What kind off overclock do you have on your cpu?

 

[Mine01]

Hi guys, i have another question to ask, my case is listed as medium size atx(
height 38,7 cm
wide: 17,5 cm
depth: 41,4 cm
Heres a pic of the inside of my case:

The gpu there is a hd7770.

Would a r9 270x fit?

 

[Mr.Mike]

Hi guys, i have another question to ask, my case is listed as medium size atx(
height 38,7 cm
wide: 17,5 cm
depth: 41,4 cm
Heres a pic of the inside of my case:


The gpu there is a hd7770.

Would a r9 270x fit?

The first thing you should check is whether or not your PSU could power the card. Do you know the wattage of your PSU?

 

[Smokey]

If you're wanting to build a high end computer, you might as well go all in at $1200. For that kind of money, you can build a beastly ass Intel + Nvidia rig, that will meet your expectations. The reason you can get similar results at a lower price, is that you start replacing high quality parts with lower quality ones, except for the CPU / GPU. Computer building for gaming isn't a "on a whim" kind of thing. If you're going to do it, you're better off paying a premium for all good / top-end parts now, instead of buying a bunch of mid-range parts and having to replace a few of them for more money down the road.

Agree 100%.

 

[Mine01]

The first thing you should check is whether or not your PSU could power the card. Do you know the wattage of your PSU?

Oh yea sorry, I forgot to mention that, it's 500w.

 

[xBladeM6x]

Oh yea sorry, I forgot to mention that, it's 500w.

You need a new PC all together.

 

[SneakyStephan]

If you're wanting to build a high end computer, you might as well go all in at $1200. For that kind of money, you can build a beastly ass Intel + Nvidia rig, that will meet your expectations. The reason you can get similar results at a lower price, is that you start replacing high quality parts with lower quality ones, except for the CPU / GPU. Computer building for gaming isn't a "on a whim" kind of thing. If you're going to do it, you're better off paying a premium for all good / top-end parts now, instead of buying a bunch of mid-range parts and having to replace a few of them for more money down the road.

What are you talking about, what parts.

If you're telling him to buy some 150 euro power supply (when a 50 euro 650w antec earthwatts will be just as good and reliable as hell) or some silly 200 euro 'maximus V "gamer' motherboard then hellllll no

I always imagine people giving this advice have bose speakers and beats headphones

 

[xBladeM6x]

What are you talking about, what parts.

If you're telling him to buy some 150 euro power supply (when a 50 euro 650w antec earthwatts will be just as good and reliable as hell) or some silly 200 euro 'maximus V "gamer' motherboard then hellllll no

I always imagine people giving this advice have bose speakers and beats headphones

I wouldn't suggest spending anywhere near 150 euro on a PSU. At least, not for a single GPU build. And you definitely don't need a Maximus V motherboard for reliability. The problem is that if you're going high end, your GPU is going to cost anywhere between 350-450 euros, and the CPU will likely be around 150-250 euros. Remember that I said 1200 dollars, which is 900 euro. If you add in the 70-80 euro OS, you're already looking at a huge loss of spending money for the rest of the build. Which includes, Case, RAM, HDD, SSD (Possibly), Motherboard, PSU, and accessories if your budget has enough left over.

Also, don't group me with people who have Beats Headphones. That's just insulting. Lol

 

[nilbog21]

70$ for G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL

For an HTPC.. am i gona get a better deal than this? trying to finish up my build

 

[xBladeM6x]

70$ for G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL

For an HTPC.. am i gona get a better deal than this? trying to finish up my build

Ripjaws are typically always a decent brand to go with.

 

[Matty8787]

There's really not much a point. What kind off overclock do you have on your cpu?

None at the moment I am too scared to do it!

 

[Mine01]

You need a new PC all together.

wut? can't I just get a new case, and a new power supply? or what do you meant?

 

[xBladeM6x]

wut? can't I just get a new case, and a new power supply? or what do you meant?

Depends, honestly. I didn't catch your specs, but from what I can see in that picture, it's a pre-built system. Usually they're low end unless they're using enthusiast cases. Given that it's a 500w PSU, it's then likely that your CPU will bottleneck your GPU even if you get the proper PSU to support it.

 

[nilbog21]

Ripjaws are typically always a decent brand to go with.

cool, bought it.

here's all the parts i've purchased for my HTPC:

Last things I need a 3TB Hard Drive and a CPU cooler. Anyone want to recommend some solid parts at good prices?

Also I guess I also need a blu ray player. anyone know a good one for cheap ?

 

[Mine01]

Depends, honestly. I didn't catch your specs, but from what I can see in that picture, it's a pre-built system. Usually they're low end unless they're using enthusiast cases. Given that it's a 500w PSU, it's then likely that your CPU will bottleneck your GPU even if you get the proper PSU to support it.

Well yea its a prebuilt system with some tweaks, I think I'll get a new case, new power supply, and a new gpu, my sepcs would end being:

600w psu
r9 270x
8gb ram
i7-2600
720p monitor
pre-built motherboard (dont know if i have to change it)

Is there something i'm missing?.

 

[Nostremitus]

wut? can't I just get a new case, and a new power supply? or what do you meant?

edit:nevermind, you posted the info I was looking for.

 

[xBladeM6x]

Well yea its a prebuilt system with some tweaks, I think I'll get a new case, new power supply, and a new gpu, my sepcs would end being:

600w psu
r9 270x
8gb ram
i7-2600
720p monitor
pre-built motherboard (dont know if i have to change it)

Is there something i'm missing?.

Ah, much better CPU than expected. Yeah, that build should be good. (I would recommend a PSU with a bit more wattage to it, however) Though I would recommend getting a 1080p monitor ASAP. Here's the very good, cheap-ish one.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...102&cm_re=Asus_Monitor-_-24-236-102-_-Product

 

[Mine01]

That's an HP, right? What model?

p6780

Spoiler

don't kill me, my uncle gifted it to me when I started college

 

[Grumbul]

Quick update on the mATX build:

Thermaltake Armor A30 Micro-ATX/Mini-ITX Modular Case SCRAPPED - replaced with Lian-Li case below

Lian Li PC-V355B Aluminium Micro ATX Cube Case - Black

ASRock Z77 Pro4-M Motherboard

450W Full Modular Silent Power Supply 80+ GOLD

Corsair Memory Vengeance Jet Black 8GB DDR3 1866 MHz CAS 9-10-9-27 Dual Channel

Samsung MZ-7TE120BW 840 EVO 120GB Basic SSD SATA 3 7mm UltraSlim 2.5"

Are there any glaring problems with this build?

The Pro4-M has an HDMI out as well as a VGA out (at least I think it does) so would this be ok to feed to two monitors?

I'm assuming the AverMedia Live Gamer HD would slot into one of the available PCI-E slots and I could always drop in a graphics card if required as well I believe if needed later on.

Any help/comments much appreciated.

Well after digging around it looks like those Corsair sticks have a 52.5mm high profile so I'm opting for the Kingston HyperX Genesis 8GB (2x4GB) PC3-14900C9 1866MHz Dual Channel Kit - Black/Gold (HX18C9BGK2/8-OC) which appear to have a much lower profile. The Scythe SCBSK-2100 Big Shuriken 2 Rev.B Low Profile CPU Cooler which I am considering has a 35mm fin clearance so fingers crossed.

1. Is the Corsair 450w Full Mod ok for this Lian-Li case?
2. The Pro4-M has an HDMI out as well as a VGA out (at least I think it does) so would this be ok to feed to two monitors? (one VGA to VGA and the other using an HDMI to VGA adaptor).

 

[Nostremitus]

p6780

Spoiler

don't kill me, my uncle gifted it to me when I started college

It's all good, I had the 2010 Pavillion Elite. I bought it blind online while I was overseas for in store pick-up at a Best Buy in California because my wife's PC was having issues. It had the Phenom II 1045T that I'm still using in my HTPC.

 

[adamantypants]

I see lots of people getting hung up on the X99 socket here. Unless you need all the PCI lanes or are doing major video editing/encoding/rendering, you'll never need all that horsepower. Not to mention it seems like it's comparably a poor overclocker so for gaming situations, the 4790k is actually better for most people. It's like getting a Quadro video card for gaming.

 

[Mine01]

Ah, much better CPU than expected. Yeah, that build should be good. (I would recommend a PSU with a bit more wattage to it, however) Though I would recommend getting a 1080p monitor ASAP. Here's the very good, cheap-ish one.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...102&cm_re=Asus_Monitor-_-24-236-102-_-Product

I game on a 40inch tv, I have a 1080p monitor tough i prefer the tv, thx anyway!

 

[kennah]

I see lots of people getting hung up on the X99 socket here. Unless you need all the PCI lanes or are doing major video editing/encoding/rendering, you'll never need all that horsepower. Not to mention it seems like it's comparably a poor overclocker so for gaming situations, the 4790k is actually better for most people. It's like getting a Quadro video card for gaming.

+1 people need to remember that it it's an ENTHUSIAST socket, not made for regular practical applications

 

[H1PSTER]

I'm having to use a REALLY shitty/small mouse... My deathadder scroll wheel is dead and I can't seem to uncrew it to fix it... So looking for a new fingertip grip mouse and I've set my eyes on the g502.

 

[The Llama]

+1 people need to remember that it it's an ENTHUSIAST socket, not made for regular practical applications

I think the point is that even for a gaming enthusiast its not even worth it.

 

[xBladeM6x]

I game on a 40inch tv, I have a 1080p monitor tough i prefer the tv, thx anyway!

Ah.

 

[LilJoka]

I think the point is that even for a gaming enthusiast its not even worth it.

Yep, my gaming rig has a 3770, my Uni PC has a 3960x, doing absolutely nothing. These CPU are really good for hardcore work, not gaming. Some things that may include, running a lot of virtual machines, video/photo editing, simulations (matlab), programming/large compilation.

 

[Chiggs]

Getting very annoyed.

I exchanged my ASRock mini-ITX board for an ASUS since nothing would post last night, and I even returned the processor.

Got home, got everything installed and presto---JACK SHIT.

It's got to be the PSU, right?

 

[LilJoka]

Getting very annoyed.

I exchanged my ASRock mini-ITX board for an ASUS since nothing would post last night, and I even returned the processor.

Got home, got everything installed and prestp---JACK SHIT.

It's got to be the PSU, right?

Need more information, exactly what happens after powering it on?

Things to check:
Make sure the power switch is plugged into the correct header
Make sure the 8 Pin CPU cable is plugged in, and the 24pin ATX cable

If you want to test the PSU, search PSU paper clip test.

 

[xBladeM6x]

Getting very annoyed.

I exchanged my ASRock mini-ITX board for an ASUS since nothing would post last night, and I even returned the processor.

Got home, got everything installed and prestp---JACK SHIT.

It's got to be the PSU, right?

You should take a picture of the inside of the case, and see if we see anything you may have overlooked. Definitely sounds like a PSU problem if you've done everything correctly.

 

[Chiggs]

Need more information, exactly what happens after powering it on?

Things to check:
Make sure the power switch is plugged into the correct header
Make sure the 8 Pin CPU cable is plugged in, and the 24pin ATX cable

If you want to test the PSU, search PSU paper clip test.

CPU fans spin, video card fans spin. Green light is on motherboard. Definitely had the 8pin power cable connected. I'm not the best their ever was when building computers, but I'm not a rookie, either.

 

[LilJoka]

Well after digging around it looks like those Corsair sticks have a 52.5mm high profile so I'm opting for the Kingston HyperX Genesis 8GB (2x4GB) PC3-14900C9 1866MHz Dual Channel Kit - Black/Gold (HX18C9BGK2/8-OC) which appear to have a much lower profile. The Scythe SCBSK-2100 Big Shuriken 2 Rev.B Low Profile CPU Cooler which I am considering has a 35mm fin clearance so fingers crossed.

1. Is the Corsair 450w Full Mod ok for this Lian-Li case?
2. The Pro4-M has an HDMI out as well as a VGA out (at least I think it does) so would this be ok to feed to two monitors? (one VGA to VGA and the other using an HDMI to VGA adaptor).

Do you already own some of these parts?

 

[LilJoka]

CPU fans spin, video card fans spin. Green light is on motherboard. Definitely had the 8pin power cable connected. I'm not the best the ever was when building computers, but I'm not a rookie, either.

If the fans spin up and down constantly, it could be the RAM, try 1 stick at a time and try each slot separately.
Try the PSU test as well with the paperclip. If that passes then it could be the CPU, so i would reseat it.

 

[Chiggs]

Do you already own some of these parts?

Nope. All new parts. Guess it could be the RAM too.

 

[yatesl]

Not hardware related, but how do I force games to run at a custom FPS? I have my nvidia panel set up like this:

All the resolutions work fine, both on desktop and ingame (aside from 4k in some games). I can push my monitor to 66Hz on the 'lower' settings, and 65 at 4k. However, when setting the resolution in a game, sometimes it only has it at 60.

Now, the game in question is Dark Souls 2 - could it be locked at 60, regardless?

 

[Grumbul]

Do you already own some of these parts?

Only the i53570K and the AverMedia Liver Gamer HD.

Everything else I am piecing together - hopefully with some help from you guys and gals.

 

[LilJoka]

Only the i53570K and the AverMedia Liver Gamer HD.

Everything else I am piecing together - hopefully with some help from you guys and gals.

What is the budget?

Why not mini ITX? Although the ideal board (P8Z77I Deluxe) is so hard to find now =(

Have a look at the Lian Li PC354B too.

Edit:
Just seen that is a capture card, ok mATX it will be. Although are you having a dedicated GPU?

 

[Grumbul]

What is the budget?

Why not mini ITX? Although the ideal board (P8Z77I Deluxe) is so hard to find now =(

Have a look at the Lian Li PC354B too.

No budget really - though keeping it around £400.00 seems reasonable.

Mini ITX mobo's tend to only come with the one PCI slot (unless I'm mistaken). With the Micro ATX I will be using one slot with the AverMedia and can always pop in a graphics card at a later date.

The Lian Li PC-V354B is 320mm high whereas the LIAN LI PC-V355B is 263mm high which is more suited to where it is going to sit.

 

[freshVeggie]

Hi guys. I am looking for a mouse (cable) at around 15€. I don't need professional-class but something that'll last me several years. My old Logitech had a battery leak and it damaged the electronics inside so it's toast. And my current one has problems with recognizing right-clicks.

The ones in the OP are too expensive for me. On Amazon there are tons of mice and I don't know which is good. I have no clue how much dpi is recommended or which manufacturers to avoid?!

These are the ones I am eyeing right now. Would be great if anyone could provide some input.
Plemo 2400dpi @ 10€
CSL SM690 3200dpi @ 12,85€
TrackNet 2000dpi @ 11,97€

 

[LilJoka]

No budget really - though keeping it around £400.00 seems reasonable.

Mini ITX mobo's tend to only come with the one PCI slot (unless I'm mistaken). With the Micro ATX I will be using one slot with the AverMedia and can always pop in a graphics card at a later date.

The Lian Li PC-V354B is 320mm high whereas the LIAN LI PC-V355B is 263mm high which is more suited to where it is going to sit.

Ok it all looks good in that case. RM450 is enough for something mid end, but if you want to run pretty much any GPU in the future take a look at the Seasonic G Series 550W PSU.

As for the multi monitor question, you can definatly run more than 1 monitor off the onboard ports, but im not sure about VGA to HDMI and what resolutions will be supported there. But the board has DVI, so you can use that alongside HDMI.

Could also go with Crucial Mx100 SSD.

 

[Grumbul]

Ok it all looks good in that case. RM450 is enough for something mid end, but if you want to run pretty much any GPU in the future take a look at the Seasonic G Series 550W PSU.

As for the multi monitor question, you can definatly run more than 1 monitor off the onboard ports, but im not sure about VGA to HDMI and what resolutions will be supported there. But the board has DVI, so you can use that alongside HDMI.

Could also go with Crucial Mx100 SSD.

Brilliant, I've switched in the Corsair 550 full modular PSU just in case.

I'll grab a VGA>VGA and a DVI-D>DVI-D cable which should be ok for the two monitors I have.

 

[Chiggs]

Well, it was the PSU.

Not a good showing for Corsair this time around for me. Busted H60 and a shit PSU.

Man, I guess we all have our faults.

 

[LilJoka]

Well, it was the PSU.

Not a good showing for Corsair this time around for me. Busted H60 and a shit PSU.

Man, I guess we all have our faults.

Yep the new Corsair PSUs have had a lot of DOAs, they arent what they used to be. And same here, my H80i died after 3 months, after reading their support forum i wont be getting PSUs or Hydros from them (except the AX PSU range).

Brilliant, I've switched in the Corsair 550 full modular PSU just in case.

I'll grab a VGA>VGA and a DVI-D>DVI-D cable which should be ok for the two monitors I have.

See above, get the Seasonic its a lot better than Corsair in this watt range. Also full modular isnt really needed since the hybrid modulars keep the cable you will certainly need as non modular, so full modular isnt really an advantage.

 

[RadioactiveLobster]

I hope the $119.99 shipping fee is a mistake...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130794