Support NeoGAF

[justsomeguy]

I'm starting to think about a new pc build in the next few months, and it'll be wrapped up in a dedicated home cinema room too.

Ideally I'd like to place the pc in an adjacent room, separated by a wall to avoid fan noise (if the sound system is turned low ) - is it simply a case of drilling a hole, running wireless usb dongles via an extender, and a long display cable or is there a more elegant solution? What's the max length of hdmi/display port?

 

[LilJoka]

I finally have money enough for a build. I will be for 1080p 60hz gaming, and I have a monitor already. But I need your help, PC-GAF. Please help.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

The standard stuff that doesn't really need much looking at because it's what everyone seems to get:
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£171.54 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£24.96 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£74.39 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£37.50 @ Aria PC)

What I'm not 100% on and would like help with:
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£69.36 @ Scan.co.uk)
-1600 is fine, right? I know that is 1866, but the 1600 version is on Amazon for roughly the same price.
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£99.56 @ Scan.co.uk)
-This is a big one. There are so many motherboards out there and reviews get far too technical for me. The Gaming 5 seems to be decent enough in terms of ratings, but by alll means please recommend something else. I'd rather not pay £120+, but if it's justifiable then it can be done.
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (£274.99 @ Ebuyer)
-This doesn't require much decision. The only reason I'd pay £15-25 more for the Gigabyte one is because being a UK company it would likely simplify things in the event that it is faulty.
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case (£67.34 @ Aria PC)
-It's only not set in stone because I don't know if there is anything newer and better out there. But the clean design, dust filters and noise dampening are all things that draw me in.
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£49.93 @ CCL Computers)
-Again. If there's a preferable alternative, let me know.
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer (£12.76 @ CCL Computers)
-Same as above. I only really need it to rip my CD collection and install some games I have on disc (that I could just re-buy on Steam for how much they'd all cost - it's only HL2, Manhunt, Vice City, and a 9 game THQ pack I got for £8).
Total: £882.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-28 21:38 BST+0100

I'm thinking of overriding a number of items to Amazon so that it's mostly from one retailer I'm familiar with and I know has decent customer service. I'm worried that if I ever have problems then some of the UK online retailers won't be as friendly and straightforward as Amazon are. Does anyone have experience with places like Scan, Ebuyer and Aria for returning faulty items? What about GPU RMAs?

Alternative:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£171.54 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£24.96 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Asus Z97I-PLUS Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard (£104.39 @ Aria PC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£69.36 @ Scan.co.uk)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£74.39 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£37.50 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (£274.99 @ Ebuyer)
Case: Fractal Design Node 304 Mini ITX Tower Case (£56.74 @ CCL Computers)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12G 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply (£67.97 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £881.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-28 22:25 BST+0100

Amazon is the best for RMAs then everyone follows a fair bit worse with scan coming in 2nd imo.

Get a USB DVD rewriter if you only need it temporarily.


Too many issues with boards with Killer NICs, stick to boards with Intel NICs. Gigabyte GA-Z97N-WIFI is another good choice.

Corsair PSUs are ok, but not as good as they used to be in terms of the competition.

 

[crooked spin]

Do you have all 3 fans connected to the fan controller? You could try disconnecting the fan that doesn't work or the whole controller.

The 3 fans are connected via the fan headers on the motherboard itself.

 

[LilJoka]

The 3 fans are connected via the fan headers on the motherboard itself.

Try basics first.
Unplug all SATA devices. Use 1 stick of RAM. Remove GPU and use onboard. Remove anything that isn't required to POST. Reset CMOS either by jumper or removing CMOS battery (see manual). Seeing as fans may also be acting odd, unplug those expect the CPU fan.

 

[kharma45]

Whats the reason for paying $4 more for the 240gb m500 over the mx100 256gb?

There isn't any.

Is there a decent sub $600 build available? Mostly looking to play the wow expac and ideally some new releases on medium settings.

I think more so now than ever probably. The Pentium Anniversary and something like an R9 270 represents a ton of value for the money....and is pretty damn capable for 1080p gaming.

Like this:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vLxNsY
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vLxNsY/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($69.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($115.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 270 2GB DirectCU II Video Card ($165.38 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec Basiq 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $641.29
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-28 16:00 EDT-0400

I went a little over $600, really wanting to get a decent SSD in there....

I'd look to this for closer to his budget. Better HDD, better mobo, modular PSU and twice the RAM. SSD is smaller but it's enough

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($69.96 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 Low Profile Blue 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($73.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270 2GB Dual-X Video Card ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($38.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $625.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-28 17:34 EDT-0400

Dropping the PSU to a non-modular and the mobo back to that Z97 MATE would get it to within budget.

 

[luxarific]

This morning my ~2 month old computer suddenly stopped booting.

When I press the ON button on the case the LED surrounding it lights up for a couple seconds, turns off for a second, turns back on for a few seconds, etc.

Inside, the computer seems to be turning on but unable to boot. The rear fan doesn't turn on but the other 2 case fans and the CPU fans do turn on. They rev as if the computer is trying to boot but can't. Nothing appears on the monitor. This keeps going until I turn it off by pressing the power button on the case.

Case: Define R4
Board: Gigabyte z97x ud3h

Any thoughts?

I had almost the exact same problem and it ended up being bad ram. I would take out all the sticks except one and try booting up and then do the same for the other sticks.

 

[Witchfinder General]

I asked this in the 970/980 thread but I didn't get a clear answer:

My Asus Strix 970 idles between 55-65c but never seems to go over 70c in gameplay. Is this bad or should I not be worried. Apparently the fan doesn't kick in until the card is being used heavily.

 

[Kezen]

I asked this in the 970/980 thread but I didn't get a clear answer:

My Asus Strix 970 idles between 55-65c but never seems to go over 70c in gameplay. Is this bad or should I not be worried. Apparently the fan doesn't kick in until the card is being used heavily.

That's normal.

 

[LilJoka]

I asked this in the 970/980 thread but I didn't get a clear answer:

My Asus Strix 970 idles between 55-65c but never seems to go over 70c in gameplay. Is this bad or should I not be worried. Apparently the fan doesn't kick in until the card is being used heavily.

Very good. If you see nvidia have a temp target of 80c where the clocks drop to maintain temps.

 

[appaws]

Whats the reason for paying $4 more for the 240gb m500 over the mx100 256gb?

Yeah, there isn't any....I was just throwing something together quickly on PC Parts picker.

There isn't any.





I'd look to this for closer to his budget. Better HDD, better mobo, modular PSU and twice the RAM. SSD is smaller but it's enough

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($69.96 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 Low Profile Blue 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($73.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270 2GB Dual-X Video Card ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($38.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $625.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-28 17:34 EDT-0400

Dropping the PSU to a non-modular and the mobo back to that Z97 MATE would get it to within budget.

Thanks Kharma. I really threw that together quickly and didn't pay attention.

Good catch on the PSU. I really wanted to squeeze in a bigger SSD...I hate moving shit around with Steam Mover. It's fine though.

I hate Asrock ever since the Z77 Extreme4 thing.

 

[matrixman92]

so my computer was blue screening on restarting after updating or even enabling the video card. I sent it back to Zotac for them to check it out. I am just wondering what I should do if they say nothing is wrong with the video card. It was essentially brand new. I heard it could be a problem with the motherboard itself. I tried the video card in different slots of it, all to the same result. Would the motherboard be the next best step of getting checked out, if its not the video card?

 

[kharma45]

Yeah, there isn't any....I was just throwing something together quickly on PC Parts picker.



Thanks Kharma. I really threw that together quickly and didn't pay attention.

Good catch on the PSU. I really wanted to squeeze in a bigger SSD...I hate moving shit around with Steam Mover. It's fine though.

I hate Asrock ever since the Z77 Extreme4 thing.

I know what you mean, they dicked up with it but have been better since from what I know. MSI board would get him closer to his budget too.

PSU is massively overkill wattage wise but it's a great unit, modular and a great price.

For storage just stick all the games onto the HDD and keep the OS on the SSD.

 

[Wolfie5]

Is there some texture glitches with Arkham Origins? I started playing this game with my new card GTX970 and some weird texture glitches started to happen. I got worried thinking there is some heating issue with my card and closed the game. Looked at my temps and it was between 50-60, which is good.

Played a little more demanding game, Last Light and there was no problem playing that game. Went back to Origins, same problem came back

Is there some setting I should turn off or is there no fix? I am assuming this is a problem with this game and not my hardware, right?

Adding a screenshot of the glitch I am having in Arkham origins:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=320056417

and here is one without(if I turn the glitch comes back):
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=320056261

Hardware issue or is it the game itself? Anyone know?

 

[LordAlu]

I know what you mean, they dicked up with it but have been better since from what I know. MSI board would get him closer to his budget too.

PSU is massively overkill wattage wise but it's a great unit, modular and a great price.

For storage just stick all the games onto the HDD and keep the OS on the SSD.

dat Avatar change

 

[Danlord]

Okay PC-GAF, I have a small concern.

I've just built my PC with an i7 4790K @ 4GHz and installed Windows 7, now with the ASUS Maximus Ranger VII Motherboard comes AI Suite 3 which has a lot of cool stuff, especially helping with my fan controllers and extras like overclocking tools.

Now, looking at CPU-z I notice the Clock Speed is hovering over 800MHz range instead of the expected 4GHz whilst idling, but it does jump up, roughly to the 4GHz~ range when I open an application, is the AI Suite doing the adjusting of the core clock depending on the workload, or is it an intelligent feature with the i7's that is adjusting the clock speed?

 

[somuchwater]

Okay PC-GAF, I have a small concern.

I've just built my PC with an i7 4790K @ 4GHz and installed Windows 7, now with the ASUS Maximus Ranger VII Motherboard comes AI Suite 3 which has a lot of cool stuff, especially helping with my fan controllers and extras like overclocking tools.

Now, looking at CPU-z I notice the Clock Speed is hovering over 800MHz range instead of the expected 4GHz whilst idling, but it does jump up, roughly to the 4GHz~ range when I open an application, is the AI Suite doing the adjusting of the core clock depending on the workload, or is it an intelligent feature with the i7's that is adjusting the clock speed?

I think all modern CPUs do that under Windows.It's done to save energy and apply power when it's needed. You can likely hear your CPU fan go up and down in relation, too (or at least I can on my old Core 2 Duo).

Do make sure to check your Windows power settings in control panel. Changing your setting to "Performance" actually makes a difference.

 

[LilJoka]

Okay PC-GAF, I have a small concern.

I've just built my PC with an i7 4790K @ 4GHz and installed Windows 7, now with the ASUS Maximus Ranger VII Motherboard comes AI Suite 3 which has a lot of cool stuff, especially helping with my fan controllers and extras like overclocking tools.

Now, looking at CPU-z I notice the Clock Speed is hovering over 800MHz range instead of the expected 4GHz whilst idling, but it does jump up, roughly to the 4GHz~ range when I open an application, is the AI Suite doing the adjusting of the core clock depending on the workload, or is it an intelligent feature with the i7's that is adjusting the clock speed?

It's intel speed step, allows the CPU to down clock and down volt depending on the load.

 

[demented]

I need some help with picking the monitor. My requirements are ips, 1440p, 27". Can't get rog swift or asus from OP because they are either unavailable or too expensive here.
Thought about Korean one but the wait time, pretty much no warranty etc just doesn't cut it for me right now.
So I've been researching what's available and came down to 1 choice and it's Dell U2713HM. I know it's not very fast (input lag ~22ms) and some have issues but I will have warranty and can take it to the store and replace it if it has any of the other issues including dead pixels.

What do you guys think, is it a good choice or?

 

[Danlord]

I think all modern CPUs do that under Windows.It's done to save energy and apply power when it's needed. You can likely hear your CPU fan go up and down in relation, too (or at least I can on my old Core 2 Duo).

Do make sure to check your Windows power settings in control panel. Changing your setting to "Performance" actually makes a difference.

It's intel speed step, allows the CPU to down clock and down volt depending on the load.

Thank you both very much!!

Past PC and Laptop have had AMD CPU's, so it's my first time with Intel.

I changed the Power Options to 'Performance' and it indeed clocked the CPU to full 4GHz.

Thanks also for the very quick responses, very much appreciated.

 

[LilJoka]

Thank you both very much!!

Past PC and Laptop have had AMD CPU's, so it's my first time with Intel.

I changed the Power Options to 'Performance' and it indeed clocked the CPU to full 4GHz.

Thanks also for the very quick responses, very much appreciated.

It's perfectly ok to run it on balanced power plan, Intel have tuned it very well to respond to load. I run all my machines with it enabled. Saves a bunch of power as it can literally shut down parts of the cpu when idling.

 

[kharma45]

dat Avatar change

Bow to King Louis

 

[McBryBry]

Went and got my 4690k and MSI Gaming 5 yesterday. The pile grows...

 

[kharma45]

Nice combo.

 

[Serandur]

I need some help with picking the monitor. My requirements are ips, 1440p, 27". Can't get rog swift or asus from OP because they are either unavailable or too expensive here.
Thought about Korean one but the wait time, pretty much no warranty etc just doesn't cut it for me right now.
So I've been researching what's available and came down to 1 choice and it's Dell U2713HM. I know it's not very fast (input lag ~22ms) and some have issues but I will have warranty and can take it to the store and replace it if it has any of the other issues including dead pixels.

What do you guys think, is it a good choice or?

I'm not sure how the price compares in your country, but among the more affordable IPS 1440p screens, I personally have and love my AOC Q2770PQU. I've heard reports of several issues with U2713HM including screen-coating issues and of course, the input lag. The AOC model has less input lag (~17ms) and has what I consider to be the ideal anti-glare coating (no graininess or visual artifacts). The only complaint I have about is that the screen is a bit wobbly if I'm pounding away on my cheap desk or touching the display.

Of course for raw value and for the absolute lowest input lag and/or overclocking ability, the Korean monitors can't be beat. But if you want a fully adjustable stand or something name-brand, I personally recommend the AOC model or, if you can, the Asus PB278QR (though reviews are still somewhat pending for that). In the price range of the U2713HM, I also believe the Viewsonic VP2770 is a superior option.

 

[Danlord]

It's perfectly ok to run it on balanced power plan, Intel have tuned it very well to respond to load. I run all my machines with it enabled. Saves a bunch of power as it can literally shut down parts of the cpu when idling.

:O

I was curious to that, I still have it on Balanced mode as I've I won't be doing anything intensive until I've sorted some stuff out. In October I'll be getting myself a 970, so then I can be pushing my PC with gaming but I'll keep it in Balanced mode as per your suggestion, I really like this feature

Thanks again!

 

[zeroeffect]

So I've been looking at motherboards past few days and having a hard time figuring out what I want. What's GAF's opinion on a good motherboard for someone who's an overclock noob and wants something easy to deal with? I'll probably have a budget somewhere around $1500-$2000. Pretty much a gaming rig.

 

[kharma45]

So I've been looking at motherboards past few days and having a hard time figuring out what I want. What's GAF's opinion on a good motherboard for someone who's an overclock noob and wants something easy to deal with? I'll probably have a budget somewhere around $1500-$2000. Pretty much a gaming rig.

What socket? If it's Z97 then the Gaming 5 from MSI is a good solid board.

If you want to spend more then the Gaming 7 from MSI and Gigabyte's UD5H are also good boards.

 

[zeroeffect]

What socket? If it's Z97 then the Gaming 5 from MSI is a good solid board.

If you want to spend more then the Gaming 7 from MSI and Gigabyte's UD5H are also good boards.

Yeah, Z97. I'll look into the MSI one. Probably going to get a 4790k and a GTX 980. Likely ATX build too although those smaller builds are attractive...

 

[Booshka]

Yeah, Z97. I'll look into the MSI one. Probably going to get a 4790k and a GTX 980. Likely ATX build too although those smaller builds are attractive...

Small builds are cool and all, but if you are going into the nearly 2K price range then you should just go Full Tower for that air flow and easier cable management. And of course, space to upgrade.

 

[kharma45]

Full tower is far too big. No need for it unless you're doing proper water cooling.

 

[xBladeM6x]

Full tower is far too big. No need for it unless you're doing proper water cooling.

Or you have planet sized hands like me, and hate cable management. xD

 

[Cuphead]

Ok guys I have run into a little problem!

Boot camp fuxed up on my iMac so I need to reinstall Windows.

I cannot find a legit download of the 64 bit, Windows 8.1 Iso image for the life of me.

(I still have the product key from when I purchased 8.1 pro)

Anyone know where I can download this?

 

[demented]

I'm not sure how the price compares in your country, but among the more affordable IPS 1440p screens, I personally have and love my AOC Q2770PQU. I've heard reports of several issues with U2713HM including screen-coating issues and of course, the input lag. The AOC model has less input lag (~17ms) and has what I consider to be the ideal anti-glare coating (no graininess or visual artifacts). The only complaint I have about is that the screen is a bit wobbly if I'm pounding away on my cheap desk or touching the display.

Of course for raw value and for the absolute lowest input lag and/or overclocking ability, the Korean monitors can't be beat. But if you want a fully adjustable stand or something name-brand, I personally recommend the AOC model or, if you can, the Asus PB278QR (though reviews are still somewhat pending for that). In the price range of the U2713HM, I also believe the Viewsonic VP2770 is a superior option.

I looked for that AOC model and none for sale here as far as I can tell. Screen coating is an issue but if I find one that has it bad I can return it easily, which I can't do with korean ones for example. If anything's wrong with them I'd have to pay to send them back, and get taxed 19% vat and 5% customs when I buy it. Asus is atm available in one shop and costs almost the twice what dell does. At other I might be able to order but it's still 200eur more, so unless it's worth that much I'd rather skip it.

I want a good monitor that will last right now to use for everything, don't wanna have to wait a long time to receive or go through return process :/

P.S. I'll use my consoles on this monitor too and Korean ones don't have scaler so there's that too.

 

[UnObtainium17]

I use to recommend OEMs for Windows since they're cheaper but my recent experience tells me they no longer give you a new key if you ever replace a lot of hardware in your PC. You use to be able to call Microsoft and they'd hand you keys out if say something died in your PC and you replaced it. Last time this happened to me they wouldn't give me a new licensed key. I talked to at least 15 different CS reps and called at different times each time...not one would budge. I'm guessing they no longer do that policy anymore and OEMs are basically use once and you can never use it again.

Maybe other people in here have better experiences but that happened to me about a year ago. I think W8 is perfectly viable now. It use to be terrible but for the most part, it's just an improved W7 now. Certainly isn't that technical disaster Vista was.

THanks! WIll get an 8.1 pro for my build.

Edit: typo. i mean the basic one lol.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor (Purchased For $50.00)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (Purchased For $65.00)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (Purchased For $110.00)
Memory: Kingston Fury Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (Purchased For $0.00)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $50.00)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (Purchased For $370.00)
Case: Thermaltake Commander G42 ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $70.00)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $60.00)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer (Purchased For $10.00)
Total: $785.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-28 20:12 EDT-0400

Is it okay for me to start on assembling my pc now and then installing OS even if I dont have my GPU yet? It's scheduled to be here tomorrow.

 

[adamantypants]

I'm starting to think about a new pc build in the next few months, and it'll be wrapped up in a dedicated home cinema room too.

Ideally I'd like to place the pc in an adjacent room, separated by a wall to avoid fan noise (if the sound system is turned low ) - is it simply a case of drilling a hole, running wireless usb dongles via an extender, and a long display cable or is there a more elegant solution? What's the max length of hdmi/display port?

What's your goal with this? Gaming or pure home theater? You can build a dead silent PC even with powerful parts.

Spoiler

Go Gunners

 

[The Llama]

THanks! WIll get an 8.1 pro for my build.

Is it okay for me to start on assembling my pc now and then installing OS even if I dont have my GPU yet? It's scheduled to be here tomorrow.

And to just use the integrated GPU? Yeah, definitely. Not a bad idea anyway, lets you make sure nothing else is wrong.

 

[NOKYARD]

Greetings GAF. First post (in this thread), first build, and hopefully first overclock.

I'm a long time lurker who has learned a lot from reading this, and the related threads. I have grown tired of Apple ignoring their desktop customers and have given up on waiting for them to produce a product which fits my needs. I plan to build a system with a good mix of price, performance and be as future proof as possible.

Your Current Specs: 2009 Mac Mini (laugh if you want)
Budget: Around the price of a new iMac $1,150CDN
Main Use: Streaming Xbox One games in HD, Gaming & Emulation, Video Editing, General Usage, in that order.
I plan to double boot Windows 8.1, and either Hackintosh or Linux.
Monitor Resolution: 1080p at 120Hz is fine for now but i want to be able to upgrade to SLI 4K at a later date. I am older than you and suffer from bouts of iritis so a smooth visual experience is more important than small pixels.
Looking to reuse any parts?: I have a Seagate 500GB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive i use as a Time Machine backup so i plan to purchase another and either use them for Raid0, or for double boot.
When will you build?: Some of the parts listed are on sale till the 30th so...asap.
Will you be overclocking?: HELLS YES!!!PCPartPicker part list

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($69.95 @ NCIX)

Since it's my first build/overclock i went with this gem since it's cheap enough to replace if i melt it. I plan to eventually go with Broadwell and retire the Pentium to a future HTPC if it survives me tinkering with it.

CPU Cooler: Corsair H105 73.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($99.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 2GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($209.99 @ NCIX)

This is the best video card i can afford which is Hackintosh compatible but i am open to suggestions.

Case: Xigmatek Aquila MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($79.99 @ NCIX)

i was planning to build in a Bitfenix Prodigy M but fell in love with this case.

Monitor: BenQ XL2411Z 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($249.00 @ Canada Computers)

It was a tough decision between this and the Asus VG248QE. Went with the Benq since it's motion blur technology also works when playing on the Xbox (I do volunteer work for a game dev and can spend 6 to 8 hours at a time on the Xbox).

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($83.36 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($115.98 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Seagate 500GB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.82 @ DirectCanada)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ NCIX) [/B]

Total: $1145.06

Anyway, to my noob questions.

Will this system be suitable for future expansion (Broadwell, 4K, SLI)?

I have basic home tools and the nearest good pc parts store is an hours drive away. When i start to build i don't want to have to put the build on hold to pickup unforeseen items. What extras (cables, special tools, adapters, cable ties, etc.) will i need to actually build this, or do the individual components come with everything i need?

 

[b0bbyJ03]

I currently have a 780 and I know someone willing to pay me $300 for it. Is it worth selling it and picking up a 970? does the 970 outperform the 780 in games?

 

[xBladeM6x]

I currently have a 780 and I know someone willing to pay me $300 for it. Is it worth selling it and picking up a 970? does the 970 outperform the 780 in games?

Yes. When overclocked, it gets close to 980 stock speed. I'd say jump to it.

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

http://mbxforma.com/mkii/gallery.html



HNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

 

[opticalmace]

Any ideas for speakers? Either 2.0 or 2.1, nothing fancy. I normally use built-in speakers but my new display doesn't have 'em.

 

[zeroeffect]

Small builds are cool and all, but if you are going into the nearly 2K price range then you should just go Full Tower for that air flow and easier cable management. And of course, space to upgrade.

Yeah, I was thinking about that too. My current case I accidentally screwed up and bought the wrong one just never replaced it. This case is a nightmare to deal with with things like cable management. I don't intend to have that problem again so I probably will go full tower just to make cable management extremely easy plus all the space I need if I want to add anything later.

I was looking at the Phanteks or Fractal Define. They both seem like amazing value for the money and plenty of room to do whatever you want. Only concern is I read the Fractal Define has a small cutout behind the mobo for CPUs and that could be a problem on bigger CPU coolers. Anyone know if the CM Hyper 212 Evo would fit on an ATX board fine in the Fractal define? I've also read by a lot of reviews the Fractal Define/Phanteks Enthoo Pro has some cheaply made parts where the standoffs are and the cable wires inside the cases.

I actually have a CM Hyper 212 cooler in this PC here but it's not the newest version, it's the older one so I'm familiar with this heatsink. It's a little wide when you install the brackets so I'm wondering if it will have enough clearance on the Fractal Define to install one on ATX. I haven't decided on mobo yet I just know it's likely going to be a Z97 board.

 

[zeroeffect]

THanks! WIll get an 8.1 pro for my build.

Edit: typo. i mean the basic one lol.

Is it okay for me to start on assembling my pc now and then installing OS even if I dont have my GPU yet? It's scheduled to be here tomorrow.

I don't see why not man. Just assemble what you can and if you have integrated graphics you could use that temporarily until you get your GPU just to see if everything works correctly.

 

[DarkoMaledictus]

Was checking benches on new cpu's and cpu utilization... damn still amazed my I7 950 can handle any game. Max cpu utilisation was 65% in BF4... pretty crazy how slow technology is going these days!

 

[jfoul]

I think this is the cheapest I've seen this new.

$88 @ Amazon - Corsair Hydro Series H105

"Usually ships within 1 to 2 months."


Uhh..

Usually ships in 1-2 eons.

Pretty sure Amazon has that estimate because they are price matching Fry's. Mine is currently preparing for shipment. (Delivery estimate: Wednesday, October 1, 2014 by 8pm)

 

[Objectively Bad Opinion]

http://www.tweaktown.com/news/40339...early-next-year-20nm-with-hbm-tech/index.html

 

[Rhaknar]

putting in my order for my new rig when I get home from work after some indecision lately, Ive settled on it and wont think about it anymore. Fuck future proofing

i5 4690k and z97 mobo
16gb ddr3
120gb ssd + 2tb hdd
gtx970
fractal design R4 case

hopefully it will be good, certainly better than my current i5 750, 4gb ram, no ssd and a gtx580

 

[PastorOfMuppets]

putting in my order for my new rig when I get home from work after some indecision lately, Ive settled on it and wont think about it anymore. Fuck future proofing

i5 4690k and z97 mobo
16gb ddr3
120gb ssd + 2tb hdd
gtx970
fractal design R4 case

hopefully it will be good, certainly better than my current i5 750, 4gb ram, no ssd and a gtx580

This is honestly not that bad of a build for future proofing.

- The new line of 5K line of i7 will not make a big enough difference in video game performance to justify the high price. The fact that they are only compatible with X99 and DDR4 ram just adds to the costs. The next generation of mainstream Intel CPUs should still be compatible with your z97 motherboard as well if you do choose to upgrade. It is the last one that will be using LGA1150 sockets though.

- 16GB DDR3 is more than good enough in 2014 except for specialist cases (video editing for instance).

- Hard drives are fine. I'd get as large of an SSD as possible though.

- I'm waiting for 14 nm dies to be ready before I buy a new GPU. We've been stuck on 28 nm for years now and this is considered a stop gap generation. That said, the GTX970 is the current price-performance king.

- I have this case as well and it's awesome.

 

[EmptySpace]

- I'm waiting for 14 nm dies to be ready before I buy a new GPU. We've been stuck on 28 nm for years now and this is considered a stop gap generation. That said, the GTX970 is the current price-performance king.

uhh..what? we don't even have 20nm and 16nm let alone 14nm.

wait a second..


http://www.overclock3d.net/articles...ay_skip_20nm_and_go_straight_to_16nm_finfet/1


what the...this changes everything.

 

[PastorOfMuppets]

uhh..what? we don't even have 20nm and 16nm let alone 14nm.

wait a second..


http://www.overclock3d.net/articles...ay_skip_20nm_and_go_straight_to_16nm_finfet/1


what the...this changes everything.

My mistake, I meant 16 nm dies. Yeah, nvidia official stance on 20nm is that it's not worth it to make the transition and are opting to skip it. AMD maybe adopting 20nm though. Me personally, I'm waiting to see what GPUs will be available by late February -March when Witcher 3 is released. I doubt 16 nm will be ready then but I can wait because there are no graphically intensive games on the horizon that I'm interested in except for Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077.