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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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Tablo

Member
If they would just make a tenkeyless variant with any sort of backlighting (white preferable) I'd be happy.
The K65 is a cut down K70, just bloody make it MX Brown and give me light!
 

scogoth

Member
I'm still waiting for the full OLED keys like the Optimus keyboards but with cherry MX switches.

optimus-popularis-dot.jpg
 

appaws

Banned
I really like the Corsair Air 540 case. Unfortunately I may be forced to go water for my Titan Blacks and have to leave it :(. I'll deal with that when the time comes, but for now I think it looks pretty slick.

The Air 540 is a pretty good watercooling case for us mortals...for the rads you will need for cooling all your stuff....maybe not.

is there a way to search for the best parts for water cooling?

I have a Corsair 600t and I have Koolance r9 290x water block... nothing else.\
I checked through and I do not want to buy a "toy" all in one kit.

I rather buy separate best parts and do it slowly and properly.

There is nothing "improper" or "toy" about the good kits. XPSC's top level kits in particular offer parts that are widely considered excellent in the WC community at a very good savings. For example....I bought the Raystorm D5/Photon kit. The Raystorm block, AX240 Rad, the D5 Vario Pump and the Photon 170 res all have excellent reputations. You can also get one with a 360 rad instead.

Of course it's awesome to pick out all your own parts. I just don't want anyone else reading this to perceive the kits as being "toys" or somehow not as good as buying individually. Good Luck.
 

Grayman

Member
I noticed the MX100 in the thread title. I have my first SSD coming from Amazon whenever they get them into stock. Not sure if I am going to reformat with windows or try out linux gaming for a bit. I should be having a good time enjoying the speed increases, my boot times have been getting really slow as of late.
 

eek5

Member
If they would just make a tenkeyless variant with any sort of backlighting (white preferable) I'd be happy.
The K65 is a cut down K70, just bloody make it MX Brown and give me light!

If they make a K65 RGB I'll probably get it even though I have 4 mechanical KB already. Take my money!! :|
 

Skel1ingt0n

I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
I really want to jump into 4K, but two things hold me back:

-The monitors themselves. I know the Asus one is now out for $650; but I imagine it'll hit ~$400 by the end of the year. $600 is still a bit pricey for me for a TN panel from a B-tier company. Admittedly, reviews have been pretty solid. Waiting to read more user impressions as it leaks into the consumer sphere.

-Requires a lot of horsepower to drive; and I'm hesitant to jump back to SLI. Even my Titan will struggle to play most games at high settings at 4K. Hoping the 880 top-tier rectifies that.
 

Tablo

Member
A 4790 (non K) should have quite long legs right, kinda thinking of going that route for the build I want to do where I'll be storing all my data, so it'll be stable in the long run, on a Asus TUF mobo for that long warranty.
-Requires a lot of horsepower to drive;

Yeah that's literally the thing holding me back, I'm not going SLI, and games already crave more juice at 1080p...
I'll just wait until GPUs get much much more powerful I guess.
 

burst

Member
My old Alienware gaming laptop has nearly had it and I've decided to build a small form factor PC, I'm using the mkenyon bitfenix prodigy haswell build. I've never built a computer before so is will be a learning curve but I'm looking forward to it. I have pretty much followed the build except I got a Evga GeForce gtx 760 super clocked acx 2gb which was released recently. Anyone have any tips for building this or have done so previously? Also, how would will this build handle most games for the next few years?
 

mkenyon

Banned
My old Alienware gaming laptop has nearly had it and I've decided to build a small form factor PC, I'm using the mkenyon bitfenix prodigy haswell build. I've never built a computer before so is will be a learning curve but I'm looking forward to it. I have pretty much followed the build except I got a Evga GeForce gtx 760 super clocked acx 2gb which was released recently. Anyone have any tips for building this or have done so previously? Also, how would will this build handle most games for the next few years?
The build videos in the OP cover most of what you need to know. With the Prodigy, make ample use of the space next to the PSU to stuff cables and whatnot. Pick up a few bags of various sized zip ties at a hardware/home improvement store. That'll help you keep everything nice and tidy.

Also don't hold back on any questions along the way. Folks in here are generally really helpful.
 

Mrbob

Member
It's actually pretty wide.

Dimensions - L: 16'', W: 13'', H: 17.5"

Not too bad, it'll fit. Excellent. Rather go this route than grab a smaller HTPC case. Feel like I have to make concessions with a HTPC case versus getting a mid tower.
 

snack

Member
Do I need a really good video card if I want to be able to watch 4K shows on my computer? Or is that all solely on the monitor I buy?
 

sk3tch

Member
Damn Smokey that Corsair Air 540 case is incredible looking...price is right, too...may have to move my main rig to it. What water cooler for your CPU do you have? Is that a Corsair H100 or H110 or something similar?
 

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
OK, so I ended up grabbing a new monitor last week (BenQ BL3200PT) and it kind of ignited the ol' PC gaming spark again. 32" 1440p AMVA panel. The only one of its kind currently in existence. I had been searching long and hard for a solution that would move away from IPS and I'm thrilled that something like that has been created. What a HUGE difference it makes over IPS or TN. My other 27" monitor is IPS and my 23" is TN. The AMVA puts those to shame thanks to the massive boost in contrast and black levels. It's still not Kuro level, obviously, but it's worlds beyond IPS. The IPS love fest is a real mystery to me at this point as its greatest strengths are nearly matched by modern VA tech. I can't go back.

That pushed me to picking up a GTX780ti as well which should arrive next week. Hopefully the ol' 3570k is still enough.
 

Booshka

Member
Needed some cheap but good headphones so I picked up some Superlux HD 681's as suggested by this thread. Got em for 30 bucks on Newegg, along with a Zalman clip mic. Really good combo for under $40, audio quality is better than my previous HPX Turtle Beach headphones, that finally wore out.
 

kharma45

Member
I noticed the MX100 in the thread title. I have my first SSD coming from Amazon whenever they get them into stock. Not sure if I am going to reformat with windows or try out linux gaming for a bit. I should be having a good time enjoying the speed increases, my boot times have been getting really slow as of late.

Stick to Windows for gaming.
 

burst

Member
The build videos in the OP cover most of what you need to know. With the Prodigy, make ample use of the space next to the PSU to stuff cables and whatnot. Pick up a few bags of various sized zip ties at a hardware/home improvement store. That'll help you keep everything nice and tidy.

Also don't hold back on any questions along the way. Folks in here are generally really helpful.

From the man himself. Haha. Thanks mate. When was the last time you updated that build?
 

Tablo

Member
OK, so I ended up grabbing a new monitor last week (BenQ BL3200PT) and it kind of ignited the ol' PC gaming spark again. 32" 1440p AMVA panel. The only one of its kind currently in existence. I had been searching long and hard for a solution that would move away from IPS and I'm thrilled that something like that has been created. What a HUGE difference it makes over IPS or TN. My other 27" monitor is IPS and my 23" is TN. The AMVA puts those to shame thanks to the massive boost in contrast and black levels. It's still not Kuro level, obviously, but it's worlds beyond IPS. The IPS love fest is a real mystery to me at this point as its greatest strengths are nearly matched by modern VA tech. I can't go back.

That pushed me to picking up a GTX780ti as well which should arrive next week. Hopefully the ol' 3570k is still enough.

OC that 3570K and you're good to go.
Also +1 on the AMVA stuff, my next monitor will likely be AMVA, that BenQ is crazy. I'll probably settle on a 1080p AMVA. Hardforum's display subforum has great info on monitors I've found, love that dude NCX :D
 

Pachimari

Member
Is it okay to connect my monitor to my motherboard instead of my video card, if I'm only gonna use that monitor for Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Internet and such?
 

riflen

Member
OK, so I ended up grabbing a new monitor last week (BenQ BL3200PT) and it kind of ignited the ol' PC gaming spark again. 32" 1440p AMVA panel. The only one of its kind currently in existence. I had been searching long and hard for a solution that would move away from IPS and I'm thrilled that something like that has been created. What a HUGE difference it makes over IPS or TN. My other 27" monitor is IPS and my 23" is TN. The AMVA puts those to shame thanks to the massive boost in contrast and black levels. It's still not Kuro level, obviously, but it's worlds beyond IPS. The IPS love fest is a real mystery to me at this point as its greatest strengths are nearly matched by modern VA tech. I can't go back.

That pushed me to picking up a GTX780ti as well which should arrive next week. Hopefully the ol' 3570k is still enough.

3570K will be fine with that GPU. Over-clock the CPU to get full advantage.
 

riflen

Member
Is it okay to connect my monitor to my motherboard instead of my video card, if I'm only gonna use that monitor for Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Internet and such?

It's ”okay", but you can only use one GPU or the other. Which GPU is enabled is set in the system BIOS/EFI.

Your discrete GPU has several outputs that can all be used simultaneously. You should use these to drive extra displays. I'm pretty certain we've been over this with you before.
 

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
OC that 3570K and you're good to go.
Also +1 on the AMVA stuff, my next monitor will likely be AMVA, that BenQ is crazy. I'll probably settle on a 1080p AMVA. Hardforum's display subforum has great info on monitors I've found, love that dude NCX :D
Yeah, I can't recommend it enough.

I pretty much gave up gaming in front of a monitor and stuck exclusively to my TV (which meant using a gamepad for everything) but I feel like it's finally possible to enjoy gaming from the desk again.

IPS and TN monitors really ruined my love of proper PC gaming and it's all due to the fact that they cannot handle darker content (which is used regularly in PC games).

It's still not perfect, of course, and refresh rate is more like IPS than a fast TN unfortunately but the overall image quality is just dramatically better.

If you're not too concerned with size you should check out the Eizo Foris FG2421. It's also VA based but actually supports faster refresh rates as well. Probably the best monitor for gaming out there. It didn't work for me simply because it's only 24" and limited to 1080p but if you don't mind those limitations it's pretty amazing in every other aspect.

I almost picked up that LG 34" 21:9 monitor that has been doing rounds but after trying it I was reminded once again that IPS technology just doesn't cut it for gaming or media.

It's ”okay", but you can only use one GPU or the other. Which GPU is enabled is set in the system BIOS/EFI.
Not necessarily.

I actually use my onboard video in conjunction with a dedicated GPU. I have my primary monitor and my receiver/plasma connected to the GPU (used in mirror mode - which dynamically lowers the resolution to 1080p when I power on the receiver thankfully) and I use an extended desktop on the other monitor connected to the onboard video. I never game on the extended monitor and it works great for other tasks (I used it for a lot of video production work now).
 

riflen

Member
Not necessarily.

I actually use my onboard video in conjunction with a dedicated GPU. I have my primary monitor and my receiver/plasma connected to the GPU (used in mirror mode - which dynamically lowers the resolution to 1080p when I power on the receiver thankfully) and I use an extended desktop on the other monitor connected to the onboard video. I never game on the extended monitor and it works great for other tasks (I used it for a lot of video production work now).

Doesn't this feature require LucidLogix Virtua MVP support on the motherboard?
 

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
Doesn't this feature require LucidLogix Virtua MVP support on the motherboard?
While my motherboard does indeed support that feature I've never installed or used any of the supporting software. It does certainly depend on BIOS support for the feature, however.
 

Water

Member
If you're not too concerned with size you should check out the Eizo Foris FG2421. It's also VA based but actually supports faster refresh rates as well. Probably the best monitor for gaming out there. It didn't work for me simply because it's only 24" and limited to 1080p but if you don't mind those limitations it's pretty amazing in every other aspect.
Just to provide the complete story: there's a little bit of crosshatching at least on my FG2421, a little bit of gamma shift is visible, and it is not designed to allow VESA mounting (although I understand an okay VESA mount can be hacked in if you're willing to void your warranty). Still, the deep black and good contrast alone make it awesome, and the experience will only get better from here since I haven't had the performance to make proper use of 120Hz yet.
 

LordAlu

Member
I live in Spain, so for now I've been looking at the spanish websites I know (pccomponentes, wipoid).
So €700, Spain, main uses are General, Video Editing and Light Gaming? On your previous list you didn't have Windows, would you need that in the budget too?
 

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
is 4K gaming worth investing in now and days? or is it better to wait.
It doesn't seem worthwhile at this point. I considered it but ultimately decided against it.

There aren't any truly great 4k displays out there, for one thing, and the performance doesn't seem to be there. Even the fastest GPUs still struggle at 4k resolutions with reasonably demanding games.

Also, if you're using Windows, font scaling isn't great and running the UI without scaling produces very tiny text (perhaps too small).

By the time GPUs are able to handle it well the monitors available will have also improved dramatically, I'd imagine.
 

The_Poet

Banned
My clock speeds in Intel extreme tuner keep resetting when I turn my machine off. I have saved a profile for my i7-3770k @ 4.5ghz...no idea why its happening.
 

Sickbean

Member
This thread is dangerous for me.

I barely even play PC games anymore, and I've already got a decent if aging rig (i5 2500k, 6950, fractal R3, 24" Dell IPS), yet I'm now considering selling the lot and doing a new build, for no other reason than I enjoy tinkering.

Anyone understand this? Or am I losing it?
 

The_Poet

Banned
This thread is dangerous for me.

I barely even play PC games anymore, and I've already got a decent if aging rig (i5 2500k, 6950, fractal R3, 24" Dell IPS), yet I'm now considering selling the lot and doing a new build, for no other reason than I enjoy tinkering.

Anyone understand this? Or am I losing it?

It's best to not resist it. Just let it happen.
 
Bought my 4th different network adaptor to try and get the PC connected properly. Windows is doing my head in, saying it's connected and fine when it obviously isn't

Get like 10 seconds of connection, then it drops out for 30 seconds, all the while W8 is telling me I'm getting 270Mbps

Wish I could just wire it to the router
 

riflen

Member
Than any recommendations on a decent gaming mechanical? Not too expensive.

There are a couple in the OP. Mechanical keyboards are always going to be "expensive" when compared to keyboards that use dome or membrane tech.
Personally, I don't consider keyboards that use those technologies to be comparable with mechanical ones. The difference in quality is often just too great.
Gaf has its own thread on mechanical keyboards, so you'll get the best advice there I imagine: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=458496&highlight=mechanical
 
Bought my 4th different network adaptor to try and get the PC connected properly. Windows is doing my head in, saying it's connected and fine when it obviously isn't

Get like 10 seconds of connection, then it drops out for 30 seconds, all the while W8 is telling me I'm getting 270Mbps

Wish I could just wire it to the router

Sounds like a router issue. Have you tried switching to/from 2.4GHz to 5Ghz? If all else fails, try to fall back to 20MHz and see if you hold a steady connection at 130Mbps..
 

Tanwo

Member
So €700, Spain, main uses are General, Video Editing and Light Gaming? On your previous list you didn't have Windows, would you need that in the budget too?

I actually have a Windows 7 student license, so that is not a problem (for now).
I'll make more clear what I mean about the uses: I want to be able to do Video Editing, but not on a professional level. I want to be able to play some upcoming games (like Witcher 3), but I don't need to run them at the highest settings.
 

adama-rama

Neo Member
Hi! Long time reader first time poster. I've been lurking these threads for months and by reading it I've finally convinced myself that I need to build a new PC, so thanks! I'm looking forward to all the gaming goodness I've missed out on with my current, modest PC.

I'm intending on building a new PC and I was hoping for some advice about the parts I'm planning on buying these next few days.

I've currently got the following parts that I snapped up cheap: 2x4gig DDR3 Kingston Hyper / AMD R290 GB Windforce / 512GB Crucial MX100SSD

Budget: Reasonably not a concern - Australia
Main Use: Gaming= 5 / General Usage = 5
Monitor Resolution: 1920 x 1080
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Crysis 3, Metro, Battlefield, Football Manager
When will you build?: This weekend
Will you be overclocking?: Maybe...


I'm pretty set on the NZXT H230 (white) for my case as it looks awesome and should be fairly future proof in terms of fitting whatever I upgrade to in future. Also seems to be the only decent white case in this price range.

But I'm going back and forth about the CPU, Motherboard and PSU.

I'm wondering if I should go for the i5 4690 or the i7 4790. as they seem to perform fairly similarly on a lot of games at the moment but the 8 threads on the i7 seem like they could last me a bit longer between upgrades.

I don't think there's any difference between z97 or H97 motherboards unless I want to overclock (which I'm not sure I do) so I assume get the cheapest/one with the features I need?

And I think a 600watt PSU should suit this build now and in the future, I don't intend to go for Crossfire/SLI or go crazy with overclocks. Are there any brands I should avoid? I've been told Coolermaster PSU's suck in general but my current CM 650Watt PSU has lasted me 7 years so...

Any advice would be amazing and much appreciated. I'm really excited to be back into PC gaming so thanks for these threads!
 

Sarcasm

Member
There are a couple in the OP. Mechanical keyboards are always going to be "expensive" when compared to keyboards that use dome or membrane tech.
Personally, I don't consider keyboards that use those technologies to be comparable with mechanical ones. The difference in quality is often just too great.
Gaf has its own thread on mechanical keyboards, so you'll get the best advice there I imagine: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=458496&highlight=mechanical

I mean not the price of a CPU or GPU.
 
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