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[xBladeM6x]

When I play Payday 2 I seem to get GSOD. (Not blue, gray where the game comes right back on after it happens. Driver doesn't crash.) It doesn't happen on anything else. From what I've been reading, it can be an OC / Lack of Voltage / bad PSU cables / possible RMA worthy bad VRAM issue. Does this sound accurate?

 

[Faabulous]

Not from Brazil but I wish I was for the ladies. Ahem..... We don't kniow the actual system requirements for Witcher 3 or GTA 5 just yet. I know a post was posted elsewhere but Project Red said they haven't optimized the code yet so those aren't 100% correct.

That said your processor may be long int the tooth but it's still good. I'd upgrade the video card to maybe a GTX 750 TI to save some cash and maybe another 8GB of ram.

Or just wait until we know the official specs then panic

BTW: What is your budget?

Ain't from Brazil but I think you should tell us your budget and if you want new or used GPU.

I have a budget of about 700R$ (about 300$), I only plan on upgrading the GPU. It's complicated because everything in Brazil is more expensive, so good 300 dollars GPUS there, might cost 500 dollars here.

 

[demosthenes]

So boring though.

Blasphemy.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

Out of these, what do you think is the best case:

Thermaltake Core V71
Corsair 730T/760T
Phanteks Enthoo Luxe

 

[Bebpo]

Very impressed with the Enthusiast build in the OP for the most part now that mine's up and running. Even maxing it in benchmarks and high performance games for a few hours the GPUs never getting above low 70C and CPUs high 50s, maybe very very low 60C. System usage is ridiculously low with i7 4790k, 16gb ram, GTX 580; like 10-15% usage most of the time non-gaming.

The only negative thing (besides that I fucking HATE the Evo Cooler heatsink) is the fans on the Phantek Enthoo Pro case are pretty loud and I can hear them running all the time which is fine when using headphones, but might be annoying when watching movies and stuff. Will mess with the settings and see if I can make them more quiet when not gaming.

 

[jrush64]

With MicroATX case, you need to select a MicroATX MB.

And, Seagate HDD is fine. Find which ever is cheaper, except no to WD Green.

Alright I think I get it now. What about this?

-ASRock H97M Micro ATX LGA1150 (MicroATX motherboard)
-Intel Core i5-4690K Processor 3.5 GHz LGA 1150 BX80646I54690K
-Team Zeus Red 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
-Corsair CX Series 600 Watt ATX/EPS Modular 80 PLUS Bronze ATX12V/EPS12V 552 Power Supply CX600M
-Crucial MX100 256GB SATA 2.5" 7mm (with 9.5mm adapter) Internal Solid State Drive CT256MX100SSD1
-EVGA EVGA GTX 970 ACX 1.0 Superclocked 4GB GDDR5 256bit, DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI, DP SLI Ready Graphics Card
-Seagate Barracuda 2 TB HDD SATA 6 Gb/s NCQ 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive ST2000DM001
-BitFenix No Power Supply MicroATX Tower Case BFC-PRM-300-KKXSK-RP

 

[opticalmace]

Very impressed with the Enthusiast build in the OP for the most part now that mine's up and running. Even maxing it in benchmarks and high performance games for a few hours the GPUs never getting above low 70C and CPUs high 50s, maybe very very low 60C. System usage is ridiculously low with i7 4790k, 16gb ram, GTX 580; like 10-15% usage most of the time non-gaming.

The only negative thing (besides that I fucking HATE the Evo Cooler heatsink) is the fans on the Phantek Enthoo Pro case are pretty loud and I can hear them running all the time which is fine when using headphones, but might be annoying when watching movies and stuff. Will mess with the settings and see if I can make them more quiet when not gaming.

Are you using the fan controller thingy on the back of the case?

 

[garath]

Very impressed with the Enthusiast build in the OP for the most part now that mine's up and running. Even maxing it in benchmarks and high performance games for a few hours the GPUs never getting above low 70C and CPUs high 50s, maybe very very low 60C. System usage is ridiculously low with i7 4790k, 16gb ram, GTX 580; like 10-15% usage most of the time non-gaming.

The only negative thing (besides that I fucking HATE the Evo Cooler heatsink) is the fans on the Phantek Enthoo Pro case are pretty loud and I can hear them running all the time which is fine when using headphones, but might be annoying when watching movies and stuff. Will mess with the settings and see if I can make them more quiet when not gaming.

Besides the fan controller opticalmace mentioned, you can look into replacing the fans with quieter ones like the Corsair Air SF series.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RESG7G/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I lowered the volume of my case quite a bit replacing my fans with those as well as reducing vibrations that I found pretty annoying.

 

[Bebpo]

Besides the fan controller opticalmace mentioned, you can look into replacing the fans with quieter ones like the Corsair Air SF series.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RESG7G/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I lowered the volume of my case quite a bit replacing my fans with those as well as reducing vibrations that I found pretty annoying.

Yeah, might look into that. It's not annoyingly loud, and it may just become a background white noise, but I just gotta use it for a while watching movies with quiet parts and games with quiet parts and see if it bothers me enough to change out the fans.

Are you using the fan controller thingy on the back of the case?

I didn't even know there was one lol, I will look for it tonight.

 

[LordAlu]

Alright I think I get it now. What about this?

-ASRock H97M Micro ATX LGA1150 (MicroATX motherboard)
-Intel Core i5-4690K Processor 3.5 GHz LGA 1150 BX80646I54690K
-Team Zeus Red 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
-Corsair CX Series 600 Watt ATX/EPS Modular 80 PLUS Bronze ATX12V/EPS12V 552 Power Supply CX600M
-Crucial MX100 256GB SATA 2.5" 7mm (with 9.5mm adapter) Internal Solid State Drive CT256MX100SSD1
-EVGA EVGA GTX 970 ACX 1.0 Superclocked 4GB GDDR5 256bit, DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI, DP SLI Ready Graphics Card
-Seagate Barracuda 2 TB HDD SATA 6 Gb/s NCQ 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive ST2000DM001
-BitFenix No Power Supply MicroATX Tower Case BFC-PRM-300-KKXSK-RP

You need a Z97 microATX motherboard for that 4690K processor.

 

[Goldenmoney]

A few reasons, first my assumption is that the builds you can customise and buy on websites such as dinopc will ensure that everything works together - it has enough ports, hefty enough PSU, the case will have adequate ventilation etc. Also my friend warned against trying to thermal paste the CPU to the motherboard myself (is that even always necessary? I don't know). I would also like to get the warranty coverage you can get for a full PC, I guess you can also get 3-years cover for individual parts, but that would mean I absolutely need to identify the problem myself, which I don't feel qualified to do.

All that said, I'm not against the idea of tinkering with a PC, but I would prefer to do that gradually through upgrading individual pieces in an already built unit, rather than going in the deep end...

Use pcpartpicker.com. It finds the lowest price from many websites. It automatically checks for compatibility issues. It also checks how much power you need to run the system. Thermal paste is almost always preapplied to the cpu cooler.

If you ever have any specific questions or troubleshooting, you could ask here. Lots of tech savvy people here. I still recommend watching the video in post #2, then you can make up your mind if you'd rather pay to have it built or build it yourself.

 

[jrush64]

You need a Z97 microATX motherboard for that 4690K processor.

What about this CPU?

-Intel Core i5-4460 LGA 1150 CPU - BX80646I54460


Would the motherboard work with the Geforce GTX 970?

Can you please explain how I'll know what motherboard will work with the CPU?

 

[appaws]

"low profile" filter - a check box on the side on new eggs site for filtering search results. In this example, low profile, just means smaller, maybe built for itx builds or smaller form factors in general. I didn't see one, so aside from actually looking at the size dimensions for each cooler, I didn't see a clear way to quickly search though the coolers based on size aside from fan mm sizes.

The optical drive is a must. My brother and his wife still use dvd's for music, photos, etc. And still buy retail disc based software. It is at the top of their list for items to be included with the build.

You should look up more specifically each cooler you are considering for your case. It's not like there is a standard "low profile" size agreed on. I looked at the Cooler Master Elite 130 you were considering and I think the best thing for you is a 120mm AIO fit right into the front intake of the case.

What about this CPU?

-Intel Core i5-4460 LGA 1150 CPU - BX80646I54460


Would the motherboard work with the Geforce GTX 970?

Can you please explain how I'll know what motherboard will work with the CPU?

No, go the other way. Get the "K" processor and the Z97 board. Those are the "unlocked" parts for overclocking. Basically, that number "1150" is the socket the CPU chip fits into. The other part with the 97 in it, like H97 or Z97 is the chipset on the board that goes with it.

Basically, any 1150 CPU will fit into an 1150 socket on the board. But if you are buying a "K" series chip (which you should, no question) then you need a Z97 board to have all the features you need unlocked.

 

[forrest]

You should look up more specifically each cooler you are considering for your case. It's not like there is a standard "low profile" size agreed on.

Cool thanks. I've heard the term "low profile" used quite a bit when watching some of the small form factor build videos going around and just assumed it was some sort of standard.

Would dropping the gfx card to a 260x or equivalent be a huge hit to gaming performance with this build?

 

[appaws]

Cool thanks. I've heard the term "low profile" used quite a bit when watching some of the small form factor build videos going around and just assumed it was some sort of standard.

Would dropping the gfx card to a 260x or equivalent be a huge hit to gaming performance with this build?

Dropping from an R9 280 to a 260X would be a big hit to gaming performance, yes.

 

[Nostremitus]

Skylake already looks like it will be confusing. There's going to be Skylake-S, the locked version which will be available towards the end of 2015, and Skylake-K, the unlocked variant which will likely release later. In addition to this, Skylake will support both DDR3 and DDR4, meaning there will be separate motherboards for each.

What do you think of the chances that Skylake-S mobos will use DDR3 while the Z series motherboards for the K processors require DDR4?

 

[jrush64]

No, go the other way. Get the "K" processor and the Z97 board. Those are the "unlocked" parts for overclocking. Basically, that number "1150" is the socket the CPU chip fits into. The other part with the 97 in it, like H97 or Z97 is the chipset on the board that goes with it.

Basically, any 1150 CPU will fit into an 1150 socket on the board. But if you are buying a "K" series chip (which you should, no question) then you need a Z97 board to have all the features you need unlocked.

Alright thanx. Just one more question.

I see many GTX 970 graphics cards. This is the final one I've settled on.

ZOTAC ZT-90102-10P GeForce GTX 970 AMP! Omega 4GB 256-Bit DDR5 HDCP G-SYNC Ready Video Card

Is this okay? Would it work with my configuration?

It's kind of confusing to me.

 

[LilJoka]

Alright thanx. Just one more question.

I see many GTX 970 graphics cards. This is the final one I've settled on.

ZOTAC ZT-90102-10P GeForce GTX 970 AMP! Omega 4GB 256-Bit DDR5 HDCP G-SYNC Ready Video Card

Is this okay? Would it work with my configuration?

It's kind of confusing to me.

It will work, but Zotac dont have the best RMA(Waranty) experience, so usually people buy brands that have good service in their country.

Main things to consider are brand for warranty purpose and the cooler and noise characteristics.

 

[forrest]

Dropping from an R9 280 to a 260X would be a big hit to gaming performance, yes.

Trying to find a place to lop off a chunk of money. I don't really wanna lose the 280, but I'm just not seeing anywhere else to save the money.

Maybe I should state that I think my brother will be gaming at 1080p and be totally fine with 30fps. Is the 260x adequate?

 

[jrush64]

It will work, but Zotac dont have the best RMA(Waranty) experience, so usually people buy brands that have good service in their country.

Main things to consider are brand for warranty purpose and the cooler and noise characteristics.

Alright, thanx. What about this EVGA?

EVGA 04G-2978-KR GeForce GTX 970 FTW 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 ACX 2.0 PCI Express 3.0

 

[CMojicaAce]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352020

I like this one too, but I prefer the one with a window. A $20 increase just for the window seems like a lot :/

 

[LilJoka]

Alright, thanx. What about this EVGA?

EVGA 04G-2978-KR GeForce GTX 970 FTW 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 ACX 2.0 PCI Express 3.0

EVGA are good in USA.
EVGA
Length: Lifetime
Registration: Yes (within 30 days of purchase date)
Warranty URL: http://www.evga.com/warranty/lifetime/default.asp
Conditions: This warranty applies to all EVGA graphics cards purchased after 22 June 2005. Registration is necessary for all cards purchased on or after 01 November 2006.

http://techreport.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=64052

 

[demosthenes]

I like this one too, but I prefer the one with a window. A $20 increase just for the window seems like a lot :/

Personal preference I suppose but I had a window in my last case and didn't really mind it being there. Absolutely love this case though.

 

[appaws]

Alright, thanx. What about this EVGA?

EVGA 04G-2978-KR GeForce GTX 970 FTW 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 ACX 2.0 PCI Express 3.0

EVGA makes very high quality stuff. The ACX 2.0 cooler is also considered to be excellent.

Here is a good review of that specific card:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/8568/the-geforce-gtx-970-review-feat-evga

I have no idea about their service in Europe....maybe one of the Euro-Gaffers can answer that...?

 

[Ether_Snake]

I'm having sound problems with my PC, whether I plug in the speakers or headphones there's often white-noise overlaying the sound. Any idea what could cause that? It's not even something that happens all the time, sometimes restarting the PC fixes the problem.

 

[appaws]

Trying to find a place to lop off a chunk of money. I don't really wanna lose the 280, but I'm just not seeing anywhere else to save the money.

Maybe I should state that I think my brother will be gaming at 1080p and be totally fine with 30fps. Is the 260x adequate?

How about this....you originally said you wanted to spend $700 roughly. This comes in a little over that. A couple changes. First, I changed the case to a Bitfenix Prodigy....because it is slightly bigger and more build and cooler friendly than those others. It is also fairly inexpensive and very popular....check it out.

I really like the Pentium Anniversary/Z97 builds for people with entry-level budgets right now....because it provides such and easy upgrade path to a Broadwell i5 or i7 next year whenever those hit.

That Asus R9 270 is a pretty good deal right now at $129 after a $20 rebate.


PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8cNCMp
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8cNCMp/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($69.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($103.91 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($78.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.93 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital WD Blue 1TB 2.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($65.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 270 2GB DirectCU II Video Card ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Power Supply: Antec Basiq Plus 550W 80+ Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.98 @ OutletPC)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $720.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-24 17:53 EDT-0400

 

[hockeypuck]

Woot, coaxed another 0.1 GHz out of my 2 yr old overclock, with the cooler weather and all. Now my 3570K is sitting pretty at 4.7, 1.32V offset on a cheapo MSI Z77A-G43 non-gaming mobo and CM 212 (upgraded to Noctua F12 fan) cooler. Gaming temps 61-62 C. I'm a believer of the offset voltage. What a great chip. PC built using recommendations from this thread, first one ever built and still going strong.

 

[LilJoka]

Cool thanks. I've heard the term "low profile" used quite a bit when watching some of the small form factor build videos going around and just assumed it was some sort of standard.

Would dropping the gfx card to a 260x or equivalent be a huge hit to gaming performance with this build?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($103.91 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($78.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.93 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X 2GB Video Card ($142.00 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Node 304 Mini ITX Tower Case ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $688.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-24 18:06 EDT-0400

Pick a faster GPU if budget allows.

 

[Pepiope]

Turns out the clicking sound that I thought was the GPU is actually the hard drive. I should probably RMA it but it still works...

 

[Hindl]

Didn't see anything about this in the OP, any recommendations for speakers? I don't need surround sound and subwoofers; any decent pair for under $50 will do. And should I get a sound card if I'm getting speakers? I have a Z97-UD3H mobo

 

[knitoe]

Turns out the clicking sound that I thought was the GPU is actually the hard drive. I should probably RMA it but it still works...

A sign that it's going to die soon. Backup asap.

 

[LilJoka]

Turns out the clicking sound that I thought was the GPU is actually the hard drive. I should probably RMA it but it still works...

Could be head parking causing the click noise, it's not necessary it's dying but definatly monitor it.

 

[Nikokuno]

Didn't see anything about this in the OP, any recommendations for speakers? I don't need surround sound and subwoofers; any decent pair for under $50 will do. And should I get a sound card if I'm getting speakers? I have a Z97-UD3H mobo

50$ speakers for a sound card is overkill and audio chip on your MB is good enough for what you're asking for.

 

[Hindl]

50$ speakers for a sound card is overkill and audio chip on your MB is good enough for what you're asking for.

Ok awesome thanks any recommendations at/around that price?

 

[opticalmace]

Ok awesome thanks any recommendations at/around that price?

Cyber Acoustics CA-3602

Keep in mind they have weak bass (as will everything at that price point) but the clarity is really good.

 

[forrest]

How about this....you originally said you wanted to spend $700 roughly. This comes in a little over that. A couple changes. First, I changed the case to a Bitfenix Prodigy....because it is slightly bigger and more build and cooler friendly than those others. It is also fairly inexpensive and very popular....check it out.

I really like the Pentium Anniversary/Z97 builds for people with entry-level budgets right now....because it provides such and easy upgrade path to a Broadwell i5 or i7 next year whenever those hit.

That Asus R9 270 is a pretty good deal right now at $129 after a $20 rebate.


PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8cNCMp
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8cNCMp/by_merchant/

Thanks for the reply. I definitely like the cpu/mobo as well, great suggestion on your part as I was completely unaware of them. I'm familiar with the BitFenix cases, but what do you stand to gain if you're just going to put all of the same stuff in it? Aside from space? I really don't have an issue packing everything nice and neatly into the smaller case, but that being said I do think the BitFenix line looks really nice.

Having spoke with my brother, he doesn't need anything larger than a single 256gb drive which is why I was leaning for the single ssd which comes in a tad cheaper than the HDD/SSD combo.

I hadn't looked at the 270 card though, so that is something to consider. I had looked at the Tom'sHardware GFX list for Oct. which is why I was eyeing the R7 260x, R9 270x and the R9 280.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
Pick a faster GPU if budget allows.

Thanks for the reply LilJoka!

I had made some changes to my initial parts list which is still extremely similar overall. I downgraded the PSU a bit and the GPU a lot, but I'm gonna take both of your suggestions and put together the final order. Here is what I have right now. I'll update soon when I finalize it. Let me know if the GPU or PSU are bad choices for the cost thanks!

Also, any reason why you guy suggest the Ares from G.skill vs the Ripjaws? Is it just a price thing?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($69.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($103.91 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R7 260X 2GB Video Card ($123.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $684.76
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-24 19:20 EDT-0400

 

[Nikokuno]

Ok awesome thanks any recommendations at/around that price?

Sorry only played with my AT-M50 headphones... Don't have enougg knowledge 'bout speakers. I bought some low end Hercules speakers for my best friend two years ago, don't remember what the model is.

Cyber Acoustics CA-3602

Keep in mind they have weak bass (as will everything at that price point) but the clarity is really good.

Bass is not about price, just manufacturers preference and target. Looks good for the price

 

[Pepiope]

A sign that it's going to die soon. Backup asap.

Could be head parking causing the click noise, it's not necessary it's dying but definatly monitor it.

Is head parking a bad thing?

The HDD contains steam games (not much on there other than school documents that are backed up and other things that aren't that important; everything else is on the SSD). It's a WD Black 2 TB if that helps at all.

 

[LilJoka]

Is head parking a bad thing?

The HDD contains steam games (not much on there other than school documents that are backed up and other things that aren't that important; everything else is on the SSD). It's a WD Black 2 TB if that helps at all.

Head parking is a power saving feature on some drives, literally instead of the head hovering over the disk platters, it moves away from the platters and is parked in standby for an operation to occur that needs read/write. Upon parking the head drops onto a seat and you hear the click. Some drives have a more aggressive algorithm, so google first for your drive and head park related queries.

If it's an old drive and it just started, then that's bad signs. Use a SMART statistic program to check the disk stats. If it's had too many unrecoverable sectors it will make these noises too since it's unable to access a certian file.

 

[Matty8787]

So for the htpc case I opted for is this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00LFP9BEA/

Should fit my components in easily enough.

 

[LilJoka]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($69.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($103.91 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R7 260X 2GB Video Card ($123.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $684.76
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-24 19:20 EDT-0400

I've built in the bitfenix prodigy and node 304. Prodigy is just too much wasted space, it's literally as big as a mATX case. As for CM 130, it's a good alternative to the Node but it's just cheap all over. Node is a case you won't be wanting to change any time soon, CM the plastic grills may get annoying especially for cleaning dust.

Go with ares ram since it has no tall heatsinks. Too many people change to tower coolers and then have to replace ram since the ram heat sinks are too tall.

Hyper 212 Evo is plenty for a G3258 setup. Corsair hydro is a waste of money for such a build and offers nothing exceptional.

I'd seriously recommend the PSU I listed for ITX builds since it's gold rated, will run cooler and quieter (needed with small cases) and has good cable plug points for compatibility in all itx cases.

And if you think you need a DVD drive, you probably won't unless you want to actually play CDs/DVDs.

Tbh you are spending same money for less GPU performance, worse PSU, not as good quality case and potentially louder CPU cooling.

 

[Varna]

Dude the 4790 is only a teeny bit faster. You still have a top-end CPU. If you want to 'upgrade' just overclock your 4770 slightly.

Is my i7-3770k a piece of junk yet? I have that upgrade itch. :-(

 

[opticalmace]

Is my i7-3770k a piece of junk yet? I have that upgrade itch. :-(

Yeah throw it out and get a Pentium 4, I heard they're rare.

 

[LilJoka]

Is my i7-3770k a piece of junk yet? I have that upgrade itch. :-(

Definatly not, I run it at 4.2Ghz with a GTX 780, nothing that even uses all it's potential. Can even run dolphin and pcsx2 no problems 4x native res.

 

[forrest]

I've built in the bitfenix prodigy and node 304. Prodigy is just too much wasted space, it's literally as big as a mATX case. As for CM 130, it's a good alternative to the Node but it's just cheap all over. Node is a case you won't be wanting to change any time soon, CM the plastic grills may get annoying especially for cleaning dust.

Go with ares ram since it has no tall heatsinks. Too many people change to tower coolers and then have to replace ram since the ram heat sinks are too tall.

Hyper 212 Evo is plenty for a G3258 setup. Corsair hydro is a waste of money for such a build and offers nothing exceptional.

I'd seriously recommend the PSU I listed for ITX builds since it's gold rated, will run cooler and quieter (needed with small cases) and has good cable plug points for compatibility in all itx cases.

And if you think you need a DVD drive, you probably won't unless you want to actually play CDs/DVDs.

Tbh you are spending same money for less GPU performance, worse PSU, not as good quality case and potentially louder CPU cooling.

Thanks for all of the input. The build is for my brother and unfortunately the dvd-rw is a must have for him and his wife. I have absolutely no experience with water coolers so I appreciate the tip on the Hyper 212 being all I will need for it. I really love the minimalist design of the Node and for me personally when I get to my own build in the next week or so, it will be one of the cases I look closely at. Without a front loading odd and front access usb ports, it's just not practical for my brother and his wife.

 

[Tertullian]

Okey dokey, I am finally planning to pull the trigger on the above. I've never built a PC before, so I will probably be coming back to this thread for help or to troubleshoot. I should mention that I'm trying to keep the budget a little more reined in than I said above: keeping it around the $1,700 range would be nice. Here's my PC Parts Picker link:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/WFdtNG

Does everything look alright? any incompatibilities? Suggestions? Thanks again!

New noob question.

I have all of my parts now, except the GPU. The version of the GTX 970 that I selected (the one with the most reviews on PCPartsPicker) appears to be back-ordered:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NN0GEXQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I gather that it is probably back-ordered becuse the GTX 970 is relatively new.

My question is: should I just pick a different version of the GTX 970? If I stick with this one, when is it likely to be back in stock? Is there any difference between different versions, any difference in cooling or anything?

 

[LilJoka]

Thanks for all of the input. The build is for my brother and unfortunately the dvd-rw is a must have for him and his wife. I have absolutely no experience with water coolers so I appreciate the tip on the Hyper 212 being all I will need for it. I really love the minimalist design of the Node and for me personally when I get to my own build in the next week or so, it will be one of the cases I look closely at. Without a front loading odd and front access usb ports, it's just not practical for my brother and his wife.

Fair enough, there is another option they could consider, an external slim USB ODD. If not go for CM130 chassis. Also I think SSD/HDD is the way to go since games have no benefit except load times sitting on an SSD, depends what this PC is being used for of course.


Also double checked and hyper 212 won't fit, will need a low profile air cooler.

 

[forrest]

Fair enough, there is another option they could consider, an external slim USB ODD. If not go for CM130 chassis. Also I think SSD/HDD is the way to go since games have no benefit except load times sitting on an SSD, depends what this PC is being used for of course.

PcPartPicker is telling me the Hyper 212 Cooler may not be compatible with the CM Elite 130, I'll have to look at the measurements. I was omitting the HDD just as an extra way to save money. Aside from the OS and a few games, I can't see them putting much on this system other than maybe some pictures and a little bit of music. They are very mild pc users. She will browse the web and he will browse the web and casually game on it. That's about it.

 

[LilJoka]

PcPartPicker is telling me the Hyper 212 Cooler may not be compatible with the CM Elite 130, I'll have to look at the measurements. I was omitting the HDD just as an extra way to save money. Aside from the OS and a few games, I can't see them putting much on this system other than maybe some pictures and a little bit of music. They are very mild pc users. She will browse the web and he will browse the web and casually game on it. That's about it.

Scythe Shuriken should fit.
Considering the usage is casual you could step the PSU down further to 450W. It depends on what options you want to keep open in the future.

 

[forrest]

Scythe Shuriken should fit.
Considering the usage is casual you could step the PSU down further to 450W. It depends on what options you want to keep open in the future.

Well their current computer is incredibly old and barely plays Starcraft II, and won't run Diablo 3 which my brother just bought (which is spurring him into finally getting a new pc). So if that puts things into perspective for you, I'm not sure being able to upgrade down the road is a huge factor, but always a bonus. If it's the difference between a better GPU now though, I think I would lean for the better GPU.