Support NeoGAF

[The Llama]

I would jsut stop using OCCT since its sensor tech just is innacurate a lot of time.

Not in my experience. Always shows pretty much the exact same thing as HWMonitor.

 

[LilJoka]

Not in my experience. Always shows pretty much the exact same thing as HWMonitor.

Yeah i also dont use that since it polls so many sensors and can cause problems in itself, plus polling non existent sensors.

You know the pro overclocker use PS2 since its based on interrupts not polling like USB to max out their overclocks. Thats why youll see PS2 on the top boards, Intel used to have them on their too. More for bench purposes though.

 

[zero shift]

I would jsut stop using OCCT since its sensor tech just is innacurate a lot of time.

Use CPUz to read Vcore and CPU speed.
Use Realtemp for CPU Core temps - It also logs any thermal throttling triggers.
Use Prime95 v27.9 for the stress testing. Start with small FFT, then move to Blend - Custom with lots of RAM.

Reduce the Vcore to a point where it is just above the minimum required for stability. 1.60v would be for custom water loop and im sure Intel max is 1.50v for sandy bridge. Ideally you'd run below 1.40v.

Voltage KILLS! More volts, higher temps, faster degradation. Degradation rate is exponentially related to Voltage.

Edit
Just read the post.
Ill explain how Offset works, its not like olden days when CPUs have a single VID (Votlage Identifier - Stock Voltage).
Its now a DVID (Dynamic Voltage Identifier), the VID changes based on the multiplier.
Hence- Offset 0.05v

x40 Multi -> 1.30v
x45 Multi -> 1.40v

And this is basically a table inside the CPU dictating what the VID is for each multiplier, and the offset is then added/subtracted from that.

This is why adding a small offset at a high Multiplier can result in dangerous vcore.

So what would you recommend me changing from this link?
http://www.overclock.net/t/1276670/overclocking-i52500k-on-p8p67-le#post_17608969

 

[LilJoka]

So what would you recommend me changing from this link?
http://www.overclock.net/t/1276670/overclocking-i52500k-on-p8p67-le#post_17608969

This:

Ai Overclock Tuner > By All Cores (Can Adjust in OS): 40, in order to play it safe for right now

Learn your chip, find out what the VIDs are at 4Ghz, 4.2Ghz, 4.5Ghz. Do 10 minute stability testing (Prime95 small fft) at each to work out the temperatures and ballpark Vcore required. Then determine if its really worth the extra Vcore and Temps to push further. You got to find the sweet spot overclock, no point adding silly amount of vcore and temps for the next 100Mhz.

 

[zero shift]

This:

Ai Overclock Tuner > By All Cores (Can Adjust in OS): 40, in order to play it safe for right now

Learn your chip, find out what the VIDs are at 4Ghz, 4.2Ghz, 4.5Ghz. Do 10 minute stability testing (Prime95 small fft) at each to work out the temperatures and ballpark Vcore required. Then determine if its really worth the extra Vcore and Temps to push further. You got to find the sweet spot overclock, no point adding silly amount of vcore and temps for the next 100Mhz.

So the problem is that my CPU can't handle 4.7GHZ ecen with a Hyper 212+?
Should I undo all the settings I changed from that post including Offset CPU Voltage?

 

[kennah]

So the problem is that my CPU can't handle 4.7GHZ ecen with a Hyper 212+?
Should I undo all the settings I changed from that post including Offset CPU Voltage?

The problem is that you are trying to be Icarus Nd going too far too fast

 

[LilJoka]

So the problem is that my CPU can't handle 4.7GHZ ecen with a Hyper 212+?

Well i cant say for sure, since im not sure if those Temps are accurate, maybe confirm with realtemp, and confirm the Vcore in CPUz first.

The issue is you have no idea if your overclock is efficient. Here is an example

4Ghz 1.20v 65c
4.2Ghz 1.25v 69c
4.4Ghz 1.33v 72c
4.5Ghz 1.39v 78c
4.7Ghz 1.50v 90c

After youve gathered the data like that, you can easily work out what you should concentrate on stabilising. It is hugely likely that the ball park Vcore that you find will be insifficient, so give that data another 0.02-0.05v on top plus another 5c for the longer hour tests.

Looking at that, I would go for 4.4Ghz or 4.5Ghz as you are hitting the CPU "wall" where the CPU is just not really good enough to be at those higher speeds when balancing temps/vcore/degredation.

You havent got any data, so have nothing to compare to. Imagine if you can do 4.6Ghz at 1.35v? You think its a good idea to do 4.7Ghz at 1.59v? So you need to collect this data first. Then decide the final OC aim and then spend a few hours stabilizing it properly.

CPU overclocking is a bit more time intensive than GPU overclocking since on GPUs there are conservative limits in place to prevent over volting. On the CPU you are free to run what you want, and you decide if you want to kill it in an hour or many years.

 

[zero shift]

Thanks people.

 

[corrosivefrost]

Hi.

Trying to upgrade my gigabyte z77x d3h to 16gb (currently 2 4gb sticks) by adding 2 additional 4gb sticks. When I put more than 2 sticks in or use any slot config other than 0-0-1-1, the PC goes into an infinite boot loop where I can't even get to the bios splash screen. No beeps can be heard.

Is this possibly something with the memory settings on the board or am I looking at something like a bent pin?

 

[The Llama]

Hi.

Trying to upgrade my gigabyte z77x d3h to 16gb (currently 2 4gb sticks) by adding 2 additional 4gb sticks. When I put more than 2 sticks in or use any slot config other than 0-0-1-1, the PC goes into an infinite boot loop where I can't even get to the bios splash screen. No beeps can be heard.

Is this possibly something with the memory settings on the board or am I looking at something like a bent pin?

That seems odd... My first guess is that one of the new RAM sticks is bad. Can you sort of mix and match them, to see if you can identify one thats bad? And try them out in different slots to see if maybe your mobo has a bad slot (unlikely, but possible)?

 

[Oveja Negra]

Dear Gaffers, can you help me with my new build?

First, I'll be using this new PC to work from my home. I'll be doing electronic engineering projects so besides the typical internet searching and Office, I'll be using AutoCAD a lot. Also, for PLC programming I'll be using VMWare software (which asks for like 6-8 GB in order to work great). I don't plan to game too much really, since the only game I'm interested in is Half-Life 3 (yeah... you can laugh at my if you want).

I want a PC as small and quiet as possible. A mini-ITX config looks great to me.

My desired configuration:

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K Processor (already bought it, it's on it's way to my home).
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Impact.
RAM: I need 16 GB, most probably in a low profile form factor due to the lack of space in a mini-ITX case. The Asus mobo supports 2 x DIMM, Max. 16GB, DDR3 3000(O.C.)/2933(O.C.)/2800(O.C.)/2666(O.C.)/2600(O.C.)/2400(O.C.)/2200(O.C.)/2133(O.C.)/2000(O.C.)/1866(O.C.)/1800(O.C.)/1600/1333 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory.
HDD: I'll use a Kingston Hyper X 256 GB SSD that I already have in my hands, and a 4 TB Western Digital HDD.
VGA: I need help here, since I don't know what to choose, GTX 980 4 GB or GTX 970 4 GB. My main concern here is noise, as I said, I want the system to be as silent as possible. Even if I don't need all that power, I'm choosing a new generation card cause I don't want to upgrade my system... ever.
Case: I already have a Bitfenix Prodigy but I'm really tempted to sell it to get the Thermaltake Core V1, it just has the most perfect size for me. I discovered just a couple of hours ago and I'm in love with it.
PSU: I think I'll go with a Seasonic X Series (everyone is saying those are super silent). What would be the best choice?: SeaSonic 650W Power Supply X650 SS-650KM3, SeaSonic 750W Power Supply X750 Gold, Seasonic X-850(SS-850KM Active PFC F3) 850W 80 Plus Gold ATX12V/EPS12V Power Supply

I think I'll be using the stock cpu cooler for now until I have a proper view of the space left to upgrade to something more efficient/silent. Maybe something like Corsair Hydro Series Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler H80i is a good option? We'll see.

I need two monitors. I was in love with the Dell UltraSharp 24 - U2414H mainly because its tiny bezel and reputation of delivering a very crisp image (I'll be doing a lot of reading and making/changing drawings), until I did some research and found some reviews saying it has a serious issue with Display Port (the monitors stop receiving any signal in a random basis, forcing the users to unplug the cables, restart the computer, etc. only to end with very same problem).

I think I'll go with an Asus, but which model? so far, my candidates:

ASUS VG248QE 24-inch LED-lit Monitor 144Hz refresh rate 1ms pixel response time & 3D capable
ASUS PA248Q 24-Inch LED-Lit IPS Professional Graphics Monitor
ASUS VS278Q-P Ultrafast 1ms 27-Inch LED-Lit Monitor

Any help will be appreciated

Cheers and thanks in advance!

 

[corrosivefrost]

That seems odd... My first guess is that one of the new RAM sticks is bad. Can you sort of mix and match them, to see if you can identify one thats bad? And try them out in different slots to see if maybe your mobo has a bad slot (unlikely, but possible)?

Tried all this.

2 of any of the 4 sticks work, but only in 0-0-1-1 confgiuration...

I saw this about the z87x gigabyte mobo, but that's for HASWELL instead of IVY BRIDGE:
http://www.tonymacx86.com/general-help/125717-fix-gigabyte-4-dimm-memory-instability.html

Looking around, I found another poster who seemed to have an issue like this caused by a bent pin somewhere -- however, most of the time, I see no real issues with my PC (outside of PAYDAY 2 randomly crashing, but that happens to my friends as well).

 

[The Llama]

Tried all this.

2 of any of the 4 sticks work, but only in 0-0-1-1 confgiuration...

I saw this about the z87x gigabyte mobo, but that's for HASWELL instead of IVY BRIDGE:
http://www.tonymacx86.com/general-help/125717-fix-gigabyte-4-dimm-memory-instability.html

Looking around, I found another poster who seemed to have an issue like this caused by a bent pin somewhere -- however, most of the time, I see no real issues with my PC (outside of PAYDAY 2 randomly crashing, but that happens to my friends as well).

Seems like some kind of weird mobo problem then. I'd RAM it, if you can.

 

[RedSwirl]

40-50% signal strength is kinda weak. You might have to use another repeater to increase the range or get a better router with longer range.

5GHz N range really sucks. On the other hand, 5GHz AC is much better.

I just upgraded the modem. A wired connection to the modem get's about 60Mbps down and 6Mbps up now (it was around 25/3 before), but my wi-fi connection is only marginally faster than before with downloads. It get's the full benefit of the upload increase though. Seems like signal strength really is cutting me down here.

I'm probably going to save up for either a power line adapter or a router that can get me a stronger signal (like a Nighthawk or something).

 

[knitoe]

I just upgraded the modem. A wired connection to the modem get's about 60Mbps down and 6Mbps up now (it was around 25/3 before), but my wi-fi connection is only marginally faster than before with downloads. It get's the full benefit of the upload increase though. Seems like signal strength really is cutting me down here.

I'm probably going to save up for either a power line adapter or a router that can get me a stronger signal (like a Nighthawk or something).

Are you running 2.4 or 5GHz? You need to be on the 5GHz because the 2.4GHz band is limiting your speed.

For me:
2.4: 25.66 mb/s
5.0: 68.70 mb/s

 

[RedSwirl]

Are you running 2.4 or 5GHz? You need to be on the 5GHz because the 2.4GHz band is limiting your speed.

For me:
2.4: 25.66 mb/s
5.0: 68.70 mb/s

2.4. The 5GHz network get's basically no range at all. I have to connect devices that are a whole floor down from where the router is. Devices down here can't even detect the 5GHz network.

 

[knitoe]

2.4. The 5GHz network get's basically no range at all. I have to connect devices that are a whole floor down from where the router is. Devices down here can't even detect the 5GHz network.

Your repeater doesn't extend your 5GHz downstairs? Might be best to try powerline. Unless, you are willing to upgrade your setup to run on the 5GHz AC.

 

[RedSwirl]

Your repeater doesn't extend your 5GHz downstairs? Might be best to try powerline. Unless, you are willing to upgrade your setup to run on the 5GHz AC.

I don't actually know if I'm on 5Gz N or 5GHz AC and I won't be able to check until later. I know my router is dual band and is around a year old. And no, the repeater can't detect the 5GHz network. I'm currently using it as a bridge, connecting it straight to the wi-fi PC, and it only get's about 50% signal strength on the 2.4 network.

I did try the 5G network on my iPad much closer to the router however, and I got something like 32Mbps down.

 

[Lunar15]

Yo PCGAF, is the performance difference between the 970 and the 980 enough to justify the jump in cost? I want something that's going to hold up for a while, but I'm just unsure of which to pull the trigger on.

 

[The Llama]

Yo PCGAF, is the performance difference between the 970 and the 980 enough to justify the jump in cost? I want something that's going to hold up for a while, but I'm just unsure of which to pull the trigger on.

If you're trying to do 4k or 144 Hz at 1440p, maybe. Otherwise, no.

If you have to ask, then the 970 is the card for you. Save the money. Upgrade again in a couple years. (or use it to buy an SSD if you don't have one already)

Lol this is a better way of putting it.

 

[kennah]

Yo PCGAF, is the performance difference between the 970 and the 980 enough to justify the jump in cost? I want something that's going to hold up for a while, but I'm just unsure of which to pull the trigger on.

If you have to ask, then the 970 is the card for you. Save the money. Upgrade again in a couple years. (or use it to buy an SSD if you don't have one already)

 

[garath]

Yo PCGAF, is the performance difference between the 970 and the 980 enough to justify the jump in cost? I want something that's going to hold up for a while, but I'm just unsure of which to pull the trigger on.

The price to performance of the 970 is way superior. You are paying 40% more money for ~15% performance jump from the 970 to 980. Its really not worth it if the 970 gives you acceptable performance today. By the time the 970 is outclassed by new cards, that 220 bucks you save can go right toward the next card.

 

[Lunar15]

The price to performance of the 970 is way superior. You are paying 40% more money for ~15% performance jump from the 970 to 980. Its really not worth it if the 970 gives you acceptable performance today. By the time the 970 is outclassed by new cards, that 220 bucks you save can go right toward the next card.

This is basically what I figured. No, I'm not looking to do 4K, so I kinda guessed that the 970 was more than enough.

Thanks for the quick responses though guys, always like checkin in with PC gaf first!

 

[forrest]

So I'm trying to OC this G3258 with the AsRock Z97m itx board and with it at 4.0GHz and Core Voltage set at 1.312 I'm seeing temps of 95C in Intel Burn test. This seems pretty high to me, should I be concerned? I'm an OC noob pretty much and I've watched the LinusTech vids on OCing this cpu as well as read some other forums about it.

The system is a cooler master elite 130 and being air cooled. The cpu and cooler were seated fine along with adequate thermal paste.

 

[zero shift]

So I lowered my cpu speed to 4.1GHZ. I changed the CPU Offset Voltage to + .0005.

The temps during the Prime95 tests peaked at low 70s.

My voltage typically hangs around .98 and peaks at 1.37v.

I assume I should tweak the voltage now? Possibly lower the CPU Offset Voltage? Would disabling max fan speed lower my temperature?

 

[Azzurri]

Looks like Gigabyte with be releasing their mATX x99 soon!

 

[RGM79]

So I'm trying to OC this G3258 with the AsRock Z97m itx board and with it at 4.0GHz and Core Voltage set at 1.312 I'm seeing temps of 95C in Intel Burn test. This seems pretty high to me, should I be concerned? I'm an OC noob pretty much and I've watched the LinusTech vids on OCing this cpu as well as read some other forums about it.

The system is a cooler master elite 130 and being air cooled. The cpu and cooler were seated fine along with adequate thermal paste.

What cooler?

 

[knitoe]

So I lowered my cpu speed to 4.1GHZ. I changed the CPU Offset Voltage to + .0005.

The temps during the Prime95 tests peaked at low 70s.

My voltage typically hangs around .98 and peaks at 1.37v.

I assume I should tweak the voltage now? Possibly lower the CPU Offset Voltage? Would disabling max fan speed lower my temperature?

Set the 1.35V and increasing the multiplier by 1 until it crashes in Prime95. Then, decrease. For 2500K, it should be around 4.4-4.7GHz. Under 85C is fine running Prime95. While gaming, it would be much lower. Once it's stable at x multiplier, try lowering voltage even more going .10V each time. Once it crashes in Prime95, increase by .05V and test.

 

[forrest]

What cooler?

cooler master geminii m4

 

[zero shift]

So I followed everybodys advice. I opened up CPUZ to look at the voltage and realtemp to look at the core temperatures while testing Small FFTs in Prime 95 for five minutes each.

My results:

4.2GHZ
.96 - 1.376V (1.384V Peak)
64C 72C 72C 67C

4.4GHZ
.96 - 1.376V~1.384V (1.384V Peak)
66C 73C 74C 69C

4.5GHZ
.96 - 1.384V (1.392V Peak)
68C 75C 76C 72C


4.6GHZ

1.4V - 1.43v |||DANGER|||

The lowest number is the lowest average number the CPU voltage displayed when hardly in use. The highest is the number it often stayed in during the stress test. The peak is the highest number it ever was during the stress test (often flashing by once in a while or for a few seconds every blue moon). The "~" is for something that constantly fluctuated between the two values during the test. I had to lower my CPU Offset Voltage by 0.005 each time until I ended up with -0.015. 4.6GHZ won't even run on anything less than -.0005 voltage and I didn't test it too long as I felt that 1.4V was a little too high as people commented that it gets unsafe at that level.

Out of these, what would you people recommend? I am leaning toward 4.5GHZ.

I'll ask more questions tomorrow about other ways I can change my voltage with my motherboard outside of messing with the "CPU Offset Voltage" option.

Set the 1.35V and increasing the multiplier by 1 until it crashes in Prime95. Then, decrease. For 2500K, it should be around 4.4-4.7GHz. Under 85C is fine running Prime95. While gaming, it would be much lower. Once it's stable at x multiplier, try lowering voltage even more going .10V each time. Once it crashes in Prime95, increase by .05V and test.

Kind of confused by this but I'll look more into it tomorrow.

 

[Staccat0]

My wife would like a PC for playing some games. Probably mostly indie downloadable titles, but AAA stuff would obviously be neat. The hope was to be able to play on the couch w the TV and a controller.

At first, we eyed the Alienware Alpha, but it feels a little expensive and underpowered. Like... for the money why not have something that lasts longer? Plus putting together a simple PC seems fun.

I found a build that is basically what comes with the alienware.
I was thinking of doing this. Maybe upgrading a few aspects of it. Any thoughts? Am I just being stupid here?

This is the gist of their build and what we are looking to do:

Their Specs: Intel Core i3-4150 / 4 GB DDR3 1600mhz / ASUS H81M-K / GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB GDDR5 / 450W Power Supply included / Rosewill FBM-01-450P / 500 GB Hard Disk Drive

Budget: cheap

Will use for Light Gaming/Gaming Hooked up to TV via HDMI

When will you build?: soon/christmas

Will you be overclocking?: Maybe (Not sure if it can be done)

EDIT: Or do I just buy her this? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129080

 

[Lunar15]

Ok, just about satisfied on my build. I'm upgrading from an older computer so some stuff, like my cooler (H60), my power supply (750W), and my storage are all fine. I went AMD last time, but now I'd like to hop on over to an i5. Thought about an i7, but the gains aren't there to justify the price. (for what I aim to do with it, at least)

• CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core $229.97
• Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 $124.98
• Memory: Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 $138.61
• Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX $349.99

On the fence about getting a new case. Currently I have the Antec Twelve Hundred, but I don't really like all the work you have to do to get components in and out, it's kind of old at this point, and it's quite a loud case compared to more modern ones. I *really* like the Corsiar Air 540, but the cube design doesn't fit with how my room is setup. I have also been looking at the Phanteks Enthoo Pro, which has stellar reviews, but I'm not sure if I even need a new case at this point. Smaller form factor would be nice, but I don't really know the first thing about that kind of stuff.

So, what say you GAF? Despite having built a computer before, I'm still pretty ignorant about most of this stuff. Any recommendations on different memory or motherboard? I'm all ears!

 

[RedSwirl]

Your repeater doesn't extend your 5GHz downstairs? Might be best to try powerline. Unless, you are willing to upgrade your setup to run on the 5GHz AC.

Well crap.

As it turns out my repeater is actually a 2.4GHz-only repeater. It can't detect the 5GHz network, and really, neither can anything outside the room where the router is. In the settings for the router I don't see any option to switch between a 5GHz N or 5GHz AC network. In the description for the network it just says "5GHz (a/n)."

So, I really can't improve my wi-fi environment without buying more equipment or moving the modem and router (which probably isn't possible). I'm probably going to end up buying either a power line adapter or a better repeater.

Edit: I looked up my router model online and it doesn't use the AC standard, and getting one that does seems like it would be pretty damn expensive. Powerline looks like the cheapest solution if the speed is in fact better than wi-fi.

 

[zeroeffect]

Anyone know why Amazon isn't listed as a seller for the stock GTX 980 anymore?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NT9USXI/?tag=neogaf0e-20

They're selling the SC version but not the stock anymore. I ordered the stock one a few weeks ago when it was in stock but it went out as soon as I ordered. My estimated ship date is november 5th-november 19th. Should I be worried? I asked their CS why Amazon is no longer a listed seller despite it not being in stock and he had no answer. They didn't email me any changes to the order so I assume I'm still in queue and they're still selling them. Maybe they're just not listed because they don't want to take anymore orders?

 

[opticalmace]

So I'm trying to OC this G3258 with the AsRock Z97m itx board and with it at 4.0GHz and Core Voltage set at 1.312 I'm seeing temps of 95C in Intel Burn test. This seems pretty high to me, should I be concerned? I'm an OC noob pretty much and I've watched the LinusTech vids on OCing this cpu as well as read some other forums about it.

The system is a cooler master elite 130 and being air cooled. The cpu and cooler were seated fine along with adequate thermal paste.

What's your idle temp? I'm not familiar with the m4 cooler but it looks kind of puny.

 

[RGM79]

cooler master geminii m4

That cooler does not seem to be well-suited to intense overclocking. It's marketed more as low noise and profile than performance. I know your case is somewhat small, but you may want to get a better heatsink. Given the lack of options for air cooling, your best bet may be to go with a 120mm closed loop water cooler (maybe the Corsair H60 or something similar).

 

[vocab]

Someone please tell me the best z97 mobo under $150. I want something cheap, and good. Asus z97-A was in the running, but it seems very meh compared to the other ones I was looking at.

Too many polarizing reviews on newegg.

 

[zeroeffect]

So guys I noticed when I put my build together I actually bought the wrong stick of RAM. I have a 4790k and the RAM is actually 1600mhz CL10. I was supposed to get the same pair only it was CL9. CL10 is okay at 1600mhz for gaming right? Not really going to see much if any performance on the 1600mhz CL9? 10-10-10-27 is what it is.

 

[knitoe]

Kind of confused by this but I'll look more into it tomorrow.

1) Set CPU core voltage so it's 1.350V under Prime95 load.

2) Put the Multiplier to 41, boot into Windows and run Prime95 for 10min. No crash continue.

3) Put the Multiplier to 42, boot into Windows and run Prime95 for 10min. No crash continue.

4) Repeat using Multiplier 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 and etc. until it crashes and stop going up.

5) Select the highest X Multiplier that didn't crashed. Run Prime95 for 2-3hrs. If the computer crashed again, use a lower Multiplier and retest. If it pass after a few hours, that's the ideal Multiplier to use.

Next, you can try to lower the CPU core voltage to find the perfect voltage for your CPU speed. Instructions: Decrease by -0.010V = passed. Increase by +0.005V = failed.

1) For example, from above, it was set at 1.350V. Now, try 1.340V. Test with Prime95 for 10min.

2) If it pass, try decreasing another -0.010V to 1.330. If it keeps on passing, continue -0.010V each time and retest. At some point, Prime95 will crash, now, increase the voltage by +0.005V and retest. Keep on adding +0.005V until stable. If it passes running Prime95 for a few hours, you have found the right CPU core voltage.

So guys I noticed when I put my build together I actually bought the wrong stick of RAM. I have a 4790k and the RAM is actually 1600mhz CL10. I was supposed to get the same pair only it was CL9. CL10 is okay at 1600mhz for gaming right? Not really going to see much if any performance on the 1600mhz CL9? 10-10-10-27 is what it is.

You won't notice any difference other than while benchmarking memory speed test. For gaming, pretty much nothing.

Well crap.

As it turns out my repeater is actually a 2.4GHz-only repeater. It can't detect the 5GHz network, and really, neither can anything outside the room where the router is. In the settings for the router I don't see any option to switch between a 5GHz N or 5GHz AC network. In the description for the network it just says "5GHz (a/n)."

So, I really can't improve my wi-fi environment without buying more equipment or moving the modem and router (which probably isn't possible). I'm probably going to end up buying either a power line adapter or a better repeater.

If you don't have a AC router, you won't have AC wifi. What's the make and model of your router?

To extend your 5GHz range, you will need to get a 5GHz capable repeater. If none of your devices can connect to 5GHz outside of the room with the router, getting a 5GHz might not be the best option. I would recommend you try powerline first.

 

[zeroeffect]

That's what I thought just wanted to make sure. Guess I saved myself some money on RAM.

 

[galv]

Hey PCGAF,

I'm currently having an issue on a friends' new PC...

He's trying to use a brand new EVGA 750Ti on an MSI Z87 GD-65 motherboard, running an i5-4670k.

When connected by HDMI, without the GPU installed, the computer starts up fine, and everything is on the display, from BIOS to Windows, so running dandy and fine in short.

The second we turn off everything and install the CPU, all that happens is a black screen. The monitor (ASUS VX228H) doesn't even receive a signal. Even the BIOS doesn't show up. However, all the fans, LEDs, buttons etc work fine. I've tried using different PCI-E slots, starting up in safe mode, but still, no signal. I've tried a DVI cable, VGA cable and tried all the slots for a video connection on both motherboard I/O and GPU I/O. Still nothing. Tried a different monitor, still no signal.

I'm not sure if it's a GPU problem or a motherboard problem. Because everything on the motherboard works fine without the GPU...it's just apparently the GPU plugged into the PCI-E that isn't working. Maybe something could be wrong with the PCI-E slots?

And if the GPU was failing, wouldn't I still get a signal on the display for the BIOS atleast?

My first assumption was that because the 750Ti doesn't have a separate power connector, it's not receiving enough power from the slot - but I have no means to test that hypothesis tonight. Would this even be an issue? There's a modular CX-430M which powers the system...

I then thought the BIOS might be a problem but the BIOS shipped with the latest version, 1.9.

So, kinda stuck here. I'm going to call EVGA first thing tomorrow morning and try and get some support, but thought I'd post here, hoping someone has a solution or some way to troubleshoot.

Here are the full specs:

CPU: Intel i5-4670k @ Stock, with stock heatsink
MOBO: MSI Z87 GD-65 Gaming
RAM: Kingston 8GB 1600MHz
GPU: EVGA 750Ti
PSU: Corsair CX430M
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB
CASE: Corsair SPEC-01 Window ATX Case

EDIT: I did try installing NVIDIA drivers while the GPU was not installed, but it doesn't detect any NVIDIA hardware so it didn't install. Oh well...

 

[CreepingFear]

Very impressed with how fast my RMA replacement came from EVGA. I guess it helps that I'm in California where EVGA is based. It came packed very nicely in a shrink wrapped black EVGA box. I need a few more days to be sure that this card doesn't have the same issues as the other one did. It's just good to have my desktop back after having to use my six year old laptop. Next time I'm getting a chipset that allows use of the CPU's gpu or getting a cheap card like a 750 Ti so that I don't have to go without using my desktop.

 

[j0hnny_385]

I need a new router.
The legendary Linksys WRT54GL has become too slow (802.11g) for my house and I need to upgrade.
Currently I'm looking at: Linksys WRT1900AC or ASUS RT-AC87U router.

Any recommendations?

WRT1900AC will get open source firmware down the line, while ASUS does seem like a mighty beast already.
They're both priced around the same here in the EU.

edit: or should I go for the cheaper RT-AC68U that fully supports DDWRT?

 

[Jebusman]

And if the GPU was failing, wouldn't I still get a signal on the display for the BIOS atleast

Not always. A fault with the GPU could be causing it to fail while attempting to POST. The same thing happened to my parents computer when the old 8800GTS I had in it finally bit the dust. Computer would turn on, but no display, no indication of it doing anything. The moment the GPU was taken out, booted fine. If you had another card lying around you could probably test this.

Edit: Does the board have one of those 2 digit debug LEDs? I think from the pictures of the board they're located at the bottom next to the Power/Reset/OC Genie buttons. You could boot the computer with the card in, and check the code against the list that came with the mobo's manual.

 

[Bumhat]

GAF, I must once again call upon you for PC-related advice! A few months ago I said I was interested in getting a new machine primarily for editing, AfterEffects work, and gaming. Since then my budget has increased to a max of about £1200. Based on previous advice and my own internet trawling I have come up with this setup:

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/Bumhat/saved/gF3gXL

I am fully aware that this is by no means optimal, so if you have any suggestions please let me know! I can spend about another £100 on top of that build so if any of you can shove more power in there then go for it.

 

[Prophet Steve]

GAF, I must once again call upon you for PC-related advice! A few months ago I said I was interested in getting a new machine primarily for editing, AfterEffects work, and gaming. Since then my budget has increased to a max of about £1200. Based on previous advice and my own internet trawling I have come up with this setup:

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/Bumhat/saved/gF3gXL

I am fully aware that this is by no means optimal, so if you have any suggestions please let me know! I can spend about another £100 on top of that build so if any of you can shove more power in there then go for it.

Looks great, can't think of anything that I would change.

 

[Bumhat]

Looks great, can't think of anything that I would change.

This is encouraging! I can't remember who it was, but there was a poster earlier in the thread who was advising me against spending additional money in order to make a great setup a super-great setup, if only because I should get into the mindset of upgrading parts every few years. Unless someone spots a glaring issue with the parts I've selected, I'm starting to wonder if it's worth spending the additional £100-150 for minor upgrades when I could just save the money and change parts when significant upgrades become available.

Your thoughts?

 

[Prophet Steve]

This is encouraging! I can't remember who it was, but there was a poster earlier in the thread who was advising me against spending additional money in order to make a great setup a super-great setup, if only because I should get into the mindset of upgrading parts every few years. Unless someone spots a glaring issue with the parts I've selected, I'm starting to wonder if it's worth spending the additional £100-150 for minor upgrades when I could just save the money and change parts when significant upgrades become available.

Your thoughts?

I don't see any comments to you suggesting that, but it is an option yes.

But none of your components feel like overkill or bad value for their money. When you go higher than this (for example a 980 instead of 970) I'd say the extra performance isn't worth it anymore for the price increase. But you get great value with all of your parts.

 

[Panda In Space]

Today all my games crashed and full system locked after launching a few seconds with these type of artifacts appearing.

It only started today when I ran Call of Duty: AW and got red squares artifact.

After a reboot, I can play the game fine again. But when I tried to play other games a few hours later, the system will locked up constantly with these artifact.

I tried removing old drivers completely and installed latest Nvidia drivers but no improvement.

Temperature seems to be fine playing games full load at 68 Degree Celsius. No dust build up, PC case interior well maintained.

Is my video card (about 3 years old) faulty?

I've a GTX 580, 2600k Cpu, 16GB ram.

 

[Prophet Steve]

Today all my games crashed and full system locked after launching a few seconds with these type of artifacts appearing.




It only started today when I ran Call of Duty: AW and got red squares artifact.

After a reboot, I can play the game fine again. But when I tried to play other games a few hours later, the system will locked up constantly with these artifact.

I tried removing old drivers completely and installed latest Nvidia drivers but no improvement.

Temperature seems to be fine playing games full load at 68 Degree Celsius. No dust build up, PC case interior well maintained.

Is my video card (about 3 years old) faulty?

I've a GTX 580, 2600k Cpu, 16GB ram.

Might be faulty yes, is it overclocked?