Support NeoGAF

[LilJoka]

Thanks for this but let me ask you this. I don't do overclocking (becauase I'm a noob) and I just want to play games on max settings on stock on my EVGA superclocked 980 GTX SLI, should I still worry about dual GPUS due to no breathing room?

If I don't overclock and play long hours of gaming using the Corsair 240, will it ruin my Dual GPUs because they have no breathing space?

How much is the Corsair Hydro again? Show me the part.

For running your CPU at stock speed i dont see that heatsink being an issue. But what i would say is that today you maybe a noob, but in 6months you might not be, and if you compromise your part selection now, it may cost you more in the future. So its definatly something to think about now.

Im not totally sure on how the GPUs will cope, you are buying non reference style GPUs, and generally Maxwell is running pretty cool, so you should be OK. We would have to see what other peoples results were with similar arrangement to know.

Also Ive never run SLI in such a configuration, so somebody else here who has done may be better suited to providing some experience here.

Yeah and although gamespot ran that config, doesnt mean temps noise werent high. A PC in your living room shouldnt sound like an Xbox 360 lol.

 

[paolo11]

For running your CPU at stock speed i dont see that heatsink being an issue. But what i would say is that today you maybe a noob, but in 6months you might not be, and if you compromise your part selection now, it may cost you more in the future. So its definatly something to think about now.

Im not totally sure on how the GPUs will cope, you are buying non reference style GPUs, and generally Maxwell is running pretty cool, so you should be OK. We would have to see what other peoples results were with similar arrangement to know.

Also Ive never run SLI in such a configuration, so somebody else here who has done may be better suited to providing some experience here.

Yeah and although gamespot ran that config, doesnt mean temps noise werent high. A PC in your living room shouldnt sound like an Xbox 360 lol.

hehehe, I'll deal with the noise. hehehhe

Anyway, my final config. If you have a cheaper solution for my config like the coolers or PSU ,let me know. Please


Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor

Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler

Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard

G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory

Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card SLI 2X

Corsair Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case

EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

 

[paskowitz]

hehehe, I'll deal with the noise. hehehhe

Anyway, my final config. If you have a cheaper solution for my config like the coolers or PSU ,let me know. Please


Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor

Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler

Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard

G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory

Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card SLI 2X

Corsair Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case

EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

650w psu is a bit low for SLI 980s. I would go for 750+.

 

[Dance Inferno]

Argh, I just realized that in order to install Windows 8 64 bit from a USB stick I need to have at least an 8GB stick, whereas I only have a 4GB stick. Grrr, so I probably won't be able to finalize my build today even if I put all the parts together...

 

[LilJoka]

650w psu is a bit low for SLI 980s. I would go for 750+.

Yeah this is a good point, that EVGA PSU is a "just enough" PSU on the quality and output side, your rig deserves better.
EVGA SuperNOVA G2 750/850W would be much better alternatives.

GTX 980 peaks at around 250W.

 

[Effect]

I'd recommend going with Intel for performance in games. For $300 you can pick up these parts:

Intel i5-4430
Asrock H97 Pro4
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo Optional, but nice.

I can't deny that for video production, the FX-8350 has some higher performance due to the better multiple cores, though

Thanks for the recommendations.

 

[paolo11]

Yeah this is a good point, that EVGA PSU is a "just enough" PSU on the quality and output side, your rig deserves better.
EVGA SuperNOVA G2 750/850W would be much better alternatives.

GTX 980 peaks at around 250W.

I see. Ok, would this be ok?

Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor

Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler

Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard

G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory

Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card SLI 2X

Corsair Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case

EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply


Any more revisions? I want to go a bit cheaper for the CPU cooler but effective.

 

[fijim]

I currently have a Core i7 920. 6GB Ram. AMD HD 6970 2GB, 750W Corsair PSU, and a Samsung 840 EVO SSD.

Would upgrading the video card to GTX 970 be the best upgrade? Or will the processor bottleneck the GPU? Should I not bother until I can upgrade the CPU/motherboard/RAM as well?

This machine still plays everything fine it seems, but looking forward to playing things like GTA V, MGS V, Witcher 3, The Division etc...

I have a 1080p monitor, so I won't be gaming above that res.

 

[Quixzlizx]

Is something like this (a 750ti) still the best thing to put in a mini-ITX HTPC case if I just want to do moderate 1080p gaming with it?

Also, I don't think anyone ever responded to my question about a new gaming laptop vs a new gaming desktop plus Steam streaming to a lesser laptop. Is the streaming just that bad that it wasn't worth a response? lol

 

[The Llama]

Is something like this (a 750ti) still the best thing to put in a mini-ITX HTPC case if I just want to do moderate 1080p gaming with it?

Also, I don't think anyone ever responded to my question about a new gaming laptop vs a new gaming desktop plus Steam streaming to a lesser laptop. Is the streaming just that bad that it wasn't worth a response? lol

Can't really answer the 2nd question, but for the first, I'd say the "best" card to put in any PC is the best one you can afford.

 

[LilJoka]

I see. Ok, would this be ok?

Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor

Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler

Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard

G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory

Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card SLI 2X

Corsair Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case

EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply


Any more revisions? I want to go a bit cheaper for the CPU cooler but effective.

Maybe a Noctua NH C14, expensive for its performance, but form factor comes at a price. I think the H70 could also do the job.

I currently have a Core i7 920. 6GB Ram. AMD HD 6970 2GB, 750W Corsair PSU, and a Samsung 840 EVO SSD.

Would upgrading the video card to GTX 970 be the best upgrade? Or will the processor bottleneck the GPU? Should I not bother until I can upgrade the CPU/motherboard/RAM as well?

This machine still plays everything fine it seems, but looking forward to playing things like GTA V, MGS V, Witcher 3, The Division etc...

I have a 1080p monitor, so I won't be gaming above that res.

Wait till those games arrive if you are currently happy. It might be a good idea in a few months to upgrade CPU/Mobo/Ram, but if you can overclock your i7 920 to 4-4.2Ghz the GTX 970 should be ok.

 

[Quixzlizx]

Can't really answer the 2nd question, but for the first, I'd say the "best" card to put in any PC is the best one you can afford.

Except it's an HTPC. I'm not trying to MAX IT OUT, I'm trying to put in the quietest, coolest, smallest, least power-sucking card that can still handle 1080p.

 

[LilJoka]

Except it's an HTPC. I'm not trying to MAX IT OUT, I'm trying to put in the quietest, coolest, smallest, least power-sucking card that can still handle 1080p.

What case and what CPU? All the GPUs will run 1080p, just at lower settings. What settings on average are you looking to run at? Are you happy with 30fps or 60fps?

 

[The Llama]

Except it's an HTPC. I'm not trying to MAX IT OUT, I'm trying to put in the quietest, coolest, smallest, least power-sucking card that can still handle 1080p.

Right, but "handling 1080p" is a very vague term. Do you want 30fps in every game? Do you want 60fps in every game? Do you care if settings are min or max? Do you want to upgrade in a year or try to keep it 3-4 years?

 

[Wray]

So I'm guessing upgrading from a 780 Ti to the 900 series isn't really worth it?

Also, do you think this Motherboard/Cpu/Ram combo can last without bottleneck till around 2020ish if I swap out the video card once or twice? I'm trying to get my PC build pattern on a system where I upgrade my core computer (CPU/Mobo/Ram) once a "generation," and then my Video Card twice a generation.

- ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO
- Intel Core i7-4770K
- 16GB Ram

 

[The Llama]

So I'm guessing upgrading from a 780 Ti to the 900 series isn't really worth it?

Also, do you think this Motherboard/Cpu/Ram combo can last without bottleneck till around 2020ish if I swap out the video card once or twice? I'm trying to get my PC build pattern on a system where I upgrade my core computer (CPU/Mobo/Ram) once a "generation," and then my Video Card twice a generation.

- ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO
- Intel Core i7-4770K
- 16GB Ram

1. Definitely not IMO.
2. Overclock the CPU and you're PROBABLY good with that setup for the next ~4 years, based on past trends. But It's so, so, so hard to say. I definitely wouldn't count on it being relevant until 2020, though.

 

[paolo11]

Maybe a Noctua NH C14, expensive for its performance, but form factor comes at a price. I think the H70 could also do the job.



Wait till those games arrive if you are currently happy. It might be a good idea in a few months to upgrade CPU/Mobo/Ram, but if you can overclock your i7 920 to 4-4.2Ghz the GTX 970 should be ok.

Is the H70 cheaper than I currently have? I need cheaper but effective

 

[Quixzlizx]

What case and what CPU? All the GPUs will run 1080p, just at lower settings. What settings on average are you looking to run at? Are you happy with 30fps or 60fps?

Silverstone Sugo SG05 case and an i5-3570k that isn't overclocked. I'd be OK with PS4/XB1 settings with locked 30 fps for AAA releases, although I'd like to think I could up the framerate with less-demanding games.

 

[M.D]

I don't know about getting the motherboard here or where you live, that depends on warranty coverage and how much of a discount you're getting (and if it's worth it). Concerning the motherboard..

"[Power (VRMs, Phases) are] usually the big difference between a cheap motherboard and a more expensive motherboard. More power phases, solid capacitors, ferrite chokes and MOSFET heatsinks are usually present in good-quality mobos. High-end mobos may have DrMos and tantalum capacitors."
"You can determine the number of phases by counting the number of chokes. Higher is usually better, but going overboard (32 phases) does not help much."
"Low quality VRMs are typically the first thing to fry, especially if overclocking. Getting something good will ensure lower temps, stable/clean power for your CPU, and a reliable, long-lasting mobo."

That GA-Z97X-Gaming G1 motherboard appears to be very high end, expensive ($290 by itself), and reviews say it is excellent. The bundle price for both seems like a great deal.

I read a bit, and it seems the general answer a motherboard is not that important overall, especially if you are not planning on OC

I think I'll skip this bundle and go just for the CPU, and get a cheaper motherboard and everything else locally

I don't think I'll really need this kind of motherboard even if I could buy it locally and get warranty for it

Are there any recommendations for a particular brand or type of RAM? I was thinking about getting 8GB and upgrading later on when I need to, but now that I'll be spending less money on the motherboard, I could probably get 16GB

Also, is there any reason to upgrade my HDD?

 

[paolo11]

I hope this final build will be great:

Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor

Cooler Master Seidon 120M 86.2 CFM Liquid

Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard

G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory

Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card SLI 2X

Corsair Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case

EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

 

[LilJoka]

I hope this final build will be great:

Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor

Cooler Master Seidon 120M 86.2 CFM Liquid

Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard

G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory

Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card SLI 2X

Corsair Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case

EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

EVGA is a very dodgy PSU supplier, supplying very good units and really borderline units. NEX Range is really somthing id never let touch my components, and you are really buying a top range rig, no idea why you are skimping, a PSU failure can take down a whole rig - As in destroy a lot of components.
An example of the board work on this PSU to help explain to you their quality:

So i highly recommend you go with the Supernova G2 750W http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220g20750xr as i suggested in my other post, since that actually competes with top suppliers like SeaSonic.

Yes H70 will be cheaper than H100i, its a smaller unit, less cooling capacity, and doesnt have the controllable LED or ability to power the fans from the pump, nor can it use the Corsair Link software, all of which imo is useless anyways (apart from cooling capacity).

Silverstone Sugo SG05 case and an i5-3570k that isn't overclocked. I'd be OK with PS4/XB1 settings with locked 30 fps for AAA releases, although I'd like to think I could up the framerate with less-demanding games.

Something like a GTX 760 would be nice. 750Ti is probably a bit weak for what you want. From AMD probably an R9 280/X, whatever fits your budget. And in terms of case, you could easily run a GTX 980 if you wanted with a good enough PSU, im running a similar PC with a Node 304 with a GTX 970, everything overclocked and quiet too.

 

[paolo11]

EVGA is a very dodgy PSU supplier, supplying very good units and really borderline units. NEX Range is really somthing id never let touch my components, and you are really buying a top range rig, no idea why you are skimping, a PSU failure can take down a whole rig - As in destroy a lot of components.
An example of the board work on this PSU to help explain to you their quality:


So i highly recommend you go with the Supernova G2 750W http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220g20750xr as i suggested in my other post, since that actually competes with top suppliers like SeaSonic.

Yes H70 will be cheaper than H100i, its a smaller unit, less cooling capacity, and doesnt have the controllable LED or ability to power the fans from the pump, nor can it use the Corsair Link software, all of which imo is useless anyways (apart from cooling capacity).



Something like a GTX 760 would be nice. 750Ti is probably a bit weak for what you want. From AMD probably an R9 280/X, whatever fits your budget. And in terms of case, you could easily run a GTX 980 if you wanted with a good enough PSU, im running a similar PC with a Node 304 with a GTX 970, everything overclocked and quiet too.

Show mI the h70 part

 

[Quixzlizx]

Something like a GTX 760 would be nice. 750Ti is probably a bit weak for what you want. From AMD probably an R9 280/X, whatever fits your budget. And in terms of case, you could easily run a GTX 980 if you wanted with a good enough PSU, im running a similar PC with a Node 304 with a GTX 970, everything overclocked and quiet too.

Unfortunately, I just have the 300W PSU that came with the case, which is why I wanted as low-power as possible.

 

[LilJoka]

Unfortunately, I just have the 300W PSU that came with the case, which is why I wanted as low-power as possible.

Youll have to stick with the 750Ti then, i think if you had a decent 400-450W, a GTX 760 would be possible.

Show mI the h70 part

H70 seems to be over a 100$ on pcpartpicker, so might want to investigate your usual sites for a real price. Otherwise H60 is also a possibility, i believe the latest H60 matches the H70. Corsair have too many of these nowadays.
H70
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-cpu-cooler-cwch70
H60
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-cpu-cooler-cwch60

 

[Naked Snake]

OP doesn't mention anything about game pads/controllers... isn't that an important part of PC gaming for a lot of people?

I remember the 360 controller was considered almost the defacto choice. Has that been supplanted by the Xbone controller (not sure if it's natively supported by Windows)? Are there other valid options?

 

[The Llama]

OP doesn't mention anything about game pads/controllers... isn't that an important part of PC gaming for a lot of people?

I remember the 360 controller was considered almost the defacto choice. Has that been supplanted by the Xbone controller (not sure if it's natively supported by Windows)? Are there other valid options?

Depends tbh, some people use them for everything, others never use them. Personally I use them for platformers and most 3rd person games. I use a 360 controller because it "just works" with most games. Realistically, you can use whatever you want.

 

[LilJoka]

OP doesn't mention anything about game pads/controllers... isn't that an important part of PC gaming for a lot of people?

I remember the 360 controller was considered almost the defacto choice. Has that been supplanted by the Xbone controller (not sure if it's natively supported by Windows)? Are there other valid options?

DS4 and DS3 work too, either wireless with compatible Bluetooth module, or wired via USB. Software like motionjoy can be used to make the Sony pads appear as 360 pads in game.

X1 only works in wired mode. So until we get wireless its not a proper solution.

I use 360 pads wirelessly, have 4 of them so makes good for some offline multiplayer too.

 

[paolo11]

Youll have to stick with the 750Ti then, i think if you had a decent 400-450W, a GTX 760 would be possible.



H70 seems to be over a 100$ on pcpartpicker, so might want to investigate your usual sites for a real price. Otherwise H60 is also a possibility, i believe the latest H60 matches the H70. Corsair have too many of these nowadays.
H70
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-cpu-cooler-cwch70
H60
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-cpu-cooler-cwch60

What's your opinion about Cooler Master Seidon 120M 86.2 CFM Liquid for a CPU cooler in terms of my rig.

 

[Naked Snake]

DS4 and DS3 work too, either wireless with compatible Bluetooth module, or wired via USB. Software like motionjoy can be used to make the Sony pads appear as 360 pads in game.

X1 only works in wired mode. So until we get wireless its not a proper solution.

I use 360 pads wirelessly, have 4 of them so makes good for some offline multiplayer too.

I think my experience with Motioninjoy in the past was horrific. I'd rather have something that just works, coming from consoles I already find PC gaming a bit too much work, don't want to add any more complexity/headaches to it.

Although I do have a DS2 already so it would be great if it worked without hassle.

 

[LilJoka]

I think my experience with Motioninjoy in the past was horrific. I'd rather have something that just works, coming from consoles I already find PC gaming a bit too much work, don't want to add any more complexity/headaches to it.

Ive never had a problem with motionjoy, but i only used it for wired pads. But there is another application, cant remember the name, but everyone uses it nowadays without an issue. Edit: Better DS3 is the name.

360 pad is the sure way to have no issues though.

What's your opinion about Cooler Master Seidon 120M 86.2 CFM Liquid for a CPU cooler in terms of my rig.

It will have similar performance to the Corsair H60, i believe they use the same supplier (Asetek) anyways.
Review here
http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cases_cooling/cooler_master_seidon_120m_review/6

 

[Sorta Maximus]

Question - not sure of the answer

SSD is going in my PC for the OS and at most 2 games that I know will be played often. (256GB)

The motheboard has only one 6gb/s Sata slot
The rest being 3gb/s

Should the SSD go in the 3GB as the fast read/write access makes up for the loss?

Or would the mechanical drive be fine/just as fast in the 3gb slot?

Put the SSD in the fast slot (sata 3), HDD will largely not benefit at all from sata 3. Put the HDD on the sata 2 slot.

 

[RGM79]

DS4 and DS3 work too, either wireless with compatible Bluetooth module, or wired via USB. Software like motionjoy can be used to make the Sony pads appear as 360 pads in game.

X1 only works in wired mode. So until we get wireless its not a proper solution.

I use 360 pads wirelessly, have 4 of them so makes good for some offline multiplayer too.

I think my experience with Motioninjoy in the past was horrific. I'd rather have something that just works, coming from consoles I already find PC gaming a bit too much work, don't want to add any more complexity/headaches to it.

Although I do have a DS2 already so it would be great if it worked without hassle.

Motioninjoy is no longer recommended due to newer, more trustworthy and reliable solutions like SCP and DS4Windows. Those programs can be found here:

http://forums.pcsx2.net/Forum-Tools-Applications-Homebrew

So i highly recommend you go with the Supernova G2 750W http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220g20750xr as i suggested in my other post, since that actually competes with top suppliers like SeaSonic.

Just a suggestion: The 850 watt version of that EVGA power supply is on sale for the same price as the 750 watt version. If they're both the same price ($89 after $20 MIR), there's no real reason to not go with the stronger PSU.

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220g20850xr

Are there any recommendations for a particular brand or type of RAM? I was thinking about getting 8GB and upgrading later on when I need to, but now that I'll be spending less money on the motherboard, I could probably get 16GB

Also, is there any reason to upgrade my HDD?

Corsair, G.Skill, Kingston, Crucial, and Mushkin are hard to go wrong with. Low profile RAM is a good idea, and does not suffer from any kind of performance difference compared to RAM sticks with large heatsinks.

If you want faster storage, then there's the option of getting an SSD. The Samsung 840 Evo and Crucial MX100 are the kings of value for SSD.

 

[See You Next Wednesday]

HALP

Want to play the new Dragons Age & Assassins Creed Unity at 60fps & at 1080p.

I need to upgrade my CPU.

Will a Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz which is on sale for $250 a good idea?

My specs are:
& I have a Radeon HD 7970 3GB DDR5 GPU & 8 GB of RAM.
My motherboard is a Gigabyte 970A-D3P (CPU 1).

Would that be enough with the i7-4770K to be enough to run at least Dragons Age Inquisition at 60fps?

Would the i7 be compatible with my mobo?

 

[Smokey]

HALP

Want to play the new Dragons Age & Assassins Creed Unity at 60fps & at 1080p.

I need to upgrade my CPU.

Will a Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz which is on sale for $250 a good idea?

My specs are:
& I have a Radeon HD 7970 3GB DDR5 GPU & 8 GB of RAM.

Would that be enough with the i7-4770K to be enough to run at least Dragons Age Inquisition at 60fps?

You should look at your username and do that.

 

[garath]

HALP

Want to play the new Dragons Age & Assassins Creed Unity at 60fps & at 1080p.

I need to upgrade my CPU.

Will a Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz which is on sale for $250 a good idea?

My specs are:
& I have a Radeon HD 7970 3GB DDR5 GPU & 8 GB of RAM.
My motherboard is a Gigabyte 970A-D3P (CPU 1).

Would that be enough with the i7-4770K to be enough to run at least Dragons Age Inquisition at 60fps?

Would the i7 be compatible with my mobo?

No, that motherboard would not take an i7-4770K. It's an AM3+ mobo so there's really no good cpu upgrade path for it. You'd have to get a new mobo and CPU.

 

[paolo11]

Ok this may be (I hope) final build.

Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor

Cooler Master Seidon 120M 86.2 CFM Liquid

Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard

G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory

Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card SLI 2X

Corsair Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case

EVGA SuperNova 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Ok this may be (I hope) final build.

Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor

Cooler Master Seidon 120M 86.2 CFM Liquid

Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard

G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory

Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card SLI 2X

Corsair Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case

EVGA SuperNova 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

What are you thinking in terms of wifi? a dongle I imagine (because the PCI are occuped), right? don't forget to get one with your order, it is annoying having to wait for one little last thing in the mail.

 

[jimboton]

So, I just upgraded my 2500k to a 980 card (from a 570) and everything seemed fine except... something funny happened.

Benchmarks are ok, temperature low, not noisy at all, but I get this weird blue dots flickering across the screen in black/grey backgrounds (such as Steam for instance). And what's funny is this: it only happens @120Hz via DVI, when I set a 60Hz refresh with the same cable or switch to HDMI the dots go away.

PSU is a Corsair TX850, I think that should be plenty? Could it be the cable (even though it was working just fine with my 570) or does it sound more like my 980 is faulty?

Any help is appreciated!

 

[paskowitz]

Ok this may be (I hope) final build.

Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor

Cooler Master Seidon 120M 86.2 CFM Liquid

Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard

G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory

Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card SLI 2X

Corsair Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case

EVGA SuperNova 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

That looks pretty good. You could save some money by going with the MSI (non reference) 980 ($88 by my calculation). There is nothing wrong with the EVGA SC ACX 2.0, just the MSI is cheaper and will perform similarly. I have one and could not recommend it more.

I would get a USB WiFi and Bluetooth stick, if you need them, as mentioned by the poster above.

 

[paolo11]

What are you thinking in terms of wifi? a dongle I imagine (because the PCI are occuped), right? don't forget to get one with your order, it is annoying having to wait for one little last thing in the mail.

I live in a small appartment. What's your opinion on a Wifi Dongle?

Also if I buy a Windows 8.1 key, I can install Windows offline or no?

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

That looks pretty good. You could save some money by going with the MSI (non reference) 980 ($88 by my calculation). There is nothing wrong with the EVGA SC ACX 2.0, just the MSI is cheaper and will perform similarly. I have one and could not recommend it more.

To add to that. Would a reference card be better in his situation because there won't be any room between the two cards?

I live in a small appartment. What's your opinion on a Wifi Dongle?

Also if I buy a Windows 8.1 key, I can install Windows offline or no?

You can install it offline, and will have some of the features, but then you have to activate online for it to have all of the features.

As for the dongle, i would get something that is both 2.4ghz and 5ghz just in case. There are a bit more expensive (around $30) than the cute little ones that are 1/4" long, but at least is a good measure if you have 5ghz wifi in your house. Although I got one that was cheaper because it is refurbished

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006CQR7CK/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[See You Next Wednesday]

No, that motherboard would not take an i7-4770K. It's an AM3+ mobo so there's really no good cpu upgrade path for it. You'd have to get a new mobo and CPU.

Ok, what motherboard would take it & would that combo of it & the i7-4770K CPU + Radeon HD 7970 3GB DDR5 be enough for 60fps for most new games coming up?

 

[paolo11]

That looks pretty good. You could save some money by going with the MSI (non reference) 980 ($88 by my calculation). There is nothing wrong with the EVGA SC ACX 2.0, just the MSI is cheaper and will perform similarly. I have one and could not recommend it more.

I would get a USB WiFi and Bluetooth stick, if you need them, as mentioned by the poster above.

Isn't the EVGA the overclock version of the 980GTX thus performs much better? What's your thoughts?

 

[Addnan]

Isn't the EVGA the overclock version of the 980GTX thus performs much better? What's your thoughts?

I would recommend the MSI reference design in a small case like that. The EVGAs will just pump heat into the case with nowhere to go and will probably run quite hot in there.

 

[DarkChronic]

In the market for an SSD. Am I better off waiting to see if there are any Black Friday deals, or will they not drop in price that much?

 

[RGM79]

HALP

Want to play the new Dragons Age & Assassins Creed Unity at 60fps & at 1080p.

I need to upgrade my CPU.

Will a Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz which is on sale for $250 a good idea?

My specs are:
& I have a Radeon HD 7970 3GB DDR5 GPU & 8 GB of RAM.
My motherboard is a Gigabyte 970A-D3P (CPU 1).

Would that be enough with the i7-4770K to be enough to run at least Dragons Age Inquisition at 60fps?

Would the i7 be compatible with my mobo?

Ok, what motherboard would take it & would that combo of it & the i7-4770K CPU + Radeon HD 7970 3GB DDR5 be enough for 60fps for most new games coming up?

The cheapest decent motherboard I'd go with is the MSI Z97 PC MATE. No idea how much you want to spend. Your video card that you have now just meets Unity's minimum requirements, although Ubisoft has a thing for overstating requirements, and apparently Unity runs somewhat awful unoptimized or something right now. I checked the Assassin's Creed Unity PC performance thread and other people with the same video card you have are reporting 20-30 fps at high settings.

So, I just upgraded my 2500k to a 980 card (from a 570) and everything seemed fine except... something funny happened.

Benchmarks are ok, temperature low, not noisy at all, but I get this weird blue dots flickering across the screen in black/grey backgrounds (such as Steam for instance). And what's funny is this: it only happens @120Hz via DVI, when I set a 60Hz refresh with the same cable or switch to HDMI the dots go away.

PSU is a Corsair TX850, I think that should be plenty? Could it be the cable (even though it was working just fine with my 570) or does it sound more like my 980 is faulty?

Any help is appreciated!

Are you sure you're using a DVI-D cable? I believe that's needed for 120 Hz.

 

[paskowitz]

To add to that. Would a reference card be better in his situation because there won't be any room between the two cards?

It is a tough call. The reference cards have that little cut away on the backplate that help cool in SLI config.

If temps are pretty high (75c+), investing in a high power fan to slot below his CPU cool may not be a bad idea (Noctua NF Industrial). When my MSI GTX 980 is not OC'd I rarely see temps above 60c. So far only SOM and Crysis 3 have gotten the temps above 65c (w/o OC). But I am in a high airflow mid tower...

Personally, I cannot see the need for SLI 980s at 1080p. One will certainly be enough for quite some time and SLI support is hit or miss these days. With that thought coming to mind, I would get 1 GTX980, and see if the performance is adequate for the games you play. If it is not get the 2nd card.

I mean do not take my word for it. Look at the Guru 3D tests. http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/geforce_gtx_980_sli_review,19.html Unless you are running a very high res, SLI 980 is not worth the price increase. Unless you plan on going 1440p/144hz, or 4K I just can't see the need.

Isn't the EVGA the overclock version of the 980GTX thus performs much better? What's your thoughts?

All non reference GPUs are overclocked versions of the stock/reference card. Oops... looks like the EVGA you had in your config is cheaper than the MSI... my mistake.

 

[paolo11]

I would recommend the MSI reference design in a small case like that. The EVGAs will just pump heat into the case with nowhere to go and will probably run quite hot in there.

Which has better performance? The MSI reference design or EVGA Superclock?

Also, can you show me the card for the MSI reference design?

 

[Mikeside]

New PC has been ordered!

Motherboard: Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H-BK
Processor: Intel i5-4690K
PSU: Corsair HX850i 850w
Cooling: Corsair H80i
RAM: 4x 4GB Crucial Ballistix DDR3 PC3-14900
Case: Fractal Design Arc XL
Graphics: 2x Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Windforce


Now I just need to get a FireTV to Limelight to in the living room.

 

[Kezen]

In the market for an SSD. Am I better off waiting to see if there are any Black Friday deals, or will they not drop in price that much?

SSDs are already very affordable right now. What capacity are you looking for ?
The Samsung 850 Pro is currently the king of SSDs but it's slightly more expensive than other options worth considering.