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[DarkFlow]

Anyone know of any upcoming deals on SSD's?

The Zotac 970 should fit in most mini-ITX cases I believe. It's 203mm long, by far the shortest 970 card so far.

Gigabyte has a smaller one, it's almost half that size at 120mm.
http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/gigabyte-mini-itx-gtx-970-graphics-card.html
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5252#ov

Edit: NM that's what you were responding too.

 

[Kezen]

So this is my final choices




So what do you say GAF will it work well? How long will it last?

Will I be able to run the latest games with good settings.... Will this run Star Citizen at all

I am new to this and I this is the final thing I got from advice from you guys... store guys and friends

I would advise against the Corsair CX.

 

[LilJoka]

I would advise against the Corsair CX.

Agreed, its not a bad PSU, just low end, over rated, i believe its main capacitors are rated to 40*c...

Get a quality 550W like Seasonic G550.

 

[TheRealTalker]

so change my power supply

is everything else okay?

Got mostly the same setup as you expect i have the i5-4690k CPU. Everything runs pretty well that i have throw at it. but i haven't got to test much, i only built it a week ago. Everything i have be running is at max setting at 1080p, 60fps.

that is great to hear... thanks for the input

Glad I can get a picture on what to expect around the ballpark

 

[The Bad Guy]

So this is my final choices




So what do you say GAF will it work well? How long will it last?

Will I be able to run the latest games with good settings.... Will this run Star Citizen at all

I am new to this and I this is the final thing I got from advice from you guys... store guys and friends

Got mostly the same setup as you expect i have the i5-4690k CPU. Everything runs pretty well that i have throw at it. but i haven't got to test much, i only built it a week ago. Everything i have be running is at max setting at 1080p, 60fps.

 

[grkazan12]

The Prodigy comes in both mATX (Prodigy M) and mITX so make sure you get the right one based on your motherboard!

I see, is it possible to install a GTX 970 in an mATX and/or mITX?
What are the biggest differences between mATX/mITX?

I don't plan on ever going sli or crossfire and I only really use two hard drives (an SSD and an HDD).

 

[LilJoka]

I see, is it possible to install a GTX 970 in an mATX and/or mITX?
What are the biggest differences between mATX/mITX?

I don't plan on ever going sli or crossfire and I only really use two hard drives (an SSD and an HDD).

mATX allows for SLI/XFire, ITX does not. mATX has minimum 2 PCIE slots, ITX only has 1. ITX is smaller than mATX for this reason. You may as well go ITX if you aren't doing SLI or require a sound card.

 

[Smokey]

Just wanna say...I haven't been in here as much lately...but...LilJoka doin work

good stuff

 

[TheRealTalker]

So for my rig.... what can I expect?

could I get a guesstimated example game with res/fps that is the highest it could do?

would there be any worries other then the PSU?

 

[appaws]

Just wondering, what would be considered a CPU intensive task? I was also thinking of getting an i5, but now that I think of it, I'm not sure if putting more money into the CPU will be worth it considering what I use my computer for.

Is running an emulator, like dolphin for example, CPU intensive?

Yes, those emulators are very CPU intensive. But the reason I suggested a Pentium build for you is because of your budget. An i5 will eat up a lot more of the money you want to spend, forcing you to cut back on the graphics card. If you can do an i5 AND a decent card like an R9 270X, 280, or a GTX 760...that would be the best of both worlds.

Thanks guys. This is what I've decided on so far:

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/qzz9yc

Any suggestions for:

- Power supply (estimated wattage for just the above is apparently 317W)
- CPU cooler
- Case

?

Does the above set-up sound ok? It's mostly to play Elite Dangerous. Don't need anything too extreme as a case, just something not too noisy.

For a CPU cooler I recommend the old standby, the Cooler Master 212 Evo. For $30 bucks it will do a great job keeping things cool and enable a good mid-level overclock.

I recommend that you switch that RAM for something low-profile. Like G. Skill Ares or Corsair Dominator LP....this will help you avoid clearance issues when mounting a heatsink onto your motherboard.

For cases, a lot of it is personal taste. You could look in the OP for ones you like. I recommend the NZXT S340 to a lot of people. It is a mid tower of reasonable size, has a great modern design, and comes in at only $69 dollars.

 

[LilJoka]

So for my rig.... what can I expect?

could I get a guesstimated example game with res/fps that is the highest it could do?

would there be any worries other then the PSU?

Just look at GTX 970 reviews
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8568/the-geforce-gtx-970-review-feat-evga/4

Theres a bunch of games tested here, that gives you a good idea what itll perform like.

You should be able to get High-Ultra 1080p 60fps on any game.

 

[Piecake]

I am basically copying the best value build from the OP, but I have a few questions since I am a complete noob at this. This is what I have so far

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/GCrnjX

I havent picked the video card or Ram because all of the various options just confused me. I am looking at a GTX 760 for the card, but which one? Does it matter? Honestly, I don't get what all of the variations mean. Same thing with ram. 2x4GB works for me, but there are a billion of different ones and variations. Tell me what to buy!

My purpose for this is basically an entertainment hub that I can hook up to my TV (dont hurt me) and watch tv/movies, music, and play games through it. Will this set up last me for about 2-3 years and still be able to play on medium settings year 3? Any other recommendations, suggestions, changes that I should make?

I previously went with laptops, but after college I realized I really don't take advantage of it and it stays parked right in front of my TV. I thought a PC made more sense because its cheaper and will be cheaper in the future since I can simply upgrade it. If I need a laptop, the plan is to get a cheap chromebook.

 

[Kezen]

So for my rig.... what can I expect?

could I get a guesstimated example game with res/fps that is the highest it could do?

Sorry, there is no way we can tell you about that. There are so many variables to account for.

 

[TheRealTalker]

Just look at GTX 970 reviews
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8568/the-geforce-gtx-970-review-feat-evga/4

Theres a bunch of games tested here, that gives you a good idea what itll perform like.

You should be able to get High-Ultra 1080p 60fps on any game.

Sorry, there is no way we can tell you about that. There are so many variables to account for.

Okay thanks guys

Sorry for the nitpicking questions since I am fairly new to this


Very grateful for your help guys... I wouldn't have that rig without you

 

[grkazan12]

mATX allows for SLI/XFire, ITX does not. mATX has minimum 2 PCIE slots, ITX only has 1. ITX is smaller than mATX for this reason. You may as well go ITX if you aren't doing SLI or require a sound card.

Thanks for the advice, quick follow up on that. I know on my current case, which is a mod tower, my gtx 570 used two of the metal pcie slots in the back.

Will mITX be enough to fit a big card like a 570 or something similar?

 

[Ronnie]

Yes the main loss of going with the smaller board is the fact that it only supports 1 PCIE card. But a lot of first time builders say they will SLI in the future but never do/will - I was one of them many years ago.

If you want your rig to be SLI ready you'll want something like a 750W PSU and ideally an ATX case to manage the heat output.

Most people don't end up running dual GPUs because of lack of consistent scaling in games, noise, heat and power consumption. It becomes much more optimum to just sell the old GPU and buy the next best single GPU you can afford.

Interesting, thanks for the tip. Can I ask what the benefit of going with a smaller board is? Is it just size because having a tower isn't really an issue for me.

For a CPU cooler I recommend the old standby, the Cooler Master 212 Evo. For $30 bucks it will do a great job keeping things cool and enable a good mid-level overclock.

Ok I've picked that one thanks. Any suggestions for a power supply? What kind of wattage should I get? 500?

I recommend that you switch that RAM for something low-profile. Like G. Skill Ares or Corsair Dominator LP....this will help you avoid clearance issues when mounting a heatsink onto your motherboard.

Am I mounting a heatsink onto my motherboard? Is that what the CPU cooler is?

I chose that RAM because it had a lot of excellent review scores, is this G Skill Ares better?

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f31600c9d8gab

Sorry I literally know nothing about pc building and all the components, so just picking stuff that reviews well from a list and hoping for the best!

 

[LilJoka]

Interesting, thanks for the tip. Can I ask what the benefit of going with a smaller board is? Is it just size because having a tower isn't really an issue for me.



Ok I've picked that one thanks. Any suggestions for a power supply? What kind of wattage should I get? 500?



Am I mounting a heatsink onto my motherboard? Is that what the CPU cooler is?

I chose that RAM because it had a lot of excellent review scores, is this G Skill Ares better?

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f31600c9d8gab

Sorry I literally know nothing about pc building and all the components, so just picking stuff that reviews well from a list and hoping for the best!

Yep it's all about size lol. Lot of people rather have a smaller PC nowadays that a huge rig unless you are doing something extreme, but it's all personal preference here, I just like to point it out since first time builders generally always go with the standard ATX size parts.

500-600w is good.

Ram is ram, brand is just to do with warranty etc. It's the one time paper specs matter. Look out for 1600mhz CAS 9 (latency) or 1866mhz CAS 10, 1.5v max. PC part picker lets you choose filters for those 3 specs. Then get what's cheapest.

Yes the heat sink screws into the motherboard over the processor to dissipate heat away from the processor. The intel one that comes with the processor is sufficient but a cheap aftermarket cooler will let you overclock (future consideration) and is less noisy.

Thanks for the advice, quick follow up on that. I know on my current case, which is a mod tower, my gtx 570 used two of the metal pcie slots in the back.

Will mITX be enough to fit a big card like a 570 or something similar?

The board can fit any GPU, its the case that matters here. You can fit a GTX 980 if you wanted in a case that allows for it with an ITX motherboard.
Some ITX case options
BitFenix Prodigy
Fractal Node 304
Coolermaster Elite 130
EVGA Hadron
Corsair 250D

Also ive not seen a case with a single PCI slot, they all have two, so fit any GPU in that sense. But the more important thing is the maximum GPU length for these types of cases.

 

[thequickandthedead]

this is probably a really stupid question but when I run dxdiag why does it say my gtx 760 has 256 mb memory?

edit: Restarted and now is says 4gb. This is supposed to represent vram right?

 

[LilJoka]

this is probably a really stupid question but when I run dxdiag why does it say my gtx 760 has 256 mb memory?

edit: Restarted and now is says 4gb. This is supposed to represent vram right?

Try GPUz, windows struggles to detect CPU speed these days let alone GPU VRAM.

 

[appaws]

Interesting, thanks for the tip. Can I ask what the benefit of going with a smaller board is? Is it just size because having a tower isn't really an issue for me.



Ok I've picked that one thanks. Any suggestions for a power supply? What kind of wattage should I get? 500?



Am I mounting a heatsink onto my motherboard? Is that what the CPU cooler is?

I chose that RAM because it had a lot of excellent review scores, is this G Skill Ares better?

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f31600c9d8gab

Sorry I literally know nothing about pc building and all the components, so just picking stuff that reviews well from a list and hoping for the best!

I'll give you an easy intro about the sizes. There are three you need to worry about, but there are excellent build options for all three:

1. ATX-- This is the "full" size, the most common one seen in gaming builds.

2. micro-ATX-- This is one size down. You can do 2 card SLI or Crossfire with these as long as you can fit the 2 video cards in your case.

3. mini-itx-- This is the smallest size, seen a lot in small form factor systems or in home theater PC setups. There is only one full-size PCI-E slot.

The main thing to remember is that you need to get a board that fits into the case you want to use, and that has the features that you want. If you primarily interested in a gaming machine, may consider using multi-GPU setups some way down the road, or if you are just looking for the easiest to work in, and space is not an issue, choose ATX.

I think a 550 watt PSU will do you fine. The ones suggested in the OP are good.

The heatsink mounts on to the top of the processor with a backplate on the back of the motherboard. It seems scary your first time, but it is all pretty simple. Go search youtube for a video on the installation of the CM 212 Evo and you'll see.

It is not that the RAM you picked has anything wrong with it. It is just that it has those big heat spreaders sticking off the top. They don't do anything, and they can get in the way of installing your cooler. So I always look for "low profile" RAM to avoid that problem.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

The time has come again where I am looking to build a new rig. I've already been reading for a while on the specifics and different types and all this but I would rather get first-hand experience from people with the X 99 motherboard and build specifications. I've already narrow down my CPU the RAM and now I am looking at which motherboard would be a good middle ground but not super expensive because I don't want to overly invest in a $400 or more motherboard and cannibalize other aspects of the rig or generally saving some money.

The few that I saw really didn't impress but this is mainly because I'm coming from strictly ASUS motherboards for the last 2 builds and I will be more than willing to take suggestions on motherboards in the 275 to 330 range. The rest of the specs are already sent as far as getting 16 GB of memory and either sli 970 or 980's.

I just need to narrow in on a good motherboard.

And I've also been reading on cooling. Looks like the H 100 i or even the h1 10 will work good for cooling the socket 2011 CPU. I haven't done an incredible amount of research on that aspect but I imagine my Corsair 500r case will be pretty good in supporting the radiator from the top section?

 

[RGM79]

The time has come again where I am looking to build a new rig. I've already been reading for a while on the specifics and different types and all this but I would rather get first-hand experience from people with the X 99 motherboard and build specifications. I've already narrow down my CPU the RAM and now I am looking at which motherboard would be a good middle ground but not super expensive because I don't want to overly invest in a $400 or more motherboard and cannibalize other aspects of the rig or generally saving some money.

The few that I saw really didn't impress but this is mainly because I'm coming from strictly ASUS motherboards for the last 2 builds and I will be more than willing to take suggestions on motherboards in the 275 to 330 range. The rest of the specs are already sent as far as getting 16 GB of memory and either sli 970 or 980's.

I just need to narrow in on a good motherboard.

And I've also been reading on cooling. Looks like the H 100 i or even the h1 10 will work good for cooling the socket 2011 CPU. I haven't done an incredible amount of research on that aspect but I imagine my Corsair 500r case will be pretty good in supporting the radiator from the top section?

Is there a reason you want to go with X99? A Z97 system will do most people fine for high end gaming. To want to go X99 over Z97 usually means you're spending about $2000 or more, which is where Z97 doesn't quite cut it, as the main benefit of X99 are the highest end processors and DDR4 RAM which currently isn't worth the added cost for most people, when considering price to performance.

Yeah, the Corsair 500r will accomodate either Corsair water cooler.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Is there a reason you want to go with X99? A Z97 system will do most people fine for high end gaming. To want to go X99 over Z97 usually means you're spending about $2000 or more, which is where Z97 doesn't quite cut it, as the main benefit of X99 are the highest end processors and DDR4 RAM which currently isn't worth the added cost for most people, when considering price to performance.

Yeah, the Corsair 500r will accomodate either Corsair water cooler.

I'm already selling my x79 build so the x99 will be my main driver for the next few years. DDR4 and a future upgrade to the 8 core are nice options to have.

Yes, the memory costs are have ghee than I would want but everything else falls eight in line with what I would expect.

 

[Naked Snake]

mATX has minimum 2 PCIE slots

You sure about that? I'm pretty sure my mobo is mATX and has only 1 PCIe slot.

Gigabyte has a smaller one, it's almost half that size at 120mm.
http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/gigabyte-mini-itx-gtx-970-graphics-card.html
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5252#ov

Edit: NM that's what you were responding too.

Oh wow I didn't know about this card, mighty interesting indeed.

 

[bumclot]

Is there any reason that this card is cheaper than its non-SC version (on Amazon) and stock reference cards?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NT9UT3M/?tag=neogaf0e-20

As far as I can tell, the SC-version has higher clock speeds than those other cards, too.

 

[Pepiope]

Anyone know if I would be able to upgrade from an EVGA SC ACX2.0 970 to this using the Step-up Program?

EVGA 980 Classified

 

[RGM79]

You sure about that? I'm pretty sure my mobo is mATX and has only 1 PCIe slot.

Technically the mATX standard only specifies the overall size of the motherboard, there's nothing that requires that specifies a minimum of PCI-E slot. However, mATX motherboards are usually long enough to accomodate 2 expansion slots.

 

[ricki42]

Is there any reason that this card is cheaper than its non-SC version (on Amazon) and stock reference cards?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NT9UT3M/?tag=neogaf0e-20

As far as I can tell, the SC-version has higher clock speeds than those other cards, too.

I don't know why the reference cards are more expensive, but between the SC and non-SC ACX cards it seems to come down to seller. It's just that the SC version is sold cheaper directly through Amazon, while the non-SC version is sold by various third parties whose prices for the SC version are also higher.

 

[mr2xxx]

Does reddit still have cheap Win 8 keys, if so how do I get one?

 

[theSlacker]

Does reddit still have cheap Win 8 keys, if so how do I get one?

They got kicked off of softwareswap, but then made their own subreddit, microsoftsoftwareswap.

http://www.reddit.com/r/microsoftsoftwareswap/

I've bought from s5ean when it was on the old subreddit. Think he has a sorta guide on how pay/instal things on his ad.

 

[Pocks]

This is probably a very frequently asked question, but I didn't see it covered in the OP so..

What version of the GTX 970 are folks generally recommending? I'm in the US if it matters. I'm looking to pull the trigger in the next 12 hours or so.

 

[intheinbetween]

This is probably a very frequently asked question, but I didn't see it covered in the OP so..

What version of the GTX 970 are folks generally recommending? I'm in the US if it matters. I'm looking to pull the trigger in the next 12 hours or so.

Gigabyte G1 Gaming

 

[Naked Snake]

Gigabyte G1 Gaming

If you don't mind a long card, then yes this is a great choice (also the only one I saw with 3 DisplayPort outputs, if that's a priority to you). I'd personally go with the MSI Gaming.

 

[j0hnny_385]

Gigabyte G1 Gaming

My vote for Gigabyte as well (if you can fit it in your case, it's 312mm/12.3 inch long)

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

This is probably a very frequently asked question, but I didn't see it covered in the OP so..

What version of the GTX 970 are folks generally recommending? I'm in the US if it matters. I'm looking to pull the trigger in the next 12 hours or so.

I will vote for a MSI Gaming, I have one and it's awesome.

 

[Chance Hale]

Came home from work and my computer was idling at 22C. Late Fall is wonderful.

 

[Naked Snake]

Nice looking HTPC case:

Perfect ultra low-profile HTPC case: http://youtu.be/1u2rDELNOPQ

 

[jfoul]

My vote for Gigabyte as well (if you can fit it in your case, it's 312mm/12.3 inch long)

The G1 card length inside the case is just under (298.45 mm / 11.75 inch) long.

 

[CyanideFuse]

I am a bit ignorant to how a warranty would work on a graphics card and selling it on as 2nd hand.

I have the R7 265 card and I want to sell it. The online shop I bought it from states it has a 2 year warranty. I bought the card mid March 2014.

If I sell it on what would the buyer be entitled to in terms of a warranty? I am in the UK.

 

[jfoul]

Amazing Deal! - Additional Academic 10% off here

• Newegg Shell Shocker
• $129.99 - $20 Rebate = $109.99

SeaSonic X-1250 ( SS-1250XM2 ) 80 PLUS GOLD Full Modular

 

[Naked Snake]

1250W a bit too much ain't it?

 

[appaws]

1250W a bit too much ain't it?

Too much for what...? It all depends what you are going to do with it, after all. At that price it is pretty darn impressive.

 

[LilJoka]

Too much for what...? It all depends what you are going to do with it, after all. At that price it is pretty darn impressive.

I would buy that in a heartbeat!

 

[kharma45]

1250W a bit too much ain't it?

Doesn't matter, smashing deal.

 

[Prophet Steve]

How I wish we would ever get nice PC deals in The Netherlands.

Too much for what...? It all depends what you are going to do with it, after all. At that price it is pretty darn impressive.

Too much for maybe 99% or more of the PC builds here.

Not that it matters, it doesn't hurt to have too much if it is a good price.

 

[yatesl]

That PSU for £70? Jesus, I'm jealous of you yanks.

 

[Sickbean]

That PSU for £70? Jesus, I'm jealous of you yanks.

I know - that's £202 from scan at the moment.

UK Prices suck.

 

[roytheone]

Alright, I returned the 2x4 sticks and are going to order these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148544
Hopefully that will work out.

 

[Darkroronoa]

Hello guys, i would really like some help with an upgrade i want to do.
Right now i have an A6-5400k on an asrock fm2a75m-dgs with 2x4gb crucial ballistix 1600 ram and a corsair CX430 PSU. Its really weak..

What i am going to do is upgrade on an athlon II X4 750K and get a GPU, but i am not sure what gpu to get. My 2 choices are 260x or 750ti, i cant afford better gpu's so that is the most i can do. Also i cannot afford to change motherboard and go for better cpu, i could get an 760k but i am not sure its worth the extra 10-15€.

I was thinking of buying the 260x because its a bit cheaper and has mantle support (so it can help with the slow cpu on the games that support it) but on the other hand the 750ti is a bit faster and has lower power consumption.
Where i live i can get the msi 260x for 125€ and the 750ti are about 150€.

what to do? :/

 

[opticalmace]

Hello guys, i would really like some help with an upgrade i want to do.
Right now i have an A6-5400k on an asrock fm2a75m-dgs with 2x4gb crucial ballistix 1600 ram and a corsair CX430 PSU. Its really weak..

What i am going to do is upgrade on an athlon II X4 750K and get a GPU, but i am not sure what gpu to get. My 2 choices are 260x or 750ti, i cant afford better gpu's so that is the most i can do. Also i cannot afford to change motherboard and go for better cpu, i could get an 760k but i am not sure its worth the extra 10-15€.

I was thinking of buying the 260x because its a bit cheaper and has mantle support (so it can help with the slow cpu on the games that support it) but on the other hand the 750ti is a bit faster and has lower power consumption.
Where i live i can get the msi 260x for 125€ and the 750ti are about 150€.

what to do? :/

What resolution do you play at?