What's your budget?
That processor is almost 4 years old, go with a newer one. Check out some of the suggestions in the OP.
Also, post your 'basic desktop questions' from the OP, that'll help people help you.
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"I Need a New PC!" 2014 Part 2. Read OP, your 2500K will run Witcher 3. MX100s! 970!
- Thread starter Hazaro
- Start date
- Status
What's your budget?
That processor is almost 4 years old, go with a newer one. Check out some of the suggestions in the OP.
Also, post your 'basic desktop questions' from the OP, that'll help people help you.
Zaraki_Kenpachi
Member
Works for me when I click. Maybe you clicked before I edited?
Two things:
First, I've uninstalled and reinstalled the MSI gaming app twice now but when I launch it it just appears as a tray icon but then it disappears when I mouse over it. The app itself never even shows up. Help?
Second, here are some benchmarks from my MSI 970 Gold edition. How do these look to you guys? Can you give me any indicators on what I can or should push up anymore using Afterburner or should I be happy with these results and stop with the benchmark insanity?
No manual OC applied, right out of the box.
http://www.3dmark.com/3dm/4718525?
3rd run after doing some gaming:
Core clock 1,279 MHz
Memory bus clock 1,819 MHz
Graphics Score 12752
Overall 9567
To be clear, those are the numbers from the 3DMark page, not the Nvidia Inspector numbers.
Thanks!
Bumping! Just being impatient and anxious
Zaraki_Kenpachi
Member
Ah, weird. Didn't know mobile links don't work.
Does anyone know if it's worth it or should I hold out for something else? I'm assuming 1000w is more than enough
I see. I was considering the i7-4790K but wanted to keep the budget as low as possible.
[Basic Desktop Questions]
Your Current Specs: i5 2500k / G.Skill F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL / MSI Z77A-G41 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard / Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card / PSU (Power Supply) / Case / HDD (Hard Drive)
Budget: $1000 + Japan
Main Use: 3-4? Gaming+emulation, photoshop.
Monitor Resolution: 1080
When will you build?: within 6 months
Will you be overclocking?: maybe
Games I want to run: AC Unity, PCSX2
Current specs means gear you already own and possess. Do you currently have a 2500k?
The Reloader
Member
What's the deal? I'm looking to buy a ASUS VG248QE and add the gsync module later, but I can't find any place that sells the gsync modules. Are they sold out? Has Nvidia made a statement when they'll be back in stock?
appaws
Banned
The H440 is an awesome case. The newer and cheaper S340 is also an awesome case with great AIO compatibility.
There are a few changes you should make. First, switch to one of the power supplies listed in the OP. The low end Corsair models (CX) are junk. Second, drop the optical drive. That case does not even support it and unless you have some very specific use for it most people never use it.
You need an SSD. Maybe drop down to 8gb of low-profile RAM, drop the optical drive, and that will free up some money for an SSD.
You are going to overclock it. Because it is so easy to do these days, a few clicks in the bios and you get a lot of free performance. So you should get a CPU cooler like the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo....it will keep things nice and cool and quiet.
There are suggestions for Monitors/Keyboards/Mice/Headsets in the OP.
My bad. I havent bought anything yet.
Hey uh, I'm thinking something like a Haswell i5 + 970 will "futureproof" me so to speak in terms of keeping up with console games (at better framerates, too)?
I want to play FFXV at or close to 60fps @ 1080p on my PC
Will wait for DDR4 and hopefully some GPU price drops next year. I'm gonna milk this FX 6300/GTX 660 rig for as long as possible.
I want to play FFXV at or close to 60fps @ 1080p on my PC
it's just gotta come out for PC, I can't play it on those gimped "next gen" consoles. BELIEVE
Will wait for DDR4 and hopefully some GPU price drops next year. I'm gonna milk this FX 6300/GTX 660 rig for as long as possible.
Do you have an old computer?
paolo11
Member
I got a question about my SLI build: (EVGA ACX 2.0 980gtx SC 2 cards)
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/DdMmQ7
Should I add another fans to make it cooler or just leave it as is?
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/DdMmQ7
Should I add another fans to make it cooler or just leave it as is?
Just a Vaio Duo 11 laptop. I had an Alienware x51 but am giving it away.
appaws
Banned
You should look through this thread, and see what the other people who use that case do....
http://www.overclock.net/t/1404897/official-corsair-carbide-air-540-240-owners-club-gallery/0_50
appaws
Banned
You say your budget is $1000 US....but you want to spend as little as possible....what is your realistic budget that you can spend...? That will make it easier to advise you.
I had another build in mind with a more recent CPU, larger ssd, case etc that amounted to over $1200. I opted for less expensive parts(2500k etc) that, I hope, could still run what I need it to. And it's about $1000 now. That is what I expect to spend when all is said and done.
lostsupper
Banned
Delidding won't reduce the voltage needed to achieve a given clock speed. It will reduce the operating temperature at a given voltage/clock speed.
appaws
Banned
This should get you started. Here is the standard appaws $1000 build. It's pretty basic, similar to what you would find in the OP.....
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xTBtrH
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xTBtrH/by_merchant/
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($81.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 280X 3GB DirectCU II Video Card ($243.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.79 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1020.20
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-16 03:11 EST-0500
It has a decent size SSD for your OS and games, and a TB hard drive for storage. Cases are personal taste, of course, this is my current budget favorite. The old CPU cooler standby, the EVO 212 will give you a stable mid-level overclock. The RAM is low profile so you have no problems fitting your heatsink on. If you wanted an Nvidia GPU, you could substitute in a 4GB 760 for around the same price....it won't be as powerful as the 280X....but I know some people are very brand loyal.
Zero-Crescent
Member
After nearly a month stuck on phone and tablet, it feels good to be surfing the web back on a PC. My motherboard came in a few days ago, and my Pentium AE came in today. Unfortunately, as I suspected, my 560ti graphics card (an RMA replacement when my original gave out just as the warranty was just expired) likely fell to whatever killed my PSU/CPU/Motherboard (I tried it on another motherboard, and the image was garbled even in the BIOs; on this motherboard, it would turn the computer on and off repeatedly), so I'm stuck with Intel Graphics for now until I find a replacement.
The set-up went fairly well. I'm able to use 3 out of my 4 old sticks of RAM reliably; I was able to get all 4 to boot up once, but every other time I try, it just gives the "memory error" beep code. After getting that out of the way, it was just a matter of getting the drivers installed via command prompt so Windows 7 wouldn't bug out.
The set-up went fairly well. I'm able to use 3 out of my 4 old sticks of RAM reliably; I was able to get all 4 to boot up once, but every other time I try, it just gives the "memory error" beep code. After getting that out of the way, it was just a matter of getting the drivers installed via command prompt so Windows 7 wouldn't bug out.
If I can bring the temp. down by 10C then I'll be content at 1.35V.
I'm seeing people with drastic temp. drops on Youtube, which should allow for higher overclocking.
I'm getting excited thinking about it.
Vice/hammer method seems to be pretty efficient.
That's honestly a very good clock/temp at that voltage.
Should be. If you are being frugal now is one of the best possible times to buy used 2500K/3570K + cheap mobo + cheap AMD card.
Looks about right. Because your CPU isn't an overclocked 4.5Ghz just compare the graphics score.Bumping! Just being impatient and anxious
Thanks I've pretty much made up my mind and will order the case some time next week.
Does anyone have the black and blue case? It's the one I'm leaning to most.
Now just to decide whether I want the h100i or Kraken x61
Thanks for this! I'm checking how much of these I can get here and for what price, this is really helpful. I did want to get an nvidia gpu as I heard it plays better with Pcsx2,(plus overall familiarity) but I suppose there isn't enough difference here.
Depends. Best thing to do would be to reinstall Windows. At best it'll boot up and complain about missing drivers and Windows not being activated, at worst it'll fail to boot and get stuck somewhere on loading before getting to desktop.
Curious about this too. What's the best way to transfer your Windows license to a new HDD?
Your best bet is to backup the stuff you need on a separate drive. A flash drive would work, if it's big enough.
Edit: Actually, nevermind. I think you can reinstall Windows on the same drive without wiping everything. Just don't reformat when it asks. Don't quote me on it, though.
sound like a plan, can anyone confirm this
Maybe an unusual request here but I'm hoping some of GAF's PC wizards can provide a suggestion or two. I currently have a laptop with an i3 (2.4GHz) and a GT 630M. Used to use it to play a lot of PS3 level games (Dark Souls, Arkham City mainly) and indies but it started running like shit after 12 months and all it can handle are the indies now so I've built up a Steam library of games, half of which I cant' play anymore :/
I'm looking at building a PC to go under my TV but as I'm moving out with my GF this month, money is a bit tight at the moment. Ideally I'd like to build something now that could let me play my indies at home and work as a Netflix box/media center for the TV. I'm after something with upgrade potential though so that as the next 2-3 years roll on I could upgrade the CPU and GPU and ride out the 2nd half of the PS4/XBone generation playing new console titles
Small form factor would be preferred but not essential. Something that can be stored horizontally would fit our TV stand better as well. Would on board graphics be sufficient for indies and video playback for now or would I be better with a cheap GPU? Cheaper the better really but I'm happy to pay money to get something future proof on the motherboard end. I'm based in the UK too so parts available here would be appreciated
Hope my request isn't to fiddly and specific. Thanks in advance to anyone that can offer advice!
I'm looking at building a PC to go under my TV but as I'm moving out with my GF this month, money is a bit tight at the moment. Ideally I'd like to build something now that could let me play my indies at home and work as a Netflix box/media center for the TV. I'm after something with upgrade potential though so that as the next 2-3 years roll on I could upgrade the CPU and GPU and ride out the 2nd half of the PS4/XBone generation playing new console titles
Small form factor would be preferred but not essential. Something that can be stored horizontally would fit our TV stand better as well. Would on board graphics be sufficient for indies and video playback for now or would I be better with a cheap GPU? Cheaper the better really but I'm happy to pay money to get something future proof on the motherboard end. I'm based in the UK too so parts available here would be appreciated
Hope my request isn't to fiddly and specific. Thanks in advance to anyone that can offer advice!
LiquidMetal14
hide your water-based mammals
might be very off from your original question but would you consider also getting a small box that would do something like in home streaming via Steam? Or consider when you do build a computer, keep that laptop because that is more than a viable in-home streaming laptop that you could stream from your PC to the living room and plug that in via the HDMI out to your bigger television in another room. Also I would consider investing in a router sometime if you're going to do this. I know this is something I'm going to be doing probably when I build my Haswell-E rig. I'm going to be getting probably one of those hundred dollar plus routers and have really good wireless throughput instead of compromising and just getting some of the cheaper ones that will do more than a good enough job but transmission signal in quality and speed are important for the future.Maybe an unusual request here but I'm hoping some of GAF's PC wizards can provide a suggestion or two. I currently have a laptop with an i3 (2.4GHz) and a GT 630M. Used to use it to play a lot of PS3 level games (Dark Souls, Arkham City mainly) and indies but it started running like shit after 12 months and all it can handle are the indies now so I've built up a Steam library of games, half of which I cant' play anymore :/
I'm looking at building a PC to go under my TV but as I'm moving out with my GF this month, money is a bit tight at the moment. Ideally I'd like to build something now that could let me play my indies at home and work as a Netflix box/media center for the TV. I'm after something with upgrade potential though so that as the next 2-3 years roll on I could upgrade the CPU and GPU and ride out the 2nd half of the PS4/XBone generation playing new console titles
Small form factor would be preferred but not essential. Something that can be stored horizontally would fit our TV stand better as well. Would on board graphics be sufficient for indies and video playback for now or would I be better with a cheap GPU? Cheaper the better really but I'm happy to pay money to get something future proof on the motherboard end. I'm based in the UK too so parts available here would be appreciated
Hope my request isn't to fiddly and specific. Thanks in advance to anyone that can offer advice!
Robert7lee
Neo Member
I'm really disheartened with the way ac unity tuns on my rig, it's got me thinking about upgrading. I play on a 1080p display with vsync on, because games look really choppy and horrible without it, In the latest games I don't have the luxury in turning on the bells and whistles and holding a solid 60 frame rate. Ac unity for example, running high, low shadows with no Ao or AA and frame rate still fluctuates 50-60, goes to 40s at times. Where as users with a gtx 780ti have said they've got it running smooth.
I will certainly be buying dragon age and witcher 3, that in mind I know for a fact in dragon age when all the magic stuff is going on my rig will suffer major frame rate drops, something to do with lighting effects?
Current rig
Motherboard gigabyte z87x-oc-cf
Cpu Intel i7 4770k oc to 4.2ghz
Hyper cooler 212 evo
Gpu gtx tian 6gb
Memory 32gb dor3
A couple of things I definatly want is a ssd drive and a new case, what I'm not sure about is what gpu I should go for or if I want a sli config. What would be a beneficial upgrade?
Also the cpu, not sure to go for i7 4790k or get a new mobo and go for the i7 5820k.
Either this or buy a ps4 and play almost everything with a 'smooth' 30fps and put up with ps plus subscription.
I've set aside £1500 this year. Which way should I go?
I will certainly be buying dragon age and witcher 3, that in mind I know for a fact in dragon age when all the magic stuff is going on my rig will suffer major frame rate drops, something to do with lighting effects?
Current rig
Motherboard gigabyte z87x-oc-cf
Cpu Intel i7 4770k oc to 4.2ghz
Hyper cooler 212 evo
Gpu gtx tian 6gb
Memory 32gb dor3
A couple of things I definatly want is a ssd drive and a new case, what I'm not sure about is what gpu I should go for or if I want a sli config. What would be a beneficial upgrade?
Also the cpu, not sure to go for i7 4790k or get a new mobo and go for the i7 5820k.
Either this or buy a ps4 and play almost everything with a 'smooth' 30fps and put up with ps plus subscription.
I've set aside £1500 this year. Which way should I go?
opticalmace
Member
I sure as hell would not upgrade because of AC Unity. That thing runs like ass.
lordfuzzybutt
Member
Dude, everything in your rig is more than fine. You won't get any significant upgrade in terms of performance. The 780Ti is slightly more capable than your Titan so don't be disheartened when it performs better however your 6GBs VRAM will make it a better deal at higher res.
A ssd is the only good upgrade you should get atm imo.
Robert7lee
Neo Member
Yeah ssd will hopefully help but to hear users running a game max at solid frame rate when my rig can't at lower settings is painful.
So I'm guessing a 780ti sli / gtx titan z / 980 sli wouldn't be worthy upgrades at this time?
Thinking about dragon age at the moment and all the lighting effects that goes on.
I posted on the last page about my i7 4790K going up to 55°C just in the BIOS for a bit. It seems to be averaging around 42°C now. Someone did mention to check the CPU voltage though and it's 1.488V. Isn't that high? I'm sure I can recall people who are overclocking not even hitting 1.4V.
Also, the RAM voltage is 1.512V running at 1867MHz. Is that alright?
Also, the RAM voltage is 1.512V running at 1867MHz. Is that alright?
I think the RAM voltage is fine but 1.488V is way too high for the CPU. I have my 4790k at 1.26 at 4.6Ghz and the chip's a poor overclocker.
IIRC, mine is 1.23V for 4.5GHz.
What motherboard do you have? You might have to update the BIOS for better compatibility with Devil's Canyon.
Maybe an unusual request here but I'm hoping some of GAF's PC wizards can provide a suggestion or two. I currently have a laptop with an i3 (2.4GHz) and a GT 630M. Used to use it to play a lot of PS3 level games (Dark Souls, Arkham City mainly) and indies but it started running like shit after 12 months and all it can handle are the indies now so I've built up a Steam library of games, half of which I cant' play anymore :/
I'm looking at building a PC to go under my TV but as I'm moving out with my GF this month, money is a bit tight at the moment. Ideally I'd like to build something now that could let me play my indies at home and work as a Netflix box/media center for the TV. I'm after something with upgrade potential though so that as the next 2-3 years roll on I could upgrade the CPU and GPU and ride out the 2nd half of the PS4/XBone generation playing new console titles
Small form factor would be preferred but not essential. Something that can be stored horizontally would fit our TV stand better as well. Would on board graphics be sufficient for indies and video playback for now or would I be better with a cheap GPU? Cheaper the better really but I'm happy to pay money to get something future proof on the motherboard end. I'm based in the UK too so parts available here would be appreciated
Hope my request isn't to fiddly and specific. Thanks in advance to anyone that can offer advice!
Silverstone RVZ01 mITX rig is probably something you'd want to do. Balance CPU & GPU depending on budget. What is your budget?
Onboard is enough for 1080p high bit rate video playback, indies probably too.
Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H Black Edition. I haven't even gone through the OS and driver installation stuff yet so should I just get that sorted and if it isn't fixed, change the voltage manually?
TheRealTalker
Banned
Hi guys which Operating System would be best for me
Windows 7 or 8.1
I plan to do emulation and gaming
Windows 7 or 8.1
I plan to do emulation and gaming
opticalmace
Member
Are you overclocking? What's the multiplier at?
I am building my first new rig since 2009, so I am a bit out of the loop when it comes to PC Hardware.
I am located in Canada, and have maybe $800-850 to spend before taxes/shipping etc.
What I would like:
- A rig that can run new gen titles on at least high settings at 1080P, preferably at 60FPS. I don't need everything to be maxed, but I would like visuals that are at least comparable to the PS4/XB1 versions, if not better.
- A CPU that will not have to be replaced for another 3-4 years
- A video card that will last me at least 2 years
I am not sure if my time spans are realistic for my budget, but my last CPU (Phenom II X4 955) held up pretty well over the last 5 years. I also got 2-3 years out of both my Radeon 4870 and my Geforce 560TI. I suppose I am looking for about the equivalent performance in 2014 that I was getting in 2009.
Parts I can keep from my last rig:
- Seasonic M12II 620W PSU that I bought about a year ago
- 4 HDD drives (one 2TB, one 1TB, and two 500GB drives) that I use for data and multimedia purposes.
- Optical Drive (if it fits into the case)
What I am looking at:
MB: Gigabyte Z97MX ($130 at NCIX) - I want to go with an i5 this time around. I have a lot of SATA drives. I need optical out (because this computer is hooked up to a TV and Surround Sound system. The optical out port is basically the only free sound output). I also have had a lot of luck with Gigabyte boards in the past.
SSD: Kingston V300 120GB drive ($65 at NCIX) - I get the impression that SSDs are less optional than they were in 2009. Because I have 4TB of storage, I would mainly be using the SSD as my OS partition.
G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL 2x4GB 8GB DDR3-1600 Memory ($86 at NCIX). I have had good experience with G.Skill in the past, and the price seems favourable to other 2x4GB chips.
What I can't decide on:
- GPU
- Specific i5 CPU
- Case (I want something roomy and easy to work in with lots of drive bays)
- I don't really want to mess around with overclocking, especially if there is any chance at damaging my parts (or limiting their lifespans).
Remaining budget: ~$550
Thanks for any help!
I am located in Canada, and have maybe $800-850 to spend before taxes/shipping etc.
What I would like:
- A rig that can run new gen titles on at least high settings at 1080P, preferably at 60FPS. I don't need everything to be maxed, but I would like visuals that are at least comparable to the PS4/XB1 versions, if not better.
- A CPU that will not have to be replaced for another 3-4 years
- A video card that will last me at least 2 years
I am not sure if my time spans are realistic for my budget, but my last CPU (Phenom II X4 955) held up pretty well over the last 5 years. I also got 2-3 years out of both my Radeon 4870 and my Geforce 560TI. I suppose I am looking for about the equivalent performance in 2014 that I was getting in 2009.
Parts I can keep from my last rig:
- Seasonic M12II 620W PSU that I bought about a year ago
- 4 HDD drives (one 2TB, one 1TB, and two 500GB drives) that I use for data and multimedia purposes.
- Optical Drive (if it fits into the case)
What I am looking at:
MB: Gigabyte Z97MX ($130 at NCIX) - I want to go with an i5 this time around. I have a lot of SATA drives. I need optical out (because this computer is hooked up to a TV and Surround Sound system. The optical out port is basically the only free sound output). I also have had a lot of luck with Gigabyte boards in the past.
SSD: Kingston V300 120GB drive ($65 at NCIX) - I get the impression that SSDs are less optional than they were in 2009. Because I have 4TB of storage, I would mainly be using the SSD as my OS partition.
G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL 2x4GB 8GB DDR3-1600 Memory ($86 at NCIX). I have had good experience with G.Skill in the past, and the price seems favourable to other 2x4GB chips.
What I can't decide on:
- GPU
- Specific i5 CPU
- Case (I want something roomy and easy to work in with lots of drive bays)
- I don't really want to mess around with overclocking, especially if there is any chance at damaging my parts (or limiting their lifespans).
Remaining budget: ~$550
Thanks for any help!
If this is the voltage that you see in Bios at stock clock speeds, try updating the bios. Old versions had incorrect voltage settings for the CPU causing higher than normal temps.
If your Overclocking then don't use auto vcore.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($248.95 @ DirectCanada)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.79 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: Kingston Fury Red Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($85.98 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.89 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: Diamond Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card ($229.99 @ NCIX)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1500 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($64.99 @ NCIX)
Total: $852.58
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-16 10:09 EST-0500
Crazy as this sounds I am thinking of getting a Haswell i3 with a 970. I figure the CPU is fast enough to keep up with the GPU and should be able to handle anything at 1080p coming out of this gen. I think.
Everything I read indicates that the i3 will not bottleneck the newest cards, now or ever. If this is the case, given how good the Haswell IPC is I don't know if I really even need to spend extra money on an i5.
I will probably sell my 6300 to help pay for my new build.
I really wanna build a MicroATX rig but I'm concerned about GPU size in relation to the case/board layout. Wish there was an easier way to figure this out.
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