Support NeoGAF

[appaws]

Thanks for the information, I added a SDD which is Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive, and change my power supply to XFX Core Edition 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply. I don't want to overclock it because it'll burn out the computer and I rather have it last the longest I can. Would a CPU cooler still be a benefit if I don't overclock it?
I also want to get a optical drive because there's a chance I would want to buy something CD related and installed it from there.

I'm reposting this because I changed it up and the last time I posted it, I was on the last post of the page.

1. People think they need an optical drive just because they have always had one....they don't. Nobody buys anything on CDs anymore....the only exception I can think of to this is putting a blu-ray player in an HTPC. It turns out to be a waste of space...that is why a forward thinking case design like the S340 does not even support optical drives.

2. I don't know anything about that XFX power supply. It is not one of the ones generally recommended here...I am not saying it is good or bad from personal experience. JonnyGuru thinks it is OK, but I notice that it has all built-in wires, none of them modular. I hate that. I would look for at least semi-modular.

3. Overclocking. Yes you should. First, it is easy free performance...a few clicks to get a big performance boost. Second, you are buying an unlocked i5 part and a motherboard that allows overclocking...that is the whole point. Finally, the thing about reducing the life of your components. Let's say it reduces the life of your CPU by a certain percentage. (I'm making this up) Like 30%...just as an example. So Intel makes a CPU that has an average life of 10 years....yours would live an average of 7 years. That CPU will long be on the trash pile 7 years from now anyway. So it makes no practical difference in longevity. Look at all the posters here...nearly everyone is running a 24/7 stable overclock... As a gamer you can't pass up on that performance.

4. Someone suggested the 970 instead of the 290. I think he is probably right. I always suggest AMD at lower price ranges....but as you approach the $300 dollar range, I think the 970 becomes the best choice.

 

[Torhthelm Tídwald]

I'm having some minor problems with my current PC, so unless Tech Support gaf can pull off a miracle, it looks like I'm going to need a new one.

Here is my plan, and I want some feedback to make sure I'm not being an idiot. I need a new PC right now and I don't want to spend that much right away. But I will want want a full gaming PC in the near future. So I figure I'll get a the gaming PC minus the graphics card and some RAM now, then save up and get a good graphics card and some more RAM six or so months from now. In the mean time I'll just play older games on it and use it as a media box.

I have a hard drive with an install of Windows XP on it. I know 7 and up are much better and more secure, but I'm told some older games play better in XP. Could I just drop this hard drive in the new PC and use the current install of XP, or will this be a lot of trouble? If not, I can probably wait to get new version of Windows. I already know I'll only get to use 2 gigs of RAM until I upgrade, BTW.

Other things I can salvage: another hard drive (1 TB), monitor, keyboard, mouse, DVD drive. I am thinking about getting a BluRay drive for it, so does anyone have any suggestions/warnings about that? Can I just play the BluRay in VLC or MPC like I can a DVD? How hard is it to rip them? Should I wait until I get a graphics card to get this?

Budget: $500-600 US
Main Use: Light Gaming, Gaming, General Media, Light Video Editing
Stretch Goals: Wii/PS2 level Emulation, Watching 1080P movies
Game I'd Prefer to Run Well: Witcher 2, or even 3 if possible, in 1080p
Absolute Minimum: Witcher 1. All of these are for after I get the graphics card. I don't play basically any newer games as it is (current PC is old), but I want to start. Newer meaning only a few years old.
When: As soon as possible. My PC was my main media device, so I won't even be able to watch a movie until it is replaced. I know Black Friday is coming right up, but the extra 2 weeks will hurt. I don't even own a TV aside from it.
Overclocking: No

Tentative build, based off the "Great" build in the OP: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Fc6ZGX

CPU Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor

Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard

Memory Kingston Fury White Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory

Case Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case

Power Supply SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply

Plus a Blu Ray drive if feasible. Probably $50-100 more.

Partspicker lists it as about $530 and says there are $30 worth of rebates, so that's right about how much I want to spend.

Then after saving a few months I'd get maybe another 8 gigs of RAM, a real operation system, and something like an R9 380 3G

How big a difference is it going from DDR3-1866 to 2400? It looks like the 2400 would only cost about $50 more (for 8 gigs rather than 4), so I might get that instead. Any suggestions?

I haven't built a PC before but I am reasonably sure I can pull it off. Plus I can practice on my current one at no risk.

 

[LiquidSolid]

Why DDR4 2800 instead of 2400 or 2666 ?

Unless there is a reason for that, I would get either one of those cheaper versions and use that money to get a Corsair Hydro (or any other more intensive air or liquid heatsink of your choice) and feel more conformable overclocking that i7 5820K when summer comes.

That or another SSD.

No real reason, I'm guessing that's a mistake then? No real difference between 2400 and 2800? RAM's always been an area that I haven't been too sure on, so if it is a mistake, then I guess I just let the numbers fool me.

I've no experience with liquid cooling, so I wasn't sure if I wanted to dip my toes into that area. Is the Corsair Hydro easy enough to set up and does it require much maintenance? If I did get one, which one should I go for?

As for the SSD, I was looking at a 512GB one earlier but for something that I mainly just want to install Windows and maybe one or two games on, I figured 256GB should be enough, at least for starters. But if I run out too quickly, I can always expand it more next year, when I've got a bit more money together. I usually refresh Windows once a year anyway, so it's no huge deal.

Thanks for the help.

 

[lordy88]

Quick question. What happened to the pricing of RAM? I recall being able to purchase 8 GB (2x 4GB) of 1600 DDR3 RAM for under $60 back in May 2013. Now I'm seeing it only at $80. I was hoping to see $16 GB in that range by now.

 

[fep]

Maybe someone here could help me out...

Thinking of going from an i7 920 on an Asrock x58 Extreme to an i5-4690K on a TBD motherboard.

Would I notice any difference? Running with a 7970 @ 1440p & some games at 120hz/1080p.

 

[Smushroomed]

Need some help for PSU calculation

i5 4670k oc'd to 4.2

gtx 970 x2 SLI oc'd

2 ssd, 1 hdd,

is 750w? okay or should I use 850w?

 

[Dries]

GAF, I'm feeling somewhat dissapointed that I need more than 1.300 Volts to pass stress tests on my 2500K going for a 4.4 Ghz overclock. Should I truly be dissapointed or do other 2500K owners experience the same?

My temps seem pretty low for +1.300 V though, highest was 67C. But 1.300 just seems like a lot.

 

[opticalmace]

Need some help for PSU calculation

i5 4670k oc'd to 4.2

gtx 970 x2 SLI oc'd

2 ssd, 1 hdd,

is 750w? okay or should I use 850w?

A good 750w PSU is fine for that build. However, that is because the 970s are quite efficient.. if you replace them with something more power hungry things might not be super pleasant. If the cost isn't much I would grab the 850.

GAF, I'm feeling somewhat dissapointed that I need more than 1.300 Volts to pass stress tests on my 2500K going for a 4.4 Ghz overclock. Should I truly be dissapointed or do other 2500K owners experience the same?

My temps seem pretty low for +1.300 V though, highest was 67C. But 1.300 just seems like a lot.

1.3 is not a lot.

 

[mrpookles]

What are people's thoughts on upgrading from 1080p - is 1440p worth it as a stop-gap for a year+, or should I hold out for the entry price of 4K to be a bit cheaper?

I split my gaming time from a 27" 1080p monitor and a TV on a recliner... and I think I'd continue to do that to a degree with an upgraded monitor.

 

[Smushroomed]

What are people's thoughts on upgrading from 1080p - is 1440p worth it as a stop-gap for a year+, or should I hold out for the entry price of 4K to be a bit cheaper?

I split my gaming time from a 27" 1080p monitor and a TV on a recliner... and I think I'd continue to do that to a degree with an upgraded monitor.

gsync

 

[demolitio]

Do you guys think we'll see a sub-$300 970 for the holiday season at some point? Trying to figure out if I should upgrade from the 6970.

 

[RGM79]

I have a hard drive with an install of Windows XP on it. I know 7 and up are much better and more secure, but I'm told some older games play better in XP. Could I just drop this hard drive in the new PC and use the current install of XP, or will this be a lot of trouble? If not, I can probably wait to get new version of Windows. I already know I'll only get to use 2 gigs of RAM until I upgrade, BTW.

Other things I can salvage: another hard drive (1 TB), monitor, keyboard, mouse, DVD drive. I am thinking about getting a BluRay drive for it, so does anyone have any suggestions/warnings about that? Can I just play the BluRay in VLC or MPC like I can a DVD? How hard is it to rip them? Should I wait until I get a graphics card to get this?

XP won't play nice. Vista might be the earliest OS that current motherboards and etc will support. Even last generation parts had nearly non-existent driver support for Vista. It's very unlikely that you'll get Windows XP running very well on brand new parts. If you're looking for a cheaper Windows license, then it's possible to purchase very low cost Windows 8 keys from Reddit, I believe the part of the site is called MicrosoftSoftwareSwap. I don't know how long you're going to wait until getting Windows, maybe you could even temporarily use Linux if you don't mind. Ubuntu or Linux Mint (both free) make for a decent assisted start into Linux.

Beware of deals for blu-ray drives that only include the drive itself and no software bundle (sometimes labeled "OEM"). You'll need some kind of software like Cyberlink's PowerDVD software to play back blu-ray discs because the technology is licensed, don't expect free solutions like VLC or MPC to handle it. From what I can find, the 4690k's HD4000 integrated graphics will handle blu-ray just fine.

Budget: $500-600 US
Main Use: Light Gaming, Gaming, General Media, Light Video Editing
Stretch Goals: Wii/PS2 level Emulation, Watching 1080P movies
Game I'd Prefer to Run Well: Witcher 2, or even 3 if possible, in 1080p
Absolute Minimum: Witcher 1. All of these are for after I get the graphics card. I don't play basically any newer games as it is (current PC is old), but I want to start. Newer meaning only a few years old.
When: As soon as possible. My PC was my main media device, so I won't even be able to watch a movie until it is replaced. I know Black Friday is coming right up, but the extra 2 weeks will hurt. I don't even own a TV aside from it.
Overclocking: No

Tentative build, based off the "Great" build in the OP: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Fc6ZGX

Partspicker lists it as about $530 and says there are $30 worth of rebates, so that's right about how much I want to spend.

Then after saving a few months I'd get maybe another 8 gigs of RAM, a real operation system, and something like an R9 380 3G

How big a difference is it going from DDR3-1866 to 2400? It looks like the 2400 would only cost about $50 more (for 8 gigs rather than 4), so I might get that instead. Any suggestions?

I haven't built a PC before but I am reasonably sure I can pull it off. Plus I can practice on my current one at no risk.

Parts look mostly fine to me. I wouldn't worry too much about memory speed, it doesn't make too much of a difference. $80 for 8GB is fairly normal pricing, but if you don't mind and want to save a bit, $65 for 1 x 8GB DDR-1600 wouldn't be a bad substitute. What are your old desktop's specs? Maybe you can even reuse the case and power supply, depending on compatibility.

Quick question. What happened to the pricing of RAM? I recall being able to purchase 8 GB (2x 4GB) of 1600 DDR3 RAM for under $60 back in May 2013. Now I'm seeing it only at $80. I was hoping to see $16 GB in that range by now.

A factory fire from a long time ago, supplier production and demand, supply rivalry with SSD production and etc have driven prices up.

Maybe someone here could help me out...

Thinking of going from an i7 920 on an Asrock x58 Extreme to an i5-4690K on a TBD motherboard.

Would I notice any difference? Running with a 7970 @ 1440p & some games at 120hz/1080p.

Depends on the type of games played, but on CPU bound games you'll see a decent improvement. I would think overall it'd be a good upgrade. I couldn't find any direct comparison of gaming benchmarks regarding those processors, but here are some overall performance benchmarks.

Need some help for PSU calculation

i5 4670k oc'd to 4.2

gtx 970 x2 SLI oc'd

2 ssd, 1 hdd,

is 750w? okay or should I use 850w?

Here, try this wattage calculator. I don't know what other parts you have, but a ballpark figure would be 500 watts minimum, so 750/850 watts is more than enough.

 

[AngryPuppy]

What are people's thoughts on upgrading from 1080p - is 1440p worth it as a stop-gap for a year+, or should I hold out for the entry price of 4K to be a bit cheaper?

I split my gaming time from a 27" 1080p monitor and a TV on a recliner... and I think I'd continue to do that to a degree with an upgraded monitor.

We're at least 3 years from affordable 4k gaming, unless you want 60fps at shitty settings or 30fps at high settings. 1440p is amazing, I don't see why I'd need more than that for the next 10 years. Displays have hit a ceiling IMO, VR is the next step, and if you can run 1440p you'll be able to run VR.

I'm still on a 2009 Apple Cinema Display 24" (1200p), the only thing I'd upgrade to is one of those curved LG ultrawide displays but only because I do video editing. And I'm not upgrading until it goes below $1k.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

No real reason, I'm guessing that's a mistake then? No real difference between 2400 and 2800? RAM's always been an area that I haven't been too sure on, so if it is a mistake, then I guess I just let the numbers fool me.

I've no experience with liquid cooling, so I wasn't sure if I wanted to dip my toes into that area. Is the Corsair Hydro easy enough to set up and does it require much maintenance? If I did get one, which one should I go for?

As for the SSD, I was looking at a 512GB one earlier but for something that I mainly just want to install Windows and maybe one or two games on, I figured 256GB should be enough, at least for starters. But if I run out too quickly, I can always expand it more next year, when I've got a bit more money together. I usually refresh Windows once a year anyway, so it's no huge deal.

Thanks for the help.

Yeah, get the 2400. That's more than enough, most people get ddr3 1866, anyway. As for the corsair hydro, yeah they are as easy to mount as air heatsinks, I use a H60 with my i7 5820, but in summer it would get to 85C to 100C if it tried 4.2ghz (100% load in stress test). I'm no expert on cooling, so anyone may recommend a better solution.

 

[RGM79]

Do you guys think we'll see a sub-$300 970 for the holiday season at some point? Trying to figure out if I should upgrade from the 6970.

Given that the 970 just launched a couple of weeks ago and demand is very strong, I don't expect to see it go for less than $300. Maybe just a tiny bit under MSRP ($329).

 

[Smushroomed]

Do you guys think we'll see a sub-$300 970 for the holiday season at some point? Trying to figure out if I should upgrade from the 6970.

No chance on that with MSRP

 

[opticalmace]

Given that the 970 just launched a couple of months ago and demand is very strong, I don't expect to see it go for less than $300. Maybe just a tiny bit under MSRP ($329).

fixed

 

[mrpookles]

We're at least 3 years from affordable 4k gaming, unless you want 60fps at shitty settings or 30fps at high settings. 1440p is amazing, I don't see why I'd need more than that for the next 10 years. Displays have hit a ceiling IMO, VR is the next step, and if you can run 1440p you'll be able to run VR.

I'm still on a 2009 Apple Cinema Display 24" (1200p), the only thing I'd upgrade to is one of those curved LG ultrawide displays but only because I do video editing. And I'm not upgrading until it goes below $1k.

Nice. 1440p is definitely awesome, but yeah, didn't want to invest if we'd all be jumping on 4K in 18 months. Cheers.

 

[RGM79]

fixed

It's 2 days shy of 2 months. Not that long ago.

 

[opticalmace]

It's 2 days shy of 2 months. Not that long ago.

Oh, you meant weeks in a figurative fashion.

 

[quetz67]

Looking for a machine that plays games like Unity or Witcher 3 at 1080p/30 (max settings for lighting, detail and AO, decent AA and no need for ultra textures).

Looking at spending sub 1000€ and would like something small and not too loud. Actually the Alienware Alphas look nice, but all configurations come with only 2GB of video RAM, is that enough to be more or less able to play PS4 level games for the next 5 years with just better IQ and some extra detail/lighting quality?

What about an SSD? I think I rather go for a TB SSD instead of some combo, does that make sense? Will gladly lift price limit another 200€ if it does.

 

[Dries]

A good 750w PSU is fine for that build. However, that is because the 970s are quite efficient.. if you replace them with something more power hungry things might not be super pleasant. If the cost isn't much I would grab the 850.


1.3 is not a lot.

Ah. Don't know why I thought this then. What would you consider "a lot"?

 

[Sickbean]

Guys, I need an excuse to upgrade my CPU/MB/Memory.

Currently have an i5 2500K @ 4.3GHz, Asus P8 P67 Pro, and 2 x 2GB of 1866 RAM.

I've already got a GTX 970 and game on my TV at 1080p.

Would upgrading to the newest/best CPU/MB/RAM do anything for me?

 

[Windom Earle]

Guys, I need an excuse to upgrade my CPU/MB/Memory.

Currently have an i5 2500K @ 4.3GHz, Asus P8 P67 Pro, and 2 x 2GB of 1866 RAM.

I've already got a GTX 970 and game on my TV at 1080p.

Would upgrading to the newest/best CPU/MB/RAM do anything for me?

Just get more memory?

 

[Sickbean]

Just get more memory?

Yeah I was thinking that would be the most efficient thing to do.

So this setup will get me through this gen pretty much?

 

[kharma45]

Yeah I was thinking that would be the most efficient thing to do.

So this setup will get me through this gen pretty much?

Yes, your CPU is still very strong. Just throw in another 2x4GB of RAM and you'll be fine.

 

[coughlanio]

Yeah, get the 2400. That's more than enough, most people get ddr3 1866, anyway. As for the corsair hydro, yeah they are as easy to mount as air heatsinks, I use a H60 with my i7 5820, but in summer it would get to 85C to 100C if it tried 4.2ghz (100% load in stress test). I'm no expert on cooling, so anyone may recommend a better solution.

I have a H100i on my 4670k, running at 4.4ghz at 1.31v, and get around 28 degrees idle, to 73 degrees max after 8 hours load.

 

[coughlanio]

Guys, I need an excuse to upgrade my CPU/MB/Memory.

Currently have an i5 2500K @ 4.3GHz, Asus P8 P67 Pro, and 2 x 2GB of 1866 RAM.

I've already got a GTX 970 and game on my TV at 1080p.

Would upgrading to the newest/best CPU/MB/RAM do anything for me?

You'll see very little benefit from a CPU upgrade. As mentioned, better off grabbing another 4GB of RAM (more if you can afford it) and wait for a bigger leap in CPU tech before upgrading. Also consider better cooling to squeeze 4.6Ghz out of your 2500k, if cooling is the issue.

 

[axb2013]

I haven't seen it posted yet, there is a deal on a Dell P2715Q monitor. 27", 4K, IPS, 60Hz, $504 shipped with coupons $FHX1NQQR7ZG17 & CTCBFMG8$BF92F ($699 without)

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...&cid=283233&lid=5382216&acd=12309207133360126

 

[Sickbean]

You'll see very little benefit from a CPU upgrade. As mentioned, better off grabbing another 4GB of RAM (more if you can afford it) and wait for a bigger leap in CPU tech before upgrading. Also consider better cooling to squeeze 4.6Ghz out of your 2500k, if cooling is the issue.

Got a Corsair H50 at the moment, so 4.6GHz is probably do-able.

My PSU is only 550W though - not sure if that will end up being a bottleneck?

 

[kharma45]

Got a Corsair H50 at the moment, so 4.6GHz is probably do-able.

My PSU is only 550W though - not sure if that will end up being a bottleneck?

It's fine.

 

[Snakethesniper]

This is the config of a friend of mine:

Power Supply
Thermaltake Hamburg 530W ATX 80+

Motherboard
ASRock Z87 Pro3

CPU
Intel Core i5 4690k 3,5GHz

RAM
G.Skill RipjawsZ 8gb (2x4) - 2400 MHz

Storage
Crucial MX100 256GB

Video Card
XFX AMD Radeon R9 280X

Optical Drive
DVD/CD LG GH24NSB0 DVD

Case
Aerocool Mechatron

my doubt is, is the power supply sufficient??

 

[ricki42]

I already know I'll only get to use 2 gigs of RAM until I upgrade, BTW.

Tentative build, based off the "Great" build in the OP: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Fc6ZGX

Then after saving a few months I'd get maybe another 8 gigs of RAM, a real operation system, and something like an R9 380 3G

How big a difference is it going from DDR3-1866 to 2400? It looks like the 2400 would only cost about $50 more (for 8 gigs rather than 4), so I might get that instead. Any suggestions?

I don't quite understand what your plan is for the RAM. You say you'll have only 2GB, but your pcpartpicker list has a 4GB stick. If you are planning to reuse your current RAM, have you checked that it will work with your new motherboard? Just asking since it sounds your current PC is quite old and might still use DDR2.
Also, as someone said above, you don't need the 2400Mhz RAM, and if you are trying to combine the new RAM with your old RAM, all sticks will run at the frequency of the slowest stick. On the other hand, it's better to get the RAM in pairs of two for dual-channel motherboards to get the full bandwidth. So it's best to get a set of 2 x 4GB.

 

[opticalmace]

Ah. Don't know why I thought this then. What would you consider "a lot"?

1.4V imo.

Guys, I need an excuse to upgrade my CPU/MB/Memory.

Currently have an i5 2500K @ 4.3GHz, Asus P8 P67 Pro, and 2 x 2GB of 1866 RAM.

I've already got a GTX 970 and game on my TV at 1080p.

Would upgrading to the newest/best CPU/MB/RAM do anything for me?

Only thing worthwhile right now is adding some extra RAM.

 

[Smokey]

I think I give up on my SLI experiment for now. It was fun while it lasted, but I think I am crawling back to single GPU. I don't really mind dealing with SLI profiles, but what kills it for me is the additional heat/noise and especially the added frame of input lag. I love high framerates, but what good are they if everything is more delayed. Still, it was worth trying for me and I will get enough money for that second 970.

The reality after the honeymoon period ends

The good thing with GPUs is that they hold their value and are easy to re sale. You won't have any issues moving the 970.

 

[Windom Earle]

The reality after the honeymoon period ends

The good thing with GPUs is that they hold their value and are easy to re sale. You won't have any issues moving the 970.

Hehehe, yeah. Thing is, if all my gaming would happen on my G-Sync screen I would keep the second card. G-Sync eliminates the SLI input lag. Problem is that I play a lot of games on my TV with a controller at 60hz. The games are playable but the lag is definitely noticeable and I hate it. The "smooth V-Sync" option from Nvidia helps, but it means a huge performance hit and can't be triple buffered, so fps will drop hard to 30 should they drop.

It is annoying at 60 but god beware you need to lock a game at 30 (Unity might have been a candidate for that). Pretty much unplayable.

Heat was not yet a real issue, but it is winter here and I was not looking forward to the summer temps.

So yeah. SLI rocks and I might come back to it at some point in the future with a bigger case and a better TV (Make those G-Sync TVs please).

 

[M.D]

Delivery man should be here any minute with my CPU
GPU and RAM should here tomorrow, and I need to head over to the store to pick up the MB.. then take it to someone to put it together

CAN'T WAIT

 

[Phatcorns]

So I currently have a Core 2 Duo E7400, and I happened to find a Pentium E5800 in someone's garage.

My question is, would I be better off with what I got, or should I swap out the E5800?

http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/388/Intel_Core_2_Duo_E7400_vs_Intel_Pentium_Dual-Core_E5800.html

From what I can tell, the only advantage to sticking with the E7400 is the SSE4.1 support, which I don't even know what that's for. Thanks for any help!

 

[opticalmace]

So I currently have a Core 2 Duo E7400, and I happened to find a Pentium E5800 in someone's garage.

My question is, would I be better off with what I got, or should I swap out the E5800?

http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/388/Intel_Core_2_Duo_E7400_vs_Intel_Pentium_Dual-Core_E5800.html

From what I can tell, the only advantage to sticking with the E7400 is the SSE4.1 support, which I don't even know what that's for. Thanks for any help!

Looks like a wash to me. I wouldn't bother changing it.

 

[DodgyGeezerFella]

2 hopefully quick questions for Tech GAF.

1. What's the best tool for checking a hard drive's health ? I have a couple of hard drives that my gut feeling is telling me are a bit fluffed, but all the tests I run in Windows and with HDTune tell me nothing is wrong with them. Is there something out there than can run vigorous tests to confirm if the HDD is failing ?

2. SSD's, when looking to purchase, what specs should I be looking at ? I mainly look at the read/write speeds at the moment, and to me, having both be around 500Mb seems to be "good", but then I see more expensive ones with less capacity, and slower speeds ...... are there any brands I should avoid also ?

Thanks to those who can answer

 

[grkazan12]

Silverstone Silent Foam

Has anyone here used Silverstone Silent Foam in their PC to reduce noise?

If I change my mobo to Quiet mode in the Asus E-Z bios mode, will it make it a bit more silent?

Was looking at ways of improving my current case the CM 960 ii and I was thinking of picking up some foam in order to make it a bit more quiet.

 

[Kezen]

2 hopefully quick questions for Tech GAF.
1. What's the best tool for checking a hard drive's health ? I have a couple of hard drives that my gut feeling is telling me are a bit fluffed, but all the tests I run in Windows and with HDTune tell me nothing is wrong with them. Is there something out there than can run vigorous tests to confirm if the HDD is failing ?

I use CrystalDisk info.

 

[Zeth]

Can anyone recommend a good 2-3tb hdd? Browsing Amazon and the WD colors still confound me - and I don't know which brands to even consider, I'd probably choose something at random based on reviews.

 

[danwarb]

OCUK are a good place to buy components from in the UK. Good prices. They taped a bag of sweets to the GPU they sent me.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Is ddr4 ram important for a motherboard?

 

[Smokey]

Is ddr4 ram important for a motherboard?

?

It is a requirement only on X99 boards.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

?

It is a requirement only on X99 boards.

So should I get that or not a big deal? I'm thinking of getting a new processor so I need a new mono but most are ddr3 it seems.

Never mind, seems the 4790k doesn't use it.

 

[Smokey]

So should I get that or not a big deal? I'm thinking of getting a new processor so I need a new mono but most are ddr3 it seems.

Never mind, seems the 4790k doesn't use it.

DDR4 is only for the X99 platform. That platform is home to the 5820k, 5930k, and 5960x family of processors.

For anything else DDR3 is the RAM you need.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Was going to get 2 980's but I think I'm going to go with 3 970's.

Should be a top end rig.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

DDR4 is only for the X99 platform. That platform is home to the 5820k, 5930k, and 5960x family of processors.

For anything else DDR3 is the RAM you need.

Yeah, just saw that. I can reuse the ram I have then at least.

Anyone with a reason not to get the Rosewill 1000m modular power supply? If not I'll start collecting the pieces to my PC.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-cables-_-na-_-na&Item=N82E16817182285&cm_sp=