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"I Need a New PC!" 2014 Part 2. Read OP, your 2500K will run Witcher 3. MX100s! 970!

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Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Intel Core i5 3570K
GTX 670
R4 case w stock fans
and a H60i


temp is around 105 f, just checked the temp coming out the side of the case and it was like 83-85 degrees
That is literally nothing.

If it's an aftermarket 670 you can just cap fan speeds to 50-60% and same goes for your H60i to make them silent from fan control. (Corsair Link / Mobo Fan / MSI Afterburner for GPU)
 
So I have had this PC for a while and love it, but looking at possibly upgrading it in the future and wanting to plan now to save. Ideally I would like to run Witcher 3 on this on high settings at a stable framerate (don't need ultra top of the line).

CPU: Intel i5 750 (I think its overclocked to 3.2)
Cooling for CPU: Corsair enclosed water cooling
Video card: NVIDIA GTX 470
RAM: 4 GB
Case: HAF 912

Any advice on what to upgrade? I am figuring video card and RAM are definite upgrades, but I am also thinking of the case.

This machine can run hot as well, so if anyone has advice for that I would appreciate it.

Edit: noise isn't a problem. Also the NZXT H440 case seems interesting.
 

fader

Member
So I have had this PC for a while and love it, but looking at possibly upgrading it in the future and wanting to plan now to save. Ideally I would like to run Witcher 3 on this on high settings at a stable framerate (don't need ultra top of the line).

CPU: Intel i5 750 (I think its overclocked to 3.2)
Cooling for CPU: Corsair enclosed water cooling
Video card: NVIDIA GTX 470
RAM: 4 GB
Case: HAF 912

Any advice on what to upgrade? I am figuring video card and RAM are definite upgrades, but I am also thinking of the case.

This machine can run hot as well, so if anyone has advice for that I would appreciate it.

Edit: noise isn't a problem. Also the NZXT H440 case seems interesting.

motherboard info?

EDIT: Actually nvm, i remembered 750 is an 1156.

how much you looking to spend? and do you have a pic of your set up
 
motherboard info?

EDIT: Actually nvm, i remembered 750 is an 1156.

how much you looking to spend?

I could probably be comfortable with a budget around $1k. A little more I wouldn't mind since I have a fair amount of time to save up for this.

Also the motherboard is an EVGA p55 sli 3655
 

fader

Member
I could probably be comfortable with a budget around $1k. A little more I wouldn't mind since I have a fair amount of time to save up for this.

Also the motherboard is an EVGA p55 sli 3655

ok, so definitly pick up a new GPU lol. 780 or 770 are fine. upgrade ram to 8gb and what parts run hot in your pc, do you have temp numbers?
 
ok, so definitly pick up a new GPU lol. 780 or 770 are fine. upgrade ram to 8gb and what parts run hot in your pc, do you have temp numbers?

Well right now is not a good indicator as I am not gaming or anything (and have the air conditioner running) so CPU is about 40 degrees per core and GPU is about. I believe in the past they have gotten up to 80.

It might be the fact that air flow in the room kind of sucks. The PS4 can make the room warm up fairly quickly.
 

fader

Member
Well right now is not a good indicator as I am not gaming or anything (and have the air conditioner running) so CPU is about 40 degrees per core and GPU is about. I believe in the past they have gotten up to 80.

It might be the fact that air flow in the room kind of sucks. The PS4 can make the room warm up fairly quickly.

is there decent airflow within the case? you know, cable managment? cause i mean, 40 C for browsing is pretty normal
 
is there decent airflow within the case? you know, cable managment? cause i mean, 40 C for browsing is pretty normal

Yea there is. I was able to put all the cables along the side so they aren't blocking air flow much. As I said, right now probably isn't a good indicator.

Thanks for the help btw.
 

fader

Member
Yea there is. I was able to put all the cables along the side so they aren't blocking air flow much. As I said, right now probably isn't a good indicator.

Thanks for the help btw.

hmm.. well looks like you only need a new gpu (770,780), 4 more gigs of ram, if your looking for a new case Define R4 is good for muffling sound or if your looking for airflow, Corsair Air 540 seems popular.
 

Sickafant

Member
Saw a guy selling a few Gigabyte r9 280x Windforce for $180 CAD on kijiji. He has apparently been mining for 3 months and he has given up on that. Should I jump on this because of the Gigabyte warranty, or is it not worth the hassle? At that price is getting 2 for crossfire worthwhile?

Another question. I still have a library of older games, like Fallout 2. Will there be compatibility problems running games like this on Korean monitors (including if it were to be overclocked to 120Hz)? If there are issues, what would be a good modern monitor to go for when playing such games?
 
Check another PCI-E slot and that you are on the correct DVI (1) port, try another cable, BIOS is set to load off PEG first, etc.

I have only one PCI-E slot in the motherboard, the DVI port is the correct one, I only have one cable, and I'm not sure what's that PEG thing.

Usually the PC can boot even without a monitor, right? I don't think it's the cable since the PC just won't turn on. It's completely dead when the R9 is inside. When I press the power button absolutely nothing happens, no led will light up, and no fan start to spin.
 

Goldenhen

Member
I have only one PCI-E slot in the motherboard, the DVI port is the correct one, I only have one cable, and I'm not sure what's that PEG thing.

Usually the PC can boot even without a monitor, right? I don't think it's the cable since the PC just won't turn on. It's completely dead when the R9 is inside. When I press the power button absolutely nothing happens, no led will light up, and no fan start to spin.

I went through your post history.

So does the your computer turn on without the GPU card installed?
 
Hey there, PC-Gaf. I have an overclocking related question.

My 2500K is currently running at 4,5GHz @ 1.35V. I have pretty good cooling in my case, so my temps end up being ~55-60C under load. Are there any actual drawbacks to going above this voltage in and of itself or am I fine as long as I stay under 70C?

Also, is there any reason at all to be using offset voltage, really? I can't get it to stick around where I want it to without getting bluescreens under load and I'm not comfortable with it spiking all the way up to 1.45V. Having a manual voltage seems way easier, but what exactly are the tradeoffs? The CPU is idling around 35-37C with manual.
 
New adaptor seems to have fixed it, as soon as I connected it the lag stopped

Really annoying as both the external and internal adaptors are dual-antenna, and both are within 8 inches of eachother, yet one gets a terrible signal. Think it was probably down to the chipset drivers of the internal one as someone suggested, but I think I'll stick with the external one now anyway :)
 

Dries

Member
So I just did some benchmarks with my i5 2500K and I'm curious to see what they mean. The game I used was Hitman: Absolution and what happened?

My CPU at stock speed, my FPS = 40 - 42

My CPU OC'ed to 4.4 ghz, my FPS = 40 - 42

No difference! Same settings all around. Does this mean the right conclusion is that Hitman: Absolution is GPU limited? Or is it CPU limited?

Hey there, PC-Gaf. I have an overclocking related question.

My 2500K is currently running at 4,5GHz @ 1.35V. I have pretty good cooling in my case, so my temps end up being ~55-60C under load. Are there any actual drawbacks to going above this voltage in and of itself or am I fine as long as I stay under 70C?

Also, is there any reason at all to be using offset voltage, really? I can't get it to stick around where I want it to without getting bluescreens under load and I'm not comfortable with it spiking all the way up to 1.45V. Having a manual voltage seems way easier, but what exactly are the tradeoffs? The CPU is idling around 35-37C with manual.

From what I have learned the past month about OC'ed is that you should ALWAYS have a manual voltage.
 

R1CHO

Member
Which basically mean that I can speed up my CPU as much as I want, but it won't matter, cause my GPU just can't take it past that 42 fps mark, right?

Yeah, but you will probably find games where a higher cpu clock may improve your framerate (so cpu limited for your pc).

Depends of the game, the gpu and cpu.
 
Can anyone with more PC troubleshooting experience then me, tell me why I'm only getting video out from my GPU and not from the HDMI or DVI on the main motherboard?
 

R1CHO

Member
Can anyone with more PC troubleshooting experience then me, tell me why I'm only getting video out from my GPU and not from the HDMI or DVI on the main motherboard?

It's usually only one or the other, and you choose the active gpu on the bios:

Dedicated (pciexpress gpu)
Integrated (cpu/mobo)

Pd: you may be able to actually use both, if you have the integrated active on the bios... now I am doubting.
 
It's usually only one or the other, and you choose the active gpu on the bios:

Dedicated (pciexpress gpu)
Integrated (cpu/mobo)

So if I want to hookup two monitors or an Oculus Rift I'd have to use the outputs from the GPU only? I.e HDMI to the Rift and DVI to my monitor?
 

Dries

Member
Thanks for the info guys. I just did some Sleeping Dogs runs and when I overclock I also am not seeing any fps gain! So Sleeping Dogs is also GPU limited.

Does anyone know any popular CPU limited games? I would like to measure the fps gain I'm recieving when I overclock.
 

jfoul

Member
Damn, I feel for ya jfoul. I got my 290x in from amazon last night and haven't had a chance to try it out just yet, need to wait for the rest of my parts to come in. I did check my SN and it is a US based one and I have until 2/2017 left on the warranty. I don't mind taking the chance on this card for the price and if it doesn't work, well, I'll cross that bridge when I get there :p.

It's ran great since the 15th, I've just had the crash with Tomb Raider and Metro LL. It could have been just software/driver. I've ran the 15 minute Furmark burn test four times with no issue, and have looped Unigine for at least a couple hours while I I'm doing something else.

If this had a proper serial number, I would definitely be keeping it. It's an awesome card, a steal at $330, and worth the RMA process if something happens during it's 3 year warranty period.

I might buy a used Geforce GTX 780 used within the next couple days. I just feel strange paying a bit more for a weaker card, with less ram.
 

Martian

Member
So I have a laptop that is coming up to being 3 years old (I know I am in the desktop thread:p). I am looking for some advice:

I have a budget of 750-1000 euros, which I would like to spend on a new laptop or PC. I definitely need a laptop for uni, but I don't know how long laptops typically last.

I am absolutely clueless on building my own PC, and although people say its rather easy, I do not think I have the time to build one myself right now.

What do you guys suggest?
 

kharma45

Member
Thanks for the info guys. I just did some Sleeping Dogs runs and when I overclock I also am not seeing any fps gain! So Sleeping Dogs is also GPU limited.

Does anyone know any popular CPU limited games? I would like to measure the fps gain I'm recieving when I overclock.

Any source based game, BF3 online, BF4 online, Skyrim.
 

dawid

Member
Also, is there any reason at all to be using offset voltage, really? I can't get it to stick around where I want it to without getting bluescreens under load and I'm not comfortable with it spiking all the way up to 1.45V. Having a manual voltage seems way easier, but what exactly are the tradeoffs? The CPU is idling around 35-37C with manual.

The two main reasons to use offset/adaptive:

1. Your CPU will have a chance to become "numb" to voltage over time. An OC-voltage that is stable now might not be stable in a year because the CPU then needs a higher voltage to keep stable at a certain clock. Using offset/adaptive voltage strongly reduces the chances of this happening because the CPU is not being constantly fed that high voltage.

2. The CPU will draw less power and heat when idle(obv).

An offset-clock can be really tricky to achieve. But it's no doubt worth to at least try finding a nice offset-spot on the CPU.
 
The two main reasons to use offset/adaptive:

1. Your CPU will have a chance to become "numb" to voltage over time. An OC-voltage that is stable now might not be stable in a year because the CPU then needs a higher voltage to keep stable at a certain clock. Using offset/adaptive voltage strongly reduces the chances of this happening because the CPU is not being constantly fed that high voltage.

2. The CPU will draw less power and heat when idle(obv).

An offset-clock can be really tricky to achieve. But it's no doubt worth to at least try finding a nice offset-spot on the CPU.

How do I avoid getting those 1.4V+ spikes with offset, though?
 

Firebrand

Member
Oh my god it was worth every penny. My computer is way more quiet after replacing the 7200RPM Seagate drive, and much less vibrations in my R4 when accessing it. Thank the lord
What did you change to? This WD Blue might have to go, got an R4 too and the thing's so loud just being powered on.
 

industrian

will gently cradle you as time slowly ticks away.
I definitely need a laptop for uni, but I don't know how long laptops typically last.

My current laptop (i5-2450M + GT540M + 8GB RAM ASUS) has been going strong since I bought it early 2012. Buying a SSD for it in November has futureproofed it indefinitely.
 

riflen

Member
So I Googled this, and it's random Joe Publics selling Windows keys for $10.

How can these be legit for that price?

Here we go again.
The people selling the keys are most likely students who receive keys from their institution through Microsoft's education program. It's against license agreements to sell these on, but Microsoft don't care.
An alternative is that they have keys through a business' Partner or Developer subscription.

Basically, you take a chance when you buy. It might be fine (many here have bought keys without issue), but there's no real guarantee the key will not be sold to many people. Weigh the risk against the cost saving.
 

Addnan

Member
Overclocks generally raise your minimum fps, not really what you max out at, so it's good for online games where you don't want it to dip too low.
 

Lechery

Neo Member
Hey,
So I'm thinking about upgrading my rig as it's been a while. I bought my rig pre built and I'm not that tech savvy.
I'm currently running with:
i3570k 3.4ghz (Although I OC'd it with a one click OC on my motherboard to 4.2)
Hyper 212 Evo CPU cooler
GTX 770 Asus DirectCU OC II 2gb
Asus P8Z77-V LX Motherboard
8GB RAM (I guess they're 1600mhz Kingston ram)
PSU is a Cooler Master 750w
Generic 1TB HDD

I'm running W7 and currently on a 60hz 1080p monitor, but I might upgrade to a 120hz 1440p in the future.

So my question is whether my motherboard and such will hold up if I were to buy a 4690k, and a GTX780(or maybe a 800-series GPU if I wait a bit)?
Because I'd gathered a list for something along the lines of the Enthusiast-level rig in the OP, but it's a tad too expensive for me, even if I sold my current rig. So I wondered if upgrading would suffice.
 

kennah

Member
You really don't need to upgrade that. Cpu change would provide no noticable difference (and you would need to change your motherboard). A 780 would be a bump but not worth doing if you already have a 770. May as well wait or if you really want to upgrade get a 780 Ti or 290


Edit. If you want to make a noticable difference in your computer - ADD AN SSD AND REINSTALL ONTO IT.
 

Lechery

Neo Member
You really don't need to upgrade that. Cpu change would provide no noticable difference (and you would need to change your motherboard). A 780 would be a bump but not worth doing if you already have a 770. May as well wait or if you really want to upgrade get a 780 Ti or 290


Edit. If you want to make a noticable difference in your computer - ADD AN SSD AND REINSTALL ONTO IT.

So it would be resoanable to buy an SSD and wait till next year, sell the rig (except the SSD) and build a new one from scratch for instance, right ?
 

kharma45

Member
So it would be resoanable to buy an SSD and wait till next year, sell the rig (except the SSD) and build a new one from scratch for instance, right ?

No, you don't need to change anything bar adding in an SSD. CPUs have stagnated, you're not going to get any worthwhile gains by upgrading. If you really have an itch you could maybe pop in a 3770K next year, games might use more than 4 threads by then. I stress the word might.
 

Lechery

Neo Member
I stress the word might.
God damn it.. I know this.. I know this by heart, but for some reason all the shiny higher numbers makes me forget that so few games can utilize the power.

The only thing I'm worried about then is my CPU or Motherboard bottlenecking, if I were to upgrade to a 780ti or one of the new 800-series cards, if I were to upgrade next year.
 

kharma45

Member
God damn it.. I know this.. I know this by heart, but for some reason all the shiny higher numbers makes me forget that so few games can utilize the power.

The only thing I'm worried about then is my CPU or Motherboard bottlenecking, if I were to upgrade to a 780ti or one of the new 800-series cards, if I were to upgrade next year.

Bottlenecks are and aren't a thing, depends on the game. A 3570K at 4.2 is plenty able and you'll have no issues pairing a high end card with it.
 

Lechery

Neo Member
Bottlenecks are and aren't a thing, depends on the game. A 3570K at 4.2 is plenty able and you'll have no issues pairing a high end card with it.
Well, as stated earlier I'm not that tech savvy. I've just heard on the grape vine, that if I were to smack in a 780ti I'd run into some problems there. And if I had to replace my CPU I might have to replace my MB as well. But I'm a little clueless in that regard.
 

sk3tch

Member
Eh, 290's have over 2 years of serial based warranty with ASUS, MSI, GB so I'm not worried.

Me either - but you and I have a roster of backup cards on the bench while we wait 2-3 weeks for a replacement. Lots of people would prefer to avoid that. :)
 

n0tail

Banned
I have a Core i7 930. Is it really worth upgrading to a Haswell for gaming or should I just go and upgrade my GPU (580) to a 880? My only concern is to play Witcher 3 at highest setting at above 45 FPS.
 

Sarcasm

Member
Somebody did answer me but I want more conformation.

I have a 60hz 1920x1200 24 dell monitor and I want to add a second monitor for gaming,

If I get a 120hz 1920x1080 it won't be bad for my system correct?
 
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