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[xBladeM6x]

Again, not really a PC specific thing, but I wondering about the quality of this mic. I won't be using it for videos, or anything, I just want to have a nice high-end mic since I spend a lot of time talking with people online. I know Blue is considered good, but I figured I'd ask first.

I'm thinking about this one. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002VA464S/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[mkenyon]

Again, not really a PC specific thing, but I wondering about the quality of this mic. I won't be using it for videos, or anything, I just want to have a nice high-end mic since I spend a lot of time talking with people online. I know Blue is considered good, but I figured I'd ask first.

I'm thinking about this one. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002VA464S/?tag=neogaf0e-20

People love it. I really dislike the pops and squeals you hear in any USB mic, but I've been told that is just considered a "cold" sound signature.

I actually prefer the sound of the Mod Mic over it. Plus with a static position near your face, you don't have the issue of volume constantly changing.

 

[Stubo]

How does a CM 212 EVO with JetFlos in push/pull compare to a Noctua D14?
Is it worth the extra cost to add JetFlos to a D14?

Regarding changing the D14, it's probably a better idea to just get a D15 unless you're using a motherboard where the PCI-E slot is the top slot. If your GPUs are 2nd slot and down you should be fine with a D15.

I have 2 Noctua NF-F12s on my 212 EVO and it's definitely helped with the acoustics while keeping my 3570k cooled nicely. However in hindsight you probably only need 1 fan because the fin stack isn't super thick on the 212.

 

[MWS Natural]

So the little sata connector on my new Samsung Evo Pro broke, is there anything I can do??

 

[Wray]

Quick question about Windows 8 guys. How does licensing work currently? I'm shopping for parts right now to build a secondary media server pc. Would I need to buy two copies for each pc? Or can I install the same copy on both of my pc's.

Also, one thing I was planning to do is buy better new parts and move my old part to the media center pc I am building and put the new parts in my current gaming pc. Anyway, I'm trying to decide on which Intel chipset to go with. Is it worth it to get a Haswell instead of an Ivy Bridge if you are building new?

 

[TwistedFate]

This is truly worthy of the title "Master Race". You'll rape 1440p easily brah.

At this price I would hope so haha

Looks great but one change I would make would be to switch out the PSU to this:

EVGA SuperNova 750W G2. It's $100 after rebate, 80+ Gold cert. and has an unbelievable 10 year warranty. It will last you this build, and the next one, and probably even the one after that. For $10 more than you're spending on the PSU, it's a fantastic investment.

Done, thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Xeroblade]

I hope this is the right thread for this. I am looking for the best budget Stream Box for Steam In-Home Streaming. I basically want to just be able to stream games from my main pc to my tv using a small form pc. Any help would be appreciated. thank you.

 

[outunderthestars]

Reposting:

OK, today is finally the day. I traded in my consoles and now have a pile of amazon store credit. Already have the case, now I just need everything else. I am not comfortable overclocking yet, and am interested in 1080P gaming, indies, mods, and emulation up to PSX/Gamecube/Wii.

My budget is around $1000, not including the case. Anything I should change?
CPU : Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz $214.99
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO $30.99
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 $94.99
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB DDR3-1866 $99.99
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" SSD $134.99
WD Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM $59.24
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Superclocked ACX $335.91
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Blackout ATX (already purchased)
Power Supply: Antec 550W ATX12V $68.74

Total: $1040.

So excited to finally get to play the 186 games in my Steam account.

I could really use some advice as I am quite a bit nervous about all of this.

 

[RoyalFool]

Pay day!! Which means after 5 years I can finally upgrade to a newer machine.

Getting a pre-built from Dino PC (I'm lazy and don't have the time) but picking the parts myself, any advice welcome as I've been out of the game way too long..

CPU: 2228 - NEW! Intel Core i5 4690
Operating System: 11022 - Windows 8.1 (64-bit)
Motherboard: 4214 - NEW! Gigabyte Z97X-Gaming 5
RAM: 5041 - 8GB Corsair 1600mhz Vengeance (2x4GB)
Hard Drive: 6064 - NEW! Transcend 128GB 340 SSD
Secondary Hard Drive: 6028 - 1TB S-ATAIII 6.0Gb/s
Optical Drive: 7003 - 22x DVD±RW DL S-ATA
Graphics card: 8109 - NEW! NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 4GB
Sound card: 10001 - Onboard 7.1 Audio
Case: 17081 - NEW! Coolermaster 690 III
PSU: 18061 - NEW! 650W Corsair CS Modular

 

[PaulLFC]

How is this for a full build? Pre-built but with custom components, which is why the price may seem high:

Case: Fractal Design Define R4
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z97-HD3
CPU: Intel Core i7 4790K [Overclocked - CPU professionally overclocked up to 4.6GHz.]
CPU Cooler: Thermalright HR-02 Macho CPU Cooler
Memory: 16GB (2x8GB) Corsair Vengeance Pro, 2133MHz
GPU: 4GB XFX Radeon R9 290 Black [980MHz GPU, 2560 Streams, 5000MHz GDDR5] [Overclocked]
PSU: 750W Corsair RM
SSD: 250GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD
HDD: 3TB Seagate Barracuda, 7200rpm, 64MB Cache
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB DVD-RW
OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit [Microsoft Windows 8.1 64Bit

Includes a few of the usual extras like backup partition, 3 year warranty etc

Total: £1399.69 built by Scan 3XS (link goes to the build and shows the alternative components which may help recommendations)

I can change the GPU for the 3GB EVGA GTX 780 SC ACX for £58 more, I'm not sure it's worth the upgrade (less memory, seemingly slower than the 290 in most AnandTech Bench tests, more expensive), but I'm happy to be corrected on that.

Main criteria I'm looking for: Longevity. Only playing at 1080p so that card may seem like overkill, but I'm hoping it'll still be able to play the latest games well a couple, or even a few, years from now. Running a GTX 460 in my current system and it struggles, so hopefully starting with a higher-spec card initially will help.

Remember you have to look at a non-reference cooler 290/X, unless you like noise. The 780s cost a bit more at similar performance but the premium shouldn't be huge, eg. "couple of hundred quid", I think...?

Thanks for the tip, this one in the system above is the XFX R9 290 Black, which seems to have good reviews from what I can find, has been praised for quietness and low temperatures.

Regarding the price difference, checking again that was an exaggeration by me, it's not too much more expensive at a £58 premium, although I'm not sure if it's worth the added cost.

 

[Nostremitus]

Regarding changing the D14, it's probably a better idea to just get a D15 unless you're using a motherboard where the PCI-E slot is the top slot. If your GPUs are 2nd slot and down you should be fine with a D15.

I have 2 Noctua NF-F12s on my 212 EVO and it's definitely helped with the acoustics while keeping my 3570k cooled nicely. However in hindsight you probably only need 1 fan because the fin stack isn't super thick on the 212.

Awesome, thanks. So, I could use one JetFlo for a case Intake fan, one on a 212 Evo as a pusher, and the stock Evo fan as my case exhaust. That should cut down on the number of fans I'd need to buy. (I cannibalized the exhaust fan that came with this case to use as an intake fan on another PC)

 

[Mashin Haters]

Again, not really a PC specific thing, but I wondering about the quality of this mic. I won't be using it for videos, or anything, I just want to have a nice high-end mic since I spend a lot of time talking with people online. I know Blue is considered good, but I figured I'd ask first.

I'm thinking about this one. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002VA464S/?tag=neogaf0e-20

yes this mic is amazing. I actually record drum tracks with this mic and it sounds great. Look up youtube videos of this mic in action. There's a lot of videos of people talking into it and testing it out!

 

[riflen]

Quick question about Windows 8 guys. How does licensing work currently? I'm shopping for parts right now to build a secondary media server pc. Would I need to buy two copies for each pc? Or can I install the same copy on both of my pc's.

Also, one thing I was planning to do is buy better new parts and move my old part to the media center pc I am building and put the new parts in my current gaming pc. Anyway, I'm trying to decide on which Intel chipset to go with. Is it worth it to get a Haswell instead of an Ivy Bridge if you are building new?

You will need a second license for Windows. Building an Ivy Bridge PC today doesn't make much sense. We're on the second iteration of Haswell right now.

 

[mkenyon]

This is truly worthy of the title "Master Race". You'll rape 1440p easily brah.

I gotta ask, why have username that is the name of a famous esports player? It's like going to a sports forum where someone has the username of Richard Sherman.

Quick question about Windows 8 guys. How does licensing work currently? I'm shopping for parts right now to build a secondary media server pc. Would I need to buy two copies for each pc? Or can I install the same copy on both of my pc's.

Also, one thing I was planning to do is buy better new parts and move my old part to the media center pc I am building and put the new parts in my current gaming pc. Anyway, I'm trying to decide on which Intel chipset to go with. Is it worth it to get a Haswell instead of an Ivy Bridge if you are building new?

Each key can only be used on a single PC.

Yeah, Haswell is worth it.

Reposting:

OK, today is finally the day. I traded in my consoles and now have a pile of amazon store credit. Already have the case, now I just need everything else. I am not comfortable overclocking yet, and am interested in 1080P gaming, indies, mods, and emulation up to PSX/Gamecube/Wii.

My budget is around $1000, not including the case. Anything I should change?
CPU : Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz $214.99
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO $30.99
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 $94.99
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB DDR3-1866 $99.99
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" SSD $134.99
WD Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM $59.24
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Superclocked ACX $335.91
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Blackout ATX (already purchased)
Power Supply: Antec 550W ATX12V $68.74

Total: $1040.

So excited to finally get to play the 186 games in my Steam account.

I could really use some advice as I am quite a bit nervous about all of this.

You want the "K" processor. Swap the SSD to the MX100 to save a bit. Look for less expensive memory.

Pay day!! Which means after 5 years I can finally upgrade to a newer machine.

Getting a pre-built from Dino PC (I'm lazy and don't have the time) but picking the parts myself, any advice welcome as I've been out of the game way too long..

CPU: 2228 - NEW! Intel Core i5 4690
Operating System: 11022 - Windows 8.1 (64-bit)
Motherboard: 4214 - NEW! Gigabyte Z97X-Gaming 5
RAM: 5041 - 8GB Corsair 1600mhz Vengeance (2x4GB)
Hard Drive: 6064 - NEW! Transcend 128GB 340 SSD
Secondary Hard Drive: 6028 - 1TB S-ATAIII 6.0Gb/s
Optical Drive: 7003 - 22x DVD±RW DL S-ATA
Graphics card: 8109 - NEW! NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 4GB
Sound card: 10001 - Onboard 7.1 Audio
Case: 17081 - NEW! Coolermaster 690 III
PSU: 18061 - NEW! 650W Corsair CS Modular

As per above, get the "K" processor.

 

[Stubo]

Reposting:

OK, today is finally the day. I traded in my consoles and now have a pile of amazon store credit. Already have the case, now I just need everything else. I am not comfortable overclocking yet, and am interested in 1080P gaming, indies, mods, and emulation up to PSX/Gamecube/Wii.

My budget is around $1000, not including the case. Anything I should change?
CPU : Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz $214.99
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO $30.99
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 $94.99
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB DDR3-1866 $99.99
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" SSD $134.99
WD Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM $59.24
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Superclocked ACX $335.91
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Blackout ATX (already purchased)
Power Supply: Antec 550W ATX12V $68.74

Total: $1040.

So excited to finally get to play the 186 games in my Steam account.

I could really use some advice as I am quite a bit nervous about all of this.

How about this? Gives you the option to overclock later - you'll thank me in time

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown 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 ($30.99 @ B&H)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($106.81 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Superclocked ACX Video Card ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $0.00)
Power Supply: Antec Basiq Plus 550W 80+ Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($68.74 @ Amazon)
Total: $1016.49

Pay day!! Which means after 5 years I can finally upgrade to a newer machine.

Getting a pre-built from Dino PC (I'm lazy and don't have the time) but picking the parts myself, any advice welcome as I've been out of the game way too long..

CPU: 2228 - NEW! Intel Core i5 4690
Operating System: 11022 - Windows 8.1 (64-bit)
Motherboard: 4214 - NEW! Gigabyte Z97X-Gaming 5
RAM: 5041 - 8GB Corsair 1600mhz Vengeance (2x4GB)
Hard Drive: 6064 - NEW! Transcend 128GB 340 SSD
Secondary Hard Drive: 6028 - 1TB S-ATAIII 6.0Gb/s
Optical Drive: 7003 - 22x DVD±RW DL S-ATA
Graphics card: 8109 - NEW! NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 4GB
Sound card: 10001 - Onboard 7.1 Audio
Case: 17081 - NEW! Coolermaster 690 III
PSU: 18061 - NEW! 650W Corsair CS Modular

Budget?

How is this for a full build? Pre-built but with custom components, which is why the price may seem high:

Case: Fractal Design Define R4
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z97-HD3
CPU: Intel Core i7 4790K [Overclocked - CPU professionally overclocked up to 4.6GHz.]
CPU Cooler: Thermalright HR-02 Macho CPU Cooler
Memory: 16GB (2x8GB) Corsair Vengeance Pro, 2133MHz
GPU: 4GB XFX Radeon R9 290 Black [980MHz GPU, 2560 Streams, 5000MHz GDDR5] [Overclocked]
PSU: 750W Corsair RM
SSD: 250GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD
HDD: 3TB Seagate Barracuda, 7200rpm, 64MB Cache
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB DVD-RW
OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit [Microsoft Windows 8.1 64Bit

Includes a few of the usual extras like backup partition, 3 year warranty etc

Total: £1399.69 built by Scan 3XS (link goes to the build and shows the alternative components which may help recommendations)

I can change the GPU for the 3GB EVGA GTX 780 SC ACX for £58 more, I'm not sure it's worth the upgrade (less memory, seemingly slower than the 290 in most AnandTech Bench tests, more expensive), but I'm happy to be corrected on that.

Main criteria I'm looking for: Longevity. Only playing at 1080p so that card may seem like overkill, but I'm hoping it'll still be able to play the latest games well a couple, or even a few, years from now. Running a GTX 460 in my current system and it struggles, so hopefully starting with a higher-spec card initially will help.


Thanks for the tip, this one in the system above is the XFX R9 290 Black, which seems to have good reviews from what I can find, has been praised for quietness and low temperatures.

Regarding the price difference, checking again that was an exaggeration by me, it's not too much more expensive at a £58 premium, although I'm not sure if it's worth the added cost.

I wouldn't recommend XFX honestly, are you sure you couldn't be convinced to build yourself if you watch through the videos in the OP? It's like electronic lego!

Awesome, thanks. So, I could use one JetFlo for a case Intake fan, one on a 212 Evo as a pusher, and the stock Evo fan as my case exhaust. That should cut down on the number of fans I'd need to buy. (I cannibalized the exhaust fan that came with this case to use as an intake fan on another PC)

Remember that you can always add another fan later, it's worth remembering that each one will increase the noise though. Your plan sounds good, I can't imagine you being unhappy with just a push config on the 212.

 

[PaulLFC]

I wouldn't recommend XFX honestly, are you sure you couldn't be convinced to build yourself if you watch through the videos in the OP? It's like electronic lego!

Ah I may have to change that card then, would you recommend the EVGA 780 as a good alternative despite the £60ish price increase? XFX is the only 290 they offer with the system - out of interest why would you not recommend them?

As for self building it, I wouldn't want to risk it - I had enough trouble swapping some memory over the other day (yes really) - I don't know what the issue was but it needed a Windows reinstall to fix it :/ I just have no talent for system building I guess, I'm much happier working with/on software! I don't think I'd want to spend £1000+ and then end up breaking something and having to replace it, putting the cost around where it would be pre-built.

 

[Objectively Bad Opinion]

XFX is only good if you're in the United States, otherwise get something else cause their warranty will be awful.

 

[Rnr1224]

it hasnt even been a year but im already tempted to upgrade my 7790 to an R9 280 to prepare for some of the higher quality games coming soon like the witcher 3 and Batman: Arkham knight

 

[PaulLFC]

XFX is only good if you're in the United States, otherwise get something else cause their warranty will be awful.

I need to check but pretty sure they need to provide at least a 1 year warranty in the UK by law (2 years possibly with EU legislation).

With the PC being pre-built by Scan it has a 3 year parts and labour warranty, so as far as I can tell the card would be covered in that if anything did go wrong.

 

[mkenyon]

How about this? Gives you the option to overclock later - you'll thank me in time

They have to buy from Amazon in specific.

 

[Stubo]

They have to buy from Amazon in specific.

Ahhh sorry, totally missed this

UK dudes, if you watch some videos and familiarise yourself with building you could be looking at something like this for similar money:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (£267.73 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£24.25 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£106.76 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£114.82 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£74.40 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£38.40 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290X 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (£389.99 @ Novatech)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case (£64.98 @ Ebuyer)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£92.10 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £1173.43

Swap out the 290X for a 780 or 780Ti as appropriate!

 

[Granadier]

I'll be building in a few months, but I'd like your opinions on this parts list.

I am thinking about going the Mini-ITX route with this build using the EVGA Air case. This is a semi-budget build with a modest goal of 1080p with playable frame rates. No overclocking will be done.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: EVGA ACX mITX 46.5 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($39.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($104.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($76.24 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB FTW ACX Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Case: EVGA Hadron Mini ITX Tower Case w/500W Power Supply ($144.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $878.15
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

I'm assuming that the price will go down ~$30 after the 25th when MicroCenter has DevilsCanyon in stock so that I can purchase it in store.

Thanks!

 

[mrklaw]

Posted this elsewhere, but I figured GAF may actually be faster:



Long story short, I need an "always on" media PC that I can put next to the router. I want it to be small in size, but huge in storage. Any thoughts and help on the cheapest option to make this happen?

HP microserver? Node 304? Intel NUC with extra USB drives hanging off the back?

How many hard drives are you needing to support? Do you need the server to be able to transcode, or is all your video in the right format already so it is just streaming?

I have an older HP microserver N34 running unraid, with 5x 2TB drives, giving me 8TB accessible with capacity to survive one drive dying. I can install plex on that (as well as sabnzbd etc), but it isn't powerful enough to transcode.

A small form factor box (check OP) with an i3 and even 4GB with windows should be plenty for even transcoding while serving files. You could even run a HDMI cable for it to your TV and run plex home theater

 

[Burt]

it hasnt even been a year but im already tempted to upgrade my 7790 to an R9 280 to prepare for some of the higher quality games coming soon like the witcher 3 and Batman: Arkham knight

I just upgraded from a 6850 (pretty comparable to your 7790) to a 280 that Microcenter had on clearance for $200, it's absolutely magical. Was going to pick up a 280x originally but I couldn't argue with that price, and the 280 OCs more than enough to bring it neck and neck with the 280x, if not something better. If you've been gaming on a 7790 for the last year or so and been satisfied with the performance, I doubt you'll find a card with a better price-power ratio for your needs. A 280 isn't perfect obviously, but as someone who was pretty happy with his 6850 for the last couple years, I couldn't see myself caring enough about the performance gain from cards at $250+ to justify their price when the 280 is performing so well.

 

[Unai]

Guys, I finally decided to buy a SSD. There are informations in the OP about what to do after I get it, but how do I chose one?

I want to buy one with 200GB+. I can buy any SSD or there are something more specific that I need to unstand before making a decision, like some kind of model or something?

 

[NoRéN]

Guys, I finally decided to buy a SSD. There are informations in the OP about what to do after I get it, but how do I chose one?

I want to buy one with 200GB+. I can buy any SSD or there are something more specific that I need to unstand before making a decision, like some kind of model or something?

http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-MX100-adapter-Internal-CT256MX100SSD1/dp/B00KFAGCWK
Best bang for your buck.

 

[Granadier]

Guys, I finally decided to buy a SSD. There are informations in the OP about what to do after I get it, but how do I chose one?

I want to buy one with 200GB+. I can buy any SSD or there are something more specific that I need to unstand before making a decision, like some kind of model or something?

Buy a Crucial MX100 256GB.

edit: double post for awesomeness

 

[Arc07]

Is there any news on the release date for the ASUS ROG GTX780 Ti Matrix Platinum & Maximus Formula VII? I see reviews on the card (from March) but nobody has them available yet.

 

[kennah]

I'll be building in a few months, but I'd like your opinions on this parts list.

I am thinking about going the Mini-ITX route with this build using the EVGA Air case. This is a semi-budget build with a modest goal of 1080p with playable frame rates. No overclocking will be done.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: EVGA ACX mITX 46.5 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($39.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($104.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($76.24 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB FTW ACX Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Case: EVGA Hadron Mini ITX Tower Case w/500W Power Supply ($144.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $878.15
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

I'm assuming that the price will go down ~$30 after the 25th when MicroCenter has DevilsCanyon in stock so that I can purchase it in store.

Thanks!

If you aren't overclocking the stock fan that comes with your cpu is fine. Put that $40 into a better gpu.

Guys, I finally decided to buy a SSD. There are informations in the OP about what to do after I get it, but how do I chose one?

I want to buy one with 200GB+. I can buy any SSD or there are something more specific that I need to unstand before making a decision, like some kind of model or something?

Read the thread title

 

[Unai]

http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-MX100-adapter-Internal-CT256MX100SSD1/dp/B00KFAGCWK
Best bang for your buck.

Buy a Crucial MX100 256GB.

edit: double post for awesomeness

Wow, this one seems really good. Even importing it from Amazon the price is not so bad. I think I'm going to get the 512GB one.

 

[mkenyon]

Is there any news on the release date for the ASUS ROG GTX780 Ti Matrix Platinum & Maximus Formula VII? I see reviews on the card (from March) but nobody has them available yet.

I mean this moreso than I do for other parts, but that card is very specifically designed for LN2. If you aren't doing LN2 benching, then it's not even something to consider.

The Maximus Formula VII reviews will be more or less, "it works great, overclocks the same as $100 Z97 boards, but some of the features are neat and it sure is pretty, but terrible value for the price."

 

[Stat!]

Need some quick help as Im ordering my PC right now. Uhh is there a difference between this one:

PSU #1

PSU #2


CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($269.99 @ Memory Express)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.50 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($82.69 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.97 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 2GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($279.75 @ Vuugo)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($114.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Memory Express)
Total: $1189.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

 

[Ally1987]

guys, is there any program like fraps that I can see my fps and cpu mhz and all that while in game? not a complicated one

(not sure if this was the right topic to ask for this, but...)

 

[LilJoka]

guys, is there any program like fraps that I can see my fps and cpu mhz and all that while in game? not a complicated one

(not sure if this was the right topic to ask for this, but...)

MSI Afterburner lets you do that.

 

[mkenyon]

guys, is there any program like fraps that I can see my fps and cpu mhz and all that while in game? not a complicated one

(not sure if this was the right topic to ask for this, but...)

MSI Afterburner, EVGA Precision, FRAPS. Don't bother with looking at CPU load and the like, it's essentially meaningless without frame by frame analysis. Think of all that data as really broad speculation.

Need some quick help as Im ordering my PC right now. Uhh is there a difference between this one:

PSU #1

PSU #2


CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($269.99 @ Memory Express)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.50 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($82.69 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.97 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 2GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($279.75 @ Vuugo)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($114.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Memory Express)
Total: $1189.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

No appreciable difference.

 

[tarheel91]

Just to confirm, 520W should be able to support an overclocked 3570K@4.2 (stock voltage) + an overclocked 290 (stock voltage, but probably as much extra power as I can cool)? Don't see any reason to think it'd pull over 400W, but maybe I'm missing something.

Bumping to get some confirmation.

 

[mkenyon]

Bumping to get some confirmation.

Sorry for asking you to repeat information, but what 520W?

 

[tarheel91]

Sorry for asking you to repeat information, but what 520W?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0038T0V8Q/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[mkenyon]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0038T0V8Q/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Yeah, that'll be fine. Just don't push clocks on it too hard.

 

[tarheel91]

Yeah, that'll be fine. Just don't push clocks on it too hard.

Anandtech hit 418W in Crysis and 500 in Furmark with boosted voltage on the 290 and a 4960X.

http://anandtech.com/show/7601/sapphire-radeon-r9-290-review-our-first-custom-cooled-290/5

The 4960X needs ~100W more than the 3570K

http://anandtech.com/show/5771/the-intel-ivy-bridge-core-i7-3770k-review/20
http://anandtech.com/show/7601/sapphire-radeon-r9-290-review-our-first-custom-cooled-290/5

I figure as long as I don't touch the voltage I'll be good.

 

[mkenyon]

I'll be building in a few months, but I'd like your opinions on this parts list.

I am thinking about going the Mini-ITX route with this build using the EVGA Air case. This is a semi-budget build with a modest goal of 1080p with playable frame rates. No overclocking will be done.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: EVGA ACX mITX 46.5 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($39.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($104.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($76.24 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB FTW ACX Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Case: EVGA Hadron Mini ITX Tower Case w/500W Power Supply ($144.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $878.15
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

I'm assuming that the price will go down ~$30 after the 25th when MicroCenter has DevilsCanyon in stock so that I can purchase it in store.

Thanks!

I know you're really aiming for a budget build, but the lowish clock speed on the 4690 makes me iffy on the longevity. With the 4790K, you get at least a crazy good clockspeed out of the gate at 4.2GHz. It's just at an odd price spot, kind of like the GTX 770. The stuff right below it is good value on a budget, and the stuff right above it is above and beyond better. I'm not saying it is a bad part, I just have a tough time swallowing $200 for a non-OCable quad core.

But like Kennah said, if you're really stuck on this budget (and I understand), then dropping the CPU cooler for a better GPU is definitely the way to go. I'd even suggest trying to score a used one, or even a used 4670K.

 

[Nostremitus]

Anandtech hit 418W in Crysis and 500 in Furmark with boosted voltage on the 290 and a 4960X.

http://anandtech.com/show/7601/sapphire-radeon-r9-290-review-our-first-custom-cooled-290/5

The 4960X needs ~100W more than the 3570K

http://anandtech.com/show/5771/the-intel-ivy-bridge-core-i7-3770k-review/20
http://anandtech.com/show/7601/sapphire-radeon-r9-290-review-our-first-custom-cooled-290/5

I figure as long as I don't touch the voltage I'll be good.

Edit. oops

 

[mkenyon]

I think you missed the question. They were asking if their current 520W could support the planned GPU upgrade.

 

[tarheel91]

Wouldn't the Rosewill Hive 550W be a better deal?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ILWY9G/?tag=neogaf0e-20

or the 650W even

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ILWYJQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I'm just swapping out GPUs, not doing a whole build. When I go Haswell-E I plan on going for 1000W or 1200W for the Crossfire potential. If I could pick up another 290 for $300 6 months down the road it'd be a pretty sweet setup.

 

[Nostremitus]

I'm just swapping out GPUs, not doing a whole build. When I go Haswell-E I plan on going for 1000W or 1200W for the Crossfire potential. If I could pick up another 290 for $300 6 months down the road it'd be a pretty sweet setup.

I think you missed the question. They were asking if their current 520W could support the planned GPU upgrade.

Gotcha, I missed that part.

 

[Granadier]

If you aren't overclocking the stock fan that comes with your cpu is fine. Put that $40 into a better gpu.

I know you're really aiming for a budget build, but the lowish clock speed on the 4690 makes me iffy on the longevity. With the 4790K, you get at least a crazy good clockspeed out of the gate at 4.2GHz. It's just at an odd price spot, kind of like the GTX 770. The stuff right below it is good value on a budget, and the stuff right above it is above and beyond better. I'm not saying it is a bad part, I just have a tough time swallowing $200 for a non-OCable quad core.

But like Kennah said, if you're really stuck on this budget (and I understand), then dropping the CPU cooler for a better GPU is definitely the way to go. I'd even suggest trying to score a used one, or even a used 4670K.

Thanks for the input both of you.

I would like to build something in the sub-$1000 range, and since the Hadron has that massive window on the side aesthetics are important to me as well. This is the reason I looked at the 750 ti along with the EVGA cooler. The super low power draw of the 750 ti was another aspect I liked, and it seemed like the performance would be enough for the time being.

I bring up those points just to describe my reasoning is all. I can completely understand your advice, and I will be looking into changing some of the components based on what you recommended. Seeing that the 750 ti I picked is the same price as a 270 is bothersome when the 270 outperforms it everywhere except power draw. Also I think the i5 will drop to around $180 picked up from Micro Center, but still the i7 you mentioned is the better buy for longevity.

Would an air cooler like the EVGA I listed be able to handle the 4790K as long as it had a mild or no OC?

 

[mkenyon]

I'm just swapping out GPUs, not doing a whole build. When I go Haswell-E I plan on going for 1000W or 1200W for the Crossfire potential. If I could pick up another 290 for $300 6 months down the road it'd be a pretty sweet setup.

Yeah, they've done a helluva job in smoothing out their longstanding issues. They just need to be more timely with Crossfire profiles, but even if you need to disable it, you still have a fucking 290. They're so beastly for the price.

Would an air cooler like the EVGA I listed be able to handle the 4790K as long as it had a mild or no OC?

It could handle one that is overclocked.

 

[outunderthestars]

Wouldn't the Rosewill Hive 550W be a better deal?

http://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-BRONZ...=rosewill+hive

or the 650W even

http://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-BRONZ...=rosewill+hive

Are these good PSU's?

 

[Granadier]

It could handle one that is overclocked.

Great, thanks!

 

[kennah]

Great, thanks!

Sounds like you've really thought it out. I'm a huge fan of the 750 Ti myself. Want to grab one for my shitty Lenovo at work (that I've upgraded myself...)