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[shimrra]

Do you live near a Microcenter?

Do you currently have a PC with reuseable parts?


Is the $99 Pentium Anniversary/ Z97 combo still a thing there? Or was that a one day deal?


But if you absolutely NEED a sub $300 computer for homework and can't find a cheap used one, a Kabini build might work for you. The higlighted section is the FPS of the 5350's iGPU. The others are the 5350's performance using the listed dGPUs.

Abviously, if you CAN afford something better, or can afford to wait until you've saved up for something better, do that. But this is the most direct response I can give to your question.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/wwbqBm

This is perfect, thank you.

 

[Nostremitus]

This is perfect, thank you.

If you live near a Microcenter and they still have the $99 Pentium/Z97 motherboard combo, that's a better choice.

 

[mkenyon]

A bit of an update on the parts I plan on getting:

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-SOC Force
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K Haswell Quad-Core
GPU: EVGA ACX Cooler 03G-P4-2784-KR GeForce GTX 780 Superclocked
Soundcard: Xonar DGX
RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB
SSD (for OS): Crucial MX100 256GB SSD
SSD (for storage): Crucial MX100 512GB SSD
PSU: CoolerMaster V750
Heatsink: CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro Case

Any tips or suggestions on this set up? It will be used heavily for gaming, video editing, and HD streaming/recording.

(also, side question. L.A. Noire: Good PC version?)

Are you a pretty dedicated overclocker that likes to tweak with a lot of random settings? The SOC Force is a great board for the money, but if you're not going to get much use out of those fancy buttons and voltage readings, you're going to be much better served by something like the UD3H.

 

[Nostremitus]

You should completely wipe out the drivers with DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) just to be on the safe side: DDU

Thanks, downloading now.

 

[Hazaro]

Awesome, I'll look into it. Thanks!

I like the ModMic 4.0 over my Yeti as well.

 

[shandy706]

Alrighty, so I just got my PC from Ironside Computers. I know some of you were curious about their build quality, so I've taken the liberty of providing a link below that they put together for me regarding the rig. LOVING it so far. Any game recommendations though?

Here's the build: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2ZCW4J2uNU

Here's the specs:
Case: BitFenix Prodigy Vivid Green w/ Window
Processor: Intel Core i7-4770K
CPU Cooling: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus
Motherboard: ASRock Z87E-ITX
Memory: 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600MHz
Graphics Card: Nvidia Geforce GTX 780
Hard Drive: Crucial M4 256GB
Power Supply: Corsair AX860i
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium

Do the cases they offer change??

I went to look at their custom builds, and I don't see that case in the options.

 

[TaKeRx]

Guys, at the beginning of last year I bough a 7970 GHz edition. Well, I bought BF4 yesterday and while it plays really good in ultra settings it's not rock solid 60FPS. This is kind of pushing me over the edge to upgrade.

With that said, what is a good replacement? R9 290x? 780 Ti? Is there anything else? Sub $1000 is fine.

thanks

 

[kharma45]

Guys, at the beginning of last year I bough a 7970 GHz edition. Well, I bought BF4 yesterday and while it plays really good in ultra settings it's not rock solid 60FPS. This is kind of pushing me over the edge to upgrade.

With that said, what is a good replacement? R9 290x? 780 Ti? Is there anything else? Sub $1000 is fine.

thanks

Tried OCing the 7970?

 

[mkenyon]

CPU?

 

[TaKeRx]

Tried OCing the 7970?

I have not no... Maybe I should before buying a new card.

CPU?

i5-3570K/212 EVO. I have not tried to OC it yet either. Maybe I should try both.

 

[kharma45]

Yeah OC both before spending any cash.

 

[Demon Lizardman]

Tomorrow, I will be done.

 

[Stubo]

Excited for you!

 

[kharma45]

Route dem cables yo

 

[ramoisdead]

So I believe I got the gyst of this. You can ignore my previous build because I was dumb. So I think I settled on this.

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-Gaming 7
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K Haswell Quad-Core

Total: 457.25 - Microcenter

GPU: ASUS Radeon R9 290 DirectCU II ($300 - B/S/T)
G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 ($83/Newegg)
SSHD: Seagate Hybrid Drive ST1000DX001 1TB MLC/8GB 64MB Cache SATA ($80/Newegg)
SSD: Crucial MX100 512GB SSD ($212/Newegg)
PSU: SeaSonic SSR-650RM 650W ($60/Newegg)
Heatsink: CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO ($35/Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl ($80/Newegg)

Grand total: $1247.25

Price might go lower since I'll probably use Google Wallet for Newegg parts. I'm looking for a desktop to game, occasionally stream on Twitch and not have to worry about upgrading for a few years. Any feedback that needs tweaking or replacing to make it better/affordable/eliminate the unnecessary is welcomed since this is my first rig I'm ever building. I'm looking to build this in the next month.

Thanks!

 

[thematic]

any news about next gen/2nd gen Maxwell GPU?

I'm using GTX 760 + GTX 750 for gaming & mining right now, and my friend wants to buy GTX 760 for pure gaming.

since GTX 760 using a lot more wattage than 750, I really on edge to sell it to him and buy another GTX 750 for mining. but for gaming GTX 750 not as good as 760 one (no SLI support too).

unless GTX 800 series out in few months maybe?

also if I want to save a little money, would it be wise to change my i7 3770k to something lower like i5 2500k or i5 3570k? I only use it for gaming/emulators

Thanks

 

[LilJoka]

So I believe I got the gyst of this. You can ignore my previous build because I was dumb. So I think I settled on this.

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-Gaming 7
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K Haswell Quad-Core

Total: 457.25 - Microcenter

GPU: ASUS Radeon R9 290 DirectCU II ($300 - B/S/T)
G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 ($83/Newegg)
SSHD: Seagate Hybrid Drive ST1000DX001 1TB MLC/8GB 64MB Cache SATA ($80/Newegg)
SSD: Crucial MX100 512GB SSD ($212/Newegg)
PSU: SeaSonic SSR-650RM 650W ($60/Newegg)
Heatsink: CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO ($35/Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl ($80/Newegg)

Grand total: $1247.25

Price might go lower since I'll probably use Google Wallet for Newegg parts. I'm looking for a desktop to game, occasionally stream on Twitch and not have to worry about upgrading for a few years. Any feedback that needs tweaking or replacing to make it better/affordable/eliminate the unnecessary is welcomed since this is my first rig I'm ever building. I'm looking to build this in the next month.

Thanks!

Have you thought about going mATX or mITX? If you arent going to run multi GPU setups or a dedicated sound card there isnt a need to go ATX.

 

[tarheel91]

any news about next gen/2nd gen Maxwell GPU?

I'm using GTX 760 + GTX 750 for gaming & mining right now, and my friend wants to buy GTX 760 for pure gaming.

since GTX 760 using a lot more wattage than 750, I really on edge to sell it to him and buy another GTX 750 for mining. but for gaming GTX 750 not as good as 760 one (no SLI support too).

unless GTX 800 series out in few months maybe?

also if I want to save a little money, would it be wise to change my i7 3770k to something lower like i5 2500k or i5 3570k? I only use it for gaming/emulators

Thanks

http://videocardz.com/50980/nvidia-geforce-gtx-880-pictured

Why are you using an Nvidia card for mining?

 

[mkenyon]

The lower power draw on the 750Ti makes it a good mining card despite the slow speed in actually doing it.

 

[clockworkinyou]

Looking to upgrade my from my HD 6870, since Divinity looks strange, and I think I'll need an upgrade for GTAV.

Is the 4GB card 760 worth the extra $30 over the 2GB version? - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

 

[Thraktor]

So, after lurking these threads for what seems like (and probably is) years, I've decided to bite the bullet and build myself a gaming PC. I'm trying to keep things relatively modest, both to keep it affordable, and because it'll be hooked up to my TV, so 1080p 60fps is the max I'll be able to hit anyway.

Here's what I'm looking at:

Motherboard - ASUS H81I-PLUS
CPU - Intel Core i3-4150
RAM - Crucial Ballistix Sport (4GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s CL9 @ 1.5V
GPU - MSI Radeon R9 280 Gaming Edition OC 3GB
SSD - 128GB Crucial MX100
HDD - WD Blue 1TB
PSU - CoolerMaster GM Series G550M
Case - Fractal Design Node 304

I'm aware that it's a bit of a lopsided system, with the R9 280 paired with an i3, but that's only because Overclockers are doing a deal on the 280 for £149 this week, which is only slightly more than the 270X I was planning on going with.

Opinions and/or advice are welcome, but I'm fairly set on each of the components at this point, and will probably order everything in the next day or two. I've spent the past few years gaming on a MacBook Pro with a 6750M, so I'm looking forward to being able to give my Steam library some hardware that can do it justice.

 

[hipbabboom]

My 290 just came! Oh joy! Can't wait to install it this weekend <3

 

[thematic]

http://videocardz.com/50980/nvidia-geforce-gtx-880-pictured

Why are you using an Nvidia card for mining?

The lower power draw on the 750Ti makes it a good mining card despite the slow speed in actually doing it.

yes GTX 750 Ti is quite good with mining and only use 60W
it currently has the best performance per watt

as for the GTX 760, I bought it for Arkham Origins and haven't mine coins at that time, that's why I want to replace it with newer energy-efficient GPU, preferably nVidia because I fancy Physx in games

Thanks for the link, still undecided to sell GTX 760 or not
currently I play Tomb Raider, with GTX 760 I can do Ultimate (with TressFX) as for GTX 750 maybe I can only hit Medium/High

 

[Tablo]

4690K arrived this morning, just the motherboard left to come and I'll be building this weekend. Hype!

I hope you get a godly 4690K!
#hype

 

[tarheel91]

My 290 just came! Oh joy! Can't wait to install it this weekend <3

It's a five minute swap. No need to wait! Unless you're that busy.

 

[Diablos]

Put together my new PC last night. Realized afterward I had forgotten to put the I/O shield in. #firstworldproblems

I hate, hate, hate I/O shields. One of the leftovers from vintage PC days that has yet to be improved upon.

 

[Rebel Leader]

New MB arriving tomarrow

 

[M3z_]

I find myself in a terrible dilemma... I find myself increasingly drawn to either getting the upcoming Asus Swift monitor, or the Asus 4K monitor. Why must these feelings exist?! Both would require me to rethink my video card situation. I am so stupid.

 

[hipbabboom]

It's a five minute swap. No need to wait! Unless you're that busy.

Yeah.. but I need to move two sets of components (video card and gpu) between two different systems. Both coolers need to have the motherboard completely removed to get at the clamps on the other side.

My older rig is going to get the hand-me downs: NHD-14 cooler and 670 GTX
My newer rig is going to get the goods: H55 cooler and R9 290

 

[Pegosaurus]

ModMic 4.0. I like the sound a lot better than the Blue (Yeti, Snowball) products. It comes with a few magnets, so you could place one on the desk where you want it, and one on your headphones.

Yes. Third post in thread is what you're looking for. Also fill out bullet point questions from the OP.

I read the third post, and the others, but I'm not sure which one suits my needs best. As for bullets

Your Current Specs: No current desktop
Budget: USA, preferably under $800
Main Use: General Usage (5) Gaming (4) Emulation (5)
Monitor Resolution: 1920 x 1080
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Dolphin/PS2 Emulator
Looking to reuse any parts?: No
When will you build?: preferably before september
Will you be overclocking?: I don't know

 

[appaws]

I know it has been said already in this thread but I'd like to express my love for the Corsair 540 air case. By far the easiest build I've ever done. There are two special trays to snap in a ssd or hdd. The motherboard tray has a center pin to make sure all the screws line up. Even attaching cpu cooler bottom brackets like the 212 evo is a breeze as the motherboard mounting tray is open right over the CPU. The hardest time I had was sliding in my DVD drive in one of the 5.25" bays, but it wasn't too bad. I can't think of another case I'll use in a long time.

I agree. A splendid case. It makes everybody look like a layout and cable routing genius!

Hi PC GAF, I have a question or two for you guys. I'm looking to build a small PC to play games with (if small isn't efficient I can go for a larger tower, not a huge deal.) I really want to use the Dolphin and PS2 emulators, as well as play some steam games. Not a huge AAA gamer though. I'm wondering what would be the cheapest way to do this all efficiently? I've never built a PC before, but if it's cheaper than getting a laptop that could do the same stuff then I'm interested in it.

The OP has small form factor builds that may be right up your alley. I'm not an expert on running emulators, so I will leave specific component recs up to others...

Question regarding fans for a new build I am doing.

Looking to find some good green LED fans. Corsair has the SP120/140 listed on their website as green but I can't find them anywhere online (might not be out yet).

I went with Noctua NF-A14 FLX for two front intake fans since those will be covered so color won't matter much for them but I am looking for green fans for the build for exhaust and heatsink, etc. where I could see a green glow through the window.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

I have Cougar LED fans in blue. They are the best fans I have owned. They also make them in green. On sale now too....
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835553011

So I believe I got the gyst of this. You can ignore my previous build because I was dumb. So I think I settled on this.

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-Gaming 7
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K Haswell Quad-Core

Total: 457.25 - Microcenter

GPU: ASUS Radeon R9 290 DirectCU II ($300 - B/S/T)
G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 ($83/Newegg)
SSHD: Seagate Hybrid Drive ST1000DX001 1TB MLC/8GB 64MB Cache SATA ($80/Newegg)
SSD: Crucial MX100 512GB SSD ($212/Newegg)
PSU: SeaSonic SSR-650RM 650W ($60/Newegg)
Heatsink: CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO ($35/Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl ($80/Newegg)

Grand total: $1247.25

Price might go lower since I'll probably use Google Wallet for Newegg parts. I'm looking for a desktop to game, occasionally stream on Twitch and not have to worry about upgrading for a few years. Any feedback that needs tweaking or replacing to make it better/affordable/eliminate the unnecessary is welcomed since this is my first rig I'm ever building. I'm looking to build this in the next month.

Thanks!

Looks great. I think this is about the ideal for a price/performance build right now. Why the hybrid drive, though...? If you are going for a 512gig SSD, I would think you would just go for a regular HD for storage.

 

[Diablos]

What's next on the horizon for Intel? Will there ever come a time where I can get an i5 for $125-150?

 

[Hazaro]

What's next on the horizon for Intel? Will there ever come a time where I can get an i5 for $125-150?

Of course.

Spoiler

No. Not a K version anytime soon it seems.

For the horizon, probably 5% IPC increases until we suffer from heat death of the universe.

 

[Himynameischris]

Hey guys so I'm ready to buy my processor and I had selected this one

Intel Core i5-4460 LGA 1150 CPU - BX80646I54460

Then I got an email from Amazon with all of these in the same price range...and now I'm confused, is there a major different between these? Any help??

Intel I5-4440 Processor BX80646I54440

Intel Core i5-4590 LGA 1150 - BX80646I54590

Intel Core i5-4590S Processor - BX80646I54590S

Intel Core i5-4430 Quad-Core Desktop
Processor 3.0 GHz 6 MB Cache LGA 1150 - BX80646I54430

Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics BX80646I54570

Intel Core i5-4570S Quad-Core Desktop Processor 2.9 GHZ 6MB Cache- BX80646I54570S

 

[SHADES]

yes GTX 750 Ti is quite good with mining and only use 60W
it currently has the best performance per watt

as for the GTX 760, I bought it for Arkham Origins and haven't mine coins at that time, that's why I want to replace it with newer energy-efficient GPU, preferably nVidia because I fancy Physx in games

Thanks for the link, still undecided to sell GTX 760 or not
currently I play Tomb Raider, with GTX 760 I can do Ultimate (with TressFX) as for GTX 750 maybe I can only hit Medium/High

When I had my GTX 750 ti SC in my rig I could run tomb raider on high as per GeForce experience recommended settings. Swapped out for a 670 FTW ATM. Is it worth putting my 750 back in for mining?

 

[Renekton]

Looking to upgrade my from my HD 6870, since Divinity looks strange, and I think I'll need an upgrade for GTAV.

Is the 4GB card 760 worth the extra $30 over the 2GB version? - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Only if you plan to SLI later i think. Supposedly single 760 won't run a game at a high enough res/texture/effects to require 4GB.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Hey guys so I'm ready to buy my processor and I had selected this one

Intel Core i5-4460 LGA 1150 CPU - BX80646I54460

Then I got an email from Amazon with all of these in the same price range...and now I'm confused, is there a major different between these? Any help??

Intel I5-4440 Processor BX80646I54440

Intel Core i5-4590 LGA 1150 - BX80646I54590

Intel Core i5-4590S Processor - BX80646I54590S

Intel Core i5-4430 Quad-Core Desktop
Processor 3.0 GHz 6 MB Cache LGA 1150 - BX80646I54430

Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics BX80646I54570

Intel Core i5-4570S Quad-Core Desktop Processor 2.9 GHZ 6MB Cache- BX80646I54570S

My guess is that they differ in Processor Speed

 

[eBay Huckster]

Today (and tomorrow)'s obscene Newegg PSU deal for anyone who needs something over 600W: the SeaSonic SS-760XP for $99.99 ($124.99 after promo code, plus a $25 MIR)

 

[thematic]

When I had my GTX 750 ti SC in my rig I could run tomb raider on high as per GeForce experience recommended settings. Swapped out for a 670 FTW ATM. Is it worth putting my 750 back in for mining?

for mining? Yes, it has the best performance per watt today
but it's tough choice if you only have 1 PCIe x16, a PCIe riser will help though

weird thing is, after I remove the GTX 760, GE still recommend "Ultra" setting for Tomb Raider... lol.. maybe I should reinstall the driver then

come on nVidia... gimme your 2nd Gen Maxwell

 

[Nostremitus]

You should completely wipe out the drivers with DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) just to be on the safe side: DDU

Did this, my framerate in Unigen went from the high 90's low 100s to mid 60s low 70s, but it's not crashing anymore. Once I get everything situated I may try overclocking and see if I can get back to those numbers.

So far, every game is working except Battlefield 3. It still stalls on the loading screen. Any ideas?

 

[NekoToshiro]

So I was reading through the thread and I didn't quite see the answer for what I'm looking for. I was wondering what's better for gaming, Intel or AMD?

I was thinking of building an Intel gaming PC. Because I have my old Power Supply, Graphics card, and case. I would just need a new Mobo, CPU, and RAM.

 

[Schryver]

I plan to leave my NZXT's front intake fans as they came and am adding a couple exhaust fans to pull air out of the top. The first H80i fan will be intake from the rear into the radiator. Which direction should I have the second fan going? I'm thinking into the case but maybe the other direction so more air can go into the radiator? (even though that air will be warm)

Anyone have thoughts on this? Thanks

 

[Reven]

Stick with Intel. AMD is not worth it, even with the large price disparity. Especially for gaming.

 

[mrpeabody]

Hey guys so I'm ready to buy my processor and I had selected this one

Intel Core i5-4460 LGA 1150 CPU - BX80646I54460

Then I got an email from Amazon with all of these in the same price range...and now I'm confused, is there a major different between these? Any help??

Intel I5-4440 Processor BX80646I54440

Intel Core i5-4590 LGA 1150 - BX80646I54590

Intel Core i5-4590S Processor - BX80646I54590S

Intel Core i5-4430 Quad-Core Desktop
Processor 3.0 GHz 6 MB Cache LGA 1150 - BX80646I54430

Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics BX80646I54570

Intel Core i5-4570S Quad-Core Desktop Processor 2.9 GHZ 6MB Cache- BX80646I54570S

Speed and power consumption (S variants are low-power).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_Core_i5_microprocessors#Haswell_microarchitecture

 

[Dr.Acula]

Anyone have thoughts on this? Thanks

Good article from the OP.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2012/02/10/the-big-cooling-investigation/1

Moved my front intake to the side and it's so much cooler!

 

[Diablos]

Of course.

Spoiler

No. Not a K version anytime soon it seems.

For the horizon, probably 5% IPC increases until we suffer from heat death of the universe.

Haha. Nice one.

Yeah well that is unfortunate. I wish AMD would figure something out.

 

[NekoToshiro]

Stick with Intel. AMD is not worth it, even with the large price disparity. Especially for gaming.

So i7's are the newest ones. Which is the best socket for them? I was thinking of purchasing the i7-4770, which is a LGA1150.

 

[Himynameischris]

Speed and power consumption (S variants are low-power).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_Core_i5_microprocessors#Haswell_microarchitecture

Oh ok...any big advantage from one to the other? The difference in price is like $10, should I just go with what I originally picked?

 

[clockworkinyou]

Only if you plan to SLI later i think. Supposedly single 760 won't run a game at a high enough res/texture/effects to require 4GB.

That's a no, then, right?

Sorry, just confused and not sure of the benefits of 4GB vs 2GB.

 

[Rizzi]

Would an i5 2400 bottleneck a gtx 770?