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"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 1. Read the OP and RISE ABOVE FORGED PRECISION SCIENCE

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Idba

Member
After a lot of procrastinating and mulling it over I'm about to order a ben q RL2455HM monitor
http://www.displaylag.com/benq-rl2455hm-professional-gaming-monitor-review/
It seems like the best reviewed/least flawed in its price range

only 60 hz, only 1080p, TN panel, but good response time and low input lag, just hoping the panel (beyond being TN)/backlight/coating aren't garbage
Does anyone here happen to have one of these and have an opinion on it?
Also there wouldn't be a newer version of this out recently or something right?

I wanted a 120hz and/or gsync but they are way too expensive for being TN panels, I can't justify paying that (and for now my potato hardware isn't up to the task of 120 hz anyhow).
So the plan is to use this one till I replace the rest of my pc, pray there's an oled monitor by then or at least some mature freesync 120hz lcd (VA with tn style response time would be something) monitors, and use this benq one as a second monitor for browsing/streams/youtube while playing games.

I have it and i love it, but theres a newer version with more features so Id recommend that one instead
 

RGM79

Member
any good recommendations for
(1) Storage HDD - I need to replace my 640GB WD Black SATA2 and 1TB WD Green SATA2
(2) ext Reader for HDD/SSD - to help with backups etc

For hard drives, Hitachi/HGST, Toshiba, and Western Digital are generally fine. Going with 5200/5400/5900 RPM won't save you any money, so you might as well get 7200 RPM, they're usually either the same or sometimes cheaper. How large of a drive do you need? How are you storing the bare drives?

For item number two, there are a few different ways you can go about it: a hard drive dock, hotswap bay, external enclosure, or a USB to SATA kit. They have different pros and conveniences.

A hard drive dock is an external stand with a USB connection that you slot hard drives into from above. It's useful around the home or office if you need to connect bare hard drives with a couple of different PCs and you don't want to buy multiple readers.

A hotswap bay is essentially the same thing but it goes into a unused 5.25" optical bay in your PC's case, you can plug in hard drives as needed and eject them through a door. If you only have one PC you need to connect bare hard drives to, this is convenient - you install it into your PC and you won't need to mess with USB cables or power adaptors whenever you want to access a hard drive.

An external enclosure turns a bare hard drive into an external drive, of course. Aside from USB connections, some enclosures also have ethernet capability so you can plug them into a router's network for basic server functionality. More expensive enclosures go in the NAS (network attached storage) category, they may hold multiple hard drives and come with built in software for server functions like serving files, media streaming, backup, etc. Changing enclosures is a pain though, so you will need an enclosure for each drive.

A USB to SATA kit is just a set of USB and power cables and a SATA adaptor to directly connect a bare hard drive to a PC. It's the most portable solution, I carry a set in my PC repair toolbox in case I need it.

alright, so I am not really knowledgeable when it comes to CPU's. Right now I have an i5-3350p.

I am looking to get a new one and think I have come down to either an i7-4790k, or an i7-4820k. I am assuming either of these would be a major upgrade from what I have, would that be correct? I have tried to do a little bit of research between the two, which I think has lead me to believe the 4790k is better? Any guidance would be appreciated. Just seems strange because I can get the 4790 for cheaper than the 4820

The 4820K is for the outdated X79 high end motherboard platform, which was replaced by the current generation 5820K and X99 motherboard platform, so you should be looking at the 5820K. Both the 4790K and 5820K are current generation processors. Either way, you are right, upgrading to the 4790K or 5820K is a major upgrade. You will need to buy a new motherboard at the very least, and new DDR4 RAM and a CPU cooler if you want to go with the 5820K.

The 4790K has similar specs to the 4820K, but much higher base clock speed so the 4790K should give the 4820K a run for its money. The 4820K is also discontinued, so any remaining stock is selling for an inflated price because of dwindling supply, and because the sellers know that if anyone needs a replacement CPU but is still using the X79 motherboard will have no choice but to buy the 4820K at inflated prices if they don't want to shell out hundreds more to replace the otherwise working motherboard and RAM as well.

Anyway, let's put this into perspective - how much money do you intend to budget for an upgrade? The 4790K and Z97 motherboards are sold as a middle-range consumer products, that will cost around $400? You can reuse your existing RAM and the processor comes with a basic CPU cooler.

On the other hand, the 5820K and X99 motherboard plus new DDR4 RAM plus CPU cooler are sold as high end enthusiast parts, at the very least you're looking to spend somewhere around $700.
 
The 4820K is for the outdated X79 high end motherboard platform, which was replaced by the current generation 5820K and X99 motherboard platform, so you should be looking at the 5820K. Both the 4790K and 5820K are current generation processors. Either way, you are right, upgrading to the 4790K or 5820K is a major upgrade. You will need to buy a new motherboard at the very least, and new DDR4 RAM and a CPU cooler if you want to go with the 5820K.

The 4790K has similar specs to the 4820K, but much higher base clock speed so the 4790K should give the 4820K a run for its money. The 4820K is also discontinued, so any remaining stock is selling for an inflated price because of dwindling supply, and because the sellers know that if anyone needs a replacement CPU but is still using the X79 motherboard will have no choice but to buy the 4820K at inflated prices if they don't want to shell out hundreds more to replace the otherwise working motherboard and RAM as well.

Anyway, let's put this into perspective - how much money do you intend to budget for an upgrade? The 4790K and Z97 motherboards are sold as a middle-range consumer products, that will cost around $400? You can reuse your existing RAM and the processor comes with a basic CPU cooler.

On the other hand, the 5820K and X99 motherboard plus new DDR4 RAM plus CPU cooler are sold as high end enthusiast parts, at the very least you're looking to spend somewhere around $700.

I was not aware at all that I would need a new motherboard. This is what I have right now http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157304

The prices for the CPU's wont be relatable to anyone here probably. My brother in law works for Intel. Just to throw one out there, I can get the 4790k for 173.25. This price was given to me by him a few months ago, so its possible it went down even more. I think this is the one that I would end up going with, the other one seems kind of too much for me, with requiring a new MB and all that lol. I was just going to upgrade my CPU and video card(I have a 760) to a 970.
 

RGM79

Member
I was not aware at all that I would need a new motherboard. This is what I have right now http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157304

The prices for the CPU's wont be relatable to anyone here probably. My brother in law works for Intel. Just to throw one out there, I can get the 4790k for 173.25. This price was given to me by him a few months ago, so its possible it went down even more. I think this is the one that I would end up going with, the other one seems kind of too much for me, with requiring a new MB and all that lol. I was just going to upgrade my CPU and video card(I have a 760) to a 970.

Unfortunately, you will definitely need a new motherboard, your Z75 motherboard (socket 1155) is a few generations old and isn't compatible. Current generation processors like the 4790K that he recommended will only work in socket 1150, for which we recommend Z97 motherboards.

In that case, you can get the 4790K through your brother in law for a low price and then just spend around $100 USD on a decent Z97 motherboard. You will be able to reuse your current RAM with the new motherboard.
 
Unfortunately, you will definitely need a new motherboard, your Z75 motherboard (socket 1155) is a few generations old and isn't compatible. Current generation processors like the 4790K that he recommended will only work in socket 1150, for which we recommend Z97 motherboards.

In that case, you can get the 4790K through your brother in law for a low price and then just spend around $100 USD on a decent Z97 motherboard. You will be able to reuse your current RAM with the new motherboard.

Ah ok, thanks for the info. Not sure I would be able to do the CPU, motherboard, and video card all at once. Do you have a recommendation on which one would be more beneficial first between getting the CPU and MB or just the video card? I will eventually get all of it, but might need to split it up
 
Okay, GAF, I'm at the end of my fucking rope. Help me out here, please.

Finished installing every component earlier in the day.

After several attempts to power on my PC were unsuccessful due to improperly secured cables, I've run into another problem.

My current problem:

The motherboard's LCD showed the error FE. A quick search revealed that it was either no memory detected or defective memory.

I anticipated this because I didn't feel like the RAM connected properly when I was assembling everything.

The motherboard I'm using is the Asus Maximus VII Hero and I'm using Kingston HyperX Fury 1866Mhz DDR3 for my RAM. I've read plenty of guides and watched how-to videos over the past day, but it just doesn't seem to work correctly in my build.

First, only one side opens on each of the four RAM slots. Though the RAM should fit into the RAM slots and is the right shape, it doesn't feel like it is. When I manage to get the RAM sticks properly aligned in their respective slots, they don't seem to descend all the way into the slot. Consequently, the resounding click I'm supposed to hear never occurs and the locking mechanism never secures the RAM.


Is it possible my motherboard or RAM is defective? I've applied all reasonable force to the RAM to get it into the slot without breaking it.

After trying several times to properly secure the RAM in its slot(s) since first receiving the FE error, I've mainly seen error code 55.

tl;dr I need help getting my RAM into its proper position.

Any help's appreciated, thanks in advance.
 

Bleeether

Member
When I manage to get the RAM sticks properly aligned in their respective slots, they don't seem to descend all the way into the slot. Consequently, the resounding click I'm supposed to hear never occurs and the locking mechanism never secures the RAM.[/b].

There are two(one?) prongs that clip over the ram when they are all the way in. They usually snap over the ram automatically, if they haven't then you have to put more pressure or manually clip them over.

If the locking mechanism isn't securing your ram, then that is definitely the problem.
 

RGM79

Member
Ah ok, thanks for the info. Not sure I would be able to do the CPU, motherboard, and video card all at once. Do you have a recommendation on which one would be more beneficial first between getting the CPU and MB or just the video card? I will eventually get all of it, but might need to split it up
New CPU and motherboard will mean reinstalling Windows, while dropping in a new graphics card won't. How big of a difference in performance there will be will depend on what kind of games you play, but I'd say the new graphics card is easier to do first and will result in a decent framerate boost.

Okay, GAF, I'm at the end of my fucking rope. Help me out here, please.

Finished installing every component earlier in the day.

After several attempts to power on my PC were unsuccessful due to improperly secured cables, I've run into another problem.

My current problem:

The motherboard's LCD showed the error FE. A quick search revealed that it was either no memory detected or defective memory.

I anticipated this because I didn't feel like the RAM connected properly when I was assembling everything.

The motherboard I'm using is the Asus Maximus VII Hero and I'm using Kingston HyperX Fury 1866Mhz DDR3 for my RAM. I've read plenty of guides and watched how-to videos over the past day, but it just doesn't seem to work correctly in my build.

First, only one side opens on each of the four RAM slots. Though the RAM should fit into the RAM slots and is the right shape, it doesn't feel like it is. When I manage to get the RAM sticks properly aligned in their respective slots, they don't seem to descend all the way into the slot. Consequently, the resounding click I'm supposed to hear never occurs and the locking mechanism never secures the RAM.


Is it possible my motherboard or RAM is defective? I've applied all reasonable force to the RAM to get it into the slot without breaking it.

After trying several times to properly secure the RAM in its slot(s) since first receiving the FE error, I've mainly seen error code 55.

tl;dr I need help getting my RAM into its proper position.

Any help's appreciated, thanks in advance.
When you install the RAM, does it slot in evenly or is one end raised higher? Have you aligned the notch in the RAM slot with the notch on the RAM slots? See this image:

pic5.jpg


Only one plastic clip/tab opening on each end of the slot is fine. It's a newer and simpler slot design.

Can you be more specific when you say the RAM sticks aren't fully descending? It feels as though something is preventing it from being fully slotted in (the plastic notch)?

Not hearing a click is bad, so is the the fact that the locking clip doesn't catch the end of the RAM stick.

Perhaps pictures would help?
 

LiquidMetal14

hide your water-based mammals
Final build parts are ordered.

Asus x99 Pro
5930k
16gb Kingston HyperX 3000mhz
760t case
EVGA Supernova 1300w
DEMCiflex case filters
H110i GT
4 SP140 fans
Sleeved white PSU cables
256gb xp941 M.2
250gb 850 Evo
1tb WD Blue HDD
2 G1 970's

About $3000 even with some savings here and there. Already have a 4tb HDD and optical drive as well as accessories and Windows 8.1 Pro.
 

Jarsonot

Member
I'm getting a 512GB SSD and a 2 terabyte HD. Couple of questions about their utilization.

I'm planning on putting my operating system (win8.1) on the SSD. I figure I have enough storage on there, doubt it will ever come down to me needing 20 or so more gig and can't find ANYTHING I could move off of it.

I know I should put whatever game(s) I'm currently playing on the SSD, but im wondering what your opinions are on what else goes on there...

And do you find yourself transferring things between your 2 storage mediums often? Or really just installing/uninstalling games on the SSD, keeping most everything else on the HD?

In brief: what programs do you find more useful to keep on the SSD, and how often do you find yourself transferring files between the two? (I would think it's now-and-then vs often)
 
Is it a good time to buy a new PC or should I wait for DX12 graphic cards and/or. new CPUs?
It's always a good time to build a new PC.The thing is that there's always new things coming out every couple months. You're better off building what you want now instead of waiting because there's no point in waiting unless you want the absolute best at that time.

There should be new Intel CPUs and AMD's 300 series of GPUs out in the next couple months if you do decide on waiting.
 

wilflare

Member
For hard drives, Hitachi/HGST, Toshiba, and Western Digital are generally fine. Going with 5200/5400/5900 RPM won't save you any money, so you might as well get 7200 RPM, they're usually either the same or sometimes cheaper. How large of a drive do you need? How are you storing the bare drives?

For item number two, there are a few different ways you can go about it: a hard drive dock, hotswap bay, external enclosure, or a USB to SATA kit. They have different pros and conveniences.

A hard drive dock is an external stand with a USB connection that you slot hard drives into from above. It's useful around the home or office if you need to connect bare hard drives with a couple of different PCs and you don't want to buy multiple readers.

A hotswap bay is essentially the same thing but it goes into a unused 5.25" optical bay in your PC's case, you can plug in hard drives as needed and eject them through a door. If you only have one PC you need to connect bare hard drives to, this is convenient - you install it into your PC and you won't need to mess with USB cables or power adaptors whenever you want to access a hard drive.

An external enclosure turns a bare hard drive into an external drive, of course. Aside from USB connections, some enclosures also have ethernet capability so you can plug them into a router's network for basic server functionality. More expensive enclosures go in the NAS (network attached storage) category, they may hold multiple hard drives and come with built in software for server functions like serving files, media streaming, backup, etc. Changing enclosures is a pain though, so you will need an enclosure for each drive.

A USB to SATA kit is just a set of USB and power cables and a SATA adaptor to directly connect a bare hard drive to a PC. It's the most portable solution, I carry a set in my PC repair toolbox in case I need it.

thank you so much :D this is one of the most informative replies i've ever seen :O


for my first question - I'm actually looking at a 1TB or 2TB replacement to really just store all my data. maybe 1TB to replace the 640GB for apps and a 2TB for all my media files

for the second question - I ended up going with this dock from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N1KXE9K/?tag=neogaf0e-20 - really just need it to easily back-up old drives or copy over data, etc
 

Crisium

Member
It's always a good time to build a new PC.The thing is that there's always new things coming out every couple months. You're better off building what you want now instead of waiting because there's no point in waiting unless you want the absolute best at that time.

There should be new Intel CPUs and AMD's 300 series of GPUs out in the next couple months if you do decide on waiting.

I don't see prices changing too much soon though. 380x might force a small reduction to the 980 and maybe 970, but 290 is already so ridiculously cheap I don't see that card losing its place as the goto best bang for the buck.

If you intend to go for the single GPU crown, wait. 980 is only a pretender (a 2560 or 3072 Maxwell is coming, not to mention the 380x). If you want the best high end value per dollar, I doubt waiting will result in significant 290 drops for a long time.
 

The Boat

Member
It's always a good time to build a new PC.The thing is that there's always new things coming out every couple months. You're better off building what you want now instead of waiting because there's no point in waiting unless you want the absolute best at that time.

There should be new Intel CPUs and AMD's 300 series of GPUs out in the next couple months if you do decide on waiting.
I don't see prices changing too much soon though. 380x might force a small reduction to the 980 and maybe 970, but 290 is already so ridiculously cheap I don't see that card losing its place as the goto best bang for the buck.

If you intend to go for the single GPU crown, wait. 980 is only a pretender (a 2560 or 3072 Maxwell is coming, not to mention the 380x). If you want the best high end value per dollar, I doubt waiting will result in significant 290 drops for a long time.


Yeah, it's true that there will always be the next big thing coming out, but if it's a matter of two or three months I can wait. I just don't know if we have any sort of timeline or price range for these new launches and I don't know if prices for "old" things will drop.

I won't be able to buy a high end PC anyway, maybe around 700€ (already have HDD and monitor),
 

Dwalls

Neo Member
Dudes is there anyway to disable speedstepping selectively when a particular program runs?

I ask because Ableton Live 8 is being an asshole whenever I enable multicore support and will allow my pc to speedstep all the way down to 700hz at which point I get audio dropouts and crackling from my external asio soundcard which sucks massive donkeyballs. The only solution I've found so far is to either run my pc without the power saving features which doesn't seem like the greatest of ideas, or to disable multicore support which sucks because it is a multicore processor. I'm just running it on a single core(where it runs fine because my i7 4790k clock up to 4,28 ghz) for now but it's kind of dissapointing to me that it's doing this.
 

RGM79

Member
Dudes is there anyway to disable speedstepping selectively when a particular program runs?

I ask because Ableton Live 8 is being an asshole whenever I enable multicore support and will allow my pc to speedstep all the way down to 700hz at which point I get audio dropouts and crackling from my external asio soundcard which sucks massive donkeyballs. The only solution I've found so far is to either run my pc without the power saving features which doesn't seem like the greatest of ideas, or to disable multicore support which sucks because it is a multicore processor. I'm just running it on a single core(where it runs fine because my i7 4790k clock up to 4,28 ghz) for now but it's kind of dissapointing to me that it's doing this.

Gigabyte's App Centre utility may allow you to change that setting from inside the utility, but I am not sure. I know that it does have settings for power-saving options, I'm just not sure if Speedstep/EIST can be set from within Windows.

It's not perfect, but you may be able to manually turn it off when you need it and re-enable it after. Speedstep/EIST isn't a software function, so I'm not sure how well it can be controlled via software.
 
There are two(one?) prongs that clip over the ram when they are all the way in. They usually snap over the ram automatically, if they haven't then you have to put more pressure or manually clip them over.

If the locking mechanism isn't securing your ram, then that is definitely the problem.

New CPU and motherboard will mean reinstalling Windows, while dropping in a new graphics card won't. How big of a difference in performance there will be will depend on what kind of games you play, but I'd say the new graphics card is easier to do first and will result in a decent framerate boost.


When you install the RAM, does it slot in evenly or is one end raised higher? Have you aligned the notch in the RAM slot with the notch on the RAM slots? See this image:

pic5.jpg


Only one plastic clip/tab opening on each end of the slot is fine. It's a newer and simpler slot design.

Can you be more specific when you say the RAM sticks aren't fully descending? It feels as though something is preventing it from being fully slotted in (the plastic notch)?

Not hearing a click is bad, so is the the fact that the locking clip doesn't catch the end of the RAM stick.

Perhaps pictures would help?

Thanks, guys. I'm currently in the BIOS.

I made sure the RAM was positioned properly and pushed it (from left to right) and eventually it locked into place.
 

Dwalls

Neo Member
Gigabyte's App Centre utility may allow you to change that setting from inside the utility, but I am not sure. I know that it does have settings for power-saving options, I'm just not sure if Speedstep/EIST can be set from within Windows.

It's not perfect, but you may be able to manually turn it off when you need it and re-enable it after. Speedstep/EIST isn't a software function, so I'm not sure how well it can be controlled via software.

I don't really want to disable speedstep for the entire system though. I appreciate the low wattage idling etc. I just wanted to disable it while that specific program runs. It's probably down to ableton live being a pain in the ass though, I should consider switching to a DAW that doesn't suck humongous piles of ass 99% of the time. I haven't installed the gigabyte app center since I saw no reason too in all honesty. If it's not a software function I'll just continue running it on a single core since it seems to perform better that way than my i5 760 did. I will contact their support to let them know their multicore performance is borked though.
 

Smokey

Member
Final build parts are ordered.

Asus x99 Pro
5930k
16gb Kingston HyperX 3000mhz
760t case
EVGA Supernova 1300w
DEMCiflex case filters
H110i GT
4 SP140 fans
Sleeved white PSU cables
256gb xp941 M.2
250gb 850 Evo
1tb WD Blue HDD
2 G1 970's

About $3000 even with some savings here and there. Already have a 4tb HDD and optical drive as well as accessories and Windows 8.1 Pro.

You went with the 970s even after VRAM-gate?
 
A SATA3 cable? Unless your motherboard actually came with more than 2. I had to run out in the middle of my build (day after actually) to pick up an extra sata cable. It was a huge pain slotting it with my giant ass 980 blocking the sata ports too.

SATA3 is the flat cable right? I should have one, but I'll buy an extra one just in case.
 

NoRéN

Member
Nope, didn't appear when I plugged it into any of the SATA ports, so it's probably defective.

Did it show up in BIOS? or Disk Management?

Just remembered, when I added a second SSD I had to do the following:

right click My Computer > manage > disk management > look for new drive > right click new drive > format
 
NoRéN;151057529 said:
Did it show up in BIOS? or Disk Management?

If by Disk Management you mean in the Windows Setup, no. Not in the BIOS either.

Fake edit: Shit, I'm a moron. It needs a power cable, doesn't it?
 

Jarsonot

Member
Hey all. I've got a Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 MOBO, and I want to add a wireless network card that also has Bluetooth support. Can I just get any old card that fits in a PCIE slot?

I'm looking at the GC-WB300D gigabyte card. Should work, right?

Edit: looking at the GC-WB867D-I too.. It's cheaper =)
 

T Dollarz

Member
Alright guys, I'm picking up a brand new custom built gaming PC from a guy I know tonight for $500 (No OS installed, no monitor/mouse/keyboard). Looking to get a monitor and wireless keyboard for it. Any good deals right now? Also, how bout computer chairs? Thanks!
 

reKon

Banned
Struggled yesterday with building this PC. Silverstones directions suck (my first time building). It's also challenging because of the noctua cooler in using with this mini itx build. Hoping I can finish this later today.
 

Chinbo37

Member
Any reason to shop by brand when picking a GPU? I have an EVGA 680 and thinking of upgrading. I see brands like Zotac, Gainward. Are these worse than MSI/Asus/EVGA?

Is it just a brand name issue?
 
Any reason to shop by brand when picking a GPU? I have an EVGA 680 and thinking of upgrading. I see brands like Zotac, Gainward. Are these worse than MSI/Asus/EVGA?

Is it just a brand name issue?

I think it mostly comes down to warranty and customer service when shopping around for different brands. When your paying over $300 for a new card, I'd want to make sure the company I bought it from is going to stand by their products. I believe EVGA has a feature where you can transfer the warranty to a second owner if you decide to buy it used from another seller which is nice to have.
 
Alrighty, got my return and I need something to replace my 8+ year old piece of poop. This is what I've got so far with a ~$1500 limit, not including the case since I've already bought that (it's that lovely Enthoo Pro from Haz's list). Any opinions/criticisms/changes would be lovely:

CPU: i7 4790k
Motherboard: ASUS Z97-A
RAM: Ripjaws X Series 16gb (2 x 8)
GPU: Gigabyte GTX970
SSD: Crucial MX100 512gb
HDD: Western Digital WD Blue 1tb
Power Supply: Cooler Master V750
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO

This gets me to about $1350, so I still have an extra $150-200 to play around with if someone feels I should do something better/different with a part.
 

kharma45

Member
Alrighty, got my return and I need something to replace my 8+ year old piece of poop. This is what I've got so far with a ~$1500 limit, not including the case since I've already bought that (it's that lovely Enthoo Pro from Haz's list). Any opinions/criticisms/changes would be lovely:

CPU: i7 4790k
Motherboard: ASUS Z97-A
RAM: Ripjaws X Series 16gb (2 x 8)
GPU: Gigabyte GTX970
SSD: Crucial MX100 512gb
HDD: Western Digital WD Blue 1tb
Power Supply: Cooler Master V750
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO

This gets me to about $1350, so I still have an extra $150-200 to play around with if someone feels I should do something better/different with a part.

This will save another $100 with no drop in quality

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($321.75 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($116.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($194.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card ($339.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($107.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1251.46
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-07 17:44 EST-0500

I presume you're aware of the issue of memory allocation on the 970?
 
Ah, thank you for the recommendations. Those are much better prices.

I presume you're aware of the issue of memory allocation on the 970?
Yeah, but I don't know that a 980 is justifiable to me with a $200+ increase compared to the 970. I'm not the pickiest of people when it comes to graphics, and I figure a 970 will be agreeable enough compared to my current system of "I can't play old games on the lowest settings". I suppose I could wait until something newer hits the market, but I don't really have it in me to wait.
 

DarthWoo

I'm glad Grandpa porked a Chinese Muslim
Not looking to rebuild my whole system, but I think my GPU (Geforce 560Ti) just quit on me. I actually got it here and it gave me a reasonably long life, but while I was playing STO earlier today, I alt+tabbed back to Firefox and everything suddenly became checkerboarded, and it gave me the display driver has stopped working error. I had hoped it was just an isolated incident, but it kept creeping back when I rebooted. I opened everything up and cleaned out a bit of dust, but things only got worse; the checkerboarding would appear as soon as Windows finished loading, even before I tried starting any games.

I fortunately have the Geforce 260 that it replaced, so I popped that in and so far everything seems to be working fine. It seems to actually be at least able to run Windows without the proper driver, which I'm downloading now. (Why must they be so large?)

Is there some software-side issue that might have been at fault with the 560? I would ideally like to be able to put it back in someday, but as far as I could see, I had cleaned it completely out, and both of its fans were running properly.

If nothing else, I can keep using my old 260 indefinitely, but I'd like something newer. What in the way of Nvidia cards these days are approximately equivalent to a 560Ti and better than a 260 but are pretty cheap? I see that something like the 650 or 650Ti is pretty cheap when on sale, but I'm not sure how the whole numbering system works these days with Nvidia.
 
kind of in a dilemma here. I am not that knowledgeable on CPU's and how exactly they affect PC gaming. I asked some questions last night about upgrading my CPU and found out that I would need a whole new motherboard as well, which I really cant do right now. I was originally just going to get a new CPU and video card.

I have an i5-3350p right now, with a 760 4GB. I was planing on getting an i7-4790k(which would require a new MB as well), along with a GTX 970. I have been looking around more on forums and stuff and people seem to think that there is no need to upgrade the CPU at all, as just getting the 970 would be sufficient enough to run most games on ultra perfectly fine. Can anyone here confirm is there is really a need to upgrade my CPU at all? I see games starting to recommend i7 processors, but then I see people saying it is pointless to upgrade to i7 at all. Can anyone put some clarity to this? Should I just get a 970 and be done with it?
 
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