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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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Reckoner

Member
Hey guys

Rarely I get a "the driver stopped working" kind of error with my GTX 970 and I am wondering what may be causing this?

I had an ATI card before, but I haven't done any formatting after installing - just the regular, uninstall old drivers and install new ones.
 

Tommy DJ

Member
Hey guys

Rarely I get a "the driver stopped working" kind of error with my GTX 970 and I am wondering what may be causing this?

I had an ATI card before, but I haven't done any formatting after installing - just the regular, uninstall old drivers and install new ones.

The only time I get that error is with a bad overclock.
 
As long as I buy DDR3 1333 to go with my older equivalent memory I should be good right? Or is there another stat I need to take note of?
 

DPB

Member
Hey guys

Rarely I get a "the driver stopped working" kind of error with my GTX 970 and I am wondering what may be causing this?

I had an ATI card before, but I haven't done any formatting after installing - just the regular, uninstall old drivers and install new ones.

I had that once before in an older game and fixed it by changing the power management mode from "adaptive" to "prefer maximum performance" in the Nvidia Control Panel. I don't recommend setting it globally, just try it for the game that's giving you trouble.
 

RGM79

Member
Hey guys

Rarely I get a "the driver stopped working" kind of error with my GTX 970 and I am wondering what may be causing this?

I had an ATI card before, but I haven't done any formatting after installing - just the regular, uninstall old drivers and install new ones.

Might be worth it to try Display Driver Uninstaller and then reinstall Nvidia drivers. It's quite straightforward.
 
When people say they overclocked their CPU to 4Ghz or 4.4GHz or whatever, does that refer to the base clock or the turbo boost clock? I always assumed it was the base clock, and I also thought the same for GPUs but recently realized that the numbers people mention refer to boost clocks, not base. Is it the same with Intel CPUs?

Also, what program do I need to show me real-time current boost status of my CPU (and other relevant stats)? Like GPU-Z for graphics cards.
 

garath

Member
When people say they overclocked their CPU to 4Ghz or 4.4GHz or whatever, does that refer to the base clock or the turbo boost clock? I always assumed it was the base clock, and I also thought the same for GPUs but recently realized that the numbers people mention refer to boost clocks, not base. Is it the same with Intel CPUs?

It depends on the approach you take. You can force the clock to the peak value (i.e. 4.2ghz) and it will forever stay there or you can still allow intel to downclock during idle. I chose the latter when I overclocked. However it's not a dynamic clock the way the GPU is. It doesn't fluctuate 3.9 or 4.1 or 4.2 depending on load. It's essentially all or nothing. It's either downclocked (idle) or max clock (load).

edit: you want CPU-Z to observe real time CPU stats.
 

Axass

Member
Well, I don't think there was a desktop model Geforce 7400, I can only find laptop graphics chipset by that name. However, the GT 740 is likely still an big upgrade over your old Geforce card. A brand new GT 740 costs about 90 Euros, so 70 Euros seems alright.

If you want the absolute best graphics card for yout 150 Euro budget, then the GTX 750 Ti for 135 Euros is perfect for you. It's fully compatible with your old system and likely won't require a power supply upgrade. It may even allow you to play games. It's difficult to find benchmark tests for older or low end video cards, but if the GT 740 is about the same as the GT 640, then the GTX 750 Ti is absolutely better all round.

Keep in mind though, the video card will be held back by your old computer's limited processing power. There's not a lot to upgrade besides the video card, as your computer is so old that you will need to find used parts like the processor to upgrade it. They no longer make compatible parts for it.

If you're looking for a a stronger processor to hold you over until you buy a new computer, perhaps you can check craigslist or similar services for compatible models like the E8400 or Q6600.

I can't stress how thankful I am for your help, it's greatly appreciated. I'll ask the guy who wanted to sell me the GT740 if he can shave off some euros from the price of the GTX 750 Ti (he's a friend), or else I'll go with Amazon. Thanks a lot!
 
It depends on the approach you take. You can force the clock to the peak value (i.e. 4.2ghz) and it will forever stay there or you can still allow intel to downclock during idle. I chose the latter when I overclocked. However it's not a dynamic clock the way the GPU is. It doesn't fluctuate 3.9 or 4.1 or 4.2 depending on load. It's essentially all or nothing. It's either downclocked (idle) or max clock (load).

Oh, that's interesting. But isn't the CPU supposed to downclock if it gets too hot or reaches the power limit? Isn't overriding that dangerous?

edit: you want CPU-Z to observe real time CPU stats.

My GPU-Z doesn't show anything about CPU. It's the TechPowerUp variant, I noticed there are more than one, not sure if there are any differences.
 

jgwhiteus

Member
Question on video cards - I have a GTX 460 1GB (with an i5 2500K, Windows 7 64-bit, 16 GB RAM) which I've been using to play Dragon Age, and I decided it was finally time to upgrade. I found a ASUS GTX 760 2GB for $170, which seemed like a good price, so I decided to purchase.

Now I'm having second thoughts and wondering if I should return it and get something more powerful like a 4GB, or wait for something newer to come out. I know I'll be happy with the 760's performance improvement over my 460, but I see people saying not to bother with 2GB anymore and just go ahead and get a 4GB card to future-proof. Or maybe I should wait for more details on the GTX 960?

If I want to stay in the $200-range, should I just stick with my purchase? Does 4GB over 2GB really make that much of a difference if you're not going for Ultra everything / 60 fps? The cheapest 4GB I've seen so far was a 760 for $250 (and lots of cards in the $300+ range), and I'm not sure if I'm willing to spend the extra if the difference isn't that dramatic. Thanks for any advice!
 

garath

Member
Question on video cards - I have a GTX 460 1GB (with an i5 2500K, Windows 7 64-bit, 16 GB RAM) which I've been using to play Dragon Age, and I decided it was finally time to upgrade. I found a ASUS GTX 760 2GB for $170, which seemed like a good price, so I decided to purchase.

Now I'm having second thoughts and wondering if I should return it and get something more powerful like a 4GB, or wait for something newer to come out. I know I'll be happy with the 760's performance improvement over my 460, but I see people saying not to bother with 2GB anymore and just go ahead and get a 4GB card to future-proof. Or maybe I should wait for more details on the GTX 960?

If I want to stay in the $200-range, should I just stick with my purchase? Does 4GB over 2GB really make that much of a difference if you're not going for Ultra everything / 60 fps? The cheapest 4GB I've seen so far was a 760 for $250 (and lots of cards in the $300+ range), and I'm not sure if I'm willing to spend the extra if the difference isn't that dramatic. Thanks for any advice!

imo, with a card as low powered as a 760, you won't be getting much use out of the extra RAM. You just won't be running textures that high.

If you aren't able to jump on a 970 around $330 then I'd suggest holding out to see what the 960 might bring. Alternatively there have been some good deals on AMD 290s in the $250 price point. That would be better than a 4gig 760.

i.e. this guy

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121842&cm_re=r9_290-_-14-121-842-_-Product

Here's a benchmark comparison. You can see the 290 pretty much kills the 760 across the board. Worth the extra $100 imo.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1068?vs=1038

The 970 is the best bang for your buck right now but in the $250 range, the 290 is a great card.
 

RGM79

Member
Question on video cards - I have a GTX 460 1GB (with an i5 2500K, Windows 7 64-bit, 16 GB RAM) which I've been using to play Dragon Age, and I decided it was finally time to upgrade. I found a ASUS GTX 760 2GB for $170, which seemed like a good price, so I decided to purchase.

Now I'm having second thoughts and wondering if I should return it and get something more powerful like a 4GB, or wait for something newer to come out. I know I'll be happy with the 760's performance improvement over my 460, but I see people saying not to bother with 2GB anymore and just go ahead and get a 4GB card to future-proof. Or maybe I should wait for more details on the GTX 960?

If I want to stay in the $200-range, should I just stick with my purchase? Does 4GB over 2GB really make that much of a difference if you're not going for Ultra everything / 60 fps? The cheapest 4GB I've seen so far was a 760 for $250 (and lots of cards in the $300+ range), and I'm not sure if I'm willing to spend the extra if the difference isn't that dramatic. Thanks for any advice!
Are you only considering Nvidia? For $200, you could have gone with the Radeon R9 280X if you didn't mind waiting for a sale. As garath mentioned, the R9 290 could be a good choice - 4GB of VRAM and I've seen it drop as low as $222, usually around $230. Right now the cheapest R9 290 is $240.

Currently the XFX R9 280X is $213 but it very frequently drops to $195 on sale, according to the price history chart. It comes with 3GB VRAM and beats the GTX 760 in all areas handily. The R9 270X is roughly comparable to the GTX 760 but the cheapest model, the Powercolor DEVIL R9 270X costs $150 right now, but other R9 270X models can drop to $130 on sale.

No, 4GB won't be that big a deal if you won't be running at high settings or resolutions. What games do you play?

As for the GTX 960, there's a whole bunch of conflicting rumors. Some say next month launch, others say January. No one is even sure what the specs and performance will be like yet.
 

ecosse_011172

Junior Member
Lian Li PC-C60B
Seasonic X-560
BeQuiet Silent WIngs 2 140mm Case Fans
Asus P8Z77-M PRO
Intel 3570K
Noctua NHC-C14
8GB CorsairVengeance Blue Low Profile 1600MHZ CL9
2 x Samsung 830 256GB
ASUS Direct CUII GTX-670

I built this machine 2 years ago and have been delighted with it.
I have an MSI GTX-970 coming in the next few days and was wondering if I should stick another 8GB RAM in it.
I'm surprised to find that to buy the same RAM as before will cost double what I paid for it 2 years ago.

So, does it make sense for me to send the extra 80 bucks or so to go to 16GB RAM?
Should I look at newer RAM?
 

The Llama

Member
Are you only considering Nvidia? For $200, you could have gone with the Radeon R9 280X if you didn't mind waiting for a sale. As garath mentioned, the R9 290 could be a good choice - 4GB of VRAM and I've seen it drop as low as $222, usually around $230. Right now the cheapest R9 290 is $240.

Currently the XFX R9 280X is $213 but it very frequently drops to $195 on sale, according to the price history chart. It comes with 3GB VRAM and beats the GTX 760 in all areas handily. The R9 270X is roughly comparable to the GTX 760 but the cheapest model, the Powercolor DEVIL R9 270X costs $150 right now, but other R9 270X models can drop to $130 on sale.

No, 4GB won't be that big a deal if you won't be running at high settings or resolutions. What games do you play?

As for the GTX 960, there's a whole bunch of conflicting rumors. Some say next month launch, others say January. No one is even sure what the specs and performance will be like yet.

Next month IS January

:p
 

jgwhiteus

Member
imo, with a card as low powered as a 760, you won't be getting much use out of the extra RAM. You just won't be running textures that high.

If you aren't able to jump on a 970 around $330 then I'd suggest holding out to see what the 960 might bring. Alternatively there have been some good deals on AMD 290s in the $250 price point. That would be better than a 4gig 760.

Are you only considering Nvidia? For $200, you could have gone with the Radeon R9 280X if you didn't mind waiting for a sale. As garath mentioned, the R9 290 could be a good choice - 4GB of VRAM and I've seen it drop as low as $222, usually around $230. Right now the cheapest R9 290 is $240.

Thanks for the replies - I don't mind spending an extra $70 or so if 4GB vs. 2GB will give the card some more years (okay, months) of life, though to be honest I don't play too many intensive games on PC, and I run them at 1080 x 1920. DA:I is the first to push things in a while, though I'm not sure if that's just the game, given all the performance issue reports by people with much better cards than I have.

I haven't used AMD / Radeon in a while but I'll look into the 280 / 290 line, since the 760 I purchased won't arrive for a few days.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Combined with the i5-4970k, what is the best card in the 250-350 range for 120fps gaming (WoW, CS:GO, Dota 2, that sort of thing.)

960 is too much, 760 feels too outdated (mostly because of the number swap though,) and I heard amd cards tend to have far better performance per dollar than nvidia cards, but I'm not sure. Value is my biggest concern by far, if the 250 dollar one has significantly higher performance per dollar than an overall better 330 dollar card I would go with the $250 one.

Thanks.
Since 760=670 and I ran frame testing on Dota 2 at 120FPS the bump to a 290 or 970 will absolutely help level out your minimum frames. But your CPU is the most important part for the titles you listed, you'll want that at 4.4Ghz or higher if possible.
http://www.ncix.com/detail/asus-radeon-r9-290-directcu-71-93995-1416.htm

Pretty good price? It's the 290 version but seems pretty similar to the 290x.
No they've been way lower. If you think that is a good deal I'll sell you a water cooling kit AND a 290 for $250 :p
 

Levyne

Banned
Hey PC smart people.

I have a EVGA 780 and a 4770k. Both with slight overclocks. I'm currently running a 600W power supply (this one) which I think is just barely cutting it. I notice a lot of people on reviews for the graphics card suggesting higher wattage psus. Sometimes (infrequently) my computer will reboot without a blue screen, I assume this is a load issue?

If I was going to upgrade PSU, could I get suggestions for:

1.) Suitable headroom for by current build.
2.) Enough for a hypothetical 2015/2016 gpu/cpu upgrade, maybe even with sli considerations.

I apologize if my question is very green.
 

LilJoka

Member
Hey PC smart people.

I have a EVGA 780 and a 4770k. Both with slight overclocks. I'm currently running a 600W power supply (this one) which I think is just barely cutting it. I notice a lot of people on reviews for the graphics card suggesting higher wattage psus. Sometimes (infrequently) my computer will reboot without a blue screen, I assume this is a load issue?

If I was going to upgrade PSU, could I get suggestions for:

1.) Suitable headroom for by current build.
2.) Enough for a hypothetical 2015/2016 gpu/cpu upgrade, maybe even with sli considerations.

I apologize if my question is very green.

Your CPU is 100W and the GPU around 350W with both midly overclocked. Your PSU supplies almost 550W on the 12v Rail, so it should be more than enough.
But generally the Corsair CX range is rubbish so it possibly still could be at fault.

Check the Event Viewer to see if any other details are logged before a random shutdown.
If the shutdown occurs even whilst idle then the problem could be elsewhere altogether.
 

Levyne

Banned
All right. I will hold off on swapping PSUs. I wasn't looking forward to having to reconnect all that anyways >_<

But yeah, no force reboots unless I'm into a long gaming session, and only on some games (Guild Wars 2 and Dragon Age Inquisition)
 

LilJoka

Member
All right. I will hold off on swapping PSUs. I wasn't looking forward to having to reconnect all that anyways >_<

But yeah, no force reboots unless I'm into a long gaming session, and only on some games (Guild Wars 2 and Dragon Age Inquisition)

What about CPU and GPU temperatures whilst gaming?
 

Levyne

Banned
GPU has been fine. I've gotten a blue screen heat issue with the cpu a long time ago but not recently. I used to run a evo 212, but grabbing a simply corsair hydro cooler and going to try that out as well. Whichever one uses just 1 120mm fan slot.
 

spagett

Neo Member
Hey guys, I've been lurking these threads for some time and I was hoping for some advice before I make any purchases.

My main usage is wow/guild wars 2 at 60+ FPS and watching blu ray movies. Ideally I'd like to be able to play wow maxed at 1440p. My budget is around $2k USD(the lower the better), but I am coming from a gaming laptop so the monitor/keyboard/headset cost is factored in there too.
Does anything glaringly out of place here?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($108.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($104.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.85 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($98.98 @ Directron)
Power Supply: Cooler Master VSM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($111.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($42.27 @ TigerDirect)
Total: $1200.76
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-11 15:54 EST-0500

For monitors, I was looking at the Asus PB278Q(1440p) or the Asus VG248QE(1080p 144hz). Any advice is appreciated.
 

Iastfan112

Neo Member
Since 760=670 and I ran frame testing on Dota 2 at 120FPS the bump to a 290 or 970 will absolutely help level out your minimum frames. But your CPU is the most important part for the titles you listed, you'll want that at 4.4Ghz or higher if possible.

No they've been way lower. If you think that is a good deal I'll sell you a water cooling kit AND a 290 for $250 :p

Non-reference 290's have been as low as $200 in the US. $270 might be a good deal in Canada but I really have no idea.

That was after MIR on some Powercolor cards that had some terrible reviews. $235 after MIR has been right around the lowest price for cards of decent quality at that's what this is after price converting(Canadian dollar is weak compared to the dollar right now). That's a solid price for a good card.
 

Finalizer

Member
Not sure if this is the right thread to post this, but it's mostly just whining about things anyway, so w/e.

Just got an i5 4690k yesterday to go along with the new Gigabyte mobo I got last week (Amazon was strangely slow to ship their own stuff). Put everything together all excited for my new system aaaaand... it just power cycles. Can't even POST. Apparently this points to a hardware issue, fuckin' great. I've at least managed to isolate it down to the mobo/cpu - I also got a new power supply (CX750M), but putting back in the old components & running them with it shows no issue - but I have no way to test them beyond that. I don't want to return both items, but I'm the only person I know with an 1150 system.

Guuuuuuugh.

/bitchwhinemoan
 

Omega

Banned
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/6CYk8d

Is that overkill? I pretty much only play CSGO. There's some stuff I've wanted to check out like Shadows of Mordor and Wolfenstein and Witcher 3/Arkham Knight next year but for the most part, I don't need them maxed out because chances are I'll never even play them for more than 3 hours, just look good enough.
 

LilJoka

Member
Hey guys, I've been lurking these threads for some time and I was hoping for some advice before I make any purchases.

My main usage is wow/guild wars 2 at 60+ FPS and watching blu ray movies. Ideally I'd like to be able to play wow maxed at 1440p. My budget is around $2k USD(the lower the better), but I am coming from a gaming laptop so the monitor/keyboard/headset cost is factored in there too.
Does anything glaringly out of place here?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($108.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($104.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.85 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($98.98 @ Directron)
Power Supply: Cooler Master VSM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($111.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($42.27 @ TigerDirect)
Total: $1200.76
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-11 15:54 EST-0500

For monitors, I was looking at the Asus PB278Q(1440p) or the Asus VG248QE(1080p 144hz). Any advice is appreciated.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/6CYk8d

Is that overkill? I pretty much only play CSGO. There's some stuff I've wanted to check out like Shadows of Mordor and Wolfenstein and Witcher 3/Arkham Knight next year but for the most part, I don't need them maxed out because chances are I'll never even play them for more than 3 hours, just look good enough.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($309.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($108.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 Low Profile Red 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($70.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($104.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($348.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($98.98 @ Directron)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G-750 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1243.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-11 17:55 EST-0500

Directed at both of you guys/gals.
For CS Go this is indeed super overkill.
 

Omega

Banned
thanks. I already have a HDD in my current build that I just plan on reusing so that saves me even more money
so that I can waste it on CSGO cases
 

jordn613

Unconfirmed Member
What will you be using the computer for, and what is the processor that you will be using with the PC? Do you already have a computer that you are replacing the motherboard for, or are you building a new one? What case do you have or will you be using?

That ASRock H97M motherboard is a good budget choice and is mATX, which means it's smaller so it will fit in smaller cases and can make for a more compact computer. The Gigabyte is considered to be higher end, is ATX size (normal larger size), has more features, and will support overclocking better.



If you don't need the extra features of the Gigabyte motherboard, then the other one will serve you just fine. The Gigabyte motherboard can be had for $137 elsewhere.

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xud3h



I don't know how your current case and fans are set up. If you only have the stock fans that came with the case, then the fans will go in the only unused fan mounts there are.

You friend should have told you how the fans should go in, but it's fairly straightforward. There's a single spot for each fan to be mounted in the case, and they fit the mounts exactly.

If you look at the side of the fan, there should be arrows indicating what direction the fan moves air in. The 92mm fan at the back of the case should blow air out of the case. The 120mm fan mounted at the side of the case should pull fresh air into the case. Both fans can plug into the motherboard, the connectors look like this. It may be three pins or four pins, either will work. You can only plug it inone way, the plastic tabs will help you to plug it in correctly.

The cable for the 120mm fan might be a bit short and awkward to mount on the side panel. In that case, you can use the adaptor provided with the 120mm fan as an extension cable, just plug that end into the power supply cable instead of the motherboard connector,.

I believe I've got it situated right but my case doesn't close because the fan is blocked by the coils on my 970. I guess I need a thinner 120mm fan :(

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002CYPWTG/?tag=neogaf0e-20

That should do the trick, right?
 

DPB

Member
Not sure if this is the right thread to post this, but it's mostly just whining about things anyway, so w/e.

Just got an i5 4690k yesterday to go along with the new Gigabyte mobo I got last week (Amazon was strangely slow to ship their own stuff). Put everything together all excited for my new system aaaaand... it just power cycles. Can't even POST. Apparently this points to a hardware issue, fuckin' great. I've at least managed to isolate it down to the mobo/cpu - I also got a new power supply (CX750M), but putting back in the old components & running them with it shows no issue - but I have no way to test them beyond that. I don't want to return both items, but I'm the only person I know with an 1150 system.

Guuuuuuugh.

/bitchwhinemoan

Which chipset did you get? Haswell refresh CPUs are only guaranteed to work out of the box with H97 or Z97, the others need a BIOS update unless they were manufactured recently.
 

Vaporak

Member
So what are people's opinions on mice these days; mine has developed some issues with the left mouse button so I'm going to need a replacement sooner or later.
 

Finalizer

Member
Which chipset did you get? Haswell refresh CPUs are only guaranteed to work out of the box with H97 or Z97, the others need a BIOS update unless they were manufactured recently.

Z97, so that much isn't the issue.

For what it's worth, here's some of the parts for the would-be build:

CPU: i5 4690k w/ CM Hyper 212 EVO (Even tested with stock cooler for sanity's sake)
Mobo: Gigabyte Z97MX-GAMING 5
Memory: G.SKILL 2x4GB PC3-10600 (Mostly tested with a single module installed; both modules work fine in older setup)
Case: CM RC-690-KKN1-GP

None of the other parts should matter since most of my troubleshooting was done with nothing else installed.
 

RGM79

Member
Next month IS January

:p

It's still November to me, dammit!

Non-reference 290's have been as low as $200 in the US. $270 might be a good deal in Canada but I really have no idea.

$270 CAD is the lowest they've ever been, I think.

DTKT, what games do you play? Also... where are you buying your parts? Vancouver?

Hey guys, I've been lurking these threads for some time and I was hoping for some advice before I make any purchases.

My main usage is wow/guild wars 2 at 60+ FPS and watching blu ray movies. Ideally I'd like to be able to play wow maxed at 1440p. My budget is around $2k USD(the lower the better), but I am coming from a gaming laptop so the monitor/keyboard/headset cost is factored in there too.
Does anything glaringly out of place here?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($108.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($104.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.85 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($98.98 @ Directron)
Power Supply: Cooler Master VSM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($111.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($42.27 @ TigerDirect)
Total: $1200.76
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-11 15:54 EST-0500

For monitors, I was looking at the Asus PB278Q(1440p) or the Asus VG248QE(1080p 144hz). Any advice is appreciated.

There's a bit that can be done to optimize cost. Went with cheaper and faster RAM, a different GTX 970 that won't require you to remove drive bays from the case, and a cheaper but still well-reviewed Seasonic-manufactured power supply that has higher capacity. Saved about $50. If you don't plan to do SLI in the future, further costs savings can be made by going with a cheaper motherboard and power supply.

EDIT: Oh wow, totally forgot to post the build for you. I'll add it into a new post at the end of this thread.

Word of advice - that blu-ray player doesn't come with any software. It's OEM, which means it's just the drive itself. Because blu-ray is licensed technology, free media players like MPC/VLC won't do blu-rays out of the box. There's a workaround, but I have no idea how well it works. More expensive blu-ray drives are packaged with some paid software like Cyberlink's PowerDVD which is licensed and built with official blu-ray playback support.

Not sure if this is the right thread to post this, but it's mostly just whining about things anyway, so w/e.

Just got an i5 4690k yesterday to go along with the new Gigabyte mobo I got last week (Amazon was strangely slow to ship their own stuff). Put everything together all excited for my new system aaaaand... it just power cycles. Can't even POST. Apparently this points to a hardware issue, fuckin' great. I've at least managed to isolate it down to the mobo/cpu - I also got a new power supply (CX750M), but putting back in the old components & running them with it shows no issue - but I have no way to test them beyond that. I don't want to return both items, but I'm the only person I know with an 1150 system.

Guuuuuuugh.

/bitchwhinemoan

Ensure all power cables are plugged in? CPU 4/8 pin power, and graphics card 6/8 pin power as well. Any LEDs indicating motherboard status? Check your motherboard manual to make sure the LEDs all mean good. There was a person here a while back experiencing boot issues, turned out to be bad RAM configuration.
 

RGM79

Member
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/6CYk8d

Is that overkill? I pretty much only play CSGO. There's some stuff I've wanted to check out like Shadows of Mordor and Wolfenstein and Witcher 3/Arkham Knight next year but for the most part, I don't need them maxed out because chances are I'll never even play them for more than 3 hours, just look good enough.

Yep. Go with LilJoka's build.

I believe I've got it situated right but my case doesn't close because the fan is blocked by the coils on my 970. I guess I need a thinner 120mm fan :(

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002CYPWTG/?tag=neogaf0e-20

That should do the trick, right?
If you really want that side fan, go for it. I'd start up some games and check what your temperatures are right now, though. If it's good enough, you might not need that side fan.
 
Man, this is all super imposing to me. It's been a while since I built a PC and I'm looking to build something as powerful as I can get for around $1600 toward the beginning of February. I'm liking some of the builds I'm seeing but I'm not sure exactly how to gauge what will work for me and what won't.

Budget: $1600 give or take, monitor not included
Main Use: Enthusiast gaming, emulation, streaming, something powerful enough to enable VR or really high framerates on most modern titles at good settings (if I need to up the budget to make this happen I'm more than willing)
Monitor Resolution: 1080p 60hz; going to pick up a larger screen with a better refresh rate and resolution some time down the line
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Grand Theft Auto V is going to be my benchmark and I want that game to run at least 60fps (hopefully 90+) at good settings @1080p, but for now I just want to be able to run modern games at respectable framerates at high settings for some time from now
Looking to reuse any parts?: Nope. Everything new.
When will you build?: Toward the beginning of February.
Will you be overclocking?: Not sure yet but I think so, if I can learn how.
 

RGM79

Member
Man, this is all super imposing to me. It's been a while since I built a PC and I'm looking to build something as powerful as I can get for around $1600 toward the beginning of February. I'm liking some of the builds I'm seeing but I'm not sure exactly how to gauge what will work for me and what won't.

Budget: $1600 give or take, monitor not included
Main Use: Enthusiast gaming, emulation, streaming, something powerful enough to enable VR or really high framerates on most modern titles at good settings (if I need to up the budget to make this happen I'm more than willing)
Monitor Resolution: 1080p 60hz; going to pick up a larger screen with a better refresh rate and resolution some time down the line
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Grand Theft Auto V is going to be my benchmark and I want that game to run at least 60fps (hopefully 90+) at good settings @1080p, but for now I just want to be able to run modern games at respectable framerates at high settings for some time from now
Looking to reuse any parts?: Nope. Everything new.
When will you build?: Toward the beginning of February.
Will you be overclocking?: Not sure yet but I think so, if I can learn how.

The requirements for GTA V are unknown yet. There was official news basically saying that it would be better optimized than GTA IV was when it released, but nothing else further.

Do you have any specific preferences for the size of the computer? Compact, mid-tower, full tower? Smaller cases won't affect performance, but will affect expandability (additional storage drives, multiple graphics cards, etc). What sort of case design are you looking for? Minimalism? Sound absorbing? Case window? Gamer styling (angles, etc)?
 
The requirements for GTA V are unknown yet. There was official news basically saying that it would be better optimized than GTA IV was when it released, but nothing else further.

Do you have any specific preferences for the size of the computer? Compact, mid-tower, full tower?
I don't care at all about how big or small the computer ends up being tbh haha. I don't care about the aesthetics or form factor one bit. I don't care if it's noisier than hell. I'm in it for pure, raw power!

And yeah, using GTA V as a barometer right now doesn't work for obvious reasons so let's just say, if I can do it inside of that budget, something that will run games that are currently fairly intensive (like Far Cry 4 and Arma 3)at 60-90fps, 1080p
 

RGM79

Member
I don't care at all about how big or small the computer ends up being tbh haha. I don't care about the aesthetics or form factor one bit. I don't care if it's noisier than hell. I'm in it for pure, raw power!

And yeah, using GTA V as a barometer right now doesn't work for obvious reasons so let's just say, if I can do it inside of that budget, something that will run games that are currently fairly intensive (like Far Cry 4 and Arma 3)at 60-90fps, 1080p

Arma 3... I hear it doesn't run well even with an overclocked i7 4790K and GTX 970 in SLI, which was what I was going to recommend. You'll have no issues with Far Cry 4, though. I got it down to $1600 from the earlier build I had.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($331.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($104.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.85 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($359.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($359.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1603.51
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-12 03:23 EST-0500
 

_machine

Member
Okay so could I use some quick advice on a memory upgrade:

I currently have 3x2GB 1600MHz memory on a P6TSE that I might be upgrading in a year or two. That memory is not enough though as I develop games on Unreal Engine 4 and I'm looking to get at least 12-16GB. I don't know what my next Mobo would be so I'm thinking I should go with dual channel just to be sure. Here's some of the options I've been looking at:

http://www.jimms.fi/tuote/KHX16C9T3K2/16X
http://www.jimms.fi/tuote/HX316C10FBK2/16
http://www.jimms.fi/tuote/F3-12800CL10D-16GBXL

Any advice would be appreciated :)

EDIT: http://www.jimms.fi/tuote/HX324C11SRK2/16 that is also a possiblity, it's on sale and really fast, but I don't know if compatibility is an issue, but I'd need an answer soon
 

RGM79

Member
Okay so could I use some quick advice on a memory upgrade:

I currently have 3x2GB 1600MHz memory on a P6TSE that I might be upgrading in a year or two. That memory is not enough though as I develop games on Unreal Engine 4 and I'm looking to get at least 12-16GB. I don't know what my next Mobo would be so I'm thinking I should go with dual channel just to be sure. Here's some of the options I've been looking at:

http://www.jimms.fi/tuote/KHX16C9T3K2/16X
http://www.jimms.fi/tuote/HX316C10FBK2/16
http://www.jimms.fi/tuote/F3-12800CL10D-16GBXL

Any advice would be appreciated :)

EDIT: http://www.jimms.fi/tuote/HX324C11SRK2/16 that is also a possiblity, it's on sale and really fast, but I don't know if compatibility is an issue, but I'd need an answer soon

Well, you may want to wait before buying. Depending on when you buy a new computer, you could be buying DDR4 RAM instead if you go with Intel's X99 motherboard, and possibly for Z170 Skylake as well. If you will hold off for an entire year or more, then maybe some DDR3 memory isn't too bad to buy now.

You could buy that 16GB of DDR3-2400 and replace your current RAM with it. You will need to enable XMP or a similar option in the BIOS menu so it will run at 2400MHz.
 

Finalizer

Member
turned out to be bad RAM configuration.

WELP

I still think the motherboard is funky - the memory only decided to work when specific sticks were in specific slots, and in this case it means I can't properly run them in dual-channel. I also had an issue where having the graphics card in specific PCI-E slots caused some weird issue where the whole computer seemed to run in ultra slow-motion, like the POST screen would draw line-by-line like some 80s computer. But at least that's working now and I can do something with this system, so now onto attempting to reinstall windows~
 

RGM79

Member
WELP

I still think the motherboard is funky - the memory only decided to work when specific sticks were in specific slots, and in this case it means I can't properly run them in dual-channel. I also had an issue where having the graphics card in specific PCI-E slots caused some weird issue where the whole computer seemed to run in ultra slow-motion, like the POST screen would draw line-by-line like some 80s computer. But at least that's working now and I can do something with this system, so now onto attempting to reinstall windows~

I know that feeling, although my problem isn't as bad as yours. The RAM slots on my motherboard are messed up. Although -all- of the RAM is detected and working, generally only half of it is ever available to Windows. The rest is marked "system reserved" and unavailable to use.

After a long time and multiple tries troubleshooting the issue, I found a RAM configuration that worked best - I have 8GB of working RAM, although only in single channel mode:

[CPU]
[empty slot]
[1GB DDR3]
[4GB DDR3]
[4GB DDR3]

In the BIOS menu, the processor detects all of the RAM in the slots installed, but for some reason only certain slots are "enabled", even if there's no RAM in there, and erroneously reports that RAM is enabled in a slot that it's installed in. Not my screenshot, but it illustrates the same problem.

uF97d.jpg
 

RGM79

Member
Hey guys, I've been lurking these threads for some time and I was hoping for some advice before I make any purchases.

My main usage is wow/guild wars 2 at 60+ FPS and watching blu ray movies. Ideally I'd like to be able to play wow maxed at 1440p. My budget is around $2k USD(the lower the better), but I am coming from a gaming laptop so the monitor/keyboard/headset cost is factored in there too.
Does anything glaringly out of place here?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($108.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($104.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.85 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($98.98 @ Directron)
Power Supply: Cooler Master VSM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($111.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($42.27 @ TigerDirect)
Total: $1200.76
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-11 15:54 EST-0500

For monitors, I was looking at the Asus PB278Q(1440p) or the Asus VG248QE(1080p 144hz). Any advice is appreciated.

Double post because I messed up a recommendation earlier. Sorry for not getting back to you sooner.

Would you be planning to run a second GTX 970 in the future? Do you have a keyboard/mouse/headset in mind?

I can recommend different graphics card, RAM and power supply. The Asus GTX 970 is a bit too long and will interfere with some hard drive bays in the case you selected. I recommend the shorter EVGA GTX 970 SC instead. The Mushkin memory is faster yet cheaper than the model you listed, and the Antec power supply is cheaper and higher capacity, made by Seasonic, and still has excellent reviews. Otherwise, the rest of the parts look fine.

EVGA GeForce GTX 970 Superclocked ACX 2.0 for $350.

Mushkin Blackline 8GB DDR3-2133 for $64


Antec HCG 850 watt PSU for $70 after $30 mail in rebate.

Anyway, I'm just going to repeat my earlier reply about the blu-ray drive:

That blu-ray player doesn't come with any software. It's OEM, which means it's just the drive itself. Because blu-ray is licensed technology, free media players like MPC/VLC won't do blu-rays out of the box. There's a workaround, but I have no idea how well it works. More expensive blu-ray drives are packaged with some paid software like Cyberlink's PowerDVD which is licensed and built with official blu-ray playback support. It's up to you if you want to spend the extra cost.
 
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