I'm not an audiophile so for me it sounds good. I at least can tell the difference between it and the on board sound.
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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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I'm not an audiophile so for me it sounds good. I at least can tell the difference between it and the on board sound.
That could definitely hold it back, yeah. Overclock the 3750k and you'll be good.
finalflame
Member
I feel you, brother. My bank account am cry after I ordered all my parts this weekend. 2 transactions pending and one relatively large one from Newegg will hit tomorrow.
at least we're not buying on credit 
I feel you, brother. My bank account am cry after I ordered all my parts this weekend. 2 transactions pending and one relatively large one from Newegg will hit tomorrow.
at least we're not buying on credit
Or you could've put it on credit, got some kind of rewards from your CC company, and send them the payment for your build at the end of the month.
congrats on your rig, what did you order?
My 3220 holds back my 670. You will definitely see improvement.
I think the processor upgrade will help immensely. Where are you getting the i5 3570K from, Microcenter? Make sure you have a decent heatsink. What motherboard do you have?
finalflame
Member
Or you could've put it on credit, got some kind of rewards from your CC company, and send them the payment for your build at the end of the month.
congrats on your rig, what did you order?
Yup, nothing wrong with that, I just had a "complicated" relationship with credit when I was younger and now opt to just pay cash when I can. Still recovering from stupid decisions made over half a decade ago.
And my rig that's on the way (most of the components should be here by tuesday, watercooling stuff by the end of the week):
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/FfBW7P
Not all my watercooling stuff is shown, and a lot of the watercooling components that are shown I already had from my previous build that was dismantled late last year. Basically it'll be what's shown and a 120mmX30mm rad up top, 60mmx120mm rad up front, glossy white tubing, and the XSCP DDC pump/res combo with an EK block on the CPU. Later to add an EK block to the GPU and a second 980 (before the Fall releases like MGS:V and Witcher 3). I'll be sure to post up pics once it's all put together!
Glass Shark
Banned
I got a good deal on the CPU from Craigslist. I went with the i5 instead of the i7 because everything I read suggested that HT doesn't make a difference for gaming, which is really all this system is used for. I'm going with a 212 EVO for cooling since it seems like the gold standard.
I have an ASRock Z77 Extreme4. I know it's fairly old, but I'm really trying to get as much life as I can out of it.
Glad to hear you guys think the CPU upgrade will help. I was really starting to get worried.
Nice. Do you already have a larger mechanical HDD?
I was worried that you might have an ASRock Z77 motherboard. It's not that you can't overclock with them.. just be very careful about CPU voltages, as ASRock Z77 models all apparently have issues with proper voltage readings.
finalflame
Member
Yup! I have a 1TB WD Black and a 2TB external Seagate USB3 backup drive, should add it to the list.
Thank you so much for all of this useful information! I've gone ahead and saved your updated list
To answer your question, I'm paying off the last of my credit card debt right now and I'll be saving up for this PC right afterwards. I estimate that it will take me about 2 months to pay off the debt and about 1 more month to save up for the PC. Once I have the money, I'll be buying all the parts on the same day. I can definitely understand that things can change pretty drastically in 3 months so I'll probably keep your list in reserve, update it as necessary at the end of the 3 months and check in again.
Thanks again for putting in so much work!
Glass Shark
Banned
Thanks for the heads up. I have never overclocked before so I'm going to go very slow and be pretty conservative. I have no intention of pushing it to the extremes.
Thank you so much for all of this useful information! I've gone ahead and saved your updated list
To answer your question, I'm paying off the last of my credit card debt right now and I'll be saving up for this PC right afterwards. I estimate that it will take me about 2 months to pay off the debt and about 1 more month to save up for the PC. Once I have the money, I'll be buying all the parts on the same day. I can definitely understand that things can change pretty drastically in 3 months so I'll probably keep your list in reserve, update it as necessary at the end of the 3 months and check in again.
Thanks again for putting in so much work!
No problem. I guess we'll see you again in about 2-3 months.
Yeah, I'm not totally sure how overclocking would go, if you had a multimeter or could borrow one from a friend, that would probably help.
StarlordDial
Member
hmmm well if that's what you guys say....as i said i don't know that much really
just want to get a pc that can run anything consistently
https://pcpartpicker.com/user/aldz24/saved/#view=RpVcCJ here is my parts
still trying to change out parts..just saw the x99 and lga2011 socket mobo and cpu u told me about and holy shit at the prices ;_;
as you can see i have 4 PWM fans as i will replace the stock fans for the kraken and will do a push/pull thing for my cpu fan
my case is an 820 phantom..i like the phantom but it's a bit pricey..i went with that as the kraken might not fit for some reason..and the aesthetics is nice too if you guys have suggestions for others then fire away
i dunno what ddr4 memory to pick.... can you help me with that too lol
thanks guys I appreciate it
lem0n
Member
I feel you, brother. My bank account am cry after I ordered all my parts this weekend. 2 transactions pending and one relatively large one from Newegg will hit tomorrow.
at least we're not buying on credit
Yeah got a couple big ones that should hit tomorrow. I'm already bracing, haha.
And very true.
How would I do if I only upgrade the GPU to a 290x or 970 from my current build? At the moment I have
x6 1055t overclocked to 3.4 GHz ( the highest stable one)
4GB ram
HD 5830
I was thinking of doing a complete system overhaul but my financial situation is not really good for that. I am thinking of just buying a GPU and sell it when the time comes for a complete upgrade. Would it be a waste with that GPU?
x6 1055t overclocked to 3.4 GHz ( the highest stable one)
4GB ram
HD 5830
I was thinking of doing a complete system overhaul but my financial situation is not really good for that. I am thinking of just buying a GPU and sell it when the time comes for a complete upgrade. Would it be a waste with that GPU?
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
You're in need of a replacement for all three components ideally. Generally it's not recommended to buy many different components over a long period of time and slowly put the PC together, since had you waited you will have gotten a better deal or could have purchased newer parts instead.
4GB system ram is going to be tight for a lot of newer games and the CPU isn't too hot either - sub 2500k level performance. You will not be getting the most out of those video cards with that computer attached to it. I might recommend saving up and buying a mid-range system, reusing as many components (case, optical drives and potentially PSU) as you can later on in the year.
finalflame
Member
Both the 290X and 970 are great cards for 1080p gaming, and would be significant upgrades to your HD5830. However, your CPU, even overclocked, might prove to be a bottleneck:
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/147?vs=697
It would also be wise to upgrade to 8gb of RAM, as 4gb is short for modern games.
New GPU and 4GB of RAM.
The Shogun
Banned
Alright I'm looking for a solid either 1440p or 4k monitor to go with my new Titan X I'm getting.
Looking in the 500 - 700 price range. I'm open to either resolution. Hit me up GAF, what do you recommend?
Looking in the 500 - 700 price range. I'm open to either resolution. Hit me up GAF, what do you recommend?
finalflame
Member
1440p120hz or 4k60hz? IPS a priority or are you ok with TN or AH-VA?
Here's what'd I'd change..
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-5960X 3.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($1003.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X61 106.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($128.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI X99S Gaming 7 ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($243.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($204.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($286.48 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial BX100 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($373.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 4GB Twin Frozr Video Card ($549.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom 820 (Grey) ATX Full Tower Case ($196.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($121.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Pioneer BDR-2209 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($79.99 @ B&H)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.75 @ OutletPC)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar Essence STX 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card ($179.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($127.99 @ Best Buy)
Mouse: ROCCAT Kone XTD Wired Laser Mouse ($75.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $3662.59
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-09 02:36 EDT-0400
Some things to note:
1. $200 for 2133MHz RAM is expensive. I found 2666MHz RAM for about the same price. If you want to save a bit of money, 16GB of Crucial 2400MHz RAM can be had for $170.
2. Definitely cannot recommend the Samsung 840 Evo. It has a performance issue that Samsung hasn't completely fixed for good, and because it's a discontinued line, it's actually more expensive than the 850 Evo that replaced it. If money is no object, then consider the Samsung 850 Pro. To save some money, go with Crucial BX100 or MX200.
3. I'd go with the MSI GTX 980 for the silent running mode at low temperatures.
4. Unless you really want it in black, the grey version of the Phantom 820 is cheaper.
5. While not as cool as the Corsair AX860i, to save some money yet still have a high quality power supply, consider EVGA or Seasonic models at gold efficiency. The high end EVGA models have silent running modes when not running on high loads. Efficiency doesn't matter that much, you'd save very little money running platinum efficiency compared to gold or even bronze.
6. The blu ray drive you chose isn't actually available? I picked the fastest blu ray drive available instead.
7. You won't need the professional version of Windows 8. It's just extra features geared towards businesses and companies running enterprise-type networks.
Miscellaneous notes:
I don't believe those fans will fit on the NZXT Kraken X61, but I could be wrong though. The radiator takes standard 140mm fans with normal 140mm width and mounting holes, while the Noctua fans you chose have a 150mm wide frame and 120mm mounting holes.. They seem to be marketed as high end replacement fans for air coolers, not water radiator coolers.
You probably don't need a sound card unless you're running a really high end set of speakers or headphones. Not sure if you mentioned it and I just missed it.
What kind of monitor will you be using this with? It's been pointed out that for a $4000 budget, you could (or should) opt for twin GTX 980s. That said, it's actually a bit hard to fit that in with the rest of your parts for the budget, but should be doable if it turns out you don't need things like the sound card or opt for some cheaper parts elsewhere. The main parts that determine overall game performance will be the processor and graphics card - everything else is secondary at best. You could also drop in a second GTX 980 later on in the future..
This parts list is still sort of incomplete - I could probably change some parts around more, but it represents a better build in that the components are better for the price and some are just outright better, no real downgrades. I managed to include a motherboard and blu ray drive in the cost as well, and it's only $70 more than what you had before. However, I don't have any replacement fans to recommend you yet, and the sound card is still there.
After those changes, I just wanted to get your opinion and see if my suggestions are going towards where you want to go, and if you have additional concerns.
The Shogun
Banned
I really don't care about 120hz. I know some people swear by it but I'm fine with 60hz, regardless of resolution.
IPS would be nice but its not a requirement for me. I'm willing to go up to $700 but would like to spend below that.
Really I'm just looking for a solid monitor in that price range that will pair well with a Titan X. My current 1080p display just really isn't going to cut it with that kind of card.
Acer has a IPS 144hz Gsync panel coming out. Will probably be the gaming monitor of the year. There is also a Acer 4k Gsync monitor that is out now. The latter is in your price range and I'm willing to bet the former will be as well. You should be including Gsync in your plans for the new card.
Any high end monitor you look at is going to be 120hz+ @ 1440p or a 4k 60hz panel. There are also 21:9 Gsync panels coming this year (Acer Predator). It really depends on what type of experience you're looking for.
If he's budget is $4,000...i mean...shouldn't SLI be included? If you're going to go balls out with a ultra rig and that kind of budget...i kind of feel like multi-GPUs should be apart of that..?
Well, if it weren't for the crazy-expensive top-end processor, the multiple SSDs, the sound card, the case, peripherials, and generally everything being so high end and expensive, I'd find a way to fit it in.
I actually don't know what monitor he will be using, he never said 4K or anything, so a single GTX 980 might suffice for now. We'll have to ask him. I'll add that into the end of the post.
The Shogun
Banned
Is this the Acer monitor you were mentioning?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009658
Also, noob question here as I've never owned a monitor above 1080p, will playing a game at 1440p on a 4k monitor still look alright? Since its not the native resolution of the monitor I'm not sure what to expect. Most of my gaming will likely be at 1440p as even a Titan X probably won't hit 4k 60fps on most current titles that are going to be coming out, but I'm leaning towards a 4k monitor because down the road I'll probably SLI Titan X's which should be plenty good for 4k 60fps.
Of course SLI isn't a requirement or anything. But for that amount of money it should be an option. But if the monitor isn't factored into the pricing that kind of changes things.
Yes that's the monitor.
From personal experience, it will not look sharp. Things will be a bit blurry. Not sure if you're familiar with GSYNC, but it syncs the refresh rate of the monitor with that of your GPU. You don't experience tearing. Anything above 30fps feels really smooth.
I have a ROG Swift and a 4k monitor. I don't really use the 4k monitor and that's because GSYNC makes a very real difference in games (along with the higher refresh rate). In addition to that the 27''-28'' panel sizes of most 4k monitors doesn't do it for me. I'd be more interested in a 32''+ version. At those sizes you're looking at 4k monitors aimed at professionals and the prices reflect that.
A word about SLI. It's generally better to get the second card at the time or near the time you get the first. A lot of people say they will go SLI down the road and don't do it. By the time you are ready for SLI the rumor mill for the next card will start humming promising better performance, power usage, etc.
The Shogun
Banned
Hmm thanks Smokey, there's some excellent advice in there. You're making me now lean towards a 1440p monitor with Gsync then, as I really don't want the image to look blurry at all. And yeah I game on a 28 inch monitor now and would really like to get one that's 30+
So I guess what I'm looking for is a 1440p G Sync monitor that's around 30 inches.
hooijdonk17
Member
After spending half a weekend trying to figure out how to install Windows 8.1 on a hard drive larger than 2.2TB.. Fuck UEFI, Fuck Secure Boot and Fuck ASUS mainboards.
It's finally done and shit, but if I had known I would never have gone with such a big system drive. Worse stiill, I am enjoying absolutely no benefit whatsoever from UEFI/GPT.
It's finally done and shit, but if I had known I would never have gone with such a big system drive. Worse stiill, I am enjoying absolutely no benefit whatsoever from UEFI/GPT.
StarlordDial
Member
yeah.... i think these are a bit better than what i chose it seems like
well i could just run 1 980 ...maybe I can buy the other 980 later i think for the SLI stuff since it's easy to just put it
now to the monitor
-_- what do you recommend?
120hz is probably the preference for the refresh rate? 1080p is fine to me but 1400p is probably my dream resolution ..adding a monitor might pass my 4k budget but i could just buy that last lol
edit: took out the sound card and etc.... it's okay if the price is more than the budget i mentioned...as i said before..i'm buying them by group of 5 until i get them all
edit: i think the case could be change ..anything else better than the phantom 820 with the same size but a bit cheaper?
Take a look at these cases and see what you like? I'm partial to the Phanteks Enthoo and Corsair models, but everything in that list is quite good.
As for fan recommendations, Noctua does have regular 140mm type fans that should fit on the Kraken X61 radiator. The redux and industrialPPC models are the higher end models.
StarlordDial
Member
thanks! the corsair 780t look great and the cool holes for managing the connections is nice
now for the monitor though ;_;
*Oh yeah, can a 650W Gigabyte Green Power Supply handle this build? I shamefully didn't do enough research on it before buying it and just trusted the store owner on that.
Chassis: Corsair Graphite Series 380T
Motherboard: MSI Z97I GAMING ACK
CPU: Intel i7 4970
GPU: Gigabyte Nvidia GTX 970 4GB
Ram: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB
Storage: Crucial SSD 128 GB and WD Black 2TB
Chassis: Corsair Graphite Series 380T
Motherboard: MSI Z97I GAMING ACK
CPU: Intel i7 4970
GPU: Gigabyte Nvidia GTX 970 4GB
Ram: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB
Storage: Crucial SSD 128 GB and WD Black 2TB
ATXAlchemy
Member
Need some help here, guys. PC broke down (seems to be the HDD) so I need a new PC. I want to buy it by Thursday since I have nothing else to use. This is a PC from 2008 so it deserves its rest now.
First time selecting my own parts from scratch but have some experience replace some parts. And first time dealing with micro ATX, but I do want a smaller case. Also, aside from my work laptop (some sites blocked and we're in an open space workplace), I can only use my phone and its really, really shitty browser so pardon the "do your own homework questions"). I am not sure if pcpartpicker has compatibility stuff, so if someone can doublecheck/advise on any incompatibilities, I'd be very grateful.
Regarding the prices: I'm in a country where there are practically no sales or promo on the good stuff and prices don't really go down. :/ So consider stuff at their SRP prices.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($104.69 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M Anniversary Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($61.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($32.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Silverstone PS08B (Black) MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($33.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($42.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total:$341.58 Local price amounts to a bit higher than 400 USD.
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-09 03:45 EDT-0400
I definitely need help on the mobo and PSU part.
1. Is the power supply ok? Is EVGA reliable in PSU department?
2. Will a 400W handle this setup + 2~3 7200 RPM HDD?
3. I also found an ASRock H81M VG4. I chose the H97M Anniv mainly because it was recommended a few pages back. I am not familiar with mobos and H81M seems to be really cheap. I could go for a 1x8GB GSkill Ripjaw instead if I go with H81M without breaking budget limit. I am planning to make this last for at least 3 years.
4. I couldn't find an i3 4330, which supposedly has a better iGPU. But I found an i3 4160 that is cheaper than 4150. Is the difference really only the 0.1 GHz?
5. I really want to reduce dust build up as my place can really gather up dust. Is the PS08B good enough for that? Will I need separate/additional filters?
Yes, no video card (will have to rock it out with integrated). I have a 450W (or was it 550W) PSU, but I don't wanna risk using it. Only reusable part I have is the (failing) 1TB HDD and a 2 TB HDD, so I'm clear with the storage. And not planning to replace monitor any time soon.
First time selecting my own parts from scratch but have some experience replace some parts. And first time dealing with micro ATX, but I do want a smaller case. Also, aside from my work laptop (some sites blocked and we're in an open space workplace), I can only use my phone and its really, really shitty browser so pardon the "do your own homework questions"). I am not sure if pcpartpicker has compatibility stuff, so if someone can doublecheck/advise on any incompatibilities, I'd be very grateful.
Regarding the prices: I'm in a country where there are practically no sales or promo on the good stuff and prices don't really go down. :/ So consider stuff at their SRP prices.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($104.69 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M Anniversary Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($61.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($32.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Silverstone PS08B (Black) MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($33.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($42.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total:
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-09 03:45 EDT-0400
I definitely need help on the mobo and PSU part.
1. Is the power supply ok? Is EVGA reliable in PSU department?
2. Will a 400W handle this setup + 2~3 7200 RPM HDD?
3. I also found an ASRock H81M VG4. I chose the H97M Anniv mainly because it was recommended a few pages back. I am not familiar with mobos and H81M seems to be really cheap. I could go for a 1x8GB GSkill Ripjaw instead if I go with H81M without breaking budget limit. I am planning to make this last for at least 3 years.
4. I couldn't find an i3 4330, which supposedly has a better iGPU. But I found an i3 4160 that is cheaper than 4150. Is the difference really only the 0.1 GHz?
5. I really want to reduce dust build up as my place can really gather up dust. Is the PS08B good enough for that? Will I need separate/additional filters?
Yes, no video card (will have to rock it out with integrated). I have a 450W (or was it 550W) PSU, but I don't wanna risk using it. Only reusable part I have is the (failing) 1TB HDD and a 2 TB HDD, so I'm clear with the storage. And not planning to replace monitor any time soon.
nightmare-slain
Member
Gigabyte, EVGA or MSI i think.
nightmare-slain
Member
1. depends who makes it. i can't remember the manufacturers but i think it might be superflower and seasonic. i have an EVGA 750W G2 and it has really good reviews but the EVGA 750W G1 is older and less positive reviews. i'm not sure who makes your particular model but i've seen a good number of people use it. i think it should do you fine!
2. you're using integrated graphics and not a GPU card so 400W should do just fine! most of the power is gonna be used by your CPU. the i3 uses 54W. i've seen i5 (84W) build WITH GPU's not even reach 400W.
3. either board should work just fine with whatever CPU you choose (4330, 4150, 4160). it has a 1150 socket which is what these CPU's need. also, when it comes to RAM you shouldn't just use a single stick. try get 2 sticks. so if you want 8GB get 2x 4GB's.
4. all 3 of these i3's you mentioned (4330, 4150, 4160) are pretty close to each other on benchmark scores. 4330 scores = 5,073, 4150 scores = 4,929, and the 4160 scores = 5,026. and the only difference between them in terms of clock speed is 0.1GHz. basically....buy whatever on you can get for cheapest. they are pretty much the same as each other. the differences are so small that you'd never notice them.
5. a quick look at images on google shows that the front intake fan(s) have a filter over them. there is a side vent which has no filter but you can buy little magnetic filters that just stick on. there isn't a fan vent on the top. i wouldn't much about any fan vents on the back/bottom of the case. the back fans are for exhaust so will be blowing hot air out so no dust is gonna get in there. and if there is a vent on the bottom it shouldn't suck any dust in unless you put a fan there. you just really need to worry about the intake fan(s) at the front but they are filtered so should be ok!
Sorry, I'm not much of a monitor guy, I was hoping others would suggest something.
It's hard to go wrong with any of them. Gigabyte, MSI, and EVGA are the bigger three when it comes to the GTX 970, I suppose. The Gigabyte Windforce models have the best cooler and are also the longest, the G1 Gaming edition is the best suited one for overclocking if I remember correctly. MSI is no slouch either, their Gaming 4G model's smaller length and the semi-fanless mode at low temperature makes it a worthy alternative. EVGA's newer SSC model seem to be competing with and trying to one-up the MSI by also offering semi-fanless mode with an improved cooler at a relatively low price, although I haven't seen many reviews or comparisons with the MSI Gaming 4G. EVGA also has a newer GTX 970 FTW+ model that seems to be aiming for the very top in performance and cooling, but the $395 USD price makes it hard to recommend.
What case do you have? As long as it fits, just about any GTX 970 will perform very well.
PCPartpicker does a good job with determining compatibility, but it doesn't cover all bases like whether RAM will interfere with CPU cooler, and occasionally CPU cooler height for certain cases are wrong.
Er, are you sure you can't tell us what country you're in or what retailer you're looking at? It's hard to recommend parts not knowing local pricing or availability.. unless you are literally looking at parts in a physical store with no online listing, I'm sure we can help you. Anyway, on to your questions:
1. EVGA is generally decent to excellent, but they don't manufacture their own power supplies though. That particular model is manufactured by HEC, and it appears to be OK. Jonny Guru reviewed the model and he found it alright, he's a trusted name when it comes to power supply reviews.
2. Probably fine, unless it's an awful quality power supply with poor parts. Going with a weaker power supply leaves you less room in the future to expand, though.
3. H81 is a less capable motherboard chipset with fewer features, but it's not lacking performance. The differences between different Intel chipsets for socket 1150 are mostly limited to overclocking support, number of ports, and extra functionality like M.2 and SATA Express support. Going with H81 to save money is definitely an option, just make sure that it's compatible with your CPU. H81 and other same older generation motherboards may require BIOS updates to work with newer Haswell Refresh and Devil's Canyon processors.
According to the manufacturer's website, the H81M-VG4 motherboard only supports the i3 4150 and 4160 after BIOS version P1.30 and P1.40 respectively. You will have to contact the store to see if they can check what BIOS version the motherboard ships with, it will be visible on the motherboard itself on a sticker affixed to the BIOS chip or possibly on the serial number information panel on the side of the box. In my experience, local Canadian PC stores will allow you to open the box and inspect the motherboard when you are there to purchase it to make sure there are no defects, I have no idea if your local PC stores allow you to do that. If the motherboard is new stock that was received in the last couple of months from ASRock, then it's likely that they have new BIOS versions and will support the new processors right away. If the motherboard is old stock that's been sitting in store stock for a year or more, then it probably won't support the new processors and will need a BIOS update.
The H97 motherboard will definitely work with the i3 4150 and 4160 out of the box, no problem.
4. Yep, that's pretty much it. The official Intel processor information database confirms it.
5. The PS08B has a filter on the front, but it doesn't seem to have one on the back. If you can set it up, you should have positive air pressure inside the case, that will help prevent dust from building up inside the case. Silverstone has a helpful article about it. The general idea is to have more air coming into the case than out of it. The fans drawing air in should have filters on them, while the fans blowing air out (if any) don't need them. Having positive pressure means that dust won't be coming into the case via open vents because the positive pressure means air is coming out of the vents, not coming in.
Actually, older socket 1150 motherboards may need a BIOS update before they work with newer processors. H81 and B85 motherboards are budget/business type motherboard chipsets that are still in production, so newly manufactured H81and B85 motherboards made in the last 6 months may already come with support for the latest processors. However, there's no telling how old stock from a retailer has been sitting around, so it's not a given that all socket 1150 motherboards are compatible with socket 1150 processors.
H81/B85/H87/Z87 motherboards may require a BIOS update before they work with the i3 4150 and 4160 which are from the Haswell Refresh line. The i3 4330 is an older model that will work in all socket 1150 motherboards, no problem.
If the motherboard doesn't have the BIOS update to support the new processors, it won't damage or break anything, but you just get a black screen and nothing works.
Also, I think he wants to get 1x8GB because the H81 motherboard only has two RAM slots. Going with a single stick of 8GB now means he can add another stick of 8GB in the future for a total of 16GB. Although synthetic benchmarks will definitely show a difference of performance of around 1~10% between single and dual channel, in most games it does not matter at all, according to these benchmarks by Gamers' Nexus and amateur but consistent testing by a Reddit user.
ATXAlchemy
Member
Thanks for the quick answers.
@blly155: Other than having a RAM failure, is there any reason to have two RAMs? Thanks for the reminder, though. Kinda forgot about that.
@RGM79:
Philippines.
lordfuzzybutt
Member
Looked around and it was difficult to find anything much better than what you already had. If you can go for the i3 4160 and ASRock H97M motherboard, go for it.
Yeah, two sticks of RAM is better for dual channel speed, but if you're going to choose the H81 motherboard, it's fine to go with 1 stick to leave room to upgrade.
Thanks everyone. It seems my CPU is a bigger problem than I thought. I don't really want to get a midrange PC since I have a PS4 already (I want to do either a small upgrade because it would be cheap to just buy a GPU or get a really high end system later). I'll look into deals and second hand market for a 290x or equivalent (It seems that paying full price for them would be unnecessary since I wouldn't be able to utilize them to their fullest) and if that doesn't come along I'll just wait a year and save instead.
If you do end up getting a GPU to tide you over, get a RAM upgrade as well. Many games already demand 6GB minimum or the GPU is going to be severely underused since you couldn't even run games that would take advantage of its power. The CPU is going to hobble you a bit too, but it won't stop you dead in your tracks.
Not really, it just has a higher clock speed. If you can, I recommend you go for the newer EVGA SSC or MSI Gaming 4G models, they have a semi-fanless mode that will run completely silent at low temperatures.
Sounds great! I think I'm going to order the SSC because I can get it for a similar price to the FTW and the standard SC. Thanks for the help!
LiquidMetal14
hide your water-based mammals
I don't think I've ever done SLI in a staggered fashion. The last four configurations I've had SLI in mind right from the planning phase so it has been included in my budgets because that's the performance that I want so I would agree with your sentiments. I know the money is bigger and in the case of the newer cards that are coming out like the Titan then I understand the budgets go through the roof but that's my personal plan for next years upgrade. Will be going with 2 Titan X's.
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