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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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LilJoka

Member
Actually nope, just had another freeze. :\

Before you can say its the motherboard, the RAM and GPU should be ruled out.
To test the RAM try some Prime95 Large FFTs with 80% of RAM used, and also try Memtest86+.

To test the GPU, try Unigene Heaven benchmark on loop for a good 10minutes or so.

Use HWMonitor to keep a check on CPU/GPU temperatures.

Only really by ruling everything out can the motherboard be put in to doubt.

Cross post for those who maybe are not visiting the Titan X thread



Benchmarks to gaming has all been smooth at 4k.

Overclock them now!
 
I'm planning for later this year to build a new PC, and I'm wondering whether I should expect prices to drop on Broadwell motherboards and processors when the new Skylake stuff comes out. Are there good deals to be had right around when a new version is released?
 

TronLight

Everybody is Mikkelsexual
Before you can say its the motherboard, the RAM and GPU should be ruled out.
To test the RAM try some Prime95 Large FFTs with 80% of RAM used, and also try Memtest86+.

To test the GPU, try Unigene Heaven benchmark on loop for a good 10minutes or so.

Use HWMonitor to keep a check on CPU/GPU temperatures.

Only really by ruling everything out can the motherboard be put in to doubt.

I already did that:

Basically, the computer started freezing randomly, some times right away, some times after a while. If I'm listening to something (or watching a video on YT for example) the audio hangs too, and I get a "bbzzz" sound out of the speakers. This happens both on Windows 8.1 and on an Unbutu Live (loaded from the dvd without installation). I would rule out a corrupted Windows file because of this.

I say it's the motherboard because the same happened about 3 years ago, and it only stopped after I changed motherboard.

I don't think it's the PSU, HDD or RAM because they're the same as 3 years ago, and you'd think that if those were the culprit it shouldn't have stopped after changing the motherboard alone. CPU and GPU temps are fine.

If you have any idea please share.

GPU is a temporary one, because my "main" GPU (gtx570) failed like two days before the motherboard, so now I'm using a Gefore 220. I'm going to test RAM again anyway.
 

Devildoll

Member
I got all the parts yesterday. Started building last night and I'm having some trouble with what standoffs to install on the case...
I assume you've solved this, but just to make sure.
Just look at how many holes your motherboard has for screws, and screw down as many standoffs and the respective positions on the case, no more no less.


When I try to insert the gpu into the motherboard when it was installed into the case, It wasn't aligned properly with the PCI slot.

jENwI7cQkzmry.jpg

Looks like the teeth of your graphics card io plates are not going into the respective holes in your case.

kS5F24p.png

Here is an example.
That case has huge holes which are hard to miss, yours might require some aiming.
 

TronLight

Everybody is Mikkelsexual
What are your full specs?

CPU i5-2500k stock
Mobo Asus P8P67-LE
RAM G.Skill 2x2GB 1600MHz CL9 F3-12800CL-2GBXL
GPU used to be a Gigabyte GTX570 (factory OC) Windforce 3x, now a Gainward Geforce 220
PSU Corsair CX(or TX I don't remember exactly)650W 80+ Bronze
HDD Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB
 

RGM79

Member
I'm planning for later this year to build a new PC, and I'm wondering whether I should expect prices to drop on Broadwell motherboards and processors when the new Skylake stuff comes out. Are there good deals to be had right around when a new version is released?
According to supposed road maps, Broadwell and Skylake will be launching at around the same time.
 
CPU i5-2500k stock
Mobo Asus P8P67-LE
RAM G.Skill 2x2GB 1600MHz CL9 F3-12800CL-2GBXL
GPU used to be a Gigabyte GTX570 (factory OC) Windforce 3x, now a Gainward Geforce 220
PSU Corsair CX(or TX I don't remember exactly)650W 80+ Bronze
HDD Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB

What was your previous motherboard? Or did you replace it with the same model?
 

JMTHEFOX

Member
I assume you've solved this, but just to make sure.
Just look at how many holes your motherboard has for screws, and screw down as many standoffs and the respective positions on the case, no more no less.




Looks like the teeth of your graphics card io plates are not going into the respective holes in your case.

kS5F24p.png

Here is an example.
That case has huge holes which are hard to miss, yours might require some aiming.
I see, thanks for the interesting advice. My case is the ps08b, I'll see what I can do.
 
According to supposed road maps, Broadwell and Skylake will be launching at around the same time.

Oh sorry, I meant Haswell, then.

Question revised: I'm planning for later this year to build a new PC, and I'm wondering whether I should expect prices to drop on Haswell motherboards and processors when the new Skylake stuff comes out. Are there good deals to be had right around when a new version is released?
 

Devildoll

Member
Oh sorry, I meant Haswell, then.

Question revised: I'm planning for later this year to build a new PC, and I'm wondering whether I should expect prices to drop on Haswell motherboards and processors when the new Skylake stuff comes out. Are there good deals to be had right around when a new version is released?


When it is time for intel to launch a new series, they usually stop shipping the old one, and then when stores start to run out of stock, they introduce the new series at the same price-point as the old one.

There is usually not that much overlap and opportunity for price-cuts.
But never say never.
 
Apologies if this has been asked, I'm on mobile and can't find a way to search this thread.

For a 500 GB SSD, is there any reason to stick with the MX100 over the new MX200? I'm quite tired of having to constantly shuffle games on my current 128 GB drive.
 

Dead

well not really...yet
I havent built a PC in a lifetime, anyone care to offer some any remarks on this build:

For Dedicated Gaming, Media consumption, etc. For gaming, looking for 1440p performance, 4K down the line with possibility to upgrade to SLI later. Quality components are important, my ideal budget is ~$2500, Im right under that atm.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/46KJ23

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage:Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan X 12GB Video Card
Case: Corsair 750D ATX Full Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 1050W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer

Total: $2281.69

Any thoughts? Anything overkill, not enough, just right? The CPU and Motherboard is what I'm most unsure of...
 

Evo X

Member
If anyone is looking for a good deal on a barely used GTX 980, I'm selling mine for a Titan X.

It is an MSI Gaming TwinFrozer V with a beefy after market cooler and power delivery system. I have all the original packaging and accessories.

You can see what it looks like here:

1024.png


I bought it for ~$600, so I think $450 is a pretty fair deal.

Located in the Chicagoland area. Would prefer a to do a local deal to avoid shipping and payment processing fees.

PM me if interested.
 

LilJoka

Member
Oh sorry, I meant Haswell, then.

Question revised: I'm planning for later this year to build a new PC, and I'm wondering whether I should expect prices to drop on Haswell motherboards and processors when the new Skylake stuff comes out. Are there good deals to be had right around when a new version is released?

Nope, just try to buy a 3770k today, cost the same as a 4790k (atleast in the UK 2nd hand).

Maybe you could get some money off on the motherboard though.
 

Madridy

Member
So my 980 just arrived.

My current build:
670
3570K @ stock
8GB ram

Before I install the 980 and OC my CPU, I want to bench mark my current build just for comparison's sake (Before/After)

What are the best tools or games that have built in benchmark with numbers/grades?
 

LilJoka

Member
I havent built a PC in a lifetime, anyone care to offer some any remarks on this build:

For Dedicated Gaming, Media consumption, etc. For gaming, looking for 1440p performance, 4K down the line with possibility to upgrade to SLI later. Quality components are important, my ideal budget is ~$2500, Im right under that atm.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/46KJ23

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage:Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan X 12GB Video Card
Case: Corsair 750D ATX Full Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 1050W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer

Total: $2281.69

Any thoughts? Anything overkill, not enough, just right? The CPU and Motherboard is what I'm most unsure of...

Old PSU, overspending on motherboard unless you absolutely require some specific feature/s.

Try Seasonic Snow Silent 1050W, SeaSonic SS-1050XP3.

Low profile RAM for D14 CPU Cooler
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/mushkin-memory-997069

So my 980 just arrived.

My current build:
670
3570K @ stock
8GB ram

Before I install the 980 and OC my CPU, I want to bench mark my current build just for comparison's sake (Before/After)

What are the best tools or games that have built in benchmark with numbers/grades?

Batman games
Tomb Raider
Metro Last Light
Unigene Heaven Unigene Valley
3dMark Firestrike
 
If anyone is looking for a good deal on a barely used GTX 980, I'm selling mine for a Titan X.

It is an MSI Gaming TwinFrozer V with a beefy after market cooler and power delivery system. I have all the original packaging and accessories.

You can see what it looks like here:

1024.png


I bought it for ~$600, so I think $450 is a pretty fair deal.

Located in the Chicagoland area. Would prefer a to do a local deal to avoid shipping and payment processing fees.

PM me if interested.
If only I had the money. Shame I don't live in Chicagoland.
 

LilJoka

Member
Heres a comparison with my PC

Firestrike score
http://www.3dmark.com/3dm/4652633?

3DMark Score 11134
Graphics Score 13317
Physics Score 11434
Combined Score 4909
Graphics Test 164.1 fps
Graphics Test 252.8 fps
Physics Test 36.3 fps
Combined Test 22.83 fps

GTX 970 @ ~1530Mhz/8000Mhz and i7 3770 @ 4.21Ghz, 2133Mhz CL10 RAM
 

Matty8787

Member
I meant why limit yourself to predefined bundles sold by these websites? Or did you mean you would like to buy Mobo, CPU and RAM from a single shop?

I found a bundle I liked and then looked up the parts individually via pcpartpicker worked out about £80 cheaper.
 
Is there a good way to figure out exactly what model a video card is without sticking it in a computer? There are a bunch of numbers and stickers on the card, but the only one that seems to lead anywhere is the AMD board part number — C552.

From what I can gather, that board was used for a couple different cards, but I'm not sure exactly which one I have.

The board layout looks almost identical to the R7 240 in this photo, but my card doesn't have the extra breakout cable on the side for VGA.

The HD 8570 looks very similar and uses the same AMD board model number, but the board layout in that pic is a little different than the card in front of me.
 

Ronin Ray

Member
Ok GAF I have never built or played on a PC before and looking to build my first. I want to take the plunge so bad! So my price range is between 1500 to 2000 dollars. I really don't know what I am doing all advice is very welcome.
 

kharma45

Member
Ok GAF I have never built or played on a PC before and looking to build my first. I want to take the plunge so bad! So my price range is between 1500 to 2000 dollars. I really don't know what I am doing all advice is very welcome.

Looking for just gaming or more? These bits from the OP are useful to answer

Main Use: Rate 1-5. 5 being Highest: Light Gaming, Gaming, Emulation (PS2/Wii), Video Editing, Streaming games in HD, 3D/Model work (and what program), General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback).

Monitor Resolution: What resolution will you be playing your games at? Are you going to upgrade later? Are you buying a new monitor?
 
Ok GAF I have never built or played on a PC before and looking to build my first. I want to take the plunge so bad! So my price range is between 1500 to 2000 dollars. I really don't know what I am doing all advice is very welcome.

Start with posting your answers to the basic questions in the OT and folks will be happy to help! If you don't know how to answer something, just skip it.

[Basic Desktop Questions]
Your Current Specs: CPU / RAM / Motherboard / GPU (Graphics) / PSU (Power Supply) / Case / HDD (Hard Drive)
Budget: Price Range + Country
Main Use: Rate 1-5. 5 being Highest: Light Gaming, Gaming, Emulation (PS2/Wii), Video Editing, Streaming games in HD, 3D/Model work (and what program), General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback).
Monitor Resolution: What resolution will you be playing your games at? Are you going to upgrade later? Are you buying a new monitor?
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Is 30FPS acceptable? 60? 120? How important is PhysX / SuperSampling / CUDA to you?
Looking to reuse any parts?: List make and model (e.g. Corsair 520HX, 640GB SATA HDD, Antec 900)
When will you build?: Do you have a deadline?
Will you be overclocking?: Yes, No, Maybe (This means yes!)
 

LilJoka

Member
Ok GAF I have never built or played on a PC before and looking to build my first. I want to take the plunge so bad! So my price range is between 1500 to 2000 dollars. I really don't know what I am doing all advice is very welcome.

Start here

Your Current Specs: CPU / RAM / Motherboard / GPU (Graphics) / PSU (Power Supply) / Case / HDD (Hard Drive)
Budget: Price Range + Country
Main Use: Rate 1-5. 5 being Highest: Light Gaming, Gaming, Emulation (PS2/Wii), Video Editing, Streaming games in HD, 3D/Model work (and what program), General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback).
Monitor Resolution: What resolution will you be playing your games at? Are you going to upgrade later? Are you buying a new monitor?
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Is 30FPS acceptable? 60? 120? How important is PhysX / SuperSampling / CUDA to you?
Looking to reuse any parts?: List make and model (e.g. Corsair 520HX, 640GB SATA HDD, Antec 900)
When will you build?: Do you have a deadline?
Will you be overclocking?: Yes, No, Maybe (This means yes!)

Edit ouch double beaten haha
 

ricki42

Member
Ok GAF I have never built or played on a PC before and looking to build my first. I want to take the plunge so bad! So my price range is between 1500 to 2000 dollars. I really don't know what I am doing all advice is very welcome.

Start with the [Basic Desktop Questions] in the OP. Also, anything else you specifically want or need You can look at some of the build suggestions and start putting something together on pcpartpicker.

Edit OK I'm slow...
 

kharma45

Member
Good to see we all at least are thinking the same way ha.

Maybe we need to add 'Read da OP' back to the thread title in capital letters.
 

Stubo

Member
thanks for the details & links

Follow-up question -- If I have a system that cannot reach 144 fps at 1440p for most games, is it pointless to buy the ROG Swift?

I don't know much about GSYNC, so is it wasted if... for example I can only run games on average at 80 fps at 1440p?
I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong but I believe that G-sync is most useful for scenarios where you're not exceeding 60 fps. The monitor refreshes each time a frame is drawn which minimises the time gap between each frame displayed as opposed to a typical monitor where they would be unevenly spread across the 60 times it refreshes per second.

This only works up to a max of 60hz (note: this is the part I'm not sure about, I know that I read this somewhere?), so when you're playing games hitting higher frame rates you'll want it set to 120hz or 144hz and without G-sync.

I'm sure GAF monitor gurus will be able to give you a better explanation though!
 

nictron

Member
I've been in school for 4 years and I work full time, so I have had no time to keep up with my hobby. I'm about to graduate and will be getting myself a present. Guide me to PC bliss once more GAF.

Some overclock. Unreal Tournament is my main driver right now.

I will most likely be sticking to 1080p output and I would like some kind of upgrade path in the future. Max budget would be ~$1500. Any remaining cash will be spent towards a monitor but for right now I am OK with my TV. Thanks very much.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ygkvCJ

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($224.99 @ SuperBiiz)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ NCIX US)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H-BK ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($163.98 @ Newegg)

Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($123.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($186.99 @ Amazon)

Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($349.99 @ NCIX US)

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)

Power Supply: Cooler Master VSM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($100.98 @ Newegg)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($91.71 @ NCIX US)

Total: $1372.60
 
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