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[StreelyDan]

I'm not trying to spend too much (Maybe under $600) and that's factoring in me spending the $300 or so for a 970. I recently sold several parts from my rig a few months ago since the CPU/MB stopped working and regret the decision so I'm trying to buy some parts to build a new one.

Alongside the CPU/Motherboard I'll need to buy RAM, a CPU Cooler, and maybe a case as well. My logic was that I figured an AMD CPU would be the best bang for my buck without spending a lot of money and that way I could invest in a more powerful GPU instead.

I made the decision about a year and a half ago to go with an AMD cpu and ended up regretting it. I had the fx6300 but it just couldn't keep up in cpu intensive games. I ended up upgrading to a i5-4690k and a z97 motherboard and am getting much better performance and stability...that said at 230 for the professor and 120 for the motherboard that blows your budget...I used toms hardware to pick my processor (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106-3.html) looks like the i3-4170 might be a good choice, and at $130 leaves you $170 for cooler, ram motherboard and case which should be more than enough, provided you already have the other components you need (power supply, storage, display etc)

 

[RGM79]

I'm not trying to spend too much (Maybe under $600) and that's factoring in me spending the $300 or so for a 970. I recently sold several parts from my rig a few months ago since the CPU/MB stopped working and regret the decision so I'm trying to buy some parts to build a new one.

Alongside the CPU/Motherboard I'll need to buy RAM, a CPU Cooler, and maybe a case as well. My logic was that I figured an AMD CPU would be the best bang for my buck without spending a lot of money and that way I could invest in a more powerful GPU instead.

If you live near a Microcentre store, they offer in-store motherboard and processor bundles. Just $250 gets you an i5 4690K and ASRock Z97 Pro4 motherboard. Add 8GB of RAM for about $50.

What are your old PC's specs? There may be something you can reuse to help reduce costs, like the RAM or the case. Otherwise, how does this parts list look to you? It should be more capable than a FX-8320 in most games, despite the i5 4590 not being overclockable.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-GAMING 3 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($47.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Dark 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card ($302.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $573.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-17 02:08 EDT-0400

I assume you still have a case. The stock cooler should be fine given that the processor won't be overclocked.

 

[Mystic654]

When setting up a radiator at the top of the PC. What setup is the best to use (Push, Pull or Push/Pull)? What best direction is best for airflow?

 

[LostMyNarbles]

Thanks for the help guys and RGM for the suggestions. Maybe I'll stretch my budget a bit more and try making a trip to Micro-Center for that I5-4690K/Z97 Bundle.

 

[kudoboi]

Using your mouse or the keyboard? Try navigating the menu using your keyboard only. Can you move your mouse cursor / does it appear at all? Can you boot into your bios by pushing the delete button when your computer starts up?

If you are having problems with keyboard/mouse inputs (which would explain F8 not working) when you boot up your PC, then the problem might be worse than a corrupt driver issue. Could be faulty I/O interfaces on your motherboard and not your GPU thats to blame for the troubles.

Do you have a PS2 or USB keyboard? If USB try another USB slot. Testing another keyboard may also be a good idea.

Hopefully the motherboard isnt damaged but right now it's possible that either your motherboard or the GPU is the issue, based on the information you've provided so far.

yes. booting into bios works. the cursor can move too but none of the clicks in the repair screen are registering. i tried using both optical disc and recovery USB drive. keyboard isnt recognised either.

everything works fine in the bios screen but not in the windows repair screen

edit: got it to work for once

 

[Into]

I got a question

My graphics card has 2 slots for 6 pin connectors, i got 2 6 pin connectors. One is all black, the other is black but has some yellow wires, does it matter in which slot i plug them in or?

 

[ohyouagain]

Did you actually buy the components for these prices?
MSI Afterburner is a good and relatively easy to use tool (it's not limited to MSI cards!).

That's nice of you. I ended up choosing Precision X over Afterburner and I went from 30.4 FPS in Unigine Heaven to 34 FPS. That's a nice increase. I'l see if I can get the clock speeds even higher.

 

[kudoboi]

welp.. start up settings is completely missing for me.

 

[LilJoka]

There will still be many DX11 titles released and people aren't going to stop playing current DX11 titles overnight. If you're on a low end CPU, you don't want to make it even slower by choosing an AMD GPU. You're just increasing the CPU bottleneck.

Sticking to Nvidia is a way to coax a little more longevity out of a low end CPU.

PCars is a good example getting a huge boost on W10 in DX11 on AMD GPUs. Pretty sure it's multi threading their drivers.

 

[RGM79]

I have a few quick questions about Corsair H110i GT and 780T Case.

1. With H110i GT, are the fans that come have a good performance and quiet?
2. If not would it be a good idea to grab SP Quiet Edition fans?
3. Is it worth doing a push/pull configuration with H110iGT? Don't want to much noise.
4. Any compatibility issues I should know about if I use SP fans with H110i GT? Like working with Corsair Link.

5. With Corsair 780T case, are the stock fans that come with the case have a good performance and quiet?
6. If not would it be a good idea to grab AF Quiet Edition fans?

When setting up a radiator at the top of the PC. What setup is the best to use (Push, Pull or Push/Pull)? What best direction is best for airflow?

If noise is a concern, I recommend you try the case and CPU cooler as is to see at first if the noise levels are acceptable, and if not then you can try using software and fan control to adjust them. If they are still not acceptable, then you should consider getting more new fans. It's relatively easy to change out fans, but you may be able to set it so that the existing fans will work well.

1 & 2. Going from reviews of the H110i GT, the fans seem to be quite good, although I do not know specifically what model of fan they are, they are probably based on or are nearly the same as Corsair's own SP140 models.
3. Try it with two fans, it should be fine. Most reviews of the H110i GT use the stock fans included with the cooler of course, so positive reviews should mean the included fans are already decent. Going from tests and generally agreed knowledge, push-pull should offer somewhat lower temperatures, but actual fan noise levels depend on the fans and what fan curve or speed settings you use.
4. I believe PWM type fans are needed (the ones with 4 pin connectors), going by the H110i GT's manual. It looks like the SP140 fans on the Corsair website product page are all 3 pin models, though.
5 & 6. Going by reviews, ventilation and cooling should be good, I do not think anyone has much to say negatively about the 780T. Again, you will need to perform some testing yourself to figure out if ventilation, temperatures, and noise levels are acceptable. The 780T has a fan controller included, so that will be useful in keeping noise levels down. The case already comes with AF140L model fans, the quiet edition versions of those fans should be similar but with a lower maximum speed.

Read these two articles if you want to see more about push/pull fan setups, they include testing results:

http://martinsliquidlab.i4memory.com/Radiator-Fan-Orientation-And-Shroud-Testing-Review.html
http://www.xtremerigs.net/2015/02/2...tups-learned-stop-worry-love-fans-less-noise/

I got a question

My graphics card has 2 slots for 6 pin connectors, i got 2 6 pin connectors. One is all black, the other is black but has some yellow wires, does it matter in which slot i plug them in or?

It probably shouldn't matter. Wire color doesn't mean so much as the power cable connector. Power supplies are generally designed in a way that plugs meant for one thing cannot be plugged into something else, although I suppose it can be forced in with enough strength, but you'd have to already be wondering if it is the wrong plug before then.

As long as your two 6 pin power cable connectors match the picture below and fit in the plug, it should be fine.

But just to be sure anyway, can you tell me what model of power supply and graphics card you have?

 

[draughn101]

The Witcher has me obsessed and now I'm thinking about 4k (for more GTA too). If I spent $2200-$2500 on a setup what what be the best way to go? Dual 980 with a 3rd open? Or spend more for two Titan X? Or is anything getting updates soon that I should wait for?

 

[kennah]

I know they seem to get a bad rap compared to Intel CPU's, but can anybody recommend using an AMD CPU for long-term gaming (IE not replacing for it for awhile)? I currently have an i5-2500k, but my motherboard broke and since the CPU itself is already pretty old I kind of don't want to buy another LGA 1155 MB that won't support a newer chip down the road.

I was looking at either an FX-6300 or the FX-8320 if the performance increase is worth the price.

Others have answered, but your old cpu is faster than the two you listed to use to replace it. Your best bet would be to find a z77 board and keep your 2500k if you're worried about money.

Also, if the CPU isn't dead, it's still worth like 75 to 100 used.

 

[Gaz_RB]

Still dealing with this strange audio crackling bug on my friends PC after building it a month ago. According to DPC latency, it pointed to the graphics card, so I reinstalled drivers, switched out the card, etc. to no avail. It only seems to happen through HDMI, not headphones, so I thought it was maybe the cord or the tv. Seems to be neither. I'm all updated on drivers/bios, so I'm starting to think its a PSU or motherboard, which would suck. But it's hard to test because the crackling/popping comes and goes every few days, regardless of how long it's been since restart. It's like a ghost is haunting the computer. Anyone dealt with this?

 

[Kudo]

I assume this is the right place to ask about this..
Getting ready for Skylake and Windows 10 planning to buy new computer when those release, just ordered Antec P280 White case because it was on sale for 50 euros, normal price seems to be around 120 euros here.
Checked few reviews and it seems to be good but does someone here have experiences with it? How silent it is and when buying components should I replace the stock fans with something like Noctua?

Also if people here know about audio, I have Auzentech Bravura currently but their company went bankrupt so no new drivers has been released for this in years, thus I will need new audiocard with headphone amp for Windows 10. I assume Asus is pretty good with drivers and Asus Xonar STX should be safe choice for high quality sound?

 

[MetalDeer]

I assume this is the right place to ask about this..
Getting ready for Skylake and Windows 10 planning to buy new computer when those release, just ordered Antec P280 White case because it was on sale for 50 euros, normal price seems to be around 120 euros here.
Checked few reviews and it seems to be good but does someone here have experiences with it? How silent it is and when buying components should I replace the stock fans with something like Noctua?

Also if people here know about audio, I have Auzentech Bravura currently but their company went bankrupt so no new drivers has been released for this in years, thus I will need new audiocard with headphone amp for Windows 10. I assume Asus is pretty good with drivers and Asus Xonar STX should be safe choice for high quality sound?

I would wait and see how loud the stock fans are first. Noctua fans are pretty pricey, and there definitely are alternatives that are cheaper. I just got some of these a few weeks ago, and they're dead silent, as well as dirt cheap. They don't move a ton of air, but they work.

I personally don't have an Asus soundcard, but I've seen quite a few people swear by these modded drivers as opposed to using the official ones. Just for future reference, I guess.

 

[TronLight]

I'm not really up to speed with the lastest AMD news (we've had a few these weeks right?), do we have a timeframe for the release of their latest graphics cards?

 

[Deleted member 98878]

Unlikely, but does anyone here have a Gigabyte Z97X UD5H (not the black edition) and a RAM with red heat spreader? If so, could you please post a picture of it?

I'm wondering what the gold/red combination looks like. The gold on the product pics looks more yellow than gold, so I'm a bit worried.

 

[Valravn]

Guys, i made the step to G-sync. I wonder if 1440p will be a big difference!
Its the Asus ROG Swift btw.

 

[kennah]

I keep thinking the Swift is sooo expensive. .

Then I remember that I paid $600 for my first 15" Lcd in like 2003.

 

[OriginofHysteria]

So I'm an idiot. I've owned the ASUS vg248qe for the past 3-4 months, only to find out yesterday that when I checked the display settings...it was still at 60hz rather than 144hz.

 

[kiyomi]

Also if people here know about audio, I have Auzentech Bravura currently but their company went bankrupt so no new drivers has been released for this in years, thus I will need new audiocard with headphone amp for Windows 10. I assume Asus is pretty good with drivers and Asus Xonar STX should be safe choice for high quality sound?

Get an external DAC instead if you're just using it for headphones. A FiiO E10K or something will be better than an internal soundcard.

 

[Valravn]

I keep thinking the Swift is sooo expensive. .

Then I remember that I paid $600 for my first 15" Lcd in like 2003.

It is and im crazy for doing it. But what the hell! I receive my vacation pay this coming week so...

 

[JoeyJungle]

So I've been thinking about building a new PC, and have been seeing a lot of people jumping on the Skylake hypetrain. I was wondering what the expected benefits of Skylake are, and when the release timeframe would be? I'm not in a rush to get a new PC, so I'll probably wait until Skylake just to delay any future upgrades, but I'm curious about what's better about Skylake.

I saw a few (supposedly) leaked benchmarks and specs but didn't understand anything about it except Skylake did a little bit better on the benchmarks.

 

[Kudo]

Get an external DAC instead if you're just using it for headphones. A FiiO E10K or something will be better than an internal soundcard.

But would it be better than the STX? I have currently Beyerdynamic DT770 with 600ohm drivers, fairly easy to drive in the and as Bravura makes them sound really amazing but I have no idea how well the DAC performs with them. It seems cheap but then again only supports headphone which is what I'm going for..

 

[TronLight]

So I've been thinking about building a new PC, and have been seeing a lot of people jumping on the Skylake hypetrain. I was wondering what the expected benefits of Skylake are, and when the release timeframe would be? I'm not in a rush to get a new PC, so I'll probably wait until Skylake just to delay any future upgrades, but I'm curious about what's better about Skylake.

I saw a few (supposedly) leaked benchmarks and specs but didn't understand anything about it except Skylake did a little bit better on the benchmarks.

If Intel keeps their word, it should be out by the end of the year.
It's on a new node if I'm not mistaken, so lower power consuption for better performances... But Intel doesn't seem to care about CPU performance, they're all about that integrated GPU lately so I don't expect nothing groundbreaking. DDR4 too? But that's basically useless.

If I'm right I think that going Broadwell (which should come out during summer) could be a better idea (It wouldn't be that much worse than a Skylake and it would be cheaper).

 

[brain_stew]

I'm not really up to speed with the lastest AMD news (we've had a few these weeks right?), do we have a timeframe for the release of their latest graphics cards?

Before the end of June.

 

[mkenyon]

Before the end of June.

Woah, he lives!

 

[terrisus]

Just out of curiosity, is a 4.9Mhz overclock at 1.33v a good overclock for a 4790k? I am running an H100i. I do not want to push my CPU too far just to hit 5Mhz. Is 1.33v "safe" (for gaming. I'll turn it down for regular use)?

5MHz processor?
whatyearisit.jpg

Spoiler

(Just kidding, of course :þ)

 

[JoeyJungle]

If Intel keeps their word, it should be out by the end of the year.
It's on a new node if I'm not mistaken, so lower power consuption for better performances... But Intel doesn't seem to care about CPU performance, they're all about that integrated GPU lately so I don't expect nothing groundbreaking. DDR4 too? But that's basically useless.

If I'm right I think that going Broadwell (which should come out during summer) could be a better idea (It wouldn't be that much worse than a Skylake and it would be cheaper).

Thanks!

 

[Stubo]

So I bought my new PC following Stubo build but I have a problem with the second PCIe slot used by the second GTX 970.

I finished the installation and installed the OS and drivers. And when I launch the nvidia configuration panel, there is no option for the SLI. When I launch the peripheral managment, only one GTX 970 is listed.

I switched slot of the two GTX 970 and there was still only one listed. When I remove the GTX 970 from the second PCIe slot it work (and I tested with both GTX 970). But if I only use the second PCIe slot, there is no image input. Is there a bios option to activate the second PCIe slot of the Z97X_SLI or is it a defective slot?

Ahh man, have you had any luck solving this issue?

It sounds like your other PCI slot is disabled in the BIOS or something, or possibly the motherboard is faulty

Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[mkenyon]

Ahh man, have you had any luck solving this issue?

It sounds like your other PCI slot is disabled in the BIOS or something, or possibly the motherboard is faulty

Does anyone have any ideas?

I'd first try to update BIOS. Then look at the manual in the SLI section to see if it suggests anything.

 

[Kuldar]

Ahh man, have you had any luck solving this issue?

It sounds like your other PCI slot is disabled in the BIOS or something, or possibly the motherboard is faulty

Does anyone have any ideas?

I'd first try to update BIOS. Then look at the manual in the SLI section to see if it suggests anything.

I updated the BIOS and nothing changed.
The sli/crossfire section in the manual only talk about how to connect the video cards and after say to use Nvidia/AMD tool to set SLI/Crossfire option.

I found only two options in the bios about PCIe:
-define the initial display output
-set the gen of PCIe

Nothing about an option to enable/disable PCIe port.

So it seems that the port is faulty.

 

[brain_stew]

Woah, he lives!

I post in here from time to time but my knowledge is really behind the times these days. Others can offer much better advice than I can.

 

[Mordeccai]

Okay PC gaf, I got a new 970 GTX and an 850 EVO SSD ready to install later on today.

I'm coming from a one HDD set up, and an AMD 7870. I just got some SATA cables for the hard drive.

I know I need to uninstall all my AMD drivers before removing the card, but do you guys have any other tips/advice for making a change to both the GPU and storage at the same time? Connecting everything isn't an issue, it's making sure my windows OS transfer goes smoothly (which I'm assuming the disc that game with my SSD will assist with) and that my GPU can get up and running with no issues.

 

[diegotristanUK]

Need some advice, people.

Do I go for a Crucial BX100 120GB SSD or a Samsung EVO 850? Will the issues affecting the 840 also plague the 850?

I can get the Samsung for about £4 more than the Crucial. Also, can anyone recommend a reliable 1TB/2TB HDD?

Thanks.

 

[rtcn63]

Internal drive? Western Digital Black. If it's just for media storage, a Red or Blue.

 

[LilJoka]

Need some advice, people.

Do I go for a Crucial BX100 120GB SSD or a Samsung EVO 850? Will the issues affecting the 840 also plague the 850?

I can get the Samsung for about £4 more than the Crucial. Also, can anyone recommend a reliable 1TB/2TB HDD?

Thanks.

I would get the Samsung 850 for £4 more. 840 issues dont occur on 850.
Toshiba ACA lineup is very good.

 

[GHG]

3 years based on serial # just like the rest of the big AIBs.

Cool, thanks.

Think I'll go EVGA though as I trust them over all the other manufacturers.

 

[diegotristanUK]

Internal drive? Western Digital Black. If it's just for media storage, a Red or Blue.

Yeah, internal sorry. Thanks for the advice.

Also, thanks @LilJoka.

 

[HooYaH]

It is and im crazy for doing it. But what the hell! I receive my vacation pay this coming week so...

Same here, ordered the swift too, but I'm wondering if I should just cancel it because somewhere in my head, Asus is going to release an IPS Swift in the next couple of months.

I doubt Acer will be the only Gsync IPS in the next few months.

 

[Coulomb_Barrier]

I have a few quick questions about Corsair H110i GT and 780T Case.

1. With H110i GT, are the fans that come have a good performance and quiet?
2. If not would it be a good idea to grab SP Quiet Edition fans?
3. Is it worth doing a push/pull configuration with H110iGT? Don't want to much noise.
4. Any compatibility issues I should know about if I use SP fans with H110i GT? Like working with Corsair Link.

5. With Corsair 780T case, are the stock fans that come with the case have a good performance and quiet?
6. If not would it be a good idea to grab AF Quiet Edition fans?

It's the pump noise that is intrusive with the H110i GT, so much so that some reviews recommend cheaper air coolers that offer almost the same performance over it, like the Noctua NH-D15. Although some people don't mind this type of noise.

Also, from the research I have done and my own experience with them, the Corsair Quiet Edition fans aren't the best in terms of noise/performance. In fact far from it. The only reason I'd go with them is if you like the look of them as they are more or less identical to the SP140 fans that come with the H110i GT. So there's no point replacing them if you're looking to reduce noise as you can get better, more silent fans that have higher cooling capacity.

A quick look on Scan shows how much better the Phanteks PH-F140HP fans are versus the Corsair "Quiet Edition" AF140 which is what you can fit on the H110i GT. The Corsair QE SP120 (120mm, which you mentioned above) are even worse.

Corsair Quiet Edition AF140:

Fan Diameter: 140mm
Fan Depth: 25 mm
Fan Speed: 1150 rpm
Airflow: 67.8 CFM
Sound Level: 24 dB

Phanteks PH-F140HP:

Fan Diameter: 140mm
Fan Depth: 25 mm
Fan Speed: 1550 rpm
Airflow: 88.6 CFM
Sound Level: 19 dB

I own the Phanteks fans above and I can vouch for them. Even though they spin faster and push more air, they're significantly quieter. That said, the Corsair AFs aren't bad, it's just that they won't be any upgrade in terms of noise on what comes with the liquid cooler. Anything under 20 dB is more or less inaudible.

EDIT: The PH-F140HPs are 140mm fans with 120mm spacing. You may or may not need an adapter to fit them to the H110i GT 280mm radiator. If not, the classic Noctua NF-A14 offer similar performance to the Phanteks, but are just as "loud" as the AFs.

Noctua NF-A14

Fan Diameter: 140mm
Fan Depth: 25 mm
Fan Speed: 1500 rpm
Airflow: 82.5 CFM
Sound Level: 24.6 dB

 

[Leonsito]

I'm still waiting for the new cpu + mobo, but I couldn't wait to try my G1 GTX 970 on my old computer (ASUS P5B and C2D E6600).

I did a stress test with FurMark and this is what GPUZ showed, everything looks normal right?

 

[yatesl]

I'm not sure if this is the right place, but does anyone have any experience with 5.1 surround sound? I have a very small box room that I want to fit out, but I can't decide how (if it's even possible). See below diagram (that took me far too long to make):

As you can see, there's VERY little space, and the PC isn't in the middle of the wall. I was thinking the left speaker next to the monitor, the right mounted on the right hand of the window, and then back left and back right mounted either on the shelf, or to the wall.

Would this work, or would the fact that I'd be next to the left speakers (vs opposite side to the right) distort it?

 

[OraleeWey]

I'm not sure if this is the right place, but does anyone have any experience with 5.1 surround sound? I have a very small box room that I want to fit out, but I can't decide how (if it's even possible). See below diagram (that took me far too long to make):



As you can see, there's VERY little space, and the PC isn't in the middle of the wall. I was thinking the left speaker next to the monitor, the right mounted on the right hand of the window, and then back left and back right mounted either on the shelf, or to the wall.

Would this work, or would the fact that I'd be next to the left speakers (vs opposite side to the right) distort it?

Why not go with headphones?

I have a 5.1 surround sound system but I'm by no means an expert. Looks to me like you won't be able to get the full benefits of it.

 

[OraleeWey]

OK PCGAF, my friends best buy PC died on him. He decided that he wants to build one. His price range is around $1,000-$1,300. For the hell of it, let's cap it at $1,200.

He wants a gaming PC primarily, and the rest is for regular PC-using tasks. No video editing or anything like that. He may be over clocking so make sure this is easy for him through the BIOS. No need for a monitor, mouse, or keyboard. Mid sized tower. Micro Center isn't an option. He should be able to run at the very least, games that are out now on high/ultra.

Thanks in advance.

 

[yatesl]

Why not go with headphones?

I have a 5.1 surround sound system but I'm by no means an expert. Looks to me like you won't be able to get the full benefits of it.

I have a pair of Turtle Beach X12s that are OK (and use Razer Surround to try and simulate 7.1), but I wanted the real deal. I might stick with headphones for now, unless some genius helps me get the best set up.


Second question! I need a new PC chair, as this £40 one from Argos is garbage. I'm split between spending far too much money on the AK Racing chair or the DX Racer chair, or spend £75 less and get a standard IKEA Markus chair.

I know anything with the word "Gaming" in it is overpriced, but I really like the racing/bucket design of the first 2. Plus PCPer and HardwareCannucks gave them good reviews (although they sounded suspiciously like adverts).

 

[OraleeWey]

I have a pair of Turtle Beach X12s that are OK (and use Razer Surround to try and simulate 7.1), but I wanted the real deal. I might stick with headphones for now, unless some genius helps me get the best set up.


Second question! I need a new PC chair, as this £40 one from Argos is garbage. I'm split between spending far too much money on the AK Racing chair or the DX Racer chair, or spend £75 less and get a standard IKEA Markus chair.

I know anything with the word "Gaming" in it is overpriced, but I really like the racing/bucket design of the first 2. Plus PCPer and HardwareCannucks gave them good reviews (although they sounded suspiciously like adverts).

Yeah, I've been looking for a chair as well. The one I've got now hurts my back after extended use. But a thread on GAF was praising this chair a while back and I bookmarked it. Not sure if it is ideal for gaming however.

http://m.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/spr/79825193/

 

[RGM79]

OK PCGAF, my friends best buy PC died on him. He decided that he wants to build one. His price range is around $1,000-$1,300. For the hell of it, let's cap it at $1,200.

He wants a gaming PC primarily, and the rest is for regular PC-using tasks. No video editing or anything like that. He may be over clocking so make sure this is easy for him through the BIOS. No need for a monitor, mouse, or keyboard. Mid sized tower. Micro Center isn't an option. He should be able to run at the very least, games that are out now on high/ultra.

Thanks in advance.

When is he building the PC? New parts like Broadwell CPUs and new AMD graphics cards are coming out very soon (next month?). Not sure if they're worth it yet, we don't have detailed tests and benchmarks for them. It's also worth seeing how Nvidia will react to AMD's new lineup.

For now, this parts list should be close to what he wants.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($98.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($60.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Best Buy)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($532.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($47.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1207.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-17 15:50 EDT-0400

 

[kennah]

LOL. MSRP of the AsRock X99 ITX board in Canada - $380.

 

[OraleeWey]

When is he building the PC? New parts like Broadwell CPUs and new AMD graphics cards are coming out very soon (next month?). Not sure if they're worth it yet, we don't have detailed tests and benchmarks for them. It's also worth seeing how Nvidia will react to AMD's new lineup.

For now, this parts list should be close to what he wants.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($98.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($60.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Best Buy)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($532.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($47.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1207.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-17 15:50 EDT-0400

Building ASAP, that looks like a solid build.