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[Skel1ingt0n]

Game on!

Though, this is my buddy's build, not mine.

We're building LIVE right now @ http://www.twitch.tv/taintstagangsta for the next hour!

Yoooooooooo bitches! Holy shit we're drunk as fuck!!!! Bottle of vodka in! 1:37 am. We're gonna see if we can POST a $5,000 PC while under the influence.


The stream is back up! It's me and @BossLackey helping my co-worker/friend get his rig up and running before sunrise. Holy shit this is going to be a disaster.

 

[Zeyphersan]

Do people normally mess with their GPU fan curves or stick with the defaults?

 

[NeOak]

Oh hey, you bought McAfee software that came with a free i7

 

[VoxPop]

Finally picked up a 970. A great upgrade over the putrid 1GB vram in my old 570. That thing couldnt even handle WoW without crashing not to mention it was loud as hell. Whisper quiet so far Looking to swap out to a 980 Ti when price drops a little bit.

 

[XBP]

I don't sorry, I was only spouting stuff I read while researching cases and AIO coolers.

I have the H105 coming in tomorrow and I hate fan noise. Can you tell me how audible they were when gaming in your experience?

The fan noise isn't bad at all. With a turbo fan profile in Bios, my fans run at 900-1100 RPM on idle and 1500-1900 on load. At idle they aren't audible at all but under load you can hear them faintly. This video will give you an idea of what they sound like but keep in mind that the guy's microphone is right next to the fans. So look at the chart at the start of the video for noise levels at various fan speeds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as9p5cXntLY

I have the AF series the slient edition I can say they are fairly quiet and they come with a speed down voltage adapter. The interchange able rings are also nice for matching your build.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1342-page5.html
http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/4866/corsair_air_series_af_and_sp_cooling_fans_review/index.html
http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cases_cooling/corsair_air_series_fans_review_sp120_af120_review/1

I've been reading user reviews of these fans and it seems like the rattling issue I have with the h105 fans is rather common on these as well. I guess I'll just keep on searching for a better option. Otherwise the Noctua might be the only choice.

 

[Zeyphersan]

Alright guys, how overkill is this? It's pretty much my dream setup. Price is so high because it includes all the accessories I want (except maybe a new router)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($325.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($44.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97E-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($121.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($95.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($365.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB HYBRID Video Card ($749.99)
Case: Rosewill Legacy W1-B Mini ITX Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($110.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($87.98 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($20.85 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($20.85 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer XB270HU bprz 144Hz 27.0" Monitor ($779.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Das Keyboard 4 Professional Wired Standard Keyboard ($161.99 @ Amazon)
Headphones: SteelSeries H Headset ($269.99 @ Newegg)
Speakers: Logitech Z623 200W 2.1ch Speakers ($119.95 @ Directron)
Total: $3377.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-06 04:08 EDT-0400

 

[Kayant]

The fan noise isn't bad at all. With a turbo fan profile in Bios, my fans run at 900-1100 RPM on idle and 1500-1900 on load. At idle they aren't audible at all but under load you can hear them faintly. This video will give you an idea of what they sound like but keep in mind that the guy's microphone is right next to the fans. So look at the chart at the start of the video for noise levels at various fan speeds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as9p5cXntLY




I've been reading user reviews of these fans and it seems like the rattling issue I have with the h105 fans is rather common on these as well. I guess I'll just keep on searching for a better option. Otherwise the Noctua might be the only choice.

In terms of quiet stuff the only other fans I can think of but I can't recall what their pricing is like although am sure it's cheaper that Noctua fans are bequiet and maybe Phanteks fans. You could look into those.

 

[XBP]

In terms of quiet stuff the only other fans I can think of but I can't recall what their pricing is like although am sure it's cheaper that Noctua fans are bequiet and maybe Phanteks fans. You could look into those.

Not so sure about phanteks to be honest. I have two of them in my PC right now that came with my Enthoo Luxe and they are extremely noisy. Although they do push a decent amount of air.

 

[Veldin]

Given that your first parts list only totals around $1300, does that mean you prefer to spend less or do you not mind spending up to $2000? And what sort of 1080p monitor are you looking for?

What sort of a case are you looking for? Do you have any details in mind? Gamer-aesthetic or more subtle look? Would you like a case window? Noise dampening cases lined with sound absorbing foam? Do you prefer the case or internal parts to be in any specific colors?

Thanks for the feedback. I'll try to answer some of your questions. First with the budget, on second thought it probably falls closer to $1700-1800? 2k is my top end for spending right now and there's a few other things I need to pick up aside from the computer and monitor. Looking at the list you put together it'd be about right with a less expensive GPU maybe? I'm trying to get something at the mid-upper range instead of top of the line. For the monitor I think I'll just go with the Asus VS239H-P suggested in the OP. From what I've read it looks like a good pick for price and color quality. As for the case, something like the Fractal Define S you suggested does seem like a nice choice. I don't want anything too flashy so a neat and organized black case would be fine for me.

 

[RGM79]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll try to answer some of your questions. First with the budget, on second thought it probably falls closer to $1700-1800? 2k is my top end for spending right now and there's a few other things I need to pick up aside from the computer and monitor. Looking at the list you put together it'd be about right with a less expensive GPU maybe? I'm trying to get something at the mid-upper range instead of top of the line. For the monitor I think I'll just go with the Asus VS239H-P suggested in the OP. From what I've read it looks like a good pick for price and color quality. As for the case, something like the Fractal Define S you suggested does seem like a nice choice. I don't want anything too flashy so a neat and organized black case would be fine for me.

Sounds like you have a plan, then. Dropping down to the GTX 970 or 980 would work well for you.

 

[DSN2K]

Picked up

For £150, better deal then investing in a 2GB 960 for the same price ?

 

[LilJoka]

Picked up

For £150, better deal then investing in a 2GB 960 for the same price ?

Hm tough choice with the VRAM, but the GTX 960 outperforms a GTX 770 these days.

 

[RGM79]

Picked up

For £150, better deal then investing in a 2GB 960 for the same price ?

It's not as strong as the GTX 960 performance-wise, but if you were planning to not upgrade for a long time then I suppose it's not that bad a buy. If you are OK with running games at lower graphical settings so as to not go over the 2GB of VRAM, then the GTX 960 would have been better.. and considering the GTX 760's performance, you might be limited to running at lower settings to try and keep up a decent framerate anyway.

AMD graphics cards could be an option. I think an R9 280X 3GB (as cheap as £158) would have been a better buy than the GTX 760 4GB. For recent games like GTAV and the Witcher 3, the GTX 760 doesn't quite have the performance to play at a decent framerate with settings that eat up VRAM like grass quality. The R9 280X is more capable than the GTX 760 when it comes to framerate and 3GB of VRAM still allows it to play at higher graphics settings at 1080p. Also, spending a bit more gets you an R9 290 (as cheap as £180) which comes with 4GB VRAM and blows both the GTX 760 and 960 out of the water with raw performance.

 

[jfoul]

So is the Strix 970 the one to get?

I like the plus versions from EVGA. These two cards are almost identical, but the FTW+ has slightly higher clocks and a backplate with thermal pads making contact with the backside memory.

EVGA GeForce GTX 970 FTW+ ACX 2.0+ (04G-P4-3978-KR)
EVGA GeForce GTX 970 SSC ACX 2.0+ (04G-P4-3975-KR)

• 0 dB mode
• Dual BIOS
• Memory MOSFET Cooling Plate
• 6 phase power

 

[Kayant]

Not so sure about phanteks to be honest. I have two of them in my PC right now that came with my Enthoo Luxe and they are extremely noisy. Although they do push a decent amount of air.

Ha there really isn't that much more options I can think of that is cheaper than Noctuas ... It's looking like Noctua maybe the way to go although has you looked into bequiet yet.

 

[Hazaro]

Yoooooooooo bitches! Holy shit we're drunk as fuck!!!! Bottle of vodka in! 1:37 am. We're gonna see if we can POST a $5,000 PC while under the influence.


The stream is back up! It's me and @BossLackey helping my co-worker/friend get his rig up and running before sunrise. Holy shit this is going to be a disaster.

rofl the guy on the beds reactions to everything

 

[Pepiope]

Thinking of upgrading my monitor.

Currently have an ASUS VG248QE. I've been looking at the ASUS PB287Q.

I'm not planning on 4K gaming (I have a 970), but how much better would my everyday experience be if I jumped up to 4K?

 

[Krecik]

I'm nearly done with my master's thesis so it's time to think about throwing some money at my PC.

Here's what I have right now:
CPU: i7 960 @ 3,2
Cooler: Mugen 3 rev.B
GPU: GTX580
RAM: 4x2GB DDR3 @ 1333
MoBo: DFI LP DK X58A
PSU: Chieftec 750W
Case: CM Dominator
Storage: 2TB Seagate HDD, 256 MB Crucial MX100 SSD, 1TB Samsung (nearly dead)

And here's what I'm thinking about getting:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($325.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($136.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($111.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($339.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Total: $914.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-06 07:42 EDT-0400

My budget is about 1k$, but I live in Poland so these listed prices aren't really meaningful. I'm also not sure about that PSU, can't find the one I chose on PCPartsPicker. If anyone's interested, here's the store page of the one I found.

The main use of this rig is obviously going to be gaming. I'm not dreaming about 4K, I'll be satisfied with 1080p@60fps. Perhaps a bit more than 1080p, since my display is 1920x1200.

My current rig was bought for The Witcher 2 after it literally fried my previous GPU (270 IIRC). I don't want to re-live that, so I'm getting a new PC before playing the third installement.

And that's the whole point of this purchase - it needs to run The Witcher 3 at 1080p@60fps, not necessarily at ultra setting. I presume that if it will be able to handle W3, then it'll cope with basically anything else I'll throw at it this gen.

I listed only the parts I want to change. I'll keep my storage, case and peripherals. I think I'll also be able to keep the cooler - it doesn't have the 1150 socket listed as compatible, but after some research I found that anything compatible with 1155 will also work with 1150. Would like confirmation, though.

I'll most likely build it at the beginning of the next month. What do you guys think about it? Will it be enough?

 

[Dennis]

I am looking into 4K monitors and want to ask if people have recommendations for

a) IPS monitors (preferred option depending on price)

b) TFT monitors (cheaper option)

I am thinking middle to high end. Not garbage tier.

 

[Dennis]

Like for example this one

Dell 27 Ultra HD 4K Monitor – P2715Q

is an IPS at $699.

Shit buy or a good IPS for the price?

 

[opticalmace]

I am looking into 4K monitors and want to ask if people have recommendations for

a) IPS monitors (preferred option depending on price)

b) TFT monitors (cheaper option)

I am thinking middle to high end. Not garbage tier.

Is it for gaming? I wouldn't buy a 4k panel without gsync/freesync. What GPU do you have?

 

[Dennis]

Is it for gaming? I wouldn't buy a 4k panel without gsync/freesync. What GPU do you have?

It is for general use including gaming.

I don't have a GPU yet but I will probably be getting one of the new Nvidia GTX 980 Ti 6GB cards.

 

[king grimlock]

So I've got a few questions guys that involve me shopping with theoretical money:

1. What is the general consensus on this power supply and Thermaltake in general?
(it's already in my pc)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153143

2. Would that PSU be enough for potentially 2 980 ti's?

3. Would an i5 4690k not OC'ed be a bottleneck with 2 980 ti's?

4. This theoretical money may become not so theoretical soon what do I do to stop this "MOAR POWAH" thing I have with my 2 month old perfectly capable PC?

 

[knerl]

Been wondering if my trusted i5 2500K running at 4.3GHz might hold my GTX 970 back.
In a sense it is seeing as how Sandy Bridge doesn't support PCI-E 3.0, but the difference between PCI-E 2 and 3 is supposedly at ~2% at best. So the bus interface doesn't leave me concerned, but I wonder how big of a jump I'd see going to a 4690K or a 4790K even.
Games like GTAV that really hogs the CPU with anywhere bewteen 80-100% on all cores should give me a noticeable improvement I take it? Since my 2500K in some games are pushed to 100% on some or several cores I suspect that might be a cause for some types of stuttering. What do you guys think?

 

[Crisium]

Been wondering if my trusted i5 2500K running at 4.3GHz might hold my GTX 970 back.
In a sense it is seeing as how Sandy Bridge doesn't support PCI-E 3.0, but the difference between PCI-E 2 and 3 is supposedly at ~2% at best. So the bus interface doesn't leave me concerned, but I wonder how big of a jump I'd see going to a 4690K or a 4790K even.
Games like GTAV that really hogs the CPU with anywhere bewteen 80-100% on all cores should give me a noticeable improvement I take it? Since my 2500K in some games are pushed to 100% on some or several cores I suspect that might be a cause for some types of stuttering. What do you guys think?

http://gamegpu.ru/images/remote/htt...tion-Grand_Theft_Auto_V_-test-2-GTA5_proz.jpg

Source: http://gamegpu.ru/action-/-fps-/-tps/grand-theft-auto-v-test-gpu.html

So yes? Haswell just 100-200MHz faster than Sandy Bridge shows a noticeable improvement. Unless someone can argue that because that's SLI 980 compared to your 970 that you wouldn't see a comparable boost.

 

[opticalmace]

So I've got a few questions guys that involve me shopping with theoretical money:

1. What is the general consensus on this power supply and Thermaltake in general?
(it's already in my pc)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153143

2. Would that PSU be enough for potentially 2 980 ti's?

3. Would an i5 4690k not OC'ed be a bottleneck with 2 980 ti's?

4. This theoretical money may become not so theoretical soon what do I do to stop this "MOAR POWAH" thing I have with my 2 month old perfectly capable PC?

1. It's fine.
2. Yes.
3. It'll be fine, though I would really push it past 4Ghz. No reason not to.
4. What are your current specs? It's your money, just keep in mind if you spend a shit ton of money now you might be jealous when new fancy stuff comes out the next time around.

 

[Mashing]

Got my new PC built:

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe
CPU: Intel i7 4790K
CPU Cooler: Swiftech H240-X
Mobo: Asus Maximus VII Hero
Storage: Samsung 512GB 850 PRO SSD
Memory: 16GB 2400Mhz Corsair Vengeance Pro
Video Card: EVGA GTX Titan X SC
Monitor: Acer XB280HK (4k G-SYNC enabled monitor)
Power Supply: EVGA Supernova 850 G2

Now that I have my CPU Cooler I'm going to try to get to at least a 4.8, but hopefully 4.9 OC (my ambient is not very good and it's summer so that might be troublesome)

 

[RandomSeed]

Is anyone running a R9 290 on a 500w PSU? A couple of sites that have power consumption calculators show my system with this card selected as coming in just under 500w as a recommendation, but almost all the specs I've seen list a 750w PSU. Is that for crossfire?

 

[king grimlock]

1. It's fine.
2. Yes.
3. It'll be fine, though I would really push it past 4Ghz. No reason not to.
4. What are your current specs? It's your money, just keep in mind if you spend a shit ton of money now you might be jealous when new fancy stuff comes out the next time around.

Thanks, I currently don't have an aftermarket cooler because my original PC budget got cut suddenly by a considerable amount so I can't OC and yeah I know a cooler would be smarter than a gpu upgrade and yes I know " if you can afford 2 high end gpu's you could probably afford a cooler at the same time" and well that is probably right I'm just cheap and 2 980 ti's is a big amount of money.


Specs:
CPU: i5 4690k
Mobo: MSI z97-g45 gaming
GPU: EVGA 970 FTW
RAM: Corsair vengeance 16GB 2x8
PSU: Thermaltake toughpower grand 850w

 

[oxidax]

I'm looking into getting an Intel processor but I don't know if i5 or i7 will be better. Could anybody help me decide ? The main use will be games. Lots of supersampling whenever possible but the main use will be just games.

 

[Kayant]

I'm looking into getting an Intel processor but I don't know if i5 or i7 will be better. Could anybody help me decide ? The main use will be games. Lots of supersampling whenever possible but the main use will be just games.

i5 is the "smarter" and cost efficiently option IMO. The increase to an i7 for gaming is not worth it.

Re-quoting from a previous post

If you go with an i5 4690K instead you can As long as the most intensive task your doing is gaming. You're are only losing out on 3-8fps of performance which isn't worth the price increase IMO. i7 Is more if you're going to be doing things like very heavy multitasking, video editing, 3D rendering and the like where the hyper threading will help.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1261?vs=1260

 

[Ventara]

Guys, I'm having some trouble with my PC. Whenever I start it up, the login part of the login screen flashes a few times, goes into the Windows spinning dots, then tells me I have entered the incorrect password (when I haven't entered anything yet). From there, I can click try again and log in fine.

This started when I turned on my computer this morning from sleep mode. I went to check my previous posts and that drop down tab kept flashing open and close. Some of my other Firefox tabs where having similar problems. Decided to close down Firefox. Then I noticed some of my other applications (Steam, File explorer) were kinda acting weird, so I decided to do a restart. And here I am.

I took out my graphics card, but the problem persists. I checked what I had installed recently; some Steam games 2 days ago, and a Firefox auto-update that I'm pretty sure was installed after this problem started.

I'm a tech idiot, so any help on the matter is greatly appreciated.

Edit: Decided to uninstall Firefox to see if that helps. It doesn't. There was also a little notification in the bottom right if my screen to finish installing my mouse and keyboard, which was weird, but I did it. Didn't help, either.

 

[Hazaro]

Guys, I'm having some trouble with my PC. Whenever I start it up, the login part of the login screen flashes a few times, goes into the Windows spinning dots, then tells me I have entered the incorrect password (when I haven't entered anything yet). From there, I can click try again and log in fine.

This started when I turned on my computer this morning from sleep mode. I went to check my previous posts and that drop down tab kept flashing open and close. Some of my other Firefox tabs where having similar problems. Decided to close down Firefox. Then I noticed some of my other applications (Steam, File explorer) were kinda acting weird, so I decided to do a restart. And here I am.

I took out my graphics card, but the problem persists. I checked what I had installed recently; some Steam games 2 days ago, and a Firefox auto-update that I'm pretty sure was installed after this problem started.

I'm a tech idiot, so any help on the matter is greatly appreciated.

Edit: Decided to uninstall Firefox to see if that helps. It doesn't. There was also a little notification in the bottom right if my screen to finish installing my mouse and keyboard, which was weird, but I did it. Didn't help, either.

Power off PC, unplug it, wait 5 minutes.
Unplug and replug all your power connectors
Blow the dust out
Check for bulging or leaking capacitors on the motherboard
Run CCleaner and ADWCleaner (free) and MalwayreBytes
Run a memtest86+ from CD for 30 minutes, if any errors its RAM
Download an HDD diagnostic for your HDD model (Like Seatool for Seagate)

I'd start there

 

[Ventara]

Power off PC, unplug it, wait 5 minutes.
Unplug and replug all your power connectors
Blow the dust out
Check for bulging or leaking capacitors on the motherboard
Run CCleaner and ADWCleaner (free) and MalwayreBytes
Run a memtest86+ from CD for 30 minutes, if any errors its RAM
Download an HDD diagnostic for your HDD model (Like Seatool for Seagate)

I'd start there

Thanks! Will see how it works out.

Edit: I don't have canned air, and I've read that just blowing on it might be bad. Do you think I can wait until Monday, or do you think this might be a more serious problem that needs immediate attention?

Edit 2: Huh. I put my GPU back in the case and when I powered on my computer, it was fine. Weird.

 

[NeOak]

i5 is the "smarter" and cost efficiently option IMO. The increase to an i7 for gaming is not worth it.

Re-quoting from a previous post

Man, looking at those benchmarks, my i5-2400 OCed to 3.6 Ghz while having 4 threads still holds up a bit.

No point in getting a 2500k or 2600k because I have a MSI Z77A-G41 and its not that good for OCing. If I were to spend ~150 for another CPU I might as well go Skylake and a new mobo with lowest CAS RAM.

Edit: Opinions on the Corsair Air 540? I want a case that I can put the current H75i that I have and be able to use another 120mm AIO that comes with the Fury X.

 

[BIGWORM]

So, I'm wanting to build my kid a good, solid mid-range rig for his birthday. He'll be using my old FX8320 setup. Should I go ahead and get 8GB of RAM for him or just 4GB? Also, I was looking at a GTX 760 as a solid graphics card, maybe even a bit lower than that. He'll mostly be running Minecraft and the like. AMD equivalents are welcome suggestions--I don't know what's comparable on the AMD side. He'll be turning 11 at the end of July, and he's a geek like me. *tears*

 

[Dennis]

I am looking into 4K monitors and want to ask if people have recommendations for

a) IPS monitors (preferred option depending on price)

b) TFT monitors (cheaper option)

I am thinking middle to high end. Not garbage tier.

Like for example this one

Dell 27 Ultra HD 4K Monitor – P2715Q

is an IPS at $699.

Shit buy or a good IPS for the price?

Bumping for the new page.

 

[Nostremitus]

Man, looking at those benchmarks, my i5-2400 OCed to 3.6 Ghz while having 4 threads still holds up a bit.

No point in getting a 2500k or 2600k because I have a MSI Z77A-G41 and its not that good for OCing. If I were to spend ~150 for another CPU I might as well go Skylake and a new mobo with lowest CAS RAM.

Edit: Opinions on the Corsair Air 540? I want a case that I can put the current H75i that I have and be able to use another 120mm AIO that comes with the Fury X.

The Air 540 is huge. That said, I love mine and would buy it again in a heartbeat if I had to.

 

[namelessone]

Hey pcgaf, what's a reliable really cheap cpu cooler (like, cheaper than the 212 evo)? I need to replace the stock one, which just died, on my old backup system with a q6660 and a p5k mobo and i need no overclocking, just for it to work. Thanks!

 

[Zaph]

Bumping for the new page.

Personally, from my experience being an early 1440p adopter, I wouldn't step into 4k without gsync.

If you don't mind waiting until Q4 (and spending the extra cash), go for the Asus PG27AQ. Seems like the perfect companion for the 980ti.

 

[BRocknRolla]

I'm currently on a R9 290x, and while I'm still largely maxing out most games, I'm starting to get interested in an upgrade as games like W3 have me turning a few things down for solid performance.

For someone who is on a 1080 display (at least on my tv I'll be using that for a while, what would folks say I should be eyeing for an upgrade?

 

[Coulomb_Barrier]

The Air 540 is huge. That said, I love mine and would buy it again in a heartbeat if I had to.

True, it is a huge box, deceptively big, but obviously not quite as big as full tower cases as it's defined as a mid tower.

Air flow in it keeps your system super cool and there's huge space inside even though PSU/drives are compartmentalised with back of mobo and rest of components on the other side of the case.

Finally, the design is top notch and really modern.

 

[opticalmace]

I'm currently on a R9 290x, and while I'm still largely maxing out most games, I'm starting to get interested in an upgrade as games like W3 have me turning a few things down for solid performance.

For someone who is on a 1080 display (at least on my tv I'll be using that for a while, what would folks say I should be eyeing for an upgrade?

The 290x competes with the 970 at 1080p generally.. 980 isn't a good value, so I guess there's a 980 Ti, but that's a lot of money for just a 1080p card IMHO (unless you have a monitor that can do >60Hz).

If I were you I would wait until June 16th to see what AMD launches.

 

[Nostremitus]

True, it is a huge box, deceptively big, but obviously not quite as big as full tower cases as it's defined as a mid tower.

Air flow in it keeps your system super cool and there's huge space inside even though PSU/drives are compartmentalised with back of mobo and rest of components on the other side of the case.

Finally, the design is top notch and really modern.

As I said, I love mine. It is listed as a mid tower due to its height and depth. That doesn't mean it isn't huge as it is almost the size of two normal mid tower cases side by side due to its width. It's an important point to bring up to anyone thinking about purchasing one as not everyone will have the deskspace to handle it.

 

[RGM79]

Is anyone running a R9 290 on a 500w PSU? A couple of sites that have power consumption calculators show my system with this card selected as coming in just under 500w as a recommendation, but almost all the specs I've seen list a 750w PSU. Is that for crossfire?

Did you miss my reply? It's just the recommended specs being overstated. A single R9 290 will draw around 265 watts by itself.

So, I'm wanting to build my kid a good, solid mid-range rig for his birthday. He'll be using my old FX8320 setup. Should I go ahead and get 8GB of RAM for him or just 4GB? Also, I was looking at a GTX 760 as a solid graphics card, maybe even a bit lower than that. He'll mostly be running Minecraft and the like. AMD equivalents are welcome suggestions--I don't know what's comparable on the AMD side. He'll be turning 11 at the end of July, and he's a geek like me. *tears*

Your old PC doesn't already have a graphics card? What's your budget and what country are you in? The GTX 760 is discontinued and quite dated, there are other alternatives available these days.

Hey pcgaf, what's a reliable really cheap cpu cooler (like, cheaper than the 212 evo)? I need to replace the stock one, which just died, on my old backup system with a q6660 and a p5k mobo and i need no overclocking, just for it to work. Thanks!

How cheap are we talking? You could probably find a stock LGA775 cooler on ebay for a few dollars..

 

[Fourth Storm]

Anyone have an opinion on this entry-level Dell IPS monitor? I'm split between this and a slightly more expensive Asus IPS. The Asus is 5ms and has an HDMI out, but I've heard that their dead-pixel policy is not as good as Dell's. As always, your input is greatly appreciated. Almost have everything I need to get this build up and ready!

DELL
ASUS

 

[NeOak]

The Air 540 is huge. That said, I love mine and would buy it again in a heartbeat if I had to.

True, it is a huge box, deceptively big, but obviously not quite as big as full tower cases as it's defined as a mid tower.

Air flow in it keeps your system super cool and there's huge space inside even though PSU/drives are compartmentalised with back of mobo and rest of components on the other side of the case.

Finally, the design is top notch and really modern.

As I said, I love mine. It is listed as a mid tower due to its height and depth. That doesn't mean it isn't huge as it is almost the size of two normal mid tower cases side by side due to its width. It's an important point to bring up to anyone thinking about purchasing one as not everyone will have the deskspace to handle it.

Thanks for the replies guys. However, I picked the Define R5 because it has the dust filters and my PC is on the floor sooo... yeah.

I can do the 2x120mm AIO rads later when I get the Fury X and the H75 I have atm.

 

[Nostremitus]

Thanks for the replies guys. However, I picked the Define R5 because it has the dust filters and my PC is on the floor sooo... yeah.

I can do the 2x120mm AIO rads later when I get the Fury X and the H75 I have atm.

That's another great choice, though you should know the 540 also has dust filters.

 

[RandomSeed]

Did you miss my reply? It's just the recommended specs being overstated. A single R9 290 will draw around 265 watts by itself.

Thanks, that link was helpful. I keep tossing around the idea of upgrading my 7850 to a GTX 970 or R9 290. The 290 getting closer to $250 with rebates is more tempting than spending $300+.

 

[justgames7604]

Guys is getting a WD velociraptor HDD for game storage worth it as a in-between an average 7200rpm and an SSD?