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"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 1. Read the OP and RISE ABOVE FORGED PRECISION SCIENCE
- Thread starter Hazaro
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Fair enough on the case, I just noticed you are getting a soundcard too, are there enough slots on the motherboard for 2 graphics cards and a sound card?
As for fans you can buy sets which light up and replace the default case fans with them.
The motherboard is micro atx
opticalmace
Member
Wasn't expecting someone in this thread to tell me to just buy a prebuilt lol.
Is it possible to get a 120GB SSD ? You can pair it with a normal HDD for storage . It's only like $67.99 now 850 EVO . Your dad will be shocked to see the 15minutes shaved to 15seconds
I recommended one to him but the problems on his current PC are not limited to just a slow ass boot time. Everything is slow
Can't beat them on the low end for price and support.
Darryl M R
Member
I actually don't know if there are enough slots. I'm a first time builder and I was going with what was suggested to me. I truthfully don't even know if a soundcard is necessary for what I would hope to have since I would expect to have external speakers (if that makes sense)
I was trying to base a build off of another guy's computer and his looks like this:
To me it looks like it could fit a second graphic card, or am I mistaken?
That's great to hear, my comp has been slowing down due to an aging hard disk, and as a result I was getting disillusioned with my rig as a whole, but since putting a ssd in, it feels even better then the day I built it.
Great to know a solid foundation can really last for years with just a spruce up here and there.
Thanks thats good to know, and yeah I'll be able to wait, especially to see what it does to the prices. Always fun seeing what effect things have on one another.
I am in the midst of finally upgrading my computer, I've been able to figure out most components without issue except two things; PSU and memory.
When it comes to PSU my shortlist at the moment is Fractal Design Edison M (rebranded Seasonic), EVGA SuperNOVA GS (another rebranded Seasonic) and EVGA SuperNOVA G2 (since it has gotten rave reviews). The issue for me is that 750W is way overkill for my system (4690K, GTX 960), so that makes the G2 less attractive. The two other options comes in 550W and 650W, however the price difference between all options is near negligible (~10-20$). Should I just wait for a deal on any of the above and does gaf have any impressions/issues with them?
And now for memory, I know that I want a 2x8gb DDR3 package, but there are literally hundreds of options available to me (220 to be exact) and the differences between them aren't always that apparent. I've read up on CAS latency, timings, etc. and that did not really make things much clearer. E.g. Corsair has a model in both 2400MHz and and in 1866 MHz for the same money, the latter of which has lower latency (9 vs 11) and lower voltage (1,5V vs 1,65V). Which of the two would be the better purchase?
When it comes to PSU my shortlist at the moment is Fractal Design Edison M (rebranded Seasonic), EVGA SuperNOVA GS (another rebranded Seasonic) and EVGA SuperNOVA G2 (since it has gotten rave reviews). The issue for me is that 750W is way overkill for my system (4690K, GTX 960), so that makes the G2 less attractive. The two other options comes in 550W and 650W, however the price difference between all options is near negligible (~10-20$). Should I just wait for a deal on any of the above and does gaf have any impressions/issues with them?
And now for memory, I know that I want a 2x8gb DDR3 package, but there are literally hundreds of options available to me (220 to be exact) and the differences between them aren't always that apparent. I've read up on CAS latency, timings, etc. and that did not really make things much clearer. E.g. Corsair has a model in both 2400MHz and and in 1866 MHz for the same money, the latter of which has lower latency (9 vs 11) and lower voltage (1,5V vs 1,65V). Which of the two would be the better purchase?
Snakethesniper
Member
now is more clear, thanks!
anchorman128
Member
Just go with the larger of the two power supplies. Always allows for future upgrades, and with component degration none of the PSUs will output that power forever. In 5 years your 750 may only push out 650-600. The 550 or 650 may not be enough later down the road.
My advice is always buy a real good powers supply so you can upgrade in the future and have the ability to hold on to it for longer.
As others have noted, for SLI, I'd highly suggest going with standard ATX. That extra bit of space between the two cards makes all the difference. It'll be much louder, with the top card getting very very toasty on mATX. You can get small cases for ATX.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163263
http://www.performance-pcs.com/lian-li-pc-v700b-aluminum-atx-mid-tower-computer-case-black.html
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112335
If you do go the mATX route, I highly suggest going with reference cards though.
Since you're going for pretty, I'd also really really suggest the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv. I don't think there's a better mATX case out there in the price range.
*edit*
Also, if you want help min/maxing the pretty with the right parts, lemme know. That's my hobby.
*edit 2*
Also, yeah, as others pointed out, you can't SLI + soundcard on a mATX setup.
It's happening.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-5930K 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($704.98 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock X99E-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA2011-3 Narrow Motherboard ($328.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($94.99 @ Memory Express)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $65.00)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($104.98 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 4GB Video Card (Purchased For $200.00)
Power Supply: Silverstone 450W 80+ Bronze Certified SFX Power Supply ($72.63 @ DirectCanada)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($114.99 @ NCIX)
Case: Compact Splash #17 in Blue ($350 @ Manufacturer)
Case Fan: SilenX EFX-12-12 44.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($34.41 @ Amazon Canada)
Case Fan: SilenX EFX-12-12 44.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($34.41 @ Amazon Canada)
Case Fan: SilenX EFX-12-12 44.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($34.41 @ Amazon Canada)
Keyboard: Cooler Master Storm Quick Fire Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard (Purchased For $50.00)
Mouse: SteelSeries Sensei RAW Wired Laser Mouse ($49.00 @ NCIX)
Headphones: SteelSeries 7h Headset ($149.47 @ Amazon Canada)
Other: EKWB Supremacy LTX Canada Waterblock (Purchased For $72.00)
Other: XSPC EX120 (Purchased For $40.00)
Other: XSPC EX240 ($60.00)
Other: Swifttech DDC Pump ($90.00)
Other: 10' Tubing (Purchased For $20.00)
Other: Various EKWB Fittings (Purchased For $80.00)
Other: EKWB Waterblock for GPU with Bridge (Purchased For $100.00)
Other: DDC Pump Top and Reservoir (Purchased For $30.00)
Total: $2880.25
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-11 12:53 EDT-0400
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-5930K 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($704.98 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock X99E-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA2011-3 Narrow Motherboard ($328.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($94.99 @ Memory Express)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $65.00)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($104.98 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 4GB Video Card (Purchased For $200.00)
Power Supply: Silverstone 450W 80+ Bronze Certified SFX Power Supply ($72.63 @ DirectCanada)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($114.99 @ NCIX)
Case: Compact Splash #17 in Blue ($350 @ Manufacturer)
Case Fan: SilenX EFX-12-12 44.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($34.41 @ Amazon Canada)
Case Fan: SilenX EFX-12-12 44.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($34.41 @ Amazon Canada)
Case Fan: SilenX EFX-12-12 44.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($34.41 @ Amazon Canada)
Keyboard: Cooler Master Storm Quick Fire Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard (Purchased For $50.00)
Mouse: SteelSeries Sensei RAW Wired Laser Mouse ($49.00 @ NCIX)
Headphones: SteelSeries 7h Headset ($149.47 @ Amazon Canada)
Other: EKWB Supremacy LTX Canada Waterblock (Purchased For $72.00)
Other: XSPC EX120 (Purchased For $40.00)
Other: XSPC EX240 ($60.00)
Other: Swifttech DDC Pump ($90.00)
Other: 10' Tubing (Purchased For $20.00)
Other: Various EKWB Fittings (Purchased For $80.00)
Other: EKWB Waterblock for GPU with Bridge (Purchased For $100.00)
Other: DDC Pump Top and Reservoir (Purchased For $30.00)
Total: $2880.25
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-11 12:53 EDT-0400
Darryl M R
Member
I would love any help you could give me. As a first time PC builder this is a bit confusing but I promise I'm doing my own research and investing in it rather than hoping others can figure everything out for me.
Would you suggest that I consider not going mATX and just go regular size? (sorry if I'm not using the correct language)
I saw the Fractal Design Define R5 and it seems to look decent looking but I'm assuming if I wanted the prettiest and best of aesthetics for a case it will probably be a mATX setup? What's your opinion on the Fractal Design Define R5?
NeOak
Member
Seems like it
The 830 is more jarring than the mITX board lol
I want to see it too!
NeOak
Member
If you want to use more than two cards at all, you need to got standard ATX. Otherwise the video cards will occupy all the space.
As for the R5, I love it. It may not be flashy, but damn, out really is study and silent. I got the windowed version and sometimes I wish I had gotten the regular version since I don't look at the thing at all lol
Darryl M R
Member
Thanks, I guess I will look at going standard ATX. Both my fiancee and I think we would like having an open glass window but I can see how it could be annoying lol.
If given the chance to change your case to something else would you and which case would you pick--assuming price isn't a problem but not just going flash racer style.
Define R5 is great. Absolutely nothing wrong with it, it's just a bit bigger than what you wanted.
Most of those are parts he's had for awhile. The purchase price was when they were originally purchased.
Darryl M R
Member
Yea I was hoping to stay small and slick but I would like to push for 60fps on a 4k resolution. (This might be a lofty goal for a first time builder). But it sounds like I would need 2 graphic cards and that won't be possible with a mATX build (am I correct)? I would love to hear any suggestions you have
Just keep in mind there are a few pitfalls with SLI. You'll need to stay on top of drivers and beta drivers to make sure you get up to date profiles. There will be instances where you don't get a profile for a specific game for a week or more (sometimes never) after release. You may need to hunt down profiles from other games that the community has vetted that work on another game, and use it as a custom profile.
Most of the time you'll have no issues though.
Is this for like an HTPC? Or will it be at a desk w/ a 4K monitor? You mentioned you would be using speakers before, which made me wonder about it being on an HTPC. You *do not* need a soundcard for speakers. The soundcard is mostly for driving high end headphones.
Darryl M R
Member
It would be at a desk with a 4k monitor. Are there alternatives to reaching 4k gaming without utilizing SLI or is that the only way?
Edit:
I think I would be willing to deal with those issues that are with SLI
Wait longer.
Yeah, I don't think the time is right for 4K. I think high refresh rate 1440p like the Acer XB270HU, or a ultra wide monitor like the Acer X34 is the way to go right now.
There's just too many compromises with 4K monitors right now. Desktops are wonky, framerates are iffy, and the refresh rate is just way way too low.
I'm always an early adopter, and the experiences I've had with 4K have been very offputting. I dont know if you've used a nice 1440p monitor before, but with G-Sync and a 144Hz refresh rate, and a better panel tech (IPS vs TN on any affordable 4k monitor), I'm certain it would be a better experience.
There's just too many compromises with 4K monitors right now. Desktops are wonky, framerates are iffy, and the refresh rate is just way way too low.
I'm always an early adopter, and the experiences I've had with 4K have been very offputting. I dont know if you've used a nice 1440p monitor before, but with G-Sync and a 144Hz refresh rate, and a better panel tech (IPS vs TN on any affordable 4k monitor), I'm certain it would be a better experience.
Multiple GPUs run hotter in a setup by default. Cramming two into a mAtx case on air would make things even warmer.
When you say change color of fab are you talking about LED? There are LED fans that light up when they are running. For lights just use a LED strip in whatever color you want .
Edit: just caught up on the convo. For 4k@60fps you are going to need two high end cards. I'm assuming your speaking of max or near max settings.
As far as resolutions...4k looks incedible. I would suggest waiting until later in the year when higher quality 4k gaming panels will arrive if this is the route you want to go. FYI There won't be 4k monitors with 120hz+ refresh rates until display port 1.3 is adopted.
You will run into some scaling issues on w8 desktop. I set my scaling to 125% and browsers to 125% for it to be manageable. Supposedly w10 will handle this a bit better than current windows OS.
NeOak
Member
Nothing. The window is good when i occasionally want to look inside to see the fans spinning because otherwise i can't hear it over the fan i have.
Oh i know.
This
http://www.corsair.com/en-us/blog/2014/november/dennis_build_log
You can do 2x 980Ti if you want too.
If someone held a gun to your head and forced you to keep your Swift or your 4K, which would you keep?
What if your Swift was the Acer IPS?
and, personally, even after playing on 4K, there's no way I'd trade in my Swift. But I have known bias towards the glory that is high refresh rate.
NeOak
Member
Hear!
ShyGuy0504
Member
Posting again for a new page. Just want to make sure about the PSU and CPU cooler.
PSU is a great one.
The CPU cooler will be a limiting factor in how much you can overclock, but it is also a great one. If you want something higher end, you could look at the Noctua NH-D15 or something like the Corsair H100i.
OmegaDL50
Member
Does the digital garble have purple or green lines or squares?
I hope the answer is no because that is signs of how my last GPU died.
Not that I noticed? I guess the only programs it's doing it with are games on Steam. I tab out to chrome and back and I get this...I honestly can't explain the look.
Bit of a late reply, but just wanted to say thanks very much for the advice, I followed the guide you recommended and everything went smoothly
If someone held a gun to your head and forced you to keep your Swift or your 4K, which would you keep?
What if your Swift was the Acer IPS?
and, personally, even after playing on 4K, there's no way I'd trade in my Swift. But I have known bias towards the glory that is high refresh rate.
Haha, I love this question!
Looking forward to hearing Smokey's answer!If someone held a gun to your head and forced you to keep your Swift or your 4K, which would you keep?
What if your Swift was the Acer IPS?
and, personally, even after playing on 4K, there's no way I'd trade in my Swift. But I have known bias towards the glory that is high refresh rate.
Prob 4k...but the IPS Gsync panels that will hit later this year.
My plan going forward is to get the Asus 4k IPS Gsync panel later this year and pair it with the Swift. Best possible solution until displayport 1.3 takes off and we can get 120hz+ @4k.
Playing at 4k, max settings and at or over 60fps is too good from IQ perspective. Games like GTA and W3 look some much better in 4k. Almost like they're made for it. I honestly think the Asus 4k panel w/ Gsync will be my main later this year.
I finally built my first PC and everything went pretty good. Got all the parts in and it booted up fine, but it isn't recognizing any usb keyboard, so I can't get to the BIOS. I'm stuck - anyone had this problem before or would know why my usb keyboards aren't working (I've tried 3 different ones and tried each USB2.0 outlet)?
The motherboard is a MSI Z97 Gaming 5.
Any help would be appreciated.
The motherboard is a MSI Z97 Gaming 5.
Any help would be appreciated.
Bit of a late reply, but just wanted to say thanks very much for the advice, I followed the guide you recommended and everything went smoothly
You're welcome, always good to hear that things went well for people who get advice from this thread.
Did a keyboard ever work at any point, or just not work at all? There are BIOS options for a faster bootup that can skip USB device detection as well as options to disable USB ports.. but if this is a brand new motherboard, I highly doubt those settings would be set that way.
You could try resetting the BIOS settings to see if it makes a difference. Unplug the power supply from the motherboard and take out the coin battery on the motherboard. Leave it like that for a minute or two, then put back the battery and reconnect the power supply cables.
anchorman128 already addressed the power supply choice and I agree, go with either the 650 or 750 watt power supply. The GTX 960 is a relatively efficient graphics card (even a 400 watt PSU is enough for a PC with a higher end GTX 960), but you never know if that will be true for any future graphics cards you may upgrade to. From what I've seen, a PSU in the 650 watt range would be adequate to power a flagship graphics card and still have some headroom for overclocking, which is something you'll probably want to do with that i5 4690K in the future if not now.
The issue of what RAM to get is more complex, though. Comparing speed or latency is straightforward if some numbers match up, but latency can be different for each speed and can influence RAM performance.
E.g., if you had two sets of 1600MHz RAM, one with CAS11 and the other CAS9 latency, then the set with CAS9 latency is preferable (lower latency is better). If you had two sets of RAM that were both CAS11, one rated at 2133MHz and the other rated at 2400MHz, then the set with the higher speed is preferable (higher speed is better).
But in your case, 1866MHz CAS9 is harder to compare with 2400MHz CAS11. There's a math formula that can calculate the latency of RAM in nanoseconds given both a speed and CAS number.
CAS ÷ Frequency MHz × 1000 = nanoseconds
9 ÷ 1866 × 1000 = 48.23ns
11 ÷ 2400 × 1000 = 45.83ns
Therefore the 2400MHz kit looks better, it has slightly lower latency overall despite having a high CAS number. Now there's way more to DDR3 (and RAM in general) than just these numbers and honestly you won't notice the difference in daily use (I'd like to meet someone who can distinguish a 2.4 nanosecond gap in latency), but I'm presenting this oversimplified way of looking at it to make it easier to choose RAM.
As for voltage, all RAM at or above 2133MHz will usually need to run at a higher voltage in order to operate at that speed. RAM running at 1.65V will run warmer than 1.5V RAM, but as long as your case has good ventilation, it's not a big deal. There used to be DDR3 RAM that would run at even higher voltages of 1.7V, but luckily those aren't very common anymore, everything you'll see today is 1.5~1.65V which is alright to run and is compatible. I suppose I should say that technically higher voltage RAM is undesirable and some say that running RAM at higher voltages makes for a lower lifespan of the RAM (or PC? not sure). This is really only an issue if you plan to keep the PC for more than 5 years, it's likely that you'll upgrade and replace the RAM before any heat/voltage issues come up, if at all.
Hey everyone. Wasn't sure where to ask this so I'm posting it here.
So I had 2 different partitions for a dual boot on my SSD. I have since deleted one of them and want to merge the two partitions. The issue is it won't let me merge non adjacent partitions.
Basically I want to move my C: partition to the left of G: so I can merge them. But the issue is my main OS is on the C: partition and moving it causes my PC to crash. Is there a way to get this done?
So I had 2 different partitions for a dual boot on my SSD. I have since deleted one of them and want to merge the two partitions. The issue is it won't let me merge non adjacent partitions.
Basically I want to move my C: partition to the left of G: so I can merge them. But the issue is my main OS is on the C: partition and moving it causes my PC to crash. Is there a way to get this done?
Hey everyone. Wasn't sure where to ask this so I'm posting it here.
So I had 2 different partitions for a dual boot on my SSD. I have since deleted one of them and want to merge the two partitions. The issue is it won't let me merge non adjacent partitions.
Basically I want to move my C: partition to the left of G: so I can merge them. But the issue is my main OS is on the C: partition and moving it causes my PC to crash. Is there a way to get this done?
This link seems to have the answers you want. You may want to use GParted if you cannot do anything with the partition that Windows is currently running from, but apparently other partition managing software can do it as well.
Shadowhaxor
Member
Hey everyone. Wasn't sure where to ask this so I'm posting it here.
So I had 2 different partitions for a dual boot on my SSD. I have since deleted one of them and want to merge the two partitions. The issue is it won't let me merge non adjacent partitions.
Basically I want to move my C: partition to the left of G: so I can merge them. But the issue is my main OS is on the C: partition and moving it causes my PC to crash. Is there a way to get this done?
There are a lot of partition tools that will do this. I typically use Gparted booted off a USB drive. However you can also use this;
http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html
It will let you drag the partitions to where you want them.
I'm looking for some case lighting, What are the best RGB LED / Blue / UV lighting I can grab? I don't want them to bright just enough to show off my case.
I found a site called IceModz has anyone dealt with them? Are their RGB LEDS any good? What Controller and Remote should I get from them?
If not IceModz what Company's LED should I look at?
I found a site called IceModz has anyone dealt with them? Are their RGB LEDS any good? What Controller and Remote should I get from them?
If not IceModz what Company's LED should I look at?
LostMyNarbles
Member
Is 2560x1080p a weird resolution to be gaming at and can anyone who is using a monitor like that recommend it? I did some searching, but it sounds like the majority of answers I found mentioned going 1440p instead, but the reason I was looking into it was because there's an LG 29" 2560x1080 monitor on sale for $230
http://www.ncixus.com/products/index.php?sku=106426&promoid=1349
http://www.ncixus.com/products/index.php?sku=106426&promoid=1349
NeOak
Member
Mad Season
Banned
Hey all, huge gamer here... I currently own a Asus maximus gene z IV MB and I have been using the onboard sound for a long time now along with Logitech Z5500 5.1 speakers. My question is, would installing a dedicated sound card be any better? If so, which do you recommend for around $100 or less.
My MB sound is:
SupremeFX X-Fi 2
It features EAX 5.0 and OpenAL for ultra-real cinematic in-game audio. It even comes with THX TruStudio PRO branding, which makes games, music and movies sound way better! SupremeFX X-Fi 2 also implements gold-plated jacks and high quality capacitors to ensure high definition adventures in audio.
My MB sound is:
SupremeFX X-Fi 2
It features EAX 5.0 and OpenAL for ultra-real cinematic in-game audio. It even comes with THX TruStudio PRO branding, which makes games, music and movies sound way better! SupremeFX X-Fi 2 also implements gold-plated jacks and high quality capacitors to ensure high definition adventures in audio.
Thanks for the offer, but unfortunately, I'm in Toronto.
1. Would LED light strip from Icemodz work with this: http://www.hitlights.com/luma10-ser...ulticolor-remote-control-for-led-light-strips
2. My motherboard is a Asus Rampage V Extreme any compatibility issues with the following fans:
- Two Corsair AF140 Blue LED Silent Edition for intake.
- One Noctua for exhaust the Noctua NF-A14 FLX
Along with the OC Panel and Asus Fan Xpert software.
2. My motherboard is a Asus Rampage V Extreme any compatibility issues with the following fans:
- Two Corsair AF140 Blue LED Silent Edition for intake.
- One Noctua for exhaust the Noctua NF-A14 FLX
Along with the OC Panel and Asus Fan Xpert software.
Difference between that and my Xonar DGX isn't enough for me to care. Probably less important for you since the speakers are driven and my headphones are not (?)
Not sure. Can always give one a shot and return it.
In terms of audio quality? I don't think it's worth the money. Most people only need a dedicated sound card for a specific purpose like needing amplified output or driving a set of high impedance headphones or something.
Oh well, that's fine. For $50 the cost isn't too bad, besides just assembly NCIX does give you one year warranty for the assembled PC and gives you the individual packaging boxes of the PC parts in case some part turns out to be defective and you need to call upon warranty coverage for that part only.
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