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[RGM79]

Is for fitting 970 sli plus wireless card impossible on an matx board?

It'd be very difficult. If you have a motherboard like this one which has all PCI-E slots, then it might be possible to put a GTX 970 in slot one and a second GTX 970 in slot 4, which leaves slot 3 available to install a wifi PCI-E card like this:

[] GTX 970 with ]
[]twin slot cooler]
[]Wifi card]
[] GTX 970 with ]
[]twin slot cooler]

Of course, as ricki42 points out, the mATX case needs to be able to accommodate 5 expansion slots. For example, here are photos of twin graphics cards in a Corsair 350D mATX case with a gap in between to allow another card to be installed in between the two graphics card.

Keep in mind, you could also use a USB wifi adaptor instead.

 

[grkazan12]

Figured this would be the thread to ask, has anyone ever used the CM Storm QuickFire XT (Brown)?

I want a mechanical, but I don't want to spend too much. I like the minimal style and the fact that it isn't too flashy.

 

[ricki42]

No it's possible, most mATX motherboards can have up to four expansion slots. At most a GTX 970 will take up two, maybe three slots while the bottom-most slot can be used for a wifi PCI-E card for some motherboards. You just need to find a good motherboard with the right PCI-E slot placement.

E.g., this mATX motherboard won't work because the GTX 970 will cover up both PCI-E slots and only the PCI slot on the bottom remains available for use. However, this mATX motherboard with a PCI-E slot arrangement like so would work. The GTX 970 would only take up the two topmost slots, allowing you to use either of the bottom two slots for the wifi PCI-E card.

What kind of motherboard are you looking for? Keep in mind, you could also use a USB wifi adaptor instead.

I'm not sure I'm following. Would you then put the 970s in slots 1 and 4 and the wireless card in between? Because if you have the 970s in slots 1 and 3, the one in slot 3 would cover slot 4. But if you have a 970 in slot 4, I think not all mATX cases have 5 slots (since the lower 970 would need a second slot). So it would depend on the case as well.

 

[RGM79]

I'm not sure I'm following. Would you then put the 970s in slots 1 and 4 and the wireless card in between? Because if you have the 970s in slots 1 and 3, the one in slot 3 would cover slot 4. But if you have a 970 in slot 4, I think not all mATX cases have 5 slots (since the lower 970 would need a second slot). So it would depend on the case as well.

Oh, damn it. I somehow blanked out the word "sli" when I was reading over the post and thought he was only talking about having a single GTX 970 and wifi card.

I'll edit my first post.

 

[oneida]

I have sort of a convoluted but incredibly frustrating PC problem, where's the best place to ask it?

/edit in case anyone is up to the challenge

a few weeks ago AVG hit some false positives and I unknowingly let it lock up some of my system sound files. I no longer have sound, if I hit up device manager it says speakers and headphones aren't detected. I couldnt find a way to retrieve the files from the vault in AVG so I rage uninstalled AVG. I don't have a system restore that goes back to the incident. I have tried updating drivers, reinstalling drivers, no dice.

 

[opticalmace]

I have sort of a convoluted but incredibly frustrating PC problem, where's the best place to ask it?

There is a tech support thread.

 

[oneida]

There is a tech support thread.

thank you.

 

[Ploid 3.0]

I need some information. I'm buying new memory for a Gaf PC from about two years ago. The motherboard is a AMD 770 chipset http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130290 and the memory I was looking at is http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J8E93G6/?tag=neogaf0e-20 . Will this work on this motherboard? I don't see the number of pins it use on the amazon site. The motherboard is a ddr3 motherboard but I don't know if any ddr3 works for it as the memory seem like it might not support A770, though A75 is listed as a supported chipset. I don't want to buy parts that don't work. Thanks to google and communities things are a bit easier to upgrade/build than it was in 2000.

 

[RGM79]

I need some information. I'm buying new memory for a Gaf PC from about two years ago. The motherboard is a AMD 770 chipset http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130290 and the memory I was looking at is http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J8E93G6/?tag=neogaf0e-20 . Will this work on this motherboard? I don't see the number of pins it use on the amazon site. The motherboard is a ddr3 motherboard but I don't know if any ddr3 works for it as the memory seem like it might not support A770, though A75 is listed as a supported chipset. I don't want to buy parts that don't work. Thanks to google and communities things are a bit easier to upgrade/build than it was in 2000.

They're both DDR3 so it should work. Motherboards and memory kits often have incomplete qualified vendors/compatibility lists because they haven't been updated since the product was first released onto the market. Those lists should be taken as a guideline and not hard rules set in stone.

It's not as though the AMD 770 chipset requires special DDR3 RAM with different specs, so it should be compatible.

I have sort of a convoluted but incredibly frustrating PC problem, where's the best place to ask it?

/edit in case anyone is up to the challenge

a few weeks ago AVG hit some false positives and I unknowingly let it lock up some of my system sound files. I no longer have sound, if I hit up device manager it says speakers and headphones aren't detected. I couldnt find a way to retrieve the files from the vault in AVG so I rage uninstalled AVG. I don't have a system restore that goes back to the incident. I have tried updating drivers, reinstalling drivers, no dice.

That seems very odd. What sound files were quarantined? If the speakers and audio devices aren't even detected, then it seems like it might be a hardware issue instead of software.

 

[Ploid 3.0]

They're both DDR3 so it should work. Motherboards and memory kits often have incomplete qualified vendors/compatibility lists because they haven't been updated since the product was first released onto the market. Those lists should be taken as a guideline and not hard rules set in stone.

It's not as though the AMD 770 chipset requires special DDR3 RAM with different specs, so it should be compatible.

Thanks for letting me know. I planned on upgrading to intel i7 chip and motherboard soon so I wanted a ok enough ram.

 

[oneida]

That seems very odd. What sound files were quarantined? If the speakers and audio devices aren't even detected, then it seems like it might be a hardware issue instead of software.

dunno exactly which files. it's 100% definitely not the speakers or the headphones. I have always just used the headphone jack at the front of my PC and have had no issues until the AVG event.

 

[RGM79]

Thanks for letting me know. I planned on upgrading to intel i7 chip and motherboard soon so I wanted a ok enough ram.

When do you plan on upgrading? Intel will be releasing their new Skylake line of consumer processors and motherboards in a few months and they will be using desktop DDR4 instead of DDR3. Desktop DDR3 won't be compatible with desktop DDR4 motherboards.

Skylake might support DDR3 only in the form of LPDDR3 which is for super small PCs and isn't the same as the regular DDR3 you're looking at.

dunno exactly which files. it's 100% definitely not the speakers or the headphones. I have always just used the headphone jack at the front of my PC and have had no issues until the AVG event.

Take a look at this guide and run the sfc /scannow command. It will check your system files and help you fix missing or damaged system files.

 

[oneida]

Take a look at this guide and run the sfc /scannow command. It will check your system files and help you fix missing or damaged system files.

I'll give this a go when I get home, thank you.

 

[King Gilga]

It'd be very difficult. If you have a motherboard like this one which has all PCI-E slots, then it might be possible to put a GTX 970 in slot one and a second GTX 970 in slot 4, which leaves slot 3 available to install a wifi PCI-E card like this:

[] GTX 970 with ]
[]twin slot cooler]
[]Wifi card]
[] GTX 970 with ]
[]twin slot cooler]

Of course, as ricki42 points out, the mATX case needs to be able to accommodate 5 expansion slots. For example, here are photos of twin graphics cards in a Corsair 350D mATX case with a gap in between to allow another card to be installed in between the two graphics card.

Keep in mind, you could also use a USB wifi adaptor instead.

I'm not sure I'm following. Would you then put the 970s in slots 1 and 4 and the wireless card in between? Because if you have the 970s in slots 1 and 3, the one in slot 3 would cover slot 4. But if you have a 970 in slot 4, I think not all mATX cases have 5 slots (since the lower 970 would need a second slot). So it would depend on the case as well.

OK thanks for the replies, I do already have USB wifi and BT dongles, I just thought both in one PCI card would be can cleaner and maybe perform better.

The prodigy m does have 5 slots, I'll check if any matx z97 boards do as well.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Since I'm probably gonna get a new motherboard and A new case. What's a good semi-modular PSU?

 

[baphomet]

Are dedicated physx cards still a thing worth doing?

I've been considering a 750ti as a physx card to go along with my sli 970s.

I know it will only work with hardware accelerated physx games, but for an extra $100 it would be worth it if it's going to help me run a handful of games much better.

 

[luffeN]

How does this look?

1 x Crucial BX100 250GB, SATA 6Gb/s (CT250BX100SSD1)
1 x Intel Xeon E3-1231 v3, 4x 3.40GHz, Sockel 1150, boxed (BX80646E31231V3)
1 x Mushkin Enhanced Stealth Stiletto DIMM 8GB, DDR3-1600, CL9-9-9-24 (992069S)
1 x Gainward GeForce GTX 970 Phantom, 4GB GDDR5, DVI, Mini HDMI, 3x Mini DisplayPort (3361)
1 x ASRock H81M-HDS (90-MXGQH0-A0UAYZ)
1 x Samsung SH-224DB schwarz, SATA, bulk (SH-224DB/BEBE)
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
1 x Cooler Master N200 mit Sichtfenster (NSE-200-KWN1)
1 x EVGA SuperNOVA GS 650 650W ATX 2.3 (220-GS-0650-V2/220-GS-0650-V3)
Summe aller Bestpreise: 925,33 Euro



Actually, the Xeon E3-1231 is a cost effective alternative to the much more expensive consumer i7 line. It's based off the same architecture and is meant for socket 1150 motherboards and usually comes without integrated graphics while retaining the 4 cores and 8 threads that the desktop i7 processors have. For example, the i7 4790 range of processors cost 300 Euros minimum whereas the Xeon E3-1231V3 comes in at just under 250 Euros.



The i5 4670K and 4690K cost within 15 Euros or so of the Xeon E3-1231V3. Unless you mean he should buy used.

Thank you, that looks awesome! Will go with this list and talk to my friend. And yeah, the Xeon is not that as bad and expensive as some make it out to be. I was worried there for a second that I might have confused some things.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Are dedicated physx cards still a thing worth doing?

I've been considering a 750ti as a physx card to go along with my sli 970s.

I know it will only work with hardware accelerated physx games, but for an extra $100 it would be worth it if it's going to help me run a handful of games much better.

Wait how does that work

 

[RandomSeed]

For the longest time I thought I had a 500w PSU, but it's actually 430w. I did build several PCs at that time (friends, family), so I must have confused parts. I ordered an EVGA 750w PSU for $60 (plus $10 rebate), so I should be good to go when I figure out which GPU I want to last me for 2 years.
I never buy top of the line, but I have to say my 7850 has been my favorite card I've owned, and has performed very well (for the price) for the past 2 years.

 

[Ploid 3.0]

When do you plan on upgrading? Intel will be releasing their new Skylake line of consumer processors and motherboards in a few months and they will be using desktop DDR4 instead of DDR3. Desktop DDR3 won't be compatible with desktop DDR4 motherboards.

Skylake might support DDR3 only in the form of LPDDR3 which is for super small PCs and isn't the same as the regular DDR3 you're looking at.

Dang, well I'll probably stick to a ddr3 intel instead of going for the ddr4, then upgrade to that much later. Interesting that they are going ddr4, I didn't know. Anyway it's just $60 so whatever the DDR4 ram costs I'm sure it'll be a lot more.

 

[Drkirby]

Guys, if I wanted to get a 4k, 120 Hz TV to play some pc games on, is there any pitfalls to look out for?

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

Most 4k TVs aren't more that 60hz in 4k mode. It's a limitation of HDMI. I imagine this will change in the coming years.

 

[komplanen]

Guys, if I wanted to get a 4k, 120 Hz TV to play some pc games on, is there any pitfalls to look out for?

Start by researching what that 120Hz actually means. Frame interpolation etc.

4K gaming requires a real beast of a computer if you intend to run games at 60fps and a beast if you settle at 30fps, unless of course your intended games are golden oldies or Dota 2 and those kind of simpler games.

Research connectivity on the TV. It has to accept 4k 60Hz signal and your computer has to provide that signal. HDMI versions etc.

Remember that even "easy to run" 2D indie games might not support 4K at all and most likely don't have high quality assets to do HiDPI.

Speaking of HiDPI, you'd better have Windows 8.1 or 10 since earlier versions (7,8.0) don't support 200% HiDPI. Most pc software doesn't support HiDPI at all.

As with any gaming on any TV, search your intended TV's input lag value and keep it at around 30-40ms or under. Remember that 1080p content is scaled and thus adds to input lag.

 

[RGM79]

Are dedicated physx cards still a thing worth doing?

I've been considering a 750ti as a physx card to go along with my sli 970s.

I know it will only work with hardware accelerated physx games, but for an extra $100 it would be worth it if it's going to help me run a handful of games much better.

The cost generally isn't worth the improvement, but if you play a lot of PhysX-enabled games, I suppose it would help.. but by how much depends on the games. This website's benchmarks with twin Titan SLI and a GTX 650 aren't totally conclusive, but it does show that it's not exactly a general performance boost all round.

Also, you should make sure you have a decent enough power supply. I think I'd recommend an 850 watt power supply for your scenario of GTX 970 SLI plus a GTX 750 Ti.

Since I'm probably gonna get a new motherboard and A new case. What's a good semi-modular PSU?

What are your system specs and budget? We should figure out what wattage you need and what there is in your price range.

 

[Rebel Leader]

What are your system specs and budget? We should figure out what wattage you need and what there is in your price range.

Intel i5 4460
750ti
Corsair vengeance 8GB

I have been experiencing a problem with a my computer ever since I built it a year ago (posted it a few pages back)

I have no idea on price yet.

 

[kennah]

Are dedicated physx cards still a thing worth doing?

I've been considering a 750ti as a physx card to go along with my sli 970s.

I know it will only work with hardware accelerated physx games, but for an extra $100 it would be worth it if it's going to help me run a handful of games much better.

Pointless now. It actually slows down some of the modern GPUs.

 

[oneida]

When do you plan on upgrading? Intel will be releasing their new Skylake line of consumer processors and motherboards in a few months and they will be using desktop DDR4 instead of DDR3. Desktop DDR3 won't be compatible with desktop DDR4 motherboards.

Skylake might support DDR3 only in the form of LPDDR3 which is for super small PCs and isn't the same as the regular DDR3 you're looking at.



Take a look at this guide and run the sfc /scannow command. It will check your system files and help you fix missing or damaged system files.

results here btw. reran operation in safe mode with same results.

 

[RGM79]

results here btw. reran operation in safe mode with same results.

Well.. if SFC didn't fix them, I'm not sure how to fix this particular problem. Maybe try a repair installation of Windows? It won't remove or uninstall any of your files and programs. Here's a complete repair install guide for Windows 8/8.1, and the same guide for Windows 7.

 

[CrankyKong]

Dumb question: If I wanted to buy a new mobo and SSD, how complicated is it to transfer my Windows License over?

 

[zeroeffect]

I've about had it with EVGA. I'm going to ram my head through a wall. I RMA a GTX 980 ACX 2.0 SC because it can't run stable at factory OC settings. I have to underclock it in order for me to stop getting driver crashes. When I do that everything is fine. I finally get a brand new GPU from them that's in a factory sealed retail box. Everything works fine first 2 days and then boom! More driver crashes. Did all kinds of troubleshooting, tested RAM for 16 hours, no errors, PSU testing, tried a separate GPU in my system and never got another crash...put the GPU back in and boom, more crashes. I underclocked to reference 980 clock settings and guess what? No more crashes. So I guess they sent me yet another lemon that I can't even run at factory OC settings.

What the hell do they use over there to test their GPUs going out? I have a hard time believing they sent me another lemon so I'm wondering if the GPU is not getting the right voltage for the overclock. Does anyone know what the voltage number should be on a GTX 980 ACX 2.0 SC at factory OC settings? I was thinking maybe if I increase voltage I might be able to run it at those settings. Underclocking for stability is a direct sign it's a bad GPU but I'm sick of going through these RMAs with them. Any suggestions? I was thinking maybe increasing voltage and would power target also help? Good or bad idea? I know voltage increases heat and decreases life span.

A GPU-Z log said the max voltage it hits 1.2060v at the factory OC settings and it also says that when I underclocked it to reference GTX 980 settings. Too much? Not enough? I should've went with an ASUS GPU. I just want to play TW3 in peace. These 980s have been a nightmare for me in my rig and I tested everything else for stability.

Steps I went through testing my rig:

1. Ran memtest86+ for 16 hours no errors
2. Remove 980 with my older 570 and system never got a driver crash once
3. Removed ram sticks testing slots
4. Regulated PSU voltages
5. Completely wiped out drivers for NVIDIA and used many different drivers with DDU cleaning registries
6. Underclocked 980 to see if unstable OC --- both ran stable when underclocked enough
7. Checked for viruses
8. Set all BIOS to default with nothing OC except GPU
9. Updated all my drivers and BIOS

Probably other stuff I'm not mentioning. This entire fiasco with EVGA has been so draining. Worst RMA experience ever. Makes me want to pick my PS4 up and throw this PC away. At this point...I'll be happy if I can get a GTX 980 that runs at factory OC settings. I think I wouldn't care if I could run it 100% stable at reference 980 speeds. Problem is I couldn't play TW3 1 minute without it crashing until I underclocked. I could play several hours until it crashed at one point...so it's still not 100% stable at those settings. At least I can play the dang game now...

 

[longdi]

8K videos on YT. How is your PC holding up? Time for an upgrade?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLprVF6d7Ug

 

[Trojita]

So is the Artisan Shiden still the best?

I also see Artisan has some other mouse pads out as well.

 

[RGM79]

Dumb question: If I wanted to buy a new mobo and SSD, how complicated is it to transfer my Windows License over?

It depends, you might be able to reactivate your Windows license with no problems, or Windows may refuse to activate. In the second case, you'll need to call Microsoft and ask for help with manually activating Windows. Be sure to say that you are upgrading your old PC and that it is not a separate PC, because otherwise they will tell you a separate PC will need a separate Windows license.

I've about had it with EVGA. I'm going to ram my head through a wall. I RMA a GTX 980 ACX 2.0 SC because it can't run stable at factory OC settings. I have to underclock it in order for me to stop getting driver crashes. When I do that everything is fine. I finally get a brand new GPU from them that's in a factory sealed retail box. Everything works fine first 2 days and then boom! More driver crashes. Did all kinds of troubleshooting, tested RAM for 16 hours, no errors, PSU testing, tried a separate GPU in my system and never got another crash...put the GPU back in and boom, more crashes. I underclocked to reference 980 clock settings and guess what? No more crashes. So I guess they sent me yet another lemon that I can't even run at factory OC settings.

What the hell do they use over there to test their GPUs going out? I have a hard time believing they sent me another lemon so I'm wondering if the GPU is not getting the right voltage for the overclock. Does anyone know what the voltage number should be on a GTX 980 ACX 2.0 SC at factory OC settings? I was thinking maybe if I increase voltage I might be able to run it at those settings. Underclocking for stability is a direct sign it's a bad GPU but I'm sick of going through these RMAs with them. Any suggestions? I was thinking maybe increasing voltage and would power target also help? Good or bad idea? I know voltage increases heat and decreases life span.

A GPU-Z log said the max voltage it hits 1.2060v at the factory OC settings and it also says that when I underclocked it to reference GTX 980 settings. Too much? Not enough? I should've went with an ASUS GPU. I just want to play TW3 in peace. These 980s have been a nightmare for me in my rig and I tested everything else for stability.

Steps I went through testing my rig:

1. Ran memtest86+ for 16 hours no errors
2. Remove 980 with my older 570 and system never got a driver crash once
3. Removed ram sticks testing slots
4. Regulated PSU voltages
5. Completely wiped out drivers for NVIDIA and used many different drivers with DDU cleaning registries
6. Underclocked 980 to see if unstable OC --- both ran stable when underclocked enough
7. Checked for viruses
8. Set all BIOS to default with nothing OC except GPU
9. Updated all my drivers and BIOS

Probably other stuff I'm not mentioning. This entire fiasco with EVGA has been so draining. Worst RMA experience ever. Makes me want to pick my PS4 up and throw this PC away. At this point...I'll be happy if I can get a GTX 980 that runs at factory OC settings. I think I wouldn't care if I could run it 100% stable at reference 980 speeds. Problem is I couldn't play TW3 1 minute without it crashing until I underclocked. I could play several hours until it crashed at one point...so it's still not 100% stable at those settings. At least I can play the dang game now...

Sorry to hear you have so much trouble. I wonder, have you tried physically removing the cooler to check the thermal paste?

 

[kennah]

Hmm.. Can only afford a 128gig M2 PCIe drive. Do I bother? I currently have two SATA3 SSDS (128gig 830 and a SSDNOW Kingston 240gig)

 

[CrankyKong]

It depends, you might be able to reactivate your Windows license with no problems, or Windows may refuse to activate. In the second case, you'll need to call Microsoft and ask for help with manually activating Windows. Be sure to say that you are upgrading your old PC and that it is not a separate PC, because otherwise they will tell you a separate PC will need a separate Windows license.

Do most people just buy a new license when they upgrade?

 

[Tabasco]

Question about a gaming mouse,

did Logitech discontinue the G400s? It seems to me like it was available last year but recently it's not being sold as new anymore.

Also, I don't believe the G402 is a good replacement for it.

 

[RGM79]

Do most people just buy a new license when they upgrade?

Some do. Retail copies cost quite a bit, but you do have the option of getting a cheap Windows license key from reddit. Here's my usual disclaimer:

Windows 7/8.1 licenses can be bought from reddit's microsoftsoftwareswap for $20 USD or less. These are most likely legitimate keys that are resold from educational programs like Technet or Dreamspark. However, you are dealing with a person instead of a retailer, and informal Windows keys sales are not approved by Microsoft and probably breaking some licensing agreement, but it's not illegal. The risks involved are that the person could be selling you a fake or used key, or that Microsoft may refuse to give you support and/or deactivate your license and refuse to reactivate it. That's not very likely, usually it only happens if the seller and their list of sold keys was caught. We've had people here using those keys without issues for a long time and others who say Microsoft deactivated their key after several months.

 

[Inkvoterad]

Aight, going to the store today to get a new monitor. it's between one 60hz screen and one 144hz one that is a little more expensive. I focus on reaching 60fps and staying there, since i don't have hardware good enough to get modern games up to 60 fps, nor will i have the budget to do it in the near future. So 144hz gaming aint gonna happen, unless it's older games. (and maybe csgo, if i turn down some visuals, but i don't know how much IQ i wanna sacrifice). But i read there's a pretty big difference in general browsing with a 144hz screen compared to a 60hz one. Which would be pretty nice.

So basically, would it be worth paying like 30 dollars more to buy a 144hz screen that is on about the same quality IQ wise as the 60hz one, even if the majority of games will still be locked 60?

 

[LilJoka]

Dumb question: If I wanted to buy a new mobo and SSD, how complicated is it to transfer my Windows License over?

It shouldnt be complicated at all, ive done hundreds of formats and hardware changes without problems using the same keys over and over. Even if its OEM, its likely itll get you to do phone activation.

Nobody would really buy a new license for this.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Does anyone know how no can transfer the Windows 8.1 license?

 

[RGM79]

Does anyone know how no can transfer the Windows 8.1 license?

Transfer? What for and from what to what? If you want to continue using the same Windows license on a different PC, you technically can't, Microsoft says buy a new license.

You can just install it anyway and see if it activates. If not, try calling Microsoft to arrange for help activating your PC, and say that it's an upgrade and not a new PC, of course.

 

[Pokemon Trainer Red]

Does anyone know how to ship a desktop? I got a Neogaffer who's interested?

I don't know the cost and I never shipped a desktop before.

 

[Eiolon]

Does anyone know how to ship a desktop? I got a Neogaffer who's interested?

I don't know the cost and I never shipped a desktop before.

If you have the box to the case still ship in that. The UPS store can package it up for you if you dont have it. Ask if they are comfortable installing components such as the video card themselves so you can remove for shipping. Even the CPU cooler may need to come off depending on how big it is or you may need some sort of foam support. Make sure everything is secure inside. You dont want drives flying out from a bump in the road.

 

[Bonethug]

Anyone see anything wrong with this? Upgrading from Phenom 9850, 4GB of DDR2 AMD 7770.
Currently experiencing blue screens when attempting to game (Diablo 3/HotS).
Monitor is Dell S2309W at 1920x1080.

This was a budget build; reusing a 6870 for now. I also have the 7770, but I believe the 6870 will perform better.
Should I be reusing the Xonar DG or just stick with the on-board?

Will look to upgrade the video card and cpu in the future.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($71.98 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($60.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 6870 1GB Video Card (Purchased For $0.00)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($53.98 @ Newegg)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar DG 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $428.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-13 08:04 EDT-0400

 

[Stubo]

Anyone see anything wrong with this? Upgrading from Phenom 9850, 4GB of DDR2 AMD 7770.
Currently experiencing blue screens when attempting to game (Diablo 3/HotS).
Monitor is Dell S2309W at 1920x1080.

This was a budget build; reusing a 6870 for now. I also have the 7770, but I believe the 6870 will perform better.
Should I be reusing the Xonar DG or just stick with the on-board?

Will look to upgrade the video card and cpu in the future.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($71.98 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($60.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 6870 1GB Video Card (Purchased For $0.00)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($53.98 @ Newegg)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar DG 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $428.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-13 08:04 EDT-0400

This looks pretty solid, just a few personal preference things. Maybe look at the Fractal Design Define S as an alternative case choice.

If you already have the sound card there's no reason not to use it really. It depends which outputs you need and what your headphone/speaker situation is.

 

[Kane Zakharov]

I'm having a bit of a silly dilemma here. Should I buy a 970 right now as the 390 and 390x seem more and more likely to be rebadges of the 290 and 290x?

I know I might as well wait a few more days for the proper announcement and reviews, but that Arkham deal is strangely tempting (and is conveniently ending on the 15th on Amazon). It doesn't help that a lot of sites seem to be implying that they aren't getting/don't have review samples for the new cards from what I understand.

 

[Stubo]

Arkham is already reaching ridiculously low preorder prices so try not to let that influence your decision.

I'd wait and see what impact the new cards have, it's so close at this point.

 

[Kane Zakharov]

Arkham is already reaching ridiculously low preorder prices so try not to let that influence your decision.

I'd wait and see what impact the new cards have, it's so close at this point.

Thanks for the quick response, will do.

 

[Drkirby]

So, to make sure I understand the latest and greatest, 2160p@120Hz is not actually possible, right? But I should be able to find a display that uses HDMI 2.0, and thus supports both 1080p@120Hz and 2160p@60Hz, right?

 

[mrklaw]

apologies if it is the wrong area, but looking for advice on adding a second monitor. I have a 28" 1080p 16:9 monitor and I'd like to add a second, smaller monitor for secondary things - eg keeping a wiki open while playing a game on the main monitor, browsing the web while watching something fullscreen on the main monitor etc.

Are there any tips I should consider? Current monitor isn't a super slim bezel or anything and I won't be gaming across both. But for example would a small 4:3/16:9 monitor in portrait work - something that would match the height of the main monitor? Just not sure of general ergonomics when running with multiple monitors.

I've used a laptop alongside it before for work, but that is a 15" 1600x900 panel so the resolutions and dot pitches are all over the place and it isn't comfortable to switch back and forth.