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[kharma45]

Ok, added Asus H97M-E to my list.

Sapphire R9 285 2GB is currently on sale for 1.995 kroner while stock r9 280 is 1.649 kroner with branded ones cheaper and pricier than Sapphire 285. Which one would you recommend? I kinda want to go with 285 since its on sale.
||
Also, im not crazy for 60 fps locked. Im probably going to play most multiplayer games on PS4 and single player games on PC. (With a few exclusionns, like CS:GO and other PC exclusive games.)

You don't want a stock AMD card. Horrible, noisy, hot things. Sapphire make very good cards.

I'm of the opinion that in the $150-250 range, AMD's price to performance beats Nvidia handily.

The XFX R9 280X is currently $190 after a $30 rebate at NCIXUS, it is the cheapest that it has ever been. Compared to the GTX 760, the $20 more expensive R9 280X gives you 3GB VRAM and 10-30% or so higher framerate. The performance of the 280X is on par with the GTX 770.

If you wanted to save a bit of money, the R9 270X roughly equals the GTX 760 and is available for $140-150. The XFX R9 270X is $150 after $25 rebate at NCIXUS, while the Gigabyte R9 270X is $145 after $30 rebate at Newegg.

What's your current power supply wattage rating? You may need a better power supply..

280X might give more raw grunt than a 285 but the feature list for the 285 would edge it for me.

I've got 750W.

How about the R9 285? Tigerdirect has the Powercolor version for $199 after rebate. I think I may go that direction bcause it fits easily into the XPS case.

Good card according to this http://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/powercolor-radeon-r9-285-turboduo-review,1.html

http://www.hitechlegion.com/reviews/graphics/41464-powercolor-radeon-r9-285-2gb-review

http://www.custompcreview.com/reviews/powercolor-radeon-r9-285-turboduo-2gb-review/21960/

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/powercolor_r9_285_turbo_duo/

Sounds a very impressive model from them. Powercolor has really upped their game.

 

[Horsemama1956]

Significantly higher my arse. Got anything to back that up?

There will be a handful of games where the FX might edge out an i3 but for the majority it's the better choice. Modern CPU socket, has a good upgrade path and uses a lot less power.

MGS


Dragon Age (last one is with Mantle)






The Crew



AC: Unity



COD: AF


AMD just isn't a viable option for gaming. We've been through this multiple times over the last year in this thread, so sorry if I sound a bit short about it.



Still worth a try, especially with Amazon.

Yup, 30 seconds of gameplay/benchmark truly shows exactly how the games perform throughout with no patches and drivers that may be outdated. I like Gamegpu, but their CPU stuff is always BS for the most part. Youtube gameplay vids clearly show that.

I guarantee people with i3s and decent GPUs aren't getting those frames throughout the game.

The last part is why I don't really bother with this thread. They work fine for most games, and places like overclock.net clearly show you can have a decent setup with AMD.

 

[RGM79]

I've got 750W.

How about the R9 285? Tigerdirect has the Powercolor version for $199 after rebate. I think I may go that direction bcause it fits easily into the XPS case.

The R9 285 is about the same as the R9 280 (non X). It has worse technical specs than the R9 280 but the newer and more efficient design and software allows it to perform about the same as the normal R9 280. Performance-wise it is not as good as the R9 280X, so for $199 I wouldn't go for the R9 285, it's not worth the $30 increase over the $169 GTX 760.

However, NCIXUS has the XFX R9 285 for $169 after $30 rebate, that I can easily recommend over the $169 GTX 760.

Are you saying the XFX R9 280X won't fit in your case?

 

[LilJoka]

Yup, 30 seconds of gameplay/benchmark truly shows exactly how the games perform throughout with no patches and drivers that may be outdated. I like Gamegpu, but their CPU stuff is always BS for the most part. Youtube gameplay vids clearly show that.

I guarantee people with i3s and decent GPUs aren't getting those frames throughout the game.

The last part is why I don't really bother with this thread. They work fine for most games, and places like overclock.net clearly show you can have a decent setup with AMD.

When isnt this the case, benches give a good indication of performance and thats about it. It also shows relative strengths since all those CPUs ran through the same area of the game.

 

[NewFresh]

So, question.

I purchased a Asrock H97M Anniversary micro atx board and a Corsaire CX600M power supply.

The mobo has a 4 pin ATX12V1 connection and the psu has an 8 pin connector. Am I screwed and need to get another psu?

 

[RGM79]

Yup, 30 seconds of gameplay/benchmark truly shows exactly how the games perform throughout with no patches and drivers that may be outdated. I like Gamegpu, but their CPU stuff is always BS for the most part. Youtube gameplay vids clearly show that.

I guarantee people with i3s and decent GPUs aren't getting those frames throughout the game.

The last part is why I don't really bother with this thread. They work fine for most games, and places like overclock.net clearly show you can have a decent setup with AMD.

Are you saying that lack of optimized patches and outdated drivers only show Intel to be more effective because those flaws only negatively affect AMD processors?

So, question.

I purchased a Asrock H97M Anniversary micro atx board and a Corsaire CX600M power supply.

The mobo has a 4 pin ATX12V1 connection and the psu has an 8 pin connector. Am I screwed and need to get another psu?

No, you can just plug it in anyway. The 8 pin CPU power connector should split into two and you can plug one of those two ends into the motherboard's 4 pin CPU power port. Even if it doesn't split, you should still be able to plug one side into the 4 pin port.

 

[Idba]

So, question.

I purchased a Asrock H97M Anniversary micro atx board and a Corsaire CX600M power supply.

The mobo has a 4 pin ATX12V1 connection and the psu has an 8 pin connector. Am I screwed and need to get another psu?

The 8 pin EPS male auxiliary power connector is often fashioned as a 4+4 pin connector such that it may fit into a 4 pin ATX female auxiliary power receptacle. Connect only half of it, that's how it's designed.

Copy pasted from toms hardware

 

[kharma45]

Yup, 30 seconds of gameplay/benchmark truly shows exactly how the games perform throughout with no patches and drivers that may be outdated. I like Gamegpu, but their CPU stuff is always BS for the most part. Youtube gameplay vids clearly show that.

I guarantee people with i3s and decent GPUs aren't getting those frames throughout the game.

The last part is why I don't really bother with this thread. They work fine for most games, and places like overclock.net clearly show you can have a decent setup with AMD.

Why settle for something that is merely fine?

If you don't like Gamegpu then head over to http://techreport.com/, you'll find the same thing in their CPU benchmarks, and any other reputable site out there.

Your guarantee that people with i3s aren't getting those frame rates holds little sway if you can't back up your claim.

And you don't bother with this thread because we deal with facts and they clearly show Intel to be superior? Good one.

 

[Cydonian__Knight]

You've done decently well for a first try. I have some recommendations for alternate parts here and there to save quite a bit of money. I don't know much about monitors, but Asus seems to be a decent brand, I myself have the Asus VS247H-P. You didn't have a keyboard listed, I assume you haven't picked one yet.

Here's my version of your build:

Anyway, on to your questions:

1. It was possible to save around $120. Here are my reasons for those parts.

• CPU cooler: The bundled Intel cooler is basic, and gets very loud. The Hyper 212 Evo is pretty much the performance-to-price king for CPU cooling.
• Motherboard: The Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H is a well-featured top-end motherboard, but for most people, the Z97X-SLI model is enough and it comes with a bundle discount. I went with it for cost savings, you can keep the UD5H on the list if you prefer.
• RAM: The Patriot memory is cheaper and faster, not much else to say.
• Hard drive: The WD hard drive is a bit slower (5900RPM compared to the Seagate's 7200RPM), but because the SSD will be your main drive with the OS on it, you likely won't notice the speed difference unless you need to do a lot of media production work and need a fast large storage drive to load and work from.
• Case: This was another cost savings move. You can definitely choose another case if you like. It's a good case and has a $20 discount with the Gigabyte motherboard I chose above.
• Power supply: The EVGA Supernova G2 is one of the best power supplies you can buy. Gold rated, fully modular, 10 year warranty, countless glowing reviews. It normally costs twice as much, but is only $60 after rebate now. It'll also be good if you intend to go with twin GTX 970s in the future.
• Wireless adaptor: The Gigabyte wifi adaptor is a bit cheaper but has a longer and more effective antenna, as well as having Wireless AC and bluetooth which the TP-Link model doesn't have.

2. I do recommend a CPU cooler to use instead of the stock Intel cooler, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo for ~$25 in the parts I picked is a great budget choice, runs quieter and colder, and will handle moderate overclocking. If you like, you can go with a more expensive cooler.

3. All of the GTX 970 models are very good, it's hard to go wrong. Certain manufacturer's models have certain benefits over the others. Asus Strix, MSI Gaming 4G, EVGA FTX ACX 2.0, and other GTX 970 models have passive modes in which the fans will only turn on when past a certain temperature, making them very quiet. For overclocking, I believe the MSI Gaming 4G Twin Frozr and Gigabyte G1 Gaming are best. For small size to fit smaller cases, the Asus, MSI, and EVGA models have more compact coolers.

4. The Phanteks Enthoo Pro is an excellent case with great features, but it is larger than most people will need. You can go with a mid-tower case instead with no negatives in terms of cooling or performance. The Cooler Master N200/N400/N600 line and the Corsair 200R/300R are good budget cases. Otherwise at a higher price point I'd recommend Fractal cases like the Define R5, which has sound absorbing/muffling qualities.

Thanks so much for the detailed response RGM79. That was extremely helpful. One additional question - is overclocking an option with this build? I've never overclocked before and I'm not looking to start right away, just curious if it was possible with this build or if more was required.

 

[Kuro]

Just ordered an EVGA 850w G2. I'll use the warranty replacement CX as a gift for a friend who needs a psu.

 

[ricki42]

Thanks so much for the detailed response RGM79. That was extremely helpful. One additional question - is overclocking an option with this build? I've never overclocked before and I'm not looking to start right away, just curious if it was possible with this build or if more was required.

It's definitely an option. You have an unlocked 'K' CPU. If you think you'll overclock you might consider getting a better cooler right from the start. As RGM79 says, the Hyper 212 Evo will probably allow for some overclocking, but you could get something like the Noctua NH-D14 for some extra performance.

 

[opticalmace]

Just ordered an EVGA 850w G2. I'll use the warranty replacement CX as a gift for a friend who needs a psu.

Excellent choice.

 

[RGM79]

Thanks so much for the detailed response RGM79. That was extremely helpful. One additional question - is overclocking an option with this build? I've never overclocked before and I'm not looking to start right away, just curious if it was possible with this build or if more was required.

Yes. There are lots of reports saying the 4690K can reach a 4.5GHz overclock easily with the 212 Evo cooler. The Z97X-SLI is admittedly not too suited for overclocking, but you can likely expect 4.4 to 4.5GHz with minimal trouble.

 

[SpeedyDesiato]

Thanks entirely to this topic and the people within it, I now have this build for a PC. I changed the initial motherboard suggested for a non-micro, because I don't understand the difference and it was suggested that meant I could deal with the non-micro instead then.

What do you guys think?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£167.50 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.34 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£106.76 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: Kingston Fury White Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£63.42 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£52.00 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£37.60 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (£278.99 @ Ebuyer)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (£57.35 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12G 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply (£73.49 @ Amazon UK)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter (£26.39 @ Aria PC)
Total: £888.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-25 16:06 GMT+0000



My requests were:

Budget: £800-900
Main Use: Rate 1-5. 5 being Highest:
Light Gaming, 5
Gaming, 5
Emulation (PS2/Wii), 1
Video Editing, 1
Streaming games in HD, 2/3
3D/Model work (and what program), 1
General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback). 5

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Assassin's Creed Unity. Witcher 3. Telltale Games video games.
When will you build?: Do you have a deadline? As soon as you guys suggest it'll be great!
Will you be overclocking?: Have decided No.

Thanks all, and a Merry Christmas to you!

 

[VisceralBowl]

Anybody have estimates for the release of 5+ GB Nvidia cards that aren't the Titan?

 

[NewFresh]

Are you saying that lack of optimized patches and outdated drivers only show Intel to be more effective because those flaws only negatively affect AMD processors?


No, you can just plug it in anyway. The 8 pin CPU power connector should split into two and you can plug one of those two ends into the motherboard's 4 pin CPU power port. Even if it doesn't split, you should still be able to plug one side into the 4 pin port.

The 8 pin EPS male auxiliary power connector is often fashioned as a 4+4 pin connector such that it may fit into a 4 pin ATX female auxiliary power receptacle. Connect only half of it, that's how it's designed.

Copy pasted from toms hardware

Thanks you two. It worked just fine. I was just in a bit of a panic since I haven't built a pc in probably 8 or 9 years.

 

[kharma45]

Anybody have estimates for the release of 5+ GB Nvidia cards that aren't the Titan?

Long time yet. NVIDIA has no need to produce them.

 

[michaelius]

Anybody have estimates for the release of 5+ GB Nvidia cards that aren't the Titan?

Nope - nothing in the wild about it - if there's someone who knows he is probably under strict NDA.


Also speaking about CPU here's a test comparing 100 different models

http://www.purepc.pl/procesory/jaki_procesor_kupic_wielki_test_100_procesorow_intel_i_amd?page=0,0

It's interesting as it shows that AMD still barely matches overclocked Nehalem era CPUs in games.

 

[Cydonian__Knight]

It's definitely an option. You have an unlocked 'K' CPU. If you think you'll overclock you might consider getting a better cooler right from the start. As RGM79 says, the Hyper 212 Evo will probably allow for some overclocking, but you could get something like the Noctua NH-D14 for some extra performance.

Yes. There are lots of reports saying the 4690K can reach a 4.5GHz overclock easily with the 212 Evo cooler. The Z97X-SLI is admittedly not too suited for overclocking, but you can likely expect 4.4 to 4.5GHz with minimal trouble.

Excellent, thank you both.

 

[LilJoka]

Thanks entirely to this topic and the people within it, I now have this build for a PC. I changed the initial motherboard suggested for a non-micro, because I don't understand the difference and it was suggested that meant I could deal with the non-micro instead then.

What do you guys think?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£167.50 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.34 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£106.76 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: Kingston Fury White Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£63.42 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£52.00 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£37.60 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (£278.99 @ Ebuyer)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (£57.35 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12G 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply (£73.49 @ Amazon UK)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter (£26.39 @ Aria PC)
Total: £888.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-25 16:06 GMT+0000



My requests were:

Budget: £800-900
Main Use: Rate 1-5. 5 being Highest:
Light Gaming, 5
Gaming, 5
Emulation (PS2/Wii), 1
Video Editing, 1
Streaming games in HD, 2/3
3D/Model work (and what program), 1
General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback). 5

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Assassin's Creed Unity. Witcher 3. Telltale Games video games.
When will you build?: Do you have a deadline? As soon as you guys suggest it'll be great!
Will you be overclocking?: Have decided No.

Thanks all, and a Merry Christmas to you!

No reason not to go mATX, let alone mITX, heres a more powerful build for less, an smaller formfactor with builtin wifi up AC.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core OEM/Tray Processor (£193.17 @ PC World Business)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.34 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard (£77.99 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Kingston Fury White Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£63.42 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£52.00 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£37.60 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (£278.99 @ Ebuyer)
Case: Fractal Design Node 304 Mini ITX Tower Case (£62.75 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12G 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply (£73.49 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £864.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-25 17:20 GMT+0000

 

[Flandy]

>building first pc
>everything mostly going fine
>almost done
>about to attach hdd
>hdd I ordered doesn't come with SATA cable
>no extras in house
>no stores open Christmas day
fuuuuuuuuuuuuck

 

[vocab]

>building first pc
>everything mostly going fine
>almost done
>about to attach hdd
>hdd I ordered doesn't come with SATA cable
>no extras in house
>no stores open Christmas day
fuuuuuuuuuuuuck

Mobo didnt come with sata cables?

Poverty!

 

[Superimposer]

>building first pc
>everything mostly going fine
>almost done
>about to attach hdd
>hdd I ordered doesn't come with SATA cable
>no extras in house
>no stores open Christmas day
fuuuuuuuuuuuuck

SATA cables don't typically come with HDDs. Check your motherboard box.

 

[Flandy]

Mobo didnt come with sata cables?

Poverty!

SATA cables don't typically come with HDDs. Check your motherboard box.

Parts were used so it didn't come with it :s

 

[Kezen]

Nope - nothing in the wild about it - if there's someone who knows he is probably under strict NDA.


Also speaking about CPU here's a test comparing 100 different models

http://www.purepc.pl/procesory/jaki_procesor_kupic_wielki_test_100_procesorow_intel_i_amd?page=0,0

It's interesting as it shows that AMD still barely matches overclocked Nehalem era CPUs in games.

Interesting but not surprising. Much to AMD fanatics' dismay Intel CPUs are unequivocally superior.

 

[SpeedyDesiato]

No reason not to go mATX, let alone mITX, heres a more powerful build for less, an smaller formfactor with builtin wifi up AC.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core OEM/Tray Processor (£193.17 @ PC World Business)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.34 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard (£77.99 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Kingston Fury White Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£63.42 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£52.00 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£37.60 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (£278.99 @ Ebuyer)
Case: Fractal Design Node 304 Mini ITX Tower Case (£62.75 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12G 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply (£73.49 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £864.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-25 17:20 GMT+0000

That's awesome - but could you explain what the differences are as simply as possible? Apart from cheaper, I mean. why is it more powerful, and I'm used to you guys all mentioning I-5s, I-7s - this one has something different? (Genuinely just trying to educate myself )

 

[Peterthumpa]

Hey GAF, thinking about buying a new rig for me, I'm missing the master race exclusive features. GPU is locked, a 970. For the CPU, I'm leaning towards the i5 4460. Is this choice the best bang for the buck considering the i5 line? Anything better taking into account value?

Also, what would be equally good, performance x value, when choosing the mobo?

I'm not thinking about overclocking or something similar, just something that runs every recent game @ 1080p with good AA and 30+ FPS.

Thanks!

Nobody?

Also, to add to the question, without planning to overclock, are mini motherboards recommended for this kind of setup? Since this is a PC I'll probably carry around to the girlfriend's house, was thinking about a smaller solution.

 

[Idba]

Updated build, prices in NOK (Kroner)


Motherboard: Asus H97M-E 823,-

Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo 199,-

Ram: Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1600 8 GB (2x4GB) CL9 738,-

Case: Fractal Design Define R5 984,-

Graphics Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 4GB Windforce 3X 1995,-

CPU: Intel Core i3 4150 989,-

Harddrive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 6Gb/s 449,-

PSU: XFX Core Edition 550W 479,-

Overall price: 6855,-

 

[Idba]

Nobody?

Also, to add to the question, without planning to overclock, are mini motherboards recommended for this kind of setup? Since this is a PC I'll probably carry around to the girlfriend's house, was thinking about a smaller solution.

Fractal, Silver Stone and NZXT have nice mid to big sized cases with handles. They are pretty easy to carry around. Wouldnt recommend a mini mobo with 970 and i5. Also, those cases are damn sexy and sleek. I will update the post with exact specs and case recommendations

 

[Thorgal]

I can't decide Gaf :

I received some cash this Christmas by family to spend .
I have decided to spend it on my PC .

I have been thorn between going with a 144hz monitor or buying an SSD.

What would you recommend ,GAF ?

 

[vocab]

I can't decide Gaf :

I received some cash this Christmas by family to spend .
I have decided to spend it on my PC .

I have been thorn between going with a 144hz monitor or buying an SSD.

What would you recommend ,GAF ?

Probably the monitor. As someone who bought an 840 evo recently, I can't say I'm all that pleased with it.

 

[Momentary]

Really didn't think the PC-O6S would be so damn big. But the PC O5S seems to be the way to go. But all the cases are way bigger than what's being offered by Silverstone. But damn if these cases don't look plain amazing. Another upside to these is that nothing is plastic aside from the glass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucNne8-yc5w&feature=youtu.be

 

[trixx]

Hi, my parents want to buy my younder siblings a new pc and are willing to spend up to $1000 CAD with the tax. My younger brother suggested getting this: http://www.staples.ca/en/Asus-M11AD...5-4460S-12GB-1TB/product_1020340_2-CA_1_20001

I suggested that for the price you might as well build a pc. Is the pc listed above worth it?Anyone have any thoughts and reccomendations to potential parts I could buy?

I've never built a pc before, just have the laptop I have. If anyone can help i'd appreciate it.

The capable build in op seems nice, just want the best bang for the buck. I realize that 800 isnt much.

Edit: They are willing to go up to $1000

 

[ricki42]

I can't decide Gaf :

I received some cash this Christmas by family to spend .
I have decided to spend it on my PC .

I have been thorn between going with a 144hz monitor or buying an SSD.

What would you recommend ,GAF ?

What's your budget, and what's the rest of your setup? For gaming the SSD won't do all that much, but it makes the system in general sooo much nicer to use.

 

[JetForceGemini]

Yeah so I'll soon be upgrading into a i7 4690k and a 970, may waiting on Intel to ship the cpu, how long will this build last me

 

[Idba]

Nobody?

Also, to add to the question, without planning to overclock, are mini motherboards recommended for this kind of setup? Since this is a PC I'll probably carry around to the girlfriend's house, was thinking about a smaller solution.

I think the Silver Stone FT05 is a good case for you. Also, jump to 3:55 in the video. I recommend you also watch the whole video.

Keeping a small with and i5 and 970 cool and quiet isnt going to be easy. You could also get some third party carrying bag.

 

[Idba]

Yeah so I'll soon be upgrading into a i7 4690k and a 970, may waiting on Intel to ship the cpu, how long will this build last me

Depends on the other components, but its going to last you very long..

 

[RGM79]

Nobody?

Also, to add to the question, without planning to overclock, are mini motherboards recommended for this kind of setup? Since this is a PC I'll probably carry around to the girlfriend's house, was thinking about a smaller solution.

If you don't plan to overclock, then that just suits a compact build even better. What's your budget?

Here's an example build based off a similar system someone wanted a few pages back.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($187.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H55 57.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 Low Profile Red 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($61.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.85 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($339.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone ML07B HTPC Case ($68.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1038.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-25 13:22 EST-0500

 

[ISOM]

Yeah so I'll soon be upgrading into a i7 4690k and a 970, may waiting on Intel to ship the cpu, how long will this build last me

The 4690k is an i5 but other than that I am building a pc with those specs too. And am hoping it lasts me a a couple of years.

 

[Dual Blade]

How's the reception on the Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI board? Its on Haz's list and I see it at a decent price atm.

Can this board run a 4790k off the bat or would I need to update the BIOs?

 

[RGM79]

Hi, my parents want to buy my younder siblings a new pc and are willing to spend up to $800 CAD with the tax. My younger brother suggested getting this: http://www.staples.ca/en/Asus-M11AD...5-4460S-12GB-1TB/product_1020340_2-CA_1_20001

I suggested that for the price you might as well build a pc. Is the pc listed above worth it?Anyone have any thoughts and reccomendations to potential parts I could buy?

I've never built a pc before, just have the laptop I have. If anyone can help i'd appreciate it.

The capable build in op seems nice, just want the best bang for the buck. I realize that 800 isnt much.

The desktop PC from Staples is overpriced and has a very weak graphics card. It'd cost about $600 after tax for a very similar system. This list of parts I selected for you is basically the same thing, except with a better power supply and graphics card. Do your parents mind mail in rebates?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($194.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($69.00 @ Vuugo)
Memory: Team Elite Plus 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 290 4GB DirectCU II Video Card ($259.99 @ NCIX)
Case: Antec GX700 ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($69.98 @ NCIX)
Total: $738.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-25 13:40 EST-0500

How's the reception on the Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI board? Its on Haz's list and I see it at a decent price atm.

Can this board run a 4790k off the bat or would I need to update the BIOs?

All H97/Z97 motherboards are compatible out of the box with the latest current Intel processors, and that includes the 4790K. It's an excellent mid-range motherboard for a budget price. The only bad thing about it is that it's somewhat limited for overclocking due to a simple 4 phase power design.

 

[opticalmace]

I got a new SSD and want to replace my OS drive. Is there any clever way of cloning it over or should I just start from scratch? Thanks.

 

[LilJoka]

That's awesome - but could you explain what the differences are as simply as possible? Apart from cheaper, I mean. why is it more powerful, and I'm used to you guys all mentioning I-5s, I-7s - this one has something different? (Genuinely just trying to educate myself )

The CPU I chose is the same as an i7 4790k, except it has no onboard GPU and cannot be overclocked.

I chose a H97 mITX board since it has on board wifi, it's small, your choice of PSU states you aren't going to SLI (right decision imo), and H97 since you aren't overclocking.

Now when the 970 gets old your CPU has 8 threads rather than 4 compared to the i5 so it should have a bit more longevity allowing atleast another high end GPU generation.

I chose ITX since there is nothing more you would need to add to this PC. Having an ATX board gives you lots of PCI expansion for GPUs, Sound card, Raid card. All of which you shouldn't need. The board allows for 4 HDDs and so will the case. It has enough Fan Headers and other input/output for your needs just like an ATX board would. You are not overclocking so you don't need excessive power delivery/conditioning circuitry to the CPU that an ATX board would provide.

 

[Plinko]

The R9 285 is about the same as the R9 280 (non X). It has worse technical specs than the R9 280 but the newer and more efficient design and software allows it to perform about the same as the normal R9 280. Performance-wise it is not as good as the R9 280X, so for $199 I wouldn't go for the R9 285, it's not worth the $30 increase over the $169 GTX 760.

However, NCIXUS has the XFX R9 285 for $169 after $30 rebate, that I can easily recommend over the $169 GTX 760.

Are you saying the XFX R9 280X won't fit in your case?

It'll be tight, but I have read about people fitting 10.5" cards in so this one at 9.9 shouldn't be an issue, I guess. I think I'll take your advice and go with the R9 280x.

 

[RGM79]

I got a new SSD and want to replace my OS drive. Is there any clever way of cloning it over or should I just start from scratch? Thanks.

There are free programs for cloning drives. I use Macrium Reflect.

It'll be tight, but I have read about people fitting 10.5" cards in so this one at 9.9 shouldn't be an issue, I guess. I think I'll take your advice and go with the R9 280x.

Good luck, hopefully it won't be troublesome.

 

[Peterthumpa]

Fractal, Silver Stone and NZXT have nice mid to big sized cases with handles. They are pretty easy to carry around. Wouldnt recommend a mini mobo with 970 and i5. Also, those cases are damn sexy and sleek. I will update the post with exact specs and case recommendations

If you don't plan to overclock, then that just suits a compact build even better. What's your budget?

Here's an example build based off a similar system someone wanted a few pages back.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($187.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H55 57.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 Low Profile Red 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($61.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.85 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($339.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone ML07B HTPC Case ($68.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1038.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-25 13:22 EST-0500

Thanks guys. Yeah, about the rig above, looks interesting. But what about the different i5 versions? What's the best deal, performance wise? I mean, the best affordable one, not the top, but the very best cost x performance deal.

 

[RGM79]

Thanks guys. Yeah, about the rig above, looks interesting. But what about the different i5 versions? What's the best deal, performance wise? I mean, the best affordable one, not the top, but the very best cost x performance deal.

The best one for long term would be the i5 4690K because for ~$30 more than the i5 4590, it can be overclocked to give additional performance.

 

[Thorgal]

What's your budget, and what's the rest of your setup? For gaming the SSD won't do all that much, but it makes the system in general sooo much nicer to use.

I7 3770 ( not oc able )
GTX 780 ti
16GBram

Ive been looking at monitors on this site and since the most expensive one is slightly above € 505 i would like to keep it under € 550- 600

 

[Plinko]

There are free programs for cloning drives. I use Macrium Reflect.



Good luck, hopefully it won't be troublesome.

Bah, scratch that--it is actually an 11.6" card. Won't come close to fitting.

 

[BigMastadon]

I have a feeling I am going to be roasted for asking this.. but here goes.

I plan on going with the AMD 8350 Black Edition due to favorable reviews and a budget. I am piecing this together slowly but I believe I am set on that processor.

I am looking to do gaming and streaming somewhere down the road. Just wanting something that will last as well. Is the 8350 Black a good choice? Anyone have experience with it? It'll be my first build that I've put together myself.

Also looking at a video card that'll work with this. Not sure what I want but am looking in the $120-$170 range probably.

Thanks GAF.

Edit: I should add that if I do Intel then I'd want to go top notch with a 4th gen i7 and I don't want to spend that much at the moment, lol. Maybe down the line.