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[kharma45]

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.

Don't forget any reviews are from 2012. It's an old chip and it wasn't setting any records when it released.

I can't recommend it for gaming In any way. Better off with an i3 or a low end i5.

Edit - why an i7? The 4670K or 4690K is a great sweet spot.

 

[RGM79]

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.

What's your overall budget? If you do want to go AMD FX, then the best performance for price would be either the FX-8320 ($133) or the FX-6300 ($97). The FX-8350 Black Edition is $180 and is way too expensive for the performance. At that price you should be considering Intel i5.

 

[BigMastadon]

Don't forget any reviews are from 2012. It's an old chip and it wasn't setting any records when it released.

I can't recommend it for gaming In any way. Better off with an i3 or a low end i5.

Edit - why an i7? The 4670K or 4690K is a great sweet spot.

I think it's a mental thing to be honest. I'm more familiar with intel chips due to playing around with them in the past. I associate i7 with being the best and if I go with Intel I'd be tempted to get the best, lol. It might sound silly but it's my mindset.

Yeah, I know its an older chip but even customer reviews from this year have been raving about its performance. Basically why I looked at that one. Even the performance videos show it as one of the better options for gaming.

What's your overall budget? If you do want to go AMD FX, then the best performance for price would be either the FX-8320 ($133) or the FX-6300 ($97). The FX-8350 Black Edition is $180 and is way too expensive for the performance. At that price you should be considering Intel i5.

Overall budget is probably in the $400-500 range for parts. Since I am piecing it together over time I can always improve down the line. I have it low because I already have the case, hard drive, and memory from my previous computer. I'll look at the ones you linked.

 

[kharma45]

I think it's a mental thing to be honest. I'm more familiar with intel chips due to playing around with them in the past. I associate i7 with being the best and if I go with Intel I'd be tempted to get the best, lol. It might sound silly but it's my mindset.

Yeah, I know its an older chip but even customer reviews from this year have been raving about its performance. Basically why I looked at that one. Even the performance videos show it as one of the better options for gaming.



Overall budget is probably in the $400-500 range for parts. Since I am piecing it together over time I can always improve down the line. I have it low because I already have the case, hard drive, and memory from my previous computer. I'll look at the ones you linked.

Customer reviews are raving because either a) people don't know any better or b) don't want to admit they bought a stinker. We're not just saying because hurr durr we're all Intel fanboys or get backhanders from Intel. We say it because it's the truth. What Intel is putting out now is years ahead of AMD.

The i7 is the best Intel has to offer but the i5 is more than plenty at the minute for gaming. In most titles there is very little to choose between the two if anything at all.

 

[BigMastadon]

Customer reviews are raving because either a) people don't know any better or b) don't want to admit they bought a stinker. We're not just saying because hurr durr we're all Intel fanboys or get backhanders from Intel. We say it because it's the truth. What Intel is putting out now is years ahead of AMD.

The i7 is the best Intel has to offer but the i5 is more than plenty at the minute for gaming. In most titles there is very little to choose between the two if anything at all.

Did you have an i5 recommendation? I'd be willing to look at those as well. Wasn't trying to imply the fanboy card or anything.. I just know it can be difficult discussing AMD with Intel people, lol. Kinda like Xbox and Sony. My brother swears by AMD and I swear by Intel.. but I liked the price on the 8350. I can go up a little higher on the processor since its an integral part of the build. I would rather not have to swap it out later on until I have to.

 

[Kezen]

Yeah, I know its an older chip but even customer reviews from this year have been raving about its performance. Basically why I looked at that one. Even the performance videos show it as one of the better options for gaming.

"Videos" don't mean much, how about some indisputable facts ?
http://www.purepc.pl/procesory/jaki_procesor_kupic_wielki_test_100_procesorow_intel_i_amd?page=0,0

Don't complain about bad performance if your CPU sucks.

 

[CreepingFear]

Merry Christmas PC Gaf. I hope you got all your hardware wishes!

 

[Dual Blade]

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.

At $119 CAD with a $30MIR right now the Z97X-SLI is at its best price ever.

This is my build so far:

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/yGXM23

CPU: i7 4790K
RAM: 8GB DDR3-1600
MOBO: Gigabyte Z97X-SLI
PSU: EVGA Supernova G2 750W
SSD: OCZ Vertex 460 240GB
CASE: Bitfenix Outlaw 3.0

All I have left to get is a GPU. I am way over budget as I initially was going to go with a G3258 budget build but after I got the 4790K at a steal I am upping the build. I'm probably going to go with the R9 270X as I am only interested in playing Witcher 1/2 and maybe some Bethesda games with mods (best possible settings).

Any opinions on my build, where I am going wrong and/or where I can cut costs? I'm looking to spend <$200 on a GPU.

 

[kharma45]

Did you have an i5 recommendation? I'd be willing to look at those as well. Wasn't trying to imply the fanboy card or anything.. I just know it can be difficult discussing AMD with Intel people, lol. Kinda like Xbox and Sony. My brother swears by AMD and I swear by Intel.. but I liked the price on the 8350. I can go up a little higher on the processor since its an integral part of the build. I would rather not have to swap it out later on until I have to.

i5 4670K or i5 4690K.

Get whichever is cheapest. The 4690K is marginally better.

 

[kharma45]

At $119 CAD with a $30MIR right now the Z97X-SLI is at its best price ever.

This is my build so far:

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/yGXM23

CPU: i7 4790K
RAM: 8GB DDR3-1600
MOBO: Gigabyte Z97X-SLI
PSU: EVGA Supernova G2 750W
SSD: OCZ Vertex 460 240GB
CASE: Bitfenix Outlaw 3.0

All I have left to get is a GPU. I am way over budget as I initially was going to go with a G3258 budget build but after I got the 4790K at a steal I am upping the build. I'm probably going to go with the R9 270X as I am only interested in playing Witcher 1/2 and maybe some Bethesda games with mods (best possible settings).

Any opinions on my build, where I am going wrong and/or where I can cut costs? I'm looking to spend <$200 on a GPU.

Get the R9 285 for $189 http://www.ncix.com/detail/powercolor-radeon-r9-285-turbo-11-101468-1301.htm?affiliateid=7474144 or a GTX 760 for $200 http://www.ncix.com/detail/gigabyte-geforce-gtx-760-oc-c8-85587-1301.htm?affiliateid=7474144

 

[BigMastadon]

i5 4670K or i5 4690K.

Get whichever is cheapest. The 4690K is marginally better.

Thanks! Think one of these two will be what I go with. Just took a little bit of a nudge from someone else to get me to step back in to Intel. I know i'll be happy I did.

 

[SpeedyDesiato]

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.

Brilliant, thank you. And I assume a Sound card isn't needed because sounds will be handled by some other piece of hardware - presumably the motherboard or GPU, and that'll still be good quality? I'm no audiophile, but decent music is a personal pleasure.


Final question then guys and gals: are there any particular YouTube/written guides you would recommend for a complete newbie building their first PC?

 

[RGM79]

At $119 CAD with a $30MIR right now the Z97X-SLI is at its best price ever.

This is my build so far:

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/yGXM23

CPU: i7 4790K
RAM: 8GB DDR3-1600
MOBO: Gigabyte Z97X-SLI
PSU: EVGA Supernova G2 750W
SSD: OCZ Vertex 460 240GB
CASE: Bitfenix Outlaw 3.0

All I have left to get is a GPU. I am way over budget as I initially was going to go with a G3258 budget build but after I got the 4790K at a steal I am upping the build. I'm probably going to go with the R9 270X as I am only interested in playing Witcher 1/2 and maybe some Bethesda games with mods (best possible settings).

Any opinions on my build, where I am going wrong and/or where I can cut costs? I'm looking to spend <$200 on a GPU.

The strongest GPU you can get would be an R9 280 or 285. The Powercolor R9 285 is $190 after $20 rebate at NCIX.

Where are you located? If you're in or nearby Vancouver, NCIX offers discounted graphics cards from clearance at their main office.

 

[ricki42]

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

With that video card and budget I'd say go for the monitor. Though you might be able to get both.
I think a number of people here have recommended the EIZO FORIS FG2421. I don't know if you can find that anywhere, but on the german Amazon it's 443€, don't know if prices in Belgium are similar.

 

[LilJoka]

Brilliant, thank you. And I assume a Sound card isn't needed because sounds will be handled by some other piece of hardware - presumably the motherboard or GPU, and that'll still be good quality? I'm no audiophile, but decent music is a personal pleasure.


Final question then guys and gals: are there any particular YouTube/written guides you would recommend for a complete newbie building their first PC?

Yeah onboard audio is goo enough for your standard set of headphones nowadays. The HDMI port from the GPU/Motherboard can do 7.1 PCM (uncompressed) audio to a compatible receiver. So if ou have an AV Receiver its the best way to get audio.

Just look up guides for any PC on youtube, its all the same really. You may have to be aware of certain aspects of your case, for example optimal cable routing, but that isnt going to stop a PC from bottling up and can be tackled later on.

For mITX build, I always recommend building the PC outside the case, instead build on top of the motherboard box. You dont want to be debugging inside a cramped chassis. And this is incredibly useful in learning everything before it gets messy inside a small case.

 

[Teeth]

I'm looking for a little advice on a new graphics card and I was hoping someone in here has experience with an AMD R9 290, or even any of the higher end AMD cards this year.

Here in Canada, the 970 prices are usually well above $400, and I can get a 290 for about $250 and it's really tempting. The thing is, after having a Gtx580 for so long, I've really gotten used to nVidia inspector and all of the sweet AA and SsAO options I can do with it. Is their anything equivalent on the AMD side?

Additionally, AMD has had some jank issues with some games or driver issues. Anyone had any issues with newer games this year like Mordor, Evil Within, Far Cry 4, Wolfenstein, or Dragon Age? I'm fine if they get fixed eventually, I just hate it when games I want to play are busted just because of the vendor I chose.

Any help or experiences from an R9 user would help me out tons (and yes, I'm already equipped with lots of fans and a beefy power supply for the notorious 290).

Oh, and if there were/are any well known issues or new cards coming out that prompted the big price drops, that might be handy to know too.

Thanks.

 

[Thorgal]

With that video card and budget I'd say go for the monitor. Though you might be able to get both.
I think a number of people here have recommended the EIZO FORIS FG2421. I don't know if you can find that anywhere, but on the german Amazon it's 443€, don't know if prices in Belgium are similar.

Thanks .
Anyone willing to make a recommendation from these monitors ?

Leaning towards the Benq one

 

[Flandy]

Did I do something wrong?
BIOS is showing 98 degrees celsius for the CPU when the computer has only been on for like 30 seconds. It shuts off automatically after another 30 seconds. CPU fan is turning on so I assume that was installed correctly. I don't see how I could have fucked up the applying the thermal paste since it was already pre applied on the cooler I bought. halp

 

[Dual Blade]

Get the R9 285 for $189 http://www.ncix.com/detail/powercolor-radeon-r9-285-turbo-11-101468-1301.htm?affiliateid=7474144 or a GTX 760 for $200 http://www.ncix.com/detail/gigabyte-geforce-gtx-760-oc-c8-85587-1301.htm?affiliateid=7474144

The strongest GPU you can get would be an R9 280 or 285. The Powercolor R9 285 is $190 after $20 rebate at NCIX.

Where are you located? If you're in or nearby Vancouver, NCIX offers discounted graphics cards from clearance at their main office.

Thanks for the suggestions. The Powercolor looks like the best option for me. Located in Toronto.

 

[ricki42]

Did I do something wrong?
BIOS is showing 98 degrees celsius for the CPU when the computer has only been on for like 30 seconds. It shuts off automatically after another 30 seconds. CPU fan is turning on so I assume that was installed correctly. I don't see how I could have fucked up the applying the thermal paste since it was already pre applied on the cooler I bought. halp

You said earlier that the CPU came installed and you removed the thermal past. Does that mean the cooler was already used on the CPU but then taken off? In that case, you'll need to clean the remains of the thermal past off the cooler and apply fresh paste.
Out of the box, the underside of the cooler where it sits on the CPU should look something like this:

If it looked all smeared out you'll need to apply fresh paste.

 

[Flandy]

You said earlier that the CPU came installed and you removed the thermal past. Does that mean the cooler was already used on the CPU but then taken off? In that case, you'll need to clean the remains of the thermal past off the cooler and apply fresh paste.
Out of the box, the underside of the cooler where it sits on the CPU should look something like this:

If it looked all smeared out you'll need to apply fresh paste.

I was mistaken and the fan wasn't included. I removed the old thermal paste. I used a different cooler and not the stock cooler. The new cooler already had the paste pre applied on the bottom

 

[ricki42]

I was mistaken and the fan wasn't included. I removed the old thermal paste. I used a different cooler and not the stock cooler. The new cooler already had the paste pre applied on the bottom

Ah, OK, which cooler did you get?

 

[Teknoman]

So what can cause a video card to stop displaying and then reset itself? I've never had cooling / overheating problems before, and I know my PSU should be good enough for the card ( 650w PSU, MSI R9 280).

I've had at least two instances so far where my PC will seem like it freezes, then the monitor will drop display (just showing a blue screen with HDMI not being detected), and then a few minutes later, recover display.

Maybe my card needs to be RMA?

 

[RGM79]

So what can cause a video card to stop displaying and then reset itself? I've never had cooling / overheating problems before, and I know my PSU should be good enough for the card ( 650w PSU, MSI R9 280).

I've had at least two instances so far where my PC will seem like it freezes, then the monitor will drop display (just showing a blue screen with HDMI not being detected), and then a few minutes later, recover display.

Maybe my card needs to be RMA?

It takes a few minutes? Display driver crashing usually only takes a couple of seconds to automatically resolve.

When does this happen? In games or even when idle? Is it still under warranty? How old is the card? Use a program like HWMonitor to check temperatures. If it is overheating, then there may be an issue with the cooler.

 

[Flandy]

Ah, OK, which cooler did you get?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002CIDIPW/?tag=neogaf0e-20

However I appear to have fixed the problem. Former owner of the motherboard told me that I should remove the battery to reset the BIOS. That seems to have done the trick.

 

[dreamstation]

My girlfriend is getting a new PC and I've just got a few questions.

As far as motherboards go she likes the look of the ASUS Maximus VII Hero or the Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H Black Edition. I've seen the Gigabyte get recommended a lot around here and on the web (the normal version, not necessarily the black version) but have not really seen much fuss over the ASUS Hero, or Republic of Gamers boards in general. Both seem to have a lot of features - is there any reason why one gets recommended more than another? Is the Gigabyte better in general or is it a price thing?

Next up is graphics card. She has decided on a 970 but can't decide on which manufacturer. I've mostly always had ASUS cards but the 970 Strix seems to be one of the slower cards. The EVGA is high on the list but have also read about problems there as well. Gigabyte also problems with fans or something. I imagine all of them would be good but want to make an informed decision.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Teknoman]

It takes a few minutes? Display driver crashing usually only takes a couple of seconds to automatically resolve.

When does this happen? In games or even when idle? Is it still under warranty? How old is the card? Use a program like HWMonitor to check temperatures. If it is overheating, then there may be an issue with the cooler.

Well its probably more or less like a few seconds, just seems longer. The card should still be under warranty since I just bought it about a month or so ago (right around The Evil Within release date). I'll check hwmonitor, but it only seems to have happened in game. Strange that it happened in Torchlight 2 but not in something much more demanding like Dragon Age: Inquisition.

 

[RGM79]

My girlfriend is getting a new PC and I've just got a few questions.

As far as motherboards go she likes the look of the ASUS Maximus VII Hero or the Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H Black Edition. I've seen the Gigabyte get recommended a lot around here and on the web (the normal version, not necessarily the black version) but have not really seen much fuss over the ASUS Hero, or Republic of Gamers boards in general. Both seem to have a lot of features - is there any reason why one gets recommended more than another? Is the Gigabyte better in general or is it a price thing?

Next up is graphics card. She has decided on a 970 but can't decide on which manufacturer. I've mostly always had ASUS cards but the 970 Strix seems to be one of the slower cards. The EVGA is high on the list but have also read about problems there as well. Gigabyte also problems with fans or something. I imagine all of them would be good but want to make an informed decision.

Thanks for any help.

Gigabyte boards usually sell for better prices than equivalent boards from Asus, at least they seem that way to me. I recommended the UD3H and UD5H for builds quite often a while ago because for about two weeks in November (looking at the price history), both were available at a good discount. The UD5H was only $130 from Newegg, now it's more like $170. The UD3H-BK was as low as $100.

Not too long ago, I answered many of the same questions about the GTX 970, I'll just quote myself and expand a bit:

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.

In terms of performance, from the slowest GTX 970 and the fastest factory overclocked model, it's likely just a difference of 10% in framerate at the very most. Don't worry too much about factory overclock - the models with lower clocks usually have more headroom and can be overclocked to better match the higher factory overclocks. For example, EVGA makes six different GTX 970 models. Two are reference style, the other four have the exact same ACX 2.0 cooler but have varying factory overclock speed. I doubt the circuit board design of those four ACX 2.0 models vary that much, so the major difference is likely only in the factory overclock speed.

EVGA had problems with the first batch of GTX 970 cards that used the old ACX 1.0 cooler. Poor cooler design and mounting leading to somewhat worse cooling. That issue is no longer a problem now, the ACX 1.0 version is no longer sold and the ACX 2.0 cooler has no such problems.

I'm not aware of any issues with Gigabyte's Windforce VGA cooler. They use similar triple fan VGA coolers also called Windforce for many of their mid to high end cards. I'm running two Gigabyte Windforce R9 270X in Crossfire right now, actually. The only drawback is that the Windforce makes the graphics card very long (all triple fan Windforce coolers are around 300mm long), and they won't fit in more compact cases as a result. Also, Windforce coolers can get loud, but depending on the card they don't all get very loud, the GTX 970 doesn't generate too much heat so I hear the Windforce GTX 970 on automatic fans doesn't get very loud and when loud, not very often.

 

[Flandy]

How can I make my motherboard output the video instead of my graphics card? Gonna have to wait a bit until I get a real monitor so in the mean time I'm stuck with a monitor that only supports VGA which my graphics card doesn't have.

 

[kennah]

How can I make my motherboard output the video instead of my graphics card? Gonna have to wait a bit until I get a real monitor so in the mean time I'm stuck with a monitor that only supports VGA which my graphics card doesn't have.

Remove the gpu

 

[Aztechnology]

So I'm caving, I can't wait for a decently priced 2560x1440 Gsync monitor to drop within a decent price range. I'm way past due on a monitor and there's some nice sales going on.

I need a 27"+ monitor that I'll be using primarily for gaming, graphic design/programming work and occasional video editing. I don't have a set budget but I'd prefer to keep it sub $300 unless something is exceptional as I'll probably pick up a nice Gsync monitor or go eyefinity somewhere down the line. Anyways the AOC I2757FH is what I'm currently eyeing. It's $240 USD at Best Buy.

http://us.aoc.com/monitor_displays/i2757fh

Help me get a great monitor Gaf.

 

[Nostremitus]

Have any of you had success mounting an AIO cooler to the 120mm side fan mount on a CM Elite 130?

 

[trixx]

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

Wow thanks for the suggestion, I appreciate it. I'm not too sure how my parents feel about mail in rebates, likely they wouldn't feel too comfortable about it. They are pretty ambivalent in general when it comes to online shopping, but i'll suggest this to them.

Thanks again and merry christmas guys.

 

[zoozilla]

So, I unexpectedly received a few computer components for Christmas! Some relatives heard about my plan to build a new PC, and they gifted me a few parts to get me started.

Thankfully, I think they did pretty okay. My plan was never extravagant - I just wanted a mid-range, ~$500 PC, and the parts I got fit right into that. So I now have in my possession:

CPU: AMD FX-6350 Black Edition
Motherboard: Asus M5 A97 R.2.0
Power supply: Corsair CX600 Modular

I also got a mid-size case.

Now all I need is a graphics card, RAM, and a hard drive.

For the graphics card, I've been looking at the Radeon R7 265 - I wonder if it's worth the price over the 260X. I basically want this PC to be able to play last-gen ports really well, and I don't expect to run the newest games at max settings. If it can run Dragon Age: Inquisition well enough with some dropped settings, I'll be happy.

A few questions, though: How important is the brand of the card? It seems like Sapphire is the most popular brand, and their 2-fan setup looks like it might be a better cooling solution than the others, but does it matter that much? Other brands sell the 265 for significantly cheaper, but I'm not sure if I can trust them.

I'm going for 8 gigs of RAM for this build, and looking at the QVL for my board it looks like there's only one widely available choice, and that's this G. Skills Ripjaws X Series thing. How important is it that I go with something from the QVL list (which I found here, by the way)? And is the one I linked to reliable?

The hard drive will probably be a WD Blue 1TB, not planning for an SSD at this moment in time.

Also, I've heard mixed things about the stock heatsinks on AMD chips. Is it worth it to get an aftermarket solution? I don't really plan to overclock right now.

Anyway, that's my plan. Any thoughts and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[The Lamp]

I'm really fucking pissed how little pieces of my computer have just stopped working over the past 4 years. Now my USB 3.0 ports aren't recognizing anything (the back ones). My front headphone jack doesn't work either.

Are there ways to fix this without buying a whole new fucking case or whatever?

I hate this aspect of custom computers. Shit just wasn't designed to last or work together.

 

[Nostremitus]

I'm really fucking pissed how little pieces of my computer have just stopped working over the past 4 years. Now my USB 3.0 ports aren't recognizing anything (the back ones). My front headphone jack doesn't work either.

Are there ways to fix this without buying a whole new fucking case or whatever?

I hate this aspect of custom computers. Shit just wasn't designed to last or work together.

Sounds more like s motherboard issue if the back ports aren't working.

 

[Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!]

Guys,

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227592

This PC seems almost exactly the same as the "best overall" PC in the OP for a little cheaper. Is this a good price for a prebuilt?

 

[oxidax]

Thinking about building the Haz Smokey Level. I know the ram says 4x4GB 2666Mhz DDR4 (16GB), any specific brand/model you guys would recommend me? Also, would a 8GB R9 295x be better than getting SLI 970s?

 

[ISOM]

Guys,

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227592

This PC seems almost exactly the same as the "best overall" PC in the OP for a little cheaper. Is this a good price for a prebuilt?

It seems about $100-200 over what it would be on partspicker. If you don't feel like building one yourself, try customizing a machine on cyberpowerpc. They are running some good deals and upgrades with free shipping. My pc came out cheaper than what it would of been if I assembled it myself shockingly.

 

[Flandy]

For some reason my screen keeps flickering black every several seconds. Hooked up to my tv via hdmi 1360x768@60Hz Flickering seems to stop whenever I play a game though :x Using a Sapphire 7950

 

[RGM79]

For some reason my screen keeps flickering black every several seconds. Hooked up to my tv via hdmi 1360x768@60Hz Flickering seems to stop whenever I play a game though :x Using a Sapphire 7950

I've had that issue before and it's somewhat sorta common for AMD cards. All graphics cards clock down when not in game or being stressed to save power and extend life - sometimes the AMD graphics card is running a bit too slow and that causes monitor flicker, on certain combinations of monitors and display outputs. I was running dual monitors off a single 5850 and only one monitor flickered.

Try updating your graphics drivers. If that doesn't work or if you're already on the latest drivers, then you'll need to go into Catalyst manager and manually set the card to run a bit faster to prevent flickering.

Guys,

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227592

This PC seems almost exactly the same as the "best overall" PC in the OP for a little cheaper. Is this a good price for a prebuilt?

I couldn't find the exact model of all the parts on the website, so I had to make some guesses on some things. Here's what a roughly equivalent build would cost with the lowest priced same or equal parts:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($318.87 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 74.4 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($88.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: GeIL EVO Veloce Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($54.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($339.99 @ B&H)
Case: NZXT Phantom 240 ATX Mid Tower Case ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($19.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Edimax EW-7811UTC 802.11a/b/g/n/ac USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($16.69 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Rosewill RK-101 Wired Standard Keyboard ($5.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Gear Head MP1600RU Wired Optical Mouse ($4.19 @ Mwave)
Total: $1153.63
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-26 02:46 EST-0500

I consider the price of $1480 including shipping to be extremely overpriced, but it does include warranty I believe. You could build the same PC for $1100 or less, the difference of $380 is huge, you could get a second GTX 970 for that much money and run SLI.

 

[mugwhump]

Which of these SSDs is goodest for the Canaprice?

Kingston V300 120gb $59.99
Kingston SSDNow V300 240GB Solid State Drive - $99.99
Adata SP600 256gb $89.99
Sandisk 128gb $59.97

 

[EmptySpace]

wow now boxing day deals on pc parts? gah.

 

[RGM79]

Thinking about building the Haz Smokey Level. I know the ram says 4x4GB 2666Mhz DDR4 (16GB), any specific brand/model you guys would recommend me? Also, would a 8GB R9 295x be better than getting SLI 970s?

Well, in terms of what look like good deals, there's 16GB of G.Skill Ripjaws 4 DDR4-2666 for $220. It's even cheaper than some DDR4-2133/2400 kits. If you want higher speeds, there's 16GB of GeIL DDR4-3000 for $250, but the heatspreaders look very tall.

If you plan to play at high resolutions like 4K, the 8GB VRAM on the R9 295X2 will be better, although it looks like the GTX 970s are generally able to muster a comparable or even slight better framerate than the R9 295X2. It's up to you if you want the 8GB of VRAM with the R9 295X2 or better power/framerate efficiency with the GTX 970 SLI.

wow now boxing day deals on pc parts? gah.

What are you looking for, exactly?

 

[jellies_two]

Anyone can help me with a PC build that won't POST, with parts picked from the OP in this topic?

the motherboard is an ASROCK Z97 pro4
and the i7 cpu is installed
only minimal connections: power to motherboard and cpu, and power to graphics card (R9)
connector to on button (but not reset button or LED button)
memory in or out ( G.Skill Ares F3-1866 (2x4GB) DDR3 )
connector to cpu fan (which runs)
connectors to cha_fan1 and cha_fan2 (which run)

with no memory:
the motherboard port for external speaker beeps 3 times with a pause and repeat
no video signal on either VGA or DVI port on motherboard, or DVI port on graphics card

with one or two sticks of memory:
the motherboard does not beep apart from power on beep, but it resets every 60 seconds
still no video signal on either VGA or DVI port on motherboard

the most frustrating part is the no video signal part.
the 3 beeps for an AMI bios appear to mean no or bad memory

If it beeps 3 times for no memory, why doesn't it beep for something else when there is no video signal? why does it reboot every 60 seconds?

I've done a CMOS clear just in case.

 

[LilJoka]

Anyone can help me with a PC build that won't POST, with parts picked from the OP in this topic?

the motherboard is an ASROCK Z97 pro4
and the i7 cpu is installed
only minimal connections: power to motherboard and cpu, and power to graphics card (R9)
connector to on button (but not reset button or LED button)
memory in or out
connector to cpu fan (which runs)
connector to case fan (which runs)

with no memory:
the motherboard port for external speaker beeps 3 times with a pause and repeat
no video signal on either VGA or DVI port on motherboard, or DVI port on graphics card

with one or two sticks of memory:
the motherboard does not beep apart from power on beep, but it resets every 60 seconds
still no video signal on either VGA or DVI port on motherboard

the most frustrating part is the no video signal part.
the 3 beeps for an AMI bios appear to mean no or bad memory

If it beeps 3 times for no memory, why doesn't it beep for something else when there is no video signal? why does it reboot every 60 seconds?

I've done a CMOS clear just in case.

Remove the GPU, test onboard GPU.

 

[RGM79]

Anyone can help me with a PC build that won't POST, with parts picked from the OP in this topic?

the motherboard is an ASROCK Z97 pro4
and the i7 cpu is installed
only minimal connections: power to motherboard and cpu, and power to graphics card (R9)
connector to on button (but not reset button or LED button)
memory in or out ( G.Skill Ares F3-1866 (2x4GB) DDR3 )
connector to cpu fan (which runs)
connectors to cha_fan1 and cha_fan2 (which run)

with no memory:
the motherboard port for external speaker beeps 3 times with a pause and repeat
no video signal on either VGA or DVI port on motherboard, or DVI port on graphics card

with one or two sticks of memory:
the motherboard does not beep apart from power on beep, but it resets every 60 seconds
still no video signal on either VGA or DVI port on motherboard

the most frustrating part is the no video signal part.
the 3 beeps for an AMI bios appear to mean no or bad memory

If it beeps 3 times for no memory, why doesn't it beep for something else when there is no video signal? why does it reboot every 60 seconds?

I've done a CMOS clear just in case.

Try the paper clip test for your power supply?

What power supply do you have exactly? When you tried the motherboard video ports, did you remove the graphics card before you did that?

 

[jellies_two]

I removed GPU, used on-board DVI connector still no luck.

then I removed cpu cooler and chip and took a good look at this socket 1150.

problems.

what do you think.

There are 3 problem pins.
One is bent, no issue. I think it can be bent back with a razor blade.
One is completely weird, also right on the edge.
Another 4 rows in, has a ridiculous pig-tail curl on the end, like a manufacturing defect.

I quizzed the guy who built it, he says he just popped in the cpu no problem didn't drop it on the socket, didn't touch the bed. I've no idea. Maybe he snagged it. I can't see how that explains the weird pin though. I wish I could take a picture of that one..

 

[LilJoka]

Refund or if he won't get out a needle or blade and bend them back carefully. I've fixed way worse, a guy tried to install a CPU without opening the latch!

 

[jellies_two]

Good old iphone6 and loupe, take a look at this.

pigs tail (both of them, one twisted back, one is much longer?):

bent:

WTF: