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"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 1. Read the OP and RISE ABOVE FORGED PRECISION SCIENCE

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Bancho

Member
I currently have a 2500k waiting to do a mini-Itx build around. I have a case bought and ready but can i find a m-itx Z68/z77 motherboard anywhere!? Like hell i can! Really frustrating trying to find one of these boards!!!
 

RGM79

Member
is $340 a good price for a 1TB SSD? Looking to get an SSD in time for WIndows 10. Its a Samsung 850 Evo

That's not bad. It's as low a price as that model has ever gotten.

I currently have a 2500k waiting to do a mini-Itx build around. I have a case bought and ready but can i find a m-itx Z68/z77 motherboard anywhere!? Like hell i can! Really frustrating trying to find one of these boards!!!

This Asus model is your only real choice if you want a brand new motherboard. Otherwise you'll have to find a used motherboard.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GUNZUG0/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Is this thing better (stronger radio or w/e) than bluetooth dongles? I just need the bluetooth. Also would it work on my z97 gene VII m.2 slot?
I have no clue about m.2 slots or when they were even introduced, just found out I had one.

What do you need a stronger bluetooth signal for? Long range? Be warned, that module doesn't seem to come with any antennas and is intended more for laptops (and small form factor PCs) than a desktop. If you want to use a wifi antenna with it, you'll need an adaptor like this. If you want longer range, maybe look for a PCI-E expansion card with an external antenna?

I recommend this Gigabyte wifi and bluetooth PCI-E card ($29), the antenna also carries the bluetooth signal according to this image.

Your Current Specs: N/A
Budget: Up to $2500, Canada.
Main Use: Gaming - 5, Emulation (PS2/Wii) - 3, Video Editing - 3, Streaming games in HD - 4, 3D/Model work (and what program) - 2, NX, General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback) - 5.
Monitor Resolution: 4K, preferably. Will be you be buying a new monitor? Yes.
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Ideally, I'd like to run modern games at console settings at 4K, everything else is gravy. The main games would be SFV, KI (60 FPS in both) and the new Mirror's Edge, but since the required specs are currently unknown, let's go with BF4 on medium or high at 60 FPS in 4k. Is that a good estimate? For non-gaming programs, good performance in Adobe Premiere Pro.
Looking to reuse any parts?: N/A
When will you build?: Would like to get it done by fall.
Will you be overclocking?: Probably.

I recommend you wait for next month to see how Intel's new Skylake parts turn out, especially if you have nothing to reuse.

So here's the build that I'm thinking of doing....
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oUgZeL4hC7uVHrb_MRV6-U059Bua6APmHEf2mbAEAas/edit?usp=sharing

What do you guys think? Mainly going for a VR setup here. I'm torn between the 970 and the 980ti because I'm not sure if I'll be upgrading to the next generation of chips from nvidia. If I would go that route I'm sure that the 970 could work until then. I'm also not sure about the motherboard, but it seems fine. Any input would be appreciated though!

Some of your parts are incompatible and there are better choices you can make. What's your budget and where are you located? Are you limited to ordering from Newegg only, or are other retailers OK?

  • The i7 5820K is incompatible with Z97 motherboards and DDR3 RAM
  • I don't know what MSI motherboard you're talking about, I can't find anything under the name and the link is broken
  • There are better power supplies than Corsair CX750 at that price
  • If you want to overclock with the i7 5820K, I recommend a more capable heatsink
  • More stuff to consider depending on other parts (e.g., you can keep the 212 Evo heatsink if you go with an i5 4690K or i7 4790K instead)
For VR the more power the better, so you should aim for the GTX 980 Ti. Nvidia's Pascal probably won't come until the second half of 2016 so if you wait for that, you'll be waiting a year and perhaps longer.

Hey guys what do you think of this set up being sold used for $420 Canadian.

-FX 8150 Liquid cooler cpu
-R9 280x 3gb GDDR5 Asus Direct CU II
-16gb DDR3 Ram 1600mhz Corsair Venegance
-Corsair AX750w PSU
-Thermal Take Large Case
-Large Display fan controller.
-Windows 7 Pro SP1
-Asus 990FX Sabertooth Motherboard
-Crucial 240gb SSD
-Steel Series APEX Keyboard

I might pick it up. dude needs cash for back to school.

It's very cheap for the performance. The AMD processor and motherboard isn't great, but the rest of the PC is worth it for a good base to build upon and upgrade. You can always upgrade and replace the CPU/motherboard.
 
Just finished a build today and had a quick question.

What program do most of you tend to use to check cpu and other component temperatures once you're in Windows? I think my idle temps in BIOS are fine but I'd like to check them in Windows under load to make sure things are not getting to hot.

Thanks for any input!
 

knitoe

Member
Just finished a build today and had a quick question.

What program do most of you tend to use to check cpu and other component temperatures once you're in Windows? I think my idle temps in BIOS are fine but I'd like to check them in Windows under load to make sure things are not getting to hot.

Thanks for any input!

In the OP, HWInfo. And, other then your putting on the CPU cooler incorrectly, idle temps mean little. More important is what the temps are under load.
 

paskowitz

Member
Just finished a build today and had a quick question.

What program do most of you tend to use to check cpu and other component temperatures once you're in Windows? I think my idle temps in BIOS are fine but I'd like to check them in Windows under load to make sure things are not getting to hot.

Thanks for any input!

I use HWInfo (for logging) plus MSI afterburner (taskbar and OSD).
 

paskowitz

Member
Thank you. I have no idea why I didn't check the OP for that info, total brainfart. I'll try HWInfo.

If your temps are high (>80c) under load and you have not invested in case fans and an aftermarket cooler (CPU) then, I would highly advise that. In the majority of cases, you will want an intake fan and an exhaust fan (in addition to anything on your CPU and GPU). You don't need anything fancy unless you plan to do heavy overclocking.
 
Ugggggghhhhh. The wait is killing me.

Everything except for my case, cpu and gpu got here in two or three days. They're not gonna get here until Thursday. ( ,_,)

I'm terrified I'm gonna break something when I'm assembling it.
 
If your temps are high (>80c) under load and you have not invested in case fans and an aftermarket cooler (CPU) then, I would highly advise that. In the majority of cases, you will want an intake fan and an exhaust fan (in addition to anything on your CPU and GPU). You don't need anything fancy unless you plan to do heavy overclocking.
I did install a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo CPU cooler and I currently have one intake and one exhaust fan in the case. I haven't gotten around to testing the temps under load yet but will tomorrow. Not currently planning on overclocking. I think I should be good to go for now but we'll see. Thank you for the info.
 

RGM79

Member
Will do, thanks. Any thoughts on the GPU?

For decent framerate at higher quality settings on 4K, you should be looking at the strongest graphics card(s) you can afford. R9 Fury, Fury X, GTX 980 Ti.. maybe even two of them.

I've heard that Nvidia's planning to start a promotional bundle to include downloads of MGS5:pP with their higher end graphics cards in about a week. It'll replace the Batman promotion.
 

eosos

Banned
Some of your parts are incompatible and there are better choices you can make. What's your budget and where are you located? Are you limited to ordering from Newegg only, or are other retailers OK?

  • The i7 5820K is incompatible with Z97 motherboards and DDR3 RAM
  • I don't know what MSI motherboard you're talking about, I can't find anything under the name and the link is broken
  • There are better power supplies than Corsair CX750 at that price
  • If you want to overclock with the i7 5820K, I recommend a more capable heatsink
  • More stuff to consider depending on other parts (e.g., you can keep the 212 Evo heatsink if you go with an i5 4690K or i7 4790K instead)
For VR the more power the better, so you should aim for the GTX 980 Ti. Nvidia's Pascal probably won't come until the second half of 2016 so if you wait for that, you'll be waiting a year and perhaps longer.

Thanks a lot for the help! My budget is $2000, but keeping it under that as much as possible would be ideal. I am in the US, but I'm not limited to newegg.

For the CPU, I suppose I would go with the i7 4790K then. That is unless you have a better suggestion. What power supply and motherboard would you recommend? This is the motherboard that I was trying to link to. And I suppose you're right with the GPU, I'll go with the 980ti.

Again, thanks for the advice. I haven't had to build a PC in a long time, so I'm pretty rusty!
 

RGM79

Member
Thanks a lot for the help! My budget is $2000, but keeping it under that as much as possible would be ideal. I am in the US, but I'm not limited to newegg.

For the CPU, I suppose I would go with the i7 4790K then. That is unless you have a better suggestion. What power supply and motherboard would you recommend? This is the motherboard that I was trying to link to. And I suppose you're right with the GPU, I'll go with the 980ti.

Again, thanks for the advice. I haven't had to build a PC in a long time, so I'm pretty rusty!

There's new Intel Skylake processors and Z170 motherboards coming out next month that will supplant and eventually replace the existing consumer Z97 series of parts. If you want the latest and greatest and a somewhat more futureproofed PC, I'd recommend waiting because the new consumer motherboards will include new tech like Thunderbolt 3, USB type C, USB 3.1, DDR4, and etc (source:[1][2]). But yes, if you were to build now then something like an i7 4790K and a similar motherboard should do just fine.

For low priced but better quality power supplies, I recommend the following:

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-pro750wp1750snlb9
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-110b20750vr
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-110b20850v1

Well, if you wanted to build now you could go with the i7 5820K and an X99 based build instead of Z97, it would cost a bit more due to DDR4 and etc (but still fall within your $2000 budget).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($378.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BL 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock X99 Extreme4 ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($184.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($341.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($649.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1895.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-19 02:27 EDT-0400
 

Blitzhex

Member
What do you need a stronger bluetooth signal for? Long range? Be warned, that module doesn't seem to come with any antennas and is intended more for laptops (and small form factor PCs) than a desktop. If you want to use a wifi antenna with it, you'll need an adaptor like this. If you want longer range, maybe look for a PCI-E expansion card with an external antenna?

I recommend this Gigabyte wifi and bluetooth PCI-E card ($29), the antenna also carries the bluetooth signal according to this image.

Well, I only sit a foot away from my case, but the bluetooth would have to pass through the thick metal case and my m.2 slot is behind the graphics card etc, wanted to know if it had a strong signal that could bypass all that or if internals could interfere with the signal. I don't really have a pcie slot free. I need the bluetooth for a 100% solid keyboard connection with minimal lag/delay and general ds4 controller usage. I could use a bluetooth usb dongles, but have used some in the past and don't really trust them for a 100% connection.
 

RGM79

Member
Well, I only sit a foot away from my case, but the bluetooth would have to pass through the thick metal case and my m.2 slot is behind the graphics card etc, wanted to know if it had a strong signal that could bypass all that or if internals could interfere with the signal. I don't really have a pcie slot free. I need the bluetooth for a 100% solid keyboard connection with minimal lag/delay and general ds4 controller usage. I could use a bluetooth usb dongles, but have used some in the past and don't really trust them for a 100% connection.

Well as long as you were right next to the case, I don't think it'd be a problem. You could get the M.2 card and attach an antenna to it using the adaptor cable I linked, if you really wanted to make sure the signal got through.
 

Tablo

Member
Node 304 owners/people who know about fans&motors on GPU:

Anyone have a either the MSI GTX 980 Ti Gaming 6G or EVGA ACX 2.0+/Classified in there?
Need to choose one of those >_> Not sure which one's better. I'm prioritizing quietness at decent boost clocks over absolute OC'ing potential, IE not going to run the fans to the point they're loud if I can help it.

I've read (mostly PR stuff of their site) that the EVGA fans/motors won't wear down nearly as fast as the ones that seem to be in the MSI model (sleeve bearing that rely on fluids in the motors). Basically I'm aiming to keep this GPU for 3 to 4 years most likely, and if the MSI starts out quiet but gets louder as the years go on vs the EVGA that might be more consistent, then I might go for the EVGA even if its a reference PCB etc
Seems reference has no issues getting to 1400mhz core clocks more or less, that's enough for me. Noise>perf gains
 

Thorgal

Member
So , it is done .

This new card has given me heaps of trouble trying to set it up
When i got my shinning new card , it turned out that my case was too small to properly cool it , so i tossed that old thing away and got myself a better case .

Then i discovered My old PSU could not provide enough wattage adequately so i had to replace that too .

this was a bit of a downer on me since i had to spend a fair bit more of money but since i got my 980TI almost for free i could not really complain :p

Then once it was finished , i tossed a SSD in there for good measure .

In the end , it was worth it .

dsc_0054r0azz.jpg


dsc_00536vuo3.jpg

As an extra bonus , i won the Sillicon lottery as well .

naamloosdeqqk.png
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
Need some help. I have a bitfenix prodigy with the top drive cage removed so I could fit a long GPU in. That leaves the bottom cage which has two bays. I need to add a third drive and not sure how. It is an SSD so can I stick it to the top of the lower drive cage with tape?

Top of cage looks like this - the two lower plastic rails have drives installed (one HDD, one SSD)

5ULg7jm.jpg
 

Kayant

Member
Need some help. I have a bitfenix prodigy with the top drive cage removed so I could fit a long GPU in. That leaves the bottom cage which has two bays. I need to add a third drive and not sure how. It is an SSD so can I stick it to the top of the lower drive cage with tape?

You can put it almost anywhere you like ;) That's the good thing about flash. Somewhere it can be secure and have some air will be fine.
 

Blitzhex

Member
Well as long as you were right next to the case, I don't think it'd be a problem. You could get the M.2 card and attach an antenna to it using the adaptor cable I linked, if you really wanted to make sure the signal got through.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try that.

Need some help. I have a bitfenix prodigy with the top drive cage removed so I could fit a long GPU in. That leaves the bottom cage which has two bays. I need to add a third drive and not sure how. It is an SSD so can I stick it to the top of the lower drive cage with tape?

Top of cage looks like this - the two lower plastic rails have drives installed (one HDD, one SSD)

5ULg7jm.jpg

I have my ssd hanging behind the mobo tray, supported by some surrounding cables. You can do anything with it.
 
I took some screenshots of CPU-Z and GPU-Z and some MSI afterburner info while playing games. I hope that helps with trying to figure whats wrong :(

hey thanks for the help :)

I took some screenshots I hope they can tell you what you need to know

GPU-Z Info: http://i.imgur.com/C1Tjt9G.png
CPU-Z Info for RAM: http://i.imgur.com/QOJP7X4.png
CPU-Z Info for CPU: http://i.imgur.com/mTVmp31.png
Borderlands Screen Shot with MSI Afterburner: http://i.imgur.com/wtWMSVP.png
Titanfall Screen Shot with MSI Afterburner: http://i.imgur.com/eZ2KI3M.png

Shot of CPU-Z and HWmonitor with Prime95 running: http://i.imgur.com/5zPu6J4.png

MSAA seems to be the major thing killing my RIG. if it's on high titanfall drops to 40FPS. Borderlands drops because of Phsyx. GTAV drops too and so does the witcher on High with hairworks off.



Hmm. CPU-Z, GPU-Z (both CPU and RAM) look good. What's confusing is your performance in Borderlands. Neither CPU, nor GPU are close to 100% utilization, yet you only had ~40fps. You could check whether or not reducing the PhysX level in Borderlands gets you significantly better performance. I think even at max. it should run just fine with your kind of system anyway, but maybe that gets you closer to seeing where the actual problem is.
You could also try to remove the pair of 2x2GB RAM and only use the 2x4 for the moment to see whether or not performance increases. 1333Mhz usually isn't an issue, but it may be one in certain games/scenes (although that is mostly Battlefield 4 afaik).
 

LordAlu

Member
Need some help. I have a bitfenix prodigy with the top drive cage removed so I could fit a long GPU in. That leaves the bottom cage which has two bays. I need to add a third drive and not sure how. It is an SSD so can I stick it to the top of the lower drive cage with tape?

Top of cage looks like this - the two lower plastic rails have drives installed (one HDD, one SSD)

5ULg7jm.jpg
I'm pretty sure, if you temporarily take that bay out you can screw a drive to the bottom of the chassis or to the outside of the PSU cover. Then just put the bay back.
 
So , it is done .

This new card has given me heaps of trouble trying to set it up
When i got my shinning new card , it turned out that my case was too small to properly cool it , so i tossed that old thing away and got myself a better case .

Then i discovered My old PSU could not provide enough wattage adequately so i had to replace that too .

this was a bit of a downer on me since i had to spend a fair bit more of money but since i got my 980TI almost for free i could not really complain :p

Then once it was finished , i tossed a SSD in there for good measure .

In the end , it was worth it .



As an extra bonus , i won the Sillicon lottery as well .

naamloosdeqqk.png

How are you liking that headset? It's got tons of positives reviews and my right cup is like semi broke so I'm seriously considering getting it.
 

Celcius

°Temp. member
Reduced to $825 shipping included.

Hmm...

Smokey buys 3x Titans
Smokey goes back to single card
Smokey buys 2x Titan Blacks
Smokey goes back to single card
Smokey buys 2x Titan Xs
Smokey goes back to single card

I think I'm detecting a pattern lol
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
thanks for the advice - in the end I just used spongy double sided tape and stuck it to the top of the cage - will get a nice breeze from the intake fan. I took the opportunity to clean out the dust too and consolidate my cables under my desk which were getting out of control. Much neater now :)
 
So what's difference between DIY (which I know I would suck at doing but I have a friend who could help) vs. something like Digital Storm? I'm still hanging around with the notion that I have a monitor (24" BenQ) and I've hooked up my Asus laptop that's 2+ years old. I am thinking I'll have a budget of ~$1500 by the spring to go with a full tower PC. I was looking at the Vanquish 3 Level 3 for $1300.

I'm assuming I could build it myself (or with my friend) for less though I've seen articles suggesting that DS does a pretty good job of getting close to what it would cost you anyway.

Anyone have any experience with Digital Storm or will I just get GAF'd into "build it yourself" territory with this question?
 
Hey GAF, I want to upgrade my miniITX-based MS Office machine to slightly more capable microATX/ATX-based MS Office machine, with dedicated video card and a bunch of additional expansion slots (for capture card, TV tuner etc.)

I want the new configuration to be overall balanced. I am planning to do an upgrade on budget, but I want at least partially future-proof system.

Here's my current setup.

M/B: ASRock H61M-ITX
CPU: Intel Pentium G840 @ 2.80GHz (Sandy Bridge/Socket 1155 LGA)
RAM: 2x4096 Mb Kingston DDR3 (9-9-9-24, 1333 MHz each)
GPU: Intel HD Graphics
HDD: Western Digital WD Blue 1TB SATA3 (WDC WD10EZEX-00KUWA0)
ODD: LG GH24NS90

(the bold text is what I plan to upgrade)

The only reason I want to do an upgrade is to play some low-to-mid-graphic games at reasonable framerate - my current setup doesn't even allow me to play early TellTale adventures at medium settings at 720p with framerate higher than 30 fps, and Worms: Ultimate Mayhem runs on sub-20 fps at 720p with minimal graphics. I also want to buy a capture card to periodically capture videos from external devices (no streaming).

What could you recommend?
 

kakashi08

Member
Which one is better. I already have the BenQ XL2420T, instead of a TV, I want another gaming monitor for the ps4. Should I get another 27 or 28 for regular browsing. and use this monitor with the ps4, or should I keep this for Gaming PC, and buy the
($280 - BenQ XL2411Z) for the PS4.

I want a monitor or a TV thats 32inches or smaller for the ps4. It will be sitting next to my PC on the desk. Thanks.
 
Which one is better. I already have the BenQ XL2420T, instead of a TV, I want another gaming monitor for the ps4. Should I get another 27 or 28 for regular browsing. and use this monitor with the ps4, or should I keep this for Gaming PC, and buy the
($280 - BenQ XL2411Z) for the PS4.

I want a monitor or a TV thats 32inches or smaller for the ps4. It will be sitting next to my PC on the desk. Thanks.

The 2411Z doesn't make sense with the PS4 as consoles can't use anything past 60Hz anyway.
 
Are there any benchmarks comparing the 908 ti G1 Gaming and 980 ti Classified cards? Neither are in stock, but I'm debating whether I should wait for one specifically or just get the first one available.
 

comu

Neo Member
Hey guys, long time no post.

I recently bought a Crucial BX100 250gb SSD to clone (regularly backing-up) my existing Samsung 240 Pro 250gb boot drive.

What cloning software do you recommend for Windows 8.1?

Also, when installing the SSD to the motherboard, as all my SATA 3 ports are currently used up, will I have any issues with moving one of my non SSD drives to a SATA 2 port? I have two WD RE4 drives in Software RAID in the SATA 3 ports, so will moving one those to a SATA 2 break the RAID, or does Windows keep track?

Thanks!
 

eosos

Banned
There's new Intel Skylake processors and Z170 motherboards coming out next month that will supplant and eventually replace the existing consumer Z97 series of parts. If you want the latest and greatest and a somewhat more futureproofed PC, I'd recommend waiting because the new consumer motherboards will include new tech like Thunderbolt 3, USB type C, USB 3.1, DDR4, and etc (source:[1][2]). But yes, if you were to build now then something like an i7 4790K and a similar motherboard should do just fine.

For low priced but better quality power supplies, I recommend the following:

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-pro750wp1750snlb9
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-110b20750vr
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-110b20850v1

Well, if you wanted to build now you could go with the i7 5820K and an X99 based build instead of Z97, it would cost a bit more due to DDR4 and etc (but still fall within your $2000 budget).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($378.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BL 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock X99 Extreme4 ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($184.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($341.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($649.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1895.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-19 02:27 EDT-0400
Thank you soooo much for all the help buddy! I'll definitely wait for the new motherboard and processors if it's just a few week wait. If I replace those two things and keep everything else the same it should all be good, right? Also, do you think that will be roughly the same price as the above build? Again thanks a bunch!
 
Is a refurbished router something I'd want to buy? Slickdeals has a bunch of them.

Asus RT-AC52U AC750 Dual-Band Wireless Router (Refurbished, pictured) $34.99
Asus RT-AC56R AC1200 Dual-Band Wireless Gigabit Router (Refurbished) $52.49
Netgear R6300 Wireless AC1750 Dual-Band Gigabit Router (Refurbished) $62.99
Asus RT-AC87R Wireless-AC2400 Dual-Band Gigabit Router (Refurbished) $149.80
TP-LINK TL-WDN3200 N600 Wireless Dual Band USB 2.0 Adapter (Refurbished) $9.09 + $0.99 S&H
 
So I need a new monitor for gaming and movies. Budget is $200. IPS is a must. My computer is an i7920@4ghz with a gtx 970. 1080p resolution preferred but anything higher is fine.

Is the Acer G237HL a good choice? I'm assuming this one is better than the G236HL?? They're both the same price and I'm not sure what the differences are.

Or how about the Asus MX239H? The built in speakers would be kind of convenient.

Also, good response time is crucial. I have an old Sony hdtv from 2007 that ghosts and I can't stand it.
 

LilJoka

Member
Hey guys, long time no post.

I recently bought a Crucial BX100 250gb SSD to clone (regularly backing-up) my existing Samsung 240 Pro 250gb boot drive.

What cloning software do you recommend for Windows 8.1?

Also, when installing the SSD to the motherboard, as all my SATA 3 ports are currently used up, will I have any issues with moving one of my non SSD drives to a SATA 2 port? I have two WD RE4 drives in Software RAID in the SATA 3 ports, so will moving one those to a SATA 2 break the RAID, or does Windows keep track?

Thanks!

Im not sure about SSD cloning, but i wouldnt actually do it unless you are sure the software aligns partitions correctly, otherwise you will get excessive wear.

You should be fine moving the WD drives over to SATA 2, and run the SSDs on SATA 3. There is no advantage in running HDDs on SATA 3, but there is a big disadvantage running SSDs on SATA 2.

Are there any benchmarks comparing the 908 ti G1 Gaming and 980 ti Classified cards? Neither are in stock, but I'm debating whether I should wait for one specifically or just get the first one available.

Not really much point looking at performance benches since they will be extremely similar. You should look up cooling, noise, power phases, VRM's etc. You can always overclock these cards to get insane performance, the above points will give an idea on how well you can overclock too.
 

Kayant

Member
So what's difference between DIY (which I know I would suck at doing but I have a friend who could help) vs. something like Digital Storm? I'm still hanging around with the notion that I have a monitor (24" BenQ) and I've hooked up my Asus laptop that's 2+ years old. I am thinking I'll have a budget of ~$1500 by the spring to go with a full tower PC. I was looking at the Vanquish 3 Level 3 for $1300.

I'm assuming I could build it myself (or with my friend) for less though I've seen articles suggesting that DS does a pretty good job of getting close to what it would cost you anyway.

Anyone have any experience with Digital Storm or will I just get GAF'd into "build it yourself" territory with this question?

System builder
- You pay more
- Less options in terms of parts you can use
- You gain service warranty with the system builder

DIY
- You pay less as you're not paying for labour/services/warranty and the like.
- Your options are not limited expect for comparability.

Would you can do is use the template in the OP and spec something you would like with your budget, country, needs etc and compare that to DS and see if which you prefer.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
I was just wondering you thoughts on this PC.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883102038

I am a complete desktop noob and have been using laptops my whole life. Was just wondering if this is a decent deal for playing 2014 games and earlier without BIG problems?
Extremely bad.
Hey GAF, I want to upgrade my miniITX-based MS Office machine to slightly more capable microATX/ATX-based MS Office machine, with dedicated video card and a bunch of additional expansion slots (for capture card, TV tuner etc.)

I want the new configuration to be overall balanced. I am planning to do an upgrade on budget, but I want at least partially future-proof system.

Here's my current setup.

M/B: ASRock H61M-ITX
CPU: Intel Pentium G840 @ 2.80GHz (Sandy Bridge/Socket 1155 LGA)
RAM: 2x4096 Mb Kingston DDR3 (9-9-9-24, 1333 MHz each)
GPU: Intel HD Graphics
HDD: Western Digital WD Blue 1TB SATA3 (WDC WD10EZEX-00KUWA0)
ODD: LG GH24NS90

(the bold text is what I plan to upgrade)

The only reason I want to do an upgrade is to play some low-to-mid-graphic games at reasonable framerate - my current setup doesn't even allow me to play early TellTale adventures at medium settings at 720p with framerate higher than 30 fps, and Worms: Ultimate Mayhem runs on sub-20 fps at 720p with minimal graphics. I also want to buy a capture card to periodically capture videos from external devices (no streaming).

What could you recommend?
750 was made for you.
So what's difference between DIY (which I know I would suck at doing but I have a friend who could help) vs. something like Digital Storm? I'm still hanging around with the notion that I have a monitor (24" BenQ) and I've hooked up my Asus laptop that's 2+ years old. I am thinking I'll have a budget of ~$1500 by the spring to go with a full tower PC. I was looking at the Vanquish 3 Level 3 for $1300.

I'm assuming I could build it myself (or with my friend) for less though I've seen articles suggesting that DS does a pretty good job of getting close to what it would cost you anyway.

Anyone have any experience with Digital Storm or will I just get GAF'd into "build it yourself" territory with this question?
I prefer part warranty from purchasing (although a lot are serial based now). and you can replace your parts without shipping downtime (Computer is warrantied, but shipping parts/computer back is ridiculous). Just take some time and look at the quick build videos, it isn't that hard and the parts aren't that fragile.
 
Hi guys I have a big doubt I hope you can help me with.
Will an Asus Strix GTX 970 fit my case? It's an HAF 912 PLUS.
I'm not worried about the lenght, right now I have a MSI HD 6950 OC/PE that's 27cm, and the strix is 28cm, I don't have the drive bay so 1cm is no problem.
I'm worried about the width. The 6950 is 11,6cm and the 970 is 14.
I think there's room for it, but I don't know if I can manage to insert the screws!

edit: apparently someon on youtube has this config GPU:
ASUS STRIX GTX 970
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912

So I guess I'm good?

edit 2: I just thinked about it. I guess the metal plate that goes in the case is standard? So there's no problem screwing it?
 

LilJoka

Member
Hi guys I have a big doubt I hope you can help me with.
Will an Asus Strix GTX 970 fit my case? It's an HAF 912 PLUS.
I'm not worried about the lenght, right now I have a MSI HD 6950 OC/PE that's 27cm, and the strix is 28cm, I don't have the drive bay so 1cm is no problem.
I'm worried about the width. The 6950 is 11,6cm and the 970 is 14.
I think there's room for it, but I don't know if I can manage to insert the screws!

edit: apparently someon on youtube has this config GPU:
ASUS STRIX GTX 970
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912

So I guess I'm good?

The width does not refer the where the screw goes (bracket). The width refers to the cooler on the GPU at its widest part. The bracket which screws into your Case is always the same size. It should definatly fit in a HAF 912, that case is massive.
 
Not really much point looking at performance benches since they will be extremely similar. You should look up cooling, noise, power phases, VRM's etc. You can always overclock these cards to get insane performance, the above points will give an idea on how well you can overclock too.

Thank you! I'll pay attention to those sort of stats. In reality, either of them is going to be a colossal upgrade from my 7970.
 

Saiyan-Rox

Member
Hmm. CPU-Z, GPU-Z (both CPU and RAM) look good. What's confusing is your performance in Borderlands. Neither CPU, nor GPU are close to 100% utilization, yet you only had ~40fps. You could check whether or not reducing the PhysX level in Borderlands gets you significantly better performance. I think even at max. it should run just fine with your kind of system anyway, but maybe that gets you closer to seeing where the actual problem is.
You could also try to remove the pair of 2x2GB RAM and only use the 2x4 for the moment to see whether or not performance increases. 1333Mhz usually isn't an issue, but it may be one in certain games/scenes (although that is mostly Battlefield 4 afaik).

turning down phsyx fixes borderlands 2 but I figured my rig could handle high on there :( it's just confusing why my rig is being such a pain in the ass. it seems MSAA is the real killer for me.
 
turning down phsyx fixes borderlands 2 but I figured my rig could handle high on there :( it's just confusing why my rig is being such a pain in the ass. it seems MSAA is the real killer for me.

Most of the time it's because Physx is not optimized, so not really your rig entirely.
 

Proxy

Member
Just got done putting together my new PC and it feels great using an actual computer again. Having to use my phone for all my internet-ing for 3 months was a trying experience.
 
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