Saiyan-Rox
Member
isn't borderlands one of the few games that does?
Just in general I thought my rig would be a lot better than what it is.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 1. Read the OP and RISE ABOVE FORGED PRECISION SCIENCE
- Thread starter Hazaro
- Start date
- Status
isn't borderlands one of the few games that does?
Just in general I thought my rig would be a lot better than what it is.
Posting again using the specific format in the OP, hoping for some help direction (we have no idea what we're doing at all):
As mentioned in my original post our ~5-6 year old "gaming" laptop GPU finally died, and we've been meaning to bulid some PC's for a while. Looking for this build to be a bit lower-end/starter, then sometime later this year with more money and experience from this build would be looking to build a second rig with higher specs. Outside of putting RAM into an old desktop and replacing the fan and re-doing the thermal paste on this laptop one time I've never done anything like this before, so mostly concerned about incompatibility in parts and/or somehow fucking it up. I tried to replicate the starter build in the OP using partspicker but on a couple pieces I'm not sure if I made the right choices or not, this is what I got:
As mentioned in my original post our ~5-6 year old "gaming" laptop GPU finally died, and we've been meaning to bulid some PC's for a while. Looking for this build to be a bit lower-end/starter, then sometime later this year with more money and experience from this build would be looking to build a second rig with higher specs. Outside of putting RAM into an old desktop and replacing the fan and re-doing the thermal paste on this laptop one time I've never done anything like this before, so mostly concerned about incompatibility in parts and/or somehow fucking it up. I tried to replicate the starter build in the OP using partspicker but on a couple pieces I'm not sure if I made the right choices or not, this is what I got:
Have you thought about getting an APU like an AMD A10 7850k? Should be able to play your listed games pretty well and doesn't require a dedicated GPU. Plus you would sti have the option down the line of upgrading to a dedicated GPU later down the line. I would assume the CPU built into it is probably better than the dual-core Pentium you chose, too (edit: actually, I may be wrong, there). I don't know. Just a thought. Of course, you would have to switch out your motherboard for an AMD. Amazon has a pretty nice Asus micro ATX board for ~$65.
Honestly, the build you have looks good, though, for what you want. I don't know how long the CPU would stay viable for, but it's cheap.
CPU: Intel Core i7 I7-4790 Haswell 3.6GHZ Processor LGA1150 8MB Cache Retail ($419.99)
Motherboard: ASUS Z97-A ATX LGA1150 DDR3 3PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 2PCI CrossFireX/SLI SATA3 USB3.0 HDMI Motherboard ($184.99)
RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury Memory Black 16GB 2X8GB DDR3-1866 CL10 Dual Channel Memory Kit ($179.99)
Graphics: ASUS GeForce GTX 960 Strix OC 1253MHZ 2GB 7.2GHZ GDDR5 DVI HDMI 3XDISPLAYPORT PCI-E Video Card ($269.99)
SSD: CRUCIAL® BX100 250GB SATA 2.5” 7MM (With 9.5MM Adapter) SSD ($139.99)
Harddrive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA 6Gbps 3.5IN Internal Hard Drive - OEM ($69.98)
Power Supply: Corsair CS650M CS Modular 80 Plus GOLD-RATE 650W 12V Power Supply ($99.99)
Heatsink: Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H60 CPU Cooler System LGA1150 1155 1366 1156 2011 AM2 AM3 FM1 & FM2 ($89.99)
Plus other little stuff like case, DVD drive and Windows 8.1.
Comes out to be $1,729.86 Canadian dollar. What do you guys think ?
Motherboard: ASUS Z97-A ATX LGA1150 DDR3 3PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 2PCI CrossFireX/SLI SATA3 USB3.0 HDMI Motherboard ($184.99)
RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury Memory Black 16GB 2X8GB DDR3-1866 CL10 Dual Channel Memory Kit ($179.99)
Graphics: ASUS GeForce GTX 960 Strix OC 1253MHZ 2GB 7.2GHZ GDDR5 DVI HDMI 3XDISPLAYPORT PCI-E Video Card ($269.99)
SSD: CRUCIAL® BX100 250GB SATA 2.5” 7MM (With 9.5MM Adapter) SSD ($139.99)
Harddrive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA 6Gbps 3.5IN Internal Hard Drive - OEM ($69.98)
Power Supply: Corsair CS650M CS Modular 80 Plus GOLD-RATE 650W 12V Power Supply ($99.99)
Heatsink: Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H60 CPU Cooler System LGA1150 1155 1366 1156 2011 AM2 AM3 FM1 & FM2 ($89.99)
Plus other little stuff like case, DVD drive and Windows 8.1.
Comes out to be $1,729.86 Canadian dollar. What do you guys think ?
Doesn't 970 have some hardware problem of handling 4GB RAM usage ? Also, isn't it better to have a better CPU so that I don't have to potentially change the motherboard down the future if I just want to upgrade CPU ?
King Gilga
Member
An i5 4690k still uses a z97 or w/e mobo, and a 970 is still a much better value even with the 3.5gb. You could also get the AMD equivalent card.
The skylake cannonlake CPUs are probably gonna need completely different mobos anyways.
Warnen
Don't pass gaas, it is your Destiny!
An i7 with a 960 seems like just a waste, need to team that up with 980ti or something maybe even sli to get any advantage over an i5, but I'm no expert so can't say for sure.
970 superclocked from evga I think would be a great candidate.
It does but games like GTA V use 3.1GB and Witcher 3 uses 2.1GB. Decent games shouldn't be a problem. Crap ports though are, like F1 2015 uses around 3.4GB and it's hardly visually impressive.
Stick to i7 if you are encoding. I would drop the H60 water cooler to a 212 Evo air cooler. Use that money saved for a 970 video card.
I picked up one of the corsair ones, I really like it.
I currently have an LG 29 Ultrawide display (2560x1080) and while I really like it, I'm considering selling it and getting a 1440p display instead. Mainly because I hate seeing black bars on the sides of games that don't support my res. 
Was thinking of going with something like this: Dell 2715H. Any suggestions/input?
Was thinking of going with something like this: Dell 2715H. Any suggestions/input?
Does anyone have experience with the CM Hyper 212 Evo and high-profile memory like the Corsair Vengeance and G.Skill RipjawsX models? I'm not sure I'll have enough clearance with those on my mobo (GA-Z97x-UD5H) and because of heating concerns I'd rather not raise the cooler to accommodate.
I'm aiming for a 2x4GB ram build at the moment with the idea to upgrade it in the future, but I guess another solution is just to get 2x8GB off the bat, shift the memory over to the free slots and be done with it.
I'm aiming for a 2x4GB ram build at the moment with the idea to upgrade it in the future, but I guess another solution is just to get 2x8GB off the bat, shift the memory over to the free slots and be done with it.
You'd have to raise your fan. It really wouldn't change much, go for it.
To give you an idea how little I know about PC hardware I had to google what an APU was lol. Unless I'm mis-understanding an APU combines the CPU and videocard correct? So instead of getting those two items separately it'd be one unit?
Edit: Looking into it I tweaked the build on partspicker: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HrWDvK
Partspicker lists the onboard graphics for that APU being R7 which is what I had in my original build, but doesn't specify anything beyond the R7 so I'm also not sure how comparable it would be to my original build, but worse case I don't think it would be THAT much worse? Also this seems to be a decent chunk cheaper, but I'm not positive if I picked the right motherboard, any input would be appreciated
. The comments on the APU on partspicker suggest that I may want faster RAM as well as a dedicated/different CPU cooler?As Hazaro said, the GTX 750 and 750 Ti graphics cards are right up your alley. However, if you want to change your motherboard, you will likely also want/need to change your processor. Unless you can find a used socket 1155 motherboard, you may have a hard time finding a replacement ATX/mATX motherboard.
You could get a newer current generation i3 or Pentium processor and a brand new socket 1150 motherboard. I feel that if you were to only get a new graphics card, your current processor would still hold back your PC's ability to play games.
If you wanted to save some money, consider an AMD APU build. The integrated graphics chipset on those would allow you to play your games and you wouldn't need to buy a separate graphics card, just the APU and motherboard.
To give you an idea how little I know about PC hardware I had to google what an APU was lol. Unless I'm mis-understanding an APU combines the CPU and videocard correct? So instead of getting those two items separately it'd be one unit?
Edit: Looking into it I tweaked the build on partspicker: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HrWDvK
Partspicker lists the onboard graphics for that APU being R7 which is what I had in my original build, but doesn't specify anything beyond the R7 so I'm also not sure how comparable it would be to my original build, but worse case I don't think it would be THAT much worse? Also this seems to be a decent chunk cheaper, but I'm not positive if I picked the right motherboard, any input would be appreciated
The 7850K's graphical capabilities are roughly comparable with the R7 250 graphics card. Your original Intel-based parts list had the R7 265 which is quite a bit stronger than what the APU would be capable of, graphics performance-wise.
Don't worry about the motherboard, it's compatible. Yes, for an AMD APU-based build, you will want faster RAM because the graphics performance of the APU is highly dependent on RAM speed. The recommendation for an aftermarket CPU cooler is because the 7850K can be overclocked for higher performance, although heat, noise, and power consumption all go up.
If you were willing to spend more and/or wanted to upgrade the PC further in the future for even higher performance, I'd recommend going with the Intel-based PC parts, but if you were looking to save costs and go for just what you need then AMD is the better buy.
HotHamWater
Member
A friend of mine claims that the 900 series cards are going to get MGSV PC bundled with them soon (this month). Does anyone have an official source for that?
See here. Newegg accidentally listed the promotion early, and explained their actions by saying they posted the deal "ahead of schedule" and that it would be available soon. There's also a Neogaf member who says he works in a retail store and has advance knowledge of the promotion.
To give you an idea how little I know about PC hardware I had to google what an APU was lol. Unless I'm mis-understanding an APU combines the CPU and videocard correct? So instead of getting those two items separately it'd be one unit?
Edit: Looking into it I tweaked the build on partspicker: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HrWDvK
Partspicker lists the onboard graphics for that APU being R7 which is what I had in my original build, but doesn't specify anything beyond the R7 so I'm also not sure how comparable it would be to my original build, but worse case I don't think it would be THAT much worse? Also this seems to be a decent chunk cheaper, but I'm not positive if I picked the right motherboard, any input would be appreciated
It's basically equivalent to an R7 250. Entry level but it does more casual games and eSports games (Minecraft, CS:GO, etc.) At 1080p and 60+fps.
RAM on this does need to be fast. I am building a similar rig and I bought 8GB (2x4GB) Kingston HyperX Savage RAM 2133MHz for $70 off Amazon.
HotHamWater
Member
Makes sense. There's no telling when Nvidia will release the new Pascal cards so I'm probably better off buying one of the best cards currently on the market.
$2,000 budget huh? You should totally get you one of these
WTS - Geforce GTX Titan X
Price: $825 (shipping included)
-Nvidia brand -- but still under warranty for 3 years
-Was used in a SLI configuration
-Have the box and contents
US only please. Paypal. I have +9 seller feedback and have sold a bunch of GPUs in this thread.
Thnx
I'm honestly trying to figure out how this came to $1.7k. I built a similar system and it only came to around $1.3k CDN or so. What kind of case are you getting? Also, why is your motherboard so expensive?
edit: Also, that RAM seems super expensive. Are you trying to OC your RAM too?
I think the low value Canadian dollar contribute to this costs unfortunately. 16GB of RAM. Is that too expensive ? Not trying to do anything too fancy other than being able to play good games, encode media, stream gameplay and whatnot.
Maybe he means after taxes? Even so, it's not very hard to come up with a better build.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($402.75 @ Vuugo)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.75 @ Vuugo)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($124.00 @ NCIX)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($115.99 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Crucial BX100 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($209.98 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Toshiba Product Series
T01ACA 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.99 @ NCIX) Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card ($407.09 @ Newegg Canada)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($84.99 @ NCIX)
Total: $1429.54
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-20 01:51 EDT-0400
For example, the build above includes:
- Faster and overclockable processor
- Cheaper and more cost effective CPU cooler (proven to handle overclocking up to and including 4.5GHz range)
- Cheaper but still more than adequate motherboard (including overclocking)
- Cheaper and faster RAM
- Much stronger graphics card
- SSD with twice as much storage
- Cheaper but higher wattage and better quality power supply
No need for the H60, $180 mobo, $100 PSU. Can cut off $100 there in savings stepping parts down to those in OP.
Get 4790K for extra 10% speed
Even for CAD that's high.
Consider an AMD card if the 960 is straining your budget, should at least be a 280X/290/970 IMO.
Here's my build. RAM prices are even cheaper right now compared to when I purchased my 16GB and I believe there are a few sales going on right now:
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/BfNtBm
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $414.99)
Motherboard: MSI H97M-G43 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (Purchased For $100.92)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (Purchased For $134.14)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $63.98)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card (Purchased For $311.98)
Case: Thermaltake Core V21 MicroATX Mini Tower Case (Purchased For $75.27)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $45.99)
Total: $1147.27
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-20 01:50 EDT-0400
This is not counting a 240GB SSD I got on sale for under $100 too. Oh, and a $15 heatsink because the stock heatsink was awful.
Have you hung around RedFlagDeals yet? There are a lot of leads there for cheap RAM deals and SSDs.
editeditedit: Oh, I was comparing your prices to ca.partspicker.com and it looks like you can save quite a bit of money if you don't do single-vendor (that is, NCIX as you've linked) for your build. Is there a reason why you've stuck with NCIX?
edit: I just figured it out. All of those links were NCIX!
I'd tend to agree. The H60 isn't that good and the 212+ or even a TX3 would be great.
DownGrader
Member
Everyone recommends me 750 Ti. Thanks, will definitely stick to them.
Socket 1155 mobos, as well as processors, are in plenty in stores in my region. Most of mobos, though, are based on Intel H61 chipset, the one I already have. If I stick to Socket 1155 motherboards, would it be useful/appropriate to move to another chipset? My stores have boards based on Intel B75 and Intel H77 too.
But I noted the possibility of buying an AMD APU, thanks.
lordfuzzybutt
Member
You picked a K cpu so pick a z97 board to go with it.
4790K is default 4.0Ghz base vs 3.6Ghz 4790 so it's fine to slot it with a H97 if they won't OC
I'm not overclocking it
There's a *really* long story behind why I got this CPU...@NetMapel: I whipped up a really simple build here, and tried to keep it as close to yours as possible: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/yR29Hx Only difference is the motherboard, heatsink, and CPU:
Also, I deliberately kept out the SSD because a lot of SSD prices are falling, so your best bet is to keep checking RedFlagDeals for a good deal. Lots of 250GBs are coming out for under $100.
BoosterDuck
Banned
Which case will give me better ventilation and cable management, the Cooler Master Elite 130 or the Fractal Design Node 304?
I'll be using an SFX PSU and the Noctua NH-L9i cooler as well
I'll be using an SFX PSU and the Noctua NH-L9i cooler as well
Jzero
Member
I own the 130 and it has a fan in the front. If you replace the front fan with a Noctua then you'll get even better ventilation, i also use the NH-L9I.
I chose to use an Antec 120 mm TriCool LED fan instead of a Noctua though. The Node 304 comes with more fans already installed though.
I don't care for cable management that much so i didn't try much.
Oh, I forgot to post this a long time ago. Better late than never:
My system up and running... and stable! The heatsink in the photo is the CNPS5X Performa, which I picked up in a pinch because the stock heatsink was giving me 90C+ while rendering (surprisingly higher temps than other stress tests). It took a lot of work, but it's finally stable at -80mV offset with max temps of 72C full load during renders. Added three 120mm fans and replaced the 200mm fan in front, all controlled with a Phanteks PWM hub. Cable management still needs work though.
Would like to thank RGM and others in this thread for helping me with this build
My system up and running... and stable! The heatsink in the photo is the CNPS5X Performa, which I picked up in a pinch because the stock heatsink was giving me 90C+ while rendering (surprisingly higher temps than other stress tests). It took a lot of work, but it's finally stable at -80mV offset with max temps of 72C full load during renders. Added three 120mm fans and replaced the 200mm fan in front, all controlled with a Phanteks PWM hub. Cable management still needs work though.
Would like to thank RGM and others in this thread for helping me with this build
BolognaOni
Member
I'm almost jealous... 1155 was a great era. My 2500k is about to get demoted to living room duty, but it's hands down been my favorite CPUs ever, and honestly still runs great. Up to 4.5k no problem on a $25 cooler (212 plus).
Get the GPU, and see where things are at. You probably won't get much out of switching the MB, but just adding a dedicated GPU should get you the performance you're looking for.
If you still want more after that, an overclockable 1155 is a great place to be (which would realistically mean Z68, Z75 or Z77). If you can't get something you can OC, AMD may be the way to go.
lordfuzzybutt
Member
I'm not overclocking it
@NetMapel: I whipped up a really simple build here, and tried to keep it as close to yours as possible: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/yR29Hx Only difference is the motherboard, heatsink, and CPU:
Also, I deliberately kept out the SSD because a lot of SSD prices are falling, so your best bet is to keep checking RedFlagDeals for a good deal. Lots of 250GBs are coming out for under $100.
I missed that part where you won't be OC. Nvm then.
DownGrader
Member
Yeah, all I actually need is dedicated GPU and a bunch of expansion slots for other media cards (capture card, TV tuner...). The idea of upgrade actually grew out of necessity of capture card... if I wanted to just upgrade the GPU, I would just probably buy more spacious case and installed a GPU in an existing PCI-E GPU-only slot. I could even try to not switch the cases, but I have a very tiny case (InWin BM648)...
...so the GPU fans will be rammed into HDD bay... and I don't think 120W power supply will like the new config
Won't be overclocking anything, but will probably hunt down a mid- or top-level Ivy Bridge CPU a year later or so. I am not an avid PC gamer, so this should keep me satisfied for another three years.
Oh yeah sorry I meant $1700 after taxes. Those figures I quoted are without the discounts. Comes out to 1,719.06 before a measly $30 mail-in rebates
So $1534.88 before tax and shipping. However, I'll learn to look into PCPartPicker in the future !BolognaOni
Member
Thanks for sharing your experience. Seems like quite a few people have come to that conclusion. I'm definitely not ready to take the plunge on a custom system, and honestly the possibility of leaks would probably make me pretty paranoid about any aio system. It's definitely a low percentage chance, but a chance nonetheless. Especially since I'm likely to move the system around a fair bit, air seems like the way to go for me anyway.
Some sales this weekend pushed me over the fence, and I now have a 5820k, which will hopefully get built up shortly. Going to give the NH-15 a shot, which was a bit more than I wanted to spend on air, but it can probably go back to Amazon if it really doesn't work out. Will be building in a Define S, so plenty of capability for WC if I want it. Once I've had the system for a bit I'll probably feel a lot better about having water in there. Screwing with the hardware is half the fun on these platforms anyway (if not more).
Still very undecided on which gpu to take.
I was thinking about the Fury since the price difference from the X is not worth the performance gain and it's way more silent that the X.
However for that price the 980 and Ti keep showing and the 980 Ti seems like the best card for you buck due software and support.
I could wait next year but I won't have as much disposable income next year due me moving from home. My 280X is fine for 1080p but feels limiting already
I was thinking about the Fury since the price difference from the X is not worth the performance gain and it's way more silent that the X.
However for that price the 980 and Ti keep showing and the 980 Ti seems like the best card for you buck due software and support.
I could wait next year but I won't have as much disposable income next year due me moving from home. My 280X is fine for 1080p but feels limiting already
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
From a 280x the only worthwhile upgrades IMO would be 980ti or Fury X. But you could probably last until the year after next if you really had to. If you want a cheaper upgrade now the 290x is still good value, although as an upgrade over a 280x is may be a bit underwhelming since that's still a somewhat respectable chip.
Maybe wait until the air cooled Fury and Fury Nano etc come out?
For 1080p 60fps is adequate for most games. Other than Witcher 3 which made me go down a few settings.
But I wanted to upgrade my monitor to a IPS 144hz but they all seem to be 1440p which will need a beefy card. Maybe I should get the monitor and take the performance hit and wait until 14nm cards ?
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
My advice is try to control your thirst and hold off on both the monitor and the new card.
But I am weak and would probably not hold off.
- Status