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[pje122]

Just got my new machine with a i7-5820K. I assume I should look into overclocking, but I'm not sure where to start.
What are the main drawbacks from overclocking?
How do I go about doing it? Should I use the Intel Extreme Tuning Utility? I've also read you should only overclock from the BIOS??

 

[mrklaw]

What refresh rate ? TN? IPS?
Can I have a link for reference?

Only 60Hz I think. IPS. Bought mine for £499 from Overclockers (AOC U3477PQU)

I've never had a high framerate monitor and gsync was just too high a premium (twice the price for the upcoming x34)

 

[j-wood]

Thoughts on these upgrades?

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/MvT423

I'm think of using some of my old PC parts in the new build which would be:

GTX 970
120GB ssd
2TB raid 0
8GB (2x4GB) of DDR3

The parts I'd be replacing with the parts in the pcpartpicker are:
i7 2600k
ASrock p67 Extreme4
500W PSU

 

[Darth Karja]

I had a problem with my pc yesterday. It was extremely hot outside and hot inside. I was playing gta V for a couple hours whwn my computer shut off. When I turned it back on it gave me some error about the cpu temperature. Im using the stock fan on the cpu. Im not sure if this is just because it was so hot and the back of the computer is pretty close to a wall. Do I need to move the pc, or maybe get an aftermarket cooler. My gpu was staying pretty cool, its a sapphire r9 290x tri-x oc. My cpu is an amd fx 8320.
My case is a raidmax seiran http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16811156269

 

[VoxPop]

Hey guys, I'm looking to buy a new monitor. Would love some recommendations.

Currently on a terrible 1080p hanspree monitor I bought ages ago and looking for a nice upgrade. Is G/Free-Sync a big deal? I do play games but not enough to justify higher refresh rates. All I play is Dota 2/Diablo/Hearthstone with the occasional AAA title. Mostly will be doing Photoshop/Illustrator work on it.

Price isn't really a factor but I don't want to spend more than $500 unless G-Sync really is a god-tier upgrade. Keep in mind I only have a GTX 970 paired with an i5 2500k so I can't game at insane resolutions.

I'm looking to move on up to the 27" and up range with 1440p res. I was looking at the ASUS PB278Q. Any other recommendations? Thanks!

 

[RGM79]

I had a problem with my pc yesterday. It was extremely hot outside and hot inside. I was playing gta V for a couple hours whwn my computer shut off. When I turned it back on it gave me some error about the cpu temperature. Im using the stock fan on the cpu. Im not sure if this is just because it was so hot and the back of the computer is pretty close to a wall. Do I need to move the pc, or maybe get an aftermarket cooler. My gpu was staying pretty cool, its a sapphire r9 290x tri-x oc. My cpu is an amd fx 8320.
My case is a raidmax seiran http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16811156269

How hot did temperatures get?

 

[Darth Karja]

How hot did temperatures get?

I dont know about the cpu, but it was 90f outside, and no ac indoors where I was at. I was dripping with sweat.
I left it off for 10 minutes, put a giant fan right by the computer and played for another 2 hours with no other problems.

 

[MHWilliams]

K. So my new i7-4970k is running at around 33-35 degrees idle, an topping 80 degrees when I run AIDA 64. I got a Cooler Master Hyper EVO 212 on it and I've reseated it twice, but the temps are the same. (Temp in the house is around 65 degrees.)

Is that normal?

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

K. So my new i7-4970k is running at around 33-35 degrees idle, an topping 80 degrees when I run AIDA 64. I got a Cooler Master Hyper EVO 212 on it and I've reseated it twice, but the temps are the same. (Temp in the house is around 65 degrees.)

Is that normal?

That's ok.

 

[SilverVenom]

Hi Guys this is my current setup and i was thinking of upgrading it.

PSU Seasonic 620 Bronze
8x2 Corsair Vengeance Series 16gb
Gigabyte GA-Z77x-UD5H
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TB HD
Samsung 850 PRO SSD 512 GB,
CPU Cooler Hyper Cooler 212
VGA EVGA GTX 670
Intel Processor i7-3770k
Asus VE247 Monitor x2

I wanted to upgrade more so it can handle streaming any one can give me some advice? Also if i require any other additional components.

 

[BoosterDuck]

How hot would my i5-4690k and GTX 980 get in the Cooler Master 130? Right now they're in an open air setup and the cpu is 35C idle while 65C in load while the GPU is at 40C that can go to an 80C load.

I'll be using an Noctair NH-L9i and and the Silverstone SFX PSU.

After looking at benchmark scores I could assume that their temps will be higher by 5 degrees. That's fine right?

 

[RGM79]

Hi Guys this is my current setup and i was thinking of upgrading it.

PSU Seasonic 620 Bronze
8x2 Corsair Vengeance Series 16gb
Gigabyte GA-Z77x-UD5H
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TB HD
Samsung 850 PRO SSD 512 GB,
CPU Cooler Hyper Cooler 212
VGA EVGA GTX 670
Intel Processor i7-3770k
Asus VE247 Monitor x2

I wanted to upgrade more so it can handle streaming any one can give me some advice? Also if i require any other additional components.

All you need is a new graphics card (if you want) and maybe overclock the processor.

 

[djblackice]

Help!

Have to get a new desktop tonight for work. Want to spend around $700 and looking for the best desktop that will allow me to get 1080p 60fps (if possible for some newer games) and allow me to upgrade parts in the future. Really only care about speed and performance - don't need Blu-Ray drive, 4k, etc.

Sorry for the terribly succinct post but I am going on paternity leave soon and need to find something for work that also allows the use of dual monitors. Wish I had time to build but it doesn't look like it's going to happen.

Is the Alienware X51 my best option?

 

[Rolfgang]

How hot would my i5-4690k and GTX 980 get in the Cooler Master 130? Right now they're in an open air setup and the cpu is 35C idle while 65C in load while the GPU is at 40C that can go to an 80C load.

I'll be using an Noctair NH-L9i and and the Silverstone SFX PSU.

After looking at benchmark scores I could assume that their temps will be higher by 5 degrees. That's fine right?

Is that a reference card or one with an aftermarket cooler?

 

[RGM79]

Help!

Have to get a new desktop tonight for work. Want to spend around $700 and looking for the best desktop that will allow me to get 1080p 60fps (if possible) and allow me to upgrade in the future. Really only care about speed and performance - don't need Blu-Ray drive, 4k, etc.

Sorry for the terribly succinct post but I am going on paternity leave soon and need to find something for work that also allows the use of dual monitors.

Edit: are you interested in building a PC or are you looking for prebuilt solutions?

Location? If you're in the US, are you located near a Microcenter store? They have good bundle deals on Intel processors and motherboards that will help your stretch your $700 budget. Specifically, you'll probably want that $260 bundle for the i5 4690K processor and ASRock Z97 Pro4 motherboard (the processor itself usually costs around $230 by itself elsewhere).

Gimme a minute and I'll hack together a cheap and effective build.

 

[djblackice]

Location? If you're in the US, are you located near a Microcenter store? They have good bundle deals on Intel processors and motherboards that will help your stretch your $700 budget. Specifically, you'll probably want that $260 bundle for the i5 4690K processor and ASRock Z97 Pro4 motherboard (the processor itself usually costs around $230 by itself elsewhere).

Gimme a minute and I'll hack together a cheap and effective build.

Yes, I live in SoCal so I have a Microcenter right near me. Are these premade builds?

Edit: Prebuilt solutions. I have been researching building my own for awhile but an emergency came up at work and now I need something ready to go out of the box.

 

[Jzero]

Help!

Have to get a new desktop tonight for work. Want to spend around $700 and looking for the best desktop that will allow me to get 1080p 60fps (if possible for some newer games) and allow me to upgrade parts in the future. Really only care about speed and performance - don't need Blu-Ray drive, 4k, etc.

Sorry for the terribly succinct post but I am going on paternity leave soon and need to find something for work that also allows the use of dual monitors. Wish I had time to build but it doesn't look like it's going to happen.

Is the Alienware X51 my best option?

$700 is too little for 60fps (not happening with newer games)

 

[SilverVenom]

All you need is a new graphics card (if you want) and maybe overclock the processor.

I heard people mentioning I'd need something like a video capture card? Is that not necessary? And if i was to upgrade graphics cards would you recommend it? If so which one?

 

[djblackice]

$700 is too little for 60fps (not happening with newer games)

Got it. No worries then. Just need something quick for multitasking regular office apps then.

Thank you for responding.

 

[RGM79]

Yes, I live in SoCal so I have a Microcenter right near me. Are these premade builds?

Edit: Prebuilt solutions. I have been researching building my own for awhile but an emergency came up at work and now I need something ready to go out of the box.

Unfortunately, we mainly do custom PC builds here. If you're in that much of a hurry, you'll need to look at what's available for you and decide yourself. If you like, you can post links to prebuilt PCs and we'll tell you if it's good for the price and/or if it's capable of what you want to do (1080p and 60FPS).

 

[djblackice]

Unfortunately, we mainly do custom PC builds, here. If you're in that much of a hurry, you'll need to look at what's available for you and decide yourself. If you like, you can post links to prebuilt PCs and we'll tell you if it's good for the price and/or if it's capable of what you want to do (1080p and 60FPS).

I appreciate the response. I will try to get some links ready. Going to Fry's website now.

 

[RGM79]

I heard people mentioning I'd need something like a video capture card? Is that not necessary? And if i was to upgrade graphics cards would you recommend it? If so which one?

Sorry, I'm not that well-informed about video capture. I thought you meant you were doing live streaming of games you play over the internet or recording in-game video with software (Nvidia Shadowplay, etc). If you're looking to do some hardware-based recording that you can later edit, I hear that external boxes from companies like Elgato are what you probably want.

What graphics card we recommend will depend on how much you're prepared to spend and what sort of performance you're looking for and what graphics settings you want to play at. If you can name a game and what kind of performance you want , that will help us figure out the best card for your needs (e.g., Witcher 3 at higher quality settings for 60FPS? Get a GTX 970).

 

[djblackice]

Any thoughts on this one? It's $649.

http://www.frys.com/product/8289416?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG


Or am I better looking for a different brand? I guess my question is which brand should I be looking at for prebuilt options?

 

[zewone]

Any thoughts on this one? It's $649.

http://www.frys.com/product/8289416?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG


Or am I better looking for a different brand? I guess my question is which brand should I be looking at for prebuilt options?

You can get the same CPU/GPU combo for $398.

http://www.frys.com/product/8289406?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

You can then upgrade by adding another stick of RAM and change out the 500GB hard drive for much less than the $250 premium you're paying.

Edit: Amazon has the same build for $529 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MA7AF74/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[BoosterDuck]

Is that a reference card or one with an aftermarket cooler?

It's a reference card, it shouldn't even get hotter in an itx cube because of its blower right?

 

[SilverVenom]

Sorry, I'm not that well-informed about video capture. I thought you meant you were doing live streaming of games you play over the internet or recording in-game video with software (Nvidia Shadowplay, etc). If you're looking to do some hardware-based recording that you can later edit, I hear that external boxes from companies like Elgato are what you probably want.

What graphics card we recommend will depend on how much you're prepared to spend and what sort of performance you're looking for and what graphics settings you want to play at. If you can name a game and what kind of performance you want , that will help us figure out the best card for your needs (e.g., Witcher 3 at higher quality settings for 60FPS? Get a GTX 970).

Elgato seems interesting however it seems to be concentrating on PS4/XBOX1 rather then just PC streaming.

For graphics card i currently am open regarding price. I'm playing games like Witcher 3 and etc. at OK settings i can definitely starting to see how games have progressed since i purchased my last gpu.

 

[Confrontation]

Anyone maybe got an idea what the lowest price is that I can expect the GTX 960 4GB to drop to within the next month or so in Europe?

It's at around €285 at the moment.

 

[xptoxyz]

1- So I'm probably coming up with a build really soon. Without really asking anyone to take guesses on the future, what do you think about building right now Haswell vs waiting for Skylake. What can I really expect Skylake gets me in the future, just DDR4?

Haswell

+Lower cost RAM
+Lower cost Motherboard
+Lower cost CPU

Skylake

+Slightly faster
+Slightly faster RAM

2- Do those pros make sense? Anything I'm missing?

3 - How much would you take guesses at price of Skylake CPUs? Would they replace i5/i7 price points and Haswell drop? Or come in higher?

Haven't been through hardware cycles in a really long time. Thanks in advance.

 

[RGM79]

Any thoughts on this one? It's $649.

http://www.frys.com/product/8289416?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG


Or am I better looking for a different brand? I guess my question is which brand should I be looking at for prebuilt options?

If I'm not wrong, that model is selling for $599.99 on the Dell website. I'm not sure how much Dell would charge for shipping though, so it might come out to a similar price.

Anyone maybe got an idea what the lowest price is that I can expect the GTX 960 4GB to drop to within the next month or so in Europe?

It's at around €285 at the moment.

I'm not sure if they'll even drop? EU prices have always been quite high for computer parts.

 

[djblackice]

You can get the same CPU/GPU combo for $398.

http://www.frys.com/product/8289406?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

You can then upgrade by adding another stick of RAM and change out the 500GB hard drive for much less than the $250 premium you're paying.

Edit: Amazon has the same build for $529 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MA7AF74/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Thank you, this is very helpful.

 

[Confrontation]

I'm not sure if they'll even drop? EU prices have always been quite high for computer parts.

Yea, I've been eyeballing it for a while now, barely seen any fluctuations, if any at all.
It's the first time I'm looking for parts, so was mostly just hoping if there would be some sales or new stuff coming out or whatever near the end of Summer, which would make it drop.

 

[Rolfgang]

It's a reference card, it shouldn't even get hotter in an itx cube because of its blower right?

No it shouldn't get much hotter.

 

[eosos]

So I think this is what I'm going to go with...


PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8CJfLk
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8CJfLk/by_merchant/

CPU: i5-6600K $273.00
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BL 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.99 @ 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)
Motherboard: z170 Motherboard ~$200
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1809.94

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-20 15:18 EDT-0400

I got the CPU price from what the preorder was and I'm kinda guessing on how much the motherboard will be, but I think it will be around there. My only small concern is that I'd be going with an i5 instead of an i7. Anyone think that would be an issue? If not I'm going to order all of this once the processors and motherboards come out!

 

[djblackice]

How does this one fare for a prebuilt desktop at $699?

http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/productdetails/alienware-x51-r2/dpcwxy01s

 

[Seanspeed]

i5 is fine but if you're spending $1800, what's an extra $100 for the i7?

Not impossible that i7's get a bit more useful with DX12/Vulkan, too.

 

[RGM79]

1- So I'm probably coming up with a build really soon. Without really asking anyone to take guesses on the future, what do you think about building right now Haswell vs waiting for Skylake. What can I really expect Skylake gets me in the future, just DDR4?

Haswell

+Lower cost RAM
+Lower cost Motherboard
+Lower cost CPU

Skylake

+Slightly faster
+Slightly faster RAM

2- Do those pros make sense? Anything I'm missing?

3 - How much would you take guesses at price of Skylake CPUs? Would they replace i5/i7 price points and Haswell drop? Or come in higher?

Haven't been through hardware cycles in a really long time. Thanks in advance.

Skylake gets you newer future-looking connectivity like USB type C, USB 3.1, Thunderbolt 3, etc. Also, if you plan to upgrade the PC in the future, you'll be a bit better off with Z170 as a base than Z97. That is because Z97 will be the last to support DDR3 and there are no other processors coming for Z97 after Broadwell. On the other hand, Z170 should see continuing support for the next few years.

From what I've heard of so far, Skylake Z170 won't be replacing Haswell/Broadwell and Z97 outright. They'll co-exist for a bit but eventually Z170 will replace Z97. Z170 builds should cost a bit more than Z97 at first because of the newer tech and DDR4 RAM, but costs should come down after time.

If you're purely considering performance and cost, it's fine to go with Z97 as you won't be losing out on performance especially if you overclock an i5 4690K or i7 4790K. Those processors will still be great for the next couple of years.

How does this one fare for a prebuilt desktop at $699?

http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/productdetails/alienware-x51-r2/dpcwxy01s

It's alright, a bit better than the Alienware Alpha you were looking at earlier in terms of graphics capability.

Edit: This model of the Alienware Alpha has an i5 processor, that makes it more capable than the i3 processors in the other Alpha model and the X51 R2. You won't have to really worry about being held back by a weaker processor if you go for the i5.

 

[GRaider81]

So close to having all systems go with my build.

Problem I now have is windows8.1 isnt connecting to the internet. I have a wired connection but its just not recognising anything.
its an MSI Z97-GAMING micro atx mobo.

 

[Smokey]

Back in that single card life brehs

 

[RGM79]

So close to having all systems go with my build.

Problem I now have is windows8.1 isnt connecting to the internet. I have a wired connection but its just not recognising anything.
its an MSI Z97-GAMING micro atx mobo.

Did you get all of the drivers for your motherboard? You probably need to install the ethernet drivers to get your internet connection working. Here's the link to the driver downloads for your motherboard. You most likely want the one marked "Killer Network Driver (driver only)".

 

[zewone]

What's your guys opinion on APUs?

I was looking at the AMD A10-7850K for a budget gaming PC.

 

[SRG01]

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 !

Mmmhmm! I think a few items on NCIX qualify for free shipping at times too, so you may be able to save a bit there too Did you take a look at what I (briefly) priced out earlier?

What's your guys opinion on APUs?

I was looking at the AMD A10-7850K for a budget gaming PC.

That's more than enough. You can make a pretty decent system with that and a good heatsink. Just pair it up with some good RAM.

 

[TwistedFate]

My friend needs a new PC, his is 10 years old. I think he mainly wants to play mmo's on it like swtor.

His budget is $800, can you guys recommend me a good build for this? He also needs a new monitor, included in the $800

edit:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($176.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($97.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($45.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 270 2GB DirectCU II Video Card ($143.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($24.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VS228H-P 21.5" Monitor ($120.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $760.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-20 17:54 EDT-0400

Would something like this work?

 

[King Gilga]

I have a question about motherboards.

My plan is to get an i5 4690k and OC it to hopefully 4.4/4.5 ghz (silicon lottery I know, but amazon have always been good to me for exchanging stuff for 'reasons') in a MATX build cooled by a h100i gtx.

Right now I'm in between two motherboards, the MSI Z97M Gaming and the Asus MAXIMUS VII GENE.

There's around £30 - £35 price difference between the two, a decent difference but honestly nothing major, and personally I prefer the looks of the MSI as well as the fact that it has more usb 3.0 ports (less sata ports, but I don't really see that becoming an issue)., but the ability to get the cpu to where I want it takes priority.

So I heard vrm phases is what matters for cpu overclocking.

So according to this list the Asus has 8 true phases and no doubler while the msi has 4 true phases and a doubler?

So what difference does that make? Is true better than double? Would the Asus be much better? Would it be a minute difference? A major difference?

I'm just lost and a confused and confused and lost, so any help or advice would be appreciated.

Edit: And looking at the chart more it seems like the msi z97m gaming has cheaper parts? Especially the capacitor capacitance it's less than 1/2 the asus's 7 gene? So just go with the Asus?

Some recent games like GTAV and Witcher 3 scale really well to extra CPU threads, but don't explicitly require a lot of extra cores or threads to run well. For either game, even a dual core processor can allow for adequate performance. It's actually somewhat hard to say, I don't think there are very many games that state hyperthreading as a requirement, either for minimum or recommended specs, so I wouldn't really say there is a list, per se. To that end, around here we still recommend the non-hyperthreaded i5 processors for gaming, i7 processors are more of a optional luxury.

I see cheers, the almost double price premium really isn't worth it then.

 

[SilverVenom]

Repost: (Just wanted more opinions)

PSU Seasonic 620 Bronze
8x2 Corsair Vengeance Series 16gb
Gigabyte GA-Z77x-UD5H
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TB HD
Samsung 850 PRO SSD 512 GB,
CPU Cooler Hyper Cooler 212 <-- is this really good enough?
VGA EVGA GTX 670
Intel Processor i7-3770k <-- I haven't run into issues seems very good still.
Asus VE247 Monitor x2

Do you guys think i need to upgrade the GPU or should i just wait a few more years?
Is there anything to improve off of this? I also currently don't have any speakers. Any recommendations would be much appreciated.

 

[RGM79]

My friend needs a new PC, his is 10 years old. I think he mainly wants to play mmo's on it like swtor.

His budget is $800, can you guys recommend me a good build for this? He also needs a new monitor, included in the $800

Gonna repeat what I said earlier, just changed slightly:

Location? If you're in the US, are you located near a Microcenter store? They have good bundle deals on Intel processors and motherboards that will help your stretch your $800 budget. Specifically, you'll probably want that $260 bundle for the i5 4690K processor and ASRock Z97 Pro4 motherboard (the processor itself usually costs around $230 by itself elsewhere).

Otherwise.. how does this look?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Redline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba Product SeriesT01ACA 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.55 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 285 2GB WINDFORCE 2X Video Card ($172.98 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Comrade ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($43.00 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Acer K242HQL BBID 60Hz 23.6" Monitor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $798.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-20 17:52 EDT-0400

I think it's the best you can get for your money. A strong processor that won't need to be replaced for a few years and can be overclocked later (with the addition of a cheap <$50 aftermarket cooler) and a decent graphics card that should handle his MMO games just fine.

 

[TwistedFate]

Gonna repeat what I said earlier, just changed slightly:

Location? If you're in the US, are you located near a Microcenter store? They have good bundle deals on Intel processors and motherboards that will help your stretch your $800 budget. Specifically, you'll probably want that $260 bundle for the i5 4690K processor and ASRock Z97 Pro4 motherboard (the processor itself usually costs around $230 by itself elsewhere).

Otherwise.. how does this look?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Redline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba Product SeriesT01ACA 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.55 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 285 2GB WINDFORCE 2X Video Card ($172.98 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Comrade ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($43.00 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Acer K242HQL BBID 60Hz 23.6" Monitor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $798.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-20 17:52 EDT-0400

I think it's the best you can get for your money. A strong processor that won't need to be replaced for a few years and can be overclocked later (with the addition of a cheap <$50 aftermarket cooler) and a decent graphics card that should handle his MMO games just fine.

Yeah, in the US. I think there are a few not too far away. If he goes for the bundle though, would the other parts remain the same?

 

[RGM79]

I have a question about motherboards.

My plan is to get an i5 4690k and OC it to hopefully 4.4/4.5 ghz (silicon lottery I know, but amazon have always been good to me for exchanging stuff for 'reasons') in a MATX build cooled by a h100i gtx.

Right now I'm in between two motherboards, the MSI Z97M Gaming and the Asus MAXIMUS VII GENE.

There's around £30 - £35 price difference between the two, a decent difference but honestly nothing major, and personally I prefer the looks of the MSI as well as the fact that it has more usb 3.0 ports (less sata ports, but I don't really see that becoming an issue)., but the ability to get the cpu to where I want it takes priority.

So I heard vrm phases is what matters for cpu overclocking.

So according to this list the Asus has 8 true phases and no doubler while the msi has 4 true phases and a doubler?

So what difference does that make? Is true better than double? Would the Asus be much better? Would it be a minute difference? A major difference?

I'm just lost and a confused and confused and lost, so any help or advice would be appreciated.

Edit: And look at it more it seems like the msi z97m gaming has chaper parts? Especially the capacitor capacitance it's less than 1/2 the asus's? So just go with the Asus?

I see cheers, the almost double price premium really isn't worth it then.

The MSI Z97M Gaming is a fine motherboard that should be more than adequate for your needs. Reviews of it are quite good, Bit-Tech was able to use it to overclock a i7 4770K up to 4.8GHz and Overclockers were also able to do 4.8GHz for an i7 4790K.

Yes, VRM phases do help with overclocking capability, but it's not the only thing. More power phases ensure better reliability and stability, but no one really needs more than 8 power phases for overclocking Intel processors (unless they're going for a world record with liquid nitrogen cooling) and 4 is actually not bad for most users. Yeah, I'd say the Asus might have an easier time hitting higher clock speeds and staying there stably, but its not really required.

Personally, I have a Pentium G3258 overclocked to 4.7GHz on a B85 motherboard which I'm pretty sure only has 2 or 3 power phases. Granted, it's not always stable (GTAV is the one game that can rock the boat hard enough to crash my PC) but it is possible. Still, it's not totally advisable and I don't plan to keep running my PC that hard for much longer.

For your needs, I am confident that the MSI motherboard will do just fine for your needs and overclocking expectations.

Yeah, in the US. I think there are a few not too far away. If he goes for the bundle though, would the other parts remain the same?

The other parts would mostly stay the same, but with the money saved, he could spend it on a stronger graphics card or more RAM. Maybe like this?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($60.00 w/ Micro Center CPU bundle)
Memory: Mushkin Redline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba Product SeriesT01ACA 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.55 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($242.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($41.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: XFX Core Edition 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Acer K242HQL BBID 60Hz 23.6" Monitor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $812.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-20 18:07 EDT-0400

 

[SneakyStephan]

I've had it with my phenom II.
I'm done
No more, this thing is so useless for gaming now, I've completely stopped playing newer games because I can't deal with low fps. Can't even play dirty bomb on this POS.


Upgrade time, ordering sometime this week.

This is what I'm looking at in my checkout cart.

Core i5 4690K cpu
€ 249,50

4gb ddr3 1600 HyperX Savage CL9.0
4gb ddr3 1600 HyperX Savage CL9.0
€ 54,76


Gigabyte GA-Z97P-D3 Motherboard
€ 91,95

Is there anything wrong with this particular ram or this particular motherboard that I should know about?


Will the stock cooler do for now? I'll put something aftermarket on it soon but I want a silent cooler (not that evo one) and am not in the mood to research it today.

 

[SLX]

Ok guys I ran XTU and here are the results:

Here is my computer at idle:

Here is the computer after 5 minutes of CPU Stress Testing

The issue is now, I got a BSOD right before I hit 30 minutes:

Am I OK here?

It was some sort of system error on the actual blue screen before it rebooted.

 

[Shining Sunshine]

If I'm getting the Fury X, do I need to consider that in my case purchase?

Like I know the Fractal Define R5 has open spots for the fan in the front (not using side or top vents).