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[nekroseven]

Nope. For that much money, you could have gotten an R9 380, R9 280X, or GTX 960. All of them offer comparable performance and are either newer or have better specs or support.

IIRC the GTX 960 doesn't quite reach the GTX 770's performance but it's not too far behind. The 960 would be preferable for better long term driver support.

The R9 380 is new and should perform about the same as the GTX 960, while the R9 280X is an older card like the GTX 770 but still receives decent driver support and has 3GB of VRAM.

But the reference cooler is so badass

 

[Celcius]

Just in case anyone out there is still rocking older hardware and waiting on windows 10 drivers... I just talked to Asus support to ask if drivers would be made available for their z68 series motherboards since they're not listed on the website. They said that they're working on it and drivers will be made available.

 

[DarthWoo]

Is there any free alternative to HDTune? All I want to see is the load/unload cycles on my hard drives. My storage drive seems to be making a lot of noise for a drive that's supposed to be idle most of the time.

 

[KissVibes]

Will the new Intel processors drive down the price of the 4790k at all? I doing my PC build soon-ish and would love to save money!

 

[idlewild_]

Will the new Intel processors drive down the price of the 4790k at all? I doing my PC build soon-ish and would love to save money!

Looking at historical prices for the 3570k and 3770k, it doesn't seem likely. They did not seem to get a price drop at all, and only dropped by ~$20 when on sale.

 

[Shadow780]

I'm sort of building a in-between pc since I have some parts already, can you guys advise if this is a good build for the foreseeable future:

Already Have:

SSD as boot drive
Temporary graphics card, will upgrade this year
OS
Monitor / Keyboard / Mouse / Etc




PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($25.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 7 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($109.65 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($201.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($122.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 P2 1000W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($177.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: LG WH16NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($54.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $923.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-03 22:12 EDT-0400

 

[RGM79]

I'm sort of building a in-between pc since I have some parts already, can you guys advise if this is a good build for the foreseeable future:

Already Have:

SSD as boot drive
Temporary graphics card, will upgrade this year
OS
Monitor / Keyboard / Mouse / Etc

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($25.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 7 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($109.65 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($201.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($122.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 P2 1000W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($177.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: LG WH16NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($54.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $923.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-03 22:12 EDT-0400

Performance-wise it's just fine. You could save some money here and there with some different part choices, though. No one seems to be carrying that motherboard, it might even be discontinued. WD Black is good for performance, but are highly overpriced and are possibly loud. Do you really need a 1000 watt power supply? What graphics cards are you intending to run with that?

What do you want the PC for? Just gaming, or will you also be doing other things?

 

[Daffy Duck]

What exactly does it mean when people say a GPU doesn't come with a back plate? What is that?

I was looking at an MSI 970 and the review says it doesn't come with a back plate

 

[Rolfgang]

What exactly does it mean when people say a GPU doesn't come with a back plate? What is that?

I was looking at an MSI 970 and the review says it doesn't come with a back plate

It spreads the heat and acts as a skeleton for your GPU, so it offers more support.

 

[daxy]

What exactly does it mean when people say a GPU doesn't come with a back plate? What is that?

I was looking at an MSI 970 and the review says it doesn't come with a back plate

If it's a very long card like Gigabyte's 970 Gaming G1, it's pretty useful to make sure it doesn't droop. It also looks cool.

 

[Vertti]

Here's my new build I ordered yesterday.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z97 PRO GAMER ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($151.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($46.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($83.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card ($678.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex Gold 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
Total: $1333.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-04 06:17 EDT-0400

My CPU cooler isn't on the list but it's this one.
http://www.thermalright.de/kuehler/50/macho-x2

I live in Finland but ordered from Germany. Price was a bit under 1600€. This is my first computer I will build myself. It's a bit overkill but I rather have a too powerful computer than underpowered one.

I was recommended to buy the Gigabyte Gaming 5 because of the true 8+0 power phase. I just liked Asus Pro Gamer and went for that.

Leadex is very similar to EVGA's 750 G2. G2's are actually build by Super Flower too. I'd rather would have buyed EVGA because of the 10 year warranty but it was out of the stock everywhere.

I may post some photos when my build is ready. I really can' wait but I'll just have to.

Next I need a new monitor. I probably wait for Christmas. There are so many options:
1080p or 1440p? G-sync or not? 60hz or 144hz? Yeah I know 1440p with 144 hz and G-sync would be best but it's also expensive.

 

[Rootbeer]

gimme dat 6700K! I'm ready to build!

 

[Garou]

Here's my new build I ordered yesterday.

While the build itself seems fine, why order 2 days before new CPUs are released?

 

[Übersandvich]

Hm it should be close to the PSU but should still fit.

Yeah you can try with the board out the case, just sit the board on top of the motherboard box with the PCIE prong end hanging off the edge.


Oh and just to check, you did plug your video cable into the back of the GTX 970?

Yes, I tried all of the video ports on the GTX 970 on my motherboard, but not on the other computer I tested on.

I could not fit the GTX 970 in. I found another GPU, an old Radeon X300 and I got a signal and picture (in the slot that the GTX 970 was in before). I then put the Radeon into the other PCIE slot (the one you suggested I try without the space) and something even worse happened:

I plugged my computer back in and now I am getting a blinking power button with the fans starting on every blink. I think the motherboard is broken. I might go and return it, does anybody have any other suggestions?

 

[EndcatOmega]

Thanks for your help last week guys, everything came and seems to be running fine.One thing I'd mention for future first time PC makers in the thread is to try and get a big case because I had a hell of a time trying to plug stuff in and find space to put wires.

 

[Vertti]

While the build itself seems fine, why order 2 days before new CPUs are released?

I just didn't want to play the waiting game anymore.

Release in day after tomorrow doesn't mean I could have ordered one in two days. And previews haven't really convinced me.

But if it happens that they are much better than I though I can always sell my unopened stuff with minor loss and buy the 6700k instead.

 

[SneakyStephan]

Well if anyone wonders if you can fit an asus strix cooler gpu in an antec sonata III...
You can.

It's a ridiculously close fit.

See the drive bay? the edge of it that faces the side panel sticks out, so the card does not actually fit through it.

I had to angle it inside the case, then once past the edge barrier rotate it into place (thankfully there was room between the mobo and edge to do that) and then slide it into its place.
It fit without forcing or pushing, but it's so close that the back end of the cooler on the card scrapes against the drive bay (press and rub your thumb on the table and that is the kind of fit it was). You can barely fit a piece of paper in between it now that it's in place, and can't fit a needle.

If the card was literally 1 mm longer it would not have fit...
I always had faith in you random internet guy who posted on some random forum that they were using this gpu in their sonata III and that it just barely fit, I knew you'd come through for me.

The 2x6pin to 8 pin adapter seems to work fine, card booted fine, currently installing nvidia drivers.
Please let this thing benchmark fine and work properly, taking this gpu back out (to rma or anything) is probably as big of an ordeal as it was to put it in.

edit : benchmarks:

3D mark 2011:
-hd6870 : 4798 P score
-Asus strix gtx 970 (stock clocks) : 12505 P score

About to try the new 3d mark but that one just failed on my 6870.

firestrike result:
3DMark Score9329
Graphics Score11514
Physics Score8065
Combined Score4264

Are these results normal? I have no idea
edit : seems this score is above average


The coilwhine when fps goes above 400 is like someone is using a saw to cut through metal (just a midget version of that noise)
There's no coilwhine in windows or during loadscreens, but I think there is some while gaming at normal framerates, it's hard to tell how loud it is atm because it's incredibly noisy from traffic outside during the day.

Really bummed out about the coilwhine (I really hope it isn't there when just gaming :\ or at least not to the point where I can hear it unless I put my ear next to the card...
My 6870 had NO coil whine, even in 1000+ fps scenes and high fps menus, nor did my 4870, nor did my old 9800 pro or geforce 4 ti
The fact that a 380 euro gpu has coil whine is fucking embarrassing.

edit: HOLY SHIT the performance in games
tried the geforce experience thing it defaulted to some serious downsampling, 4x msaa, that nvidia mfaa thing and it still runs at twice the framerate as it did on my 6870 at 1080p with 2x msaa

edit 2: I am really pleased that the fans turn off while the card is idle, NO noise from the gpu is better than some noise, hopefully the fans being off a lot should also help the bearings in them stay quiet for longer (less wear)

 

[LilJoka]

Yes, I tried all of the video ports on the GTX 970 on my motherboard, but not on the other computer I tested on.

I could not fit the GTX 970 in. I found another GPU, an old Radeon X300 and I got a signal and picture (in the slot that the GTX 970 was in before). I then put the Radeon into the other PCIE slot (the one you suggested I try without the space) and something even worse happened:

I plugged my computer back in and now I am getting a blinking power button with the fans starting on every blink. I think the motherboard is broken. I might go and return it, does anybody have any other suggestions?

Put the X300 back in the working PCIE slot, see if it boots. If not, reset CMOS, might need the motherboard battery removing to do so.

If the GTX 970 worked in the other PC, the the GPU is fine.

I think it's the board probably.

 

[Shadow780]

Performance-wise it's just fine. You could save some money here and there with some different part choices, though. No one seems to be carrying that motherboard, it might even be discontinued. WD Black is good for performance, but are highly overpriced and are possibly loud. Do you really need a 1000 watt power supply? What graphics cards are you intending to run with that?

What do you want the PC for? Just gaming, or will you also be doing other things?

Sorry for motherboard I meant to say the Z97A:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130843

WD Black is for steam game storage, 1000W power supply is not mandatory, is there a better and efficient alternative? Only requirement I have is that it has to be modular.

This PC is going to be mostly gaming, and light processing for my work, nothing too intense.

 

[sackboy2197]

Is there any reason not to use EVGA Pixel Clock OC? Like, any problems that might occur?

 

[Übersandvich]

Put the X300 back in the working PCIE slot, see if it boots. If not, reset CMOS, might need the motherboard battery removing to do so.

If the GTX 970 worked in the other PC, the the GPU is fine.

I think it's the board probably.

I tried the above. I am going to return the motherboard. I need help on what I should say to get them (the online store I bought it from) to replace it for free. I am very bad at telling lies, so can someone give me an idea of what I should and should not say?

 

[Green Card]

Now that it looks like skylake will be releasing soon I'm looking to build a new PC and have some questions. Will the motherboards these CPUs use be the same as the one's coming after? I'm assuming not but I think that is the case sometimes.

Budget: I don't really have a price set in mind but I always look for best price/performance (for example I liked 6950 CF and 290)
Main Use: Gaming and Emultion for PS2/Wii
Monitor Resolution: I have a DellU3011 so gaming at 1600p. I don't think I'll be buying a new one for a few years. This one was quite expensive.
Reused Parts: 256GB SSD and a 1TB HDD
Overclocking: Probably not

I have no deadline so I'm looking to grab parts as they go on sale and part of combo deals on NewEgg. Other than slickdeals where should I be looking for? Is the 290/290x the best bang for your buck at 1600p as far as GPUs go? Are there any new ones on the horizon? When is hyper-threading useful? Thanks.

Edit: How do people like CM cases? I like them but didn't see anything on the main page. How do those cases compare to the HAF 922 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197&ignorebbr=1.

 

[RGM79]

Sorry for motherboard I meant to say the Z97A:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130843

WD Black is for steam game storage, 1000W power supply is not mandatory, is there a better and efficient alternative? Only requirement I have is that it has to be modular.

This PC is going to be mostly gaming, and light processing for my work, nothing too intense.

Well, something like this would save you money and performance-wise be nearly the same:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($25.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($91.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($84.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($122.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG WH16NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $785.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-04 09:41 EDT-0400

Same processor, cheaper but still adequate motherboard (still likely more than capable for your needs including overclocking), decent hard drive (82% positive reviews on Amazon), and a 750 watt semi-modular PSU (one of the best "cheap" models you can buy). All in all it's a difference of about $265 (your build with MSI Z97A Gaming 7 costs ~$1050) but offers virtually the same amount of performance.

That said, the cheaper Asus motherboard does lack things like the enhanced audio and USB 3.1.

Now that it looks like skylake will be releasing soon I'm looking to build a new PC and have some questions. Will the motherboards these CPUs use be the same as the one's coming after? I'm assuming not but I think that is the case sometimes.

Budget: I don't really have a price set in mind but I always look for best price/performance (for example I liked 6950 CF and 290)
Main Use: Gaming and Emultion for PS2/Wii
Monitor Resolution: I have a DellU3011 so gaming at 1600p. I don't think I'll be buying a new one for a few years. This one was quite expensive.
Reused Parts: 256GB SSD and a 1TB HDD
Overclocking: Probably not

I have no deadline so I'm looking to grab parts as they go on sale and part of combo deals on NewEgg. Other than slickdeals where should I be looking for? Is the 290/290x the best bang for your buck at 1600p as far as GPUs go? Are there any new ones on the horizon? When is hyper-threading useful? Thanks.

1. Once Intel introduces a new motherboard chipset, they will usually support it for about two years or so. Socket 1155 supported Sandy Bridge and Ivy bridge. Socket 1150 supported Haswell, Haswell Refresh, and smaller product lines like Devil's Canyon and Broadwell. It seems highly likely that Z170's socket 1151 will support whatever comes after Skylake and maybe even the successor to that, but it's hard to say exactly because we don't know Intel's production schedule, just production roadmaps that may or may not be delayed.
2. How long of a time period do you intend to build this PC over? We usually recommend buying most of your parts at once instead of spread out over time. Certain parts are safe to buy (cases, etc) but we sometimes don't recommend you buy things that way because the earlier you buy just means warranty will run out faster, and the customer satisfaction policy at certain retailers might only apply to a certain time period after you buy the parts. If you take a long time to put the PC together and you don't realize a part may be defective or broken until many weeks or months after you already bought it, retailers may not be as co-operative. Also prices can change over time, DDR4 RAM has been dropping in price recently for example and seems like it will continue to drop. However, it's up to you how you want to buy your PC parts.
3. The R9 290 and 290X aren't bad at 1600p, but if you want 60FPS you may want to lower some settings or look for a stronger graphics card. No new high end graphics cards are expected for at least a couple of months (maybe the X variants of AMD's R9 3XX line, but that's not too different). Hyperthreading may become more useful for gaming with DX12, but aside from theoretical benchmarks measuring things like draw calls, we've actually yet to see any actual results with games written specifically for DX12 so nothing definite can be said yet. So far if you will be doing other tasks besides gaming like video encoding or 3D rendering or computational work, then hyperthreading is more useful to you as there are more programs that can take advantage of it.

 

[Sykotik]

My friend recently purchased his first big-boy PC, and he's in the market for a high-end monitor to go with it.

The issue is he works in motion-graphics, and color accuracy is important. However, ideally he would also want to have a monitor that can handle 120hz gaming well. He has a 980ti.

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[LilJoka]

I tried the above. I am going to return the motherboard. I need help on what I should say to get them (the online store I bought it from) to replace it for free. I am very bad at telling lies, so can someone give me an idea of what I should and should not say?

You dont need to lie, all you need to do is request an RMA due to faulty PCIE port/s. If the retailer does ask, say you used anti-static wrist band and that you tested all PCIE ports with 2 different GPUs. Tell them you used 1 stick of RAM too. They wont fuss.

 

[mkenyon]

So I've been looking into some cases for the new build and man, In Win makes some beautiful stuff. Really clean designs and quality materials such as aluminum and tempered glass. You certainly pay for it though. The new 909 launching in October has an MSRP of $450, and that's not even one of their really high end ones.

Lemme know if you want any suggestions. I've been down the rabbit hole of high end cases. One will take you to Japan, Taiwan or here in the States. Over to Europe in The Netherlands and Slovenia. Before you know it, you've dropped $8000 on a build, only $3000 of which was actual PC hardware.

*edit*

Oh yeah, and The UK has good stuff too.

My friend recently purchased his first big-boy PC, and he's in the market for a high-end monitor to go with it.

The issue is he works in motion-graphics, and color accuracy is important. However, ideally he would also want to have a monitor that can handle 120hz gaming well. He has a 980ti.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Acer XB270HU.

 

[kennah]

I still need to get one of my Japanese friends to bring back an Abee case.

 

[Pachimari]

Can someone tell me what these two cables are? I need them to connect to my hard drive. I know the one is a eSata cable right, but what is the other one called?

I also just plugged my new eSata cable into my Bluray drive, but when I insert a DVD, it doesn't show up in my Windows Explore - that makes me confused.

 

[triplestation]

I really want a water cooled EVGA 980 ti but I don't know if it will fit in my case, which is a Corsair air 240.

This is pretty much what I plan to do, except instead of having a second GPU i would like to fit a 120 mm fan/radiator in the empty space.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEVn2-PEbuA

Would this be possible?

Are the cards he's using even 980 ti's? Not sure..

 

[RGM79]

Can someone tell me what these two cables are? I need them to connect to my hard drive. I know the one is a eSata cable right, but what is the other one called?

I also just plugged my new eSata cable into my Bluray drive, but when I insert a DVD, it doesn't show up in my Windows Explore - that makes me confused.

Both are SATA cables. One is a SATA power cable that leads to the power supply, and the other is a SATA data cable that leads to the motherboard.

The term eSATA is for a related but separate type of cable that uses a different plug.

I really want a water cooled EVGA 980 ti but I don't know if it will fit in my case, which is a Corsair air 240.

This is pretty much what I plan to do, except instead of having a second GPU i would like to fit a 120 mm fan/radiator in the empty space.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEVn2-PEbuA

Would this be possible?

Are the cards he's using even 980 ti's? Not sure..

The Air 240 has 7 mounts for 120mm fans, you should be fine, depending on motherboard spacing.

 

[Rolfgang]

My friend recently purchased his first big-boy PC, and he's in the market for a high-end monitor to go with it.

The issue is he works in motion-graphics, and color accuracy is important. However, ideally he would also want to have a monitor that can handle 120hz gaming well. He has a 980ti.

Anyone have any suggestions?

The Acer XB270HU is the current king of monitors. It's an IPS 1440p 144hz monitor, with G-sync.

 

[triplestation]

Both are SATA cables. One is a SATA power cable that leads to the power supply, and the other is a SATA data cable that leads to the motherboard.

The term eSATA is for a related but separate type of cable that uses a different plug.


The Air 240 has 7 mounts for 120mm fans, you should be fine, depending on motherboard spacing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTJ0osmQyzU#t=5m3s

welp

i guess id still be happy with a fan cooled GPU but water cooled would have been really nice

 

[danthefan]

I posted the other day about my PSU issues but just would like to get a second opinion because I don't understand what's going on with my computer currently.

• Heard a strange noise coming from computer, sounds to me like it's coming from the PSU
• Found some of the USB ports at the back of my computer weren't getting power - EDIT, the regular ports aren't getting power, the USB 3.0 ports are
• Restarted the PC, found the peripherals plugged into those USB ports were now getting power (had lights on) but they didn't actually work
• Now every time the PC is off for any extended period I hear the noise when I start it up, but had all the USB ports working fine yesterday after a restart
• Today can't convince the USB ports to work at all

Does this sound like a PSU issue, I mean it's making a noise as far as I can tell, or is it possible my mobo could be fried in some manner? The computer seems to be fine otherwise, two USB ports work all the time, my CPU temps and GPU temps seem fine, I was playing Witcher 3 last night without issue.

Any opinions?

 

[Pachimari]

Both are SATA cables. One is a SATA power cable that leads to the power supply, and the other is a SATA data cable that leads to the motherboard.

The term eSATA is for a related but separate type of cable that uses a different plug.

Hmm, I bought this SATA cable and connected it to my drive but it doesn't seem to read any discs. There's power to it, but it doesn't read anything.

 

[RGM79]

Hmm, I bought this SATA cable and connected it to my drive but it doesn't seem to read any discs. There's power to it, but it doesn't read anything.

What port on the motherboard did you connect it to?

 

[kek_lel]

Yes, I tried all of the video ports on the GTX 970 on my motherboard, but not on the other computer I tested on.

I could not fit the GTX 970 in. I found another GPU, an old Radeon X300 and I got a signal and picture (in the slot that the GTX 970 was in before). I then put the Radeon into the other PCIE slot (the one you suggested I try without the space) and something even worse happened:

I plugged my computer back in and now I am getting a blinking power button with the fans starting on every blink. I think the motherboard is broken. I might go and return it, does anybody have any other suggestions?

I had a similar problem a few months back.
The Mobo recognised the gpu however it did not work properly ( weird stuttering and significantly lesser framerate than usual).
When I sent it to be replaced/repaired it turned out that a few cpu socket pins were bent. A quick look at that when removing the cpu wouldnt hurt I think.

big version

 

[Sykotik]

Acer XB270HU.

The Acer XB270HU is the current king of monitors. It's an IPS 1440p 144hz monitor, with G-sync.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

 

[EatChildren]

Anybody here with a relatively recent ASUS monitor, one with all the Splendid shit, a wizz with calibration? Wondering what I should have it on. sRGB is shit and has no tweaks. Scenery is way oversaturated and has a weird slight auto contrast I can't turn off (despite the ASUS auto contrast thingo set to off). Standard seems like the best balance between image quality and stuff to tweak, but it always looks a little washed out for my taste. Also, should I download a specific colour profile?

 

[Shadow780]

Well, something like this would save you money and performance-wise be nearly the same:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($25.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($91.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($84.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($122.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG WH16NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $785.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-04 09:41 EDT-0400

Same processor, cheaper but still adequate motherboard (still likely more than capable for your needs including overclocking), decent hard drive (82% positive reviews on Amazon), and a 750 watt semi-modular PSU (one of the best "cheap" models you can buy). All in all it's a difference of about $265 (your build with MSI Z97A Gaming 7 costs ~$1050) but offers virtually the same amount of performance.

That said, the cheaper Asus motherboard does lack things like the enhanced audio and USB 3.1.

Thanks man I should be able to work with these for now.

 

[Via Purifico]

Hey there, I am looking into getting a great gaming desktop for emulation like PCSX2 and at least 2013 games. I also use photoshop a lot and other programs what would you recommend me.

Budget is about 800 I can extend it to 900$ but from the looks of things in this thread I might not have to spend that much.

 

[Xplatformer]

And...my Star Citizen box is done.

All for under $1k. (sorry bout the poor cable management) This is my first build in 7 years.

This is the order of purchase
Asus H87I motherboard
Fractal Node 304 case
8GB Crucial DDR3 1600 stick (need to buy one more stick)
120GB SSD
Cooler Master 650w power supply
Intel 4690k CPU
1TB Blue Western Digital
MSI GTX 970 4GB5 OC
Windows 7 Home Premium ($75..ebay)

 

[Green Card]

1. Once Intel introduces a new motherboard chipset, they will usually support it for about two years or so. Socket 1155 supported Sandy Bridge and Ivy bridge. Socket 1150 supported Haswell, Haswell Refresh, and smaller product lines like Devil's Canyon and Broadwell. It seems highly likely that Z170's socket 1151 will support whatever comes after Skylake and maybe even the successor to that, but it's hard to say exactly because we don't know Intel's production schedule, just production roadmaps that may or may not be delayed.
2. How long of a time period do you intend to build this PC over? We usually recommend buying most of your parts at once instead of spread out over time. Certain parts are safe to buy (cases, etc) but we sometimes don't recommend you buy things that way because the earlier you buy just means warranty will run out faster, and the customer satisfaction policy at certain retailers might only apply to a certain time period after you buy the parts. If you take a long time to put the PC together and you don't realize a part may be defective or broken until many weeks or months after you already bought it, retailers may not be as co-operative. Also prices can change over time, DDR4 RAM has been dropping in price recently for example and seems like it will continue to drop. However, it's up to you how you want to buy your PC parts.
3. The R9 290 and 290X aren't bad at 1600p, but if you want 60FPS you may want to lower some settings or look for a stronger graphics card. No new high end graphics cards are expected for at least a couple of months (maybe the X variants of AMD's R9 3XX line, but that's not too different). Hyperthreading may become more useful for gaming with DX12, but aside from theoretical benchmarks measuring things like draw calls, we've actually yet to see any actual results with games written specifically for DX12 so nothing definite can be said yet. So far if you will be doing other tasks besides gaming like video encoding or 3D rendering or computational work, then hyperthreading is more useful to you as there are more programs that can take advantage of it.

First of all thanks for answering my questions. And good point about the parts I'll try to buy them over 2 weeks after one of the CPUs coming out this week. Probably the i5 locked. What card would you recommend over the 290?

 

[Pachimari]

Is there any way I can see that my desktop gets the right amount of air? And what temperature it should be at?

I have a cooler right at the hard drives and one more at the CPU but that's it, which seems to have worked fine but I really don't know.

There's also a controller in the front of my desktop, where I can control if the front fan should be low, medium or high - and I tend to just have it on low in general, and then high while gaming.

 

[LilJoka]

Is there any way I can see that my desktop gets the right amount of air? And what temperature it should be at?

I have a cooler right at the hard drives and one more at the CPU but that's it, which seems to have worked fine but I really don't know.

There's also a controller in the front of my desktop, where I can control if the front fan should be low, medium or high - and I tend to just have it on low in general, and then high while gaming.

Download HWMonitor for CPU,GPU,HDD,Board temps. Ignore stupid readings around or over 128c or below ambient.

General idea of normal/safe temps.
CPU idle about 30c, load 80c
GPU idle about 40c, load 80c
Board temps 40-60c
HDD should be lower than 45c

 

[Shadowhaxor]

And...my Star Citizen box is done.

All for under $1k. (sorry bout the poor cable management) This is my first build in 7 years.

C'mon man. We need specs, infos....... need input!

 

[Jag]

Shell Shocker deal on Newegg. 650 Watt EVGA SuperNOVA 650G2 80 Plus Gold Full Modular Power Supply $69.99 ($89.99 - $20 MIR) . It's a highly rated unit. Just bought one. I was going to go for a 750, but I think it should be ok if I end up with a 980Ti.

 

[Arsenic]

So I've made a rookie mistake.

While trying to resolve this weird issue with my front panel USB ports (which is another story) I've accidentally uninstalled a critical USB driver. All of my input devices uses USB.

Now I know I can probably get a PS2 port KB off amazon and have it here in 2 days, but I rather see if there are any other options before doing the inevitable.

So far, all I have tried was running the Windows Restore Disk, which to my amazement, actually relies on those very drivers that I've uninstalled =(

So i'm stuck on the windows login and the windows recovery screens. My next step is to try safe mode, but I highly doubt that will work.

Is there anything else I can do?


EDIT: I just realized this thread exceeded the 20,000 post threshold. Please don't lock thread yet mods

 

[DiscoShark]

C'mon man. We need specs, infos....... need input!

He posted his specs in the Star Citizen thread :

My rig after 10am this morning (when my gpu is delivered)

This is the order of purchase
H87I motherboard
Fractal Node 304 case
8GB Crucial DDR3 1600 stick (need to buy one stick)
120GB SSD
Cooler Master 650w power supply
Intel 4690k CPU
1TB Blue Western Digital
MSI GTX 970 4GB5 OC
Windows 7 Home Premium ($75..ebay)

That's $980. Oh, and I'm going to happily run the game at 900p, with 4xMFAA, 16xAF

Once the game is optimized I shouldn't have a problem running it at 50fps.

 

[RGM79]

So I've made a rookie mistake.

While trying to resolve this weird issue with my front panel USB ports (which is another story) I've accidentally uninstalled a critical USB driver. All of my input devices uses USB.

Now I know I can probably get a PS2 port KB off amazon and have it here in 2 days, but I rather see if there are any other options before doing the inevitable.

So far, all I have tried was running the Windows Restore Disk, which to my amazement, actually relies on those very drivers that I've uninstalled =(

So i'm stuck on the windows login and the windows recovery screens. My next step is to try safe mode, but I highly doubt that will work.

Is there anything else I can do?


EDIT: I just realized this thread exceeded the 20,000 post threshold. Please don't lock thread yet mods

Try booting into Windows startup repair. It's not reliant on your Windows install for drivers, as far as I know. Safe mode is also still worth a try, as all you have to do is mash F8 on startup.

And...my Star Citizen box is done.

All for under $1k. (sorry bout the poor cable management) This is my first build in 7 years.

This is the order of purchase
Asus H87I motherboard
Fractal Node 304 case
8GB Crucial DDR3 1600 stick (need to buy one more stick)
120GB SSD
Cooler Master 650w power supply
Intel 4690k CPU
1TB Blue Western Digital
MSI GTX 970 4GB5 OC
Windows 7 Home Premium ($75..ebay)

A bit odd to pair the i5 4690K with an H87 motherboard, but it's fine.

Hey there, I am looking into getting a great gaming desktop for emulation like PCSX2 and at least 2013 games. I also use photoshop a lot and other programs what would you recommend me.

Budget is about 800 I can extend it to 900$ but from the looks of things in this thread I might not have to spend that much.

US? How's this for a starting build?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($25.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($91.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY Anarchy 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.56 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($318.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($45.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $820.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-04 20:34 EDT-0400

 

[Via Purifico]

US? How's this for a starting build?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($25.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($91.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY Anarchy 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.56 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($318.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($45.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $820.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-04 20:34 EDT-0400

Yes, the U.S. Thanks a bunch I just have one question about cores is more actually better? whats the difference between a quad and a six core.