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[Mystic654]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this question or not.

With my new PC built it does dish out some higher heat then I'm use to.

Is their any kind of device I can buy to put in the cabinet area of my PC that it would suck in the heat?

I also have a small ring on the back which is only about 1 1/2 inch wide. I haven't been able to find any kind of fan that small that would fit that.

 

[M.D]

You'll need to tell us your system specs and including a screenshot of the benchmark wouldn't hurt.

Specs:

i7-4790k
GA-Z97X-Gaming 7
GTX 970
16GB DDR3

I didn't take a screenshot of the latest benchmark test, but it was pretty much like this one that I took from Windows 8.1

and this is the one I took after installing Windows 10

 

[Mystic654]

When moving some files from USB flash drive, I noticed speed difference when using different ports. I'm using the front ports on my Corsair 780t case (Motherboard is Asus Rampage V Extreme).

USB 3.0 Left Port: 150 MB
USB 3.0 Right Port: 40MB

Is this Normal?

Flashdrive to Western Digital 6TB Green Drive.

 

[knitoe]

Specs:

i7-4790k
GA-Z97X-Gaming 7
GTX 970
16GB DDR3

I didn't take a screenshot of the latest benchmark test, but it was pretty much like this one that I took from Windows 8.1

and this is the one I took after installing Windows 10

What SSD do you have? Is it on the lastest firmware? Under Device Manager, does it say your "AHCI PC". Is TRIMM enable, Google if you need instructions on how to find out?

 

[M.D]

What SSD do you have? Is it on the lastest firmware? Under Device Manager, does it say your "AHCI PC". Is TRIMM enable, Google if you need instructions on how to find out?

Forget to mention the SSD, of course.. lol

It's a 240GB Patriot Blaze, not a very well known brand (I think?), but they seem alright.

It does say AHCI and TRIMM is enabled (same as Windows 8.1)
I looked in the product page but there's no sign of a firmware update available

 

[Pachimari]

Yeah, you'll notice a difference. I should point out that unless the devices you are wirelessly connecting are capable of wifi AC, then you won't get full advertised speed, and even then your devices will probably be limited to a certain speed. My Nexus 5 smartphone is limited to 150Mbps (I think) over wifi AC even if my router supports supports a higher speed, for example.

I wonder if it's the device not working well or if you're not getting a strong signal, though.

Just buy a cheaper router with a gigabit Ethernet switch built in.

Or even cheaper and simpler - buy a gigabit switch and connect all your wired equipment to it, and then run one cable from the switch to your router. When they are talking to each other, your computers will go through the gigabit switch bypassing the router and you won't be slowed down. When they need to get things from the Internet, your computers will go through the router, which will be limited to 100mb but that is fine for your internet speed,


NETGEAR GS105
Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0000E5SES

The Netgear should give you much better signal strength, and thus, more stable and faster connections. To really take advantage, you need to have AC capable wifi devices. Unfortunately, the 360, PS3 and PS4 won't. For them, you will want to also get a 4 port AC wireless bridge and wired connect them to it.

I'm just thinking if I am getting the speed I am paying for.

I have a 60/60 Mbit/s fiber connection, and I just did a network speed test, and it says:

Network delay: 17 ms
Download speed: 68.17 Mbps
Upload speed: 30.52 Mbps

Is this the speed I should be getting?

 

[Shining Sunshine]

Any good DDR4 RAM comparisons?

Need to start looking at what I should buy for my skylake build.

Edit: Here goes my costly skylake build lol. Placeholder until we see some better benches.

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($459.99 @ Memory Express)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($37.50 @ Vuugo)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($306.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($305.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($569.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 Fury 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($801.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($139.99 @ Canada Computers)
Power Supply: Corsair 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($164.98 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $2787.39

Canadian dollar of course, probably would have $2300 a few months ago.

 

[hooijdonk17]

Ok, so Samsung is apparently cutting down DRAM production for desktops and laptops.. Does that mean prices will be going up soon? Should I consider upgrading from 8GB to 16GB of DDR3 asap?

 

[knitoe]

Forget to mention the SSD, of course.. lol

It's a 240GB Patriot Blaze, not a very well known brand (I think?), but they seem alright.

It does say AHCI and TRIMM is enabled (same as Windows 8.1)
I looked in the product page but there's no sign of a firmware update available

Did you install the latest Intel Rapid Storage drivers? In Task Manager, is it showing the SSD disk usage normal, very low?

I'm just thinking if I am getting the speed I am paying for.

I have a 60/60 Mbit/s fiber connection, and I just did a network speed test, and it says:

Network delay: 17 ms
Download speed: 68.17 Mbps
Upload speed: 30.52 Mbps

Is this the speed I should be getting?

You are getting your advertised download speeds. It just your upload speed is half. If you tried the speed test directly from modem wired to PC and it shows the similar result, you need to contact your ISP. If you upload is faster, a make sure the device running the test is capable of uploading the faster speeds. If does, you probably need to better router.

 

[Pachimari]

How can I see if it is capable?
I run an Ethernet cable directly from my desktop to the router. And the motherboard were bought last year.

I'll try contacting ISP in a few hours.

 

[knitoe]

How can I see if it is capable?
I run an Ethernet cable directly from my desktop to the router. And the motherboard were bought last year.

I'll try contacting ISP in a few hours.

A wired connection from modem directly to PC, is the fastest you can possibly get. If you are not getting your advertise speeds, you have to contact your ISP because the problem is most likely on their end.

 

[M.D]

Did you install the latest Intel Rapid Storage drivers? In Task Manager, is it showing the SSD disk usage normal, very low?



You are getting your advertised download speeds. It just your upload speed is half. If you tried the speed test directly from modem wired to PC and it shows the similar result, you need to contact your ISP. If you upload is faster, a make sure the device running the test is capable of uploading the faster speeds. If does, you probably need to better router.

I thought I had it, but turns out it wasn't installed
The writing speed seems to be decent again, except for the second one which is significantly lower than the earlier benhmark I posted

I'll keep running this benchmark through the day. I have a feeling its going to drop down again.

As for the disk usage - both my SSD and HDD are mostly at 0% usage (I'm looking at the performance tab, hope that's the right place?)

 

[LilJoka]

I thought I had it, but turns out it wasn't installed
The writing speed seems to be decent again, except for the second one which is significantly lower than the earlier benhmark I posted

I'll keep running this benchmark through the day. I have a feeling its going to drop down again.

As for the disk usage - both my SSD and HDD are mostly at 0% usage (I'm looking at the performance tab, hope that's the right place?)

Can you download AS SSD and post a bench?

 

[Daffy Duck]

**CPU** | [Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor] | £185.99 @ Ebuyer
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler] | £24.48 @ Novatech
**Motherboard** | [Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard] | £154.99 @ CCL Computers
**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory] | £99.98 @ Novatech
**Storage** | [Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive] | £49.14 @ Aria PC
**Video Card** | [MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card] | £269.99 @ Aria PC
**Case** | [NZXT S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case] | £53.84 @ Amazon UK
**Power Supply** | [EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply] | £63.31 @ Amazon UK
**Monitor** | [Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor] | £219.97 @ CCL Computers
| **Total** | **£1121.69**


Or

**CPU** | [Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor] | £178.38 @ Amazon UK
**Motherboard** | [Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard] | £100.00 @ Aria PC
**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory] | £81.19 @ Scan.co.uk
**Storage** | [Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive] | £49.14 @ Aria PC
**Video Card** | [MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card] | £269.99 @ Aria PC
**Case** | [NZXT S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case] | £53.84 @ Amazon UK
**Power Supply** | [EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply] | £63.31 @ Amazon UK
**Monitor** | [Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor] | £219.97 @ CCL Computers
| **Total** | **£1015.82**


Is Skylake a no-brainer for the small price difference?

 

[LilJoka]

**CPU** | [Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80662i56600k) | £185.99 @ Ebuyer
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2) | £24.48 @ Novatech
**Motherboard** | [Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz170xgaming5) | £154.99 @ CCL Computers
**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmk16gx4m2a2133c13r) | £99.98 @ Novatech
**Storage** | [Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st2000dm001) | £49.14 @ Aria PC
**Video Card** | [MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-gtx970gaming4g) | £269.99 @ Aria PC
**Case** | [NZXT S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-cas340wbb1) | £53.84 @ Amazon UK
**Power Supply** | [EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-120g10650xr) | £63.31 @ Amazon UK
**Monitor** | [Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vg248qe) | £219.97 @ CCL Computers
| **Total** | **£1121.69**


Or

**CPU** | [Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54690k) | £178.38 @ Amazon UK
**Motherboard** | [Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xgaming5) | £100.00 @ Aria PC
**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmy16gx3m2a1866c9r) | £81.19 @ Scan.co.uk
**Storage** | [Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st2000dm001) | £49.14 @ Aria PC
**Video Card** | [MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-gtx970gaming4g) | £269.99 @ Aria PC
**Case** | [NZXT S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-cas340wbb1) | £53.84 @ Amazon UK
**Power Supply** | [EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-120g10650xr) | £63.31 @ Amazon UK
**Monitor** | [Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vg248qe) | £219.97 @ CCL Computers
| **Total** | **£1015.82**


Is Skylake a no-brainer for the small price difference?

You can get 2x8 GB Kingston Fury ran from Amazon a lot cheaper without ugly heatsinks.

Go for toshiba over seagate.

Imo £100 gets you a GTX 980, so skylake doesn't make sense yet.

 

[Odrion]

Seems like DDR4-3000 or higher is necessity when considering building a new high end Skylake build. Going from DDR4-1600 to 3000 made some dramatic difference in gaming, from falling behind haswell/broadwell to noticeably inching ahead.

http://www.gamestar.de/hardware/pro..._i7_6700k,924,3234508,3.html#spielebenchmarks

Benches are with 980ti.

Well, all I see there is Battlefield 4. And Battlefield 4 has been known to scale with ram speed: (an example: http://www.overclock.net/t/1438222/battlefield-4-ram-memory-benchmark) And Battlefield 4 is literally the only game I know that benefits from faster ram speed.

 

[knitoe]

I thought I had it, but turns out it wasn't installed
The writing speed seems to be decent again, except for the second one which is significantly lower than the earlier benhmark I posted

I'll keep running this benchmark through the day. I have a feeling its going to drop down again.

As for the disk usage - both my SSD and HDD are mostly at 0% usage (I'm looking at the performance tab, hope that's the right place?)

Don't keep on running benchmarks on SSDs. Most of them have built in routines to lower speeds so you don't shorten their lifetime by writing excessive data over a small timeframe. If this happens, just run them like normal for a few days and they should return to regular speeds. Only run the benchmarks if you feel something is wrong.

 

[hooijdonk17]

Ok, so Samsung is apparently cutting down DRAM production for desktops and laptops.. Does that mean prices will be going up soon? Should I consider upgrading from 8GB to 16GB of DDR3 asap?

I know it's pretty lame to quote one's self, but could someone kindly give me any pointers on this? Is it a good time to upgrade from 8GB to 16GB, and will I benefit from it in gaming at all? System is AMD FX-6100 and Radeon 7770.

 

[Maniac]

If you are serious about SLI, then this: http://www.proshop.dk/Stroemforsyning/EVGA-SuperNOVA-850-G2-850W-PSU-2438833.html

But, don't plan for a possible future of SLI. If that's the case, then it's almost always a better option to sell your single card and upgrade to the best single card you can afford. SLI is for achieving performance that is otherwise unattainable with a single card.

If that has dissuaded you from SLI, then: http://www.proshop.dk/Stroemforsyning/Cooler-Master-V650S-Semi-Modular-650W-2426932.html

Well... I guess you've convinced me, lol. Bastard.

Somehow I missed your post, sorry. I gotta head out soon, so here's a list in no particular order. I might expand on it with more details later. I didn't compare prices too much, but I left out anything that was obviously overpriced like the EVGA Supernova B2 listed at 1226 kr when the G2 costs just 10 kr more.

http://www.proshop.dk/Stroemforsyning/XFX-ProSeries-XXX-Edition-850W-PSU-2380799.html
http://www.proshop.dk/Stroemforsyning/Seasonic-M12II-Bronze-850W-PSU-2386354.html
http://www.proshop.dk/Stroemforsyning/Seasonic-M12II-EVO-Bronze-850W-PSU-2431322.html
http://www.proshop.dk/Stroemforsyning/Super-Flower-Leadex-Gold-850W-PSU-2471459.html
http://www.proshop.dk/Stroemforsyning/Super-Flower-Leadex-Gold-WH-850W-PSU-2471463.html
http://www.proshop.dk/Stroemforsyning/XFX-TS-Bronze-Series-850W-PSU-2248287.html
http://www.proshop.dk/Stroemforsyning/Corsair-RM850i-Gold-850W-PSU-2493072.html
http://www.proshop.dk/Stroemforsyning/EVGA-SuperNOVA-850-G2-850W-PSU-2438833.html

Sooo... Since Mkenyon changed my ever undecisive mind, what would be the cream of the crop in the 650-700~ range for the same amount of moolah? ^_~'

I'm still sorry I'm such a hassle, ofcourse.

 

[Matty8787]

Anybody seen any good skylake mobo/cpu/ram bundles yet?

I think now is the time to let my 2500k rest.

UK btw.

 

[Complex Shadow]

Aside from the MSI boards. Anyone know of a good skylake motherboard that will match my black and white esthetics?

 

[knitoe]

Aside from the MSI boards. Anyone know of a good skylake motherboard that will match my black and white esthetics?

Asus Z170-Deluxe

 

[A Link to the Past]

Do you have a monitor in mind? And you mean you're looking for a prebuilt PC?

Either this one:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V8FAWC2/?tag=neogaf0e-20

or this one:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UFCVKI4/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Effectively, I just want to avoid paying much more than $200 for a monitor, but I do want something about as wide as the LG monitor.

And yeah, I'm looking for a pre-built, though I may not if only to spend some more to get the right monitor I want.

 

[Pachimari]

I just talked with my ISP provider, and there's no problem with my connection to them or my download/upload speeds. The problem happens with my router, were I am losing my connection sometimes, so I should go look for another router with gigabit ports and such.

I guess I'm gonna invest in the Netgear Nighthawk X4.

 

[knitoe]

I just talked with my ISP provider, and there's no problem with my connection to them or my download/upload speeds. The problem happens with my router, were I am losing my connection sometimes, so I should go look for another router with gigabit ports and such.

I guess I'm gonna invest in the Netgear Nighthawk X4.

Didn't you say that you hooked your PC directly to the modem, totally taking your router out of the loop, and still experience half the advertise upload speeds? If so, it's not the router, but your ISP problem.

 

[Pachimari]

Didn't you say that you hooked your PC directly to the modem, totally taking your router out of the loop, and still experience half the advertise upload speeds? If so, it's not the router, but your ISP problem.

No I didn't do it directly to my modem, I did it to my router, so it was not precise, but he said I am getting the correct speeds. My main problem is, that I lose signal a couple of times though.

 

[knitoe]

No I didn't do it directly to my modem, I did it to my router, so it was not precise, but he said I am getting the correct speeds. My main problem is, that I lose signal a couple of times though.

It's probably your router, but first, I would connect directly PC directly to modem and run some speed test. Once you verify it is the router, then, go ahead and get the nighthawk.

 

[SneakyStephan]

I fucking knew it

i5 4690k: 245 euros
i5 4600k: 279 euros

10-15 percent IPC increase? 10-15 percent price increase

Just like they did with haswell
Just like did did with ivy

And to say the 2500k used to be 190 euros...
4+ years and price/performance has gone backwards instead of improving

Skylake comes out, so we should expect price drops on previous processors, right???

Here in belgium most retailers have hiked up the prices on the 4690k and 4790k now that skylake is out, to be closer to the price hike for skylake...
They did the same when haswell came out with ivy, and did the same with sandy when ivy came out.
Predictable pattern at this point, IPC increase from intel comes with equivalent price increase, and then retailers up the prices of the previous (cheaper) cpus as well.

I sent an R9 270x in for RMA and they say it's going to be 28 working days before they will repair or replace it.

I have been looking at 4GB 960 Prices and for £197 the Gigabyte G1 looks like a great card and massive bonus is that MGSV comes free with it, I have yet to buy the game and intend to in the future.

The 270X is 2GB, is it worth shelling out nearly £200 on a 4GB 960 or should I just wait for replacement 270X?

I game in 1080p and have a haswell i5 4440 so the VRAM isn't that important to me.

Can I ask what brand your 270x is so I can avoid them in the future? over a month for RMA is insane.

 

[Complex Shadow]

Asus Z170-Deluxe

This is what I was thinking of. Is there any disadvantages this board has over the "gaming" models?

 

[knitoe]

This is what I was thinking of. Is there any disadvantages this board has over the "gaming" models?

Nope. Personally, I always use Asus MBs.

 

[Complex Shadow]

Nope. Personally, I always use Asus MBs.

Cool. It also helps that now I don't have to buy a wifi card. My current one is kinda long in the tooth.

 

[Stolen Sheep]

Any UK/EU Skylake 6700k selling for the RRP? I got a Flubit order for 260 pounds delivered but they've changed the delivery date to the 30th of August which is pretty shite. If I could get one in stock for 270 I'd take it but I'm not willing to play the grossly inflated prices on Scan/eBuyer.

 

[LilJoka]

I just talked with my ISP provider, and there's no problem with my connection to them or my download/upload speeds. The problem happens with my router, were I am losing my connection sometimes, so I should go look for another router with gigabit ports and such.

I guess I'm gonna invest in the Netgear Nighthawk X4.

Have you checked the router sync speeds?
Have you checked that no programs are uploading files in the background (Windows 10 update sharing, torrents, cloud sync, google music uploading etc...)

 

[NoMoreTrolls]

Alright, GAF, I'm having some issues. It's been a few months since I built my PC, and I'm having an issue with DPC Latency. I have downloaded some latency checkers, and I'm getting latency numbers in the tens of thousands. It's causing streamed audio to crackle and pop, though my video games and anything on my hard drive don't seem to get affected as badly. I've tried going through my system devices and disabling things one by one to fix it, and nothing seems to work. Should I just take the PC to some PC repair place to get it fixed? Has anyone else had DPC latency issues?

 

[tcrunch]

Last time I asked around various computer-related forums about upgrading, I was told to wait till Skylake (I think it was Skylake). Skylake is out and it has middling reviews or whatever, but it's out. Can I start researching a new PC now or is there something else coming this year? My old toaster is really starting to hurt on new games, I keep having to turn the settings down.

 

[j0hnny_385]

Regarding the free Win 10 upgrade:
Am I required to update my current 8.1 installation at least once, and then do a clean install or can I immediately format my PC and do a clean install without upgrading first? I just use my 8.1 key for 10, right?

 

[Ronin Ray]

Is SuperBiiz a site I should trust to order parts from?

 

[M.D]

Can you download AS SSD and post a bench?

Don't keep on running benchmarks on SSDs. Most of them have built in routines to lower speeds so you don't shorten their lifetime by writing excessive data over a small timeframe. If this happens, just run them like normal for a few days and they should return to regular speeds. Only run the benchmarks if you feel something is wrong.

Guess I'll run this AS SSD next time if something is wrong then? ;s

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

Regarding the free Win 10 upgrade:
Am I required to update my current 8.1 installation at least once, and then do a clean install or can I immediately format my PC and do a clean install without upgrading first? I just use my 8.1 key for 10, right?

You have to upgrade first.

 

[RGM79]

Alright, GAF, I'm having some issues. It's been a few months since I built my PC, and I'm having an issue with DPC Latency. I have downloaded some latency checkers, and I'm getting latency numbers in the tens of thousands. It's causing streamed audio to crackle and pop, though my video games and anything on my hard drive don't seem to get affected as badly. I've tried going through my system devices and disabling things one by one to fix it, and nothing seems to work. Should I just take the PC to some PC repair place to get it fixed? Has anyone else had DPC latency issues?

Have you tried different drivers? Or even a fresh install of Windows?

 

[mrklaw]

I just talked with my ISP provider, and there's no problem with my connection to them or my download/upload speeds. The problem happens with my router, were I am losing my connection sometimes, so I should go look for another router with gigabit ports and such.

I guess I'm gonna invest in the Netgear Nighthawk X4.

I think you are wasting your money - but it is yours to waste.

If you have issues with upload speeds, then call your ISP. If you want faster LAN speeds across your house, just hook up a gigabit switch.

If you think a new router will help, just get a budget one with a built in gigabit switch. You don't have enough wireless devices to justify such an expensive wireless router - and I doubt enough of them are ac to take advantage either?

 

[RGM79]

Last time I asked around various computer-related forums about upgrading, I was told to wait till Skylake (I think it was Skylake). Skylake is out and it has middling reviews or whatever, but it's out. Can I start researching a new PC now or is there something else coming this year? My old toaster is really starting to hurt on new games, I keep having to turn the settings down.

Yes, you definitely can, there's nothing else slated for this year. You were told to wait and see how Skylake turns out in case upgrading back then turned out to be a bad idea.

What are your current PC specs? Budget? Country?

Regarding the free Win 10 upgrade:
Am I required to update my current 8.1 installation at least once, and then do a clean install or can I immediately format my PC and do a clean install without upgrading first? I just use my 8.1 key for 10, right?

You need to upgrade first and then you can do a clean install afterward. Windows 10 does not activate with license keys from previous versions of Windows. See here for more information and a guide on doing a clean installation. The relevant bits are as follows, quoted from that guide:

When you upgrade a Windows 7 or 8.1 system to Windows 10, the installer confirms that you have a “genuine Windows” system installed and activates your computer for use with Windows 10. Note that you don’t actually get a Windows 10 product key — instead, your computer’s hardware is registered with Microsoft’s servers. When you install Windows 10 on that PC again in the future, it will check in with Microsoft’s servers, confirm it’s installed on a registered PC, and automatically activate itself.

If you don’t take advantage of the upgrade process first, this registration will never happen. There’s no way to enter a Windows 7 or 8.1 key into the Windows 10 installer, nor is there some sort of web form that will give you a Windows 10 key if you provide your Windows 7 or 8.1 key. Sorry — you’ll have to upgrade to Windows 10 before you can perform a clean install.​

Is SuperBiiz a site I should trust to order parts from?

If you don't trust them, then you don't have to order from them. I don't think anyone here who has ordered from them has had any issues, though. Do you have any specific concerns?

 

[jwhit28]

Is SuperBiiz a site I should trust to order parts from?

I ordered my CPU and motherboard from them a couple of weeks ago and it got here on time and undamaged.

 

[NoMoreTrolls]

Have you tried different drivers? Or even a fresh install of Windows?

I did a fresh install, but to no avail. I'm going to reinstall all drivers again, but I don't have a disc drive so it's a bit difficult.

 

[Ronin Ray]

If you don't trust them, then you don't have to order from them. I don't think anyone here who has ordered from them has had any issues, though. Do you have any specific concerns?

No I just haven't heard of them before and wanted some feedback

 

[Wowfunhappy]

So, um... Skyline came out, right?

I can't actually find any websites selling the processors...

 

[Visualante2]

Been using an Apple keyboard on Windows for 5 years. Unfortunately broke, so I'm looking for a cheaper chiclet style alternative. I read Water's post that many scissor keyboards aren't really built to last. Seems like the Logitech gamer editions are even more than the Apple one so I might just stick with what I know.

Appreciate any suggestions. Oh yes, must be wired.

I see Cherry have an aluminum keyboard. Shame Microsoft's Designer Desktop is not available wired. Looks perfect.

 

[Pachimari]

I think you are wasting your money - but it is yours to waste.

If you have issues with upload speeds, then call your ISP. If you want faster LAN speeds across your house, just hook up a gigabit switch.

If you think a new router will help, just get a budget one with a built in gigabit switch. You don't have enough wireless devices to justify such an expensive wireless router - and I doubt enough of them are ac to take advantage either?

Very good feedback. I only have 2 desktop computer, a WiFi printer, 2 phones, PS3, 360, Vita TV and a PS4 in a one room apartment.

Maybe I just need a cheap one with a built in gigabit switch as you say. But what is it exactly a gigabit port do? A more reliable connection?

Because I want my internet to not drop so often. That's my primary complain right now, it is that the internet drops so often.

 

[Rufus]

Regarding the free Win 10 upgrade:
Am I required to update my current 8.1 installation at least once, and then do a clean install or can I immediately format my PC and do a clean install without upgrading first? I just use my 8.1 key for 10, right?

You have to upgrade to register your system's "fingerprint", which will function as your key.

 

[RGM79]

Very good feedback. I only have 2 desktop computer, a WiFi printer, 2 phones, PS3, 360, Vita TV and a PS4 in a one room apartment.

Maybe I just need a cheap one with a built in gigabit switch as you say. But what is it exactly a gigabit port do? A more reliable connection?

Because I want my internet to not drop so often. That's my primary complain right now, it is that the internet drops so often.

Gigabit ports allow hard-wired devices to connect at a faster speed.

Sorry, I'm still not entire sure - is it only your wifi signal that's dropping out or do even wired connections occasionally fail?

So, um... Skyline came out, right?

I can't actually find any websites selling the processors...

What country are you in?

I did a fresh install, but to no avail. I'm going to reinstall all drivers again, but I don't have a disc drive so it's a bit difficult.

I usually download all of the latest drivers from the motherboard manufacturer's website, and keep it on a USB drive.