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[RGM79]

Here's the rub: My PC is dead and my mom wants to buy me one as a late christmas gift. She refuses to buy me the pieces to make one, so a prebuilt is my only option. However, I'm looking for one I can upgrade relatively soon, so in short, I need a good "starting point" for an okay gaming computer.

The most optimal thing would be something with a quad core right from the get go. I can buy a graphics card and ram later. I was looking at this:

http://www.microcenter.com/product/442222/GX990_Desktop_Computer_Off_Lease_Refurbished

I don't even know if it can be upgraded with a graphics card, but this is about what I'm looking for.

Does this work, GAF?

That's a ~4 year old small form factor used business PC. I have no idea what games you play, but it probably won't take new graphics cards due to proprietary case and power supply limitations. Don't even want to guess what low end motherboard is in there.

What's your budget? What if you just get your mother to give you the the money as a gift rather than outright buying a prebuilt?

What about your old PC? How did it die exactly? Specs? The entire thing can't be dead, it's probably just one broken part. You could replace whatever broke.

Figured this was the best place to ask, so here goes. I've recently come across an old PS3 fat console that hasn't been in use for a year or two. The thing stopped reading discs but that's as much as I can remember about its faults. Is there anything in there, bar the HDD or Blu Ray drive (which must be broken in some capacity), that might be worth keeping? If there are useful parts inside the machine I'd rather put them towards something before throwing it out.

Apologies if stoopid.

I really have no idea. It's not really related to gaming PCs. Maybe you can sell it for scrap/salvage on classified ads like craigslist.

 

[TheSpoiler]

That's a ~4 year old small form factor used business PC. I have no idea what games you play, but it probably won't take new graphics cards due to proprietary case and power supply limitations. Don't even want to guess what low end motherboard is in there.

What's your budget? What if you just get your mother to give you the the money as a gift rather than outright buying a prebuilt?

What about your old PC? How did it die exactly? Specs? The entire thing can't be dead, it's probably just one broken part. You could replace whatever broke.



I really have no idea. It's not really related to gaming PCs. Maybe you can sell it for scrap/salvage on classified ads like craigslist.

She's able to use that "Bill Me Later" thingy so that's why she can afford to do this. My budget is around the lower end of 400, but she doesn't have the funds up front.

As for my older computer, it was getting long in the tooth. The PSU is blown, and it's not too much to fix, the actual unit is probably just as bad as the one I listed.

 

[kennah]

She's able to use that "Bill Me Later" thingy so that's why she can afford to do this. My budget is around the lower end of 400, but she doesn't have the funds up front.

As for my older computer, it was getting long in the tooth. The PSU is blown, and it's not too much to fix, the actual unit is probably just as bad as the one I listed.

Even long in the tooth should have parts like hard drive and maybe even ram. Please share the specs. Computers really haven't changed much in 4 years so you likely have reusable parts.

 

[louiedog]

The price difference on this RAM is $3, so let's ignore it. Which do I go for?

G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB)

• DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900)
• Timing 9-10-9-28
• Cas Latency 9
• Voltage 1.5V

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB)

• DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
• Timing 9-9-9-24-2N
• Cas Latency 9
• Voltage 1.5V

Am I going to notice the difference between 1600 and 1866? I don't know anything about memory timing.

 

[TheSpoiler]

Even long in the tooth should have parts like hard drive and maybe even ram. Please share the specs. Computers really haven't changed much in 4 years so you likely have reusable parts.

PSU is dead and the hard dive is on its last legs anyway.

2.4GHZ Dual Core
AMD Athlon X2 5220
4GB

I'll try and find the rest of the specs. I wrote them down somewhere..

 

[RGM79]

She's able to use that "Bill Me Later" thingy so that's why she can afford to do this. My budget is around the lower end of 400, but she doesn't have the funds up front.

As for my older computer, it was getting long in the tooth. The PSU is blown, and it's not too much to fix, the actual unit is probably just as bad as the one I listed.

Well, if both computers are about the same and the rest of your computer works, spending $50 on a power supply is preferable to spending $400 on a new PC that can't accept any gaming graphics cards.

 

[RGM79]

The price difference on this RAM is $3, so let's ignore it. Which do I go for?

G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB)

• DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900)
• Timing 9-10-9-28
• Cas Latency 9
• Voltage 1.5V

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB)

• DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
• Timing 9-9-9-24-2N
• Cas Latency 9
• Voltage 1.5V

Am I going to notice the difference between 1600 and 1866? I don't know anything about memory timing.

There's no reason not to go for the faster RAM.

 

[hitgirl]

There's no problem throttling down the Noctua fans 3,000RPM right? That's all I could find available when I needed them but I plan on running them at about 1,000RPM at load and lower for idle.

 

[louiedog]

There's no reason not to go for the faster RAM.

Thanks

 

[TheSpoiler]

Well, if both computers are about the same and the rest of your computer works, spending $50 on a power supply is preferable to spending $400 on a new PC that can't accept any gaming graphics cards.

That's a good point.

So if I wanted to fix this big guy and upgrade it, I'm looking at:

A quad core
A new graphics card
And 4GB more

Along with a new PSU.

That might end up being less than 400, provided I put it together properly.

 

[OverturePT]

Ok, guys, so I need a new CPU for quite a while now. I'm thinking about the i7 4790K in the 300€ range, is it a good choice? I'll also need a new motherboard but I don't really want to go over 100€ for this, I'll probably go with an Intel Z97-P.

Btw, I never had a CPU with a processor graphics whatever bullcrap, is that going to give me a headache or conflict with my graphics card or whatever?

Anyway, any recommendations would be appreciated, I've been out of the loop.

 

[RGM79]

That's a good point.

So if I wanted to fix this big guy and upgrade it, I'm looking at:

A quad core
A new graphics card
And 4GB more

Along with a new PSU.

That might end up being less than 400, provided I put it together properly.

Is your current memory DDR3? I can recommend you the following parts if you can reuse the old RAM:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Dual-X Video Card ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CSM 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $442.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-02 14:47 EST-0500

On the other hand, I checked Microcenter and they had this, which is alright..

http://www.microcenter.com/product/439376/Aspire_ATC-605-UR2G_Desktop_Computer

No graphics card though, so you'll still be stuck with your old one. Otherwise, the processor is about the same, it's a complete PC, the only advantage the parts above have over this prebuilt is the inclusion of a midrange graphics card. However, I have no idea what the power supply is like so it may need to be upgraded in the future.

Ok, guys, so I need a new CPU for quite a while now. I'm thinking about the i7 4790K in the 300€ range, is it a good choice? I'll also need a new motherboard but I don't really want to go over 100€ for this, I'll probably go with an Intel Z97-P.

Btw, I never had a CPU with a processor graphics whatever bullcrap, is that going to give me a headache or conflict with my graphics card or whatever?

Anyway, any recommendations would be appreciated, I've been out of the loop.

It depends on what games you play, but the cheaper i5 4690K will be more or less identical in most games compared to the i7 4790K, except for the ones that require really strong processors. Scroll down to the framerate scores, and you'll see near identical performance.

Where are you buying the parts? What country? I could recommend you a cheaper motherboard for the price if I knew what retailers you might be buying from.

No, the integrated graphics will not be a problem. Windows and the motherboard are made to automatically use only either integrated OR discrete graphics - they will never interfere with a graphics card.

 

[TheSpoiler]

Is your current memory DDR3? I can recommend you the following parts if you can reuse the old RAM:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($187.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Superclocked Video Card ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 750W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $430.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-02 14:34 EST-0500

Otherwise, I checked Microcenter and they had this, which is alright..

http://www.microcenter.com/product/439376/Aspire_ATC-605-UR2G_Desktop_Computer

No graphics card though, so you'll still be stuck with your old one. I have no idea what the power supply is like, it may need to be upgraded in the future. However, it's pretty much complete and working, the only advantage the parts above have over this prebuilt is the inclusion of a midrange graphics card.

Ohh that prebuilt actually might work! I'll just get a new graphics card (and power supply) a few weeks after.

Thank you so much for your help. You guys are the best.

 

[RGM79]

Ohh that prebuilt actually might work! I'll just get a new graphics card (and power supply) a few weeks after.

Thank you so much for your help. You guys are the best.

Just to let you know, I looked up the specs on that prebuilt:

http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/model/DT.SRQAA.036

The power supply is a measly 200 watts - just so you'll know, you'll definitely need to upgrade the power supply when you get a new graphics card, so you'll need to budget an additional $50 or so.

 

[Blitzhex]

They'll run a bit hot but should be fine. Just check the temps to make sure they're not dangerously hot. I'd also refrain from overclocking much, just to be safe.

Sounds good, going to try out my first sli.

I think I'm going to stick with a 4.8GHz overclock on my i7-4790k. Tried hitting 4.9GHz with VCore = 1.340V and VRing = 1.280V, but it failed Intel Extreme Tuning stress test after 20 minutes or so, temps getting up to 76 for one core.

XTU is very bad for stability testing. I do 24 hour prime95 (ver 26.6) small FTTs with gaming on top of it to make sure my OC is absolutely stable, while having ram at stock clocks. I've never seen a BSOD or crash in 7+ years this way.

 

[OverturePT]

It depends on what games you play, but the cheaper i5 4690K will be more or less identical in most games compared to the i7 4790K, except for the ones that require really strong processors. Scroll down to the framerate scores, and you'll see near identical performance.

Where are you buying the parts? What country? I could recommend you a cheaper motherboard for the price if I knew what retailers you might be buying from.

No, the integrated graphics will not be a problem. Windows and the motherboard are made to automatically use only either integrated OR discrete graphics - they will never interfere with a graphics card.

Mostly preparing for a few new games in 2015 as my old i5 760 is, well... old. I play ARMA 3 as well which is quite a bit CPU intensive but seeing those benchmarks I was expecting the hyper threading of the 4790K to make a little more of a difference but really, I don't even know if games have started to take advantage of that, so yea.

For the motherboad I was looking at the H97M-E as well since it is a bit cheaper.

I'm in Portugal btw, so any retailer that ships to the rest of Europe is fine.

 

[Heyt]

Hi PC GAF. Some friend asked me for advice for getting a new PC. It is not intended to be a high end gaming PC or anything like that. Just for her to get along and play some games from time to time without too much of a headache. The problem is that I am not an expert at all to help her out at all so I'm asking you for a bit of advice/ help. We are looking for a 600-700€ machine. We have to get a screen, a case, assembling cost and keyboard in there too.

So far we've looked into a machine like this:

Processor Intel Core i5-3340 3.1Ghz Box
Motherboard Asus H61M-K
Cooling Cooler Master Dream i117
RAM Corsair XMS3 DDR3 1600 PC-12800 8GB CL9
Hard Drive 1 Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB SATA3
Hard Drive 2 [undecided, something cheap just for OS]
Power source AeroCool KCAS 600W 80 Plus Bronze
Graphics card Gigabyte GeForce GT730 2GB GDDR5
DVD reader/recorder Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD recorder 24X Black
Screen LG 22M45HQ-B 22" LED
Keyboard Logitech Keyboard K120
Case Tacens Mars Gaming MC1 V2

It seems something like this would fit her needs but honestly we're a bit clueless about it. Any advice is welcome.

 

[Miutsu]

So as a first time overclocker I got my i5 4690k to 4.4Ghz with 1.225 core voltage (tried 1.200 and 1.250 and both gave me BSOD when stress testing).

I used prime95 small fft test and OCCT mostly for 10 mims each, also tried several games and everything seems stable. With prime95 the hotest temp overall was 76c (however I haven't seen temps this high while gaming).

What I wanted to know is, did I do good? Or did I overdo it? RealTemp reports 30-32~ish, the CPU is equipped with a CM Hyper Evo 212 and the chasis has one intake and one exhaust fan, both connected to the MB.

Since its my first time overclocking I wanted some feedback and to know I won't kill my CPU (which I would like to last me 3-4 years).

Any Feedback on this? Also wanted to add that I didn't mess with VRing as I haven't understood it really well yet.

 

[NoRéN]

Selling some low profile RAM.

G.SKILL Ares Series 2x4GB DDR3 RAM
DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
Timing 9-9-9
Cas Latency 9
Voltage 1.5V

$55 shipped.

PM me if interested.

 

[RGM79]

Hi PC GAF. Some friend asked me for advice for getting a new PC. It is not intended to be a high end gaming PC or anything like that. Just for her to get along and play some games from time to time without too much of a headache. The problem is that I am not an expert at all to help her out at all so I'm asking you for a bit of advice/ help. We are looking for a 600-700€ machine. We have to get a screen, a case, assembling cost and keyboard in there too.

So far we've looked into a machine like this:

Processor Intel Core i5-3340 3.1Ghz Box
Motherboard Asus H61M-K
Cooling Cooler Master Dream i117
RAM Corsair XMS3 DDR3 1600 PC-12800 8GB CL9
Hard Drive 1 Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB SATA3
Hard Drive 2 [undecided, something cheap just for OS]
Power source AeroCool KCAS 600W 80 Plus Bronze
Graphics card Gigabyte GeForce GT730 2GB GDDR5
DVD reader/recorder Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD recorder 24X Black
Screen LG 22M45HQ-B 22" LED
Keyboard Logitech Keyboard K120
Case Tacens Mars Gaming MC1 V2

It seems something like this would fit her needs but honestly we're a bit clueless about it. Any advice is welcome.

Euro? Which country exactly? The H61 motherboard and i5 3XXX parts are "obsolete" but not outdated, however I can't really recommend them when there are newer parts that will serve you just fine.

Mostly preparing for a few new games in 2015 as my old i5 760 is, well... old. I play ARMA 3 as well which is quite a bit CPU intensive but seeing those benchmarks I was expecting the hyper threading of the 4790K to make a little more of a difference but really, I don't even know if games have started to take advantage of that, so yea.

For the motherboad I was looking at the H97M-E as well since it is a bit cheaper.

I'm in Portugal btw, so any retailer that ships to the rest of Europe is fine.

PCPartPicker has a database of prices for Spain, so I think I can make you some recommendations. What's your overall budget? 400€? Do you already have a CPU cooler?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (€220.00 @ Amazon Espana)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (€95.90 @ Amazon Espana)
Total: €315.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-02 21:29 CET+0100

Unfortunately, Arma 3 requires extremely high power CPU to get high framerates at higher graphics settings.

 

[knitoe]

Any Feedback on this? Also wanted to add that I didn't mess with VRing as I haven't understood it really well yet.

I already responded. As long as you keep it under 85C and 1.35V, the CPU will be fine for many years. You will be replacing it way before then. VR settings if you want to extract even more OC. Not needed for the none HC OCer.

And, if going from 1.225 to 1.250 causes BSOD, it probably means you did not stress test it long enough. Testing for 10 mins is not long enough. That's only to get you a quick number so you adjust. Once you reach a number, go 2-4 hrs for stability testing. For 100% stability, people go 24 hrs.

 

[TheSpoiler]

Just to let you know, I looked up the specs on that prebuilt:

http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/model/DT.SRQAA.036

The power supply is a measly 200 watts - just so you'll know, you'll definitely need to upgrade the power supply when you get a new graphics card, so you'll need to budget an additional $50 or so.

Good to know!

 

[OverturePT]

PCPartPicker has a database of prices for Spain, so I think I can make you some recommendations. What's your overall budget? 400€? Do you already have a CPU cooler?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (€220.00 @ Amazon Espana)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (€95.90 @ Amazon Espana)
Total: €315.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-02 21:29 CET+0100

Unfortunately, Arma 3 requires extremely high power CPU to get high framerates at higher graphics settings.

Yes, I have a Hyper 212 Plus cooler, nothing special but does the job as I barely overclock. The budget is around 400€, yes, and by those prices I can even get those parts here in a local store with only the CPU being 10€ more but I can pick it up and build it in the same day as opposed to waiting for it to ship.

About ARMA 3, playing it at high settings is something I don't dream of, really, I just want a better performance overall and don't mind having the settings turned down.


Thanks for the recommendations, you were a big help.

 

[Miutsu]

I already responded. As long as you keep it under 85C and 1.35V, the CPU will be fine for many years. You will be replacing it way before then. VR settings if you want to extract even more OC. Not needed for the none HC OCer.

And, if going from 1.225 to 1.250 causes BSOD, it probably means you did not stress test it long enough. Testing for 10 mins is not long enough. That's only to get you a quick number so you adjust. Once you reach a number, go 2-4 hrs for stability testing. For 100% stability, people go 24 hrs.

Sorry! I've been reading the thread but missed your reply completely, good to know that those temps/voltage are safe.

About the stress testing I didn't want to put the OC to test for that much time since I had read that it may be bad for the CPU health to stress test it for 24 hrs, but I'll take your advice and really take my time to stress test it once I'm able to (right know I've got to dismantle the PC since I'm going back to my country). Thanks a lot!

 

[The Llama]

Sorry! I've been reading the thread but missed your reply completely, good to know that those temps/voltage are safe.

About the stress testing I didn't want to put the OC to test for that much time since I had read that it may be bad for the CPU health to stress test it for 24 hrs, but I'll take your advice and really take my time to stress test it once I'm able to (right know I've got to dismantle the PC since I'm going back to my country). Thanks a lot!

If you're constantly stressing a CPU for 24 hours at a time, yeah, thats bad. But doing it once or twice to verify an overclock is good won't hurt it. By not testing your CPU for longer, you're actually just hurting yourself, since your CPU might not be receiving enough voltage and your computer could crash at any time.

 

[TheSpoiler]

Just to let you know, I looked up the specs on that prebuilt:

http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/model/DT.SRQAA.036

The power supply is a measly 200 watts - just so you'll know, you'll definitely need to upgrade the power supply when you get a new graphics card, so you'll need to budget an additional $50 or so.

Sorry for the double post, but how do I find out if it can be upgraded? The specs page tells me nothing!

 

[RGM79]

Sorry for the double post, but how do I find out if it can be upgraded? The specs page tells me nothing!

If it fits, then it fits. Prebuilt computers generally aren't designed to be upgraded. Unfortunately, you will have to find out details on your own, like what motherboard it has and how much room the case has. You could try contacting Acer support.

 

[Miutsu]

If you're constantly stressing a CPU for 24 hours at a time, yeah, thats bad. But doing it once or twice to verify an overclock is good won't hurt it. By not testing your CPU for longer, you're actually just hurting yourself, since your CPU might not be receiving enough voltage and your computer could crash at any time.

So, what would be the recommended course of action in case the stress testing fails at some point in the 24hrs? Since both -25 and +25 have given me BSOD before, then I guess I should go down x1 with the CPU multiplier and test again?

 

[Easy_D]

Since my question went largely (fully) ignored last page, what's the best GPU I could get for around 100 dollars/euros? I'd be willing to stretch to 150. Totally not expecting to run everything at max graphics and a stable 60 or anything, but I need to smash my backup GPU with a hammer as fast as possible.

My HD5870 fried with my old motherboard it seems, at least I think so since putting it in results with my computer not posting, GPU fan seems to work though so I dunno if it's completely borked, I have no experience with this crap

 

[kharma45]

Since my question went largely (fully) ignored last page, what's the best GPU I could get for around 100 dollars/euros? I'd be willing to stretch to 150. Totally not expecting to run everything at max graphics and a stable 60 or anything, but I need to smash my backup GPU with a hammer as fast as possible.

My HD5870 fried with my old motherboard it seems, at least I think so since putting it in results with my computer not posting, GPU fan seems to work though so I dunno if it's completely borked, I have no experience with this crap

Where are you buying? Prices are a lot different between the two currencies.

 

[Jimmy Rustle]

Is an SLI bridge necessary?

I just installed my two 970s, but I found out a few days ago that my MB didn't come with one, so I had to order one. Couldn't resist anymore and poped em in. Nvidia control panel detects both and I have the option to enable SLI, but im just sitting here waiting for the damn mail man to deliver the bridge today.

 

[zyxwvu4321]

XTU is very bad for stability testing. I do 24 hour prime95 (ver 26.6) small FTTs with gaming on top of it to make sure my OC is absolutely stable, while having ram at stock clocks. I've never seen a BSOD or crash in 7+ years this way.

Hmm, ok. I'll have to give that a try next time I'm off work. I had been avoiding prime95 because of this overclocking guide. Thanks!

 

[Rebel Leader]

My computer started up, shutdown again


this time the action report showed:

igfxCUIService service module stopped working

Some said making igfxCUIService.exe run in compatibility mode helped, gonna try it.

 

[knitoe]

Is an SLI bridge necessary?

I just installed my two 970s, but I found out a few days ago that my MB didn't come with one, so I had to order one. Couldn't resist anymore and poped em in. Nvidia control panel detects both and I have the option to enable SLI, but im just sitting here waiting for the damn mail man to deliver the bridge today.

Yes. It's required.

 

[Addnan]

Is an SLI bridge necessary?

I just installed my two 970s, but I found out a few days ago that my MB didn't come with one, so I had to order one. Couldn't resist anymore and poped em in. Nvidia control panel detects both and I have the option to enable SLI, but im just sitting here waiting for the damn mail man to deliver the bridge today.

Are there any SLI boards that don't come with a bridge..? Sure you don't just have one that just supports crossfire?

 

[Easy_D]

Where are you buying? Prices are a lot different between the two currencies.

Sweden, I have my eyes set on a GTX 750 and a 770, which are 100/150 each and going by benchmarks there's a pretty big gap between the two.

 

[Jimmy Rustle]

Are there any SLI boards that don't come with a bridge..? Sure you don't just have one that just supports crossfire?

Yep, MSI Z87-G45. SLI Ready. Both cards seem to be detected just fine.

 

[LilJoka]

Hmm, ok. I'll have to give that a try next time I'm off work. I had been avoiding prime95 because of this overclocking guide. Thanks!

prime95 v28 must be avoided on Haswell since it uses AVX2 instructions which cause the CPU to be supplied more juice causing silly high temps.

Prime95 V27 is fine to use, Aida64, real bench are other alternatives. A mix of each is a good final test.

 

[kharma45]

Sweden, I have my eyes set on a GTX 750 and a 770, which are 100/150 each and going by benchmarks there's a pretty big gap between the two.

770 is massively quicker, different class of card altogether.

760 is a solid card still too if you don't want to spend quite as much as a 770.

 

[JetForceGemini]

Okay so I decided once my i7 come, to sell my g3258 and 750 ti together in a bundle for 100 dollars plus shipping, which would save someone so much money

 

[TheSpoiler]

If it fits, then it fits. Prebuilt computers generally aren't designed to be upgraded. Unfortunately, you will have to find out details on your own, like what motherboard it has and how much room the case has. You could try contacting Acer support.

Yeah, this is too much. What I'll probably do is try and convince her of just dropping some cash towards a Newegg cart provided they have Bill Me Later or something.

 

[Easy_D]

770 is massively quicker, different class of card altogether.

760 is a solid card still too if you don't want to spend quite as much as a 770.

Well, I get some extra money this month so if the 770 really is that much better I know what I'm getting. Thanks for the input

Just checked out recommended PSU Wattage and it seems my PSU is good to go with that GPU/CPU combo with a bunch to spare. Can't wait to go back to playing games that aren't TF2 (which runs much better despite my GPU downgrade), 7 year old budget GPUs reallyaren't doing it for me :lol

Edit: Further checking it seems it pretty much destroys the HD5870 I had as well

Edit #2: I am dumb. I was talking about the GTX750 vs 760 :lol. Still, the 760 seems to do well enough for my needs, especially since I'll be gaming at 1080p.

 

[zyxwvu4321]

prime95 v28 must be avoided on Haswell since it uses AVX2 instructions which cause the CPU to be supplied more juice causing silly high temps.

Prime95 V27 is fine to use, Aida64, real bench are other alternatives. A mix of each is a good final test.

Got it. Thanks!

 

[The Llama]

prime95 v28 must be avoided on Haswell since it uses AVX2 instructions which cause the CPU to be supplied more juice causing silly high temps.

Prime95 V27 is fine to use, Aida64, real bench are other alternatives. A mix of each is a good final test.

Even then I think it only affects the CPU if you don't set the voltage manually.

 

[LegendofJoe]

Went ahead and bought the rest of the parts I needed to finish my build. It will be the first computer I've ever built and I'm so damn excited. I feel like Cartman waiting for the Wii.

 

[CreepingFear]

I have about $440. Not sure if I want to use it to upgrade my computer or save it for a future build. I originally was going to use it when I had about only $200 to buy a 4TB drive to replace my other 2TB Hitachi drive that died on me, but now I'm thinking that I should just be less of a digital pack rat. Current specs.

Core i7 2600k oced to 4.4ghz
P8P67 Pro
16GB GSkill Ram
EVGA 780 Ti Classified
Samsung 830 256GB SSD-Boot drive
2TB Seagate HDD- Porn and Movies
Corsair AX850 PSU
Corsair 600T Computer Case
Samsung P2770HD main monitor
Asus VN279 second monitor in portrait mode
Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2013
Razer Blackwidow Naga 2012


I'm kind of thinking about putting the $440 towards a future Skylake build.

 

[espher]

So, I had this power supply in a build I purchased from NCIX. I am now being told they don't actually have it, and my options are either to wait (can potentially cause problems for my MIRs), or see about substituting it for something else.

Any recommendations for a swap that are in a range they would likely be willing to sub? I'm tempted to just ask about the 750 since it's in stock and has a $10 higher MSRP (and I'd probably eat that difference), but is there a 'better' alternative for me to explore? I've had good experience with Corsair stuff (I know others here have said they haven't), but my brand loyalty isn't super strong... the issue is I got it at a good price w/ a MIR on top, so... yeah.

 

[ekgrey]

I have about $440. Not sure if I want to use it to upgrade my computer or save it for a future build. I originally was going to use it when I had about only $200 to buy a 4TB drive to replace my other 2TB Hitachi drive that died on me, but now I'm thinking that I should just be less of a digital pack rat. Current specs.

Core i7 2600k oced to 4.4ghz
P8P67 Pro
16GB GSkill Ram
EVGA 780 Ti Classified
Samsung 830 256GB SSD-Boot drive
2TB Seagate HDD- Porn and Movies
Corsair AX850 PSU
Corsair 600T Computer Case
Samsung P2770HD main monitor
Asus VN279 second monitor in portrait mode
Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2013
Razer Blackwidow Naga 2012


I'm kind of thinking about putting the $440 towards a future Skylake build.

other than accessories/fun stuff like upgrading fans, getting a sound card, etc., not really sure what you'd gain from upgrading at this point. unless you wanna build a custom loop.

i'd bank it for future goodies, myself.

 

[Jothel]

hey guys - I live in Japan and want to build a PC. I've built one before so I know I can do I it but I'm far from an expert - not sure what is compatible with what etc. I have a budget of around 150k Yen, around $1500 I guess? I don't really know where to start with this budget and I've been out of the loop for a while so any help would be great thanks =D

*edit* this will primarily be for gaming.

 

[CreepingFear]

other than accessories/fun stuff like upgrading fans, getting a sound card, etc., not really sure what you'd gain from upgrading at this point. unless you wanna build a custom loop.

i'd bank it for future goodies, myself.

I just have that itch. My computer minus the graphics card upgrade, will be 4 years old this March. I successfully didn't buy a thing during the steam sale, so I think deep down I want to save the money for when I really need to upgrade.