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[Tabasco]

A system restore won't remove an SSD firmware update.
I'd run an sfc /scannow and a memtest86+ overnight.

My first suspensions with an HDD would be HDD incoming failure or a corrupted install due to memory, but on SSDs that is much rarer.

Ran an sfc /scannow and no issues.

Will do the memtest86+ again for a full night and see what happens. I'm not expecting any errors to pop up, though.

If I'm wrong, I'll swap out the RAM sticks for new ones. If I'm right, what else should I try?

 

[Hazaro]

Ran an sfc /scannow and no issues.

Will do the memtest86+ again for a full night and see what happens. I'm not expecting any errors to pop up, though.

If I'm wrong, I'll swap out the RAM sticks for new ones. If I'm right, what else should I try?

Can try an SSD health bench but I doubt anything shows.

Have a good backup handy. Can't think of anything off top of my head, always just fixed the problem at work and sent it off, if it comes back replace HDD. That's why I'm wondering about it on an SSD.

 

[trh]

Man, I'm looking at monitors and it's a headache and a half. It seems like no matter what you end up in a situation where you're forced to make a trade-off. So I'm at a crossroads where I can't decide which I'd rather have out of 4k, 144hz, or something that won't cost a lot.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

Man, I'm looking at monitors and it's a headache and a half. It seems like no matter what you end up in a situation where you're forced to make a trade-off. So I'm at a crossroads where I can't decide which I'd rather have out of 4k, 144hz, or something that won't cost a lot.

This is what upset me too. Lol.
Take your Gpu into mind, if it can drive 4k or whatnot.

 

[Pollux]

Best thing to do is to download all the latest motherboard drivers using your current pc onto a flash drive, pop it into your new pc once the os is installed.

For first time builders I recommend using one of the tutorial vids in post #2 of this thread, just follow along with what they do.

Parts look good to me.

This might be a stupid question, but I currently have a Mac, can I download them off that? Or will it not work bc if the Mac --> PC?

I'd change a few things, some to save money, others for better parts.

The SSD and Gigabyte R9 290 I chose are better. If you're interested in a white NZXT case instead, I recommend the NZXT Source 210 Elite, it's only about $40 which makes it $10-20 cheaper than the S340 and comes in white or black. If you don't mind a non-modular power supply, there's the Antec TruePower Classic 650 watt gold rated PSU which is actually made by Seasonic. If you won't be running SLI, you can get a cheaper motherboard like the ASRock I selected.

I managed to make it cheaper while including a heatsink that will let you do moderate overclocking and be quieter and cooler than the stock Intel cooler.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.95 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($96.48 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 Low Profile Blue 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($67.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($269.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($51.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Antec TruePower Classic 650W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $895.08
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-27 00:04 EST-0500



All the wires and cords you need should be included. Motherboard has onboard ethernet and comes with SATA cables. Case comes with non-removable cables for switches and USB ports. Power supply comes with power cable. You could get extra fans if you like for more airflow, but that's optional, you can always add extra fans later if you find temperatures to be a bit high. If you need wifi connectivity, you can add that later too.

Nice...thanks. I'm still tweaking a bit and trying to figure out if, budget wise, I can splurge on a 980. If I were to change that R9 290 to the 980 what else, if anything in that build would change?

And do I need the CPU cooler? I've watched videos on installing it and I'm terrified I'm going to drill holes in the wrong place and ruin the motherboard

 

[snoopeasystreet]

is the 290 the card to get at the moment or should I wait for a while? I originally intended on getting a 970 but that seems like a no go for the moment.

 

[CBTech]

As for GPU, AMD is expected to release their R9 3xx series flagship graphics cards in Q2 2015, which means they should be out before Intel's new processors.

The issue with the GTX 970s is that they have this hardware design issue that prevents them from effectively using the full 4GB of the graphics card's design. The flaw only appears in scenarios requiring most of the GTX 970's memory, which is to say it doesn't really happen often as of now, but is definitely going to be a problem in the future, and on higher game resolutions that will use up more memory.

About Intel's consumer stuff and Z97 and X99: To put it simply, Intel has two product lines for consumer computers. Z97 and X99 refer to motherboard types, they accept different types of processors. Z97 (and a couple of other motherboard types) covers the low to mid range of computers, while X99 is Intel's high end line. Z97 is usually enough for most people, but those with money or need for high power go with X99.

So is Skylake going to fit into the midrange for whatever replaces Z97 or is Skylake cover low-high range CPUs and there will be a replacement for X99 coming out around the same time?

Are people picking up the GTX 970 over the 980 mainly a price/performance ratio even with the current issues it has?

 

[ACE 1991]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150696&cm_re=xfx_290x-_-14-150-696-_-Product

Man, this is a really nice deal. I'm still having a bit of upgrade paralysis, however... My budget at maximum is $300; I can't help but wonder whether or not it is wise to wait and see if the AMD refresh will include a card that performs better than the 290x at a similar or lower price point.

EDIT: I have a Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case; I understand that the 290x is huge, should I be able to fit it?

 

[Chitown B]

Recommendation on best mini-ITX board for the price? for Intel.

 

[HaleStorm]

Quick question-

I have a laptop with a Windows 7 license. The label on the bottom is barely readable anymore. Is there an easy way to rip my registration key from the OS so I can install it on a new machine? Laptop is on last legs and is going away, so not piracy, transferring license.

 

[BasicMath]

So is Skylake going to fit into the midrange for whatever replaces Z97 or is Skylake cover low-high range CPUs and there will be a replacement for X99 coming out around the same time?

Are people picking up the GTX 970 over the 980 mainly a price/performance ratio even with the current issues it has?

Skylake will eventually cover all ranges. From the low end to the high end. Its release is staggered. We usually get OEM first followed by the mainstream(low/mid end). All that should be in Q4 2015 and Q1 2016. On the other hand, the Enthusiast sector (high end) is the last to receive it and won't receive Skylake until late 2016 or so.

Yeah, price/performance was the reason why people went with the 970 and not the 980. With the issues now clarified (It's a feature it seems.), people are more likely to look at AMD's offerings for the price/performance sweet spot or simply opt for the 980. Those that do go for the 970 route are doing so due to either brand/driver preference and lower power consumption.

 

[H4r4kiri]

So this is gonna be my new Setup hopefully. What do you think ?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (€219.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G43 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (€94.05 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (€146.68 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (€79.90 @ Caseking)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card (€219.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Mid Tower Case (€84.90 @ Caseking)
Monitor: BenQ GL2450HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor (€139.00 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Other: LG (€10.00)
Other: Corsair cs650m - 650 Watt Gold (€90.00)
Other: Logitech g105 (€43.00)
Total: €1127.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-27 16:59 CET+0100

This is used and I will pay around 600€

 

[ricki42]

This might be a stupid question, but I currently have a Mac, can I download them off that? Or will it not work bc if the Mac --> PC?

Shouldn't be a problem, just go to the motherboard manufacturer's site, choose the system for which you want the driver, download it, and put it on a USB stick.

Nice...thanks. I'm still tweaking a bit and trying to figure out if, budget wise, I can splurge on a 980. If I were to change that R9 290 to the 980 what else, if anything in that build would change?

And do I need the CPU cooler? I've watched videos on installing it and I'm terrified I'm going to drill holes in the wrong place and ruin the motherboard

You don't need to drill holes to mount a CPU cooler. You'd have to at least mount the stock cooler anyway, the motherboard has the appropriate holes for that. The aftermarket coolers use the same holes for mounting. Mounting a cooler can be a bit finicky, but you can just do a dry-run before applying thermal paste to get the feel for it.

 

[CBTech]

Skylake will eventually cover all ranges. From the low end to the high end. Its release is staggered. We usually get OEM first followed by the mainstream(low/mid end). All that should be in Q4 2015 and Q1 2016. On the other hand, the Enthusiast sector (high end) is the last to receive it and won't receive Skylake until late 2016 or so.

Yeah, price/performance was the reason why people went with the 970 and not the 980. With the issues now clarified (It's a feature it seems.), people are more likely to look at AMD's offerings for the price/performance sweet spot or simply opt for the 980. Those that do go for the 970 route are doing so due to either brand/driver preference and lower power consumption.

I mainly play games on my computer, no video capture or streaming really. I want to get 1080p/60fps for games at a minimum with maxed settings. Actually I might upgrade to a 120hz monitor at some point, so I my target is actually 120fps. Would the a midrange CPU suit my needs? Not sure I really want to wait almost 2 years to upgrade.

I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I can either wait much longer than I want to or I upgrade now and will have to buy a new MB and CPU again when I upgrade a few years down the road. That being said, that is with the assumption that I need a high end CPU, which might not be the case.

 

[Smokey]

Man, I'm looking at monitors and it's a headache and a half. It seems like no matter what you end up in a situation where you're forced to make a trade-off. So I'm at a crossroads where I can't decide which I'd rather have out of 4k, 144hz, or something that won't cost a lot.

4k has a lot of hidden costs at the moment.

4k pretty much requires two video cards for modern titles. Two video cards equals more PSU power. Two video cards equals more heat in your case. That may require more case fans to push out that excess heat.

All because you wanted to play at 4k

 

[Pollux]

Shouldn't be a problem, just go to the motherboard manufacturer's site, choose the system for which you want the driver, download it, and put it on a USB stick.



You don't need to drill holes to mount a CPU cooler. You'd have to at least mount the stock cooler anyway, the motherboard has the appropriate holes for that. The aftermarket coolers use the same holes for mounting. Mounting a cooler can be a bit finicky, but you can just do a dry-run before applying thermal paste to get the feel for it.

Thermal paste is the part I'm most worried about. That and breaking the CPU when I'm installing it

 

[0.1.1.2.3.5.8.13.21.34.55]

So this is gonna be my new Setup hopefully. What do you think ?

I'd recommend at least a 256gb SSD. In 2011 I built my rig with a 128gb SSD and was surprised how quickly that space was filled. I now run a second 256gb SSD specifically for games and demanding software.

Also, not sure how particular you are about acoustics, but I highly recommend Fractal Design cases considering they are built with sound deadening materials against the case panels. My 970's are not audible at anything below 75% fan speed.

Solid build nonetheless.
Edit.. just realized you appear to be buying this rig reassembled/used.

 

[RGM79]

This might be a stupid question, but I currently have a Mac, can I download them off that? Or will it not work bc if the Mac --> PC?

Nice...thanks. I'm still tweaking a bit and trying to figure out if, budget wise, I can splurge on a 980. If I were to change that R9 290 to the 980 what else, if anything in that build would change?

And do I need the CPU cooler? I've watched videos on installing it and I'm terrified I'm going to drill holes in the wrong place and ruin the motherboard

You can download the drivers with any computer, you just need to put them on a USB drive to move to the new PC.

The GTX 980 isn't worth it. You would be paying $300 more for roughly 10-40% improvement for framerate in general, average improvement is only around 25% or so. For another $260 you could get a second R9 290 to run in crossfire which would give you higher framerate in certain games than the GTX 980. A second R9 290 would also require choosing a 750 watt power supply, but in total it would still be cheaper than going with the GTX 980.

I'm not sure which videos you're watching because no CPU cooler installation ever requires drilling. The motherboard already has mounting holes, all you're doing is putting a bracket on and tightening down screws and bolts through the holes. I recommend that cooler because it's quite cheap yet allows you to overclock, and runs cooler and quieter than the regular Intel pushpin cooler. Otherwise if you weren't going to overclock, you could get a somewhat cheaper non-overclocking CPU instead, but I'd still recommend the cooler just because it's better than the stock Intel cooler.

is the 290 the card to get at the moment or should I wait for a while? I originally intended on getting a 970 but that seems like a no go for the moment.

The R9 290 is a decent alternative. It's cheaper by $50-100 and offers similar performance. Or you may want to wait for AMD's R9 3xx line due out in a couple of months.

So is Skylake going to fit into the midrange for whatever replaces Z97 or is Skylake cover low-high range CPUs and there will be a replacement for X99 coming out around the same time?

Are people picking up the GTX 970 over the 980 mainly a price/performance ratio even with the current issues it has?

September's Skylake CPUs and the Z170 motherboards are midrange and will eventually replace the current Haswell and Broadwell CPUs and Z97 motherboards. No, the high end range X99 motherboards won't be replaced for a few years, X99 was only released about half a year ago. Higher end Skylake CPUs will eventually be available for X99 sometime later.

Yeah, the GTX 970 still represents better price-to-performance than the GTX 980, even with the current issues. Paying ~$550 for the GTX 980 is highly overpriced compared to paying ~$350 for the GTX 970 when there's just a 10-15% difference between the two in terms of performance. There are even reports that some GTX 970 models can be tweaked to match the GTX 980, that's how close they are.

Recommendation on best mini-ITX board for the price? for Intel.

What features do you need? Wifi? Overclocking? Is audio quality an issue?

 

[Chitown B]

What features do you need? Wifi? Overclocking? Is audio quality an issue?

No wifi. No OC probably. Audio needs to bitstream BD audio over HDMI, but decoding would be nice too. For an HTPC system with Kodi, that will be used for Steam occasionally. Have a 270x 2GB card.

 

[mkenyon]

K, I'm back from the dead.

Ultrawide 120Hz IPS displays, 1440p 120Hz displays, freesync, and 970s having memory issues. That about covers the important stuff of the last 3 months, right?

 

[NoRéN]

Finally! Welcome back.

 

[RGM79]

No wifi. No OC probably. Audio needs to bitstream BD audio over HDMI, but decoding would be nice too. For an HTPC system with Kodi, that will be used for Steam occasionally. Have a 270x 2GB card.

I think the R9 270X will handle bitstreaming, not sure about decoding, though. Either way, with the R9 270X you won't be using motherboard HDMI so motherboard won't play much of a role there. What processor? If it's a very recent model I'd recommend H97, but depending on exactly what model of processor it is, you could save money and go with H81/B85/H87.

 

[BasicMath]

I mainly play games on my computer, no video capture or streaming really. I want to get 1080p/60fps for games at a minimum with maxed settings. Actually I might upgrade to a 120hz monitor at some point, so I my target is actually 120fps. Would the a midrange CPU suit my needs? Not sure I really want to wait almost 2 years to upgrade.

I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I can either wait much longer than I want to or I upgrade now and will have to buy a new MB and CPU again when I upgrade a few years down the road. That being said, that is with the assumption that I need a high end CPU, which might not be the case.

A midrange CPU would be fine. i5s and entry level i7s will work very well for years especially when you add in a bit of overclocking. A somewhat modern CPU bottlenecking a GPU is mostly a factor only when doing something like quad maybe tri SLI.

 

[mkenyon]

Also, this apparently came out.

Youtube vid.

 

[tarheel91]

K, I'm back from the dead.

Ultrawide 120Hz IPS displays, 1440p 120Hz displays, freesync, and 970s having memory issues. That about covers the important stuff of the last 3 months, right?

Huh?

 

[mkenyon]

Huh?

http://www.blurbusters.com/acer-predator-xr341ck-34-144hz-g-sync-ultrawide/

The Acer Predator XR341CK 34″ ultra-wide 21:9 curved gaming screen with G-SYNC will be arriving Q2 2015, and will provide a new option for gamers who do not want to purchase multiple monitors for surround gaming.

The resolution is a whopping 3440×1440, which pushes the limits of DisplayPort 1.2. A lower resolution model is also rumored, with 2560×1080 resolution. No word on Ultra Low Motion Blur yet (ULMB) strobing yet

 

[Raide]

Dumb question of the month.

Do I need anything particular in/on my PC in order to upgrade to an SSD? Does it just use normal SATA cables and power from the MB?

 

[mkenyon]

Standard SATA data cables that plug into the motherboard, and the SATA power cables from your PSU. Same as a regular HDD.

 

[Raide]

Standard SATA data cables that plug into the motherboard, and the SATA power cables from your PSU. Same as a regular HDD.

Huh, so no extra boards or stuff?

 

[mkenyon]

You can use double sided tape, or even leave it dangling. There's no moving parts, and it doesn't really heat up.

 

[KevMan1815]

I finally built my new PC this weekend. It's my first time using a SSD. Holy crap it is amazing. Obvious statement is obvious, but I still can't believe how long I used to wait for Windows to boot up and now it is like 10 to 15 seconds from power on to everything ready to go.

 

[Raide]

You can use double sided tape, or even leave it dangling. There's no moving parts, and it doesn't really heat up.

Well that makes the choice so much easier.

Now to pick which SSD to buy haha.

 

[The Reloader]

Are we 100% dead-set sure that we'll never see anymore g-sync module kits released? I have an ASUS vg248qe and its the perfect size for my workspace.

 

[digitalrelic]

Question of the day:

So, I bought a GTX 970 about 2 weeks ago, right before this whole 3.5GB of VRAM fiasco broke out. I'm still within my return window, and the folks at Tiger Direct were kind enough to offer me a box with a prepaid shipping label to return it, so I'd be losing $0 on returning my card.

I was thinking of returning it and getting a GTX 980 for $530 OR (and here's where my question lies) picking up 2 R9 290X cards and putting them in Crossfire. This would cost me about $560.

Thoughts? I've got a ThermalTake ToughPower 1000 Watt PSU so I'm thinking I should be able to handle the power consumption.

 

[mkenyon]

The only time you should ever crossfire or SLI is to achieve performance that is otherwise impossible with a single card, such as 120hz 1440p, or 4k, or some such thing.

Are you really affected by the memory thing? From what I've read on Tech Report, it's not really significant.

 

[kennah]

Welcome. Back.

 

[sonicmj1]

Well, not long after I looked at my hard drive problems, I started hitting weird issues with my wireless USB internet adapter, which stopped working. I've tried plugging in a LAN cable that somehow could only connect to search engines and nothing else, and a replacement adapter I purchased earlier failed on arrival. I'll probably try to get another wireless adapter in a little bit, and I've got a laptop I can work from, but I'm starting to think it's time to replace my four-year-old machine. Something clearly isn't right.

I'm not going to pull the trigger right away, but I have a few questions about upgrading:

1. I was looking at Haz's $885 build in that link in the first post as a base to work from. I don't want my build to go over $850, and it'd be nice if it were closer to $750. Have there been any developments in the last two months that I should keep in mind when picking parts or deciding on timing to make a solid value build?

2. I have a WD Passport external hard drive that's got my computer backed up using its software. Is that more or less all I need to bring over my documents and music and stuff? Should I be worried about any kind of weird malware making the transition over through the external backup?

 

[Chitown B]

I think the R9 270X will handle bitstreaming, not sure about decoding, though. Either way, with the R9 270X you won't be using motherboard HDMI so motherboard won't play much of a role there. What processor? If it's a very recent model I'd recommend H97, but depending on exactly what model of processor it is, you could save money and go with H81/B85/H87.

Not sure on processor yet, just getting an idea on prices.

 

[RGM79]

Well, not long after I looked at my hard drive problems, I started hitting weird issues with my wireless USB internet adapter, which stopped working. I've tried plugging in a LAN cable that somehow could only connect to search engines and nothing else, and a replacement adapter I purchased earlier failed on arrival. I'll probably try to get another wireless adapter in a little bit, and I've got a laptop I can work from, but I'm starting to think it's time to replace my four-year-old machine. Something clearly isn't right.

I'm not going to pull the trigger right away, but I have a few questions about upgrading:

1. I was looking at Haz's $885 build in that link in the first post as a base to work from. I don't want my build to go over $850, and it'd be nice if it were closer to $750. Have there been any developments in the last two months that I should keep in mind when picking parts or deciding on timing to make a solid value build?

2. I have a WD Passport external hard drive that's got my computer backed up using its software. Is that more or less all I need to bring over my documents and music and stuff? Should I be worried about any kind of weird malware making the transition over through the external backup?

Putting together a similar PC for $750 is definitely possible. When do you plan to purchase? It's better to check prices for parts closer to the time you plan to buy rather than now as prices can change.

If you're worried about hidden malware, then I suggest setting up the new PC and installing a few different anti-virus scanners (as long as only one has active protection enabled so they won't conflict with each other) like Avast, Malwarebytes, etc or even a software firewall, then plug in the external drive with your files and scan the drive before you copy anything over.

Not sure on processor yet, just getting an idea on prices.

For mITX motherboards, you can spend somewhere around $50 to $100. For H97 model motherboards, either of these four look to be fine for what you want to do and are recent models.

 

[darthbob]

Question of the day:

So, I bought a GTX 970 about 2 weeks ago, right before this whole 3.5GB of VRAM fiasco broke out. I'm still within my return window, and the folks at Tiger Direct were kind enough to offer me a box with a prepaid shipping label to return it, so I'd be losing $0 on returning my card.

I was thinking of returning it and getting a GTX 980 for $530 OR (and here's where my question lies) picking up 2 R9 290X cards and putting them in Crossfire. This would cost me about $560.

Thoughts? I've got a ThermalTake ToughPower 1000 Watt PSU so I'm thinking I should be able to handle the power consumption.

The Crossfired 290Xs would provide better performance than a single 980, especially with 4K resolutions.

 

[Kntj]

Is it possible my 600w Corsair PSU isn't good enough for 290x? If so, what should I replace it with?

 

[RGM79]

Is it possible my 600w Corsair PSU isn't good enough for 290x? If so, what should I replace it with?

Maybe if your power supply was poor quality or dying, I suppose. One of the best R9 290X models you can buy is the MSI R9 290X Lightning, according to Guru3D it still only uses less than 300 watts (not overclocked?). Guru3D themselves recommend a 550 to 600 watt power supply as being enough to power one of those.

Are you having issues? What are your system specs? You aren't using molex power cable adaptors to power the graphics card, are you?

 

[Kntj]

Maybe if your power supply was poor quality or dying, I suppose. One of the best R9 290X models you can buy is the MSI R9 290X Lightning, according to Guru3D it still only uses less than 300 watts (not overclocked?). Guru3D themselves recommend a 550 to 600 watt power supply as being enough to power one of those.

I actually already bought an ASUS 290x matrix platinum. I posted about my problem on the previous page (heats up to 94 degrees in less than a minute). I started wondering if it's because of my PSU, because I heard it can cause a GPU to overheat.

 

[Chitown B]

For mITX motherboards, you can spend somewhere around $50 to $100. For H97 model motherboards, either of these four look to be fine for what you want to do and are recent models.

thanks!

 

[RGM79]

I actually already bought an ASUS 290x matrix platinum. I posted about my problem on the previous page (heats up to 94 degrees in less than a minute). I started wondering if it's because of my PSU, because I heard it can cause a GPU to overheat.

No, I think it might be because it actually does get that hot normally. What fan settings do you have set on the graphics card?

HardOCP and Ocaholic's reviews of the same graphics card revealed similar high temperatures. However, Guru3D did not see such high temperatures, but in all three reviews they appear to be using open air testing setups, not with closed cases.

 

[ACE 1991]

What are everyone's thoughts on buying used GPUs? It seems that XFX has a lifetime warranty, so if something shits the bed will I be covered even if I go used?

 

[Kntj]

No, I think it might be because it actually does get that hot normally. What fan settings do you have set on the graphics card?

HardOCP and Ocaholic's reviews of the same graphics card revealed similar high temperatures. However, Guru3D did not see such high temperatures, but in all three reviews they appear to be using open air testing setups, not with closed cases.

Automatic, but I tried different fan profiles and manual fan speed. 100% fan speed and 45% fan speed have the same temperature. Asus advertised 81C on their site: http://i.imgur.com/Nt9NDSG.jpg, but it doesn't seem to stay at that temperature in any setting other than limiting gpu usage with vsync. Is that just misleading advertising then?

 

[Objectively Bad Opinion]

Automatic, but I tried different fan profiles and manual fan speed. Asus advertised 81C on their site: http://i.imgur.com/Nt9NDSG.jpg, but it doesn't seem to stay at that temperature in any setting other than limiting gpu usage with vsync. Is that just misleading advertising then?

If you've tried manual fan speed and it still runs that hot then the heatsink isn't mounted properly...

 

[Kntj]

If you've tried manual fan speed and it still runs that hot then the heatsink isn't mounted properly...

Would you recommend trying to fix it myself or send it back? I'm not sure if that would void the warranty.

 

[RGM79]

Automatic, but I tried different fan profiles and manual fan speed. 100% fan speed and 45% fan speed have the same temperature. Asus advertised 81C on their site: http://i.imgur.com/Nt9NDSG.jpg, but it doesn't seem to stay at that temperature in any setting other than limiting gpu usage with vsync. Is that just misleading advertising then?

Does your case have sufficient airflow? Fans taking in cool air and fans to remove warm air? How are the rest of your system temperatures, like CPU temperature?

I don't know about misleading of false advertising, but somehow Guru3D didn't get such high temperatures during testing, and it was a whole difference of 17 degrees.

What are everyone's thoughts on buying used GPUs? It seems that XFX has a lifetime warranty, so if something shits the bed will I be covered even if I go used?

XFX only offers lifetime warranty if the graphics card was registered, as well as on certain models. That's something you will have to find out from the seller.