"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 1. Read the OP and RISE ABOVE FORGED PRECISION SCIENCE

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Question:

I have a GTX580. Let's assume I absolutely need to buy a new graphics card.

What's a relatively cheap (under $300) equal alternative to a 580? Anything?
 
thecouncil said:
Question:

I have a GTX580. Let's assume I absolutely need to buy a new graphics card.

What's a relatively cheap (under $300) equal alternative to a 580? Anything?
Click to expand...

On the nVidia side, nothing really. The GTX 970 is ~$350 and would be a solid upgrade, but the GTX 960 wouldn't really be worth it. With AMD, you could get an R9 290 for ~$280 and it would be a very good upgrade.
 
Mkenyon and WC crew:

Now that I have my two Titan X's, I have decided that it is really about time get these under water and get the most out of my system. I'd like to stay with the Air 540. I am thinking a 240mm rad up top and a 360mm rad in the front. Where I run into is brands. EK is pretty good right? I think so. I think I want a EK loop? But I don't know about the pump and good rad manufacturers. Then fittings and all that.

Budget Range : $850 - $1100

MK do werk
 
The Llama said:
On the nVidia side, nothing really. The GTX 970 is ~$350 and would be a solid upgrade, but the GTX 960 wouldn't really be worth it. With AMD, you could get an R9 290 for ~$280 and it would be a very good upgrade.
Click to expand...

Thanks.

My 580 just died and it's no longer under warranty. I kinda hated it anyway so I was looking for something comparable (if not even a step down) as long as the price was low. I've never had an AMD, but ill look into it.
 
thecouncil said:
Thanks.

My 580 just died and it's no longer under warranty. I kinda hated it anyway so I was looking for something comparable (if not even a step down) as long as the price was low. I've never had an AMD, but ill look into it.
Click to expand...

This is the comparison between the 580 and an R9 290 (~$280):
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1350?vs=1068

I can't actually find anything that compares a 580 to a 960, but it'd probably be like a ~20-40% increase.
 
Hey Gaf - I've never built a PC before and I came across this: http://www.ibuypower.com/Store/March-Madness-Intel-Z97-i7-Special

For $1564, I can get a 980 equipped machine with an i7-4790k and 8GB of RAM, Windows 8 and an SSD. Is this worth it? I know that pre-built stuff is usually overpriced but there's a March Madness saving of $550 so I was wondering if that helped negate said premium.

I've been a laptop gamer (285m, 680m, 880m and 980m at the moment) due to moving around a lot but I'm finally willing to take the plunge into a real desktop. Is this worth it or am I much better served by having Gaf look over a part list and just do it myself?
 
DarkJediKnight said:
Dell XPS 8700

Hey folks,
By no means am I an expert at custom PCs. I'm looking to purchase the above PC, Dell 8700 with I7 and 2tb. People are telling me customizing will save me money and make it more reliable. I'm looking to make it a pseudo gaming machine (counter strike) and for Lightroom and photoshop. My budget is about $850 canadian. Any help?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't recommend that PC for gaming. IIRC, the GTX 745 is a version of the GT 740 with more RAM for Dell PCs, and is relatively low powered I think.

Canadian prices being what they are, I think this is your best bet.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($284.50 @ shopRBC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.89 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.95 @ Vuugo)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($78.47 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($65.98 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R7 260X 2GB Video Card ($139.99 @ Memory Express)
Case: BitFenix Neos White/Silver ATX Mid Tower Case ($41.08 @ DirectCanada)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ NCIX)
Total: $794.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-23 23:59 EDT-0400

Windows 8.1 licenses can be bought from reddit's microsoftsoftwareswap for $20 or less. These are most likely legitimate keys that are resold from educational programs like Technet or Dreamspark. However, you are dealing with a person instead of a retailer, and informal Windows keys sales are unapproved by Microsoft and probably breaking some licensing agreement to be clear, but it's not illegal. The risks involved are that the person could be selling you a fake or used key, or that Microsoft may deactivate your license and refuse to reactivate it, although it's somewhat unlikely. We've had people here using those keys without issues for a long time and others who say Microsoft deactivated their key after several months.
 
Vitor711 said:
Hey Gaf - I've never built a PC before and I came across this: http://www.ibuypower.com/Store/March-Madness-Intel-Z97-i7-Special

For $1564, I can get a 980 equipped machine with an i7-4790k and 8GB of RAM, Windows 8 and an SSD. Is this worth it? I know that pre-built stuff is usually overpriced but there's a March Madness saving of $550 so I was wondering if that helped negate said premium.

I've been a laptop gamer (285m, 680m, 880m and 980m at the moment) due to moving around a lot but I'm finally willing to take the plunge into a real desktop. Is this worth it or am I much better served by having Gaf look over a part list and just do it myself?
Click to expand...

Still overpriced. This has same processor and graphics, better RAM, storage drives, cooler, and power supply, etc, and comes in cheaper even if you buy a retail copy of Windows.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($324.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.00 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Toshiba Product Series:DT01ACA 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($72.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($542.90 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1449.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-24 00:29 EDT-0400
 
RGM79 said:
Still overpriced. This has more RAM and storage, better power supply, etc, and comes in cheaper.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($324.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.00 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Toshiba Product Series:DT01ACA 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($72.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($542.90 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1449.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-24 00:29 EDT-0400
Click to expand...

You. I like you.

Thanks for that! I was looking to jump on a 980 build as long as I could get it for under $1500. That seems ideal. If I can sell my laptop soon, I might jump in on that.

A 980 and the i7-4970k is enough for 60FPS at 1080 on EVERYTHING at ultra, right? At least, everything right now? Even The Witcher 3 devs are saying that a 980 will do that sort of performance on their game when maxed out so I'd assume so. I have a Benq GW2750 which isn't the best monitor but it's certainly more than decent. No real urge to go for a higher res or higher refresh rate just yet but maybe in the future.
 
Vitor711 said:
You. I like you.

Thanks for that! I was looking to jump on a 980 build as long as I could get it for under $1500. That seems ideal. If I can sell my laptop soon, I might jump in on that.

A 980 and the i7-4970k is enough for 60FPS at 1080 on EVERYTHING at ultra, right? At least, everything right now? Even The Witcher 3 devs are saying that a 980 will do that sort of performance on their game when maxed out so I'd assume so. I have a Benq GW2750 which isn't the best monitor but it's certainly more than decent. No real urge to go for a higher res or higher refresh rate just yet but maybe in the future.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you're set. If you like, you could go with the i5 4690K ($227) instead to save some money and maybe put it somewhere else. They have nearly the same performance in most games, the i7's hyperthreading doesn't matter too much when both of them are already quad core processors. Both are overclockable, so they're both very capable.

The hyperthreading comes out at more of an advantage in things like video encoding and other tasks that can utilize more than 4 threads. For gaming, I'd go with the i5.

The build as it is now has the option for SLI in the future if needed. Anything else you might think you want? A more compact PC (mATX)? Prefer lower noise?
 
RGM79 said:
Yeah, you're set. If you like, you could go with the i5 4690K ($227) instead to save some money and maybe put it somewhere else. They have nearly the same performance in most games, the i7's hyperthreading doesn't matter too much when both of them are already quad core processors. Both are overclockable, so they're both very capable.

The build as it is now has the option for SLI in the future if needed. Anything else you might think you want? A more compact PC (mATX)? Prefer lower noise?
Click to expand...

Hmm, size isn't so much an issue - I wouldn't mind the option for SLI in the future after all and assume I'd need a larger case for that. Low noise would be good as I don't have a decent set of speakers yet and am forced to use the one's built in on my monitor. Although, I guess that could be easily remedied by spending another $50 or so.
 
Smokey said:
Mkenyon and WC crew:

Now that I have my two Titan X's, I have decided that it is really about time get these under water and get the most out of my system. I'd like to stay with the Air 540. I am thinking a 240mm rad up top and a 360mm rad in the front. Where I run into is brands. EK is pretty good right? I think so. I think I want a EK loop? But I don't know about the pump and good rad manufacturers. Then fittings and all that.

Budget Range : $850 - $1100

MK do werk
Click to expand...
I wish you were local, I'd just hand over my Air 540 to you. :P

I'll do some research on the current status of 280mm rads as well as some other stuff.

I haven't met an EK product I didn't like yet. I know you want it purdy, but man, trust me, you want that EK ZMT for tubing. The stuff is what dreams are made from in terms of loop maintenance.
 
Vitor711 said:
Hmm, size isn't so much an issue - I wouldn't mind the option for SLI in the future after all and assume I'd need a larger case for that. Low noise would be good as I don't have a decent set of speakers yet and am forced to use the one's built in on my monitor. Although, I guess that could be easily remedied by spending another $50 or so.
Click to expand...

I put in the Fractal Define R5 case with sound-absorbing foam and an XFX power supply with silent running mode. The XFX was stated in review to be extremely silent by HardOCP and Hardware Secrets' reviews. Don't worry about the lower wattage, 750 watts is still more than enough for twin GTX 980s should you need it.

The air cooler is already considered quiet from sources like TechPowerUp's review said, so no change there. Same thing with the EVGA GTX 980, it has a feature that turns off the fans when not gaming so it's virtually silent.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($227.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.00 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Toshiba Product Series:DT01ACA 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($72.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($542.90 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($107.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX XTR 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1415.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-24 01:20 EDT-0400

In total, it actually comes out even cheaper if you go with the i5 4690K instead. It's up to you if you want to go with the i7 4790K, though.

I forgot to ask, do you live near a Microcenter store? They sell Intel processors for very cheap as well as motherboard+CPU bundles at a great discount, but the only catch is that you have to go in-store to pick it up, no online order.
 
mkenyon said:
I wish you were local, I'd just hand over my Air 540 to you. :P

I'll do some research on the current status of 280mm rads as well as some other stuff.

I haven't met an EK product I didn't like yet. I know you want it purdy, but man, trust me, you want that EK ZMT for tubing. The stuff is what dreams are made from in terms of loop maintenance.
Click to expand...


i mean...it doesn't have to be 100% gorgeous but i need it reliable i can't be having cheap mediocre stuff in there. i'm already feeling paranoid but i need to do it to unleash da true power of my system
 
So I know nothing about this stuff, so little I don't even know what I have currently. What I do know is that I bought my current PC in 2010 to play Starcraft 2 on max settings, which it did, but obviously it's a bit out of date now. I would like to be able to either do the medium or high build under $1000 from the OP. What I would like to know is if there is anything from my current computer that I can keep using to save some cash.

Here is what I currently have:

GR3HHHr.png


My power supply is 650W

I don't know what kind of case I have, just the stock HP one that came prebuilt.

Am I just too out of date, and need to start over from scratch? I would like to play modern games at least at medium settings.

Thanks!
 
Hairyiguana said:
So I know nothing about this stuff, so little I don't even know what I have currently. What I do know is that I bought my current PC in 2010 to play Starcraft 2 on max settings, which it did, but obviously it's a bit out of date now. I would like to be able to either do the medium or high build under $1000 from the OP. What I would like to know is if there is anything from my current computer that I can keep using to save some cash.

Here is what I currently have:

GR3HHHr.png


My power supply is 650W

I don't know what kind of case I have, just the stock HP one that came prebuilt.

Am I just too out of date, and need to start over from scratch? I would like to play modern games at least at medium settings.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

If you can open the case and see what kind of psu you have, there might be a chance that it is decent enough to keep going on. Other than that your win 7 serial number and the hdd are the only thing you can keep.

But if I were you I'd sell the thing and build everything from scratch.
 
ESD manifests itself as premature component failure later on in the board's life. You are fine and there will be no way to tell if you've damaged it for a while (years).

Source: Worked with IC assembly workers for a few years
 
i buy new case for computer. want to quiet it down.

I buy Fractal Design R4 Black Pearl Silent PC Case. Looks nice.

i'm confident moving everything to new PC, no problem, except for motherboard.

do i have to take off heatsink and processor? i remember that was the hardest part putting it together. maybe i just keep current case if so lol

i don't think i have any cream for processor either if i take it apart.

just incase:
CPU Cooler
Case
Processor
Motherboard

thank you. i considered upgrading my mobo/cpu but i just multitask internet surfing mainly these days and light gaming so not worth it. maybe later.
 
Chesskid1 said:
i buy new case for computer. want to quiet it down.

I buy Fractal Design R4 Black Pearl Silent PC Case. Looks nice.

i'm confident moving everything to new PC, no problem, except for motherboard.

do i have to take off heatsink and processor? i remember that was the hardest part putting it together. maybe i just keep current case if so lol

i don't think i have any cream for processor either if i take it apart.

just incase:
CPU Cooler
Case
Processor
Motherboard

thank you. i considered upgrading my mobo/cpu but i just multitask internet surfing mainly these days and light gaming so not worth it. maybe later.
Click to expand...

Probably not, unless the CPU cooler gets in the way of removing the motherboard screws. For the least effort, you could just take out the motherboard screws, lift out the motherboard+CPU+heatsink as one whole thing and then drop it into the new case to screw in.

That said, if you don't mind doing some extra work and it's been a few years since you put it together, I'd think about cleaning off the CPU's thermal paste and reapplying it, and then putting it back together in the new case.
 
RGM79 said:
Probably not, unless the CPU cooler gets in the way of removing the motherboard screws. For the least effort, you could just take out the motherboard screws, lift out the motherboard+CPU+heatsink as one whole thing and then drop it into the new case to screw in.

That said, if you don't mind doing some extra work and it's been a few years since you put it together, I'd think about cleaning off the CPU's thermal paste and reapplying it, and then putting it back together in the new case.
Click to expand...

thanks for the advice, i ended up looking around and i do have some processor cream in my old motherboard box. it's in a baby syringe. i will consider replacing it, but i probably won't if i don't have to.

gonna order the new case right now.

no longer will you disturb me while watching movies, computer.
 
RGM79 said:
I wouldn't recommend that PC for gaming. IIRC, the GTX 745 is a version of the GT 740 with more RAM for Dell PCs, and is relatively low powered I think.

Canadian prices being what they are, I think this is your best bet.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($284.50 @ shopRBC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.89 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.95 @ Vuugo)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($78.47 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($65.98 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R7 260X 2GB Video Card ($139.99 @ Memory Express)
Case: BitFenix Neos White/Silver ATX Mid Tower Case ($41.08 @ DirectCanada)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ NCIX)
Total: $794.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-23 23:59 EDT-0400

Windows 8.1 licenses can be bought from reddit's microsoftsoftwareswap for $20 or less. These are most likely legitimate keys that are resold from educational programs like Technet or Dreamspark. However, you are dealing with a person instead of a retailer, and informal Windows keys sales are unapproved by Microsoft and probably breaking some licensing agreement to be clear, but it's not illegal. The risks involved are that the person could be selling you a fake or used key, or that Microsoft may deactivate your license and refuse to reactivate it, although it's somewhat unlikely. We've had people here using those keys without issues for a long time and others who say Microsoft deactivated their key after several months.
Click to expand...


Thank you. Curious, why I5, and not I7 since it's only like $50 more?
 
DarkJediKnight said:
Thank you. Curious, why I5, and not I7 since it's only like $50 more?
Click to expand...

If you are talking about the 4790s then he chose the i5 because it can be overclocked, cheaper, and performs the same at stock when it comes to games. Image or video editors may favor the i7 but not by a large margin especially when you overclock the i5.

Overlock it to 4.4 for example and you will see quite a difference.
 
bomblord1 said:
I have a really weird problem and I don't know how to fix it not sure if this is an appropriate place to ask. All my time working in IT i've never seen anything like it.

Basically my hard drive is filling itself up. Every day I get on and a little more space is gone. The only thing I could think of is system restore creating new files so I went in and shrank the reserved section for system restore down to about 5GB and reclaimed a ton of space.

A few weeks later and I'm down to a few GB again. My documents, downloads, etc folders are all empty. Virus scan with avast turns up nothing. CCleaner has restored a few GB but that's it I'm still missing about 75GB that has gone seemingly nowhere. My steam games install to a secondary HDD with a much larger capacity so that's not the issue. Clearing browser caches, history, etc frees up a few MB at most I'm honestly at a loss.
Click to expand...

Install WinDirStat and discover what's mysteriously eating your gigabytes.
 
Monitor reccommendations in the price range between 150 and 200€? I'll mainly use it for my PS4. The ASUS VS239H-P from the OT seems not to be avaible anymore :/ I rate colors above reaction time, as I'm used playing on a 5ms monitor, so I think IPS it is.

edit: forgot to mention: I'm looking for a 24 inch monitor.
 
So guys, i need to build a pc for a friend of mine, but i'm struggling a bit since his budget is way lower than what i'm usually looking at.
He'd like to spend 450 euro max. He already has monitor,case and a decent enough video card (msi 660 gtx 2 gb).
I spent a bit of time on pcpartpicker and came up with THIS .
What do you guys think? at that price point i don't know if i should be going with amd or intel, i tought about putting an ssd in, but i don't know if it's worth it enough.
 
thinking of picking up a ps4 later this year. Problem is those can't poop out analog audio... so I need a new speaker setup for my office.

Any relatively affordable speakers y'all can recommend that can handle analog from my pc and DTS or w/e modern consoles spit out?
 
Corgi said:
thinking of picking up a ps4 later this year. Problem is those can't poop out analog audio... so I need a new speaker setup for my office.

Any relatively affordable speakers y'all can recommend that can handle analog from my pc and DTS or w/e modern consoles spit out?
Click to expand...

Why not just get a receiver or DAC+amp or something. What speakers do you currently have? Converting digital to analog is not that hard.
 
how much over clock does a 4790k have on a Noctua D-14 get.

I dont know if i really need the extra leg room for the over the S or the mobo needed to oc.
(microcenter is down so i cant check the prices between the two builds).
 
Corgi said:
thinking of picking up a ps4 later this year. Problem is those can't poop out analog audio... so I need a new speaker setup for my office.

Any relatively affordable speakers y'all can recommend that can handle analog from my pc and DTS or w/e modern consoles spit out?
Click to expand...
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=101&cp_id=10114&cs_id=1011412&p_id=10251&seq=1&format=2

Get one of those.
Krauser Kat said:
how much over clock does a 4790k have on a Noctua D-14 get.

I dont know if i really need the extra leg room for the over the S or the mobo needed to oc.
(microcenter is down so i cant check the prices between the two builds).
Click to expand...
Somewhere between 4.4ghz and 5ghz.
 
opticalmace said:
Why not just get a receiver or DAC+amp or something. What speakers do you currently have? Converting digital to analog is not that hard.
Click to expand...
some logitech 5.1 $100 set from a few years back.


Guess ill look into a converter. Always see horror stories in amazon reviews for those products though :/
 
hidepsyence said:
So guys, i need to build a pc for a friend of mine, but i'm struggling a bit since his budget is way lower than what i'm usually looking at.
He'd like to spend 450 euro max. He already has monitor,case and a decent enough video card (msi 660 gtx 2 gb).
I spent a bit of time on pcpartpicker and came up with THIS .
What do you guys think? at that price point i don't know if i should be going with amd or intel, i tought about putting an ssd in, but i don't know if it's worth it enough.
Click to expand...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (£143.99 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£70.76 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£52.42 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£37.97 @ CCL Computers)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12G 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply (£72.85 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £377.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-24 15:38 GMT+0000
 
I think I'm close to pulling the trigger on buying a gaming PC. I could wait for R3XX series and GTX10XX series and skylake, but I've already waited six months since the GTX970 came out hoping prices on various parts would come down, but nothing have!

Uses: GTA V, Assetto Corsa, Racing Sims, Strategy titles like Civ V, Cities Skylines,

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

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($227.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z97M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($123.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($123.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($126.00 @ Adorama)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.49 @ Directron)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($322.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($61.49 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($96.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN721N 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($10.99 @ Directron)
Keyboard: Logitech Wireless Combo MK270 Wireless Standard Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($19.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1292.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-24 11:49 EDT-0400

Monitor: I'm thinking about getting the Acer XB270HU but it may be difficult to get in Malaysia and I may need to get it delivered from Amazon. Perhaps I could just get a 1080p 144z panel? If I keep my framerate up above 60fps, there's less need for G-Sync?

Questions

1. Any difference between the ASUS z97m-plus and the Gigabyte Z97m-D3H? The Gigabyte is $20 cheaper.
2. The Gigabyte GTX 970 G1 gaming is about $395 (Base Clock 1178 / Boost 1329 Mhz) while the Leadtek Winfast GTX 970 OC is $325 (Base Clock 1076Mz / 1216 Mhz). Which one should I get?
3. Does the Hyper Evo come with thermal compound or do I need to buy some?
4. So I've asked this before around GAF but do you think GTX 970 is enough for 1440p gaming for the next couple of years. If not will 1080p look ok on the 1440p screen? I think i'm ok to game at 'high' settings but Id like to keep the frame rate up.

Thanks!
 
Smokey said:
i mean...it doesn't have to be 100% gorgeous but i need it reliable i can't be having cheap mediocre stuff in there. i'm already feeling paranoid but i need to do it to unleash da true power of my system
Click to expand...

Pump/Res
EK D5 X-Res 140 - $75
D5 Vario - $90​

Radiators
EK 240 PE - $60
EK 360 PE - $76
​

Fittings
3/8x5/8" Compression x10 - $65
Various angled adapters ~ $90 (need to plan loop prior to figuring this part out)​

Tubing
EK ZMT $18​

Blocks
Titan X FC x 2 - $250?
​

Temp total - $724

Things that need further info
  • What kind of spacing is bewtween the two cards? This will determine which FC Terminal to get to link.
  • Do you want matching backplates?
  • Are you using the RIVE BE and 4930K? Or you going X99? If on the RIVE BE, do you want a full board block?
  • Do you want to save money to go with non matching stuff? I think I sent you some WC stuff right? A block maybe?
 
mkenyon said:
I wish you were local, I'd just hand over my Air 540 to you. :P

I'll do some research on the current status of 280mm rads as well as some other stuff.

I haven't met an EK product I didn't like yet. I know you want it purdy, but man, trust me, you want that EK ZMT for tubing. The stuff is what dreams are made from in terms of loop maintenance.
Click to expand...

Hey, if you're selling an Air 540 Im in the PDX area, I'd be interested :)
 
Hey guys, I found an open-box M500 240GB for about $92. Is it worth the price considering it's almost two years old?

It almost feels like an impulse buy at this point, lol.
 
arbok26 said:
I think I'm close to pulling the trigger on buying a gaming PC. I could wait for R3XX series and GTX10XX series and skylake, but I've already waited six months since the GTX970 came out hoping prices on various parts would come down, but nothing have!

Uses: GTA V, Assetto Corsa, Racing Sims, Strategy titles like Civ V, Cities Skylines,

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

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($227.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z97M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($123.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($123.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($126.00 @ Adorama)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.49 @ Directron)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($322.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($61.49 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($96.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN721N 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($10.99 @ Directron)
Keyboard: Logitech Wireless Combo MK270 Wireless Standard Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($19.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1292.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-24 11:49 EDT-0400

Monitor: I'm thinking about getting the Acer XB270HU but it may be difficult to get in Malaysia and I may need to get it delivered from Amazon. Perhaps I could just get a 1080p 144z panel? If I keep my framerate up above 60fps, there's less need for G-Sync?

Questions

1. Any difference between the ASUS z97m-plus and the Gigabyte Z97m-D3H? The Gigabyte is $20 cheaper.
2. The Gigabyte GTX 970 G1 gaming is about $395 (Base Clock 1178 / Boost 1329 Mhz) while the Leadtek Winfast GTX 970 OC is $325 (Base Clock 1076Mz / 1216 Mhz). Which one should I get?
3. Does the Hyper Evo come with thermal compound or do I need to buy some?
4. So I've asked this before around GAF but do you think GTX 970 is enough for 1440p gaming for the next couple of years. If not will 1080p look ok on the 1440p screen? I think i'm ok to game at 'high' settings but Id like to keep the frame rate up.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

- Don't buy that SSD, it's junky. Get a Crucial MX100/BX100 instead.
- No big differences in motherboard IIRC, I have the Z97M-D3H and it's been solid for me. Some people don't like Asus' customer service.
- Change your PSU if you can, look for a Cooler Master V550S or a Seasonic G-Series in the 500-600W range. The Corsair CX/RM series are not great.
- 212 Evo comes with thermal paste.
- Love the 350D case. It's big, but beautiful.
- Be aware you can get Windows 8.1 from r/MicrosoftSoftwareSwap
- I would get the Gigabyte 970.
- Nobody really knows whether or not the 970 will be enough for 1440p gaming for x amount of time, unfortunately.
 
Where do you guys go online if you have a problem with an ethernet connection that you just can't solve? Is there a good forum/site for solving those problems? My ethernet has been cutting out constantly for a few months now and it's only just started to really bug me as I'm playing DOTA and getting an abandon or two. Wifi on other devices work fine 24/7, but for some reason, 2-3 times each day, my ethernet cuts out for ~5 minutes. Sucks.
 
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