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"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 2. Read the OP. Rocking 2500K's until HBM2 and beyond.

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Binabik15

Member
Guys, I need a new monitor, 2.1 speakers and possibly a router. My dorm fried my stuff. It also means that I can't browse a lot or check heavy OPs like here, because I'm stuck with phone internet with a cap. I'm in Germany, so everything needs to be readily available there.

I'm looking for a decent 22"+ monitor for PS4 and pc, but my rig is old, so 1080p only is very okay if it makes it cheaper. Doesn't need to have 1000Hz refresh rate, either. My last one was 23" and that was a good fit for my table. The more affordable the better, nothing over 200€.

Router needs, well, WLAN and okay coverage
so I can browse on the toilet, there, I said it
. Decent speed, too, because I can have up to 100+ Mb/s down, but it fluctuates.

Speakers, eh, I had 30€ Logitech ones and will go for something similiar, good headphones are more important here.


So. If you guys can help me not to buy total crap I'd be very gratefull.
 

Nipo

Member
The main reason I changed things from ATX to mATX is ATX is not really necessary anymore. With SSDs, M.2 drives, DVD being a thing of the past, etc there isn't any need for all that space. SLI beyond 2 cards is basically pointless. Unless you plan on doing a custom water loop or a RAID array of mechanical drives, there isn't much use for all that space. Next, going AIO water cooling on both the CPU and GPU will keep your temps very low which in tern will keep noise down. For the GPU EVGA is releasing a new shroud that looks much better than the original. Finally, the PSU choice is will give you the headroom for SLI, should you choose to go that route in the future (also a second hybrid will be great in SLI since heat will leave the radiator not the GPU).

So your post was really timely. My friend asked me to help him plan out a ~$1700 mATX build so I used yours as a base. What do you think of recommending this?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Thermal Compound: Noctua NT-H1 3.5g Thermal Paste ($9.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($118.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($65.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB HYBRID Video Card ($699.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 1000W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC-3000 PWM 109.9 CFM 120mm Fan ($22.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1697.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-04 08:12 EST-0500
 

paskowitz

Member
So your post was really timely. My friend asked me to help him plan out a ~$1700 mATX build so I used yours as a base. What do you think of recommending this?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Thermal Compound: Noctua NT-H1 3.5g Thermal Paste ($9.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($118.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($65.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB HYBRID Video Card ($699.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 1000W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC-3000 PWM 109.9 CFM 120mm Fan ($22.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1697.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-04 08:12 EST-0500

If he has the money to spring for a Corsair H100i or greater, I would advise that. Otherwise I wouldn't change a thing.
 
Ok so I changed my wifes build plan around a bit. Here is the update:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/6BtyMp
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/6BtyMp/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($172.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Enermax ECA3253-PW ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($78.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Other: EVGA 570 Used Video Card (For now)
Total: $450.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-04 09:57 EST-0500

Her wants:
  • Being able to play GTA 5 and the new Star Wars Battlefront.
  • A pink case
  • A computer she can upgrade over time (So more uptodate CPU socket, RAM slots, PCIEx16, ect.)
  • Price range of about $450 - $550.
She has an OS, monitor, keyboard, mouse, ect.

Thoughts?
 

Grokbu

Member
Let's say one has an AMD FX-8350 @4.00GHz. In gaming, would there be a big difference if one got 16GB of 1600MHz CL11 RAM instead of CL9? I assume it might depend on the game. I do realize that CL9 gives better performance than CL11 though (but I don't how noticable it would be, especially in my case in games).
 
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4fZTLk
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4fZTLk/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($213.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $511.74
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-04 11:06 EST-0500

Guys what do you think? I'll be adding the samsung evo 250 ssd and gtx370. What issues should I anticipate with this build?
 

RGM79

Member
Let's say one has an AMD FX-8350 @4.00GHz. In gaming, would there be a big difference if one got 16GB of 1600MHz CL11 RAM instead of CL9? I assume it might depend on the game. I do realize that CL9 gives better performance than CL11 though (but I don't how noticable it would be, especially in my case in games).

Wouldn't matter much at all. You'd be looking at differences so tiny it could just be margin of error or random chance. Few games rely on system RAM speed in the first place.
 
Besides the Tech Report video in the OP (the OC3D one is crap), what guide(s) do you guys recommend to a total newb first time builder?

I will be putting my rig together on Friday. Super excited but a little nervous about it! I'm going to be careful but I'm expecting boot problems. Motherboard reviews are all over the place. Seems like 50% have boot/post/DOA hardware/RAM issues at first.

I really like the Tek Syndicate video but it's pretty basic and short.
 

RGM79

Member
Ok so I changed my wifes build plan around a bit. Here is the update:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/6BtyMp
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/6BtyMp/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($172.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Enermax ECA3253-PW ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($78.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Other: EVGA 570 Used Video Card (For now)
Total: $450.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-04 09:57 EST-0500

Her wants:
  • Being able to play GTA 5 and the new Star Wars Battlefront.
  • A pink case
  • A computer she can upgrade over time (So more uptodate CPU socket, RAM slots, PCIEx16, ect.)
  • Price range of about $450 - $550.
She has an OS, monitor, keyboard, mouse, ect.

Thoughts?

Did you miss my reply?

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4fZTLk
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4fZTLk/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($213.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $511.74
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-04 11:06 EST-0500

Guys what do you think? I'll be adding the samsung evo 250 ssd and gtx370. What issues should I anticipate with this build?

Are you planning to want to overclock? If you do, you'll want an i5 4690K instead of an i5 4690. If not, then you don't need a Z87 motherboard and can go with a less expensive model. I don't recommend pairing a newer i5 4690 processor with an older Z87 motherboard, because while it's technically compatible, you may run into issues if the motherboard doesn't come with a recent enough BIOS revision to support the i5 4690 processor. There's a chance they may not work with each other out of the box. I'd recommend H81, B85, or H97 if you aren't overclocking, and Z97 if you plan to overclock.

While the CM HAF 912 is a nice case at a low price, it's also an older design which doesn't have USB 3.0 ports. You may want a newer case.

What's your overall budget? Do you mind filling out the short questionnaire from the first post of this thread so we have a better idea of what you want?
 
Taking a look at all the mini atx motherboards recommended here so far. Too bad there aren't many reliable reviews out on the available brands. Still quite confused about which one to buy. As long as it works fine with the chassis and GPU I want (Gigabyte G1 980 TI and Corsair Carbide Air 240). Any thoughts?
 

RGM79

Member
Taking a look at all the mini atx motherboards recommended here so far. Too bad there aren't many reliable reviews out on the available brands. Still quite confused about which one to buy. As long as it works fine with the chassis and GPU I want (Gigabyte G1 980 TI and Corsair Carbide Air 240). Any thoughts?

Z170? Z97?
 

Robert7lee

Neo Member
Hi

I feel like I'm losing money unnecessarily playing this pc building game due to my bad choices with cpu and mobo it was only learly last year I bought the z87x oc z1150 with the i7 4770k with a 980ti gpu, even this build doesn't get me stable performance in games like divinity original sin, wasteland 2 / directors cut, pillars of eternity, watchdogs 2, dragon age inquisition.

Anyway I need help with my next cpu and mobo, I'm thinking of going for broke and getting the i7 5930k, which can hopefully rule out the cpu as the culprit when it comes to performance issues and hopefully still be one of the high end CPU for a couple of years.

http://www.ebuyer.com/661538-intel-...b-cache-retail-boxed-processor-bx80648i75930k

And mobo

http://www.ebuyer.com/671164-msi-x9...-7-1-channel-hd-audio-e-atx-x99s-gaming-9-ack

Damn those prices! I don't really want another mobo at this stage but would like a better CPU that would be a leap above what I have. I know this would probably be a mistake, What would be my best bet?
 
Hi

I feel like I'm losing money unnecessarily playing this pc building game due to my bad choices with cpu and mobo it was only learly last year I bought the z87x oc z1150 with the i7 4770k with a 980ti gpu, even this build doesn't get me stable performance in games like divinity original sin, wasteland 2 / directors cut, pillars of eternity, watchdogs 2, dragon age inquisition.

Anyway I need help with my next cpu and mobo, I'm thinking of going for broke and getting the i7 5930k, which can hopefully rule out the cpu as the culprit when it comes to performance issues and hopefully still be one of the high end CPU for a couple of years.

http://www.ebuyer.com/661538-intel-...b-cache-retail-boxed-processor-bx80648i75930k

And mobo

http://www.ebuyer.com/671164-msi-x9...-7-1-channel-hd-audio-e-atx-x99s-gaming-9-ack

Damn those prices! I don't really want another mobo at this stage but would like a better CPU that would be a leap above what I have. I know this would probably be a mistake, What would be my best bet?

Your CPU is fine, your problems lie elsewhere. Can you list your full specs? Including what resolution and refresh rate you play at, and OS. When was the last time you did a clean driver wipe/reinstall?
 
Z170? Z97?

Z170, building a skylake build. Also, I just found out a hyper 212 evo won't fit in the carbide 240 :( And my friend was giving me his old one free! Bah, and I can't get a Noctua one from here. The various water coolers including the H100i are available though but I heard they are noisy?
 

MrOogieBoogie

BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
Anyone have thoughts on the SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5" 250GB SSD? Currently $75 on Newegg with promo, and $60 if you do the Chase Freedom VISA checkout.

Also, how easy is it to install an SSD? I'd get it primarily for my games, so is it an easy process to just install to my PC? I already have a 500GB HDD installed.
 
Anyone have thoughts on the SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5" 250GB SSD? Currently $75 on Newegg with promo, and $60 if you do the Chase Freedom VISA checkout.

Also, how easy is it to install an SSD? I'd get it primarily for my games, so is it an easy process to just install to my PC? I already have a 500GB HDD installed.

It's a very nice deal for a stellar SSD. And it's the easiest thing in the world to install, and that's coming from someone who sucks at building PCs.
 

Robert7lee

Neo Member
Your CPU is fine, your problems lie elsewhere. Can you list your full specs? Including what resolution and refresh rate you play at, and OS. When was the last time you did a clean driver wipe/reinstall?

Motherboard gigabyte z87x-oc-cf
Memory 8gb x 4 pc3-12800 Ddr 3 sdram udimm
CPU i7 4770k @ 4.2 ghz
Gpu 980ti
Sata 6 GB/s 2tb

OS windows 7 ultimate x64 last clean install in January

Checking my drives they are automatically defragmented every Wednesday morning.

Resolution 1080 @ 60hz refresh rate
I have vga connection from my gpu to my monitor and a hdmi connection from gpu to the amp which is connected to tv.

Is there any information I've missed.

There are games that work well, like mgs v, which was almost flawless barring couple of cutscenes. Mad max, shadow of mordor, witcher 3, Wolfenstein new order all work well. But isometric rpg just seem to struggle and so does arma 3, that does not run smooth at all.

Also checking fallout 4 recommend spec is i7 4790k...that hurts
 
Did you miss my reply?



Are you planning to want to overclock? If you do, you'll want an i5 4690K instead of an i5 4690. If not, then you don't need a Z87 motherboard and can go with a less expensive model. I don't recommend pairing a newer i5 4690 processor with an older Z87 motherboard, because while it's technically compatible, you may run into issues if the motherboard doesn't come with a recent enough BIOS revision to support the i5 4690 processor. There's a chance they may not work with each other out of the box. I'd recommend H81, B85, or H97 if you aren't overclocking, and Z97 if you plan to overclock.

While the CM HAF 912 is a nice case at a low price, it's also an older design which doesn't have USB 3.0 ports. You may want a newer case.

What's your overall budget? Do you mind filling out the short questionnaire from the first post of this thread so we have a better idea of what you want?

Thanks for the reply,
I’m planning to build my first PC. My budget is 1000+/-100(USD) and I’ll be using it primarily for gaming (and maybe some 3D modeling).
I want to be able to run BF4 on ultra (or high with all the bells and whistles) @ 1080p and GTAV with no hiccups @ at least 60fps.
I’ll be building it before the end of the month and I do not plan to overclock.
 
I've got about 100 bucks in rewards points and they're expiring real soon. Can't hold off any longer so I was thinking about picking up an SSD using them. The only one I can afford that is higher capacity is the SanDisk Plus 240 GB model. I have an 840 Evo and that's the usual recommended brand. Would it be a waste to buy the SD model though? Itd be nice to have some more SSD space. Any opinions?
 

RGM79

Member
Z170, building a skylake build. Also, I just found out a hyper 212 evo won't fit in the carbide 240 :( And my friend was giving me his old one free! Bah, and I can't get a Noctua one from here. The various water coolers including the H100i are available though but I heard they are noisy?

Which model exactly? The latest H100i GTX and H110i GT are alright for noise levels and cooling performance, from what I hear.

Thanks for the reply,
I’m planning to build my first PC. My budget is 1000+/-100(USD) and I’ll be using it primarily for gaming (and maybe some 3D modeling).
I want to be able to run BF4 on ultra (or high with all the bells and whistles) @ 1080p and GTAV with no hiccups @ at least 60fps.
I’ll be building it before the end of the month and I do not plan to overclock.

How does this build look?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($254.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H5 Universal 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Dark 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($51.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($294.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1020.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-04 14:58 EST-0500


What brand of GTX 970 would you recommend?

I'm replacing my 660.

What case do you have? We should know if it fits or not.

Can't really go wrong with EVGA, MSI, Asus or Gigabyte. EVGA's models tend to fit well in smaller cases as the ACX2.0+ cooler is very compact, yet doesn't lag that much behind in terms of performance. MSI is similar to EVGA except their Twin Frozr cooler is a bit larger than EVGA's ACX coolers. Gigabyte offers a very long but high end triple fan Windforce cooler model that is the best for overclocking, although it doesn't have the zero fan speed mode at low temperatures like the other three brands tend to have.

I've got about 100 bucks in rewards points and they're expiring real soon. Can't hold off any longer so I was thinking about picking up an SSD using them. The only one I can afford that is higher capacity is the SanDisk Plus 240 GB model. I have an 840 Evo and that's the usual recommended brand. Would it be a waste to buy the SD model though? Itd be nice to have some more SSD space. Any opinions?

Reward points? What retailer are you looking at?
 
Which model exactly? The latest H100i GTX and H110i GT are alright for noise levels and cooling performance, from what I hear.

Hmmm, they're both available here. Kinda expensive though. I'll look into it further.

So any thoughts on which mATX motherboard I should go for? Can't seem to figure out which one is the most reliable.
 
Which model exactly? The latest H100i GTX and H110i GT are alright for noise levels and cooling performance, from what I hear.



How does this build look?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($254.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H5 Universal 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Dark 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($51.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($294.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1020.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-04 14:58 EST-0500




What case do you have? We should know if it fits or not.

Can't really go wrong with EVGA, MSI, Asus or Gigabyte. EVGA's models tend to fit well in smaller cases as the ACX2.0+ cooler is very compact, yet doesn't lag that much behind in terms of performance. MSI is similar to EVGA except their Twin Frozr cooler is a bit larger than EVGA's ACX coolers. Gigabyte offers a very long but high end triple fan Windforce cooler model that is the best for overclocking, although it doesn't have the zero fan speed mode at low temperatures like the other three brands tend to have.



Reward points? What retailer are you looking at?

It's Citi Thank You points. I may just get a 100$ Best Buy card and use it towards something. Just happened to see they had that available.
 
How does this build look?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($254.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H5 Universal 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Dark 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($51.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($294.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1020.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-04 14:58 EST-0500

That build looks good and within my price range. However, I revised my original build taking your earlier recommendations and here it is below

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/XmkQ4D
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/XmkQ4D/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($172.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($307.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($47.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $887.59
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-04 15:22 EST-0500

Newegg has a deal where I can get the GTX 970 for 290. I am not sure of the benefits of the R9 390 vs the GTX 970 (please enlighten me)
I might actually make a purchase today based on the recommendations since Amex has a promo and Newegg has some promos expiring today.

Also is it ideal to purchase now since Black Friday is around the corner?
 

RGM79

Member

Then I recommend an EVGA model like this GTX 970 SSC ($315), your case only supports graphics cards up to 10.5 inches long and that graphics card is 10.1 inches long, there should be just less than half an inch of clearance left in your case for that graphics card. Most other brands and models are too large to fit.

Hmmm, they're both available here. Kinda expensive though. I'll look into it further.

So any thoughts on which mATX motherboard I should go for? Can't seem to figure out which one is the most reliable.

If you want reliable then you'll want to check motherboards with high user ratings, see here for what Newegg has listed by user review rating. Z170 motherboards for that size are still very new, but the Asus Z170M-PLUS and GIGABYTE GA-Z170MX-Gaming 5 seem to be the most promising as no one has had a negative experience with them.. yet. The last time I checked, the Gigabyte model was the better choice.

It's Citi Thank You points. I may just get a 100$ Best Buy card and use it towards something. Just happened to see they had that available.

Best Buy's not a bad idea. Get them to match the price of a cheaper SSD elsewhere and then apply the $100 gift card to the purchase.

That build looks good and within my price range. However, I revised my original build taking your earlier recommendations and here it is below

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/XmkQ4D
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/XmkQ4D/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($172.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($307.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($47.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $887.59
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-04 15:22 EST-0500

Newegg has a deal where I can get the GTX 970 for 290. I am not sure of the benefits of the R9 390 vs the GTX 970 (please enlighten me)
I might actually make a purchase today based on the recommendations since Amex has a promo and Newegg has some promos expiring today.

Also is it ideal to purchase now since Black Friday is around the corner?

The GTX 970 is generally evenly matched with the R9 390, but in some aspects the R9 390 can outperform the GTX 970 slightly and challenge the GTX 980. The GTX 970 draws less power, produces less heat, and can often be overclocked to make up for that difference though. The R9 390 does have 8GB of VRAM ensuring that it will never be bottlenecked by a lack of that in the future, but few games will ever need that much VRAM, unless you're playing at 4K resolution (which a single R9 390 isn't really strong enough to handle in the first place).

It's hard to say when is the right time to purchase, I don't know the price trends for black friday sales, anyway.
 
I have used alcohol swabs to clean the previous thermal paste.

maybe the ideal would be something like a makeup wedge with 90% alcohol since there is no risk of leaving cotton fibers behind.
 

knitoe

Member
What do you guys use to clean CPUs before applying thermal paste?

Is a q-tip and rubbing alcohol okay to use? What's ideal?

Nothing special, just wipe with a piece of tissue. You might get a few degrees lower by using exotic mats, alcohol and etc. Not worth the time and effort unless you are looking at extreme overclocking.

And, yes, qtip and rubbing alcohol are fine.
 
Gave it some thought and decided I should get K model after all. Probably will do some OC during winter to save on heating bills...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($328.31 @ Vuugo)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler (Purchased For $0.00)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($212.49 @ DirectCanada)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($73.41 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (Purchased For $0.00)
Case: NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case (Purchased For $0.00)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 850W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $0.00)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar DGX 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $614.21
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-04 20:48 EST-0500

Still thinking if I should swap out for cheaper mobo.
 

Hero

Member
Just gotta say thanks to everyone from these threads, as it helped me build my PC a few years ago.

Thinking about doing some upgrading, would really love to play Fallout 4 at higher settings.

This is what I have right now:

AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2500K CPU @ 3.30GHz
8GB RAM


Probably can just get a new video card, right? Is the GTX 970 the best bang for the buck right now?
 
Just gotta say thanks to everyone from these threads, as it helped me build my PC a few years ago.

Thinking about doing some upgrading, would really love to play Fallout 4 at higher settings.

This is what I have right now:

AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2500K CPU @ 3.30GHz
8GB RAM


Probably can just get a new video card, right? Is the GTX 970 the best bang for the buck right now?
A 970 or 390 would do you quite well. And OC your CPU if you haven't already. :p
 
Might be a dumb question but --

I use a Mac at work and a PC at home. I've noticed that everything looks a bit smoother on the Mac (text) than it does on my PC. There's just too much aliasing...

Can I do anything about that?
 
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