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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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for what may seem like the umpteenth time...just want to run my 99% final specs list by pc gaf to see if those more knowledgeable have any recommendations. most likely putting in the order this weekend.

There will be some Flash/Maya/Unreal/Unity work, but also some games. The next two games I'd like to get on PC, that spring to mind, are The Witcher 3 w/Xpacs and Total Warhammer next year. Ideally both would be maxed out and at 60fps etc, but I can't always tell the difference between High and Ultra, even if it has a frame rate cost and I know CA don't tend to have the most...optimized(?) or games. or it can feel like it. Anyhoo.

Case - Phanteks Enthoo Pro Mid Tower Black w/Window
Mobo - Asus X99 Pro
CPU - i7 5820k OCd
Cooler - Corsair Hydro H100i GTX
Memory - Corsair Vengeance 16gb 4x4 ddr4 2666Mhz Quad Channel
SSD - Samsung 500gb 850 EVO
HDD - Seagate 2TD 7200rpm
GPU - Asus GTX 980Ti
PSU - SuperFlower Leadex Gold 850w

Now I'd be getting a new monitor and keyboard etc too, but apart from the monitor being 1440p and gSync i'm not 100% decided on what they will be. With my aforementioned goals in mind is there anything that'd be worth it to upgrade/change? Although it's expensive anyway, changing the 980Ti to a Titan X for example isn't really on the cards :p In benchmarks it doesn't seem to be worth it anyway.

I can't imagine I'd need more than 16gb ram because I can't imagine I'll be doing video editing in the next few years, or at least before the time to upgrade parts rolls around.

I don't think there's anything THAT beneficial that'd be worth the change but this community has been super useful in the past few months so just wanted to check.

cheers
 

RGM79

Member
OK here is where I am. At about $1450 after I add Windows 10 and an Xbox One controller/wireless. Now do I pull the trigger?

nQEdQ9b.png
No, DO NOT pull the trigger. The case is too small to fit that CPU cooler. The 212 Evo is 160mm tall while the case only officially allows for 150mm tall CPU coolers.

Nice. That looks pretty sweet, added that to my list.

One question, how are the sata ports on that? An issue I ran into with my current Mobo is that only 2 of the ports that are 6gb/s are on the intel chipset, the others are on the marvell controller which sucks.

With Z170, all of the ports are 6Gbps. As for a better power supply, get this EVGA model as it's cheaper, higher wattage, and far higher quality.

I need a PC for Adobe image editing softwares: Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Also media stuff: movies, music and such.

What do you think about this one? Win10.

SEB87Ew.png

What country are you in, what's your budget, and what retailers are you shopping at? I don't mind putting together a better parts list for you. For one, you don't need to get an overclockable Z97 motherboard for the non-overclocking Xeon processor, and around here we'd recommend getting a graphics card with 4GB of VRAM if you want to play games (although you've only said that your PC is for image editing and audio/video media). There's likely a cheaper power supply you can get as well.
 

kuYuri

Member
for what may seem like the umpteenth time...just want to run my 99% final specs list by pc gaf to see if those more knowledgeable have any recommendations. most likely putting in the order this weekend.

There will be some Flash/Maya/Unreal/Unity work, but also some games. The next two games I'd like to get on PC, that spring to mind, are The Witcher 3 w/Xpacs and Total Warhammer next year. Ideally both would be maxed out and at 60fps etc, but I can't always tell the difference between High and Ultra, even if it has a frame rate cost and I know CA don't tend to have the most...optimized(?) or games. or it can feel like it. Anyhoo.

Case - Phanteks Enthoo Pro Mid Tower Black w/Window
Mobo - Asus X99 Pro
CPU - i7 5820k OCd
Cooler - Corsair Hydro H100i GTX
Memory - Corsair Vengeance 16gb 4x4 ddr4 2666Mhz Quad Channel
SSD - Samsung 500gb 850 EVO
HDD - Seagate 2TD 7200rpm
GPU - Asus GTX 980Ti
PSU - SuperFlower Leadex Gold 850w

Now I'd be getting a new monitor and keyboard etc too, but apart from the monitor being 1440p and gSync i'm not 100% decided on what they will be. With my aforementioned goals in mind is there anything that'd be worth it to upgrade/change? Although it's expensive anyway, changing the 980Ti to a Titan X for example isn't really on the cards :p In benchmarks it doesn't seem to be worth it anyway.

I can't imagine I'd need more than 16gb ram because I can't imagine I'll be doing video editing in the next few years, or at least before the time to upgrade parts rolls around.

I don't think there's anything THAT beneficial that'd be worth the change but this community has been super useful in the past few months so just wanted to check.

cheers

Looking good to me, I'd probably trade the Samsung EVO for the Pro version, but otherwise the build looks solid.

As for monitors, either the Acer XB271HU or the ASUS PG279Q are gonna be the two best 1440p/G-Sync monitors to go for.
 
Looking good to me, I'd probably trade the Samsung EVO for the Pro version, but otherwise the build looks solid.

As for monitors, either the Acer XB271HU or the ASUS PG279Q are gonna be the two best 1440p/G-Sync monitors to go for.

Yeah I'm thinking about going for the Pro.

What's the difference between the ACer XB271Hu and the Xb270Hu?

Hadn't heard of the 271.
 

VoxPop

Member
My Node 304 just came in. Nice and small as I expected. Didn't realize it didn't have a slot for an optical drive though. Thought it was going to be like my old Refine R4 with an opening door + slot. Oh well no biggie :p Now just anxiously waiting my mobo so I can move everything.
 
What country are you in, what's your budget, and what retailers are you shopping at? I don't mind putting together a better parts list for you. For one, you don't need to get an overclockable Z97 motherboard for the non-overclocking Xeon processor, and around here we'd recommend getting a graphics card with 4GB of VRAM if you want to play games (although you've only said that your PC is for image editing and audio/video media). There's likely a cheaper power supply you can get as well.

Finland. That 1000 euros is the budget. No need for gaming stuff. Xeon and 32gb RAM are must. Germany is the only other place I could think of ordering. Screenshot taken from the cheapest Finnish site hardwarium.com.

I checked some mobos out and they're all about the same. Asrock's budget mobo didn't have 4 x RAM slots. Same for the PSU. It's really like a 10 euro difference and this one is more reliable.
 

RGM79

Member
Finland. That 1000 euros is the budget. No need for gaming stuff. Xeon and 32gb RAM are must. Germany is the only other place I could think of ordering. Screenshot taken from the cheapest Finnish site hardwarium.com.

I checked some mobos out and they're all about the same. Asrock's budget mobo didn't have 4 x RAM slots. Same for the PSU. It's really like a 10 euro difference and this one is more reliable.

Alright, well in that case you should get the cheapest graphics card that you can find. I find it kind of hard to believe that the cheapest power supply that you found is 100 Euros, but if you're sure, go for it.
 
No, DO NOT pull the trigger. The case is too small to fit that CPU cooler. The 212 Evo is 160mm tall while the case only officially allows for 150mm tall CPU coolers.

Ahh. Thanks. Can you recommend me a plain of case in black or white? No crazy gaming of stuff.
 
Alright, well in that case you should get the cheapest graphics card that you can find. I find it kind of hard to believe that the cheapest power supply that you found is 100 Euros, but if you're sure, go for it.

Yeah, it's the cheapest 960. It has about 30% more CUDA stuff than 950. But 950 is 50 euros cheaper. I have no idea if that 30% is worth 50 euros. Although Google tells that more CUDAs equal better Adobe image software performance.
 

Thorgal

Member
Guys , i am in need of a new keyboard ,for one thing my A key is busted ( have to nearly push it through my keyboard to make it register ) and considering it's age , i think it's time for my old board to retire .

I am looking at my favorite site for new one : http://www.consoleshop.be/category/20541/gaming-toetsenborden.html?1981=5905&6216=Y&53917=Y

Anything worthwhile for the price they Ask?
Price budget doesn't matter.

My only conditions are :

Needs to be a mechanical keyboard .
Needs to be Azerty type board . ( non-negotiable )
Needs to be wired .( had some bad memories on wireless ones )
 

kennah

Member
Hmm, ok. Good to know.
3 years ago, cuda was necessary. Now not so much. A lot has changed in Adobe software to take advantage of amd cards. It's pretty even ground except for a few specific scenarios.

Even then, gpu is great, but disk speed matters the most for production software like that. Make sure you have an SSD.
 
3 years ago, cuda was necessary. Now not so much. A lot has changed in Adobe software to take advantage of amd cards. It's pretty even ground except for a few specific scenarios.

Even then, gpu is great, but disk speed matters the most for production software like that. Make sure you have an SSD.

Yeah, there's a 250 GB Crucial MX200 on the list.

And I have a really old Kingston 64 GB SSD which I'll be using as a scratch disk I guess.
 

crpav

Member
I'm getting a second monitor. Any special way to install them? Can the system be turned on while I plug it in?

No and yes. Just plug it in, assuming you have the outputs, and then adjust settings from within windows as needed. Either from windows display settings or the graphics cards display settings.
 

RGM79

Member
What do you guys think of this computer? Seems like a really great price. But I haven't gotten a new computer in so long so I feel lost. Also I can't figure out if it has an hdmi port on it. I want to be able to plug it into my tv. http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16883102075

Seems kinda overpriced. If you don't mind building your own PC, you can get one with better parts for the same price, or spend maybe $200 less for roughly the same performance. You say you want to plug it into a TV, is this gonna be a PC that goes in the living room?
 
Hey guys, I'm trying to replace the small wifi card inside of this larger wifi card. This is supposed to be very easy to do.

7a90a6a22c.JPG


See those two wires? How do I remove them from the small card?
 

RGM79

Member
"prying" them did it—I'd needed to come at it from an angle. Thank you!

Yeah, they're a little tricky because if you use your fingernails or tweezers to grip the plug tightly from both sides, it sorta works against you because it's like you're clamping them tighter against the plug. Prying it off from the underside or at an angle, or just pulling gently works better.
 

Zornack

Member
What do you guys think of this computer? Seems like a really great price. But I haven't gotten a new computer in so long so I feel lost. Also I can't figure out if it has an hdmi port on it. I want to be able to plug it into my tv. http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16883102075

The GTX 980 has an HDMI port.

As for the price, it seems like a great deal. Before accounting for the case, fans, dvd drive, keyboard and mouse my calculations puts the parts at $1,223 if bought individually. At the very least it looks like it'd cost you same price if you were to buy everything separately and put it together yourself.
 
Seems kinda overpriced. If you don't mind building your own PC, you can get one with better parts for the same price, or spend maybe $200 less for roughly the same performance. You say you want to plug it into a TV, is this gonna be a PC that goes in the living room?

Yes but my house is small so I don't really mind moving it around if I want to sit at my desk. I was originally considering a steam box type computer with Windows though but they all seem more expensive with less power. And I can't build myself. I've never messed with electronic parts and I don't have the time to learn to or build a pc.

The GTX 980 has an HDMI port.

As for the price, it seems like a great deal. Before accounting for the case, fans, dvd drive, keyboard and mouse my calculations puts the parts at $1,223 if bought individually. At the very least it looks like it'd cost you same price if you were to buy everything separately and put it together yourself.
Thanks for the info!
 

RGM79

Member
Yes but my house is small so I don't really mind moving it around if I want to sit at my desk. I was originally considering a steam box type computer with Windows though but they all seem more expensive with less power. And I can't build myself. I've never messed with electronic parts and I don't have the time to learn to or build a pc.

That's alright, it's just that we recommend custom PCs whenever possible in this thread.
 
I can't build myself. I've never messed with electronic parts and I don't have the time to learn to or build a pc.
Everyone says this at first. But then you research all the parts you want, and learn more about them and how they work, and all of the sudden it doesn't seem so overwhelming at all. It's actually pretty darn easy. Google stuff while at work, order parts online, call in sick to build it :)
 
That's alright, it's just that we recommend custom PCs whenever possible in this thread.

I know. I'm just a console peasant in pc master race clothing. Lol

Everyone says this at first. But then you research all the parts you want, and learn more about them and how they work, and all of the sudden it doesn't seem so overwhelming at all. It's actually pretty darn easy. Google stuff while at work, order parts online, call in sick to build it :)

I'll definitely think about it. :)
 

Thorgal

Member
Guys , i am in need of a new keyboard ,for one thing my A key is busted ( have to nearly push it through my keyboard to make it register ) and considering it's age , i think it's time for my old board to retire .

I am looking at my favorite site for new one : http://www.consoleshop.be/category/20541/gaming-toetsenborden.html?1981=5905&6216=Y&53917=Y

Anything worthwhile for the price they Ask?
Price budget doesn't matter.

My only conditions are :

Needs to be a mechanical keyboard .
Needs to be Azerty type board . ( non-negotiable )
Needs to be wired .( had some bad memories on wireless ones )

Anyone ?
 
So my PC has stopped booting up out of the blue. Pressing the power button does nothing. It hasn't been dropped or played with and was used just normally the night before after which I shut it down like normal. The light on the motherboard is on which suggests to me that the power supply is still working. My motherboard's MEMOK! button does nothing when I press it but the motherboard manual suggests it should turn the PC on and test the memory, it not turning on at all suggests to me that the issue has nothing to do with the case power button (I double checked that the lead from the power button to motherboard header was in correctly). Does anyone know how I would troubleshoot next? I'd really rather it not be a faulty motherboard or CPU as I'd have to replace both with Skylake as I can't wait around for a warranty repair. The fact that there's a light on the motherboard suggests to me that it's possibly working anyway. I was also thinking of clearing the motherboard's BIOS but couldn't find any jumpers to put a screwdriver on like my old motherboard, I've tried searching the manual but couldn't see anything (can only browse on my phone now so wouldn't be surprised if I missed something).

Anyway, here are my specs:
Asus Z87I PRO
4670K
GTX 770
bequiet PSU
Cooler master elite 130

Thanks for any help guys.
 

RGM79

Member
So my PC has stopped booting up out of the blue. Pressing the power button does nothing. It hasn't been dropped or played with and was used just normally the night before after which I shut it down like normal. The light on the motherboard is on which suggests to me that the power supply is still working. My motherboard's MEMOK! button does nothing when I press it but the motherboard manual suggests it should turn the PC on and test the memory, it not turning on at all suggests to me that the issue has nothing to do with the case power button (I double checked that the lead from the power button to motherboard header was in correctly). Does anyone know how I would troubleshoot next? I'd really rather it not be a faulty motherboard or CPU as I'd have to replace both with Skylake as I can't wait around for a warranty repair. The fact that there's a light on the motherboard suggests to me that it's possibly working anyway. I was also thinking of clearing the motherboard's BIOS but couldn't find any jumpers to put a screwdriver on like my old motherboard, I've tried searching the manual but couldn't see anything (can only browse on my phone now so wouldn't be surprised if I missed something).

Anyway, here are my specs:
Asus Z87I PRO
4670K
GTX 770
bequiet PSU
Cooler master elite 130

Thanks for any help guys.

To rule out the power supply, try the paper clip test. What color is the LED light on the motherboard, and is it blinking or solid? Motherboard or CPU would be difficult to troubleshoot if you don't have spares on hand to swap with. Try switching off the PSU and unplugging the PC completely. Leave it to sit for a while, then plug it back in and try turning it on again. or even plugging it into a different AC outlet.

As for the manual, here's a link. Page 36 (or 1-22) tells you the location the POST LEDs and purpose of each LED. If the LED is lit, that indicates a problem with the corresponding component.
 

RGM79

Member
Last question before I place my order. Can I stick with the stock CPU cooler with the i5 if I don't plan to overclock?

Yes, you can. If you're definitely sure you won't be overclocking, you could opt for a cheaper non-overclocking i5 processor and H81/B85/H97 motherboard.

I'm not much of a keyboard guy, but I'll try. I personally have a Cooler Master Quickfire TK blue and had one of the old Razer Blackwidow models that had blue switches.

I found the Razer keyboard annoying because the software requires you to sign up for a Razer cloud and social account before you can use it. The software was also kinda buggy for me, had issues with customizing part of my keyboard. I don't recommend them myself, but those are just my personal anecdotes and obviously other people don't have the same issues I did.

To me, it looks like you only have 4 choices, two Corsair, the Logitech G710+, and the Steelseries model. I'm discounting the Logitech G410 because you haven't mentioned a need for a tenkeyless/compact keyboard.

From what I've read about the Corsairs they're quite nice. The K70 is physically very solid, it has an aluminum frame. Some people don't like the more exposed design of the keys, but it would make it easier to run a brush through and clean it. It has no customization software though.

The Strafe is more of a budget model with plastic construction, it even lacks dedicated volume controls. It makes up for it by having very good software, as Anandtech found the Corsair Strafe to be fairly good, and the control software to be highly customizable down to the LED and function of each single key. If you're interested, Anandtech also reviewed the K70.

The Logitech G710+ is preferable if you want quiet typing. It uses cherry brown switches and each key has a rubber O-ring under it to further dampen noise. Lots of extra media and custom keys available on the top and side. It is made out of plastic which is kinda disappointing when other companies have a metal construction for their higher end keyboards.

No idea about the Steelseries model, I am not familiar with that keyboard.
 
Dudes what is the latest hotness when it comes to mice?

I've been using the Logitech MX518/G400 line for years now but my latest G400 is getting a bit worn and I'm not too familiar with their latest line of stuff.
 
To rule out the power supply, try the paper clip test. What color is the LED light on the motherboard, and is it blinking or solid? Motherboard or CPU would be difficult to troubleshoot if you don't have spares on hand to swap with. Try switching off the PSU and unplugging the PC completely. Leave it to sit for a while, then plug it back in and try turning it on again. or even plugging it into a different AC outlet.

As for the manual, here's a link. Page 36 (or 1-22) tells you the location the POST LEDs and purpose of each LED. If the LED is lit, that indicates a problem with the corresponding component.
Thanks for the response.

I'll try the paperclip test tomorrow as I don't have one to hand.

The light that is on is the SBPW LED and it is continuously green from the moment the power supply I/O switch is turned on. Not sure what SBPW could be though. Any ideas guys?
 

jediyoshi

Member
Was about to order an EVGA GTX 970 SC on jet and then noticed at the last moment they had the SSC back in stock for about the same price. Ordered at $253, yeehaw.

CSi8SNP.png
 

Vaettir

Member
No, DO NOT pull the trigger. The case is too small to fit that CPU cooler. The 212 Evo is 160mm tall while the case only officially allows for 150mm tall CPU coolers.

He's right. Find a bigger case or settle with a different heatsink.

The Cryorig H7 will fit in the 100R fine but has no prime delivery.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S7YA5FQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20

The Thermalright Macho Rev A also will fit and has prime delivery.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GIO7D5C/?tag=neogaf0e-20
 

RGM79

Member
Dudes what is the latest hotness when it comes to mice?

I've been using the Logitech MX518/G400 line for years now but my latest G400 is getting a bit worn and I'm not too familiar with their latest line of stuff.

The successor to those would be the Logitech G402?

Thanks for the response.

I'll try the paperclip test tomorrow as I don't have one to hand.

The light that is on is the SBPW LED and it is continuously green from the moment the power supply I/O switch is turned on. Not sure what SBPW could be though. Any ideas guys?
I figure it stands for stand-by power, but I haven't the faintest idea what it could be other than maybe a faulty power supply that isn't working.
 

rogue74

Member
I think I will finally be biting the bullet and building a Skylake system.

Today I got an email from Newegg offering various motherboards at 15% off as part of Black November.

This MSI Z170A PC Mate caught my eye:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...1&cm_re=PPSSQOOXKYJVDU-_-13-130-871-_-Product

It would come out under $80. Seems almost too good to be true. Am I missing something here? Is there anything that would make this board undesirable for a gaming build?
 

RGM79

Member
I think I will finally be biting the bullet and building a Skylake system.

Today I got an email from Newegg offering various motherboards at 15% off as part of Black November.

This MSI Z170A PC Mate caught my eye:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...1&cm_re=PPSSQOOXKYJVDU-_-13-130-871-_-Product

It would come out under $80. Seems almost too good to be true. Am I missing something here? Is there anything that would make this board undesirable for a gaming build?

There's only a 3/5 star average, but there are few reviews so it's too early to say for sure if it's bad. One idiot who gave a poor review complained that the motherboard didn't support SLI and that a long graphics card in the second PCI-E x16 slot blocked some SATA ports, but those aren't so much faults of the motherboard but of the owner who didn't research his parts fully before buying. Two other reviews say the motherboard was DOA, other than that it seems alright.

I wouldn't be opposed to recommending that motherboard, and it is cheap. Go for it if you want.
 

phaonaut

Member
Need some help solving a problem.

I picked up a 380 to replace my old 5770. I'm getting a black screen only.

Card was firmly in slot, connected the 2 6pin power connectors that were available, the fans on the gpu were spinning. I put old card back in and video is available once again.

Is it the power supply(both 6 pins are coming off the same line, does that matter?)?

Is it the motherboard(I haven't updated since I purchased it back in 2011)?

my components

2500k
MSI Mobo
Antec 650 Power Supply
R9 380
 

Shepard

Member
Guys, I'd appreciate some input.
I bought a pair of Sennheiser's RS 180 headphones (labeled as "audiophile headphones"). Do you think I'd notice any major difference between my onboard sound card and one of those fancy creative ones? I searched a lot, but had no defiinitive answer.
 
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