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"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 2. Read the OP. Rocking 2500K's until HBM2 and beyond.
- Thread starter Hazaro
- Start date
- Status
Thought this would be a good place to see if anyone could help me out with a technical problem.
For the last year or so, my PC has been randomly crashing back to desktop on a wide variety of games. Diablo III, Fallout 4, Rocket League, Starcraft II, it does't matter the game, they all love to crash back to desktop in the same way: suddenly, no freezing or anything, just back to the desktop where I can immediately relaunch my game if I want to.
This has happened after I did a full reinstall of windows 8.1 on a brand new SSD, it's continued to happen after I upgraded to windows 10. It's a really strange (and unbelievably, holy shit unbelievably, annoying) problem in that the games never freeze up first, I never get a blue screen, the games just instantly quit and I find myself back on the desktop.
So the question is, what could be causing this? It clearly seems like something on my end, as it happens over a huge variety of game, but what could it be that's persisted this long, over reformats and OS updates? Hardware doesn't seem too likely, as it seems like those kind of problems lead to more hard crashes and freezes. Any help on this would be very, very appreciated.
Specs:
Windows 10, fully updated
i5 2500k stock speeds
GTX 970
8GB Ram
For the last year or so, my PC has been randomly crashing back to desktop on a wide variety of games. Diablo III, Fallout 4, Rocket League, Starcraft II, it does't matter the game, they all love to crash back to desktop in the same way: suddenly, no freezing or anything, just back to the desktop where I can immediately relaunch my game if I want to.
This has happened after I did a full reinstall of windows 8.1 on a brand new SSD, it's continued to happen after I upgraded to windows 10. It's a really strange (and unbelievably, holy shit unbelievably, annoying) problem in that the games never freeze up first, I never get a blue screen, the games just instantly quit and I find myself back on the desktop.
So the question is, what could be causing this? It clearly seems like something on my end, as it happens over a huge variety of game, but what could it be that's persisted this long, over reformats and OS updates? Hardware doesn't seem too likely, as it seems like those kind of problems lead to more hard crashes and freezes. Any help on this would be very, very appreciated.
Specs:
Windows 10, fully updated
i5 2500k stock speeds
GTX 970
8GB Ram
Raven77
Member
Wow, thank you so much for putting that together. I have built PC's in the past so it's not something i'm afraid of doing. I am going to go through this tonight and see if i'm up for the task. You've definitely given me a 100% clear direction and I thank you again for that. I'll update what I end up doing.
ESD protection is nice to have, but I don't think it's a necessity. I've never had a USB port die on me from electrostatic discharge. Then again, my home and workplace aren't really prone to static charge buildup, I have ceramic floor tiles at home and linoleum flooring at work so I've never had to deal with ESD when handling computer parts.
No worries. I'm waiting for the motherboard to come back, I didn't buy another one. It was working just fine for a month and a half and then it just choked and stopped working properly. Couldn't get it to boot past POST. It starts up and goes into the BIOS just fine, but it fails to boot to Windows or any USB drive. Tried fiddling with BIOS settings, particularly those related to RAM, but didn't have any luck. At first it froze on the Windows loading screen, then after a few BIOS updates and resets, it now fails to boot to Windows at all and just automatically reboots as soon as it gets to the point that it would begin to load Windows. Can't reinstall Windows either as it fails to boot to USB with the same issue.
For the time that I had the motherboard while it was working, it was fine, no issues at all. I am kinda disappointed that it turned out to have issues, though. Skylake just came out and there were barely any reviews for any Z170 motherboards. I was deciding between the Asus Z170-A, Z170-Pro Gaming, and the Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI. I decided to go with the Pro Gaming on a whim and I guess I didn't get lucky.
Now that's it's been a few months and there are more user reviews, both the Z170-A and Z170-Pro Gaming only have a 3/5 average score on Newegg. The Z170-A seems to suffer from general reliability issues, and the "easy install tool" feature seems to be a common complaint. For the last few weeks, I've been recommending the Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI instead for most of the part lists that I do.
Try some CPU and GPU stress testing tools to see if they also crash. Prime95 for the CPU, and MSI Kombustor for the GPU. Here's a general guide for Prime95, and this link will explain some of the Prime95 testing methods and settings. MSI Kombuster is fairly straightforward if I remember properly.
Memory might be the culprit, or it could also be drivers. No idea exactly which. Use Memtest86+ for testing the memory, and make sure your drivers are up to date. Check your motherboard manufacturer's website support for driver downloads. It may be that your socket 1155 motherboard doesn't have complete Windows 10 support.
Oh, that sucks. I really appreciate the long and thorough explanation and help. Thanks a lot!
Oh wait, I just realized I forgot to include an SSD. Conveniently enough, a decent 250GB SSD is $80, which would bring the cost of that build to $1250, more or less what the iBuyPower PC was gonna cost.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($253.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H5 Universal 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($119.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($314.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($97.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG WH16NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($47.00 @ Adorama)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($90.75 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1248.45
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-13 15:15 EST-0500
Also, keep in mind that some of those parts may require shipping costs that aren't included in the parts list pricing.
Edit: Also, you could change out some parts for lower cost ones to save more money again, since you did say your budget was originally $1000~1200. A cheaper case, CPU cooler, and/or 8GB of RAM instead of 16GB.
Frosty Droid
Member
Having a terrible time moving over my pc to the node 304. The hyper 212 was a pain in the ass due to its size but someway somehow I got everything put in. But now the cpu won't power on. The green light on the mobo is on but nothing when I press the power switch.
Now I find out that one wire on the PWR SW header came out of its socket and it's impossible to put back in..
I'm hoping that's not the issue so I don't have to deal with a RMA for a new case. Is there a different way to power this thing on?
P8H61-I R2.0
Now I find out that one wire on the PWR SW header came out of its socket and it's impossible to put back in..
I'm hoping that's not the issue so I don't have to deal with a RMA for a new case. Is there a different way to power this thing on?P8H61-I R2.0
You can bridge the power switch connections on the motherboard to test it at least. Use a screwdriver to touch both pins at once.Having a terrible time moving over my pc to the node 304. The hyper 212 was a pain in the ass due to its size but someway somehow I got everything put in. But now the cpu won't power on. The green light on the mobo is on but nothing when I press the power switch.
Now I find out that one wire on the PWR SW header came out of its socket and it's impossible to put back in..
P8H61-I R2.0
Oh wow that turned it on. So it is the header. What's the best course of action now? Is there something that won't require me to get a new case and rebuild the whole thing?
If you don't mind a bit of DIY work, you could fix it yourself. If you know of any electronics shops (I don't know if Radioshack still cater to the electrician/DIY crowd) see if you can find a replacement plug or cable, then just splice the wires together. Some places sell them online as well. Or if you're not using your old case for anything, cut off one of the unused ends from the case's power/reset/LED cables.
See here for examples:
http://www.wikihow.com/Splice-Wire
http://www.knowyourparts.com/technical-articles/hand-wire-splicing-technique/
You don't need to use a soldering iron or heat shrink wrap as they do in the last step. Some electricial tape will do just as well, just wrap the exposed part tightly and thoroughly.
I found this motherboard review site yesterday that influenced my decision, but they all seem to be pretty similar. Im not sure if the boards you were choosing are listed here http://www.techspot.com/review/1073-intel-z170-motherboard-roundup/
Ended up going with the Gigabyte
Fantastic. I can take it from my old R4 case. Thanks for everything guys! I'll be turning on the pc with a screwdriver for the time being haha. Also is the GPU fan supposed to be running when idle cause it's not
arts&crafts
Member
Uhh so I am stressing out here trying to put on the heatsink (hardest part!) anyways I finally get the courage to do it and I put it in sideways! As in the fan is pointing east/west instead of north/south. Is it safe to take it off and rescrew it. I already put the thermal paste ect. and screwed it down.
Thank you both! I put in a 970 and am running Fallout 4 at Ultra : )
arts&crafts
Member
Uhh so I am stressing out here trying to put on the heatsink (hardest part!) anyways I finally get the courage to do it and I put it in sideways! As in the fan is pointing east/west instead of north/south. Is it safe to take it off and rescrew it. I already put the thermal paste ect. and screwed it down.
I am going to do it...uh wish me luck!
When not playing games and/or under 60 degrees C, the GTX 970 runs with the fans off to keep noise levels low.
That's not a big deal. I have my CPU cooler fan pointing east to west because there's an exhaust fan to the "west" of the CPU cooler.Uhh so I am stressing out here trying to put on the heatsink (hardest part!) anyways I finally get the courage to do it and I put it in sideways! As in the fan is pointing east/west instead of north/south. Is it safe to take it off and rescrew it. I already put the thermal paste ect. and screwed it down.
Doing any overclocking?
arts&crafts
Member
Yeah just saying, it's only a cause for concern if it overheats.
Hey guys, relatively new to building a PC here. I would just like to know if this build is any good/if anything should be replaced (pretty much followed the Hazaro enthusiast build word for word). I would ideally like something that would take me comfortably to early next gen. Thanks!
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($215.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.59 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($158.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX200 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Blue 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($128.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($649.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Cooler Master 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($20.00 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($98.38 @ Amazon)
Total: $1655.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-13 20:55 EST-0500
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($215.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.59 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($158.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX200 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Blue 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($128.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($649.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Cooler Master 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($20.00 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($98.38 @ Amazon)
Total: $1655.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-13 20:55 EST-0500
opticalmace
Member
The MX200 ssd doesn't have great reviews. For whatever reason it's kind of a step backwards from the MX100. Look into the BX100 and the Samsung 850 Evo.
Not sure why your CPU isn't showing up in the list..?
Thanks I'll look into it. CPU is i5-6600, should be showing up now.
opticalmace
Member
Gotcha. K I assume. Do you already own that PSU?
I would see if you could get faster memory... maybe look at G.Skill, it's usually pretty competitive on price. I would try to aim for DDR4-3000 if the prices are good.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0134EW7G8/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Is that any good? I assume 2x8gb is better than 4x4gb.
I don't own the PSU, don't know why the price isn't showing up.
I just got back from micro-center a few hours ago after buying a CPU, motherboard and a case.
I noticed all the motherboard boxes, including mine, did not have a cling-wrap you would normally see and none of the boxes had any tape to break when opening. I could very easily open any motherboard box and take or swap components. Is this common at micro-center?
I noticed all the motherboard boxes, including mine, did not have a cling-wrap you would normally see and none of the boxes had any tape to break when opening. I could very easily open any motherboard box and take or swap components. Is this common at micro-center?
Are you limited to buying from Amazon, or are other retailers OK? The CPU and motherboard aren't showing up because something in PCPartPicker's database is showing that it isn't available from Amazon, or at all.
I'd consider getting the i5 6600K instead of the i5 6600. If you're sure you don't want to overclock, then keep the i5 6600 and get a cheaper non-overclocking H170/B150 motherboard.
Instead of that 4TB WD Blue 5400RPM drive, you could get a 4TB Toshiba 7200RPM drive ($125). Same amount of storage but slightly faster, and even slightly cheaper. There's also a 5TB Toshiba 7200RPM model ($145) which works out to be slightly cheaper if we look at $/GB.
Also, if you don't need to use a DVD drive, you can drop that from the list and save another $20. Windows can be installed via USB, all you need is the product key, a spare USB drive that you don't mind formatting, and another computer to download installation files with.
That's a bit odd. Did you inspect the motherboard before you left the store with your purchases?
I was with my two daughters - 3 year old and 8 month old - and the 8 month old had peed through her diaper and onto my arm ( i was carrying her). So i didn't get a chance to inspect and just wanted to get the girls home.
I'll have a look later tonight and verify that the parts in the box match up with a listing (hopefully the manual lists included parts).
I just found it really odd that none of the boxes were sealed and wanted to see what others experience was. By the way this was at the Boston/Cambridge location.
In general or just at micro-center. A friend recently purchased a motherboard off amazon and his box was sealed.
In general. But I also haven't bought anything recently.
Having a terrible time moving over my pc to the node 304. The hyper 212 was a pain in the ass due to its size but someway somehow I got everything put in. But now the cpu won't power on. The green light on the mobo is on but nothing when I press the power switch.
Now I find out that one wire on the PWR SW header came out of its socket and it's impossible to put back in..
P8H61-I R2.0
Please take a photo of the damaged wire/socket. This should be as simple as orientating the crimped end and inserting it into the plastic housing if I understood correctly.
They pretty much never come sealed. Even the £200+ boards we have here have no seal on them. I agree it's pretty odd!
Switch the power and reset cables, then the reset button will turn on your PC.
Iirc node 304 doesn't have a reset button lol
Hoping someone can answer a quick question I have about DIMM slots.
Just put together my build (thanks to the wonderful help of RGM79! Thanks dude.) and in it I've got a Gigabyte Z170XP-SLI motherboard and 16GB's of Team Dark DDR4-3000 memory.
I slot the RAM into slots 1 and 3, as marked both in the manual and on the motherboard itself. These are the two dark grey (as opposed to the other two black) slots and are the slots further away from the CPU.
But when I load into the UEFI, my DIMM slots 1 and 3 show up as empty and 2 and 4 are the occupied slots. Is this... normal? I know it doesn't really make a difference, but I'm just curious why the DIMM slots showing up in my UEFI aren't matching the slots marked in my manual and on the motherboard.
Just put together my build (thanks to the wonderful help of RGM79! Thanks dude.) and in it I've got a Gigabyte Z170XP-SLI motherboard and 16GB's of Team Dark DDR4-3000 memory.
I slot the RAM into slots 1 and 3, as marked both in the manual and on the motherboard itself. These are the two dark grey (as opposed to the other two black) slots and are the slots further away from the CPU.
But when I load into the UEFI, my DIMM slots 1 and 3 show up as empty and 2 and 4 are the occupied slots. Is this... normal? I know it doesn't really make a difference, but I'm just curious why the DIMM slots showing up in my UEFI aren't matching the slots marked in my manual and on the motherboard.
Doesn't matter and probably a bug.
Just make sure CPUz reports the channel mode as dual.
Cato the Censor
Member
This is perhaps an all-too easy question, but while I'm pretty knowledgeable about new hardware, I am at a loss when comparing old stuff. My girlfriend's PC contains an AMD Radeon HD 4800 series card (1024 mb memory), but it's only directX 10.1 and she wants to play Divinity - Original Sin extended (which needs 11). Now, I have an old CLUB3D CGNX-XT56024G NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB card lying in a drawer somewhere which is Direcx 11 (that's what their website tells me) - but is putting that one in her computer really worth it or should she buy a newer card (even used)? Any help is appreciated.
560 ti would be a solid upgrade from any 4800 series card. Go for it!
Recommended spec is a 550Ti so the 560Ti will do the job, although I have no idea how CPU intensive it is.
Hey Duders
I am thinking about upgrading my video card. I currently play with this setup:
Windows 10 (64-bit OS )
Intel Core i7-3770 3.4 GHz
8 GB RAM
NVIDIA GTX 560 Ti
At some point I will most likely buy a completely new rig. For now though, I am wondering if it would make sense for me to cheaply upgrade a few individual components, such as the graphics card.
I am very inexperienced in this and I am aware that upgrading too much doesn't really make sense since components can be bottlenecked by others. Don't know how much sense I'm talking here really, but what would be a sensible way to invest a few dollars and get a bit more out of my rig?
Thank you all in advance. Any advice is welcome
Cheerio
I am thinking about upgrading my video card. I currently play with this setup:
Windows 10 (64-bit OS )
Intel Core i7-3770 3.4 GHz
8 GB RAM
NVIDIA GTX 560 Ti
At some point I will most likely buy a completely new rig. For now though, I am wondering if it would make sense for me to cheaply upgrade a few individual components, such as the graphics card.
I am very inexperienced in this and I am aware that upgrading too much doesn't really make sense since components can be bottlenecked by others. Don't know how much sense I'm talking here really, but what would be a sensible way to invest a few dollars and get a bit more out of my rig?
Thank you all in advance. Any advice is welcome
Cheerio
lordfuzzybutt
Member
Hey Duders
I am thinking about upgrading my video card. I currently play with this setup:
Windows 10 (64-bit OS )
Intel Core i7-3770 3.4 GHz
8 GB RAM
NVIDIA GTX 560 Ti
At some point I will most likely buy a completely new rig. For now though, I am wondering if it would make sense for me to cheaply upgrade a few individual components, such as the graphics card.
I am very inexperienced in this and I am aware that upgrading too much doesn't really make sense since components can be bottlenecked by others. Don't know how much sense I'm talking here really, but what would be a sensible way to invest a few dollars and get a bit more out of my rig?
Thank you all in advance. Any advice is welcome
Cheerio
A new graphics card is all you need. Additionally, you can pop in more RAM, a SSD and you are good to go for years more.
Is that CPU actually a non-K or a K variant?
Do you have a budget? Country?
Thanks! I live in Switzerland, Budget is less of a concern for me but since I have quite little time to play games these days, I don't feel like investing to much money into this hobby at the moment.
Is there a specific card you would recommend?
Thanks again!
Thanks for the link!
SmartWaffles
Member
My motherboard broke so I end up getting a new CPU and a new MB to replace, do I need to do a full system clean install? Don't really want to to do that since reinstalling all the professional software is a pain in the ass.
Old build is Xeon E3 1230 V2 + Z77, replacement is i7 4790K + Z97, OS is Windows 10.
Old build is Xeon E3 1230 V2 + Z77, replacement is i7 4790K + Z97, OS is Windows 10.
I need to upgrade my computer, finally... but obviously I don't want to spend too much money. What I'm wondering is if I can get away with my current CPU/Mobo combo and just upgrade my GPU and Harddrive to get a bit of extra life out of this rig while I save up for a more permanent upgrade.
I currently have a i7 920 (a six year old Processor), would I need to upgrade this antique to see an appreciable performance boost or could I just slap a new GPU and SSD in here and keep trudging along for another year or so?
I currently have a i7 920 (a six year old Processor), would I need to upgrade this antique to see an appreciable performance boost or could I just slap a new GPU and SSD in here and keep trudging along for another year or so?
What GPU do you currently have?
GTX 260
I suspect you'd be fine for another year or more with a new GPU.
It's worth trying first anyway.
SmartWaffles
Member
Your i7 920 should still work well in most games, get a better GPU with an SSD you can still go pretty strong in most games, it isn't a bad idea to just go for a full rebuild as well since i7 920 is, well, very old, depending on your budget.
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