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[saveweyard]

Hey guys. So I'm thinking about putting together a build during these black Friday deals. I'm looking for it to be a black/white theme:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC12DX_BK 68.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury White 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($80.93 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($77.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($259.99) - on Newegg they list the white version for this price but it doesn't show on partpicker
Case: NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($48.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1042.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-25 20:47 EST-0500

One of the things I'm not sure about is the case. The one I have listed there seems to have gotten good reviews and it's on sale right now for pretty cheap, but it might be a bit too busy for me as I like a clean/minimalist look. If anyone has a recommendation on a case (with a window still to show the white and black components) or on anything else (wasn't really sure on the power supply either) I'd greatly appreciate it!

 

[xplicitone]

Yo man, what is with those giant ass Yu-Gi-Oh pendants?

Hahaha I won my city's championship 3x in a row back in 2003-2004. They're massive. Here's a pic next to ps4 box for perspective and full shot

 

[ABK]

I'm planning on buying an SSD but kind of curious on how transferring my Windows 10 to it would work. I created a Windows 10 installation boot on a USB and it pointed out I'll need a product key to activate it when I install. Since I got Windows 10 through the free upgrade thing I don't actually have a product key. Will it still somehow work without a key?

 

[Wowfunhappy]

I'm planning on buying an SSD but kind of curious on how transferring my Windows 10 to it would work. I created a Windows 10 installation boot on a USB and it pointed out I'll need a product key to activate it when I install. Since I got Windows 10 through the free upgrade thing I don't actually have a product key. Will it still somehow work without a key?

It will work without a key. Your computer itself is registered to Microsoft's servers.

 

[UFO]

Is this a big rip off?

http://pc.ncix.com/ncixpc_new/ncixpc.cfm?uuid=572AE6B1-D65A-4A57-A8F78DF36B11B306-6664018

 

[RGM79]

So it looks like the main question for me right now is do I think I would potentially want to overclock. In that case, I should find out what it takes to be able to overclock and how much cost that would add. Let's suppose I get the 6600k and want to overclock with it. That needs a cooler right? What would be a recommended one? Would I also need a special motherboard for overclocking to work? How strong a PSU would I need?

I would recommend a cooler like the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO. It's cheap yet effective enough for moderate overclocking. You would need a Z170 motherboard to be able to overclock. You'll find some recommendations on this page and the last one as well. As for the power supply, I would recommend a decent 550 watt or stronger model, preferably from the likes of XFX, Seasonic, EVGA, etc. Your existing PSU says it is only rated for 400 watts on the 12V rail, that is important as the 12V rail is responsible for providing the main source of power for your processor and motherboard. I'd be inclined to say your PSU is more like a 400 watt model than actually 500 watts. Specific recommendations will depend on pricing, I'm on the go at the moment otherwise I'd pick some examples for you.

 

[xplicitone]

Ok so I'm using 3 monitors for the first time, and 1 monitor I'm going to use for both PC and PS4 (first time as well), both are connected at the same time.

PC is connected via DisplayPort
PS4 is connected via HDMI.

Probably stupid question: Is it harmful if I'm using my PC with DisplayPort, and I turn on my PS4, since both are connected to the monitor? Monitors might act different than TVs, so I want to be safe than sorry :X

Next PC related question: Is there an easy or automatic way to switch my PC to dual screen instead of triple screen when I do switch 1 monitor from PC to PS4?

 

[xplicitone]

oops

 

[Critic]

where can i find BF deals for pc parts?

 

[ABK]

It will work without a key. Your computer itself is registered to Microsoft's servers.

Well okay then. Thanks!

 

[SomeLurker]

Alright PCGaf! Finally got things together and now I am able to build my very first PC! Any comments, suggestions, criticisms, questions, etc. are GREATLY appreciated.

MOBO: MSI Z97 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130770

CPU: Intel i5 4690K (might buy i7 4790K)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117372

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB DDR 3 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231568

GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 960
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127860

SSD: Samsung 850 EVO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147372

HDD: Western Digital Black 1TB 7200rpm
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA67S26V6414

CASE: Cooler Master HAF 932 (definitely could use advice here)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160

PSU: Roswell Valens-500 (here too)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182329

DVD/BR Drive: Asus Black
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135247

Haven't decided on a monitor yet nor a sound card. This will be my gaming rig along with some music editing/production and my main Netflix/IPTV source. I will buy or build another PC for everyday internet and emails.

While I want beautiful graphics, I do not need or want (at the moment) to play games on the highest settings. I do want a PC that won't need any significant upgrading for at least 2 years.

Again, I'll take any suggestions. Ready to join the wonderful world of PC gaming. Thanks guys!

 

[m_shortpants]

My younger brothers are looking to build a PC. Mainly want it for gaming and video editing. Their budget is around 950-970.

This is the build they've made. I don't think it's that good, could anyone take a look and make any recommendations or completely shift it up? I haven't been following prices or anything recently but I'm pretty sure they could get a way better build with this budget, potentially with an Intel CPU.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($89.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 45.0 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($17.00 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock 990FX Extreme6 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($103.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Trion 100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($319.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: SIIG CN-WR0811-S1 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($26.97 @ Mac Mall)
Monitor: Acer KN242HYL 60Hz 23.8" Monitor ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $914.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-26 00:33 EST-0500

 

[Vaettir]

Alright PCGaf! Finally got things together and now I am able to build my very first PC! Any comments, suggestions, criticisms, questions, etc. are GREATLY appreciated.

CASE: Cooler Master HAF 932 (definitely could use advice here)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160

PSU: Roswell Valens-500 (here too)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182329

Haven't decided on a monitor yet nor a sound card. This will be my gaming rig along with some music editing/production and my main Netflix/IPTV source. I will buy or build another PC for everyday internet and emails.

While I want beautiful graphics, I do not need or want (at the moment) to play games on the highest settings. I do want a PC that won't need any significant upgrading for at least 2 years.

Again, I'll take any suggestions. Ready to join the wonderful world of PC gaming. Thanks guys!

Case: Enthoo Pro M

www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811854019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS8qUvhetV4

PSU: EVGA G2 550W
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438053

You can move the savings from the case to get a better PSU with more wattage.

PSU: EVGA P2 750W
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438057

This is probably the best PSU I see right now on sale. $80 After rebate is a steal.

 

[RGM79]

Alright PCGaf! Finally got things together and now I am able to build my very first PC! Any comments, suggestions, criticisms, questions, etc. are GREATLY appreciated.

MOBO: MSI Z97 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130770

CPU: Intel i5 4690K (might buy i7 4790K)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117372

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB DDR 3 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231568

GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 960
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127860

SSD: Samsung 850 EVO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147372

HDD: Western Digital Black 1TB 7200rpm
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA67S26V6414

CASE: Cooler Master HAF 932 (definitely could use advice here)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160

PSU: Roswell Valens-500 (here too)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182329

DVD/BR Drive: Asus Black
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135247

Haven't decided on a monitor yet nor a sound card. This will be my gaming rig along with some music editing/production and my main Netflix/IPTV source. I will buy or build another PC for everyday internet and emails.

While I want beautiful graphics, I do not need or want (at the moment) to play games on the highest settings. I do want a PC that won't need any significant upgrading for at least 2 years.

Again, I'll take any suggestions. Ready to join the wonderful world of PC gaming. Thanks guys!

Is Newegg your preferred retailer, or are other retailers okay? What's your overall budget that you would be comfortable with spending? And do you really need a second PC for everyday browsing and emails separate from your gaming PC? Your parts list isn't bad, but if you were to spend it all on one PC, it would be a great deal stronger, although as it is, your parts list is alright to last for two years or even longer. Yes, there are some alternative part choices you can go with for better quality and cost, though. E.g, you may want to take a look at Intel's 6th generation Skylake processors instead of the 4th generation Haswell, and some general parts changes all around.

My younger brothers are looking to build a PC. Mainly want it for gaming and video editing. Their budget is around 950-970.

This is the build they've made. I don't think it's that good, could anyone take a look and make any recommendations or completely shift it up?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($89.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 45.0 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($17.00 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock 990FX Extreme6 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($103.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Trion 100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($319.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: SIIG CN-WR0811-S1 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($26.97 @ Mac Mall)
Monitor: Acer KN242HYL 60Hz 23.8" Monitor ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $914.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-26 00:33 EST-0500

AMD FX processors are outdated (~3 years old now) and very difficult to recommend these days. It's definitely possible to recommend something with better overall performance.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($38.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX200 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($72.25 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($274.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.10 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX TS 650W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($25.50 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Acer V246HQL Cbd 60Hz 23.6" Monitor ($112.96 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $975.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-26 00:55 EST-0500

I could have recommended a GTX 970 instead, but the cheapest decent one at the moment is the Asus Strix for $300 which would bring up the cost of the build to an even $1000. The R9 390 is generally highly competitive with the GTX 970 and is only 3% slower than the GTX 970 at 1080p gameplay.

 

[JaseC]

I'm having trouble getting a couple of 8GB DDR3-2400 sticks to actually run at 2400MHz. I have a Z77 Extreme4 and the RAM defaults to 1600MHz even if I select 2133MHz from the DRAM Frequency drop down menu (which is the highest value it offers). Other than the aforementioned menu, there doesn't seem to be any other way to change the RAM frequency, and the RAM is indeed 2400MHz as the XMP profile name reports the specs correctly (DDR3-2400 11-13-13-31 1.65v). Any ideas?

Edit: The BIOS firmware is up-to-date, too.

Edit edit: I installed a beta BIOS update and the RAM is now running at 2133MHz. There's still no 2400MHz option, though, nor can I see any way to change the frequency to 2400MHz myself.

 

[hateradio]

Thinking of going all out . . . But I'm not 100% on anything yet.

Took some advice from the OP for the "Smokey" PC.

I didn't find a suitable mobo on PC Part Picker, so I'll have to check somewhere else for that. I kinda want some water cooling, but there aren't many options on the site either. May switch to air.

And yet the current base total is $1500 . . .

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($364.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Enermax Liqmax II 240 96.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390X 8GB Video Card ($394.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Primo White ATX Full Tower Case ($219.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($96.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1446.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-26 02:07 EST-0500

 

[NoWayJose]

Looking to finally build my first pc, however, looking for one that is a small form factor. I was leaning towards a Silverstone RVZ02B but needed help with the build. I was thinking about using a 970 but am open to suggestions. Trying to keep it under $1000. Already have an Samsung SSD I can use for it but need help with the rest of the parts. If I could get some suggestions, that'd be great.

 

[RGM79]

Thinking of going all out . . . But I'm not 100% on anything yet.

Took some advice from the OP for the "Smokey" PC.

I didn't find a suitable mobo on PC Part Picker, so I'll have to check somewhere else for that. I kinda want some water cooling, but there aren't many options on the site either. May switch to air.

And yet the current base total is $1500 . . .

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($364.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Enermax Liqmax II 240 96.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390X 8GB Video Card ($394.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Primo White ATX Full Tower Case ($219.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($96.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1446.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-26 02:07 EST-0500

I know you're not going for the best price to performance parts selection here, but you do not want the 840 Evo. It's old, discontinued, has a performance bug, and there are much better newer SSDs to get like the Samsung 850 series or whatever Crucial has available.

Also, the EVGA P2 750 watt model is cheaper at Newegg, just $80 after $20 rebate as pointed out by Vaettir earlier. It's a superior model for less money compared to the G2.

Looking to finally build my first pc, however, looking for one that is a small form factor. I was leaning towards a Silverstone RVZ02B but needed help with the build. I was thinking about using a 970 but am open to suggestions. Trying to keep it under $1000. Already have an Samsung SSD I can use for it but need help with the rest of the parts. If I could get some suggestions, that'd be great.

Something like this should work well:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($254.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Silverstone AR06 40.2 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($124.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($299.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone RVZ02B-W HTPC Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($113.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $983.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-26 02:26 EST-0500

 

[hateradio]

I know you're not going for the best price to performance parts selection here, but you do not want the 840 Evo. It's old, discontinued, has a performance bug, and there are much better newer SSDs to get like the Samsung 850 series or whatever Crucial has available.

Also, the EVGA P2 750 watt model is cheaper at Newegg, just $80 after $20 rebate as pointed out by Vaettir earlier. It's a superior model for less money compared to the G2.

It's not a finalized version, just something I spent 25 minutes on. I don't just want to spend my income too inconsiderately. :]

I don't even know if I really want the R9, for example.

I really wish that site had a release date column. :/

* * *

New list

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock X99 Extreme4 ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($147.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: *MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card ($589.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT H440 (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($93.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1601.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-26 04:38 EST-0500

 

[CybernatonEvolution]

Should I upgrade to windows 10? Are there any performance issues or lack of support for mods/injectors? Also, what is going to happen if my current copy of windows 8.1 isn't "genuine"?

I will buy Windows 10 later on if upgrading now causes any sort of gaming-related problems. Also, I am thinking of getting a dedicated Physx card for my Gtx 780 and wait until pascal GPUs hit the market; is it even worth getting another card for physx?

 

[Critic]

i'm having a hard time deciding. what is the best 980 ti card?

 

[xplicitone]

Got 4x Rosewill 120mm Blue fans from newegg BF for $4 a piece, and a 140mm Blue fan for $8 to replace all 5 of my Blackhawk case fans. I'm replacing 2 black fans with led fans since they're cheaper ($4!) so hopefully that's alright.

Here's the $4 fan: http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=35-200-049

140mm fan:

http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=35-200-098

 

[TheRealJakoozie]

I've been bitten by the gsync hype and so I'm considering buying the new Rog Swift on black friday. But I live in a small country where it's not really possible for me to actually try out Gsync. Question: If I'm a person who doesn't really care much/notice input lag and stuff like that (I'm fine playing on my five year old Samsung led TV), is Gsync pointless? (I can just turn on vsync). Or does it give any other advantages? (I've read that it makes the picture smoother overall, and that you notice dips in framerates less)

My current screen is a Dell U2713HM, and I'm running a GTX 970/i5 3570K.

I've tried reading about the technology myself, and I think I understand the basics, but it's tough to understand the practical applications of the technology.

 

[LilJoka]

I'm having trouble getting a couple of 8GB DDR3-2400 sticks to actually run at 2400MHz. I have a Z77 Extreme4 and the RAM defaults to 1600MHz even if I select 2133MHz from the DRAM Frequency drop down menu (which is the highest value it offers). Other than the aforementioned menu, there doesn't seem to be any other way to change the RAM frequency, and the RAM is indeed 2400MHz as the XMP profile name reports the specs correctly (DDR3-2400 11-13-13-31 1.65v). Any ideas?

Edit: The BIOS firmware is up-to-date, too.

Edit edit: I installed a beta BIOS update and the RAM is now running at 2133MHz. There's still no 2400MHz option, though, nor can I see any way to change the frequency to 2400MHz myself.

Instead of setting the RAM freq, have you looked/tried setting the a Ram Profile (usually a setting near the Ram Freq) to XMP? That should just load everything as its specified in the XMP settings.

 

[Necrovex]

Right now I'm curious about getting a cheap computer for my remaining time in SA. So my options are relatively limited as I look for laptops. I have zeroed in on two feasible options, and I'd like to hear anyone's opinion before I make any final purchases (this is meant to last two years). Basically I want a computer where I can watch my films, do basic PC stuff, and possibly play older games (Pre-2011, ideally something like Fallout New Vegas).

So the three contenders are the HP 250 G3, Dell Inspiron 15 3551, and an Acer Aspire E1-532 Notebook. I'm leaning towards the HP one at the moment.

Spoiler

I was considering a good gaming laptop, but considering I live in rural Africa, I decided it was not the best life choice at the current moment

.

 

[JaseC]

Instead of setting the RAM freq, have you looked/tried setting the a Ram Profile (usually a setting near the Ram Freq) to XMP? That should just load everything as its specified in the XMP settings.

Yeah, that's how I have things set up at the moment: the XMP profile is selected and the DRAM Frequency setting set to auto, but this doesn't get me 2400MHz, only 2133MHz.

 

[Pop-O-Matic]

Alright, thinking of getting a new PC. How's this for a starter build?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($68.20 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 270 2GB TurboDuo Video Card ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $298.15
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-26 08:01 EST-0500

 

[draliko]

Hi guys, need some help, i was thinking about upgrading my aging pc (current config is i5 2500k with noctua cooler, amd 6950, 8gb ram, wd hdd, asrock z97 mobo) and hoping that black friday give something nice here in italy too, my plans were to buy a GTX 970 (MSI or Gigabyte), a 250gb SSD and a new case.

So considering i will play at 1080p (sony bravia tv), do you think i'll be fine with that config? Is it worth getting a 970 now or should i go the way of the reds?

Do you have any nice suggestion for a decent looking case that can be placed in the livingroom without looking a SHIELD device of some kind (something along fractal design lines)?

Thanks and apologise my english

 

[Red]

Im trying to find a way to display native 24fps h265 content to a projector at 1080p. I have had trouble finding set top boxes capable of this. Building might be my best option. I'd like to keep cost <$350, and keep size to a minimum. A preliminary list:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A10-7870K 3.9GHz Quad-Core Processor ($128.95 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9a 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($42.45 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI A88XI AC V2 Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard ($97.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston HyperX FURY 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($40.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Core V21 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.10 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $384.47
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-26 08:41 EST-0500

Anyone have ideas, suggestions? This build is already on the pricey side, without including a wireless keyboard. I could maybe skip the noctua cooler. I have an old 120GB SSD lying around, so I don't need to buy storage. I also have a Windows license I've been sitting on until I get this put together.

Gaming is not a priority but more a nice-to-have, which is why I'm going with AMD's current top APU.

I'm willing to go a little bigger, but the system should be portable. Anyone who built something similar to this, you got advice?

 

[opticalmace]

Alright, thinking of getting a new PC. How's this for a starter build?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($68.20 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 270 2GB TurboDuo Video Card ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $298.15
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-26 08:01 EST-0500

What's your budget? Do you already have a PSU? And if so, which one?

edit: and case.

 

[oldschoolpinball]

http://www.dell.com/en-us/member/shop/productdetails/xps-8900-desktop/fdcwgsk104hw10

I just purchased a pre made Dell xps 8900 with a GTX 745 4gig graphics card and 8 gigs of ram.out of the box should I be ok to run most of the current games? It's been a while since I have pc gamed on a serious level and I would like to know what is a good graphics card that's affordable that I might need to run everything smoothly

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

http://www.dell.com/en-us/member/shop/productdetails/xps-8900-desktop/fdcwgsk104hw10

I just purchased a pre made Dell xps 8900 with a GTX 745 4gig graphics card and 8 gigs of ram.out of the box should I be ok to run most of the current games? It's been a while since I have pc gamed on a serious level and I would like to know what is a good graphics card that's affordable that I might need to run everything smoothly

You need to be more specific, like what resolution and fps you want to achieve? What kind of games you want to play? What is your budget for the graphics card?

That 745 is a very weak card, which will not be able to handle recent games well, if at all.

 

[cleansock]

I've been bitten by the gsync hype and so I'm considering buying the new Rog Swift on black friday. But I live in a small country where it's not really possible for me to actually try out Gsync. Question: If I'm a person who doesn't really care much/notice input lag and stuff like that (I'm fine playing on my five year old Samsung led TV), is Gsync pointless? (I can just turn on vsync). Or does it give any other advantages? (I've read that it makes the picture smoother overall, and that you notice dips in framerates less)

My current screen is a Dell U2713HM, and I'm running a GTX 970/i5 3570K.

I've tried reading about the technology myself, and I think I understand the basics, but it's tough to understand the practical applications of the technology.

if you're fine with vsync then why bother? the positive is (to me) I get to play in 1440p, don't have to worry about upgrading my gpu for a few years, and I get little to none input lag. If you're not one to notice things like that I would just save the money.

 

[oldschoolpinball]

You need to be more specific, like what resolution and fps you want to achieve? What kind of games you want to play? What is your budget for the graphics card?

That 745 is a very weak card, which will not be able to handle recent games well, if at all.

I want to run most games at its native resolution and mostly a clean framerate experience. I am not big on the 4k experience I just want to run games smoothly and cleanly. My budget for a graphics card is 350 and below. mostly play MMO's and RPGs

 

[Coulomb_Barrier]

News for anyone interested in graphics cards - AMD has just slashed the prices of all their new GPUs starting from the top with the Fury X and Nano down to the 380.

Fury X has gone from an RRP of $650 to $580 ($570 after rebate). Fury has gone from $550 to $500. These cuts, coupled with the new Crimson driver software overhaul released the other day, makes AMD cards a lot more attractive right now.

http://wccftech.com/amd-r9-fury-x-nano-price-cuts/

 

[opticalmace]

I want to run most games at its native resolution and mostly a clean framerate experience. I am not big on the 4k experience I just want to run games smoothly and cleanly. My budget for a graphics card is 350 and below. mostly play MMO's and RPGs

I assume you are playing on a 1080p monitor?

 

[ISee]

I want to run most games at its native resolution and mostly a clean framerate experience. I am not big on the 4k experience I just want to run games smoothly and cleanly. My budget for a graphics card is 350 and below. mostly play MMO's and RPGs

Sorry for being a wiseass, but games do not have a native resolution. Your monitor/TV (or whatever you're using) on the other side has. But let's assume you want to play in 1080p. As already mentioned you won't be happy with the GTX 745. RPGs are pretty demanding but also good looking games (e.g. Witcher 3, DA:Inquisiton).

For 350 I'd recommend a Nvidia GTX 970 or an Amd R9 390. Personally I'd still go with the 970 over 390, but the 390 definitely has a couple of benefits.

 

[oldschoolpinball]

I assume you are playing on a 1080p monitor?

that would be correct

 

[cleansock]

Get the best card within your budget. I would choose a 970, but that's because I always stick to nvidia. What cpu do you have?

 

[Hey Im Patrick]

H
One of the things I'm not sure about is the case. The one I have listed there seems to have gotten good reviews and it's on sale right now for pretty cheap, but it might be a bit too busy for me as I like a clean/minimalist look. If anyone has a recommendation on a case (with a window still to show the white and black components) or on anything else (wasn't really sure on the power supply either) I'd greatly appreciate it!

I would recommend Fractal Design Define S. If you want to stay with NZXT, then the S340 will be good. You can also check out Bitfenix Ronin black if you want something cheaper.

CASE: Cooler Master HAF 932 (definitely could use advice here)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160

PSU: Roswell Valens-500 (here too)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182329

I'll again suggest Fractal Design Define S and NZXT S340. As for the, PSU, I would recommend something a bit higher for future proofing. A good and cheap ones are Seasonic M12II evos. You can maybe get the 620W one.

By the way, since you're going to use Z97 and an 4690K, you need a CPU cooler so you can overclock, if you're not interested then better go for a different mobo and CPU.

 

[RedSwirl]

So Amazon has a 500GB Crucial SSD on sale for $120 today, but I'm feeling I should stick with the Samsung.

 

[SomeLurker]

Case: Enthoo Pro M

www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811854019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS8qUvhetV4

PSU: EVGA G2 550W
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438053

You can move the savings from the case to get a better PSU with more wattage.

PSU: EVGA P2 750W
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438057

This is probably the best PSU I see right now on sale. $80 After rebate is a steal.

Definitely will consider swapping my PSU for this one. Thanks!

Is Newegg your preferred retailer, or are other retailers okay? What's your overall budget that you would be comfortable with spending? And do you really need a second PC for everyday browsing and emails separate from your gaming PC? Your parts list isn't bad, but if you were to spend it all on one PC, it would be a great deal stronger, although as it is, your parts list is alright to last for two years or even longer. Yes, there are some alternative part choices you can go with for better quality and cost, though. E.g, you may want to take a look at Intel's 6th generation Skylake processors instead of the 4th generation Haswell, and some general parts changes all around.

I forgot that I had a PCPartspicker account and some of my parts are available through Amazon as well. I'd prefer to stick with those two.
I do not want to exceed $1200 prior to finding a monitor. As it stands, I am at $977.57. I was considering going with an Intel i7 processor since I have a some room to budge. Me wanting a second PC was more so being a little greedy. It doesn't make much sense so forget I said that. What parts would you recommend I change?

I'll again suggest Fractal Design Define S and NZXT S340. As for the, PSU, I would recommend something a bit higher for future proofing. A good and cheap ones are Seasonic M12II evos. You can maybe get the 620W one.

By the way, since you're going to use Z97 and an 4690K, you need a CPU cooler so you can overclock, if you're not interested then better go for a different mobo and CPU.

I do like that case. Thank you. Would this CPU cooler be efficient? Or are there better options?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005O65JXI/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[OraleeWey]

i'm having a hard time deciding. what is the best 980 ti card?

Not sure about the best but I'm very fond of the 980 ti hybrid.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487144&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-Mobile&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-Mobile-_-pla-_-Desktop+Graphics+Cards-_-N82E16814487144&gclid=Cj0KEQiA-NqyBRC905irsrLr-LUBEiQAWJFYTmtv0MD3QVDTZnGWX7pMFltSrreLHIJdFnUKd0AzLhYaAm9K8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[BlackJace]

Windows and BIOS recognizes my 8 GB of RAM (2 x 4GB), but BIOS says it's running in single channel mode. Windows is also saying that 3.97 of the 8 GB is useable. Resource monitor says that a whopping 4 GB is hardware reserved?

What's the deal here, bad ram stick? Please don't be the Mobo...

I've tried reseating a bunch of times, to no avail.

 

[BossDarkseid]

Is there the blindest bit of difference between Corsair's Gen2 and gen3 keyboards if they're both mechanical cherry rex mx etc etc? They're both expensive enough but an additional £30 is still a decent amount of what is probably purely aesthetics.

 

[TubbiestPack]

What would I be better off getting for gaming, the 4690 or 6600?

 

[RGM79]

Should I upgrade to windows 10? Are there any performance issues or lack of support for mods/injectors? Also, what is going to happen if my current copy of windows 8.1 isn't "genuine"?

I will buy Windows 10 later on if upgrading now causes any sort of gaming-related problems. Also, I am thinking of getting a dedicated Physx card for my Gtx 780 and wait until pascal GPUs hit the market; is it even worth getting another card for physx?

Most of us here are happy with Windows 10. It's difficult to say if there are performance issues or lack of mod support in general, those usually have to do more with the game than the OS. If you do run certain mods, you'll have to research for yourself whether the games you mod don't work properly with Windows 10.

If you don't have a genuine copy of Windows 8.1, you can still upgrade it to Windows 10 but it won't be genuine either.

Dedicated Physx can provide a boost in some games, but not all. It's not common enough that PC gaming websites bother to test for it most of the time, so it's difficult to recommend it if you want to know if it worth your money. If you were to look at it from a price to performance kind of angle, I couldn't recommend going through the trouble of buying a second Nvidia graphics card just for Physx, but it might be worth considering if you already had a spare Nvidia GPU lying around. Don't forget that your PC will need a strong enough power supply to run both graphics cards.

It's not a finalized version, just something I spent 25 minutes on. I don't just want to spend my income too inconsiderately. :]

I don't even know if I really want the R9, for example.

I really wish that site had a release date column. :/

* * *

New list

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock X99 Extreme4 ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($147.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: *MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card ($589.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT H440 (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($93.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1601.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-26 04:38 EST-0500

Not bad. I'd consider air cooling instead, but the 2013 edition of the Corsair H60 is supposed to be decent.

i'm having a hard time deciding. what is the best 980 ti card?

Here's a review of some of the midrange GTX 980 Ti cards together. There are even higher end models out there, but they come at a price premium.

Right now I'm curious about getting a cheap computer for my remaining time in SA. So my options are relatively limited as I look for laptops. I have zeroed in on two feasible options, and I'd like to hear anyone's opinion before I make any final purchases (this is meant to last two years). Basically I want a computer where I can watch my films, do basic PC stuff, and possibly play older games (Pre-2011, ideally something like Fallout New Vegas).

So the three contenders are the HP 250 G3, Dell Inspiron 15 3551, and an Acer Aspire E1-532 Notebook. I'm leaning towards the HP one at the moment.

Spoiler

I was considering a good gaming laptop, but considering I live in rural Africa, I decided it was not the best life choice at the current moment

.

Do you have any links to those laptops or a list of specs? Most laptop manufacturers will have many different sub-models under a general model name so we don't know exactly what you're looking at and how much it costs. For example, the HP 250 G3 can have 13 different processors among other differences, so comparing them is difficult.

 

[Vaettir]

Windows and BIOS recognizes my 8 GB of RAM (2 x 4GB), but BIOS says it's running in single channel mode. Windows is also saying that 3.97 of the 8 GB is useable. Resource monitor says that a whopping 4 GB is hardware reserved?

What's the deal here, bad ram stick? Please don't be the Mobo...

I've tried reseating a bunch of times, to no avail.

Did you place the ram in the right slots? Follow the manual to see which slots are dual channel. You could also have a 32-bit version of windows installed.

 

[BlackJace]

Did you place the ram in the right slots? Follow the manual to see which slots are dual channel. You could also have a 32-bit version of windows installed.

I'm positive it's in the right slots, it worked fine last summer when I left my computer at home when I went away for school for about 4 months.

Now that I'm back for break, I boot it up and and this happens.

And yeah I'm running 64bit W8.1

 

[213372bu]

Should I hop on a 970 from Newegg for $260 or wait for Black Friday/ Cyber Monday?