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[Danj]

Slight tangent but does anyone know of a suitcase or carry case that would be suitable for transporting a Fractal Design Node 304? I always take my PC with me when I go to visit my parents, but I've been using a regular suitcase and earlier this year one of the handles broke on it. I'm looking at new suitcases now I have the money but it's occurred to me that it might be better to have the PC in something separate.

I looked at flight cases but they're a bit too pricey. Whatever it goes in needs to have wheels to make it easier to travel with.

 

[thundr51]

Anyone have any gpu suggestions? Currently running a 7950 (with an i7-4970k) and getting around 40-50 fps on medium settings. Don't want to spend more than 350, but could be tempted to go more if the gains are worth it.

 

[Crisium]

Anyone have any gpu suggestions? Currently running a 7950 (with an i7-4970k) and getting around 40-50 fps on medium settings. Don't want to spend more than 350, but could be tempted to go more if the gains are worth it.

What game are you getting this performance in? Also what's the rest of your system (PSU, RAM, Monitor Res, etc). And what's your country?

 

[ampere]

Skylake is still new, so that's to be expected. You won't find much of a discount unless it's part of a package deal or something.

You can always go with a comparable but cheaper Haswell build if you want to save money.

Ah, gotcha. I'll at least take a look at the performance vs cost of the two. Thanks

 

[thundr51]

What game are you getting this performance in? Also what's the rest of your system (PSU, RAM, Monitor Res, etc). And what's your country?

Sorry forgot
Witcher 3
16 GB RAM
750 PSU
1080p

 

[RGM79]

Anyone have any gpu suggestions? Currently running a 7950 (with an i7-4970k) and getting around 40-50 fps on medium settings. Don't want to spend more than 350, but could be tempted to go more if the gains are worth it.

Sorry forgot
Witcher 3
16 GB RAM
750 PSU
1080p

You can get a GTX 970 or R9 390 for somewhere less than $300 USD assuming you're in the US, those cards will do high to ultra settings at 60FPS on 1080p, depending on the game.

 

[thundr51]

Sorry forgot
Witcher 3
16 GB RAM
750 PSU
1080p

I know it's kind of out of my budget, but was looking at this
MSI GTX 980

 

[Crisium]

Sorry forgot
Witcher 3
16 GB RAM
750 PSU
1080p

I'd go with the Radeon 390 then. $270/290 after/before rebate:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131672

390 and 970 are pretty close in performance, but generally the 390 usually barely squeaks by even at 1080p.

The latest GPU reviews with Witcher 3 are generally from the 380X which just launched.

http://www.sweclockers.com/test/21303-amd-radeon-r9-380x/8#content
http://www.computerbase.de/2015-11/...hire-test/2/#diagramm-the-witcher-3-1920-1080

Both of these sites show that a 390 just about equals a 970 in Witcher 3 at 1080. They also have aggregate scores showing that the 390 wins out on average at 1080 (and the lead slightly increases at 1440, which could be similar to 1080's performance in the near future). The extra VRAM is also attractive for future performance.

Your PSU certainly will have no problems, but be aware that the 970 will use lower power, at least while in a game (idle is usually about the same). If that is a concern to you then the cheapest 970 I can find is $260/$290 after/before rebate:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127833

Another consideration for even less cash but similar performance in that tier is a 290 for $230 flat:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161459

It is essentially a 390 with half the VRAM and lower memory clocks (typically several % lower performance).

I don't think there is any need to go above. The 390X is barely faster than the 390 but asks for a mighty premium. The 980's lead over the 970 is a little more, but they also ask too much money imo. Unless you step all the way up to a 980 Ti that is.

 

[Arkanius]

Guys,

I'm going to sell my 280X and buy a 970 or a 980 Ti. I can get a 980 Ti for 560€ but on the other hand, I can get the 970 for 270€ and by selling my 280X it's a pretty decent upgrade for very cheap.
I'm still undecided on which but I think I'll go for 970 and upgrade to Pascal next year, the jump will be big.

 

[Unicorn]

EVGA GTX 960 for 205$ worth it?

 

[RGM79]

EVGA GTX 960 for 205$ worth it?

Which model exactly, 2GB or 4GB? Do you have a link?

 

[Unicorn]

Which model exactly, 2GB or 4GB? Do you have a link?

2gb that's why I'm hesitant. In store at Best Buy

 

[RGM79]

2gb that's why I'm hesitant. In store at Best Buy

Unless you can't order elsewhere for some reason, I would not bother at all. There are GTX 960 4GB models for $180, some after rebate, some without rebate.

 

[thundr51]

I'd go with the Radeon 390 then. $270/290 after/before rebate:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131672

390 and 970 are pretty close in performance, but generally the 390 usually barely squeaks by even at 1080p.

The latest GPU reviews with Witcher 3 are generally from the 380X which just launched.

http://www.sweclockers.com/test/21303-amd-radeon-r9-380x/8#content
http://www.computerbase.de/2015-11/...hire-test/2/#diagramm-the-witcher-3-1920-1080

Both of these sites show that a 390 just about equals a 970 in Witcher 3 at 1080. They also have aggregate scores showing that the 390 wins out on average at 1080 (and the lead slightly increases at 1440, which could be similar to 1080's performance in the near future). The extra VRAM is also attractive for future performance.

Your PSU certainly will have no problems, but be aware that the 970 will use lower power, at least while in a game (idle is usually about the same). If that is a concern to you then the cheapest 970 I can find is $260/$290 after/before rebate:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127833

Another consideration for even less cash but similar performance in that tier is a 290 for $230 flat:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161459

It is essentially a 390 with half the VRAM and lower memory clocks (typically several % lower performance).

I don't think there is any need to go above. The 390X is barely faster than the 390 but asks for a mighty premium. The 980's lead over the 970 is a little more, but they also ask too much money imo. Unless you step all the way up to a 980 Ti that is.

Thanks for the info, good stuff. Part of me wants to go NVidia, especially since all the graphics tweaks are all for NVidia cards, but the cards are pretty expensive. Either way, it's become pretty obvious my current card is quickly becoming irrelevant, it's not listed on benchmark sites anymore (just R series cards).

 

[Unicorn]

Unless you can't order elsewhere for some reason, I would not bother at all. There are GTX 960 4GB models for $180, some after rebate, some without rebate.

Thanks for this.

 

[Crisium]

Unless you can't order elsewhere for some reason, I would not bother at all. There are GTX 960 4GB models for $180, some after rebate, some without rebate.

Indeed.

http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/video-card/#c=208,182,310&sort=a8&page=1

All 960s and the 380s (tiny bit faster on avg) sorted by price. Way better than $205.

Brick and mortar is usually too much.

 

[Aeonofgods]

I forgot to say, the GPU being overclocked will not present any issues. I wouldn't really advise buying a new motherboard just to overclock when you could put the money toward a better processor in the first place. The FX-6300 just isn't very effective some for the latest games. In these tests by Eurogamer's Digital Foundry and Gamersnexus, the AMD processors cannot attain 60FPS in Fallout 4 at 1080p. It's worth noting that Gamersnexus tested 1080p medium settings and the 8 core AMD processors still just barely failed to attain a 60FPS average framerate. The Eurogamer benchmarking results do include the FX-6300 but only tested at 1080p ultra settings. It's possible that lowering the settings and overclocking the FX-6300 could get you 60FPS, but it's not definite?



Oh, the R9 380 is a smaller bump up from the 270X than the 270. I'm not so sure paying $200 for that level of performance is worth it, unless you were also selling your R9 270X to help make up the cost. What games do you play other than Fallout 4 that you feel the 270X to be lacking?

Dang I was hoping to get 1080p/60fps in Fallout with the FX-6300. I will lower some settings to attain it but I will definitely look into getting an intel processor soon. Unfortunately when I originally built my PC my buddy who knew more than I did suggested I get that saying the processor didn't matter too much. Wish I sprang for the right processor back then! Thanks for your responses by the way!

 

[Unicorn]

Best deals on ddr3 RAM?

 

[RGM79]

Thanks for this.

There's also this Powercolor R9 380 PCS+ for $160 after rebate, it's slightly faster than the GTX 960 in most games.

 

[Unicorn]

There's also this Powercolor R9 380 PCS+ for $160 after rebate, it's slightly faster than the GTX 960 in most games.

I've always gone Nvidia for convenience/physx. What games does that card perform better with?

 

[RGM79]

Best deals on ddr3 RAM?

I've always gone Nvidia for convenience/physx. What games does that card perform better with?

You said you had a 4GB in a micro ATX motherboard, what model was it? How much RAM do you have now, and in what configuration (2x2GB or 1x4GB)? We should know how many free slots it has and whether you should add to your existing RAM or replace it entirely.

Sorry, scratch that, I was thinking of the R9 380X for some reason. The R9 380 and GTX 960 are usually close enough that I recommend researching how well they perform for specific games and buying based on that. For example, HardOCP found that the R9 380 was better than the GTX 960 in GTAV but the opposite was true in BF4. The latest drivers might have changed that, though.

 

[Unicorn]

You said you had a 4GB in a micro ATX motherboard, what model was it? How much RAM do you have now, and in what configuration (2x2GB or 1x4GB)? We should know how many free slots it has and whether you should add to your existing RAM or replace it entirely.

Sorry, scratch that, I was thinking of the R9 380X for some reason. The R9 380 and GTX 960 are usually close enough that I recommend researching how well they perform for specific games and buying based on that. For example, HardOCP found that the R9 380 was better than the GTX 960 in GTAV but the opposite was true in BF4. The latest drivers might have changed that, though.

I was planning on replacing as they are 2x2gb

Here is the build. Some things are different, but the basics are the same:

If I can get away with a sizable bump in performance for 300$ I'm in - mainly card and RAM. I had an issue with my mobo a while back where one of the RAM slots got pulled from the board, but slipped back in. Main reason I want to just replace the ram that's there.

 

[UpDownLeftRight]

Ok GAF I need some speedy advice since I'm about to bite. Going from a msi 580ti lightning extreme to an msi 970. Worth it? I know it doesn't have much extra memory but will it still be a big upgrade?

My only other choice is wait for the Pascal ti in 2017 and that's too long.

 

[RGM79]

I was planning on replacing as they are 2x2gb

Here is the build. Some things are different, but the basics are the same:

If I can get away with a sizable bump in performance for 300$ I'm in - mainly card and RAM. I had an issue with my mobo a while back where one of the RAM slots got pulled from the board, but slipped back in. Main reason I want to just replace the ram that's there.

One of the RAM slots got damaged and was physically detached from the motherboard? I guess it doesn't work anymore so you placed your existing 2x2GB in the other slots?

Alright, I guess that's reason enough to replace your existing 2x2GB. A new 2x4GB kit of DDR3 will only cost you $30 online.

Ok GAF I need some speedy advice since I'm about to bite. Going from a msi 580ti lightning extreme to an msi 970. Worth it? I know it doesn't have much extra memory but will it still be a big upgrade?

My only other choice is wait for the Pascal ti in 2017 and that's too long.

Huge boost in performance.

 

[Unicorn]

One of the RAM slots got damaged and was physically detached from the motherboard? I guess it doesn't work anymore so you placed your existing 2x2GB in the other slots?

Alright, I guess that's reason enough to replace your existing 2x2GB. A new 2x4GB kit of DDR3 will only cost you $30 online.



Huge boost in performance.

More or less, yeah. Could I go higher on ram? Is 16gb overkill? I am planning on upgrading my PC in the next year or so anyway, but if I can dump a little money now to last me a couple or a few more years, then I could make a bigger upgrade down the line.

 

[Crisium]

You said you had a 4GB in a micro ATX motherboard, what model was it? How much RAM do you have now, and in what configuration (2x2GB or 1x4GB)? We should know how many free slots it has and whether you should add to your existing RAM or replace it entirely.

Sorry, scratch that, I was thinking of the R9 380X for some reason. The R9 380 and GTX 960 are usually close enough that I recommend researching how well they perform for specific games and buying based on that. For example, HardOCP found that the R9 380 was better than the GTX 960 in GTAV but the opposite was true in BF4. The latest drivers might have changed that, though.

Every aggregate benchmark site has the 380 ahead of the 960 at this point in time. These are the latest reviews from these sites:

TPU: http://tpucdn.com/reviews/Gigabyte/GTX_980_Ti_Waterforce/images/perfrel_1920_1080.png
Source
CBASE: http://i.imgur.com/F5ZHtrs.png
Source
Swe: http://cdn.sweclockers.com/artikel/diagram/10953?key=72fedfe3b74c10b282a2ce204e230ef2
Source

Though some users may need 1x6pin or a specific Nvidia feature, of course. For Unicorn, see the sources for individual game comparisons. But if Physx is a deal breaker for you then there's not much choice but Nvidia.

 

[UpDownLeftRight]

One of the RAM slots got damaged and was physically detached from the motherboard? I guess it doesn't work anymore so you placed your existing 2x2GB in the other slots?

Alright, I guess that's reason enough to replace your existing 2x2GB. A new 2x4GB kit of DDR3 will only cost you $30 online.



Huge boost in performance.

Thanks man. Wow yeah looking at it the shader performance of my 580 ti is looking more than a little dated. This should be a real nice boost for what's essentially a mid step for me. Will be nice to have driver support again too.

 

[hateradio]

Prebuilt all-in-one water cooling kits aren't a hassle. In some cases they're even easier to install than tower style air coolers. Although the best (read: most expensive) water coolers will beat the best (and most expensive) air coolers, for the same amount of money most water coolers won't be as good as a decent air cooler for performance or noise levels.

[. . .]

That motherboard should be pretty decent by all accounts. Skip the Killer NIC software and only install the Killer NIC driver. The software is pointless bloatware.

Alright, I'll think about air or going up to an H100i.



These "sales" leave me so uncertain.

I'm considering the ASUS Hero VIII, since after everything is said and done it would be about $167. Probably still too much though.

 

[Unicorn]

Every aggregate benchmark site has the 380 ahead of the 960 at this point in time. These are the latest reviews from these sites:

TPU: http://tpucdn.com/reviews/Gigabyte/GTX_980_Ti_Waterforce/images/perfrel_1920_1080.png
Sourcel
CBASE: http://i.imgur.com/F5ZHtrs.png
Source
Swe: http://cdn.sweclockers.com/artikel/diagram/10953?key=72fedfe3b74c10b282a2ce204e230ef2
Source

Though some users may need 1x6pin or a specific Nvidia feature, of course. For Unicorn, see the sources for individual game comparisons. But if Physx is a deal breaker for you then there's not much choice but Nvidia.

I mean, I could keep the 460 for physx features right? Gfx discussions make more sense to me in Nvidia speak, but that's a silly reason to stick Nvidia only. I've always been a single Gfx card guy, but if I get a 960 I can still have the 460 for backup performance? And, is that also true for mixing AMD and Nvidia?

 

[Crisium]

I mean, I could keep the 460 for physx features right? Gfx discussions make more sense to me in Nvidia speak, but that's a silly reason to stick Nvidia only. I've always been a single Gfx card guy, but if I get a 960 I can still have the 460 for backup performance? And, is that also true for mixing AMD and Nvidia?

Unfortunately you cannot do AMD + Nvidia card for Physx anymore. They patched it out a long time ago. You can try running the 460 as a Physx card with a 960. You'd have to experiment/research to see if it is better than just the 960 alone though.

 

[Unicorn]

oh wtf price of card went up on amazon

 

[RGM79]

Every aggregate benchmark site has the 380 ahead of the 960 at this point in time. These are the latest reviews from these sites:

TPU: http://tpucdn.com/reviews/Gigabyte/GTX_980_Ti_Waterforce/images/perfrel_1920_1080.png
Source
CBASE: http://i.imgur.com/F5ZHtrs.png
Source
Swe: http://cdn.sweclockers.com/artikel/diagram/10953?key=72fedfe3b74c10b282a2ce204e230ef2
Source

Though some users may need 1x6pin or a specific Nvidia feature, of course. For Unicorn, see the sources for individual game comparisons. But if Physx is a deal breaker for you then there's not much choice but Nvidia.

I've tried looking for head to head benchmarks of both the GTX 960 4GB and R9 380 4GB, but there isn't a lot in the way of English-language sources. I was under the impression that sites didn't update their benchmarked results all that often, I've seen the TechPowerUp bar chart before but I thought they kept their test results from when they reviewed the cards months ago so it'd mean they're well... not up to date.

More or less, yeah. Could I go higher on ram? Is 16gb overkill? I am planning on upgrading my PC in the next year or so anyway, but if I can dump a little money now to last me a couple or a few more years, then I could make a bigger upgrade down the line.

Depends on your own needs, but 8GB should be enough for most people. You could get 16GB if you want, but it's almost certainly more than you need.

Your PC is already 5 or 6 years old, do you expect to keep it that much longer that you think you want to get 16GB for it?

 

[Unicorn]

I've tried looking for head to head benchmarks of both the GTX 960 4GB and R9 380 4GB, but there isn't a lot in the way of English-language sources. I was under the impression that sites didn't update their benchmarked results all that often, I've seen the TechPowerUp bar chart before but I thought they kept their test results from when they reviewed the cards months ago so it'd mean they're well... not up to date.



Depends on your own needs, but 8GB should be enough for most people. You could get 16GB if you want, but it's almost certainly more than you need.

Your PC is already 5 or 6 years old, do you expect to keep it that much longer that you think you want to get 16GB for it?

getting these, look good?:

 

[RGM79]

getting these, look good?:

Looks fine to me.

 

[Unicorn]

Looks fine to me.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[OraleeWey]

Nah, hitting the power button won't damage it. In fact, I've seen it recommended sometimes. Some people do that before opening up the PC to work on the inside because it discharges any electricity still stored inside the capacitors. Wouldn't want to get unexpectedly shocked, after all.

Ok good. I was beginning to think I was doing some damage. To be clear I do that once a week when I leave for work in the morning for 16 hours.

 

[RGM79]

Ok good. I was beginning to think I was doing some damage. To be clear I do that once a week when I leave for work in the morning for 16 hours.

Oh, was your computer acting weird and you think you might have damaged it?

 

[Burgess_101]

So I just bought myself an ASUS IPS 1440p Freesync monitor and I was wondering about the cable to go with it.

I presume this one will do the job?

 

[fertygo]

What best stop gap GPU if I proceed my plan to keep playing in my lovely CRT at 720p?

I really hesitant to buy premium card before those new card from Nvidia/AMD came out.

After that I'll go out buying stronger card n new monitor

my current card is 9600gt lol, I don't really mind can't play demanding games now but what bum me out when I can't play game that only supporting dx11 like Divinity OS Enhanced

 

[opticalmace]

So I just bought myself an ASUS IPS 1440p Freesync monitor and I was wondering about the cable to go with it.

I presume this one will do the job?

It probably comes with one. Check online?

 

[Burgess_101]

It probably comes with one. Check online?

It doesn't just a mini to regular adaptor.

 

[SpyGuy239]

Guys quick question. Buy HDD for storage. Was planning to invest in WD Red NAS drives which have been super reliable to me for awhile now.

Saw that segate SSHDs of same capacity were $10 cheaper. Are they worth going for, or am I going to get more reliablity from a red NAS standard drive?

Will an SSHD make any difference if it is used as a storage drive for large amounts of data, since I am not opening any files/programs commonly that would cache in the SSD?

Thanks!

 

[hateradio]

I just ordered the Hero VIII, since it had a -$35 rebate, -$25 cash off, and -$25 AX credit.

Is there any benefit to getting an m.2 SDD? Now that I'll have mobo that supports it, I wonder if it's worth looking into.

The price difference is only $8 at Amazon, $140 vs $148 for 500GB.


I've seemed to waited too long to get the 32GB RAM, it's now over $200, and the power supply is over $100. :/

 

[RGM79]

What best stop gap GPU if I proceed my plan to keep playing in my lovely CRT at 720p?

I really hesitant to buy premium card before those new card from Nvidia/AMD came out.

After that I'll go out buying stronger card n new monitor

my current card is 9600gt lol, I don't really mind can't play demanding games now but what bum me out when I can't play game that only supporting dx11 like Divinity OS Enhanced

How much do you want to spend, realistically? If you're really wary about spending too much money and you just need a basic card, look around for a used graphics card at around $50~100 USD? I dunno where you are, but look around the local Craiglist site or something if you're in North America.

 

[Guy LeDouche]

I mentioned it in the Black Friday thread but I'm excited as I wait for my new ssd to finish. It wasn't on a special sale, but I finally got a Samsung 850 evo ssd to upgrade from my 7200rpm spinning drive. $170 with same day delivery for 500gb 850 evo. 35% into the cloning process! Should be done with plenty of time tonight to play around a bit. With the spinning drive, my cold boot time is 1:20 and fallout 4 takes 1:45 to boot from launcher into

 

[Crisium]

What best stop gap GPU if I proceed my plan to keep playing in my lovely CRT at 720p?

I really hesitant to buy premium card before those new card from Nvidia/AMD came out.

After that I'll go out buying stronger card n new monitor

my current card is 9600gt lol, I don't really mind can't play demanding games now but what bum me out when I can't play game that only supporting dx11 like Divinity OS Enhanced

I'd go used. What's your PSU, RAM, CPU?

But as a generic suggestion I'd get a used Radeon 7850 2GB if you have a i5 or i7. Go used GTX 660 if you have a slower CPU.

 

[fertygo]

How much do you want to spend, realistically? If you're really wary about spending too much money and you just need a basic card, look around for a used graphics card at around $50~100 USD? I dunno where you are, but look around the local Craiglist site or something if you're in North America.

I'm in Indonesia

but something like 750ti still priced around 120 USD converted in onlineshop

I'd go used. What's your PSU, RAM, CPU?

But as a generic suggestion I'd get a used Radeon 7850 2GB if you have a i5 2500 or newer. Go used GTX 660 if you have a slower CPU.

its part of my plan for my new LGA1151 rig

just wary for spending expensive card before new card release came out

 

[RGM79]

I just ordered the Hero VIII, since it had a -$35 rebate, -$25 cash off, and -$25 AX credit.

Is there any benefit to getting an m.2 SDD? Now that I'll have mobo that supports it, I wonder if it's worth looking into.

The price difference is only $8 at Amazon, $140 vs $148 for 500GB.


I've seemed to waited too long to get the 32GB RAM, it's now over $200, and the cooler is over $100. :/

Which models are you looking at exactly?

Guys quick question. Buy HDD for storage. Was planning to invest in WD Red NAS drives which have been super reliable to me for awhile now.

Saw that segate SSHDs of same capacity were $10 cheaper. Are they worth going for, or am I going to get more reliablity from a red NAS standard drive?

Will an SSHD make any difference if it is used as a storage drive for large amounts of data, since I am not opening any files/programs commonly that would cache in the SSD?

Thanks!

I wouldn't really bother with the SSHD even as a drive for desktop use. Stick with what you know is reliable. As I understand it, SSHDs require software to utilize the cache.

 

[Crisium]

I'm in Indonesia

but something like 750ti still priced around 120 USD converted in onlineshop

its part of my plan for my new LGA1151 rig

just wary for spending expensive card before new card release came out

Are you willing and able to shop in the used market? Since it will be on a modern CPU I would suggest the 7850 2GB. You can get them used for like $70 in the US, which is quite the deal considering they are essentially underclocked Radeon 370s that are still sold new today. The 7950 is another popular find on the flooded used market in the US and are around $100 here.

If you are going new then look for cards like the GTX 750 Ti, 950, or Radeon 270, 265, 260X.

 

[fertygo]

Are you willing and able to shop in the used market? Since it will be on a modern CPU I would suggest the 7850 2GB. You can get them used for like $70 in the US, which is quite the deal considering they are essentially underclocked Radeon 370s that are still sold new today. The 7950 is another popular find on the flooded used market in the US and are around $100 here.

If you are going new then look for cards like the GTX 750 Ti, 950, or Radeon 270, 265, 260X.

Hmm good idea, but last time I checking the price isn't very tempting but maybe I should look to more dedicated enthusiast site in here.

thanks for the suggestion!