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[RGM79]

I intended on buying the parts for my PC today but I noticed that the ram is now sold out everywhere. What would be a suitable replacement for it that would be compatible with my build?

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Pareema 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 380 4GB NITRO Dual-X OC Video Card
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)


Would this be ok? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00569K7LM/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Yeah, that'll work just fine.

Hey guys I found this on a website and thought I should ask before jumping on it:

I want a great gaming pc and my budget is around $700. I figured I should ask since they might be wanting to sell me their stuff instead of the best parts available (even though they do explain why they pick each of these parts). So my question is, is that alright for my budget?

Thanks

Edit: I dont intend to overclock or anything like that.

What country are you in and what's your budget? The parts list isn't bad, but I'd consider dropping the SSD and putting the money towards an i5 processor instead.

It's a bit older, but it's an antec 1000w psu. Still works like a champ, so I'd like to reuse it.

And, if it changes thing, I'd like a mobo with wifi (and decent sound) so I'm leaning towards one of the Asus X-99s. Why wifi? Because my internet router will be a room away, and running a cable just isn't a possibility.

Thanks!

Have you considered powerline networking, which is using the AC outlet as a way to run ethernet through the wall. Might be more reliable than wifi.

 

[Dewoh]

Have you considered powerline networking, which is using the AC outlet as a way to run ethernet through the wall. Might be more reliable than wifi.

I have. I need to see if it'll work. My house was built in the 60s, so I don't what sort of wiring I'm dealing with.

 

[RGM79]

I will use my ds4 if its a viable option that doesn't require a lot of tweaking on my end. I see a lot of complaints about the ds4's pc support on the board. I'd like controller recommendations but it wont come from the PC budget. I will also need a new copy of windows. I think I'd like more info on the cheap keys I saw mentioned in the thread.
If I increased my budget to from $900 to $1000 would it make much of a difference? What about increasing the size of the case to a midtower? It looks like I maybe able to purchase this week. Thanks

The DS4 works on Windows 10 again, the author of DS4Windows put in a workaround to make it usable again. I don't know about any other controllers, but the 360 and XB1 controllers seem to be considered very good and are almost guaranteed to work without problems.

Here's my usual disclaimer for cheap Windows license keys from reddit:

Cheap Windows licenses can be bought from reddit's microsoftsoftwareswap for cheap, around $15 USD or less. Windows 10 licenses are also available for a bit more. These are most likely legitimate keys that are resold from educational programs like Technet or MSDNAA/Dreamspark. However, you are dealing with a person instead of a retailer, and informal Windows keys sales are not approved by Microsoft and probably breaking some licensing agreement, but it's not illegal. The risks involved are that the person could be selling you a fake or used key, or that Microsoft may refuse to give you support and/or deactivate your license and refuse to reactivate it. That's not very likely, usually it only happens if the seller and their list of sold keys was caught. We've had people here using those keys without issues for a long time and others who say Microsoft deactivated their key after several months. The 7/8/8.1 keys should be upgradeable to Windows 10, but confirm with the seller to be sure, of course.​

If you wanted to spend right up to your $1000 limit, here's what you could get:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($283.98 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($124.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($147.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 390 8GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $991.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-17 02:11 EST-0500
This time it's the latest generation Intel Skylake parts, the old parts list had Intel Haswell parts which were of an older generation. Notable extra features compared to the last parts list include a larger SSD, USB 3.1, and it can be overclocked (not sure if you interested in having the ability to overclock).

 

[Turrican3]

Hi guys, looking for advice on a new PC.
The old one isn't even worth mentioning: it's a trusty Core2 Duo dating back to 6 years ago... nothing to be reused here I guess, except an SSD that actually isn't even installed there.

So, here we go with the template.

Budget: around 5-600 euro, possibly less than that; I live in Italy, and I'd prefer not having to resort buying overseas
Main use: Gaming 4, Emulation maybe 2, Video Editing maybe 2, General Usage 3-4 (but I might just stuck with the old one for this). So basically a gaming PC ^_^
Resolution: console-style, HDready TV... so the idea is to be able to play current games at about 720p resolution (maybe 1080p should I decide to pick a new TV), but 60fps is a must. Not particularly interested in Supersampling and things like that
Parts reusing: I have a spare 120GB Samsung SSD, X360 wired pad, wireless mouse & keyboard (both USB).
Deadline: it would be nice if I could have everything ready to be assembled (I can do it by myself) before the end of the year
Overclocking: avoid if possible (I'd like to keep the thing as cool & quiet as possible)

PS: I'd like to go full digital (Steam, GOG, etc.) so I guess I can avoid picking a DVD drive... so if this can also save some space with the chassis I'd be totally fine with that: as I said, I basically want to build a PC able to run any currentgen multiplatform game 720p @60pfs, possibly 1080p @60fps should I pick a new TV... anyway, the smaller/cooler/quieter the better.

Thanks in advance

Anyone?

 

[Nostremitus]

Anyone?

Best I could do without dropping to a much weaker GPU, a much weaker CPU, buying outside of Italy, or forgoing the small and quiet aesthetics.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor (€114.73 @ Amazon Italia)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard (€105.01 @ Amazon Italia)
Memory: Mushkin Essentials 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (€33.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card (€343.23 @ Amazon Italia)
Case: Thermaltake Core V1 Mini ITX Tower Case (€50.19 @ Amazon Italia)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (€77.80 @ Amazon Italia)
Total: €724.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-17 11:23 CET+0100

 

[Turrican3]

Thanks!
Just a little more advice: would it make sense to shoot for an i5 CPU to be slightly more future-proof, or would it be a waste of money considering my requirements (720p @60fps current-gen gaming) ?

 

[roadrunn3r]

Thanks!
Just a little more advice: would it make sense to shoot for an i5 CPU to be slightly more future-proof, or would it be a waste of money considering my requirements (720p @60fps current-gen gaming) ?

Well at 720p the 970 is def an overkill and you could do with a 960 or similar but if you intend to go 1080p later, the first is much better. As for the i5 yes it could give you higher minimum frames in some games (easier to keep a stable 60fps) but again it does cost at least 40% more.

 

[Turrican3]

Thanks to you, too!
I'll keep an eye on i5 prices as well then.

 

[Terbinator]

Hmmm guys, I seem to have an issue with my GPU - 980Ti.

The card keeps spinning up to 100% usage and staying there even though there is nothing running in the background that's intensive.

A Google seems to suggest this is a common issue under Windows 10 with no resolution. Updating to latest WHQL drivers hasn't stopped it either.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

Hmmm guys, I seem to have an issue with my GPU - 980Ti.

The card keeps spinning up to 100% usage and staying there even though there is nothing running in the background that's intensive.

A Google seems to suggest this is a common issue under Windows 10 with no resolution. Updating to latest WHQL drivers hasn't stopped it either.

What refresh rate are you running?

 

[knitoe]

Hmmm guys, I seem to have an issue with my GPU - 980Ti.

The card keeps spinning up to 100% usage and staying there even though there is nothing running in the background that's intensive.

A Google seems to suggest this is a common issue under Windows 10 with no resolution. Updating to latest WHQL drivers hasn't stopped it either.

Have you try using the custom > clean install option and/or display driver uninstaller then reinstall Nvidia drivers?

http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html

 

[Terbinator]

What refresh rate are you running?

1080p60

Have you try using the custom > clean install option and/or display driver uninstaller then reinstall Nvidia drivers?

http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html

I've not but I'll try that next.

 

[Ghekkus]

Hmmm guys, I seem to have an issue with my GPU - 980Ti.

The card keeps spinning up to 100% usage and staying there even though there is nothing running in the background that's intensive.

A Google seems to suggest this is a common issue under Windows 10 with no resolution. Updating to latest WHQL drivers hasn't stopped it either.

I had the same issue with a 980Ti (Zotac brand) in my recent build. I did clean install, drivers and everything and it kept doing it. I finally unhooked the power connectors to it stuck it in another PCI slot and it started working fine. When I put it back in the original main slot it started working correctly there as well so I assumed I didn't originally have something set in correctly. May want to try that also.

 

[Arkanius]

Hmmm guys, I seem to have an issue with my GPU - 980Ti.

The card keeps spinning up to 100% usage and staying there even though there is nothing running in the background that's intensive.

A Google seems to suggest this is a common issue under Windows 10 with no resolution. Updating to latest WHQL drivers hasn't stopped it either.

Are you at 144hz?

 

[LilJoka]

Hmmm guys, I seem to have an issue with my GPU - 980Ti.

The card keeps spinning up to 100% usage and staying there even though there is nothing running in the background that's intensive.

A Google seems to suggest this is a common issue under Windows 10 with no resolution. Updating to latest WHQL drivers hasn't stopped it either.

100% usage or running at ~0% but 3D Clock Speeds? Because im having the latter issue with my GTX 970 in Win 10 right now too. WIll try to fix tonight.

 

[Gipsy Danger]

Hey guys. What's the current best way to go in SSDs as far as value for money goes? Still the MX100s or have they been usurped? I really need to get an SSD.

 

[Vaettir]

Hey guys. What's the current best way to go in SSDs as far as value for money goes? Still the MX100s or have they been usurped? I really need to get an SSD.

850 Evo and BX100 are some of the best budget SSD's at the moment. You'll find the occasional Mushkin Reactor on sale and that's also a pretty solid SSD.

The BX100 is essentially an improved MX100 and is sold up to 1TB in capacity.

Stay far away from the BX200.

 

[Gipsy Danger]

850 Evo and BX100 are some of the best budget SSD's at the moment. You'll find the occasional Mushkin Reactor on sale and that's also a pretty solid SSD.

The BX100 is essentially an improved MX100 and is sold up to 1TB in capacity.

Stay far away from the BX200.

Great thanks!

 

[Terbinator]

DDU and re-installation didn't fix it FWIW.

I had the same issue with a 980Ti (Zotac brand)...

Just reseated the card so we will see.

100% usage or running at ~0% but 3D Clock Speeds? Because im having the latter issue with my GTX 970 in Win 10 right now too. WIll try to fix tonight.

100% GPU usage but like 50% of TDP just on the desktop.

Are you at 144hz?

60Hz.

 

[LilJoka]

DDU and re-installation didn't fix it FWIW.


Just reseated the card so we will see.

100% GPU usage but like 50% of TDP just on the desktop.


60Hz.

100% usage thats very weird. Is gaming performance suffering? Possibly malware (bitcoin miner)?

 

[Pop-O-Matic]

OK, couple of quick questions, since I should be starting my build in a day or two:

1) Is it OK to just use a vacuum to clean out an empty case?

2) My case (an Antec 300) had two fans that came with it, but it had ports for 5 alltogether (1 back, 1 top, 1 side and 2 front). Considering this, along with the fact that my case puts the PSU on the bottom without a vent for it, meaning I have to point the fan in the PSU up, what would be the best way to arrange the 5 fans, in terms of intake/outtake?

 

[QualityPixel]

Don't use a vacuum to clean computers, I hear it can make a lot static electricity (fine to use if there are no parts in the case).
typically its best to have front fans intake and rear fans exhaust.
Edit: side fan intake and top fan exhaust.

 

[opticalmace]

Will do!

Your Current Specs: CPU / RAM / Motherboard / GPU (Graphics) / PSU (Power Supply) / Case / HDD (Hard Drive) I have a power supply. That's it. 1000w.
Budget: $2k-2.5k. BUT - that doesn't mean I want to blow money on stuff I don't need. I don't need an insane fully bdazzled mobo, case, and cpu. I want what will actually be of use.
Main Use: Gaming!
Monitor Resolution: Will hook it up to my 4k tv. So as much 4k, as possible, but am well aware that I'll be running most games at 1080p.
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Is 30FPS acceptable? 60? 120? How important is PhysX / SuperSampling / CUDA to you? Looking to reuse any parts?: 60 fps is pretty damn important to me. I plan on getting a gsync monitor in the future, and will jump back and forth between that at the tv.
When will you build?: Do you have a deadline? As soon as possible.
Will you be overclocking?: No? Never done it, and have terrible luck messing with electronics so would rather not.

And if it matters, I'm an Intel/Nvidia guy.

Maybe something like this. You could just add a wifi card. I guess the 6700k is currently out of stock (hence no price showing up). WIth regards to a case, also maybe take a look at the Fractal Designs R5.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.37 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($156.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($139.88 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($649.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($649.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1725.21
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-17 13:18 EST-0500

I'm sure other people will have some suggestions.

 

[Shadowhaxor]

Anyone familiar with the Zotac GeForce GTX 980 Ti? The Microcenter near me has one for $550 and I was already in the market for a GTX 980 ti. Looking to see how loud the card is compared to EVGA's 980 Ti acx 2.0 and average idling temps.

 

[e90Mark]

OK, couple of quick questions, since I should be starting my build in a day or two:

1) Is it OK to just use a vacuum to clean out an empty case?

2) My case (an Antec 300) had two fans that came with it, but it had ports for 5 alltogether (1 back, 1 top, 1 side and 2 front). Considering this, along with the fact that my case puts the PSU on the bottom without a vent for it, meaning I have to point the fan in the PSU up, what would be the best way to arrange the 5 fans, in terms of intake/outtake?

Don't use a vacuum to clean computers, I hear it can make a lot static electricity (fine to use if there are no parts in the case).
typically its best to have front fans intake and rear fans exhaust.
Edit: side fan intake and top fan exhaust.

I have an Antec 300, and have the fans set up like this, along with the psu facing up.

 

[NIN90]

Looking for a 250GB SSD. Any recommendations?

 

[RGM79]

Looking for a 250GB SSD. Any recommendations?

The Samsung 850 Evo 250GB and Crucial MX200 250GB can be had for about $80.

 

[triplestation]

mail in rebates seem like such a hassle, ugh

 

[Dewoh]

Is it worth getting the 980 it SC editions? As in, getting one that's been superclocked over a normal 980 ti?

 

[RGM79]

Is it worth getting the 980 it SC editions? As in, getting one that's been superclocked over a normal 980 ti?

You can always overclock it yourself. Whether it's worth it depends on how much it costs and whether you want to overclock it yourself anyway.

 

[NIN90]

The Samsung 850 Evo 250GB and Crucial MX200 250GB can be had for about $80.

Thank you. Looks like I'm ordering the 850 Evo.


Another question: I'm looking to upgrade my RAM from 8 to 16GB. Right now, I have two 4GB sticks of Kingston HyperX PC3-12800 slotted into my
Asrock Z77 Pro3 mobo.

a) If I were to get two more 4GB sticks, is there any need to to match my current sticks in any way? Clock speed or anything like that? I must admit that I know very little about RAM.

b) I might upgrade my CPU in the next 1-2 years which would probably lead to getting a new motherboard. Would this new RAM be incompatible with the new mobo and be essentially a waste of money?

 

[Dewoh]

You can always overclock it yourself. Whether it's worth it depends on how much it costs and whether you want to overclock it yourself anyway.

Is it super easy to do on your own?

I've never done it.

 

[tarheel91]

Is it super easy to do on your own?

I've never done it.

Literally a minute of your time.

 

[RGM79]

Thank you. Looks like I'm ordering the 850 Evo.


Another question: I'm looking to upgrade my RAM from 8 to 16GB. Right now, I have two 4GB sticks of Kingston HyperX PC3-12800 slotted into my
Asrock Z77 Pro3 mobo.

a) If I were to get two more 4GB sticks, is there any need to to match my current sticks in any way? Clock speed or anything like that? I must admit that I know very little about RAM.

b) I might upgrade my CPU in the next 1-2 years which would probably lead to getting a new motherboard. Would this new RAM be incompatible with the new mobo and be essentially a waste of money?

Ideally RAM that matches the same speed and latency and maybe even the brand should guarantee the best compatibility. That said in practice motherboards will accept RAM of different brands, speeds, and latency. Mismatching RAM will just run at a lower common speed, DDR3 will default to 1333 or 1600MHz.

DDR4 is already becoming commonplace and will displace DDR3 as the standard. IN the future if you were to buy a new processor, it will be incompatible with your existing socket 1155 motherboard and DDR3 RAM. Whether it's a waste or not will depend on your situation and whether the 16GB of RAM is useful to you or if you're just buying for the sake of "I want more RAM".

Is it super easy to do on your own?

I've never done it.

It's easier than CPU overclocking. Look up some videos, the process is similar/same for nearly all graphics cards. If you're willing to read and learn a bit, it's not hard at all. It just require some trial and error to find the most comfortable settings.

 

[Dewoh]

It's easier than CPU overclocking. Look up some videos, the process is similar/same for nearly all graphics cards. If you're willing to read and learn a bit, it's not hard at all. It just require some trial and error to find the most comfortable settings.

I'm willing to do some research, as long as it's relatively safe and the risk of me ruining $1300 of GPUs is super low.

 

[RGM79]

I'm willing to do some research, as long as it's relatively safe and the risk of me ruining $1300 of GPUs is super low.

It's hard to ruin graphics cards that way. Just go easy on the settings. Even if they were too extreme, all that usually happens is that the GPU drivers crash and/or the computer restarts.

 

[Uthred]

Any thoughts on the GTX 970 4GB vs R9 390 8GB? Benchmark comparisons on them seem to be all over the place.

 

[Shadowhaxor]

Any thoughts on the GTX 970 4GB vs R9 390 8GB? Benchmark comparisons on them seem to be all over the place.

They're neck and neck, however the R9 390 has that 8GB for future proofing, more vram needs.

 

[RGM79]

Any thoughts on the GTX 970 4GB vs R9 390 8GB? Benchmark comparisons on them seem to be all over the place.

Depends on your needs and wants. For some games the GTX 970 is smoother and I'd recommend it for compact mITX/mATX systems because of the lower heat and power consumption. Nvidia's current promotion also means most if not all GTX 970 cards are eligible for a copy of Rainbow Six Siege or Assassin's Creed Syndicate. If you don't care for those games, it's possible to resell the game codes.

The R9 390 can have an edge when it comes to playing games at higher resolutions like 1440p, and good models with decent coolers such as Gigabyte Windforce, Powercolor PCS+, Asus Strix, etc can be found at around the same price as entry level GTX 970 cards that have worse coolers like blower types (noisy and somewhat less effective for cooling) and simpler open-type heatsinks (lacks features like silent fan modes and possibly not as well suited for overclocking).

 

[Dewoh]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013LDXMZM/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Is this 980 TI just as good? Going sli means I'd save $100.

 

[Lion]

What country are you in and what's your budget? The parts list isn't bad, but I'd consider dropping the SSD and putting the money towards an i5 processor instead.

I live in Puerto Rico and I see what you mean there def.a good idea thanks.

 

[BADMAN]

I'm thinking of upgrading my CPU/Motherboard/Ram. I've got a i7 920 @ 2.67GHz so it's starting to show it's age.

I'm wondering if it's worth going skylake. Since I need to upgrade my MB anyway it seems like going new everything is the way to go but besides ddr4 support I honestly don't know if it's worth the extra money.

Also if I end up going skylake, is there a reason to go i7 over i5? I'm mostly playing games and I don't think I've ever really maxed out all the threads on my current CPU. I'll probably get into VR at some point and I'm not sure if the extra threads would make much of a difference there.

Anyway I can wait as well if the next gen of CPUs will be a noticeable step up. Any thoughts?

 

[opticalmace]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013LDXMZM/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Is this 980 TI just as good? Going sli means I'd save $100.

I think the Gigabyte "G1 gaming" one is supposed to be a bit better... I'll have to let someone else chime in, gotta run out the door.

 

[RGM79]

I'm thinking of upgrading my CPU/Motherboard/Ram. I've got a i7 920 @ 2.67GHz so it's starting to show it's age.

I'm wondering if it's worth going skylake. Since I need to upgrade my MB anyway it seems like going new everything is the way to go but besides ddr4 support I honestly don't know if it's worth the extra money.

Also if I end up going skylake, is there a reason to go i7 over i5? I'm mostly playing games and I don't think I've ever really maxed out all the threads on my current CPU. I'll probably get into VR at some point and I'm not sure if the extra threads would make much of a difference there.

Anyway I can wait as well if the next gen of CPUs will be a noticeable step up. Any thoughts?

If you're cautious about buying parts, I'd recommend waiting as well but how long is up to you. It's hard to say exactly what additional performance requirements VR gaming will have over traditional PC gaming, so I can't in good faith just tell you to get an i5 or i7 processor. It is however safe to say that if you got a Skylake i5 processor, you should be covered in terms of performance for most if not all games out there. There are few games that would specifically require an i7 processor and not run well on a same generation i5 processor.

As for specific gaming performance benchmarks comparing Bloomfield to Skylake, I only found this PCGamer article. Not quite sure about them.

Anyway in the mean time, you could overclock your i7 920 if you're feeling that it's not quite enough any more. You'll need a good CPU cooler.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013LDXMZM/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Is this 980 TI just as good? Going sli means I'd save $100.

It's definitely not bad, a good choice if you want to save money. The triple fan windforce cooler is good for overclocking. You can see a comparison between that MSI model and a similar Gigabyte triple fan model here. The Gigabyte G1 Gaming is a higher end version of the Gigabyte Windforce model with higher factory clock speed and the ability to turn off its fans at low temperatures to keep noise levels down. The Windforce model should be just slightly slower and a bit louder than the G1 Gaming model.

 

[Dewoh]

Thanks. Seems the G1 is a decent amount better in some benchmarks. Up to 9 fps in some games.

 

[Hastati]

Hi guys! I'm thinking of upgrading in tiers over the next two years and have a few questions. First, here's the form:

Current Specs: Obviously not upgrading it but here it is anyway: ASUS ROG G750JH 17-Inch Gaming Laptop (1st gen)
i7-4700HQ / 24GB RAM / MB? / 780M 4GB / 120GB SSD + ~1TB slow ass disk

Temp Budget: $1-1.5k USA

Main Use: Gaming (completely, may just buy a chromebook or something for work).

Monitor Resolution: Probably just a decent 1080p monitor, not planning on downsampling yet.

Games: Black Desert Online, Fallout 4 with Mods (okay with 30 fps), Star Citizen beta (don't care about performance until late 2016-2017). In general, I am okay with stable 30 fps, would love 60 fps when I can have it.

Will you be overclocking?: Yes, never done it before, but I'd like to try!

Now the reason I am humbly asking for help in this thread is that I plan on upgrading in tiers, and ultimately I want the best I can buy around 2017 when Star Citizen comes out. My main question is as to whether or not it is worth spending the money in chunks while upgrading? I want to be able to run it very well in VR, but I'm not sure if a decent current gen processor will last me. In other words, is it feasible to build something now that can be partially reused for such a game (assuming I throw out the cards for the equivalent of SLI Titan X's or something), or will I inevitably have to build one from scratch again? With a reasonable amount of projection of course, and assuming that I want to run the game as smooth as I possibly can on max settings.

Otherwise, I may end up buying something temporary that I know I will trade out in 1.5~ years, so for my goals of 1080p 30+ fps max settings basically should I just go with SLI 970's and whatever a "decent" processor is right now...or not? My laptop runs most games fine, but I'm starting to get some serious chug in very recent games that I want to experience at a higher fidelity.

Thank you very much, so glad this thread is a thing, I get confused with all the options and hardware advancements and whatnot.

 

[JGCD]

So should I go for I7-6700K?
I don't know if I should go quad core or more
Just for straight gaming mind you

I just don't wanna get screwed over but I think games ain't using more than two cores correct?

Also for emulation is more cores better?

 

[Dewoh]

So should I go for I7-6700K?
I don't know if I should go quad core or more
Just for straight gaming mind you

I just don't wanna get screwed over but I think games ain't using more than two cores correct?

Also for emulation is more cores better?

I hate to be a parrot, but I have the same question. It seems that the 6700 is either out of stock, or going for quite a premium right now. I'm considering the 6600.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0136JONRM/?tag=neogaf0e-20

For gaming is this a smart choice?

 

[knitoe]

I hate to be a parrot, but I have the same question. It seems that the 6700 is either out of stock, or going for quite a premium right now. I'm considering the 6600.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0136JONRM/?tag=neogaf0e-20

For gaming is this a smart choice?

You want at least a 6600K, but why not a 6 core 5820K?

 

[StarlordDial]

Hm... just wanted to ask a question

i know pascal based gpu's are coming next year and it will be a much more upgraded and better transition per generation of gpu's for a long time.

for someone with a 980ti, would it be a smart idea to upgrade to a pascal gpu with the equivalent ti variant like the 980ti or even titan x? will the price be more expensive?