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[OraleeWey]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm more comfortable with 16:9. Just a standard 1920x1080, 60hz, good color vibrancy, minimal latency would be what I'm looking for.

Well, I was searching online for a second monitor recently and this one looked pretty good. A 16:9 IPS 24" (23.8") monitor from Acer. I don't know what is an acceptable response time for you but this one in particular has a 4ms response time which is really good. It's also 60hz.

http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/model/UM.QR0AA.001

 

[Aiustis]

What's a good upgrade from a HD 7770?
it's a mATX of some sort.
It'll be for some gaming.
Nothing fancy, just something a little nicer.

 

[Osiris]

Close to finalizing my build, with a few changes due to price/stock level issues:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£189.59 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H80i GT 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (£78.89 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170 PRO GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£116.99 @ More Computers)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£87.85 @ More Computers)
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£145.98 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£71.94 @ Aria PC)
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case (£58.96 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£66.96 @ Aria PC)
Total: £817.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-11 23:30 GMT+0000

Went up to the 6600K, simply because the 6600 just isn't available at the price UK's partpicker claimed it was, and only a few quid difference in price now to the 6600K makes it a no-brainer for future-proofing purposes even if I don't overclock right now.

To make up for the extra TDP, I'm going to get a few of the Noctua IndustralPPC 2000 RPM PWM fans to replace the H80i stock fans and the standard NF-F12's I have sitting can go in as case fans @ 7volts.

71.7 CFM for just 29dB at 2000 RPM?, Yes please!

I've also dropped to the 256GB 950 Pro, I just can't ignore that price premium for what is ultimately just going to be my OS / essential applications drive.

I have until Friday to finally decide, then the debit card comes out!

 

[RGM79]

What's a good upgrade from a HD 7770?
it's a mATX of some sort.
It'll be for some gaming.
Nothing fancy, just something a little nicer.

How much do you want to spend and what are your current PC's specs?

 

[Jabronium]

Either one should meet your needs very well. The R9 390 comes in somewhat cheaper, but the GTX 970 consumes less power. What are your current PC specs, particularly what model of power supply do you have?

I've got a Corsair HX650 that's a few years old, running a 2500k at 4.8 ghz.

 

[hooijdonk17]

What model is your existing PSU? You can use this wattage calculator to determine how much wattage your PC will use. I like the EVGA 600B ($44) as a decent "bang for buck" option.?

It's a High Power ECO 500W, no longer produced but somewhat similar to this: http://www.highpower-tech.com/RO/product_page.php?class=20100527154213&id=20110523151533 Here's the wattage:

By that calculator recommended wattage is 399W for the current setup, and 512W for an R9 380..

Should I push my luck? Or just buy a new PSU?

 

[bomblord1]

If you're getting an ultrawide 29" is really a minimum 29" is about as tall as a regular 21" monitor. 25" is even smaller than that.

 

[Rizific]

quick question for a friend of mine. if he buys a pre built that contains win10, will doing a windows reset get rid of all the bloatware?

 

[RGM79]

I've got a Corsair HX650 that's a few years old, running a 2500k at 4.8 ghz.

The HX650 is an excellent power supply that was derived from a Seasonic design. You shouldn't have any issues running either a GTX 970 or R9 390.

It's a High Power ECO 500W, no longer produced but somewhat similar to this: http://www.highpower-tech.com/RO/product_page.php?class=20100527154213&id=20110523151533 Here's the wattage:

By that calculator recommended wattage is 399W for the current setup, and 512W for an R9 380..

Should I push my luck? Or just buy a new PSU?

I'd recommend getting a new power supply.

quick question for a friend of mine. if he buys a pre built that contains win10, will doing a windows reset get rid of all the bloatware?

Short answer is yes. The old reset feature in Windows 8 used recovery images that Microsoft allowed computer manufacturing companies to customize, and that meant they loaded that image with bloatware. The new reset feature in Windows 10 works somewhat differently and isn't quite as flawed.

 

[Majestic 12]

4770 (non k) still decent for the year ahead? Have a friend looking to offload his for cheap, tempted.

 

[opticalmace]

4770 (non k) still decent for the year ahead? Have a friend looking to offload his for cheap, tempted.

Yup. Do you already have a motherboard and ram? How cheap is cheap?

 

[Unknown Soldier]

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016...auses-pcs-to-freeze-during-complex-workloads/

Bug found in Skylake processors, will freeze machine when running Prime95 with Large FFTs. I guess you shouldn't use that as the stress test for your OCs at the moment until the fix is delivered via BIOS update.

 

[Volotaire]

Hi again!

I require some final advice on this micro ATX project I want to build. I have some options in which I'm unsure on which part to choose for each component. No monitor required. No SSD is required.

Priority: Streaming/Recording, Video editing, Emulation (Dolphin), Gaming (1080p).

Budget: £950 - (I may have £20 to spare)

Country: UK

• OS: Windows 8.1, £66 (Amazon)
  
• Micro - ATX Motherboard: Z170M Plus, £110 (Amazon)
  
• CPU: Intel i7-6700K, £298.13 (Amazon)
  
• CPU fan: Hyper 212 Evo, £25 (Amazon)
  
• GPU: MSI AMD 4GB R9 380 £179 (Amazon)
  
• HDD 3TB: Toshiba DT01ACA300 3TB, £71.95 (Amazon)
  
• Case (micro ATX): Bitfenix Prodigy M, £61.34 (Ebay New)
  
• RAM: Corsair 1x8GB DDR4 2400MHz, £39.34 (Amazon)
  
• PSU: Corsair Builder CXM 600W Semi-Modular, £66.99 (Amazon)
  

Total = about £920

I am unsure on the following parts:

GPU: I can sacrifice by going a bit more over budget. How does the 380X, 380 and 280X compare if they are respectively £180, £215 and £185 each? Should I replace my current GPU plan with one of them?

Micro - ATXMotherboard: I'm not too concerned with the board, so I was wondering if there were any better options. I would appreciate cheaper options that would allow me to further invest into a better GPU (i.e. GTX 970 is £261) or modular PSU.

PSU: I would like a similar priced power supply, but for a semi-modular or very preferably, a fully modular power supply? Is it possible to recommend any? At the moment I have found the EVGA Supernova 550W for £73.48 (fully modular) and the Cooler Master 550W Semi Modular PSU for £50

Cases: The other cases I am contemplating are the Fractal Design Node 804 , Corsair Air 240 and the Corsair 350D. Any comments about any of them being superior would be appreciative.

CPU fan: Is it suitable for the CPU I am using and the kind of tasks it will be up to?

Thank you again and I appreciate your time.

 

[Finaika]

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016...auses-pcs-to-freeze-during-complex-workloads/

Bug found in Skylake processors, will freeze machine when running Prime95 with Large FFTs. I guess you shouldn't use that as the stress test for your OCs at the moment until the fix is delivered via BIOS update.

First the bending problem, non-K overclocking problem and now this? Skylake is a mess.

 

[BorntoPlay]

First the bending problem, non-K overclocking problem and now this? Skylake is a mess.

why non-K overclocking is a problem???.. Maybe is bad for intel, but great for everyone else....

 

[Finaika]

why non-K overclocking is a problem???.. Maybe is bad for intel, but great for everyone else....

It makes the people who bought the overpriced 6700K feel less special.

 

[BorntoPlay]

It makes the people who bought the overpriced 6700K feel less special.

too bad for then... i'm rocking my i5-6500 OC 4.0 Ghz....=D

 

[Unknown Soldier]

First the bending problem, non-K overclocking problem and now this? Skylake is a mess.

Not really. Haswell had a bug in the TSX instructions and Intel had to disable then entirely. Also Haswell attempts to self-immolate when you run Prime95 versions that supports AVX2 instructions. No one thinks Haswell is a mess. These CPUs are crazy complex and bugs happen.

 

[Majestic 12]

Yup. Do you already have a motherboard and ram? How cheap is cheap?

Nice, willing to hand it over to me for $200 AUD. I was looking to pick up a h97 motherboard & 8gb ram, shouldn't be too expensive with skylake being the hot new thing.

Any recommended brands for motherboards, was thinking MSI or Gigabyte?

 

[Hayabusi]

Finally did it and ordered a new GPU!

MSI 960 4GB it is, upgrading from a Radeon 5770. Looking forward playing in my native resolution (1080p)..
CPU still a 2500k.

 

[Dmax3901]

So it's summer here in the southern hemisphere and I'm getting a little sick of how hot and loud my PC is getting. The main culprit is my R9 290 which as you guys might know commonly runs at 95C which is pretty crazy.

Basically I'm looking to get a new card something as powerful (preferably more powerful) than an 290 and much quieter.

Any suggestions?

 

[ohyouagain]

Hi again!

I require some final advice on this micro ATX project I want to build. I have some options in which I'm unsure on which part to choose for each component. No monitor required. No SSD is required.

Priority: Streaming/Recording, Video editing, Emulation (Dolphin), Gaming (1080p).

Budget: £950 - (I may have £20 to spare)

Country: UK

• OS: Windows 8.1, £66 (Amazon)
  
• Micro - ATX Motherboard: Z170M Plus, £110 (Amazon)
  
• CPU: Intel i7-6700K, £298.13 (Amazon)
  
• CPU fan: Hyper 212 Evo, £25 (Amazon)
  
• GPU: MSI AMD 4GB R9 380 £179 (Amazon)
  
• HDD 3TB: Toshiba DT01ACA300 3TB, £71.95 (Amazon)
  
• Case (micro ATX): Bitfenix Prodigy M, £61.34 (Ebay New)
  
• RAM: Corsair 1x8GB DDR4 2400MHz, £39.34 (Amazon)
  
• PSU: Corsair Builder CXM 600W Semi-Modular, £66.99 (Amazon)
  

Total = about £920

I am unsure on the following parts:

GPU: I can sacrifice by going a bit more over budget. How does the 380X, 380 and 280X compare if they are respectively £180, £215 and £185 each? Should I replace my current GPU plan with one of them?

Micro - ATXMotherboard: I'm not too concerned with the board, so I was wondering if there were any better options. I would appreciate cheaper options that would allow me to further invest into a better GPU (i.e. GTX 970 is £261) or modular PSU.

PSU: I would like a similar priced power supply, but for a semi-modular or very preferably, a fully modular power supply? Is it possible to recommend any? At the moment I have found the EVGA Supernova 550W for £73.48 (fully modular) and the Cooler Master 550W Semi Modular PSU for £50

Cases: The other cases I am contemplating are the Fractal Design Node 804 , Corsair Air 240 and the Corsair 350D. Any comments about any of them being superior would be appreciative.

CPU fan: Is it suitable for the CPU I am using and the kind of tasks it will be up to?

Thank you again and I appreciate your time.

I am at work so I can't help much with links but your CPU for gaming @1080p is overkill.
I would suggest you buy an i5-4460 and a H81 motherboard which would free up some budget for your graphics card.

Hope it helps.

 

[RGM79]

Hi again!

I require some final advice on this micro ATX project I want to build. I have some options in which I'm unsure on which part to choose for each component. No monitor required. No SSD is required.

Priority: Streaming/Recording, Video editing, Emulation (Dolphin), Gaming (1080p).
Budget: £950 - (I may have £20 to spare)
Country: UK

• OS: Windows 8.1, £66 (Amazon)
• Micro - ATX Motherboard: Z170M Plus, £110 (Amazon)
• CPU: Intel i7-6700K, £298.13 (Amazon)
• CPU fan: Hyper 212 Evo, £25 (Amazon)
• GPU: MSI AMD 4GB R9 380 £179 (Amazon)
• HDD 3TB: Toshiba DT01ACA300 3TB, £71.95 (Amazon)
• Case (micro ATX): Bitfenix Prodigy M, £61.34 (Ebay New)
• RAM: Corsair 1x8GB DDR4 2400MHz, £39.34 (Amazon)
• PSU: Corsair Builder CXM 600W Semi-Modular, £66.99 (Amazon)

Total = about £920

I am unsure on the following parts:

GPU: I can sacrifice by going a bit more over budget. How does the 380X, 380 and 280X compare if they are respectively £180, £215 and £185 each? Should I replace my current GPU plan with one of them?

Micro - ATXMotherboard: I'm not too concerned with the board, so I was wondering if there were any better options. I would appreciate cheaper options that would allow me to further invest into a better GPU (i.e. GTX 970 is £261) or modular PSU.

PSU: I would like a similar priced power supply, but for a semi-modular or very preferably, a fully modular power supply? Is it possible to recommend any? At the moment I have found the EVGA Supernova 550W for £73.48 (fully modular) and the Cooler Master 550W Semi Modular PSU for £50

Cases: The other cases I am contemplating are the Fractal Design Node 804 , Corsair Air 240 and the Corsair 350D. Any comments about any of them being superior would be appreciative.

CPU fan: Is it suitable for the CPU I am using and the kind of tasks it will be up to?

Thank you again and I appreciate your time.

Here's my version of your parts list, I was able to address most if not all of your concerns.

http://imgur.com/AcBIj0b
1 x Toshiba DT01ACA 3TB, SATA 6Gb/s (DT01ACA300)
1 x Intel Core i7-6700K, 4x 4.00GHz, boxed without cooler (BX80662I76700K)
1 x G.Skill RipJaws V red DIMM kit 8GB, DDR4-3000, CL15-16-16-35 (F4-3000C15D-8GVRB)
1 x Zotac GeForce GTX 970, 4GB GDDR5, 2x DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort (ZT-90101-10P)
1 x ASUS Z170M-Plus (90MB0M60-M0EAY0)
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
1 x Corsair Obsidian Series 350D (CC-9011028-WW)
1 x XFX XTR Series 650W ATX 2.31 (P1-650B-BEFX)
1 x Microsoft: Windows 8.1 64bit, DSP/SB (English) (PC) (WN7-00614)
Total of all best prices: £ 944.68

I was able to fit a GTX 970 into this build. I chose the Corsair 350D because I think it'll be easier to build in, it's not as cramped as the Bitfenix Prodigy M which has limitations on the size of the PSU. Yes, the Hyper 212 Evo is adequate for the i7 6700K and should even allow moderate overclocking. I kept the same motherboard you had already picked as it's one of the few Z170 models that seems to have good quality control and a general lack of negative user reviews. Instead of 1x8GB, 2x4GB is preferable because you can run it in dual channel mode which is technically faster. Also, 3000MHz RAM is preferable over 2400MHz for just a few pounds more.

Edit: As ohyouagain says, the i7 6700K is kind of overkill, but I can see why you'd want it if your priorities are in streaming, recording, and video editing. The i5 4460 and H81 or B85 motherboard is definitely a very cost-effective option, but dropping down to an i5 6600K wouldn't be very bad either. I kept the i7 6700K in the parts list as I managed to make it fit in the £950 budget, although I can't be sure if all of those different retailers won't charge you for shipping or not.

Nice, willing to hand it over to me for $200 AUD. I was looking to pick up a h97 motherboard & 8gb ram, shouldn't be too expensive with skylake being the hot new thing.

Any recommended brands for motherboards, was thinking MSI or Gigabyte?

Consider going with a cheap H81 or B85 motherboard if you want to save some money. When considering a motherboard, don't look at the brand so much as the user reviews. Any brand can have poorly designed and built motherboards.

So it's summer here in the southern hemisphere and I'm getting a little sick of how hot and loud my PC is getting. The main culprit is my R9 290 which as you guys might know commonly runs at 95C which is pretty crazy.

Basically I'm looking to get a new card something as powerful (preferably more powerful) than an 290 and much quieter.

Any suggestions?

Country? Budget? Go for a GTX 970 if you want less heat and noise.

 

[inner-G]

Would laugh if it wasn't your motherboards the whole time.

It was the RAM -_-

Took it to a local shop, he tried several kinds and only had 1 that would boot it up so I bought em

 

[Dmax3901]

Country? Budget? Go for a GTX 970 if you want less heat and noise.

Australia and preferably not much over $400 aud. Thanks for the reply!

 

[komplanen]

It was the RAM -_-

Took it to a local shop, he tried several kinds and only had 1 that would boot it up so I bought em

Maybe I misunderstood what you're saying, but if a local shop tried several kinds of RAM on your motherboard and only 1 worked, then it most certainly is a fault in your motherboard or CPU (which has the actual memory controller).

 

[inner-G]

Maybe I misunderstood what you're saying, but if a local shop tried several kinds of RAM on your motherboard and only 1 worked, then it most certainly is a fault in your motherboard or CPU (which has the actual memory controller).

It's here it's working in not messing with it anymore!

From searching around online, I saw lots and lots of posts from people saying their Skylake builds were picky with RAM or didn't have luck with modules that claimed to be compatible

I've done a bunch of stuff, installed Windows, graphics card, played Steam games, etc. and haven't had any problems yet

 

[komplanen]

It's here it's working in not messing with it anymore!

From searching around online, I saw lots and lots of posts from people saying their Skylake builds were picky with RAM or didn't have luck with modules that claimed to be compatible

I've done a bunch of stuff, installed Windows, graphics card, played Steam games, etc. and haven't had any problems yet

Nothing wrong with that

 

[The_Poet]

Are there any sites which would tell me the cases compatible with my cpu fan (Noctua DH-14)? I kind of want to downsize to a micro-ATX

 

[RGM79]

Australia and preferably not much over $400 aud. Thanks for the reply!

Unfortunately, that isn't enough money for anything but a downgrade from your R9 290. The GTX 970 and R9 390 are the current generation equivalents to the R9 290 and they start around $480 AUD at the very least.

Are there any sites which would tell me the cases compatible with my cpu fan (Noctua DH-14)? I kind of want to downsize to a micro-ATX

PCPartPicker is generally very good for this kind of thing. Go to this page for the NH-D14, click on "Add to part list". Then go here to the case category, it will automatically check compatibility and all of the cases that appear will be large enough to fit the NH-D14, barring the odd error. Of course if you find a case you like, you can always do a little research or ask here to find out if it's compatible with your NH-D14.

 

[Henrar]

Is there any quiet solution to cool 5960x @ 4GHz or slightly higher clock*? I currently have Corsair Hydro H100i water cooler in pull configuration on top of Cooler Master Cosmos 2. Push config or push/pull is not an option as there is no space between the cooler and the motherboard for the fans (except some low profile fans but they start to scratch the cooler when the load is high, so I had to remove them). Should I buy some air cooler or try to change the watercooler itself to something different? Or should I switch the case to the one that allows push config? I would like to reach higher clockspeeds without my ears bleeding.


*It overclocks to 4,6GHz @1,28V, but then the cooling starts to be REALLY LOUD.

 

[knitoe]

Is there any quiet solution to cool 5960x @ 4GHz or slightly higher clock*? I currently have Corsair Hydro H100i water cooler in pull configuration on top of Cooler Master Cosmos 2. Push config or push/pull is not an option as there is no space between the cooler and the motherboard for the fans (except some low profile fans but they start to scratch the cooler when the load is high, so I had to remove them). Should I buy some air cooler or try to change the watercooler itself to something different? Or should I switch the case to the one that allows push config? I would like to reach higher clockspeeds without my ears bleeding.


*It overclocks to 4,6GHz @1,28V, but then the cooling starts to be REALLY LOUD.

Replace with quieter and better performing cooler fans. The two that came with my Corsair 110i GTX were loud too and I replaced them with much better Phantek 140mm high static fans. Also, since my video cards are not blower types, had to place the cooler at the front so it can push fresh air in. At the top of the case, it would have deal with hot air raising.

 

[Henrar]

Replace with quieter and better performing cooler fans. The two that came with my Corsair 110i GTX were loud too and I replaced them with much better Phantek 140mm high static fans. Also, since my video cards are not blower types, had to place the cooler at the front so it can push fresh air in. At the top of the case, it would have deal with hot air raising.

What fans do you propose then?

 

[knitoe]

What fans do you propose then?

If you want the best and don't mind cost / looks, Noctua. I couldn't stand the looks so went with Phanteks. There are others. Do some googling.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835709036&FM=1

 

[keidashxd]

For some users interested in a small case but looking for a highend gpu this will make you happy...

http://www.pcgamer.com/amds-r9-nano-graphics-card-gets-a-price-cut/

I was going to buy a 970 but with this drop I'm doubtful now.

EDIT: It was posted in the prior page, sorry folks.

 

[Jimrpg]

Unfortunately, that isn't enough money for anything but a downgrade from your R9 290. The GTX 970 and R9 390 are the current generation equivalents to the R9 290 and they start around $480 AUD at the very least.
.

You can go to MSY and get a gainward GTX 970 for $449 I think.

 

[Bradach]

Could I ask for some advice in here?

I have a feeling that the graphics card in my 4 year old PC is on the verge of dying. Getting it properly diagnosed at the moment. its a MSI N560GTX-Ti Hawk

If I was going to replace it would now be a good time to buy a MSI GeForce GTX 960 2GD5T OC - 2GB - PCI-E? Are Nvidia just on the verge of releasing something new thereby pushing the next card down into this price bracket?

Also the rest of my system is as follows;

Processor: AMD Black Edition - Processor - 1 x AMD Phenom II
Motherboard: MSI 870A-G54 - Motherboard - ATX
RAM: Corsair XMS3 - Memory - 8 GB

Is there anything there that is in dire need of upgrading do you think?

BTW I use a projector for playing PC games and its native resolution is 720p so that is the max resolution I need.

 

[Aiustis]

How much do you want to spend and what are your current PC's specs?

I got the computer really cheap and I don't know what all is in it as far as specs. I just see RAM, CPU and a motherboard. The gpu was already pulled out. I'm looking at 200 dollars for something just better than the HD 7770

 

[Finaika]

It's here it's working in not messing with it anymore!

From searching around online, I saw lots and lots of posts from people saying their Skylake builds were picky with RAM or didn't have luck with modules that claimed to be compatible

I've done a bunch of stuff, installed Windows, graphics card, played Steam games, etc. and haven't had any problems yet

Happened to me on my Skylake build too.

 

[Volotaire]

I am at work so I can't help much with links but your CPU for gaming @1080p is overkill.
I would suggest you buy an i5-4460 and a H81 motherboard which would free up some budget for your graphics card.

Hope it helps.

Here's my version of your parts list, I was able to address most if not all of your concerns.

http://imgur.com/AcBIj0b
1 x Toshiba DT01ACA 3TB, SATA 6Gb/s (DT01ACA300)
1 x Intel Core i7-6700K, 4x 4.00GHz, boxed without cooler (BX80662I76700K)
1 x G.Skill RipJaws V red DIMM kit 8GB, DDR4-3000, CL15-16-16-35 (F4-3000C15D-8GVRB)
1 x Zotac GeForce GTX 970, 4GB GDDR5, 2x DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort (ZT-90101-10P)
1 x ASUS Z170M-Plus (90MB0M60-M0EAY0)
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
1 x Corsair Obsidian Series 350D (CC-9011028-WW)
1 x XFX XTR Series 650W ATX 2.31 (P1-650B-BEFX)
1 x Microsoft: Windows 8.1 64bit, DSP/SB (English) (PC) (WN7-00614)
Total of all best prices: £ 944.68

I was able to fit a GTX 970 into this build. I chose the Corsair 350D because I think it'll be easier to build in, it's not as cramped as the Bitfenix Prodigy M which has limitations on the size of the PSU. Yes, the Hyper 212 Evo is adequate for the i7 6700K and should even allow moderate overclocking. I kept the same motherboard you had already picked as it's one of the few Z170 models that seems to have good quality control and a general lack of negative user reviews. Instead of 1x8GB, 2x4GB is preferable because you can run it in dual channel mode which is technically faster. Also, 3000MHz RAM is preferable over 2400MHz for just a few pounds more.

Edit: As ohyouagain says, the i7 6700K is kind of overkill, but I can see why you'd want it if your priorities are in streaming, recording, and video editing. The i5 4460 and H81 or B85 motherboard is definitely a very cost-effective option, but dropping down to an i5 6600K wouldn't be very bad either. I kept the i7 6700K in the parts list as I managed to make it fit in the £950 budget, although I can't be sure if all of those different retailers won't charge you for shipping or not.

Thanks for the helpful feedback! I really appreciate it.

There are a few more things I want to clarify/ask.

I put in the i7 6700k primarily because of the recording, streaming and emulation, but also to 'future proof' this for 4-5 years. Is it still overkill for these purposes? This is not a personal PC build, rather for a society who wishes to use this build for the above for at least 4-5 years. This is why I also went for a Skylake architecture. The budget is set in place i.e. there will be spare money on the table after this is finished that will be recouped by the organisers. This is why I wanted to reach the budget as close as possible. The majority of the gaming time on the PC will not be high end games, but they will be played occasionally on streams. Maxing out the games would not be a high objective on my list, but reaching the Occulus minimum specs of a 970 would be attractive.

Thanks again.

EDIT: Zotac products seem to have inconsistent QA. A good brand or one to give a miss?

 

[Majestic 12]

Consider going with a cheap H81 or B85 motherboard if you want to save some money. When considering a motherboard, don't look at the brand so much as the user reviews. Any brand can have poorly designed and built motherboards.

Thanks, appreciate the help.

 

[ISee]

Could I ask for some advice in here?

I have a feeling that the graphics card in my 4 year old PC is on the verge of dying. Getting it properly diagnosed at the moment. its a MSI N560GTX-Ti Hawk

If I was going to replace it would now be a good time to buy a MSI GeForce GTX 960 2GD5T OC - 2GB - PCI-E? Are Nvidia just on the verge of releasing something new thereby pushing the next card down into this price bracket?

Also the rest of my system is as follows;

Processor: AMD Black Edition - Processor - 1 x AMD Phenom II
Motherboard: MSI 870A-G54 - Motherboard - ATX
RAM: Corsair XMS3 - Memory - 8 GB

Is there anything there that is in dire need of upgrading do you think?

BTW I use a projector for playing PC games and its native resolution is 720p so that is the max resolution I need.

Nvidia is definitely going to release new cards this year. Most probably they'll start with low/mid tier pascal cards with ddr5/ddr5x. End tier pacal cards with hbm2 will follow later (probably).
When are they going to start releasing? Nobody is sure but sometime between the end of march and the start of june seems to be a safe bet. So it's not far away but not close either.

When it comes to 'GTX 1000' performance some people expect mid range pascal cards to outperform 980Ti s, but I doubt that. I think we might see great improvement in the top tier, high end sector (because of HBM2), but 'just' normal improvement in the low/mid range sector. But nobody really knows... we'll see.

For gaming in 720p a 960 with 2gb of vram is more than enough. The 380x from AMD is a good alternative as it costs around the same and gives you even more performance.

 

[Bradach]

Nvidia is definitely going to release new cards this year. Most probably they'll start with low/mid tier pascal cards with ddr5/ddr5x. End tier pacal cards with hbm2 will follow later (probably).
When are they going to start releasing? Nobody is sure but sometime between the end of march and the start of june seems to be a safe bet. So it's not far away but not close either.

When it comes to 'GTX 1000' performance some people expect mid range pascal cards to outperform 980Ti s, but I doubt that. I think we might see great improvement in the top tier, high end sector (because of HBM2), but 'just' normal improvement in the low/mid range sector. But nobody really knows... we'll see.

For gaming in 720p a 960 with 2gb of vram is more than enough. The 380x from AMD is a good alternative as it costs around the same and gives you even more performance.

Thanks for that. I'll probably pick up a 960 in that case (assuming the graphics card is the problem). I'd rather stick with nvidia as I have the 3d vision thing and the projector is 3d.

Do you think the other components will cause a bottleneck? The CPU is 3.2ghz

 

[ISee]

Thanks for that. I'll probably pick up a 960 in that case (assuming the graphics card is the problem). I'd rather stick with nvidia as I have the 3d vision thing and the projector is 3d.

Do you think the other components will cause a bottleneck? The CPU is 3.2ghz

Your CPU (phenom ii x4 965?) will for sure bottleneck a 960, I have no doubt about that. This Phenom is about as fast as an Intel Core 2 Quad 9650 and is very outdated by today's standard (my old cpu was a Core 2 Quad 9650 btw).

That said, is it enough for 720p/60 fps? It may be okay, but upgrading isn't a bad idea. Even an i3 will give you much better performance.
8gb of RAM is still enough.

 

[bomblord1]

Lowering or increasing the resolution will not affect the FPS in a CPU bottleneck.

 

[Bradach]

Your CPU (phenom ii x4 965?) will for sure bottleneck a 960, I have no doubt about that. This Phenom is about as fast as an Intel Core 2 Quad 9650 and is very outdated by today's standard (my old cpu was a Core 2 Quad 9650 btw).

That said, is it enough for 720p/60 fps? It may be okay, but upgrading isn't a bad idea. Even an i3 will give you much better performance.
8gb of RAM is still enough.

Thanks, I'll look into a new CPU also.

 

[Dick Justice]

I'm aware that it's a matter of luck whether or not you get a GPU with coil whine. But are there any manufacturers in particular where this is less likely to be an issue? Browsing for a 970, and the Gigabyte G1 seems to be one of the best in terms of performance, but I'm seeing varying amount of reports of coil whine. Is Gigabyte on the better end of the spectrum in that regard?

Also, other than Amazon, are there any other parts-sellers in the UK known for good customer service in case of faulty hardware?

 

[hooijdonk17]

I'd recommend getting a new power supply.

Will do. I'm kind of confused between buying a cheap but OK 750W PSU (like the Aerocool VP-750W or a more reputable brand with a lower wattage like the Corsair CX600.. or maybe go even lower on wattage to 550 or so and get an even better brand?

 

[ISee]

I'm aware that it's a matter of luck whether or not you get a GPU with coil whine. But are there any manufacturers in particular where this is less likely to be an issue? Browsing for a 970, and the Gigabyte G1 seems to be one of the best in terms of performance, but I'm seeing varying amount of reports of coil whine. Is Gigabyte on the better end of the spectrum in that regard?

Also, other than Amazon, are there any other parts-sellers in the UK known for good customer service in case of faulty hardware?

Very sadly no.
My brother is using a Gigabyte G1 980 and so am I. My card has coil whine above 70+ fps, his doesn't. But in general, yes I'm very happy with the Gigabyte G1 series. It needs more power and it's huge. But performance wise and when it comes to temperatures it's just great. It also overclocks descently with 1480 core clock and 8000 mhz on memory (max, but I'm just on 1450/7560) but other people seem to be able to go even higher.

Lowering or increasing the resolution will not affect the FPS in a CPU bottleneck.

Let's say you have a 33ms time budget per frame (aka 30 fps). If your CPU already exceed this timeframe, then no amount of GPU power can help you (besides GPGPU maybe...).
= Most CPU bottleneck situations.

If your CPU is able to prepare/compute all needed data (physics, AI and whatever) in let's say 22ms than a decrease in resolution might help as a GPU might easily be able to render a 720p frame in 11ms but not a 1080p frame (it needs more time for that).

I'd call both scenarios CPU bottleneck situations, but maybe only the first one is by definition... so yeah maybe I'm wrong here. Or maybe I'm just completely wrong, but that's how I understand it.

 

[PolishQ]

Will the 980Ti see a price drop when the first Pascal cards release?