Support NeoGAF

[e90Mark]

That's a point actuallly, my main display is 144hz. Never used it much above 60, but a 980ti would have the grunt required if I did ......

Yeah, the 980ti would be able to do 120/144 maxed on a lot of games at 1080p. It struggles with newer games, like The Witcher 3 with hairworks off, to constantly be 120hz+. I usually got more like 70-90.

Personally, I returned my 980ti and got a 970 to use while waiting for Pascal.

 

[Gavin Robertson]

Yeah, the 980ti would be able to do 120/144 maxed on a lot of games at 1080p. It struggles with newer games, like The Witcher 3 with hairworks off, to constantly be 120hz+. I usually got more like 70-90.

Personally, I returned my 980ti and got a 970 to use while waiting for Pascal.

How's the 970 at >60? Worried that if I wait for Pascal, the wife will find something else to spend my bonus on!

 

[e90Mark]

How's the 970 at >60? Worried that if I wait for Pascal, the wife will find something else to spend my bonus on!

I play a lot of games that are a few years older, so it does pretty well holding 120hz. Dying Light maxed out wasn't a locked 120, but I think it did really well coming from the 980ti.

You can definitely buy the 980ti now and sell it once a replacement comes out. It would be an easier decision if we knew the release schedule, but we aren't that lucky lol.

 

[bomblord1]

Are there any non 6000 series CPU's that support DDR4 Ram?

 

[BasicMath]

Are there any non 6000 series CPU's that support DDR4 Ram?

The 5820k, 5930k and 5960X series.

 

[bomblord1]

The 5000 series.

The entire 5000 series?

 

[Jimrpg]

How's the 970 at >60? Worried that if I wait for Pascal, the wife will find something else to spend my bonus on!

Nah wait for pascal it's going to be great!

However my 970 is good too, it does a lot of new games at 1080/60. I play 1440/60 though I have to turn a few settings down to high or medium and not ultra. Looks great with that extra res.

 

[komplanen]

The entire 5000 series?

Anything on the X99 chipset.

 

[RGM79]

I know, I know you are fed up of which should I get questions but one last one.

I was originally going to get an R9 380 to replace a 7870XT but I've seen some second hand 780s for £190, is the 780 still a decent card?

It's alright, but driver support is already kind of waning, I hear. Kepler-based graphics cards aren't seeing as many improvements from the latest updates? Not sure. There's this, but I'd trust game benchmarks over synthetic testing results.

Do stores generally let you get your money back if you return an open item? My pc broke down a while ago and I'd like to see what the issue is. It could be my psu since the system fails to power up, but it could also be a bad mobo. I'd like to get a new psu to test it and see if that is the problem. But if the new psu doesn't do the trick I'd like to just return it.

You'd need to check each store's policy, I don't think all of them work with the same rules. I'm sure Newegg and NCIX charge (restocking?) fees of some kind for returning items that aren't defective. Otherwise, you could try selling the unwanted part on Craigslist, Ebay, or gaf's own B/S/T thread.

 

[NakedCosmonaut]

I built a desktop many years ago thanks to these very threads but obviously my HD 6800 is getting more than a little outdated. I've been running Fallout 4 on it, at 1600x900 and mostly Medium it works much better than I was expecting. I do have fairly severe lag/not uncommon CTDs* in denser parts of the map though, particularly the East Boston/Mass Fusion/Goodneighbor area. That said, if I can replace the 6800 with something maybe around the $200 range that would at least be a little halfway point between this and a new system down the line. I have no idea if my current system can support simply swapping out to a newer card, that's why I'm here.

SPECS: CPU Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge Quad-Core 3.3GHz/ RAM 12.0 GB DDR3/ GPU RADEON HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5/ PSU SeaSonic S12II 520/ CASE Cooler Master Elite 330 ATX Mid Tower
Also, Windows 10 Pro 64-bit if it matters.

*I realize this may still happen even with a new card, y'know, Betashed and all.

 

[RGM79]

I built a desktop many years ago thanks to these very threads but obviously my HD 6800 is getting more than a little outdated. I've been running Fallout 4 on it, at 1600x900 and mostly Medium it works much better than I was expecting. I do have fairly severe lag/not uncommon CTDs in denser parts of the map though, particularly the East Boston/Mass Fusion/Goodneighbor area. That said, if I can replace the 6800 with something maybe around the $200 range that would at least be a little halfway point between this and a new system down the line. I have no idea if my current system can support simply swapping out to a newer card, that's why I'm here.

SPECS: CPU Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge Quad-Core 3.3GHz/ RAM 12.0 GB DDR3/ GPU RADEON HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5/ PSU SeaSonic S12II 520/ CASE Cooler Master Elite 330 ATX Mid Tower

Yes, it will support the latest graphics card. The connectors for them haven't changed in the last 10 years. That said, are you overclocking your processor at the moment or not? Your 520 watt PSU and $200 budget is adequate for the 4GB versions of the GTX 960 or R9 380. I recommend either the Powercolor R9 380 PCS+ for $184 after $20 rebate or the EVGA GTX 960 SC for $200 after $20 rebate. The R9 380 is the slightly better deal I think, but if you have a preference for either AMD or Nvidia, that's fine as well.

 

[HundredEyeMonk]

Guys.

Guys.

Thank you so much for your help.

Everything arrived and I put together my machine last night.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($254.88 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($115.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($45.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($649.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($17.78 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1394.26
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-15 12:03 EST-0500


It is amazing. Coming from an older ASUS gaming laptop with a 770m.. I am in heaven.

I have a few questions:

1) XMP on the Z170 boards. I have been reading there are issues with booting when selecting the alternate memory profile. I am having that. I flashed the firmware of my board to F5 (F6e is in beta), and still no go. I'll go into XMP settings and change profile of the RAM to 3000mhz. But it wont boot. I have to revert to the 2166Mhz speed. Any thoughts??

2) OCing the CPU. The board has easy-mode OCing features. Are these typically safe to do? 20% improvement, 40%, etc etc. It shows the OC speed... I was going to start at 4.1Ghz and test in 3DMark, then see what happens. What is the typical speed people are OCing the i5-6600ks to?

3) Should I bother OCing the EVGA 980 Ti? The card is already OCed. Should I push it anymore? Run benchmarks in 3DMark, watch temps/artifacting, OC, test for stability, etc?

Thanks again guys. So pumped with my new machine. The case was super roomy and easy to work with. My only complaint is the motherboard only had 3 case fan powers. Is there a splitter or something I can buy and is that safe to do?

 

[ACE 1991]

70-73 are fine temperatures for a 2500K at full load, right? It gets to about those when I play the Witcher 3. I'm sure I could make the temperatures lower by messing with my fan curve, but I like the quiet.

 

[opticalmace]

70-73 are fine temperatures for a 2500K at full load, right? It gets to about those when I play the Witcher 3. I'm sure I could make the temperatures lower by messing with my fan curve, but I like the quiet.

100% fine.

 

[NakedCosmonaut]

Yes, it will support the latest graphics card. The connectors for them haven't changed in the last 10 years. That said, are you overclocking your processor at the moment or not? Your 520 watt PSU and $200 budget is adequate for the 4GB versions of the GTX 960 or R9 380. I recommend either the Powercolor R9 380 PCS+ for $184 after $20 rebate or the EVGA GTX 960 SC for $200 after $20 rebate. The R9 380 is the slightly better deal I think, but if you have a preference for either AMD or Nvidia, that's fine as well.

I have not overclocked, unless I've completely forgotten in the almost five years I've had it. The R9 380 was exactly the one I was looking at and I don't have a manufacturer preference, so that works for me.

 

[RGM79]

Guys.

Guys.

Thank you so much for your help.

Everything arrived and I put together my machine last night.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($254.88 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($115.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($45.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($649.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($17.78 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1394.26
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-15 12:03 EST-0500

It is amazing. Coming from an older ASUS gaming laptop with a 770m.. I am in heaven.

I have a few questions:

1) XMP on the Z170 boards. I have been reading there are issues with booting when selecting the alternate memory profile. I am having that. I flashed the firmware of my board to F5 (F6e is in beta), and still no go. I'll go into XMP settings and change profile of the RAM to 3000mhz. But it wont boot. I have to revert to the 2166Mhz speed. Any thoughts??

2) OCing the CPU. The board has easy-mode OCing features. Are these typically safe to do? 20% improvement, 40%, etc etc. It shows the OC speed... I was going to start at 4.1Ghz and test in 3DMark, then see what happens. What is the typical speed people are OCing the i5-6600ks to?

3) Should I bother OCing the EVGA 980 Ti? The card is already OCed. Should I push it anymore? Run benchmarks in 3DMark, watch temps/artifacting, OC, test for stability, etc?

Thanks again guys. So pumped with my new machine. The case was super roomy and easy to work with. My only complaint is the motherboard only had 3 case fan powers. Is there a splitter or something I can buy and is that safe to do?

1. Yeah, a lot of Z170 motherboards are having issues with that. I have the same motherboard and I was able to get it to boot with XMP, I think. I have G.Skil Ripjaws V 3000MHz RAM. Try a lower speed like 2800MHz and see if that works? Reading some of the Newegg user review experiences, one person noted that moving the RAM to different slots allowed them to work in XMP mode.

2. You can give them a try, I think Gigabyte just uses a table of set voltages and clock settings when you overclock that way. Otherwise if you don't mind reading some overclocking guides and some trial and error, you might be able to squeeze out a slightly better overclock with higher speed and/or lower voltage for less heat.

3. It's up to you. Yeah, that process sounds fine.

I have not overclocked, unless I've completely forgotten in the almost five years I've had it. The R9 380 was exactly the one I was looking at and I don't have a manufacturer preference, so that works for me.

Whoops, forgot the link for the EVGA graphics card in case you want to see for comparison's sake. I fixed my earlier post to add the link.

 

[NakedCosmonaut]

Whoops, forgot the link for the EVGA graphics card in case you want to see for comparison's sake. I fixed my earlier post to add the link.

No problem, thanks for the help.

 

[CraigerGamer]

Guys.

Guys.

Thank you so much for your help.

Everything arrived and I put together my machine last night.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($254.88 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($115.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($45.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($649.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($17.78 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1394.26
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-15 12:03 EST-0500


It is amazing. Coming from an older ASUS gaming laptop with a 770m.. I am in heaven.

I have a few questions:

1) XMP on the Z170 boards. I have been reading there are issues with booting when selecting the alternate memory profile. I am having that. I flashed the firmware of my board to F5 (F6e is in beta), and still no go. I'll go into XMP settings and change profile of the RAM to 3000mhz. But it wont boot. I have to revert to the 2166Mhz speed. Any thoughts??

2) OCing the CPU. The board has easy-mode OCing features. Are these typically safe to do? 20% improvement, 40%, etc etc. It shows the OC speed... I was going to start at 4.1Ghz and test in 3DMark, then see what happens. What is the typical speed people are OCing the i5-6600ks to?

3) Should I bother OCing the EVGA 980 Ti? The card is already OCed. Should I push it anymore? Run benchmarks in 3DMark, watch temps/artifacting, OC, test for stability, etc?

Thanks again guys. So pumped with my new machine. The case was super roomy and easy to work with. My only complaint is the motherboard only had 3 case fan powers. Is there a splitter or something I can buy and is that safe to do?

Is the CPU and motherboard on this rig equipped to handle VR? I'm sure the 980ti will be fine but its the other components I am not quite sure about.

 

[opticalmace]

Is the CPU and motherboard on this rig equipped to handle VR? I'm sure the 980ti will be fine but its the other components I am not quite sure about.

Yup, that's a fast CPU, especially when overclocked.

 

[RGM79]

Is the CPU and motherboard on this rig equipped to handle VR? I'm sure the 980ti will be fine but its the other components I am not quite sure about.

Yep, it has the ports needed.

 

[CraigerGamer]

Yup, that's a fast CPU, especially when overclocked.

Yep, it has the ports needed.

awesome. thx

 

[HundredEyeMonk]

Looking for a new monitor. Would like to upgrade from my Samsung 21.5" to a 27".

I play mostly flight sims and occasional RPG here and there.

144hz refresh vs IPS is what I am looking at in my budget range (~$200).

Is it a matter of just choosing between a higher framerate/snappier experience vs better coloring?

Since I haven't used either of those types of monitors, I am sure how much of a difference it is going to make. I don't play any competitive FPS games or racing gaming so I am not sure how much 144hz is going to help flying around. But I could see better coloring being a huge draw for me.

Just curious what you guys think: does 144hz or IPS make that big of a difference vs a standard 60hz LCD monitor?

 

[inner-G]

I'd personally get the 60hz IPS.

Like you I don't really play FPS but the better colors and viewing angle are a bonus in all types of games

Not to mention you need the beef to run the games well over 60fps to take advantage of the 144hz

27" is big though. Unless you sit really far away, you'll want a 1440p for something that big. 1080p gets blocky at that size when it's up in your face

 

[HundredEyeMonk]

I sit pretty far back from my monitor- about 3-4 feet or so. I sit back because of my flight sim controls. I dropped my 32" TV on the stand on my desk and it is just a tad too big. I thought 27" would be a pretty good compromise.

EDIT: Also, should I look at 1440p monitors then? I have the 980 Ti now. I assume I could handle that resolution for most games fine?

 

[DUFFMCWALIN]

Guys.

Guys.

Thank you so much for your help.

Everything arrived and I put together my machine last night.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($254.88 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($115.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($45.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($649.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($17.78 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1394.26
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-15 12:03 EST-0500


It is amazing. Coming from an older ASUS gaming laptop with a 770m.. I am in heaven.

I have a few questions:

1) XMP on the Z170 boards. I have been reading there are issues with booting when selecting the alternate memory profile. I am having that. I flashed the firmware of my board to F5 (F6e is in beta), and still no go. I'll go into XMP settings and change profile of the RAM to 3000mhz. But it wont boot. I have to revert to the 2166Mhz speed. Any thoughts??

2) OCing the CPU. The board has easy-mode OCing features. Are these typically safe to do? 20% improvement, 40%, etc etc. It shows the OC speed... I was going to start at 4.1Ghz and test in 3DMark, then see what happens. What is the typical speed people are OCing the i5-6600ks to?

3) Should I bother OCing the EVGA 980 Ti? The card is already OCed. Should I push it anymore? Run benchmarks in 3DMark, watch temps/artifacting, OC, test for stability, etc?

Thanks again guys. So pumped with my new machine. The case was super roomy and easy to work with. My only complaint is the motherboard only had 3 case fan powers. Is there a splitter or something I can buy and is that safe to do?

We have a pretty similar build except I'm running a 390 instead. Love it so far so I hope your enjoying it. I came from a 960m so the difference is pretty damn big.

 

[Nachtmaer]

I'd personally get the 60hz IPS.

Like you I don't really play FPS but the better colors and viewing angle are a bonus in all types of games

Not to mention you need the beef to run the games well over 60fps to take advantage of the 144hz

27" is big though. Unless you sit really far away, you'll want a 1440p for something that big. 1080p gets blocky at that size when it's up in your face

What about an M-VA or AH-VA panel? I haven't been keeping with monitor tech lately, so I'm just throwing that out as another option. One thing to note is that IPS glow is something to be aware of. I'm not sure how bad it can get, probably depends on the monitor. I notice it on my VC239, but it's not big of a deal as I just use it for browsing and other non-gaming stuff.

Maybe I missed your latest update, but did you end up figuring out the video problems with your build?

 

[UpDownLeftRight]

So I have a question for anyone well versed with audio hardware here. Sorry if this isn't the most ideal thread but it's related to upgrading some external parts of my setup. I feel dumb for not knowing this but hey I haven't been keeping up with audio stuff much in quite a while now. Basically I have an old Xonar D2X that I've been using for a while but due to a small addition to my setup I'm looking at changing the output. The SPDIF is an analogue if I'm correct? Well it will be plugged into another box soon and I have a choice of three inputs being Aux, Analogue and Optical. I was going to go optical until I realized that the old D2X doesn't have an optical output so I will be stuck with the SPDIF which again I'm taking as analogue.

So my question is do I just go in through analogue or would I be sacrificing quality? Or have I just got this whole thing completely mixed up and that old socket on the back of my D2X is actually a weird and dated looking format of optical? This sort of thing usually isn't a problem for but I'm completely lost without the parts here in front of me.

For reference here's the port giving me all the trouble.

I can't work out what sort of cable that requires and if I will be able to wire it into an optical or just analogue. Again I know I'm being really dumb here but I just wanna make sure I've got the gear ready when the new addition arrives and it's like my brain has magically dumped any audio knowledge when I finally could have used it again. Any help would be really appreciated.

 

[RGM79]

So I have a question for anyone well versed with audio hardware here. Sorry if this isn't the most ideal thread but it's related to upgrading some external parts of my setup. I feel dumb for not knowing this but hey I haven't been keeping up with audio stuff much in quite a while now. Basically I have an old Xonar D2X that I've been using for a while but due to a small addition to my setup I'm looking at changing the output. The SPDIF is an analogue if I'm correct? Well it will be plugged into another box soon and I have a choice of three inputs being Aux, Analogue and Optical. I was going to go optical until I realized that the old D2X doesn't have an optical output so I will be stuck with the SPDIF which again I'm taking as analogue.

So my question is do I just go in through analogue or would I be sacrificing quality? Or have I just got this whole thing completely mixed up and that old socket on the back of my D2X is actually a weird and dated looking format of optical? This sort of thing usually isn't a problem for but I'm completely lost without the parts here in front of me.

For reference here's the port giving me all the trouble.



I can't work out what sort of cable that requires and if I will be able to wire it into an optical or just analogue. Again I know I'm being really dumb here but I just wanna make sure I've got the gear ready when the new addition arrives and it's like my brain has magically dumped any audio knowledge when I finally could have used it again. Any help would be really appreciated.

S/PDIF is digital. That connector carries the same signal that optical TOSLINK does. What box are you plugging this all into?

 

[UpDownLeftRight]

S/PDIF is digital. That connector carries the same signal that optical TOSLINK does. What box are you plugging this all into?

I'ts going to be running into an DSS2 surround converter (or emulator should I say) for headphones I managed to grab on the cheap which should work with the X12's I've still got from way back on the 360. All very dated gear I know but at the cost was hard to complain versus buying an all new headset. Here's my input options.

I was wondering if maybe I'm going to need an abstract cable with different connectors at the male and female. By the way if this seems like a bit of an unusual way to go about surround it's literally just for the headphones as my main system is running surround directly off the cards outputs.

 

[RGM79]

I'ts going to be running into an DSS2 surround converter (or emulator should I say) for headphones I managed to grab on the cheap which should work with the X12's I've still got from way back on the 360. All very dated gear I know but at the cost was hard to complain versus buying an all new headset. Here's my input options.


I was wondering if maybe I'm going to need an abstract cable with different connectors at the male and female. By the way if this seems like a bit of an unusual way to go about surround it's literally just for the headphones as my main system is running surround directly off the cards outputs.

You won't be able to directly connect the S/PDIF connection on your sound card to the optical TOSLINK connection on the Turtle Beach DSS2. Although they carry the same signal, one uses electricity and the other uses light. There are adapters for this kind of thing, though.

Otherwise for a cheaper solution, you could run an AUX cable from your PC to the DSS2. Or if your motherboard has an optical TOSLINK connector, connect that to the DSS2.

 

[UpDownLeftRight]

You won't be able to directly connect the S/PDIF connection on your sound card to the optical TOSLINK connection on the Turtle Beach DSS2. Although they carry the same signal, one uses electricity and the other uses light. There are adapters for this kind of thing, though.

Otherwise for a cheaper solution, you could run an AUX cable from your PC to the DSS2. Or if your motherboard has an optical TOSLINK connector, connect that to the DSS2.

Ah thanks a bunch. I'll probably go with aux in the meantime but one of those converters would probably be the better long term solution. I'm tempted to try going off the mobo since it has a TOSLINK but I'd guess even an old sound card will outperform built in sound still.

 

[luoapp]

I'm tempted to try going off the mobo since it has a TOSLINK but I'd guess even an old sound card will outperform built in sound still.

Not necessarily true, if you use digital exclusively. Doesn't hurt just to try it out.

 

[kennah]

Ah thanks a bunch. I'll probably go with aux in the meantime but one of those converters would probably be the better long term solution. I'm tempted to try going off the mobo since it has a TOSLINK but I'd guess even an old sound card will outperform built in sound still.

It would be carrying the same signal...

 

[UpDownLeftRight]

Very true guys. I'll probably give it a shot when it shows up, guess I'm just used to when on board sound wasn't as up to scratch. It would actually be pretty handy if I could flip between the output hardware rather than keep swapping out cables.

 

[kennah]

Very true guys. I'll probably give it a shot when it shows up, guess I'm just used to when on board sound wasn't as up to scratch. It would actually be pretty handy if I could flip between the output hardware rather than keep swapping out cables.

Yeah it was a hard lesson for me to learn too. Onboard sound has come a very long way indeed.

 

[RGM79]

Very true guys. I'll probably give it a shot when it shows up, guess I'm just used to when on board sound wasn't as up to scratch. It would actually be pretty handy if I could flip between the output hardware rather than keep swapping out cables.

You can. Windows natively allows you to switch output devices, but some programs (mainly games) don't support switching, you just need to switch the output to the device you want before starting up the game. Media players, browsers, and other simpler programs usually don't have trouble. Some programs such as Skype or certain games allow you to choose which audio device to use by default.

Right click on the audio icon in the system tray, then select "playback devices". In the window that pops up, choose what you want and press "set default" to make Windows direct audio to that device.

Some people are annoyed by how many steps that takes. I use a program called AudioSwitch (scroll down) to make it a bit simpler. It also supports keyboard shortcuts.

 

[UpDownLeftRight]

You can. Windows natively allows you to switch output devices, but some programs (mainly games) don't support switching, you just need to switch the output to the device you want before starting up the game. Media players, browsers, and other simpler programs usually don't have trouble. Some programs such as Skype or certain games allow you to choose which audio device to use by default.

Right click on the audio icon in the system tray, then select "playback devices". In the window that pops up, choose what you want and press "set default" to make Windows direct audio to that device.

Some people are annoyed by how many steps that takes. I use a program called AudioSwitch (scroll down) to make it a bit simpler. It also supports keyboard shortcuts.

Yeah that's pretty much what I was thinking of trying. Just wasn't sure if it would allow me to swap between on board sound and the sound card. Then again I've had laptops that had the option of using integrated or dedicated graphics so I suppose there's little to prevent it from working.

 

[Zojirushi]

So what's our best guess at the moment regarding how the first batch of new GPUs will compare to the 980ti in terms of price and performance?

Something like a 1070 which will be weaker but cheaper and a 1080 which will be stronger but more expensive?

I mean the 980ti is already at least 650€ over here so how much more expensive can NVIDIA really go for a new card that is not labeled Titan I wonder.

 

[opticalmace]

So what's our best guess at the moment regarding how the first batch of new GPUs will compare to the 980ti in terms of price and performance?

Something like a 1070 which will be weaker but cheaper and a 1080 which will be stronger but more expensive?

I mean the 980ti is already at least 650€ over here so how much more expensive can NVIDIA really go for a new card that is not labeled Titan I wonder.

I expect the 1070/1080 to be maybe 20-30% faster than their 9xx counterparts. Which would make them still slower than a 980 Ti in general. Price, probably about the same as the 970 and 980 I suppose. Maybe a little bit more.

Just to be clear, this is solely speculation.

 

[JCV]

I'm hesitating on which case to get. I was aiming for the R5, but I heard the airflow wasn't that great. Can anyone confirm/deny this?

I plan on using it with a 6700k (probably won't overclock) and a 980.

Thanks

 

[ElectricKaibutsu]

I've finally saved up and will pick up my PC parts from Micro Center this weekend. The only problem is the Motherboard I was going to get is out of stock. I'm going for a $500-ish build. Can anyone recommend a decent mITX mobo that compares to this one?:

Gigabyte Z97 LGA 1150 mITX Intel

Built in wifi would be really nice.

 

[RGM79]

I've finally saved up and will pick up my PC parts from Micro Center this weekend. The only problem is the Motherboard I was going to get is out of stock. I'm going for a $500-ish build. Can anyone recommend a decent mITX mobo that compares to this one?:

Gigabyte Z97 LGA 1150 mITX Intel

Built in wifi would be really nice.

I don't know what model that is? Gigabyte has three different mITX sized Z97 motherboards. If you're looking for something in stock, wouldn't it be better to find out what the selection from your local Microcenter store is like?

What does your build look like, and what location are you going to? The Microcenter website shows stock if you select your local branch, I think.

I'm hesitating on which case to get. I was aiming for the R5, but I heard the airflow wasn't that great. Can anyone confirm/deny this?

I plan on using it with a 6700k (probably won't overclock) and a 980.

Thanks

You have very little to worry about if you won't be overclocking and are getting a GTX 980. Nearly every review of the Define R5 praises it highly, I don't think any review has complained about airflow. That said, the 6700K and GTX 980 are overpriced right now, are you sure you want them?

 

[JCV]

I don't know what model that is? Gigabyte has three different mITX sized Z97 motherboards. If you're looking for something in stock, wouldn't it be better to find out what the selection from your local Microcenter store is like?



You have very little to worry about if you won't be overclocking and are getting a GTX 980. Nearly every review of the Define R5 praises it highly, I don't think any review has complained about airflow. That said, the 6700K and GTX 980 are overpriced right now, are you sure you want them?

I already have the 980 actually (bought it from a friend). The 6700k IS overpriced, but I'd rather be futureproo to be quite honest.

Anyway, thanks for the info!

 

[Absoludacrous]

Ok, building my first computer in like a decade (had a gaming laptop for the last four or five years, but now it's very long in the tooth) and I'm turning to you guys for assistance.

I've done some basic research, and am trying to stay in the $1000 range. Only thing I really care about is that it'll play games well and be VR ready. This is what I've picked out so far:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: *Intel Core i5-6400 2.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: *Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: *ASRock H170M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Mushkin Reactor 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: *Seagate Surveillance HDD 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($82.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: *MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($339.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: *EVGA SuperNOVA P2 650W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($113.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1048.79
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-15 23:18 EST-0500

I'm open to any suggestions about replacements.

 

[Etria]

I was wondering if there are any significant differences between the Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3 and the ASUS Z170 Pro Gaming? I know nothing about motherboards so would like some advice. Cheers.

For reference, contemplating getting an i5 6600k and 970 to go along with it.

If anyone has any suggestions as to motherboards with similar pricing, I'm all ears.
pricespy.co.nz has a more comprehensive list of prices compared to pcpartpicker.

 

[Bing147]

Your Current Specs: N/A

Budget: I'm in the US and my budget is 1800 tops, the closer to 1500 I can get the better.

Main Use: Rate 1-5. 5 being Highest: Light Gaming (5), Gaming (5), Emulation (PS2/Wii) (5), Video Editing (3), Streaming games in HD (3), 3D/Model work (and what program) (1), General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback) (3)

Monitor Resolution: 1440p, this is my monitor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168240098494

List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: REALLY want to do PS2/Wii emulation so PCSX2 and Dolphin. I'd like to run most modern games pretty close to max.

Looking to reuse any parts?: No

When will you build?: Do you have a deadline? Sometime in the next month.

Will you be overclocking?: Maybe

Looking to build a great gaming PC, somewhat future proofed as possible. This will be my first build ever though I have a cousin who will be helping me who is experienced in this. Emulation is big as I am in the process of selling my older games at the moment.

Here's what I have, http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xMcVMp how does it seem? Anything not listed there I'll need? I'm open to things that will save me money without going down in quality.

 

[RGM79]

Ok, building my first computer in like a decade (had a gaming laptop for the last four or five years, but now it's very long in the tooth) and I'm turning to you guys for assistance.

I've done some basic research, and am trying to stay in the $1000 range. Only thing I really care about is that it'll play games well and be VR ready. This is what I've picked out so far:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: *Intel Core i5-6400 2.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: *Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: *ASRock H170M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Mushkin Reactor 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: *Seagate Surveillance HDD 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($82.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: *MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($339.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: *EVGA SuperNOVA P2 650W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($113.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1048.79
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-15 23:18 EST-0500

I'm open to any suggestions about replacements.

It's okay, but there are better selections to be made for price and performance. As you have chosen non-overclocking parts, you do not need the aftermarket CPU cooler unless you are worried about temperatures and noise. The i5 6400 is unlikely to overheat with the stock cooler. Mushkin Reactor seems to be mostly equal to the often recommend Crucial BX100, so I guess that looks fine. I don't agree with the Seagate 2TB 5400RPM drive though, there are better and cheaper options out there. That EVGA power supply is really high end and great quality, but you really don't need a platinum rated power supply. This is what I recommend:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI B150M MORTAR Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($69.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.01 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($308.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($40.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $921.42
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-15 23:38 EST-0500

It costs over $100 less while having about the same performance.

 

[Absoludacrous]

It's okay, but there are better selections to be made for price and performance. As you have chosen non-overclocking parts, you do not need the aftermarket CPU cooler unless you are worried about temperatures and noise. The i5 6400 is unlikely to overheat with the stock cooler. Mushkin Reactor seems to be mostly equal to the often recommend Crucial BX100, so I guess that looks fine. I don't agree with the Seagate 2TB 5400RPM drive though, there are better and cheaper options out there. That EVGA power supply is really high end and great quality, but you really don't need a platinum rated power supply. This is what I recommend:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI B150M MORTAR Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($69.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.01 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($308.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($40.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $921.42
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-15 23:38 EST-0500

It costs over $100 less while having about the same performance.

Awesome, just the kind of advice I was looking for. Thank you

 

[ElectricKaibutsu]

I don't know what model that is? Gigabyte has three different mITX sized Z97 motherboards. If you're looking for something in stock, wouldn't it be better to find out what the selection from your local Microcenter store is like?

What does your build look like, and what location are you going to? The Microcenter website shows stock if you select your local branch, I think.

Sorry for being vague. I'm actually going off an earlier recommendation of yours:

Going with mITX form factor will raise prices a bit due to the more expensive motherboard. Still, it's not too much more.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($224.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($100.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($39.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($43.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $519.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-08 23:58 EST-0500

It's the Philadelphia/St. David's Microcenter.

 

[RGM79]

I was wondering if there are any significant differences between the Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3 and the ASUS Z170 Pro Gaming? I know nothing about motherboards so would like some advice. Cheers.

For reference, contemplating getting an i5 6600k and 970 to go along with it.

If anyone has any suggestions as to motherboards with similar pricing, I'm all ears.
pricespy.co.nz has a more comprehensive list of prices compared to pcpartpicker.

The Asus motherboard has:

• a higher end audio chipset (ALC1150 VS ALC887, the former is newer and modified to include an amplifier)
• support for displayport output (not a big deal if you're using the GTX 970 instead of integrated graphics)
• better LAN chipset (Intel I219V vs Realtek, Intel is thought to be more reliable)
• supports SLI and crossfire while the Gigabyte model only supports crossfire (crossfire is 2 or more AMD graphics cards running together, SLI is the Nvidia version, this feature probably doesn't matter to you)
• support for USB 3.1 and USB type C that the Gigabyte model doesn't have

Otherwise I assume the Asus motherboard is somewhat better suited for overclocking as it has larger heatsinks on the parts around the CPU socket and I assume a larger VRM power phase count, but that last detail is something that motherboard manufacturers don't always reveal and is subject to some marketing gimmicks. The Asus motherboard is positioned as a midrange model while that Gigabyte model is more of a lower-middle range motherboard.

In either case, I don't think I would recommend either motherboard, they have poor average user review scores (at least at North American retailer websites). My go-to Z170 motherboard recommendation is the Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ($268 NZD), it's a midrange model similar to the Asus model and costs a bit less but seems to have far more positive reviews.

Your Current Specs: N/A

Budget: I'm in the US and my budget is 1800 tops, the closer to 1500 I can get the better.

Main Use: Rate 1-5. 5 being Highest: Light Gaming (5), Gaming (5), Emulation (PS2/Wii) (5), Video Editing (3), Streaming games in HD (3), 3D/Model work (and what program) (1), General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback) (3)

Monitor Resolution: 1440p, this is my monitor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168240098494

List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: REALLY want to do PS2/Wii emulation so PCSX2 and Dolphin. I'd like to run most modern games pretty close to max.

Looking to reuse any parts?: No

When will you build?: Do you have a deadline? Sometime in the next month.

Will you be overclocking?: Maybe

Looking to build a great gaming PC, somewhat future proofed as possible. This will be my first build ever though I have a cousin who will be helping me who is experienced in this. Emulation is big as I am in the process of selling my older games at the moment.

Here's what I have, http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xMcVMp how does it seem? Anything not listed there I'll need? I'm open to things that will save me money without going down in quality.

Here's my take on your parts list. I don't recommend the Corsair Spec case as they may not exactly fit the Hyper 212 Evo CPU cooler.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($314.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E/USB3.1 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($117.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($71.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($65.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card ($629.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1420.56
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-16 00:21 EST-0500

I'll list the changes:

• cheaper but still good Asus motherboard that includes USB 3.1 (that the MSI motherboard lacks)
• faster RAM which apparently can make a difference in a few select situations
• an Asus graphics card which is a potentially better GTX 980 Ti than the MSI model you were looking at when overclocked
• slightly cheaper Corsair case which is basic but fits all of your parts and should be roomier and easy to build in (feel free to change this to something else if you don't like the looks)
• and lastly an alternative EVGA GQ series power supply that is much lighter on the wallet but still very high quality even when compared to the awesome G2 750 watt model