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[RGM79]

So I'm looking to build my first PC soon since my current PC is almost 10 years old and seems to be on its way out.
My budget would be around $1000. It would mostly be for playing games and just some general internet use and video streaming. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks in advance.

Here's a Skylake-based parts list.

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: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($46.97 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($87.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($319.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($41.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($61.50 @ Newegg)
Total: $1003.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-19 01:58 EST-0500

Do you need Windows OS? We can rework the build to include that for a $1000 budget.

What's the difference between all of the different versions of the GTX 970? Are there clearly superior ones or is the standard EVGA one fine?

Different models and brands of GTX 970 will have different characteristics such as size, cooling capability, noise, and warranty coverage. I just recommend whatever non-reference model is decently priced at the time, which is usually Asus Strix, Zotac basic twin fan, or EVGA SC/SSC. Sometimes jet.com has them for a decent price if a 20% off coupon is available.

Wow, I honestly didn't think I was going to get a response (I was worried my question might have been too broad). Thanks so much for those links. This info helps me out a lot.

If you don't mind, if I was to go with a different RAM, what RAM do you think would be best to go with, and what would you change about the above setup?

If you didn't already buy DDR3 RAM, then for $1500 you could go with Skylake or Haswell-E parts which require DDR4 RAM. Here's an example Haswell-E build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($374.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI X99A SLI PLUS ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($224.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Mushkin Redline 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($159.75 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($319.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $0.00)
Power Supply: EVGA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($61.50 @ Newegg)
Total: $1351.17
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-19 02:06 EST-0500

And for a Skylake build, the parts list above your quote should do just fine, perhaps with some more tweaking. If you wanted, you could opt for a GTX 980 Ti and 16GB of RAM for that Skylake parts list in your budget.

Man, after a bunk Asus Z170-A returned I got the new one today. Installed my stuff and new CPU with a 212 Evo.

Figured might as well upgrade to Win10 while I'm at it for the free go (now it will really feel new!)

Is the overclocking tools on these boards pretty good? Thinking of pushing a bit since Rift may need it.

Manual overclocking is recommended where possible. Read up on a guide like this one and learn more about how your PC works. With manual settings there's trial and error to deal with, but you could potentially find more stable settings and maybe at a lower voltage for lower temperatures.

What sort of connector do I need to get my front case fan to work? I was able to plug in the back fan of my case and get that running but I would certainly like the front fan to be working. Anyone got any cheap connector recommendations? Its a 4pin female connector

Just plug it into your motherboard. A 4 pin connector will fit in a 3 pin header and vice versa. See the picture.

I need to bring a bare hard drive and graphics card with me back to college; I travel with only a single backpack, so it's essential that everything takes up as little space as possible. Will wrapping the hardware up in (seperate) pairs of soft corduroys be sufficient?

Edit: Should probably mention that neither is particularly valuable. Hard drive is an old 500gb 5200rpm thing, and graphics card is an half-size radeon that I want for compatibility with a single old game. I'll be quite annoyed if they break, but it won't be the end of the world.

You want to carry the hard drive and graphics card in something that won't conduct static electricity. Not sure if corduroy is particularly prone to that. In lieu of a proper anti-static bag, a paper bag will do. Then you can wrap it in clothes.

 

[hooijdonk17]

After a night of burn in, these are the temperatures I'm getting with my Cooler Master T4. They seem kind of high compared to what many people get with the 212 Evo, but I guess that's expected? Just want to make sure I seated it right and am not suffering from poor contact or anything..

Case: Zalman Z3-Plus
CPU: AMD FX-6100
Board: ASUS M5A97 R2.0
Thermal Compound: Xigmatek PTI-G3606
Clockspeed: 4.2Ghz (200Mhzx22.0)
Vcore: 1,3250 (CPU Load Line Calibration enabled, hits 1,3625 at load)
Temperature: 20C idle, 67C after 20 minutes of Prime 95

It's only been a couple of hours so these could possibly go down a couple Cs lower I guess.. but does this look normal?

 

[RGM79]

After a night of burn in, these are the temperatures I'm getting with my Cooler Master T4. They seem kind of high compared to what many people get with the 212 Evo, but I guess that's expected? Just want to make sure I seated it right and am not suffering from poor contact or anything..

Case: Zalman Z3-Plus
CPU: AMD FX-6100
Board: ASUS M5A97 R2.0
Thermal Compound: Xigmatek PTI-G3606
Clockspeed: 4.2Ghz (200Mhzx22.0)
Vcore: 1,3250 (CPU Load Line Calibration enabled, hits 1,3625 at load)
Temperature: 20C idle, 67C after 20 minutes of Prime 95

It's only been a couple of hours so these could possibly go down a couple Cs lower I guess.. but does this look normal?

The T4 isn't quite as good as the 212 Evo, so it's nothing out of the ordinary. I don't think 67 degrees is that bad, considering that most games shouldn't stress the CPU as hard.

 

[knitoe]

After a night of burn in, these are the temperatures I'm getting with my Cooler Master T4. They seem kind of high compared to what many people get with the 212 Evo, but I guess that's expected? Just want to make sure I seated it right and am not suffering from poor contact or anything..

Case: Zalman Z3-Plus
CPU: AMD FX-6100
Board: ASUS M5A97 R2.0
Thermal Compound: Xigmatek PTI-G3606
Clockspeed: 4.2Ghz (200Mhzx22.0)
Vcore: 1,3250 (CPU Load Line Calibration enabled, hits 1,3625 at load)
Temperature: 20C idle, 67C after 20 minutes of Prime 95

It's only been a couple of hours so these could possibly go down a couple Cs lower I guess.. but does this look normal?

Since your idle temps are great, it would mean you put the cooler on correctly. It's just the T4 is not really good compare to the 212.

http://www.dvtests.com/cooler-master-hyper-t4-test-and-review/

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 620 at standard frequency of 2612 MHz and overclocked at 3640 MHz (at 1.47V) per core for the tests.

Cooler Master Hyper T4 – It’s the latest budget cooler offered from Cooler Master with price lower than the Cooler Master Hyper Hyper 212 Evo and as we all saw with lower performance. Well what can I say. As we all saw from the tests the cooler behaves very well compared to 212 EVO when cooling a processor working at default frequency at idle or stressed. Yes, it can handle an overclocked processor too but only at idle, unfortunately it can’t handle overclocked processor when it is working at full load. And that is completely acceptable when we talk about a lower price. After all, everybody who wants to do something more by overclocking and doing tests can find bigger coolers with better performance. This one won’t help for sure with overclocking results, but will help for normal and daily usage.

 

[LilJoka]

After a night of burn in, these are the temperatures I'm getting with my Cooler Master T4. They seem kind of high compared to what many people get with the 212 Evo, but I guess that's expected? Just want to make sure I seated it right and am not suffering from poor contact or anything..

Case: Zalman Z3-Plus
CPU: AMD FX-6100
Board: ASUS M5A97 R2.0
Thermal Compound: Xigmatek PTI-G3606
Clockspeed: 4.2Ghz (200Mhzx22.0)
Vcore: 1,3250 (CPU Load Line Calibration enabled, hits 1,3625 at load)
Temperature: 20C idle, 67C after 20 minutes of Prime 95

It's only been a couple of hours so these could possibly go down a couple Cs lower I guess.. but does this look normal?

That's the minimum vcore for stability?
These chips throttle at 71c so you are pretty close to what it deems as dangerous.

 

[manfestival]

Yeah already plugged one into the mobo. I have 2 fans in there and thats really just it but it looks like I need a connector... time to buy one then I suppose

 

[hooijdonk17]

The T4 isn't quite as good as the 212 Evo, so it's nothing out of the ordinary. I don't think 67 degrees is that bad, considering that most games shouldn't stress the CPU as hard.

Yes, during gaming it doesn't hit the 60s at all.

Since your idle temps are great, it would mean you put the cooler on correctly. It's just the T4 is not really good compare to the 212.

http://www.dvtests.com/cooler-master-hyper-t4-test-and-review/

Hmm, I was under the impression that the gap would have been much less, these two coolers look really alike and weigh similarly, I'm really kind of shocked to see how much a performance gap there is at high TDP.. But that kind of explains my experience, and the price gap. Thanks!

That's the minimum vcore for stability?
These chips throttle at 71c so you are pretty close to what it deems as dangerous.

Yeah, if I try 4.2GHz@1,3125 I start to get worker errors in Prime95. 4.1GHz@1.3125 is fine though, and slightly cooler (runs at 65C max after 20 minutes of P95). I probably won't miss that 100Mhz too much, so I'll do that tonight. Actually, I haven't tested it below 1.3125 but I kind of think it could even work at 1.30v at 4.1Ghz, I'll just keep undervolting until I get errors tonight, should get my temperatures to lower 60s at torture tests, and be comfortably quiet at normal use and gaming

Thanks a lot guys. This thread is really better than all tech forums on the internet.

 

[Tetraeon]

How many case fans would you guys recommend for any build? Ideal placement for optimum airflow? Provided you have a side mount should it be used as an intake or exhaust?

 

[hooijdonk17]

How many case fans would you guys recommend for any build? Ideal placement for optimum airflow? Provided you have a side mount should it be used as an intake or exhaust?

Two minimum, one intake one exhaust. Add more exhaust fans if you will overclock on air. Use front and side for intake, rear and top for exhaust.

 

[ParalIax2]

Hello GAF,

Just looking for some insight as to what I should consider upgrading in the next month or two, if anything. Mainly trying to prep for VR, so probably a new GPU? I built my current PC in 2011 and have made a few upgrades since. I would like to reuse as much as possible.

Your Current Specs:
i5 2500k @ 4.2 OC
Corsair H100i Closed Loop Cooler
16 GB RAM G.Skill /
ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68
PNY GTX 770 4GB
NZXT 550 Watt PSU
Cooler Master Storm Scout
60GB SSD for OS and 750 HDD for storage
Budget: $300-$400
Main Use: New games, VR, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro etc.
Monitor Resolution: Looking for 1080p @ 60 FPS

Sorry if this is echoing a previous post. I am just curious what you guys think as far as what can wait and what could use an upgrade. Thanks.

 

[QuantumSquid]

Hello GAF,

Just looking for some insight as to what I should consider upgrading in the next month or two, if anything. Mainly trying to prep for VR, so probably a new GPU? I built my current PC in 2011 and have made a few upgrades since. I would like to reuse as much as possible.

Your Current Specs:
i5 2500k @ 4.2 OC
Corsair H100i Closed Loop Cooler
16 GB RAM G.Skill /
ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68
PNY GTX 770 4GB
NZXT 550 Watt PSU
Cooler Master Storm Scout
60GB SSD for OS and 750 HDD for storage
Budget: $300-$400
Main Use: New games, VR, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro etc.
Monitor Resolution: Looking for 1080p @ 60 FPS

Sorry if this is echoing a previous post. I am just curious what you guys think as far as what can wait and what could use an upgrade. Thanks.

You'd probably want to upgrade your GPU to a 970 or 980Ti if you're trying to prepare for VR.

 

[M.D]

So this is weird but it happened twice now

I had my GPU overclocked when I installed Windows 10 and noticed it was back to stock settings a week or two ago. I didn't really bother thinking what might caused it so I just overclocked again, but now the OC is gone again.

What's going on guys? ;s

 

[Novum_Veritas]

So this is weird but it happened twice now

I had my GPU overclocked when I installed Windows 10 and noticed it was back to stock settings a week or two ago. I didn't really bother thinking what might caused it so I just overclocked again, but now the OC is gone again.

What's going on guys? ;s

Seems the OC is saved with the OC tool you're using.
Do you use Afterburner?

 

[Hayabusi]

Got my new GPU and I am very, very happy with it (5770 -> 960 4GB).

Now I am thinking of buying a new case. There is nothing wrong with my old one, just the urge to get something new under the table without buying all components new.

What do you guys do with your old ones? Is there are market for used ones?

It's a Lian Li PC-8FI in silver:
http://www.lian-li.com/en/dt_portfolio/pc-8fi/

 

[M.D]

Seems the OC is saved with the OC tool you're using.
Do you use Afterburner?

I use EVGA Precision X for the OC but used Afterburner to monitor temperatures a couple of times recently, although I remember the settings appearing there as well after I set them in EVGA

 

[Novum_Veritas]

I use EVGA Precision X for the OC but used Afterburner to monitor temperatures a couple of times recently, although I remember the settings appearing there as well after I set them in EVGA

Weird that the EVGA tool doesn't save the configurations, you did something different than normal?

 

[M.D]

Weird that the EVGA tool doesn't save the configurations, you did something different than normal?

Nope, just saved the settings and everything seemed to be working fine

I had the exact same setting in Windows 8 with EVGA and it never happened

 

[Novum_Veritas]

Nope, just saved the settings and everything seemed to be working fine

I had the exact same setting in Windows 8 with EVGA and it never happened

Weird, you tried to execute as an administrator?

 

[M.D]

Weird, you tried to execute as an administrator?

I haven't but I'll try to now.
Can resetting and applying settings for the card frequently like this cause any harm?

 

[Novum_Veritas]

I haven't but I'll try to now.
Can resetting and applying settings for the card frequently like this cause any harm?

Not entirely sure on that, but I can imagine it does especially it clocks up and down all the time then. But I cannot say for sure.

 

[Dave_6]

You don't really need to do push / pull. I just use push and getting mid 70Cs with Prime running 5930K @ 4.5Ghz. While gaming, it's usually in the 50Cs.

Great looking rig! That is one case I'd give up my Fractal R4 for. Which mobo is that?

 

[Novum_Veritas]

Great looking rig! That is one case I'd give up my Fractal R4 for. Which mobo is that?

Looks like a ASUS X99 mobo.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

I haven't but I'll try to now.
Can resetting and applying settings for the card frequently like this cause any harm?

Not entirely sure on that, but I can imagine it does especially it clocks up and down all the time then. But I cannot say for sure.

It won't have any harm. The card itself clocks up and down all the time, between on load and idle.

It sounds like the installation of EVGA Precision X is borked somehow, Have you tried cleanly uninstalling the program and reinstalling? Use something like Revo Uninstaller, advance mode to clean everything.

Great looking rig! That is one case I'd give up my Fractal R4 for. Which mobo is that?

Asus x99 Deluxe to be exact.

 

[Novum_Veritas]

It won't have any harm. The card itself clocks up and down all the time, between on load and idle.

It sounds like the installation of EVGA Precision X is borked somehow, Have you tried cleanly uninstalling the program and reinstalling? Use something like Revo Uninstaller, advance mode to clean everything.

Oh yeah I forgot about that, GPU clocks up and down, while heavy or light loading.

 

[M.D]

It won't have any harm. The card itself clocks up and down all the time, between on load and idle.

It sounds like the installation of EVGA Precision X is borked somehow, Have you tried cleanly uninstalling the program and reinstalling? Use something like Revo Uninstaller, advance mode to clean everything.



Asus x99 Deluxe to be exact.

Oh yeah I forgot about that, GPU clocks up and down, while heavy or light loading.

Oh, right ;p

I have not tried it but I will.
Maybe I should just use Afterburner for the OC instead tho? I remember people recommending the EVGA program but I'm not sure why, is it really that much better than Afterburner for OC?

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

Oh, right ;p

I have not tried it but I will.
Maybe I should just use Afterburner for the OC instead tho? I remember people recommending the EVGA program but I'm not sure why, is it really that much better than Afterburner for OC?

No. If anything, Afterburner is considered better.

 

[Jimrpg]

Why do you hate ypur clerks? Or in other thoughts: Do they really need more sace than 64-128 GB? Considering that the smallest HDDs don't cost less than that either I personally would feel iffy about doing a HDD based build.

I had to beat the price of another computer shop here, and they only put in regular hard disks, so I just did the same. I wanted to buy the parts so I could build the computers myself. Its fun to put it together.

But then I realised the same thing you did this afternoon and I tried to contact the shop to swap to 120gb SSDs but didn't get a reply until now and they've already shipped all the parts.... I'm a bit annoyed at myself because it was only $5 extra.

To be honest they would have no idea on the difference between a hard disk and an SSD. One of the clerks here is using the oldest machine ever (like it could literally be 8-10 years old with 512mb Ram or something) and there's literally a long pause between every click.

I wonder if I should ship them back, could take an extra week.

Cheers.

So it looks like I'll need to get bigger monitors then. That's a pain but I should be able to re-arrange a few things.

Any ideas for bigger monitors to pair with a GTX 970. I don't know much about 1080 or 1440 so looking for advice there too

Well if you want a basic monitor you should try and find a 21.5" LCD preferably IPS with HDMI connection so you can plug one into DVI port and one into the HDMI port. I think that would work perfectly fine. Obviously the bigger you go the more expensive its going to cost. I don't know enough brands to give a recommendation, though I have two Acer monitors and I like them.

In terms of 1080 vs 1440 it really depends on the games you play whether you go with a 1080p or 1440p. Do you favour resolution or framerate? I recommend you check out the Anandtech review Link and check out the benchmarks.

Most of the 1440p monitors I've seen are 27" and above. 24" and under most are 1080p.

A 21-24" 1080p/60hz IPS monitor would be the cheapest option, but would still be a very good option. You just have to find one with HDMI or DisplayPort.

A mid tier option would be a 24" 1080p/144hz TN panel with G-Sync at around AU$500. There's a few brands at this price including Acer, AOC and BENQ. The G-sync module adds on another $150-200 so decide if you need it. Check the G-sync thread. A lot of gaffers love it.

A 27" 1440p panel would be the most expensive option. At this price range of around AU$700-1000 you could get almost anything from ultra wide monitors, to curved and 4k monitors.

 

[Hands of Stone]

I've finally ordered a new PSU (EVGA 650 GQ 80+ GOLD, 650W ECO Mode Semi Modular), arrives tomorrow.

 

[DUFFMCWALIN]

So this is weird but it happened twice now

I had my GPU overclocked when I installed Windows 10 and noticed it was back to stock settings a week or two ago. I didn't really bother thinking what might caused it so I just overclocked again, but now the OC is gone again.

What's going on guys? ;s

I had the same thing happen with the Crimson app yesterday. I'm gonna check it again when I get home.

 

[BIGWORM]

Guys and gals, I need a suggestion for a motherboard that'll work good with my Haswell 4670k and 16gb. My current motherboard, a GB GA-Z87-DS3H has been really picky since day one. It won't take 8x2 modules, and it won't let me oc past 4.3. I've been conflicted with what motherboard to get next. I was going to upgrade to a 6600k Skylake build, but I've looked at comparisons and it's not worth the money to out into a base build for Skylake. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I'm looking to spend no more than $150. Thanks.

 

[Xion_Stellar]

So in February I'm getting my tax return and I would be interested in building a gaming PC. I don't know what my budget will be but I imagine it to be over $900 so the question is would you guys recommend pulling the trigger on a new PC or should I wait and see what the new Pascal GPUs are going to look like and keep saving my money until than?

 

[bomblord1]

Is the difference between an i5-6600 and a 6600k worth the price difference (about $35) if I don't intend to overclock?

Same question for the i7 6700 and k (about $85) I know there's a slight clock difference out of the box.

 

[RGM79]

Guys and gals, I need a suggestion for a motherboard that'll work good with my Haswell 4670k and 16gb. My current motherboard, a GB GA-Z87-DS3H has been really picky since day one. It won't take 8x2 modules, and it won't let me oc past 4.3. I've been conflicted with what motherboard to get next. I was going to upgrade to a 6600k Skylake build, but I've looked at comparisons and it's not worth the money to out into a base build for Skylake. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I'm looking to spend no more than $150. Thanks.

Have you tried BIOS updates for your motherboard? That can help with RAM compatibility. Overclocking might be another issue, however. What CPU cooler do you have, and while we're at it, what are the rest of your PC's specs?

The cheapest model I'd recommend is the MSI Z97 PC Mate ($88 after $10 rebate). It's sort of low end, but has a large number of positive reviews and apparently handles moderate overclocking. At the middle range would be the Asus Z97-E/USB3.1 ($118) On the higher end of your budget, there's the MSI Z97A GAMING 6 ($145).

So in February I'm getting my tax return and I would be interested in building a gaming PC. I don't know what my budget will be but I imagine it to be over $900 so the question is would you guys recommend pulling the trigger on a new PC or should I wait and see what the new Pascal GPUs are going to look like and keep saving my money until than?

What are your current PC specs? Maybe hold off, but you could build now and use your existing graphics card until Pascal launches.

Is the difference between an i5-6600 and a 6600k worth the price difference (about $35) if I don't intend to overclock?

Same question for the i7 6700 and k (about $85) I know there's a slight clock difference out of the box.

At stock performance levels, there's not a huge difference between the two. Same thing goes for the i7 6700K and i7 6700 in comparison. The main advantage of a K model processor is their ability to overclock, so if that's not going to be taken advantage of, there's not much point in getting a K model processor.

 

[bomblord1]

At stock performance levels, there's not a huge difference between the two. Same thing goes for the i7 6700K and i7 6700 in comparison. The main advantage of a K model processor is their ability to overclock, so if that's not going to be taken advantage of, there's not much point in getting a K model processor.

Cool that should save me some money thanks.

 

[g.r.e.]

Is it worth it to buy a 970 now, or should I wait for the new cards? My 560ti has died and I need a new card to replace it. ;-;

 

[opticalmace]

Is it worth it to buy a 970 now, or should I wait for the new cards? My 560ti has died and I need a new card to replace it. ;-;

New cards are probably 5-6 months out imho. If you need a new card now then you don't really have a choice. The 970 and 390 are both pretty good.

 

[Xion_Stellar]

What are your current PC specs? Maybe hold off, but you could build now and use your existing graphics card until Pascal launches

PC wise my current specs is a bunch of air and lint cobble together with dust (it doesn't exist) but Laptop wise I have an Asus Laptop with an Nvidia GT 745M. Would the Pascal GPU require any new specialized slot/motherboard/ hardware to run? Because if I can run a Pascal GPU off a current market Motherboard than I can build a PC when my Tax Return comes in and upgrade to a Pascal GPU later if I feel like it by than.

 

[opticalmace]

PC wise my current specs is a bunch of air and lint cobble together with dust (it doesn't exist) but Laptop wise I have an Asus Laptop with an Nvidia GT 745M. Would the Pascal GPU require any new specialized slot/motherboard/ hardware to run? Because if I can run a Pascal GPU off a current market Motherboard than I can build a PC when my Tax Return comes in and upgrade to a Pascal GPU later if I feel like it by than.

Yup, Pascal will run on any modern motherboard. It uses PCI-E like pretty much every other graphics card nowadays.

 

[RGM79]

PC wise my current specs is a bunch of air and lint cobble together with dust (it doesn't exist) but Laptop wise I have an Asus Laptop with an Nvidia GT 745M. Would the Pascal GPU require any new specialized slot/motherboard/ hardware to run? Because if I can run a Pascal GPU off a current market Motherboard than I can build a PC when my Tax Return comes in and upgrade to a Pascal GPU later if I feel like it by than.

Pascal will be compatible, it won't be requiring a brand new slot or motherboard design.

 

[Brandon F]

So what PC game is recommended to really test out my new build?

Sadly my Steam library is mostly filled with indies and last-gen 360 ports that don't really demand much.

What is a Crysis equivalent in 2016 to see how well my PC can perform?

 

[RGM79]

So what PC game is recommended to really test out my new build?

Sadly my Steam library is mostly filled with indies and last-gen 360 ports that don't really demand much.

What is a Crysis equivalent in 2016 to see how well my PC can perform?

Just look up recent graphics card benchmarks and see what games they test with. Common games would be The Witcher 3, Grand Theft Auto V, Battlefield 4, Metro Last Light, Tomb Raider, etc.

 

[Xion_Stellar]

Yup, Pascal will run on any modern motherboard. It uses PCI-E like pretty much every other graphics card nowadays.

Pascal will be compatible, it won't be requiring a brand new slot or motherboard design.

Thanks for the replies.

Just thought I asked just in case because we have been using PCIe since what 2001-2002? And the new GPUs got me thinking how much longer that form factor is going to hold.

 

[CraigerGamer]

Found an HP Deal (thanks for the slick deals tip)
Price: $1400.39
HP ENVY 750se Desktop PC
CPU: 6th Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700K processor quad-core [4.0GHz]
RAM: 16GB DDR4-2133 DIMM (2x8GB) RAM
Video: 6GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 980Ti [DL DVI-I, HDMI, DP, DP, DP]
SSD: 256GB SATA 2.5 TLC Solid State Drive
HHD: 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6G 3.5 2nd HDD
OS: Windows 10 Home 64-bit OS
Power Supply: 500W Power supply
7-in-1 Media Card Reader, 4 USB Ports (Top), Audio [Top 2USB2.0, 2USB3.0]
HP Wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 1x1 with Bluetooth M.2 NIC (Stone Peak 1)
HP USB volume control Keyboard and USB Optical Mouse
Integrated Sound
SuperMulti DVD Burner

I have tried building a similar machine with a 6700k and 980ti and the price doesn't even compare...which is great. My concern though is the 500w Power Supply. If I plan to OC, I may need more POWWUUUH. From what I have read the HP design is very cramped and hard to replace parts. Is 500w enough to keep this thing going and not something to worry too much about?

 

[RGM79]

Found an HP Deal (thanks for the slick deals tip)
Price: $1400.39
HP ENVY 750se Desktop PC
CPU: 6th Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700K processor quad-core [4.0GHz]
RAM: 16GB DDR4-2133 DIMM (2x8GB) RAM
Video: 6GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 980Ti [DL DVI-I, HDMI, DP, DP, DP]
SSD: 256GB SATA 2.5 TLC Solid State Drive
HHD: 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6G 3.5 2nd HDD
OS: Windows 10 Home 64-bit OS
Power Supply: 500W Power supply
7-in-1 Media Card Reader, 4 USB Ports (Top), Audio [Top 2USB2.0, 2USB3.0]
HP Wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 1x1 with Bluetooth M.2 NIC (Stone Peak 1)
HP USB volume control Keyboard and USB Optical Mouse
Integrated Sound
SuperMulti DVD Burner

I have tried building a similar machine with a 6700k and 980ti and the price doesn't even compare...which is great. My concern though is the 500w Power Supply. If I plan to OC, I may need more POWWUUUH. From what I have read the HP design is very cramped and hard to replace parts. Is 500w enough to keep this thing going and not something to worry too much about?

I'd recommend a 650 watt PSU or better. Chances are the PSU and motherboard in there are very basic and not suitable for overclocking. I highly doubt the HP motherboard even has overclocking options.

Also, I'm not sure where you're looking but I was able to put together a parts list with a GTX 980 Ti and i7 6700K for not a bad price. It does cost about $120 more, but you're getting much better parts that you can overclock with, it's not as cramped, and should have better airflow and be more quiet.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($412.98 @ Amazon)
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: Patriot Viper 4 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($87.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card ($602.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($41.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX Core Edition 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($87.95 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1519.55
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-19 16:21 EST-0500

 

[CraigerGamer]

I'd recommend a 650 watt PSU or better. Chances are the PSU and motherboard in there are very basic and not suitable for overclocking. I highly doubt the HP motherboard even has overclocking options.

Also, I'm not sure where you're looking but I was able to put together a parts list with a GTX 980 Ti and i7 6700K for not a bad price. It does cost about $120 more, but you're getting much better parts that you can overclock with, it's not as cramped, and should have better airflow and be more quiet.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($412.98 @ Amazon)
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: Patriot Viper 4 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($87.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card ($602.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($41.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX Core Edition 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($87.95 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1519.55
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-19 16:21 EST-0500

Thank you.

I know silicon can be different, even on the same brand and model number of a chip, but what is the difference between the video card you chose and the one I chose when I tried to make a comparable build?

EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($649)

 

[RGM79]

Thank you.

I know silicon can be different, even on the same brand and model number of a chip, but what is the difference between the video card you chose and the one I chose when I tried to make a comparable build?

EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($649)

The EVGA model has a more compact twin fan cooler that can switch off the fans for silence when at low temperature and workload, and the Gigabyte model has a larger triple fan cooler which might be better for overclocking headroom and keeping temperatures down but lacks a silent fan mode.

 

[RayStorm]

To be honest they would have no idea on the difference between a hard disk and an SSD. One of the clerks here is using the oldest machine ever (like it could literally be 8-10 years old with 512mb Ram or something) and there's literally a long pause between every click.

I wonder if I should ship them back, could take an extra week.

I would. Because even if they are used to trash they will notice a difference. They might not be able to understand why or explain what is happening, but their lives will be more joyous and less stressful. Also they will become more productive.

 

[tearsintherain]

Found an HP Deal (thanks for the slick deals tip)
Price: $1400.39
HP ENVY 750se Desktop PC

I have tried building a similar machine with a 6700k and 980ti and the price doesn't even compare...which is great. My concern though is the 500w Power Supply. If I plan to OC, I may need more POWWUUUH. From what I have read the HP design is very cramped and hard to replace parts. Is 500w enough to keep this thing going and not something to worry too much about?

I thought about buying the same machine, except lower model CPU and a 970 instead of 980. First, that is a custom HP mobo that does not support overclocking in any way. Second, as you said the 500W PSU on that is pretty cheap, the 980 is pushing it you won't be doing SLI or anything like that.

My honest opinion is that right now cutting edge - 6700k, 980ti - is a foolish thing to buy since they are both at the end of their design cycles and new hardware models are due out in the next few months. It would make sense if you are going to sell off that system in 6-9 months and buy the latest and greatest, but I hate dealing with craigslist/ebay so thats never a plan of mine. Kaby Lake is due out this year for CPUs and Pascal/etc for GPUs, plus 10-core Broadwell CPUs possibly for top of the line.

I'm thinking Oculus Rift and 4k gaming, the former is right around the corner with CV1 while the latter is probably still a year or two away realistically, probably 2nd or 3d gen Pascal chips for good single card 4k gaming - by that time maybe v2.0 of VR will also be around.

So my opinion is that its better to get a middle of the road CPU, a 970 GPU, use that for Rift and 1080p gaming right now, and move up to something better around this time next year.

For what its worth on that same slickdeals thread about the HP a lot of people have been posting about this used HP Z420 workstation on ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/151950168778

I ended up buying one with a $400 offer, delivery this friday. 16GB, 6-core CPU thats 80-85% the speed of a 6700k when only a single core is benchmarked, Windows key, SSD. I'm going to slap in a $300 970, 4-port USB3 PCI-E card, and a 2-4TB drive and i'll have an oculus machine good for a year at least, gives me plenty of room to expand and I can give away or sell it at that time without having invested a ton of money.

 

[dot]

Hi guys, what are some good cheap cases for a GTX 780 ti? It won't fit in my current case..i'm currently using a Thermaltake Lanbox.

which ones would you recommend from the OP?

 

[RGM79]

Hi guys, what are some good cheap cases for a GTX 780 ti? It won't fit in my current case..i'm currently using a Thermaltake Lanbox.

which ones would you recommend from the OP?

Which model of GTX 780 Ti do you have?