Support NeoGAF

[QuantumSquid]

Any particular reason you're going with a 4th gen i5?

Less expensive. If I was building something with a 970 or 980Ti, I would definitely go for a Skylake processor and compatible motherboard, but this is intended to be mid-range. With a budget of $1000 and no keyboard or monitor already to my name, I think the extra cash will come in handy when it comes to affording a quality 1080p 60hz monitor and an affordably priced mechanical keyboard like the CM Storm Quickfire XT.

 

[bomblord1]

Less expensive. If I was building something with a 970 or 980Ti, I would definitely go for a Skylake processor and compatible motherboard, but this is intended to be mid-range. With a budget of $1000 and no keyboard or monitor already to my name, I think the extra cash will come in handy when it comes to affording a quality 1080p 60hz monitor and an affordably priced mechanical keyboard like the CM Storm Quickfire XT.

i5-6400 benches almost exactly the same to better. Will get you access to DDR4 ram (for the future going forward all CPU's will presumably use this until DDR5 or whatever it ends up being called) and costs $5 more than your PC part picker listed price on Newegg right now ($10 with promo code)

 

[QuantumSquid]

i5-6400 benches almost exactly the same to better. Will get you access to DDR4 ram (for the future going forward all CPU's will presumably use this until DDR5 or whatever it ends up being called) and costs $5 more than your PC part picker listed price on Newegg right now ($10 with promo code)

I see... I'll look into it. Thanks for the heads up.

Does this mean I should swap my 8GB of Crucial Ballistix DDR3 for some DDR4 RAM instead, or is there not much of an improvement to be had there?

 

[bomblord1]

I see... I'll look into it. Thanks for the heads up.

Does this mean I should swap my 8GB of Crucial Ballistix DDR3 for some DDR4 RAM instead, or is there not much of an improvement to be had there?

You can't use DDR3 Ram with skylake (6000 series) CPU's

 

[RGM79]

Helped build my friend's/coworker's computer tonight

Put everything in and forgot to plug the mobo power when we tried to turn it on. Finally got that and it turned on!

Problem is, nothing displays to the monitor using either the gfx card or the on board / mother board HDMI. The keyboard doesn't seem to be on as well.

It's passed 2 am so we have to continue tomorrow. Hopefully the mobo wasn't DOA

If there's a graphics card installed, you have to plug the monitor into the ports on the graphics card. Otherwise, remove the graphics card and then you can try using the motherboard's video ports. You guys may have forgotten to plug in the graphics card power cables.

I'm soon gonna change my MoBo/CPU/Memory and keep all the rest. The thing is: I have a full HD I wanna keep. Will I be able to keep it or will I have to format it?

Is there any way to circunvent it?

What's on the hard drive? You can always plug in an old hard drive and read the files on it. The only reason you would ever need to reformat it is if it were in some kind of old/special unsupported format (pretty unlikely) or because the installation of Windows on the hard drive doesn't work.

Alright, so my buddy wants to build a low-end gaming PC at the moment. What is the best build he could currently buy for $400 shipped? Is the "Solid Starter" in the OP the way to go?

Yeah, a build similar to that would offer the best that he could get.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus H81M-D PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($51.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY Anarchy 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($32.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Superclocked Video Card ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $373.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-21 15:37 EST-0500

PCPartPicker cannot calculate shipping into the cost of the parts, so hopefully going a bit under the $400 budget might be enough to cover shipping costs (mostly worried about NCIXUS shipping). Alternatively if you prefer to order from Amazon or Newegg where shipping costs tend to be less, we can rework the parts list for those retailers.

What? I didn't know this was a thing. I don't intend to do it but isn't the skylake memory controller able to work with DDR4 and 3?

DDR3L. Skylake does not support DDR3.

There are Skylake motherboards that will take standard DDR3 (example), but we don't recommend them because Skylake is meant to run with RAM that operates at a lower voltage. DDR4 operates at 1.2V normally and 1.35V for higher speed kits, DDR3L runs at 1.35V which makes for a decent match electrically. On the other hand, DDR3 runs at 1.5V by default and higher speed kits run at up to 1.65V. Voltage being higher means slightly warmer temperatures and the Skylake memory controller being fed higher voltage. It's hard to say whether it'll make a difference in the long run (higher voltage potentially wearing out the memory controller and processor faster), but to be on the safe side we recommend against using standard DDR3 with Skylake parts.

How's this build look?

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Mk3x4D

I watched a bunch of YouTube videos and looked at lots of benchmarks of the GTX 960 4GB running the games I'm interested in playing (Overwatch, Killing Floor 2, CS:GO, Fallout 4, GTA V) at 1080p and it looks like as long as I'm okay with turning down certain settings in certain games, 60fps at that resolution is easily attainable.

The case choice is certainly not set in stone and as you may have seen in my previous posts, this will be my first time building a PC, so I am trying to choose the best case for a beginner (tool-less cases seem good for that). Also, if anyone knows a good 1080p 60hz monitor with minimal input lag/response time for under $200, I would appreciate it if you could point me in its direction.

i5-6400 benches almost exactly the same to better. Will get you access to DDR4 ram (for the future going forward all CPU's will presumably use this until DDR5 or whatever it ends up being called) and costs $5 more than your PC part picker listed price on Newegg right now ($10 with promo code)

Here's a comparable Skylake based parts list that costs about the same, for comparison's sake:

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 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($38.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 380 4GB PCS+ Video Card ($193.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 100R ATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $644.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-21 15:52 EST-0500

 

[Burkatron81]

Good people, I haven’t used a pc for gaming since the early 2000's. Back then it was Delta Force, Battlefield 2, Joint Operations etc. on a beat up Dell Pentium 3, 512 ram and a GeForce 3 (if memory serves?) It was ropey at best but I was hooked, however I never had the money back then to keep up with the times and I eventually phased back to consoles as my only source for gaming when the Dell couldn’t handle it.

Though I loosely follow the VR scene I have clearly lost my way with the nitty-gritty tech-side of things, mainly due to the fact I had never intended to return to it. However, I have this really bad habit of impulse buying and have blindly bought a bunch of kit without even understanding what the final build performance will be like other than a) it looked nice b) the graphics cards decent.

I’m hoping you’ll approve my stupidity and convince me that blind luck, somehow has stopped me from making a fatal error with this buy and maybe help a brother out with advice on setup & software I should be all over. I guess it’s now down to you to decide if this console peasant can be welcomed into the master race?

Case: In Win 805C Glass - Black
CPU: Intel Core i7 6700K, Overclocked to 4.6GHz
Motherboard: Asus ROG Maximus VIII Hero Z170
Memory: 16GB (2x8GB) Corsair DDR4 Vengeance LPX Black, 3000MHz
Video Card: 6GB EVGA GTX 980 Ti SC ACX 2.0+
Storage #1: SSD 250GB Samsung 850 EVO
Storage #2: HDD 3TB Western Digital WD30EZRZ WD Blue
Power Supply: 650W Corsair RMx, Modular, Silent, 80PLUS Gold
CPU Cooler: Corsair Hydro H100i GTX

 

[QuantumSquid]

Good people, I haven’t used a pc for gaming since the early 2000's. Back then it was Delta Force, Battlefield 2, Joint Operations etc. on a beat up Dell Pentium 3, 512 ram and a GeForce 3 (if memory serves?) It was ropey at best but I was hooked, however I never had the money back then to keep up with the times and I eventually phased back to consoles as my only source for gaming when the Dell couldn’t handle it.

Though I loosely follow the VR scene I have clearly lost my way with the nitty-gritty tech-side of things, mainly due to the fact I had never intended to return to it. However, I have this really bad habit of impulse buying and have blindly bought a bunch of kit without even understanding what the final build performance will be like other than a) it looked nice b) the graphics cards decent.

I’m hoping you’ll approve my stupidity and convince me that blind luck, somehow has stopped me from making a fatal error with this buy and maybe help a brother out with advice on setup & software I should be all over. I guess it’s now down to you to decide if this console peasant can be welcomed into the master race?

Case: In Win 805C Glass - Black
CPU: Intel Core i7 6700K, Overclocked to 4.6GHz
Motherboard: Asus ROG Maximus VIII Hero Z170
Memory: 16GB (2x8GB) Corsair DDR4 Vengeance LPX Black, 3000MHz
Video Card: 6GB EVGA GTX 980 Ti SC ACX 2.0+
Storage #1: SSD 250GB Samsung 850 EVO
Storage #2: HDD 3TB Western Digital WD30EZRZ WD Blue
Power Supply: 650W Corsair RMx, Modular, Silent, 80PLUS Gold
CPU Cooler: Corsair Hydro H100i GTX

I'm not the best person to ask for this but I'm not sure if that motherboard is a Skylake-compatible one.

 

[kennah]

I'm not the best person to ask for this but I'm not sure if that motherboard is a Skylake-compatible one.

Z170. It is.

 

[QuantumSquid]

Z170. It is.

Good. I think OP is in the clear as long as his case can fit the 980Ti.

 

[Glassboy]

I have a i5 2500k not over clocked. Oculus is telling me I have to upgrade the cpu. Is it worth it to replace my mother board now and get a new cpu? Or can I get away with over clocking my 2500k for a little bit. Honestly I just want to play Eve Valkyrie. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[RGM79]

I have a i5 2500k not over clocked. Oculus is telling me I have to upgrade the cpu. Is it worth it to replace my mother board now and get a new cpu? Or can I get away with over clocking my 2500k for a little bit. Honestly I just want to play Eve Valkyrie. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

You can get away with overclocking. When overclocked to 4.5GHz, it should be quite similar in performance. That said, if you're comfortable with buying new parts now, you can also do that and reap some performance improvements over your i5 2500K for a decent cost.

The one thing you do have to worry about is USB ports, the official recommended specs say you'll need three USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port. USB 3.0 support back then for motherboards of the i5 2500K era was somewhat limited, you may not have enough ports.

 

[Burkatron81]

I'm not the best person to ask for this but I'm not sure if that motherboard is a Skylake-compatible one.

Oh darn!

Z170. It is.

Relief thanks

Good. I think OP is in the clear as long as his case can fit the 980Ti.

Panic searched google: Could only find the one video with a 980ti installed, but found a review with a tri-sli set-up, so i should be golden, i guess?

 

[Glassboy]

You can get away with overclocking. When overclocked to 4.5GHz, it should be quite similar in performance. That said, if you're comfortable with buying new parts now, you can also do that and reap some performance improvements over your i5 2500K for a decent cost.

The one thing you do have to worry about is USB ports, the official recommended specs say you'll need three USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port. USB 3.0 support back then for motherboards of the i5 2500K era was somewhat limited, you may not have enough ports.

Cool! Thanks for the quick reply. I'll look into over clocking for sure. I am going to have to buy an add on to get those USB ports

 

[Hands of Stone]

About to hook up my new PSU, If this doesn't solve my problems I'm gone tear my hair out.

 

[MihowZa]

Thoughts on this upgrade? Basically I have a GTX 980 and upgrading to these:

Thermaltake Core V71 Full Tower
Intel(R) Core™ i7-6700K 4.00GHZ 8MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1151
Cooler Master GeminII S524 CPU Cooler
16GB (4GBx4) DDR4/2800MHz
MSI Z170A Gaming Pro ATX
850 Watts - EVGA 850W

E: My CPU was a AMD FX5350 BE

 

[opticalmace]

Thoughts on this upgrade? Basically I have a GTX 980 and upgrading to these:

Thermaltake Core V71 Full Tower
Intel(R) Core™ i7-6700K 4.00GHZ 8MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1151
Cooler Master GeminII S524 CPU Cooler
16GB (4GBx4) DDR4/2800MHz
MSI Z170A Gaming Pro ATX
850 Watts - EVGA 850W

E: My CPU was a AMD FX5350 BE

Very nice. What price though? Can you link us to the build?

 

[MihowZa]

Very nice. What price though? Can you link us to the build?

Just ordered the parts off NewEgg (almost always order from Amazon it got free shipping from Egg and it was actually about 20% cheaper)

CPU was 399
MOBO was 149
RAM was 79
Case was 150

GPU was and still is an ungodly 499

 

[NG28]

My asrock z97 pro4 is giving me beep codes of 2-4-5-4-3-3-3-3-3-3-3. Is my mobo done for? Couldn't find much info for this online.

It won't post, and occasionally cycles.

 

[HundredEyeMonk]

Lets talk monitors.

I am wanting to order a 27" 1440p IPS monitor for my flight simming needs. I sit a decent way from my monitor ( maybe 2.5 ft?) and since I don't really play FPSs a bunch, I'm not too concerned with super fast response times.

I am looking at this BenQ GW2765HT for $349.

Before I click Order, I just want to see if anyone else has any recommendations with those specs in that price range that they recommend.

 

[Sykotik]

I'm in the market for an LGA 1155 processor to go in a old P67A-UD7-B3 I have lying around. The board supports up to a 3770k. It's going to be a start-up PC for my bro, probably mainly used for CSGO. I plan to put in a old 5870 I also have lying around.

Basically, I want some opinions and which processor will give me the best bang for my buck.

Or, will it be a better idea to forgo this and just move on to a different socket altogether? This is from a purely financial stand-point.

 

[kennah]

I'm in the market for an LGA 1155 processor to go in a old P67A-UD7-B3 I have lying around. The board supports up to a 3770k. It's going to be a start-up PC for my bro, probably mainly used for CSGO. I plan to put in a old 5870 I also have lying around.

Basically, I want some opinions and which processor will give me the best bang for my buck.

Or, will it be a better idea to forgo this and just move on to a different socket altogether? This is from a purely financial stand-point.

Really anything you find that is an i3 or up will be a solid starter. No need to jump right to the 3770K. I had an i3 3220 for a while and only upgraded because I found a 3770K for next to nothing.

 

[Sykotik]

Really anything you find that is an i3 or up will be a solid starter. No need to jump right to the 3770K. I had an i3 3220 for a while and only upgraded because I found a 3770K for next to nothing.

Thank you. I'll take this into consideration.

 

[RGM79]

My asrock z97 pro4 is giving me beep codes of 2-4-5-4-3-3-3-3-3-3-3. Is my mobo done for? Couldn't find much info for this online.

It won't post, and occasionally cycles.

I haven't heard of a beep code that long and complex. What are your system specs?

 

[Omnipunctual Godot]

I might just be thrifty, but I don't see much point in spending the extra $45 for the higher end motherboard unless you really need that many more USB, SATA, M.2, mini PCI-E ports.

Ah, well. I saw what I thought was a good deal, but I didn't get a chance to ask any PC-minded folks about it before pulling the trigger on the deal, since time was running out. I've been told it's hard to go overboard on a motherboard, though. Hopefully it should hold up fairly well for the future.

 

[MekaDragon]

Hi guys, I was asking in other thread, but I think this one is more appropiate for monitors:

At the moment, I'm using the ASUS VS239HR, and although I really like how it looks, I'd like to make the jump from 60Hz to 144Hz. I have some questions, though...

1. I own a GTX 970. It's perfectly fine for 60 fps, and I will get profit from 144 fps. But reaching 144 fps is not so easy in every game, so I wonder how would 60 fps look like in a 144Hz monitor? Same as in a 60Hz monitor? Or different?
2. I hate tearing, I love VSync. Playing more than 60 fps should be nice, but I'm worried if I get in a game a framerate between 60 and 144, I fear that tearing fucks up the experience
3. According to last point, yes, I know G-Sync exists, but it is over priced as fuck. FreeSync is awesome I guess, but no deal with NVIDIA cards.

So, knowing this facts, I have a couple of choices (IPS is a must. I prefer color precision and 4ms than washed out colors and 1ms.):

• 1080p 144Hz no G-Sync but tearing,
• 1080p 144Hz with G-Sync, no tearing but lololol wallet.
• 1440p 144Hz no G-Sync but tearing and I will have to upsample in some games to achieve 60fps. Wallet trembles as well.

I like the ASUS VG248QE that OP says, but it is a TN panel. ASUS MG279Q looks freaking awesome, but the only flaw is FreeSync, and not G-Sync.

Choices, choices everywhere. Halp.

 

[Yoshichan]

halp

so my GPU has two DVI outputs, I'm running two monitors, one 60Hz and one 144Hz.

One of the ports can only get 60Hz, despite hooking up the 144Hz screen.

What's going on here?

I would love if I can have both 144Hz on one screen and 60Hz on the other running simultaneously.

 

[Burgess_101]

halp

so my GPU has two DVI outputs, I'm running two monitors, one 60Hz and one 144Hz.

One of the ports can only get 60Hz, despite hooking up the 144Hz screen.

What's going on here?

I would love if I can have both 144Hz on one screen and 60Hz on the other running simultaneously.

I think I remember reading something about a limitation with that DVI and something like that. I can't remember exactly.

I have a DP and HDMI monitor running 144hz and 60hz repsectively simultaneously.

 

[Yoshichan]

I think I remember reading something about a limitation with that DVI and something like that. I can't remember exactly.

I have a DP and HDMI monitor running 144hz and 60hz repsectively simultaneously.

So it has to do with my GPU?

GTX 970

 

[Burgess_101]

So it has to do with my GPU?

GTX 970

I think it is something to do with DVI itself but don't quote me on that. I am just doing some research now.

On a side note, have you tried rebooting the PC?

 

[Popstar]

halp

so my GPU has two DVI outputs, I'm running two monitors, one 60Hz and one 144Hz.

One of the ports can only get 60Hz, despite hooking up the 144Hz screen.

What's going on here?

I would love if I can have both 144Hz on one screen and 60Hz on the other running simultaneously.

There are multiple types of DVI ports and cables. I'm guessing you probably need DVI-D dual link for 144Hz. It's not uncommon for only a single port to actually support dual-link even if it has the connector.

 

[Burgess_101]

There are multiple types of DVI ports and cables. I'm guessing you probably need DVI-D dual link for 144Hz.

The 970 only has DVI-I so it may be you need a DVI-D cable in order for it to work properly at 144hz.

Unless its a different model?

 

[Popstar]

The 970 only has DVI-I so it may be you need a DVI-D cable in order for it to work properly at 144hz.

Unless its a different model?

DVI-I dual-link is a superset of DVI-D. It should be fine as long as its dual-link.

 

[bennibop]

Just finished my first PC build, I am very proud!!

Motherboard - MSi z170a gaming M7
RAM - 16GB DDR4
CPU - I7 6700k 4ghz overclocked to 4.7ghz
CPU Cooler - Cooler Master hyper EVO 212
GPU - MSI GTX 970 - Overclocked to 1450mhz Core and 7000mhz Memory Clock.


What do you guys think? Am playing Battlefield 4 at 1440p at +60fps Ultra settings, am trying out what I can do with Crysis 3 this afternoon!

I am considering SLI the card do you think this is worthwhile? I have a 4k tv.

 

[Pantaghana]

Tried asking in the PC overclocking thread, but no one replied, hope you don't mind me asking here.

Have an i5 4690K and an ASUS Z97-K mobo. Cooler is a 212 EVO, would like to overclock, but never did that before and not sure where to start, any advice?

 

[Burgess_101]

DVI-I dual-link is a superset of DVI-D. It should be fine as long as its dual-link.

DVI can get very confusing.

 

[Yoshichan]

This is what it looks like on the back. They're two different ports... the one on the left can output 144Hz while the other one can't. What do I need to get :/?

 

[kennah]

Only your dvi d port on the left can do 144hz. The display ports above can all do 144hz. Why don't you use them?

 

[Yoshichan]

Only your dvi d port on the left can do 144hz. The display ports above can all do 144hz. Why don't you use them?

The cables that run from my monitors are VGA (60Hz), through a DVI-adapter and DVI (144Hz).

 

[valouris]

Hello PC GAF, I am thinking of getting a new desktop shortly. For the past year I have been surviving on a gaming laptop, which has been serving me well. However, being back home I want to upgrade my old desktop as well. I have a quite old Phenom II X4 955 with a 7870 and 4GB of RAM. I am not in a hurry to get something extraordinary, and I don't have any upcoming games that I am dying to play on max settings. But I do want my desktop computer to pack some more oomph.

I am thinking of getting an entire new computer without a new GPU, and using the 7870 for the time being. So I guess I would be looking for a CPU and MOBO/RAM combo that will stand the test of time, and will truly shine when I upgrade the GPU down the line. With this in mind, what CPU do you think would be the best in my case? My budget is around 800 euros, just for the unit (without the GPU), no peripherals or screen needed.

 

[Maiden Voyage]

The cables that run from my monitors are VGA (60Hz), through a DVI-adapter and DVI (144Hz).

What resolution are your monitors?

Another point of failure could be your cable. Do you have any spares or backups laying around?

Display Port is a great option if your monitor supports it. Monoprice sells cheap but good quality stuff.

 

[e90Mark]

Hi guys, I was asking in other thread, but I think this one is more appropiate for monitors:

At the moment, I'm using the ASUS VS239HR, and although I really like how it looks, I'd like to make the jump from 60Hz to 144Hz. I have some questions, though...

1. I own a GTX 970. It's perfectly fine for 60 fps, and I will get profit from 144 fps. But reaching 144 fps is not so easy in every game, so I wonder how would 60 fps look like in a 144Hz monitor? Same as in a 60Hz monitor? Or different?
2. I hate tearing, I love VSync. Playing more than 60 fps should be nice, but I'm worried if I get in a game a framerate between 60 and 144, I fear that tearing fucks up the experience
3. According to last point, yes, I know G-Sync exists, but it is over priced as fuck. FreeSync is awesome I guess, but no deal with NVIDIA cards.

So, knowing this facts, I have a couple of choices (IPS is a must. I prefer color precision and 4ms than washed out colors and 1ms.):

• 1080p 144Hz no G-Sync but tearing,
• 1080p 144Hz with G-Sync, no tearing but lololol wallet.
• 1440p 144Hz no G-Sync but tearing and I will have to upsample in some games to achieve 60fps. Wallet trembles as well.

I like the ASUS VG248QE that OP says, but it is a TN panel. ASUS MG279Q looks freaking awesome, but the only flaw is FreeSync, and not G-Sync.

Choices, choices everywhere. Halp.

1. I'm not sensitive to screen tearing at higher frame rates, but this could be remedied by setting the monitor to 60hz. Personally, I think 60fps when the monitor is set to 120/144hz looks the same as 60@60.
2. Since you notice tearing, it would be advisable to get a gsync monitor if you know you'll be playing games that your 970 can't do 120/144fps+ on.
3. Gsync is overpriced sure, but I guess the only other way around the tearing would be to just have raw power for 1080p (980ti) to push the frame rates.

I think the XL2411z is better than the VG248QE. Both are TN, but there are ICC profiles and settings on the internet for the XL2411z that make it look really good. I didn't notice that much of a difference, if at all, from my IPS, beside viewing angle.

Both have a Gsync model available (they are both kinda hard to find).

 

[Smokey]

Just finished my first PC build, I am very proud!!

Motherboard - MSi z170a gaming M7
RAM - 16GB DDR4
CPU - I7 6700k 4ghz overclocked to 4.7ghz
CPU Cooler - Cooler Master hyper EVO 212
GPU - MSI GTX 970 - Overclocked to 1450mhz Core and 7000mhz Memory Clock.


What do you guys think? Am playing Battlefield 4 at 1440p at +60fps Ultra settings, am trying out what I can do with Crysis 3 this afternoon!

I am considering SLI the card do you think this is worthwhile? I have a 4k tv.

What is your reasoning for wanting to go SLI? It brings its own set of issues (heat, more power, game compatibility, etc). You should only go this route if you're not getting satisfactory fps or IQ in games that you want to play, but again you're hoping that there is a SLI profile out there for said game in the first place.

 

[opticalmace]

Just finished my first PC build, I am very proud!!

Motherboard - MSi z170a gaming M7
RAM - 16GB DDR4
CPU - I7 6700k 4ghz overclocked to 4.7ghz
CPU Cooler - Cooler Master hyper EVO 212
GPU - MSI GTX 970 - Overclocked to 1450mhz Core and 7000mhz Memory Clock.


What do you guys think? Am playing Battlefield 4 at 1440p at +60fps Ultra settings, am trying out what I can do with Crysis 3 this afternoon!

I am considering SLI the card do you think this is worthwhile? I have a 4k tv.

Nice system. I would stick with the one card for now and if you want more power maybe upgrade later this year. New gpus should pop up around mid year.

 

[MekaDragon]

1. I'm not sensitive to screen tearing at higher frame rates, but this could be remedied by setting the monitor to 60hz. Personally, I think 60fps when the monitor is set to 120/144hz looks the same as 60@60.
2. Since you notice tearing, it would be advisable to get a gsync monitor if you know you'll be playing games that your 970 can't do 120/144fps+ on.
3. Gsync is overpriced sure, but I guess the only other way around the tearing would be to just have raw power for 1080p (980ti) to push the frame rates.

I think the XL2411z is better than the VG248QE. Both are TN, but there are ICC profiles and settings on the internet for the XL2411z that make it look really good. I didn't notice that much of a difference, if at all, from my IPS, beside viewing angle.

Both have a Gsync model available (they are both kinda hard to find).

Thanks a lot for your response.

After researching a lot, yes, I want IPS and G-Sync for sure. I can't stand tearing.

Now I just want a 1080p, IPS, G-Sync, 144Hz monitor... And it literally doesn't even exist! Every 1080p 144Hz monitor is TN. Well, I will just wait for an IPS to show up...

 

[kennah]

The cables that run from my monitors are VGA (60Hz), through a DVI-adapter and DVI (144Hz).

Ok. The problem you are facing is that you have a DVI d/a port and a DVI I port.

DVI I can't run a vga cable because it needs the four pins that have an analog signal. DVI I also cannot do 144 hz.

The easiest solution would be for you to get a display port cable for your 144hz monitor.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Oh man I finally replaced my old shitty computer desk with a nice simple flat desk that is a good height and no shitty keyboard tray and the monitor doesn't sit a foot over my head. I can't believe I dealt with that thing for so many years. I've always hated it.

 

[e90Mark]

Thanks a lot for your response.

After researching a lot, yes, I want IPS and G-Sync for sure. I can't stand tearing.

Now I just want a 1080p, IPS, G-Sync, 144Hz monitor... And it literally doesn't even exist! Every 1080p 144Hz monitor is TN. Well, I will just wait for an IPS to show up...

1080p IPS 144hz was what I wanted, but you're right. They literally do not exist. With the way resolution is going and how small and niche the performance monitor market is, I don't think we'll get one.

I guess we'll both eventually have to get a 27" 1440p IPS with Gsync, which there seems to be a handful to choose from.

 

[Felix Lighter]

I specifically upgrade my PC because I really wanted !PS Gsync 144hz but I knew that the only option would be 2560x1440 at the very least.

 

[Shadowhaxor]

FYI, if anyone is looking for a cheap i5 (LGA 1150), I just posted my i5-4590s in the buy/trade/sell thread. Bumping my HTPC / Stream box to an i7 for that glorious 60fps.

 

[Deku Tree]

Ok so I want to game in 4K and build my own machine. I want to use KB&M but sometimes also use an xbox controller with games like DS3.

I want to be able to export 5.1 sound to my receiver, and separately export 4K video to my 4K Samsung ju7500 LED TV. I will mainly play PC games on my 4K TV.

Your Current Specs: Currently mainly game on PS4 and Wii U (no PC at the moment)
Budget: $1500-$2000
Main Use: gaming in 4K
Monitor Resolution: 4K
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Witcher 3, Dark Souls 3, Fallout 4
When will you build?: Do you have a deadline? I don't have a deadline but I wanted to have the PC to play DS3 when it comes out.
Will you be overclocking?: Maybe

I would like a case that can see the internal components, and that can be laid sideways on top of a TV stand. It doesn't have to be tiny, but I don't want a monster huge sized case.

Can anyone recommend me a PC build that will be good and last for a while?