Glad to hear that you weren't disappointed. How's airflow in it?
It looks great, even better than on pictures. I understand that it's big for an ITX case, but at least it's somewhat shorter than H440 that I was originally planning to buy.
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"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 2. Read the OP. Rocking 2500K's until HBM2 and beyond.
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Glad to hear that you weren't disappointed. How's airflow in it?
It looks great, even better than on pictures. I understand that it's big for an ITX case, but at least it's somewhat shorter than H440 that I was originally planning to buy.
Cute Dragon Here
Member
If you did nothing to the HDD during Windows setup, the HDD is likely left uninitialized and unpartitioned. Pay a visit to Disk Management (right click Windows Start button > Disk Management), and partition the HDD.
Any reason you are going full ATX? MITX or mATX would be nicer.
Thanks, that did it.
Helping a friend build a relatively high end PC uhmm
at this so far
Am I f'ing up any category notably? http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bwmPt6
manually changed mobo price to $90 cause microcenter bundles.
edit: oh yeah, thanks for the help like 8 months ago guys, my PC is still amazing.
at this so far
Am I f'ing up any category notably? http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bwmPt6
manually changed mobo price to $90 cause microcenter bundles.
edit: oh yeah, thanks for the help like 8 months ago guys, my PC is still amazing.
Cute Dragon Here
Member
How much does a 2x8 GB DDR3-2133/2400 kit cost? See if you can find something there.
Also might consider asking if he really wants a 500 GB SSD, or would he be able to live with a split SSD + HDD configuration and spend a lot less on the SSD in exchange for more total storage.
Other than that, that seems to be a pretty darned nice deal, all things considered. (how much is a Corsair RMx 650? Not the original RM, not the RMi.)
If he has the money for it, perhaps go for the newer Intel Skylake parts? The i7 6700K is expensive, but if you'll be going to Microcenter for the processor and motherboard, they have the processor for $350 as well as motherboard bundles for that model too. You don't exactly have to get whatever's listed on the bundle page, Microcenter should take $20 off the bill as long as you have a processor with a compatible motherboard. There's also the i5 6600K for $220. While newer generation parts do cost more, they're slightly more futureproof in that they support newer DDR4 RAM as well as generally supporting some newer features like USB 3.1 and USB type C.
That said.. let's just check the parts list as is:
I dunno if your friend has any interest in overclocking, but a simple cooler like the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo is cheap enough that it's easy to justify buying and will allow for moderate overclocking if desired in the future. If not overclocking, it'll still do a better job of keeping the CPU cooler and more quietly than the stock Intel cooler.
You can get faster RAM like this Mushkin 2400MHz kit of 16GB RAM for just a few dollars more than the 1866MHz RAM already selected. No reason not to go with it, I think.
I recommend a better power supply like the EVGA B2 750 watt model which is actually cheaper at $49 after $30 rebate. Jonny Guru gave the EVGA B2 a higher score than the EVGA G1 model you selected.
No reason to go with Windows 8.1 these days. Windows 10 costs about the same.
Kenzodielocke
Banned
edit: wrong thread
Here's what I would get if you can get Windows from Reddit.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($289.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($25.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($86.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($61.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial BX200 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($63.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($339.99 @ B&H)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($15.00)
Monitor: Acer R240HY bidx 60Hz 23.8" Monitor ($131.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse ($69.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $1314.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-13 06:00 EDT-0400
THE:MILKMAN
Member
That board is mATX. I have a Fractal Design ARC Mini case that is mATX/ITX only.
It is the only mATX Skylake board I've found that isn't high end/enthusiast but still has the latest features like Gen2 USB 3.1.
I'm looking to get a secondary monitor for more "passive" space and could use some advice and experience values.
I don't have enough space on my desk to use two landscape monitors (my primary monitor is 27"). I could however fit a reasonably large monitor in pivot mode on the right side which is exactly what I plan to do. All I want to move there is self updating stuff like Tweetdeck, IRC, Skype, Twitch dashboard while streaming... that sort of stuff. Maybe pivot mode is even beneficial for this purpose, just to get a quick glance without moving your head too much?
With that out of the way, a few questions since I've never used Pivot mode or multi monitor setups in general:
1) Do landscape + pivot monitors play along, for gaming as well as desktop work? Obviously I don't want to use the pivot monitor for gaming, just curious if it's known to cause issues. I use a GTX 970 if it matters.
2) Do Gsync + non-Gsync monitors play along nicely? Primary is a XB270HU but obviously I'm not going to shell out more than ~$250 for the pivot and don't need Gsync for it anyway.
3) My primary monitor has a native resolution of 2560x1440 and IPS so I'd like to keep this standard for the secondary. Only thing else I'd ask for is HDMI/HDCP and or DVI connection since my DP port is used, size should be <27". Any recommendations?
I don't have enough space on my desk to use two landscape monitors (my primary monitor is 27"). I could however fit a reasonably large monitor in pivot mode on the right side which is exactly what I plan to do. All I want to move there is self updating stuff like Tweetdeck, IRC, Skype, Twitch dashboard while streaming... that sort of stuff. Maybe pivot mode is even beneficial for this purpose, just to get a quick glance without moving your head too much?
With that out of the way, a few questions since I've never used Pivot mode or multi monitor setups in general:
1) Do landscape + pivot monitors play along, for gaming as well as desktop work? Obviously I don't want to use the pivot monitor for gaming, just curious if it's known to cause issues. I use a GTX 970 if it matters.
2) Do Gsync + non-Gsync monitors play along nicely? Primary is a XB270HU but obviously I'm not going to shell out more than ~$250 for the pivot and don't need Gsync for it anyway.
3) My primary monitor has a native resolution of 2560x1440 and IPS so I'd like to keep this standard for the secondary. Only thing else I'd ask for is HDMI/HDCP and or DVI connection since my DP port is used, size should be <27". Any recommendations?
I realize the above might sound a bit snobby but I'm really running out of screen space during multitasking activities 
Muffin Awesome
Member
I am looking for a decent speed and range to replace an old netgear wn3500.
I am trying to decide between the Netgear 6400r and the archer c8, both are ac1750, have dual band. Anyone have firsthand experience with either of these?
I am trying to decide between the Netgear 6400r and the archer c8, both are ac1750, have dual band. Anyone have firsthand experience with either of these?
I did, but tbf I don't trust my desk / these stands to hold two 27" screens (I'd go for same size in landscape mode obviously, I think everything else would be very distracting).
Thanks for the suggestion though.
Bloodember
Member
It's actually not that big, not sure why many of the reviews say it is. It just a little bigger than the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX. Air flow is actually great.
Thanks guys
And yeah she wants the SSD I mentioned the split like 10x, whatever though.
Re i7 6700k, will look into it, as for overclocking, thats "not for a long time" category.
And reddit windows keys? Don't those deactivate?
Sorry for not quoting, this post would have been a mess from the fact I replied to like 3 people in snips >_>
And yeah she wants the SSD I mentioned the split like 10x, whatever though.
Re i7 6700k, will look into it, as for overclocking, thats "not for a long time" category.
And reddit windows keys? Don't those deactivate?
Sorry for not quoting, this post would have been a mess from the fact I replied to like 3 people in snips >_>
DeathByBacklog
Member
Is there any free software I can run to test the motherboard or SATA ports?
Nope, troubleshooting this will need you to rule everything else out. Get the SMART stats with hdtune.
Hey guys. I need help optimizing this $900 build (before taxes)
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($204.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.40 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($55.99)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($45.28 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($66.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($336.62 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $943.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-13 13:29 EDT-0400
This is my 2nd attempt at building a gaming PC. Five years ago was my first attempt. I was left frustrated and disheartened because I didn't know how fix a very loud coil whine coming from both my PSU and GPU while playing games or watching HD videos. I replaced every part of my PC with different brands and types but the coil whine was still there. I have nearly $1000 of buyers remorse I stare at everyday since and almost lost hope at PC gaming because of coil whine. I REALLY hope this turns out better this time around.
This is what I'm looking at so far. I'm still debating whether to go Skylake (i5 6500) or Haswell (i5 4460). Skylake makes me a little upgradable in the future + DDR4, but Haswell helps out with my budget. I'm not ever looking into overclocking. Either generation will work for me.
I chose the EVGA 970 (Please help me pick the best EVGA version. Asus Strix is also an option.) because of mainly the power consumption, compared to the R9 390, and they have treated me great in the past. Plus my brother's build has one in it and works pretty well, cool and silent, under load. I also picked up a CPU cooler for a quieter build. I don't need dead silent, but do not want stock CPU cooler, blow dryer, loud. I prefer to buy my parts from Amazon because Prime.
I really want this one want this to work out and help rebuild my confidence in building PCs and PC Gaming. Thanks for any future advice.
Wish me luck. I will update when the PC is built.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($204.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.40 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($55.99)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($45.28 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($66.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($336.62 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $943.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-13 13:29 EDT-0400
This is my 2nd attempt at building a gaming PC. Five years ago was my first attempt. I was left frustrated and disheartened because I didn't know how fix a very loud coil whine coming from both my PSU and GPU while playing games or watching HD videos. I replaced every part of my PC with different brands and types but the coil whine was still there. I have nearly $1000 of buyers remorse I stare at everyday since and almost lost hope at PC gaming because of coil whine. I REALLY hope this turns out better this time around.
This is what I'm looking at so far. I'm still debating whether to go Skylake (i5 6500) or Haswell (i5 4460). Skylake makes me a little upgradable in the future + DDR4, but Haswell helps out with my budget. I'm not ever looking into overclocking. Either generation will work for me.
I chose the EVGA 970 (Please help me pick the best EVGA version. Asus Strix is also an option.) because of mainly the power consumption, compared to the R9 390, and they have treated me great in the past. Plus my brother's build has one in it and works pretty well, cool and silent, under load. I also picked up a CPU cooler for a quieter build. I don't need dead silent, but do not want stock CPU cooler, blow dryer, loud. I prefer to buy my parts from Amazon because Prime.
I really want this one want this to work out and help rebuild my confidence in building PCs and PC Gaming. Thanks for any future advice.
Wish me luck. I will update when the PC is built.
They do work without a hitch. For your purpose you just want to keep your landscape monitor as your primary screen.
Thanks, yeah that was the plan anyway.
I just ordered the Lenovo ThinkVision T2224z for about 150 bucks (21,5" IPS 1080p 60Hz with HDMI/HDCP) since it seems that 1440p displays are nowhere to be found in the <27" range.
21,5" could be a good fit, considering the 23" screen of my brother looked rather intimidating in pivot view.
We'll see how it goes, should drop this Tuesday. Hope Gsync and the different refresh rates and resolutions won't be a hassle, I'll report back.
DeathByBacklog
Member
HDTune won't run with an HDD plugged in. It just hangs and then crashes altogether. What should I look for with the SMART stats?
That's very odd. The SMART stats tell us the health of the drive, ie we can tell if it's about to die. Is it possible to try the hdd in another PC?
Ah that's all good, I was on mobile so didnt look it up.
DeathByBacklog
Member
Quite certain it's not the drive. I've swapped it out with other drives, and continue to have the same issues. The os is on a SSD. When there's no HDD plugged into the SATA ports if fires up in record time. The Window 7 splash doesn't even get to finish animating before I'm at my desktop. But plug in another drive, and it takes forever to even get to the Windows splash, and then a ridiculous amount of time to go from there to the desktop. And then I have issues with the drive swapping out letters, locking up, or freezing. Also had some issues the other night with playing back some video. It just froze, then after a minute or so, began to play with the video coming back pixelated and voice out of sync for the first little bit.
That's why I keep coming back to maybe it's the power supply, or the SATA ports on the motherboard. I'm hoping it's the power supply. Then at least I won't have order a new PSU for no reason and won't be task with the challenge of trying to swap out a motherboard (something I've never done).
Can you play a game? Because the HDD is using miniscule amount of power, less than 10W, and less after its spun up. So the PSU is unlikely to be at fault, you may also hear the PSU spin up and down randomly (make sure its not from Windows Power Saving) if the PSU was at fault.
Can we have details of the models of the HDDs tested?
I read some of the older posts but to confirm:
Different SATA cables tested?
Different SATA pots tested? If you have non Intel SATA ports, try those to bypass the Intel Chipset.
Have you tried an Ubuntu Live CD (on bootable USB stick)? This will rule out a dodgy Windows install.
We need to test the drive in either another PC or hooking up in a USB enclosure to rule out a dying HDD.
This symptom of insanely long windows loading, is normally seen when the drive cant be read properly. And that is normally indicative of a dying HDD. Random drive drop outs also happen with dying drives. And the drive appearing as RAW is also tied in here.
The one i have not seen is the drive changing drive letters - this is weird and possibly a mobo/windows issue.
The motherboard is hard to troubleshoot, it requires us to rule out all possibilities to default to a mobo issue.
THE:MILKMAN
Member
Ah, no worries. To be honest the state of play of the 100 series MB's is a mess at this time. Apparently the B150 chipset in the board I've settled on is actually aimed at business, not consumers. I'm sure it isn't really an issue but am still miffed that only high end/gaming Z170 boards have a full feature/connection set and all others are barebones or compromised.
DeathByBacklog
Member
Ok here's what I have done to this point...
- Factory install on Win 7
- Changed the cell battery
- Swapped the cables going to the drive, from the PSU. I have 2 runs SATA cables with 2 plugs on each, all 4 plugs were tested on the hard drive.
- Swapped out the hard drive with perfectly healthy drives pulled from external drives or older systems (pulled only to upgrade to larger drives). Had the same problems with them.
- Swapped out the cable running from the drive to the motherboard
I haven't run any games since the fresh install. That's doable. I also haven't tried sticking the drive in an external drive to try to test it that way, but I can give that a shot also.
Original HDD is a Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM. I tested a WE Caviar SE 250GB.
I've tried the drive on different SATA ports on the motherboard.
Haven't tried anything with Ubuntu Live (wouldn't even know where or how to start).
Interrobang
Member
I made this a new thread, but everyone directed me here. I got some good info, but figured I'd cross-post for some extra insight. I read the OP, here's my original post:
I built my own PC before, but it was ages ago and I've been out of the game too long. I'm not sure what's deemed necessary or must-have these days. I found this article which was published pretty recently and have been basing my would-be purchases off it: http://www.pcgamer.com/pc-build-guide-budget-gaming-pc/
I already plan on swapping the i3 for an i5 to get a quad-core in there. My biggest worries from the article are:
Power Supply: How can I tell when changes (like the i3 to i5) will need this to be upgraded?
Motherboard: I know very little about motherboards, so I'm kind of just curious if this is good for the rig specs?
Windows: 10 or 7? Also, it looks like Microsoft Office is subscription model now? Is this right? Any pointers on that?
Disc Drive: They recommend no disc drive, but I definitely want one. Blu-Ray? Writeable?
Any other components that come standard in a premade PC that I'm forgetting?
Here are my tweaked specs (would love to get a PC enthusiast to sign off on it):
Processor:
Intel Core i5-6400 6 MB Skylake Quad-Core 2.7 GHz LGA 1151 65W BX80662I56400 Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics
Motherboard:
ASRock Z170M Pro4S LGA 1151 Intel Z170 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Graphics Card:
ASUS Radeon R9 380 STRIX-R9380-DC2OC-4GD5-GAMING 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
Power Supply:
EVGA 100-W1-500-KR 500W ATX12V / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Continuous Power Supply Intel 4th Gen CPU Ready
Memory:
G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 8GB 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2666 (PC4 21300) Intel Z170 Platform / Intel X99 Platform Desktop Memory
SDD:
Crucial BX100 2.5" 250GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) CT250BX100SSD1
HDD:
WD Blue 1TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD10EZEX - OEM
Case:
DIYPC MA01-G Black SPCC MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case
Keep in mind this is a budget project. I was hoping to spend around $500-600 and currently I'm at $700 without a monitor. Are any of my changes unnecessary? It seems like getting a quad-core in there is very important as far as future proofing.
I suffer from severe buyer's remorse so very scared to dive into something like this without consulting you fine people. I think I covered everything, but let me know if I missed something. Thanks, GAF!
I built my own PC before, but it was ages ago and I've been out of the game too long. I'm not sure what's deemed necessary or must-have these days. I found this article which was published pretty recently and have been basing my would-be purchases off it: http://www.pcgamer.com/pc-build-guide-budget-gaming-pc/
I already plan on swapping the i3 for an i5 to get a quad-core in there. My biggest worries from the article are:
Power Supply: How can I tell when changes (like the i3 to i5) will need this to be upgraded?
Motherboard: I know very little about motherboards, so I'm kind of just curious if this is good for the rig specs?
Windows: 10 or 7? Also, it looks like Microsoft Office is subscription model now? Is this right? Any pointers on that?
Disc Drive: They recommend no disc drive, but I definitely want one. Blu-Ray? Writeable?
Any other components that come standard in a premade PC that I'm forgetting?
Here are my tweaked specs (would love to get a PC enthusiast to sign off on it):
Processor:
Intel Core i5-6400 6 MB Skylake Quad-Core 2.7 GHz LGA 1151 65W BX80662I56400 Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics
Motherboard:
ASRock Z170M Pro4S LGA 1151 Intel Z170 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Graphics Card:
ASUS Radeon R9 380 STRIX-R9380-DC2OC-4GD5-GAMING 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
Power Supply:
EVGA 100-W1-500-KR 500W ATX12V / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Continuous Power Supply Intel 4th Gen CPU Ready
Memory:
G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 8GB 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2666 (PC4 21300) Intel Z170 Platform / Intel X99 Platform Desktop Memory
SDD:
Crucial BX100 2.5" 250GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) CT250BX100SSD1
HDD:
WD Blue 1TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD10EZEX - OEM
Case:
DIYPC MA01-G Black SPCC MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case
Keep in mind this is a budget project. I was hoping to spend around $500-600 and currently I'm at $700 without a monitor. Are any of my changes unnecessary? It seems like getting a quad-core in there is very important as far as future proofing.
I suffer from severe buyer's remorse so very scared to dive into something like this without consulting you fine people. I think I covered everything, but let me know if I missed something. Thanks, GAF!
grosvenor_92
Member
Hey GAF I'm looking to upgrade my monitor from my current 720p one to full 1080p. I'm willing to spend $150-200 and would prefer one that is 23-25 inches as that is the size of my current monitor.
So gaf which ones do you recommend I look into buying ?
So gaf which ones do you recommend I look into buying ?
Elitist1945
Member
Really dumb question but how does the 980ti fare in terms of 4K gaming?
DeathByBacklog
Member
Well..further messing around. Comp was having issues using my external HD case. The HD that was already in there was reading as if it needed to be formatted. Then the Hard Drive in question, for whatever reason when I plugged the external case back in, windows couldn't load the drivers.
Plugged the drive back in, and it took over 6 and a half minutes to boot up to desk top. Drive's still fine. Everything is accessible for now. But it's listed as the E drive. And my blue ray player is listed as the D drive. SSD remains C regardless of the issues.
A 970 can do last-gen games at 4k effortlessly; a 980ti should perform better and even handle some current gen games at 4k with lower settings.
These, BTW, are my temps, after over 2 hours of The Division, played on Twitch:
Are they ok?
Yes, they look fine.
PSU: That'd be fine for your system, but if you can spare the budget a higher wattage of around 600-700 watts will mean, for future upgrade purposes, you'd have virtually no CPU and GPU restriction. If upgrading is a concern.
GPU: You can get a Radeon 380X for less than the 380 you linked. It's a little faster, so you may as well unless you prefer ASUS.
I'll reply here
mATX is better because it's smaller. That's all. Why have huge case and board housing an ATX build if you have only a basic build (meaning not SLI, not 4+ HDDs, not dual DVD drives, not massive custom water loops etc...).
K CPUs for overclocking, depends if you want to push and extend the usefulness of your CPU. And if you are willing to read and learn how to do it. It's not massively complicated these days. It will push the cost up a fair bit, plus you'll need an aftermarket CPU cooler to keep the temperatures in control.
Cd blu Ray for what? Most go without since everything is digital. The blu Ray movie experience requires clunky payware like cyberlink player to actually watch films. If it's just a blu ray reader then cheapest wil work, otherwise look for write speeds. DVD drives are $20 a pop.
For OS you can look on Reddit /softwareswap and get a cheap key.
Start point:
Corsair carbide 88r could be a cheaper case option.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 2.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.00 @ B&H)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B150M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($45.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($66.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 380X 4GB DD XXX OC Video Card ($203.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $737.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-13 18:27 EDT-0400
TheChewyWaffles
Member
Just swapped out my old 2600k/ ASUS p8z68-v pro/gen3 for a 6700k / ASUS z170-a and I'm having some problems with my graphics cards or the second PCIE slot or something.
The first problem was that I saw no post screens or anything. I had mistakenly swapped my GPU's and had my HDMI connection to my monitor on my second GPU. At first I thought the motherboard was DOA but one time I let it boot longer than normal and, low and behold, Windows 10 appeared. It was odd that I didn't get any POST screens prior to that, but I took it.
After getting all the drivers for the new Intel chipsets, etc installed then I went to fire up The Division to put the rig through its paces. I used Afterburner to inspect the GPU's and noticed that only 1 GPU was being used heavily - the second one not that much. Odd, because prior to the computer upgrade the game was very good about loading both GPU's.
So then comes the hardest part. After I swapped out the faulty Xinput driver (the one that causes the mouse beeping) then Windows says "hey you need to reboot." Odd, but ok. So I did that and ever since then the SECOND gpu won't show up in Device Manager. And by "won't show up" I mean I don't even have a device listed or anything. Furthermore, in the z170 bios it says "Not detected" when I go to the options to change bus speed on the PCIE channels (may not be saying that correctly). I mean I assume at this point the PCIE_2 slot is hosed or something, right? Both cards work fine when in the primary slot.
Anyone have any suggestions for me? I'm kind of at a loss at this point.
The first problem was that I saw no post screens or anything. I had mistakenly swapped my GPU's and had my HDMI connection to my monitor on my second GPU. At first I thought the motherboard was DOA but one time I let it boot longer than normal and, low and behold, Windows 10 appeared. It was odd that I didn't get any POST screens prior to that, but I took it.
After getting all the drivers for the new Intel chipsets, etc installed then I went to fire up The Division to put the rig through its paces. I used Afterburner to inspect the GPU's and noticed that only 1 GPU was being used heavily - the second one not that much. Odd, because prior to the computer upgrade the game was very good about loading both GPU's.
So then comes the hardest part. After I swapped out the faulty Xinput driver (the one that causes the mouse beeping) then Windows says "hey you need to reboot." Odd, but ok. So I did that and ever since then the SECOND gpu won't show up in Device Manager. And by "won't show up" I mean I don't even have a device listed or anything. Furthermore, in the z170 bios it says "Not detected" when I go to the options to change bus speed on the PCIE channels (may not be saying that correctly). I mean I assume at this point the PCIE_2 slot is hosed or something, right? Both cards work fine when in the primary slot.
Anyone have any suggestions for me? I'm kind of at a loss at this point.
Elitist1945
Member
Should I wait for the Pascal GPUs or whatever, or just get a 980ti now?
Pascals equivalent of the 980 is rumored to be launching May 27
Just reposting for the last time for a new page. Hope to get some input before I slowly buy all the stuff to arrive by Friday.Hey guys. I need help optimizing this $900 build (before taxes)
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($204.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.40 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($55.99)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($45.28 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($66.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($336.62 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $943.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-13 13:29 EDT-0400
This is my 2nd attempt at building a gaming PC. Five years ago was my first attempt. I was left frustrated and disheartened because I didn't know how fix a very loud coil whine coming from both my PSU and GPU while playing games or watching HD videos. I replaced every part of my PC with different brands and types but the coil whine was still there. I have nearly $1000 of buyers remorse I stare at everyday since and almost lost hope at PC gaming because of coil whine. I REALLY hope this turns out better this time around.
This is what I'm looking at so far. I'm still debating whether to go Skylake (i5 6500) or Haswell (i5 4460). Skylake makes me a little upgradable in the future + DDR4, but Haswell helps out with my budget. I'm not ever looking into overclocking. Either generation will work for me.
I chose the EVGA 970 (Please help me pick the best EVGA version. Asus Strix is also an option.) because of mainly the power consumption, compared to the R9 390, and they have treated me great in the past. Plus my brother's build has one in it and works pretty well, cool and silent, under load. I also picked up a CPU cooler for a quieter build. I don't need dead silent, but do not want stock CPU cooler, blow dryer, loud. I prefer to buy my parts from Amazon because Prime.
I really want this one want this to work out and help rebuild my confidence in building PCs and PC Gaming. Thanks for any future advice.
Wish me luck. I will update when the PC is built.
I'm still iffy on the mobo. I read somewhere that H110M doesn't support raids and worried that having two drives isn't going to work with this mobo. Also which version EVGA 970 I should buy (or buy the ASUS Strix).
I'm also willing to listen to recommendations on what case I should get. I think $60 and below is the sweet spot for me. I just picked the Carbide 200R because it's what a lot of people use in their builds and I was happy with the Corsair case I bought before.
Thanks everyone.
Unfortunately, no. I wish there was one in San Diego.
I highly doubt that!
BorntoPlay
Member
you should go for a i5.6500 at least....
Hey guys. I need help optimizing this $900 build (before taxes)
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($204.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.40 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($55.99)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($45.28 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($66.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($336.62 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $943.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-13 13:29 EDT-0400
This is my 2nd attempt at building a gaming PC. Five years ago was my first attempt. I was left frustrated and disheartened because I didn't know how fix a very loud coil whine coming from both my PSU and GPU while playing games or watching HD videos. I replaced every part of my PC with different brands and types but the coil whine was still there. I have nearly $1000 of buyers remorse I stare at everyday since and almost lost hope at PC gaming because of coil whine. I REALLY hope this turns out better this time around.
This is what I'm looking at so far. I'm still debating whether to go Skylake (i5 6500) or Haswell (i5 4460). Skylake makes me a little upgradable in the future + DDR4, but Haswell helps out with my budget. I'm not ever looking into overclocking. Either generation will work for me.
I chose the EVGA 970 (Please help me pick the best EVGA version. Asus Strix is also an option.) because of mainly the power consumption, compared to the R9 390, and they have treated me great in the past. Plus my brother's build has one in it and works pretty well, cool and silent, under load. I also picked up a CPU cooler for a quieter build. I don't need dead silent, but do not want stock CPU cooler, blow dryer, loud. I prefer to buy my parts from Amazon because Prime.
I really want this one want this to work out and help rebuild my confidence in building PCs and PC Gaming. Thanks for any future advice.
Wish me luck. I will update when the PC is built.
Given all of your requirements, I was only able to make a few changes.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($204.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.04 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($55.99)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($38.76 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($66.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba P300 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card ($307.03 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill Line-M MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($46.22 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $868.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-14 01:12 EDT-0400
Could go with an even cheaper PSU, but that one has a silent fan mode and should be good quality. Sucks that you had a lot of issues with coil whine, but there's nothing you can do except complain about the coil whine to the retailer (or manufacturer if already past return grace period), and exchange the part for another one.
Much appreciated. I will definitely consider the parts you recommend. I'm probably sticking with the EVGA G2 though since it's a rebranded Seasonic.
Any suggestions on the mobo if I was to spend about $10-20 more?
Also. People are recommending me to get ACX 2.0 version of the 970. Is the one I picked the best out in that $320-340 price range? Or it shouldn't make a bigger difference if I didn't get the ACX 2.0 version. I think I can max my budget to $950 if need be.
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