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[Cute Dragon Here]

new and hopefully final build thanks to you seems perfect


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($233.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.50 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-E ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($104.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($69.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Kingston FURY 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.99 @ Micro Center)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($304.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case ($67.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: BenQ XL2411Z 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($269.00 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse ($49.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $1303.29
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-22 14:22 EDT-0400

Think you might want to spend a bit more on the motherboard or the HDD? There's still some budget leeway compared to the original configuration, especially if you use OEM Windows - they can't transfer across different motherboard models. I would try to get a sufficiently nice motherboard to start with...

Also, do consider that video games are huge these days, and a 2TB drive might be in the cards if you plan on installing a lot of games. The SSD is good for OS, standard apps, and multiplayer games in my opinion. Leave your documents, media, and single-player games on the HDD.

 

[Fate_Shirou]

is this a good build? (it's my first time building a gaming pc)


PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/dxFKP6
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/dxFKP6/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($243.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($107.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($33.39 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX200 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($148.47 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.99 @ Micro Center)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($319.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($85.99 @ Amazon)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($37.98 @ Mac Mall)
Total: $1275.74
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-22 15:07 EDT-0400

 

[The Sum of Zero]

Hey, me again. Just wanted to post what I believe is my final build once more before I start acquiring everything and see if there are any other recommendations.

Not gonna game much, mostly watching stuff but there's the occasional visual novel on Steam I might touch. Pretty sure the on board graphics on my motherboard will suffice, but out of curiosity, if I wanted to throw in a video card what would you all recommend?

(Will be using Windows 10)

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vryVqs
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vryVqs/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($194.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI B150M MORTAR Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($54.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($68.95 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.89 @ OutletPC)
Case: Thermaltake Versa N21 ATX Mid Tower Case ($52.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($38.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.89 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($37.98 @ Mac Mall)
Total: $624.56
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-22 15:04 EDT-0400

 

[shoreu]

Think you might want to spend a bit more on the motherboard or the HDD? There's still some budget leeway compared to the original configuration, especially if you use OEM Windows - they can't transfer across different motherboard models. I would try to get a sufficiently nice motherboard to start with...

Also, do consider that video games are huge these days, and a 2TB drive might be in the cards if you plan on installing a lot of games. The SSD is good for OS, standard apps, and multiplayer games in my opinion. Leave your documents, media, and single-player games on the HDD.

ehh i have 3 win 10 codes for free since i'm in college, and i planned on doing exactly with the games as you said.


Motherboards are the one thing i know nothing at all about so any recommendations would be appreciated.

 

[catabarez]

Guys what would be better as an intake. One giant fan or two smaller fans at a higher RPM?

 

[shiftplusone]

I don't know if anything has changed so I want to go ahead and ask here

I currently have a 2500k and whatnot, and want to upgrade to a 6700k. I really don't want to deal with buying a new license of windows and shit.

can I install the new hardware, use my current harddrive/install and do a fresh install of Windows? I know in the past this was a big no no but I dunno if anything has changed

 

[mfaex]

.

Appreciate the feedback. I'd rather not be buying a new pc at all, but I don't have a choice. Protip for anyone reading, if you buy an overpriced laptop, get more than a year's warranty.

On that ssd, a 250gb boot drive is what I'm using now and I started with that as the floor when I was looking. I went with that samsung since that's a company I trust with making harddrives (same with wd), so I don't mind paying more. My actual budget is above $1k, but that's where I prefer the final amount to be around. That said I'll make some financial compromises for the right peace of mind or performance.

Temperature was my big concern with the 390 so I guess that decision will go to the end for me. When I do get to game, I play long marathons. I'll go days/weeks without playing anything, then when I have or make time I'll play 6+ hours a day those days. I played more DS3 than I slept the first 2 days of its release, for example. So yeah, cooking at that uptime is interesting to think about.

Again thanks for the input and fuzzybutt too. Definitely changing my psu and ram to the ones y'all suggested and I'll mull over the mobo and gpu some more.

 

[Shahadan]

Buying the retail version of Windows 10 would save a lot of hassle with licence transfers - in the future, you'll be able to reuse the same licence across different computers, just needing to make sure that only one PC is actively using the licence.

Any budget for everything?

Not much of a budget atm. But since I wouldn't pay for cpu/motherboard and maybe RAM I thought about taking a i5-6600k. (not much of a price difference here with similar stuff and even if I don't plan on overclocking I'm not against having the possibility)

I'm not sure about which brand for the 1151 Socket motherboard, have been burned by Asus on other products before but apparently it's the best choice. MSI's are a tad cheaper. I don't need many functions tbh. Just a few usb ports and overclocking since I'm taking a 6600k. 100% sure I won't ever use SLI, although I guess they all have it nowadays.

I can use my current PC for the remaining parts, at least for now.

My main concern would be durability I guess.

 

[Surfinn]

Are you playing at 1080p/60? If so, you'd be better off putting your money towards a nice new 1440p/144Hz display IMO.

Yeah, that's what I'm shooting for. I've already got a 144hz display so I'm just looking for the increase in performance.

Reading through this thread, it looks like going from a 2600k to 6700k will actually make a substantial difference in framerate.

Any thoughts?

 

[kuYuri]

Yeah, that's what I'm shooting for. I've already got a 144hz display so I'm just looking for the increase in performance.

Reading through this thread, it looks like going from a 2600k to 6700k will actually make a substantial difference in framerate.

Any thoughts?

Watch this video of DF testing the different generations of i7 CPUs.

http://youtu.be/VDo-j00vUtw

There's also another video they did showing that having higher speed RAM can also contribute to overall higher framerates.

 

[AndrewDean84xX]

I'm in the market to get a new PC that's VR Ready and wont run like poo. How does this one look, on paper? I plan to display in 4K as well as VR.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883102120&ignorebbr=1

 

[Surfinn]

Watch this video of DF testing the different generations of i7 CPUs.

http://youtu.be/VDo-j00vUtw

There's also another video they did showing that having higher speed RAM can also contribute to overall higher framerates.

Wow, thanks for this man. Just was I was looking for.

Ouch. Maybe it's time..

 

[garath]

Watch this video of DF testing the different generations of i7 CPUs.

http://youtu.be/VDo-j00vUtw

There's also another video they did showing that having higher speed RAM can also contribute to overall higher framerates.

Interesting video. In some games you can get upwards of 30% more performance out of an upgrade, in others nothing.

 

[paskowitz]

I'm in the market to get a new PC that's VR Ready and wont run like poo. How does this one look, on paper? I plan to display in 4K as well as VR.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883102120&ignorebbr=1

Build your own. GTX 970 is minimum spec and won't even come close to playing 4K. I would wait until nvidia's new gpus come out.

 

[AndrewDean84xX]

Build your own. GTX 970 is minimum spec and won't even come close to playing 4K. I would wait until nvidia's new gpus come out.

I wish I could build my own, but I'm not sure how it all works, etc. not sure I want to learn. Forgetting VR, how does this laptop seem, if I want to play PC games with good performance and visuals for a few years?

http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16834315187

 

[Bloodember]

I wish I could build my own, but I'm not sure how it all works, etc. not sure I want to learn. Forgetting VR, how does this laptop seem, if I want to play PC games with good performance and visuals for a few years?

http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16834315187

Thats a good laptop spec wise.

 

[digitalrelic]

Well, I just finished moving all of my equipment from my old case into a new one, and added liquid cooling in the process.

Specs are as follows:

i7 4790k @4.7ghz
GTX 980 Ti @ 1500mhz
16GB DDR 2400mhz
1TB Samsung EVO 840 SSD
240GB Kingston SSD

I picked up an NZXT Kraken X61 and an NZXT S340 case to go with it.

Turned out really nice IMHO:

... and holy shit, quality cable management is a lot more difficult than I thought it'd be. Took me forever! I'm really happy with how it turned out though.

Most importantly of course, is the temps:

This is with an i7 4790k OC'ed to 4.7ghz.

Before:

After:

Shaved off a solid 18 degrees! This is coming from a Corsair Hyper 212 EVO HSF, which isn't too shabby itself. So I'm really happy with the results. I was also pleased to see my GPU temps decrease by 5 degrees. Probably due to a cooler case & better airflow.

 

[Elitist1945]

My GPU is at the top slot (so right below the CPU cooler) and it still reaches 80+ in games. Is there anything I can do, other than install more fans?

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

My GPU is at the top slot (so right below the CPU cooler) and it still reaches 80+ in games. Is there anything I can do, other than install more fans?

Do you have the fan profile set to 100% at like 79 degrees? That's about the only thing you can do.

 

[Rufus]

First off, is it even something you need to worry about? Check what yours is capable of withstanding. Some GPUs just run hot.
I would advise against 100% fanspeed, for your ear's sake more than anything (but also your fans). You'll hear them even through headphones.

As for what you can do at no cost:
- Get your ambient temps down. Might be as simple as opening a window. Also, the air near the floor will be a little cooler, so if you have your tower on your desk, maybe move it down. Don't put it directly on carpet though, especially if your PSU draws air from the bottom.
- Limit your framerate by either capping it at whatever you find acceptable (via drivers, outside tool or within games, though few offer that option) or by using plain old v-sync.
- Underclock your GPU via your driver software or by using an outside tool. It should do this automatically if it gets too hot, but if you're still worried and can't get your temps under control, you can just hamstring it this way. Obviously, this will affect performance, depending on how far you go.

 

[Cute Dragon Here]

is this a good build? (it's my first time building a gaming pc)


PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/dxFKP6
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/dxFKP6/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($243.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($107.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($33.39 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX200 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($148.47 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.99 @ Micro Center)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($319.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($85.99 @ Amazon)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($37.98 @ Mac Mall)
Total: $1275.74
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-22 15:07 EDT-0400

Most of the system should be fine. You a fan of Gigabyte? I'm not, but that's mostly because of firmware (at least via second-hand knowledge, so YMMV).

2x4 GB is cutting it really close these days. I'd just get 2x8 GB as a comfortable position, and you should be getting more GB per dollar, too.

That SSD appears to be very poor value, and I'm not a fan of large SSDs if you also have an auxiliary HDD. Went ahead and changed it into something that costs much less. Personally, only a few things really warrant being on an SSD, and that'd be the OS, standard apps, and (primarily) multiplayer(-only) video games. Everything else should go to the HDD. (For the record, I've put in the SSD I'm actually using right now.)

That's a lot of dough for the case. Got a personal preference? If yes, I guess I'll leave it alone, but if you're looking for saving more dough there, a Corsair 200R, or similar case would do well

The power supply looks good.

Just remember that with an OEM licence, once you activate Windows on your motherboard, that's it - the only "different" motherboard that'll let you activate on the same key, even via telephone activation, is the same motherboard model.

You probably don't need the Wi-Fi adapter unless you'll be using it far away from any Ethernet connection points.

Anyway, here's a slightly revised list for you. I haven't exactly changed everything, but do note if you have some brand preferences.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($233.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z170A GAMING M3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($112.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($52.20 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston FURY 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.99 @ Micro Center)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($319.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($85.49 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($37.98 @ Mac Mall)
Total: $1189.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-23 02:24 EDT-0400

Hey, me again. Just wanted to post what I believe is my final build once more before I start acquiring everything and see if there are any other recommendations.

Not gonna game much, mostly watching stuff but there's the occasional visual novel on Steam I might touch. Pretty sure the on board graphics on my motherboard will suffice, but out of curiosity, if I wanted to throw in a video card what would you all recommend?

(Will be using Windows 10)

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vryVqs
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vryVqs/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($194.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI B150M MORTAR Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($54.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($68.95 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.89 @ OutletPC)
Case: Thermaltake Versa N21 ATX Mid Tower Case ($52.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($38.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.89 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($37.98 @ Mac Mall)
Total: $624.56
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-22 15:04 EDT-0400

The part list you've pasted here seems to be cropped.

You're buying too much computer for light gaming... I'm tossing out most of your current part list. Unless you're intending to do video encodes or compiles on it?

i3 should be more than good enough for your purposes, and if you want to run a so-called "AAA" game with good enough settings later on, it's just a GTX 950 away. (Avoid the Radeons, since you're going to be running an i3 with my suggestion; if i5, do consider the AMD aisle )

If you prefer, go with a 2x4GB kit. It's oddly cheaper to get two separate 4GB sticks, and they probably will work anyway (since they're just DDR4-2133). Just remember that the motherboard I've picked won't let you run RAM past 2133 - if you want faster RAM, get a Z170 board (and also enjoy the additional features).

This SSD works pretty well in my desktop and should give you massively more GB per dollar. As for the HDD, unless you have a need, 1TB should be more than enough for anybody.

Changed the case into something that should be a bit more solid (but again, it might be too muted for your tastes), and the power supply... well, I was thinking that no component in there is going to be remotely powerful at the moment, and even then you should be able to safely add a GTX 960 to the system in the future. I have to ask, though - will you upgrade to a video card with at least 145W of power consumption in the future? If yes, keep your PSU choice of the 600B.

You probably don't need the Wi-Fi adapter. No Ethernet connection point?

Your system probably doesn't have Bluetooth. I've went and removed the keyboard and mouse; it's probably preferably to get a USB-based wireless keyboard/mouse combo. May I recommend the MK520, from the same manufacturer - and what I use? (Unless you're more into gaming.)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($111.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus B150M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($79.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($14.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($14.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston FURY 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($28.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.89 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home Full - USB (32/64-bit) ($108.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($37.98 @ Mac Mall)
Total: $574.77
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-23 02:41 EDT-0400

 

[catabarez]

Are corsair SP and AF led fans the same performance-wise as the non-led fans?

 

[Shahadan]

Anyone from europe had an experience with a website called Tresbizz? They're apparently from the netherlands and my google search only told me they're sometimes a seller in the marketplace of various websites.

Anyway, they have a windows 10 downloadable code for £ 34.31/ 53€

http://www.tresbizz.com/uk/en/windows-10-home-prod.html

Which sounds both fishy and appealing.

 

[Cute Dragon Here]

Are corsair SP and AF led fans the same performance-wise as the non-led fans?

No, not at all. Anandtech actually just did a fan review of all the fans, and the non-LED versions tend to be better than the LED counterparts. Makes sense, too, as they're of a different design.

 

[LilJoka]

Are there any differences between a DDR3-1866 CL9 kit pushed up via manual overclocking to the equivalent of a DDR3-2400 CL11 kit that is of the same line (Kingston HyperX Savage), with identical, or tighter primary sub-timings?

I've managed to take the 2x8GB DDR3-1866 CL9 kit I've bought, tweaked settings, and threw in more voltage, and have it successfully boot at DDR3-2400 11-13-13-32 at 1.65V (compared to the "official" version's 1.6V), and preliminary testing appears to indicate that the RAM modules are perfectly happy at such frequency and latencies with IntelBurnTest and one pass of Memtest86 (I intend to let the other three passes continue on - I'm still watching the test run at the moment.)

The RAM passed all four default passes of Memtest86 with flying colours at the default XMP profile of DDR3-1866 CL9, and has no Rowhammer issue, if that's worth anything.

Also, is it safe to maintain an elevated voltage? Setting the voltage to 1.65V turned the voltage indicator option in my motherboard firmware settings (Asus Z97-Pro Gamer) to yellow. Voltages beyond 1.57 turn it yellow, beyond 1.67V turn it purple, and beyond 1.72 red, for information - seems like it's my board's way of telling me how "unsafe" the voltage is.

There is no difference if you overclock or buy off the shelf, remember the off the shelf version is just a factory overclock from the JDEC spec.
If the off the shelf version has tighter timings then it would be slightly faster. But if the primary timings are the same then it will perform the same.

1.65v VDIMM is fine. What is the IMC voltage?

 

[Cute Dragon Here]

There is no difference if you overclock or buy off the shelf, remember the off the shelf version is just a factory overclock from the JDEC spec.
If the off the shelf version has tighter timings then it would be slightly faster. But if the primary timings are the same then it will perform the same.

1.65v VDIMM is fine. What is the IMC voltage?

Not sure, the motherboard's firmware settings doesn't seem to make it clear.

Tried a very slightly tighter 11-13-13-31 2T timing (identical to timings on a Corsair Vengeance Pro DDR3-2400 kit), and it's still Memtest86 stable. Am I set if it's stable with Memtest86?

My RAM is basically at the "voltage cliff" though, since I pretty much have to raise the voltage if I go for an even lower CL number to about 1.7V. The RAM can't get to benchmark stable at DDR3-2666 speeds, either, though I haven't really played around with the timings too much at such high speeds.

How high would you go if you intend to OC the memory with the help of voltage boosting on a Haswell system? I have heard anything from 1.65V to 1.8V...

Should I try anyway, with looser timings, for even higher speeds? Am I also possibly slightly handicapped by my motherboard (Asus Z97-Pro Gamer) or CPU (i5-4590)?

 

[Kilrogg]

It's a good deal quieter. It can be even quieter with only one fan installed and Noctua even provides pass through cables that lower the RPM of the fans.

Sorry for the late reply, only just saw your message. Thanks, sounds like a good idea then, I'll have to look into it.

 

[LilJoka]

Not sure, the motherboard's firmware settings doesn't seem to make it clear.

Tried a very slightly tighter 11-13-13-31 2T timing (identical to timings on a Corsair Vengeance Pro DDR3-2400 kit), and it's still Memtest86 stable. Am I set if it's stable with Memtest86?

My RAM is basically at the "voltage cliff" though, since I pretty much have to raise the voltage if I go for an even lower CL number to about 1.7V. The RAM can't get to benchmark stable at DDR3-2666 speeds, either, though I haven't really played around with the timings too much at such high speeds.

How high would you go if you intend to OC the memory with the help of voltage boosting on a Haswell system? I have heard anything from 1.65V to 1.8V...

Should I try anyway, with looser timings, for even higher speeds? Am I also possibly slightly handicapped by my motherboard (Asus Z97-Pro Gamer) or CPU (i5-4590)?

Memtest86 is only good for proving dead ram, not for stress testing.

Use prime95 blend custom with 12gb ram and a minimum fft of 256k.
You can also use memtest.

I also don't see much gain after 2133mhz. You should try for that speed 10-11-11-28 1T.

 

[Elitist1945]

Every now and then I hear what I want to describe as a vibration noise (?) coming from my PC. It kinda sounds likes it coming from my GPU. What could that be?

 

[Rufus]

Every now and then I hear what I want to describe as a vibration noise (?) coming from my PC. It kinda sounds likes it coming from my GPU. What could that be?

If it really is coming from your GPU, that it could be the cooler's shroud vibrating at certain fan speeds. You can test this easily by manually adjusting the fan speed with your ear near it.

What about your temps, btw?

 

[Elitist1945]

If it really is coming from your GPU, that it could be the cooler's shroud vibrating at certain fan speeds. You can test this easily by manually adjusting the fan speed with your ear near it.

What about your temps, btw?

Right now its about 30 degrees idling. I went into afterburner and changed fan speeds but it'd still make a noise every now and then, and would sound the same whether if the fans were lower or higher. Haven't heard it in a while now though.

 

[Cute Dragon Here]

Memtest86 is only good for proving dead ram, not for stress testing.

Use prime95 blend custom with 12gb ram and a minimum fft of 256k.
You can also use memtest.

I also don't see much gain after 2133mhz. You should try for that speed 10-11-11-28 1T.

Interesting you should say that.

Why use MemTest86

Unreliable RAM can cause a multitude of problems. Corrupted data, crashes and unexplained behaviour. Bad RAM is one of the most frustrating computer problems to have as symptoms are often random and hard to pin down. MemTest86 can help diagnose faulty RAM (or rule it out as a cause of system instability). As such it is often used by system builders, PC repair stores, overclockers & PC manufacturers.

(emphasis mine)

Either way, I'm now running Prime95 on the desktop system with the specified settings, stressing out the RAM (and CPU), and it's fine at the moment. The total power consumption is huge, though: 28-31W for the RAM alone! The CPU also sometimes gets close to 73W, too, most of the time spending on 70. CPU package temp peaked at about 78C or 80C, depending on whose in-core readings you trust. Honestly, 10 hours for possible stability testing seems an unusually long amount of time - I'm used to doing things a lot more quickly with IntelBurnTest loops (FWIW, it uncovers unstable RAM overclocks even if it's Windows stable in my use.)

Hmm, back of the napkin math shows that I might get slightly more latency with that configuration. Think the other three reduced primary timings might make up the slack?

 

[Fate_Shirou]

I'm having trouble making my mind on either getting gtx 970 or gtx 980 ti. As of now I be only gaming at 1080p resolution. I'm in no mood to wait for the newer pascal gpu to come out. So, should I pay the extra and get the gtx 980 ti and I wouldn't need to worry about upgrading my gpu for 3 years ( which I hope ends up being true). I'm not sure if gtx 970 will be able to keep up with future games. Do I need to care if a certain cpu has higher clock speed? I could just overclock it later right?

 

[Cute Dragon Here]

I'm having trouble making my mind on either getting gtx 970 or gtx 980 ti. As of now I be only gaming at 1080p resolution. I'm in no mood to wait for the newer pascal gpu to come out. So, should I pay the extra and get the gtx 980 ti and I wouldn't need to worry about upgrading my gpu for 3 years ( which I hope ends up being true). I'm not sure if gtx 970 will be able to keep up with future games. Do I need to care if a certain cpu has higher clock speed? I could just overclock it later right?

Yeah, if you want to max everything as well as it can at 1080p, nothing beats a factory-overclocked, fancy-cooler 980 Ti from a major graphics card vendor. The 970 isn't even pushing Ultra settings in some games right now, and even though overclocking it helps a lot (basically turns it into a 980), you can also overclock the 980 Ti like mad and end up with a card that's noticeably better than a Titan X.

If you do get a 980 Ti, I expect it to last at least, like, 4 years.

As for CPUs, clock speed is just one part of the equation. You should also take into account the CPU architecture and the amount of cores (and virtual threads). Keep in mind that most CPUs are locked these days, so you aren't getting more out of your CPU later on if it's locked - no overclocking.

 

[kiunchbb]

Right now its about 30 degrees idling. I went into afterburner and changed fan speeds but it'd still make a noise every now and then, and would sound the same whether if the fans were lower or higher. Haven't heard it in a while now though.

May be the fan is touching some wires?

 

[Vuze]

PC building GAF, what are your current favorite ATX cases?

I want to move on from my current cheapo Bitfenix case from three years ago coinciding with my imminent Win10 upgrade and Pascal release.

I think something minimalistic, maybe windowed would be nice for a change.

 

[catabarez]

No, not at all. Anandtech actually just did a fan review of all the fans, and the non-LED versions tend to be better than the LED counterparts. Makes sense, too, as they're of a different design.

Okay good to know. Are there any high performance LED fans? I wanted to replace my front fan with one.

Sorry for the late reply, only just saw your message. Thanks, sounds like a good idea then, I'll have to look into it.

Be sure to check on Noctua's website if your motherboard is compatible with the cooler. There is an NH-D15S with higher compatibility and just one fan. It is cheaper though.

 

[LordAlu]

PC building GAF, what are your current favorite ATX cases?

I want to move on from my current cheapo Bitfenix case from three years ago coinciding with my imminent Win10 upgrade and Pascal release.

I think something minimalistic, maybe windowed would be nice for a change.

• NZXT S340
• Fractal Design Define R5
• NZXT H440
• Corsair Carbide Clear 600C
• Inwin 904 Plus
• Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ATX

 

[Elitist1945]

PC building GAF, what are your current favorite ATX cases?

I want to move on from my current cheapo Bitfenix case from three years ago coinciding with my imminent Win10 upgrade and Pascal release.

I think something minimalistic, maybe windowed would be nice for a change.

• NZXT S340
  [*]Fractal Design Define R5
• NZXT H440
• Corsair Carbide Clear 600C
• Inwin 904 Plus
• Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ATX

I have the Fractal R5 (the windowed version) and I love it. Would recommend.

 

[catabarez]

Are there any sound dampening cases that also have good air flow?

 

[digitalrelic]

PC building GAF, what are your current favorite ATX cases?

I want to move on from my current cheapo Bitfenix case from three years ago coinciding with my imminent Win10 upgrade and Pascal release.

I think something minimalistic, maybe windowed would be nice for a change.

You can see my S340 a few posts above. Its a wonderful, compact case.

 

[GetDigitized]

So, I need a new keyboard , I don't think I need a mechanical one since I don't really play competitively & use a controller like 70% of the time. I play ffxiv and type alot for work etc so I need something comfortable. I also need to be able to rest my left hand since my left wrist is slightly messed up so resting it on the keyboard makes it easier for me. I've seen this on Amazon and it seems to be a good deal:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CA1KQ4C/
I don't really need macros, but I guess I could use them in ffxiv, which I don't play regularly, I get the urge to play for a month or 2 and then drop it for a while.
I was going to use a set of macros for volume up+down & mute etc

 

[kennah]

Are there any sound dampening cases that also have good air flow?

Fractal R5. It doesn't look like it in the pictures, but it has vents on the front.

 

[OraleeWey]

PC building GAF, what are your current favorite ATX cases?

I want to move on from my current cheapo Bitfenix case from three years ago coinciding with my imminent Win10 upgrade and Pascal release.

I think something minimalistic, maybe windowed would be nice for a change.

I saw this one at Microcenter the other day and I thought it was really cool. The reset button has a plastic covering it as if you're going to launch a missile or something.

 

[LordAlu]

So, I need a new keyboard , I don't think I need a mechanical one since I don't really play competitively & use a controller like 70% of the time. I play ffxiv and type alot for work etc so I need something comfortable. I also need to be able to rest my left hand since my left wrist is slightly messed up so resting it on the keyboard makes it easier for me. I've seen this on Amazon and it seems to be a good deal:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CA1KQ4C/
I don't really need macros, but I guess I could use them in ffxiv, which I don't play regularly, I get the urge to play for a month or 2 and then drop it for a while.
I was going to use a set of macros for volume up+down & mute etc

If you can find one somewhere, the CM Storm Trigger Z is a really nice keyboard with possibly the best wrist rest I've used in my 20-odd years of PC use. Unfortunately I think it's discontinued, but you might be able to find somewhere with it in stock or maybe on eBay.

 

[Vuze]

Thanks for the input guys!

• NZXT S340
• Fractal Design Define R5
• NZXT H440
• Corsair Carbide Clear 600C
• Inwin 904 Plus
• Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ATX

The Inwin 904 plus and Corsair 600C look wicked (though the inverse layout of the latter isn't really my taste). I also came across the Lian-Li PC-J60 which looks great as well. Will do more research on these.

Was about to order the Corsair 400C ('revised' and non-inverted version of the 600C)... until I realized I need the clear panel to be on the other side due to my desk setup q_q
Seems like literally all windowed cases have the presentation panel on the right doh

 

[RealityCheque]

You can see my S340 a few posts above. Its a wonderful, compact case.

seconded. Great case, good looking and easy to build in.

 

[Arex]

Are there any sound dampening cases that also have good air flow?

R5, or the Define S, it is basically a R5 with out the HDD cages, so it's very open inside :d

 

[Artchur]

So I have a new house... which equals new gaming setup. At my last place I ran an HDMI cable through the wall to get my PC to my TV/Console area. In this case, that wont work. I had the cable along the ground but that gets annoying. It also is a pain trying to set it up all the time. Anyone have any experience with the streaming solutions or other possible fixes?

Here is a pic of the current setup:

http://imgur.com/18o90y3

 

[LilJoka]

Interesting you should say that.



(emphasis mine)

Either way, I'm now running Prime95 on the desktop system with the specified settings, stressing out the RAM (and CPU), and it's fine at the moment. The total power consumption is huge, though: 28-31W for the RAM alone! The CPU also sometimes gets close to 73W, too, most of the time spending on 70. CPU package temp peaked at about 78C or 80C, depending on whose in-core readings you trust. Honestly, 10 hours for possible stability testing seems an unusually long amount of time - I'm used to doing things a lot more quickly with IntelBurnTest loops (FWIW, it uncovers unstable RAM overclocks even if it's Windows stable in my use.)

Hmm, back of the napkin math shows that I might get slightly more latency with that configuration. Think the other three reduced primary timings might make up the slack?

It's a balance, if you are happy running high VDIMM, VCCIO and VCCSA for 2400mhz and its stable then that's fine. If not then just back off a tad and you might notice temps drop dramatically as VCCSA & VCCIO are CPU voltages for the IMC. There's going to be hardly any performance impact and a greater probability of being closer to 100% stable by the nature of running less on the edge settings.

The core temp readings will be very accurate on these chips as you are close to TJmax.

Is the CPU overclocked?
If VCCSA and VCCIO are on AUTO you might find they are being over volted excessively at 2400mhz so set these manually. You might see temps drop if so.

Run a multitude of stress tests, I've had plenty of times where I can pass IBT and fail prime and the other way too. I tend to run prime95, x264 bench and games.