Support NeoGAF

[RGM79]

I'm willing to spend any kind of money is it's reasonable. Forgot to mention i also have an amd fx8350 and a 850 watts power supply.

I'm gonna play mostly single player games as multiplayer i do on consoles with friends. As long as i can get my 60fps, i'm happy with high-medium settings.

A GTX 970 or R9 390 is your best bet. Maybe the former, seeing as how someone in this thread is having issues with an R9 390 not giving expected performance. Specific recommendations will depend on what country you're in and what your system specs are like. Most importantly, what case you have so we don't recommend you a graphics card that is too large to fit.

Your CPU is OK. If overclocked, it'll help nail that 60FPS if you ever have difficulty reaching it.

I'm a cheapo but a family member gave me a free i7 4770 (not k version just normal 4770) plus free 16gb memory 1600hz (CAL Latency 11 clocks. Cycle time 28 clocks.)

That memory timing good or too slow (for gaming?)

Ordered today a GA-H97-D3H mobo reccomended in the OP, but it's the ATX version not MATX, but is cheaper and has the same specs plus more which seems strange to me since the price gap seems big. Graphics card I only have an AMD Saphire 6670 which I'm gonna continue using cos I'm cheap. Thinking of getting a SSD but that can wait.

Games aren't really bottlenecked by system RAM, so no worries about 1600MHz and CL11 latency.

Overclocking CPU? If stock clocks then no, more eye candy than anything. Although there are cheap options out there similar to heatsinks at which point it's all about preference more than price, and whether your case allows it.

Exhibit A:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181029

Edit: Why is an affiliate link popping up instead of the normal (clean url) I paste?

I don't see an affiliate link. I hope you don't have some kind of malware that's hijacking links.

 

[jokingbird]

Looking for some help with a PC for a relative. They are looking to do some video editing, and use the PC in an office setting.

Your Current Specs: n/a - new build.

Budget: $800

Main Use: Rate 1-5. 5 being Highest:
5. Video/Audio Editing
4. General Usage
~ Work PC for a relative / No gaming needed

Monitor Resolution: 2560x1440

List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Adobe Suite, Running old copy of Premiere, and Dreamweaver.

When will you build?: Do you have a deadline? - Preferably in the next 2 weeks.

Will you be overclocking?: No

Thank you for any help.

Edit - They would prefer a quite pc.

 

[GnawtyDog]

I don't see an affiliate link. I hope you don't have some kind of malware that's hijacking links.

The link changes from newegg.com to neweggbusiness.com when I paste. Still takes you to the same product, just a different site, albeit still legit newegg. Only happens on Gaf.

Umm odd. Your quoted link comes clean.

 

[DiscoShark]

I have the OC'ed version of that card I bought 2 days ago. Was able to push it a bit more with it's stock cooling. Not sure if it's over what you could get with the base card.

For what it's worth, I have a factory over clocked evga 670, and I can push it even further. I guess it depends on th price difference for whether it's worth it or not.

As for evga, I can't say I've had any problems with my card, so I haven't had any experience with their warranty, although I have heard good things.

Appreciate the feedback guys. If nothing else I'm definitely patting myself on the back for taking the time to throw up some questions here before taking the plunge if for no other reason than, within 20 minutes of my original post, the Assassins Creed Syndicate / Tom Clancy bundle being activated for the card I was looking at.

The universe has rewarded me for consulting the GAF.

 

[RGM79]

The link changes from newegg.com to neweggbusiness.com when I paste. Still takes you to the same product, just a different site, albeit still legit newegg. Only happens on Gaf.

Umm odd. Your quoted link comes clean.

Have you logged into Newegg Business or something? try clearing all cookies related to newegg.

 

[Wag]

Don't do it. It's way more hassle than its worth. I just took mine apart for good and bought a Phanteks Heatsink.

I agree, water is a PITA. Everyone told me to go with water for my new 5820k build, I went with a Thermalright True Spirit 140 BW Rev A heatsink and was still able to get 4.3GHz out of it comfortably on it on air (and can probably go higher). I probably couldn't get much higher on water.

 

[GnawtyDog]

Have you logged into Newegg Business or something? try clearing all cookies related to newegg.

Found it, viglink. There is an opt-out.

 

[fred]

I've always been VERY wary about water cooling, water and expensive electronic equipment shouldn't mix in my book.

If anyone is going for air cooling then I highly recommend you look at Noctua products, they're amazing.

 

[JeanPi]

A GTX 970 or R9 390 is your best bet. Maybe the former, seeing as how someone in this thread is having issues with an R9 390 not giving expected performance. Specific recommendations will depend on what country you're in and what your system specs are like. Most importantly, what case you have so we don't recommend you a graphics card that is too large to fit.

Your CPU is OK. If overclocked, it'll help nail that 60FPS if you ever have difficulty reaching it

I have a NZXT Noctis 450. I'm guessing a 970 is cheaper than a regular old 980 and better for a next year upgrade, correct?

 

[RGM79]

I have a NZXT Noctis 450. I'm guessing a 970 is cheaper than a regular old 980 and better for a next year upgrade, correct?

Ok, your case should be enough to accommodate most graphics cards out there, save for exceptionally long triple fan models. Even if for some reason you wanted a model with a triple fan cooler, you could remove the hard drive cage to allow for the longer graphics card.

What upgrade are you thinking of next year? From a price to performance perspective, the GTX 970 is a far better deal than the GTX 980. The ~$500 GTX 980 is on average only around 10~20% better than the ~$330 GTX 970. Even some GTX 970s can be overclocked to match a stock GTX 980 in performance.

 

[JeanPi]

Ok, your case should be enough to accommodate most graphics cards out there, save for exceptionally long triple fan models. Even if for some reason you wanted a model with a triple fan cooler, you could remove the hard drive cage to allow for the longer graphics card.

What upgrade are you thinking of next year? From a price to performance perspective, the GTX 970 is a far better deal than the GTX 980. The ~$500 GTX 980 is on average only around 10~20% better than the ~$330 GTX 970. Even some GTX 970s can be overclocked to match a stock GTX 980 in performance.

Dunno. Maybe whatever Nvidia or Amd announce next year. I was already thinking about the 980ti or Fury X but from what i've read, it's better to wait. I'm just listening to everyone's opinion on the matter. It's better to gain knowledge from everyone, everywhere than rushing things.

 

[SleazyC]

So... water cooling, where do I start? Is it worth it?

Start with an all-in-one unit to get your feet wet (badum tish!). If you want the ability to expand the loop but still keep the all-in-one unit easyness some AIO's allow for expandability. I'm a fan of Swiftech's products.

After you feel comfortable with an AIO you can think about building your own loop but that can eat up some serious money and time. Air cooling can be just as good if you are OC'ing but if you want to push to extremes and have a silent system you should look into water cooling.

 

[Tensketch]

After 3 days, I FINALLY managed to get in touch with Scan over my dead pixel monitor.

They won't replace it, I've had the thing 10 days and they wont replace it as 1 pixel does not count as faulty.

Surely I could just replace the damned thing and buy another as I've had it less than a month. This is fucking ridiculous. I spent a lot of money on this fucking thing.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

After 3 days, I FINALLY managed to get in touch with Scan over my dead pixel monitor.

They won't replace it, I've had the thing 10 days and they wont replace it as 1 pixel does not count as faulty.

Surely I could just replace the damned thing and buy another as I've had it less than a month. This is fucking ridiculous. I spent a lot of money on this fucking thing.

Funny, I am having the exact same experience with my gsync monitor and the shop won't answer my damn exchange request. Kind of pissed right now. This is a shop in Finland though.

 

[Altarus]

After 3 days, I FINALLY managed to get in touch with Scan over my dead pixel monitor.

They won't replace it, I've had the thing 10 days and they wont replace it as 1 pixel does not count as faulty.

Surely I could just replace the damned thing and buy another as I've had it less than a month. This is fucking ridiculous. I spent a lot of money on this fucking thing.

Funny, I am having the exact same experience with my gsync monitor and the shop won't answer my damn exchange request. Kind of pissed right now. This is a shop in Finland though.

A friend got the same answer from a french seller. But after he start posting messages everywhere that this shop suxx, don't wanna replace his monitor, and as a designer (not true but meh), he cannot work with, etc.... The shop finaly contact him, and in exchange to the suppression of all the messages, replace for free his monitor. Maybe try to do the same.

 

[Nostremitus]

I have a friend looking for a new PC build, his requirements are as follows...

Your Current Specs: Fresh build
Budget: ~$1000 USD

Main Use: "It'll be in my spare bedroom for when I have company over, so it needs to be small, and able to do web browsing, movies, and Korean online games."
Monitor Resolution: 1080/60 buying new monitor
List SPECIFIC games: "Korean Online Games" I think he was embarrassed to say specific titles for some reason...
Looking to reuse any parts?: No
When will you build?: ASAP
Will you be overclocking?: No



This is what I put together using Broadwell for the integrated graphics. I'm trying to get everything as close to $1000 dollars as possible. He, also wants everything to be black, and everything that can be wireless needs to be wireless.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-5675C 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($314.59 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($73.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($43.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM (64-bit) ($139.75 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor ($145.77 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech MK520 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard w/Laser Mouse ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1073.05
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-07 07:26 EDT-0400


What do you fine folks think?

I went with the 600W PSU so that he has no problems if he decides to throw a dGPU in at a later date.



In the event that he wants more gaming power out the gate, I threw this build together. I know that AMD CPUs are not good, I really don't think it'll be an issue for his particular use case.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 860K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($59.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XN-WIFI Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($42.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 390 8GB PCS+ Video Card ($294.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($43.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM (64-bit) ($139.75 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor ($145.77 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech MK520 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard w/Laser Mouse ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1074.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-07 07:53 EDT-0400

 

[ruttyboy]

After 3 days, I FINALLY managed to get in touch with Scan over my dead pixel monitor.

They won't replace it, I've had the thing 10 days and they wont replace it as 1 pixel does not count as faulty.

Surely I could just replace the damned thing and buy another as I've had it less than a month. This is fucking ridiculous. I spent a lot of money on this fucking thing.

I think you have 14 days from the day after you recieved the order to cancel and return for a full refund. So tell them that's what you would like to do and they may offer to replace it.

 

[Jag]

Even some GTX 970s can be overclocked to match a stock GTX 980 in performance.

Any suggestions for overclock settings for the 970? I've been looking for some easy to understand guides. I'm using MSI Afterburner (on a Gigabyte Windforce 970) and bumped up the clock speeds a bit, but can't tell what affect that has on performance.

 

[Tensketch]

I think you have 14 days from the day after you recieved the order to cancel and return for a full refund. So tell them that's what you would like to do and they may offer to replace it.

I did, they've said as long as it's in PRISTINE condition, they'll RMA it under the 14 day return policy.

I may not buy the bastard monitor from them out of principle of them being so fucking awkward.

 

[Shadowhaxor]

I have a friend looking for a new PC build, his requirements are as follows...
*Snip*

Amazon has the i7 for $329, just 10 bucks more over the i5 you picked up. Plus it's a "K" version, so it's better for overclocking, if your buddy is in to that.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPRWAX8/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Build looks solid. However, if I may and this is totally up to you. Check out Reddit and pick up a Windows 10 for $35-40.

https://www.reddit.com/r/microsofts...ows_10_7_8_81_office_2016_2013_2010_pc_mac_w/

I only deal with verified users there and I've gotten at least 10 keys from there, zero issues.

 

[ruttyboy]

I did, they've said as long as it's in PRISTINE condition, they'll RMA it under the 14 day return policy.

I may not buy the bastard monitor from them out of principle of them being so fucking awkward.

Hah, it's your right to try it out upon receipt, so as long as you haven't scratched it or anything they have no choice. Good luck anyway.

 

[josecitoxnyo]

Is my GPU dead? Lately specially when playing GTA V or BF4 i get this random artifacts on screen, as seen on this video i took yesterday.

It's a 270X 2GB, i was wondering what would be the best choice to replace it, 370? 960 4gb?

 

[Tensketch]

Hah, it's your right to try it out upon receipt, so as long as you haven't scratched it or anything they have no choice. Good luck anyway.

Thanks, I've told them I want to buy another in a hope that they'll just replace it. But problem is, I used a voucher when I bought it and its long expired. So if I buy again, I'm paying more.

 

[RGM79]

I have a friend looking for a new PC build, his requirements are as follows...

Your Current Specs: Fresh build
Budget: ~$1000 USD

Main Use: "It'll be in my spare bedroom for when I have company over, so it needs to be small, and able to do web browsing, movies, and Korean online games."
Monitor Resolution: 1080/60 buying new monitor
List SPECIFIC games: "Korean Online Games" I think he was embarrassed to say specific titles for some reason...
Looking to reuse any parts?: No
When will you build?: ASAP
Will you be overclocking?: No

This is what I put together using Broadwell for the integrated graphics. I'm trying to get everything as close to $1000 dollars as possible. He, also wants everything to be black, and everything that can be wireless needs to be wireless.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

What do you fine folks think? I went with the 600W PSU so that he has no problems if he decides to throw a dGPU in at a later date. In the event that he wants more gaming power out the gate, I threw this build together. I know that AMD CPUs are not good, I really don't think it'll be an issue for his particular use case.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Your builds are somewhat unbalanced. While Broadwell is nice to have for its iGPU, going with a non-overclocking Haswell i5 and a discrete graphics card can and probably will yield better gaming performance. You can make compromises elsewhere (go with 8GB of RAM, Windows 10 home edition, etc) to make it work.

In the case of the second build, while it does work the R9 390 would almost certainly be bottlenecked by the Athlon X4 (which itself is often compared to the Pentium G3258). How about a build like this? It has a GTX 970 and i5 processor for far stronger performance than the first build and no bottlenecking like the second build.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H81M-ITX/WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($63.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Team Dark 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($35.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($299.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($93.75 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor ($128.99 @ NCIX US)
Keyboard: Logitech MK520 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard w/Laser Mouse ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1007.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-07 09:52 EDT-0400

Also you could go with the R9 390 if preferred, but the extra VRAM wouldn't really matter much and the GTX 970 might do better in a cramped and small chassis since it produces less heat. Also, the GTX 970 currently comes with a free redeemable code for Rainbow Six Siege or Assassin's Creed Syndicate as a new promotion by Nvidia. Check with the retailer to see if they support and offer the game bundle before committing to buy any graphics card, of course.

Any suggestions for overclock settings for the 970? I've been looking for some easy to understand guides. I'm using MSI Afterburner (on a Gigabyte Windforce 970) and bumped up the clock speeds a bit, but can't tell what affect that has on performance.

Sorry, but I wouldn't know exactly. I don't own a GTX 970 myself, but there are many overclocking guides available, including video guides. You'll need to perform some trial and error on your own to see how far you can push your GTX 970 as not all graphics cards are capable of the same levels of overclocking. I would recommend looking up many reviews of your graphics card to see how far the reviewers got when they tried to overclock and to see if you can match it. Use the settings they did and start maybe 10% under what they were able to achieve at best, then work your way up from there.

Is my GPU dead? Lately specially when playing GTA V or BF4 i get this random artifacts on screen, as seen on this video i took yesterday.

It's a 270X 2GB, i was wondering what would be the best choice to replace it, 370? 960 4gb?

What are your system specs?

While the effects are weird, it's still working. I played GTAV on a Pentium G3258 and an R9 270X 4GB for months, and there were occasional hiccups that I attributed to the processor being a bottleneck. I don't think I had messed up graphics, though. I wonder if your card is overheating? Check with a program like GPU-Z or HWMonitor.

If you really wanted a replacement graphics card, what country are you in and how much are you thinking of spending?

 

[NH Apache]

Gonna write a bit about my ASUS RMA experience.

I had purchased a refurb P8Z77-V LX for about 60 bucks. I bought it because my previous board sizzled.

I got it in on 9/16. That day I spent a good part of 8 hours trying to get POST but to no avail. I bench tested it with a brand new stick of ram, my existing 2600k, and my power supply that I went through and used a multi meter to test all 24 pins to board. Still could not get POST.

So I had it down to the CPU or the mobo and seeing as the mobo was a refurb, I went with that option. Also, the mobo had been shipped to me like this:

I called up ASUS component support (which is open until 11pm PST btw) and told them what I had gone through.

She sent me an RMA number. ASUS requires the customer to pay for shipping to the RMA facility so that was 16 dollars out of my pocket but I still considered my self ahead since I purchased the board for so cheap.

I sent the mobo to ASUS on 9/21. I received it back yesterday (same board, same serial) via fedex. Boxed very well this time.

I set up my bench again and....no POST either from onboard video or the new 960 I had bought (much better than the 6870 I had). So I guess it is the CPU.

Since there were no technician's notes in the sent box, I called up ASUS to see if they had done anything. Lady on the phone said that they had updated the BIOS but replaced no components as all tested fine.

ASUS RMA experience was pretty good overall - only knock is having to pay for the shipping. Turn-around time was much shorter than I had expected.

I see some 2600ks available online used for about 200 bucks. Is there a better option remembering that my new refurb board is LGA 1155?

 

[RGM79]

Gonna write a bit about my ASUS RMA experience.

I had purchased a refurb P8Z77-V LX for about 60 bucks. I bought it because my previous board sizzled.

I got it in on 9/16. That day I spent a good part of 8 hours trying to get POST but to no avail. I bench tested it with a brand new stick of ram, my existing 2600k, and my power supply that I went through and used a multi meter to test all 24 pins to board. Still could not get POST.

So I had it down to the CPU or the mobo and seeing as the mobo was a refurb, I went with that option. Also, the mobo had been shipped to me like this:



I called up ASUS component support (which is open until 11pm PST btw) and told them what I had gone through.

She sent me an RMA number. ASUS requires the customer to pay for shipping to the RMA facility so that was 16 dollars out of my pocket but I still considered my self ahead since I purchased the board for so cheap.

I sent the mobo to ASUS on 9/21. I received it back yesterday (same board, same serial) via fedex. Boxed very well this time.

I set up my bench again and....no POST either from onboard video or the new 960 I had bought (much better than the 6870 I had). So I guess it is the CPU.

Since there were no technician's notes in the sent box, I called up ASUS to see if they had done anything. Lady on the phone said that they had updated the BIOS but replaced no components as all tested fine.

ASUS RMA experience was pretty good overall - only knock is having to pay for the shipping. Turn-around time was much shorter than I had expected.

I see some 2600ks available online used for about 200 bucks. Is there a better option remembering that my new refurb board is LGA 1155?

Microcenter still have brand new i5 3570K processors but for in store purchase only.

 

[NH Apache]

Microcenter still have brand new i5 3570K processors but for in store purchase only.

Thanks, but I'm in New Orleans. Closest one is 6-8 hours away. I'll peek around for that processor though. Thanks again.

 

[The Boat]

So I'm going to buy 8 GB of DDR for now, but te plan is to buy more eventually. Considering the mobo has 4 slots, should I buy a single 8GB one to make more room or go 2x4 for the dual channel?

 

[RGM79]

Thanks, but I'm in New Orleans. Closest one is 6-8 hours away. I'll peek around for that processor though. Thanks again.

Ah, that's too bad.

So I'm going to buy 8 GB of DDR for now, but te plan is to buy more eventually. Considering the mobo has 4 slots, should I buy a single 8GB one to make more room or go 2x4 for the dual channel?

If you only had two slots then I'd recommend 1X8GB. Since you have 4 slots you can comfortably go for 2x4GB instead. Even if you use up 2 slots now, you still have another 2 to use in the future for another 2x4GB or 2x8GB. Most people don't need more than 16GB of RAM so you don't really have to worry about keeping as many slots free as possible.

 

[CadetMahoney]

So I'm going to buy 8 GB of DDR for now, but te plan is to buy more eventually. Considering the mobo has 4 slots, should I buy a single 8GB one to make more room or go 2x4 for the dual channel?

For cost/value get the 8 unless it works out same/cheaper getting 4gb each.

 

[The Boat]

Ah, that's too bad.


If you only had two slots then I'd recommend 1X8GB. Since you have 4 slots you can comfortably go for 2x4GB instead. Even if you use up 2 slots now, you still have another 2 to use in the future for another 2x4GB or 2x8GB. Most people don't need more than 16GB of RAM so you don't really have to worry about keeping as many slots free as possible.

Yeah, 32 GB would probably be overkill.
Final (?) question, the GSkill 3200 MHZ (CL16) is slightly cheaper than the 3000 MHz(CL15), which one is the best. I don't know how much impact either spec has. The 3200 model is a VKB, don't know what that means, the official spec page doesn't show any difference between VKB and "regular". I just need to decide which one to buy to take the plunge!

For cost/value get the 8 unless it works out same/cheaper getting 4gb each.

It's pretty much the same.

 

[ACE 1991]

So what do you guys recommend for comfy couch wireless mouse/keyboard setups? What kind of tray should I buy to put them on?

 

[Song of the Turtle]

Hey guys, I need your help again. While my gaming PC is fixed, I'm now running into trouble building a media PC.

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258
PSU: 430 Watt Corsair CX Series Non-Modular 80+ Bronze
SSD: 250GB Crucial BX100
Mobo: Gigabyte Z87N-WIFI
RAM: 1x4GB DDR3-1333
Optical drive: Some cheap 13€ thing

I just finished putting everything together. When I try to boot the PC, the LEDs blink, the CPU fan (basic Intel cooler) starts spinning... and aftter ~ 3 seconds everything stops, shuts down and then starts again. No picture whatsoever (input via HDMI, no GPU).

Any advice?

 

[CadetMahoney]

I just finished putting everything together. When I try to boot the PC, the LEDs blink, the CPU fan (basic Intel cooler) starts spinning... and aftter ~ 3 seconds everything stops, shuts down and then starts again. No picture whatsoever (input via HDMI, no GPU).

Any advice?

Disconnect everything except power and CPU fan. See if it works. If not unseat the mobo and put it on a dry surface to rule out anything touching the mobo causing a short and test it again with the PSU. Blow away anything that might be causing a short.

You can also test the PSU itself without attaching it to the mobo to see it powers up https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=t...gfe_rd=cr&ei=3FcVVtivKozj8we61I3ICA&gws_rd=cr

Try again, if it still doesn't work download the mobo manual and see what jumpers do what and tinker around with those settings.

 

[LordAlu]

Hey guys, I need your help again. While my gaming PC is fixed, I'm now running into trouble building a media PC.

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258
PSU: 430 Watt Corsair CX Series Non-Modular 80+ Bronze
SSD: 250GB Crucial BX100
Mobo: Gigabyte Z87N-WIFI
RAM: 1x4GB DDR3-1333
Optical drive: Some cheap 13€ thing

I just finished putting everything together. When I try to boot the PC, the LEDs blink, the CPU fan (basic Intel cooler) starts spinning... and aftter ~ 3 seconds everything stops, shuts down and then starts again. No picture whatsoever (input via HDMI, no GPU).

Any advice?

Make absolutely sure you have both the 24-pin AND the 4-pin connected to the board and fully plugged in. That kind of thing usually happens if the 4-pin isn't connected or is not all the way in. Failing that, do what CadetMahoney said

 

[Song of the Turtle]

Thanks, I'll try that right away

 

[RGM79]

Hey guys, I need your help again. While my gaming PC is fixed, I'm now running into trouble building a media PC.

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258
PSU: 430 Watt Corsair CX Series Non-Modular 80+ Bronze
SSD: 250GB Crucial BX100
Mobo: Gigabyte Z87N-WIFI
RAM: 1x4GB DDR3-1333
Optical drive: Some cheap 13€ thing

I just finished putting everything together. When I try to boot the PC, the LEDs blink, the CPU fan (basic Intel cooler) starts spinning... and aftter ~ 3 seconds everything stops, shuts down and then starts again. No picture whatsoever (input via HDMI, no GPU).

Any advice?

Your motherboard must have BIOS revision F5 in order to support the Pentium G3258 processor. Do you have any older socket 1150 processors you can try with the PC to see if it'll boot?

 

[Song of the Turtle]

Your motherboard must have BIOS revision F5 in order to support the Pentium G3258 processor. Do you have any older socket 1150 processors you can try with the PC to see if it'll boot?

Nice, I have a 4670k. Will try that as well.

So far, I checked the PSU-connectors on the motherboard and unplucked everything. Nothing changed yet.

 

[RGM79]

Nice, I have a 4670k. Will try that as well.

So far, I checked the PSU-connectors on the motherboard and unplucked everything. Nothing changed yet.

Well the i5 4670K is supported by a lower BIOS version, so if it boots with that processor, then all you need to do is update the BIOS then you can put the G3258 back in.

 

[Nostremitus]

Your builds are somewhat unbalanced. While Broadwell is nice to have for its iGPU, going with a non-overclocking Haswell i5 and a discrete graphics card can and probably will yield better gaming performance. You can make compromises elsewhere (go with 8GB of RAM, Windows 10 home edition, etc) to make it work.

In the case of the second build, while it does work the R9 390 would almost certainly be bottlenecked by the Athlon X4 (which itself is often compared to the Pentium G3258). How about a build like this? It has a GTX 970 and i5 processor for far stronger performance than the first build and no bottlenecking like the second build.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H81M-ITX/WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($63.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Team Dark 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($35.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($299.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($93.75 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor ($128.99 @ NCIX US)
Keyboard: Logitech MK520 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard w/Laser Mouse ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1007.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-07 09:52 EDT-0400

Also you could go with the R9 390 if preferred, but the extra VRAM wouldn't really matter much and the GTX 970 might do better in a cramped and small chassis since it produces less heat. Also, the GTX 970 currently comes with a free redeemable code for Rainbow Six Siege or Assassin's Creed Syndicate as a new promotion by Nvidia. Check with the retailer to see if they support and offer the game bundle before committing to buy any graphics card, of course.

Thanks, I don't know what I was thinking trying to go cheap on the CPU in order to fit that 500GB SSD into to build.

 

[appaws]

Don't do it. It's way more hassle than its worth. I just took mine apart for good and bought a Phanteks Heatsink.

I agree, water is a PITA. Everyone told me to go with water for my new 5820k build, I went with a Thermalright True Spirit 140 BW Rev A heatsink and was still able to get 4.3GHz out of it comfortably on it on air (and can probably go higher). I probably couldn't get much higher on water.

I've always been VERY wary about water cooling, water and expensive electronic equipment shouldn't mix in my book.

If anyone is going for air cooling then I highly recommend you look at Noctua products, they're amazing.

appaws am cry.

WC is awesome...just understand that it is a lot of work, and that it is about looks and not performance.

But it is totally fun and addicting. I am working on a new build update now with skylake and a black/white/chrome color scheme...I would post my youtube videos links here if that is not against the TOS or something.

 

[fred]

I've just seen too many posts on too many forums saying that they've sprung a leak lol

 

[appaws]

I've just seen too many posts on too many forums saying that they've sprung a leak lol

I guess it happens. I have to say though that I have never had a problem like that. I am just the careful, anal type I guess and always buy the best components. But sure, it is safer to just stay on air.

But your system will always be ugly with a big stupid heatsink on it, and mine looks fucking wicked.

No, I'm not from Boston.

 

[Kintaro]

I have an interesting question/dilemma. I love my ASUS RoG Swift. <3 it. That being said, I don't like that I don't have any other options on the monitor for anything else. For example, hooking up a PS4 to use on the monitor. Are there any great G-Sync monitors that also make for great monitors for a PS4 as well? I'm just so used to gaming on a monitor that big ass LEDs and such just mess me up. I obviously don't expect G-Sync or anything like that to work with the PS4, just a good monitor that serves both needs.

 

[ZQQLANDER]

I've always been tempted with the idea of building my own gaming computer, but I've never really been able to justify the cost as my PS4 and X1 take care of everything...until now. XCOM 2 is coming out in February and it's PC only. For this title, I'm willing to sink $600-$800 into a gaming rig. However, I'm sure I will discover other PC games I didn't know about, which will make it that much more worthwhile.

I don't know a whole lot about computers, which is what will make this process more interesting; I love learning new things. I've been researching a bit and asked one of my computer savvy friends to create a parts list for me. This is what he came up with:http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2QZF23 I plan on using this as a benchmark and go from there. Honestly, this is higher on the budget scale than I would like. Maybe downgrading the video card? He didn't recommend a CPU Cooler, do I need one?


I appreciate any and all advice, specifically why certain models or brands are better than others. The rig I'm looking to build doesn't need to be a beast, just a solid performer on standard settings. Longevity is also key. I'm willing to pay a higher cost for hardware that can be switched out with more current parts later. I plan on buying a vast majority of the parts during Black Friday as I'm guessing there will be a lot of sales going on before the holidays.

I'll be reading up, but if anyone has any particularly usual articles to help with this venture, feel free to mention them.

Thanks in advance!

 

[walkmetothelake]

I'm looking to get some other opinions on a build a friend helped me pick parts for. I mainly just want to use this for games (high settings are great but I don't care about framerate as long as it isn't all over the place) and general web use. Does this look well balanced? I really didn't know what to go for OS wise because I keep hearing/reading unfortunate things as far as compatibility of Windows 10 and some games. I have a bit of wiggle room budget wise for upgrades/changes ($1500 max.)

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/PvTJrH

 

[cackhyena]

So no new G-Sync monitors unveiled lately?

 

[MisterNoisy]

I guess it happens. I have to say though that I have never had a problem like that. I am just the careful, anal type I guess and always buy the best components. But sure, it is safer to just stay on air.

But your system will always be ugly with a big stupid heatsink on it, and mine looks fucking wicked.

No, I'm not from Boston.

Meh - that's subjective. I love the look of a giant air cooler - the bigger and more outrageous, the better:

Sadly, the motherboard in this pic was DOA (it would POST with any single stick of that RAM, but not with any more of the slots populated), so I'm waiting for a replacement.

 

[RGM79]

I've always been tempted with the idea of building my own gaming computer, but I've never really been able to justify the cost as my PS4 and X1 take care of everything...until now. XCOM 2 is coming out in February and it's PC only. For this title, I'm willing to sink $600-$800 into a gaming rig. However, I'm sure I will discover other PC games I didn't know about, which will make it that much more worthwhile.

I don't know a whole lot about computers, which is what will make this process more interesting; I love learning new things. I've been researching a bit and asked one of my computer savvy friends to create a parts list for me. This is what he came up with:http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2QZF23 I plan on using this as a benchmark and go from there. Honestly, this is higher on the budget scale than I would like. Maybe downgrading the video card? He didn't recommend a CPU Cooler, do I need one?

I appreciate any and all advice, specifically why certain models or brands are better than others. The rig I'm looking to build doesn't need to be a beast, just a solid performer on standard settings. Longevity is also key. I'm willing to pay a higher cost for hardware that can be switched out with more current parts later. I plan on buying a vast majority of the parts during Black Friday as I'm guessing there will be a lot of sales going on before the holidays.

I'll be reading up, but if anyone has any particularly usual articles to help with this venture, feel free to mention them.

Thanks in advance!

For up to date pricing, come back for a parts list recommendation about a week or two before you plan to buy and build. If you value future-looking upgradability and support then Intel's Skylake platform is what you want, not the old and no longer updated AMD FX platform. Still, for the sake of comparison, here's a cheaper yet better performing build I can currently recommend as an example:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock B85M-DGS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury White 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($198.50 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($33.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX Core Edition 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($93.75 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer G236HLBbd 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $790.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-07 20:35 EDT-0400

• Instead of the six core AMD FX-6300, the i5 4460 is recommended. In most games, the i5 can generally outperform the FX-6300 (by how much will depend on the game and settings).
• Going with a non-overclocking i5 processor means we can choose a cheaper motherboard. The ASRock will get the job done adequately.
• In general, we tend to recommend lower profile RAM when possible. The larger fins on the Corsair Vengeance RAM aren't really necessary and can interfere with some larger CPU coolers.
• The GTX 960 4GB is more capable than the R7 370, nothing much else to say. The R9 380 4GB which sells for around the same price as the GTX 960 4GB is also an option. Specific choices will depend on actual costs, sales, how well it does in the games that are important to you, etc. In general, both the GTX 960 and R9 380 are more or less equal but may perform differently in some games.
• While the Define R4 is a nice case, I think it's better to go with a cheaper case so more can be spent for a better processor and graphics card. If you value the Define R4's sound dampening feature, then feel free to stick with it.
• The XFX 750 watt power supply is just better than the Corsair PSU in every way except for modular cabling. Wattage, build quality, warranty length, etc is in favor of the XFX PSU..
• That Acer monitor is a better deal than the Asus model. It's larger, also 1080p and 60Hz, and has lots of positive reviews. While the Asus does have faster advertised response time, the Acer isn't bad at all, it has an "excellent" rating at the DisplayLag monitor input lag database.
• I left out the DVD drive because in this day and age, USB drives and steam have nearly replaced all need for one. If you still need one, say so and it can be accomodated.

All in all, I expect this to be a better performer and generate less heat than the AMD based build recommended by your friend. In terms of upgradeability, AMD FX-based PCs are already at the end of the line as they stopped getting updates a few years ago. With this build, you could drop in a stronger i5 or i7 processor, although the cheap motherboard prevents overclocking. The power supply is stronger and higher quality, meaning it'll support upgrades better and could even be carried over to the next PC you build.

You probably won't be building the above, though. If you do intend to wait for black friday sales and if you don't mind paying more for a future-looking setup, then as I said above you'll probably want an Intel Skylake-based PC. It was launched a month or two ago and supply is still a bit hard to come by on the high end Skylake processors. The new Skylake-compatible motherboards feature new tech like USB 3.1 and M.2 slots on many of them, and will be supported by future Intel processors released in the next 2 years.

I'm looking to get some other opinions on a build a friend helped me pick parts for. I mainly just want to use this for games (high settings are great but I don't care about framerate as long as it isn't all over the place) and general web use. Does this look well balanced? I really didn't know what to go for OS wise because I keep hearing/reading unfortunate things as far as compatibility of Windows 10 and some games. I have a bit of wiggle room budget wise for upgrades/changes ($1500 max.)

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/PvTJrH

Do you mind filling out the short questionnaire from the first post of this thread? That will give us a better idea of what you want. Other questions you might want to consider are what size of PC you want, and whether features like a soundproofed case or anything else specific features or looks you might care about.

 

[Wag]

Eh. The True Spirit 140 BW Rev A I have is pretty big. I added a 2nd fan to it and it's even bigger, cools well too. Only cost me ~$75 or so with the 2nd fan.

Supposedly Jet.com shipped me my EVGA 980Ti ACX 2.0+ for $610. Let's see what if/what I actually get. &#128516;