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[ZQQLANDER]

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 If you value future-looking upgradability and support then Intel's Skylake platform is what you want, not the old and no longer updated AMD FX platform.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.

If Skylake adds longevity then I'm all for it even if it's a little more. Price wise, they don't seem too bad. The i5-6400 would be quite a step up in performance (right?) over the i5-4460 and it's only $190.

As far as motherboards go, would some along the lines of ASRock Z170 Pro 4 be appropriate? Significantly more expensive though...

 

[MisterNoisy]

If Skylake adds longevity then I'm all for it even if it's a little more. Price wise, they don't seem too bad. The i5-6400 would be quite a step up in performance (right?) over the i5-4460 and it's only $190.

As far as motherboards go, would some along the lines of ASRock Z170 Pro 4 be appropriate? Significantly more expensive though...

Hey man - if you go Micro-ATX and wanna save a few bucks (aesthetics be damned), let me know - I have a Cougar Spike (bought for reasons that are unclear to me now, though I imagine the ridiculously low price was part of it - I think I paid $20) that you can have for free.

 

[Celcius]

Sigh, next month my gtx 780ti will be 2 years old and it's actually the newest part of my rig
It still handles all my games flawlessly @ 1080p though and it also shouldn't have any problems with the games I'm looking forward to next year so it's all good though. Looking forward to that Pascal Titan someday

 

[RGM79]

If Skylake adds longevity then I'm all for it even if it's a little more. Price wise, they don't seem too bad. The i5-6400 would be quite a step up in performance (right?) over the i5-4460 and it's only $190.

As far as motherboards go, would some along the lines of ASRock Z170 Pro 4 be appropriate? Significantly more expensive though...

It's not bad, but depending on how much you want to spend and what sort of deals you'll find during black friday sales, you may or may not want a different motherboard. That particular ASRock motherboard lacks USB 3.1 and USB type C which you may want.

I'd look at the MSI Z170A PC Mate or the Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI, they'd be considered "still entry level but better feature set" compared to the ASRock Z170 Pro4.

 

[The Horror the horror]

It's been close to 10 years since I've had a desktop. I've been using laptops; now it's time to add some horsepower to the household and I'd love some advice. Below are the answers to the first page's questionnaire.

[Basic Desktop Questions]
Your Current Specs: N/A I'm not upgrading
Budget: 1500 + United States
Main Use: Rate: 1-5. 4-5
Monitor Resolution: Buying a new monitor
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Haven't played a new PC game in years; mostly a console gamer. I'd like to play new games and upcoming games at high, enjoyable settings.
Looking to reuse any parts?: No.
When will you build?: I will start building at the end of this month.
Will you be overclocking?: I'm not sure, but probably not.

Thanks for your help.

 

[RGM79]

It's been close to 10 years since I've had a desktop. I've been using laptops; now it's time to add some horsepower to the household and I'd love some advice. Below are the answers to the first page's questionnaire.

[Basic Desktop Questions]
Your Current Specs: N/A I'm not upgrading
Budget: 1500 + United States
Main Use: Rate: 1-5. 4-5
Monitor Resolution: Buying a new monitor
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Haven't played a new PC game in years; mostly a console gamer. I'd like to play new games and upcoming games at high, enjoyable settings.
Looking to reuse any parts?: No.
When will you build?: I will start building at the end of this month.
Will you be overclocking?: I'm not sure, but probably not.

Thanks for your help.

Any idea what sort of monitor you want? 144Hz? 1440p? G-Sync? I'm not really a monitor guy, but if you know what you want to get then I can see about specifying a parts list for the rest of that budget.

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

I just bought the Acer XB27HU per the Durante thread that was posted here a while ago. I'm generally happy except look at this light bleed and tell me if you think I might have gotten one that was worse than normal:

Dark room with camera from my phone on auto.

On a side note, look at what I scored for $10 at a small computer shop. An original Model M.

 

[The Horror the horror]

Any idea what sort of monitor you want? 144Hz? 1440p? G-Sync? I'm not really a monitor guy, but if you know what you want to get then I can see about specifying a parts list for the rest of that budget.

Preferably 144Hz 1ms, about 24". I'm not picky, but something relatively close. Thanks!

 

[Arsin]

I have been looking around for something to clean my computer. I was looking at a portable air compressor or something like that. Does anyone have some suggestions? I looked at the DataVAC duster on Amazon but wanted to see if anyone had one before I pulled the trigger on that. Thanks!

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

I have been looking around for something to clean my computer. I was looking at a portable air compressor or something like that. Does anyone have some suggestions? I looked at the DataVAC duster on Amazon but wanted to see if anyone had one before I pulled the trigger on that. Thanks!

I believe cans of compressed air are just more reliable (at least for cleaning really messy situations, like you are dusting the fans once every year), yeah one spends more money on the long run by buying more cans, but you don't have to worry about whether the pressure is going to be right or having to wait/plug it.

 

[Walpurgis]

My new PC arrived from NCIX. They prebuilt it and said they tested everything to make sure it works but....it's not working. Specifically, my monitor is not detecting the PC (but I can see that the monitor's light is on). I reconnected my old PC and the monitor detects it just fine. Is my new PC already broken?

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

My new PC arrived from NCIX. They prebuilt it and said they tested everything to make sure it works but....it's not working. Specifically, my monitor is not detecting the PC (but I can see that the monitor's light is on). I reconnected my old PC and the monitor detects it just fine. Is my new PC already broken?

Does your keyboard light up when you turn it on? And/or are thinking of opening it to take a look?

 

[XBP]

My new PC arrived from NCIX. They prebuilt it and said they tested everything to make sure it works but....it's not working. Specifically, my monitor is not detecting the PC (but I can see that the monitor's light is on). I reconnected my old PC and the monitor detects it just fine. Is my new PC already broken?

Any lights on the motherboard?

 

[Hazaro]

My new PC arrived from NCIX. They prebuilt it and said they tested everything to make sure it works but....it's not working. Specifically, my monitor is not detecting the PC (but I can see that the monitor's light is on). I reconnected my old PC and the monitor detects it just fine. Is my new PC already broken?

Probably just video input being silly.

Unplug power from PC. Hold power for 15 second. Unplug video cable. Wait 60 seconds. Replug video cable. Replug power cable. WAIT 60 SECONDS. Power on.

If still nothing, repeat above, but also reseat the graphics card.

 

[Walpurgis]

Does your keyboard light up when you turn it on? And/or are thinking of opening it to take a look?

Keyboard is wireless. I am okay with opening the PC to look inside but I'm afraid of moving things around and voiding my warranty.

Any lights on the motherboard?

I'll try to check. The power button on the PC lights up when I turn it on though, and the fan spins fine.

Probably just video input being silly.

Unplug power from PC. Hold power for 15 second. Unplug video cable. Wait 60 seconds. Replug video cable. Replug power cable. WAIT 60 SECONDS. Power on.

If still nothing, repeat above, but also reseat the graphics card.

I will try this. Thank you.

 

[Walpurgis]

Any lights on the motherboard?

I looked through the window on the side of the case and saw that there were zero lights inside the PC.

Probably just video input being silly.

Unplug power from PC. Hold power for 15 second. Unplug video cable. Wait 60 seconds. Replug video cable. Replug power cable. WAIT 60 SECONDS. Power on.

If still nothing, repeat above, but also reseat the graphics card.

I tried this twice and it didn't work. I'm too scared to touch the graphics card.

Just so you all know, when I took the PC out of the box, it was filled with pink bubble wrap. I opened the PC's case and removed it. My case has a window which was covered in plastic - so I removed that as well. Could doing all this have rustled something?

 

[RGM79]

My new PC arrived from NCIX. They prebuilt it and said they tested everything to make sure it works but....it's not working. Specifically, my monitor is not detecting the PC (but I can see that the monitor's light is on). I reconnected my old PC and the monitor detects it just fine. Is my new PC already broken?

Did you plug the monitor into the motherboard or the graphics card?

Preferably 144Hz 1ms, about 24". I'm not picky, but something relatively close. Thanks!

The ASUS VG248QE comes to mind. It's listed in the monitor recommendations in the beginning of this thread, as well as being recommended in Mkenyon's 120/144Hz monitor thread. How does this build look?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($248.95 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($139.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($304.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case ($72.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($239.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $1353.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-08 01:08 EDT-0400

There's still a bit of money left, but I don't know if you need Windows or anything. If you're adamant about not overclocking then you could go with non-overclockable parts that would save you a bit of money, but you might become more inclined to overclock in the future and/or you might regret not spending a little extra that might mean not having to upgrade again as soon.

 

[Walpurgis]

Did you plug the monitor into the motherboard or the graphics card?

I plugged the monitor into the back of the PC. There is a panel there with a bunch of sockets (USB slots and stuff). I believe that this is the motherboard but I'm not completely sure.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

I plugged the monitor into the back of the PC. There is a panel there with a bunch of sockets (USB slots and stuff). I believe that this is the motherboard but I'm not completely sure.

Check if there isn't another plug lower down. You probably plugged it into the motherboard instead of the graphics card. This would explain the problem perfectly.

 

[RGM79]

I plugged the monitor into the back of the PC. There is a panel there with a bunch of sockets (USB slots and stuff). I believe that this is the motherboard but I'm not completely sure.

There is another spot for you to plug in the monitor. Don't plug it into the connector next to the USB ports, but to the monitor connector that is separate from all the other ports. It looks like this:

 

[Nostremitus]

I plugged the monitor into the back of the PC. There is a panel there with a bunch of sockets (USB slots and stuff). I believe that this is the motherboard but I'm not completely sure.

Plug your monitor into the section that's perpendicular to that area. That's your graphics card.

Old image so the ports are different now, but the basic principal applies.


Edit: beaten

 

[Walpurgis]

Check if there isn't another plug lower down. You probably plugged it into the motherboard instead of the graphics card. This would explain the problem perfectly.

There is another spot for you to plug in the monitor. Don't plug it into the connector next to the USB ports, but to the monitor connector that is separate from all the other ports. It looks like this:

Plug your monitor into the section that's perpendicular to that area. That's your graphics card.

Old image so the ports are different now, but the basic principal applies.


Edit: beaten

I can only find one spot for it.

Sorry about the glare. The blue wire didn't fit inside the white spot when I tried. Is that supposed to be the second spot?

edit: I just noticed that those two horizontal ports might look like the right ones but they are also too big for the wire to fit.

 

[knitoe]

I can only find one spot for it.

Sorry about the glare. The blue wire didn't fit inside the white spot when I tried. Is that supposed to be the second spot?

edit: I just noticed that those two horizontal ports might look like the right ones but they are also too big for the wire to fit.

The blue cable you are using is VGA cable which current connects to MB onboard video. Looks like, the video card does not have a VGA slot. Thus, you need to buy / use a different cable. Look and see what other connection does your monitor have. Your video card supports DVI, HDMI and displayport. If your monitor does have support any of them, you will need to buy a converter cable, like a DVI to VGA.

 

[Walpurgis]

The blue cable you are using is VGA cable. Looks like, the video card does not have a VGA slot. Thus, you need to buy / use a different cable. Look and see what other connection does your monitor have.

Thank you! I will give it a look tomorrow.

 

[ruttyboy]

Hi everybody,

I work for a small company that is in possession of about 30 PCs all of different specs, ages and capabilities due to them being bought second hand from ebay as needed by someone who doesn't understand PCs.

As the only one in the company with anything even approaching IT tech knowledge (and that third party IT companies are damn expensive) it has been falling to me to tend this diverse flock of computers.

Every so often one of them will go wrong and I'm asked to take a look at it, which I've done in a rather hap-hazard manner up until now.

I'm looking for recommendations on a suite of (free) diagnostic programs that I can just put on a USB stick and take with me next time this happens, would those more knowledgable than myself please take pity and help me out?

So far I have CPU-Z, GPU-Z, CrystalDiskInfo and CrystalDiskMark which seem to be great for telling me what is in the PC, but not how healthy it is?

 

[Headsteyker]

Guys the r9 390 arrived, some advice before installing it in order not to fry the PC? Also after I'd like to do a clean install of win 10, should I use the mobo connection to the monitor or the one in the GPU? Also when should I install the driver?

 

[ZQQLANDER]

Hey man - if you go Micro-ATX and wanna save a few bucks (aesthetics be damned), let me know - I have a Cougar Spike (bought for reasons that are unclear to me now, though I imagine the ridiculously low price was part of it - I think I paid $20) that you can have for free.

Thanks, I'll definitely keep that in mind.

Sounds like I have several solid options and just need to wait till November to finalize exactly what I'm going to get.

 

[The Horror the horror]

The ASUS VG248QE comes to mind. It's listed in the monitor recommendations in the beginning of this thread, as well as being recommended in Mkenyon's 120/144Hz monitor thread. How does this build look?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($248.95 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($139.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($304.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case ($72.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($239.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $1353.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-08 01:08 EDT-0400

There's still a bit of money left, but I don't know if you need Windows or anything. If you're adamant about not overclocking then you could go with non-overclockable parts that would save you a bit of money, but you might become more inclined to overclock in the future and/or you might regret not spending a little extra that might mean not having to upgrade again as soon.

That looks very nice, man. I assume this is more or less a future proof build? I'd hate to do an overhaul in a just a few years. Also, do you recommend I wait for Black Friday before purchase, or will it not make a significant difference? Again, thanks a lot!

 

[ruttyboy]

Guys the r9 390 arrived, some advice before installing it in order not to fry the PC? Also after I'd like to do a clean install of win 10, should I use the mobo connection to the monitor or the one in the GPU? Also when should I install the driver?

Just ground yourself on a radiator or something and don't wear a fuzzy jumper and you'll be fine so long as you take care.

If you're doing a clean install then you don't ned to worry about uninstalling old drivers or anything, just have the latest ones to hand to install at the appropriate time.

Connect it to the video card.

 

[Tensketch]

I need some help guys, have anyone here had to RMA stuff back to SCAN UK? They've given me an RMA number and a label to print off, but that's it. They haven't told me HOW I'm meant to send it back, with which company or even how much it'll cost and whether or not they're going to refund me the postage.

Basically, they're making it as difficult as possible to send this back

 

[opticalmace]

I need some help guys, have anyone here had to RMA stuff back to SCAN UK? They've given me an RMA number and a label to print off, but that's it. They haven't told me HOW I'm meant to send it back, with which company or even how much it'll cost and whether or not they're going to refund me the postage.

Basically, they're making it as difficult as possible to send this back

Call them?

 

[kennah]

I need some help guys, have anyone here had to RMA stuff back to SCAN UK? They've given me an RMA number and a label to print off, but that's it. They haven't told me HOW I'm meant to send it back, with which company or even how much it'll cost and whether or not they're going to refund me the postage.

Basically, they're making it as difficult as possible to send this back

Usually you're on the hook for all of that.

 

[Headsteyker]

Just ground yourself on a radiator or something and don't wear a fuzzy jumper and you'll be fine so long as you take care.

If you're doing a clean install then you don't ned to worry about uninstalling old drivers or anything, just have the latest ones to hand to install at the appropriate time.

Connect it to the video card.

And in order to descharge the residual energy in the sistem? I simply press the on button for 30 sec while the PSU is off?

 

[ruttyboy]

And in order to descharge the residual energy in the sistem? I simply press the on button for 30 sec while the PSU is off?

You can if you like, I've never bothered. I imagine any residual energy will dissipate fairly quickly (seconds) but I'm no expert.

 

[Jag]

The ASUS VG248QE comes to mind. It's listed in the monitor recommendations in the beginning of this thread, as well as being recommended in Mkenyon's 120/144Hz monitor thread.

I am leaning very heavily towards this monitor, but Mkenyon's comment about color being washed out has me concerned:

One of the downsides to lightboost is that it has a tendency to wash out the image a bit. For whatever reason, the colors on this monitor look much better than other similar monitors.

I'm more concerned with picture quality, than speed since I really don't play competitive FPS. Can anyone provide some input?

I'm also going from an old IPS (Dell 2209WA) to this TN. Does that make a difference?

 

[RGM79]

That looks very nice, man. I assume this is more or less a future proof build? I'd hate to do an overhaul in a just a few years. Also, do you recommend I wait for Black Friday before purchase, or will it not make a significant difference? Again, thanks a lot!

Reasonably future proofed. There isn't any true futureproofing, but you should know that the Skylake processor and Z170 motherboard lines are quite new. The Skylake platform was launched in August of this year and availability was only really widespread by the end of September. The motherboard has the latest features like USB 3.1 and USB type C. Z170 should be also supported by new processors from Intel for the next ~2 years.

Given how sales aren't really predictable.. I can't say for certain whether you should wait or not. You'd have to keep an eye out for deals and be able to jump on them in time. PCPartPicker has price history for all of the items it tracks. Also, be wary of inflated "regular prices" that try to make pitiful sale prices look better.

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

And in order to descharge the residual energy in the sistem? I simply press the on button for 30 sec while the PSU is off?

As mentioned, unless you rub a balloon on your head and lick the contacts, you're probably not going to fry anything. Just make sure everything is unplugged, touch the case metal before slotting it in and handle the edges of the card (not the contacts obviously).

 

[Guri]

Guys, which of these RAM options is the best to go to?

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00MPIE7FE/

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B011SMOSOM/

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00NX93RTG/

It has to be on Amazon, by the way, so these prices only.

 

[Shawn128]

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

I just literally finished my first loop (its running right now on a leak test). I'll echo what others have said previously: there is a sharp learning curve, it can be costly depending on how much and what you want to water cool, and you do run the risk of leaking if you do not know what you're doing.

That being said, it can be highly rewarding and you can have really interesting looking custom PCs born out of it. I've wanted to do one for years and my wife has been very encouraging about going all out for it. If you're truly serious, here are a few guides I referenced:

Complete Beginner's Guide To Water Cooling
Beginner/Advanced Water Cooling Guide
Awesome Sauce Soft Tubing Build Video (What Originally Piqued My Interest)
Paul's Hardware Arctic Panther Build Video

I used EKWB blocks and liquid as well as primo chill tubing: EKWB

One thing that really helped me as a beginner was actually holding and getting a feel of the fittings, tubing, and blocks. I fortunately have an Microcenter near to me that sold EKWB blocks and products to look over everything myself.

A lot of what I learned was from google searches and youtube guides. Also, anticipate screwing up. I had a major leak the first time I tried my loop out. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask or PM cause I know I struggled starting out. I work a busy job so this actually took a few months to put together.

Here's my rig leak testing right now. I hope it looks nice! I put in months of work into this thing!

 

[banefirelord]

Looking to build a new PC. My current setup is a prebuilt machine in a small case.
Current Specs: i5 2500k (not overclocked; case too small for good cooling), 8 GB DDR3, Gigabyte Z68MX-UD2H, NVIDIA 750ti, 620 watt power supply, small case (don't know what model...about 4 years old), 128 SSD boot drive, 1TB storage drive
Budget: $1000 USD, with some wiggle room; would prefer lower, but can go marginally higher if necessary
Main Use: 5; this will be my primary computer. Video editing, gaming, HD streaming, day to day computer usage.
Monitor Resolution: 1080p monitor and VR
Specific Apps: Adobe Premiere, 60 fps 1080p on demanding current games (Witcher, for instance) and games over the next year or two, VR gaming (based off the projected Oculus consumer specs)
Looking to reuse any parts?: Will probably reuse my boot SSD; it's brand new.
When will you build?: Probably mid-November at the earliest, January at the latest; I need a preliminary parts list by next week, however, due to a budget proposal deadline (I'm getting the new rig as part of a thesis grant)
Will you be overclocking?: Eventually, yes
Other notes: I would prefer a smaller case (though not tiny) because I'm going to be moving around a lot fairly soon.

 

[Tensketch]

Call them?

Usually you're on the hook for all of that.

I contacted them and they told me what you guys said. It's all on me. But then I'm looking at the royal mail and with the dimensions and weight of the parcel it's going to cost me £32 to send it and they will not reimburse me for that!

It's a fucking scam, the entire thing is a fucking scam.

 

[Vuze]

I just bought the Acer XB27HU per the Durante thread that was posted here a while ago. I'm generally happy except look at this light bleed and tell me if you think I might have gotten one that was worse than normal:

Dark room with camera from my phone on auto.

General consensus is that it's better to take a screencap from a video than snap a pic on auto settings. BLB will look wrong and exaggerated regardless but I'd guess you only see some noticable light in the lower right, yeah? Everyone of the monitors seems to have that (mine included) but atleast in my case it got way better a few weeks in and it's really barely noticable by now. Maybe it's just placebo or getting used to it, but if you're happy with the monitor otherwise, keep it.

 

[CadetMahoney]

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.

There would be no real good reason not to buy a K version anyway since the mobo will probably be higher end too, meaning to overclock would require setting a few options already in the BIOS.

 

[RGM79]

Guys, which of these RAM options is the best to go to?

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00MPIE7FE/

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B011SMOSOM/

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00NX93RTG/

It has to be on Amazon, by the way, so these prices only.

What are the rest of your system specs? If you were building a Skylake PC, then go with the G.Skill 2x8GB kit for dual channel. If you were building a Haswell-E PC, then go with the Corsair LPX 4x4GB kit for quad channel and small size (less likely to interfere with wide air coolers).

Looking to build a new PC. My current setup is a prebuilt machine in a small case.
Current Specs: i5 2500k (not overclocked; case too small for good cooling), 8 GB DDR3, Gigabyte Z68MX-UD2H, NVIDIA 750ti, 620 watt power supply, small case (don't know what model...about 4 years old), 128 SSD boot drive, 1TB storage drive
Budget: $1000 USD, with some wiggle room; would prefer lower, but can go marginally higher if necessary
Main Use: 5; this will be my primary computer. Video editing, gaming, HD streaming, day to day computer usage.
Monitor Resolution: 1080p monitor and VR
Specific Apps: Adobe Premiere, 60 fps 1080p on demanding current games (Witcher, for instance) and games over the next year or two, VR gaming (based off the projected Oculus consumer specs)
Looking to reuse any parts?: Will probably reuse my boot SSD; it's brand new.
When will you build?: Probably mid-November at the earliest, January at the latest.
Will you be overclocking?: Eventually, yes
Other notes: I would prefer a smaller case (though not tiny) because I'm going to be moving around a lot fairly soon.

Considering that mid-November is still a month away, come back about a week before you plan to buy and build for a parts list with up to date prices. I was thinking about recommending you an i7 6700K, Z170 motherboard, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and a GTX 970 or R9 390 but that is somewhat hard to fit on your budget. Alternatively you could consider an i7 4790K or i7 5775C on a Z97 motherboard and buy 8GB of RAM to use with your existing 8GB which should cost a bit less and more comfortably accommodate either of those graphics cards and have enough left over for a better case and whatever else you may want..

 

[Guri]

What are the rest of your system specs? If you were building a Skylake PC, then go with the G.Skill 2x8GB kit for dual channel. If you were building a Haswell-E PC, then go with the Corsair LPX 4x4GB kit for quad channel and small size (less likely to interfere with wide air coolers).

Buying for a new PC, which will have:

Gigabyte Z170X-GAMING 3
i7 6700k
Noctua NH-D14

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

I contacted them and they told me what you guys said. It's all on me. But then I'm looking at the royal mail and with the dimensions and weight of the parcel it's going to cost me £32 to send it and they will not reimburse me for that!

It's a fucking scam, the entire thing is a fucking scam.

Return postage isn't a scam. Even Amazon deducts it from a refund.

 

[banefirelord]

What are the rest of your system specs? If you were building a Skylake PC, then go with the G.Skill 2x8GB kit for dual channel. If you were building a Haswell-E PC, then go with the Corsair LPX 4x4GB kit for quad channel and small size (less likely to interfere with wide air coolers).



Considering that mid-November is still a month away, come back about a week before you plan to buy and build for a parts list with up to date prices. I was thinking about recommending you an i7 6700K, Z170 motherboard, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and a GTX 970 or R9 390 but that is somewhat hard to fit on your budget. Alternatively you could consider an i7 4790K or i7 5775C on a Z97 motherboard and buy 8GB of RAM to use with your existing 8GB which should cost a bit less and more comfortably accommodate either of those graphics cards and have enough left over for a better case and whatever else you may want..

The reason why I'm asking now is because I need to make a budget proposal and have an individual parts list by next week, though I'll not actually be buying/building until November...probably should have mentioned that in my original post. Updating.

 

[ChoklitCow]

Man, with them releasing Fallout 4 and Battlefront's recommended specs, it's time to replace the 770. I'm just really torn between taking the more affordable 970 or doing a 980ti at double the cost.

Recently I have been purchasing cards in the $300 range and have upgraded every 2-3 years (bought a 6870 in Jan of 2012 and the 770 in April of 2014).

I play on a standard 1080p 60hz BenQ monitor, but have been down sampling games recently and have enjoyed it. All I have been playing outside of console games recently has been D3, HotS, and FFXIV which are all fine with my 770. I might even end up doing Battlefront on console, and Fallout 4 is probably going to come out an unoptimized mess anyway.

With v-ram usage going up in games, do I continue my ~$300 route (just quicker than usual) and snag a 970 or do you foresee me getting ~4 years out of a 980ti? I know this is a lot of forecasting, but you all are more knowledgeable at the gpu market rumors than I am.

 

[CadetMahoney]

I have been looking around for something to clean my computer. I was looking at a portable air compressor or something like that. Does anyone have some suggestions? I looked at the DataVAC duster on Amazon but wanted to see if anyone had one before I pulled the trigger on that. Thanks!

I have an actual air compressor, cost me $150 but it was for something else, now it's a glorified air duster.

I am pretty sure I've saved about $40-50 worth of cans already, and I've only used it thoroughly about 10 times for PC dusting in the last 4 years. Sure it's a long time but there's no sign of it dying on me soon. I don't even deal with PC's but something always comes my way that requires it. I'm far from advocating buying such a thing though, not at that price anyway since most ppl just have their own PC to deal with. Try a small cheao one, it will still be better than a can I think.

 

[Athreous]

Hmm guys, I really need your help to build a better system than what I have atm...

I'm trying to reach 1080p/60 fps in games like Star Wars Battlefront, Final Fantasy XIV, Diablo 3, Tera, etc...

This is my current rig:

Phenom 4x 965 BE 3.4ghz
8gb DDR 3 1333hz
GTX 680 2gb (which I really like, it's still better than some 900 series...
2TB HDD seagate
120gb SDD Corsair
PS 700 GS Corsair

I'll prolly go with Intel, I heard that the i5s are still pretty good, but I really need your help in this...

I have around 600$ to spend