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[RGM79]

Buying for a new PC, which will have:

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

Go for the dual channel kit.

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.

How does this look?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($359.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($122.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($304.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($43.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $996.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-08 14:42 EDT-0400

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

For $600, sounds like you should buy an i5 processor, motherboard, and a GTX 970.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($304.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $601.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-08 14:47 EDT-0400

 

[appaws]

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!

Beautiful! Great job man. I love EK blocks.

 

[Athreous]

Go for the dual channel kit.



How does this look?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($359.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($122.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($304.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($43.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $996.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-08 14:42 EDT-0400



For $600, sounds like you should buy an i5 processor, motherboard, and a GTX 970.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($304.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $601.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-08 14:47 EDT-0400

Also, i'm thinking about 16gb of ram 2400hz

 

[MisterNoisy]

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 one, and I love it - just make sure you do your dusting outside (trust me on this) and keep your fans from spinning when you're blowing air at or around them. Also remember to clean out the little foam air filter on the Datavac after you're done using it.

 

[RGM79]

Also, i'm thinking about 16gb of ram 2400hz

Games aren't limited by RAM speed in the first place, so it wouldn't help much. If you didn't have any RAM to begin with then yeah, you could buy 16GB of 2400MHz RAM. But since you already have 8GB of 1333MHz, it'd be cheaper and more practical to get another 8GB of 1333MHz RAM and reuse your existing RAM if you want more. See these links for more info.

Memory speeds barely making a difference for gaming framerate

8GB is good enough to handle games, getting more nets you minimal increases in speed.

 

[Athreous]

Games aren't limited by RAM speed in the first place, so it wouldn't help much. If you didn't have any RAM to begin with then yeah, you could buy 16GB of 2400MHz RAM. But since you already have 8GB of 1333MHz, it'd be cheaper and more practical to get another 8GB of 1333MHz RAM and reuse your existing RAM if you want more. See these links for more info.

Memory speeds barely making a difference for gaming framerate

8GB is good enough to handle games, getting more nets you minimal increases in speed.

Thanks mate, I really thought that the ram would help with fps too.

 

[crpav]

I have all my parts ready to build my new PC but I have no desire to do it. When I was younger, single and had time I looked forward to it. I also had a job where I could bring it into if I wanted to and work on between other projects.

Now married and have a kid I have no time and the little free time I do have I just look over at my parts and sigh.

Anyway, thinking about a new case.

My current case is a Cooler Master CM Storm Sniper mid tower case.

http://gaming.coolermaster.com/en/products/cases/sniper/

It works and I like it so am leaning on keeping it but the new build in me kind of wants a new one. I am looking at these 2:

Corsair Carbide Series Air 540

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D6GINF4/?tag=neogaf0e-20

and

Corsair Obsidian Series 750D

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EB6O4N8/?tag=neogaf0e-20

of course there are other nice cases out there that I would consider.

 

[Guri]

Go for the dual channel kit.

Thank you!

 

[RGM79]

I have all my parts ready to build my new PC but I have no desire to do it. When I was younger, single and had time I looked forward to it. I also had a job where I could bring it into if I wanted to and work on between other projects.

Now married and have a kid I have no time and the little free time I do have I just look over at my parts and sigh.

Anyway, thinking about a new case.

My current case is a Cooler Master CM Storm Sniper mid tower case.

http://gaming.coolermaster.com/en/products/cases/sniper/

It works and I like it so am leaning on keeping it but the new build in me kind of wants a new one. I am looking at these 2:

Corsair Carbide Series Air 540

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D6GINF4/?tag=neogaf0e-20

and

Corsair Obsidian Series 750D

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EB6O4N8/?tag=neogaf0e-20

of course there are other nice cases out there that I would consider.

I quite like Corsair's industrial-minded design as well. Any specific features or things you're looking for in a new case?

 

[crpav]

I quite like Corsair's industrial-minded design as well. Any specific features or things you're looking for in a new case?

Good air flow and a lot of room inside. Good cable management and ability to hide them is nice. My current case, even being a mid tower, has a lot of space inside. I like the overall appearance and air flow of the Air 540 but do not like the sideways drive bays for DVD/CD drives.

The Obsidian is huge and not sure I need that much room but I like it.

 

[walkmetothelake]

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.

Yeah, no problem. Not sure why I didn't fill it out in my first post to begin with.

Your Current Specs: I'm purchasing all parts new and don't know off hand all of the parts but I have 8 GB RAM and an AMD Radeon 6670 graphics card.

Budget: Price Range + Country: $1500 at the maximum but the closer to $1000 the better. USA. I'm close to a Microcenter.

Main Use: Rate 1-5. 5 being Highest: Light Gaming - 5 / Gaming 5 Emulation (PS2/Wii) - 5 / Video Editing - 1 / Streaming games in HD - 1 / 3D/Model work (and what program) - 1 / General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback) - 5

Monitor Resolution: What resolution will you be playing your games at? Are you going to upgrade later? Are you buying a new monitor?: Current monitor has a 1920 x 1080 resolution. I might upgrade a bit further down the line to a better/pricier once but not any time soon.

List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Is 30FPS acceptable? 60? 120? How important is PhysX / SuperSampling / CUDA to you?: The Evil Within, Dead Rising 3, Rise of the Tomb Raider (maybe), Grand Theft Auto V, and similar recent/upcoming titles. 60 fps isn't a huge deal but I'd like to play games at higher settings and a framerate that is all over the place is kind of a dealbrekaer. No experience with PhysZ/SuperSampling/CUDA.

Looking to reuse any parts?: List make and model (e.g. Corsair 520HX, 640GB SATA HDD, Antec 900): Just my monitor/keyboard/speakers.

When will you build?: Do you have a deadline?: By new years.

Will you be overclocking?: Yes, No, Maybe (This means yes!): Maybe but if I don't need this to achieve high settings with stable framerates (stable as in 30 or 60 locked/consistently), probably not.

Other: Blu-ray drive is a must.

---

Including a link to the part picker list I had going again. Up for any and all suggestions.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/PvTJrH

 

[test_account]

Now that my 8-9 year old PC died (PSU stopped working), i'm thinking of building a new PC. However, i was hoping to wait until next year, but i'm thinking of buying a new PSU now that can be used with my old PC temporary.

My main question is, how much power do i need? I'm looking to build a fairly good PC (perhaps around $1000), so i'm not going to get the most powerful GPU, but i want a decent one. Is 600W PSU enough or should i go higher? Any thoughts?

 

[MisterNoisy]

Now that my 8-9 year old PC died (PSU stopped working), i'm thinking of building a new PC. However, i was hoping to wait until next year, but i'm thinking of buying a new PSU now that can be used with my old PC temporary.

My main question is, how much power do i need? I'm looking to build a fairly good PC (perhaps around $1000), so i'm not going to get the most powerful GPU, but i want a decent one. Is 600W PSU enough or should i go higher? Any thoughts?

600W is more than fine for a single-GPU build. Just make sure you pick up a decent unit (the OP has good recommendations).

 

[test_account]

600W is more than fine for a single-GPU build. Just make sure you pick up a decent unit (the OP has good recommendations).

Thanks Just to be more specific, if i get for example a GTX 970 or 980 GPU (and a good CPU and all that as well), will 600W still be enough? I've been thinking a bit about this PSU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139048

I could maybe go for the 750W too if the GPUs i mentioned above requires more power:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139051

 

[MisterNoisy]

Thanks Just to be more specific, if i get for example a GTX 970 or 980 GPU (and a good CPU and all that as well), will 600W still be enough? I've been thinking a bit about this PSU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139048

I could maybe go for the 750W too if the GPUs i mentioned above requires more power:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139051

I'd honestly look at spending a bit more just to get a better-built PSU. The EVGA SuperNova B2 750W is right around that price (currently $60 after MiR) and is a better unit. A few bucks more nets you any number of really good 600W+ PSUs.

 

[test_account]

I'd honestly look at spending a bit more just to get a better-built PSU. The EVGA SuperNova B2 750W is right around that price (currently $60 after MiR) and is a better unit. A few bucks more nets you any number of really good 600W+ PSUs.

I see. Unfortunately that PSU is currently unavailable in my country, and its also about 20-25% more expencive that the previous ones i mentioned (which isnt THAT much more when looking at the raw money number though, but everything ads up in the end when building a whole new PC). What determines the build quality by the way, how long that they can potentially last? Or do they go through some specific tests? Or is it better-built as in more and/or better functionality?

 

[Burgess_101]

I see. Unfortunately that PSU is currently unavailable in my country, and its also about 20-25% more expencive that the previous ones i mentioned (which isnt THAT much more when looking at the raw money number though, but everything ads up in the end when building a whole new PC). What determines the build quality by the way, how long that they can potentially last? Or do they go through some specific tests? Or is it better-built as in more and/or better functionality?

This is a good list to go through.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

 

[MisterNoisy]

I see. Unfortunately that PSU is currently unavailable in my country, and its also about 20-25% more expencive that the previous ones i mentioned (which isnt THAT much more when looking at the raw money number though, but everything ads up in the end when building a whole new PC). What determines the build quality by the way, how long that they can potentially last? Or do they go through some specific tests? Or is it better-built as in more and/or better functionality?

Design, build quality and component selection. The last place you want to start scrimping is on your PSU, since if it goes, it has the potential to be a very expensive failure. You don't need to go bananas, but an extra $20 is pretty cheap where peace of mind about your $1000+ PC is concerned.

Including a link to the part picker list I had going again. Up for any and all suggestions.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/PvTJrH

You may wanna wait for someone else to chime in, but I can't find anything jumping out at me - looks good.

 

[MisterNoisy]

Derp.

 

[RGM79]

Good air flow and a lot of room inside. Good cable management and ability to hide them is nice. My current case, even being a mid tower, has a lot of space inside. I like the overall appearance and air flow of the Air 540 but do not like the sideways drive bays for DVD/CD drives.

The Obsidian is huge and not sure I need that much room but I like it.

Hmm, I'm not sure of any alternatives to the Air 540, there aren't a lot of similar case designs. You could place the Air 540 sideways to get a "right side up" optical drive bay like so:

There's also the smaller Obsidian cases like the 450D or 550D to consider.

Yeah, no problem. Not sure why I didn't fill it out in my first post to begin with.

Your Current Specs: I'm purchasing all parts new and don't know off hand all of the parts but I have 8 GB RAM and an AMD Radeon 6670 graphics card.

Budget: Price Range + Country: $1500 at the maximum but the closer to $1000 the better. USA. I'm close to a Microcenter.

Main Use: Rate 1-5. 5 being Highest: Light Gaming - 5 / Gaming 5 Emulation (PS2/Wii) - 5 / Video Editing - 1 / Streaming games in HD - 1 / 3D/Model work (and what program) - 1 / General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback) - 5

Monitor Resolution: What resolution will you be playing your games at? Are you going to upgrade later? Are you buying a new monitor?: Current monitor has a 1920 x 1080 resolution. I might upgrade a bit further down the line to a better/pricier once but not any time soon.

List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Is 30FPS acceptable? 60? 120? How important is PhysX / SuperSampling / CUDA to you?: The Evil Within, Dead Rising 3, Rise of the Tomb Raider (maybe), Grand Theft Auto V, and similar recent/upcoming titles. 60 fps isn't a huge deal but I'd like to play games at higher settings and a framerate that is all over the place is kind of a dealbrekaer. No experience with PhysZ/SuperSampling/CUDA.

Looking to reuse any parts?: List make and model (e.g. Corsair 520HX, 640GB SATA HDD, Antec 900): Just my monitor/keyboard/speakers.

When will you build?: Do you have a deadline?: By new years.

Will you be overclocking?: Yes, No, Maybe (This means yes!): Maybe but if I don't need this to achieve high settings with stable framerates (stable as in 30 or 60 locked/consistently), probably not.

Other: Blu-ray drive is a must.

---

Including a link to the part picker list I had going again. Up for any and all suggestions.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/PvTJrH

That's not a bad parts list, but here's what I recommend:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($159.99)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.98 @ 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)
Storage: Toshiba 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.68 @ B&H)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($304.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Titanium) ATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($48.89 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($86.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1095.38
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-08 18:17 EDT-0400

The i5 4590 paired with a Z97 motherboard is a bit odd, but it's a cost-savings measure. The i5 4590 processor will be enough to achieve 60FPS in nearly all games and is $160 at Microcenter, making it a good deal. Z97 motherboards are usually paired with overclockable K type processors, but that particular ASRock motherboard is at a low price making it a good choice. It's all compatible, no worries there.

All in all, it's a bit cheaper than your parts list but better or equal in nearly every way. It's mainly different in that it has a slightly better motherboard, a better and larger SSD, a slightly faster version of the EVGA GTX 970, the newer Define R5 instead of the R4, and a power supply that is a bit cheaper after rebate but arguably better quality and higher wattage. The only thing "worse" is that it has an i5 instead of an i7, but there's barely any difference between them when it comes to average framerate performance. Scroll down to the game comparisons and you'll see that the i5 and i7 are nearly identical when it comes to game performance. Yes, I know that's the i5 4690 instead of the i5 4590, but the differences are minimal (just a 200MHz difference in variable clock speed).

Otherwise if you don't mind spending more, you could opt for an Intel Skylake and Z170 build. Pricier due to the fact that it's newer and requires DDR4 RAM, but it's more future-looking than Haswell and Z97 because a lot of Z170 motherboards feature newer tech like M.2, USB 3.1, and USB type C. Haswell and Z97 is still competitive for now when it comes to performance, but Skylake and Z170 is here to gradually replace it.

I see. Unfortunately that PSU is currently unavailable in my country, and its also about 20-25% more expencive that the previous ones i mentioned (which isnt THAT much more when looking at the raw money number though, but everything ads up in the end when building a whole new PC). What determines the build quality by the way, how long that they can potentially last? Or do they go through some specific tests? Or is it better-built as in more and/or better functionality?

What country are you in? Any links to local retailers that you prefer to shop at?

 

[Burgess_101]

Hmm, I'm not sure of any alternatives to the Air 540, there aren't a lot of similar case designs. You could place the Air 540 sideways to get a "right side up" optical drive bay like so:

There's also the smaller Obsidian cases like the 450D or 550D to consider.

The HAF XB is a great choice, I have one and coming from a beast like the HAF X, I don't miss it.

I had a watercooling loop set up in there and it fit pretty well.

Also if you want a window you can buy a windowed top panel from Cooler Master for €12.

 

[banefirelord]

How does this look?

Thanks for your help!

 

[SharkJAW]

So, I'm planning on setting up an external GPU for my 13" MacBook Pro (I'd prefer this setup as opposed to a dedicated gaming rig). I was planning on doing so with a GTX 970, but I realized Nvidia might be releasing something new sometime soon. Should I hold off?

 

[RGM79]

So, I'm planning on setting up an external GPU for my 13" MacBook Pro (I'd prefer this setup as opposed to a dedicated gaming rig). I was planning on doing so with a GTX 970, but I realized Nvidia might be releasing something new sometime soon. Should I hold off?

Nope, Nvidia's Pascal line is due for sometime in the middle of 2016.

If you don't mind me asking, how are you gonna set up an external GPU? Sounds expensive but interesting.

 

[pax217]

Hi guys, I just put together a system and am having trouble getting it to boot. It runs for a second and then dies. Nothing comes up on the monitor, but fans spin up, etc, and then a second later stop... is this a short somewhere?

Thanks!

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

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.

Did just that. Here ya go. I think it's more noticable than the first picture makes it seem. You think it gets better over time though? How does that work exactly?

 

[opticalmace]

Hi guys, I just put together a system and am having trouble getting it to boot. It runs for a second and then dies. Nothing comes up on the monitor, but fans spin up, etc, and then a second later stop... is this a short somewhere?

Thanks!

Heatsink properly attached? Heatsink fan is spinning?

Double check all cables. If still nothing, remove everything unnecessary for boot.

 

[Flandy]

Is it possible to replace the headset jack in my Case?
My current one won't play audio out of the right channel unless the cable jack is positioned in a very specific way into the input

 

[Rewind]

Will ram at 1866 MHz work with an i5 2500k if my motherboard supports that ram speed? I'm having a hard time finding a solid answer to this.

 

[knitoe]

Will ram at 1866 MHz work with an i5 2500k if my motherboard supports that ram speed? I'm having a hard time finding a solid answer to this.

If you MB supports it, yes. You can also run it at slower speeds.

 

[walkmetothelake]

That's not a bad parts list, but here's what I recommend:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

The i5 4590 paired with a Z97 motherboard is a bit odd, but it's a cost-savings measure. The i5 4590 processor will be enough to achieve 60FPS in nearly all games and is $160 at Microcenter, making it a good deal. Z97 motherboards are usually paired with overclockable K type processors, but that particular ASRock motherboard is at a low price making it a good choice. It's all compatible, no worries there.

All in all, it's a bit cheaper than your parts list but better or equal in nearly every way. It's mainly different in that it has a slightly better motherboard, a better and larger SSD, a slightly faster version of the EVGA GTX 970, the newer Define R5 instead of the R4, and a power supply that is a bit cheaper after rebate but arguably better quality and higher wattage. The only thing "worse" is that it has an i5 instead of an i7, but there's barely any difference between them when it comes to average framerate performance. Scroll down to the game comparisons and you'll see that the i5 and i7 are nearly identical when it comes to game performance. Yes, I know that's the i5 4690 instead of the i5 4590, but the differences are minimal (just a 200MHz difference in variable clock speed).

Thank you for such a thorough answer. There's a compatibility notice that says "The Mushkin Stealth 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory operating voltage of 1.6V exceeds the Intel Haswell Refresh CPU recommended maximum of 1.5V+5% (1.575V). This memory module may run at a reduced clock rate to meet the 1.5V voltage recommendation, or may require running at a voltage greater than the Intel recommended maximum." however. The difference is so small that I figured it wouldn't but I don't have a lot of experience with the parts obviously and wanted to make sure that would be 100% fine. If that checks out I'll probably be going with this build within the next two months.

edit: Would any extra cooling outside of any included fans be needed?

 

[Chairmanchuck]

Anyone knows when Pascal will hit? Eagerly awaiting to drop 500-700$ on a new GPU.

 

[Arsin]

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.

I have one, and I love it - just make sure you do your dusting outside (trust me on this) and keep your fans from spinning when you're blowing air at or around them. Also remember to clean out the little foam air filter on the Datavac after you're done using it.

Thanks for the advice! I will do a bit more looking around, but will prolly end up picking up the DataVAC.

 

[Rewind]

If you MB supports it, yes. You can also run it at slower speeds.

So I would not have to under clock it though to get it to work with the cpu right?

 

[knitoe]

So I would not have to under clock it though to get it to work with the cpu right?

Yes.

 

[SharkJAW]

Nope, Nvidia's Pascal line is due for sometime in the middle of 2016.

If you don't mind me asking, how are you gonna set up an external GPU? Sounds expensive but interesting.

I'm going to be using an AKiTiO Thunder 2 enclosure to connect the PCI of a GPU, which will then be connected to the Thunderbolt port on my MacBook. And you're right that it can get expensive. The enclosure is $200 alone. I'm going to need a power supply, as well.

 

[opticalmace]

Anyone knows when Pascal will hit? Eagerly awaiting to drop 500-700$ on a new GPU.

Dunno, earliest would be Spring. Summer might be more likely.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Is it possible to replace the headset jack in my Case?
My current one won't play audio out of the right channel unless the cable jack is positioned in a very specific way into the input

If you can buy the piece (or one similar enough) then yes. But then again, it is a case so you can probably get a different piece altogether and it will still work if you plug the cables in. the problem is getting it to fit your case.

I replaced the ones In my laptop last year when my laptop fell of a chair and broke them, In that case I needed the exact model (found by using the serial code in ebay), but I imagine that same brand cases use near identical pieces and they could be interchangeable. In most cases the piece shares its board with usb ports (for example, 2). So i guess you could choose to leave the two pieces by altering your case and have extra USBs if your board supports it, or just replace the thing.


edit: another alternative is to buy something like this that also has ports for audio jack, instead of replacing anything, just adding.

 

[Walpurgis]

So, I managed to get my monitor to work by using an HDMI cable. Now the PC won't detect my USB so I can't install Windows. I have two USBs connected to the PC right now and both of the USBs show up on the lists when I view the BIOS. However, when it tells me to hit any key on the black screen to access the USB, it doesn't work. I tried to change my boot order to make it so that my USB comes first but that doesn't work either. I think that has to do with this Boot Override that forces UEFI: Built-in EFI Shell to open first. My motherboard is called H81M-E34. I've tried everything and have no idea what to do. Is my PC broken?

 

[Walpurgis]

Wait, I just learned that I need to use a program called Rufus to burn the ISO file to my USB. Supposedly, this will make the USB bootable. I hope it works.

 

[Flandy]

If you can buy the piece (or one similar enough) then yes. But then again, it is a case so you can probably get a different piece altogether and it will still work if you plug the cables in. the problem is getting it to fit your case.

I replaced the ones In my laptop last year when my laptop fell of a chair and broke them, In that case I needed the exact model (found by using the serial code in ebay), but I imagine that same brand cases use near identical pieces and they could be interchangeable. In most cases the piece shares its board with usb ports (for example, 2). So i guess you could choose to leave the two pieces by altering your case and have extra USBs if your board supports it, or just replace the thing.


edit: another alternative is to buy something like this that also has ports for audio jack, instead of replacing anything, just adding.

Your edit option actually seems a lot more useful. Might go with that

 

[knitoe]

Wait, I just learned that I need to use a program called Rufus to burn the ISO file to my USB. Supposedly, this will make the USB bootable. I hope it works.

It works wonderfully. I have used it before, latest was creating a bootable UEFI Windows 10 install.

And, you have at least 4 USB slots in the back where you mistakenly tried to connect your monitor to. Use one of them.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Your edit option actually seems a lot more useful. Might go with that

Just keep an eye open for additional parts you may need. The one I linked, for instance, is 3.5" and most modern cases have 5.25" bays only. So in amazon it shows as frequently bought together with a 3.5-Inch to 5.25-Inch accessory. Or you could buy a 5.25" model that may have more of other ports.

 

[RGM79]

Thank you for such a thorough answer. There's a compatibility notice that says "The Mushkin Stealth 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory operating voltage of 1.6V exceeds the Intel Haswell Refresh CPU recommended maximum of 1.5V+5% (1.575V). This memory module may run at a reduced clock rate to meet the 1.5V voltage recommendation, or may require running at a voltage greater than the Intel recommended maximum." however. The difference is so small that I figured it wouldn't but I don't have a lot of experience with the parts obviously and wanted to make sure that would be 100% fine. If that checks out I'll probably be going with this build within the next two months.

edit: Would any extra cooling outside of any included fans be needed?

It's fine. It's just that RAM above 1333/1600MHz is technically overclocked, and 2133MHz and higher usually needs to run at a slightly higher voltage in order to reach that speed. You can run the RAM at the default speed of 1333/1600MHz and voltage of 1.5V, or select the XMP profile option in motherboard BIOS to automatically enable the higher speed and voltage setting, no fuss.

At worst the RAM will run a few degrees hotter than normal, but as long as the case isn't poorly designed and has adequate ventilation, it's not an issue at all. I've never heard of anyone having a PC melt down because it was running high speed RAM.

As far as I know the Define R5 should have good ventilation, nearly all reviews online for the case sing high praises for the Define R5. As we usually recommend around here, you should assemble the system first and see if temperatures are ok. If not then you can just add some fans, they're one of the easiest additions you can make to a case. Usually we recommend cases with decent ventilation in the first place, but we assume users live in and online reviews test in a moderate climate and temperature (around 20 degrees Celsius). If you live in a hot environment with relatively high ambient temperatures (closer to 30 degrees Celsius or higher), then you would definitely need more ventilation.

Is it possible to replace the headset jack in my Case?
My current one won't play audio out of the right channel unless the cable jack is positioned in a very specific way into the input

Depends on the case. Some manufacturers like Fractal Design offer replacement parts, others don't. I was able to get a replacement front panel I/O kit for my Fractal Define R3 (technically for the Define R4 but fits the R3) which included audio jacks and USB 3.0 ports. You may also want to consider cleaning the headphone jack if possible with something like a toothpick or a blast of compressed air - the ports on my Define R3 had dust and gunk accumulate inside, causing them to not work in the first place.

Fake edit: beaten, oh well.

Anyone knows when Pascal will hit? Eagerly awaiting to drop 500-700$ on a new GPU.

You'll be waiting for a while. It's slated for 2016 and no specific details of launch or availability are known beyond that.

 

[Walpurgis]

I finally got Windows 7 setup on the PC but there's no internet. I have a router right beside the PC and have a yellow ethernet running directly to the PC. There is a green light in the ethernet on the back of the PC but the PC is unable to detect any networks. I looked in the device manager and can't even find the network adapter. There is a bunch of crap in the other devices section though. I looked on google and it says that I need drivers but I don't know how to get those and which ones I need. Someone please help!

 

[Rufus]

I finally got Windows 7 setup on the PC but there's no internet. I have a router right beside the PC and have a yellow ethernet running directly to the PC. There is a green light in the ethernet on the back of the PC but the PC is unable to detect any networks. I looked in the device manager and can't even find the network adapter. There is a bunch of crap in the other devices section though. I looked on google and it says that I need drivers but I don't know how to get those and which ones I need. Someone please help!

Go to your motherboard vendor's website and find your model there, then just download and install the chipset drivers they provide.

 

[NotMyUsername]

So I got the third (and final) case today and after getting home I finally put together everything. First time building a computer in about 15 years and it boots up with seemingly no issues. I got Windows 10 installed and now I'm just reinstalling some stuff (Steam was on an external drive I moved over but doesn't boot up, must have some parts that were on the old C drive?).

Made a couple silly errors putting it together but generally wasn't too bad. The dumbest was getting to my room with it, plugging it in for the first time, and with it booting up realizing I didn't plug anything into the disc drive so I could actually install Windows 10.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions. Now it's just work getting it back into a space where it feels comfortable doing things with it. And I need to learn about Windows 10 since I've been using Windows 7 on my last PC up until now.

 

[test_account]

This is a good list to go through.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

Thanks!

Design, build quality and component selection. The last place you want to start scrimping is on your PSU, since if it goes, it has the potential to be a very expensive failure. You don't need to go bananas, but an extra $20 is pretty cheap where peace of mind about your $1000+ PC is concerned.

Thats definitelly true. I still dont know if anything in my PC has crashed beside the PSU (the PSU started to smelled burned electronics, so i assume that its only that), although it lasted for a long time and it got tons of hours of usage, and i dont think its really that top of the line PSU (its a Chieftec, it was included with my Tower case when i bought it). Its been many years since i've really followed PC hardware, so i have very little idea how big of a difference there are between things like PSUs, so i have to ask

What country are you in? Any links to local retailers that you prefer to shop at?

I live in Norway. Komplett.no and Multicom.no are probably some of the biggest. However, if you know about a specific model, Prisjakt.no is also good (equivalent to Pricegrabber.com and Pricewatch.com).

 

[Gritesh]

Was waiting for the longest time for the acer x34 gsync monitor but now that ncix has it listed on their site I'm pissed off.


1800 for the monitor are you fucking kidding me...

The freesync version is 1100 why the fuck is the gsync version 700 more in Canada.


Now I don't know what the fuck to do. I'm using a 32 Samsung smart tv as my monitor for now I don't want to go down in size but I don't want to drop almost 2k after taxes and blah blah blah.

Maybe I'll skip gsync and just get a 34" curved wqhd monitor from someone else that's not a fucking rip off.

 

[Crazymoogle]

Was waiting for the longest time for the acer x34 gsync monitor but now that ncix has it listed on their site I'm pissed off.

Surprise! USD conversion, low supply monitor. The Z34 is also insanely expensive (last I looked, $1200?) Sadly these are large curved displays so they are just going to charge a premium. I don't think we'll see more reasonable priced (new) monitors with GSync until next year, and even then you would have to look at smaller sets. 34" is basically the same category as large TV LCDs now so they feel they can charge those prices.