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"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 2. Read the OP. Rocking 2500K's until HBM2 and beyond.

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RGM79

Member
This may be a stupid question, but when can we expect 4K monitors with 100 or even 144hz?

A few years. No monitors exist with those specs yet even on paper, I think. I'm not sure if displayport 1.3 (the latest version) carries enough bandwidth for that. You'd need triple/quad SLI or crossfire to hit framerates that high anyway unless you don't mind low quality settings.
 

Finaika

Member
CbfOJNk.png

Why does the i5 6600K has better performance than the i7 6700K?
 

luffeN

Member
A few years. No monitors exist with those specs yet even on paper, I think. I'm not sure if displayport 1.3 (the latest version) carries enough bandwidth for that. You'd need triple/quad SLI or crossfire to hit framerates that high anyway unless you don't mind low quality settings.

Okay, I see. Does it make a difference if I "only" need it for work with text editors and such? That should be less demanding than playing the newest AAA game with 4K etc., right?

RGM79 said:
Much less demanding. You wouldn't need 100/120/144Hz, you would be able to get by with 60Hz or even just 30Hz. Displayport 1.3 will do dual 4K monitors at 60Hz.

Edit: But that's the thing. I don't want to get by with 60hz. I know that it will suffice, but once you are used to 100/120/144hz even when only in Windows, it is jarring to go back to 60hz. Sure, after some days you get used to it, but it really isn't as smooth as the higher rates.
 

RGM79

Member
Why does the i5 6600K has better performance than the i7 6700K?

No idea, the difference is so slight that it could be anything. Random chance/variation. Temperature difference on the CPU or GPU? Different drivers? The i5 4690 (non-K model) is also quite high up there, technically beating out everything else besides the i7 5690X.

Okay, I see. Does it make a difference if I "only" need it for work with text editors and such? That should be less demanding than playing the newest AAA game with 4K etc., right?

Much less demanding. You wouldn't need 100/120/144Hz, you would be able to get by with 60Hz or even just 30Hz. Displayport 1.3 will do dual 4K monitors at 60Hz.
 

DiscoDave

Member
I'd recommend an i5 4690K or an Xeon 1231 V3 depending on your budget, whether you would be doing any overclocking, and how much you could spend on an upgrade next year. Tell us your budget and we'll see if we can't figure out a decent parts list for you.

In either case, it wouldn't make a lot of sense to buy an i5 4460 and then replace that in less than half a year for no reason. Considering how effective processors usually are and how much they cost, you should be buying for a higher end processor and upgrading the graphics card as needed, not the other way around. In any case, a processor like the i5 4460 is capable enough to hit fairly high framerates, but if you want to play maxed out settings at 1080p, you'll need a strong graphics card so something like the GTX 750 Ti won't meet your needs. The cheap GTX 780 does sound like a nice option if you're on a budget.

Anandtech's Total War Attila CPU benchmark comparison tool is great for what you want to see. You'll have no chance playing something like Total War on integrated graphics (unless you spring for the rare i5 5675C or i7 5775C), while to hit your desire of maxed out graphics at 1080p and 30FPS, you will probably want that GTX 780 at minimum unless you don't mind turning down graphics settings.
CbfOJNk.png

I need to go back to the drawing board on it. Thanks for the help.
 

sfried

Member
I have a question about my XFX 7870 2GB Core Edtion:

I recently installed the latest Catalyst Beta 15.10 drivers, and I noticed something strange when I ran GPU-Z
ss2015-10-16at05.11.39_zps5spvhrxt.png

I noticed it only read my card as supporting DX11.2
I also noticed my DXDiag only reports support for up to 11.1
ss2015-10-16at05.14.48_zpskiflzgda.png


Is this normal, or is it just a bad graphics driver install? From what I understand, the HD7000 series (or at least the 7870) is said to natively support DirectX12. I also didn't seem to run into any issues during install, and I made sure to clean install the previous drivers using Display Driver Cleaner.
 

Lebneney

Banned
i5/i7, there isn't much difference except less multi-thread support. So slower if you're planning on multimedia work like video editing. Technically, an i5 is less "future-proof" without knowing how future games will perform comparatively. Otherwise expect a 1-2% fps difference between the two in current games.

I'd suggest a budget around $1000 for mid-high if it's from scratch.

You can save some money if you already have a Windows license, or are willing to buy it from someone else for cheaper.
I lowered some specs in this one, trying to reach $1000 but it's still high.

Nostremitus's build looks fine as well, if you want a mini-ITX case. I prefer regular tower because of more space and upgrade room.

You can also use the builds from the OP, which is what I based most of the parts off of if you want to save more money.
The "Great Value" one (third one) is the best for mid-high settings, except replace the r280 with the r290/390 or 970.

Okay cool. Thanks again! I'll update this thread with my progress hopefully within the coming weeks.
 

Zaph

Member
Quick question about upgrade/sidegrade on HSF.

Been using the NH-D14 with the stock Noctua fans the past few years, but I've been offered the Kraken X61 with extra fans for $100 CAD. Do I go for it? The X61 goes for about $150+ and that's without the extra fans.

Or should I just put a kit together or buy one from here: https://www.dazmode.com/store/category/complete_kits/

Can't speak on that specific AIO model, but I did dabble with a similar sidegrade (Noctua to Corsair AIO). I ended up going back very quickly, the temp difference was too marginal to give up the absolute silence of Noctua at idle temp caused by the pump motor.
 

Erebus

Member
Is the GTX 750 Ti a good replacement for my dead GTX 460? Also is there any specific brand/model I should prefer?

I'm looking for an affordable (silent too) gfx card for moderate 1080p gaming.
 

shandy706

Member
Haha, also a cross post. (Hopefully ok)

Selling my GTX 980 :)

Happy to help a fellow Gaf member save some money.

Edit* I have the 980 (and all its packaging) listed at $440 $420 at the link. Will take serious offers near that.
 
I don't know if anyone saw my thread on the off-topic side, but my 2007 PC just died.

I need a new gaming PC, but I have no interest in building one. It's mostly a time issue. I have an infant daughter and can barely keep up with a full time job and house chores and barely have free time to play games.

My budget is around $2000. Ideally, I'd like to buy a desktop from Amazon because I'm a Prime member and their customer service/return policy is excellent. I don't need a monitor or anything else. My PC gaming setup is already pretty dope.

What do you guys suggest?
 

RGM79

Member
I don't know if anyone saw my thread on the off-topic side, but my 2007 PC just died.

I need a new gaming PC, but I have no interest in building one. It's mostly a time issue. I have an infant daughter and can barely keep up with a full time job and house chores and barely have free time to play games.

My budget is around $2000. Ideally, I'd like to buy a desktop from Amazon because I'm a Prime member and their customer service/return policy is excellent. I don't need a monitor or anything else. My PC gaming setup is already pretty dope.

What do you guys suggest?

Order your parts from a place like NCIXUS and pay the $50 charge for assembly and one year warranty.
 
I'd be open to this, but now we're talking about me researching every single component in a PC which I probably don't have time for because I'd be starting from zero knowledge.

Is there a company that will build you a PC that offers set packages based on price? This PC will be used for gaming, btw.

There are suggested builds in the OP. Just do the enthusiast build and you'll be fine.
 
I'm quite happy with 1080p but when downsampling the few games it does look better. I'm not planning on building a new PC for about another year but when I do I'm gonna go all out (well within reason) with an i7-K, 16/32GB RAM, and gpu that is on the same tier as a 980 ti/Fury X that's out now. I'll probably stick to 60fps but I'd like to go up to 1440p or maybe even 4K.

can i just keep my 1080p monitor or should I really upgrade to a 1440p/4k monitor? essentially what i'm asking is...is there much difference between 1440p/4k downsampled to 1080p screen compared to a native 1440p/4k screen?
 

RGM79

Member
I'd be open to this, but now we're talking about me researching every single component in a PC which I probably don't have time for because I'd be starting from zero knowledge.

Is there a company that will build you a PC that offers set packages based on price? This PC will be used for gaming, btw.

Oh, I didn't know you had no idea about researching what you wanted either, I thought you just said you didn't have the time to personally build one. In that case, we can figure out a parts list to best fit your budget. Just fill out the questionnaire in the first post of this thread along with any other details you might be considering like the size of the PC or if silence is a big deal (you may want noise dampening case or graphics cards, processor coolers, or power supplies with low noise modes) or what sort of case design you want (gamer? professional? specific colors? case window? etc) and any other notes.

There are a bunch of companies that do that like Dell or iBuyPower or CyberPower and whatnot, but generally this thread is more about advice and custom PCs, and not so much about prebuilt PCs. Not that we won't help you - if you have any questions, I can try to answer them as best I can. I don't mind doing cost comparisons for prebuilt PCs and whatnot.
 
Oh, I didn't know you had no idea about researching what you wanted either, I thought you just said you didn't have the time to personally build one. In that case, we can figure out a parts list to best fit your budget. Just fill out the questionnaire in the first post of this thread along with any other details you might be considering like the size of the PC or if silence is a big deal (you may want noise dampening case or graphics cards, processor coolers, or power supplies with low noise modes) or what sort of case design you want (gamer? professional? specific colors? case window? etc) and any other notes.

There are a bunch of companies that do that like Dell or iBuyPower or CyberPower and whatnot, but generally this thread is more about advice and custom PCs, and not so much about prebuilt PCs. Not that we won't help you - if you have any questions, I can try to answer them as best I can. I don't mind doing cost comparisons for prebuilt PCs and whatnot.
If I can 1) get a more powerful PC by building it, and 2) won't have to build it myself, I'm into it!

[Basic Desktop Questions]
Your Current Specs: Dell XPS 420 (RIP), 8GB RAM, W764, AMD Radeon HD 7k series
Budget: ~$2k USA
Main Use: Gaming, streaming games in HD, multitasking
Monitor Resolution: I'm used to 1920x1200 on a 24" monitor (Dell E248WFP). Will upgrade eventually.
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: basically all Blizzard games maxed and @ 60fps. VR gaming eventually too, I suspect.
Looking to reuse any parts?: just external stuff like hard drives, kbm, speakers, monitor etc.
When will you build?: need this replacement ASAP
Will you be overclocking?: Nope. Beyond my skill level, and isn't it risky to do so?

Form factor: can be similar to my recently-deceased XPS 420 - 17.5" tall, 17.5" long, 7.5" wide. The PC is going to be on a small rolling stand on the floor, under a desk, so it doesn't have to be super attractive.
Other: Basically I want something future-proof and healthy (ie wont break) that I can use for up to 10 years for gaming. Prefer purchasing from a company/vendor that will be around for years to come in case of any issues.

The enthusiast build was recommended in the OP, but what does Smokey mean?
 

Adry9

Member
Hey guys, a friend of mine is trying to decide between a 280x 3GB or a 960 4GB, both cost the same (240€). Which one would you recommend? Or maybe a different one for a similar price.
 

Kuldar

Member
I have a PC request but not related to gaming PC. My wife's mother want to buy a new laptop (300 - 400€ budget). It's mostly for internet browsing, watching movies and series. With a 14" or 15.6" screen it will be perfect. Any recommendations?
 

Abdozer

Member
So I ended up RMA'ing my GPU a few weeks back for my issue and no luck. I don't understand it, my monitor works fine without any drivers but as soon as I try to install one, it just blacks out and gives me a No Signal message. Should I just RMA my monitor too? It's fairly new.
 

crpav

Member
So I ended up RMA'ing my GPU a few weeks back for my issue and no luck. I don't understand it, my monitor works fine without any drivers but as soon as I try to install one, it just blacks out and gives me a No Signal message. Should I just RMA my monitor too? It's fairly new.

Do you have another monitor you could try? Craziest thing could be some windows corruption where a reload would be needed due to some strange issue with the drivers and windows. Monitor first then go from there.
 
Is the GTX 750 Ti a good replacement for my dead GTX 460? Also is there any specific brand/model I should prefer?

I'm looking for an affordable (silent too) gfx card for moderate 1080p gaming.
Budget? 750ti is still a good card for you. Some manufacturers build cards that have a fanless mode where the card is completely silent under lower loads.

I have a PC request but not related to gaming PC. My wife's mother want to buy a new laptop (300 - 400€ budget). It's mostly for internet browsing, watching movies and series. With a 14" or 15.6" screen it will be perfect. Any recommendations?

If you're really only doing that, practically any new laptop on the market will do just fine. The hardest choice would be aesthetics and actual hardware (keyboard feel, touchpad size, volume buttons, etc). If you really want to go nuts, check out the laptop thread
 

LCGeek

formerly sane
Hey guys, a friend of mine is trying to decide between a 280x 3GB or a 960 4GB, both cost the same (240€). Which one would you recommend? Or maybe a different one for a similar price.

If he wants power the 280 will give him more. If he wants nvidia features and slightly less the 960.

I hate amd right now, shit breaks too much software or hardware. A few years back they were solid but 2 of my last 4 cards from their manufactuers have busted. Irony is the 280 is the card that broke.

Those cards I think are the best for the price range in the US unless you can get a 970 for cheap unsure what else to mention.
 

RGM79

Member
If I can 1) get a more powerful PC by building it, and 2) won't have to build it myself, I'm into it!

[Basic Desktop Questions]
Your Current Specs: Dell XPS 420 (RIP), 8GB RAM, W764, AMD Radeon HD 7k series
Budget: ~$2k USA
Main Use: Gaming, streaming games in HD, multitasking
Monitor Resolution: I'm used to 1920x1200 on a 24" monitor (Dell E248WFP). Will upgrade eventually.
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: basically all Blizzard games maxed and @ 60fps. VR gaming eventually too, I suspect.
Looking to reuse any parts?: just external stuff like hard drives, kbm, speakers, monitor etc.
When will you build?: need this replacement ASAP
Will you be overclocking?: Nope. Beyond my skill level, and isn't it risky to do so?

Form factor: can be similar to my recently-deceased XPS 420 - 17.5" tall, 17.5" long, 7.5" wide. The PC is going to be on a small rolling stand on the floor, under a desk, so it doesn't have to be super attractive.
Other: Basically I want something future-proof and healthy (ie wont break) that I can use for up to 10 years for gaming. Prefer purchasing from a company/vendor that will be around for years to come in case of any issues.

The enthusiast build was recommended in the OP, but what does Smokey mean?

Smokey's a thread regular who has/had an absurdly high end computer. It's the most expensive recommendation on the list.

Hmm.. 10 years is a bit much to ask. Even a smokey level PC will start needing some upgrades after 5 to 7 years. Purchasing with NCIX will get you warranty on the whole PC, but only for one year. NCIX does also offer some prebuilt PCs of their own, but warranty coverage to last ten years for the entire PC would be expensive and not worth the cost. Places like iBuyPower offer no more than 5 years, I think. I'm not even sure any place offers warranty coverage for that long. A PC would probably be outdated after that long, even if it were top of the line now. Replacement parts for things like the motherboard and processor would be long discontinued and no longer available.

Won't break is something that's difficult to guarantee. That depends on the quality of the parts (we can choose that) and how the PC is used and taken care of. Then there's dust and wear and electrical failure, etc.

Hmm.. maybe NCIXUS isn't that good of a choice. They don't seem to have any DDR4 RAM or even the i7 6700K CPI in stock. Unless you can get all the parts in stock from there, they cannot assembly it fully for you.

Looks like you'll have to look into prebuilt PCs.. I'm not aware of any other places that offer custom built to order PCs.
 
Smokey's a thread regular who has/had an absurdly high end computer. It's the most expensive recommendation on the list.

Hmm.. 10 years is a bit much to ask. Even a smokey level PC will start needing some upgrades after 5 to 7 years. Purchasing with NCIX will get you warranty on the whole PC, but only for one year. NCIX does also offer some prebuilt PCs of their own, but warranty coverage to last ten years for the entire PC would be expensive and not worth the cost. Places like iBuyPower offer no more than 5 years, I think. I'm not even sure any place offers warranty coverage for that long. A PC would probably be outdated after that long, even if it were top of the line now. Replacement parts for things like the motherboard and processor would be long discontinued and no longer available.

Won't break is something that's difficult to guarantee. That depends on the quality of the parts (we can choose that) and how the PC is used and taken care of. Then there's dust and wear and electrical failure, etc.

Hmm.. maybe NCIXUS isn't that good of a choice. They don't seem to have any DDR4 RAM or even the i7 6700K CPI in stock. Unless you can get all the parts in stock from there, they cannot assembly it fully for you.

Looks like you'll have to look into prebuilt PCs.. I'm not aware of any other places that offer custom built to order PCs.
These are all prebuilt - would any of these be a good option for me?

http://secure.ncixus.com/ncixpc/ncixpclist.cfm?categoryid=1011
 

RGM79

Member
These are all prebuilt - would any of these be a good option for me?

http://secure.ncixus.com/ncixpc/ncixpclist.cfm?categoryid=1011

The $2700 (before tax) PC that they're offering only costs about $1900 if you were to get the parts separately and the prices matched at other retailers.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($324.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($202.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Corsair Force LS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($116.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 980 4GB STRIX Video Card ($479.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 760T Black V2 ATX Full Tower Case ($156.75 @ Directron)
Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($17.89 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($87.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1867.54
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-16 17:27 EDT-0400

If you're comfortable spending that much, it's a solid PC part-wise, it's just not really cost-effective.
 

Adry9

Member
Similarly ? Not in every game, no.

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/star_wars_battlefront_beta_vga_graphics_performance_benchmarks,5.html
Although 4gb of VRAM will certainly matter, in fact it already does now.

I'd still choose the 280X but the 960 is not a terrible choice if you're talking about the 4gb version.
Interesting, I'll tell him to stick to the 280x then. Thanks!

If he wants power the 280 will give him more. If he wants nvidia features and slightly less the 960.

I hate amd right now, shit breaks too much software or hardware. A few years back they were solid but 2 of my last 4 cards from their manufactuers have busted. Irony is the 280 is the card that broke.

Those cards I think are the best for the price range in the US unless you can get a 970 for cheap unsure what else to mention.
Actually, his 280X broke and he's getting a refund, that's why he is looking for a new one XD
 

Resilient

Member
Guys this might seem stupid...but I can't find any info on whether the Cooler Master 212 comes with thermal compound???

I have an i5 6500k and the CM212. So do I need to buy thermal compound??

About to start building today, Google is currently failing me 😰😰
 
Guys this might seem stupid...but I can't find any info on whether the Cooler Master 212 comes with thermal compound???

I have an i5 6500k and the CM212. So do I need to buy thermal compound??

About to start building today, Google is currently failing me 😰😰
My 212 EVO came with a small tube of it. Yours should too.
 
Guys this might seem stupid...but I can't find any info on whether the Cooler Master 212 comes with thermal compound???

I have an i5 6500k and the CM212. So do I need to buy thermal compound??

About to start building today, Google is currently failing me 😰😰

It comes with thermal compound.
 
I have a desk that I want to set up a PS4 and a Raspberry Pi on, so like maybe 50/50 use of each. I'm thinking a monitor with two HDMI ports and built in speakers. I don't really want to go much past $200.

What would be a good monitor for this?
 
The $2700 (before tax) PC that they're offering only costs about $1900 if you were to get the parts separately and the prices matched at other retailers.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($324.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($202.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Corsair Force LS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($116.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 980 4GB STRIX Video Card ($479.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 760T Black V2 ATX Full Tower Case ($156.75 @ Directron)
Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($17.89 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($87.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1867.54
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-16 17:27 EDT-0400

If you're comfortable spending that much, it's a solid PC part-wise, it's just not really cost-effective.
Is there a reason you used that particular PC as an example? Would you recommend one of the prebuilts from that site over something brand name? Why was them not having ddr4 RAM a deal breaker? Or the CPU? Do a lot of you guys use that site for parts?

Sorry for all the questions. I've got a lot to learn...
 
Appreciate it guys!! all ready to start my build today. I'm freaking out about installing the cpu and and heat sink pretty badly 😰

I used that exact same CPU and cooler in my build (my first one in seven years). I took it real, REAL slow and watched youtube videos of the heatsink installation the entire time and just took it one very deliberate step at a time. (The CPU installation itself is nothing, just drop it in the seat and close the plate.)

I'm sure I accidentally put a little too much thermal compound on and I had to slide the heatsink around a little bit while seating and screwing it in and I think one of the corners wasn't tightening quite as nicely as I wanted and... it all still worked fine. A non-optimal installation will probably just mean that it won't OC as efficiently as it potentially could. There's some margin for error. And it *still* wasn't nearly as terrifying as pushing those fucking stock Intel heatsink pegs in on the first build I did years ago. (Which I also screwed up, and did no harm.)
 

Resilient

Member
Fuck. Good to know Joe, easing my mind a bit.

Do I need to clean the CPU with Isopropyl before applying the paste and then the Cooler Master? I really don't want to unless I have to lol !
 
Fuck. Good to know Joe, easing my mind a bit.

Do I need to clean the CPU with Isopropyl before applying the paste and then the Cooler Master? I really don't want to unless I have to lol !

I didn't bother, just handle the CPU by the edges. It's probably smart to keep some around just in case you need to abort and pull the heatsink off but I was living on the edge!
 

sfried

Member
Just wondering, is my HD7870 feature set only limited to DirectX 11.2? Would the R9 380 be a good step up to get perfect 1080p gaming, or would a 280 suffice just as well?
 
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