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[AngmarsKing701]

First point: I'm not going to a build a PC. I know, that's sacrilege here on GAF.

Currently, I have a 4-year old Asus N53S laptop, with an Nvidia GT 630M in it. It manages to play most of the stuff I have on Steam, which are older games for the most part, on medium settings. Recently, I bought Overwatch and while it can manage the game, it's got some frame drops and pop in and doesn't exactly look stunning.

Additionally, I have an Asus Chromebook Flip, which I bought about 6 months ago to replace my Nexus 7 (2013) tablet.

The laptop has been tethered to my desk now for a while, and last year I bought a wireless keyboard, mouse and a BenQ 1080p monitor so that I could slide the laptop under the desk. It's basically serving as a desktop now.

Additionally, I just bought a 65" 4K TV (being delivered today) that will be in a different room but could serve as an occasional monitor when it's not being used by other members of my family.

The Dilemma: despite leaning toward an eventual desktop setup to go with the BenQ, the revelation that the 1060/1070/1080 series was going to be the same in the laptop models as it is in the desktop models gave me pause. Should I go with a laptop and potentially consolidate into a single device (get rid of the Chromebook, for instance)? I could plug in at the BenQ or at the 4K, could carry it around the house for GAF browsing or writing, etc. Or should I go with a desktop that essentially stays tethered to the BenQ and later upgrade the monitor to a 1440p?


I was chasing down the options for laptops when I came across an MSI Aegis 049. This isn't terribly heavy (under 20 lbs) and has a handle. I could, conceivably, carry it upstairs and connect it to the 4K occasionally. The fact that it's also upgradeable is nice. The fact that I went to the gym this morning and took the Flip to watch Stranger Things while on the elliptical suggests a gaming laptop isn't the full consolidation device I think it would be.


tl;dr - I'm leaning toward the above-linked MSI. Good idea? Bad idea? Is there anything in there that would scream "that's not a good build?" I do have a friend who could help with a build, but I'm just not sure I want to go that route vs. just opening it up when it gets here and plugging it in.

 

[shanafan]

Having much less aliasing, this technique is called downsampling I think.

I just got a GTX 1070, and I am going to see how 1440p looks on my 1080p monitor.

 

[ColdDeckEd]

Something I've always wondered since a 1440p/144hz screen is next on my list.

How do games at 1080p look on a 1440p screen, any noticeable blur or general downsides. Not that I'm planning on playing much at 1080p but it's always something I've not really known about.

It would kind of be like playing a game at 720p on your 1080p. Maybe not as bad, but blurry.

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

Speaking as someone with a 1440 display.

1080p looks CONSIDERABLY worse on a 1440P display than 720P looks on 1080P display.

Really, it looks atrocious.

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

I've been running aida64 for the last 12 hours and haven't had any issues. Would it be OK to call it stable at this point or should I keep it going the full 24?

 

[hooijdonk17]

Nooooooo now I'm even more torn. What about the 1060, any foreseeable buyers remorse?

All nvidia cards fill me with remorse, so there's that.. but otherwise, nah, I don't think the 1060 6GB deserves its price tag either. RX 470 4GB or wait would be my recommendation. RX 480 8GB for around 240 is also not bad, but knowing that a 1.4GHz version of that card (RX 485?) and/or a $199 Vega 11 with performance close to it (RX 570?) is on its way makes it less appealing to me now than it did in July.

 

[Sickbean]

Speaking as someone with a 1440 display.

1080p looks CONSIDERABLY worse on a 1440P display than 720P looks on 1080P display.

Really, it looks atrocious.

What about 1080p on a 4K monitor? I'm assuming it isn't as bad because it's an exact 1:4 map?

 

[Megabat]

First point: I'm not going to a build a PC. I know, that's sacrilege here on GAF.

Currently, I have a 4-year old Asus N53S laptop, with an Nvidia GT 630M in it. It manages to play most of the stuff I have on Steam, which are older games for the most part, on medium settings. Recently, I bought Overwatch and while it can manage the game, it's got some frame drops and pop in and doesn't exactly look stunning.

Additionally, I have an Asus Chromebook Flip, which I bought about 6 months ago to replace my Nexus 7 (2013) tablet.

The laptop has been tethered to my desk now for a while, and last year I bought a wireless keyboard, mouse and a BenQ 1080p monitor so that I could slide the laptop under the desk. It's basically serving as a desktop now.

Additionally, I just bought a 65" 4K TV (being delivered today) that will be in a different room but could serve as an occasional monitor when it's not being used by other members of my family.

The Dilemma: despite leaning toward an eventual desktop setup to go with the BenQ, the revelation that the 1060/1070/1080 series was going to be the same in the laptop models as it is in the desktop models gave me pause. Should I go with a laptop and potentially consolidate into a single device (get rid of the Chromebook, for instance)? I could plug in at the BenQ or at the 4K, could carry it around the house for GAF browsing or writing, etc. Or should I go with a desktop that essentially stays tethered to the BenQ and later upgrade the monitor to a 1440p?


I was chasing down the options for laptops when I came across an MSI Aegis 049. This isn't terribly heavy (under 20 lbs) and has a handle. I could, conceivably, carry it upstairs and connect it to the 4K occasionally. The fact that it's also upgradeable is nice. The fact that I went to the gym this morning and took the Flip to watch Stranger Things while on the elliptical suggests a gaming laptop isn't the full consolidation device I think it would be.


tl;dr - I'm leaning toward the above-linked MSI. Good idea? Bad idea? Is there anything in there that would scream "that's not a good build?" I do have a friend who could help with a build, but I'm just not sure I want to go that route vs. just opening it up when it gets here and plugging it in.

This is how MSI advertised a similar desktop in 2015: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2015/08/14/adventures-in-repulsive-advertising-even-a-flight-attendant-can-assemble-msis-new-gaming-pc/#566229861af5

I, uh, don't have a great alternative option off the top of my head. I know the most recent Alienware Aurora desktops are supposed to be pretty nice, but they weigh about 30lbs. Definitely don't replace your Chromebook with a gaming laptop. But I think you already figured that.

 

[TGMIII]

Speaking as someone with a 1440 display.

1080p looks CONSIDERABLY worse on a 1440P display than 720P looks on 1080P display.

Really, it looks atrocious.

This is what I was worried about since 720 on a 1080 screen looks absolutely horrible to me, I've avoided playing games because of it before and if I bought a 1440 I would be using it as my main screen for both PC & consoles. I'll maybe see if I can get an actual look at it myself in person before thinking about buying.

 

[jon bones]

i am worried about playing games at 1440p as well, but i figure my i7/1070 should be able to get most games to 1440p/60 fps on 'very high'

throw in g-sync to help with frame drops and it should look pretty great

 

[cebri.one]

gsync is great, you get used to it quickly but then is hard to go back to 60fps.

 

[enewtabie]

i am worried about playing games at 1440p as well, but i figure my i7/1070 should be able to get most games to 1440p/60 fps on 'very high'

throw in g-sync to help with frame drops and it should look pretty great

I have 6700k/1070 and I play everything on ultra at 1440 at 90fps or more. Gears/Forza/Doom/Ashes of the Singularity/BF1. That's with no overclocking on the CPU/Ram or GPU.

 

[jon bones]

I have 6700k/1070 and I play everything on ultra at 1440 at 90fps or more. Gears/Forza/Doom/Ashes of the Singularity/BF1. That's with no overclocking on the CPU/Ram or GPU.

why would you tell me this?

i nearly threw my monitor out the window

why am i still playing in 1080p in 2016 like an asshole

 

[enewtabie]

why would you tell me this?

i nearly threw my monitor out the window

why am i still playing in 1080p in 2016 like an asshole

lol Sorry. I bought a DELL 2716DG and I went from 1080p to 1440p. I'm building a mini itx for my living room,so it's hard to go back to 1080 now. BF did run like 188fps on 1080p.

 

[Efren is G.O.A.T.]

So I'm starting to notice game stating 16 gb or RAM in their Recommended Specs. When will I really need to upgrade from 8gb to 16gb?

I currently game on a 1440p monitor (60hz) with a 3570k@4.3 and a strix 980ti and its been pretty smooth. Do the games REALLY need 16gb yet?

 

[shanafan]

I have a new laptop through work, and it has a 4K screen. I really have to admit, I love 4K. Grant it, I am sitting like.. 15 inches from the screen, but the clarity of 4K is truly impressive.

 

[LilJoka]

I've been running aida64 for the last 12 hours and haven't had any issues. Would it be OK to call it stable at this point or should I keep it going the full 24?

You define the line. You might find playing a game just crashes the system, so you need to try a few things than just Aida64.
For me is a couple hours of prime95 blend.

 

[Ashhong]

All nvidia cards fill me with remorse, so there's that.. but otherwise, nah, I don't think the 1060 6GB deserves its price tag either. RX 470 4GB or wait would be my recommendation. RX 480 8GB for around 240 is also not bad, but knowing that a 1.4GHz version of that card (RX 485?) and/or a $199 Vega 11 with performance close to it (RX 570?) is on its way makes it less appealing to me now than it did in July.

Well it would be a gift for my birthday in early December, so not sure if waiting is an option. unless I ask for cash or something.

I've been researching what I can, and from what I read, the 1060 struggles vs the 480 when using DirectX12. Is this going to be an issue in the future? I can get either one for about the same price, $260, which doesn't seem too bad. I guess I'm just shopping at the wrong time. This sucks!

 

[z3phon]

Need some help from you guys.
So I got the G.SKILL TridentZ Series 32GB because on the G.Skill website it says it supports my Asus Z170 Deluxe motherboard. http://www.gskill.com/en/product/f4-3200c14d-32gtzsw
But I'm having issues when I set XMP profile the system fails to boot or gives me overclocking failed message. (I don't have anything else overclocked)
Now I checked the Asus Z170 Deluxe DRAM support page and I can't my ram there. Does this mean that my ram is not supported on this motherboard?

 

[LilJoka]

Need some help from you guys.
So I got the G.SKILL TridentZ Series 32GB because on the G.Skill website it says it supports my Asus Z170 Deluxe motherboard. http://www.gskill.com/en/product/f4-3200c14d-32gtzsw
But I'm having issues when I set XMP profile the system fails to boot or gives me overclocking failed message. (I don't have anything else overclocked)
Now I checked the Asus Z170 Deluxe DRAM support page and I can't my ram there. Does this mean that my ram is not supported on this motherboard?

You need to tweak the VCCSA and VCCIO.
When you overlock the RAM via XMP, it uses a hammer to try to get it stable, that doesn't always work.
When the XMP is applied, the CPU Intel memory controller is overclocked, and this is governed by the VCCSA and VCCIO voltages. 1.15v-1.20v should be the range for 3200Mhz.
However depending on how good the CPU IMC is, it may not even run 3200Mhz.
You can try setting the XMP, then reducing the DRAM Freq to 3000Mhz and see if it boots as a quick test.

 

[chaosblade]

Well it would be a gift for my birthday in early December, so not sure if waiting is an option. unless I ask for cash or something.

I've been researching what I can, and from what I read, the 1060 struggles vs the 480 when using DirectX12. Is this going to be an issue in the future? I can get either one for about the same price, $260, which doesn't seem too bad. I guess I'm just shopping at the wrong time. This sucks!

If you keep an eye out you can get either cheaper. An 8GB 480 has been $200 after rebate a couple times.

And if you wait based on rumors and speculation you will never buy anything. There's always something on the horizon.

 

[kuYuri]

why would you tell me this?

i nearly threw my monitor out the window

why am i still playing in 1080p in 2016 like an asshole

If you have the money, just make the jump to 1440p already.

 

[beat]

Did the PC Build sheet in the OP move URLs?

 

[Ashhong]

If you keep an eye out you can get either cheaper. An 8GB 480 has been $200 after rebate a couple times.

And if you wait based on rumors and speculation you will never buy anything. There's always something on the horizon.

Well I was looking to get the Sapphire Nitro or EVGA 1060 specifically. Speaking of the Nitro, is there an advantage to getting the OC version? Can't I just OC it myself?

That's true...it's just so hard to pick..

 

[Smokey]

Cross posting from B/S/T thread

WTS- Samsung 28" 4k monitor (U28D590D)

1x DisplayPort
2x HDMI Ports

Been used for gaming and general PC usage.

$230

Paypal, US48 please.

Thanks

 

[jon bones]

Cross posting from B/S/T thread

what are the specs? ips / g sync / refresh rate?

thanks! i might be very interested

 

[kennah]

what are the specs? ips / g sync / refresh rate?

thanks! i might be very interested

Model number is in his post. Google it

 

[z3phon]

You need to tweak the VCCSA and VCCIO.
When you overlock the RAM via XMP, it uses a hammer to try to get it stable, that doesn't always work.
When the XMP is applied, the CPU Intel memory controller is overclocked, and this is governed by the VCCSA and VCCIO voltages. 1.15v-1.20v should be the range for 3200Mhz.
However depending on how good the CPU IMC is, it may not even run 3200Mhz.
You can try setting the XMP, then reducing the DRAM Freq to 3000Mhz and see if it boots as a quick test.

Cool thanks I'll give that a try.

 

[Clipse]

Both the Asus Z170 PRO GAMING and the newer Asus Z170 PRO GAMING/AURA are almost the same price. Any reason why I shouldn't go for the newer version? The rest of my build looks like this:

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard: ?
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 w/ Window (Titanium) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

 

[rac]

Sorry about that:

MSI GeForce GTX 1060 DirectX 12 GTX 1060 GAMING X 6G 6GB 192-Bit GDDR5 HDCP Ready ATX Video Card

G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2400

Intel Core i5-6500 6MB Skylake Quad-Core 3.2 GHz LGA 1151 65W

Corsair Carbide Series 100R

WD Blue 1TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM

GIGABYTE GA-B150M-D3H GSM

SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5" 250GB

I just updated to the latest nvidia drivers to try and help it, previously I used DDU to go back to an older driver to try and fix it.

edit: My plan is to do a memtest tonight.

I didn't realize memtest takes so long. I'm almost 100% positive its the gpu though. Too bad its out of RMA from newegg.

 

[Celcius]

For buying windows 10, the usb flash drive is definitely the way to go over dvd right?
Let's say I don't want to pay $200 for the retail pro version... buying a grey market key off reddit is pretty much the only choice right? Which would you guys recommend?

edit: hmm... I'm tempted to upgrade from a 4.6ghz 2600k to a 6800k (for gaming). Thoughts?

 

[Ashhong]

How good is this deal? Will it last me longer than an 8gb Sapphire Nitro 480?

https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsa...fury_24499_37999_110/?st=IV098X6O&sh=bbece45f

 

[IAmtheFMan]

Hi PC-GAF. I was hoping for some advice. I've been having a lot of problems with the PC I built earlier this year. Basically, I tried my hand at building a gaming PC and it worked out pretty well. It was essentially VR ready, and ran my Oculus okay... at first. Slowly but surely, I started noticing that coming out of the Oculus or graphic intensive games, the system would glitch out and restart. Every once in a while, I'd get a "thread stuck in device driver" error.

It's gotten to the point where occasionally, videos or even now Google Chrome will trigger the same crash. Recently, it's worse crashing even with minimal processing (i.e. internet, youtube etc.)

My specs for this computer are:
ASRock B150 pro4/D3 motherboard
i5-6600 3.3 Ghz Quad-core
Asus Radeon R9 390 8 GB 512-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express
Thermaltake SMART series 550W
A Seagate 1 TB SSHD
16 GB (2 8 GB DDR3 1600 MT/s) UDIMM memory
Running Windows 10

I've clean wiped drivers and reinstalled them, updated my Bios drivers for my motherboard. I'm still getting the same crashes. From what I can understand, this looks like a hardware issue at this point. My questions for PC GAF are, does this sound like a GPU problem? It seems to be whenever I'm running something graphically intense. Should I be looking to replace the GPU or get it fixed? Is there anything else I'm missing?

This is the first PC I've built in a long time so I'm kinda green on things.

Thanks in advance.

 

[knitoe]

Hi PC-GAF. I was hoping for some advice. I've been having a lot of problems with the PC I built earlier this year. Basically, I tried my hand at building a gaming PC and it worked out pretty well. It was essentially VR ready, and ran my Oculus okay... at first. Slowly but surely, I started noticing that coming out of the Oculus or graphic intensive games, the system would glitch out and restart. Every once in a while, I'd get a "thread stuck in device driver" error.

It's gotten to the point where occasionally, videos or even now Google Chrome will trigger the same crash. Recently, it's worse crashing even with minimal processing (i.e. internet, youtube etc.)

My specs for this computer are:
ASRock B150 pro4/D3 motherboard
i5-6600 3.3 Ghz Quad-core
Asus Radeon R9 390 8 GB 512-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express
Thermaltake SMART series 550W
A Seagate 1 TB SSHD
16 GB (2 8 GB DDR3 1600 MT/s) UDIMM memory
Running Windows 10

I've clean wiped drivers and reinstalled them, updated my Bios drivers for my motherboard. I'm still getting the same crashes. From what I can understand, this looks like a hardware issue at this point. My questions for PC GAF are, does this sound like a GPU problem? It seems to be whenever I'm running something graphically intense. Should I be looking to replace the GPU or get it fixed? Is there anything else I'm missing?

This is the first PC I've built in a long time so I'm kinda green on things.

Thanks in advance.

Have you tried to downclock your video card? Also, maybe, try a different PSU.

 

[chaosblade]

How good is this deal? Will it last me longer than an 8gb Sapphire Nitro 480?

https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsa...fury_24499_37999_110/?st=IV098X6O&sh=bbece45f

Probably about the same. Fury is a step up in performance but has less (but faster) VRAM. I've heard the Fury cards have some bugs that don't affect anything else in AMD's line, like distortion after waking the PC from sleep.

If I was getting a 480 now I'd probably lean toward a XFX GTR (not Black Edition) or MSI Gaming X. Those seem like the two best all around 480s, with XFX having a very slight edge.

Sapphire's is good, but their warranty has more limitations than most outside the nifty fans (which XFX also has) and the cooler is one of the weakest among "premium" 480s. Probably the nicest looking card though. Powercolor's is solid mostly due to the sheer size and grunt of the cooler making it one of the coolest and quietest models, but has less max OC potential due to inferior VRMs. I'd say these two are the second tier 480s after XFX and MSI.

Asus Strix is simply too expensive despite being well designed (perhaps over-designed) and Gigabyte's card apparently has the downsides of both Powercolor and Sapphire's cards.

 

[IAmtheFMan]

Have you tried to downclock your video card? Also, maybe, try a different PSU.

Yeah, I've tried downclocking. Do you think the PSU isn't enough?

 

[Mystic654]

My Latest Upgrades:

Also Grabbed Asus Rampage V Edition 10 & EVGA 1600 T2

 

[Ashhong]

Probably about the same. Fury is a step up in performance but has less (but faster) VRAM. I've heard the Fury cards have some bugs that don't affect anything else in AMD's line, like distortion after waking the PC from sleep.

If I was getting a 480 now I'd probably lean toward a XFX GTR (not Black Edition) or MSI Gaming X. Those seem like the two best all around 480s, with XFX having a very slight edge.

Sapphire's is good, but their warranty has more limitations than most outside the nifty fans (which XFX also has) and the cooler is one of the weakest among "premium" 480s. Probably the nicest looking card though. Powercolor's is solid mostly due to the sheer size and grunt of the cooler making it one of the coolest and quietest models, but has less max OC potential due to inferior VRMs. I'd say these two are the second tier 480s after XFX and MSI.

Asus Strix is simply too expensive despite being well designed (perhaps over-designed) and Gigabyte's card apparently has the downsides of both Powercolor and Sapphire's cards.

Cool thanks for the info. I have been leaning towards Sapphire because that's all I've heard about, even though I love my MSI 270. I had an XFX before and it was kind of loud. I'm hoping this is no longer a problem since the fans are off when idle if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Celcius]

My Latest Upgrades:

Also Grabbed Asus Rampage V Edition 10 & EVGA 1600 T2

Nice, be sure to post pictures!

 

[Ashhong]

Question for the XFX and I guess video cards in general, is it a waste to buy the OC version? What's stopping me from overclocking it myself? Do those just over clock even higher?

 

[Louis Cyphre]

Does anyone have an idea when new AMD cpu's are coming (Zen?)? I currently have a FX-6100 but I feel my new RX-480 video card is being severely held back by the cpu. I am getting tired of waiting and might just stop being such an AMD fanboy and go with INTEL's Skylake.

 

[Celcius]

Question for the XFX and I guess video cards in general, is it a waste to buy the OC version? What's stopping me from overclocking it myself? Do those just over clock even higher?

Yes, there's no reason to buy a pre-overclocked card unless it comes with a better cooler, more pci-e power connectors, better components, etc...
Otherwise if the only difference is the clock speeds, you can just easily overclock the base version to match or surpass the more expensive pre-overclocked card.

Does anyone have an idea when new AMD cpu's are coming (Zen?)? I currently have a FX-6100 but I feel my new RX-480 video card is being severely held back by the cpu. I am getting tired of waiting and might just stop being such an AMD fanboy and go with INTEL's Skylake.

Current rumors point to hopefully sometime early next year for the Zen release, which is also when the new kaby lake chips from Intel are supposed to hit. Kaby lake should just be skylake but with slightly higher clocks, although it could potentially be a great overclocker.

 

[chaosblade]

Cool thanks for the info. I have been leaning towards Sapphire because that's all I've heard about, even though I love my MSI 270. I had an XFX before and it was kind of loud. I'm hoping this is no longer a problem since the fans are off when idle if I'm not mistaken.

MSI has the quietest card at factory settings in the reviews I've seen, so that would make it a good choice if noise is a priority. Powercolor is a close second. The default profiles for Asus and XFX 480s prioritize temps over noise, but a custom fan curve can put them in the same ballpark as the other two.

Noise also happens to be one of the most common complaints about the Nitro, but it's still not that much louder than the other cards.

Any of the cards will turn the fans off when the temps are low enough, but if you have dual monitors that may never happen. For whatever reason AMD runs the VRAM at full speed all the time if you have multiple monitors, and at least in my case that's enough to keep the fans running at low speed all the time. Still silent, but not passively cooled.

Does anyone have an idea when new AMD cpu's are coming (Zen?)? I currently have a FX-6100 but I feel my new RX-480 video card is being severely held back by the cpu. I am getting tired of waiting and might just stop being such an AMD fanboy and go with INTEL's Skylake.

Early next year for Summit Ridge, don't think there is anything more specific than that apart from speculation.

Don't expect them to be cheap though, Summit Ridge is targeting the high end and servers and will probably be priced accordingly. The cheapest option will probably be a upper range i5 (4690K, 6600K, 7600K) competitor. Raven Ridge will likely be the cheaper APU series, but it's not supposed to hit until later.

Question for the XFX and I guess video cards in general, is it a waste to buy the OC version? What's stopping me from overclocking it myself? Do those just over clock even higher?

Factory speed is the only real difference. Some people buy the more expensive cards because they aren't willing to OC themselves, and others believe the factory OC cards use higher quality chips that have more OC potential. There's no evidence for that for any manufacturer though, it's all random chance as to whether a standard XFX GTR could OC worse, equal to, or better than a Black Edition GTR. (A GTR might may be more likely to outperform the lower tier RS model though, but there is still some random chance involved.).

Sticking with XFX as an example, they even said themselves they don't bin the chips, they just verify the built PCBs will run at the rated spec.

 

[nicoga3000]

So here's an odd question. I have a Cooler Master 800W Gold PSU. Tonight, I was playing Grim Dawn when my PC just shut off with no warning. No lights on the mobo, no sign of life, no nothing. I took everything apart and started tinkering to see what may have been the cause. Turns out, the PSU was hot as shit - it definitely overheated. Part of this was due to where I had my tower before, but I'm wondering if I need to figure out some extra cooling just in case.

Here's a weird pic of my setup - I'm nearly positive the green fans are intake and blue are exhaust (from the PSU and Corsair Hydro). Any tips/thoughts on what I can do to not let that happen ever again?

 

[lostsupper]

Question for the XFX and I guess video cards in general, is it a waste to buy the OC version? What's stopping me from overclocking it myself? Do those just over clock even higher?

Manufacturers bin their cards pretty aggressively and sell tiers accordingly. So a base model 1080 from a manufacturer will usually not clock as well as that same manufacturer's high-end 1080.

So here's an odd question. I have a Cooler Master 800W Gold PSU. Tonight, I was playing Grim Dawn when my PC just shut off with no warning. No lights on the mobo, no sign of life, no nothing. I took everything apart and started tinkering to see what may have been the cause. Turns out, the PSU was hot as shit - it definitely overheated. Part of this was due to where I had my tower before, but I'm wondering if I need to figure out some extra cooling just in case.

Here's a weird pic of my setup - I'm nearly positive the green fans are intake and blue are exhaust (from the PSU and Corsair Hydro). Any tips/thoughts on what I can do to not let that happen ever again?

Your PSU should be pulling cold air from underneath the case and exhausting it out the back.

 

[Eddie Bax]

Any tips/thoughts on what I can do to not let that happen ever again?

Put your PC on a hard surface or elevate it. In any common set up, the PSU is drawing air in from underneath and exhausting out the back, and being on carpet is bad.

 

[nicoga3000]

Put your PC on a hard surface or elevate it. In any common set up, the PSU is drawing air in from underneath and exhausting out the back, and being on carpet is bad.

Manufacturers bin their cards pretty aggressively and sell tiers accordingly. So a base model 1080 from a manufacturer will usually not clock as well as that same manufacturer's high-end 1080.



Your PSU should be pulling cold air from underneath the case and exhausting it out the back.

Yeah, that's what I meant. And I did elevated it with a piece of wood. So it's like it's on a desk, but it's...not? Will that airflow help enough, or should I look into an additional fan still?

 

[Finaika]

Yeah, that's what I meant. And I did elevated it with a piece of wood. So it's like it's on a desk, but it's...not? Will that airflow help enough, or should I look into an additional fan still?

Maybe turn the PSU upside down so that its drawing hot air inside the case and exhausting out the back? Since you have a carpet below your case.

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

Yes, there's no reason to buy a pre-overclocked card unless it comes with a better cooler, more pci-e power connectors, better components, etc...
Otherwise if the only difference is the clock speeds, you can just easily overclock the base version to match or surpass the more expensive pre-overclocked card.

Those cards tend to overclock better than the non overclocked versions. The chips all have been tested. Yes the base versions will surpass the preoverclocked cards but the preoverclocked cards can be pushed higher as well.

I never understand why people talk about overclocking something and getting the same performance as the higher end part. The higher end part overclocks too.

 

[Mystic654]

Nice, be sure to post pictures!

Will do. My PC case is massive now. It was only suppose to be 22" tall. Now it close to 47".

I kept adding space due to lack of space for my harddrives & bought to many Radiators (4x 480).