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"I Need a New PC!" 2016 Plus Ultra! HBM2, VR, 144Hz, and 4K for all!

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SerRodrik

Member
Don't know who made that, but its not good.
It has a Z170 board with a non-K CPU and 2133Mhz RAM.
CX series PSU is not reputable.
Going full ATX doesn't make sense unless you want a whole lot of nothing in the case. mATX would be better and you may consider ITX.

If you need wireless connection to the internet, then itll need a Wifi card or dongle.
OS will come as a separate cost as well as peripherals like mouse and keyboard, plus a monitor if you don't have one. Unless you plan to hook it up to your TV.

A really good value ITX build which has Wifi onboard and does not allow overclocking:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($194.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H110M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($67.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.98 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Windforce OC Video Card ($389.99 @ B&H)
Case: Fractal Design Node 304 Mini ITX Tower Case ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $947.31
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-05 13:03 EDT-0400

ITX would be the most difficult to assemble due to it being physically smaller, but all the same principals apply as any larger build.

Heres an mATX build
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($194.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H170M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($82.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.98 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Windforce OC Video Card ($389.99 @ B&H)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I REV 4.2 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($28.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $996.30
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-05 13:07 EDT-0400

Wow, thanks! Once you add in the OS costs these are a little beyond what I was planning to spend though.
 

LilJoka

Member
Wow, thanks! Once you add in the OS costs these are a little beyond what I was planning to spend though.

Heres a super bang for buck version.
I reduced the ram to 2x4GB from 2x8GB, the motherboard has 4 slots so you can throw 2 more DIMMS in later.
I removed the SSD as its non essential, but VERY nice to have, if I was to upgrade anything, that would be the first thing I would be getting.
I reduce the motherboard down to B150, since there wont be any special features you absolutely need.
Tone the case down to a more budget style.
Cheapest 1TB 7200rpm drive.
And dropped to an i5 6400.

You can get Windows for $15 if you look online, and if you are a student you can usually get it from your school/uni.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 2.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B150M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($52.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($39.50 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Windforce OC Video Card ($389.99 @ B&H)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1500 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($44.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I REV 4.2 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($28.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $808.42
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-05 13:31 EDT-0400
 

SerRodrik

Member
Heres a super bang for buck version.
I reduced the ram to 2x4GB from 2x8GB, the motherboard has 4 slots so you can throw 2 more DIMMS in later.
I removed the SSD as its non essential, but VERY nice to have, if I was to upgrade anything, that would be the first thing I would be getting.
I reduce the motherboard down to B150, since there wont be any special features you absolutely need.
Tone the case down to a more budget style.
Cheapest 1TB 7200rpm drive.
And dropped to an i5 6400.

You can get Windows for $15 if you look online, and if you are a student you can usually get it from your school/uni.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 2.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B150M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($52.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($39.50 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Windforce OC Video Card ($389.99 @ B&H)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1500 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($44.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I REV 4.2 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($28.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $808.42
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-05 13:31 EDT-0400

Nice! Because I have only the vaguest idea of what I'm talking about, how does that stack up to something like this? It seems like with that one I can get more processor power and ram but a worse video card for $870? I don't know how that balances out.
 

LilJoka

Member
Nice! Because I have only the vaguest idea of what I'm talking about, how does that stack up to something like this? It seems like with that one I can get more processor power and ram but a worse video card for $870? I don't know how that balances out.

A GTX 745 is barely going to play games - you are talking low settings 1080p30 for games that came out 2 years ago. And low 720p or 900p for todays games at 30fps.

A GTX 1070 will do the latest games at 1080p60 Ultra, and even 1440p60.

Its completely different ends of the scale.

If you spec up the Dell model with the GTX 970 option, itll be about 20% slower than a GTX 1070 - and they charge 1169USD for that.
 

SerRodrik

Member
A GTX 745 is barely going to play games - you are talking low settings 1080p30 for games that came out 2 years ago. And low 720p or 900p for todays games at 30fps.

A GTX 1070 will do the latest games at 1080p60 Ultra, and even 1440p60.

Its completely different ends of the scale.

If you spec up the Dell model with the GTX 970 option, itll be about 20% slower than a GTX 1070 - and they charge 1169USD for that.

Gotcha. Thanks a lot for all the help!
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
Exploring options..

I'm selling my vive, so I don't think I need a 1080 anymore for monitor gaming. So I'm wondering if I can sell it, downgrade to something a little less powerful and raise some money from the exchange. Is that practical, or would I have to drop too far to get anything back that I might as well just keep the 1080?

Have a 34" 1440x1440 monitor but fairly happy to play at high settings. Would something like a 1060 be enough? If I could sell my gigabyte g1 1080 for around £500 then buy a 1060 for £300 that'd be great. But if I really needed a 1070 for £450 then I'd barely save anything
 

ExMachina

Unconfirmed Member
So I think it's about time that I upgraded from my current build... Here's what I specced out; I'd appreciate if I could get feedback from you all. :) Also, I can wait for Black Friday/late November deals, not in a rush.

Your Current Specs: i5-2500k@4.5Ghz + GTX 670
Budget: up to $2000, USA
Main Use: 5? Heavy Gaming + Production (image and video editing in Adobe CC mostly)
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080@120Hz (gaming monitor), 1920x1200@60Hz (production monitor)
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Overwatch and Team Fortress 2 at 300+ fps, lots of overhead for Photoshop/Illlustrator/Premiere/After Effects
Looking to reuse any parts?: just monitors and accessories
When will you build?: this month (November)
Will you be overclocking?: Of course. :p

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($49.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($167.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($154.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Toshiba 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Microcenter)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Windforce OC Video Card ($389.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone TJ08B-E MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($98.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit ($98.99 @ My Choice Software)
Total: $1425.79
 

LilJoka

Member
So I think it's about time that I upgraded from my current build... Here's what I specced out; I'd appreciate if I could get feedback from you all. :) Also, I can wait for Black Friday/late November deals, not in a rush.

Your Current Specs: i5-2500k@4.5Ghz + GTX 670
Budget: up to $2000, USA
Main Use: 5? Heavy Gaming + Production (image and video editing in Adobe CC mostly)
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080@120Hz (gaming monitor), 1920x1200@60Hz (production monitor)
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Overwatch and Team Fortress 2 at 300+ fps, lots of overhead for Photoshop/Illlustrator/Premiere/After Effects
Looking to reuse any parts?: just monitors and accessories
When will you build?: this month (November)
Will you be overclocking?: Of course. :p

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($49.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($167.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($154.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Toshiba 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Microcenter)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Windforce OC Video Card ($389.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone TJ08B-E MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($98.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit ($98.99 @ My Choice Software)
Total: $1425.79

Go for 3000Mhz CL 14/15 RAM.
Get a decent heatsink from Noctua/Phanteks

I wouldn't buy the TJ08E simply because the HDD mounts are awful.
The front fan has a very nasty hum to it. There is no exhaust fan you will want one.

I ended up removing the drive cage completely and mounting the drives in the 5.25" bays ghetto style. The drive cages will cause difficult access to the 24pin ATX port, and dependant on mobo layout, cause issues with the USB 3.0 header.

Have a look at the Fractal Design Define C mATX case, a modern case.

Here was my build:
pTqZ9ZG.jpg


And you can see the problem if the drive cage was there:
wDx6Aua.jpg
 

ExMachina

Unconfirmed Member
Go for 3000Mhz CL 14/15 RAM.
Get a decent heatsink from Noctua/Phanteks

I wouldn't buy the TJ08E simply because the HDD mounts are awful.
The front fan has a very nasty hum to it. There is no exhaust fan you will want one.

I ended up removing the drive cage completely and mounting the drives in the 5.25" bays ghetto style. The drive cages will cause difficult access to the 24pin ATX port, and dependant on mobo layout, cause issues with the USB 3.0 header.

Have a look at the Fractal Design Define C mATX case, a modern case.

Here was my build:
Thanks for the advice (even taking the time to share pics of your TJ08E build)! Swapped the RAM, cooler, and case over as per your suggestions.

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($58.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($49.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($185.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($154.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Toshiba 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Microcenter)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Windforce OC Video Card ($389.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define Mini C MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit ($98.99 @ My Choice Software)
Total: $1453.66

Very little change in total cost... looks okay now?
 

Ashhong

Member
Nope, you can downvolt without touching the clock speed. Fury's can usually run with alot less voltage, give it a try just take 10mv steps and see how far it goes.

I went down all the way -100 and it didnt change the coil whine. I tried a second Fury as well as an MSI 480, all had coil whine although the MSI wasn't as bad.

Decided to stick with the Fury despite the whine. It's not noticeable if I activate vsync, which I do since I only game at 60hz/fps. Maybe sometime in the future I will upgrade my power supply, as I think that might be the root cause.

So played a little more of Gwent with chrome running in the background and about an hour of the Witcher 3. The new psu seems to have stopped the crashing for now.

Here's a picture of my afterburner:
afterburnerfxuqc.png


I feel like my pc crashed when the gpu clock and mem clock got to high, who knows.

wtf is this? My MSI afterburner is still the ugly ass green one with graphs that looks like it was made in the 90s and I just updated last night
 

chrislowe

Member
I had put away some money for a PSVR but changed my mind, so I have built a budget-gaming PC now.
For 470 Euro (Could have gotten away much cheaper, but I didnt want to order the stuff. Bought it locally) I got :

CPU i3-6100
Motherboard MSI Night Elf B150M
RAM 8GB HyperX Fury 2133MHz
GFX 4GB XFX RX480 (Was gonna buy the 1060 6GB but all cards were sold out except this..)
HDD : Kingston 120GB SSD (for booting only)
Chassi : Some copy of Corsair Carbide, with 3 ledfans and window
600W PSU

Also using my old 1TB HDD for storage.

Installing Windows 10 right now, so no Idea how it performs yet.
Cant even hear that the computer is running, which is nice.
 

Rufus

Member
wtf is this? My MSI afterburner is still the ugly ass green one with graphs that looks like it was made in the 90s and I just updated last night
It's just a different skin that you can pick in the options. They're all hideous if you ask me.

Settings > User Interface > Blabla skinning options (that one is Cyborg Red)
 

LilJoka

Member
Thanks for the advice (even taking the time to share pics of your TJ08E build)! Swapped the RAM, cooler, and case over as per your suggestions.

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($58.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($49.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($185.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($154.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Toshiba 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Microcenter)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Windforce OC Video Card ($389.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define Mini C MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit ($98.99 @ My Choice Software)
Total: $1453.66

Very little change in total cost... looks okay now?

Looks good, I would say 16GB RAM is more than enough though.
You might want to look at M.2 SSDs as well, that is if the motherboard has the M.2 Slot, as itll make the rig cleaner in terms of cabling.
 

data

Member
I had put away some money for a PSVR but changed my mind, so I have built a budget-gaming PC now.
For 470 Euro (Could have gotten away much cheaper, but I didnt want to order the stuff. Bought it locally) I got :

CPU i3-6100
Motherboard MSI Night Elf B150M
RAM 8GB HyperX Fury 2133MHz
GFX 4GB XFX RX480 (Was gonna buy the 1060 6GB but all cards were sold out except this..)
HDD : Kingston 120GB SSD (for booting only)
Chassi : Some copy of Corsair Carbide, with 3 ledfans and window
600W PSU

Also using my old 1TB HDD for storage.

Installing Windows 10 right now, so no Idea how it performs yet.
Cant even hear that the computer is running, which is nice.

How did you only pay 470 euro for all of that? Did you just upgrade some components?
 

ExMachina

Unconfirmed Member
Looks good, I would say 16GB RAM is more than enough though.
You might want to look at M.2 SSDs as well, that is if the motherboard has the M.2 Slot, as itll make the rig cleaner in terms of cabling.

Sweet, thanks for all the help! I'll wait to see what kind of deals come out on Black Friday and then I'm looking forward to putting this together.

Re: RAM... I've found that Photoshop can never have too much memory so I'm ok with spending a bit more for 32 gigs.

Turns out the mobo does have an M.2 slot, so I'll end up going with M.2 version of the 500gb 850 Evo since it's available for the same price.

Thanks again. :D
 

chrislowe

Member
How did you only pay 470 euro for all of that? Did you just upgrade some components?

forgot to include the cost of the chassi, so totaling 507 Euro

Paid 95 for i3, 38 for memory, 85 for motherboard, 39 for the SSD, and 210 for graphicscard, and 37 for the chassi.

Up and running now. 3 times as fast as my old GTX560 / i5 2500k in furmark so far.
 

Dio

Banned
Thanks to this thread I decided to get extensions and a few mnpctech metal billets and I really like how my mobo connection to the PSU looks now. It was weird and twisted at an angle that worried me a little before regarding pressure on the motherboard, but it looks pretty great now.

I also used regular Bitfenix Alchemy presleeved extensions rather than full on custom ones, they fit perfectly with them.



I appreciate Paskowitz making his post here:


And there we go. the second extension came! Done, at least for now. I remember my old tower build looking nowhere NEAR this clean. I love how easy the S340 Elite makes it for cable management.
 

Ellite25

Member
Hey everyone! I don't know if this is the right place to ask this but I really don't know where else to do it.

Anyways, within the past week or so my PC started freezing up a few minutes after booting it up. The mouse will move around but I can't click on anything at all, and nothing becomes highlighted to signify that the mouse is even over it. Anyone know what could be going on and how to fix it?
 

Skux

Member
Hey everyone! I don't know if this is the right place to ask this but I really don't know where else to do it.

Anyways, within the past week or so my PC started freezing up a few minutes after booting it up. The mouse will move around but I can't click on anything at all, and nothing becomes highlighted to signify that the mouse is even over it. Anyone know what could be going on and how to fix it?

Possibly new programs trying to run in startup, malware slowing down your system, or overheating issues.
 

Ashhong

Member
Souldnt be a heating issue.

Suggestions on fixing the other two?

I assume you tried another mouse? What about if you use your keyboard, does the pc function? Like the start menu, etc

It kind of sounds like what my pc does when memory is low. Maybe someone can answer, is it possible that his RAM or ram slot is failing?
 

paskowitz

Member
And there we go. the second extension came! Done, at least for now. I remember my old tower build looking nowhere NEAR this clean. I love how easy the S340 Elite makes it for cable management.

Nice work! Last thing I would add is a custom backplate from V1Tech and you are set!
 
Awesome, good to know.
Do wonder if the front intake is limited now with the new design though?

The front intake is the same as the Define S and Define Nano S, at least regarding filtration and airflow. The front accommodates either 3x120mm or 2x140mm intake fans. The bottom 120 would just be blowing at cabling (and the HDD cage), so 2x140 would be the better setup.
 

Fbh

Gold Member
Ok gaf I'm starting to seariously look into this PC building thing but feel super lost.
Would be great if someone could help me:

So first things first. I want to build something that will allow me to play current gen games hopefully maxed out (or nearly) at 60fps and 1080p, though I would also like to play around a bit with downsampling and stuff like that if possible.
I also want it to be a bit future proof so that it doesn't feel outdates in 1-2 years and so that I have space to upgrade it in a few years without having to buy half the components again.

So, what GPU should I get?
I see that both the GTX 1070 and 1080 are popular around here.
Looking at hardware stores in my area, the GTX 1070 is going for around $450 and the GTX1080 is going for around $720.
Are those $300 worth it?

What CPU should I get?
i7 are the better ones right? But I see a ton of gaming PC's being buil with a i5 making me thing a i7 isn't really needed. Is that right?



AMD and NVIDIA make the basic chips. But they don't sell the 'package', they leave it up to the other manufacturers to put their own spin on those things.

From your perspective, there really is no difference from one 1080 to another. They'll all perform similarly, some will be slightly faster with a factory overclock, some will be slightly cooler with different cooling fans. The really expensive ones are likely 'binned' for a better chance at overclocking. However, if you're not in the kinda super enthusiast category, you're not going to be able to tell the difference between one at stock speed, and one that is overclocked. Get the cheapest one that you find that you like the look of and has a warranty that you like, and will fit in your case. That's it really.

Oh, ok.

So cheaper one it is.

Thx
 
So played a little more of Gwent with chrome running in the background and about an hour of the Witcher 3. The new psu seems to have stopped the crashing for now.

Here's a picture of my afterburner:
afterburnerfxuqc.png


I feel like my pc crashed when the gpu clock and mem clock got to high, who knows.

Cool. Thanks for the update. I'm gonna bite and hopefully I'll have similar luck.
 

rac

Banned
Cool. Thanks for the update. I'm gonna bite and hopefully I'll have similar luck.

Yeah, try it out. Seems to have worked for me no crashes since I got it. I still have it in the back of my head that its gonna crash all the time.

Kinda sucks since its the first build I've done myself.
 
Ok gaf I'm starting to seariously look into this PC building thing but feel super lost.
Would be great if someone could help me:

So first things first. I want to build something that will allow me to play current gen games hopefully maxed out (or nearly) at 60fps and 1080p, though I would also like to play around a bit with downsampling and stuff like that if possible.
I also want it to be a bit future proof so that it doesn't feel outdates in 1-2 years and so that I have space to upgrade it in a few years without having to buy half the components again.

So, what GPU should I get?
I see that both the GTX 1070 and 1080 are popular around here.
Looking at hardware stores in my area, the GTX 1070 is going for around $450 and the GTX1080 is going for around $720.
Are those $300 worth it?

What CPU should I get?
i7 are the better ones right? But I see a ton of gaming PC's being buil with a i5 making me thing a i7 isn't really needed. Is that right?





Oh, ok.

So cheaper one it is.

Thx

Personally I think the GTX 1070 is better value and you dont need a i7 CPU for gaming, it just depends on what else you will be doing on your computer. The i5 6600K is the one I am currently looking at to get.
 

LordAlu

Member
Built my current PC more than 5 years ago so finally looking at upgrading.

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/pkr7vV
I think this looks about right for specs at my price range, any obvious mistakes with the brands I've picked out? Generally gone with the top of the list for what I was looking for.
It's pretty good for limited merchants. I'd probably take a look at:

  • A microATX motherboard (there's really no need for ATX unless you're putting loads of expansion cards in).
  • Faster memory (2666MHz at least, 3000MHz preferable).
  • The Samsung 750 EVO, which is slightly cheaper but just as good. Normally I'd suggest a M.2 NVMe drive but the price has skyrocketed due to Badrexit.
  • Look at Gigabyte or EVGA for a 1070 as well, could be cheaper with identical performance.
  • There's some new Fractal cases that should be available soon, the Define C (ATX) and Define Mini C (mATX). They're a little cheaper than the R5 and newer, so look them up :)
The actual build itself is perfectly sound though :)
 

Vuze

Member
Ok gaf I'm starting to seariously look into this PC building thing but feel super lost.
Would be great if someone could help me:

So first things first. I want to build something that will allow me to play current gen games hopefully maxed out (or nearly) at 60fps and 1080p, though I would also like to play around a bit with downsampling and stuff like that if possible.
I also want it to be a bit future proof so that it doesn't feel outdates in 1-2 years and so that I have space to upgrade it in a few years without having to buy half the components again.

So, what GPU should I get?
I see that both the GTX 1070 and 1080 are popular around here.
Looking at hardware stores in my area, the GTX 1070 is going for around $450 and the GTX1080 is going for around $720.
Are those $300 worth it?

What CPU should I get?
i7 are the better ones right? But I see a ton of gaming PC's being buil with a i5 making me thing a i7 isn't really needed. Is that right?
1) I think you do not need to worry about 1080p60 gaming for the foreseeable future if you pick up a 1070 or 1080. Just be mindful about the graphics settings a game offers and don't fall for the "Ultra" 'meme' that a lot of rather uneducated PC gamers are throwing around.

I suggest you read the articles Durante published on PC Gamer to get a grasp on what heavily influences performance (i.e. http://www.pcgamer.com/what-optimization-really-means-in-games/2/) :)

2) Your GPU will be the component that you find to be the limiting factor at the quickest rate. As such I think the 1070 is be the most sensible choice between high performance and price, especially if it's your first foray into PC gaming.

3) i5s are plenty fine for gaming. Some games obviously benefit from the multi-threading capabilities of i7 CPUs and if you plan to do heavy video editing or similar on your new PC, take one into consideration. But you can always switch to an i7 of the same socket later if you feel like it. I for one went from a i5 4570 to i7 4790k without any issues whatsoever. Really just a matter of uninstalling your CPU cooler and popping in the new CPU.
 

Plum

Member
I've been looking at getting a Fractal Design Nano S for my new Mini ITX build next year, but I'm not sure whether the size is small enough to justify the restrictions of M-ITX building. I needed an upgrade anyway so I'm downsizing as well to make transporting from University to Home much easier.

Would it be better if I got the Core 500 and deal with having to buy a SFF PSU (along with a much harder build process) or stick with the Nano S and deal with the larger size footprint? Has anyone got the Nano S, if so what do you think about it?
 
So I'm looking at pre-builts. I know, I know... build it yourself. I'm not going to do that.

These are the 4 I have listed for comparison: CyberPower, Syber, MSI & HP Omen.

A couple of questions:
1. Are any of these manufacturers more or less reliable than any others? I am partial to the MSI Aegis and obviously I've heard of HP, but I know nothing of the other two. I could also look at an Acer Predator though the price goes a little high. Hoping to keep this in the $1500 range.

2. I have seen several comments about not really needing an i7 processor, that an i5-6600 would be fine with the GTX 1070. I would think there would be overheating issues, but I really don't know much of this stuff other than what I get through trying to parse this and the laptop thread. If it would make sense to step down to an i5 with the 1070, I could save a few hundred bucks. I would just want some rationale on that.

3. I'd want this to be as future proof as possible. Looking at 4-5 years (I've had my current laptop for 4 years). While the MSI looks like a good build, it does max out at 32 GB of memory and has fewer bays than some of the others. That being said, I like the fact that it weighs so much less than the first two, and is still a few pounds lighter than the Omen. I could move it to my 4K TV when I feel like firing things up on the big screen vs. my 24" monitor.

Any advice here or should I take these pre-built questions elsewhere?
 

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
I've been looking at getting a Fractal Design Nano S for my new Mini ITX build next year, but I'm not sure whether the size is small enough to justify the restrictions of M-ITX building. I needed an upgrade anyway so I'm downsizing as well to make transporting from University to Home much easier.

Would it be better if I got the Core 500 and deal with having to buy a SFF PSU (along with a much harder build process) or stick with the Nano S and deal with the larger size footprint? Has anyone got the Nano S, if so what do you think about it?

I love my Nano S, and with a full size 1070+ Noctua CPU cooler I am grateful for the extra space inside.

Outside is nice and squat - kinda fat & low which I like.

 

Plum

Member
I love my Nano S, and with a full size 1070+ Noctua CPU cooler I am grateful for the extra space inside.

Outside is nice and squat - kinda fat & low which I like.

https://imgur.com/a/l0Dwf

Looks great, and yeah it is really quite small. At that size any smaller just seems unnecessary when it's not going to be a living room PC at all. Do you reckon my full size MSI 980 ti (about 27cm long) will fit in there if I do what you did and have two 140mm (I think) fans at the front?

Oh, and for the record here are the parts I'm buying for it:

1M99enF.png


And I'll be bringing over a 2tb HDD, a 120gb SSD and my MSI 980 ti which I'll be keeping for a few months until I have enough money to buy a blower-style 1080/1070 (most likely the MSI Aero model)
 

wowzors

Member
Noticed something odd with my computer lately, windows system sometimes shows 24gb ram and sometimes shows 32gb ram (I have 32gb). CPU Z always shows 32, should I reseat it or is all 32 actually working and windows is just trolling?
 

f0rk

Member
It's pretty good for limited merchants. I'd probably take a look at:

  • A microATX motherboard (there's really no need for ATX unless you're putting loads of expansion cards in).
  • Faster memory (2666MHz at least, 3000MHz preferable).
  • The Samsung 750 EVO, which is slightly cheaper but just as good. Normally I'd suggest a M.2 NVMe drive but the price has skyrocketed due to Badrexit.
  • Look at Gigabyte or EVGA for a 1070 as well, could be cheaper with identical performance.
  • There's some new Fractal cases that should be available soon, the Define C (ATX) and Define Mini C (mATX). They're a little cheaper than the R5 and newer, so look them up :)
The actual build itself is perfectly sound though :)

Thanks, I've upgraded the RAM to 3200MHz. I've changed the SSD as well to 750GB so have to worry less about filling it up.

I've moved from Novatech to Scan (I have £150 amazon vouchers so sticking with them where I can) as a couple of bits are cheaper and they have the Define C from tomorrow.

I'm a bit lost with motherboards, what's the difference between the chipsets? mATX ones go for as low as £50 but is that a risk? Would some advice on specific models from amazon or scan.co.uk, I'm probably not going to be overclocking anytime soon.
 

Ashhong

Member
Alright so I can't stand the coil whine coming from my new GPU. I tried 2 cards of the same model and a different model and all have coil whine. Is it safe to assume maybe my PSU isn't up to snuff? I have a Corsair RM650, and have read some poor things about it online. Was thinking of buying this EVGA, is it better quality? Is it possible for the PSU to be causing coil whine out of the GPU?

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1285899-REG/evga_220_g2_0650_y1_nex_supernova_650g_gold.html

I am powering a i5 4670k and Sapphire R9 Fury
 

wowzors

Member
Noticed something odd with my computer lately, windows system sometimes shows 24gb ram and sometimes shows 32gb ram (I have 32gb). CPU Z always shows 32, should I reseat it or is all 32 actually working and windows is just trolling?

Well balls i reseated it and windows and bios are still showing 24gb. Any ideas if bumping Voltage might help or should I just assume its a DIMM slot that is fucked and begin testing.

Edit:

Here is what i am seeing in the bios.

http://i.imgur.com/YHsxBvG.jpg
 

LordAlu

Member
Thanks, I've upgraded the RAM to 3200MHz. I've changed the SSD as well to 750GB so have to worry less about filling it up.

I've moved from Novatech to Scan (I have £150 amazon vouchers so sticking with them where I can) as a couple of bits are cheaper and they have the Define C from tomorrow.

I'm a bit lost with motherboards, what's the difference between the chipsets? mATX ones go for as low as £50 but is that a risk? Would some advice on specific models from amazon or scan.co.uk, I'm probably not going to be overclocking anytime soon.
The different chipsets give you different features, from the number of RAM slots, USB and SATA slots to power phases and overclocking support. Z170 is the enthusiast chipset and is recommended for the K series processor you're using. The Gigabyte Z170M-D3H at Scan would be just fine for your use and would be great for the Define Mini C case.
 

Ellite25

Member
I assume you tried another mouse? What about if you use your keyboard, does the pc function? Like the start menu, etc

It kind of sounds like what my pc does when memory is low. Maybe someone can answer, is it possible that his RAM or ram slot is failing?
I don't think it's the mouse. I'll click on something and then it'll freeze without that action happening. The blue circle will pop up shortly after. Maybe it's the RAM slot idk, I don't even know how to check that. I have basic knowledge about PCs and that's about it.
 
I love my Nano S, and with a full size 1070+ Noctua CPU cooler I am grateful for the extra space inside.

Outside is nice and squat - kinda fat & low which I like.
How did you manage wiring this all together? I have a Nano S sitting unused in the corner of my room because I spent 2 hours trying to get all of the wires in the right spots and then gave up with bleeding fingers and went back to my ATX case. :<
 

The Flash

Banned
So I want to update my computer a little bit this fall but I'm not sure what would be the better investment. New RAM or an SSD?

This is what I'm currently running

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Pro3
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB
Video Card: GTX 1070
 

teiresias

Member
Standing in line at Microcenter with an ultrawide Asus PG348q in my cart. The longer this line takes the earlier my buying remorse starts to set in, haha.

Here's hoping my 980 doesn't choke!!
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
So I want to update my computer a little bit this fall but I'm not sure what would be the better investment. New RAM or an SSD?

This is what I'm currently running

There's no question about it, get a SSD. By far the biggest upgrade you could make at this point.



Probably need to try reseating my GPU cooler, temps are getting out of control. Have a 480 Red Devil and had no problems with it initially, at 1380/2200 it was staying below 80C under load, but now it's thermal throttling at stock settings. Not sure if the cooler is loose (seemed like it might be when I put it back in after fixing my backwards fan) or Powercolor just used some garbage budget TIM.
 

f0rk

Member
The different chipsets give you different features, from the number of RAM slots, USB and SATA slots to power phases and overclocking support. Z170 is the enthusiast chipset and is recommended for the K series processor you're using. The Gigabyte Z170M-D3H at Scan would be just fine for your use and would be great for the Define Mini C case.

Thanks! Ordered the Scan stuff to come on Thursday when I have the day off work, will order from amazon when the voucher codes come through. Will need to watch some videos to remind myself how everything fits together
 
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