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[Nostremitus]

Why do people buy that fast memory when the cpu only handles 2133MHz anyway?.
Or does it change when you overclock, and thats when you need faster memory?.

Cause the memory controller on i3, i5, and i7 only supports up to 2133MHz, but I guess there is some other benefit when overclocking maybe.

edit: or is it latency that gets better?

The memory controller only supports up to 2133MHz without overclock. Setting the XMP to 3000MHz essentially overclocks that RAM and the controller. ...unless I've completely misunderstood how XMP works.

My 2500K is paired with 2133MHz RAM even though it only officially supports up to 1333MHz.

 

[chrislowe]

The memory controller only supports up to 2133MHz without overclock. Setting the XMP to 3000MHz essentially overclocks that RAM and the controller. ...unless I've completely misunderstood how XMP works.

My 2500K is paired with 2133MHz RAM even though it only officially supports up to 1333MHz.

ok, i got confused when I bought my motherboard, cause it supports Intel XMP overclocking, but the board in the specification supports only 2133MHz, so I thought it was to overclock the 2133MHz ram to say ~2200. Have not tried it yet.

 

[Thebrokenleg]

I need help finding a good 1080p 60Hz 23-24" IPS monitor for 70 % gaming and 30 % everything else for around 150-250 USD. The ones I've found are AOC 24" I2481FXH and ASUS 23" VC239H. How do they perform when gaming? Are there any better alternatives? I'm not really a competitive gamer but I do like my hardcore games. Thanks for any help!

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

I need help finding a good 1080p 60Hz 23-24" IPS monitor for 70 % gaming and 30 % everything else for around 150-250 USD. The ones I've found are AOC 24" I2481FXH and ASUS 23" VC239H. How do they perform when gaming? Are there any better alternatives? I'm not really a competitive gamer but I do like my hardcore games. Thanks for any help!

Dell monitors are pretty good

 

[LilJoka]

I mean, with the i3 the framerate with v-sync off was around 90-110fps in BF1, and it seems to be around the same now using the i5.

and yes, im in the same spot.

It would be the same fps as you are GPU bottlenecked, even with the i3 in most scenarios.
As for CPU usage, id just ignore it.

 

[Ganondolf]

silly question (but best to check).

the arrow on a case fan tells me the direction of the airflow?

is the second arrow the direction the blades spin?

 

[Plum]

Reposting from the Gaming Laptop thread because I felt it fits both:

So I've been debating to myself whether a gaming laptop or PC would be better for the next 2 and a half years of university. I've got an overall budget of around £2,000 and I'd like some advice

My number 1 choice right now for a laptop is the MSI GT62VR Dominator Pro with the i7 6700HQ and 1070, 16gb of RAM and 1070 which I can get for around £1,900. A PC with the exact same specs outside of the CPU (6700k instead of HQ) would net me around £1,500; however, I would have to buy a new laptop beside that as I will need to replace my dying Thinkpad X220 soon (i.e. before June) so that choice would be about £1,800-£2,000 overall.

As for usage, I'll be using the laptop every day with most of that usage being basic internet browsing, word, etc. On the weekends I'll be using either the PC or Laptop for heavy gaming, and during the Summer, Winter and Easter holidays (overall about 5 months) I'll be using it much more. For travelling, the laptop would be carried around to lectures/the library every weekday and whenever I go home for the weekend; the computer would stay in my Uni room and then taken back for those three major holidays.

I'm not worried about specs considering the 1070 at 1080p/60 is overkill even now, and with G-Sync on both my current monitor (144hz) and the laptop's monitor the performance impact is definitely lessened.

So GAF, what do you think? Would the laptop be able to handle that kind of usage for at least 3 years?

 

[Duebrithil]

My PSU seems to be dying, since my PC seems to reboot itself without W10 notifying me of new installed updates. The event viewer shows logs of unproper shutdown.

Is the EVGA Supernova 750W G2 still a good option or is there something better? Right now I have a Thermaltake 750W modular with the fancy thing that keeps the airflow for a bit after shutting down.

 

[Finaika]

silly question (but best to check).

the arrow on a case fan tells me the direction of the airflow?

is the second arrow the direction the blades spin?

yes

 

[Bloodember]

My PSU seems to be dying, since my PC seems to reboot itself without W10 notifying me of new installed updates. The event viewer shows logs of unproper shutdown.

Is the EVGA Supernova 750W G2 still a good option or is there something better? Right now I have a Thermaltake 750W modular with the fancy thing that keeps the airflow for a bit after shutting down.

The EVGA is a great choice, stay far away from Thermaltake, I've had nothing but issues with their PSU's. Plus their RMA process takes forever, I had to RMA a PSU awhile back and it took them 3 friggin months to send me a new one, if I hadn't bought another when I RMA'd it I would have been pissed. Plus to make it even worse the new Thermaltake PSU they sent me died within 6 months, I just gave up then and stopped using their PSU's.

 

[nightmare-slain]

ok, i got confused when I bought my motherboard, cause it supports Intel XMP overclocking, but the board in the specification supports only 2133MHz, so I thought it was to overclock the 2133MHz ram to say ~2200. Have not tried it yet.

2133 is what skylake ddr4 officially supports and what your RAM will be set to when you first boot up no matter what speed your says. DDR3/haswell was 1333 i think. when you buy the RAM and get sticks than can do 3000 for example that just means how fast they can be overclocked.

i bought 3200 sticks. highest i've got them to run is 2933. might be able to get 3000 but haven't bothered trying it. i couldn't get them to 3200 without my CPU overclock becoming unstable. i just run them at 2666 now. if i ever need to speed them up then i know i can go to 2933. ram speed isn't really a huge problem in most games. 2133-2666 is fine for gaming.

My PSU seems to be dying, since my PC seems to reboot itself without W10 notifying me of new installed updates. The event viewer shows logs of unproper shutdown.

Is the EVGA Supernova 750W G2 still a good option or is there something better? Right now I have a Thermaltake 750W modular with the fancy thing that keeps the airflow for a bit after shutting down.

i can't recommend the 750W G2 enough. i have it and it's great. you get a 10 year warranty.

 

[claytonlee101]

I'm in desperate need of help guys.
I left my computer on overnight to update a bunch of games on steam but when I woke up I found the computer turned off and it wouldn't turn back on at all. There is seemingly no power at all as no fans start, no beeps, no LEDs, nothing. I thought it was the power supply but when I put it in a different build it worked. Putting the other PS into my computer had the same result, no power of any kind. So I thought it must have been a fried motherboard so I went and bought a brand new board.

Reassembling the build with a new board, the mobo LED lit up when powered so I though success, I found the culprit! However after putting it all together, same result, no signs of power!! No fans or beeps, HDD and CD drives don't power up, nothing. So is it now a bad CPU instead? God how could that have happened?! There wasn't any power outage either...

Yes, I've plugged in the 24 pin and 8 pin plug and I tried bread boarding it with only the mobo, cpu, ram and PS, same results. Any ideas before I shell out for another CPU? Maybe the old mobo isn't dead afterall and its the CPU affecting things?

i5 6600k
EVGA 750 PS
Gigabyte Z170-HD3P (old, possibly alive?)
Asus Z170-E (new)
GSkill 16 gb RAM

 

[Frankfurter]

My PSU seems to be dying, since my PC seems to reboot itself without W10 notifying me of new installed updates. The event viewer shows logs of unproper shutdown.

Is the EVGA Supernova 750W G2 still a good option or is there something better? Right now I have a Thermaltake 750W modular with the fancy thing that keeps the airflow for a bit after shutting down.

What kind of system are you running? 750W is most likely way, way too much unless you do SLI/CF.

 

[nightmare-slain]

What kind of system are you running? 750W is most likely way, way too much unless you do SLI/CF.

my system only uses about 300-350W now so 750W is overkill but my last system used about 400-450W. the only reason i got a 750W was because i originally planned to CF my 290 eventually.

 

[Duebrithil]

The EVGA is a great choice, stay far away from Thermaltake, I've had nothing but issues with their PSU's. Plus their RMA process takes forever, I had to RMA a PSU awhile back and it took them 3 friggin months to send me a new one, if I hadn't bought another when I RMA'd it I would have been pissed. Plus to make it even worse the new Thermaltake PSU they sent me died within 6 months, I just gave up then and stopped using their PSU's.

i can't recommend the 750W G2 enough. i have it and it's great. you get a 10 year warranty.

Great, thanks! Any worthwhile differences between G2, G2L, P2 and T2?

 

[nightmare-slain]

Great, thanks! Any worthwhile differences between G2, G2L, P2 and T2?

the G2L is just the same as G2 except with LED lights in the connections lol but P2/T2 just mean better efficiency. Gold/Plantinum/Titanium. Gold is more than enough.

 

[SpyGuy239]

Getting a 27" Monitor to supplement the G-Sync one I already have. Need some help deciding between:

Viewsonic vx2778 vs Dell U2717D

This monitor will be used for reading, studying, work, writing > gaming. Leaning towards the Viewsonic cause it is ~60 bucks cheaper, but I am willing to pay for quality i.e. what Dell screens are supposed to be.

Appreciate all recommendations.

Thanks!

 

[Ganondolf]

yes

thanks

 

[lostsupper]

1. Get the Hyper 212 EVO.

Don't do this.

 

[rtcn63]

The fan that comes with the EVO isn't great. Had mine fail after a year or so, the bearings started to grind loudly. Replaced with a noctua fan. Pay for a better cooler and save yourself the hassle.

 

[DataGhost]

Sorry if this is a dumb question. Currently looking for parts that are on sale to get to build my first gaming rig and I saw this on sale:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822149628&ignorebbr=1

After the promo code, it's like $125 and it seems like a good price, but does anyone know if toshiba is a good hard drive company? I'm not in the know about the companies (but I would like to learn)

Don't do this.

What is the recommendation then? Pc parts picker has it at the top and I have no idea how to select a CPU cooler/ fan

 

[chrislowe]

It would be the same fps as you are GPU bottlenecked, even with the i3 in most scenarios.
As for CPU usage, id just ignore it.

ok, yes. I will ignore it
The fps counter doesnt really seem to work in afterburner either, since when i tried 4k Ultra in BF1, I got 33fps.. then to high i got 37, and an low i got 60
sounds a bit much for a rx480?

 

[Vincent Alexander]

Think I'm going to sell my DoubleSight DS-279W (27" 1440p) and grab this 144hz ASUS MG248Q 24". Anyone know if I'm making a stupid decision with this monitor? Reviews seem good enough.

 

[ricki42]

I'm in desperate need of help guys.
I left my computer on overnight to update a bunch of games on steam but when I woke up I found the computer turned off and it wouldn't turn back on at all. There is seemingly no power at all as no fans start, no beeps, no LEDs, nothing. I thought it was the power supply but when I put it in a different build it worked. Putting the other PS into my computer had the same result, no power of any kind. So I thought it must have been a fried motherboard so I went and bought a brand new board.

Reassembling the build with a new board, the mobo LED lit up when powered so I though success, I found the culprit! However after putting it all together, same result, no signs of power!! No fans or beeps, HDD and CD drives don't power up, nothing. So is it now a bad CPU instead? God how could that have happened?! There wasn't any power outage either...

Yes, I've plugged in the 24 pin and 8 pin plug and I tried bread boarding it with only the mobo, cpu, ram and PS, same results. Any ideas before I shell out for another CPU? Maybe the old mobo isn't dead afterall and its the CPU affecting things?

i5 6600k
EVGA 750 PS
Gigabyte Z170-HD3P (old, possibly alive?)
Asus Z170-E (new)
GSkill 16 gb RAM

When you tested the PSUs, did you move the cables? I had a very similar problem just last week, PSU seemed to work, passed paperclip test. Thought it was the mobo, bought a new one, same problem: Mobo power LED was on, but no reaction when trying to power on the PC. I finally found out that it was the 24 pin power cable. Replaced that and it started right up. That's with a EVGA G2 750 Watt and the new mobo is a Asus Z170 Pro.

 

[Joco]

Reposting from the Gaming Laptop thread because I felt it fits both:

So I've been debating to myself whether a gaming laptop or PC would be better for the next 2 and a half years of university. I've got an overall budget of around £2,000 and I'd like some advice

My number 1 choice right now for a laptop is the MSI GT62VR Dominator Pro with the i7 6700HQ and 1070, 16gb of RAM and 1070 which I can get for around £1,900. A PC with the exact same specs outside of the CPU (6700k instead of HQ) would net me around £1,500; however, I would have to buy a new laptop beside that as I will need to replace my dying Thinkpad X220 soon (i.e. before June) so that choice would be about £1,800-£2,000 overall.

As for usage, I'll be using the laptop every day with most of that usage being basic internet browsing, word, etc. On the weekends I'll be using either the PC or Laptop for heavy gaming, and during the Summer, Winter and Easter holidays (overall about 5 months) I'll be using it much more. For travelling, the laptop would be carried around to lectures/the library every weekday and whenever I go home for the weekend; the computer would stay in my Uni room and then taken back for those three major holidays.

I'm not worried about specs considering the 1070 at 1080p/60 is overkill even now, and with G-Sync on both my current monitor (144hz) and the laptop's monitor the performance impact is definitely lessened.

So GAF, what do you think? Would the laptop be able to handle that kind of usage for at least 3 years?

It's really about how much value you place on portability. Do you absolutely want to be able to play your games anywhere? Then the laptop is probably the choice for you. Note that laptop hardware always comes at a premium compared to desktop hardware - which obviously you're aware of.

Personally I fall into the gaming PC/cheaper laptop for web browsing/word processing category, I've been burned by laptops meant for gaming.

 

[Siyou]

What kind of computer can I get for a gaming pc under $1000? Going to need a monitor as well :/ I truly don't know where to begin, but I know how to put them together. I haven't done much in the line of building them since 2006. Where does one begin and what sites do you recommend? Should I wait until cyber monday? @_@

 

[th3dude]

What kind of computer can I get for a gaming pc under $1000? Going to need a monitor as well :/ I truly don't know where to begin, but I know how to put them together. I haven't done much in the line of building them since 2006. Where does one begin and what sites do you recommend? Should I wait until cyber monday? @_@

The OP of this thread and https://pcpartpicker.com/ are definitely your friends.

From there, folks in this thread can help you fine-tune.

 

[THE:MILKMAN]

My brother wants to upgrade his RAM from the current 2x4GB 1600MHz Crucial Ballistic Tactical DDR3. Is it better to add two more 8GB sticks or start fresh with 2 or 4x8GB?

Also what are the general rules on compatibility if he goes with adding more RAM. (I have the exact product code of the current sticks to match up if needed).

Cheers.

 

[Mozendo]

Sorry if this is a dumb question. Currently looking for parts that are on sale to get to build my first gaming rig and I saw this on sale:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822149628&ignorebbr=1

After the promo code, it's like $125 and it seems like a good price, but does anyone know if toshiba is a good hard drive company? I'm not in the know about the companies (but I would like to learn)

I've use their 2TB & 3TB models and they're great, their 1-3TB I know for a fact are Hitachi drives. When Western Digital bought Hitachi hard drive division they were forced to sell something to Toshiba, I'm not really sure if its one of their hard drive divisions, their manufacturing plant but anywho Hitachi is a great HDD brand and way better than WD and Seagate.

What is the recommendation then? Pc parts picker has it at the top and I have no idea how to select a CPU cooler/ fan

Scythe Fuma is the best CPU cooler you can get under $50
If you want cheaper options

Artic Cooling i32
BeQuiet! Pure Rock
Cryorig H7
Raijintek Aidos
Raijintek Themis

What kind of computer can I get for a gaming pc under $1000? Going to need a monitor as well :/ I truly don't know where to begin, but I know how to put them together. I haven't done much in the line of building them since 2006. Where does one begin and what sites do you recommend? Should I wait until cyber monday? @_@

I'd get something like this. I usually wouldn't recommend Z170 MoBos but with MIR they're pretty much the cost of H170 MoBos and can accept higher speed RAM so decided why the hell not.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($190.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Pro4S ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($62.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($76.29 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Toshiba P300 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.38 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 480 4GB GAMING X Video Card ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Deepcool DUKASE V2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit ($98.99 @ My Choice Software)
Monitor: Asus VC239H 23.0" 60Hz Monitor ($90.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $927.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-27 14:43 EST-0500
-slight edit- If you're fine with MIR consider the Phanteks P400

My brother wants to upgrade his RAM from the current 2x4GB 1600MHz Crucial Ballistic Tactical DDR3. Is it better to add two more 8GB sticks or start fresh with 2 or 4x8GB?

Also what are the general rules on compatibility if he goes with adding more RAM. (I have the exact product code of the current sticks to match up if needed).

Cheers.

It's fine. I have 2x4GB and 2x8GB from two different companies, as long as they have the same speeds it'll be fine.

 

[WooHooAlex]

I've been putting off building an inexpensive gaming rig for a while now.
Before I push the buy button, what do you guys think?

Intel Core i3-6100
Gigabyte GA-H110M-A mATX
Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB DDR4-2400
Toshiba P300 1TB HDD
EVGA 500 Watt 80+ ATX PSU
Thermaltake V3 Black ATM Mid Tower Case
MSI Radeon RX 480 4GB
Windows 10 32/64-Bit USB Drive

Microcenter, after tax = $668, $618 after rebates
This is my first build, and honestly, I'm kind of at the edge of my budget so I can't afford to make too many changes, or add on anything. What do you guys think?

 

[vector824]

What kind of computer can I get for a gaming pc under $1000? Going to need a monitor as well :/ I truly don't know where to begin, but I know how to put them together. I haven't done much in the line of building them since 2006. Where does one begin and what sites do you recommend? Should I wait until cyber monday? @_@

Well just 1080-1440p resolution can be done easily. Especially if you looks for discounts. The first two here are over budget, but with some patience you could get it under $1K.

Here's a couple of my suggestions to work from.

ATX + AMD RX480:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170X-UD3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($115.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 480 8GB NITRO+ OC Video Card ($267.99 @ B&H)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Case Fan: NZXT Air Flow Series 83.6 CFM 140mm Fan ($12.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Case Fan: NZXT Air Flow Series 83.6 CFM 140mm Fan ($12.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1087.77
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-27 15:21 EST-0500

mITX + NVIDIA 1060:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler ($38.94 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($134.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB Mini ITX OC Video Card ($249.99 @ Jet)
Case: Fractal Design Node 304 Mini ITX Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Silverstone 500W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($88.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series SP120 High Performance Edition (2-Pack) 62.7 CFM 120mm Fans ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1026.64
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-27 15:06 EST-0500

Other suggestions:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/vvzBhq ATX + AMD RX480 $949.68
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/LtcWBP ATX + Nvidia 1060 $944.68
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/jh6TzM mITX + Nvidia 1060 $987.55
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/RRsyqk ATX + AMD RX470 and i5 6500 $759.61

 

[claytonlee101]

When you tested the PSUs, did you move the cables? I had a very similar problem just last week, PSU seemed to work, passed paperclip test. Thought it was the mobo, bought a new one, same problem: Mobo power LED was on, but no reaction when trying to power on the PC. I finally found out that it was the 24 pin power cable. Replaced that and it started right up. That's with a EVGA G2 750 Watt and the new mobo is a Asus Z170 Pro.

Update: my friend just bought a new 6600k and we put it in the new board and same fucking thing: led lights on Mobo but no power!?

We tried new Mobo, new ram, 2 other power supplies and now a new CPU. All new components and it won't boot? Doesn't make any sense. Going outta my mind.

 

[THE:MILKMAN]

Thanks, Mozendo.

Just a quick follow up question. I have seen some RAM on pcpartpicker that look good but are 1866MHz and a few pounds cheaper. I think I'm right in saying they will work OK but will clock down to 1600MHz of his current sticks?

 

[Mozendo]

Thanks, Mozendo.

Just a quick follow up question. I have seen some RAM on pcpartpicker that look good but are 1866MHz and a few pounds cheaper. I think I'm right in saying they will work OK but will clock down to 1600MHz of his current sticks?

If it doesn't automatically clock down you can manually clock it down on the bios.

 

[DataGhost]

I've use their 2TB & 3TB models and they're great, their 1-3TB I know for a fact are Hitachi drives. When Western Digital bought Hitachi hard drive division they were forced to sell something to Toshiba, I'm not really sure if its one of their hard drive divisions, their manufacturing plant but anywho Hitachi is a great HDD brand and way better than WD and Seagate.

Thanks for both recommendations. I decided not to go through with the 5TB one because it seemed that they aren't as reliable as I thought (looking at reviews and googling).

I'm now considering http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145912

If it is, then this is what my first rig would look like:

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/4FWWBP
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/4FWWBP/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Scythe FUMA 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($137.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar NAS 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1080 8GB STRIX Video Card ($678.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1615.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-27 15:10 EST-0500

I really have no idea about most of these parts. Any feedback would be great! I'm probably also going to need a monitor. Hope I can get a 1080p 144 hz on CyberMonday.

 

[Mozendo]

Thanks for both recommendations. I decided not to go through with the 5TB one because it seemed that they aren't as reliable as I thought (looking at reviews and googling).

Welcome to HDD reviews. Unless it's Western Digital you're always going to get people giving HDDs bad reviews, even my Toshiba reviews were half bad on newegg lol. I wouldn't give them much though though honestly unless it's a seagate 3TB.

I really have no idea about most of these parts. Any feedback would be great! I'm probably also going to need a monitor. Hope I can get a 1080p 144 hz on CyberMonday.

Change the case to the Phanteks P400 or the Deepcool Dukase V2.. I've been told the Phanteks P400 has the better build quality but if you don't want to do MIR go with the Dukase.

I have the 200r, while it's not a bad case the NZXT S340 styled cases are just so much better.

 

[ParityBit]

So generally when is the best time of year to do a complete upgrade? I always seem to screw myself over when I buy parts. I think I need a new machine in the near future.

Current specs:

CPU Brand: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3770K CPU @ 3.50GHz
Windows 10 (64 bit)
DirectX Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680
SLI Detected (2 GPUs)

Sound card:
Audio device: Speakers (Realtek High Definiti

Memory:
RAM: 16326 Mb

​

 

[kennah]

So generally when is the best time of year to do a complete upgrade? I always seem to screw myself over when I buy parts. I think I need a new machine in the near future.

Current specs:

CPU Brand: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3770K CPU @ 3.50GHz
Windows 10 (64 bit)
DirectX Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680
SLI Detected (2 GPUs)

Sound card:
Audio device: Speakers (Realtek High Definiti

Memory:
RAM: 16326 Mb

​

Overclock the CPU, stick a new GPU in and you're set for another couple years. 1070 would be a hell of an upgrade.

 

[DataGhost]

Change the case to the Phanteks P400 or the Deepcool Dukase V2.. I've been told the Phanteks P400 has the better build quality but if you don't want to do MIR go with the Dukase.

I have the 200r, while it's not a bad case the NZXT S340 styled cases are just so much better.

Thank you. I think I'll go for the Phantek. I don't mind doing the rebates and it shouldn't be too much work with all the rebates I will be doing.

Welcome to HDD reviews. Unless it's Western Digital you're always going to get people giving HDDs bad reviews, even my Toshiba reviews were half bad on newegg lol. I wouldn't give them much though though honestly unless it's a seagate 3TB.

Hahaha, why is that? I'm new to all this computer building stuff but I would like to learn. The only reason why I'm scared of the 5tb one is because reading online people have said they have had it fail on them within a few months and I was very worried. Looking at the hard drives being compared through the power of google, the HGST one seems like a good one even though it's 1TB less and around $10 more after the promotion code, but it seems like they have the least failures. I could be wrong though.

 

[LilJoka]

Thank you. I think I'll go for the Phantek. I don't mind doing the rebates and it shouldn't be too much work with all the rebates I will be doing.

Hahaha, why is that? I'm new to all this computer building stuff but I would like to learn. The only reason why I'm scared of the 5tb one is because reading online people have said they have had it fail on them within a few months and I was very worried. Looking at the hard drives being compared through the power of google, the HGST one seems like a good one even though it's 1TB less and around $10 more after the promotion code, but it seems like they have the least failures. I could be wrong though.

HGST are the best.

 

[border]

Newbie question:

I am looking to pick up a Dell/Alienware desktop on Monday, as their outlet store will have a 20% sale on Cyber Monday. These are the configurations I'm looking at, roughly (prices are pre-discount):

$900 - i5-6400 / GTX 970 4GB
$1000 - i7-6700 / GTX 970 4GB
$1000 - i5-6400 / GTX 1070 8GB
$1120 - i7-6700 / GTX 1070 8GB

Is it worth it to max out both the processor and the GPU? I'm not really looking to do any 4K gaming, but just want to be VR-ready and enjoy console ports at 1080P/60. I'd like to be able to emulate older consoles reliably, but I'm not sure if that's still heavily CPU-reliant.

Is the i7 worth chasing down for an extra $100-$120, or should I just be satisfied with an i5.

 

[ParityBit]

Overclock the CPU, stick a new GPU in and you're set for another couple years. 1070 would be a hell of an upgrade.

Do you have a suggestion on 1070 brand/best one? I wonder if there will be a cyber Monday deal. that is a quick and easy upgrade I guess.

 

[LilJoka]

Newbie question:

I am looking to pick up a Dell/Alienware desktop on Monday, as their outlet store will have a 20% sale on Cyber Monday. These are the configurations I'm looking at, roughly (prices are pre-discount):

$900 - i5-6400 / GTX 970 4GB
$1000 - i7-6700 / GTX 970 4GB
$1000 - i5-6400 / GTX 1070 8GB
$1120 - i7-6700 / GTX 1070 8GB

Is it worth it to max out both the processor and the GPU? I'm not really looking to do any 4K gaming, but just want to be VR-ready and enjoy console ports at 1080P/60. I'd like to be able to emulate older consoles reliably, but I'm not sure if that's still heavily CPU-reliant.

Is the i7 worth chasing down for an extra $100-$120, or should I just be satisfied with an i5.

VR ready is just as intensive as 4K or even more intensive.
For VR ready youll want the highest spec you can afford.
For 4K30, the i5/1070.
For 4K60 target, the i7/1070.

All of the CPUs will perform similarly for emulation.

 

[THE:MILKMAN]

If it doesn't automatically clock down you can manually clock it down on the bios.

Thanks.

 

[Ty4on]

I'm thinking of building a really cheap secondary PC so I don't need to transport around my main rig and couldn't resist picking up an Nvidia GTX 460 768MB for just 12 bucks (100 NOK). I know it's ancient, but it still amazed me just how cheap it was. Less than 1/10th new price.
Motherboard is surpassingly hard tho. The market is quite small here so it's really hard finding stuff smaller than ATX and the cheapest are usually around 50 bucks unless I go LGA 775 or worse.

 

[Rodney McKay]

I've been playing through Shadow of Mormon recently and whenever I do my PSU fan has started to make some loud clicking sounds that don't go away until I turn reboot the PC. Sounds like the fan has something stuck in it or a piece of it is breaking.

Since I've had mine for 5-6 years, I figured I'd just buy a new one and be safe (getting the EVGA 650 GQ that the OP recommends).

Thank goodness for Amazon's free one day shipping. I was hoping to beat that game before the Thanksgiving weekend ended, but oh well. I'd rather stretch it out a little longer than have my PSU explode.

 

[SliChillax]

So I have an MSI Sli Plus X99 mobo which has 8 slots for ram. I've occupied 4 slots 4 x 4gb ram 2666mhz 16gb total. Can I put only 2 other 4gb (of the same ram obviously) to have 24gb of ram in total or do I have to fill the remaining 4 slots to have? I don't really need 32gb atm.

 

[Orlov]

Can I put only 2 other 4gb (of the same ram obviously) to have 24gb of ram in total or do I have to fill the remaining 4 slots to have?

Of course you can.

 

[Mozendo]

Hahaha, why is that? I'm new to all this computer building stuff but I would like to learn. The only reason why I'm scared of the 5tb one is because reading online people have said they have had it fail on them within a few months and I was very worried. Looking at the hard drives being compared through the power of google, the HGST one seems like a good one even though it's 1TB less and around $10 more after the promotion code, but it seems like they have the least failures. I could be wrong though.

Oh I'm not sure if I mentioned it in my previous post my HGST is Hitachi after the name change so Toshiba HDDs are based on HGST's. Anywho, I don't know as to why exactly, I'm guessing because a lot of new time builders recommended Western Digital or if people buy from another brand they tend to review it once they fail. I also find MoBo reviews to be overblown, some people get some bad units and instead of getting a replacement they would rather put a one star review which is silly and it's something to consider when looking at reviews.

Also why do you want a 1080p monitor? A GTX 1080 is suited for 1440p monitors and if I were you I'd consider 1440p144hz

 

[Bloodember]

Update: my friend just bought a new 6600k and we put it in the new board and same fucking thing: led lights on Mobo but no power!?

We tried new Mobo, new ram, 2 other power supplies and now a new CPU. All new components and it won't boot? Doesn't make any sense. Going outta my mind.

Are you using the cables that came with the new PSU? Never reuse cables from another PSU. Also make sure everything is grounded correctly. Try turning it by shorting the pins and not use the power button. Have you tried booting without RAM?