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[inm8num2]

My first build attempt has been an absolute nightmare. Please bear with me as I try to summarize and illustrate the main problems.

I started buying parts in February. It took me way too long due to some indecision with choosing components, waiting for sales, or just being busy/distracted. Regardless, here's my parts list.

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/h7gRsJ

I put the PC together yesterday. After installing the CPU, CPU cooler (Hyper 212 Plus), and RAM on the motherboard (Gigabyte z97X UD3H), I prepared to mount the board in the case (Corsair 300R Windowed). The 300R has a built-in alignment stud in the middle, and the standoffs are integrated with the screw holes. Anyway, after putting in the I/O shield aligning the motherboard was a challenge. One of the screws (#2 in the picture below) didn't align properly. The motherboard is apparently not the full ATX width, so you can see 3 screw mounts off to the right of the board.

Note that the numbers assigned to the screws are arbitrary and don't reflect the order they were tightened. After getting the alignments and setting the screws I tightened each one gradually ~1-2 turns at a time (except #2 which couldn't go in very far due to misalignment).

In order to get #1 to line up I had to apply slight force from the top right (near the RAM slots) toward the I/O shield. 3, 4, and 5 aligned without trouble. Here's a shot of hole #2 w/o a screw, after the other four were inserted.

I was concerned about bending in that area of the board, so I decided to just put that screw in as far as it would go (no excessive tightening or anything) to provide a little support.

I can confidently say that it simply was not possible to align #2 properly. Here's what the other four screws look like.

Moving on, most of the remaining assembly was okay but took awhile with the cabling and connections. It's just incredibly scary when you see the board flexing as you insert or remove connectors. The ATX power connector was especially a pain. After getting everything but the GPU (XFX R9 390) installed, I decided to boot and make sure everything was okay in the BIOS. To my relief everything looked okay - all the components detected, the system fans and CPU fan both working properly and showing real-time speed changes from PWM, etc.

So I turned off the PC, switched off the PSU, and improved some of the cabling in preparation for installing the GPU.

In a nutshell, the GPU just doesn't fit. The card doesn't line up with the PCI-E slot - there's something like a ~1-2 mm offset. I tried to take some pictures but it's difficult when holding the GPU.

That's as far toward the rear of the case that the GPU goes. I don't know how much of that is due to the motherboard alignment. Recall I had to get the holes (1 and 2 in the above pics) along the "top" of the motherboard aligned by applying slight force to the case rear, but the holes on the "bottom" of the board (3, 4, 5) didn't have trouble aligning.

Here's a better look at the gap between the board and the rear of the case.

In addition, the plate on the GPU is not square, which would cause issues in aligning the GPU to the PCI-E slot while also getting it flush with the back panel.

And the tabs on the plate are also bent (from some google searches this seems to be common?).

I also tried putting the GPU into the x8 slot, just to test if it fit, but had the same issue there. I didn't try to force in the GPU because as you can see from the pics the alignment simply isn't there. Just to note, I did remove the covers from the GPU ports which might have interfered with aligning to the rear bay.

Summary

I can't fit my GPU into the PCI-E slot. Don't know if it's due to an issue with the motherboard, case, or GPU itself (likely a mix of all three). If the motherboard is too close to the rear of the case for the GPU to fit in the PCI-E slot, I could try to loosen the motherboard screws and see if the GPU fits. Even if that worked I highly doubt the motherboard would mount to the case as demonstrated above.

I've read some discussions elsewhere of people having resolving similar issues by fixing the GPU plate bending themselves. Thing is, if I bent that retention/port side of the backplate to make it perpendicular to the long axis of the GPU board, it would probably make the slot alignment worse. So that makes me wonder if the motherboard mounting is the main issue. Or the case having offset mounts. Or the GPU plate actually being the main problem.

I'm incredibly frustrated and demoralized right now. Spent all day yesterday assembling the computer. It's my first personal build but I've helped others before, and I've taken apart laptops plenty of times to replace components, repaste, etc. so I'm comfortable working in a PC. I took things slowly and made sure to follow instructions and not get ahead of myself. Since I bought many of these parts more than a month ago, I can't return/exchange things like the GPU if the plate bends are the main problem.

If anyone can help advise me on this I'd really appreciate it. I'm not sure what to do at this point and it feels like I'm completely fucked with everything.

 

[luoapp]

Try to do a "naked" prebuild without the case first.

 

[opticalmace]

Have you tried loosening the screws a bit and sliding the motherboard as much as you can towards the front of the case, and retightening? Might give you a little more clearance for the video card.

 

[Arsin]

Greetings PC GAF, I had a quick question. I am about to upgrade my PC and I was wondering if I needed to upgrade my PSU as well. Here is what I have so far.

Intel I7-6700 and ASUS Z170-K
G-Skill 3200 16GB
Samsung 950 PRO

I currently have a 750W and a 980 TI. I do not plan on upgrading my GFX card until the 1080 TI comes out or maybe the 1180 or whatever that is going to be called.

 

[opticalmace]

Greetings PC GAF, I had a quick question. I am about to upgrade my PC and I was wondering if I needed to upgrade my PSU as well. Here is what I have so far.

Intel I7-6700 and ASUS Z170-K
G-Skill 3200 16GB
Samsung 950 PRO

I currently have a 750W and a 980 TI. I do not plan on upgrading my GFX card until the 1080 TI comes out or maybe the 1180 or whatever that is going to be called.

PSU is fine. I like how the cpu/mobo bundle is more expensive than buying the components individually.

 

[Arsin]

PSU is fine. I like how the cpu/mobo bundle is more expensive than buying the components individually.

Yeah that is a bit of a, "Wait...HA you almost got me Amazon!!"

Thanks for the help.

 

[Nyteshade517]

Yeah that is a bit of a, "Wait...HA you almost got me Amazon!!"

Thanks for the help.

I picture Amazon as one of the Scooby Doo villains now..."I would have gotten away with it without you meddling kids"

 

[LilJoka]

My first build attempt has been an absolute nightmare. Please bear with me as I try to summarize and illustrate the main problems.

I started buying parts in February. It took me way too long due to some indecision with choosing components, waiting for sales, or just being busy/distracted. Regardless, here's my parts list.

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/h7gRsJ

I put the PC together yesterday. After installing the CPU, CPU cooler (Hyper 212 Plus), and RAM on the motherboard (Gigabyte z97X UD3H), I prepared to mount the board in the case (Corsair 300R Windowed). The 300R has a built-in alignment stud in the middle, and the standoffs are integrated with the screw holes. Anyway, after putting in the I/O shield aligning the motherboard was a challenge. One of the screws (#2 in the picture below) didn't align properly. The motherboard is apparently not the full ATX width, so you can see 3 screw mounts off to the right of the board.

Note that the numbers assigned to the screws are arbitrary and don't reflect the order they were tightened. After getting the alignments and setting the screws I tightened each one gradually ~1-2 turns at a time (except #2 which couldn't go in very far due to misalignment).



In order to get #1 to line up I had to apply slight force from the top right (near the RAM slots) toward the I/O shield. 3, 4, and 5 aligned without trouble. Here's a shot of hole #2 w/o a screw, after the other four were inserted.



I was concerned about bending in that area of the board, so I decided to just put that screw in as far as it would go (no excessive tightening or anything) to provide a little support.



I can confidently say that it simply was not possible to align #2 properly. Here's what the other four screws look like.



Moving on, most of the remaining assembly was okay but took awhile with the cabling and connections. It's just incredibly scary when you see the board flexing as you insert or remove connectors. The ATX power connector was especially a pain. After getting everything but the GPU (XFX R9 390) installed, I decided to boot and make sure everything was okay in the BIOS. To my relief everything looked okay - all the components detected, the system fans and CPU fan both working properly and showing real-time speed changes from PWM, etc.

So I turned off the PC, switched off the PSU, and improved some of the cabling in preparation for installing the GPU.

In a nutshell, the GPU just doesn't fit. The card doesn't line up with the PCI-E slot - there's something like a ~1-2 mm offset. I tried to take some pictures but it's difficult when holding the GPU.



That's as far toward the rear of the case that the GPU goes. I don't know how much of that is due to the motherboard alignment. Recall I had to get the holes (1 and 2 in the above pics) along the "top" of the motherboard aligned by applying slight force to the case rear, but the holes on the "bottom" of the board (3, 4, 5) didn't have trouble aligning.

Here's a better look at the gap between the board and the rear of the case.



In addition, the plate on the GPU is not square, which would cause issues in aligning the GPU to the PCI-E slot while also getting it flush with the back panel.



And the tabs on the plate are also bent (from some google searches this seems to be common?).



I also tried putting the GPU into the x8 slot, just to test if it fit, but had the same issue there. I didn't try to force in the GPU because as you can see from the pics the alignment simply isn't there. Just to note, I did remove the covers from the GPU ports which might have interfered with aligning to the rear bay.

Summary

I can't fit my GPU into the PCI-E slot. Don't know if it's due to an issue with the motherboard, case, or GPU itself (likely a mix of all three). If the motherboard is too close to the rear of the case for the GPU to fit in the PCI-E slot, I could try to loosen the motherboard screws and see if the GPU fits. Even if that worked I highly doubt the motherboard would mount to the case as demonstrated above.

I've read some discussions elsewhere of people having resolving similar issues by fixing the GPU plate bending themselves. Thing is, if I bent that retention/port side of the backplate to make it perpendicular to the long axis of the GPU board, it would probably make the slot alignment worse. So that makes me wonder if the motherboard mounting is the main issue. Or the case having offset mounts. Or the GPU plate actually being the main problem.

I'm incredibly frustrated and demoralized right now. Spent all day yesterday assembling the computer. It's my first personal build but I've helped others before, and I've taken apart laptops plenty of times to replace components, repaste, etc. so I'm comfortable working in a PC. I took things slowly and made sure to follow instructions and not get ahead of myself. Since I bought many of these parts more than a month ago, I can't return/exchange things like the GPU if the plate bends are the main problem.

If anyone can help advise me on this I'd really appreciate it. I'm not sure what to do at this point and it feels like I'm completely fucked with everything.

It's fine to remove the GPU output protectors. That will make the job easier.

When installing the GPU, push against the rear of the case and slot it in, your only off by 1-2mm. Use a bit of force.

And as suggested, loosen all the standoff screws and remove that messed up screw #2. It's not a problem missing out stand off screws.

 

[roadrunn3r]

Yes and tried both. The PC tries to boot 3 or 4 times and then the UEFI is giving me a chance to enter the bios and change the settings. It worked with my i5 2500k so no idea what I am missing.

Tried already to set it manually instead of XMP?
Frequency = 2133MHz
CAS Timings set it according to your RAM specs
DRAM Voltage -> 1.65v (should be, check it just to be sure)
Check the VCCSA and give it a little bump if it's still not booting.
PCH on Auto

 

[MXRider]

All of my parts except a GTX 1080 are here!

 

[inm8num2]

Try to do a "naked" prebuild without the case first.

TBH I'm a little confused by this. I assembled what I could (CPU, cooler, RAM) naked before putting the board into the case, but I'm unclear on how this might assist the GPU/motherboard alignment inside the case.

Have you tried loosening the screws a bit and sliding the motherboard as much as you can towards the front of the case, and retightening? Might give you a little more clearance for the video card.

Loosening the screws and trying to fit the GPU was going to be my next attempt. I'm doubtful of this because if the motherboard moves toward the front of the case, it will be much more difficult to tighten any of the screws. I don't really have a choice, though.

It's fine to remove the GPU output protectors. That will make the job easier.

When installing the GPU, push against the rear of the case and slot it in, your only off by 1-2mm. Use a bit of force.

And as suggested, loosen all the standoff screws and remove that messed up screw #2. It's not a problem missing out stand off screws.

I should clarify I did try to apply some force on the back of the case, but I wasn't successful on either of the major two attempts (last night, this morning). I didn't want to overexert and risk the GPU slipping, breaking the board interface, etc . And this is also complicated by the output plate on the GPU not being square with the backside (exaggerated diagram below). I'm unsure of whether this is a typical occurrence or a major flaw in this particular instance.

Trying to get the output side of the GPU plate flush with the case rear panel causes the interface to be off-axis from the PCIe slot. And lining up the interface + slot risks touching the outputs plate to the edge of the motherboard. Ideally that gap would be bigger and there wouldn't be an off-angle bend in the GPU plate. It just feels fundamentally wrong, like all these small issues are adding up to a really big one.

When I get a chance, possibly later tonight, I'll try once more and report back here. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Erekiddo]

I've had my XB271HU for less than a month and am already noticing black splotching on the left hand corner. What is this called, anyway?

For the amount I paid for this thing, should I file a return or is this type of stuff inevitable? No dead pixels or backlight bleed otherwise.

 

[luoapp]

TBH I'm a little confused by this. I assembled what I could (CPU, cooler, RAM) naked before putting the board into the case, but I'm unclear on how this might assist the GPU/motherboard alignment inside the case.

Well, one thing you can try is to mount the whole working assembly to the case (CPU, cooler, ram, gpu and m/b, or just the GPU/mb combo since that's the one gave you trouble), using as many screws as you can.

 

[opticalmace]

I've had my XB271HU for less than a month and am already noticing black splotching on the left hand corner. What is this called, anyway?



For the amount I paid for this thing, should I file a return or is this type of stuff inevitable? No dead pixels or backlight bleed otherwise.

Does it bother you? Usually the camera makes it look worse than it would to your eye. If it bothers you RMA it. I believe that is backlight bleed?

 

[Erekiddo]

Does it bother you? Usually the camera makes it look worse than it would to your eye. If it bothers you RMA it. I believe that is backlight bleed?

It's pretty noticeable, but just on solid colors. Surprised it's happening 20 days in.

 

[opticalmace]

It's pretty noticeable, but just on solid colors. Surprised it's happening 20 days in.

The fancy new 1440p 144+Hz IPS monitors are pretty rife with QA problems. I have the XB270HU and had to have it RMA'd to get a good one.

 

[kennah]

Rgm you get that cheap monitor yet?

 

[Yopis]

All of my parts except a GTX 1080 are here!

That's awesome.

 

[Mad Season]

All of my parts except a GTX 1080 are here!

Why aren't those in a vault? Secure those toys!

 

[grosvenor_92]

Hey fellow gaffer has anyone bought a EVGA Supernova power supply ?

I'm looking into possibly getting the 1050 GS model and want to know how they compare against similarly priced power supplies

It's currently $199.99 on NCIX

http://www.ncix.com/detail/evga-supernova-1050-gs-80-60-105449.htm

 

[kennah]

Hey fellow gaffer has anyone bought a EVGA Supernova power supply ?

I'm looking into possibly getting the 1050 GS model and want to know how they compare against similarly priced power supplies

It's currently $199.99 on NCIX

http://www.ncix.com/detail/evga-supernova-1050-gs-80-60-105449.htm

Are you sure you need a 1000W Power supply? It's for triple or quad SLI.

That said, EVGA Supernovas are great units.

 

[Korezo]

Can give you up to 25 fps in CPU heavy games like GTA V, Witcher 3 or even Far Cry 4 when paired with high end gpu like a 980Ti, Titan X, 1070 or 1080.

i7 6700K vs 4790K/3770K/2600K @ 4.4GHz Overclock Gaming Benchmarks by Digital Foundry

In general, probably not "big." But possibly worthwhile. It depends on what GPU you have and what resolution/refresh rate you game at. Specs?

What do you play?

I play everything, vr games, sim racers, arma3,gtav, Darksouls, fighting games, righ now witcher 3. My specs is a i72600k, 16gb ram, sli 980ti at 1440p. 5 year old system that I built when the 580 launched.

 

[ArtistDude88]

Hey guys! What's a good dependable and relatively cheap standing mic just to use for video games? Doesn't have to be anything too fancy. I just don't want a headset because I get tired of wearing headphones all the time.

 

[opticalmace]

I play everything, vr games, sim racers, arma3,gtav, Darksouls, fighting games, righ now witcher 3. My specs is a i72600k, 16gb ram, sli 980ti at 1440p. 5 year old system that I built when the 580 launched.

In that case definitely upgrade. With that much GPU horsepower the CPU becomes quite important. Check out this article if you're curious: http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Skylake-vs-Sandy-Bridge-Discrete-GPU-Showdown/Metro-Last-Light-and-Conclusion.

 

[The Shadow]

Maybe this is the thread to ask. What's the best way to connect a newish GPU (R9 290) to an old fashioned tube TV? The TV itself has S-Video and component inputs, but no VGA.

 

[opticalmace]

Maybe this is the thread to ask. What's the best way to connect a newish GPU (R9 290) to an old fashioned tube TV? The TV itself has S-Video and component inputs, but no VGA.

I have no experience with this stuff, but I guess something like this? http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=101&cp_id=10114&cs_id=1011406&p_id=5971&seq=1&format=2

I'm not sure if the digital end will complain at all though (because of HDCP or otherwise). Just a starting point.

 

[inm8num2]

Well, one thing you can try is to mount the whole working assembly to the case (CPU, cooler, ram, gpu and m/b, or just the GPU/mb combo since that's the one gave you trouble), using as many screws as you can.

Gotcha. I considered that before but thought it might be a little risky.

Tonight I tried seating the GPU again briefly before deciding to loosen then remove the motherboard screws. After doing that I was able to insert the GPU without much effort. I thought to then screw the motherboard back into the mounts, but none of the holes aligned very well.

So I removed the GPU then reapplied the motherboard screws. Decided to just go for it with the GPU, and surprisingly it went in without much extra force beyond what I was previously trying. Felt the latch move into place. Had to slightly push the bracket against the case rear to line up the retention screws.

Two pics of the case upright after screwing in the backplate:

There is some sag, but IIRC it was there when the case was on its side. It looks worse than it is since the fan block itself is a little loose near the power connectors. I'm still a little concerned with the lack of squareness, but for now I'll hold off messing with anything. It''s about any extra stress the slight bending may induce, rather than aesthetics.

I booted into the BIOS over both HDMI and DVI, and all seems to be working. Thanks again for the replies and helping me realize I just needed to push on that rear case panel a little harder to seat the GPU. There were other frustrations during assembly (Hyper 212 Plus, cabling...) plus overall exhaustion that caused me to freak out a little bit.

Way too tired to start Win 7 Pro SP1 installation tonight (bootable USB is ready). Since MS gimped Win 7 updating it may take a few nights to do all the necessary updates (sans Win 10 upgrade stuff). MS released a convenience rollup (like a SP2) so that's a possibility (uninstall the included GWX updates after installation). Once I have an up-to-date Win 7 build I'll backup an image of the boot/main SSD...I guess I probably should keep my storage drive disconnected until then.

Otherwise I still need to get a PCIe wi-fi card and eventually a blu-ray drive. It will be a relief to finally finish all this and be able to enjoy the new PC.

 

[luoapp]

If you evemtually want to go win10, you can try to install win 10 with a win7 key.

 

[inm8num2]

If you evemtually want to go win10, you can try to install win 10 with a win7 key.

In maybe 3-4 years I can see myself doing another build with Win 10 (or hopefully Linux). My main goal with building this PC was to keep it on Win 7, though (main reason why I went with Haswell over Skylake). Shouldn't have slacked off for so long.

 

[derFeef]

Tried already to set it manually instead of XMP?
Frequency = 2133MHz
CAS Timings set it according to your RAM specs
DRAM Voltage -> 1.65v (should be, check it just to be sure)
Check the VCCSA and give it a little bump if it's still not booting.
PCH on Auto

I will try that tonight, thanks, it works with 2000MHz oddly enough so a slight bump should not be that hard

Also I seem to have a stable OC now with 4.4Ghz on my 3770k and a slight undervolt. Doom is constantly crashing though, even in the menus. Other games work just fine?

 

[mrklaw]

Ok so after moving from water to air and using noctua fans and rubber mounts etc my PC is nice and quiet except for the PSU fan. It isn't 'loud' but in a quiet room it is noticeable. I'll try and ignore it but would like replacement options. What would be a good fan that - for normal desktop usage (not gaming or heavy processing) - would run passively so it's silent? It would be in a system with an asus z170i pro gaming ITX MB, 16GB ram, i7-6700k OC to 4.5GHz and will eventually have a 1080 in there too, and a couple of SSDS + 1 HDD

 

[DBT85]

I play everything, vr games, sim racers, arma3,gtav, Darksouls, fighting games, righ now witcher 3. My specs is a i72600k, 16gb ram, sli 980ti at 1440p. 5 year old system that I built when the 580 launched.

In that case, get the upgrade!

Ok so after moving from water to air and using noctua fans and rubber mounts etc my PC is nice and quiet except for the PSU fan. It isn't 'loud' but in a quiet room it is noticeable. I'll try and ignore it but would like replacement options. What would be a good fan that - for normal desktop usage (not gaming or heavy processing) - would run passively so it's silent? It would be in a system with an asus z170i pro gaming ITX MB, 16GB ram, i7-6700k OC to 4.5GHz and will eventually have a 1080 in there too, and a couple of SSDS + 1 HDD

How much you want to drop?

OCUK have a fractal 600w right now for £65. The fan doesn't come on until it needs it and its a platinum spec rather than gold. So slightly more efficient.

 

[jordisok]

Ok so after moving from water to air and using noctua fans and rubber mounts etc my PC is nice and quiet except for the PSU fan. It isn't 'loud' but in a quiet room it is noticeable. I'll try and ignore it but would like replacement options. What would be a good fan that - for normal desktop usage (not gaming or heavy processing) - would run passively so it's silent? It would be in a system with an asus z170i pro gaming ITX MB, 16GB ram, i7-6700k OC to 4.5GHz and will eventually have a 1080 in there too, and a couple of SSDS + 1 HDD

I've just built a pc with an EVGA 650W G2 that has an "eco mode" switch, as I haven't got a graphics card installed yet I don't think the fan has even come on in normal usage. Obviously no idea how loud it will be consistently when actually spinning though.

 

[Tonza]

Decided to upgrade from FX6350 to core i5 6500. Went with the 6500 because I never bothered with overclocking the FX so I wouldn't really mess with the 6600K. Also replacing my DDR3 with DDR4 at the same time. (and the mobo obviously)

Next up will be upgrading the R9 270X to RX 480 or GTX 1070.

 

[DBT85]

Anyone got an idea when the Samsung 950pro 1TB are due to land? Hoping the 512 might drop in price as a result.

 

[Hazaro]

On the GPU stuff just bend the metal and shove it in there, usually its the bottom part of the metal PCI 'post' that needs to get in.

 

[roadrunn3r]

I will try that tonight, thanks, it works with 2000MHz oddly enough so a slight bump should not be that hard

Also I seem to have a stable OC now with 4.4Ghz on my 3770k and a slight undervolt. Doom is constantly crashing though, even in the menus. Other games work just fine?

It's definitely not stable if it's crashing. There are lots of tutorials around on how to overclock the 3770k, just find one that mentions your motherboard (not required but makes it easier) and go for safe-ish settings. You'll probably want to go more extreme when you'll have some more experience with it but for now just try to reach a moderate stable overclock. Don't forget to check the temps.

 

[Kikorin]

Hi all, I've read the OP, but I'm still not too sure on what to do.

I just got a big job and I need a new PC to make it at best, especially because I'll use a lot of After Effect and I need quick render time and fluid interface even with a lot of stuff on screen. Also, I want something to play games, because I'll connect it to my 4K TV and I'd like to try this new resolution (for now I only have Xbox One and Wii U, so...). Only thing I'm sure is that I want the new GTX 1080, but I need also everything else like CPU, motherboard, ram and HDD (I need a lot of memory, I work with videos). Only things I have now are the screen, mouse and keyboard... I'd like to make a configuration that will not be limited by some component, but I've been out of the hardware field for a long time, so I'm not sure on what to buy. Thanks in anticipation to everyone who will help me!

Your Current Specs: Nothing
Budget: 1500€ would be fine, but more is acceptable - Italy
Main Use: Heavy Gaming and a lot of Video Editing (Da Vinci resolve, Premiere, After Effect), maybe VR in future
Monitor Resolution: TV 4K
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: After Effect and Premiere need to run perfectly
Looking to reuse any parts?: No
When will you build?: I need it really quick (like order it this week)
Will you be overclocking?: Maybe in future... (my old pc was overclocked, but for now I'd like a stock PC)

 

[Sothpaw]

I used this thread back in 2013 to build my first PC and it couldn't have gone better. Have enjoyed the machine greatly the past 3 years. That said, I think it is time to upgrade my 7970. Total War Warhammer seems to be a bit much for it. My specs are 4770K, 16GB RAM, 7970. I do not plan on going above 1080p with the new card.

Given the above specs and target resolution, should I jump on an R9 390X (they are discounted to $359 on NewEgg)? Or should I wait for a 1070GTX or the new $199 Radeons?

Thanks for the help.

 

[opticalmace]

I used this thread back in 2013 to build my first PC and it couldn't have gone better. Have enjoyed the machine greatly the past 3 years. That said, I think it is time to upgrade my 7970. Total War Warhammer seems to be a bit much for it. My specs are 4770K, 16GB RAM, 7970. I do not plan on going above 1080p with the new card.

Given the above specs and target resolution, should I jump on an R9 390X (they are discounted to $359 on NewEgg)? Or should I wait for a 1070GTX or the new $199 Radeons?

Thanks for the help.

You should wait for one of the newer cards, 1070 or otherwise, depending on what you want.

 

[Thraktor]

Hi all, I've read the OP, but I'm still not too sure on what to do.

I just got a big job and I need a new PC to make it at best, especially because I'll use a lot of After Effect and I need quick render time and fluid interface even with a lot of stuff on screen. Also, I want something to play games, because I'll connect it to my 4K TV and I'd like to try this new resolution (for now I only have Xbox One and Wii U, so...). Only thing I'm sure is that I want the new GTX 1080, but I need also everything else like CPU, motherboard, ram and HDD (I need a lot of memory, I work with videos). Only things I have now are the screen, mouse and keyboard... I'd like to make a configuration that will not be limited by some component, but I've been out of the hardware field for a long time, so I'm not sure on what to buy. Thanks in anticipation to everyone who will help me!

Your Current Specs: Nothing
Budget: 1500€ would be fine, but more is acceptable - Italy
Main Use: Heavy Gaming and a lot of Video Editing (Da Vinci resolve, Premiere, After Effect), maybe VR in future
Monitor Resolution: TV 4K
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: After Effect and Premiere need to run perfectly
Looking to reuse any parts?: No
When will you build?: I need it really quick (like order it this week)
Will you be overclocking?: Maybe in future... (my old pc was overclocked, but for now I'd like a stock PC)

Firstly, PCPartPicker has an Italian version, so try to organise your build in it, as it will find the best prices and let you know if your components are incompatible, etc.

A few things I'd recommend:

- If possible within your budget, try to get a socket 2011v3 motherboard (with the X99 chipset) and a 5820K CPU (or the 6800K or 6850K if you can find good prices on them). Premiere, After Effects, etc. will use pretty much as many cores as you can get, so the 5820K is the best performance per Euro you're going to get at the moment for that kind of work. You could even push up to an 8+ core chip, but prices start to jump up pretty drastically over the 6-core CPUs. Xeon CPUs can be good choices for video editing, but are poor options for gaming, so stick to the Core i7s.

- Get lots of fast RAM. 32GB or more. If you're using a 2011v3 socket then make sure to get four sticks (i.e. 4x8GB if you want 32GB total). This means you'll get the full quad-channel bandwidth, and you'll still have four slots free to allow you to easily upgrade the RAM in the future.

- Get a fast 500GB+ SSD for your OS, applications, and for all your video files while you're working on them. Get a separate HDD for games and archived video work if necessary, but make sure all your video editing is done off an SSD. You may think a 250GB SSD will do you, but if/when you start editing 4K you'll chew through that in absolutely no time, and 500GB SSDs aren't that much more expensive these days.

 

[thenexus6]

Does a inexpensive, 21", 1080p monitor exist with more than 60 refresh rate? (UK)

I like this one but maybe should try something with a better refresh rate: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B7ZE0G2/

 

[iavi]

I used this thread back in 2013 to build my first PC and it couldn't have gone better. Have enjoyed the machine greatly the past 3 years. That said, I think it is time to upgrade my 7970. Total War Warhammer seems to be a bit much for it. My specs are 4770K, 16GB RAM, 7970. I do not plan on going above 1080p with the new card.

Given the above specs and target resolution, should I jump on an R9 390X (they are discounted to $359 on NewEgg)? Or should I wait for a 1070GTX or the new $199 Radeons?

Thanks for the help.

Definitely wait for the newer cards. If you're not planning to go above 1080p, the RX480 most likely will fit the bill and then some, if not the RX480 then the 1070. No point in paying just yet. Give it a few weeks until reviews.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

Hey guys! What's a good dependable and relatively cheap standing mic just to use for video games? Doesn't have to be anything too fancy. I just don't want a headset because I get tired of wearing headphones all the time.

Might be too fancy/expensive for your budget, but I used the Blue Snowball for many years and liked it a lot. Costs ~$50 and makes you sound great.

I was originally going to recommend this $20 Logitech microphone that I used prior to buying the Snowball. It was pretty great considering its price, but it appears to have been discontinued. There's a newer model here for $32, but I can't say for sure if it's any good.

 

[Kikorin]

Firstly, PCPartPicker has an Italian version, so try to organise your build in it, as it will find the best prices and let you know if your components are incompatible, etc.

A few things I'd recommend:

- If possible within your budget, try to get a socket 2011v3 motherboard (with the X99 chipset) and a 5820K CPU (or the 6800K or 6850K if you can find good prices on them). Premiere, After Effects, etc. will use pretty much as many cores as you can get, so the 5820K is the best performance per Euro you're going to get at the moment for that kind of work. You could even push up to an 8+ core chip, but prices start to jump up pretty drastically over the 6-core CPUs. Xeon CPUs can be good choices for video editing, but are poor options for gaming, so stick to the Core i7s.

- Get lots of fast RAM. 32GB or more. If you're using a 2011v3 socket then make sure to get four sticks (i.e. 4x8GB if you want 32GB total). This means you'll get the full quad-channel bandwidth, and you'll still have four slots free to allow you to easily upgrade the RAM in the future.

- Get a fast 500GB+ SSD for your OS, applications, and for all your video files while you're working on them. Get a separate HDD for games and archived video work if necessary, but make sure all your video editing is done off an SSD. You may think a 250GB SSD will do you, but if/when you start editing 4K you'll chew through that in absolutely no time, and 500GB SSDs aren't that much more expensive these days.

Thanks, this evening when I'll be at home I'll start to make a configuration and I'll post it here.

 

[pushBAK]

I've been seeing lots of recommendations for Gigabyte motherboards. Do these motherboards feature something that MSI/ASUS/EVGA doesn't?

 

[derFeef]

Tried already to set it manually instead of XMP?
Frequency = 2133MHz
CAS Timings set it according to your RAM specs
DRAM Voltage -> 1.65v (should be, check it just to be sure)
Check the VCCSA and give it a little bump if it's still not booting.
PCH on Auto

I tried it, even lower the settings and it's just not working, that seems like a bug/limitation. 2000MHz is working so it's not too bad I guess.

It's definitely not stable if it's crashing. There are lots of tutorials around on how to overclock the 3770k, just find one that mentions your motherboard (not required but makes it easier) and go for safe-ish settings. You'll probably want to go more extreme when you'll have some more experience with it but for now just try to reach a moderate stable overclock. Don't forget to check the temps.

I found a good guide, undervolting and turbo voltage seems the way to go, seems pretty good so far as prime is running for 2 hours now. I also bought new thermal paste (GELID) which brought down my temps 4°C which is pretty great.

 

[ndawgdrake]

Wondering if PCGAF can diagnose an issue.

My PC's been restarting randomly. All kinds of scenarios: gaming, YouTube, or even when it's just idle.

I've got a 2500k at 4.5ghz at 1.285vcore (been oced for a year without issue) and a oced 970 with no voltage added and 4x4gb ddr3 with xmp set at 1600mhz.

Generally the audio will stutter for a split second and the computer will restart as if someone hit the reset button.

I suspect it's either my ram or psu going bad.

I recently tried to oc my ram and pumped 1.65 volts into it but it wasn't stable and set it back to 1600 mhz (default)

My psu is an antec tp-750 which I purchased 5 years ago.

Any thoughts, GAF?

 

[Erekiddo]

Another weird issue of mine I've encountered.

I have a Sound Blaster ZX installed into a budget PC I just built, but I liked the audio control knob so much that I like to move it between PCs when I'm switching between the two.

My problem is, on one of my PCs, the audio loudless is much louder if I hook this thing up to the back rather than the front. I'd prefer the front for ease, but the difference is drastic.

Any idea what would cause this to occur?

 

[MetalDeer]

Another weird issue of mine I've encountered.

I have a Sound Blaster ZX installed into a budget PC I just built, but I liked the audio control knob so much that I like to move it between PCs when I'm switching between the two.

My problem is, on one of my PCs, the audio loudless is much louder if I hook this thing up to the back rather than the front. I'd prefer the front for ease, but the difference is drastic.

Any idea what would cause this to occur?

I'm not super informed on this topic, but from my experience front panel audio sometimes has weird issues like that.

But, depending on which computer you're using it in, maybe the built in amp in the sound card doesn't work with front panel audio? (Assuming it can connect to front panel) Just a guess.