Support NeoGAF

[draliko]

Need help upgrading my config without doing something stupid.
Actually sitting on a i5-2500k at 3.3ghz, asrock z97extreme gen4 mb, noctua u12 cooler (i believe), 8gb ram, a 256gb SSD (samsung 850), 1tb wd blue hdd and a radeon 6950, all in a nzxt s340 case.

I play mainly at 1080 but i would like to move to 1440p (gsync or freesync), and the next things i need to change (and i believe the right ones to change first) are the gpu and the monitor (currently gaming on a w805 sony tv 50" but would like to move to a smaller monitor and leave the tv for the ps4 and the mediaserver).
My current roadmap is something like this:
1) GPU
2) Monitor
3) mobo + CPU + ram (next jump from intel)

So the question is, gtx1070 or wait for amd? I'm inclined toward the gtx but a gsync monitor cost quite a bit more than a freesync one, and the 1070 isn't really at the right price now (i was thinking about getting a gtx970 form evga and then step up in 60 days, when prices should have been stabilized and in the meantime i get to upgrade to a nice 970), on the other side i don't think rx480 can handle 1440p, and waiting for vega could be worthless as we know nothing.

For the monitor i don't know where to look at, would like a 24-27" max ips panel with gsync/freesync (since i think my cpu at 1440p could struggle a bit and variable refresh should help), any suggestion is really appreciated.

I'm in italy, but if it's worth it it's no problem to shop in eu and import, outside eu is offlimits for vat and customs costs.

Thanks in advance guys, i must say that being back in pc gaming is nice

 

[SmartWaffles]

Downclock or not, the garbage nvidia driver is still shitting itself even when nothing is happening.

 

[kuYuri]

Looking to upgrade my girlfriends PC vieo card so we may play Skyrim.
The motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-78LMT-S2, It's got 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x16.
The accompanying CPU is AMD FX 6100.
What card should I grab? It has a Nvidia Geforce GT 640 in it now. Going to be playing at 1080p.

GTX 750 Ti/R7 360 or GTX 950/R7 370.

 

[MultiCore]

Downclock or not, the garbage nvidia driver is still shitting itself even when nothing is happening.

Since that's not normal(and of the two, Nvidia has far superior drivers to AMD), I'd investigate it being a faulty card, faulty RAM or faulty CPU.

If your system worked fine before, it's (probably) the card.

Feel free to try a clean driver reinstall though.

 

[LilJoka]

Downclock or not, the garbage nvidia driver is still shitting itself even when nothing is happening.

If you can get the card to crash on demand with GPU load (i know it crashes in idle too), then its probably the card.
Otherwise, use a spare HDD to install windows and see if it crashes on that. That will rule out a dodgy windows install or drivers.

 

[kuYuri]

Hello GAF,

I'm gonna upgrade my i5-2500K to either a i7-6700K or a i5-6600K. I'm still deciding which CPU I'll choose. So what are the real benefits of the 6700K compared to the 6600K? As far as I can see the benefits are the inclusion of Hyperthreading and the higher clock speed (4.0 ghz). I'm finding it hard to figure out if that's worth the extra $100 though. Maybe Hyperthreading is super important for DX12 or something, I don't know because I don't follow computer tech that closely. So how much would I benefit by buying the 6700K? Budget really isn't that big of an issue, but obviously I wouldn't like to spend extra money for microscopic improvements.

Then I'll need to pick a new motherboard. The enormous amount of different motherboards is very overwhelming to someone who doesn't know all the tech stuff surrounding it. I don't know how to decide if a board is a "good choice"or not. Currently I'm leaning towards the ASUS Maximus VIII Ranger cause it's getting good reviews. I'm really not good with all the technical stuff, so can someone point out the pro's and con's of this board? I'm also open to other reccomendations.

Here's my current setup:

i5 2500K @ 3.3 Ghz + third-party cooler (TO BE UPGRADED TO SKYLAKE)
Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 - LGA1155 socket (TO BE UPGRADED TO A Z170 BOARD)
2 x 4 GB -1600 MHz - DDR3 (TO BE UPGRADED TO DDR4)
700W PSU
SSD - 128 GB Samsung EVO 840 (Maybe I'll upgrade with an SSD that'll fit in a M.2 slot)
HDD - 1 TB
GTX 980 4GB
native monitor resolution: 2560 x 1440.

Extra remarks: I'll never go SLI or CrossFire. I'm a single GPU kind of guy.
I'd like my CPU and MOBO to be as future-proof as possible, obviously

For CPUs, watch this video. Maybe if you see the actual differences in framerates in games, it can help you decide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhaB1dqYv_I

Also, if you are planning on doing any kind of video related tasks, i7 is definitely the way to go. Also, it's way more future-proof than an i5.

 

[Azulsky]

Whats the current consensus on open vs closed gpu coolers for small volume cases?

 

[jonno394]

Hi, built this about 2 and a half years back, getting the itch to upgrade components

Motherboard: Gigabyte Z87-D3H
Processor: Intel i5 4670K
Video Card: 3GB Gigabyte Radeon R9 280X OC WINDFORCE
RAM: Corsair Vengeance Jet Black 2x4GB
HDD: 1TB WD10EZEX
OS: Windows 10 64bit
PSU: Cooler Master G Series 650w
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R

Ideally i'm looking for a system that will be able to last me the next 3 years with 1080p gaming at as close to 60fps in high/Ultra as possible, and wonder if I can just add in a new GPU to this build and have it do the trick?

Potentially interested in VR in the future, though by the time VR becomes mainstream and of real use, I might be due a new build by then (another 2.5-3 years)

Main Uses: General Usage 5, Gaming 4, emulation 3

 

[cyen]

Hi, built this about 2 and a half years back, getting the itch to upgrade components

Motherboard: Gigabyte Z87-D3H
Processor: Intel i5 4670K
Video Card: 3GB Gigabyte Radeon R9 280X OC WINDFORCE
RAM: Corsair Vengeance Jet Black 2x4GB
HDD: 1TB WD10EZEX
OS: Windows 10 64bit
PSU: Cooler Master G Series 650w
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R

Ideally i'm looking for a system that will be able to last me the next 3 years with 1080p gaming at as close to 60fps in high/Ultra as possible, and wonder if I can just add in a new GPU to this build and have it do the trick?

Potentially interested in VR in the future, though by the time it becomes mainstream and of real use, I might be due a new build by then (another 2.5-3 years)

Main Uses: General Usage 5, Gaming 4, emulation 3

Get a 1070 and an aditional 8GB of Ram and your good to go

 

[jonno394]

Get a 1070 and an aditional 8GB of Ram and your good to go

Thanks for the response, been looking at the 1070 as the likely upgrade already

Is it best to have 2 sticks of 8GB ram rather than 4 sticks of 4?

 

[Zacillac]

Whats the current consensus on open vs closed gpu coolers for small volume cases?

Usually it's better to go with a blower style exhaust for smaller cases.

 

[SmartWaffles]

Since that's not normal(and of the two, Nvidia has far superior drivers to AMD), I'd investigate it being a faulty card, faulty RAM or faulty CPU.

If your system worked fine before, it's (probably) the card.

Feel free to try a clean driver reinstall though.

If you can get the card to crash on demand with GPU load (i know it crashes in idle too), then its probably the card.
Otherwise, use a spare HDD to install windows and see if it crashes on that. That will rule out a dodgy windows install or drivers.

I think it has to be something up with Windows 10, the same issue happens with my other rig which has a 960, both on Windows 10 64bit. The issue has been rampant ever since the November Windows 10 update.

 

[PBalfredo]

Why bother buying a FE GTX1080? The better, cheaper cards are like what, 1-2 weeks away.

The new PC I'm building is basically a birthday present to myself, so I want to get everything in and built by the end of the month, without having to worry about parts selling out. It's not the most efficient use of my money, I know, but this is a rare circumstance where I can make that sort of indulgence, so the 1080 cemented itself in my mind for that reason.

 

[Jyrii]

So I finally got my new rip up and running. This is the second rig I have assembled myself. Thanks everyone for the help with the parts.

Everything seems to be working correctly. There still are two cords of the case that I don't know where to connect them in the motherboard
Think I need to take a pic tomorrow.

My new rig is:
Case: Fractal Design Define mini
CPU: Intel i5 6600K
MB: Asus z170m plus
RAM: G.Skill RipjawsV DDR4 3200 MHz 16 Gt (2 x 8 Gt)
SSD: Samsung 850 Evo 500GB
PSU: EVGA Supernova 550w full modular

On top of that I have my old 128GB Kingston HyperX SSD, Western Digital 1TB HDD and my old (t)rusty Radeon HD5870. That GTX 1070 cannot come soon enough.

 

[wheeplash]

The new PC I'm building is basically a birthday present to myself, so I want to get everything in and built by the end of the month, without having to worry about parts selling out. It's not the most efficient use of my money, I know, but this is a rare circumstance where I can make that sort of indulgence, so the 1080 cemented itself in my mind for that reason.

I'd still consider waiting for the non-reference cards since they will have better thermal solutions and won't throttle like the FE (benchmarks online). But it's up to you.

 

[gamma]

I had a similar issue with my 970 MSI (first fun didn't spin up, second one ran at 100%) which could only be fixed by RMA =/

Thanks man. So I just contacted Amazon for an exchange but they offered me a refund instead. Now I'm not sure which is better. I bought it in November for 280€. With the 1070 coming out now, it would be better to take the money and buy a 1070 right? It's basically a 6 month step-up.

 

[MultiCore]

I think it has to be something up with Windows 10, the same issue happens with my other rig which has a 960, both on Windows 10 64bit. The issue has been rampant ever since the November Windows 10 update.

I'm on the latest Windows 10 insider preview, running Asymmetric SLI with a 780 Ti and a 780, in test mode with a modded driver, and I don't have to the problems you're having.

In fact, I have 8 computers in the house all running Windows 10 on Nvidia cards (2 of them SLI, one triple SLI), and none of them do that.

Your particular install might be messed up, but I very much doubt it's an actual Windows problem.

 

[Grief.exe]

I'd still consider waiting for the non-reference cards since they will have better thermal solutions and won't throttle like the FE (benchmarks online). But it's up to you.

They will also have higher quality and more substantial power phases and input power.

 

[LilJoka]

I think it has to be something up with Windows 10, the same issue happens with my other rig which has a 960, both on Windows 10 64bit. The issue has been rampant ever since the November Windows 10 update.

You mean you tried the 970 in the other rig, or the 960 in the other rig has the same issue? Maybe some driver conflict in that case?
What peripherals have you got?
What drivers did you install from the motherboard manufacturers website?

Whats the current consensus on open vs closed gpu coolers for small volume cases?

Usually it's better to go with a blower style exhaust for smaller cases.

True when cards pushed 300W TDP.
Not true when they push 150W TDP as of now.

Buy blower if you plan to water cool, or have a seriously compact PC like the RVZ02. Cases that have normal air flow should not need blower type coolers.

 

[DJ88]

Got all my parts in last week and after pulling an all nighter, I pushed the power button on my first ever put together PC, and it somehow turned on without a hitch!

Even though I went in super prepared on how to build a PC, it ended up taking way longer due to small roadblocks of uncertainty, double and triple checking everything I did lol.

There's still a tiny bit of work left, waiting on some cable combs to make everything lined up nice and neat, but overall I'm really happy about how the monochrome black/white look turned out.

Also, as you can probably see, I'm missing a graphics card. The wait for these damn custom 1080 cards is driving me pretty crazy, but as soon as I can pick one up, I've just got to plug it in and I'm good to go.

Here's my part list if anyone is interested:
http://pcpartpicker.com/list/GXdGXH

 

[Big Chungus]

so which non founders edition 1070 is the best to get with good cooling? not planning on overclocking

 

[Old Snake]

I’ve been wanting to build a PC for a while now and I’m finally giving it a shot. This is all new to me and after doing some research I realize I need some help!

I’ve been using Macs for the past 10 years and I’m finally fed up with what I’m getting for the cost. The screen on my MacBook recently cracked and it would put me back $800 to replace it. Not being able to upgrade or easily replace parts on Macs is really frustrating. I prefer OS X over Windows but that’s not enough anymore...

I’m an artist who relies heavily on Photoshop, Flash, Dragon Frame, and general multitasking while I’m working. I’ll be doing some video editing and possibly 3d modeling as well. I also play a ton of games ranging from indies to the most recent AAA.

Feeling burned by Apple and with the uncertain future of the console market (PS4 NEO / Xbox Scorpio) I feel like a PC is a good investment.

A few other things I'm thinking about:
- Future Upgradability (Is this mostly dependent on the case and motherboard?)
- Running new games at 1080p 60fps. 1440p in the near future...
- Something that runs fairly quiet


Current Specs:
MacBook Pro 15” w/ Retina Display
- 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7
- 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
- NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 2048 MB

I also have:
- Acer H226HQL Monitor
- Rosewell RK-9000V2 BR
- Logitech M325 Wireless Mouse

Budget:
$1200-ish give or take
Somewhat flexible here. I am definitely budget conscious but I’m more concerned with getting this right.

Main Use:
Adobe CC – 5
Video Editing – 5
Gaming – 5
General Usage – 5
Emulation – 3
3D Modeling – 2
(Multitasking!)

Monitor Resolution:
21.5” 1920p x 1080p. Planning to get a 1440p monitor soon and use my current Acer monitor as a second display for work and multitasking. Gaming would be on a single monitor. Would like to have the option of upgrading to 4k in the future.

List of specific games and apps I need to run well:
Adobe CC: (Photoshop, Lightroom, Flash, After Affects)
Wacom Intuos Pro Tablet
General stuff (Word, Spotify, iTunes, etc etc)

When will I build?
I’d like to have my build locked down within a month.

Will I be overclocking?
Not sure. Should I?

Really appreciate the help! Looking forward to learning a thing or two.

I did my best to put something together on PC Part Picker. Some of this might be overkill? Maybe not...
Here's what I've got so far -


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($314.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock B150 PRO4/D3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($69.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($58.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($58.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($153.95 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter ($38.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1005.02
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-12 18:21 EDT-0400

 

[LilJoka]

I’ve been wanting to build a PC for a while now and I’m finally giving it a shot. This is all new to me and after doing some research I realize I need some help!

I’ve been using Macs for the past 10 years and I’m finally fed up with what I’m getting for the cost. The screen on my MacBook recently cracked and it would put me back $800 to replace it. Not being able to upgrade or easily replace parts on Macs is really frustrating. I prefer OS X over Windows but that’s not enough anymore...

I’m an artist who relies heavily on Photoshop, Flash, Dragon Frame, and general multitasking while I’m working. I’ll be doing some video editing and possibly 3d modeling as well. I also play a ton of games ranging from indies to the most recent AAA.

Feeling burned by Apple and with the uncertain future of the console market (PS4 NEO / Xbox Scorpio) I feel like a PC is a good investment.

A few other things I'm thinking about:
- Future Upgradability (Is this mostly dependent on the case and motherboard?)
- Running new games at 1080p 60fps. 1440p in the near future...
- Something that runs fairly quiet


Current Specs:
MacBook Pro 15” w/ Retina Display
- 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7
- 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
- NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 2048 MB

I also have:
- Acer H226HQL Monitor
- Rosewell RK-9000V2 BR
- Logitech M325 Wireless Mouse

Budget:
$1200-ish give or take
Somewhat flexible here. I am definitely budget conscious but I’m more concerned with getting this right.

Main Use:
Adobe CC – 5
Video Editing – 5
Gaming – 5
General Usage – 5
Emulation – 3
3D Modeling – 2
(Multitasking!)

Monitor Resolution:
21.5” 1920p x 1080p. Planning to get a 1440p monitor soon and use my current Acer monitor as a second display for work and multitasking. Gaming would be on a single monitor. Would like to have the option of upgrading to 4k in the future.

List of specific games and apps I need to run well:
Adobe CC: (Photoshop, Lightroom, Flash, After Affects)
Wacom Intuos Pro Tablet
General stuff (Word, Spotify, iTunes, etc etc)

When will I build?
I’d like to have my build locked down within a month.

Will I be overclocking?
Not sure. Should I?

Really appreciate the help! Looking forward to learning a thing or two.

I did my best to put something together on PC Part Picker. Some of this might be overkill? Maybe not...
Here's what I've got so far -


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($314.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock B150 PRO4/D3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($69.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($58.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($58.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($153.95 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter ($38.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1005.02
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-12 18:21 EDT-0400

Not sure why pcpartpicker is showing DDR3 for Skylake, it should be DDR4.
Possible build, need to make sure the M.2 is compatible haven't had time to look properly.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($314.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($61.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z170M Extreme4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($118.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($69.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($69.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial MX200 500GB M.2-2260 Solid State Drive ($132.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($70.98 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter ($38.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1025.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-12 19:08 EDT-0400

 

[Celcius]

@DJ88: Very nice build and color choice.

 

[Josh5890]

Edit: Got it

 

[Darknight]

Hey guys I need help with an issue I've run with an ebay buyer.

I sold an MSI godlike there a month or so ago. Anyways I got a complaint that apparently the 5 slots dont work all at once. I dont have the equipment to test this shit out but just on basic principle, not sure if it would work in general. This is where i need your expertise. (He has a 5930K/40 lane CPU from what I gather)

Please read this png: (rather not post it)
http://i.imgur.com/ENd5eNl.png

This is what I found on my testing....Slot 1+ Slot 4 offer 16x speed in SLI, if Tri-SLI its slot 1=16x/4=16x/5=8x which equals 40 lanes for GPUs only.
(I did add an audio card which dropped the speed bus from GPU1 to 8x so 8x/8x/16x/8x on 4 devices)

So how was this individual trying to run Tri-Sli with 2 more items and expect full 16x/16x/8x for GPUs only?? Also the space is really tight so not sure if he really got it set up the way he says.

I was reading this as a guide, this and this.

I just need to know if my board is really defective or not. And yes I got the buyer to ship it back to me. I've been busy all week so I coudnt diagnose the issue until today.

Any help on this would help me tremendously.

 

[SmartWaffles]

You mean you tried the 970 in the other rig, or the 960 in the other rig has the same issue? Maybe some driver conflict in that case?
What peripherals have you got?
What drivers did you install from the motherboard manufacturers website?

Primary rig:

i7 4790K
ASUS ROG Maximus Gene VII
16GB RAM
ASUS Strix GTX970
Windows 10 64bit
Antec Neo ECO 650W PSU

Secondary rig:

i5 4690
MSI B85
8GB RAM
Gigabyte Windforce GTX960 4GB
Windows 10 64bit
Cooler Master GX550 550W PSU

Both suffer the same driver not responding issue regardless of overclock status and driver version. Both have latest official chipset driver from Intel downloaded. I'm very experienced at building PCs and software management so faulty install/drivers are very unlikely. Still trying to pinpoint the cause.

 

[Appleman]

Looking for some help, I've been running a GTX1080 since the card launched and it's been totally great but now all of a sudden the computer won't post with the GPU installed.

If I force the display to the integrated graphics I can get to the BIOS and the GPU is correctly recognized in the PCIE slot, but if I proceed to windows it'll shut itself down right after the windows loading screen.

I've tried the second PCIE slot, same thing, I've tried another GPU in my machine and it worked (but it was a GTX740, so I'm not sure that's a great test).

It kind of seems like the GPU just isn't getting power through the 8 pin slot, it exhibits the exact same behaviour whether I have the 8pin power cable connected or not.... I'm pretty stumped at this point, but don't have another machine with a sufficient power supply to test the GPU, or a spare power supply to try in my machine.

The system otherwise operates normally when running on the integrated graphics and the GPU is taken out.

Motherboard is an ASUS Maximus VIII GENE that displays b2 when it fails to boot.
PSU is a Corsair RM1000W

Any ideas would be welcome, seems crazy since it was working super well for a couple weeks in the exact same configuration.

 

[Old Snake]

Not sure why pcpartpicker is showing DDR3 for Skylake, it should be DDR4.
Possible build, need to make sure the M.2 is compatible haven't had time to look properly.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($314.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($61.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z170M Extreme4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($118.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($69.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($69.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial MX200 500GB M.2-2260 Solid State Drive ($132.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($70.98 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter ($38.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1025.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-12 19:08 EDT-0400

Thanks! I made a few adjustments. Sounded like 32gb of ram might be overkill. Was also told to change the motherboard for future-proofing if I choose to upgrade later.

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/QLtLkT

 

[Afrodium]

So all this iterative console talk has me thinking about making the jump to PC. If I'm to be expected to shell out $500 every three years for the newest hardware I might as well just get a PC. However, as this is brand new and uncharted territory for me, I have one main concern that I want to make sure is addressed before I make the jump.

I love couch gaming. It's one of the main reasons I've never been into PC gaming. The prospect of spending all day at work sitting at a desk in front of a comouter and then comeing home to the same setup is very unappealing to me. I know with Steam Big Picture Mode it's easy to get the console experience with a PC, but at the same time there's plenty of genres I'd want a mouse and keyboard for (strategy, FPS, etc). Plus, I imagine if I were to ever want to install some mods or or tools I'd have to break out a keyboard and mouse and use them awkwardly in my living room. My ideal setup is a computer at a desk in one room and my TV with a controller in another. If I want to play a game with a controller, I can boot up my TV in BPM and start playing. If I were to want to play Civilization or install some software, I could go to my desktop proper. Is it possible to do what I'm describing with minimal hassle? I don't want to have to mess with inputs on the desktop every time I want to play on my couch. Also, the setup for my apartment may make it hard to attractively run an HDMI cable from my living room all the way to the spare room where I imaging the computer would be. As I said, this is all brand new to me, so for all I know this is incredibly simple to do. At the same time, this being my one hangup could be the signal that PC gaming is not for me. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[DJ88]

@DJ88: Very nice build and color choice.

Thanks!

 

[gamma]

So all this iterative console talk has me thinking about making the jump to PC. If I'm to be expected to shell out $500 every three years for the newest hardware I might as well just get a PC. However, as this is brand new and uncharted territory for me, I have one main concern that I want to make sure is addressed before I make the jump.

I love couch gaming. It's one of the main reasons I've never been into PC gaming. The prospect of spending all day at work sitting at a desk in front of a comouter and then comeing home to the same setup is very unappealing to me. I know with Steam Big Picture Mode it's easy to get the console experience with a PC, but at the same time there's plenty of genres I'd want a mouse and keyboard for (strategy, FPS, etc). Plus, I imagine if I were to ever want to install some mods or or tools I'd have to break out a keyboard and mouse and use them awkwardly in my living room. My ideal setup is a computer at a desk in one room and my TV with a controller in another. If I want to play a game with a controller, I can boot up my TV in BPM and start playing. If I were to want to play Civilization or install some software, I could go to my desktop proper. Is it possible to do what I'm describing with minimal hassle? I don't want to have to mess with inputs on the desktop every time I want to play on my couch. Also, the setup for my apartment may make it hard to attractively run an HDMI cable from my living room all the way to the spare room where I imaging the computer would be. As I said, this is all brand new to me, so for all I know this is incredibly simple to do. At the same time, this being my one hangup could be the signal that PC gaming is not for me. Any help would be appreciated.

Check out the Steam Link and Controller. They were made for this exact scenario.

 

[Inbachi]

Got all my parts in last week and after pulling an all nighter, I pushed the power button on my first ever put together PC, and it somehow turned on without a hitch!

Even though I went in super prepared on how to build a PC, it ended up taking way longer due to small roadblocks of uncertainty, double and triple checking everything I did lol.

There's still a tiny bit of work left, waiting on some cable combs to make everything lined up nice and neat, but overall I'm really happy about how the monochrome black/white look turned out.

Also, as you can probably see, I'm missing a graphics card. The wait for these damn custom 1080 cards is driving me pretty crazy, but as soon as I can pick one up, I've just got to plug it in and I'm good to go.

Here's my part list if anyone is interested:
http://pcpartpicker.com/list/GXdGXH

Looks really nice! No matter how much I try, I can never seem to make my builds look that clean. I suck at cable management lol.

 

[kuYuri]

Thanks! I made a few adjustments. Sounded like 32gb of ram might be overkill. Was also told to change the motherboard for future-proofing if I choose to upgrade later.

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/QLtLkT

I'm offering an alternative build, although it's a bit more expensive. The extra cores offered by the 5820k makes it better for video editing. It's up to you though.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($394.98 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI X99A Raider ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($202.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($68.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.98 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Founders Edition Video Card ($449.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($84.63 @ Amazon)
Total: $1561.52
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-12 21:52 EDT-0400

 

[Old Snake]

I'm offering an alternative build, although it's a bit more expensive. The extra cores offered by the 5820k makes it better for video editing. It's up to you though.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($394.98 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI X99A Raider ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($202.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($68.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.98 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Founders Edition Video Card ($449.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($84.63 @ Amazon)
Total: $1561.52
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-12 21:52 EDT-0400

Thanks, that's something to consider. Now I'm torn. Seems like games don't take advantage of 6 cores but would be awesome for work and multitasking... Hmmm

 

[jblank83]

So I'm looking at a 6700k with an Asus Z170-Pro.

Any reason not to lock it in? I looked at the Asus ROG/Maximus series and it just seems like a name premium for some plastic molding, possibly slightly better electrical components for max crazy overclocking, and super expensive premium (ie gouging).

I'd be looking at a conservative 4.4-4.5ghz OC.

This MB specifically:
http://www.microcenter.com/product/456224/Z170-PRO_LGA_1151_ATX_Intel_Motherboard

 

[Stasis]

Got all my parts in last week and after pulling an all nighter, I pushed the power button on my first ever put together PC, and it somehow turned on without a hitch!

Even though I went in super prepared on how to build a PC, it ended up taking way longer due to small roadblocks of uncertainty, double and triple checking everything I did lol.

There's still a tiny bit of work left, waiting on some cable combs to make everything lined up nice and neat, but overall I'm really happy about how the monochrome black/white look turned out.

Also, as you can probably see, I'm missing a graphics card. The wait for these damn custom 1080 cards is driving me pretty crazy, but as soon as I can pick one up, I've just got to plug it in and I'm good to go.

Here's my part list if anyone is interested:
http://pcpartpicker.com/list/GXdGXH

/Snipped pics.

Looks great man! I saved your parts list. Im knowledgeable when it comes to hardware and specs but I'm going for the same black/white theme and hadn't really looked at MSI for the mobo, nor Geil for ram. I do want the black and white MSI line of GPUs they showed recently. Our systems will be quite similar I think!

 

[LilJoka]

Thanks! I made a few adjustments. Sounded like 32gb of ram might be overkill. Was also told to change the motherboard for future-proofing if I choose to upgrade later.

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/QLtLkT

List the extra "future proofing" that motherboard gives.

 

[Atraveller]

Acer XB271HU, ASUS PG279Q, is there a consensus on which one is less prone to issues?

 

[radaxian]

...Also, as you can probably see, I'm missing a graphics card. The wait for these damn custom 1080 cards is driving me pretty crazy, but as soon as I can pick one up, I've just got to plug it in and I'm good to go.

Here's my part list if anyone is interested:
http://pcpartpicker.com/list/GXdGXH

Nice. I just built something almost identical, same case + CPU + cooler. I ended up mounting the cooler at the front. From the looks you have air intake through 2 fans at the front and exhaust through rear fan + top CPU cooler?

I agree about the wait for a 1080, it's killing me!

 

[Zojirushi]

Thinking about jumping on a used 980ti depending on how prices develop.

If my current PSU (480W) could handle an overclocked (but no added voltage) 7970 just fine I should be ok right?

 

[jblank83]

Thinking about jumping on a used 980ti depending on how prices develop.

If my current PSU (480W) could handle an overclocked (but no added voltage) 7970 just fine I should be ok right?

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/gtx-980ti-power-supply.216273/

This site seems to think you're alright. Personally I like to be well over the max theoretical possible draw, but I also don't mind wasting electricity, so I guess that makes me some kind of monster. You could always get it and just see how it works out.

 

[Widge]

I need a new PC! (part)

I've got a Gigabyte Z77N-WIFI and I cannot for the life of me find an alternative cooler to the stock intel one.

NH-L12 and it was an absolute monster in the end. I couldn't get it in due to the proximity of RAM and/or graphics card.

What can I put into this mobo? My case is a Sugo SG07. Thanks.

 

[kuYuri]

I need a new PC! (part)

I've got a Gigabyte Z77N-WIFI and I cannot for the life of me find an alternative cooler to the stock intel one.

NH-L12 and it was an absolute monster in the end. I couldn't get it in due to the proximity of RAM and/or graphics card.

What can I put into this mobo? My case is a Sugo SG07. Thanks.

You can try the Gemin series of coolers from Cooler Master as they are all considered low profile, with the GeminII M4 being their shortest one at 2.3 inches in height.

 

[Widge]

Will have a check. Its the width that is the main concern with these things. That Noctua was huuuuuge in the end. The CPU is right up against the RAM and graphics card, especially the former.

I have this on my list:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0077POH8M/

As it looks like the stock fan I have now.

 

[laxu]

Hi, built this about 2 and a half years back, getting the itch to upgrade components

Motherboard: Gigabyte Z87-D3H
Processor: Intel i5 4670K
Video Card: 3GB Gigabyte Radeon R9 280X OC WINDFORCE
RAM: Corsair Vengeance Jet Black 2x4GB
HDD: 1TB WD10EZEX
OS: Windows 10 64bit
PSU: Cooler Master G Series 650w
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R

Ideally i'm looking for a system that will be able to last me the next 3 years with 1080p gaming at as close to 60fps in high/Ultra as possible, and wonder if I can just add in a new GPU to this build and have it do the trick?

Potentially interested in VR in the future, though by the time VR becomes mainstream and of real use, I might be due a new build by then (another 2.5-3 years)

Main Uses: General Usage 5, Gaming 4, emulation 3

Replace (or augment) your HDD with a 500-1000 GB SSD and buy a new GPU. More RAM in the future if needed and of course overclock the shit out of your CPU.

 

[Melhisedek]

Damn I hope this won't be too long.
Anyhow I have a

Intel 3570k @ 4.4 GHz
GTX 770 2GB @ modest overclock (RAM is the bigger issue here I guess)
16 GB RAM
500 GB Samsung SSD
Acer G-Sync monitor 1080p


So, what I wonder is by what margin usually do the each generation of GPUs improve upon the old one? I know nobody can't predict it and sometimes NV and AMD just rename old cards and so on. But what is a rough estimate? 15-30%? Were there any jumps with higher increases?

I ask because I can feel my 770 getting slower Most noticeably in recent Tomb Raider release, it was painful sometimes with all the frame drops. 1070 sounds mighty promising but if I could hold on for another generation perhaps there would be some greater increase in performance than the latest one. Maybe not out of the box but when overclocked (like 980ti).

I'm playing Witcher 3 just fine, even Fallout 4 is playable but I'm afraid that Battlefield 1 (which I would love to play) will bring my PC to its knees. I'm not a heavy gamer any longer but I still love me a game or two on PC.

Anyone with the same problem, doing the same? What would you guys recommend?

 

[kennah]

I need a new PC! (part)

I've got a Gigabyte Z77N-WIFI and I cannot for the life of me find an alternative cooler to the stock intel one.

NH-L12 and it was an absolute monster in the end. I couldn't get it in due to the proximity of RAM and/or graphics card.

What can I put into this mobo? My case is a Sugo SG07. Thanks.

I had a SG05, and an H60 was a perfect fit.

 

[Zojirushi]

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/gtx-980ti-power-supply.216273/

This site seems to think you're alright. Personally I like to be well over the max theoretical possible draw, but I also don't mind wasting electricity, so I guess that makes me some kind of monster. You could always get it and just see how it works out.

Well what would happen if it didn't work out? I don't wanna blow up my computer

 

[ACE 1991]

Is the Microsoft conference worth watching as a PC gamer given their new commitment to the platform? Yes, I know the PC gaming show is today as well.