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[Vinterbird]

Are you experiencing higher temps than you normally have?

Also, how old are your parts? You might have damaged them over time. That shit happens, especially if you were adding more voltage.

Temp readings seem normal (I installed watercooling two weeks ago, so it's hard to judge, but everything is low to mid 30 celcius right now).

Motherboard, CPU and ram are from 2012, and I just overclocked 12 days ago or so, so unless I really fucked up and destroyed the parts, then I figured everything would have been okay?

 

[NuKERxyz]

Hi everyone, this is my current build (is has being for some years now, specially the cpu):

I5 2500k
8gb Ddr3 1600 cl9
P8p67le
R9 280x
Nox sonnar 580w
Nox coolbay v3
hdd Wd 500gb + 1000gb

I don't plan to get above 1080p@60fps for the next couple years, and although i still play most games at medium/high i would like to improve this a bit. Do you think that buying a 970 or the recent rx480 would be a big leap? I'm afraid that my cpu starts bottle-necking a better Gpu, and also i cant improve my rams with this Cpu/mobo.

What's your suggestion gaf?

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

Temp readings seem normal (I installed watercooling two weeks ago, so it's hard to judge, but everything is low to mid 30 celcius right now).

Motherboard, CPU and ram are from 2012, and I just overclocked 12 days ago or so, so unless I really fucked up and destroyed the parts, then I figured everything would have been okay?

I was talking temperatures under load, like when you are running prime95.

I don't plan to get above 1080p@60fps for the next couple years, and although i still play most games at medium/high i would like to improve this a bit. Do you think that buying a 970 or the recent rx480 would be a big leap? I'm afraid that my cpu starts bottle-necking a better cpu, and also i cant improve my rams with this Cpu/mobo.

What's your suggestion gaf?

I would not recommend any card with only 4gb of ram going forward.

 

[Dave_6]

Windows 10 apparently has an activate by phone option, just like previous versions of Windows, where you are given a special code should you migrate to new hardware. From what I recall in past years, the person on the phone just wants verbal confirmation you uninstalled the OS from your previous build?

I have not actually tried this on Win 10, but will be giving it a go in about a week. If that doesn't work, I will re-install Win 7 and see if it is possible to get another free upgrade license off the same key (I suspect it is not).

You can only use your original OS if you change your mobo.

Hmmm ok. So the first thing, if I do this, is I need to uninstall Win10 before I dismantle the PC? Then I may possibly have to buy Win10 if I want to use it instead of 7?

 

[Vinterbird]

I was talking temperatures under load, like when you are running prime95.
.

Around 48-49C

 

[justjim89]

All the parts are here, and I'll be building my PC with some help later today. But it looks as though my case didn't come with any screws/hardware? The case itself looks put together already and the newegg page for it advertises how everything can be slotted in, but I thought cases were usually where all the hardware for the build came in.

 

[TerryLee81]

Around 48-49C

Wow that's low. My 3770k goes to 80°C running Prime95 at 4.5Ghz with a H100i cooler.

 

[Vinterbird]

Wow that's low. My 3770k goes to 80°C running Prime95 at 4.5Ghz with a H100i cooler.

I'm running stock speeds during that test, but still getting errors from Prime95.

 

[MikeOfAllTrades]

Hmmm ok. So the first thing, if I do this, is I need to uninstall Win10 before I dismantle the PC? Then I may possibly have to buy Win10 if I want to use it instead of 7?

You wouldn't actually have to uninstall Win 10 from your old machine, just tell Microsoft that you have. You have always been entitled to transfer a license to a new machine, but a call is sometimes required.

Unfortunately, the details of how this works in practice, with this free license, aren't super clear.

Ill try everything I can once my parts come in, but am prepared to pony up for a non-free copy.

 

[Atraveller]

Hmmm ok. So the first thing, if I do this, is I need to uninstall Win10 before I dismantle the PC? Then I may possibly have to buy Win10 if I want to use it instead of 7?

The license tied to your mobo and you can't transfer it, since it's not a regular complete copy.

The free upgrade is like the cheap OEM copies people buy.

 

[Azriell]

Hi! We have the same mouse!

We also have nearly the same requirements for an upgrade. I have both good and bad news: there is a mouse that's pretty much perfect - but it isn't wireless.

https://www.amazon.com/Zowie-Gear-Gaming-Mouse-FK1/dp/B00LHRTO5W

It's big, has only two thumb buttons, and uses a nice sensor. I hope the wireless part is not a dealbreaker. Though, really, no wireless mouse will ever be good for first-person shooters.

This is so close, but unfortunately wired is a deal breaker. I play 6 or so feet away from my PC, so there's no other way short of rearranging my entire living room (which I don't think my wife would go for ). Thanks for the response though, and I'll keep searching.

 

[ashbash159]

Currently have a 3570K and a GTX 1080.

Definitely want to upgrade to a 6700K.

However I am clueless about what motherboard to get. I probably wont ever do SLI. I'll definitely also get some new DDR4 3000 MHz RAM.

There are so many motherboards and I haven't really read up on them.

Is there any to look for, features to look out for?

Thanks in advance.

 

[ISee]

Hi everyone, this is my current build (is has being for some years now, specially the cpu):

I5 2500k
8gb Ddr3 1600 cl9
P8p67le
R9 280x
Nox sonnar 580w
Nox coolbay v3
hdd Wd 500gb + 1000gb

I don't plan to get above 1080p@60fps for the next couple years, and although i still play most games at medium/high i would like to improve this a bit. Do you think that buying a 970 or the recent rx480 would be a big leap? I'm afraid that my cpu starts bottle-necking a better Gpu, and also i cant improve my rams with this Cpu/mobo.

What's your suggestion gaf?

280x --> 480 is a descent upgrade, no doubt there and you should be able to hit 1080p/60 in most games even with your 2500k, especially if you OC it and get faster ram (2133mhz ddr3 should work with your mb, according to specifications, basic overclocking should also be possible).

That said it's time to start thinking about upgrading your cpu as well (and that's not a very popular idea around neogaf). The good old sandy bridge i5 is beginning to hit it's limits especially in open world games like gta v, witcher 3 and Just cause 3. But you'll definitely profit more from getting a new graphics card first.

Currently have a 3570K and a GTX 1080.

Definitely want to upgrade to a 6700K.

However I am clueless about what motherboard to get. I probably wont ever do SLI. I'll definitely also get some new DDR4 3000 MHz RAM.

There are so many motherboards and I haven't really read up on them.

Is there any to look for, features to look out for?

Thanks in advance.

Get a z170. Performance wise they are all the same. Just get something that matches your budget and needs like quality of on board audio, number of usb connections, wifi etc.
The Asus Z170-A is an often picked up mb around here. It's descent and not too expensive.

 

[Strafebogey]

This is so close, but unfortunately wired is a deal breaker. I play 6 or so feet away from my PC, so there's no other way short of rearranging my entire living room (which I don't think my wife would go for ). Thanks for the response though, and I'll keep searching.

If you're looking for a wireless gaming mouse that practically works just like a wired mouse, G900 Chaos Spectrum from Logitech.

Here's a whole writeup about how it performs and how it is virtually point for point the same as when it is in wired configuration: http://www.gamersnexus.net/hwreviews/2418-logitech-g900-chaos-spectrum-review-and-in-depth-analysis

I'll be buying one more of this to pair with a Corsair Lapdog, if that ever becomes available. That way I can game on the couch with a wired lapboard mechanical keyboard and a wireless mouse with a wired mouse performance.

 

[super-famicom]

Hi PC GAF!

I'm planning on building my first gaming PC in the next month or so. I don't need the top of the line stuff, but I would like to not have to upgrade for a few years. r/buildapc formats their posts with some basic questions at the beginning, and I thought I saw some posts in this thread that did the same thing, so I'll post it anyways.

What is your intended use for this build? The more details the better.
Gaming
If gaming, what kind of performance are you looking for? (Screen resolution, FPS, game settings)
1080p at 60fps (possibly 1440p in a year or two), High/Ultra (don't need to max out everything)
What is your budget (ballpark is okay)?
$800-850
In what country are you purchasing your parts?
US


I've been reading the OP and messing around with pcpartpicker and came up with this list:

[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/list/fGMgLD) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/list/fGMgLD/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/xwhj4D/intel-cpu-bx80662i56500) | $197.99 @ SuperBiiz
**CPU Cooler** | [Noctua NH-D9L 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/8pgPxr/noctua-cpu-cooler-nhd9l) | $52.88 @ OutletPC
**Motherboard** | [Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/8q38TW/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz170xpsli) | $116.88 @ OutletPC
**Memory** | [G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/4vWrxr/gskill-memory-f42400c15d16gvr) | $52.99 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/3kL7YJ/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam) | $91.98 @ Amazon
**Video Card** | [Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/zp98TW/asus-video-card-strixgtx970dc2oc4gd5) | $244.99 @ NCIX US
**Case** | [NZXT S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/pP648d/nzxt-case-cas340wbb1) | $59.99 @ Micro Center
**Power Supply** | [EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/zNK7YJ/evga-power-supply-100b10500kr) | $42.99 @ SuperBiiz
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $897.69
| Mail-in rebates | -$37.00
| **Total** | **$860.69**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](http://pcpartpicker.com) 2016-06-30 15:12 EDT-0400 |

*price is with the $30 mail in rebate included, otherwise $274.99 @ NCIX US

The GTX 970 is a placeholder, as I will be waiting for an AIB version of the AMD RX 480 (most likely Sapphire), which will be around the $240 for the 8 GB model (I think).

However, I only plan on doing 1080p/60fps so wouldn't it be better for me to wait for the AIB RX 470? And I think those are rumored to go at around $150 for reference, with +$20-30 for the AIB versions? If the Nvidia 1060 is announced with similar specs and pricepoint, I may consider that as well, and that would bring the total down around $80 or so.

Do you have any suggestions on cases, fans etc? I've read that NZXT cases offer good cable management. I want to spend no more that $60 on a case. And some posts in this thread have praised Noctua fans; is the one I chose ok, or is there another recommendation?

And I read that motherboard risers/standoffs are important, so I'll get the $6.99 ones on Newegg, as it looks like they aren't included with the motherboard I listed.

 

[vector824]

Hi PC GAF!

I'm planning on building my first gaming PC in the next month or so. I don't need the top of the line stuff, but I would like to not have to upgrade for a few years. r/buildapc formats their posts with some basic questions at the beginning, and I thought I saw some posts in this thread that did the same thing, so I'll post it anyways.

What is your intended use for this build? The more details the better.
Gaming
If gaming, what kind of performance are you looking for? (Screen resolution, FPS, game settings)
1080p at 60fps (possibly 1440p in a year or two), High/Ultra (don't need to max out everything)
What is your budget (ballpark is okay)?
$800-850
In what country are you purchasing your parts?
US


I've been reading the OP and messing around with pcpartpicker and came up with this list:

**CPU** | [Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/xwhj...-bx80662i56500) | $197.99 @ SuperBiiz
**CPU Cooler** | [Noctua NH-D9L 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/8pgP...u-cooler-nhd9l) | $52.88 @ OutletPC
**Motherboard** | [Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/8q38...rd-gaz170xpsli) | $116.88 @ OutletPC
**Memory** | [G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/4vWr...42400c15d16gvr) | $52.99 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/3kL7...ve-mz75e250bam) | $91.98 @ Amazon
**Video Card** | [Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/zp98...tx970dc2oc4gd5) | $244.99 @ NCIX US
**Case** | [NZXT S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/pP64...ase-cas340wbb1) | $59.99 @ Micro Center
**Power Supply** | [EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/zNK7...ly-100b10500kr) | $42.99 @ SuperBiiz
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $897.69
| Mail-in rebates | -$37.00
| **Total** | **$860.69**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](http://pcpartpicker.com) 2016-06-30 15:12 EDT-0400 |

*price is with the $30 mail in rebate included, otherwise $274.99 @ NCIX US

The GTX 970 is a placeholder, as I will be waiting for an AIB version of the AMD RX 480 (most likely Sapphire), which will be around the $240 for the 8 GB model (I think).

However, I only plan on doing 1080p/60fps so wouldn't it be better for me to wait for the AIB RX 470? And I think those are rumored to go at around $150 for reference, with +$20-30 for the AIB versions? If the Nvidia 1060 is announced with similar specs and pricepoint, I may consider that as well, and that would bring the total down around $80 or so.

Do you have any suggestions on cases, fans etc? I've read that NZXT cases offer good cable management. I want to spend no more that $60 on a case. And some posts in this thread have praised Noctua fans; is the one I chose ok, or is there another recommendation?

And I read that motherboard risers/standoffs are important, so I'll get the $6.99 ones on Newegg, as it looks like they aren't included with the motherboard I listed.

Go this route:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($197.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($116.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($91.98 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($244.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($42.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case Fan: NZXT Air Flow Series 59.1 CFM 120mm Fan ($8.99 @ Directron)
Case Fan: NZXT Air Flow Series 59.1 CFM 120mm Fan ($8.99 @ Directron)
Total: $862.68
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-30 15:29 EDT-0400


Less expensive CPU cooler with faster memory. You could drop the cooler completely because (I learned today) the 6500 comes with a stock cooler. I threw in two more fans for you also. I have that exact case and LOVE it. Mine is the same with a 6600k on the Cooler Master, two extra case fans and it runs cold all day long, so you shouldn't have a problem.



Someone else will have to speak towards mobo risers.

I bought a RX480, but I only plan on using it a year or so. We'll see how it goes when it comes in. But if I were you I'd wait a few weeks to see what all plays out.

 

[CHC]

Can anyone advise me on what I need to go to get things running at the speeds I want?

I had a 2500k running stable at a 4.5 GHz overclock, 1.33 volts. Never a problem, all good.

Got some new Mushkin Blackine Enhanced DDR3 2133 MHz RAM. Popped it in and enabled XMP. System won't boot.

Reclocked the 2500k to ~3.7 GHz, RAM at 1600. Works fine. So the problem is the RAM, for the life of me I can't get it to boot at 2133 without a black screen. I've gone up to 1.65 volts but I don't want to go much further. Still no luck.

My MOBO is an MSI P67A-G43 (B3) if that makes a difference. It's been great so far.

Do I need to adjust RAM timings and stuff like that? Not 100% sure what I'm doing here but I want to get back to 4.5 GHz CPU and 2133 MHz RAM please.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

Can anyone advise me on what I need to go to get things running at the speeds I want?

I had a 2500k running stable at a 4.5 GHz overclock, 1.33 volts. Never a problem, all good.

Got some new Mushkin Blackine Enhanced DDR3 2133 MHz RAM. Popped it in and enabled XMP. System won't boot.

Reclocked the 2500k to ~3.7 GHz, RAM at 1600. Works fine. So the problem is the RAM, for the life of me I can't get it to boot at 2133 without a black screen. I've gone up to 1.65 volts but I don't want to go much further. Still no luck.

My MOBO is an MSI P67A-G43 (B3) if that makes a difference. It's been great so far.

Do I need to adjust RAM timings and stuff like that? Not 100% sure what I'm doing here but I want to get back to 4.5 GHz CPU and 2133 MHz RAM please.

XMP is not guaranteed to boot so it looks like you will have to settle for lower frequency. Try dropping down to 1866, keep the timing 11-13-13-31. If it boots, test for stability then try tightening the timing. This assumes that your CPU overclock is rock solid.

 

[opticalmace]

I think my PC is going crazy.

I tried doing some very basic overclocking (going from stock 3.3Ghz to 4.0Ghz), I did that and things seemed alright - until today.

I've had nothing but hard crashes in games, BSOD entries and a not so fun day with the machine. So I decided to run Prime95 and got a bunch of errors and stuff.

Which made me go into the BIOS for the motherboard and factory reset everything in hopes of getting a stable machine. Then I ran Prime95 again and then I get this:

The first time I did that it quickly followed with a BSOD, I didn't get to see the error message before Windows rebooted, but the word "Critical" was there.

Second time it just gives me the above errors.


Does anyone have any help to offer, or advice on how to deal with this? I just want a simple and easy experience with the PC, and don't want to do anything crazy. Just boot Steam and play games, but thatdoesn't seem to happen at the moment.

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3P Intel Z68 (Socket 1155)
CPU_ i5 2500k @ 3.3Ghz
Prime95 test: Blend

Could be a ram problem. Did you load optimized defaults in the bios? I would try removing a stick or two, and or trying them in different slots. And you could try running memtest.

Though you reset stuff in the bios, you may have to manually specify a couple things for stability. Read the specs off the side of your ram and manually enter them in the bios, as the auto config isn't always reliable.

 

[xJavonta]

I'm supposed to meet my coworker that has a 970 he's selling me today, but all this talk of buying a GPU with only 4 GB of VRAM is a bad idea is spooking me. Do I spend the extra $100-$150 on an RX 480? Or should I just pull the trigger on this $100 970?

 

[Megabat]

This is so close, but unfortunately wired is a deal breaker. I play 6 or so feet away from my PC, so there's no other way short of rearranging my entire living room (which I don't think my wife would go for ). Thanks for the response though, and I'll keep searching.

The cable is 6m long, and you could get a USB extension cable. I know that sounds silly, just floating the idea.

 

[TerryLee81]

I'm supposed to meet my coworker that has a 970 he's selling me today, but all this talk of buying a GPU with only 4 GB of VRAM is a bad idea is spooking me. Do I spend the extra $100-$150 on an RX 480? Or should I just pull the trigger on this $100 970?

$100 for a 970 is a great price, I would get it.

 

[Dave_6]

You wouldn't actually have to uninstall Win 10 from your old machine, just tell Microsoft that you have. You have always been entitled to transfer a license to a new machine, but a call is sometimes required.

Unfortunately, the details of how this works in practice, with this free license, aren't super clear.

Ill try everything I can once my parts come in, but am prepared to pony up for a non-free copy.

The license tied to your mobo and you can't transfer it, since it's not a regular complete copy.

The free upgrade is like the cheap OEM copies people buy.

Thanks guys. Seems like this is all needlessly complicated but it is what it is. I haven't quite decided if I want to upgrade my PC yet but I now know what to expect when I do.

 

[Megabat]

$100 for a 970 is a great price, I would get it.

Seconded. And 4GB is absolutely fine for 1080p and even 1440p. Gains would be incredibly minimal going to 8GB. You'd need a faster GPU to justify more memory.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

I'm supposed to meet my coworker that has a 970 he's selling me today, but all this talk of buying a GPU with only 4 GB of VRAM is a bad idea is spooking me. Do I spend the extra $100-$150 on an RX 480? Or should I just pull the trigger on this $100 970?

100 is a very good price, even for a ref card. I think you should get it. See what the market offers in the next few weeks/month and decide further. If you decide to sell the 970 then, I bet you will get the 100 back easily.

 

[CHC]

XMP is not guaranteed to boot so it looks like you will have to settle for lower frequency. Try dropping down to 1866, keep the timing 11-13-13-31. If it boots, test for stability then try tightening the timing. This assumes that your CPU overclock is rock solid.

I'm at 1866 as we speak, CPU is back to default clock just for the time being.

So when it comes to RAM stability, is it all or nothing? Will there ever be a situation where a RAM clock is unstable but it boots anyway then comes to bite you later, like with a CPU or GPU? I have no experience overclocking RAM.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

I'm at 1866 as we speak, CPU is back to default clock just for the time being.

So when it comes to RAM stability, is it all or nothing? Will there ever be a situation where a RAM clock is unstable but it boots anyway then comes to bite you later, like with a CPU or GPU? I have no experience overclocking RAM.

Yeah, there is in-between. It can boot but then crash when under load, etc. The reason I didn't ask you to tweak it at 2133 is because you can't even boot at 1.65v so it seems pretty dire there.

Can you boot with XMP enabled when at stock CPU, default setting?

 

[Megabat]

100 is a very good price, even for a ref card. I think you should get it. See what the market offers in the next few weeks/month and decide further. If you decide to sell the 970 then, I bet you will get the 100 back easily.

Yeah, that's a pretty great deal. I just sold my 2GB 960 (to a nice fellow on GAF) for a little more than that. You'd probably end up making $50 profit if you sold it.

 

[CHC]

Yeah, there is in-between. It can boot but then crash when under load, etc.

Can you enable XMP when at stock CPU?

XMP is on but I adjusted DRAM freq from auto to 1866. Seems OK so far but I'm kinda salty because I paid for 2133!

 

[super-famicom]

Go this route:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($197.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($116.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($91.98 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($244.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($42.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case Fan: NZXT Air Flow Series 59.1 CFM 120mm Fan ($8.99 @ Directron)
Case Fan: NZXT Air Flow Series 59.1 CFM 120mm Fan ($8.99 @ Directron)
Total: $862.68
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-30 15:29 EDT-0400


Less expensive CPU cooler with faster memory. You could drop the cooler completely because (I learned today) the 6500 comes with a stock cooler. I threw in two more fans for you also. I have that exact case and LOVE it. Mine is the same with a 6600k on the Cooler Master, two extra case fans and it runs cold all day long, so you shouldn't have a problem.



Someone else will have to speak towards mobo risers.

I bought a RX480, but I only plan on using it a year or so. We'll see how it goes when it comes in. But if I were you I'd wait a few weeks to see what all plays out.

Thanks for the advice. Yeah, I will definitely wait to see how all the video card stuff plays out in the next month. Anyone think it would be a good idea to just use integrated graphics for now and get a video card in a couple of months? I have a ton of indie games and 3+ year old games to play, nothing too demanding.


Looks like that RAM change is pretty good, just a little bit more to get DDR4-3000.

A few pages ago, some posts were favoring Noctua fans over the Cooler Master, I'll have to do a bit of research on this. The Cooler Master looks good for the price. Does anyone know how the stock cooler on the 6500 is?

And I may get those extra fans as well, since the case i picked can use them:

Front: 2x 140/2x120mm
Top: 1x 140/120mm (1 x 120mm FN V2 Fans Included)
Rear: 1x 120mm (1 x 120mm FN V2 Fan Included)

How quiet is your setup? I'd like to go as quiet as possible within my budget.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

XMP is on but I adjusted DRAM freq from auto to 1866. Seems OK so far but I'm kinda salty because I paid for 2133!

Yeah, that's the risk, you can never be sure that XMP will boot, especially at 2133.

Well, try to reset the ram freq back to 2133, keep CPU at stock still. Run some prime95 blend tests, see if it crashes or throws errors.

 

[CHC]

Yeah, that's the risk, you can never be sure that XMP will boot, especially at 2133.

Well, try to reset the ram freq back to 2133, keep CPU at stock still. Run some prime95 blend tests, see if it crashes or throws errors.

Ugh I can't manage it. Clccked it to 2133 and it's stuck in a fucking black screen boot loop. Gonna power down for a few minutes and restart later.... Unstable RAM sucks!

Would it make a difference what DIMM slots the RAM is in? I have it 2 & 4 now, but my old 1333 RAM was in 1&3. Do they get voltage equally?

Mostly a CPU cooler clearance issue but I can rejigger some stuff and make it work if it would help.

Also thanks for helping me along here!

 

[vector824]

Thanks for the advice. Yeah, I will definitely wait to see how all the video card stuff plays out in the next month. Anyone think it would be a good idea to just use integrated graphics for now and get a video card in a couple of months? I have a ton of indie games and 3+ year old games to play, nothing too demanding.


Looks like that RAM change is pretty good, just a little bit more to get DDR4-3000.

A few pages ago, some posts were favoring Noctua fans over the Cooler Master, I'll have to do a bit of research on this. The Cooler Master looks good for the price. Does anyone know how the stock cooler on the 6500 is?

And I may get those extra fans as well, since the case i picked can use them:



How quiet is your setup? I'd like to go as quiet as possible within my budget.

I have been using the Intel Graphics for 3 months now, but I don't play anything really demanding, KSP and Rocket League mostly. Does fine with those.

The Noctua is going to be a "better" cooler, but it's a little overkill if you're not OCing, which you can't do with that CPU anyway, that's why I suggested the Cooler Master despite the fact that I have one myself. It also allows room in your budget for the faster RAM.

I have those exact fans in my case as well. It's fairly quiet, can't hear it with my headphones. Don't have a dB meter though.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

Ugh I can't manage it. Clccked it to 2133 and it's stuck in a fucking black screen boot loop. Gonna power down for a few minutes and restart later.... Unstable RAM sucks!

Would it make a difference what DIMM slots the RAM is in? I have it 2 & 4 now, but my old 1333 RAM was in 1&3. Do they get voltage equally?

Mostly a CPU cooler clearance issue but I can rejigger some stuff and make it work if it would help.

Also thanks for helping me along here!

No problem at all. This thread is for this purpose.

And I forgot to think about it too. You are only running the new RAM now? Then always put them in primary slots first. DIMM 1 and 3. Sometimes it doesn't matter for some boards but just to make sure.

 

[roadrunn3r]

XMP is on but I adjusted DRAM freq from auto to 1866. Seems OK so far but I'm kinda salty because I paid for 2133!

It could be a crappy IMC and if that's the case, you could try to increase the voltage and see if it fixes it. It should be called VCCIO or similar depending on the bios. Something like VCCSA = 0.950 VCCIO up to 1.200 should be pretty safe.

 

[CHC]

No problem at all. This thread is for this purpose.

And I forgot to think about it too. You are only running the new RAM now? Then always put them in primary slots first. DIMM 1 and 3. Sometimes it doesn't matter for some boards but just to make sure.

Yeah it's only new RAM now. I'll try DIMM 1/3, that's what the manual suggests but I kinda thought it was a useless suggestion like how they tell you never to overlock your GPU or whatever haha..... Still might be but worth trying since its unstable anyway.

It could be a crappy IMC and if that's the case, you could try to increase the voltage and see if it fixes it. It should be called VCCIO or similar depending on the bios. Something like VCCSA = 0.950 VCCIO up to 1.200 should be pretty safe.

Ok I'll look for that if the DIMM swap doesn't work. Thanks!

 

[roadrunn3r]

Looks like that RAM change is pretty good, just a little bit more to get DDR4-3000.

A few pages ago, some posts were favoring Noctua fans over the Cooler Master, I'll have to do a bit of research on this. The Cooler Master looks good for the price. Does anyone know how the stock cooler on the 6500 is?

You really should get an i5 6600K and not the 6500 if you are going to buy a Z170 board and use DDR4 3000 anyway. As for the stock cooler it's pretty bad, I would get a cheap aftermarket one even if you aren't going to overclock.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

It could be a crappy IMC and if that's the case, you could try to increase the voltage and see if it fixes it. It should be called VCCIO or similar depending on the bios. Something like VCCSA = 0.950 VCCIO up to 1.200 should be pretty safe.

Yeah it's only new RAM now. I'll try DIMM 1/3, that's what the manual suggests but I kinda thought it was a useless suggestion like how they tell you never to overlock your GPU or whatever haha..... Still might be but worth trying since its unstable anyway.



Ok I'll look for that if the DIMM swap doesn't work. Thanks!

Yeah, this is the next thing to try.

 

[wowzors]

It could be a crappy IMC and if that's the case, you could try to increase the voltage and see if it fixes it. It should be called VCCIO or similar depending on the bios. Something like VCCSA = 0.950 VCCIO up to 1.200 should be pretty safe.

You have those voltages backwards. Vccsa at 1.2 and vccio at about .95 to .98

Edit: not sure how different x99 and z170 are so I may be wrong

 

[roadrunn3r]

You have those voltages backwards. Vccsa at 1.2 and vccio at about .95 to .98

Edit: not sure how different x99 and z170 are so I may be wrong

It's Sandy Bridge so values are a bit different. VCCIO up to 1.2 should be good but it all depends on his IMC so no one can tell in advance how high he needs to go.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

It's Sandy Bridge so values are a bit different. VCCIO up to 1.2 should be good but it all depends on his IMC so no one can tell in advance how high he needs to go.

I remember reading somewhere about sandy bridge vccsa for board p67 something that it can go as high as 1.3v with 1.1 a good average. Or am I remembering things wrong?

Can't seem to find the original thread.

Edit: here it is http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2011/01/07/how-to-overclock-the-intel-core-i5-2500k/5

For board MSI P67A-GD55 though.

 

[roadrunn3r]

I remember reading somewhere about sandy bridge vccsa for board p67 something that it can go as high as 1.3v with 1.1 a good average. Or am I remembering things wrong?

Can't seem to find the original thread.

It could be, it's been quite a while since I've had my 2500k and I don't remember well also but 1.2 should still be on the safe-ish side.

Edit: here it is http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2011/01/07/how-to-overclock-the-intel-core-i5-2500k/5

For board MSI P67A-GD55 though.

You are still right about the VCSSA though, he can push it a bit more than 0.950.

 

[vector824]

You really should get an i5 6600K and not the 6500 if you are going to buy a Z170 board and use DDR4 3000 anyway. As for the stock cooler it's pretty bad, I would get a cheap aftermarket one even if you aren't going to overclock.

I tried to set him up with it, the price difference is over budget for him and with that MOBO he can always upgrade CPU's in a year or two.

 

[Matty8787]

Hi everyone, this is my current build (is has being for some years now, specially the cpu):

I5 2500k
8gb Ddr3 1600 cl9
P8p67le
R9 280x
Nox sonnar 580w
Nox coolbay v3
hdd Wd 500gb + 1000gb

I don't plan to get above 1080p@60fps for the next couple years, and although i still play most games at medium/high i would like to improve this a bit. Do you think that buying a 970 or the recent rx480 would be a big leap? I'm afraid that my cpu starts bottle-necking a better Gpu, and also i cant improve my rams with this Cpu/mobo.

What's your suggestion gaf?

I have the 2500k with a gtx 1080 and no bottleneck. Go with the 480.

 

[super-famicom]

You really should get an i5 6600K and not the 6500 if you are going to buy a Z170 board and use DDR4 3000 anyway. As for the stock cooler it's pretty bad, I would get a cheap aftermarket one even if you aren't going to overclock.

I tried to set him up with it, the price difference is over budget for him and with that MOBO he can always upgrade CPU's in a year or two.

Is the difference in price with the Z170, i5 6600, and DDR4-3000 worth it for the price?
I can go over my budget and get these, but I'm not planning on going Ultra/Max settings (at least for now).

Would it be better to get the GIGABYTE GA-B150M-D3H mobo, the i5 6500, and DDR4-2400? Would this still let me get 1080p/60fps on High settings, maybe Ultra? Or get the upgraded parts you recommended and be set for 3 years or so? I'm new to this and want to have a good build, but not break my wallet

 

[vector824]

Is the difference in price with the Z170, i5 6600, and DDR4-3000 worth it for the price?
I can go over my budget and get these, but I'm not planning on going Ultra/Max settings (at least for now).

Would it be better to get the GIGABYTE GA-B150M-D3H mobo, the i5 6500, and DDR4-2400? Would this still let me get 1080p/60fps on High settings, maybe Ultra? Or get the upgraded parts you recommended and be set for 3 years or so? I'm new to this and want to have a good build, but not break my wallet

Well if you're not concerned about upgrading later, the GA-B150M-D3H is fine, but you can only run the memory at 2133mhz regardless what speed you buy. So you limit yourself for the future if you go that route.

I stand by my initial suggestion of the Z170 board and DDR4-3000 (which is also the sweet spot for price vs performance). Then, if you decide you want to get into OC'ing or just a faster CPU in the future the i5 6600k or i7 6700k drops right in. Also, next year Cannonlake comes out, and the prices of todays CPUs will fall.

A i5 6500 will be more that sufficient to run what settings you want at 1080p if you go with a rx480 or equivalent. If you CAN swing it, the i5 6600k is the better route long term, but you're going to have to increase your budget.

 

[nitewulf]

I want to customize a fanless minipc for HTPC purposes, but I want one that works out of the box, ie, not a barebones unit without OS. Can I order something like a Nuc or Asus Vivo with customized parts and OS?

 

[Mohasus]

Hi PC GAF!
And I read that motherboard risers/standoffs are important, so I'll get the $6.99 ones on Newegg, as it looks like they aren't included with the motherboard I listed.

They aren't included with the motherboard because they come with the case.

 

[roadrunn3r]

Is the difference in price with the Z170, i5 6600, and DDR4-3000 worth it for the price?
I can go over my budget and get these, but I'm not planning on going Ultra/Max settings (at least for now).

Would it be better to get the GIGABYTE GA-B150M-D3H mobo, the i5 6500, and DDR4-2400? Would this still let me get 1080p/60fps on High settings, maybe Ultra? Or get the upgraded parts you recommended and be set for 3 years or so? I'm new to this and want to have a good build, but not break my wallet

Well the point with overclockable (K) i5s is that when your CPU will get older you can have some free performance just by overclocking it. (or just do it from the start if you wish) Considering recent Intel generations are about roughly 8-10% improvement from a gen to the next, that would mean that you will still be ok years later cause you can gain 20-30% performance from overclocking alone. In terms of noticeable performance in games, it can make a difference sometimes, other times it will not matter much cause a lot of games are not that heavy on the CPU. It can help with perceived smoothness also as frame times will tend to be better on higher clocks.

That said if you aren't that sensible to framerate or just want to spend a bit less, an i5 6500 + H or B chipset + 2133 DDR4 is perfectly viable so nothing wrong with that build too. It all depends on your priorities to be honest.

 

[Levyne]

So if I got these pieces:

Mobo: ASUS ROG MAXIMUS VIII HERO ALPHA ATX
Heatsink: Noctua NH-D15 6
Case: Corsair Obsidian Series Black 550D
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3200MHz

From what I can tell, the case should be wide enough to support the heatsink, and it's asymmetrical to deal with the ram, but can anyone confirm? I'm not 100% sure the best way to check this sort of thing without just seeing if they fit together.