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

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J

JonnyDBrit

Member
Hey Gaf,

Some months ago I was intending to build a new PC. As it happened my Dad actually had an old but kinda decent machine lying around, which he gave to me once I moved back in for the year, and now I'm looking to upgrade it bit by bit as I go along.

Biggest concerns I have are replacing the motherboard (because it can't support memory above low-end DDR3), the CPU (being an Intel Q9300 @ 2.5 GHz), and the graphics card (because while a GTX 670 is serviceable, I'd still prefer an upgrade).

My most immediate concern though, is the case, in so much that I'm not so certain if it would be a problem or not, is the case.

My best guess is that its an Antec P180, and it was apparently used at Dad's job as kind of a mini-server. From what I can tell its also kinda old so I'm not sure on how its cooling capabilities stand, and after looking inside it, I'm a little concerned on space as well. The 670 (this variant) comes up to less than an inch before the drive bays in front of it, which currently house the SSD. I can maybe move the drive elsewhere and take out the bays for more space, but in general it honestly has me wondering if a different case altogether would be better. Am I just being silly and overthinking it, or would it be worth investigating?
 
D

DarknessTear

Banned
I have a gen 1 i7, and a motherboard that doesn't support anything. Also it has a broken ram slot and it only supports up to 4 gigs of ram. Oh and my CPU often runs at 80C. I think it might be time for an upgrade...
 
J

jonathanp

Member
Is there any way to get a cheap copy of Windows or will I just have to shell out $80 for a copy on Amazon? I don't have access to Dreamspark or anything like that.
 
ISee

ISee

Member
DarknessTear said:
I have a gen 1 i7, and a motherboard that doesn't support anything. Also it has a broken ram slot and it only supports up to 4 gigs of ram. Oh and my CPU often runs at 80C. I think it might be time for an upgrade...
Click to expand...

Sure, the leap from an i7 920 (etc.) to an i7 6700k alone is huge enough justify an upgrade.
 
T

Turrican3

Member
My good old secondary PC is starting to show a weird (?) issue: whenever i plug certain USB devices into the built-in ports of the motherboard, power goes down istantaneously for a second or so, then it turns itself on again.
This happens under Windows 7, Windows 10, Xubuntu 14 and even during POST/BIOS.

But here comes the weird thing: if I leave the Ethernet cable disconnected (LAN is built-in as well) I can do whatever I want, the USB device - a USB3.0 SSD portable unit - will be recognized, and no reset will happen.
If I plug the Ethernet cable again, the first following (re)insertion of the USB device will turn the PC off as said before.

I'd say it's 99.9% a hardware issue, but I wonder if it might be a power supply or a motherboard related one. Any thoughts?
 
B

bomblord1

Banned
I was using MSI Afterburner to monitor my GPU usage during a particularly heavy load and I noticed the graph looks like this
capturesmsrx.png


And that up and down is incredibly consistent. Any ideas? Is this normal?
 
kikonawa

kikonawa

Member
JonnyDBrit said:
Hey Gaf,

Some months ago I was intending to build a new PC. As it happened my Dad actually had an old but kinda decent machine lying around, which he gave to me once I moved back in for the year, and now I'm looking to upgrade it bit by bit as I go along.

Biggest concerns I have are replacing the motherboard (because it can't support memory above low-end DDR3), the CPU (being an Intel Q9300 @ 2.5 GHz), and the graphics card (because while a GTX 670 is serviceable, I'd still prefer an upgrade).

My most immediate concern though, is the case, in so much that I'm not so certain if it would be a problem or not, is the case.

My best guess is that its an Antec P180, and it was apparently used at Dad's job as kind of a mini-server. From what I can tell its also kinda old so I'm not sure on how its cooling capabilities stand, and after looking inside it, I'm a little concerned on space as well. The 670 (this variant) comes up to less than an inch before the drive bays in front of it, which currently house the SSD. I can maybe move the drive elsewhere and take out the bays for more space, but in general it honestly has me wondering if a different case altogether would be better. Am I just being silly and overthinking it, or would it be worth investigating?
Click to expand...


I would sell it as a whole and buy a new pc. Looks like you want to replace all parts anyway
 
Lactose_Intolerant

Lactose_Intolerant

Member
bomblord1 said:
I was using MSI Afterburner to monitor my GPU usage during a particularly heavy load and I noticed the graph looks like this
capturesmsrx.png


And that up and down is incredibly consistent. Any ideas? Is this normal?
Click to expand...

If you have vsync on during a game, AMD product will throttle so you don't use extra resources you don't need.

Say you have a 60hz monitor, once your reach 60 fps, you don't need to any more power.

Or it could just be throttling since that is a pretty huge drop. What are your temperatures like during that?
 
B

bomblord1

Banned
Lactose_Intolerant said:
If you have vsync on during a game, AMD product will throttle so you don't use extra resources you don't need.

Say you have a 60hz monitor, once your reach 60 fps, you don't need to any more power.

Or it could just be throttling since that is a pretty huge drop. What are your temperatures like during that?
Click to expand...

75C consistent. It also happens during VR games so I don't think it's vsync.
 
A

AlimNassor

Banned
My PC fans get really loud when I play any game. I was playing Age of Empires 2 HD and they were pretty loud. But, the PC itself was not hot. I'm just wondering is this normal?

Specs: Hp Envy 750se intel i7-6700k 4.00ghz Nividia GTX 980Ti 16GB 2TB 500W
 
B

Barrow Roll

Member
Finally going to upgrade to an SSD + HDD today from just a HDD. I have a Samsung 850 Evo 250GB on hold at NCIX (Canada) right now, but it seems a bit pricey compared to other drives with the same amount of storage. It's currently on sale for $119.99. As someone new to SSDs, what makes the Samsung command a higher price? What are some other good alternatives if I want to save a bit of cash?
 
L

LilJoka

Member
AlimNassor said:
My PC fans get really loud when I play any game. I was playing Age of Empires 2 HD and they were pretty loud. But, the PC itself was not hot. I'm just wondering is this normal?

Specs: Hp Envy 750se intel i7-6700k 4.00ghz Nividia GTX 980Ti 16GB 2TB 500W
Click to expand...

Maybe the board bios lets you configure the fan profile, otherwise try soeedfan.
 
O

ombz

Member
Is a longer POST after applying the XMP profile for new RAM an indicator of any instability? After installing new corsair 3000mhz RAM I experience quite a longer POST when I have the XMP profile compared to when I leave it to auto. Everything runs fine in windows so it seems stable other then the longer startup.
 
A

Akai__

Member
Not sure where else to post this, but my new Monitor/TV combo is driving me insane. It's a Samsung T24E390 and it has a whining noise, only when it's in Standby. The sound is not comming from the Power Supply (which is external), but from the back of the Monitor. Tried several power outlets, but it's still happening.

Is there any way to fix this? I only found solutions where brightness settings would cause this. Any help would be appreciated. :(
 
T

teiresias

Member
I really think it may be time for a monitor upgrade from my HP 24" IPS 60Hz to something more high-end.

I'm really torn between the Asus PG279Q or one of the 21:9 gsync monitors (I'd like to stick with IPS, so no TN). Obviously, the ultra-wide monitors have lower maximum refresh rates, and are obviously like $500 more in general. I just cant decide if I'd appreciate the 21:9 more or the higher refresh more. Given I'm coming from a regular old 60Hz display and don't play competitive FPS games at all, I'm thinking I'd prefer the 21:9, but can't really make up my mind on whether the aspect ratio is worth the price premium and the lower refresh (particularly if 144 vs 100 is a big difference just in regular desktop applications and OS usage - but then you weight that against productivity gains from the 21:9 ratio as well).
 
Elitist1945

Elitist1945

Member
Didn't see a thread for monitors except for the 21:9 one so I'll ask here:

Does anyone have THIS Asus 28" 4k Monitor? Wanting to pick a new monitor up and this one has a good price.
 
E

Empty Space

Member
Elitist1945 said:
Didn't see a thread for monitors except for the 21:9 one so I'll ask here:

Does anyone have THIS Asus 28" 4k Monitor? Wanting to pick a new monitor up and this one has a good price.
Click to expand...
I personally wouldn't get a TN monitor. The color reproduction just isn't great on even the really high end ones.
 
K

Korezo

Member
Elitist1945 said:
Yeah thats what I've read :/ Do you know of any 4K monitors that aren't $1,000 lol

EDIT: I found this 1440p monitor that is IPS
Click to expand...

Try probably dell or LG monitors, after trying 2 acer predetors and the asus rog ultrawide, I don't trust any asus monitor, if there 1000+ models still have tons of imperfections and don't use high quality screens I doubt regular ones will. Have to be extremely lucky.
 
L

LostMyNarbles

Member
Can anyone help me with a GPU issue? The GPU is an older GTX 570 and it is being run alongside a new CPU/Motherboard that were recently installed i5-6600k, Z170MB, and Corsair CX600 power supply.

The PC had seemingly crashed when my brother was gaming on it and he said the fan was really loud and afterwards it wouldn't boot past the BIOS menu as it gave a black screen with dots on it. I managed to get it booted again and ran a Resident Evil 6 benchmark and the GPU just goes crazy. Just loading the demo itself the temperatures start to climb past 85C and once the benchmark starts the fan starts screaming and it climbed up to 93C before I shut it down worrying that any higher might do some damage. I was wondering if anybody might know what is causing this because as far as I am aware it didn't have issues before the build got swapped out.
 
L

LilJoka

Member
ombz said:
Is a longer POST after applying the XMP profile for new RAM an indicator of any instability? After installing new corsair 3000mhz RAM I experience quite a longer POST when I have the XMP profile compared to when I leave it to auto. Everything runs fine in windows so it seems stable other then the longer startup.
Click to expand...

BIOS is probably running RAM training for the secondary and tertiary timings.
It doesnt indicate stability, you should run a stress test like HCI memtest or Prime95 blend to determine if its actually stable.
 
B

Baconsaurus Rex

Member
I'm building a PC for my dad and I'm torn on the CPU. He's by no means a power user, just need the PC to be snappy for around a decade. I've got €150 left on his tight budget for a MOBO and CPU. I've been eyeing the G3258 for a while now and it seems the best option budget wise. Any alternatives?
 
D

dglavimans

Member
Looking for a case which is console like. So far the pre build x51 Alienware comes the closest. The raven seems too small for a good videocard and the cooler master elite 130 seems to bulky... am i missing something or are there just no good console like cases which can house a 10xx without compromises
 
S

SomeOneInaHat

Member
How's it going MonitorGaf?

I have a question, I have been thinking about getting into G-sync, I've heard its a god level computer upgrade after all.

So, I currently have a SAMSUNG SyncMaster 2494SW Glossy Black 24" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor and am looking into buying a BenQ XL2411Z.

I have come here to ask if the BenQ monitor is really a $280 upgrade over my current monitor? I have a pretty beefy computer and can reasonably reach over 144 FPS on the games I really care about, well, where latency, frames, and motion blur matter.

Does this monitor do the job? Is there a better option? I'm trying to keep the size at 24" so that I can have an equally sized duel monitor setup afterwards. Any tips or reccommendations are welcome. Thanks in advance!

Budget $250-350
 
G

GreySquirrel

Member
Not sure if this is the right place for this but... Finally pulled the trigger on a new build:

i56600k cpu
Asus Maximus Hero VIII Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance LPX 3200mhz DDR4 RAM 16GB
MSI Armor Nvidia GTX 1070 GPU
Noctua NH-D15 CPU Cooler
Samsung 850 Evo 250GB hard drive
... Bunch of other existing stuff

Basically, it's been a while since my last build and am rusty in the overclocking department. For the life of me I can't find a way to overclock without my CPU voltage going over the value I set it in the BIOS during stress tests. I assume it's the turbo function but when I turn that off it stays at the stock multiplier /frequency. By trial and error I can get the voltage to acceptable levels during the boost but that method doesn't seem right
 
N

NOKYARD

Member
SomeOneInaHat said:
How's it going MonitorGaf?

I have a question, I have been thinking about getting into G-sync, I've heard its a god level computer upgrade after all.

So, I currently have a SAMSUNG SyncMaster 2494SW Glossy Black 24" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor and am looking into buying a BenQ XL2411Z.

I have come here to ask if the BenQ monitor is really a $280 upgrade over my current monitor? I have a pretty beefy computer and can reasonably reach over 144 FPS on the games I really care about, well, where latency, frames, and motion blur matter.

Does this monitor do the job? Is there a better option? I'm trying to keep the size at 24" so that I can have an equally sized duel monitor setup afterwards. Any tips or reccommendations are welcome. Thanks in advance!

Budget $250-350
Click to expand...

I have the BenQ XL2411Z. It's not a G-Sync monitor but uses it's own (cheaper) form of blur reduction. It's a decent 1ms monitor for FPS gaming but being a TN panel the colour could be better. I would never watch a movie on it.

The motion blur is a nice feature but it adds noticeable strobe screen flicker which you can become accustom to after a while, and it darkens the screen due to the back light being off half the time.

If I were to upgrade my system i would seek out a fast IPS panel for PC gaming, movies, surfing, because i am picky about colour, and only use the XL2411Z for 60FPS Xbox gaming using the Blur Busters Strobe Utility which works great paired with the Xbox One.

I would suggest further research at BlurBusters before deciding.
 
M

MikeOfAllTrades

Member
There was some discussion the other day about whether it was possible to transfer your free Windows 10 license to another build. I can say that I just finished doing a clean build (on new mobo, CPU, the whole nine yards) and simply entered in my Windows 7 Ultimate product key when prompted. Windows 10 accepted it happily and says I am activated -- despite that same key being used last year on entirely different hardware.

Edit: It is possible this will be enforced differently after the end of July, but the going is still good.
 
S

SomeOneInaHat

Member
NOKYARD said:
I have the BenQ XL2411Z. It's not a G-Sync monitor but uses it's own (cheaper) form of blur reduction. It's a decent 1ms monitor for FPS gaming but being a TN panel the colour could be better. I would never watch a movie on it.

The motion blur is a nice feature but it adds noticeable strobe screen flicker which you can become accustom to after a while, and it darkens the screen due to the back light being off half the time.

If I were to upgrade my system i would seek out a fast IPS panel for PC gaming, movies, surfing, because i am picky about colour, and only use the XL2411Z for 60FPS Xbox gaming using the Blur Busters Strobe Utility which works great paired with the Xbox One.

I would suggest further research at BlurBusters before deciding.
Click to expand...

Sounds good, will do further research.
 
C

CreepingFear

Member
Barrow Roll said:
Finally going to upgrade to an SSD + HDD today from just a HDD. I have a Samsung 850 Evo 250GB on hold at NCIX (Canada) right now, but it seems a bit pricey compared to other drives with the same amount of storage. It's currently on sale for $119.99. As someone new to SSDs, what makes the Samsung command a higher price? What are some other good alternatives if I want to save a bit of cash?
Click to expand...

Samsung is a premium product. It usually wins most benchmarks. They make all the parts of their SSD's including the flash memory, controller, etc. I've heard some good things about the Kingston Fury X SSD's as an alternative.
 
L

LilJoka

Member
GreySquirrel said:
Not sure if this is the right place for this but... Finally pulled the trigger on a new build:

i56600k cpu
Asus Maximus Hero VIII Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance LPX 3200mhz DDR4 RAM 16GB
MSI Armor Nvidia GTX 1070 GPU
Noctua NH-D15 CPU Cooler
Samsung 850 Evo 250GB hard drive
... Bunch of other existing stuff

Basically, it's been a while since my last build and am rusty in the overclocking department. For the life of me I can't find a way to overclock without my CPU voltage going over the value I set it in the BIOS during stress tests. I assume it's the turbo function but when I turn that off it stays at the stock multiplier /frequency. By trial and error I can get the voltage to acceptable levels during the boost but that method doesn't seem right
Click to expand...

Did you set the load line calibration? Level 5 works good on Asus.
Also you set the Vcore manually? As in Manual and not Auto/offset/adaptive.
 
O

Onemic

Member
Anyone know how you enable fast sync on pascal based cards? I heard you were supposed to pick a setting in Nvidia Inspector, which I've done, but I dont know if it's on since Im going over my referesh rate in games.(Oddly, Im not noticing any tearing)
 
F

FairXchange

Member
Bought a second R9 390 for crossfire, ultimately ran into tons of problems in most games I tested. Witcher 3 stuttered, Overwatch crashed. A few games ran excellent, like Rise of the Tomb Raider and Alien Isolation. Was able to run at max settings at 1440p. However the overall inconsistent performance in games, noise and heat led me to decide I should return it. Gonna stay single gpu for the foreseeable future unless dx12 brings about better performance for multi gpu set ups.
 
K

kennah

Member
UnluckyKate said:
560ti died.

Good sub $200 cards ? Asus or Saphire for extra points, I like their silent cooling

I like the sound of the MSI GTX 960 2G
Click to expand...
It's your lucky day. AMD just released the 480 which performs basically on par with the 970 for $200.

Or you can wait a couple weeks and see what happens with the 1060 in supposedly a similar price point.

960 was never a good buy. Performed on par with a 670 but the 670 was easy to find for $100-125 used.
 
ISee

ISee

Member
UnluckyKate said:
560ti died.

Good sub $200 cards ? Asus or Saphire for extra points, I like their silent cooling
Click to expand...

Not really a good time go sub 200 atm. The market is in turmoil and new stuff will come out in the coming weeks. In the $200-$300 bracket the RX 480 custom cards are about to hit store shelves and nvidia should release their 1060 in a few weeks too. Below $200 the 470,460 should bring descent performance but we don't have a release window atm.

Waiting is the best thing you can do. If you don't want to wait for 470/460 cards wait till custom 480 hit store shelves. The 380x (e.g. saphire 380x nitro) should drop below $200 because of this.
 
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