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[Servbot #42]

Hello fellow Gaffers, I'm finally building a new PC after my first one I built 6.5 years ago (!) that has 460 in it. Mainly going to be used for gaming at 1080p, and Emulation of older stuff. I know the 1070 is a bit overkill but I'd like to keep it for a good while. Looking to get some feedback and see if everything looks compatible.

Here' s the list:

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/cGcHTH



I have a few questions:

1. I am debating between the 7500 or the 7600K. Is it true I don't need a CPU cooler with the 7500? Is the performance worth the extra cost for the 7600K and a cooler? I also wouldn't mind getting a new CPU in a few years.

2. Is there anywhere else I get cut down costs?

Any other feedback would be appreciated.

1. You don't need a cooler with the 7500, it comes with a stock intel cooler that does the job. I'm also thinking of getting a 7600k instead of a 7500 even though it's way more expensive overall with the added costs of a z270 board and CPU cooler, the 7600k has room to grow if you do overclock. I say if you have the money go for it.

2. If you go with a 7500 you can buy a cheaper board, any b250m will do, also buy a 2400MHZ Ram, that is the maximum allowed on those boards.

 

[SOLDIER]

In theory balanced should be fine, but if you're having issues it's a good place to start troubleshooting.

Personally I think they just botched the Creators update.

I also enabled RAPID mode on the Samsung Magician software for my SSD 850 EVO. See if that makes a difference.

 

[Dr.Acula]

So with the 7700K heat problems, I'm kinda turned off... Does Intel have something coming down the pipe to replace that chip soon?

 

[Celcius]

So with the 7700K heat problems, I'm kinda turned off... Does Intel have something coming down the pipe to replace that chip soon?

http://www.anandtech.com/show/11542...by-lakex-time-line-preorders-and-availability
Intel's releasing their X299 platform soon but rumors indicate that the chips may not be soldered to the heatspreaders either so they wouldn't theoretically run any cooler than Kaby Lake. That being said, I have an overclocked 7700k and have really been enjoying it. If you plan to overclock then just don't skimp on the cooling and you should be fine. (I use a Noctua NH-D14)

The upcoming i7-7740X is basically the 7700k but tweaked to run on the new platform plus a 100mhz clock bump. As the x299 motherboards will most likely be more expensive due to it being the HEDT (high end desk top) platform, if you want a 7700k and don't need more cores then there's nothing wrong with jumping in now. On the other hand, if you do more than just gaming and want more cores then I'd wait not only for intel's X299 platform but also for AMD's X399 platform with ThreadRipper.

 

[sikkinixx]

So did i do a du,mb thing?

I just got my RX580 and go to install it...

my old 460GTX used 2 6-pin power connectors

This one uses a 8 pin power connector but my power supply, a Thermaltake 500W something or another, doesn't seem to have that. Just the 2 6-pin ones (the branch off from a couple wide 4-pin ones).

Am I boned?


edit: some Googling around looks like I am boned. Fudge. Is this a decent one to replace it? Modular looks nice at least...
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0106RDIN2/

 

[Servbot #42]

So did i do a du,mb thing?

I just got my RX580 and go to install it...

my old 460GTX used 2 6-pin power connectors

This one uses a 8 pin power connector but my power supply, a Thermaltake 500W something or another, doesn't seem to have that. Just the 2 6-pin ones (the branch off from a couple wide 4-pin ones).

Am I boned?


edit: some Googling around looks like I am boned. Fudge. Is this a decent one to replace it? Modular looks nice at least...
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0106RDIN2/

Damn you sure you don't have a 6+2 pin connector? If you don't have the budget for a new PSU you could get a molex to 8 pin adapter but i have read they are probably not the best solution.
That PSU seems solid just make sure it has every connector you could possibly need, good luck.

 

[sikkinixx]

Damn you sure you don't have a 6+2 pin connector? If you don't have the budget for a new PSU you could get a molex to 8 pin adapter but i have read they are probably not the best solution.
That PSU seems solid just make sure it has every connector you could possibly need, good luck.

Nah it's just a 6 pin one. It's from 2010 and was the budget ass one apparently. I don't remember how I ended up with it.

A modular one is good to have I suppose. I was gonna put that money into a nice new keyboard but I guess getting the thing to actually work is more important than what I type on.

 

[selo]

Just got my amazon pc delivered today, I had not built a computer since 2011 :O, took me about 5 hours to do it all (between having dinner, making things fit, configuring the modular psu) now I am browsing from my new pc .

So, i have 3200 Mhz corsair memory and an asus x370 mobo, is the latest bios trustable enough to upgrade to it? I've left the memory at the default speed for now and I'm kind of wary on updating the bios. Any tips/recommendations/suggestions ?

Also, I bought an m2 960 evo, is there anything I have to configure in the OS/bios or install something so it performs as fast as it can?

Thanks!

 

[derFeef]

Guys how much life does my it 3770k (@4.2ghz) left in it? Eyeballing that Ryzen 5.
Gaming @ 1440p with a 1070. No major problems but struggling with 60fps sometimes-

 

[Jafku]

Guys how much life does my it 3770k (@4.2ghz) left in it? Eyeballing that Ryzen 5.
Gaming @ 1440p with a 1070. No major problems but struggling with 60fps sometimes-

Plenty of life

 

[Tidd]

Guess I decided to build my first own gaming PC. Since this will be my very first gaming rig I don't really have a clue what to choose. So I hope you can help me out.

Your Current Specs: Doubt this is useful anymore. I had a custom built HTPC for XBMC/Kodi with an AMD-A6-5400k. Guess the only useful component in it could be the Samsung SSD 840 120GB.
Budget: Around 1500€. Germany. Problem is I want a dual monitor setup. So these have to be included in the budget.
Main Use: Light Gaming: 4
Gaming: 5
Emulation: I guess I would try it out: 4
Video Editing: 1
Streaming games in HD: 1
3D/Model work (and what program): 1
General Usage: 2
Monitor Resolution: I would like to aim for 1080p/60fps at the highest possible settings. I guess sometimes later(a year+) I want to upgrade. Monitor: look above
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: 60fps is necessary. Dunno about the rest.
Looking to reuse any parts?: Maybe the Samsung SSD 840 120GB
When will you build?: I could wait a little if it will be cheaper because something new will be released
Will you be overclocking?: May..wait this means yes? Don't really know for now.

This is what I chose so far, using the doc in the OP.

PCPartPicker part list: https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/R8L77h
Price breakdown by merchant: https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/R8L77h/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor (€213.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Motherboard: Asus - PRIME B350-PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard (€93.08 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory (€144.13 @ Mindfactory)
Storage: Kingston - SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (€94.98 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Western Digital - Blue 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (€74.90 @ Caseking)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB WINDFORCE OC 6G Video Card (€279.91 @ Mindfactory)
Case: NZXT - S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case (€102.98 @ ARLT)
Power Supply: EVGA - B3 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
Total: €1003.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-06-14 13:09 CEST+0200

or this

PCPartPicker part list: https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/2T7CWX
Price breakdown by merchant: https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/2T7CWX/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel - Core i5-7600K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor (€229.90 @ Caseking)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler (€39.31 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Motherboard: ASRock - Z270M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (€119.83 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (€129.25 @ Mindfactory)
Storage: Samsung - 850 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (€106.89 @ Mindfactory)
Storage: Western Digital - Blue 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (€74.90 @ Caseking)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB WINDFORCE OC 6G Video Card (€279.91 @ Mindfactory)
Case: NZXT - S340 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case (€79.90 @ Caseking)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (€80.00)
Total: €1139.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-06-14 13:11 CEST+0200

Is this ok? Could I do something better for less money? Maybe it's too under/overpowered for what I want?
Tbh, I'm pretty confused if a Ryzen or a i5 would be better. It seems like for benchmarks the Ryzen is better but for actual gaming performance the i5?
Another confusing point would be the maze of video cards. There are so many different cards all called 1060/70/80 from different manufactures and different clock speed.
Last but not least I don't which monitor I should choose. 2x ASUS VG248QE would cost me around 520€ that would leave around 1000€ for the PC. Something cheaper out there that's also a good PC? Quick google search and I couldn't find the "standard tier" monitors in my country.

 

[RumblingRosco]

Will this RAM work with an AMD (AM4) motherboard? Specifically an MSI B350M mATX mobo. It says Intel Z170 in the title, but I thought RAM would work with either brand of motherboard? I know there are some motherboard/RAM incompatibility issues - is this one of those instances?

Looked into it more. Gonna pass since I'm going for Ryzen. Doesn't appear on the list of compatible RAM for my mobo.

 

[SOLDIER]

So again, wondering if there's any current sales (Newegg or otherwise) that I should be made aware of for upgrading purposes.

I want to accomplish one out of three things:

1. Replace my RAM, CPU, or any other minor upgrade in order to make Windows, Browsers, and any other programs work faster. Been having a bit of slowdown lately, like when opening up multiple Firefox tabs, saving stuff, opening certain programs, etc.

2. Replace my GPU to get a more stable 60 fps with games at Very High or Ultra settings.

3. Go whole hog and get the components I need for stable 4K at 60 fps (preferably high or otherwise)

Once I get an estimate on how costly each scenario would run me, I would decide if I wanted to do a minor upgrade now or go big on 4K on PC (and most likely skip the Xbox One X this year).

Also, unsure if this plays a factor or not, but I've got one SSD drive I use as my primary, and all other files (including Steam games) split across three SATA drives. Would I be better off just having all my hard drives be SSD? Would having different drives potentially factor into any chugging/slowdown I get?

 

[kmfdmpig]

So again, wondering if there's any current sales (Newegg or otherwise) that I should be made aware of for upgrading purposes.

I want to accomplish one out of three things:

1. Replace my RAM, CPU, or any other minor upgrade in order to make Windows, Browsers, and any other programs work faster. Been having a bit of slowdown lately, like when opening up multiple Firefox tabs, saving stuff, opening certain programs, etc.

2. Replace my GPU to get a more stable 60 fps with games at Very High or Ultra settings.

3. Go whole hog and get the components I need for stable 4K at 60 fps (preferably high or otherwise)

Once I get an estimate on how costly each scenario would run me, I would decide if I wanted to do a minor upgrade now or go big on 4K on PC (and most likely skip the Xbox One X this year).

Also, unsure if this plays a factor or not, but I've got one SSD drive I use as my primary, and all other files (including Steam games) split across three SATA drives. Would I be better off just having all my hard drives be SSD? Would having different drives potentially factor into any chugging/slowdown I get?

What do you have now?
For 4k at 60fps you'd probably need a 1080ti, which will be about $670 - 750.

 

[derFeef]

Plenty of life

I'm just wondering how long the "upgrade GPU and you are good" thing will work for me. I guess one more GPU generation and then I need to do a full upgrade?

 

[Subterranean]

Is upgrading from Haswell to Kaby Lake worth it? Also how much of a difference is DDR4 compared to DDR3?

 

[HowZatOZ]

I'm just wondering how long the "upgrade GPU and you are good" thing will work for me. I guess one more GPU generation and then I need to do a full upgrade?

I upgraded from the 3770k to Ryzen 1700 and can feel the light basking me. Join us.

 

[SOLDIER]

What do you have now?
For 4k at 60fps you'd probably need a 1080ti, which will be about $670 - 750.

Stability is more important than 4K at the moment.

 

[kmfdmpig]

Stability is more important than 4K at the moment.

It's weird that you're getting those issues based on what you have.

Could it be that you're using all the RAM? I wouldn't think that would be the case based on what you describe though.

 

[RayStorm]

Budget: Around 1500€. Germany. Problem is I want a dual monitor setup. So these have to be included in the budget.
[....]
Last but not least I don't which monitor I should choose. 2x ASUS VG248QE would cost me around 520€ that would leave around 1000€ for the PC. Something cheaper out there that's also a good PC? Quick google search and I couldn't find the "standard tier" monitors in my country.

So since you chose rather expensive monitors... Do you have any reason for this particular model? Also since your second screen will be used for different things than games you could select a different make/model that has the same size and save some money, (which in turn could go towards a better GPU (as in GTX1070 instead of 1060).

 

[Zia]

Two questions:

a) If I'm wanting to start a build right now, should I wait for the release of the new Intel stuff? Haven't really paid attention, so it might be out or a ways off or totally irrelevant if I'm wanting to build a PC this summer.

b) I really don't want to build my PC. I haven't done it in over a decade and I'm overwhelmingly busy right now. I noticed that there are a few Canadian sites listed in the OP that'll preassemble, but is there anything like that in the US that isn't prohibitively expensive?

 

[SOLDIER]

It's weird that you're getting those issues based on what you have.

Could it be that you're using all the RAM? I wouldn't think that would be the case based on what you describe though.

Any way I could check that?

Perhaps there's a diagnostic step I'm missing. I've done the following so far:

1. Run CCleaner (free)

2. Updated Windows

3. Updated Nvidia

4. Changed Power Settings from Balanced to Performance

5. Enabled "Rapid" on my SSD from Samsung Magician

Only thing I can think of is to run a full scan for viruses using Windows 10's tool (even though it's got a green check mark and says everything is "healthy") and maybe a fresh install of Firefox, or even switch to Chrome.

I'm too used to Firefox's interface, as well as the few quality of life add-ons I've got installed, so I'd rather stick to Firefox if possible.

 

[JonnyDBrit]

It's weird that you're getting those issues based on what you have.

Could it be that you're using all the RAM? I wouldn't think that would be the case based on what you describe though.

Depending on the games in question, a 970 may not hold up when completely maxed out. Mine needs things slightly toned down for Hitman, for example.

Edit: Actually Soldier, would you be able to give some context as to what games your framerate is unstable in, and by how much?

 

[kuYuri]

Is upgrading from Haswell to Kaby Lake worth it? Also how much of a difference is DDR4 compared to DDR3?

Need to be more specific. Are we talking a Haswell i3 to a Kaby Lake i5 or i7? Then very much yes. Do you mean Haswell i5 or i7 to Kaby Lake i5 or i7? Then probably not. Higher clocked DDR4 has shown some gains in certain game compared to DDR3, but for everyday use, there's little to no differences.

Guess I decided to build my first own gaming PC. Since this will be my very first gaming rig I don't really have a clue what to choose. So I hope you can help me out.

Your Current Specs: Doubt this is useful anymore. I had a custom built HTPC for XBMC/Kodi with an AMD-A6-5400k. Guess the only useful component in it could be the Samsung SSD 840 120GB.
Budget: Around 1500€. Germany. Problem is I want a dual monitor setup. So these have to be included in the budget.
Main Use: Light Gaming: 4
Gaming: 5
Emulation: I guess I would try it out: 4
Video Editing: 1
Streaming games in HD: 1
3D/Model work (and what program): 1
General Usage: 2
Monitor Resolution: I would like to aim for 1080p/60fps at the highest possible settings. I guess sometimes later(a year+) I want to upgrade. Monitor: look above
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: 60fps is necessary. Dunno about the rest.
Looking to reuse any parts?: Maybe the Samsung SSD 840 120GB
When will you build?: I could wait a little if it will be cheaper because something new will be released
Will you be overclocking?: May..wait this means yes? Don't really know for now.

This is what I chose so far, using the doc in the OP.



or this



Is this ok? Could I do something better for less money? Maybe it's too under/overpowered for what I want?
Tbh, I'm pretty confused if a Ryzen or a i5 would be better. It seems like for benchmarks the Ryzen is better but for actual gaming performance the i5?
Another confusing point would be the maze of video cards. There are so many different cards all called 1060/70/80 from different manufactures and different clock speed.
Last but not least I don't which monitor I should choose. 2x ASUS VG248QE would cost me around 520€ that would leave around 1000€ for the PC. Something cheaper out there that's also a good PC? Quick google search and I couldn't find the "standard tier" monitors in my country.

Both builds look solid. You can cut down on a few things in the Intel build like the SSD, go from gold rated to bronze rated power supply, and get a non-K processor and an H270 motherboard if you don't plan on overclocking. But the Ryzen build is basically that except with a Ryzen processor.

For monitors, that Asus one is a 144hz high refresh rate monitor, hence the price. If you just want to do 1080p/60fps, you can get pretty much any two 21"-24" 1080p/60hz monitor from reputable brands like Asus, Acer, AOC, Dell, Samsung, etc since they are relatively inexpensive and put them together. You can use the filtering system on PCPartPicker to filter out monitor screen size, resolution, refresh rate, etc. to help narrow them down. If you are going for a dual monitor setup and gaming on both at the same time to have an extended screen on a GTX 1060, be aware that framerates in certain games may be more difficult to keep stable on dual monitors versus playing only on one monitor due to the power required to run multiple monitors.

 

[Subterranean]

Need to be more specific. Are we talking a Haswell i3 to a Kaby Lake i5 or i7? Then very much yes. Do you mean Haswell i5 or i7 to Kaby Lake i5 or i7? Then probably not. Higher clocked DDR4 has shown some gains in certain game compared to DDR3, but for everyday use, there's little to no differences.

Sorry about that. Haswell i5 to Kaby Lake i5 is what I was looking at.

 

[kuYuri]

Sorry about that. Haswell i5 to Kaby Lake i5 is what I was looking at.

If the CPU is overclockable, you can close the power gap a bit by overclocking the Haswell i5. If you are playing certain games, for example open world games like GTAV, The Witcher 3, Ghost Recon: Wildlands, and Watch Dogs 2, an i7 does give some noticeable gains over an i5. But otherwise, Haswell is still a super solid generation of CPU to have right now.

 

[derFeef]

I upgraded from the 3770k to Ryzen 1700 and can feel the light basking me. Join us.

From what I gather after an hour of research and looking at charts, a Ryzen 5 1600 will get me a 5-10% performance boost in games, not sure that's worth ~500€ for me right now. A General performance boost, fresher hardware and more RAM would be appreciated so I am kinda struggling with myself here

 

[kmfdmpig]

Depending on the games in question, a 970 may not hold up when completely maxed out. Mine needs things slightly toned down for Hitman, for example.

Edit: Actually Soldier, would you be able to give some context as to what games your framerate is unstable in, and by how much?

For gaming, absolutely. Soldier described issues with just browsing as well, however.

 

[FHIZ]

Okay, looking to do my first build within the next handful of months or so and I'm doing some research, I've got a question about motherboards,

so I'm looking at the Asus Prime Z270-A and the Strix 7270 E Gaming motherboards. I've got the compare feature on PC part picker and the specs look identical. The only difference I can see is the "gaming" mother board has some light control, which I don't give a shit about, but the board still costs $40 more. Is the price difference just for the "gaming" tag and lights? Or is there something I'm missing.

I'm trying to future proof as much as I can, so I'm going to be dropping some cash, but if I can save $40 for an identical motherboard without some lights and the gaming name tax, I'll take it.

 

[SOLDIER]

Depending on the games in question, a 970 may not hold up when completely maxed out. Mine needs things slightly toned down for Hitman, for example.

Edit: Actually Soldier, would you be able to give some context as to what games your framerate is unstable in, and by how much?

I haven't extensively tested it, as the only game I was playing daily on PC was Overwatch, which is where I noticed the issue. I'm also thinking maybe it's a networking issue, since it's an online game. I'll have to run the practice mode some more and see if that half-second chug persists.

For gaming, absolutely. Soldier described issues with just browsing as well, however.

That could be other factors as well: I might have too many tabs open, or there's an add-on that's not working properly, or once again a crappy network (I'm forced to use Comcast, which even had a local outage the other day).

I just wanted to rule out any hardware-related issues. I'm still strongly considering upgrading though. Just wondering if I should bite the bullet and go 4K now or just do a mid-tier 1080p upgrade and wait until prices have gone down.

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

So again, wondering if there's any current sales (Newegg or otherwise) that I should be made aware of for upgrading purposes

The sales everywhere have been really dry for a few months. The only good thing I've seen is the occasional drop in prices on 1070's.

It's disappointing, because I don't have a GPU and I want to build some cheap PCs for family members suck on core 2 duos, but it's all either MSRP (which I never pay) or in a lot of cases inflated.

Terrible time to buy pc parts, sadly. Hopefully with the release of Vega and Ryzen 3, we'll get it a little livelier. Maybe the crypto rush and the RAM shortage will end too while we're at it.

 

[Sorithin]

Hey all, my computer is 3 years old but the motherboard is older and having a lot of issues so I'd like to replace it. I'm not very computer building-savvy so I need your help! From what I understand, the motherboard has to be compatible with my processor, and that's about 3 years old, so I need an older motherboard, right? I currently have the Intel Core i5-3470 Ivy Bridge Quad-Core 3.2 GHz processor. Can you suggest a motherboard? Or do you need any additional information about what I currently have in my build?

Thanks!

 

[Aesthet1c]

So I'm looking at possibly upgrading from my GTX 760, but I'm not really sure of what I need to get.

I'm looking mostly at the 1070 and 1060. I don't really want to spend the money that the 1070 is but I want to future proof myself as much as possible. I don't plan on doing 4k or VR at all or any time soon. Is a 1060 enough for 1080p60 gaming for the next few years? Or do I really need to eye that 1070?

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

Hey all, my computer is 3 years old but the motherboard is older and having a lot of issues so I'd like to replace it. I'm not very computer building-savvy so I need your help! From what I understand, the motherboard has to be compatible with my processor, and that's about 3 years old, so I need an older motherboard, right? I currently have the Intel Core i5-3470 Ivy Bridge Quad-Core 3.2 GHz processor. Can you suggest a motherboard? Or do you need any additional information about what I currently have in my build?

Thanks!

You'll need an LGA1155 motherboard, which you won't find new anymore. Same socket as the ever popular Sandy Bridge, so you might be able to get one used without too much trouble. But it might not be worth the risk of buying a used motherboard that's getting up to 5 years old now.

It's a usable CPU still, no overclocking but not bad. Your call if you want to go hunting for an old motherboard or just upgrade.

So I'm looking at possibly upgrading from my GTX 760, but I'm not really sure of what I need to get.

I'm looking mostly at the 1070 and 1060. I don't really want to spend the money that the 1070 is but I want to future proof myself as much as possible. I don't plan on doing 4k or VR at all or any time soon. Is a 1060 enough for 1080p60 gaming for the next few years? Or do I really need to eye that 1070?

The 1070 is more of a 1440p/60 card. But the extra headroom will definitely help if the next round of games on PC start to push ahead. No real way of knowing for sure. The 1060 is a fantastic 1080p/60 card.

1070's have had some good sales, as low as $300. At that price it might be worth it over the $200-250 1060.

 

[McBryBry]

Does anyone know of a crash course type deal to get me updated on the current PC ecosystem? I've been keeping up with Nvidia GPUs but everything else I've pretty much totally fallen out of since I built my PC. My 1080 is on the way to replace my 970, and I'm not planning on upgrading anything else (have an i5 4690k, 16GB RAM) but I want to get caught back up with where everything is right now.

 

[Sorithin]

You'll need an LGA1155 motherboard, which you won't find new anymore. Same socket as the ever popular Sandy Bridge, so you might be able to get one used without too much trouble. But it might not be worth the risk of buying a used motherboard that's getting up to 5 years old now.

It's a usable CPU still, no overclocking but not bad. Your call if you want to go hunting for an old motherboard or just upgrade.

If I want to upgrade, I would need all new motherboard, processor and RAM, correct? Is that it?

 

[Aesthet1c]

The 1070 is more of a 1440p/60 card. But the extra headroom will definitely help if the next round of games on PC start to push ahead. No real way of knowing for sure. The 1060 is a fantastic 1080p/60 card.

1070's have had some good sales, as low as $300. At that price it might be worth it over the $200-250 1060.

Thank you for this! I guess I'll watch for a sale, I would be okay spending $300, I'm just only seeing like $450-$500 for 1070's right now. And that's out of my budget.

 

[kmfdmpig]

Does anyone know of a crash course type deal to get me updated on the current PC ecosystem? I've been keeping up with Nvidia GPUs but everything else I've pretty much totally fallen out of since I built my PC. My 1080 is on the way to replace my 970, and I'm not planning on upgrading anything else (have an i5 4690k, 16GB RAM) but I want to get caught back up with where everything is right now.

When I got ready to buy parts for my new system I found the following sites really helpful:
Hardocp
Tweaktown
Anandtech
Tomshardware

Between those you should be able to bring yourself mostly up to speed fairly quickly. Also the first post in this thread is very helpful.

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

Does anyone know of a crash course type deal to get me updated on the current PC ecosystem? I've been keeping up with Nvidia GPUs but everything else I've pretty much totally fallen out of since I built my PC. My 1080 is on the way to replace my 970, and I'm not planning on upgrading anything else (have an i5 4690k, 16GB RAM) but I want to get caught back up with where everything is right now.

The GPU space moved forward pretty significantly. Currently waiting for release/performance info on the radeon vega, which is rumored to be around the 1080 in performance.

Ryzen processors came out on AMD side and brought down the cost of high core/thread counts, and they finally offer a good alternative to Intel again. Intel's Pentium G4560 is a hypertheaded beast for $60.

I think that's about it.

If I want to upgrade, I would need all new motherboard, processor and RAM, correct? Is that it?

I think if you upgraded to Haswell (4000 series) you could keep the RAM, but I'm not positive on that. Haswell CPUs might be pricey used. But yeah, if you want the newest stuff, you'll need a new CPU, motherboard, and RAM.

 

[JonnyDBrit]

I haven't extensively tested it, as the only game I was playing daily on PC was Overwatch, which is where I noticed the issue. I'm also thinking maybe it's a networking issue, since it's an online game. I'll have to run the practice mode some more and see if that half-second chug persists.



That could be other factors as well: I might have too many tabs open, or there's an add-on that's not working properly, or once again a crappy network (I'm forced to use Comcast, which even had a local outage the other day).

I just wanted to rule out any hardware-related issues. I'm still strongly considering upgrading though. Just wondering if I should bite the bullet and go 4K now or just do a mid-tier 1080p upgrade and wait until prices have gone down.

Two things I'd toss in check: Disk usage, since that can surprisingly clog up performance.

CPU Drivers. I had an issue not too long ago where games were severely underperforming, especially where reliant on the CPU. After wracking my head on everything else, I deleted one of the CPU drivers from device manager, and after the PC restarted, and presumably reinstalled said driver, everything was back up to the levels it should have been. This solution worked twice, so it was definitely tied to the CPU drivers, though it might not for you.

 

[SUBZERO-08]

My friend wants to build a PC that can run DOTA 2 on max settings (at 60fps, I'd assume) and stream it with no problems. What is the cheapest build in the OP that can do that?

 

[CraigerGamer]

So, uh, here is probably a pretty stupid question but....

Im buying a new case and have decided to try and do a better job this time around matching up components, colors, and cable management. I found a pretty cool site that will let me make my own computer cords in whatever color I choose. The only problem is, I don't know what cables I will need.

There are so many options, like 24-pin ATX, and 4+4 pin EPS that I just don't know what they are or do. When I built my first computer a year ago, I just used the cables that came with everything without knowing what they were called.

So maybe someone here can help me put together the list of cords I'd need to buy to get everything to run.

PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G1 80+ GOLD
MOBA: Gigabyte LGA 1151 Z170
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 SC GAMING
1 x HDD
2 x SSD (SATA, I think)
Cooling: NZXT Kraken X62, 2 x 120mm Aer RGB Fans, HUE+
Lighting: 4 x Light Strips

Thanks for the help!

 

[Weevilone]

I just wanted to rule out any hardware-related issues. I'm still strongly considering upgrading though. Just wondering if I should bite the bullet and go 4K now or just do a mid-tier 1080p upgrade and wait until prices have gone down.

Everything on the Intel side is about to get revamped so I'd hang tight for a bit to see that transpire, especially in the wake of AMD's recent success.

 

[kuYuri]

Okay, looking to do my first build within the next handful of months or so and I'm doing some research, I've got a question about motherboards,

so I'm looking at the Asus Prime Z270-A and the Strix 7270 E Gaming motherboards. I've got the compare feature on PC part picker and the specs look identical. The only difference I can see is the "gaming" mother board has some light control, which I don't give a shit about, but the board still costs $40 more. Is the price difference just for the "gaming" tag and lights? Or is there something I'm missing.

I'm trying to future proof as much as I can, so I'm going to be dropping some cash, but if I can save $40 for an identical motherboard without some lights and the gaming name tax, I'll take it.

Are we looking at the same specs? The Strix Z270E has built in AC Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 (EDIT: correction, 4.1) support, which the Z270-A does not have. And they both have the Aura RGB support, not just the Strix. So that extra 40 is definitely giving you more with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support alone.

 

[PlayALLtheGames]

I no longer need a new PC! Thanks for the help in this thread.

I call it the DCS4. DC Sports theme + PC + PS4. Clever, I know. It's a Thermaltake P5 Case, ASUS Maximus IX Code, de-lidded 7700k, 1080Ti, 500GB 960 EVO NVMe SSD, three Samsung 840 Pro SATA SSDs, 16GB Corsair Vengeance LED RAM and then obviously all the water-cooling equipment and lighting. A lot of custom work drilling into the case, etc. but it was worth it.

Overclocked to hell, low temps and basically silent. The longest, priciest but most rewarding build I've ever done. I'm running the 7700k at 5Ghz and +130/+500 on the 1080Ti during gaming at 3440x1440 and it's crushing everything (I play Watch Dogs 2, GR Wildlands, ME:A, FH3, BF1, GTA V, as examples).

 

[YuriLowell]

So we haven't gotten any i9 benchmarks yet have we?

Deciding if I should hold out until next year to replace my 2500k.

 

[RumblingRosco]

I no longer need a new PC! Thanks for the help in this thread.

I call it the DCS4. DC Sports theme + PC + PS4. Clever, I know. It's a Thermaltake P5 Case, ASUS Maximus IX Code, de-lidded 7700k, 1080Ti, 500GB 960 EVO NVMe SSD, three Samsung 840 Pro SATA SSDs, 16GB Corsair Vengeance LED RAM and then obviously all the water-cooling equipment and lighting. A lot of custom work drilling into the case, etc. but it was worth it.

Overclocked to hell, low temps and basically silent. The longest, priciest but most rewarding build I've ever done. I'm running the 7700k at 5Ghz and +130/+500 on the 1080Ti during gaming at 3440x1440 and it's crushing everything (I play Watch Dogs 2, GR Wildlands, ME:A, FH3, BF1, GTA V, as examples).

The hell, is that a PS4 controller inside of it? Amazing build!

 

[Clearos]

first off...FU E3 for making me want things.

Here is what I build on the website.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/DPMTgL



What my requirements are:
Main use: Vidda games.
Country: USA
Price Range: Let's max it out at $1300.
Overclock: Nope

1. Run these games at 60fps.
PU: Battlegrounds, Destiny 2, MH:World, Anthem
I feel if those can run at 60fps anything else i will look at will do the same. I know some don't have specs out but just wanted to give a ballpark of my goals.

2. A build I can just upgrade to a new G-Card down the road.

I currently have a laptop with a 970 that does well but im starting to see some limitations.

 

[Flying Toaster]

I no longer need a new PC! Thanks for the help in this thread.

The PS4 controller inside of it. I hated it at first glance but looking over the pictures it is wicked cool.

 

[Tomte Arme]

you dont need the soundcard the onboard should be better than the xonar
i dont know about the soundblaster

I'm in the brainstorming phase of an entirely new PC but I'm also a very big noob, so I will surely have several questions over time.
For information these days I'm rocking that old champion :

CPU - Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2500K CPU @ 3.30GHz
Memory - 2x4 DDR3 G-Skill (800Mhz ?)
Mainboard - P8P67 LE
GPU - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
Monitor - PLB2712HDS (Idek Iiyama) 27.2 inches

And I'm basically planning to change everything as the processor is getting old and so that means changing MB and Memory.

409,9 Intel i7-7700K [4.2GHz, 4C/8T]
299,99 ASUS Maximus IX Hero [ATX]
225,9 2x8GB [16GB] DDR4 3600Mhz
619,9 GeForce GTX 1080 8GB
149,9 Samsung 960 250GB NVMe
139,9 SuperNOVA 850 GQ Modulaire - 850W
85,9 Fractal Design Define S (5 HD)
66,95 Noctua NH-U12S
39,9 Xonar DGX

Total - 2038,24 euros

or

409,9 Intel i7-7700K [4.2GHz, 4C/8T]
299,99 ASUS Maximus IX Hero [ATX]
458,9 2x16GB [32GB] DDR4 3200MHz
879,9 GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB
279,9 Samsung 960 500GB NVMe (+$120)
139,9 SuperNOVA 850 GQ Modulaire - 850W (8 HD)
149,9 Fractal Design Define XL R2 - Black Pearl (8 HD)
66,95 Noctua NH-U12S
99,9 Creative SoundBlaster Z

Total - 2785,24 euros

You can see that I didn't include any optical drive or HD as I have already some lying around.
You can also see that the whole enchilada is pricey as fuck in europe, and I should add that I picked some parts without knowing a lot about them.

So what do you think ? Horrible setup gone wrong ? Something to add ? Something to change for a gentler pricetag (let's hope) ?


PS. Question, 8gb or 16gb of memory ? What will it impact ?
PS2. Yeah the monitor should be changed but fuck the price is already out of reach.