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[oxrock]

Great to hear it.
Since you said that WaterCooler ain't worth it, you got any recommendations of coolers I should get? Or will it be OK without any cooler at all? Won't it overheat?

Unless you plan to overclock or to operate your computer in an absurdly hot location, the stock cpu cooling solution is generally fine.

 

[crisdecuba]

Okay, planning to build a PC later this year and need some advise on what basic route to take:

1. Upgrading my current PC
2. Building a new one from scratch

Here's what I have now:
* 1156 socket motherboard with a first gen Core i5
* Memory standard: DDR3 800/1066/1333/1600(OC)/1866(OC)/2000(OC)
* USB 2.0
* 2 PCI Express 2.0 slots

If I upgrade, I would upgrade the:
* Case
* Processor
* RAM
* GPU
* PSU (current one is only 500W)
* Cooling (would like to finally do liquid cooling)

Here's what I would like to do with this new PC:
1. Photoshop work with 8K files (chugs right now on my current setup with 8GB RAM)
2. HD video editing
3. Some light 3DStudio Max work
4. Playing games, ideally would like to be able to play at the highest settings at 60FPS and 1080p
5. VR gaming (a la Oculus Rift)

So basically I'm trying to figure out if "maxing out" my old PC would make more financial and power sense than building a high-ish end new PC.

Thoughts / opinions?

 

[MoonGred]

Have you looked at the Acer Predator XB270HU?

It's not cheap though...

Yea I've been eyeing it off for a while now, but still don't have any info about release date/price for AU. That orange circle on the stand is atrocious though.

 

[Easy_D]

Hmm yeah, don't know why the 500B has that kind of pinout on its EPS 12 volt cables, but as long as they fit, i guess it's fine.



I'd check with the store you bought it in first, might be faster than going all the way to the manufacturer.
But it depends on how cool the store is, and what kind of responsibility retailers have in that particular country.

Sweden, we have pretty good consumer laws. But the site recommend going to the manufacturer, but I'll ask them first, reason I asked is I hear ASUS can be real finicky at times.
Bah this sucks.

 

[AsfaeksBR]

Unless you plan to overclock or to operate your computer in an absurdly hot location, the stock cpu cooling solution is generally fine.

No, I don't plan to overclock it, and during the summer we get temperaturas around 90°F. Só I'll be fine?

 

[Yudoken]

Great to hear it.
Since you said that WaterCooler ain't worth it, you got any recommendations of coolers I should get? Or will it be OK without any cooler at all? Won't it overheat?
And is a 64Gb SSD enough for installing Windows 7? (Or 10, maybe I'll upgrade)

No, your cpu will not overhead although buying a better cooler than the stock one (especially if it's a small case) is always a good thing.
I don't have a specific cooler to recommend, just look for one (like this) which has good reviews and if it's fit in your pc case.
64gb will be enough if you just install windows and software like steam and chrome on it.
Just make sure that if you use software like Audacity to you change the cache directory to your hdd and you will be fine (it's in the settings).
Don't forget to change your pc in the bios to AHCI mode and do not defrag your ssd, it's hurting them.
Normally Windows 8 will not do that so you just have to make sure that AHCI (and TRIM, which should be automatically be on in Windows 8) is on before formatting and installing Windows on your ssd.

 

[AsfaeksBR]

No, your cpu will not overhead although buying a better cooler than the stock one (especially if it's a small case) is always a good thing.
I don't have a specific cooler to recommend, just look for one (like this) which has good reviews and if it's fit in your pc case.
64gb will be enough if you just install windows and software like steam and chrome on it.
Just make sure that if you use software like Audacity to you change the cache directory to your hdd and you will be fine (it's in the settings).
Don't forget to change your pc in the bios to AHCI mode and do not defrag your ssd, it's hurting them.
Normally Windows 8 will not do that so you just have to make sure that AHCI (and TRIM, which should be automatically be on in Windows 8) is on before formatting and installing Windows on your ssd.

Maybe I'll go with a CoolerMaster Hyper TX3 EVO instead, heard it's good enough.

Thanks for the help, guys!

 

[Smokey]

EDIT: TITAN BLACK SOLD

 

[lem0n]

Whoo Hoo!! First post from my newly built rig.

i5 3.5 ghz
8 m ram
ssd 256
1 tb storage drive
GTX 970 (MSI)
Gigabyte z97x mb
win 8.1

Still doing updates, but feels good,

Congrats

Just put mine together the other night, what an amazing feeling to get it right the first time!

 

[SRG01]

Well, it's been a while. I have some things to say about the build.

1. Paying $95 for a B85 motherboard is kind of silly. For that much money, you might as well get a newer and better H97 motherboard, no need to worry about whether it'll support the CPU or require a BIOS update, as it is guaranteed to be compatible with the i7 4790S.

For future expansion you want PCI-E slots, not PCI which is outdated and wouldn't be fast enough for wifi or USB 3.1/type C. They don't even make those cards for that type of slot anymore. You'll need room for four PCI-E slots as the GTX 960 will take up two slots and the two wifi and USB expansion cards will need a slot each for themselves. Alternatively, you could use a USB wifi adaptor instead of the PCI-E wifi card, but it wouldn't be as good.

There's this somewhat more expensive MSI H97-G43 motherboard (~$108) that has 4 PCI-E slots so it will definitely accommodate all that you want to add in the future. It also has better future-looking support for M.2 and SATA Express which are nice bonuses, and according to the manual it has voltage options that you can try for undervolting the CPU for even more heat reduction.

If you don't mind stepping up to a larger motherboard and case, then you could get this cheaper ASRock H97 (non M) Anniversary motherboard (~$85), it easily has all the slots you need and then some. Pair that with a cheap case like the Bitfenix Comrade (~$35) and it'll come out cheaper than what you have now.

2. Still interested in cases with bottom mounted front ports? The other day when I was looking for a cheap mATX case, I came across this, the Thermaltake Urban S1 ($49) which has USB and audio ports on the bottom of the case. It only comes with a single 80mm fan though, so unless you have a spare 120mm fan on hand, I'd recommend buying one to improve airflow since you were concerned about heat, although the components you chose are already low-heat.

3. I think you should skip the blu ray drive too. You don't even need an optical drive to install Windows anymore.

snip

Well, about $90 was saved.. you could spend it on a better CPU heatsink that runs cooler and quieter than the stock intel cooler, or a better power supply to better support future upgrades. That EVGA PSU doesn't even meet bronze rating, but reviews say it's OK. If anyone else has recommendations for cheap, silent, and effective 120mm fans, feel free to chime in. The Antec Tricool is only there because I remember it having a three speed switch and it being pretty decent.. about 6 years ago.

Oh wow, thanks for letting me know about the PCI-E USB-C thing. But yeah, I was thinking of going ATX because it was getting harder and harder to accomodate my current needs plus possible future upgrades. Another option I have is to wait for the recently announced USB-C motherboards to come to market, but who knows how long that will be.

Speaking of the Thermaltake S1, I did look at that case once upon a time, but some reviewers expressed concerns about the build quality and whether it could fit a larger graphics card. It's a shame because I *really* liked that case too

I'd echo RGM79's thoughts mostly here and although I think the N200 is a solid case for the price, going full ATX might be worth considering.

Unless you have a particular need for CUDA with your 960, I honestly feel the R9 280X is a better choice and it represents better value for money.

Also - no SSD?

I would suggest going for something like this:

http://www.ncix.com/detail/gigabyte-radeon-r9-290-windforce-db-99167-1479.htm?affiliateid=7474144

It's $30 more, but far faster and has a 512-bit bus which won't strangle the 4GB memory. The 128-bit bus on the 960 will bottleneck that 4GB hard.

That requires a little backing up: OpenCL is generally used in the scientific fields for numerical analysis, whereas a lot of 3d graphics programs are moving towards CUDA. I mean, yes, Octane is supporting OpenCL soon and LuxCore 2.0 is around the corner, but CUDA still has a wider adoption.

And that really pains me. Because I really wanted to get the 280/290X too.

A SSD may be in the future, but I don't mind HDD performance at this point.

 

[Ipsoclipso]

I'm planning to buy a new card, what the cheapest card to play modern games at 1080p @ 60fps on high setting?

 

[Kindekuma]

I'm planning to buy a new card, what the cheapest card to play modern games at 1080p @ 60fps on high setting?

Hmm. GTX 660Ti?

I'm assuming by high you mean something like: Low > Medium > High/Extra High > Ultra

 

[Odrion]

Alright, did a revise on my PC Parts list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yFk6dC

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (With a Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BK 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler.)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
RAM:
G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory
GPU: Titan X
Case: Fractal Design Refine R5
PSU: XFX XTR 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

PC Parts Picker does warn me about the voltage on the RAM being 1.65 instead of 1.5, but that's because it's technically overclocking right?

 

[Kindekuma]

PC Parts Picker does warn me about the voltage on the RAM being 1.65 instead of 1.5, but that's because it's technically overclocking right?

It seems like it requires 1.65V to function without any OC'ing.

 

[Ipsoclipso]

Hmm. GTX 660Ti?

I'm assuming by high you mean something like: Low > Medium > High/Extra High > Ultra

Really? what about GTX 760 or GTX 960, can I play modern games at Max setting with any of them?

 

[RGM79]

Appreciate your input, man! Is there another case you'd recommend instead of the ITX? The more I think about that case, the more I realize there's probably more cons than pros, so I'm totally open to other case recommendations. Thank you so much again for your help!

Not a lot of cases with carrying handles that I can think of. The Bitfenix Prodigy ($84) has upper handles but they are more for looks than actual lugging around, and may break after a while unless you're very careful and delicate with it. The only other case that comes to mind is the Corsair 380T ($115 after $10 rebate), and while it's better suited for moving around, it is more expensive. I'm going to assume your budget is $1000. From searching around, the H100i is one of the few water coolers that will easily fit in the case.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($227.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($95.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($101.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Fury Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 290 4GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($269.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Corsair 380T Mini ITX Tower Case ($114.99 @ Micro Center)
Total: $989.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-22 02:25 EDT-0400

The R9 290 isn't quite as capable as a GTX 970, but costs quite a bit less for similar performance in most areas.

Hey guys, how are you?

I'm thinking of biulding a mid-tier PC (don't want to spend too much, I'll use it more for Simulators and some exclusives), and here's what I currently have in mind:

Intel Core i5-4440 6MB 3.1GHz
EVGA Geforce GTX 760 2GB GDDR5
ASUS Mini ATX Intel LGA 1150 B85M-E/BR
2x Corsair 4GB DDR3 1600MHz
Seagate SATA III Barracuda 7200 1TB
Corsair WaterCooler Hydro - H60
EVGA Hadron

From reading the Small Form Factor Build Guide, I understand it will fit perfectly. But I still have a few questions that I hope you guys can answer:

- Will the Motherboard be capable of handling this set? And will it fit? (I think it will, but asking doesn't hurt)
- Does the PSU included in the Hadron (500W Gold) supplies enough energy to the VGA/Processor/Motherboard?
- Is the H60 a good cooler for this set?
- Do I need to buy extra fans or will it be cool enough?

That's it for now.
Thanks.

The SFF guide is a bit out of date, some of those parts are outdated (GTX 760 is discontinued) or no longer a good buy (Seagate Barracuda). If you can tell me what country you're in and a budget, I could spec you a parts list for the best bang for your buck. How strong a power supply you need will depend on the rest of your parts.

 

[RGM79]

Okay, planning to build a PC later this year and need some advise on what basic route to take:

1. Upgrading my current PC
2. Building a new one from scratch

Here's what I have now:
* 1156 socket motherboard with a first gen Core i5
* Memory standard: DDR3 800/1066/1333/1600(OC)/1866(OC)/2000(OC)
* USB 2.0
* 2 PCI Express 2.0 slots

If I upgrade, I would upgrade the:
* Case
* Processor
* RAM
* GPU
* PSU (current one is only 500W)
* Cooling (would like to finally do liquid cooling)

Here's what I would like to do with this new PC:
1. Photoshop work with 8K files (chugs right now on my current setup with 8GB RAM)
2. HD video editing
3. Some light 3DStudio Max work
4. Playing games, ideally would like to be able to play at the highest settings at 60FPS and 1080p
5. VR gaming (a la Oculus Rift)

So basically I'm trying to figure out if "maxing out" my old PC would make more financial and power sense than building a high-ish end new PC.

Thoughts / opinions?

You'll need a new build. The processor and motherboard are two generations out of date, almost three generations old. You could reuse your case, but you seem to be interested in upgrading to a better case. RAM might be reusable, but I'm guessing it's some really old 1333/1600MHz stuff. Looks like best thing would be an entirely new PC build.

Budget? Country? Any concerns about the kind of case you want, like the style, size, or features (compact or noise absorbing or windows or high airflow, etc)? If you want a case window, do you care about color coordination, that sort of thing?

I'm planning to buy a new card, what the cheapest card to play modern games at 1080p @ 60fps on high setting?

Depends on where you're buying, but the R9 290 should do a fine job.

Alright, did a revise on my PC Parts list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yFk6dC

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (With a Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BK 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler.)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
RAM:
G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory
GPU: Titan X
Case: Fractal Design Refine R5
PSU: XFX XTR 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

PC Parts Picker does warn me about the voltage on the RAM being 1.65 instead of 1.5, but that's because it's technically overclocking right?

It seems like it requires 1.65V to function without any OC'ing.

According to reviews, it only needs 1.65V to run at 2133MHz. It's fine to run RAM at that voltage, it just gets a bit hotter than 1.5V RAM so you may need to pay more attention to case airflow and temperatures, although not that much. That said.. I wouldn't get that RAM in the first place, it's overpriced.

What are you using the PC for? If it's just gaming, I can see ways of optimizing costs a lot. Like going with the i5 4690K, 2x8GB, and a cheaper motherboard. Games don't make use of 8 threads so the i7 model's hyperthreading isn't needed. 4x4GB quad channel RAM is only useful for X99 as Z97 can only do two sticks for dual channel, two sets of two sticks for twinned dual channel doesn't give a performance boost over a single set of dual channel RAM, and I hear overclocking with 4 sticks is more difficult. Going by the specs, the Asus Z97-A doesn't have a lot to offer that makes it worth buying over the cheaper Asus Z97-E.

Are you going for a black color scheme? That version of the Fractal Define R5 you chose has no case window though, so you won't be able to see the interior. Do you want to keep the black color scheme and get the R5 with the case window?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($227.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.00 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan X 12GB Video Card ($999.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($107.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1669.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-22 02:50 EDT-0400

Or if you don't need the case window and colors don't matter, you can save about $40.

 

[Easy_D]

So looking at the policy of the store that sold me the R9 280x it shouldn't be an issue whatsoever to replace, they should just send me a new one, phew. The motherboard was cheap to begin with and can be replaced should it come to that.

That said, what's a good cheap reliable motherboard?

Requirement is socket Am3+

 

[Odrion]

You'll need a new build. The processor and motherboard are two generations out of date, almost three generations old. You could reuse your case, but you seem to be interested in upgrading to a better case. RAM might be reusable, but I'm guessing it's some really old 1333/1600MHz stuff. Looks like best thing would be an entirely new PC build.

Budget? Country? Any concerns about the kind of case you want, like the style, size, or features (compact or noise absorbing or windows or high airflow, etc)? If you want a case window, do you care about color coordination, that sort of thing?



Depends on where you're buying, but the R9 290 should do a fine job.




According to reviews, it only needs 1.65V to run at 2133MHz. It's fine to run RAM at that voltage, it just gets a bit hotter than 1.5V RAM so you may need to pay more attention to case airflow and temperatures, although not that much. That said.. I wouldn't get that RAM in the first place, it's overpriced.

What are you using the PC for? If it's just gaming, I can see ways of optimizing costs a lot. Like going with the i5 4690K, 2x8GB, and a cheaper motherboard. Games don't make use of 8 threads so the i7 model's hyperthreading isn't needed. 4x4GB quad channel RAM is only useful for X99 as Z97 can only do two sticks for dual channel, two sets of two sticks for twinned dual channel doesn't give a performance boost over a single set of dual channel RAM, and I hear overclocking with 4 sticks is more difficult. Going by the specs, the Asus Z97-A doesn't have a lot to offer that makes it worth buying over the cheaper Asus Z97-E.

Are you going for a black color scheme? That version of the Fractal Define R5 you chose has no case window though, so you won't be able to see the interior. Do you want to keep the black color scheme and get the R5 with the case window?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($227.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.00 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan X 12GB Video Card ($999.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($107.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1669.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-22 02:50 EDT-0400

Or if you don't need the case window and colors don't matter, you can save about $40.

I'm keeping the i7 but those are some really smart cuts in the pricing. Thank you.

 

[Ryne]

I sorely need a new monitor, this Samsung is not cutting it anymore.

Whats a good monitor for $300~, 1080p/1440p and 120 hz?

 

[DoT2]

Gaf im trying to decide on a gsync monitor. Right now I have it pinned down to the 1080p benq gsync or the 1440p rog swift. The graphics card I am running is a 980gtx and I probably wont be able to upgrade for a few years. I also wanna be able to utilize the 144hz.. gaf.. which monitor would you choose?
please no other suggestions.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Hmm yeah, don't know why the 500B has that kind of pinout on its EPS 12 volt cables, but as long as they fit, i guess it's fits

It fits, the square shape goes right into the square on the Mb

Not forcing it at all

 

[no maam]

Is it worth it to use my old 680 for a dedicated phys x card?

 

[kiyomi]

Is it worth it to use my old 680 for a dedicated phys x card?

If you've upgraded, you might as well sell it. You should be able to get some decent money for it still, I would've thought.

 

[no maam]

If you've upgraded, you might as well sell it. You should be able to get some decent money for it still, I would've thought.

Got a 980 couple weeks ago so the 680's just sittin in a box. Was planning to use it for another build, but I'm going a different route for that one. I guess I'll try selling it. Just didn't want to see it wither away in the closet.

Late 3 day response. Rgm, I just checked. The evga 980 sc fans don't spin unless over a certain temp. So they do have that feature.

 

[RumblingRosco]

Well I did the math. I averaged the last ten sold listings in North America for the original Gtx Titan and that came up to $838 CDN. Converting the CDN to USD came up to $667 USD. Knocking off 20% of that price comes up to $533 USD. That price still seems a little steep.

I would rather sell the card to someone of GAF than list it on ebay or locally through Kijiji. I guess I can give it a try here on GAF at that price and see if people get insulted?

That approach seems reasonable to me. People on GAF will haggle a bit if you are near their acceptable range which can be nice actually.

Another question I asked in the Shadowplay thread but haven't gotten a response. For those that use Shadowplay or other recording software, do you record to a SSD or HDD? Is there anything I should be considering between the two in terms of performance or wear-and-tear on my hardware? I'll be using Shadowplay specifically if that makes a difference.

 

[Ragona]

hey guys after my last post iam now looking for a GTX 970 for my 2500k.
Which one can you recommend?
keep in mind my PSU only has 6stick pins ( does it harm buying a 6-8 pin adapter?

 

[RGM79]

Got a 980 couple weeks ago so the 680's just sittin in a box. Was planning to use it for another build, but I'm going a different route for that one. I guess I'll try selling it. Just didn't want to see it wither away in the closet.

Late 3 day response. Rgm, I just checked. The evga 980 sc fans don't spin unless over a certain temp. So they do have that feature.

Huh, that's good to know, I wonder why it's not advertised. Maybe it was added in later via BIOS or firmware update.

hey guys after my last post iam now looking for a GTX 970 for my 2500k.
Which one can you recommend?
keep in mind my PSU only has 6stick pins ( does it harm buying a 6-8 pin adapter?

What power supply model do you have exactly?

Six and eight pin PCI-E power cables are different, they carry different wattage. The 6 pin supplies 75 watts while 8 pin does 150 watts. Adaptors will work, although they're not really recommended in certain cases. Depends on your power supply.

I know there are certain GTX 970 models that only need a single 6 pin cable, like the compact Zotac GTX 970. Not sure about any others, though. Gigabyte's compact GTX 970 ITX and the Asus Strix GTX 970 require an 8 pin power cable.

 

[Prime crotch]

Any quick overview on the XFX PSUs for a 970, I'm undecided in either a 550W or a 650W, both TS models, or with the XTR modular designs.

 

[crazepharmacist]

So looking to make the upgrade to a modular power supply in an effort to make my case nice and tidy after seeing the show your pc off thread. Probably going with a Corsair. Kind of uncertain on the amount of watts I should go for. Currently I have 750 which I think is totally unnecessary. I have an i7920@4ghz and a gtx 970. I could probably get away with a 500 watt psu but I also need to think for the future. Does 600 watts sound okay?

 

[AsfaeksBR]

The SFF guide is a bit out of date, some of those parts are outdated (GTX 760 is discontinued) or no longer a good buy (Seagate Barracuda). If you can tell me what country you're in and a budget, I could spec you a parts list for the best bang for your buck. How strong a power supply you need will depend on the rest of your parts.

I live in Brazil, and I was thinking of spending something around R$2500~R$4000. More than that is too much since it won't be my primary gaming decide. This one with the GTX 760 costs around R$3100. Thanks.

 

[Fezan]

http://www.takealot.com/huntkey-max-apfc-series-700w-active-power-supply-unit/PLID26920809

How is this power supply. I am getting it for free and is it enough for 970 ?

 

[Azulsky]

http://www.takealot.com/huntkey-max-apfc-series-700w-active-power-supply-unit/PLID26920809

How is this power supply. I am getting it for free and is it enough for 970 ?

Power wise it is fine. Quality no idea

 

[Fezan]

Power wise it is fine. Quality no idea

Reading tomshardware most are saying not good

 

[kiyomi]

http://www.takealot.com/huntkey-max-apfc-series-700w-active-power-supply-unit/PLID26920809

How is this power supply. I am getting it for free and is it enough for 970 ?

Never heard of it. 1 year warranty scares me, but according to overclock.net, Huntkey have 1 or 2 decent PSUs in their line, so it might be okay. Personally, I would go into that thread and ask there.

 

[AstroZombie]

Gaf im trying to decide on a gsync monitor. Right now I have it pinned down to the 1080p benq gsync or the 1440p rog swift. The graphics card I am running is a 980gtx and I probably wont be able to upgrade for a few years. I also wanna be able to utilize the 144hz.. gaf.. which monitor would you choose?
please no other suggestions.

Wait a few weeks for the new Acer. 1440p, IPS Panel, Gsync, same price reportedly as the Swift. Highly rated panel.

 

[Prime crotch]

So looking to make the upgrade to a modular power supply in an effort to make my case nice and tidy after seeing the show your pc off thread. Probably going with a Corsair. Kind of uncertain on the amount of watts I should go for. Currently I have 750 which I think is totally unnecessary. I have an i7920@4ghz and a gtx 970. I could probably get away with a 500 watt psu but I also need to think for the future. Does 600 watts sound okay?

Don't go with a VS or CX model for the Corsair, I have one of those and need to swap it out for my new 970.

 

[oxrock]

Hoping for some feedback on my current build. I'm a gamer/programmer/game dev/3d modeler/whatever, so I do generally go a bit towards the enthusiast side of things.

processor: Intel Core i7-4790K

motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X

ram: Kingston HyperX FURY 8GB Kit (2x4GB) 1866MHz DDR3

fan: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO

GPU(already purchased): Sapphire Radeon VAPOR-X R9 280X 3GB

as far as SSD, HDD,case,PSU, I'll simply be reusing my current components.

These are the items I currently have in mind, as I listed, the GPU has been purchased already but the remainder of the items aren't set in stone. Performance is important to me but I'm not willing to go to extreme price ranges, so I was thinking these items were a good compromise. Comments/advice/recommendations are GREATLY appreciated.

Above is a list of components that will likely be in my next build. I planned on reusing my PSU but I'm honestly no sure if it's up to the task. Here is my current PSU, how do you guys think it would handle those items?

 

[kiyomi]

So looking to make the upgrade to a modular power supply in an effort to make my case nice and tidy after seeing the show your pc off thread. Probably going with a Corsair. Kind of uncertain on the amount of watts I should go for. Currently I have 750 which I think is totally unnecessary. I have an i7920@4ghz and a gtx 970. I could probably get away with a 500 watt psu but I also need to think for the future. Does 600 watts sound okay?

Corsair PSUs in general are overpriced and outperformed by similar alternatives. The Cooler Master V550 is an excellent semi-modular choice.

 

[Kayant]

Was messing about with over clocking got 4.5Ghz on i5 4690k @1.185v on Vcore and @1.590v on VRIN using a hyper evo 212. Idle temps are in the high 30's but no excluding 40C. Peak load temp in OCCT stress test - 78C, Realbench - 79C in 15 min stress test. For reference stock is @1.100v on Vcore and @1.800v on VRIN.

Is that good?

I think I could get 4.7/8 if I had a bigger cooler/water.

 

[RGM79]

Any quick overview on the XFX PSUs for a 970, I'm undecided in either a 550W or a 650W, both TS models, or with the XTR modular designs.

They're all great. All of the XFX power supply line are rebadged Seasonic designs, and all of them have highly rated reviews across the entire board.

Go 650 watts for more overclocking headroom and better support for future graphics cards that may need more wattage than Maxwell. Whether you go modular or not is your call, it's easier to keep wires tidy with a modular PSU. Why limit yourself to just XFX though? Other brands are also decent.

What's your budget and what country are you in?

So looking to make the upgrade to a modular power supply in an effort to make my case nice and tidy after seeing the show your pc off thread. Probably going with a Corsair. Kind of uncertain on the amount of watts I should go for. Currently I have 750 which I think is totally unnecessary. I have an i7920@4ghz and a gtx 970. I could probably get away with a 500 watt psu but I also need to think for the future. Does 600 watts sound okay?

600 sounds fine, but I often find good quality EVGA modular 750 watt power supplies for a good price.

How much are you looking to spend? Buying from the US?

http://www.takealot.com/huntkey-max-apfc-series-700w-active-power-supply-unit/PLID26920809

How is this power supply. I am getting it for free and is it enough for 970 ?

Doesn't look good. No reviews that I can find, but this chart says the APFC 700 doesn't even reach 80 plus rating.

Above is a list of components that will likely be in my next build. I planned on reusing my PSU but I'm honestly no sure if it's up to the task. Here is my current PSU, how do you guys think it would handle those items?

Rosewill's Stallion line appears to be cheap stuff made by Solytech that doesn't even have an 80 plus efficiency rating. I think you'll need a new power supply as low quality 500 watt PSU isn't enough, 550~600 watts is recommended for the R9 280X, it used to be AMD's flagship graphics card a few years ago so it is power hungry.

 

[Coulomb_Barrier]

Corsair PSUs in general are overpriced and outperformed by similar alternatives. The Cooler Master V550 is an excellent semi-modular choice.

I agree, I don't understand why everyone's default choice for a PSU is Corsair. Perhaps because their models are so ubiquitous.

You can get better quality and often cheaper PSUs, like the EVGA SuperNOVA G2 80+ gold or SuperFlower Leadex Gold.

 

[Reckoner]

Wait a few weeks for the new Acer. 1440p, IPS Panel, Gsync, same price reportedly as the Swift. Highly rated panel.

isn't the difference in response time and the lack of strobing gonna be noticiable and a let down for some?

 

[RGM79]

I agree, I don't understand why everyone's default choice for a PSU is Corsair. Perhaps because their models are so ubiquitous.

You can get better quality and often cheaper PSUs, like the EVGA SuperNOVA G2 80+ gold or SuperFlower Leadex Gold.

I think it's because when Corsair first launched their line of power supplies, they started with selling rebranded Seasonic models. Now that they've gotten the general reputation of "corsair has nice power supplies" into most user's minds, they've switched over to cheaper OEMs like Chicony and Channel Well Tech which aren't awful, but not up there with Seasonic.

 

[Coulomb_Barrier]

I think it's because when Corsair first launched their line of power supplies, they started with selling rebranded Seasonic models. Now that they've gotten the general reputation of "corsair has nice power supplies" into most user's minds, they've switched over to cheaper OEMs like Chicony and Channel Well Tech which aren't awful, but not up there with Seasonic.

Interesting, that's a bit crafty of them. I had no idea.

 

[xBladeM6x]

Tell me what this most likely is. At random times, my audio will begin crackling and skipping. This happens sitting idle on the desktop, or playing a game. Though when playing a game, it makes the game itself run like shit, and skip like crazy. My first thought was that this could be the CPU shitting itself, but it's nice and cool, and the usage percentage is what is to be expected with whichever task I'm doing. My next thought is that the sound card on my motherboard is dying. This skipping and crackling will be present across all speakers and headsets plugged in, when it decides it wants to happen.

Help me diagnose the issue? Lol

Spoiler

I'll be both relieved and pissed if it turns out it's a driver issue. Lol

 

[Nesmaster75]

Not a lot of cases with carrying handles that I can think of. The Bitfenix Prodigy ($84) has upper handles but they are more for looks than actual lugging around, and may break after a while unless you're very careful and delicate with it. The only other case that comes to mind is the Corsair 380T ($115 after $10 rebate), and while it's better suited for moving around, it is more expensive. I'm going to assume your budget is $1000. From searching around, the H100i is one of the few water coolers that will easily fit in the case.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($227.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($95.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($101.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Fury Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 290 4GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($269.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Corsair 380T Mini ITX Tower Case ($114.99 @ Micro Center)
Total: $989.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-22 02:25 EDT-0400

The R9 290 isn't quite as capable as a GTX 970, but costs quite a bit less for similar performance in most areas.



The SFF guide is a bit out of date, some of those parts are outdated (GTX 760 is discontinued) or no longer a good buy (Seagate Barracuda). If you can tell me what country you're in and a budget, I could spec you a parts list for the best bang for your buck. How strong a power supply you need will depend on the rest of your parts.

Oh man, I LOVE that case! Also, sorry to keep bugging you, but hopefully this'll be my last post before I buy parts this week. I don't mind going over my original price point a little to add the MSI 970, but I just want to make sure everything will fit in the Corsair 380 case. And out of curiosity, how difficult is it to install Liquid CPU Cooler? First time building a PC so I'm excited but slightly terrified. Have a ton of saved videos to help with the process though! Thanks so much for your help & here is (what I hope) is the final build:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tcHzRB
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tcHzRB/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($227.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($95.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($101.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Fury Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 290 4GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($269.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Corsair 380T Mini ITX Tower Case ($114.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($70.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1060.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-22 11:21 EDT-0400

 

[Azulsky]

I agree, I don't understand why everyone's default choice for a PSU is Corsair. Perhaps because their models are so ubiquitous.

You can get better quality and often cheaper PSUs, like the EVGA SuperNOVA G2 80+ gold or SuperFlower Leadex Gold.

They are still good on the top end for the HX and AX series. I have had my HX850 for 6 years. The other ones i dont know.

Honestly when choosing most computer components, if I can, I pick based on customer support. When an EVGA video card breaks they take care of you, when the attachment for a Corsair case front panel breaks off, they mail you a new front panel without skipping a beat. Its making me reconsider Asus as my motherboard manufacturer for my next computer, because folks have been having issues with customer support.

So yeah in that regard Corsair is a pretty good thing. I took my friend 6 weeks to get a PSU replacement from Seasonic.

 

[asdad123]

I can get a Gigabyte GTX 970 (Mini ITX version) for $250. Smokey's Titan up there is tempting me though, however is a Titan worth $300 more than a 970?

Im gaming on a 2560x1440 screen and it will be paired with a 4770k. I do like the 970 due to the HDMI 2.0 and my 4k TV supports 4:4:4 with the HDMI 2.0 input.

 

[RGM79]

Interesting, that's a bit crafty of them. I had no idea.

It looks that way from these archived Corsair PSU reviews. From 2006-2010, Corsair were using both Seasonic and CWT designs heavily for their PSU line. After that, there's a lot fewer Seasonic types, and more CWT, Chicony, and GreatWall.

Tell me what this most likely is. At random times, my audio will begin crackling and skipping. This happens sitting idle on the desktop, or playing a game. Though when playing a game, it makes the game itself run like shit, and skip like crazy. My first thought was that this could be the CPU shitting itself, but it's nice and cool, and the usage percentage is what is to be expected with whichever task I'm doing. My next thought is that the sound card on my motherboard is dying. This skipping and crackling will be present across all speakers and headsets plugged in, when it decides it wants to happen.

Help me diagnose the issue? Lol

Spoiler

I'll be both relieved and pissed if it turns out it's a driver issue. Lol

If it was a driver issue, it'd come and go as you uninstall and reinstall drivers, maybe.

Could be electrical interference from motherboard components? If you could borrow a sound card to try, USB or internal, that would help test that idea.

I live in Brazil, and I was thinking of spending something around R$2500~R$4000. More than that is too much since it won't be my primary gaming decide. This one with the GTX 760 costs around R$3100. Thanks.

Sorry, almost forgot about this post. Since I'm unfamiliar with Brazil's PC parts market, do you have any retail websites to look at? I found this list, but I don't know how trustworthy most of the store links are.

Brazil
Mega Mamute <--- caters more to gamers
Kabum
Oficina Dos Bits <--- caters more to office PCs but sells gaming parts
Balão De Informatica <--- Best Buy type store that sells PC parts
E Armasem
Sysconn <--- huge selection, sells lots of gaming and overclocking specific components
The Terabyte Shop
X5 Computadores
Chip Art Informatica
Big's Online
Compu Job <---- sells pre built rigs and PC parts

If there's a few retailers from there that you trust or know locally, tell us?