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[Coulomb_Barrier]

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.

Oh yeah certainly Corsair PSUs are still top quality. But I think they are bested in quite a few price ranges. But picking parts based on customer support makes sense. Corsair must be one of the best. Personally I hope that the vast majority of components I buy don't break as I take good care of my PC (keep it dust free, well ventilated, off the carpet etc).

On a side note I just nabbed a G.Skill F4-2400C15Q-16GRK 16Gb DDR4 set off eBay. New but open box, for...£77. Absolute steal if these hold up, as new this set costs around £150. This is to replace an 8Gb single stick of standard Crucial memory I had to plump for when first assembling my X99 build in January because of financial constraints Installed them, enabled X.M.P in the bios and I am well happy. After a bios update I think the upgrade is giving me a 250 point increase in 3DMark.

 

[Coulomb_Barrier]

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.

If that is widespread then it's not great. Seasonic most people have heard of and they are known for quality components, whereas I've never heard of those no doubt cheaper manufacturers.

 

[RGM79]

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

The Corsair 380T is a unconventional and unique case design, but it's a fairly popular case and brand, and the H100i seems to be a popular cooler to install in the 380T. I'm sure you can find build videos for it.

Hmm, after looking around, there is an alternative choice for the power supply. The Corsair CS750M is $74 after discounts and the official specs say it's only 140mm long which makes it extremely compact and easier to manage, a definite plus for a compact case like the 380T. More compact yet has higher capacity, looks pretty decent on paper.

However.. there are a large proportion of negative reviews on Newegg that gives it an average of just 3/5 stars after 23 reviews.. On the flip side, the Amazon page for the same power supply averages an excellent rating of 4.5/5 star rating after 60 reviews. I have no idea what's going on, maybe Newegg was selling a bad production batch? The negative Newegg reviews indicated that it either died early or had a bad buzzing/humming vibration. Professional reviews for the Corsair CSXXXM line by GreatWall seem decent enough though (review: [550W][650W][850W])

Yeah, a GTX 970 can physically fit in there, just not the super long ones like the Gigabyte models with the triple fan Windforce cooler. I recommend the EVGA GTX 970 SSC ($330). It brings the cost of the PC up to about $1120, though. Still within budget?

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 @ 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: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 380T Mini ITX Tower Case ($114.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Corsair CSM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($73.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1123.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-22 11:50 EDT-0400

 

[Gumbie]

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

Have you changed anything in your setup recently? Try going into device manager and disabling things one at a time and then test to see if your skipping is still there. I had this same issue with my realtek onboard sound but never had a problem if I was using my Logitech G930s

 

[LilJoka]

Just benched the GTX 970 @ 1.25v 1590Mhz Core, 4000Mhz Memory =P

1616Mhz Core and 4020Mhz Memory benched!

3DMark Firestrike GPU score is 13758, 66.55fps, 54.33fps at 1606/4020 1.25-1.27v.

 

[AsfaeksBR]

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
Kabum

These are the most trustworthy ones.
I always make my purchases with them, so that's where you need to look.
And don't forget: The price range should be up to R$3500.

 

[Smokey]

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.

ROG Swift.

A monitor you can grow into over time, and the 980 will be a good match with it.

 

[finalflame]

ROG Swift.

A monitor you can grow into over time, and the 980 will be a good match with it.

ROG Swift is a great monitor, but OP won't be playing many modern 1440p titles at high enough frame rates with a single 980 to justify a 1440p144hz monitor.

Maybe a 1080p/144hz monitor with G-Sync would be a better fit?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NUCRBCU/?tag=neogaf0e-20

All depends on whether OP cares more about 144hz or 1440p. But both aren't really gonna happen moving forward with a single 980.

 

[Smokey]

ROG Swift is a great monitor, but OP won't be playing many modern 1440p titles at high enough frame rates with a single 980 to justify a 1440p144hz monitor.

Maybe a 1080p/144hz monitor with G-Sync would be a better fit?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NUCRBCU/?tag=neogaf0e-20

All depends on whether OP cares more about 144hz or 1440p. But both aren't really gonna happen moving forward with a single 980.

Yes he can especially if he's not the type to care about maxing out every setting. He can also OC the card for additional performance.The whole point of GSYNC is to sync the refresh rate of the monitor with your GPU. It's purpose fits great with his scenario. He won't be getting 144fps, but he won't need to.

 

[KePoW]

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

I had a friend with this exact issue recently on a new build. He had constant audio stuttering/skipping even at desktop or playing MP3s. And it would make the computer run like crap in general

The solution sounds weird, but turns out the video card was not fully seated. We were tearing our hair out trying to figure it out. But randomly he just decides to remove and fully re-seat the video card, and everything was 100% normal after that

lol PCs

 

[DoT2]

ROG Swift.

A monitor you can grow into over time, and the 980 will be a good match with it.

The GRAPHICS GOD has spoken! I shall take your advice sir, thanks.

 

[finalflame]

Yes he can especially if he's not the type to care about maxing out every setting. He can also OC the card for additional performance.The whole point of GSYNC is to sync the refresh rate of the monitor with your GPU. It's purpose fits great with his scenario. He won't be getting 144fps, but he won't need to.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1515264/gtx-980-vs-gtx-780-ti-benchmarked-1440p-performance

Even in old games like Bioshock Infinite the 980 cannot get anywhere even remotely near 144fps. Much less on modern titles like Metro or Tomb Raider. I know exactly what G-Sync does, It's just overkill to have a 1440p 144hz monitor when you won't even be pushing close to 144hz, even in old games (note: this is not a bad thing, 144 fps is ridiculously high).

All I'm saying is, if OP cares more about getting high, consistent framerate on modern titles, go with a native 1080p display for a GTX 980, and you'll be guaranteed 1080p 60fps + on things like Witcher 3, GTA V, MGS V maxxed out. Get a 1440p monitor, even if it 's 144hz and 1440p, and you'll likely see sub-60 in most maxxed out modern titles. Suggesting a 1440p 144hz monitor here is just overkill if OP won't be upgrading for "many years". He should just get a 1440p 144hz monitor in a few years when he upgrades to a new card or gets a second 980, and they'll be significantly cheaper by then.

 

[xBladeM6x]

I had a friend with this exact issue recently on a new build. He had constant audio stuttering/skipping even at desktop or playing MP3s. And it would make the computer run like crap in general

The solution sounds weird, but turns out the video card was not fully seated. We were tearing our hair out trying to figure it out. But randomly he just decides to remove and fully re-seat the video card, and everything was 100% normal after that

lol PCs

I actually had the idea of just pulling the trigger on a Corsair Air 540 case that I've been wanting for a while, so I imagine if I pull the whole system apart, and transfer it to that, it might fix the issue if it's really a physical issue. (Though I could easily re-seat the GPU later today and post back if it worked.) Lol

 

[Smokey]

http://www.overclock.net/t/1515264/gtx-980-vs-gtx-780-ti-benchmarked-1440p-performance

Even in old games like Bioshock Infinite the 980 cannot get anywhere even remotely near 144fps. Much less on modern titles like Metro or Tomb Raider. I know exactly what G-Sync does, It's just overkill to have a 1440p 144hz monitor when you won't even be pushing close to 144hz, even in old games (note: this is not a bad thing, 144 fps is ridiculously high).

All I'm saying is, if OP cares more about getting high, consistent framerate on modern titles, go with a native 1080p display for a GTX 980, and you'll be guaranteed 1080p 60fps + on things like Witcher 3, GTA V, MGS V maxxed out. Get a 1440p monitor, even if it 's 144hz and 1440p, and you'll likely see sub-60 in most maxxed out modern titles. Suggesting a 1440p 144hz monitor here is just overkill if OP won't be upgrading for "many years". He should just get a 1440p 144hz monitor in a few years when he upgrade to a new card or gets a second 980.

Right. I am not disagreeing with you there.

But it's not necessary to get that with GSYNC is what I am saying. The experience will still feel fluid and not have any tearing with GSYNC enabled in combination with the 980. I am probably biased because I believe high end GPUs should be paired with high end monitors. I think buying a 1080p display is the equivalent of buying a 720p display back when 1080p was starting to make it's move.

Away from gaming he'll also have the benefit of using a higher resolution monitor in his day to day desktop activities. That's something to take into consideration as well.

The GRAPHICS GOD has spoken! I shall take your advice sir, thanks.

There are multiple views on your question, just presenting my opinion. Please don't base a purchase of several hundred dollars off of my word alone

 

[JORMBO]

GAF, I am looking to upgrade my PSU but do not know much about this. I want to make sure I get something that fits before ordering. My PC is a Dell XPS8500 system. This is the current PSU:

http://www.newgeardeals.com/Dell_RH8...01_p/rh8p5.htm

I am wondering if something like this would fit in it's place:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OVCJKWC/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Let me know if more information is needed.

 

[finalflame]

Right. I am not disagreeing with you there.

But it's not necessary to get that with GSYNC is what I am saying. The experience will still feel fluid and not have any tearing with GSYNC enabled in combination with the 980. I am probably biased because I believe high end GPUs should be paired with high end monitors. I think buying a 1080p display is the equivalent of buying a 720p display back when 1080p was starting to make it's move.

Away from gaming he'll also have the benefit of using a higher resolution monitor in his day to day desktop activities. That's something to take into consideration as well.



There are multiple views on your question, just presenting my opinion. Please don't base a purchase of several hundred dollars off of my word alone

I agree with you on the advantages of 1440p, I use a 1440p monitor myself (with SLi 980s, jealous of your SLi Titan Xs). And I understand G-Sync provides more fluid image with variable refresh rates that sync with the GPUs frame buffer.

My point is that if OP gets stuck with a 1440p monitor, 1080p on it will look blocky and not as good, because it won't be the native resolution, so running games at 1080p won't be an option. But, he also won't be able to get great performance maxed out at 1440p with a single 980. It all depends on what OP wants. If he is ok getting 30-60 FPS on modern titles, with G-Sync, at 1440p, then he should definitely go for the swift!

However, if he prioritizes 60fps+ and maxed graphical settings, I think 1080p will be the way to go. Games will only get more demanding to max out, and getting decent framerates on a 1440p monitor with a single 980 will prove somewhat difficult.

Or, OP could just get a cheaper korean 1440p monitor that overclocks to 100hz+ and a 1080p144hz G-Sync monitor for the price of a single ROG Swift. Have a dual-monitor setup with the best of both worlds (but no G-Sync at 1440p).

 

[KePoW]

I actually had the idea of just pulling the trigger on a Corsair Air 540 case that I've been wanting for a while, so I imagine if I pull the whole system apart, and transfer it to that, it might fix the issue if it's really a physical issue. (Though I could easily re-seat the GPU later today and post back if it worked.) Lol

lol yeah, it's extremely easy to try it without getting a new case =P

 

[xBladeM6x]

lol yeah, it's extremely easy to try it without getting a new case =P

This might seem irrelevant, but the reason I'm so quick to blame the motherboard, is because it's the one part I didn't choose, but instead a friend of mine did. And it was an already 2 year old outdated hunk of shit when I got it originally, but didn't realize it until I took up computer building as a serious thing, shortly after. In this case, I'm holding a grudge, and looking for any reason to dispose of it, considering it also has the problem of 2 USB ports not keeping sustained power, since day one.

Spoiler

Yes, I'm rather salty. Lol

 

[SkyTurnsRed]

So, I have come to the realization that I don't have the best of monitors. The ol' display is about to hit the five year mark.

At this point, I have three choices:

1) Get a really nice 16:9 monitor like the ROG Swift

2) Go dual screen and get two monitors (note: the budget won't allow for two ROG Swifts)

3) Jump into the pool and go 21:9

Currently I'm running a GTX 760. Half of my gaming is done on this current monitor, the rest on my actual TV. If my preferred control scheme for the game is my controller, I prefer to use my TV.

What are the pros and cons of each? I don't know if my card can handle something like a Swift, or if the technology for 21:9 screens is within a reasonable price range at the moment.

 

[kiyomi]

GAF, I am looking to upgrade my PSU but do not know much about this. I want to make sure I get something that fits before ordering. My PC is a Dell XPS8500 system. This is the current PSU:

http://www.newgeardeals.com/Dell_RH8...01_p/rh8p5.htm

I am wondering if something like this would fit in it's place:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OVCJKWC/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Let me know if more information is needed.

You don't need 850W to power that thing, lol. Maybe you meant to link to the 500W version or something. It seems like the XPS 8500 will support full ATX PSUs, so, here are some better alternatives:

XFX TS 550W

Seasonic G550W

XFX XTR 550W

EVGA 500B 500W

 

[KePoW]

This might seem irrelevant, but the reason I'm so quick to blame the motherboard, is because it's the one part I didn't choose, but instead a friend of mine did. And it was an already 2 year old outdated hunk of shit when I got it originally, but didn't realize it until I took up computer building as a serious thing, shortly after. In this case, I'm holding a grudge, and looking for any reason to dispose of it, considering it also has the problem of 2 USB ports not keeping sustained power, since day one.

Spoiler

Yes, I'm rather salty. Lol

Yeah, with such a random issue like the one you and my friend had, it could be anything really

I would have never guessed in a hundred years that re-seating the video card would fix that particular problem

 

[JORMBO]

You don't need 850W to power that thing, lol. Maybe you meant to link to the 500W version or something. It seems like the XPS 8500 will support full ATX PSUs, so, here are some better alternatives:

XFX TS 550W

Seasonic G550W

XFX XTR 550W

EVGA 500B 500W

Thanks. Good to hear it will fit.

I was going to upgrade the video card, so that is why I want to upgrade the PSU also. I am leaning towards a GTX970 and 750W PSU.

 

[Celcius]

I agree with you on the advantages of 1440p, I use a 1440p monitor myself (with SLi 980s, jealous of your SLi Titan Xs). And I understand G-Sync provides more fluid image with variable refresh rates that sync with the GPUs frame buffer.

My point is that if OP gets stuck with a 1440p monitor, 1080p on it will look blocky and not as good, because it won't be the native resolution, so running games at 1080p won't be an option. But, he also won't be able to get great performance maxed out at 1440p with a single 980. It all depends on what OP wants. If he is ok getting 30-60 FPS on modern titles, with G-Sync, at 1440p, then he should definitely go for the swift!

However, if he prioritizes 60fps+ and maxed graphical settings, I think 1080p will be the way to go. Games will only get more demanding to max out, and getting decent framerates on a 1440p monitor with a single 980 will prove somewhat difficult.

Or, OP could just get a cheaper korean 1440p monitor that overclocks to 100hz+ and a 1080p144hz G-Sync monitor for the price of a single ROG Swift. Have a dual-monitor setup with the best of both worlds (but no G-Sync at 1440p).

Like Smokey said, it's a monitor that he can grow into. Gsync for smoothness now, and then later if he goes SLI or upgrades to something more powerful then he can take advantage of the higher refresh rate. Plus, if he plays a title that's not too demanding like Borderlands then he can probably enjoy 144 hz at 1440p today.

 

[finalflame]

Like Smokey said, it's a monitor that he can grow into. Gsync for smoothness now, and then later if he goes SLI or upgrades to something more powerful then he can take advantage of the higher refresh rate. Plus, if he plays a title that's not too demanding like Borderlands then he can probably enjoy 144 hz at 1440p today.

Yet he'll be stuck playing at 1440p for modern titles, where he will get nowhere near even 60fps if he maxes out all the graphical niceties.

It's a trade-off. Depends on what OP wants. I'm not saying my answer is correct or that Smokey's is wrong, but he really needs to consider what he wants out of the monitor. 980 is really not a 1440p card moving forward.

 

[kiyomi]

Thanks. Good to hear it will fit.

I was going to upgrade the video card, so that is why I want to upgrade the PSU also. I am leaning towards a GTX970 and 750W PSU.

In that case, this is perfect.

 

[KePoW]

Yet he'll be stuck playing at 1440p for modern titles, where he will get nowhere near even 60fps if he maxes out all the graphical niceties.

It's a trade-off. Depends on what OP wants. I'm not saying my answer is correct or that Smokey's is wrong, but he really needs to consider what he wants out of the monitor. 980 is really not a 1440p card moving forward.

Wait hold on... isn't 980 the best single GPU right now (besides Titan)? Is it really not good enough for 1440p at 60fps??

 

[Kezen]

Wait hold on... isn't 980 the best single GPU right now (besides Titan)? Is it really not good enough for 1440p at 60fps??

At such a res you need two if you want 60fps + max settings.

 

[KePoW]

At such a res you need two if you want 60fps + max settings.

Wow I did not realize that, since I still only have 1080p monitors

But I just assumed my single 980 would be good enough when I get a 1440 monitor

Isn't 1440 the next rez up above 1080... there's nothing in between right? That sucks if I need more than one 980 just for the next step in resolution

 

[finalflame]

Wait hold on... isn't 980 the best single GPU right now (besides Titan)? Is it really not good enough for 1440p at 60fps??

The 980 was barely an upgrade over the 780 Ti. People are sometimes delusional about its power. Here are comparisons:

http://www.overclock.net/t/1515264/gtx-980-vs-gtx-780-ti-benchmarked-1440p-performance

The 980 struggles to hit 60, even overclocked on pretty much all modern games listed.

No, a single 980 is not enough for 1440 60fps in upcoming titles. 1440p is 80% more pixels to render vs. 1080p.

 

[MoonGred]

Anyone have any thoughts on the below? I'd consider the Acer Gsync if it wasn't for the fact that it's nowhere to be found in AU

Hey guys

I'm in the market for a new monitor, I was doubting whether or not to get a ROG Swift, but in the end the TN panel made me decide not to get one.

Preferably I'd like the following:
-1440p (I'd consider 4k, but only have a 970 and don't know what 1080/1440p looks like on -a 4k monitor)
-IPS
-60hz (120/140 isn't out of the question either)
-Lowish latency - I'm not to sure what's considered acceptable latency wise, I don't play games competitively apart from the occasional game of CS
-Cheaper than the ROG would be a massive bonus as well

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

Interest check! ... Not 100% sure I'm going to sell, so please bare with me while I also do some of my own personal accounting. I'm a bit wishy-washy; but if you're interested, shoot me a PM and I'd love to chat!

Semi-for-sale:

EVGA Nvidia Titan w/ waterblock & backplate

I would ship it with the waterblock still attached, but can also include the fan shroud and original box. Obviously for someone with a water-cooled system and/or with the expertise to flip the fan shroud back on. It's not complicated, but it's a "do it at your own risk" kind of thing.

From my original order history at Performance PCs:

*** NEW *** EK-FC Titan Backplate - Black

EK-TITAN-BACKPLATE-BK $29.95
Ordered: 1
$29.95
*** HOT *** EK-FC GeForce GTX Titan GPU Water Block - Acetal

EK-FC-TITAN-CA $106.99
Ordered: 1
$106.99

I bought the Titan second-hand a couple months after it first released. I immediately put it under water - has given me zero issues. Always run with a small, +100Mhz overclock to the core. Always runs super cool with the block. If I did sell, I'd probably need ~72hours to ship, as I'd need to tear it out of my PC, which would require a full drain and special care.

I'd sell the bundle for $625 net to me - you cover shipping/fees.

 

[OraleeWey]

Anyone have any thoughts on the below? I'd consider the Acer Gsync if it wasn't for the fact that it's nowhere to be found in AU

This is what was recommended to me.


http://www.ncixus.com/products/?usa...033&vpn=XL2411Z&manufacture=BenQ&promoid=1411

 

[Kezen]

Wow I did not realize that, since I still only have 1080p monitors

But I just assumed my single 980 would be good enough when I get a 1440 monitor

Isn't 1440 the next rez up above 1080... there's nothing in between right? That sucks if I need more than one 980 just for the next step in resolution

There is very significant gap between 1080p and 1440p, it's not at all surprising a 980 might not be sufficient if you're hellbent on "maxing out" at 60fps.

 

[finalflame]

Anyone have any thoughts on the below? I'd consider the Acer Gsync if it wasn't for the fact that it's nowhere to be found in AU

So, you basically want a 60hz IPS 1440p panel? Have you considered Korean monitors as found on eBay? I have an X-Star DP2710LED and it's amazing. 1440p, IPS, overclocks to 100+hz. And it's only $299 shipped with no tax (arrives in a week-ish or less):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/330932578190?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Look 'em up. These basically use the same panel as all other nice IPS displays, but only come with a Dual-Link DVI input and, to be quite honest, you'll wanna get a different stand for it or mount it.

 

[Chrizzy_81]

Hi PCGAF,

I've been considering upgrading the processor in my off the shelf medion prebuild. Currently it's running on an a8 5500 3.2ghz

A couple of questions:

1) what's the best processor I can get with my motherboard? I assume as it's an apu I am limited in what I can get. The motherboard is some weird medion thing.
2) would I need to consider upgrading the PSU? I've already got a 750ti running on the stock PSU which has been fine so far.

Got a budget of about £150. Not really keen on replacing mobo at this time bit if that's what I need to do I guess I'll consider it.

Thanks all

 

[KePoW]

The 980 was barely an upgrade over the 780 Ti. People are sometimes delusional about its power. Here are comparisons:

http://www.overclock.net/t/1515264/gtx-980-vs-gtx-780-ti-benchmarked-1440p-performance

The 980 struggles to hit 60, even overclocked on pretty much all modern games listed.

No, a single 980 is not enough for 1440 60fps in upcoming titles. 1440p is 80% more pixels to render vs. 1080p.

Well that's not an even comparison I was thinking of, because 780ti was originally $700. 980 is a full $100 cheaper

Also 980 is noticeably less power and lower noise than 780ti

 

[KePoW]

There is very significant gap between 1080p and 1440p, it's not at all surprising a 980 might not be sufficient if you're hellbent on "maxing out" at 60fps.

Ok thanks everyone, now I know haha

I don't need Ultra though. High/Very High is perfectly fine for me. How do yall think a single 980 does for that?

<edit> Also we're only talking about 1440p right? How are a bunch of people nowdays even talking about gaming at 4k like it's normal then ??

 

[The Teachinator]

Wait hold on... isn't 980 the best single GPU right now (besides Titan)? Is it really not good enough for 1440p at 60fps??

Anyone that is telling you that it is not has either never used the setup or simply doesn't know what they're saying.

I use a GTX980SC with an ASUS ROG Swift monitor. I have also used one of those Korean monitors on EBAY the QNIX. Those too are a great value. However, the fluidity, screen quality, and screen resolution is simply unmatched on a single 980.

While I may not be attaining 144FPS on many of my games they're more fluid than they would have been on a non g-sync 1080p moniotor.

Also, 1080p does NOT look washed out of soft as a poster posted above. 1080p video and game content looks equally as sharp albeit a lower resolution. I watched Interstellar HD streaming from Amazon on my ROG earlier and it looked breathtaking.

As a single 980GTX card owner with a smaller build that is incapable of SLI I say go for it.

 

[finalflame]

Well that's not an even comparison I was thinking of, because 780ti was originally $700. 980 is a full $100 cheaper

Also 980 is noticeably less power and lower noise than 780ti

I owned both the 780 Ti and now own 2x980s. I am really well aware of how they compare. I realize it uses less power and runs a bit cooler/quieter. I also realize it's $150 cheaper in MSRP.

The point still stands that a single 980 cannot handle maxed out 1440p titles at 60fps. Especially not titles that will be a step up in graphical requirements, to be launched later this/next year.

The point also still stands that the only generational upgrade over the 780 Ti, is the Titan X. The 980 is a slight power consumption/memory upgrade, that's all.

Also, 1080p does NOT look washed out of soft as a poster posted above. 1080p video and game content looks equally as sharp albeit a lower resolution. I watched Interstellar HD streaming from Amazon on my ROG earlier and it looked breathtaking.

Stop spreading misinformation. It is fact, and not up for debate, that scaling a 1080p image on a 1440p display degrades image quality. LCDs have a native resolution with a set number of pixels, and using anything but the native resolution leads to interpolation and loss of image quality. Period.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_resolution

Whether you're sensitive to this change or not is up to you. But it exists, and yes, it is noticeable.

Editing this in: People are also forgetting to mention the HUGE difference in color reproduction between IPS and non-IPS panels. The ROG is a TN panel and objectively has worse color reproduction versus IPS panels.

http://www.tnpanel.com/tn-vs-ips-va/

That's another trade-off for getting a 1440p G-Sync ROG Swift.

 

[KePoW]

Anyone that is telling you that it is not has either never used the setup or simply doesn't know what they're saying.

I use a GTX980SC with an ASUS ROG Swift monitor. I have also used one of those Korean monitors on EBAY the QNIX. Those too are a great value. However, the fluidity, screen quality, and screen resolution is simply unmatched on a single 980.

While I may not be attaining 144FPS on many of my games they're more fluid than they would have been on a non g-sync 1080p moniotor.

Also, 1080p does NOT look washed out of soft as a poster posted above. 1080p video and game content looks equally as sharp albeit a lower resolution. I watched Interstellar HD streaming from Amazon on my ROG earlier and it looked breathtaking.

As a single 980GTX card owner with a smaller build that is incapable of SLI I say go for it.

Ahh okay, thanks for more details Teachinator!

It sounded kinda fishy what the other posters were saying, but I didn't know for sure because I've never had a 1440p monitor yet

 

[KePoW]

The point still stands that a single 980 cannot handle maxed out 1440p titles at 60fps

I understand now, but I'm just saying I'm not going to compare it to a 780ti

Although now I also see what Teachinator says above

 

[Smokey]

<edit> Also we're only talking about 1440p right? How are a bunch of people nowdays even talking about gaming at 4k like it's normal then ??

A lot of people downsample from 4k to 1080p.

4k looks absolutely amazing. In my personal experience my Titan X SLI setup is the first that has really allowed fluid gameplay to happen at that level. I am talking 4k, max settings, AA, and still able to pull over 60fps.

But that's $2,000 in GPUs alone so not many are going to have that experience right now. As GPU tech continues to evolve and panels get cheaper, accessibility will grow and more and more gamers will get that experience. It looks amazing.

 

[KePoW]

A lot of people downsample from 4k to 1080p.

4k looks absolutely amazing. In my personal experience my Titan X SLI setup is the first that has really allowed fluid gameplay to happen at that level. I am talking 4k, max settings, AA, and still able to pull over 60fps.

But that's $2,000 in GPUs alone so not many are going to have that experience right now. As GPU tech continues to evolve and panels get cheaper, accessibility will grow and more and more gamers will get that experience. It looks amazing.

Got it, understood

I was like how are people gaming at 4k when posters above say even 1440p is difficult

 

[The Teachinator]

I owned both the 780 Ti and now own 2x980s. I am really well aware of how they compare. I realize it uses less power and runs a bit cooler/quieter. I also realize it's $150 cheaper in MSRP.

The point still stands that a single 980 cannot handle maxed out 1440p titles at 60fps. Especially not titles that will be a step up in graphical requirements, to be launched later this/next year.

The point also still stands that the only generational upgrade over the 780 Ti, is the Titan X. The 980 is a slight power consumption/memory upgrade, that's all.



Stop spreading misinformation. It is fact, and not up for debate, that scaling a 1080p image on a 1440p display degrades image quality. LCDs have a native resolution with a set number of pixels, and using anything but the native resolution leads to interpolation and loss of image quality. Period.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_resolution

Whether you're sensitive to this change or not is up to you. But it exists, and yes, it is noticeable.

Editing this in: People are also forgetting to mention the HUGE difference in color reproduction between IPS and non-IPS panels. The ROG is a TN panel and objectively has worse color reproduction versus IPS panels.

http://www.tnpanel.com/tn-vs-ips-va/

That's another trade-off for getting a 1440p G-Sync ROG Swift.

It's not misinformation. I have a variety of TVs and a projection setup in my home which are also ISF and THX calibrated(as in I paid Lion AV to calibrate them). I'm very familiar with the downside of not inputting native res to a monitor.

I am saying this monitor does a fantastic job presenting the viewer with a 1080 image without introducing artifacts or softness that can occur in some 4K TV screens.

Games presented in 1080 and streaming video from Amazon in 1080. I will say that the black levels are not close to what I get on my Panasonic Plasma's but it's not possible to achieve that from this type of monitor.

 

[CreepingFear]

Got it, understood

I was like how are people gaming at 4k when posters above say even 1440p is difficult

People gaming at 4k have 2 or more graphics cards and or turn certain settings down or off. 4k gaming is not here yet for us non-Smokey tier peasants.

 

[MoonGred]

This is what was recommended to me.


http://www.ncixus.com/products/?usa...033&vpn=XL2411Z&manufacture=BenQ&promoid=1411

Sadly it's TN 1080p panel

So, you basically want a 60hz IPS 1440p panel? Have you considered Korean monitors as found on eBay? I have an X-Star DP2710LED and it's amazing. 1440p, IPS, overclocks to 100+hz. And it's only $299 shipped with no tax (arrives in a week-ish or less):

Look 'em up. These basically use the same panel as all other nice IPS displays, but only come with a Dual-Link DVI input and, to be quite honest, you'll wanna get a different stand for it or mount it.

I know people love Korean panels, but it's not something I ever looked into. Looking at the reviews people really seem to love it.
Would this be the best of it's kind?

 

[The Teachinator]

Sadly it's TN 1080p panel



I know people love Korean panels, but it's not something I ever looked into. Looking at the reviews people really seem to love it.
Would this be the best of it's kind?

The interesting thing about these is you can overclock the refresh rate...YMMV with results.

I had a QNIX Pixel Perfect from Ebay that I thought was pretty fantastic. I clocked it up to 110 before I saw artifacting. It did have some backlight bleed which seems to be why these panels are rejected by Apple to begin with.

 

[Smokey]

People gaming at 4k have 2 or more graphics cards and or turn certain settings down or off. 4k gaming is not here yet for us non-Smokey tier peasants.

I am one with the people Creeping.

 

[CreepingFear]

I am one with the people Creeping.

I understand that. You are just the friend that got out of the small town. We're all happy for you, thrown in with some jealously involved. We live through you.

 

[bro1]

ROG Swift is a great monitor, but OP won't be playing many modern 1440p titles at high enough frame rates with a single 980 to justify a 1440p144hz monitor.

Maybe a 1080p/144hz monitor with G-Sync would be a better fit?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NUCRBCU/?tag=neogaf0e-20

All depends on whether OP cares more about 144hz or 1440p. But both aren't really gonna happen moving forward with a single 980.

A 980 is perfect for a g synch 1440p monitor.