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[LongEye]

Greetings all, first time poster.
Putting together a build to update from my long serving E8400 and 4850 machine. The parts list I've cobbled together has a few placeholder items in regards to the motherboard and power supply.
Obviously this is an Australian build (hence the prices).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.00 @ PCCaseGear)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC12DX_BK 68.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($55.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($179.00 @ CPL Online)
Memory: Kingston Fury White Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($99.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Crucial MX200 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $240.00)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card (Purchased For $385.00)
Case: NZXT H440 (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($159.00 @ CPL Online)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G-750 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($169.00 @ CPL Online)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (32/64-bit) (Purchased For $70.00)
Total: $1685.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-17 15:18 EST+1000

I'm aware the power supply is way above what I would need for a single gpu, but I've ended up with one more 970 than I ordered and was looking into SLI as a possibility. Regarding the Motherboard I'm having a hard time cutting through the marketing to get what I need so any advice in that regard would be welcomed. Finally the Phanteks CPU cooler that I have in my parts list isn't really in stock anywhere so I was most likely going to go for a CM Hyper 212X instead.

I'd welcome any input that could be provided, this thread has been a great source of knowledge thus far. Thanks in advance.

 

[RGM79]

Greetings all, first time poster.
Putting together a build to update from my long serving E8400 and 4850 machine. The parts list I've cobbled together has a few placeholder items in regards to the motherboard and power supply.
Obviously this is an Australian build (hence the prices).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.00 @ PCCaseGear)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC12DX_BK 68.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($55.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($179.00 @ CPL Online)
Memory: Kingston Fury White Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($99.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Crucial MX200 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $240.00)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card (Purchased For $385.00)
Case: NZXT H440 (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($159.00 @ CPL Online)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G-750 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($169.00 @ CPL Online)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (32/64-bit) (Purchased For $70.00)
Total: $1685.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-17 15:18 EST+1000

I'm aware the power supply is way above what I would need for a single gpu, but I've ended up with one more 970 than I ordered and was looking into SLI as a possibility. Regarding the Motherboard I'm having a hard time cutting through the marketing to get what I need so any advice in that regard would be welcomed. Finally the Phanteks CPU cooler that I have in my parts list isn't really in stock anywhere so I was most likely going to go for a CM Hyper 212X instead.

I'd welcome any input that could be provided, this thread has been a great source of knowledge thus far. Thanks in advance.

First things off: Welcome to Neogaf!

The usual go-to recommendation for CPU cooling is the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo ($45 at CPL Online). It should allow the 4690K to get up to 4.5GHz without any issues.

The Gigabyte motherboard on that list does not support SLI. I recommend the MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ($189 from CPL Online). It has good reviews, and the black and white color scheme matches your white RAM and case.

You could save money on the power supply as well. I recommend the EVGA Supernova B2 750 watt model ($115 at CPL Online). Despite being "only" bronze rated, it is a well built and high quality power supply.

With those changes, your build looks like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.00 @ PCCaseGear)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($45.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($189.00 @ CPL Online)
Memory: Kingston Fury White Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($99.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Crucial MX200 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $240.00)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card (Purchased For $385.00)
Case: NZXT H440 (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($159.00 @ CPL Online)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($115.00 @ CPL Online)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (32/64-bit) (Purchased For $70.00)
Total: $1631.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-17 16:22 EST+1000\

Edit: $159 for the NZXT H440 seems kinda steep, are you set on that case or would you consider alternatives? The similarly styled NZXT S340 costs only $99 for example, and according to NZXT has better airflow than the H440 although the S340 does not have any soundproofing material.

 

[Erebus]

What's breaking the bank? Dell has a one for $500 and under - Dell UltraSharp U2515H, I've heard a lot of good things about it. The Acer G257HU is also really nice and under $300. I was looking at that before I ended up with a pair of Auria 2560x1440 monitors. Sadly Auria doesn't make them anymore.

That Dell looks nice. Unfortunetely, I can't find many reviews other than this one.

I've never owned a PC monitor with an IPS panel before. Would I notice more input lag when gaming compared to my current Samsung with TN panel?

 

[LongEye]

First things off: Welcome to Neogaf!

The usual go-to recommendation for CPU cooling is the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo ($45 at CPL Online). It should allow the 4690K to get up to 4.5GHz without any issues.

The Gigabyte motherboard on that list does not support SLI. I recommend the MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ($189 from CPL Online). It has good reviews, and the black and white color scheme matches your white RAM and case.

You could save money on the power supply as well. I recommend the EVGA Supernova B2 750 watt model ($115 at CPL Online). Despite being "only" bronze rated, it is a well built and high quality power supply.

With those changes, your build looks like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.00 @ PCCaseGear)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($45.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($189.00 @ CPL Online)
Memory: Kingston Fury White Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($99.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Crucial MX200 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $240.00)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card (Purchased For $385.00)
Case: NZXT H440 (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($159.00 @ CPL Online)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($115.00 @ CPL Online)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (32/64-bit) (Purchased For $70.00)
Total: $1631.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-17 16:22 EST+1000\

Edit: $159 for the NZXT H440 seems kinda steep, are you set on that case or would you consider alternatives? The similarly styled NZXT S340 costs only $99 for example, and according to NZXT has better airflow than the H440 although the S340 does not have any soundproofing material.

Thanks for all your input, all the suggestions seem well thought out. I had considered the Krait Edition Motherboard (initially due to the matching colour scheme) and the EVGA power supply seems like a good product for the money. The 212 Evo also seems like the best choice.

Regarding the case I had considered the S340 but a combination of sound dampening and the general aesthetics made me lean more towards the H440.

Speaking of cooling, I hadn't intended to buy any additional case fans for the H440 from the start, I was thinking that it might be an idea to do so if I end up adding a second 970 in the future.

Again thanks for the help, stock willing I'll be putting everything together next week!

 

[Chesskid1]

picking up i5 + mobo tomorrow from micro center, there's one 40~ min away from me so i guess i'll upgrade, first time going there, heard it's pretty amazing. might get a new GPU if i'm feeling frisky. i wanna try out a mechanical keyboard as well. i'll try to resist buying everything as much as i can. my current mobo USBs barely work anymore, and i don't have usb 3.0 or sata 6gb so might as well upgrade.

two questions

1) why does my mobo have a molex in above the PCI-e slot?

2) my mobo's webpage says don't upgrade the bios unless you have problems, so i shouldn't flash it straight away?

thanks guys. upgrading from a phenom ii

 

[Dmax3901]

So I've just been fiddling around with that website (really handy) and here's my current PC which I've had since 2011, except the GPU which I bought late 2013. Some of the items are no longer available so I got the closest I could to represent my current PC.

Basically did it so I can get you guys to look at it and tell me what might be a bottleneck, what I should look at upgrading next, what should last me a while yet, and so forth.

I keep hearing the 2500k should keep me going (at least in terms of 1920x1080, 60fps) for some time yet, is that still the case?

As mentioned in earlier posts, I've noticed my pc is super loud and hot recently (with GTA V in particular) so I've been looking at getting a better case and fans. Side note, I get a shit load of dust in mine, is that normal?

I know nothing about mobos, I assume I don't need to upgrade that? Same with RAM actually.

I'm happy to wait til the next lot of AMD cards before upgrading my GPU.

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card
Case: Cooler Master 690 III ATX Mid Tower Case

Thanks for taking the time to look at this, anyone who does, I appreciate any help!

 

[Shadowhaxor]

That Dell looks nice. Unfortunetely, I can't find many reviews other than this one.

I've never owned a PC monitor with an IPS panel before. Would I notice more input lag when gaming compared to my current Samsung with TN panel?

Here you go!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo-PZZ8CjzQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LME-l0FkJA
http://www.reddit.com/r/monitors/comments/2rdp2l/i_just_bought_a_dell_u2515h_1440p_25_ips_monitor
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1838790

 

[Frankfurter]

So I've just been fiddling around with that website (really handy) and here's my current PC which I've had since 2011, except the GPU which I bought late 2013. Some of the items are no longer available so I got the closest I could to represent my current PC.

Basically did it so I can get you guys to look at it and tell me what might be a bottleneck, what I should look at upgrading next, what should last me a while yet, and so forth.

I keep hearing the 2500k should keep me going (at least in terms of 1920x1080, 60fps) for some time yet, is that still the case?

As mentioned in earlier posts, I've noticed my pc is super loud and hot recently (with GTA V in particular) so I've been looking at getting a better case and fans. Side note, I get a shit load of dust in mine, is that normal?

I know nothing about mobos, I assume I don't need to upgrade that? Same with RAM actually.

I'm happy to wait til the next lot of AMD cards before upgrading my GPU.

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card
Case: Cooler Master 690 III ATX Mid Tower Case

Thanks for taking the time to look at this, anyone who does, I appreciate any help!

Your CPU is good. But you should look into OC. ~4.2 Ghz should be doable for nearly all 2500k's with relatively low voltage and should mean that you can wait and see on the CPU front for another ~2 years.
If your case is "open" for dust to enter (no filters etc.), than... yeah sure you are gonna get dust in there. Clean it, especially the CPU and GPU fans and you might realize somewhat better temperatures.
Also feel free to post the respective hot temperatures. Maybe it's not that bad actually.

 

[Godan]

So been thinking how much is it worth selling my 780 and getting a 970?


Think if I can get about £180 for my 780 I would only have to put £100 to the 970.


Just thinking with the like of TW3 and batman and stuff coming out my 780 may struggle with it in regards to the setting I would like to play it at.

 

[Goudinhanden]

Hey Neogaf,

Not 100% if this is the right thread for this. But it's a pc issue.
I'm still rocking an old pc: Q6600, HD4870 512mb here.

Years ago I started getting issues with some black screens in BF3 and some other graphically intensive games. Once I got back from a couple of years abroad I wanted to start using this pc again but my video card didn't get recognized at all anymore. This led me to replace my PSU as I had suspected it from being the issue for a long time.

Got a Seasonic m12II EVO 520W and boom video card is back in action. However, it does act up with black screen again in specific situations.

It can run Furmark, Borderlands 2, CS: GO, the Witcher for as long as I want with no issues but it crashes to a black screen on Youtube videos almost immediately and in the Witcher 2 after a couple of minutes.

Would this indicate a graphic card failure? Is it likely that the 'broken' PSU caused damage to the GPU back in the day? Or is a driver issue more likely?

I should note that I'm running the windows 10 beta. So it might be related to that.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Dmax3901]

Your CPU is good. But you should look into OC. ~4.2 Ghz should be doable for nearly all 2500k's with relatively low voltage and should mean that you can wait and see on the CPU front for another ~2 years.
If your case is "open" for dust to enter (no filters etc.), than... yeah sure you are gonna get dust in there. Clean it, especially the CPU and GPU fans and you might realize somewhat better temperatures.
Also feel free to post the respective hot temperatures. Maybe it's not that bad actually.

CPU is currently at 4ghz, maybe I'll push it further. I'll look into what the temps get to with that, but I know my GPU was pushing 90 celsius with GTA V, and around 80 for the likes of Arkham City.

It is probably due for a clean out now that I think about it. Ran out of compressed air a while ago.

Thanks heaps!

 

[RGM79]

picking up i5 + mobo tomorrow from micro center, there's one 40~ min away from me so i guess i'll upgrade, first time going there, heard it's pretty amazing. might get a new GPU if i'm feeling frisky. i wanna try out a mechanical keyboard as well. i'll try to resist buying everything as much as i can. my current mobo USBs barely work anymore, and i don't have usb 3.0 or sata 6gb so might as well upgrade.

two questions

1) why does my mobo have a molex in above the PCI-e slot?

2) my mobo's webpage says don't upgrade the bios unless you have problems, so i shouldn't flash it straight away?

thanks guys. upgrading from a phenom ii

1. If you're talking about the ASRock Z97 Pro4, it's to supply extra power to the PCI-E slots for graphics cards.

2. You shouldn't need to flash the BIOS unless you need something that a new update has. There's no need to fix what isn't broken. Flashing the BIOS is inherently risky, if it is interrupted or if anything goes wrong during the flashing, you have a dead motherboard that you will not be able to fix.

So I've just been fiddling around with that website (really handy) and here's my current PC which I've had since 2011, except the GPU which I bought late 2013. Some of the items are no longer available so I got the closest I could to represent my current PC.

Basically did it so I can get you guys to look at it and tell me what might be a bottleneck, what I should look at upgrading next, what should last me a while yet, and so forth.

I keep hearing the 2500k should keep me going (at least in terms of 1920x1080, 60fps) for some time yet, is that still the case?

As mentioned in earlier posts, I've noticed my pc is super loud and hot recently (with GTA V in particular) so I've been looking at getting a better case and fans. Side note, I get a shit load of dust in mine, is that normal?

I know nothing about mobos, I assume I don't need to upgrade that? Same with RAM actually.

I'm happy to wait til the next lot of AMD cards before upgrading my GPU.

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card
Case: Cooler Master 690 III ATX Mid Tower Case

Thanks for taking the time to look at this, anyone who does, I appreciate any help!

Yep, the 2500K is still very good and on par with the current 4670K/4690K, especially when overclocked. The difference is no more than about ~20% when comparing a non-overclocked 2500K to an 4670K overclocked to 4.5GHz, and less than half that if you were to overclock your processor to match.

If I had to guess, the main source of noise in your case is probably your CPU cooler, 92mm fans can run very loud. In terms of upgrades, I would suggest a new cooler, although some extra fans wouldn't hurt if you are still only using what the CM 690 came with. No, you don't need a new motherboard. You could spring for another 4 to 8GB if you like. What you have now is enough, but it's been noted that GTAV does push RAM usage by quite a bit, and it's easy enough to add more.

As replacing for the case, it's up to you. Personally the CM 690 isn't bad at all, just a little dated. If you are willing to spend the money for it, then you could look for a case with noise dampening foam or dust filters.

In order from most effective to least effective upgrades would be: new CPU cooler (and overclocking), more RAM, extra fans, then new case.

 

[Frankfurter]

CPU is currently at 4ghz, maybe I'll push it further. I'll look into what the temps get to with that, but I know my GPU was pushing 90 celsius with GTA V, and around 80 for the likes of Arkham City.

It is probably due for a clean out now that I think about it. Ran out of compressed air a while ago.

Thanks heaps!

Oh well, 4Ghz isn't too bad anyway. You might just wanna try to squeeze 200-300 Mhz out of it, that'd be fine (just remember to not use auto settings for the voltages).
90C sounds quite on the upper side for the GPU, but than again I seem to remember that 7970's often run pretty hot, but that they are fine til ~100C.

 

[Mascot]

Damn it, he's completely right. I thought the MSI Gaming 3 did support SLI and didn't double-check that. Apparently I mixed it up with the Gigabyte Gaming 3 model which does support SLI. My bad.

Alright, at least someone caught my mistake. Here's two motherboards that do support SLI that I can recommend, they cost £10 more than the MSI motherboard I originally chose.

MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition (£90)
Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI (£90)

Thanks man - you're a star.

And thanks also to Big Takeover for the original mobo/SLI spot.

 

[Tc91]

New gfx card came yesterday, gtx 970 installed it no problems what so ever. All running fine and dandy.

New ram came today, installed it yet my PC doesn't boot. The CPU fan starts to spin and then it will reboot itself endlessly. No POST beep, nothing.

I checked my motherboard compatibility (asus p8p67) and that's fine it allows - 4 x DIMM, Max. 32GB, DDR3 2200(O.C.)/2133(O.C.)/1866(O.C.)/1600/1333/1066 Hz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory.

I've just picked up https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-171-KS&groupid=701&catid=8&subcat=2426 1866mhz Non-ECC Un-buffered.

Tried resetting the cmos battery still wouldn't work, when I put my old ram back in and booted up my pc it came up with a message something to the extent of: "The computer has failed to boot due to a change in settings" showed the old frequency 1333mhz. Do I need to somehow allow my bios to run the new ram?

 

[RGM79]

New gfx card came yesterday, gtx 970 installed it no problems what so ever. All running fine and dandy.

New ram came today, installed it yet my PC doesn't boot. The CPU fan starts to spin and then it will reboot itself endlessly. No POST beep, nothing.

I checked my motherboard compatibility (asus p8p67) and that's fine it allows - 4 x DIMM, Max. 32GB, DDR3 2200(O.C.)/2133(O.C.)/1866(O.C.)/1600/1333/1066 Hz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory.

I've just picked up https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-171-KS&groupid=701&catid=8&subcat=2426 1866mhz Non-ECC Un-buffered.

Tried resetting the cmos battery still wouldn't work, when I put my old ram back in and booted up my pc it came up with a message something to the extent of: "The computer has failed to boot due to a change in settings" showed the old frequency 1333mhz. Do I need to somehow allow my bios to run the new ram?

Reset BIOS to default settings, and try each stick alone in every slot. You should narrow it down to see if it's just one faulty stick in the two piece kit or not. Does the motherboard have the latest BIOS updates?

 

[Dmax3901]

Oh well, 4Ghz isn't too bad anyway. You might just wanna try to squeeze 200-300 Mhz out of it, that'd be fine (just remember to not use auto settings for the voltages).
90C sounds quite on the upper side for the GPU, but than again I seem to remember that 7970's often run pretty hot, but that they are fine til ~100C.

It's been a while since I clocked it, what does this mean exactly?

 

[Tc91]

Reset BIOS to default settings, and try each stick alone in every slot. You should narrow it down to see if it's just one faulty stick in the two piece kit or not. Does the motherboard have the latest BIOS updates?

Trying the bios now, I'm sure I tried 1 stick in each slot and it still wouldn't boot I'll try again though. Not sure about the update the Asus website update utility doesn't seem to work for me.

Edit: I'm in the bios and in the memory settings it says

"system memory multiplier (SPD) [16.00]
Memory frequency (MHz) 1333 1600"

Now I can change that setting to 8.00 10.66 13.33 16.00 18.66 and 21.33.

Will that do anything to allow my bios to run the ram or is that for overclocking my current ram?

 

[RGM79]

It's been a while since I clocked it, what does this mean exactly?

A lot of motherboards have an automatic overclocking feature. Not all of them work well though, and some of them tend to go overboard with voltage settings. He's just telling you to set the voltages manually.

Trying the bios now, I'm sure I tried 1 stick in each slot and it still wouldn't boot I'll try again though. Not sure about the update the Asus website update utility doesn't seem to work for me.

Trying each stick alone was just to see if it was a single faulty stick in the set. Just had to make sure since you didn't say if you tested it that way or if you just put in the RAM altogether.

Don't use the utility, look up your motherboard model and download the latest BIOS update for it. For the P8P67, that's "BIOS 3602". Extract it and put it on a USB drive.

Your BIOS has EZ FLASH2, which allows you to update from an option in the BIOS menu. Access it from the BIOS menu, then select the BIOS file that you downloaded and extracted. Refer to this video guide for details.

Edit: I'm in the bios and in the memory settings it says

"system memory multiplier (SPD) [16.00]
Memory frequency (MHz) 1333 1600"

Now I can change that setting to 8.00 10.66 13.33 16.00 18.66 and 21.33.

Will that do anything to allow my bios to run the ram or is that for overclocking my current ram?

That is for overclocking.

 

[Tc91]

A lot of motherboards have an automatic overclocking feature. Not all of them work well though, and some of them tend to go overboard with voltage settings. He's just telling you to set the voltages manually.



Trying each stick alone was just to see if it was a single faulty stick in the set. Just had to make sure since you didn't say if you tested it that way or if you just put in the RAM altogether.

Don't use the utility, look up your motherboard model and download the latest BIOS update for it. For the P8P67, that's "BIOS 3602". Extract it and put it on a USB drive.

Your BIOS has EZ FLASH2, which allows you to update from an option in the BIOS menu. Access it from the BIOS menu, then select the BIOS file that you downloaded and extracted. Refer to this video guide for details.



That is for overclocking.

I see.

How come my BIOS looks nothing like in that video. Mine looks like something from the 90's. I put that file on a USB stick but it said no drive found when I tried to update.

 

[RGM79]

I see.

How come my BIOS looks nothing like in that video. Mine looks like something from the 90's. I put that file on a USB stick but it said no drive found when I tried to update.

Are you sure you have the P8P67?

 

[Tc91]

Are you sure you have the P8P67?

Yep 1 million % sure I've got the user guide right here, I found how to update it but it's come up bios id error when I tried to.

Edit: Hmm, looking in the user guide at the 1866 mhz capability section.

"Kingston - 3GB-6GB 2 or 3 sticks"

Houston we have a problem? Can it really not run 8GB sticks?

 

[Erebus]

Here you go!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo-PZZ8CjzQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LME-l0FkJA
http://www.reddit.com/r/monitors/comments/2rdp2l/i_just_bought_a_dell_u2515h_1440p_25_ips_monitor
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1838790

Thanks.

Looks like a decent monitor overall. I'm only worried about the input lag on games but again IPS panels are not known for their rapid response times.

 

[Frankfurter]

It's been a while since I clocked it, what does this mean exactly?

Most (all?) mainboards with OC will offer you the option to just leave all the voltages on auto. In that case you'll set, say, 4Ghz for your CPU and the mainboard will automatically adjust for example the CPUs vcore. While this is incredibly easy and sounds like a nice way to overclock, the downside is that these automatic settings will always set far too high voltages. By doing the auto mode your CPUs temperature will rise higher than in manual mode and you risk that the auto mode adjusts other voltages as well.

 

[RGM79]

Yep 1 million % sure I've got the user guide right here, I found how to update it but it's come up bios id error when I tried to.

Hmm, then I'm stumped. What error does the Asus update utility in Windows give you?

Here, try these more detailed instructions for EZ Flash 2. Be sure to format your USB drive accordingly. Maybe you need to redownload the BIOS update if it got corrupted or something. There should be just the .rom file on the drive.

 

[Tc91]

Hmm, then I'm stumped. What error does the Asus update utility in Windows give you?

Here, try these more detailed instructions for EZ Flash 2. Be sure to format your USB drive accordingly. Maybe you need to redownload the BIOS update if it got corrupted or something. There should be just the .rom file on the drive.

In the user guide I've got here under 1866 MHz ram it's got all the vendors listed and under Kingston it says:

3gb (3 x 1gb)
4gb (2 x 2gb)
6gb (3 x 2gb)

So I'm guessing it doesn't support 8gb sticks after all? Does it even support anything higher than 8gb can't see it listing any higher than 8.

Edit: I'm looking at my motherboard it doesn't say p8p67 anywhere on the board...

 

[RGM79]

In the user guide I've got here under 1866 MHz ram it's got all the vendors listed and under Kingston it says:

3gb (3 x 1gb)
4gb (2 x 2gb)
6gb (3 x 2gb)

So I'm guessing it doesn't support 8gb sticks after all? Does it even support anything higher than 8gb can't see it listing any higher than 8.

Don't worry about the QVL list. It's by no means a complete list of compatible memory. It's just a list of all the known model numbers of memory tested and known to be compatible with the motherboard, but Asus cannot test all RAM, so not being on the list does not mean it's incompatible. The motherboard is stated to support a maximum of 32GB, so logically it is compatible with 8GB RAM modules.

Looking over the BIOS update changelogs, it says that BIOS update 2103 improved memory compatibility. What revision is your BIOS at currently? I'm still hoping that a BIOS update will solve your issues.

Edit: I'm looking at my motherboard it doesn't say p8p67 anywhere on the board...

Well.. do you see any other model numbers? If you can't see anything because the motherboard is obscured, then run Speccy or HWInfo and tell us what it says under the motherboard section.

 

[Tc91]

Don't worry about the QVL list. It's by no means a complete list of compatible memory. It's just a list of all the known model numbers of memory tested and known to be compatible with the motherboard, but Asus cannot test all RAM, so not being on the list does not mean it's incompatible. The motherboard is stated to support a maximum of 32GB, so logically it is compatible with 8GB RAM modules.

Looking over the BIOS update changelogs, it says that BIOS update 2103 improved memory compatibility. What revision is your BIOS at currently? I'm still hoping that a BIOS update will solve your issues.



Well.. do you see any other model numbers? If you can't see anything because the motherboard is obscured, then run Speccy or HWInfo and tell us what it says under the motherboard section.

Jesus christ... I don't even have a p8p67. I bought this PC years ago from JackFrags who is now a big YouTuber, he used to run a PC website called Glhf.co.uk. I don't know what to say haha. I've had this p8p67 user guide ever since I got the PC.

It's showing up under HWInfo as a gigabyte z68ap-d3. I'm guessing that is absolute trash?

 

[RGM79]

Jesus christ... I don't even have a p8p67. I bought this PC years ago from JackFrags who is now a big YouTuber, he used to run a PC website called Glhf.co.uk. I don't know what to say haha. I've had this p8p67 user guide ever since I got the PC.

It's showing up under HWInfo as a gigabyte z68ap-d3. I'm guessing that is absolute trash?

No, it's a fine motherboard, nothing wrong with it. One question though, and this is important: Does it say "rev. 1.0" or "rev. 2.0"? It should be printed on the motherboard, I'm not sure if it shows up in Speccy or HWInfo though.

 

[Tc91]

No, it's a fine motherboard, nothing wrong with it. One question though, and this is important: Does it say "rev. 1.0" or "rev. 2.0"? It should be printed on the motherboard, I'm not sure if it shows up in Speccy or HWInfo though.

Ok we are making progress haha, I shall have a look for you!

By the way, thank you for your help man I really appreciate it.

Edit: It's not showing up in Speccy or HWInfo unless it's under the chipset revision which I'm guessing it isn't as this is listed as 09. I shall open my PC and have a mooch around and get back to you in a few mins!

 

[RGM79]

Ok we are making progress haha, I shall have a look for you!

By the way, thank you for your help man I really appreciate it.

Edit: It's not showing up in Speccy or HWInfo unless it's under the chipset revision which I'm guessing it isn't as this is listed as 09. I shall open my PC and have a mooch around and get back to you in a few mins!

No problem. Here, let's help speed things along. The little revision numbers are printed right next to the screw hole in the lower left corner of the motherboard (the corner opposite from the RAM slots).

This is the 1.0, it has a wider rectangular dark blue heatsink in between the PCI-E slots, and SATA ports that point to the side.

This is the 2.0, it has a smaller heatsink in between the PCI-E slots, and SATA ports that stick upward.

 

[Tc91]

No problem. Here, let's help speed things along. The little revision numbers are printed right next to the screw hole in the lower left corner of the motherboard (the corner opposite from the RAM slots).

This is the 1.0, it has a wider rectangular dark blue heatsink in between the PCI-E slots, and SATA ports that point to the side.

This is the 2.0, it has a smaller heatsink in between the PCI-E slots, and SATA ports that stick upward.

Yep it's Rev 1.0

 

[RGM79]

Yep it's Rev 1.0

Alright, grab BIOS version F8 from here. Extract the files to a USB drive. Take a look at these instructions. Then restart the PC and access Q-Flash, following the PDF instructions on how to run the update.

After updating, give the new RAM a try again. Hopefully everything will go without a hitch, I am mostly confident you should not have any problems now, so I think I am going to get some sleep. You're welcome to PM me for questions later or I'll just check the thread in the morning to see if you got it working.

 

[Tc91]

Alright, grab BIOS version F8 from here. Extract the files to a USB drive. Take a look at these instructions. Then restart the PC and access Q-Flash, following the PDF instructions on how to run the update.

After updating, give the new RAM a try again. Hopefully everything will go without a hitch, I am mostly confident you should not have any problems now, so I think I am going to get some sleep. You're welcome to PM me for questions later or I'll just check the thread in the morning to see if you got it working.

Ok I shall give it a go! Once again thank you for your help. I'll probably PM you, clogged the thread up enough haha.

 

[RGM79]

Ok I shall give it a go! Once again thank you for your help. I'll probably PM you, clogged the thread up enough haha.

Here's a detailed thread on using Q-Flash in case you need it. Good luck.

 

[sackboy2197]

1. Even if you don't have a DVD drive, all you need is the product key that comes along with the disc. Enter that into Microsoft's official tool and they will help you download and create a Windows installer for USB. If it comes out to cost the same as buying Windows online, then there's no point, I guess. Sorry, I did not notice what kind of shipping it had.

2. It's fine if you prefer Nvidia, the GTX 970 undoubtedly has advantages over the R9 290. I'm just offering potential alternatives.

3. Overall your first build was pretty good, they are solid choices. We have recommended to other users many of the parts you chose, but Italian prices seem somewhat higher and we usually recommend parts for people in the USA, that's all. For that reason I recommended the cheaper ASRock motherboard, among other things.

1. Yeah, i completely forgot about that, I'll look around and see if there's a DVD with cheaper shipping.
3. I noticed that prices are quite high as well, sadly enough. Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it

 

[ohyouagain]

I am keen on going forward with my 320 W power enveloppe and although I know that all eyes are on the Titan X, I would like to ask if there are any news on the low power GPU side of things.
When should I expect a worthy successor to my GTX 750 Ti that would be noticeably more powerful but wouldn't need an additional power either ?

 

[riflen]

I am keen on going forward with my 320 W power enveloppe and although I know that all eyes are on the Titan X, I would like to ask if there are any news on the low power GPU side of things.
When should I expect a worthy successor to my GTX 750 Ti that would be noticeably more powerful but wouldn't need an additional power either ?

Maybe when AMD's new cards arrive sometime around June or July possibly. We don't know much about the low end there and there's a good chance they'll just be current cards re-badged with prices dropped.
If this is the case, then you're looking at 2016 for Nvidia's Pascal architecture.

 

[EroticSushi]

Best monitor that's 1440p/1080p + 144hz? Was going to go after the Acer G-Sync monitor but not sure if I can warrant the $800 when I don't do a while lot of gaming. Ideal monitor would be IPS + 1080p/1440p + 144hz but I know that's only found in the $800 range.

Any other options?

I'm stuck between the following it seems:

$500 - Acer XB270H - 27" 1080p, 1ms, 144hz, G-Sync
$430 - ASUS PB278Q - 27", 1440p, IPS?
$280 - ASUS VG248QE - 24", 1080p, 144hz

 

[Chitown B]

Not really, there won't be much of a performance boost. The advantages of higher speed RAM aren't always apparent and you'll likely not even notice it unless you're doing memory benchmarks that tell you exactly how fast it is. I usually recommend higher speed RAM, but only if it's available at a cheap price (which there usually is). I recommend it because if it's available for minimal extra cost and could offer a boost in certain specific situations with certain programs, then there's no reason not to take it.

Your motherboard may support up to 3200MHz memory OC, but your RAM is only rated at 1600MHz. I don't know if it has any XMP profile for anything higher like 1866MHz (you can check in the BIOS menu) but if you wanted faster memory, you may need to replace your RAM. I wouldn't recommend it, unless you are able to sell your existing RAM to make up for the cost.

Thanks! yeah I knew I would need to replace my current RAM which is why I was wondering, since I only have two slots anyway - wondered if buying two 8GB sticks at a higher speed would improve much.

 

[toadsworth]

Hey y'all, I got my refresh build up and running this week! Good times.

Here's whats new:
MSI Z97X Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB 2400
Intel 730 480gb SSD
Corsair H110 CPU Cooler
Arctic GPU Cooler for my Sapphire Radeon 7970
Corsair Carbide 500R Case to fit it all in

So, the 500R is really easy to dremel to fit in the H110. I think they say it won't fit a 280mm cooler just so people buy their more expensive cases. I took some pictures but they got deleted unfortunately. All you have to do is dremel two straight lines about 1-2inches and bend the metal back. Took less than ten minutes. It keeps my i5 4670k around 70C under full load overclocked at 4.5ghz. The arctic cooler was also a great buy, but a little more complicated to install. The instructions weren't very clear and the heatsinks are huge on the thing. It barely fits in the case and I can barely even push the switch to take the card out. However, my card is crazy cool now. It only gets up to like 65C and I've overclocked it as much as I can. Shame the card is voltage locked. The SSD is incredible as well, boots up in less than 10 seconds. GTA load times are still a bitch though. The RAM seems great but I admittedly don't know much about RAM clock speeds. On CPU-Z it was reporting 1200mhz? I have the overclocking enabled on my motherboard but it seems to be running fine.

 

[Randomizer123454444]

I'll check when I get home in few hours. But if I remember right, something around +40C.



I'm...actually not sure about the thermal paste. I built this 3 years ago and I do have a memory of buying paste and putting it but.. well, it's been 3 years. Better check now that I think of it.

My case:

http://www.coolermaster.com/case/mid-tower/silencio-550/

I bought a Noctua cpu fan, and replaced my old stock Intel cpu fan. Turns out that whatever was left of old thermal paste was more like... thermal dust. I could scrape it away with my finger and the processor was left squaky clean & dry. I applied new thermal paste (that came with Noctua), installed the new fan and...it's insane what the difference is.

Old fan: idle temps of ~50 - 60 degrees Celsius. Heavy load temps of ~100 degrees Celsius.
New fan + new paste: 35 - 40C idle and... 60C while under heavy load.

I feel lucky I made the switch now before any serious damage could happen. Thank you everyone for the tips

 

[NeOak]

$280 - ASUS VG248QE - 24", 1080p, 144hz

That one is only G-Sync if you bought the $200 module from nVidia and it is a TN panel.

How about these 2:

BenQ XL2411Z 24": http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ITORITU/?tag=neogaf0e-20
BenQ XL2720Z 27": http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GWFNMJS/?tag=neogaf0e-20

You can use a strobbing utility for them http://www.blurbusters.com/benq/strobe-utility/?source=sidebar

 

[Garrett Hawke]

Not sure if this is the best place to ask, but I'm looking to build a really budget PC for running UDK for uni work. I have a MBP which I use for most things and it runs Maya, Mudbox, Unity etc fine - but the version of UDK uni wants us to use is Windows only. I can't dualboot (I've tried installing Windows multiple times, always says I don't have the right drivers on the USB) so I've had to resort to using my four year old laptop (I shoved in 8GB RAM today and it's made it slightly better, but not amazing :/)

These are the laptop specs:
Intel Core i3 390m
NVIDIA GeForce 310M (512M)
8GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM

It runs the UDK editor okay but whenever I go to test games it chugs as it loads stuff in, making testing quite difficult.

For around £200-£250, what's the best I could reasonably get, that would also be future-proof (i.e. upgradeable when I get the funds)? I have a copy of Win 8.1 Pro from Dreamspark so I don't need to worry about that or software, just the actual hardware. I looked at the first budget PC in the spreadsheets already but that was a bit out of range (around £320ish) and I really don't need one for gaming (yet) but would like to be able to upgrade it later. Sorry if this is too long

 

[Pegosaurus]

does anyone know what an "FF" error is? Whenever my roommate and I try to boot up the pc we built, the motherboard reads FF in red letters and the RAM light is red. We don't know if we need to replace the motherboard or not.

 

[kennah]

does anyone know what an "FF" error is? Whenever my roommate and I try to boot up the pc we built, the motherboard reads FF in red letters and the RAM light is red. We don't know if we need to replace the motherboard or not.

Check your motherboard manual.

 

[NeOak]

For around £200-£250, what's the best I could reasonably get, that would also be future-proof (i.e. upgradeable when I get the funds)?

"Future-proof" and that price range don't go along so well unfortunately

But I guess an AMD APU would be the best choice. Perhaps an AMD A10-7850K so you don't need a GPU.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

"Future-proof" and that price range don't go along so well unfortunately

But I guess an AMD APU would be the best choice. Perhaps an AMD A10-7850K so you don't need a GPU.

Yeah I'm not expecting it to run *insert current graphical benchmark* at all, literally just UDK 3 and maybe some PS360 games. By future proof I just meant that like if I saved up some money I'd be able to upgrade components slowly (i.e. getting a motherboard now that has the necessary stuff to be future-proof, and then buying a more recent GPU or CPU later in the year etc).

I also don't mind buying used. I've been checking CEX and Amazon warehouse for stuff as it seems to knock £25-40 off the prices.

 

[NeOak]

Yeah I'm not expecting it to run *insert current graphical benchmark* at all, literally just UDK 3 and maybe some PS360 games. By future proof I just meant that like if I saved up some money I'd be able to upgrade components slowly (i.e. getting a motherboard now that has the necessary stuff to be future-proof, and then buying a more recent GPU or CPU later in the year etc).

I also don't mind buying used. I've been checking CEX and Amazon warehouse for stuff as it seems to knock £25-40 off the prices.

Maybe something like this?

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/QR3gmG

And the difference from DDR3-1866 to the 2133 is like 5 pounds, but since it is an APU the DDR3-2133 is highly recommended.

An Intel option using an i3 would be http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/HWQcvK

You'll be stuck using the HD4600 with it though, so idk.

 

[traveler]

So I backordered the new Acer gsync 1440p monitor everyone has been raving about, but I'm having second thoughts. Not because of the price, the wait, any doubts regarding its quality, or the intermittent production issues, but because of the resolution.

My new machine has a GTX 970 and a i5 4690k in it- will I even be able to run most upcoming heavy hitters (Witcher 3, Battlefront 3, Star Citizen) at 1440p and 60 fps with high settings? Is there an Acer XB270HU equivalent at the 1080p level? (With all the right boxes checked- IPS, 144hz, G sync, good quality hardware, etc.)