A RAID1 configuration would probably be perfect. You basically have two identical HDDs, so if one fails you can just use the other one with all the same files on it. It's automated so you don't have to copy-paste everything.
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"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 1. Read the OP and RISE ABOVE FORGED PRECISION SCIENCE
- Thread starter Hazaro
- Start date
- Status
thought about it but would suck to look for files since they have to be downloaded back to access, if I don't have them locally, right? and the cost to keep the files there...
Hmm that seems to be a good solution to my probelm
It's not too bad. I keep all my work stored on Dropbox. Came out to $99 for the year and 1TB of space. They are mostly images so they're easily downloaded when I need them. Not sure if you're doing video work and whatnot. I also keep a 128GB USB they gave me at work for files I really need on the go. If the files somehow go missing thats their fault for giving me a crappy USB
It's not too bad. I keep all my work stored on Dropbox. Came out to $99 for the year and 1TB of space. They are mostly images so they're easily downloaded when I need them. Not sure if you're doing video work and whatnot. I also keep a 128GB USB they gave me at work for files I really need on the go. If the files somehow go missing thats their fault for giving me a crappy USB
yea my files are anywhere from couple hundred megs to couple gigs...and I keep many iterations. Seems like Raid1 will be what I need to in vest in down the road. I got 2 unused Evo 850 SSD but they are only like 250gigs each lol.
You'd be better off buying some new HDDs, 1 or 2TB each (yes, it can be expensive but you're only going to be able to use half of that space so I wouldn't cheap out). Western Digital Blue or Black.
Also, check if your motheboard supports RAID.
yup it does support the raid
mylasthope
Neo Member
XFX 280X for $189.99 AR
SAPPHIRE 290 for $249.99 AR
PowerColor 290 for $229.99 AR
I'd grab a 290 if it's w/in your budget.
Or if you don't mind a refurb card:
Diamond 290X for $239.99
If you're looking to spend a decent amount of money on a new PC (i.e., looking to get high-end if not bleeding edge), is now a good time to buy or better to wait? I'm kind of inclined to wait for Windows 10 to drop but that's a pretty uneducated hunch. I'm not in a super rush but looking to move on to a nice new PC.
mylasthope
Neo Member
Wait till next month for the 300 series and 980 ti.
Edit: In case anyone needs a mobo: EVGA's memorial weekend sale, featuring a $49.99 Z87 Classified.
Is there a consensus on when we can expect the GTX 1000 series to launch? I'm in holding mode with my GTX780 and am still working with a 1080p setup.
Assuming we are talking about Q4 2015, the plan will be to move to a new build (including mobo/CPU) and move to 4k Gsync or the like late this year.
I understand the 1000 series will likely require new mobo tech to support NVLink, assuming it gains traction?
Assuming we are talking about Q4 2015, the plan will be to move to a new build (including mobo/CPU) and move to 4k Gsync or the like late this year.
I understand the 1000 series will likely require new mobo tech to support NVLink, assuming it gains traction?
Node 605?
NVidia are still going to use PCIE even if NVLink becomes a thing. I suspect 10XX series to arrive in another 6-10 months maybe.
Silverstone makes a variety of HTPC (like the GD/Grandia series) cases that lay flat and resemble AV receivers but are somewhat larger. They can take ATX motherboards and long graphics cards.
Pascal and NVLink aren't expected until 2016 at the very least.
Cool I can definitely wait a month.
Usually when you're asking about PCs or TVs it's always 'wait six months' literally regardless of when you're asking.LostMyNarbles
Member
I know it's an insanely old card, but is the GTX 590 any good in this day and age? I noticed it's on sale for $100 which sounds good for somebody on a budget like myself.
(Edit) Ugh never mind I think it already sold out. :|
(Edit) Ugh never mind I think it already sold out. :|
Demigod Mac
Member
Anyone got tips on how to get the shroud of a GeForce card off?
Specifically this part:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGrhBfcwQTE&t=9m
^ He had a much easier time than I did in my attempt... Shroud kept getting caught on the edge and wouldn't budge any further. I don't want to risk breaking or scratching anything.
(I'm only looking to replace the thermal compound on the GPU, not remove the entire cooler, btw)
Specifically this part:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGrhBfcwQTE&t=9m
^ He had a much easier time than I did in my attempt... Shroud kept getting caught on the edge and wouldn't budge any further. I don't want to risk breaking or scratching anything.
(I'm only looking to replace the thermal compound on the GPU, not remove the entire cooler, btw)
SeeNoWeevil
Member
Looks like the 980Ti is imminent, any changes in the last few weeks since posting this?
I do have a few more questions though.
1. How do I choose which card to go for when the 980Ti does go up for sale? What differences should I be paying attention to between the variants? Which brands are recommended?
2. The same question for motherboards, any must have features?
3. Are m.2 SSDs worth it?
4. Do aftermarket coolers come with thermal paste? (I have some arctic silver but it's probably 10yrs+ old!)
5. Can I buy a Windows 8.1 license without media and download the image and apply from usb?
6. Is Windows 10 preview viable for gaming (i.e can I skip W8)?
7. What is a 'Gold rated' powersupply?
Looks like the 980Ti is imminent, any changes in the last few weeks since posting this?
I do have a few more questions though.
1. How do I choose which card to go for when the 980Ti does go up for sale? What differences should I be paying attention to between the variants? Which brands are recommended?
2. The same question for motherboards, any must have features?
3. Are m.2 SSDs worth it?
4. Do aftermarket coolers come with thermal paste? (I have some arctic silver but it's probably 10yrs+ old!)
5. Can I buy a Windows 8.1 license without media and download the image and apply from usb?
6. Is Windows 10 preview viable for gaming (i.e can I skip W8)?
7. What is a 'Gold rated' powersupply?
1) Read reviews and word of mouth. Look for temps benchmakrs and clocks mostly, and obviously price (altough, all of these things are usually all pretty close anyway). Usually the best manufacturers are Gigabyte, MSI, EVGA, Asus, Doesn't mean that others are crap. I don't know if the 980ti will come with custom coolers like the 970/980 or it'll only have the standard blower like the Titan X, in that case it's even easier to choose.
2) Not really unless you want to overclock like mad.
3) I don't have any experience with those, sorry.
4) They usually do.
5) I think so yeah.
6) You'll still have to buy a license, and the preview it's unstable. I know people are gaming on it but YMMV.
7) It has to do with power efficiency, but basically any PSU from a reputable manufacturer will be at least bronze, not really something you need to worry about.
sono
Member
So I have decided to build my own PC.. I am hoping this thread will help me. I did build one many years ago (did work but now scrapped as ancient) so this will be my second ever.
I am looking to spend up to £1000 UK pounds. I live in UK so dont want to pay import duty for components. .
The main uses will be to play current games at 1080p 60fps and run X-Plane and MS Flight simulator X.
I see the OP at the head of this thread was posted in 2014 are the attached spreadsheets to the op maintained up to current date or should I look to a different thread for those.
Thanks for this and any general advise.
I am looking to spend up to £1000 UK pounds. I live in UK so dont want to pay import duty for components. .
The main uses will be to play current games at 1080p 60fps and run X-Plane and MS Flight simulator X.
I see the OP at the head of this thread was posted in 2014 are the attached spreadsheets to the op maintained up to current date or should I look to a different thread for those.
Thanks for this and any general advise.
Coulomb_Barrier
Member
Looks like the 980Ti is imminent, any changes in the last few weeks since posting this?
I do have a few more questions though.
2. The same question for motherboards, any must have features?
3. Are m.2 SSDs worth it?
Most modern motherboards have m.2 support and imo, they are worth it.
I bought a Samsung SM951 256GB, the fastest single SSD on the market I believe. It cost £200 but it's 4-5 times faster than SATA SSDs like the MX100. It's unbelievably quick as a boot drive.
It'd be nice if you could fill out the short list of questions from the OP so we could get a better idea of what to recommend you.
[Basic Desktop Questions]
Your Current Specs: CPU / RAM / Motherboard / GPU (Graphics) / PSU (Power Supply) / Case / HDD (Hard Drive)
Budget: Price Range + Country
Main Use: Rate 1-5. 5 being Highest: Light Gaming, Gaming, Emulation (PS2/Wii), Video Editing, Streaming games in HD, 3D/Model work (and what program), General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback).
Monitor Resolution: What resolution will you be playing your games at? Are you going to upgrade later? Are you buying a new monitor?
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Is 30FPS acceptable? 60? 120? How important is PhysX / SuperSampling / CUDA to you?
Looking to reuse any parts from your old PC?: List make and model (e.g. Corsair 520HX, 640GB SATA HDD, Antec 900)
When will you build?: Do you have a deadline?
Will you be overclocking?: Yes, No, Maybe (This means yes!)
Additional questions I can think of include:
Do you need monitor, speakers, keyboard, or mouse? Do you care about the size of the PC in case you might have to move it around frequently? Do you require noise-dampening features like a sound-proofed case or low noise parts? What did you have in mind for case aesthetics such as design? Would you like the case to have a window, and if you do, would you prefer color-coordinated internal parts?
You don't need to answer all of these questions, but the more we know, the better we can tailor a parts list to fit your wants and needs. Otherwise if you don't have a preference, I'll just recommend normal parts to fit inside the budget. Here's a starting build to consider, I picked the strongest graphics card I could fit into your budget.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£179.99 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£24.97 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£89.99 @ Novatech)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory (£92.90 @ More Computers)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£70.49 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£37.97 @ CCL Computers)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card (£439.18 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case (£33.85 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£46.98 @ Scan.co.uk)
Total: £1016.32
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-23 11:52 BST+0100
Some things to get you started.
PCPartPicker part list: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/PWJxdC
Price breakdown by merchant: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/PWJxdC/by_merchant/
I recommend also looking into micro-atx for case/motherboard. Once you provide more details as per RGM79 suggestion we can get a more complete build.
sono
Member
ok thank you.
I dont have any PC at the moment.
I dont need color coordinated parts, I dont need mouse, keyboard or monitor. (Plan to use a Sony 40" bravia day 1. In the future (with more spend - i.e exapansion): multiple screens for flight simulation big view. As mentioned 1080[/60fps just assume current AAA games generally, nothing specific (I use PS4 for most gaming, main aim is for flight simulation but gaming close second).
Main goal is performance for the £1000. above everything except reliability, dont want to be continually repairing overheats.
Dont really want to overclock, prefer to run to manufacturers specs for longevity (sorry if it doesnt work that way). As for sound I would use headphones as I live in a smaller shared flat..
I dont have any PC at the moment.
I dont need color coordinated parts, I dont need mouse, keyboard or monitor. (Plan to use a Sony 40" bravia day 1. In the future (with more spend - i.e exapansion): multiple screens for flight simulation big view. As mentioned 1080[/60fps just assume current AAA games generally, nothing specific (I use PS4 for most gaming, main aim is for flight simulation but gaming close second).
Main goal is performance for the £1000. above everything except reliability, dont want to be continually repairing overheats.
Dont really want to overclock, prefer to run to manufacturers specs for longevity (sorry if it doesnt work that way). As for sound I would use headphones as I live in a smaller shared flat..
What sort of headphones? Will you be needing some kind of sound card for that, or are you be using a A/V receiver or something like that?
sono
Member
Can you get sound cards you plug the headphones directly into.
I have these PS4 headphones I presume those cant be made to also work on PC
So I will need some phones too. Happy to go over the £1000 budget for what I consider these as extras as I can get them later.
By the way RGM79 thank you for your build spec. Can I assume the video card you have advised which is considerably more expensive that the one Kayant suggested is proportionately more poweful!.
Sorry I am not up to speed on these cards at all so what does the extra money get me.
Thanks a million for your help I will get ordering in the next day or two.
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
Yes, they work on PC. All Sony headphones do. Mac too even.
flipswitch
Member
Finally found this thread.
Need some advice.
My current setup.
I7 3770k
16GB ram
GTX 670 2GB.
I'm really considering upgrading but I'm not sure if I should wait now or jump in with a 970gtx.
I will be doing most of my gaming in 1080p. With that said, will the 970's '3.5GB' be enough for gaming at the resolution for now and the future?
I don't want to buy one then find out that I can't run certain games at their max settings ( such as texture resolution).
How future proof is this card?
Another thing, what type of peformance gain should I expect over my current system?
And last question, should I wait for the newer cards to arrive ( not including AMD) before buying I buy?
Need some advice.
My current setup.
I7 3770k
16GB ram
GTX 670 2GB.
I'm really considering upgrading but I'm not sure if I should wait now or jump in with a 970gtx.
I will be doing most of my gaming in 1080p. With that said, will the 970's '3.5GB' be enough for gaming at the resolution for now and the future?
I don't want to buy one then find out that I can't run certain games at their max settings ( such as texture resolution).
How future proof is this card?
Another thing, what type of peformance gain should I expect over my current system?
And last question, should I wait for the newer cards to arrive ( not including AMD) before buying I buy?
Hey guys, I have a tiny little problem with my PC. I just finished exams and I was excited to play some GTA V, so I decided to clean out the computer with compressed air. A shitload of dust came out, but once I closed it back up it wouldn't turn on at all. I checked my Psu (Seasonic 850w) with a paperclip and that still worked. I think it's the motherboard (Asrock Z97 extreme4), especially since it felt very hot when I tried to turn it on directly from the board, even though the pc had been off for a while.
However, later I tried again and the fans suddenly started spinning and it gave a me a SATA disk error in the debug lights on the mobo. I turned it off and it hasn't given a sign of life since. Do you think I should just get a new board? Is there any chance that my CPU and GPU are broken too? Also, maybe I broke it myself, but there's no signs of shorting or burning. Is it possible that I'll still be able to get it replaced under warranty?
However, later I tried again and the fans suddenly started spinning and it gave a me a SATA disk error in the debug lights on the mobo. I turned it off and it hasn't given a sign of life since. Do you think I should just get a new board? Is there any chance that my CPU and GPU are broken too? Also, maybe I broke it myself, but there's no signs of shorting or burning. Is it possible that I'll still be able to get it replaced under warranty?
Thanks. I will look into the GTX 980ti when time comes.
I just see more and more games recommending an i7 processor. Doesn't make that much of a difference?
Well, depending on your needs, you can probably scale back on some parts. If you are not interested in overclocking the CPU, you could save a bit of money by going with a non-overclocking model and dropping the 212 Evo heatsink, the CPU will come with a small basic heatsink that will work just fine. You would also be able to go with a much cheaper motherboard.
It seems that the Sony headset will natively work with Windows PCs, all you need to do is plug in the USB receiver. If you do not mind reusing the Playstation headset with your new PC, then you won't need a new headset or sound card at all.
The GTX 980 is around 10~20% more capable than the GTX 970, but most people would not consider the difference great enough to warrant the extra £150+ that the GTX 980 costs. I just saw that it was possible to fit the GTX 980 into your £1000 budget, so I put it in there just as an example.
Here's a more conservative build with a non-overclocking processor and GTX 970, based on what you've told us.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor (£154.98 @ Novatech)
Motherboard: ASRock H81M-HDS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£38.17 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: Kingston Savage 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£43.71 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£70.49 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£37.97 @ CCL Computers)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card (£268.31 @ Ebuyer)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case (£33.85 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£46.98 @ Scan.co.uk)
Total: £694.46
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-23 13:29 BST+0100
That's quite a good build for cost to performance.
The GTX 970 should be able to handle games at higher settings at 1080p and 60FPS quite well, but it varies by the game, of course. If you wanted to be definitely capable of 60FPS at even higher settings for future games, consider the GTX 980 or wait for the new graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD coming in June. The GTX 980 Ti is coming in less than 2 weeks and AMD is launching a new line of graphics cards in the middle of June.
One more thing to ask you, do you have access to a copy of Windows? If not, we'll also have to include that into the costs. You can get a retail copy of Windows 8.1 for around £75, but if you want to save money and don't mind the risk, Windows 7/8.1 licenses can be bought from reddit's
microsoftsoftwareswap for £15 or less. These are most likely
legitimate keys that are resold from educational programs like Technet
or Dreamspark. However, you are dealing with a person instead of a
retailer, and informal Windows keys sales are not approved by Microsoft
and probably breaking some licensing agreement to be clear, but it's not illegal. The risks involved are that the person could be selling you a fake or used key, or that Microsoft will not provide customer support as you did not buy it from them, and/or they may deactivate your license and refuse to reactivate it, although it's somewhat unlikely, usually only if the seller and their list of sold keys was caught. We've had people here using those keys without issues for a long time and others who say Microsoft deactivated their key after several months.
Btw sono the SSC ACX 2.0 isn't available on ebuyer anymore so go with this MSI from my previous post.
Also maybe the power supply if you want a less cables to deal with when building and a bit more quality with 80+ Gold.
Oh, I didn't notice, my bad. Yeah, that seems to be the next best option.
Yh it seems like there is quite a few of these kind of listings on pcpartpicker.
Depending on the overclock but in general you gain more performance basically.
- In games higher fps
- In programs less time to complete stuff
flipswitch
Member
Just quoting from near the bottom of last page.
One more thing, will my current power supply (specs below) support the 970 GTX which uses 6-pin and one 8-pin.
My power supply specs.
Full specs here; http://www.thermaltake.com.au/products-model.aspx?id=C_00001571
Got a 760 2Gb card on my actual PC.
Thinking of getting another and put it to SLI but the 2Gb memory limit is kind of bad.
Would it be better to just get a similar card but with more memory? Something like a 960 with 4Gb? As far as I can see, performance between them seem to be similar but the increased memory will mean higher textures , but Im not sure that higher textures on similar specs will mean less performance (sounds logical but I dont know)
Any recommendations? I willing to part with around 300
Thinking of getting another and put it to SLI but the 2Gb memory limit is kind of bad.
Would it be better to just get a similar card but with more memory? Something like a 960 with 4Gb? As far as I can see, performance between them seem to be similar but the increased memory will mean higher textures , but Im not sure that higher textures on similar specs will mean less performance (sounds logical but I dont know)
Any recommendations? I willing to part with around 300
Oh man, wish I had an over clocked CPU. But I'm afraid I'll ruin it.
Should be fine if you go with the gtx 970. The 6+2 pin is the 8 pin. Now in terms of future proof with the card it's hard to say especially with what you say about textures because Vram requirements are only increasing it seems.
In terms of waiting expect you're willing to spend quite a bit more then the rumoured 980Ti, 390x/390 will probably be outside your budget. The only other things coming are amd rebrands of previous cards.
The 970 is still an awesome card at 1080p and even higher and 4K in F2P,older titles.
In terms of performance you can expect near double the performance http://gamegpu.ru/action-/-fps-/-tps/grand-theft-auto-v-test-gpu.htmlhttp://www.pcgameshardware.de/GTA-5-Grand-Theft-Auto-5-PC-219948/Tests/GTA-5-PC-Test-Benchmark-1156215/
Oh man, wish I had an over clocked CPU. But I'm afraid I'll ruin it.
It's not that difficult if you're careful and have the cooling for it
The time has finally come for me to upgrade my 5 year old htpc as its starting to get wheezy.
Currently using it for gaming and i would want a powerful beast to replace it. Got about $AUD 1000 to spend.
Big thing for me is the case, i currently have a Fractal Node 305 but it doesnt allow any cpu cooling and is very cramped so whats the current best mini atx/itx case out there...a side panel would add to the fun!
Thanks.
Currently using it for gaming and i would want a powerful beast to replace it. Got about $AUD 1000 to spend.
Big thing for me is the case, i currently have a Fractal Node 305 but it doesnt allow any cpu cooling and is very cramped so whats the current best mini atx/itx case out there...a side panel would add to the fun!
Thanks.
Louis Cyphre
Banned
I'm hoping to build a decent rig next year for no more than $2,000. I want to go with the new GTX 980 Ti coming and Intel i7 4790K or a new generation CPU from Intel. I often thought of a new pc now equipped with a GTX 970 and Intel i5 4690K but I decided my current pc will get me by for now.
PineappleChemist
Neo Member
Hey guys, building my first PC soon! I need some help though. I'm planning on selling my PS4 as it will become redundant to me as I will play multis on PC and any exclusives I want I can play on my brother's PS4. I have two options as to what do with the money (lets say I get 300 for console and games)
- Go with my original plan: go with an £800 ish build with a GTX970 and spend the funds from the ps4 sale on games in the summer sale/peripherals.
- Put the extra cash towards a better card like a 980/980 ti/Fiji
What would you guys do? I play at 1080p but would really like to play at ultra at around 60fps.
- Go with my original plan: go with an £800 ish build with a GTX970 and spend the funds from the ps4 sale on games in the summer sale/peripherals.
- Put the extra cash towards a better card like a 980/980 ti/Fiji
What would you guys do? I play at 1080p but would really like to play at ultra at around 60fps.
I'm in a similar boat though im keeping the ps4.
I excited about building my own though it also worries me the thought of spending that amount of cash and the PC rapidly going out of date.
Should I be waiting for direct X12 also?
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
Cant worry about it being out of date. Within months something in your build is already the old version. Same with people asking if they should buy a 970 or wait for new Gen. Do you have min/max ocd? If not, buy the 970 now. If you do, wait and spend double on the best of the best. Well technically it's not a Titan X so you're still not completely up to date. And something better will be out in less than a year again. It's an endless cycle.
It's fitting that the ONE time I have shipping problems with Amazon it's when I'm waiting for my processor to arrive. Argh. Hopefully it arrives today, then I can actually start putting my build together. I already got my case and installed one HD and my power supply... hopefully I don't fuck this up when it's time to actually install everything. D:
SeeNoWeevil
Member
Thanks for the replies all.
DD3 rated higher than 1600Mhz for the Z97 platform, requires overclocking, right?
DD3 rated higher than 1600Mhz for the Z97 platform, requires overclocking, right?
- Status