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[jediyoshi]

Just realized EVGA put out a firmware update for my 1080 that upped memory clock to 11GHz. Wish I saw that before I went on my benchmark spree, did a quick firestrike test though.

I'd say it's worth the wait, or go get a Ryzen 1600 instead of the 7600k.

To someone purely interested in gaming and not content creation/multitasking? I'd say stick with the Intel.

 

[zeemumu]

Parts ordered and I'm nervous a hell

 

[BreezyLimbo]

Parts ordered and I'm nervous a hell

I'm with you

countdown till tuesday for me.

 

[RandomExpletive]

Sigh, tried a backup PCI 6+2, even disconnected the breakout for an extra fan that's in the other PCI slot on the PSU, so only the 1080 was drawing power, other than my HDD and SSD, same problem, black screen on boot.

Gonna do a quick test, something I hasn't thought of before...

Oh my god it IS booting successfully, and I can login to Windows but the 1080 won't display ANYTHING On the screen! That means the 1080 is receiving power (I think), or it wouldn't boot at all? I'd try every other video output but I'm pretty sure already the same thing was happening on DVI, HDMI, and DP, I just never tried logging into windows...

Whats odd is when I booted the first time to install the drivers when the card arrived earlier this week, it was outputting to the monitors, only it was displaying horizontal green/blue lines like this

Swapped the HDMI cable onto my other monitor, currently have the same problem, no video output, but I can boot into Windows just fine. The monitors not going to sleep either...

Did gigabyte actually have the gall to send me back a broken 1080 TWICE, even claiming to have swapped it for a new one the 2nd time?

R9 390 back in the case, fan. Breakout cable plugged into the PSU, boots up fine. Time to reinstall my driver's for the 5th time this week lol. Hopefully the CS rep actually makes sure they honor the gpu swap he promised last time, really don't wanna have to do all this again

 

[Mr_Moogle]

Isn't it a pretty bad time to buy an Intel CPU? The new coffee lake cpus are only weeks away and they will apparently have more cores in the i5 series. Wait a few weeks and get 2 extra cores guys.

 

[Spartancarver]

Isn't it a pretty bad time to buy an Intel CPU? The new coffee lake cpus are only weeks away and they will apparently have more cores in the i5 series. Wait a few weeks and get 2 extra cores guys.

If you're doing a whole new build and can incorporate one of the newer motherboards into it, yeah definitely wait for the Coffee Lake series. Those extra cores will definitely help.

Some games are coming dangerously close to being bottlenecked by my current i5

 

[Mrbob]

Any good stress tests for Ryzen over clocking? I've been stable with Aida64Extreme CPU stress test at 3.9 GHZ on my AMD 1700. I'm running the cpu at 1.35 volts to reach that speed. I've been thinking about trying to push it to 4Ghz but don't know if I want to press my luck. I've been shocked at how cool my temperature readings have been under full load stress. Running Aida64 cpu stress test for 20 minutes with all cores at 3.9ghz my max cpu temp only got to 49C. Seems low to me and a wrong reading but maybe its the combination of the UH14S and the two top 140mm fans doing work.

I've seen some comments regarding OCCT being the way to go now to stress test. Prime 95 still a thing?

 

[Vinterbird]

What are some good fans for a computer? The stock ones that came with my watercooling are a bit too loud for my taste.

Does the silent fan exist?

 

[ISee]

What are some good fans for a computer? The stock ones that came with my watercooling are a bit too loud for my taste.

Does the silent fan exist?

Most "silent" fans are from beQuiet, best performing ones are from Noctua. Still no matter what you buy, fans will never be completely silent, but those two are the best you can currently get and definitely better then cheap, no name fans.

Any good stress tests for Ryzen over clocking? I've been stable with Aida64Extreme CPU stress test at 3.9 GHZ on my AMD 1700. I'm running the cpu at 1.35 volts to reach that speed. I've been thinking about trying to push it to 4Ghz but don't know if I want to press my luck. I've been shocked at how cool my temperature readings have been under full load stress. Running Aida64 cpu stress test for 20 minutes with all cores at 3.9ghz my max cpu temp only got to 49C. Seems low to me and a wrong reading but maybe its the combination of the UH14S and the two top 140mm fans doing work.

I've seen some comments regarding OCCT being the way to go now to stress test. Prime 95 still a thing?

Prime 95 is still a thing for stress testing, but it is in the upper, very heavy, unrealistic load area. OCCT is fine, my recommendation: Test with two stress testing suits, no matter what and then use your computer. If you pass both tests and don't crash during normal gaming you are fine.

 

[ISee]

DP, sry

 

[Frankfurter]

Any good stress tests for Ryzen over clocking? I've been stable with Aida64Extreme CPU stress test at 3.9 GHZ on my AMD 1700. I'm running the cpu at 1.35 volts to reach that speed. I've been thinking about trying to push it to 4Ghz but don't know if I want to press my luck. I've been shocked at how cool my temperature readings have been under full load stress. Running Aida64 cpu stress test for 20 minutes with all cores at 3.9ghz my max cpu temp only got to 49C. Seems low to me and a wrong reading but maybe its the combination of the UH14S and the two top 140mm fans doing work.

I've seen some comments regarding OCCT being the way to go now to stress test. Prime 95 still a thing?

Prime 95 is still a thing, yeah. Blend for RAM and general stability, Small FFTs or Large FFTs for the CPU mainly (the internet seems divided over which of those is better for testing stability).

 

[RumblingRosco]

To someone purely interested in gaming and not content creation/multitasking? I'd say stick with the Intel.

I'd argue that the Ryzen 1600 will make up the deficit versus the 7600k within a year or so. Just speculation obviously, but with new Intel CPUs so near, it's really hard to see the value in anything expect for the G4560 and maybe the 7700k from Intel right now.

Any good stress tests for Ryzen over clocking? I've been stable with Aida64Extreme CPU stress test at 3.9 GHZ on my AMD 1700. I'm running the cpu at 1.35 volts to reach that speed. I've been thinking about trying to push it to 4Ghz but don't know if I want to press my luck. I've been shocked at how cool my temperature readings have been under full load stress. Running Aida64 cpu stress test for 20 minutes with all cores at 3.9ghz my max cpu temp only got to 49C. Seems low to me and a wrong reading but maybe its the combination of the UH14S and the two top 140mm fans doing work.

I've seen some comments regarding OCCT being the way to go now to stress test. Prime 95 still a thing?

Prime95 using the Small FFT test is good. Try checking temperatures using Ryzen Master as well.

What are some good fans for a computer? The stock ones that came with my watercooling are a bit too loud for my taste.

Does the silent fan exist?

Truly silent fans exist, but often because they move a lot less air. You can get very quiet fans that still move decent air, especially from be quiet! and Noctua. I hear the Corsair magnetic levitation (ML) series are good too, so maybe check on some reviews. In general, a larger fan will move the same amount of air as a smaller fan, but will do so at a lower RPM, which should make the larger fan quieter, all other things equal.

 

[Mr.Pig]

Is etherium mining still a thing?
I heard that the rate was dropping but it seems like radeon cards are still hard to find at decent prices here in Denmark.

 

[Riesenfass]

Is etherium mining still a thing?
I heard that the rate was dropping but it seems like radeon cards are still hard to find at decent prices here in Denmark.

Unfortunately yes. GPU prices are up and availability is down.

 

[thenexus6]

Anyone in the US got this card?

Not released yet in the UK, but the preorder price is so good, over £50 more on other places. Thinking of just preordering and waiting on it.

 

[Furoba]

CPU: Intel - Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-Z97X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Kingston - HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Samsung - 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: Asus - GeForce GTX 760 2GB DirectCU II Video Card
Case: Fractal Design - Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair - CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply

Hi all, I am looking to upgrade my 3 year old build.
Budget around $400-$500 USD. Mainly using for games.

Should I look primarily at CPU and GPU?
Should I add another GPU in SLI, or is it better to replace the current card?
Not overclocking, and sticking with 500W PSU.
Any stuff on the horizon I should wait out for?

 

[Heartfyre]

I've been looking into making a brand new build for the past couple of weeks, and have been looking at storage solutions. I wonder if I could get some thoughts on this configuration?

What I plan to do is put the OS on the smaller, 120GB SSD...and maybe room for a game or two. I plan to have Steam dedicated to the 500GB SSD. And I plan to use the 2TB 7200RPM HDD for everything else.

It's been at least a decade since I bought parts like this, but is there an issue with using 2.5" drives in a desktop? At least from my understanding, they are primarily used for laptop configurations. Any potential issues arising?

Of course, I'm impatiently waiting on the Coffee Lake CPUs and motherboards to come out before I actually build anything, but from the leaked selection of boards, I'd probably go with the MSI Z370 Carbon one, if that's any indication. I'm going for a massive tower as well, so physical space for three drives shouldn't be an issue.

While I'm looking to save money where I can and get the best value for my shillings, for the most part, I've a pretty beefy budget to work with, as my work unexpectedly paid for an academic course I'm taking after I had already budgeted for it.

 

[Little Old Man]

What are some good fans for a computer? The stock ones that came with my watercooling are a bit too loud for my taste.

Does the silent fan exist?

As said above they will always make some noise, but it's about getting the most quiet one for your budget, and combining with a case that minimises noise leaking out too. I really recommend the noctua u14s (I think that's the model, single fan). Huge, runs quiet, easy to clean. If anything I'd pay lots of attention to case fans, and get a GPU that turns its fan of when it's running below 50 degrees Celsius. Your fan choices are limited by the case size and if you plan to oc a lot.

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

Hi all, I am looking to upgrade my 3 year old build.
Budget around $400-$500 USD. Mainly using for games.

Should I look primarily at CPU and GPU?
Should I add another GPU in SLI, or is it better to replace the current card?
Not overclocking, and sticking with 500W PSU.
Any stuff on the horizon I should wait out for?

I'd primarily go for a GPU upgrade. Your CPU should be fine (unless you're seeing a lot of bottlenecking in the games you play)

SLI is generally not recommended. You're better off selling the old card and buying an upgrade.

NVidia has Volta GPUs coming out at some point but those are probably another year out? Give or take. Their current lineup is good if you can find them for reasonable prices.

It's been at least a decade since I bought parts like this, but is there an issue with using 2.5" drives in a desktop? At least from my understanding, they are primarily used for laptop configurations. Any potential issues arising?

Nope, no issues. The worst that might happen is that your case doesn't have an easy place to mount another 2.5" drive so you might have to buy a bracket to keep it in place.

 

[Furoba]

I'd primarily go for a GPU upgrade. Your CPU should be fine (unless you're seeing a lot of bottlenecking in the games you play)

SLI is generally not recommended. You're better off selling the old card and buying an upgrade.

NVidia has Volta GPUs coming out at some point but those are probably another year out? Give or take. Their current lineup is good if you can find them for reasonable prices.

Thanks for the advice.
I guess I might go for a better GPU, and replace the CPU and motherboard at a later time.

$500 USD would get me... something like a GTX 1070? What's the best value for that budget?

 

[Zojirushi]

Just realized EVGA put out a firmware update for my 1080 that upped memory clock to 11GHz. Wish I saw that before I went on my benchmark spree, did a quick firestrike test though.

To someone purely interested in gaming and not content creation/multitasking? I'd say stick with the Intel.

Wait how do you update a GPU's firmware?! Never even heard of that...

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

Thanks for the advice.
I guess I might go for a better GPU, and replace the CPU and motherboard at a later time.

$500 USD would get me... something like a GTX 1070? What's the best value for that budget?

Yeah, a GTX 1070 or you might find a 1080 for around $500. Both cards are fantastic choices and should last quite a few years depending on what/how you're playing.

 

[franklyshankly]

Thanks for the advice.
I guess I might go for a better GPU, and replace the CPU and motherboard at a later time.

$500 USD would get me... something like a GTX 1070? What's the best value for that budget?

I'd rather get a 1080 around 500. 1070 prices are really inflated due to cryptomining, they shouldn't really be near that price.

 

[jediyoshi]

Wait how do you update a GPU's firmware?! Never even heard of that...

You're right, the term I was looking for was bios update. Otherwise It's just an executable.

https://forums.evga.com/EVGA-GeForc...11GHz-BIOS-Update-Available-Now-m2652350.aspx

 

[Mrbob]

Thanks for the recommendations for stress testing. Time to do some more work today.

What are some good fans for a computer? The stock ones that came with my watercooling are a bit too loud for my taste.

Does the silent fan exist?

I use two of these 140mm Noctua fans for the top of my case:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CP6QLY6/?tag=neogaf0e-20

They run at 900RPM by default and go up to 1500. At default speeds they are hardly audible. Comes with a two way PWM splitter in box.

120mm version here I believe:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BEZZBFO/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Madnesslink5]

So... I'm getting closer to my first PC build. Still waiting on coffee lake. The parts I'm still left to get are PSU, CPU (& cooler) & Mobo:

CPU & cooler: TBC
Mobo: TBC
PSU: TBC
Memory: Kingston - HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory
Storage: SanDisk - Ultra 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: SanDisk - Ultra II 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB GAMING X 8G Video Card
Case: Corsair - Vengeance C70 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit
Monitor: Dell - S2716DG 27.0" 2560x1440 144Hz Monitor

The TBC parts I'm looking at are a decent 750W PSU, MSI Z370 mobo, i8700k.

Now, is there any obvious flaws with my current list/these future parts? I'm not too great with the whole compatibility scene - my main concern is what CPU cooler to get, and whether or not I need to get additional fans for the case (currently has 2 120mm intake fans and 1 120mm exhaust)? Any help would be huge, thanks!

 

[Darkstorne]

What are some good fans for a computer? The stock ones that came with my watercooling are a bit too loud for my taste.

Does the silent fan exist?

I use two of these 140mm Noctua fans for the top of my case:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CP6QLY6/?tag=neogaf0e-20

They run at 900RPM by default and go up to 1500. At default speeds they are hardly audible. Comes with a two way PWM splitter in box.

120mm version here I believe:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BEZZBFO/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I would also highly recommend Noctua. I bought an R5 Fractal case back in 2011 with quiet gaming in mind, and replaced the stock fans with Noctua fans while also adding a couple more (side intake and top exhaust). It is incredible how quiet they are on the low speed settings, and low speed is absolutely fine if your airflow is set up properly. So long as air is flowing through your case efficiently, speed really doesn't make much difference. Make sure you get dust filters too.

 

[Little Old Man]

I would also highly recommend Noctua. I bought an R5 Fractal case back in 2011 with quiet gaming in mind, and replaced the stock fans with Noctua fans while also adding a couple more (side intake and top exhaust). It is incredible how quiet they are on the low speed settings, and low speed is absolutely fine if your airflow is set up properly. So long as air is flowing through your case efficiently, speed really doesn't make much difference. Make sure you get dust filters too.

I would recommend that case too. I've got the version without the disc drive and it's fantastic at running quiet and cool. Just put additional dust filters on the front intakes, underneath the front panel, and 95% of the dust will be caught.

 

[Mrbob]

The Fractal Design Meshify C case just came out. It's supposed to be a Define C with better air flow:

http://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/meshify/meshify-c

Getting good reviews and the one I picked up. Three dust filters on it. One on top to cover the 140mm fans (though that sits outside of the case more like cover, still works). Filter on the bottom. Also that front panel with the Fractal logo is a dust filter too (You can remove it after removing the bottom filter). Only 90 dollars too. Any of the Fractal Cases will work well.

I see three tests on OCCT, do I run all three? I saw mention of two stress tests. I'm doing the small data set right now for an hour.

 

[robotzombie]

So it looks like I finally solved all my issues with my new ryzen 7 gtx 1080 ti set up.

Turned out to be a combination of 1) chipset drivers 2)bios update and apparently 3) not playing dark souls using a controller plugged into a USB 3.0 slot.

I'm still having issues getting my ram going at anything over the standard 2133 (should be able to get 3200), but for now everything is working great so I'm not concerned. I'll look back into that when I decide to start trying to overclock the CPU...

 

[Kade]

Looking to do a few upgrades to my PC and need some guidance. I currently have this CPU and was wondering if this CPU would be a meaningful upgrade. My computer is starting to show its age in a handful of games and I'm really not sure what the biggest bottleneck is right now. A CPU would be a cheaper upgrade for me at the moment since video card prices in Canadian dollars are absolutely disgusting right now. I'm also not sure if I'd need a new motherboard. This is the one I have now.

This is my current rig:

Intel Core i5 4690K
16GB DDR3
Nvidia Geforce GTX970 4GB

Alternatives to any of my options are welcome too.

 

[Killer Queen]

Got all my internal parts but my GPU (which should be coming this week)
Pretty excited.
Ryzen 1700
AsRock x370 sli
Wrathspire cooler
16gb of G.Skill Flare RAM
4tb Baracuda HDD
250gb SSD
650 watt Corsair Gold PSU

Now just gotta get the 1080ti to top it all off.

Honestly, Hollow Knight will probably be the first thing i play on it though.

 

[LordAlu]

Looking to do a few upgrades to my PC and need some guidance. I currently have this CPU and was wondering if this CPU would be a meaningful upgrade. My computer is starting to show its age in a handful of games and I'm really not sure what the biggest bottleneck is right now. A CPU would be a cheaper upgrade for me at the moment since video card prices in Canadian dollars are absolutely disgusting right now. I'm also not sure if I'd need a new motherboard. This is the one I have now.

This is my current rig:

Intel Core i5 4690K
16GB DDR3
Nvidia Geforce GTX970 4GB

Alternatives to any of my options are welcome too.

You'd have to replace your motherboard and RAM to upgrade to that processor, and even then there's better choices.

To be honest, your CPU is still pretty good for another year or so, maybe two. You could get a used i7-4790k if you could find one cheap, otherwise you're better looking at upgrading your GPU. A GTX 1070 would be a really nice, solid upgrade, but prices are all over the place right now.

 

[LostMyNarbles]

Is there any way to tell power cables apart from one another? A long time ago when I got a new power supply I threw all the cables I didn't need in the box with the old PSU and I recently learned you aren't supposed to mix cables because it could damage your system. They are both from the same brand and I can't tell which cable belongs to which PSU.

 

[zeemumu]

I'm with you

countdown till tuesday for me.

I'm getting mine over the course of the next few days. My case is the last thing to arrive

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

Looking to do a few upgrades to my PC and need some guidance. I currently have this CPU and was wondering if this CPU would be a meaningful upgrade. My computer is starting to show its age in a handful of games and I'm really not sure what the biggest bottleneck is right now. A CPU would be a cheaper upgrade for me at the moment since video card prices in Canadian dollars are absolutely disgusting right now. I'm also not sure if I'd need a new motherboard. This is the one I have now.

This is my current rig:

Intel Core i5 4690K
16GB DDR3
Nvidia Geforce GTX970 4GB

Alternatives to any of my options are welcome too.

I would recommend for you and other people who think they might be bottlenecked to download MSI Afterburner and Rivatuner and get an overlay to show each CPU core and GPU usage (also check VRAM and RAM usage). Then you can come at this with real evidence to show what parts of your PC are holding you back.

I like to do this anyway just to see why I can't hit the settings I expect, even when I don't plan on upgrading. For example, Far Cry Primal was very obviously single threaded - one CPU core was always maxed out. So sometimes it's not what you'd expect. (And of course sometimes your PC isn't even pushed that hard and the game is still struggling - that's always a PITA)

Anyway, benchmark the games you like to play regularly and you'll be in a better place to make your decisions, based on facts instead of wisdom of the commons.

 

[opticalmace]

Looking to do a few upgrades to my PC and need some guidance. I currently have this CPU and was wondering if this CPU would be a meaningful upgrade. My computer is starting to show its age in a handful of games and I'm really not sure what the biggest bottleneck is right now. A CPU would be a cheaper upgrade for me at the moment since video card prices in Canadian dollars are absolutely disgusting right now. I'm also not sure if I'd need a new motherboard. This is the one I have now.

This is my current rig:

Intel Core i5 4690K
16GB DDR3
Nvidia Geforce GTX970 4GB

Alternatives to any of my options are welcome too.

You should upgrade your gpu. Your cpu is still good enough, particularly if you overclock.

 

[Mozendo]

Is there any way to tell power cables apart from one another? A long time ago when I got a new power supply I threw all the cables I didn't need in the box with the old PSU and I recently learned you aren't supposed to mix cables because it could damage your system. They are both from the same brand and I can't tell which cable belongs to which PSU.

No online manuals for the PSU?

 

[Kade]

Thank you for the responses guys.

 

[LostMyNarbles]

No online manuals for the PSU?

xD Forgot that I'll check those thanks.

 

[gabbo]

So I have an old Core 2 Quad Q9450 system that I've been goofing around with, testing out different linux distros on for fun, and generally messing about. Other than needing to move to a new case and get a new heat sink/fan (it's rocking a stock intel cooler at the moment), it runs perfectly fine given its decade+ of age.

Memory: 4gb DDR2
Mobo: Asus P5K Premium/WiFi-AP
GFX: Asus GTX660
Storage: WD 500gb caviar blue

I'm looking at
Silverstone GD09 for the case

and

Scythe Big Shuriken RevB for heat sink
-trying to find a not too expensive low profile cooler that reviews well and fits a lga775 cpu slot and this fits the bill

Any thoughts from PCGAF on whether it'd be worth the money to convert it to a full time HTPC? Trying to keep the budget at max $300-350 CDN for any improvements/changes I need to make (Can only see needing more RAM outside the two I listed - have other hard drives I can swap in there should the need arise). What say yee?

 

[AmyS]

Would a 750 watt PSU be sufficient for a Core i7 7700K (perhaps overclocked to 4.6 GHz) / 16GB DDR4, one of the superclocked GTX 1080 Ti cards. a 500 GB SSD + 2TB HDD with room to grow in graphics down the road?

I'm going to buy parts for a new build in December and looking to spend around ~$1600.

 

[rtcn63]

Would a 750 watt PSU be sufficient for a Core i7 7700K (perhaps overclocked to 4.6 GHz) / 16GB DDR4, one of the superclocked GTX 1080 Ti cards. a 500 GB SSD + 2TB HDD with room to grow in graphics down the road?

A fairly recent model from a reputable brand? More than enough.

 

[AmyS]

A fairly recent model from a reputable brand? More than enough.

Yep. recent model, good / reputable brand. I was reading elsewhere that 750w PSU is easily enough to support 2x GTX 1080Ti cards in SLI but I doubt I'll go SLI.

But I just wanted input from NeoGAF.

 

[rtcn63]

Yep. recent model, good / reputable brand. I was reading elsewhere that 750w PSU is easily enough to support 2x GTX 1080Ti cards in SLI but I doubt I'll go SLI.

But I just wanted input from NeoGAF.

You should google your exact model and see if anyone's had issues, especially with that setup. Doesn't hurt.

 

[AmyS]

You should google your exact model and see if anyone's had issues, especially with that setup. Doesn't hurt.

I will before I start this process.

I haven't had a gaming PC since early 2011. It was a Core i7 (Nephalem), 8 GB DDR3, GTX 460 w/ 1GB GDDR5.

Anyway, the biggest decision I need to make is motherboard and CPU. My question is, would it be better to get a 4c/8t CPU with higher clockspeed than an 8 core / 16 thread C{U with generally lower frequency?

This will be for SP & MP gaming only, not for streaming, editing, or anything else.

It's been said that, eventually, PC games will begin to take advantage of the additional CPU cores that have just come out (and will continue to be released in the mainstream late next year by Intel) but for now the 8 core CPUs aren't as good for gaming. Is that true and what would you guys recommend for a CPU if putting a brand new system together this fall ?

My budget is about $1600 with an extra $200 in reserve if absolutely needed.

 

[rtcn63]

I will before I start this process.

I haven't had a gaming PC since early 2011. It was a Core i7 (Nephalem), 8 GB DDR3, GTX 460 w/ 1GB GDDR5.

Anyway, the biggest decision I need to make is motherboard and CPU. My question is, would it be better to get a 4c/8t CPU with higher clockspeed than an 8 core / 16 thread C{U with generally lower frequency?

This will be for SP & MP gaming only, not for streaming, editing, or anything else. People say that eventually games will begin to take advantage of the additional CPU cores but for now the 8 core CPUs aren't as good for gaming. Is that true?

Do you have to have it by the holidays? Coffee Lake is incoming, and the i7 8700k should be a 6c/12t with very little to no loss in single core/thread performance compared to the 7700k. It's a good compromise. If you play open-world or RTS games in particular, a higher core count is/may very well be extremely helpful in the forthcoming years.

Otherwise: Your options are probably the 7700k or the r5 1600 (or was it the 1600x?). Either way, you can't go wrong, especially if you can get the CPU with a hefty discount. Save the money and put it towards the possibly (maybe not) necessary upgrade in 5-10 years.

 

[opticalmace]

I will before I start this process.

I haven't had a gaming PC since early 2011. It was a Core i7 (Nephalem), 8 GB DDR3, GTX 460 w/ 1GB GDDR5.

Anyway, the biggest decision I need to make is motherboard and CPU. My question is, would it be better to get a 4c/8t CPU with higher clockspeed than an 8 core / 16 thread C{U with generally lower frequency?

This will be for SP & MP gaming only, not for streaming, editing, or anything else.

It's been said that, eventually, PC games will begin to take advantage of the additional CPU cores that have just come out (and will continue to be released in the mainstream late next year by Intel) but for now the 8 core CPUs aren't as good for gaming. Is that true and what would you guys recommend for a CPU if putting a brand new system together this fall ?

My budget is about $1600 with an extra $200 in reserve if absolutely needed.

8700k is getting announced in a few weeks. Get that!

And on PSUs, 750W is way more than enough. Actually I'd probably get something like the EVGA G3 650W myself...... well maybe 750 if it's basically the same price. I think they both have the 10 year warranty IIRC? Excellent PSUs.

But yeah, I'd 100% get the 8700k if I were building soon (and it was for gaming).

 

[AmyS]

Do you have to have it by the holidays? Coffee Lake is incoming, and the i7 8700k should be a 6c/12t with very little to no loss in single core/thread performance compared to the 7700k. It's a good compromise. If you play open-world or RTS games in particular, a higher core count is/may very well be extremely helpful in the forthcoming years.

Otherwise: Your options are probably the 7700k or the r5 1600 (or was it the 1600x?). Either way, you can't go wrong, especially if you can get it with a hefty discount. Save the money and put it towards the possibly (maybe not) necessary upgrade in 5-10 years.

Open-world games for sure, RTS no so much. I was under the impression that Coffee Lake was going to be for low-power / mobile / thin platforms, I guess I was wrong.

Anyway as far as when I want this, I could hold off until mid February but don't want to wait too long. Is Coffee Lake 8700K due by then?

 

[opticalmace]

Open-world games for sure, RTS no so much. I was under the impression that Coffee Lake was going to be for low-power / mobile / thin platforms, I guess I was wrong.

Anyway as far as when I want this, I could hold off until mid February but don't want to wait too long. Is Coffee Lake 8700K due by then?

TBH you'll probably be able to buy an 8700k next month. I think Oct 5th is the announcement date.