• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

"I need a New PC!" 2013 Part 1. Haswell, Crysis 3, and secret fairy sauce. Read da OP

Status
Not open for further replies.
I just ordered a refurbished XPS 8500 from Dell, they have a coupon for 15% off a desktop between $500-$1000 right now. Total cost for me was $680+tax.

i7 3770
16GB DDR3 RAM
1 TB 7200RPM HDD
ATi 7700 1 GB
8x Blu-Ray/DVD Drive
Win8 pre-installed (this is a good thing?? I hope)

Overall I'm thinking it will be good enough for PC gaming for the next year. Then once the new consoles are out I hope to buy a high end video card and new power supply (I believe the XPS 8500 comes with a 450W power supply, although am not 100% sure) that will last through the next gen. That and an SSD to install Windows to.

EDIT: AMD 7770, not ATi 7700, lol. Thanks for the correction
 

scogoth

Member
ATI eh? I do like a good Canadian company but I think you'll find like all other Canadian companies they were bought by Americans ;)

I hope you mean the AMD 7770 cause an ATI FirePro 7700 would really be old school
 

mkenyon

Banned
ATI eh? I do like a good Canadian company but I think you'll find like all other Canadian companies they were bought by Americans ;)

I hope you mean the AMD 7770 cause an ATI FirePro 7700 would really be old school
You mean we don't own all of Canada yet?

Better get to work.

Also, FrozenCPU ordered a big shipment of LD PC-V7s. Total price with shipping is like $450 instead of nearly $600 straight from LD. Put on auto-notification, Mark (sales guy) said they'll be in stock in about 4 weeks. Now I just need to decide between all black or black with white interior.
 

scogoth

Member
Sucks being able to only use Matrox video cards now :(

2V1PnEt.png

Hell yeah best way to watch a game.
 

scogoth

Member
You mean we don't own all of Canada yet?

Better get to work.

Also, FrozenCPU ordered a big shipment of LD PC-V7s. Total price with shipping is like $450 instead of nearly $600 straight from LD. Put on auto-notification, Mark (sales guy) said they'll be in stock in about 4 weeks. Now I just need to decide between all black or black with white interior.

Black with white, powder coated Montsaa rads, gold fittings, Dinoc the blocks and..... Oh wait
 
Before I get any further, I have a question about the IO Shield. I've been looking at videos and sites online, and it's tricky to find a clear answer.

j5XbKFL.jpg


Those little extra tabs, are they supposed to be like that? They look bad, and one or two of them seem to very slightly get in the way. Are they supposed to slide into some of the tiny gaps beside the ports? I'm not even sure if they all have places to go.
 

scogoth

Member
And ECS Golden Z77? :p

Asus Zeus

Before I get any further, I have a question about the IO Shield. I've been looking at videos and sites online, and it's tricky to find a clear answer.

Those little extra tabs, are they supposed to be like that? They look bad, and one or two of them seem to very slightly get in the way. Are they supposed to slide into some of the tiny gaps beside the ports? I'm not even sure if they all have places to go.

That's right. That is a cheap IO shield unfortunately. You can usually move your motherboard 1-2mm closer to the IO shield then tighten the screws to the case so there is less of a gap.
 
ATI eh? I do like a good Canadian company but I think you'll find like all other Canadian companies they were bought by Americans ;)

I hope you mean the AMD 7770 cause an ATI FirePro 7700 would really be old school

Haha yea, meant AMD not ATi. Last time I bought a discrete video card it was an ATi x800xl!
 

scogoth

Member
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/fx-8350-core-i7-3770k-gaming-bottleneck,3407-6.html

Well toms has beat me to the punch for my CPU analysis of BF3 but they tested single player. However at 5760x1080 it seems that BF3 eats CPU cycles for breakfast brunch lunch dinner supper and even afternoon tea. Great overall article showing that at stupid high resolutions and graphics settings neither intel or AMD is good enough.

Also 3770k still better at 1080p. Who knew.

And yes mkenyon they are using frame times for analysis
 
D

Deleted member 22576

Unconfirmed Member
Mkenyon, you're michalius on steam. Right?
If that's you, then were already steam buds but I guess we're never on at the same time. We should make a little play date, currently I only have one friend that plays so I'm really looking to build up a group.

Anybody else who wants to add my steam just send me an invite. http://steamcommunity.com/id/Jtwo

Especially-especially if you want to get into planetside. I've only just started to grasp the meta game and upgrade systems. It's a beast of a game to try and get into. My first few times playing back in November ended in nothing but tears. Now, older and colder, I've been able to pull myself together and taste the space warfare victory I always dreamed about as a boy. It's the ultimate videogame videogame.

It is the MOST videogame.
 

Lkr

Member
is there a benchmark showing the performance differences between a clean win8 install and an upgrade?
 

Varna

Member
Hm. So what could be the problem here. I loaded the default settings in my bios and when I load up Windows Core Temp and CPU-Z still report my 4.6GHZ OC.
 

scogoth

Member
Hm. So what could be the problem here. I loaded the default settings in my bios and when I load up Windows Core Temp and CPU-Z still report my 4.6GHZ OC.

What does the BIOS say. Maybe the default setting didn't save or maybe didn't reset the multiplier.
 

Varna

Member
What does the BIOS say. Maybe the default setting didn't save or maybe didn't reset the multiplier.

Everything is stock in the bios. Really strange issue. I've been noticing W7 behaving a bit erratically (like being unresponsive when the first few seconds after booting). Time for a reformat me thinks.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Mkenyon, you're michalius on steam. Right?
If that's you, then were already steam buds but I guess we're never on at the same time. We should make a little play date, currently I only have one friend that plays so I'm really looking to build up a group.

Anybody else who wants to add my steam just send me an invite. http://steamcommunity.com/id/Jtwo

Especially-especially if you want to get into planetside. I've only just started to grasp the meta game and upgrade systems. It's a beast of a game to try and get into. My first few times playing back in November ended in nothing but tears. Now, older and colder, I've been able to pull myself together and taste the space warfare victory I always dreamed about as a boy. It's the ultimate videogame videogame.

It is the MOST videogame.
I am, and there might be some PS2 action this weekend. Definitely Warsow, maybe some Firefall, maybe PS2 as well. It's a very LAN friendly game.

I just get frustrated at it because I die to a million random things. Kind of a pet peeve of mine in videogames. If I die, I want it to be because I made a major mistake.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/fx-8350-core-i7-3770k-gaming-bottleneck,3407-6.html

Well toms has beat me to the punch for my CPU analysis of BF3 but they tested single player. However at 5760x1080 it seems that BF3 eats CPU cycles for breakfast brunch lunch dinner supper and even afternoon tea. Great overall article showing that at stupid high resolutions and graphics settings neither intel or AMD is good enough.

Also 3770k still better at 1080p. Who knew.

And yes mkenyon they are using frame times for analysis
Good lawd those Skyrim latency spikes.
 

Lkr

Member
Well that would depend on how shitty your computer was pre-upgrade. A windows 8 upgrade doesnt get rid of all the trash he/she has installed.

my laptop is pretty well maintained. sure i have bullshit on it, but it is not a pure gaming machine like my desktop where i have hardly any non-gaming software installed or personal files. i mean i can back everything up to my external drive and format my hard drive, but i am just worried about how long it would take to do that. oh well i guess i can waste my weekend trying
 
Do you mind playing at around 30 fps with some of the more demanding games currently released? Everything else you should be good. I run a 670 SLI setup with a 4.8 Ghz 2500K @1440p and I get around 60 fps on all games save for Metro and Crysis.

Past 1080p I think AMD cards scale better (Crossfire). Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Yeah I read a bit more and decided to upgrade to a 7970.

So the final build will be:

- i5 3570K on a ASUS P8Z77-V
- Gigabyte HD7970 3GB DDR5
- Samsung 840 basic 250GB
- WD Caviar Green 2TB
- Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 16GB
- be quiet! 600W PSU
- Corsair Graphite 600T white
- Dell U2713HM
 
That's right. That is a cheap IO shield unfortunately. You can usually move your motherboard 1-2mm closer to the IO shield then tighten the screws to the case so there is less of a gap.

Drat, thanks. I did manage to get it a tiny bit more flush.

In the process, though, one of the MB standoffs decided it wanted to come up with the screw! That was freaky, had to very carefully unscrew while lifting the motherboard to finally get it free. Replaced both standoff and screw. MB is hopefully ok, although there's a bit of dust from at the screwhole, where I can guess the pressure of it pushing up was high.
 

Blearth

Banned
Got both my GTX 460s up and running yet there is no SLI option in the Nvidia control panel.

Each card works just fine by itself. And I can even use one as a Physx card, but the SLI option is just missing.

The SLI bridge is installed. Both cards are exactly the same.

I already tried a clean driver install and that did nothing.

Using an AsRock P67 Extreme4 Gen3 mobo.

Help me please.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Yeah I read a bit more and decided to upgrade to a 7970.

So the final build will be:

- i5 3570K on a ASUS P8Z77-V
- Gigabyte HD7970 3GB DDR5
- Samsung 840 basic 250GB
- WD Caviar Green 2TB
- Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 16GB
- be quiet! 600W PSU
- Corsair Graphite 600T white
- Dell U2713HM
Consider swapping out the 600T for one of the cases in the OP. Thing is pretty loud and does a comparatively bad job at cooling. The negative pressure airflow will lead to dust buildup. The fan controller will give out at some point as well. To make things worse, they make it impossible to use anything but a 200mm fan in the front. It is pretty though. Went through two of them, and even hacked up my second one to try and improve it, but I eventually had to just throw in the towel.

Also swap 840 for 830, Crucial M4, or 840 Pro.
 
Consider swapping out the 600T for one of the cases in the OP. Thing is pretty loud and does a comparatively bad job at cooling. The negative pressure airflow will lead to dust buildup. The fan controller will give out at some point as well. To make things worse, they make it impossible to use anything but a 200mm fan in the front. It is pretty though. Went through two of them, and even hacked up my second one to try and improve it, but I eventually had to just throw in the towel.

Also swap 840 for 830, Crucial M4, or 840 Pro.

Thanks for the input, I will have a look which of these cases are available here.

I already have the 840 basic, I know that it doesn't have great write speeds, but I got it for a very good price and my budget is at its limit now :)
 

ss_lemonade

Member
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=26496047

I'll be hitting the order button in a few minutes. Does everything look alright? I know I'm missing the GPU, I'll try waiting for the next batch of Nvidia/AMD goods and stick to onboard for now.

EDIT:
Ahh scrap that. I might just wait until the new stuff comes out and build a rig using those. I think that's a better idea, don't really need a gaming comp at the moment since I'm still busy clearing out my ps3 backlog T_T
 

zap

Member
Can anyone give me some tips on this potential build? (I changed the prices to reflect NZ prices I can get them for).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | $270
Motherboard: ASRock B75 PRO3-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard | $105
Memory: G.Skill Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory | $75
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $139
Storage: Intel 330 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk | $159
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card | $319
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case | $100
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply | $109
Optical Drive: LG CH12LS28 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer | $95
Total: $1271
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-25 05:18 EST-0500)

Note I am in NZ, so I'm using pricespy.co.nz for prices, some products may not be available (or as cost effective) here.

Some things I was considering:

Case: Corsair Carbide 200R for ~$98 or Antec One for ~$85?

CPU: Is the i5 3570 worth an extra $20 than the 3470? ($290 vs $270). I don't think I will be overclocking so I haven't opted for the K.

Motherboard: The B75 won't overclock but I don't see that as a problem. Should I be switching the B75 for an H77 or Z77 for any reason? The AsRock B75 Pro3M is $105, to get an H77 or Z77 it looks like it would bump the price up to $150 - I can't see much benefit?

Should I be getting a less powerful GPU? The 7850 seems pretty powerful, but at $319 I don't know if it's worth it over my other option lower was the HD 7770 for $175

It seems my build would need ~350W according to some calculators. Is my 550W overkill?

I am considering tossing the Blu Ray drive and maybe installing it later to save some cash up front.
 

Dynoro

Member
I'm currently running the following PC: i7 920, 6GB RAM, 1GB 6850 and a 256GB SSD with W8. I'm looking into the following cards:

- GTX 660
- GTX 660ti
- GTX 680

I want to maximise my fps/£ and game at 1080p. For most things the 6850 is okay but I have a feeling that Crysis 3 will cripple it at the IQ I want and some games are suffering a bit already (like Sleepy Dogs and Dishonored), I also have an eye on the Oculus Rift so would like something that will be able to maintain 60fps/Vsync for that too. Which of the three would you guys suggest as I don't mind paying for a 680 but if its going to be hamstrung by the CPU/RAM I'd rather go for a more minor upgrade until I do a full rebuild.
 

Ghost23

Member
This thread seems to be more active, so I'll just ask it here. I am thinking about getting an external cooling system for my laptop for the heavy gaming I do. Would you guys recommend this? If so, where should I start my searching?
 
This is it. Putting together my PC tonight. Wish me luck! I'm just crossing my fingers all the components are in good condition.

I've gone for an AMD 7950 and i5 3470, 8GB of ram and a 1TB WD Cavier Blue, hoping this is enough to get Skyrim going in an OR. I wouldn't be surprised if I spent the majority of tonight playing around with mods for it!
 

Kenka

Member
This is it. Putting together my PC tonight. Wish me luck! I'm just crossing my fingers all the components are in good condition.

I've gone for an AMD 7950 and i5 3470, 8GB of ram and a 1TB WD Cavier Blue, hoping this is enough to get Skyrim going in an OR. I wouldn't be surprised if I spent the majority of tonight playing around with mods for it!
Good machine. One advice, if you run into problems and want GAF to save you, make sure to describe what happens with screenshots from your mobile.

By the way, is anyone in this thread actually building PC for a living ?
 

kharma45

Member
I'm currently running the following PC: i7 920, 6GB RAM, 1GB 6850 and a 256GB SSD with W8. I'm looking into the following cards:

- GTX 660
- GTX 660ti
- GTX 680

I want to maximise my fps/£ and game at 1080p. For most things the 6850 is okay but I have a feeling that Crysis 3 will cripple it at the IQ I want and some games are suffering a bit already (like Sleepy Dogs and Dishonored), I also have an eye on the Oculus Rift so would like something that will be able to maintain 60fps/Vsync for that too. Which of the three would you guys suggest as I don't mind paying for a 680 but if its going to be hamstrung by the CPU/RAM I'd rather go for a more minor upgrade until I do a full rebuild.

Best value for money card in the Nvidia range imo is the 670.
 

kharma45

Member
That is incredibly close to the 680. I had dismissed the 670 initially as I wasn't sure if it would gain much over the 660ti; but it looks like its in the sweet spot for me.

It's my favourite card in the Nvidia range, I feel it's a pretty good sweet spot between high end performance and semi-reasonable cost.
 

Dynoro

Member
It's my favourite card in the Nvidia range, I feel it's a pretty good sweet spot between high end performance and semi-reasonable cost.

Thanks for your input on this; I think I will be grabbing one over the weekend. Looking through Hazaro's post in the OP it looks like a Gigabyte is the way to go.
 

kharma45

Member
Thanks for your input on this; I think I will be grabbing one over the weekend. Looking through Hazaro's post in the OP it looks like a Gigabyte is the way to go.

They've an excellent RMA service in the UK too, typically takes 3 working days which is pretty fantastic.
 

subversus

I've done nothing with my life except eat and fap
I think you're thinking about Creative cards. The GUI for Asus sound cards is pretty shit though.

nope, I've read a lot complaints about Asus DGX. Almost every single complaint was about drivers. Creative isn't good in that regard too.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom