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[BenH]

1. Slightly cheaper MSI motherboard. If you prefer Gigabyte, you can add it back, it's only a difference of a few dollars.
2. I found you faster RAM for 2 cents more. Also, 2x4GB dual channel is recommended over 1x8GB single channel for slightly better performance (up to ~10%). You shouldn't really need to worry about running out of RAM slots.
3. The newer Crucial BX100 is $20 cheaper than the MX100 for nearly the same amount of storage. You won't be able to tell the difference in SSD performance when it's measured in seconds.
4. The biggest change - if you're on a tight budget, I recommend the R9 290. Costs a lot less, but it's in the same neighborhood when it comes to performance. Should handle 1080p gaming on high settings for the next few years.
5. Cannot really recommend Corsair CX power supplies, they're the "budget" line made with cheaper components. For $8 more, you can get a much higher quality EVGA Supernova B2 750 watt model which has more capacity, semi-modular cabling, and is made by Super Flower, one of the respected power supply manufacturers. It got a great review by Jonny Guru.
6. Dropped the DVD drive as it's not really needed nowadays. USB drives and digital distribution have removed all need for it, and Windows can be officially installed via USB drive (it's actually faster) with the help of a Microsoft tool.
7. The $30 Gigabyte wifi adaptor is better. It has more features and support like bluetooth and Wireless AC, as well as the fact that the antenna is on a wire you can place yourself for better reception, instead of having short antennas sticking out of the back of the case.

Thank you! This is extremely helpful, especially the RAM, SSD, and wi fi recommendations. My knowledge is pretty limited at this point, so it's great to get feedback.

I like the idea of future-proofing as much as my budget will allow, but if you don't think I'm sacrificing much, I will go with the cheaper motherboard and graphics card. I suspect that even if I went with the GTX 970, I'd still be tempted to upgrade the same number of years down the line.

As for keyboards, I probably will just go the bargain route you recommended. Mechanical keyboards sound like a lot of fun though, so maybe I'd plunge for one of those if there's a good sale.

 

[CreepingFear]

From Anandtech, which is my opinion as well:



1440p monitors at 120/144Hz are where it's at right now.

I agree. Maybe in the future when you can do Ultra Settings @4k 144hz on a single GPU card, then we are talking.

 

[MR ARCADE FOREVER]

So the big issue with today's 4k monitors is the low refresh rates, what monitors are you using and recommend?

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

I'm going to wait till Skylake comes out, AMD's new GPU comes out (for more options), and more G-sync/Freesync monitors to come out, but how does this look for a start to an upgrade of a system:

Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Case: http://s292.photobucket.com/user/s3rv1cet3ch/library/?sort=3&page=1
2nd MSI GTX 970 4G: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127832
EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G2 PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438018
Samsung 850 EVO 1TB SSD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147374
HGST Deskstar 4TB NAS Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145912
Corsair H90: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181036
2 Phantek White 140mm Fans: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835709026

Comes out to like $1300 without CPU/Mobo/Memory.

 

[mkenyon]

I'm going to wait till Skylake comes out, AMD's new GPU comes out (for more options), and more G-sync/Freesync monitors to come out, but how does this look for a start to an upgrade of a system:

Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Case: http://s292.photobucket.com/user/s3rv1cet3ch/library/?sort=3&page=1
2nd MSI GTX 970 4G: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127832
EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G2 PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438018
Samsung 850 EVO 1TB SSD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147374
HGST Deskstar 4TB NAS Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145912
Corsair H90: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181036
2 Phantek White 140mm Fans: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835709026

Comes out to like $1300 without CPU/Mobo/Memory.

I'd prefer to stick to 120mm fans. H90 is probably insane overkill for any socket 1150, as well as the upcoming Skylake stuff. Better suited for 2011-3 enthusiast processors.

The Luxe, while pretty, is the same thing as the standard Enthoo Pro with a different shell.

What's your current setup? Is there something like a nice monitor that you could put the money towards instead?

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

I'd prefer to stick to 120mm fans. H90 is probably insane overkill for any socket 1150, as well as the upcoming Skylake stuff. Better suited for 2011-3 enthusiast processors.

The Luxe, while pretty, is the same thing as the standard Enthoo Pro with a different shell.

What's your current setup? Is there something like a nice monitor that you could put the money towards instead?

Corsair C70 case
Intel i5-3750k (not OC'ed)
ASRock Z77 Professional Mobo
16GB Kingston HyperX DDR3-1600
MSI GTX 970 4G Gaming
HT Omega Striker 7.1 Sound Card
Corsair A70 CPU cooler
Samsung 840 EVO 500GB
1TB WD Black
2TB WD Green
NZXT HALE90 750W PSU
BD Burner

 

[kraspkibble]

i'm getting a static like noise on my PC now. just started happening there as i loaded up Heroes of the storm. initially thought it was just the game but now it's happening through music on spotify.

earlier i posted about getting a buzzing nose at login after the computer freezed for a few seconds. is my motherboard dying or is it my GPU??? either way not looking good.

i've had the PC for just over a month now and the last few days these issues have appeared.

 

[no maam]

i'm getting a static like noise on my PC now. just started happening there as i loaded up Heroes of the storm. initially thought it was just the game but now it's happening through music on spotify.

earlier i posted about getting a buzzing nose at login after the computer freezed for a few seconds. is my motherboard dying or is it my GPU??? either way not looking good.

i've had the PC for just over a month now and the last few days these issues have appeared.

Is it like a death gargle sound? Make sure your gpu is seated in all the way. I would def pop it out and fit it back. Try that.

 

[mkenyon]

Well, I'm the last person to criticize an unnecessary purchase on upgrading a case, but it's an obvious point of poor RoI. But I'm all for it.

That PSU should handle both of your 970s just fine. Each card only uses ~150-180W depending on your clocks. You're talking about a total system draw of less than 550 with two of them. I can understand the desire for a full modular PSU, especially if you want it for the single braided cables that EVGA sells as well.

I'd honestly just OC your 3750k on the current cooler that you have. Perhaps replace the fan on it with a decent 120mm fan if you haven't yet. Wait to see what Skylake is like before buying a cooler for it, IMO.

i'm getting a static like noise on my PC now. just started happening there as i loaded up Heroes of the storm. initially thought it was just the game but now it's happening through music on spotify.

earlier i posted about getting a buzzing nose at login after the computer freezed for a few seconds. is my motherboard dying or is it my GPU??? either way not looking good.

i've had the PC for just over a month now and the last few days these issues have appeared.

It's your PC rejecting the presence of mediocre Blizzard titles.

I kid. Mostly.

Is the sound coming from the PC itself, or the speakers? If from the PC itself, try and isolate it.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

Well, I'm the last person to criticize an unnecessary purchase on upgrading a case, but it's an obvious point of poor RoI. But I'm all for it.

That PSU should handle both of your 970s just fine. Each card only uses ~150-180W depending on your clocks. You're talking about a total system draw of less than 550 with two of them. I can understand the desire for a full modular PSU, especially if you want it for the single braided cables that EVGA sells as well.

I'd honestly just OC your 3750k on the current cooler that you have. Perhaps replace the fan on it with a decent 120mm fan if you haven't yet. Wait to see what Skylake is like before buying a cooler for it, IMO.

I also didn't mentioned that usually with my old parts, I usually sell them off to my older brother for cheaper, and make some money back. But storage is a big thing for me. I'm constantly below 100GB free on my 500GB SSD and my 2TB and 1TB are mostly full as well. Honestly, I want a new case because cleaning the fucking thing sucks and it only has a front filter, but it's a bitch to take off. Also, is there any better case at $150 or is it better to just go for the Pro at $100?

 

[BenH]

I suspect that even if I went with the GTX 970, I'd still be tempted to upgrade the same number of years down the line.

I think I can mentally justify paying a little extra for the GTX 970 since apparently it comes with a free Witcher 3 download and I was planning to get that game

 

[mkenyon]

I also didn't mentioned that usually with my old parts, I usually sell them off to my older brother for cheaper, and make some money back. But storage is a big thing for me. I'm constantly below 100GB free on my 500GB SSD and my 2TB and 1TB are mostly full as well. Honestly, I want a new case because cleaning the fucking thing sucks and it only has a front filter, but it's a bitch to take off. Also, is there any better case at $150 or is it better to just go for the Pro at $100?

The Pro is probably the best case under $200, honestly. It's pretty ludicrous how amazingly well they designed it.

Define R5 would be the other choice. Not as good on the airflow department though.

 

[DrBaalzamon]

Begin the rumor mill churning.

http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/geforce-gtx-980-ti-has-3072-cuda-cores-and-6gb-of-gddr5.html

Sigh, just bought a GTX 980. Luckily I can still return it... AND WAIT.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

The Pro is probably the best case under $200, honestly. It's pretty ludicrous how amazingly well they designed it.

Define R5 would be the other choice. Not as good on the airflow department though.

I tried the Midi Arc from them... and I fucked up the USB 3.0 cable because it was so short. It stripped the plastic part around the pins on the cable OFF because it was just that short trying to get it hooked up to the mobo. But I will definitely look at the Pro. Basically, I want a better case, more storage with less devices, faster stuff, looking cleaner, quieter and more efficient basically. I'm willing to kill some money to have a machine that will last me for another 3 or 4 years before I get a new Intel iteration.

 

[kraspkibble]

Well, I'm the last person to criticize an unnecessary purchase on upgrading a case, but it's an obvious point of poor RoI. But I'm all for it.

That PSU should handle both of your 970s just fine. Each card only uses ~150-180W depending on your clocks. You're talking about a total system draw of less than 550 with two of them. I can understand the desire for a full modular PSU, especially if you want it for the single braided cables that EVGA sells as well.

I'd honestly just OC your 3750k on the current cooler that you have. Perhaps replace the fan on it with a decent 120mm fan if you haven't yet. Wait to see what Skylake is like before buying a cooler for it, IMO.

It's your PC rejecting the presence of mediocre Blizzard titles.

I kid. Mostly.

Is the sound coming from the PC itself, or the speakers? If from the PC itself, try and isolate it.

hey im new pc gaming and mobas. i'm trying dota 2 out as well and planning to try lol.

anyway nope its coming from the speakers. i dont know if it's the motherboard or GPU. apart from sound issues the last few days my pc has been working just fine the last month. sound is distorted. well it was for about a minute or so. i've still got it turned on and everything is back to normal now. guess i'll just need to wait and see if it happens again.

 

[mkenyon]

hey im new pc gaming and mobas. i'm trying dota 2 out as well and planning to try lol.

anyway nope its coming from the speakers. i dont know if it's the motherboard or GPU. apart from sound issues the last few days my pc has been working just fine the last month. sound is distorted. well it was for about a minute or so. i've still got it turned on and everything is back to normal now. guess i'll just need to wait and see if it happens again.

It's most likely power related or interference. I wouldn't fret it. If it repeats, first thing I'd mess with is the cord.

And I don't mean to pick, I just have a personal crusade against Blizzard design philosophy. I feel like they're taking all of the fun and skill out of games, and prefer to reward mediocrity and dedication.

Imagine me as that old guy yelling at kids to get off his lawn.

I tried the Midi Arc from them... and I fucked up the USB 3.0 cable because it was so short. It stripped the plastic part around the pins on the cable OFF because it was just that short trying to get it hooked up to the mobo. But I will definitely look at the Pro. Basically, I want a better case, more storage with less devices, faster stuff, looking cleaner, quieter and more efficient basically. I'm willing to kill some money to have a machine that will last me for another 3 or 4 years before I get a new Intel iteration.

Yeah, I can relate to that. That Evo on sale for $390 for 1TB is ridiculous. I'm thinking about buying it as well

Per what I was talking about with 120mm fans, is that a lot of 140mm fans just kind of suck compared to the 120mm variants. There's a few that are decent, but to get the kind of static pressure to push through rads/heatsinks, you end up having a likely louder fan than if you went with a 120. Most of the 140mm fans are the same design and system as a 120mm, but just enlarged, which doesn't work out quite right.

In addition to that, 120mm stuff is just always compatible, which is nice. For these reasons, the H60 is my AIO unit of choice, if you were set on an AIO.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

Yeah, I can relate to that. That Evo on sale for $390 for 1TB is ridiculous. I'm thinking about buying it as well

Per what I was talking about with 120mm fans, is that a lot of 140mm fans just kind of suck compared to the 120mm variants. There's a few that are decent, but to get the kind of static pressure to push through rads/heatsinks, you end up having a likely louder fan than if you went with a 120. Most of the 140mm fans are the same design and system as a 120mm, but just enlarged, which doesn't work out quite right.

In addition to that, 120mm stuff is just always compatible, which is nice. For these reasons, the H60 is my AIO unit of choice, if you were set on an AIO.

Thanks for the heads up about the fans. But yeah, 1TB SSD for less than $400, and a good one too, is damn good. That drive was $350 earlier this week.

 

[kennah]

I paid $900 for a 700 meg hard drive. These SSD prices are beautiful.

 

[quesalupa]

Building my first pc. I've edited the post since awesome recommendations but still open to more feedback. Thanks peoples.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/McgCkL
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/McgCkL/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($123.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($58.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Dual-X Video Card ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($41.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($50.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $558.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-27 16:52 EDT-0400

Is there anything else that I need/should consider/be aware of? Any way to make a similar build for a better value? Hoping to play most games on high/medium 1080p ~30 fps. Don't really want to go much higher than $500. My understanding is that you don't need an aftermarket cooler if you don't want to overclock. Would overclocking this cpu even be worth it? Already have keyboard, mouse, and controller covered. Which leads to my next question:

I have Windows 8 on my laptop. Is there any way to transfer the OS and files to this new computer? Not looking to do anything illegal or unethical, just wasn't sure if I need to buy another copy of Windows.

Thanks for the help.

 

[AzureSkies]

Got an update from ASUS: They're willing to replace the card for me and allow to keep this until it arrives.

They spent the first 10 minutes in the call denying that they had sent me an Engineering Sample, and then the next 30 minutes apologizing.

 

[H4r4kiri]

Building my first pc. Stole this build from reddit but wanted feedback from you guys.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/wysN99
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/wysN99/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($58.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: EVGA 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($27.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $498.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-27 14:48 EDT-0400

Is there anything else that I need/should consider/be aware of? Any way to make a similar build for a better value? Hoping to play most games on high/medium 1080p ~30 fps. Don't really want to go much higher than $500. My understanding is that you don't need an aftermarket cooler if you don't want to overclock. Would overclocking this cpu even be worth it? Already have keyboard, mouse, and controller covered. Which leads to my next question:

I have Windows 8 on my laptop. Is there any way to transfer the OS and files to this new computer? Not looking to do anything illegal or unethical, just wasn't sure if I need to buy another copy of Windows.

Thanks for the help.

A lot of Gaffers do not recommend the Seagate Harddrives, because they tend to die more often. Get a Western Digital or a Toshiba.

Your CPU ist not overclockable anyway (in that build).

Depends on the Windows-Version, but normally OEM -Version can not be transfered. But maybe you check this with Microsoft. Unethical with a Billion-Dollar Corp is kind of not given
You can always get a new Key from reddit for around 20$. These are mostly legit keys and is kind of a grey area legally.

I am not an expert btw. Maybe you want to wait for holy RGM He is very kind and nice with PC Part recommendation.

 

[quesalupa]

A lot of Gaffers do not recommend the Seagate Harddrives, because they tend to die more often. Get a Western Digital or a Toshiba.

Your CPU ist not overclockable anyway (in that build).

Depends on the Windows-Version, but normally OEM -Version can not be transfered. But maybe you check this with Microsoft. Unethical with a Billion-Dollar Corp is kind of not given
You can always get a new Key from reddit for around 20$. These are mostly legit keys and is kind of a grey area legally.

I am not an expert btw. Maybe you want to wait for holy RGM He is very kind and nice with PC Part recommendation.

Thanks for the reddit suggestion! Had no idea. I'm not in a rush so I guess I'll wait for this holy RGM lol.

 

[Fracas]

Hey guys, a friend of mine is looking at building a mid-range PC. His GPU limit is $200, and he's looking at the GTX 960. Is that the most efficient GPU for the price, and if not, what should he go with?

And a question I have - looking at GPUs, what's the difference between different manufacturers' versions of the same GPU? I know EVGA has "superclocked" versions of some of their stuff but I don't know if there are any real differences.

 

[Zemm]

Some help please people. I currently have an i5 760 overclocked to 4.2ghz, an AMD 6870 and 4gb ram. I'm looking to spend about £200 to upgrade it so I can play some of the newer games at 1080p, even if it's only at medium settings. I was thinking of getting the nvidea 750ti and another 4gb of ram. Does this seem to be the best upgrade path?

 

[kiyomi]

Building my first pc. Stole this build from reddit but wanted feedback from you guys.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yMFY7P
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yMFY7P/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($123.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($58.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($141.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($41.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($27.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $532.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-27 16:00 EDT-0400

Is there anything else that I need/should consider/be aware of? Any way to make a similar build for a better value? Hoping to play most games on high/medium 1080p ~30 fps. Don't really want to go much higher than $500. My understanding is that you don't need an aftermarket cooler if you don't want to overclock. Would overclocking this cpu even be worth it? Already have keyboard, mouse, and controller covered. Which leads to my next question:

I have Windows 8 on my laptop. Is there any way to transfer the OS and files to this new computer? Not looking to do anything illegal or unethical, just wasn't sure if I need to buy another copy of Windows.

Thanks for the help.

Grab a 270X for $145 after rebate. Outperforms the 750 Ti considerably. I'd also spend a couple extra bucks to get the 500B EVGA PSU instead of the 430W.

Hey guys, a friend of mine is looking at building a mid-range PC. His GPU limit is $200, and he's looking at the GTX 960. Is that the most efficient GPU for the price, and if not, what should he go with?

And a question I have - looking at GPUs, what's the difference between different manufacturers' versions of the same GPU? I know EVGA has "superclocked" versions of some of their stuff but I don't know if there are any real differences.

960 seems to be pretty good value in the US right now, although the R9 280 is also good value at $170 after rebate, and provides the extra GB of RAM. I think either would be fine for a mid-range PC.

Different manufacturers mostly means different cooling systems, as well as shipping with different clock speeds, some which might be faster than the competition, but usually you can overclock to pretty much the same degree.

 

[xBladeM6x]

I've never put LED strips into a computer case, so I'm wondering if this would be a good product for doing that. Lol

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...re=Purple_LED_srip-_-0SW-004G-000M1-_-Product

 

[mkenyon]

I'd try to find something that works with the internal PSU connectors, like a molex connector.

BitFenix makes a quality LED product that I've used in a number of builds. Really freaking bright though.

 

[quesalupa]

Grab a 270X for $145 after rebate. Outperforms the 750 Ti considerably. I'd also spend a couple extra bucks to get the 500B EVGA PSU instead of the 430W.

Damn dude. Thanks.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

Building my first pc. I've edited the post since awesome recommendations but still open to more feedback. Thanks peoples.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/McgCkL
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/McgCkL/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($123.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($58.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Dual-X Video Card ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($41.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($50.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $558.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-27 16:52 EDT-0400

Is there anything else that I need/should consider/be aware of? Any way to make a similar build for a better value? Hoping to play most games on high/medium 1080p ~30 fps. Don't really want to go much higher than $500. My understanding is that you don't need an aftermarket cooler if you don't want to overclock. Would overclocking this cpu even be worth it? Already have keyboard, mouse, and controller covered. Which leads to my next question:

I have Windows 8 on my laptop. Is there any way to transfer the OS and files to this new computer? Not looking to do anything illegal or unethical, just wasn't sure if I need to buy another copy of Windows.

Thanks for the help.

I am no RGM, LilJoka or mkenyon but I figured I'd try.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($104.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($73.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($56.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba Product SeriesT01ACA 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($164.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Azza SIRIUS ATX Mid Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($20.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $496.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-27 17:57 EDT-0400

Basically, cheaper everything but with comparable performance and quality (CPU, RAM, MOBO, HDD, PSU).

The card is better and with 3GBs VRAM.

You should be fine for 1080p, 30fps, med-high settings for quite a while.

About the OS, you can buy one for cheap from reddit. But before that you can try activate windows with your key from the laptop and maybe call MS support. You never know.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

Some help please people. I currently have an i5 760 overclocked to 4.2ghz, an AMD 6870 and 4gb ram. I'm looking to spend about £200 to upgrade it so I can play some of the newer games at 1080p, even if it's only at medium settings. I was thinking of getting the nvidea 750ti and another 4gb of ram. Does this seem to be the best upgrade path?

What kind of ram do you have?
Something like this will do. The 750Ti is not ideal in that price range.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Memory: Kingston Fury Red Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£24.81 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card (£175.54 @ Scan.co.uk)
Total: £200.35
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-27 21:54 GMT+0000

Edit: double post, meant to edit my prev post.

 

[xBladeM6x]

I'd try to find something that works with the internal PSU connectors, like a molex connector.

BitFenix makes a quality LED product that I've used in a number of builds. Really freaking bright though.

Damn. It would figure they make everything besides purple. Lol

 

[Hazaro]

Got an update from ASUS: They're willing to replace the card for me and allow to keep this until it arrives.

They spent the first 10 minutes in the call denying that they had sent me an Engineering Sample, and then the next 30 minutes apologizing.

lololol
Shoulda asked for a nicer card

 

[Coulomb_Barrier]

Scan have just beaten Overclockers UK on price for the R9 295X2 8GB GPU powerhouse.

£491.99. Insane how much it has dropped considering it's still the most powerful GPU out there. I would seriously consider for anyone that's in the market for a top-end GPU around the £500 range. Nothing comes close price/performance in that budget range.

EDIT: When they add the carriage it looks like it still comes to 499.99. Still great price.

 

[tarheel91]

I'm going to wait till Skylake comes out, AMD's new GPU comes out (for more options), and more G-sync/Freesync monitors to come out, but how does this look for a start to an upgrade of a system:

Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Case: http://s292.photobucket.com/user/s3rv1cet3ch/library/?sort=3&page=1
2nd MSI GTX 970 4G: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127832
EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G2 PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438018
Samsung 850 EVO 1TB SSD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147374
HGST Deskstar 4TB NAS Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145912
Corsair H90: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181036
2 Phantek White 140mm Fans: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835709026

Comes out to like $1300 without CPU/Mobo/Memory.

Per what I was talking about with 120mm fans, is that a lot of 140mm fans just kind of suck compared to the 120mm variants. There's a few that are decent, but to get the kind of static pressure to push through rads/heatsinks, you end up having a likely louder fan than if you went with a 120. Most of the 140mm fans are the same design and system as a 120mm, but just enlarged, which doesn't work out quite right.

In addition to that, 120mm stuff is just always compatible, which is nice. For these reasons, the H60 is my AIO unit of choice, if you were set on an AIO.

Just wanted to add that if you do go the 140mm route, Noctua fans are a great route to go in my experience. They've got a bespoke design for 140mm high impedance applications. If you can find them on sale they're pretty reasonably priced too.

http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=productview&products_id=87&lng=en&set=1

It's not a route to go if you're looking to be efficient with your money, though, as your options are limited in regards to cases, radiators, etc. and 140mm parts are usually also marketed as premium products.

 

[SRG01]

So, I received a used M500 SSD today. However, the 7mm to 9mm adapter/spacer is missing. Will that affect mounting in a 2.5" hard drive bay?

Also, if want to mount this in my laptop while I wait for my other parts to come in, how can I determine whether it fits in my HDD slot and/or find an adapter/spacer for it?

 

[Wibblewozzer]

Twice in the past week my computer has crashed and I can hear a fan inside start for about a second and then wind down. And that happens repeatedly every ten seconds or so until I turn it off from the back and/or unplug it. When I plug it back in and turn it on it'll boot normally but then video signal cuts for about a minute. Then instead of coming to Windows log in and just starts back exactly how things were when it crashed, same windows open and all that jazz. It took it roughly three minutes for everything to run normally this last time just earlier today. Last time the external hard drive wasn't recognized when it came back and a regular reset fixed that and the computer ran normally following that step.

So what's going on? Motherboard? The power supply and video card were replaced a couple years ago and are the newest changes in the system so nothing recent should have changed anything. Googling around has got me results as simply as a loose cable to faulty PSU and motherboard. I originally thought it could be the video card crashing since it sounded like that's the fan I was hearing but I didn't bother opening to check and the other problems (not recognizing external drive) don't seem to fit a video card going out.

The PC is about four years old if I had to guess so I'm sort of thinking of looking at replacements but not really something I wanted to do right this moment.

Any ideas?

 

[SRG01]

Then instead of coming to Windows log in and just starts back exactly how things were when it crashed, same windows open and all that jazz. It took it roughly three minutes for everything to run normally this last time just earlier today. Last time the external hard drive wasn't recognized when it came back and a regular reset fixed that and the computer ran normally following that step.

Well, first, let's try to eliminate the small possibility of a software problem: do these symptoms persist when you boot up to safe mode? How about during a fresh boot (keep pressing F8 and tell Windows to not load back memory contents, since it loaded back up all your windows and such)?

 

[DrBaalzamon]

Also, for what its worth i noticed that the Samsung EVO drive 1tb SSD is cheaper at amazon! win win!

 

[Dead]

Theres this weird, very light screeching sound that comes out of my Power Supply (EVGA 80+ gold 850w)

this is not normal right

 

[Wibblewozzer]

Well, first, let's try to eliminate the small possibility of a software problem: do these symptoms persist when you boot up to safe mode? How about during a fresh boot (keep pressing F8 and tell Windows to not load back memory contents, since it loaded back up all your windows and such)?

Well, it's happened twice in the last four or five days so unless you mean to run safe mode for days at a time I don't know how I'd check from that. The first time I was playing Marvel Heroes and the second time I wasn't doing anything on the computer and noticed it suddenly shut off.

 

[Chance Hale]

What's the best way to clean my Rog Swift? I have no idea how the splotches got on the screen but they're there none the less.

 

[Rebel Leader]

I need help, I'm thinking about taking it to geek squad or someplace


It started up and immeadity shuts down before the MB brand icon shows, startsd up agian and shows uefi bios on a blank screen, shuts down

Starts up again and load windows normally (agian)

Didn't have the problem for a while

I tried different RAM and don't think that's the problem

It just did this again..

I did remove the cmos battery but it seemed that it did nothing

 

[Hazaro]

Twice in the past week my computer has crashed and I can hear a fan inside start for about a second and then wind down. And that happens repeatedly every ten seconds or so until I turn it off from the back and/or unplug it. When I plug it back in and turn it on it'll boot normally but then video signal cuts for about a minute. Then instead of coming to Windows log in and just starts back exactly how things were when it crashed, same windows open and all that jazz. It took it roughly three minutes for everything to run normally this last time just earlier today. Last time the external hard drive wasn't recognized when it came back and a regular reset fixed that and the computer ran normally following that step.

So what's going on? Motherboard? The power supply and video card were replaced a couple years ago and are the newest changes in the system so nothing recent should have changed anything. Googling around has got me results as simply as a loose cable to faulty PSU and motherboard. I originally thought it could be the video card crashing since it sounded like that's the fan I was hearing but I didn't bother opening to check and the other problems (not recognizing external drive) don't seem to fit a video card going out.

The PC is about four years old if I had to guess so I'm sort of thinking of looking at replacements but not really something I wanted to do right this moment.

Any ideas?

Clean it out, plug and replug all your connections (Data, power, sata, gpu, mobo power, psu cables). Check temps in windows using tools in OP.

Theres this weird, very light screeching sound that comes out of my Power Supply (EVGA 80+ gold 850w)

this is not normal right

Coil whine can occur on some of the higher end GOLD PSUs. Changes under load right? You can ask for RMA or try to tweak some GPU/CPU/mobo voltages to get it to change.

What's the best way to clean my Rog Swift? I have no idea how the splotches got on the screen but they're there none the less.

Water + soft cloth should be all you need.

It just did this again..

I did remove the cmos battery but it seemed that it did nothing

Sounds like a power problem, do same thing as first response above. Could also run a memtest 86+ burned to a CD / boot from USB.

 

[quesalupa]

I am no RGM, LilJoka or mkenyon but I figured I'd try.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($104.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($73.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($56.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba Product SeriesT01ACA 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($164.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Azza SIRIUS ATX Mid Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($20.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $496.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-27 17:57 EDT-0400

Basically, cheaper everything but with comparable performance and quality (CPU, RAM, MOBO, HDD, PSU).

The card is better and with 3GBs VRAM.

You should be fine for 1080p, 30fps, med-high settings for quite a while.

About the OS, you can buy one for cheap from reddit. But before that you can try activate windows with your key from the laptop and maybe call MS support. You never know.

I'm gonna go with this build. Thanks for the help man, saved me a crap load of money AND has a better graphics card. You guys are awesome.

 

[Psxdad]

I had posted earlier about wanting to build a pc exclusively for editing videos of gameplay of console footage. I was was kindly helped out with the the below build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($394.98 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI X99S SLI Plus ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: A-Data XPG Z1 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($135.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung XP941 Series 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($450.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($269.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1580.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-27 23:16 EDT-0400

Now I have made this below build and was wondering how much of a compromise it was. Basically trying to get as much bang for the buck as I can.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($334.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H105 73.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($115.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($136.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($209.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 290 4GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1297.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-27 23:18 EDT-0400

 

[RGM79]

Building my first pc. I've edited the post since awesome recommendations but still open to more feedback. Thanks peoples.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/McgCkL
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/McgCkL/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($123.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($58.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Dual-X Video Card ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($41.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($50.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $558.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-27 16:52 EDT-0400

Is there anything else that I need/should consider/be aware of? Any way to make a similar build for a better value? Hoping to play most games on high/medium 1080p ~30 fps. Don't really want to go much higher than $500. My understanding is that you don't need an aftermarket cooler if you don't want to overclock. Would overclocking this cpu even be worth it? Already have keyboard, mouse, and controller covered. Which leads to my next question:

I have Windows 8 on my laptop. Is there any way to transfer the OS and files to this new computer? Not looking to do anything illegal or unethical, just wasn't sure if I need to buy another copy of Windows.

Thanks for the help.

The other guys came up with good recommendations already, Not a lot I can really cut costs on, seems like there isn't much on sale besides the power supply.

You won't need an aftermarket cooler, the i3 CPU can't be overclocked, only a few Intel models (Pentium G3258 and the i5/i7 K-types) can.

Windows 8.1 licenses can be bought from reddit's microsoftsoftwareswap for $20 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 unapproved 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 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.

Edit: Noticed that you already chose the other build. That's fine. There's a cheaper motherboard, RAM, higher quality power supply, etc in my build, I'll merge them with lordfuzzybutt's build if case you want to see what that's like.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M Anniversary Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($60.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Pareema 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba Product SeriesT01ACA 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($164.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Azza SIRIUS ATX Mid Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $505.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-27 23:46 EDT-0400

So, I received a used M500 SSD today. However, the 7mm to 9mm adapter/spacer is missing. Will that affect mounting in a 2.5" hard drive bay? Also, if want to mount this in my laptop while I wait for my other parts to come in, how can I determine whether it fits in my HDD slot and/or find an adapter/spacer for it?

Most SSDs of the 2.5" variety have the same dimensions in terms of length and width, the only thing that changes is height, which is either 7mm, 9.5mm, or even 12.5mm because older hard drives sometimes needed to be thicker to have larger storage capacities.

I don't know what your laptop model is, but it most likely has a bay for a 9.5mm or 12.5mm tall drive. It fits in there, all you need is a spacer or something to stick in there to take up the extra space so the drive isn't loose or has room to move around. You could buy a plastic/metal adaptor for a few bucks, or just improvise something to stick in the bay with the right thickness.

 

[Chance Hale]

Water + soft cloth should be all you need.

Great, thanks. Wasn't sure whether you needed special solutions for monitors, wanted to be careful.

 

[RGM79]

Great, thanks. Wasn't sure whether you needed special solutions for monitors, wanted to be careful.

It's not recommended at all to use window cleaning solutions like Windex, but if there's any stubborn stains, use a drop or two of dishwasher soap on a bowl of water or on a wet cloth to help get them out.

I had posted earlier about wanting to build a pc exclusively for editing videos of gameplay of console footage. I was was kindly helped out with the the below build:

PCPartPicker part list

Now I have made this below build and was wondering how much of a compromise it was. Basically trying to get as much bang for the buck as I can.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($334.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H105 73.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($115.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($136.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($209.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 290 4GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1297.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-27 23:18 EDT-0400

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($224.29 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($115.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($115.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($174.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290 4GB PCS+ Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($80.00 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($62.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1054.21
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-28 00:07 EDT-0400

1. The 4790K is a quad core with hyperthreading. If you're going to be doing video editing then it's a good choice, otherwise I'd go with the cheaper i5 4690K quad core. The i5 isn't really that bad for video editing either, it'll just trail behind the 4790K slightly for video encoding, as shown by Xbit Labs and Anandtech's x265 encoder testing.
2. If you want maximum bang for your buck, the 212 Evo cooler will do just fine. You can overclock up to 4.5GHz or so with it comfortably.
3. I found cheaper and faster RAM that also matches the red and black color scheme you seem to be going with. if you don't care about colors, there's a version of that G.Skill Ares RAM in blue color and 2400MHz for $5 cheaper.
4. The newer BX100 is cheaper than the MX100. Despite technically being slightly slower, you won't notice the difference, the BX100 is pretty much universally praised.
5. Nothing wrong with the MSI R9 290, but if you don't mind the larger Powercolor R9 290 PCS+ which is also $250 after rebates, it has a triple fan cooler which is very effective at keeping lower temperatures, which still fits in the case I chose.
6. I'm not sure if you had your mind set on the Corsair Air 240, but it's kind of small and is reliant on water cooler. While not a bad case by any means, if you want bang for buck, that means air cooling. I chose the Corsair 350D instead for the same price, since it has similar aesthetics and will accommodate decent air coolers.
7. The Corsair CX750 is... absolute crap. I highly recommend you keep the EVGA 750 watt Supernova B2 instead, it's the same capacity and price but also has modular cabling. If you want to run R9 290 crossfire in the future, you could go with the 850 watt version for $3 more.

 

[SRG01]

Well, it's happened twice in the last four or five days so unless you mean to run safe mode for days at a time I don't know how I'd check from that. The first time I was playing Marvel Heroes and the second time I wasn't doing anything on the computer and noticed it suddenly shut off.

Nono, I mean: you just need to verify that it can happen in safe mode. It's a sanity check because on the off chance it doesn't occur in safe mode, then you have other issues.

The reason why I'm suggesting a sanity check is because you've already replaced the PSU and video card. Before replacing any more parts, it's a good idea to back up and make sure we didn't overlook anything.

Most SSDs of the 2.5" variety have the same dimensions in terms of length and width, the only thing that changes is height, which is either 7mm, 9.5mm, or even 12.5mm because older hard drives sometimes needed to be thicker to have larger storage capacities.

I don't know what your laptop model is, but it most likely has a bay for a 9.5mm or 12.5mm tall drive. It fits in there, all you need is a spacer or something to stick in there to take up the extra space so the drive isn't loose or has room to move around. You could buy a plastic/metal adaptor for a few bucks, or just improvise something to stick in the bay with the right thickness.

I literally cannot find any vendors that sell these spacers Any links, please?

I suppose I can get one 3D printed at work, but the material cost would be more expensive than finding one...

 

[RGM79]

I literally cannot find any vendors that sell these spacers Any links, please?

I suppose I can get one 3D printed at work, but the material cost would be more expensive than finding one...

How does $3 sound? Honestly, I'd just fold up a piece of paper or something. Don't cover the entire SSD like a blanket, that will insulate heat, but just place a small piece where needed to wedge it in place and stop the SSD from moving.