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"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 2. Read the OP. Rocking 2500K's until HBM2 and beyond.

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OraleeWey

Member
What kind of performance would I expect from a rig like this say from GTA V?


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4170 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($114.78 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus H81M-D PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($31.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.75 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 380 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $520.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-31 20:01 EDT-0400

Is there a better CPU I can go with instead?
 

Thraktor

Member
If you want to use a consumer gaming gpu to do videos and rendering and all that stuff, which brand is better for it? AMD or Nvidia?

For example a 980 or a Fury?

If you are using something like Premier, Nvidia because you can use the cuda cores. Not sure if amd has something like that to boost performance.

Premiere (if that's what you're using) has fully supported OpenCL for several years now, so there's no reason to limit yourself to Nvidia (although there doesn't seem to be much of a performance difference these days, so it doesn't really matter which way you go).

That said, unless you're also planning on gaming on the machine as well, I wouldn't bother with anything more than an entry-level/midrange GPU, and spend that money on a faster CPU, more RAM, or a larger/faster SSD instead. Only a small portion of Premiere is actually GPU accelerated, and although it is helpful for rendering effects, etc., you're going to notice a much bigger improvement in the overall performance by upgrading your CPU, or (if you're working on larger projects) your RAM or SSD.
 

OraleeWey

Member
What kind of performance would I expect from a rig like this say from GTA V?


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4170 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($114.78 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus H81M-D PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($31.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.75 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 380 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $520.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-31 20:01 EDT-0400

Is there a better CPU I can go with instead?




How about this one here? Anything wrong with this build?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H81M-H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($31.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.75 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 380 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($45.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.39 @ Amazon)
Total: $626.09
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-31 20:12 EDT-0400
 

XShagrath

Member
Just finished putting all my parts into my new Fractal Designs Define R5. Man, this case is pretty sweet compared to the POS I had before. I wasn't able to do as great a job at cable management as the case allows for, due to my crappy non-modular power supply. I'll resist the urge to get one though until I do a substantial upgrade later this year.
 
How about this one here? Anything wrong with this build?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H81M-H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($31.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.75 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 380 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($45.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.39 @ Amazon)
Total: $626.09
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-31 20:12 EDT-0400

The 4690K is overclockable and the H81 chipset doesn't allow oc. You would need a z97 one. If you aren't overclocking you should just get a non K variant. Any reason you are going haswell and not skylake? I think it's worth it for high freq DDR4 alone.

Something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($194.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($41.38 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.75 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 380 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($45.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.39 @ Amazon)
Total: $617.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-31 21:40 EDT-0400
 

Sydle

Member
Anyone know of anyone that does computer building in Redwood City or Palo Alto?

You don't want to try it yourself? It's so much easier than it sounds. The hardest part is picking the parts.

Just finished putting all my parts into my new Fractal Designs Define R5. Man, this case is pretty sweet compared to the POS I had before. I wasn't able to do as great a job at cable management as the case allows for, due to my crappy non-modular power supply. I'll resist the urge to get one though until I do a substantial upgrade later this year.

I have this case and love it, too. I've been thinking about rebuilding in a RVZ02, but every time I glance at my current case I just smile and move on from the thought.
 

OraleeWey

Member
The 4690K is overclockable and the H81 chipset doesn't allow oc. You would need a z97 one. If you aren't overclocking you should just get a non K variant. Any reason you are going haswell and not skylake? I think it's worth it for high freq DDR4 alone.

Something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($194.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($41.38 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.75 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 380 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($45.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.39 @ Amazon)
Total: $617.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-31 21:40 EDT-0400


Cool I like your version better. The reason I went with the K was because it was actually cheaper than the non K. But I guess your list is better than what I had. Thank you very much.
 
Cool I like your version better. The reason I went with the K was because it was actually cheaper than the non K. But I guess your list is better than what I had. Thank you very much.

You could also save a bit on the PSU as 750W is overkill for that build. 500W would be enough but get a 600W just in case you upgrade to a new GPU in the future. As for the GPU you are aware new generation cards are coming out in a few months right? The 380 is ok for now but not the best time to buy a graphics card. You could also sell it and upgrade when the new cards are out.
 
CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($165.00 @ Jet.com)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($41.38 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($35.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone PS08B (Black) MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($30.00 @ Jet.com)
Total: $307.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-31 22:41 EDT-0400

Not buying the graphics card yet, waiting for the 970/390 replacement models this summer. Already have a hard drive and Blu-ray drive.

I want to play 1080p/60 mostly, and get in on some Vive VR. Is this doable?
 

OraleeWey

Member
You could also save a bit on the PSU as 750W is overkill for that build. 500W would be enough but get a 600W just in case you upgrade to a new GPU in the future. As for the GPU you are aware new generation cards are coming out in a few months right? The 380 is ok for now but not the best time to buy a graphics card. You could also sell it and upgrade when the new cards are out.


Yeah I'm aware. But it's for a friend in Mexico and this is around how much he can spare. Still have 1 month to decide. The only thing I see that might change is a GTX 970, maybe. Or maybe a 380 8gb. For now this will do.
 
Whenever we've ever had to diagnose anything like this at work it is almost always (>95%) the fault of the case. The ports are usually badly shielded or wired, and in some cases we've even opened new cases only to find the ports have rust on them.

In all the other cases it has either been the USB device itself, which you can test by plugging those devices into your motherboard USB sockets and seeing if it happens then, or the actual board itself, but whenever that has happened you get no connectivity at all rather than it just being intermittent.

Thanks much appreciated. I will look at the case wiring and try a contact cleaner speay in the usb ports (that would be safe I presume?)..
 
Avoid the H100i. I had to get my H100i replaced twice. The clicking noise the pumps develop over time, the fact that I had to clean the radiator more constantly than any other cpu heater I have ever had, the higher temps, and the fact that it was noisier than the Noctua D15 all make the D15 a better option.

My H100i was push pull with upgraded fans too, so the stock fans were noisier with higher temps. So even with that unfair comparison, it still was worse at performance. I never looked back. It's only a temp diff of 3 degrees, but that's with the added silence, and the lack of fear regarding the 'clicking' turning into a faulty pump.

It sounds like you just had a very bad luck with it.

However we can agree that the air D15 is a better investment. With all the points you mentioned and easier installation.
 

LordAlu

Member
Thanks much appreciated. I will look at the case wiring and try a contact cleaner speay in the usb ports (that would be safe I presume?)..
It would, although make sure you leave sufficient time for it to dry before hand as it will be hard to clean it all out due to the size of the port. Also look for any pins or contacts crossing or bent out of shape.

Unfortunately in most cases we would usually have to change the front panel to fix the problem, or sometimes the entire case itself if we can't source the panel. If the case is still in warranty you can try and RMA it.
 
It would, although make sure you leave sufficient time for it to dry before hand as it will be hard to clean it all out due to the size of the port. Also look for any pins or contacts crossing or bent out of shape.

Unfortunately in most cases we would usually have to change the front panel to fix the problem, or sometimes the entire case itself if we can't source the panel. If the case is still in warranty you can try and RMA it.

Tearing the system down and RMA'in the chassis would be too much a hassle and I would be left without a PC for god knows how long. I'll just check the cabling, and possibly replace the header cables (something I neglected trying), as well as cleaning the ports before (and if I ever indeed) resort to that.

Thanks a lot though, very much appreciated.
 
CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($165.00 @ Jet.com)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($41.38 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($35.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone PS08B (Black) MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($30.00 @ Jet.com)
Total: $307.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-31 22:41 EDT-0400

Not buying the graphics card yet, waiting for the 970/390 replacement models this summer. Already have a hard drive and Blu-ray drive.

I want to play 1080p/60 mostly, and get in on some Vive VR. Is this doable?

Yup that's fine if you get at least a 970 level of performance card or higher. I would get 2 x 8GB if you can as some games will need it in the future and it's cheap enough.
 

Unai

Member
Is there a SSD brand that I shoud avoid? I'm looking to buy a second SSD just to use it to dual boot linux, but I can't find the crucials that are in the OP in my country. Plenty of intel, corsair, seagate, etc, though.
 

LordAlu

Member
Is there a SSD brand that I shoud avoid? I'm looking to buy a second SSD just to use it to dual boot linux, but I can't find the crucials that are in the OP in my country. Plenty of intel, corsair, seagate, etc, though.
Intel, Samsung or Crucial are the preferable ones. Sandisk, OCZ, Toshiba and Corsair are okayish.
 

Vuze

Member
Speaking of SSDs, I'm looking to buy a new, primary 500GB SSD. I haven't thought about it when I bought my current system SSD, but is the difference between the Evo and Pro series (talking Samsung SSDs) worth the price difference if you use it as a system drive?
Price difference is 70€ after all.
 
Speaking of SSDs, I'm looking to buy a new, primary 500GB SSD. I haven't thought about it when I bought my current system SSD, but is the difference between the Evo and Pro series (talking Samsung SSDs) worth the price difference if you use it as a system drive?
Price difference is 70€ after all.

The only difference is the warranty time I think.
So you should be good with the EVO too.
 

Brandon F

Well congratulations! You got yourself caught!
Anyone know of anyone that does computer building in Redwood City or Palo Alto?

No need really. Building a PC today is not that much more difficult than making a bowl of cereal. Some Lego sets are far more complicated. Everything latches together rather simply, and there is no shortage of youtube videos for damn near every component on the market to help provide simple walkthroughs in case the bundled instructions still leave you a bit confused(which is doubtful). Just set aside a couple hours and you'll be surprised how smooth it all goes.

As mentioned, ensuring you buy parts that complement and fit well together is the most difficult part(but even then not too difficult) and this thread will ensure you don't mess that up!
 

Onemic

Member
So I've whittled down my new PSU choices to either the EVGA GQ Plus Gold 1000W or the Corsair RM1000X. Which is better?
 

LordAlu

Member
This for my cousins computer, with this type of graphics card.

For this graphics card , is this the type of dvi cable I want?

DVI is confusing.
If you're just plugging the graphics card into a DVI monitor, you can just get a DVI cable with and end that matches the monitor. Usually it will just be a DVI-D dual link. Note that you can plug a DVI-D cable into a DVI-I port and it will work fine, but you can't plug a DVI-I cable into a DVI-D port.

DVI_connectors.jpg
 
No need really. Building a PC today is not that much more difficult than making a bowl of cereal. Some Lego sets are far more complicated. Everything latches together rather simply, and there is no shortage of youtube videos for damn near every component on the market to help provide simple walkthroughs in case the bundled instructions still leave you a bit confused(which is doubtful). Just set aside a couple hours and you'll be surprised how smooth it all goes.

As mentioned, ensuring you buy parts that complement and fit well together is the most difficult part(but even then not too difficult) and this thread will ensure you don't mess that up!

Yup, compatibility was my biggest worry when I started. That and not getting suckered into things I didn't need. PCPartPicker + GAF is unbeatable.
 

BraXzy

Member
I ordered a GTX 970 off eBay last night during a 20% off promotion for £176. The transaction failed because eBay and PayPal got bombarded.

New cards are getting announced soon right?

What are the chances the current cards drop price a considerable amount?
 
If you're just plugging the graphics card into a DVI monitor, you can just get a DVI cable with and end that matches the monitor. Usually it will just be a DVI-D dual link. Note that you can plug a DVI-D cable into a DVI-I port and it will work fine, but you can't plug a DVI-I cable into a DVI-D port.

DVI_connectors.jpg

Oh right, looks like I could use either of the DVI-Ds then, not the DVI-I's because his monitor doesn't have the dot slots above the line on the left thanks.

Is there a reason DVI is so complex compared to display port/hdmi/vga?

Edit: Where are my manners, forgot to say thanks a lot mate!
 

LordAlu

Member
Oh right, looks like I could use either of the DVI-Ds then, not the DVI-I's because his monitor doesn't have the dot slots above the line on the left thanks.

Is there a reason DVI is so complex compared to display port/hdmi/vga?

Edit: Where are my manners, forgot to say thanks a lot mate!
You're welcome!

As for your question, it's mainly due to DVI supporting both digital and analog signals - DisplayPort/HDMI only do digital and VGA only does analog. Hence you get DVI-D (digital only), DVI-I (digital & analog) and DVI-A (analog only).
 
Am I screwed? Please advise.

So as I continue to try to fix the issues with my failed SATA drive... I get the new hard drives to plunk into my D-Link DNS 325 ShareCenter. And instead of swapping one drive out, allowing the one of the old drives to back up to it, I get this ingenious idea to pull both drives and just do a fresh install of the DNS 325 and new hard drives. That's not the problem though.

I now go to dock the old drives that I pulled out of the DNS 325, and it tells me that there's no file structure, and I have to format the drives in order to read them.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Serious issue. These are my MAIN backups. Everything is on there. Photos, home videos, EVERYTHING. And the D-Link rep I am speaking to hasn't got a clue what I'm saying, or how to help.

Were the original drives in RAID formatting? I'm not super versed in RAID arrays but I know that removing/replacing BOTH HDDs in an array can be super iffy. Presuming you were in RAID to begin with
 

kennah

Member
I haven't been keeping up, but are there any promises power hungry CPU's on the horizon? I'm tired of these "efficient chips" at the cost of performance gains.
... They're starting to reach the limitations of physics for what they can do with what they have. Stuff is plenty powerful as it is. If the consumer chip isn't enough for you there's always socket 2011.

Other than a few niche products the hardware we have far outstrips the software needs of most people.

Personally I'm really happy about the focus on efficiency and onboard graphics. It's making laptops and portable computers very powerful and keeping energy costs low, helping with home electricity, heat output and battery life.
 
So I don't need to build a new system, I need advice. I have:

2 HTPC's, a gaming battlestation, an nvidia shield, and a fire tv (don't hate).

HTPC's are meager little SSD jobs at 240gb.

Shield has like 250mb (16gb) onboard.

Fire TV has -40gb and constantly needs flash drives plugged in to off workload. (8gb)

Battlestation is reasonably good at 240gb SSD + 2 3tb HDDs. They are seagates with abysmal reliability stats.

I am wanting to get some media storage going in a more accessable way that doesn't require battlestation 1000w of ridiculous to be on 24/7. I actually tried a 8tb Seagate SMR drive that was DoA so I don't feel like going that route anymore.

I am thinking of going for a 4tb portable seagate drive. No power needed, easy to move between devices to access a full library with 0 streaming worries. Is there a lot known about these little drives? Is a DC powered 3.5" maybe the better way to go?

There is that $100 Mediasonic ProBox on amazon that has tons of good reviews, but I don't know if that avoids my need to keep battlestation turned on.

For streaming I am wanting to easily access ~10gb bluray rips using Kodi. I am not sure what direction to head if the NAS route. For JUST streaming videos (no backups, games, anything really) is it still recommended to come up with some type of solution with WD Reds at the heart?

Looking to maximize storage/dollar while maintaining reliability.
 

BumRush

Member
Hey PC-GAF, what's the best site that acts like part picker but gives you the option of paying someone to build it for you? Thanks in advance!
 
Corsair fans have gotten too loud(bearings went bad) I swap them out for these COUGAR CF-V12HP

These fans are super quiet and still outperform the H80i fans.

%24_57_0.JPG

Getting annoyed by my loud rad fans so I ordered 2 of these, you better not let me down!

You're welcome!

As for your question, it's mainly due to DVI supporting both digital and analog signals - DisplayPort/HDMI only do digital and VGA only does analog. Hence you get DVI-D (digital only), DVI-I (digital & analog) and DVI-A (analog only).

Thanks I think get it know, makes sense.
 

Megabat

Member
Getting annoyed by my loud rad fans so I ordered 2 of these, you better not let me down!



Thanks I think get it know, makes sense.

If you want something even cheaper (I suppose for future reference), try Prolimatech Blue Vortex fans. They're sleeve-bearing fans, so you can only mount them vertically, but they're super quiet/reliable, and cost about $10.
 
If you want something even cheaper (I suppose for future reference), try Prolimatech Blue Vortex fans. They're sleeve-bearing fans, so you can only mount them vertically, but they're super quiet/reliable, and cost about $10.

Thanks for the recommendation, blue kinda really really clashes with the rest of my build atm, but I'll keep it on my wishlist for future use.
 

Onemic

Member
Depends on what you're doing with it. For most tasks yes, for heavily threaded things go X99.

Also depends on how far you overclock each CPU of course.

Can the i5 6600K be OC'd to have the same performance as the 6700K? I'll pretty much be playing games and doing graphics programming in OpenGL with my PC.
 
Can the i5 6600K be OC'd to have the same performance as the 6700K? I'll pretty much be playing games and doing graphics programming in OpenGL with my PC.

The 6700K will be a bit faster in most games, but the 6600K at (say) 4.4 GHz is bloody fast. You'll be limited by your GPU anyway when you're in that ballpark, so it's not really that much of an issue.

Digital Foundry has some great Youtube videos comparing the 6600K and 6700K at a variety of frequencies in a variety of games. I would check them out and judge it based on which games appeal to you.

I don't know anything about OpenGL (I do Python scripting mainly) so I cannot comment on that.
 
Can the i5 6600K be OC'd to have the same performance as the 6700K? I'll pretty much be playing games and doing graphics programming in OpenGL with my PC.

Well, the 6700K has four additional threads—additional sets of instructions that your processor switches to whenever it's idly waiting for information it needs to execute its standard set of instructions. No amount of overclocking is going to add those extra threads.

However, whether or not those additional threads make a difference is wholly dependent on the game/software you're playing/running. Dolphin, for example—which is essentially always CPU-limited, basically can't make use of these extra threads at all. Furthermore, the 6600K can often be overclocked further than the 6700K in terms of actual clock speed (how quickly it can execute instructions).

In other words, it depends. Overall, the 6700K is generally a better performing processor than the 6600K—if that wasn't the case, no one would ever buy it—but that isn't always the case, and it costs an extra $100.

TL;DR Get the 6600K.
 
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