If you are getting video card driver crashes, it could be the video card is not stable with the OC, factory or by manually. Try running it hey downclocking by -100 core and memory.
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"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 1. Read the OP and RISE ABOVE FORGED PRECISION SCIENCE
- Thread starter Hazaro
- Start date
- Status
If you are getting video card driver crashes, it could be the video card is not stable with the OC, factory or by manually. Try running it hey downclocking by -100 core and memory.
Hi guys!
I've heard good stuffs about pc gaming and I think I'm ready to join the superior race. I borrowed the spec from the build sheet on the first post. Let me know if it's good enough or if there anything I need to change. Much appreciated!
You won't need a sound card or a DVD drive, most likely. Given some cost cutting here and there, you can go with a slightly stronger graphics card and a stronger power supply.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($215.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($92.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card ($192.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($39.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($51.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $800.78
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-22 21:57 EST-0500
I have a i7 4790k on an Asus z-97 Pro wifi motherboard.
I currently have G.SKILL Sniper Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2400 (PC3 19200) Desktop Memory Model F3-2400C11D-16GSR.
This is enough for what I currently use my computer for, but I am wondering if there would be any good reason to purchase two more sticks while they are on sale right now for about $115 to max out my RAM potential.
I currently have G.SKILL Sniper Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2400 (PC3 19200) Desktop Memory Model F3-2400C11D-16GSR.
This is enough for what I currently use my computer for, but I am wondering if there would be any good reason to purchase two more sticks while they are on sale right now for about $115 to max out my RAM potential.
That was fast, thanks RGM79!
I notice there a few recommendations for monitor, keyboard, and mouse on the op. Which one do you like the best? My budget is $100 keyboard+mouse and $200 monitor (My desk is small, I'll probably sit 3 feet away from it).
Very few people actually need 32GB of RAM. What are your PC's specs, and what do you use it for? You'll probably see a bigger difference saving for a larger SSD, better CPU cooler to overclock with, or a better graphics card.
That was fast, thanks RGM79!
I notice there a few recommendations for monitor, keyboard, and mouse on the op. Which one do you like the best? My budget is $100 keyboard+mouse and $200 monitor (My desk is small, I'll probably sit 3 feet away from it).
I'm not really a mouse/keyboard/monitor guy. I use a Cooler Master Quickfire TK compact keyboard with a weird numpad/arrow key design that isn't for everyone, a cheap mouse, and a normal cheap 1080p monitor. For the R9 280X, you'll probably be best served with a 1080p monitor, that's all I can really say, 1440p or higher will be a bigger strain on the graphics card.
Someone else will probably have better suggestions.
10 keyless mechanical (CM) and a CM Spawn if the shape is decent enough for you should be right around $100.That was fast, thanks RGM79!
I notice there a few recommendations for monitor, keyboard, and mouse on the op. Which one do you like the best? My budget is $100 keyboard+mouse and $200 monitor (My desk is small, I'll probably sit 3 feet away from it).
Monitor I'm not that great a monitor person myself, but the ones in the OP should still be okay, but might have updates and sales.
Ultimadrago
Member
Hey guys,
Stupid question, but I'm highly considering the building a gaming PC piece-by-piece soon (over the course of a year+ or something). What's a part I can purchase that says, "I'm really going to do this" without spending hundreds out the gate.
For reference, I am eyeing the Enthusiast set (assuming that it's made to "last", if that makes any sense in the Gaming PC realm)?
Stupid question, but I'm highly considering the building a gaming PC piece-by-piece soon (over the course of a year+ or something). What's a part I can purchase that says, "I'm really going to do this" without spending hundreds out the gate.
For reference, I am eyeing the Enthusiast set (assuming that it's made to "last", if that makes any sense in the Gaming PC realm)?
In general it's a pretty bad idea to buy a system over a long period of time (really, over any period of time longer than like a month). Just save up until you have the money then buy. You'll get something better, anyway.
I wouldn't recommend buying piece by piece over the course of a year. You never know when prices will drop, if newer parts will be announced and/or released after months after you buy a certain part, and you're just letting warranty run out on the parts you buy first.
Turbowaffles
Member
I can only speak about how I did it...
Bought a power supply that sat for about a year before I started my build, also bought an HDD and SSD that sat for the same amount of time. All were thoroughly tested as soon as I bought them, though. Tested the HDD and SSD in my brothers PC, and tested the power supply on a Dr. Power II.
Ultimadrago
Member
I was wondering about that. But at the same time aren't there crazy deals that happen throughout on certain parts? I'd hate to miss out on any and only give myself a month to find the best buy on all the parts. (Though my original deadline does seem too long in light of advancing tech)
Ah, good point on the warranty. Didn't think of that.
I unfortunately don't have a rig to test on. But that sounds like a good way of going about it, setting the parts through the paces before continuing on.
Im_So_Pringles
Member
So, this is my first build in a loooooong while.This is the list I have so far.
The components are pretty much exactly what I want. i5-4690k, GTX 970, 16 GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 1TB HDD, and Bitfenix Comrade as the case. However, Whenever it comes to the brand names and the motherboard, I really don't know if there are better options in terms of reliability or price. ~$1100 was the budget, and I thought this fit quite well. Any optimizations/recommendations from anybody that is much better than me at this?
Uses:
-Gaming
-Emulation
-General Use
-Some 3D application stuff (not much)
-Some Image editing (not much here either)
The components are pretty much exactly what I want. i5-4690k, GTX 970, 16 GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 1TB HDD, and Bitfenix Comrade as the case. However, Whenever it comes to the brand names and the motherboard, I really don't know if there are better options in terms of reliability or price. ~$1100 was the budget, and I thought this fit quite well. Any optimizations/recommendations from anybody that is much better than me at this?
Uses:
-Gaming
-Emulation
-General Use
-Some 3D application stuff (not much)
-Some Image editing (not much here either)
My computer has been completely shutting off randomly. At first I thought it was because I was trying to push it too hard while playing games, but now it does it even at the most random times. I've been monitoring the temps of all the parts individually in real-time, and nothing looks like it's been overheating.
I've narrowed it down to a faulty power supply. Anyone want to give any more insight as to what it might be? A quick recap;
-Random complete-shutoff
-No overheating on anything
I've narrowed it down to a faulty power supply. Anyone want to give any more insight as to what it might be? A quick recap;
-Random complete-shutoff
-No overheating on anything
I'd change a few things.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($215.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($100.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($347.99 @ Amazon)
Case: BitFenix Comrade ATX Mid Tower Case ($63.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($51.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1037.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-23 01:34 EST-0500
- I changed the RAM to a cheaper and faster 16GB set.
- I can't really recommend Seagate, they have been reported to have relatively high failure rates for recent hard drive models. Western Digital is often available for the same price or just a few dollars more.
- Corsair's CX power supplies are their budget line, they're passable but but you can often find other higher quality models and brands on sale. XFX's power supplies are all rebadged Seasonic models, and Seasonic is one of the best power supply manufacturers there are, and that 650 watt model is cheaper and slightly higher capacity.
Additional notes:
As it currently is, there enough left over in the $1100 budget to get the 256GB version of the Crucial MX100 SSD. Alternatively, you could get an EVGA Supernova B2 750 watt power supply for $60 after $20 rebate, that would be enough wattage to allow for two GTX 970 cards in SLI for the future if you wanted. You could also spend it on a higher end CPU cooler.
I noticed you picked the windowed white version of the Bitfenix Comrade. I don't know if you're intent on having a window and the white version, but the black windowless version is only $34 plus shipping from NCIXUS. Going with that would leave more money for other options like the ones listed above.
Are you aware of the GTX 970's memory issue and the recent price drops on the R9 290 and 290X? You may want to consider AMD. For example, the PowerColor R9 290X PCS+ is $294 after $30 rebate. The R9 290X offers comparable performance, but the much lower price makes it a better buy for price-to-performance.
On the note of the R9 290X, if you want to have enough wattage for crossfiring two of them in the future, you will need 850 watts. There is an 850 watt version of the above EVGA model for $80 after $20 rebate.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($215.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($100.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290X 4GB PCS+ Video Card ($293.98 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Comrade ATX Mid Tower Case ($33.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($51.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $953.79
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-23 01:57 EST-0500
That leaves you a lot of room to add more. Larger SSD? Better case? Stronger CPU cooler? Higher wattage power supply?
ScepticMatt
Member
What's your opinion on the Dell P2715Q monitor (for non-gaming use)?
Same panel as the ASUS PB287Q , but quite a bit cheaper (550 vs 700).
Edit: also, are those softwareswap windows 8 keys legit?
Same panel as the ASUS PB287Q , but quite a bit cheaper (550 vs 700).
Edit: also, are those softwareswap windows 8 keys legit?
jfoul
Member
XFX Radeon R9 290X 8GB $354.99 after $25.00 rebate card
It's a grey area. They are likely real and unique keys from educational programs (I picked up over a dozen different Windows keys during my time in school from MSDNAA/Dreamspark), but Microsoft has EULA that probably prohibits resale. It's cheap, but use at your own risk. Some haven't had a problem yet, some have problems after a couple of months, I assume because Microsoft caught the seller and deactivated the keys associate with him, not that they have a way of tracking who's using what key from which source.
Lockjaw333
Member
So, on the topic of Mechanical Keyboards
What in your opinion is the best cherry mx switch for gaming?
Looking to get my first mechanical. A friend has a Corsair K70 with mx reds and swears by it for gaming. I've heard mostly that Reds are best for gaming, Blues are best for typing, and Browns are a good compromise between the two.
I tried a Razer Blackwidow ultimate at Best Buy (razer green aka cherry blue switch) and a Corsair K70 (cherry red), and just from a few moments of trying them I did prefer the clicky blue knockoff switch. No idea how that translates to in game though. I play mostly FPS and 3rd person shooter/adventure. The reds felt nice and smooth, but they do feel very similar to a regular membrane keyboard... they weren't too far off from my Logitech G110.
Anyone have experience with Browns?
Is there a reason the Razer gaming boards all have tactile keys? (blue and brown knockoffs). Is the tactile bump nice for gaming?
What in your opinion is the best cherry mx switch for gaming?
Looking to get my first mechanical. A friend has a Corsair K70 with mx reds and swears by it for gaming. I've heard mostly that Reds are best for gaming, Blues are best for typing, and Browns are a good compromise between the two.
I tried a Razer Blackwidow ultimate at Best Buy (razer green aka cherry blue switch) and a Corsair K70 (cherry red), and just from a few moments of trying them I did prefer the clicky blue knockoff switch. No idea how that translates to in game though. I play mostly FPS and 3rd person shooter/adventure. The reds felt nice and smooth, but they do feel very similar to a regular membrane keyboard... they weren't too far off from my Logitech G110.
Anyone have experience with Browns?
Is there a reason the Razer gaming boards all have tactile keys? (blue and brown knockoffs). Is the tactile bump nice for gaming?
I have a Logitech G710+ with brown switches and a Vortex Pure Pro with red switches. I prefer the red switches, they are really light and feel very precise, while the brown ones feel a bit washed out by comparison. The red ones are slightly louder though. My G710+ has basically been sitting on the shelf since I got the Vortex. (Also frees up a lot of desk space.)
Celcius
°Temp. member
I have a Corsair K70 with brown microswitches and love it. It's only mechanical keyboard I've owned but but feels great to me. Great for gaming and typing.
Lockjaw333
Member
Thanks for the response.
I've read a lot that browns are a "middle ground" between blue and red, but then a lot of the feedback from people who got browns (usually first-time mech buyers) is that they feel kind of meh. It almost seems like if you want browns because they are quieter than blues, you might as well get reds. I've seen browns described as "reds with sand in them" numerous times.
I do really like the clicky clicky of a blue switch, but just concerned how they fair for gaming. Reds felt like something not that much different than regular membrane, but again my use case was very short (about 3 min in best buy while my 2.5 year old son was pulling me towards the shiney TVs)
Lockjaw333
Member
The tactile bump doesn't interfere with gaming?
Im_So_Pringles
Member
First off; holy shit dude, you're amazing.
To address your main concerns, I am aware of the GTX 970's memory issues. However, it still is a great card that has impressive benchmarks to me. Also, I'll be playing in 1080p until 4k actually is affordable to me so I don't have to worry about running ridiculous resolutions (for now) hahaha. Also, I've always been an nvidia boy, so I doubt I would go for AMD this time around either (however, thank you for the though and input man!)
I literally threw the first Bitfenix comrade listing up there that I saw just to kinda get across the fact that it is the case I wanted. I'll definitely be getting the windowless black version from NCIXUS.
I will also be getting the 256 GB version of the SSD and the 750 watt power supply you recommended. Getting another GTX 970 for SLI later on is a distinct possibility. Why not splurge a little for this?
Again, thanks a million for the help man. I can't wait to order all these parts!
Edit: Here is the revised parts list. Am I good to go?
inpired_1ne
Neo Member
I have been doing alot of research on x99 builds including parts custom sleeving watercooling etc... at this point I want to hold off on the x99 build until the end of the year in order to waite and see what new parts companies will have.
For now I want to build something more or less for practicing sleeving/water cooling techniques. I will be buying a caselabs case for this build and also the future build. For this one I am leaning towards an s8 for the next one will be going with a sth10.
In the process of buying all tools and materials for sleeving and also a monsoon acrylic bending kit. I have plenty of other tools since I work in the electrical trade.
Will someone be able to recommend a build for around 1000 us$, not including all watercooling parts and peripherals. I'm thinking a z97 build would be best for now. Modular power supply as I stated I want to do my own custom wiring. Single or double gpu whichever fits better into price range. Will be doing sli or crossfire in future build so not a big deal.
As mentioned this will be a build I will use for gaming but also for practicing overclocking, custom wiring, watercooling etc... thanks in advance.
For now I want to build something more or less for practicing sleeving/water cooling techniques. I will be buying a caselabs case for this build and also the future build. For this one I am leaning towards an s8 for the next one will be going with a sth10.
In the process of buying all tools and materials for sleeving and also a monsoon acrylic bending kit. I have plenty of other tools since I work in the electrical trade.
Will someone be able to recommend a build for around 1000 us$, not including all watercooling parts and peripherals. I'm thinking a z97 build would be best for now. Modular power supply as I stated I want to do my own custom wiring. Single or double gpu whichever fits better into price range. Will be doing sli or crossfire in future build so not a big deal.
As mentioned this will be a build I will use for gaming but also for practicing overclocking, custom wiring, watercooling etc... thanks in advance.
Hi guys
I currently have DT 990 Pro 250ohm headset hooked to my Asus Xonar Essence STX soundcard, however here's the deal: whenever my friends are talking to me on Skype and I'm in a game my friends can hear this humming sound. It's apparently quite normal with this card, unfortunately.
So I've emailed the store I bought it from and they're willing to give me a refund if I buy something else from them. I Google around and people have recommended the Sound Blaster Z card, however, the headphones have a 6,35mm plug and the soundcard a 3,5mm connection.
So any other recommendations? Mustn't be more expensive than what the Essence STX costed.
Do have in mind that the DT 990 PRO headphones need a proper soundcard to drive it.
**EDIT**
Would appear I found a solution. sound Blaster Zx have this extra connection thingy where you can plug in the head phones. I think I'll go with that =]
I currently have DT 990 Pro 250ohm headset hooked to my Asus Xonar Essence STX soundcard, however here's the deal: whenever my friends are talking to me on Skype and I'm in a game my friends can hear this humming sound. It's apparently quite normal with this card, unfortunately.
So I've emailed the store I bought it from and they're willing to give me a refund if I buy something else from them. I Google around and people have recommended the Sound Blaster Z card, however, the headphones have a 6,35mm plug and the soundcard a 3,5mm connection.
So any other recommendations? Mustn't be more expensive than what the Essence STX costed.
Do have in mind that the DT 990 PRO headphones need a proper soundcard to drive it.
**EDIT**
Would appear I found a solution. sound Blaster Zx have this extra connection thingy where you can plug in the head phones. I think I'll go with that =]
R5 has soe good improvements if you want to water cool, some nice creature comforts and is a more modular product. For me though it doesn't warrant double the price.
Differences are noted here http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/2mqnqg/discussion_fractal_design_define_r5/cm6rvdo
Hi. I visited my parents this weekend, and man does their PC suck. I am getting them a new monitor because theirs is tiny, and they have bad eyes. I thinking of building one for them, but maybe I'd just buy a small simple PC instead. I've only ever built a gaming pc for myself, and don't know much about picking less performance based parts.
Does anyone have suggestions for simple builds? Or experience making a PC for older folks? Anything to keep in mind? I'd like this to be as simple to use as possible with minimal fussing with anything after it's up and running.
Thanks!
Does anyone have suggestions for simple builds? Or experience making a PC for older folks? Anything to keep in mind? I'd like this to be as simple to use as possible with minimal fussing with anything after it's up and running.
Thanks!
Budget?
opticalmace
Member
I use the K70 with browns for a lot of twitch gaming (primarily Quake Live) and I have no complaints. My first mech keyboard and I'm very pleased with it.
My GF has the blackwidow ultimate with blues or whatever Razer's colour is and hers is really good too. More clacky. I haven't tried gaming on hers though.
Hey all, so i was actually not sure whether to post this here, or in film gaf, but i guess ill just try here, a buddy of mine needs to put a 4k video production rig together, so that work with 4k footage is seamless. So he wanted to know gaffers opinions. As far as i understand, budget is not much of an issue, he sent me the following spec, on what he is looking at, any advice, sugestions ? Thanks !
So is there anything better as a singular computer, than what he is currently looking at, and above all will this work well with raw 4k footage, as you work with it.
HP Z820 Workstation
Windows® 8.1 Professional 64
HP Z820 1125W 90% Efficient Chassis
Intel® Xeon® E5-2690 v2 3.00Ghz 25MB 1866 10C 1st CPU (Only supported with 1125 W chassis.)
Intel® Xeon® E5-2690 v2 3.00Ghz 25MB 1866 10C 2nd CPU (Must be same speed as Processor 1.)
HP Z820 Localization Kit
HP Dual Processor Air Cooling Kit
NVIDIA Quadro K6000 12GB
256GB DDR3-1866 (8x32GB) 2CPU LR RAM
512GB SATA 1st Solid State Drive
512GB SATA 2nd Solid State Drive
3TB 7200 RPM SATA 3rd Hard Drive (Second drive must be SATA)
3TB 7200 RPM SATA 4th Hard Drive (3rd HDD must be SATA and must be same capacity/speed)
3TB 7200 RPM SATA 5th Hard Drive (4th HDD must be SATA and must be same capacity/speed)
HP SATA Blu-ray Writer Optical Drive
HP Single Unit Packaging
HP RAID 5
LSI 9270-8i SAS 6Gb/s ROC RAID Card (Not Supported with eSATA PCI Bulkhead Kit, HDD1 SED drives and Z Turbo storage device)
And he mentioned something like adding this all in there as well
Blackmagic Design DeckLink 4K Extreme Capture & Playback Card
So, overkill, just right for 4 k ? Advice please, thanks !
So is there anything better as a singular computer, than what he is currently looking at, and above all will this work well with raw 4k footage, as you work with it.
HP Z820 Workstation
Windows® 8.1 Professional 64
HP Z820 1125W 90% Efficient Chassis
Intel® Xeon® E5-2690 v2 3.00Ghz 25MB 1866 10C 1st CPU (Only supported with 1125 W chassis.)
Intel® Xeon® E5-2690 v2 3.00Ghz 25MB 1866 10C 2nd CPU (Must be same speed as Processor 1.)
HP Z820 Localization Kit
HP Dual Processor Air Cooling Kit
NVIDIA Quadro K6000 12GB
256GB DDR3-1866 (8x32GB) 2CPU LR RAM
512GB SATA 1st Solid State Drive
512GB SATA 2nd Solid State Drive
3TB 7200 RPM SATA 3rd Hard Drive (Second drive must be SATA)
3TB 7200 RPM SATA 4th Hard Drive (3rd HDD must be SATA and must be same capacity/speed)
3TB 7200 RPM SATA 5th Hard Drive (4th HDD must be SATA and must be same capacity/speed)
HP SATA Blu-ray Writer Optical Drive
HP Single Unit Packaging
HP RAID 5
LSI 9270-8i SAS 6Gb/s ROC RAID Card (Not Supported with eSATA PCI Bulkhead Kit, HDD1 SED drives and Z Turbo storage device)
And he mentioned something like adding this all in there as well
Blackmagic Design DeckLink 4K Extreme Capture & Playback Card
So, overkill, just right for 4 k ? Advice please, thanks !
Wozzer
Member
I've been itching to replace my graphics card for a while now but have been putting it off waiting for the ideal time to see the best price to value investment in a card that'll last, excusing myself with having a seemingly endless low spec backlog to keep me content.
I have plans on the horizon to move from the US to the UK two months from now, and I'm aware of the price hike I'll see on components when I get there.
I'm sitting on a 6950, is now a good time to invest in a 290X or 970, or should I await GDC and the potential next wave of cards at this point. Feels misplaced to drop $300 on cards from 2013.
I have plans on the horizon to move from the US to the UK two months from now, and I'm aware of the price hike I'll see on components when I get there.
I'm sitting on a 6950, is now a good time to invest in a 290X or 970, or should I await GDC and the potential next wave of cards at this point. Feels misplaced to drop $300 on cards from 2013.
Lockjaw333
Member
Thanks for the feedback!
I really like the K70, either brown or red. Not sure whether the tactile bump is a nice thing to have for gaming.
I'd say about $450
On eBay? I probably saw the same listing. Wondering the same thing.
If you're looking for a 3570k, there is one in the BST thread.
inpired_1ne
Neo Member
I'll waite for someone with more knowledge to give you the proper answer, but from what I've read and watched it's when you remove the factory lid off of the cpu. I believe it's because some of the factory glue and thermal paste are applied roughly. I've noticed people do it when water cooling to lower cpu temps by a couple more degrees. I'm not an expert just my understanding from researching.
That means they removed the heat spreader in order to replace the TIM with better stuff, perhaps even pseudo-solder like IC Diamond.
It means that the proccessor will have much much better thermal performance, but the warranty is voided.
It's a very safe and common procedure, and I wouldn't fret it. Most people who have done this sort of thing know what they're doing, and the processor is likely in good shape.
I've personally done it with 5 different Ivy/Haswell chips. It can seem scary to people who are unfamiliar, but it is a really simple process.
TheLegendOfMart
Banned
If you look at a CPU it has a metal cover protecting the small die underneath.
Delidding means taking off the IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader) so your CPU cooler can make direct contact with the CPU die.
I'd be careful because it is very easy to crush the die.
This would leave you plenty of wiggle room if you wanted to change anything. $10 more for example gets you a modular PSU.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($104.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Biostar Hi-Fi B85S3+ Ver. 6.x Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($58.00 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.00 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($39.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $391.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-23 13:28 EST-0500
TheOnlyMook
Member
I'm looking to upgrade my 560ti 448 for something a bit newer. I was originally going to get a GTX 970, but don't think I need to dump that much money into my rig to get the results I'm looking for. I'm really just looking for the best price/performance jump that I can get at the moment. Also trying to stay in the sub $300 range (would ideally like to spend $250 or less if possible).
Should I go with the R9 290 or even the 280X?
Should I go with the R9 290 or even the 280X?
TheLegendOfMart
Banned
R9 290 has the best "bang for buck" price at the moment.
Personally I wouldn't go with anything less, the 280X is just a rebadged slightly faster 7970 which itself is already old tech, if you don't care about being able to run in the highest detail at sub 60fps then 280X isn't a bad card.
Personally I wouldn't go with anything less, the 280X is just a rebadged slightly faster 7970 which itself is already old tech, if you don't care about being able to run in the highest detail at sub 60fps then 280X isn't a bad card.
What do your parents use the computer for? Also, how computer-savvy are they, how far away do they live, and how willing are you to do tech support? When I bought a PC for my parents a couple of years back I basically just bought the cheapest one available, since my parents really only need it for email, word processing, and browsing. Also, printer and scanner is very important to them, because they still keep paper copies of everything.
I live too far away to do any sort of tech support for them (though the other day I talked them through how to plug in a USB mouse...), so keeping it simple was really the main concern. If the PC comes from a single local retailer, they have a point of contact when something breaks, and people they can talk to who already know them. My parents have some local shop where the owner is even willing to come over and help set things up.
My parents also have bad eyesight, so I set Windows up to use large icons. I also put all the applications they usually use on the desktop. Also, I changed the background picture to a picture of them with my brother's kids, that alone made them like the PC a lot more
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