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"I need a New PC!" 2013 Part 2. Haswell = #IntelnoTIM, but free online. READ THE OP.

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Ok, I've decided on going with Haswell. What's the best overclocking motherboard to pair up with Haswell for under $300? I'd be willing to spend over $300 but only if it offers a big jump in overclocking ability/potential over a board that's under $300.
 

kennah

Member
Ok, I've decided on going with Haswell. What's the best overclocking motherboard to pair up with Haswell for under $300? I'd be willing to spend over $300 but only if it offers a big jump in overclocking ability/potential over a board that's under $300.
I think you are going about this the wrong way. Unless you are benchmarking or going full loop watercooling/liquid nitrogen you aren't going to see much difference between a $150 board and a $300 board.

What are your cooling plans? What kind of case is it going into? Do you want ATX, mATX? If it is just for games and frames the extra 200mhz you get from spending twice as much won't do much of anything.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Boards don't matter for overclocking anymore unless you're talking about LN2-specific features. A bit different with SB-E/IB-E, but not with Haswell.

The only reason to spend money on a more expensive board is for PLX chips to multiply PCI-E lanes if you are wanting to go for three or more GPUs, or even dual 780Tis/690s.
asus gtx 770 or r9 280x? they are priced the same.
I would like to go with nvidia this time, but a 2 gigabyte card doesnt seem a good choice right now, imho.

any tips?
Below the 780, I generally prefer the AMD side of things from a performance perspective. The memory is a big portion of that.

But you also lose out on G-Sync and Shadowplay.
 
I think you are going about this the wrong way. Unless you are benchmarking or going full loop watercooling/liquid nitrogen you aren't going to see much difference between a $150 board and a $300 board.

What are your cooling plans? What kind of case is it going into? Do you want ATX, mATX? If it is just for games and frames the extra 200mhz you get from spending twice as much won't do much of anything.

My current case is CM Storm Sniper. For cooling, will be going with Corsair's H100i Extreme Performance. It's just for games. I want to overclock Haswell to somewhere in the neighborhood of 4.5.

Oh, and thanks for the tips everyone. I guess I won't be going with a super expensive motherboard, then. ;)
 

kennah

Member
My current case is CM Storm Sniper. For cooling, will be going with Corsair's H100i Extreme Performance. It's just for games. I want to overclock Haswell to somewhere in the neighborhood of 4.5.
4.5 might be tough without a delid. Get any z87 that tickles your fancy. All the ones in the OP are solid choices.

If you are really keen on spending your money get a Sabertooth because they look so badass.
 

Calidor

Member
hello GAF, noob here and I'm desperate trying to find a solution.

I have the following setting:

Asus P8Z77-V LK
Intel i5-3570k
MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti Power Edition

HDMI Monitor
HDMI TV

Since my videocard only has 1 HDMI output and is currently connected to my monitor, I'm trying to use the other HDMI output that comes from my motherboard to stream movies to my TV, without affecting the main monitor. I'm fairly sure that my i5 processor / Asus motherboard includes a onboard HD GPU solution that I can use.

I tried downloading the gpu drivers from the intel / asus support centres but for some reason I can't install them since they don't detect the onboard GPU. I also checked on my BIOS settings but I found nothing related to the GPU chip

Anyone has some tips or ideas to help me fix this? T_T
 

Esqueleto

Banned
hello GAF, noob here and I'm desperate trying to find a solution.

I have the following setting:

Asus P8Z77-V LK
Intel i5-3570k
MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti Power Edition

HDMI Monitor
HDMI TV

Since my videocard only has 1 HDMI output and is currently connected to my monitor, I'm trying to use the other HDMI output that comes from my motherboard to stream movies to my TV, without affecting the main monitor. I'm fairly sure that my i5 processor / Asus motherboard includes a onboard HD GPU solution that I can use.

I tried downloading the gpu drivers from the intel / asus support centres but for some reason I can't install them since they don't detect the onboard GPU. I also checked on my BIOS settings but I found nothing related to the GPU chip

Anyone has some tips or ideas to help me fix this? T_T
Just checked. I have the lx model and it is under advanced > system agent configuration in the BIOS.
 
hello GAF, noob here and I'm desperate trying to find a solution.

I have the following setting:

Asus P8Z77-V LK
Intel i5-3570k
MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti Power Edition

HDMI Monitor
HDMI TV

Since my videocard only has 1 HDMI output and is currently connected to my monitor, I'm trying to use the other HDMI output that comes from my motherboard to stream movies to my TV, without affecting the main monitor. I'm fairly sure that my i5 processor / Asus motherboard includes a onboard HD GPU solution that I can use.

I tried downloading the gpu drivers from the intel / asus support centres but for some reason I can't install them since they don't detect the onboard GPU. I also checked on my BIOS settings but I found nothing related to the GPU chip

Anyone has some tips or ideas to help me fix this? T_T

Are you using built in speakers on your monitor? If not, you should be able to use a DVI to HDMI cable to the hdmi monitor and use the HDMI output for your TV, both attached to the graphics card.
 

Calidor

Member
Just checked. I have the lx model and it is under advanced > system agent configuration in the BIOS.

Thanks, I went to that menu and the options available are "Auto", "PCI" and "PCIE"

It was on auto, modified to "PCI" and nothing else happened :(

Are you using built in speakers on your monitor? If not, you should be able to use a DVI to HDMI cable to the hdmi monitor and use the HDMI output for your TV, both attached to the graphics card.

This seems more convenient, and since I have a separated sound card I could make it work.

Do you lose any quaility with those HDMI to DVI converters? I'd rather not buy a new cable altogether
 

Esqueleto

Banned
Thanks, I went to that menu and the options available are "Auto", "PCI" and "PCIE"

It was on auto, modified to "PCI" and nothing else happened :(



This seems more convenient, and since I have a separated sound card I could make it work.

Do you lose any quaility with those HDMI to DVI converters? I'd rather not buy a new cable altogether
mmm. Maybe you need a bios update. Mine shows:
Primary Display Auto
iGpu memory Auto
Render Standby Enabled
iGpu Multi-Monitor Disabled.

Edit;
Does your tv have a vga input?
Pretty much every gpu/monitor comes with a dvi to vga converter.
 

Jharp

Member
Hey GAF! So I'm looking to a buy a new laptop. Main purpose will be creative shit (learning to code and build games), but i do want to be able to do SOME gaming on it. Nothing too big- I don't intend to be playing Crysis 3 or anything, but I would like to be able to plop it down at a bud's house for some Day Z, or to run some WoW instances together. I don't mind running stuff on lower settings, so long as it still runs reliably. I'm looking at newegg and trying to decide.

I don't want to spend more than $600, and while I'm still looking at tons of different configuration options, I've come down to these two as of right now: bit.ly/1ljc7QB

I'm leaning towards the Dell because with that I save $60 (not to mention less tax), and only lose out on a slightly slower, though also newer generation processor. But it has the same RAM and a better Hard Drive. The Acer has a dedicated graphics card, the Nvidia GT 720m, but as I understand it, that card's for HD video, and not gaming, while the Dell has an integrated HD 4400.

What does GAF say between those two, or would you guys suggest separate laptops all together?

I do need to act fast though, because those sweet after-Christas deals probably aren't going to last.

Thanks!
 

kennah

Member
Neither are particularly adequate for gaming. I'm not sure how the 4400 compares to the 720, but yeah.. wouldn't try either of them for much. The processors are actually very close to the same speed due to Haswell being more efficient. so its 1.6 is about as fast if not faster than the 1.8 of Ivy Bridge.

The bigger problem you'll run into is 1366x768 is a really shitty resolution these days. Opening a spreadsheet on that is misery. But basically, if it's between those, flip a coin. Or look up which one has better battery life and take that.
 

Jharp

Member
Neither are particularly adequate for gaming. I'm not sure how the 4400 compares to the 720, but yeah.. wouldn't try either of them for much. The processors are actually very close to the same speed due to Haswell being more efficient. so its 1.6 is about as fast if not faster than the 1.8 of Ivy Bridge.

The bigger problem you'll run into is 1366x768 is a really shitty resolution these days. Opening a spreadsheet on that is misery. But basically, if it's between those, flip a coin. Or look up which one has better battery life and take that.

Hmm. Well keep in mind, I'm not exactly going for an ultra gaming experience. I intend to run largely older games and whatever newer stuff at low settings. The resolution size is fine for my purposes. With that in mind, is still totally inadequate?

If so, do you have an suggestions as far as components go that will still allow me to lightly game for cheap?
 
The Y series (particularly the Y510p) are on sale at Lenovo right now for stupidly low prices but still more than the $600 you stipulated. If you can stretch the budget do it. The dividends are now firmly on power efficiency rather than performance so laptops will last a lot longer. Especially once you upgrade the RAM in the future and you can throw in an SSD as they come down in price.
 

Jharp

Member
Yeah, the starting price on those is 740. I could feasibly stretch that far, but doing so makes my brain hurt. I could dip into the car fund a bit, or even wait a few weeks for a bonus that's coming my way (but then run the risk of losing out on a great deal, at which point, the bonus will be going towards just paying the differences I could have saved on a sale).

Here's a video of a guy running the same processor and graphics chip as that Dell I was looking at, and he tests Minecraft and WoW on max settings with it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQjfTzpqG90
It seems to be kicking WoW's ass, which is a good sign for the style of gaming I intend to do, though i'd rather see some source engine or UE3 stuff than minecraft. I suppose this evening will be full of lots of research into the matter.

What's a good low end mobile graphics card to look for?
 

bro1

Banned
The Twinfrozr IV on the 760 is about as quiet as it's possible for a modern graphics card to be without going fanless, it really is a marvelous cooler/card combo if noise is a concern.

Mine has unfortunately just died and I'm getting a full refund for it after RMA'ing it (No power at all, no BIOS boot screen / display), but I'll happily replace it with the MSI HAWK model.
How old was your card when it died?
 

Jharp

Member
Then great go for it. You know what you're in for :)

Well that's not very encouraging...

My buddy has a 640m from a year or so ago and runs ME3 and source games with no issues maxed out. Can I expect at least similar performance out of a 720m?
 
Aha, I see how the numbering system works now. Found a decently priced 740m system, for only a little over $100 more than the 720m system. What do you guys think?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834231455

Benchmarks on this card look far more promising. Is it essentially a newer gen 640m?

It's a one, big giant "sort of". A 740M is a higher clocked 640M part, both are GK107 Kepler parts. But a GDDR5 640M will wipe the floor with a DDR3 740M.
 

Jharp

Member
It's a one, big giant "sort of". A 740M is a higher clocked 640M part, both are GK107 Kepler parts. But a GDDR5 640M will wipe the floor with a DDR3 740M.

I think I'm going to dip on it. How much of a pain in the ass is it to put Windows 7 on one of these machines? Are there any driver issues I need to worry about?

One of the reviews on newegg's page is some guy bitching about lack of driver support, but that seems odd- wouldn't all the specific part manufacturers (Intel, Nvidia, etc. have drivers for win7 on their site?
 

CmdBash

Member
Evo is fine. Save the $20 (and don't buy anyway. The 250gig version is pretty regularly 130-150)

i live in australia so its pretty expensive over here. I've read through the performance reviews and I still don't really understand how much tangible performance difference between the two I can expect. There aren't any 120gb reviews for either model too.
 

kennah

Member
Tangible difference? There wouldn't be anything noticable in day to day use. Only in heavy write server stuff do the differences pop up
 

Qvoth

Member
building for my brother

thinking of getting i5-4670K on Z87 (4C/4T at 3.4 GHz) for cpu, GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost 2GB for gpu and either ASRock Fatal1ty Z87 Killer or MSI Z87-G45 Gaming for motherboard

opinions?

should i bother getting some additional cooling thing? my brother never overclocks though

shameless self bump
need more opinions

my brother only plays ffxiv and dota 2
 
What does maximum low mean? Like, everything turned as low as possible?

How's your 540m perform back when you bought it?

Yes everything on MAX LOW.

When I bought it it ran games like SC2 on medium high, it now runs things like fucking shit. I need to test SC2 not that I have fixed it.

I replaced the thermal paste myself a few months ago and the temps massively dropped and it stopped the machine from throttling.

I've never been impressed with the performance though, this piece of shit is why I want my desktop so badly.

Never ever will I buy a laptop for games again.
 

M3z_

Member
The MSI G-45 board that you referenced in your previous post is a very nice board for the money.

i3 4340 is really all you need especially since the rig you are building is midrange

"If you are building a system that is primarily for gaming, the Core i3 4340 will allow whatever video card you use to run at its full potential – there is no need to step up to a Core i5 or Core i7 CPU. The same could not be said for Ivy Bridge Core i3′s, or any AMD APU or CPU we have tested. Newer games seem to be even worse off, as Assassin’s Creed IV would only run at 60 FPS steadily with a Radeon R9 280X when either the Haswell Core i3 or Core i5 were used."

http://www.hardcoreware.net/intel-core-i3-4340-review/15/
 
So I'm trying to order a new PC. I'm not good at building one nor do I trust myself so I decided to check out this site and was wondering if someone might have some suggestions as they will be greatly appreciated.

My goal: to build a PC that can last to at least play The Witcher 3 / Cyberpunk2077 in a decent manner.

http://www.computerlx.com/config.aspx?t=&product_ID=1554

here is the one I am looking at that's around my price range. Keep in mind I'm pretty dumb when it comes to computer building.
 

kharma45

Member
So I'm trying to order a new PC. I'm not good at building one nor do I trust myself so I decided to check out this site and was wondering if someone might have some suggestions as they will be greatly appreciated.

My goal: to build a PC that can last to at least play The Witcher 3 / Cyberpunk2077 in a decent manner.

http://www.computerlx.com/config.aspx?t=&product_ID=1554

here is the one I am looking at that's around my price range. Keep in mind I'm pretty dumb when it comes to computer building.

That system would struggle with The Witcher 1 never mind 3. Wait until nearer the time as we can only guess at what it might need.

In between now and that time, look at videos and guide of building your own. It's unquestionably the best option. The Alienware X51 is a decent option though for SFF.
 
figured this was obvious but i should still ask;

im sporting an i7-2600 (no k version), that should be able to last me for a couple more years right?

and is 8 gb ram plenty for the foreseeable future
 

kennah

Member
figured this was obvious but i should still ask;

im sporting an i7-2600 (no k version), that should be able to last me for a couple more years right?

and is 8 gb ram plenty for the foreseeable future
You are losing a bit of potential performance but depending in your need you should be fine. You are the only one who can answer if it is fast enough :) upgrade when it can't do what you want it to do, never do it to future proof.

An 8gig should be fine for a while to come.
 
You are losing a bit of potential performance but depending in your need you should be fine. You are the only one who can answer if it is fast enough :) upgrade when it can't do what you want it to do, never do it to future proof.

An 8gig should be fine for a while to come.

well i'm primarily interested in upgrading my gpu since my 570 is starting to choke @ 1080p even when not cranking everything up

looking at the r290
 

KAL2006

Banned
I've managed to get a 7870 for a cheap price, I already own a PSU (650Watt) and case (with 2 high speed fans). Anyone know were I can buy a good CPU, Motherboard and RAM for cheap, a bundle would be good.

EDIT: foregot to mention, I am from the UK, so it needs to be bought from somewhere in Europe (UK more preferable)
 

kharma45

Member
I've managed to get a 7870 for a cheap price, I already own a PSU (650Watt) and case (with 2 high speed fans). Anyone know were I can buy a good CPU, Motherboard and RAM for cheap, a bundle would be good.

EDIT: foregot to mention, I am from the UK, so it needs to be bought from somewhere in Europe (UK more preferable)

What are you looking to spend?
 
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