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[RGM79]

Excellent. Thanks!.

Any similar motherboards with more SATA ports that you know of?

How many do you need? You can use PCPartPicker to filter motherboards to list only those with at least a certain number of ports.

http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/motherboard/#l=2,1000&u=1&c=100,99&sort=a8&m=7,8,18,27&K=6,10&qq=1

 

[DrForester]

How many do you need? You can use PCPartPicker to filter motherboards to list only those with at least a certain number of ports.

http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/motherboard/#l=2,1000&u=1&c=100,99&sort=a8&m=7,8,18,27&K=6,10&qq=1

I've got three regular hard drives for media, and I would like to totally wipe and reuse two, 256 SSD drives I have into alternate steam drives for games.

 

[One-Shot]

So I am going to probably sell my old PC to my dad, but he wants to take his HDD from his old PC and put it in the new without reformatting or anything. Would there be any issues with that since there are big hardware differences?

 

[Aztechnology]

So I'm caving, I can't wait for a decently priced 2560x1440 Gsync monitor to drop. I'm way past due on a monitor and there's some nice sales going on.

I need a 27"+ monitor that I'll be using primarily for gaming, graphic design/programming work and occasional video editing. I don't have a set budget but I'd prefer to keep it sub $300 unless something is exceptional as I'll probably pick up a nice Gsync monitor or go eyefinity somewhere down the line. Anyways the AOC I2757FH is what I'm currently eyeing. It's $240 USD at Best Buy.

http://us.aoc.com/monitor_displays/i2757fh

Help me get a great monitor Gaf.

Bump, anyone used AOC IPS monitors, or better yet the I2757FH in particular? I'm probably going to pick it up today if I don't hear any other recommendations.

 

[Aztechnology]

So I am going to probably sell my old PC to my dad, but he wants to take his HDD from his old PC and put it in the new without reformatting or anything. Would there be any issues with that since there are big hardware differences?

Yes windows would notice the hardware difference in the MOBO and flag it as being used in multiple computers which it really doesn't like. There are steps you can take to transfer it over, but it's almost always better to just backup the data you want to keep and do a clean install of windows.

 

[RGM79]

I've got three regular hard drives for media, and I would like to totally wipe and reuse two, 256 SSD drives I have into alternate steam drives for games.

Then something with 6 SATA ports or more will be preferable. On the lower end of the price scale, I can recommend the ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ($105 after rebate) or Extreme4 ($125 after rebate). For something a bit higher up, there is the MSI Z97-Gaming 7 for $156. A bit overkill for your needs, but it does have 8 SATA ports in case you want to expand your storage even more in the future, and it's comparable to the Asus Maximus VII Hero but on sale for a pretty good price, so it's a better deal than the $180 Asus.

So I am going to probably sell my old PC to my dad, but he wants to take his HDD from his old PC and put it in the new without reformatting or anything. Would there be any issues with that since there are big hardware differences?

You should and probably would have to reinstall Windows. As Aztechnology said, Windows may or may not become deactivated due to detecting different hardware - in that case that it is deactivated, you'll have to call Microsoft to explain the situation, and they will help you reactivate Windows. I believe a dialogue box pops up informing you that Windows is deactivated and gives you options as to what to do.

 

[One-Shot]

So the only issue would be with windows? No driver or whatever issues?

 

[Aztechnology]

So the only issue would be with windows? No driver or whatever issues?

I mean, yes, theres a plethora of other potential issues, just the chief one being windows may act as though it was installed outside of the agreement and will deactivate as a legitimate copy. As the system hardware is different there's a good chance he will have to reinstalling/replace a number of drivers anyway, so it's really not much different than just doing a clean install. Plus a clean install can give you a performance boost anyway. Until he has a dedictated SSD for OS he should probably do a clean install of windows occasionally to keep performance up anyways.

Edit: I'm assuming it's an HDD with sata connectors right? I have no idea how old his computer is when you say old lol.

 

[Cathcart]

Alright, bros, it's been 4 years since a major overhaul of my gaming PC. I picked up a nice 4k TV last year and now I wanna be able to show it off with some MGS V action. I want that game to run at high resolution and look good. Like, good. Otherwise, this whole thing is a waste of time So what do I need to max that out with a good framerate? I actually don't know what's considered a good framerate for that game and resolution, though. 60 I guess?

Wouldn't be surprised if you told me to scrap most of this and start over, but here's what I've got:

CPU Intel Core i7 Processor i7-930 2.80GHz
RAM 12G of whatever Crucial told me to buy
Motherboard Gigabyte LGA1366 SATA3 GA-X58A-UD3R
GPU SAPPHIRE 100281VX2SR Radeon HD 5870 Vapor-X Edition 11161-03-50R 1GB GDDR5
PSU 100346 - OCZ PowerStream ATX 2.01/EPS SLI Read
Case Cooler Master Praetorian 730 Alum (no need to replace unless it just won't fit the new stuff, but it's pretty big and I'm ok with that.
HDD Intel 2.5-Inch 160 GB X25-M Mainstream SATA II MLC Solid State Drive
Budget USA, could spend 2k now, if need be could wait a bit and spend more
Main Use: Gaming only, lotta GW2 and LoL but really wanna see MGSV in 4k
When will you build?: Do you have a deadline? Could wait a few months, not in a super hurry. Basically as long as I have enough time to play Ground Zeroes before Phantom Pain comes out. Whenever that is.
Will you be overclocking? Never done that before. If necessary I'd consider it.

Appreciate any suggestions.

 

[Nostremitus]

Alright, bros, it's been 4 years since a major overhaul of my gaming PC. I picked up a nice 4k TV last year and now I wanna be able to show it off with some MGS V action. I want that game to run at high resolution and look good. Like, good. Otherwise, this whole thing is a waste of time So what do I need to max that out with a good framerate? I actually don't know what's considered a good framerate for that game and resolution, though. 60 I guess?

Wouldn't be surprised if you told me to scrap most of this and start over, but here's what I've got:

CPU Intel Core i7 Processor i7-930 2.80GHz
RAM 12G of whatever Crucial told me to buy
Motherboard Gigabyte LGA1366 SATA3 GA-X58A-UD3R
GPU SAPPHIRE 100281VX2SR Radeon HD 5870 Vapor-X Edition 11161-03-50R 1GB GDDR5
PSU 100346 - OCZ PowerStream ATX 2.01/EPS SLI Read
Case Cooler Master Praetorian 730 Alum (no need to replace unless it just won't fit the new stuff, but it's pretty big and I'm ok with that.
HDD Intel 2.5-Inch 160 GB X25-M Mainstream SATA II MLC Solid State Drive
Budget USA, could spend 2k now, if need be could wait a bit and spend more
Main Use: Gaming only, lotta GW2 and LoL but really wanna see MGSV in 4k
When will you build?: Do you have a deadline? Could wait a few months, not in a super hurry. Basically as long as I have enough time to play Ground Zeroes before Phantom Pain comes out. Whenever that is.
Will you be overclocking? Never done that before. If necessary I'd consider it.

Appreciate any suggestions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq-zqQiY-OA

 

[Skyfireblaze]

I'm sorry for Crossposting this here too but I would like to order a new Headset for my PC tomorrow and need a bit of advice. Neither the Headphones thread nor making a new one gave me any responses so far Would there be good alternatives to the Func HS-260 for me?

I wanted to ask everyone here for some suggestions as my Tritton Kunai headset broke in half two months ago and now after Christmas expenses I finally can replace it. My budget moves between 70-80€ at most, I know I won't be able to reach any amazing quality with it but to be honest after coming from a Creative Fatal1ty Pro Series HS-800 the sound-quality of the Tritton Kunai already blew me away so I guess I'm easily pleased in that department. I just want something with the same quality and bass of the Kunai atleast

Another thing about the Kunai I liked was the fact that it worked with a USB soundcard and the headset itself had a single 3.5mm connector for both the headphones and microphone combined which meant that I could easily use it for my 3DS, Vita or even my phone whenever I am at my desk and got a incoming call. Something like that would be great again but not 100% necessarily. As far as usage goes I would primarily use it for listening to music, Skype and playing League of Legends and Battlefield 4 on a somewhat daily basis.

Honestly I wouldn't even mind getting another Tritton Kunai since aside from it breaking apart I was happy with it but seeing that its price rose for whatever reason I thought I might aswell ask for suggestions here to not waste my money. I already looked around Amazon and saw plenty of 5.1/7.1 headsets and even wireless headsets scraping my price-class but seemingly every decent headset has about 20 1-Star reviews full of complaints that the plastic will eventually break to pieces anywhere between 6-24 months after purchase like with my Kunai so I'm unsure :/

Some notable headsets that piqued my interest (these all have "breaks fast" complaints too):

• Logitech G430
• Plantronics GameCom 780
• Plantronics GameCom 788 USB
• Speedlink Medusa 5.1 (half of the buyers say it's absolute crap, others say the build-quality is great so I'm conflicted here )

I also considered the Sony Playstation headsets as I heard they are quite great for PC usage too but I'm not sure I want to make the jump to wireless, if, the battery should atleast last me 5h a day minimum as I listen to everything via my headset after nightfall to not wake people up

Thanks for any help and suggestions in advance, I'm seriously not that knowledgeable about audio in general and appreciate every advice

And just a short TL;DR:

• Budget around 70-80€
• Atleast the audio quality and bass like a Tritton Kunai
• Daily usage for music (256-320kb/s MP3's not FLAC), Skype, League of Legends, ocassional BF4

Bonus-points:

• USB/3.5mm connector combo for use with 3DS/Vita/phone
• 5.1/7.1 shenanigans
• Wireless? (5h of daily usage minimum)

Oh and I'm in Europe so any US-deals won't apply for me

 

[knitoe]

Alright, bros, it's been 4 years since a major overhaul of my gaming PC. I picked up a nice 4k TV last year and now I wanna be able to show it off with some MGS V action. I want that game to run at high resolution and look good. Like, good. Otherwise, this whole thing is a waste of time So what do I need to max that out with a good framerate? I actually don't know what's considered a good framerate for that game and resolution, though. 60 I guess?

Wouldn't be surprised if you told me to scrap most of this and start over, but here's what I've got:

CPU Intel Core i7 Processor i7-930 2.80GHz
RAM 12G of whatever Crucial told me to buy
Motherboard Gigabyte LGA1366 SATA3 GA-X58A-UD3R
GPU SAPPHIRE 100281VX2SR Radeon HD 5870 Vapor-X Edition 11161-03-50R 1GB GDDR5
PSU 100346 - OCZ PowerStream ATX 2.01/EPS SLI Read
Case Cooler Master Praetorian 730 Alum (no need to replace unless it just won't fit the new stuff, but it's pretty big and I'm ok with that.
HDD Intel 2.5-Inch 160 GB X25-M Mainstream SATA II MLC Solid State Drive
Budget USA, could spend 2k now, if need be could wait a bit and spend more
Main Use: Gaming only, lotta GW2 and LoL but really wanna see MGSV in 4k
When will you build?: Do you have a deadline? Could wait a few months, not in a super hurry. Basically as long as I have enough time to play Ground Zeroes before Phantom Pain comes out. Whenever that is.
Will you be overclocking? Never done that before. If necessary I'd consider it.

Appreciate any suggestions.

For 4K@60fps, you are looking at least SLI 970. Look at the OP enthusiast build. Only thing you can reuse is SSD and case.

 

[Flandy]

Does the quality of thermal paste vary a lot? I'd like to buy some since the one that came with my CPU cooler was already pre applied and as a result it doesn't really look spread out well.

 

[One-Shot]

I mean, yes, theres a plethora of other potential issues, just the chief one being windows may act as though it was installed outside of the agreement and will deactivate as a legitimate copy. As the system hardware is different there's a good chance he will have to reinstalling/replace a number of drivers anyway, so it's really not much different than just doing a clean install. Plus a clean install can give you a performance boost anyway. Until he has a dedictated SSD for OS he should probably do a clean install of windows occasionally to keep performance up anyways.

Edit: I'm assuming it's an HDD with sata connectors right? I have no idea how old his computer is when you say old lol.

lol yeah not that old, just my last gaming pc.

 

[Aztechnology]

Alright, bros, it's been 4 years since a major overhaul of my gaming PC. I picked up a nice 4k TV last year and now I wanna be able to show it off with some MGS V action. I want that game to run at high resolution and look good. Like, good. Otherwise, this whole thing is a waste of time So what do I need to max that out with a good framerate? I actually don't know what's considered a good framerate for that game and resolution, though. 60 I guess?

Wouldn't be surprised if you told me to scrap most of this and start over, but here's what I've got:

CPU Intel Core i7 Processor i7-930 2.80GHz
RAM 12G of whatever Crucial told me to buy
Motherboard Gigabyte LGA1366 SATA3 GA-X58A-UD3R
GPU SAPPHIRE 100281VX2SR Radeon HD 5870 Vapor-X Edition 11161-03-50R 1GB GDDR5
PSU 100346 - OCZ PowerStream ATX 2.01/EPS SLI Read
Case Cooler Master Praetorian 730 Alum (no need to replace unless it just won't fit the new stuff, but it's pretty big and I'm ok with that.
HDD Intel 2.5-Inch 160 GB X25-M Mainstream SATA II MLC Solid State Drive
Budget USA, could spend 2k now, if need be could wait a bit and spend more
Main Use: Gaming only, lotta GW2 and LoL but really wanna see MGSV in 4k
When will you build?: Do you have a deadline? Could wait a few months, not in a super hurry. Basically as long as I have enough time to play Ground Zeroes before Phantom Pain comes out. Whenever that is.
Will you be overclocking? Never done that before. If necessary I'd consider it.

Appreciate any suggestions.

Out of curiosity what 4k TV did you buy? I'm only asking because you may be playing 4k games at 24 frames if the TV doesn't support display port or dual HDMI bandwidth in channels.

 

[ricki42]

Does the quality of thermal paste vary a lot? I'd like to buy some since the one that came with my CPU cooler was already pre applied and as a result it doesn't really look spread out well.

Differences mostly aren't huge, check this and this comparison. (And this one if you can't decide whether to use mustard or mayonnaise...)

 

[Aztechnology]

Checked out that AOC I2757FH at my local best buy. It didn't look very good and the bezel may be thin, but that's because they don't include the black border that's also under the glass panel, so it's a big fat lie covered up by glamour photo shots. Seriously misleading marketing. I think I may go with a 24" monitor anyway.

 

[Flandy]

So I moved my PC to my living room TV to see if it would still flicker to black randomly just like it did in my room. To my surprise the flashes seem to have stopped. My other TV is pretty old so I wonder if it has issues interpreting the signal it receives or something. Still find it weird that it worked fine in game though and not on the desktop

Differences mostly aren't huge, check this and this comparison. (And this one if you can't decide whether to use mustard or mayonnaise...)

Thanks

 

[zoozilla]

Components I have:

Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0
CPU: AMD FX-6350 Black Edition
Power Supply: Corsair CX600 600W Modular
Case: Corsair R200

How I plan to complete the build:

Graphics Card: Sapphire Dual-X R9 270
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8 GB DDR3 1333 (F3-10666CL9D-8GBXL)
Hard Drive: WD Blue 1 TB

There are cheaper versions of the R9 270, but Sapphire seems popular here and I'm not sure if I can trust the other brands. Does this look okay? I basically want a machine that can run Dragon Age: Inquisition at medium-high settings (I don't expect to be able to have everything at max settings).

If I have no interest in overclocking, will the stock cooler for the FX-6350 be okay?

 

[RGM79]

Components I have:

Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0
CPU: AMD FX-6350 Black Edition
Power Supply: Corsair CX600 600W Modular
Case: Corsair R200

How I plan to complete the build:

Graphics Card: Sapphire Dual-X R9 270
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8 GB DDR3 1600
Hard Drive: WD Blue 1 TB

There are cheaper versions of the R9 270, but Sapphire seems popular here and I'm not sure if I can trust the other brands. Does this look okay? I basically want a machine that can run Dragon Age: Inquisition at medium-high settings (I don't expect to be able to have everything at max settings).

If I have no interest in overclocking, will the stock cooler for the FX-6350 be okay?

What's your budget? Where are you buying? The stock cooler will do, but even if you're not overclocking, a $25 cooler will still be much better for cooling your CPU and be quieter.

 

[zoozilla]

What's your budget? Where are you buying? The stock cooler will do, but even if you're not overclocking, a $25 cooler will still be much better for cooling your CPU and be quieter.

I'm in the US, and I probably don't want to spend much more than $300 for the graphics card, memory, and hard drive. The other components I got as Christmas gifts, so those won't change.

Looks like the Hyper 212 Plus is a good option as far as coolers go, I'll probably stretch to get that.

As far as RAM goes, I chose something based on what was on the motherboard's Qualified Vendors List, which was pretty small. Not sure if it's the best value or anything.

 

[RGM79]

I'm in the US, and I probably don't want to spend much more than $300 for the graphics card, memory, and hard drive. The other components I got as Christmas gifts, so those won't change.

Looks like the Hyper 212 Plus is a good option as far as coolers go, I'll probably stretch to get that.

As far as RAM goes, I chose something based on what was on the motherboard's Qualified Vendors List, which was pretty small. Not sure if it's the best value or anything.

Here's a list of parts I can recommend you.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.75 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: HIS Radeon R9 270 2GB IceQ X² Video Card ($111.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $318.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-26 23:52 EST-0500

Generally all DDR3 RAM will be compatible, there's not that concerning a need to get something on the qualified list. There's a lot of different RAM brands and kits, and the motherboard manufacturers rarely bother updating RAM compatibility lists. The QVL is more of a general guideline, but I'll admit that sometimes RAM compatibility can be an unexpected problem, however generally it's safe to get just about any RAM as long as it's not an unknown brand.

The HIS R9 270 got a good review by TweakTown. If it fit in your budget I'd recommend the R9 270X instead, but the cheapest model right now is $145 for the Gigabyte Windforce R9 270X. They've dropped to ~$130 in the past.

 

[Nostremitus]

I give up...

Cable management in an Elite 130 is a pain in the ass.

 

[Shining Sunshine]

Need some keyboard advice. Some criterias:

- Not 10-keyless. I want my numpad.
- No colour. I keep shutting it off on my old Logitech G15, so no colour would be good, but I can deal with shutting it off.
- No heavy ram usage software. My current keyboard used to eat up a ton of memory. I really don't need to spend money on something I don't use.
- MX-Cherry Red
- Wired
- In summary, as basic as possible, but well built.

Everyone recommends the current hot K70 RGB or the Vengeance with a single colour, but I'm not too sure about it because everyone likes the colour stuff. I'm not into that, and I heard the software is terrible and buggy.

I've heard about Metadot Das and Ducky as well, but just wanted to see what advice can be provided here.

 

[Cathcart]

Out of curiosity what 4k TV did you buy? I'm only asking because you may be playing 4k games at 24 frames if the TV doesn't support display port or dual HDMI bandwidth in channels.

That's a good question. I'm not sure of the model number, just that it's an LG. I'll have to look into it before buying anything. Thanks.

 

[espher]

Sitting with this in my cart atm:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.99 @ NCIX)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 93.3 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($79.08 @ NCIX)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($209.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($186.42 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($129.92 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.77 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($395.48 @ NCIX)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($84.73 @ Canada Computers)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($115.54 @ NCIX)
Monitor: BenQ XL2411Z 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($303.97 @ Canada Computers)
Total: $1871.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-27 00:59 EST-0500

I know there are a few parts I could do cheaper (cooler/motherboard/case), but a friend of mine bought those pieces and put them together and I really liked all the pieces -- the motherboard is the one I guess I'd be open to changing, if anything. I'm just checking in mainly to make sure I didn't forget anything or I'm not overlooking any compatibility issues. I unfortunately have nothing I can salvage from my current rig except a DVD drive and a monitor (which I will use as a secondary display).

I'm also not 100% sure I have the full budget right now, so if I was looking to buy pieces, I'm wondering if there's any indication that I should expect a price drop on any of the pieces in the next four months or so. I'm figuring the monitor, CPU cooler, and video card are things I should look at grabbing now at those prices, while I can take my chances on the rest (the 4690K has seemingly been bundled w/ this motherboard for the last eleventy billion years at NCIX), but I'm so out of touch with what's going on that I have no idea what to expect (and the hour I spent trying to do research today was of no use).

Edit: Oh, and if I'm looking for occasional wifi, should I just get a USB dongle, or try to add a wireless card? This thing will be at my desk w/ a wired connection but I may occasionally want to move it into the living room and I don't have a good route for a cable there, unfortunately.

 

[Exploratory]

Hello all I have a question. I plan on purchasing a gaming/video editing PC very soon. I was wondering would it be possible to use a Chromebook in tandem with it and stream from desktop to it? Like video editing or on my desktop at home while using my Chromebook from the office or in the basement at home?

Also if not a Chromebook what about something like the HP Stream?

 

[SpaceShark]

Anyone got a recommendation for some decent 2.0 or 2.1 PC speakers on the cheaper end? I've recently rearranged my study so now my son and I will be able to comfy couch game on the PC, but I now need more than just my headphones.

It's a small room, and it's only so we can hear the sound effects in Lego Batman, so they don't have to be particularly loud or good, but I'd rather not have something tinny or boomy if I can help it.

I'd also like something where I can plug my headphones into a speaker when I'm playing solo, so I can avoid switching the plug at the back of the PC.

Budget is up to AUD$100, but I'd rather keep it to around AUD$50 if I can.

Thanks GAF.

 

[RGM79]

Sitting with this in my cart atm:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.99 @ NCIX)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 93.3 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($79.08 @ NCIX)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($209.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($186.42 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($129.92 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.77 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($395.48 @ NCIX)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($84.73 @ Canada Computers)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($115.54 @ NCIX)
Monitor: BenQ XL2411Z 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($303.97 @ Canada Computers)
Total: $1871.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-27 00:59 EST-0500

I know there are a few parts I could do cheaper (cooler/motherboard/case), but a friend of mine bought those pieces and put them together and I really liked all the pieces -- the motherboard is the one I guess I'd be open to changing, if anything. I'm just checking in mainly to make sure I didn't forget anything or I'm not overlooking any compatibility issues. I unfortunately have nothing I can salvage from my current rig except a DVD drive and a monitor (which I will use as a secondary display).

I'm also not 100% sure I have the full budget right now, so if I was looking to buy pieces, I'm wondering if there's any indication that I should expect a price drop on any of the pieces in the next four months or so. I'm figuring the monitor, CPU cooler, and video card are things I should look at grabbing now at those prices, while I can take my chances on the rest (the 4690K has seemingly been bundled w/ this motherboard for the last eleventy billion years at NCIX), but I'm so out of touch with what's going on that I have no idea what to expect (and the hour I spent trying to do research today was of no use).

Edit: Oh, and if I'm looking for occasional wifi, should I just get a USB dongle, or try to add a wireless card? This thing will be at my desk w/ a wired connection but I may occasionally want to move it into the living room and I don't have a good route for a cable there, unfortunately.

There's a few parts you can save money on, for example the Asus motherboard is overkill. The slightly less capable but much more cost effective Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H-BK is available for a great price right now. The pricing you have for most of the items in your list seem to be outdated or just expensive. If you were to buy the parts in my list now, you would save over $300.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.98 @ DirectCanada)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 93.3 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ NCIX)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($164.98 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($114.98 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Canada Computers)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($404.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ Canada Computers)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Memory Express)
Monitor: BenQ XL2411Z 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($269.00 @ Canada Computers)
Total: $1568.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-27 01:42 EST-0500

Ideally you could pricematch most if not all parts via NCIX or Memory Express to have it all come from one retailer, but I don't know if they allow pricematching during these holiday sales.

As for wireless connectivity, there's this high end Gigabyte PCI-E adaptor for $35, wireless N/AC, bluetooth, and a good wired antenna for best reception. For something cheaper but still decent, you can get this refurbished Linksys wireless N adaptor for $20.

Well, what is your current budget at the moment? Parts like the GTX 970 won't change price soon, but I'd recommend buying the power supply and motherboard as those are at good prices and discounts right now.

 

[zoozilla]

Here's a list of parts I can recommend you.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.75 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: HIS Radeon R9 270 2GB IceQ X² Video Card ($111.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $318.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-26 23:52 EST-0500

Generally all DDR3 RAM will be compatible, there's not that concerning a need to get something on the qualified list. There's a lot of different RAM brands and kits, and the motherboard manufacturers rarely bother updating RAM compatibility lists. The QVL is more of a general guideline, but I'll admit that sometimes RAM compatibility can be an unexpected problem, however generally it's safe to get just about any RAM as long as it's not an unknown brand.

The HIS R9 270 got a good review by TweakTown. If it fit in your budget I'd recommend the R9 270X instead, but the cheapest model right now is $145 for the Gigabyte Windforce R9 270X. They've dropped to ~$130 in the past.

Thanks, this looks good. The HIS card and the Hyper 212 seem to be out of stock, but looking at prices for R9 270X cards has made me seriously consider going with that instead.

If I forgo the aftermarket cooler I could probably spring for the 270x - I might do that.

 

[RGM79]

Thanks, this looks good. The HIS card and the Hyper 212 seem to be out of stock, but looking at prices for R9 270X cards has made me seriously consider going with that instead.

If I forgo the aftermarket cooler I could probably spring for the 270x - I might do that.

Sorry, I sometimes check for stock but I forgot to. I'm a bit busy at the moment and I'll find alternative parts later.

 

[McBryBry]

Ordered my MSI 970, 128GB MX100 and Asus monitor today. That's everything! What has been a six month long project (I think) is finally coming together, and I really wanna thank everyone in this thread. I haven't posted a lot, or been able to really help others with issues, but I would still be completely lost without this thread and you guys. So thank you.

I'll have pictures and whatnot up on probably New Years Eve, as that's when everything should come in. Until then!

 

[Random17]

In the menus, the FPS is very high due to the fact that I don't use VSYNC. I know that it is straining on the graphics card; but how much so?

1. Does it negatively affect it in the long term by any significant amount?
2. In general is it a good idea to keep VSYNC off?

750ti SC here with i5 3470, 8 GB RAM.

 

[RGM79]

In the menus, the FPS is very high due to the fact that I don't use VSYNC. I know that it is straining on the graphics card; but how much so?

1. Does it negatively affect it in the long term by any significant amount?
2. In general is it a good idea to keep VSYNC off?

750ti SC here with i5 3470, 8 GB RAM.

The only stress that could really amount to is overheating the graphics card, which is unlikely. You can get high framerates in menu because it's easy for the graphics card to run it that well - usually menus are mostly static with little animation. Unless your graphics card is running excessively hot (I'd say 70 degrees Celsius or higher), you don't have anything to worry about.

Vsync is purely subjective, it won't damage your graphics card. Use it as you like to keep framerate up or to reduce screen tearing.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

I'm sorry for Crossposting this here too but I would like to order a new Headset for my PC tomorrow and need a bit of advice. Neither the Headphones thread nor making a new one gave me any responses so far Would there be good alternatives to the Func HS-260 for me?

well the func are the recommended in the OP under your budget and Linus seems to like it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQcx8A5treY, they are $60 in newegg. But I was going to buy them but at the end i decided for the Creative Aurvana Live! combined with the mic that cane with my sound card. If you can get a set of brand headphones for the same price of a gaming headset they are probably of better quality. You will have to add the mic.

 

[cyen]

Just finished my 2015 build (well almost, still debating if i should get a 970 now or wait for GM200\390X).

Only reused the PSU from my previous build.

CPU: 5820K
MB: Asus X99-A
RAM: 16GB Gskill DDR4 2400
CASE: NZXT H440
HDD: MX100 + 1TB HDD
PSU: Corsair RM1000
COOLING: Corsair H105

And last, but not least, my punny 5450 1GB DDR3, this one steals the show for sure.

Anyways, this build is primarly to run vm´s and of course to play some games (at the moment not possbile unfortunably).

Atm im just testing the cpu@4.2, not a good clocker this 5820k, since it requires 1.26V just for 4.2 so im leaving it like that.

Also this DDR4 thing is terrible expensive for the performance we get, very high latency probably due to the high timmings (CAS15)

Sorry for the low quality pic:

 

[OrlanisWorks]

Well fuck my ass, I need a new power supply because my current one doesn't have the proper connectors for the R9 280x. I got $25 amazon credit and ready to spend an additional $50 or so if I must to get a compatible psu. I've spotted a couple potentials but would love some PCGAF input.

This would finish up my new computer and would set me up for six to ten years.

E; apologies for my language. I was a bit upset.

 

[LilJoka]

Well fuck my ass, I need a new power supply because my current one doesn't have the proper connectors for the R9 280x. I got $25 amazon credit and ready to spend an additional $50 or so if I must to get a compatible psu. I've spotted a couple potentials but would love some PCGAF input.

This would finish up my new computer and would set me up for six to ten years.

What PSU have you got?
There's always molex to PCIE adapters. Usually come with the GPU.

 

[Aztechnology]

Well fuck my ass, I need a new power supply because my current one doesn't have the proper connectors for the R9 280x. I got $25 amazon credit and ready to spend an additional $50 or so if I must to get a compatible psu. I've spotted a couple potentials but would love some PCGAF input.

This would finish up my new computer and would set me up for six to ten years.

What's the issue with your PSU connectors you have 8's and it needs 6's or Visa versa? If that's the case you can just get adapters.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Fallout New Vegas keeps randomly dipping from 60fps to the low 40s. No matter the graphic setting

750ti SC with beta drivers
Intel i5 4460 3.2 Ghz
8 GB of ram

Skyrim however is fine

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Antone ever install an M.2 SSD onto their x99 MB? Looking for advive on making it a bootable drive.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Just finished my 2015 build (well almost, still debating if i should get a 970 now or wait for GM200390X).

Only reused the PSU from my previous build.

CPU: 5820K
MB: Asus X99-A
RAM: 16GB Gskill DDR4 2400
CASE: NZXT H440
HDD: MX100 + 1TB HDD
PSU: Corsair RM1000
COOLING: Corsair H105

And last, but not least, my punny 5450 1GB DDR3, this one steals the show for sure.

Anyways, this build is primarly to run vm´s and of course to play some games (at the moment not possbile unfortunably).

Atm im just testing the cpu@4.2, not a good clocker this 5820k, since it requires 1.26V just for 4.2 so im leaving it like that.

Also this DDR4 thing is terrible expensive for the performance we get, very high latency probably due to the high timmings (CAS15)

Sorry for the low quality pic:

Dog looks good. The voltage isn't absolute dog for that CPU and be aware that the 5820 doesn't clock as well as the other 2 Haswell-E CPU's. You got a great rig.

As far as DDR4, Im currently researching manual timings so I'm ready to tighten things up when I get my rig together.

Well fuck my ass

Good morning sunshine!

 

[RGM79]

Well fuck my ass, I need a new power supply because my current one doesn't have the proper connectors for the R9 280x. I got $25 amazon credit and ready to spend an additional $50 or so if I must to get a compatible psu. I've spotted a couple potentials but would love some PCGAF input.

This would finish up my new computer and would set me up for six to ten years.

If you can tell us the power supply model and it turns out to have sufficient wattage and amperage on the 12V rails, LilJoka and Aztechnology are right, molex adaptors could work and that would be the cheapest solution. Otherwise, I can recommend some new power supplies to fit your budget. A single R9 280X will run on a PSU rated for 550-600 watts and 30-35 amps on the 12V rail. You'll need to look at better power supplies if you ever want to go with twin graphics cards or intend to reuse this power supply in the future.

EVGA 600B for $20 after rebate at NCIXUS (cheap yet decent) | review
Corsair CX750 for $72 at Amazon | review (translation and poor formatting, to keep it short it was very good and scored 8.3/10)
Seasonic SSR-650RM for $85 at Amazon (high end gold rated semi-modular) | review
XFX Core Edition Pro 850W for $108 at Amazon (high capacity but bronze rated and non-modular) | review

 

[RGM79]

Fallout New Vegas keeps randomly dipping from 60fps to the low 40s. No matter the graphic setting

750ti SC with beta drivers
Intel i5 4460 3.2 Ghz
8 GB of ram

Skyrim however is fine

The GTX 750 Ti should be able to handle New Vegas very well. Is it getting 40 frames during action? Is the card running hot? What are NV and Skyrim load temperatures like?

 

[Rebel Leader]

The GTX 750 Ti should be able to handle New Vegas very well. Is it getting 40 frames during action? Is the card running hot? What are NV and Skyrim load temperatures like?

Nope. No action

I'm in the beginning of the game.

I'll check the temps in a moment after some tf2 games

 

[cyen]

Dog looks good. The voltage isn't absolute dog for that CPU and be aware that the 5820 doesn't clock as well as the other 2 Haswell-E CPU's. You got a great rig.

As far as DDR4, Im currently researching manual timings so I'm ready to tighten things up when I get my rig together.

I´m aware of that, but it seems that almost everyone at overclock.net have a 5820k better than mine (don´t know if most of them are stable for 24/7, probably not).

That´s my next step, after confirming that im really stable at 4.2, will try to tighten the timmings, but since this is a lower grade RAM im lucky if i can get 13-13-13 at 1.35v.

Currently testing uncore at 4.0 to see if the OC socket from asus is more than just a gimmick, since overclocking the cache beyond 3.8\3.9 is a no go on "normal" socket from what i gathered.

 

[Rebel Leader]

The GTX 750 Ti should be able to handle New Vegas very well. Is it getting 40 frames during action? Is the card running hot? What are NV and Skyrim load temperatures like?

I'm walking around inside the Saloon in the beginning of the game. So, there's no action.

Ultra, high, med

HWinfo shows (using the maximum lane)

Graphics card at 32*c
CPU package at 48*c


Gonna do skyrim now

Skyrim ultra (constant 60fp with a 5-8fps drop when it does slowmo)
Fought wolves and a troll while climbing the mountain to the grey beards


Graphics card at 45*c
CPU package at 52*c

 

[RGM79]

I'm walking around inside the Saloon in the beginning of the game. So, there's no action.

Ultra, high, med

HWinfo shows (using the maximum lane)

Graphics card at 32*c
CPU package at 48*c


Gonna do skyrim now

Skyrim ultra (constant 60fp with a 5-8fps drop when it does slowmo)
Fought wolves and a troll while climbing the mountain to the grey beards


Graphics card at 45*c
CPU package at 52*c

Sorry, can I get the complete system specs? Should have asked for that in the beginning. Temperatures are excellent, very low, so it's not overheating.

There's a better method for measuring in-game performance. MSI Afterburner comes with Rivatuner option for in-game statistics overlay. Follow this guide to see how to set it up, you'll have information like GPU usage and clock speed so maybe you can see if the GPU is being underutilized for some reason. I don't have a GTX 750 Ti myself, but I see reports that you should be able to max out the game and have a consistent framerate of 50+.. only one report of 30FPS and that was because of the strain of recording game video at the same time as gameplay.

 

[Thorgal]

IT.. it is ...... Beautiful !

 

[Qblivion]

Would an FX-8350 be worth the extra $25 over an FX-8320? The only difference I see is .5 more ghz.