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[RGM79]

Hi guys, need some help.

The next component I'm focusing on is a PSU for a Intel Core i7-5820K, 2GB R9 270x build.

I need to save some cash so I am thinking of going for a good 650W PSU, I take it this should be sufficient?

And can anyone point me to any recommended PSUs that are at least 650W but not more expensive than £80?

The one I'm looking at is the SuperFlower Leadex GOLD 650W, which has a good review on Bit-Tech.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/psus/2014/06/20/550w-650w-psu-roundup/10

I can recommend the following. All are excellent units that are a bit cheaper than the Super Flower Leadex Gold 650 watt PSU you were looking at.

Non-modular:
Antec TruePower Classic 650 watts gold rated non-modular for £60 - This is manufactured by Seasonic, which is an excellent brand right up there with Super Flower. See below for review.
Antec TruePower Classic 750 watts gold rated non-modular for £73 - Same as above, just at 750 watts. Jonny Guru reviewed it very favorably.


Modular:
Corsair CS650M 650 watt gold rated semi-modular for £70 - A bit more expensive for semi-modular cabling, but it's a very good unit. PCPer reviewed it well, saying the only drawback was the 3 year warranty.
EVGA Supernova G2 750 watt gold rated fully modular for £83 - A little bit out of your price range, but if you want high quality gold efficiency and fully modular cabling, this is the one to get. Johnny Guru gave it one of the highest possible scores he's ever given for power supply reviews.

Hey there, I'm trying to build something decent for gaming that will last a few years and since I didn't do this for ages, I feel like a noob. Anyway, so far, here's what I have in mind (pcpartlist) after using the recommendations in the OP and checking what's reasonably available in my country (France).
Breakdown of the main stuff :
OS : Windows 7
Case : Corsair Carbide (closest thing to what I plan)
PSU : Antec HCG - 620W
Heatsink : Thermalright MACHO 120 Rev.A
CPU : Intel Core i5 4690K
Motherboard : Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H
RAM : Corsair VENGEANCE 2 x 4 Go DDR3 1600 MHz (closest thing)
Video Card : Radeon R9 270X DC2 Top - 4 Go
Sound Card : Xonar DGX

A few questions :
1) I'm still not sure if there's some compatibility issue I'm not aware of.
2) Is there some room for improvement without changing the price too much ?
2.5) Would it be worth it to invest more ? Good value for money ?
3) Will it be silent ? If not, what option do I have to improve that ?

Also, if it's not asking too much, I wonder if I can upgrade the video card of my old PC for cheap (going to give it, would be cool if I can make it slightly better).
Video Card : ATI Radeon HD 5770
CPU : AMD Phenom II X4 955 (3.2 GHz)
Motherboard : ASUSTeK Computer INC. M4A79XTD EVO Rev X.0X
RAM : G.Skill DDR3 2x4go (667 MHz - PC3-10700)

Thanks.

1. Compatibility issues are fine.

2. What retailer will you be buying from in France? I can recommend that you drop the sound card unless you need it for a specific reason. The motherboard's onboard sound is more than enough for most people.

2.5. I have no idea how much those parts would cost in France, so it's hard to say how much value you're getting. In the US, those parts would be very overpriced, but you won't be paying those prices in France, at the very least.

3. You can go for a sound absorbing case, if you like.

4. The 5770 was a midrange card 5 years ago. For replacements at what may be a decent price, I recommend the R9 270X which beats the 5770 into the ground in every way, which you are also considering for your new PC. In the US the cost of that card is very good, I don't know about French pricing.

Thanks guys. It does seem that i5 is good for gaming, does it matter that some CPU's have some Intel HD graphics included? What's that about?

Also, I am guessing I will need an Intel motherboard for the i5, that's the main difference between mobo's?

ASRock, Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, and a few other manufacturers make motherboards for Intel processors.

 

[NoRéN]

RAM for sale if anyone is interested. I've sold stuff here before as well including to PC-thread posters.


G.SKILL Ares Series 2x4GB DDR3 RAM
DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
Timing 9-9-9
Cas Latency 9
Voltage 1.5V

Sticks are already back in their original packaging.
$50 shipped.

PM me if interested.

 

[Dragon1893]

So, will I have issues adding a 4 gb stick to two 2 gb sticks if they're the same brand/speed/voltage?

RAM for sale if anyone is interested. I've sold stuff here before as well including to PC-thread posters.


G.SKILL Ares Series 2x4GB DDR3 RAM
DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
Timing 9-9-9
Cas Latency 9
Voltage 1.5V

Sticks are already back in their original packaging.
$50 shipped.

PM me if interested.

Shipped to Europe?

Spoiler

 

[THE:MILKMAN]

So my neighbour has asked me to ask what the best he can get for £600.

He needs the lot:

Case
PSU
GPU
MOBO
RAM
DVD drive
Windows (from Reddit, I guess)
HDD

Mainly plays WoW and the odd FPS and just wants the best bang for buck. I believe it will be connected to a 42" LCD 1080P TV.

Cheers.

 

[Divius]

Woo, ordered my new pc components. Stuck with what I selected in my previous post, except I switched to a 256GB SSD and a 3TB HDD instead of 128gb/2tb. Also got a BitFenix Shinobi case instead of the silverstone. I'm excited!

 

[RGM79]

I'm looking to put together a budget streaming/recording PC. I'd gotten some help from R/buildapcforme but it seems my post got buried too far down to get any more attention. Here's what I'm looking at right now. I was trying to keep the budget in the 500-600-ish range. Also it needs to be transportable.

Since i'd be dealing with video on the thing I figured I'd stretch to get an i5 instead of the i3 that was originally suggested. Feel free to let me know any suggestions you have.

Here's my recommended build for you. I was able to get a better processor, motherboard, RAM, graphics card, and power supply all around. The case is Cooler Master which is higher quality than Apex and mITX size which should be smaller than the mATX case you had, although it has no carrying handle.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($185.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB FTW ACX Video Card ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $603.68
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-09 19:31 EST-0500

You can get Windows 8.1 for $20 or so from reddit's microsoftsoftwareswap. They are fully functional unique keys being resold from university programs like dreamspark and technet.

OUTCOME BUILD
NEW CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
reused MEM: 4 DDR3 2048 MBytes (8GB Total)
NEW MOBO: MSI Z97S SLI Plus ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
W/ NZXT Respire T40 68.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
reused GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780
reused PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower GOLD 750W
reused HDD: 1TB WD Black
NEW CASE: S340 black&blue
reused OS: Microsoft Windows 7
Total cost: $425

This is to resolve the bottleneck I am experiencing with games like Arma3.
as this build also preps my build for SLI for whenever I choose to add another card!
See something wrong, something I messed up on or did not plan for?

please do share input!

We both know your current CPU is holding you back. The GTX 780 should be enough for at least 50FPS on high settings assuming the CPU isn't bottlenecking the performance.

Your parts look fine, nothing wrong with compatibility or anything. I'd recommend the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo cooler for under $30 instead. It costs a bit more than the NZXT cooler you chose, but it is a proven and popular model able to handle moderate overclocking. Techpowerup and Frostytech's testing indicates that it's not as good as the 212 Evo when it comes to load temperatures, and Tweaktown didn't really like it, saying it was only better than using the stock Intel cooler.

 

[Strazyplus]

Your parts look fine, nothing wrong with compatibility or anything. I'd recommend the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo cooler for under $30 instead. It costs a bit more than the NZXT cooler you chose, but it is a proven and popular model able to handle moderate overclocking. Techpowerup and Frostytech's testing indicates that it's not as good as the 212 Evo when it comes to load temperatures, and Tweaktown didn't really like it, saying it was only better than using the stock Intel cooler.

Good to know, Thanks!

Also I am curious of what sorts of additional case fans should I get for S340?

 

[fushi]

My Christmas bonus finally arrived, so it's time to say bye to my old q6600 build which has been having some issues lately.

Your Current Specs: Q6600 OC'ed to 3,4 GHz, 680 GTX and 8 GB of DDR2 RAM.
Budget: I am expecting to spend around 500 to 600 euros.
Main Use: Gaming, graphics work.
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1200, no plans to upgrade right now.
Looking to reuse any parts?: I will be keeping the 650W Seasonic PSU, 680 GTX, SSD, case, etc. from my old build. The 680 GTX is not the newest thing on the block, but I am in dire need of a new processor and more RAM.
When will you build?: ASAP, probably. There does not seem to be a reason to wait.
Will you be overclocking?: Yes.

The parts to be upgraded:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: *Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($30.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-PRO(Wi-Fi ac) ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($203.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: *Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($63.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: *Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($63.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $582.95

Please note that the prices are there only for reference as I will be buying all these parts from my local Euro PC dealerships.

I was originally going to get the i7 4790k since I do some graphics work, but decided to go for the i5 for now since overclocking will save me 100 euros for largely negligible differences.

I picked the ASUS board out for three reasons:
* I need the extra SATA ports it offers (6+)
* I need wifi. Internal ac wifi cards seem to be rather expensive and the ASUS board is one of the cheapest wifi boards.
* I like the subdued look more than the garish color choices from competitors

The RAM I picked based on price and it being 1866 and 8GB. I hope those sticks are an adequate choice because I know very little about RAM.

I am ready to pull the trigger on this unless anyone finds anything worth objecting here.

 

[RGM79]

So my neighbour has asked me to ask what the best he can get for £600.

He needs the lot:

Case
PSU
GPU
MOBO
RAM
DVD drive
Windows (from Reddit, I guess)
HDD

Mainly plays WoW and the odd FPS and just wants the best bang for buck. I believe it will be connected to a 42" LCD 1080P TV.

Cheers.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£173.94 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.44 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£64.74 @ Aria PC)
Memory: Kingston Savage 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory (£61.49 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£35.94 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280X 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card (£179.14 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: BitFenix Neos Black ATX Mid Tower Case (£29.75 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£46.09 @ Aria PC)
Total: £616.53
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-09 20:44 GMT+0000

If he's not interested in overclocking the CPU, the money saved could be used for a stronger graphics card.

Woo, ordered my new pc components. Stuck with what I selected in my previous post, except I switched to a 256GB SSD and a 3TB HDD instead of 128gb/2tb. Also got a BitFenix Shinobi case instead of the silverstone. I'm excited!

I was going to suggest looking for the R9 270X/280X/285 if you could find it, they may be available for a better price than the GTX 760 and offer a bit more performance.

 

[RGM79]

Good to know, Thanks!

Also I am curious of what sorts of additional case fans should I get for S340?

Tweaktown's review of the NZXT S340 mentioned that getting a pair of 120mm or 140mm case for the front of the case would help a lot with airflow.

Here's a chart of recommended 140mm fans from SilentPCReview, a trusted site for fan reviews, especially concerning low noise. Scroll down, the best fans are listed at the top of the chart.

My Christmas bonus finally arrived, so it's time to say bye to my old q6600 build which has been having some issues lately.

Your Current Specs: Q6600 OC'ed to 3,4 GHz, 680 GTX and 8 GB of DDR2 RAM.
Budget: I am expecting to spend around 500 to 600 euros.
Main Use: Gaming, graphics work.
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1200, no plans to upgrade right now.
Looking to reuse any parts?: I will be keeping the 650W Seasonic PSU, 680 GTX, SSD, case, etc. from my old build. The 680 GTX is not the newest thing on the block, but I am in dire need of a new processor and more RAM.
When will you build?: ASAP, probably. There does not seem to be a reason to wait.
Will you be overclocking?: Yes.

The parts to be upgraded:


Please note that the prices are there only for reference as I will be buying all these parts from my local Euro PC dealerships.

I was originally going to get the i7 4790k since I do some graphics work, but decided to go for the i5 for now since overclocking will save me 100 euros for largely negligible differences.

I picked the ASUS board out for three reasons:
* I need the extra SATA ports it offers (6+)
* I need wifi. Internal ac wifi cards seem to be rather expensive and the ASUS board is one of the cheapest wifi boards.
* I like the subdued look more than the garish color choices from competitors

The RAM I picked based on price and it being 1866 and 8GB. I hope those sticks are an adequate choice because I know very little about RAM.

I am ready to pull the trigger on this unless anyone finds anything worth objecting here.

What country are you buying from?

 

[THE:MILKMAN]

That's great RGM79. I doubt he'll be OC'ing so I'll tweek the CPU/GPU and let him take it from here.

I strongly suspect he'll be asking me to build it so probably won't be the last I hear about it!

 

[Smokey]

Need to post about my experience at Frys today:

I bough the ROG Swift from Fry's last August along with a 2 year replacement plan. I may have posted here a few months ago about some issues I was having with the monitor. The early versions of the monitor apparently have quite a few QA problems. I take the monitor back to Fry's today.

They try and tell me that they can't give me a new one and that they have to ship it off and that it should be back in 6 weeks.

Uhhh da fuck

At this point I start arguing about how I was not told this when I bought the monitor, and if that was the case I wouldn't have paid $120 for a 2 year plan. Then they go on and tell me they can give me a loaner (which is a brand new Swift) and that I'd have to bring it back when mine arrived from repair. First off I didn't even know they had any Swifts because it is not on their website any more. I told them that makes zero sense. I bought the plan so that I could exchange in case of defect. I'm not leaving the store without that monitor. This goes on for like 25 minutes.

I go back to the monitor section and coincidentally a guy is buying 2 monitors and the sales associate is saying the same thing I was told: If you buy the plan and your monitors break bring it back and we will replace it for you. I interrupt and say this is bullshit because I am going through this exact scenario right now. So Fry's sales associates are saying one thing to get the warranty sales, but when it actually happens the service department and the store points to the fine print.

At this point I demand to talk to the Store Manager and go through the whole spiel again and I tell him what his sales associates are saying and what I was told. He agrees to do the exchange and I walk out with a new Swift. 30+ minutes later.

Ridiculous and I won't be buying anything from them any more.

 

[goldensun]

Hey GAF, I am making an investment and trying to start streaming seriously.

I was wondering if this setup I've chosen can be optimized any more while staying in the $1,200 range: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/TRCpWZ

Any advice is welcome. I know little to nothing about building my own desktop.

Thank you!

 

[Kezen]

Need to post about my experience at Frys today:

I bough the ROG Swift from Fry's last August along with a 2 year replacement plan. I may have posted here a few months ago about some issues I was having with the monitor. The early versions of the monitor apparently have quite a few QA problems. I take the monitor back to Fry's today.

They try and tell me that they can't give me a new one and that they have to ship it off and that it should be back in 6 weeks.

Uhhh da fuck

At this point I start arguing about how I was not told this when I bought the monitor, and if that was the case I wouldn't have paid $120 for a 2 year plan. Then they go on and tell me they can give me a loaner (which is a brand new Swift) and that I'd have to bring it back when mine arrived from repair. First off I didn't even know they had any Swifts because it is not on their website any more. I told them that makes zero sense. I bought the plan so that I could exchange in case of defect. I'm not leaving the store without that monitor. This goes on for like 25 minutes.

I go back to the monitor section and coincidentally a guy is buying 2 monitors and the sales associate is saying the same thing I was told: If you buy the plan and your monitors break bring it back and we will replace it for you. I interrupt and say this is bullshit because I am going through this exact scenario right now. So Fry's sales associates are saying one thing to get the warranty sales, but when it actually happens the service department and the store points to the fine print.

At this point I demand to talk to the Store Manager and go through the whole spiel again and I tell him what his sales associates are saying and what I was told. He agrees to do the exchange and I walk out with a new Swift. 30+ minutes later.

Ridiculous and I won't be buying anything from them any more.

You got them, you got them good.

 

[fushi]

What country are you buying from?

Estonia. But I guess I should've used German prices or something instead of the US ones.

 

[RGM79]

That's great RGM79. I doubt he'll be OC'ing so I'll tweek the CPU/GPU and let him take it from here.

I strongly suspect he'll be asking me to build it so probably won't be the last I hear about it!

Sounds like you've got a good handle on it, then. Go with an H97 motherboard to save some money with a non-overclocking CPU and that'll bring down the cost a bit more.

Hey GAF, I am making an investment and trying to start streaming seriously.

I was wondering if this setup I've chosen can be optimized any more while staying in the $1,200 range: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/TRCpWZ

Any advice is welcome. I know little to nothing about building my own desktop.

Thank you!

Yeah, there are a couple of things to be done to lower costs. I saved you $300 while keeping the exact same level of performance. I went with a cheaper motherboard and case, dropped the DVD drive and retail copy of Windows. I found cheaper and faster/better RAM, graphics card, and power supply.

You can buy Windows 7/8.1 from Reddit's microsoftsoftwareswap for $20 or less, and it can be installed by USB drive.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($318.75 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Plus ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($76.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($348.95 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Antec TruePower Classic 750W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($73.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1053.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-09 16:25 EST-0500

With that build, you can do SLI GTX 970 in the future. I do have to ask though, do you have an old hard drive you were going to use in this build? You didn't list a hard drive in the parts list, just an SSD.

 

[Portugeezer]

Asus AMD Radeon R9 290 DirectCU II OC: www.amazon.co.uk/Radeon-DirectCU-Graphics-GDDR5-Express/dp/B00HOW1Q46
vs
Sapphire AMD R9 290 TRI-X OC: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00HFA44YQ/

Any meaningful difference between the Asus and Sapphire?

 

[Delstius]

1. Compatibility issues are fine.

2. What retailer will you be buying from in France? I can recommend that you drop the sound card unless you need it for a specific reason. The motherboard's onboard sound is more than enough for most people.

2.5. I have no idea how much those parts would cost in France, so it's hard to say how much value you're getting. In the US, those parts would be very overpriced, but you won't be paying those prices in France, at the very least.

3. You can go for a sound absorbing case, if you like.

4. The 5770 was a midrange card 5 years ago. For replacements at what may be a decent price, I recommend the R9 270X which beats the 5770 into the ground in every way, which you are also considering for your new PC. In the US the cost of that card is very good, I don't know about French pricing.

Thanks for the input.

2) I Intend to go to Materiel.net for everything (because of the immediate availability, one single shipping and a few discount). The sound card is more or less to try the difference, it's cheap so why not.

2.5+4) Hardware prices are really high in France compared to US, so to me everything is pretty much already overpriced. The list I linked was about 900€, the video card is around 200€ so I'll try to find something a bit cheaper to upgrade the old PC (Like the Sapphire Radeon R7 260X which is half that price).

 

[kharma45]

Asus AMD Radeon R9 290 DirectCU II OC: www.amazon.co.uk/Radeon-DirectCU-Graphics-GDDR5-Express/dp/B00HOW1Q46
vs
Sapphire AMD R9 290 TRI-X OC: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00HFA44YQ/

Any meaningful difference between the Asus and Sapphire?

I'd side with the sapphire.

 

[RGM79]

Asus AMD Radeon R9 290 DirectCU II OC: www.amazon.co.uk/Radeon-DirectCU-Graphics-GDDR5-Express/dp/B00HOW1Q46
vs
Sapphire AMD R9 290 TRI-X OC: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00HFA44YQ/

Any meaningful difference between the Asus and Sapphire?

Looking at specs and reviews, the Sapphire card runs a bit faster due to the higher GPU clock (1040MHz vs 1000MHz) and I think the Sapphire card has a much better cooler, but that Tri-X triple fan cooler also makes it a longer card. Double check to make sure it'll fit in your case.

I'd go for the Sapphire card unless it doesn't fit.

 

[Portugeezer]

Cheers.

Looking at specs and reviews, the Sapphire card runs a bit faster due to the higher GPU clock (1040MHz vs 1000MHz) and I think the Sapphire card has a much better cooler, but that Tri-X triple fan cooler also makes it a longer card. Double check to make sure it'll fit in your case.

I'd go for the Sapphire card unless it doesn't fit.

I have a Coolermaster HAF 922 currently, thing is huge.

edit (I just double checked, and it fits with about 2 - 3 cm's to spare luckily)

 

[Strazyplus]

Tweaktown's review of the NZXT S340 mentioned that getting a pair of 120mm or 140mm case for the front of the case would help a lot with airflow.

so buy two Noctua NF-P14 FLX fans... I could / kinda want cheaper fans and that matched the black and blue look I am going for... but do not exactly want shit fans neither

Will I need/should purchase fans for the cooler mount too?

 

[RGM79]

Cheers.

I have a Coolermaster HAF 922 currently, thing is huge.

Cool, you're all set then.

so buy two Noctua NF-P14 FLX fans... I could / kinda want cheaper fans and that matched the black and blue look I am going for... but do not exactly want shit fans neither

Will I need/should purchase fans for the cooler mount too?

You don't really need fans for the cooler as the one included in the box is adequate. For matching looks, you can get a 2 pack of blue Corsair SP120 high static pressure fans for $21 ($10.50 each), high static pressure is good for use as heatsink fans. For the case, there's this matching 2 pack of Corsair AF140 fans for $30 ($15 each).

There are versions of the same fans without LEDs but I'm having trouble finding them. Not sure how much they cost.

 

[Portugeezer]

I just need some help selecting my mobo and PSU for my components.

Are mobo's all USB 3.0 these days, that is preferable. I want it to be future proof as in, if I ever want to I can switch CPU and or GPU in 4 - 5 years... not too expensive though.

CPU: Intel Core i5 i5-4690K CPU (Quad Core 3.5GHz Processor, 6MB Cache, Intel HD 4600 Graphics, Socket H3 LGA-1150)
GPU: Sapphire AMD R9 290 TRI-X OC Graphics Card (4GB, HDMI, PCI-E)
Memory: 8GB (2x4GB) Corsair 1600MHz

Have a case already, will use my current HDD initially, have a disc drive (not really needed).

I think that's about it.

 

[paolo11]

Is it hard to upgrade a CPU from a Z97 MB?

 

[RGM79]

I just need some help selecting my mobo and PSU for my components.

Are mobo's all USB 3.0 these days, that is preferable. I want it to be future proof as in, if I ever want to I can switch CPU and or GPU in 4 - 5 years... not too expensive though.

CPU: Intel Core i5 i5-4690K CPU (Quad Core 3.5GHz Processor, 6MB Cache, Intel HD 4600 Graphics, Socket H3 LGA-1150)
GPU: Sapphire AMD R9 290 TRI-X OC Graphics Card (4GB, HDMI, PCI-E)
Memory: 8GB (2x4GB) Corsair 1600MHz

Have a case already, will use my current HDD initially, have a disc drive (not really needed).

I think that's about it.

All Intel compatible motherboards you buy today have USB 3.0 support. You can definitely slot in a new GPU in about 5 years, but if you want a processor upgrade after 5 years you'll have to look for a used CPU. In the middle of 2015, Intel will release Broadwell processors for socket 1150 motherboards, but after that they will phase out socket 1150 for the new Z170/H170 Socket 1151 motherboard platform. If you want more futureproofing, maybe wait until Intel launches their new Z170 motherboards this year to upgrade, unless you already bought that CPU.

For decent low cost Z97 motherboards, I can recommend the following:
ASRock Z97 Pro4 for $96
MSI Z97S SLI Plus for $110
Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI for $117

There are more expensive and better featured motherboards out there, but I'd recommend them only if you have a specific need for certain features.

Is it hard to upgrade a CPU from a Z97 MB?

Not really. Just be careful when handling parts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qczGR4KMnY

 

[Portugeezer]

All Intel compatible motherboards you buy today have USB 3.0 support. You can definitely slot in a new GPU in about 5 years, but if you want a processor upgrade after 5 years you'll have to look for a used CPU. In the middle of 2015, Intel will release Broadwell processors for socket 1150 motherboards, but after that they will phase out socket 1150 for the new Z170/H170 Socket 1151 motherboard platform. If you want more futureproofing, maybe wait until Intel launches their new Z170 motherboards this year to upgrade, unless you already bought that CPU.

For decent low cost Z97 motherboards, I can recommend the following:
ASRock Z97 Pro4 for $96
MSI Z97S SLI Plus for $110
Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI for $117

There are more expensive and better featured motherboards out there, but I'd recommend them only if you have a specific need for certain features.

Thanks very much. Forgot to mention my case though, which is a coolermaster haf 922, does this matter for the mobo or they are all compatible/fit?

 

[Ragnorok64]

Here's my recommended build for you. I was able to get a better processor, motherboard, RAM, graphics card, and power supply all around. The case is Cooler Master which is higher quality than Apex and mITX size which should be smaller than the mATX case you had, although it has no carrying handle.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($185.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB FTW ACX Video Card ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($38.50 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $582.19
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-09 14:54 EST-0500

You can get Windows 8.1 for $20 or so from reddit's microsoftsoftwareswap. They are fully functional unique keys being resold from university programs like dreamspark and technet.

Wow thats like perfect. Any idea on easy transport options?

 

[Strazyplus]

You don't really need fans for the cooler as the one included in the box is adequate. For matching looks, you can get a 2 pack of blue Corsair SP120 high static pressure fans for $21 ($10.50 each), high static pressure is good for use as heatsink fans. For the case, there's this matching 2 pack of Corsair AF140 fans for $30 ($15 each).

Thanks!

 

[knitoe]

Thanks!

These will match your setup.

120mm for CPU cooler:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RESFYK/?tag=neogaf0e-20

140mm for case:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RESGGC/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[RGM79]

Thanks very much. Forgot to mention my case though, which is a coolermaster haf 922, does this matter for the mobo or they are all compatible/fit?

It'll fit, no problem.

Wow thats like perfect. Any idea on easy transport options?

What do you mean, do you want carrying handles or a carrying bag? I think it's too big for anything but a large duffel bag, if you want small console-like size that fits in a large backpack or carrying bag, then I recommend Silverstone cases like the ML07 or RVZ01, but those will be a lot more expensive.

 

[kharma45]

Wow thats like perfect. Any idea on easy transport options?

I'd steer clear of those cheap Corsair PSUs though. Too many DOA ones. I'd rather have the EVGA 500B

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

I'd also get a WD Blue HDD over a Seagate.

$4-5 more gets you 2x4GB RAM. worth the extra for it.

 

[Muffin Awesome]

Here's my recommended build for you. I was able to get a better processor, motherboard, RAM, graphics card, and power supply all around. The case is Cooler Master which is higher quality than Apex and mITX size which should be smaller than the mATX case you had, although it has no carrying handle.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($185.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB FTW ACX Video Card ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($38.50 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $582.19
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-09 14:54 EST-0500

You can get Windows 8.1 for $20 or so from reddit's microsoftsoftwareswap. They are fully functional unique keys being resold from university programs like dreamspark and technet.

.

How would that build above handle steam streaming and Metal Gear Solid V?

 

[Portugeezer]

Ok, parts have been bought. Now just a matter of waiting.

 

[RGM79]

I'd steer clear of those cheap Corsair PSUs though. Too many DOA ones. I'd rather have the EVGA 500B

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

I'd also get a WD Blue HDD over a Seagate.

I clicked on the wrong link, I meant to recommend him the EVGA 600B for $40 after $20 rebate which is a better bet than the Corsair 600 watt. Updated the original post to reflect that.

On the hard drive, it could go either way as it's just a few dollars difference. I don't have as much of a preference for either Seagate or WD as I haven't had any Seagate drives die on me, so I can't complain.

These will match your setup.

120mm for CPU cooler:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RESFYK/?tag=neogaf0e-20

140mm for case:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RESGGC/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Yes, those are the non-LED versions of the fans I was talking about. Seems like Amazon has a better deal on the non-LED SP120 fans, but the non-LED AF140 are more expensive than the AF140 with LEDs on Newegg.

How would that build above handle steam streaming and Metal Gear Solid V?

At 1080p expect to get around 30FPS with the GTX 750 Ti. Apparently steam streaming does not require a very strong PC, some people are looking into low power PCs for Steam streaming clients.

 

[Ragnorok64]

What do you mean, do you want carrying handles or a carrying bag? I think it's too big for anything but a large duffel bag, if you want small console-like size that fits in a large backpack or carrying bag, then I recommend Silverstone cases like the ML07 or RVZ01, but those will be a lot more expensive.

I apparently meant something like this http://www.frozencpu.com/products/2...rying_System_Blue.html?tl=g31c187&id=jRzLe48d

Had a strap for my mid tower back in the day. I didn't know there was specifically a smaller option out there.

 

[RGM79]

I apparently meant something like this http://www.frozencpu.com/products/2...rying_System_Blue.html?tl=g31c187&id=jRzLe48d

Had a strap for my mid tower back in the day. I didn't know there was specifically a smaller option out there.

Those carrying straps look like it'll work. According to the specs it'll fit.

 

[NoRéN]

Just noticed that I somehow completely ignored and did not use a 4+4 psu cable. My gpu needs 6 pin and 8 pin psu cable. Can I use that 4+4 cable?

 

[RGM79]

Just noticed that I somehow completely ignored and did not use a 4+4 psu cable. My gpu needs 6 pin and 8 pin psu cable. Can I use that 4+4 cable?

The 4+4 cable is for CPU power. Don't you already have two 6+2 cables you can plug into the 6 and 8 pin power connectors on the graphics card? And shouldn't you already have the CPU power cable plugged in?

 

[NoRéN]

The 4+4 cable is for CPU power. Don't you already have two 6+2 cables you can plug into the 6 and 8 pin power connectors on the graphics card? And shouldn't you already have the CPU power cable plugged in?

Ah, cpu. Duh!

PSU had an 8 pin connector for the mobo.

And yes, already have the gpu hooked up with 6+2 cables.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[RGM79]

Ah, cpu. Duh!

PSU had an 8 pin connector for the mobo.

And yes, already have the gpu hooked up with 6+2 cables.

Thanks for the clarification.

Oh, so your power supply had two separate CPU power cables, one 8 pin and one 4+4 pin. I hate it when they do that.

 

[NoRéN]

Oh, so your power supply had two separate CPU power cables, one 8 pin and one 4+4 pin. I hate it when they do that.

Yeah! Dude, that confused me so bad when I built this PC last year. I saw there thinking, "Which one do I use?"

Seems like a good idea until you realize they aren't one of the modular ones.
For reference, it's this one: Rosewill HIVE Series HIVE-750 750W

great PSU and i would recommend it but that is definitely a weird thing.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Since we are on the subject of PSUs, any recommendations on where to get PSU cable extenders? I would like to be able to pass the gpu cables through the back of the case to clean up the cabling a bit.

 

[Strazyplus]

These will match your setup.

120mm for CPU cooler:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RESFYK/?tag=neogaf0e-20

140mm for case:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RESGGC/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Very expensive fans I keep finding. I once went and bought a fan at best buy for like 5 bucks and it still in my case working well ahah. but its ugly as a sin.

for the fans for the front I am not sure they will be seen much so likely put something cheap there... as for other fans will likely just use the stock thats given. as my budget has already been pulled quite a bit already. a extra 20 or 10 would make little difference but 27.99+21.99 =adds up and next thing I know I am forking out $500.

Though I am not going to buy these fans yet I may in the future as they are good looking!

 

[Nostremitus]

Is the BenQ XL2411Z still the best non G-sync 1080p 120Hz monitor?

Any word on Freesync?

(I hooked the LG to my wife's computer and I'm currently using a terrible, eye straining, off brand TV... I can't take it any more.)

 

[RGM79]

Yeah! Dude, that confused me so bad when I built this PC last year. I saw there thinking, "Which one do I use?"

Seems like a good idea until you realize they aren't one of the modular ones.
For reference, it's this one: Rosewill HIVE Series HIVE-750 750W

great PSU and i would recommend it but that is definitely a weird thing.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Since we are on the subject of PSUs, any recommendations on where to get PSU cable extenders? I would like to be able to pass the gpu cables through the back of the case to clean up the cabling a bit.

Newegg has them. Here's the list of all the PCI-E/GPU cable extensions they have.

 

[Dual Blade]

Finally put together my build and currently downloading Windows 8.1 update.

Comments:

- watching my pc boot into Windows in about 5 seconds is a bit jarring
- GA-Z97X-SLI has a neat red strip on the mobo that's makes me wish I went with a pure red/black scheme (blue RAM, stock intel cooler)
- A Powercolor R9 285 with EVGA G2 psu barely makes a sound even in the middle of the night

What would be wiser extending the PSU power cable: a new longer cable or a properly rated extension cord?

 

[RGM79]

Finally put together my build and currently downloading Windows 8.1 update.

Comments:

- watching my pc boot into Windows in about 5 seconds is a bit jarring
- GA-Z97X-SLI has a neat red strip on the mobo that's makes me wish I went with a pure red/black scheme (blue RAM, stock intel cooler)
- A Powercolor R9 285 with EVGA G2 psu barely makes a sound even in the middle of the night

What would be wiser extending the PSU power cable: a new longer cable or a properly rated extension cord?

As long as the extension is from a reputable brand and not of questionable quality, I don't see any problem with using extensions. I'd just get the cheaper option. There are Silverstone brand GPU power extension cables in the link above for $4.

 

[Ragnorok64]

You can get Windows 8.1 for $20 or so from reddit's microsoftsoftwareswap. They are fully functional unique keys being resold from university programs like dreamspark and technet.

Is there any reason to get 8.1 when you can buy 8.0 and instantly upgrade?

 

[RGM79]

Is there any reason to get 8.1 when you can buy 8.0 and instantly upgrade?

Not really, but some people actually don't like the fact that they have to install just 8 and then upgrade to 8.1, they'd rather get 8.1 off the bat. Some people want to have 8.1 from the very beginning because they see it like a service pack update that should be included in OS installation, others just hate that the 8.1 update goes through the Microsoft app store and not Windows update.

You can get any version you like, I only mentioned 8.1, but you can get a whole bunch of different versions of Windows OS from that reddit page. You could get Windows 7 if you wanted, or Windows 8/8.1 N which comes without Windows Media Player and some other things I think due to anti-trust lawsuits and seems to be selling for $5 less than normal versions of Windows 8/8.1 that do come with Windows Media Player.

 

[Nostremitus]

Not really, but some people actually don't like the fact that they have to install just 8 and then upgrade to 8.1, they'd rather get 8.1 off the bat. Some people want to have 8.1 from the very beginning because they see it like a service pack update that should be included in OS installation, others just hate that the 8.1 update goes through the Microsoft app store and not Windows update.

You can get any version you like, I only mentioned 8.1, but you can get a whole bunch of different versions of Windows OS from that reddit page. You could get Windows 7 if you wanted, or Windows 8/8.1 N which comes without Windows Media Player and some other things I think due to anti-trust lawsuits and seems to be selling for $5 less than normal versions of Windows 8/8.1 that do come with Windows Media Player.

Don't forget that if you buy an N version of 8.1, you can just go the to the Windows website and download Media Player for free anyway.