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[Amneisac]

Keyboard question: I've decided I'd like to get a mechanical, I don't really have a budget, but I don't really want to spend $150+ if I can help it, and buying on Amazon would be preferable because I have a lot of credit there right now.

Does anyone know anything about this keyboard: Nixeus MODA Mechanical I see it doesn't have cherry switches, but I think I'd like the "brown" style switch, and it seems pretty affordable. I need a smaller-ish form factor to fit on my keyboard tray, so I don't want to get anything too large, either.

 

[Ihya]

Hi guys,

What do you think of this build? Never built a PC before so a company is doing it for me. I looked closely at the spreadsheet on the first page for inspiration. any comments or modifications (with reasoning) would be much appreciated. Thanks!

CPU: 2228 - NEW! Intel Core i5 4690
Operating System: 11022 - Windows 8.1 (64-bit)
Motherboard: 4216 - NEW! Gigabyte Z97-HD3
RAM: 5057 - 16GB Corsair 1866mhz Vengeance (2x8GB)
Hard Drive: 6077 - NEW! Kingston 240GB SSD
Secondary Hard Drive: 6029 - 2TB S-ATAIII 6.0Gb/s
Optical Drive: 7003 - 22x DVD±RW DL S-ATA
Graphics card: 8135 - NEW! NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB
Sound card: 10001 - Onboard 7.1 Audio
Case: 17119 - NEW! Cooler Master Silencio 652S
PSU: 18042 - 600W Corsair CX

 

[Dio Brando]

Buy it now and don't look back

bought it <3

Dude, he specifically told you not to look back.

Spoiler

Enjoy

rofl.but i didnt .
Seriously though, i wasnt able to buy in that moment. only today.
Now, counting the days so i can go home and test this thing

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

bought it <3

Dude, he specifically told you not to look back.

Spoiler

Enjoy

 

[naw]

So I built my first PC last night. It turns on but it won't let me access the BIOS.

Rapidly pressing the delete key does nothing as it just goes straight to the Windows 8 setup from my bootable USB.

It'll allow me to check the system information if I press F9 and it'll allow me to check the Boot Menu if I press F12. No bios tho

Anyone know what the problem is? My motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H.

 

[knitoe]

A short and dirty guide Mkenyon gave me when I OC'd mine.

All that's needed:

1) Core Voltage to 1.35
2) CPU ratio to 45

 

[kanuuna]

I went ahead and made the purchase. Thanks for lordfuzzybutt and RGM79 for their input.

MOBO: Asus Sabertooth Z97 MK 2
PSU: Corsair CX850M 850W
GPU: 2x MSI GTX 970 4GB
CPU: Intel i7-4790K 4.0Ghz + Noctua NH-U12S CPU cooling fan
RAM: 16GB (2x8) HyperX Fury DDR3 1600MHz
HD: Samsung 120GB 850 EVO SSD + Western Digital 2TB Caviar Black
DRIVE: Asus BD-DVD-RW (USB)
CASE: NZXT H440W Silent Ultra (White)

All this, when assembled came just under 2150&#8364; + postage on top of that. The cheapest I could find the ultrawide LG monitor was from Amazon.es at around 780&#8364;, delivery included.
Hopefully, I'll get everything in 2 to 3 weeks. Hopefully everything works, too. Gives me time to think whether or not I want Windows 8.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

I went ahead and made the purchase. Thanks for lordfuzzybutt and RGM79 for their input.

MOBO: Asus Sabertooth Z97 MK 2
PSU: Corsair CX850M 850W
GPU: 2x MSI GTX 970 4GB
CPU: Intel i7-4790K 4.0Ghz + Noctua NH-U12S CPU cooling fan
RAM: 16GB (2x8) HyperX Fury DDR3 1600MHz
HD: Samsung 120GB 850 EVO SSD + Western Digital 2TB Caviar Black
DRIVE: Asus BD-DVD-RW
CASE: NZXT H440W Silent Ultra (White)

All this, when assembled came just under 2150€ + postage on top of that. The cheapest I could find the ultrawide LG monitor was from Amazon.es at around 780€, delivery included.
Hopefully, I'll get everything in 2 to 3 weeks. Hopefully everything works, too. Gives me time to think whether or not I want Windows 8.

Damn that is a beast of a machine. Windows 8.1 is the best windows right now, so no reason not to get it. If I could change one thing, I would get a bigger SSD, but probably too late now.

 

[CMDBob]

I'm getting a new case for my rig (as my four year old Antec 900's about had it, as the fan bearings on one fan have pretty much completely gone and the rest are going) and I'm thinking about getting a Bitfenix Prodigy-M. (got a microATX motherboard so it's not an issue.) Was wondering what GAF thinks about it.

Also, looking for a new heatsink, as the stock Intel heatsinks suck arse, so any recommendations?

 

[Sabree]

This has probably already been asked, but I'll ask anyway. For those of with a fx 8350 and gtx 760 who upgraded to a 970, was it worth it? I am thinking about doing this but heard they're is bottlenecking?

 

[RGM79]

Hi GAF just want to know how well my i7 860 no over clock will stand the test of time with games the like of GTA V and Ground Zeroes?

I see the recommended specs these days are much newer generations of intel processors like the i5 3570 or xxxxK series processors.

I've got a GTX 780 and have managed to run advanced warfare and shadow Of mordor at max settings with no problems with variable frame rates between 30 and solid 60s if not more. Also 8gb RAM.

I understand that these newer processors will definitely beat out mine in synthetic benchmarks and even video rendering. What I want to know is how well they will hold up for games? Will I be able to run the above mentioned at max or close to max settings?

I can't bring myself to spring for an upgrade yet with a whole new generation of motherboard. Probably will wait for he next intel chips towards the end of 2015...

Thanks for the input GAF!

Your i7 860 isn't that outdated, but all the same I highly recommend overclocking. I'm running an i7 875K which is quite similar to your CPU in terms of base performance. Here's benchmarks for Crysis 3 covering a very wide range of processors - your CPU is still somewhat competitive with the i5 2500K which meets a lot of minimum/recommended requirements, it just needs overclocking, especially if you're going to wait until the second half of 2015 to upgrade, which should be when Intel's new Skylake platform is released, barring delays.

So I used PC Part Picker for my build, and three of the items I ended up ordering from OutletPC. I've already received my orders from Amazon and Newegg, and my order status at OutletPC still says, "pending." Everything was marked as in stock when I ordered, but I've had no movement on anything. I went to try to cancel my order, and there's no option to do so. Ugh.

Is OutletPC going to be a pain in the butt? Did I screw up ordering from them? Now that I looked at some reviews, it seems that they have a lot of bad reviews in regards to items being in stock, shipping times, communication, and even quality of product (open packages, damaged stuff, broken stuff) mixed in with glowing (suspicious) 5-star reviews with only passable English.

I was only saving like $20 on my CPU and about $4-5 each on the other two things. It's really not worth the extra wait/hassle at this point. Any ideas on how to deal with them? I just want an idea of what's going on with my order.

Have you tried contacting them? I've never dealt with OutletPC myself, I usually pricematch everything from a single retailer if possible.

Hey guys, my western digital blue (1TB) is having some issues, I got it less than one year ago but for the last few weeks my pc had trouble reading some stuff (stuttering in games and playing videos with the led for hd reading lightning up like crazy) and a few days ago my boot partition got corrupted and I had to format the drive (good thing I managed to same some important stuff from it with another pc, apparently no personal files were lost).
How does warranty work on hard drives? Does it cover this kind of problem? I live in Europe if that helps (2 years of warranty on anything afaik).

Now I'm wondering if there's any way of delaying the purchase of a new HD since I plan on upgrading my pc in a few months (ssd + new video card). After the formatting and reinstalling windows I can use it just fine, it takes some time to read some stuff but it's working (although this morning I was playing the walking dead and it stuttered a lot trying to read the hd). Is there anything I can do to repair the bad sectors and continue using it until it ultimately fails? I won't load it with important stuff of course, I know it could fail at any moment, I'd just like to finish the games I'm playing at the moment and keep using it as a media center until it lasts. I read about chkdsk but it takes ages, do you think it could actually help? Is that data salvage software from western digital able to repair the disk or does it simply test it?

Also, should I get a seagate next time or stay with western digital blue? With a damaged hard drive after less than a year I don't feel confident about getting a new, identical one. But I read in the OP that hard disks aren't good as they used to, so it could be a generalized problem

I'd suggest contacting WD to see what they say. As for your upgrade situation, could you not just get a new hard drive or SSD now or do you not have the budget for it? Unless you plan to buy a really large SSD, it's usually better to also get a hard drive to use as secondary storage.

There's no reason not to try chkdsk or the WD salvage software. Just leave it to run overnight if you think it takes too long. Sorry, I have no idea whether chkdsk or the WD salvage software will do anything - it depends on what's wrong with the hard drive.

For me at least, hard drive brand doesn't really play that big of a role in terms of quality, unless you run a server and buy many dozens or hundreds of hard drives. All manufacturers' hard drive models have a failure rate - it's basically just luck and lottery whether your hard drive fails prematurely due to defects or not. Some manufacturers have high failure rates for some of their hard drives, but there's not really anything the customer can do about it besides buying a hard drive with a longer warranty and/or perceived lower failure rate.

Hi guys,

What do you think of this build? Never built a PC before so a company is doing it for me. I looked closely at the spreadsheet on the first page for inspiration. any comments or modifications (with reasoning) would be much appreciated. Thanks!

CPU: 2228 - NEW! Intel Core i5 4690
Operating System: 11022 - Windows 8.1 (64-bit)
Motherboard: 4216 - NEW! Gigabyte Z97-HD3
RAM: 5057 - 16GB Corsair 1866mhz Vengeance (2x8GB)
Hard Drive: 6077 - NEW! Kingston 240GB SSD
Secondary Hard Drive: 6029 - 2TB S-ATAIII 6.0Gb/s
Optical Drive: 7003 - 22x DVD±RW DL S-ATA
Graphics card: 8135 - NEW! NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB
Sound card: 10001 - Onboard 7.1 Audio
Case: 17119 - NEW! Cooler Master Silencio 652S
PSU: 18042 - 600W Corsair CX

You didn't say what country are you buying from and how much does each part cost, but from looking around I guess you're buying from DinoPC.

You have a non-overclocking processor with a motherboard meant for K series overclocking processors, either go with the i5 4690K or get a cheaper H97 motherboard. I'd drop the optical drive if you won't really use it - I haven't touched mine in years. I'd be a bit wary about which GTX 970 they're selling you. It's not the reference model, is it? You should get a third party manufacturer that has a better cooler and extra features. Same thing with the power supply, I'd get something else, the Corsair CX series is a budget line that isn't really known for high quality.

 

[RGM79]

So I built my first PC last night. It turns on but it won't let me access the BIOS.

Rapidly pressing the delete key does nothing as it just goes straight to the Windows 8 setup from my bootable USB.

It'll allow me to check the system information if I press F9 and it'll allow me to check the Boot Menu if I press F12. No bios tho

Anyone know what the problem is? My motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H.

Try booting without the bootable USB. Try a different USB port for your keyboard, or maybe even a different keyboard.

I'm getting a new case for my rig (as my four year old Antec 900's about had it, as the fan bearings on one fan have pretty much completely gone and the rest are going) and I'm thinking about getting a Bitfenix Prodigy-M. (got a microATX motherboard so it's not an issue.) Was wondering what GAF thinks about it.

Also, looking for a new heatsink, as the stock Intel heatsinks suck arse, so any recommendations?

How much are you looking to spend? The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo will fit in there, it's the best budget option.

This has probably already been asked, but I'll ask anyway. For those of with a fx 8350 and gtx 760 who upgraded to a 970, was it worth it? I am thinking about doing this but heard they're is bottlenecking?

Depends on the games you play, I think you'll see a difference, just not as much if you had a stronger processor.

 

[JetForceGemini]

Assuming I stick to 720p until the summer, I should be good with a i7 4790k and a 750ti right?

 

[naw]

Try booting without the bootable USB.

Actually tried that when I booted up the PC for the very first time. Gave me a black screen with the message "Reboot and select proper boot device and press a key." Wouldn't let me get into the BIOS.

 

[RGM79]

Assuming I stick to 720p until the summer, I should be good with a i7 4790k and a 750ti right?

Yep, you'll be fine.

Actually tried that when I booted up the PC for the very first time. Gave me a black screen with the message "Reboot and select proper boot device and press a key." Wouldn't let me get into the BIOS.

It shouldn't matter whether there's a boot device or not, but I was hoping removing the USB drive would make a difference. You were able to press F9 and F12, pressing delete during the same time window should have let you get into the BIOS, so something's wrong for sure. Tried the keyboard changes to see if anything's different?

Try clearing the CMOS. There are three methods as outlined in the manual:

There's a switch near the RAM slots in the upper right corner of the motherboard, next to reset and power switches. The computer should be off and unplugged from the outlet when you use that switch, the manual says.

If that doesn't work, there's a jumper you can use to clear the CMOS near the lower right corner, just above the front panel connectors. use a jumper or a screwdriver to bridge the pins. Again, the computer should be off and unplugged for this, as per the manual.

Or remove the CMOS battery for one minute or more when the computer is off and unplugged, then replace it.

 

[Ihya]

You didn't say what country are you buying from and how much does each part cost, but from looking around I guess you're buying from DinoPC.

You have a non-overclocking processor with a motherboard meant for K series overclocking processors, either go with the i5 4690K or get a cheaper H97 motherboard. I'd drop the optical drive if you won't really use it - I haven't touched mine in years. I'd be a bit wary about which GTX 970 they're selling you. It's not the reference model, is it? You should get a third party manufacturer that has a better cooler and extra features. Same thing with the power supply, I'd get something else, the Corsair CX series is a budget line that isn't really known for high quality.

Thanks for the response, I appreciate it. It is Dino PC. I modified this version on their website.
https://www.dinopc.com/shop/pc/Dark-Reign-94p1829.htm

I am unfamiliar with issues around different versions of GTX 970s being sold. What are the concerns and what do you have to be careful of?

Thanks!!

 

[Smokey]

Sorry for the late reply. I am coming from 1080p. I can defiantly tell that the leap is much bigger than I was expecting. the games don't have to be perfect, but getting them as close as possible to 120 fps would be nice. What card would you recommend the most?

If you want to get as close to 120fps as possible then SLI is going to be required whether you go with a 970 or a 980. My recommendation in that scenario would be to get two 970s and OC them. The Swift is capable of 144hz by the way, but the logic still applies.

Can you clarify what you mean by "you don't think you're able to take full advantage of GSYNC" ? The point of GSYNC is to eliminate tearing and align your monitors refresh rate with the GPU. It actually allows you to have a smooth experience with games even with a single GPU. I have Tri-SLI Titan Black setup with a Swift. I just started Mordor. I have disabled SLI when playing this game. It just doesn't work all that well with it enabled. I am playing maxed out with a Titan Black and I get anywhere from 50-60fps. With GSYNC on it is very smooth with zero tearing. On a non GSYNC panel you want to try and get as close to the refresh rate as possible which is why people usually recommend SLI in that scenario if that is the user's desire.

 

[RGM79]

Thanks for the response, I appreciate it. It is Dino PC. I modified this version on their website.
https://www.dinopc.com/shop/pc/Dark-Reign-94p1829.htm

I am unfamiliar with issues around different versions of GTX 970s being sold. What are the concerns and what do you have to be careful of?

Thanks!!

It's not so much a concern or problem. When it comes to graphics cards, AMD and Nvidia design the base product with a certain level of performance. However, the vast majority of graphics cards are those produced by third party manufacturers like Gigabyte, Asus, MSI, etc. What they do is take the basic design, put a better cooler on it so it runs cooler and/or faster, and also add extra features.

For example: MSI, Asus, and some EVGA models of the GTX 970 feature silent running modes that other GTX 970 models don't have. Below 60 degrees, the fans will turn off, allowing for a completely silent graphics card. Other models like the Gigabyte Windforce feature high end coolers that do a much better job of cooling down the graphics card than the reference model's basic cooler.

More often than not, most models also feature slightly higher tweaked performance than the GTX 970 base reference model. DinoPC offers the Asus Strix GTX 970, I'd take that over the reference model. Or..

You could save about £135 building it yourself if you're so inclined. This parts list is better than the parts in that DinoPC build in terms of performance. If I go for the exact same parts, you'll save around £175 or so. You won't get three year warranty on the entire PC though, just the warranty of each individual part you buy.

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 Z97S SLI Plus ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£93.19 @ Aria PC)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£113.06 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£51.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Toshiba 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£52.94 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (£280.00 @ Aria PC)
Case: BitFenix Neos Black ATX Mid Tower Case (£29.75 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£61.16 @ Scan.co.uk)
Total: £881.47
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-13 23:49 GMT+0000

 

[Gambit61]

So I built my first PC last night. It turns on but it won't let me access the BIOS.

Rapidly pressing the delete key does nothing as it just goes straight to the Windows 8 setup from my bootable USB.

It'll allow me to check the system information if I press F9 and it'll allow me to check the Boot Menu if I press F12. No bios tho

Anyone know what the problem is? My motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H.

Wow i just upgraded to a 4690k and Z97X-UD5H this weekend. I didn't see the bios until after I installed W8.1 by usb. Did u try holding Delete while the system boots?

 

[Flaymeboy]

Hi all, was just wondering if someone could oversee my build and let me know if it is up to scratch and what if anything they would do differently:

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K
CPU Cooler: ? (Not sure which to go for and even been told don't need)
Motherboard: ROG Hero VI
Memory: G Skill 2x 4GB PC3-19200 DDR3 2400MHz
Storage: WD 1TB 3.5 inch Internal Hard Drive - Caviar Blue
Storage: Crucial CT256MX100SSD1 256GB
Video Card: EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 with ACX 2.0 Cooling 4GB Graphics Card
Case: Undecided would like a white case with a see through panel but easy for build obviously
Power Supply: Corsair CP-9020076-UK Builder Series 550W CS550M ATX/EPS Semi-Modular 80 Plus Gold Power Supply Unit

Thanks.

 

[Donos]

Cross posting from the "comfy couch" thread. My first pc build instead of going the PS4 route (i love playing FPS with m/kb): here what i gathered so far from reading various forums/threads:

Budget: max 600-700 &#8364;, more towards 600 &#8364; if possible, germany. I have Amazon prime.
Main Use: gaming:5, a little CAD (autocad 2012) stuff for work:1, General Usage: 3
Monitor Resolution: want to use it with a 42" Sony Bravia 42W705 over HDMI - comfy couch setup
Games to run: BF3/BF4 with smooth fps (60) and other fps, backlog of games (Witcher 2, Dishonored) with decent quality. Diablo 3. Maybe Star Citizen in decent quality. Don't need exotic special effects or hardcore AA. I'm used to hobo graphic settings all my life so everything this thing can do will blow me away.
Looking to reuse any parts?: Could use my Samsung 830 256 GB SSD from my L650 laptop instead of buying a SSHD or SSD (have spare 2,5" HDD as replacement)
When will you build?: No deadline. Some days i think "fuck it, just buy a PS4 for half the price" but i'm probably going to buy 1/3 of the parts every month for three months.
Will you be overclocking?: if i don't need to i'm not really looking to OC.

Mainboard needs the Wifi because PC is going to stay besides TV and the router is on the other side of the room. Could use a 10 meter lan cable but the 5 Ghz wireless mode should be enough for internet gaming (50mbit down /10mbit up).

Instead of the R9 270X i could get a R9 285 (HIS Radeon R9 285 Mini IceQ X² OC ) for around 30 &#8364; more but i also just could get the cheaper one and first work of my backlog and buy a better one in 2 years or so.

I also choose an i3 instead of an i5 (eg. i5-4460, 4x 3.20GHz), less hassle with heat and 80 &#8364; cheaper. As with the GPU, i could still upgrade this later.

 

[GurgleBot20]

Is the monitor to be included in the budget? Do you have any preference on the size of the PC?

Overclocking requires spending a bit more on the processor, motherboard, and CPU cooler. It's maybe a $50 difference all together, but it means the computer will last longer before needing an upgrade, because you can make it run faster and get more performance out of it.

I would say yes, the monitor is to be included in the budget. I have no preference on the size of the PC.

 

[Celcius]

Avila browser safety?

Go into the setting> extensions section and disable or delete it.

I did that, but if I uninstall chrome and re-install then it will be back again. There must be some remnant that re-installs it...

 

[Exuro]

So my (mostly) 6 year old rig is starting to have some issues. I've upgraded the video card and hdd to an sdd, but I'm still using the same cpu/motherboard/ram. It's an i7 920. For the last few months my computer has gotten strangely slow, where things will halt for seconds at a time. I redid my computer and it continued to do it. Also sometimes when I start up my computer windows doesn't recognize the ethernet so I can't connect. It's easily fixed by rebooting but its telling that there's something up. Is it a decent time to upgrade, or should I try to hold out for a while? I wanted to hold out til windows 10 released but I'm not sure if I can take it. What worthwhile, not terribly expensive intel cpu's are out there right now that would be a good upgrade to my 920? I figure I might just get some hold over cpu/mobo/ram bundle until skylake comes out.

 

[RGM79]

Hi all, was just wondering if someone could oversee my build and let me know if it is up to scratch and what if anything they would do differently:

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K
CPU Cooler: ? (Not sure which to go for and even been told don't need)
Motherboard: ROG Hero VI
Memory: G Skill 2x 4GB PC3-19200 DDR3 2400MHz
Storage: WD 1TB 3.5 inch Internal Hard Drive - Caviar Blue
Storage: Crucial CT256MX100SSD1 256GB
Video Card: EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 with ACX 2.0 Cooling 4GB Graphics Card
Case: Undecided would like a white case with a see through panel but easy for build obviously
Power Supply: Corsair CP-9020076-UK Builder Series 550W CS550M ATX/EPS Semi-Modular 80 Plus Gold Power Supply Unit

Thanks.

How much do those parts cost? What country are you buying them in?

The 4690K is a processor that can overclock. I recommend the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo (<$30), it'll run cooler and quieter than the stock cooler if you aren't overclocking, but if you are it can handle moderate overclocks up to 4.5GHz.

I recommend the Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ($117) and the MSI Z97S SLI Plus ($111). These motherboards have enough features for most people.

Which model of G.Skill RAM is it exactly? How much does it cost? There might be cheaper alternatives.

Which EVGA GTX 970 is it? There's more than half a dozen different models.

For white window case recommendations, here's a list of white cases from Bitfenix, Fractal, and NZXT. Can't really go wrong with any of them.

 

[The Llama]

I did that, but if I uninstall chrome and re-install then it will be back again. There must be some remnant that re-installs it...

I had that problem a while ago. I ended up running some sort of virus/spyware scanner and that seemed to get rid of it.

 

[RGM79]

So my (mostly) 6 year old rig is starting to have some issues. I've upgraded the video card and hdd to an sdd, but I'm still using the same cpu/motherboard/ram. It's an i7 920. For the last few months my computer has gotten strangely slow, where things will halt for seconds at a time. I redid my computer and it continued to do it. Also sometimes when I start up my computer windows doesn't recognize the ethernet so I can't connect. It's easily fixed by rebooting but its telling that there's something up. Is it a decent time to upgrade, or should I try to hold out for a while? I wanted to hold out til windows 10 released but I'm not sure if I can take it. What worthwhile, not terribly expensive intel cpu's are out there right now that would be a good upgrade to my 920?

Sounds like motherboard issues. CPUs rarely fail, if ever.

Unfortunately, you're looking at around $300 USD for the i5 4690K and a decent motherboard. Even more if you're looking to move from X58 motherboard to X99.

 

[Flaymeboy]

How much do those parts cost? What country are you buying them in?

The 4690K is a processor that can overclock. I recommend the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo (<$30), it'll run cooler and quieter than the stock cooler if you aren't overclocking, but if you are it can handle moderate overclocks up to 4.5GHz.

I recommend the Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ($117) and the MSI Z97S SLI Plus ($111). These motherboards have enough features for most people.

Which model of G.Skill RAM is it exactly? How much does it cost? There might be cheaper alternatives.

Which EVGA GTX 970 is it? There's more than half a dozen different models.

For white window case recommendations, here's a list of white cases from Bitfenix, Fractal, and NZXT. Can't really go wrong with any of them.

Thanks for the reply in answer to your question buying in the UK

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£173.94 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£160.43 @ Aria PC)
Memory: G.Skill Trident X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory (£79.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£79.00 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£40.39 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card (£275.96 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: Corsair CSM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£77.99 @ Novatech)
Monitor: Asus ROG SWIFT PG278Q 144Hz 27.0" Monitor (£619.52 @ Scan.co.uk)
Total: £1507.22
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-14 01:47 GMT+0000

 

[RGM79]

Thanks for the reply in answer to your question buying in the UK

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£173.94 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£160.43 @ Aria PC)
Memory: G.Skill Trident X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory (£79.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£79.00 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£40.39 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card (£275.96 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: Corsair CSM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£77.99 @ Novatech)
Monitor: Asus ROG SWIFT PG278Q 144Hz 27.0" Monitor (£619.52 @ Scan.co.uk)
Total: £1507.22
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-14 01:47 GMT+0000

Here's what I recommend. I managed to add a CPU cooler, a better GTX 970 and a case and it comes out to less than what you had before.

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: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£89.99 @ Novatech)
Memory: Kingston Fury White Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£59.70 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£79.00 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£35.94 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (£280.00 @ Aria PC)
Case: NZXT S340 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case (£59.99 @ Novatech)
Power Supply: Antec TruePower Classic 750W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply (£73.00 @ More Computers)
Monitor: Asus ROG SWIFT PG278Q 144Hz 27.0" Monitor (£619.52 @ Scan.co.uk)
Total: £1496.52
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-14 02:37 GMT+0000

I would say yes, the monitor is to be included in the budget. I have no preference on the size of the PC.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.88 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Plus ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($72.97 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($344.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($41.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $924.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-13 21:49 EST-0500

If you don't intend to overclock or want the option to run dual GTX 970 in SLI in the future, A little more money can be saved. Sorry, I'm not a monitor guy, can't really recommend one.

 

[mercenar1e]

when should someone upgrade from an i5 2500K? are the new processors noticeably better?

 

[The Llama]

when should someone upgrade from an i5 2500K? are the new processors noticeably better?

If its overclocked, then you'll almost certainly be fine for another 2 years.

 

[krewx078]

After seeing the system requirements for new upcoming games, I have finally decided to upgrade my system. I will be jumping from my old i7 930 and 7970ghz to a new 4790k and gtx 970 which should be delivered to me sometime this week.

Obviously, this requires me to change motherboard. Currently I have 3 hdd's. One of them has the OS and stuff like that. The other two have steam games and other random programs, music and movies. Here lies the problem. I'm not really too tech savvy and would like to know if it is possible for me to upgrade to my new hardware without losing everything in my hard drives. The reason is that, especially in the steam hdd, I have tons of games installed and with isp data caps and stuff I would hate to have to download everything again.

So I guess i'm asking is if it's possible to take out the two drives that aren't used for the OS and not have them wiped with the clean install of the new OS then install them with all the games, movies, and music after the fresh installation of windows? If it is possible, how would I go about doing that?

 

[reKon]

Decided not to go the X51 + 970 GTX route. I'm planning on not upgrading this machine too much. I'd want this to last 3-5 years before I touch a thing (I don't give a shit how far gaming has come graphically, lol..). This is primarily an HTPC with strong gaming capability. I probably won't be heavily OCing, but I just want that option there. If anyone thinks it's absolutely not worth it to OC just a little bit and to pay the extra money, then let me know and I'll just switch out the MOBO and maybe just use the stock cooling fan.

Tell me what you think of this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master GeminII M4 58.4 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($30.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97E-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($116.98 @ Newegg)
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)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($124.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($344.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone ML07B HTPC Case ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Gold 450W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($87.60 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($20.98 @ OutletPC)
Keyboard: Logitech K400 Wireless Slim Keyboard w/Touchpad ($19.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1285.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-13 22:09 EST-0500

I have a microcenter that's not too far from me so that's where I'll be picking up the CPU since it's significantly cheaper. I added the GPU to get sort of an estimate on cost, but I'm expecting to get something that will be cheaper that $345 down the road at some point. Same applies to the hard drive which I'll be looking for a deal for on slickdeals. I've replaced part inside of a full tower PC before, but I haven't done a custom build before. I know I have the option to pay a store to do it, but I'd rather learn, save money, and do it myself. How hard will this be?

 

[knitoe]

After seeing the system requirements for new upcoming games, I have finally decided to upgrade my system. I will be jumping from my old i7 930 and 7970ghz to a new 4790k and gtx 970 which should be delivered to me sometime this week.

Obviously, this requires me to change motherboard. Currently I have 3 hdd's. One of them has the OS and stuff like that. The other two have steam games and other random programs, music and movies. Here lies the problem. I'm not really too tech savvy and would like to know if it is possible for me to upgrade to my new hardware without losing everything in my hard drives. The reason is that, especially in the steam hdd, I have tons of games installed and with isp data caps and stuff I would hate to have to download everything again.

So I guess i'm asking is if it's possible to take out the two drives that aren't used for the OS and not have them wiped with the clean install of the new OS then install them with all the games, movies, and music after the fresh installation of windows? If it is possible, how would I go about doing that?

If you are running Win7 or 8, you could try putting in your upgrades and run off the current Windows install. If Windows loads up, just install the new MB drivers and you are set to go again. If not, obviously, you need to do a fresh Windows install.

As for your Steam and media HDDs, reinstall programs, like Steam, in the same place, and generally, they will work without needing to redownload everything again.

 

[Hazaro]

So I used PC Part Picker for my build, and three of the items I ended up ordering from OutletPC. I've already received my orders from Amazon and Newegg, and my order status at OutletPC still says, "pending." Everything was marked as in stock when I ordered, but I've had no movement on anything. I went to try to cancel my order, and there's no option to do so. Ugh.

Is OutletPC going to be a pain in the butt? Did I screw up ordering from them? Now that I looked at some reviews, it seems that they have a lot of bad reviews in regards to items being in stock, shipping times, communication, and even quality of product (open packages, damaged stuff, broken stuff) mixed in with glowing (suspicious) 5-star reviews with only passable English.

I was only saving like $20 on my CPU and about $4-5 each on the other two things. It's really not worth the extra wait/hassle at this point. Any ideas on how to deal with them? I just want an idea of what's going on with my order.

This is one (well, another) thing I dont like about PCPart picker. Everything I buy is from Amazon for a reason.

Keyboard question: I've decided I'd like to get a mechanical, I don't really have a budget, but I don't really want to spend $150+ if I can help it, and buying on Amazon would be preferable because I have a lot of credit there right now.

Does anyone know anything about this keyboard: Nixeus MODA Mechanical I see it doesn't have cherry switches, but I think I'd like the "brown" style switch, and it seems pretty affordable. I need a smaller-ish form factor to fit on my keyboard tray, so I don't want to get anything too large, either.

If it's not Cherry it's probably those Chinese mech switches which are not rated at 50M (even though it says it is) more like 5-10M. I personally haven't tried them myself but I talked to a keyboard product manager about them and he's not fond of them. Hence the lower price.

In practical use they are probably fine, but they haven't been in the wild long enough to know for sure.

Cross posting from the "comfy couch" thread. My first pc build instead of going the PS4 route (i love playing FPS with m/kb): here what i gathered so far from reading various forums/threads:

Budget: max 600-700 €, more towards 600 € if possible, germany. I have Amazon prime.
Main Use: gaming:5, a little CAD (autocad 2012) stuff for work:1, General Usage: 3
Monitor Resolution: want to use it with a 42" Sony Bravia 42W705 over HDMI - comfy couch setup
Games to run: BF3/BF4 with smooth fps (60) and other fps, backlog of games (Witcher 2, Dishonored) with decent quality. Diablo 3. Maybe Star Citizen in decent quality. Don't need exotic special effects or hardcore AA. I'm used to hobo graphic settings all my life so everything this thing can do will blow me away.
Looking to reuse any parts?: Could use my Samsung 830 256 GB SSD from my L650 laptop instead of buying a SSHD or SSD (have spare 2,5" HDD as replacement)
When will you build?: No deadline. Some days i think "fuck it, just buy a PS4 for half the price" but i'm probably going to buy 1/3 of the parts every month for three months.
Will you be overclocking?: if i don't need to i'm not really looking to OC.

Mainboard needs the Wifi because PC is going to stay besides TV and the router is on the other side of the room. Could use a 10 meter lan cable but the 5 Ghz wireless mode should be enough for internet gaming (50mbit down /10mbit up).

Instead of the R9 270X i could get a R9 285 (HIS Radeon R9 285 Mini IceQ X² OC ) for around 30 € more but i also just could get the cheaper one and first work of my backlog and buy a better one in 2 years or so.

I also choose an i3 instead of an i5 (eg. i5-4460, 4x 3.20GHz), less hassle with heat and 80 € cheaper. As with the GPU, i could still upgrade this later.

Bite the bullet and go i5.

You can also just buy a used i5 and new (but old) mobo and OC and you'll be really golden.

when should someone upgrade from an i5 2500K? are the new processors noticeably better?

Never 2-6 years at this rate.

 

[naw]

Wow i just upgraded to a 4690k and Z97X-UD5H this weekend. I didn't see the bios until after I installed W8.1 by usb. Did u try holding Delete while the system boots?

It shouldn't matter whether there's a boot device or not, but I was hoping removing the USB drive would make a difference. You were able to press F9 and F12, pressing delete during the same time window should have let you get into the BIOS, so something's wrong for sure. Tried the keyboard changes to see if anything's different?

Try clearing the CMOS. There are three methods as outlined in the manual:

There's a switch near the RAM slots in the upper right corner of the motherboard, next to reset and power switches. The computer should be off and unplugged from the outlet when you use that switch, the manual says.

If that doesn't work, there's a jumper you can use to clear the CMOS near the lower right corner, just above the front panel connectors. use a jumper or a screwdriver to bridge the pins. Again, the computer should be off and unplugged for this, as per the manual.

Or remove the CMOS battery for one minute or more when the computer is off and unplugged, then replace it.

So I was able to access the BIOS by going through the boot menu. Still dunno why I can't get to it by tapping delete but it's whatever. Thanks for the help.

 

[Nostremitus]

So I was able to access the BIOS by going through the boot menu. Still dunno why I can't get to it by tapping delete but it's whatever. Thanks for the help.

Had you previously set the bios to quick-boot? Some mobos completely bypass the option to enter the UEFI. ASRock does this. They have option for normal, fast boot, and then a fastest setting (The name of which escapes me) that bypasses the UEFI altogether. They provide an app on their driver disc that you use to restart the computer in UEFI.

 

[QueenOfThorns]

Is there a $300 or less IPS monitor that would be good for games? I got to mess around with a ASUS VG248QE and it's...alright, but the picture quality is pretty much the same as the Asus monitor I've had for two years now. (Mostly in that the colors are really washed out compared to nicer displays) Would like a little bit of a jump, so IPS looks like it'd be good for that, but I'd also like one that's good for games like Dark Souls and stuff too. PC and PS4, so DVI and HDMI ports would be appreciated.

I've looked at a billion monitors on amazon and review websites and I have no idea what's good anymore.

 

[RGM79]

Decided not to go the X51 + 970 GTX route. I'm planning on not upgrading this machine too much. I'd want this to last 3-5 years before I touch a thing (I don't give a shit how far gaming has come graphically, lol..). This is primarily an HTPC with strong gaming capability. I probably won't be heavily OCing, but I just want that option there. If anyone thinks it's absolutely not worth it to OC just a little bit and to pay the extra money, then let me know and I'll just switch out the MOBO and maybe just use the stock cooling fan.

Tell me what you think of this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master GeminII M4 58.4 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($30.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97E-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($116.98 @ Newegg)
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)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($124.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($344.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone ML07B HTPC Case ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Gold 450W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($87.60 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($20.98 @ OutletPC)
Keyboard: Logitech K400 Wireless Slim Keyboard w/Touchpad ($19.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1285.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-13 22:09 EST-0500

I have a microcenter that's not too far from me so that's where I'll be picking up the CPU since it's significantly cheaper. I added the GPU to get sort of an estimate on cost, but I'm expecting to get something that will be cheaper that $345 down the road at some point. Same applies to the hard drive which I'll be looking for a deal for on slickdeals. I've replaced part inside of a full tower PC before, but I haven't done a custom build before. I know I have the option to pay a store to do it, but I'd rather learn, save money, and do it myself. How hard will this be?

1. You can go with the i5 4690K and get near identical framerate in 90% of games.

2. The GeminII M4 cooler is a very small model and is better for lower end HTPCs, if you ever want to overclock and just for lower temperatures in general, I'd recommend a compact water cooler like the Corsair H55 which makes sense for a small case like the Silverstone ML07.

3. No need to go with a WD Black model for the secondary storage. You'll never notice the Black model's higher performance when you already have the OS on the SSD. The Hitachi 7200RPM 2TB is $72 right now, or you can look for a hard drive deal like you said.

4. You should get the 600 watt version of that Silverstone power supply instead. At least 500 watts is recommended for the GTX 970, and you'll have more overhead to work with upgrades in the future.

Good call on that RAM. It's sometimes cheaper to get two separate sticks. The MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G is a pretty good model. Do you mean you are waiting for the price to come down, or are looking for an alternative graphics card? You were pretty set on the GTX 970. Oh, and were you going to get the ML07 or wait for the RVZ02? The RVZ02 was supposed to be even smaller than the RVZ01, so it could look better in the living room.

Anyway, with the parts changes, you can save ~$170.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H55 57.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($64.37 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97E-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard
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)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 7K2000 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($71.50 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($344.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone ML07B HTPC Case ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($20.33 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech K400 Wireless Slim Keyboard w/Touchpad ($19.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1112.12
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-14 01:24 EST-0500

 

[Professor Renegade]

Hey guys, I just found out that one of my DRAM sticks is faulty (specifically from this set: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233170 ). I'm going to try and get a replacement from Corsair, but I'm not sure which of the numbers on the back of this thing is the lot code.

 

[RGM79]

Hey guys, I just found out that one of my DRAM sticks is faulty (specifically from this set: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233170 ). I'm going to try and get a replacement from Corsair, but I'm not sure which of the numbers on the back of this thing is the lot code.

This should answer your question. Either the second number is the lot code if you have more than one number, or you can just put unknown.

 

[reKon]

1. You can go with the i5 4690K and get near identical framerate in 90% of games.

2. The GeminII M4 cooler is a very small model and is better for lower end HTPCs, if you ever want to overclock and just for lower temperatures in general, I'd recommend a compact water cooler like the Corsair H55 which makes sense for a small case like the Silverstone ML07.

3. No need to go with a WD Black model for the secondary storage. You'll never notice the Black model's higher performance when you already have the OS on the SSD. The Hitachi 7200RPM 2TB is $72 right now, or you can look for a hard drive deal like you said.

4. You should get the 600 watt version of that Silverstone power supply instead. At least 500 watts is recommended for the GTX 970, and you'll have more overhead to work with upgrades in the future.

Good call on that RAM. It's sometimes cheaper to get two separate sticks. The MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G is a pretty good model. Do you mean you are waiting for the price to come down, or are looking for an alternative graphics card? You were pretty set on the GTX 970. Oh, and were you going to get the ML07 or wait for the RVZ02? The RVZ02 was supposed to be even smaller than the RVZ01, so it could look better in the living room.

Anyway, with the parts changes, you can save ~$170.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H55 57.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($64.37 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97E-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard
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)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 7K2000 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($71.50 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($344.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone ML07B HTPC Case ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($20.33 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech K400 Wireless Slim Keyboard w/Touchpad ($19.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1112.12
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-14 01:24 EST-0500

1) Do I need to worry about reliability on the Hitachi drive?

2) For the PSU, I've researched and seen that people have been fine with 450 running more stuff than I am going to be. Will a future GPU/SSD upgrade really cause 450 watts to be an issue? Not saying that I won't go up to the 600, but I was hoping that I would still be fine because it's ridiculous for that PSU to cost that much.

3) I updated my build since I last posted and I'm switched back to i5 saving $30.

4) It installing this new CPU fan be more complicated because of the watercooling or will I be able to just figure that out?

5) I decided that the ML07 is small enough and should fit in well with the rest of my media center. If the final prototype of the RVZ02 looks incredible, then I'll just have to buy that case haha.

6) I'm not in a rush to get a GPU right now. I'll either wait for the price to down or see why AMD brings, which will probably force Nvidia to make moves and then I'll have more options. If installing the GPU down the road is going to be a bitch, then I might just decide to buy it soon so I can add it to my rig. Also, getting the GTX 750 Ti could be a possibility and

Thanks a lot for your help.

 

[Nostremitus]

1) Do I need to worry about reliability on the Hitachi drive?

 

[reKon]

Haha yeah I've already seen this before, but I've also heard people say that it was kind of bullshit. I'm surprised that people have rated the seagate so high on the pcbuild site.

 

[Nostremitus]

Haha yeah I've already seen this before, but I've also heard people say that it was kind of bullshit. I'm surprised that people have rated the seagate so high on the pcbuild site.

It's kind of bullshit because they throw a lot more that the drives than the normal user would. That said, the Hitachi drives still have a lower failure rate despite that. So, I would feel safer with one.

Unless there's another reason people call bullshit that I haven't heard.

 

[RGM79]

1) Do I need to worry about reliability on the Hitachi drive?

2) For the PSU, I've researched and seen that people have been fine with 450 running more stuff than I am going to be. Will a future GPU/SSD upgrade really cause 450 watts to be an issue? Not saying that I won't go up to the 600, but I was hoping that I would still be fine because it's ridiculous for that PSU to cost that much.

3) I updated my build since I last posted and I'm switched back to i5 saving $30.

4) It installing this new CPU fan be more complicated because of the watercooling or will I be able to just figure that out?

5) I decided that the ML07 is small enough and should fit in well with the rest of my media center. If the final prototype of the RVZ02 looks incredible, then I'll just have to buy that case haha.

6) I'm not in a rush to get a GPU right now. I'll either wait for the price to down or see why AMD brings, which will probably force Nvidia to make moves and then I'll have more options. If installing the GPU down the road is going to be a bitch, then I might just decide to buy it soon so I can add it to my rig. Also, getting the GTX 750 Ti could be a possibility and

Thanks a lot for your help.

1. Backblaze's hard drive reliability report painted HGST/Hitachi in good colors.

Fake edit: yeah, you've seen that and others have already brought it up.

2. There's no telling what future graphics cards may require in terms of wattage and amperage. The GTX 970 will probably run on that 450 watt power supply, but it will be cutting quite close to the limit. Generally for power supplies, you want to leave a bit of breathing room not just because of future upgrades, but also because power supplies are more efficient, run cooler, and last longer when they aren't operating right at their maximum capacity.

Unfortunately, when you want to go with a such a small and specific form factor like the Silverstone RVZ01/ML07, you need small power supplies. No one else really makes any comparable power supplies, so they can get away with charging $130 for a 600 watt power supply. At least it's a quality power supply, reviews show that much.

4. No, the Corsair water cooling kit is completely self-contained and is pre-assembled. You do not need to put anything together besides the metal mounting bracket, and there are instructions for that. All you need to do is put the pump on top of the CPU and mount the radiator with a fan to the ML07 side panel fan mount. I won't lie, it could be a tight fit, but others have done it and it is a recommended part in the Overclock.net Silverstone small case owner's thread. We did have a guy in the old PC build thread who was unhappy with the GeminII M4's cooling performance, and IIRC he had either the RVZ01 or the ML07B.

Actually, I also have another recommendation to go with the water cooler. Instead of using the included fan, you may want to buy a slim cooling fan for the radiator, like this Silverstone slim 120mm fan ($14) because the spacing is cramped.

5. There's very few PC cases that pull off the game console size and look and have the performance to match. There are cube style PC cases that are also compact and will take a standard power supply, but I'm guessing you already considered those.

6. I'd wait it out to see three things: reviews of the RVZ02, news of Intel's new processor line, and the AMD R9 390/390X series, all of which should be coming in a couple of months. The GTX 750 Ti is a great choice for gaming at 1080p/medium settings or lower, and it'll go with the 450 watt power supply just fine.

 

[gokieks]

There is almost no chance that the RVZ02, with it's 80mm height compared to the 105mm of the RVZ01/ML07/FTZ01, is going to be able to fit a 120mm CLC on the top/side panel.

 

[Hazaro]

It's kind of bullshit because they throw a lot more that the drives than the normal user would. That said, the Hitachi drives still have a lower failure rate despite that. So, I would feel safer with one.

Unless there's another reason people call bullshit that I haven't heard.

Slice of certain models
FWIW it feels like Seagates fail and make more noise than most WD (I'd avoid WD Green's still). YMMV

 

[Femmeworth]

Just ordered the SeaSonic X650 for my PSU. Haven't ordered anything else, since I'm not totally sure how much my textbooks are going to cost this semester.

 

[Donos]

Bite the bullet and go i5.

You can also just buy a used i5 and new (but old) mobo and OC and you'll be really golden.

Never 2-6 years at this rate.

Huh, everywhere else i always read that i have to buy the cpu boxed and not tray, because of longer warranty and being sure that it wasn't already used and then sent back. Is the performance difference that noticeable for the games i listed between the i3 i picked and an i5 4xxx?