No, I don't think such things exist, apparently USB and firewire don't work the same way that an adaptor is possible. You need a firewire card to have working firewire.
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"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 2. Read the OP. Rocking 2500K's until HBM2 and beyond.
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No, I don't think such things exist, apparently USB and firewire don't work the same way that an adaptor is possible. You need a firewire card to have working firewire.
Terbinator
Member
Does anyone know why I'm still getting stutter with borderless and 60FPS limit in RivaTuner?
Not without knowing your system specs, what games you're running, what drivers you're on, what other applications you have in the bg etc.
Terbinator
Member
Well this was in League of Legends with in-game set to uncapped.
W10
Core i7 6700K
GTX980Ti (latest drivers)
Sony W7 monitor
Other background apps would be Steam, MSI AB, maybe Skype?
Those programs shouldn't cause stutter. What kind of stutter are we talking here btw? Like a constant thing, or when you move your mouse, or a more prolonged kind of 'freeze' for a couple of seconds?
Reinstall drivers would be the first thing I'd do.
Busta SMurk
Member
Can I put a card like that in one of the other PCI-E x4 or x8 slots? The x1 slot is right underneath the PCI-E x16 slot for the GPU, which takes up 2 slots, and will physically block access to it.
Here's the mobo again.
I hope I articulated that well enough.
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
Yes that will work.
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
A quick question. My brother wants to reuse as much as possible from his old computer and he has a (inexpensive) PCI sound card and wants to buy an Gigabyte skylake micro-ATX with 2 PCI ports instead of all PCIe.
Should I just tell him to forget about the card and get another mobo? Is there any reason to have PCI ports other than your old parts?
to add to that, what is the difference between B150M and Z170?
Should I just tell him to forget about the card and get another mobo? Is there any reason to have PCI ports other than your old parts?
to add to that, what is the difference between B150M and Z170?
What sound card? It could be worse than onboard nowadays.
Nostremitus
Member
Is his old, cheap soundcard any better than modern integrated sound?
Terbinator
Member
As in the FPS is dropping harsh, but briefly. In-game ping is 24ms and FPS counter still reporting 60FPS.
adamantypants
Member
PCI ports are basically dead. Is there any reason he can't just use onboard sound? Dedicated soundcards are mostly for audiophiles these days.
edit: hot damn we hate sound cards in this thread lol
What sound card is it? If it's old enough to be a PCI model, chances are that it can't be good enough to be that much better than motherboard integrated audio. Here's the differences between the different Skylake chipsets.
There's more than that, but those are the main differences.
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
The souncard is an ASUS Xonar DG 5.1 (He's no audiophile, so he just thought he was saving money)
I recommended him this mobo. This is the one he was getting
I recommended him this mobo. This is the one he was getting
Purple Cheeto
Member
Eh a new case is probably a good idea since I broke one of the front USB ports on this. Plus then I can throw the old parts and hard drives together and use the other box as a media server or something I dunno.
Thanks for the help!
The Lamonster
Member
What a pain. Wish I would've backed up my old firewire external before my old PC died!
What Firewire drive do you have? Chances are that you can disassemble it, take out the hard drive, and put it in a new USB 3.0 enclosure.
Some explanation for the other changes. The whole idea was saving money where it counts and investing in other places.
Mobo: The Deluxe is nice... but way too expensive. Unless you plan on utilizing all of its features... there is no need to spend close to $300 on a mobo.
CPU Cooler: $20 more and vastly better cooling. Also, with the Noctua fans I added, much, much quieter. Corsair Link Software is also great.
Memory: Just saving some money and keeping the red theme from the mobo. Higher memory speeds are hardly ever worth it.
Storage: The Samsung SM951 would act as your boot drive and hold any critical programs like Creative Suite. The Crucial is about the same as the Samsung and cheaper. The WD Black is a loud drive, I would advise getting some rubber washers or adhesive foam to act as an extra barrier between the drive and whatever you mount it to.
Video Card: Outside of maybe the Lightning, K|NGP|N, and Matrix Platinum there isn't much separating 980 Ti's. The Hybrid is nice because it is dead quiet and as long as you don't lose the silicon lottery, performs within 99% of any other 980 Ti. The 3rd Noctua fan is a MUST though if you get this GPU as the stock fan is loud as hell (personal experience).
Case: Gotta show off those new parts! Window all the way. Also, "blackout" keeps everything aesthetically cleaner.
PSU: Well, I have a 980 Ti and 850W is just in that spot of more than enough for a single card, but not enough for SLI... so considering a 1000W PSU is only a little more, it is a sound investment.
Optical Drive: Saving money
Case Fan: IMO the best fan on the market. At 3000rpm is will be stupid loud but you won't need to run it that high. 1000-1200rpm during gaming should be fine (and quiet). Also, the black and dark brown color is much better than the poop tan of the fan you originally selected.
Compared to your original build you are only up $12 and have put yourself in a much better position. The PSU will give you the option for SLI, for this system, or any future one. The CPU cooler, GPU choice, and fans should combine to keep your system running cool and quiet even during heavy gaming.
I have a quite specific system in mind and I was hoping you might be able to help me. This system is for gaming only, I have a pretty powerful notebook for daily use etc. This machine will stay on the living room so I would prefer a smallish case with audio/usb ports on the top, however the most import aspect is that it should be quiet under stress. I want to play any game on the market right now at 1080p 60fps with high settings or above (last 5 games I played were Destiny, Binding of Isaac, Transformers, Life is Strange and Shogun 2:TW so I do mean any game).
I will plug this directly into my TV and have wireless mouse,keyboard and controller already. In addition I have an ssd, 2 hdds, a dvd drive and a wireless network card from my old system. In addition, I have the opportunity to buy a CPU cheaper if I buy before the end of the year. My options are i7-5775C for 187$, i5-5675C for 137$ or i7-5930K for 294$. I am planning to spend around 1000$ and I live in US. I am not planning to overclock anything. I am pretty sure I can pick the parts based on performance myself but the form factor and the noise concerns led me to ask for guidance.
Thanks and sorry for the lengthy post.
I will plug this directly into my TV and have wireless mouse,keyboard and controller already. In addition I have an ssd, 2 hdds, a dvd drive and a wireless network card from my old system. In addition, I have the opportunity to buy a CPU cheaper if I buy before the end of the year. My options are i7-5775C for 187$, i5-5675C for 137$ or i7-5930K for 294$. I am planning to spend around 1000$ and I live in US. I am not planning to overclock anything. I am pretty sure I can pick the parts based on performance myself but the form factor and the noise concerns led me to ask for guidance.
Thanks and sorry for the lengthy post.
So I'm fairly certain I've finalized my build (couldn't have done it with your help, RGM79! Thank you!). I've trimmed what fat I can while keeping the components I didn't want to give up.
So with that said, would it be a good idea to wait for Black Friday sales before buying my components? Or do you feel that these components are unlikely to be discounted at all?
So with that said, would it be a good idea to wait for Black Friday sales before buying my components? Or do you feel that these components are unlikely to be discounted at all?
Currently running a 6350 and 7870 on an Asus M5A97 ATX AM3+ Motherboard.
I've got the 'ol upgrade paralysis. I was planning on do a completely new build with most of the recommended enthusiast build from the OP, but getting a 980ti. Then I was reading that thread from about a week ago saying to "wait for pascal", yet I think that kind of sentiment is constantly floating around in every upgrade thread. So I guess my primary question here is if I buy an Asus Z170-A will that MOBO be future-proofed for a while, i.e. Pascal? I mostly want to do some heavy 1080p gaming. MIGHT want to dabble in some VR, especially for Elite.
I've got the 'ol upgrade paralysis. I was planning on do a completely new build with most of the recommended enthusiast build from the OP, but getting a 980ti. Then I was reading that thread from about a week ago saying to "wait for pascal", yet I think that kind of sentiment is constantly floating around in every upgrade thread. So I guess my primary question here is if I buy an Asus Z170-A will that MOBO be future-proofed for a while, i.e. Pascal? I mostly want to do some heavy 1080p gaming. MIGHT want to dabble in some VR, especially for Elite.
Hey all.
I'm currently using a crappy old TV for my monitor, while I patiently wait until I can get a decent monitor. =)
Problem I'm having is for some reason it decided to not show the entire screen, and sound stopped working. So I can't see the bottom system tray, start menu button, etc., can't see the edges, and no sound.
It used to work, now it doesn't. I've got in my device manager Intel HD Graphics 4600 and NVidia GeForce GTX 980.
For sound, I've got Intel(R) Display Audio, NVIDIA High Definition Audio, NVIDIA Virtual Audio Device (Wave Extensible) (WDM), and Realtek High Definition Audio.
My drivers should all be up to date.
Oh, and under Monitors, it's listed as a Generic PnP Monitor.
Any ideas on what I can try to get my screen to fit again, and get my sound back?
I'm currently using a crappy old TV for my monitor, while I patiently wait until I can get a decent monitor. =)
Problem I'm having is for some reason it decided to not show the entire screen, and sound stopped working. So I can't see the bottom system tray, start menu button, etc., can't see the edges, and no sound.
It used to work, now it doesn't. I've got in my device manager Intel HD Graphics 4600 and NVidia GeForce GTX 980.
For sound, I've got Intel(R) Display Audio, NVIDIA High Definition Audio, NVIDIA Virtual Audio Device (Wave Extensible) (WDM), and Realtek High Definition Audio.
My drivers should all be up to date.
Oh, and under Monitors, it's listed as a Generic PnP Monitor.
Any ideas on what I can try to get my screen to fit again, and get my sound back?
becktionary
Neo Member
I'm thinking about upgrading but I'm so out of the loop that I'm not sure how much of a gain I'd really get. To be specific I'm thinking about upgrading my CPU, which is an i5 2500K OC'd to 4.4 Ghz with 8GB of DDR3 RAM. I'm eyeing the i5 6600K, but of course to get one I'll need a new mobo and ram (16GB) as well, plus I've been meaning to get a better case so my total cost after tax would be around $650 to upgrade.
For reference I'm currently using a 1080p monitor with a 980Ti but I'd like to dip my toe into higher resolutions eventually. My frame rate in most games (lately Mad Max, MGSV, Far Cry 4) is generally a pretty solid 60 but I'm also extremely sensitive to frame drops and microstutter, to the point where I'll spend an inordinate amount of time tweaking to get things smoother, so even if I'd only be getting smoother frame rates I think it might be worth it.
For reference I'm currently using a 1080p monitor with a 980Ti but I'd like to dip my toe into higher resolutions eventually. My frame rate in most games (lately Mad Max, MGSV, Far Cry 4) is generally a pretty solid 60 but I'm also extremely sensitive to frame drops and microstutter, to the point where I'll spend an inordinate amount of time tweaking to get things smoother, so even if I'd only be getting smoother frame rates I think it might be worth it.
opticalmace
Member
The 6600K would be a solid upgrade. If you're not sure about upgrading, you could try measuring your frametimes in (e.g.) FRAPS and see what's actually happening in those '60 fps' games.
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
For the edges it could be that you have overscan turned on on your TV.
As for sound. Is the TV connected through an HDMI only, and are you selecting that as your audio playback?
Wowfunhappy
Member
I think you're probably paying too much attention to system requirements. They never seem to be tied to reality, and I'm not sure why game developers even bother with them. Seems like it would make more sense to release a free benchmark tool.
I would recommend getting a new graphics card FIRST, and then seeing how the game performs. Worst case scenrio, you have a new graphics card that you can put inside of an entirely new PC.
Lys Skygge
Member
So I have another question and it might be a little controversial haha.
When I build my PC this month I'll be coming from a MacBook Pro. One thing I absolutely LOVE about Macs are the mouse, keyboard, and trackpad. They look and feel good to me. So my question is will I be able to use an Apple keyboard, mouse, trackpad on a PC running Windows 10?
When I build my PC this month I'll be coming from a MacBook Pro. One thing I absolutely LOVE about Macs are the mouse, keyboard, and trackpad. They look and feel good to me. So my question is will I be able to use an Apple keyboard, mouse, trackpad on a PC running Windows 10?
They work... but don't expect them to work like they do on a mac. It'll be pretty disappointing.
V-sync forced off?
Actually can you even force v-sync off in window mode? Not sure.
Chances are, you can open the case and connect the HD inside to your pc's internal sata port.
I just confirmed an order for an Asus MG279Q. It is an all around upgrade on my previous monitor Benq XL2411z. Anyone else have this monitor and what is your quick summary of it?
I'm hoping I don't have to RMA it due to dead pixels or bleed like what many reviews online say. Otherwise I can't say I'm not excited.
I'm hoping I don't have to RMA it due to dead pixels or bleed like what many reviews online say. Otherwise I can't say I'm not excited.
abracadaver
Member
Why did you go for the 279Q instead of the 278Q?
I'm debating on purchasing a backplate for my graphics card. If I pull the trigger, are there any tricks to installing it? It's a 980 if it matters.
I assume it's just a matter of turning off the computer and PSU, unplugging the 6-pin power connectors, removing the graphics card and installing the backplate. Then reinstall the graphics card and power everything back on?
I assume it's just a matter of turning off the computer and PSU, unplugging the 6-pin power connectors, removing the graphics card and installing the backplate. Then reinstall the graphics card and power everything back on?
Lys Skygge
Member
Hmmm...any recommendations for PC keyboards that feel similar to the Apple keyboard?
Have you used a good mechanical keyboard before? I was a big fan of apple keyboards before using it now I can't go back. Typing on a nice ducky keyboard is so much better than the Apple one.
Anytime, I mess around inside the PC:
1) Turn off and/or unplug PSU.
2) Hit the power button to use up any leftover electricity.
3) Touch the PC case with both hands to get rid of static electricity.
Then, I am ready to go.
As for putting on a backplate, they should come with install instructions. And, yes, detache the power cables, remove the video card, install the backplate and do the reverse to reinstall the card.
For IPS.
Thanks! I've had to install a new gfx card before, but I can't help but still feel paranoid that I'm gonna fry my PC
Lys Skygge
Member
I haven't. I just want something sleek and minimal.
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
The keyboard will work the same as far as I know, no worries there. The thing that won't is the trackpad.
iiiiiunicorn
Neo Member
Any recommendations for a Z170 motherboard?
What brand makes the most solid board these days? What are most of you guys using?
What brand makes the most solid board these days? What are most of you guys using?
I'd recommend either the i5 5675C or the i7 5775C. How small do you want your PC case to be? You should look at Fractal's Define Mini or Nanoxia's Deep Silence 4 for the noise-dampening design. Alternatively there are other options like Silverstone's Grandia line which are meant to be home theatre type cases that would fit right next to a home stereo receiver.
I recommend Noctua heatsinks if you're looking for a low noise CPU cooler. Their entire line is pretty much excellent, and they have both large and small CPU coolers which are all biased toward low noise and quiet operation. Quite a lot of them still manage to have fairly high cooling performance, though.
Nvidia graphics cards are currently the better bet when it comes to lower heat and noise levels, quite a lot of them have zero fan speed modes when at low temperature. If you don't need to buy new storage drives, then maybe you can fit a GTX 980 Ti into your budget.
Similarly, some power supplies have an "eco" mode that reduces fan noise at low loads. EVGA and Corsair offer that feature.
Here's an example build, optimized for low noise:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-5775C 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($187.00)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D9L 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler ($54.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($68.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($314.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone GD09B HTPC Case ($66.60 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $849.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-03 00:38 EST-0500
I tried, but wasn't able to make a GTX 980 Ti fit into your budget without making sacrifices elsewhere.
Pascal's still a long way off, so don't feel guilty about wanting a GTX 980 Ti if it's within your reach. If you do want to get into VR gaming, the more graphics power you have, the better. The Asus Z170-A is fine.
PCPer has the perfect article for you. Their Skylake review compares Sandy Bridge and Skylake, specifically looking at frametime variances. Suffice it to say, Skylake should provide a much smoother experience for you.
It's far better to look at individual models rather than just the brand, as quality isn't guaranteed to be consistent across all products from a single brand. Let me link you to something I said earlier for a similar question on motherboard brands.
Hey guys... I'm here for a bit of advice. I ordered parts for a new PC this past weekend and I purchased this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487076 but tonight I'm sitting here and thinking about maybe returning it and spending an extra $80 for a r9 390x. I'm not sure what to do but here are some of my thoughts on it.
I don't think I will be upgrading from this for 3-4 years unless I come across a good chunk of extra money. I've been looking into stuff and seeing that amd cards seem to show better results with dx12. Will this impact me in this time frame? Basically, would it be in my best interest to return the 970 and order a 390x or am I better off with the 970 for the long haul?
Thanks in advance for the help, I'm very indecisive about stuff and looking for a bit of help on this.
I don't think I will be upgrading from this for 3-4 years unless I come across a good chunk of extra money. I've been looking into stuff and seeing that amd cards seem to show better results with dx12. Will this impact me in this time frame? Basically, would it be in my best interest to return the 970 and order a 390x or am I better off with the 970 for the long haul?
Thanks in advance for the help, I'm very indecisive about stuff and looking for a bit of help on this.
Where I come from, we usually recommend ASUS, Gigabyte, then MSI in that order. You can't really go too wrong with either one of those brands honestly. Avoids Asrocks if you can.
I personally went with an MSI in my Haswell build. I ended up liking the color and design of the board and the BIOS is super easy to navigate.
Just go with a board that has the features you want and you should be fine.
nintendork666
Member
After a recent scare concerning my laptop, I've decided it's time to finish building myself a nice video editing/gaming PC of my own.
Here is what I currently own:
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.35 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 922 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($121.20 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill N900PCE 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($36.99 @ Amazon)
This was the build which I was initially planning around May...
CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($81.00 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($40.50 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card
Case: Cooler Master HAF 922 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($112.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($85.98 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill N900PCE 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($28.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($155.99 @ B&H)
Total: $725.20
I'm trying to build this on a budget, and am clearly not looking for the most high-end rig. However, I don't mind spending a bit more if necessary and would like this build to last me a few years I'm looking for something that would easily be on par with a PS4/Xbone and be able to handle my moderate video editing needs (I'm a Sony Vegas man). Obviously at this point, I'd just buy a copy of Windows 10... unless upgrades are still free, that is.
I play a lot of Warframe right now, but my laptop can't handle it at full specs. I would be down to eventually give titles like Witcher 3, and Fallout 4 a proper go also.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, this is my first build after all.
Here is what I currently own:
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.35 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 922 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($121.20 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill N900PCE 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($36.99 @ Amazon)
This was the build which I was initially planning around May...
CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($81.00 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($40.50 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card
Case: Cooler Master HAF 922 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($112.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($85.98 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill N900PCE 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($28.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($155.99 @ B&H)
Total: $725.20
I'm trying to build this on a budget, and am clearly not looking for the most high-end rig. However, I don't mind spending a bit more if necessary and would like this build to last me a few years I'm looking for something that would easily be on par with a PS4/Xbone and be able to handle my moderate video editing needs (I'm a Sony Vegas man). Obviously at this point, I'd just buy a copy of Windows 10... unless upgrades are still free, that is.
I play a lot of Warframe right now, but my laptop can't handle it at full specs. I would be down to eventually give titles like Witcher 3, and Fallout 4 a proper go also.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, this is my first build after all.
It doesn't seem like it's worth it? It's often compared to the GTX 980, but the GTX 970 delivers 96% of the performance at 1080p for $80 less, doesn't seem like it's worth it to pay the $80 difference.
I think the GTX 970 will be fine for 2~3 years, longer if you don't mind turning down graphics settings. The 8GB VRAM of the 390X isn't that much of gamechanger that I'd want to recommend getting a 390X solely for that. DX12 performance benchmarking is still in the early stages and it could still change.
You were a bit unclear as to how much of a budget you actually have. In any case AMD processors and motherboards aren't recommended, they're already kinda outdated and others in this thread are looking to upgrade from old PCs with the FX-6300 that you were thinking of getting. Here's what I recommend instead:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($232.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (Purchased For $0.00)
Motherboard: Asus H81M-D PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($44.00 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 380 4GB Video Card ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 922 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $0.00)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $0.00)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill N900PCE 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter (Purchased For $0.00)
Monitor: Asus VS248H-P 24.0" Monitor ($122.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $647.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-03 01:58 EST-0500
All the items you already own have been accounted for in the cost of this PC, so the $650 cost is for all of the parts that you don't have. If you wanted to save more money, we could go with an i5 processor and 8GB of RAM for now which would bring the price down to under $600 after rebates like this build. If it's still too much, then we need to rethink the scope of your parts list.
If you already have a copy of Windows (that isn't on your laptop), you should use that for this build. Otherwise to save money it's possible to get a cheap Windows license from Reddit and install that, then upgrade that to Windows 10 yourself. Let me mention my usual disclaimer on that:
Cheap Windows licenses can be bought from reddit's microsoftsoftwareswap for cheap, around $15 or so. Windows 10 licenses are also available for a bit more. These are most likely legitimate keys that are resold from educational programs like Technet or MSDNAA/Dreamspark. However, you are dealing with a person instead of a retailer, and informal Windows keys sales are not approved by Microsoft and probably breaking some licensing agreement, but it's not illegal. The risks involved are that the person could be selling you a fake or used key, or that Microsoft may refuse to give you support and/or deactivate your license and refuse to reactivate it. That's not very likely, usually it only happens if the seller and their list of sold keys was caught. We've had people here using those keys without issues for a long time and others who say Microsoft deactivated their key after several months. The 7/8/8.1 keys should be upgradeable to Windows 10, but confirm with the seller to be sure, of course.
nintendork666
Member
That price actually sounds about right for what I'm able to spend, considering I need to buy a desk and potentially a chair as well. Thanks a lot. How exactly would I even install a Windows license on a PC I built w/o a disc drive? I know those are antiquated at this point as well.
All you need is a Windows license key, another computer to download the Windows ISO on, and a spare 4GB or larger USB drive you don't mind formatting. Get the correct Windows installation ISO file for the version of Windows product key you have, of course. These links will help:
How to Download Windows 8.x and Create a Bootable DVD / USB (Legally)
How to Download Windows 10, 7, 8, and 8.1 Install Media Legally
How to Upgrade from Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10 (Right Now)
There's also news that Microsoft will eventually allow users to install and activate Windows 10 with just a Windows 7 or 8/8.1 license key, but that hasn't become available yet. You didn't exactly say when you planned to buy the parts and build the PC, I assume it's soon?
nintendork666
Member
Yes, I plan on building the PC as soon as possible.
abracadaver
Member
I chose the 278 over the 279 because of the faster response time and full freesync range
Also its an 8bit TN panel, not a 6bit
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