Flying Squirrel Entertainment

The Lounge => Off Topic => Topic started by: Andee on January 13, 2016, 10:35:57 pm

Title: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Andee on January 13, 2016, 10:35:57 pm

Here's my build that I plan on purchasing in a month or two.

Any recommendations on how I could make this better? I'd like to keep it around $1500-1800.

---

PCPartPicker part list (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QR6qTW) / Price breakdown by merchant (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QR6qTW/by_merchant/)

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i74790k)  ($314.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2)  ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z97extreme6)  ($151.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmy16gx3m2a1866c9r)  ($82.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam)  ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex)  ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-06gp44995kr)  ($617.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-caph530w1)  ($112.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220g20750xr)  ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-kw900140)  ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1635.44

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: BabyJesus on January 13, 2016, 10:38:21 pm

Ur video card costs more than my whole computer

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Andee on January 13, 2016, 10:42:35 pm

Quote from: BabyJesus on January 13, 2016, 10:38:21 pm

Ur video card costs more than my whole computer

o

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Sleek on January 13, 2016, 11:38:45 pm

Everything looks pretty good in my opinion, just make sure your power supply isn't overkill in terms of wattage.

As for your video card, there are always sites to compare video cards based on price, so you might be able to buy the same for a better value.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Vincenzo on January 13, 2016, 11:45:01 pm

Change your SSD to a 1 terrabyte one and get rid of that 1TB harddisk its useless..
think about 32 gigs of ram seperated in 4 modules.

Well worth investement to have fast storage, if 1TB at some point runs out you can always attach cheap 3 TB drive to your system for next to nothing.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: MrTiki on January 13, 2016, 11:50:21 pm

Very nice rig, nicely balanced out in terms of performance as far as I can tell.

If you want to save money you could get a 980 with 4GB of RAM instead of the 980 Ti with 6GB, as I don't believe you'll really see much of a difference in frame rate between the two unless you specifically make large amounts of the RAM on your GPU available to games you play (at least that was the case with a heavily modded Skyrim for me, it may be that games are better at utilising it now to be fair). I mean partly it depends on the resolution you're using ofc, but for a standard 24" monitor I would just save the money tbh.

I assume you're building it yourself?

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Vincenzo on January 13, 2016, 11:51:34 pm

Yes, good point Tiki, is this for 4K gaming or?

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Andee on January 13, 2016, 11:59:10 pm

Quote from: Vincenzo on January 13, 2016, 11:45:01 pm

Change your SSD to a 1 terrabyte one and get rid of that 1TB harddisk its useless..
think about 32 gigs of ram seperated in 4 modules.

Well worth investement to have fast storage, if 1TB at some point runs out you can always attach cheap 3 TB drive to your system for next to nothing.

The cheapest SSD I found was $249 :S

Quote from: MrTiki on January 13, 2016, 11:50:21 pm

Very nice rig, nicely balanced out in terms of performance as far as I can tell.

If you want to save money you could get a 980 with 4GB of RAM instead of the 980 Ti with 6GB, as I don't believe you'll really see much of a difference in frame rate between the two unless you specifically make large amounts of the RAM on your GPU available to games you play (at least that was the case with a heavily modded Skyrim for me, it may be that games are better at utilising it now to be fair). I mean partly it depends on the resolution you're using ofc, but for a standard 24" monitor I would just save the money tbh.

I assume you're building it yourself?

Atm, I have an R9 290 which has relatively the same specs as the 980 and I've some issues running games with it. So, I think I'll stick with the 980ti. I'll be building it myself as I've built the one I have now, which is here: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7NhcjX

Quote from: Vincenzo on January 13, 2016, 11:51:34 pm

Yes, good point Tiki, is this for 4K gaming or?

No, I only have a 21.5" 1920x1080 60hz monitor.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Vincenzo on January 14, 2016, 12:04:07 am

For 1080 P gaming a 980Ti seems heavy overkill what games are you running that don't run well on a R9 290 :D

Price investment for big SSD is well worth it ofc its your own choice.. :)

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Andee on January 14, 2016, 12:06:31 am

Quote from: Vincenzo on January 14, 2016, 12:04:07 am

For 1080 P gaming a 980Ti seems heavy overkill what games are you running that don't run well on a R9 290 :D

Price investment for big SSD is well worth it ofc its your own choice.. :)

ARMA, Reign of Kings, CSGO. Potentially BCoF and WoR :D

I would also like start streaming these games :)

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Vincenzo on January 14, 2016, 12:10:30 am

looking at your old build i would assume your limits are Ram and SSD..

Arma is heavily CPU bound... CSGO should run on that machine fiiine.

For streaming you have good point, with Nvidia Shadowplay it would work nice.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Andee on January 14, 2016, 12:11:56 am

I changed the memory to 4x4gb and I have a compatibility issue now.

Can someone ELI5 for me?:

Spoiler

The G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory operating voltage of 1.65V exceeds the Intel Haswell Refresh CPU recommended maximum of 1.5V+5% (1.575V). This memory module may run at a reduced clock rate to meet the 1.5V voltage recommendation, or may require running at a voltage greater than the Intel recommended maximum.

[close]

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Vincenzo on January 14, 2016, 12:12:45 am

Get a 32 gig kit ;)

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Andee on January 14, 2016, 12:23:56 am

Quote from: Vincenzo on January 14, 2016, 12:12:45 am

Get a 32 gig kit ;)

A what? :P

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: BabyJesus on January 14, 2016, 12:29:48 am

Quote from: Andee on January 14, 2016, 12:06:31 am

Quote from: Vincenzo on January 14, 2016, 12:04:07 am

For 1080 P gaming a 980Ti seems heavy overkill what games are you running that don't run well on a R9 290 :D

Price investment for big SSD is well worth it ofc its your own choice.. :)

ARMA, Reign of Kings, CSGO. Potentially BCoF and WoR :D

I would also like start streaming these games :)

how the hell are you having problems running csgo? I get about 100 frames on MY computer

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Andee on January 14, 2016, 12:37:55 am

Quote from: BabyJesus on January 14, 2016, 12:29:48 am

Quote from: Andee on January 14, 2016, 12:06:31 am

Quote from: Vincenzo on January 14, 2016, 12:04:07 am

For 1080 P gaming a 980Ti seems heavy overkill what games are you running that don't run well on a R9 290 :D

Price investment for big SSD is well worth it ofc its your own choice.. :)

ARMA, Reign of Kings, CSGO. Potentially BCoF and WoR :D

I would also like start streaming these games :)

how the hell are you having problems running csgo? I get about 100 frames on MY computer

I have some issues streaming it. When I don't stream, I get like 290 fps on dust :P

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Sleek on January 14, 2016, 02:35:07 am

Streaming generally is based on how fast your CPU can encode the game and the like. If you are worried about streaming, I think you should find a very good i7, which it seems you already have.

As for the 32GB, I personally think you don't need it unless you have so many applications running at one time, but since you have the money, you might as well have it.

As for the memory issue, I wouldn't buy a 4x4 but rather 8x2 memory sticks

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Andee on January 14, 2016, 02:38:43 am

Quote from: Sleek on January 14, 2016, 02:35:07 am

Streaming generally is based on how fast your CPU can encode the game and the like. If you are worried about streaming, I think you should find a very good i7, which it seems you already have.

As for the 32GB, I personally think you don't need it unless you have so many applications running at one time, but since you have the money, you might as well have it.

As for the memory issue, I wouldn't buy a 4x4 but rather 8x2 memory sticks

Why 8x2 over 4x4?

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Sleek on January 14, 2016, 02:43:27 am

I believe it's just personal preference, and there is some threads on Tomhardware's that they discuss the comparisons.

I guess it doesn't really matter, but if you have the time, just look it over just to be sure

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Andee on January 14, 2016, 02:44:45 am

Quote from: Sleek on January 14, 2016, 02:43:27 am

I believe it's just personal preference, and there is some threads on Tomhardware's that they discuss the comparisons.

I guess it doesn't really matter, but if you have the time, just look it over just to be sure

4x4 is like $20 cheaper so I'll just go with that.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Who- on January 14, 2016, 04:07:00 am

Id do the 8x2 so you have more room in the future.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Bauer16 on January 14, 2016, 04:38:39 am

Quote from: Andee on January 13, 2016, 10:35:57 pm

Here's my build that I plan on purchasing in a month or two.

Any recommendations on how I could make this better? I'd like to keep it around $1500-1800.

---

PCPartPicker part list (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QR6qTW) / Price breakdown by merchant (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QR6qTW/by_merchant/)

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i74790k)  ($314.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2)  ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z97extreme6)  ($151.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmy16gx3m2a1866c9r)  ($82.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam)  ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex)  ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-06gp44995kr)  ($617.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-caph530w1)  ($112.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220g20750xr)  ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-kw900140)  ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1635.44

I would swap the 750W for 950W/1000W and add a second 1TB drive to mirror the other in case of failure, unless your going to do a RAID0 with the SSD and the 1TB with iRST.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Andee on January 14, 2016, 04:46:53 am

Quote from: Who- on January 14, 2016, 04:07:00 am

Id do the 8x2 so you have more room in the future.

That's a good point.

Quote from: Bauer16 on January 14, 2016, 04:38:39 am

Quote from: Andee on January 13, 2016, 10:35:57 pm

Here's my build that I plan on purchasing in a month or two.

Any recommendations on how I could make this better? I'd like to keep it around $1500-1800.

---

PCPartPicker part list (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QR6qTW) / Price breakdown by merchant (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QR6qTW/by_merchant/)

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i74790k)  ($314.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2)  ($24.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z97extreme6)  ($151.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmy16gx3m2a1866c9r)  ($82.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam)  ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex)  ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-06gp44995kr)  ($617.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-caph530w1)  ($112.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220g20750xr)  ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-kw900140)  ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1635.44

I would swap the 750W for 950W/1000W and add a second 1TB drive to mirror the other in case of failure, unless your going to do a RAID0 with the SSD and the 1TB with iRST.

If you can find parts and keep it under 1800, sure.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: MrTiki on January 14, 2016, 07:26:28 pm

You definitely don't need 1000W PSU with that build. What you have is plenty even with overhead. If you want to double check, use a calculator as a rough estimate: http://powersupplycalculator.net/
IMO it's not worth using RAID for a gaming PC, streaming or not. A good compromise in terms of storage is getting a small (64/128GB) SSD for your OS and a few of the more important programs, and just using a good quality HDD, probably like 2TB, given how large games are getting nowadays.

As for your issues streaming games, that is very likely based on your CPU. Your R9 290 is more than good enough for streaming at those resolutions, so you honestly won't need a 980 Ti. The 980 is already beastly enough. If you want proof of where your current problems come from there are plenty of performance monitoring programs you can use to see the % use of different components, so you can fire that up before gaming and before streaming so you can check afterwards what the issues were. Windows has a basic one under the task manager, or you can get fancier 3rd party ones.

A 980 Ti is really just a waste of money if you're gaming on those resolutions, as you won't get the full benefit of it. You could put the money into a 24" monitor tbh, which a regular 980 is still plenty powerful for. Or save the money so you can upgrade your rig when you need to.
Your CPU on your new rig will be much better (double the cores, plus faster overall), so will be ideal for streaming. Lastly I'd also recommend going for 2x8GB sticks, that way you can upgrade with another 2 sticks easily if you find that to be your limiting factor. There's also just less to go wrong with fewer components, particularly where RAM is concerned, which can be super fussy.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Andee on January 14, 2016, 09:06:19 pm

Quote from: MrTiki on January 14, 2016, 07:26:28 pm

You definitely don't need 1000W PSU with that build. What you have is plenty even with overhead. If you want to double check, use a calculator as a rough estimate: http://powersupplycalculator.net/
IMO it's not worth using RAID for a gaming PC, streaming or not. A good compromise in terms of storage is getting a small (64/128GB) SSD for your OS and a few of the more important programs, and just using a good quality HDD, probably like 2TB, given how large games are getting nowadays.

As for your issues streaming games, that is very likely based on your CPU. Your R9 290 is more than good enough for streaming at those resolutions, so you honestly won't need a 980 Ti. The 980 is already beastly enough. If you want proof of where your current problems come from there are plenty of performance monitoring programs you can use to see the % use of different components, so you can fire that up before gaming and before streaming so you can check afterwards what the issues were. Windows has a basic one under the task manager, or you can get fancier 3rd party ones.

A 980 Ti is really just a waste of money if you're gaming on those resolutions, as you won't get the full benefit of it. You could put the money into a 24" monitor tbh, which a regular 980 is still plenty powerful for. Or save the money so you can upgrade your rig when you need to.
Your CPU on your new rig will be much better (double the cores, plus faster overall), so will be ideal for streaming. Lastly I'd also recommend going for 2x8GB sticks, that way you can upgrade with another 2 sticks easily if you find that to be your limiting factor. There's also just less to go wrong with fewer components, particularly where RAM is concerned, which can be super fussy.

That is true about the PSU as the wattage is shown on the part list as something around 450, so I could downgrade that. As for my present computer, I am not upgrading. I am building an entirely new PC because I'm giving mine to my dad. I still want to stay with the 980ti because it leaves some comfort room for when I upgrade the PC in the future. But I'll take your advice on using 2x8 instead of 4x4.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Herishey on January 14, 2016, 09:45:29 pm

Imo it's pointless getting a graphics card like that, you can't really use it to the maximum capacity.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Andee on January 14, 2016, 09:46:10 pm

Okay, I adjusted the build to 2x8 RAM, 980 instead of 980ti, 550W instead of 750W, Added 144hz monitor, cheaper mobo, less pretty case for $20 cheaper.

PCPartPicker part list (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bt9nYJ) / Price breakdown by merchant (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bt9nYJ/by_merchant/) New Build CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i74790k)  ($314.99 @ SuperBiiz) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2)  ($24.88 @ OutletPC) Motherboard: MSI B85-G43 GAMING ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-motherboard-b85g43gaming)  ($102.98 @ Newegg) Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f32400c11d16gxm)  ($74.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam)  ($89.88 @ OutletPC) Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex)  ($49.98 @ OutletPC) Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 4GB Twin Frozr Video Card (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-gtx980gaming4g)  ($479.99 @ SuperBiiz) Case: NZXT Source 530 ATX Full Tower Case (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-caso530m1)  ($82.99 @ SuperBiiz) Power Supply: Corsair CSM 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cs550m)  ($79.99 @ Amazon) Optical Drive: LG GH24NSC0 DVD/CD Writer (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/lg-optical-drive-gh24nsc0)  ($13.89 @ OutletPC) Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-kw900140)  ($89.88 @ OutletPC) Case Fan: Cooler Master SickleFlow 69.7 CFM 120mm  Fan (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-fan-r4l2r20arr1)  ($5.99 @ Micro Center) Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/acer-monitor-umfg6aab01)  ($236.54 @ B&H) Total: $1646.97 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-14 15:41 EST-0500

PCPartPicker part list (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yhWzqs) / Price breakdown by merchant (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yhWzqs/by_merchant/) Old Build CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i74790k)  ($314.99 @ SuperBiiz) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2)  ($24.88 @ OutletPC) Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z97extreme6)  ($151.98 @ Newegg) Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f32400c11d8gab)  ($39.99 @ Newegg) Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f32400c11d8gab)  ($39.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam)  ($89.88 @ OutletPC) Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex)  ($49.98 @ OutletPC) Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked+ ACX 2.0+ Video Card (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-06gp44995kr)  ($649.99 @ SuperBiiz) Case: NZXT Phantom 530 (White) ATX Full Tower Case (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-caph530w1)  ($107.99 @ NCIX US) Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-220g20750xr)  ($99.99 @ NCIX US) Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-kw900140)  ($89.88 @ OutletPC) Case Fan: Cooler Master SickleFlow 69.7 CFM 120mm  Fan (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-fan-r4l2r20arr1)  ($5.99 @ Micro Center) Total: $1665.53 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-14 15:44 EST-0500

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: BabyJesus on January 14, 2016, 09:54:30 pm

I can't believe you! You gotta et that pretty case

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: MrTiki on January 14, 2016, 10:32:14 pm

I don't know how much time you spent looking into monitors, but I'd make sure you've done a little research. The one you've got listed there is a TN monitor. They're great for FPS games etc because they have faster response rates, but if you want better colour and wider viewing angles etc then look for IPS monitors. Not to detract from TN monitors at all, as the quality of the monitor itself has a lot to do with the final image.
It may be that that monitor you're looking at is perfect for you (given that you stream CSGO), but I figured I'd point it out just in case you hadn't looked into it yet.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Andee on January 15, 2016, 12:18:49 am

Quote from: MrTiki on January 14, 2016, 10:32:14 pm

I don't know how much time you spent looking into monitors, but I'd make sure you've done a little research. The one you've got listed there is a TN monitor. They're great for FPS games etc because they have faster response rates, but if you want better colour and wider viewing angles etc then look for IPS monitors. Not to detract from TN monitors at all, as the quality of the monitor itself has a lot to do with the final image.
It may be that that monitor you're looking at is perfect for you (given that you stream CSGO), but I figured I'd point it out just in case you hadn't looked into it yet.

TN should work for me. Thanks for all your help Tiki :)

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Cubtheman on January 17, 2016, 04:00:04 pm

Computer Build: 11/10 Must Rate again.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: GeneralSquirts on January 17, 2016, 10:58:17 pm

CPU: AMD FX-8320 Vishera 8-Core 3.5 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W FD8320FRHKBOX Desktop Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2)
Motherboard: ASUS M5A97 R2.0
Memory: EVGA 2400 SuperSC DDR3 Series (8GB)
Storage: WD Blue 1TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD10EZEX
Video Card: MSI Computer Corp. Video Graphics Card R9 270 GAMING 2G
Case: Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-01 Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case
Power Supply: Corsair CX Series 750 Watt ATX/EPS Modular 80 PLUS Bronze ATX12V/EPS12V 744 Power Supply CX750M
Operating System: Windows 8.1
Total: $563 (Roughly - Includes thermite paste and anti-static band for assembly of my PC)

This is my first time making a build myself and actually taking the time to build it myself. The current computer I play my games on is horrible, not even meant to be used for gaming. I got each of these parts separately and it's kind of my first 'budget' gaming PC if you would call it that. I am kind of anxious and scared at the same time. I don't really want to mess up anything in terms of compatibility or hurting something in the process of assembling the PC itself. I am going to take the assembly slow at first to avoid messing anything up, seeing as it is my first time doing anything gaming PC related. I do have a friend who is good with this type of stuff and has built his own PCs who will be assisting me with the assembly, but for extra precaution I'll be going through a PC building youtube video of an individual building a similar type of PC. Anyone have any tips for my build? Is everything correct in terms of compatibility? Anything I should know? I'm just curious.  :P

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Sleek on January 17, 2016, 11:32:04 pm

Quote from: GeneralSquirts on January 17, 2016, 10:58:17 pm

CPU: AMD FX-8320 Vishera 8-Core 3.5 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W FD8320FRHKBOX Desktop Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2)
Motherboard: ASUS M5A97 R2.0
Memory: EVGA 2400 SuperSC DDR3 Series (8GB)
Storage: WD Blue 1TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD10EZEX
Video Card: MSI Computer Corp. Video Graphics Card R9 270 GAMING 2G
Case: Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-01 Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case
Power Supply: Corsair CX Series 750 Watt ATX/EPS Modular 80 PLUS Bronze ATX12V/EPS12V 744 Power Supply CX750M
Operating System: Windows 8.1
Total: $563 (Roughly - Includes thermite paste and anti-static band for assembly of my PC)

This is my first time making a build myself and actually taking the time to build it myself. The current computer I play my games on is horrible, not even meant to be used for gaming. I got each of these parts separately and it's kind of my first 'budget' gaming PC if you would call it that. I am kind of anxious and scared at the same time. I don't really want to mess up anything in terms of compatibility or hurting something in the process of assembling the PC itself. I am going to take the assembly slow at first to avoid messing anything up, seeing as it is my first time doing anything gaming PC related. I do have a friend who is good with this type of stuff and has built his own PCs who will be assisting me with the assembly, but for extra precaution I'll be going through a PC building youtube video of an individual building a similar type of PC. Anyone have any tips for my build? Is everything correct in terms of compatibility? Anything I should know? I'm just curious.  :P

Do you have a PCPartPicker link that we could see?

For the storage, if you can afford it, it is very much worth getting a small SSD harddrive for your Operating System and using the 1TB for everything else.

For the video card, try and see if there are any better options around the same price, I'm sure there will be.

For the Power Supply, are you sure you need 750 Watts? I think that's a bit overkill for a budget computer.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Earth Bby on January 17, 2016, 11:36:04 pm

I "just"(2 weeks ago) bought a 970, my pc doesn't like it. Would this be a power issue or processing?

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: GeneralSquirts on January 18, 2016, 12:25:46 am

Spoiler

Quote from: Sleek on January 17, 2016, 11:32:04 pm

Quote from: GeneralSquirts on January 17, 2016, 10:58:17 pm

CPU: AMD FX-8320 Vishera 8-Core 3.5 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W FD8320FRHKBOX Desktop Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2)
Motherboard: ASUS M5A97 R2.0
Memory: EVGA 2400 SuperSC DDR3 Series (8GB)
Storage: WD Blue 1TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD10EZEX
Video Card: MSI Computer Corp. Video Graphics Card R9 270 GAMING 2G
Case: Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-01 Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case
Power Supply: Corsair CX Series 750 Watt ATX/EPS Modular 80 PLUS Bronze ATX12V/EPS12V 744 Power Supply CX750M
Operating System: Windows 8.1
Total: $563 (Roughly - Includes thermite paste and anti-static band for assembly of my PC)

This is my first time making a build myself and actually taking the time to build it myself. The current computer I play my games on is horrible, not even meant to be used for gaming. I got each of these parts separately and it's kind of my first 'budget' gaming PC if you would call it that. I am kind of anxious and scared at the same time. I don't really want to mess up anything in terms of compatibility or hurting something in the process of assembling the PC itself. I am going to take the assembly slow at first to avoid messing anything up, seeing as it is my first time doing anything gaming PC related. I do have a friend who is good with this type of stuff and has built his own PCs who will be assisting me with the assembly, but for extra precaution I'll be going through a PC building youtube video of an individual building a similar type of PC. Anyone have any tips for my build? Is everything correct in terms of compatibility? Anything I should know? I'm just curious.  :P

Do you have a PCPartPicker link that we could see?

For the storage, if you can afford it, it is very much worth getting a small SSD harddrive for your Operating System and using the 1TB for everything else.

For the video card, try and see if there are any better options around the same price, I'm sure there will be.

For the Power Supply, are you sure you need 750 Watts? I think that's a bit overkill for a budget computer.

[close]

Erm, I could go back and link all of the parts. I kind of went on different sites and were given these parts as suggestions from my friend. As I said I am new to all of the terminology and familiarity of PC specs. I don't know much in comparison to others, I kind of am going of my friends recommendations which may be silly, but I really didn't have any other source to go off of. I really wouldn't know how to get better options in terms of the GPU, as I personally don't know what would or wouldn't be better. As for the PSU, I kind of just went off my friends suggestion for it, just like many of the parts listed. For the storage comment,w hat would be the upside of getting a small SSD hard drive for my OS?

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Sleek on January 18, 2016, 12:31:28 am

PCPartPicker is the website to use when building a computer, very simplistic and well thought out. It gives you the parts that are compatible with each other so you shouldn't have to worry if all the parts fit in the case for example.

Also, if you do decide to use the website, people give reviews of how they work, etc.

As for the PSU, using the website gives you the estimated wattage all the parts will used when put together. So for your build, let's say that the estimated wattage it tells you is 300. Buying a 700 is overkill for such a system.

As for the SSD, an SSD is proven to be much faster and more efficient than an HDD in terms of starting programs, load times (depending on the game), it's just generally better in every way, but it is obviously more expensive. I wouldn't go higher than a 250GB SSD as I don't think you will need it. Get a 120GB or something around those lines. You would still be getting a HDD of 1GB which you could put all of your pictures, games, and most everything else on it.

Quote from: Marks on January 17, 2016, 11:36:04 pm

I "just"(2 weeks ago) bought a 970, my pc doesn't like it. Would this be a power issue or processing?

What do you mean, doesn't like it? As in the games crash or the screen goes black or something? It could be both of the things you mentioned.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Andee on January 18, 2016, 01:01:42 am

Quote from: Marks on January 17, 2016, 11:36:04 pm

I "just"(2 weeks ago) bought a 970, my pc doesn't like it. Would this be a power issue or processing?

What do you mean?

Quote from: GeneralSquirts on January 17, 2016, 10:58:17 pm

CPU: AMD FX-8320 Vishera 8-Core 3.5 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W FD8320FRHKBOX Desktop Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2)
Motherboard: ASUS M5A97 R2.0
Memory: EVGA 2400 SuperSC DDR3 Series (8GB)
Storage: WD Blue 1TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD10EZEX
Video Card: MSI Computer Corp. Video Graphics Card R9 270 GAMING 2G
Case: Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-01 Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case
Power Supply: Corsair CX Series 750 Watt ATX/EPS Modular 80 PLUS Bronze ATX12V/EPS12V 744 Power Supply CX750M
Operating System: Windows 8.1
Total: $563 (Roughly - Includes thermite paste and anti-static band for assembly of my PC)

This is my first time making a build myself and actually taking the time to build it myself. The current computer I play my games on is horrible, not even meant to be used for gaming. I got each of these parts separately and it's kind of my first 'budget' gaming PC if you would call it that. I am kind of anxious and scared at the same time. I don't really want to mess up anything in terms of compatibility or hurting something in the process of assembling the PC itself. I am going to take the assembly slow at first to avoid messing anything up, seeing as it is my first time doing anything gaming PC related. I do have a friend who is good with this type of stuff and has built his own PCs who will be assisting me with the assembly, but for extra precaution I'll be going through a PC building youtube video of an individual building a similar type of PC. Anyone have any tips for my build? Is everything correct in terms of compatibility? Anything I should know? I'm just curious.  :P

Building a PC is very straight forward. If you understand how a PC words, you shouldn't have a tough time :D My first build took me about an hour and a half and my wiring looks like a rats nest (which I should probably fix). If you have any questions, Newegg did a very detailed video on building a PC, which I'll link here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPIXAtNGGCw). In terms of compatibilty, if you made the list on PC part picker it will tell you any compatibility issues. If you didn't, just make a list with the parts you have here and it should tell you.

Like Sleek said, the 750W power supply is pretty overkill. PC part picker also tells you the wattage of your build and I tend to go about 100W over that to be safe. For instance, my current build is ~393W, and I'll be using a 550W PSU.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: MrTiki on January 18, 2016, 02:34:03 am

Spoiler

Quote from: GeneralSquirts on January 17, 2016, 10:58:17 pm

CPU: AMD FX-8320 Vishera 8-Core 3.5 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W FD8320FRHKBOX Desktop Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2)
Motherboard: ASUS M5A97 R2.0
Memory: EVGA 2400 SuperSC DDR3 Series (8GB)
Storage: WD Blue 1TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD10EZEX
Video Card: MSI Computer Corp. Video Graphics Card R9 270 GAMING 2G
Case: Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-01 Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case
Power Supply: Corsair CX Series 750 Watt ATX/EPS Modular 80 PLUS Bronze ATX12V/EPS12V 744 Power Supply CX750M
Operating System: Windows 8.1
Total: $563 (Roughly - Includes thermite paste and anti-static band for assembly of my PC)
This is my first time making a build myself and actually taking the time to build it myself. The current computer I play my games on is horrible, not even meant to be used for gaming. I got each of these parts separately and it's kind of my first 'budget' gaming PC if you would call it that. I am kind of anxious and scared at the same time. I don't really want to mess up anything in terms of compatibility or hurting something in the process of assembling the PC itself. I am going to take the assembly slow at first to avoid messing anything up, seeing as it is my first time doing anything gaming PC related. I do have a friend who is good with this type of stuff and has built his own PCs who will be assisting me with the assembly, but for extra precaution I'll be going through a PC building youtube video of an individual building a similar type of PC. Anyone have any tips for my build? Is everything correct in terms of compatibility? Anything I should know? I'm just curious.  :P

[close]

Firstly, your PSU has loads of extra power. I'd go for like 500W max, which will give you room to upgrade, but honestly you should probably go for like 400W and save the extra money for a new build entirely in a few years.
SSDs are great, but if you're going for a budget build, don't stress about it, it's really not the end of the world not having one.
Is your RAM 2400Hz? If so, downgrade it, you won't notice the difference between 1800Hz and 2400Hz with that build.
Nice GPU and decent CPU, they're similar(ish) for performance. If you have extra money (saving some on RAM and PSU) then get a better CPU. That's what will be bottlenecking your rig at this point, so you'll see the best improvements in performance by getting a better CPU.

Lastly I would recommend using something like PC parts picker, but it's up to you. As long as you've checked the compatibility of the CPU and Mobo then you'll be fine.

Also for the love of god get Windows 10. I don't remember if you can upgrade to 10 from 8 for free if you're only just buying 8 now. Double check it before you do because it would be an expensive mistake to make.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Who- on January 18, 2016, 06:16:13 am

Quote from: Marks on January 17, 2016, 11:36:04 pm

I "just"(2 weeks ago) bought a 970, my pc doesn't like it. Would this be a power issue or processing?

System specs?

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: GeneralSquirts on January 18, 2016, 07:33:45 am

Thanks guys, I really am grateful for all the tips. I'll definitely be checking out the site and maybe even perhaps edit my build before I spend my money for it.  ;D

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Who- on January 19, 2016, 01:59:06 am

Quote from: GeneralSquirts on January 18, 2016, 07:33:45 am

Thanks guys, I really am grateful for all the tips. I'll definitely be checking out the site and maybe even perhaps edit my build before I spend my money for it.  ;D

You probably only need like 500Watts for ur computer

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: GeneralSquirts on January 19, 2016, 09:29:35 am

Now, one of my questions is will my PC suffer by having the 750 Watt PSU. Even though it is overkill, it wouldn't harm my build or effect my build in any way right? At the end of the day isn't it only giving the PC components the amount of power it needs. I kind of wanted to get the 750 Watt PSU for when I begin wanting to upgrade the build altogether. But overall, I just want to know if it would be fine to keep the 750 Watt PSU altogether. As for finding a cheaper alternative for my current video card selection, but with the same performance, I don't know what to really look for in terms of specifics on a video card to compare one from another. I'm currently trying to figure out how I would find the same performance on an equally efficient, cheaper video card when I don't know what to look for. Also, thanks for that video Andee, helped me understand a lot. I also thank everyone who's been helping me out so far. Hehe.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Who- on January 19, 2016, 11:39:51 am

Not a single disadvantage to having more power then you need at all, And as for your graphics card you could look at this http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu_value.html

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: GeneralSquirts on January 19, 2016, 06:51:57 pm

Quote from: Who- on January 19, 2016, 11:39:51 am

Not a single disadvantage to having more power then you need at all, And as for your graphics card you could look at this http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu_value.html

Freaking awesome, site is very useful. Thank you for the information.  ;D

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: MrTiki on January 19, 2016, 06:55:46 pm

I wouldn't bother upgrading that (current lineup of your) PC later. Your CPU is not great to be honest and that's what will be holding you back. It's easy to replace a lot of things (GPU, PSU, RAM etc) but the CPU is awful so I really wouldn't bother. You're much more likely to break something while doing it than with other bits which slot in and out easily.

Alternatively, get a better CPU with a cheaper PSU atm and then you can upgrade GPU and PSU later and get more RAM etc. Atm your CPU is the weakest part of your PC anyway so it makes the most sense. Depends how much extra a 750W PSU is compared to say 450W.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: GeneralSquirts on January 19, 2016, 07:12:59 pm

Quote from: MrTiki on January 19, 2016, 06:55:46 pm

I wouldn't bother upgrading that (current lineup of your) PC later. Your CPU is not great to be honest and that's what will be holding you back. It's easy to replace a lot of things (GPU, PSU, RAM etc) but the CPU is awful so I really wouldn't bother. You're much more likely to break something while doing it than with other bits which slot in and out easily.

Alternatively, get a better CPU with a cheaper PSU atm and then you can upgrade GPU and PSU later and get more RAM etc. Atm your CPU is the weakest part of your PC anyway so it makes the most sense. Depends how much extra a 750W PSU is compared to say 450W.

CPU: I've been told that the CPU isn't bad at all, so maybe I'm getting bad information then? I wasn't aware my CPU was that bad. The thing is I got the CPU, motherboard, and heatsink all together from my friend who was passing down his older parts from his previous build after he mustered enough funds to get an insane $1500 Intel build. So I kind of jumped at the opportunity, which may have been a bad decision looking back at it now. The four things I have actually purchased already is the CPU, Motherboard, and Cooler listed above. I also just recently obtained the case and have it still in the box it came in to avoid static damage. But still, I've been told it wasn't a bad CPU at all. If needed I will go out and get another CPU, as I already invested a lot of my PC savings to get the current CPU I have in possession. But would my CPU be that limiting to my build?

GPU: Now originally I was looking at the Radeon R9 270X/270 for the build and Who- gave me a good site to go compare different GPUs in both performance and price. After searching I found some alternatives. Would these alternatives be better? From the screenshots below, I'm thinking of perhaps switching to the GeForce GTX 950 instead. I was also using the GTX 760 as another card to compare the others with. By the looks of it, it looks to hold better performance for a cheaper price and using PCPartPicker, the GTX 950 seems compatible with everything else I have. I just want to know if I would be correct in assuming that this card overall is better than what I was previously looking for. 

PSU: As for the PSU, I've decided to stick with the 750W since I can afford it anyways, and it would be less of a hassle to get a new PSU since I will probably look to upgrade in the future.

Spoiler

(https://www.fsegames.eu/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpuu.sh%2FmBJJI%2Fe699f3a969.png&hash=3cede1fb341a21c9cb4ec91ccffbc265c3f27ca5)

[close]

Spoiler

(https://www.fsegames.eu/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpuu.sh%2FmBJRj%2Ff3129e9791.png&hash=f4de21dfc4970b273a75684d5e2cff5a79993a0b)

[close]

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: GerRagnar on January 19, 2016, 07:15:02 pm

Quote from: Who- on January 19, 2016, 11:39:51 am

Not a single disadvantage to having more power then you need at all, And as for your graphics card you could look at this http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu_value.html

lol a real Techguru here

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: MrTiki on January 19, 2016, 11:29:31 pm

I mean it's not terrible, but it will be what holds your rig back is what I was getting at.

Here's a comparison of it and the CPU I have on my rig:
http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i5-4670K-vs-AMD-FX-8320
Overall the 4670 does quite a lot better, and yet that is the main limiting factor on my build atm. I have a GTX 760, which is slightly better than the R9 270X.
http://gpuboss.com/gpus/Radeon-R9-270X-vs-GeForce-GTX-760

The 900 series is essentially the best value for money you can get at the moment, but it's up to you which one you get.
If you're sticking with the CPU you have already (which makes financial sense) then go with the GTX 950. Don't spend too much else on your rig and just save up for a brand new rig at some point in the future. Things are only going to get cheaper so you might as well not spend too much and make it last as long as possible imo. Even things like RAM I wouldn't go overboard on, just get 2x4GB or something (I have 8GB and it's not limiting my rig), as there are already some motherboards with DDR4 RAM, so at some point that will be financially viable, and depending on how long your rig lasts you may be getting that on your next one.

Edit: Forgot to mention the 900 series is a newer and better version of the 700 series. It hadn't come out when I was building my rig unfortunately, but essentially 960 > 760 in every way.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Andee on January 19, 2016, 11:52:59 pm

Quote from: MrTiki on January 19, 2016, 11:29:31 pm

I mean it's not terrible, but it will be what holds your rig back is what I was getting at.

Here's a comparison of it and the CPU I have on my rig:
http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i5-4670K-vs-AMD-FX-8320
Overall the 4670 does quite a lot better, and yet that is the main limiting factor on my build atm. I have a GTX 760, which is slightly better than the R9 270X.
http://gpuboss.com/gpus/Radeon-R9-270X-vs-GeForce-GTX-760

The 900 series is essentially the best value for money you can get at the moment, but it's up to you which one you get.
If you're sticking with the CPU you have already (which makes financial sense) then go with the GTX 950. Don't spend too much else on your rig and just save up for a brand new rig at some point in the future. Things are only going to get cheaper so you might as well not spend too much and make it last as long as possible imo. Even things like RAM I wouldn't go overboard on, just get 2x4GB or something (I have 8GB and it's not limiting my rig), as there are already some motherboards with DDR4 RAM, so at some point that will be financially viable, and depending on how long your rig lasts you may be getting that on your next one.

Edit: Forgot to mention the 900 series is a newer and better version of the 700 series. It hadn't come out when I was building my rig unfortunately, but essentially 960 > 760 in every way.

Is the AMD-FX-8320 really that bad?

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Who- on January 20, 2016, 12:05:43 am

After having an AMD CPU I wouldn't recommend anyone get one tbh

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: GeneralSquirts on January 20, 2016, 01:01:56 am

Spoiler

Quote from: MrTiki on January 19, 2016, 11:29:31 pm

I mean it's not terrible, but it will be what holds your rig back is what I was getting at.

Here's a comparison of it and the CPU I have on my rig:
http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i5-4670K-vs-AMD-FX-8320
Overall the 4670 does quite a lot better, and yet that is the main limiting factor on my build atm. I have a GTX 760, which is slightly better than the R9 270X.
http://gpuboss.com/gpus/Radeon-R9-270X-vs-GeForce-GTX-760

The 900 series is essentially the best value for money you can get at the moment, but it's up to you which one you get.
If you're sticking with the CPU you have already (which makes financial sense) then go with the GTX 950. Don't spend too much else on your rig and just save up for a brand new rig at some point in the future. Things are only going to get cheaper so you might as well not spend too much and make it last as long as possible imo. Even things like RAM I wouldn't go overboard on, just get 2x4GB or something (I have 8GB and it's not limiting my rig), as there are already some motherboards with DDR4 RAM, so at some point that will be financially viable, and depending on how long your rig lasts you may be getting that on your next one.

Edit: Forgot to mention the 900 series is a newer and better version of the 700 series. It hadn't come out when I was building my rig unfortunately, but essentially 960 > 760 in every way.

[close]

Alright, sweet. All of this helped me a lot. I also had a specific question as to whether or not it matters if I get a GTX 950, but from a different company that assembles it. For instance, The GTX 950 I looked at via PCPartPicker that's on Amazon (where I'm purchasing all my parts). Instead,  say I pick up the EVGA version of the GTX 950. I'm assuming that there's no difference in performance and that they're both completely fine. But is there a difference between the two in terms of anything that matters in regards to my build? Also if you're curious, the reason I'm buying off amazon is because I was given gift cards for the holidays and I might as well use the funds that I received to build my rig.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Who- on January 20, 2016, 01:31:50 am

Some of the different company's will do Factory overclock's , better fans or back plates etc. I personally have a EVGA GPU so I would recommend getting a EVGA just because I haven't run into any problems with it for the 4 months I have had it.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Gamboji on January 23, 2016, 06:15:04 pm

I'd drop the 980 for a 970/960 just to save some money. That card is really good but I doubt you'll really have a need for it. Going with a 960 or 970 would probably cost half of what that one costs, but maybe I'm just dumb and poor.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: MrTiki on January 23, 2016, 06:44:25 pm

Oh yeah, I forgot to reply about brands of video card. Essentially all the main brands are fine (for Nvidia cards that's EVGA, MSI, Gigabyte, ASUS, XFX). I'd avoid Zotac, PNY and Palit, purely because they're smaller brands and I don't really know anyone who has any experience with them. They try to cut costs to compete, but obviously that's not necessarily in your best interests. Also I have no idea if they have decent support/warranty at all, whereas the big brands all do.
Of the main brands, the main thing to look for is cooling. You'll pay more for 2-3 fans as opposed to 1, but it's generally better for your card to keep it running a little cooler. But yeah there's not a huge amount of difference between cards by the main brands other than cooling. I think with AMD cards you get a bit more variation of factory overclocked cards and stuff but I'm not 100% sure.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: GeneralSquirts on January 25, 2016, 05:37:03 am

Quote from: MrTiki on January 23, 2016, 06:44:25 pm

Oh yeah, I forgot to reply about brands of video card. Essentially all the main brands are fine (for Nvidia cards that's EVGA, MSI, Gigabyte, ASUS, XFX). I'd avoid Zotac, PNY and Palit, purely because they're smaller brands and I don't really know anyone who has any experience with them. They try to cut costs to compete, but obviously that's not necessarily in your best interests. Also I have no idea if they have decent support/warranty at all, whereas the big brands all do.
Of the main brands, the main thing to look for is cooling. You'll pay more for 2-3 fans as opposed to 1, but it's generally better for your card to keep it running a little cooler. But yeah there's not a huge amount of difference between cards by the main brands other than cooling. I think with AMD cards you get a bit more variation of factory overclocked cards and stuff but I'm not 100% sure.

I figured as much. I really do appreciate yourself and others who helped edit and finalize my build to be even better and cost less than it was before. I couldn't stress how much you guys helped me with words.  :P

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: GeneralSquirts on March 12, 2016, 05:35:06 pm

After much work, and about spending 5 1/2 hours making sure I got every little plug, pin, and latch set correctly. I present to you my first computer rig. :D

Spoiler

(https://i.imgur.com/Kya8Wkx.jpg)

[close]

The process of building it was really fun. I enjoyed taking the time to do it, and I enjoyed all 5 1/2 hours of it. This is the rig without my monitor/windows 10 installed yet, I'll be getting that done in the upcoming days. Everything seemed to be working fine when I powered it up for the first time. I noticed that my GPU fan wasn't spinning, but I'm assuming that's because I don't have the OS setup yet and therefore don't have the necessary drivers/software to properly get my GPU functioning. \

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GwjfUFyY6M

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: MrTiki on March 17, 2016, 09:30:26 pm

Nice carpet.

(Congrats though!)

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: Kore on March 17, 2016, 10:42:16 pm

Hey, my z77 most likely fucked up, I don't have a "K" i5 so I don't think there will be a problem but I will still ask. Is there gonna be any performance loss if I buy H61? (there are no other lga1155 mobo's anymore)
Kinda weird to get such a small motherboard compared to my Z77 pro3, I use GTX970 Phantom which is pretty huge. :D
I'll get myself a new gen mobo and CPU at some point, but I won't really have money in the next few months.

Title: Re: Advice on a PC Build
Post by: GerRagnar on April 01, 2016, 03:49:18 pm

Quote from: Kore on March 17, 2016, 10:42:16 pm

Hey, my z77 most likely fucked up, I don't have a "K" i5 so I don't think there will be a problem but I will still ask. Is there gonna be any performance loss if I buy H61? (there are no other lga1155 mobo's anymore)
Kinda weird to get such a small motherboard compared to my Z77 pro3, I use GTX970 Phantom which is pretty huge. :D
I'll get myself a new gen mobo and CPU at some point, but I won't really have money in the next few months.

"K" means you can overclock your CPU, if you did overclock your cpu on your Z77 then you may suffer  a performance loss in certain applications (Gaming should be fine), since you cant overclock on the h61 mb.

Ivy Bridge Z Boards are getting so expensive lately its insane