• PC Building Thread
    4,998 replies, posted
[QUOTE=Burnyhands;47717095]Oh, the info on the site was wrong then. So it's cheaper too! Win win! That's a very good point. I'm not planning to SLi in the future, but i'd like to leave the possibility open. I'll have a look at some prices, at the moment I feel like I'm kinda pushing it as it is.[/QUOTE] There are z97 mobo's with SLI and Without SLI. Z97 is just the chipset name. There are 40+ different Z97 mobo's from all kinds of brands.
[QUOTE=~Kiwi~v2;47716601]z87 motherboard will need a bios update, can't do it with out an older haswell cpu[/QUOTE] Is this always the case with z87? I'm on z97 and the BIOS the motherboard shipped with did not support the 4790k however it still booted. It did run [i]incredibly[/i] hot due to the use of old microcode, topping 95C on watercooling under prime95. Flashing the BIOS to the version that supported it dropped that figure down to 50-60C.
Christ on rollerskates, just spent the better part of this afternoon attempting to fix the random BSODs I were getting after installing my new Gigabyte z97 Gaming 3 and 4690K. Being somewhat unfamiliar I went through OS repair, formatting, disabling UEFI and formatting again and tinkering with BIOS settings until I finally figured I'd run memtest86, have it suddenly display >32K errors which gave me the idea to pull two of the RAM sticks out at random. It now been stable for a couple of hours. I couldn't find the Corsair XMS3 1600MHz (CL9) listed as officially supported by the motherboard, but the BIOS seemed to like them fine. I'm left a bit stumped and 4GB RAM short. I guess I'll have to order a new set of memory sticks? Is there any way to conclusively determine if one of my RAM sticks are shot?
[QUOTE=~Kiwi~v2;47715499]Which brand of GTX 970 [editline]14th May 2015[/editline] why would you want to do this? just keep one 64 bit partition, since 64 bit can run 32 bit anyway[/QUOTE] I've got a 500gb HDD with 3 partitions, C is where win 7 32 bits is installed, E is for steam and D is for non-steam games and misc files. Are you saying that in one of the E or D partitions, I can install windows 7 64 bits? And do I choose wich one(either 32 or 64bit version) boots in BIOS, or what?
Oh computer gods, do though mindst building me a computer for 1200 dollars here in the us? I just want the most performance for my money
[QUOTE=Sir Spicy Buns;47718726]Oh computer gods, do though mindst building me a computer for 1200 dollars here in the us? I just want the most performance for my money[/QUOTE] Does thou needeth a monitor, operating system, keyboard, or mouse?
Hey, I'm shopping around for a new box in the £1000 range - my current PC cost me £500 about 4 years ago, so I think it's time! The $1000 build in the OP looks great so I based this on it - added some more RAM and HDD space, and threw some wireless in there. Am I doing it right? Also, what's the consensus on sound cards? Are they worth getting, even in the ~£50 range? Never had one before but maybe my plebian ears are missing out? [quote][url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/bsN7Bm]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/bsN7Bm/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url] [b]CPU:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54690k]Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor[/url] (£179.00 @ Amazon UK) [b]CPU Cooler:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2]Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler[/url] (£25.49 @ Novatech) [b]Motherboard:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xgaming5]Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard[/url] (£97.25 @ Ebuyer) [b]Memory:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-memory-blt2k8g3d1608et3lx0]Crucial Ballistix Tactical 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory[/url] (£98.86 @ More Computers) [b]Storage:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-internal-hard-drive-ct250mx200ssd4]Crucial MX200 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive[/url] (£89.10 @ Scan.co.uk) [b]Storage:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd2003fzex]Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive[/url] (£99.98 @ Novatech) [b]Video Card:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp42974kr]EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card[/url] (£276.98 @ Amazon UK) [b]Case:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-case-200r]Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case[/url] (£49.19 @ Aria PC) [b]Power Supply:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ssr550rm]SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply[/url] (£88.50 @ Amazon UK) [b]Wireless Network Adapter:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/tp-link-wireless-network-card-tlwn881nd]TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter[/url] (£12.98 @ Aria PC) [b]Total:[/b] £1017.33 [i]Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available[/i] [i]Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-13 23:29 BST+0100[/i][/quote] Pretty psyched about this, thanks!
[QUOTE=Splambob;47719212]Hey, I'm shopping around for a new box in the £1000 range - my current PC cost me £500 about 4 years ago, so I think it's time! The $1000 build in the OP looks great so I based this on it - added some more RAM and HDD space, and threw some wireless in there. Am I doing it right? Also, what's the consensus on sound cards? Are they worth getting, even in the ~£50 range? Never had one before but maybe my plebian ears are missing out? Pretty psyched about this, thanks![/QUOTE] Nah, unless you're getting like a $100 dac and a $100 amp for a pair of high impedance headphones that require and amp you'll be fine. Looks great though.
[QUOTE=Levelog;47718856]Does thou needeth a monitor, operating system, keyboard, or mouse?[/QUOTE] I doth not need neither, I hath put one together but i would like to see what you guys can do for my budget
[QUOTE=Sir Spicy Buns;47719947]I doth not need neither, I hath put one together but i would like to see what you guys can do for my budget[/QUOTE] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/x32GMp]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/x32GMp/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url] [b]CPU:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54690k]Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor[/url] ($229.99 @ NCIX US) [b]CPU Cooler:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/phanteks-cpu-cooler-phtc14pe]Phanteks PH-TC14PE 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler[/url] ($73.39 @ Newegg) [b]Motherboard:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xgaming5]Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard[/url] ($140.98 @ Newegg) [b]Memory:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-memory-bls2k4g3d169ds3]Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory[/url] ($54.99 @ Newegg) [b]Storage:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-internal-hard-drive-ct250mx200ssd4]Crucial MX200 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive[/url] ($108.99 @ Newegg) [b]Storage:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd1003fzex]Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive[/url] ($73.99 @ Newegg) [b]Video Card:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-gtx970gaming4g]MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card[/url] ($339.99 @ Amazon) [b]Case:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcadefsbk]Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case[/url] ($79.99 @ NCIX US) [b]Power Supply:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-m12ii620bronze]SeaSonic 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply[/url] ($87.99 @ Newegg) [b]Total:[/b] $1190.30 [i]Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available[/i] [i]Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-13 21:17 EDT-0400[/i]
[QUOTE=Levelog;47720005][url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/x32GMp]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/x32GMp/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url] [b]CPU:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54690k]Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor[/url] ($229.99 @ NCIX US) [b]CPU Cooler:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/phanteks-cpu-cooler-phtc14pe]Phanteks PH-TC14PE 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler[/url] ($73.39 @ Newegg) [b]Motherboard:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xgaming5]Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard[/url] ($140.98 @ Newegg) [b]Memory:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-memory-bls2k4g3d169ds3]Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory[/url] ($54.99 @ Newegg) [b]Storage:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-internal-hard-drive-ct250mx200ssd4]Crucial MX200 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive[/url] ($108.99 @ Newegg) [b]Storage:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd1003fzex]Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive[/url] ($73.99 @ Newegg) [b]Video Card:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-gtx970gaming4g]MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card[/url] ($339.99 @ Amazon) [b]Case:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcadefsbk]Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case[/url] ($79.99 @ NCIX US) [b]Power Supply:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-m12ii620bronze]SeaSonic 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply[/url] ($87.99 @ Newegg) [b]Total:[/b] $1190.30 [i]Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available[/i] [i]Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-13 21:17 EDT-0400[/i][/QUOTE] I feel like 75$ for an aftermarket cpu cooler is a bit on the high side, i'd rather just pitch the extra dough for an i7. I don't over clock or anything
[QUOTE=Sir Spicy Buns;47720610]I feel like 75$ for an aftermarket cpu cooler is a bit on the high side, i'd rather just pitch the extra dough for an i7. I don't over clock or anything[/QUOTE] If you don't overclock at all, you could do with this. The Xeon e3 is literally the exact same chip as the i7, but with no integrated graphics. And honestly probably higher binned silicon than a non k i7. [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/RbTxmG]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/RbTxmG/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url] [b]CPU:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646e31231v3]Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor[/url] ($252.99 @ Amazon) [b]CPU Cooler:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr910htx3g1]Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler[/url] ($19.99 @ NCIX US) [b]Motherboard:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-motherboard-h97gaming3]MSI H97 GAMING 3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard[/url] ($119.99 @ Amazon) [b]Memory:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-memory-bls2kit8g3d1609ds1s00]Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory[/url] ($99.99 @ Amazon) [b]Storage:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-internal-hard-drive-ct250mx200ssd4]Crucial MX200 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive[/url] ($108.99 @ Newegg) [b]Storage:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd1003fzex]Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive[/url] ($73.99 @ Newegg) [b]Video Card:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-gtx970gaming4g]MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card[/url] ($339.99 @ Amazon) [b]Case:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcadefsbk]Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case[/url] ($79.99 @ NCIX US) [b]Power Supply:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-m12ii620bronze]SeaSonic 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply[/url] ($87.99 @ Newegg) [b]Total:[/b] $1183.91 [i]Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available[/i] [i]Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-13 23:29 EDT-0400[/i]
And even though you don't plan on oc'ing, you can still bump the base clock on the xeon by a tiny bit if you want to squeeze a little more performance out of it. My xeon e3-1231v3's stable at 3.954Ghz, great for video rendering and editing, or any other heavy task.
Got a friend with my old desktop. It's cobbled together, has an i3 2100, 4GB DDR3, and a GTX 560-448(really a GTX 570 but marketing~). He says it's having some framerate issues with games like Dying Light. What do you guys suggest as an upgrade path?
[QUOTE=KangarooSteak;47720985]And even though you don't plan on oc'ing, you can still bump the base clock on the xeon by a tiny bit if you want to squeeze a little more performance out of it. My xeon e3-1231v3's stable at 3.954Ghz, great for video rendering and editing, or any other heavy task.[/QUOTE] BLCK overclocking is a terrible idea for haswell.
[QUOTE=~Kiwi~v2;47721181]i5 3570K second hand maybe go up to a second hand 280 or 290[/QUOTE] Don't think the chipset supports it. It's a ZOTAC H67 itx-c-e. Also he's really not computer savvy, I'd probably get him a non-K chip if it's cheaper.
[QUOTE=Trekintosh;47721269]Don't think the chipset supports it. It's a ZOTAC H67 itx-c-e. Also he's really not computer savvy, I'd probably get him a non-K chip if it's cheaper.[/QUOTE] It will support it, but he may need a bios update.
Good to know. So which do you guys think is the better first upgrade, GPU or CPU? Or is 4GB really holding it back? He's tight on funds so it's probably one thing at a time.
Hello. I know nothing about PSU's but I need to change mine now because it's fucked. What are your guys' opinion on this list? [url]http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html[/url] Should I use it as a basis for choosing my next PSU?
It's a good resource. I use it exclusively because I'm lazy, but Levelog cross references with other online resources to find the ideal PSU.
Should I bother getting [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487088"]EVGA SSC ACX 2.0+[/URL] over the [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127832"]MSI 970[/URL]?
EVGA has the step up program as well. No one should forget about that with the possible release of new cards just around the corner.
Not sure how you guys feel about cooler master but massdrop has a V1200 Platinum [url=http://link.massdrop.com/54b556976ca0bd28028b54fd2lqfw.7u9/VVR6xEmOnnxf0gWTBbc45]dropping now[/url]
[QUOTE=Dr McNinja;47723543]EVGA has the step up program as well. No one should forget about that with the possible release of new cards just around the corner.[/QUOTE] +1 this, I just went from my 960 2GB that wasn't really satisfying so I stepped-up to a 970 for $130
[QUOTE=~Kiwi~v2;47724346]it's a bit loud, ripple is sorta okay under max load personal experiences cooler master psus are shit, got mixed feelings about the v1200[/QUOTE] How bad is ~30mv ripple under full load really? I've definitely seen better but coming from an electronics background that's usually totally inconsequential
[QUOTE=Dr McNinja;47723543]EVGA has the step up program as well. No one should forget about that with the possible release of new cards just around the corner.[/QUOTE] Should I just wait then until Pascal releases or just get a Maxwell card then do a trade up via EVGA (assuming I can).
would it be possible to create a media PC for under $280? I'm thinking about doing that but find it difficult to shop with such a limited budget when I'm more used to reading about high end stuff. seeing as the Xbox One and PS4 are just a little bit more expensive, I imagine something usable could come out of such a tiny budget? its use would be mostly for streaming, streaming content over the network from my desktop into the living room.
[QUOTE=~Kiwi~v2;47727362]any laptop would do from the last 5 years that has intel hd graphics and you can pick those up for under your budget with some extras [editline]15th May 2015[/editline] could also get a intel celeron nuc [url]http://www.amazon.com/Intel-DN2820FYKH-Celeron-N2820-support/dp/B00HVKLSVC/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1431657510&sr=8-6&keywords=intel+nuc[/url] just do everything on the GPU and you're golden[/QUOTE] a nuc would be perfect! should have thought of that to begin with, thanks!
After getting my 970, I didn't even stop to consider whether my processor could run the Witcher 3, I'm getting worried it can't now, what do you guys think? [t]http://i.imgur.com/63bHmqC.png[/t] [editline]17th May 2015[/editline] Guess I'll find out tommorow, anyways.
Anyone think they can help. I got a corsair 500R case. The front fans and back fan is working fine. And all the LEDs for all fans are working. However my side fan isn't spinning. Did I forget to plug something in? [editline]17th May 2015[/editline] Lol nevermind had to give it a tap to jumpstart it :v:
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