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Computer Build Resource Thread - Page 1478

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When using this resource, please read FragKrag's opening post. The Tech Support forum regulars have helped create countless of desktop systems without any compensation. The least you can do is provide all of the information required for them to help you properly.
xICEEx
Profile Blog Joined March 2013
United States14 Posts
May 02 2013 03:52 GMT
#29541
Hello, I'm not particularly savvy when it comes to the actual creation of computers, but after that I get a majority of the things so, with that said... I'm looking for a site or a person to create a desktop for me.

What is your budget?
$1,000 USD

What is your resolution?
1366x768, I have 2x 20" moniters if that helps.

What are you using it for?
Gaming (StarCraft/LoL), streaming.

What is your upgrade cycle?
Not sure? I would rather pay less now, and overhaul a majority of parts in 3 years, than pay more now.

When do you plan on building it?
I would like to have the computer, w/ OS installed, and necessary programs up, and ready to stream by the end of May.

Do you plan on overclocking?
No.

Do you need an Operating System?
Uhhh, I'm thinking I should invest in opening my old copy of Windows XP instead of spending $120 USD on Win7.

Where are you buying your parts from?
I would like to buy the WHOLE computer from the same place preferably.

Thank you, any help from anyone who has any idea what their talking about, or doing would be appreciated! Thanks.
I've Never Dreamed About Success. I've Worked For It.
iTzSnypah
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
United States1738 Posts
May 02 2013 04:11 GMT
#29542
Are you putting the computer together yourself?

Also this is 2013. 1080p monitors are a minimum.
Team Liquid needs more Terrans.
Cyro
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom20285 Posts
May 02 2013 04:25 GMT
#29543
Yea, doubling resolution of your primary monitor is kinda a big deal (1366x786 vs 1920x1080)
"oh my god my overclock... I got a single WHEA error on the 23rd hour, 9 minutes" -Belial88
Chaomantic
Profile Joined January 2011
20 Posts
May 02 2013 11:35 GMT
#29544
Hi!

I'm looking for a portable laptop with a screen between 13 and 15 inches. It would be great to find a slim, lightweight machine without any of the pricey nonsense like touch screens and such. Sturdy build and good keyboard are a must. No gaming in mind at all so no dedicated GPU is necessary. DVD-ROM is optional. HDD would be swapped out for a 2.5'' SSD I already have. Minimum RAM capability of 4 Gb. An Intel Core i3 processor would be best. HDMI for sure with as many USB ports as possible. No OS is necessary. Intended to be used for net surfing, text editing, music and occasional movies. Ideally, I'm looking for something akin to Asus VivoBook X202E but a tad bigger and no screen touching. I hope that dropping the feature would make it possible to find a machine like that at a price of around $500 though I'm open for suggestions.

Thanks.
Myrmidon
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
United States9452 Posts
May 02 2013 13:53 GMT
#29545
I don't know about finding good keyboards in most laptops...

Uh, Dell Vostro 3360 is $520 (check coupon code, unless that's out already):
http://www.logicbuy.com/deals/dell-vostro-3360/40511.aspx

Most consumer laptops in that price range are really cheapish in terms of build, and most are heavier.
Chaomantic
Profile Joined January 2011
20 Posts
May 02 2013 15:43 GMT
#29546
Thanks, Myrmidon. This is a very interesting option. Great find!
FlilFlam
Profile Joined October 2010
Canada109 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-05-02 20:22:02
May 02 2013 20:21 GMT
#29547
I am trying to put together a computer that will let me stream sc2 comfortably at a decent resolution. I don't need a case or peripherals so all i need is the internal hardware. My budget is 1000$ and here is what i have put together so far:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/UxAH

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Xigmatek Dark Knight II SD1283 Night Hawk Edition 89.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H77-DS3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($95.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($66.61 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost 2GB Video Card ($168.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($58.24 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $814.73

My concern is that i am going to have some sort of compatibility issue with the processor i have chosen, or that performance in general might be throttled by my mobo or GPU (i don't know much about computers). I don't plan on overclocking, which is why i have chosen the Xeon, but do i need something stronger? Any critiques and advice would be most appreciated.
vidi, vici, veni
Cyro
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom20285 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-05-03 04:50:13
May 02 2013 20:57 GMT
#29548
Are you trying to achieve like a 1280x720, 30fps stream, or something more hardcore like 1920x1080, 45fps? (pushing 3.375x as many pixels)

You're fine for a standard stream (1280x720, 60fps or 1920x1080, 30fps) with that cpu really, but you're fine with pretty much anything after a sandy bridge i5, it's just that everything runs a ton better with overclocked CPU.

You can bet on a stable stream, don't think it will neccesarily be comfortable though. Hopefully you are blessed with not noticing or being bothered by game performance problems because right now they really exist.
"oh my god my overclock... I got a single WHEA error on the 23rd hour, 9 minutes" -Belial88
Belial88
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
United States5217 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-05-02 21:11:33
May 02 2013 21:10 GMT
#29549
Haswell is coming out on june 3rd, it'll be a bit more expensive but it might be worth the money. You could always sell/return what you buy now though - i5-3570k, Z77-D3h (if you can buy i5-3570k+ud3h from microcenter, even better).

motherboard is a bad choice, you can't overclock with it and the ds3h series of boards suck. The Z77X-D3H is a better choice. There might still be that special for an asrock extreme4 + i5-3570k, it's not as good but if it's still got that $60 off special then it's a good price for it and the i5.

heatsink is a bad choice and overpriced. For $39 at 6pm, get this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118097&nm_mc=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r&cm_mmc=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r-_-CPU Cooling-_-Zalman Tech Co. Ltd-_-35118097

It will be $39 at 6pm tonight, you should definitely buy it. It will only be for sale for a few hours, so really hop on it. It's a good price for a higher end cooler.

Get this RAM instead, it's $20 cheaper right now:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820313086
You can easily hit 1600mhz CL9 with 1.65v, you could do better with 1.75v, if you care.

Do you really need 1TB of data? How much storage space are you currently using? Gaming/streaming rigs generally dont need more than 128gb. If you do, you can always get a 2nd drive very easily...

It's also a huge fail not to have an SSD in your build, for the price and budget you have. Frankly it's a fail not to have an SSD in any modern build. The OCZ Agility 4 128gb is $78 on newegg email special right now.

650TI is not a good card, or rather, it's priced poorly. Here's some better choices:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202011
7770, which performs similarly, sell the bundled games and get it for basically $99AR - $20 = $79. Fair price for it.

Or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127726
7790 for $139AR - $20 = $119.

Avoid the CX500. The CX line is a low quality line, I've had 2 blow out on me and the fans are obnoxious. Corsair has great support though - if you want to get a cheap psu, the cx430 is redeemable when it's $20-30 but currently they aren't on cheap prices. Get a rosewill capstone instead 450w, right now there aren't any particularly special PSU sales going on.

No compatibility issues. You sure about the no overclocking thing? it makes a huge difference. Companies cannot tell if you overclocked, intel has a $20 'performance tuning plan' that basically guarantees if you blow out your chip or do any damage, a no questions asked replacement is given (although with their regular warranty they dont ask any questions and cant tell you overclocked anyways). GPUs are covered in warranty with overclocking and have BIOS limits so you can't overvolt them further than the manufacturer is okay with. It makes a HUGE difference, you really HAVE to overclock.

For example an i5-3570k at stock will go down to the 30s, possibly 20s, or so in a stream in 1v1, but overclocked your min fps will be above 40s even, and for a much lower cost. If you really insist on not overclocking and have mediocre gaming and streaming performance though, then a locked i7 and a much, much cheaper motherboard, and no heatsink, would be a better choice. Basically the cheapest motherboard would be fine, really.


How to build a $500 i7-3770K Ultimate Computer:http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=392709 ******** 100% Safe Razorless Delid Method! http://www.overclock.net/t/1376206/how-to-delid-your-ivy-bridge-cpu-with-out-a-razor-blade/0_100
StraTkSloth
Profile Blog Joined August 2012
United States181 Posts
May 03 2013 03:55 GMT
#29550
What is your budget?

around $500, not over $600

What is your resolution?

1920x1080

What are you using it for?

Completely a gaming rig. I am a grandmaster StarCraft player and I'm tired of losing games due to lag. I also plan on streaming but in 720p and 30 fps is good enough for me, doesn't need to be anything outstanding.

What is your upgrade cycle?

I will probably get a new computer when Legacy of the Void comes out, so about 3 years.

When do you plan on building it?

As soon as possible, I have been saving up for a while. (This is a big investment for a 17 year old)

Do you plan on overclocking?

I do not plan on overclocking

Do you need an Operating System?

No, I have extra copies of win7

Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?

no, i don't think i need that for what i'm using it for.

Where are you buying your parts from?

Cheapest place possible, lol
Vega Squadron Player || StarCraft II entusiast
Cyro
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom20285 Posts
May 03 2013 04:50 GMT
#29551
^What parts do you have? Anything salvageable? (gpu in particular)
"oh my god my overclock... I got a single WHEA error on the 23rd hour, 9 minutes" -Belial88
StraTkSloth
Profile Blog Joined August 2012
United States181 Posts
May 03 2013 05:33 GMT
#29552
I am currently on a laptop, so no parts that i can use. My gpu is HORRIBLE.
Vega Squadron Player || StarCraft II entusiast
Cyro
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom20285 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-05-03 05:40:44
May 03 2013 05:39 GMT
#29553
Ah

Do you have the screen already, or is that in budget etc? What graphics settings do you want to play on? (low settings, better overall performance would call for a different build than max graphics, worse performance)

Little things quite important to establish for lower budget
"oh my god my overclock... I got a single WHEA error on the 23rd hour, 9 minutes" -Belial88
Belial88
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
United States5217 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-05-03 07:04:56
May 03 2013 05:51 GMT
#29554
How important is budget to you? You say you are limited to $500 - you can make an absolutely killer rig with an overclock and just strong as hell for sc2, basically stream as good as anyone, on that amount, but you can definitely do 720@30fps (and likely 45-60fps) with a $200-350 rig if you want to cut some extreme corners (you are already going to have to cut some rather large corners for a $500 rig).

What graphics do you play on? I know a lot of competitive people play on low graphics, that'd really help shave a ton off your build cost. You could potentially have a build that does 1080@60fps without breaking a sweat if you are okay with just medium graphics. Also, as GM I'm sure you play mostly SC2, but do you plan to play any other games? We can make you an awesome sc2 build, or we can sacrifice a little sc2/streaming performance for decent graphics on Bioshock.

Does overclocking sound interesting to you? I know you said no, but it's such a huge value and only way to really get the most for sc2 AND streaming, that unless you have good reason not to overclock (you want a micro build, you live in the desert, your in a country where computer components are insanely expensive, especially overclock gear). We can help you do that very simply, very quickly, so you don't have to spend much time on it. But basically, an overclocked $500 system will outperform *any* stock computer for streaming SC2, it's important, you'll just get an insane performance increase, as in 40%+. Your $150 CPU will perform like a $1500 one, your $100 GPU will perform like a $150 one, it's important. You really need to overclock for the highest sc2 fps, as sc2 doesn't care about cores, it cares only about the IPC (or the gigahertz, basically), so overclock = huge sc2 performance boost. It can save you a lot of money or it can make a mediocre CPU an insanely top end one.

It's less about 'do you plan to overclock' but 'would you enjoy overclocking', in which case if you don't, we can get you lower end gear because we know you aren't going to be pushing the max. If you dont think you'd enjoy overclocking, we'll go on the cheapo side of the scale instead of value or performance, something that'll be good enough for a basic overclock so you still get the amazing value that overclocking is.

Do you have multi-monitor or use a ton of memory? If you really want to save a lot of money, this is a possible corner to shave.

How much storage are you using on your current computer,? Do you rip bluraysThe more storage you need, the slower drive you can get. But for gaming/streaming build, you don't really need more than 128gb (and you could even use just a 64gb, I haven't used more than 60gb in 3 years on mine). The point is that if you need 1TB, then you are going to get a slow ass drive that sucks, whereas if you just need enough for sc2/streaming and OS and nothing else, then you can get a blazing fast SSD that will just be blazingly fast in all general usage tasks (ever used a macbook air?). So do you need lots of storage, what do you think about deleting stuff when you are done with it, or would it just bother you to no end to have to delete your shit every 6 months (although that really isn't how the scenario usually is, some movies and music doesn't take much space).

Finally, do you live near microcenter? If not, do you live near best buy? And are you comfortable buying from ebay, because with your budget, you are going to have to (we can help you find a good listing).

I'm interested in helping you stay under budget, which i guarantee most people wont do for you. It's always easy to spend someone else's money.

edit: to be clear on the 'cut corners' and 'ebay' stuff I said, it's a rabbit hole that not everyone likes to jump, and some like to dive in head first. If you answer the questions, I can gauge how much bullshit you can take lol.
+ Show Spoiler +

To be clear, when I said things like 'shave corners' or 'you might have to buy ebay', what I mean is, is are you okay with spending a bit more time and effort to get higher performance and quality for a lower price. Your budget is not so low that you have to get a plastic milk crate for a case, but it is right at that level where you are forced to either significantly reduce performance, or make do with a few odd parts. For example, SC2 and streaming is all CPU, very little GPU. Go for a cheap, used GPU, and be able to spend a ton on CPU. If you are willing to spend the time and hunt these good deals down, I'll be willing to help you do it.

It's time consuming, not easy, and extremely complex, but it can be very rewarding. I made the following i7-3770K 5GHz, 2200mhz RAM, 1GHz graphics card, for $500:
[image loading]

I've spent about a month really fine tuning all of the absolute overclock settings (it took me 1 day to figure out 4.9ghz, 2000mhz RAM, it took me a month to do 5ghz, 2200mhz, with very low voltages). I can tell you that if I flipped burgers instead of the time I put just into researching the stuff for this build, I could have just bought some $2000 monster custom made instead. But the quality control on this build, it's so far out - every single cable is individually sleeved and perfectly straight and in line, every voltage is the absolute lowest it can be, literally every, line by line, BIOS setting is the optimal setting - EHCI handoff, Init Display, ErP, Refresh Interval IX9, etc. I had more fun tweaking my pc than actually using it.
How to build a $500 i7-3770K Ultimate Computer:http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=392709 ******** 100% Safe Razorless Delid Method! http://www.overclock.net/t/1376206/how-to-delid-your-ivy-bridge-cpu-with-out-a-razor-blade/0_100
ScrApeD
Profile Joined December 2011
Hungary9 Posts
May 03 2013 10:58 GMT
#29555
Hello guys,

which GPU is better for the i5-3570k processor? NVIDIA GTX660 or ATI 7870? (as i know, the game runs better on NVIDIA Cards, doesnt it?)
My main goal is to max out the game.

Thank you for your replies.
ScrApeD

StraTkSloth
Profile Blog Joined August 2012
United States181 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-05-03 13:57:56
May 03 2013 13:52 GMT
#29556
On May 03 2013 14:51 Belial88 wrote:
How important is budget to you? You say you are limited to $500 - you can make an absolutely killer rig with an overclock and just strong as hell for sc2, basically stream as good as anyone, on that amount, but you can definitely do 720@30fps (and likely 45-60fps) with a $200-350 rig if you want to cut some extreme corners (you are already going to have to cut some rather large corners for a $500 rig).

What graphics do you play on? I know a lot of competitive people play on low graphics, that'd really help shave a ton off your build cost. You could potentially have a build that does 1080@60fps without breaking a sweat if you are okay with just medium graphics. Also, as GM I'm sure you play mostly SC2, but do you plan to play any other games? We can make you an awesome sc2 build, or we can sacrifice a little sc2/streaming performance for decent graphics on Bioshock.

Does overclocking sound interesting to you? I know you said no, but it's such a huge value and only way to really get the most for sc2 AND streaming, that unless you have good reason not to overclock (you want a micro build, you live in the desert, your in a country where computer components are insanely expensive, especially overclock gear). We can help you do that very simply, very quickly, so you don't have to spend much time on it. But basically, an overclocked $500 system will outperform *any* stock computer for streaming SC2, it's important, you'll just get an insane performance increase, as in 40%+. Your $150 CPU will perform like a $1500 one, your $100 GPU will perform like a $150 one, it's important. You really need to overclock for the highest sc2 fps, as sc2 doesn't care about cores, it cares only about the IPC (or the gigahertz, basically), so overclock = huge sc2 performance boost. It can save you a lot of money or it can make a mediocre CPU an insanely top end one.

It's less about 'do you plan to overclock' but 'would you enjoy overclocking', in which case if you don't, we can get you lower end gear because we know you aren't going to be pushing the max. If you dont think you'd enjoy overclocking, we'll go on the cheapo side of the scale instead of value or performance, something that'll be good enough for a basic overclock so you still get the amazing value that overclocking is.

Do you have multi-monitor or use a ton of memory? If you really want to save a lot of money, this is a possible corner to shave.

How much storage are you using on your current computer,? Do you rip bluraysThe more storage you need, the slower drive you can get. But for gaming/streaming build, you don't really need more than 128gb (and you could even use just a 64gb, I haven't used more than 60gb in 3 years on mine). The point is that if you need 1TB, then you are going to get a slow ass drive that sucks, whereas if you just need enough for sc2/streaming and OS and nothing else, then you can get a blazing fast SSD that will just be blazingly fast in all general usage tasks (ever used a macbook air?). So do you need lots of storage, what do you think about deleting stuff when you are done with it, or would it just bother you to no end to have to delete your shit every 6 months (although that really isn't how the scenario usually is, some movies and music doesn't take much space).

Finally, do you live near microcenter? If not, do you live near best buy? And are you comfortable buying from ebay, because with your budget, you are going to have to (we can help you find a good listing).

I'm interested in helping you stay under budget, which i guarantee most people wont do for you. It's always easy to spend someone else's money.

edit: to be clear on the 'cut corners' and 'ebay' stuff I said, it's a rabbit hole that not everyone likes to jump, and some like to dive in head first. If you answer the questions, I can gauge how much bullshit you can take lol.
+ Show Spoiler +

To be clear, when I said things like 'shave corners' or 'you might have to buy ebay', what I mean is, is are you okay with spending a bit more time and effort to get higher performance and quality for a lower price. Your budget is not so low that you have to get a plastic milk crate for a case, but it is right at that level where you are forced to either significantly reduce performance, or make do with a few odd parts. For example, SC2 and streaming is all CPU, very little GPU. Go for a cheap, used GPU, and be able to spend a ton on CPU. If you are willing to spend the time and hunt these good deals down, I'll be willing to help you do it.

It's time consuming, not easy, and extremely complex, but it can be very rewarding. I made the following i7-3770K 5GHz, 2200mhz RAM, 1GHz graphics card, for $500:
[image loading]

I've spent about a month really fine tuning all of the absolute overclock settings (it took me 1 day to figure out 4.9ghz, 2000mhz RAM, it took me a month to do 5ghz, 2200mhz, with very low voltages). I can tell you that if I flipped burgers instead of the time I put just into researching the stuff for this build, I could have just bought some $2000 monster custom made instead. But the quality control on this build, it's so far out - every single cable is individually sleeved and perfectly straight and in line, every voltage is the absolute lowest it can be, literally every, line by line, BIOS setting is the optimal setting - EHCI handoff, Init Display, ErP, Refresh Interval IX9, etc. I had more fun tweaking my pc than actually using it.


I would prefer a full $500 - $600 PC, if that means it can be a killer rig, that's even better.

I don't really care about the graphics settings. I have gone to LANs and such and played on extreme graphics and still played just as well as on my lowest settings possible.

If overclocking would be cheaper/better, then yes, go for it. I thought it was more expensive before, lol.

I can't really buy from ebay because I don't have a paypal account, but I do have a debit card that I can buy things online. The nearest bestbuy is a good half hour drive, so I would prefer not to go there for anything either, lol.

I do plan on going to dual monitor in the future, but I don't use that much memory. I pretty much only run Skype, StarCraft, and maxthon (my web browser) on my computer, lol. Maybe a movie here and there, but i delete them after I'm done watching.

I really appreciate you trying to help man. If you are ever interested in any SC2 coaching or anything, hit me up.


Vega Squadron Player || StarCraft II entusiast
Belial88
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
United States5217 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-05-03 16:20:15
May 03 2013 16:18 GMT
#29557
On May 03 2013 19:58 ScrApeD wrote:
Hello guys,

which GPU is better for the i5-3570k processor? NVIDIA GTX660 or ATI 7870? (as i know, the game runs better on NVIDIA Cards, doesnt it?)
My main goal is to max out the game.

Thank you for your replies.
ScrApeD



This was true a long time ago, when you needed a mid-range, $200-300 card to max SC2, but nowadays isn't really relevant, especially since AMD drivers have been updated long ago. There's no such thing as a 'which gpu is better for a cpu', it's simply a matter of how much performance do you need. A Titan or 690 would be the 'best' GPU, but obviously for SC2 it's a total waste of money.

If your goal is to max out just SC2, you only need the strength of a gtx 460, 650, 7770, 5850... you really don't need much. Both a 660 and a 7870 would be a waste of money - for one, they are a waste of money for sc2 as they both could run 2 instances of sc2 totally maxed out with no sweat, and secondly, they are both sub-optimal for their performance to price point (in general, of course, a sale could change that). The 7950 is a similarly priced card that's much better than both of those cards, although the 7870 does sometimes go on sale.

If you want to max out the game, your best bet is to buy an older gen, mid-range card in terms of performance/price. However you might have a difficult time finding an older gen card like a gtx460 1GB for $50-75, in which case you might have to buy a 7770 for $80-100 brand new.

Given that you are in Hungary though, prices are probably way different for you. If you could link us to where you are buying from, we could tell you your best bet. I'm also not sure what kind of classifieds or used listing page you guys use, so finding an older gen GPU might be really difficult or not worth it because they are sold for a high price. But yea in general, 660ti > 660, 7950 > 660ti and 7870...and all such cards are stupid expensive and overkill for sc2. a 460 or 7770 is already overkill for sc2.
How to build a $500 i7-3770K Ultimate Computer:http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=392709 ******** 100% Safe Razorless Delid Method! http://www.overclock.net/t/1376206/how-to-delid-your-ivy-bridge-cpu-with-out-a-razor-blade/0_100
Belial88
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
United States5217 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-05-03 16:42:17
May 03 2013 16:36 GMT
#29558
On May 03 2013 22:52 ThatSweatyNerd wrote:
Show nested quote +
On May 03 2013 14:51 Belial88 wrote:
How important is budget to you? You say you are limited to $500 - you can make an absolutely killer rig with an overclock and just strong as hell for sc2, basically stream as good as anyone, on that amount, but you can definitely do 720@30fps (and likely 45-60fps) with a $200-350 rig if you want to cut some extreme corners (you are already going to have to cut some rather large corners for a $500 rig).

What graphics do you play on? I know a lot of competitive people play on low graphics, that'd really help shave a ton off your build cost. You could potentially have a build that does 1080@60fps without breaking a sweat if you are okay with just medium graphics. Also, as GM I'm sure you play mostly SC2, but do you plan to play any other games? We can make you an awesome sc2 build, or we can sacrifice a little sc2/streaming performance for decent graphics on Bioshock.

Does overclocking sound interesting to you? I know you said no, but it's such a huge value and only way to really get the most for sc2 AND streaming, that unless you have good reason not to overclock (you want a micro build, you live in the desert, your in a country where computer components are insanely expensive, especially overclock gear). We can help you do that very simply, very quickly, so you don't have to spend much time on it. But basically, an overclocked $500 system will outperform *any* stock computer for streaming SC2, it's important, you'll just get an insane performance increase, as in 40%+. Your $150 CPU will perform like a $1500 one, your $100 GPU will perform like a $150 one, it's important. You really need to overclock for the highest sc2 fps, as sc2 doesn't care about cores, it cares only about the IPC (or the gigahertz, basically), so overclock = huge sc2 performance boost. It can save you a lot of money or it can make a mediocre CPU an insanely top end one.

It's less about 'do you plan to overclock' but 'would you enjoy overclocking', in which case if you don't, we can get you lower end gear because we know you aren't going to be pushing the max. If you dont think you'd enjoy overclocking, we'll go on the cheapo side of the scale instead of value or performance, something that'll be good enough for a basic overclock so you still get the amazing value that overclocking is.

Do you have multi-monitor or use a ton of memory? If you really want to save a lot of money, this is a possible corner to shave.

How much storage are you using on your current computer,? Do you rip bluraysThe more storage you need, the slower drive you can get. But for gaming/streaming build, you don't really need more than 128gb (and you could even use just a 64gb, I haven't used more than 60gb in 3 years on mine). The point is that if you need 1TB, then you are going to get a slow ass drive that sucks, whereas if you just need enough for sc2/streaming and OS and nothing else, then you can get a blazing fast SSD that will just be blazingly fast in all general usage tasks (ever used a macbook air?). So do you need lots of storage, what do you think about deleting stuff when you are done with it, or would it just bother you to no end to have to delete your shit every 6 months (although that really isn't how the scenario usually is, some movies and music doesn't take much space).

Finally, do you live near microcenter? If not, do you live near best buy? And are you comfortable buying from ebay, because with your budget, you are going to have to (we can help you find a good listing).

I'm interested in helping you stay under budget, which i guarantee most people wont do for you. It's always easy to spend someone else's money.

edit: to be clear on the 'cut corners' and 'ebay' stuff I said, it's a rabbit hole that not everyone likes to jump, and some like to dive in head first. If you answer the questions, I can gauge how much bullshit you can take lol.
+ Show Spoiler +

To be clear, when I said things like 'shave corners' or 'you might have to buy ebay', what I mean is, is are you okay with spending a bit more time and effort to get higher performance and quality for a lower price. Your budget is not so low that you have to get a plastic milk crate for a case, but it is right at that level where you are forced to either significantly reduce performance, or make do with a few odd parts. For example, SC2 and streaming is all CPU, very little GPU. Go for a cheap, used GPU, and be able to spend a ton on CPU. If you are willing to spend the time and hunt these good deals down, I'll be willing to help you do it.

It's time consuming, not easy, and extremely complex, but it can be very rewarding. I made the following i7-3770K 5GHz, 2200mhz RAM, 1GHz graphics card, for $500:
[image loading]

I've spent about a month really fine tuning all of the absolute overclock settings (it took me 1 day to figure out 4.9ghz, 2000mhz RAM, it took me a month to do 5ghz, 2200mhz, with very low voltages). I can tell you that if I flipped burgers instead of the time I put just into researching the stuff for this build, I could have just bought some $2000 monster custom made instead. But the quality control on this build, it's so far out - every single cable is individually sleeved and perfectly straight and in line, every voltage is the absolute lowest it can be, literally every, line by line, BIOS setting is the optimal setting - EHCI handoff, Init Display, ErP, Refresh Interval IX9, etc. I had more fun tweaking my pc than actually using it.


I would prefer a full $500 - $600 PC, if that means it can be a killer rig, that's even better.

I don't really care about the graphics settings. I have gone to LANs and such and played on extreme graphics and still played just as well as on my lowest settings possible.

If overclocking would be cheaper/better, then yes, go for it. I thought it was more expensive before, lol.

I can't really buy from ebay because I don't have a paypal account, but I do have a debit card that I can buy things online. The nearest bestbuy is a good half hour drive, so I would prefer not to go there for anything either, lol.

I do plan on going to dual monitor in the future, but I don't use that much memory. I pretty much only run Skype, StarCraft, and maxthon (my web browser) on my computer, lol. Maybe a movie here and there, but i delete them after I'm done watching.

I really appreciate you trying to help man. If you are ever interested in any SC2 coaching or anything, hit me up.




Graphics card is often the most expensive part of a computer. So it makes a huge difference, even in your case and budget, whether you want to max the graphics out or just play on low or medium. In the most extreme scenario, you could actually go for an i7-3770K instead of an i5-3570K, which would allow for a higher quality stream, if you were okay with not being able to do anything more than medium graphics (would be quite difficult to still fit under $500 but possible).

For ebay you don't need a paypal account, you can use a guest account to paypal from a debit card (if you don't want to actually set it up, would take 5 minutes, and not having your bank account number, ie your checkbook on hand, just means you aren't verified) (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/mer/WAX_landing-outside). Just because you dont have paypal doesn't mean you can't use ebay. However this sounds like you don't know much about ebay, so I won't recommend you look on ebay unless I see a particularly good deal on there. It's going to be very difficult to fit your budget with a 'killer rig' if you don't ebay the graphics card.

You really need to understand what I'm talking about here - $500 is not going to get you a 'killer rig', it's going to get you a 'great rig' unless you really cut corners, if you are willing to take the time to figure this stuff out, to find good deals.

Okay, if you aren't dual monitor yet and given your current usage, you might want to go with 4GB of RAM instead of 8GB. And then, in the future, if you change how you use your computer, you can get another 4GB kit, very simple (if you ever even needed it, unlikely). RAM prices are skyhigh right now too.

so just answer:
  • How much storage are you currently using, do you particularly need tons of storage
  • Seriously, do you want just medium or just low or what on graphics, exactly.
  • Do you live near microcenter (if you don't, you will probably have to drive to best buy, and there's a chance they might not be able to do the low price, in which case you won't make a killer rig)


edit: there is a little bit more cost with overclocking but the reward is definitely worth it. about $20-100 more for like an 30-100% performance gain cumulative (eh so maybe a 30-70% gain in actual tasks depending on what it is).
How to build a $500 i7-3770K Ultimate Computer:http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=392709 ******** 100% Safe Razorless Delid Method! http://www.overclock.net/t/1376206/how-to-delid-your-ivy-bridge-cpu-with-out-a-razor-blade/0_100
StraTkSloth
Profile Blog Joined August 2012
United States181 Posts
May 03 2013 16:42 GMT
#29559
1. I'm not currently using too much storage. I don't do much but play SC, go on facebook, and talk to ppl on Skype. I use Pandora for music, so I'm not even storing that on here.

2. I would like to play SC on medium graphics and stream on low - medium graphics.

3. I don't really know what a microcenter is. (xD) I can drive to Best Buy if I need to.

4. I am under 18, so if paypal is going to ask for a SSN, I can't use it. TT

I don't mean a "killer" rig. I just want something to stream with and not lag during 2v2s if I decide to play them.
Vega Squadron Player || StarCraft II entusiast
Belial88
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
United States5217 Posts
May 03 2013 16:52 GMT
#29560
I'm not asking where you live. I'm asking do you live near one of these stores.

http://microcenter.com/site/stores/default.aspx

Best buy often pricematches them (but sometimes they have a stuck-up manager, not common though) so that's why, if you don't live near MC, we need to know if you live near best buy. If you don't live near microcenter, then you wont be able to make that killer rig on budget.

You don't need a paypal account, that's fine.

Streaming can be quite intensive, so a 'killer rig' is kinda necessary, especially for 2v2s streaming. You could make do with much less but if you are willing to spend a bit more, you can definitely get something a lot nicer. I'll try to see if we can make $500 work but it's going to be difficult and time consuming.


How to build a $500 i7-3770K Ultimate Computer:http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=392709 ******** 100% Safe Razorless Delid Method! http://www.overclock.net/t/1376206/how-to-delid-your-ivy-bridge-cpu-with-out-a-razor-blade/0_100
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