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On June 14 2013 01:53 Ropid wrote: Same price or what? I can't really decide. If that EM shield for audio noise on the ASRock works, it might be a neat feature. If I don't use some kind of external volume control on my current motherboard, I can hear some noise from the graphics card working with headphones. The audio chip itself might also be an argument for the ASRock. From what I've seen in forum posts, you can supposedly hear a difference between a soundcard and that Realtek 892 chip on the Gigabyte board, which might not be the case with what's used on the Extreme4.
If the Gigabyte is cheaper, I'd rather take that as I trust them quality wise.
On June 14 2013 02:12 Alryk wrote: The EM shield works for sure. I haven't even listened to my old board obviously in forever, and I thought the difference was definitely noticeable. Its not 100$ sound card quality but if you like having nice sound it definitely, definitely helps. The layout should matter a lot more than the EM shield. Also, using those NE5532 op amps outside of the Realtek chip itself (especially if driving headphones directly, probably... though really, for that, NE5532 is not that optimal anyway at higher volumes with some sets). You're comparing two entirely different boards with far more differences than just the shielding, so I'm not so convinced how much it's helping. Anyway, shielding is just to attenuate problems. The real key is to try to avoid them in the first place.
Also, isn't some significant part of the problem the conducted EMI, not just radiated? Though at least, it looks like the shield is for more than just decoration:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/QmrYn5v.png) That's the back side of the board, thanks to newegg images, where I marked the location of the Realtek chip and shield (as evidenced from front-side photos). It's soldered all the way through, it seems?
So those two boards are some of the cheaper ones with x8/x8 and SLI support I think; if you don't need those things, you can go under that level.
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Oh. I don't know the exact physics of it so I guess I shouldn't attribute it just to that. But asrock does have a higher quality audio chip on the extreme4 and whatever the actual reason for it is, I can definitely notice a difference in audio quality compared to the realtek 892 or whatever was in my last mobo (which is what is in normal motherboards now)
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I've been talked out of going for Z87/4670, and now have a setup with B85/4430. It saves €100,-, and some of that difference went into a bigger SSD (€40 difference between a 128GB one and the 256GB Plextor). The reason was that they told me Haswell isn't that great for overclocking, and that I wouldn't gain much out of a higher base clock (3 GHz would be enough). The pc will be used for gaming (Tomb Raider, Civ V, DotA 2, and new games that I like) and a bit of CAD work (SolidWorks mostly, nothing too intensive, small assemblies and work I could do with my current laptop).
I already posted a few times, but it's hard for me to make a decision. It's a lot of money (I don't spend much usually), so I want to do it right .
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You can save some money by changing some parts without losing anything I think. No real need for an aftermarket cooler, you can change the case to a bitfenix shinobi (still looks great) and replace the PSU with an XFX core v2 450w.
Should save you around a 100 euros, unless they're items you really want. I see its a tweakers list, so its worth looking into if you can get it all at one supplier by changing some of the parts slightly.
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On June 14 2013 05:46 Derez wrote: You can save some money by changing some parts without losing anything I think. No real need for an aftermarket cooler, you can change the case to a bitfenix shinobi (still looks great) and replace the PSU with an XFX core v2 450w.
Should save you around a 100 euros, unless they're items you really want. I see its a tweakers list, so its worth looking into if you can get it all at one supplier by changing some of the parts slightly.
I really want that case because of how clean it looks, the PSU is something I can look at. Aftermarket cooler has 20 dB lower noise levels according to reviews (Gelid has 27dB at load, Intel stock 47). What I'm struggling with most is the CPU/motherboard combo.
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I’m going to build my pc in the next days so wanted your opinions and help on the parts. I won’t be able to get any parts from my old PC because it will be for my brother so I will need to buy everything from scratch. Thanks for any help in advance.
What is your budget?
1000€ - 1100€ The lower the better but I can also go a bit higher if it would make a big difference, performance wise.
What is your resolution?
1920x1080 At first I will only use one monitor but will buy the second monitor shortly.
What are you using it for?
It will be for mostly gaming, games like Starcraft 2, Battlefield 3, Bioshock Infinite, etc. and also browsing and some times when I need to work from home I will be using software like Visual Studio, Photoshop for example.
What is your upgrade cycle? It will be around 3-4 years.
When do you plan on building it? I wanted to start ordering and getting all the parts this week or at maximum next week.
Do you plan on overclocking? Yes I do.
Do you need an Operating System?
No don’t need it.
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
No, don’t have plans to do that for now.
Where are you buying your parts from?
I will be buying from stores in Portugal PCDiga (http://www.pcdiga.com/) ChipTec (http://www.chiptec.net/) Or Pixmania. (http://www.pixmania.com/pt/pt/home.html If there is a store in Europe that has cheaper parts and will delivery it in Portugal, ofc I will be up for it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This was the build I was thinking, but ofc I’m not an expert so any advice you give me, I will gladly take it. The prices are from the three website I posted before, I looked where I could buy the cheapest part in all three. CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K (235€) MotherBoard: Motherboard Asus Z87-A (139.9€) Heatsink: NOCTUA NH-D14 (69.9€) GPU: Asus GTX660 2GB DirectCU II (204.11€) RAM: KINGSTON HyperX blu RED Series 2 x 4 GB DDR3-1600 (58.9€) Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Titanium Grey (96.05€) PSU: XFX Core Edition PSU PRO 550W (59.9€) SSD: Samsung 128GB 840 Pro Series (127.9€) HD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB (58.5€) Optical Driver: Samsung DVD-RW 24x Sata Preto Bulk (17.9€)
Total: 1093.05 € (1069.06 + 24.99 -> The 25€ are from Pixmania delivery rate, mostly because of the case) ------------------------------------------ I have a few Questions/Observations:
-> The room I’m going to have the computer does not have AC and Portugal gets really hot in Summer time(30ºC – 40ºC almost every day is considered normal here) and the room is going to have two computers. I do normally have a fan in the room most of the time but still, I was wondering if getting that heatsink would be a safe choice in my case,( also because I will be overcloking) or should I go for something else, even if a bit more expensive.
-> I will be doing a light-mid overcloking, so nothing super high, and was wondering if that motherboard would be ok for that, if I should get a better one or even get a cheaper one?
-> I have seen some people say that you can go with the 450W PSU, but I choose the 550W mostly because I want to “play safe” and because I will be overcloking. Is it a waste of money and should I get the 450W one?
-> Still about the PSU, I’m not sure if this PSU is compatible with the new Z87 Boards. If possible I would like a modular or semi-modular PSU, so I can have a better air flow in my case. Do you think it is worth it or not? And If yes, what PSU should I get in terms of the modular stuff?
Once more thanks in advance for any help, I really appreciate.
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On June 14 2013 06:05 Doctorbeat wrote:Show nested quote +On June 14 2013 05:46 Derez wrote: You can save some money by changing some parts without losing anything I think. No real need for an aftermarket cooler, you can change the case to a bitfenix shinobi (still looks great) and replace the PSU with an XFX core v2 450w.
Should save you around a 100 euros, unless they're items you really want. I see its a tweakers list, so its worth looking into if you can get it all at one supplier by changing some of the parts slightly. I really want that case because of how clean it looks, the PSU is something I can look at. Aftermarket cooler has 20 dB lower noise levels according to reviews (Gelid has 27dB at load, Intel stock 47). What I'm struggling with most is the CPU/motherboard combo. In practice, you shouldn't be able to hear the CPU fan at all over the rest of the PC. The graphics card will be the loudest part.
You could go for mATX case and motherboard. That could save a little money and there's a Fractal Design Define Mini with similar looks.
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What is your budget? Roughly $1000
What is your resolution? I don't know what I should be using...
What are you using it for? Gaming - SC2, D3, BF3/4, Skyrim
What is your upgrade cycle? Very infrequently - I've had my current build for over 4 years
When do you plan on building it? Immediately
Do you plan on overclocking? No
Do you need an Operating System? No
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire? No
Where are you buying your parts from? Internet. I live in the USA and theres no decent places nearby to pick stuff up from
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/169OG Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/169OG/by_merchant/ Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/169OG/benchmarks/
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($224.98 @ Outlet PC) Motherboard: MSI B85M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($71.97 @ Newegg) Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($136.98 @ Newegg) Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($94.99 @ Newegg) Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($99.99 @ Newegg) Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 MicroATX Mini Tower Case (Purchased For $43.31) Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 450W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($62.98 @ Newegg) Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($24.98 @ Newegg) Monitor: Dell U2312HM 23.0" Monitor ($179.99 @ Microcenter) Total: $1025.16 (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.) (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-13 20:59 EDT-0400)
I'm ready to buy this now if you guys think it is okay. I'm a noob when it comes to building PCs, my biggest questions are: -Is the PSU overkill? Estimated wattage is only 258W -Is the video card sufficient for what I will be using it for? I don't want more than what is necessary, but I also probably won't be upgrading for a long time. -Good monitor?
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Capstone 450W is way overkill, but you're not finding anything cheaper of similar quality anyway. It's good to have something that should last, so it's still a reasonable, pretty good option.
If you want higher settings on BF3, much less a future game, you'd want higher than HD 7770.
That monitor price is in-store pickup only. It's good, but it's not particularly better than many other eIPS monitors, many of which are cheaper, other than the good stand (which does height, swivel, tilt, rotate). Some people would be bothered by the response times and some reverse ghosting, the strong anti-glare coating, IPS glow, or whatever else, but most people would like it.
840 Pro is overkill for most desktop users. 840 should be fine.
Caviar Black is slightly faster than some others, but if most accesses are going to the SSD, is it worth the premium? It's also noisier. I think the real advantage is just the longer warranty.
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On June 14 2013 10:22 Myrmidon wrote: Capstone 450W is way overkill, but you're not finding anything cheaper of similar quality anyway. It's good to have something that should last, so it's still a reasonable, pretty good option.
If you want higher settings on BF3, much less a future game, you'd want higher than HD 7770.
That monitor price is in-store pickup only. It's good, but it's not particularly better than many other eIPS monitors, many of which are cheaper, other than the good stand (which does height, swivel, tilt, rotate). Some people would be bothered by the response times and some reverse ghosting, the strong anti-glare coating, IPS glow, or whatever else, but most people would like it.
840 Pro is overkill for most desktop users. 840 should be fine.
Caviar Black is slightly faster than some others, but if most accesses are going to the SSD, is it worth the premium? It's also noisier. I think the real advantage is just the longer warranty.
For some reason whenever I generated the list pcpartpicker changed the merchant to Microcenter, but if I get it I will get it from Newegg for $198. I think I will save some money and get a standard 840 SSD and a Caviar Green instead of a Caviar Black. I might go for a slightly cheaper Corsair PSU as well. Can you suggest a video card and a monitor? Thanks for all the help
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United Kingdom20318 Posts
Caviar blue or something like a seagate barracuda is good advice, but i'd avoid the greens. They are significantly slower (5400rpm and lower performance) to the point of holding you back in some things such as for example fraps recording (which is the only reason i have a hdd larger than 250gb with my 120gb ssd) which relies on sequential write and read speeds, you are forced to record at lower resolutions and framerates if you have a slower HDD. If you don't want to use the drive in such ways, green can be fine, but i'd always pay a little extra for a good 7200 drive.
Capstone 450w, 840 pro and caviar black - that was kinda picking out "best" parts instead of "good enough" ones, like you can probably get by with a cx430 psu, 830/840 regular or crucial m4 for example ssd, some cheaper hdd (though like i said above, i'd be careful with greens unless you know your intended hdd usage)
GPU's, you can look at the 7790 and 7850 to upgrade, then i'd jump over to the gtx770 (or maybe 760/760ti when they are released?) if you want to go higher end than the 7850.
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On June 14 2013 08:50 Ropid wrote:Show nested quote +On June 14 2013 06:05 Doctorbeat wrote:On June 14 2013 05:46 Derez wrote: You can save some money by changing some parts without losing anything I think. No real need for an aftermarket cooler, you can change the case to a bitfenix shinobi (still looks great) and replace the PSU with an XFX core v2 450w.
Should save you around a 100 euros, unless they're items you really want. I see its a tweakers list, so its worth looking into if you can get it all at one supplier by changing some of the parts slightly. I really want that case because of how clean it looks, the PSU is something I can look at. Aftermarket cooler has 20 dB lower noise levels according to reviews (Gelid has 27dB at load, Intel stock 47). What I'm struggling with most is the CPU/motherboard combo. In practice, you shouldn't be able to hear the CPU fan at all over the rest of the PC. The graphics card will be the loudest part. You could go for mATX case and motherboard. That could save a little money and there's a Fractal Design Define Mini with similar looks.
Will the GTX770 fit in the Define Mini? It's a pretty big GPU from what I've seen.
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Thank you for the recommendations (i know i am really late with this), they were much appreciated. I haven't gotten a new card yet because i got my old one working again after i put the GPU into the oven, so far so good... :-D
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On June 14 2013 17:45 Doctorbeat wrote:Show nested quote +On June 14 2013 08:50 Ropid wrote:On June 14 2013 06:05 Doctorbeat wrote:On June 14 2013 05:46 Derez wrote: You can save some money by changing some parts without losing anything I think. No real need for an aftermarket cooler, you can change the case to a bitfenix shinobi (still looks great) and replace the PSU with an XFX core v2 450w.
Should save you around a 100 euros, unless they're items you really want. I see its a tweakers list, so its worth looking into if you can get it all at one supplier by changing some of the parts slightly. I really want that case because of how clean it looks, the PSU is something I can look at. Aftermarket cooler has 20 dB lower noise levels according to reviews (Gelid has 27dB at load, Intel stock 47). What I'm struggling with most is the CPU/motherboard combo. In practice, you shouldn't be able to hear the CPU fan at all over the rest of the PC. The graphics card will be the loudest part. You could go for mATX case and motherboard. That could save a little money and there's a Fractal Design Define Mini with similar looks. Will the GTX770 fit in the Define Mini? It's a pretty big GPU from what I've seen.
Yes Define Mini can fit every GPU on the market
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Hey guys, just wanted to thank you all for helping me build my computer. I have it all set up and it's running great! Thanks!
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United Kingdom20318 Posts
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On June 14 2013 15:46 Cyro wrote: Caviar blue or something like a seagate barracuda is good advice, but i'd avoid the greens. They are significantly slower (5400rpm and lower performance) to the point of holding you back in some things such as for example fraps recording (which is the only reason i have a hdd larger than 250gb with my 120gb ssd) which relies on sequential write and read speeds, you are forced to record at lower resolutions and framerates if you have a slower HDD. If you don't want to use the drive in such ways, green can be fine, but i'd always pay a little extra for a good 7200 drive.
Capstone 450w, 840 pro and caviar black - that was kinda picking out "best" parts instead of "good enough" ones, like you can probably get by with a cx430 psu, 830/840 regular or crucial m4 for example ssd, some cheaper hdd (though like i said above, i'd be careful with greens unless you know your intended hdd usage)
GPU's, you can look at the 7790 and 7850 to upgrade, then i'd jump over to the gtx770 (or maybe 760/760ti when they are released?) if you want to go higher end than the 7850.
The HDD is just for storing music, videos, etc, I have had a near full 1T TB HDD forever, so I'm going to get a 1.5TB HDD and keep the old one for a back up. You sure about the Caviar Green being 5400RPM? I updated the part list with a $79.99 1.5TB 7200RPM Caviar Green HDD. I'm also going with a regular 840 SSD (cheaper than the 840 pro, 830s, and M4s), and a CX430 PSU. That leaves just the video card and monitor to worry about. GTX770 puts me way over my budget, so I think that card is out of the question.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125454&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID= Gigabyte 7790 for $163.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125419&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID= Gigabyte 7850 for $174.99 after mail-in rebate.
There's other cards with the same chipset, but I picked those 2 based on brand recognition (Gigabyte) and price.I know nothing about video cards, is there any reason why I shouldn't go for the cheaper card? Or a different card altogether?
Updated part list without GPU:
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/16ic6 Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/16ic6/by_merchant/ Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/16ic6/benchmarks/
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Amazon) Motherboard: MSI B85M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Amazon) Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($109.99 @ Amazon) Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg) Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 MicroATX Mini Tower Case (Purchased For $43.31) Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg) Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.99 @ Amazon) Monitor: Dell U2312HM 23.0" Monitor ($198.00 @ Newegg) Total: $850.24 (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.) (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-14 13:19 EDT-0400)
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7790 for $164 is overpriced, you can get a 7850 at that price point.
The newer Caviar Greens are advertised as 7200 RPM because of IntelliPower. They're okay for storage drives but they're not really 7200 RPM drives like the Caviar Blue if you plan on running software off it.
No reason to buy processor and motherboard separately from NCIX and Amazon when a Newegg bundle puts it at the same price: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1325391
Not sure how strict your pricing is but the U2312HM is $209 rather than what is listed on PCPartPicker...
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On June 14 2013 21:34 Cyro wrote: ^Overclocked yet? :D
Haha not yet, I'm going start reading up on it tomorrow! :D
I might want to apply new thermal paste before I do though... under load as-is my CPU cores heat to about 50C. Is that normal?
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50c is normal. Anything up to 70c is deemed acceptable for most people.
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