|
When using this resource, please read the 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. |
What is your budget?
Around $1000. A little over is okay, but definitely below $1500
What is your monitor's native resolution?
2x(1920x1080) (Two of these)
What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings?
StarCraft 2 maxed out, Kerbal Space Program without it dying horribly on large rockets, Civ5, not sure about games that might not be out yet but TitanFall is a target I am seriously looking at (when it comes to PC)
What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming?
Normal things (mail, web, Office, etc), streaming to twitch, some video/graphic work, potential for programming, running virtual machines from time to time, serving media via DLNA
Do you intend to overclock?
No intent, but I wouldn't mind the possibility. Haven't really gotten into overclocking since the original Athlon.
Do you intend to do SLI / Crossfire?
If there's room in the budget - I want to be able to drive at least 3 displays at once (two monitors, TV)
Do you need an operating system?
No. I have one. (Planning on Win7)
Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget?
Happy with my Razer gear for now. Could use a headset, but not really worried about it.
If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify.
I like Kingston so far, but I'm not married to anything. I like companies that support eSports.
What country will you be buying your parts in?
United States. Florida specifically. (Keep in mind if you point me at TigerDirect, I am paying sales tax.)
If you have any retailer preferences, please specify.
Not really. Sad I don't have a MicroCenter anywhere near me.
This is going to be my Christmas present to myself. It will be replacing the following computer:
+ Show Spoiler +
CPU - AMD Phenom X4 9550 (65nm) @ 2.2GHz
MB - Gateway (ugh) RS780
RAM - 6gb of DDR2 (333 Mhz)
GPU - Radeon HD 5770 (XFX card)
PSU - Ultra X4 modular rated at 650W
Drives - 120GB Kingston HyperX SSD, 2 TB WD Green, 600 GB WD green
The 2 TB drive is home to my data, and will be making the move to the new PC. (The old PC may live on, not sure what I'm going to do with it yet. Then again, I have two older PCs with the same issue, including one with an original Athlon in it.)
Edit - figured it would be good to mention I am in FL, and the normal ambient operating temperature is going to be about 26C.
|
On November 24 2013 06:00 skyR wrote:
Advertised response time doesn't mean much. I guess you're concerned with gaming so in that case, look at a 120Hz monitor. The ASUS VG248QE would be good.
Thats pretty pricey for a monitor, i was hoping to fit the 770 into my build. Should i really buy a more expensive monitor like the one you mentioned?
|
On November 24 2013 06:02 felisconcolori wrote:+ Show Spoiler +What is your budget?Around $1000. A little over is okay, but definitely below $1500 What is your monitor's native resolution?2x(1920x1080) ( Two of these) What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings?StarCraft 2 maxed out, Kerbal Space Program without it dying horribly on large rockets, Civ5, not sure about games that might not be out yet but TitanFall is a target I am seriously looking at (when it comes to PC) What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming?Normal things (mail, web, Office, etc), streaming to twitch, some video/graphic work, potential for programming, running virtual machines from time to time, serving media via DLNA Do you intend to overclock?No intent, but I wouldn't mind the possibility. Haven't really gotten into overclocking since the original Athlon. Do you intend to do SLI / Crossfire?If there's room in the budget - I want to be able to drive at least 3 displays at once (two monitors, TV) Do you need an operating system?No. I have one. (Planning on Win7) Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget?Happy with my Razer gear for now. Could use a headset, but not really worried about it. If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify.I like Kingston so far, but I'm not married to anything. I like companies that support eSports. What country will you be buying your parts in?United States. Florida specifically. (Keep in mind if you point me at TigerDirect, I am paying sales tax.) If you have any retailer preferences, please specify.Not really. Sad I don't have a MicroCenter anywhere near me. This is going to be my Christmas present to myself. It will be replacing the following computer: + Show Spoiler +
CPU - AMD Phenom X4 9550 (65nm) @ 2.2GHz
MB - Gateway (ugh) RS780
RAM - 6gb of DDR2 (333 Mhz)
GPU - Radeon HD 5770 (XFX card)
PSU - Ultra X4 modular rated at 650W
Drives - 120GB Kingston HyperX SSD, 2 TB WD Green, 600 GB WD green
The 2 TB drive is home to my data, and will be making the move to the new PC. (The old PC may live on, not sure what I'm going to do with it yet. Then again, I have two older PCs with the same issue, including one with an original Athlon in it.) Edit - figured it would be good to mention I am in FL, and the normal ambient operating temperature is going to be about 26C.
Totals to ~$1027. You don't need SLI / Crossfire for multiple displays. Most configurations (including this) can drive three displays with a single video card and in combination with the IGP, you're looking at like six or more displays.
Intel Core i5 4670k @ $226
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=81327&promoid=1284
Gigabyte Z87X-D3H @ $115
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=84040&promoid=1368
Samsung 840 EVO 250GB @ $174
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E3W1726
Noctua NH-U14S @ $74
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C9FLSLY
Fractal Design Define R4 @ $82 (black available as well for more if you'd like black instead)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008HD3EA0
Rosewill Capstone 450M @ $60 ($50 after mail in rebate) w/ promo code PREBLKFR191, ends 11/24
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182261
ASUS Radeon R9 280X @ $310
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121803
G.Skill Ares 2x4GB 2400MHz @ $68 w/ promo code EMCWWWL29, ends 11/25
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231665
|
On November 24 2013 06:07 TuckFexas wrote:Show nested quote +On November 24 2013 06:00 skyR wrote:
Advertised response time doesn't mean much. I guess you're concerned with gaming so in that case, look at a 120Hz monitor. The ASUS VG248QE would be good. Thats pretty pricey for a monitor, i was hoping to fit the 770 into my build. Should i really buy a more expensive monitor like the one you mentioned?
Well you have $300 left in your budget. A GTX 760 to 770 is only a ~$60 step up unless you want a 4GB variant than that's a ~$150 increase. That should leave you plenty for a better monitor, no?
A monitor in most cases will outlast one or two of your computers so I don't see why you wouldn't want a good monitor when you're spending over $1000 on a computer.
|
On November 24 2013 06:21 skyR wrote:Show nested quote +On November 24 2013 06:02 felisconcolori wrote:+ Show Spoiler +What is your budget?Around $1000. A little over is okay, but definitely below $1500 What is your monitor's native resolution?2x(1920x1080) ( Two of these) What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings?StarCraft 2 maxed out, Kerbal Space Program without it dying horribly on large rockets, Civ5, not sure about games that might not be out yet but TitanFall is a target I am seriously looking at (when it comes to PC) What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming?Normal things (mail, web, Office, etc), streaming to twitch, some video/graphic work, potential for programming, running virtual machines from time to time, serving media via DLNA Do you intend to overclock?No intent, but I wouldn't mind the possibility. Haven't really gotten into overclocking since the original Athlon. Do you intend to do SLI / Crossfire?If there's room in the budget - I want to be able to drive at least 3 displays at once (two monitors, TV) Do you need an operating system?No. I have one. (Planning on Win7) Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget?Happy with my Razer gear for now. Could use a headset, but not really worried about it. If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify.I like Kingston so far, but I'm not married to anything. I like companies that support eSports. What country will you be buying your parts in?United States. Florida specifically. (Keep in mind if you point me at TigerDirect, I am paying sales tax.) If you have any retailer preferences, please specify.Not really. Sad I don't have a MicroCenter anywhere near me. This is going to be my Christmas present to myself. It will be replacing the following computer: + Show Spoiler +
CPU - AMD Phenom X4 9550 (65nm) @ 2.2GHz
MB - Gateway (ugh) RS780
RAM - 6gb of DDR2 (333 Mhz)
GPU - Radeon HD 5770 (XFX card)
PSU - Ultra X4 modular rated at 650W
Drives - 120GB Kingston HyperX SSD, 2 TB WD Green, 600 GB WD green
The 2 TB drive is home to my data, and will be making the move to the new PC. (The old PC may live on, not sure what I'm going to do with it yet. Then again, I have two older PCs with the same issue, including one with an original Athlon in it.) Edit - figured it would be good to mention I am in FL, and the normal ambient operating temperature is going to be about 26C. Totals to ~$1027. You don't need SLI / Crossfire for multiple displays. Most configurations (including this) can drive three displays with a single video card and in combination with the IGP, you're looking at like six or more displays. + Show Spoiler +
Think it would be worthwhile to wait until this weekend and see if prices come down any? (Black Friday in US)
Also, I'd probably want to sneak a BluRay/DVD RW in there - but they seem to have come down in price pretty strongly.
|
Some of the items like the Capstone and Z87X-D3H are unlikely to go any lower than they already are so I would suggest purchasing them. If you rather wait until Black Friday to purchase your whole order than you can do that but you probably won't find better.
|
On November 24 2013 06:42 skyR wrote:
Some of the items like the Capstone and Z87X-D3H are unlikely to go any lower than they already are so I would suggest purchasing them. If you rather wait until Black Friday to purchase your whole order than you can do that but you probably won't find better.
Have they figured out to make the GPU at high load sound less like me launching a monster rocket in KSP? The normal high temps in my area (along with humidity regularly above 80%) sometimes means all my fans are chugging away. (Like the case, though, with the option for extra fans and air flow while still having some sound damping.
|
I'm looking for a good laptop for my parents. There's not much functionality required, any upgrade will be amazing going from a 2003 laptop. Budget is about 700-800 euros total, less is better. Goal is to have a basic productivity laptop.
What it should be able to do:
- Run windows and office, basic productivity tasks without annoyance pretty much
- Start up as quick as possible
- Be portable with decent battery life
- As little noise as possible
Additional features that might be nice:
- An SSD to boot from
- A CD/DVD player
(Neither are dealbreakers)
What I'm looking for is essentially a budget ultrabook without all the frills, something that will last them 5-6 years without issues, and I'm willing to pay for durability. Review websites are all contradictory, so maybe someone here has a suggestion  . Based on my own research I'm leaning towards a Lenovo Essential B590, but I really don't know.
|
On November 24 2013 06:45 felisconcolori wrote:Show nested quote +On November 24 2013 06:42 skyR wrote:
Some of the items like the Capstone and Z87X-D3H are unlikely to go any lower than they already are so I would suggest purchasing them. If you rather wait until Black Friday to purchase your whole order than you can do that but you probably won't find better. Have they figured out to make the GPU at high load sound less like me launching a monster rocket in KSP? The normal high temps in my area (along with humidity regularly above 80%) sometimes means all my fans are chugging away. (Like the case, though, with the option for extra fans and air flow while still having some sound damping.
Nope. Most of the fan designs on the heatsinks haven't changed much at all.
|
On November 24 2013 06:45 felisconcolori wrote:Show nested quote +On November 24 2013 06:42 skyR wrote:
Some of the items like the Capstone and Z87X-D3H are unlikely to go any lower than they already are so I would suggest purchasing them. If you rather wait until Black Friday to purchase your whole order than you can do that but you probably won't find better. Have they figured out to make the GPU at high load sound less like me launching a monster rocket in KSP? The normal high temps in my area (along with humidity regularly above 80%) sometimes means all my fans are chugging away. (Like the case, though, with the option for extra fans and air flow while still having some sound damping.
Some of the cards can be reportedly very quiet. I think those ASUS coolers are the most quiet at the moment? Perhaps look at the version that's three slots wide instead of just two.
There might be others. There's Inno3D with expensive cards with a cooler that looks very large.
You can also replace the cooler with something else. There are strong aftermarket air coolers for GPUs.
EVGA allows you to replace their cooler with something you buy yourself without losing warranty.
I guess you can just ignore what the manufacturers say about warranty and just replace the cooler with something else and still ask for RMA if the card breaks without your own cooler being the cause.
EDIT: About what you say about extra fans in the case and sound dampening... I have a hunch you might be better off with a case that's using some more "open" design than something with sound dampening.
As an example, for those Fractal Design cases that are usually recommended, compare the Define R4 with the Arc Midi R2. You'll notice, if you'd strip those two cases of every plastic part and dampening, they seem to be the same case.
I bet that Arc Midi R2 can actually be more quiet while you are gaming compared to the Define R4. You will get away with running the fans at their 7V setting instead of at full. The door will be in the way for that on the Define R4. The Define R4 would be better if your room would be cold or when at idle.
The GPU and CPU coolers will dynamically try to run the fans slow when not needed. The work of those coolers will be easier in the Arc Midi R2. You can also take control of the fan curves and let the things get a little hot if you are annoyed by the noise. The case without dampening and door will give you more options to fiddle with that without hitting very high temperatures.
|
On November 24 2013 06:50 skyR wrote:Show nested quote +On November 24 2013 06:45 felisconcolori wrote:On November 24 2013 06:42 skyR wrote:
Some of the items like the Capstone and Z87X-D3H are unlikely to go any lower than they already are so I would suggest purchasing them. If you rather wait until Black Friday to purchase your whole order than you can do that but you probably won't find better. Have they figured out to make the GPU at high load sound less like me launching a monster rocket in KSP? The normal high temps in my area (along with humidity regularly above 80%) sometimes means all my fans are chugging away. (Like the case, though, with the option for extra fans and air flow while still having some sound damping. Nope. Most of the fan designs on the heatsinks haven't changed much at all.
Ah well. That's still a very tasty card.
Thinking of throwing a http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136268 into it for optical drive, everything else looks about as I expected it and I thank you very much for putting that together.
Any thoughts on http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1413457 - It adds up to about ~$1,000 once it's in the cart, although it has a different class of GPU.
|
|
|
On November 24 2013 06:52 Ropid wrote:
As an example, for those Fractal Design cases that are usually recommended, compare the Define R4 with the Arc Midi R2. You'll notice, if you'd strip those two cases of every plastic part and dampening, they seem to be the same case.
I bet that Arc Midi R2 can actually be more quiet while you are gaming compared to the Define R4. You will get away with running the fans at their 7V setting instead of at full. The door will be in the way for that on the Define R4. The Define R4 would be better if your room would be cold or when at idle.
The Arc Midi R2 is about $30 more (on Amazon), but I like the cut of its jib. The aesthetic looks nice, and the interior looks to be well suited for all the components I'm throwing into electronic carts.
|
I'm not sure how you're searching but there's a wide range of GTX 770, ranging from $300 to $500.
The PNY model is just stock speeds with probably a reference PCB while the Lightning has a factory overclock and a custom PCB.
If you want a GTX 770 then I would pick the ASUS: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121770
|
System ordered, thank you very much for your assistance skyR and for this thread full of win.
Final system ordered:
+ Show Spoiler +
Gigabyte Z87-D3H ($115)
i5 4670K 3.4 GHz ($226)
Asus R9280X ($310)
LG Black super combo lambo BR/DVD RW optical ($80)
G.Skill Ares 8GB DDR3 ($75)
Rosewill Capstone 450-M ($70)
Noctua NH-U14S ($74)
Samsung 840 EVO 250 GB SSD ($174)
Fractal Arc Midi R2 (Black, like my soul) ($110)
Total $1234 + about $20 S&H - $1254.
I'm hype. Thanks again. =)
+ Show Spoiler +
Also, my bank sent me an email saying "WTFBBQPWN?!" so Newegg ordering wasn't exactly smooth. Fixed, after assuring the bank I had not, in fact, been robbed.
|
On November 23 2013 12:17 skyR wrote:Show nested quote +On November 23 2013 12:00 GARO wrote:+ Show Spoiler +What is your budget?$800 What is your monitor's native resolution?1440*900, considering moving up to 1920*1080 What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings?BF4/DotA2/TF2/LoL, I'm settling on being able to do most new titles reasonably on high settings What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming?I plan to stream most of the games I play Do you intend to overclock?No Do you intend to do SLI / Crossfire?No Do you need an operating system?Taken care of Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget?Not at the moment If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify.No What country will you be buying your parts in?USA If you have any retailer preferences, please specify.None I've been tinkering around with the basic stuff by using reference build lists, but I still have around $100 to spare and I'm not experienced enough to know if there's anything in there that could be truly changed for the better. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/26PBp Most of that is okay. Get a Capstone 450M instead of the CX430: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182261 It's just so much better for not much more. You may want to consider an SSD with the leftover $100 or step up to a R9 280x if you'll be upgrading to 1080p and settings are important to you.
Just wondering, would the capstone 450 still be able to handle a 280x or should I just get a 550W PSU to be safe?
|
On November 24 2013 09:23 GARO wrote:Show nested quote +On November 23 2013 12:17 skyR wrote:On November 23 2013 12:00 GARO wrote:+ Show Spoiler +What is your budget?$800 What is your monitor's native resolution?1440*900, considering moving up to 1920*1080 What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings?BF4/DotA2/TF2/LoL, I'm settling on being able to do most new titles reasonably on high settings What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming?I plan to stream most of the games I play Do you intend to overclock?No Do you intend to do SLI / Crossfire?No Do you need an operating system?Taken care of Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget?Not at the moment If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify.No What country will you be buying your parts in?USA If you have any retailer preferences, please specify.None I've been tinkering around with the basic stuff by using reference build lists, but I still have around $100 to spare and I'm not experienced enough to know if there's anything in there that could be truly changed for the better. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/26PBp Most of that is okay. Get a Capstone 450M instead of the CX430: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182261 It's just so much better for not much more. You may want to consider an SSD with the leftover $100 or step up to a R9 280x if you'll be upgrading to 1080p and settings are important to you. Just wondering, would the capstone 450 still be able to handle a 280x or should I just get a 550W PSU to be safe?
Whatever you do, don't buy something random. The Capstone 450 can provide more power than some 550W PSUs. [This means, if you would have bought something cheap and random sold as 550W, just stay with the Capstone 450.]
|
United Kingdom20326 Posts
It'd hold fine on 280x. I'd be looking elsewhere for overclocked haswell with a 290 or 780 that was also oc'd. That performance step is very big, and costly for power, and if you want a card of that tier then you're either pushing it at least a bit (you can oc 780 a lot and 290/290x still quite a bit over stock power readings) or wasting some money
|
On November 23 2013 12:08 y0su wrote:Should I jump on these deals or give it another week?? (black friday / cyber monday etc) http://pcpartpicker.com/p/26boZ [i5-4670, mobo, 2x4gb ram for $320 (after taxes - before 10 mir) from newegg] I'm recycling all of my other components and mainly looking to improve my SC2 stream. (The one thing that might still convince me to pay a premium to OC would be if the stock fan should be upgraded at stock/turbo speeds) One advantage to waiting an additional week is that I won't actually be able to un-box and test anything for three weeks (giving me a pretty short RMA/MIR period - the mobo doesn't have the best reviews...).
time running out... no input?
|
Not going to get much better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT
