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Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread - Page 312

Forum Index > Tech Support
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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.
Foxxan
Profile Joined October 2004
Sweden3427 Posts
Last Edited: 2014-06-07 20:51:08
June 07 2014 20:48 GMT
#6221
So if i overclock is it recommended to go for Intel Core i7 4790K4GHz, 8MB over 4770k?

And what if i just let the cards be as when i got them. Is the Intel Core i7 4790K4GHz preffered over the 4770k?
I will probably not go with the highest overclocking, since it seems...risky.

I dont think i can delid the CPU.
I picked that up from a post of cyro and i googled it. Seems overcomplicated for a noobie? And the english is tough to, iam not even understanding it 100%.
Craton
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
United States17278 Posts
June 07 2014 20:49 GMT
#6222
Delidding isn't that complicated, but I wouldn't try it as a newbie.
twitch.tv/cratonz
Cyro
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom20326 Posts
June 07 2014 20:52 GMT
#6223
And what if i just let the cards be as when i got them. Is the Intel Core i7 4790K4GHz preffered over the 4770k?
I will probably not go with the highest overclocking, since it seems...risky.


If you don't want to push a high OC, just run the 4790k at "stock". That's a "mid-tier" OC already.
"oh my god my overclock... I got a single WHEA error on the 23rd hour, 9 minutes" -Belial88
Foxxan
Profile Joined October 2004
Sweden3427 Posts
June 07 2014 20:54 GMT
#6224
Alright. Thanks. Then i wait for that card and buy it.
Feels good to know what card to buy now
D u o
Profile Joined October 2011
Canada381 Posts
June 07 2014 21:57 GMT
#6225
On June 08 2014 02:41 Myrmidon wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 07 2014 06:13 SilentchiLL wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +
After about a decade of service my old Lady is dying due to hardware problems and since none of the parts in her (except maybe the two 4GB ramsticks) would be worth keeping, it's time for me to finally stop procrastinating with getting a new computer and simply getting an entirely new one, including a case.
Sadly, I don't actually know anything about building a computer, but I'll give my best and try to read up on everything I can in the OP, I've been saving up for years (don't laugh when you see the budget, my only job was helping out old people in my village over the years and I only ever got what money they offered me, since I didn't do it for the money and now I'm a poor university student) so it feels like a relief to be finally able to spend it.

What is your budget?
1700-1800

What is your monitor's native resolution?
1280 x 1024

What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings?
ALL THE GAMES.
Seriously though, I want a computer I can keep for a long time while still playing newer games without having to upgrade it again and again, I'm tired of only playing very old games, every game on the lowest resolution and indie games.

What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming?
Uni work I suppose, watching streams, browsing the net, the usual.

Do you intend to overclock?
Preferably not, since even after reading up on it (in the OP and the net) I'd be afraid to fuck up, if the component comes with included overclocking software I wouldn't mind overclocking it a bit though.

Do you intend to do SLI / Crossfire?
I wouldn't mind it I suppose, but it simply doesn't seem necessary to me, I'm so used to even playing old titles on the lowest settings that even medium settings on a game from 2010 would look amazing to me, but then again I'm also building this one to last for a longer amount of time without needing to be upgraded, though even then it doesn't seem necessary (if I'm not overlooking something obvious that is).

Do you need an operating system?
I currently have windows 7 and my computer might be dying, but only when it gets put under pressure, so I should be able to back up everything I have on an external hard drive.

Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget?
Got a keyboard, got a headset, got a mouse and I own a monitor as well (I know it's small for today's standards and if there's a cheap one and I have money left over I could spend it on a new one, but it's by no means a necessessity)

If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify.
I don't, I've been out of the hardware stuff for years, so I trust the opinion of the more knowledgable guys here entirely, though since I don't really intend to do much overclocking, so I according to the OP I should get an Intel processor (I think).
For the other parts brands seem to mostly be relevant for low-end parts I think, so I guess I'm fairly open in that regard.

What country will you be buying your parts in?
Germany

If you have any retailer preferences, please specify.
I don't, the thread gives me 3
http://www.hardwareversand.de/home.jsp
http://www.mindfactory.de/
http://www.alternate.de/html/index.html
And for simplicity's sake I'd like to use amazon, but I'm pretty sure that that would be a stupid idea (and since Alternate has an e-sports team I'd of course preferably support them, but since I was actually never a fan I don't mind buying from others if it's a better idea).

Is there anything out of the ordinary I need to know due to some of the stuff I've written?
Can I just take one of the example builds and modify it? If so, which one should I go with? The "typical gamer" one, sounds good, but it could be a bit older already and may need upgrading 2 years in already, which I'd like to avoid.

It's been nearly 3 hours since I started writing this post, I read through the OP and I still feel like I missed something.


1700-1800 euros? You can pretty much get whatever you want. If your computer is that old, the RAM you have is not going to be DDR3 and thus not compatible.

However, spending more money now, especially on the CPU, doesn't mean you won't have to upgrade later. At any point you can only buy the latest technology that is developed. After a certain point you end up just getting configurations that aren't particularly better for games. On graphics cards, sure, you could spend a lot, but the price/performance is much worse after a certain point, and over 150 euros on a video card to run a 1280 x 1024 monitor is kind of laughable.

You could extend the CPU's usefulness by a marginal amount if you're willing to spend extra (100 euros or so) and overclock it.

You probably just want a new monitor with the build. What you get has some impact on what you'd want for the build. Which is more important to you: better fast-motion clarity in games or better image quality and consistency overall?


Show nested quote +
On June 07 2014 06:46 AcrossFiveJulys wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +
On June 04 2014 09:30 AcrossFiveJulys wrote:
Hi all, I'm looking at building a hybrid medium-performance gaming machine and high-performance scientific computing machine. I plan to dual boot windows8 and ubuntu.

I'll use windows8 to play games like league of legends/starcraft 2 on high graphics settings with optimal FPS, and random future games (2+ years) on medium-ish graphics settings with optimal FPS.

I'll use ubuntu to work on side projects that will require some computationally intensive experiments that directly benefit from additional cores, RAM, and quick disk I/O. So I need a high-end processor, 16gb of RAM, and given the dual boot (and data storage for experiments) a nice SSD with comfortable capacity.

I don't plan on overclocking or doing SLI/Crossfire, and I don't plan on streaming.

Ideally, I want the case to be micro ATX because I may have to ship it around a few times/carry it onto a plane here and there.

I plan to buy a couple decent monitors for a dual setup as well to replace my current crappy ones.

Here is my current build (missing power supply)

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 $299.99
Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 $49.98
RAM: Crucial 16GB $139.99
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R7 260X $109.99 (after $20 rebate)
Storage: Crucial MX100 CT512MX100SSD1 2.5" 512GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) $244
Case: Silverstone PS08B (Black) $36.99
Wireless Network Adapter: Edimax EW-7612PIn $25.98

Total: $886.92

Some questions:

1) Is the graphics card I chose up for this? The one above seems like a good deal.

2) Do I even need the graphics card? I.e., what kind of performance can I expect from the processor-integrated graphics card?

3) I'm having trouble choosing a good power supply. I'd like one that
a) supports PCE-e x16 without an adapter, but I can't seem to figure out what power supply specs support this (does 2x 6+2 support that?)
b) fits into a micro-ATX case
c) is least 400W (makes sense for my build or no?)
d) is relatively quiet (but this is not essential)

4) Do I need additional cooling?

5) Any other thoughts on the build? Is everything compatible, etc?



Okay, thanks a bunch for the helpful responses. Modified build:

Storage: Crucial MX100 CT512MX100SSD1 2.5" 512GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) $244
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor $294.99
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard $94.99
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory $164.99
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card $139.99
Case: Silverstone PS08B (Black) MicroATX Mid Tower Case $36.99
Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply $77.98
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter $38.57

Total: $1092.50


Notes on changes:

1) Changed mobo per advice for three reasons: a) 9 series for processor compatibility, b) 4 RAM slots to leave open an option to upgrade to 32gb RAM later; and c) RAID striping capability as a potential future upgrade

2) Changed RAM to DDR3-2400 b/c it's not much more and the new mobo supports it (my experiments tend to read large amounts of data from disk into memory and then loop over it, so I think this will make a big difference here even if it doesn't impact gaming much)

3) Changed video card to a comparable (slightly better?) Nvidia chipset for two reasons: a) linux compatibility, and b) I might utitlize the delicious cuda capability for experiments (haven't done this yet, but might try in the future)

4) Added in 550W power supply. More than I need now, but given the fancier mobo, who knows: maybe I'll try CrossFire in the future

5) Changed wireless adapter. Was harder than I thought to find a decent one that would be reliable and compatible with Windows 8


Everything look good here? I'm slightly concerned about the motherboard since I can't find a review on it. Hopefully I'm not getting myself into trouble with that.


All the motherboard manufacturers left are pretty big (well, particularly or at least Asus, Gigabyte, AsRock, MSI) and most models should be fine. It should be all okay.


Show nested quote +
On June 07 2014 22:22 D u o wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +
What is your budget?
900

What is your monitor's native resolution?
1024x768 its a poopy 17" one. 8(

What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings?
League/Dota/wildstar shooters random games. Anything new that interests me. I just want around the budget so I don't have to upgrade.

What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming?
Internet movies, basic things

Do you intend to overclock?
no

Do you intend to do SLI / Crossfire?
no

Do you need an operating system?
yes

Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget?
no

If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify.
not really

What country will you be buying your parts in?
Canada

If you have any retailer preferences, please specify.
nope

I'm completely clueless on any of this, so I need some input on what to get and prices, so I don't get cheated out of my money. @__@


You sure you don't want a monitor? You can fit it in a 900 CAD build with some adjustments.


Show nested quote +
On June 08 2014 02:20 LiLSighKoh wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +
What is your budget?
~$800-900

What is your monitor's native resolution?
1600x900

What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings?
SC2, LOL, MMO's etc.

What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming?
Just going to be purely used for gaming

Do you intend to overclock?
No

Do you intend to do SLI / Crossfire?

No
Do you need an operating system?
Yes

Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget?
No

If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify.
Probably something HDMI compatible, so i can run my monitor and tv on

What country will you be buying your parts in?
USA

If you have any retailer preferences, please specify.
None

I'll get to this later, unless somebody already does.


Im pretty sure i'll be buying a monitor later on but at the moment i just want to devote my entire budget to my pc that way i dont really have to worry about upgrading later and bothering you all in this thread for at least another year or two. ^__^
wot?
D u o
Profile Joined October 2011
Canada381 Posts
June 07 2014 22:02 GMT
#6226
On June 08 2014 03:11 MisterFred wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +
On June 07 2014 22:22 D u o wrote:
What is your budget?
900

What is your monitor's native resolution?
1024x768 its a poopy 17" one. 8(

What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings?
League/Dota/wildstar shooters random games. Anything new that interests me. I just want around the budget so I don't have to upgrade.

What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming?
Internet movies, basic things

Do you intend to overclock?
no

Do you intend to do SLI / Crossfire?
no

Do you need an operating system?
yes

Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget?
no

If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify.
not really

What country will you be buying your parts in?
Canada

If you have any retailer preferences, please specify.
nope

I'm completely clueless on any of this, so I need some input on what to get and prices, so I don't get cheated out of my money. @__@


You might think about reusing case, power supply, DVD-drive, other re-usable components if you have them from the old computer. Note also that Canadian stores have pricematching. If you bring them the price (URL of product at the store, there should be an automated version over the web) of a competitor, they'll match it. Anyway, I put together a basic budget build that should do well for you. I didn't quite fit a monitor, but I make a suggestion at the end anyway. Saving up a bit more to get a better monitor would make a big difference. Note also I link a few items from both memory express & ncix.

i5-4460 ($200)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/intel-core-i5-i5-4460-haswell-48-96203-1141.htm
Basic Intel Quad-core

MSI B85 motherboard ($55)
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX45786
If you're not overclocking, the key thing you want in a mobo is a low price
EDIT: make sure to read what SkyR notes below. Unfortunately, H97 motherboards are a lot more expensive than B85 motherboards.

Club 3D R7 265 Video Card ($150)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/club-3d-radeon-r7-265-83-94996-1141.htm
This card is roughly equivalent to an Nvidia 750 Ti, but in this case the 265 is cheaper. A bit better is the 270, worse is the 260x. You could probably fit a bit better card in your budget, but there's no point with the monitor you currently have. Even as it is, I'm anticipating you getting a bigger monitor (1920x1080) with this selection.

Mushkin 2x4gb RAM ($80)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/mushkin-stealth-ddr3-1600-udimm-2x4gb-1c-83696-1141.htm
It's RAM. 8gb is the standard amount.

BitFenix Comrade Case ($45)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/bitfenix-comrade-black-atx-mid-c0-92219-1382.htm
Case is one case where you can pretty much suit your fancy, this is just a cheap case I find acceptable.

EVGA 500w PSU (50)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/evga-500w-80-plus-certified-5f-92643-1382.htm
It's a PSU I've been told is not crap.

Seagate Barracuda 2TB HDD ($85)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/seagate-barracuda-2tb-7200rpm-sata3-ab-66010-1141.htm
You could save $20 and get a smaller HDD here, but I like plenty of media storage room.

DVD drive ($15)
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX24714

Operating system. Choose either Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit or Windows 8.1 64-bit. Either should be $110 at NCIX. I prefer Windows 7, and not 8.1, but I believe I'm in the minority there.

Total: $790, before tax & shipping (if you don't pick stuff up at stores).

If you save up a bit more, I highly recommend getting a monitor to go with this quality of computer, probably this BenQ 24-inch:
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX39259

(Note other peripherals have not been included. Speakers - though the monitor above has speakers -, mouse, keyboard, wireless dongle, etc.)

P.S. I'm a bit rusty on this forum, so if Myrmidon or Cyro takes issue with any of my recommendations, they probably have a good point.


Thanks for taking the time to reply! One of my friends said having a SSD would help out a lot, is this true? I'll be upgrading my monitor eventually, but I'd rather just be able to play games at a steady frame rate. At the moment I'm playing games at a whopping 15-20 fps on my laptop and I've decided enough is enough, so I'm not looking for anything to look beautiful at the current time, but I don't want to shell out more money on parts, I'd rather just have a solid computer right now and play on a shitty monitor, because it's a lot easier setting up a monitor than having someone go and open up the pc for me and do all that junk.
wot?
MisterFred
Profile Joined October 2010
United States2033 Posts
June 07 2014 22:17 GMT
#6227
On June 08 2014 07:02 D u o wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 08 2014 03:11 MisterFred wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +
On June 07 2014 22:22 D u o wrote:
What is your budget?
900

What is your monitor's native resolution?
1024x768 its a poopy 17" one. 8(

What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings?
League/Dota/wildstar shooters random games. Anything new that interests me. I just want around the budget so I don't have to upgrade.

What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming?
Internet movies, basic things

Do you intend to overclock?
no

Do you intend to do SLI / Crossfire?
no

Do you need an operating system?
yes

Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget?
no

If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify.
not really

What country will you be buying your parts in?
Canada

If you have any retailer preferences, please specify.
nope

I'm completely clueless on any of this, so I need some input on what to get and prices, so I don't get cheated out of my money. @__@


You might think about reusing case, power supply, DVD-drive, other re-usable components if you have them from the old computer. Note also that Canadian stores have pricematching. If you bring them the price (URL of product at the store, there should be an automated version over the web) of a competitor, they'll match it. Anyway, I put together a basic budget build that should do well for you. I didn't quite fit a monitor, but I make a suggestion at the end anyway. Saving up a bit more to get a better monitor would make a big difference. Note also I link a few items from both memory express & ncix.

i5-4460 ($200)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/intel-core-i5-i5-4460-haswell-48-96203-1141.htm
Basic Intel Quad-core

MSI B85 motherboard ($55)
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX45786
If you're not overclocking, the key thing you want in a mobo is a low price
EDIT: make sure to read what SkyR notes below. Unfortunately, H97 motherboards are a lot more expensive than B85 motherboards.

Club 3D R7 265 Video Card ($150)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/club-3d-radeon-r7-265-83-94996-1141.htm
This card is roughly equivalent to an Nvidia 750 Ti, but in this case the 265 is cheaper. A bit better is the 270, worse is the 260x. You could probably fit a bit better card in your budget, but there's no point with the monitor you currently have. Even as it is, I'm anticipating you getting a bigger monitor (1920x1080) with this selection.

Mushkin 2x4gb RAM ($80)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/mushkin-stealth-ddr3-1600-udimm-2x4gb-1c-83696-1141.htm
It's RAM. 8gb is the standard amount.

BitFenix Comrade Case ($45)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/bitfenix-comrade-black-atx-mid-c0-92219-1382.htm
Case is one case where you can pretty much suit your fancy, this is just a cheap case I find acceptable.

EVGA 500w PSU (50)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/evga-500w-80-plus-certified-5f-92643-1382.htm
It's a PSU I've been told is not crap.

Seagate Barracuda 2TB HDD ($85)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/seagate-barracuda-2tb-7200rpm-sata3-ab-66010-1141.htm
You could save $20 and get a smaller HDD here, but I like plenty of media storage room.

DVD drive ($15)
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX24714

Operating system. Choose either Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit or Windows 8.1 64-bit. Either should be $110 at NCIX. I prefer Windows 7, and not 8.1, but I believe I'm in the minority there.

Total: $790, before tax & shipping (if you don't pick stuff up at stores).

If you save up a bit more, I highly recommend getting a monitor to go with this quality of computer, probably this BenQ 24-inch:
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX39259

(Note other peripherals have not been included. Speakers - though the monitor above has speakers -, mouse, keyboard, wireless dongle, etc.)

P.S. I'm a bit rusty on this forum, so if Myrmidon or Cyro takes issue with any of my recommendations, they probably have a good point.


Thanks for taking the time to reply! One of my friends said having a SSD would help out a lot, is this true? I'll be upgrading my monitor eventually, but I'd rather just be able to play games at a steady frame rate. At the moment I'm playing games at a whopping 15-20 fps on my laptop and I've decided enough is enough, so I'm not looking for anything to look beautiful at the current time, but I don't want to shell out more money on parts, I'd rather just have a solid computer right now and play on a shitty monitor, because it's a lot easier setting up a monitor than having someone go and open up the pc for me and do all that junk.


An SSD is just a really, really fast hard drive. It makes things load faster. So in games, loading times go down, but actual action FPS performance shouldn't be affected (there are rare games that load textures on the fly, where you might notice some difference). Similarly, boot times will be reduced, but processing power will not be affected. MS Word will load faster, but it's not like you're going to get a better word processing experience...

This is why it's generally seen as a luxury item. Personally I'd upgrade screen before I'd get an SSD if I were you. The video card I recommended you is plenty to game on a 1920x1080 monitor, so if you're really not planning on upgrading the monitor, you can get a cheaper video card.
"The victor? Not the highest scoring, nor the best strategist, nor the best tactitian. The victor was he that was closest to the Tao of FFA." -.Praetor
D u o
Profile Joined October 2011
Canada381 Posts
June 07 2014 23:54 GMT
#6228
On June 08 2014 07:17 MisterFred wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 08 2014 07:02 D u o wrote:
On June 08 2014 03:11 MisterFred wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +
On June 07 2014 22:22 D u o wrote:
What is your budget?
900

What is your monitor's native resolution?
1024x768 its a poopy 17" one. 8(

What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings?
League/Dota/wildstar shooters random games. Anything new that interests me. I just want around the budget so I don't have to upgrade.

What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming?
Internet movies, basic things

Do you intend to overclock?
no

Do you intend to do SLI / Crossfire?
no

Do you need an operating system?
yes

Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget?
no

If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify.
not really

What country will you be buying your parts in?
Canada

If you have any retailer preferences, please specify.
nope

I'm completely clueless on any of this, so I need some input on what to get and prices, so I don't get cheated out of my money. @__@


You might think about reusing case, power supply, DVD-drive, other re-usable components if you have them from the old computer. Note also that Canadian stores have pricematching. If you bring them the price (URL of product at the store, there should be an automated version over the web) of a competitor, they'll match it. Anyway, I put together a basic budget build that should do well for you. I didn't quite fit a monitor, but I make a suggestion at the end anyway. Saving up a bit more to get a better monitor would make a big difference. Note also I link a few items from both memory express & ncix.

i5-4460 ($200)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/intel-core-i5-i5-4460-haswell-48-96203-1141.htm
Basic Intel Quad-core

MSI B85 motherboard ($55)
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX45786
If you're not overclocking, the key thing you want in a mobo is a low price
EDIT: make sure to read what SkyR notes below. Unfortunately, H97 motherboards are a lot more expensive than B85 motherboards.

Club 3D R7 265 Video Card ($150)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/club-3d-radeon-r7-265-83-94996-1141.htm
This card is roughly equivalent to an Nvidia 750 Ti, but in this case the 265 is cheaper. A bit better is the 270, worse is the 260x. You could probably fit a bit better card in your budget, but there's no point with the monitor you currently have. Even as it is, I'm anticipating you getting a bigger monitor (1920x1080) with this selection.

Mushkin 2x4gb RAM ($80)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/mushkin-stealth-ddr3-1600-udimm-2x4gb-1c-83696-1141.htm
It's RAM. 8gb is the standard amount.

BitFenix Comrade Case ($45)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/bitfenix-comrade-black-atx-mid-c0-92219-1382.htm
Case is one case where you can pretty much suit your fancy, this is just a cheap case I find acceptable.

EVGA 500w PSU (50)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/evga-500w-80-plus-certified-5f-92643-1382.htm
It's a PSU I've been told is not crap.

Seagate Barracuda 2TB HDD ($85)
http://www.ncix.com/detail/seagate-barracuda-2tb-7200rpm-sata3-ab-66010-1141.htm
You could save $20 and get a smaller HDD here, but I like plenty of media storage room.

DVD drive ($15)
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX24714

Operating system. Choose either Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit or Windows 8.1 64-bit. Either should be $110 at NCIX. I prefer Windows 7, and not 8.1, but I believe I'm in the minority there.

Total: $790, before tax & shipping (if you don't pick stuff up at stores).

If you save up a bit more, I highly recommend getting a monitor to go with this quality of computer, probably this BenQ 24-inch:
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX39259

(Note other peripherals have not been included. Speakers - though the monitor above has speakers -, mouse, keyboard, wireless dongle, etc.)

P.S. I'm a bit rusty on this forum, so if Myrmidon or Cyro takes issue with any of my recommendations, they probably have a good point.


Thanks for taking the time to reply! One of my friends said having a SSD would help out a lot, is this true? I'll be upgrading my monitor eventually, but I'd rather just be able to play games at a steady frame rate. At the moment I'm playing games at a whopping 15-20 fps on my laptop and I've decided enough is enough, so I'm not looking for anything to look beautiful at the current time, but I don't want to shell out more money on parts, I'd rather just have a solid computer right now and play on a shitty monitor, because it's a lot easier setting up a monitor than having someone go and open up the pc for me and do all that junk.


An SSD is just a really, really fast hard drive. It makes things load faster. So in games, loading times go down, but actual action FPS performance shouldn't be affected (there are rare games that load textures on the fly, where you might notice some difference). Similarly, boot times will be reduced, but processing power will not be affected. MS Word will load faster, but it's not like you're going to get a better word processing experience...

This is why it's generally seen as a luxury item. Personally I'd upgrade screen before I'd get an SSD if I were you. The video card I recommended you is plenty to game on a 1920x1080 monitor, so if you're really not planning on upgrading the monitor, you can get a cheaper video card.


Awesome thanks for your help!
wot?
Thalandros
Profile Blog Joined July 2012
Netherlands1151 Posts
June 08 2014 00:22 GMT
#6229
I think that SSHD might be good middle grounds for this? Not overly expensive, a lot of space, but still awesome OS booting speed atleast.
|| ''I think we have all experienced passion that is not in any sense reasonable.'' ||
GhandiEAGLE
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States20754 Posts
June 08 2014 06:25 GMT
#6230
Looking to build a computer for the first time, what do you guys think? I'm a total newbie, so help out with anything you can notice that could be improved
What is your budget?
~$1000 (going a little over isn't the end of the world)

What is your monitor's native resolution?
Have many monitors, doesn't matter.

What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings?
Probably LoL, Starcraft, and the occasional RPG like Dark Souls or Skyrim (probably not anything too heavy like Crysis 3 or Battlefield 4). Settings preferably as high as is reasonable (so probably max for league, idk how intensive the others are).

What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming?
Other than Gaming and Streaming, not a lot really

Do you intend to overclock?
Not at first, but I'd like to keep it open as an option in the future.

Do you need an operating system?
No.

Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget?
No.

If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify.
Fitting into a smaller case would be really nice

What country will you be buying your parts in?
Likely America

As far as I can tell, So far I'm doing ok on the budget. My parts as of right now are looking something like this, but has changed a lot over the past few days.:
Case: Corsair Obsidian 250D
Storage: Crucial M500 SSD
Power: Corsair CX 500W
Memory: Corsair XMS3
Cooling: Corsair H75 liquid cooler
Motherboard: MSI Z87i
Processor: Intel Core i5-4670K
Graphics Card: Sapphire AMD R9 270X VAPOR-X
Oh, my achin' hands, from rakin' in grands, and breakin' in mic stands
skyR
Profile Joined July 2009
Canada13817 Posts
June 08 2014 07:15 GMT
#6231
On June 08 2014 15:25 GhandiEAGLE wrote:+ Show Spoiler +
Looking to build a computer for the first time, what do you guys think? I'm a total newbie, so help out with anything you can notice that could be improved
What is your budget?
~$1000 (going a little over isn't the end of the world)

What is your monitor's native resolution?
Have many monitors, doesn't matter.

What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings?
Probably LoL, Starcraft, and the occasional RPG like Dark Souls or Skyrim (probably not anything too heavy like Crysis 3 or Battlefield 4). Settings preferably as high as is reasonable (so probably max for league, idk how intensive the others are).

What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming?
Other than Gaming and Streaming, not a lot really

Do you intend to overclock?
Not at first, but I'd like to keep it open as an option in the future.

Do you need an operating system?
No.

Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget?
No.

If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify.
Fitting into a smaller case would be really nice

What country will you be buying your parts in?
Likely America

As far as I can tell, So far I'm doing ok on the budget. My parts as of right now are looking something like this, but has changed a lot over the past few days.:
Case: Corsair Obsidian 250D
Storage: Crucial M500 SSD
Power: Corsair CX 500W
Memory: Corsair XMS3
Cooling: Corsair H75 liquid cooler
Motherboard: MSI Z87i
Processor: Intel Core i5-4670K
Graphics Card: Sapphire AMD R9 270X VAPOR-X


The Crucial MX100 is the successor to the M500, it's better and less expensive.

Corsair CX500 is not a good option unelss it's like $40 or below before mail in rebate. It's regular price of $50 makes it a really shit buy since for $10 more, you have the Rosewill Capstone 450 which is significantly better; and for $10 less, you have the EVGA 500B which is about the same as the CX500, maybe slightly better.
Cyro
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom20326 Posts
June 08 2014 07:24 GMT
#6232
On June 08 2014 15:25 GhandiEAGLE wrote:
Looking to build a computer for the first time, what do you guys think? I'm a total newbie, so help out with anything you can notice that could be improved
What is your budget?
~$1000 (going a little over isn't the end of the world)

What is your monitor's native resolution?
Have many monitors, doesn't matter.

What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings?
Probably LoL, Starcraft, and the occasional RPG like Dark Souls or Skyrim (probably not anything too heavy like Crysis 3 or Battlefield 4). Settings preferably as high as is reasonable (so probably max for league, idk how intensive the others are).

What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming?
Other than Gaming and Streaming, not a lot really

Do you intend to overclock?
Not at first, but I'd like to keep it open as an option in the future.

Do you need an operating system?
No.

Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget?
No.

If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify.
Fitting into a smaller case would be really nice

What country will you be buying your parts in?
Likely America

As far as I can tell, So far I'm doing ok on the budget. My parts as of right now are looking something like this, but has changed a lot over the past few days.:
Case: Corsair Obsidian 250D
Storage: Crucial M500 SSD
Power: Corsair CX 500W
Memory: Corsair XMS3
Cooling: Corsair H75 liquid cooler
Motherboard: MSI Z87i
Processor: Intel Core i5-4670K
Graphics Card: Sapphire AMD R9 270X VAPOR-X


h75 is bad, you should get a better air cooler if you can't afford a h100i+

you probably want an nvidia GPU because you're listing several CPU bound, dx9 games where nvidia is known to have more efficient drivers, i don't have any solid data on that and until somebody takes an AMD card and Nvidia card to play CPU bound situations in LoL etc then i won't have any, but that's what i would go with ATM for sc2/LoL and maybe Skyrim.

if you're overclocking, either do it the month you build the system, or save like $150. It's not worth it to sit on parts for a year that you've paid for but are not using at all
"oh my god my overclock... I got a single WHEA error on the 23rd hour, 9 minutes" -Belial88
Cabbett
Profile Joined January 2014
9 Posts
June 08 2014 16:46 GMT
#6233
On June 05 2014 01:36 Cabbett wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 04 2014 23:46 skyR wrote:
On June 04 2014 21:12 Cabbett wrote:+ Show Spoiler +
What is your current build?

ASUS P5N-D
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 @ 2.66Ghz
8GB DD2 RAM, 800Mhz
Evga GTX 560Ti DS SC - Link
Corsair GS 600 PSU

What is your monitor's native resolution?

1920x1080

Why do you want to upgrade? What do you want to achieve with the upgrade?

I want to finally be able to play my current games without my PC being brought to its knees constantly. I primarily play Diablo III, WoW, Skyrim, and hopefully FFXIV after this upgrade. On D3 if there's a ton of stuff on screen, my FPS goes down as low as 7, even with many CPU-bound settings turned down. Even WoW on occasion will dip below 30FPS.

After this upgrade (damn near a brand new build but I'm keeping my GPU and PSU) I hope to be able to achieve 60FPS 95% of the time on the titles I listed, although I realize for FFXIV I will not able to max out and keep 60FPS.

What is your budget?

$800 CAD

What country will you be buying your parts in?

Canada

If you have any brand or retailer preferences, please specify.

Intel and NVIDIA; Memoryexpress for retailer (I will check for Pricebeats right before I buy).

---

So here's what I've come up with so far (prices are from Memoryexpress):

MOBO: Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H, $90

CPU: Intel i5-4670, $245

RAM: G.Skill Sniper 2x4GB @ 1600mhz, $100

Case: Corsair Carbide 400R, $120

SSD: Samsung EVO 840 Series 120GB, $100

HDD: WD Blue 500GB, $60

Before taxes: $715
After taxes (5% + 8%): $807.95

I rounded up all prices to the nearest whole number, so actual price will probably be a few dollars less. At any rate, I'm pretty much at budget.

So how does this build look? Will I be able to achieve what I want out of this build? Are the parts I chose the most optimal to get? Should I forego the HDD and stick with the one in my current build (it's from 2008, not sure what kind it is)


Crucial MX100 has very similar and in some cases, even better performance than the Samsung 840 EVO. The 256GB variant is available for $110 from Tiger Direct or Amazon:

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9083337
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00KFAGCWK

I think Newegg has the 500GB variant for $200 too. Though Memory Express may not have the Crucial MX100 yet since it's a very new release. In that case, Samsung 840 EVO would be the next best choice.

Corsair Carbide 500R is available for $115: http://www.ncix.com/detail/corsair-carbide-series-500r-mid-tower-c6-62757-1016.htm

The rest looks good, just needs to be pricematched.



Thanks for the suggestions. I'm thinking I'll go for the Crucial MX100 from the online vendor. Pretty hard to beat that price/value combo. For the 500R it might depend on much the shipping fee knocks up the price; I'll keep buying in-store at Mem.Express an option.

Can't wait to put this build together! My current pre-built from 2008 has served me well but it's definitely time to upgrade lol.




Hey guys, just wanted to provide an update and ask for a bit of help. I decided to forego the SSD for now and instead use it to get an overclocking CPU and OC-capable MOBO. So I ended up getting:

GA-Z97X-SLI
i5-4670k
G.skill Sniper 8GB, 1600mhz
Corsair Carbide 400R (by the time I was ready the buy the sale on 500R was over on NCIX so couldn't pricematch it)
WD Caviar Blue 500GB 7200rpm

These were added to what I already had which was:

GTX 560Ti SC
Corsair GS 700

So after I got everything put together the real pain began...installing the OS. Just getting it to start the installation process was a nightmare. Once I finally got Win 7 installing it took about 10 hours for it to expand 68% of the files. And then the best part happened...a random 3 second power outage. All that progress down the drain.

;_;

Desperate to find a solution I decided to go purchase Win 8.1 full edition to see if it would install faster. After about 1 hour it's at 0% for "Getting files ready for installation."

Is it normal for windows to take half a century to install, even in an HDD? Is maybe the optical drive I'm using shitty or something? I just don't understand how it can take so long, and I feel like at this rate I'll never get to enjoy my new PC...
skyR
Profile Joined July 2009
Canada13817 Posts
June 08 2014 17:04 GMT
#6234
A clean install of Wndows usually takes under 30 minutes.
Cabbett
Profile Joined January 2014
9 Posts
June 08 2014 17:06 GMT
#6235
Another quick update: My wife is getting a win 8.1 64-bit ISO onto her geekstick. So if this still doesn't work it's gotta be either my MOBO or my HDD that is the culprit...I think.

Meanwhile my DVD install is still at 0% of "Getting files ready for installation." Wish me luck.
Cabbett
Profile Joined January 2014
9 Posts
June 08 2014 20:14 GMT
#6236
Well, the USB method doesn't seem to make any difference either. I guess I going to just have to suck it up and accept a 20-30hr installation of Win 8.1...
Craton
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
United States17278 Posts
Last Edited: 2014-06-08 20:38:55
June 08 2014 20:26 GMT
#6237
I'd be wary of using any hdd that slow. Last time I had one doing that it failed not too much later.
twitch.tv/cratonz
guitarizt
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
United States1492 Posts
Last Edited: 2014-06-08 22:13:03
June 08 2014 22:10 GMT
#6238
Would a pentium d, pentium g, or amd 3850 lag for sc2 team games? I see everyone going for i5's on here. Is it better than something like an fx 8350?
“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” - Hemingway
skyR
Profile Joined July 2009
Canada13817 Posts
June 08 2014 22:21 GMT
#6239
On June 09 2014 07:10 guitarizt wrote:
Would a pentium d, pentium g, or amd 3850 lag for sc2 team games? I see everyone going for i5's on here. Is it better than something like an fx 8350?


Pentium D would be unplayable since it's like 10 years old. The rest would play the game reasonably well but of course you'd lag in team games. Yes, the i5 is better than the FX8350 for lightly threaded applications.
MisterFred
Profile Joined October 2010
United States2033 Posts
Last Edited: 2014-06-08 22:24:13
June 08 2014 22:23 GMT
#6240
A Pentium G (I own a pentium g850) will occasionally give you problems in big 4v4s, or 3v3s where, oddly, everyone gets near maxxed, but generally it'll be good enough for team games unless you're obsessive. A Pentium G should be about as good as an fx 8350 for SC2, but of course the fx 8350 will be better for other things. The Pentium D will just be crap.

For SC2, you should generally ignore AMD processors, as per-core performance is far, far, far more important than overall capability.

If you're building a new computer & don't care about much other than SC2 & price, I think there's some overclockable pentium that just game out...

P.S. the i5 would be better than all the above options, except in terms of cost.
"The victor? Not the highest scoring, nor the best strategist, nor the best tactitian. The victor was he that was closest to the Tao of FFA." -.Praetor
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