EPTComputer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread - Page 5
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Gendo
United Kingdom216 Posts
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Sayle
United Kingdom3685 Posts
+ Show Spoiler [updated build] + Intel Core i5 4670K @ £185 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CO8TBOW/ Gigabyte Z87X-D3H @ £117 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CUCRKO0/ Kingston XMP Beast Series 2x4GB 2400MHz @ £71 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00A771ZWI/ MSI GeForce GTX 680 2GB @ £276 http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-213-MS&groupid=701&catid=1914&subcat=2255 Samsung 840 EVO 250 GB @ £147 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00E391OX6/ Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB @ £49 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0088PUEPK/ Corsair CX600 @ £58 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009RMP44O/ Fractal Design Define R4 @ £77 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008NFWNFO/ Thermalright True Spirit 140 @ £30 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B0AB0MQ/ Total - £1010 Edit: Looks like you've got some more recommendations on graphics cards. I'll take a look at those! How does the 680 compare to the 760? Just going by the model numbers I would have assumed the 760 is better but it seems that it's actually the other way around? I don't mind paying the bit extra if you think the performance gain is worth it. Edit 2: Changed the GPU to a 680. | ||
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Ropid
Germany3557 Posts
On August 25 2013 23:14 Sayle wrote: How does the 680 compare to the 760? Just going by the model numbers I would have assumed the 760 is better but it seems that it's actually the other way around? I don't mind paying the bit extra if you think the performance gain is worth it. GTX 260, 460, 560, 660, 760 are the different generations GTX 450, 460, 470, 480 are the different price levels For AMD it's pretty similar, first digit is generation, rest is price/performance level. The GTX 760 is intended to be a replacement and improvement for a GTX 660. GTX 680 and 770 are very similar, so 680 > 760. | ||
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Cyro
United Kingdom20274 Posts
To quote myself from recently: 770 has 1536 cores, 760 has 1152. They clock to similar speeds, so with an i5 i'd say yea, do it (if you want a powerhouse gpu that you can throw anything at) I went 260<770 myself. Ignore the clock speeds listed on sites etc - the cards will just automatically run at the max boost clock, and then some. My card will do a 50mhz offset to run @1293mhz on stock voltage +1% and if i limit the fan speed to never pass 65%, my temperatures rarely hit 75c in gaming when many cards run into the 90's. gtx680/770 is full GK104, the only thing that beats it right now is GK110 in the 780/titan The 680 is basically a 770 - it's the same GPU. You're held back in two ways, firstly the inferior GPU boost so you might not get quite the same clocks out of it or you might have to oc it a little manually instead of just leaving it out of the box if you want the performance it can give to you, and secondly, inferior memory, but it's a small change, rarely more than a few % performance. If a 680 is available for like less than 85-90% of the price of 770, i wouldn't really hesitate to get it over one with my current knowledge, and those were £275 for two seperate and i believe good models, while my 770 cost £329. Not some amazing deal, because hey, it's on clearance because they are "technically" last gen (while actually being.. almost identical) and because AMD's new cards are coming in a few months which will shove prices down across the board, but you can grab one if you want more GPU performance. It wouldn't help you in sc2 though, it's just a matter of making a sweet system even sweeter I'll benchmark now, will grab a replay and run 2400mhz 12-14-14-36 (quick and stable.. if the timings make me look like an idiot, i admit i have no idea what to do with the second, third and fourth timing as well as pretty much all of the other ones) vs some other RAM speed and timings ^Also good because i can post the replay and benchmark procedure, and anyone else can see relative performance Edit: Ram benchmarks confusing me a lot.. I'm seeing 1600cas9 ~=2200cas11 with both destroying the 2400 12-14-14-36 (I didn't bench in any way when i set those timings, just copied them from somewhere, which was stupid) but that doesn't make sense to me, i consistently saw a big gain before with frequency, and almost no change in performance with timings It's still worth to have that RAM @£71 especially since it's better than mine, but i expected a significant gain, I'll check another benchmark. | ||
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Sayle
United Kingdom3685 Posts
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Cyro
United Kingdom20274 Posts
If the RAM heatspreaders don't come off, it fits under the True Spirit 140 fine? (just to be sure, i'm pretty sure it does) And to be clear, 680 isn't neccesary. It wouldn't help your sc2 performance, maybe not rome 2 much or at all (not sure how that game performs), it's just a notable step up for the strengh of the system in GPU bound games (which a lot of them are) so if you're spending money, be aware it's not "strictly" neccesary and a bit e-peeny to go 680 over a 760, though it's a good upgrade if you're trying to max recent games and quite a bit more powerful | ||
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Myrmidon
United States9452 Posts
If you're not interested in SLI, you can step way down in wattage. If you are, why get something that cheap and where you'd be scrambling with adapters to connect the next graphics card? It's not really great, but at £54 an Antec Earthwatts Platinum 450W is a decent upgrade at a decent price, and it would save a bit over time because of efficiency, and should last longer: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-192-AN&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=2462 For SLI, something else. XFX Core 650W is better than the above (aside from efficiency) and just £65: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-003-XF&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=2463 I didn't check other retailers for pricing, but both those look normal. edit: it's not exactly premium, but I guess a third (in addition to the original two) Fractal 140mm fan for the front is an optional upgrade within reason http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fractal-Design-Silent-Series-140mm/dp/B007XVLMZ6 | ||
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Cyro
United Kingdom20274 Posts
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Sayle
United Kingdom3685 Posts
 @Myrmidon: I picked the CX because it had 80 plus bronze and the OP said Corsair only make good PSUs so I figured it was a safe choice. I also didn't know how much wattage I needed so I erred on the side of too much. If 450 is enough then I'll take your recommendation and go for the Antec. Since both of you have suggested an extra fan and that one is only £9, I might as well get one too. Thanks guys! + Show Spoiler [updated build] + Intel Core i5 4670K @ £185 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CO8TBOW/ Gigabyte Z87X-D3H @ £117 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CUCRKO0/ Kingston XMP Beast Series 2x4GB 2400MHz @ £71 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00A771ZWI/ MSI GeForce GTX 680 2GB @ £276 http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-213-MS Samsung 840 EVO 250 GB @ £147 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00E391OX6/ Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB @ £49 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0088PUEPK/ Seasonic G Series 450 @ £70 http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-019-SS Fractal Design Define R4 @ £77 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008NFWNFO/ Thermalright True Spirit 140 @ £30 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B0AB0MQ/ Fractal Design 140mm Fan @ £9 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007XVLMZ6 Total - £1031 | ||
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Myrmidon
United States9452 Posts
Anyway, CX600 rarely makes sense. CX series is good for being low in price without being bad; once you go up to CX600 price, you ought to be looking at alternatives. It's a penny-pinching part for a build that's going premium elsewhere, and power supplies are long-term investments. | ||
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Sayle
United Kingdom3685 Posts
Actually, you said the Antec isn't that great either. Is there another PSU you would recommend over that given the rest of the build? Also, it just occurred to me that it might be useful to get a DVD drive as well. Presumably just a generic one is fine? | ||
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skyR
Canada13817 Posts
On August 26 2013 04:29 Sayle wrote:[spoiler]Yeah, I wasn't deliberately trying to skimp on the PSU, I saw a lot of people get yelled at for that in the old thread. I just had no idea what I should go for so I picked one that looked somewhat reasonable. I guess it wasn't :D Actually, you said the Antec isn't that great either. Is there another PSU you would recommend over that given the rest of the build?[spoiler] Seasonic G 450 for slightly more: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-019-SS | ||
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menK
Germany2 Posts
First post in this forum and already asking for advice, so please feel free to ask if you need any additional information. My big problem is that I don't know much about computers, and since I am a poor student at university, I want to get the maximum out of the money I'm going to invest. My lack of knowledge in terms of computers could very well shine through my info in this post, so again, please feel free to correct me where I'm wrong and ask for clarification / any additional info needed. Template info in the spoiler (I rearranged the order a bit, I think it makes my request more organized) + Show Spoiler + What is your budget? ~2300€ max What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings? Mainly: Sc2 (low settings) Dota2 (high settings) numerous singleplayer games (Bioshock, Dead Space, Crysis) preferably on ultra settings. What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming? -music production -watching streams/movies Do you intend to overclock? I might be misinformed here, but as far as I know overclocking reduces the lifespan of the overcloked parts, and since this system has to uphold several years, I'm really critical on this one. Do you intend to do SLI / Crossfire? If the graphics cards are known to be free of micro-stuttering and it increases the performance substantially, I don't mind at all. Do you need an operating system? Yes (Windows 7 preferred) What is your monitor's native resolution? This is the first problem: I want to run a dual-monitor-setup, but only have 1 monitor available, which is half broken (loose contact). If I can afford to buy 2 new monitors with my budget, I will replace the old one, otherwise I will only buy 1 additional monitor and use my old one with a native resolution of 1366x768 as my second monitor and the new one as my gaming monitor. Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget? As mentioned before, I need 1 or 2 new monitors, as well as a new mouse, keyboard and headset, all of which have to be bought from the max budget of 2300€. I planned about ~150-200€ for mouse + keyboard + headset, monitors depend on the money I end up with after all the other parts are bought. If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify. Requirements (somewhat confused on what info should go in here, but I hope this is the right kind) -I don't want and won't be able to upgrade this PC for another ~3-4 years (with minor upgrades <50€ being an exception), so longevity is really important to me. -dual-monitor (as mentioned before) -silent (I think my definition of silent is somewhat outdated: I just want my PC to be quiet when I watch a movie with another person so it does not annoy the crap out of us, even if I just stopped playing a game.) No brand preferences at all. What country will you be buying your parts in? Mainly Germany (If I can save a substantial amount of money by buying the parts in another country and shipping it, I would be fine with that as well.) If you have any retailer preferences, please specify. Since I don't really know shit about computers or how to build a PC, my preference would be a retailer which assembles it for a small fee. (hardwareversand.de comes to mind) If there is no way the built you would suggest can be assembled by anyone, I could get someone to do it for me as the last choice, but I would prefer if the retailer could assemble it. I hope you guys can help out a poor student and fellow nerd Thanks a lot in advance | ||
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skyR
Canada13817 Posts
On August 26 2013 04:58 menK wrote:+ Show Spoiler + Hello TL Community! First post in this forum and already asking for advice, so please feel free to ask if you need any additional information. My big problem is that I don't know much about computers, and since I am a poor student at university, I want to get the maximum out of the money I'm going to invest. My lack of knowledge in terms of computers could very well shine through my info in this post, so again, please feel free to correct me where I'm wrong and ask for clarification / any additional info needed. Template info in the spoiler (I rearranged the order a bit, I think it makes my request more organized) + Show Spoiler + What is your budget? ~2300€ max What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings? Mainly: Sc2 (low settings) Dota2 (high settings) numerous singleplayer games (Bioshock, Dead Space, Crysis) preferably on ultra settings. What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming? -music production -watching streams/movies Do you intend to overclock? I might be misinformed here, but as far as I know overclocking reduces the lifespan of the overcloked parts, and since this system has to uphold several years, I'm really critical on this one. Do you intend to do SLI / Crossfire? If the graphics cards are known to be free of micro-stuttering and it increases the performance substantially, I don't mind at all. Do you need an operating system? Yes (Windows 7 preferred) What is your monitor's native resolution? This is the first problem: I want to run a dual-monitor-setup, but only have 1 monitor available, which is half broken (loose contact). If I can afford to buy 2 new monitors with my budget, I will replace the old one, otherwise I will only buy 1 additional monitor and use my old one with a native resolution of 1366x768 as my second monitor and the new one as my gaming monitor. Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget? As mentioned before, I need 1 or 2 new monitors, as well as a new mouse, keyboard and headset, all of which have to be bought from the max budget of 2300€. I planned about ~150-200€ for mouse + keyboard + headset, monitors depend on the money I end up with after all the other parts are bought. If you have any requirements or brand preferences, please specify. Requirements (somewhat confused on what info should go in here, but I hope this is the right kind) -I don't want and won't be able to upgrade this PC for another ~3-4 years (with minor upgrades <50€ being an exception), so longevity is really important to me. -dual-monitor (as mentioned before) -silent (I think my definition of silent is somewhat outdated: I just want my PC to be quiet when I watch a movie with another person so it does not annoy the crap out of us, even if I just stopped playing a game.) No brand preferences at all. What country will you be buying your parts in? Mainly Germany (If I can save a substantial amount of money by buying the parts in another country and shipping it, I would be fine with that as well.) If you have any retailer preferences, please specify. Since I don't really know shit about computers or how to build a PC, my preference would be a retailer which assembles it for a small fee. (hardwareversand.de comes to mind) If there is no way the built you would suggest can be assembled by anyone, I could get someone to do it for me as the last choice, but I would prefer if the retailer could assemble it. I hope you guys can help out a poor student and fellow nerd Thanks a lot in advance €1139 for an overclockable configuration before adding Windows and appropriately sized HDD for secondary storage. If you're a student, be sure to see if you are eligible for Dreamspark from your school (free Windows and other Microsoft software). This leaves you with roughly €1000 for everything else. If you need a disc drive, you'll also need to add one. The effects on lifespan with a modest overclock is negligible, we're talking about going from maybe 10 years to 9 years on the processor (random numbers). The chance of a HDD failing is much higher than an modestly overclocked processor. Intel Core i5 4670k @ €211 http://www.hardwareversand.de/Socket 1150/78027/Intel Core i5-4670K Box, LGA1150.article Gigabyte Z87X-D3H @ €128 http://www.hardwareversand.de/DDR3/79805/Gigabyte Z87X-D3H, ATX.article EVGA GTX 770 Superclocked ACX 2GB @ €379 http://www.hardwareversand.de/2048 MB/80539/EVGA GeForce GTX 770 Superclocked ACX, 2GB DDR5, PCI-Express.article G.Skill Ripjaws X 2133MHz 2x4gb @ €65 http://www.hardwareversand.de/2133 Low Voltage/66733/8GB-Kit G.Skill RipJaws-X PC3-17066U CL11.article Fractal Design Define R4 @ €92 http://www.hardwareversand.de/Midi/63729/FRACTAL DESIGN Define R4 Black Pearl.article Superflower Golden Green Pro 450 @ €70 http://www.hardwareversand.de/400 - 500 Watts/41092/Super-Flower SF450P14XE Golden Green Pro 80plus gold.article Thermalright True Spirit @ €39 http://www.hardwareversand.de/Intel AMD/67115/Thermalright True Spirit 140 BW.article Samsung 840 EVO 250gb @ €155 http://www.hardwareversand.de/Solid-State-Disk/85974/Samsung SSD 840 EVO Basic 250GB SATA 6Gb s.article | ||
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Cyro
United Kingdom20274 Posts
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Zimmerman17
Canada17 Posts
$1200-$1500. What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings? Variety of games from indie games to big releases and SC2. What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming? Everyday computer and multi-tabling poker. Do you intend to overclock? I would like to if it is simple enough to accomplish with a little research. Do you intend to do SLI / Crossfire? No. Do you need an operating system? Not sure. I think I may have a copy of Windows 7 lying around. Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget? Yes, I need a monitor and am considering dual monitors for multi-tabling poker. It is included in my high end of budget. ~$1500. What country will you be buying your parts in? Canada. I have done some research through various resources and have selected some parts on pcpartpicker, but am hesitant to pull the trigger on buying due to inexperience. If someone could give me some advice on my build it would be greatly appreciated. CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K CPU Cooler:Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H Memory: Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB Video Card: EVGA GTX 660 2GB Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid PSU: Corsair HX650 | ||
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skyR
Canada13817 Posts
On August 26 2013 12:05 Zimmerman17 wrote:+ Show Spoiler + What is your budget $1200-$1500. What games do you intend to play on this computer? What settings? Variety of games from indie games to big releases and SC2. What do you intend to use the computer for besides gaming? Everyday computer and multi-tabling poker. Do you intend to overclock? I would like to if it is simple enough to accomplish with a little research. Do you intend to do SLI / Crossfire? No. Do you need an operating system? Not sure. I think I may have a copy of Windows 7 lying around. Do you need a monitor or any other peripherals and is this part of your budget? Yes, I need a monitor and am considering dual monitors for multi-tabling poker. It is included in my high end of budget. ~$1500. What country will you be buying your parts in? Canada. I have done some research through various resources and have selected some parts on pcpartpicker, but am hesitant to pull the trigger on buying due to inexperience. If someone could give me some advice on my build it would be greatly appreciated. CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K CPU Cooler:Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H Memory: Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB Video Card: EVGA GTX 660 2GB Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid PSU: Corsair HX650 A novice will never utilize the full potential of a UD3H board. The Z87X-D3H for $130 will be more than adequate for the typical person: http://ncix.com/products/?sku=84040 unless of course you're paying less than $130 for a UD3H. Noctua NH-U14S for $71 (pricematch with http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00C9FLSLY ): http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX45777 is suggested over a budget Hyper 212 for Haswell builds. This G.Skill 2x4gb 2133MHz kit for $70 is probably better than whatever Vengeance kit you have: http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX34251 GTX 760 or GTX 660 Ti is probably better than whatever EVGA GTX 660 you have. Corsair 400R is okay though unnecessary over the less expensive 300R. Though the Arc Midi R2 is probably better for $80: http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=78227&promoid=1336 HX650 is not necessary for someone who is not interested in SLI / Crossfire. A Rosewill Capstone 450 for $65 is suggested for nearly every single GPU build: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182066 Seasonic G 450 for slightly more is also a good alternative if you rather not buy from Newegg. You're missing an SSD and/or HDD. | ||
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Zimmerman17
Canada17 Posts
On August 26 2013 12:29 skyR wrote: A novice will never utilize the full potential of a UD3H board. The Z87X-D3H for $130 will be more than adequate for the typical person: http://ncix.com/products/?sku=84040 unless of course you're paying less than $130 for a UD3H. Noctua NH-U14S for $71 (pricematch with http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00C9FLSLY ): http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX45777 is suggested over a budget Hyper 212 for Haswell builds. This G.Skill 2x4gb 2133MHz kit for $70 is probably better than whatever Vengeance kit you have: http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX34251 GTX 760 or GTX 660 Ti is probably better than whatever EVGA GTX 660 you have. Corsair 400R is okay though unnecessary over the less expensive 300R. Though the Arc Midi R2 is probably better for $80: http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=78227&promoid=1336 HX650 is not necessary for someone who is not interested in SLI / Crossfire. A Rosewill Capstone 450 for $65 is suggested for nearly every single GPU build: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182066 Seasonic G 450 for slightly more is also a good alternative if you rather not buy from Newegg. You're missing an SSD and/or HDD. Wow, thanks for all the help. What would you recommend for SSD and HDD? Where is the best place to look for selecting monitors and do you have any insight on what a good size for dual monitors would be? | ||
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skyR
Canada13817 Posts
On August 26 2013 14:16 Zimmerman17 wrote:+ Show Spoiler + On August 26 2013 12:29 skyR wrote: A novice will never utilize the full potential of a UD3H board. The Z87X-D3H for $130 will be more than adequate for the typical person: http://ncix.com/products/?sku=84040 unless of course you're paying less than $130 for a UD3H. Noctua NH-U14S for $71 (pricematch with http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00C9FLSLY ): http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX45777 is suggested over a budget Hyper 212 for Haswell builds. This G.Skill 2x4gb 2133MHz kit for $70 is probably better than whatever Vengeance kit you have: http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX34251 GTX 760 or GTX 660 Ti is probably better than whatever EVGA GTX 660 you have. Corsair 400R is okay though unnecessary over the less expensive 300R. Though the Arc Midi R2 is probably better for $80: http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=78227&promoid=1336 HX650 is not necessary for someone who is not interested in SLI / Crossfire. A Rosewill Capstone 450 for $65 is suggested for nearly every single GPU build: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182066 Seasonic G 450 for slightly more is also a good alternative if you rather not buy from Newegg. You're missing an SSD and/or HDD. Wow, thanks for all the help. What would you recommend for SSD and HDD? Where is the best place to look for selecting monitors and do you have any insight on what a good size for dual monitors would be? For the SSD, you can get a Samsung 840 250gb for roughly $165. For HDD, you can select any appropriately sized Green or Blue depending on your needs. Not sure if you multi-table by tiling or stacking but if you're tiling, you want 1920x1200 or better which typically means Dell Ultrasharp U2412M or U2713HM or U30. | ||
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Sayle
United Kingdom3685 Posts
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