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[CoG]

Starting to put together my upgraded system. I'll end up keeping my spinning drives and case but looking at this with a $1000 budget:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($218.97 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z87M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($131.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($134.95 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($194.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($259.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1050.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-06 00:02 EST-0500)

Just want to be able to do 1080p 60fps for all games for the next 3 - 4 years. Any suggestions or improvements? I've always been partial to Asus and eVGA which is why I picked their mobo and GPU.

 

[Anton668]

find a better quality PSU and do you really need 600w?

corsair makes some good PSUs, its just the cx series arent them. they arent terribad, but they arent really great either

 

[NoRéN]

Get the PSU mentioned by kharma here. Full Modular.

 

[Bboy AJ]

Asking again. Building a Fractal 304.

How necessary is exhaust cooling for small cases? There are no 4GB GTX 760s out there that aren't multi fan cooled, other than some ZOTAC that has bad reviews.

By the way, Nvidia, let's hear about Maxwell.

 

[wilflare]

hmmm guess I need to replace my out of warranty Silverstone FT01

any recommendations?

 

[WonkyPanda]

Guys,

would a i5 4430 be enough for a gtx760? No bottlenecking?

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Sounds good. How about the MSI Gaming though?

Looks good but the clocks weren't as high. But it's 709.99. A little cheaper and still an option for me but I've settled on the Ghz edition for the time being.

 

[belmonkey]

When upgrading from an overclocked 1st-gen i3 to a 4th-gen i7, will the performance gain be appreciable in most games? The PC performs alright in BF4 with a GTX 760, although I feel it could be doing quite a bit better in it, as well as a few other games, and the i3 can easily hit ~100% usage in BF4. It's probably about time to upgrade, but will an i7 be worth the extra $100 over an i5?

Basically, what would go well with a GTX 760 OC?

 

[ShadyJ]

Bought my Windforce OC 780ti, i was upgrading from a 4870x2 so its beautiful.

In 6 months ill grab a second for SLi

Still running my 2600k at 4.0 on air with 16gb of RAM so the next round of PC games should EASILY be maxed.

 

[mkenyon]

Asking again. Building a Fractal 304.


By the way, Nvidia, let's hear about Maxwell.

Reference cooler isn't needed too much with the Node 304.

Not going to be anything insane. They'll release they're 104 variant first (like GTX 680) with a 110 a year+ later (780). Same types of gains going from the 580->680.

hmmm guess I need to replace my out of warranty Silverstone FT01

any recommendations?

For a similar case, check out the Lian Li PC-7HXW or the Fractal Arc Midi R2. There's also the TJ04, which is great still, as well as the FT04.

Guys,

would a i5 4430 be enough for a gtx760? No bottlenecking?

Bottlenecking isn't an either or thing. Mostly dependent on the engine and game in question. But, no.

When upgrading from an overclocked 1st-gen i3 to a 4th-gen i7, will the performance gain be appreciable in most games? The PC performs alright in BF4 with a GTX 760, although I feel it could be doing quite a bit better in it, as well as a few other games, and the i3 can easily hit ~100% usage in BF4. It's probably about time to upgrade, but will an i7 be worth the extra $100 over an i5?

Yes to it being noticeable.

In terms of game performance, no, the $100 over the i5 is not worth it. It's the same processor but with hyperthreading, which means it has 8 compute threads.

I'm currently using an Asus VG23ah monitor. I love it but now I want two. But it seems that monitor is no longer being made anymore. If I got a similar but different monitor, would that bother me if they are side to side? If not, what would you recommend GAF?

The VG248QE is ASUS's new shiny. I'm not bothered by two different monitors, never have been. But that's totally subjective.

 

[Ryudo]

hmmm guess I need to replace my out of warranty Silverstone FT01

any recommendations?

The FT02 is the best case I have ever used closely followed by the Corsair Carbide 540 Air Series. The 540 is a great case allowing maximum airflow and a relatively small case footprint. Bah ... just opinions .... !

 

[cdyhybrid]

Well, all my shit is installed and seems to be working properly, but I can't start Windows because I was using an OEM version. Unfortunately, it appears that Microsoft doesn't have 24/7 Customer Service (how the fuck does this happen?), so I'll have to wait until tomorrow morning before I can get it fixed.

Unfuckingbelievable.

 

[Hazaro]

Just got burned on shipping (package is seemingly lost and post office(s) can't/won't do anything about it) and I'm a little worried about buying the parts for my build online. What precautions, if any, do you all take when having stuff shipped to you?

I just buy from Amazon.

When upgrading from an overclocked 1st-gen i3 to a 4th-gen i7, will the performance gain be appreciable in most games? The PC performs alright in BF4 with a GTX 760, although I feel it could be doing quite a bit better in it, as well as a few other games, and the i3 can easily hit ~100% usage in BF4. It's probably about time to upgrade, but will an i7 be worth the extra $100 over an i5?

Basically, what would go well with a GTX 760 OC?

Get the i5

Guys,

would a i5 4430 be enough for a gtx760? No bottlenecking?

Yes. It depends on the game so it doesn't really apply.

 

[LeeRoyBrown]

OK people.

Can I fit a Noctua U14S heatsink into a bitfenix prodigy with Corsair Dominator ram at the same time?

 

[sant]

I am thinking about pulling the trigger on this keyboard. I like the minimalist design, but I am not a fan of the typeface on the keys. Would have also liked it to be backlit. Good choice?

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B008PFABI8/

 

[Hazaro]

I am thinking about pulling the trigger on this keyboard. I like the minimalist design, but I am not a fan of the typeface on the keys. Would have also liked it to be backlit. Good choice?

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B008PFABI8/

I have one, but that was when mech options were super limited.

Maybe check the CM Stealth keyboards out?

 

[LordAlu]

Starting to put together my upgraded system. I'll end up keeping my spinning drives and case but looking at this with a $1000 budget:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($218.97 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z87M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($131.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($134.95 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($194.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($259.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1050.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-06 00:02 EST-0500)

Just want to be able to do 1080p 60fps for all games for the next 3 - 4 years. Any suggestions or improvements? I've always been partial to Asus and eVGA which is why I picked their mobo and GPU.

With that Z87 motherboard it would be criminal not to get a 4670K for future overclocking (especially as your'e already getting a CM 212). I'd swap that model of SSD for the EVO as well and you don't need that CX600, the BP550 will do just fine for everything there. Any reason you've gone for 16GB RAM, you could drop to 8GB which is still plenty and upgrade later if need be? You could also save a couple of bucks by going for the Asus Z87-K but it's full ATX so your case would have to be large enough to support it.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z87M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($131.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($134.95 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($161.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($259.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec Basiq Plus 550W 80+ Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1018.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-06 03:26 EST-0500)

I am thinking about pulling the trigger on this keyboard. I like the minimalist design, but I am not a fan of the typeface on the keys. Would have also liked it to be backlit. Good choice?

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B008PFABI8/

The Ducky keyboards are really good if you can find one for a decent price, available in various colour switches and LEDs.

 

[moho-foe]

I want to wait for Maxwell & AMD prices to stabilize before I buy a pricy GPU, but I need something to get me through until that happens. Can anyone recommend a new or used card for $125-160 ish?

I don't need to fun BF4 at max, but I need something better than the built in GPU.

 

[kennah]

To everyone recommending to not get an SSD.

STOP IT.

Literally every single thing in the computer is faster. Boot times are irrelevant. Virus scans are instant. Programs open as soon as they are clicked. Finding files is faster.

Every.

Single.

Thing.

Is

Faster.

It is the easiest upgrade you can do for speed on a computer. You could even refresh old shirty computers with it.

Does it have much impact on games? No not much.

But your entire operating system experience will be improved.

Also the 770 is a waste of money. I'd argue that a 760 with an SSD would be a faster better experience than a 770 without one.

 

[j0hnny_385]

To everyone recommending to not get an SSD.

STOP IT.

Literally every single thing in the computer is faster. Boot times are irrelevant. Virus scans are instant. Programs open as soon as they are clicked. Finding files is faster.

Every.

Single.

Thing.

Is

Faster.

It is the easiest upgrade you can do for speed on a computer. You could even refresh old shirty computers with it.

Does it have much impact on games? No not much.

But your entire operating system experience will be improved.

raisesglass.gif

Installing SSD was the single most-obvious improvement I made in my PC since...well, forever.
SSDs are worth every penny.

 

[sant]

I have one, but that was when mech options were super limited.

Maybe check the CM Stealth keyboards out?

The Ducky keyboards are really good if you can find one for a decent price, available in various colour switches and LEDs.

What do you guys think about the Filco Majestouch 2 with Blue switches? Ncix has one for $150

 

[wilflare]

What do you guys think about the Filco Majestouch 2 with Blue switches? Ncix has one for $150

that seems like a decent price. my Filco Majestouch 1 with Brown Switches are giving out.. maybe I'll go for Ducky. Much cheaper.

 

[nicjac]

Hey guys,

I need some 'urgent' help. I ordered all the parts for my build, everything was in stock and is dispatched already or will be relatively soon. Everything but the PSU. I ordered a Corsair RM 750 from Dabs, which showed stocks but it is now saying that it is waiting for delivery from their supplier (I read that it is a common technique from Dabs...).

I wanted to know if you guys could recommend a replacement? I can get the RM 650 or 550 versions. That should be enough to drive my build (see below)?

I wanted to have room for an eventual SLI setup but I can do without for now. What are reasonably priced alternative that would do a good job with my setup?

Here's the build:

[b]CPU:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i74770k]Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor[/url]  (£250.43 @ Ebuyer) 
[b]CPU Cooler:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/noctua-cpu-cooler-nhd14]Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler[/url]  (£57.89 @ Ebuyer) 
[b]Motherboard:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-maximusvihero]Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard[/url]  (£149.81 @ Ebuyer) 
[b]Memory:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cml16gx3m2a1600c10]Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory[/url]  (£116.95 @ Amazon UK) 
[b]Storage:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz7te250bw]Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk[/url]  (£119.00 @ Amazon UK) 
[b]Storage:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st2000dm001]Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive[/url]  (£60.00 @ Aria PC) 
[b]Video Card:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-03gp43788kr]EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card[/url]  (£430.99 @ Dabs) 
[b]Case:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcadefr4bl]Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case[/url]  (£77.98 @ Amazon UK) 
[b]Power Supply:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-rm750]Corsair RM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply[/url]  (£93.98 @ Dabs) 
[b]Optical Drive:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-optical-drive-sh224dbbebe]Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer[/url]  (£11.98 @ Ebuyer) 
[b]Operating System:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-wn700615]Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (64-bit)[/url]  (£85.51 @ Amazon UK)

Thanks!

 

[kharma45]

Hey guys,

I need some 'urgent' help. I ordered all the parts for my build, everything was in stock and is dispatched already or will be relatively soon. Everything but the PSU. I ordered a Corsair RM 750 from Dabs, which showed stocks but it is now saying that it is waiting for delivery from their supplier (I read that it is a common technique from Dabs...).

I wanted to know if you guys could recommend a replacement? I can get the RM 650 or 550 versions. That should be enough to drive my build (see below)?

I wanted to have room for an eventual SLI setup but I can do without for now. What are reasonably priced alternative that would do a good job with my setup?

Here's the build:

[b]CPU:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i74770k]Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor[/url]  (£250.43 @ Ebuyer) 
[b]CPU Cooler:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/noctua-cpu-cooler-nhd14]Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler[/url]  (£57.89 @ Ebuyer) 
[b]Motherboard:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-maximusvihero]Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard[/url]  (£149.81 @ Ebuyer) 
[b]Memory:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cml16gx3m2a1600c10]Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory[/url]  (£116.95 @ Amazon UK) 
[b]Storage:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz7te250bw]Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk[/url]  (£119.00 @ Amazon UK) 
[b]Storage:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st2000dm001]Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive[/url]  (£60.00 @ Aria PC) 
[b]Video Card:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-03gp43788kr]EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card[/url]  (£430.99 @ Dabs) 
[b]Case:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcadefr4bl]Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case[/url]  (£77.98 @ Amazon UK) 
[b]Power Supply:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-rm750]Corsair RM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply[/url]  (£93.98 @ Dabs) 
[b]Optical Drive:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-optical-drive-sh224dbbebe]Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer[/url]  (£11.98 @ Ebuyer) 
[b]Operating System:[/b]  [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-wn700615]Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (64-bit)[/url]  (£85.51 @ Amazon UK)

Thanks!

If you still want to SLI you'd need a 750w, otherwise you'll have to buy a new PSU. For around £100 there is these two excellent XFXs

http://www.dabs.com/products/xfx-75...4_1389014530_7f3ed1aec273b1291e663fff1029e86b

http://www.dabs.com/products/xfx-85...4_1389014525_c2ed41edafcf7f4da898f2713255e945

and for just under £100 there is this 850w Be Quiet! unit but it's an 80+ Bronze not Gold which I feel is a bit... meh at this price point.

http://www.ebuyer.com/546367-be-quiet-power-zone-850w-80-plus-bronze-fully-modular-bn212

Scan has stock of the RM 750 at £100 http://www.scan.co.uk/products/750w...-plus-gold-92-eff-eps-12v-1x135mm-fan-atx-v24

If it were my own money I'd lean towards the XFX for the Seasonic internals.

 

[LordAlu]

If you still want to SLI you'd need a 750w, otherwise you'll have to buy a new PSU. For around £100 there is these two excellent XFXs

http://www.dabs.com/products/xfx-75...4_1389014530_7f3ed1aec273b1291e663fff1029e86b

http://www.dabs.com/products/xfx-85...4_1389014525_c2ed41edafcf7f4da898f2713255e945

and for just under £100 there is this 850w Be Quiet! unit but it's an 80+ Bronze not Gold which I feel is a bit... meh at this price point.

http://www.ebuyer.com/546367-be-quiet-power-zone-850w-80-plus-bronze-fully-modular-bn212

Scan has stock of the RM 750 at £100http://www.scan.co.uk/products/750w-corsair-rm-series-cp-9020055-uk-full-modular-80-plus-gold-92-eff-eps-12v-1x135mm-fan-atx-v24

If it were my own money I'd lean towards the XFX for the Seasonic internals.

Your change of avatar confused me for a moment there!

 

[kharma45]

It's still a work in progress. If I can't get the edges sorted out I'll have to find a new one lol

 

[kennah]

I just assumed it was for Real Pic January.

 

[kharma45]

Pls, if I was David Moyes right now I'd want to shoot myself.

Also about those PSU recommendations up there, forget about them all and just get one of the XFXs. I forgot how much I loved that unit and it's other incarnations.

 

[nicjac]

Pls, if I was David Moyes right now I'd want to shoot myself.

Also about those PSU recommendations up there, forget about them all and just get one of the XFXs. I forgot how much I loved that unit and it's other incarnations.

I did, just ordered a XFX 850W Black Edition 80+ Gold PSU. Got it from Dabs, hopefully they won't play the same 'we 21 in stock.... WAIT NO WE NEED TO ORDER IT FROM OUR SUPPLIER!' trick.

As I will prepare to build my machine, I was wondering whether it was better to do it on a glass or wooden table? I heard that the latter might be better as glass is too good of an insulator? Also, back when I use to build my computers (10+ years ago), I never ever used a static discharge wristband. Are those required? I thought that touching the metal case or a tap every now and then was enough to discharge any built-up static electricity.

Thanks again for your help, I wouldn't have made it without this thread!

 

[Sourtreats]

I've decided to upgrade my GTX 560 Ti for a GTX 770. But how do I decide which of these I should buy?

 

[Enthus]

Is it bad of me for wanting an R9 290 but not wanting to get a 1440p monitor until I crossfire? I kind of just want to enjoy silky smooth 1080p for a while.

 

[Xdrive05]

I've decided to upgrade my GTX 560 Ti for a GTX 770. But how do I decide which of these I should buy?

Gigabyte or MSI, or maybe Asus too. It's all about the cooling performance with these Boost cards, or else you will see throttling when you need to power the most.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Is it bad of me for wanting an R9 290 but not wanting to get a 1440p monitor until I crossfire? I kind of just want to enjoy silky smooth 1080p for a while.

Normal.

 

[Sourtreats]

Gigabyte or MSI, or maybe Asus too. It's all about the cooling performance with these Boost cards, or else you will see throttling when you need to power the most.

So a Tri Fan would be better than a dual fan for cooling?

 

[Xdrive05]

So a Tri Fan would be better than a dual fan for cooling?

In most cases it is better. You can check out some 770 round up reviews for results, but the Gigabyte is usually the lowest temps. I think the MSI scores well too, but not sure.

I have the Gigabyte tri fan in mine and its awesome!

 

[Interceptor]

Gaf my new stuff (Cpu + r9 270X OC) will arrive this week and i have two questions.

1. I doubt my current fan will be sufficent for the new cpu (a Phenom II X4 965 BE), in fact i have no idea what kind of fan i am using right now. Some cheap standard fan i bought for the last upgrade. Can you guys give me some recommendations. I am on a budget so nothing too fancy.

2. Are there some good and free benchmarks to measure the difference for my rig before and after the upgrade? Winsat won´t start for some reason under Win 8.1 and i doubt my 3D Mark 2001 edition is up to date to do the job. ^^

Thanks!

 

[MisterM]

I did, just ordered a XFX 850W Black Edition 80+ Gold PSU. Got it from Dabs, hopefully they won't play the same 'we 21 in stock.... WAIT NO WE NEED TO ORDER IT FROM OUR SUPPLIER!' trick.

As I will prepare to build my machine, I was wondering whether it was better to do it on a glass or wooden table? I heard that the latter might be better as glass is too good of an insulator? Also, back when I use to build my computers (10+ years ago), I never ever used a static discharge wristband. Are those required? I thought that touching the metal case or a tap every now and then was enough to discharge any built-up static electricity.

Thanks again for your help, I wouldn't have made it without this thread!

I've always built on wooden tables (because I've never been around a glass one when building) and never used an anti static wrist band...you'll be fine. I do touch a radiator before building as I heard these ground you, but that's more of a ritual these days.

As long as you're not rubbing your hands over a fleece and moonwalking on a woolly carpet while you build you'll do alright.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

In most cases it is better. You can check out some 770 round up reviews for results, but the Gigabyte is usually the lowest temps. I think the MSI scores well too, but not sure.

I have the Gigabyte tri fan in mine and its awesome!

The Twin Frozr's have always done well with temps and the GPU reactor on the Lightning cards seems to help more with higher OC's. It's really a toss up for me but I'm leaning on Gigabyte over MSI for the 780ti's I plan on buying in a month. For now, at least.

 

[Sourtreats]

In most cases it is better. You can check out some 770 round up reviews for results, but the Gigabyte is usually the lowest temps. I think the MSI scores well too, but not sure.

I have the Gigabyte tri fan in mine and its awesome!

The Twin Frozr's have always done well with temps and the GPU reactor on the Lightning cards seems to help more with higher OC's. It's really a toss up for me but I'm leaning on Gigabyte over MSI for the 780ti's I plan on buying in a month. For now, at least.

My current card is a Twin Frozr 560 Ti. It's served me well for the past 2-3 years.

Looking on Scan.co.uk, I compared the two Gigabyte cards which have a difference of £5 in price.
These are the only differences between the two cards. The cheaper on the left, more expensive on the right.


Core Clock 1046 MHz | 1137 MHz
Boost Clock 1085 MHz | 1189 MHz
Maximum Digital Resolution 4096x2160 | 2560x1600

I'm guessing the higher MHz > Maxium Digital Resolution?

 

[HoosTrax]

I need to RMA my 7970 at some point, preferably before summer when the non-working fan becomes more than just a minor nuisance, but I can't be without a decent video card for 2-3 weeks (due to my computer graphics programming courses, not just gaming).

If I get an EVGA 780 right now, am I right in thinking that if Maxwell launches in Q1, that gives me until early April to Step-Up?

How do people like the ACX? For me the "gold-standard" has been the DirectCUII, which on my GTX570 was inaudible no matter what was thrown at it.

 

[kharma45]

I need to RMA my 7970 at some point, preferably before summer when the non-working fan becomes more than just a minor nuisance, but I can't be without a decent video card for 2-3 weeks (due to my computer graphics programming courses, not just gaming).

If I get an EVGA 780 right now, am I right in thinking that if Maxwell launches in Q1, that gives me until early April to Step-Up?

How do people like the ACX? For me the "gold-standard" has been the DirectCUII, which on my GTX570 was inaudible no matter what was thrown at it.

If anything called 'Maxwell' appears before 2H2014 it won't be worth upgrading to. 20nm cards won't be ready in time for anything sooner than that, and on 28nm we've nowhere else to go really. Anything 'new' from Nvidida before then will just be a re-brand.

My current card is a Twin Frozr 560 Ti. It's served me well for the past 2-3 years.

Looking on Scan.co.uk, I compared the two Gigabyte cards which have a difference of £5 in price.
These are the only differences between the two cards. The cheaper on the left, more expensive on the right.


Core Clock 1046 MHz | 1137 MHz
Boost Clock 1085 MHz | 1189 MHz
Maximum Digital Resolution 4096x2160 | 2560x1600

I'm guessing the higher MHz > Maxium Digital Resolution?

MHz is the speed of the GPU core. Higher the faster.

Gaf my new stuff (Cpu + r9 270X OC) will arrive this week and i have two questions.

1. I doubt my current fan will be sufficent for the new cpu (a Phenom II X4 965 BE), in fact i have no idea what kind of fan i am using right now. Some cheap standard fan i bought for the last upgrade. Can you guys give me some recommendations. I am on a budget so nothing too fancy.

2. Are there some good and free benchmarks to measure the difference for my rig before and after the upgrade? Winsat won´t start for some reason under Win 8.1 and i doubt my 3D Mark 2001 edition is up to date to do the job. ^^

Thanks!

Get a Hyper 212 cooler, either 212 Plus or Evo, whichever is cheaper.

I did, just ordered a XFX 850W Black Edition 80+ Gold PSU. Got it from Dabs, hopefully they won't play the same 'we 21 in stock.... WAIT NO WE NEED TO ORDER IT FROM OUR SUPPLIER!' trick.

As I will prepare to build my machine, I was wondering whether it was better to do it on a glass or wooden table? I heard that the latter might be better as glass is too good of an insulator? Also, back when I use to build my computers (10+ years ago), I never ever used a static discharge wristband. Are those required? I thought that touching the metal case or a tap every now and then was enough to discharge any built-up static electricity.

Thanks again for your help, I wouldn't have made it without this thread!

Nice. It's a phenomenally good PSU, it'll last you a loooooong time.

As for building, it doesn't matter. Static isn't really an issue now. I always just ground myself on the case before I start.

I've decided to upgrade my GTX 560 Ti for a GTX 770. But how do I decide which of these I should buy?

Does it have to be from Scan?

 

[HoosTrax]

If anything called 'Maxwell' appears before 2H2014 it won't be worth upgrading to. 20nm cards won't be ready in time for anything sooner than that, and on 28nm we've nowhere else to go really. Anything 'new' from Nvidida before then will just be a re-brand.

So if I get something now, I should expect to be in it for the long haul. Well, "long" in GPU terms anyways, which is I guess a year.

 

[riflen]

My current card is a Twin Frozr 560 Ti. It's served me well for the past 2-3 years.

Looking on Scan.co.uk, I compared the two Gigabyte cards which have a difference of £5 in price.
These are the only differences between the two cards. The cheaper on the left, more expensive on the right.


Core Clock 1046 MHz | 1137 MHz
Boost Clock 1085 MHz | 1189 MHz
Maximum Digital Resolution 4096x2160 | 2560x1600

I'm guessing the higher MHz > Maxium Digital Resolution?

Nope. I think this is a mistake on Scan's part. Look at Gigabyte's site:

http://uk.gigabyte.com/products/comparison/list.aspx?ck=3&pids=4629,4685

The price is very close because the overclocked card is on sale at scan.

 

[Sourtreats]

Does it have to be from Scan?

Not at all, I'm just persuaded by the free next day delivery.

Nope. I think this is a mistake on Scan's part. Look at Gigabyte's site:

http://uk.gigabyte.com/products/comparison/list.aspx?ck=3&pids=4629,4685

The price is very close because the overclocked card is on sale at scan.

Muy Bien, that is a much better and understandable comparison. £5 more for the overclocked one seems decent.

 

[JAYSIMPLE]

Do i need to look into upgrading my i7 2600k overclocked to 4.5 or should i be fine for years to come??

 

[Prophet Steve]

Do i need to look into upgrading my i7 2600k overclocked to 4.5 or should i be fine for years to come??

Even the thread title states that a 2500k is fine, so your 2600k is also fine.

 

[kharma45]

Do i need to look into upgrading my i7 2600k overclocked to 4.5 or should i be fine for years to come??

See thread title.

Not at all, I'm just persuaded by the free next day delivery.

Muy Bien, that is a much better and understandable comparison. £5 more for the overclocked one seems decent.

fwiw I don't think the 770 is really worth it over a 760. It's only maybe 10-15% better on average. I'd take it or if you want something with a bit more grunt there is the AMD 280X http://www.scan.co.uk/products/3gb-...dr5-gpu-1000mhz-boost-1050mhz-2048-streams-hd

760 is £192 http://www.dabs.com/products/asus-g...4_1389020784_3f9b020889e2765bdf21deca77fa71a8

That 280X is £230, and out of the 770s I'd get one of the Gigabyte ones http://www.scan.co.uk/products/2gb-...gddr5-gpu-1137mhz-boost-1189mhz-cores-1536-dp or http://www.scan.co.uk/products/2gb-...gddr5-gpu-1046mhz-boost-1085mhz-cores-1536-dp

 

[Smokey]

Do i need to look into upgrading my i7 2600k overclocked to 4.5 or should i be fine for years to come??

Fine

2600k 4 life

 

[CoG]

With that Z87 motherboard it would be criminal not to get a 4670K for future overclocking (especially as your'e already getting a CM 212). I'd swap that model of SSD for the EVO as well and you don't need that CX600, the BP550 will do just fine for everything there. Any reason you've gone for 16GB RAM, you could drop to 8GB which is still plenty and upgrade later if need be? You could also save a couple of bucks by going for the Asus Z87-K but it's full ATX so your case would have to be large enough to support it.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z87M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($131.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($134.95 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($161.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($259.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec Basiq Plus 550W 80+ Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1018.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-06 03:26 EST-0500)

Thanks for the updates. Sounds great. Going with 16GB because I dual boot into Linux to run VMs and do development.

 

[kharma45]

Thanks for the updates. Sounds great. Going with 16GB because I dual boot into Linux to run VMs and do development.

On the PSU front, are you comfortable with rebates? This one is $5 cheaper after them and is a better unit http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...301&nm_mc=AFC-IR&cm_mmc=AFC-IR-_-na-_-na-_-na or for $15 there is this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...301&nm_mc=AFC-IR&cm_mmc=AFC-IR-_-na-_-na-_-na