# I'm building a PC, but have no knowlage on the topic. (possible PC builds thread?)



## jonajon91 (Nov 18, 2014)

I finally have enough money to blow on a PC build, I wont hide all the important information in a lengthy paragraph so ill stick it all in bullet points at the bottom. I have found a website (choosemyPC.net) that takes your budget and a few other preferences into account and chooses all the parts for you, my problem being that it specs very heavily for gaming and while I will be gaming, it's not my priority, either way, it broke down roughly what I should be spending on each part. (Also it picked out two graphics cards, I don't need that).
My friends keep telling me to go on pcspecialist.co.uk and while it is really good, each drop down menu just fills up with a selection of numbers and letters and I get lost very quickly. Also, I don't know the companies apart well at all, when looking at motherboards, it has multiple for ASUS or GIGABYTE and I don't know if they specialize in doing certain things.

*Budget* - £1,500
*Use* - Creating music for film/game/tv, small amounts of gaming and possible use to record music in the future
Ill be using big software with lots of VSTs running (so high processing power? again, I really don't know much about any of this).
*Games* - I don't do a huge amount of gaming, mainly borderlands and dark souls (one), but it would be nice to be prepared for games of the future.
*screen* - not essential, but It would be nice to have a decent size screen
I do want to dish out extra for 16GB of RAM 
Overclocking - nope
*CPU* - intel
Also, I know it sounds really vain, but since I am sinking so much money into this, a flash case would not go a miss, nothing too much, it does not need nitrogen cooling and spoilers, but I don't want it to look like some crappy school PC


If anyone is interested, this is what ChosemyPC picked out. 
ChooseMyPC.net | Computer Build Generator | UK


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## TedEH (Nov 18, 2014)

I don't see any problem with that build other than the insistence on dual video cards and a bit of a gaming slant. Any modern video card will play the games you listed, I would think. I use a gtx770, which is now "old" by some standards, but it plays anything I throw at it. Reduce the video card, add more RAM (any more than 16gb is probably more than you need), and update the CPU with the money saved on the video card.


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## Defi (Nov 18, 2014)

I was running a bunch of vst effects and instruments on a 25 minute long project (and I never bounced anything) and it was beginning to show signs of slowing down on my old computer (like a 5 year old quad core, 8gb of RAM). I built my computer a year ago with pretty much the same list of intentions.

If you feel like spending money, or have it to spend, then just get the most reasonably priced quad core processor (whichever new ones are around $250 usually), and max the motherboards RAM.

Also: machines built for recording/rendering/vsts/sample libraries benefit* IMMENSELY* from separating the load over a few hard drives. I have 4 hard drives plus an external backup, and that made the biggest different in workflow rate. Separate the plugin programs, sample libraries, and audio recordings onto different hard drives.

As far as video cards even one of those is overkill for just the casual gamer. Money much better spent on other things (more hard drives, more RAM). For not much gaming, just spend $200-300 on the best card these days in that price range and it will be fine. I did that and I play occasionally on a 2440x1600 or whatever it is 27" monitor and most games I can play at like 80-100% settings... whatever the case is, the diminishing returns are not worth it after that. Does not make the games any cooler.

TLDR: less video cards, more RAM and hard drives (not space, a larger quantity of drives)


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## jonajon91 (Nov 18, 2014)

You think that gigabyte motherboard looks alright?

---edit---

Who knew power supplies were so expensive?!


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## jonajon91 (Nov 18, 2014)

Defi said:


> Also: machines built for recording/rendering/vsts/sample libraries benefit* IMMENSELY* from separating the load over a few hard drives. I have 4 hard drives plus an external backup, and that made the biggest different in workflow rate. Separate the plugin programs, sample libraries, and audio recordings onto different hard drives.



I was planning on having the operating system installed on a smaller internal solid state drive and having a separate hard drive (2TB) inside for files and data, would you recommend getting two 1TB hard drives to go inside the machine? Would most computer towers have space for three hard drives.
I also have a 1TB external hard drive, but I don't think that's what you mean.


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## TedEH (Nov 18, 2014)

jonajon91 said:


> would you recommend getting two 1TB hard drives to go inside the machine? Would most computer towers have space for three hard drives.



Just an opinion, but I'd focus more on the reliability of the drives than the quantity. 90% of equipment failures I've dealt with on PCs were dead drives, and recording/video/etc are heavy on disk use. If I had 2x 1tb drives, I'd likely use the second for backup instead of just more space. Maybe your external drive covers that, but it's a thought.


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## Defi (Nov 18, 2014)

Well there isn't really any replacement for the performance gain of separating the constant writing and reading amongst different drives. im not recommending to get a bunch of crappy drives, his budget is plenty enough to get 4 quality 1tb drives and a 4tb external for backup.


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## jonajon91 (Nov 18, 2014)

Honestly, i'm half tempted to get a semi-custom computer where half of it is picked out from the get go and then they build it for you. I know it's going to be a little more expensive, but there is just so much to learn. 
I even went as far as looking at this website (bellow) and pricing one up. I could get a decent build (16gb ram, decent graphics card, 2TB hard drive) built in 7 days and shipped out to me for £1250, leaving me £250-300 to get a screen and a keyboard (I already have a pretty neat mouse).
"Dragon Army Nightblade" Intel Core i5 4670K @ 4.0GHz MSI Gaming Series Special Edition Gaming PC **£100 Cashback & Free Headset** [FS-033-OG]


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## jonajon91 (Nov 18, 2014)

Okay spec take 2. How does this look?

- Case: MSI Nightblade Special Edition Gaming Chassis
- Power Supply: 600W 80+ Gold Rated PSU
- *CPU: Intel Core i5 4670K @ 4.0GHz Quad Core Haswell Processor*
- *Motherboard: MSI Z87I Nightblade Gaming Series (Socket 1150) DDR3 Mini ITX Motherboard*
- Cooler: Raijintek Aidos CPU Cooler
- *RAM: Teamgroup Vulcan RED 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 2133MHz*
*- Hard Drive 1 / solid state drive: Samsung 250GB 840 evo series solid state drive
- Hard drive 2: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM hard drive
- Graphics Card: MSI Geforce GTX 760 OC 4096MB*
- Sound: High Definition 7.1 Onboard Sound
- Optical Drive: Slot Loading DVD
- Network: Killer NIC LAN and Intel 802.11 N/AC Wireless
- windows seven (duh)

The cost of all this, £1241.88, the parts in bold are the parts that are of most importance.


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## tacotiklah (Nov 19, 2014)

jonajon91 said:


> Okay spec take 2. How does this look?
> 
> - Case: MSI Nightblade Special Edition Gaming Chassis
> - Power Supply: 600W 80+ Gold Rated PSU
> ...



Motherboard isn't good enough to take full advantage of the processor's abilities. Go with the Z97 chipset motherboards if you plan to do overclocking, or else go with a locked i5 processor and save money if don't plan on modding your computer in that way. Honestly, I'd go with the cheaper processor and spend more on the video card. Also, anything over 1600MHz RAM is paying too much for diminishing returns. At best, pay for 1866MHz. Again, use the extra cash for other parts. Maybe buy another stick of RAM with the savings. 
Good call to opt for two sticks of RAM to take advantage of the dual channel capabilities.
Having an SSD for your OS and other primary files is a good idea. Honestly, I don't see a need to get anything bigger than a 1TB drive from the get-go, unless you plan to do a lot of audio or video editing/mixing/recording. In that case, I'd go with at least 2TB, with the option to add more. 7200RPM is a good speed for a regular HDD. 

Overall, it's a solid build, but I think a few tweaks to it could get you where you want to be and save a few bucks while you're at it.



Edit: Also, here's the build I've settled on for school when the money comes in. I plan to do gaming and audio recording/mixing on it, so I'm leaving my options open for upgrades. I have an external USB 3.0 1TB external hard drive as back up in case I need more space:
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/pqRmQ7
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/pqRmQ7/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Asus Z97-PRO(Wi-Fi ac) ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($207.98 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($159.98 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.97 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive 
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($347.99 @ Directron) 
Case: Azza CSAZ-206 ATX Mid Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Cooler Master VSM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Optical Drive: Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($34.99 @ Newegg) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) ($90.26 @ OutletPC) 
Monitor: Acer S241HL bmid 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($151.08 @ Amazon) 
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($29.95 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1482.17
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-19 00:48 EST-0500


Obviously more than the $1,000 budget I had, but my personal needs warrant it and I'm trying to future proof the investment for as long as I can.


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## hairychris (Nov 19, 2014)

^ Please note that prices in the UK are higher than in the US.

Video card is overspec and will be way more expensive in UK. Possibly a GTX 770 will do, but could go cheaper as long as it supports multiple monitors and you don't mind taking the hit on gaming.

Music needs RAM and CPU, plus quick HDD access. If gaming is secondary then use the cash there.

I'd say a few things:

- Budget for 2 x monitors (most decent video cards will support this). 22 inch 1080p ones can be had for around 100 quid. You can put timeline on one screen and VSTs/pop-out boxes on the other which really helps visibility. If you have room then 3 monitors might also work but check that the video card can handle it.
- Use an SSD for OS and 2x bigger drives in Raid 0 mirror for data storage. Go 7200 RPM, it really is a noticeable difference over 5400. You don't need 10k.
- Look into a backup solution. I use a paid web service + synch to external HDD. It may be worth looking into commercial products depending on how serious you are.
- You are thinking of plenty of RAM, so will probably come with a 64-bit operating system. Make sure that your DAW is 64-bit if possible (32-bit operating systems or applications can only address 3GB RAM - you want to make sure that the computer is doing as much work as possible in memory, not paging to disk).
- Do you already have an audio interface? Considering FireWire? If so you'll need a PC interface in most cases too.


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## jonajon91 (Nov 19, 2014)

I am planning on getting a second screen, but I already use a TV for a second screen through HDMI so I only need to get one PC monitor. 
My main concern and it is rather embarrassing, is that I don't know enough about computers to be overclocking, I no nothing about it and apparently has a few risks tied to it. I showed my current spec up to a friend and he said that it was set for heavy overclocking. Apparently getting a PC from overclockers(dot)com will do that ... who knew. 
So at the moment I am either going to start again from scratch or (hopefully) someone will convince me to get this computer and overclock.


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## TedEH (Nov 19, 2014)

It's not an embarrassment at all. Lots of tech-savvy people are not knowledgeable about overclocking, or opt not to do it for whatever reasons. You're absolutely right that there's a risk involved, and it's more complicated/involved than just building a machine and leaving it that way. It's my opinion that if you think you'll ever decide to learn about overclocking, it's worthwhile to have that option, 'cause it lets you squeeze more value out of your hardware. But it's also just as legitimate to recognize you'll never do it, in which case you'll get more value out of non-overclocking-enabled hardware.


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## jonajon91 (Nov 19, 2014)

I honestly can't say I will ever get into overclocking so it looks like i'm going to respec. Guess I'll be back in a few hours.


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## tacotiklah (Nov 19, 2014)

TedEH said:


> It's not an embarrassment at all. Lots of tech-savvy people are not knowledgeable about overclocking, or opt not to do it for whatever reasons. You're absolutely right that there's a risk involved, and it's more complicated/involved than just building a machine and leaving it that way. It's my opinion that if you think you'll ever decide to learn about overclocking, it's worthwhile to have that option, 'cause it lets you squeeze more value out of your hardware. But it's also just as legitimate to recognize you'll never do it, in which case you'll get more value out of non-overclocking-enabled hardware.



This. Also realize that if you overclock your CPU (or anything really), you're going to need to also ensure that you have a big enough power supply and of course, extra fans/cooling options to compensate for the extra generated heat. It takes a bit more money and tech-savvy to do, but not impossible. In my case, I like keeping my options open, but for others that honestly have no intention of doing it or even wanting to learn how, save the cash for other parts of the build. 

I re-read the post, and I missed on the part about the build being less gaming intensive (my bad  )

In that case a GTX760 would be suitable for what you're looking to do. In that case, I'd opt for more RAM since VSTs eat it up quickly. Maybe invest some money into a bigger SSD for the faster read/write speeds.


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## jonajon91 (Nov 19, 2014)

God I am learning so much by doing this, it's to easy to see how people can get sucked into micromanaging every aspect of their computer and getting excited when new cards come out.


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## TedEH (Nov 19, 2014)

jonajon91 said:


> easy to see how people can get sucked into micromanaging every aspect of their computer and getting excited when new cards come out.



The worst part I think is how quickly stuff becomes obsolete. My gtx770 cost more when I bought it than a 970 does now, and it wasn't that long ago. Still more than capable though.


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## jonajon91 (Nov 20, 2014)

Okay, take three.

CPU - Intel quad core i7-4790K
memory - 24GB RAM (3 x 8GB)
Motherboard - Intel Z97 (I'll put the motherboard specs bellow since really, they mean nothing to me)
SSD - Crucial MX100 - 256GB solid state
Hard drive - (not 100% sure, but some kind of 2TB drive)
Graphics card - MSI GeForce GTX 970

My budget can stretch to get the next graphics card up, the 980, but it is a lot more money for something that I might not be using to it's full potential. So far this build does look really quite good, I7 processor, 24GB or ram.


-----------------------


_Motherboard specs

USB	6 USB 3.0/2.0 ports, 8 USB 2.0/1.1 ports
RAID	Support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10
Form Factor	ATX Form Factor; 30.5cm x 21.4cm
CPU Support	Intel i7 /Intel i5 / Intel i3/Intel Pentium/Intel Celeron in the LGA1150 package
Memory Slots	4x DDR3 DIMM
Max Memory Capacity	up to 32 GB of system memory
OS Compliance	Support for Windows 8.1/8/7
Description	Intel Z97 Chipset Motherboard
Chipset	Intel Z97 Express Chipset
LAN	Intel GbE LAN chip (10/100/1000 Mbit)_


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## TedEH (Nov 20, 2014)

jonajon91 said:


> Okay, take three.
> 
> CPU - Intel quad core i7-4790K



Any of the intel processors that end with a K are for overclocking. If there's an equivalent one without the K on the end, I think it'll be cheaper.


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## n4t (Nov 20, 2014)

Really shouldn't be building a computer unless you are a hobbyist. I've been in IT for 20 years and building your own computer is become pointless. Computers are commodities. You'll spend more and have more stress building your own. 

I've built my own machines since forever. No more. I just picked up an Asus desktop for $1100 from amazon. 16 GB of RAM, 3GB video card, quad core (don't recall the specs just now), and a ridiculous amount of disk. This thing absolutely smokes. I have Reaper and EZdrummer running with Mass Effect 3 on pause while browsing youtube videos. I'd have to start running burn-in tools on top of that to stress this beast.

I used to hand-build PCs for a company. I can tell you that ASUS is the most solid and reliable motherboard and always has been IMO. They are also usually a % or two faster than competitive products out of the box. They make great laptops and desktops these days, and have a good range of performance machines.

TLDR; Don't build a computer. This isn't 1987. Hunt down an ASUS desktop or laptop in your range and you can't go wrong.


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## TedEH (Nov 20, 2014)

n4t said:


> Really shouldn't be building a computer unless you are a hobbyist.



Very strongly disagree. I think you'll find that not many hold that opinion. Building is not that hard, and you get more computer for less money that way. If someone wants to build their own, there's no good reason to try to convince them not to.

Other advantages to building your own:
- tailoring which parts you get for your own purposes
- Avoiding pre-installed bloatware
- Maybe you already have OS licences from elsewhere, money saved
- Learning about the components if you didn't already know
- Choices of cool looking cases
- Being social, talking to people about your part choices, talking to more store people about it, etc.
- Leaving out parts you don't want or won't use
- Being able to chose between overclock-able parts or not

I'm sure I can think of more, but whatever.


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## jonajon91 (Nov 20, 2014)

After some thinking about it all and discussing with my house mates. I'm going with this most recent build. It's just nothing I have come across has had this much value for money, My house mates are going to teach me about overclocking over the next few days so I can avoid any silly mistakes.


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## n4t (Nov 20, 2014)

TedEH said:


> Very strongly disagree. I think you'll find that not many hold that opinion. Building is not that hard, and you get more computer for less money that way. If someone wants to build their own, there's no good reason to try to convince them not to.
> 
> Other advantages to building your own:
> - tailoring which parts you get for your own purposes
> ...


 
Hey man, It is perfectly relevant to point out that hand-building a PC, in 2014, is pointless. It will take longer and you'll spend more money (fact). And for what? For a machine that I can buy off Amazon and have delivered fully working in 2 days for $300 less made by a company with very good and lengthy track record?

If ya wanna build just because ya wanna build, well more power to ya. It can be fun and rewarding. I just don't see the point personally, and no longer enjoy it. 

I build server farms for a living. I've built literally hundreds of PCs, servers, and networks in my 21 year career. Earlier this decade I was with IBM, but now work for the DoD. I am the primary SME for over half of our critical applications. I am not without technical expertise. 

If you're going to presume to admonish me, your points should be a) relevant and b) factual. 

Ok I'm done being annoyed now. Carry on.


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## Xaios (Nov 20, 2014)

n4t said:


> It will take longer and you'll spend more money (fact). And for what? For a machine that I can buy off Amazon and have delivered fully working in 2 days for $300 less made by a company with very good and lengthy track record?



Take longer, yes. But it will only be more expensive if you're building something absolutely baseline. I bought my current rig about 3 years ago, it cost about $1,400. I priced out similar specs with various manufacturers at the time, and found that it would have cost 1.5x as much had I not built it myself.


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## TedEH (Nov 20, 2014)

n4t said:


> I just don't see the point personally, and no longer enjoy it.



That's no reason to deter others, and your resume has nothing to do with anything. A pre-built machine is not always cheaper, that's far from being fact. Maybe you live in a place where the market is different, I'll give you that.

Gaming is an area where it's more the case that pre-built machines are overpriced, so a generic workstation for audio might be less of a difference, so I think that's where a lot of the built-it-yourself value comes from.

Take alienware as a good example. Cheapest X51 desktop is around $800, but comes with some not-so-impressive choices (i3, 6gb, gtx745). $800 can get you a much better machine if you do it yourself, shop around, do the research, etc.


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## jonajon91 (Nov 20, 2014)

Not to start a fight, but where are you getting your figures from? Surely shopping round and buying each part individually for the cheapest possible price would be cheaper than getting someone else to put it all together and then sell in a shop?


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## TedEH (Nov 20, 2014)

Honestly, I just googled Alienware and used the first thing I saw. 

Alienware X51 Gaming Desktop Details | Dell Canada


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## tacotiklah (Nov 20, 2014)

Here, let me debunk that nonsense for you....



Custom spec'd pc:
Intel Core i5-4690K, MSI GeForce GTX 970, Enermax ECA3280A-BL - Ethereality - jessicametal&#39;s Saved Part List - PCPartPicker

Price = Base Total:	$1562.65	
Shipping:	$3.99	
Total:	$1566.64





Attempted to get similar specs with an Alienware build:
Alienware X51 - Hot Hardware Editor's Choice AwardAlienware X51- Computer Shopper - 
Processor:
4th Generation Intel® Core&#8482; i7-4790K Processor (Quad Core, 8MB Cache, up to 4.4GHz w/ Turbo Boost

Operating System:
Windows® 8.1, 64Bit, English

Monitors
Dell UltraSharp U2412M 24-inch Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor

Memory:
16GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600Mhz

Hard Drive
1TB SATA 6Gb/s (7,200RPM) 64MB Cache

Video Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 745 with 4GB DDR3

Optical Drive
Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (9.5mm)

Keyboard
Alienware Multi-Media Keyboard

Mouse
Alienware Standard Optical Mouse

Wireless
DW 1506 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi Wireless LAN

Slots
Memory Slots
2x 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM Slots

Ports
External Chassis Connections
Front
(2x) SuperSpeed USB 3.0
(1x) Microphone In
(1x) Headphone/Speaker Out

Rear
(1x) On-board HDMI 1.4 Output
(1x) RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet
(2x) Hi-Speed USB 3.0
(4x) SuperSpeed USB 3.0
(1x) Front Left/Right Speakers
(1x) Center Speaker
(1x) Rear Left/Right Speakers
(1x) Side Left/Right Speakers
(1x) SPDIF Digital Output (TOSLINK) (1x) SPDIF Digital Output (Coax)

Internal Chassis Connections
(3x) SATA 6.0Gb/s Ports

Price = Alienware X51
Starting Price$1,889.971
Instant Savings$120.001
Featured at$1,769.97


The only thing on the Alienware that beat my specs was the CPU, but I'd take .9Ghz less CPU power with better everything else anyday.


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## tacotiklah (Nov 20, 2014)

Tried making a similar build as to the custom one on cyberpowerpc.com
BLUETOOTH: None
CABLE: None
CAS: Cooler Master N600 w/ USB 3.0, Side Panel Window
CASUPGRADE: None
CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
CD2: None
COOLANT: Standard Coolant
CPU: Intel® Core&#8482; i5-4690K 3.5 GHz 6MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1150 (All Venom OC Certified)
CS_FAN: Default case fans
DOCKINGSTATION: None
ENGRAVING: None
FA_HDD: None
FAN: Asetek 550LC 120mm Liquid Cooling CPU Cooler - Extreme Cooling Performance (Single Standard 120MM Fan)
FLASHMEDIA: None [-3]
FREEBIE_MB: None
FREEBIE_VC1: NVIDIA Pick Your Path Coupon (The Crew, Far Cry 4 and Assassin's Creed Unity) [+0]
GLASSES: None
HDD: 2TB (2TBx1) SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Drive)
HDD2: 128GB Apotop S3C SATA-III 6.0Gb/s SSD - 510MB/s Read & 140MB/s Write [+61] (Single Drive)
HEADSET: ZALMAN ZM-HPS200 Gaming Headset
IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
KEYBOARD: CM Storm Devastator - LED Gaming Keyboard/Mouse Combo [+23] (Black Color w/ Blue Light)
MB_SRT: None
MEMORY: 16GB (8GBx2) DDR3/2133MHz Dual Channel Memory [+100] (G.SKILL Ripjaws X [+72])
MONITOR: 24" Widescreen 1920x1080 BenQ GL2460HM Glossy 2ms (GTG) D-Sub, DVI, HDMI, LED Monitor [+179] (Single Monitor)
MOPAD: None
MOTHERBOARD: ASUS Z97-PRO (Wi-Fi ac) ATX w/ Intel GbLAN, 3 PCIe x16, 4 PCIe x1, 1 x M.2, 1 x SATA Express, 6x SATA 6Gb/s (All Venom OC Certified) [+148]
MOUSE: None
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
NFC: None
OS: Microsoft® Windows 8.1 (64-bit Edition) + Office 365 FREE 30 Days Trial
OVERCLOCK: No Overclocking
POWERSUPPLY: 750 Watts - Corsair RM750 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Fully Modular Ultra Quiet Power Supply [+88]
RUSH: Standard processing time: ship within 5 to 10 Business Days
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR [3 Year Labor, 1 Year Parts] LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
VIDEO: EVGA FTW Edition NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 ACX 2.0 4GB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16 Video Card [+307] (Single Card)
PRICE: $1994

Nope, doing it yourself is still more inexpensive and you learn a valuable skill as well.


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## jonajon91 (Nov 21, 2014)

So it's here. I have the screen set up with my laptop and whoah ... I didn't think 27" was so big!
I would have set up the computer, but one of my housemates has my screwdriver and is still asleep. What do do you do?

---edit---

Ill post a few picks and stuff in here this afternoon and ill stick a NPCD thread up later. 
Thanks for all the help guys


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## hairychris (Nov 21, 2014)

*sigh*

People in the US posting prices.... Please *stop*. OP needs a UK/EU supplier otherwise import taxes, etc.

FWIW n4t is correct in most cases. If you shop about, pre-built computers are very good value now, and prices can be equivalent to BYO (historically this wasn't the case). If you want to build then that's fine, it's a pretty simple thing to do physically, and operating system installs are a piece of piss.


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## Xaios (Nov 21, 2014)

Seems like most of the people interested in this topic are North American based. @OP: You might try registering at bit-tech.net which is based in the UK, they might be able to give you more relevant advice for your pricing situation based on buying/building in the UK.


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## TedEH (Nov 21, 2014)

hairychris said:


> most cases.



I'm sure there probably is a lot of value in pre-built if you look for it, but the catch is always going to be that you have to look for it- and that same thing goes for diy. I only meant to say that building your own machine is not exclusively for enthusiasts or people who are particularly tech savvy. There's value in it for anyone who chooses to go that route, as there is also value in doing it any other way. I tend to recommend doing it from parts based on the idea that a lot of people who ask are trying to accomplish something in particular, and the parts method is a good solution for those who have specific requirements.


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## jonajon91 (Nov 21, 2014)

Just to clarify. When I said I was going to go with the third build, I meant I had gone for the third build. I got Friday delivery and it being Friday, it is here. I have spent today putting in the parts and testing. Currently installing windows 7 now, I'll post a new thread either tonight or in the morning.


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## jonajon91 (Nov 21, 2014)

Wahay, this is Jonajon91 coming at you from all 27 inches of his new computer!


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## tacotiklah (Nov 21, 2014)

27 inches?

Dat monitor is... gifted.


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## jonajon91 (Nov 21, 2014)

Silly question, but in windows with the task bar at the bottom, when I roll over an icon for a program (say chrome) I just get a little box saying what tab i'm on. How do I get it back to being the little window for the program?


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## jonajon91 (Nov 22, 2014)

I seem to have everything up and running, but the internet seems to still have problems with it. Random websites wont load at all and some websites load, but are extremely unresponsive with no images loading or any buttons not being clickable (also certain media players like vidbull or gorillavid are not working). Do you think I'm missing some drivers or something? I have updated flash and java.


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## tacotiklah (Nov 22, 2014)

I would double check anyways to make sure all audio/video/BIOS/etc. drivers are up to date, regardless of the issue. Double check to make sure that the problem isn't something to do with your modem, ISP, or router (if you use one). Time Warner is my ISP and they derp out from time to time for "scheduled maintenance" that they never informed anyone of. If all of that is kosher, then try looking at your network settings to see if there's any trouble there. Occasionally errors like DNS or name resolution come up and windows troubleshooter is usually pretty good with getting that resolved (I use win7 on this computer as well, so no worries)

After you exhaust those possibilities and you're still coming up short (pretty rare), then yeah I'd say to start investigating into seeing if your hardware is to blame.


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## jonajon91 (Nov 23, 2014)

tacotiklah said:


> I would double check anyways to make sure all audio/video/BIOS/etc. drivers are up to date, regardless of the issue.



How do I do this, i'm 90% sure I installed all the drivers, but I don't know how to check.


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## tacotiklah (Nov 23, 2014)

Since you have Win 7, I can walk you through this...
Warning: Before doing anything at all, back up your hard-drive and/or create a restore point, just in case a newer driver doesn't work well with your computer. It happens sometimes. The restore point will take you back to before you updated the driver to undo the change.

To update drivers:
1.) Find the start menu on the bottom left screen and left click on it
2.) Find where it says Computer and right-click on it
3.) Click on Properties. This should pull up basic info on your computer.
4.) On the left hand panel, click on Device Manager
5.) A list of all the drivers for all the hardware in your computer should come up. There should be little arrows next to their names. Click on the arrow.
6.) There should be a subgroup of all drivers related to that device. Right-click on them and left click on "Update Driver Software"
7.) Repeat this for the rest of the subgroup
8.) Repeat steps 5-7 for the rest of the devices.


For your motherboard/BIOS, you'll likely have to update from the mobo's manufacturer website. In your case, it would be from Intel. Just google the name of your Mobo with the phrase "driver software", and it should come up from Intel. Warning, this can also bring up fake ass websites that claim to have your driver, but actually give you viruses and logger software that steals your important info. To be safe, only get the driver from either the manufacturer or from Windows (sometimes they'll have the driver as well).

BIOS updates are a form of firmware, in which it will alter the BIOS chip using software so that it runs with the latest versions. On occasion, the CD that comes with your device has the drivers you need, but they might already be outdated. This is why I always recommend updating everything regardless.


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## boyce (Nov 24, 2014)

I want give you a site with tips for building new computer, hope it helps Guide: Errors to avoid when building a new computer


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## tacotiklah (Nov 29, 2014)

I found some PC build videos that are awesome and help show you various tips on how to successfully build your own.


For those that want an SSD for booting and a mechanical drive for large storage:



How to build a $1500 gaming tower from start to finish:


Here's another complete build vid as done by ASUS:


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## jonajon91 (Nov 29, 2014)

Dude, you are being awesome in this thread. I'm still having problems with my internet every now and then, but apart from that we're all good.


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## VBCheeseGrater (Nov 29, 2014)

N4t has some points, especially if you dont have an OS already and you want windows, but the fact that most new pc's are full of horrible bloatware (partly thanks to antitrust laws vs microsoft) is enough to keep me building my own, plus the satisfaction of the whole thing.


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## tacotiklah (Nov 29, 2014)

Well I figure that if we're gonna make this a PC build thread, then I'll add info as I find it. With all the cyber monday deals and whatnot that Amazon/Newegg/NCIX/etc are having, now is a pretty damn good time to get your parts. With my Ethereality partlist, after all the nice extra savings, I was able to bump up the 120GB SSD to a 240 and my 1TB Barracuda to a 2TB, and I also bumped up the BenQ monitor to an Asus 144hz 1920x1080 monitor and the price stayed right around where it was before the savings. I also saved some bucks by ditching the 2400Mhz RAM for 1866Mhz RAM. Oh and I added an Antec KUHLER 650 cpu liquid cooler to the build. I chose that one because it's affordable, and from what I've seen in videos, it's super easy to install. 


If anybody wants, I can post up some vids of more crazy mods and builds. I saw a $50,000 dual processor build that blew my mind a fair bit. Here:


I wouldn't recommend anyone getting a PC like this unless you're a top ranked PC gamer that also does hacking for the government on the side. 
But if you're rich and tired of wasting money on djent rigs, here's another option for spending ridiculous amounts of money.


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## jonajon91 (Nov 29, 2014)

I came across this while doing research (pun not intended), PCmag went all out making the most powerful computer they could, I wont ruin the whole video, but it has four nvidia titan graphics cards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt_Sz_srw80

---edit---

If someone would like to embed that, it would be nice.


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## tacotiklah (Nov 29, 2014)

jonajon91 said:


> I came across this while doing research (pun not intended), PCmag went all out making the most powerful computer they could, I wont ruin the whole video, but it has four nvidia titan graphics cards.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




FTFY.


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## cbower (Nov 29, 2014)

Check out ADK. They build custom audio computers for good price and excellent support. I had one built last year and it is just a monster. All the power and speed I need and more. Plenty of room for more memory if I ever need it. So far I never worry about resources. I run Studio One pro, quite a lot of samples and virtual instruments and plugins. Any questions I'd be happy to help.


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## tacotiklah (Nov 30, 2014)

Sounds good, but in here we build our own!  
Because masculinity. Or something.


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## myrtorp (Dec 3, 2014)

I am building a new gaming rig with the help of my brother, I could post some pics when its assembled, lets get this PC build thread going


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## tacotiklah (Dec 3, 2014)

So after spending a few days on youtube, I've come to the conclusion that by watching all the videos on the NCIX, techquickie, and linustechtips channels, you can skip entire semesters of a computer science degree, and do so in a way that's both funny and entertaining. Only downside is at the end of each video, Linus has to shill a product from a sponsor. You can skip those though.

But pretty much any and everything you could ever wanna know about computers, components, and electronics in general, you can learn about from those channels. Audio and video quality is awesome, and I've been learning a lot. I've had A+ certification training and even I didn't realize how outdated most of my knowledge was (I was trained back when XP had just come out back in 2001  ).

So yeah, visit those channels if you want help picking out components for your build, or even just how to put it all together. 
(Note, I'm not in any way affiliated with Linus or his channels, just a huge fan)


Check some of these out:


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## Don Vito (Dec 4, 2014)

n4t said:


> Really shouldn't be building a computer unless you are a hobbyist. I've been in IT for 20 years and building your own computer is become pointless. Computers are commodities. You'll spend more and have more stress building your own.
> 
> I've built my own machines since forever. No more. I just picked up an Asus desktop for $1100 from amazon. 16 GB of RAM, 3GB video card, quad core (don't recall the specs just now), and a ridiculous amount of disk. This thing absolutely smokes. I have Reaper and EZdrummer running with Mass Effect 3 on pause while browsing youtube videos. I'd have to start running burn-in tools on top of that to stress this beast.
> 
> ...


I'm taking the fall here, but I don't think you're entirely wrong. I just found an Asus desktop for $950 that has equal, if not better specs to some $1000+ custom build I've been slowly putting together. I'm still going to finish it because I've invested too much money at this point, but I might be picking up one of those pre made towers for a quick replacement to my dying laptop 

The situation might be different if I was more interested in running some of the current AAA titles, like the GTA V remake. 

Congrats on your build OP.

edit: Replacement to my Dying Laptop should totally be a Nintendo-core band.


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## tacotiklah (Dec 8, 2014)

The Ethereality build begins! 

Just ordered this today...
Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-03 Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Gaming Case - Newegg.com

I plan to replace the white fans with blue Cooler Master ones. I'm gonna order more parts when my school money comes in. But for now, I can admire the sexiness of the case. I should be able to get the rest of the parts for the build all at once, but if not, then my next target is the motherboard and/or the PSU.


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## Spinedriver (Dec 9, 2014)

tacotiklah said:


> The Ethereality build begins!
> 
> Just ordered this today...
> Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-03 Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Gaming Case - Newegg.com
> ...



You should get one of these to go with it... 







Motherboard - SABERTOOTH Z87 - ASUS

I got one last year and put an i5-4670K in it and it works like a charm.


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## tacotiklah (Dec 11, 2014)

That's a nice motherboard, but almost twice what my budget for one is. For the same price I can get an ASUS Z97 PRO WiFi(ac) board. Built in wireless is always nice. I wanted a board like that very badly, but like with a couple other pieces of my build, I sacrificed so that I could invest into getting the best for bang for buck graphics card. Still torn between the R9 290 and the GTX970. Both are damn good. The 290 is cheaper, but the 970 runs cooler and uses less power. Hmm...

Also, my aunt slipped me a $20 bill for helping her out with errands, so between what I already had and this, I managed to order this sexy thing:
CM Storm Devastator - LED Gaming Keyboard &#38; Mouse Combo &#40;Blue LED Model&#41; - Newegg.com

I even ordered some PS/2 - USB adapters so that I can use it now on my laptop while I work on the rest of the build.


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## Necris (Dec 15, 2014)

So, I've never had a dedicated GPU in any computer I've ever used, including my own pc right now, for the past few years I've just been using the Intel HD Graphics on my i7-3770k. I built my computer mainly for recording so it hasn't been an issue so far. 

I'm thinking about finally adding a card though, since there are some games coming out next year that interest me. Would a Nvidia Gtx760 be a good choice? I was thinking about going with the EVGA offering. I may end up needing to get a new power supply to run everything if I do buy it (Currently 500w in my system, it's about 3 years old too). I'm currently running a single 1920x1080 monitor but am hoping to pick up a 2560x1440 monitor in the near future as well to run a dual monitor set up, so if there is card that is offers better performance for 2560x1440* monitors without also costing many times more than the 760 I'm open to hearing it.

*I'd probably remove the 1920x1080 for video games, but maybe not.


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## hairychris (Dec 15, 2014)

tacotiklah said:


> So after spending a few days on youtube, I've come to the conclusion that by watching all the videos on the NCIX, techquickie, and linustechtips channels, you can skip entire semesters of a computer science degree, and do so in a way that's both funny and entertaining. Only downside is at the end of each video, Linus has to shill a product from a sponsor. You can skip those though.
> 
> But pretty much any and everything you could ever wanna know about computers, components, and electronics in general, you can learn about from those channels. Audio and video quality is awesome, and I've been learning a lot. I've had A+ certification training and even I didn't realize how outdated most of my knowledge was (I was trained back when XP had just come out back in 2001  ).
> 
> ...



As a computer science graduate who got his qualification 20 years ago you're half right, but compsci is nothing to do with building PCs whereas a support qualification like A+ is...

Things do go outdated (like languages, GUIs, stuff relating to specific hardware) but most of the fundamentals are identical today.

Admittedly, outside a hardcore dev environment half of what I know is irrelevant but there you go!


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## Choop (Dec 15, 2014)

Necris said:


> So, I've never had a dedicated GPU in any computer I've ever used, including my own pc right now, for the past few years I've just been using the Intel HD Graphics on my i7-3770k. I built my computer mainly for recording so it hasn't been an issue so far.
> 
> I'm thinking about finally adding a card though, since there are some games coming out next year that interest me. Would a Nvidia Gtx760 be a good choice? I was thinking about going with the EVGA offering. I may end up needing to get a new power supply to run everything if I do buy it (Currently 500w in my system, it's about 3 years old too). I'm currently running a single 1920x1080 monitor but am hoping to pick up a 2560x1440 monitor in the near future as well to run a dual monitor set up, so if there is card that is offers better performance for 2560x1440* monitors without also costing many times more than the 760 I'm open to hearing it.
> 
> *I'd probably remove the 1920x1080 for video games, but maybe not.



The gtx 960 is about to be released early into next year and would be much stronger than the 760, while probably being a much better bargain in the end IMO. I think it's supposed to launch at around $250, but in order to get one you may also need to upgrade your PSU. The 960 would be my recommendation though, since it'd likely outperform the 760 by a fair amount while also having more vram and other nice extra features.


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## tacotiklah (Dec 16, 2014)

Well I was all primed to nab a high end GPU as part of my build, when a friend hits me up out of nowhere and tells me she's going to send me her old Sapphire R9 270 Vapor-X. So I decided that I'll just buy a second one of those cards and run them in crossfire. Probably not as amazing of a setup as a new GTX 970, but I'm willing to bet that I'll still kick plenty of butt with two of those running, and it will only cost me half the price. My two concerns there though are the extra heat and the extra power needed.

I think I should be okay if I buy some extra fans and maybe a fan controller for them. Thoughts?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Dec 17, 2014)

If you plan on Crossfiring, you will need a good bit of power. Probably a 750w+ power supply. If you don't mind spending the extra dough, Seasonic seems to be the best in the biz. I'm currently using the 620W version of that and it does the job perfectly. Been running my PC since August and I've yet to have problems. 

And I'd imagine if you used a fan in every slot, you'll get a decent amount of cooling. The two top ones and the rear one as exhaust, and the bottom and 2 front fans as intake. I'm currently running a setup like that (except with a side fan as an intake instead of a bottom fan) and I've yet to have overheating problems. If you can afford them, and can stand how butt-ugly they look, Noctua fans get all the praise. Theres their standard 120mm, and these extremely high air flow ones that are currently on sale. Since I'm cheap, I went for these Rosewill case fans for me and my brother's rig. They can be a bit noisy, especially on the side panel vent, but they're VERY powerful, even stronger than the stock NZXT fans in my case.

As for fan controllers, mine didn't need one since my NZXT Phantom 410 already has an onboard fan controller. On the other hand, my brother's Corsair C70 didn't, so I got this one of these for him, and it does the job perfectly. It's not super-flashy and doesn't have any onboard thermometors or a touch screen, but it has different LED options.  It's affordable, solid, and lets you run even more fans in your rig, as well as control all of them, so that's all that matters to me.


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## tacotiklah (Dec 18, 2014)

Here's what I'm thinking in terms of keeping everything nice and chilled out:

CPU cooler:
RL-G24L-24PK-R1 Cooler Master CM Glacer 240L Expandable Water Liquid CPU Cooling System 240mm Copper Radiator Dual 120mm Fans- Directron

I opted to spend more for this since:
1.) I plan to overclock the holy hell out of the Devil's Canyon (i5-4690k). Probably to try and get it up to about 4.5Ghz or so.
2.) This particular kit allows you to change the tubing and fluid if you so choose. Probably gonna nab some clear tubing and quality colored fluid.
3.) It has a very nice rad and two 120mm fans that I can mount on the top of my Corsair Carbide SPEC-03 case (case already purchased)

For case fans:
1.) I have one white LED 120mm fan mounted in the front, which I plan to move to the rear as a means of helping to move heat out the back and let the white contrast all that blue and black in the build.

2.) I'm nabbing this 3 pack of Apevia fans...
APEVIA CF312SL-UBL 120mm UV Blue LED Cooling Fan 3 in 1 pack - Newegg.com

Cool looking, and I plan to mount two in the front to suck in cool air, and the other one on the bottom of the case to push cool air up towards the graphics cards. I'm still trying to decide if I should get a fan controller or a simple splitter to power everything. I probably should opt for static pressure fans for the bottom of the case, but I'm a cheap bastard. Corsair SP120s are kinda pricey compared to other fans available.

3.) I don't see much of a need to use fans to try and cool off my drives since I'm likely to only nab 1 SSD and 1 mechanical drive. I miiiigggggght consider getting a second SSD so that I can run both SSDs in Raid 0 for even more read/write speed, but that would be down the road. I'm taking into consideration what I would need immediately to get a school/music/gaming rig up to speed. 


I bumped up the PSU in my part list once I found out that I was supposed to get this graphics card. Here's what I was thinking
RAIDMAX RX-850AE 850W ATX12V v2.3 &#47; EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Raidmax RX-850AE Power Supply - Newegg.com

Not sure what people think of raidmax, but I like that it's semi-modular and 80+ Gold certified, so I know it will be efficient with the power. I'm just worried that 850w might be overkill for this rig. If so, then I'll revert back to the 750w corsair PSU that I had in the part list earlier.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 25, 2014)

Ordered the First 3 parts for my build: Gigabyte R9 290, Kingston SSD, and Windows 8.
Intel Core i5-4460, Gigabyte Radeon R9 290, NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) - Tau&#39;s Build Rev III - Tausigmanova&#39;s Saved Part List - PCPartPicker 

Should i wait for the prices on the processor and some other stuff to go down or act now?


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## tacotiklah (Dec 25, 2014)

Windforce cards are legit! That's a very good build. Generally, I'd say to try and buy the case, motherboard, cpu, and psu first, just so that you can get a good start in putting it together. I'd also highly recommend getting an aftermarket cpu cooler, like the cooler master Hyper 212 Evo, even if you're not overclocking. Heat is the enemy of your build, and I see it as investing in the longevity of your rig.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 25, 2014)

tacotiklah said:


> Windforce cards are legit! That's a very good build. Generally, I'd say to try and buy the case, motherboard, cpu, and psu first, just so that you can get a good start in putting it together. I'd also highly recommend getting an aftermarket cpu cooler, like the cooler master Hyper 212 Evo, even if you're not overclocking. Heat is the enemy of your build, and I see it as investing in the longevity of your rig.



What's the deal with Rebates? Seems like a lot of printing and waiting for nothing to happen... :/ I'm thinking about getting the rest of the parts from New Egg but without the Rebates the price will be like 900 rather than 850.


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## tacotiklah (Dec 25, 2014)

TauSigmaNova said:


> What's the deal with Rebates? Seems like a lot of printing and waiting for nothing to happen... :/ I'm thinking about getting the rest of the parts from New Egg but without the Rebates the price will be like 900 rather than 850.



They're a pain in the ass, but if you don't mind jumping through hoops to save cash, they can be handy. When making a build, I always say to go by the pre-rebate price because usually most people don't wanna bother.

Also, for those PC builders out there that are looking for hot deals, a 1TB Western Digital Blue 7200 SATA III HDD is going for $53:
Western Digital WD Blue Hard Drive 1TB WD10EZEX 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" | Internal Hard Drive - Newegg.com

Seagate and WD make the best mechanical drives, so great reliability for just $53. Definitely the time to jump on it if you've been waiting on a good deal for a mechanical drive.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 25, 2014)

That'll save me a dollar or two over the barracuda 1Tb. Why not.


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## tacotiklah (Dec 25, 2014)

The WD is a better drive than the Seagate. Both are good, but go with WD whenever you can.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 25, 2014)

Oh yeah, should I wait out a week and see if the price on the rest of the components drops or just go with it?


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## tacotiklah (Dec 25, 2014)

Nab the drive now if you can. Processor seems to be holding steady in price, so it's up to you. The real things to nab since they're at their cheapest thus far are the storage drives and the RAM.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 25, 2014)

Holy shit, should I get this instead??Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more - Newegg.com


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## tacotiklah (Dec 25, 2014)

TauSigmaNova said:


> Holy shit, should I get this instead??Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more - Newegg.com



You could, but I find it a little weird to get a motherboard that allows overclocking, but with a locked processor. Still it's a good deal, so you can always upgrade the processor later.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 25, 2014)

tacotiklah said:


> You could, but I find it a little weird to get a motherboard that allows overclocking, but with a locked processor. Still it's a good deal, so you can always upgrade the processor later.



It just seems like a good way to save right now. I don't plan on messing with over clocking. Might shrink PSU to save cost since the build only needs 430-450 and I have a 600 on the build. Would really like to save cash since as a teenager with no job im not swimming in it.


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## tacotiklah (Dec 25, 2014)

Yeah buying combos are a great way to go. Btw, do you have a set preference for Intel processors? I see AMD combos on newegg all the time where you can basically get the entire computer for like $600.


Shit, I just saw this. I'd pull the trigger on it in a heartbeat and buy a different case for it:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1543910


Here's some more good deals for "kits":
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1739933

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1727886


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 25, 2014)

tacotiklah said:


> Yeah buying combos are a great way to go. Btw, do you have a set preference for Intel processors? I see AMD combos on newegg all the time where you can basically get the entire computer for like $600.



Yeah, I have an unwarranted preference for Intel. I hear mixed opinions on AMD processors but funny enough I also like their graphics cards more than Nvidia because I'm more used to them.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 25, 2014)

Also, question: can I also take out the HDD from my current PC and stick it in the new one to transfer files? Will it be problematic since it has an OS on it?


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 25, 2014)

EVGA 100-W1-500-KR 500W ATX12V &#47; EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC EVGA 100-W1-0500-KR 3 Year Warranty Power Supply Intel 4th Gen CPU Ready - Newegg.com this good? About to order.


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## tacotiklah (Dec 25, 2014)

Stick with the 600 watt one. You don't want your power supply running at max all the time. You want to be using anywhere from 50-80 of its max capacity, even while under load.

So a 600w is the least that I'd recommend running, or you risk not having enough power for your system. Keep in mind that if you cheap out on the PSU, you risk killing off your other components too.


Also, nope. You'd have to reformat the drive for the new system. Once you format a hard drive, it's basically tied to that system.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 25, 2014)

:/ wouldve though an extra 50-60 watt headroom would be enough.

E:How about 535? 

It says 428 Watts expected so that's from 70-100 watts extra space there.


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## tacotiklah (Dec 25, 2014)

600 watts is still the lowest I would go on your build. I'd probably go with this:
CORSAIR CX series CX600 600W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Newegg.com


The power supply is literally THE worst thing to cheap out on in a build. I'd consider going with an i5 over an i7 long before I'd skimp on a PSU.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 25, 2014)

tacotiklah said:


> 600 watts is still the lowest I would go on your build. I'd probably go with this:
> CORSAIR CX series CX600 600W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Newegg.com




This was the one I originally had but was really looking to save. But I guess if it's really that important I guess I'll take it and just fill in rebates.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 25, 2014)

Aaaaand... Ordered! 
Intel Core i5-4590, Gigabyte Radeon R9 290, NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) - Tau&#39;s Build FINAL PURCHASED - Tausigmanova&#39;s Saved Part List - PCPartPicker

Before Rebates: 865.41. I have 55 dollars worth of MiRs to send in that I really hope work. My dad covered me for 400 so I'm out 470 of my 600 birthday money. At least I'll have a killer PC!


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## tacotiklah (Dec 25, 2014)

Most excellent sub-1k PC build. 
I've been trying to see if I can compress my build list into sub 1k, but I'm just too picky with parts and have to have an unlocked processor. 


Edit: And you are most welcome with the help. Seriously, even just for some lulz, check out linustechtips and jayztwocents on youtube. They show you how to build, and they're actually kinda funny too.


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## MFB (Dec 25, 2014)

Quick question on RAM since this is the "I'm building/mod ding a PC" thread; I just ordered 16GB for my PC so it'll be much faster now, is it just plug and play or is there any specifics for installation? When I did my last build I had someone assemble it for me so I'm not quite sure about those bits of it. Matching parts and whatnot? Sure. The actual building of it? No clue.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 25, 2014)

Not the most reliable source but I'm pretty sure you just stick it in and it should work, no?

Edie|


tacotiklah said:


> Most excellent sub-1k PC build.


yay. big thanks to manirelli and his 800 dollar build which I base this off of  Might add a second SSD or more RAM for Reaper performance down the road.


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## Choop (Dec 26, 2014)

MFB said:


> Quick question on RAM since this is the "I'm building/mod ding a PC" thread; I just ordered 16GB for my PC so it'll be much faster now, is it just plug and play or is there any specifics for installation? When I did my last build I had someone assemble it for me so I'm not quite sure about those bits of it. Matching parts and whatnot? Sure. The actual building of it? No clue.



No specifics, just jam the new sticks in and you should be good to go! It may not feel apparent that your computer will be "faster" though since there are a lot of factors that contribute to computer speed/power, but it's definitely nice to have more (and faster) ram when doing tasks that really hog it like recording, editing, working with big adobe suite projects, etc.


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## tacotiklah (Dec 26, 2014)

MFB said:


> Quick question on RAM since this is the "I'm building/mod ding a PC" thread; I just ordered 16GB for my PC so it'll be much faster now, is it just plug and play or is there any specifics for installation? When I did my last build I had someone assemble it for me so I'm not quite sure about those bits of it. Matching parts and whatnot? Sure. The actual building of it? No clue.



For the actual installation of it, it's more or less you just pop it in there. However, for the best optimization, consult your motherboard. Some motherboards are dual, triple, or quad channel. Most modern consumer ones are dual channel. In which case, I'd recommend buying dual channel kits (two sticks of RAM that are optimized for each other), then put them in the appropriate RAM slots as according to your motherboard manual. Some have them sitting next to each other per channel, other motherboards have it to where every other RAM slot per channel.


Watch for more info:


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## GoldDragon (Dec 26, 2014)

MFB said:


> Quick question on RAM since this is the "I'm building/mod ding a PC" thread; I just ordered 16GB for my PC so it'll be much faster now, is it just plug and play or is there any specifics for installation? When I did my last build I had someone assemble it for me so I'm not quite sure about those bits of it. Matching parts and whatnot? Sure. The actual building of it? No clue.



There are usually 2 memory channels and four slots. If it is 2x8gb sticks, you want to make sure each stick is on a different channel. The slots are color coded. I believe you want to put one stick in each color (probably not next to each other.)


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## MFB (Dec 26, 2014)

Yeah, I went with dual 8GB sticks instead of four 4GB sticks just because usually it's more common to see it that way; and figured my MOBO would be the same way. I'll take my current RAM out and plug them into the old slots.

Would it be possible to also use those 8GB in conjunction with my new 16GB just in different channels? Anything to cut down my render times


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## tacotiklah (Dec 26, 2014)

MFB said:


> Yeah, I went with dual 8GB sticks instead of four 4GB sticks just because usually it's more common to see it that way; and figured my MOBO would be the same way. I'll take my current RAM out and plug them into the old slots.
> 
> Would it be possible to also use those 8GB in conjunction with my new 16GB just in different channels? Anything to cut down my render times



As long as the old 8GB sticks are validated to run dual channel with each other and you have enough slots, then go for it.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 26, 2014)

```
Just realized my old ass monitor only has a VGA output and the card has DVI/HDMI. Should I just get an adapter on amazon?
```
 NVM, monitor has DVI. Phew. The R9 290 is a DVI-D and my monitor has the 24pins+a plus sign with 4 pins around it. DVI-D to DVI-D should work, yes?


Also, if I take my HDD from my current PC and sell the PC, can I ever get stuff off of it even if it has an OS on it and everything?


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## tacotiklah (Dec 28, 2014)

VGA and HDMI are not ideal for gaming, since VGA is just antiquated and HDMI caps you at 30fps.

I'd say to go with DVI for now, and look into upgrading your monitor in the not so distant future. Entirely up to you and your budget of course, but I'd find it kinda crappy if I paid a lot of money for a nice new rig, and had something like a monitor hold me back. DVI will work fine of course, but the best results come from monitors that use the displayport connectors.

HDMI is great for movies though.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 28, 2014)

Yeah, got a cheap DVI-D cable on Amazon and it'll probably be the last part to arrive. The Newegg order should be in tomorrow but I haven't even gotten a tracking no. from NCIX. 

How about the HDD ordeal? 

Either way, all too excited to start the build. My current PC crashed on my 5 times today/ Tried reseating the RAM and putting it into different slots and it still shows up as 4GB anyway


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## tacotiklah (Dec 28, 2014)

TauSigmaNova said:


> Yeah, got a cheap DVI-D cable on Amazon and it'll probably be the last part to arrive. The Newegg order should be in tomorrow but I haven't even gotten a tracking no. from NCIX.
> 
> How about the HDD ordeal?
> 
> Either way, all too excited to start the build. My current PC crashed on my 5 times today/ Tried reseating the RAM and putting it into different slots and it still shows up as 4GB anyway



RAM is kinda finicky like that. When you buy RAM kits for channels, they're just sticks of RAM, but they're sticks that have been tested and proven to work well with each other. If you haphazardly buy RAM sticks, they might not work with each other and might now show up.


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## GoldDragon (Dec 28, 2014)

TauSigmaNova said:


> Aaaaand... Ordered!
> Intel Core i5-4590, Gigabyte Radeon R9 290, NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) - Tau's Build FINAL PURCHASED - Tausigmanova's Saved Part List - PCPartPicker
> 
> Before Rebates: 865.41. I have 55 dollars worth of MiRs to send in that I really hope work. My dad covered me for 400 so I'm out 470 of my 600 birthday money. At least I'll have a killer PC!



If you haven't started the build, you should consider returning for a Z97 mobo. The Z87 boards have high dpc latency which will impact the computer's use as a DAW.

The i5 is as good as the i7 for gaming, but again, if you can muster a little more cash, you can get twice the daw performance for about $100 more.

You can remove your old hard drive and connect it to your new machine to copy over files. Make sure it is no the boot device. You can put it back in the old machine after copying.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 28, 2014)

Im selling the old PC after I set the new one up and I'll just keep the second drive in there as a spare or remove it and keep it somewhere afterwards. And 100 more dollars would already exhaust 100% of the cash that I have and provide little benefit in general and I'm not a heavy user in my DAW. A few VSTS here or there - not a giant setup by any means. I was originally gonna have a Z97 but I couldnt pass off the deal. MSI claims their board has less latency than others but I don't know how true that is.

@Taco - The RAM came with the PC, it's some no name Nanya Tech crap that Dell just put in most likely as the cheapest they could find. They used to show up fine but just stopped. Whatever. I'm not using this for much longer so it's not worth fretting over.


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## tacotiklah (Dec 29, 2014)

Yeah fair enough. Not to sound like a snob, but you'd have more luck with aftermarket RAM anyways. Some of the prebuilt computers I've seen overcharge you by a lot for some pretty substandard parts.

You can save yourself hundreds of dollars by getting good parts for cheap and building it yourself. It's one of the easiest things in the world to do, but people get lazy and end up paying a lot of extra money for terribad pre-built computers.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 29, 2014)

Yeah, which is why I'm building my own this time  I find it to be something that should be really interesting to do anyway.
Also of note is that the 6670 in my PC has no brand name anyway. At least the HDD is a Seagate though it /is/ supposedly failing or something yet it still seems to be working fine aside from the error during startup. [Some Port 0 SATA error which makes me go to BIOS and leave it to start into Windows]


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 29, 2014)

Newegg ordered arrived, NCIX hasn't even shipped out... >.<


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## tacotiklah (Dec 29, 2014)

Oh yeah! 

You'll definitely love your computer once you put it all together.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 29, 2014)

Being as impatient as I am, I started already. Did everything except the GPU, SSD, and OS since I don't have them yet. 
Two questions: 
1. I see connector for sysfan (3 pin) but they connect to Molex so I plugged them into Molex supplies from the PSU. Should I have connected them to the mobo instead? I'm not sure if they're both long enough to reach.
2. There's a system audio connector but I'm not sure what it's for and I just plugged in the microphone and headphone in into the connector with the power button and LEDs and all.

How'd I do so far? Will probably do addtl cable management when finished.
Imgur Album!


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## tacotiklah (Dec 30, 2014)

TauSigmaNova said:


> Being as impatient as I am, I started already. Did everything except the GPU, SSD, and OS since I don't have them yet.
> Two questions:
> 1. I see connector for sysfan (3 pin) but they connect to Molex so I plugged them into Molex supplies from the PSU. Should I have connected them to the mobo instead? I'm not sure if they're both long enough to reach.
> 2. There's a system audio connector but I'm not sure what it's for and I just plugged in the microphone and headphone in into the connector with the power button and LEDs and all.
> ...






That should answer all of your question on how to do this from start to finish.


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## TauSigmaNova (Dec 30, 2014)

Happy news: It's alive. Plugged it into BIOS and it worked(aside from a single system fan which I'll fix when I receive my NCIX order on Friday) - HDMI worked, CPU and RAM showed up, everything worked. Super excited to get it up and running completely.




IDK why the eff the pictures came out so bad but it shows 8192 MB RAM and my i5-4590 @ 3.3


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## jonajon91 (Dec 30, 2014)

I fixed my blue screen issue. Turns out Windows Professional caps at 16GB of RAM and I had 24 sat in my tower. Since I removed the third stick I have not seen one blue screen once, I guess Ill just hang on to this spare stick until I upgrade my OS to windows 10 or whatever or I can just sell it, i'm not sure.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 1, 2015)

I'm sitting here and thinking : as old and underpowered as it is, the 6670 in my current PC really is still a hard worker. Looking back, most of the games i threw at it-it handled pretty decently. All the games that came out that her? 30+ fps on highest settings. Crysis 2? Highest settings 30fps. Other games that I played? DXHR? Battlefield? ME3? They all ran just fine. I'm even sitting here playing BF4 on medium with constant FPS. All this from a lousy slow low-end GPU.


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## tacotiklah (Jan 2, 2015)

It's amazing what having a separate discreet GPU can do for a computer in terms of gaming.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 2, 2015)

Yeah, even if its a weak old card  . Goes to show. Anyway, today's the day. Package is out for delivery w UPS and scheduled for delivery later today.


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## MFB (Jan 2, 2015)

Woo, my RAM showed up today. Now I can finally have a quieter, smoother running PC.


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## tacotiklah (Jan 2, 2015)

Now, I already bought my case and all, but I just saw this combo and realized what a better deal it is right out of the box...
Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more - Newegg.com
Suddenly a white/blue build seems more tempting.

Curse this waiting for the money, it's making me second guess everything.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 2, 2015)

That's a nice case. Two 270s in crossfire would slay, too. 

Installing windows as we speak D


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 2, 2015)

It's alive.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 2, 2015)

Scratch that. Transferring files from my old drive. The wireless adapter I bought utterly sucks. What's the best one I can get for under 25-30 ish? USB or PCI doesn't matter, just looking for most stable and speedy adapter I can find.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 3, 2015)

Not quite sure what to think. I booted up Battlefield 4 and it runs beautiful - 1080p ultra, no motion blur (i hatemoblur) and i got 75+fps with mantle for the most part. It runs crazy good and OC Guru was only showing 71 degrees on the card but then half the game n my computer crashes and I have to actually turn off the switch on the back of the PSU and turn it back on before I can restart it. What the hell happened here?


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## VBCheeseGrater (Jan 3, 2015)

TauSigmaNova said:


> Also, question: can I also take out the HDD from my current PC and stick it in the new one to transfer files? Will it be problematic since it has an OS on it?



Sure you can do that. Once your new pc is all set up and OS is loaded, hookup your old drive. It will show up as another drive in windows....then just go in and copy what you need over and remove it when done (or leave in as storage)


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## Chokey Chicken (Jan 3, 2015)

TauSigmaNova said:


> Not quite sure what to think. I booted up Battlefield 4 and it runs beautiful - 1080p ultra, no motion blur (i hatemoblur) and i got 75+fps with mantle for the most part. It runs crazy good and OC Guru was only showing 71 degrees on the card but then half the game n my computer crashes and I have to actually turn off the switch on the back of the PSU and turn it back on before I can restart it. What the hell happened here?



71 degrees is pretty hot, considering the readings are typically in celsius, which would be ~160 to 170. I recently, as in a week ago, had to swap out my processor because it froze the computer after reaching 70 degrees. Now my temp looms around 38-40 degrees under heavy use. Apparently the 9590 is super good at generating heat and needs more cooling than I had.

may want to check what your cpu temp is. If it's anywhere near 70, that's likely the issue. I also didn't experience frame drops before it froze, so good frames doesn't exactly mean you're all clear.

Edit: worth mentioning, this is my first time in the thread so I don't even know your specs. Intel processors, if you have one, can handle higher temps I believe. Still, it sounds like a heating issue, as it's exactly what I just went through. May be caused by anything from inadequate heat sink, water not pumping, or even a lack of/inappropriately applied thermal paste. If anything is overclocked, it might be worth dialing it back. It'd be best to find out what temps each part is comfy with (graphics and cpu being the main culprits) and see what they're actually hitting.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 3, 2015)

Going about normal use I'm currently hitting: 40-42C on the CPU, GPU at 36. Specs are above or otherwise I'll write em out here: MSI Z87M Gaming MOBO, i5-4590, Gigabyte Windforce R9 290, 8GB DDR-1600, Kingston SSD, and a WD 1TB Caviar Blue


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 3, 2015)

Ouch! Just playing for a minute or two and my processor spiked a few times in the 80s and 90s. Why the hell is it getting so hot?


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 3, 2015)

Resat the Heat sink. Running BF4 at 50-55 FPS

Most I hit was at 56 and the GPU ran in the 50s too, and I'm running Ultra at 1680x1050 or w/e since my normal monitor's reso is 1050.


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## tacotiklah (Jan 3, 2015)

90c is actually the temperature where you'd wanna start being concerned about how hot your CPU is getting. 70c is actually pretty good for it. That said, seriously consider spending an extra $15-50 for either an aftermarket air cooler/all in one liquid cooler and some better thermal paste. I would not recommend just going with the stock cooler that comes with the processor if you're maxing out settings on AAA titles; it will just get too hot. Intel processors are better than AMD processors when it comes to heat output (AMD processors are just flamethrowers for the most part), but if you're running your CPU and GPU hard, it's going to generate a lot of heat in that case in a hurry. You're gonna need some fans and/or some coolers to keep things managed even while under load.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 3, 2015)

Yeah. I fixed the thing and it's more like 50 something ish now so I'll hold off for now, but if it starts getting high again down the road I'll definitely change coolers. I'll be keeping a close eye on temperatures for a while, especially while I play.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 3, 2015)

Temperatures havent gone up beyond 58-62 on either CPU or GPU... So why has it crashed two more times?


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 3, 2015)

http://puu.sh/e1HAH/08d6af66e8.png
http://puu.sh/e1Hp7/39edff504b.png

What's with the weird temperature listings on the motherboard compared to everything else?


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## tacotiklah (Jan 3, 2015)

Download this so you can keep a better eye on what your CPU is doing:
http://cpu-z.en.softonic.com/

Also, it's always recommended that you do stress tests on your CPU and GPU for 24 hours before playing games just to make sure that you didn't get some bad bins (as CPU and GPUs are kinda part of the "silicon lottery" and therefore hard to have perfect QC).


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 3, 2015)

Download what?


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## Chokey Chicken (Jan 3, 2015)

Yeah, for Intel those temps are fine. It's amd that has issues with 70 degree temps. I'm not positive what your issues are though since it's not heat. There could be lots wrong but I can't personally troubleshoot. Hell, it might even just be a bad stick of ram. If the gpu is finicky you'd usually see frame drops before it just shits out. Ram, cpu, and even the power supply can all lead to "random" crashes. (As can other hardware like a bum HDD, though it appears to only happen when under heavier stress.)

I'm not the most savvy here so I can't offer much advice. I just felt like tossing in my heat issues as a possibility since I literally just went through that. Hope it works out for you and I'll keep my eyes on this thread for educational purposes.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 3, 2015)

Oh, I have CPU-Z. Anything in particular I should be looking out for?


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## tacotiklah (Jan 3, 2015)

Well I know different programs check your temperatures differently, so I was just throwing out another one to download to double check the temps.

Weird that it would spike like that. linustechtips.com is a cool forum that can help you out with that issue if it keeps happening.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 3, 2015)

Thanks. I threw down a post on TomsHardware and on PCPartPicker but I don't mind throwing down another one on Linus' site too. Will do that now.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 3, 2015)

I got a suggestion saying that the Corsair CX is a bad PSU and that's likely the problem? What do you guys think? I'd hate to have to go and start RMAing parts because I know I'll have to wait forever and I'll lose money on shipping and more expensive units.


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## tacotiklah (Jan 3, 2015)

TauSigmaNova said:


> I got a suggestion saying that the Corsair CX is a bad PSU and that's likely the problem? What do you guys think? I'd hate to have to go and start RMAing parts because I know I'll have to wait forever and I'll lose money on shipping and more expensive units.



It might just be that you don't have a powerful enough PSU. You might have to RMA it for a 750 watter.


Linus tackles this issue in this video:




Unrelated, but I'm really liking this CPU cooler. Not very many reviews on it, so I'm still doing a wait and see, but this would look sick as hell in my build. 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=2YM-0002-00003


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 3, 2015)

I'm online reading a lot of people saying that the CX series just aren't that good. I have trouble believing a 600W PSU can't handle a 430W build to be honest.


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## tacotiklah (Jan 3, 2015)

Weird. Perhaps that series is flawed, but I know that corsair is usually THE brand of PSU to get. Maybe see about RMAing the bad one for the HX series:
Refurbished: CORSAIR HX series HX650 650W ATX12V v2.2 &#47; EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Newegg.com


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## Chokey Chicken (Jan 3, 2015)

Some power supplies really just suck. My wife had a bummy one in an old Alienware. It liked to just bsod for a split second and shut off, just shut off, or randomly reboot. Not sure why we tried a new psu, but it worked. It may be worth swapping it out anyway since it's got bad reviews. Even if it's not the current culprit, it'll probably give grief somewhere down the line.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 3, 2015)

Considering this for now. I'll try out a few other programs aside from BF4 first to make sure it's definitely a PSU issue. Will probably replace it anyway. Sucks I'll have to go without a computer for a while . :/

Rosewill CAPSTONE Series CAPSTONE-550 550W Continuous @ 50°C, 80 PLUS GOLD Certified, Single +12V Rail, ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92, SLI Ready, CrossFire Ready, Active - PFC Power Supply - Retail - Newegg.com

Just thinking out loud... It wouldn't be the fact I'm using Mantle over DX11 for BF4 that is causing it to crash?


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## tacotiklah (Jan 3, 2015)

TauSigmaNova said:


> Considering this for now. I'll try out a few other programs aside from BF4 first to make sure it's definitely a PSU issue. Will probably replace it anyway. Sucks I'll have to go without a computer for a while . :/
> 
> Rosewill CAPSTONE Series CAPSTONE-550 550W Continuous @ 50°C, 80 PLUS GOLD Certified, Single +12V Rail, ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92, SLI Ready, CrossFire Ready, Active - PFC Power Supply - Retail - Newegg.com
> 
> Just thinking out loud... It wouldn't be the fact I'm using Mantle over DX11 for BF4 that is causing it to crash?



It shouldn't be, but I would try it with DX11 just to be safe.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 3, 2015)

Tried with DX11 and still even had good FPS and then it crashed and I even heard a click and had to wait a minute to turn it back on. Returning ASAP. Thoughts on the Rosewill one?


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## tacotiklah (Jan 4, 2015)

Oh yeah, that definitely sounds like the PSU is bad to me. Don't attempt to power on that computer anymore until you replace it.

No clue on the Rosewill as I haven't heard much about them. My apologies on your corsair sucking the most heinous of butts.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 4, 2015)

The Tom's Hardware 'PSU Tier List' says that it's pretty good but should I be worried that 550 W won't cut it?


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## tacotiklah (Jan 4, 2015)

It depends on if that 550 watts rating is its peak rating or continuous rating. If continuous rating, then you'll be just fine. If it's the peak rating, then no it won't be enough.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 4, 2015)

Says 550W continuous @50C. Don't know how long continuous is in their book but I'll count it. Guess I'll put an order in soon.


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## tacotiklah (Jan 4, 2015)

550 continuous is what you need. Some companies like to label their PSUs according to their peak wattage, and that's bad because there's no way you'd be running it at peak all the time. Typically the continuous output would be about half of whatever peak they're trying to sell as powerful.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 5, 2015)

Said screw it and went for the 650. I think 650W [email protected] C with 80+ Gold should really hold me over just fine. Rosewill CAPSTONE Series CAPSTONE-650 650W Continuous &#64; 50°C, 80 PLUS GOLD Certified, Single &#43;12V Rail, ATX12V v2.31 &#47; EPS12V v2.92, SLI Ready, CrossFire Ready, Active - PFC Power Supply - Retail - Newegg.com


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 7, 2015)

So after a few hours of testing (when I could stand the cold in my room) I haven't had any problems or crashes in BF4 since replacing the PSU and am still getting great frame rate which I find unbelievable for a build that ended up under 900. I thought you had to have a complete monster PC to max that out


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## tacotiklah (Jan 8, 2015)

Hell yeah! 

And for 1080p gaming, you honestly don't need all that much. Even with an AMD A10-7850K processor and something like a 750ti or an r7 260 graphics card, you can do a lot in terms of gaming. It's when you start trying to do 1440p, 4k, or multiple displays that you start needing the horsepower to really drive it.

Also, my thirst for a GTX970 is reeeeeaaaaaaal.


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## tacotiklah (Jan 9, 2015)

Just came across this newegg deal:
Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more - Newegg.com


X99 2011-3 mobo with an i7 5820k processor and a GTX 970 card for just over $1400?  This could easily power 4k or multiple displays. Shame I need a new monitor as well or I'd just spring for this beast.


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 20, 2015)

Everything's still working great - gaming, start up speed, DAW performance and everything. Yesterday got both my RMA and GPU rebate approved. All is well.


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## tacotiklah (Feb 4, 2015)

Welp, it's my turn to work on building a PC. I've given a fair bit of advice to people via this thread and through others, so it's only fair that I build myself an awesome PC for school/gaming/recording/streaming/etc. I've ordered all the parts (most of it via newegg and a couple of items via outlet pc). I call this build "The Hand of Nod". 

CPU: Intel i7-4790K
Cooler: Corsair H80i
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5
Mobo: MSI Z97 Gaming 5
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 16GB DDR3
Storage: 120GB Patriot Blaze SSD, 3TB Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM HDD
Video Card: Gigabyte G1 Gaming GTX 970
Case: Corsair SPEC-03 mid tower 
Power Supply Unit: SeaSonic SS-650KM 80+ Gold fully modular
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 CD/DVD burner
Operating System: Windows 8.1 Home 32/64 bit full retail version (not OEM)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 1ms 24.0" 1080p
Wireless Adapter: Rosewill N900PCE 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter
Case fans:LEPA LP-BOL12P-R 81.5 CFM 120mm Fan (x3)
Fan Controller: NZXT Sentry Mix 2 Fan Controller
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse (red LED)
Case Bling: nod-circular Sticker by Admin_CP12692029
FrozenCPU Evil Inside Case Badge - FrozenCPU.com


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## tacotiklah (Feb 6, 2015)

So uh... I got some things in the mail today...


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