|
Yeah, that'll be fine. FYI, the maximum power draw of a USB 2.0 device is 500 mA @ 5V, which is 2.5W.
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 03:53
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 27, 2024 14:43 |
|
|
Factory Factory posted:The G3258 is the wrong CPU for a non-overclocking build. The Pentium G3420 is more appropriate - it actually supports the DDR3-1600 memory without overclocking, and it costs $2 less. You'd see benefits in transcoding by moving up to a Core i3-4150, but it's a $50 upgrade - probably not worth it unless you were also using the box for local playback (for the increased GPU video processing capability). Thanks for the feedback. I will be running the OS off of an attached 4 GB thumbdrive, since that is apparently the way FreeNAS is designed to run. I figured I would stick with the single drive, as it helps keep the cost down, and he currently only has around 100 GB of media. not sure if that changes the perspective on some of the feedback, but I will look into the CPU/different case as well.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 04:06
|
|
|
Factory Factory posted:Yeah, that'll be fine. Awesome, thanks. The 970 will be my first true high-end card 
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 04:10
|
|
|
Rageaholic Monkey posted:You probably should've replaced it already $150? You can get a perfectly good Seasonic PSU for like $60.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 04:18
|
|
I replace mine like every year or 2 just out of habit now. If yours is over 5 years old, it's very likely going to die on you sooner than later. Spend the $150 or however much a good power supply is and rest easy knowing you're keeping your computer (and your house) safe (from burning down).
|
If you count PSUs by cost per year of warranty, the price premium on the top-end ones isn't so bad. And they're excellent units anyway. That reminds me to stick the EVGA SuperNova G2 in the OP - 10 year warranty on those things.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 04:44
|
|
|
A friend of mine is reporting that a Pentium G3258 @ 4.6GHz isn't fast enough to run Starcraft 2. This sounds much more like an overclock or motherboard configuration problem for me, or is SC2 really still that difficult to pull high framerates on? He's wanting to replace it with a 4690K because apparently Starcraft loves quad cores.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 06:03
|
|
|
Factory Factory posted:If you count PSUs by cost per year of warranty, the price premium on the top-end ones isn't so bad. And they're excellent units anyway. Still on sale for $80 'til the 15th at Newegg. $8/yr is cheaper than even a CX crapbox's $10/yr at $30 with a 3-year warranty. Only downside is it's only 83% efficient when pulling 75W (maybe a little high to approximate idle power draw, but you get the point) given it's a 750W supply and that's 10% draw. Peanut3141 fucked around with this message at 06:21 on Oct 12, 2014 |
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 06:19
|
|
|
Twerk from Home posted:A friend of mine is reporting that a Pentium G3258 @ 4.6GHz isn't fast enough to run Starcraft 2. This sounds much more like an overclock or motherboard configuration problem for me, or is SC2 really still that difficult to pull high framerates on? He's wanting to replace it with a 4690K because apparently Starcraft loves quad cores. That's not right. There's something else going on. Bit-Tech.net looked into StarCraft 2 performance on an older i7-980X. Here are the main results:   The article has more detail, but StarCraft 2 relies heavily on one thread and moderately on up to two more, three total. On a weaker CPU, yes, it'll love a quad core, but a G3258 at 4.6 GHz is really fuckin' buff. Compare the 2-core @ 4.2 GHz result up there. That's Nehalem. A G3258 at 4.6 GHz is something like 45% faster than two Nehalem cores at 4.2 GHz. It might be cache. Quad core CPUs come with more cache, and with only two cores active that's much higher cache per core. But even so, per-core performance should be the dominant effect, and a 4.6 GHz G3258 is a beast there. For example, Tom's Hardware shows a Core i3 and a Pentium G860, and the Core i3 has 4% more performance to show for 3% more clock and 33% more L3 cache. The G3258 at 4.6 GHz should just be so fast that it's in the top tier, end of story.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 06:42
|
|
|
Factory Factory posted:Your response to learning that your hard drives might fail soon is to put them into RAID 0? You've heard the story of the Goon in the well, right? Don't think I didn't notice you taking the fun one first. Also about some stuff in the OP: Are you certain a TC14PE can fit on a maximus gene without blocking the top PCIe slot? Phanteks is poo poo at maintaining a decent compatibility list. And just a quick mention that PCCasegear in Australia no longer offers to build PCs to order, only their own prebuilts; however those prebuilts are pretty good - they don't try to screw you by adding a gtx750 to a core i7 system paired with an h81 mobo like some places do; and all their prebuilts have good power supplies, usually seasonic. PCCasegear also appears to be an exclusive distributor for Phanteks and Nanoxia products as far as I can tell. For made to order stuff: Umart has stores everywhere, and a decent selection, but their refund policy is outright illegal and you're pretty much on your own if you have a problem. ITS Direct is a company I've always had excellent dealings with - I once had a new monitor at my door 4 hours after I ordered it from their website - but they have really expensive shipping because they use proper couriers. Computer Alliance in Brisbane has a great customer service reputation, but their part selection can be a bit lackluster. RiotGearEpsilon posted:Well, with a backup drive, but... yeah, putting them in RAID 1 and relying on the SSD for anything fast would probably make more sense, wouldn't it? No, throwing them out and just sticking a WD red in there makes sense. RiotGearEpsilon posted:Seriously? When you say 'complete crap' do you mean 'not as good as what SHSC recommends' or 'just awful, period'? So glad you reposted this. Let me start by addressing things one by one: 1. I mean 'just awful period' 2. I had the same CPU as you do now - even a $70 intel pentium can outperform it in gaming once overclocked. AMD CPUs have terrible single thread performance and are a bottleneck in games. 3. I addressed the hard drives above On overclocking: It's not hard, and you certainly don't need liquid cooling - Good air coolers perform as well or better than all but the most expensive liquid coolers, and liquid coolers are noisier. Decent Air coolers from Noctua or Phanteks are super easy to install. An overclocking build will cost you a little more though. You shouldn't feel as though you need to do it though, and I'll put the build together under the assumption of no overclocking. So, lets get to the build: Starting Point The CPU cooler is optional, to cut back on noise, you can always use the stock intel cooler if you prefer. If 2TB is excessive feel free to get a 1TB red or even a 1TB blue. I suppose you could keep some of your old drives if you desperately need to save money, but having a bunch of old hard drive floating around is a waste of electricity, an increased risk of failure, and also noisy - particularly those WD blacks of yours. $700 is a bit of a tight budget - You can build a budget machine within that, but my starting point is what I'd consider value for money for the typical person. Also feel free to reuse an optical drive from your old PC, or get one for $20 or even go without. Add an intel wifi adapter if you need wifi. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Newegg) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.99 @ Micro Center) Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($81.98 @ Newegg) Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($68.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($128.99 @ Amazon) Storage: Western Digital Red 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($97.99 @ Adorama) Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($156.00 @ Newegg) Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 450W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg) Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC) Total: $922.90 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-12 01:57 EDT-0400 Cases: Coolermaster N200 for ~$40 is the budget option. 3 Fans, conservative styling, decent cooling, not excessively noisy. Nanoxia DS4 for ~$70 is the quiet option. Excellent build quality, adequate cooling, Designed to be as quiet as possible with sound proof lining on the panels and whatnot. also has a fan controller. Phanteks Enthoo Evolv for ~$120 is the premium all round option. Quiet, excellent cooling, fabulous build quality with all Aluminium external panels, PWM fan hub, tons of convenient features to make building easy, like velcro straps behind the motherboard to keep your cables tidy. Will be available to buy on the 16th. From here, if you want to spend more money: Upgrade the gpu to a gtx970 - crazy good performance per dollar Get a bigger SSD.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 07:07
|
|
|
Feed Me A Cat posted:Been reading this thread (and its previous incarnation) off and on for the past two weeks, great work all around. I think I've picked up a lot of useful pointers in that time, but I'd like a sanity check. What's with the TC14CS? Tower style coolers tend to perform better, I'd suggest getting a TC12DX instead.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 07:09
|
|
|
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($194.99 @ NCIX US) Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($81.98 @ Newegg) Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.00 @ Newegg) Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC) Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($156.00 @ Newegg) Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Mwave) Power Supply: SeaSonic S12G 650W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon) Total: $694.93 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-12 02:32 EDT-0400 How big of a difference is it between the 80+ Gold and 80+ Platinum for the PSU? Primary use for terrible games.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 07:36
|
|
|
The TC14PE doesn't intrude onto the top slot on any motherboards. It is quite close though, once I used it on an mATX board with an Asus 780, and the fan clips were touching the backplate on the GPU. They were easy to bend slightly to avoid this, not that it was an issue really.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 07:40
|
|
|
Okay, so I've taken some advice on board, and ignored some of the other advice, and here's where I stand now. PCPartPicker part list here if you want it. You'll notice there's no case on this list. I have no loving idea what'll make a good case. Ideally I'd like something that's roomy and easy to build in, so I won't have to do any contorting while I'm assembling this thing. Any suggestions in the $50-$100 range? CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Amazon) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg) Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver Arctic Alumina Premium Ceramic Polysynthetic 1.75g Thermal Paste ($4.46 @ NCIX US) I know I don't need-need an aftermarket cooler, but I'm hoping it'll make the box run closer to silent, which I value enough to drop another forty dollars on it. Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Pro3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($84.99 @ Newegg) This is a little cheaper than the H87 Pro4, and it has all the features I need. Whatever it is that makes the H87 Pro4 superior to the Z87 Pro3, I'm unable to detect it. Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Amazon) I have no idea if this is the best RAM option but it was the cheapest thing at pcpartpicker that was from a reputable brand. Storage: Intel 530 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.00 @ Amazon) Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Amazon) I'm selling off my old computer to a friend so as to avoid the hassle of selling off the parts individually. Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX Video Card ($329.98 @ NCIX US) This is a splurge, of course it's a splurge, but I'm told it's got mad-high pixel per price value, and it almost doubles my current video card, so… here we go. Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg) Rosewill CAPSTONE is good, right? And 650W should safely be enough without being grossly excessive?
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 07:48
|
|
|
PassiveSentence posted:PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant It's simply a question of power efficiency - the only difference will be a tiny saving on your power bill. You also don't need a 650w psu - 450w is adequate.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 07:59
|
|
|
RiotGearEpsilon posted:Okay, so I've taken some advice on board, and ignored some of the other advice, and here's where I stand now. PCPartPicker part list here if you want it. 1. Buying thermal paste is a waste of money, especially arctic silver which is basically a marketing scam. Your cooler will come with thermal paste. 2. I'd probably still get a core i5, or at least the highest clocked core i3 you can get hold of (the 4370), but I understand if your budget is tight. 3. you've picked an overclocking motherboard from the previous generation of boards. There is also really no reason to get a full ATX board - even mini towers are super easy to build in these days. you can also put an mATX motherboard in a larger case. You're literally paying for extra PCIe slots you'll never use. The current generation appropriate boards are the: Asrock H97m-pro4 ($75) for mATX or the H97-pro4 ($88) for full ATX if you still insist on getting full ATX size. 4. RAM is RAM is RAM. The failure rate and quality across brands is virtually identical, EXCEPT for kingston which is noticeably lower (but all ram has a very low failure rate). Get the cheapest 2x4gb DDR3-1600 kit available at the time you make your purchase, but beware of pointless tall heatspreaders that can interfere with your CPU cooler. 5. I strongly maintain that the samsung 840 EVO is still the all round best value drive you can buy - it has a thing called RAPID mode, which uses spare RAM as a cache to boost performance so high it actually breaks benchmarking tools. Yes, there is a bug, but it will be fixed with a firmware update on the 15th of october. That being said, it isn't unreasonable to play it safe and get an intel drive. 6. The EVGA gtx970 has a noticeably lower performing and noisier cooler than other brands. Unless you're getting it much cheaper than other brands, I'd suggest Asus and MSI as the best followed by gigabyte, then EVGA. remember that you can trivially and safely overclock the poo poo out of the 970 to significantly enhance the performance - it will way more than double your current GPU. If it wasn't such great value we wouldn't even be suggesting it for 1080p since it's such insane overkill. 7. Capstones are excellent - 650w is already gross overkill though, you can happily run that PC on a 450w power supply. The gtx970 is crazy power efficient. CASES I listed 3 good mATX cases in my previous post. If you insist on larger cases then we have: Coolermaster N300 - larger version of the N200. Cheap and adequate. Corsair Obsidian 450D - all round decent performer, easy to build in, slightly over budget Nanoxia DS1 - super quiet, excellent build quality, again slightly over budget Phanteks Enthoo Pro - Costs $99. Best value case you can buy, crazy good cooling, quiet, super easy to build in; but noticeably larger than the other cases on this list. The Lord Bude fucked around with this message at 08:25 on Oct 12, 2014 |
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 08:22
|
|
|
It seems that nobody has put a TC14PE on a Maximus Gene recently. Got an NH-D14 on a VI, though. What I did do was I overlaid an image of the Gene onto the Hero, because I did find the TC14PE fitting on the Hero. If anything, the Gene has an extra millimeter or so from socket to the first PCIe slot. I wouldn't use a backplate maybe, but it should fit. RiotGearEpsilon posted:Okay, so I've taken some advice on board, and ignored some of the other advice, and here's where I stand now. PCPartPicker part list here if you want it. Corsair. Specifically, a Corsair Carbide case like the 300R or Air 240 if you go with mATX (plus maybe a fan controller, since it's a bit noisy stock). quote:CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Amazon) Even so that's two kinds of waste. For one, the stock cooler will have no problems keeping a 55W processor frosty. For another, the thermal compound will make no difference whatsoever compared to the stuff that will come with the 212 EVO. Even if the very minor sound of the stock cooler bothered you, it's got enough headroom at 55W that you could just set a quieter fan curve in the BIOS. Try that before you drop another $40 on cooling. quote:Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Pro3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($84.99 @ Newegg) I'll tell you what an H97 Pro4 has: support for that processor without a BIOS flash. It even costs a dollar less. quote:Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg) Capstone is a great line, but 650W is indeed grossly excessive. Even if you overclock the 970, you'd be fine with a 400W power supply. Technically that 360W SeaSonic G PSU is enough, but it doesn't have enough PCIe connectors. 550W is the upper end of sane. Factory Factory fucked around with this message at 08:26 on Oct 12, 2014 |
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 08:23
|
|
|
Lord Bude, I missed your first reply - or rather, I was writing my reply to Factory^2 while you were posting your reply and so my post didn't take your post in to account. That said, here's what I've got now: PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ NCIX US) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg) ( I know this cooler isn't strictly necessary, but as Factory Factory mentioned, it's a bit noisy stock) Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($81.98 @ Newegg) Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($68.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ Amazon) Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Amazon) Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($339.98 @ NCIX US) Case: Nanoxia NXDS4W MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($88.59 @ Newegg) Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 450W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg) Total: $984.49 Most of this is just what you guys recommended, and as usual the budget's dissolved in a slurry of enthusiasm and money, but I'm interested in further feedback. I was going to ask you how I'd install Win7 without an optical port but I can probably just fuckin' google it.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 08:48
|
|
|
I am looking to buy this pre-built desktop. My main concern is the video card. Will the Intel HD 4600 card conatined therein be able to:
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 10:10
|
|
|
Two monitors: Yes, but because of the port selection on the motherboard, one will have to attach by VGA. Play Shadows of Mordor: It can do 1280x720 at 25 FPS average (13 min, 33 max) according to the Youtubes. At minimum details. Not middling. Not low. Absolute minimum.  If you did want a video card, a Radeon R7-250 or GeForce 750 would be the card to go with, no power supply change necessary. Or a 750 Ti if you picked one without a PCIe power plug. $500 to $700 is where there isn't much difference between sticking a video card in a prebuilt and building your own.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 10:17
|
|
|
RiotGearEpsilon posted:Lord Bude, I missed your first reply - or rather, I was writing my reply to Factory^2 while you were posting your reply and so my post didn't take your post in to account. That said, here's what I've got now: Enthusiasm and money are fabulous ingredients for a slurry. Bathe in it. This is all pretty good now. If you still had room in your budget I'd suggest pushing the CPU up a notch to an i5 4690 to get the highest single threaded performance, but it isn't critical. If you've already got a windows 7 licence you can reuse feel free to do so; but otherwise if you're buying an operating system you should be buying 8.1 If you don't have an optical drive what you do is you install windows using a USB stick - you'll need to get the stick ready on your existing PC though. There are instructions you can find using google.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 11:36
|
|
|
joboo002 posted:I am looking to buy this pre-built desktop. My main concern is the video card. Will the Intel HD 4600 card conatined therein be able to: If you were prepared to overclock - it isn't that hard and we have a thread to help you - a better value option would be the $70 overclocking pentium and an entry level z97 board - the budget barnburner from the OP - that way you'd have more budget room for a decent graphics card. Speaking of which, Factory do you think the budget barnburner should be given more prominence in the OP? I feel that it's a better option than the budget i3 PC unless someone is terrified of overclocking.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 11:41
|
|
|
I've recently upgraded my video card and subsequently my power supply. But my computer is running pretty slow, and I'm not sure what to upgrade next. And it's slow to do anything at all. Boot up, load a web page, load winamp, right click on the screen, etc. The plan is, of course, to upgrade everything. But I'm going to have to space it out, so I want to do this in order of importance and necessity. I'm assuming RAM, hard drive space, and processor are all going to help improve the speed of my computer. An SSD hard drive and a new CPU were suggested when I posted this in the wrong location, but they said I would need a new motherboard and RAM if I replace the CPU. They also told me to post this here, but I don't know what it means: http://imgur.com/2jehvyG Here's my specs (I have a prebuilt Dell): OS: Windows 7 64-bit Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo CPU E 7500 @ 2.94GHz RAM: 6 GB Hard Drive: 596 GB (180 free) Graphics card: Radeon R7 260X Power Supply: Capstone 450W 80 Plus Gold
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 11:48
|
|
|
While the process of overclocking is fairly straightforward, I worry that the context background to make sense of it and execute it with a minimum of frustration is not something we can ask of someone just for the sake of saving $40 or $60. You gotta want it.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 11:50
|
|
|
Factory Factory posted:While the process of overclocking is fairly straightforward, I worry that the context background to make sense of it and execute it with a minimum of frustration is not something we can ask of someone just for the sake of saving $40 or $60. You gotta want it. True, but I would at least make it clear that if someone is interested in, or already comfortable with overclocking, then the pentium bundle is actually a distinctly better choice than the i3.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 12:17
|
|
|
Billy Black posted:I've recently upgraded my video card and subsequently my power supply. But my computer is running pretty slow, and I'm not sure what to upgrade next. And it's slow to do anything at all. Boot up, load a web page, load winamp, right click on the screen, etc. The plan is, of course, to upgrade everything. But I'm going to have to space it out, so I want to do this in order of importance and necessity. I'm assuming RAM, hard drive space, and processor are all going to help improve the speed of my computer. Your CPU is ancient, replacing that would make a huge difference, but getting a solid state drive will also be a life changing experience. I'd suggest doing both if at all possible - and yes you will need to replace the motherboard and ram as well. depending on what you have now I'd be tempted to do the case to while you're at it but that's a secondary concern. Ideally you should save up and do the SSD at the same time as everything else, and then do a fresh install of windows. What case are you currently using, before I go and recommend a motherboard?
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 12:18
|
|
|
From the end of the last thread, I think I'm about ready to pull the trigger on this for my Dad's gaming PC from PC Specialist as he has no interest an self-building (all kinds of games, 1080p) unless there are any more changes you'd suggest? Carbide 200R i5-4590 ASAS H97 M-E mATX 8GB Kingston Dual-DDR3 1600MHz 3GB Radeon R9 280 250GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD 1TB WD Caviar Black 24x DVD Drive Card Reader Corsair 650W VS Series Standard CPU Cooler, sound, LAN, USB Windows 8.1 64-bit (he has XP at the moment so no free upgrade) Microsoft Office Home 2013 No monitor, peripherals, extra warranty, setup or anything like that. Comes to £921 at the moment, no limit but value is always good.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 12:28
|
|
|
Walton Simons posted:From the end of the last thread, I think I'm about ready to pull the trigger on this for my Dad's gaming PC from PC Specialist as he has no interest an self-building (all kinds of games, 1080p) unless there are any more changes you'd suggest? My big issue here is that the VS series is a pretty low end cheap PSU, and that site doesn't give you any choice in the matter. They also basically force you into using single channel RAM unless you get 16gb. there are a few other niggling issues as well, and they're pretty overpriced. These guys here offer a better selection of products: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/index.php The best option is to select custom configurator, followed by 'OcUK Gamer Micro Xi - Intel Haswell Micro ATX Gaming PC' I configured more or less a pretty standard non overclocking build from the OP for £725, and it's better than what you'd have been getting from the other place, and with a high quality power supply (they use excellent superflower golden green units).
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 13:00
|
|
|
quote:It's still not out, but BitTech has a Phantek Enthoo Evolv review out: quote:Silverstone cases tend to be: quote:I know you ain't a fan of Silverstone but i wonder how the SG10 would work with Noctuas instead of penetrators. quote:I'm a fan of certain silverstone cases - The RVZ01 for example, which is both reasonably priced, and fills the unique niche of being an ultra tiny mITX case that can fit gaming grade hardware. I just think many silverstone cases aren't good value compared to alternatives, and I place a high value on a case being user friendly to build in. In this case the Silverstone SG10 is priced in the same range as it's competitors, like the 350D and 450D and TJ08-E and Arc Mini R2 and Deep Silence 4 and DS Cube. However, even on the low setting, it is not going to be as quiet as those, and it is very small and thus hard to build in, similar to the Prodigy M (well maybe a bit easier since the hard drives go on the back side). So if I wanted something MicroATX that was easy to build in, it seems the Aerocool DS Cube might be the best, being the only MicroATX version of the regular Bitfenix Prodigy left, horizontal motherboard and spacious layout and all? It does not have the best temperature performance, but perhaps that can be largely fixed by spending $20 and putting two 140mm fans in the top under the filter and ignoring the front fan or reversing it, or perhaps just plain cutting a hole in the plastic front of the case to improve airflow and putting a $20 magnetic fan filter on the front fan?  I wonder which would be better? The dual 140mm fans pushing down would blow cool air directly on the CPU and videocard, and the hard drives would probably be fine, and the filter would be even easier to change since it would be right on top. Meanwhile opening up the plastic front would let the 200mm fan it comes with actually do it's job without needing to add extra fans. Assepoester fucked around with this message at 13:31 on Oct 12, 2014 |
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 13:23
|
|
|
Evolv.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 13:37
|
|
|
WhiskeyJuvenile posted:Evolv.  ??? Would it be the easiest to build in at least?
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 13:41
|
|
|
Cardboard Box A posted:Would it be the easiest to build in at least? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_Mso3V5SAw Up to you if that's something you can build in or not.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 13:48
|
|
|
The Lord Bude posted:My big issue here is that the VS series is a pretty low end cheap PSU, and that site doesn't give you any choice in the matter. They also basically force you into using single channel RAM unless you get 16gb. there are a few other niggling issues as well, and they're pretty overpriced. This is ace, thanks.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 14:04
|
|
|
Cardboard Box A posted:
I'd still get the evolv, it's super easy to build in and the performance is perfectly good. the mATX cube cases all have issues with them. A prodigy/phenom/colossus mATX probably wouldn't be too bad either.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 14:11
|
|
|
Everyone here is mostly in agreement that a GTX 980 is a waste compared to a GTX 970? I hope to get a 1440p monitor as well, but until then it will mostly be for 1080p gaming. I do like messing around with Skyrim's ENB presets, which are fairly demanding.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 14:37
|
|
|
okay, second shot at the media server build. I'll reiterate my "requirements" below: I plan to use freeNAS (mounted on a 4 gig USB stick) and PLEX to handle all the frontend/backend work. this PC needs to be able to: 1) transcode video simultaneously for 1-2 deviecs 2) be reasonably quiet 3) "not cost to much". I think sub 400 is fine (which the build currently is). However, I wouldn't mind if I could get the build to be sub-350. I've incorporated some of Factory Factory's advice. I'm wondering if it makes more sense to downgrade back to 1X4 gb stick of RAM, and potentially spend the extra cash on an i3 instead. For now, the server will be sending media to my brother's xbox, but there's nothing saying that in the future he won't use it as a dedicated media box in another room. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel Pentium G3420 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($69.98 @ Newegg) Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg) Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($68.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Western Digital Red 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($97.99 @ Adorama) Case: Cooler Master Elite 110 Mini ITX Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg) Power Supply: SeaSonic 300W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($42.98 @ OutletPC) Total: $374.91 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-12 09:43 EDT-0400
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 14:44
|
|
|
Linnear posted:Everyone here is mostly in agreement that a GTX 980 is a waste compared to a GTX 970? I hope to get a 1440p monitor as well, but until then it will mostly be for 1080p gaming. I do like messing around with Skyrim's ENB presets, which are fairly demanding. A gtx970 overclocks like the clappers, and can reach at least gtx780ti performance without any particular effort. Last generation the 780/r9-290 were listed as being good enough for the majority of people at 1440p; with the 780ti as the crazy option as it was significantly more expensive. So yes, for 99% of people it would be excellent for 1440p.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 15:04
|
|
|
Linnear posted:Everyone here is mostly in agreement that a GTX 980 is a waste compared to a GTX 970? I hope to get a 1440p monitor as well, but until then it will mostly be for 1080p gaming. I do like messing around with Skyrim's ENB presets, which are fairly demanding. If you've got the budget for one it's not that bad of a waste, especially compared against the previous generation where cards weaker than an overclocked 970 were priced at like $650-750 or however much, but you can probably be fine with a 970. However, I refuse to acknowledge the 980 as overkill for 1080 due to owning one and having seen what it can do, but my Intel CPU is on the way so hopefully the performance in games not being as expected is down to AMD being poo poo.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 15:06
|
|
|
Anything glaringly wrong with the following build? Main purposes will be gaming, light video editing, and playing around with virtual machines. If I intend to get up to 16GB RAM early next year, would it be better to get a single 8GB stick now and add another one then, or stay with 2x4GB and add another 2x4GB in the future? Also, would I need additional case fans when I start overclocking? And is the PSU good enough to support moderate overclocking needs in the future? PCPartPicker part list CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler Motherboard: ASRock Z97M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive Case: Nanoxia NXDS4B MicroATX Mini Tower Case Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply Graphics card: GTX 970 when they're back in stock here in Germany, still not sure if MSI, ASUS or Gigabyte though With the graphics card requiring removal of a drive cage, does anyone know what kind of internal drive bays remain in the case?
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 15:19
|
|
|
Got my xbmc+zfs storage combo box put together finally this weekend and it is working great. I had transplanted the SSD drive from my old machine into the new one and holy poo poo it seems so much faster than before. Its booting into XBMC and ready to go in under 10 seconds, maybe even faster - I haven't really timed it. One issues though: As mentioned earlier I'm using an old SSD from my previous build. Well I found out that back when I built this I only sprang for a 60GB SSD. And worse, it is an OCZ Vertex. This would have been around 2011ish when I built this, so 60GB was pretty steep price wise. Anyways, I'm feeling like I should spring for a better SSD but I haven't had any trouble with this old one and I don't exactly need a lot of storage either. Thoughts?
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 17:04
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 27, 2024 14:43 |
|
|
Someone refresh my memory, back when they had a developer preview for Windows 8, there was no way to later purchase a retail copy of Windows 8 and convert the preview into a full version without a clean re-install, correct? I just downloaded a Windows 10 preview, and I was going to install it to a new PC to dick around with, just wondering if I should plan for a full wipe or if it might be convertible.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2014 17:41
|
|