|
I built my current PC ~5 or 6 years ago and haven't had the need to open the case since. But recently my friends and I have started playing this Tom Clancy Wildlands game and I can only play it on Low settings. I get ~55 FPS but my PC is getting older and I want to start thinking about building another one. I doubt I'm going to be able to keep much of what I have currently, but here's the Speccy summary: Operating System Windows 10 Pro 64-bit CPU Intel Core i5 3570 @ 3.40GHz 86 °C Ivy Bridge 22nm Technology RAM 8.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 665MHz (9-9-9-24) Motherboard MSI H77MA-G43 (MS-7756) (SOCKET 0) 37 °C Graphics SyncMaster (1680x1050@60Hz) 2047MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 (EVGA) 41 °C Storage 223GB INTEL SSDSC2CT240A3 (SATA (SSD)) 931GB Seagate ST1000DM005 HD103SJ (SATA ) 35 °C 1862GB Western Digital WD Elements 25A2 USB Device (USB (SATA) (SSD)) 38 °C Optical Drives ATAPI iHAS124 D Audio Realtek High Definition Audio My goals are to have a computer that will last me hopefully as long as this one has--even now, there's nothing 'wrong' with mine, but I'd like to play the occasional triple A game on High or Higher settings, and I'm getting to the point where things may start failing, so I want to get ahead of it. I don't really remember how I picked my parts last time--probably just from a website. But goals would be more SSD--maybe even a TB of SSD and I could just use an external for storage. And I'd like to be able to get a second monitor someday. And I want to be able to play games on high or ultra settings, within reason--the OP mentioned open world games needing more CPU consideration (I think), and I do tend to like those types of games, so there's that. And my budget is probably $1000 to $1500, and I'd like to get the parts in the next few weeks probably. I know this thread isn't primarily about monitors, but could my current monitor itself be some kind of bottleneck? I'm not really interested in overclocking or anything--just kind of want to build it and play games and not worry too much about it. With all that being said, would this example from the OP serve my needs? Intel Core i5-8600K Z370 motherboard A large quiet CPU cooler 16 GB of DDR4-3200+ RAM GeForce GTX 1070 500 GB M.2 SSD (but I might want a TB) I don't really understand all the different case options--the case just contains all the components, right?
|
#
¿
Sep 17, 2018 04:54
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 10, 2024 12:07 |
|
|
Stickman posted:If you're not interested in overclocking, the 8600k is only about a 5-10% boost over the 8400, for 40% greater cost. Overclocking gets you another 5-10% boost. That overclock could help extend the usable life of the computer, but if you're sure you'll never use it you'd probably be better off with the 8400 and saving the money for a fancier monitor/GPU. Thanks! I threw together some parts at work and came up with this: PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor ($199.79 @ OutletPC) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($25.74 @ Amazon) Motherboard: MSI - Z370-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Newegg Business) Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($150.98 @ Newegg) Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($147.99 @ Amazon) Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($44.89 @ OutletPC) Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition Video Card ($379.89 @ OutletPC) Case: Corsair - 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($199.95 @ Newegg Marketplace) Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.98 @ Amazon) Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($94.89 @ OutletPC) Total: $1404.09 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-17 13:51 EDT-0400 It's within budget but the motherboard was a cheaper one and I'm not sure if I'm giving anything up or making a weird choice in some areas. I couldn't find a 1 tb m.2 ssd, but maybe I missed it or it was super expensive or something. My first question is does it seem like it'll do what I want? And second question is if I'm paying too much or too little for a given component.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 17, 2018 18:58
|
|
|
LRADIKAL posted:Why such an expensive case? Thanks for the help, everyone! I wish I'd gone this route with my first build! I just picked a random case, based on the OP, but I couldn't find the specific models mentioned--the H500 seems like it would be fine for my needs, and much cheaper! How do you tell if something is NVME or not? I did a little reading and it seems like NVME is the way to go, since it's faster--but am I missing where you changed the SSD from m.2 to an NVME model? It looks like the Samsung 970 Evo is the same one I'd picked initially--I noticed you changed the mechanical HDD and I see what you're saying there--is the idea that having an SSD on SATA is still way better than a spin drive, even if it's not as fast as m.2? And point taken, if I'm getting a mechanical drive, may as well pay a few bucks more for a bunch more storage. But I think I'm probably sold on having SSD all the way. I have an external HDD that's less than a year old I can use for backups. I did notice a 1 TB SSD that was m.2 and pretty affordable--am I missing something about this one: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/DgJtt6/western-digital-blue-1tb-m2-2280-solid-state-drive-wds100t2b0b Also, Stickman, I didn't think about that with the OS--good point. Why spend ~100 bucks if I can get Win 7 and upgrade for free! Here's my updated--I took a guess that you'd meant to change the EVO to a PRO, but I could be off on that one--I don't really understand NVME. Also I think the video card went up in price a little since lunch time or something, but it should still be the right one. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor ($199.89 @ B&H) CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($36.40 @ OutletPC) Motherboard: MSI - Z370-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Newegg Business) Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($150.98 @ Newegg) Storage: Samsung - 970 Pro 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($197.99 @ Amazon) Storage: Western Digital - Blue 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Amazon) Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition Video Card ($399.99 @ Amazon) Case: NZXT - H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.49 @ Newegg Business) Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.98 @ Amazon) Total: $1374.70 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-17 19:36 EDT-0400 One thing it mentions is that "The motherboard M.2 slot #1 shares bandwidth with a SATA 6.0 Gb/s port. When the M.2 slot is populated, one SATA 6.0 Gb/s port is disabled." I'm assuming that won't be a big deal? And one more general question--if I have my parts list, does it make sense to wait for, say, Black Friday or something? Are there significant savings on certain days or is it not really going to make that big of a difference?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 18, 2018 00:44
|
|
|
I was talking to my friend about my PC build and I think I want to invest a little more--I'd had the I5-8600K initially, but since I was adamant about not wanting to bother with OCing and now I'm kind of halfway considering it, I thought I'd put it back on the table. And I went from a 1070 to a 1080. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel - Core i5-8600K 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor ($249.00 @ Amazon) CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($36.40 @ OutletPC) Motherboard: MSI - Z370-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($103.99 @ Amazon) Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($149.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($147.99 @ Amazon) Storage: Western Digital - Blue 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Amazon) Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB WINDFORCE OC 8G Video Card ($484.98 @ Newegg) Case: NZXT - H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Amazon) Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($71.11 @ Amazon) Total: $1473.44 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-19 19:37 EDT-0400 It's an extra ~$150, but am I right in thinking that the 8600K and better graphics card will give me more options in terms of performance/longevity? This would be in comparison to an I5-8400 and a 1070 graphics card. I also keep dithering over the motherboard, even though I can't really figure out what makes a board good or bad exactly. What would spending another 100 dollars to get the Asus ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING over the MSI Z370-A PRO actually get me? And I know this isn't a monitor centric thread, but my current monitor is kind of a weird resolution that isn't 1080p (1680 x 1050 at 60 Hz), so I'd like to upgrade and use my existing to just have as a second monitor. If I wanted to go with 4K, would the build above support it at all? Or should I set my sights lower and try to get a good IPS 1080 with a solid refresh rate? The old Monitors thread had a TN vs IPS comparison picture that made me think I want IPS. Does anyone have experience with the response time of their monitor being noticeable between 1ms and let's say 6ms? The longer I look at parts, the more money I feel compelled to spend on them, which is stupid. I really want to just pull the trigger once I figure out the monitor situation and if the above upgrades seem like they'd be a good investment--4K never even was something I cared about until I started looking at monitors, but if the above build wouldn't really support it, I don't think I'm willing to drop more money into the case, so a different monitor would be in the cards.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 20, 2018 00:58
|
|
|
Moral_Hazard posted:Seeing the benchmarks for the 20xx cards led me to the decision to pull the trigger on a 1080ti and 8700k and not wait another few months to replace my non/SDD six year old machine. I really appreciate all the help and advice this thread has given. Probably one of the top threads on SA. What made you decide the 1080 Ti was good enough? I'm trying to decide if I should wait til October for the 2070 or go with the 1080. Tariff worry has me not wanting to wait a month and end up spending 10 or 20 percent more for the build, but maybe that's irrational.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 20, 2018 18:29
|
|
|
Moral_Hazard posted:A mishmash of the the fact that I have a 970 now, so 1080ti is going to have a wow factor by itself, the ~$630 price for the card (helped finance a 1440p monitor), and RTX / DLSS being in it's infancy. Tariff worry played a part too. I just watched a few reviews of the 2080s and I think I'm in the same boat you're in. I could wait a month for the 2070, or I could get a 1080 TI, which I think will probably be a step up from the 2070 anyway. I've managed to talk myself out of my original budget--I think the 1080 TI instead of the 1080 makes sense, since it seems like a pretty significant boost that will last for some time. I'm excited for my build too, I just have to settle on the parts and not keep upgrading them. Adding a monitor to actually take advantage of the new hardware seems unavoidable, since I don't even have a 1080p right now. And then it's like, well, I should get something that supports G Sync, since I have an Nvidia card, right? But then I think I also want IPS and everything just keeps increasing the cost. Can anyone offer any obvious ways to cut the price down? I know the monitor takes up a huge % of it, but I feel like the features I think I want--27 inch, 1440, 144+ mhz, g-sync, IPS--are just going to end up costing a bunch. Doing any kind of research on this stuff ends with me thinking I'm missing out if I don't get premium features--and it's hard for me to tell if spending that much on a monitor will make a big difference or if I should just get a 1080p TN with G Sync for presumably much less than $670. And like, maybe 24 inches is big enough and I don't need 27 inches? For what it's worth, here's what I'm thinking--the cost is obviously quite a bit over my original 1000 to 1500 budget--but does it look like I'd be getting good value for my money? And are there any newbie traps or red flags? Someone pointed out earlier I'd selected a $200 case, for example, which was an easy fix to save some money, but I fear the low hanging fruit is probably all gone. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel - Core i5-8600K 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor ($249.00 @ Amazon) CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($36.40 @ OutletPC) Motherboard: ASRock - Z370 Extreme4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($158.88 @ OutletPC) Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($149.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($147.99 @ Amazon) Storage: Western Digital - Blue 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Amazon) Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB DUKE OC Video Card ($634.98 @ Newegg) Case: NZXT - H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Amazon) Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($71.11 @ Amazon) Monitor: Asus - PG279Q ROG Swift 27.0" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor ($669.00 @ Amazon) Total: $2347.33 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-20 14:54 EDT-0400 I haven't read anything about overclocking, but as I understand it, it's not incredibly complicated to get modest performance boosts. So my next step is to read about that--but third time's the charm for this build, I hope--my only concern is with the CPU cooler which someone had suggested after the first version of my build, and I don't know if it's still the best option given that I've upgraded the CPU, Motherboard, and Graphics Card with the idea that maybe I could do some overclocking.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 20, 2018 20:16
|
|
|
Stickman posted:It's definitely solid. I ended getting a used 27" 1440p IPS gsync monitor (the Acer version) and it's Very Nice, especially coming from my old 25" 1080 monitor. I personally feel 24" is a little on the small side for a 1440p monitor, but it's ultimately a matter of taste and desktop positioning. If you have a Best Buy nearby, they carry several IPS and TN models if you want to check them out in person (I'm not sure about actually testing games, though - you'd have to ask). Thanks for the tip! I swapped in the Acer and the 650W--a buck's a buck! So as long as the CPU Cooler is fine, I think I'm almost ready to pull the trigger. There's a Best Buy not too far from me--I'll check out some monitors tomorrow and come to a decision! And do some research on overclocking. Really appreciate all the help--definitely one of the best threads on SA.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 21, 2018 00:10
|
|
|
Paul MaudDib posted:$1500 is a reasonable budget without the monitor but you're not going to squeeze a 1080 Ti build into $1000 excluding monitor. There's not much fat left to cut there - you just aren't going to make a $1000 PC budget with a $650 graphics card included. Thanks for the tip on the brand for the SSD--I swapped the Western Digital for Crucial. Can you help me understand why the Ripjaws DDR4-3000 is a "better model" than the Ripjaws DDR4-3200? I assumed the 3200 would be better than the 3000.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 22, 2018 03:16
|
|
|
If my friend has Windows 10 on a flash drive, can I use that when we build my PC? As I understand it, I could use an inactivated version until I get a key and activate Windows. I'd also read that a Windows 7 key can work for Windows 10 in some cases, if you did the free 10 upgrade. I haven't given up hope that I'll find my old Windows 7 CD with the key, but if I can't or that wouldn't work anyway, I plan on picking up a key. But is it true I'm just prevented from personalization options until I activate 10 with a key and could do other stuff besides set my wallpaper?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 26, 2018 02:53
|
|
|
Stickman posted:Is your Windows 7 CD for you currently running OS? You should be able to recover your key with MagicalJellyBean or some similar software. My current OS is 10, but when I installed the OS originally, it was 7 from a CD with a key. We moved since then and the Windows 7 CD wasn't in the spot I'd thought I'd have put it, so I'm not confident I'd be able to find it. Is it guaranteed that if I get a utility to pull my current key from the registry, that it would work to activate Win 10 on a new PC build? And I guess moreover, is it guaranteed that if I buy a Windows 7 key, it would for sure work to activate Windows 10? It seems weird to me that that would work--I kind of get it if I can find my specific Windows 7 key, since I upgraded to 10 from it, they'd let me transfer it to a new PC. But why would they let me activate Windows 10 with a Windows 7 key? Wouldn't everyone just buy Windows 7 keys then because they are much cheaper than Windows 10 keys? If I can use unactivated 10 to confirm my PC boots and do initial installs of stuff, it's somewhat a moot point how I get the key, but I'm just curious now.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 26, 2018 17:31
|
|
|
VelociBacon posted:What clock speed is it idling at? Nvidia has some issues with high idles if you have a 144hz monitor and a non-144hz monitor at the same time. Can you elaborate on this? I was planning on using my non 144hz current monitor as a second monitor alongside the new 144hz one that should be arriving tomorrow. And if the idle temp is high, what are the consequences and how can it be mitigated?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 27, 2018 13:19
|
|
|
I posted in the actual SA Mart thread, but thought maybe I'd get a faster answer here--will a Win 7 Pro key work to activate a Win 10 Home? I'd like to get my boot media set up tonight with the expectation of buying a key, but wanted to confirm if the Win 7 Pro would work for Win 10 Home, or I should get Win 10 Pro instead. I don't really need / want any of the Pro features, but if that's the cheapest way to get Win 10, I'll go for it.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 27, 2018 23:58
|
|
|
VelociBacon posted:No reason to get Home anyways AFAIK? It just seemed like Pro would be running a bunch of extra background stuff I don't care about, but if the price is the same and Pro is fine, I'll just go with that.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2018 00:51
|
|
|
Is there a recommendation for surge protection power strips? My current one is just a strip from IKEA I think. I remember surge protectors being a big deal in my youth but no one has mentioned much about them in this thread. Is there a decent one I could pick up at Walmart or something? Doing my build tomorrow I hope, just trying to pick up any last minute things I'll need tonight, like the strip, some compressed air for when I take the drives from my current PC, and a small Phillips head for the M.2.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2018 13:07
|
|
|
Quick question, does Best Buy generally have thermal paste in stock? Somehow I missed ordering some when I got the rest of my parts and obviously am going to need some to build today!
|
|
#
¿
Sep 29, 2018 13:30
|
|
|
Arivia posted:Your cooler will likely come with a tube of paste or even pre-applied thermal compound if it’s new. I double checked and it did, I just assumed it would have been mentioned on the box and it wasn't.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 29, 2018 16:32
|
|
|
Blowjob Overtime posted:Did someone in here post a link to "things to do immediately after putting together a new PC"? The OP has a few programs to install, but I thought there was a link someone had somewhat recently. It might have come up after someone realized their RAM wasn't running at the right speed for multiple years.. Seconding this, I just built mine on Saturday, updated Windows, updated my GPU drivers, downloaded some programs, formatted my secondary SSD so I could use it, and activated Windows with a key, but I still feel I'm missing stuff. I looked at updating my motherboard drivers but the ASrock site had like a dozen files for my model and I didn't understand what they were or if I should install them or not, so I didn't get any of them yet. Also read about color calibrating my monitor but wasn't sure if it was necessary or recommended? Also also is there a temperature checking app that overlays when you're running a game so you can see if the CPU and GPU temps are what you expect? I had the HW one on my second monitor but I'd prefer it in the corner as an overlay.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 1, 2018 20:04
|
|
|
I built my PC a week or so ago and it's been running fine, but I do have a question around the CPU temperature. I have an i5-8600K and the Cryorig H7 49.0 CPU cooler installed, along with the two case fans that came with it. (here's the link for the whole build if that helps: https://pcpartpicker.com/user/astrangeaeon/saved/zW2299) I've read that the average temperature while gaming for an i5 is supposed to be 50 to 63 C, but through MSI Afterburner, I've noticed mine runs closer to high 70s, with a spike to 81 being the max when I was playing Metro 2033 last night. I've read that anything under 90 C isn't REALLY a big deal, but since I planned on potentially overclocking this in a few years, I'm worried I set something up wrong. Is this something I should be worried about and if so, what would be some common things I could check or settings I could adjust to make it run cooler? I'm trying not to be too paranoid, since if I wasn't actively looking at the temperature, I'd never notice anything, since everything runs how I'd expect for the hardware I bought. But the fact that it seems so above the average makes me wonder. Also, I realize this isn't specifically about building a PC, so if there's a better thread I should post in, let me know.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 7, 2018 16:41
|
|
|
MarksMan posted:Ideally, that's what I would like to do since I have tons of 8 card and a few 12 card hanging/open air rig structures. It would be great if I was able to just find a motherboard that could support that amount of RAM with enough x1 slots to use with a hanging rig. It would make it so I essentially only have to buy a new mobo, processor (have a ton of Celeron's and one 1920x I got from a trade with a goon recently) and the RAM sticks. Just that amount of RAM and processor needed alone aren't exactly cheap. Why do you need so many cards? I feel like I'm missing some fundamental use case and I'm curious.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 21, 2018 15:18
|
|
|
Zack Ater posted:I wouldn't have much to contribute, but I would be very interested in following a thread about this stuff. Same for sure. I'm sure my setup could be improved.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 24, 2018 03:49
|
|
|
exquisite tea posted:Looks like they booted in Depeche Mode. This didn't get enough love!
|
|
#
¿
Nov 21, 2018 17:55
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 10, 2024 12:07 |
|
|
My brother is putting together a build and I wanted to run his choices by the thread, since you all helped me out so much with my build a few months back! He's USA, primary use would be for gaming, though he's fine with 1080p. As far as graphics, if he could run AAA titles at High, he'd be satisfied. He mentioned wanting to play around with VR stuff as well, though. Budget is 2 to 2.5K, though if a build can meet his needs, the less the better, of course. He's not sure on storage yet--he mentioned an M.2 SSD for the OS and maybe a big HDD for media storage. He's not sure on cooling either, both in picking a CPU Cooler, and figuring out if he should get more fans than what will come with the case. I think he picked the case just because he thought it'd be easy to work with, but I'm sure he'd be open to other options if there's cheaper ones available. Since he picked the 9700K I'm assuming he plans on overclocking at some point. Here's what he has so far: PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($418.99 @ Amazon) Motherboard: MSI - MPG Z390 GAMING PRO CARBON AC ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($226.79 @ Newegg) Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($112.99 @ Newegg) Video Card: Asus - GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB DUAL Advanced Video Card ($392.99 @ SuperBiiz) Case: Rosewill - THOR V2 ATX Full Tower Case ($131.25 @ Amazon) Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($144.99 @ Amazon) Total: $1428.00 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-15 20:57 EDT-0400 Any suggestions for the cooling and storage? And then if there might be better options for any parts than what he picked out?
|
|
#
¿
Mar 16, 2019 02:15
|
|