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"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 2. Read the OP. Rocking 2500K's until HBM2 and beyond.

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Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Use Ctrl+F or your search function to help find what you are looking for

2016 Thread: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1222740

Laptop-GAF and TechSupportGAF - Visit our friends here
120/144Hz LightBoost thread - For all your low frametime (High FPS) needs
2014 High-res PC screenshot thread + PC Down / Super Sampling Thread + PC Bullshot Thread (Amazing) - Beautiful candy for your pupils
Race (and Overclock) your PC Thread - Benchmark and Overclock (With Guides) your new or old PC here
Mechanical Keyboard Talk - Talk about buying expensive and loud clacky things here

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This OP is a constant work in progress. If you have something to correct, add, or critique please PM me or msg @HazardVG on Twitter.

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05/07/16: Next gen GPUs: nVidia 1080/1070 Thread (May 27th start of launch), AMD - TBD
08/05/2015: Intel releases new 'Skylake' architecture for CPUs (6600K and 6700K) on new Z170 chipset motherboards (New Socket LGA1151)
07/15/2015: Picking a WD Green or RED HDD
07/01/2015: Builds updated Link: http://bit.ly/NEWPC2015
10/15/2014: [PSA] Samsung 840 EVO SSD FW update and fix is out. Only affects 840 EVO. GAF Thread.
08/04/2012: Two useful cooling articles: Case Fan Temps and Positioning - (Bit-Tech), 60 Fans Tested (Vortez)

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If you want help with a build fill this out AND try making one of your own from the resources in the OP :)
Use PCPartPickerhttp://pcpartpicker.com/ to find the best prices and have a nice list of parts (Check if items are in stock!). I highly recommend Amazon, Newegg, and NCIXUS in North America.

[Basic Desktop Questions]
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  • Your Current Specs: CPU / RAM / Motherboard / GPU (Graphics) / PSU (Power Supply) / Case / HDD (Hard Drive)
  • Budget: Price Range + Country
  • Main Use: Rate 1-5. 5 being Highest: Light Gaming, Gaming, Emulation (PS2/Wii), Video Editing, Streaming games in HD, 3D/Model work (and what program), General Usage (Word, Web, 1080p playback).
  • Monitor Resolution: What resolution will you be playing your games at? Are you going to upgrade later? Are you buying a new monitor?
  • List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Is 30FPS acceptable? 60? 120? How important is PhysX / SuperSampling / CUDA to you?
  • Looking to reuse any parts?: List make and model (e.g. Corsair 520HX, 640GB SATA HDD, Antec 900)
  • When will you build?: Do you have a deadline?
  • Will you be overclocking?: Yes, No, Maybe (This means yes!)

PICKING YOUR PARTS
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Anandtech's 'Bench' CPU and GPU Benchmarks
- A great resource. Helpful for getting a general idea of performance or comparing hardware.


NeoGAF PC Builds
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Mkenyon's Small Form Factor Build Sheet - http://bit.ly/GAFBox2014



Haz's PC Build Sheet - http://bit.ly/NEWPC2015


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[QUIET OPTIONS]
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$50 - BitFenix Comrade
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$70 - NZXT H230 . . . . .
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$110 - Fractal R5 . . . . . . . .
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$130 - Fractal Define XL R2​

[BUDGET]
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$45 - SilverStone PS10B
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$45 - Enermax Ostrog
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$50 - CM N400 . . . . . . . . . .
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$60 - Corsair 200R​

[ENHANCED]
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$70 - NZXT S340 . . . . . .
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$90 - Phanteks Pro . .
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$100 - Phanteks Pro Adv .
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$110 - Fractal Arc Midi R2​

[ENTHUSIAST]
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$150 Corsair Air 540 . . .
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$150 - NZXT H630 . . . .
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$240 - Phanteks Primo . . . .
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$400 - CaseLabs SM8​

[Micro ATX]
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$40 - Silverstone PS08
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$100 - Corsair Air 240 .
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$100 - Define Mini . . . . . . .
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$110 - Node 804​

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These headphones are mainly chosen for positional quality. No budget headsets since most are poor. I suggest going with a 3.5mm mic and Xonar DGX if needed instead.

[HEADSETS]
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$80 - Func HS-260
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$250/300 - Sennheiser 350 SE / 363D - 363D are open ear, include virtual 7.1 DAC, and are USB.


[HEADPHONES]
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$45 - Superlux HD668B
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$75 - Creative Aurvana Live!
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$150 - BD DT990 250 Ohm Pro
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$250 - AKG Q701


[MICS]
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$50 - Antlion ModMic 4.0 (Detachable magnetic clip on your headphones, great quality)
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$3 - DX Clip-on mic (2-6 Week shipping)


[KEYBOARDS]
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Mechanical switches are referred to Cherry MX switches. MX Brown = Quiet tactile, MX Blue = loud tactile, MX Black = stiff linear, MX Red = soft linear. Cooler Master University.

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$15 - Rosewill RIKB . . . . . .
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$15 - MS Keyboard 200
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$50 - Corsair K30

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$90 - CM Quickfire Stealth
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$90 - CM Quickfire XT . .
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$180 - CM Novatouch TKL

[PERFORMANCE MICE]
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Speed, accuracy, and sensor customization are valued here.

Spawn is an amazing value designed for claw and hybrid grips as it centers weight right under claw grip. If you absolutely love the MX518 shape, then the G400S is a good choice at $45, but is outperformed by the Rival and M45. The Corsair is a better fit for strict palm grip with large hands, and for those who prefer a heavier mouse. The Rival is lighter and is good with palm and hybrid grips and has great software. G502 is apparently the second coming of Gaben or something like that.

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$35 - CM Storm Spawn
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$45 - Logitech G400S .
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$60 - Corsair M45 . .
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$60 - SteelSeries Rival . .
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$80 - Logitech G502


[AMBIDEXTROUS AND MMO MICE]
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For those extra buttons over a very precise sensor.

The Recon has a great sensor and firmware for the price, as well as an ambi grip. The Sensei does as well, and has the best sensor here. The M95's side button layout is the best of the MMO oriented mice. G700s is the only wireless mouse listed here.

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$35 - CM Storm Recon . .
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$60 - SS Sensei Raw
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$80 - Corsair M95 . .
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$90 - Logitech G700s


[PADS]
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For most people, any cheap cloth pad will be fine. These are some other options.

The Ripper XXL is massive, allowing a seamless mousing surface.The CM Storm Control RX is a thicker hybrid design with a lycra surface allowing for easier gliding movements, and is best suited for low CPI/DPI. The CM Storm Power RX is a large textured surface allowing for good control without destroying mouse feet. The Artisan Shiden is a glass coated cloth pad that defies the typical trade-off between textured and smooth surfaces, as it has great control and allows for smooth whips.

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$20 - XTrac Ripper XXL
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$30 - CM Control-RX . . . .
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$35 - CM Power-RX . .
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$40-50 - Artisan Shiden L or XL


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[BUDGET]
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$140 - ASUS VS229H-P
And any $100-$140 monitor that has decent reviews and is not an lesser brand. Many of the higher monitors also go on steep discounts.

[STANDARD]
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$170 - ASUS VS238H-P . .
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$170 - ASUS VS239H-P

The 238H is a TN panel with better motion resolution and less input lag. The 239H is an IPS panel with better colors.

[120Hz+ @ 1080p]
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$280 - BenQ XL2411Z . . . .
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$280 - ASUS VG248QE
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$600 - Eizo Foris FG2421

The BenQ XL2411Z is currently the best TN high refresh rate monitor to buy, with a firmware based strobing effect that works with BlurBuster's Strobing Utility. Get the ASUS VG248QE for G-Sync compatibility, module not included. The Eizo is a VA panel with native strobing which allows for very impressive colors with near zero blur.

[1440/4K]
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$450 - Nixeus Vue 27 . . . .
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$800 - Acer XB270HU (Has QA issues, still best) . . . . .
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$700 - ASUS PB287Q

The Nixeus Vue is a great H-IPS panel for the money if you're looking for a 1440p panel that has great colors. The panel used is rated A/A+, compared to the typical A- panel used in most of the "Korean IPS" monitors. It also includes a warranty, which is fairly important for a monitor this size. The RoG Swift is a TN panel with a built in G-Sync module, and is capable of 144Hz. Compared to IPS panels, the color consistency won't be as accurate, but motion resolution is near perfect with ULMB, and variable refresh rate with G-Sync will give you a smoother gaming experience on titles you can't run with 8.3ms frame times (120 FPS). The ASUS is the best large 4K monitor you can buy under $1000.


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Amazon (Parts)
Newegg (Parts)
NCIX.US (Parts)
Performance-PCs (Cases, Fans Acessories)
Micro Center (Parts and great IN STORE deals)


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NCIX (Parts, Assembly, Price Match)
Amazon.CA (Parts)
Canada Computers (Parts) - Eastern Regional
Memory Express (Parts, Assembly, Price Match) - Western Regional
Newegg.CA (Parts, Ships from US)


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Novatech (Parts)
Overclockers UK (Parts)
Amazon UK (Parts)
Aria PC (Parts)
Ebuyer (Parts, Custom Built)
Microdirect (Parts)
HardwareVersand (Parts)
Misco (Parts)
Scan (Parts)
Dino PC (Custom Built)
YoYoTech (Custom Built)


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PC Case Gear (Parts, Best Online Retailer)
PCDIY (Parts)
CPL (Parts)
Umart (Parts, Cheaper Shipping Outside Victoria)
Scorpion Technology (Parts)
MSY (Parts)
staticICE (Product Finder)


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The Tech Report
PC Perspective
AnandTech
TechPowerUp
X-bit labs
HardOCP
Hardware Canucks
Jonnyguru + HardwareSecrets = Legit PSU reviews
Silent PC Review = The quiet side of computing

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Ninite A batch downloader and installer for popular programs. A fantastic time saver for any new PC build.
Steam Mover tool for moving Steam games to a different HDD/SSD
Steam Tool Another tool for moving steam games.

MSI Afterburner (aka RivaTuner) allows you to manage GPU overclocking, fan speed/profiles and chart many aspects of your GPU.
CPU-Z - gathers information on your Motherboard, BIOS, CPU, FSB, VCORE voltage and memory timings.
GPU-Z gathers information (Speed, architecture, temps) on your video card and GPU.
Real Temp allows you to monitor the temperature of your CPU core(s).
HWInfo allows you to monitor fan speed, temperature, voltage, etc.
CrystalDiskMark Tests read and write speed of your hard drives.

nVidia Inspector allows you to optimize the display, improve the performance and fully utilize your NVIDIA graphics card.
Radeon Pro allows you to optimize the display, improve the performance and fully utilize your AMD graphics card.
Dxtory / nVidia driver options allows you to limit the frame rate on most games. Excellent for older games or just getting a locked framerate.
Fraps allows you to record real time video, take screen captures and display your FPS.
Open Broadcast Software a streaming and recording program for things like Twitch.TV A free and better competitor to XSplit.

OCCT allows you to stress test your CPU and GPU, along with GPU memory.
Prime95 allows you to stress test your CPU and RAM for stability.
FURMark allows you to stress test your video card.
Memtest86+ allows you to run a full memory scan to deal with the blue screen of death and system errors.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
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[Video Build Guides]
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The Tech Report - A nicely laid out and compact build guide

TTL OC3D - A more enthusiast build guide that covers some extra things you can do along with cable management

Thermal Paste: Apply as a ~4mm ball to the CPU. Press the heatsink down and tighten. Line method is ok. Application matters way less than you think. If you take the heatsink off, clean it with alcohol and reapply or you will trap air.
That darn CoolerMaster 212: Why won't you install I swear I was good with computers. A handy picture guide.


[Overclocking Guides]
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Socket 1155 Overclocking Guide (Sandy, Ivy, 2500K, 3570K, 3770K, all motherboards)
Socket 1150 (Haswell) OC Guide (4670K, 4770K)
3 step guide to overclocking Haswell (Socket 1150, Z87, 4670K, 4770K)
SSD Setup and Tweaking
Video Card Cooler Guide by mkenyon(ZFZ)

[Help! My PC won't turn on/POST/Boot]
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  • Check your manual for beep codes or debug LED display codes
  • Shutoff your PC, switch off the PSU, and unplug the power cable. Wait 10s and hold the power button to drain the remaining power out of the system
  • Check your power is on I and the correct Voltage (120V/240V)
  • Check that you plugged in the extra motherboard power (4 or 8 pin)
  • Reconnect all your cables (Data and Power)
  • Try a single stick of memory in the first RAM slot (read your manual), then try the other
  • Check for any loose screws or bits in the case and behind the motherboard
  • Check that you installed the motherboard standoff screws (Some cases have these pre-installed)
  • Remount the GPU on another PCI-E slot, or try no GPU
  • As a last step assemble the bare minimum outside the case (PSU, CPU, Heatsink, 1 stick of RAM, nothing else)

[mkenyon's Guide to Efficient Formatting/Windows Installation]
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  1. Get an ISO of either Windows 7 or Windows 8.
  2. While the ISO is downloading, go to your motherboard manufacturer's website to the support section. Locate your motherboard and download the newest Chipset, Audio, USB 3.0, and LAN drivers. If your motherboard has unique features such as the ASUS RoG line, it's a good idea to get the drivers for those as well. Put those on a separate flash drive.
  3. Go to NVIDIA or AMD's website and download the latest videocard drivers. Put those on the same flash drive as the motherboard drivers.
  4. Next, download the Microsoft USB Installation utility. Use this to put Windows on a Flash Drive.
  5. If you are installing Windows 7, you'll need to take an extra step of allowing you to choose the proper SKU for installation, as the ISO is Ultimate by default. Once the utility is finished writing the ISO to your Flash Drive, open the drive in Windows Explorer, and locate the 'Sources' folder. In this folder is a file called 'ei.cfg'. Delete that.
  6. Next, start the PC with the Flash Drive plugged directly into your rear I/O. Upon boot, go into UEFI/BIOS, as you will need to set the Flash Drive to be the primary boot disk. Once this is completed, restart your system and begin installing Windows.
  7. Once you are in, go ahead an put the flash drive in with the drivers. Install those, and reboot.
  8. After you reboot, you should be able to run Windows Update, which will most likely install all of the remaining drivers as well as update Windows.
  9. When Windows Update finishes, you can go into Device Manager to check if there are any unrecognized devices. If there are, get the drivers for those from your motherboard manufacturer's website.
If you used your USB as a boot device for something else and Windows won't install check this post using diskpart.


[SSD Tip and Tools]
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SSD Setup and tweak guide [SSDReview]

Disable defragmentation
Description: Defragmenting a hard disk's used space is only useful on mechanical disks with multi-millisecond latencies. Free-space defragmentation may be useful to SSDs, but this feature is not available in the default Windows Defragmenter.
Instructions: Start Menu -> Right-Click Computer -> Manage -> Services and Applications -> Services - > Right-Click Disk Defragmenter -> Startup type: Disabled -> OK

Disable Hibernate
Description: You may free up 1GB of space on the SSD if you have 1GB of memory, 2GB of space if you have 2GB memory. You will lose the hibernation feature which allows the equivalent of quick boots and shutdowns.
Instructions: Start Menu -> Type cmd -> Right-Click the cmd Icon -> Run as Administrator -> Type powercfg -h off -> Type exit

Links to useful SSD tools:
Crystal Mark Bench + NFO Tool
AS-SSD TOOL
Steam Mover Tool

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2016 Thread Part 1
2015 Thread Part 1 + Part 2
2014 Thread Part 1 + Part 2 + Part 3
2013 Thread Part 1 + Part 2
2012 Thread Part 1 + Part 2
2011 Thread Part 1 + Part 2
2010 Thread / 2009 Thread / 2008 Thread
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Small Form Factor Build Guide
Or, how to build the GAF Box One

Quick note, these builds will be updated in a few weeks with AMD's Kaveri APUs releasing soon. They might shake up a bit more than budget HTPCs.


One of the main factors that one faces when dealing with SFF builds is ensuring that heatsinks and parts fit in the tiny spaces provided. The parts in these build sheets are far less loose in terms of picking out something slightly different. I can only ensure proper clearances on the items that are in the build sheet.

In terms of being able to hold the most powerful hardware, only the CM 120 Elite is limited. So if you want to pack a 280x, 780, or Titan in an ITX enclosure, then you'll want to skip that. From there it's mostly a choice of aesthetics, though the Prodigy/Phenom is the most capable in terms of moving heat.

The AMD APU builds are perfectly good gaming machines if you aren't planning on running anything graphically intensive. Indie games, Source, older titles, and even some newer ones like Dirt will run wonderfully on these systems. You do get what you pay for in terms of performance when you upgrade to the A8 or A10, though the A6 will certainly be able to handle HTPC tasks and light gaming. If you are just looking for an inexpensive computer that will handle browsing, 1080p video, and light gaming, then it's definitely the way to go. The HTPC builds will fit in all of the cases, but I only included them in the two cases that would look acceptable in a media center. That's a subjective call on my part, so if you are smitten with another case design, feel free to apply the HTPC column to any of the other cases.

Also, none of these cases will fit GPUs that are larger than two slots. This means stuff like the Tri-Frozr, Gainward Phantom, ASUS DCuII, and the like. If you have questions about a card in specific, please ask.

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Yesss, new thread smell.

To not make this a content-less post, what devices tend to use up PCIE lanes? I know PCIE SSDs can use up to 4 lanes, but what else do I have to be concerned with? Do USB 3 devices use PCIE lanes at all?
 
That new thread smell.

Still waiting to pick up a Fractal Design R5 in white after missing it on Newegg last week. I've been trying to make the decision to go with that or the NZXT H440. I'm currently using a NZXT Source 210 and I want to get something that's quiet. Not to say my current machine makes a lot of noise but hell it could look a lot better on the outside.
 

ricki42

Member
Nice new thread!
You kept the Define R4 in the case recommendations. Should that be R5, or is the R5 not worth the extra money over the R4?
 

Yoshichan

And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
So I'm buying my first SSD. All I need is to buy a PSU that has an SSD "connector/cable"? Nothing else, right?
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Something something Skylake something something
Nice new thread!
You kept the Define R4 in the case recommendations. Should that be R5, or is the R5 not worth the extra money over the R4?
It's on the to do list!
It's just a copy paste because it's over the 20,000 post thread limit and I was away.
Yesss, new thread smell.

To not make this a content-less post, what devices tend to use up PCIE lanes? I know PCIE SSDs can use up to 4 lanes, but what else do I have to be concerned with? Do USB 3 devices use PCIE lanes at all?
Audio Cards and Capture cards are the primary concerns for most. RAID cards and extra SATA 6gbps or USB 3 Cards (That are add-on and don't use the motherboard ports).

*Maybe you mean this?
2TMiEpj.png
 

ricki42

Member
So I'm buying my first SSD. All I need is to buy a PSU that has an SSD "connector/cable"? Nothing else, right?

SSDs use the same Sata power cables as HDs. Quite often those cables have several connectors, so you may be able to hook the SSD up to the same cable as your HD. You'll also need a SATA data cable, which probably came with your mobo.
 

Smokey

Member
New thread yis

Acer XB270HU should be mentioned in the OP. It's an overall better monitor than the ROG Swift.

Philips 4065UC should also be mentioned in the 4k section. $800 or so for a 40'' 4k VA Panel.
 

An1malhouse365

Neo Member
First post on this topic slash thread and on the first page. Nice!

I got my 3 dell U2414h from amazon warehouse deals and they look great!

Couple questions. Building my very first gaming pc.

Any idea when the I7 6700 are going to be available from amazon? And could anyone recommend a good mobo to go with it. I was looking at MSI Z170 KRAIT GAMING ATX DDR4 3000 (o.c.) NA Motherboards Z170 KRAIT GAMING
but to be honest what attracted me more was the bulk/wht theme I'm going for? Any good? Recommendations? Memory as well.

I have a 980ti G1 on the way and about $550 in credit to burn on amazon. As I already said I have the 3 ultrasharps and a NTXZ 530 blk.
Any help is greatly appreciated
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
The Corsair K70 Vengeance seems solid, but I'm looking for a $50 keyboard, if possible, that doesn't have the problem I identified :v
You are looking for NKRO, TMK basically all mech keyboards have this.
New thread HYPE. Not much better.
Sorry :(
Life stuff n shit
New thread yis

Acer XB270HU should take the place or be mentioned in the OP. It's an overall better monitor than the ROG Swift.

Philips 4065UC should also be mentioned in the 4k section. $800 or so for a 40'' 4k VA Panel.
I had the R5 and the XB listed as replacements, but it still has huge QC issues right?
As long as they know they wont have DVD bays!
The age of skylake has arrived.
Age of buying used SB/IB parts, sure :p
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
With my PC on my desk beside my monitors I'm now really itching for something smaller. Not sure I'll ever get a full ATX case/motherboard again, just seems unnecessary.

Subbed, even though I hardly ever post here.
 
Have my Skylake build coming in (have a i7 960 right now) and trying to decide what I want to do for my GPU. My monitor is 1600p and I have 6950 CF. I'm considering trying to find a cheap 290 (is it possible to get these less than $200?) now and spending $400 - 500 in a couple years or just dropping $650 for a GTX 980 Ti. What's holding me back from that right now is I mostly console game.
 

Evo X

Member
Have my Skylake build coming in (have a i7 960 right now) and trying to decide what I want to do for my GPU. My monitor is 1600p and I have 6950 CF. I'm considering trying to find a cheap 290 (is it possible to get these less than $200?) now and spending $400 - 500 in a couple years or just dropping $650 for a GTX 980 Ti. What's holding me back from that right now is I mostly console game.

980Ti with Skylake will probably last you the rest of the console generation at 1600p.
 

baphomet

Member
So at this point my PC is kind of done. There's no fun in that though. I've got sli 980 tis, 4690k, 32gb ram, and an SSD. Would something like the H100i be worth investing in? Or would I get better performance going with an 4790k or possibly even a skylake build?
 
So at this point my PC is kind of done. There's no fun in that though. I've got sli 980 tis, 4690k, 32gb ram, and an SSD. Would something like the H100i be worth investing in? Or would I get better performance going with an 4790k or possibly even a skylake build?

Not worth it.. what speed do you have your 4690K at ?

What monitor are you using?
 
980Ti with Skylake will probably last you the rest of the console generation at 1600p.

How much do high end / enthusiast cards like these get discounted on black friday? I wouldn't have a problem waiting 2-3 months and using my current GPUs until then but if it would only be something like $50 waiting wouldn't be worth it.
 

SRG01

Member
So at this point my PC is kind of done. There's no fun in that though. I've got sli 980 tis, 4690k, 32gb ram, and an SSD. Would something like the H100i be worth investing in? Or would I get better performance going with an 4790k or possibly even a skylake build?

Don't bother with a water cooler. Typical air OC with a good cooler will get you amazing performance without the hassle of a possible AIO liquid cooler breakdown.
 

Enduin

No bald cap? Lies!
Have my Skylake build coming in (have a i7 960 right now) and trying to decide what I want to do for my GPU. My monitor is 1600p and I have 6950 CF. I'm considering trying to find a cheap 290 (is it possible to get these less than $200?) now and spending $400 - 500 in a couple years or just dropping $650 for a GTX 980 Ti. What's holding me back from that right now is I mostly console game.

I'm in a similar boat, going to be building totally new Skylake rig in the next couple weeks, but I'm going to hold off upgrading my GPU, 3GB 7950, until next year when Nvidia rolls out Pascal and AMD hopefully puts out something worthwhile with HBM2 since Fury has not really wowed me.

Then again I'm not yet looking to jump beyond 1080 gaming right now so waiting till next year might be wasted on me. We'll see, maybe I'll go nuts and get a badass high end card and a new monitor to match it and dump my older 1080 monitor, or set up some tri-monitor crazy shit setup that I have absolutely no need for but who cares.
 

Smokey

Member
I had the R5 and the XB listed as replacements, but it still has huge QC issues right?

It does have some QC issues. The ROG Swift does as well. I'm on my second. If you can get a good XB it is the best on the market. Maybe put it in the OP with a disclaimer about QC concerns.
 
Have my Skylake build coming in (have a i7 960 right now) and trying to decide what I want to do for my GPU. My monitor is 1600p and I have 6950 CF. I'm considering trying to find a cheap 290 (is it possible to get these less than $200?) now and spending $400 - 500 in a couple years or just dropping $650 for a GTX 980 Ti. What's holding me back from that right now is I mostly console game.

Can't imagine a 290 being enough for 1600p.

My gtx 970 isn't that's for sure (and it's supposedly equivalent ish to 290x)
1440-1600p downsampling@ over 60 in most games , but in actually demanding games like gta5/ac unity it just isn't fast enough for a consistent 60 fps at that kind of resolution. (unless you're willing to turn settings way down:p)
 
Does anybody know what the difference between the Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H and -UD5H are? I took a quick look at the specs and they seem to be the same motherboards or at least very near identical. I ask because Canada Computers has the -UD3H on for $139 after an instant $30 off and $119 after the mail-in rebate. Normally its just a $10 difference between the -UD5H and UD3H, so if there are not any significant differences I think I am just going to go ahead and purchase the -UD3H along with an Intel Core i5 4960K.
 

SRG01

Member
Does anybody know what the difference between the Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H and -UD5H are? I took a quick look at the specs and they seem to be the same motherboards or at least very near identical. I ask because Canada Computers has the -UD3H on for $139 after an instant $30 off and $119 after the mail-in rebate. Normally its just a $10 difference between the -UD5H and UD3H, so if there are not any significant differences I think I am just going to go ahead and purchase the -UD3H along with an Intel Core i5 4960K.

Here you go :) http://motherboards.specout.com/compare/3456-3462/GIGABYTE-GA-Z97X-UD5H-vs-GIGABYTE-GA-Z97X-UD3H
 
Does anybody know what the difference between the Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H and -UD5H are? I took a quick look at the specs and they seem to be the same motherboards or at least very near identical. I ask because Canada Computers has the -UD3H on for $139 after an instant $30 off and $119 after the mail-in rebate. Normally its just a $10 difference between the -UD5H and UD3H, so if there are not any significant differences I think I am just going to go ahead and purchase the -UD3H along with an Intel Core i5 4960K.

Check the specs more closely maybe, seems like the 5 has more USB ports, dual ethernet, more SATA ports, maybe some other stuff.
 

Evo X

Member
How much do high end / enthusiast cards like these get discounted on black friday? I wouldn't have a problem waiting 2-3 months and using my current GPUs until then but if it would only be something like $50 waiting wouldn't be worth it.

Not much tbh. Especially since nothing better than the 980Ti is coming until the middle of next year. Probably a game bundle or something.
 
I was wondering when the other thread would close lol.

Just bought my CPU cooler and mobo with price match. Now it's just the wait for the i7-6700k.
 
While I fully understand that Skylake seems to be not that much of an improvement, I'm currently rocking a stock i5 4670. Would an i7 6700k that I intended to put an aftermarket cooler on and OC be a useful upgrade? Keeping in mind I can't oc my existing chip since I'm a non-k variant.

980ti and G-sync monitor otherwise. I'm kind of hoping to move out of a small form factor case later in the year and get something roomy with good air flow. Maybe even do a closed loop cooler on the CPU if I'm feeling brave.
 

jsrv

Member
So I'm guessing they're giving Kaby Lake improved TIM since the TIM in Skylake doesn't seem to be all that great? (Kind of like Haswell -> Devil's Canyon revision?)
 
While I fully understand that Skylake seems to be not that much of an improvement, I'm currently rocking a stock i5 4670. Would an i7 6700k that I intended to put an aftermarket cooler on and OC be a useful upgrade? Keeping in mind I can't oc my existing chip since I'm a non-k variant.

980ti and G-sync monitor otherwise. I'm kind of hoping to move out of a small form factor case later in the year and get something roomy with good air flow. Maybe even do a closed loop cooler on the CPU if I'm feeling brave.

I think a 4790k makes more sense, you don't have to buy a new mobo and ram.
 
I think a 4790k makes more sense, you don't have to buy a new mobo and ram.

My Mobo has some dicky shit with audio jacks sometimes that I'm hoping magically goes away if I get another one. I had to disable front headphone jack because if I didn't it constantly said something just got plugged in / unplugged, even when there was nothing there, and it would interrupt sound coming from my pc constantly. Some other people online had a similar issue and nobody could fix it. Also will be switching from a SFF mobo to a full size one, although I do know that you can put a smaller mobo in a larger case.

And if I'm buying a new CPU I sort of feel like I "want" to get the latest one purely for irrational new-cpu-smell reasons. See my avatar for reference on my PC spending habits. Not so bothered by getting DDR4 ram, prices seem to have come down a bit compared to their peak.
 
While I fully understand that Skylake seems to be not that much of an improvement, I'm currently rocking a stock i5 4670. Would an i7 6700k that I intended to put an aftermarket cooler on and OC be a useful upgrade? Keeping in mind I can't oc my existing chip since I'm a non-k variant.

980ti and G-sync monitor otherwise. I'm kind of hoping to move out of a small form factor case later in the year and get something roomy with good air flow. Maybe even do a closed loop cooler on the CPU if I'm feeling brave.

Nah, I think anyone would have to be at least as old as Sandybridge before they want to go Skylake if we're talking about cost efficiency.

That's why I'm upgrading, and my PC is dying for some reason.

The real Skylake with the massive improvement will come later. Cannonlake or Kaby Lake or whatever. I think Cannonlake is the die shrink which will be massive for small form factor PCs.
 
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