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"I need a New PC!" 2013 Part 1. Haswell, Crysis 3, and secret fairy sauce. Read da OP

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News Bot

Banned
Motherboard and processor arrived, ready to put together the new build when I get home from work.

Incidentally, some scumbag in the postal service tore open the box, didn't see anything worth stealing, and sealed it up again with tape. Haven't found any damage so far, thankfully.
 
Motherboard and processor arrived, ready to put together the new build when I get home from work.

Incidentally, some scumbag in the postal service tore open the box, didn't see anything worth stealing, and sealed it up again with tape. Haven't found any damage so far, thankfully.

Same thing happened to me except the asshole left the box open. Mine was just a pair of Corsair fans though.
 

Osiris

I permanently banned my 6 year old daughter from using the PS4 for mistakenly sending grief reports as it's too hard to watch or talk to her
Ok, so a bit of bargaining with the wife has led to a further tweak to my build.

(New GFX card in the build in return for agreeing to a new washing machine, yeah :p)

CPU: Intel Core i7 3770K
Cooler: Corsair H100i Extreme Water Cooler
M'board:Gigabyte Z77X-D3H
Memory:16GB Corsair 1600mhz Vengeance (2x8GB)
HDD: 1TB S-ATAIII 6.0Gb/s
DVD: 22x DVD±RW DL S-ATA
GPU: AMD Radeon HD 7950 3GB
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl
PSU: 650W Corsair TX V2


Can't wait! =)
 

kennah

Member
Ok, so a bit of bargaining with the wife has led to a further tweak to my build.

(New GFX card in the build in return for agreeing to a new washing machine, yeah :p)

CPU: Intel Core i7 3770K
Cooler: Corsair H100i Extreme Water Cooler
M'board:Gigabyte Z77-D3H
Memory:16GB Corsair 1600mhz Vengeance (2x8GB)
HDD: 1TB S-ATAIII 6.0Gb/s
DVD: 22x DVD±RW DL S-ATA
GPU: AMD Radeon HD 7950 3GB
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl
PSU: 650W Corsair TX V2


Can't wait! =)

Awesome, love the wife bargaining :) My deal was after I'm "done" no upgrades for 4 years.

Luckily we didn't define "done" and this build has been going on for a year already.

Decent build there. You're going to delid right?
 

mkenyon

Banned
Ok, so a bit of bargaining with the wife has led to a further tweak to my build.

(New GFX card in the build in return for agreeing to a new washing machine, yeah :p)

CPU: Intel Core i7 3770K
Cooler: Corsair H100i Extreme Water Cooler
M'board:Gigabyte Z77-D3H
Memory:16GB Corsair 1600mhz Vengeance (2x8GB)
HDD: 1TB S-ATAIII 6.0Gb/s
DVD: 22x DVD±RW DL S-ATA
GPU: AMD Radeon HD 7950 3GB
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl
PSU: 650W Corsair TX V2


Can't wait! =)
Looks good.

To mount the H100 in the R4, you have to offset it and actually screw it in to the fan mesh rather than the fan holes. Not a big deal, but first installing it to the standard 120mm fan screw holes and then realizing your motherboard doesn't fit would be a major build headache.

Though, that is a serious amount of cooling for a motherboard that isn't really designed to push high overclocks.
 

Addnan

Member
The D3H is a pretty low board, the Z77X-D3H is I think what he should go for if he wants Gigabyte. I would swap it for the MSI GD55
 

Osiris

I permanently banned my 6 year old daughter from using the PS4 for mistakenly sending grief reports as it's too hard to watch or talk to her
Awesome, love the wife bargaining :) My deal was after I'm "done" no upgrades for 4 years.

Luckily we didn't define "done" and this build has been going on for a year already.

Decent build there. You're going to delid right?

Depends, see below.

Looks good.

To mount the H100 in the R4, you have to offset it and actually screw it in to the fan mesh rather than the fan holes. Not a big deal, but first installing it to the standard 120mm fan screw holes and then realizing your motherboard doesn't fit would be a major build headache.

Though, that is a serious amount of cooling for a motherboard that isn't really designed to push high overclocks.

Cheers for the mounting advice, Interested in if you've ever attempted a H100i front of case mount rather than top in the R4, I've read it's possible too elsewhere, will need to research this as it would be my preferred config.

The reason for using a H100i (over say a H80i or the new H60 2013) is because this is a "Living Room" PC so I want the best performance I can whilst maintaining absolutely minimal system noise.

The plan is to replace the H100i's stock fans with Noctua's and run them on a custom profile between the H100i's Quiet and Balanced modes, I'll also probably replace the system case fans with similar performing quiet fans.

If I can get a near silent 4.3Ghz at close to stock Vcore (or Under!) I'll be a very happy camper :D

If I have to delid it'll be because I'm not getting the performance / noise balance moreso than wanting to achieve high overclocks.
 

kennah

Member
Depends, see below.



Cheers for the mounting advice, Interested in if you've ever attempted a H100i front of case mount rather than top in the R4, I've read it's possible too elsewhere, will need to research this as it would be my preferred config.

The reason for using a H100i (over say a H80i or the new H60 2013) is because this is a "Living Room" PC so I want the best performance I can whilst maintaining absolutely minimal system noise.

The plan is to replace the H100i's stock fans with Noctua's and run them on a custom profile between the H100i's Quiet and Balanced modes, I'll also probably replace the system case fans with similar performing quiet fans.

If I can get a near silent 4.3Ghz at close to stock Vcore (or Under!) I'll be a very happy camper :D

If I have to delid it'll be because I'm not getting the performance / noise balance moreso than wanting to achieve high overclocks.

Sweet, you're going into this with a plan. I like it :)
 

Osiris

I permanently banned my 6 year old daughter from using the PS4 for mistakenly sending grief reports as it's too hard to watch or talk to her
The D3H is a pretty low board, the Z77X-D3H is I think what he should go for if he wants Gigabyte. I would swap it for the MSI GD55

Just noticed, that was a typo, it is the Z77X-D3H I meant. :D

Sweet, you're going into this with a plan. I like it :)

Cheers, My i5-750 set-up sounds like a vacuum cleaner in some games, Silence will be golden, Wife appreciation will follow on from that too :D
 

mkenyon

Banned
Depends, see below.



Cheers for the mounting advice, Interested in if you've ever attempted a H100i front of case mount rather than top in the R4, I've read it's possible too elsewhere, will need to research this as it would be my preferred config.

The reason for using a H100i (over say a H80i or the new H60 2013) is because this is a "Living Room" PC so I want the best performance I can whilst maintaining absolutely minimal system noise.

The plan is to replace the H100i's stock fans with Noctua's and run them on a custom profile between the H100i's Quiet and Balanced modes, I'll also probably replace the system case fans with similar performing quiet fans.

If I can get a near silent 4.3Ghz at close to stock Vcore (or Under!) I'll be a very happy camper :D

If I have to delid it'll be because I'm not getting the performance / noise balance moreso than wanting to achieve high overclocks.
The H100i and Noctua fans are within spitting distance of each other in terms of performance.

If you want a 4.3GHz OC, you could seriously just get an H60 (which uses the same fan), and then set it in BIOS to not exceed 1200RPM, and it'll be whisper quiet.
 

Osiris

I permanently banned my 6 year old daughter from using the PS4 for mistakenly sending grief reports as it's too hard to watch or talk to her
The H100i and Noctua fans are within spitting distance of each other in terms of performance.

If you want a 4.3GHz OC, you could seriously just get an H60 (which uses the same fan), and then set it in BIOS to not exceed 1200RPM, and it'll be whisper quiet.

Do the default Corsair fans not still cause the "Low RPM" pump/fan grinding that used to be reported under 1600RPM? - I was considering the Noctua's specifically because I heard it was the best fix for this noise issue with the H100i/H80i.

And oh man, throwing the H60 2013 back into the mix, luckily the cheque that's paying for all this isn't cleared yet, still have thinking and research time before ordering :D
 

Addnan

Member
Just checked the CPU. Son of a bitch. One of the corners is bent. Thanks asshole mail guy. B(

The actual CPU? That thing is inside a box, did he open that too? You need to go and complain, that shit is illegal. It is illegal for mail staff to tamper with it in the UK.
 

News Bot

Banned
The actual CPU? That thing is inside a box, did he open that too? You need to go and complain, that shit is illegal. It is illegal for mail staff to tamper with it in the UK.

Didn't stop him from opening up the shipping box and then taping it up when he decided he didn't want a processor and motherboard, so I wouldn't be surprised haha. The thing was battered, and the CPU box was a bit iffy (mostly minor tears and scuffs, though) but still had the factory seal on it. The guy that actually delivered it said that they'd already referred it to the manager and he had me look over everything in front of him. But I just noticed the bent corner a few minutes ago, slipped right by me. Even the die is bent.

It'll probably still work, but I don't want to take the chance.
 

Ragus

Banned
Hey folks, what do you think about this rig? Will it let me enjoy true HD gaming for the next 2-3 years?

j1FuLwEEdeKEJ.png
 

kennah

Member
Hey folks, what do you think about this rig? Will it let me enjoy true HD gaming for the next 2-3 years?

Hard to say about lasting that long. You want to move up to the K series of your processor, a Z87 motherboard, get a better cooler and GET AN SSD.

You're probably better off waiting a little while and saving up a little bit more.

Also - read the op.
 

Willectro

Banned
Hard to say about lasting that long. You want to move up to the K series of your processor, a Z87 motherboard, get a better cooler and GET AN SSD.

You're probably better off waiting a little while and saving up a little bit more.

Also - read the op.

Yep, this exactly. Spend a bit more, get a lot more performance.
 

kennah

Member
I'm afraid I can't justify spending more money on a PC :(.

That's why I said to wait. Put what you have ready to go aside, and put a little more with it each month. For a very small expense you will have a computer with much much better legs. A lot of what you're getting is just stuff that is going to hold you back/need to be bought differently later. Please please read the OP to get an indication of the kinds of things that would work well together.

Another option would be for you to do those other upgrades but get a 760 instead of the 770.

Or is there any option for you to buy used parts locally? A 770 is basically a 680 but a 680 can be found for $100 less. You might be able to get a good deal on a 2500K or 3570K - both of which are better than the 4670 basic.

There are options - we are here to help.
 

Ragus

Banned
Maybe look at 3rd Gen Intel (not sure if the mobos/cpus have dropped in price since haswell)?

Depends on what you want to play, and what you consider to be decent benchmarks.

.

Well, I'd love to play new Bioshock and BF4 on best avaible settings.

And I'd also love to play 2014/2015 games, but not necessarily in 1080p on maxed out settings. I can live with playing games in 30 fps and 720p.

@kennah

Unfortunately, in my country, 680 is even slightly more expensive that 770. As for used parts, it would be veeeeery difficult in the area, where I live.
 

Willectro

Banned
That's why I said to wait. Put what you have ready to go aside, and put a little more with it each month. For a very small expense you will have a computer with much much better legs. A lot of what you're getting is just stuff that is going to hold you back/need to be bought differently later. Please please read the OP to get an indication of the kinds of things that would work well together.

Another option would be for you to do those other upgrades but get a 760 instead of the 770.

Or is there any option for you to buy used parts locally? A 770 is basically a 680 but a 680 can be found for $100 less. You might be able to get a good deal on a 2500K or 3570K - both of which are better than the 4670 basic.

There are options - we are here to help.

This. AMD GPU may be able to save some money that could be put into a CPU/MOBO.
 

Sober

Member
Well, I'd love to play new Bioshock and BF4 on best avaible settings.

And I'd also love to play 2014/2015 games, but not necessarily in 1080p on maxed out settings. I can live with playing games in 30 fps and 720p.

@kennah

Unfortunately, in my country, 680 is even slightly more expensive that 770. As for used parts, it would be veeeeery difficult in the area, where I live.
You should try to drop money on a -K processor and a mobo with a Z77/87 chipset because it'll have longer legs. You don't need to OC right off the bat in fact but it will provide some longevity vs. something a little weaker. The 770 looks fine.

By 2015 you probably would only have to nab a new GPU anyway and could probably still stay relatively competitive.
 

scogoth

Member
Didn't stop him from opening up the shipping box and then taping it up when he decided he didn't want a processor and motherboard, so I wouldn't be surprised haha. The thing was battered, and the CPU box was a bit iffy (mostly minor tears and scuffs, though) but still had the factory seal on it. The guy that actually delivered it said that they'd already referred it to the manager and he had me look over everything in front of him. But I just noticed the bent corner a few minutes ago, slipped right by me. Even the die is bent.

It'll probably still work, but I don't want to take the chance.

Can you take a picture? I'm curious as to what the damage is
 

kennah

Member
Would this mobo be ok: Asus P8Z77-V LX2 Intel Z77 LGA 1155? It cost as much as the previous mobo which I have posted.

The LX isn't a great board, usually the minimum recommended is the LK. Also make sure to know that this won't be compatible with that 4670 - you'd need a 3570K for a 1155 socket.

Read the OP, there are up to date recommendations for budget build there.
 

Sober

Member
You probably want to get the ASUS Z87-C board at the bare minimum for Haswell. Not many features but you still get the basics the chipset affords you. -A might be slightly better for investing in OC'ing though it seems. (or does the VRMs being on the chip mean not really?)
 
Okay question for the PC tech gurus here, a friend sent me a new video card and it has two DVI D slots, I have a DVI A adapter from an older card, will I be able to use the adapter on this card? It's a Zotac Geforce GTX 560 Btw.
 

diehard

Fleer
Okay question for the PC tech gurus here, a friend sent me a new video card and it has two DVI D slots, I have a DVI A adapter from an older card, will I be able to use the adapter on this card? It's a Zotac Geforce GTX 560 Btw.

You sure its DVI-D and not I? You can't convert D to A..
 

Ragus

Banned
You probably want to get the ASUS Z87-C board at the bare minimum for Haswell. Not many features but you still get the basics the chipset affords you. -A might be slightly better for investing in OC'ing though it seems. (or does the VRMs being on the chip mean not really?)

I read the OP and I think I will just go with i5-3350p combined with ASRock z77 Pro 4. That Haswell cpu combined with a decent mobo is just too much for me.

Will this setup (combined with gtx770 and stuff which I've posted in the pic) let me play games like BF3 or The Witcher 2 on highest possible settings?
 

Tomas

Banned
You should try to drop money on a -K processor and a mobo with a Z77/87 chipset because it'll have longer legs. You don't need to OC right off the bat in fact but it will provide some longevity vs. something a little weaker. The 770 looks fine.

By 2015 you probably would only have to nab a new GPU anyway and could probably still stay relatively competitive.

I don't think that OC CPUs provide any value advantage over stock. He might speed up the CPU by 25-30%, but he would have to pay for the Cooler, k model CPU and OC motherboard.

The 770 is great, it should OC to 1150mhz and will play games 1080p @ 60FPS @ High Settings for more than 3 years minimum.
 

GeoGonzo

Member
I took some pieces from Hazaro's enthusiast list and picked a SFF case that looked decent (Corsair 350D) but I'm already getting a bit lost... help please? :)
http://de.pcpartpicker.com/user/GeoGonzo/saved/1Nl7
I'm hoping to end up with something small, powerful and not very loud.

Price range + country: 2,500-3000€, Spain.
Main use: Gaming and VR.
Monitor resolution: Usually 1920x1200, but I'll probably hook it up to TVs around the house (1080)
When will you build?: I could wait a month or two, but would rather get it done ASAP.
Target games/apps: Kerbal Space Program, Arma 3, Rome II, Skyrim. 60FPS and up.
Will you be overclocking: Eeesh... maybe next time! Or in a few years.

Two random questions:

I like wired keyboard/mice, and I already have them... but I'm considering getting a wireless kit to use it at the living room. I'd need something if I want to use Bluetooth 3.0, right? Maybe an USB thingy?
I'm considering a new TV for the bedroom too... this is offtopic, but I honestly care very little about actually watching TV, so any tips of what to look for if I want it to be good for gaming?
 

mkenyon

Banned
I don't think that OC CPUs provide any value advantage over stock. He might speed up the CPU by 25-30%, but he would have to pay for the Cooler, k model CPU and OC motherboard.

The 770 is great, it should OC to 1150mhz and will play games 1080p @ 60FPS @ High Settings for more than 3 years minimum.
An i7 920 at its stock 2.66GHz is barely passable in terms of performance for a number of games today. An i7 920 at 3.8-4.0GHz is a perfectly capable CPU which will allow even 8.3ms frametimes in just about all games today.

That's where the value is.
I took some pieces from Hazaro's enthusiast list and picked a SFF case that looked decent (Corsair 350D) but I'm already getting a bit lost... help please? :)
http://de.pcpartpicker.com/user/GeoGonzo/saved/1Nl7
I'm hoping to end up with something small, powerful and not very loud.

Price range + country: 2,500-3000€, Spain.
Main use: Gaming and VR.
Monitor resolution: Usually 1920x1200, but I'll probably hook it up to TVs around the house (1080)
When will you build?: I could wait a month or two, but would rather get it done ASAP.
Target games/apps: Kerbal Space Program, Arma 3, Rome II, Skyrim. 60FPS and up.
Will you be overclocking: Eeesh... maybe next time! Or in a few years.

Two random questions:

I like wired keyboard/mice, and I already have them... but I'm considering getting a wireless kit to use it at the living room. I'd need something if I want to use Bluetooth 3.0, right? Maybe an USB thingy?
I'm considering a new TV for the bedroom too... this is offtopic, but I honestly care very little about actually watching TV, so any tips of what to look for if I want it to be good for gaming?
Add a Maximus V Gene Z77, and then the rest of the parts from the Enthusiast build in the OP. Corsair H60 if you want to push an overclock, or the CoolerMaster Hyper 212 if you just want something quiet. For the power supply, Seasonic X660, or Corsair AX760 if you are thinking about the possibility of a second Titan at some point.
 

TommyT

Member
My new brother-in-law decided he wanted to get into the PC gaming scene and talked about building a machine. Sounds like a good time to upgrade some of my stuff and use my older parts and hand-me-downs to help him with his rig.

560ti you have served me well! Time to bring on the good stuff!
 

kennah

Member
I took some pieces from Hazaro's enthusiast list and picked a SFF case that looked decent (Corsair 350D) but I'm already getting a bit lost... help please? :)
http://de.pcpartpicker.com/user/GeoGonzo/saved/1Nl7
I'm hoping to end up with something small, powerful and not very loud.

Price range + country: 2,500-3000€, Spain.
Main use: Gaming and VR.
Monitor resolution: Usually 1920x1200, but I'll probably hook it up to TVs around the house (1080)
When will you build?: I could wait a month or two, but would rather get it done ASAP.
Target games/apps: Kerbal Space Program, Arma 3, Rome II, Skyrim. 60FPS and up.
Will you be overclocking: Eeesh... maybe next time! Or in a few years.

Two random questions:

I like wired keyboard/mice, and I already have them... but I'm considering getting a wireless kit to use it at the living room. I'd need something if I want to use Bluetooth 3.0, right? Maybe an USB thingy?
I'm considering a new TV for the bedroom too... this is offtopic, but I honestly care very little about actually watching TV, so any tips of what to look for if I want it to be good for gaming?

You're sure you want MATX and not ITX for being small? Case choice is a personal one so if you love the 350 then you love the 350 and that's fine :)

There are lots of motherbaords that come with Bluetooth built in, but most wireless mice you buy will come with some sort of receiver anyway, but it's worth checking the packaging/description. I had a Logitech Couch mouse for my HTPC setup until it died, was pretty happy with it. Until it died.
 

Akai__

Member
I'm trying to burn an Windows 7 ISO file on an USB stick with the Windows 7 USB/DVD Tool, but everytime I select the USB stick it starts formatting it and then I get the following message: "We are unable to copy your files. Please check your USB device and the selected ISO file and try again"

It's an 8GB stick and 4GB are needed. I also formatted it a coupple times, but it refuses to work. Any tips?
 

mkenyon

Banned
I'm trying to burn an Windows 7 ISO file on an USB stick with the Windows 7 USB/DVD Tool, but everytime I select the USB stick it starts formatting it and then I get the following message: "We are unable to copy your files. Please check your USB device and the selected ISO file and try again"

It's an 8GB stick and 4GB are needed. I also formatted it a coupple times, but it refuses to work. Any tips?
NTFS or Fat 32 format?
 

kharma45

Member
Aye I did consider it but I'd rather just save my money, they'll probably only bring marginally better speeds, and there is less to go wrong with the Hyper 212.
 
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