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[DBT85]

Re-posting my PSU question from last night.

It'll be fine.

I just got great PC case for little less than 50€, perfect replacement for my current basic one that has very little space for GPU.


It is called "MS Industrial Black Widow" in my country [although it also goes under the names of iTek Sylent 07 in Italy and Sama Black Widow in others], Chinese case but very well made. It comes with very sleek design, sound proof panels, 3 preinstaled fans [with fan controller for off, low and high speeds], dust covers on all intakes, and tons of place for cable management. Only 2 slots for 3.5" HDDs, but that's enough for me [SSD + 3TB WD].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9FLSDthVdI

It is really great bang for the buck.

Looks like a Fractal case (just got a Fractal S myself), even has the moduvent system on the top. Must be the same manufacturer.

 

[BoboBrazil]

Most I saw mentioned is 4K75. Dunno if they are even available for sale.

Is there a reason they can't do faster refresh rates at 4k yet?

 

[Shifty Capone1]

Question for everyone, one of my buddies cannot decide whether or not to get a 1080p G-Sync or a 4k Monitor. I have more or less the best monitor you can buy on the market (1440p/G-Sync), but that is out of 99% of peoples price range. Should he go G-Sync or 4k? Assuming he has the new 1080 Card (This 1080p/1080 is going to get really annoying quickly!).

 

[blitzkrieg184]

So when the polaris 10 (480?) get announced at the end of the month, how long does it usually take for suppliers like sapphire and msi to build cards for consumer purchase? I wanna know if I should start buying other parts for my build when things are on sale or wait for longer.

 

[Sothis Krieg]

I have a 2600k at 4.4 ghz with a 770. I m going to upgrade to a 1080 gtx. My target is 1440p gaming and VR.

I want to upgrade my cpu too if necessary but is there something worth waiting for before the end of the year on this front (kaby lake ,zen) ? Or should i go i7 6700k ?

 

[LilJoka]

I have a 2600k at 4.4 ghz with a 770. I m going to upgrade to a 1080 gtx. My target is 1440p gaming and VR.

I want to upgrade my cpu too if necessary but is there something worth waiting for before the end of the year on this front (kaby lake ,zen) ? Or should i go i7 6700k ?

I would hold on with the 2600K and if needed upgrade after you get your 1080. A 3770K could be considered and some 2133Mhz DDR3.
I just went from a 3770@4.2Ghz to a 6700k@4.5Ghz with literally no impact. GPU is GTX 970.

 

[outsidah]

Hoping my friends on GAF can help recommend me a monitor (perhaps more updated ones than the OP offers).

This won't strictly be for gaming, so I'm not looking for any 144 Hz monitors and the like.

Here's my criteria:

- 2560x1440 or 2560x1080
- Preferably 27 inches
- IPS
- Wide port selection
- Excellent color gamut

I have no clue how much I'm willing to spend so I'm open to suggestions. I was looking at various Dell and BenQ monitors but it's been a while since I've went monitor shopping so I'm not sure who makes the best displays these days.

You want a 1440. It's so much better for productivity and I appreciate the extra res for gaming. I'm happy with my Dell but I'm not up to date on the latest models

 

[scogoth]

The EVGA Hadron is an awesome looking case guys. It was a pain installing everything, but it still looks cool.

Pics!

 

[DieH@rd]

So when the polaris 10 (480?) get announced at the end of the month, how long does it usually take for suppliers like sapphire and msi to build cards for consumer purchase? I wanna know if I should start buying other parts for my build when things are on sale or wait for longer.

It depends. Manufacturers could have gained the access to the reference boards a long time ago, and they could have their designs ready for very near [or even at] the launch. Or we will need to wait few weeks.

We have to wait and see.

 

[kennah]

What do you think. Bite on a 970 for $300 Canadian? It would fit my existing water block and a friend is willing to give me $125 for my 670 4gig

 

[opticalmace]

What do you think. Bite on a 970 for $300 Canadian? It would fit my existing water block and a friend is willing to give me $125 for my 670 4gig

Ehh, at $250 I would say definitely.. $300 is borderline for me.

Which model is it?

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

Hoping my friends on GAF can help recommend me a monitor (perhaps more updated ones than the OP offers).

This won't strictly be for gaming, so I'm not looking for any 144 Hz monitors and the like.

Here's my criteria:

- 2560x1440 or 2560x1080
- Preferably 27 inches
- IPS
- Wide port selection
- Excellent color gamut

I have no clue how much I'm willing to spend so I'm open to suggestions. I was looking at various Dell and BenQ monitors but it's been a while since I've went monitor shopping so I'm not sure who makes the best displays these days.

The standard; Dell Ultrasharp U27; http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P0EQD1Q/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I can attest to its quality. I had the U2711 for 6 years before it kicked the curb. Execellent monitor.
If I had the money I would get the 34-inch Curved version. (you can choose size at the link).
I know some people who prefer to dual or triple U24 as they are cheaper and they feel their productivity increases with multiple screens.

I've gotten a lot of really solid opinions from Hardforums Display community. Some of these nuts live for Monitors. Also some good threads about display setups, advices and so on; https://hardforum.com/forums/displays.78/

 

[kennah]

Ehh, at $250 I would say definitely.. $300 is borderline for me.

Which model is it?

PNY XLR8. So has a basic overclock. mini hdmi, DVId, 3x mini DP. I'm super on the fence myself. I guess I could offer the guy $250.

Half tempted to wait until the end of summer and just say screw it and get a 1070. But would need a new waterblock then.

 

[marc^o^]

Hi guys, this is the best place to post this:

I'm buying a second hand PC (8 months old), in what seems like a heck of a deal:

Processor: i7 6700k
Mother board: Z170 Pro gaming
RAM: 2 x 8GO DDR4 corsair vengeance 2400mhz
Graphic card: MSI GTX 980Ti GAMING 6GB
Case: fractal r5
Power: corsair RM850i modulaire
Blower: BE QUIET Dark Rock 3
DD: Barracuda 1T ( 1000 Go)
SSD : 256go samsung 850 evo pro
OS : Windows 10 PRO

Screen: Asus 24" 3d vg248qe

All this for 1600€ = $1800

It's the best deal I found, what do you think of it?

 

[opticalmace]

PNY XLR8. So has a basic overclock. mini hdmi, DVId, 3x mini DP. I'm super on the fence myself. I guess I could offer the guy $250.

Half tempted to wait until the end of summer and just say screw it and get a 1070. But would need a new waterblock then.

Up to you. I would probably wait personally. Did you end up keeping the 1440/144 monitor? I'd lean towards a more powerful card if so. I also like the MSI/Gigabyte cards a lot.

I got my 970 before my fancy monitor, and it generally does alright, but I'm sort of eyeing up a 1080...

 

[LQX]

Hi guys, this is the best place to post this:

I'm buying a second hand PC (8 months old), in what seems like a heck of a deal:

Processor: i7 6700k
Mother board: Z170 Pro gaming
RAM: 2 x 8GO DDR4 corsair vengeance 2400mhz
Graphic card: MSI GTX 980Ti GAMING 6GB
Case: fractal r5
Power: corsair RM850i modulaire
Blower: BE QUIET Dark Rock 3
DD: Barracuda 1T ( 1000 Go)
SSD : 256go samsung 850 evo pro
OS : Windows 10 PRO

Screen: Asus 24" 3d vg248qe

All this for 1600€ = $1800

It's the best deal I found, what do you think of it?

You can do better or equal to most of those parts cheaper for that much. Build it yourself.

 

[kennah]

Up to you. I would probably wait personally. Did you end up keeping the 1440/144 monitor? I'd lean towards a more powerful card if so. I also like the MSI/Gigabyte cards a lot.

I got my 970 before my fancy monitor, and it generally does alright, but I'm sort of eyeing up a 1080...

I didn't end up keeping it Decided groceries was probably a smarter move...

MSI and Gigabyte cards legit won't fit in my case. I need a short PCB reference 970. So EVGA, Pallit, PNY, Zotac, etc.

 

[BoboBrazil]

Hi guys, this is the best place to post this:

I'm buying a second hand PC (8 months old), in what seems like a heck of a deal:

Processor: i7 6700k
Mother board: Z170 Pro gaming
RAM: 2 x 8GO DDR4 corsair vengeance 2400mhz
Graphic card: MSI GTX 980Ti GAMING 6GB
Case: fractal r5
Power: corsair RM850i modulaire
Blower: BE QUIET Dark Rock 3
DD: Barracuda 1T ( 1000 Go)
SSD : 256go samsung 850 evo pro
OS : Windows 10 PRO

Screen: Asus 24" 3d vg248qe

All this for 1600€ = $1800

It's the best deal I found, what do you think of it?

Seems like too much to pay for that imo.

 

[opticalmace]

edit: nm

 

[n0razi]

Whats the best bang for buck 1tb m2 SSD? Crucial X400?

 

[trailmix16]

You might just wanna hang on for a bit more. Chances you'll get a significantly better card in just a couple of weeks.

tell me more?

 

[appaws]

What are some good SSDs for the price?

http://www.pcper.com/news/Storage/Mushkins-Reactor-1TB-SSD-great-performance-and-price

Just saw this in the last few days.

 

[CreepingFear]

Question for everyone, one of my buddies cannot decide whether or not to get a 1080p G-Sync or a 4k Monitor. I have more or less the best monitor you can buy on the market (1440p/G-Sync), but that is out of 99% of peoples price range. Should he go G-Sync or 4k? Assuming he has the new 1080 Card (This 1080p/1080 is going to get really annoying quickly!).

I have an Acer XB270H which is a 1080p 144hz G-sync monitor with a 6700k/980 Ti. It depends what is important to you. To me, high frame rates and high settings is more important than resolution. I will gladly jump on the 4k bandwagon in 3-5 years when it is doable at high/ultra settings @ 60+fps on a single GPU card.

 

[draughn101]

The Phanteks P400 is an awesome case at $59. If someone is looking for something cheap/sturdy and has a good amount of features. Cable management is simple too. I haven't put one of these together in 10 years, and it was easy.

 

[OkayRene]

Anyone have a UPS recommendation? Apartment I live in has electrical issues and loses power maybe once a month randomly for 15 min. Don't want to fry my new computer, so I want to protect it.

 

[knitoe]

Anyone have a UPS recommendation? Apartment I live in has electrical issues and loses power maybe once a month randomly for 15 min. Don't want to fry my new computer, so I want to protect it.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009TZTGWK/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I have 2 of them. As soon as power fluctuates or turns off, they kick in. Works wonderful without fail. Please note UPS are only designed so you have time to save you work and shutdown the PC. Under heavy load, the battery will only last a few minutes.

 

[Grief.exe]

Apparently this is releasing this month

SFx-L 700w Platinum.

http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=670&area=en

Update from Silverstone Tech Rep on hard forum.

The first shipments have gone out already so those of you in Asia should expect to see them on shelves sometimes this week or next. For users in North America, retail availability should be in about two weeks while those of you in Europe will have to wait until early June.

https://hardforum.com/threads/silve...platinum-sfx-l.1863395/page-6#post-1042282374

 

[El_Chino]

http://www.pcper.com/news/Storage/Mushkins-Reactor-1TB-SSD-great-performance-and-price

Just saw this in the last few days.

Thanks! I was looking at Crucial but I heard their newer models suffer some performance issues.

 

[marc^o^]

You can do better or equal to most of those parts cheaper for that much. Build it yourself.

How so ? For the same parts I'm >600€ cheaper there than buying the same parts on amazon...

 

[blitzkrieg184]

What cords are permanently attached to a semi modular PSU? I know it's the "essential" ones but I'm not sure what those actually are. Will I have any that I won't attach (i5-6500, Gigabyte GA-H170M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1151, possible R9 380x)? Can't seem to find an actual answer. Had a non-modular one picked out but after seeing what that actually looks like I can confidently say, fuck that.

I was looking at either (Canadian btw):
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ NCIX) *I know 750W is a touch overkill but if was rated fairly highly and was higher up on a few different tier lists. Don't know if those matter too much though. =/
or
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon Canada) *cheapest one I could find fully modular

But if someone knows of a cheaper semi modular one that won't burn my house down then I'd be glad to hear it!

 

[Spookie]

What cords are permanently attached to a semi modular PSU? I know it's the "essential" ones but I'm not sure what those actually are.

Usually the motherboard cables and that's it. Depends on the PSU.

 

[LilJoka]

What cords are permanently attached to a semi modular PSU?

More specifically, 8 pin CPU and 24 pin ATX atleast. Some PSU may have 2x4 pin CPU as well.

 

[Vinterbird]

Download Prime95 for CPU stress testing.
Download CPUz to monitor VCore (CPU Voltage) and speed.
Download Reatemp for CPU temps.

Find starting VCore:
Open Prime95 and CPUz
In Prime95 select to run a small fft torture test.
In CPUz record the peak Vcore in the first 10 seconds or so.

Set static Vcore:
Go into BIOS
Set Vcore to the the recorded Voltage from CPUz + 0.02v.
Find the Load Line Calibration (LLC) for the CPU and set to Medium/Middle level.

Boot into Windows, open CPUz, record the idle Vcore.
Open Prime95 and run the Small FFT test again.
Note the Vcore in CPUz.

Firstly, you want the idle vcore to be just above the load vcore. A higher LLC will mean cause the load vcore to go above the idle, and a lower LLC will allow the idle vcore to be higher than load vcore. Adjust the LLC level such that the idle vcore is above the load vcore, whilst using the highest LLC level you can.

Now we can begin.

Go into the BIOS, set the CPU Multiplier to 40 for 40x100Mhz = 4000Mhz or 4Ghz. 100Mhz is referring to the bclk. If the bclk is AUTO, set to 100Mhz.

See if it boots, if not raise the Vcore 0.02v.
If it boots, see if you can run 10mins Prime95 Small FFTs.

Now balance the temperatures/Vcore/CPU Multipler such that you dont exceed 1.4v CPU Vcore or 75c whilst running Prime95.
If temps are low, and Vcore is less than 1.4v, then try for a faster speed. Otherwise back off, or try a bit more Vcore for the same speed if you get an error/BSOD.

Once you find a good speed to aim for, its time to test it for properly.

Open Prime95, select Blend, enter the Memory to test as 2000Mb less than installed. Start the test. Run for as long as you like, i tend to run for a few hours.

If you notice temps are too high, abort the run and either reduce the Multiplier and Vcore and try to stabilise a lower frequency.
If Prime95 errors or you get a BSOD, increase Vcore if temps allow. Otherwise reduce the CPU Multiplier and aim for a lower OC.
Test until you found the lowest Vcore required for your OC whilst maintaining Prime95 stability.
Record the load Vcore from CPUz.

Once thats done, you can work on offset Vcore.
Here you insert an Offset to be applied to what the Mobo thinks the CPU requires in terms of Vcore for that speed.
Start with a +0.00v offset and then check the Vcore with Prime95 small FFT in CPUz.
Adjust the offset such that the load Vcore matches what you finished with in your stable prime95 test.

So I started on this. According to CPUZ my Vcore was 1.224, so I bumped that to 1,23, which was the closet I could come.

Then I rebooted and got "System_thread_exception_not_handled" from Windows, and it took me forever to get the motherboard to react upon boot.

So I guess overclocking is just not something I can do without destroying my PC.


Also, most of my games will randomly quit to desktop without a message. Currently it's Doom and Darksiders 2. So I'm genuinely afraid the entire desktop is corrupted or bonkers in some weird way in general.

 

[opticalmace]

So I started on this. According to CPUZ my Vcore was 1.224, so I bumped that to 1,23, which was the closet I could come.

Then I rebooted and got "System_thread_exception_not_handled" from Windows, and it took me forever to get the motherboard to react upon boot.

So I guess overclocking is just not something I can do without destroying my PC.


Also, most of my games will randomly quit to desktop without a message. Currently it's Doom and Darksiders 2. So I'm genuinely afraid the entire desktop is corrupted or bonkers in some weird way in general.

Increase your vcore. What speed are you at now?

 

[Vinterbird]

Increase your vcore. What speed are you at now?

I'm at stock speed 3.3Ghz.

Should I increase to Vcore more? I'm not super hot on doing it again with fear for creating a large paperweight.

Ideally I just want a stable computer that doesn't kick me to desktop every half hour in Doom or any game I'm playing at the moment.

 

[opticalmace]

I'm at stock speed 3.3Ghz.

Should I increase to Vcore more? I'm not super hot on doing it again with fear for creating a large paperweight.

Ideally I just want a stable computer that doesn't kick me to desktop every half hour in Doom or any game I'm playing at the moment.

Stock and it's flaky?

I would return everything to optimized defaults... if it still does it you either have some flaky software thing going on, or you may have a hardware issue.

Was it doing this before you started tinkering around?

 

[SwordStruck]

You can do better or equal to most of those parts cheaper for that much. Build it yourself.

No you can't.

 

[Vinterbird]

Stock and it's flaky?

I would return everything to optimized defaults... if it still does it you either have some flaky software thing going on, or you may have a hardware issue.

Was it doing this before you started tinkering around?

It began last week and never had games crash on me before that.

Haven't tinkered with the computer since I built it in 2012. Only difference is a reinstalled Windows two weeks ago.

 

[opticalmace]

It began last week and never had games crash on me before that.

Haven't tinkered with the computer since I built it in 2012. Only difference is a reinstalled Windows two weeks ago.

I would try rolling back your video card driver (unless you haven't updated it in forever, in which case update it). You can also try running memtest86 to exclude a RAM problem.

 

[LilJoka]

So I started on this. According to CPUZ my Vcore was 1.224, so I bumped that to 1,23, which was the closet I could come.

Then I rebooted and got "System_thread_exception_not_handled" from Windows, and it took me forever to get the motherboard to react upon boot.

So I guess overclocking is just not something I can do without destroying my PC.


Also, most of my games will randomly quit to desktop without a message. Currently it's Doom and Darksiders 2. So I'm genuinely afraid the entire desktop is corrupted or bonkers in some weird way in general.

Keep tinkering, nothing bad can come from this, except learning a lot. Nothing will break by messing with the CPU VCore unless you apply silly voltages 1.5v+.

You will likely need to set more than 1.24v, since there is a voltage drop between the Bios and Windows (VDrop) and between Idle and Load (Vdroop). You can safely start at 1.28v CPU VCore.

 

[Data West]

Tangentially related, but I've had a 60hz monitor for a long time and it's been fine, but I think the colors are starting to look a little faded on my second monitor and it is technically a budget monitor. I was thinking of buying a new primary monitor and switching the old primary as the new secondary.

Any recommendations for a 120hz monitor to buy? I want something that's around the same color and image quality as my tv since I use my monitor far, far more often now. Of the stuff listed in the OP, is that still the best up to date list? I don't care much about 4k. No idea if G-Sync should be something I'm looking for either. I don't want to go 'budget' again because I'd like something a little better quality.

 

[yaffi]

Good evening. This might sound strange but is there anyone here (preferably from Germany) who has an H77 mainboard (1155 socket) they don't need/want to sell? Mine just bit the dust and they're not produced anymore.

 

[lostsupper]

Good evening. This might sound strange but is there anyone here (preferably from Germany) who has an H77 mainboard (1155 socket) they don't need/want to sell? Mine just bit the dust and they're not produced anymore.

You'll have more luck finding a used z77. It'll work with your cpu and there are enough people upgrading their Ivy builds that finding one won't be hard.

 

[yaffi]

You'll have more luck finding a used z77. It'll work with your cpu and there are enough people upgrading their Ivy builds that finding one won't be hard.

You might be right. I honestly just want to find a relatively cheap replacement and I certainly don't want to spend 260€ for new hardware.

 

[JonCha]

I did a very quick mock up of upgrading my existing PC and I was wondering if the jump from a 980 to 1070 will be that big a jump for me. I'm not playing VR, and I'm not rendering at 4k or a very high resolution. There's also the cost factor for the 1070 to consider.

My PC is a three-four years old so it's due an upgrade and the cheaper value PC offers is something I like a lot. Plus I have a really big case which I hate; a compact build would interest me.

Pics!

Also, this looks awesome. It's definitely the case I get. Having something console sized is my ideal! The installation of parts seems quite a pain, though.

 

[Bubbavelli]

So I think Im going to go with the Excellent tier Haz build except Im going to swap out the 970 for the 1080. At this point would it also make sense to spring the extra for the 4790k or is the 4690k just fine?

 

[LilJoka]

So I think Im going to go with the Excellent tier Haz build except Im going to swap out the 970 for the 1080. At this point would it also make sense to spring the extra for the 4790k or is the 4690k just fine?

Out of date builds
Go for 6600k or 6700k and 2666mhz-3000mhz ram.

 

[Gareth Bale]

Almost finished getting my new parts together for Skylake upgrade. Just waiting for this to be release before I can start (not looking forward to doing those cables at the back):

New parts:
Intel Core i7 6700K
ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Hero
WD 4TB Desktop HDD
Crucial Ballistix Elite 16GB DDR4 (2666 MT/s)


Existing parts:
Samsung 840 EVO 1TB
Samsung 840 EVO 256GB
MSI GTX 980 Ti GAMING
750W Corsair Enthusiast PSU
Cool Master Hyper 212

Spoiler

Dell S2716DG G-Sync 2460x1440 Monitor (144Hz)

 

[ndawgdrake]

Just speculating for a future build here, but does PCGaf speculate a huge performance difference between Skylake and Cannonlake?

 

[kennah]

Just speculating for a future build here, but does PCGaf speculate a huge performance difference between Skylake and Cannonlake?

5% to 15% like every other generation for the last 5 years