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  1. #1
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    PC Build Advice/Review II: 3090 or Bust.

    Time for an updated Advice/Review thread. My goal is to help BG get the most value for their money. If there is anything anyone would like to add if they think it would be helpful to the community please post and I will add it.

    Format to use for advice/review.
    If you already have a build in mind please post it using pcpartpicker.com. Spoiled is an example of how it should look. Use [bb] for the markup and just copy and paste here.

    Spoiler: show
    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

    CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Micro Center)
    CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.98 @ OutletPC)
    Thermal Compound: ARCTIC MX4 4g Thermal Paste ($6.89 @ OutletPC)
    Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming 7 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($199.95 @ Amazon)
    Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
    Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($86.88 @ Amazon)
    Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.77 @ OutletPC)
    Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 390 8GB Nitro Video Card ($299.99 @ Micro Center)
    Case: Corsair 750D ATX Full Tower Case ($129.99 @ Micro Center)
    Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($48.99 @ NCIX US)
    Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer ($13.99 @ Newegg)
    Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Red 52.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($8.99 @ NCIX US)
    Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Red 52.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($8.99 @ NCIX US)
    Total: $1152.39
    Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
    Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-17 22:05 EDT-0400


    1) Budget?
    2) Main use for computer
    3) What resolution is your monitor/tv? Do you plan to upgrade anytime soon?
    4) Do you live by a Micro Center or Frys?

    Sites to buy parts from.
    While there are other places to buy parts, the below sites are the most common for the best deal, service, etc.

    www.newegg.com - Sign up for their mailer. They periodically send targeted promo codes that can only be used by that email address.
    www.frys.com - Sign up for the mailer and daily promo codes. They have killer deals at times that can be shipped. Majority of their mega deals are in store only.
    www.jet.com - Second rate Amazon, but when using their numerous promo codes for first time buyers some amazing deals can be had. Usually the most savings on graphics cards can be found here.

    Deal websites and cash back sites.
    Use these to find the best deals and get cash back for almost every purchase.

    www.slickdeals.net - Deals website where you can find current hot deals on pc products. Follow member TDMVP73. They usually post the best pc parts deals first.
    https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/ - Reddit's pc parts thread. Stuff is usually posted on slickdeals.net first, but this is good to reference as well.
    www.topcashback.com - Cash back site. Enter the website where a purchase is being made and click on their link. Can be used with many many online retailers.
    www.ebates.com - Cash back same as above.

    Places to buy used parts from.
    I personally have bought from all of these places. Buying used is always a gamble, but some great savings can be found.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/hardwareswap/ - Decent spot for used parts. When using paypal always select buying goods and services when making a purchase. This protects you from scammers. Do not ever send money as friend/family.
    Overclock.net marketplace. Another great place to search for quality used hardware.
    Hardforum.com For sale forum - Must have 100 posts to post here. If you PM people without the 100 posts more than likely they will ignore you or report you as a potential scammer.

    Also keep an eye on your local Craigslist, Facebook groups, and Ebay.

    Tech sites to browse, gain more knowledge, etc.
    Helpful sites to learn more from.

    General Sites
    http://hardforum.com/ - Great site for tech info albeit tons of elitists.
    http://www.hardocp.com/ - For reviews on products.
    http://www.anandtech.com/
    http://www.overclock.net/
    http://www.tomshardware.com/

    Sites specifically for power supplies
    Jonny Guru - Great site for reviews and information
    Newegg Power Supply Tier List - Good for knowing if the psu you're looking at is junk.
    Tomshardware PSU Tier List - Same as above.
    RealHardTechX PSU Database - Great place to look up specific psu models, find out who the OEM is (VERY important), and even has reviews attached.

  2. #2
    Atheist Douchebag.
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    This thread sucks. I vote we close it and make a new one.

  3. #3

    Sweaty Dick Punching Enthusiast

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  4. #4
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    Buddy is putting together a PC for his little brother (he's 22) - I'm a little behind on tech and prices so could use a hand. He can't post links yet so yeah.

    So my little brother has a disposable income due to living at home and was looking to spend around ~1500 on a new PC before monitor, his build came out to about 1700ish. He plays WoW and The Division mostly and wants to future-proof and prepare for VR. This is what he is looking at so far.
    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

    CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($344.99 @ SuperBiiz)
    CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_RD 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.99 @ Newegg)
    Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.89 @ OutletPC)
    Motherboard: MSI Z170A GAMING M5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($169.88 @ OutletPC)
    Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
    Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
    Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($129.89 @ OutletPC)
    Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.77 @ OutletPC)
    Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($299.99 @ NCIX US)
    Case: Cooler Master Storm Stryker (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($139.99 @ Newegg)
    Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($85.49 @ OutletPC)
    Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($250.32 @ Amazon)
    Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse ($49.99 @ Best Buy)
    Total: $1796.16
    Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
    Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-19 18:03 EDT-0400

    1) Budget? $1500-1700
    2) Main use for computer Gaming - WoW/The Division/VR
    3) What resolution is your monitor/tv? Do you plan to upgrade anytime soon? Monitor included in build, willing to change - no preferences.
    4) Do you live by a Micro Center or Frys? No
    edit: I already talked to him a few days ago about the i7, ram, and a few other things - the pc part picker hasn't been changed or updated yet. Told him there's big spots to save money in the build and still get great performance for what he wants, but to let the pro's handle it.

  5. #5
    Atheist Douchebag.
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    Almost a carbon copy of my current want build-wise.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zetanio View Post
    Almost a carbon copy of my current want build-wise.
    You're a carbon copy.

  7. #7
    Atheist Douchebag.
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    k.

  8. #8
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    That K better stand for kitchen which is where you should be.

  9. #9
    Atheist Douchebag.
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    nah.

  10. #10
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    Is not using all ram slots still a thing?

  11. #11
    Atheist Douchebag.
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    No, why do you ask?

  12. #12
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    Saw he has 4 sticks in the build. People used to say it would lessen your overclockability or cause more stress to chipset or something some years back. Just wondering if that myth was busted or not.

  13. #13
    Mr. Bananagrabber
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    It's one more potential component that could fail, which could be an area of concern when pushing major overclocks. But since most OCing for users these days is just knocking up the multiplier for the CPU, there's little reason to be concerned.

    Overclocking RAM is generally a waste of time anyways, it's almost never a limiting factor in everyday applications. In most instances buying faster RAM is already a waste of money.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boyiee View Post
    Buddy is putting together a PC for his little brother (he's 22) - I'm a little behind on tech and prices so could use a hand. He can't post links yet so yeah.



    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

    CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($344.99 @ SuperBiiz)
    CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_RD 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.99 @ Newegg)
    Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.89 @ OutletPC)
    Motherboard: MSI Z170A GAMING M5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($169.88 @ OutletPC)
    Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
    Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
    Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($129.89 @ OutletPC)
    Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.77 @ OutletPC)
    Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($299.99 @ NCIX US)
    Case: Cooler Master Storm Stryker (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($139.99 @ Newegg)
    Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($85.49 @ OutletPC)
    Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($250.32 @ Amazon)
    Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse ($49.99 @ Best Buy)
    Total: $1796.16
    Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
    Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-19 18:03 EDT-0400



    edit: I already talked to him a few days ago about the i7, ram, and a few other things - the pc part picker hasn't been changed or updated yet. Told him there's big spots to save money in the build and still get great performance for what he wants, but to let the pro's handle it.
    I was reading about a thing with Arctic Silver 5 and it taking around 200 hours for it to set. A lot of forums and what not seem to agree and this is a negative. I'd switch to MX 2/4 as it's around the same price and a great compound. That psu should support a second 970 down the road if he wants. Only gripe is the Evo 840 (and that price is terrible). Can go with the 850 or Intel 535 for around $85 typically and less on a good sale. Can also go with something like a Sandisk Z400 for around $60. Real world difference isn't much, but less warranty. Also, when at $85 for a SSD, could spend $5-$15 more and get a decent 480gb when on sale which has been happening frequently.

  15. #15
    Atheist Douchebag.
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    Yeah, the SSD price is way high. Can get 500gb for that price easily.

  16. #16
    Mr. Bananagrabber
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    Echoing about AS5, you still see people parroting about it but it's mostly old remnants of days gone by. A good number of coolers these days gone with thermal paste pre-applied, and they should generally be good for all but the most extreme overclockers.

    I used the pre-applied shit with the Nepton, and it would be a struggle to get my Temps over 60c

  17. #17
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    What cpu choice would be best, I don't know if he really needs the K. Also I feel like there's a lot of options for monitors and cases and he could even get some upgrades. The ram seems like overkill too but I've been out a bit and don't know what's normal nowadays.

  18. #18
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    ram: 16gb would be fine if just gaming and what not. Can use the savings towards a monitor.

    cpu: If only gaming an I5 will be fine and no difference will be seen. If no plans to overclock then yes, just drop the K and use the savings towards a monitor.

    case: Tough call because it's all about personal preference. If $125 is in the budget for a case you really can pick so many different things. I personally went with the Phanteks Enthoo Pro and I love it. Usually around $85, great cable management, and a classy look. One thing I noticed was no replacement fans for the stock fans. This of course will depend on what case you buy and the quality of the fans. Corsair, Cougar, Thermaltake Riing, and others can serve greatly for replacements.

    Monitor: I've never owned a 144hz so I have no idea how/why/what makes them so desirable. I also do not play games competitively or for that matter any game where I guess every hz and ms counts. When I had the QNIX Q2710 I had it overclocked to 112hz and I personally couldn't tell much of a difference from that to 60hz. For myself, my best upgrade was going from 1080 to 1440. I'd rate that as a better upgrade than a SSD (for me). Also, moving from 24" to 27" doesn't seem like much, but after you have it and then look at a 24" you'll be glad you have that 27". I love the QNIX as in my opinion it represents the best $ to performance/value. It can usually be had for around $220 if not less and a 970 will push it just fine although a 390 may help since it has more vram and truly is a better card. Newegg and Amazon carry QNIX, but a seller by the name of Dream-Seller on Ebay has tons of inventory and usually the best deals.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kalmado View Post
    ram: 16gb would be fine if just gaming and what not. Can use the savings towards a monitor.

    cpu: If only gaming an I5 will be fine and no difference will be seen. If no plans to overclock then yes, just drop the K and use the savings towards a monitor.

    case: Tough call because it's all about personal preference. If $125 is in the budget for a case you really can pick so many different things. I personally went with the Phanteks Enthoo Pro and I love it. Usually around $85, great cable management, and a classy look. One thing I noticed was no replacement fans for the stock fans. This of course will depend on what case you buy and the quality of the fans. Corsair, Cougar, Thermaltake Riing, and others can serve greatly for replacements.

    Monitor: I've never owned a 144hz so I have no idea how/why/what makes them so desirable. I also do not play games competitively or for that matter any game where I guess every hz and ms counts. When I had the QNIX Q2710 I had it overclocked to 112hz and I personally couldn't tell much of a difference from that to 60hz. For myself, my best upgrade was going from 1080 to 1440. I'd rate that as a better upgrade than a SSD (for me). Also, moving from 24" to 27" doesn't seem like much, but after you have it and then look at a 24" you'll be glad you have that 27". I love the QNIX as in my opinion it represents the best $ to performance/value. It can usually be had for around $220 if not less and a 970 will push it just fine although a 390 may help since it has more vram and truly is a better card. Newegg and Amazon carry QNIX, but a seller by the name of Dream-Seller on Ebay has tons of inventory and usually the best deals.
    I believe Kalmado meant 8GB would be fine in the bold above. If not, my mistake.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Arkanna View Post
    I believe Kalmado meant 8GB would be fine in the bold above. If not, my mistake.
    no. Original build has 2 x16gb. Kalmado is saying 32gb is overkill and I agree. 16gb is perfect. 8gb will work but I often see my RAM usage going 7-10gb in some games with a few, if any, other things going. 12-16gb is new standard imo.

    I have been 1440p and 1440p 144hz. I could never go back to 1080p but 144hz is definitely worth it(if your gpu can push it at whatever rez). Things are just so much smoother. 60fps seems choppy now.


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