PC Build Advice/Review Thread

[Senji]

Can anyone recommend me a monitor? Looking for a 24-30inch, built in speakers, preferably with 2 hdmi ports but not necessary. I just found this on sale with $20 instant rebate until the 3rd http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&leaderboard=1

Any recommendations would be great, thanks.

Edit: Found this, a bit better deal I think. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004EFUOY4/?tag=pcpapi-20

I have a few of that ASUS, I like it. Compared a bunch a while ago. It's on sale at Newegg for 120 with promo code http://promotions.newegg.com/neemail...x-landing.aspx

[warc]

Ended up ordering it from amazon (prime), same price with MIR. Looks like I'll be pretty happy with it, thanks for the feedback.

[Arximiro]

I'm looking to buy a new monitor later this month. Would like something 27" or larger. Anyone know of some nice monitors out there with a good stand? I know Acer has a few with a cool stand. Looks are important as well as quality.

Ty

[Reality]

Got a micro enter near by? The newest Auria 27" is nice for only 60hz, hdmi, DLDVI, DP, nice bezel and no external psu brick like their last model, you can find used 27" on eBay, I think this one is around $400

it's 1440p of course, I own it and it's nice for being only 60hz

[BaneTheBrawler]

So the autumn of my new PC is nigh, and I'm starting to work on planning my build. I'd like to use a rackmountable case, but that's not a requirement, if the parts I end up going with preclude it. I want to build this PC so that it won't have any problems with running games like Star Citizen on max settings for at least a couple years. I don't have a firm budget, as I'm planning to buy the parts 1-2 at a time over several months, as well as hitting sales, so that the impact of the cost is mitigated somewhat. If it takes me 6 months to buy all the parts, that's fine.

That being said, I'm totally lost on how to pick parts. Every "guide" ive found has been incredibly vague, typically saying "well it depends on what you want to do" (no shit) and nothing more.

[Kalmado]

A few prelim questions. Do you live near a Microcenter? Do you plan to overclock? Do you have a preference between AMD and Intel? Overall, what is the most important part of your pc? And while you say you do not have a firm budget, what would you guess is your max?

[Buffy]

Here's some quickie primer for choosing parts:

Assuming you are going intel, those numbers matter. The 4770 is better than the 3770, although the 3770 might do everything you want.
If you want to be able to overclock the CPU, you need the designator that shows the CPU can be overclocked. Therefore a 3770 might be a 3770k instead, where the k = overclockable.

The CPU has to match the motherboard. So for instance, I have a LGA2011 motherboard. The LGA2011 is the "fit" for the CPU. The motherboard and the CPU must have a matching "socket".

More RAM is better than less RAM. It's virtually impossible to have too much RAM, although anything more than 16 GB of RAM is pretty pointless (although not entirely so if you are dealing with some specific items, like huge huge huge spreadsheets in excel and certain drawing programs).

More PCI-E slots is better than less. Virtually all high-end video cards now are PCI-E. If you hope to be able to run dual cards (or tri cards), you need an appropriate number of PCI-E slots.

Your power supply can actually be too big, which leads to inefficiencies. But if you're running a dual-card system, a 750 watt power supply should be just fine.

A SSD hard drive is faster (significantly) than a regular magnetic drive. They are also more expensive. This has led many people to get a 128 or 256 GB SSD hard drive and install the operating system and games on, while getting a secondary 1 or 2 TB magnetic hard drive and installing video, music, large files on that drive. This sounds complicated but is actually very simple. Programs like Steam now allow you to chose where you want files to be installed to. It's a very common set up now.

If you can't chose between certain items that catch your eye, post them here and people will be happy to tell you which is a better bang for the buck and/or why one sucks.

I, for instance, will never again buy a rocketfish power supply. That sort of thing.

[Buffy]

And as Kalmado mentions, if you live near a micro center, walk in and pick the sales guy's brain. If you don't buy anything, make sure to remember who helped you or who was a douchebag. Those guys work off commission, so when you go back you can make sure you buy from the guy who helped you.

[Kalmado]

Here is something thrown together that could work for medium to high gaming at 1080p on a budget. Prices could be less depending on sales. This is assuming you're not OC anything. The case I picked was purely for price purposes. I recently bought the Thermaltake Soprano Snow White case for $35 after rebate and I can't wait to get it built.

There has been the XFX 550w 80+Bronze psu on sale for $25 after rebate. This is a Seasonic psu and is an incredible value if you catch the sale.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($184.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($73.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.91 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $581.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

[Adajer]

Intel and Nvidia supposed to be dropping new product lines this fall.

[BaneTheBrawler]

Nearest micro center is several hours away, alas.

Intel and Nvidia supposed to be dropping new product lines this fall.

that's what i'd heard, which is why i want to start researching/picking up parts that aren't going to change that much, like power supply and case and storage.

If you can't chose between certain items that catch your eye, post them here and people will be happy to tell you which is a better bang for the buck and/or why one sucks.

this is more the problem; most of what you explained wasn't news (overpowered power supply was) to me, but I thank you for it. For many of the parts I know the general stats of what to look for, but there's always at least 10-12 decent options, and that's still a wide field. I don't know the good brands, or what the special features might be, or how long it'll stay current, etc.

I don't have any plans to overclock, but I might want to eventually. The biggest thing I want out of this computer is upgradeability. I want it to be as future proof as possible, so that years down the line I don't have to do a massive build again. Just replace 1-2 parts at a time as I go. Max is probably around $3000, but like I said, I'm building this slowly over time so if waiting a couple months gets me better long-term functionality/effectiveness, that's fine. As for what I want for the actual performance, I want it to run Star Citizen and Kerbal Space Program (with a ton of mods) at high settings, while also operating a second screen. I'd like to have room for at least two video cards, but I'll start with just one actual card. I've been planning to do the SSD-OS drive, HDD-storage drive thing.

To expand on the futureproofing, if I eventually decide I want to, say, do watercooling, I'd like to not have to replace more than a few parts. That kind of thing. As much as possible, I want options down the road, and I'm willing to pay for them now. And no preference as to AMD or intel. I've always had prebuilt towers so not really a good sample to form brand loyalty with.

One specific question I had: How important really is processor speed? I know it's important (but not too important) for gaming, but is buying a faster processor now going to make it last significantly longer before it becomes old and crappy? Or is that, too, only moderately affected?

[Buffy]

On the processor speed question, it actually ties into the the future proof question.

Your budget of $3000 is a HUGE budget for a PC. You will be able to build a beast computer for that price point. Someone who is more up to speed on hardware parts compared to me will be able to speak to this better, but you will want to buy a motherboard with a socket style that is going to continue to have new chips released for it. That way you can buy a good chip now, and another, better one in 2-3 years without replacing the motherboard.

On the case topic that lets you plan for watercooling eventually, I bought this and haven't regretted it for a moment. I also wanted the flexibility to do water cooled, and although I haven't done it yet, it would be a simple addition.

[Syntex]

Looking to build a PC and my last one was a disaster. Did a little research and used the choosemypc tool off of reddit and gave me this. Seems pretty solid.

Would like some input if there are a few better parts or what you guys would recommend.

I'm looking to play Arche Age with high settings on which runs off the Cry 3 engine and doing some streaming/light video editing.

http://choosemypc.net/build/?budget=...=removecase,os

CPU:Intel Core i5 I5-4460 Haswell 3.2GHZ Processor LGA1150 6MB Cache $184.99
Mobo:BIOSTAR Hi-Fi B85S3+ Ver. 6.x LGA 1150 Intel B85 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard $64.00
Ram:Avexir Core Series 8GB Kit (2 x 4GB) Dual Channel 240-pin DDR3 1600 $68.99
SSD:Crucial M500 240GB SATA 2.5-Inch 7mm Internal Solid State Drive
Hard Drive:Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM SATA3 64MB Cache 3.5in Internal Hard Drive $77.99
Video Card:GIGABYTE GV-N770OC-2GD GeForce GTX 770 2GB 256-Bit GDDR5 $319.99
PSU:Rosewill HIVE Series HIVE-650 650W Power Supply $64.00
OS:Windows 8.1 OEM 64-bit $94.98
Case:Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $34.99

Total:$1019.92

I'm looking to keep it around $1000 bucks but this seems to be pretty solid for what I want. Any advice on any parts? I am going to order it online as I don't think I can pick up all of this at my local Micro Center or that it might be cheaper. So thoughts?

[Kalmado]

I've built a pc using that Rosewill case. It's cheap and left me with busted knuckles. You can do much better for $35-$50 on a case. If you can spot shop you can do better for the money. I would advise on getting a Seasonic/XFX(Seasonic)/Corsair psu. For $70 a much better psu can be purchased. I've never heard of that ram so I wouldn't buy it. Newegg regularly has 2x4gb 1600+ CAS9 for $70+ and usually Gskill. I'm unsure of the motherboard, but ratings do not look bad. I would feel comfortable going with a higher quality known name brand. Rest looks good.

[Syntex]

I've built a pc using that Rosewill case. It's cheap and left me with busted knuckles. You can do much better for $35-$50 on a case. If you can spot shop you can do better for the money. I would advise on getting a Seasonic/XFX(Seasonic)/Corsair psu. For $70 a much better psu can be purchased. I've never heard of that ram so I wouldn't buy it. Newegg regularly has 2x4gb 1600+ CAS9 for $70+ and usually Gskill. I'm unsure of the motherboard, but ratings do not look bad. I would feel comfortable going with a higher quality known name brand. Rest looks good.

I wanted a lot of airflow which is why I picked it. I just don't want something super huge since I wont be using more than 3 HD spots or 1-2 drives.

The one thing I have been questioning too is the mobo. Friend says you wont get much more out of a better one but I feel that going that cheap will run into problems. Any specific name brand you recommend without going too high? I could go up to 130ish for the mobo.

Also this looks like a better ram you mentioned... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-428-_-Product

[Jojimbo]

I would consider:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-D2V Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.79 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($106.81 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($82.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB DirectCU II Video Card ($304.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CSM 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Micro Center)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $989.52
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

MX100 is Crucials new SSD, M500 was last years model. The Corsair PSU is pretty cheap, but still 80+ Gold and semi-modular with good reviews. Slightly cheaper 770, could go with an R9-280 or 280X if you want the same/similar performance for less (do lose out of shadowplay though). Case is pretty cheap/newish but it lacks a rear fan, so if you have a 120mm fan from your old build it might be worth sticking it in here to help temperatures, there are alternatives though.

There are plenty of things you can get cheaper at microcenter though, most notably would be CPU/MB combos.

[Kalmado]

I would consider:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-D2V Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.79 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($106.81 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($82.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB DirectCU II Video Card ($304.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CSM 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Micro Center)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $989.52
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

MX100 is Crucials new SSD, M500 was last years model. The Corsair PSU is pretty cheap, but still 80+ Gold and semi-modular with good reviews. Slightly cheaper 770, could go with an R9-280 or 280X if you want the same/similar performance for less (do lose out of shadowplay though). Case is pretty cheap/newish but it lacks a rear fan, so if you have a 120mm fan from your old build it might be worth sticking it in here to help temperatures, there are alternatives though.

There are plenty of things you can get cheaper at microcenter though, most notably would be CPU/MB combos.

That is a really good price on that psu! Too bad we didn't have a template for fresh builds too run off of. Something like: Do you live by microcenter? amd or intel matter? oc? etc etc.

I know in BG's FFXIV member's area there is a thread for posting pics of your pc setup and what not. Do we have that in Tech or General? I didn't see a thread. I'll be moving soon and setting up in the semi finished basement. At the same time I'm rebuilding my pc after I RMA my mobo and get the new one. It would be awesome to see other people's setups and gaming area to get ideas.

[Kalmado]

$85 after rebate for a 240gb ssd? Sure! http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...=KNY-102368829

[Oreth]

Hey,

Moving to Vancouver in August and want to start ordering parts on New Egg or equivalent for a new gaming system when i get there. Selling my current rig at home before moving so want to get something setup when i get there asap. Going to have $1300-$1400 CAD to spend on the tower. Would anyone mind helping me put together a system?

I also hear there are new GPU and CPUs due out shortly anyone have any ideas on when that might be? Im sure i could get some of the best stuff available now a bit cheaper when they launch so would like to keep that in mind. Been AMD for years but recently moved over to Nvidia and would likely like to stay. Id want an SSD and some larger capacity drives for storage. Other than that the most bang for my money.

Never ran dual GPUs before but would be open to that as well. Going to have a 27" 1440p Monitor. Should be able to o.c the monitor to 110Hz so need to take that into consideration for the GPU.

Thanks!

Put this together. Obviously went horribly over. I dont mind spending a couple of hundred more to future proof some parts but only if its worth it and im using my dollars to the best value. Think id like the CoolerMaster HAFX over this tower but wasnt sure as this looked pretty cool haha. Appreciate some tips / pointers on areas to improve on.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($251.03 @ DirectCanada)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($119.99 @ Memory Express)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($232.25 @ Vuugo)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($109.25 @ Vuugo)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($159.04 @ TigerDirect Canada)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($424.95 @ Vuugo)
Case: NZXT Phantom (Black/Green) ATX Full Tower Case ($144.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($139.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($66.98 @ Amazon Canada)
Wireless Network Adapter: TRENDnet TEW-805UB 802.11a/b/g/n/ac USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($32.92 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $1831.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

[vagus]

If you're moving to Vancouver. Check out NCIX. You may find cheaper deals and can pick up in person. Service is horrid though. As long as you know what you're looking for.