So one thing I am really behind on is monitors. I have my old one which is a 22.1" LCD but I will shop for a new one eventually. What is a decent type to look for?
Picking a monitor really comes down to what size and resolution you're targeting, how much you want to spend, and whether you care about gaming-oriented features like high refresh rate, low response time, and G-sync/freesync.
The fundamental thing to watch out for is that there are three primary types of panels used in modern LCD monitors: TN, IPS, and VA.
TN panels are the older technology. They tend to have good response time and cost less, but can look a little less vibrant and a little more washed out. Their also tend to have inferior viewing angles (colors start to look weird the farther away you are from looking at the screen dead-on, but this probably won't be too much of an issue for a single desktop monitor).
IPS panels tend to have brighter and more vibrant colors and better viewing angles, but until recently most gaming-oriented monitors eschewed them because their response time was worse; this has started to change but you will probably still pay a price premium for a gaming IPS monitor. IPS displays have been known to suffer more from "backlight bleed," which bothers some people more than others and is largely a luck of the draw issue. Note that different monitor manufacturers may use different terms for their own slightly different implementation of IPS, like I think Asus says some of theirs are "AH-IPS" or whatever, but the same general pros and cons apply to all.
VA is a newer technology which attempts to get the best of all worlds. You may also see MVA or PVA-branded variations. There don't seem to be too many monitors on the market using this technology yet and I don't have any first-hand experience with them, but the consensus seems to be that they lay somewhere in between TN and IPS displays for color fidelity, have very good blacks and contrast, but suffer from response time/ghosting issues.
Gaslight on
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That_GuyI don't wanna be that guyRegistered Userregular
I just want to know why you bought 2 SSDs. A 1tb SSD would be faster than either of your smaller ones.
I even tried using a different program to initialize it, and it errors out as well. (Tried Aomei partition assistant)
Any idea's about this? I've never run into it before.
My motherboard has diagrams in its manual telling you specifically which SATA ports you should be using if you are using an M.2 SSD. Might want to take a look and make sure you haven't put them in a bad configuration.
hmm... i didn't think about that, but i think im ok, since i think there was one specific bank of sata ports that couldn't be used when using m.2, which im pretty sure i avoided, but i'll give it look in a bit.
Dhalphirdon't you open that trapdooryou're a fool if you dareRegistered Userregular
So I'm still trying to simultaneously talk myself into, and out of, a new GPU for the Rift in March.
I was debating buying a 980Ti now, and then the new Pascal Ti whenever it comes out. Am I right in assuming there's usually 6+ months between the initial chipset release and the Ti launch?
I would just wait till March and see if new gpus are out by then and how they perform for the Rift.
Do you already have the Rift pre-ordered? because if not it may be more like July-Aug before you get one and most of the gpu variants should be out by then.
BouwsTWanna come to a super soft birthday party?Registered Userregular
The Canadian rupee tanked my hopes of pre-ording a Rift, so this is my rationale as well.
"Well, it wouldn't be sensible to pre-order a rift with the new Pascal GPU's so close around the corner... It's only sensible to wait 2 or 3 months... Or years, whatever, who's counting."
Between you and me, Peggy, I smoked this Juul and it did UNTHINKABLE things to my mind and body...
I just want to know why you bought 2 SSDs. A 1tb SSD would be faster than either of your smaller ones.
I'm totally guessing here, but the 500gb one might have been a preexisting SSD that got moved into the new build. Otherwise, it would seem that there aren't any 1tb M.2 SSDs available (yet).
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Written off my old computer's parts and have simply ordered new pieces to put something entirely new together for the GF. Much more expensive than we were hoping for but... at least it'll last for a while.
So I'm still trying to simultaneously talk myself into, and out of, a new GPU for the Rift in March.
I was debating buying a 980Ti now, and then the new Pascal Ti whenever it comes out. Am I right in assuming there's usually 6+ months between the initial chipset release and the Ti launch?
AMD's Polaris is supposed to be releasing the middle of this year. I'd think that Pascal would be out around the same timeframe.
I even tried using a different program to initialize it, and it errors out as well. (Tried Aomei partition assistant)
Any idea's about this? I've never run into it before.
My motherboard has diagrams in its manual telling you specifically which SATA ports you should be using if you are using an M.2 SSD. Might want to take a look and make sure you haven't put them in a bad configuration.
hmm... i didn't think about that, but i think im ok, since i think there was one specific bank of sata ports that couldn't be used when using m.2, which im pretty sure i avoided, but i'll give it look in a bit.
Yeah, i should be fine according to my motherboards manual. I just pulled the power from the drive, and my computer actually boots faster. There was also some strange noises coming from my computer after hooking the drive up, so im guessing it was just a dud. Started the RMA process. I might just dig up an old USB enclosure and keep it external for now, because i really dislike having to close and re-open my case a lot when i get done with a build.
I would just wait till March and see if new gpus are out by then and how they perform for the Rift.
Do you already have the Rift pre-ordered? because if not it may be more like July-Aug before you get one and most of the gpu variants should be out by then.
Putting together a new PC since mine bit the dust. Here is what I have planned. I appreciate any input as to optimization of what I have picked out or if someone can point out something that doesn't work with another part I have selected!
If you don't plan to overclock your CPU you might save a bit of money by going to an H170 motherboard. You probably don't strictly need the liquid cooler in that case, either.
Do you really need 32GB of RAM?
Gaslight on
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Dhalphirdon't you open that trapdooryou're a fool if you dareRegistered Userregular
If you're not going to overclock it's probably not worth buying aftermarket coolers.
+1
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
If you're not going to overclock it's probably not worth buying aftermarket coolers.
It's not!
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Dhalphirdon't you open that trapdooryou're a fool if you dareRegistered Userregular
Like, by dropping the mobo, going down to 2 x 8gb RAM, and losing the liquid cooler, you could save a couple hundred on the build and not notice any performance drop. For that extra couple hundred you could even swing a 980Ti as the GPU, which would be more future proof than the 390.
1) I'm not planning on overclocking right now. I put the liquid cooler in because I assumed it would be quieter than the stock fan. Is this not the case? Also, is there a good case with sound dampening equivalent to the R5?
2) The 32GB is mostly just to future proof my computer. Is this not worth doing? I usually upgrade my graphics card at the 3-4 year mark after I buy a PC. Should I just wait to upgrade my RAM at this point too?
3) I got the 390 because my monitor has AMD freesync (Samsung 28" UHD 4k monitor). I was thinking about maybe doing crossfire with two 390s to be able to do 4k gaming. Is it not worth sticking with AMD for freesync? If I drop down to the motherboard, would this take crossfire off the table?
I made a mistake, the R5 is a quite case, I misread your list. Anyway something like this heatsink would actually probably be quiter for a non OC system:
I just want to know why you bought 2 SSDs. A 1tb SSD would be faster than either of your smaller ones.
I'm totally guessing here, but the 500gb one might have been a preexisting SSD that got moved into the new build. Otherwise, it would seem that there aren't any 1tb M.2 SSDs available (yet).
SSDs are expensive enough you don't just shelve one, especially when it's only a year or two old.
Plus, the prices don't necessarily scale outside of sales (and even then, not well). Plenty of 1 TB SSDs cost more than two of the same model in 512 GB.
In the past, 1 TB SSDs also had a bad track record for reliability, but that's largely been extinguished. Still, the cost of a 512 GB SSD is nothing to scoff at either, unless you're confident you can get a great price for it on eBay (or con the manufacturing into accepting it for a refund).
FYI, the "K" processors (6600k vs. 6600 like you have) are the ones built for overclocking.
Similarly, the "Z" motherboards are designed for overclocking. As Gaslight mentions above, you can save money by getting an H170 based motherboard instead of the Z170 you have selected.
2) The 32GB is mostly just to future proof my computer. Is this not worth doing? I usually upgrade my graphics card at the 3-4 year mark after I buy a PC. Should I just wait to upgrade my RAM at this point too?
RAM is a super easy thing to upgrade as needed down the line. Right now, 8GB is plenty, and 16GB is overkill but a small enough price increase that it's easy to say hey, why not. 32GB right now isn't going to give you any benefit.
Also, I believe most (all?) Skylake motherboards benefit from just a pair of memory sticks rather than a quartet of sticks like in previous generations. For my build right now, I'm going with 2 8GB sticks.
3) I got the 390 because my monitor has AMD freesync (Samsung 28" UHD 4k monitor). I was thinking about maybe doing crossfire with two 390s to be able to do 4k gaming. Is it not worth sticking with AMD for freesync? If I drop down to the motherboard, would this take crossfire off the table?
I don't know much about that card in particular, but personally I'm super intrigued by the idea of G-sync and freesync. If I were in your shoes I'd also want to get a card that would be compatible with the feature on my monitor.
0
Dhalphirdon't you open that trapdooryou're a fool if you dareRegistered Userregular
1) I'm not planning on overclocking right now. I put the liquid cooler in because I assumed it would be quieter than the stock fan. Is this not the case? Also, is there a good case with sound dampening equivalent to the R5?
2) The 32GB is mostly just to future proof my computer. Is this not worth doing? I usually upgrade my graphics card at the 3-4 year mark after I buy a PC. Should I just wait to upgrade my RAM at this point too?
3) I got the 390 because my monitor has AMD freesync (Samsung 28" UHD 4k monitor). I was thinking about maybe doing crossfire with two 390s to be able to do 4k gaming. Is it not worth sticking with AMD for freesync? If I drop down to the motherboard, would this take crossfire off the table?
I don't think sli\crossfire is worth it with Pascal and Polaris chipsets on thé horizon. Single-GPU is nearly always better bang for buck. If 4k is your goal I'd say go with a 290 instead, hold off on 4k, and then upgrade your GPU at the end of this year to a new Polaris card. A few months prior to new chipsets isn't a great time to be choosing a GPU for the next 4 years.
If you don't plan on overclocking right now, but want the option for down the track, you need a K CPU.
It's really hard to get working correctly and is a minority of a minority of PC gamers using it. If DX12 makes it significantly easier to implement maybe it'll get better support.
Thanks again for the fast replies, everyone. A few more points:
1) I'm not planning on overclocking because I have never done it before. Is it pretty safe, easy to do, and does it actually produce meaningful increases in performance? I'd be interested in exploring it. Is there a good guide you guys know of for overclocking?
2) @Cabezone Noted on the RAM, I will drop it to 16 GB. Also, I'll pick up that fan if I decide to stay non-OC.
3) @Dhalphir I had a GT 970 before my computer got blasted by a power surge (that's why I'm putting a new one together). I mostly want to maintain that level of performance and then maybe upgrade to something 4k worthy in the future (probably 3-4 years down the road). I switched to a 390 in this build b/c of the freesync issue.
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That_GuyI don't wanna be that guyRegistered Userregular
Closed loop liquid cooling is still great even if you aren't overclocking. The narrower your temp range, the longer your gear will generally last. You can pick up a basic liquid cooler for just 60 bucks. Gaming Mobos tend to come with higher quality components and have better cooling in general. Plus, the warranties tend to be a little better. I wouldn't consider a stock cooler in any custom build. They simply run too hot for comfort.
If it were me, I would at least OC a little bit with a nice liquid cooler. Maybe just bump your max multiplier up a little.
Thanks again for the fast replies, everyone. A few more points:
1) I'm not planning on overclocking because I have never done it before. Is it pretty safe, easy to do, and does it actually produce meaningful increases in performance? I'd be interested in exploring it. Is there a good guide you guys know of for overclocking?
2) @Cabezone Noted on the RAM, I will drop it to 16 GB. Also, I'll pick up that fan if I decide to stay non-OC.
3) @Dhalphir I had a GT 970 before my computer got blasted by a power surge (that's why I'm putting a new one together). I mostly want to maintain that level of performance and then maybe upgrade to something 4k worthy in the future (probably 3-4 years down the road). I switched to a 390 in this build b/c of the freesync issue.
If I were you I would use that extra savings from the ram and mobo and get an R9 Nano, those damn little cards are amazing, but a 390/390x is better bang for the buck.
Also is your 970 still under warranty? Could you possibly RMA it or would they know a power surge killed it and not replace your card?
Bloodycow on
" I am a warrior, so that my son may be a merchant, so that his son may be a poet.”
― John Quincy Adams
I just like the card. It's a nice change from everyone having giant 10.5 to 12 inch long cards.
I say this and I have a 980 But if you want the best performance for your buck for freesync probably a 390x. I would just wait until the next crop of cards comes out and see what those will be like.
Or you could just say F freesync and get a 980 or 980ti. If you have a high refresh monitor you probably wouldn't know the difference not using freesync anyways.
" I am a warrior, so that my son may be a merchant, so that his son may be a poet.”
― John Quincy Adams
Small pile of parts on the way (going from an i5 3570k to an i7 6700k). So tempted to upgrade from my R9 290 to that new Sapphire Fury Nitro, but I also want to wait and see how Polaris does.
But I also want everything to look super smooth at 1440p now.
hey build thread, what is the lineage of geforce card generations that have come out since my GT 240? Is it like G/GT series, GTX 600 series, GTX 700 series, GTX 900 series?
I'm trying to figure it out from looking at newegg categories.
hey build thread, what is the lineage of geforce card generations that have come out since my GT 240? Is it like G/GT series, GTX 600 series, GTX 700 series, GTX 900 series?
I'm trying to figure it out from looking at newegg categories.
I'm not sure exactly about lineage but if you are just trying to see where your card performs as far as other cards, the Tom's Hardware GPU hierarchy chart is really handy. Just look up your card and then as you go up the list, you get levels of performance
gt 240 is about the same tier as a 8800 gt. So you'd be looking at something like the 9000, gtx 200,gtx 400, gtx 500,gtx 600,gtx 700, and gtx 900 series being released since is came out for desktop cards.
Or taking it terms of tiers with tier 1 being a Titan Z / R9 295X2, your gt240 is tier 16 or 17. Basically it's not very good.
I just realized the gt 240 I've been thinking for years was totally a decent cardwas actually a bargain bin piece of crap at the time, I think I only got it because my previous low 9000-series card died and I was pretty broke. Hahaha.
But seriously the power rankings are super confusing compared to the naming conventions, seems like the top class cards from each generation stay relevant for quite a few generations.
I just realized the gt 240 I've been thinking for years was totally a decent cardwas actually a bargain bin piece of crap at the time, I think I only got it because my previous low 9000-series card died and I was pretty broke. Hahaha.
But seriously the power rankings are super confusing compared to the naming conventions, seems like the top class cards from each generation stay relevant for quite a few generations.
the simpler question to ask is if you're looking to replace the card, what kind of budget do you have, and what is the rest of your system specs? We'll be able to tell you what the best option for you is at a price point.
Posts
Picking a monitor really comes down to what size and resolution you're targeting, how much you want to spend, and whether you care about gaming-oriented features like high refresh rate, low response time, and G-sync/freesync.
The fundamental thing to watch out for is that there are three primary types of panels used in modern LCD monitors: TN, IPS, and VA.
TN panels are the older technology. They tend to have good response time and cost less, but can look a little less vibrant and a little more washed out. Their also tend to have inferior viewing angles (colors start to look weird the farther away you are from looking at the screen dead-on, but this probably won't be too much of an issue for a single desktop monitor).
IPS panels tend to have brighter and more vibrant colors and better viewing angles, but until recently most gaming-oriented monitors eschewed them because their response time was worse; this has started to change but you will probably still pay a price premium for a gaming IPS monitor. IPS displays have been known to suffer more from "backlight bleed," which bothers some people more than others and is largely a luck of the draw issue. Note that different monitor manufacturers may use different terms for their own slightly different implementation of IPS, like I think Asus says some of theirs are "AH-IPS" or whatever, but the same general pros and cons apply to all.
VA is a newer technology which attempts to get the best of all worlds. You may also see MVA or PVA-branded variations. There don't seem to be too many monitors on the market using this technology yet and I don't have any first-hand experience with them, but the consensus seems to be that they lay somewhere in between TN and IPS displays for color fidelity, have very good blacks and contrast, but suffer from response time/ghosting issues.
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hmm... i didn't think about that, but i think im ok, since i think there was one specific bank of sata ports that couldn't be used when using m.2, which im pretty sure i avoided, but i'll give it look in a bit.
I was debating buying a 980Ti now, and then the new Pascal Ti whenever it comes out. Am I right in assuming there's usually 6+ months between the initial chipset release and the Ti launch?
Do you already have the Rift pre-ordered? because if not it may be more like July-Aug before you get one and most of the gpu variants should be out by then.
"Well, it wouldn't be sensible to pre-order a rift with the new Pascal GPU's so close around the corner... It's only sensible to wait 2 or 3 months... Or years, whatever, who's counting."
I'm totally guessing here, but the 500gb one might have been a preexisting SSD that got moved into the new build. Otherwise, it would seem that there aren't any 1tb M.2 SSDs available (yet).
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AMD's Polaris is supposed to be releasing the middle of this year. I'd think that Pascal would be out around the same timeframe.
Yeah, i should be fine according to my motherboards manual. I just pulled the power from the drive, and my computer actually boots faster. There was also some strange noises coming from my computer after hooking the drive up, so im guessing it was just a dud. Started the RMA process. I might just dig up an old USB enclosure and keep it external for now, because i really dislike having to close and re-open my case a lot when i get done with a build.
I have a March preorder.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($159.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($333.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($20.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($102.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1405.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-19 01:02 EST-0500
Do you really need 32GB of RAM?
It's not!
My ears are telling me otherwise!
1) I'm not planning on overclocking right now. I put the liquid cooler in because I assumed it would be quieter than the stock fan. Is this not the case? Also, is there a good case with sound dampening equivalent to the R5?
2) The 32GB is mostly just to future proof my computer. Is this not worth doing? I usually upgrade my graphics card at the 3-4 year mark after I buy a PC. Should I just wait to upgrade my RAM at this point too?
3) I got the 390 because my monitor has AMD freesync (Samsung 28" UHD 4k monitor). I was thinking about maybe doing crossfire with two 390s to be able to do 4k gaming. Is it not worth sticking with AMD for freesync? If I drop down to the motherboard, would this take crossfire off the table?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JZCHSOK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00JZCHSOK&linkCode=as2&tag=silentpcrevie-20&linkId=77HOSKU7SUL6R4ZM
32GB is probably overkill even going out 4 years.
SSDs are expensive enough you don't just shelve one, especially when it's only a year or two old.
Plus, the prices don't necessarily scale outside of sales (and even then, not well). Plenty of 1 TB SSDs cost more than two of the same model in 512 GB.
In the past, 1 TB SSDs also had a bad track record for reliability, but that's largely been extinguished. Still, the cost of a 512 GB SSD is nothing to scoff at either, unless you're confident you can get a great price for it on eBay (or con the manufacturing into accepting it for a refund).
Similarly, the "Z" motherboards are designed for overclocking. As Gaslight mentions above, you can save money by getting an H170 based motherboard instead of the Z170 you have selected.
RAM is a super easy thing to upgrade as needed down the line. Right now, 8GB is plenty, and 16GB is overkill but a small enough price increase that it's easy to say hey, why not. 32GB right now isn't going to give you any benefit.
Also, I believe most (all?) Skylake motherboards benefit from just a pair of memory sticks rather than a quartet of sticks like in previous generations. For my build right now, I'm going with 2 8GB sticks.
I don't know much about that card in particular, but personally I'm super intrigued by the idea of G-sync and freesync. If I were in your shoes I'd also want to get a card that would be compatible with the feature on my monitor.
I don't think sli\crossfire is worth it with Pascal and Polaris chipsets on thé horizon. Single-GPU is nearly always better bang for buck. If 4k is your goal I'd say go with a 290 instead, hold off on 4k, and then upgrade your GPU at the end of this year to a new Polaris card. A few months prior to new chipsets isn't a great time to be choosing a GPU for the next 4 years.
If you don't plan on overclocking right now, but want the option for down the track, you need a K CPU.
Devil's advocate counterpoint: aren't there rumblings that games designed for DirectX 12 will be able to take better advantage of multiple GPU's?
You're still reliant on devs actually doing that. Historically, they don't make it a big priority to get the most out of Dual GPUs.
1) I'm not planning on overclocking because I have never done it before. Is it pretty safe, easy to do, and does it actually produce meaningful increases in performance? I'd be interested in exploring it. Is there a good guide you guys know of for overclocking?
2) @Cabezone Noted on the RAM, I will drop it to 16 GB. Also, I'll pick up that fan if I decide to stay non-OC.
3) @Dhalphir I had a GT 970 before my computer got blasted by a power surge (that's why I'm putting a new one together). I mostly want to maintain that level of performance and then maybe upgrade to something 4k worthy in the future (probably 3-4 years down the road). I switched to a 390 in this build b/c of the freesync issue.
If it were me, I would at least OC a little bit with a nice liquid cooler. Maybe just bump your max multiplier up a little.
If I were you I would use that extra savings from the ram and mobo and get an R9 Nano, those damn little cards are amazing, but a 390/390x is better bang for the buck.
Also is your 970 still under warranty? Could you possibly RMA it or would they know a power surge killed it and not replace your card?
― John Quincy Adams
I say this and I have a 980
Or you could just say F freesync and get a 980 or 980ti. If you have a high refresh monitor you probably wouldn't know the difference not using freesync anyways.
― John Quincy Adams
At the very least it shouldn't sag in its PCI slot.
But I also want everything to look super smooth at 1440p now.
I'm trying to figure it out from looking at newegg categories.
I'm not sure exactly about lineage but if you are just trying to see where your card performs as far as other cards, the Tom's Hardware GPU hierarchy chart is really handy. Just look up your card and then as you go up the list, you get levels of performance
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oh my god it's more confusing than I ever imagined
Or taking it terms of tiers with tier 1 being a Titan Z / R9 295X2, your gt240 is tier 16 or 17. Basically it's not very good.
But seriously the power rankings are super confusing compared to the naming conventions, seems like the top class cards from each generation stay relevant for quite a few generations.
the simpler question to ask is if you're looking to replace the card, what kind of budget do you have, and what is the rest of your system specs? We'll be able to tell you what the best option for you is at a price point.