Are powered external hard drives faster than unpowered ones ?
I'm thinking of getting a USB 3 external hard drive for my Xbox One, and I'm not sure if drives with their own power supply are any faster than ones powered via the USB.
It has more to do with the speed of the actual disk in the enclosure. Look for a 7200 rpm one if you're concerned about speed.
Looking at picking up my motherboard Next week and trying to decide between the MSI X370 Gaming Pro Carbon or the Gigabyte AORUS AX370 Gaming K7 for my Ryzen build.
I'll be using the X52 Kraken to cool and want a all black board aesthetically for the build.
Any thoughts? MSI X370 Gaming Pro Gigabyte AORUS AX370 Gaming K7
Also what's the go with RGB Memory compatibility and Ryzen these days?
"I know you've been online.... There are lots of people that don't have that voice, that makes them ask themselves if what they make is shit or not." [img][/img]
I'm getting super frustrated with my C: drive being my SSD and being CONSTANTLY full of shit because I bought it 6 years ago and its way too small. How much of a pain in the ass would it be for me to swap it out for a much bigger SSD? I'm guessing seeing as my OS is on it, it would be a bit of a nightmare for me
SnicketysnickThe Greatest Hype Man inWesterosRegistered Userregular
Do you have your documents/pictures/video folders on another drive? That's a fairly simple way to get a decent amount of space if you don't, you'd just need to get a biggish (ie 2tb+ or so) spindle drive, pop it in and then change the locations of the folders to match. Certainly easier than migrating an OS install.
Are powered external hard drives faster than unpowered ones ?
I'm thinking of getting a USB 3 external hard drive for my Xbox One, and I'm not sure if drives with their own power supply are any faster than ones powered via the USB.
It has more to do with the speed of the actual disk in the enclosure. Look for a 7200 rpm one if you're concerned about speed.
Thanks - now I just need to decide between 2tb or 3tb.
Given how big games are now, and the fact that some games are permanent fixtures, I think 3tb is the way to go.
So, I have the following symptoms, in the order I identified them
1. Computer never goes to sleep, despite power settings telling it to
2. Games run slower than they should on new machine
3. When checking task manager for background processes, it reads as 70-95% memory usage, even with nothing running and the largest existing process at ~50mb
4. Resetting fixes 1-3 (background memory usage drops to <10%.)
My thoughts are that there's probably a software issue, so it's not a big deal especially since it's so easy to fix.
How can I identify the problem if it doesn't appear in task manager? It's clearly something I do frequently, as this happens a lot, so I'll probably get it eventually, but is there another tool I can use? Is this a "memory leak?"
So, I have the following symptoms, in the order I identified them
1. Computer never goes to sleep, despite power settings telling it to
2. Games run slower than they should on new machine
3. When checking task manager for background processes, it reads as 70-95% memory usage, even with nothing running and the largest existing process at ~50mb
4. Resetting fixes 1-3 (background memory usage drops to <10%.)
My thoughts are that there's probably a software issue, so it's not a big deal especially since it's so easy to fix.
How can I identify the problem if it doesn't appear in task manager? It's clearly something I do frequently, as this happens a lot, so I'll probably get it eventually, but is there another tool I can use? Is this a "memory leak?"
Thanks!
Run command prompt as administrator and do:
powercfg -requests
That will tell you what is preventing the machine from sleeping.
What version of windows are you running? Make sure to click the 'show processes from all users' or equivalent button on the task manager.
The last time I saw something similar to this, it was my friend's aging SFF build I did for him. He had an HP printer utility that was not being useful in the least, and was hogging his RAM and just constantly slowing the machine down. To the point it would take 15 minutes minimum to get to a usable desktop. Granted, I identified this rather quickly in Task Manager.
Outside of what @LD50 mentions, also check to see if your AV system/utility is running high-level scans on your files at a high frequency, or possibly that another user account is waiting for an update to be approved/allowed.
It's a long shot, but you can also check whether programs like GeForce Experience or Razer's utility have updates waiting. Also, any other program/utility you may have that regularly polls connected hardware (keyboards, mice, external drives, possibly headsets).
Regarding sleep: my motherboard (Asus) has a utility that allows you to set different power/usage profiles so there could be a small chance that you have some sort of profile set up for, like, "power user" that keeps it from sleeping. I also had issues for a short time where my (Razer) mouse would register an input shortly after I told my computer to sleep, so the computer would instantly wake up. It seemed to fix itself, though, so I'm not sure what the root of the problem was there.
I'll have a look at all that when I get home, thanks.
I'm the only user, but I'll double check other user processes anyways. It's win 10.
To clarify though, if I restart the computer there is (at least initially) no problem. It's possible that there's a delay before something checks if it wants updates or whatever, or my pet theory is that some application I'm using doesn't close out correctly.
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3cl1ps3I will build a labyrinth to house the cheeseRegistered Userregular
I assume you've done the classics like checking for malware?
Guts pictures will get posted next week, when I got the second hard drive and finalize the build (need one more case fan as well I think)!
cpu temps seem to be okay, I only checked while playing Starbound though (topped out at ~50°C). Compared to horror stories of i7 temps I read, that seems fine
I assume you've done the classics like checking for malware?
I haven't specifically scanned, but my software hasn't pinged at me and IIRC it's supposed to scan daily. I got a notice yesterday saying nothing was found.
Which doesn't mean there's nothing there, of course, but it's a start.
Would it be worth making a few builds and posting them in the OP for prospective builders? Seems like we get enough questions here about basic builds that it might be worthwhile.
I'd be happy to take a whack at it, if people agree.
As someone who showed up looking for exactly that, it would be greatly appreciated. It seems every 4-5 years I decide to build a new rig and the brick wall of technology changes is always staggering.
I assume you've done the classics like checking for malware?
I haven't specifically scanned, but my software hasn't pinged at me and IIRC it's supposed to scan daily. I got a notice yesterday saying nothing was found.
Which doesn't mean there's nothing there, of course, but it's a start.
I really feel like that has to be some software messing with your RAM. Worse comes to worse, just nuke it and reinstall windows. Then install one thing at a time and see if it starts acting weird again after you installed the last program.
" I am a warrior, so that my son may be a merchant, so that his son may be a poet.”
― John Quincy Adams
While we're fishing for ideas, can you see if this still happens if you disconnect the ethernet cable? I'm not sure how much this would help, but it may point in the direction of whether or not something is looking for an update.
Would it be worth making a few builds and posting them in the OP for prospective builders? Seems like we get enough questions here about basic builds that it might be worthwhile.
I'd be happy to take a whack at it, if people agree.
As someone who showed up looking for exactly that, it would be greatly appreciated. It seems every 4-5 years I decide to build a new rig and the brick wall of technology changes is always staggering.
I assume you've done the classics like checking for malware?
I haven't specifically scanned, but my software hasn't pinged at me and IIRC it's supposed to scan daily. I got a notice yesterday saying nothing was found.
Which doesn't mean there's nothing there, of course, but it's a start.
A screenshot of memory use in resource monitor would be helpful.
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HeatwaveCome, now, and walk the path of explosions with me!Registered Userregular
Just noticed the price of DDR4 ram has increased again. Is this a trend or will it eventually go back down?
RAM prices might not drop until 2018. Manufacturers are switching to a new fabrication process and they're running into complications. They're also shifting resources to produce more RAM for mobile devices.
Would it be worth making a few builds and posting them in the OP for prospective builders? Seems like we get enough questions here about basic builds that it might be worthwhile.
I'd be happy to take a whack at it, if people agree.
As someone who showed up looking for exactly that, it would be greatly appreciated. It seems every 4-5 years I decide to build a new rig and the brick wall of technology changes is always staggering.
https://choosemypc.net/ is not terrible at generating builds based on a budget. Makes it somewhat easier to dive in, imho.
Thanks. It's pretty close to what a few minutes of searching got me. Right now I have an i5-2500k with a nVidia GTX 680 and 8 GB of RAM. It can play games, but definitely gets bogged down. I don't tend to play much bleeding edge, but even with a couple of hi res mods for Skyrim, fps can dip pretty low. Figuring something like a nvidia 1060, 16 GB of RAM and a new proc would help (not doing anything 4k, but regularl ole' 1080p).
I notice that link is suggesting the i5-6500. Is something like that a solid choice for 1080p gaming, or is an i7 really going to make the world of difference?
Edit: In fact, no matter how much money I want to spend on that website, they only list the i5-6500 and 8 GB of RAM. Am I missing something?
Are powered external hard drives faster than unpowered ones ?
I'm thinking of getting a USB 3 external hard drive for my Xbox One, and I'm not sure if drives with their own power supply are any faster than ones powered via the USB.
It has more to do with the speed of the actual disk in the enclosure. Look for a 7200 rpm one if you're concerned about speed.
Thanks - now I just need to decide between 2tb or 3tb.
Given how big games are now, and the fact that some games are permanent fixtures, I think 3tb is the way to go.
One thing to consider, if you get a 3TB, you will have to partition it. Windows will not allow for a primary partition greater than 2 TB. You could save some money buying the 2TB one then buying a cheaper platter drive as a place to store stuff that does not need to be accessed quickly, or just have it mirror the SSD.
@am0n you can go as high as Ivy Bridge on your socket (3rd Gen), which could give you a little bit more headroom. If you're willing to add a mild overclock, that could probably get you to a more usable state for various games.
As you noted, the bottleneck is really the video card. I haven't messed with Skyrim, but I suspect you can get by with a 1050 with high RAM if you can't afford the 1060. An i7 isn't going to be a huge difference, and shouldn't really be considered anyway unless you're planning to upgrade the motherboard/socket.
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3cl1ps3I will build a labyrinth to house the cheeseRegistered Userregular
Just noticed the price of DDR4 ram has increased again. Is this a trend or will it eventually go back down?
RAM prices are set by a complicated process involving the phase of the moon, the entrails of a goat, the number of sentient beings consciously observing the internet at any time, and the Movement Of The Great Spheres Through The Ether.
+5
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Zxerolfor the smaller pieces, my shovel wouldn't doso i took off my boot and used my shoeRegistered Userregular
Are powered external hard drives faster than unpowered ones ?
I'm thinking of getting a USB 3 external hard drive for my Xbox One, and I'm not sure if drives with their own power supply are any faster than ones powered via the USB.
It has more to do with the speed of the actual disk in the enclosure. Look for a 7200 rpm one if you're concerned about speed.
Thanks - now I just need to decide between 2tb or 3tb.
Given how big games are now, and the fact that some games are permanent fixtures, I think 3tb is the way to go.
One thing to consider, if you get a 3TB, you will have to partition it. Windows will not allow for a primary partition greater than 2 TB. You could save some money buying the 2TB one then buying a cheaper platter drive as a place to store stuff that does not need to be accessed quickly, or just have it mirror the SSD.
Windows (and any other OS) can use a partition larger than 2TB so long as the disk's partition table is GPT instead of MBR. IIRC, the current limit of NTFS is like 256TB.
@am0n you can go as high as Ivy Bridge on your socket (3rd Gen), which could give you a little bit more headroom. If you're willing to add a mild overclock, that could probably get you to a more usable state for various games.
As you noted, the bottleneck is really the video card. I haven't messed with Skyrim, but I suspect you can get by with a 1050 with high RAM if you can't afford the 1060. An i7 isn't going to be a huge difference, and shouldn't really be considered anyway unless you're planning to upgrade the motherboard/socket.
Thanks. I don't mind upgrading the Mobo. It sounds like a solid i5, like the 6500, is more than enough for 1080p gaming, then? I don't need to venture into the i7 realm? What of RAM? That site is limiting it to 8 GB, but I saw a post a few pages back suggesting 16 was a sweet spot. I've done some stuff recently that gets me dangerously close to maxing my 8 GB, so I am assuming that 16 might be a better point for me on a new build.
How does a 1050 compare to a 1060? I saw something saying 3-4 GB of VRAM was a sufficient spot. Do you guys feel that is true, or should I be looking at 6-8 GB of VRAM?
Edit: Video in this link seems to suggest a pretty significant difference between the 1050 and the 1060. https://youtu.be/cGGe3K-Qd2E
Are powered external hard drives faster than unpowered ones ?
I'm thinking of getting a USB 3 external hard drive for my Xbox One, and I'm not sure if drives with their own power supply are any faster than ones powered via the USB.
It has more to do with the speed of the actual disk in the enclosure. Look for a 7200 rpm one if you're concerned about speed.
Thanks - now I just need to decide between 2tb or 3tb.
Given how big games are now, and the fact that some games are permanent fixtures, I think 3tb is the way to go.
One thing to consider, if you get a 3TB, you will have to partition it. Windows will not allow for a primary partition greater than 2 TB. You could save some money buying the 2TB one then buying a cheaper platter drive as a place to store stuff that does not need to be accessed quickly, or just have it mirror the SSD.
Are powered external hard drives faster than unpowered ones ?
I'm thinking of getting a USB 3 external hard drive for my Xbox One, and I'm not sure if drives with their own power supply are any faster than ones powered via the USB.
It has more to do with the speed of the actual disk in the enclosure. Look for a 7200 rpm one if you're concerned about speed.
Thanks - now I just need to decide between 2tb or 3tb.
Given how big games are now, and the fact that some games are permanent fixtures, I think 3tb is the way to go.
One thing to consider, if you get a 3TB, you will have to partition it. Windows will not allow for a primary partition greater than 2 TB. You could save some money buying the 2TB one then buying a cheaper platter drive as a place to store stuff that does not need to be accessed quickly, or just have it mirror the SSD.
That.... is not true at all.
It was true for older Windows certainly. But, are we talking Primary or Secondary? I know I have a 4TB installed right now, but can't remember which kind of partition I'm using.
@am0n you can go as high as Ivy Bridge on your socket (3rd Gen), which could give you a little bit more headroom. If you're willing to add a mild overclock, that could probably get you to a more usable state for various games.
As you noted, the bottleneck is really the video card. I haven't messed with Skyrim, but I suspect you can get by with a 1050 with high RAM if you can't afford the 1060. An i7 isn't going to be a huge difference, and shouldn't really be considered anyway unless you're planning to upgrade the motherboard/socket.
Thanks. I don't mind upgrading the Mobo. It sounds like a solid i5, like the 6500, is more than enough for 1080p gaming, then? I don't need to venture into the i7 realm? What of RAM? That site is limiting it to 8 GB, but I saw a post a few pages back suggesting 16 was a sweet spot. I've done some stuff recently that gets me dangerously close to maxing my 8 GB, so I am assuming that 16 might be a better point for me on a new build.
How does a 1050 compare to a 1060? I saw something saying 3-4 GB of VRAM was a sufficient spot. Do you guys feel that is true, or should I be looking at 6-8 GB of VRAM?
Edit: Video in this link seems to suggest a pretty significant difference between the 1050 and the 1060. https://youtu.be/cGGe3K-Qd2E
Modern CPUs haven't improved much in the last 5 years, and most games are going to be strictly GPU bound, though 8 gb of RAM is starting to push it too.
Personally I wouldn't upgrade the CPU without jumping to a new mobo, which would mean new RAM and you're basically into new PC territory at that point. Buy yourself a RAM upgrade and a 6gb GTX 1060 or 8gb RX 580, and keep gaming at 1080p for another couple years.
@am0n you can go as high as Ivy Bridge on your socket (3rd Gen), which could give you a little bit more headroom. If you're willing to add a mild overclock, that could probably get you to a more usable state for various games.
As you noted, the bottleneck is really the video card. I haven't messed with Skyrim, but I suspect you can get by with a 1050 with high RAM if you can't afford the 1060. An i7 isn't going to be a huge difference, and shouldn't really be considered anyway unless you're planning to upgrade the motherboard/socket.
Thanks. I don't mind upgrading the Mobo. It sounds like a solid i5, like the 6500, is more than enough for 1080p gaming, then? I don't need to venture into the i7 realm? What of RAM? That site is limiting it to 8 GB, but I saw a post a few pages back suggesting 16 was a sweet spot. I've done some stuff recently that gets me dangerously close to maxing my 8 GB, so I am assuming that 16 might be a better point for me on a new build.
How does a 1050 compare to a 1060? I saw something saying 3-4 GB of VRAM was a sufficient spot. Do you guys feel that is true, or should I be looking at 6-8 GB of VRAM?
Edit: Video in this link seems to suggest a pretty significant difference between the 1050 and the 1060. https://youtu.be/cGGe3K-Qd2E
A 1050 ti would be the bare minimum for 1080p gaming and that would be at medium settings. A 1060 6GB or a RX 580 8GB would do you much better, getting you 1080p at ~60fps in most games in High/Ultra settings. A 1070 will guarantee you greater then 60fps in that scenario and should only be considered if you have the cash to burn or want to eventually go to 1440p gaming. A 1080 will get you ~60+ fps gaming at 1440p and in the high 20's-low 30's for 4k. A 1080ti is for people who want to play at 4k NOW at framerates in the 50's and 60's.
To further complicate things for you though, AMD has new cards to compete with the 1070 and up that are do to come out in the next 2-3 months and Nvidia has a refresh of their current cards in the works and a whole new line sometime next year.
Thanks. So it sounds like your recommendations are basically just throw another 8G of RAM in (not sure the speed of what I have right now), maybe buy an SSD and migrate the OS to that (yeah, don't have an SSD in my desktop, yet), and buy a 1060 or a 1070. Sounds like 1070 may give me a little more bang, but unless I am trying to push 1440p or bleeding edge games (which I am not doing either), the 1060 is probably a better value point (6GB version).
Edit: Another question. Way back when, I would just call M$ when I needed to activate a copy of Windows on a new PC I built, without any issues. Just read into it a bit, and it sounds like if you buy OEM, you may not be able to move the copy of Windows to a new PC (i.e. new motherboard). I haven't had to deal with this for Win10, but if I buy a few things now, and then a new mobo down the road, how difficult will it be to swap my copy of Win10?
Edit2: Also, RE: RAM. At what speed threshold should I consider upgrading the mobo/ram, just for improved performance? I don't know what I am running. Maybe 1333, maybe worse. My understanding is you really want the memory to match as well as possible, correct? So I'd have to try to buy the same stuff I already have in my machine to upgrade?
Posts
It has more to do with the speed of the actual disk in the enclosure. Look for a 7200 rpm one if you're concerned about speed.
I'll be using the X52 Kraken to cool and want a all black board aesthetically for the build.
Any thoughts?
MSI X370 Gaming Pro
Gigabyte AORUS AX370 Gaming K7
Also what's the go with RGB Memory compatibility and Ryzen these days?
D3 Steam #TeamTangent STO
Thanks - now I just need to decide between 2tb or 3tb.
Given how big games are now, and the fact that some games are permanent fixtures, I think 3tb is the way to go.
1. Computer never goes to sleep, despite power settings telling it to
2. Games run slower than they should on new machine
3. When checking task manager for background processes, it reads as 70-95% memory usage, even with nothing running and the largest existing process at ~50mb
4. Resetting fixes 1-3 (background memory usage drops to <10%.)
My thoughts are that there's probably a software issue, so it's not a big deal especially since it's so easy to fix.
How can I identify the problem if it doesn't appear in task manager? It's clearly something I do frequently, as this happens a lot, so I'll probably get it eventually, but is there another tool I can use? Is this a "memory leak?"
Thanks!
Run command prompt as administrator and do:
That will tell you what is preventing the machine from sleeping.
What version of windows are you running? Make sure to click the 'show processes from all users' or equivalent button on the task manager.
Outside of what @LD50 mentions, also check to see if your AV system/utility is running high-level scans on your files at a high frequency, or possibly that another user account is waiting for an update to be approved/allowed.
It's a long shot, but you can also check whether programs like GeForce Experience or Razer's utility have updates waiting. Also, any other program/utility you may have that regularly polls connected hardware (keyboards, mice, external drives, possibly headsets).
Regarding sleep: my motherboard (Asus) has a utility that allows you to set different power/usage profiles so there could be a small chance that you have some sort of profile set up for, like, "power user" that keeps it from sleeping. I also had issues for a short time where my (Razer) mouse would register an input shortly after I told my computer to sleep, so the computer would instantly wake up. It seemed to fix itself, though, so I'm not sure what the root of the problem was there.
I like EVGA usually, they tend to run a little faster and be fairly quiet.
So find the cheapest one with an aesthetic that you can live with and enjoy.
I'm the only user, but I'll double check other user processes anyways. It's win 10.
To clarify though, if I restart the computer there is (at least initially) no problem. It's possible that there's a delay before something checks if it wants updates or whatever, or my pet theory is that some application I'm using doesn't close out correctly.
cpu temps seem to be okay, I only checked while playing Starbound though (topped out at ~50°C). Compared to horror stories of i7 temps I read, that seems fine
I haven't specifically scanned, but my software hasn't pinged at me and IIRC it's supposed to scan daily. I got a notice yesterday saying nothing was found.
Which doesn't mean there's nothing there, of course, but it's a start.
As someone who showed up looking for exactly that, it would be greatly appreciated. It seems every 4-5 years I decide to build a new rig and the brick wall of technology changes is always staggering.
I really feel like that has to be some software messing with your RAM. Worse comes to worse, just nuke it and reinstall windows. Then install one thing at a time and see if it starts acting weird again after you installed the last program.
― John Quincy Adams
@am0n
https://choosemypc.net/ is not terrible at generating builds based on a budget. Makes it somewhat easier to dive in, imho.
A screenshot of memory use in resource monitor would be helpful.
Steam / Origin & Wii U: Heatwave111 / FC: 4227-1965-3206 / Battle.net: Heatwave#11356
Thanks. It's pretty close to what a few minutes of searching got me. Right now I have an i5-2500k with a nVidia GTX 680 and 8 GB of RAM. It can play games, but definitely gets bogged down. I don't tend to play much bleeding edge, but even with a couple of hi res mods for Skyrim, fps can dip pretty low. Figuring something like a nvidia 1060, 16 GB of RAM and a new proc would help (not doing anything 4k, but regularl ole' 1080p).
I notice that link is suggesting the i5-6500. Is something like that a solid choice for 1080p gaming, or is an i7 really going to make the world of difference?
Edit: In fact, no matter how much money I want to spend on that website, they only list the i5-6500 and 8 GB of RAM. Am I missing something?
One thing to consider, if you get a 3TB, you will have to partition it. Windows will not allow for a primary partition greater than 2 TB. You could save some money buying the 2TB one then buying a cheaper platter drive as a place to store stuff that does not need to be accessed quickly, or just have it mirror the SSD.
As you noted, the bottleneck is really the video card. I haven't messed with Skyrim, but I suspect you can get by with a 1050 with high RAM if you can't afford the 1060. An i7 isn't going to be a huge difference, and shouldn't really be considered anyway unless you're planning to upgrade the motherboard/socket.
RAM prices are set by a complicated process involving the phase of the moon, the entrails of a goat, the number of sentient beings consciously observing the internet at any time, and the Movement Of The Great Spheres Through The Ether.
Windows (and any other OS) can use a partition larger than 2TB so long as the disk's partition table is GPT instead of MBR. IIRC, the current limit of NTFS is like 256TB.
Thanks. I don't mind upgrading the Mobo. It sounds like a solid i5, like the 6500, is more than enough for 1080p gaming, then? I don't need to venture into the i7 realm? What of RAM? That site is limiting it to 8 GB, but I saw a post a few pages back suggesting 16 was a sweet spot. I've done some stuff recently that gets me dangerously close to maxing my 8 GB, so I am assuming that 16 might be a better point for me on a new build.
How does a 1050 compare to a 1060? I saw something saying 3-4 GB of VRAM was a sufficient spot. Do you guys feel that is true, or should I be looking at 6-8 GB of VRAM?
Edit: Video in this link seems to suggest a pretty significant difference between the 1050 and the 1060. https://youtu.be/cGGe3K-Qd2E
That.... is not true at all.
It was true for older Windows certainly. But, are we talking Primary or Secondary? I know I have a 4TB installed right now, but can't remember which kind of partition I'm using.
This can cause issues with some systems, but Windows 10 and greater should be absolutely fine for this.
Modern CPUs haven't improved much in the last 5 years, and most games are going to be strictly GPU bound, though 8 gb of RAM is starting to push it too.
Personally I wouldn't upgrade the CPU without jumping to a new mobo, which would mean new RAM and you're basically into new PC territory at that point. Buy yourself a RAM upgrade and a 6gb GTX 1060 or 8gb RX 580, and keep gaming at 1080p for another couple years.
A 1050 ti would be the bare minimum for 1080p gaming and that would be at medium settings. A 1060 6GB or a RX 580 8GB would do you much better, getting you 1080p at ~60fps in most games in High/Ultra settings. A 1070 will guarantee you greater then 60fps in that scenario and should only be considered if you have the cash to burn or want to eventually go to 1440p gaming. A 1080 will get you ~60+ fps gaming at 1440p and in the high 20's-low 30's for 4k. A 1080ti is for people who want to play at 4k NOW at framerates in the 50's and 60's.
To further complicate things for you though, AMD has new cards to compete with the 1070 and up that are do to come out in the next 2-3 months and Nvidia has a refresh of their current cards in the works and a whole new line sometime next year.
Edit: Another question. Way back when, I would just call M$ when I needed to activate a copy of Windows on a new PC I built, without any issues. Just read into it a bit, and it sounds like if you buy OEM, you may not be able to move the copy of Windows to a new PC (i.e. new motherboard). I haven't had to deal with this for Win10, but if I buy a few things now, and then a new mobo down the road, how difficult will it be to swap my copy of Win10?
Edit2: Also, RE: RAM. At what speed threshold should I consider upgrading the mobo/ram, just for improved performance? I don't know what I am running. Maybe 1333, maybe worse. My understanding is you really want the memory to match as well as possible, correct? So I'd have to try to buy the same stuff I already have in my machine to upgrade?
But it wouldn't surprise me if that changes, or if you call back enough if they'll still do it for you.