As someone who edits D800 RAW files with regularity, you're going to want CPU power and RAM. I wouldn't go less than 16GB for someone planning to edit photos seriously in todays 24mp+ world.
Lightroom regularly gobbles up 4-5 by itself and more when you export, and Photoshop can be insane amounts on top of that. I've capped out my 16GB many times before, and it's easy if you plan on doing stitching, HDR, or just complex composting. Also I'd totally go i7, I wish I had as Lightroom makes my i5 3570k @ 4.3 Ghz it's bitch with regularity. 100% on all 4 cores is funsies.
Also an SSD is useful for initial importing and editing, and then you can dump the files off to a HDD array for storage and backup. i7 and 16GB of ram probably top priority though.
Awesome, thanks for the hands on advice. I'll definitely recommend that to them. And I think for these people an SSD and having to go between 2 drives will be too difficult. I don't believe they are that computer savvy, just with photo editing I guess.
OK, so I am currently running two 660Ti in SLI. I am not unhappy with their performance in general but I am going to be getting a large tax return this year and I think I might want to move to a better single card. I would probably SLI that card in the future.
I have looked at Tom's Hardware hierarchy chart but it doesn't account for SLI. Going by their recommendation I should go no lower than a 780. Is it worth it to upgrade at this point? Will I see significant gains in performance with a 780 or above?
Should I wait for the 800 series?
0
toloveistorebel Impressive. Most impressive. Central FLRegistered Userregular
The main issue with the current cards is their lack of GDDR5 capacity. I think the 780/780ti is capped at 3GB. And if you're struggling with two 660Ti's I assume you're probably playing at high resolutions or on multiple monitors, right? That 3GB they come with isn't much for such a high end card.
0
Big DookieSmells great!Houston, TXRegistered Userregular
I was thinking about getting another GTX 670 to run in SLI with my current one, but good god is it impossible to find one in stock anywhere. And wherever I can find them, the price is jacked up to insane levels. What's the deal with this card, and why is it apparently so in demand right now? I'm half tempted to sell mine and get a newer one.
You can't create a 64-bit USB install with 32 bit windows I don't think. I think you can burn a DVD though. And there are many utilities out there that can retrieve your key from your current install.
I think tsmvengy was saying is that microsoft doesn't create different key's for 32 bit and 64 bit programs. So if you own one you own both and it's up to you which one you want to use. You can get either version through digital river.
If it's a student install they are generally bulk licenses rather than individual ones, so you can't retrieve the key with any of the available software. This may or may not also be true with OEM versions rather than retail, but I'm not 100% on that. At any rate microsoft is usually pretty forgiving if you just call them up and explain that you are upgrading your pc but lost your original license key, and they will just give you another one.
"The world is a mess, and I just need to rule it" - Dr Horrible
0
TehSlothHit Or MissI Guess They Never Miss, HuhRegistered Userregular
Figured this would be the best place to make sure I'm not crazy -- You can't use SLI with two different generation video cards right?
So, I had two 570 GTXs -- one finally bit the dust but was still under warranty -- sent it in for an RMA mentioning in both the original ticket and on EVGAs RMA form that I use SLI with another 570GTX
They shipped me back a 660 TI.
Sent them off a ticket but who knows when they'll get around to responding but everything I've read seems to indicate that I'm correct about not being able to SLI these two.
Yeah I am almost positive you will not be able to SLI them.
It could be that given the age of the 570 they just won't have any more laying around to send you, and so they sent you a card they considered roughly equivalent (actually the 660ti is one step up from the 570 on the Tom's Hardware hierarchy).
Unfortunately it puts you in a shitty spot since you SLI, but technically they are probably only obligated to replace the card that died under warranty. One dead card entitles you to one replacement card.
-Gaslight has the gist of it, it sure would be unfortunate if your other 570 had a mysterious "accident" -TehSloth
Lol, yeah looks like that's the case -- although I just heard back from them and it looks like they're willing to swap my other card out as well. That'll be like, a month now without a full setup but seems like a fair trade. Thanks for reaffirming that, I was kinda worried that I might've come across like a total idiot when I first sent in the ticket.
-Gaslight has the gist of it, it sure would be unfortunate if your other 570 had a mysterious "accident" -TehSloth
Lol, yeah looks like that's the case -- although I just heard back from them and it looks like they're willing to swap my other card out as well. That'll be like, a month now without a full setup but seems like a fair trade. Thanks for reaffirming that, I was kinda worried that I might've come across like a total idiot when I first sent in the ticket.
If they are willing to give you a second free card that is really quite cool of them. I am impressed. This is EVGA?
0
TehSlothHit Or MissI Guess They Never Miss, HuhRegistered Userregular
-Gaslight has the gist of it, it sure would be unfortunate if your other 570 had a mysterious "accident" -TehSloth
Lol, yeah looks like that's the case -- although I just heard back from them and it looks like they're willing to swap my other card out as well. That'll be like, a month now without a full setup but seems like a fair trade. Thanks for reaffirming that, I was kinda worried that I might've come across like a total idiot when I first sent in the ticket.
If they are willing to give you a second free card that is really quite cool of them. I am impressed. This is EVGA?
Yeah, EVGA, it looks like as long as my second card is also an EVGA card, which it fortunately is they'll also swap it out to match the one they sent me.
-Gaslight has the gist of it, it sure would be unfortunate if your other 570 had a mysterious "accident" -TehSloth
Lol, yeah looks like that's the case -- although I just heard back from them and it looks like they're willing to swap my other card out as well. That'll be like, a month now without a full setup but seems like a fair trade. Thanks for reaffirming that, I was kinda worried that I might've come across like a total idiot when I first sent in the ticket.
If they are willing to give you a second free card that is really quite cool of them. I am impressed. This is EVGA?
Yeah, EVGA, it looks like as long as my second card is also an EVGA card, which it fortunately is they'll also swap it out to match the one they sent me.
Well then, I know what GPU vendor I'm going with next... Wow that is really awesome. Works out pretty sweet for you other than the time spent without SLI. Sounds more than worth it to me though.
toloveistorebel on
+3
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
EVGA have that upgrade thing where they knock a bunch off the price of a new card if you send them your old one.
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toloveistorebel Impressive. Most impressive. Central FLRegistered Userregular
toloveistorebel Impressive. Most impressive. Central FLRegistered Userregular
edited February 2014
So there may be something wrong with me. I got my Air 540 on Wednesday. I had planned on purchasing a new PSU very soon as well. Instead of waiting till I got a new PSU I went ahead and transplanted my current build into the 540. I also installed our replacement cable box and got all the wiring behind the TV fully sorted since we moved. Last night I ordered my new PSU. After already ordering the new PSU and knowing that it will arrive tomorrow, last night (on my birthday no less) I redid the cable management and added in a couple more fans (AF120 white LEDs). My new PSU arrives tomorrow and I'll have to completely re do all cable management and basically start over. And its gonna be so much fun.
I've got a case on PRE-ORDER, and I've started ordering the parts for the custom loop that's going to go inside it.
Mmm I would love to do a custom water loop at some point. Probably won't be till a future rebuild though. Gotta have the money for it. I mean I have the money, but you know, responsibility.
I'm looking at building a computer but I'm so far out of the loop that I don't really know what's good anymore. I'm looking for maximum value, one that's not too expensive but will last me a few years without upgrading, ball park $1000. A few questions:
-After some advice I'm pretty set on Intel/nvidia, but is an i7 necessary or would that be a luxury?
-8 GB of RAM good or will I wish I opted for 16?
-Geforce GTX 650 1GB DDR5... yay or nay? I have no idea, I just picked something reasonable sounding.
-is 600W gonna be enough for one video card?
-After some advice I'm pretty set on Intel/nvidia, but is an i7 necessary or would that be a luxury?
i5 is good enough unless you have very specific needs: encoding, rendering, you like doing lots of full virusscans of all your drives for the hell of it, etc
-8 GB of RAM good or will I wish I opted for 16?
8 is probably good enough unless you have specific needs (running VMs, working with large files - large image file manipulation, video editing)
-Geforce GTX 650 1GB DDR5... yay or nay? I have no idea, I just picked something reasonable sounding.
sounds like a weaksauce card for your budget IMO
-is 600W gonna be enough for one video card?
with a decent PSU you can probably go lower wattage even
These guys can give a parts list pretty quick, you will need to provide more info:
Do you need keyboard, monitor, mouse or OS?
What are you going to be using the computer for?
Do you plan to overclock?
Are you in the US, if not where will you need parts shipped?
These guys can give a parts list pretty quick, you will need to provide more info:
Do you need keyboard, monitor, mouse or OS?
What are you going to be using the computer for?
Do you plan to overclock?
Are you in the US, if not where will you need parts shipped?
Thanks Djeet.
-Yes I will be buying keyboard, monitor and OS.
-Computer will be strictly for gaming and word processing. Maybe the occasional Solidworks.
-No plans to overclock.
-Yes I'm in the US, I was planning on Newegg and Fry's for most of my stuff, though I'm also looking at pre-builts.
I got a PC Part Picker Build down to $1175 after Mail-In Rebates. This includes an OEM copy of Windows, a 23" IPS 1080p IPS monitor, and a keyboard.
My build could look very different from someone else's, but that's a decent start.
To answer your basic questions, though:
8gb of RAM is plenty
I source an nVidia GTX 760, which should be able to play todays games (and beyond, to an extent) at very high settings at 1080p.
600w is WAY more than enough. I've overclocked and run dual GPUs off of 750. I chose a Corsair 600w PSU for this build, reason being it isn't awfully expensive, and is semi-modular, which is nice to have in a mid-tower case.
This build is a solid foundation with some room for upgrades. PC Part Picker can help you possibly find cheaper options though if you don't like the case styling, etc. And if you leave the "compatibility" thing checked, it won't let you pick incompatible parts.
0
Big DookieSmells great!Houston, TXRegistered Userregular
I'm looking at building a computer but I'm so far out of the loop that I don't really know what's good anymore. I'm looking for maximum value, one that's not too expensive but will last me a few years without upgrading, ball park $1000. A few questions:
-After some advice I'm pretty set on Intel/nvidia, but is an i7 necessary or would that be a luxury?
An i5 would probably be fine just for gaming and word processing. Sometimes you can find the i7 on sale, especially at places like Microcenter, but if not then you'll be fine with an i5.
-8 GB of RAM good or will I wish I opted for 16?
8 is probably okay for what you'll be using it for, but again, if it's on sale it might not be much more expensive to opt for 16.
-Geforce GTX 650 1GB DDR5... yay or nay? I have no idea, I just picked something reasonable sounding.
I'd give that a nay at this point. I mean, it would work okay, but if you want to future proof a bit I'd at least go for a GTX 760 if you can swing it.
@Zenitram lost my pcpartpicker build in a browser crash (i5-4570 and a B85 chipset mobo). but I would suggest going ahead with a Haswell platform build cause it's not getting OC'ed and the socket is not yet EOL. You can probably get away with a B85 or H87 chipset since you don't plan to OC. If you have plans in the next 12-18 months to go multi-GPU that would also inform parts suggestions greatly.
In Pirusu's build is an SSD for main drive and a larger non-SSD drive (media/data). SSD's are pretty great (boot up and shutdown times, load times, large in-drive copies, anything that requires writes get a significant boost in performance). I'd include such in your build cause it makes things snappier, but having an SSD is not strictly necessary.
MicroCenter usually has some nice discounts on parts or bundles if you can do local pickup.
So, I overbought on my PSU for my last build (went with a Corsair model supporting 750 W). As expected, it survived the build and I'm still using it in my current (read: new) machine.
Everything's more energy-efficient now, though, and I'm only pulling around 350 W from it. That may even drop further when I install an SSD. I've heard that underusing a PSU can have some drawbacks, but are they enough to merit buying an entirely new PSU?
I'm leaning towards "no", but I figured I'd check in here first.
I'm probably a month away from ordering my new PC, but I see Newegg.ca has a Samsung 840 EVO 750 GB drive on for $430 CAD. Is this a buy it now price or am I likely to see similar prices later?
I think that the internet has been for years on the path to creating what is essentially an electronic Necronomicon: A collection of blasphemous unrealities so perverse that to even glimpse at its contents, if but for a moment, is to irrevocably forfeit a portion of your sanity.
Xbox - PearlBlueS0ul, Steam
If you ever need to talk to someone, feel free to message me. Yes, that includes you.
I stopped by MicroCenter after work to have a look around, and maybe pick up the i5-4570. They're running a deal where if you buy the $20 more expensive i5-4670K, you get $30 off any motherboard you buy with it. I'm gonna look at their site, and see what their motherboard prices are like.
+1
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
These guys can give a parts list pretty quick, you will need to provide more info:
Do you need keyboard, monitor, mouse or OS?
What are you going to be using the computer for?
Do you plan to overclock?
Are you in the US, if not where will you need parts shipped?
Thanks Djeet.
-Yes I will be buying keyboard, monitor and OS.
-Computer will be strictly for gaming and word processing. Maybe the occasional Solidworks.
-No plans to overclock.
-Yes I'm in the US, I was planning on Newegg and Fry's for most of my stuff, though I'm also looking at pre-builts.
Hmm.
Well, I built a pretty gangster tower that should be good for gaming for a couple of years, then you just slap a new videocard in it and you're good for another couple of years. Hammered the crap out of your budget, though. Knowing how resource hungry Solidworks can be, though, I don't really feel comfortable skimping anywhere whilst still claiming that it would give you satisfactory performance. I'll always push for people to use the best quality PSU I can try to convince them to spend money on, as it's the only component in the system capable of completely fucking up every other electronic part if it screws up. Plus, a good PSU can be re-used in future builds with very little worry, whereas some $50 cheapo unit is going to be much sketchier as it ages thanks to cheaper components used in it's construction.
I'm probably a month away from ordering my new PC, but I see Newegg.ca has a Samsung 840 EVO 750 GB drive on for $430 CAD. Is this a buy it now price or am I likely to see similar prices later?
So, I overbought on my PSU for my last build (went with a Corsair model supporting 750 W). As expected, it survived the build and I'm still using it in my current (read: new) machine.
Everything's more energy-efficient now, though, and I'm only pulling around 350 W from it. That may even drop further when I install an SSD. I've heard that underusing a PSU can have some drawbacks, but are they enough to merit buying an entirely new PSU?
I'm leaning towards "no", but I figured I'd check in here first.
No. The only thing you're losing out on by not pulling more draw from your PSU is that it may not be operating at its peak efficiency. See more about 80 Plus ratings.
So, I overbought on my PSU for my last build (went with a Corsair model supporting 750 W). As expected, it survived the build and I'm still using it in my current (read: new) machine.
Everything's more energy-efficient now, though, and I'm only pulling around 350 W from it. That may even drop further when I install an SSD. I've heard that underusing a PSU can have some drawbacks, but are they enough to merit buying an entirely new PSU?
I'm leaning towards "no", but I figured I'd check in here first.
No. The only thing you're losing out on by not pulling more draw from your PSU is that it may not be operating at its peak efficiency. See more about 80 Plus ratings.
And your overcurrent protection circuitry won't be as effective, seeing as you're pulling less than half the model's designed output.
No. The only thing you're losing out on by not pulling more draw from your PSU is that it may not be operating at its peak efficiency. See more about 80 Plus ratings.
And your overcurrent protection circuitry won't be as effective, seeing as you're pulling less than half the model's designed output.
Point! But still not worth buying a whole new PSU if you ask me.
So I've decided it is time for me to get a desktop computer. My laptop is a beast but... it is a laptop and it is two years old.
I've been reading this thread for the past few weeks and I setup a pcpartpicker account, but I'm still fairly out of the loop on current things. So I'll just lay out a rough idea of what I want and maybe you guys can help me out?
This is going to be purely for gaming and watching movies and shit like that. I would like to overclock. I do not need to buy a monitor, keyboard or mouse. My budget is not to exceed $3000 CDN when everything is said and done (so; including shipping and taxes and stuff). I know with this budget I can assemble a really powerful computer.
Things I would like:
- ~500GB SSD if it isn't stupid ridiculous in price, along with ~2TB in hard disks. You guys recommend Samsung for SSD's right?
- 32GB ram, from what I have read in this thread ram clock speed isn't overly important. 32 GB is probably overkill, but eh, what the hell.
- I don't know much about current video cards other than the fact that they are all somewhat overpriced right now thanks to bitcoin miners. Is it better to get one beastly card? SLI two medium ones? Is it worth it performance wise to get two top end cards and SLI them? These are things I don't know.
- Motherboards: I know if I want to overclock I should get a z87 for haswell chips. I am not sure about all the bells and whistles that come with motherboards these days, like what they do, if I really need them, etc etc. There seem to be a lot over overclock utilities that would make overclocking pretty easy. I guess temperature monitors is something to consider?
- Processor: I know you guys say that i5's are more bang for your buck, but if I can get a decent performance boost I would be willing to spend a bit extra for an i7. I know I need a K version to overclock.
- Cooling: I am not sure I know how to predict what cooling demands are needed. Considering what kind of PC I want in the end, there is probably going to be quite a demand for cooling. Maybe liquid cooling? Heat pipes?
Case/PSU/whatever else I am forgetting, I don't really know how to choose a good one. I know enough that I should choose a PSU that is not oversized.
help me computer build thread, you are my only hope
I'm probably a month away from ordering my new PC, but I see Newegg.ca has a Samsung 840 EVO 750 GB drive on for $430 CAD. Is this a buy it now price or am I likely to see similar prices later?
I think that the internet has been for years on the path to creating what is essentially an electronic Necronomicon: A collection of blasphemous unrealities so perverse that to even glimpse at its contents, if but for a moment, is to irrevocably forfeit a portion of your sanity.
Xbox - PearlBlueS0ul, Steam
If you ever need to talk to someone, feel free to message me. Yes, that includes you.
0
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
So I've decided it is time for me to get a desktop computer. My laptop is a beast but... it is a laptop and it is two years old.
I've been reading this thread for the past few weeks and I setup a pcpartpicker account, but I'm still fairly out of the loop on current things. So I'll just lay out a rough idea of what I want and maybe you guys can help me out?
This is going to be purely for gaming and watching movies and shit like that. I would like to overclock. I do not need to buy a monitor, keyboard or mouse. My budget is not to exceed $3000 CDN when everything is said and done (so; including shipping and taxes and stuff). I know with this budget I can assemble a really powerful computer.
Things I would like:
- ~500GB SSD if it isn't stupid ridiculous in price, along with ~2TB in hard disks. You guys recommend Samsung for SSD's right?
- 32GB ram, from what I have read in this thread ram clock speed isn't overly important. 32 GB is probably overkill, but eh, what the hell.
- I don't know much about current video cards other than the fact that they are all somewhat overpriced right now thanks to bitcoin miners. Is it better to get one beastly card? SLI two medium ones? Is it worth it performance wise to get two top end cards and SLI them? These are things I don't know.
- Motherboards: I know if I want to overclock I should get a z87 for haswell chips. I am not sure about all the bells and whistles that come with motherboards these days, like what they do, if I really need them, etc etc. There seem to be a lot over overclock utilities that would make overclocking pretty easy. I guess temperature monitors is something to consider?
- Processor: I know you guys say that i5's are more bang for your buck, but if I can get a decent performance boost I would be willing to spend a bit extra for an i7. I know I need a K version to overclock.
- Cooling: I am not sure I know how to predict what cooling demands are needed. Considering what kind of PC I want in the end, there is probably going to be quite a demand for cooling. Maybe liquid cooling? Heat pipes?
Case/PSU/whatever else I am forgetting, I don't really know how to choose a good one. I know enough that I should choose a PSU that is not oversized.
help me computer build thread, you are my only hope
$3000?
You just activated my trap card!
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/2PCdf Tri-SLI GTX760 goodness. This'll run games at single monitor resolutions so fast your eyes won't be able to keep up. http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/2PCrF Single GTX780Ti goodness. This isn't quite as fast as the above setup at the lower (1080p) resolutions, but is has more VRAM so you will do better in multi-monitor setups before you hit the framebuffer and your fps peaks out. Also, the tower is smaller and the computer uses less almost a third less electricity. Also, hey, $500 left over from your budget.
I put 32 gigs of RAM in both systems even though it's basically a stupid thing to do, I have run FarCry3 AND Battlefield 3 at the same time on my i7 system with 16 gigs of RAM before, and almost used half of it. 16 is heaps, and you can get faster RAM with better timings for lower $/GB in 4GB sticks than you can in 8GB sticks.
It seems kinda...I dunno...like ricing out a car to put those beautiful parts in the lower end Corsair cases. They're not bad at all just...fuck it, go all out!
Posts
Awesome, thanks for the hands on advice. I'll definitely recommend that to them. And I think for these people an SSD and having to go between 2 drives will be too difficult. I don't believe they are that computer savvy, just with photo editing I guess.
I have looked at Tom's Hardware hierarchy chart but it doesn't account for SLI. Going by their recommendation I should go no lower than a 780. Is it worth it to upgrade at this point? Will I see significant gains in performance with a 780 or above?
Should I wait for the 800 series?
Oculus: TheBigDookie | XBL: Dook | NNID: BigDookie
If you're not unhappy with their performance, I'm not sure I see a need to spend the money.
I think tsmvengy was saying is that microsoft doesn't create different key's for 32 bit and 64 bit programs. So if you own one you own both and it's up to you which one you want to use. You can get either version through digital river.
If it's a student install they are generally bulk licenses rather than individual ones, so you can't retrieve the key with any of the available software. This may or may not also be true with OEM versions rather than retail, but I'm not 100% on that. At any rate microsoft is usually pretty forgiving if you just call them up and explain that you are upgrading your pc but lost your original license key, and they will just give you another one.
So, I had two 570 GTXs -- one finally bit the dust but was still under warranty -- sent it in for an RMA mentioning in both the original ticket and on EVGAs RMA form that I use SLI with another 570GTX
They shipped me back a 660 TI.
Sent them off a ticket but who knows when they'll get around to responding but everything I've read seems to indicate that I'm correct about not being able to SLI these two.
twitch.tv/tehsloth
It could be that given the age of the 570 they just won't have any more laying around to send you, and so they sent you a card they considered roughly equivalent (actually the 660ti is one step up from the 570 on the Tom's Hardware hierarchy).
Unfortunately it puts you in a shitty spot since you SLI, but technically they are probably only obligated to replace the card that died under warranty. One dead card entitles you to one replacement card.
Edit: actually depending on the specs of that 660ti, I'd be willing to ship you my 570 and some cash in exchange.
Lol, yeah looks like that's the case -- although I just heard back from them and it looks like they're willing to swap my other card out as well. That'll be like, a month now without a full setup but seems like a fair trade. Thanks for reaffirming that, I was kinda worried that I might've come across like a total idiot when I first sent in the ticket.
twitch.tv/tehsloth
If they are willing to give you a second free card that is really quite cool of them. I am impressed. This is EVGA?
Yeah, EVGA, it looks like as long as my second card is also an EVGA card, which it fortunately is they'll also swap it out to match the one they sent me.
twitch.tv/tehsloth
Well then, I know what GPU vendor I'm going with next... Wow that is really awesome. Works out pretty sweet for you other than the time spent without SLI. Sounds more than worth it to me though.
Ah interesting. Is it some promotion they have going or have they had that for a while?
They've been running it for a while now.
EVGA 90-Day Step-Up Program
I've got a case on PRE-ORDER, and I've started ordering the parts for the custom loop that's going to go inside it.
Mmm I would love to do a custom water loop at some point. Probably won't be till a future rebuild though. Gotta have the money for it. I mean I have the money, but you know, responsibility.
-After some advice I'm pretty set on Intel/nvidia, but is an i7 necessary or would that be a luxury?
-8 GB of RAM good or will I wish I opted for 16?
-Geforce GTX 650 1GB DDR5... yay or nay? I have no idea, I just picked something reasonable sounding.
-is 600W gonna be enough for one video card?
Thanks!
i5 is good enough unless you have very specific needs: encoding, rendering, you like doing lots of full virusscans of all your drives for the hell of it, etc
-8 GB of RAM good or will I wish I opted for 16?
8 is probably good enough unless you have specific needs (running VMs, working with large files - large image file manipulation, video editing)
-Geforce GTX 650 1GB DDR5... yay or nay? I have no idea, I just picked something reasonable sounding.
sounds like a weaksauce card for your budget IMO
-is 600W gonna be enough for one video card?
with a decent PSU you can probably go lower wattage even
These guys can give a parts list pretty quick, you will need to provide more info:
Do you need keyboard, monitor, mouse or OS?
What are you going to be using the computer for?
Do you plan to overclock?
Are you in the US, if not where will you need parts shipped?
Thanks Djeet.
-Yes I will be buying keyboard, monitor and OS.
-Computer will be strictly for gaming and word processing. Maybe the occasional Solidworks.
-No plans to overclock.
-Yes I'm in the US, I was planning on Newegg and Fry's for most of my stuff, though I'm also looking at pre-builts.
My build could look very different from someone else's, but that's a decent start.
To answer your basic questions, though:
8gb of RAM is plenty
I source an nVidia GTX 760, which should be able to play todays games (and beyond, to an extent) at very high settings at 1080p.
600w is WAY more than enough. I've overclocked and run dual GPUs off of 750. I chose a Corsair 600w PSU for this build, reason being it isn't awfully expensive, and is semi-modular, which is nice to have in a mid-tower case.
This build is a solid foundation with some room for upgrades. PC Part Picker can help you possibly find cheaper options though if you don't like the case styling, etc. And if you leave the "compatibility" thing checked, it won't let you pick incompatible parts.
An i5 would probably be fine just for gaming and word processing. Sometimes you can find the i7 on sale, especially at places like Microcenter, but if not then you'll be fine with an i5.
8 is probably okay for what you'll be using it for, but again, if it's on sale it might not be much more expensive to opt for 16.
I'd give that a nay at this point. I mean, it would work okay, but if you want to future proof a bit I'd at least go for a GTX 760 if you can swing it.
Definitely, yes.
Oculus: TheBigDookie | XBL: Dook | NNID: BigDookie
In Pirusu's build is an SSD for main drive and a larger non-SSD drive (media/data). SSD's are pretty great (boot up and shutdown times, load times, large in-drive copies, anything that requires writes get a significant boost in performance). I'd include such in your build cause it makes things snappier, but having an SSD is not strictly necessary.
MicroCenter usually has some nice discounts on parts or bundles if you can do local pickup.
Everything's more energy-efficient now, though, and I'm only pulling around 350 W from it. That may even drop further when I install an SSD. I've heard that underusing a PSU can have some drawbacks, but are they enough to merit buying an entirely new PSU?
I'm leaning towards "no", but I figured I'd check in here first.
If you ever need to talk to someone, feel free to message me. Yes, that includes you.
Hmm.
Well, I built a pretty gangster tower that should be good for gaming for a couple of years, then you just slap a new videocard in it and you're good for another couple of years. Hammered the crap out of your budget, though. Knowing how resource hungry Solidworks can be, though, I don't really feel comfortable skimping anywhere whilst still claiming that it would give you satisfactory performance. I'll always push for people to use the best quality PSU I can try to convince them to spend money on, as it's the only component in the system capable of completely fucking up every other electronic part if it screws up. Plus, a good PSU can be re-used in future builds with very little worry, whereas some $50 cheapo unit is going to be much sketchier as it ages thanks to cheaper components used in it's construction.
Looks like Newegg.ca has a sale on that one about once a month lately:
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz7te750bw
No. The only thing you're losing out on by not pulling more draw from your PSU is that it may not be operating at its peak efficiency. See more about 80 Plus ratings.
https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=699
Should look saucy on my desk!
Inquisitor77: Rius, you are Sisyphus and melee Wizard is your boulder
Tube: This must be what it felt like to be an Iraqi when Saddam was killed
Bookish Stickers - Mrs. Rius' Etsy shop with bumper stickers and vinyl decals.
And your overcurrent protection circuitry won't be as effective, seeing as you're pulling less than half the model's designed output.
Point! But still not worth buying a whole new PSU if you ask me.
I've been reading this thread for the past few weeks and I setup a pcpartpicker account, but I'm still fairly out of the loop on current things. So I'll just lay out a rough idea of what I want and maybe you guys can help me out?
This is going to be purely for gaming and watching movies and shit like that. I would like to overclock. I do not need to buy a monitor, keyboard or mouse. My budget is not to exceed $3000 CDN when everything is said and done (so; including shipping and taxes and stuff). I know with this budget I can assemble a really powerful computer.
Things I would like:
- ~500GB SSD if it isn't stupid ridiculous in price, along with ~2TB in hard disks. You guys recommend Samsung for SSD's right?
- 32GB ram, from what I have read in this thread ram clock speed isn't overly important. 32 GB is probably overkill, but eh, what the hell.
- I don't know much about current video cards other than the fact that they are all somewhat overpriced right now thanks to bitcoin miners. Is it better to get one beastly card? SLI two medium ones? Is it worth it performance wise to get two top end cards and SLI them? These are things I don't know.
- Motherboards: I know if I want to overclock I should get a z87 for haswell chips. I am not sure about all the bells and whistles that come with motherboards these days, like what they do, if I really need them, etc etc. There seem to be a lot over overclock utilities that would make overclocking pretty easy. I guess temperature monitors is something to consider?
- Processor: I know you guys say that i5's are more bang for your buck, but if I can get a decent performance boost I would be willing to spend a bit extra for an i7. I know I need a K version to overclock.
- Cooling: I am not sure I know how to predict what cooling demands are needed. Considering what kind of PC I want in the end, there is probably going to be quite a demand for cooling. Maybe liquid cooling? Heat pipes?
Case/PSU/whatever else I am forgetting, I don't really know how to choose a good one. I know enough that I should choose a PSU that is not oversized.
help me computer build thread, you are my only hope
I didn't realize partpicker had Canadian prices. Thanks!
If you ever need to talk to someone, feel free to message me. Yes, that includes you.
$3000?
You just activated my trap card!
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/2PCdf Tri-SLI GTX760 goodness. This'll run games at single monitor resolutions so fast your eyes won't be able to keep up.
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/2PCrF Single GTX780Ti goodness. This isn't quite as fast as the above setup at the lower (1080p) resolutions, but is has more VRAM so you will do better in multi-monitor setups before you hit the framebuffer and your fps peaks out. Also, the tower is smaller and the computer uses less almost a third less electricity. Also, hey, $500 left over from your budget.
I put 32 gigs of RAM in both systems even though it's basically a stupid thing to do, I have run FarCry3 AND Battlefield 3 at the same time on my i7 system with 16 gigs of RAM before, and almost used half of it. 16 is heaps, and you can get faster RAM with better timings for lower $/GB in 4GB sticks than you can in 8GB sticks.