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[Computer Build Thread] - Haswell? More like Has...damnit, I had something for this...

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Posts

  • DarkwyndreDarkwyndre Registered User regular
    I'd like to do a new build for my wife. I've put it off for awhile. I prefer to go with an intel processor and an EVGA External Exhaust video card. She probably doesn't need a top end 780ti or anything like that, but a good solid video card that will let her play diablo 3 and WoW maxxed out and that will be good for a few years would be good. SSD is probably not necessary. Would like as many components as possible to be re-usable.

    Budget: $1200

    Hoping someone can slam dunk this for me. Keyboard and Mouse not needed as she has very nice Logitech keyboard and mouse already. Would prefer as nice a monitor as possible, but 1920x1080 is fine for resolution for her, and 24" is probably a good size.

    Playstation Network ID : EasySleeze
  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited February 2014
    kaorti wrote: »
    Is the HD/SSD info in the OP and the blog still current? My old HD seems to be giving up the ghost and I'm trying to decide what replace it with.

    Samsung 840 EVO SSD series. Hands down.

    Esh on
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Darkwyndre wrote: »
    I'd like to do a new build for my wife. I've put it off for awhile. I prefer to go with an intel processor and an EVGA External Exhaust video card. She probably doesn't need a top end 780ti or anything like that, but a good solid video card that will let her play diablo 3 and WoW maxxed out and that will be good for a few years would be good. SSD is probably not necessary. Would like as many components as possible to be re-usable.

    Budget: $1200

    Hoping someone can slam dunk this for me. Keyboard and Mouse not needed as she has very nice Logitech keyboard and mouse already. Would prefer as nice a monitor as possible, but 1920x1080 is fine for resolution for her, and 24" is probably a good size.

    http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2ReS2 something along the lines you were thinking of? I have a GTX680 with the windforce 3 cooler on it, it's quieter than the case fans.

  • Banzai5150Banzai5150 Registered User regular
    Finally going to upgrade from my 460gtx 1gb. I only game in 1080 on a single monitor and trying to stay close to a $300 price range. Will a 760 be enough for anything new for a year or so our should I go with the 770? I really want to max out the Witcher 3 minus whatever crazy uber sampling option they have this time around. Any suggestions on manufactures and models? I've already talked myself down from 4gb to 2gb.

    50433.png?1708759015
  • DarkwyndreDarkwyndre Registered User regular
    http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2ReS2 something along the lines you were thinking of? I have a GTX680 with the windforce 3 cooler on it, it's quieter than the case fans.

    That's not bad. Can we sacrifice the SSD for a better case (thinking long term re-usability)? Thinking like the Corsair 600T that Alecthar is so fond of.

    Playstation Network ID : EasySleeze
  • tsmvengytsmvengy Registered User regular
    Darkwyndre wrote: »
    http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2ReS2 something along the lines you were thinking of? I have a GTX680 with the windforce 3 cooler on it, it's quieter than the case fans.

    That's not bad. Can we sacrifice the SSD for a better case (thinking long term re-usability)? Thinking like the Corsair 600T that Alecthar is so fond of.

    If she has a current build with a regular HDD then reuse that for storage. But I would not skimp on an SSD. The 300R is a solid case too.

    steam_sig.png
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Darkwyndre wrote: »
    http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2ReS2 something along the lines you were thinking of? I have a GTX680 with the windforce 3 cooler on it, it's quieter than the case fans.

    That's not bad. Can we sacrifice the SSD for a better case (thinking long term re-usability)? Thinking like the Corsair 600T that Alecthar is so fond of.

    The 300R is a very nice case with vent filters, good cable management, solid construction and heaps of room for big videocards. If you wanted to get a flashier case I'd suggest a 350D/550D/650D/750D.

  • tsmvengytsmvengy Registered User regular
    Also, you could save a bit if you went for a cheaper non-IPS monitor.

    steam_sig.png
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Darkwyndre wrote: »
    I'd like to do a new build for my wife. I've put it off for awhile. I prefer to go with an intel processor and an EVGA External Exhaust video card. She probably doesn't need a top end 780ti or anything like that, but a good solid video card that will let her play diablo 3 and WoW maxxed out and that will be good for a few years would be good. SSD is probably not necessary. Would like as many components as possible to be re-usable.

    Budget: $1200

    Hoping someone can slam dunk this for me. Keyboard and Mouse not needed as she has very nice Logitech keyboard and mouse already. Would prefer as nice a monitor as possible, but 1920x1080 is fine for resolution for her, and 24" is probably a good size.

  • HamurabiHamurabi MiamiRegistered User regular
    How serious a risk is static from wall-to-wall carpeting? Like will the wrist strap thing be enough to make pretty negligible the risk of insta-frying my parts?

  • GriswoldGriswold that's rough, buddyRegistered User regular
    @Darkwyndre The build @chrishallett83 dropped is as close to a perfect slam dunk as I imagine you'll find. Don't skimp on the SSD. It's always been the first thing everyone cuts from their builds for the last 3 years, and every time someone actually upgrades to one, the reaction is "why the fuck didn't I have an SSD yet?" Myself extremely included.

    FFXIV: Brick Shizzhouse - Zalera (Crystal)
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  • LD50LD50 Registered User regular
    I don't know what it's like where you live this time of year, but for where I live I'd use a wrist strap if I were you. It should be enough.

  • DehumanizedDehumanized Registered User regular
    Hamurabi wrote: »
    How serious a risk is static from wall-to-wall carpeting? Like will the wrist strap thing be enough to make pretty negligible the risk of insta-frying my parts?

    Touch the chassis, then touch whatever parts you are working with.

  • Banzai5150Banzai5150 Registered User regular
    Got impatient and went ahead and ordered this:EVGA GeForce GTX770 SuperClocked with EVGA ACX Cooler, 2GB GDDR5 256bit, DL DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI, DP, SLI Ready Graphics Cards

    50433.png?1708759015
  • toloveistorebel toloveistorebel Impressive. Most impressive. Central FLRegistered User regular
    Banzai5150 wrote: »
    Got impatient and went ahead and ordered this:EVGA GeForce GTX770 SuperClocked with EVGA ACX Cooler, 2GB GDDR5 256bit, DL DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI, DP, SLI Ready Graphics Cards

    Oh sorry, I was gonna reply but forgot. Yeah I think you made the right choice. That's what I would have gone with for your budget and what you're looking to get out of it.

  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    Banzai5150 wrote: »
    Got impatient and went ahead and ordered this:EVGA GeForce GTX770 SuperClocked with EVGA ACX Cooler, 2GB GDDR5 256bit, DL DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI, DP, SLI Ready Graphics Cards

    I have this and it's a great card. Runs anything I throw at it on max settings at 1920*1200.

  • Banzai5150Banzai5150 Registered User regular
    My main issue with picking a card was all the different manufactures with a few different tweaked versions made it difficult to narrow down.

    50433.png?1708759015
  • HamurabiHamurabi MiamiRegistered User regular
    My only concern with GPUs was the third-party coolers; I have a strong preference for simple 'exhaust-out-the-back' designs.

    Not a fan of these new-fangled 'fifteen 80mm fans blowing air into the side of your case' situations.

  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited February 2014
    Banzai5150 wrote: »
    My main issue with picking a card was all the different manufactures with a few different tweaked versions made it difficult to narrow down.

    EVGA is always solid and they have a great trade-up program as well. Beyond that, I had one go tits up on me (first time I've ever had a piece of electronics fail in 28 years of owning computers), and they had a brand new one to me in a matter of days.

    Esh on
  • LoveIsUnityLoveIsUnity Registered User regular
    I am looking to build a new rig soon, and I'm wondering what's going on in the $800-$1000 range these days?

    I won't need a monitor, keyboard, mouse or anything like that, but I would like to get a case that deals with heat a bit better than the Cooler Master I have right now. I have a 1 gig HD that I can use as a secondary drive, but I would like to finally upgrade to an SSD for most of my programs. I'm also hoping that I could build something in this range that would play well with Steam's Big Picture Mode so I can hook my pc up for the tv every once in a while.

    steam_sig.png
  • RobesRobes Registered User regular
    I'm so used to playing in 1920x1080. How much prettier is 2560x1600?

    "Wait" he says... do I look like a waiter?
  • DehumanizedDehumanized Registered User regular
    ~97% prettier. i did the math

  • Atari SoulAtari Soul Registered User regular
    Depends completely on how big your screen is and how far away you sit. A smaller screen with 1080 has higher pixel density than a larger screen with 1080. I don't know the specifics, but if you have something like a 24" screen and sit nearby or a 30# screen and sit further away, 1080 is almost indistinguishable from 1600

  • LD50LD50 Registered User regular
    Hamurabi wrote: »
    My only concern with GPUs was the third-party coolers; I have a strong preference for simple 'exhaust-out-the-back' designs.

    Not a fan of these new-fangled 'fifteen 80mm fans blowing air into the side of your case' situations.

    I can vouch for the EVGA acx coolers. The cooler works insanely well, and doesn't suffer from some of the problems the stock coolers have. Just make sure your case has good airflow and you should be fine.

  • SynonymSynonym Registered User regular
    Dear Build thread,

    This is my first time building a pc, and I am struggling with some choices. I have read much of what's written here (thanks!) and I've got some components picked out but others remain a mystery. This machine will be primarily for gaming. I have a big back catalogue of Steam sale purchases that I want to get through (Borderlands 2, Bioshock Infinite, Skyrim) and I'd like this new rig to be able to handle Elder Scrolls Online / Witcher 3 and remain moderately competitive (med-high settings) for 12-18 months.

    I will be using a single monitor. I have Win7. I don't need a monitor, keyboard, or mouse.

    I'm mostly settled on these components, but as you'll see the Big Decisions are still pending --> http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2RItI

    Specifically, I'm having a hard time settling on the following:

    1. Is it worth getting the i5-4670K given it's only marginally more expensive than the locked version even if I very likely won't fiddle with overclocking? Am I better off getting a different i5?

    2. Assuming I'm getting an i5 CPU but won't be overclocking, can you recommend a suitable motherboard? I would like some USB 3.0 ports but I don't need anything fancy.

    3. 8gb RAM seems to be consensus, correct? Recommendations on brand and mHz? Am I looking for 1600+?

    4. If I'm not overclocking, do I need to worry about CPU coolers?

    5. Many of you have positive things to say about EVGA GPUs so I'd like to stick with that brand. NVidia seems to have the better pricing right now. For my purposes, 760 (2GB or 4GB?) or 770?

    I'd like to keep total cost around $1300 USD. I have access to Amazon and Newegg but not MicroCenter. The only fixed items at this time are PSU and case; everything else is open to suggestion.

    Many thanks!

  • CabezoneCabezone Registered User regular
    edited February 2014
    If your'e not overclocking get the cheapest 3.4 i5 and dont' worry about an aftermarket cooler. Dont' worry much about RAM speed jsut look for whatever is the most common, I think that's 1600.

    Cabezone on
  • SmokeStacksSmokeStacks Registered User regular
    The case was a Bitfenix Phenom M

    Are you going to spring for a 230mm fan on the bottom? If you haven't, and airflow is important to you, it'll be the best $20 you'll ever spend.

    I have an Armor Evo with a 230mm side intake and the amount of cool air that thing can push while still being super quiet is amazing. I'm thinking of replacing it with one that has LEDs though, because there is a part of me that wants to rice the shit out of this case and I really don't know why.

  • toloveistorebel toloveistorebel Impressive. Most impressive. Central FLRegistered User regular
    Synonym wrote: »
    Dear Build thread,

    This is my first time building a pc, and I am struggling with some choices. I have read much of what's written here (thanks!) and I've got some components picked out but others remain a mystery. This machine will be primarily for gaming. I have a big back catalogue of Steam sale purchases that I want to get through (Borderlands 2, Bioshock Infinite, Skyrim) and I'd like this new rig to be able to handle Elder Scrolls Online / Witcher 3 and remain moderately competitive (med-high settings) for 12-18 months.

    I will be using a single monitor. I have Win7. I don't need a monitor, keyboard, or mouse.

    I'm mostly settled on these components, but as you'll see the Big Decisions are still pending --> http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2RItI

    Specifically, I'm having a hard time settling on the following:

    1. Is it worth getting the i5-4670K given it's only marginally more expensive than the locked version even if I very likely won't fiddle with overclocking? Am I better off getting a different i5?

    2. Assuming I'm getting an i5 CPU but won't be overclocking, can you recommend a suitable motherboard? I would like some USB 3.0 ports but I don't need anything fancy.

    3. 8gb RAM seems to be consensus, correct? Recommendations on brand and mHz? Am I looking for 1600+?

    4. If I'm not overclocking, do I need to worry about CPU coolers?

    5. Many of you have positive things to say about EVGA GPUs so I'd like to stick with that brand. NVidia seems to have the better pricing right now. For my purposes, 760 (2GB or 4GB?) or 770?

    I'd like to keep total cost around $1300 USD. I have access to Amazon and Newegg but not MicroCenter. The only fixed items at this time are PSU and case; everything else is open to suggestion.

    Many thanks!

    @Synonym You're definitely on the right track with things. How close do you want to stay at your budget though? Because we can come a decent amount lower than that for a pretty kick butt rig. And do you need an optical drive? I'll include one just in case. And why is the PSU set in stone? Have you bought it already? It'll will serve you well I'm sure but there are better choices out there for the price. And 750W is a bit overkill. What about storage? You included an SSD but do you need anything else? A good ol' platter drive is best for media storage and such. Re-use an old one or you can pick up a 2TB 7200RPM drive for under $85 or so.

    1, 2: If you don't really plan on overclocking then just find whichever 4xxx series i5 you can at a decent price and get that. Something like a 4570 or 4670. Since you won't be overclocking most of the higher end features of a Z87 board will mostly be wasted. Check out one of the B or H series motherboards. They'll all still have the features you need and will be more reasonably priced. A lot of us have recommend the ASRock B85M Pro4 it seems.

    But, if you think that at some point down the road you'll want to overclock, it may be a good idea to go with the 4670K and a Z87 board. You're looking at about $50-100 more total, plus a cooler, which you wouldn't really need till you're ready to actually start overclocking. Personally, with your budget I would just go for an overclockable system so that if you change your mind down the road you won't be wishing you had sprung for it. Better to have it and not need it than want it and not have it.

    3: Yeah any 2x4GB 1600 sticks will be fine. Basically just grab whatever is cheapest and decently reviewed. G.Skill is always good and what I picked below.

    4: This kinda just depends on what you want. Without overclocking you won't need an aftermarket cooler. But, it can be very helpful if you're going after a silent system. Your budget can support it so maybe why not?

    5: I would definitely at least go with a 770 since we're not working with a budget oriented build here. You will get much more longevity out of it and will get much better framerates on 1080P. The only reason you would need a 4GB card would be if you want to run multiple monitors, 4K, or 1600P with high AA. Tom's Hardware has an excellent article on all this right now.

    Here's what I put together for a non-overclocking system. Quite a bit under budget: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2RToR

    For overclocking: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2RUdh

  • GriswoldGriswold that's rough, buddyRegistered User regular
    Build thread,

    I'm seriously considering picking up a used 670 for SLI, and an HP ZR2740W.

    Please encourage me to drop $650 on this exercise in excess.

    FFXIV: Brick Shizzhouse - Zalera (Crystal)
    Path of Exile: snowcrash7
    MTG Arena: Snow_Crash#34179
    Battle.net: Snowcrash#1873
  • Big DookieBig Dookie Smells great! Houston, TXRegistered User regular
    Griswold wrote: »
    Build thread,

    I'm seriously considering picking up a used 670 for SLI, and an HP ZR2740W.

    Please encourage me to drop $650 on this exercise in excess.

    I've thought about picking up another 670 for SLI myself, but they're just so expensive. It's crazy how much those cards still cost, even used. Enough so that I've even thought about selling mine and upgrading to a 780 or something like that.

    Steam | Twitch
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  • GriswoldGriswold that's rough, buddyRegistered User regular
    Big Dookie wrote: »
    Griswold wrote: »
    Build thread,

    I'm seriously considering picking up a used 670 for SLI, and an HP ZR2740W.

    Please encourage me to drop $650 on this exercise in excess.

    I've thought about picking up another 670 for SLI myself, but they're just so expensive. It's crazy how much those cards still cost, even used. Enough so that I've even thought about selling mine and upgrading to a 780 or something like that.

    A pretty well-reviewed reseller on Amazon has my MSi card for $239 with free shipping. If I'm gonna go 1440p, I think $240 for slightly-better-than 780 Ti performance would be a no-brainer. I don't really need more than 2GB of VRAM since I shouldn't need a ton of anti-aliasing at that resolution.

    FFXIV: Brick Shizzhouse - Zalera (Crystal)
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  • toloveistorebel toloveistorebel Impressive. Most impressive. Central FLRegistered User regular
    edited February 2014
    Big Dookie wrote: »
    Griswold wrote: »
    Build thread,

    I'm seriously considering picking up a used 670 for SLI, and an HP ZR2740W.

    Please encourage me to drop $650 on this exercise in excess.

    I've thought about picking up another 670 for SLI myself, but they're just so expensive. It's crazy how much those cards still cost, even used. Enough so that I've even thought about selling mine and upgrading to a 780 or something like that.

    This I think is the best choice. If financially feasible. How much are used 670's going for?

    I'm thinking about selling my 7870 (Tahiti LE) and getting something like a 760 or 770 (I know the 760 is more of a side-grade but my card has some serious vibration resonance going on).

    EDIT: Wow are two 670's really more powerful than a single 780Ti? EDIT2: Ah I guess they are more powerful. Two 760's beat a 780 by a decent margin. Didn't realize that I don't think.

    toloveistorebel on
  • GriswoldGriswold that's rough, buddyRegistered User regular
    Big Dookie wrote: »
    Griswold wrote: »
    Build thread,

    I'm seriously considering picking up a used 670 for SLI, and an HP ZR2740W.

    Please encourage me to drop $650 on this exercise in excess.

    I've thought about picking up another 670 for SLI myself, but they're just so expensive. It's crazy how much those cards still cost, even used. Enough so that I've even thought about selling mine and upgrading to a 780 or something like that.

    This I think is the best choice. If financially feasible. How much are used 670's going for?

    I'm thinking about selling my 7870 (Tahiti LE) and getting something like a 760 or 770 (I know the 760 is more of a side-grade but my card has some serious vibration resonance going on).

    EDIT: Wow are two 670's really more powerful than a single 780Ti? EDIT2: Ah I guess they are more powerful. Two 760's beat a 780 by a decent margin. Didn't realize that I don't think.

    I'm having trouble finding benches that stack them up directly but 670 SLI vs. 780 Ti looks to be roughly on par. Obviously there's other considerations for me (VRAM, power, heat, noise, overclocking) but from strictly a price-performance standpoint I'm confident that SLI is the best choice.

    FFXIV: Brick Shizzhouse - Zalera (Crystal)
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  • BubbyBubby Registered User regular
    edited February 2014
    Alright so the Carbide 330R is my best bet for a quiet mid-tower case right? About to pull the trigger, I'm willing to pay more if anyone has any other suggestions. I'm also open to cases that might be slightly less quiet but are otherwise better all around, as I've heard the 330R has some issues in exchange for the silence.

    edit: The Obsidian 550d actually looks more enticing...

    Bubby on
  • toloveistorebel toloveistorebel Impressive. Most impressive. Central FLRegistered User regular
    edited February 2014
    Bubby wrote: »
    Alright so the Carbide 330R is my best bet for a quiet mid-tower case right? About to pull the trigger, I'm willing to pay more if anyone has any other suggestions. I'm also open to cases that might be slightly less quiet but are otherwise better all around, as I've heard the 330R has some issues in exchange for the silence.

    edit: The Obsidian 550d actually looks more enticing...

    People also rave about the Fractal Design Define R4. I believe the 550D (thats the silence oriented one right?) Is basically on par with a Define R4. Either would be a good choice. OR, NZXT's H line looks really sweet. Especially the H630 and H440. I think those are the correct models.

    EDIT: the H630 is a full tower.

    toloveistorebel on
  • CabezoneCabezone Registered User regular
    edited February 2014
    Here's what I put together for a non-overclocking system. Quite a bit under budget: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2RToR

    For overclocking: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2RUdh

    My only issue with that build is with the CPU, for 5 bucks more you can get a 3.4ghz right now at newegg.

    Cabezone on
  • BubbyBubby Registered User regular
    edited February 2014
    Bubby wrote: »
    Alright so the Carbide 330R is my best bet for a quiet mid-tower case right? About to pull the trigger, I'm willing to pay more if anyone has any other suggestions. I'm also open to cases that might be slightly less quiet but are otherwise better all around, as I've heard the 330R has some issues in exchange for the silence.

    edit: The Obsidian 550d actually looks more enticing...

    People also rave about the Fractal Design Define R4. I believe the 550D (thats the silence oriented one right?) Is basically on par with a Define R4. Either would be a good choice. OR, NZXT's H line looks really sweet. Especially the H630 and H440. I think those are the correct models.

    EDIT: the H630 is a full tower.

    The H440 is cool but I'm not big on the exposed panels, though I know I'm in the minority. The 550D is just super modern looking with the aluminum, it's probably my favorite of the lot. Hopefully everything fits, also adding a 750gb 840 evo ssd and windows 8.1 to my existing alienware build, so that should be fun.

    Bubby on
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    I updated my Build album with some new pictures with the NZXT HUE installed. Also, a couple of Battlestation pictures.

    sHT5IWtl.jpg

  • BucketmanBucketman Call me SkraggRegistered User regular
    Ok guys, what do you think of this build:
    http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2ONZL

  • toloveistorebel toloveistorebel Impressive. Most impressive. Central FLRegistered User regular
    edited February 2014
    Cabezone wrote: »
    Here's what I put together for a non-overclocking system. Quite a bit under budget: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2RToR

    For overclocking: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2RUdh

    My only issue with that build is with the CPU, for 5 bucks more you can get a 3.4ghz right now at newegg.

    Yeah I totally agree. And I wasn't too jazzed about either of those prices really. I've seen the 4570 for as low as $180 I think. And probably close to that for the 4670.
    Rius wrote: »
    I updated my Build album with some new pictures with the NZXT HUE installed. Also, a couple of Battlestation pictures.

    sHT5IWtl.jpg

    Oh man that album looks so good.

    toloveistorebel on
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