Building a gaming PC

[eskiMoe]

@GuyNwah

About those SSDs (again). Do you think opting for a 1TB 850 Pro (506€) over 1TB 850 EVO (390€) is worth it? I've heard that EVO only has roughly 30% of Pros' p/e cycles and Pro comes with 10 year warranty vs EVO's 5 years.

Been also thinking that if I ever decided to sell the drive, I would probably fetch a lot better price from the Pro.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

http://physxinfo.com/news/12197/introducing-nvidia-hairworks-fur-and-hair-simulation-solution/

Direct Compute "opens dynamic fur up for AMD too".

Though it's useless outside Windows. So may be they have some generic option for hair physics.

 

[Garrison72]

I really got to get rolling on this. Copy/pasted a build from a site that I'm guessing meets or exceeds TW3 requirements. I'll alter based on feedback from here. I'm going with the GTX 980 because I want to run TW3 and all these other monster games coming out on closest to max settings. Anyway, this will get me started. Any feedback is appreciated.

Intel Core i7 5930K Six Core 3.7GHZ CPU
Liquid cooled by Corsair H60
MSI GeForce GTX 980 Twin Frozr V 4GB graphics
16GB Avexir Platinum Series DDR4 2400 RAM
240GB Kingston HyperX Fury SSD
1TB 7200RPM Seagate HDD
Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Case
750W Corsair CX Series PSU
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
2 USB 2.0 Ports, 2 front
4 USB 3.0 Ports, 2 front

edit- haven't picked a monitor yet, I'll work on that tomorrow and post in the monitor thread.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

@Garrison72: I think the CPU you found is a major overkill for you. I doubt you'll really use all 6 cores effectively to justify the price. Also, there is no point to pay for K edition, since overclocking is also not needed most of the time. So you can easily get a cheaper but still high end variant (4 cores with hyperthreading, LGA 1150, for example Core i7 4790) and you won't probably even notice any difference. Unless of course you spend a lot of time working with stuff like compression, encryption, compilation and so on. Then each core really helps. But if not - better invest your money into something else.

 

[volsung]

@Garrison72

I agree with Gilrond. Unless you have unlimited money, get a regular edition i7 like a 4790 +K if you think you will overclock. As discussed before, the in-game benefits of overclocking are dubious and it's essentially the inefficient route to immediate performance. If you think you'll do it for fun (I would), get the K.

the rest seems just fine but I'd personally get a hard drive larger than 1 TB. The price difference is minimal. Also, get a Western Digital Black for your data drive.

And you may want to pay attention to your motherboard. For an i7 4790(k) I would get an Asus Z97-A or similar. I like that it has the legacy PCI ports, shielded integrated sound (for a slightly better experience) and like most Asus boards I've owned so far, probably compatible with other operating systems.

 

[Eruvadhor]

Unless you have unlimited money, get a regular edition i7 like a 4790 +K if you think you will overclock.

Another thing to note, is that the i7-4790k has the normal bells and whistles. This was not always the case with K CPUs.

Yes, check Intel's ARK. It has Vt-x and Vt-d. http://ark.intel.com/products/80807/Intel-Core-i7-4790K-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-4_40-GHz

Also, it has a base clock of 4.0GHz, as opposed to the non-K's 3.6GHz. Splitting hairs, but the speed per dollar is similar, and it opens up future OC'ing if you go that route.

 

[Maxonno]

Hello wise sages of computer upgrading. I've been a long time lurker, finally coming out of hiding to ask you for advice.

My computer right now isn't really up to the task of running the witcher 3 on the level I'd like it to. So it is time for an upgrade, and the question to you is. What can I best upgrade to what?
My setup now is:
phenom II X4 955 3.2Ghz quad core
Radeon HD6850
8 Gb RAM from kingston
500gb HDD drive

But I only have a budget of 200 -300 euro, so I cant upgrade everything. I assume the weak point here will be the graphic card, so that will need upgrading the most. And from what I have seen online, the most bang for buck high end graphic cards are the radeon R9 290 (x?) and the GTX 970 (but correct me if I am missing a card). I have been able to find the R9 290 for about 200 euro's (secondhand) and the GTX 970 for 320 euro.
what card should I pick? especially considering that I could buy teh R9 290 + 120Gb SSD (OS+witcher 3) for less money than just the GTX 970?

And will my CPU be a big bottle neck after upgrading the GPU? (And should I am to replace that as soon as possible as well?) or will it work fine?

 

[Riven-Twain]

Hello wise sages of computer upgrading. I've been a long time lurker, finally coming out of hiding to ask you for advice.

My computer right now isn't really up to the task of running the witcher 3 on the level I'd like it to. So it is time for an upgrade, and the question to you is. What can I best upgrade to what?
My setup now is:
phenom II X4 955 3.2Ghz quad core
Radeon HD6850
8 Gb RAM from kingston
500gb HDD drive

But I only have a budget of 200 -300 euro, so I cant upgrade everything. I assume the weak point here will be the graphic card, so that will need upgrading the most. And from what I have seen online, the most bang for buck high end graphic cards are the radeon R9 290 (x?) and the GTX 970 (but correct me if I am missing a card). I have been able to find the R9 290 for about 200 euro's (secondhand) and the GTX 970 for 320 euro.
what card should I pick? especially considering that I could buy teh R9 290 + 120Gb SSD (OS+witcher 3) for less money than just the GTX 970?

And will my CPU be a big bottle neck after upgrading the GPU? (And should I am to replace that as soon as possible as well?) or will it work fine?

Those are both fine cards, however, unfortunately, it may not be as simple as just upgrading the GPU alone. I can't speak with authority for the radeon, but the GTX 970 is a long card, and does not fit some cases. It also requires a higher power supply. What is the wattage on your current power unit?

(I'll also offer a consideration given me by my technician: be very cautious when buying second-hand graphic cards, as some people are not always kind to them, before putting them back up for sale.)

 

[Maxonno]

I've got a Coolmax CUL-750B 750W (it says on the side of the actual thing max. 729W).
Also I checked how much room I have in my case, and it was less than I expected ~25cm / 10 inch
(*looks up dimensions of both cards.. shit, GTX 970 says 10.5 inch, and the R9 290 is even bigger :S*)

 

[dragonbird]

Can you get more space by removing drive bays?

 

[Riven-Twain]

Ay, that would help, as most 970s run between 10 - 12 inches. The power shouldn't be a problem at that wattage.

 

[Maxonno]

In theory I think I could? I don't know what it will do to the structural intregity of the whole thing (as it seems that the driver bays station is also leaning on the ground and I would have to remove that support?
(picture example)
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Raidmax-ATX238WY-Tornado-SECC-Steel-ATX-Mid-Tower-Computer-Case-Black-Yellow/16318512
(If I completly remove the bottom bays than there is plenty of space for either card)


So if I could make space, than which of the cards would be my best option considering the limited amount of money I have?

 

[Riven-Twain]

Which models of each card were you looking at? ASUS, EVGA, MSI Gigabyte?

 

[Maxonno]

For the GTX 970 , the EVGA or MSI (price vs performance). Double checked their sizes and those are both 11 inch long
and for the R9 290 I think the MSI. But that also depends a bit on what cards I can find.

In either case I don't plan to overclock them, and I don't really care about noise. So I assume the models that matter that much??

Thx for all the help

 

[Riven-Twain]

I'm sorry I can't be more help! I would recommend a GTX 970, but I hesitate to do so, as both space and funds are limited. Perhaps some of our other members can give you a few pointers? @GuyNwah ?

 

[tahirahmed]

I can't speak with authority for the radeon, but the GTX 970 is a long card

@Maxonno

One of the best R9 290 (Sapphire Tri-X) is a very long card (12 inches), even my Gigabyte 980 (also 3 fan design) looks smaller compared to it. Now why I call it the best ? because it's whisper quite and unlike other 290s run very cool.

The game should work fine with both cards but 290 is recommended for med-high settings at 1080p/30fps so it might not handle ultra very well, on the other hand we have an indication from GameStar journalist that a 980 can handle this game at almost 60fps so 970 being a closer card to 980 (same architecture, same chip) can go in ultra territory as well.

EDIT:

I have heard that Palit GTX 970 is quite small but I haven't done comparison with other versions myself.

 

[CostinRaz]

In either case I don't plan to overclock them, and I don't really care about noise. So I assume the models that matter that much??

EVGA has better warranty but is worse in terms of default performance, worse in terms of cooler ( both noise and heat ). I'd go with MSI, in your case it should fit without needing to remove the driver bay. The only card that would require something like that is the Gigabyte one.

I have a mid tower like yours, slightly smaller actually, and the MSI 980 I have fits in just fine.

 

[GuyNwah]

Space shouldn't be a problem with GTX 970 cards, except for a few of the ones with massive coolers (Gigabyte, especially). Some are very small, meant for mini-ITX cases; most are ordinary size (but always know how much space you have to work with before buying).

R9 290 is a difficult and potentially troublesome card for a space-constrained situation. There's an R9 285 from Sapphire made for small cases, though.

GTX 960 might be a useful step down in budget, if you must have nVidia.

 

[EliHarel]

Finally time to build my computer. There's an Israeli site about hardware that I'm using for help and I figure I'll get some feedback from you guys along the way. Someone suggested the following:

Intel i7-5820K Six Core 3.3 GHz S2011-3
Gigabyte GA-X99-UD4 S2011-3
16G (4Gx4) Crucial D416G213KCR DDR4 2133Mhz
Nvidia GeForce MSI GTX970 4GB TwinFrozr GAMING, quantity: 2
SSD Crucial MX100 256GB SATA III
Seagate 2T 3.5'' Sata3 Barracuda 3 Years Warranty
LG DVD-RW X24 GH24NS90
Corsair Carbide 400R Black
Seasonic X-Series 650W GOLD BULK
Noctua NH-U14S

Thoughts?

I still need to decide about a monitor and I'm completely stuck about the 1440 vs 1080 dilemma. Worried about how TW3 will perform on a 1440p screen. Though with a 970 SLI there will likely be very good performance on ultra, no? Without a 1440p I understand that there's no need for 970 SLI, right?

Considering that list still lacks a monitor as well as peripheral equipment, M&K & headphones, it might seriously be overshooting. Chasing that above-standard resolution in best settings might need to wait 15 years when I'm rich and not just very dedicated. Sticking with a good 1080p monitor right now instead could really take some pressure off the rest of the computer and the budget. Might just do that.

Anyway, recommended tweaks to that?

 

[eskiMoe]

@EliHarel

I would change the X99 build to Z97 build. Something like Asus Z97-A and i7 4790K. You don't really need a 6 core CPU or DDR4 for gaming. Also, I would get a beefier PSU if you plan on getting dual 970/980 setup.

Based on the performance reported by gamestar.de, I doubt you'll need an SLI setup to max out Witcher 3. if you're running 1080p. 1440p and up, you most likely will.