Sherdog PC Build/Buy Thread, v5: Stop Thinking of Your Router as a Peripheral

[Striderxdj]

Download EVGA Precision X. Its a fan control and tuning software, can change the clock speeds and other things. I have a 970 and I have a custom profile. Fan is always running and my temps are usually around 32-36c non gaming. Right now my 970 is at 30c but that was after I was playing GTA V. It went into overkill mode with the fans and my temp went down to 30c. I love the card

I also have the Noctua NH-D14 CPU cooler for my 3770K which is overclocked. I get around 29-35c with the cooler

Ya I downloaded that a few days ago but strangely every time I have it running path of exile gets exception errors and I have to restart the computer, i just don't use it for poe since I can run two instances on max and the card just laughs. The only somewhat demanding games ive thrown at it so far were Crysis 3 and wolfenstein the old blood, it played both on max without a problem.

My cpu is an I5-2500k at 4.2 with a hyper-212, thing runs pretty cool as well... getting a little old but still gets the job done so dont see the need to replace it.

 

[edco76]

I think my video card is crapping out.

I keep getting random power offs, and restarts. And occasionally it shuts off and won't power back up.

When that happens, re-seating the card seems to fix it.

I don't seem to have any issues running the integrated graphics with the card out.

It's not heat or stress related because it does it at low temps/loads.

Event viewer only shows a critical power failure.



So, I think either my card is shorting out. Or the voltage from the card is causing my power supply to mess up.

My rig

Spoiler

Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core
ASRock H87M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1150
G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600
XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB
Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" SSD
Western Digital 1tb HDD x 2
Corsair 500W ATX12V
Silverstone SG09B (Black) MicroATX Mini Tower
Windows 8.1 64-Bit
Toshiba 50" LED 1080p TV

Anyone know of a way to troubleshoot this further? Also, whats a good replacement for a 7950? I've actually been pretty happy with the performance but if I'm going to replace would like at least a small upgrade. Funds are not great right now lol

 

[Madmick]

Did you try a different PCIe slot? It may be the motherboard, not the GPU.

 

[brownfeet]

hey guys, finally getting around to building a pc. Went on pcpartpicker and was hoping to get some input from the pros in here(first time buid). Was trying to keep this around 11 or so but im at 1200 right now. Can you guys see where i'm in the wrong, where to upgrade etc? Should i upgrade to an i7? do i need that much ssd/hdd memory? I have 2 external hard drives as well.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($84.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($87.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($97.95 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($71.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290 4GB Black Edition Double Dissipation Video Card ($298.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($88.88 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1117.65
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-28 15:08 EDT-0400

 

[GhostZ06]

hey guys, finally getting around to building a pc. Went on pcpartpicker and was hoping to get some input from the pros in here(first time buid). Was trying to keep this around 11 or so but im at 1200 right now. Can you guys see where i'm in the wrong, where to upgrade etc? Should i upgrade to an i7? do i need that much ssd/hdd memory? I have 2 external hard drives as well.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($84.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($87.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($97.95 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($71.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290 4GB Black Edition Double Dissipation Video Card ($298.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($88.88 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1117.65
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-28 15:08 EDT-0400

maybe change the 290 to a 390?

 

[KaNesDeath]

Should i upgrade to an i7? do i need that much ssd/hdd memory? I have 2 external hard drives as well.

I have the i7 5820K and love it. If you do go that route the motherboard, CPU and ram costs nearly double. If you can eliminate the need to purchase a new case and PSU it can potentially offset the cost increase.

Would advise going double SSD's. A 100gig for OS and program installs. Secondary 250+gig for game installs. Continue using the externals for file storage.

 

[brownfeet]

I have the i7 5820K and love it. If you do go that route the motherboard, CPU and ram costs nearly double. If you can eliminate the need to purchase a new case and PSU it can potentially offset the cost increase.

Would advise going double SSD's. A 100gig for OS and program installs. Secondary 250+gig for game installs. Continue using the externals for file storage.

sadly i don't have anything that i can use as my computer is well over 8 years old. the case is beat to hell and back. If i just upgrade to an i7 i can keep the rest of the parts or do i need to change those as well? Like i said im a pretty big pc noob, apologies.

So get 2 ssd and no internal hd?

 

[KaNesDeath]

sadly i don't have anything that i can use as my computer is well over 8 years old. the case is beat to hell and back. If i just upgrade to an i7 i can keep the rest of the parts or do i need to change those as well? Like i said im a pretty big pc noob, apologies.

So get 2 ssd and no internal hd?

The newer i7's i believe are a different socket type than the CPU you currently have selected. Meaning the motherboard and potentially heatsink will have to change. Motherboard you get will also potentially change the ram types available.

Since you already have two externals for file storage. Get a single high capacity SSD and or a the two SSD combination i suggested above.

SSD in general are far superior in performance/maintenance needed and the costs for them have dropped dramatically.

No matter what i say all this comes down to the money you want to spend.

 

[Shoemaker]

Kanes: what do you figure he'd gain by getting the 5820 over the 4790K right now? From what I understand, having the extra cores is a pretty moot feature at this point unless you're using software designed to take advantage of it (and most games aren't).

 

[Madmick]

Kanes: what do you figure he'd gain by getting the 5820 over the 4790K right now? From what I understand, having the extra cores is a pretty moot feature at this point unless you're using software designed to take advantage of it (and most games aren't).

DDR4 RAM.

The 5820K can seat in the 2011-v3 socket which are the only motherboards out right now that support DDR4 RAM. Beyond that, the 5820K gives you better overall processing power and performance (even if this doesn't make a big difference in gaming performance it will be seen in general multitasking and in general computing tasks).

It's particularly enticing to overclockers since the default core clock is so low (due to the fact that it is a six-core processor). OCers usually can squeeze a bigger performance bump out of processors with a lower native frequency like this-- even if the additional cores means they're still dealing with plenty of heat. That isn't universal, and the potential issues with the 5820K due to the additional cores is more thermal throttling from the additional heat they bring. I hadn't looked at 5820K vs. 4790K head-to-head overclocking comparisons.

 

[KaNesDeath]

Kanes: what do you figure he'd gain by getting the 5820 over the 4790K right now? From what I understand, having the extra cores is a pretty moot feature at this point unless you're using software designed to take advantage of it (and most games aren't).

Two reasons. Primary one is if he didnt have to buy certain items the money he could save could be applied to a better CPU. An the other is longevity, lifespan of the core components could last him for five years with the secondary peripherals lasting over a decade.

Tower im using (CMStacker) is one i bought in 2003. PSU is an Antec i bought from 2006/2007 that has all the needed power connectors for todays standard devices. Bought my new audio card in 2012 to switch to PCI-E x1 from my old PCI based card that i had since 2002. Optical drive i bought last year because my old one died in 2011 and i needed to replace it for my new Pc build. An lastly my two SSD's and external HD have been with me since 2011.

When transitioning to Pc gaming its best to view certain purchases for the long term.

 

[allnamestaken]

I'm sick of my current case, can anyone here recommend a one? I would like something that isn't too big but can still house standard size components.

 

[brownfeet]

thanks for all the input guys, i'm hearing change certain parts etc. if i go i7 any recommendations on what to upgrade to for the other pieces i need to change? trying to keep this around 1100.

also will it make a difference if i don't expect to be overclocking as i don't know how to? i know i'm changing to 2 SSD cards for sure. sorry for all the questions, if you guys have no specific input ill relook at partpicker and post my next build. once again thank you

 

[Cygnus A]

Odd question here, but does anyone have experience with some of the high end desk chairs? (Steelcase, Herman Miller, etc..) ? I have back problems and I've never considered investing in a nice chair until now. I am looking at the Steelcase Gesture and Herman Miller Embody chairs, mostly for their aesthetics and supposed ergonomics.

 

[Cygnus A]

hey guys, finally getting around to building a pc. Went on pcpartpicker and was hoping to get some input from the pros in here(first time buid). Was trying to keep this around 11 or so but im at 1200 right now. Can you guys see where i'm in the wrong, where to upgrade etc? Should i upgrade to an i7? do i need that much ssd/hdd memory? I have 2 external hard drives as well.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($84.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($87.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($97.95 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($71.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290 4GB Black Edition Double Dissipation Video Card ($298.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($88.88 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1117.65
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-28 15:08 EDT-0400

For gaming purposes, going to an i7 over an i5 is basically a waste of money, at least in the budget range. Once you get to higher resolution and dual GPUs it becomes more of a factor. And MOST games will not take advantage of the hyper threading which is all the i7 has over the i5. I would always recommended a stronger graphics card over jumping to an i7.

Ways to save money and not impact performance:

1. You don't need 16GB of RAM. 8GB would be plenty, especially if you are running off SSD drives.

2. Buy windows for 10-20$ here: (Microsoft Software Swap) Plenty of people selling Windows keys for 10-20$ they are legit keys.

3. You don't need a gold certified power supply. Shave a little money there.

4. Finally monitor this subreddit for excellent deals on parts. I saved hundreds on my last build by being patient and picking up deals as they showed up.: (buildapcsales)

 

[Madmick]

thanks for all the input guys, i'm hearing change certain parts etc. if i go i7 any recommendations on what to upgrade to for the other pieces i need to change? trying to keep this around 1100.

also will it make a difference if i don't expect to be overclocking as i don't know how to? i know i'm changing to 2 SSD cards for sure. sorry for all the questions, if you guys have no specific input ill relook at partpicker and post my next build. once again thank you

Since you don't overclock, don't waste the extra cash on "K" processors, i.e. you would want the i7-4790, not the i7-4790K (there is no 5820; just a 5820K). You also don't need an aftermarket cooler. The stock cooler is adequate unless you want it to be able to run at the Turbo Boost frequency indefinitely regardless of ambient temperatures.

With an $1100 budget it's probably ideal to go with an i5 build, not an i7 build, since the additional cost would be better apportioned to a more powerful GPU. That will depend. You might be able to get a GTX 970 or R9 390 and the i7 while staying under budget. If that's the case, then it's up to you whether you want a more purist gaming build or a computer with a stronger general processing :

• Gaming: i5-4690 + GTX 980 / R9 390X
• General: i7-4790 + GTX 970 / R9 390

 

[brownfeet]

swapped around parts as some of you mentioned. Unless others have better alternatives or some wtf are you thinking get this instead type things here is the build. i understand the pricing might change but as long as it doesn't go up towards 1200 too much i'll be happy.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($228.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($71.49 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.78 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390X 8GB Video Card ($429.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($28.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1071.19
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-29 12:20 EDT-0400

 

[Madmick]

swapped around parts as some of you mentioned. Unless others have better alternatives or some wtf are you thinking get this instead type things here is the build. i understand the pricing might change but as long as it doesn't go up towards 1200 too much i'll be happy.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($228.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($71.49 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.78 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390X 8GB Video Card ($429.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($28.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1071.19
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-29 12:20 EDT-0400

That's a much leaner gaming build. You're getting more per dollar. Swap out the i5-4690K for the i5-4690. You aren't an overclocker, so you don't need to pay the extra $10-$15 for the "K" unlocked feature that you'll never use.

 

[brownfeet]

That's a much leaner gaming build. You're getting more per dollar. Swap out the i5-4690K for the i5-4690. You aren't an overclocker, so you don't need to pay the extra $10-$15 for the "K" unlocked feature that you'll never use.

will do, also thanks for the help. Also thanks to all the other sherbros who provided some great advice.

 

[KaNesDeath]

will do, also thanks for the help. Also thanks to all the other sherbros who provided some great advice.

What OS version with service pack are you installing?