I feel like an ass for posting it again, but the response from it has been pretty good. I made a long post a few months ago containing information for beginning Let's Players. Here it is:

Picking A Name: Alright. It's time to start your channel. You've kicked the idea around for long enough. This is the first, and arguably the most important step in your Youtube career. Try to think of something different that hasn't been done. Don't copy the style of someone else's channel. For example, say you play Pokemon, and your name is Kyle, don't put KyleDoesPokemon. It will seem like you copied the name of SkyDoesMinecraft. Another thing is to avoid tons of numbers and X's. Say two channels have the same video uploaded, you can't see the views, subscriber count, comments or ratings. You are basing your viewing choice based on only the name of the video (which is the same) and the channel's name. Are you going to watch the video by XxBigJ0hnxXCoDK1llerzXx or Conspicuous Cactus (I apologize, I couldn't think of a catchy name)? Some will choose the
first, but most will choose the latter. I'm not saying that you can't achieve success with a cough bad cough name, but it will be a little more difficult. Ultimately, the Channel Name is just an attention grabber, like thumbnails and titles, but we'll get the that later. If your content is good, your Channel Name will not matter, as much.

Video Recording: You're set with your channel now. You've set it up and got the name you want. Great. Now the fun starts. If you don't want to spend a lot of money, i'd recommend the Dazzle, as far as capture cards go. I used one on my old channel, and it worked flawlessly. The only downside is that it only records in standard definition (144p-480p), unless you use an S-Video cable. This isn't good quality. But it's good enough to test the waters to see if you can create good content. If you want something that will work every time, and records in 1080p, I can't recommend the Elgato Game Capture HD enough. It's only downside is that it's pricey ($155). But you are getting a product that is the best in it's class. Back in 2010, you could get away with not having HD quality video, because HD PVR's were expensive. But not today. If you ever hope to achieve any sort of success, you must have video quality that is at least 720p. It's just not an option anymore.

Audio Recording: If you have a Turtle Beach headset, or some other USB powered headset w/ a mic, you can use that TO START WITH. Turtle Beach's have a good enough mic that it will be decent enough until you decide to move up a tier. If you want a great starting mic, that isn't a headset, the Blue Snowball is tough to beat. It sounds great, looks decent (like that really matters), and is cheap (in terms of cost, not quality). Depending on what color you get, it will run around $40-$50, which really isn't to bad for a microphone. You may also want to invest in a Pop Filter. A Pop Filter does exactly what the name says, it filters pops. It will remove, to a certain extent, the popping sound when saying p's, the ssss sound with s's, and all sorts of other things. They are definitely a good investment. However, if you don't want to buy one, you can search how to make one with a sock.

Editing Software: If you get a Dazzle, it will come with some decent editing software. It's nothing special, but it works well enough to get the job done. Hell, I used it for almost 2 years. But, if you want something better, and more professional, you should look at Sony Vegas or Adobe Premier. Both are great, and offer things that the other doesn't have, so you'll need to think about what kinds of things you'll be doing with it. I recommend Sony Vegas. I have never had a problem with it, and the learning curve isn't too high.

Channel Art: This is important. Very, very important. When someone views your channel, this will either make them continue their quest to view one of your videos, or it will make them immediately look elsewhere. This part is somewhat tricky to give advice for. It just has to look good. Don't just copy and paste logos of game's that you'll be playing onto a picture and call it "Channel Art". Use Photoshop, and put some effort into it. If you can't make it yourself, there are several people around /r/letsplay that will make it for you, for a small fee (/u/fuyi is fairly popular). There are also some websites that are easy to use and will make some decent (i'm using this word a lot, aren't I?) Channel Art that will work for a few months, or until you get around to making some yourself.

Thumbnails: Another incredibly important part of your Youtube Channel. You could have the best content ever, but if your Thumbnails suck, you won't get anywhere. The key to Thumbnails is to keep it simple. Use a nice, easily readable font, use complementary colors, and don't try to put too much in the Thumbnail. Avoid the lower right corner, as the duration of the video will cut off some of the Thumbnail. You can use this site to make some thumbnails too. Like the Channel Art, that site good for starting out, but you will want to learn how to make your own, using a program like Photoshop. If you start making your own thumbnails, the resolution for them is 1280x720, just so you know the correct size.

Video Titles: Video Titles are something a lot of people seem to mess up. It's actually really easy to make a good title. Some just put something like Let's play Minecraft episode 23. While that does tell you what the video is, it doesn't grab your attention. Something like Let's Play Minecraft: Part 23 | The Sands are Evil is better because it gives an idea of what will be going on in the video, which would probably be a problem with sand in the example. You can also you some punctuation like -'s, |'s, or :'s to help organize your videos.

Descriptions: There are two basic ways that you can have an effective video description. The first is to make a somewhat exaggerated statement that is relevant to the video, THE SAND WILL SWALLOW YOU WHOLE! RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!. The second way is keep it simple, Attention Traveler's: Please stay away from the sand. Several corpses have been found within them with large amounts of sand in their lungs. This is just my opinion, since I usually try to keep my descriptions witty. The third option is to just describe the video, In today's episode, we travel to an harsh landscape filled with sand and the dreams of dead travelers. You can either make the description funny and witty or you can keep it simple. Either way, don't put to much in it. Descriptions need to be kept short. It's also not a bad idea to put link to other videos in the series in the description or links to Twitter or other social media outlets.

Tags: Tags are the backbone to any successful Youtube Channel. All tags should be relevant to the video. Don't put other channel's names in their. Not only is it unproffessional, but it's useless (to a certain extent). If you search for Roosterteeth Minecraft Episode 100, and you see someone else's video below Roosterteeth's, you're going to watch Roosterteeth's video. Youtube has started to crack down on people who don't properly use the tagging system. If you make a Minecraft video and put Justin Bieber naked as a tag, you run the risk of your channel being given a strike or having the video taken down. Just put tags that are relevant to your video. If you make the 23rd episode of your Minecraft series, put tags like Minecraft Part 23, Minecraft Episode 23, Let's Play Minecraft Part 23, ect.

Other Things to Know:

• Monetizing: You may want to monetize right from the beginning, and it is tempting, but you won't see enough of a return to make it worth the time of those who are viewing the ads. You may make a few dollars within your first couple months, so it's not worth it. Wait until your are getting upwards of 1000 views per day and then monetize.
  
  
• Fan Interaction: Interact with people who comment whenever you can, whether it be on Youtube, Twitter, or somewhere else. Sometimes, you may want to consider replying to a comment, even if someone insults you or your channel. You may also find that most of the people who make those kinds of comments are dicks, but you might find someone who isn't (Here's a good example). It never hurts to be nice on the internet, especially when trying to grow a channel. You don't want to get popular, and then have a bunch of people look at the old comments you made and realize that you're an asshole.
  
  Concluding: Obviously, there is a bunch more to say, but there's a 10,000 character limit to these posts. To wrap it all up, you need to have a Channel that is well made, and regularly produces good content. If you're just starting out, good luck. You'll need it.

Here, have an upgrade guide. This is mostly oriented for gaming, but I tried to make it as general purpose as possible.

First off, if you're trying to survive gaming on an older system and are wanting to upgrade, remember to check out the PC Gaming Wiki as well as the Low Spec Gamer YouTube channel and /r/lowendgaming. There are lots of tips and tricks to get games running better, and if you discover your own, don't forget to share them!

• If you have a motherboard older than DDR3, save and upgrade to a new platform. It's not worth investing in a platform that old for anything other than novelty purposes.
  
  
• If you want to upgrade your motherboard (like if you're looking at buying an unlocked CPU but have a locked motherboard), save and build a whole new system, unless you happen to come across exactly what you want for cheap. Used motherboards are usually just as expensive as new ones so it's not really worth investing that much into an older platform.
  
  
• If you have an Intel motherboard and want to upgrade your CPU, see my reply to this comment. Character limit, woo!
  
  
• If you have an AMD motherboard, I'm not as experienced with this but upgrading to an 8320 or 8350 Black edition would be good.
  
• I'll do some research and put some detailed information here later; like I did for Intel processors. Again, after the aforementioned good night's rest.
  
  
• When buying any used processor, especially on eBay, be very wary of scams. Any price that seems too good to be true or is from a seller with very little feedback is something of which you should be very wary.
  
  
• If you have less than 8GB of RAM, buy a 2x4GB kit. Dual channel actually makes a difference these days. If you want more, well, divide the amount you want by the number of slots you have. 16GB / 4 slots = 4GB sticks, so get a 4x4GB kit. PCPartPicker is a good resource for this, although new DDR3 is getting more expensive. It might be worth looking at the used market, but be careful you don't buy ECC RAM (server memory) unless you have a motherboard and processor that support it.
  
  
• If your system isn't using an SSD as its boot drive, buy an SSD and reinstall your OS onto it. I don't know if I can recommend a SSD smaller than 250GB considering how cheap they're getting. Brand doesn't matter a whole lot but make sure to do a little research first. PCPartPicker, again, is a great resource for this. Filter by the minimum capacity you want and sort by lowest price, then go from there. Samsung is expensive but reliable; I don't know a lot about other brands.
  
  
• If you're running out of space, 2TB HDDs are pretty cheap and reliable these days. Here's a Seagate one, although I couldn't find Western Digital's equivalent for some reason.
  
  
• I don't really know much about graphics cards other than they're hard to buy new these days. If you buy new, I can't recommend anything with less than 4GB of VRAM, because modern games are getting better at using it. If you buy used, try not to go less than 2GB. Other than that, pick what fits your budget and performance needs, and remember you dont have to run everything on max settings. Dropping the settings a little can allow older cards to still compete today. I still run a 7870 and haven't found any unplayable games yet; 99% of games I get a solid 60, and once I upgrade to an e3-1240v3 that's in the mail I expect that to go to 99.9%.
  
  
• Make sure you have a good PSU. You can get really solid ones for $50 or less these days. Don't forget this one when upgrading your system, unless you already have a good PSU. This is the SeaSonic one I've been recommending a lot. Fully modular and 80 Plus Bronze seems pretty good to me. PSUs are a topic of a lot of controversy, though, so make sure to do your research.
  
  
• Similarly, investing in a case you like will last you a long time and significantly improve a build's appearance. Not its frames, though, so this isn't a priority. Pick one with all the features you want, good cable management options, something you don't mind looking at, that kind of stuff. Look up a review (google "[case name] review") where someone builds a computer in it so you can get an idea of what kind of issues people run into when building in it and if those issues are dealbreakers for you.
  
  
• Optical drives aren't really used this day but if you don't have one it can be worth it to pick one up. Blu-ray drives are getting cheaper, too. PCPartPicker -> optical drives -> filter by features -> sort by price.
  
  
• Monitors I cant speak much on, but if you're gaming at all, get one that goes at least 120hz at its native resolution, and don't get one lower than 1080p. If you don't do any gaming, make sure you get an IPS panel. I personally can't recommend any resolution other than 1080p (1920x1080) because compatibility issues are annoying and most software is either designed to work at 1080p, or have workarounds to run at 1080p. 4k is the next jump worth taking since that seems to be the next big standard (again, in my opinion), but hardware is still a generation or two out from that being mainstream.
  
  
• Multiple monitors are a thing. I don't think I can live with less than 3 monitors again. It's so nice to have a game on the center monitor, a webpage on the left, and a voip program on the right. You can kind of do this with window snapping, but, well, you can also do that with 3 monitors for much more information when you need it.
  
  
• Invest in good network gear. I cannot stress this enough. It will cost a chunk of money but will make your life so much better. If you're renting a modem from your ISP, or your modem/router has your ISP's logo on it, you need to upgrade. I'm currently running the Netgear R7000. If you're on cable internet, get a Motorola SurfBoard and something like the R7000. If you're on DSL, there's a variant that has a phone jack for dialing in. If you have fiber, the ONT that you have isn't replaceable but it's probably fine (but you'll still want to replace the included router). For all of these, you'll probably need to look up a guide on switching and it will probably involve calling your ISP. Expect to spend $200ish on the equipment, but seriously, you won't be constantly rebooting your router, wondering why the WiFi isn't working this time, etc. And a good modem will let you know if it can contact the network or not so you'll know if the internet is actually out or not. And if you're renting a router, you'll save money in the long run.
  
  
• If you're using WiFi, get a good network card. I saw this one linked on this subreddit the other day and it looks pretty good. I've personally found USB WiFi dongles unreliable, but YMMV.
  
  
• Don't forget to upgrade your peripherals. Check out /r/mechanicalkeyboards, /r/steamcontroller (it's about more than just the Steam Controller there, the name is a little misleading TBH), and the YouTube channel Rocket Jump Ninja (he does mouse reviews). I think /r/emulation has had some good threads on controllers, too. There's fun stuff like Mayflash adapters for GameCube controllers, or you could pick up a bluetooth dongle for a DualShock 3 or DualShock 4 (or WiiMote passthrough in Dolphin). There's lots of fun to be had in the peripheral department.
  
  I think that's about everything. Let me know if I missed anything and I'll include it.
  
  edit: Updated some stuff and tried to include more details.

I've posted this stuff before, but hopefully you'll find some of it useful. Also avoid EIG hosting providers like the plague. If you need more help, feel free to DM me!

First, get a domain:

• I use Google Domains.
  
• Namecheap is also super great.
  
• If you use shared hosting (see below), they often offer included domain names with your purchase.
  
  Second, find hosting:
  
  
• Github Pages offers great static site hosting. Free.
  
• Shared hosting like DreamHost is great if you aren't comfortable managing your own server but want access to databases (they also give you email addresses with webmail access). Costs a monthly fee.
  
• Use a combination of PaaS like Heroku and Firebase. Free (can pay for more features/performance).
  
• Your own VPS (virtual private server) like Digital Ocean lets you configure just about everything if you're okay with system administration. Costs a monthly fee.
  
• Buy a Raspberry Pi and hook it up to your router (assuming your ISP gives you a public IP address). This is essentially setting up your own server. One time cost.
  
  Third, figure out how you want to make the site:
  
  
• Use a CMS like WordPress, BoltCMS, Grav, DjangoCMS, etc...
  
• Use a static site generator like Hugo or Hexo.
  
• Write everything yourself (too many options out there to link, depends on your language/technology preference).
  
  Other stuff:
  
  
• You can get free SSL certs for your site (especially important if people are going to be entering information) from Let's Encrypt.
  
• CloudFlare acts as a CDN and IPS/IDS to help protect and optimize your site (they have a free plan).
  
• A good option for students is to grab the Github Student Developer Pack, which includes a bunch of free goodies.
  
  A few more things you can play with:
  
  
• C9 is cool for prototyping and playing around in a VPS playground with a nice built-in editor. It has a free plan, but last I checked it still requires a payment card for verification.
  
• HyperDev is another cool Node-specific playground.
  
• Forestry.io is a new service that gives you CMS-like functionality with Github Pages. I have not used it.
  
• Prose is an editor application for managing Github content.

Looks like a really good build. I will put part links in the end of the post. Here's some tips to save a bit of money if you're open to it:

1. Power supply: 550 watts is a great amount for this system. You could save some money by passing on the 80+ gold rating (although it's great to have a super efficient power supply, you don't need 80+ gold) and get a power supply that has an 80+ bronze efficiency rating. A power supply being fully modular isn't a must either, for me at least. A good semi-modular pick would be the Rosewill Hive 550, I have it and it has has sleeved black cables for about $55. If you want to save more money on the PSU, though, the EVGA basic 550W unit has all black cables and goes for around $43. Otherwise, the 600B from EVGA is a great 600W unit for around $50. Changing your power supply with these options might save you around $30-$40.
   
2. RAM: there are 16GB kits out there that are cheaper than the ones you selected, some are even in red to match your color scheme. I know there is a kit from Corsair that goes for around $80, so that might save you $20-$30 there. Otherwise, if you can't afford 16GB at the beginning of the build, 8GB will suffice until you upgrade. Just make sure if you get 8GB, get a single stick so you can throw another one in later. 8GB instead of 16 GB may save you $30-$40.
   
3. CPU cooler: The i5 6500 comes with its own stock cooler, so you can save around $25 by not paying for a CPU cooler right away. Otherwise, the 212 Evo is a superb cooler and also comes in a red LED fan version for a few bucks more :D
   
4. GPU: The GTX 1060 is a great option for a video card, but the RX 480 from AMD might be able to save you a few bucks right now and down the road. When you look to purchase another monitor, options with FreeSync (AMD adaptive sync) are normally cheaper than monitors with G-Sync (Nvidia adaptive sync). Adaptive sync monitors will make your gameplay smoother. Also, if you get a motherboard that supports crossfire, you can throw another RX 480 in your rig in the future. I will recommend you a motherboard for this at the end, and it won't cost you much more than your current one. An RX 480 8GB starts at around $230. Also, RX 480's are said to be better in DX12, another "future proofer".
   
5. Motherboard (minor): H110 is a budget chipset, and a Micro ATX one will save you a bit of money. BUT, if you want another RX 480, you'll need a motherboard with 2 PCIe slots to house them. An ATX motherboard will fill your case better, not look as awkward as a mATX one, and will let you put another RX 480 card in your rig in the future. A good ATX motherboard that would work for this build would be the Asus B150-PLUS for $95. This may be a bit expensive, but you could spend your saved money on this part. I highly suggest you exercise this option.
   
6. Storage: if 250GB is enough for you, then you could save some money by not getting a Samsung SSD. An SSD comparable to this would be the Crucial MX300 275GB for around $80. Also, the SanDisk z400s is $75 and is 256GB. If you want more storage, though, I would recommend a 120GB SSD like the PNY CS1311 for $40 and a 1TB hard drive like the WD Blue for $50.
   
   TL;DR: cut back on PSU efficiency ratings, look for different 16GB or even 8GB RAM kits, ditch CPU cooler (or keep if you want), get an RX 480 for saving money on future monitors, you can also put another RX 480 in your build in the future with a different motherboard; an ATX motherboard would fill your case and add capability for a second RX 480, a non-Samsung SSD could save you some money, while for $100, you can get an SSD and a 1TB hard drive.
   
   Links:
   EVGA 550W "basic" http://amzn.to/2gbEbeQ
   Rosewill Hive-550 http://amzn.to/2gbBtGe
   EVGA 600B http://amzn.to/2gtvZcH
   Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO LED http://amzn.to/2fJ7mHM
   RX 480 http://amzn.to/2gbIUgI (choose which one you like)
   Asus B150-PLUS http://amzn.to/2eVnuqj
   Crucial MX 300 275GB http://amzn.to/2fidOoq
   SanDisk Z400S 256GB http://amzn.to/2fifFtk
   WD Blue 1TB http://amzn.to/2fJcPhK
   
   I hope my advice helped you and that this didn't overwhelm you. If you save enough money, you could throw in a red LED PWM fan, which adjusts its speed based on your computer's needs. I had a lot of fun making this, thanks for posting, and happy gaming :D
   
   
   

/u/paulatreides0, /u/jetjaguar124, u/WeAreAwful

This is not my best guide, but it is a guide. Refinements welcome.
I wish I knew where to post the refined version, because it seems wasted
on the ephemeral DT.

PC building notes, 2019 Q3

Introduction

This post is a a "guide" to PC building in late 2019. It is incomplete
in two senses. First, I make no special claims to authority or objectivity.
I'm just an enthusiast. I have only personally tested a fraction of the parts
listed below. Second, I am writing this before the Intel 10th-gen refresh
and before the release AMD's flagship 3950X. Those new parts may impact some
of the advice given below.

This guide is extremely opinionated. I will simplify and exaggerate to
keep things simple.

This post was written while drinking whisky and listening to
enka.

Internals

What's inside your PC

A PC has seven core components. They are,

1. CPU: the central processing unit. The thing that does calculations.
   
2. Motherboard: the bit that all the other bits slot into
   
3. GPU: the graphics processing unit. For frames in games.
   
4. RAM: Random Access Memory. Fast, volatile, short-term storage.
   
5. Storage: longer-term storage. Comes in several flavors, mainly solid state
   and hard disk.
   
6. PSU: the power supply unit. The bit that delivers power to the other bits.
   
7. Case: a steel box that you put the other bits in.
   
   A word first on compatibility. The skeleton of the build is the motherboard,
   and you have to make sure that every other bit is compatible with your board.
   There are two CPU manufacturers, AMD and Intel; each has their own CPU
   design and thus has their own motherboard type. RAM, storage, PSUs, and GPUs
   are all cross-compatible with either AMD or Intel motherboards.
   Motherboards come in different sizes. A case will be compatible with certain
   size ranges. From small to big, these are ITX, m-ATX, ATX, and
   E-ATX. You'll want to check that your motherboard can fit in your case.
   
   

   CPUs
   

   
   AMD's most current CPUs are the 3000-series Ryzen chips. There are a bunch
   of them, but the only two you have to care about are the
   
   

• AMD Ryzen 5 3600 ($200)
  
• AMD Ryzen 7 3700X ($330)
  
  The other options are the 3600X, the 3800X, and the 3900X. None of these
  are interesting compared to the two listed above, and can be safely ignored.
  
  Intel's current CPUs are the 9th-gen Core chips. I would only seriously
  consider two of these chips,
  
  
• Intel i7-9700K ($380)
  
• Intel i9-9900K ($450-$500)
  
  and I'd ignore the rest. If you want to spend less than $350 on a CPU,
  then go AMD. If you want to spend more than $350 on a CPU,
  go Intel.
  
  A word about prior-gen chips. The AMD 2000 series (2700X, 2600) and the
  Intel 8th gen series (8700K) are still viable at the right price. Look at
  benchmarks. More on that later.
  
  A word about lower-spec CPUs. AMD sells cheap CPUs that have integrated
  graphics. That means you don't need to buy a graphics card with these chips.
  As such, a build with the 3400G or 3200G can be extremely inexpensive. Consider
  them for office use or basic builds that don't require heavy graphics.
  I have personally tested them and they play 4K video flawlessly; they should
  be perfectly adequate for basic tasks.
  
  For scientific workloads, ask me to write another post. I can't cover
  everything here.
  
  
  

  Motherboard
  

  
  Motherboards only accept either AMD or Intel CPUs, but not both, so you must
  choose a board that is compatible with your CPU.
  Once you decide between AMD or Intel, you can proceed to figure out which
  motherboard you want. There are approximately six billion boards. For AMD,
  skip the hassle and just buy the
  
  

• MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX
  
  Note the "MAX." The Tomahawk was released during the 1000- and 2000-series
  of AMD processors. The MAX variant is compatible with 3000-series chips
  out of the box.
  
  For Intel, I know far less. Any Z390 board should be acceptable.
  
  For AMD, the new X570 boards are available as well. They are pricey and
  overkill for 90% of desktop users. Feel free to skip them. Look out for the
  B550 boards that are to be released in 2020Q1.
  
  
  

  GPU
  

  
  There are two main manufacturers of GPUs: AMD and Nvidia. Confusingly, they
  do not sell GPUs themselves, but market them through partners like MSI,
  EVGA, PowerColor, Sapphire, etc.
  
  The GPU stack is a little confusing.
  That chart lists all of the main GPUs on the market, and if you count, there
  are over 25 GPUs listed. Multiply 25 GPUs by 10 or so board partners,
  multiplied again by the fact that each partner sells multiple types of the same
  GPU, and you have a recipe for an absolute nightmare of a market.
  The prices are only approximate.
  
  Let me cut through the fog. You should buy one of
  
  

• AMD RX 570 ($130)
  
• Nvidia 1660 or AMD RX 590 ($220-$280)
  
• AMD RX 5700 XT ($400-$430)
  
• Nvidia 2080 Super ($700)
  
• Nvidia 2080 Ti ($1200)
  
  Pick your price point.
  
  
  

  RAM
  

  
  RAM is distinguished by its generation. We are currently on DDR4, with
  DDR5 to come in either 2020 or 2021. This part is easy. Just buy
  16GB of DDR4 3200-speed RAM and be done with it.
  This kit
  will set you back $75 to $85 depending on the day of the week and will perform
  adequately for 99.98% of users.
  
  

  Storage
  

  
  In 2019, there is no excuse for not buying fast solid-state storage.
  For 90% of users, you should buy either the 500GB or 1TB variant of the
  Intel 660p and call it a day.
  This reviewer
  is 100% paid off by Intel, but he's also right on this topic. Buy a 660p
  and rest easy.
  
  For enthusiasts, the 660p uses new, cheap, somewhat fragile QLC NAND technology
  and you might want to go with a Samsung 970 instead.
  
  That does it for your boot drive. If you need further long-term storage for
  music, movies, videos, games, etc, look into either Seagate or WD's 8TB to
  12TB options.
  
  I personally have a few WD Gold 12TB drives. They're pricey, but they're
  enterprise-grade and haven't done me wrong yet. My firm, which buys storage
  by the truckload, loves these things. They rarely fail.
  
  I personally am using a 660p for OS, a second SSD for
  some of my media, and HDDs for long-term storage.
  
  

  Power
  

  
  I have neither the time nor the expertise to get into a deep discussion of
  power supplies. The topic is apparently very complicated. You should buy
  something in the 550W to 750W from a manufacturer like Corsair, EVGA,
  or CoolerMaster. Make sure it has the number of VGA connectors that your GPU
  requires.
  
  

  Case
  

  
  The case is the place to really personalize your build. Try not to spend
  more than $100, though; at the end of the day, it's just a steel box.
  
  

  Peripherals
  

  
  In some ways, the bits outside the computer are more important than the bits
  inside. After all, these are the bits you interact with on a daily basis.
  
  

• Monitors
  
• Keyboard
  
• Mouse
  
• Headphones or speakers
  
• Chair
  
• Desk
  
  

  Monitors
  

  
  Monitors are distinguished by size and resolution.
  
  The resolutions available are 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. I recommend the following.
  
  

• 24" 1080p for entry-level gaming and for most office work
  
• 25" or 27" 1440p
  
• 32" or higher 4K
  
  You may also care about refresh rate; the most common refresh rates are 60Hz
  and 144Hz. These only matter for gaming.
  
  One particular sweet spot is the "1440p, 27", 144Hz refresh rate" class. Look
  up benchmarks and comparison videos.
  
  

  Keyboard
  

  
  Pick to taste. Some swear by mechanical keyboards. Others buy standalone
  keyboards that mimic the laptop keyboard that they're used to.
  
  

  Mouse
  

  I have used the Logitech G500 and Logitech G403, and both are fine. They're
  somewhat expensive and will run you about $70.
  
  

  Sound
  

  
  There are a million ways to fulfill your sound needs. For wired headsets,
  the bone-stock recommendation is the AudioTechnica ATH-M50x.
  For speakers, I can recommend the Klipsch 2+1.
  
  For more earphone and headphone suggestions, ask me for an extended discussion.
  
  

  Chair and desk
  

  
  Don't neglect these. You'll be sitting at that chair for several hours per
  day, and you'll use that desk forever. Measure how wide your monitors will be
  and buy a desk accordingly. Go to an office supply shop and sit in a few chairs;
  pick one that you like. Your desk and chair will last forever, so don't be
  afraid to spend a little money here.
  
  

  Advice
  

  
  Read Logical Increments in its entirety.
  
  Watch videos from real, serious hardware reviewers. I recommend
  Gamers Nexus, Paul's Hardware, and Hardware Unboxed. Anyone else is either
  subpar or bought out or provides worthless advice.
  
  Do research, think for yourself, and ask me questions. I'll either give you
  advice or point you to reliable resources if I think my advice would be lacking.

/u/JetJaguar124 /u/Integralds

So first thing's first, Windows: ~$130 for Home Edition.

Okay, so things to keep in mind:

1. If you go Intel, overclocking isn't too great on 9th gen intel, especially if you don't have a beefy aftermarket cpu cooler. So if you don't plan on doing that at some point then you don't need a K series CPU and an overclocking motherboard. So your motherboard should primarily focus on giving you decent I/O options.
   
   
2. You also probably want to aim for 1080p or 1440p tops, given your price range.
   
   
3. Related to #1: If you don't plan on overclocking then a basic-ish mobo will do fine, and you mainly want to focus on I/O and other features. If you are getting Intel doubly so, as, as I mentioned before, intel 9th gen doesn't overclock well due to relatively low headroom to begin with. For intel overclocking boards are "Z" while non-overclocking boards are "B". For AMD they are "X" and "B" respectively.
   
   The GPU you should be seeking to use is the 1660 Ti, which is basically a slightly gimped RTX 2060 but without the raytracing stuff. If you are willing to spend a bit more then you could get an RX 5700 instead, which is nearly ~30% faster on average.
   
   That'll put you at $270 - $360 depending on the model you pick. Yes, it's a third of your budget, but the GPU is the single most important part of your build.
   
   Secondly you'll want a decent CPU to go with that.
   
   The Ryzen 5 3600 looks like a pretty good CPU, its a bit under $200, its fairly beefy and extendable so it's somewhat "future-proof" - in that it shouldn't cause much bottlenecking and you could upgrade your GPU past a 2080 Ti before needing to change the processor.
   
   This MSI Tomohawk Mobo looks good for the 3600.
   
   So we're at ~$320 for that, or about $640 total. Plus windows that is ~$730.
   
   The RAM Inty recommended before should be fine. You only really need 16 GB. This will set you back ~$80. If you find yourself wanting more RAM later down the line you can always add another pair of sticks later and double up your RAM.
   
   That puts us at around ~$800.
   
   $80 for a 750W Fully Modular Corsair PSU is basically a steal. It's refurbished though, although that shouldn't be a problem - especially with a PSU.
   
   We're at ~$880.
   
   Some good thermal paste for your CPU.
   
   We're now at ~$890.
   
   Storage depends on what you want to do. Do you install a lot of stuff and files at once? In which case you might want to get a nice sized SSD plus a big HDD.
   
   For your system drive. Plenty of space, good price, AND its an nvme SSD.
   
   That makes for ~$990.
   
   If you need lots of extra space
   
   If you need extreme extra space
   
   Keyboard and case are up to you, decide as you please. For the case just make sure that it can support an ATX mobo, as the mobo listed here is full ATX. Mechanical keyboards are crack, but they tend to be more expensive so they're probably out of range. This will be another $100 to $150 depending on what you pick.
   
   Something to keep in mind though: Your case and your monitors are basically "future proof". In other words, they won't really get "worse" with time or cause future performance issues. So monitors and case are things where you want to consider what you'll eventually want and buy ahead, even if you have to stretch a bit.
   
   This just leaves your monitor. I would NOT recommend a 1080p monitor above 24 in. Honestly, if you can go for a 1440p monitor then do it. I'm a bit of a resolution whore tho, so if 1080p works for you then that's fine. I would also avoid TN panels - they tend to look more washed out, tinny, and have worse viewing angles . . . although they also tend to be a fair bit cheaper than the good panels (namely IPS panels).
   
   I used to own one of these . . . it was vvy vvy gud. This is a relatively artsy monitor, so if color gamut correctness or whatever is important for you for photo or video editing or whatever, then this is a good pick. It's a bit expensive, yeah, but also super gorgeous. It also goes up to 75 Hz. Conversely, get a freesync monitor, and this one is probably good - haven't done much research on it, but Dells are generally pretty good in my experience (my current 4K monitor is a Dell too). Freesync will allow you to basically eliminate screen tearing and will provide a smoother feeling experience because it will even out frame rates better.
   
   One last thing to keep in mind: Shopping around on ebay and other sites can save you a fair bit. My rule of thumb is to never, ever buy sensitive parts like hard-drives, cpus, or motherboards second hand or refurbished. But everything else is fair game. So refurbished GPUs, Monitors, PSUs, Cases, etc. should be fine. Pre-owned? Ehhh . . . that I'm much, much more sketchy on - personally I wouldn't, but that's just me.
   
   So in total it'd be somewhere in the range of $1500 including monitor, OS, case, and keyboard. The system itself is around $1000. But you can perhaps knock off a hundred bucks or two by shopping around and looking for where you can buy these parts cheaper than Amazon.
   
   But again: investing in a good monitor and case can be worth it. It means you won't have to replace it if/when you do upgrade. And worst case scenario you can offload your monitor as a side/secondary monitor when you upgrade your monitor to a new one.

Alright! So There's good news and bad news. The good news is you can absolutely upgrade your computer in a variety of ways. You can even give yourself a dedicated graphics card! The bad news though, is that doing so probably won't be cheap. It might be better to buy a new laptop, or start putting together a desktop rig for yourself. I'll let you be the judge though! Here we go!

RAM: Upgrade from 4GB to 8GB

This would definitely speed up your computer. *GB is the minimum I recommend to anyone, regardless of what they are using the computer for. 4GB of RAM is the minimum necessary for a modern operating system to function, so doubling to 8GB will give you some very noticeable improvement.
I generally stick with Crucial.com RAM for upgrades. They're affordable, have good customer service, and have never steered me wrong before. You have two choices for an 8GB upgrade from them. A standard 8GB module and a Ballistix 8GB module. The latter is supposed to be higher quality, but I'm not really familiar with the differences, nor do I think it's worth the extra money. I'd go with the standard.

Hard Drive: Upgrade to Solid State or Fusion Drive

Upgrading the hard drive won't improve gaming performance, but it will make everything you do on your system faster overall. Not 100% sure, but I think your computer has a 500GB drive in there right now. decent space, but bare bones performance. Upgrading to a Fusion Drive or SSD will give you a huge performance jump. SSDs are the fastest drives out there, but assuming you don't want to decrease your disk space, your going to have to pay the premium. SSHDs aka Fusion Drives offer the best of both worlds; they add flash storage to a standard drive, and optimize performance by putting the system files and most frequently used files and programs on the flash section. Huge performance boost for a MUCH lower price than an SSD. I love these things, and definitely recommend one if budget is an issue. To upgrade your drive, you'll need to either have a backup you can restore to the new drive, or clone your existing hard drive to the new drive beforehand. My recommended method of doing this is by buying a hard drive enclosure. It's super affordable, and will let you repurpose your old hard drive as an external drive or backup drive when you're done.

CPU, Motherboard, and GPU:

Ok, here's where everything gets complex. The RAM and Hard Drive are easy upgrades, but while they will definitely speed things up, they won't help with gaming performance as much as this will. Your processor is trying to handle running the computer and running the games at the same time, and since it's not a great processor, it can't do that very well. Upgrading the processor allows your computer to do a lot more at once, and adding a GPU essentially gives games their own dedicated processor to work with. You'll see huge gaming performance boosts by going this route. Here's the trouble though: Your CPU is integrated in the motherboard. The only way to upgrade it is by swapping in a new motherboard with a better integrated processor. The silver lining here is that your computer model line had several motherboard options, both with more powerful CPUs as well as dedicated integrated GPUs. This means that by buying a new motherboard, you could upgrade your CPU, add a GPU, or both!
Here's the problem though. These motherboards are hard to find, expensive, or both. Parts-People.com has the listings and Dell Part numbers for several upgrades to your system, both with and without NVidia GPUs.

No GPU:
i5-4210U 1.7GHz - 6YPRH |
i5-5200U 2.2GHz - THVGR |
i7-4510U 2.0GHz - 7G1CD

With GPU:
i5-4210U 1.7GHz - 1P4HG |
i5-5200U 2.2GHz - T7TC4 |
i7-4510U 2.0GHz - CHXGJ

As you can see...pricey AND sold out. But at least this gives you a references. You may also notice that the ones with NVidia GPUs actually say they are only compatible with models that already had a discrete GPU...that's not actually true. I double checked with one of their technicians; all you'd need would be a replacement fan/heatsink. The one in your system only covers the CPU. The new one would cover both the CPU and the GPU. Fortunately, this part is inexpensive, both on the Parts-People site and on eBay.
Speaking of eBay, I think it's the best option for finding one of these motherboards. I did find the best version of the bunch for sale, but they're still quite pricey. There is another option though. By watching eBay for used Dell Inspiron models that have the motherboard you need, you might be able to find and win an auction for a whole computer at a far lower price point than the motherboard alone. As it turns outYou'd need to look for keywords like processor speed, and hope that if you tactfully asked if it said "nvidia" somewhere, the seller would understand what to look for. It gets risky, but you might even find auctions for damaged versions being sold for parts. Idiot cracked his screen? Motherboard's probably ok! Idiot spilled beer all over the computer...avoid that one. You wouldn't be restricted to Inspiron 15 (3542) either. As it turns out, these boards were used in Inspiron 14 (3442) and Inspiron 17 (5748) models as well. Definitely helpful if you go that route. Hell, with nothing wrong with it and at the right price point, you might find a whole new computer this way!

Speaking of a new computer...we come to my final point. Cost and worth. If you were to buy the RAM, Fusion Drive, external enclosure, i7 + GPU Motherboard, and Fan/Heatsink right now, you'd be looking at something like $350. Not terrible in the grand scheme of things, especially considering the fact that you could buy them at separate times, upgrading in stages as budget allows. However, the Wirecutter's pick for a budget laptop is $550 on Amazon, and would match or exceed the performance of everything above with no hassle or downtime. Just something to consider!

Phew! That was a lot. Hopefully it's helpful information, and gives you an idea of your options. Let me know if you have any questions!

I'd say stop focusing on certifications and start focusing on learning how to do things.

How extensive is your Home Lab?

Have you built out any VM's yet?
Have you built a Windows domain yet?

Have you built a Squid proxy on Linux yet? (Not that Squid is super-useful anymore, but its a decent project with clear results.)

Have you built a pfSense firewall yet?

Have you bought a Raspberry Pi yet (the cheapest Linux Server on the planet)?

When you apply for that next-level job you have in mind, in the interview I am not going to ask you questions that might appear on a certification exam. I am going to ask you questions related to real-world scenarios of problems I think you are likely to encounter in the job under discussion. And I need to see how well you are ready to deal with them.

-----

"I can't afford any of those things..."

If you are trying to learn everything on just one computer or laptop, that's certainly a problem.
But if you have a second PC, just a $300-500 clunker, it changes everything.

CentOS Linux is free.
KVM Virtual Machine manager is free.

Linux Foundation - Intro to Linux for Free
Linux Foundation - Online Course Catalog - some free some paid
DigitalOcean Linux Tutorials
Docker Self-Paced Training


Windows Server 2012R2 Evaluation is free.
Windows 10 Professional Evaluation is free.

Microsoft Virtual Academy
Microsoft MSDN Product Evaluation Center -- Free Downloads
Microsoft TechNet Product Evaluation Center -- More Free Downloads


If you only have a single computer, and cannot afford a second computer, you still have options:

Amazon Web Services has a free offering for you to build virtual machines to play with:

https://aws.amazon.com/free/

If you want something a little more permanent, Amazon Light Sail now lets you build low-end virtual servers for as low as $5/month:

https://amazonlightsail.com/pricing/

Microsoft also has some free offerings for virtual servers:

Microsoft Azure Cloud Services Free Trial Center
Microsoft Training Info Center
Microsoft Ignite Training Convention Video Center
Microsoft MSDN Video Training Portal

-----

In my opinion:

If you think you are likely to apply for some Government or Contractor positions that require security clearances, go ahead and complete the Security+.

But I think you might want to focus a little more time on combining technologies into scenarios where you learn how to perform business operations tasks, rather than add another narrow-focused skillset.

I also encourage you to make yourself gain comfort with Linux.
YES: you will need to learn a whole new world of syntax and terminology, and learn to do more with syntax and less with icons.
But the benefits are real, and significant.

Buy one of these:

Amazon: Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Kit $75

That's a complete Linux Server. Just add a USB keyboard, mouse & HDMI monitor.


Watch two or three of these videos, and observe that all of the biggest players working on the sexiest of technology projects are all doing it on Linux:

USENIX Site Reliability Enginering Convention 2014 Presentations - Free
USENIX Site Reliability Enginering Convention 2015 Presentations - Free
USENIX Large Installation System Administration Conference 2014 Presentations - Free
USENIX Large Installation System Administration Conference 2015 Presentations - Free


-----

> [MCSA]... But again, how far can I really go trying to learn this with home equipment? I'm sure I could install a Server OS, but I don't know if I can play with the inner workings on a home network enough to familiarize myself with the content.

If you have a small home server, you can install Windows Server 2012 R2 evaluation on it, and add the Hyper-V service, and run at least 2 virtual machines on it.

The Server could become a domain controller. Then you add a guest server and a guest client using Windows 10 evaluation and another Windows server eval license.

Now you join them to a domain together and start writing GPO policies and playing in the Forest...

That can also be done in Azure cloud with virtual machines. The challenge is the short duration of the free period in Azure cloud.

Your upgrade looks like it will be way cheaper than mine was.

I got the Rift on sale for $350, but my PC was like 10 years old with only a new SSD in it.

Ended up getting an i5-9600K + MSI Z390 Gaming Edge for $470, 16 GB of RAM, Cooler Master 212 EVO which turned out to be huge and a huge pain in the ass to install (I recommend watching the video on that page that I didn't notice until after I installed the thing with only it's Ikea-like instructions.), but that big fan means it's far quieter than the tiny stock fans processors usually come with. The i5-9600K does not come with a fan either, so I had no choice and this was the most popular one on NewEgg.

Also got myself an MSI Gaming X GTX 1070 used on Ebay for $270. And because it only has one HDMI port, I decided to use that for the RIFT because it was less risky, and got a Displayport to HDMI cable which supports audio for my monitor which has the speakers built in and does not have a Displayport connector. Only afterward while taking my PC apart however did I realize I had the HMDI cable plugged into my old card with a DVI adapter, and the Gaming X has a DVI port as well, so I could have saved the money on the cable. :(

Also at the last minute I had to run out and grab a Corsair 750W power supply because my perfectly good Coolermaster 750W power supply did not have an 8 pin connector for my CPU. Of course, when I got it home it did not have the 4 pin connector and the motherboard has both a 4 pin and 8 pin and I assumed both would be needed, but I gave it a shot and just having the 8 pin was fine. But now I wonder if just having the 4 pin would also have been fine. The damn manual doesn't have a thing to say about it being okay to just use one of them, but being an electrical engineer I have to assume they're both tied to the same rail on the board, so I'm just gaining a bit more copper to lower the voltage drop if I were to connect a 4 pin as well, and the system seems perfectly stable, so perhaps they included the second connector to help with overclocking. I dunno.

Anyway, final tally including the Rift without a third sensor was $1,339.

And if you're wondering why I didn't go with AMD, well, I could have but when I priced it out, I wasn't actually going to save that much. And the Intel seemed like it would perform better with both games and applications and would just be less likely to have any issues like the Vive and its wireless solution do with AMD processors.

Part of the reason the AMD was not much cheaper is the same MSI motherboard would have been more expensive as an AMD variant and while the AMD included a cooler, the Cooler Master one was only $30 and had a bigger fan which meant it would likely be quieter. Though the AMD does run at a lower wattage, so it could be a toss up. All I know is my old PC sounded like a jet engine when I started doing any heavy lifting with 3D graphics, and it was still kinda noisy otherwise, but now its super quiet and even when running 3D apps that MSI card which I specifically chose because it's one of the quietest, was indeed really quiet.

Speaking of the 1070, my god that is a monster of a card! I barely fit it in my case. And my case is a full size tower. But it has extra 3.5" bays down the bottom where I have my hard drives installed and I had to move them down some more to get it to fit and it only barely slid in behind the metal frame of the drive bay.

Only other thing to mention is while I had no problem fitting my two ram sticks on the motherboard, that Cooler Master cooler's fan would probably collide with one of the ram sticks if I were to install four in there. I think the fan can slide up and down on the cooler though, so perhaps as long as you have low profile ram, you could slide it up a smidge or two to make it fit. Something to consider if you think you may eventually want 32 or 64GB of ram.

Here is a list of things that he probably will need:

• Microphone: I suggest a standalone mic. Audio quality is very important. I suggest the ATR2100 for a starting mic. It's a USB mic so it plugs right in and is good. It is a dynamic mic, which will help reduce background noise. It has XLR capability for future expansion.
  
  
• Game capture: if he is playing a console game then he will need a capture card. The Elgato Game Capture HD is a very versatile card. If he is playing on PC then he just needs software. OBS is a free game capture and streaming program with lots of great features and good quality. I highly suggest startign with OBS because it is free and has everyhting he will need. That way he can test the waters and determine if he wants to do YouTube/Twitch. If you want a paid program, I highly suggest DxTory.
  
  
• Video editor: This is optional, but REALLY helps get a better quality video. If you don't already have a video editor (or are using Windows Movie Maker) then I suggest Hitfilm 3 Express which is a good program for beginners and is free. Blender also has a free video editor built in that I've heard good things about. If you want a paid program, I suggest Sony Movie Studios 13 Platinum or Adobe Premiere Elements 14.
  
  
• Image editing program: He will need to make artwork for his channel. I use Gimp which is a free program that works well. Paint.net is another good free program as well.
  
  
• Headphones: Also optional. Headphones really help your audio quality because you can listen to the game audio without using speakers, which would echo the game audio through your microphone. Any headphones or ear buds will do, they don't have to be "gaming" ones.
  
  That's all you should need. The only thing you really should need to buy is a microphone. Everything else you can find a free version that should do everything he needs and more. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to let me know and I'll help you out :D

I'M IN :D And I've already got ideas c: Gonna start on this c:

EDIT: I meant to edit this.. Not reply. ._.

1. Something that is grey.
   
2. Something reminiscent of rain. This is rain because when you drop a bunch of them, it has the soothing sound of gentle rain c: (Craft WL)
   
3. Something food related that is unusual. How are pumpkin pudding flavored Kit Kats NOT unusual? (Food WL)
   
4. Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. Tell me who it's for and why. (Yes, pets count!) This would be for my dad!! I want to make him a cake for his birthday with this wonderful topper! He just loves golf. He goes about 3 times a week ._. (Baking Stuff WL)
   
5. A book I should read! I am an avid reader, so take your best shot and tell me why I need to read it! I haven't read this yet. But.. we should read it at the same time. 'Cause I love talking about books with everyone c: AND. It's about a clash between men and women. A guy who's from a time where women are obedient and a women who's from a time where they go unquestioned and praised. Aaaaaaaaaand... FIGHT! (Books WL)
   
6. An item that is less than a dollar, including shipping... that is not jewelry, nail polish, and or hair related!
   
7. Something related to cats. I love cats! (keep this SFW, you know who you are...) Cateye glasses c: ORRRRRRR feathers because I've seen cats attacking birds or walking around with a feather in its mouth COUNTLESS times c: (Both from my Craft WL)
   
8. Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it. Shoe laces that don't tie aren't useful.. But shoe laces that don't tie AND LIGHT UP are beautiful c: And I would love to have them so my appearance at night will be FABULOUS. (Cutes! WL)
   
9. A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why?
   
10. Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain. You can make fake brains! It'll only be good enough to distract them for a moment, but that moment could be what saves you!!! (Baking Stuff WL)
    
11. Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals. This would allow me to easily carry a white board surface with me anywhere. I am a math tutor and an aspiring math professor, so being able to have a handy white board surface would be lovely. ORRRRRR this for a more playful goal. My friends and I seem to have the craziest conversations and strangest encounters while we're playing together. This would be a fun way to get our stuff recorded and FAMOUS. loljk. We just wanna share the insanity c: (white board from School Stuff WL and Elgato capture from Dreams WL)
    
12. One of those pesky Add-On items. I just want mochi.. ;~; (Food WL)
    
13. The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why? This is my current dream item. I'm attending college. My laptop is a dinosaur and it weighs a ton. It works fine, so I'm not looking to get rid of it. But I need something that won't break my already breaking back when I bring it to school. I spend a lot of time on campus doing homework or just relaxing. This Chromebook has a great battery life and is a good price for what I need to get done. (Dreams WL)
    
14. Something bigger than a bread box. I'm going to assume this is bigger than a bread box because of the amount of candy in it.. (Food WL)
    
15. Something smaller than a golf ball. Sugar pearls are smaller than golf balls c: (Baking Stuff WL)
    
16. Something that smells wonderful. It may be too strong by itself.. But add it into some yummies and it'll smell DELICIOUS. c: (Baking Stuff WL)
    
17. A (SFW) toy. It's SFW as long as you aren't screaming, "FUCK" or bludgeoning a person to death with it out of frustration c: (Cubes WL)
    
18. Something that would be helpful for going back to school. I'm a math major and the majority of my math is done on white boards I have mounted in my room. There is no such thing as too many expo markers for me lol (School Stuff WL)
    
19. Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be. Chain maille jewelry! :D I've only started with it :c (Crafts WL)
    
20. Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand. It's a 3D DINOSAUR COOKIE CUTTER. You can make dinosaur cookies!!! THAT STAND. YOU CAN MAKE STOP MOTION DINO WARS. I are excite. (Baking Stuff WL)
    
    I'll come back with the three I missed c:
    
    Edit#2: Adding raffle phrase! fear cuts deeper than swords
    
    Also adding one of the bonuses! Purdy paintbrushes are made in Oregon c: They've been made in Portland since 1925! c:

Hey! It looks like you've got a pretty solid build started here! I just want to point out a few things to make your life just a little bit easier.

1. The motherboard you have will NOT work with the CPU that you've chosen. You picked a Z170A board, which works with the 6th and 7th generation (if BIOS is flashed) of Intel CPU's, and you're buying an 8th generation. So I would recommend this board or this one instead. Either will work, it just depends on how much money you want to spend.
   
2. Don't buy the power supply you've picked. It puts out way more wattage than you'll use, so I would recommend saving some money and maybe picking up this one. As a bonus it has an RGB fan, so that's kinda cool. It's also fully modular, meaning that you only need to plug the cables into the PSU that you need instead of having extras to hide in your case.
   
3. I'd also save some money on your RAM. This set is cheaper, faster, and only requires that you use two of your RAM slots instead of all four. More upgradeability in the future!
   
4. Think about if you really need 2TB of storage right now. The 1TB SSD you have picked out is going to be great, and if you're new to PC gaming it's going to have plenty of space for awhile. You can always pick up a new HDD (like the Seagate one you have in your cart) later down the road.
   
5. With the money that you've saved, I think that you could upgrade your graphics card from your 1060 (a GREAT option, don't get me wrong) to a 1070 like this one. (EVGA is a great company in my opinion, and I love their graphics cards.) It's a great contender for both 1440p and 1080p gaming!
   
6. Others have said to get a cheaper air cooler instead of opting for the water cooler that you've picked. If you decide to go that route (completely fine) I would maybe go with something like this if you want something extra beefy to keep your CPU cool, or this less beefy one. Either way, 8th generation CPUs run hot, so the water cooler you have would work great.
   
   So there ya go! I hope that you enjoy your new build, it's going to be amazing! If you PM me I'll add you on Steam and we can play some games together when your build is all set!

I have a comment about the GPU. I would highly recommend a EVGA gtx 1070. It looks great, runs quiet and cool. ACX 3.0 is a hell of a lot better than ACX 2.0 imo. Wait a second. I was about to say to go with the SC instead of the FTW because the performance gains are pretty minimal. The cards are the same price on amazon lol. The only downside I see to the FTW would be if you had a case with a window it can be harder to make the second power connector not look terrible if both your PCI power adapters are on the same wire like mine are. EVGA is great though. I got a 1070 SC and I can push a 90 mhz overclock all day. I'm not into overclocking at all, I've never touched the power offset on my 1070. The FTW is marketed more towards overclocking but I just don't think it going to be a whole lot better. The factory overclock (boost) is only 13 mhz higher. If you don't mind the second pci power connection go for it. They are the same price and the FTW has RGB. Your going to love your build. Have fun!

Okay, I looked through your parts and I think there are a few ways to save.

CPU: Microcenter, they have the i5 6500 for $20 less and I believe they will give you $20 off a compatible motherboard

SSD: Amazon my friend, I honestly cant tell the difference between two ssd's unless one is SATA and the other is PCIE or M.2. The Samsung 850's are overhyped I think

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=500+gb+ssd&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3A500+gb+ssd

Power supply: I got a 600 watt bronze evga for like $50, I wouldn't even bother with gold certification, I got the bronze and it works fine. But like someone else commented you could probably get away with a 500 Watt. 600 is an awkward spot. At 600 Watts you have a lot of power for your rig, but not enough to go SLI.
here it is $46:

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-BRONZE-Warranty-Tester-100-B1-0600-KR/dp/B00EON40CS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473099540&sr=8-1&keywords=600+w+evga+psu

Operating system: if your in school you can get it through your school, its a nice way to save.

And finally, the monitor: try ultrawide, 34401440 is a bit costly but you could always do 25601080
That AOC just seems a little expensive, I'd look around for one with a higher refresh rate

This is the base build you want to work from?

why do you feel you need to upgrade? what are your current limitation and wants?

Sure you have an old build but do you really require anything more at this stage? For 2013 that is an outstanding budget build and something I would stick with today.

I think I have a good idea of where you are coming from/what you need so I will do my best to explain. I'm going to guess here that you are experiencing less than stellar gameplay on new titles and want to play on smoothly on high settings.


Assuming the 960 is a 2GB card; CS:GO and other esports titles will see very minimal difference with any upgrades, reason being that do not require or utilize any of the extra VRAM memory on the GPU. Your core clock and cuda cores are fine, better than my PC so I do not see any reason for complaints here.

When it comes to newer titles like Dark Souls 3 which you mentioned you will need to either turn the settings down or replace your gpu with a 4GB card. That will allow you to turn up the setting and maintain solid framrate, the problem with the newer, bigger games is that they have more in the environment to load.

Your GPU is still great and high valued and you do not need any PC upgrades. However if what I said above holds true I would recommend the following moving forward.

Your CPU and Mobo are fine and not worth replacing, I wouldn't worry about the ram either, 8gb is fine and you don't need anymore than 12. You can add an SSD at anytime but that will just make loading faster, it would just be to install windows and run csgo off of which is not going to be worth it.

If I were you I would sell that oversized power supply to replace with a corsair 450w, and sell the gpu for a 1050ti. EVGA comes highly recommended

I just picked up a Zotac because it was cheaper in my area but for extra $ I would stick with EVGA they have solid manufacturing, and driver support.


So your options for upgrading are pretty limited. Not much has come out in the CPU market until recently so not many people would advise you jump into Ryzen or any of the new stuff now, and your anything else in your build is fine and would costs a lot to upgrade. IF you have a 2GB card your only problem is higher settings on new games


notice your build only consumes 300w~ yet they sold you on a 700w psu. im sure if you research a bit you will find other glaring abnormalities and unnecessary choices in your build like what is your ram speed and how many sticks do you have... if you have one one 8gb you will enjoy throwing in another, twox4gb would be fine to leave

CPU: Just realized the Microcenter price carried over on this which sucks if you're not near one.. Only thing you'd loose is the overclock ability. Price should be about $209.99 from Amazon which should bring the total build price to ~$760

MOBO: I've seen it recommended with the Pentium G3528 or something for overclocking, was inexpensive, couldn't go wrong really. Doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the more expensive boards but we don't really need those as of yet (just wait until your friend really gets into gaming/custom PCs.. most of the premium boards are for looks IMO, but dammit I like my PC to look badass :p )

RAM: can drop to 2 x 2gb if you need to shave the price some. I put in 8gb just so you wouldn't have to upgrade that later. There shouldn't be any need to bump it further unless your friend starts running a bunch of crap simultaneously and needs it all open or starts doing some large video editing/rendering

STORAGE: 1 TB is a good place to start, an SSD for the OS would be great as well if you can find a good, inexpensive one and allows for the HDD to be used for more extra. You can grab a 2TB Seagate drive for $30 more, but I'm not sure how they perform or how reliable they can be so that's up to you

GPU: 750Ti is still the entry point to 1080p gaming, I believe. It'll do fine for everyday stuff and if he decides to pick up light gaming in the beginning

CASE: seems pretty solid, has room for 3 more SSDs/HDDs when/if you want them. Decent airflow and cable management stuff. If you notice heating/airflow issues then you can slap some fans in there

PSU: seasonic is supposedly one of the best brands to go with, 80+ Gold rating is hard to beat with that.. You can get an EVGA 750W for about $10 more but I wasn't sure how far you planned to upgrade (like SLI and stuff) so I left it high enough for something like a single GTX970 to still do well.

OS: Personal preference.. I like 8.1 over 7. The metro stuff doesn't take too much to get used to and the OS just feels a bit more optimized over 7.

NOTES: If you need to, you can remove the GPU and get one later. The i5's HD4600 can do decently well on its own, but you will need a GPU for some of the heavier games your friend may or may not get in to.

Didn't add a monitor but left enough of a budget in there for you to choose one to your/your friend's liking

I didn't add a cooler like the 212 EVO as I don't think you'd be overclocking straight out of the gate. You can add one in there for another $30 or so if you want to

DISCLAIMER: THIS BUILD WAS MADE WITH GAMING DOWN THE ROAD IN MIND AS TO MINIMIZE LATER UPGRADE COSTS.

That being said, someone else may come along and throw a more inexpensive alternative out that leans more towards general use (which you really don't need the top-of-the-line i5 for)

That is a pretty solid build, congrats. These are my feedbacks:

The only thing that stands out negatively is the USB WiFi adapter. There's no need for a USB card when you can have a PCI-E card. I suggest this one:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007GMPZ0A

You may not need the dual band but trust me, it's handy and the difference in price makes it worthy, since with that card you'll be future proof even if you get Google Fiber.

I'd personally get a better case. The 200R is a good case, don't get me wrong, but with a budget like that I'd get something better: the Cooler Master 690 III for example, which is pretty much the best mid tower case available on the market:

http://pcpartpicker.com/mr/ncixus/cooler-master-case-cms693kkn1

I also have no experience with EVGA PSUs. However I know that the best PSU manufacter on the market is SeaSonic. Some PSU manufacters buy SeaSonic parts and use them for their PSUs. I don't know if EVGA does it, but XFX is one of them, and I'd get this PSU:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I5HF0KU/?tag=pcpapi-20

650W, Fully Modular, Gold Certified, same price as yours.

This depends on your habit but you could save on the Optical Drive (who uses DVDs anymore?), and if you don't want to you could get a OD from an old build/an old PC since as long as it's a SATA drive it'll be fine.

I'd also recommend Windows 8 instead of Windows 7 since it's SSD optimized and it boots a lot faster. You don't have to use the Start Menu if you don't want to, or you can use it to store your desktop applications like I do.

The rest of the build is fine to me, congrats on your rig man.

Don't be so sad my friend. Performance hasn't increased that much over the past couple of generations of Intel cpu's since Sandy Bridge. Yes a 4690K is an decent upgrade but overall 2500K is not a bad CPU at all. It's still better than almost every AMD CPU in many gaming scenarios.

My recommendation to you is to upgrade your GPU to GTX 970 or similar for amazing value, and then buy an aftermarket cooler for your cpu, so you can overclock your CPU to hefty speeds. Something like the Thermalright True Spirit 140 Power is incredible good for the size and prize. Link to Amazon. Or the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO is also very capable for overclocking, though the Thermalright True Spirit 140 power is still quite a bit better.

Here are some video tutorials for overclocking the i5 2500K if you are new to this. It's not as hard as many people think. You don't have to overclock it to extremes, but maybe just a slight overclock like 4.2 or 4.3 GHz with slight voltage increase should be enough and give a decent boost. This small of an overclock might not even require an aftermarket CPU cooler(you can try), but I would recommend it anyways since it is less noisy than the stock cooler, and you can maybe use it for your next CPU too for overclocking.

This will give you a lot of performance increase combined with a GTX 970 upgrade. Though overclocking might not be necessary at first, unless you notice some performance issues.

This was immensely helpful, thank you very much.

To comment on your points,

Very good to know about the fan controller. I suspected it wouldn't be able to power the fans. That seemed a little too easy. However, I will likely go for a 1 > 4 splitter so there is no wires that are unconnected. That would bother me.

https://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-System-Cables-Black-CPF04/dp/B00VNW556I/ref=sr_1_8?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1495948300&sr=1-8&keywords=fan+splitter

Would something like that work for the 4 fans? Then I would use the CPU fan header for the 5th that was attached to the CPU cooler?

Also thanks for the heads up on Corsair PSU > Silverstone. I was actually already planning on that, but for some reason, Corsair SF6000 isn't showing up in PCPP right now, and I wanted a placeholder so I knew where I was at financially. So I will be getting the Corsair SF600 + ATX -> SFX adaptor.

In regards to the front panel/header, I was going off comments like this that I had read:

"Nice but USB headers 3.0 and 3.1 not a good combination with Fractal Nano S (3.0) and Corsair H80i v2(USB 2.0). Z170i is better if you are going with these two items."

"But you can't use the front USB right now because new 3.1 to 3.0 adapter is not yet available AFAIK."

So yeah it didn't make sense to me, but since I heard a few people mention something about it I just figured there was something I was missing.

Thanks for the heads up on the RGB header. So that is a header that is in place specifically 100% for people who want to add aftermarket RGB lighting, and they would plug it in to that header?

I will not be getting an NVME SSD, as of right now I am getting the 850 evo 500g. Shortly after I build my computer and get another paycheck I will likely go back and get the Crucial MX300 1TB M2, so lessen the wires and get a good bit more storage.

And noted on the amount of accessories. I am not really bound by specific budget. I could upgrade to the 1080ti and still keep everything else if I thought there were a legitimate reason to spend another 200$ on a GPU. I am getting a 27'' 1440p 144hz G Sync monitor, and from what I can tell the 1080 should handle that at high settings pretty easily If it can do that then I really don't need to dish out the extra money for a 1080ti imo.

Plus part about building a PC (for me at least) is the aesthetics. Having parts that you love, and love to look at. I will have an open window case, so I wanted to use parts that I liked and made the computer look good - without compromising on space. So after looking at every Define Nano S build on PCPP I decided the one I linked above best represents what I'm trying to do on a computer (both aesthetically speaking and performance wise).

Thanks for letting me know about the 3 main cables I'll need too. What does the 4+4 EPS CPU cable connect, and what does the 6+2 PCI-E cable connect?

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS

I have a Maker select. It's my first and only 3D printer so my review compared to others is unreliable.

Here's a copy/paste of a review I did on it about a month ago. It's long but detailed with links:

I will give you my background before my opinions. As everyone has different goals, opinions, and experiences.

I got my printer near the end March of this year. I have something like 2500m of filament run though it, and no idea how much print time.

When I received my printer, my test prints failed and I was pissed. But this community helped improve my Cura settings and started producing usable parts. I then went nuts and printed out a BUNCH of mods. This is by far my most favorite thing. There's always something I can print to improve the quality of the prints.

THe down side is I went too far and got to a point where I couldn't produce anything of quality. So, 2 weeks of tweeking and researching later I'm printing in PETG with beautiful quality and very minimal visible layers.

My most recent project in PETG:
http://i.imgur.com/sVf7S2D.jpg?1

So, now to answer your question...

> How do you like your Maker Select?

I love it. It allowed me to buy a cheaper printer (One of the cheapest at the time @ $350) that produced amazing results. It also has upgrades you can purchase or print to improve the quality, so investing smaller amounts over time to make it better and better. I highly recommend it to anyone who is starting because it does require tweaking which forces you to learn and understand how exactly 3d printers work. A major plus was that this community has a lot of Maker Select users for support, which was a MAJOR plus for me.


As of today, I've purchased the following upgrades:

• IKEA enclosure - $115
  
• LEDs for Inside enclosure - $25
  
• MK-9/10 Extruder Gear - $9
  
• Micro Swiss All Metal hot End - $50
  
• Micro Swiss Lever - $18 (Totally not necessary, but Micro Swiss's support was AMAZING to deal with, and I wanted to support them so I purchased this as well.
  
• Misc. M3 and M4 Screws, etc. - ~$25 in total between Amazon Orders and Lowe's for things needed for mods.
  
• New 40mm fan because I broke the blade on the one I had. There are cheaper ones than this. - $14
  
• 50mm blower fan - $8
  
  So, in the last ~3 months I've spent an additional $264... Oh god, don't tell my wife! All are totally not necessary, mind you. The only thing I'd 100% recommend you do are print out the following to mods:
  
  DiiiCooler along with buying the 50mm blower fan. There are cheaper options out there, I just wanted it faster so I bought it through Amazon to get free 2 day shipping.
  
  z-Brace - This is key, and will run you maybe $15 worst case scenario to get enough M4 screws and the threaded rods.
  
  Edit: Forgot a couple more things I bought.
  
  
• Lowe's glass - $4 for 2 pieces of 7.9"x7.9" glass
  
• Borosilicate Glass - $12 - Amazing adheasing with PLA and ABS. Don't use it right now, though because I'm printing in PETG and I read on here that PETG eats borosilicate glass.
  
• Lithium Grease - $7. When I changed my bearing blocks, I had issues with sticking so I purchased some of this to help smoothing out the bearing movement on the polished rods.
  
• 3D print removal tool - $5. Printer comes with a larger scraper, but I needed something a bit more fine (thin) and this thing is perfect.
  
• Spare bearings - $13 because I broke one of them when swapping to 3d Printed bearing blocks.
  
• Digital Calipers - $18
  
  That's another $59, so $323... I have a problem. again, 95% of this is NOT NECESSARY. I'm just addicted to modding.
  
  

I actually don't think those requirements are absurd.

Let's break it down:

> What do you wish you’d known when you were in my position?

No one looks at your computer and gives you shit about it; having said that, see my final point below. By the time you're a senior, a $3500 laptop bought when you were a freshman will probably not pass the incoming freshman's requirements. Know who cares? Not your professors.

> Do I need the horsepower they suggest?

No, but yes. What they're suggesting is a "reasonable" power level. An i5 is the "mainstream" processor; and they don't specify speed, so get a low-end one. Slower/older/worse/cheaper procs may do what you need, but you will feel the slow down.

> Purchase/rent through the bookstore?

God, never rent, and never buy anything from the bookstore (even books if you can help it). The bookstore is a total and complete rip off in every way. Buy yourself a good laptop.

> Mac with windows – worth the effort?

No. But everyone in the business world uses a Mac, so ... if you want to know Mac OSX for later, maybe? There's no reason to run Windows on a Mac unless you A.) are gaming, or B.) there's some random, esoteric piece of software that only works on windows.

But again, no one cares. No one is going to get penis envy looking at your super cool macbook pro. People are more worried about taking notes and passing tests and browsing dank memes posting that thing on that girl's facebook feed that you have a crush on, or whatever college kids do these days. :P

> Should I buy office on campus, or shop it online?

See below; most majors will allow you to get a free or cheap copy of Windows and Office.

Now, some comments on the actual specs:

If the SSD is breaking the bank, just buy a normal laptop, then buy an SSD and put it in. There's deals all the time on /r/buildapcsales - including right now a 250GB Samsung 850 EVO (good hard drive) for $79. It'll be blank, but whatever, see below for software. And by the way, no one upgrade makes a difference in the speed "feel" of a computer more than an SSD.

16G of memory is overkill, but memory is so cheap, I haven't built/bought a computer in ~4 years without 16G. If the place you're buying your laptop from is gouging you on the cost of memory, just get a laptop with 2GB or 4GB, and swap in 16G. Same thing, /r/buildapcsales had this flash newegg sale four days ago with 16G of laptop ram for $47.

There, there's two upgrades, for $130, that take a base-line laptop into serious-workstation territory.

You'll (probably?) get a copy of Windows and Office just for being a student at Virginia Tech. After you swap in a (blank) SSD, you can load Windows from a USB stick, after downloading the ISO from the computing center's website. If you have trouble with this, find the Engineering major on your dorm floor and offer to buy pizza in exchange for some help. If, for whatever reason, your major doesn't get Windows and Office for free, it's at least discounted. Or, again, find that Engineering major, ask them which one of their friends runs Linux and refers to Bill Gates as the devil and Microsoft as M$, and ask if you can have his copy of Windows and Office from the computing center in exchange for pizza.

I mean, you said it yourself:

> Thanks a lot…I do hope to use the machine for a good while,

So, don't buy a $400 laptop and expect it to last until 2021. Spend a good $1500 or so on the one thing that you will use more than anything else you own except maybe a bed for the next 4 years. Compared to the cost of education, it's next to nothing.

Seriously, your education is going to cost you $50,000 just for in-state tuition. A $1500 laptop that will last you for four years bumps the per-credit-hour of a 120 credit education from $417 per credit-hour to $428 per credit-hour.

TL;DR: there's not a lot that Engineering students won't do for pizza.

edit: I'm passionate about computer hard ware so as I think of things, I'm adding them. The one thing that you MUST get in a laptop, and I CANNOT believe that their specs didn't say this: do NOT get a 1366x768 pixel screen! Get at least 1920x1080 ("full HD"). You literally won't have enough screen real estate to see what you're working on, especially as you get into Visio and Project, not to mention just web browsing.

The other thing I'll mention, since I'm actually looking at laptops for you is how goddamn cheap they've become.

For instance, this one for $560, free prime shipping, from amazon, and has everything you need, except that the hard drive is slow as stale shit, and it only has 8GB of ram. Which, again, is fine, but you can upgrade by buying one additional 8GB stick of ram for $30 (assuming it has a free ram slot). And again, you can get a 250GB high quality SSD for $90 shipped even without looking for a sale. So, $560 + $30 + $90 = $680 will literally buy you a good laptop that meets their needs, minus MS Office. Damn, that's nice.

Or, I just went to Lenovo's site and configured this laptop, with a full HD screen, an i7 (more than you need), a graphics card (you don't need but if you play games, yay!), and an SSD, PLUS OFFICE, for under $1200. It still only has 8GB of ram, which, again, is fine, but if you need to upgrade, see above - $30.

That looks great. I'm not sure what sort of cooling fan mods there are for that model printer, but you could check out Thingiverse. I once had a Printrbot and I had an improved fan shroud that I 3D printed and then added a larger fan to.

I'm not sure if the stock fan is 30mm or 40mm, but if you get a 40mm fan shroud, then it'll help with air flow on print cooling.

I like Noctua fans (they are popular with PC modders and quiet) - but if you want to save $8 or so, you can get a cheaper 40mm x 20mm size 12v fan (the 20mm thick ones will be louder than 10mm):

https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-Cooling-Blades-Bearing-NF-A4x10/dp/B009NQLT0M/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1500093919&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=noctua+12v+40mm

If you mod the fan, there are some easy soldering tutorials online, and you can do something called a "lineman's splice" that makes it pretty easy. A little heatshrink or electrical tape and you can wrap up the soldered wires cleanly.

The Mini Select is a very popular printer - so mods will be constantly be made that you can 3D print and improve the printer, so check Thingiverse frequently to see what people are modding.

Yeah, it can be a little overwhelming to figure out where to start. Some good answers already in this thread. The good news is it's actually a lot more straight-forward than it appears. The main source of confusion/apparent complexity comes from the fact that right now both the prior gen and new gen models are still on the market, making it appear that there are a ton of headsets. In reality, there are only four that matter:

Oculus Quest: VR for people that don't have or don't want to buy a decent gaming PC. Cordless, entirely self-contained, no PC needed, no external sensors needed, but limited by the mobile hardware specs. MSRP: $399 USD

Oculus Rift S: really the go-to for a first-time VR headset. Great display that solves most of the clarity issues of older headsets, great controllers, uses inside-out tracking like the Quest (i.e. no external sensors to setup), and pretty reasonable PC hardware spec requirements to run it. So quick and easy to setup that once I finished downloading the software installer, I was up and playing VR in only about 10 minutes. The relatively tiny sound is the only real commonplace complaint, but it does have a headphone jack on the headset. $399 USD

The Valve Index: currently the super high-end of VR gaming. Higher resolution display than the Rift S, higher refresh rate, fancy finger-tracking controllers. Also getting some flack for some quality control issues on its thumbsticks. The only one of the new gen VR headsets to still require external sensors and a base station, which are pretty big negatives for VR newbies since that complicates setup and calibration. Due to the higher specs, it also needs a super high-end PC to really get the most out of it. $999 USD for the starter kit, which does include everything you need to get started, although many users recommend purchasing a third lighthouse sensor (the kit comes with two).

The HTC Cosmos: HTC's replacement for the Vive. Not out yet, so exact specs, pricing, and release date are still unknown. However, it has been confirmed that it will use inside-out tracking (so no external sensors to mess with), and cost less than $1000. The latest unofficial rumors are that it is expected to launch this September, and it's expected to have both specs and pricing somewhere between the Rift S and the Index. Worth keeping an eye on.

What not to bother with:
The Vive. Vive was the premium VR headset of its era, so it's not that there is anything wrong with it per se, it's just outdated and obsolete tech. The display and controllers are just inferior to all of the newer kits.

Windows Mixed Reality (WMR): this one is probably responsible for the VR market looking crowded, since this is a standard defined by MS and not a specific headset, and lots of different manufacturers make or have made WMR headsets. So when you see PC VR headsets from Lenovo, HP, Asus, Acer, Dell, Samsung, etc, they are all just competing WMR headsets. The head strap and display vary in quality, but they all use the same controllers, which are generally considered to be inferior to Vive, Oculus, and Index controllers. The main appeal originally of WMR was to make VR cheaper and easier to get into since WMR has the least expensive headset options, and it was the first to use inside-out tracking so no external sensors. However, its inside-out tracking is done with only two forward-facing cameras, so the tracking is significantly inferior to Quest (four onboard cameras) or Rift S (five onboard cameras) inside-out tracking.

As for specs, your graphics card meets the min, but is at the very low-end of the min. You should be able to run older or less demanding VR games just fine, but may have to run newer or visually more sophisticated VR games at low graphics settings to maintain stable framerate. I would expect Beatsaber to run fine.

One last note: VR headsets, the Rift S in particular, can be pretty picky about your USB 3.0 ports. Specifically, ASMedia USB controllers that many motherboards use tend to cause lots of problems with Oculus headsets. This Inatek add-in USB 3.0 controller has solved lots of people's VR headset issues, is officially suggested by Oculus tech support, and is pretty inexpensive at only around $23. If you decide to pick up a VR headset, might be wise to proactively check your USB 3.0 controller and if it's ASMedia just go ahead and order the Intek USB 3.0 controller along with the headset.

The R9 390 is much, much cheaper and offers same or better performance. I made a few changes. Here's each change, and why.

i5-4690k: can still be overclocked, but since you mentioned nothing about streaming, the i7 is pretty much unnecessary. The price difference between the i5 and i7 is not big enough to warrant so much money unless the i7's hyperthreading really benefits you. In most games (recently, poorly optimized games like fallout 4 have been wanting an i7), the i7 will offer little, if any benefit.

Cooler: Less noise. Lower temps.

RAM: Cheaper. Same performance, still a reliable brand and 16gb.

SSD: Newer. Better in all ways.

Video card: Literally the best card on the market right now. If you're staying at 1080p, I recommend the AMD R9 390, but this GTX980ti is top of the line and there's pretty much nothing better that isn't called a Titan. Offers huge 1440p performance.

PSU: Not overpriced as hell, but still provides efficiency and good power delivery and stability. Also, you could proooobably add a second 980ti if you want to play at 4k and have to buy a new PSU.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor | $227.99 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler | CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler | $34.50 @ Newegg
Thermal Compound | Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste | $4.55 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $139.89 @ OutletPC
Memory | G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $62.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $84.88 @ OutletPC
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $49.98 @ OutletPC
Video Card | MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card | $596.99 @ NCIX US
Case | Corsair 500R Black ATX Mid Tower Case | $109.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $101.99 @ NCIX US
Optical Drive | Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer | $17.78 @ OutletPC
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) | $89.99 @ NCIX US
Case Fan | Cougar Vortex PWM 70.5 CFM 120mm Fan | $14.89 @ OutletPC
Case Fan | Cougar Vortex PWM 70.5 CFM 120mm Fan | $14.89 @ OutletPC
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1551.30
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-09 16:44 EST-0500 |


Wifi card that supports bluetooth: http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Bluetooth-Expansion-Components-GC-WB867D-I/dp/B00HF8K0O6

Just my opinion, I am no expert, but these seem like the best choices as they are popular, and consideration how much work it would take to design them.
Also check the most popular on Amazon, Newegg and PC part picker.

CPUs from one socket look almost the same right?
So a LGA 1151 and AM3+ CPUs.

For RAM, classic PCB with black chips, maybe another one with a very simple heatspreader in different colors, as it would take quite a lot of work to create realistic heatspreaders for little benefit IMO.

Any HDD, they all look similar.

For SSDs, Samsung are the most popular and very simple to do.

Three most popular CPU coolers prolly are CRYORIG H7, Hyper 212 EVO, and Corsair H100i, maybe with addition of a single fan AIO like Corsair H55.

GPUs are tougher:

• definitely MSI twin frozr, they use them for most cards
  
• ASUS new strix
  
• Gigabyte G1 Gaming as for 1070 and 1080 and Windforce for smaller cards
  
• EVGA hates you, it seems like they have a different design for every card, but the most popular for enthusiasts could be ACX 3.0 used with 1070 and 1080
  
  Motherboards and cases: the hardest parts to pick, almost every one part is completely different from the other.
  Just go by the most popular.
  
  Anything I forgot?

I would definitely avoid that hub. With 7 external ports the internal design will be two USB host controllers daisy chained together so 4 of those ports will at a minimum have to go through 3 host controllers to send data back to the PC. Very risky and prone to issues which will be explained below.

Apologies for the wall of text but it is all quite important to explain why USB hubs are not the best idea for a number of reasons. Only go the hub route if you have no other choice like you have a laptop and a PCI card if not an option. If you have a desktop and free PCI slots then grab one of the PCI cards listed at the end of this post.

USB 3.0 Hubs

The main concern with hubs is that there is an additional USB controller in the chain and if one of those controllers is not compatible then you might have tracking issues. The issue with compatibility is VR needs low latency and high bandwidth which is required for good tracking.

So you have something like this using a hub.

PC -> PCI Bus -> USB Controller -> Hub -> USB Controller -> Sensor.

I put together this image on the weekend to explain it to someone else - https://imgur.com/jI6Istl

If anything in that chain is sub standard you have issues. If you have good USB Controllers in that chain you wont see issues. Just remember a quality hub is only as good as the USB port on your PC you plug it into.

It is also recommended to get a powered USB hub if you have to go the hub route. People sometimes encounter not just a bandwidth/latency bottleneck but a power bottleneck. Importantly some PC USB ports can't push out enough power to power all the devices plugged into the hub. Get a powered hub to avoid this possibility.

Below are two brands Anker and Amazon Basics which are the hubs I commonly see people say have worked for the Rift. The 7 port one will have daisy chained USB controllers internally but people have recommended it so they must be good quality.

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Port-2-5A-power-adapter/dp/B00DQFGH80

or

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Aluminum-Portable-Adapter-Devices/dp/B00PBZX0OM


PCI Cards

Here are the cards that Oculus have recommended (I have personally tested the top two cards) .The blog posts at the end of this post might clear up why hubs are hit and miss for some people due to data/latency bottlenecks that might occur.

StarTek 2 port card (1 ASMedia controller) – Cheaper StarTek option that could be used for 2 sensors or a sensor and headset.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013HT6K3Q

Supported Inatek 4 port card (1 Fresco controller) – Don't get the 5 or 7 port card as the design is not really suited for Rift sensors as it has daisy chained controllers in the design.

https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-Expansion/dp/B00B6ZCNGM

Use the Inatek for your two front facing cameras and nothing else. Plug your third or fourth USB 2.0 camera and Rift HMD into your motherboard.

Supported StarTek 4 port card (2 Controllers) – Optional middle tier PCI card solution which can run all four sensors or 3 sensors and HMD. Equivalent to two Inatek cards.

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00HJZE9VK

Supported StarTek 4 port card (4 Controllers) – Optional top of the range PCI card solution which can run all four sensors or 3 sensors and HMD. Equivalent to four Inatek cards.

https://www.amazon.com/Express-SuperSpeed-Adapter-Dedicated-Channels/dp/B00HJZEA2S

Both 4 port StarTek cards are pricey and a bit more than is actually required. You could achieve the same thing with 2x four port Inatek cards.

More reading for why USB controllers are important and how you should connect sensors

Oculus put together some blog posts last year explaining best practices. Parts 2 and 3 of Oculus tracking posts explain the USB subsystems and how to get the best config.

• Part 1: https://www.oculus.com/blog/oculus-roomscale-tips-for-setting-up-a-killer-vr-room/
  
• Part 2: https://www.oculus.com/blog/oculus-roomscale-balancing-bandwidth-on-usb/
  
• Part 3: https://www.oculus.com/blog/oculus-roomscale-identifying-host-controllers/
  
• Part 4: https://www.oculus.com/blog/oculus-roomscale-extra-equipment/
  
  Finally here is my setup and the placement of USB devices amongst all the USB controllers. https://imgur.com/a/fqgRP5p

Awesome man, it's a lot of fun!

I'd say most important thing equipment-wise when starting out is getting a decent mic. Easiest mic setup (if it's just you or maybe two people) is a USB condenser mic, then you can skip a mixer and/or interface altogether.
Most people are keen on the Blue yeti, but in Australia they're not too widely available, so I got a MXL Tempo instead, which does a good enough job. We still need to build it a little foam booth to remove a lot of the echo and room noise.

For PC recordings, we just use Open Broadcasting Software, aka OBS. I've played around with DxTory, fraps, and raptr in the past; OBS trumps them all because of how much control is possible, plus the ability to record in a constant frame-rate, very important when it comes to editing. OBS is a little fiddly to set-up but has given the best results so far, and there's plenty of information out there on it. It is designed as a streaming software but also produces awesome local recordings.

We just bought an Elgato HD game capture for console recordings, which we chose over the Elgato HD60 because the ability to record older consoles was more desirable to us than 60fps recordings. The Elgatos are pretty much accepted online as the best all-rounder out there. No doubt there's better units out there, but hard to beat for the price and ease-of-use.

Finally, an Adobe creative cloud subscription gives you access to Premiere (for editing), Photoshop (for images/thumbnails), and Audition (for voice recording/compression etc), plus Flash, After effects etc. I'm a student so it was a half-price I think.

We haven't tried any streaming yet because of our woeful <1mbp upload haha. Go Australia!

Yeah I believe that H7 would be a step to right direction, but honestly I would go with somethin like this
https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NH-D15-heatpipe-NF-A15-140mm/dp/B00L7UZMAK

Or this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HPX7J4K/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494584874&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=be+quiet+dark+rock+pro+3&dpPl=1&dpID=41f-YJuctCL&ref=plSrch

They are really expensive, that is true, but they pack serious cooling power. You have quaranteed silent operation and possibility of overclocking as much as you want. These two coolers THE best ones around beating all of the $150 aios too. It's just cool to have that I7 running over 5ghz with good temps and silently. But yeah that cryorig is surely going to let you oc till something like 4,6ghz still staying reasonably quiet. Choise is yours.

Your pc just literally has the best components available, I feel like it would deserve good cooler to keep it cozy;)

Ps funny thing about those noctua fans is that they alone cost 20 bucks a piece, and are seriously awesome fans, quiet, efficient and long lasting, I'm running two of the indusrial versions on my build

The PSU case needs some love, too. It's like Creality shopped around for the loudest fans it could find, and that's what shipped with the Ender. Anyway, these two things make the PSU much better: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3384875 WellFan Noctua 60x25 remix https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2967389 WellFan PSU case mod and for fun https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2987473 cause, well, just cause (60mm fan guard) oh, and the fan: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B009NQMESS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Heyyyyy, you've added a buck converter and have 12v now, time to change the main board fan! It's a noisy bugger too! It ends up being the same fan as what comes on the factory hotend cooler. Annoyinggggggggggg. Like a mosquito in my ear!!! https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B009NQLT0M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Noctua 40x10mm fans are bolt in replacements for both of those, if you don't want to change the hotend cooler. I could have used a 40x10 on the Hero Me cooler I used - but the 40x20 looks cooler.

This is the LED strip lighting I used, it was expensive though, and I'm sure you could find much less expensive alternatives. https://www.rpelectronics.com/55-7160w-0-led-strip-outdoor-ip65-white-1m.html (white and red! z-rail and top rail!)

I printed a handle, and really like it, but it won't work without some love. Instead of modifying the 3d model I'm probably just gonna heatgun it into the shape I need it to be. Currently, it hits the Y-axis rail. It's here, if you wanna take a stab at it: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3313306

The Z-axis stepper is by far the loudest - I'm going to try to see if I can make a damper work, like this: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07CL356J5/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A28ZWXW3ZSVNZU&psc=1 ** disclaimer note: I haven't done this yet. I haven't received the dampers.

I printed a zillion links from this thing: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2920060 but didn't like the result after putting it all together. It motivated me to try and do something for cable management, though. I DID end up using a bunch of the start and end mounts, though, and cut off the link nubs. They worked super great for cable management.

I'm still not 100% happy with the cabling - I'm ordering these: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B074GZFYM1/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A23BY812APN9IU&psc=1 and will be trimming/cutting/hiding/wrapping them so it looks nicer. Don't get me wrong, it works fine the way it is, but I don't like that flat ribbon cable stuff. It's too... ugly. It's either these cables or I'm going to build my own, which I like doing anyway. This will be soon. I don't think it'll look much different, but I think individually wrapped cables running to the stepper motors would look cooler. More space-ship-ie.

There's probably more. For this list, there's another list like it of failed/ugly/discarded parts - it took some trial and error for sure. It's worth it though. I've actually printed more stuff for my printer than I have for projects I'm working on. 3d printing is so funny that way!

If you have questions, I'm happy to help :) I have pictures of all this if you need them. I haven't figured out imgur, but will add photos to this album as time goes on: https://photos.app.goo.gl/AEXNqvTXE5ZZhnhi8.

-Tunder

PS. Man this is a really big post. I didn't realize I did so many things. Rabbit hole, this thing is.

The best and relatively easiest ways to address poor aesthetics in the CPU are a modular or semi-modular PSU and replacement sleeved and color coordinated cables from said PSU, or if they are too expensive (and they are) sleeved cable extensions look just as good and are way cheaper, but create additional cable management.

​

Regarding a cooling system you should definitely still have one even if you are not OC'ing. If you want to go cheap, get a solid air cooler like the Hyper 212 Evo. If you are more concerned about looks, maybe consider an AIO, like the EVGA CLC240. It's more expensive, but looks nice.

​

Not 100% sure what you mean about the front facing fan, but if you are asking about fan placement, then yes at the front of the case is fine just make sure it isn't going against the airflow of other fans. If you mean fan orientation, like intake/exhaust, then that is also fine, with the same caveat. Generally speaking you want your airflow coming in the front/bottom and exhausting out the top/back.

​

PSU:
EVGA 600BQ Semi-Modular (MB power is the only non-modular) https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Bronze-Modular-Warranty-110-BQ-0600-K1/dp/B01MTJTO2O/ref=sr_1_1?crid=244UIDUJ0IXE&keywords=600+watt+power+supply&qid=1556624118&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011%2Cp_36%3A2500-6000%2Cp_89%3ACorsair%7CEVGA%7CSeasonic%7Cbe+quiet%21%2Cp_n_feature_keywords_two_browse-bin%3A6906985011&rnid=386442011&rps=1&s=pc&sprefix=600+watt+p%2Caps%2C136&sr=1-1

One thing to keep in mind about PSU's is they tend to go on sale more frequently and at better discounts (percentage wise) than many other PC components.

​

Cable Extensions:

Antec Sleeved PSU extension cables

https://www.amazon.com/Antec-Supply-Sleeved-Extension-Length/dp/B07C6CLXW8/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_3?keywords=antec+psu+cable+extensions&qid=1556624318&s=electronics&sr=1-3-fkmrnull

​

CPU Cooler:

Hyper 212 Evo (Air cooler-Cheap and functional, not pretty)

https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-RR-212E-20PK-R2-Direct-Contact/dp/B005O65JXI

CLC 240 (AIO water cooling- Pretty and functional, not cheap)

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Liquid-Cooler-Cooling-400-HY-CL24-V1/dp/B074WH52BW/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=clc+240&qid=1556624855&s=electronics&sr=1-1

​

​

Hope this helps!

Your 450W is probably fine. The 970 lists 500W as the minimum, but the rest of your system is pretty low power. The FX-6300 is not a very power hungry CPU, and a link to your actual motherboard model would be helpful, but only a little. It's a small board, and they don't consume much. You should be maxing out at <400W, and you should be running your PSU between, oh, say, 60% and 85% load (it's fuzzy, and newer PSUs have wider peak efficiency curves than older supplies for the most part) at all times so it runs most efficiently. If it's running too far under load or too close to its max load, your PSU is losing efficiency and running hotter and wasting electricity, and wearing out faster as a result. Many newer, higher end supplies, like EVGA's Gold- and Platinum-certified models, can even maintain peak efficiency up to 95% of their max output - we don't know your actual power supply model.

Note, if shopping for these, that their efficiency certifications apply within their peak efficiency curve - not above or below it. Therefore, most supplies that are advertised as something along the lines of "80+% efficiency" means they run that efficiently between somewhere around 60%, and somewhere around 85%, of their max output - so, roughly, between 270W and 380W on a 450W supply (and even 400W is not far above it).

If you are dead set on upgrading, you'd be best suited not putting one in with a much higher capacity unless you're going to be upgrading more on your system to more power hungry components or adding a second video card in SLI (which is losing software support as time goes on and not many people would recommend). I would not shop for more than a 600W PSU, or you're wasting your money twice over - once in buying an overkill power supply, and again in wasted electricity on your utility bill every month.

I would not say that your 450W is plenty or more than enough, but I would say a decent 450W PSU is correct for your system. I don't see a reason for you to replace it.


As a side note, you may want to check that your motherboard actually has a PCI-e 3.0 slot to use with the 970, or your motherboard could be slowing your graphics card down pretty hard. Prebuilt systems like that are usually not made with upgradability in mind - they usually contain the minimum specs for the included components, as anything else would be a waste of money.

If you do the install and find you really need the new PSU, or you're just not confident without the upgrade and want it regardless, here are two I'd recommend: 500W and 600W. You are almost certainly fine with the 500W model, but the 600W is still a good pick for you, and will allow for future major system upgrades. The 600W model also has an equivalent that's semi-modular for an extra $5, if you want easier cable management. EVGA's PSUs are extremely robust and absurdly reliable, and yes I'm shilling, because their products, warranties, and support are top notch. And they'll actually hold up consistently to whatever they're rated for.

This unit scored 4.5 out of 5 on Amazon. Please note that this model is discontinued and there are many refurbished units available. This looks like a refurbished unit. I would check warranty. Pass if 180 days or less. You can get a 1 year warranty on a refurbished unit if bought from the Dell Outlet. I paid $360 new from Amazon in December right as these were being discounted/discontinued. You will also need a keyboard & a mouse ($25-50), a headset with mic ($10-100+) and possibly a monitor ($100-150).

You are not going to get an unbiased opinion on a pre-built PC in a sub-reddit called buildapc. These are a great buy at ~$360 for new(er) units. These can be use for low to middle desktop gaming but are designed as an affordable set-top PC console. For the listed games, this unit will do okay to very good (not great to mind blowing fabulous) graphics.


Things to know:

• These are made to hook up to a HDTV and only have a single HDMI port for graphics. There is no VGA port. Thus, you will need a monitor (or TV) that takes HDMI or DVI (DVI requires a HDMI to DVI cable or adapter).
  
  
• The default interface is called HiveMind and built on top of XBMC/Kodi and will launch Steam in Big Picture Mode. This computer interface is designed to be controlled with a controller. Many PC games support a controller. However, 3 of 4 games you listed are best played with a mouse and keyboard.
  
  
• For audio output, these only have HDMI and S/PDIF ports. Because your son wants to play online with friends, he will need a headset with mic. You can use a [Xbox 360 headset ] (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_11?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=xbox+360+headset&sprefix=xbox+360+headset%2Caps%2C169) that plugs into the game controller ($10-25). - OR - Get a USB audio adapter ($6) and use a standard wired headset ($10-100). I recommend the USB audio adapter if desktop gaming. My unit had a problem that when the game controller shut off the PC audio would have problems. If you hook to a TV, look into getting a wireless headset ($50-100+) or again a headset that hooks into the controller.
  
  
• The game controller for this unit is wireless and requires 2 AA batteries. I recommend getting rechargeable batteries and a charge base ($25) because the controllers eat batteries and need a place to live when not in use.
  
  
• Plan to get an extra wireless xbox 360 controller for when his friends come over or he needs a quick controller swap.
  
  
• Plan to upgrade to Windows 10.
  
  
• For this unit a SSD swap down the road is recommended and an extra 4GB of memory while you are at it.
  
  
• There are 5 USB ports. 2 in the front, 2 in the back, and 1 hidden on the bottom. I found it's actually pretty easy to run out of USB ports. My configuration: one for the wireless game controller dongle, two for the keyboard & mouse, one for the USB audio adapter.
  

I've been helping people pick computer parts a lot lately, and here's my go-to current build (as in, where I feel price/performance is optimized)--it's usually around $1000, NOT including monitors. I built two for my company (minus the video card), and they are wonderful. If you want to compare: CPUs, GPUs.

>Case: Corsair 200R, $73

>http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Carbide-200R-Compact-CC-9011023-WW/dp/B009GXZ8MM/

>Cases cheaper than this price point will become flimsy, break, literally cut you, and otherwise fall apart over time. I like the way the 200R is, too--no LEDs, no weird shapes, and 2.5" drive slots.

-

>Motherboard: Asus Z97-A, $145

>http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Z97-A-DDR3-2600-Motherboards/dp/B00K2MAU5Q/

>This is a medium range motherboard with PWM case fan pins: an extremely quiet combo. It's more important than you think.

-

>CPU: i7-4790K, $336

>http://www.amazon.com/Intel-i7-4790K-Processor-Cache-BX80646I74790K/dp/B00KPRWAX8/

>While we're on CPUs: GHZ MEANS ALMOST NOTHING FOR PERFORMANCE. My 2Ghz i7 in my Mac outperforms my 4Ghz 2500K in my desktop. It's annoying that it's even mentioned in anything but overclocking guides.

-

>Memory: 16GB Corsair Vengeance (2x8GB), $130

>http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-Desktop-Memory-CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10/dp/B006EWUO22/

>I find myself always using >8GB. Task Manager tells me I'm at 9GB with lots apps but no actual games open.

-

>Graphics Card: EVGA GTX 960, $210

>http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Dual-Link-Graphics-02G-P4-2966-KR/dp/B00SC6HAS4/

>The 960 was recently released, but the 750 and the 900 series are very powerful and power efficient, and EVGA makes great cards.

-

>PSU: Corsair CX 600W, $60

>http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Builder-Watt-EPS%C2%A0-CX600/dp/B0092ML0OC/

>I skimped on a PSU once (it was "Diablotek"). It took my motherboard and a stick of RAM with it when it died.

-

>SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB, $135

>http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E250B-AM/dp/B00OAJ412U/

-

>OS: Windows 8.1 Full Version (not OEM), $100:

>http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-8-1-Full-Version/dp/B00EDSI7QO/

Current total: $1189 + tax, way over budget, so...


>The PSU can be replaced with a 500W EVGA for $17 less:

>http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-80PLUS-Certified-ATX12V-100-W1-0500-KR/dp/B00H33SFJU

-

>The SSD can be replaced by a 2TB 7200RPM drive, where you won't need a 2nd HDD but booting will be much slower, for $60 less:

>http://www.amazon.com/HGST-Deskstar-3-5-Inch-7200RPM-Internal/dp/B003GSLDRC/
(and get the sata3 monoprice cable)

-

>The GPU can be replaced by a GTX 750 Ti, for $65 less, but at a ~30% loss to graphics power (although it's still a great card):

>http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Superclock-Dual-Link-Graphics-02G-P4-3753-KR/dp/B00IDG3IDO

-

>The CPU can be a non-K version (at very little/no performance loss), for $36 less:

>http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-i7-4790-Processor-BX80646I74790/dp/B00J56YSLM

>The next step down in terms of CPU is an i5-4690, at ~30% less CPU power, for $80 less. I personally wouldn't go there.

This is at $1015 + tax--still over budget, but going much cheaper really starts to bite into your experiences (and if anyone here can recommend anything to save money, I welcome it).


As for monitors, if you're playing EVE, honestly I'd recommend a 2560x1440 monitor because spreadsheets. However, since those start around $300, my go-to cheaper monitors are the not-bad 22" 1080p ones that can be had for around $140.

>BenQ 24" flicker-free (for comfortable viewing) 1080p TN panel (for faster response times), $140:

>http://www.amazon.com/BenQ-GL2460HM-24-Inch-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B00IKDFL4O/

-

>Dell 22" 1080p IPS panel (for better colors and viewing angles), $134:

>http://www.amazon.com/Dell-CFGKT-IPS-LED-21-5-Inch-LED-lit-Monitor/dp/B009H0XQPU/

Source: I've done IT for the past few years, and done dozens of computer purchases/builds.

Notes: I don't buy AMD or ATI unless it's an extreme budget build. I don't buy off-brand because I've had parts break and then not have an RMA available; I've had good experience and RMA support with Corsair and EVGA. You don't really need a CD/DVD drive; you can install Windows from a USB key, but if you're unsure, CD/DVD drives are like $15. If you go with Intel/nVidia Maxwell, you won't really need a >500W PSU.

I don't like to skimp on computers much because, economically, if you're spending even 5-10% of your time waiting for your computer and you earn $10-25/hr, $1000 is paid for in somewhere between 2000-250 hours of use, yet the computer will last at least 3-5 years.

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you, but I had classes at school all day. Here is a build for you in all Euros.

CPU: $218

MOBO: $119

RAM: $92

SSD: $70

HDD: $40

GPU: $480

OS: $23

Case: $117

PSU: $104

CD Drive: $21

TOTAL: $1284

I realize that this is over your initial budget, but you mentioned that you could add an extra $100. Now for the explanations:

• I did not change your CPU, but instead just found an actual link.
  
  
• You do not need to buy thermal paste, as your CPU comes with a stock heatsink, which has thermal paste pre-applied.
  
  
• I changed your motherboard to a compatible one, and then changed it again (when making the list in euros) for price reasons. Also keep in mind that Z series motherboards (as in Z97) are meant for overclocking. This is a method of getting better performance from your CPU. However, it requires specialized parts, like a Z series motherboard, and an unlocked CPU (shown with a K as in 6600K). These parts are more expensive. Because of that, I recommend you don’t overclock, which means you do not need the fancy, Z series motherboard. Instead I went with a H170.
  
  
• Because I went with a different motherboard, different RAM was needed.
  
  
• You chose a GTX 970 GPU. I switched it to a 1070. The reason for this is that it is a newer card with better performance. The 9 or 10 in the front shows which series the card is in, and the 70 shows which version of that series it belongs to, with a higher number meaning better performance. So therefore, a 1080 is better than a 1070 or 1060, and a 1070 is better than a 970 or 870.
  
  
• You chose a Fractal Design R4 for your case. This case is the older version. I upgraded it to the R5.
  
  
• Lets talk PSU’s. These can be very confusing. Obviously, you need to pick one that can supply enough watts to power your PC. You did that just fine. However, there are other things to consider. When it comes to PSU’s, not all watts are created equal. Two PSU’s may provide the same amount of power, however be very different in price. The cause of this comes down to the build quality of each. This affects 4 (main) things, noise, reliability, modularity, and efficiency. Hopefully the first 2 are self-explanatory. If a PSU is fully modular, that means that all of the internal cables that attach to your motherboard or GPU or hard drives or whatever can be completely removed from the PSU itself. This is very useful as it allows you to manage them much better. Efficiency means that less of the power you draw from the wall is being lost as heat. This not only reduces your electricity bill, but also means that your PSU will be cooler, creating less heat for your CPU and GPU. Efficacy is rated using the 80+ scale, which you can see here. Because of these 4 factors, I went with a higher-quality PSU.
  
  Hope all of this helps! If you have questions, related or not, feel free to message me!
  

Got any ideas for budget? Also, what software will you be using and what bitrate, resolution and general quality settings are you planning on encoding at? Is it also a necessity for 32GB of RAM? You would probably be able to save a good chunk of money to put towards other parts if you went with 16 or perhaps 24.

---

I'm not sure on the display outputs of the GTX 480, however running 3 monitors off of that and one off your onboard graphics chip you should be good to go (aslong as the connections aren't VGA, as corpnewt mentioned; it's quite hit-and-miss). For onboard graphics I'd recommend a motherboard with a HD530 chip, they're pretty well supported and off the top of my head require 2 bootflags to get working.

---

In terms of motherboards it's not particularly my forte, so I may be wrong on some of these things. I think it's generally accepted that Gigabyte motherboards are the best for hackintoshing and are all round great boards, so I'd definitely recommend one. As I said you'd probably want a board with a HD530 chip, or another chip with similar support. Assuming you want 32 gig of RAM you're gonna need support for that, and if you go for 16 for now you still might want to go for a board that supports 32 incase you decide to upgrade in the future or if 16 is not enough. I'd also recommend the 115x chipset as imo is going to give you the most choices on CPU with the best compatibility. After some talks with /u/CorpNewt he suggested this Gigabyte board. It's got enough PCI-E slots, supported onboard graphics (HD530), support for 64gb of RAM, ThunderBolt and good hackintosh support which should check all the boxes.

---

CPU? 6700k; 4 cores, 8 threads, 4.0Ghz clock speed, it's overclockability gives you some headroom if you ever need a bump in performance, the most powerful CPU you can get on Skylake currently (yes the enthusiast CPU's are round the corner but they are silly money and this should be plenty of power), great longevity, and most of all have good OSX support.

---

The CPU can be found here. You're gonna want a cooler such as a Hyper 212 Evo or a Corsair H55 AIO (I can vouch for this cooler, have one myself and it's great). If you plan on overclocking or want to just in case, you should probably look at something a bit beefier like a Corsair H100i AIO.

The mobo can be found here.

---

Feel free to fire away with any questions you have.

I just spent a full hour writing about this but it got deleted by my mistake :-:
I recommend these parts

https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-LGA1151-Intel-Motherboard-GA-H110M/dp/B0165YUDTM/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1491086662&sr=1-1&keywords=h110m
https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Skylake-Desktop-Processor-BX80662I56500/dp/B010T6CWI2/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1491088199&sr=1-1&keywords=i5+6500
https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Support-Graphics-03G-P4-6160-KR/dp/B01KUADE3O/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1491087663&sr=1-2&keywords=1060&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-2400MHz-Memory-Black/dp/B01ARHBBPS/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1491086759&sr=1-3&keywords=8gb+ddr4
https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-WHITE-Power-Supply-100-W1-0500-KR/dp/B00H33SFJU


The CPU is good enough for the game you will be playing, the motherboard is good enough and more expensive ones sell you feature you don't need. The RAM will do you fine and is enough for any game you want and the GPU will be perfect for 1080p with 3GB of VRAM. For storage, go with a cheap 500GB HDD but I would certainly recommend an SSD for the future. The power supply will do you fine no matter what anyone else says, trust me (powers my R9 280X which is a LOT more power hungry).
I would recommend looking round Ebay, Facebook selling sites etc etc for any used components or 'starting points' with Ebay being the best bet in my opinion due to the massive amounts of sellers. If you see a 6600 or a 6600k for the same or less than on Amazon, snag it up and make sure to have a CPU cooler with it (stock will do you again, I have experience with 6600/6500 running on stock coolers and it's perfectly fine)

Sorry if the response looks rushed, I had a better one but I clicked something and it deleted :'(
Would love to hear about how the build goes, may your frames be high and temperatures at a low enough level!

EDIT BEFORE POSTING : 'Bomba' recommended an 8GB RX 470 - that's pointless for 1080p in my opinion and having a Pentium Dual core isn't something anyone would crave. I also have bad experience with Corsair PSUs but I haven't tried the 450W.

Ok, so I hadn't really planned on making this a long response, but here we are with a nice little wall.

TL;DR at the bottom if you don't care about the smaller details.

Turbo is a processor-based function. I used to have a non-K processor and that still turbos. The K model processors also have turbo stats. Overclocking refers to pushing the processor's base speed(in your example: 3.2Ghz) past the manufacturer recommended specs. After overclocking, you can still acheive higher speeds with the Turbo functionality, but it doesn't tend to kick in as often since you already have it overclocked.

K processors have unlocked multipliers which makes overclocking much easier. However, you can still overclock a non-K processor, it is just more difficult, usually less stable, and takes a good bit more technical knowledge since it requires manually adjusting voltages and other settings from the advanced menu on your motherboard(if applicable). With K processors, many newer motherboards(especially higher end ones, gaming ones, etc.) have either a hardware or software(within the BIOS) button/switch which will attempt to automatically calculate a safe and stable operating clock speed above the manufacturer recommended spec.

Depending on your processor and how "well" it overclocks, you may see a large boost in performance. For example, a common budget overclocking CPU(Intel-based) is the Pentium G3258 Anniversary edition. In most cases, you will see a pretty substantial boost to your clock speed(each board and CPU combo will work slightly differently due to each manufacturer's programming). I used to use the above mentioned Pentium CPU until I was able to save up for an i5. IIRC, it's base clock is also 3.2GHz, and with an aftermarket cooler I was able to overclock it to 4.0/4.1GHz using my motherboard's auto-overclock function. With manual tuning, I was able to jump it up to 4.3 and still have it be stable. I now use an i5 4690(non-K) and a water cooler. I have not yet overclocked my i5 since I've had great performance out of it and haven't seen the need to apply any tweaks.

TL;DR, You're kinda right in that Turbo increases clock speed(this is a processor function), but overclocking is actually a separate function related to your motherboard and its power settings.

For $2,000, you can score a pretty excellent VR dev rig.

If you're already using UE4, and you've got got your DK1, you're probably relatively familiar with the basic demands— The faster your CPU, the faster everything compiles, and more ability you have to get things done simultaneously outside your IDE. RAM is a similar story, as well letting you play with more polys and textures in whatever modeling program you use. For the GPU, various Oculus people have dropped the hint that you pretty much want a GTX 770 as a baseline for advanced apps [source]. That's consistent with what benchmarks have had to say about what it'll take to drive the (probably) 1440p CV1.

With regards to the OS, there are very few reasons to use Windows 7. You can read some reddit discussions about that here or here, but the moral of the story is that everything works better on 8 except maybe the layout, which you can change.

$2,000 is a good spot— it's pretty much where the bang-for-buck curve becomes a cliff. Here's about how that build looks:

Full-Featured VR Kit

| part | link | | price |
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|cpu|Intel Core i7-4770K Quad-Core Desktop Processor (3.5 GHz, 8 MB Cache, Intel HD graphics, BX80646I74770K)|amazon|$299.99|
|video card|EVGA GeForce GTX780 SuperClocked w/EVGA ACX Cooler 3GB GDDR5 384bit, DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI,DP, SLI Ready (03G-P4-2784-KR)|amazon|$509.99|
|ram|G.SKILL Value 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C11D-16GNT|newegg|$127.99|
|motherboard|ASRock Z87 PRO3 LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard|newegg|$94.99|
|power supply|CORSAIR RM Series RM750 750W ATX12V v2.31 and EPS 2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Active PFC Power Supply|newegg|$129.99|
|case|Corsair Carbide Series Black 400R Mid Tower Computer Case (CC-9011011-WW)|amazon|$79.99|
|ssd|Crucial M500 240GB SATA 2.5" 7mm (with 9.5mm adapter) Internal Solid State Drive CT240M500SSD1|newegg|$114.99|
|hard drive|Western Digital WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive, Blue - OEM|newegg|$59.99|
|disc drive|Lite-On Super AllWrite 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive - Bulk - IHAS124-04 (Black)|amazon|$20.65|
|operating system|Windows 8.1 System Builder OEM DVD 64-Bit|amazon|$92.00|
|fans|Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2)|amazon|$32.00|
|monitor|LG IPS234V-PN Black 23" 14ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LED Backlight LCD Monitor IPS 250 cd/m2 5,000,000:1x2|newegg|$299.98|
|||||
| |See current build price with shipping and tax| total | $1862.55|

Learn more and customize this build at kit.computer.


This leaves you with wiggle-room, to make a couple decisions based on your uses and preferences. You could bump one of the monitors up to 27" 1440p, you could bump the very capable GTX 780 up to a 780 Ti, you could move up to 32GB of RAM, increase the size of the SSD, or just pocket the change. It really depends on what apps you're trying to produce, and what your workflow looks like— if it were me, I'd lean towards the 1440p screen, just for workflow reasons.

If you have any questions (or anything to teach me), let me know!

I'm looking to build a new PC soon. I currently have ~$1700 saved towards it. It's mainly going to be used for WoW, Overwatch, and ARK: Survival Evolved, with the occasional RPG like the Witcher 3.

I'm pretty set on an i7 7700k, a Phanteks Enthoo Luxe case ( https://www.amazon.com/Phanteks-Enthoo-Tower-Chassis-PH-ES614L_WT/dp/B00LW3X1P0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1505347791&sr=8-2&keywords=phanteks+enthoo+luxe ), and a corsair liquid cooler for it, since I've heard the 7700k runs hot (something like https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Extreme-Performance-Liquid-Cooler/dp/B019EXSSBG/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1505347894&sr=1-2&keywords=corsair+liquid+cooling ). I was also considering a 1TB SSD to go along with the HDD, but people keep telling me I don't need that much (I'd put most of my games on it, as well as my OS, ARK alone is like 100gb).

I plan on getting a 1080p 144hz monitor around/after the time I build it, I don't mind continuing to use my ancient HP monitor for an extra week or two if it means getting a better PC sooner.

What should the rest of the build be? I was looking at a 1080, but would it be worth saving a little more for a 1080ti? I know next to nothing about actually building a PC, I'm mostly trying to pick the parts out, and my friend will build it for me. (I'm a very shaky person, on top of being super hairy and having a lot of static). I just don't know if I should wait a little longer to get some better parts, stuff like how much RAM I'll need for gaming (I was thinking 16gb would be good, but some people suggest 32gb?), what kind of MOBO I'll need, etc. I'm really lost, and am just super excited about finally upgrading to something really good.

Sorry for the wall of text and all the questions. Again, first time I'm spending THIS much on a PC.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 7 1700 3GHz 8-Core Processor | $279.49 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler | Corsair - H110i 113.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | $109.99 @ Amazon
Thermal Compound | Arctic Silver - 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste | $7.25 @ Amazon
Motherboard | MSI - X370 GAMING PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard | $116.16 @ Amazon
Memory | G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $238.50 @ Amazon
Storage | Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $349.99
Storage | Samsung - 960 EVO 1TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $445.41 @ Amazon
Case | Corsair - Crystal 460X RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $131.99
Power Supply | EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $119.99 @ Amazon
Case Fan | Corsair - SP120 RGB High Performance 52.0 CFM 120mm Fan | $19.98 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1818.75
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-03-24 12:03 EDT-0400 |

PCpartpicker didn't find all the amazon links.

Case Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Crystal-Tempered-Glass-Compact/dp/B01LA2LB7W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1521906800&sr=8-2&keywords=460x%2Bcorsair&th=1

SSD Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Inch-Internal-MZ-76E1T0B-AM/dp/B078DPCY3T/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521906876&sr=8-1&keywords=860+evo+1tb

With some pretty easy overclocking, messing around with XMP settings in BIOS and voltage, you can very easily push the CPU to 3.8 Ghz, People claim to push it to 4.0 Ghz though say it seemed to be a little unstable.

If you haven't cleaned out your PSU, you should. If it's younger than 5 years it's definitely still good. 100$ saved.

Windows can be obtained for free, only disadvantage is a small Windows 10 watermark on the lower right corner, and some of the OS customization settings are locked. It doesn't bother me, and it certainly doesn't convince me to spend 100$ for customization.

M.2 nvme SSDs are many times faster than a SATA SSD, for a boot drive you won't see a huge difference in boot time, but file transfer and such it definitely shines.

The extra fan is for an exhaust for the back of the case. You'll need a fan hub Here: https://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-System-Cables-Black-CPF04/dp/B00VNW556I/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1521908068&sr=1-3&keywords=fan+hub Forgot about it :/

Ive built with this case before, and it comes with a nice SSD mounting array behind the motherboard, a kinda annoying but spacious PSU basement and great air flow. tempered glass oooo

Buy zip ties. like 50. Zip ties are your friend and so is your fully modular PSU

If you want help with your CPU overclocking, you can pm me, or look up a guide on overclockers forum. Really helpful people over there.

I made it all Amazon, because of prime, which is can save you a lot of shipping. With the cheaper vendors, its cheaper for the part, but the shipping would put you over budget.

Let me first say im not an expert in Air coolers for cpus, I have always used All in one(AIO) water coolers. AIO are definitely more expensive, but easier to install, have better cooling ability, but can be louder than Air coolers.

Air coolers tend to have better price/performance and are cheaper but tend to be harder to install.

These two below are two of the most popular due to price/performance so they are worth looking at on the AUS side of things to.

https://www.amazon.com/CRYORIG-Tower-Cooler-Intel-CPUs/dp/B00S7YA5FQ
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI

This article also has some good info on both types and good suggestions at different price points
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-cpu-coolers,4181.html

The only other thing would be to try and get a EVGA G series psu or a Seasonic G series(What i have, caught it on sale tho). If you cant find one of them Corsair makes some cool ones too. You want to get a Bronze 80 rated PSU at the very least. They are one of the most important parts of the pc and one going bad can cause damage or a lot of instability once your gpu/cpu starts kicking in.

Im not familar with the cases you choose but its important to look at the manufacturers website of the case to see how much clearance each case provides for air coolers since they can be big as hell.

That all being said I think the UMART build is the best out of the three with the PC CASE GEAR coming in second.

The UMART is only $100 AUS more than the others according to the image but with that build you get better performance with the ability to overclock later down the line if you need more power eventually.
Plus you get slightly faster ram so overall it looks better.

Remember that you can upgrade to a better case, GPU or cpu fan etc down the line if you outgrow your current selection but the CPU/PSU, and Motherboard will be fine for a lot of years so its worth spending a little more on them now.

Also sheesh man those AUS prices are no joke, that 470 would only be around $160-180 in the states

I wouldn't recommend getting USB or surround sound headphones. They come in two types and both are mediocre as well as limiting. You have your headphones with multiple drivers, which reviews will time and time again say are off. Multiple smaller drivers in a circumaural headset next to year ear? Diminished sound quality as well as limited directional accuracy. The other option is to get a set that use virtual surround, but these are going to be USB only. My experienec with USB headphones tells me this is not worth it. Needing to install drivers, potential voltage dropouts from USB charge not being stable, popping (that shit HURTS and is what caused me to throw out my last USB headset), as well as not being able to plug it into more devices. The 3.5 millimeter standard is MUCH better to have here for its versatility and simplicity. If you would like USB, as another user suggested a functional reason for it (though the same could be achieved by using the front audio ports because most computers will still distinguish between headphones and speakers if you use the front ports), they do sell cheap USB adapters that often have their own virtual surround drivers. I'd recommend this over a dedicated USB headset. The lack of versatility and problems associated are worth keeping your setup modular. If you would like to have virtual surround but your soundcard/motherboard doesn't have driver support for it, then I really suggest grabbing the Razer Surround drivers for free.

Okay, wall of text is over! What SHOULD you buy? That's a crazy question. If you're looking for a headset (headphone+microphone), I'm personally a fan of the Logitech G230 which is one of the better price/performance options out there. They are not the highest quality headphones but they are sturdy (important!) and comfortable (double important!). The sound quality coming through them is more than passable. Sometimes I forget I'm not listening to speakers, even though I've been using them exclusively for months. The mic quality is mediocre and requires some boosting, so that should be known.

If you're just looking for headphones without a microphone, this is NOT the place to be asking that question. Audiophiles know headphone gear much better than gamers do, but generally don't know anything about headsets because the low-quality mics headsets use aren't of much use to audiophiles.

If you got through all that, congratulations and I hope it helps you! Just make sure to check reviews on various sites (or just Amazon, if you're lazy like me) and don't pick up anything with less than a 4/5 rating. Good luck!

Hello, I've worked with artists on similar projects and I think that I understand what you are asking for.

There are some good answers here, but I think you need to clarify your vision a bit more as there is some ambiguity in your specs and this can mislead people.

Sometimes it helps to specify what you want, instead of suggesting the solution. e.g. you say "LEDs" but you want "white lights and coloured gels".

LEDs are mono-colour. There are devices which combine several LEDs called an "RGB LED", which combines Red, Green and Blue, and this will give you a white-ish colour when you switch on all the LEDs on at once. It wouldn't make sense, from a technical point of view, to switch all the LEDs on and then use a gel to change the colour. Most likely, you'd want to adjust the relative balance

The good thing is that you can buy strips of RGB LEDs for a fairly low price these days and they're easy to control from an Arduino, as people have suggested. This would be the easiest way to go as it's almost a ready to go solution and there are loads of examples.

e.g. https://www.adafruit.com/category/183

If you want bright white, then you would want to look at a circuit which switched on, say, banks of halogen lights or 12V white LED bulbs. e.g. http://www.ledkia.com/uk/buy-g4-led-bulbs/578-g4-15w-led-bulb-12v.html This is certainly more complicated as you'd be looking at custom circuitry.

Next up is your power consumption.

Your image shows 13 columns, with 12 rows per column and you said up to 12 LEDs per bar. That's roughly 2000 LEDs. Each RGB LED unit consumes about 0.25Watts at medium brightness. Therefore you need 0.25W x 2000 = 500 Watts of power.

But that's only if you were to switch on every single LED at full brightness. If you don't, then you only need a fraction of this. This is a worst case scenario. Reduce the number of lights per bar, and your power requirements will go down accordingly.

Say you use 12V, so you would need 500W / 12V = 41Amp power supply. e.g. a PC power supply like https://www.amazon.co.uk/EVGA-100-W1-0500-K3-500W-Power-Supply/dp/B00H33SFJU The spec for this power supply says, "Supporting 40A on a single +12V rail".

But I think most of the RGB addressable strips need 5V.

So you'd need 500W / 5V = 100A power supply. This is a lot of current for a single power supply, and you'd need several 5V power supplies. e.g. You can have one power supply for column.

e.g. https://www.adafruit.com/product/658

The picture you found is a bit blurry. That "IT856SE" you are seeing could actually be "IT8665E"?

There is an extended version of the it87 driver that's not in the normal kernel, and it has an "IT8665E" in its device ID list:

https://github.com/bbqlinux/it87

It is not mentioned in the README text, but the IT8665E support is inside that "it87.c" file.

Sadly, the person that worked on extending the it87 module gave up recently, he felt he had no time to do a good job. I don't know if there's someone else actively working on it somewhere.

Anyway... on Arch you have this special version of the it87 driver in the AUR as:

it87-dkms-git

This AUR package should be easy to use if everything works right. Before you install it, you just have to make sure you have the "...-headers" package for the kernel you are using installed. For example, if you use "linux" then install "linux-headers", or if you use "linux-lts" install "linux-lts-headers".


If nothing works, you could do a hardware solution. A simple way to solve this is to wire the PWM signal from the CPU fan header to all case fans. You then go and set the fan curves in the motherboard's BIOS menus, and you are done.

There's inexpensive fan hub products to do this. If your case fans are 4-pin PWM fans, the products are quite cheap, but there's also versions that can translate a PWM signal into voltage control for 3-pin fans, so 3-pin case fans can be made to work as well.

Here's two examples of what I'm thinking about:

https://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-System-Cables-Black-CPF04/dp/B00VNW556I/

https://noctua.at/en/products/accessories/fan-control/na-fc1

This one here can drive 3-pin fans, it translates the PWM signal into different voltages so it's more expensive:

https://www.amazon.com/Phanteks-PWM-Fan-Controller-PH-PWHUB_01/dp/B00M0R05WE/

All of those products get power from a cable that's connecting to the PSU. This is so they won't overload the motherboard fan header. They only connect to the motherboard fan header to get the PWM speed signal but won't draw power from there.

You can also make the graphics card drive case fans in hardware. There are adapter cables that can connect into that tiny 4-pin fan header that graphics card have. You can then get the fan signal from the graphics card to one or two case fans. Those adapters cables are a bit hard to find. You could do a setup where the motherboard's CPU fan header drives a case fan or two, and the GPU drives a case fan or two.

Hey. That's quite a... detailed list you've got there. I'll clear up what I can. I'll go through your issues one by one.

First off:Motherboard. Addresses in problem #7 #5.
-Bluetooth. Most motherboard don't have a built in Bluetooth module. If you want Bluetooth anyway I recommend you to check out this:
https://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-GC-WB867D-I-Bluetooth-Adapter-Computer/dp/B00HF8K0O6
This also comes with wifi. Bonus points for convenience.

-Motherboard:Your 6700k is an unlocked processor, which mean it is designed for a Z170 chipset motherboard, which enables CPU overclocking, you can learn more about it in Google. Considering your concern about audio quality I recommend either an:

+ASROCK Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming K4

Or a

+Gigabyte Z170X Gaming 3

Both of which comes with the newest onboard audio codec [ALC1150] but I generally prefer the Z170X Gaming 3 because it has better build quality and comes with an Op Amp. Solid choice overall.

Secondly:Performance related issues. As addresses in problem #2 and #3

-Ram:32GB of RAM is all you need, most of the people who run out of 64gb RAM are the ones who work on hi profile project like BF1 and AAA titles. Don't sweat it.

-Storage:1TB SSD is pretty pricey but is worth it if you can pay the bucks. If you can't, then opt for a 120gb or 240gb SSD and then get 3x500GB HDD and run it in Raid 0 configuration. This feature is supported by the aforementioned motherboards, this makes the HDD faster while still having fast boot time and low cost.

Third: Comfortability. This one is small so I'll keep it short.

-Keyboard:It depends on your need. If you want a quiet and tactile, go for Brown switch. If you don't use the keypad much but can use some extra money and space they get a TKL keyboard, it all depends on your preference. My recommendation:
https://www.amazon.com/Storm-QuickFire-Rapid-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B007VDKLLM?th=1&psc=1

-Monitors:Are you multitasking? Do you want to watch porn while playing GTA5? Then get 2 1080p.
If you prefer quality instead, I recommend an ultra wide 1440p monitor. The 1070 isn't powerful enough to hit a steady 144fps at max settings.1080 also has a hard time hitting it so just stay with the 1070 and SLI later for extra performance. My recommendation:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VBNQJSM/ref=as_li_tl?tag=amazon0251-20&ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00VBNQJSM&linkCode=as2&linkId=DXJX3BVD7T5PL252
There is enough real estate for multiple windows when you're not gaming. So if you can spare a few buck then this may be cool for you.

-Case: Just go with what the community considers best: the NZXT S340. Simple and efficient.

-Installation: You do indeed need to buy a Phillips screwdriver if you want to assemble the PC. The rest is just adult Lego.

Hope I cleared that up. If you don't understand anything feel free to ask me.

I've started to get into electronics myself, and I can say that soldering is easy, but you need the right tools for the job.
You'll need an adjustable temperature soldering iron and 1/2 milimeter iron/lead solder as the bare minimum.

I suggest grabbing some tip tinner, solder wick & vacuum, and some cheap boards to practice soldering.

This video shows how to do the actual soldering, while this video covers the tools you'll need and explains their use. These videos are made by EEV Blog and explain soldering in GREAT detail, which is how I learned to do it.



As far as making actual circuits, you have to have an idea AND parts to fulfill your idea. The Arduino UNO is a great way to program and test circuits. It's essentially a small comptuer designed to repeat whatver task you give it over and over. Alternatively, there's the Raspberry Pi, which comes in a few different models. The difference between the Pi and the Arduino is that the Pi is essentially a mini computer. You can literally hook it up to a monitor via hdmi and slam an operating system into it.

Both boards typically come in kits like this one for the Ardunio, or this one for the Raspberry Pi. The Ardunio kits with come with a lot of peripherals, like sensors and LEDs that actually do things, while you'll have to invest more with a Raspberry Pi. These kits come with detailed instructions, code you can copy and paste, and are a great way to learn how circuitry works, and is exactly what I'm doing right now. I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination, I've just done a decent amount of research to find out what's what.

There are two ways to hook up circuits - temporarily and (somewhat) permanently. Breadboards are used to prototype circuits without having to solder anything, typically using these wires to link different parts of the circuits together. Soldering components to those green boards I linked earlier is what you'd do when you have your circuit up and running and want to move it to something more permanent. I say "more" permanent because you can usually de-solder stuff if you needed a component for something.

Adafruit has a decently sized library of projects you can try. They often sell stuff in kits where you get everything you need to make something -- for example, this DIY MIDI controller.

Sparkfun has a great series of articles that explain the very basics of circuits and electricity

Hopefully I've explained everything enough so that you can venture off on your own. Feel free to ask questions!

So basically, The MB and CPU I have are bottom line and to upgrade would to swap everything and start fresh? I cant keep this MOBO at all?
If thats the case, What parts can I look into that are comparable to high end that wont completely break me?(even if I have to buy in pieces) Im sure that Ryzen 5 is great, but there is better for a decent price, no?

And tell me about it. I started to figure that out when I asked for help. The kid is smart and has a killer rig, but apparently he likes to give me the run around. He recommended [this] (https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Support-Graphics-04G-P4-6253-KR/dp/B01MF7EQJZ), going on to say that he runs a [GTX 1060] (https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Support-Graphics-03G-P4-6160-KR/dp/B01KUADE3O/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1536664980&sr=1-2&refinements=p_89%3AEVGA%2Cp_36%3A1253506011) in his and that I should spring for that if I have the extra cash.
I dont know any more. Those are both in my price range, but I cant help but feeling like there is better for the same price, like [this one for example] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KMVHB6M/ref=psdc_284822_t1_B01KUADE3O). What would you personally recommend on this? I just dont know much about building yet, and I cant trust me self to make a good decision when it comes to these things, which is why I posted in the first place. I feel so cheated.

I appreciate all the advice and info. I get the feeling you arent going to give the run around so any personal recommendation are great. You have been awesome. Thank you.

Console Capture Cards

• Elgato Game Capture HD $135
  
  
  
  
• Roxio Game Capture HS Pro $100 (Basic) $150 (Pro)
  
  
• Black Magic Intensity Pro Starts at $200
  
  
• Happauge $150 (One of the most used ones that I've seen)
  
  PC Recording Software
  
  
• Dxtory 3600 JPY or $36.30
  
  • One of the most used recording programs nowadays. Relies more on HDD speed.
    
• MSI Afterburner Free, but can't be used on certain games without a workaround
  
  
• FRAPS $37
  
  All of the programs listed, except for FRAPS can do multitrack recording. Dxtory can actually give you the seprate tracks without another program, but MSI either requires another program to get them; except if your editing program can do it by itself (Ex. Sony Vegas)
  
  Editing Programs
  
  Audio
  
  
• Audacity - FREE | Seriously the best audio editing programs that I've ever used. Supports auto ducking and background noise removal.
  
  Video
  
  
• Windows Movie Maker - FREE | For basic editing, you can probably get away with this.
  
  
• Sony Vegas $600 | Only drop that much if you are going to do some SERIOUS, and I mean SERIOUS editing. TRIAL AVAILABLE
  
  
• Sony Movie Studio Starts at $94.99 | I've been using the trial and have been satisfied by it. Has all the features that a let's player could ever need, for 1/6th if the cost. It's basically Vegas' little brother. TRIAL AVALIBLE
  
  
• Adobe Cloud $20 a month for one program or $50 a month for a bunch of programs. TRIAL AVAILABLE
  
  Photo (Thumbnails)
  
  
• Paint.net FREE | Works pretty well; even better if you get some plugins. Suits all of the basic needs of a Let's Player without all the fancy stuff
  
  
• Adobe Cloud |Photo Shop| - See Adobe Cloud above. TRIAL AVALIABLE
  
  
• Paint Shop Pro $49.99 Kinda Fancy photo editor. Much like Photoshop. TRIAL AVAILABLE

Oh my god please don't do a prebuilt from here and not likes Dell prebuilt like someone built it here. You can learn so much but buying the parts, and researching it can be a bonding experience with your son!
Edit: SORRY IN ADVANCE FOR A WALL OF TEXT!
anyway lets get this build started!
Idk what you want but for a case that looks super sexy the NZXT S340 would be a good start, cheap and nice.
CASE:NZXT S340 Mid Tower Case CA-S340MB-GR Matte Black/Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T4BWUUY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_wR12xbKDZPNE8
Note: $74 Jet.com has it cheaper. (GET THE BLUE AS I MADE IT A BLUE BUILD)
CPU:Intel Core i7-2600 Quad-Core Processor 3.4 GHz 8 MB Cache LGA 1155 - BX80623I72600 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004EBUXSU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_nT12xb7BECNJC
Note: $164
MOTHERBOARD: ASUS P8H61-M LE/CSM R2.0 LGA 1155 Intel H61 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008NA1K0S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_b112xb1T6M7HK
Note: $94
RAM: PNY Anarchy 8GB Kit (2x4GB) DDR3 2133MHz (PC3-17000) CL10 Desktop Memory (BLUE) - MD8GK2D3213310AB-Z https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012DT0IB6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_h412xb3VC5JNW
Note: $45
POWER SUPPLY: EVGA 500 W1, 80+ WHITE 500W, 3 Year Warranty, Power Supply 100-W1-0500-KR https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H33SFJU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_E512xb56068FP
Note: $37
GRAPHICS CARD: ASUS ROG STRIX Radeon RX 460 4GB OC Edition AMD Gaming Graphics Card (STRIX-RX460-O4G-GAMING) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K1JVQI4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_z712xbFGF2Y2T
Note: $140

TOTAL: $554

Edit 2: As your budget is $600 and I don't know how lenient you are with going over or what, but an Asus RX 470 would be a better graphics card and would increase the total to around $650.

Edit 3:
AFTERMARKET CPU COOLER:Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_E-12xbR7ZCHBK
Note: $28

Edit 4: If you want peripherals that's gonna be around $1000 in total for decent crap. I would suggest a 1080p 60hz monitor, a mechanical keyboard ( I use a G. Skillz KM780 RGB and it is fabulous), a nice pair of headphones HyperX cloud 2, and a nice set of speakers Logitech Z506. Also idk what you have but get a wifi adapter as well unless you can hook up to Ethernet which is highly recommended.

Edit 5: If any other questions just PM me glad to help you out more.

Edit 6: shit I forgot drives and OS. I'm too tired to link things anymore so I suggest getting a 128gb Samsung PRO SSD for your OS and main shit then get a Seagate 1TB HDD and you're good to go. Hopefully I covered everything.

Honestly 500-600 wouldn't make a very decent computer for a first rig. You can make one and well I made one just right now but that doesn't take into account peripherals. If you wanted 500-600 WITH peripherals that would have been the hardest budget build of my life. To maintain quality and performance, I'm cringing just thinking of it.

Raw storage:

• 72TB (9 x 8TB RAIDZ2)
  
  
• 36TB (9 x 4TB RAIDZ2)
  
  Total 108TB(18 drives)
  
  Actual storage:
  
  
• 48TiB
  
  
• 24TiB
  
  Total 72TiB
  
  Case:
  
  
• Nanoxia Deep Silence 6 Rev. B
  
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DSFDSUS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  
• Nanoxia Deep Silence 3 for parts
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Nanoxia-Computer-Controllers-Motherboard-NXDS3B/dp/B00M49SNVI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1497552150&sr=8-2&keywords=nanoxia+deep+silence
  
  Used the two bay 3.5" cage, and three bay 2.5" cage from the Deep Silence 3 case.
  
  Fans:
  
  
• 2 140mm top
  
  
• 2 140mm front
  
  
• 2 120mm middle
  
  
• 1 140mm back
  
  
• 2 140mm cpu
  
  Used two 120mm case fans from the Deep Silence 3 case between the two stacks of drives.
  
  Motherboard: Supermicro X10SRA-F
  
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O7ZK10S/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  CPU: Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3 3.5GHz
  
• https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117512&cm_re=intel_1620-_-19-117-512-_-Product
  
  Heatsink: Noctua DH-D15
  
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L7UZMAK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  RAM:
  
  
• Micron ECC Registered - 8gb x 4
  
  
• Mircon ECC Registered - 4gb x 4
  
  Total 48gb
  
  PSU: Corsair AX1500i
  
  Controllers:
  
  
• Motherboard - 10 ports
  
  
• LSI 9211-8i - 8 ports
  
  • https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RL8I7M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    
    
• Marvell - 2 ports
  
  Total 20 ports
  
  NIC: Mellanox Connectx-2 10g
  
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0178CNZ9U/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  OS Disks: 2 x Intel 330 60GB, mdadm RAID1
  
  Storage Disks:
  
  
• 9 x Western Digital Red 8TB WD80EFZX
  
  • http://www.bestbuy.com/site/wd-easystore-8tb-external-usb-3-0-hard-drive-black/5792401.p?skuId=5792401
    
  • https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BYLY4DM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    
    Seven shucked from Best Buy WD easystore externals and two from Amazon as internals.
    
    
• 9 x 4TB drives, mix of Seagates and HGST NAS
  
  • 2 x ST4000DM000
    
  • 2 x ST4000DX000
    
  • 4 x HGST_HDN724040ALE640
    
  • 1 x HGST_HDN726040ALE614
    
    • http://www.frys.com/product/9112138?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
      
      I originally shucked the Seagates from externals. I have replaced the Seagates as they fail, and I had one fail during this upgrade. Yes, I have had five Seagate failures.
      
      SATA/SAS cables:
      
      
• 10 36" SATA cables
  
  • http://www.frys.com/product/8057794?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
    
    
• 2 24" SATA cables
  
  • http://www.frys.com/product/8057804?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
    
• 2 SAS four port breakout cables
  
  • https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018YHS8BS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    
    OS: Fedora 25 with ZFS for Linux
    
    Cost:
    
    
• Around $2800 without storage
  
  
• Around $3200 for storage
  
  
• Around $6000 total
  
  The cost was spread across years. This is more like two builds in one. My old build with the motherboard, memory, heatsink, CPU, and 4tb drives combined with my new 8tb build. With the 4tb drives I have replaced five of nine drives over time, which has driven up the real total cost.
  
  The case is huge, but all the space is nice. You don't feel like you are cramming anything in. I used a Fractal Design R5 for my previous build, and prefer Fractal Design cases to Nanoxia cases. But the biggest Fractal Design case wouldn't quite suit my needs. Even this was a stretch for the Deep Silence 6 case. I wish the Deep Silence 6 had spots to mount 2.5" drives on the back side like the R5. It is a feature I miss.
  
  I have a few issues. The trays and the screw holes on the WD 8tb drives don't match. The WD drives are missing the middle bottom screw holes. My temporary workaround is strong 3M double sticky foam tape with two screws. I may use a drill and drill holes in the sides of the trays. I had to tape down the 2.5" cage, but the drives are so light it is not a big deal.
  
  After building this beast I had the window closed, the door shut, and no room fan for one day. The room was quite warm. I have since opened the window, turned on the fan, and left the door open.
  
  My Kill-a-watt peaked at 450 watts during boot. It idles between 200-220 watts. So I could go back to my AX760 from my previous build with SATA power splitters.
  
  I still have one tray free, but no extra drive or SATA port.
  
  I was originally going to move the four bay 3.5" cage from the Deep Silence 3, but it was just too integrated into the case. I tried adapting it, and it didn't come out well. Even if it had, the bottom tray was going to sit below the lip of the side of the case. So that tray would have been less accessible.
  
  I am currently copying 18tb from the old array to the new array as a burn-in test.
  
  I got the original idea to build with this case from someone else's post. I probably would have just bought another Fractal Design R5, and run two systems otherwise. I have run two systems for storage before, connected them with 10g, and used iSCSI. When I did I used, https://romanrm.net/mhddfs , to merge the filesystems together. I am considering doing the same again.
  
  With the right cages you could probably fit around 26 3.5" drives in this case.
  
  Over time I have gone from 250gb to 500gb to 1tb to 1.5tb to 2tb to 4tb to 8tb drives. I didn't think I would be upgrading to 8tb anytime soon, until the Best Buy easystore deal. In the past I mostly purchased on Black Fridays. In more recent years externals from Costco.
  
  TLDR: I built a new server combining an existing 24TiB ZFS with a new array of 36TiB ZFS for the win!

One additional note on the GPU choice - as PlaysForDays noted, the "standard" RTX 2080 performs only a bit higher (~10%) than the $499 RTX 2070 Super (Gigabyte 2070 Super as an example), but retails for several hundred dollars more. Its successor, the RTX 2080 Super can be found for $699-$730 (eg, this card, or this card), making it a smarter choice than your listed $689 Gigabyte RTX 2080.

Performance differences will vary from game to game, but essentially there's no reason to choose an RTX 2080 at $690 when for ten or twenty dollars more you can pick up an RTX 2080 Super. Conversely, dropping to a 2070 Super can save you two hundred bucks for giving up about ten percent in performance. For a build this powerful, I'd simply step up to the 2080 Super and call it a day. :)

The other observations about the motherboard are also valid. The Gaming X isn't a bad board, but it's not compelling when alternatives such as the Aorus Elite exist for a very minor bump in price.

For a CPU cooler, if you plan on using a traditional air cooler, go with either a Noctua NH-D15 or the Dark Rock Pro 4 from the irritatingly yet aptly named "be quiet!" They're both top tier, very high quality coolers with low noise fans which include mounting hardware for AM4 boards. They'll handle the 3900X's heat with no issues and you'll have some headroom for overclocking if you desire.

Audio Interface: Roland Quad-Capture

Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT 770

CPU: Ryzen 5 1600

GPU: NVidia GTX 1050

HDD: Seagate BarraCuda 2 TB

SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 250 GB

RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x8 GB

Here's why I chose these components.

Audio Interface: All of Roland's products that I used were well-built, aesthetic and most of all sounding great!

Headphones: I've been using these exact headphones for about 5 years and they are very comfortable, robust and precise in sound.

CPU: The new Ryzen CPUs are in my opinion perfect for music production. They have a nice price-performance ratio and give you 6 cores and 12 threads which can beneficial when using at least 12 tracks (which I assume you will).

GPU: The NVidia GPU is capable of handling most games that are not too graphically intense. You can also pick an equivalent AMD GPU, I have always been with NVidia so that's what I chose.

HDD: The Seagate BarraCuda hard drives are cheap but they work perfectly and 2 TB should be enough to handle all the programs and sample libraries.

SSD: To be honest, I just heard great things of these SSDs. I am sure you can also pick a different brand but I wouldn't risk that with the SSD. 250 GB should be enough for your OS and DAW.

RAM: 16 GB is more than enough and the clock speed of that RAM is pretty high.

Of course you also need other stuff like a PC case, power supply, monitor etc. but I figured I would let you choose these components since they are mostly personal preference. However, I would advise against very cheap power supplies. You don't want them to blow up the whole computer.

I found this kit which is actually currently on sale, although it's still a tad spendy. Then there's this kit which is still expensive, but it is the cheapest I could find on newegg for any 8GB stick of 1600 MHz laptop ram that's not a sketchy buy. I went on to Amazon, and guess what. They have the same kits for the same prices. Unless you want to go with even slower ram, or a less reliable or unproven brand, these look like the best options you currently have. It really doesn't help that the memory market is so expensive right now. Just this time last year I could have bought this same 2X8 kit for probably $35-$40, but now it's $50. I always suggest that you go with a dual stick kit over a single stick, as it will set your ram in a dual channel configuration, making certain tasks run more smoothly and faster. If you know the number of ram slots on your laptop motherboard, which I'm pretty sure all HP laptops since the early 2000s have had 2 slots, then definitely spend the extra few dollars on the 2 stick kit. If money's really that tight, the single 8GB stick should do you just fine. If we really get down to brass tacks, you can check your ram currently in the laptop and if it's a single 4GB stick in one of two slots, you could just buy another stick of that ram with the same CAS latency, frequency, capacity, and voltage. All of that info should be on a sticker on the stick. Other than the used market, or slower ram speeds, this is what I came up with. There are other options on Amazon for cheaper, but a lot of them look relatively sketch. Hopefully this is useful info to you. Good luck with the search.

Yes I do (Althought I always recommend Cable over Wifi ,but I'll just assume that isn't a possiblity for you :P )

The Archer T series are good. The 3 models come up as top, T6E , T8E , T9E. Some do 802.11AC wifi others don't. Depends on your router and home network if you would have any use for that.

Those are all PCI Cards you place inside your PC. The Asus PCE-AC68 also deserves a mention if we are talking about High performance Wireless cards. Althought its expensive.

You can also go the USB route, you'll end up with dongles like this Netgear AC1200 which is a excellent USB options, but once again pricey (See the trend, dont worry we are getting there)

A more affordable PCI Options would be this TP-LINK WDN4800 N900 or a USB dongle like this TP-Link WDN4200 N900

And if you are really low on funds you could go for something like the Asus USB-N13 for 18$ or TP-Link N300 which is only 11$.

Personally I'd recommend you grab the TP N900, either the PCI or USB variant would do fine , PCI is faster, USB is probably a bit more versatile as you can use it with any PC/Laptop. N900 gets great reviews all around and it supports 802.11N , should be plenty fast for gaming. One issue the N900 seems to have is Digital signage with W10 ,so you need a different driver than the official one to get by this issue and use 5ghz. Not sure if thats relevant for you.

Either way ,you see the trend, Asus and TP-link are really my go2brands for anything networking.

I realize I still gave you a ton of choices, might not be the most helpful, but atleast you'll have some direction to look.

I'm pretty new to this too, I bought my Ender 3 Pro around the same time as you. Quiet printing is pretty high on my list as well as being able to print high-temp exotic filaments in the long term while maintaining reliability.

First upgrades I purchased were stiffer bed springs so I would be less likely to throw the bed out of level while removing prints or working around the printer and Capricorn XS tube since it has a more consistent internal diameter, fits closer to the filament, and can work with slightly higher temps. I also picked up a pack of bowden couplers recently as I noticed the end nearest the extruder is sliding past the coupler jaws on de/retraction; don't worry about that unless it's an issue for you. That's about $30 alone since I don't have a supply shop locally and have to order those parts in bulk. I had a Pi 3B laying around unused and flashed Octoprint onto it. Highly recommended. I have a replacement Noctua hotend fan, buck converters, and 5015 blower on order to quiet the fan noise; about $32. Just replaced the Meanwell psu fan with a 60x25mm Noctua I had lying around (Note: there may be better options in the 92-120mm range to replace part of the PSU housing, but that's what I had laying around). Next upgrade coming is the SKR Mini E3 with TMC 2209 drivers ($28) to eliminate almost all of the stepper noise. Also looking into a replacement for the control board fan and some vibration isolating feet for the frame. As far as higher temp printing I haven't made a lot of progress aside from buying a titanium all-metal heat brake ($11) winch I have yet to install or inspect, and looking into enclosure and electronics relocation avenues.

Either way the mods I purchased came in at around $100 US which should quiet the printer and help with reliability. Also looking into picking up a good M3-M4 bolt kit if any exist in the US.

Here are some links to the things I picked up and will, which may be helpful if you're in the US. Mostly from Amazon.

Type | Name | Link | Price
---|---|----|----
Reliability | 8mm x 20mm yellow springs | Link | $6.98
Reliability | Capricorn XS Tubing | Link | $11.49
Reliability | PC4-M6 / PC4-M10 Pneumatic Bowden Fittings | Link | $11.99
Silence | Noctua 40mm x 10mm 3-pin fan | Link | $13.95
Silence/Various | LM2596 Adjustable Buck Converters | Link | $10.95
Silence | 24v 5015 Radial Ball Bearing Fans | Link | $7.19
Silence/Various | SKR Mini E3 w/ TMC 2209 drivers | Link | $28.81
High Temp | Titanium All-Metal Heat Brake | Link | $11.52
TOTAL: $102.88 US + Tax

Parts already purchased/ bought with printer

Type | Name | Link | Price
---|---|----|----
Reliability/High Temp | OEM Ender 3 Glass Bed | Link | $20
Reliability | Feeler Guage Set | Link | $5
Reliability | 608zz Bearings, using with this(My Remix), this, and this, though I like this design a bit better | Link | $5.98
QoL Improvement | Raspberry Pi 3B w/ Octoprint | Link | $34.46
Silence | Noctua 60mm x 25mm 3-pin fan, goes with this mod | Link | $14.95
TOTAL: $80.39 US + Tax

Future planned upgrades

• Bl Touch (Note: if you have a Pi you don't need a separate ISP to flash a bootloader to the stock Melzi control board)
  
  
• Extruder | Zesty Nimble, Bondtech BMG, or SeeMeCNC EZR
  
  
• Cooling Duct | Either Smooth Fang or Hero Me Gen 3 in PETG/ABS
  
  
• Direct Drive | Kit or Printed (this, this, or this)
  
  
• Electronics relocation enclosure and wiring (need to research this more)
  
  
• Vibration Isolation Feet with Yellow Dot Squash Balls
  
  
• Linear rails (maybe)

When you start looking as low as $200 you have to really know what you are looking for in the laptop, as conventional laptops do begin to compete in this price range with other devices. As /u/Orangematz said, used/refurbished is definitely a good fit for you, unfortunately I don't know that I could give any specific suggestions in this area. However, if you want to buy new, you may want to consider a Chromebook. You can't run Audacity on a Chromebook natively, but there are some alternative apps available to make this work (see this list for some options).

Alternatively, you mentioned an external hard drive. Do you already have one or would that be included in the budget? If you already have it, you can use this for storage and install Linux on your Chromebook to use Audacity natively (Having an Intel processor in your chromebook is necessary if this is your plan).

If you are feeling very adventurous, you could purchase a Raspberry Pi like the one here. This runs Linux natively and should be able to handle Audacity without issue, although it may take some tinkering to get up and running the first time, especially if this is your first foray into Linux. The Raspberry Pi 3 is missing three things that laptops have, keyboard and mouse, and display. That display only comes with a cigarette lighter power adapter, so you would need a 12 V adapter. Note that this solution has a lot of parts compared to one laptop, and the display is smaller and lower resolution than you are likely to get in a good laptop, so this is really a nifty solution to your problem that adds in a bunch of extra functionality (your display can play audio/video from USB/SD and can be mounted to the back of a headrest while your computer is a neat little hobbyist device that can have a bunch of different uses besides just computer), but not really recommendable if you aren't enthusiastic about those things.

For something along the same vein but slightly less adventurous if you don't feel comfortable with Linux would be to replace the raspberry pi in the previous solution with an Intel Compute Stick (comes with windows). Alternatively, the display can be replaced with a significantly better or somewhat better and significantly cheaper monitor if portability is something you are willing to compromise on (the Raspberry Pi/Compute Stick would still be very portable, but you would need to find an HDMI-enabled display to plug into).

In conclusion, buying used/refurbished is a good idea, but if you are open to it, the "microcomputer" market segment is starting to come up to par with laptops in this price range and could offer some interesting alternative solutions for you. Wow, that was a long comment.

You can do everything with a laptop, I do it all the time and the crowd doesn't seem to care. I typically play for college parties sized at 50-200 people. I have gone through 3 mixtracks in the last 4 years thanks to drunk people spilling drinks on them. After last time, enough was enough so I stick with a good USB mouse and a USB soundcard. Fancy shit does not make up for a shitty DJ; a truly good DJ will be just as good regardless. You think big name DJ's use equipment live? HELL NO! Even Deadmau5 says "we all hit play":

http://deadmau5.tumblr.com/post/25690507284/we-all-hit-play

Ultimately, you are limited by the software, so I recommend getting any DJ software that supports two sound cards. If you do that, then you can copy my setup.

CDJs/Controllers are essentially expensive KEYBOARDS! Besides, using a mouse and keyboard, you can find music on your computer and online TREMENDOUSLY more efficiently. Use your favorite piracy method to answer requests when people ask for their favorite song. Moderate to some degree, but people love when you play their song. You'd be surprised how many songs that you hate and everyone else loves. Having access to WIFI or ideally ethernet internet is best to access whatever song you could think of. Set it up so your downloads go straight to your DJ music folder.

I recommend vk.com to get your music in conjunction with this chrome extension that allows you to download from the site:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/vkontakte-music-downloade/eifflpnfppfheimpmmagplbanbceajjn?hl=en

All you would need physically is a 2nd sound card for headphones, just get this one for under $7:

http://www.amazon.com/Syba-SD-CM-UAUD-Adapter-C-Media-Chipset/dp/B001MSS6CS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370938166&sr=8-1&keywords=usb+soundcard

Connect your headphones to your laptop, connect the speakers to the usb thingy, get familiar with your DJ program's shortcuts (or set your own), download some tunes, and ENJOY! Get used to alt-tabbing between chrome and your DJ program to answer requests.

Testing new things, I need your help.

> /r/theydidthemath has a neat 'points' system that I feel would be super awesome to have in our Daily Simple Questions thread. If you ask a question, and someone answers it correctly, reply with a thank you, but include this checkmark: ✓ ( or if you cannot enter Unicode, use !check instead )

> This will score the user whose comment you replied to a 'point'. I don't know what these points will be used for or if this feature will be a permanent thing. This is where you come in. If there's a good response and it works like I want it to, this could be a great way to incentivize people helping.

Now, get out there and help some people!

-\/u\/eegras

----

In case you missed it, click here for yesterday's Daily Simple Questions thread. There may be some questions still unanswered! Below are a selection of questions with no replies. See if you can help them out.

If you don't want to see this comment click the little [-] to the left of my username to collapse this comment.

----

> Corsair Hydro Series H100i v2 Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler , Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019EXSSBG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_j0L7xb8GQ56MW
>
> Or
>
> https://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16835220079&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
>
>
> Can't decide between the two or if I should just get a better air cooler.
> Will be upgrading to a 6600k with plans to oc it as high as possible

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/552b8e/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_29_2016/d8887ej

----

> Not exactly hardware, but PC related maybe.
>
> I'm going to go to college soon and I'd like to find a major that can lead to a job or career that can bring food to the table. However, I'd like to pursue my time consuming hobbies to an extent of 4-6 hours per day. (gaming/crosscountry)
>
> Do any of you guys do this? Is it feasible? Is there such an occupation to support this kind of lifestyle?
>
> Many Thanks

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/552b8e/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_29_2016/d887t86

----

> I've experienced this error known as BLInitializeLibrary Failed 0xc000009a.
>
> I went to my bios to check some settings and I exit without saving and I got this error. I don't know what it means or what it does and I'm afraid it may have an effect on my PC.
>
> I think I noticed slightly longer boot up time for my computer since booting up, at the logo, my computer would wait a few more seconds after they show the key directions (like press delete to go to bios, etc) and sometimes show the Windows circle loading thing.
>
> So, what exactly is this error and should I be worried and what can I do to solve this?

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/552b8e/daily_simple_questions_thread_sep_292016/d87f2le

----

User | Points
-----|-------
Trazac | 16
Flying_Spaghetti\ | 11
Sayakai | 10
ITXorBust | 9
thatgermanperson | 8
rehpotsirhc123 | 8
TehThyz | 4
Xolandi | 3
CainIsNotShit | 3
Buxton_Water | 3
Kuesbot | 3
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ok. thank you so much. kinda lost here.

you were right. i turned down the oc on my ryzen to 1700 at 1.3V and my ram from 3200 to 29xx. that seemed to do the trick although its kinda annoying that i cant run my expensive ram as high as i would like to. and still weird that it worked before, but i will play it safe and look how it turns out for now. maybe run it a few days or even weeks like this to see if its stable. i think the 3,7 on the cpu i can live wiht, but i would love the 3200 on my ram.


for the usb stuff i actually went to amazon and ordered myself an inateck usb3.0 card with 4 ports.

https://www.amazon.de/Inateck-expresskarte-Anschlüsse-SATA-Stromanschluss-Strom-Y-Kabel/dp/B00B6ZCNGM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511617276&sr=8-1&keywords=inateck+usb+3

these come with a power connector directly to the psu. maybe that will help with balancing the power for my psu heavy usb devices. maybe i can put 2 rift sensors and 1 webcam on there and that will help balancing things out.

thx again for your help. i really appreciate it.

What would you like to know about the tech side? I occasionally make videos and have learned a lot about editing and the best tools for the trade and I also know most of what the AH guys use. For example:

• They use apple iMacs for their stations
  
  
• They also use Mac Pros for storage of video (mostly the old models but some have the new ones)
  
  
• Editing as far as I can tell is done with Final Cut Pro X
  
  -Not Final Cut Pro X it is Final Cut Pro 7 and occasionally when using a PC to edit they use Adobe Premiere Pro CS6/CC
  
  
  
• Recording video is done with the blackmagic capture cards Also I think Ray occasionally uses an El Gato capture card
  
  
• Recording audio is done with Audio-Technica AT2050 microphones
  
  So there are the tools they use but how the setup works is more elaborate so I will give a set by step instruction of what they do for a Let's Play.
  
  1.) They get the mics out and get them all connected to a single computer that is connected to the tv/monitor set up between Jack and Geoff's desks as seen in this photo
  
  2.)To record their audio and have it all synced together they use Audacity which is what is displayed on the tv/monitor discussed in the first step.
  
  3.) They get whatever video game they are playing turned on and also have their capturing devices started capturing (capture card info and setup here)
  
  4.) After all recording and capturing is on and working they sync their audio to their video by doing something simple like saying up while they are on the main menu of there game and going up on the menu.
  
  5.) Once all these steps are done they can begin recording the Let's Play.
  
  6.) After recording the Let's Play they save all the audio and export it to whoever's computer is going to be editing the video. The video however is first stamped with their name (lets say for minecraft) on the top left of their video and then exported.
  
  7.) The video being exported is then sent like the audio to whoever's computer will be doing the editing.
  
  (I'm a bit hazy on how they do a few things from here but I will attempt to give an accurate depiction of how it's done.)
  
  8.) From here it can vary depending on what the Let's Play is but for the sake of this lets say it's a Minecraft Let's Play. So all of the video has now been sent to Gavin (or Lindsay!) and they put the audio from the Let's Play into the video by using Final Cut Pro 7/Adobe Premiere Pro and the gameplay audio is also adjusted along with whatever audio issues there might be in the recorded audio.
  
  9.) I don't know exactly what Gavin/Lindsay/Whoever uses to swap screens but it is a program that allows them to watch all of the video at once and click which screen will be the visible one at that point of the video. (You could do this without the program but it would take a lot longer.)
  
  10.) After that they will trim the video up by deleting slower segments of the video where not a lot of interesting things happen (another long process). Once the editor believes it's good they will rematch the video for any errors and if they think its good they put the opening and ending banners (logo video parts at the beginning and ending of the videos) and export it one last time.
  
  11.) They will then upload the video to YouTube and either set a scheduled time for it to come out or if its late have it come out immediately then.
  
  12.) They start the process over again for the next Let's Play!
  
  Okay so after typing that all out I want to make it clear I do not work for them so their way of making and editing the video might be a little different but what I have written is pretty accurate to how they make a Let's Play.
  
  Here is a difference for other videos (achievement guides, This Is... , Easter Eggs, HUNT, Fails of the Weak, etc.) as well:
  
  
• They do NOT record the audio at the same time as the video. What they do is record the video edit it in Final Cut Pro X and then record themselves (and usually someone with them) while they watch the finished edited video and discuss whatever they need to about the video.
  
  
• After recording the audio it's a quick edit to add it to the finished video and export and upload it to YouTube.
  
  
• In these other videos they usually make more abrupt and noticeable cuts compared to Let's Plays.
  
  ...That's just to name a few differences!
  
  
  If anyone has any questions I will try to answer them! Also if I made a mistake let me know and I will fix it!
  
  

So, I am here to post my solution. It was the hot end fan, 100%!! Responsible for 85% of the noise I was hearing. I replaced it with a Noctua A-Series Cooling Fan ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009NQLT0M/ ) and almost immediately I saw a difference. Not only when printing, but even when the machine is in idle. Thank god, I was running out of ideas.

___

I also printed these: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2557700 which I think help with some of the vibration on the bench (less ghosts in the prints as well). I will probably make these eventually, as I think they will work best: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2742599 I printed this guy also: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2318614 but haven't put it on yet. I am hoping that it helps with the remaining 15% vibration noise.

____

The stock fan they are using now is flawed. I can say this for sure, since I was in the lucky position to have two machine here at the same time (sending the lesser of the two back). They both had the same vibration noise issue coming from the hot end. Well, I am happy now.. since you can no longer hear the printer from every room in my house. I hope this helps someone else going through the same issue.

You should be able schedule the initial interview as soon as 12-24 hours after signing up. I think from my sign up date to hire date I completed the entire process in 4-5 days! Which was awesome because I desperately needed work at the time! You choose when to do the interview based on the available time slots. However, there are trying something new where you can do a completely self-recorded initial interview, which has some advantages I'm sure. You will have more control over exactly what you are sending them and hopefully show something professional enough to get above $18/hour and closer to $20 or $22!

I would not invest a lot into props unless you are hired by VIPKID. In every stage of this hiring process, you will have access to the power point of what class you will be pretending to teach, so you can find those props ahead of time around your house, or make a few simple drawings. So while in practice you will need a variety of versatile props, the interview is all about getting a very specific case correct. All I purchased was a large white poster board to hang behind me, some post-it note letters to create an alphabet on the sheet, and use markers to draw some colorful shapes/animals/people/etc. on it as well. I would recommend, however, buying a small handheld dry erase board! They are so versatile and it is a small investment cost to apply for this job and look way more professional. I also purchased a nice attachable microphone which I will link below. Don't get too obsessed with finding tons of awesome props, though. Many applicants often focus too much on props and not enough on their communication skills!

If you are hired, I also have a whole list of what props and setups to get then. I'm all about keeping it simple and not having my supplies take up a whole room in my house! :D

This microphone is awesome if you want to turn your good headphones into an amazing headSET!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R98JVVU?ref=emc_b_5_t

Just get an attachment like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00IRVQ0F8&pd_rd_r=DEJHY7WRFT67AY404A9J&pd_rd_w=5fpY3&pd_rd_wg=jPQH8&psc=1&refRID=DEJHY7WRFT67AY404A9J

or

https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-headsets-separate-headphone-microphone/dp/B004SP0WAQ/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B004SP0WAQ&pd_rd_r=FBN4YFJYQDXP8FHBXX06&pd_rd_w=VZKVa&pd_rd_wg=y9wMc&psc=1&refRID=FBN4YFJYQDXP8FHBXX06

I bought everything in B&H so that I didn't even have to wait for shipping!

Some of the kits on Amazon are great, specifically the ones by CanaKit. They usually come with everything needed to get started (Pi, power adapter, sdcard, case, etc.) Some kits have more items than others.

As for which Pi, there are only really two options: the Pi 3 or the Pi Zero W. The other models are older and slower or lacking wifi/Bluetooth/etc. The Pi3 is more powerful and requires less adapters to make it plug into your TV, use USB devices, etc. The Pi Zero W requires some adapters and isn't as powerful but it is cheaper and a lot smaller so it is great for projects where you want it as small as possible. Both are great.

Overall, I'd recommend a Pi 3. More powerful, less messing with adapters, and still pretty small. This kit covers all the bases: CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/

Pi 3, case, power, SD card, HDMI cable, SD reader, and heatsinks.

Edit: Here is a similar kit for the Pi Zero W if you want to go the smaller/cheaper route: CanaKit Raspberry Pi Zero W (Wireless) Starter Kit with Official Case https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XJQV162/

The SD card isn't as large and you don't get a card reader but you do get the needed HDMI and USB adapters.

Hope it helps!

This is almost literally what I'm building tomorrow. This is the Pi kit I'm getting. It comes with a case, power supply, and heat spreaders for the Pi's chips (how important are these?). I already have the exact controller in the Arse article, or one that looks just like it, and I have a couple extra HDMI cables around. I don't have an extra microSD card, so I'm buying a 128GB one, and trading my wife for her 64GB model. I don't think I even need 64GB, not for RetroPie. I might put a couple PS1 games on it, depending on how well they can run. But I need more buttons than that controller offers, so it will mainly be for NES/Super NES/Genesis games. And then mainly the first two. Never was a big Genesis player, but ToeJam & Earl, Sonic, Altered Beast, Golden Axe, Phantasy Star... there are some real classics there. $50 for that kit makes it $10 less than the NES Classic... which was never sold here (middle of nowhere, NC).

For beginners (i.e. you have nothing yet), start with this one. It's $70, but it has a 32GB memory card and an HDMI cable, plus a case, the Pi, and a power supply. Oh and a microSD card to USB converter. For microSD card use I would actually recommend getting a USB 3.0 card reader. They're not much. And then you just need a controller.

I don't mean to imply I am not a beginner myself — I have never done this before. But I've played with Linux, I've modded Android (ran custom ROMs, firmware, and rooted four different Android phones by three manufacturers). I also build computers, though I'm only on my fourth built PC in 13 years. I'm kind of a little wet behind the ears, but I have some experience. I don't think you need that much to actually install and set up a RetroPie kit, but it helps to understand what is going on behind the scenes, in case anything goes wrong. And of course any seasoned geek will tell you, Google is your best friend, and from there, threads on Reddit, StackExchange, and Tom's Hardware are some of the best resources. Those are the search results I usually click on, in any case.

Also, not affiliated with CanaKit. I'm pretty sure theirs are the Pi kits RetroPie recommends. Or maybe it was a guide I saw. And then even before, looking to buy a Pi, I saw them on Amazon. There is another Pi kit company and their prices seem comparable, but they don't appear to have the full $70 kit (I may be wrong!), just the $50 case/power/Pi starter kit. I'm sure they're both (that brand and CanaKit) fine as long as the Pi itself is. The rest is probably just standard off-the-shelf stuff.

> Is now the right time to buy a PC or should I wait because new cards are coming out and they will lead to price drops? But how long until those price drops will even come into effect?

I would wait slightly, prices of the older cards will not fall (in the used market they will. But new cards, not so much.) so just wait for the price gouging of the new cards to stop and pick up one of those.

> Also, when building a PC what parts do I need to connect to Internet/Wi-Fi? A wireless network adapter? Or do motherboards come equipped with being able to connect to WiFi? And what do you look for when choosing a wireless network adapter if you need them?

Some motherboards do come with Wi-FI adapters built in, but these are typically in a price range that it's not worth it to most of us. If wifi if your only choice your best bet is to get a PCI express Wifi adapter. Something like this: https://smile.amazon.com/Gigabyte-GC-WB867D-I-Bluetooth-Adapter-Computer/dp/B00HF8K0O6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466008737&sr=8-1&keywords=pci+express+ac+wifi
When you're shopping just make sure the adapter supports the best wifi standard your home router/AP does (AC, N, etc)

> Finally, when looking at Graphics cards, e.g. the GeForce GTX 1070, I saw they were sold by various manufacturers like EVGA, Zotac, MSI etc. Does it matter which manufacturer you buy from (apart from price differences)? Does it affect performance or anything of the card or can I just relax and buy from any company?

There are differences in each of the cards from the companies. You will want to read reviews for the cards you may be interested in. One card may run quieter than the others, one may have higher clocks and therefor perform better.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | $203.37 @ Amazon
Motherboard | MSI H110M PRO-D Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $47.99 @ Amazon
Memory | Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory | $28.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $49.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card | $299.40 @ Amazon
Case | Deepcool TESSERACT BF ATX Mid Tower Case | $43.38 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $79.98 @ Amazon
Optical Drive | Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer | $17.59 @ Amazon
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) | $85.97 @ Amazon
Monitor | Sceptre E248W-1920 60Hz 24.0" Monitor | $99.99 @ Amazon
Keyboard | AmazonBasics KU-0833 +MSU0939 Wired Standard Keyboard w/Optical Mouse | $14.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $971.64
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-24 03:49 EDT-0400 |

All Amazon, so you can take full advantage of that sweet, fast, free Prime shipping! Other vendors had slightly lower prices but I have the feeling that Hawaii shipping would kill the savings.

Webcam: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008ZVRAQS/?tag=pcgedit-20&ascsubtag=bestwebcam

"Gaming" kb/m combo if you like LEDs, only $5 more: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A7WHWE2

I went slightly overkill on the PSU. It has flawless stability and is fully modular. I feel like a build of this price deserves a top notch PSU, but since you're not overclocking, it's not entirely necessary. You could save $30 by going down to this one, and be fine with no performance impact.

One last thing: The GTX 1070 is coming out on June 10 at $379. It's expected to be more powerful than the 980 Ti (which a $600 card), making it much stronger and a much better value than the 970 I put in the build. It does put you over budget, and supply is likely to be an issue when it launches, so you may end up waiting longer than you'd prefer. I would personally wait, but if you'd like to dig in ASAP, I suggest buying EVGA. They have a step-up program that lets you upgrade within 90 days of purchase, provided you register your product within 15 days. Check it out and think it over!

What's your total budget? I'm assuming right around 2000.

If that's the case, I highly recommend a water cooler with your 7700k. I personally have a Corsair h100i because those chips are notorious for running hot due to shitty ihs paste. I also got mine delidded after I realized that I'd go over 80C at full load. Once the process was done, my chip never saw over 50C. While the h7 is a great cooler for the money, I just wouldn't be comfortable with it on this chip.

Not to advertise, but I purchased my 7700k from the silicon lottery, which basically tests chips and pushes them as far as they'll go. I purchased mine with a stable 4.9GHz overclock. I especially recommend that if you're going to sport a 1080ti. It would be a shame to be gaming and be throttled back because of the excessive heat. Just something to keep in mind. You could be lucky and get a cool and powerful chip, or you could get a shitty one. It's all luck. With the SL, you get one guaranteed to work as advertised. For example, you can buy this one already delidded and ready to OC to 5.0GHz.

Also, try to opt for a bigger storage drive. 1TB is nice, but if you're planning on gaming and as such, that thing fills quick. I had to upgrade already from a 1TB to a 4TB.

Everything else looks great.

EDIT: You swapped out the i7-7700k for the i5-8600k. I still recommend everything I said above. Several friends of mine went through these guys and they're fantastic.

EDIT2: You can still get this chip from the SL guaranteed to hit 5.0 here.

I have a 2013 Dell Latitude 3540 with the same i5-4200u CPU which I still use fairly regularly as a secondary laptop to watch / listen to videos and browse the web. Also use it to play some old games with either the the Intel HD 4400 or the dedicated Radeon HD 8850m. It has 8GB of RAM (2 x 4GB), 2TB hard drive and 1080p screen.

There is no 12GB RAM stick. Your laptop has 4GB of onboard RAM (soldered into the motherboard). You can install a 4GB or 8GB stick of RAM. 8GB is still sufficient enough and allows the RAM to run in dual channel mode (full speed). Your laptop's RAM is currently operating in asynchronous dual channel mode because of the 4GB onboard RAM and 2GB RAM in the slot. Installing a 8GB stick will increase the total RAM to 12GB and will still operate in asynchronous dual channel mode. That is faster than only using the 4GB onboard RAM (single channel or half speed), but it is slower than dual channel mode. If you play games with the Intel HD 4400, then for best performance you want to install 4GB of RAM to allow the RAM to operate in dual channel mode. You are not going to see a massive increase in performance; it will be more like a 5% to 10% increase at most depending on the game. If you do not play games, then just add an 8GB RAM stick.

The Latitude 3540 takes about 90 seconds to get to the Windows 10 desktop (including entering my password) and it takes about another 180 seconds (3 minutes) for all of the background processes to load and the hard drive activity light to stop flashing. If it takes 10 minutes for your laptop to become usable, then there is definitely a problem. Perhaps it is just bloated because you never reinstalled Windows before which is not unheard of. But reinstalling Windows 10 (assuming you currently have it) should fix the issue. Well... at least make the laptop usable in 5 minutes...

Replacing the hard drive with a 2.5" SSD should allow you to boot into Windows 10 in about 20 seconds and all of the background processes will probably load up in 5 to 10 seconds. But you should be able to immediately use the laptop. I haven't upgraded the 2TB HDD to a 2TB SSD because that is roughly a $225 upgrade and I thinking about retiring this laptop sometime next year.

You cannot upgrade the CPU because it is soldered into the motherboard, and you cannot add a graphics card. As stated above, to get the best performance out of the Intel HD 4400 you should simply install a 4GB RAM stick. Example games I played using the Intel HD 4400 in the past at 1920x1080 resolution are as follows:

- Mass Effect Trilogy

- Fallout 3

- Fallout New Vegas

- Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines

- Skyrim (Not the Special Edition version) @ 1600x900 resolution.

​

=======================================================

​

I recommend the following upgrades. Perhaps wait for a Black Friday sale on the 2.5" 1TB SSD do not necessary have to be Crucial. It is very unlikely the old DDR3L RAM will go on sale.

- Crucial MX500 1TB SDD

- Crucial 4GB Single DDR3/DDR3L 1600 MT/S (PC3-12800)

or

- Crucial 8GB Single DDR3/DDR3L 1600 MT/S (PC3-12800)

PCpartpicker seems to err on the side of caution, but I don't trust it 100%. Newegg is probably the best in terms of parts specifications, they list cooler and ram heights and how big of a cooler each case can accept. Amazon will tell you too but sometimes you have to dig through the questions. The best source is probably the specifications at the manufacturers website.
I just built a gaming pc a few months ago, and like you I wanted function over form. 8700k processor with the best performing air cooler I could buy - https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NH-D15-heatpipe-NF-A15-140mm/dp/B00L7UZMAK
If you end up getting that you need low profile ram. I bought two of the better cooling cases from that gamersnexus link to test the cooler fit, the Silverstone RL06 and Rosewill Cullinan. Supposedly the RL06 was like 5mm too narrow to accept the D15 cooler, but it actually does fit (however it touches the window). The Cullinan I bought as a backup because it was slightly deeper and that was the one I ended up using but it didn't like my tall Strix video card, had to fight it.

This looks like a really solid build.

I would however recomend air cooling instead of water cooling, water cooling can be tricky to put together and it's not a whole lot better, plus it's more expensive. I recomend the ''Hyper 212 EVO'', It's the most efficent cooler for the money out there, it's only 35$ and keeps my I7-4790K around 70 degrees while overclocked to 4.7Ghz.

Hyper 212 EVO: http://amzn.com/B005O65JXI

Also, I don't know about you, but if you want to be able to put dvd's and such into your pc, which can be really helpful for installing drivers and such, you shouldn't forget the optical drive, they are only 20$!

Asus Optical Drive: http://amzn.com/B0033Z2BAQ

Other than that this looks like a really strong build, will max out almost everything, if you want more storage I would recommend the 4 Tb Western Digital Green, the green is twice as cheap as the black and sees almost no difference, (in my opinion). 750GB won't last forever, and if you want to be comfortable being able to record and download how much you want, mass storage can be a good thing.

WD Green 4TB: http://amzn.com/B00EHBEUZO

Welcome aboard the pc master race!

I see you've already come pretty far with your research.
The Ryzen 5 2600x is indeed a great value, but when you plan on manual overclocking the Ryzen 5 2600 (non-X) is even better. It will achieve the same overclock as the 2600x (so the exact same performance), while costing less.

As for the Motherboard, here is the generally accepted Quality Tier List of the many AM4 motherboards. I'd recommend checking out the Mid-, Highrange and Top end Boards and see if one of them fits your needs and budget.

Corsair LPX DDR4 is very popular for good reason. I've personally used it in 4 Ryzen builds and it has not dissapointed. I would recommend however to go with 3000MHz instead of 2666MHz. The higher the clockspeeds, the better performance you will get out of your Ryzen processor. 3000MHz is widely considered the sweetspot in price to performance

I would like to point out that the new Ryzen 3000 series is expected to launch at the end of this month/start of June. This will mean that you can either get a more powerfull Ryzen 3000 cpu for the same price as the current 2600. OR get the 2600 at a significant discount. (the discounts are already happining at different retailers as they're clearing stock in anticipation of the new 3000 series.) So if you can wait for just 1 month to, I'd recommend doing that.

Hey buddy! I just looked over your build and I like most of it but I do have a few suggestions.

1. A lot of the comments are saying to got for Z270 but there really is no reason too, Z170 is cheaper and just as good for what you are doing (270 adds a lot of features which you probably wont be using)
   
2. That being said, the first thing I would do is ditch the MSI motherboard, not only is it on the lower end of their product line (not necessarily bad), but MSI has a very bad review history on their boards... Lots of people reporting that they break and that the support is terrible. I would personally stay clear but thats up to you, instead I would recommend the Asus Z170 PRO GAMING/AURA, its actually $10 cheaper (at time of post) and much better.
   
3. Love your RAM choice, but the same set at 3200MHZ is only $99 on Amazon right now :D faster for cheaper!
   
4. The 212 Evo is nice, but I would HIGHLY recommend spending the 10 extra dollars and getting the 212X (about 100,000 more hours of life time I think)
   
   That's, all in all its a very solid build! If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me! I am an A+ Certified Professional who would be happy to help!

Yes you will need a network adapter, http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WDN4800-Wireless-Express-Low-profile/dp/B007GMPZ0A/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
That is the #1 on amazon.
Although might I suggest getting a better motherboard with the rest of your left over budget? The one you have is good, and will do the job, but for relatively not much more, you can get one with many more options available to you for the future.

BTW, something also to think about, mouse, and keyboard, what type are you going to use? I mean, my thinking is, why buy a sports car (gaming PC) but have seats like a school bus. A cheap mouse and keyboard get the job done perfectly well, but you can get some pretty nice ones (let's be honest, we like to spoil ourselves).

Warning: THIS IS BUILDAPC, where we will always, even by accident, try to convince you "Hey if you spent just a LITTLE bit more, it would be so much better for you!"
I ended up planning my build with a 660, to a 760, and now I am debating if I NEED a 770 just because everyone else is getting one XD.

My list for mobile/portable operating would look something like this...

For a man portable setup I could carry in a pack, the highest capacity LiFePO4 battery I could afford.

Otherwise, if I'm driving out to a fixed operating site, then the biggest AGM deep cycle battery I would care to lug from the car a short distance to the operating site.

A lightweight computer with good battery life so I don't have to worry about external power for it out in the field. I'm not really a Mac guy, but I'd probably bring my Macbook Pro for this task.

The TS-480 doesn't require a Signalink/Rigblaster type interface for digital operation, but you will need the following items to interface to your computer...

• USB to serial converter. Don't buy the Prolific chipset garbage, save yourself the frustration and spend the few bucks for something with an FTDI chipset.
  
  
• Kenwood PG-5H data cable set. You can also make this if you want, Your TS-480 should have shipped with a plastic baggie with the connectors in it to make this (pinouts are detailed towards the back of the manual). Or, you can get them on ebay. I bought mine mainly because hate soldering stuff to DIN connector pins.
  
  
• Serial cable, straight through, female ends. Cheap and readily avaialble.
  
  
• If the laptop you're using doesn't have separate speaker out/mic in jacks, then a cheap USB audio adapter.
  
  The filters aren't truly necessary and the unit is pretty frequency stable without the TCXO, but they sure are nice to have. If you were going to put a filter in it, I would recommend the 500Hz CW filter. It comes in handy when you're trying to zero in on a particular signal or block adjacent strong signals. The DSP filtering is generally adequate, but a strong enough signal is going to swamp the AGC and that's when the crystal filters come in handy to notch that out.
  
  If you do get the TCXO, don't waste $110 on the Kenwood SO-3. The cheap Chinese TCXO's work just as well and can be had for much cheaper. I got mine from ebay for 20 bucks or so, but now you can even get them on Amazon with Prime shipping and everything.
  
  Antenna choice is highly variable. Out here in the deserts of New Mexico, you don't find much in the way of trees, so a wire antenna deployed up into a tree is out and a self supporting vertical is in. I generally pack an MFJ 1979 telescoping vertical whip with a clamping antenna mount or a collapsable fiberglass pole that I can hoist up a length of wire with. Your own situation, available terrain, bands you want to work are going to be the determining factors here.
  
  This page has some useful notice on power draw of the TS-480 with some operating scenarios and battery sizing options. A lightweight, power sipping QRP rig the TS-480 is not, but it's still very usable for portable operations.
  
  

The MSI GT series gets quite hot due to a single fan cooling system. I would not recommend it. Instead, I think something with a quad core i7 processor would be ideal because of the CPU intense apps that you intend to run. Ultrabooks use a dual core i7 ULV that is meant to save battery life, so if you want power, you'll have to sacrifice a bit of portability and battery life.

The first option is the Asus N550JK-DB74T, which has the following specs:

• i7 quad core 4710HQ processor
  
• 16GB ram
  
• 256GB SSD
  
• GTX 850M GPU w/ 2GB DDR3 memory
  
• 1920x1080 15.6” IPS touchscreen
  
• Windows 8.1
  
• 4-5 hours of battery life
  
• 1.1” thick / 6 pounds
  
  You really won't ever have to upgrade this, and the beautiful 1080p IPS screen will be especially useful for any CAD work you do.
  
  You could also customize a Lenovo T440p from their website and upgrade the following: processor to i7 4700MQ, 1080p screen, 9 cell battery and Intel AC wireless card. You can then upgrade the RAM and SSD yourself. It may run you a bit over budget, but you'll have a fairly portable 14" laptop with a good amount of power and up to 16GB ram.
  
  If you'd like a more portable version of the above, though with only a dual core i7 and max 12GB ram, then consider the The Lenovo T440s, which has:
  
  
• i7 dual core 4600U processor
  
• 8GB ram (upgradeable to 12GB)
  
• 256GB SSD
  
• 1920x1080 14” IPS screen
  
• Excellent Thinkpad build quality and precision keyboard for comfortable typing
  
• Windows 7 Pro
  
• 0.8” thick / 3.5 pounds
  
  Though I think the quad core would be useful, you may just want a decently powerful yet portable machine. You can swap out the single 4GB RAM module for an 8 GB module like this one if you find that you need more RAM for Solidworks, etc.

Both the Rift and Vive have their pros and cons, I have both and here is my cut and paste summary of just some of the comparative factors people may consider, as the topic has already been done to death:

The standard 2 forward facing camera Touch tracking has some FOV and distance related Touch occlusion, so a 3rd camera really is recommended for genuine roomscale.

The official Oculus experimental guide for 2 camera 360 degree tracking is here: https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/t39.2365-6/15397552_232732683816172_4121045365602385920_n.pdf

The recommended Oculus play area for diagonally opposed 360 tracking use is only 1.5M x 1.5M, with the cameras 2M apart.

To put that into some comparative context HTC recommends 2M x 1.5M as the minimum for the Vive 2 base station room-scale setup, with 3.55M x 3.55M being the recommended. People such as myself have tested Lighthouse out to nearly 10M, though that is pushing the envelope given how Lighthouse operates, see here for details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75ZytcYANTA

The standard Rift HMD cable length is also a limiting factor for large roomscale use. By comparison my Vive tracked volume is 8Mx4M and the included HMD cable lets you take advantage of that space with a computer located halfway down the long side.

Some are reporting that hardware/cable issues can affect Touch tracking: https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/5hbxxg/anyone_having_controller_warpingtracking_loss/db06gvm/

It took me a lot of fiddling to work out which USB ports gave the best results with my Rift, and still be able to use all the peripherals that go with my 3DOf compact motion simulator. I have yet to resolve all my Rift USB issues, with some visual jumps and persistent disconnects after a random period of time. A new Inateck card, as recommended by Oculus, is on its way (note some are still reporting issues, even with the recommended card): https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-Expansion/dp/B00B6ZCNGM

Here is a list of additional hardware and cables that may been needed for full Oculus roomscale:

For Sensors:

1x Additional Sensor: https://www3.oculus.com/en-us/rift/
2x Monoprice 15-Feet USB 2.0 Extension: http://a.co/1uRWG3A
2x Security Wall Mount- Adjustable Indoor/Outdoor Mount: http://a.co/5ZQxIal
Inateck Superspeed 7 Ports PCI-E to USB 3.0 Expansion Card: http://a.co/gFqRg0x

For HMD:

Cable Matters High Speed HDMI 10-Feet Extension Cable: http://a.co/9mBQCrU
Cable Matters SuperSpeed USB 3.0 10-Feet Extension Cable: http://a.co/6Q1kIKd

Touch does a pretty good job at simulating hands in VR. The Vive wands are great as things like guns and swords, both have their place. The Vive has a number of upgrades and peripherals due for release in Q2, including an ergonomic deluxe audio headstrap, trackers to bring any peripheral or real world object into VR, wireless HMD kit and finger tracked gloves.

I do a lot of public demos and to be honest the rift is far more problematic with cable management, USB related issues and setup time/issues, in comparison I can set up the Vive at schools and NGO offices in 15 minutes or less, including booting the computer and running the calibration setup.

In terms of other factors the world scale of the Rift is slightly larger in things like Longbow, which actually makes hitting things easier.

The Rift has less screen door effect but the god rays are significantly worse.

The Vive sweet spot is not as large or sharp.

The stereo overlap in the Rift is more noticeable.

The Rift has quality built in headphones and microphone, while the Vive has a built in camera but a poorer microphone.

The Vive has cutouts in the foam and accommodates glasses better.

Cost comparisons need to take in applicable shipping and taxes, the possible need for additional tracking cameras, compatible usb hardware, usb and hdmi cable extensions, upgraded headstraps, peripherals and trackers.

Oculus has ATS and ASW, SteamVR has ATW-reprojection but also allows Oculus ATS/ASW via the Oculus SDK: https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/0/305510202679681031/

I have had the odd crash on Steam, but it is pretty rare, I have had far more significant issues with things like processing a refund via Oculus Help, which then bricked Medium and that took a week to sort out. So I think it fair to say both store fronts have their features, limitations and problems.

Other extraneous factors to take into account include business practices, your room space and game play preferences, the shape of your head or any eyesight issues.

Personally I have found there is less difference between the HMDs than there is between individual users, based on having done thousands of public demos. So try them both and pick whichever is the best for you.

I'll just preface this by saying I spent a lot of time browsing the Octane Render forums when I was trying to figure out my build. I don't have links to any threads but there are plenty there discussing system requirements for the renderer.

These are just some of the glaring mistakes. I would recommend you spend way more time researching parts as it is clear that you have spent very little time doing so. It took me around a week of extensive researching to put my build together. Expect to spend the same time doing so.

Get a Noctua cooler. Look at the Amazon review breakdown of this one. 92% 5-star reviews our of 409 reviews. I'm not sure if this one will fit for you though.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00L7UZMAK/

You're wasting money on that memory. Your motherboard only supports up to 3200 MHz memory. Your CPU only supports up to 2133 MHz.

https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/X99DELUXE/specifications/

http://ark.intel.com/products/82931/Intel-Core-i7-5930K-Processor-15M-Cache-up-to-3_70-GHz

Get this memory instead.

http://gskill.com/en/finder?cat=31&series=0&prop_3=2133MHz&prop_4=0&prop_1=0&prop_14=DDR4&prop_2=64GB+%288GBx8%29

ASUS has a new version of your motherboard anyway. I wouldn't buy the old one.

https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/X99-DELUXE-II/specifications/

Do you need the Deluxe? Look at the non-Deluxe version below.

https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/X99-A-II/specifications/

If you're using Octane you could use up to 4 video cards with a different motherboard.

https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/X99E_WS/

Although, if you went that route you would have to do liquid cooling and it would probably only fit in the biggest CaseLabs case. A system like that would run you over $10,000. Such a system would only be necessary if you were working and rendering by yourself on a single system. If that is not the case, 2 cards will suit you just fine.

Western Drives are more reliable. Read the Amazon reviews of this one.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011LVAVEQ/

The choice of power supply is great.

If I was going to do an air cooled system, I would go with this case. I'm not sure if you need it though.

https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-HAF-Computer-RC-942-KKN1/dp/B003S68Q0Y

EDIT:

With all that money you're saving on memory you could get a better CPU.

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/NXyxFT/intel-cpu-bx80671i76900k

This CPU supports up to 2400 MHz memory, meaning you could also upgrade your memory.

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/YK8H99/gskill-memory-f42400c15q264grk

I'm not sure about the case or how you're cooling the GPUs. I know from researching on the Octane forums that anything above 2 cards needs to be water cooled otherwise your cards will overheat and you will lose performance. Look into the founders edition because of its blower-style cooler.

EDIT:

I forgot to mention that when I was looking into this for myself I was trying to build a system for animation. If you're only using Octane for stills 2 cards will be great.

Hey thanks for the reply.

First, here's the deal for the EVGA PSU. They're having a large sale today.

Regarding your changes:

• The WD Blue 250 GB SSD is currently on sale on Amazon for $70, $10 cheaper than the MX300. Would you recommend it?
  
  
• For the case he would prefer a window and thus, something with a PSU shroud to help with cable management and looks. What would you say are the differences between these two cases?
  
  
• The wireless adapter does have bluetooth. It doesn't say it on PCPartPicker, but the Amazon link does say Bluetooth 4.0. (It's also the same one that I have and it does have Bluetooth haha)
  
  
• Why is the 1400 worth the $45 difference compared to the 1300X?
  
  
• I feel that PCIe Wi-Fi adapters are better than USB ones. Is that true?
  
  I agree that for now a CPU cooler isn't necessary as the included one will be fine. He likely will not be overclocking regardless. Regarding RAM overclocking, however, is that not a tad harder than standard overclocking?
  
  In general, is this ~$50 price increase notably different from my previous partlist? My friend would rather stay lower than push the limits of the budget.
  
  Also, I've been looking at this list throughout the day and making tiny changes, and on my saved partlist I swapped out the Corsair RAM for this higher speed (and cheaper) G.Skill Aegis DDR4-3000 RAM. Is the extra ~$50 for 16 GB worth it?
  
  Thanks!
  

The most important things with RAM (besides being the right type for your computer, such as DDR4), are: size (GB), clockspeed (mhz), and CAS timing (typically some number between 8-20).

The bigger the size the better, but these day 16GBs of ram is recommended, 32GB max for most users. The higher the clockspeed the better, but typically you get the most bang for your buck around 3000mhz or 3200mhz, over 3200 you tend to get diminishing performance returns for far higher cost; Also, make sure your motherboard supports the given clockspeed. CAS timing, this is a little complicated, but long story short the lower the timing the better, and the ram's actual performance is based on some equation of like clockspeed divided by cas timing or such. For 3200MHz ram, the typical cas timing is 16 (specifically "16, 18, 18, 18, 36", but don't worry about those other numbers, just the first one).

For good highspeed DDR4 ram that isn't crazy, I would recommend these.

Worth noting, if you have different ram in your computer running at different speeds, all of your ram will run as slow as the slowest ramstick. For that and some other reasons, it is best to keep all the ram in your PC the same type, so that they will all perform the same.

The most important things for you are going to be a really good keyboard and a solid CPU. You could go a couple different ways with this.

You could stay pretty cheap and portable with this Lenovo ThinkPad T430. It has a 14" 1600x900 display, the best keyboard on the market, and an incredibly durable build. It's also easy to upgrade, and I would suggest throwing more RAM in.

Or if you want something with a much higher quality display and dedicated graphics, the ASUS N550JK has a beautiful 15.6" 1920x1080 IPS touch display and Nvidia GTX 850M graphics. It also has fantastic build quality and a powerful i7-4700HQ processor. It's a very well rounded multimedia laptop that is basically capable of doing whatever you want to do with it.

• 750 Watt Power Supply. $89.98
  
  
• Generic Corsair Case. $64.99 You can shop around for something better looking for a little more money.
  
  
• DDR4 3200 RAM (2*4GB Sticks) for $147.99 and DDR4 3200 RAM (1*8GB Stick) for $160.32. You can also drop to 3000MHz and save like $5-10 but not worth it in my opinion.
  
  
• GTX 1060 3GB for $304.99 or GTX 1060 6GB for $389.99.
  
  
• i7 8700k for $449.99 or i7 7700k for $422.96. 8700k is 8th gen and 7700k is 7th gen. You can drop to any processor around an i7 7700 (No "k") without seeing issues I'd assume. WoW is a processor heavy game though. Still my i7 8700k only ever reaches maybe 30% useage that I see.
  
  
• Heat Sink + Fan. Cooler Master is good. $34.99
  
  
• i7 8700 will require a 300 Series Motherboard like ASUS ROG for $141.50 or ASUS Prime for $84.99. The 7700s will take a 200 series motherboard like this one for $129.61 or this one for 149.99. Basically just make sure it has all the hook-ups you need (sound and USBs and shit) with the proper chip set and supports DDR4 RAM with minimum 1 PCI Express slot for your GPU.
  
  
• Samsung 860 Evo 500GB SSD for $179.94 or the 250GB for $109.94. Any decent SSD will do. Make sure it has enough room for your OS and the game(s) you play. You can use any regular HD to store other stuff on. Samsung is a good brand for them.
  
  When trying to decide on what power your PC needs a good website to use is http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/ - it'll give you a general idea since I get confused with all the "i7/i5/i3 XXXX gen X" nonsense too.
  
  That'll build you a tower. Then you just need external components. Monitor, keyboard, mouse, headset, chair, desk, etc. Depending on what you have available and stuff it can vary so I'll let you price out that stuff.
  
  $1,358 pre-taxes if you go with i7 8700k, and GTX 1060 3 GB. For the tower. Taxes in, plus all the other components you're still looking at pushing close to $2000. That's CND I think. If you do a little shopping around you might get a decent deal on a few items and look into different price points between AMD and Intel if you choose their Board/Chip/GPU combos.

If you want the absolute best reception possible, a PCIe card is the best choice. Not too expensive.

If you want something that'll save you money and still offer solid reception, there's USB adapters.

Alternatively, depending on how old your house is (I'm not sure of how the logistics go; you'd have to search around on that), powerline adapters are the next best thing to a wired connection.

Wired > Powerline > PCIe > USB

USB isn't bad, but PCIe is a good sweet spot if a powerline adapter wouldn't work.

So roughly $10-40 for WiFi. It's well worth it over purchasing a motherboard with it built-in.

---

With your budget? Yessir. Hardware before luxuries.

---

It's not hard at all. There are plenty of instructional videos and articles on how to do it.

tl;dr Make a bootable flash drive (at least 4GB on the drive; might as well have a bigger one, though), put the Windows ISO on there (make sure your Windows is tied to your Windows account; not as a local account either), install it to the SSD, boot up, sign in with the same Windows email as before, and activate it. Easy as that.

Make sure you wipe your hard drive, too.

> but which one should I buy, considering a Wi-Fi adapter?

The TP Link WDN-4800. It's very popular on this subreddit and gets recommended very often.

For cpu and Mobo I'd go with the I5 4690 and the ASRock H97 Pro4.

> Which 750w PSU for my GPU? (I'm talking about compatibility for pins)

Most 750W power supplies come with the necessary cables for the computer. I know for sure that this XFX Pro Series 850W has all the cables you need.

> About the RAM, I'd go for the faster CL9 I put in description

There is no scenario where you'll even notice the difference between CL9 and CL10... It might, just might improve when doing something like rendering / 3D-modeling.
So you can save yourself about 8,- that way.

> and same thing for the SSD 840 Pro, which has better read/write speed.

When only considering the read/write speeds you'd see 1 maybe 2% performance improvement over the 840 Evo. While the 840 Evo is ~30% cheaper.
If you think performance is important get the Samsung 840 Evo 120GB twice and put them in Raid 0. It improves performance up to 100%! And is still cheaper than the 840 Pro.

after doing some research of your psu, it seems to be fine... i take back my statement about it burning out. but if you still want to upgrade. i recommend better or best.

good http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EON40CS

better http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151118

better http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104199

best http://www.amazon.com/dp/B010HWDPKW

Warning:

Never pay someone using PayPal friends/family.

Always have a seller comment on your thread prior to making the transaction. This shows that the user hasn't been banned. You can check the ban list for a full list of banned users.

Title: [SG] [H] Mini-ATX build, i7 6700K 4 core 4.2GHz, 32GB 3200 MHz DDR4, Samsung 850 EVO 250GB, ASUS Pro gaming board, Liquid cooling, 6 months old [W] PayPal / £ pickup London
Username: /u/my13s
Original Post:
Item Name: Mini-ATX build, i7 6700K 4 core 4.2GHz, 32GB 3200 MHz DDR4, Liquid cooling, 6 months old

Condition: Mint condition, babied (the Canadian way)

Timestamps: https://goo.gl/photos/QEBackVQdKxD1pL88

Price: £949 ono (reasonable offers considered, no parting out)

Postage and Payment: £20-30 via UPS/Fedex (don't trust Royal Mail) or pickup N65XG London

Any additional information:

6 months, March 1st build. Used less than 4 months. Been sitting around in the box since July.

It was to be my ongoing project but unfortunately I'm selling as I've had to buy a laptop to work in the city half the week and really don't need two high spec machines in the house (some photos in the gallery at the end).

Clean install Win10 currently loaded, if you're looking for a high spec machine or want to get into gaming/VR just drop a video card in and you're off to the races (which is what I was going to do). Otherwise the machine works amazing as is.

Google the case NZXT Manta some really cool stuff you can do with this mini tower. I had it on my desk as it's a real beauty.

Drop me any questions or photo requests.

Specs/Prices:

*Current 'Price' listed from Amazon subject to change via Amazon

ASUS Z170I Pro Gaming Motherboard - Grey/Red/Black

RRP: £167.99 - Current price: £151.02 - I paid: £151.24
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B015FY4HLS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

• • -
    
    Corsair CW-9060025-WW Hydro Series H100i V2 240 mm Extreme Performance All-In-One Liquid CPU Cooler - Black
    
    RRP: £134.99 - Current price: £104.97 - I paid: £109.99
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B019EXSSBG/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    
    
• • -
    
    EVGA SuperNova P2 650 W Platinum Fully Modular Power Supply Unit
    
    RRP: £129.99 - Current price: £125.47 - I paid: £107
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0151DNTLM/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    
    
• • -
    
    Samsung 850 EVO 250 GB 2.5 inch Solid State Drive - Black
    
    RRP: £94.99 - Current price: £94.30 - I paid: £86.69
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00P736UEU/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    
    
• • -
    
    NZXT Manta Mini ITX Case for PC - Black
    
    Current price: £119.99 - I paid: £110
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01B4RPWTG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    
    
• • -
    
    Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) 3200 MHz DDR4 Memory Kit - Red
    
    RRP: £439.99 - Current price: £318.36 - I paid: £208
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01ARHF6Z4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    
    
• • -
    
    Intel Core i7 6700K Processor (4 GHz, 4 Core, 8 Threads, 8 MB cache, LGA1151 Socket Box)
    
    RRP: £418.99 - Current price: £287.00 - I paid: £308
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B010T6DQTQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    
    Note: the ASUS gaming board has some awesome BIOS overclocking GUI and some apps you can install as well to switch up modes, beginner to advanced. I had this up at 4.5Ghz when I was playing about once with a few clicks. Someone invested could prob get a little more out of it.
    
    
• • -
    
    RRP: £1500 - Current price part by part: £1200 - I paid: £1100 (plus love and labour right?)
    
    All manuals, extra parts are in the original boxes. Keep or leave the boxes, I can pack the extras in the main tower box no problem.
    
    I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

This is the wrong take, OP didn't ask for best bang for the buck PC, he asked for the best PC.

Cooler: Air is usually cooler and quieter than AIOs, in your machine you want the noctua nh-d15 though.

Your memory is not the best it can be for Ryzen (you want 3200c14 or 3600c16). Remember you have 4 DIMM slots, you can go 4x8 if you want, but I don't think they are cheaper than the 2x16 kits.

3600c16

or

3200c14

I personally have the latter one, Samsung b-die for good overclocking potential.

Storage: Don't put mechanical in this build for the love of god. Your "boot drive" is fine w/ the 860 evo, consider the m.2 version for slight (and I mean slight) performance gains and less wires:

also consider it's bigger brother the 970 Evo

For your "data drive", get a 2tb mx500, If you buy a mechanical drive for this build you will be banned :).

The video card situation is a weird one right now. nVidia keeps the good bins of their cards and sells the rest to AIBs. If you want the best 2080ti, you want the founders edition

But nVidia has probably the worst customer service, and 3rd party cards offer better cooling. It's a decision that's up to you. I personally went with a Founders Edition card for my build (2080 Super though).

Get an 80+ platinum power supply

This is a hot take, but consider a wireless mouse. The offerings today have no lag and gaming without cable drag is fantastic. Some suggestions:
Logitech G Pro Wireless


Logitech G703

Okay this may be an odd purchase but http://www.amazon.com/F555LA-AB31-15-6-inch-Full-HD-Laptop-Windows/dp/B011KFQASE/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1451694997&sr=1-1&refinements=p_n_operating_system_browse-bin%3A12035945011%2Cp_n_feature_three_browse-bin%3A9647486011

An Intel i3 is going to be suitable for photoshop and casual use, the Intel HD 5500 inside is pretty damned suitable for any casual gaming as well. It has 2 USB 3.0 ports, it DOES have a disk drive however I could not find any that didn't. It also has AC wireless and a 1080p display.

Now it comes with a 500GB 5200rpm, which ick. So you'd need to buy 2 things separately to get a better experience

Depending on what you want to spend 60/76$ You can get an SSHD 1tb or 500gb, if you don't know SSHD has the cheapness/storage power of a HDD with the performance benefits of an SSD, it's basically the bridge between 7200rpm and SSD

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Laptop-2-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000LM014/dp/B00B99JUBQ/ref=zg_bs_1254762011_7

Another addition is upgrading the 4GB of memory, this will enable better multi tasking and a bit snappier performance.
http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-PC3-12800-204-Pin-Notebook-CT102464BF160B/dp/B006YG8X9Y/ref=cm_cr_dp_asin_lnk

Combined total with the 1tb is $459 for a pretty decent system, it will require you to go through the effort of putting new parts in, but the end result should be great. I will say that you should look for a Youtube video of the hard drive replacement, as it seems memory is easy to install, but the HDD may require a few extra steps.

Based on your criteria..A great quality laptop would this [Dell Inspiron i7559-2512BLK]() that comes with a great i7 quad core processor, 8 GB RAM , a nice 1000 GB HDD =+ 8 GB SSD and of course, it comes with a very decent GTX 960 dedicated graphics card which will be your main performer in any graphic demanding applications. This laptop also has a great battery life and a very nice build quality. It is currently sold for a little over $800 which gives you a perfect option of getting another 8 GB RAM and an m.2 SSD card to install in it while still staying under $1000..

• [Crucial 8GB Single DDR3L 1600] (https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Single-PC3L-12800-SODIMM-204-Pin/dp/B006YG8X9Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1469191727&sr=8-1&keywords=8+GB+DDR3L+SDRAM&linkCode=ll1&tag=3918-20&linkId=77b916aa3c498003e117f6c403cbf08f) $29
  
  
• Samsung 850 EVO - 250GB - M.2 SATA III Internal SSD
  
  This gives you a laptop with an i7 quad core 6th gen procesor, 16 GB RAM which is awesome, a total of 1258 GB storage with a 1 TB HDD in addition to 264 GB SSD storage space... Excellent for you.

3- wd blues are great drives, and i've been running one solo for the past 2 years, but about to buy an ssd for my os and important programs. 1tb and 2tb. also note that the 1tb drive is 7200 rpm vs 5400 rpm in the 2tb, but since you aren't running the OS on that and just using it for storage, it's nothing to worry about.

4- stick everything in here. that's there recommended wattage psu to get, but its probably worth it just to get something 50 watts over that.

5- obviously, ethernet is the best choice, but if that's not available you can get something like this. one of my friends has powerline, and its really weird for him. some outlets he gets good speeds, and others are absolute trash. turning off and on the lights repeatedly causes a little lag while gaming, but overall he still likes it and uses it.

6- 27 inches is really huge, and you're not going to find a 1440p, 144hz, 27in, and gsync monitor for less than that.

I've compiled all the parts I recommend in a PCPartPicker list below for your convenience. Now, allow me to go into a bit more detail. I didn't include a cooler because the Ryzen 5 2600 comes with a rather good cooler in the box for stock operation and modest overclocking. If you want something with a bit more power, you can't go wrong with the [Hyper 212 EVO](Cooler Master Hyper RR-212E-20PK-R2 LED CPU Cooler with PWM Fan, Four Direct Contact Heat Pipes https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_.8VKBb7PKEQBB). You mentioned you were planning on purchasing a GTX 1070 as well, so I included that in the list as well.

As for Ryzen and emulation, Intel does tend to be slightly better with emulation due to having faster single thread performance, but the advantage is slim. Emulators are beginning to to take advantage of more threads as of late, and that's where Ryzen excels. Take CEMU and RPCS3 as examples. While Intel is a bit faster in Cemu, Ryzen actually outperforms their chips in RPCS3. With every said, Ryzen is just fine for emulation. Price/performance wise, AMD reigns surpeme.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor | $165.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard | Asus - PRIME B350-PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard | $84.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Kingston - A400 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $28.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $44.00 @ Amazon
Video Card | EVGA - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition Video Card | $409.99 @ Amazon
Case | Cooler Master - MasterBox Lite 5 ATX Mid Tower Case |-
Power Supply | SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $89.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $823.95
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-07 18:46 EDT-0400 |

I posted this on buildapc, but didn't get any results. Hope it's okay for me to post this here too. It's a question that involves the use of a steam link.

I've got a pretty silly setup for couch gaming right now which is a result from my lack of proper research (no wireless support) before buying certain accessories. When I'm couch gaming on my TV, I'm hooked up through something like this:

Couch->XBox One Elite Controller (Wired)->Roccat Sova (Wired)->Steam Link (Wired)->PC

I'm looking to get my couch set up to be microphone friendly. My current plan is to get a USB microphone adapter to plug into the Sova, and then have my microphone/headset plugged into the adapter. (https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=pd_cp_23_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00IRVQ0F8&pd_rd_r=MM9NND2RJ7HJBB9CBDRY&pd_rd_w=LGle5&pd_rd_wg=DI0MR&psc=1&refRID=MM9NND2RJ7HJBB9CBDRY)

Would this work, or is this not enough? Do I need an external soundcard or something to have audio come through the usb in the Sova?

The other option is to hope for Steam Link to support wireless connection for the XBox One Elite Controller, and see if I can insert a microphone directly into the XBox One Elite Controller. If anyone can help out with this, I'd really appreciate it. My couch gaming setup doesn't feel very efficient, but thats also due to Steam Link not supporting the controller I have over wireless.

My first thoughts are:

• Did you make sure to clean off the CPU well with a high % isopropyl alcohol and what did you use to wipe off the old paste? Usually Microfiber towels, toilet paper or q-tips work well enough.
  
• What method did you use to apply the paste? The "pea-method", the spread method, or an X?
  
• Did you make sure the cooler was fastened down tight enough?
  
  If you have done these things, either way, I'd recommend trying to reapply the paste and make sure you are using the right amount. If you get the same results again, then I'd recommend getting an aftermarket cooler. There is a very good chance that the cooler is the problem. Many people use the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO because of the awesome price/performance you can get with it. This would be the best next step to solving your issues. Just make sure your case has enough room for it first.

No, if you're gonna buy a 2012 Unibody, I recommend going with a used one instead of refurbished. You CAN get one from Apple's refurb store, but I recommend eBay. Here's a link to one for $429.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/APPLE-MACBOOK-PRO-MID-2012-13-2-5GHz-i5-4GB-RAM-320GB-HDD-A1278-/192035795047?hash=item2cb639b067:g:h4sAAOSwcUBYNlST

Buy this, then buy an SSD and upgrade it. Upgrading to an SSD takes 10 minutes plus an hour to reinstall, and makes a world of a difference. Any monkey can upgrade to an SSD in one of these older machines. Here's a link to a few good SSDs depending on the size you need.

256GB SSD
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ADATA-Ultimate-SU800-256GB-3D-NAND-2-5-Inch-SATA-III-Internal-Solid-State-Drive-/302089343525?hash=item4655ed9225:g:7rAAAOSwAuZX68Fj

512GB SSD
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-850-EVO-500GB-2-5-Inch-SATA-III-Internal-SSD-MZ-75E500B-AM-/172336043050?hash=item282007542a:g:DAsAAOSwKOJYIlqZ

Hope this helps! You should also upgrade it to 8GB RAM, and if you replace one of the sticks of RAM with an 8GB Stick, you'll have a total of 10GB, which is awesome. Here's a link to a good stick of RAM. You'll only need one.

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Single-PC3L-12800-SODIMM-204-Pin/dp/B006YG8X9Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480020498&sr=8-1&keywords=8gb+ddr3+laptop

So if you get that MacBook Pro, a 256GB SSD, and the 8GB RAM stick, you'll have a GREAT machine for just under $550, which is almost $250 LESS than the one on Groupon, with MUCH BETTER SPECS!

Tl;Dr, no, that's a bad deal. Get what I recommended.

Also, there are guides on iFixit.com to show you how to replace the hard drive with an SSD and replace the RAM. All you need is a screwdriver and 10-15 minutes.

This isn't easy or simple, but it is possible. You will need a separate microphone of some kind.

Get one of these:

https://en-us.sennheiser.com/pcv-05

This separates the audio from an Xbox One controller into separate microphone and headphone plugs.

If your controller is an Elite, you can plug this directly into the controller.

If not, you'll need an adapter like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Afterglow-LVL-Headset-Adapter/dp/B017VLXJ7G/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_63_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VKQJ85AC83ZD52576QFZ

Now run 1/8" stereo cables from the headphone and microphone leads of the Sennheiser adapter and either plug them into the inputs on your PC, if they are available. If not, you can add more inputs by adding a USB audio adapter like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/external-Adapter-Windows-Microphone-SD-CM-UAUD/dp/B001MSS6CS

In the Xbox, enable your headset and send party and game chat to the headset only. (You can also use speakers, but then you'll only be able to control the chat audio levels in the Xbox, not in OBS.)

If you're not already using it, get VoiceMeeter Banana and set it up according to its manual:

http://vb-audio.pagesperso-orange.fr/Voicemeeter/banana.htm

Voicemeeter provides for three hardware inputs, three hardware outputs, and three audio buses. It creates a virtual device to be used as the default Windows audio output. Check the quick start section of the manual.

Then what you want is to set your Let's Play microphone as hardware input 1, and your Xbox headset as hardware input 2 (either the mic input of your PC or your USB adapter).

Hardware output 1 should be the headphones you use while playing (not the Xbox headset, we're not even going to use it!) and hardware output 2 should be either your PC's headphone port or the USB audio adapter, depending on which you are using.

Now what you want to do is enable the appropriate busses for hardware inputs so they get output to the proper places. That's what the buttons labeled A1, A2, A3, B1 and B2 are for.

You want to make sure that the hardware input for your microphone and the hardware output for your xbox adapter are on the same bus, and that this is a separate bus from the one where the hardware input from your Xbox adapter is on the same bus as the hardware OUTput for your headphones.

This means that you can hear your buddies on Xbox chat, and they can hear you through the microphone you are using to record in OBS.

When you are done, you should ideally have 3 audio inputs in your OBS setup: your microphone, your xbox headset input, and your game audio (from whatever your usual capture method is). You should be able to control volume levels on all three separately, as well as enable or disable them as you wish.

For a more complete guide on the portion of this where you set up OBS and VoiceMeeter Banana, look here:

https://obsproject.com/forum/resources/voicemeeter-banana-audio-management-for-1-and-2-pc-streaming-setups.397/

I contacted PrintrBot about this and while I didn't get an answer about repairing the 13, they are shipping me a 13S. So props to PrintrBot support! The 13S construction appears to be all-metal up into the extruder block (I guess transferring heat to the extruder turned out not to be a big deal?) which means that weak spot is eliminated. They also sell parts for the 13S, unlike the 13, so I can fix things going forward if need be. It uses the same tips, so my tip collection is safe. I'll lose about 35C of heating capability (270C max on the PTFE-lined 13S vs 305C max on the all-metal 13), but if it is compensated for by reliability it will be well worth it. I don't print any exotic or filled materials, but I do print PETG and Nylon on occasion which can get up around 250C depending on the blend. As an example, as the injection-molded plastic clamps holding the linear bearings on my Play have cracked, I've replaced them with more pliable and stronger nylon replacements that I printed myself. To compensate against meltdowns I think I'll move up to a more reliable 40mm fan on the heatsink. I'll probably print the below duct in PETG, since it is more heat-resistant than PLA:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1640957

And I'll use the best 40mm fan I can find:

https://www.amazon.com/40x10mm-Bearing-Premium-Cooling-NF-A4x10/dp/B009NQLT0M

Still haven't figured out a lower fan solution that would work with the above on the Play, yet.

Sorry, don't have any before / after shots. Yes, there is some reduction in need for supports, but certain models will still have to have them. Very effective overall, that's why they're so popular.

Get the LATEST Cura (3.2.1) as it has new supports that work much better. See this article: https://ultimaker.com/en/blog/52484-discover-ultimaker-cura-32

Here's my Fang setup:
https://imgur.com/dl26HJZ

I used this Fang:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2473423

The front Hotend fan guard (Yellow) is this:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2505568

The fans are one of the must do upgrades on the CR-10 series machines. They're cheap noisy things. Get good ones like Noctua.

Here's' my Hotend 40x10mm:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B009NQLT0M


and my 40x20mm Parts fan on the Fang:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B071W93333


Here's a discussion about fans:
https://www.reddit.com/r/CR10/comments/7rznq8/looking_for_best_5015_fan/

Another major (but cheap) mod is to put dampeners on the X & Y stepper motors. Big noise reduction, minor print quality improvement.

https://tiny-machines-3d.myshopify.com/collections/awesome-upgrades/products/stepper-dampener


But the biggest thing you can do to make your life with your new printer easier is to FLATTEN your bed. NOT level, FLATTEN.

These are precision machines, but they need some tuning up to work right.

/u/beachandbyte is right, you need to print some bed adjustment knobs:


https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2534990

Here's a post about Flattening the bed (look for my comment):

https://www.reddit.com/r/CR10/comments/7rpq2x/can_i_simulate_a_print_without_damaging_the/

Two other critical things - First, if you haven't done so, go over every screw and bolt and snug them up, don't forget the hotend, you have to remove the fan cover, two screws on the left.

Second, you must get those black plastic rollers setup right. They are purposely left loose during shipping, and most people adjust them wrong.

See this thread for how to adjust them properly:

https://www.reddit.com/r/CR10/comments/7s1ych/maintenance/

Well, you've got some work to do, stop reading Reddit and get to work! LOL :-)

Let us know how the battle goes, K?

PuterPro

You could, but your bottleneck is without a doubt your CPU. Fortunately, you can upgrade to another LGA 775 compatible chip for a modest cost. Here is a modified QX9650, which seems like a great upgrade over what you've got. Or you can pick up a Q6600 for a slightly lower cost. Actually, I think the Core 2 Extreme processors may not be compatible with your motherboard, I'll leave that in there until I know otherwise (Core 2 Quad Q6600 would definitely work). It should work, the ASUS P5QL manual states that it does (page 28).

I would highly recommend the QX9650 over the Q6600 at that price (far better performance, don't even consider the Q6600 if you can get the QX9650).

You'll probably also want either a new cooler, or at the very least new thermal paste for your upgraded LGA 775 processor (the old stuff on it will be rock hard and unusable). For example, the CM Hyper 212 EVO ($38 Amazon, also available w/ $10 Mail-in rebate on Newegg but +$6 shipping) is compatible with the LGA 775 chipset, but will also be compatible with all modern motherboards (LGA2011 & AM4 with an extra bracket) for when you do your full upgrade in the future. Or if you think you might get a CPU with a fan already included (such as the non-k variant Intel processors, or the non-x AMD AM4 Ryzen processors), you can simply buy new thermal paste and re-apply it when you install your upgraded LGA 775 processor.

If you want more RAM, you'll have to find out if you're currently using DDR2 or DDR3 RAM, documentation on P43 boards is really weak I'm having a tough time figuring out what your board supports (conflicting information all over the place). Then you can add more. Your board supports up to 1066MHz DDR2.

Also, while you're finding out whether you have ddr2 or 3 try and find out which dual core CPU you have, and your current graphics card. Thanks.

tl;dr: Buy a refurbished/pre-owned QX9650, get new thermal paste or a new cpu fan, find out what the speed and timings are of your current ram and then try and match that when you add more (or just buy a new/pre-owned set of 2x4gb DDR2 1066MHz ram).

It depends on your future plans really but if you're looking to upgrade, I always recommend 3200 CL14 Samsung B Die like these:

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/team-group-dark-pro-8pack-edition-16gb-2x8gb-ddr4-pc4-25600c14-3200mhz-dual-channel-kit-black-my-08l-tg.html

Quick and super tight timings with the default XMP, can go a little higher if you want to mess around. I use these in my own machine with 8700k/1080ti, have built a couple of other gaming machines for friends using them and they'll be going into my sons' new Ryzen build.


Make sure they are installed dual channel and if the mobo won't go to 3200, good excuse for an upgrade to a board (MSI B450 Tomahawk is a good budget choice) that will support the new 3x00 Ryzen - a 3600 Ryzen and this ram will last you for a good long time.

If you don't want to spend that much, I've been using this kit with Ryzen 2600 builds:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0134EW7G8/?tag=pcp0f-21

Will be a good step up from your 2400 ram. I would though suggest the 3200 CL14, it'll last for longer.
hth

Honestly I never really researched the best RAM, I just grabbed some of this corsair RAM because it was cheap and quick enough. You benefit a little from 3200 over 3000, but I think the improvement is very small on Intel systems. Really I'm not the most knowledgeable in this subject, but I did manage to spend less than $80 on RAM and it works great so if you want to save money and get something trustworthy I'd recommend the basic LPX sticks.

AMD 2700 vs 2600 - more cores

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo vs Stock HSF - Can overclock 2700 to 2700x levels with ease

MSI vs Gigabyte motherboard - Gigabyte is a failing company, I would be surprised if they still exist without being bought out 2 years from now. MSI quality is vastly superior to Gigabyte. Mobo also has wireless built in

G. Skill vs Team - name brand vs new brand

1TB EX920 SSD vs 512GB SATA SSD + 2TB HDD - EX920 is 5-10 times faster vs the Devo + the HDD you selected is from a 3rd party seller on Amazon selling used drives as new. Wait and get a good 4TB or bigger. A cheap route is to "shuck" a western digital external drive. You can get an 8TB for around $120 that way.

Cases - Just chose something that would fit an ATX motherboard since your choice was mATX only

PSU - Better deal, similar quality

Monitor - Better deal + LG is a better brand for QC

Keyboard - Better deal, both Cherry MX Brown

Mouse - G602 is the best budget wireless gaming mouse, period

You WILL need case fans. This is kind of a hidden expense with building a PC.

Cheap options:

5 Pack of good fans

Fan Hub

Powerline works just like ethernet, but over the power wiring in a building. It won't work in this situation because you're not going to have a physical connection to a switch in a data closet. You're going to need to stick to wireless. I'd recommend getting something like an Intel 7260 / 8260 or an Atheros AR9462 series based card. Usually they're Mini PCI-e cards in a PCI 1x or 4x adapter card.


Here are some examples from Amazon:


Intel Branded PCI-E Card


Gigabyte Card using Intel's 8260 chipset


Gigabyte Card using Intel's 3160 chipset


All are dual band and I believe all support Bluetooth as well. Get something like this instead of a USB adapter. These last longer and will provide much better performance. Alternatively, you can take an old router and if it supports DD-WRT, use that in wireless bridge mode. Hook up an Ethernet cable from you PC to the router and you'll have a very powerful wireless adapter.

So I, like many others, have done this upgrade recently. With comcast and the other ISPs feeling the heat lately they are upgrading for free, via promos. I helped my mom and my uncle out after they upgraded.

First, I, personally, wouldn't buy a modem new. There are plenty of perfectly good used modems out there. This is the list of comcast approved devices. You might have already been aware of it. Try not to spend $100+. As long as you get a modem with the DOCSIS 3.0 standard and telephony you should be fine. My recommendation is to buy a used, but not totally beaten down, modem from a reputable dealer on ebay or amazon. Don't spend money you don't have to.

Second, you might want to consider upgrading to the wireless AC standard. I actually own a TP-LINK N300, but there is, most times, a good deal of packet loss with wifi. This will result in slower actual network speeds than the 300 Mbps specification. I cannot say you won't get the full 105 Mbs but if you have a lot of local traffic (from say your NAS and other local devices) you will definitely see a slowdown. It all depends on the amount of traffic at any one time, and if you desire to utilize the entire 105 Mbps. Wireless AC will alleviate this concern.

At the very least get a wireless AC adapter because they only cost a few dollars more than the N's. If you choose to upgrade the router later you're only out $20.

tldr: Buy used modem. Future-proof with wireless AC router and adapter, if you/your household are a heavy wifi users.

Best of luck!

Wow, I'm literally about to order the same build. I'm getting a H100i cpu cooler, the Maximus VI Hero instead of the Z87 pro mobo, and a Seagate Barracuda 1TB instead of a Caviar Blue 1TB HD. I'm also getting the red/black version to match my mobo. Everything else is the same even the same brand GTX 770. Please let me know how it runs, especially how quiet it is.

You have a lot of fans and an overclockable CPU. I would recommend you get an aftermarket CPU cooler to take advantage of these features. As I said above, I'm gonna try the Corsair H100i, but it is pretty expensive. Some less expensive air coolers that I think would look good in this build are

[Phanteks TC12DX](http://www.amazon.com/Phanteks-U-Type-Heat-Sink-Cooler-PH-TC12DX_BK/dp/B00AXUTKEE/ref=sr_1_10? fs=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1393992252&sr=1-10&keywords=phanteks+ph-tc14pe) for $60 on [sale for $40 + shipping] (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7616870) right now

Enermax ETS-T40 for $50 (also has leds on the stock fans)

And of course, the [Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo] (http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1393992767&sr=1-1&keywords=hyper+212+evo) for $35 which doesn't match as well but is cheap.

Great job on cable management (it's supposedly easy in this case) and I agree that it need a light on the inside. Let me know what light you end up getting because now I want one too.

Laptop companies are getting smart about Display Size. It's more preference now than it is a huge price difference.

A couple models I'd suggest:

• MSI 17.3" 970M -- $1500
  
  
• MSI 15.6" 970M -- $1500
  
  
  These laptops will blow away any 870m graphics card you might be looking at. Don't worry about the differences between the i7-4700's and the i7-4800's... It's not enough to even look at twice. If you want a 4900 XTreme series, you're going to spend an extra $700+ on top of the $1500, so don't bother. Also, you won't find many 880M or 780M graphics cards laptops for less than $1600; they are also arguably worse than the 970m. (which is extremely surprising, usually the last generation's 80 card does better than the next generations 70 card.)
  
   
  
  You can always upgrade RAM down the road: Crucial 8GB x 1
  
  The 17" features a better deal, comes with a $200 Intel package at the same price, and both are $30 cheaper than Amazon is selling them for; they both feature a single stick of 8GB DDR3L RAM, so if you are going to upgrade RAM down the road, MAKE SURE you buy 1 x 8GB DDR3L RAM, as I put in the link.
  
   
  
  Good luck!
  
   
  
  Edit: If a Solid-State Drive (SSD) is that important to you, 128GB Crucial SSD... If you want more space, just search it out, shouldn't need much more though honestly; just put your most used applications on the SSD (Favorite Games and Programs), and you'll be running at blistering fast loading times in game; you'll notice the difference, I promise you that.
  
  Installing SSD into MSI GT70

Anyone got any interesting setups/tv's? Idk why i'm writing this but here are the things I bring to tourneys.


Album link


My Tv Is by far the most eye catching thing. I bought 350 Fortune cookies and have been just taping them on there whenever I finish one. I am pretty much out of them so I have quite a bit all over the TV. The air fresheners were to bring some nice smells to any tournament I went to.


Standard Gamecube: 1.02 melee with newest 20xx TE and vanilla melee memory cards. This is the video cable IOnebring. It has s video + regular composite so I don't have to bring a powered splitter. Explaining more below.



Recording/Streaming setup: This consists of a Webcam which also records player/crowd audio (also a 16 ft extension). An Elgato with 16ft extension. Then I have 2 non-powered composite splitters. I plug in the composite video from the game cube directly into my TV and the S video into the elgato. The result isn't actually too bad (if someone knows how to deinterlace for better video hmu).

The last thing is My Controller: Someone on etsy painted it for me right before big house and so far it's a great purchase. It is of a Palestinian flag and has my tag on it. it doesn't feel any different from any other game cube controller which is great.

Edit: forgot about my headphone setup. I have sennheiser Momentums I bring with my headphone amp and plug that into the tv's audio with one of These. This has a pass through meaning other people can listen through the TV and I can adjust the volume with my amp. I also bring another headphone splitter so people can listen with their headphones.

I'd buy a Cana Kit since it has everything you'd need to have a complete pie.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_Lc5Zzb0280WWW
That's the most full featured Pi3 kit they have but there are other more affordable options.

There are tons of tutorials online but I suggest you look up ETA Prime on YouTube because he helped me a lot with setting up Emulation Station and getting tons of games on my Pi.

As for controllers, the wired iBuffalo ones are great but if budget concerns aren't an issue then get the 8Bitdo SNES30. It's a Bluetooth SNES controller with a 1 to 1 look and feel. It's pricey but you really won't regret it.

Good luck and have fun! Hope she enjoys it!

Edit: As a side note you want to invest in a case with a fan! There are ones that look like a tiny NES or SNES and seem neat but have next to no ventilation so your pi WILL overheat. I made this mistake and wasted $20.

>>What hardware do I need to start running home assistant?

Learn from my experience and just pony up for a Raspberry Pi 3. I tried running HA for a while on an old Win7 laptop. Getting Python to run was a huge PITA. Then I tried running it with Docker on a Synology NAS. Nearly as bad. Then I purchased this CanaKit. A dream come true. A few days later I spent some quality time kicking myself in the rear for not having gone that route in the first place. SO MUCH BETTER.

I'm running Hass.io now and definitely recommend it for just about anyone... but later. First I'd suggest installing Hassbian because, although the water is a little deeper, you'll have easier root access, and you'll be able to learn the basics much more quickly. You may decide to keep that environment -- it's great. Or you may decide to move to Hass.io which, with the exception of enabling SSH, is really very easy. Just back up any .yaml files that you've customized, wipe the Pi's SD card, and install Hass.io. After booting a couple of times to get the "vanilla" environment initialized, put your .yaml files back, enable SSH server, Samba share, and maybe Bluetooth. You'll be back in business right where you left off.

Like I said, SSH wasn't exactly easy when I was first setting up Hass.io. But I documented the process I went through here, so maybe that will help.

• I say stick with the 7700k if you have the money, it might be overkill but also may buy you another year or two before needing to upgrade again.
  
• Not sure how much you want to spend but the Asus z270E is usually only $20 more and has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth.
  
• I'd drop the CD Writer. You really won't need it. If you do find you need a CD writer then just purchase an external like this.
  
• Also, for another $20 or so you could get an AIO watercooler like the Corsair H100i V2 or the Thermaltake Water 3.0 which will help you take advantage of overclocking that 7700k. I also think they are easier to install in their own way.
  
  Micro Center has great deals on processors and mobos with an automatic $30 off for matching cpu to mobo. Good luck building!
  

This small guide is only for CPUs, for GPUs all you have to do is download a program, I'll link that at the bottom

--

First off, you gotta make sure your board is capable of overclocking, chances are you have a Z-series board because you have a k series processor.

K Series processor = overclockable

Z Series motherboard = overclockable

Those are just the basics, I assume you know them.

So to overclock, you're going to need to go into your BIOS, again depends on your motherboard, but while booting up you should press either, F1, F2, F10, Delete or Escape. Once you've figured out the key to get into your BIOS, you can start tweaking.

A really important thing if you're going to overclock is an aftermarket cooler, such as a Hyper 212 (Great value) or a Corsair H115i (Top of line watercooler, pricey) or an equivelent air cooler, like the Noctua NH-D15 (My personal favorite, it's what I hit my 4.9 GHz OC on)

If you already have an after market cooler, that's perfect, and you can continue. But if you don't, I highly recommend picking up a Hyper 212, it's only $25 and will get you a huge amount of performance out of your PC, until then I'd highly reccomend not OCing.

Here are the next steps, I would type them all myself, but that article summarized perfectly, and it's very recent too.

--

As for overclocking your GPU, just download your GPU's Brand-specific program, like MSI Afterburner, EVGA Precision X, etc. They really all work on any GPU, but it's nice to use the one "made" for your specific GPU.

(Note, these only work on Nvidia cards, you'll have to download completely different stuff for AMD)

I hope this helps, don't be afraid of pushing your system, just don't push it too far. Either way, the worst that would happen if you OC "too" hard is you'll BSOD on startup and you'll just have to set your multiplier/voltage lower. It won't affect the longevity of your PC in any way, Enjoy!

Well, not every CPU can handle 3000Mhz. That's why yours tells you 2666Mhz. You can put 3000mhz sticks in there but it won't go any faster than 2666Mhz. It would be spending some extra cash for nothing but future proofing incase you upgrade later. When installing the RAM you should also refer to the manual for best dual channel placement. I recommend you use two sticks of 8 rather than one 16 stick.

[This is what I currently have](Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3000MHz C15 Desktop Memory Kit - Black (CMK16GX4M2B3000C15) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0134EW7G8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_NBkCCbQ80SFBZ), but my CPU can handle 3000Mhz

This article is easy to read and helpful here as well.

Good luck mate

Looks good to me, only thing missing is an SSD, they can be had dirt cheap now and shouldn't be overlooked even in a budget build. Here is a great option with free shipping, another larger option with free shipping.

The 7700K and Kaby Lake friends should be released around the end of this year, you may find yourself having to upgrade sooner than later before the 6700K goes out of stock. I would reconsider putting the money for the 6500 towards the 6700K now unless the budget is super tight, in which case I would go i3 6100 since you are planning on upgrading anyway. 6700K cheapest with free shipping I could find. I believe you also get another $5 off when signing up a new account. Keep in mind the 6700K doesn't come with a cooler, so a 212 EVO would be a solid option.

You could save some money on the case as well, here are some sale options. Make sure what you get is full atx compatible.

Yeah. For example, You can get Asus M32 pre-built from Amazon for 399$. Its a rig with i5-6400, 8GB of RAM, 1TB 7200 HDD, and Windows 10 bundled. Also has basic keyboard and mouse. The case is kinda meh, but it has 80mm exhaust fan, and Skylake CPUs are very cool running anyway. A perfect fit for it would actually be a reference RX 480 - because of blower cooler design, it will not cause a buildup of heat inside the case, and thus the subpar airflow is not much of an issue.

So, thats 399$ for the rig, 199$ for RX 480 4GB version, and 40$ for a decent 600w power supply. You don't actually need 600w for that rig - but PSU is a good investment, watts don't get obsolete so you can re-use it in the future, and 500-400w units are not that much cheaper anyway. Thats 650$ in total for a rig with i5, 8GB of RAM, RX 480 - a perfect set-up for 1080p gaming.

You can then buy a VX2257-MHD - which is a 1080p-60Hz monitor with FreeSync. Thats another 150$.

So, we have a fully working gaming rig now, for 800$. Which means - there is still 100$ free in the budget. So, 240GB SSD for 65$ is an obvious choice at this point.

Total cost ~865$. For a rig that can max out pretty much any game at 1080p, with FreeSync.

This is more or less how you do it.

CV1.

More involved room scale setup (Vive 2 boxes need to be mounted in corners, securely so the mounting surface absorbs vibrations, plug into 2 power sockets; CV1 3 cameras need to be mounted in a : ­­ ' pattern, don't need to be securely mounted, plugs into 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0), and a bit smaller FOV, but higher angular resolution, much more comfortable (even with Deluxe Audio Strap, Vive is almost twice as front heavy), much better lenses, better audio (even with Deluxe Audio Strap), infinitely better controllers, better software platform..

£180 is a great deal for a CV1, although if it doesn't come with a 3rd tracking sensor you'll need to buy one of those if you want 360 degree, room scale tracking (£59), and since a CV1 with 3 sensors takes up 3x USB 3.0 & 1x USB 2.0, you might want to spend £20 on a PCIe USB expansion card.

If you get the CV1, you'll want to read this - there's a design flaw in the headset that may eventually lead to the loss of audio in the right-side headphone, but this is easily prevented with a little bit of tape.

Nice none of that amazon a10 gaming pc scam

Parts I recommend are :

CPU: i5 6500. It's a perfect CPU for the price. Rumoured to be better than some i7 ones

Ram: 16 gb ddr4. If you want 8 is fine but it's relatively cheap for 16 gb. Go for Kingston or g skill ripjaws.

Motherboard: standard lga1151 board. Matx is what I recommend. Spend like 80 ish dollars to 100 on this. Don't really know that much on this sorry.

Gpu: windforce gtx 1060 6gb. Beast card. If you have the cash upgrade to the 1070 is highly recommended it will smash every game at 1080p

Psu: corsair always reliable. Get a 650 watt one and you're set.

Hdd: western digital blue 1tb. Perfect mass storage for all your games and applications

Ssd. Samsung 850 240 gb. Use this to store you're operating system and crucial applications.

Case. Nzxt s340 elite perfect case with ample space to work with whilst also looking beast

Operating system (if you need one) windows 10 don't know the price

Some peripherals you may like

Logitech g502 mouse. Solid mouse for most games
Anker 4 port usb hub for extra connectivity

Also if you plan to use wifi get a wifi card from tplink. Here's one I use :

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007GMPZ0A/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482097102&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=wifi+card&dpPl=1&dpID=41dj0fWrySL&ref=plSrch

Is cheap fast and reliable.

• 
  CPU: check
  
• 
  CPU cooler: I have and love this one
  
• 
  Motherboard: check
  
• 
  Hard drive: I have and love the 64gb version of that hdd!
  
• 
  Video Card: I have and love this one. I suggest you get this one since you want more power. EVGA is always the best way to go for graphics cards.
  
• 
  Case: I have and love the red version of that case. It reaallly keeps everything cool. I have never seen my graphics card go above 75c, even after hours of gaming.
  
  PS: Keep on keeping on destiny! As a gold level player, the most valuable lesson I got from your stream was "forget about everything, focus on mechanics". Glhf!

Good work, your cable management is excellent!

I have a couple of recommendations for you build:

I'd recommend buying a new CPU cooler when you can. The Intel ones are good, but there are so many better ones on the market.

Try this one - I used it in my build for like 3 years. Keeps temps down and fans quiet.

Another thing you may consider is an SSD. You'd be surprised by how cheap they are right now. Here is a 480Gb SSD for only $118 USD.

And as /u/nolo_me said, definitely flip that PSU if it's not too much trouble. Better performance, better sound, better temps.

Update for everyone:

• Watched this video on the Hero Me system.
  
  
• Watched this video on the Hero Me system.
  
  
• Watched this video on replacing the Ender 3 hot end fan.
  
  
• Watched this video on replacing the Ender 3 hot end fan with this quieter option (I don't need it to be quiet, so I'm not going to do it).
  
  
  Conclusion:
  
  
• I'll use the Hero Me system with this hot end fan guard.
  
  
• I'll replace the filament fan (I believe that I have my fan names correct) with the dual 5015 Hero Me setup using these 5015 fans. Here's a video I found that is basically a step-by-step guide for it.
  
  Hopefully in a couple of weeks I'll be back with a successful picture!
  
  /u/hockeyhippie and /u/johnedwa if you have any input.

I'd recommend comparing the 4590 with the 4690K:
http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i5-4690K-vs-Intel-Core-i5-4590

For a small amount of money more you can get higher specs:

4590
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-3-30GHz-Graphics-Technology-Socket/dp/B00K5J22GG

4690K
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-i5-4690K-Processor-Graphics-LGA-1150/dp/B00KPRWB9G

And yes, for your build you will only need, approximately, a 400W power supply as your build roughly needs 326W of power, but I'd say possibly go for a 450W or 500W PSU, incase you want to overclock/upgrade in the future.

And so save further upgrades on the PSU get a Gold Certified, or higher, and get it fully modular, not Semi-modular, if you can afford it. It will keep your case cooler having less wired, and it will look nicer, if youre into that sort of thing.

Also for the GPU, if you do get the parts you have listed, maybe splash out a extra 100 dollars on the graphics card and get a MSI Nvidia GTX 970 4GB, its amazing and your system wont be 'bottlenecked'. (Not sure how to use that word in context correctly.

MSI GTX 970:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/MSI-GTX-970-Graphics-Express/dp/B00NOP536Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427549040&sr=8-1&keywords=MSI+GTX+970

Also, do not just buy a SSD, you will need a HDD aswel, I'd recommend only using your SSD for your OS, and other programs you use all the time and would like to preform faster. Your SSD will become very slow quickly otherwise, and need replacing frequently (I have found any ways!)

These are all my opinions btw, its not fact, just opinion.

Also, keep in mind you have a Mini ITS and a mini tower, make sure all of your parts will fit in there before purchasing

I going with a red and black theme, not important but figured I would mention it. I was given this case, power supply, 4 1tb seagates, and a bunch of red LED corsair fans from a friend to "start me off".

EDIT: this is the model of the PS

EDIT2: so everyone seems to be pushing for the cheaper Mobo and the better processor, this doesn't make sense to me at all and has me really confused. I was always taught (granted my knowledge is outdated) that getting the better Mobo is the best thing you can do because things like CPUs and Cards can always be updated and switched out later on. Isnt the Mobo the backbone of the build? why would you want to skimp in the heart of the PC?

Your build is solid, you won’t notice your PSU. It’s good.

I would: keep everything but swap the case. Add extra 120mm fan (any, doesn’t matter).

You can squeeze a few dollars with this 2060 vendor, same GPU your list but cheaper. it is $492 after coupon. Free shipping.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/RTX-2060-MSI-NVIDIA-GeForce-GAMING-Z-6GB-Gaming-Graphics-Video-Card-HDMI-DP-VR/264417429725?epid=17034146558&hash=item3d9081c8dd:g:WTYAAOSwnAddN~5o:sc:AU_StandardDelivery!2074!AU!-1

Also go on amazon and get the $121 RAM that’s 3200. Ryzens really perform better with 3200 speed RAM, and you can absolutely OC those sticks especially with your quality mobo. I think you can expect 4% faster CPU bound performance with the 3200 RAM over 3000.

https://www.amazon.com.au/Corsair-Vengeance-3200MHz-Desktop-Memory/dp/B0143UM4TC

Happy building and don’t wait too long. I’ve lost on sweet deals because I kept on trying to wait for a better deal.

If you are concerned about noise and want to spend that much on a CPU cooler I would suggest either the Noctua NH-D15 or the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 which is my personal favorite and in my current rig though it seems to be hard even to get here in the states right now so I'm guessing availability in Canada will be even tougher. If you will not be doing lots of video editing or heavy processing things then I think the 6600k will be fine. If you just want a quiet PC and some light overclocking and want to bring the price down then I would also suggest you look at something like the Cryorig H5 cooler which is about a sub $50 cooler in the U.S. but PCPartPicker seems to not be able to find any Canadian retailers for it. It would be my midrange suggestion for a cooler. The H7 has been very popular lately as well and that goes for about $35 USD or for less than that there is always the fan favorite Cooler Master 212 EVO. I see nothing wrong with the motherboard. I own a similar Gigabyte motherboard myself and it is great. All you really miss out on with that one is no SLI support. As for monitors in the future I would personally go for 144Hz over 1440P but that is personal preference. IPS would also be preferable to TN for photoshop but a 144Hz IPS will be very pricy (like $500+ and that's looking at prices here in the U.S.) and since it sounds like gaming is your primary use and Photoshop is your secondary use I would go with a 144Hz TN over a 60Hz IPS.

Actually no! Yes technology does advance at a rapid rate, but you don't need the best and highest end to feel secure with what you have. You can still game on a PC, but sometimes it gets tempting to add better parts to it. Here is my build.

Motherboard

CPU

RAM

Hard Drive

Case

GPU

These are the basics of my build. There are other things in it, but aren't important as of right now. The GPU, RAM, Hard Drive, and Case are what remain from the original build. Everything else either broke or were given away since I upgraded. Right now I am working on my last upgrade before I refrain from putting more money into my PC. I say this because there is a limit to how powerful you can make a PC before your next upgrade gives you diminishing returns.

If you set a goal for your gaming PC to be 1080p with steady 60fps and good graphics, then there are great budget builds on PC Part Picker. Feel free to head over to /r/buildapc for any questions you would like answered in their FAQ, or even ask me!

Well... To be honest you did get a audio interface designed to work with guitars and singer style microphones... When what you needed was an external soundcard.

There are major audio interfaces by the music industry. And your cool USB soundcard has some of the more popular ones... Yay! But it does not have what you want. Booo!

Your soundcard/interface is not designed for 3.5mm jacks. so you will need adapters to make it work.

On the front you have two XLR inputs or you can use them as TRS inputs. Pre sonus calls them "2 combo XLR/¼” mic/instrument inputs"

TRS inputs are big headphone jacks... 1/4 inch type. They would go in the middle of the inputs on the front. You would feed your mic in there. How? You can get an adapter that will allow your 3.5mm headphone jack to fit 1/4 headphones to fit the front area. Something like this... Can get them at Radio Shack pretty cheap. Make sure they are stereo and not mono though.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/400307-REG/Sony_PC234S_PC_234S_Mini_Stereo_3_5mm.html

You would need two of them, one for the headphones (labeled "phones") port in the back of the interface, and one for the mic part in the front of the interface.

If you are going to make music you got the right interface. If you are only using it as a really good soundcard, there are others that would fit you better. Like this...

http://www.amazon.com/Syba-SD-CM-UAUD-Adapter-C-Media-Chipset/dp/B001MSS6CS/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1410104831&sr=8-15&keywords=audio+interface

Or if you got monies... this

http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-Surround-External-SB1560/dp/B00EZT7RE4/ref=dp_ob_title_ce


At the beginning I called one an audio interface and the other a sound card. Audio interfaces are a card that focus on the interface part, meaning the recording/band aspect of music and their connectors.. Sound cards are just making sound like the audio interfaces, but they don't include the band interfaces/ports/jacks and usually go to 3.5mm jacks like your headphones want.

Hope this helps.

It can be a number of different ways:

Option #1 - Use game capture devices like this. It functions similar to a dashcam in that it'll continuously record something like the last 10 minutes, 20 minutes, hour, etc. When something happens that you want to save, you can use the accompanying software to save it.

Option #2 - If you're on PC, you can use screen recording software like Fraps to do the same thing but without the external device.

Option #3 - If you're gaming on PS4 or Xbox One, both of those systems have built-in video recording that can save chunks of video up to like 15 minutes or so.

So yeah, they pretty much always have it running and when something good happens they save the clip.

pc-kombo shared list

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 1600 | $259.99 @ Newegg.ca
Motherboard | MSI B350 Tomahawk | $124.99 @ Newegg.ca
Memory | G.Skill Aegis DDR4 DDR4-3000 16GB (16 GB) | $166.99 @ Newegg.ca
Storage | WD Blue WD20EZRZ (2 TB) | $79.99 @ Amazon.ca
SSD | SanDisk Ultra II 480GB TLC (480 GB) | $195.73 @ Amazon.ca
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 SC 2 Gaming iCX | $599.99 @ Amazon.ca
Case | Carbide Series 200R Compact ATX | $74.99 @ Amazon.ca
Power Supply | be quiet! Pure Power 10 (500 W) | $69.9 @ Newegg.ca
| Total | $1572.57
| Generated by pc-kombo 03.09.2017 |

I at first wanted to create build with an i7 cpu for you, but I was not able to fit it into budget. Not with a GTX 1070 and the other requirements, like the bigger SSD. And without the GTX 1070 a stronger cpu for 144Hz gaming is pretty much useless.

That's why that build has a Ryzen 5 cpu, which has the advantage of being a better cpu for programming and the VMs, while still being good for gaming. The mentioned 1070 to go with it, and 16GB of fast ram. 2TB HDD, 480GB SSD. Note that I opted for a cheaper case than the R5, but if you want to use up your budget you could swap it out. But the 200R at least looks equally nice (but is a bit worse).

I don't know which optical drive you are searching. Which medium do you want to read? For Wifi you should add https://www.amazon.ca/Gigabyte-Bluetooth-Expansion-Components-GC-WB867D-I/dp/B00HF8K0O6 (but there are alternatives, like https://www.amazon.ca/TP-Link-Archer-T9E-Wireless-Beamforming/dp/B00TQEX7AQ/)

I have had a great experience with my 1050 Ti SC, but you can get it cheaper here:
https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Support-Graphics-04G-P4-6253-KR/dp/B01MF7EQJZ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498018511&sr=8-1&keywords=gtx+1050+ti+sc

And with that $20 I would highly recommend upgrading that CPU. You should really spend the vast majority of your money on the GPU and CPU (I think it is a mistake to spend more on your MOBO, case, and psu than your cpu). I think you could get an i5 in this build for sure if you get the gpu from amazon and find a less expensive mobo and psu (go with the 500 B from EVGA for great value if you don't mind non-modular).

Otherwise it looks like this is gonna be a great build!

If you want to record high quality content for a mid level price range you have a few options. First: I would look into getting a webcam, the Logitech c920 is great for the price, and puts out phenomenal qudio/video quality for what you're looking for.

Second - You'll need a capture card. These can be pretty expensive, so you may want to look at an older model that supports something like 720p30fps

Here is an example of the one I use for console, mind you this is probably the most important part of recording quality gameplay so you can see what's going on. As far as recording, Elgato gives you a free software that runs the capture card footage through to OBS, and you can resize/crop the facecam on top of the scene within OBS itself and set your recording audio levels so that as soon as you hit record/stop record, the video is good to go and watchable as a cute lets play from your daughter.

http://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Capture-PlayStation-Recorder-10025010/dp/B00840353W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372865468&sr=8-1&keywords=elgato+game+capture+hd

It's this guy right here. The price went up a little but it's still def worth it imo. Like my friend said, INCREDIBLY easy to set up and really great quality for the price. I would highly recommend it.

As kentbrodie said, you do not want to skimp in power wattage, mostly since you are using a i7-7700k AND a GTX 1080, both of which can be overclocked pretty well (depending on the silicon lottery). I usually recommend people to get at least a 600W on a Gaming PC, and no more than a 750W unless you are planning to do some HEAVY workstation work or SLI/Crossfiring. Also... you don't have a lot of good quality options in your market, if you were in the US, you'd have better options. I was looking for a PSU that is 80+ Gold for power efficiency, and Semi/Full Modular to give you more room in your ITX case.

Air Coolers are better price/performance. A Cryorig H7 is AMAZING for it's price (remember to use the thermal compound that it comes with). If you really want to use a liquid cooler, you can get a Corsair Hydro H100i v2, but it really isn't necessary.

I really just chose a different GTX 1080 in the ITX case to give you more room to build around.

Also note: That Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ITX case can use:

Front

• 2 x 120/140mm fan
  
• 1 x 200mm fan
  
  Top
  
  
• 2 x 120/140mm fan
  
  Rear
  
  
• 1x 120/140mm fan
  
  I personally like Noctua (Rated , Phanteks (Phanteks PH-F140SP_BK_BLED <3 <3), and be quiet! I do have 1 Corsair AF120 currently in my case, and it isn't bad either. But to each their own, you can do some research on case fans before you buy them.

Thanks man, i really appreciate it. Wow, that is such a cheap power supply! Will that fit in my computer? Im just worried about how hard it would be to remove my old one as its a prebuilt and looks like its in some kind of steel box. Ill ask a friend if he could help me, because replacing the power supply for $35.00 seems like a no brainier.

However for now, i think with the amount i use my computer, and with the current card i have, i think im just going to get a 1050ti or a rx460.

Right now, the rx460 is only $85.00 after rebate.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125897&ignorebbr=1

This is the best price i can find on a 1050ti, I wouldnt mind paying
$115. But is it is evga a good brand and signifigantly better than rx460

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MF7EQJZ/?tag=pcpapi-20

Ahhh, good 'ol LGA 1366, one of my favorite platforms of literally ALL TIME! You have a few options for upgrades definitely. I would recommend a Xeon x5670 as a great cheap CPU upgrade. You will also want a GPU upgrade, that old quadro FX is gonna be awful for any gaming, something like a GTX 1050 ti would be a great choice. You will also want some more RAM, upgrade that 4 GB to at least 8 GB. It will be DDR3 1066 or 1333 MHz most likely so get some of that. I actually run this exact CPU and GPU combination, a screenshot of my Xeon system here and it works very well for 1080p gaming. I also use it for 4k gaming with a bunch of older games, on my 4k TV.

Edit: Almost forgot! Also get a cheap 120 GB or 250 GB SSD! You may want to save a bit more money first though, these upgrades will be more than $150.

E3D V6 hotend

Noctua fan for hotend cooling (I hosed the original using a heat gun to assist bed temps for ABS) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009NQLT0M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Cheap as hell 5015 2 pack part cooling blowers https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071WMHNG5/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This kickass heavy duty customizable mount https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2494642 printed in PETG

I replaced my hotend with a microswiss right away and jacked up both it and the original, but learned a lesson and added plugs to everything. Hotends usually come with crimpable plugs, but they're all different so I standardized on these for fans https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M5AHF0Z/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And this type (xt60) for the hotend cuz current https://www.amazon.com/Female-Connector-Housing-Silicon-Battery/dp/B073QJWVVK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1517496061&sr=8-5&keywords=xt60+connectors

All of the plugs made my wiring kinda fat, so when you join the Bowden tube, the wiring, and the ezabl cord its just heavy enough to droop lower than the gantry and get rubbed back and forth during prints. I designed a chain link style support in blender that anchors at the extruder and velcro'd the bundle to it. It allows free xy movement but not z. It works really well but could prolly be optimized. 😃

My printer came with the bed heater wiring strain relief already printed and installed, definitely do so. Also, get a dial gauge. Seriously. Print a gantry mount for it and slip it on to use it when needed.

A USB adapter for WiFi is generally not going to be as good as something like a PCI one.

Currently, you have High Power Signal King 48DBI, which is USB. I'd recommend a dedicated wireless card that uses PCI/PCIe. Your motherboard (MSI Z87-GD65 GAMING) doesn't have a PCI port, just PCI Express, so you could get something like this. It comes with a generic antenna which may be good enough, but you could pair it with a better antenna in the future (benefit of dedicated wireless cards!).

Or, spend a bit more money (though you could save a lot of money elsewhere...) and get one that has multiple antennas, which can all be upgraded for fantastic wireless experience.

Wow, I've never had something like that happen.

All of my sensors are on extension cables. Two are USB 3, and one is USB 2. All are plugged into the recommended Inatek USB controller card (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00B6ZCNGM).

The USB 2 sensor gave me some detected/not detected issues, since the extension cable is pretty long. That cleared up when I plugged it into a powered hub, purely acting as a power booster, like I mention doing for the headset today in the original post. The sensor is just using a much cheaper USB 2 hub, though.

If you're using extensions, and you were careful to buy ones that people have had success with in the past, then I'd highly suspect a power delivery issue.

Good luck, and I'm glad to have given you some ideas. I hope they pan out! Let me know if I can answer any questions.

Eh, it's more like they gave you a cheap cooler. It's probably ok, but as you can see you're hitting the max temps in some situations (100C).

Depends on what you want to spend really. Noctua is considered the best for air coolers.

This is like the most popular noctua model I think:

https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NH-D15-heatpipe-NF-A15-140mm/dp/B00L7UZMAK

And then there are all in one (AIO) water coolers for $100 (but noctua is on par with them and beats many of them). Here is the one I have for my 9900k:

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Liquid-Cooler-Cooling-400-HY-CL28-V1/dp/B01N16CAKN/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=evga+clc+280&qid=1574222298&sr=8-1

There are definitely cheaper options that should be solid especially if you're not going to be pushing an overclock and all that. I'm not an expert on coolers but if you search 'cpu cooler 9700k' on /r/buildapc you can probably find a lot of good recommendations.

TL;DR - Buy this card, put in computer, play game.

Thanks to the link to the Amazon seller page provided by /u/probartlett155, we now know the following:

• CPU: AMD A4-6300 (2 cores @ 3.7GHz)
  
• GPU: No discrete GPU, but an APU; AMD Radeon HD 8370D
  
• RAM: 8GB
  
• HDD: 1TB HDD @ 7200rpm
  
• PSU: 400w (switched? unknown)
  
• Chassis: Aerocool Strike-X
  
• Motherboard: Unknown (not cited on the seller page)
  
• OS: Windows 8.1
  
  According to the seller, this motherboard does in fact have an open PCI-E x16 slot available. This makes things a bit easier. A discrete GPU is available, though with the current configuration, not a top-of-the-line one. I like the suggestion from /u/PapayaPies to get a GTX 1060; alas, that is not possible currently due to the underwhelming power supply.
  
  Cheapest, easiest solution: EVGA GTX 1050 Ti SC from Amazon for $140.49USD (plus S&H).
  While there are two cheaper options, I'd recommend the EVGA variant as my history with them has been rocksteady reliability (I still have a system built pre-i3/i5/i7 that runs on an EVGA motherboard and video card). I consider this option the cheapest and easiest as all that is required is the following:
  

1. Get card.
   
2. Power down computer.
   
3. Open chassis.
   
4. Insert card into available PCI-E slot.
   
5. Close chassis.
   
6. Connect display to new GPU.
   
7. Power on computer.
   
   While we could go with other options; they're more expensive and require a new power supply at the very least – adding not only $50 to $80 to the total cost after the video card; but time spent rewiring power connections, as well.
   
   It is important to note that this particular video card is bus-powered only; and does NOT need an additioal power cable running to it to perform its function.
   
   With this configuration, a reliable gaming experience in Overwatch and other games can be readily achieved with minimal downtime and risk to the components. I'm sure this is not the way some Redditors would do things; but again I remind you, we're trying to get him playing Overwatch as quickly and as cheaply as possible.
   
   Comments
   Whomever these sellers are that are selling “gaming computers” with just an APU and not a discrete GPU need to be punched in the babymaker. While I understand they're a business and trying to make money; they're flat-out lying about the capabilities of these machines. They're nothing more than office workstations with a fancy chassis. I'm sorry, /u/probartlett155, but I feel like you got scammed. :(
   Windows 10. It is also worthy to note that for some damn stupid reason Microsoft includes as part of its OS something called “Xbox Game DVR”. This comes ENABLED by default; and without an account with Xbox Live, requires you to edit the registry to disable. Why disable it? It is poorly coded and causes a significant drop in performance. In your situation, we need every drop we can get. Steam has a howto on disabling it via registry; but I'd wait to muck about in there until after the GPU has been installed and performance can be assessed (yes, I'm looking for trouble here, I know, I'm sorry).
   
   Recommendations
   If you find the above solution acceptable; then I would recommend going ahead and buying the video card and getting things going. I would NOT recommend spending any more money on this particular rig, though. Mosey on over to /r/buildapc and poke around a bit; start saving money for a newer gaming rig that you can call your own.
   
   Final Thoughts
   Sorry for your troubles, man. Hope you can get into some Overwatch, I personally love the game. Also, without further adieu – welcome to the PC Master Race (#PCMR, /r/pcmasterrace).
   
   May your framerates be high and your temperatures low.
   
   Happy fragging!

Guarantee it? Easy! Build something better:

• 1x: https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY
  
  
• 2x: https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Bluetooth-Controller-Classic-Joystick-Android/dp/B014QP2H1E
  
  
• Spend an hour setting up https://retropie.org.uk/
  
  Congratulations! You now have a:
  
  
• Atari 2600 (RetroArch)
  
• Game Boy Advance (gpSP)
  
• Game Boy Color (RetroArch)
  
• Game Gear (Osmose)
  
• Intellivision (RetroArch)
  
• NeoGeo (Genesis-GX, RetroArch)
  
• Sega Master System (Osmose)
  
• Sega Megadrive (DGEN, Picodrive)
  
• Nintendo Entertainment System (RetroArch)
  
• N64 (Mupen64Plus-RPi)
  
• Playstation 1 (RetroArch)
  
• Super Nintendo Entertainment System (RetroArch, PiSNES, SNES-Rpi)
  
• and more!
  
  That is ~2.5 inches wide, ~3.5 inches long and ~1 inch high.
  
  
  Otherwise, get in line at a Best Buy about a month in advance.

I would definitely still get the HDD. I’m am advocate for as much space as possible, but I am a bit of a data hoarder. As for wifi adapters the best value, in my opinion, are the PCI-e adapters with AC in the ~$40 range. I forget the exact model number of mine, but I have a $35 gigabyte PCI-e with AC wifi and bluetooth and it’s been great.

Edit: I have this wifi card. It is worth noting it has some issues in rare cases with 5GHz networks, but I've contacted support about it and hope we can get a driver fix out for it.

Edit: As for the GPU compatibility issue, whether that impacts things depends on the layout of the case and I’m not familiar with that one in particular so can’t say.

I have one of these, I upgraded the RAM with this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006YG8X9Y - works great, even though 8GB is probably overkill. Installation was really easy, I suggest running the RAM test from the Synology Assistant to make sure all is OK.

I use 2 x 6TB WD Reds in mine, SHR (Synology Hybrid Raid), and use Amazon Glacier to back up important folders (such as Photos) as my offsite insurance plan. It's pretty cheap to backup, monthly costs are around $0.80. It get's expensive to restore so this offsite backup solution is mostly an "insurance policy" in case of house fire or something like that.

Here's my setup:

• Raspberry Pi 3
  
• LibreELEC
  
• Kodi Gamestarter addon
  
• 8bitdo SFC30 SNES controller(s)
  
  This allows you to use your Pi not only as a RetroArch machine, but also a general-purpose media center machine running Kodi. Seeing as I have multiple machines like this around the house, I serve up my ROMs and Save Game data off a server via NFS, so that I can play a game on one box, then move to another one and pick up my saved game from there. This is a far better setup than the shit Nintendo is releasing.

So yeah you have three ports available to plug fans directly in to the motherboard. What I would recommend over a Molex adapter would be a hub like this.

SilverStone PWM Fan Hub System Cables, Black (CPF04) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VNW556I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_rh0Zxb68PGZVT

Still plug your cpu fan directly into the cpu fan hub on the mobo, but plug all the other fans into the hub, with the hub plugged into one of the system fan ports. And voila, now you have support for 7 more fans.

Glad I can help, feel free to ask for clarification on anything else.

I would highly suggest getting an Antlion ModMic.

I love my Antlion ModMic (4 if you're wondering) I use it on a pair of Audio‑Technica ATH‑AD500X's for the "ultimate gaming headset" \^(I love my ATH‑AD500X's! Got them on sale for $69, never looking back again.)

Now for the mic.. It's a standard boom mic that attaches to the headphones with a little magnetic clip that has some 3M adhesive on the backside. You absolutely want to get a 5w USB audio adapter to supply enough power for the mic, if you don't supply enough power(ie motherboard or laptop audio ports) the mic sounds terrible(hence the bad reviews), but once you supply it with enough power it clears right up and sound *amazing*. Something like this would work perfectly: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_sMBcBbJYT12KP

The Modmic can be found for approx $50 and is an excellent choice for VoIP services like discord. It isolates my voice extremely well from my very noisy Cherry MX Blue keyboard not 2 feet away and includes a handy in line mute switch.

EDIT: Welp. You use speakers so I guess a headphone-mounted boom mic wouldn't work so well... Get headphones while you're at it! XD

You shouldn't need a cooler unless you're planning to push for high overclocks. The stock cooler is said to be pretty damn good even at moderate overclocks. Also https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0143UM4TC/?tag=pcpapi-20 would save you five bucks in memory on amazon. I'm waiting for the last part to arrive on a nearly identical rig, and several reviews mentioned this ram getting the box speed on the 2600x/tomahawk so that's what I went with.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/sjVDYT

I would also put serious consideration into a 750w PSU. I almost went with the EVGA 750 G3, but a great seasonic went on sale. Should only cost $10 more than your 650.

As for monitors, i love my (not an IPS) Dell S2716DG. I went with gsync over IPS to save money, and I honestly don't think I could do without anymore.

First off, thank you a ton. I asked a friend of mine to look at the build (sorry, but I like to check things :P, I'm paranoid), and he said it looks great. I was curious though if you had the time to verify a few things for me. I couldn't find a few of the things you had suggested so I checked on some other things... Could you verify that they are just as usable for me please?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GQMHBI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A34FFV8YYDM571

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064GOQ86/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DHW4HXY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0088PUEPK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_8?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055QYKQO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_9?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1XBPHGHAXLHDG

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005O65JXI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_10?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QBUL1C/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0033Z2BAQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A30YNTVQ04HG16

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003HE260I/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

And sorry for the late reply. I've been trying to ensure that I have the money together so that I can actually pay for it without running into issues haha.

That's definitely a closed-loop system. These are supposed to last 4-5 years, but they have been known to break before that. There's a propylene glycol/water antifreeze fluid (just like a car) inside them, and a little pump (powered by the blue/green/yellow/black cable) pushes warm water from the CPU to the radiator, where is is cooled down and returned to the processor. When they fail they go one of two ways, either they get a crack in them and the water leaks, or the pump quits working.
It's possible that for some reason your motherboard has decided to not run the CPU fan (which is actually the pump) at 100% even though it's overheating (things like quiet mode can do this) and it's possible that when it's running at say 85% that it's not enough juice to start the pump... Check your BIOS for any quiet/silent mode settings and see if you can disable them. If the CPU fan is showing an RPM rating, this is actually the rating of the pump.

If you have gigabyte's tuning software installed, make sure you max out the CPU fan speed. Pumps are not fans, and it's possible that the pump just isn't getting enough power.

If the pump has gone bad, you can replace it with something similar (expect about the same life span and noise level). Personally, I'd switch to air cooling, as there's less that can go wrong. /r/buildapc could probably make suggestions... The only thing you need to be sure of with your next solution is that it works with AM3 processors. Your motherboard is compatible with standard 3-pin fans and 4-pin PWM fans, so you can pretty much use anything.

Personally, I have this a Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo. It's big. Very big. My case side almost doesn't fit on, but it's super quiet and doesn't depend on a pump. When idle, my CPU fan doesn't even need to run. It relies on heatpipes, which are VERY different from water cooling systems.

If you wanted to, you could switch back to a stock heatsink as well. The one that comes with your processor looks like this, but you may have a problem, it clips to a piece of plastic that appears to be missing from your motherboard (see here). You may have problems fitting OEM parts. I believe the Coolermaster fan I listed above will work even though that bracket is missing, but I'm not 100%

*edit: it looks like there's another black cable going into the heatsink in your top picture... Where does that go?

Be quiet is good, but at that price you might as well go for the Corsair H100i. Intel processors generally run hot the 8700k specifically can run high temps when gaming. I dont see how an air cooler would be better than a water cooler. In general water transfers heat better than air.

https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-CW-9060025-WW-Radiator-Advanced-Lighting/dp/B019EXSSBG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522512787&sr=8-1&keywords=Corsair+H100i+v2

Either way if you really want to do air cooling be quiet would be a great choice. I'm not trying to push you in either direction just trying to put my .02, At the end of the day it's whatever you're happy with.

Hello!

After some reading (mostly of /u/JDM_WAAAT's posts) I decided to build my own (instead of buying one). I used the $135 build as a base with some modifications (mainly, case).

Goal: Server with UnRAID, will run Plex with a couple of transcodes (no more than three, but I need the transcodes for subtitles), maybe to learn about VMs on my own, and as a place to keep my data centralized (and easy to back up SOMEWHERE ELSE).

CPU X3450 - $24.00


Mobo X8SIL-F - $44.99


RAM 2x4GB PC3-10600E - $39.95


CPU Cooler - $10


PSU EVGA 500 W1 - $40


Case Cooler Master N400 - $60

I bought two WD EasyStores last weekend that I intend to shuck, and I will look in BuildaPCSales for some good SSDs for a cache pool.

My main question is: any other motherboard recommended that would support HDDs and SSDs? The final goal would be three SSDs (one unassigned just for plex, two for a cache pool) and six HDDs (2x8GB parity, 4x8GB storage). As is right now the build is $219, I'm willing to push up to $250, or $300 if necessary, unless what I want is a wild dream and need to learn more before making these kinds of decisions.

I feel like I should maybe create a guide or something in the future for how to properly record a P:M game.

I noticed you're looking at a relatively cheap Capture Card. The one you're looking at is generally considered to have poor quality and can only output a maximum of 480i. The only Capture Card I've used (and still own) in that price range is this. It can output a maximum of 480p (which is the highest P:M will go on a Wii anyway) and works really well with VirtualDub (the software you will be using). You'll also want to pick up an S-Video Cable for the Wii so the video quality is decent.

Some people will recommend that you buy a Dazzle and while a Dazzle is decent, I'd recommend staying away from it due to the massive headaches a Dazzle Recorder can bring upon you. Some models have issues with sound, some only output 480i (not nearly as good as 480p) etc.

The next step is to download Software which will capture the game that is being played. I'd highly recommend VirtualDub as it will work with the video card listed above and can also function as a video editor afterwards.

All videos that are recorded will need to have lossless codec that they go through in order to decrease the original file size. This can take a 1-hour game original video from being 500gb to 100gb. Basically, if you record without one, you'll eat up your hard drive space fast. The best (atm) for codecs that don't lose any quality is HuffYuv. The video quality will be near 1:1 as you see on the TV while also not having a gigantic file size. You can also use Xvid if you want.

Now you'll want to edit your video. Simply use VirtualDub with simple edits. Once you have your final video, you'll want to encode the file by using a product called MeGUI. It'll encode the file into x264 and NeroAAC using a video editing language AviSynth. It's all pretty easy to use.

If you want to record on your TV and computer at the same time, it'll be a little bit of a headache. Your best bet is to buy splitters and AV female to female adapters. It may look like a mess when you finally get it setup, but it'll still have no lag (or less than 1 frame).

If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask. There are some really good tutorials and guides over at Something Awful LP Wiki. Even though it's for Lets Plays, it'll still be able to help you since you're trying to effectively do the same thing.

EDIT: You could also drop money on an Elgato HD Game Capture, but they're really expensive. The quality is second-to-none though.

Cheap option, get this (might be a tight squeeze, requires removing the side panel fan): https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-RR-212E-20PK-R2-Direct-Contact/dp/B005O65JXI

Best option, get this (also requires removing that side panel fan, but might be a tiny bit easier to fit in as it's 2mm shorter): https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NH-U12S-Premium-Cooler-NF-F12/dp/B00C9EYVGY

unless you don't want to remove the side-panel fan at all, then get this, still great cooling: https://www.amazon.com/noctua-Premium-Cooler_Retail-Cooling-NH-C14S

It would also be helpful to know your motherboard model to check the compatibility list. But I'm fairly certain these coolers should fit regardless.

They include decent thermal paste, but the FX8350 is one of the hotter chips and it might be worthwhile to squeeze a few extra degrees out with this paste: https://www.amazon.com/Thermal-Grizzly-Kryonaut-Grease-Paste/dp/B011F7W3LU

I wrote this for another thread on the same subject a while back. The main bottleneck/expense is moving from single processor to dual processor. If I had it to do over (and hadn't come across a 2009 model at a bargain price) I'd get the 2010 chassis. The 2009 model uses a very odd lidless processor design which is unique to that year and complicates upgrading. The 2010's also have faster RAM which means you won't have to buy new RAM to upgrade the processor.

Upgrades:-

• Highpoint Technologies Rocket 640L for SATA 6Gb/ps combined with any SATA SSD.
  
  
• For true speed OWC offer a range of M2 SSD PCIE cards, although these are expensive they will give you current generation SSD speeds. There are plenty of cheap M2 SATA PCIE cards available and the drives themselves are reasonably priced, but many unfortunately can't be used as boot drives in the Mac (NVME issues). MacProSSDOptions offers a list of ones that work.
  
  
• Any recent nVidia card will work with nVidia's web drivers (bloody hard to find, search the Hackintosh sites for current links and ALWAYS upgrade the drivers before you upgrade the OS). I have GTX 970 which drives three monitors happily and offers HDMI out. What you won't get with the non-mac nVidia cards is the grey boot screen, you need a Mac card for that hence the advice I offer about the EFI cards later on. I've run twin 9800 GTX's, an 8800 GT and a GTX 970 in my 2009 model without issues - you just need to make sure the card you buy has 6 pin power connectors on the card itself and you'll need a set of 6 pin PCiE power connectors for the Mac Pro Backplane.
  
  
• If you can find a 2010 processor board and processor for reasonable money a hacked firmware upgrade for the 4,1 to the 5,1 is available, and it's a really simple upgrade to perform. This also allows you to use faster 1333 MHz RAM - if you already have RAM for the 2009 model it will work in the 2010 board (it's not expensive c. £100 for 32Gb), but you will need to replace it to take advantage of the faster RAM support. /u/firefly416 claims a 2010 board in a 2009 machine will cause problems with the fans - but I've done this and experienced none of these issues.
  
  
• Inateck Superspeed 4 Ports PCI-E to USB 3.0 Expansion Card for rear facing USB 3.0.
  
  
• An Apple BCM94360CD card and adapter will provide Bluetooth 4 LE, and 802.11 ac connectivity (which provide continuity and handoff).
  
  Advice:-
  
  
• Always keep a Mac EFI graphics card in the machine or handy, I have one of the old GT120's, inevitably when the OS upgrades you'll forget to upgrade the Nvidia web drivers first and that renders the mac useless without an EFI card available.
  
  
• There is plenty of space in the CD drive enclosure for SSDs and other upgrades - they're much more knowledgeable about third party parts and driver issues than the Mac crowd who generally don't deal with these things too much. I've frequently found information there on PCiE SSDs, video drivers, even sound drivers, that I couldn't get help for elsewhere.
  
  
• The dual core 2009 series is the best one of the 2009 models to own, the processors can be upgraded to the point where it comes near the 2013 Mac Pro Geekbench score. If you don't have a dual processor board from the get go then the upgrade to one is very expensive indeed and the parts are hard to find.
  
  
• The 2.66 Ghz 4,1 uses lidless processors (as do all of the other 2009 models) which are impossible to find upgrades for. You will have to convert the board or do the riskiest upgrade of your life in order to use the better processors. Information on the board conversion is hard to find (I'm looking if anyone out there has it!).
  
  
• Lots of helpful information is available at TonyMacx86 and other Hackintosh forums. In my experience they are more knowledgeable about third party hardware and driver issues than the Mac crowd and much more willing to help.
  
  
• If you can find a 5,1 (2010 tower) at a price you can afford go for that one as it has standard heat shielded processors rather than the lidless version in the 2.66Ghz 4,1 - always check the serial number before you buy as many 5,1 machines are really 4,1's with the hacked firmware.
  

If you're asking for strictly graphics cards I would go with the minimum of a r9 290x or a [GTX 970] (http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Quieter-Graphics-04G-P4-2974-KR/dp/B00NVODXR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1449824615&sr=1-1&keywords=gtx+970) and these I would say can do 4k but won't be amazing at 4k. They will do amazing at max settings on WWE at 1080 60fps. Not entirely sure about 4k. What I have seen is people use the 980 in SLI for 4K and I'm positive you can do the same with the 290x or the 970 and get the job done as well. And I'm sure one of the GTX 980ti will do just fine. As for processors I myself have an i5-4690k and it gets the job done well. I would say go for an i5-4690k or higher and you can also search for the AMD equivalent as well. I don't have much experience with AMD so I wouldn't know what to recommend

EDIT: Here is a video showing the GTX 980 & i7-4790k running WWE 2K15 at 4K and 60 FPS

EDITED:

Save $110 by getting a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo instead of the Liquid Cooler. I saw a few youtube benchmarks (comparing the 212 Evo to the h100i) that the 212 Evo only lags behind the liquid cooler by 1*C. If you don't want to use the stock CM fan on the 212 Evo, just buy one Corsair SP120 for $13 on Amazon, and you'll still save $97. Liquid cooling is great until it leaks all over your $3000 setup Google-> h100i leaks (and other models).


....
You also wouldn't need the Thermal Compound if you buy the 212 Evo siince Cooler Master ships you some (Saves $6)

....
Also save $420 and get the EVGA GTX 1080 Ti instead of the Titan Xp. EVGA is the best brand for NVidia cards.

....
You would save a total of ~$536 and have extremely similar performance (basically unnoticeable).

> I opted for two mDP connections because I basically don't know any better. I think the Dell monitors in my office right now have both HDMI and MDP ports. If I can reliably run a dual monitor setup on Linux with a one-port card then that is great news. Thanks!

You want a two-port card, but pretty much any card will have that. You just might need to get an adapter cable since mDP is a pretty rare connection on most cards outside of workstation / signage cards. For instance, something like https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-GAMING-Support-04G-P4-6253-KR/dp/B01MF7EQJZ/ would have both better graphics performance than that Quadro K1200 and is $100 less. You'd just need an HDMI cable and a DisplayPort to mDP cable (both cheap).

> So what's the deal with Intel's integrated graphics? Would that be sufficient for me?

That processor (and all of the X99 processors) doesn't have integrated graphics. You need a graphics card if you want to go with a high-end chip like that.

The wireless card in your partlist will be prone to interference from other devices in crowded areas and other RF devices like mircowaves, but if you don't live in a middle city apartment it'll probably be fine. For better reliability you might want to look at something like this: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Archer-T6E-Wireless-Technology/dp/B016K0896K/

Motherboards with onboard WiFi will cost more than the price of a PCIe wireless card, but they tend to be better quality boards. The wireless performance between the card I linked and something onboard will be pretty much the same.

As for general build feedback, I'd swap the 9700k for the 8700k and take that budget out of the cooler, it'll perform quite a bit better in newer games that are more thread limited. Something like https://pcpartpicker.com/list/JRdCxG

LinusTechTips did a video on positive vs negative air pressure and found the difference in temperature settings was negligible at most. Positive air flow, however, should reduce the dust that enters your pc, assuming you have dust filters over your intakes.

Liquid cooling should not be remotely necessary. Yes, it will improve performance over air cooling, but for most users air cooling is plenty good. /u/smgswattted, are you using the stock cooler? if so, get an inexpensive aftermarket (hyper 212 evo probably still best value) instead. Make sure you also have at least one case fan.
As far as airflow, this video shows that the key factor is having an adequately sized heat sink.
Personally, I'd wager your problem stems from bad/old thermal compound (and possibly using a stock heat sink). [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2p6Hk4IfqI} video explains what thermal compound is, and this video talks about how to apply it most effectively.
That said, /u/desuemery's list is very comprehensive/covers all the bases, but personally I'd suggest just getting that hyper 212 cooler and some new paste before getting liquid cooling or anything fancy unless you just want to be cool. That and get dust filters.

Sorry, I worded a lot of this wrongly for I was quite rushed. I also left out some info for fear of the text box disappearing when I left my tab since I'm using my mobile device atm since I'm away from my desktop.

The power supply is the EVGA 500 W1, 80+ WHITE 500W, which was one that EVGA reccomended after I used the tool they have for picking which one to use, but I'll also look into the one you selected since it seems to be decent.

When I said "plug into my Alienware," I meant the graphics card because, not lying, I used to plug my monitor into the Intel graphics card instead because I didn't understand that that HDMI port was the wrong one. This time, I meant that I don't know how my case works and whether the tower/case comes with a way to plug in a DisplayPort cord since I know that DVI-D and HDMI don't allow 144hz.

I'm strictly Nvidia, sorry, but I'm not into AMD. Also, I want to try out ShadowPlay (I currently use DxTory) and the GTX 555 sadly doesn't support that. I know AMD has amazing products, but I am the type of person that sticks with what they're used to unless something different is so much better that it would totally blow my mind (why I switched from iCancer to Android phones (the OnePlus 3T is such a phenomenal phone for such a low price, like woah)).

That whole optimization thing was something from a long time ago that I don't quite remember, but I think he said something along the lines of having to mess around with the processor or something to get the most out of the RAM I installed. Idk, I just know I took the old RAM sticks out and replaced them, turned my PC on, and it said I had 16 GB, so I was happy (although Chrome uses a good 30-50% depending on how many running tabs I have).

Also, I'm not 100% about the power supply I currently have. I just know the unit is probably about twice the size of an Xbox 360 power supply unit, if not 1.5x bigger.

Oh, and lastly, with the SSD partition or whatever it's called, I just know that it is the stock that it came with, so I think it's just an internal HDD. I would actually love to get an SSD for Windows and applications to work faster and speed up copying times, but I don't think I'll spend money on that yet. I'll probably upgrade that once I do a full upgrade to my PC, processor and everything. I'll probably do that in 3-5 years time or whenever 4K replaces 1080p in the gaming standard and 120 fps becomes the new basic benchmark for PC and even console gaming if the peasants decide to actually put effort into making their gaming experience more than just mediocre. Although mouse and keyboard will always beat controllers unless you're talking about Rocket League since that's a bit easier on controller.

So yeah, thanks for the extra help and listening to my elementary knowledge in the field of PC gaming rigs. Other than the AMD vs Nvidia change, do you think you can change anything from my change list that could potentially help my rig last for even more years to come?



Here are the links to the various upgrades I was looking at before making the original post:

GTX 1060 SC
https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Support-Graphics-06G-P4-6161-KR/dp/B01IPVSLTC?th=1&psc=1

Acer 144hz monitor w/ G-Sync
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00B2HH7G0

EVGA 500W Power Supply
https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-WHITE-Warranty-Supply-100-W1-0430-KR/dp/B00H33SFJU?th=1&psc=1

And yes, I'm not a true Redditor since I don't know how to do hyperlinking and other things to these links on mobile version or even desktop tbh. Sorry about the shitty links.

If you bought that 4460 new, then replacing your PSU is probably a good preventative measure. I doubt that you need to, but since it powers everything, there's an uncomfortably high (but honestly, relatively low) chanve that it could fry some electronics when it inevitably fails. So spending an extra $80-$100 on a much, high quality PSU would be something to look into, though it mostly helps with longevity.

If your PSU is less than 3 years old, or you already have a high quality pay that you trust, that money would better be spent on a SSD upgrade. Also, make sure to backup your data before you upgrade everything; worst case scenario, you put a fresh install of Windows on your old HDD (or brand new SSD) and then restore files from a backup (stored on a seperate drive) for that fresh, and yet still familiar Windows experience. Just moving your HDD over and expecting it to work is kinda asking for trouble.

Also Also, if you can, make sure you have a copy of your Windows Activation Key before the upgrade. Windows may be marked as inactive after the change; a call to microsoft support should fix it if push comes to shove, but having the key simplifies the process.

Finally, have you considered upgrading to an AMD system? If you're buying that i5 9600k as a budget option, you may want to look into the price/performance king right now, which I believe is a ryzen 5 3600 (released earlier this week) coupled with a b450 series board. I think that comes out to around $300 before RAM, definitely shop around though.

Edit: If you don't plan on overclocking your RAM, this seems like a nice budget option: $75 for 16 GB Ddr4-3200

Looks solid to me, not familiar with Solid Works though so I can't comment on that. You probably won't see more than a few dollars savings dropping to a lower wattage PSU and the 750w does give you the option of adding a second card for SLI in the future without having to upgrade it as well. Well worth the extra $5-10 in my opinion.

For keyboards, I have a
Microsoft Sidewinder X4 and for me at $40 with free shipping it would be tough to beat. It's not mechanical, but mine has lasted 3 years and still works beautifully (and I'm not that much of a fan of mech keyboards)

Mouse, I have a Roccat Kone that I love and at $40 is a decent price as well. Especially for the features that you get.

If you can squeeze it into your budget, a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO would help keep noise down and is only $30 on Amazon

Noctua has a good reputation for having some of the best performing fans though they are a bit pricey maybe because of the demand for them if spending $20 or more per case fan is too much going for cheaper fan's wouldn't be the worse idea as replacing a fan is easier these fan's are pretty cheap and it comes with 3 of them Noctua also has some of the best CPU Coolers

Here's a couple of CPU coolers if they cost too much there's a couple others I can think of

Noctua NH-D15 one of the best coolers by noctua the FSP case may have trouble mounting this.

Noctua NH-U14S a more budget cooler but still capable might be a bit louder then the D15 the FSP case may have trouble mounting this

Dark Rock Pro 4 one of the most recommended CPU coolers I've seen at the moment probably because of it's price for a dual heat sink tower cooler the FSP case may have trouble mounting this

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Corsair H115i a very high end Liquid cooler it's expensive but it'll definitely get the job done might have better overclocking performance as AIO cooler's don't suffer from stark changes in temperatures with an air cooler you may see temperature spikes for example your CPU is sitting at 40 C and it jumps up to 50 C for a second and then quickly climbs back down this is pretty rare for an AIO Liquid cooler

with all the clearance issue's with the FSP case you could look into this case it would be wide enough to fit all cooler's I mentioned here while also not being too expensive

1. The water cooling fan header can be used for a case fan. I believe the pump fan header can too, but I'm not sure. Keep in mind that your motherboard may treat those headers as PWM controlled or DC voltage controlled, and you may have to change fan speed settings in the BIOS.
   
   
2. See 3.
   
   
3. See 2. Just kidding, see 4.
   
   
4. Easiest way would be to buy a fan splitter. Make sure that, if you have 4 pin PWM case fans, you get a 4 pin fan splitter. If you have a lot of fans, you can consider a fan hub. It can get power from your PSU via SATA or Molex, depending on the fan hub. Plus, if you get a PWM fan hub you can turn non-PWM fans into PWM fans, though all fans connected to the hub will run at the same speed.

https://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-System-Cables-Black-CPF04/dp/B00VNW556I?th=1&psc=1 this is cheapest small fan hub I know of.

The only one smaller is the aquacomputer quadro, but it's pretty expensive and uses molex, that being said you can download their software to finfigure any fan to any RPM you want. It's more of a fan controller than a fan hub. it's also about 3x the price.

If you plan to go dual aio at some point, I'd recommend the Quadro, because you can easily control RPM of each individual fan (or even use a splitter for 2 fans on one header so they run at the same RPM)

>What is the theory of fan placement and different kinds of fans going in different parts of the case?

/u/dweller_12 provided the fan size and locations for your case. Using this information, you'd do a 120mm intake for the front and a 120mm exhaust in the back at the minimum. If you feel like you need additional airflow, add 2 120mm fans up top as exhaust and 2 120mm fans on the side as intake. This is overkill though.

If you have a 240mm AIO for your CPU, I'd recommend mounting it to the top as an intake and using the front and back fans as exhaust. Bringing cool air into the case will reduce CPU temps better than pushing warmer air out of the radiator.

> What happens if I put a HF fan in the front instead of a SP? are all front intake fans SP? Are SP fans louder?

The whole HF vs SP isn't worth worrying over (especially when it's a single degree of difference. You're better off using decent PWM fans or 3-pin fans connected to a fan controller like the Silverstone PWM Fan Hub.

> Is there a cooling/noise performance boost with bigger fans (120 vs 140)?

Larger fans can push the same amount of air as smaller fans with less noise. They can also push more air at the same noise level as smaller fans. This doesn't apply to you since you cannot fit 140mm fans in your case.

If noise is a concern, I mounted a 120mm basic Cooler Master fan in front of my 5.25" drive bays to cool my HDDs and SSD (used 3.5" to 5.25" brackets, did this to remove the 3.5" drive bays for better air flow). There is no noticeable noise difference with the additional fan, but all 3 drives have dropped 10°C.
> What other factors should I be concerned about?

Dust. Get fan filters and clean them out regularly. I don't have any pets, but I do have carpet in my bedroom that gets vacuumed never rather infrequently.

> I'm planning on getting budget Corsair fans with LEDs (not rgb because I have no mobo headers). Anything I should know?

Keep them clean.